Sunday, April 30, 2017

The Monthly Herd-- April-- A New Herd Addition!! (squeals!)


So. April's over in like 2 hours (as I type). I know it's said like every month but how the hell has that happened already?!! lol

A to Z Challenge-- All the letters left lol (N, V, X, Y, Z)-- New Art, VeganCuts, Xtremely Weird Eggs, Yard Art, Zillions of Pens

Yes. So. I'm catching up and posting a slew of letters in one post since it's the last day of the month and I was lazy. Ha! So. N, V, X, Y, & Z.

Friday, April 28, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Kitties in Cages

So. If you've been around for like even 2 minutes you know there's an actual herd. And they are a handful. A. Handful.

It used to be the herd was a peaceful herd. They all loved each other and snuggled and there was never any fighting or even dirty looks.

And then we became a household of punk cats who are full of sass. 

And one day. Said full of sass kitties pushed their mama too far.

A to Z Challenge-- Opa's Desk

One of the things in my room is a little brown desk--well, now it's red--but it's been brown for most of it's life.

It's had a very long life. 80 years or so. And the last 20 with me.

Before that it was my granddad's desk when he was a little boy.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Lawn Mower

Sooo L. I had a devil of a time coming up with something "old" to fit this letter. I've been trying to feature bits that have some family history. But yall are getting a Lawn Mower today. A snazzy one, too. lol

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Wolf Statues

A long time ago I was a Wolfpack.

And our city decided to do an art project to bring recognition to the red wolf which is endangered in our state. They made a bunch of life sized statues then artists and companies decorated them and they were put all over the place. Schools, businesses, parks, etc.

And I was maybe a little obsessed with taking pictures of all of them. And maybe one of them kinda, maybe, sorta, came home with me.

4 stars-- By the Hour (Pleasure Principle #2) by Roni Loren

Lane's book!! Eee! By the Hour was sexy, captivating and down right seductive.

So. Elle called Lane a hooker. And in the past that was kinda true. Now, though, he's a sexual surrogate at a rehab center that caters to the rich and famous. And he's real good at his job. Friendly, social, handsome. And he gets under Elle's skin something fierce. He's everything she's not and they both just kinda piss each other off. A right pain in the ass when you work together. And, well, really have the urge to lick one another, too.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Umbrellas

I'm only happy when it rains!!!

Okay, so that's not true. But I love the rain. The way it smells. The way it sounds. The fresh start after it ends. The perfect excuse to stay in and read with a cup of hot tea.

And...umbrellas!!!

Yes. I LOVE me some umbrellas.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales & Freebies!


Roni Loren is finally here! Plus Elle Kennedy! Yay!
A few freebies and sales, too. Amazon changed how their wishlists work for now and that's usually how I grab my sales/freebies so just a few this time. Boo!
Covers link over to Amazon* If you grab something hit those comments!

3.5 stars-- It Happened on Love Street (Everland, Georgia #1) by Lia Riley

A dog walker afraid of dogs, a hunky veterinarian who's... quite fond of them, a quirky meddlesome town, a mini treasure hunt and a little love. Yes, It Happened on Love Street was a charming time in small town Georgia.

Bookish Bits & Bobbles
Okay, so, basically Pepper moved to Everland, Georgia for a clerkship with the local judge. Problem is...he's a total wanker and gives it to someone else last minute and she's...out a job and stuck in a cutsy little Georgia town with no funds and a damn hot neighbor she really doesn't have time for. Lord help her. 

Monday, April 24, 2017

QuoteTastic/Review-- The Highland Duke (Lords of the Highlands #1) by Amy Jarecki


I'm always up for checking out a highlander. It's a weakness. And I have no shame! lol Jarecki was a new to me author and I had a pretty good time. I really loved this moment between the hero and heroine. She'd just had a big scare and I thought it was so sweet.

A to Z Challenge-- Tree (of the Christmas variety)

So. Christmas trees.

Christmas 2015 I bought my first fake tree. I don't know why I decided to get one but I did.

And off to AC Moore I went. And Ooo there was this gorgeous tree!

The tips were brushed with "snow" and it was lush and on sale.

Woohoo! Yes! I love a good sale!

So it came home with me.

And that's when I realized...

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Saturday, April 22, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Stained Glass Windows

A few years back I went to the Lori Foster Reader and Author Get Together up in Ohio.

It was such a good time getting to meet authors and reader friends for the first time.

And there was a silent auction to benefit a couple different charities.

I decided to play and put tickets in for a bunch of things. Then found out one of my reader friends, Nikki, had put in for one of them too. And it was on. lol

Friday, April 21, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Raisins of the California Variety

Raisins.

California.

Hell yes, I have California Raisins. 

Honest to goodness I don't know where I got them. Were they in happy meals, maybe? 

Thursday, April 20, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Quirky (delightfully naughty) Soap

Sometimes you just need cock soap.

I mean, really.

You just do.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

4 stars-- Slow Burn Cowboy (Copper Ridge #7) by Maisey Yates

Oh.My.Word. These two were a handful! Best friends to lovers and one helluva awkward growly leap to get from just hanging out to naked fun. Whew! Slow Burn Cowboy was quite the ride.

