Double-Stacked Bookshelves

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and it's a way to share what you're loving in list form. The topic changes every week, so there is always something new to discover! This week's topic is:  FREEBIE...but I liked what the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish did, so Top Ten Favorite Summer Activities That Aren't Reading it is.  Now, it's no secret that reading is my favorite activity year round, but there are few things that are great when the weather is nice.  Here are some of my faves: A Perfect Pitcher of Sun Tea I am kind of a sun tea snob.  I like my tea super strong (thanks, Dad) and unsweetened (sacrilege).  Recipe for success:  take your standard glass (or plastic...if you're an amateur) pitcher, fill with hot water, place between 9-11 Lipton tea bags into the pitcher, put the lid on, and place that sucker outside in the sun until you remember to bring it inside, pull the tea bags out and SQUEEZE all...

Highlights of the week/coming weekend: 1.  Yesterday after work was spent lounging poolside to combat the unnatural heat we've been experiencing here in the PNW (Pacific Northwest).  I love that there are opportunities like this and friends with pools who are down to open their doors during the work week for a little cooldown.  Naturally, we always come bearing some form of dinner and liquid libations; last night was bratwurst, bacon-ranch macaroni salad, chips, and beer.  I like to think we're pretty accommodating guests :)  To top the evening off, we were able to spend some lovely time in the hot tub afterward! 2.  Tonight, along with my lovely friend Lori @ Palmer's Page Turners , I'll be hitting up an awesome, FREE, concert in the park.  Parish Gap , a local band, puts on a great show of classic rock covers peppered with some originals.  Definitely check their stuff ou.  Cajun tots and Rubinators! 3.  Tomorrow night (...

Booking Through Thursday:  Summertime Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Deb @ Booking Through Thursday . Every week she posts a book related prompt/question, you answer the prompt, and then link back to the original. Here's this week's: Question/Prompt:  Summertime Do your reading habits change in the summer? I wouldn't say that my reading habits change all that much in the summer.  I do think that I spend a lot of time reading year-round, but it's always nice to sit outside in the warm weather with a book.  I think that my big reading spurts are during late Fall, Winter, and early Spring because of the simple fact that we tend to get a fair amount of rain in the Pacific Northwest, so we spend a lot of time indoors.  Summertime is when we all venture outside for outdoor activities, so time spent reading might take a bit of a hit when the weather is nice.  However, I am perfectly content to sit on a blanket in the park/at the oce...

It's been unseasonably warm the last few weeks here in Oregon.  Typically, we are not an area that reaches 90 degrees often throughout the Summer; it can happen, but it's never this early in the year and it rarely sticks around for days at a time.  This year it's different.  The heat seemed to spring up on us quickly (think a difference of 20 degrees overnight).  I don't like it at all!  I am a 75 degree tops type of person and thoroughly enjoy the rain.  Normally this isn't an issue in western Oregon, but this year it is. So, to combat the oppressing (to me) heat, I now have two AC units in my apartment.  Originally I had one that I utilized in the main living space (I rarely used it last year), but my parents are pretty much the best ever and suprised me with one for my bedroom...along with an awesome teal patio set for my porch...yesterday evening!  Needless to say I slept quite well last night :)  After installing both units,...