Mel's Daisy Patch Crochet and Crafts: 2014

Friday, November 7, 2014

At Bluebonnet Lake - Book Review.

I received this book from the Revell book reviewer program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

From the back cover...

Her life is set to warp speed. His is slowing to a crawl.
But love has its own timing.

Marketing maven Kate Sherwood's wold is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing. The last thing she wants to do is grind to a halt at Rainbow's End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country. Still, she cannot deny her ailing grandmother's request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent on glorious week fifty years ago. There, Kate meets Greg, who appears to be the resort's unassuming handyman. But there's more to Greg than meets the eye-billions more, in fact.

Kate isn't looking for romance, but she can't deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together. Could there be a future there? Or will Kate's long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?

Amanda Cabot invites you to step into a place away from the pressures of the day. You might be surprised by what you find at Rainbow's End.

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At Bluebonnet Lake is the first book in Amanda Cabot's Texas Crossroads series.

I fell in love with this book and its character right away. There is more than one romance going on in this book. Kate's grandmother wanted to go back to Rainbow's End one more time but never imagined meeting a wonderful man while she is there. The book is written from not only Kate's perspective but Greg's, Sally's -Kate's grandmother, and Roy's as well. She and Kate also did not imagine it would look as rundown as it does. It is no longer the Christian family getaway that it once was and the brochure didn't quite depict it correctly either.

Rainbow's End is the kind of place that my family would love to visit. Because Rainbow's End is located just outside a small town named Dupree in the Texas Hill Country, there is no cell service. There are also no televisions or phones in the cabins, and no Wi-Fi. Dupree is one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone else and has fantastic little shops and a cafe.

Kate and Greg both find themselves falling in love with Rainbow's End and wanting to do something to bring it back to life. Neither of them can imagine doing it alone however. Things happen along the way that force them to change the way they think and feel about the life they think they want. Both come to realize that God's idea for their life sometimes differs from their own.

I can't wait for the next book to come out in Spring of 2015 so I can find out what happens to Rainbow's End and it's staff, including Carmen-the cook, and the KOB trio.

If you would like to find out more about At Bluebonnet Lake, or any of Amand Cabot's other books, please visit her website.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Back For Now

Hello everyone! I can't believe how long I have been away. I did post a book review this month but that has been it. A lot has happened since I last posted. Mr. Boo broke his arm AGAIN. Same arm different place. We were camping the week before school started and we had just bought him a new foot powered Razor scooter. He was scooting along when all of a sudden he went down. He hit his arm and leg on the pavement. Then the bad part happened...the scooter came down and hit his arm and snap.

He had to have another long arm cast.

Of course he had to start school with a cast one his arm. Here are Mr.Boo and Lulu on their first day back. Boo is now a 4th Grader and Lulu...GULP...started high school this year in the 10th grade.

He now has a short arm cast on that will hopefully come off this Wednesday.

I have also been working on loads of new things for the Storybook Felts Etsy shop. You can stop by the Storybook Felts blog everyday this week for a peek at all the new items that have been added.

Here is a little peek at just one of the new items.

I have also been busy changing things up in the shop. Taking new pictures to update the items and combining some of the items to make them easier to list and order.

I'm not sure when I will be back with Monday Funday. Right now I am trying to focus all my time on Storybook Felts. I will be back off and on with updates and book reviews and such. I would love for you to follow my Storybook Felts blog so that we can keep in touch. Come visit me on Facebook as Storybook Felts. While you are there, stop by my Storybook Felts Facebook Page and give me a like. Storybook Felts is also in Intagram.

I hope all of you have a fantastic week and I will see you soon.

Friday, September 5, 2014

A Match of Wits by Jen Turano Book Review

I received this book from the Bethany House reviewer program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you would like to review wonderful Christian books please visit the Bethany House Blogger Review Program site.

You can also find a list of free or discounted Ebooks HERE.

A Match of Wits by Jen Turano

From the back cover...

After his departure from New York two years ago to meet up with him almost-fiancee, Zayne Beckett is the last person Agatha Watson wanted to stumble upon in her travels as a reporter with the New York Tribune. Quite pathetically bedraggled, he clearly needs to be taken in hand and sent back East to his family. Although she no longer has feelings for him, Agatha realizes - by hook or by crook- she'll have to be the one to get the obstinate man home.

