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After!
I used some left over chalk board paint from a different project and added the Cricut Vinyl!
Love it!!
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The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor by Amy M. Reade
Overview
“Do you know what stories Sarah could tell you about the things that happened in these little cabins? They’d curl that pretty red hair of yours.”
Outside of Charleston, South Carolina, beyond hanging curtains of Spanish moss, at the end of a shaded tunnel of overarching oaks, stands the antebellum mansion of Peppernell Manor in all its faded grandeur. At the request of her friend Evie Peppernell, recently divorced Carleigh Warner and her young daughter Lucy have come to the plantation house to refurbish the interior. But the tall white columns and black shutters hide a dark history of slavery, violence, and greed. The ghost of a former slave is said to haunt the home, and Carleigh is told she disapproves of her restoration efforts. And beneath the polite hospitality of the Peppernell family lie simmering resentments and poisonous secrets that culminate in murder—and place Carleigh and her child in grave danger…
Review
Carleigh is offered a job to refurbish Peppernell Manor. This job takes an unexpected turn or two. With a ghost and a jealous husband, Carleigh must fight for her life.
The story is ok. I expected more of a ghost story and less of a jealous husband. The characters, however, are one dimensional and overly dramatic. There are several places they state the obvious…I even rolled my eyes on a few.
The setting is wonderful and the house on the cover is not at all what I pictured in my head as I was reading. I pictured a more traditional southern plantation home.
This book fell a little short for me. I wanted so much more.
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
Purchase here
Smut by Matt Micheli
Smut
By Matt Micheli
Genre: Psychological (Transgressive with strong sexual encounters and hints of horror)
Brief Description:
On the outside, Sam has it all: money, good-looks, youth. His life is fueled by an endless supply of drugs, alcohol, sex–anything and everything to keep his mind off of what he struggles to keep hidden away: a troubled past as well as recurring disturbing psychotic visions. Strange things begin to happen to Sam causing his diagnosed anxiety to grow into paranoia. To make things worse, brutally mutilated bodies are being discovered around the city and no one seems to care.Experiencing what it is to come full-fledge into adulthood–love, lust, loss, rejection, denial–Sam realizes money and good looks aren’t everything and sometimes what you’re running from is closer than you think.
Review
What a dark, wicked read.
Sam basically has it all, with his good looks and his money, nothing is stopping him, until… Then the bodies start showing up.
This book just keeps delivering. I was so caught in Sam’s world, it was hard to stop! This is a wild ride indeed!
Author Bio:
Matt Micheli is a writer out of Austin, TX, Wild Card Winner of the 2012 Halloween Book Festival. He has several fiction and non-fiction pieces featured in various literary magazines and is a multi-contributor to ManArchy Magazine, Revolt Daily, and Paragraph Line. He is a loving husband and father by night and takes on one of many corporate-America faces by day. You will find him either behind his computer writing words or at the nearest bar, either way with a stiff cocktail close by..
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattmicheliworld?fref=nf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/micheliworld
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004GN70IC
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4112558.Matt_Micheli
Website: http://www.mattmicheli.com
Christmas in June
I have a accumulated lot of Washi tape. Almost all of it was a free prize or came in a kit. I have not been a huge fan of the tape so…I have a good bit of it. I came across a Christmas tree out of Washi tape on Pinterest and thought it would look good on a card.
It is not half bad!!
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The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright #XOXperts
Overview
In the vein of Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, a warm and touching novel about a woman who embarks on a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral after losing her mother, sharing life lessons—in the best Chaucer tradition—with eight other women along the way.
Che Milan’s life is falling apart. Not only has her longtime lover abruptly dumped her, but her eccentric, demanding mother has recently died. When an urn of ashes arrives, along with a note reminding Che of a half-forgotten promise to take her mother to Canterbury, Che finds herself reluctantly undertaking a pilgrimage.
Within days she joins a group of women who are walking the sixty miles from London to the shrine of Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, reputed to be the site of miracles. In the best Chaucer tradition, the women swap stories as they walk, each vying to see who can best describe true love. Che, who is a perfectionist and workaholic, loses her cell phone at the first stop and is forced to slow down and really notice the world around her, perhaps for the first time in years.
Through her adventures along the trail, Che finds herself opening up to new possibilities in life and discovers that the miracles of Canterbury can take surprising forms.
Review
Che has had some bad experiences lately. Her mother died and her boyfriend dumped her. At her mother’s last request, she walks the Caterbury trail to spread her mother’s ashes. Che heads to London and on to Canterbury for an experience she will never forget.
This book really has a lot to say. This is a smart and sometimes quirky read. The characters are many, but each with different stories to take the reader through a wonderful journey of life lessons.
I was very impressed with the research the author did to tell this story. I felt like I was walking the Canterbury trail along with the characters. Needless to say…that has now been added to my bucket list.
