Literary Junkies #3

Hey darlins! This post is two days late, eeeek. But I have an excuse, my birthday was Tuesday so I didn't put a post together, oops. Annnnd the celebrations continued through, well, right now?...Ha!

Anywho, I'm linking up with Taylor and Lesley for our third Literary Junkies party. If you're into reading you should really check out the party and book club. Go to Taylor's blog for more information! it's super fun, we even have twitter parties!


1. Which book could you read over and over? Why?
I adore all the Emily Griffin books. My favorite is probably Something Borrowed just because it's the first one and leads to so many other books. I love her style of writing and how everything is fiction but it could also happen in real life. I also love that almost all of her books are intertwined somehow. I don't like books that are fantasy and sci-fi. I actually think they are the most ridiculous things in the world, not to offend anyone who loves them! 

2. If you could be any character from any book you've read, who would you be?
I probably can't even answer this question but I'll try ha! I haven't read a whole lot of books just because I often don't get into them. I'm one of those people who if I'm not hooked by the tenth page you might as well forget it. If I had to choose though, I would probably be someone out of a Nicholas Sparks book. I'm a hopeless romantic and I adore all of his books! 

3. Do you ever put a book down because you just can't get into it? Or do you stick it out to the bitter end? Any examples?

As I just mentioned, I will put a book down ASAP if it doesn't appeal to me. Especially if I feel like I've read quite a bit and it's just dragging out. The one I have most recently put down was our Bookclub book for this month, The Casual Vacancy. I read the first 95 pages and it was draaaaaagging. I finally gave up and decided to put it down. J.K. Rowling has never appealed to me. I don't like Harry Potter but I figured I would like this book because it was a totally different direction. I'm just not a fan of her work unfortunately. 

4. Show us your book shelves! Do you have one designated spot in your house for all your books? Do you scatter them around?
I don't have my own house so I have limited space for books. I keep most of them in my small entertainment center with my DVDs and VHS tapes. All my other "to be read" books are in my closet and I swap them out as I wish. I really like Paperbackswap.com for swapping books because I usually don't hold on to a book that didn't really appeal to me or I don't think I will read again. It allows me to continue reading new books without having the old ones lay around! 

I also get some books on my kindle, this semester I actually bought a couple of textbooks on my Kindle so I didn't have to make space for the huge things! 

Thanks for stoppin' by y'all! Have an amazing day/weekend. Tomorrow is FRIDAY! 

P.S. Tomorrow is the last day to enter my CampusBookRentals giveaway! 

Blog Angels: Halfway Point!

Hey loves! I've been MIA again....

Anyways, it's October 15 and that means it's the halfway link up for Blog Angels! This month there was 100 blogs and it is a little different. Usually halfway through, we still are secret blog helpers! But this month Rosie at Craftbotic Q decided that we should reveal who we were at the halfway mark.

I feel really awful about how I've been for Blog Angels this month. I've been so super busy and I cannot believe it's already the 15th! I really kept thinking "I'll have plenty done by the 15!" Uhh, hello where has this month gone?!

Anyways, the blogger I've been helping is Kim from Singledou[b]t. I've commented a few times and her button is in my sponsor part of my sidebar. I will be doing a "sponsor post" here shortly before the end of the month but other than that I've sucked :( Sorry Kim! To be totally honest I haven't even been able to make it over to her blog everyday. But I know now that we have revealed ourselves I should be able to help her a little more!
What I really love about Blog Angels is being able to connect with someone and focus totally on uplifting them and helping them out. I pray for the blogger I'm helping each month to find wisdom and reach out to other bloggers. I feel like I can help on more than just the strict blogger level. In the future I plan to do some shoutouts for Kim and help with anything else she needs on her blog!

I feel really bad that I haven't provided anything for my Blog Angel to work with, I'm excited to find out who she is and give her some material to work with :)

Blog Angel Reveal

Hello lovelies! I'm so happy today is Fridaaaay! Plus, I get to share with you who I was a blog angel for! The blog angel was a program that Rosie from Craftbotic put together for bloggers to help each other gain bigger followings, improve their blogs, writing, etc. The catch though is your had to help your blogger out anonymously without them finding out who was helping!
 

