The Benner Daily Book Club Low Down

Hello!!! Tomorrow is the big start of our book club! I am so excited! I hope you are too...

I wanted to give you guys the low down on exactly what this book club will be doing... besides just reading a book. A good one, at that. ;) But, I feel like a book should be talked about. What you like, dislike, what character is your favorite, so on and so forth.

This is how it's going to work. Each week I have set a chapter that everyone should be at. This is averaging 14 pages a day, so please don't be frightened that I am going to make you read at warp speed as most of you think I do. ;) 14 pages is a simple amount. Go to the toilet if that's the only privacy you get. LOL! I promise you that reading 14 pages a day is not an impossible feat.



OK. Now. At 14 pages a day, that's about 98 pages a week... give or take. I have looked through Shiver, and decided that we are going to do discussions by chapters, not pages. This will be easier, and won't leave you stopping mid chapter.
Now. For some, this book may just be too good to put down and you'll finish it in a week. For others, you're super insanely impossibly busy, and some days you may not read an entire page. I get that. No problem. Just make sure and get to the Chapter we will be discussing by the end of the week so you won't have to hear any spoilers. I hate spoilers.

OK, so! Tomorrow, we start to read Shiver! :D Fun fun! Here is the chapters you'll need to read through by next Thursday...

Chapters 1-17
{don't panic! a lot of these chapters are 2-3 pages. they are not all big chapters. i promise.}

Be ready for a discussion VIA TWITTER next Thursday... I am not sure of the exact time yet. I am on West Coast time, but I know a lot of you are on East Coast time, and I think we even have a couple of members that are out of the U.S. all together. PLEASE comment here, and let me know of a time that works best for you. And remember to let me know what time zone you are in, so I can figure it out for myself as well. Once I reach an average time that works for everyone, I will announce it here. I like the idea of using Twitter, because it's live, and we can all discuss it together. I do think it would be great if we all followed each other... then we can see what others are asking/saying. So, in that case... in your comment, please let me know your Twitter Username, so I can list them here for people to follow each other. If you leave me a comment before to late tomorrow, I will do a "book club" follow Friday on Twitter tomorrow for everyone as well. Also, we will be using a hash tag for each tweet on that night. So, after each tweet, save room for #TBDbookclub

OK, I think that's it! I will be sending out your goodies between today and tomorrow. Again, I am sorry they are late. I am a slacker! Seriously sorry. :)
If you have any questions, please either comment them here, or email me: shealynn AT gmail.com




Do you want to know what other books I have planned for all of you in the months to come? OK! But they are not going to be in this order. I just want to give you a slight element of surprise each month. ha ha! Here are 7 books... which means here are the books we will read in the 7 months to come after October. ;)

If you notice, they are ALL first books to a series. ha ha! Don't hate me! But, it would take over 1 years of reading 1 book a month to get through these book series'. So, I am giving you a taste, and if you want to continue the series, PLEASE do! :D I would love that!

OK, here we go!

Secret Society - By: Tom Dolby
Wings - By: Aprilynne Pyke
The Hunger Games - By: Suzanne Collins
Vampire Academy - By: Richelle Mead
Uglies - By: Scott Westerfeld
City Of Bones - By: Clarissa Clare
Graceling - By: Kristin Cashore

P.S. Tomorrow I will be posting PICTURES! Whoa! I hijacked my husband's laptop the other night to upload and edit some pictures of Angelina playing soccer, and some of Angelina and Zoe together. Cute stuff! Til then.... comment away! ;)

Brixton Lane Giveaway!

Comments are now closed! Please check back to see who the winner is! The winner will be announced in a different post. Click HERE to see at 9pm PST Tonight (monday).

We have a fabulous giveaway this week! You scrapbookers are going to freak about it, I think. :)

Have you heard of Brixton Lane Paperie? If you haven't... well, now you have! She owns a fabulous shop with tons of amazing scrapbooking kits, DIY kits, stamps and more!

Look at this paper!! I love the bright colors. They make me happy... What about you?



When I scrapbooked {I don't anymore} I LOVED paper! Just ask my husband! ;) I was a paper collector. And if I was still scrapbooking, I would have SO bought all her paper already. :)
This one below makes me think of Christmas! Make your pages more than just red and green! Go crazy!



