How do you spread the word about your blog?
(e.g. Social Networking sites, Book Blog Directories, comments on other blogs...)
My Answer: I spread the word any way I can :D Facebook, Twitter, Word of mouth, book blog directories. The whole 9 yards.
Happy Reading!
Brooke [Cupcake Queen]
Congrats! There is still time to enter my Charlotte Figg giveaway. It was suppose to end on the first but I have yet to receive the books so it will be sometime after I receive them :D
Happy reading!
This is the second Mini Challenge in Princess Bookie’s Contest Craze. Here is the mission:
This Mini Challenge Consists Of:
Date A Celebrity!
-Close Your Eyes!
-Imagine You Just Won A Contest Consisting Of A Date (Dinner And A Movie)
-You Get To Choose Any Celebrity/Singer/Sports Star To Go On A Date With
-FYI:Cartoon characters are exempt.
-Mission
-Write A Blog Post Telling Who You Would Choose
-Explain Why You Choose Them
-Be Creative In Your Post (maybe include a picture of said person or tell what you would order for dinner)
-Leave Link To Your Blog Post In The Comments Section
-US Only (unless you have someone to ship to you internationally)
Prize:
Surprise ARC Prize Pack
Come on, we all have them. Those celebrities we can't stop gushing over or we rent all of their movies just to see them smile!
If you would like to participate then click the button above and head on over to her site.
If I could choose a celeb to go on a date with I would choose Taylor Lautner. Yea I know :D I would choose him because I feel like we would have a lot in common and of course because he is cute :D
He would come to my door dressed in something like he is wearing above and I would be in jeans and a t-shirt also. Nothing fancy. Then he would take me by the hand and open his car door for me. Then we would go to eat somewhere international (Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, you get my point?). After we finished eating then we would go watch a action or comedy filled movie or both. After the movie we would walk on the beach and talk about the future while the sunset. After that he would take me back home and give me a goodnight kiss and that would be the end of our first date :D
Thanks Bookie for the challenges they are super fun :D
Happy Reading!
I currently own Katlem Design & Invitations, in Middletown, Rhode Island (the next town over from Newport). I design custom and semi-custom wedding invitations and day-of items for couples in and around the Newport area. I'm not really limited to that area....it just so happens that is where most of my clients have come from thus far.
My website is www.katlemdesign.com
Prior to that I worked as a graphic designer for a local corporation in their in-house design department. I worked there for over five years and while it was a good job, it didn't provide the creativity I really wanted.
I have on occasion designed custom labels and favor tags for my wedding clients and figured why not take that idea and design more fun things! While I have a main website for my custom invitations Etsy seemed like the perfect place to display items like address labels, shipping labels, gift tags, favor tags, thank you stickers, correspondence note cards, thank you cards, monogram cards and the like! The list could go on and on.
I found this amazing site the other day while browsing around Etsy. She sells the most beautiful labels ever created. They are a great quality and ship extremely fast. This can be used for all your personal as well as work needs. She is affordable and will work with you until you get the product to your liking. Here are a few of the products she has to offer:
Product Description
Sold in a sheet of 30 these 1.5" round self-adhesive labels are a great addition to your letters or make a great gift.
Want to change the wording - no problem!
Want to change the colors - no problem!
Want to change the fonts - no problem!
Need extra sheets - no problem! (see below for info)
Have a special project in mind - no problem! (convo me your idea)
PLEASE SEND ME] in message to seller during checkout
• color choice from choices in listing
• font selection(s) from choices in listing
• text as you'd like it to appear on your item
**to see choices in a larger format click zoom at bottom right of image block**
[EXTRA SHEETS]
All label listings (unless otherwise specified) are for one sheet of 30 labels. If you would like additional labels please see the listing in my shop for extra sheets and add as many as you would like prior to checkout. The extra sheets listing is located in the "extra sheets" section of my store and a link is also on the "home" page of my shop near the top.
[TEXT]
During checkout please send along the information as you'd like it to appear on your label including name, address, etc...in the "message to sellers" section. This is also where you can specify color changes, etc. If not specified the punctuation from the original design will be used.
[SHIPPING]
All label orders are shipped via USPS first class mail unless a special request is made by the buyer prior to purchase (additional charges may apply for orders shipped Priority or Express). Orders are shipped within a few business days of proof approval. Please allow 2 - 6 for arrival of order after shipping.
[PROOFS]
Upon completion of transaction and payment a proof will be sent via email PDF to the email in provided in your paypal for your approval.
[COLOR]
Please note that slight color variations can occur between my computer monitor and yours and the final printout.
Thanks for looking!
I received the pink address return label. They were so beautiful when I received them that I have yet to send any out. If I ever use them it would be to address someone famous. LOL. They absolutely blew my mind. Delivery was fast and product was intact and not bent. I will most definitely be using this Etsy shop for future references. If you would like to check out her shop then click on the banner above.