The blog I was an angel for was Life of a Sports Wife written by Jessa. When I first found out who I was helping out I thought I would never be able to help. Our blogs are about two totally different things and since she mostly writes about sports I couldn't ever relate. However, when I started frequently reading I realized she writes about her faith, posts weekly scriptures, and ended up talking lots about her move from Oklahoma to Arizona!

Since Jessa was so busy this month she didn't get a whole ton of time to post which means I didn't get a whole lot of chances to leave her comments without giving up my identity! I commented as much as I could, especially on posts with scripture that really touched me. Then, about a week into the month her and I managed to swap buttons without her realizing who I was so I was able to include her in my sponsor feature for the month. I also followed Jessa on twitter and retweeted her a few times as well as put some shout outs about her blog so people could go check her out. I'm not sure I did too much to help her blog grow but I know I gave her some love. I also made her a signature for the bottom of her blog about midway through the month.

I've really enjoyed helping Jessa out and staying up with her blog but trying to keep unnoticed! It feels really great to know that someone is stalking you and giving you love so I'm glad I had the chance to do it for her! Check out some of my favorite posts of hers below!

Read about Jessa's Move to Arizona! Check out one of my new favorite verses Jessa featured. Also check out her thoughts on the All Star Game compared to her husbands thoughts. 

I'll be sure to tweet and put a blog post up about the next round of blog angels. Sign ups with go live September 15! Have a happy weekend :) 

Friday Favorites : I have a Skincare Obsession!

Hey pretties! It's finally frickin' Friday. I just told you in my last post that the week was going by so fast, blah, blah, blah. No. I lied. Once Thursday came it slowed waaaaay the heck down. I should keep my mouth shut next time.

So ya wanna hear about my faves, obvi! I'm linking up with Miss Lindsey once again for Friday Favorites...let me forewarn you that I apparently am on a skincare kick this week. Just wait and see!

Okay so I know it's Walmart brand and all but I really don't care. If ya got a problem with Walmart then stop reading. NOW! Kidding. But really, I live in a small place. No Sephora. No Ulta. No little skincare boutiques. We've got Walmart and Target people. So I decided last week that I needed to start using an eye cream. I'm 20 and don't have wrinkles, yet. I figured I'd get a head start. I've noticed a difference actually, the main one being that my concealer doesn't settle as much as it used to! 

I've been using the Clean & Clear moisturizer with a purple cap and before that I just used Olay. I liked the Olay but felt that it was way too heavy on my already oily skin. The Clean & Clear was made to fight acne and I felt like it wasn't doing enough to moisturize my face. So I dug through my sample drawer and found something to hold me over until I could find what I liked. I picked the Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer sample up that I got from a Birchbox and used it for about a week. Immediately I noticed a huge difference in my breakouts and oiliness. Plus, it smells like orange juice! The company uses mostly fruit as the base of all their products, they're all organic, and the do not test on animals! Hollaaaa! Try it out!

Sorry the picture sucks. I wasn't in the mood to make it look nice. Joking...the bottle is just a really weird shape and I wasn't gonna spend all night taking pictures of it to make it look good! Another Walmart product y'all! I believe this is supposed to be the knock-off Garnier under eye roller. Well this thing is bomb.com. I used to have huge black bags under my eyes. In literally a week and a half I can tell a huge difference in the darkness and I'm starting to notice them not being so puffy. It's like $7.00 at Walmart. Go buy someeeee! 

 

I'm sure I'm the last person on the planet to use this. I know it's been around since probably before I was born. Two decades ago. I probably love this SO MUCH because of the smell. It's like coconut yumminess. But it also moisturizes my hair so well. When I don't use this my curls are so much less defined and way more dry. They look real pretty when I spend the extra three minutes in the shower! It may have some competition though, I just picked up the Organix Coconut Milk Conditioner so we'll see!

Go stalk the air freshener isle for this right now. I have it everywhere in my house and all over my office. I've gone through a four pack of the scented oil candle refills in less than two weeks. Please at least go smell it. It's a perfect transition scent from Summer to Fall without being like BAM! PUMPKIN! All the customers that have come in since I put it out yesterday say it smells amazing :) 

My fave blogger of the week is Miss Aunie. I stumbled across her blog a couple of days ago and fell immediately in love. She is so inspiring and doesn't hold a damn thing back about her life. Besides that, she is absolutely GORGEOUS! Her blog is so pretty and she's always rockin' a super stylish outfit. Click her button above and go pay her a little visit! 

