Happy Leap Day, everyone! On this special day which only occurs once every four years (and officially marks the halfway point to my birthday...no clue why that's relevant), I decided to do a monthly recap. Because obviously you want to know all the fascinating details that occur in my life. Yes. Of course.

I'm planning on doing a wrap-up at the end of each month, which I am titling Frabjous Finalities. (I'll take any excuse I can to use the word "frabjous" because...well, do I really need to explain myself here?) I've seen a bunch of other bloggers doing this so I thought "why not?" Most of this stuff will be random, but I'll try to divide events into different categories. (And by the way, let's just take a moment to appreciate the fact that the above photo actually looks decent. I like to pretend that I know what I'm doing with my camera, but most of the photos I take would crash the internet if I posted them. XD)

Life

Though definitely not as crazy as December (which was insanely busy), February had its busy moments. It's actually one of my favorite months. There's Valentine's Day, winter weather, and the end of football season. (I'm not the biggest sport fan, hehe.) Plus, there's the fact that it's the shortest month of the year, and it has the distinction of being the only month that can sometimes have an extra day. So yes. February is cool.

Early on this month, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a dear friend of mine. She lives in a galaxy far, far away so we mainly communicate through email. (And yes, email does travel between galaxies ;)) To my immense excitement, we were able to meet up and go shopping together one Tuesday.We talked about all the important things like why telephones are the most terrifying inventions ever created. Oh, and there was also an encounter with a life-size chess set. Basically, we just had a blast. ^_^

I celebrated Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, which, believe it or not, is actually a real thing. Don't judge. I promise that I don't eat chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream for breakfast on a day-to-day basis. (Maybe...)

This month also involved some important purchases, including two Star Wars t-shirts (one of which I am currently wearing) and Goldstone Wood books. If I buy any more books, I swear my bookshelves are going to explode. In fact, I have so many books that I've resorted to constructing bookshelves out of cardboard boxes. I know. It's pretty crazy.

Bookworm much?

Our cousins came down for a short visit a couple weekends ago, and we got to enjoy some time with them over at a local theme park. My dad also took me on a father-daughter outing on Saturday. It was so much fun to have one-on-one bonding time with my dad! ^_^

The rest of my month consisted of dinner at Panera with my bestie, geometry tests (I may still be recovering), and a delightful present from my sister--a cold. (Thankfully, the cold was short-lived, but I did have to do extensive loads of homework while having it. So not the most fun thing ever.) It was all-in-all a delightful month...minus the cold and geometry :P

Books

Heh. Only three books this month. My reading life has sadly been dried up due to schoolwork and all that fun stuff.

• Emma was my first read of the month. I had actually started it in January, but I finished it this month. As much as I hate to admit it, this was actually my first time reading it. *cue gasps of disbelief* Horrible, I know, but I've just recently become interested in the classics so I haven't gotten around to reading it until now. As expected, it was lovely. I enjoyed every delicious sentence it contained. (Mr. Knightley and Emma forever!)

• Upon completion of Emma, I delved into the beautiful creation that is Illusionarium. And oh. my. goodness. It was amazing!!!! There was snarky dialogue, hilarious footnotes, the most adorable romance everrrr (which I squealed about in my literary couples post), and the most scrumptious characters you can imagine. (Such as Lockwood and Jonathan. Oh my heart, I could flail over those two for days.) So yes! I loved it! And I have all my delightful blogging buddies to thank. (Kudos to Deborah for starting the Illusionarium craze in the blogging community!)
• My third and final read of the month was Peter Pan. And gosh, did I love this book! This was my first time reading it (because I was a poor, deprived child who only knew of Peter Pan as a Disney film), and I absolutely adored it! Just...asdfghkkl. Love at first read! Plus, it helped that the edition I received for Christmas was gorgeous. I could stare at it for hours and still not be bored. In fact, it's one of those books which I doubt I will ever lend anyone. And I'm very hesitant to take it out of the house. It's my preciousss.

Movies/TV

I watched quite a few films this month, actually. In addition to being a bibliophile, I am also a cinephile. Plus, I tend to watch more movies when I'm sick. (Not too many, though, because I also had homework.)

~ Nim's Island: A rewatch and still as entertaining as ever. Alex Rover truly understands me. XD

~ The Shop Around the Corner: My first time watching it, and I adored it. It's technically a Christmas movie, but who cares? I celebrate Christmas all year ;) I still haven't published my review for this film. Eheh.

~ Grace: An American Girl: Okay, confession time. I still watch American Girl movies sometimes. *hides* Yes, they can be a bit cheesy at times (the new ones, mainly; the historical ones are a lot better), but I still enjoy them on occasion. This was right after I got sick, and I happened to stumble across this film on Netflix. Definitely not one of my favorite movies ever but still fun.

