Just a Minute: June Edition

late...I completely forgot about this month's installment until yesterday. Oh well, better late than never.

reading…This past weekend I finished about four books. It's too hot to be outside much, so I spent a lot of time snuggling with the cat and kitten and reading, reading, reading. I finished Fly Away Home and Certain Girls quickly because Jennifer Weiner's books are always quick reads for me. Then I devoured two amazing young adult books that were both advance copies I got back in May, Seraphina and Unspoken. Seraphina had dragons, but in a really original way, and Unspoken had a unique take on sorcerers. Both are aimed a bit more toward girls (they get a touch too emotional/romantic than a boy reader would probably prefer), both are obviously fantasy, and both left me really annoyed that I'm going to have to wait an unspecified amount of time to read more in their series!

sweating...It is entirely too hot around here! We are all draped across furniture trying to soak up the slightest breeze.

 
surprising...Nathan's birthday was Tuesday, and I managed to get him a very difficult to find bottle of whiskey with the help of a friend of my sister's! He was pretty thrilled, which made it worth the trouble of asking big favors from strangers.

The best is yet to come...

listening…of course there's this, but I've also been listening to The Tallest Man on Earth, and, somewhat against my will, I really like Home by Phillip Phillips (Disappointed to realize that this song was not a new release from Mumford & Sons, but was, rather, an American Idol winner with a ridiculous name.)

creating…I have a brilliant idea for what I'm making Nathan for our 2nd wedding anniversary. Luckily, I realized that the traditional year two gift is cotton early enough that I could tackle an embroidery project with enough time to actually get it done by September 6. I'll keep you updated on progress, but for now, here's a sneak peek-->

making...I invented a quinoa salad using one we used to get from the grocery store as my inspiration. I'll be posting the recipe later this month because it's definitely a keeper.

baking…I made the brownies I mentioned last month again, this time for the fourth of July. This time I made them in ramekins for individual servings. It really worked great; I definitely recommend it. If you used small ones for every serving it would probably take 14. Baking time remains about the same, if not 5-10 minutes longer.