How did I do...

on the summer to do's?

This weekend is always a relief (three days long!  Whee!) and depressing (goodbye, summer...), so I thought it would be a fitting time to re-cap the Summer To Do List.  You might remember that I came up with these in June:

1. Learn to use my DSLR camera

2. Go to an outdoor summer concert

3. Make homemade ice cream

4. Put together cute theme gift for Bethy

5. Create photo books for all recent vacations

6. Read five new books

7. Cook five new dishes

8. Celebrate anniversary with something new

9. BBQ and baseball game

10. Try something new on Pinterest

11. Beach trip with family

12. Trivia night with friends

13. Visit a farmer's market

Verdict?  I did all but one!  I guess #1) Learn how to use my DSLR camera will have to wait until I'm able to sign up for a class.

I love a lazy to do list, so here are the other ones I actually did do: 

2) Go to an outdoor summer concert: mentioned here, image from here

We saw the Avett Brothers, who are kind of like runaways from a Jack Kerouac novel.  Think scruffy and soulful.  Go listen "I and love and you" if you've never heard it.

3) Make homemade ice cream: mentioned here

Finally!

4) Put together cute theme gift for Bethy: mentioned here

I also put together a theme gift for a pregnant friend that she seemed to like.  Will share soon!

5) Create photo books for all recent vacations: done!

Admittedly, this was a boring "to do" to include on my blog, but it's nice to have it done.  We look through them often since they are on our coffee table.

6) Read five new books: mentioned here

In case you are looking for new titles, here are the other ones I read and an insanely short review of each:

Where We Belong, Emily Giffin- I usually love her books when I'm in the mood for a fluffy read about as substantial as cotton candy (you know... a beach read).  This story about a woman whose daughter she gave up for adoption tracks her down was my least favorite of those Giffen's written. I just didn't connect with the protagonist and felt like it had a sloppy ending.  Her other books are perfect, lazy summer reads, though.

Mockingbird, Kathryn Erkine- I read this for my YA novel class, and I thought it was an interesting look at a shooting tragedy from the point of view of a girl with autism. 

The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern- I was so excited when I began this book!  It was lyrical and beautiful, with a dueling magician story line that reminded me of the movie The Prestige.  About 115 pages in, though, the plot slowed to a halt and I had to trudge through the rest.  I can definitely see why others loved it, though!

Before I Go To Sleep, S.J. Watson- This was told from the point of view of a woman who has amnesia, forgetting everything from her past when she wakes in the morning, including not remembering anything about her husband.  She desperately tries to piece together what happened with her accident through diary entries.  It was like a fast-paced, twisted, soapy version of 50 First Dates. I loved it.

 Miss Perregrine's Home for Peculiar Children-  A teenager visits the childhood group home of his grandfather, which used to host a bunch of freaks.  I loved the actual vintage photographs and the first eight chapters, however this was another book that seemed to slow down in the second half, and I kind of lost interest.  Again, I can see why others enjoy it!

 

7)Cook five new dishes- Post coming this week!

8) Celebrate anniversary with something new: mentioned here

9) BBQ and baseball game: mentioned here

  10. Try something new on Pinterest: mentioned here and here

11) Beach trip with family- fun, as always

Again, why did I feel this was different enough to include this on my blog list? 

12) Trivia night with friends: mentioned here

After the last time I discussed this, Dan kept up with the trivia league and their group placed in the top ten on the FINAL competition with everyone in our city.  They made another fifty bucks.

13) Visit a farmer's market

We found this farmer's market/ food truck court.  The parking lot was filled from everything from vegan cupcakes to brick pizza ovens on wheels.

This was my favorite stop.  I usually hate when businesses purposely spell words wrong to be jaunty and "kool", but this "tako" truck can do whatever the hell it wants!  They are that good.

I ordered one shrimp and grits, one Korean beef, and one Guaillo-pork with cilantro tako.  They were all tasty, but surprisingly the shrimp and grits was the best, very Paula Deen meets Anthony Bourdain. 

Hope you're enjoying the last bit of summer!