~ Enchanted: Oh, how I love this film! It's one of my comfort movies. There are catchy tunes which only Disney can pull off, gorgeous costumes, a hilarious cast of characters, and a fun twist on your typical fairytale. Just lovely.



Yup, it's official. Prince Edward is awesome. (Just don't tell him I said that. His head's big enough already. XD)

~ Amazing Grace: Goodness gracious, can you say powerful? This is, put quite simply, stunning. It has such a powerful, touching theme. My emotions were in a state of chaos whilst watching it. Shout out to Olivia for the recommendation!

~ The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Obviously a rewatch. It's been a while since I've watched it so I decided to pop it into the DVD player and bring out the nail polish. Because painting your toenails apparently goes hand-in-hand with viewing a wonderful movie.

I also finished the second season of When Calls the Heart and watched far-too-many Studio C sketches. Both shows are awesome beyond description. And constantly on replay. *COUGH*

Music

~ Lots of Francesca Battistelli...obviously.

~ My soundtrack for At World's End. It is far too epic for me to convey.

~ This song. On repeat. (This girl's music is ah-may-zing.)

~ Far too many romantic songs. (Like this one.) It's the month of love, what can I say?



Except I'm not. I'll never apologize for being a romantic. ;)

~ Peter Hollens's rendition of "You'll Be in My Heart," which literally just came out a few hours ago. His voice makes every song seem magical.

Some Random Things I've Been Enjoying

(And yes, this section is an excuse to write about completely unrelated things.)

• Those jackets with thumb holes. I got one accidentally from a thrift store, thinking it was just a regular jacket, only to discover it had these thumb holes. And now I'm obsessed. XD
• Five-strand braids. Or just braids in general.
• S'mores. I'd honestly forgotten how much I love them. Marshmallows and chocolate? Yes please!
• Pocket watches. They are seriously THE best accessories ever!

Just a few more updates before I let you go. I recently hooked up on Bloglovin', which it seems many of you have noticed. (Thanks to all my new followers!) If you haven't already, you can check me out over there. Also, I finally got an "About Me" page up. (I dispensed with the title "About Me." Because that's far too standard for this weirdo. :P)

Next month, I plan on writing some more film reviews for the Period Drama Challenge. I only wrote one review this month, which is absolutely shameful. I honestly just need to do more writing in general because my poor fragmented pirate novel is suffering from neglect and begging for my attention. (More like demanding. My charries can be so annoying sometimes...) This is my sixth post for the month, which is fairly good considering how crazy life has been. I've discovered that writing two or three posts a week maaay be a bit over-the-top. (I have enough trouble writing one a week, hehe.) However, I'll hopefully have both installments of my Lovely Books posts up later this week. I've fallen behind on those so I need to catch up.

How about you? What has your February looked like? What are some things YOU'VE enjoyed this month?

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I'm baaaack! This time I'm actually following the rules and including the picture that goes with this linkup. (Hehe, I'm such a rebel :P) Also, am I the only one who is extremely happy over the fact that the books in the picture are color-coordinated? Yes? No? Okay, moving on.

This edition of Tracey's Lovely Books linkup is focused on allllll the couples! I legit squealed when I saw the topic of this edition. Naturally. In case I still haven't engraved this your cranium, I'll tell you again: I am a hopeless romantic. It's sad. It really is. (Not really because I can flail about all my favorite couples and have an excuse.)

If you have no idea what I'm talking about or happened to miss my last post, then I'll fill you in a little. The beautiful Tracey Dyck is hosting a linkup called Lovely Books during the month of February. Each week, she posts a new edition focusing on one of the aspects of books that we ardently admire and love. She already has three editions out, but doing them on time is boring so I obviously chose to be late to the party. Hop on over to her blog Adventure Awaits and check her out! It's the best decision you'll ever make. (Well...except maybe who you'll marry. But it's next in importance ;))

Onward and...upward? Not sure that really works well in this circumstance, but just go with it.

(Also, please note: these are in no particular order because you can't possibly expect me to rank them. 'Tis unthinkable.)

