Category: Videos

Photos and Unboxing of the Caramel B6 Folio Cascade

October 10, 2022

Last time I posted, my youngest daughter hadn’t started school yet. Now, she’s already two and half months in and coming upon her first PSATNMSQT test. Last year she took the PSAT, which was required by the school for the all the students to take. This year she qualified for the PSATNMSQT. Can you believe next year she’ll be taking the SATNMSQT?

I know I promised cruise photos and they’re ready to go and should be up soon. I can’t wait share photos and talk about my experience with this vacation and cruise line.

Chic Sparrow came out with this limited edition leather called Caramel. It’s a nubuk leather. Husband said it’s the same leather they use on Birkenstocks so I decided to get my hand on one. Here is the unboxing:

In the last 35 seconds of the video there is a clip of the drive through the mountains on the Million Dollar Highway. I provide a short description in the comments of the video about the city we visited and this highway, so if you’d like to learn a little bit about history, click on “Watch on Youtube,” and “Show More.”

Here are photos of the Caramel Folio:

This is a very pretty leather. After a few days holding it I’m not too sure I’m digging the suede feel. I like it, but I just don’t know if I love it. I wonder if this is the same leather they use for the Traveler’s Company’s Camel Traveler’s Notebook. I feel like I almost have to buy that one too just to compare.

July’s 2022 Playlist

August 1, 2022

The last couple of weeks in July, husband and I took a cruise vacation to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. It was a really nice and relaxing vacation. When we returned, we took a road trip to Silverton, CO, which is 6 hours from where we live. I’ll be sharing photos soon. Right now, let’s check out my playlist.

I’ve been editing a novel for Camp NaNoWriMo for July and am happy to say, I completed it! I was worried I wouldn’t be able to hit my word count because of the vacation and all but I did it. During the editing, I listened to the playlist I made for the novel but I also had Pandora.com on and listened to a lot of Enigma and Sarah Brightman. One song in particular came on and brought back memories of a dance I taught a few students at Catechism some fifteen or twenty years ago. This was the song:

The dance was only about 2 minutes long so the song was cropped just enough to fit. For some reason, I don’t now where that cropped version is. I wouldn’t be able to share it but I wanted to listen to it.

Often I’ll listen to epic compilations as background music and the one below (over an hour and a half long) was really nice. I was editing the sci-fi cyborg novel so the music really didn’t fit but for some reason just having the music low as “white noise” really got me going. I was able to edit over 60K words. My goal was 50K.

If you’re a writer, do you like having music in the background or do you write without any music/noise?

June’s Playlist 2022: Breakup Songs

July 1, 2022

Photo taken 10 years ago this month after a hail storm.

In June, I was listening to breakup songs to get the mood I want for the current story I’m getting ready to edit for this months’ Camp Nano. In a strangely funny way, I found two iconic songs that were extremely well done but are completely opposite of each other.

The first one is “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo. This song has a naive innocence that I’m pretty sure every teenage girl or young adult who has had their heart broken could relate too. Olivia’s writing skills is something else. She’s very talented.

The second song is “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morrisette. This is the grown up version of a heartbreak song. You can just feel the betrayal.

I love both of these songs for their differences and similarities. Other breakup favorites I listened to were:

  • “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
  • “Apologize” by One Republic
  • “What Goes Around…Comes Around” by Justin Timberlake
  • “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye
  • “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette
  • “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn
  • “The Scientist” by Coldplay

Do you have a favorite breakup song you listen to?

May’s Playlist 2022 and Ramblings

June 2, 2022

Last weekend, went to grab donuts and coffee and couldn’t resist taking a photo of the clouds. Aren’t they something? If you’re curious as to why the road looks rough and uneven, it’s because they are repaving it. May usually feels like a forever month because of that extra day, but it pretty much flew by this year. I guess I should accept that as I/we get older, time starts to feel as though it’s moving faster. I remember wishing for the time to pass quickly. Now, I’m always aware that I only have so much time in a day to get things done, and there’s never enough time.

