Laura Chapman's Blog, page 29

my favorite fictional wedding moments on tv

Quick note: This is my 1,000th blog post on Change the Word. Can you believe it? Thanks so much for your readership throughout the years. It's been a blast.

I'm still in the mood to celebrate the release of The Marrying Type last month. Now that we've gone over some of my favorite wedding-themed books and movies, I'm taking my love for wedding-related entertainment to the small screen and highlighting my five favorite TV wedding moments.

Spoiler alert! I tried to come up with a way to write this post without including spoilers, but I couldn't. Sorry!

1. Leslie and Ben’s spontaneous wedding in Parks and Recreation. Who didn’t dream of Leslie taking Ben for her husband the moment he made his debut on the show? After seasons of wondering when these two lovebirds would get around to getting married already, we were happily rewarded in an escalated, last-minute ceremony. I’m a total sucker for the idea of two people in love deciding they can’t wait another moment to say “I do” and start their lives together.

2. Paul and Jamie’s rooftop nuptials in Mad About You. This happens early in the show, but to me there is nothing more romantic than two crazy kids who just want to get married going out and doing it on their own terms. I remember watching this episode with my mom as a little girl, and she said something like, “They had one wedding for themselves and one for their family.” I thought that was such a lovely idea. The best of both worlds.

3. Ross and Rachel’s drunk quickie ceremony in Friends. This was one of the last episodes I watched and thought “yes! yes! yes!” with this show, but it’s also one of my favorites. To me, one of the funniest moments in all of TV is Ross throwing rice in the air saying, “Hello, Mrs. Ross” and Rachel responding with “Hello, Mr. Rachel.” And then they walk out of the chapel in opposite directions. Hil-arious.

4. Jim and Pam's dual ceremonies in The Office. I recently re-watched this episode of The Office, and I was reminded of why I loved this show so much once upon a time. It highlights the main cast and secondary characters to perfection, offers some laugh out loud till you cry hilarity while also tugging at the old heart strings. Plus, I could watch this clip over and over and never get sick of it.


5. Liz and Criss say “I do” in 30 Rock. I laughed so hard I cried watching this one. Particularly because we saw the reappearance of Liz’s Princess Leia costume paired with her explaining to Jack that dressed like that she felt like a princess. While we didn’t know her beau as long as we knew Liz, it was nice to see her finally find someone who got her.

Honorable mentions: John and Mary in Sherlock  and Bones and Booth in  Bones .

About The Marrying Type

Always the wedding planner, never a bride, Elliot Lynch is famous for orchestrating the splashiest weddings in Charleston, South Carolina. When her father’s sloppy management practices leave them on the brink of bankruptcy, Elliot will do whatever it takes to save the family business. When asked to appear on “The Marrying Type,” a reality TV show about the people behind the scenes as couples exchange I dos, she says yes to the invasion of privacy (and the hefty paycheck that comes with it). 

With a camera crew capturing every detail of her life, Elliot faces her most challenging contract yet: planning a wedding where her ex is involved in every part of the process. Add in a lazy assistant, liquor-loving bridesmaid, and rival planner encroaching on her turf, and Elliot’s wedding season goes from high-end to high-stress.

Forced to confront her past, Elliot must live out her troubled present on national TV if she has any hope of saving her future.

Buy the BookAmazonBarnes & NobleKoboMarching Ink
Add it to Goodreads

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reading in the kitchen - laura's wedding cake

With matrimony on my mind following the release of The Marrying Type, this month I'm featuring Laura Ingalls Wilder's wedding cake for Reading in the Kitchen. While my love for the Little House series as a whole is strong, if I had to pick one book that was my all-time favorite, These Happy Golden Years would be my choice. I've always found the quiet romance between Laura and Almanzo terribly romantic, and so the wedding cake that Ma and Laura make together has always been one of my favorite dishes and one I most wanted to try.

Using Barbara M. Walker's  The Little House Cookbook , I had my marching orders.


