14 books I'm excited to read in 2014.

This is the first year that I've opted in participating in Goodread's book reading challenge. My goal for the year is 40, which is a little ambitious for me since I only read 27 last year. I'm excited about the challenge though. I love reading, and I go through spurts of reading a ton of books, and then I stop reading for a few months then I pick up another one and go on another reading frenzy.

I always like to challenge myself, and I figure if I'm going to challenge myself with the rest of the world at the beginning of the year, why not challenge myself to do more of something that I love to do? Between working 40 hours a week and watching shows on Netflix (OMG Scandal!), it's hard to discipline myself to read unless I'm already halfway through an awesome book. I'm hoping that these books will keep me motivated to turn the pages instead of flipping the channels. These are the 14 books that I'm looking forward to reading in 2014 (in addition to 26 others that I need to get excited about reading) in no particular order. 
Cress by Marissa Meyer

{via}

After finishing Scarlet and Cinder, I was super depressed that I would have to wait two months for the release of this book. Now it's down to less than one, and I'm still impatiently waiting. Then after I finish reading this one, I have to wait another year for the last book to come out, so there's that.
Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian The official book cover for this hasn't been released yet, so I couldn't put it on here. After finishing Fire With Fire, I was so frustrated because there was a huge cliffhanger there at the end, not to mention a ton of stress. There isn't an official release date for the book, but rumor has it that they're looking at September. Oy vey.
Insurgent by Veronica Roth

{via}

I haven't been in a rush to read this because I've heard good and bad about it. The general consensus is that the next two books in the Divergent series aren't nearly as good as the first. I'm still excited to read them though.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth

{via}

Ditto to above.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

{via}

I discovered this book through a blog swap, and became really intrigued by it. Later, I found out that it was actually a pretty popular book; I just hadn't heard of it yet. It sounds like a super cute love story, and I think it's one I would enjoy.
My Point...and I Do Have One by Ellen Degeneres

{via}

Ellen is one of my favorite famous people. She is side-clenching, milk-out-of-nose, I-can't-even-breathe hilarious. This is the first book she's published, and my co-worker keeps telling me I need to read it.
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

{via}

Jodi Picoult has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read My Sister's Keeper for school. I've heard raving reviews about this book, so I definitely can't wait to see what all the hype is about.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

{via}

I heard about this through a few blogs, a lot of them saying that they were inspired to start their blogs because of this book. I love reading things about happiness, so I think I'll enjoy this book.
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Gailbraith

{via}

I checked this book out from the library, but returned it after the two weeks was up because I didn't have time to read it. When I was at TJ Maxx doing some Secret Santa shopping, I saw it on sale, and made an impulse purchase. Now, it's just sitting on my bookshelf calling to me. 
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

{via}

I first heard of this title because of the movie. Emma Roberts is freaking adorable, and I actually enjoy a lot of the movies that she's in, even though they're pretty cheesy. I've always been intrigued by the movie, and am now even more intrigued by the book. Hopefully I'll get a chance to read it this year.
Looking For Alaska by John Green

{via}

After reading The Fault in Our Stars, I was eager to read more by John Green. All of my friends and blog friends that have read most, if not all, of his books, say that Looking for Alaska is their second favorite.
Elixir by Hilary Duff

{via}

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for at least two years. I didn't realize that she had made it into a series until I was searching for a picture of the book for this blog post. I'm excited to see what it's all about though. I was definitely one of Hilary Duff's biggest fans, ever since she was on Casper Meets Wendy. I thought she was the cutest! And of course, I watched her Lizzie McGuire (completely jelly of that Aaron Carter kiss). Confession: Jon got me The Lizzie McGuire Movie for Christmas, and I watched it last week. Am I ashamed? Nope.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio

{via}

I found this little gem at a thrift store for just $1. I didn't even know it was on the best-seller list in 2012. It seems like a heart-wrenching story, so I'll keep my tissues close by.
Tumble and Fall by Alexandra Coutts

{via}

I met Alexandra Coutts at the Austin Teen Book Festival, and I would have bought her book if I wasn't already poor from purchasing 4 others. She seemed like the sweetest person ever, and I'm happy that I got to meet her. I can't wait to read this!
What books are you looking forward to reading this year?

read more " 14 books I'm excited to read in 2014. "

homemade sushi.

For Christmas, Jon and I got my sister a sushi-making kit. A part of me hoped that I would get to reap the benefits of this gift, and this past weekend, I did! My sister and I had a sushi-making part of 2, and it was a blast. A delicious blast. We only used 5 ingredients for the filling: crab, baby shrimp, avocado, cream cheese and cucumber (the cucumber was just for her because I can't hang with them. No sirree). With the combo of all of these ingredients, we did about 5 different rolls, and they were so good!

My first time cutting an avocado. It was a bit of a struggle.

Though my hair is covering up the word, I am actually wearing a Gryffindor shirt. Yup.

