monkeycstars

monkeycstars

Monday, August 8, 2016

i heart KiCKBOXiNG 'n Healthier 2016


We tried kickboxing this summer!!!

I always wanted to try it and the opportunity popped up on facebook. I saw an advertisement for 3 classes for $9.99 and free gloves, grabbed my girls and jumped on it. I was a little nervous, but excited at the same time.

The first class was rough and i thought i might throw up, but i held it in. The next two classes were better but still very intense. Each class starts off with running, high knees and "butt kicks"...it's really hard to kick your own butt while running.

Then, we do some crazy ish... (can't recall all the proper names for these moves)
-hollow holds
-planks
-shoulders off ground, keeping legs 6 inches off ground and HOLDING IT
-sit ups, push ups, squats, squat holds, burpees, and lots of exercises working your core.

You will sweat!
You will try to cheat!



THEN, it's bag time...punch it, kick it!
The instructors model the set of moves and then you do them. 
After each class, we take group photos.







             We had fun! 

It sounds impressive to say "I tried kickboxing."






Overall, it's an awesome workout and you'll be sore. 










Me and my little crew only did the trial membership and bounced after that because the VIP membership was close to $149 or $179 a month (big numbers blend together) and I NO CAN DO THAT!




Since February 2016 - I have a gym membership---taking zumba and bodyjam. I used to get violently sick after zumba, but I think my body has adapted. I don't wheeze anymore +. Doc says the labs look better +. Maybe i'll shed a few pounds +.

I'm also making fruit and veggie smoothies with my "Black Friday" Ninja blender buy. I gotta cut the coke and drink more of these smoothies. Hopefully my health will continue to improve.




Thursday, February 18, 2016

Paint Night - Here's The Latest!

I'm calling this painting "Lovebirds".


My buds didn't look so great, so I just turned them into tiny hearts. I think it looks pretty cute. This Paint Night was done at work, with the co-workers.
 
 
 
 

Saturday, December 12, 2015

THE VAMPIRE, THE HUNTER, AND FRANK

2015 has been such an exhausting year...


I finally got to finish reading THE VAMPIRE, THE HUNTER, AND FRANK
The Vampire and The Hunter Trilogy: Book 3 
and I feel better now 




My review: That was an awesome read with an unpredictable, gratifying ending! I didn't know how this story would end and it had my exhausted brain feeling energized and excited to flip the pages to find out. I did get several urges to re-watch old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I would very much like to vacation with Dracula, that would be a dream. Can't wait til the next Martin Lastrapes novel, that I know is coming!











Martin Lastrapes is working another novel! I know this, because it says so at the end of the book and because I have stalker like tendencies at times and I peeped it on his FB page, in one of the comments/replies...

Stalk Martin Lastrapes
if you're into that...
Facebook
Tumblr
Goodreads
Twitter
Instagram

Thursday, October 1, 2015

PRE-ORDER The Vampire, the Hunter, and Frank

Pre-order available NOW on your Kindle
for the final installment of The Vampire and the Hunter Trilogy
 
http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Hunter-Frank-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B0160WJTEO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443717258&sr=1-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=themarlasshop-20&linkId=7bbb0f4f9cfd3e166a10869701baff73
 

The official publish date is on October 31st
...Halloween!
 
Click the pictures to buy now!

Book 1
http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Hunter-Girl-Trilogy-Book/dp/0985704322/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8


Book 2
http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Hunter-Witch-Trilogy-Book/dp/0985704349/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
 
 
Book 3
http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Hunter-Frank-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B0160WJTEO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443717258&sr=1-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=themarlasshop-20&linkId=7bbb0f4f9cfd3e166a10869701baff73
 

Friday, March 20, 2015

The Vampire, the Hunter, and the Girl - NEW BOOK by Martin Lastrapes

Long awaited...
 
Finally here!!!

Martin Lastrapes has a NEW book out!
 
 The Vampire, the Hunter, and the Girl
(The Vampire and the Hunter Trilogy: Book One)
 

Check out these teasers from the book
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
If you want to check out another novel by Martin Lastrapes, Buy Inside the Outside


Saturday, December 6, 2014

New Book from Bella Street: Mid-Century Mayhem (Book One, Time Travel By Designs)

Bella Street has a NEW book!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Mid-Century-Mayhem-Time-Travel-Romance-Presents-ebook/dp/B00QNCBPOY/ref=asap_B004XJ6S2I_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417903262&sr=1-13
 
 
Book One in the
Time-Travel By Design Series
 
Amazon blurb:
Modern day Nashville and 1950s Detroit clash worse than an IKEA futon and a plaid Barcalounger when a free-spirited interior designer and a strait-laced automotive engineer find themselves in another time. TOMS-wearing Olivia Haugen and Madras-shirted Kyle Daniels have no idea why they've ended up in 1954 Michigan, but it's probably not because of all the swank mid-century furnishings. Discovering the reason might have something to do with a wily salvage warehouse owner and her not-so-little shop of secrets.
 