Following the directions in the cookbook, I set out all of the ingredients for an hour before cooking to allow the refrigerated items to warm to room temperature. Not needing a full-sized wedding cake, I made a half-batch and cheated by using egg whites from a container rather than the eggs. Perhaps this egg white decision changed my overall results, but I wasn't about to waste 10 egg yolks. (The cookbook encouraged me to make scrambled eggs, but yikes! That's a lot of egg yolk.)

I started by creaming the butter and sugar.


I added almond extract and lemon flavoring to the milk.


Next, I added the milk and flavoring into the butter and sugar mixture.


The cookbook next instructed me to spend 10 minutes whipping egg whites so I could get the same affect (and arm ache) as Laura would have. Grabbing the bowl, I planted myself in front of the TV for that time and went to work.


And I whipped it some more until my arm hurt just as badly as Laura assured me it would.


Next I sifted in flour and cream of tartar...


Also folding in eggs. (I did it in thirds--a third of the flour, a third of the egg whites, repeat.)


I poured the batter into two 8-inch cake pans and placed them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. This is substantially less time than what I was instructed to do in the cookbook, but I've noticed that trend.


While the cake cooled, my poor arm and I started whipping egg whites for the frosting. The recipe for this was on the following page.


So I whipped, and I whipped, and I whipped some more. I added powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time as instructed. Then I threw in some lemon flavoring, too, because try as I might, I still haven't been able to locate rose water.


And it still never reached the point where I considered it good frosting. Figuring it must be more like a glace, I put it on the cake.


But I was wrong. It was more like a syrup lapped up by the cake, never crystallizing.


The result of this project, despite the lengthy time it took to prep it, wasn't everything I imagined. The cake itself was fine. It reminded me of a cake I made for my brother's birthday a couple of years ago. Nice, but a little heavy texture-wise, and lightly flavored. The frosting was pretty much a fail. It never completely frothed, thickened up, or hardened despite my best efforts. That said, it was pretty delicious.

Combined it was... fine. I didn't hate the cake, but it won't be making it onto my "must repeat" list either. Perhaps I didn't completely pull this one off, but I don't know if a hardened frosting would've made much of a difference.

If you'd like to try it for yourself, turn to pages 206-209 in the cookbook for the cake and frosting recipes.


About The Marrying Type

Always the wedding planner, never a bride, Elliot Lynch is famous for orchestrating the splashiest weddings in Charleston, South Carolina. When her father’s sloppy management practices leave them on the brink of bankruptcy, Elliot will do whatever it takes to save the family business. When asked to appear on “The Marrying Type,” a reality TV show about the people behind the scenes as couples exchange I dos, she says yes to the invasion of privacy (and the hefty paycheck that comes with it). 

With a camera crew capturing every detail of her life, Elliot faces her most challenging contract yet: planning a wedding where her ex is involved in every part of the process. Add in a lazy assistant, liquor-loving bridesmaid, and rival planner encroaching on her turf, and Elliot’s wedding season goes from high-end to high-stress.

Forced to confront her past, Elliot must live out her troubled present on national TV if she has any hope of saving her future.

Buy the Book
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Marching Ink

Add it to Goodreads


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

my favorite wedding movies

Last week, I shared some of my favorite wedding-related books in honor of The Marrying Type's release. So today I’m going to take that theme to the big screen. Here’s a list of my five favorite movies and five favorite TV episodes featuring weddings.

1. Wedding Crashers - I recently re-watched this movie on TV, and I was reminded of why I like it so much. Such a funny concept and hilariously executed, I love the idea of two best friends spending their weekends crashing high-end weddings. And they not only attend the weddings, but they totally insert themselves into the whole deal.

2. 27 Dresses - There is so much to like about this one. For one, the premise of a nice girl finally finding one is near and dear to my heart. (cough cough Hard Hats and Doormats. cough cough) I also like the idea of a jaded man rediscovering his heart. Plus there are lots of laughs, the couple challenges each other to be better, and there are lots of funny wedding moments.

3. Father of the Bride - This one will always tug on my heartstrings. I wanted to see this movie so badly when I was little, and it was everything I wanted. (This being the Steve Martin version. I later saw the one with Liz Taylor, and was equally delighted.) There’s something so fun about seeing the wedding process from a different point of view--the father of the bride’s.