Interview
Store Name: katleminvitations
Store URL: http://www.etsy.com/shop/katleminvitations
Blog Name and URL (if you have one): www.katlemdesignandinvitations.wordpress.com/ & www.katlemdesign.com
Tell us a little about yourself, the seller behind the store.
A little bit about myself....hmmm....I'm a designer who mainly does custom and semi-custom wedding invitations for clients mostly getting married in the Newport, RI area although I have done projects for clients in NY and NC and TX as well. In my off time I enjoy playing vball (have been doing that for more years than I can count), paddle boarding, paddle surfing (I'm not very good at it but it's fun), playing other sports, hiking and watching The Patriots on Sundays! I also enjoy "helping" my husband on projects around the house....I think I'm helping but the jury may be out on that! :)
What's your store about? What do you typically sell or sell the most?
In the Etsy store I sell all kinds of return address labels, mostly circular but I have rectangular shipping labels as well. I also sell folded cards in matching designs from time to time. I mostly have return address labels and I also have wedding favor labels in various designs or they can be custom designed. Often times the wedding favor labels will also expand to table cards or water bottle labels and I end up doing a lot of custom work that way. I like when potential clients convo me for possible custom work as most times it ends up in a fun new project!
When did you decide to open a shop?
A couple seasons ago now.
What does your shop mean to you?
It's a nice supplement to my main business which is custom wedding invitations (www.katlemdesign.com). I enjoy the satisfaction from my buyers and it's something I can turn around quickly and get out to buyers. It's also creative which is a lot of fun too! I like coming up with new designs and being small labels, they are easy to create!
Random Questions, pick one or as many as you like and tell why.
Crayons or Color Pencils - Crayons, I like the built in sharpener in the box
Anchovies or Pepperoni - If I have to pick one, Pepperoni, hands down.
Pink or Blue - Can't pick just one!
Cherries or Blueberries - Blueberries, they are yummy in pancakes
Flip Flops or Sneakers - Flip flops!! They mean it is warm out and I enjoy the warm weather. Plus, my feet like to breathe! :)
Happy Reading!
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Title: Harvard Classics 16 – The Thousand and One Nights%5B4%5D.jpg "Shadowshay (5)")
It reads: “Within the packs the use of family should be ingrained within all of them from the first born on down. We can make use of this sense of duty. Family must be more than a word it must be the very nature in which they are brought up and taught to serve.”%5B4%5D.jpg "Shadowshay (3)")
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Name Your Top 5 Books of 2011
Angelfire (Angelfire, #1) by Courtney Allison Moulton
February 15th 2011
“When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.
A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember."
I want to read this book #1 because it looks AMAZING and #2 it sounds AMAZING! :D Mainly because it is "achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action" according to Goodreads so who wouldn't want to read it? Plus Moulton is a young author around my age and it would be neat to see her writing skill and to read the first she has ever published.
Haven by Kristi Cook
Jan 26, 2011
“One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.
But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.
Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first.”
This book, judging the cover, looks like one of those mysterious books that you are unsure what is between the pages. Reading the synopsis it tells us that Aidan has a secret. Reading that is what makes me want to know his secret and how it affects their destiny. It could be numerous things. For example he could be a vampire, wolf, or the Easter bunny. No one can tell from reading this synopsis what it is so we can’t label it into being a wolf, vampire or an Easter bunny book. That is what makes readers want to read this book, at least that is why I want to read it :D
Jan 4th 2011
“Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?”
Why do I want to read this book? Um because it is about angels. Case closed :D I think this would be an amazing read and I have never read any of Cynthia Hand before so I think it would be a great experience.
March 1st 2011
“Clarity "Claire" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch an object and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Claire's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case — but Claire is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Claire's brother — who has supernatural gifts of his own — becomes the prime suspect, and Claire can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Claire must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?”
I’m not much of a mystery type person, but add paranormal themes and a chance for young romance and I will grab it at first sight :D. This book also seems like a mysterious book, judging by the cover not the synopsis. It makes you wonder why does the girl look like that for? What is this book truly about? I look forward to reading this book and seeing how the author characterizes and develops the plot.
Wolfsbane (Nightshade, #2) by Andrea Cremer
2011
“Betrayal, loss, pain, fear. How many trials can love endure and still survive?”
I really wished we had a cover for this book because I know it will be SPECTACULAR! I recently read the first book in this series and completely fell head over paws for it. So it is only natural that I would want to devour the second one in the series.
Here are my 5 if you would like to join in on the craze then click the button below
Peace, Love, and of course WOLFSBANE!
This was my first complete blog makeover! Amy won a complete blog design through my BlogFest giveaway. Please stop by her newly design site here.
