"Chasing Dreams" - Cara Colter - 2006 Silhouette #1818

My local library does not catalog paperbacks.  I know I’ve bitched before, and I’m assuming they have their reasons.  Maybe it’s too much hassle with such a high turnover or perhaps they just don’t hold up to heavy usage?  Valid?  Sure – but annoying as hell when you are a) looking for a specific author or b) looking for the next book in a series. I’m 2 for 2 for Ms. Colter here.  I am currently looking for one of her titles, and just happened to catch a copy of “Chasing Dreams” before its return to the paperback abyss. 

I haven’t read any series romance in a while and forgot how freaking short they are. Not that I’m complaining, sometimes I look for that.  It’s the reason I’ll read a Christmas anthology in July, my attention span cannot be trusted. Mostly I can’t be trusted not to fall asleep regardless of how good the story or the time of day.  I finished “Chasing Dreams” in two sittings and without a nap!  It’s a perfectly nice rich girl/poor boy tale of sorts, except neither the H/H fit the stereotypes a romance reader would expect.

While it was an acceptable series romance and an entertaining read, I did have a few issues.  Due to the unfortunate library situation, I checked out Book Two in a trilogy, and some characters from the first story were not fully introduced or explained to new readers.  To make matters worse  “Chasing Dreams” ends with the first chapter of Book Three, the youngest sister’s story, masquerading as an epilogue.  Publishers do this to suck you in, and it usually works with me.  Colter wrote a nice story, but wouldn’t go online looking for the final installment of this series.  I would probably check it out of the library – but I have no way of knowing if it’s there. 

December 2010: Ready, set, jet!

So. I did quite a lot of country-hopping in December. KL, Singapore, Penang, KL again, before finally settling in Penang. And then a day trip across the bridge to Kedah. Lol!

Departed from Brunei early morning on December 1st and was bid farewell to by the most cheerful and hilarious leaving committee ever! It was really, really hard to get even the least bit depressed with Jia Yee, Lily, Maria, Shar and my smelly cheebs, Callistus around cracking jokes about every single passing tourist/airport-goer! SHAN YU (Mulan)! ROBERTO CAVALLI! SUPER MARIO GUY (who was on my flight btw, LOL)!!!

Haiz I miss you guys so much. You don't know what it's like to feel completely lost in a roomful of strangers in INTI. Okay maybe the Form 6 people would know.

It was also the day I met Elliz Azhar, my fabulous partner in every 30 Seconds To Mars crime over the past 3 years and good friend, for the very first time. Me, excited, was an understatement! I can now tick "knowing someone for more than 3 years before actually meeting them for the first time" off my life's checklist!

Unfortunately, I was so caught up in the surreality of the moment that the camera in my handbag went forgotten and in the end there is no photographic proof of our modest McDonald's meet-up. *pouts* You'll just have to take my word for it. I can't wait to see her again!

Now airplane photos! I suspect the lady next to me was a smoker cause she brought with her a horrid stench so in return I annoyed her with my constant photo-taking.

Everything in my bag (if you ignore the nasty blue camera case that I've now stuck at the very back of a seldom-opened drawer) is PINK! *proud*

Tried a Krispy Kreme for the first time on my AirAsia flight and I totally get what all the hype is about!! So light, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, jam-packed with flavour, even though mine was just plain glazed! So wish there was a branch in Penang :(

My dirty Echelon wristband. Felt ashamed seeing Elliz's spotless white Seraphim wristband so I scrubbed mine with a wet wipe later and it's uber clean now! Btw this is my Prom Konadicure after half the crystals tragically fell out at Jia Yee's house D: A separate post on that coming soon!

Camwhoring at Burger King @ KL Sentral looking tres naturel. I hate my camera it makes my nose look massive *depressed*

OH YEAH I want a pink suitcase!!!

I'm going to be busy with college and stuff the coming week (I'm so excited to buy college stationery wahahah!) so I'll just be churning out my Singapore and Penang December posts. In other words you'll be reading a lot of outdated stuff. I'll try my best to make it as entertaining as possible though!

Ho ho ho, Christmas nail art!

(Soli soli verrrrry late nail art post!)

I know everybody expects the typical red, green and white nails for Xmas but mine were ROYAL PURPLE on Christmas day!

It was my first time trying sponge nail art, a technique I discovered last year cause it was on pretty much every nail art blog I read. They use what's called the Sponge Nail Art Set by Konad. They're the same company that makes the Stamping Nail Art I adore!

But because I'm oh-so-kiamsiap, instead of forking out money for an actual Konad sponging kit (which I feel is not worth it cause it's... just ordinary sponge what -_-). I went to buy DISHWASHING SPONGES!! LOL a bit fml. So many huge pieces for only a few RM and they work great, un-fml.

Konad sponge. Grey in uniform circles.

MY sponge wahaha! :D Yellow and looks like it's ready to tackle some plates nails.

This is my new dark purple Face Shop Lovely Me:ex nail polish, one of the 5 that Shar and her mama gifted me. Xie xie x1000!

Quite disappointed that Malaysia's Face Shop doesn't sell the Lovely Me:ex polishes, only Singapore where I picked up this baby pink one at Jurong Point which wasn't available in Brunei.

Anyway, the reason I chose purple is to match the purple dress (and silver shoes) I wore to celebrate Christmas at my brother-in-law's family's house! This is my second year with an emotionally exhausting eventful Christmas thanks to my brother-in-law's family.

My inspiration! Love her starry night theme, but I focused more on just snowflakes.

Ok here's my typical red, white and green Christmas nails :D

Oh I wish! That's just one of my inspirations for my nail art. Here's the other one:

And here's the final product!

Rest of the photo quality isn't that great cause I was in a rush and just took them under fluorescent light.

The 5 elements I incorporated were a Christmas tree (left thumb), a Christmas stocking (left ring finger), Christmas lights (right thumb), a snowman (right ring finger) and Christmas-coloured candy canes on the rest of the nails. Sorry about the wiggly stripes, especially on my right hand, Miss Steady Hands I am not :(

Check out the broken thumbnail I've been hanging on to for the past month. Refuse to cut it cause I'll be so simtiah!

Really, REALLY want to buy this book!! I LOVED The Secret Shopper's Revenge! But I've already blown my Christmas money on new "college" clothes from Padini and pink swimming nonsense gear D:

Talking about college, I feel like I am skipping school cause I didn't go "back to school" today. Or having an extended December holiday. I still don't feel like a high school graduate!

Most of my 'A' Level friends in Brunei are starting school tomorrow so I guess I'm considered a "late-starter" in the month of January. My first day of college will be next Monday but Orientation is this Wednesday! Will get to see who all my future coursemates are. *nervous* Um... what shall I wear!! I think casual clothes to school is going to be a headache for me! I imagine myself standing in front of my closet suitcase for half an hour every morning just trying to decide *long face*

Hope all of you had a nice Christmas and New Year's! :)