4. The Wedding Singer - This. Movie. Is. Everything. Probably my all-time favorite Adam Sandler movie (and the reason he still gets a free pass from me, even though he seems determined to make movies I don’t want to see), I love the retro feel of this movie and the idea of falling in love with someone else while planning a wedding. Also, the song Robby’s character writes and sings at the end of the movie--swoon.

5. The Hangover - I still haven’t seen the sequels (and after the reviews for them, I’ll probably keep it that way), but this is another one of those “clever idea” wedding stories. With the wedding as a catalyst for a night of mayhem that no one could remember, I laughed so hard and quoted this movie for the rest of the summer after I saw it.

Honorable Mentions: My Best Friend's Wedding and The Wedding Date .

What are your favorite wedding movies? 
About The Marrying Type

Always the wedding planner, never a bride, Elliot Lynch is famous for orchestrating the splashiest weddings in Charleston, South Carolina. When her father’s sloppy management practices leave them on the brink of bankruptcy, Elliot will do whatever it takes to save the family business. When asked to appear on “The Marrying Type,” a reality TV show about the people behind the scenes as couples exchange I dos, she says yes to the invasion of privacy (and the hefty paycheck that comes with it). 

With a camera crew capturing every detail of her life, Elliot faces her most challenging contract yet: planning a wedding where her ex is involved in every part of the process. Add in a lazy assistant, liquor-loving bridesmaid, and rival planner encroaching on her turf, and Elliot’s wedding season goes from high-end to high-stress.

Forced to confront her past, Elliot must live out her troubled present on national TV if she has any hope of saving her future.

Buy the Book
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Marching Ink

Add it to Goodreads


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

my five favorite wedding reads

In the weeks leading up to the release of The Marrying Type, I found myself fondly recalling other wedding-minded books.

Initially I wanted to share my favorite wedding scenes from literature, but I ran into a few problems. For one, that list would be way too long and difficult to whittle down to a list of five (or even ten). Another issue: too many spoilers. While in some of the books (like Julie Garwood’s Saving Grace , The Prize , or really any of her historical romances, which would totally be fighting for a spot on this list) a wedding happens early in the book and is an expectation based on the blurb. In others (which I’m not naming) you might not know the wedding is coming.

So in the interest of not spoiling any stories or having to exhaust myself by viciously deciding which scene is in and out, I’m sharing my five favorite wedding-themed books. These are fictionalized stories that revolve around having or planning a wedding, not actual books about a wedding (I’ve only read a couple of those, so I’m not an expert).

And with that disclaimer, here we go…

1. Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
This might be my favorite (or at least top two) Shopaholic series story. From the proposal at the beginning to the wedding at the end, the story was full of lots of humor and heart. It is also the first time we see some major transformations in Becky Bloomwood and her future husband Luke Brandon. While dealing with some major personal issues outside of their wedding plans, we see a new side of Becky and Luke, and it’s the first time I looked at these two and really thought they might have the lasting power. (Even if Becky constantly worries about it in future books, I had no doubt after this that these two crazy kids were going to make it.)

2. Diary of a Mad Bride by Laura Wolf
A book I casually picked up at a Barnes & Noble before going to work my shift at the movie theater back in high school, this is the story of one woman’s journey from “yes” to “I do.” Clever, funny, and at times a little finger-nail biting (Who doesn’t get nervous when you can’t find the perfect pair of shoes to wear down the aisle?), this book has been one of my favorite reads for more than a decade. (I also love the sequel, but that one is about birthin' babies.)

3. The Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts
So technically this is four books, but to quote Laura Ingalls in These Happy Golden Years , “I couldn’t have one without the other.” Vision in White , Bed of Roses , Savor the Moment , and Happy Ever After tell the stories of Mac, Emma, Laurel, and Parker, four lifelong best friends who run a wedding business together as a photographer, florist, baker, and planner respectively. Throughout the course of a year’s worth of weddings, all four women find themselves in romances that promise to give them their own trips down the aisle.

4. Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
I’ll admit I haven’t made it very far in Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb’s in Death series, but this is one of my favorites so far. And technically this one doesn’t feature a wedding (that happens sometime between this book and the next), but they’re assembling their wedding throughout this one. While solving murders and mystery, Eve Dallas figures out how to become comfortable marrying the sexy, but impossibly wealthy and meddlesome Roarke.

5. Honeymoon with Murder by Carolyn G. Hart
Apparently marriage and murder make for a happy combination in my world. I'm a fan of the Death on Demand series and the team Annie and Max Darling make. As one of the first books in the series, this is the first time we see Annie and Max working together as husband and wife after a murder occurs immediately following their wedding. Poor things. All Max wants to do is enjoy a wedding night with his bride, and she has a murder to solve and a friend to save.

Honorable Mentions:
The One by Kiera Cass
Diary of a Mad Bride by Laura Wolfe
I Do, But I Don't by Cara Lockwood

Now it's your turn. What are your favorite fictional wedding reads? Vote for The Marrying Type on this Goodreads list for Fictional Planners
About The Marrying Type

Always the wedding planner, never a bride, Elliot Lynch is famous for orchestrating the splashiest weddings in Charleston, South Carolina. When her father’s sloppy management practices leave them on the brink of bankruptcy, Elliot will do whatever it takes to save the family business. When asked to appear on “The Marrying Type,” a reality TV show about the people behind the scenes as couples exchange I dos, she says yes to the invasion of privacy (and the hefty paycheck that comes with it). 

With a camera crew capturing every detail of her life, Elliot faces her most challenging contract yet: planning a wedding where her ex is involved in every part of the process. Add in a lazy assistant, liquor-loving bridesmaid, and rival planner encroaching on her turf, and Elliot’s wedding season goes from high-end to high-stress.

Forced to confront her past, Elliot must live out her troubled present on national TV if she has any hope of saving her future.

Buy the Book
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Marching Ink

Add it to Goodreads


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

the one who wasn't

Happy birthday to The Right Design by Isabella Louise Anderson. As she celebrates the one-year anniversary of her debut novel's release date, Isabella invited me to participate by writing about realizing "the one" wasn't the one.

Before I dive into this subject, I want to say how fortunate I was to be in a loving and supportive relationship for four years with a kind and funny young man. When we broke up, there was no major drama, no bad-mouthing, and a genuine desire that each of us would find happiness in life. Though I haven't seen him in years (and that last encounter was kind of awkward, because that's just who I am) I still hope he is happy. Basically, he's a good guy, and I hope this post doesn't ever turn into trash-talking, because I still think the world of him.

We started dating our senior year of high school. We went to college and ultimately transferred schools together. Though I'd never really seen myself as the type of person who married her high school sweetheart (contrary to things I might have said in moments of whimsy), I spent most of those four years believing I had found "the one." I imagined telling our grandchildren about senior prom, the time he wrote me a song for my birthday, and the relieved look on his face when I saw him after waking from emergency surgery. It seemed pretty amazing and romantic in a quiet way.

I'll blame this on my youth, but at times I was hot-headed, possessive, and (for lack of a better term) kind of a dick. I'd like to think I've matured into someone better capable of handling such massive emotions, but I'm still a work in progress. Though we'd had disagreements, the dynamics of our relationship really changed when we transferred colleges.

Unlike Carrie in The Right Design, there wasn't an instant that made it abundantly clear our relationship was over. It was little things that added up. Along with the change of scenery, we changed our majors and our life goals. For a while that seemed okay. Then we each made plans for our futures that didn't really involve the other person. He wanted to go to graduate school at a Midwestern university. I wanted to be a reporter and live on one of the coasts. He started hanging out with a group of students he met in social clubs, and I spent most of my time at the college paper.And so on.

After months of wondering whether or not we'd get through the seemingly endless rough patch in our relationship, halfway through the first semester of my senior year of college I realized I didn't care if we did. I'm guessing he'd experienced a similar epiphany, because when we had a very civil conversation about the state of our relationship, we agreed we'd come to the end of our time together.

