I took a drive before sunset this week. I just needed to get away from everything.

I cried when it started getting light out because it signaled one more day where things might not work out.

But the sunrise was full of fire and hope.

It was beautiful.

How can I dread something so gorgeous?

I'm terrified. But the days are going to keep passing by whether I want them to or not.

And I might as well try to enjoy each day as it comes. It does me no good to dread it.

What happens happens. 

Maybe the result will be beautiful.

I can't tell in the darkness. I need to wait for sunrise.

I've been reading a lot lately.

As you may have noticed.

And with every new story, chapter and word, I am more and more impressed with these authors who are able to create such articulate and captivating stories.

The people who sat at their computers, typewriters or notebooks through countless rewrites and edits.

These writers who persevered as they got rejected by publisher after publisher until they finally got their book in print.

And every time I think of their achievements, I look over to the manuscript that is sitting on my bedside table.

It has been almost a year and a half since I last touched it.

This work of fiction that I was so proud of, so dedicated to, just faded out of my life.

Today I picked it up and read the first chapter.

I had a pen in hand and slashed it to shreds.

I made notes in the margins.

I corrected grammar and punctuation.

I scribbled on the pages until they were full.

And I'm not stopping now.

I'm determined to see my novel on shelves someday.

I'm going to be an author.

Just you wait!

I'm reading a really fun book right now. Entwined by Heather Dixon.

It's based on the fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses by the Brothers Grimm.

When I realized this, I instantly wanted to read it.

Why do I have such a fascination with this tale, you ask?

When I was sixteen, I was in a musical production of the story.

It was a hilarious retelling of the story featuring a whole mess of goofy characters, dialogue and songs.

The princesses names for example:

January. The eldest. With a heart as cold as ice.

February. Who was dangerously in love with herself.

March. Mild one moment and raging the next.

April. She cried. A lot.

May. Innocent and ridiculously happy.

June. Always the bride.

July. Hot. Smokin' hot.

August. Or, Gus. Training for the Olympics.

September. Very studious. A total bookworm.

October. A jokester. She put the trick in trick-or-treat.

November. Had an insatiable appetite.

December. The youngest and sweetest.

I played October. Cause I'm that awesome.

The princesses go through a secret passage in their bedroom every night; through forests of silver, gold and jewels to a magical ballroom where they dance the night away. 

Leaving their shoes in tatters each morning.

The King sends out a proclamation to all eligible men. If they can solve the mystery of where the princesses go every night, he can marry the princess of his choice.

Ooh look. Earl Robin of Williams is so funny and good looking!

It's love at first laugh!

Unfortunately, none of the princes are able to solve the mystery. The girls drug them. For every princess needs a mystery.

Good night sweet prince, and pleasant dreams to you.

...and throws the princes in jail! Sad day!

But one handsome guy in an invisibility cloak does manage to figure out the secret. 

Unfortunately, the evil shoemaker overhears the revealed secret and tells the king before Hugh McManly has a chance. That scoundrel!

He then uses this advantage to pick one of the princesses as his bride.

But he is foiled! Huzzah!

And the princesses give puppy dog eyes to the king.

King Gullible is an old softy and releases the prisoners!

Princesses:

"For by dancing our sleep we would lose,

All we need now's a bit of a snooze --"

Princes:

"Now let's set things straight.

You'll be staying up late.

And believe me, you won't need your shoes!"

And they all lived happily ever after! 

This was probably the best show I've ever been a part of. Oh all the memories.
(Except maybe the one where I played an old lady. But that's a a story for a different day.)

What are some of your favorite memories from high school? 

Do you have a favorite Brothers' Grimm fairy tale?

And be sure to check out Entwined by Heather Dixon! It's really awesome! The review will be up in a few weeks!

Aren't flowers simply gorgeous? I think they might be my favorite subjects.

What is your favorite thing to photograph?

This is my entry for FTLOB's Picture Perfect Challenge! If you like this photo, I'd love it if you voted for me!

Dear book lovers,

For all of you wondering if I gave up on filming book reviews, I want to let you know that I haven't. With travel and visitors and losing my voice, it's just taking me a while to get it done. I like making book reviews! I just want them to be good. And distractions and raspy voices don't help. I have FIVE books I'm going to review at this point. But it might be more while I wait for my voice to return. Thank you for being patient!

Kate

P.S. I've started thinking about which books I want to read this fall. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Raising Cane's,

Holy cow your lemonade is good! Just thought you ought to know how utterly refreshing it is in this Vegas heat. Thanks for hydrating me!