Head on over to link up your Friday Faves! Plus, check out where miss Lindsey is moving to and what her new dream job is!

That's all I've got for ya today people of the blogosphere! Is anyone else as excited as I am that in one week it'll be Labor Day weekend. Meaning I get a three day weekend! HOLLAAA! Have a super happy Friday :) 

Sponsor Spotlight: August Edition {Part 2}

Hey y'all! Sorry I've been slightly MIA the past couple of days. I'm tryin to get things ready at work for when I start managing in September and school started Monday. This week has just vanished...it's really already Thursday? Lanta. Anyways, I figured I better get this post up before September gets here...after all they are my August Sponsors. The first half of my lovely August swap buddies can be found here. All these girls have been amazing to work with and I do honestly enjoy reading their blogs. None of them paid me anything for this post, we're all simply swap partners! I hope you check em out and read along :) 

I'm a SAHM with 2 girls who crack me up. I'm married to the funniest man in the world (no, really). I love my iPhone like it's my 3rd child, I'm currently obsessed with Twitter, and my new favorite show is Newsroom on HBO. Also I'm a TV junkie, and can't wait for the fall season of all my favorite shows, Big Bang Theory, Greys Anatomy, and Glee, just to name a few! Absolute Mommy is about motherhood, parenting, and life. It's also sarcastic, sometimes funny and always genuine. My motto is:  I wasn't built for motherhood, it built me. It's a work in progress! So join me on my journey of rediscovering that woman formerly known as Megan, who now is exclusively Mommy.

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My name is Lauren Ruzinsky. I'm 18 years old and have traveled to 17 countries around the world. I'll be a freshman at James Madison University this fall. My blog, Lights in the Sky, was created to capture my thoughts and feelings as I move through the different stages in my life. I want to remember each year as being amazing and worth missing. I also write about fashion trends, traveling, new music and great recipes!  

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Hello! I'm Taylor and I blog over at Goings on in Texas. I am a 30-something, Texas transplant who was born and raised in Arkansas. I moved to this great state in 1999 to attend college and I never looked back. I do miss the beautiful scenery of my home state, but I've grown roots in Texas and it looks like Texas will continue to be my "new" home. I'm married to fabulous guy (2006). We do not have any children, unless you want to consider our used car lot a child. :) I am a Petroleum Landman, Certified Personal Trainer, Used Car Lot Owner, Landlord, Christ follower, Entrepreneur, Crafter, DIYer, Cook, Organizer, Gardener, Traveler, Singer, Book-a-holic, Shoe Lover, Talker, Wife and probably a whole lot more, but that paints you a picture, I'm sure. ;) So, what can you find within my blog?? Bits and pieces of my life. Total randomness about my hobbies, thoughts and everything in between. The sky is the limit with me. Each Thursday I host a link party for all your DIY/Recipes/Craft Projects (come link up!) I hope you'll follow me on my blogging journey! :)

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Hi, I'm Kendall! And the other two handsome fellas up there are William & Wyatt! I'm a stay at home momma/blogger/virtual assistant/general do-gooder. I started my blog because I wanted a space that was my own to share the little details of my life. Things that make me smile, happy moments, encouraging words, and lovely little projects. I am the momma of a beautiful boy who you will see sprinkled on the pages of my blog- because he is my world. Also, the hubby isn't bad either- he's actually amazing. I hope you will comment- say hello and tell me a little bit about yourself! I love making new blogger friends :)

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Hi y'all! I'm Tami.  I'm a Texas girl, born and raised. But a little something called the USMC has had me living away from my beloved home state for over 10 years now. First in North Carolina, then in Africa (YES- Africa!!) and currently in the Middle East. I've been married to my handsome hubby for over 10 years and we welcomed our first child, Emerson, last May. Little Moments Like This started as a way for me to keep our family and friends updated but it has grown into so much more than that. I blog about everything from military life, to overseas living, to the joys and challenges of being a new Momma.  If you want to know a little bit more about me, head here.

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Hi! I'm Jessa and I blog over at life of a sports wife! My blog is about everything ranging from books, faith, crafts, and of course sports. I blog about things that interest & inspire me! 

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Y'all have one day left to enter the back to school giveaway! Check it out here!