 
 
One thing about all of Bella Street's books so far...
 
Time-Travel + Romance
 
 
More books from Bella Street:
http://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Babes-Complete-Bella-Street-ebook/dp/B006OFBP5E/ref=asap_B004XJ6S2I_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417902317&sr=1-6
Click on pictures to go to Amazon page
http://www.amazon.com/Tennessee-Waltz-Bella-Street-ebook/dp/B00JOPDLSK/ref=asap_B004XJ6S2I_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417902317&sr=1-5
 


Friday, July 18, 2014

Painting and Drinking!!!

Every now and then, my friends and I like to do something fun.
We saw these deals repeatedly popping up on Living Social and Groupon for Painting and Drinking.

We went back and forth for months trying to find a painting that we could all agree looked good. Every one of us had a different opinion about what actually looked good. So it went on for months. Finally, we just decided to pick one and just do it. The first place we went to was Wine and Design Williamsburg in JUNE.  It was everyone's first time EVER painting. Here are the results...

                                  
 
 
Beach Sunrise
 
My one cloud looks a little slanted, but overall it looks pretty good for a first time painting.
 
At Wine and Dine Williamsburg, it was BYOB, so I brought 3 bottles of wine and my friends brought the food (chicken fingers and strawberry parfaits).
 
 
 
We enjoyed it so much that we decided we would do it again. So, the second place we tried was tonight at Paint Nite Virginia Beach. It was at PBR, so we ordered drinks and food at the bar.
 
We were painting Baby Big Eyes. Here are the results...
 
 
 
Baby Big Eyes
 

 








 Pictures of the paintings from me and my friends
 Everyone's painting looks similar but each one has its own personality.
You could choose to do your own thing and change anything at any time.
So, no painting looked exactly the same :)
 The top left is my painting in both pictures.
 
 

Monday, March 24, 2014

Kiss Me, I'm Home by Bella Street is Finally HERE!!!


Kiss Me, I'm Home, Book 3 in the Tennessee Waltz series by Bella Street is finally here and available to download to your kindle or free kindle reading app. I am reading it right now!!!
 
Here is the blurb from Amazon: The prickly Morgan Lee Faye has a penchant for family TV shows and a dislike for the people around her, but she's the best travel agent in Tennessee. So good that she catches the eye of the mysterious proprietor of Avalon Travel, Mr. Kane.

If Morgan accepts the job, she's promised adventure around the globe and gold for her pocket, but she worries the offer is too good to be true. It is. And Kane isn't the only one with a creepy agenda. Her co-workers all seem to want a piece of Morgan's secret—even the two office hotties.

Honestly, she just wishes they'd all go away so she can watch Little House On The Prairie. But that's not going to happen because from Nashville to Avalon, faerie mischief is back!

Book One: Kiss Me, I'm Irish
  Book Two: Kiss Me, I'm Yours
    Book Three: Kiss Me, I'm Home

Monday, January 6, 2014

Haters, Stop Hatin' on Vampire Academy Movie!

All READERS and FANS of the books need to support the movie!
 
Vampire Academy is one of my FAVORITE YA paranormal romance series!
 

Some of the comments "fans" have are truly hateful and damaging to those involved in making the movie. The producers, writers, directors...they are all trying their best to bring the movie to life and keep it as close to the book as possible. Try to remember reading the books--there were very dark and serious moments, but the thing we all love about Rose is that she if FUNNY!!! She makes jokes all the time! That was what we saw in the clip and what we will surely see throughout the movie, but it does not represent the whole. Every negative comment gets seen and taken into consideration when choosing whether or not to see the movie. If this movie makes no money, and keeps getting all this hate from fans, we most likely will not get any more movies. So, take a step back and really think about it.


Every person imagines it different in their head, not everyone is going to be satisfied with everything. Keep an open mind and go watch it for yourself. I can't wait to see the movies.

And remember, the actors, Richelle Mead and all the people who worked so hard on the movie have FEELINGS and they read/hear about what you write.

ShadowKissed.net had an awesome blog post titled Honesty Hour:Vampire Academy Movie and they were pleading with fans to please stop with the RUDE comments. Have an opinion, but keep it respectful and don't hurt the movie and the people that are trying to give us an amazing experience in the theaters.
If you loved the series and want more, there is a spin-off series, Bloodlines, which follows right after Last Sacrifice left off.  Sydney, the Alchemist is the narrator!
 
Have fun reading and show your support,
WATCH THE MOVIE!