The Gist
Alright so Lane and Finn have been best friends since ever. They've totally got a flow going where he takes care of all her handyman issues and she feeds him-- but life has a way of fucking with ya and both of them are feeling that pretty damn hard--a secret from Lane's past is sending her in a tailspin and Finn's not doing much better after his granddad died and divided up the farm between Finn and his estranged brothers. So things are spiraling and Finn's control kinda snaps. He's been wanting Lane something fierce for a decade and apparently that's the bit he just can't keep under control anymore. He's ready jump in cock first...consequences be damned.

A to Z Challenge-- Pink Flamingos

Birds freak me the fuck out.

But I'm good with ducks and with flamingos.

And somehow that meant I needed pink flamingos in my life. Badly!

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales & Freebies!


Yates, Herkness, Bell. Book love! They were excellent.
There are some really good sales (including a monster porn) down below, too!
As always, covers link over to Amazon* Let me know what you grab!

4 stars-- The VIP Doubles Down (Wager of Hearts #3) by Nancy Herkness

Nancy Herkness totally charmed me with her Wager of Hearts series. Three sexy alpha males who in a drunken moment made a bet. A bet to... find true love. How stinking cute is that? Yep. They have one year to find the women who make them swoon. So much fun! The VIP Doubles Down was all about Gavin-- the writer with a massive case of writers block and a damn hard time trusting anyone. Especially women.

Monday, April 17, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Jewelry

Ha! So I'm just doing my A to Z in all random order at this point. And...I'm okay with that.

Today I'm doing J! Woo! For Jewelry. I have some neat pieces of jewelry that I've inherited or been gifted by family but that's not what I'm sharing...

QuoteTastic/Review-- A Ballroom Temptation (Countess Scandals #3) by Kimberly Bell


I've really been enjoying Bell's series. They're lively, romantic, full of sexy heroes. What's not to like?

So today's quotes. I have a couple.

This first one cracked me up. I love finding letters or other written correspondence in books and this one. This one was one of the best. It's a birth announcement from the first couple of the series to the current heroine.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Tasty Delights-- Cauliflower and Lentil Dal

Yes, yes. I know yall are probably sick of hearing about HelloFresh. But, yall, I'm really having a good time with these boxes! I've found so many things I thought I would never eat and would never have tried making had I just been searching Pinterest or looking through cookbooks.

And for that alone-- not even just the tasty noms-- I'm so glad I started trying these delivery boxes. For yall who haven't seen them. Basically every week or however often you want a box (you can skip weeks) they send you three meals with all of the ingredients included (in exact quantities) for the meal.

This week I tried Dal. I've not been a huge Indian food fan despite it often being vegetarian friendly. It's usually just too spicy for me. But! This. This I loved.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Medical Lab Cart

My granddad was a pretty amazing guy. He worked at the University of Florida and was an inventor and medical doctor.

He passed away about 10 years ago--damn I miss him--and one of the things our family had to do was clean out his medical lab that was on campus. The lab he'd been in for...decades. I totally get my packrat tendencies from him, yall. lol There was a LOT of stuff in that place. Some things we could toss, some things that were archived, and then some things we got to keep.

Friday, April 14, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Elephants

Years ago I collected elephants.

I was obsessed.

Elephant jewelry, paintings, figurines, Christmas ornaments, tapestries, little stools, mugs, stuffed animals... you name it. I neeeded it. lol

Thursday, April 13, 2017

4 stars-- A Billionaire Between the Sheets (The Overnight Billionaires, #1) by Katie Lane

Katie Lane always leaves me smiling. I'm so glad I finally started her Overnight Billionaires series.

Basically, Livy's stepfather died and instead of leaving their lingerie empire to her he left it to her step cousins. Three burly men who live in the swamps, have bushy beards and are rough around the edges. I mean. Yall. How fun is that?! Watching them step into their swanky new lives, deal with a little romance, and maybe some corporate espionage to boot was a good time all around.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

InstaWednesday-- I Made Parfum, Yall!!! Woo!

Because I love Instagram and fun pictures. The Herd's week ala Instagram :)

Eee! I think I'm actually a week late with this one. Oops! So. LOTS of photos then. Yes, I have finally gotten my Instagram mojo back. I think it's official. lol I've been having a great time formatting photos and doing challenges over there. Anywho. On to the happenings this past few weeks...

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Italian Kittehs


Over the years I've gotten to travel a number of amazing places. About 10 years ago we went to Italy for a friends wedding.

We ended up going for two weeks and took our Italian neighbor (my grandmom's best friend) who had never been to Italy and her son who was adopted from there 40 some years earlier. We went all over the country and visited some of my favorite places. From Vince to Capri, Sorrento (my favorite especially at Christmas!) and Rome.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales & Freebies!


Yay! Books! I read...none of the releases this week. lol Big change from last week for sure. There are some amazing sales/freebies, though. One from Jill Shalvis for only 99cents! eee! Anywho. Covers link over to Amazon* Let me know what you grab!

