L'BRI review- lovely Skincare!

Wow! If you're looking for soft, supple, clean, glowing skin you have to try this skin care line!

Carol Umberger offered me a trial of this skin care for combination skin... And after trying almost all of it (I've not used the exfoliating scrub or mask yet), I love what it's done for me! My pores seem smaller and my skin more radiant.

As you can see, these are small samples... But there is enough in there for a weeks use. It's so potent that a little goes a long way! 

The Facial peel is easy to use - and I have had no irritation from it. I've never used a peel before and was worried that it would feel harsh or burn. I think because this is made from 100% natural ingredients there was no burn, and the peeling was light - with no after effects. Yay!

The toner or rejuvenating splash is wonderful! It's so light and spreads so well... I normally don't use a toner at all, maybe I should... I'm a cleanse and lotion girl. But I can easily get used to adding this into my routine.

The lotion is so silky! A little really went a LONG way - my skin feels hydrated and each pore seems smaller. I'd buy the lotion!!

I followed all the included instructions and really love how smooth my skin feels and how hydrated my skin looks too. The smell of this skin care is best described as a 'hint of something sweet and powdery'.

The main difference between the L'BRI line and others is outlined in an easy to ready brochure. They replaced all water ingredients with Aloe gel and only use herbs and plant botanicals.

I think I will look for a time I can have a  party to introduce this skin care line to my friends in the near future. Next, I'd like to try something for these pesky budding wrinkles....

Also, if you are interested in a home based business- you may want to look at this.  

Contact Carol Umberger on her facebook page and her L'BRI business page.

"Handbag Workshop" by Anna Mazur Reviewed for NetGalley

Loved this book!
The step by step photos were so helpful and the walk-through of how to-s are spot on.
I have made some bags in the past, and SO wished that I had had this book earlier for making those bags. I am sure I would not have made silly mistakes, or struggled with the things I did if I had read this book before attempting to make a bag.

The use of fabrics and the notions are spot on! The help with adding lined pockets and 2 way zippers are invaluable. The different presser foots for the sewing machine and threads are also talked about.
This is so much better than an online pattern or a video tutorial as Anna covers all the little how-tos that make a bag special and professional looking.

Again, I am so happy to have this book!! And would happily recommend it to any bag sewers I know.

NetGalley did not do a good job of translating this book into a readable format for kindle. The photos are out of sync with the text and makes following the tutorials harder. Otherwise, it is a wonderful book.

5 out of 5 stars.

**This was a digital ARC book received from Net Galley. All views are my own, I received no compensation for my review. **

Review of "A Lady at Willowgrove Hall" by Sarah Ladd for Net Galley

I enjoyed this book - especially after reading "The Curiosity Keeper" also by Sarah Ladd.

Like a lot of us, Cecily Faire has a secret... one she carries with her and influences all the the thoughts and decisions she makes. This fact is laid out in the beginning of the book with a tumultuous scene with her father which splits the family and from her twin. Time passes and Cecily is introduced to Willowgrove Hall where she is to be a companion. Upon arriving she is introduced to Nathaniel Stanton - who is Willowgrove's Steward, has a secret that is thrust upon him and seems to rule his fate and keep him stuck in decisions not of his own making.

The tale is intriguing and most engaging! As Cecily grows closer to Nathaniel, his sisters, and the Mistress of Willowgrove whom she was to be companion to, she learns what family is really about and what trust is and how the past can rule you if you do not let it rest and move on.

I loved that in this book there were references to prayer and to faith. Cecily was given a book of the Proverbs and she comforted Mrs Tryst (to whom she was companion) and in turn found comfort in it too. This display of Christianity was not forced or focused on, but was a quite witness and reminder. 

This was a lovely read, with no drawbacks or negatives.
I would recommend this book to all my friends.

A lovely regency read!

4 out of 5 Stars

**This was a digital ARC book received from Net Galley. All views are my own, I received no compensation for my review. **

Scrapbooks anyone?

I love crafting... in case the post about the owls and painting did not let you know. ;)

Last year I was contacted by a lady who needed a scrapbook finished for a person who had retired from work. I had never made a scrapbook for others outside my family before - but agreed to do it. It was challenging to keep the style of the pages the same as the ones that were completed in the book and in the end I had to change the pages and add vellum to keep the photos from being damaged.

I loved it though! The challenge, the creativity and that finished product - all of it! Enjoyable!

So, now I wonder...

Do you have a bunch of photos that need to be scrapbooked? 
When last did you let your family page through your photos?
Is your story reflected in your photos?

I am happy to help you!

This is my proposal:

One 12x12 page with 1 - 6 of your photos on it, complete with embellishments, page protector, and safely mounted photos $40.00 per page.

One 8x8 page with 1 - 4 of your photos on it, complete with embellishments, page protector, and safely mounted photos $30.00 per page.

Or you can have a whole book of 10 12x12 pages (all complete with embellishments, page protector, and safely mounted photos) for  $300.00

Contact me at posbus4me @ gmail .com  to talk about placing an order! 

Help a dream come true!

Review of " The Curiosity Keeper" by Sarah E. Ladd for NetGalley

 

 The Curiosity Keeper

By Sarah Ladd

3.5 stars out of 5

I try not to give spoilers in my reviews. I hope this review helps you decide if you would like to read this book.