Beauty Box Swap : Reveal!

Hello dolls! About a month ago I signed up for the Beauty Box Swap hosted by Tiffany, Megan, and Andrea. The object of the Swap was that we'd have someone who would send us a beauty box and then you would send a box to someone else. I actually sent my box to Megan, one of the hosts! I had so much fun stalking her blog to see what she might like.

I got an amazing box from Courtney! She did a fabulous job picking out products without even seeing my makeup wish list page. I was amazed the minute I saw the package. The bubble mailer she used is adorable! 

The bubble mailer is the blue polkadot part. I had to cover up both of our addresses! 

As you can see, Miss Courtney gave me the cutest card and what she wrote inside was so sweet! I'm really glad we got a chance to meet through the swap. I also must say her blog business cards are so cute :)

Girlfriend was amazing when she did her shopping! I've been dying to try the Simple cleansing cloths so when I saw she got me a sample pack I was pumped. They are the best. I like that they are a smooth wipe and that they don't have the raised bumps. They're also very gentle on the skin and leave my skin feeling soft not stripped! 

The light sparkly pink shade is a Julep nail color (Audrey) which we were both amazed I didn't already have considering I'm a Maven. I love this shade and I think it'll be perfect for winter when I just want a wash of color and some sparkle. Along with the polish she sent a nail file and some strips to paint french tips with. I'm real happy about the file considering I use them up so quick! The strips I was also excited about, I never do french manicures because I can't make them look the same and it drives me nuts. I'm excited to do some color blocking with the strips! 

I'm adoring the Wet 'n Wild cream shadow stick in Graphite. It's a beautiful dark grey color with some shimmer. I don't usually use cream shadows because they crease so bad on my oily skin but I used this as a liner on my waterline one day and it stayed put! As a cream shadow I'm sure it wouldn't crease, it will make a beautiful addition to a smokey eye! 

I'm not familiar with the brand of the eye cream but I'm so glad she sent it. I've been needing a new eye cream and the sample packs have worked wonders while I search for a new one. Eye cream is so not cheap so these have got me a LONG way! I really feel like this particular eye cream has helped with my puffiness in the mornings.

The final item was an eyeshadow duo from NYC. I really love these colors. The lighter shade is a pretty champagne color which will be perfect for an inner corner highlight and browbone shade. The darker shade looks peach to me but comes off a gorgeous light almond brown shade. I love it. They both have some shimmer which I love. I also am so excited to break into these this fall! 

Overall I'm so thrilled with my bag from Courtney. I'm subscribed to Beauty Army and Birchbox and love getting each box each month but having a box from someone who specifically bought everything for you and making a new friend is so much better! If another round of Beauty Box Swap is opened up I will for sure participate! I had a ton of fun stalking Megan's blog and ripping my package open! Thank you so much Courtney! 

A Night Owl {August Group Giveaway}

Hey y'all! It's Sunday....and it is definitely a good Sunday! Kimberly over at A Night Owl is hosting this month's Group Sponsor Giveaway today! There are a ton of awesome prizes this month including ad space, shop credits, and some gift cards! I'm also hosting a giveaway this month, if you'd like you can go check it out here! Check it out and get yourself entered into the giveaway!

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Welcome to the Awesome August Group Giveaway at A Night Owl! So many fabulous prizes this time around, be sure to go visit this month's lovely sponsors and check out the awesome stuff they're giving away!

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Erika from Life Unfluffed (formerly known as T.E. and Baby) is plain awesome! She's uber talented and runs multiple blogs and a design business, but she wants you to get to know her here! Join Erika and her weekly "goal for the week" link ups to try to get things done!

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Chelsea of Yours Truly is truly a gem! She runs a design shop and has also started a fun "Return the Favor Hop" on Wednesdays! You can link up there each week and the theme changes from GFC, to Twitter and others!

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April from Wildflowers & Whimsy is such a great blog buddy of mine! You'll just love her and her blog, so make sure you stop by to say hi! She's also so very talented and runs a virtual "Sewing School" on her blog. Free sewing classes? Who doesn't love that?

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Kelley from The Grant Life is another blog buddy! You likely already know and love her, but if you don't, be sure to stop by! She runs a "Financial Friday" linky party where anything goes! So go link up starting Thursday evening to be at the top of the list!

