Bookbyte.com Buyback Program!

Ok guys, I have found a new website that sells books and also buys them back and the name is Bookbyte.com. And I am totally in love with them. The process of selling my books to them was simple and the payment was quick.

To get the ball rolling all I had to do was enter my ISBN and the site offered me a estimated price. Now that is about the only tricky part about it. To make sure you get the full estimated price, your books must have all the extras that originally came with it like CDs and access codes. But that was not a problem for me. So after I was offered the quoted price and accepted it, and I then was given the shipping options of either USPS of FedEx Ground. After I chose, I was able to print my postage paid shipping label and I dropped it off the following day.  Easy enough! I was even given a tracking number to keep up with my package. And after 1 day of processing, I received my payment of $52.75 today. I chose to receive my payment via PayPal, but you could also receive payment by check, which would take a little longer.

So all in all, the buyback process was quick and easy and I can see myself using them again. And just in case you are still a little leery about this company and receiving payments, I have included captures from my Bookbyte account with prices and my PayPal account with my payment.

I hope this review was helpful to someone and gives another alternative to dealing with those books you will probably never use again.

Throw Together Recipe!

Earlier I looked in my cabinet and noticed I had some pizza dough mix and wanted to use it, but I did not have any of the ingredients to make a pizza. Bummer, right? So I searched far and wide for some easy and simple recipes using pizza dough and I found 2 good ones that featured ingredients I actually had. Check them out below

Garlic Knots

• one package of pizza dough 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 gloves of garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine olive oil and garlic at bottom. Using kitchen scissors or a knife, cut off 1 inch pieces of the pizza dough, dropping them into the bowl with the garlic/oil mixture. Toss them gently and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. These are best served immediately.


Cinnamon Sugar Bites

• one package of pizza dough
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Add the melted butter to a large bowl. Using a kitchen scissor or knife, cut 1 inch pieces from the dough and drop into the bowl. Mix gently to make sure each piece has butter on it. Place on a baking tray and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over each piece. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until dough is brown and crusty. These are best served immediately.

But for this occasion, I decided to make the garlic knots and they turned out wonderful. The only thing that I did differently is add thick sliced cheese into the dough. I have a picture below of the finished product. Try these recipes out for yourself and let me know how you liked them. Bon appetite!

When Books Were Our Friends...

What ever happened to those days where we use to run to the Book Mobile after school to find that new book we were waiting for? After reading a blog post on Angelique The Novelist, those days came rushing back into my mind. I can still remember those days like they were yesterday. Back then I could not wait to get out of school to check out the new Goosebumps or the new Sweet Valley High books. And even though I am not that old (23 is not old, right?), kids a few years younger than me have no idea about the Book Mobiles and Book Fairs that use to come to our schools. Now days kids rather play Wii and Xbox 360 than pick up a book and it is rather troubling. I think we need to bring these kind of things back to give kids something more productive to do, which in return will probably keep them out of trouble.

Now that you have heard my opinion on the topic, please go check out Angelique's post about the same. You will love it! And if you are really feeling lucky, go to Author Exposure and check out another great post.

True Blood Season 4 Episode 9 Promo!

Here is the promo for the next episode! Watch it Sunday 08/21 @ 9:00.

Potty Mouths!

Yesterday I read an article on Yahoo about the rising trend of profanity in movies. And once I started reading the article, it quickly dawned on me that this fact is so true. Every movie I have recently watched has so many cuss words in it that I find myself cringing. But what is even more troubling about the article is that PG-13 movies are now allowed to use 1 non-sexual F-bomb (you know the word, so I don't have to spell it out) per script. That is crazy! The "F" word is a very big word in terms of profanity, so why would this be okay for 13 year olds to hear. I know that kids probably hear this word everyday, but come on, are there any movies left that we can watch without worrying when it's time to cover the kids ears or without making a mad dash to mute the T.V. Gosh!!!

My Issue With Lady GaGa!

It is so weird. I used to love her, now, um...not so much. With that being said I guess I have a love/hate relationship with her music. To this day I still listen to and love the music from her first album, The Fame and I like some of the songs from The Fame Monster, and then none of Born This Way. So with each album my love for her has dropped. I don't know if its all her crazy outfits or the different direction her music has gone, but I am not feeling lately. What happened to the fun and cute GaGa from "Just Dance"  and "Poker Face"?

Now she is wearing meat suits and doing all kind of crazy things.