This book is about a lonely shop keeper's daughter. It is full of twists, intrigue, history and a dash of romance. 

I loved the development of the characters in this story. Jonathan who cannot live up to his deceased brother's ideal, but is happy as an apothecary. His sister, Penelope, is a society dame looking to make an advantageous match and serves as a revealer of society's true nature - her journey and growth was lovely to read. Their father who is an avid collector and does not connect with his children well.  Then there is Camille, whose father is the owner of the shop where she works and is quite a loose cannon in life. Camille is the steadfast, soul of this book... it is her journey you mainly follow. Her growth in her identity and her shift from shop keeper to a leap of faith to become more. 

The history and romance of things is rife in this book as are the themes of greed, money and power versus following ones heart, seeking happiness and love above earthly pleasures.  There are surprises and mild violence in this book (I would not recommend it for a young reader) and heart wrenching realizations that make this book weighty and make you feel more for Camille. 

For those looking for a struggle of soul or a growth of faith - this book does not expand on those themes. There are mentions of prayer and church going, and at the very end there is mention of an inscription but it is not mentioned anywhere else (a bit of a loose end with that).   I was disappointed in the lack of Christian struggle as it would have been so easy to weave that in to both Jonathan and Camille's stories rather than an off handed comment about church, prayer and a belated inscription.

I appreciated the opportunity to read this book in advance of it's release. This is the first book of Sarah Ladd's that I have read, I would enjoy reading more to see if her themes change. :)

This is an unbiased review for NetGalley ARC. I was in no way compensated for this review.

What is NetGalley?

A while a go one of the authors I follow on facebook posted about this new (to me) site for ARC (advanced reader copy) and other books to review.  As I was intrigued by the books offered I decided to give it a try. 

The sign up process was not hard or too complicated. I chose 2 books and waited to see if I would be chosen to read them.  About a week later I got this email from NetGalley - 

Request notification from Thomas Nelson--FICTION.

Thomas Nelson Fiction appreciates your interest in our books and respectfully requests that you wait to publish reviews until 30 days prior to the book's release date. We'd love for you to send us a link to finished reviews. Thanks so much for your interest! Please understand we will only approve you for one book at a time until you post a review. Follow us on Twitter @nelsonfiction Find us on Facebook. Thomas Nelson Fiction

The Curiosity Keeper: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/show/id/61772


I was approved!! Yay! I was very excited to start reviewing books again. I had gotten frustrated with the process of paper books, as I mainly read on my devices now.

Little did I know that the process of getting this book onto my device would prove a mild frustration... and I cannot lay blame on any 1 thing, I believe it is a combination of things.


I dutifully clicked on the link for the book, signed in and followed all of NetGalley's clear instructions on getting the book into my reader. After finding that I had entered the wrong kindle email address for my device and repairing that, I found no matter how many times I clicked "send to device" I did not see my book there for review. I even went so far as to email Amazon about the problem... and they could not get back to me right away by email, I did not feel this was urgent enough for a phone call. So, I waited and checked my email in the morning. (Suffice to say patience is still being learned by me...) Lo, and behold I saw an email from Amazon in the morning and after checking my Kindle reader app, I say 3 copies of "The Curiosity Keeper" in my library list! Oops. I guess the instructions did work. Patience is a good thing to practice.

Now I was ready to read!

To read my review of "The Curiosity Keeper" please click here.


The book itself did not translate well into Kindle reader. There were capitalization errors (for every sentence!) and spacing problems as well as line problems (no spaces between paragraphs and such). This did make it harder (not impossible) to read.


I would suggest to NetGalley to make sure their ARCs are actually readable in the format presented. As writing a good review relies upon being able to read and enjoy the book.

Have you heard of Jet?

IGN reports that Jet is going to be an online store that will have membership fees like Costco, a great range of products like Amazon and FREE shipping!  (Here is the link if you would like to read it yourself.) More news is being reported about Jet, at a few sources including Bloomberg. Jet is set to become bigger than Amazon!


This sounds like such a great idea! Especially if they beat or price match all those prices and offer non-GMO products - then I'm SOLD.

If you are like me and are interested to see what Jet has to offer, then join me with a free 6-month membership and see if Jet will live up to all the claims.

https://jet.com/#/ji/cs0h5

What is Jet?

Jet is a members-only shopping club with the lowest prices on millions of items.

A better way
to brilliant prices

Save on everything
you buy, always

Free Shipping
+ Free Returns

When will Jet launch?

Very soon.

Something New

So, it's been forever since I have blogged... sorry!

Now, I am starting something new... I am opening an Etsy shop to sell art, crafts and things.

Did you know that I come from an artistic and creative family? Well, I do. My mom, sister and I all paint and love to make things, in fact we have a Facebook page dedicated to owls, hand painted owls to be exact. I am slowly listing them on Etsy too so they can find a home in YOUR home!

http://www.facebook.com/owlcharacters

Don't you just LOVE those owls? Me too! But they all can't live in my home... they need to share their love... choose one and take them home today.

Also, we have some fun flower pins available at our Etsy shop...

Take a look around and maybe something will catch your fancy!

Start something new today too!