Jewels By Jane FeelAble Wall Art: Review and Giveaway

There are times that I feel like the art of decorating a home should be an Olympic event. It can be a serious challenge to find things that represent your sense of style, but also adhere to your budget. In many cases, I turn to the website Etsy to find artisans who channel their creativity into amazing art that will liven up the rooms of my home.

Jewels By Jane "Feelable Wall Art" is an Etsy business started by a homeschooling stay-at-home mom of 4! Jane has a love of folk art and has channeled that passion into wall hangings that not only appeal to the visual sense, but also have depth from a tactile sense. Jane uses buttons as her medium of choice and every single button is hand-placed. You are guaranteed a unique piece of work each time! These are just a few of the amazing pieces that Jane has created.

"BIG Tree"

"Broken Glass"

"Spring-a-Ling"













Jane has generously offered a custom designed piece of art to the winner of this giveaway. The art will be in the style of "Spring-a-Ling", pictured above. The finished piece size is 7"x7". The winner will work with Jane to designate the color scheme that they prefer. This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. If you do not have your email address in your blogger profile, please make sure you leave your email in your comment(s).

Mandatory Entry: Visit Jewels By Jane and let me know what your favorite piece is and why.

Bonus Entries (please leave a separate comment for each bonus entry):

1 Entry - Become a Follower of this blog or let me know if you already follow (widget is on the left sidebar)

1 Entry - Grab my button & put it in your sidebar (please leave your blog link in the comment so I can verify placement and come by to say hi)

1 Entry - Become a follower on Facebook or let me know if you already follow

1 Entry - Become a follower on Twitter or let me know if you already follow

1 Entry - Per day for tweeting this giveaway (please leave tweet url in the comment)

10 Entries - If you make a purchase from Jewels By Jane (please leave 10 separate comments to qualify and your purchase will be verified with the merchant)

This giveaway will close on Sunday, May 30th at 11:59pm ET. Winner will be chosen by random number draw. Winner will be contacted immediately and has 48 hours to respond with shipping information. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation from this vendor, but I do own one of her pieces. All opinions are based on my personal experience with the art. Your experience might differ from mine.

The Queen's Wednesday Giveaway Linky

This is my weekly forum for other bloggers to list your giveaways and for readers to check out other goodies that are up for grabs!

First, please make sure you check out my 3 current giveaways.

One eskimO cd (ends 5/23)

Peter Rabbit Organics Fruit Snacks (ends 5/23)

A Three Dog Life book (ends 5/30)

Please list your giveaways in the following format.

Your Blog Name - Giveaway Item (ending date)

Please link directly to the giveaway post and not to the main page of your blog. If this rule is violated, your link will be deleted.

Thanks for participating and enjoy entering some great giveaways!

The Fey: Book Review

Title: The Fey
Author: Claudia Hall Christian
Genre: Thriller/Romance
Paperback
291 pages

From the book jacket:
"Released from Walter Reed Hospital, Sergeant Alexandra Hargreaves settles in her hometown of Denver, Colorado. With her family and friends close, and her enemies even closer, she strives to collect the pieces of her shattered life.

Then everything falls apart.

Haunted by the past, and terrorized in the present, Alex must reach past pain, through memory, and beyond the grave to find her self, and her future."

When I initially picked this book up, I was really unsure if it was going to be something that would appeal to me. I enjoy movies such as The Bourne Trilogy, James Bond, and pretty much anything that Angelina Jolie stars in. "The Fey" is a wonderful blend of these kinds of roles with a side of romance thrown in.

I love that the chapters are short and the story moves along very quickly. You barely have a chance to catch your breath before our heroine takes another twist or turn. The story is fast paced and just when you think that nothing else can happen to Alex, something happens.

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a good mystery or thriller. For people out there who don't gravitate towards this genre of book, well, there is plenty of romance thrown in to keep the fires burning.

This is the first in the "Alex the Fey" series. The second book in the series, "Learning to Stand", was released in January and will be reviewed here in the coming weeks.

