Book Review: The Ace

theaceThe Ace is Book 2 in the Men of the Show series – which I had previously read and reviewed The Changeup and liked the book.  While the Changeup is about Maddie and her relationship with baseball rookie Chase – The Ace is about Maddie’s BFF Karen and her relationship with Chase’s teammate Jerry.

Karen is not interested in a long term relationship.  When something starts blooming with Jerry, her crush on the baseball team, they decide that it should be just sex and nothing more.  Except they both kind of end up wanting it to be more but neither quite knows how to say it to each other, so they end up fighting a lot over it.  When Karen finally comes around and realizes that Jerry IS what she wants – he gets hit in the head with a pitch and ends up in the hospital.  When Karen and Maddie rush there to see him, Chase has to pull some strings to get Karen in his room as his “girlfriend”.  When they enter it is evident that Jerry has amnesia and doesn’t remember the relationship that he and Karen had beyond seeing her at Maddie and Chase’s engagement dinner. (He is best man, she is maid of honor!)

Will Jerry remember what he had with Karen?  Karen thinks that she blew it and has lost him forever.  If he remembers, will she take the chance to let him know how she really feels?

I enjoyed the first book in this series, and I enjoy the amount of baseball related romance novels that seem to be popping up.  I was anxious to read this second installment and it did not disappoint!

I received a free e-copy in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Book two of Men of the Show

“Love ’em and leave ’em” has been real estate agent Karen Bently’s motto for as long as she can remember. She doesn’t need a man, except to make her toes curl. Or so she thought, until her longtime crush, Ace pitcher Jerry Smutton, sets his sights on her.

After signing one of the largest baseball contracts in history with the Detroit Rockets, Jerry enlists Karen to help him find the house of his dreams. Their connection is instant and electric, but neither of them is the relationship type. When Jerry proposes a friends-with-benefits arrangement, that suits Karen just fine.

Passionate sleepovers soon turn into long, romantic evenings… Still, Karen and Jerry refuse to acknowledge they’re a couple. Karen insists that she’s immune to Jerry’s heart-melting charm. Jerry’s not ready to settle down. Denial is the name of the game, until one pitch changes everything…

Meet Jerry’s teammate Chase Patton in The Changeup!

Book Review: The Wizard of Oz FAQ

ozAs a kid, I used to take out all of Frank Baum’s Oz books from the library to read.  I’m not sure what it is about that world and those characters that I loved, but even to this day I love all the various versions out there.  So when I saw The Wizard of Oz FAQ available for review, I knew I had to check it out.  The book is almost 500 pages and is jam packed with everything you want to know about Oz (and then some)!  I thought it might be a quick read with questions and answers, but it’s not set up like your typical FAQ – it is instead a very complete book breaking down books, adaptations, etc throughout the pages.  It even ponders Shirley Temple being cast as Dorothy instead of Judy Garland.

I particularly liked the “Merry Old Land of Rumors” which addressed some rumors about the film of MGM’s The Wizard of Oz.  Some are already talked about earlier in the book but others are not. Also included are some of the “oops” in the shooting of the movie.  One night I pulled these up on the computer and tried to find them while we watched the movie on TV but unfortunately they were not in order so it made it harder to find them. I believe this list is in order as they appear in the film.

One of the most in depth looks at Oz you will probably ever find or read.  If you’re a fan of Oz and want to know all there is to know about the history of it – movie and otherwise, then this is certainly the book for you.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

The Wizard of Oz FAQ is a fact-filled celebration of the beloved 1939 fantasy masterpiece starring Judy Garland. It’s all here – from L. Frank Baum and his Oz novels to the complete background story of the movie’s conception, development, and shoot, with special attention given to the little-known parade of uncredited directors, casting difficulties, and on-set accidents and gaffes, as well as more than 75 sidebars devoted to key cast members, directors, and other behind-the-scenes personnel.

You’ll find a wealth of fun facts: How MGM overworked Judy Garland before, during, and after Oz; why director Victor Fleming had his hands full with the Cowardly Lion and Dorothy’s other friends; what it was about Toto that really bothered Judy; the physical horrors of filming in Technicolor; the racial Oz gag that was scripted but never shot; when the Wicked Witch was going to be beautiful; why The Wizard of Oz owes a lot to silent-screen star Mary Pickford; the story of deleted scenes, and a full two weeks of shooting that had to be scrapped; why MGM star Mickey Rooney was part of the movie’s traveling publicity blitz; how the Wicked Witch was literally blown off her broomstick one day; the place where lions, tigers, and bears really do live together; singers you hear but never see; the day MGM fired Judy Garland; and much more. Just follow the yellow brick road!

