Saturday, July 26, 2014

Free Pattern Friday: More Teddy Bears

My apologies for this week's free pattern Friday being a day late;  Adjusting to a new work schedule is exhausting.  Anyways, my three new free patterns this week are more adorable teddy bear patterns.  I really like teddy bear blankets for babies and toddlers and I have several new nieces and nephews due in the next few months so I thought I would share these cute graphs.  As always, these were made for non-commercial purposes using stitchboard.com 's free pattern wizard and are not to be sold.  All three of these are hosted on the stitchboard.com free pattern store (links in captions), which does require free and easy registration to the website. Also, as usual feel free to personalize these blankets with different colors, borders, etc..., and share your pictures with me when you finish! I would love to see all of your amazing, unique creations.

One additional note, these are all fairly large blankets so feel free to reduce the amount of background around the bears if you want a smaller throw or cuddle blanket.


Bear With Balloons

Bow Bear

Baseball Bear

I have a few more Teddy Bear patterns and a whole menagerie of animals to be featured in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

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*This post contains affiliate links. Ordering through these links will not add any additional costs to your total order and I will receive a small commission, which will help reimburse me for the time and effort spent writing this blog* 

Thursday, July 24, 2014

$50 Success Creations GC Giveaway!

This is an awesome giveaway brought to you by Success Creations and Emilee of Deals of Sweetness. These gorgeous masks would be a fun wedding prop or great for a costume party! 

Masquerade Giveaway Sponsored by Success Creations

Hosted by Deals of Sweetness

Co-Hosted by Pea of Sweetness

Success Creations Giveaway
Success Creations is a mask company proudly operating in Lakewood, NJ for over 25 years. They are one of the only companies in the entire USA that specializes only in designing some of the most gorgeous handmade masquerade masks ever created. Masquerade masks are all they do, and you will surely see that difference in the quality of their designs.
Emilee from Deals of Sweetness loves that Success Creations puts so much care in their designs and are handcrafted in the USA. See what she thought in her masquerade masks review.
Is there a mask (or masks) you love? One winner will receive a $50 Gift Card to Success Creations! This giveaway begins on 7/24 and ends on 8/6 at 10:00pm (times are Central) and is open to US residents ages 18+. Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools.
  Disclosure: Emilee from Deals of Sweetness and Pea of Sweetness received free product(s) to facilitate her review. No other compensation was received. Participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Red, White, and Blue Wedding

It may be a few weeks late for July 4th, but a red, white, and blue theme is still perfect for a summer wedding.  While most of the weddings I've seen with this theme are outdoors, I think during this time of year an indoor wedding and possibly the reception as well would be much nice indoors (Air-conditioned spaces, hallelujah!) Outdoor weddings are lovely but during the sweltering summer months of July and early August it is much more comfortable for everyone involved to not be sweating and swatting at insects all day.
Sweetheart Trumpet Gown

Beaded Taffeta Fit and Flare
For an elegant summer wedding, I imagine the bride would look fresh and gorgeous in a silky, fitted gown.  This fit and flare taffeta gown with beaded accents from David's Bridal looks both elegant and season-appropriate.  Depending on the bride's personal preference, any fitted or slim style of dress would be a good look for a July wedding.  This David's Bridal trumpet gown with a beaded, sweetheart necklace would also look fun and classy.  I think the bride could accessorize with either sparkly crystal jewelry or sophisticated pearls.  Again, depending on the bride's preferences, she could either wear a long, lightweight veil, or forego a veil and simply wear an elegant hair comb or barrette with a low updo. This rhinestone 'Firework' hair comb from Icing would look lovely right above a low chignon. Bright red or navy blue shoes would add just a pop of fun color.
Bridesmaid Dresses

 Bridesmaids would stay cool and comfortable in these strapless cotton sateen dresses in marine (or a darker blue), paired with matching pumps. The bridesmaids would also wear pearl jewelry and have similar low hairstyles that will keep them cool and sweat-free.  The bride would carry a bouquet of mainly white flowers with accents of red and blue, while the bridesmaids would carry red and white bouquets.  A great way to save money on bouquets for the entire bridal party would be to buy the flowers wholesale and then DIY the bouquets.   Globalrose.com has wholesale priced roses, hydrangeas, and snapdragons, which would all look stunning together in a summer bouquet.
White Garden Bouquet


I imagine the reception decor will be fun and bright.  I would like to see long tables with white tableclothes and tall red, white, and blue centerpieces (silk flowers are okay to use here). Cute banners and hanging decorations in red and blue would make a visually interesting backdrop. The menu would be fun and summery, consisting of barbecue-inspired cuisine.  Grilled or barbecued chicken, pork, and sliders with a gourmet condiment bar would be fun and filling. The usual potato and pasta salads and baked beans would also be present, classed up with exotic spices and ingredients. There would also be a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to snack on, while drinks would be bottled beers, lemonade, and sodas in glass bottles on ice.  Dessert would be a light angel-food cake garnished with whipped vanilla icing and more fresh berries, some soft sugar cookies decorated with red and blue sugar, and old-fashioned root beer floats served in frosty mugs.  Sparklers would be available as entertainment for the wedding guests and as a send off at the end of the night.

I hope this has inspired you to think about having a patriotic summer wedding! For more red, white, and blue inspiration, check my Wed, White and Blue board on Pinterest. I'll be keeping the summer theme going next week with a nautical wedding theme so check back next Wednesday!


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*This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from any products you purchase through these links and they in no way will affect the total cost of your order*

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Kale and Chia Chips Giveaway!

Looking for a healthier way to snack? Like to try new and interesting foods? Enter for your chance to win a variety of kale and chia snacks! 


