Abbi Glines Existence trilogy

For the last 3 days I have been consumed with this series! It's been a Dank, Pagan and Leif triange. I have not been on FB, or playing my games- I went a whole 24 hours without playing words with friends! Pagan has a good boyfriend but falls in love with Dank who of course is Death, literally. Dank makes death look good of course. The first two books were about them trying to be together. After all that heartache of course the third book, which I just started a few minutes ago, has pissed me off because of course he has to make her fall in love with him again! Ugh! I've waited for 2 book for them to be together and now here goes the 3rd with another kink. Let's hope it lives up to my expectations. Just had to get all the book emotions out! Of course I want Dank to win!

Hopeless

I just finished reading Hopeless by one I my favorite authors Cathleen Hoover. As in just finished I mean stayed up the last 5 hours reading. Such a touching book! While it had major full out crying potential I'm proud to say I only shed a handful of tears. Oh Holder!

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

I just finished reading Fallen Too Far. I'm starting to hate when books end with a cliffhanger. I don't want to wait 3 more months to find out if Blaire and Rush get back together. Overall this was a good book finished it in 2 days. Definitely fall for the bad guy. Bad guy ends up having a big heart.

****UPDATE*******

I feel like this review needs extra attention. Tomorrow Never Too Far will be released. Part 2 of this series. I was so angry with having to wait for the next book and BAM!-I get to read it tomorrow! Of course I will be purchasing it right at midnight (no pre-order available for this one). Rush definitely makes the book boyfriend list. He is the total reformed bad boy. Stay tuned for Never Too Far's book review.

The Edge of Never

The Edge of Never was an awesome read! Maybe I didnt know what to expect from this book. All I knew about it was it got great reviews from my fellow blog readers. I am not going to write too much about this book except that it made me cry and I finished it in 2 days. I really wanted to write more about this but havent had the time. A very REAL read.

Stowe, Vermont Pics








View from room

Stowe, Vermont

For Veteran's Day weekend, me, Rey, Ada and Ivelisse went to Stowe, Vermont for a getaway. We really did not have anything planned except to go hiking and enjoy the hot tub. It was our first time visiting (except for Ive). Ski season had not started yet so we were able to book a really luxurious hotel for a great price. The town was very different from the city life we are used to. Since it was during their off time the town almost looked like a ghost town. Vermont is a beautiful state. It was amazing to me to see cows on the side of the road, hiking trails everywhere and mountains! (and I don't mean Avon Mountain) Along the side of the road people were pulled over and were walking on the trail that was nearby. On our second day there we hiked to a waterfall. It was so beautiful! I will admit I wore the wrong shoes and did the crab walk down the steep parts of the trail. What I really liked about Stowe was the welcoming feeling you get to be outdoors. If you see a trail there isn't a sign that warns about danger, open from dawn til dusk or even a sign at all in some cases.  I feel like in CT taking a walk in the woods or a hike is not as easily encouraged. Even in areas like the reservoir there are many signs and you are aware of the dangers that can happen. Swimming during the night under the stars while the fire pit was going was another amazing experience. Heated outdoor pool and hot tub were some of our favorite things to do. I will say it took me quite a while to relax and to snap out of the city life and the routine of always being on the move. I was not prepared for the lack of diversity in Stowe. My whole life being around diverse people has been the norm.  In Stowe, where the population is roughly 4,400, there was not much diversity. This had no effect on our visit  I just found my feelings to this observation interesting. I guess I was not expecting that. Overall, it was a great trip. I did learn that I really like hiking and that I need to relax a little more. I would like for it not to take 2 days for me to wind down.

Breaking Dawn Part 2!

I just got home from watching the Twilight Saga Marathon. 5 movies, almost 13 hours, 2 buckets of popcorn and soda, a liter of water and a room filled with women of all ages- what an experience. Breaking Dawn part 2 premiered at 10pm and OMG I loved it! Such a great movie and a great overall experience. Wish I could do it again. Wish my sister was there with me! Thanks to Carmen for coming with me if not I'd go by my lonesome. Can't wait to see it again!

Reflected in you

I just finished reading "Reflected in you" by Sylvia Day. I already loved Gideon in the first book but have now fell in love all over again. Some things that really struck me in this book are the pain and suffering the characters have with them. It is apart of them. Even though they both dealt with their abuse and became such strong people the hurt still stays with them. The other thing that struck me is the separation from each other. Yes sometimes it feels like she is over reacting. However when you are apart from someone who touches you that deeply you are never really apart. You still find a way to see the person, talk to the person ad protect the person as you see fit. Can't wait for part 3!!

Yay! I'm 30 and Engaged!