Book Review: Sticky Fingers

stickyIf you read the blog you know I’m always looking for new crafty things to try out.  I’ve never made anything out of duct tape before (aside from taping it to paper for a scrapbook layout and I’m not sure that actually counts.) and I’ve always wanted to try it out.  This book should help me find a project to do as well as show me how to do it! The first chapter tells you what you need to get started, the second chapter is all about setting up your work station.  Chapter 3 is all about the basics and different types of strips that you can make with the tape, pouches, etc.  Chapter 4 is quick crafts – flowers, bows, etc.  Chapter 5 is all about wallets and the different types you can make (I had no idea there were different types). Chapter 6 is purses, bags and cases.  Chapter 7 is wearable duct tape – pins, lanyards, belts, etc. Chapter 8 is things you can use at school like bookmarks and pencil cases.  9 is things for your room – baskets, frames, etc. And Chapter 10 teaches you how to use every last bit of the roll.

Each project is ranked with a skill level of 1 to 5 circles and also the estimated amount of time it should take you to complete it.  Materials needed are listed right at the top and there are photos to show you how you should be moving along in the project.

I wasn’t able to do any projects right away because I didn’t have any tape handy, but I’ve bookmarked a few projects for future consideration.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Sticky Fingers is a vibrant, easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to creating amazing projects with the hottest crafting material on the market today duct tape! The book includes tons of photographs alongside directions designed to make creating a wallet and making a bag even easier, while also providing a steady stream of ideas for personalizing and embellishing your duct tape creations. Each project includes icons showing difficulty level and project time, as well as helpful hints, such as how to keep your scissors clean and what to do with end pieces. So grab a roll of duct tape, pick a project, and get started!

Throwback Thursday – All That Music And More 2000

Headliner:  Festival Show
Opener(s):  Nick Cannon, Sister 2 Sister, Angela Via, BWitched, No Authority, LFO
Cost: $40
Setlist:

No setlist available

 

Recap: My mom and I went to this show – I really only cared about LFO although I did always think Danny from No Authority was cute and BWitched had that one catchy song.  I joke about this show every now and then because we had the chance to either meet No Authority or Nick Cannon and Kenan Thompson and we chose to meet neither.  Now Nick and Kenan are pretty much the only ones still doing things!  I really remember nothing of Sister2Sister or Angela Via.

 

Where Are They Now:

Nick Canon now pretty much owns Teen Nick, is married to Mariah Carey and hosts America’s Got Talent

According to Wikepedia – Sister2Sister are still active and have also been on TV.  They’ve also launched a school of singing in Australia. (Assuming that this is the same girls.)

Wikipedia is telling me that Angela Via is still active as well but seems to have gone into more Latin Pop and Reggaeton since I saw her as a Pop act back in 2000.

BWitched went their separate ways after being dropped by their label in 2002 and one of the girls leaving the group. In 2012, they reunited for The Big Reunion documentary series. They are now back together and did an arena tour in the UK last year.

And I think I’ve already written about No Authority and LFO 🙁 so no need to bring that up again!

 

LiveNation Fan Guarantee

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For a while I have read that LiveNation / Ticketmaster has a fan guarantee – at participating venues, you can change your mind within 72 hours of your purchase and get a full refund.  Or, if you happen to find better seats you can exchange as well (supposedly this works up until the week before the show!)  I had never tried it before but recently found myself in a situation where I decided to try it out.

I was trying to get Little Mix tickets through the Facebook presale – and ended up losing 1st row because the site glitched on the last part of the order screen (I was so mad!) and when I saw I had 5th row on my phone on the app, I tried to get those instead.  Except the app ended up glitching as well and I had nothing.  I ended up buying 12th row – then figured out I could get VIP in the first 10 rows for twice as much (including meeting Little Mix) OR soundcheck VIP for just $25 more in essentially the same area I just bought.  I debated calling to cancel (buyers remorse for sure!) but figured I’d see what happened in the pre-sale the next morning instead.

Imagine my surprise when the 5th row ticket I had lost on the app the day before popped back up! I snatched it up without hesitation – though kept looking to see if that front row ticket would show up again. It didn’t.  I debated listing the extra ticket on StubHub – but ultimately decided to easiest thing to do would be cancel the order through the guarantee and not have to worry about not being able to sell it. But always had StubHub as backup just in case.

I called the number on Ticketmaster’s “Contact Us” page and needed to let them know the order number (for the order I wanted to cancel), address and last 4 digits of the credit card used to purchase the ticket.  The plus side to calling Ticketmaster is their hold music is pretty good – Jack Johnson and Carrie Underwood were among the snippets of songs I got to listen to while I was on hold for approximately 13 minutes. (Estimate was 15!)  When I first said I was looking to cancel one order because I had found a better ticket I was told “We have a strict no refund or exchange policy” Oh, Really?  I asked “What about the fan guarantee?” and was told they’d have to check to see if it was a participating venue.  Back on hold I went!

