Teasers are just spoilers in disguise.

Note: I wrote this post way back in June but just hadn't gotten around to publishing it yet. In honor of the release of Les Miserables next month, I figured now was the perfect time to hit publish!

Source: tres-little-birds.tumblr.com via Majo on Pinterest

And by teasers, I mean book jackets and movie trailers. Hear me out: I love previews. I'm one of those people who is actually upset when I miss the previews in a movie theater, and not just because I don't like looking for seats in the dark. I really like trailers, and I used to think it would be amazing to be a trailer producer (a la Cameron Diaz in The Holiday). However, if I know I want to see a movie and already know the storyline, I don't want to see a trailer because I don't want any part of the movie to be ruined for me.

Summer Book Challenge Winner: Nova R.

Today I'd like to introduce you to another finisher of the Semi-Charmed Summer 2012 Book Challenge, Nova. She finished the challenge in the first nine weeks, which made her the third finisher overall. Read more about her after the jump.

Photo via Date a Girl Who Reads

Thankful Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been meaning to join this link-up with the sweet Meghan of Shine On for weeks, and what better week to finally join than Thanksgiving itself?

First, I am mostly thankful for the friends and family I get to see this holiday:

Summer Book Challenge Winner: Heather L.

I know it's been a while since the Semi-Charmed Summer 2012 Book Challenge ended, but I wanted to be sure to feature each of the ladies who completed that challenge as we prepare for our first Semi-Charmed Winter 2012 Book Challenge check-in (on December 1!). This first reader I'm featuring finished all 14 books of the challenge in the first six weeks! Read more about her after the jump.

Photo via Date a Girl Who Reads

I've got the whole world ...

... in my bag!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you might remember when I posted about how I fit my entire life into 96 pounds worth of luggage at the beginning of this journey. Somehow, a lot of those items have migrated to a permanent place in my purse. You never know what you might need! On any given day, my purse serves as ...

... an actual purse. Of course I have the necessities: Wallet, passport, business cards (in multiple holders; I have quite a collection now), receipt pouch, assorted ticket stubs that haven't been thrown away and my Alpha Delta Pi badge.

... a drugstore. Some chapter members have called my purse the "Mary Poppins bag" because I can seem to find everything in there. A chapter member smeared her eye make-up during a meeting? Good thing I have some Neutrogena cleansing wipes! Someone has a headache? I'm handing out the pain relievers! Got a stain? I have TWO Tide-to-Go pens for that. Other items in this category include gum, mints, Tums, cough drops, assorted pieces of candy, a water bottle, Kleenex, a nail file, a compact mirror, various lip balms, sunglasses, hair ties, bobby pins, hand sanitizer and—of course—a small flashlight.

(#beprepared)

... Best Buy. Of course I need my basic technology: My iPad, various cords, a USB drive, my phone (and my work phone, which I used to take these pictures) and my iPod.

... a (post) office. I have this thing for stationery, so I always have a few cards on hand. I also carry a small photo album I've been using to collect postcards from each school, a pencil pouch with assorted pens and highlighters to color-code my planner, said planner, return address labels, an unfinished crossword, post-its and two notebooks (one big and one small; you never know what the occasion will call for!).

Other items that can often be found in my purse depending on the day include a TSA-approved bag of liquid toiletries, a bag of almonds (or other snacks), my padfolio, my Kindle and/or chargers for my various electronics.

So tell me: What's in your bag?

P.S. — I did a similar post back in May, but my life was significantly less interesting then.

Blog makeover!

Last night I was on a Parenthood kick on Netflix and needed something to do on my laptop while I watched the show on my iPad (I know, my life is ridiculous), so Semi-Charmed Kind of Life got a redesign! What do you think? I kind of miss the personality of my old design, but I thought it was a little busy and wanted to clean the whole page up a bit.

Before & After
Click image to enlarge.

So really, what do you think? I'd love your feedback!