We ate most of the first roll before this picture was taken.

Though that looks like bacon, it is, in fact, crab.

We also used a few different sauces - sriracha, teriyaki, hot mustard ( I meant to buy spicy mayo, but I accidentally got this instead. It ended up being pretty good though) and some soy sauce for dipping. All of the rolls turned out really awesome, and we got full really fast. I like fish for sushi too, but we stuck to the basics for this par-tay (of 2).  The rest of the weekend looked something like this:

High quality front camera iPhone pic.

Sweet Bella. 

Sweet Pancho loves to cuddle.

3D movie while house-sitting. Pancho just didn't want to stop giving kisses.

Unintentionally matching. Stoic faces. You'll find us featured in Cosmo's "Who wore it better?"

read more " homemade sushi. "

enter to win a bag from Kate Spade! {CLOSED}

Ashliegh @ The Darling Prepster // Jessica @ Anchored in CLE // Areeba @ I Have a Messy Bun // Sarah @ Venus Trapped in Mars

Hannah @ Champagne Lifestyle // Tiffany @ Dasti at Tiffany's // Rachael @ The Rachael Way // Stephanie @ Diary of a Debutante

Noor @ Noor's Place // Megan @ Lush to Blush // Tara @ Penniless Socialite // 

Emma @ It's Emma Elise

a Rafflecopter giveaway

read more " enter to win a bag from Kate Spade! {CLOSED} "

living in Endless Bliss.

As you have probably noticed, I changed my blog name yesterday from "d'Asti at Tiffany's" to "Endless Bliss." I thought the new name suited me much better, and I'm pretty excited about it. (If you hate it, that's fine. Just keep it to yourself because I'm in love with it. Yea, that's right - in love.) I even bought the domain, so I'm officially at www.endlessblissblog.com. How. Freaking. Exciting. 

Why the change? I just kind of felt like it. I've been working on the graphics and whatnot for awhile. Plus, my blogiversary is coming up on the 11th, and I wanted to do something exciting for it. I was going to wait until then to change everything, but I just got too excited and I want to get as much use out of my domain as possible. I have some fun plans for Endless Bliss this year, and I can't wait to share them with all of y'all! 
I also want to introduce you to one of my sponsors. She's super and full of sunshine, so you should definitely go check out her page!

Hi, I'm Alex! I'm a college student and a Psychology major, who has found that a smile can drastically improve someone's day. I try to live my life as positively as possible and I am always looking on the bright side of things. I blog over at Radiating Sunshine, which I use to document my life experiences as an optimistic person who may be a little too organized when it comes to life! Come join me as I discover new ways to define happiness.
Check out this post and this one to see what Radiating Sunshine is all about. And don't forget to follow Alex on GFC, Bloglovin, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Happy Friday!

read more " living in Endless Bliss. "

"open when" letters.

As most of you know, Jon and I just celebrated our 3-year anniversary. I decided to get a little creative with his gift this year and make him some "Open When" letters, inspired by a picture that I saw on tumblr about a year ago. I've been working on this gift since June, and I'm pretty excited about how it all turned out. 

What exactly are "Open When" letters? They are simply cards or letters that you give to someone, instructing them to open them at a specific time. Check below for some examples!
Ideas for your "Open When" letters:
Open When...

• you need to know how much I love you.
• you miss me.
• you're not feeling well.
• it's finals week.
• you're on your way to see me.
• you're going for a workout. 
• we're miles apart.
• you're sad.
• you need a laugh.
• you're having a bad day.
• it's your birthday.
• we're having a fight.
• you're hungry.
• you feel like it.
• it's Valentine's Day.
• you're bored.

The possibilities are endless! I had a ton of ideas, and I had a hard time narrowing them down. 

For my cards, I decided to include small gifts with a few of them. I've heard of a lot of people who just stick to the cards and letters, but I liked the idea of having my letters be different sizes, shapes, and colors. I've seen some that have all of their envelopes look just alike, and those are fine too, but I wanted mine to be colorful, chaotic, and fun. 
Ideas for small gifts to go with your letters:
Hungry: A gift card to somewhere the recipient likes to eat Workout: A pedometer, sweatband or other small workout gear Bored: A word search, Sudoku, Mad Libs or some sort of puzzle Laugh: A joke book or list of jokes, a funny picture Finals Week: 5-hour energy, coffee or a Starbucks gift card Having a Bad Day: A mix CD of happy songs, happy pictures or a happy movie Miss Me: A picture of the two of you together, a list of fun memories you've had together Get creative with your gifts! The costs may add up, so make sure you think small, but significant. It also helps if you plan this gift in advance so you can spread out your spending over time.

Tips:

• If you're starting this gift in advance, buy cards for every holiday.
• Think of important dates coming up in the recipient's life, i.e. graduation, a family vacation, job interview, etc.
• Collect cards with colorful envelopes. White envelopes look pretty boring unless you decorate them.
• Think personal. Don't just stick to general cards like "I miss you" or holidays.
• Write meaningful things in the cards. Don't just write your name.
• Make the message in every card different. Don't be repetitive. 
• If you include any food as gifts, make sure you write on the envelope when they need to open the envelope by.