Winners of $25 Walmart and Hallmark giveaways

I want to emphasize again how much I appreciate all of my readers and the time that you guys take to enter my giveaways and get the word out! You guys are wonderful!

The winner of my Hallmark Edge of Motherhood card set is #25.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

25 

Timestamp: 2010-05-17 04:06:16 UTC

Julie D said... 25

My kids come up with some good ones, but at the moment, "Mommy Brain" has set in and I can't think of one.

May 16, 2010 8:59 PM

The winner of the $25 Walmart giftcard is #67.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

67 

Timestamp: 2010-05-17 04:07:12 UTC

bayctygrl said... 67

follow on twitter @bayctygrl

hippopurplemonkey at yahoo dot com

May 3, 2010 2:06 PM

Congratulations to both winners! Each has been contacted and has 48 hours to respond. In the event that a winner does not respond, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Thanks again to all who entered and I hope that you'll stick around as there are more reviews, giveaways and new things coming up!

A Three Dog Life: Book Review and Giveaway

Title: A Three Dog Life
Author: Abigail Thomas
Genre: Memoir
Paperback
182 pages

The author, Abigail Thomas, chronicles a life after tragedy when her husband is struck by a car and suffers a traumatic brain injury. We're taken on a journey with highs and lows and see the very real situations that families of TBI patients are confronted with every single day. The emotions are very raw. The pictures that the author paints are vivid.

I picked up this book based purely on the cover art and title. I am a dog lover and am always drawn to stories that center around them. However, this book didn't live up to that specific idea that I was looking for, which was ok. I am also drawn heavily to memoirs. This book is relatively short and a very quick read because the story is very captivating. The author grabs your attention and holds it as you take this roller coaster ride through life with her.

I really enjoyed this book because it gave me a fresh perspective on the emotions involved when this kind of accident happens to a family. True life stories are very interesting to me. And, while the dogs were not a central character to the story, in my opinion, they definitely played a part, which was nice to see.

One winner will receive a copy of the paperback version of this book. This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. If you do not have your email address in your blogger profile, please make sure you leave your email in your comment(s).

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me one of your favorite books.

Bonus Entries (please leave a separate comment for each bonus entry):

1 Entry - Become a Follower of this blog or let me know if you already follow (widget is on the left sidebar)

1 Entry - Grab my button & put it in your sidebar (please leave your blog link in the comment so I can verify placement and come by to say hi)

1 Entry - Become a follower on Facebook or let me know if you already follow

1 Entry - Become a follower on Twitter or let me know if you already follow

1 Entry - Per day for tweeting this giveaway (please leave tweet url in the comment)

This giveaway will close on Sunday, May 30th at 11:59pm ET. Winner will be chosen by random number draw. Winner will be contacted immediately and has 48 hours to respond with shipping information. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by me. I purchased the giveaway book because it's a good book and I want to share it with the public.

Peter Rabbit Organics Review & Giveaway

Finding good quality snacks for young children these days can be a real challenge. Many parents are concerned about all of the extra stuff on ingredient labels that they can't even pronounce and how those preservatives and chemicals will affect the developing systems of their little ones.

Peter Rabbit Organics is a charming little company based in London, England. This group of 4 individuals is focused on the common goal of providing a top-quality organic fruit snack that the whole family can enjoy.

The fruit pouches are made with 100% organic fruit and have no preservatives, no artificial ingredients and no added sugar. The packaging is BPA free and shelf stable, which makes them a great item to toss into a diaper bag or lunch box. Each pouch contains over one serving of fruit and has an easy access cap that is appropriate for ages 6 months and up.

My family recently had the chance to taste test the 3 flavors that the snacks come in. Hubby & I really enjoyed the Apple & Grape flavor, but the kids didn't. Hubby & the kids voted the Mango, Banana & Orange as their favorite flavor. I thought it was ok, but I'm not a huge banana fan. The Strawberry & Banana was our least favorite, but I think it had more to do with the consistency.

