Book Review: Crochet One Skein Wonders

Book Title: Crochet One Skein Wonder
Author: Judith Durant

Publisher: Storey Publishing
Format: ebook

Cost: $10.42

Pages: 288

How I got it: Netgalley 

My Rating:★★★★★
Erotica Rating: N/A
Synopsis:

Finally, a One-Skein Wonders book just for crocheters! Edie Eckman and Judith Durant offer 101 great crochet projects--from jewelry and scarves to bags, hats, dresses, and home dec items--that each use just one skein of yarn. Whatever your experience level, you'll find something here to delight you!

My Review:
Hello my name is Aisha and I am a yarn addict.  I love yarn, the feel the smell of fresh wool, I love moving my hook and watching a new project forming. I love creating scarves, hats, baby booties & afghans, crocheting works way faster than knitting (although I love that too).  I have seen so many one skein wonder books, but when I saw one for crocheting I had to jump for it of course.  And I don't regret it, I will have a good ten more projects on the hooks by time I get this book in hardcover.

It has an easily adaptable kindle cover project that I have started on as quickly as I started reading the book.  I am deeply in love with this and can't wait until I purchase more yarn and different varieties so that I can actually make it through the book.  I never realized that there were so many different kinds of yarns, I have gone into a local yarn shop and fell in love and stayed and stayed until she had to kick me out so that she could close. I haven't enjoyed so much yarn and the different textures in forever and I'm now going through my yarn at home and looking at it like "your not worthy to be on my needles, I need REAL yarn" Bamboo silk recycled saris, Goddess I have never been so in love with skeins, hanks and roving oh Goddess the roving, a spinning wheel, and and the wonderful wonderful yarn that flows through your fingers and makes you want to dive into the pile. Yep it's official I am now a yarn addict.

I'm so excited.  Please get a copy if your a yarn lover and crochet fanatic.  It's well worth it.

**FTC regulations require that I state I received this book for free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review**

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***FTC Rules require I state that I received this as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**** 

It's not easy being Green:

Yeah I said it. Don't gimmie those looks, it isn't easy confessing this mess. When I lived at home, I ate organic, recycled never used plastic bags, heck I even taught several girlfriends all my nifty tricks that helped save the environment and them some serious cash. And who doesn't love keeping green in their pockets??

Well now I have different priorities, paying my bills, keeping a roof over my head those take precedence over purchasing high priced organic over the cheaper stuff, and to be real I kinda just got lazy. It's true, without friends who loved the green lifestyle, or books, or movies, or even tv shows that validated my feelings I begun to fall back into old rhythms. It was easier to just take the bags at the grocers since I would use them as trash bags as well, but eventually even I had to admit defeat beneath the onslaught and back to green bags I went.

©AishaO 

Because I'm a crafter and I would find any excuse to use my yarn stash, I was so excited when I saw a pattern for a market bag in my yarn magazine.  I loved that idea so much that I made small ones to get the fruits and veggies that normally go in a clear plastic bag.  I used Lily Brand Kitchen (cotton) yarn, which is easily washed and reused as often as you need it.  This of course save plastic bags from going into the landfill and the added benefit of some awesome looking groceries.

Here are a few different ideas for y'all to try:
Recycled Plastic Bag,

©Lion's Brand Yarn

Lion's Brand Market Bag

©Sugar n'Cream (Lily Brand Yarn)

Lily Brand Yarn Market Bag

Don't have a crafting bone in your body?? Love your plastic bags too much?? How about saving the bags in a container, like another bag, or a old lysol cleaning bottle like this one:

©Lysol

You can wrap it with your favorite wrapping paper to hide the label. Place plastic bags inside and pull out new bags when you need them. This makes it easy to carry in the grocery store.

Want to get rid of some of those bags?? Don't toss them in the trash, take them with you to the grocery store, many of the larger chains have a recycling bin set up right at the front door, just dump your bags in there and they send them off to recyclers for you.

Many stores also now give you money back for having your own bags, and a few (at least here in CT) are now starting to charge for bags, so save that .05c and bring your own. That adds up fast.

So there, that's how I have started to kick the green slump I have been experiencing.  How do you do green daily?? Share in the comments please.