Sometimes I think it would have been easier if he'd cheated on me, or if I'd one day thrown a big, crazy tantrum. At least then there'd be a story to tell. But for us it was a gradual discovery that neither of us saw a future together. At a certain point, if you don't see a future with someone, what's the point of carrying on in the present?

Since then, he's found and married someone. I'll admit I had a moment of sadness when I heard the news. (Thank goodness Adele's "Someone Like You" was blowing up the charts that week, so I had a soundtrack.) It's not like I wanted us to get back together, but I was sad because I still hadn't found the cheese to my macaroni. Though it took time, I ultimately figured out there wasn't much point in being sad about something you don't have.

I've also realized I don't really believe in "the one," at least not in the sense I did when I was younger. The one isn't the one and only person that exists in the world just for you. The one is the person who makes your life better and makes you want to be better. The one isn't someone who loves you in spite of your faults, but for them. The one is someone who you aren't willing to change for, but who you're willing to make adjustments together so you can forge a new path. Unless he turns out to be Michael Fassbender, I still don't know who I will share my future with, but when we find each other, I'll bring my A game.


Enter to Win
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Book
In the author's debut novel comes a story about picking up the pieces, letting go of the past, and finding love along the way--even if morals are tested!

Interior designer Carrie Newman could not have envisioned a more perfect life for herself. She had a great job doing what she loved, wonderful friends, and a close relationship with her sister and brother-in-law. Add in an amazing man who she’d hoped would soon become her husband, and her life was perfect. Until one devastating decision ruins her relationship and changes the course of her life.

Determined to make a new start, Carrie leaves Texas and heads to Palm Beach to pick up the pieces of her shattered and broken life. The last thing she expects is to find herself attracted to her first client at her new job--Brad Larson, who has proven himself time and time again to be caddish.

But there’s something beneath the surface of Brad’s arrogant exterior that keeps her craving more of him--something almost sweet that Carrie can’t seem to resist.

Is Carrie ready to take another chance on romance? And will this new design of her life prove to be the right one?


Now available for only 99 cents during the month of March:
Amazon US (Kindle): http://amzn.to/TUmZNX
Amazon US (Paperback): 
http://amzn.to/1q3qxI9
Amazon - Canada: http://amzn.to/1o8nxYw
Amazon - UK: 
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Barnes & Noble (Paperback and Nook): http://bit.ly/1AfWkcm

About the Author
Isabella grew up with a book in her hand, and to this day nothing has changed. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and has been featured on several blogs. While Isabella doesn't blog a lot, she focuses her time on featuring other writers, along with writing and editing. Isabella Louise Anderson created Chick Lit Goddess to share the love of the following genres: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Romance, and Romantic Comedies! She loves featuring authors and their books. She lives in Dallas with her husband and cat. She enjoys spicy Mexican food and drinking margaritas, and can be found spending time with family and friends, cheering on the Texas Rangers, and reading. Isabella's short story, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, was featured in Simon & Fig's Christmas anthology, Merry & Bright, in November 2013. The Right Design is her first novel.

Connect with Isabella
Isabella Louise Anderson: http://bit.ly/1j5AyWF
Author Facebook “Like” page: http://on.fb.me/1t6PAzC
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1rv8Ipm
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/1n0XlCL
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ze5rgg
Chick Lit Goddess Website: http://bit.ly/1n0Yryk
Chick Lit Goddess “Like” page: http://on.fb.me/1o8qxE8
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1j5D0MT


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now available: 'the marrying type'

The big day is here! The Marrying Type is now available!

I'm still having a tough time wrapping my head around the fact that my second book has been published. I wouldn't have made it today without the support of a lot of people. I wanted to give a shout out to a few people who played an important role in making this possible:
My sister, Sarah, and friend, Whitney, who read each draft of this novel and were my thought-partners throughout the processMy beta readers and fellow authors Tracie Banister and Cat LavoieMy National Novel Writing Month 2011 buddies, including the national leaders who sponsor the event and my local friends and fellow writers Lisa, Jacie and GlennaSamantha March, my editor and publisher at Marching InkChrissy Wolfe, the fabulous line editorAshley Byland, the designer of the amazing coverPolgarus Studio for formatting the novel for print and ereadingI'm also grateful to my family, friends, bloggers, writing groups (special shout out to the Chick Lit Chat crew and Chick Lit Goddesses), and you, the reader, for supporting me on this adventure. I also appreciate all of the blogger, reviewers and fellow authors who are helping to spread the word this week. It truly means more to me than I can say.