If you have any questions or want to share any of your ideas, comment below or shoot me an email! Have a lovely Friday eve!

read more " "open when" letters. "

14 things in 2014.

I've never been one for new year's resolutions. I suck at keeping them, and most of them have been cliche throughout the years. It's like I'm starting the year setting myself up for failure, so I don't want to do that. Instead, I want to share 14 things that I would like to try to do in 2014. 'Try' being the operative word here. I don't want to say they're resolutions because if I fail, then I'll be mad at me, and we don't want all that.

1. Travel more. This is always on my list of priorities, but it's becoming harder and harder to do when I have a full-time job and limited funds. I am going to Europe this summer for two weeks, which I'm really excited about, but I would also like to take other, smaller trips around the U.S. and either visit friends or just have new experiences. Road trips are my favorite.

2. Say yes. Ever since I settled into my new job and new apartment (both not so new anymore), I've gotten into this routine of going to work, catching up on some TV shows, blogging, showering then going to bed. Anytime someone asks me to do something apart from that, I'm usually like, meh. I mean, I have had a lot of fun experiences with friends in the past few months, but for the most part, I'm just lazy. I need to start saying 'yes,' Yes Man style.

3. Write. I love blogging, but I have so many outlets for my writing that I've been ignoring. Like most bloggers, some of my posts are filtered, and I've been ignoring my journals and other memory keepers. I need to start making more time to write in them.  4. Silence negativity. Not only within my own head, but I also need to silence those around me. I need to stop dwelling on the words of others, and instead, ignore negative words and thoughts and just be. 

5. Be more honest. Sometimes I catch myself telling little fibs for no reason. Like if I did something and I share the story with another person, they'll ask if I have any pictures on my phone of it, and I'll say 'no' even if I do. I don't know why. Maybe I'm too lazy to look them up? I don't know. It's odd. I also filter a lot of my thoughts because I don't want people to judge me, but I need to start being more like Fat Amy - "I guess I'm just not really living if I'm not being 100% honest."  6. Unplug. I don't mean for an extended period of time, because I know I couldn't do that. Not cold turkey anyway. I just want to live by this quote - "Wherever you are, be there." When I go out to eat, I try not to be on my phone. I try to engage with the people I'm with and not have all of my relationships turn into social media relationships. I want to challenge myself to put my phone away whenever I'm with other people, only taking my phone out to snap pics and selfies of memories being made.

7. Get into a nighttime routine. I'm unintentionally punishing myself with my current sleep schedule. I am a night owl, and I always seem to stay up later than I intend, but I still have to be at work by 8:30 every morning. I always wake up late. I'm always tired throughout the day. I always tell myself that I'll go to bed early that night, but I never do. On the weekends, I stay up even later, and even though I can sleep in, it still messes up my sleep sched. I need create a proper nighttime routine for myself. 8. Complain less. I don't like listening to people complain all the time. Ranting is different. You're allowed to be upset about stuff every once in awhile. We're human, duh. But when I hear myself constantly complaining, I get annoyed with myself. Complaining gets you nowhere, and I need to start telling myself that before I go to someone to whine about all of my minuscule problems. 9. Cross something off my bucket list. I feel like I've just been staring at and sharing my bucket list for the past year, but I don't remember actually crossing anything off, and if I have, it's nothing exciting like bungee jumping, riding in a hot air balloon or meeting the President. I need to get on it.

Priority.

10. Stop being afraid. I have so many fears; it's ridiculous. Just the other day, there was an event happening at the hotel, and I was nervous to go take pictures because I didn't want to just stand there taking pictures like a creeper. When I actually went to take the pictures, no one even paid attention to me, and that's what a lot of the situations in my life are like. I freak out and get nervous for no reason. I just need to swallow all of that fear and face it.

11. Do research for my book. I started writing a book (like 15 chapters worth), and I got an idea for another one. Actually two other ones. I want to do research for them because some of the concepts are complicated. Research includes: shadowing a brain doctor and going to a dream psychologist.  12. Read more. I think I got a jump start on this goal already. I read a lot in November and December, but I've slowed down for the past couple of weeks. I love getting lost in books, and I love the way books mess with my emotions even though the characters aren't real. I love the stress of waiting for the next book in a series I love to come out, and I love waiting to see movie adaptations of books that I've loved. I just love books. Nerd out.

13. Don't dwell. Forget the past. It's over. Move on. 14. Be happier. I want to be someone that other people want to be around, and no one wants to be around a negative Nancy. Plus, happy people are the prettiest.

Notice that none of these have to do with eating healthier or working out, because Tiffany ain't got time fa that. What are your goals for 2014?

read more " 14 things in 2014. "