Where should I take my blog?

This question is going to like...two different directions. And it's going to be long but it's full of brain ramblings that I can no longer cut down from when I started. Please bear with me!

1. What other types of content should I have on my blog other than book reviews a few life updates.
AND
2. I know I want to move my blog off of Blogger (sorry blogger) but don't know where to take it.

I know I made a post about this before, but it was a while ago and I never did anything about it then, and with a quarantine and state lockdown keeping me from going to work, I think it's time to expand myself.

Let's start with the second topic first as that will be smaller

Where should I move my blog?

I have talk to numerous people I trust, looked at different blogs of people that I follow, and have also read a bunch of articles and watched youtube videos on which of the two site builders I'm looking at is best for me. Wix or Wordpress.

Many people I know and many blogs I follow are on Wordpress, and I know a lot of websites use it as well, so that's why I've always thought about moving my blog to there. But then I remembered about Wix and decided to see where they differed and if it would be the same.

Wix seems easier to use, many temples, I don't really have to know HTML to use it (though I've always wanted to learn it for some reason) and is a bit cheaper. Whereas Wordpress has uses (or more encourages) HTML knowledge and has so many widgets/plugins that I would want. I wasn't able to see what kind of plugins and add-ons Wix would have had.

I know it's weird for me to want a website rather than a blog but...I am also wanted to expand myself. I would want a place to showcase the things I have done. My books, pieces I create, and more. So more of a personal website than just having a blog is what I'm going for. So for something like that, where I could have different tabs/pages for my books, my blog, an about me page, and contact page; maybe even a shop page should I ever make things to sell or get famous enough for merchandise.

For ease I think Wix would be best for me, but I know Wordpress from friends and from my university. I had my professional portfolio on Wordpress for school and perhaps I could add that as well to my website.

I'm really at a loss here. Because while I was dead-set on starting out on Wordpress, now I'm not so sure. It's possible that because COVID-19 is swarming (STAY HOME UNLESS YOU REALLY CAN'T!!) my depression is getting...a little bad....and I am scared of making a decision and scared to put myself out there more.

*as I wrote this I got an add trash talking Wordpress...it was for Duda, and then another for fiverr...but I have never heard of them before in my life so I don't think I'm going to even think about those.

Now let's move on to the next topic

What type of content should I create/add to my blog?

So, at the moment on this blog I have life updates, book reviews, and other bookish topics. And I love these posts as well, so I won't be taking them away, but I want to know (so this is more of a suggestions question) what stuff would you want to see?

I've also had, and still do have, so many different interests. Other things that I like are colorguard and sewing (I've just started but I plan to do more soon), also YouTube videos and stuff.

Speaking of YouTube, I've made videos on there before, and I loved making them whether they were for school or personal, and wanted to make more. So that's another thing that's pulling me in a weird direction. There have always been so many things I wanted to create and do, but a fear of putting them and myself out there. One of my big follows on YouTube are game videos. And I've even (at the time of writing this) have recorded and started working on editing a video of me playing Webkinz while a little intoxicated. And while there's a little sound problems in it...I'll probably still post it.

Ever since I left high school I wanted to make videos of colorguard routines and the like, but I didn't think my skill was enough. Granted I also know that the more I work at something the better I become...so I really think it's only fear that's stopping me. It's like I have too many interests and I can't pin one down. I know it's okay to have multiple interests...but sometimes I feel like I have too many.

I wonder what else I could do on YouTube because I've always wanted to do just everything and anything, as my account currently is with a mix of personal and educational videos. And I want to continue with that. And my Monica Abroad/Monica Travels series is something I 100% still want to pursue.

Maybe my main issue is I need to get different tools to make videos and better graphics for this blog.



I guess a question I have for all of you that have read this all, or know me personally:

What advice or suggestions do you possibly have for me and where do you think I should head towards with my blog (Wordpress or Wix)?


Thank you all for reading this and suffering through my ramblings. I have a few reviews coming up soon so if you like those from me get ready! If anything I wrote up in this post confuses you, please let me know and I can restate it/reword it to the best of my ability!

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: Tom Hanks,

My First Big Sewing Project

For Christmas I was given two different beginner sewing kits and a handheld sewing machine. I've been wanting to start sewing. To both mend things that I owned as well as create a few things if I ever wanted to (and I do want). I was so excited to start using the different tools and items in my kits. I had so many different colors of thread and a cute little pin cushion to use.

So far I've played with my handheld machine and practiced just using it on some scrap pieces of fabric that my mother had in the house. After that, I mended the pocket on one of my pairs of work pants. It was in NO MEANS a clean stitch. The thread had gotten knotted multiple times and I wasn't paying attention to both sides of the stitch while doing it. But I've run those pants through the wash twice and the stitching has stayed so I'd say that's a win!

Then a whole month passed and I didn't do anything with my sewing stuff but think about it. Then I had an idea. I had many enamel pins that I wanted to display. Pins that I thought were cute, pins from when I was in the Girl Scouts, and pins that I had been given from my Yiayia's collection. I was going to make a pin hoop to display them all instead of keeping them in a bag.

I went to Walmart, found an orange fabric quarter (I didn't want a patterned fabric for the hoop) and some thicker felt to help support it underneath. Then I looked for a good hoop to use for it. Before I picked on, my sister told me she had a hoop at her house I could use, so I didn't have to buy one (unless I wanted a different size than she had).

Once I had all the materials, I went to work. I laid everything out, cut the fabric and felt to size to match the hoop and only have a little bit out along the edges. Once I made it nice and tight on the hoop, I used a grey thread from my bigger kit and started to weave the thread around the edges of the felt and fabric. To do the technique I wanted, I had to redo the entire threading twice because I didn't do it right, or it just didn't look right to me.

