hunger games!!!

So I've always wondered what it felt like for fans of Harry Potter and the Twilight books to have to wait for the movies to come out...were they anxious, excited, full of glee!? Well now I know and yes they were! Every time I see a photo or a trailer or one of the stars from the movie I get sooooo excited! I am completely obsessed with these books and the characters and the story. I am so obsessed with them I will talk to ANYONE about how amazing the books are. For example:

I'm getting on the L and find a seat next to this girl who is probably about my age (I always try to find a seat next to a girl, safety first!). She had a punkish cool style to her, short bright red hair and cool biker boots. Anyhoo, I sit down next to her and pull out my current book (I'm reading Pet Sematary...it's creepy) and I see her pull out none other than THE HUNGER GAMES. Eyes wide and grinning I turned to her and said "Oh my god, I LOVE that book!" She kinda gave me a -I can't believe this girl is talking to me- look but then I think she realized I was a normal person....ha ha. She smiled back and said, "I actually just bought it, my roommates are obsessed with all the books." I'm thinking, tone it down Caroline, don't FREAK this girl out. I finished the small convo by saying (with a big grin on my face because that is what these books have done to me whenever I get a chance to talk about them) "They are the best books...you'll really like them." Then we both go to reading our said books and I couldn't help but feel utter jealousy that she was starting on page ONE of THE HUNGER GAMES.

See how these books have made me crazy! I feel like I need to find like a Hunger Games support group in Chicago where I can discuss the books until my head hurts. Sigh...if only a group like that really existed.

hollywood issue

It's that time of year for Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue and I jumped for joy when I saw my Hunger Games girl, Jennifer Lawrence, on the cover with my The Help favorite, Jessica Chastain. You ladies look HOT!

I have been collecting the Hollywood issues ever since I was a kid. The first one I bought was in 1997 and it had Kate Winslet and Claire Danes on the cover, two of my all time favorite actresses at the time and still are today. Look how young Kate looks! And Renée Zellweger! Wouldn't it be fun to get all dressed up with your friends and pose like this! 

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eye candy

I heart Peeta....yum.


Have a great weekend!
Houston y'all!

civil wars + hunger games

How excited was I when I heard that The Civil Wars are on the Hunger Games soundtrack AND one of the first songs released? SUPER excited! Granted it is Joy Williams singing with Taylor Swift but the song is amazing and so pretty. If you read the book you know exactly what part they are singing about...sniff...sniff...tear.

The song, Safe and Sound, is so worth the $1.29 on iTunes and check out the gorgeous folksiness of The Civil Wars album Barton Hollow as well. Monday, Monday...

off the grid

Off the grid, on the lam, major disconnect...that is how I feel every time I move to a new place. You don't have Internet or cable for a while, all your stuff is still in boxes and learning a brand new morning routine is not fun. Plus we moved the day before Thanksgiving! But now things have settled down, the holidays are over and I feel like everything is getting back to normal. Happenings from the past month:

• My baking skills have far exceeded any one's expectations. Things I have made from scratch in our new kitchen: biscuits, oatmeal raisin cookies, sugar cookies (and the icing), chocolate chip cookies and apple pie. Nothing came from a box! I rolled out all the dough myself. 

• I've gotten to the point where all I want to do is wear sweatpants to work, I have been celebrating my birthday right into the holidays...need to stop drinking and go to gym more.I joined a new gym that opened up in my favorite hood, Lincoln Square. I love it, they have a sauna the size of our kitchen and NO KIDS ALLOWED. Perfecto. 

• I have been shopping way to much but you can't beat all these holiday sales...it can really get addicting once you jump into it.

• Speaking of addicting, I discovered the Hunger Games and I am completely obsessed with everything about it. I cried and made faces and noises on trains and airplanes. It's that good and I love Peeta. I am waiting for my friend Erin to read book one so we can read book two together...I don't know how much longer I can wait Erin...

• "There was a clown in the stormdrain." Stephen King's IT is what I'm reading now. I thought it was appropriate for the holidays especially since I really don't like Christmas anymore. I am a Grinch now. 

• One thing that I know to be true and I was reminded about this past month is that my sister, Elizabeth, is the best, most amazing person. She is beautiful, strong, funny, kind, generous, the best mom and the best sister in the entire universe. And that is only half describing how awesome she is. Love her.