Zayne has no desire to be taken anywhere and is prepared to drag his heels all the way home...until he finds himself slipping back into the familiar banter of his former friendship with Agatha. Once they arrive in New York, Zayne realizes Agatha's determined nose for news has earned her a few enemies, and he hopes to repay her help with some help of his own. When she rebuffs all his attempts to prove himself a knight in shining armor, the lengths to which they'll go to win this battle of wills lead to some memorable antics.

Everyone else may think them a match, but nothing could be further from the truth-until Agatha finds herself in real trouble. Have these two stubborn, to-smart-for-their-own-good people been meant for each other all along?

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A Match of Wits is book #4 in Jen Turano's Ladies of Distinction series.

Agatha is not your usual heroine in a historical fiction novel. She is strong willed and a lot trouble. She is bound and determined to get her story one way or the other...even if it means dragging down everyone around her or getting killed in the process. She seems to keep herself in no end of trouble.

Zayne is almost as strong willed as Agatha but he can't resist a challenge that involves her and wants to protect her and find her a man who will take care of her and force her to settle her wild ways.

This book started out a little slow for me. I did stick with it however and had fun in the end. I do have to say though, my favorite character in the whole book was Matilda. Matilda is a pig...but do not let her hear you call her that. There were places in the beginning where the story would lag and Matilda would step in and save the day for me.

To find out more about Jen Turano and all of her books please visit her website.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Taking a Break

Hey everyone. I am in a bit of a blogging rut at the moment and have decided to take a bit of break...At least until the kids get back to school in a couple weeks. I am trying to get some things done with the Storybook Felts store and items related to it and blogging has been pushed to the back burner for now. I hope all of you are still have a fantastic summer and I will see you when I get back.

Melissa

Monday, July 21, 2014

Monday Funday # 91 July 21, 2014

Hey Everyone. I am taking a mini vacation from the blog. Feel free to link up below and I will Feature some of you when I get back. Have a great week and I'll see you soon.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, July 14, 2014

Monday Funday #90 July 14, 2014

Happy Monday everyone!! Busy around here trying to revamp the Storybook Felts Etsy shop at the moment. The kids and I did manage to squeeze in some bowling last week and are talking about going again this week. We had a blast. I signed the kids up for the Kids Bowl Free Program and it has been great. The kids get to bowl twice a day for free. Then up to four adults can bowl twice a day with them for a one time fee. You do have to rent shoes but the kids can bowl in their socks. Lulu bowled a 100 both games and Boo bowled a 90 and an 83. They were tickled because their Grammy also went with us and bowled. We had a lot of fun laughing over the gutter balls and such.

Boo has some great techniques. (Sorry for the blur. Camera on my phone was dirty I guess.)
Displaying photo 2.JPG

Look at his pose while cheering his ball down the lane.

Lulu is a perfectionist and has perfect form.

Then she gets up there and it looks like she just drops it but along comes the STRIKE.

If you have a family friendly place to bowl in your area I highly recommend signing your kids up for free bowling.

Have a great week!

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, July 7, 2014

Monday Funday #89 July 7, 2014

Hello Monday. Did you have to come so soon. I was not ready to see you yet...but, since you are already here, I guess I will embrace you and make the most of your presence.

I hope all of you are having a good start to your week. We had a lot of fun on our 4th of July weekend. We had family, food, fireworks and lots of fun. The kids were not ready to see their Uncle go home yesterday. However, he did leave with the promise to see them in a couple months at least. He took us to go see Earth to Echo while he was here. The kids loved it. Boo got a little emotional at the end. I thought it was cute but the ending could have been different.

We are off to our weekly/biweekly trip to the library this morning. We are heading out early so Boo can have fun at the park before the Library opens, and before it gets too hot.

I hope all of you have a fantastic week. Oh and if you like seeing picture links over the text ones, see the info in red at the bottom of this page.

Our link of the month for June is:

If you would like to see this link up continue having image link ups instead of text only please consider sponsoring the link ups. For more information please use the contact form. One months sponsorship would be $2.00 and I will add you and/or your blog to the link up as a sponsor. If I do not find a sponsor by July 31, 2014 I will be switching over to text only links. Thanks.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, June 30, 2014

Monday Funday #88 June 30, 2014

Can you believe this is the last Monday in June already and that Friday is already the 4th. We are planning on having a cookout with the family. Hubby's brother is coming in from Texas...The kids are so excited!! They only get to see their uncle a few times a year, mostly on holidays, and they are over the moon for him. They don't get to see my two brothers as one lives in New York and I haven't seen the other one is close to 18 years even though he lives only 30 minutes to an hour away.

