A Twilight HIGHLIGHT

Okay, people.

We’re on the downhill slide of this first week of school (!), and I’m not gonna lie: I feel high on life, right about now.

I’ve accomplished more in the last few days than I have in eons (that’s wildly inaccurate, since I busted my hump all Summer, but it is safe to say that I’m experiencing vastly better mental health), I’m thrilled to be in a routine again, and I can appreciate the oncoming Fall for all its positives and negatives.

I’ll share oodles more in the days to come, but for now, lemme just say that I’m in an intense count-your-blessings and recognize-the-highlights frame of mind, and one of the biggest highlights of this week has been  this:

Yup.

I caved and gave Chica Twilight this summer and, now, life will never be the same. 

I might have already shared that she and I read the first chapter out loud together, a few weeks ago, on a particularly rough day. Just as a way to spark some serious JOY.



But Chica was smack dab in the middle of re-reading another beloved series at the time, and she wanted to (re) wrap that one up before she launched this Twilight extravaganza.

But, now, she’s all over it. BIG TIME.







She finished the first book in 2.5 days.

Started on Saturday night, read all through Sunday (even bringing it in car on the way to church, and in the restaurant afterwards, naturally), had to launch her first day of school on Monday (but brought it in her backpack), came home, and finished it that night, tehe.

Then, she immediately began the second book, and is totally in the angst of all it entails (IYKYK). It’s been a riot to watch her rant and get frustrated at alllllll the expected scenes. I. DIE.



It’s been such a joy to experience this series again through her eyes, and it’s sparking some major nostalgia.

I read most of the first book on a flight to London. I was in the middle of a round of production (back in the days when I had a vastly different job/life) and spent far too much time reading any chance I could get, when I wasn’t with my clients. Jet lag, be damned.

I finished the book about two days in to our planned multi-day shoot (around 2 a.m.), then spent a glorious after-hours mission the next day, marching down the street from our hotel, to this adorable little bookstore, where I located the second book. I cherish it, so much, because it’s a British edition that has some fun word differences. :)

Beyond the books, the movies were obviously a whole THING back in the day, as well.

Myself and a slew of other colleagues made a whole event of it, each time one of the movies was released. We deemed it a “team building exercise” and popped nearby to the theater at Northpark, sitting a dozen ladies deep, grown-arse women absolutely gleeful to inhale these admittedly campy movies on the big screen.

I even have a precious hand-drawn portrait to commemorate one such evening. 

After the movie, my girlfriends and I enjoyed some raucous review-and-downloading time at a restaurant just below the theater, during which, a fellow patron enjoyed our laughter so much that he drew a sketch of all of us and left it as a gift. 

Reading is SO connective.

It sparks joy and bridges generations and gives people something to cheer and mourn and debate. It’s absolutely the inanimate love of my life.

And on that note…if you haven’t seen the movie adaptation of It Ends With Us, yet, DO IT.

Colleen Hoover has been one of my tippy-top favorites for more than a decade and I’m thrilled to have one of her most excellent books see such stellar box office results.

Keep ‘em coming!

Off to read. :)

More mañana, peeps!

Over and not.