Happy New Week

Book Review: Three Musketeers: Midnight Heat

Book Title: The Three Musketeers # 3: Midnight Heat
Author: Donna Kauffman

Publisher: Loveswept: Random House
Format: ebook

Cost: $2.99

Pages: 240

How I got it: NetGalley

My Rating:★★★1/2
Erotica Rating: N/A
Synopsis:

They call themselves the Three Musketeers: three lifelong friends, men who will put it all on the line in the name of honor and loyalty. Friendship is the most important thing in Dane Colbourne’s life—apart from his job as a determined investigator who never leaves a case unsolved. After the near-catastrophic midair collision of two planes, Dane focuses his laserlike intensity on the air traffic controller who appears to be responsible. But when she claims innocence with equal ferocity, Dane knows he may finally have met his match. Adria Burke has gone over the details of “the incident” in her head: She is certain there was a third plane in the air at the time of the collision, and that she actually saved hundreds of lives with her commands. But how can she convince Dane of the truth? As they try to ignore the fact that there is an undeniable spark between them, together Adria and Dane uncover evidence that there was something else going on in the sky the night of the incident. But will their passion leave both of them permanently grounded?

My Review:
Good story, this is the first book in the series that I read & I am looking forward to reading the rest. These men seem captivating.  This story in particular had well written characters, it's also apparently picking up where Born to Be Wild left off, which is great if you have read the other story (which I haven't done so yet).

Donna writes in a way that draws you in and allows you to fall in love with her characters.  they are so well written & rounded that you feel like you know them.  In this book she smoothly brings back the other characters without them taking over the book, but enhancing this story at the same time.  I enjoyed how Adria & Dane met, especially because they both had to hold back their natural inclinations: to be a smart ass in Adria's case and rampant curiosity & attraction in Dane's care. Right away you could tell they were going to be a fun couple to read & they didn't disappoint.

Adria's & Dane's love & passion for flying planes & being around planes provided them with great common ground & so did their past, both having had tough times with deep loss.  I loved that they were drawn to each other & decided to explore it.  Despite everything going on around them they still made the decision to be together.

Adria has a few issues she needed to deal with and when it seems like Dane has gone against everything she thought they had, she decided to take matters in her own hands.  That final confrontation between then was both sad and endearing because here were two people trying to decide if they were in it together or if they should stand behind their pride.

Poor Adria, her whole career in the balance, being threatened, a co-worker who allowed her to take the rap for him, considering their job, she actually was being foolish there, but I get helping out your friends. The only thing good out of this situation had to be meeting Dane, and the family he brought along with him.


This is perhaps out of the two I read that is most dated, they talked of beepers, and payphones, while talking about cellphones, but I get it, some places still have payphones (not DC where they are but some still do)

A very good, quick read, I highly recommend this one as well as the rest of the series.

Happy Reading my loves

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***FTC Rules require I state that I received this as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**** 

ARC Book Review: Three Musketeers: Surrender the Dark

Book Title: The Three Musketeers # 1: Surrender the Dark
Author: Donna Kauffman

Publisher: Loveswept Harlequin
Format: ebook

Cost: $2.99

Pages: 240

How I got it: NetGalley

My Rating:★★★★☆
Erotica Rating: 
Synopsis:

They call themselves the Three Musketeers: three lifelong friends, men who will put it all on the line in the name of honor and loyalty. Jarrett McCullough values those bonds as seriously as he values his job heading a covert group of operatives skilled in handling sensitive international information. But his current mission has suddenly gone very wrong—and he finds himself wounded and near death in the last place he ever expected to be. Rae Gannon is stunned to find her ex-boss bleeding from a gunshot wound, mere paces from her front door. It has been two years since her move to the remote Blue Ridge Mountains, where she tried to erase the memories and the pain she suffered from having been part of McCullough’s team. Yet as Rae tends to Jarrett’s battered body she realizes that the air between them is still sizzling with a slow-burning need. But this time there are more than just hearts at stake. The mission that almost got Jarrett killed threatens to put Rae back in harm’s way. And if they surrender to their desires, it may cost them their lives.

My Review:
It's a re-issue that has been updated for the times, this is the first time I am reading it however.  I read this book after the third in the series, so I got a glimpse of the characters before reading their story. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's emotional, the characters are well rounded and written in a way that makes them easy to love.  Of the three men who grew up together Jarrett is the one who goes into military intelligence, it's a job that suits him, it gives him something to look forward to and is a way for him to honor his father, his inspiration & hero.