1.) Adrian and Marcelle (Tales of Starlight series by Bryan Davis)

2.) Cat and Anne (Isle of Swords, Isle of Fire by Wayne Thomas Batson)

3.) Lockwood and Anna (Illusionarium by Heather Dixon)

4.) Digory and Polly (The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis)

5.) Walter and Ashley (Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire/Children of the Bard series by Bryan Davis)

6.) Luca and Lia (River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren)

7.) Jorgen and Odette (The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson)

8.) Hunter and Trista (The Codebearers series by the Miller brothers)

9.) Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

10.) Teague and Meridian (The Other Half of Everything by Deborah O'Carroll)

And that's all for today, lovely questers! I intended on including loads of glorious snippets of these swoon-worthy couples, but alas, I did not. (Also, this post was supposed to be finished over the weekend. Oops.)

So what about you? What are some of YOUR favorite literary couples? Do you share my impeccable taste in romance? (Also, random question because I feel random: do you like hedgehogs better or bunnies?)

 

Oh. My. Word. This movie is just...asdjlgfhdl. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

When I saw it the first time, I really wasn't much of a fan. I thought it was too weird and decided not to waste my time watching it again. BUT I talked some sense into myself and popped it back into our DVD player one day last month. AND GUYS. There's no going back now. I am obsessed.

Anyway. On to the review! (There will be an unholy number of exclamation points, caps, and fangirling in this post. You have been warned ;))



In the follow-up to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, we find our heroes Will Turner (Bloom) and Eizabeth Swann (Knightley) allied with Captain Barbossa (Rush) in a desperate quest to free Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) from his mind-bending trap in Davy Jones Locker while the terrifying ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman and Davy Jones, under the control of the East India Trading Company, wreaks havoc across the seven seas. (Summary courtesy of Metacritic because I was too lazy to come up with my own.)

This is the third movie in the Pirates saga and, although not my very favorite (that place of honor belongs to The Curse of the Black Pearl) it is still an epic, heart-wrenching adventure. My heart was literally ripped out as I watched this. It's probably the only Pirates movie I've actually cried during. (Seriously, it was embarrassing.) BECAUSE THE ENDING. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. The Not Okay Thing during the maelstrom battle that made me sob. Not. Cool. But as strange as it sounds, if a movie or book makes me cry, I'm almost guaranteed to like it. I have no clue why that it is, but I just really appreciate it when stories connect with me on such a level that I cry. (In case you haven't noticed, I'm a wee bit strange.)



One of my favorite things about this movie is the witty lines it contains. They are so quotable! I find myself walking around the house (attempting to swagger like Jack yet failing miserably) and saying them all the time. What can I say? I just LOVE a good movie quote!

(THIS QUOTE. The genius of it is too much for me to handle.)

This movie certainly boasts a unique cast of characters. Obviously, the characters are pirates so they often have...questionable morals. My personal favorite character is Will Turner. He's sweet and caring and loyal and brave AND I JUST LOVE HIM, OKAY?

(How did that get here? ;))

(Would you look at that, another picture of Will. Strange how these keep popping out of nowhere.)

(Um, adorable much??)

I'm done now. I promise.


Okay, okay. Now I'm done ;)

As far as the other characters are concerned, I like Elizabeth (though she can be a bit aggravating at times), and Jack can be okay. I know everyone loves Jack, but he's a bit...odd. You can have too much of Jack, if you know what I mean. He's good when balanced out with sensible characters like Will, but a whole movie about him is a little over the top. (I'm referring to On Stranger Tides, which I haven't seen yet. Will and Elizabeth are notably absent, and Jack takes the spotlight, which I'm not all too crazy about. :P) All that to say, Pirates wouldn't be Pirates without Jack so I s'ppose I like him in a weird sort of way.

There's also a certain gentleman named Commodore Norrington. I'll admit, I never liked him until I saw the movies a second time. He definitely doesn't hold a candle to Will (who does?), but I still like him.

The rest of the cast is quite amusing. (Well, other than the villains. They're just plain creepy.) Gibbs is probably my favorite of Captain Jack's crew. Partly maybe because I'm fascinated with his beard?

(See? What did I tell you? Fascinating.)

But the characters aren't the real reason I like this flick. As much as I adore some of these charries (one in particular *ahem*), I really love this movie because of the wit. I know, I know, I mentioned this already (really, I do have the tendency to repeat myself), but the lines are simply delightful. Each one is packed with humor and demands that I quote it.

(Sure, Jack. Sure.)

Then, there's the cinematography. It's incredible! Really all the Pirates films have amazing cinematography, but this one may have the best of the bunch.

Now let's talk about the music.

It. Is. FANTASTIC. I kid you not, the soundtrack for At World's End is almost on the same level of epic as LotR. It's that good! If you haven't checked it out, DO SO RIGHT NOW. Um...please.

And because I love you so much, here's a sample of the epicness (pssh, autocorrect, of course that's a word) this score contains.