Overall, we agreed that this is something that we will definitely keep on hand for a quick & nutritional snack option. And because there is a wide variety of flavor choices, there's something that each member of my family will enjoy! Currently, you can purchase Peter Rabbit Organics online through Amazon.com. You can also use the store locator found here to find a local vendor near you that might carry the product.

One winner will receive a mixed box of 10 pouches of these organic fruit snacks! The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. If you do not have your email address linked in your blogger profile, please leave your email in your comment(s).

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which flavor of these fruit snacks you are most interested in trying.

Bonus Entries (please leave a separate comment for each bonus entry):

1 Entry - Become a Follower of this blog or let me know if you already follow (widget is on the left sidebar)

1 Entry - Grab my button & put it in your sidebar (please leave your blog link in the comment so I can verify placement and come by to say hi)

1 Entry - Become a follower on Facebook or let me know if you already follow

1 Entry - Become a follower of Peter Rabbit Organics on Facebook

1 Entry - Become a follower on Twitter or let me know if you already follow

1 Entry - Become a follower of Peter Rabbit Organics on Twitter

1 Entry - Per day for tweeting this giveaway (please leave tweet url in the comment)

This giveaway will close on Sunday, May 23rd at 11:59pm ET. Winner will be chosen by random number draw. Winner will be contacted immediately and has 48 hours to respond with shipping information. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Disclosure: I was provided with a set of 3 fruit pouches to sample for my review. I did not receive any other compensation. All opinions are my own. Your experience with the product might result in a different opinion.

One eskimO CD Review and Giveaway

As a self-proclaimed musicphile, I am always interested in checking out new bands. Through my partnership with the One2One Network, I was given the opportunity to listen to a cd by a new English band called One eskimO.

Billboard magazine has referred to One eskimO's self-titled debut album as "...catchy, ambient pop." I agree that their sound is definitely one that I would classify as pop, but I can't really identify another band that I think they sound similar to; which, in my book, is a good thing. Their sound is mellow and has some wonderful acoustic tones to it with both piano and guitar.

One of my favorite songs from the cd is called "Astronauts" and you can get a free download of that song by clicking here!

One eskimO currently has the #1 adult alternative song called "Kandi" which you might have already heard since it's the most played song on all adult rock radio for 4 weeks and counting. Check out the video for "Kandi"!



If you enjoy live concerts as much as I do, you will definitely want to check this band out live. They begin their tour of the U.S. tomorrow, May 14th, in sunny Miami, FL! You can check out their entire tour schedule here.

One eskimO is definitely a band that will make it into regular rotation on my iPod. Their sound is great for hanging out around the house, background music for a dinner party or reading a good book while relaxing by the pool. I hope you'll check them out on iTunes or in a music store near you!

And now for the giveaway!

I am giving away 1 copy of the debut cd of One eskimO. The giveaway is open to U.S. & Canadian residents only. If you do not have your email address linked in your blogger profile, please leave your email in your comment(s).

Mandatory Entry: Tell me the name of your favorite musical artist or genre of music.

Bonus Entries (please leave a separate comment for each bonus entry):

1 Entry - Become a Follower of this blog or let me know if you already follow (widget is on the left sidebar)

1 Entry - Grab my button & put it in your sidebar (please leave your blog link in the comment so I can verify placement and come by to say hi)

1 Entry - Become a follower on Facebook or let me know if you already follow

1 Entry - Become a follower of One eskimO on Facebook

1 Entry - Become a follower on Twitter or let me know if you already follow

1 Entry - Per day for tweeting this giveaway (please leave tweet url in the comment)

This giveaway will close on Sunday, May 23rd at 11:59pm ET. Winner will be chosen by random number draw. Winner will be contacted immediately and has 48 hours to respond with shipping information. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Disclosure: I was provided with a band cd through my partnership with the One2OneNetwork. I did not receive any other compensation. All opinions are my own. Your experience with the product might result in a different opinion.