This is a book, when you sit down to read it, you look up and you have read 30 pages. Moves very well and is so entertaining it is hard to put it down.
I received this novel from Simon and Schuster XOXperts (LOVE LOVE LOVE BEING AN XOXpert!!!)
Purchase here
Juniors
As I was cleaning some in my scrap room (GASP!!!) I ran across this layout from CKC 2014…I had never completed it. Here is the finished product. The class was by Keller’s Creation. The colors of the paper are very striking.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!
Kresley Cole The Immortal After Dark Series Spotlight #XOXperts
RITA Award-winning author Kresley Cole continues her bestselling Immortals After Dark series with this electrifying tale of a ruthless demon mercenary and the lovely young halfling who enchants him.
A seductive beauty he can
never have, yet can’t resist…
Cadeon Woede will stop at nothing to atone for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. But once he secures the key to his redemption, the halfling Holly Ashwin, Cade finds that the woman he thought he could use for his own ends and then forget haunts him as much as his past.
A tormented warrior she
should fear, but can’t deny…
Raised as a human, Holly never knew that some frightening legends are real until she encounters a brutal demon who inexplicably guards her like a treasure. Thrust into a sensual new world of myth and power, with him as her protector, she begins to crave the demon’s wicked touch.
Surrender to dark desires…
Yet just when he earns Holly’s trust, will Cade be forced to betray the only woman who can sate his wildest needs — and claim his heart?
Purchase here
Amazon
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes a spellbinding standalone novel set in the Immortals After Dark universe: the story of a demon king trapped by an enchantress for her wanton purposes—and the scorching aftermath that follows when he turns the tables and claims her as his captive.
His obsession…
Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions: the evil beauty who surrenders her body, but not her heart.
Her downfall…
Rydstrom Woede: the ruthless warrior who vows to keep her at all costs.
They were never supposed to want each other this much…
With each smoldering encounter, their shared hunger only increases. If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice for her demon? Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to save his sorceress?
Purchase here
Sizzix Flip it Cards
These cards were from a Stamps of Life class the CKC scrapbook convention.
This blue flower on this card is stamped by your sizzix…yes your sizzix can ink with ink sheets. Was really impressed with this!! Check out the video Here.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!!
The Angel Court Affair by Anne Perry
OVERVIEW
In New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry, the glorious era when Britain reigned supreme has found its most brilliant modern interpreter. Perry’s gripping new Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novel invites us back to Victorian London, where greed and ambition never sleep, and passion sometimes runs riot.
As the nineteenth century draws to a close, most of Europe is in political turmoil, and terrorist threats loom large across the continent. Adding to this unrest is the controversial Sofia Delacruz, who has come to London from Spain to preach a revolutionary gospel of love and forgiveness that many consider blasphemous. Thomas Pitt, commander of Special Branch, is charged with protecting Sofia—and shielding Her Majesty’s government from any embarrassment that this woman, as beautiful as she is charismatic, might cause.
When Sofia suddenly vanishes and two of her female disciples are gruesomely murdered, Pitt is challenged as never before. Is Sofia’s cousin, wealthy banker Barton Hall, somehow involved? And why has handsome cricket star Dalton Teague insinuated himself into Pitt’s investigation? Fearful that this sensational crime may trigger an international incident, Pitt welcomes the help of three allies: his clever wife, Charlotte; her great-aunt, Lady Vespasia; and Victor Narraway, Pitt’s friend and former commander at Special Branch. From the narrow streets of Toledo and a lonely monastery high in the hills of Spain, to the halls and wharves of London, Pitt and his friends race against time in their desperate bid to catch a murderer.
Anne Perry is the acknowledged mistress of Victorian intrigue. No one else can match her period flavor, her all-too-human characters, or her haunting truths, which speak so clearly to our own time. The Angel Court Affair may be the best of all the beloved Thomas Pitt novels.
REVIEW
Well, I have discovered a new author. I know Anne Perry has been around for a while. I have never picked one of her books up. I will definitely add her to my never ending TBR list.
This novel grabbed me right off the bat. Sofia is a church reformer and some of her preaching is considered blasphemous. Pitt is in charge of keeping her safe on English soil. Sofia is kidnapped and her female disciples are murdered. Pitt must find her before Sofia suffers the same fate.
I was very impressed with the research and the plot of this saga. Anne Perry weaves an intricate tale of family difficulties with a side of murder and mayhem. This story did drag in the middle but, the characters just keep you coming back. And with an ending like this…..you don’t want to miss it.
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
Purchase here
My first cricut vinyl experience
I am behind. I have never used the cricut vinyl.
A friend of mine had her initials on her Yeti mug. Well!!! I had to have mine personalized too!!
I used the Cricut Artiste cartridge from CTMH. I was very pleased with how it turned out!
I have an older Cricut expression. So I used a video on You Tube to guide me. I set my needle to 3. I set the other dials to low. This did not work very well. However, when I set it to multi cut, it was perfect.
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