A little bit of housekeeping, and an announcement!

Now I don't make these posts very often, but just wanted to take a second and let you guys know a few things!

First of all, thank you for reading. I know that as something gets familiar, it gets boring, so I have been working for the past couple of days on the first step of my revamp of An Epic Liz for the new year, that being my About page, which you can see here! I have been working on this blog for over a year now, and have come to realize something: I am not really all that personal in my writing, and I intend to change that. How can I expect readers to want to get to know me if I don't let anybody know who I am, how I feel, and how I spend my life? So, first, there's that.

Have you found An Epic Liz on Facebook and Twitter yet? Just in case you haven't, check out those links!

I know you were reading holding your breath waiting for my announcement, and here it is: I have decided to write my first e-book! A couple of weeks ago, I was planning to do a How To Tuesday on starting a handmade business to do craft shows, but it quickly overtook my comfort level for length on a blog post, and definitely wandered into e-book territory. I am shooting to release it at the beginning of March, so keep your eyes peeled!

Back to your regularly scheduled blogging!

Book Club Monday #17: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

After reading Gone Girl, I knew I had to check out the rest of Gillian Flynn's novels. Luckily, I got both Sharp Objects and Dark Places for Christmas from my sister! I opted to take the plunge and go for the longer one first, that being Dark Places. 

The book had the same familiar, haunting tone that Gone Girl did, and the same intriguing voice. One voice being that of Libby Day in the present, and the other being of Ben Day, her brother, and her mother, Patty Day. They switched off, very similar to the way Gone Girl was written.

Libby Day is the only survivor of a massacre in her family's home when she was a child, which took the lives of her mother and two sisters. As an adult, she lives a troubled, sheltered life mostly by herself.  Her brother, Ben, who was fifteen at the time, was sent to prison on Libby's own testimony of his guilt. The murders were called "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas" by the media, as two members of the family had been killed via axe, and one had been strangled. Libby had been living alone for many years, on a fund created by a book she wrote as a child. A group called the Kill Club found her twenty-five years later. The Kill Club is a true crime enthusiasts' group, who finds Libby and who, after meeting her and purchasing both memorabilia and time from her, start to convince her to follow the truth behind that night - the night she referred to as 'darkplace'.

This being the second book I've read by Gillian Flynn, I can say that I really and truly enjoy her writing style. I enjoy the varying viewpoints, with the story coming from two different angles and continuing to move and build up. Dark Places and Gone Girl both used the same writing style, but both told completely different stories. As the end of the story grew closer and closer, it was easier to see what the truth behind the murders was, but it was not one hundred percent obvious until the last hundred pages of the book, at least. One thing I absolutely love about Flynn's style is her way to maintain interest and not let a story get drab or old. Her writing style haunts, much like her stories, and it's a rare quality to find in a lot of authors - a quality I admire about her books most of all.

Sunday Social: Week 34

It's been a long weekend, but not long enough to forget the Sunday Social. Here are this week's questions!
What is your ideal way to relax? Reading a book or sitting in a bath for as long as I feel like. Best ways for me to decompress.
Where is your favorite place to be? My apartment with my cat kids. Sometimes on a ride in the car - depends on the day!
Who do you consider your biggest role model? My parents. They did the best they could to reach and raise me the best they could (even though I was a bit of a jerk growing up), and they did it the right way. I feel very lucky.
What does your life look like in 3 years? Great! I'm hoping to stay in my current job, which I love, and have a more successful business!
If you could go back and change one decision, what would it be? Not be a financial moron between the ages of 18 and 21.
What is your biggest accomplishment in life so far? Never giving up.
More questions next week!

Book Club Monday #16: Columbine by Dave Cullen

Have you ever read a book and not really known why you wanted to? That is how I feel about Dave Cullen's book Columbine. The April 20, 1999 shooting at Columbine High School was just one national tragedy I've lived through via the media. It was something that made me rethink going into high school, seeing as I started high school in the year 2000. Even then, I didn't know why anyone would shoot up their school. And really, there is no way to figure out why these people do what they do, but with all of the recent shootings, it made me remember what went on on that particular day, and, being one of those people that's into true crime, I remembered seeing this book and decided to pick it up. 