The third time I tried the threading, I would weave it through a few times, and then pull on the thread to attempt to cinch the back a little over the back of the hoop. It worked, but not 100% how I had hoped it would. But I worked so I was happy. After I was happy with the cinching in the hoop, I started to add my pins. I organized them on top first, and then pierced them through.

For my first attempt at a bigger project, I'm happy with how it came out. All I have to do now is hang it on my wall, and get more pins! they're all so cute and I love the ones that I have so far.

I have a few items in need of mending stored where I also keep my sewing supplies so hopefully this week I can find time to finish those as well. I had made a Tik Tok while putting together my hoop and I think I'll make more for the other things I fix and create in the future to further document my progress. If anyone wants to follow that progress (while it may be a bit slow) my account is @/monicalaurette526.

Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear any suggestions or tips for sewing if anyone has any they'd like to share!

À bientôt!

*photos are mine

The Oedipus Cycle by Sophocles

I don't remember when I got this book, but it hasn't been on my shelf as long as some of the others that I have on my TBR. I had always had a fascination for Greek mythology and am a (not heavily active but want to change that in the future when my life is more stable) hellenic pagan. I've just always loved the stories and drama because people really couldn't get out of their own way to realize RUNNING FROM YOUR FATE WILL ONLY BRING IT SOONER! *enter Merida as a Disney reference*

Like many other people, I have heard of Oedipus, the basic story, and how so many people talk about the Oedipus complex. But, I find the ACTUAL story of Oedipus so far from the 'complex' that most people talk about. He didn't even know it was his mother because no one told him he was adopted/found and given to his 'father'. This caused Oedipus to leave that home he was raised in with the fear of harming the parents that raised him, and in so doing that, fulfilled the destiny that could have been AVOIDED.

Sorry I have feelings about this haha.

But if I just focus on the story that I read, which was Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone, I can have some calmer opinions.

Oedipus Rex played out exactly as I knew it would, with so much more drama than just reading a two page myth in a high school class, so five stars on that part.

Oedipus at Colonus was honestly...confusing to me. I understood the ending completely, but the beginning was so confusing for me. Why did the villagers both accept him in the forest/grove and also like...begged him to leave? I know part of it was because of his name and his story/curse but I was so confused for a lot of it. So two stars for that one.

Antigone, however, was a banger of a piece. I love her and her bravery/defiance to Creon (who is a little b****** of a man. Glad he got what was coming to him.

I feel that I didn't fully enjoy the reading process of this story because it was a play. Not because it was a play, but because I think I'd rather watch it performed to get the full story that way. Time to look for local playings in my area perhaps!

I give the Oedipus Cycle 3.5 stars (rounded up to four on Goodreads) for the fact that I liked the story, but found Oedipus at Colonus a bit confusing at first and would have rather watched this play out instead of read it.

What do you think of reading plays or of The Oedipus Cycle? I'd love to see your opinions!

À bientôt!


Photo/Gif creds: my photo of book w/mug, Merida, Oedipus play,

Suite Français by Irène Némirovsky

*there will be spoilers and sensitive topics

This book was very different from the normal genre and style of books that I normally read. Normally I read fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy stories as can be seen from my other reviews and Goodreads lists. However when I found this book during one of my $10 library bag sales, I placed it into my bag. The story, both Suite Français and Irène's, interested me and I knew that I'd want to read it someday. The fact that it was originally written in French might have been another reason that I wanted to read this book.

While reading this story, I was filled with a bit of sadness because I knew ahead of time what had happened to the author, and how this story was so similar to the life that she lived in those years as well. Also again I am saddened by the chilling history of our world, the lives that were lost, the families ripped apart. The horrors that people suffered just for being alive.

Hearing the history of Irène's life as well was interesting. She came from a rich life, but during WW1 she had to leave her life because her father's was in danger. Then she and her family found their way to France where she lived a flirtatious and wild life until she met her husband.

I am in awe with how many works she was able to write in a short time in her life. She has about 9 novels, and Suite Français was her last work that was published to the world, done so by her daughter Denise many years after her death.

I'm lucky that I was able to read this book. While it is basically a first draft to the story, it was wonderfully written and filled with wonderfully created characters. I was happy and joyful when the Michauds were able to make it home, and that Charles was hit by a car and died because I really disliked his character and what he did to that young couple while on the road. I felt he got what he deserved.

There was great sorrow in the book too. I was so sad that the Father died, and in such a brutal manner as well by those kids. To be beaten and then basically drown because you got caught under the water. I was scared just reading it if I'm going to be completely honest with you.

For the love in the story, I really wanted Jean-Marie to go back and be with Madeleine because I felt they would have been really nice and cute together, and was sad when she ended up with Benoît, even though that was sort of set in stone before he went off to war. However I also wish I could have seen how Irène wrote how Jean-Marie and Lucile would fall in love. I honestly wanted Jean-Marie to have a good life, but from her notes Irène didn't have the same thoughts.

To know that this was only two parts out of what was going to be a five part story, I can say that it didn't fully feel like anything was missing. With the way Irène wrote Dolce, it was like the real ending. To say if only WW2 didn't happen, we wouldn't even have this book in the first place. I just wish that Irène's life (and so many other millions of lives) could have been spared during this time in history to have the whole story given to us.

I gave Suite Français 5 stars. Partly for the information above, and partly because I am emotional and felt part of my heart in the story because I knew what happened in the end. I honestly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction and non-fiction, as I feel this book has a nice tie between the two.

Let me know what you thought of this book or the story if you've read it. Did you find it as emotional as I did? I've love to hear your thoughts as well.

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: cover photo from Goodreads, Irène's photo,