One week ago today I became one of the luckiest people on the planet! What started out as a simple lunch date with my boyfriend and my stepson ended up as a surprise birthday party. The surprise birthday party was at my favorite restaurant in Downtown Hartford, Salute. All of my closest friends were there, sister, aunt from Florida, Dad, brothers and grandma from NYC and NJ were there too. It was a big surprise for me as I had no clue there was a party for me and this party was 4 days after my birthday. The party quickly shifted gears and turned into an engagement party during the time I had to open gifts. When I got to Rey's gift there was a big beautiful white and black box which inside held another similar box. When I finished opening the boxes inside was a jewelery box. I tried to remain calm as I did not want to assume there was an engagement ring inside it. But when I look up Rey was on his knees. He asked "Will you marry me?" I was in such shock I closed the box that the beautiful ring was in and put it on the ground. I could not think straight or clearly. All of a sudden I felt like I had the flu. I was in extreme shock. Luckily I held the tears until after the party. Of course I said YES! We have been together almost 11 years. I have waited for this moment my entire life. I was so obsessed with being engaged that I never realized how much time and energy it consumed. If I were to plan the day of my engagement myself I would not have been able to come up with a more appropriate and perfect day. From my Twilight collage cake, elegant centerpieces, renting my favorite restaurant, balloons, family, friends, and the perfect ring I could not ask for more. The love and appreciation I felt that day was indescribable. A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped make my day so special and to everyone for sharing this special occasion with me!

My Ode to Pinkberry



Pinkberry to go :)

Hi, My name is Jasmine and I am addicted to Pinkberry. This has been a problem for about 5 months now. At first, I just liked the chocolate flavor. Of course the toppings must be dark chocolate crisps, almonds and chocolate covered pretezls. Then, I got tired of chocolate....Hello Pomegranite...so yummy! Then, I got tired of pomegranite...Hello Peanut Butter...Then came along chocolate hazelnut, not my favorite but mixed with peanut butter it's AMAZING!! Thats what I'm stuck on now either chocolate hazelnut swirled with peanut butter or just plain original-depends on my mood. Of course I tell myself this is good for me. It's fat free frozen yogurt, how can it be bad? Well, it is fat free except for chocolate and peanut butter that have a small amount of fat (of course which are my favs!!) Not to mention my eating is based on the Paleo Diet which clearly states -no fat free frozen yogurt. (might as well say no pinkberry) The whole reason I'm writing this is because this love/hate relationship with pinkberry has to come to a sad end. In 5 days to be exact I'm starting this Lurong Paleo Challenge. It is for 8 weeks. 8 WEEKS! Yes, that means no pinkberry for 8 weeks. So sad. I just had to share my love for pinkberry so I can let it go.                                                                                        

Tatum Intervention

Well my friends it seems like I have a Channing Tatum addiction and need an intervention. Let's just be real and blame it on Magic Mike. Yeah we all thought he was a hottie in Step Up made us all mushy with Dear John and stuff but it was Magic Mike that was the kicker. Anywho in the meantime I will leave you with the snippet below. 

Cooper

Cooper, Wybie and Me

In 2 days it will make 3 months that I had to put my beloved dog/baby Cooper down. I know things will get easier with time and somedays it seems almost normal. This morning I woke up with a deep sadness. I called Wybie Cooper and got all teary eyed just by thinking of Cooper. He was such a great dog. I miss him every day. Maybe sharing this will help.

Broken by Megan Hart

This was such an awesome read! I was expecting it to be an erotic romance novel. It did have some steamy chapters! However, the two main characters, Sadie and Joe, are well developed. Sadie, "the smart one" in her family is living a hard life. Injured in an accident her husband becomes a quadriplegic. She has taken care of him for years but it takes such a toll on her. She meets Joe one day during lunch. Their friendship consists of a lunch meeting once a month where Joe tells Sadie about his latest sexual escapade. Of course Joe is super handsome, dare I say a beautiful gentleman!? I won't give too much more away except that the friendship and tension between the two is real. You will laugh and you will cry. Broken is a fitting title because it definitely breaks your heart then heals it up again. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this book: "We looked into each others eyes for a moment infinite with silence. I had no illusions that my husband did not know every part of me, every thought, every single stir of emotion. The accident that had taken the use of his body hadn't damaged his mind. He'd always known me better than anyone ever had. So why did it so often feel like he'd forgotten?" "...but sometimes it's the sunshine that frightens is more than the big black shadows..." "each man kills the thing he loves, Sadie". "I was afraid listening to my sisters woes would prompt me to reveal my own, and I couldn't risk it. Putting a voice to my feelings, saying aloud the thoughts that gnawed daily at my conscience, would make them real in a way I was certain I didn't want them to be. Joe was right. It's easier to keep being what you are, even if the only person who expects you to be it is yourself.". So yeah I loved this book. It is one of my favorites. Maybe it's because I can identify with Sadie so much. Either way read this and enjoy it!

Taste of Hartford Winter 2012

The taste of Hartford is going on thru February 5, 2012. You get to have dinner at an upscale place for $20.12. Included in this price is an appetizer, entree and dessert. I had the most delicious dinner at Salute in downtown Hartford. The atmosphere, food and overall experience was awesome. The garlic bread with cheese is super yummy, cheesecake, tiramisu and white chocolate mousse were to die for. This was after trying Peppercorn's. Unfortunately our experience was not so great here. The food was just alright. My 3 ravioli had an orange glaze that was just too tangy. The apple pie crumb dessert was pretty good although the crumb tastes more like granola.