Hey everyone! I hope you all had a good start to your week! I had a fun but rough one with Tina’s tabata workout yesterday morning! WHEW! But in such a good way, I loved it!
I promised a re-cap of my busy and fun Saturday, so here we go!
On Saturday morning I headed out to Oak Park for Core Power Yoga, and afterwards I met up with Chelsey for breakfast at Delia’s Kitchen. The omelette I ordered (Mediterranean with olives, spinach and feta) was AMAZING! It was so light and fluffy, and huge! I also had hash browns and gluten free toast on the side.
After breakfast Chelsey and I went over to Trader Joes and did our shopping together. We had a good time checking out all their new holiday stuff. There are some good looking treats… Dangerous.
I headed back home and showered to get ready for… Book club! The book for this month was The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz.
I haven’t gotten any reviews about the book yet from you all so now I can be honest… I only read half. Haha, I would have read the whole thing if I’d actually bought it more than a week before book club, because it’s interesting, but not a book I would have purchased myself.
The book follows David Lebovitz, a pasty chef and cook book author from San Francisco, as he moves to Paris, France in hopes of starting a new life. Each chapter is a funny story about his experiences in Paris, whether it’s the painter who never leaves his apartment, his interesting maid, the quirks of the French people, or how to blend in. At the end of each chapter he includes a couple of his recipes.
I’ve really enjoyed reading the stories so far, but it’s not something I’m dying to finish during finals. You know, one of those books you just can’t put down. Since it’s a bunch of short stories, it’s more the kind of book you can put down whenever you want, and then pick back up without being confused.
At book club we had many french-inspired treats, along with a white elephant exchange! It was my first time doing white elephant and I have to say, I think I came out on top. Kelsey kept telling me she was hoping I would pick her gift, so after figuring out which was hers, I went for it. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. To say I started crying I was laughing so hard (as did she) would be very true.
Photo Courtesy of Kelsey
It was a box shaped like a book. With an angel soap inside. That smelled like old lady. How exquisite is that artwork!?!? Who doesn’t need this?! I will cherish it forever. Thank you Kelsey. I also threatened the rest of the group with death if they tried to steal it from me. Shockingly no one did…
And a big thank you Sierra for hosting!
Our next book club won’t be until the end of January (obviously they had to plan around my absence…). After perhaps one too many glasses of wine I suggested that we read a book about serial killers (for the holiday season, of course). Seriously, you know you all find them fascinating too… right? Like I find them super incredibly creepy in a gives me nightmares kind of way, but yet somehow fascinating? Anyway… the book is called Heart Sick by Chelsea Cain, so if you want to read along with us, feel free! I’ll be posting reviews on Monday, January 21st.
What book are you reading right now?
Ever done a White Elephant gift exchange?
Am I the only one who finds serial killers interesting? Maybe I just really loved Shia LaBeouf in Disturbia…
We do white elephant gifts every year for the family christmas gift exchange! Its so fun.
Ah I wish my family did that, it would be so fun!
I loved The Sweet Life in Paris! Maybe that’s just because I’m dying to go to France, so I liked being able to live vicariously through him. Also, I thought his descriptions of the French were hilarious. 😀
Haha it made me desperately want to travel!
Ahh! You went to Oak Park. That’s my hometown, I lived there for 9 years. It’s such a great place 🙂 Sorry I always feel like I nerd out about Chicago stuff on your blog. Thanks for the review! I’m definitely adding that book to my “to-read” list for this break.
I LOVE Oak Park! Every time I go out there it makes me want to move out there !
Love white elephant gift exchanges! And I’m reading The Happiness Project…almost done and really enjoying it! Next up is Silver Linings Playbook (loved the movie!)..can’t wait 🙂
I read the Happiness project last year, I liked it! Great ideas to use in your own life.
i don’t know how restaurants get their omelets so fluffy but i am always super jealous. mine are tasty but they come out so flat. what’s up with that?! also i find serial killers totally fascinating too. i watch criminal minds every week despite the fact that it gives me nightmares and lots of times i can’t sleep after i watch it. why do we do this to ourselves? i don’t know, but i’ll probably be checking that book out.
Haha I can’t watch things like that, I freak myself out waaaay to much! And I have no idea how their omelette was so fluffy. I need to know.
That omelet looks incredible. I love anything Mediterranean-style! I find serial killer stories interesting, too. The Discovery ID channel on extended cable can be addicting. And frightening…it’s all about crime.