Glorious, isn't it? When I first discovered this soundtrack, I had that track on repeat for weeks. XD

Since this is a review for the Period Drama Challenge (which you can still sign up for right HERE!), I'm going to discuss some of the interesting costumes.

You would think that costumes in pirate films wouldn't be all that varied, but AWE really boasts a unique wardrobe. This is no ordinary pirate movie, and the costumes certainly show that.


There's a weird hat that goes with this, but I prefer the costume without it. The armor is so detailed and intricate.


Here's another one of Elizabeth's oriental costumes. Again, kind of odd, but I like the detail.


Yes, I know I already included this picture. But I had to include it twice just so you could see his amazing costume. (What? Of course that's the only reason. I would never include it just so I could look at another picture of Will. Never.) Isn't that red top wonderful?

(For the life of me, I couldn't find a better quality picture. Sorry 'bout that.)

He looks so piratey in this picture. I absolutely adore the bandana. Like I said, very piratey.


Their uniforms are so colorful and crisp and clean. The tri-corner hats, epaulettes (that is what those shoulder decorations are called, isn't it?), and shiny buttons really give them that characteristic Georgian look.

(Again, my apologies. It's not the clearest picture.)

The fabrics they used for these costumes are gorgeous. I especially like the green outfit Governor Swann is wearing.


This is actually part of the oriental costume I mentioned above, but you couldn't really see this part all that well. The details, the details...

I feel like there are more costumes I'm forgetting. Ah, well. You'll just have to watch the movie and see for yourself. :)

This review is turning into a monster. But just a few more things I need to address before I release you.

CONTENT

This film is rated PG-13 for a reason. It has a lot of violence, a few curse words, and a couple "sticky scenes." What I mean by "sticky scenes" are when the pirates make Elizabeth remove all her gear except a long shirt, a couple "peeking toms" try to look up at Elizabeth through holes in the floor, and one of the pirates forces a kiss on Elizabeth. (The last one I mentioned is interrupted before anything else happens, fortunately.) The scenes are really short and glossed over. Definitely not as bad as the material most PG-13 films would include, but still something to think about. There are also several other kisses and *MINOR SPOILER* a scene between Will and Elizabeth after they're married when Will is touching Elizabeth's uncovered leg. *END SPOILER* When I put it all down like that, it makes it sound awful. But I promise I wouldn't have watched this movie if it had a lot of sexual scenes.

So definitely not something you'd want to show little kids. There wasn't a whole lot of language, only a couple words that are easily muted. But the biggest thing I would really touch on would be the violence. It wasn't graphic, but there was quite a lot of it. The crew of The Flying Dutchman is also creepy and weird.

All that aside, I do adore this movie. I still think it's weird, but a lot of  the strangeness really surrounds Jack. (Surprise, surprise.) It's not everyone's thing (my own family doesn't like it much), but I personally enjoy it extensively. It's hilarious, exciting, fun, and emotional. All good things. (Well, except for the emotional aspect. I was a trainwreck of feels during this movie.)

So what about you, fellow wanderers? Have you seen this movie? If so, who is your favorite character? (I bet you'll NEVER guess mine...)

 

 

Upon realizing I probably wouldn't have time to post this weekend, I quickly scrambled to come up with something during the week. Valentine's Day is this Sunday, causing me to squint at my calendar in disbelief. (My poor brain is so confuzzled; it still thinks January is being sneaky and taking the alias of February.) Since I love Valentine's so much, I knew I had to post something about it.

I started compiling a Valentine's Day playlist on Spotify (what, doesn't everybody?) so here's a sample of Valentine's music for you guys.



This is like my favorite scene ever in an animated movie. It's just...just...*flails*. I couldn't possibly write a Valentine's post without including this scene. Because it's basically the sweetest, most romantic thing in existence.  <3


In case any of you didn't know, Francesca Battistelli is probably my favorite singer. Her music is so wonderful and encouraging. This song in particular I think is lovely and perfectly suited to Valentine's Day.


This soundtrack is beautiful. It's one of my favorite soundtracks, ranking up there with Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean. Of course, it shouldn't come as a surprise since I seem to find a way to mention this movie in nearly every post I write. (Not even sorry. XD)

Aaand, I stumbled across this photo of donuts on Pinterest. They looked yum so I naturally decided to tantalize you all with them. You're welcome.

(I'm drooling over here.)

This post is realllly beginning to look unprofessional (ha, who am I kidding? Every post I write is unprofessional) so let's get on to what all you bookish people were really looking forward to.