And how about a little DIY Halloween banner? I mean, Halloween is about a month away! Some people are decorating now! Would this banner be so cute in your house?




Would you like to know what Jessica from Brixton Lane Paperie is offering one Super lucky winner??? I bet you would! She is amazing! Check out what she's offering!

How about this amazing lot ... It's a Halloween kit! Woo Hoo!

Here is what is included in the kit:

1 pg. 12x12 Halloween Circle Tags
1 pg. 12x12 Halloween Journal Tags
1 SPOOKTACULAR Faux Wood Cover
2 pgs. 8x8 Halloween
2 pgs. 8x8 Spooky Cards
3 pgs. 8x8 Trick or Treat
2 pgs. 8x8 Remember
1 pkg. 8x8 Page Protectors
1 pg. Halloween Word Die-Cuts
1 pg. Trick or Treat Die-Cuts
1 pg. Happy Halloween Die- Cuts
1 5x7 Black Bracket Cover
1 pc. 4x6 Page Protector
1 Perfect Closure Halloween
1 Black Owire
Ranger Pop-its
Cardstock - Black, White, Orange
1 Sheet Pre-Stamped Teresa Collins Stamp Images
And, detailed instructions are included.


WOW!! Can you believe all of that?!?! That's quite an amazing giveaway!


Here's how to enter...

Remember - you do not have to answer all of these questions, but the more you answer, the better chances you'll have of winning! :)

Leave a comment for each one!!
And PLEASE remember to check back here to see if you have won! If you win, you must send me an email claiming your prize.

1. Leave a comment.
2. Go visit Jessica's Shop. Tell me what other bag(s) you're drooling over.

3. Visit Jessica's blog. Leave some comment love.

4a. Join The Benner Daily Book Club! Starts October 1st! Click here and here to learn more. :)
4b. Tell me what you're favorite holiday is
5. Follow her blog.

6. Blog about the giveaway.

7. Tweet about it.

8. Tell your vast network of Facebook friends.

9. Follow Me on Twitter.

(Two options: here or here.)

10. Follow my blog.
11. Grab my blog button and/or my shop button on my sidebar, over there ------>




This giveaway ends Next Monday!!

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, we would Love to have you!
Please email for more information!
shealynn AT gmail.com


**Book Club Members**

Tomorrow I will announce exactly how the book club is going to work. Check back sometime tomorrow to read all the details about our fabulous book club! Hope everyone got their books, and is as excited as I am! I have read Shiver already, but I am excited to read it again!
I still need to get your goodies out as well. Sorry I am lame, you guys! Will get the little goodies out no later than tomorrow. I pinkie swear! xo

Fido Bags Giveaway Winner

We have a winner!

#2! SHANA

Congratulations! Please email me to claim your prize. Visit FidoBags now and get yourself a bag! :)

All you scrapbookers should come back tomorrow for another fabulous giveaway!! It might be scrapbooking greatness. I'll never tell... well, tomorrow I will. ;)

Scroll down to read my book review on "Secret Society" By Tom Dolby! AWESOME book!!!

Book Review - Secret Society

Secret Society
By: Tom Dolby

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen
  
• Release Date September 29, 2009
• Language: English

A teeny-bit from Amazon:

"Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. . . ."

______________________________________________________________

Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch - these are some of New York's privileged teens attending Chadwick School. The world they live in is a world that no other teen can even imagine, and most may be jealous. But, these teens might surprise you. On the surface some of them may seem to play the rich kid part well, but underneath it all, they would love nothing more than to be "normal". Whatever normal is.

A night out at a party turns out to be no normal party night, when Phoebe, Lauren and Nick get the text message. They have heard rumors about The Society before, but never imagined they would be chosen to be part of it. They are told The Society can make even your wildest dreams come true. And the money and fame are endless. They accept without hesitation and are then given The Society's tattoo, the ankh symbol. All The Society members must have one. But soon, the question that Phoebe, Lauren and Nick begin to wonder is, "All of this comes at what cost?" They are thrown into a very secret, exclusive world of money, lies, scandal and opportunities they only dreamed about before.