The Marrying Type is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Marching Ink. You can also add The Marrying Type to your to-read list on Goodreads and enter to win one of three prize packages by participating in this Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Take a look at these prizes up for grabs:

The Bridal Package
The Planner Package
The Bridesmaid Package
I had a lot of fun putting them together. :)

And if you haven't already, please join the virtual launch party, which will happen tomorrow on Facebook.


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happy fifth blogiversary

Happy birthday to Change the Word. Five years ago this week, I published my first blog post. You can read it here if you're interested. (I know I was curious to remember how I started five years later.)

I can still remember how I decided to start this blog. I was living in Houston, babysitting for some friends of a friend and chatting online with a classmate from college. I mentioned how much I'd enjoyed keeping a blog during my summer internship in college (on a blog I've long since deleted). That led me to wonder what it would take to start another one, and what I wanted to write about. I knew I wanted to be an author at some point, and it seemed that keeping a blog was a good way to start or at least something to do.

Since then my motives for blogging have stayed basically the same. I'm a writer and so having a place to share my thoughts and ideas and to be creative in a different way is an outlet. It's hard to believe this much time has passed.

Thank you to all of you who have followed along the way--and to those of you who have joined more recently. I set out to start this blog as a way to tell the adventure of my experience becoming a writer, and it has been that. Having you along for the ride makes it all the more fun.

With that, let's do a little reflecting on where we started, where we've been, and dream about where we are going.

Five Comparisons from Then Vs. Now
Then: This photo was actually taken (and
posted to my Facebook page) the day
after I shared my first blog post. I was
installing Texas license plates on my car.

You'll also note I have short sleeves.
In February.
1. On Living - Then: I lived in The Woodlands, Texas (located north of Houston). Now: I live in my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska

2. On Writing - Then: I'd come up with the idea of Hard Hats and Doormats, but hadn't actually done more than write a paragraph or two. Now: I have published one novel, two novelettes, and my second novel will be out later this month. I also have a third book in editing and a fourth nearing completing on its first draft. Excellent.

3. On Working - Then: I was a traveling corporate journalist who wrote and photographed for employee newsletters. Now: I'm a communications coordinator at a museum.

4. On Playing - Then: I could destroy a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine while dancing in my apartment and get up to be fine the next morning like it was nobody's business. Now: I still dance in my apartment, but I limit myself to one or two (or zero) drinks.

5. On Driving - Then: I drove Magnum, the red Mazda Protege with a stick shift. And I'd recently earned two hefty speeding tickets. Now: I have a silver Honda Fit without a name, and I'm an excellent driver. (I swear.)

It's interesting to see what has changed. I'm particularly proud of my writing changes, though five years ago I probably would've hoped I'd have a few more books under my belt.

It's also interesting to think about what has stayed the same and how the older I get, the more I'm OK with who I am. That's not to say I'm not still a work in progress. I just don't sit alone in my apartment drinking bottles of wine alone and crying about being single. (Now I only drink wine alone and cry if the Huskers are losing against Michigan State.)

The Five Most-Viewed Posts on the Blog
1. Book Review: Fifty Shades Freed

2. Book Review: Fifty Shades Darker

3. Fifty Shades Delicious

4. Buttering Up

5. Setting the Bar

So... apparently blogging about Fifty Shades during the peak of its mania was a good call on my part, ey? I know there's still a lot of mixed feelings where this series is concerned, but I had a lot of fun reading and blogging about these books. And, like a total nerd, I still have the screenshots I saved of tweets I received from EL James about a couple of my blog posts.