My friend Tracey over at Adventure Awaits (which is essentially sunshine in blog form) has recently started a linkup called Lovely Books (which you can check out HERE). Since February is the month of love, she decided to share the book love every Saturday this month with posts featuring some different aspect of books. This week's category was covers and titles. True, what's inside the book matters most, but you have to admit that there's something about a gorgeous cover or title that makes you indescribably happy.

Of course, I obviously couldn't resist. I've been wanting to post something bookish, and Tracey read my mind. (She has telepathic powers, I'm sure of it.) So without further ado, here's a very, very small sampling of my favorite bookish bindings!

(Please note: I don't necessarily endorse the content of all of these books. I just love the covers.)

Lovely Covers

Dreamtreaders by Wayne Thomas Batson

This cover may just be my favorite cover ever. I mean, look at it! Isn't it just drool-worthy? Every cover in the Dreamtreaders series is eye candy, but this one just makes me want to pet it for all eternity.

Liberator by Bryan Davis

This cover redefines the word epic. First of all, there's a dragon. And really that's the only reason you need.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

GUYS. Isn't this cover scrumptious? I received this copy for Christmas and may or may not have squealed. It even has the same delightful style of illustrations throughout the story. SO PWETTY.

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

I positively LOVE this cover! It's not particularly detailed (more minimalistic in design), but it's gorgeous. I received this for Christmas as well. (Hehe, I'm a bit obsessed with books.)

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

Let me just die over here. Because THIS COVER. Like, how am I expected to take in all the wonderosity of it??

The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

Every cover Melanie Dickerson binds her books with is jaw-droppingly (hush, it's a word) beautiful. This is one of my favorites; I just love the gown and the colors.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Okay, so technically this isn't just the cover. You can see the side of the book, but I really needed to include this one. 'Tis gorgeous! My book-loving heart may have been a bit crushed when I realized this copy isn't available from Barnes & Noble anymore.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Again, I'm kind of cheating, but does it matter? Because when you see a cover like this with all the beautiful greens and golds and flowers, how can you ignore it?



Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren  

Asdkfldhfj. Isn't this cover gorgeous? I love the colors, the dress, and the beautimous medieval feel of it. JUST YES.

Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

I debated over whether or not I should include this cover because I was concerned you guys would think I'm endorsing the content. (In case you're wondering, it does have some issues with content.) But...but...THAT COVER. Oh my goodness! It is so ethereal and lovely.

A Draw of Kings by Patrick W. Carr

Not sure what it is about this cover, but I like it. Castles and lightning go well together, don't you think?

Search for the Shadow Key by Wayne Thomas Batson

I couldn't just pick one Wayne Thomas Batson book to include, now could I? His new Dreamtreaders series has especially breathtaking covers. They make me want to pet them.

An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund

Because medieval castles + long flowing gowns + gorgeous lettering = happiness

The End of All Things by Jill Williamson

Do I love it? Um, yes I do.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

I know Tracey included this in her post, but I instantly fell in love with this cover. JUST LET ME HAVE THIS BOOK, OKAY??

The Sky Riders by Christopher Hopper

This one's a bit different than the others I've included. It has an antique, weathered look to it that I really like. Plus, I mean, there's a skyship so...

Kingdom's Edge by Chuck Black

Gosh, this cover is epic. I read the first three books in this series (which were kind of meh), but the covers are absolutely stunning.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

I've fallen head-over-heels for these new Puffin in Bloom books. The artwork is so whimsical and fun.

Lovely Titles

~ Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti

~ Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy

~ Moonlight Masquerade by Ruth Axtell

~ The Errant King by Wayne Thomas Batson

~ The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

~ The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

~ Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers

~ The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

~ Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

~ Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren

~ Lady Moon by Rachel Starr Thomson

~ Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

~ The Cloister and the Hearth by Charles Reade

~ Starlighter by Bryan Davis

~ The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

~ Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

~ Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

I know there are dozens and dozens of other titles that I love, but for sake of time, I'll stop there. There really isn't any rhyme or reason to the titles I like. I usually go for the unusual titles, the ones with a word that I don't see used very often (The Errant King, Gaudy Night). Sometimes titles with the character's name in it (Anna Karenina, Tess of the D'Ubervilles) will catch my eye. Like I said, it's pretty random

Many thanks to the wonderful Tracey Dyck for starting this linkup! This post is a bit late in publication (I was supposed to write it on Wednesday *cough*), but hey, at least I got it finished! ;)

I'm leaving you with this Studio C sketch because you lovely readers deserve all the awesome things. (Warning: Studio C is highly addictive. Don't come to me with your complaints if you whittle away two hours on YouTube.)

What are some of YOUR favorite book covers and titles? Any specific things you like to do for Valentine's Day? (And if you don't like Valentine's Day...I'm sorry.)