Every dream these teens have are being fulfilled, every want is given. But all of the excitement begins to wear off when a young man's body is found with no mark other than the ankh tattoo of The Society.

Questions are formed, risks are taken, bonds are formed, and secrets are revealed. The teens also begin to realize that once you get into The Society, you can't get out.

Tom Dolby's teen fiction debut is remarkable and addicting! You will not want to put it down!

My thoughts...

I loved this book! It was interesting, intriguing, and I didn't want to put it down.

I loved the characters, Nick and Phoebe in this book. From the beginning they sort of form an "alliance" with each other. Their promise to stick together and be there for each other stays true to the end, which I really liked. They end up trusting each other with every secret they find out, and cause a lot of their peers to question The Society.

I liked Lauren too. For the simple reason that there was more to her than a rich snob. I liked getting to "know" her. Her home life isn't great, but Lauren looks past all of it. She focuses on her future, and her dream of becoming a fashion designer. She and Phoebe became instant friends, and supported each other throughout The Society's events and shocking outcomes.

Nick's family is one of the wealthiest in New York. But once you get to know him, you would never think it. He is down to earth, caring, and anything but the standard privileged child. I loved that his favorite thing to wear was ratty jeans and an old sweater. He falls for Phoebe because she is different, and not the typical Chadwick student.

Patch is an aspiring film maker. He is also Nick's best friend. One thing that irritated me about Patch was how easy he found it to ignore his friends, and look only after himself even if it might hurt someone else. Patch is a good guy, but I thought he could use a swift kick in the behind in some parts. ha! In the end, he ends up helping Phoebe, Nick, and Lauren find answers they wanted, so I liked him once more.

All in all? I LOVED this book!! It kept me interested, and wanting to know more. I can't wait for the sequel!!

I give Secret Society 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Book Review - Possessions

Hello everyone! I have another book review for you! I have been lucky enough to be accepted not only by HarperTeen to review books, but also by Razorbill which is a Penguin Group publishing company. Razorbill has published many great Young Adult books, including 13 Reasons Why [I Just read it... fantastic!], and the Vampire Academy series... also fantastic!

I received a couple review copies [also called ARC - advanced review copy]. My first Razorbill review. Fun! :) I LOVE doing this!!


Possessions
By: Nancy Holder



Book Details:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill
  
• Release Date: September 3, 2009
• Language: English

___________________________________________________________

Do not judge this book by it's cover. The cover isn't that great, but the book was so very good! I will never base one of my reviews on the cover. While I do love a good attractive cover, to me, the content of the book is most important. Hope you agree. ;)

Here is my summary and take on Possessions...

Lindsay has been through a lot. Her biggest hardship has been her mother's death. Lindsey and her mom were very close, her death has taken a big toll on Lindsey. Lindsey ends up going through a huge breakdown. After dealing with this breakdown, she is required to go to an all girl's boarding school. In going to Marlwood Academy, Lindsey hopes to get away from her broken past and start anew.

Despite some initial creepy feelings she gets when she first arrives Marlwood, Lindsey quickly makes friends with her roommate, Julie.
Julie shows Lindsey around making her feel more comfortable with her new surroundings.
Julie begins telling Lindsey about Mandy and her "people". Most everyone at Marlwood comes from a lot of money, and Mandy is one of those girls. Julie dreams of becoming part of her group.

During a class, Lindsey is partnered with Kiyoko, one of Mandy's friends. They are to work on a school project together. Lindsey goes to meet Kiyoko for the project research, but is told they are doing something else instead. This is the start of the weird things that begin taking place at Marlwood. But Lindsey is the only one who seems to notice the black eyes, the ghost with holes for eyes and open mouth, the never ending fog, Mandy talking to herself in weird voices, etc.

Then there is Troy. He and Lindsay have an instant intense connection. Lindsay begins trusting Troy as time goes on. During a day together, Troy admits to Lindsay that something is wrong with Mandy, but he doesn't know what. This starts Lindsay being even more suspicious, and leads Lindsay on to a chain of events that make her feel like she is going insane. She doesn't know who she can trust, because as time goes on, she can't figure out who will believe what she is seeing or not. She can hardly believe it herself.