It's a beautifully written story about the healing power of love, of knowing that there is one person in the world to whom you matter and who matter to you.  Rae got out of her job away from those she considered a family two years ago, when all that was important to her was tainted.  Lost, confused & broken, she retreats to the seclusion & safety of the mountains.  Using crafting as a healing therapy  she slowly comes to create her own haven & finds peace.

Then a little pup comes knocking at the door & with it her old world comes crashing back in.  She does what she has to do to protect the wman who trained her with the goal of kicking him out the second he's conscious  but it all changes and slowly they both learn to open up to their emotions and to each other.  It doesn't take long before the walls begin to crumble and in their place stand two lonely and world weary people who are battered by their fight for justice and the battles that has chosen them.

It's a beautifully written story that bring you in, this glimpse of Jarrett & rae was both heartbreaking & endearing, they both desperately wanted to belong to someone but feared sharing their world with anyone, because who else would understand what they need from each other?  I liked that the characters are well written, well rounded & fully vibrant. They clicked well, which made their sparing moments awesome & when they stripped themselves raw you just felt the emotion.

I loved it.   The emotions felt so real and were strongly described, the sense of growth, of love of belonging, just amazing. I especially loved that they were strong separate but choosing each other made them even stronger; which then of course made their intimate moments beautiful.

Because it's a re-issue some of the 'age' shows especially in the comment about women and equality and fighting in the front. Sadly even though this was written many years ago it's still applicable to now. It's an amazingly fast read as well, so make sure to go get it!!!

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***FTC Rules require I state that I received this as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**** 

Follow & Follow Up Friday (16)

Welcome back to another fun week of Follow Friday. It's a chance to share about the things I love and think you should take a quick look into. It's another week of showing love to some of my favorite bloggers:

Blogger to Show Some Love:

One of the first blogs I read when I started has got to be Lyn's Witch Blog, Everyday there was something on how to make your life more magickal. I was so excited for her when she started the Soul Path Tribe, where she has classes, books and plenty more discussions.  I was super proud to hear that she was up as a contestant for an award from About.com. I have made it my mission to vote for her and get as many people as I can to do the same. She is an amazing woman, she shares so much of herself and inspires many.  Check her out on Facebook

Have a great blogger for us to show some love?? Please share in the comments, I'm sure we would love to all check it out. Now on with the show:

Here's a run down of the last week of reading. * indicates an ARC (advanced readers copy of the book)

What I have Read So Far: 

Surrender the Dark by Donna Kauffman

Stolen by Shiloh Walker

Candle & the Crossroads by Orion Foxwood

Recent Reviews Posted: 

• Lana's Lawman by Karen Leabo
• A Scandal, A Secret, a Baby by Sharon Kendrick
• Million Dollar Mistake by Meg Lacey

What I'm Currently Reading :  

Running for My Life by Lopez Lamong

What Else I've Been Up To: 

Well I made it five days without fast food this week. I also realized that the definition of fast food is extremely broad and that I should list the companies that I wouldnn't be eating any more (or at least the ones I used to eat from anyway).  I personally broke my fast twice this week, both of them due to time constraints, but they highlight ways in which I can more efficently plan so that I won't have to stop and get fast food.

I used to love eating Popeye's (actually I had never tried them before I moved to New Haven) but it was so easy when going to the bookstore to study to just stop and pick some up on the way home.  So no more of that. I did fall off and eat it one day when I had no time to cook and I went from several appointments to work.

I stopped eating the golden arches, and take out pizza, I'm not a huge fan of what passes for "asian cuisine" (I do adore sushi & hibachi however, but those aren't fast food anyway) so those will be on the menu as well.

Even though Wikipedia says that anything prepped quicjly is considered fast food they also said it's mostly fried food that they consider as fast food.  That leaves me the option of Subway, for when I have no food to cook and need to have lunch for work.  Other than that, if it's not a sit down resturant then I won't be eating it.!! (When I go out, mostly I will be cooking clean at home, but for those dates and times we go out, these are the rules)

365 Photo Challenge:

I'm going to keep sharing my favorite photos from those taken each week here. However I didn't get a chance to take any pictures this week.