Now I, like a lot of other people, had a view of Columbine that varied exponentially from what actually happened. I thought it was two kids who were picked on and treated badly who snapped, basically. What Columbine did for me was throw it out the window. Dave Cullen is a journalist, and one who followed the massacre from day one on. What Cullen did with this book was simple: debunked the media representation with the facts of the matter. 

It did what you'd think it would - outlined the day's events, 

and what led up to the massacre itself. Columbine went into the minds of both Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - exposing Harris as a psychopath who no amount of drugs could help, and Klebold as a suicidal hanger-on, desperate for love and affection from one of many girls who barely knew he existed. 

Columbine explained, in detail, profiles of both the killers and some of the more talked-about victims, from Cassie Bernall, the girl the media said 'said yes' when Harris asked if she believed in God, and the 'boy in the library window', Patrick Ireland. Bernall's story was found to be untrue, but still a message of hope and martyrdom carried out through a book written by her mother, called She Said Yes. Ireland suffered for three hours with two shots to his head and one to his foot, his body going half numb before throwing himself out of the library window without realizing that first responders were scrambling to catch him at the ground. It is people like this that made Columbine such a great story, whether or not those stories were true. 

Reading the book made me uncomfortable at times, and made me angry in others. So often, something awful like this tragedy happens and we just want to sweep it under the rug and forget about it. Truth be told, I had basically forgotten about all of the newscasts and the media blitz surrounding the case. This book was, as weird as this sounds, the perfect thing to make me feel the exact same way I did on that day. It separated the truth from the lies and brought it to the forefront. Separated into five sections, Columbine dissected the events leading up to the shooting from both the viewpoint of the shooters and their story, and the other main characters (such as Frank DeAngelis, or "Mr. D" the school's principal). It took a quiet, Christian setting, and went painstakingly into the who's and the what's and the why's of one of the nation's first school massacres. 

Did I enjoy reading the book based on the subject matter alone? Not really, but of course, I didn't expect to. Did I enjoy it based on how much I learned? Overwhelmingly yes. Is it the only information out there on the case? Of course not. And, really, this is just one journalist's view of the case, albeit a well-researched, well-written view. In closing, I would say that if you have an inkling of interest, like I did, this book is worth your time. 

Sunday Social: Threes!

This is Week 33 of the Sunday Social blog hop, but I recently found out about it and always meant to do it - and sure it's a little bit late on a Sunday for a post, but I wanted to do it and not just think about it! I'm also doing next week's right away, so I won't have to worry about forgetting next week!

The Sunday Social is hosted by Ashley Lately and A Complete Waste of Makeup, and as I said, I'll do my best to participate every week going forward! This week's questions were all related to threes, so here goes!

1. Top 3 favorite kinds of food?

For me, I always go for a pasta or Italian dish, followed by soup and/or grilled chicken. Those are my absolute, go-to favorites. 

2. First 3 things you do in the morning?

Hit snooze about 4 times, brush my teeth/wash my face, and throw my hair up in the best five second ponytail possible.

3. Last 3 things you do at night?

Wash my face/brush my teeth, read a few chapters of whatever book I'm on, and usually fall asleep watching a true crime show or episode of Ghost Adventures. 

4. TV shows you never miss?

I may not catch them right when they're on, but Justified, Sons of Anarchy, and Gator Boys (most recently) are usually waiting for me on my DVR. I have several guilty pleasures as far as TV shows go, but I'll wait for a different post for those! :)

5. 3 places you want to visit?

Australia is a place I have always wanted to go to, as well as California and another trip to Las Vegas. 

6. 3 people you can always count on?

My dad, and my two best friends Tiffany and Laura. 

My dad and I riding on a race car at a Christmas in July event in 2012.

Tiff and I on Milwaukee's lakefront!

Laura and I at my birthday party a couple of years ago. I had a couple.

Thanks for checking out my first Sunday Social post! Come back next week for more!

Friday Favorites: Comet Vomit Nail Polish

I am not typically one to do 'Friday Favorites'. I have always done product reviews randomly, under the title of 'Get Pretty Reviews', or, for non-beauty related products, 'Stuff I Love Saturdays'. I figured I would try something different out, and maybe find at least one thing a week I want to talk about!

