The Secret Life of Prince Charming

This book wasn't what I was expecting at all but I ended up falling in love with it. Some books I love because they take me away (Stephenie Meyer's Twilight), some books I love because they are possible, but highly improbable (Kate Brian's Private). Then there are books that I love because I was able to learn from. JK Rowling's Harry Potter Series, Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why, and now Deb Caletti's The Secret Life of Prince Charming.

The back of the book summary reads:
         Quinn is surrounded by women who have had their hearts brokem. She tries to be an optimist, but when she is abruptly and unceremoniously dumped, she starts to think maybe there really are no good guys out there.
         It doesn't help that Quinn's father is back in her life. She's always tried to see the best in him, despite his selfish and eccentric tendencies. But when Quinn discovers he has stolen more than just the hearts of the many women in his life, she joins forces with the half sister she's never met and the little sister she'll do anything to protect, and sets out to right her father's wrongs. In doing so, Quinn begins to uncover what she's really looking for: the truth.


I read this and thought so this girl finds out she has a half sister and they go on some quest to find out more about their dad. Which is what kind of happens, but it is so much more than that. There are so many good quotes from the book that I wrote down. Quotes that have influenced how I imagine true and real love is, it has changed how I think about family. It has altered how I look at just about every relationship I have. Because of this I've spent the last couple of days thinking about New Years and resolutions, relationships, and how in the past I've burned others and been burned in return. I've severed ties with people I shouldn't have based on the limited knowledge I had at the time. I was blinded by emotions and I've come to the conclusion that my one resolution this year is to be better. Be a better person for my own sake. Do what I feel is right, instead of what I feel is expected of me.

I will leave you with just a few of my favorite quotes from the book.

"It's not a matter of being stupid. You can be smart and not know. And you can know and not care."   -pg. 39 by Mary Louise

"He was one of those guys you feel like you have to try hard to be equal to--- as in shape as he is, as intelligent, as whatever. The kind you're slightly uneasy around because you know that deep down, he feels you don't measure up."  -pg. 59 Francis Lee

"We have to be careful to not create a person in our imagination."   pg. 68 Joelle

"It starts so young, and I'm angry about that. The garbage we're taught. About love, about what's 'romantic.' Look at so many of the so-called romantic figures in books and movies. Do we ever stop and thing how many of them would cause serious and drastic unhappiness after The End."     pg. 128 Elizabeth

"Love isn't drama. Real love is there, not something out of reach."   pg 173 Joelle

"So: Love is ease, love is comfort, love is support and respect. Love is not punishing or controlling. Love lets you grow and breathe. Love's passion is only good passion---swirling-leaves-on-a-fall-day passion, a-sky-full-of-magnificent-stars passion---not angst and anxiety. Love is not hurt or harm. Love is never unsafe. Love is sleeping like puzzle pieces. It's your own garden you protect; its a field of wildflowers you move about in both freely and together."     pg. 176 Joelle


"Love is a decision that should be made for the right reasons and kept for the right reasons."   pg 220  Brie

"An umbrella is an umbrella, except when the man you love stood under it during a hailstorm when he asked you to marry him."    pg 231    Olivia

"Insecurity is not a good enough excuse for bad behavior."   pg 285 Abigail

"The truest thing about truth was that it needed to be seen no matter what it was and no matter how it came to you."    pg 287   Quinn

"A squirt of perfume is a shot of manufactured confidence, which is probably why it's so expensive and the bottles so fancy."    pg 299   Quinn

"Family was even bigger a word that I imagined before, wide and without limitations, if you allowed it, defying easy definition. You had family that was supposed to be family and wasn't, family that wasn't family but was, halves becoming whole, wholes splitting in two."    pg. 303   Quinn   (something I have thought a great deal about since my mom got sick.)

"I'm not the most, the best, the fastest, the greatest, but I am enough."    pg. 321   Quinn

"And real love---it's less shiny than solid and simple."     pg. 322     Quinn

Working Hard? Hardly Working.

Well..I guess technically I've been hardly working lately. But in my time without a job I have kept my mind busy. I've been working on a project I call my Me Book. My me book has all kinds of things about me in it. One page are cutouts and stickers of things about me. Words that describe me or my philosophies. Other pages have pictures of things I hope to own someday. I have everything from Rosetta Stone (so I can learn french!) to KitchenAid Standing Mixers to sights I want to see (Like Big Ben in London!) I've even got pictures of the 2 fish I hope to own someday, Francis and Wilhelm (pronounced Froncis and Vilhelm). The page I've been working on recently is my Bucket List page. There are lots of things I hope to accomplish. Right now there are 16 things on my list and only 1 of them have I accomplished. I need to get a move on! Here I have decided to share my list with you all today.

1. Befriend a Celebrity--not sure this will actually happen but with technology today, who knows, right? Maybe I will visit California again sometime soon and "accidentally" bump into one. Lol!

2. Be first in line for a midnight movie premiere.--On March 11, 2010 I was first in line to see Robert Pattinson's "Remember Me" completing this wish.

3. Be thanked at an awards show--again. Another unlikely one but who knows. Maybe I'll even win an award depending on how this next entry goes!