This was at a time I was feeling particularly down about my writing, my career, and life in general. Her kindness toward me on Twitter (and her willingness to share my posts with her fans) along with the distraction of reading these books and making these dishes pulled me through.

My Favorite Post From Each Year
This was much harder than I expected, so I selected one from each year. Or as close as I could get. (There were some real dog of posts to choose from in Year One.) So here they are, in order of appearance on the blog...

1. American as Green Pumpkin Pie

2. Thrown Not Stirred

3. Date Night (Hold the Blood)

4. Little Laura Struggles to Spell Good and Do Other Things Good, Too

5. The Ariel Effect

The Reading in the Kitchen posts were always some of my favorite ("American as Green Pumpkin Pie"). That's why I rebooted the series this year. I have also enjoyed opportunities to reflect (like with "The Ariel Effect") and to explore the worlds we see in favorite reads ("Date Night (Hold the Blood)"). I also like getting help from friends ("Thrown Not Stirred") and taking an opportunity to poke some fun at myself ("Little Laura Struggles to Spell Good and Do Other Things Good, Too").

Aside from being about my journey as a reader and writer, the other constant these posts all share is how much fun I had putting them together and sharing them with you readers.

Five Goals for the Future
1. Remember to have fun with this whole blogging, writing, living thing. Life's too short, #YOLO, however you say it. We have this life, and it's worth making it count.

2. Hold fewer grudges. This was a New Year's Resolution, but I'm sticking to it.

3. Another resolution that still stands true: Stop comparing myself, my writing, and my blog to others. I can only me, and that's good enough.

4. Read more books that I enjoy and add some variety. I have a bunch of books just waiting to be read, and I should get around to it.

5. Be open to change. You never know when the world can turn upside down (for better or for worse), and sometimes it's better to adapt than fight.

Thank you again for being on this journey with me. Here's hoping I'll have even more joy and fun to reflect upon in another five years.


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galentine's day 2015

I've come to love February 13. Thanks to Parks and Recreation turning it into Galentine's Day, it's now an annual opportunity for me to reconnect and celebrate with some of my girlfriends.
For this year's festivities, I invited friends over for an evening of brunch for dinner and empowering lady time (actually it was mostly just chatting). That meant pink mimosas, a waffle bar (just toaster-ready Eggos, because I had to work all day), and an egg casserole. Sidebar, here's the quick and easy recipe for this dish, because it went over well with my guests, and I want a written record of it for later.
Ingredients:

1 bag of shredded hashbrowns
8 scrambled eggs
1 cup of milk
1 package of sausage diced (I used faux meat)
1 cup of shredded cheese

Directions: Mix all of the ingredients, except the cheese, together and pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Pop it into the oven at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.
For party favors, everyone received a string of pink Mardi Gras beads, a card, and the following activity:

I know it's not as extravagant as the year I gave away Recycled Reads or homemade sugar cookies, but I did make the activity myself. ;)

Mostly we talked, which is a lot of fun when you're blending friends from different parts of your life. At the end of the evening, a few friends stayed to watch Secretary (it was Fifty Shades of Grey weekend after all). It was a fun way to kickoff the weekend it also reminded me that I need to spend more time with my friends. They're a good time.

(I'm also brimming with ideas for my fifth annual Galentine's Day celebration--Cinco de Galentine's. There are so many possibilities.)


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be my valentine

Go ahead and pickup this year's Hard Hats and Doormats-inspired Valentines in honor of #ChickLitLove (which was yesterday) and, of course, Valentine's Day (which is today, silly).

These are all sealed (electronically) with a lick, because I kiss won't stick. XOXO.

Lexi Burke has always been a stickler for following rules and procedures. As a human resources manager for a leading Gulf Coast chemical company, it’s her job to make sure everyone else falls in line, too. 

But after losing out on a big promotion–-because her boss sees her as too much of a yes-woman––Lexi adopts a new policy of following her heart instead of the fine print. And her heart knows what it wants: Jason Beaumont, a workplace crush who is off limits based on her previous protocol. 

While navigating a new romance and interoffice politics, Lexi must find the confidence to stand on her own or face a lifetime of following someone else’s orders. 