I really enjoyed this book! Nancy Holder also wrote the Wicked Series, which I enjoyed.
This is the first book in a series. The 2nd book comes out next Summer.
This book had exactly what I love... it hooked me immediately, and kept me interested all the way through to the end. It has a slight bit of creepiness to it as well, which I actually liked. It was one factor that kept me interested. Nice thing too? It's already out in the bookstore!!

I give Possessions a 4 out of 5 stars!! Go get it! :)


As always, thank you for taking the time to read my review! Hope you enjoyed it!! :D

Fido Bags Giveaway

Scroll down to read my "Pretty Dead" book review or click here.

First thing. The winner of the Uptown Jane Giveaway never emailed me to claim her prize. Another winner has been chosen... Elle's Mom!! You are the new winner! Please email me... shealynn@gmail.com

We have another giveaway! I know you all love them. Giveaways take a long time to post, so, I won't be doing a ton of them come October. I think a week of giveaways will be held in October, but I will sit down for a few hours and pre-type them all. Maybe. Each giveaway on here takes me at least 45 minutes to type up. LOL! That could potentially more than 3 hours! Eeek! Anyway... getting on with it. :)

Today, Ginger, the fabulous owner of Fido Bags has been gracious enough to offer one lucky winner a super cute bag!! I know we all love bags!! And, what better bag than this? It's perfect for BOOKS! Since the book club is starting in less than 2 weeks, the winner (if in the book club) can carry around their book club books! Maybe. ha ha. Of course, you do not have to be in the book club to win! ;)

Here is what she is giving away to one lucky winner...






In Amy Butler fabric no less! Fantastic!


Here is what you have to do to win... Remember - you do not have to answer all of these questions, but the more you answer, the better chances you'll have of winning! :)

Leave a comment for each one!!
And PLEASE remember to check back here to see if you have won! If you win, you must send me an email claiming your prize.

1. Leave a comment.
2. Go visit Ginger's Shop. Tell me what other bag(s) you're drooling over.

3. Visit Ginger's blog. Leave some comment love.

4. Join The Benner Daily Book Club! Starts October 1st! Click here and here to learn more. :)
5. Follow her blog.

6. Blog about the giveaway.

7. Tweet about it.

8. Tell your vast network of Facebook friends.

9. Follow Me on Twitter.

(Two options: here or here.)

10. Follow my blog.
11. Grab my blog button and/or my shop button on my sidebar, over there ------>




This giveaway ends Next Monday!!

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, we would Love to have you!
Please email for more information!
shealynn AT gmail.com


P.S. For those of you in The Benner Daily Book Club, please remember to comment on this post and let me know if you have gotten your books yet. You have until October 1st to do so. And, please also email me your addresses so I can send you your little goody for joining! ;)

Book Review - Pretty Dead

Pretty Dead
By:Francesca Lia Block

Book Details:

Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 208 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 22, 2009
Language: English

______________________________________________________________


First thing I will say... I Love the cover of this book. I personally don't mind if the cover isn't attractive, but if it is, then I get excited. I am just like that. However. If the cover isn't all that great, but I read the back or the inside jacket and it sounds good... then the cover be damned! I am reading for the content, not the cover. ;)


Here is my summary and take on Pretty Dead...

Charlotte Emerson isn't your normal vampire. She was changed at only 17 years old. Before her change she was coping with the tragic and sudden death of her brother. The very handsome William shows up in Charlotte's life promising her everything, but she ends up only with regret, and loneliness. William was her maker, but she grows to hate him.
Now living on her own, Charlotte, attends high school and soon meets her best friend, Emily. Emily, among everyone else, is jealous of Charlotte, because she has everything. Beauty, money, a huge house over looking the Pacific Ocean, fabulous clothes, and more. Charlotte wishes she could be more like Emily... a human.
Charlotte then meets Jared. They are both dealing with a death to someone close to them. This death affects Charlotte. She starts noticing that a finger nail has chipped, she gets a zit, she can cry, and her cheeks blush. All of these things do not happen to vampires.
She and Jared are spending more and more time together and soon, they're falling in love. But, a vampire can not feel love...
That's when Charlotte thinks she may have been given a 2nd chance at mortality.

