Book Review: An Unseemly Wife by E.B. Moore

*I won an advance reader's copy of this book in a Gooreads First Reads giveaway.*

To be completely honest from the start, I was really disappointed with this book.  I really enjoy Amish fiction so I was excited to win this, but it fell flat for me and I almost couldn't finish it.  I felt like this book had so much potential that it just didn't live up to.

Part of the problem for me was the writing style.  I think the author was trying for a unique way of using flashbacks to tell the story, but it came across as a jumbled mess.  I applaud the effort but the execution was poor, so hopefully future editions will be cleaned up a bit.  Between the dialogue, the flashbacks, and the parts of the plot not told in flashbacks, this book really was a mess.

Additionally, it seemed like the author didn't research the historical aspects of the story very well.  Very few real historical details were actually included and those seemed vague and not entirely accurate.

Now for what I did enjoy:  I really liked how much drama was included in the story.  If it had been presented in a better written way, I would have really enjoyed this book.  As it is written now though, I just couldn't get over the bumps in the writing enough to enjoy the plot.  I also was disappointed at the ending.  It felt like all the previous drama had been building up for absolutely no reason.  The conclusion wasn't really a conclusion, which is fine if this series is going to be continued, but there was also not much action at the end of the book to carry the story. In short, nothing really happened and all the events of the story were for naught.

An Unseemly Wife on Goodreads

I can only give this book maybe 2 or 2.5 out of 5 stars.  It just really isn't written well enough to merit a higher rating.

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Faucet Face Water Bottle Giveaway

One of the best things you can do for your health is drink plenty of water every day.  Check out these adorable glass water bottles and enter for your chance to win!

Faucet Face Giveaway Sponsored by Faucet Face

Hosted by Deals of Sweetness

Co-Hosted by Pea of Sweetness

What is all the hype with bottled water? Plastic bottles, even when with good intentions of recylcing, have caused so much waste. And the water? Is it really better? People are discovering water from the tap is just as good if not better!
Faucet Face wants to change all that! They want to bring back tap water's dignity and give it a makeover!
Emilee at Deals of Sweetness doesn't believe the bottled water hype and was on the lookout for great glass water bottles that they could take with them on the go. Check out her full Faucet Face glass water bottles review.
Would you like a great glass water bottle? One winner will receive the bottle of their choice! This giveaway begins on 8/3 and ends on 8/16 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.

Entry-Form

  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.

Younique 3D Lash Giveaway

Remember my 'Fake It' post about budget friendly ways to look picture perfect on your wedding day? One of my suggestions was to wear fake eyelashes for maximum photographic impact. Well, here's a giveaway for a gel makeup that makes your natural lashes look like false lashes. Enter for your chance to win by August 16, 2014.

Younique Giveaway Sponsored by Vicki's Younique

Hosted by Deals of Sweetness

Co-Hosted by Pea of Sweetness

Younique’s simple three-step process combines Transplanting Gel and Natural Fibers to help create the appearance of incredible thickness and volume to your existing lashes. Watch as your lashes transform into something you have only dreamed of! The 3D Fiber Lashes are water resistant but easily washes off with warm water and facial cleanser at the end of the day. Try it! It will quickly become your favorite makeup must-have!
Emilee at Deals of Sweetness is always looking for safer products, and was excited to try Younique products and was impressed by others' results! Check out her full Younique review.
Would you like dramatic lashes? One winner will receive Younique 3D Lashes! This giveaway begins on 8/2 and ends on 8/15 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.

Entry-Form

  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.

Free Pattern Friday: Cute Cats

I love cats.  I have two, and I consider them to be my little furry children.  If you're a cat lover like me or have family members who also love their feline companions, these graphghans would make the perfect present.  They are simple one color silhouettes on a plain background so they should work up fairly quickly compared to other patterns.  Each pattern should make a large throw or small twin-size blanket depending on the yarn and hook you use. If you find you want either a larger or smaller blanket, simply increase or decrease the amount of background and border around the cat shape. As usual, these patterns are available for FREE download from stitchboard.com.  Happy crafting, and remember to please share if you enjoyed this post.  Also, I would love to see your finished work if you use any of my patterns so feel free to leave a comment with pictures if you would like!

Sitting Kitty

Kitten Afghan

Cat Afghan

Contemplative Cat

By the way, happy August 1st to all my North American readers! Hard to believe how fast this year is flying by! Oh, and if you're more of a dog person, stay tuned for next week's free patterns.  :)

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Navy and Gold Nautical Wedding

I'm still feeling summery and craving some time on the water so this weeks wedding theme is a nautical, navy and gold themed wedding.  I'm imagining the setting for this event to be somewhere on the East Coast but I suppose it could work for any couple anywhere that loves the water.  I want this wedding to look more preppy and cohesive than some of the other weddings I have designed, but to still maintain an element of fun.

