Author: aprilmbarkley

Poignant and charming. Yet straight up hilarious and absolutely wild as hell. A taboo subject written with grace and compassion and a deeper message that just tugs hard at your heartstrings and doesn’t let go. I want to read this book again and again.

Best book I’ve read in 2019!

‘Unpregnant’ was just released in 2019, and is soon to be a movie. I had never heard of it-I saw it while exploring the new releases on the Young Adult shelf at my library. The bright pink cover artwork and intriguing title made me snatch it up. And once I read the synopsis, I knew I had to check it out.

This book absolutely broke me but I loved it. It had me laughing through my tears. I read it in just two days, I couldn’t put it down. The moment I did, my mind was just craving to dive back in.

High academic achiever Veronica gets pregnant and when she sees those two pink lines on the pregnancy test, her dreams of being the school’s valedictorian and attending college are fading fast. She soon learns her crazed soon-to-be ex boyfriend poked holes in the condom in hopes of keeping her from going to college and leaving him behind. She’s about to make the hardest decision yet best decision for her-to have an abortion.

The only problem: the closest clinic is in a different state, 900+ miles away. Oh and there’s more problems. She has no car, conservative parents, a crazy boyfriend and friends that see Veronica as the perfect teenage girl destined for greatness, never makes mistakes, has the hottest guy in school as her boyfriend and excels at anything and everything. She’d rather lie and keep this secret than break her image.

Her only option, and the only person who knows of her secret (by accident) is Bailey, the school’s misfit and Veronica’s ex-best friend from before her Queen Bee days. So Veronica bribes Bailey to take her to the clinic but what could go wrong? Besides stolen cars, crazy boyfriends, intense weather, wild times at a strip club, and pro-life townspeople.

This coming of age tale takes you on a journey- a wild one. A friendship lost but found again. Finding out what you thought was most important in life, really isn’t. It reminded me of the movie ‘Superbad’ but with female characters and abortions. But don’t get hung up on the abortion aspect of the story. It’s not a political or social issues story. It’s not about abortions, that’s just part of the journey. The story goes deeper than that. It’s about finding yourself in a challenging episode of life. It’s about the unexpected relationships and friendships you make during the most difficult part of your life. Who’s REALLY there for you? What does it mean to be a friend?

Every women and teen should read this book, and it wouldn’t hurt to have some men read it too. A taboo subject written with grace and compassion and a deeper message that just tugs hard at your heartstrings and doesn’t let go.

Poignant and charming. Yet straight up hilarious and absolutely wild as hell. I want to read this book again and again.

Happy Tuesday, friends! I’ve started some Christmas projects! I thought it might be too soon to start Christmas crafting or decorating but I figured, deck the dang halls and never look back. The Christmas season is just too potent to stay away, so I won’t.

Supplies

• Plastic snow globes or glass Mason jars (both found in local craft stores).
• Fake loose snow, foam balls, glitter, snowflake confetti or anything else you want to use for shaking.
• Small trinkets/figurines for the inside, usually 1:12 scale. These can found at a dollar store or your local craft store. Some ideas are: Trees, reindeer, Santas, animals, elves, etc.
• Industrial strength glue or glue gun.
• Optional: To make yours with water, use distilled water and glycerin.

Directions

1. Start by planning out your globe before you actually glue anything down. Remove the lid from your globe or Mason jar and plan out the design. You’ll be gluing the items to the seal-the interior seal for the globe or the seal for the Mason jar. So be sure to leave room around the edges so you can easily close it when done.
2. Once you’re happy with your design, it’s time to glue the pieces down. Simply add glue to the bottom of the figurines or decorations and let sit to dry completely before the next step. This can take several hours. You can touch the pieces to check if they’re dried or not.

3. Once the items are glued and secure, it’s time to fill the globe. Pour in the loose fake snow, foam balls, glitter and confetti, or whatever you plan to add, into the ball or the Mason jar.