4. Publish on of my stories.--It has been a lifelong goal since I was about 12 so doing this would really mean a lot to me.

5. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.--I consider myself to be somewhat of a Harry Potter expert so going and existing in his world would be one of the highlights of my life. The books changed my life and set me on a path. I owe a lot to that fictional wiz kid.

6. Travel to London.--I have been talking about going to LondonTown for many many many years and to actually go and see anything and everything I have dreamed would probably kill me I would be so giddy.

7. Travel to Greece--I think it would be so amazing to visit a place like Greece. There is so much culture and history and beauty all in one place and I can't wait to go!

8. Visit the Lourve--there are no words.

9. Throw a fancy dinner party--I could do this at any time...but that would require I have more friends than I actually have, more money than I currently possess, and better cooking skills than I have aquired to date.

10. Watch the RedSox play at Fenway Park in Boston.--I love Boston. I love baseball. I love the BoSox. 'nuff said.

11. Visit New York City--The real-life Gotham is (as Jay-Z and Alicia Keys say) a "concrete jungle where dreams are made of." Every american should visit the city once in their life (so I hear) so naturally it is on my list.

12. Buy a new car. Preferably an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini....but I'll settle for anything new. I just want a car that has no history. I want to make history. Not be just another notch on the belt.

13. Take a convertible on a roadtrip--sure it will mess up my hair but I would gladly trade my 'do for a ponytail to drive cross country in a convertible. It just seems like "The Great American Roadtrip" should be done right, and by done right, I mean with you best friends and your GPS.

14. Go to the Coachella Music Festival.--Everyone who is anyone goes to Coachella. I know because I read that on twitter. So it seems like the perfect place for wannabe up-and-comer's like myself and future somebodies of America to rub elbows with society's elite. Plus you get to hang out and listen to some really great music!

15. Go to the South Beach Food and Wine Fesival--As you can tell, I like festivals...and I love food...so I felt it was only necessary that I attend one of the biggest food festivals around. I just heard about this festival yesterday on the food network. This is basically just a big party for all the food network stars to come and share their gifts. Duff Goldman. I want some of your cake.

16. Visit the Library of Congress--I like books a lot. And this is the biggest library around so you probably understand why this is on my list.

These Days

So. Yesterday was Mother's Day. What did you do for your mother? Some of my presents didn't exactly get here on time....but we told her what we got and told her it would be here soon during the week. She did however get to open 2 real life presents. A book on tablescapes (her favorite thing to do in the entire world) and a game called "Things". We went to church, had lunch at my Aunt Jeanie's. Then we went to see an advanced screening of Letters to Juliet. Unfortunately we didn't get tickets, so we went to Iron Man instead. After the movie we came home and as a family we played the game and laughed and had a good time and at tacos from one of Joey's favorite restaurants. That was the Gordon's Mother's Day in a nutshell.

The new thing going on in my life is test monitoring. I've been volunteering up at Bethany High School. I go in every morning at 8:45 to set up the tests on the computers and write their "seal codes" on the board. Then after the tests are set up the kids come in and I pass out their papers that have their login id's and other information. I stay until the kids finish their test and I record their scores and alphabetize the papers before I leave for lunch. Then, I go to lunch, come back, and start all over again for the afternoon session. I re-launch the test program on all the computers, rewrite different seal codes, pass out papers, record scores, alphabetize and then when all the tests are turned in to me I go home. It doesn't sound like much but I'm actually having a pretty good time.

I have dubbed this week at the official "JM Barrie Week." in honor of Sir James Matthew Barrie, creator of a world where children never have to grow up. And there will always be a part of me that lives in Neverland. If you haven't already guessed (or didn't already know) Mr. Barrie is the author of "Peter Pan" the infamous tale of a boy who never grew up. This whole week I am celebrating him and his literary genius. All week I will be watching Peter Pan related movies in honor of him. This is my schedule for the week:

Monday: Finding Neverland
Tuesday: Peter Pan (animated)
Wednesday: Return to Neverland
Thursday: Hook
Friday: Peter Pan (2003)

"To live would be an awfully big adventure."


I will be starting my new "job" of staying with my Granny soon. I will be taking care of her and helping her out a little bit. Drive her around and fix her dinners and keep her company so my family will have a little bit more peace of mind where she is concerned. I'm also going to make a facebook for her. That will be a lot of fun (for me) and I have a feeling she is going to join my team for Gossip Girl trivia...(don't be fooled though...it's just me. She doesn't watch GG haha!)


The only other thing I have to report is that I've started sailing lessons! I've been to 2 so far, I have one tomorrow night, and after that I'll only have 2 more then I will be able to rent boats from the YMCA and sail out on Lake Hefner! I'm having such a good time learning all these different ways to tie knots and assemble my boat. I've learned about the mast, boom, sail, rope/line/sheet, centerboard, rudder, and the tiller. I've learned about the hull of the boat and the bow and port, the starboard, and stern. I even did figure 8's around booies (sp?) in the boat! Yeaaaahhhhhh!

All in all I'm having a good time right now. Things are good and I don't have a bunch of stuff to worry about. I'm feeling good! Have a good week!

I'll try to post again soon! I know there was a nice gap between postings last time...but I'll try to be better! Lol!