The Reading Room

Three words: The Hunger Games. Wow! I don't think I've been this obsessed with a series of books since Harry Potter. This trilogy has action, sci-fi, romance... you name it, it's in there! I normally don't like books of this nature (think post-apocalyptic world), but when my husband read them and recommended I read them right away, I knew I had to jump in. Here are some words of advice: If you read any three books in 2012, make it these three!

The Hunger Games trilogy, written by Suzanne Collins, focuses on Katniss Everdeen and the whirlwind events that occur once she volunteers to enter The Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Prim. Also representing her District in The Hunger Games is Peeta Mellark, the boy that helped save her family from starvation many years prior. Coached by their District's only Hunger Games victor, Haymitch Abernathy, the two set out for the Capitol, in hopes of being the sole victor (survivor) of the Games. 

What happens from there is pure literary genius as Collins takes the reader through a maze of unexpected twists and turns. Every word in these books will leave you wanting more. Written for younger readers, these books are easy to follow and quick to read. If you love a good book, I guarantee you'll add these to your favorites!

Also, to get you excited about reading the books, check out the trailer for The Hunger Games movie, opening March 23!

Warning: Amateurs at Work!

I definitely do not claim to be a photographer in any way, shape or form. I know that there are serious photographers out there who have studied long and hard to perfect their craft, and it's the amateurs like me, with a nice camera, who make these real photographers seriously angry. So, full disclosure from the beginning: not a photographer!

My husband and I did get a really nice camera for Christmas though, and we have been so excited to get out and play with it. So, what better way to play around with the camera than to take some shots of our friends who are expecting their first baby next month! (Again, we're amateurs.)

It's easy to take pretty pictures when you have great subjects, a nice camera and a MacBook Pro for editing... but, I'm really excited with how their pictures turned out! Below are a couple of the shots we took:

 I love this picture of them in the meadow! I used my limited editing skills to soften the light... I think they look so sweet!

We played around a lot with the filters on the camera. This one has no editing. I think it looks like she's glowing!

Tone Up in 2012

It's official all over again! Exactly a year ago this month, I became licensed to teach Zumba Fitness. This past Saturday, I completed a training course to begin teaching Zumba Toning! I'm so excited to bring a new flair and fitness level to my Zumba Fitness classes. If you're interested in learning more about my classes, check out my Zumba homepage.

Z love!