4. Take the seal, with the glued items, and insert upside down, carefully into the globe or Mason jar. Twist tightly and turn right side up. Give it a shake and see if you need to add more snow or confetti, or remove any, since you don’t want to cover the figurines too much.
5. If adding water, just pour water and add a few drops of glycerin. Stir it around using a spoon or stick to see how the snow and glitter falls to determine if you need more glycerin before sealing. If using the water method, once sealed, add some glue around the seal to prevent leaking.

If you’re like me, modern or vintage with a touch of pink is my Christmas jam. So below are some sweet options that will go great in any style decor!

This craft is truly magical and addicting. It’s so fun for the entire family so I hope you enjoy!

As I get back into writing, I think it’s time I delve into my giant mental storage of short story ideas. But I want to do them as serials-parts of the story released at different times.

Serials give you a chance to engage in a story and think about it for a few days before the next part is released. It engages you, leaves you hanging, wondering, using your imagination.

I’m currently working on my first story, so it’s coming soon. I haven’t written fiction in a long time and I can’t wait to take you on this journey too! I’m even cracking open my old dusty Mac Book to find my long lost unfinished stories. Stay tuned!

There’s something about the colors teal and coral that make me giddy. And let me just say: PLEASE give me all the boho decor of the world.

A bedroom may seem like a room that you spend most of your time in with your eyes closed, sleeping. And maybe that’s true. I rarely just “hang out” in my bedroom. But I’ve found that when you have a room that’s clean, neat, pretty, and colorful with a perfectly made bed, it makes you happy. Plain and simple. Happy. Cheerful. Makes you sleep harder, sounder and wake up gleeful.

Dream catchers to shield me from the nightmares and blanket me with happy thoughts and dreams. Living plants and flowers that grow alongside me. Pretty coral rugs that remind me of my childhood room. A million throw pillows that get shifted by my toddler when he jumps on the bed, immediately after I make it. Cutesy elephant, cactus and pineapple trinkets that make me squeal like a kid when I see them. Fun wall art that says things like “Love”, “All I Need are Lattes and Lipstick” and ” The Greatest Gift is Love.”

So, what’s your favorite part of your room?

Sweetest dreams, my friends.

Why does it seem like we jump from summer heat to 6 days of autumn and then freeze to death in the winter months until March? I’ve lived in Chicago for almost 30 years so I should be used to it but I’d rather just complain and live in denial. So I’ll take anything that will give me a slice of autumn because it’s my favorite season!

Anyway, this Harvest Chicken Casserole is so good, gluten free and gives you all the fall vibes you’ve been desperately wanting. It’s one of those recipes that you don’t have to follow perfectly and can make it your own and throw it together quickly.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 lb shredded chicken (you can buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it yourself. No having to cook the chicken-it’s what I do-“wink”) or 2 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
• 6 cups cooked wild rice. Any brand you like-some have wheat ingredients so if you want to keep the recipe gluten free, choose a gluten free option.
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (but I always use extra because they’re just so dang good in there!)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 5 baking dish.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken. Cool and shred. If using an already-cooked rotisserie chicken, simply shred chicken and set to the side.
3. Cook the wild rice according to packaged instructions. Set to the side.
4. Heat the other tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, garlic, thyme, paprika, and cumin. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until softened.
5. Add half of the chicken broth, bring to a boil, and simmer on low, covered, for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the cooked rice to the baking dish. Stir in the chicken, cooked veggies and cranberries.
7. Top off with remaining chicken broth.
8. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until hot and serve immediately.

**Plan ahead tip: You can make the chicken or buy the rotisserie chicken and shred it ahead of time and just refrigerate it. Same goes for the rice. Cook it ahead of time and store in the fridge. You could do it the morning of or even the night before.

**A tip for leftovers: Mix it up by buying some gluten free buns (or regular buns) and make some Harvest Chicken Slider Sandwiches.