One of my best friends in this whole world, Tiffany, is a lot of things. A few years ago, she decided she wanted to learn to bake cakes, like Ace of Cakes. She did it. She started cycling seriously because she wanted to - she inspires me to go after everything I want. Earlier this year, she became interested in nail art, and in that different nail polishes. As her collection grew, she learned about how nail polish was made up. Just like with cakes, she very recently taught herself how to make her own! She chose the name Comet Vomit, and you can find the beginning of her line on Etsy here. She opened the shop just a couple of weeks ago, and had a lot of support from the Reddit community starting out.

Imagine my surprise when she texted me to tell me that she was making me my very own blend of her new polish! All of it has great space-y names, like "Protect Ya Holodeck" and "Hubble Bubble", just to name a couple. My blend is called "Planet Packer", after my favorite football team and the beloved team of my hometown, the Green Bay Packers. It was a bit more awesome before they got creamed this past weekend, but let's not talk about that.

With a light green sparkly base, there were a couple of different colors of green chunky glitter, and it went on easily and was easy to layer. She told me I could put it over something else, and I decided not to. I just layered it a couple of times, and came out with a great result. I topped it with an OPI fast-dry top coat, and to be honest, it didn't even chip or crack for over a week! I was mad about the game and wanted to take it off, to be honest!

All that being said, if you are looking for a new, different polish, try these! I promise, you will not be disappointed.

How To Tuesday: Favorite DIYs of 2012!

2012 was a great year for crafting in my world. I started a weekly blog post called How To Tuesday, and drove myself to figure out a new craft for each and every week! While it was daunting at first, it got easier. Of course now, I'm daunted again, but am recounting my top three favorite DIYs of 2012 to drum up some inspiration for 2013!

Furniture Decoupage

Done a couple of years ago, I still get great compliments on this table in my living room! Even if you don't decoupage with comics, you can use newsprint or old books for a different effect.

Keurig K-Cup Storage

This was one of my favorite DIYs of the year. Not only was it popular, but it's a cheap, fun, easy way to store K-Cups without having to pay upwards of $20-40 for a rack! It may not be the most stylish thing, but it does its' job and that's what is most important.

Fabric Canvas Wall Art

Just a quick, fun project to brighten up a room. I may already be thinking of ways to update and change up the bedroom, but this made a great project!

I am hoping for some great new inspiration and projects in 2013, and I have a few things up my sleeve to accomplish just that. Stop back next Tuesday for my surprise first How To Tuesday of 2013!

One of my favorite things of 2012.

In early November, I got the opportunity to do something I never thought I would get to. I made the trek to Chicago's Logan Square Auditorium and met Damien Echols.

Now you may or may not know who Damien Echols is. If you're interested in finding out more, see a couple of my previous posts on the West Memphis Three. These days, I consider Damien an author and an activist. Damien himself has said, in his book Life After Death which I reviewed here, "I'm often plagued by thoughts that people will think of me only as either someone on Death Row or someone who used to be on Death Row." Every day puts him farther and farther away from being that person, and that makes me happier than I could explain.

The event was put together by a new book shop in Chicago, City Lit Books. It was a question and answer session with Damien first, with a book signing and meeting opportunity afterward. Since it's been so many months, I don't remember most of the poignant comments made throughout the interview portion, but one quote stuck out so much I Instagrammed it. "If you don't have the things you love in your life, its not worth living."

One of my personal favorite parts about the interview was just hearing Damien talk about his life post Death Row. How he and his wife, Lorri, decided to live in Salem, Massachusetts. The things he likes to do. Things he has experienced in just over a year out of prison. Tattooing X's on people in a shop in New York. Little things we would all take for granted, like how to use an iPhone. All things that go back to that quote and how he is living it to the fullest every single day.

It was a great adventure, and something I needed to do in order to break up my day to day. Above all, though, I finally got to meet someone I never thought I would get the opportunity to. When I finally got up to the table, I could not think of a single thing to say. I had two books, both Almost Home, which has been out of print for a long time and was written while Damien was on Death Row, and Life After Death, his newest. He was happy to sign both, and I was glad to have the opportunity. What did I say to him? Nothing but "thank you".

When I think about it, I'm not exactly sure why I was thanking him. Of course, for the signatures, but also for not giving up on himself. Not giving up on the truth - and though he, Jason, and Jessie have not been exonerated for the crime, they are still trying.

If anything inspires me about the West Memphis Three, it is their inability to give up on the truth, and that is a big reason why I stayed with the case. They inspired me to stand for something beyond myself, and we all need something to believe in.