I love, love, LOVE decorating my Christmas tree every year! It’s one of my favorite things to do to get ready for Christmas, and a huge part of that is because of the sentimental value of my Christmas ornaments! Some of them I get just because they are pretty, but most of them I get for a specific reason. I get them from the different places I travel to or for significant things that happen in my life. I thought I would show off some of my favorites today!

First off, let me show you my tree! It makes me happy.

 

Ok, now to my beloved Christmas ornaments!

My mom got me this ornament this year to commemorate
my move to a self-hosted domain. It is adorable!

This is my Venice ornament! I got it on my European trip
last spring. Because I had very little room in my suitcase, and
because Italy is not so into ornaments, I bought a keychain
and removed the split ring! You’d never know, would you?

This ornament commemorates the the year I
started Kindergarten!

This is my hand painted ball from Florence, Italy! I have
no idea how this thing survived the beating my suitcase
went through for three weeks. I’m so glad I didn’t break it!

My very first piano lesson!

I graduated from high school in 2005. This was
my senior picture!

Bellagio, Italy! I bought this ornament from a little shop
up the hill from my lakeside hotel. The lady who owned
this shop painted it herself! It’s beautiful.

This is a mini replica of the cruise ship I took
my transatlantic cruise on! Royal Caribbean’s Navigator
of the Seas.

My mom and I went to New York City right before
Christmas a few years ago, and braved the cold to go to
the top of the Empire State Building one night. It was freezing
and windy, but so clear and beautiful!

Those of you who follow me on Instagram have seen millions of pictures
of my sweet Cat, Misty. This ornament is from her first Christmas! Isn’t she tiny?

So you see, my Christmas tree is not just a pretty thing I sit in my living room. It holds 26 years of memories. Vacations, events, milestones, and happy times are remembered each time I decorate with my family, and each time I sit down to read next to it. :)

Do you have any ornaments that are special to you? Describe them for me, or tag me on Instagram or Twitter so I can see!

 

Sometimes I forget that I have not been blogging forever, which is why I kind of ALWAYS forget my blogoversary. I just realized that the blog turned two about a week and a half ago! Yay! To be honest, I never thought I would last this long as a book blogger. I thought I’d have fun for a few months and then fizzle. I had no idea I would love blogging as much as I do, and I am so excited about all the life changes this blog has brought on. The biggest one was probably my decision to go to grad school to get my master’s in Library and Information Science. I’m a graphic designer! Who would have thought I’d get a master’s in something so vastly unartistic. I just finished my first extremely successful semester, and am more convinced than ever that I made the right choice.

A big thing that happened for the blog this year was the switch from my blogspot url to my .com one, in conjunction with my switch from Blogger to WordPress! I also designed a brand new layout for my blog, and I really love it. The change has taken book blogging to an entirely new level for me! If you are thinking of moving, do it.

I’m so thankful for this blog, and for everyone I have met through it. I’m thankful for my fellow bloggers, the awesome authors and publishers and publicists I have worked with, and the books I never thought I would have read, but ended up LOVING. That Artsy Reader Girl has changed my life. I can’t wait to see what new experiences come in my third year! Thanks so much for all your support. :)

 

Author you’ve read the most books from:
Mary Higgins-Clark. I’ve always loved her mysteries, and have read a TON of them!

Best sequel ever:
Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone. Time Between Us was amazing, and Time After Time blew me away as well.

Currently reading:
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. It’s really good so far!

Drink of choice while reading:
Chamomile tea with cream and honey. :)

E-reader or physical book?:
The battle will go on forever with me. Some days I really love my Kindle, and some days I jump for joy when I get a real book in the mail. I love my Kindle on vacations, though. I can pack a TON of books, so choosing is not necessary.

Fictional character you probably would have dated in high school:
James from Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker. This guy is amazing, and I really adore him. I love his philosophy, which is basically this: you can be sad and you can mourn what you’ve lost, but the memories you created before that loss are yours forever. Never discount the happy times in life, just because they ended unhappily.

Glad you gave this book a chance:
Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Hidden gem book:
The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman by Louise Plummer

Important moment in your reading life:
I found Goodreads! I had no idea what to read. Ever. I didn’t know any readers, so I always resorted to romance novels with not too sexy a cover as a teen. I had no idea about young adult books! Once I found Goodreads, I found a ton of books, found the Goodreads College Students Group, started The Broke and the Bookish with Jamie, ended up starting my own blog too, and then decided on getting a Master’s in Library and Information Science. Goodreads started it all, and led to me changing my life. :)

Just finished:
Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney. It’s a brand new favorite! I loved it SOOO much.

Kinds of books you won’t read:
Erotica, books with a lot of gore, books with a lot of band language, books with animal deaths, books with super upsetting subject matter.

Longest book you’ve read:
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, which is 756 pages.

Major book hangover because of:
Twilight Saga. I was was hungover, and had a hard time finding something else to read after that.

Number of bookcases you own:
Two floor-to-ceiling (triple stacked) and then the shelf across my headboard.

One book you have read multiple times:
I’ve never re-read a book!

Preferred place to read:
Well, in an ideal world I’d live on a cruise ship bound for Italy and spend my life on the balcony reading. If I’m being realistic, though, my bed is my favorite place. :)

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“I guess I work in small ways. It’s kind of like this story someone told me, about a guy on the beach in Mexico throwing starfish in the sea. Thousands had washed ashore. Someone asked him why – ‘Why are you wasting your time, when there are so many? You can’t possibly make a difference.'”

“I know that story! The man threw another one back, and said -”

“‘Made a difference to that one!'” Rowan finishes.”

– From Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Reading regret:
I really regret not having read The Chronicles of Narnia as a girl. I’m making up for it now, but I know I needed the magic in my early years. :)

Series you started and need to finish (all books in the series are out):
Study series by Maria V. Snyder

Three of your all-time favorite books:
Just One Day by Gayle Forman, Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard, On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Unapologetic fangirl for:
Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney. Seriously, people. It’s so unique, and it spoke to my inner art history nerd. I flailed with this one. It’s amazing.

Very excited for this release (more than any others):
Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Worst bookish habit:
If I really want to read a book, but don’t know what, I’ll go to my shelves and look for something. As I try to decide, sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the MANY choices I have, that I give up and watch a movie instead.

Your last book purchase:
On Christmas Hill by Nichole Chase (Getting ready for Christmastime!!)

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):
Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis

That was so much fun! Thanks, Jamie, for writing such a fun survey! Have you taken Jamie’s survey yet? If so, link me up!