****



A few things. I felt that this book was too short. It needed more. I felt like it was too rushed in some parts, and I felt super confused at parts in the beginning. Not knowing who people were, and then finding out too much later. Charlotte should have been better characterized. You hardly get much information on a lot of characters in the book, and are left wanting to know those characters more. All in all, I liked this book, but I really feel like the author could have spent more detailed time on each character so we as readers could have gotten to know them better, and could have a better understanding of how they think, and who they really are.

I give Pretty Dead a 3 out of 5 stars.


***

Please comment on these posts so I know if these reviews are giving you good information or not. Are they lame? Too much info? Not enough?


Thanks for taking the time to read this book review!

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the PamperingBeki Custom Word Necklace is....

#39:

HEATHER!!! She told me her current favorite song is...

"love the song falling for you by colbie callait"


I love that song too, Heather!! Congratulations! Please email me to claim your fantastic prize!! shealynn AT gmail.com

Everyone else... go ahead... get your shop on! Click here to visit the PamperingBeki shop.

Thanks for doing a giveaway, Beki! You rock!


If you're interested in *sponsoring* a giveaway with The Benner Daily and seeing your button on our right sidebar, please email us. :)

P.S. I will be back in a bit with a new book review on an advanced book copy that I read last night. :) I might do a few book reviews this week, but, don't worry! There will be another giveaway tomorrow! Sorry if I am boring you guys! It sucks not having my laptop. Stick with me, though! The fun is ahead! ;)

October's Book!

OK, so we had a tie! Can you believe that? LOL! Sorry to see that no one put in a vote for Wings. Such a good book too!

Anyway! We will get to that one eventually.


Do all of you that joined The Benner Daily Book Club members want to know what we will be reading for our first book?



That's right! I broke the tie, and ended up picking Shiver's number! Woo hoo! I am Super excited! Shiver is a fabulous read! Book club reading officially starts October 1st! Be sure and get your books by then! Shiver is in the young adult section of your book store. Once you have gotten your copy, PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS POST so I know. This will help me keep count.

ALSO: For those of you that have signed up for the book club, please email me your mailing address! I will be sending something special out to you soon! shealynn AT gmail.com


For those of you the chose The Hunger Games... don't you worry your pretty little heads! The Hunger Games DEFINITELY will be on the list to read! I could NEVER skip that one. Ever. ;)


If you haven't joined the book club yet, but would like to, you still have time!! Just email me and let me know that you want to join. We would love to have you. Tell your friends about the book club too! How fun would it be to read these books with some friends?!



OK, I need to go shower, and continue to rest to get rid of this cold I managed to catch somehow yesterday. Hope you had a fabulous weekend!!

Book Review - Crashed

My laptop is broken. I have no pictures to share. I have cried, but I am dealing. It will be fixed soon. :) Fortunately, I have a PC in my office. But Mac is just so much better! haha.

Anyway.

It's book review time! I am going to start writing separate book review posts for each book I have read. Clumping them all together takes a long time, and I realize I don't really give all that much information. I need to start doing that, though ... today I got my first review copy from HarperTeen. I should get a 2nd one from UPS today too. Fun! Expect a book giveaway next month! :)

The book I am reviewing today is not a review book, but a series a started at the beginning of the year. The 2nd book was released on Sept. 8th.

Crashed - By: Robbin Wasserman

This book is the 2nd in a series of 3. The first book is called Skinned... here is a little about it from Amazon:



"In a high-tech future, Lia Kahn is a rich, glamorous, "it" girl at a prestigious high school. Then a car accident leaves her body mangled beyond repair. Rather than let her die, her parents take advantage of a new procedure that downloads the contents of her brain into a sophisticated mechanical replica of a human body. Lia is now a "mech," known in derogatory slang as a "skinner." She still feels like Lia, but she no longer breathes, eats, sleeps, or ages. She can no longer enjoy the easy high of a b-mod, the ubiquitous mood-altering drug that gets the rest of her friends through lunch, and her boyfriend only touches her when he's drunk. She is kicked off her beloved cross-country team because the coach believes her new body gives her an unfair advantage over her competitors. Religious extremists hold a protest when she returns home from the download operation, holding up signs that say "God made man. Who made YOU?" Lia can only see her new body and new social status as a tragedy...."
—Megan Honig, New York Public Library
****

I give Skinned a 3.5 out of 5 stars. - It was good from the beginning, but I felt towards the middle it lost some edge, but then it picked back up the last quarter of the book.