Monday, April 10, 2017

Quote-tastic/Review-- The Lady and the Highlander (A Highland Fairy Tale #3) by Lecia Cornwall

I'm such a sucker for a retelling. This series from Cornwall. Total catnip. Retellings...set in the highlands. Yall!

This was a really different one for me since the hero spent most of the story...hunting the heroine.

Anywho, this quote was once they had a bit of an understanding. It just struck me as really funny.

A to Z Challenge-- Hope Chest

My coffee table is actually a "hope chest".

About a decade ago my grandmom gave it to her. It's heavy and smells amazing and is one of my favorite things.

It's stacked full of all my soft winter blankets. <3

Part of why I love it is because it's been in our family for ages. I called my grandmom to make sure I had all the specifics and she was like "I can't believe I gave it away. I love that chest. Why did I think I should give it away?"

::snort::

Sunday, April 9, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Glass Balls

For years I collected glass balls. My ceiling of my bedroom back home was covered in them.

And now my house has them in pretty much every room.

I can't remember WHY I started collecting them but I was obsessed.

Friday, April 7, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- Family Art, flowers & fiendish felines

There are many talented people in our family. Some in the sciences, some in music, some who sew gorgeous clothes or are master planners. And then there are the artists.

My great-grandmom (my granddads mother) was one of them. She drew people and landscapes and the occasional flower <---ahhh another F!

Years ago when I bought my house my grandmother sent me this piece and it's hung in my entry ever since.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

4 stars-- Sabotage (Under Covers #2) by Jessica Linden

So so fun! Sabotage was a super quick read and one I couldn't put down as Abbie and Jonathan both find themselves dealing with some suspicious happenings and someone trying to discredit them. Seems someone has it out for them and, whew, it's sure testing their relationship something fierce.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- the Doll House aka When Santa Done Screwed Up

So one Christmas...it snowed in Florida!

It did! It really did!

I swears it. And Santa? Well. Santa lost his shit.

Because seriously... snow in Florida.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

4 stars-- I Dared the Duke (The Wayward Wallflowers #2) by Anna Bennett

Happy sigh? Yes, yes. *happy sigh*. Once again Bennett delivered a delightfully enchanting romance that left me smiling and totally enamored with the characters she brought to life.

I Dared the Duke. A grumpy scarred duke versus his doting granny and her fiery young companion. Basically Alex has some sort of danger tailing after him and has decided his granny isn't safe in Town and needs to retire to the country for a spell while he figures things out. Of course he doesn't want her to worry so he tries to get her companion on board with the the granny-relocation plan. Yeah. Tries being the key word. Historical homeboy has no chance against these two lively women who have plans of their own. lol

Memes! Top Ten Tues/Waiting on Wed--- Erms, Fandoms?


So. Fandoms. I don't know that I'm really in any fandoms. I mean. I love a lotta things but, eh, I'm not like woohoo harry potter! and buying up all the things. *shrugs* I'm weird maybe. lol

A to Z Challenge-- Cock-ified Art



there was a girl. Who lived in a home with no color.

The walls...were all "eggshell white".

She longed for color. Her soul begged for burgundy, cucumber essence, cinnamon. Sage, richy red, and lily pad green. Sea foam, rust, and Tuscany orange.

One day...she got her own home.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales & Freebies!


Oh there were some very good ones this week. The Lady and the Highlander, Sabotage, I Dared the Duke. All so fun!

Let me know if you grab anything! All of the covers link to Amazon.

A to Z Challenge-- "Blue Plates"

As long as I can remember there's been a little side table leading up to my grandmom's dining room and on the wall right above it are the family "blue plates". They're actually Danish Christmas Plates but they're just the "blue plates" to me.

Spring Into Romance Giveaway Hop! (April 3-17)


Welcome to the Spring Into Romance Giveaway Hop!
We're sharing our favorite Spring Reads with you!
There's a new blog at each stop so be sure to check them all out!

Quote-tastic: At Last by Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis always cracks me up. I just love her heroes and heroines and how dang relateable they usually are. The bits of humor are awesome, too. I reviewed it WAY back in the early days of the blog (HERE)

So this one. Forest ranger vs girl who is a total direction/nature blunder walking. lol There may have been some rescues, some bear encounters, some make a girl squeal moments. heh Anywho. Matt is telling Amy about his first night as a forest ranger...

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Tasty Delights-- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

I picked up this cookbook after seeing Roni Loren post about it. A veggie a day. Perfect!


This was my first attempt and while I tweaked it a little (I don't like rosemary) it was a pretty yummy dish and my first time cooking fingerling potatoes. So a win in my book!

The cookbook. It's a series from William Sonoma and it's just beautiful. I want the Dessert of the Day now, too. lol (Amazon)

Saturday, April 1, 2017

A to Z Challenge-- ARCs

Welcome to the A to Z Challenge. Today is letter A! I'm sharing 'things in my house' this month. If you're participating in the challenge please leave your blog link in the comments!

Woohoo! ARCs!! A couple years back I had no idea what these were. Now? They're a huge part of my life. In two ways.

First...BOOKS! Yes!

And second...my planner. Double yes!

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