In Need of a Good Read? Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Diana and Mathew time travel to 16th century Europe in pursuit of Ashmole 782 and this is where their journey begins. We get to see the Elizabethan era through the eyes of Diana, a historian scholar who quickly discovers sometimes circumstances and the very people we admire are not as written in our history books. These circumstances lead Diana and Mathew on many adventures, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Throughout these adventures we learn more about Mathew and because of this we see character development. I was a bit unsure about Mathew in the beginning of the book, but by the end I knew why Diana had given her heart to him. Mathew is now one of my favorite book characters. I felt Shadow of Night had a much better flow than Discovery Witches. Every person and event had a purpose establishing a good balance of history, fantasy, and romance. Overall I was entertained and had fun getting caught up in the Elizabethan Era.

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Influenster Mom VoxBox

Find out all about Influenster here: Influenster VoxBox 

Influenster is a great way to receive free samples of products you have been wanting to try.  Signing up for this program is free. Its simple, just earn badges in areas of interest. Once you have been chosen to receive a voxbox post to your most used media outlets and fill out a survey on Influenster. I am looking forward to trying all of the products and I actually already use Dentak and Stash tea on a regular basis, so I am already pleased.  Thanks Influenster.

Five Book Suggestions for July

Book Review:Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo, Lynn Vincent

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I do believe Colton had a spiritual experience, however I think some things were embellished so his father, who is a preacher could in a way give a sermon throughout the book. I wonder if Colton, knowing his dad is a preacher as well as being constantly asked over the years about heaven makes him feel obligated to relay messages in regards to heaven to please the masses. Colton now has to go through life forever being in the position of the little boy who saw heaven. Living up to this message will be a huge undertaking for someone so young, which perhaps may be his calling in life. I thought Heaven is for Real was very interesting and it did cause you to pause and reevaluate your faith and what you are willing to believe, after all he is barely four when he begins to speak about heaven. His words were beyond his years as well as his thinking, so maybe God gave him the words he needed to explain his experience to his family? Heaven is for real and it shouldn't take a word of four year old for you to believe it.

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Book Review: Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton

Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Well I must say this is the first time I have uttered the words I am done with this series(Still hoping she gives Nathaniel a baby). I guess I started losing faith when Anita stated that she wasn't good at figuring out Asian ethnicities from the slants of their eyes. This was the start of many endless and idiotic conversations Anita had with herself and others; I couldn't enjoy the murder investigation because of it. Anita claims to think like a man but she spends the entire book self analyzing with lots of pyscho babble that no one wants to hear in relation to the men in her life. She has been with these men for over seven years and seems stuck in her thinking. I'm a monster, no I'm not, oh yes I am uhhh no I'm not. Which one of my men do I really love? etc… Her constant repetition of describing the hair and eye color of her lovers drove me insane. She kept describing the same men over and over and over... Some of the conversations in Kiss the Dead were just stupid, it's as if she just wanted to have that particular conversation and gosh darn it she was going to put it in there just because she could. Anita's mouth injury conversation floored me and I did get a good laugh out of it. The only thing I truly liked was when Nathaniel was mentioned because he is my favorite of all her boy toys. Anita seems to be more likable and grounded when she speaks of Nathaniel and this why Kiss the dead gets my two stars instead of one. I think its time to retire this series or hire someone who will be honest and let you know the path your following is not a good one.

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NARS Libertè

Nars Liberté can be described as a apricot color with golden shimmers.  I think Libertè is complimentary to all skin tones depending on your application.  The shimmers in Liberté are minuscule and are not in any way liken to those chunky glitters that are found in some of Nars' blushes.  Liberté goes on like a matte but the finish is satin.  Liberté is a wonderful blush to add to your spring/summer make up collection.

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In Need of a Good Read? Hounded By Kevin Hearne

Hounded by Kevin Hearne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just found a new series to love. Hounded has celtic lore, a drunken widow, a busybody neighbor, a talking wolfhound and a Druid with humor as well as brawn. I loved how all of the characters interacted to create a fantastic story. I think what I liked the most is that I didn't feel like I had read this story before. Often fantasy books can be similar in story lines creating an atmosphere of redundancy in the plot. Hounded was the perfect mix of humor and action, which is what I enjoy the most when reading an urban fantasy book.

I'm not going to pretend my sphincter didn't clench-my survival instinct is too well developed…
Siodhachan O'Suileabhain


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Nail Polish Storage

I purchased this Fuji nail polish rack on amazon or amazon at a reasonable price.  I received it in 3 days, well packaged, and with no scratches. Fuji nail polish rack is made of a thick clear acrylic and it is light weight. It does come with a sign but I chose not to use it. This is a 90 bottle rack so you will be able to fit a good amount of polishes on it depending on the size of the bottle.  The only bottle I had trouble with was the Nicole by OPI because it would not sit flat, but even still I managed to get it on the rack. I love how my polishes are on display and I can clearly see what polishes I have in my collection. I think this is a good investment for those who have an over abundance of polish and are looking for a good storage solution.