I was so busy with writing and trying to get my hands at doing more crafting that I didn’t get a chance to listen to anything different other than my default playlist of Enigma and writing music. Husband and I did go see the movie, Top Gun: Maverick and we both enjoyed it. The soundtrack was nostalgic and excellent. Afterward, I told him that returning to civilian life felt a bit slow and boring, but that I enjoyed it. The speed of those jets was a serious adrenaline rush and I don’t think that kind of life would ever be for me. It’s very different for sure, but you know, maybe it’s just the age thing.

Anyway, the one song I did listen to a few times was Meet Me Halfway but Kenny Loggins. He’s also the singer of the song Danger Zone, which was played in the 1986 Top Gun movie as well as the new movie release. Meet Me Halfway was a song played in the 1987 movie called Over the Top, which I haven’t seen yet.

My daughter is on summer break now. She finished 9th grade and will be starting 10th grade come fall. She’ll be taking classes for her driver’s permit this summer. Once she passes, she’ll be able to drive with me or her dad in the car with her. Then come her 16th birthday next year and she’ll be able to test for her driver’s license. Strangely, she doesn’t want to drive.

Hope you all enjoy your summer.

April 2022 Playlist

May 1, 2022

I was surprised to see the magnolia in the backyard bloom. A few years back only a few flowers bloomed, so I thought this bush was on its way out, but I’m so glad it’s still thriving.

I finished Camp Nano and hit over 100K words so I’m really happy that I was able to get that far. My goal was 80K. As a gift to myself, I purchased quite a few celebrity perfumes. Once I receive them all, I’ll probably share some photos.

Something was in the air in April and I got hooked on the song “Never Enough” from the movie, The Greatest Showman. Have you seen the movie? What did you think? It came out in 2017 but I only watched it a year ago and I wish I had seen it sooner. I knew how popular a lot of the songs were, but there is so much more meaning in having watched the movie. I love the original “Never Enough” version by Loren Allred, but also love Morrissette Amon’s version as well as Kelly Clarkson’s. If you get the chance, watch Morrisette’s version. It’s very beautiful. Here’s Kelly’s version. I believe they’ve played this on the radio. I remember hearing it driving the kids to dance practice when oldest daughter was still in high school. She’s now finishing up her second year of university!

Here are a few other songs I listened to:

“Into Dust” by Mazzy Star

“Je T’aime Till My Dying Day” by Enigma

“Glass Palace” by Jens Gad

Unboxing Falcon Travelers’ Book of Faerie Traveler’s Notebook + Photos

April 29, 2022

I’m so excited to finally have this beautiful leather notebook cover in my hands! I ordered it early in February, and because this is a small business owned by Monique (aka Lady Falcon) and Martijn in the Netherlands, I expected some wait time. The company is called Falcon Travelers and they make leather traveler’s notebooks and folios. What’s unique about them is that they not only make your basic leather notebooks/folios, but they also make artistic-work notebooks.

The one I ordered is called “Book of Faerie.” I had been visiting their website for awhile and at one pointed wanted to get their “Pendragon” notebook cover, but by the time I was ready to order, the Pendragon leather was no longer available, however, something else caught my eye, and it was this very lovely engraved book-style cover.

I got it in the classic B6 size. Classic means there are no pockets. I regret not getting pockets because I’ve actually come to really like them, but I still love this one without pockets, nonetheless.

Book Review: Bartholomew

April 25, 2022

Decided to try something different and make a video of books I unbox and review. Let me know what you think.

Title: Bartholomew
Author: Mark Lages
Genre: Fiction; Literary; Memoir
Year Published: March 17, 2022

Date finished: April 23, 2022

This story is written like a memoir and opens with the main character, Rick Harper, celebrating his 65th birthday. He reflects on his earlier life, remembering his invisible friend as a child, and how that friend visited him again in adulthood.