Oh dear, that would be addicting and scary!
I love food books like that, so I’ll have to check it out. I’m reading Gone Girl right now, and it just got crazy!
I liked Gone Girl, but hated the ending (haha you’ll see). I loved her book Dark Places though!
I love when I find a great book! My ‘currently reading’ book list is very long. I tend to start a book then put it down and start another book. 😉
Currently I am focusing on doing and reading more about Christ-mas centered books/activities. So my current reads tend to be theme oriented and even in child format (to read to my children). 🙂
Ask me this same question in a few weeks and I am positive I will say something different. 😉
Oh I have a huge “to read” list, and a lot of books sitting around my apartment that I need to read!
Hahahaha, nice gift! Very cute! I’ve never heard of or done a white elephant exchange actually, but it sounds like a fun idea. That Paris book does sound interesting, but that is coming from a travel junkie. I’m not so much into serial killers or the like. I’m more about love stories and happy life transformations (teehee). I know I’m such a lady! Ha! Enjoy the book though! I like hearing about what people think about books even if I’d never read them myself.
Haha I’m a travel junkie in my dreams! The book just made me wish I could go to paris!
Your gift makes me laugh every time!!! If our next book gives me nightmares I’m totally sleeping at your house. FYI.
Haha you are more than welcome too, I’ll probably appreciate the company. But you’ll have to sleep closer to the door…
I may have to check out that book heart sick, it sounds good!
You should, if you write about it I’ll link up to your review!
I’m so ready to read a book that I can’t put down after The Sweet Life. It seriously took me 3 weeks to read it because I either didn’t really want to read or I fell asleep while reading it. Boo.
Have you been using your soap?
I wouldn’t dare use that soap. I will keep it forever.
Take good care of that soap it was $$$$$.
Oh I will, did you see above, Lindsay suggested I actually USE it. Heaven forbid!
I haven’t had any reading time lately 🙁 I started Keith Richards’ autobiography a while ago, but was never able to finish it. The next book I want to read is A Fine Balance 🙂
I try and read on my commute, or go to bed 10 min early and get in 10 min of reading, it really helps!
Gotta love White Elephant! I scored 5 bucks actually at the latest one. WOOT 🙂
I am reading Spring Fever & The Happiness Project….when I can grab a second I am… I mean. Hah.
Haha did someone forget a gift and just bring $5? I’d take it!
Right now I’m reading The Trail Life by Julie Urbanski. I understand what you mean about serial killers. It’s interesting to see how their brains work. And horrifying!
Exactly – it’s scary but fascinating at the same time!
Oh man, the tabata yesterday was ROUGH! My arms are crazy sore this morning.
Here’s hoping Heart Sick doesn’t freak me out too much! I did all right with Dark Places, so I’m hoping Heart Sick will be all right, too. As long as it’s fictional, I’m usually okay with creepy stuff like that. I’m reading Matched right now before I get to Heart Sick, though, and I think it’s pretty good. It’s dystopian, and though I’m not as crazy about it as I was/am about The Hunger Games, I’ve enjoyed reading Matched a lot more than I enjoyed Divergent.
Haha I’m just glad I’ll be reading it when I’m home in Kansas City and not alone in my apartment here! And I’ll have to check out Matched! But I LOVED Divergent!
I’m so happy you shouted that out. Since I, too, have a fascination with the topic. I even did my senior honors thesis in undergrad on it.
Haha that’s what gave me the idea!
Broccoli and feta is my favorite omelette, but I think if I tried the spinach, olive, and feta, I may have a new one!
PS I nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award. 🙂
You could always throw in some broccoli!! And Thanks for the nomination!
i loved The Sweet Life in Paris! it just made me sad that i wasnt there and not going to be traveling there anytime soon lol
Ah me too!!! It was a little depressing because it just made me want to travel!
Well, I am a criminology masters student, so I think it’s safe to say that I find serial killers interesting :-p
I’ve only ever done a white elephant gift exchange a couple times, but I remember it being really funny!
Haha good, I’m not alone! Perhaps I should have studied that!
I read The Sweet Life in Paris in early September and really enjoyed it but you’re right- it is like a bunch of short stories. I would always read about a chapter before bed to relax!
Oh that’s a great idea, the chapters are the perfect length for reading before bed!
i love david lebovitz’ blog, so i bet id enjoy this book. i didnt know he wrote non-cookbooks actually! [hes a pretty freakin awesome chef]
I’ll have to check out his blog!