SuperEats Kale & Chia Chips Giveaway!

Win an assortment of Kale & Chia Chips from SuperEats!

Hosted by: Savory Savings & Gloriously Green Gal

SuperEats Prize Pack July 22 - August 5

Looking for a healthy way to get your salty snack in each day?  Why not try SuperEats Kale & Chia Chips?  These crunchy and flavorful chips are loaded with Vitamins A and C among other wonderful antioxidants and nutrients!  Krista over at Savory Savings recently had a chance to review the fun flavors and shared her thoughts in this SuperEats review!
How would you like to an assortment of SuperEats chips (valued at $50)?  If you would like a chance to win, enter with the Giveaway Tool below.  If you have won a SuperEats giveaway anytime from another blog in the last 12 months, you are not eligible to win this giveaway.  The giveaway will run from July 22 through August 5, 2014 at 11 PM CST and is open to US residents, ages 18 and older.  Entries will be verified.  Winner will be notified via email (consider adding gloriouslygreengal@gmail.com to your safe list) – winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize or another winner will be selected.
Good Luck!

Book Review: Dragon's Debt by HL Burke

*I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own and I never commit to a positive review prior to reading*

As much as I thought that the first book in The Dragon and the Scholar series was fantastic, this book was even better.  HL Burke continues to fine-tune and polish her craft to excellent results.
Much of this book focused on Ewan and Edmond and their relationship as brothers of different species.  It was very interesting to see Ewan grapple with the guilt he still feels about Edmond's injury. Shannon's story is almost a side-plot in this book, as she is still figuring out her relationship with Ewan and must also deal with new romantic interest from the new character Prince Ryan of Westshire (brother of Edmond's love interest, Brighid). I still enjoy how well-developed Shannon is as a character. She is loyal, steadfast, intelligent, and brave, and she also happens to be a woman. I love that the author doesn't make Shannon's character remarkable because of her gender, she is simply a good person who happens to be female.  HL Burke does a really good job of weaving the increasingly complicated relationships between all of the characters. The characters all seem very real; at times I was as frustrated with their actions as I would be when a friend does something incredibly stupid.  

The dialogue in Dragon's Debt was superb and believable; it read as much more natural and less tongue-in-cheek than the diaglogue in Dragon's Curse.  This book did a good job of fleshing out the existing characters and introducing  few interesting new people, although I would have liked the focus to have been more on Shannon.  I also would have liked more drama. I believe this series has great potential as an adventure story as much as a romance if there was just a little bit more "edge of your seat" action at the climax.  Overall, though, this was another great read and I give it 4.5/5 stars. 

Dragon's Debt on Goodreads.com



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Friday, July 18, 2014

Free Pattern Friday: Church Gifts

It's Friday again, which means another free pattern post from me.  Today I'm focusing on patterns that would make wonderful gifts for your favorite pastor or church staff member.  I was inspired to make these patterns when the pastor from my church in high school announced he was retiring this summer.  All of these would make nice gifts for a retiring pastor, or to thank your church if you are moving away and no longer will be attending.  The first three patterns are my own creations made using stitchboard.com, the rest are links from other various free pattern websites. Enjoy!

Christian Fish Pillow
1. I want to start out with a simple pillow pattern.  This fish symbol would be a cute gift for your church staff or to donate to your church's youth center or community center as decoration.  It's a relatively simple pattern that I think anyone with a basic knowledge of crochet could figure out.  This graph is available for download on the stitchboard.com free pattern shop.


Email Me for Pattern
2. My second pattern is a throw blanket featuring the emblem of the Lutheran Church (the Luther Rose).  This is most definitely a pattern for the advanced crocheter and will probably take a few weeks-months to complete, depending on your skill level.  Also, if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm not 100% satisfied with the way this pattern turned out.  I need to make some more corrections, but it should at least be workable as is. If you would like this pattern, please email me (email address at top of blog) and I will send you a .jpg of the graph.

Email Me



3. The last graph that I personally made is the emblem of the United Methodist Church.  My husband and I are still finding a church that fits us best since we moved, but we really like our local UMC congregation.  I'm hoping to complete this to give to the lead pastor before we move again in a few years.  This pattern is also available by email so just send me a message and I'll get you the .jpg as soon as possible.

Now for some bonus patterns from other designers on other sites.  Happy crafting! :)

Crochet Lord's Prayer
Cross Bookmark
Lion and Lamb Pillows

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Book Review: A Lonely Magic by Sarah Wynde

I received a copy of this book for free as part of a promotional giveaway.
4/5 Stars
Once again, Sarah Wynde excels at creating a mystical alternate realty where magic and fantasy reign. This book opens with intense drama and mystery and has enough plot twists and intrigue to keep all but the most jaded of readers happy. When you first meet the protagonist of the book, Fen, she is being threatened with her imminent murder.  At the last minute a mysterious stranger appears and stops her from being killed.  Things only get weirder for Fen after her attempted murder and subsequent rescue when she meets her rescuers family. She is forced to abandon the life she knew for a sort of private "witness protection program". Fen is soon completely ensconced in a new, exotic world, but not everything is as it seems.  Once she learns that her family had hidden some secrets of it's own from her, she must face the biggest choice of her life.  


A Lonely Magic
I really enjoyed this book; the writing was superb and the drama was fast paced.  The little bit of lust/romance thrown in was entertaining, but not too overwhelming to the central plot.  As with all of Wynde's work, it was very easy to become completely immersed in the writing.  My only complaint is that the "last of the species/tribe/line" theme that pops up towards the end is a little too cliche in fantasy writing.

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