If you are interested in receiveing a blog design from me I charge $35 for:
New complete design, with menu bar(done with blogger designer + new background), header, button, ratings, signature], also a colored block quote.
or $5 for any individual image
Please email me at ashleysbookshelf[@]gmail[.com]
What do you all think of this design?
Peace and Chinese,
She is giving 1 winner a: (for US only)
$15 gift card to a book store...Borders or Barnes & Noble and 2 hand made book marks (made by ME!) and since I'm a avid writer I've included some of my favorite post-it notes and pens inside a great book bag! It will hold about 5 romance novels!
If she reaches 30 followers she will add a second prize
$10 gift card to one of the book stores and 1 hand made book mark.
Peace and Wolf Paws,
Review
Stretch: The Unlikely Making of a Yoga Dude
The Unbidden Series [books 1-3]
Blood and Flowers
Won
Cheerleaders: Looking Good #18
Swag
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Vampire Chocolate Bar [Belgian]
Bright Red lipstick
Vampire Girl button
THANKS to…
MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group, Ms. Ukraine @ Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Reading Teen, BelleBooks and Bell Bridge Books.
What did everyone else get?
Peace and Wolfsbane,
#1 - Is it true that we can only follow 300 blogs? I tried to manually add a site to my blog list and it said that I have reach my maximum following of 300.
#2 – If you follow a blog using your Twitter account then how can you keep up with there post?
Any ideas on these two questions?
Peace and Wolfsbane,
What you can win:
* A signed copy of Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
*A signed copy of Jealousy by Lili St.Crow
*Signed bookmark from Stacey Kade (Author of Ghost and the Goth)
*Signed bookmark/postcard from Lisa Schroeder
*A Mockingjay bookmark
Interested? Click on the picture!
Peace, Love, and Wolf Paws,
Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.
She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.
It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...
But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?
*Received from the wonderful publisher. This was the first ARC that I ever received!*
My Thoughts: I really liked this book! I heard many people talking about it so I thought I would give it a try. So basically there is this girl who loses everything then there is this guy that picks up all of the pieces of her heart and starts to put it back together again. End of story. Right? Nope not even close.
This story reminded me a lot of Little Red Riding Hood except where the wolves were good and the lumberjacks were bad. Avery suffers from the lost of her parents. She gets stares from everyone at school as if she was the criminal. The only thing is she can’t remember. maybe if only she was to go back to where the accident happened. It all sounds like a great plan until she meets Ben and the beauty behind him. She has never felt this way about a guy before, but Ben is not like most guys. There is something in him that is old and ancient. Something that Avery can feel, yet she doesn’t understand it. Could he have something to do with her parent’s murder?
Cover: I absolutely LOVE the cover. Red is my favorite color and I love the way the forest is captivated in a blood red. Its a great metaphor for what happens in this story.
Characters: I will only mention 4 major characters. Avery, Ben, Louis, and Avery’s grandmother [Renee? I think]. Avery is the one who lost her family. I really liked her as a main character and I really connected with her. i could almost taste the despair and the confusion that she went through. Not knowing what had happened or worse who had done it? The lover of her life, a close friend, or someone wanting to change the town into something more than a forest? All these questions she had and the way she dealt with them makes her a true fictional hero in my book of true fictional heroes :D Ben is the new guy at school. He comes to live with his uncle. Ben is extremely beautiful both inside and out. He wears moccasins, and something behind him seems ancient or as in a different world. Something separates him from all the other fishies in the forest. He falls for Avery and she falls for him. Yet they try not to be together. Why is that? Os it because he has a secret to hide? One that could change both of their lives if it was ever to be discovered? The way Ben tries to protect Avery while professing his love for her makes him extremely irresistible to me :D Louis is Ben’s uncle. He is extremely sparse throughout the story, but whenever he does show up he seems to leave Avery with more questions and less answers. The role that he portrays in this story is caretaker of Ben and an old lover he lost a long time ago. The way that Louis takes care of Ben and is genuinely friendly to everyone, makes me think of my grandfather and how he always has that happy appearance. Avery’s grandmother is extremely unlikable at first but as the story progresses and Avery learns a lot more about her and the things she has went through in her life she is suddenly capable of understanding that her grandmother does care after all. After her grandmother loses a son and Avery a father. Nothing will hold her back from protecting Avery and from keeping Avery away from the woods. Avery’s grandmother ends up being such a viable role in this story and in Avery’s life.
All in all this was one of the best books that I have read this year. Even though it may be a small book with only 256 pages it packs a HUGE story behind it. This book will leave readers wanting more and desperately waiting to see if there will be another in a series. This book is truly one of a kind and I suggest that everyone read it if they love wolf stories and young love with mystery. Want answers to the questions asked above then read the book :D
My Rating:
Has any of you read this book? If so I would love to see what you thought of it.
Peace, Love, & Wolf Paws,
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