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Kendall of Songbirds & Buttons have been buds from the start! She an amazingly sweet and giving person, and a wonderful mother...oh and a fellow Pyrex collector! I just love that! Kendall hosts a Baby Bird Letters Link Party every Tuesday where you can link up sweet posts to or about your little ones, how adorable is that? PS - she's a virtual bloggy assistant, so if you're looking for a little help, I guarantee that this is your gal!

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What can I say about Kim from Singledou[b]t? Well she's plain fantastic and just the sweetest gal around! And now she's joining up with some great blogs to host "Link & Mingle: Sisters in Blogging" on Thursdays. This new Link Up will join up 8 Social Media outlets. A great way to get to know new blogs and the people behind them.

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Want to read stories on parenthood from someone who tells it like it is? Or discover fabulous easy-to-make recipes to beef up your dinner routine? Then Delilah's blog, Confessions of a Semi-Domesticated Mama, is the blog for you! And her blog is a hot spot! So if you're looking for someone to sponsor and you don't win her ad below, you can use promo code NIGHTOWL to get 20% off any ad on her site for September! Go now!

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Shannon of Sassy Lemonade is so talented and fun! I just bought my first piece from her, an adorable anchor bracelet, that I just love and get so many complements on! And get this, Sassy Lemonade just turned 1! Shannon has a passion for jewelry making and you'll see that evident in her work. She's a Military Wife and a Busy Mom of 4, but when she's not running after them, she likes to spend her time creating new pieces and blogging about the shop and her personal life.

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I just adore Erin and her blog, The Thirty Spot, a blog dedicated to women in their 30s, but women of all ages appreciate the tips. Each week she features a guest blogger who writes for the Love for 30 Project. Women from all over the world have contributed about what they love about being 30, their experiences, what they have learned or what their expectations are/were. Let her know if you are interested in joining the project!

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At this point, you should know and love Angie and Little Inspiration as much as I do! She and I partner on a lot of projects, she's so amazingly talented and such a great mother to little Aries! I've joined up with Angie on Fridays to host the Create & Inspire Linky Party. The party is open to any creative DIY, craft and/or recipe posts! It opens every Friday at 4pm PT, so be sure to come join us and link up your fabulous projects!

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Dawn is hilarious. I mean it. If you haven't connected with her through her social media outlets, you must! Oh and she's so very talented and sells the most amazing paper products through LeroyLime on Etsy! Check out these ADORABLE little monkey invitations. Who wouldn't love to receive one of these? Oh and she has a new blog, so make sure you follow along and get to know her better!

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Have you heard of Kintage? It's an amazing online shop that sells adorable dresses and accessories at a fantastic price! And every Tuesday this month, they will be having a new giveaway at their blog! So be sure to follow along to take advantage of the amazing giveaways, and I've also seen some great deals on Facebook too! So be sure to become a fan - NOW!

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Jess and the boys is a blog filled with fun family stories, educational posts and yuuummy recipes! Always a good read! So stop by to say hi, get to know their family, and learn a little along the way! Jess is also giving away $25 to Macy's at Two in Diapers later this week - little plug!

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Now Kristina is not only Organic Mami, but a Big Apple Mami! Kristina runs an organic lotion, lip balm and skin care shop on Etsy but also hosts a Simple Steps to Healthy Living linky party every Wednesday! So be sure to go link up your healthy living posts!

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Ok, stop what you're doing now and go follow Holly at The Artist Who Never Starved! She's amazingly talented and has a great eye for beauty. I always enjoy her posts! Oh and going on RIGHT NOW on her blog she has a Geocaching/Adventure of the Week link-up! Go share and link-up any recent adventures or Geocaching finds for International Geocaching Day!

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Ah, to be twenty again. Miss Aimee shares with us her life's adventures over at Aimee's World, and I have to admit I enjoy reading along! On Fridays you can find Aimee rounding up and linking up her Friday Favorites, so fun!

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We have another healthy living guru in the group! Becca from Humble Bumble hosts a Healthy Tuesday linky party where you can link-up any health-related posts, whether they be healthy recipes, exercise posts, or any other tid-bits! She also shares her tips and advice weekly, so informative!

Well that’s quite a HAUL ladies! To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter form below. There is a BONUS included for completing ALL entries! Entries will be received through midnight on Saturday, August 25th!

Good luck!

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