Rick comes across very nonchalant. He tells us all the mistakes he’s made through his life. He doesn’t really give reasons or excuses as to why he did the things he did. He does, however, show us that he doesn’t understand how he ended up in his life with all the mistakes he’s made. He shows us that he doesn’t understand what happiness is because his life had been both good and bad but not too extreme in either direction. He seems to just exist and thus his confusion with what happiness means.

Bartholomew is Rick’s invisible friend, and he (Bartholomew) is sort of a guiding energy for Rick. He makes Rick think about his purpose and his definition of happiness. Along the way, Rick begins to understand what it really means to live.

I got so much out of this story. My favorite scene was when Rick cheated a co-worker out of a job, and then a few years later, he helped a co-worker earn a spot in the company even when he was on a tight deadline of his own. I totally understood that. It wasn’t because he liked one co-worker over another, but because it was timing. The first situation, he was a young person just out of college and needed to do what he needed to do to gain status. Later, when he was experienced and had gone through a lot in his career and in his personal life, he then sacrificed his time to help another. This speaks so much about humanity. No one is perfect, yet we tend to judge others as though they have to be perfect, forgetting to look at ourselves and see that we too have faults.

This was a wonderful read. I think everyone can learn something from this book, but even if that’s not something you care for, you’d still enjoy the humor.

Who should read this book: I’d totally recommend it to everyone.

Unboxing and Photos of the Lancaster Leather Notebook Cover

April 19, 2022

I don’t normally use the personal size leather covers because I just find that they don’t have enough room to write, but the Lancaster Traveler’s Notebook cover was so tempting that I had to get one. I already have a personal cover for my address book, etc., but went ahead and switched the notebooks out into the Lancaster. I really like the button closure and I think it works better for the address book.

Here’s the unboxing video if you want to watch it. It’s a no-talk video with music in the background. It’s just shy of two minutes.

Here are the photos of this gorgeous leather cover.

These photos were taken after I had put in the notebooks.

This leather scratches easily but it’s okay because sometimes I just want a very rugged scratched up leather. Right now because it’s still pretty new, it looks smooth and divine, but given time it will show all the wear and tear it’s meant for.

March 2022 Playlist

April 1, 2022

The movie “Free Guy” came out last year and at first I didn’t have any interest in watching it because I’m not a fan of Ryan Reynolds, but I ended up watching it and it’s become one of my favorite movies. It is soooo good! I loved the storyline and all the great actors. Even though Ryan basically played himself, I think he meant to let all the other talents shine, and they did.

The song “Sweet Fantasy” by Mariah Carey is pretty much the main theme song. However, the version below is so beautiful. I didn’t know this happy and bubbly song could be turned into something so heartfelt. It’s played near the end of the movie when the main character was separated from his friend on the platform going across the water. I learned that the actress who played Milli/Molotov, Jodie Comer, sang it. That made the movie all the more amazing. So, March’s favorite pick from my playlist is the cover of “Sweet Fantasy.”

Other songs from my playlist were:

Snow Day (Photos) and Unboxing Video of 3 Notebook Covers

February 2, 2022

Daughter had a snow day today, which means no school. She’s both excited and bummed. Excited because she can relax and not worry about doing homework, and bummed because she spent an hour yesterday making Crepes for French class and now she’ll have to eat them by herself (and with me of course) or throw them away. She made about 20 crepes.

The snow is soft and light and it’s not that cold out. I went out to take photos in my short LL Bean boots, leggings, and sweater and wasn’t cold at all.

Here’s me crossing the lawn in the deepest part trying to get over to the pine tree.

As I was taking photos, this person comes by on cross country skis just enjoying the wonderful weather and snow.

And I had to share this notebook cover with the snow in the background. The little white sprinkling things is the snow coming down. This is the No. 8 Extra Wide in American Bison hide. The unboxing video below will have a closer look at all the striations and folds. It’s such a pretty leather!