 Here are the dimensions: 

20 x 2 x 25 inches (l x w x h) 6 Rows 15 Bottle per Row

In Need Of A Good Read? Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An assassin with trusted sidekicks, conspiracy, murder to solve and a goody two shoe love interest that I wanted to kick in the face. Loved it!

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Lapis of Luxury/Today Was A Fairytale NOTW

Perfect combination Lapis of Luxury by Essie and used as a topcoat Today Was A Fairytale by Deborah Lippmann. Two coats of LOL and one of TWAF. I love the finish Deborah Lippmann's glitter polishes give, it's glitter for adult women and it won't leave you looking like your trying to relive your youth.

Book review: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Okay Fifty Shades of Grey is officially the first book to induce vomiting. One word, tampon…Marinate on that people. This book would have been so much better if the author left some of the sex scenes out. We only need a few to emphasize what a crazy a** Christian is…Crazy and BDSM do not mix and its not sexy to me. I know we find out his story but I still could not empathize with him because the author made him one step from being bipolar. It's like she tried to romanticize a mental disorder which can be done, but she did it in a very un-cute way. (example crazy done right Vishous BDB) I will give Ana credit because she did have brief moments of this man is a hot a** mess and I should probably do something about it. She is one step shy of having battered wife syndrome. I can already see people using fifty shades as their new mantra to describe people with issues. In my best valley girl impersonation, "She is sooooo fifty shades," (smh thinking about it... it is kind of catchy?). Fifty overall is a good read( In a WTH kind of way) and it truly depends on personal taste as to if you will like this book. The plot is one I always enjoy, a tortured soul looking for redemption. Fifty is a trilogy( I think) I am assuming Christians fifty shades will begin to fade little by little because Ana began slowly chipping away at some of his rules throughout the book. 

So Fifty Shades is a twilight fanfict that got published? You can clearly see borrowed elements (scenes) from Twilight which I feel she could have easily left out and just used her own imagination to make the story move along. The plot works fine on its own…why give people a reason to accuse you of stealing someone else's work? 

I didn't love or hate Fifty Shades of Grey. I will say I am curious to know how Christian and Ana's relationship will work out.

Laura Mercier Sizzle Nail Polish

Sizzle can best be described as a hot bright orange red color. I have on two coats.  Depending on your taste, you may want to add an extra coat for a more opaque finish. Sizzle was quick to dry as well as easy to apply. I believe sizzle is complimentary to all skin tones and it can add a nice pop of color to your OFTD. Sizzle is a great polish to add to your spring and summer polish collection.

In need of a good read? Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine

Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wit, automatons, action and plenty of steam, the perfect combination for a well written steampunk novel.

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Dior Smoky Khaki and Smoky Nude Swatches

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Dior Smoky Eyeshadows are perfect for any special occasion.  These pictures really do not do Dior smoky shadows any justice. I suggest going to your local Dior counter and swatch these for yourself. They apply very smoothly and give off a wonderful sheen. It is a bit shimmery but in a grown up way that could only be described as hollywood.  ;-)

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Dior Waterlily Nail Polish Photos and Swatches

As you can see with light Dior waterlily can appear to be a very vibrant green. In reality it is a very muted green almost leaning towards a khaki pastel green.

Sewing Storage

Here is an inexpensive way to get all of your projects, material or any craft related items organized. I hope this helps and if you have any suggestions leave a comment below.

L'oreal Infallible 24 Eyeshadow

Loreal Infallible 24 eyeshadows was a fail for me.  When you first apply them you think, wow this is going to be a great product; but as you the day progresses the eyeshadow begins to fade.  I found the darker shades to be harder to apply because the textures are slightly off from the lighter creamier shades.  Now theses eyeshadow are Loreal's take on Armani ETK eyeshadows, but for me there is no comparison. Armani is smoother, long-lasting and has a unique hybrid color that Loreal was not able to duplicate.  I will not be purchasing any more of these shadows. As always makeup it is subjective, so buy one and try it out to see if you like it and go from there.

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Perpetual Purple, Continuous Cocoa, Bronzed Taupe

Bronzed Taupe, Continuous Cocoa, Perpetual Purple

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Perpetual Purple, Continuous Cocoa, Bronzed Taupe

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Maybelline Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline 24 hour tattoo eyeshadows definitely delivers in all it's claims. These tattoos shadows are highly pigmented long lasting and apply smoothly.  I used them as a base and my eyeshadows were enhanced and lasted from the time I applied them in the morning until when I removed them at night. My shadow had that fresh all day look which is a major plus.  Maybelline 24 hour tattoo eyeshadows are worth the purchase and will not leave you with that feeling we all hate, wasting money on a product. Makeup is subjective so as usual buy one and try it out and go from there.

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Painted Purple,Bad to the Bronze, Pomegranate Punk, Tough as Taupe 

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Painted Purple,Bad to the Bronze, Pomegranate Punk, Tough as Taupe 

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Painted Purple,Bad to the Bronze, Pomegranate Punk, Tough as Taupe 

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My 2011 Beauty Favorites

Book Review: Anathema/Ayslum by K.A. Tucker