Now about Crashed.

After reading Skinned, I was excited to read the 2nd book. While in the first book, you were learning about Lia Kahn, the 2nd book you feel as if you know her already. But truly, you still learn more about her. Which I find fantastic, because a character should always be evolving in front of you. That's how it is in reality. We grow and change as we get older and when we go through hardships in life, etc.

Robin Wasserman really paints a clear picture as to what "her" view of the future might be like. You really get the feel for the surroundings and characters. The main character, Lia Kahn is still living in her highly technological world with other Mechs. She has finally come to accept that she is not a human anymore, but a machine. She is going through her life (6 months after the accident) doing extreme, things trying to make herself feel something, like jumping from airplanes. All is as well as it can be as a machine. That is until she finds out about a major organization being lead by someone from her past. Lia is thrown into emotional turmoil having to visit the past, and fight for her future. She doesn't trust anyone, but soon learns that she will have to trust someone to make it through what's ahead. Lia is put through many tough situations, and faces many challenges. But will she succeed in saving herself and her fellow Mechs? You'll have to read this series to find out!

I give Crashed a 4 out of 5 stars.

***

I hope that was a good review! I can't say too much, or I will give away the book, and we definitely do not want that! :)

Place Your Vote!!

Scroll Down For The PamperingBeki Giveaway!!

OK, really quick... I just put a poll on my side bar. Right over there ----------> if you're participating in The Benner Daily's book club, please vote for our first month's book! The most popular book will be our first book in our new book club! :D Go to Amazon, and read the summaries if you wish. Then come back here and vote. Hurry, though. This survey ends on the 20th! Then I will announce what book we are going to read. If you are ordering through Amazon, you will need that 10 days to order and receive the book. Otherwise, all are available at Border, Barnes and Noble or whatever bookstore you so choose.

This is going to be exciting!! If you haven't signed up yet, join us!! Just email me to let me know you're in! :) shealynn AT gmail.com

Pampering Beki GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is CLOSED. Please click HERE to see who the winner is... Thank you goes out to everyone who entered!! There will be another giveaway tomorrow!


OK! It's been 2 weeks. Time for a giveaway. Yes? Glad you agree! Remember... if you'd like to sponsor us, and see your lovely button over there ---------> just email me. ;)

I imagine you've heard of Pampering Beki?



If not. You are missing out! She is Hilarious!!! Especially cracked up at this post.

She takes cute pictures, and makes some fabulous jewelry!! She makes stamped jewelry, pendant necklaces, brooches, etc. etc. etc. Talented lady!!



You could spend hours in her shop, and want 1 or 2 of everything. I swear! Do you have a golfer in your life? She even makes golf ball markers... and these markers cracked me up, because I thought of one of my favorite movies of all time... Happy Gilmore. HA! Love that movie. Not sure if that's where it came from, but I know that's where I heard it! :)



And since PamperingBeki ROCKS, she is giving you all a chance to win something... want to know what it is? I know you do. You don't have to tell me these things. I just know. ;)



You get a custom made necklace JUST FOR YOU!! Fabulous! She says any words. I might say any words that aren't as long as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Just sayin'. Doubtful that could fit on one, two or three of those silver discs. ;) OK, I am getting to the point. Sorry. I am easily sidetracked.

Leave a comment for each one!!
And PLEASE remember to check back here to see if you have won! If you win, you must send me an email claiming your prize.

1. Leave a comment.
2. Go visit the PamperingBeki Etsy Shop. Tell me what other's things you're drooling over.

3. Visit PamperingBeki's blog. Leave some comment love.
4. Follow her blog.
5. Join The Benner Daily Book Club! Starts October 1st! Click here and here to learn more. :)

6. Blog about the giveaway.

7. Tweet about it.

8. Tell your vast network of Facebook friends.

9. Follow Me on Twitter.

(Two options: here or here.)