She likes to call her outfits art and showing her artistic style, but to me is seems like she is trying to keep the focus on her be showing how outrageous she can be. Is it just me because I know there are a lot of people who can't get enough of her, while others are bored of her. What category are you in, hot or not?

Back To School!

It's about that time! Summer is winding down and it is time for the Fall 2011 semester to begin. And guess what? I am so ready. I have been waiting for August 27 since the Spring semester ended. Lol! I know, I am such a nerd, but, hey, there is nothing wrong with that. Plus I think I am so excited because I am almost done with my degree and that is enough to get anyway excited.

New Header?!

It is fresh out of Photoshop! I was practicing making collages and other art in Photoshop Elements 7 and made this. I am really happy with it that I decide to make it my blog header. Being a newbie to using Photoshop, I was a little nervous about the final outcome, but I am rather pleased. Thanks again to ShabbyPrincess for all the free kits and backgrounds!

Website Testing!

As a work-at-homer, I am always looking for new and fun ways to bring in supplemental income. And one way I am bringing in a little extra cash is by participating in Website Testing programs.

Right about now you are probably asking yourself, what is website testing and how does it work? Well website testing is when a company pays you to test sites for usability and functionality. You are basically alerting a site owner of changes that can be made on their site that will make it more efficient for their users.

There are a few of these companies out there, but there are only 3 that I have either worked for or heard good things about from others. These sites are TryMyUI, Userlytics, and UserTesting, and I am going to give you important information about how they pay and their tester requirements. Basically, with all 3 you must have a computer with high-speed internet and a microphone or headset. The only exception to this is Userlytics, and with them you have to have the above plus a webcam. And with each you must pass a sample website reviewing test, and after a few days you will be emailed whether you passed or failed. If you pass, you will then be set up to receive testing invites which are usually $10.00 and are paid to your PayPal account after review.

So with that being said, here are the links to the above mentioned sites that will help you get started earning some extra cash in no time.

• TryMyUI - I work for them and love it. There is not always alot of work, but they review tests quickly and pay you just as fast!
• Userlytics
• UserTesting

Top 10 Spookiest Urban Legends!

I just finished watching the movie Urban Legend and I found myself pausing the DVR and searching Google for some on the most heard of urban legends. And while searching I found About.com and their list of the most popular and scariest urban legends. So here are the spine-chilling finalist.

1. Humans Can Lick, Too!

2. The Hook

3. Bloody Mary

4. The Babysitter and the Man Upsairs

5. The Clown Statue

6. Buried Alive!

7. Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn on the Light?

8. The Boyfriend's Death

9. The Killer in the Backseat

10. The Fatal Hairdo

I Miss Amy Winehouse!

I miss her blues and jazz influenced voice and the way she pronounced certain words when singing. Some people only just found out about her talent after she passed, you know how it goes "no one appreciates you until you are gone", but I have been musically in love with Amy since her Back to Black album.

I just loved the sound she was bringing to the table, it was something literally out of this decade. She took me back to a time when music was all about vocal ability and not your stage antics and crazy attire. And I loved her for that. I really wish she would have had a chance to put out one more album, but since that didn't happen and I still crave her music, I find myself on iTunes with her music always on repeat.

One song in particular that I love happens not to be an Amy Winehouse original, but a cover of The Zuton's 2006 song "Valerie".  I posted it below and I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.

R.I.P Amy Jade Winehouse!!!

Scrapbooking Project Update!

Ok, so remember my earlier post about digi-scrapbooking? We'll if you don't, go here and check it out. If you do remember, then you also probably remember my promise to upload some of my work. Now keep in mind I am new to this and they will not be mind-blowing, but if I may say so myself, they looks pretty good. These 2 below don't have photos in them so I don't know it they fall exactly into the scrapbooking category, but they are close enough. So take the masterpieces (haha!) in and let me know what you think of them. 

Hilary Duff Is Pregnant!

Congratulations to one of my favorite Disney stars, Hilary Duff. The former Lizzie McGuire actress and her husband, Mike Comrie, are expecting their first child. I am so happy for her. It so good to see her turning into such a wonderful woman. She is one of the few child stars that have shied away from all of the Hollywood drama and continues to be a positive role model for young girls. So here's to the lucky couple having a problem-free pregnancy and delivery.

Found A New Hobby!