Slurp,

A fan

Hey Cold!

Where did you come from? I was perfectly healthy last night. I woke up this morning with no voice and a throat so raw, you'd think I'd gargled with saltwater and razor blades. Go away! Don't make me sick my antibodies on you!

Fed up,

The girl whose body you've captured.

Lovely authors and publishers,

Please, please, please consider sending me Advanced Reader Copies of your books. It would make my day.You're all wonderful.

Anxiously awaiting every word!

Katie Weber

My wonderful boyfriend was here for an entire eight days.

This was the longest I've ever been able to spend with him, and it was completely wonderful.

And if it's possible, it broke my heart even more when he got in his car and drove away back to California.

I'm doing my very best not to be a complete emotional wreck right now. And I've found that if I focus on the amazing things that we did this week, the things that I loved; it makes it so much more bearable to know he isn't here anymore.

- The first kiss when I opened the front door -

- Watching one Harry Potter movie a night in anticipation of Deathly Hallows - Part Two -

- Reading all of the Hunger Games together. We read it out loud to each other -

- Going swimming in a fancy hotel pool -

- Walking the strip and exploring hotels we'd never seen -

- Tickle wars -

- Teaching each other card games that we love -

- Watching Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, a movie we both loved when we were little -

- Playing board games late into the night and laughing so hard at the silly things we said -

- Lots of kissing and cuddling -

- Cooking various food dishes: Breakfast sandwiches, lemon pepper chicken, taco soup and much more -

- Eating out at wonderful restaurants, and sitting so close together -

- Letting him give me my first hickey (he gave me two, the little punk) -

- Getting a hug when I was disappointed about the job interview I had -

- Playing through all of Yoshi's Island on SNES together -

- Watching Brian Regan comedy shows on Netflix -

- Listening to Disney music any time we drove the car, and singing along -

- Picking up job applications. Even though it was tedious, it was made fun because he was there -

- Reading most of Catching Fire before he left -

- Waking up to find that Kevin made me puff oven pancakes for breakfast - 

- Taking a few pictures in the same place we took our first pictures together, in a graffiti covered underpass -

 - The smell of Kevin. It's wonderful. (He sprayed cologne on my pillows before he left) -

- How sweet it was that he filled my car up with gas -

- Seeing Deathly Hallows with Kevin at the end of the week. It was an amazing movie, and seeing it with my Potter-fan boyfriend was wonderful! -

- The hesitation when it came time to say goodbye -

- And most of all, the multiple times when he told me how much he loves me -

It was an amazing week. And it was definitely over too soon.

I love you Kevin! Thank you!

I wrote a letter a few months back to my seventeen year old self. 

It was written as a guest post for another wonderful blog, but it turned out to give some incredible insight into my past.

I know my younger self will never read that letter, but my twenty-two year old self learned a lot just by writing it. I found that I am stronger than I think. That I've grown so much. That I am a wonderful person.

What would YOU say if you could write a letter to yourself? 

I encourage you to try it!

And I would also love it if you checked out my guest post on the Hindsight Letters! 

My man is going to be here in an hour.

For those of you who are new to Simply Kate, I suppose I should fill you in.

I'm in a long distance relationship.

I met Kevin online back in August. By October I knew that I loved him. 

And that thought was strange to me. I felt silly that I was so sure I loved someone that I'd never met.

We didn't officially meet until April.

This will be the third time that I get to see him. And for the first time, I get to have him all to myself for a whole week! 

The first time, his parents came with him. (I think they were scared I was one of those scary internet killers.)

The second time, his friends brought him.

This time he's coming by himself. And I don't have to share him at all.

I am only a little selfish.

Long distance relationships are so hard most of the time. But the anticipation of seeing someone that you love so much after a month apart is such a wonderful feeling.

And that first kiss isn't so awful either. In fact, it's downright amazing!

Throwing open the front door and instantly feel his arms around me. Best feeling ever.

And in an hour, I get to have that moment. 

I'm all giddy.

*Sigh*

The Fourth of July always starts with getting up a little too early and heading over to main street to stand in massive crowds in the uncomfortable heat.

It's one of my favorite things about the day.

Goofy little floats made by various groups lazily stroll through the middle of town while people watch and smile. People sell everything from soda to pets to the spectators on the sidewalks. And four jets fly over main street, making the ground rumble as they pass. 

It's one of the best things about my favorite holiday!

What did you do to celebrate the Fourth of July?