10. Follow my blog.
11. Grab my blog button and/or my shop button on my sidebar, over there ------>
12. Tell me your favorite song right now. Mine? Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. :)


This giveaway ends Next Monday!!

***

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, we would Love to have you!

Please email for more information!
shealynn AT gmail.com

Random Bits

I haven't done an Etsy Finds post lately. Here are some very lovely things I have found on Etsy in the past couple of months. As I usually say... if I had endless money I would buy 1 of each of these items... maybe 2. :)

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade Shealynn.etsy.com

***

I have been thinking about Halloween lately. I am wondering what the girls are going to want to be this year. This might be my last year to pick out Zoe's costume... I might take advantage of that. I would love to find her a really cute Owl costume. She Loves owls! But I have yet to find a cute one, and I am not up to making a costume.

Angelina will likely be something like Hannah Montana or something with a long flowing dress... maybe a fairy. I am unsure. She is pretty easy, though. I am sure she already knows. We haven't discussed this - yet. :)

Do you know what your kids are going to be for Halloween yet? Do you celebrate Halloween? My husband LOVES Halloween... I am hoping that we have a little party this year. That would be fun! We live in a new neighborhood, so it will be fun to see all the kids coming for candy and see what the different costumes are. That's my favorite part... other than getting my own kids dressed up and watching them have a blast.

***

Regarding the book club. Note that we will be reading only ONE book per month. I have gotten emails stating that keeping up with my reading is impossible. LOL! Don't worry!! It's only one book a month, not 10! :) So, join in!
Let me put it this way. If we are reading a 500 page book over a 30 day period, you would only have to read 17 pages a day to finish the book in time. And I have been compiling a list of books we will read... most are less than 500 pages.

Also. I will announce the following month's book 1 week before the new month. Maybe sooner depending if there will be a HarperTeen giveaway or not. Not all of the books are HarperTeen. But you will be given enough advance notice to go to the Bookstore and get your book.

If you have any questions, please email me: shealynn at gmail.com
If you'd like to sign up, please email me as well! We would love for you to join! Remember to grab the book club button [on my right side bar], and copy and paste it on your blog! It would be great to get a bunch of people to join. So far we have about 10 people. Fantastic! Thanks to all of you for the emails letting me know you want to join! More info coming!

***

Have a fabulous day!!

News!!

I have so very fun and excited news to share with all of you today! And now all of your thoughts default to "she's pregnant"! No. I assure you I am not. LOL! ;)

But, all of you teen fiction lovers out there... listen up! I have been approved to review EARLY RELEASE books for HarperTeen!! :) This is super exciting for me! I will be getting books before they're release dates so I can review them for all of you!

What else does this mean? How about some BOOK GIVEAWAYS?! :) Yes, that's right!


So, this leads me to my next subject. I want to start a book club! Want to join in? I will feature 1 book a month. (I will also be asking for your opinions on what to feature as well, so let me know if you have any must reads for us to put in the club) Once you have read the book, email me your opinions about the book, and I will compile the opinions of you along with mine in 1 post. Then comments will be left open for anything else you want to say. How does this sound? I hope it sounds like fun!

Grab the button to join in!



Email me : shealynn AT gmail.com if you have questions and/or if you want to join! Book club starts October 1st!

Cupi Doll

Here are the rest of the pictures of Baby Ben! He definitely does resemble a Cupi Doll! He is absolutely adorable!! His mom and dad make 'em cute, don't they? :) By the way, Ben isn't my child. Some of you thought that. He is my daughter's teacher's son... she is also a friend of mine.

This boy LOVES to laugh!

He also likes to flirt. Nothing cuter than a flirty baby! :)

That's the last of this little Cupi for another month or 2!


If you live in the Phoeniz, AZ area, and want a photo shoot, email me! Christmas is coming! :) Oye! Christmas?! It is coming!!! 3.5 months away. That's insane.

P.S. Anyone interested in hosting a giveaway? Email me: shealynn AT gmail.com

New!

New camera strap slipcovers in my shop now!!











And coming soon...





Head to my shop for your new *Shey*[B] camera strap slipcover!!