And its digital scrapbooking!!! I don't remember how I stumbled upon this topic but I am so glad I did. All I know is I was looking for cool ideas for jazzing up my blog header and BAM, I was in love. I search through all kind of digi-scrapbooking sites and happened to find that was so incredible. If you are wondering the name of such a site, well look no further, it is The Shabby Shoppe, and it offers some of the most creative and innovative ideas for adding a little piazza to anything from websites to just making a simple photo album. The site also offers free downloadable kits  and tutorials to help users get started with their projects. They make it just so easy to get started. Now that I have this new hobby and plan on getting good at it, I hope that I can share some of my work with you all. So be nice. Lol!

One of the many downloadable kits The Shabby Shoppe offers
that can be arranged anyway you desire!

The Sims Social on Facebook!

This game is going to be epic, especially if it goes on to be anything like the other Sims games. After waiting for what seems like forever, the good folks behind The Sims Social have finally released the game in beta mode. Facebookers have been up in arms questioning the release date of this game and now get to actually play. And me being The Sims junkie that I am, I had to jump on as soon as possible. After playing the game I can tell the game is awesome, but with all of the positive buzz also comes some negative words. Like I mentioned above, the game is great and all, but that is only when you can play it. I was literally on for 15 minutes before I received an error message like the one below and was kicked out.

And the game has been for 3 days now. This really frustrates me because everything was running smoothly and then boom, nothing for days. I feel that the creators should have at least warned us this would happen and that I should just wait a little longer, instead of teasing us and then yanking it back. But that is just how I feel. The only thing that saves me from never playing the game again is the email that was sent out apologizing about this issue. So for now I am still a little upset (what, a girl needs her Sims fix) but I can wait a little longer. What do you think?

Click here to play when the game is finally released!

Blast From The Past!

Here is a song by Vertical Horizon from 1999 entitled "Everything You Want" that I have been really feeling as of lately. I heard it on the radio a few months ago and a bit of nostalgia kicked in. Even though I was 11 when this song came out, I still can recall the feeling the music of this decade produced. Man... how I miss the 90's. Enjoy!

There Is No Place Like Home!

I love my hometown and cannot picture myself living anywhere else. Because where else can you find the musical roots of so many genres like country, rock & roll, blues, and gospel all rolled together. And where else can you drive down the street and see and visit the places where Elvis lived, where Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded, and where Martin Luther King Jr. spent his last days. Nowhere but in Memphis, Tennessee. And I am so proud to be a Memphian.

Exercise, Ugh!

I know, I know, I should be more enthusiastic about exercising, but I despise it. The sweating, the moving, just all of it. Lol! Just kidding. I do not hate exercising per se but sometimes it can be a hassle encouraging myself to get moving.

Do you ever so often set out with big plans to walk more or go to the gym? Do you even buy a spiffy new exercise outfit that gets you in the exercise mood and lay it out in hopes that it would inspire you to complete the mission? Well if you're like me the mere thought of putting on the outfit just makes you tired, then that way will probably never work. So what I have started doing is going on more walks with my dog, Shayna. That's right! I found that having her with me helped me to walk a longer distance and really push myself harder than if I was by myself. Shayna loves walking and seeing and smelling new things so we had fun together just checking out everything in our little neighborhood.

To me it seems like a win/win situation, I get my exercise and she gets to explore the world a little more. Awesome! So now that I told you want helps me get active, tell me what gets you up and moving.

My dog, Shayna

All Things Vamp!

Everyone who knows me can tell you about my love of all things involving vampires. I love all vamp movies and shows. And of course you know all of the usually suspects, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Interview with a Vampire, Twilight Saga (swoon), and last but not least, True Blood. Our fanged friends down in Bon Temps happen to be the hottest cold-blooded things now with the more adult crowd, and since I am sure you love the show ( i mean, why wouldn't you?) here is a :35 teaser from the next episode which will air Sunday 8/14. Enjoy the preview and afterwards let me know what some of your all-time favorite vamp shows and films are.

Virgin Alert!

I, Destiny, am a virgin. And I hate hearing everyone saying how "doing it" is so fun and easy and how all the cool kids are doing it. So I have decided to give up my virginity. That's right, I have given into temptation and I am now a proud ... wait for it... BLOGGER. Ha! You guys probably thought I was talking about something else, huh? That's right this is my first blog entry in my very first blog and I am so excited to share it with you all. So hang in there with me and I will have this blog going with all kinds of topics. From movies and tv shows to music and personal issues, we will discuss it all. So welcome to Modest-iny and y'all come back now, ya hear!!!