First off, the absolute perfect setting for a wedding like this would be at a marina or boat club.  An outdoor ceremony with the water in the background would be so stunning! I can imagine the ceremony taking place in front of a gazebo right on the water with a string quartet providing the musical accompaniment. I would love to have the same venue for both ceremony and reception so guests can just seamlessly mingle with each other immediately after the ceremony without having to drive to a separate location.  I am absolutely in love with this venue, East Hampton Point Resort, in Long Island, NY.  It has everything I imagined for this wedding, although the price is rather expensive.

East Hampton Point

Flowers

Secondly, I think the bride should wear something very elegant and flowing, but not too big or princess-ey.  I absolutely adore this Oleg Cassini gown from David's Bridal, and while its original price is a bit on the high side, it is now on sale for a huge discount! The bride's accessories should match the elegance of her gown so I'm thinking pearl jewelry and a beautiful long, embroidered veil.  To keep with the navy and gold color scheme I want her to wear gold or navy shoes and carry something similar to this yellow, blue, and white bouquet.  The bridesmaids would wear blue dresses with gold sashes and gold shoes.  They would also accessorize with simple pearly or gold jewelry and carry similar bouquets.   The groom and groomsmen would wear either tan or navy fitted suits with yellow and white boutonnieres, bow ties, and pocket squares.   

Oleg Cassini

 Finally, I want to incorporate a little bit of the nautical theme in the reception without going overboard and making it look tacky.  I imagine that there would be a few classy rope and anchor motifs sprinkled throughout the decorations and table settings, and possibly on the wedding cake as shown below.  I want the majority of the focus to be on the navy and gold color scheme with just a few nautical touches. This blue and gold stationery from Ladyfingers Letterpress is so pretty and elegant! Mostly white table settings with navy and gold accents and centerpieces would perfectly set off coordinating place settings and menus.  

For more nautical inspiration, check out my Pinterest board. Thanks for reading, and please share this post if you enjoyed it!

Anchor cake

Stationery

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Book Review: Artful by Peter David

*I received this book free of charge through the Goodreads.com First Reads giveaway program*
I admit, I've avoided the popular classical literature x paranormal crossover until now.  However, Artful by Peter David seemed really interesting and I was very happy to win a copy of it from Goodreads.com.

The book starts out with a little bit of background explanation of who the main character is and how his story relates to Dickens' Oliver Twist.  The main protagonist of the story is the Artful Dodger and this book delves into his paranormal adventures after the end of Dickens' story.  I actually really enjoyed the story, although the story telling could become a bit convoluted at times.  I was also slightly confused by the pace of the story because it seemed like it took a long time to get to set up any "real" action but then after the action started it was extremely fast paced.   I would have enjoyed the story more if much of the background information had been integrated into the entire plot instead of packed into such a long and drawn-out beginning.  I also would have liked to seen more development of the vampire mythology instead of just a few paragraphs discussing the origins of the vampires.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers who like the fantasy/paranormal genre. It would probably be a good read for high schoolers and older readers who have already read Oliver Twist, but reading Dickens is not necessary to enjoy this book.

Artful on Goodreads.com

Win the July Eco Emi Box!

Here's another great giveaway brought to you by Emilee of Deals of Sweetness! 

Eco Emi Giveaway Sponsored by Eco Emi

Hosted by Deals of Sweetness

Co-Hosted by Pea of Sweetness

Eco Emi is the first eco friendly sampling service. They offer the opportunity to review five to ten samples of natural, organic, green, eco-friendly products sent right to your door wrapped in chic earth friendly material made from 100% recycled bottles. All of this for only $15 per month! All of their packages are adorned with 100% organic or vintage ribbons or they will often use 100% bamboo yarns. Part of the fun is that the package will look a little different every month. You will have the luxury of trying out an array of green products in the comfort of your own home or over a cup of herbal tea with close friends.
Emilee from Deals of Sweetness has been loving Eco Emi boxes and shared her thoughts on the June Eco Emi Box in her eco-friendly subscription box review.
Would you like to try great eco-friendly products? One winner will receive a July Eco Emi Box! (Products vary from those pictured.) This giveaway begins on 7/27 and ends on 8/9 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.

Entry-Form

  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.