We had a quiet week last week. We have been having lots of wonderful rain off and on and when it is not raining the kids are outside, in the pool, or finding something fun to do inside (like reading!!) when it gets hot in the afternoon. I have been trying to walk at least 30 minutes a few times a week. Didn't make it out this morning because I slept in till...8:00. The little man woke me up at 4:30 this morning coughing. Not sure what was going on. Lulu wondered if little brother might have been snoring like their Papa and choked on his slobbers. Usually when he coughs like he was this morning he is getting ready to blow chunks so I high tailed it out of bed and into his room but he was out cold. Of course the adrenaline was ramped up by that time and I had a wee bit of trouble going back to sleep.

Once I got up and running we had a late breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes with butter, syrup, cool whip and cherries. YUMMY!! This is the second time in my life that I have ever made pancakes and didn't burn them. I'm so proud!! I have discovered the secret of pancake cooking...are you ready...it is... patients grasshopper. I always want to crank up the heat and get them done as fast as possible but that DOES NOT work.

I have also been working on some new items for the Storybook Felts shop. I will share them as soon as I get more ready. I also have a book to share with you sometime this week (I hope).

Okay I have rambled enough...On to the links. Oh and if you like seeing picture links over the text ones, see the info in red at the bottom of this page.

My Swedish Mora Clock from The Rococo Roamer

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, June 23, 2014

Monday Funday #87 June 23, 2014

Hello everyone. Yesterday my sweet baby girl turned 15! It is so hard to believe she is already 15 and will start High School in the fall. I am so not ready for this! She got her very own cell phone for her birthday. We were going to wait until she started driving to get her one then decided since she was going to be in high school next year that it might be a good idea to get her one now. We are so proud of the person she has become. I had the privilege of buying her a purity ring a few weeks ago. This is the one she picked out.

It has the inscription " True Love Waits - 1 Timothy 4:12.

One of the things that she thought was extra special was that the girl wears it until her wedding day, then the husband removes it and puts on her wedding ring during the ceremony.

We have been pretty lucky since she has not even had a boy friend yet. She has had a few crushes and lots of really great guys that she has been friends with. She just isn't ready to start all that yet. She has also decided to not even share a kiss until her wedding day. Both of my kids have talked about it. Boo-who is 9- thinks it is gross that people kiss unless they are in your family. I just pray that they both keep this mind set and goal until they are married. It is rare in this day and age for kids to even think about waiting for things like that until they are married.

Now on to the links!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, June 16, 2014

Monday Funday #86 June 16, 2014

Happy Birthday to the Love of My Life!!!
My Hubby is turning 45 today.

We had a rainy week here last week. Boo was running fever most of the week and ended up at the Dr. on Wednesday. He got a different round of antibiotics and was doing a lot better the next day. I spent most of the week playing with the kids and catching up on all of my book reviews that needed done.

Last week I introduced you to two cats that had adopted us, Tom and Evergreen. Well the rest of their family decided to move in this week.

Here is (from left to right) Tom, Lacy, Mittens and Evergreen.

Mittens is Black with a white tummy and white mittens. Lacy is white and gray. When Lacy received his name he was thought to be a girl and we found out this week that he is in fact a boy. Mittens is still an unknown. We are pretty sure all of them except Evergreen are boys they way they act though.

Tom has become my cat. He is still a wild thing but likes to come and rub on the back of my legs when I am standing on the porch. He doesn't want me to pet him but he has to pet me. He has allowed me to touch his tail though. And he seems to think my toes look like a tasty snack because he is always looking at them and has already tried to have a little nibble but I got them out of there before he could get a taste. The kids are having fun watching them. The cats love to sit in the chairs on the front porch. Then, when you open the door, you hear this huge explosion of chairs because they are scattering everywhere.

We are off to the library this morning to take back movies, games and a few books. I'm sure we will come home will another bag full of goodies. Each of the kids have been given a Green Bag Lady bag to carry their books in. The library has the plastic ones for everyone to use but we prefer taking our own reusable bag. I am thinking about using some fabric scraps I have around the house to make them one. That way they can pick the fabric it is made of and call it their own. The one Boo picked out is one that I won in a Christmas bag giveaway (Here. His is similar to the red one in the second picture). Lulu has another one that I won in another giveaway (If you click on the link hers is the one on top in the first picture.) it has elephants and penguins on it. You can find a picture of me with one of my bags on her site HERE. You can also find patterns and giveaways on the Green Bag Lady blog to either make or win your own bags.

Have a great day!!