Who says nice girls have to finish last?

(Pick up a copy of Hard Hats and Doormats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Marching Ink for only 99 cents today!)


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five questions with romi moondi

My funny and talented friend Romi Moondi has a new book. After penning the hilarious Year of the Chick series, she's back with a novel-sized travel guide written from her experiences living in Paris. Romi was good enough to stop by the blog today to play a round of "Five Questions" about her new release.

Change the Word: Who is this travel guide written for? 
Romi Moondi: This book is written for first-time Paris travellers looking for recommendations, to “some day I’ll go to Paris” dreamers looking for inspiration, and to those who have already been to Paris before, but are looking to discover something new. Overall, it offers the usefulness of a guide (over 130 places visited!), whilst being entertaining and personalized like a memoir, or at least that was my goal.

CTW: What should someone do if they have only enough time to visit one place or have one experience in Paris?
RM: If you only have time for one experience in Paris, forget about the tourist attractions, and let your experience be a “stroll.” Strolling in Paris is the epitome of getting a feel for the city’s vibe, the beautiful Parisian architecture, and the window into the past. Your best shot at getting all of the above would be a stroll through the hilly neighbourhood of Montmartre. I don’t mean the touristy area right next to the Sacré Coeur basilica, but rather a stroll up the hilly street of Rue Lepic (beginning at métro station Blanche). Here your only agenda is to wander, observe, and stop for a drink when you see a nice terrace view.

CTW: When is your favorite time of the day to go to your favorite Parisian spot?
RM: I absolutely adore sunset in Paris by the river. My favourite viewing spot is on the bridge Pont Neuf along the right bank side. From here you can observe the last rays of sun glimmering off the surface of the Seine River, as well as take in the top two thirds of the glorious Eiffel Tower.

CTW: Where were you most inspired as a writer in Paris?
RM: There’s a café in the Latin Quarter at the top of a hilly street, a spot with no traffic or tourists. I’d often sit on the terrace with my notebook, surrounded by the quiet buzz of French conversation. That, in combination with the view of the downhill street, was totally inspiring (PS: since you’re clever enough to read the “Change the Word” blog, I’ll tell you exactly what café I’m talking about! It was Le Petit Café in the 5th (6 Rue Descartes, M10 Cardinal Lemoine))

CTW: Why were you drawn to Paris?
RM: It’s hard to define why it was Paris specifically; I just remember being fascinated by Paris for years. In 2011 and 2012 it became an obsession, as I bought and read every book on Paris I could find. I suppose Paris represented adventure and freedom, as it’s this faraway place with a wonderful history of dreamers, and I was learning about it all during a time when I felt pretty trapped, both by a job and by the fact that I’d never really traveled on my own (except for a couple of long weekends in New York City).


About Vicarious Paris

What if you could get Paris nostalgia, Paris recommendations, vivid Paris daydreams, and regular doses of humour all from one book?  

Welcome to "Vicarious Paris," where the author takes you along through every corner of Paris, on a journey to cafés, bakeries, cocktail bars, and the ever-charming side streets of Paris. With candid memories and descriptive scenes, the author will invite you to days and nights with her expat and native French friends, for an inside peek into life and fun in Paris.  

As a full-length book (80K words) with photos, and over 130 places described in vivid detail, you'll come out of the experience feeling like you just returned from a wonderful vacation in Paris. 

More specifically, here is a small preview of the things you’ll vicariously do: you’ll mingle with strangers at a wine tasting, you’ll have cocktails at one of the ritziest bars in Paris, you’ll feast on a multi-course French style brunch (in a totally unpretentious environment), and you’ll even have a shot at romance in a charming café in Montmartre.

About the Author
Romi Moondi lived in Paris for six months in 2013, as well as for the summer of 2014. During her stays, she spent a lot of time with locals who shared great insights, navigated the streets with her expat partners in crime, and also had her share of solo expeditions (all three of which are key components to this insider’s view of Paris).

She has also written a romantic comedy series called “Year of the Chick.” The first book in the series is free as an ebook, and the third one is set in Paris and inspired by her trip.


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