Fall Friday: The Footwear (Friday's Fancies: Week 14)

I had been planning a footwear-themed post for this Fall Friday post anyway, then I saw {av}'s Friday's Fancies theme this week was autumn-inspired, so I decided to combine them (again)! I know this Friday's Fancies is technically supposed to be inspired by a fall treat, but {av} always encourages us to post about anything we want, so I'm going to pretend like riding boots are my "treat." :)

Blogger Book Swap: A Review

Some of you might remember the Blogger Book Swap I co-hosted with Jessica a few weeks ago. The link-up to share our goodies was originally going to be last week, but Jessica extended it an extra week for those participants who hadn't received their books yet. This worked perfectly because I started my book right away, so the extra week gave me time to finish it!

My partner was the wonderful Leah of Leah's Life. During our email exchange, we decided we were pretty much book twins. When Leah told me she liked historical fiction and romance, I knew exactly what book to send her! (To be honest, I wanted to send this particular book to whomever my partner ended up being, so I'm glad it matched Leah's interests!) You can see the package I sent her here.

As for the fantastic goodies Leah sent me, check out the picture below:

Photo A Day: October

It's time for another photo a day challenge recap! At least this time I'm getting it up before the next month is halfway over. :)

I decided my previous way of sharing my challenge images was not very user-friendly because you couldn't read the captions while you were looking at the pictures. I'm trying a new design this week to make reading my post a little more convenient. What do you think?...

Something new.

I'm constantly inspired by all the adorable quotes on Pinterest, and I thought I would put my rudimentary InDesign skills to use and attempt to make my own graphic with one of my favorite song lyrics.

Without being too annoyingly self-deprecating, I'll just say I know it's not amazing, but I'd love to get your input. What do you think? Is this a hobby I should continue? I've been contemplating some Les Mis quotes for my next design experiment to honor the upcoming movie release....

Fall Friday: The Food

I suppose this post could have waited until next Friday to build anticipation for Thanksgiving feasts, but I just couldn't wait that long. Here are some of my favorite autumn foods (sweet potato pie and roasted pumpkin seeds), as well as some cute fall treats I located on Pinterest:

sweet potato casserole | roasted pumpkin seeds | campfire cupcake
 candy corn | pumpkin pie cupcake | chocolate acorns

Also, I know these images are a little more wintery, but I can't get enough hot, yummy beverages during the fall season:

peppermint mocha | hot cocoa

What are your favorite autumn treats and dishes?

Fall Friday: An Instagram

I had planned to do a wonderfully delicious post about fall food today, but that will have to wait until another week. You see, I took the most quintessentially perfect fall photo in Pullman, Washington, earlier this week, and I just had to share it with you.

Two things I love about fall: The leaves and the footwear!

There's actually quite a long story behind my acquisition of these flats, but that, too, will be shared another day. Hope you're enjoying the first Friday of November!

Follow me on Instagram at @mcstroup for more stereotypical Instagram pictures. Am I following you yet? Leave your handle in the comments below!

Winter 2012 Book Challenge: The Preliminary List

Happy November 1st, everyone! As you recover from last night, don't forget to start reading your first novel for the Semi-Charmed Winter 2012 Book Challenge. :) I've included my tentative reading list for the challenge in this post. I would love to see your tentative lists if you're participating!

Source: browse.deviantart.com via Megan on Pinterest

5 points: Read a book written by an author you have never read before. — One Day, David Nicholls
5: Read a book you already have at home but haven’t gotten around to yet. — Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer
10: Read a book written in the decade that you were born. — Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
10: Read a book that takes place in the state/province where you were born. — A Walk to Remember, Nicholas Sparks
15: Read a book titled The _______'s Daughter or The _______'s Wife. — The Pilot's Wife, Anita Shreve; The Tiger's Wife, Tea Obreht; or The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards
20: Read a book with a number in the title. — The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien
20:  Read a book set during Christmas or another winter holiday. — Still undecided. Any suggestions? :)
20: Read a book written by an author who shares your initials. — The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
25: Read a Pulitzer Prize winner or finalist for fiction. — The Road, Cormac McCarthy
25:  Re-read a book. — The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
30: Read three books from three different genres. — The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern (fantasy); The Paris Wife, Paula McLain (historical fiction); and Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen (drama/literary fiction)

If you want to participate, link up in the original post! The complete rules can also be found in that post. Good luck!

P.S. — Don't forget to tweet about your progress using the hashtag #SCWBC12!