When she came back she said she could cancel it no problem and a full refund would be back in my account in 7-10 days.  Pretty easy – the worst part was the hold time. (It’s too bad that you can’t do the cancellation through the website, but I guess that would make it *too* easy.)

A list of participating venues can be found here (Be sure to double check this list before you’re buying tickets to make sure all the same venues are still participating!)

 

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*I had been moving this post to accommodate for more ‘timely’ posts several times. Turns out, Little Mix canceled the tour so I would have been refunded for both orders either way!*

Try It Tuesday: Making Stamps!

For the longest time I have wanted nothing more than a Hanson symbol stamp for my scrapbooking supplies.  Whenever posts come up on Hanson’s site about merchandise we’d love to see – I always said “a stamp of the symbol!”  Well, since they have yet to take my advice (I know there are more than just me who are Hanson fans and scrapbook) I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I did some research online and found out what I needed and headed out to find it.  I had intended to link to the site where I found the best tutorial (MollieMakes) but the tutorial seemed to have disappeared the day after I used it! (I guess better the day after than before!)

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On etsy I purchased a stamp making kit which included 2 eraser blocks, carving tools and an ink pad. I also bought some stamp blocks (which turned out to be much too small for the initial project, but were used on additional stamps I made shortly after) I also needed some tracing paper and then I was ready to go.

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Product Review: Marshmallow Soap Company Review + Giveaway

When my soap from Marshmallow Soap Co arrived and I had scents like “Watermelon Lemonade” “Punch Party” and “Cantaloupe” I was slightly confused. I thought this soap was going to smell like marshmallows!  But, it turns out, it looks and feels like a marshmallow which is SO SO cool. (If you are stumped on gifts to get anyone, ever. This is probably the way to go. So awesome.)

www.MarshmallowSoapCo.com to view more flavors!

Marshmallow Soap is Eco Friendly, Cruelty Free, Vegetable Derived. It has No Paraben, Phthalate and Nitro Musk.  And even better – for every 2 soaps sold, Marshmallow Soap Company donates to Victims of Domestic Violence, Local Orphanages, and to Women, Men and Children affected by HIV/AIDS.

This Quarter Donations are being sent to: NCHS Community Case Management which you can visit on facebook and see our involvement with them. https://www.facebook.com/NCHSCCM

Each marshmallow creates a great lather – you can use just a piece of it and should have no problem working up enough lather for your whole body for your shower or bath.  They also smell good and for a while after I got out of the shower my arm smelled so good I kind of wanted to eat it.  They moisturize your skin and leave your skin feeling soft and hydrated for hours. It is great for all skin types – including children and sensitive skin and can help make bath-time (or just hand washing) fun!

If you properly let your Marshmallows dry (they do sell a drying rack at the site), the 1.5″ marshmallow can last as long as a standard bar of soap – if not longer!

 WIN IT!

One lucky Concert Katie reader will win a standard 5″ tub of a single flavor.  The flavor will be picked at random.
Bloggers who have already reviewed this product can not enter.
If a prize is returned back to MSC as undelivered or unclaimed, it will not be resent unless the winner pays shipping.
If the prize is confirmed as delivered through the tracking number and the winner claims they have not received it, MSC will be unable to reship the prize.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Music Monday: Kelly Clarkson Wrapped In Red

Our second “Christmas in July” review is Kelly Clarkson’s Wrapped in Red!

 

kelly

Wrapped in Red
Underneath the Tree
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Run Run Rudolph
Please Come Home For Christmas
Every Christmas
Blue Christmas
Winter Dreams (Brandon’s Song)
White Christmas
My Favorite Things
4 Carats
Just For Now

Wrapped In Red has 5 original songs – Wrapped In Red, Underneath the Tree, Every Christmas, Winter Dreams, and 4 Carats.  For pretty much all of the Christmas season 2013 I had “Underneath The Tree” which was Kelly’s single from the album stuck in my head. I was almost tempted to skip it when re-listening to write this review because I didn’t need it stuck in my head for another 6 months!

While Underneath The Tree is (obviously) my favorite of the originals – I always really like Every Christmas.

This CD is everything that I would expect from a Kelly Clarkson album – catchy songs, great singing, and fun!

Book Review: Neil Armstrong

neilNeil Armstrong is the most recent biography about the aviator and astronaut. While I feel like most of his books focus more on the astronaut aspect, this book actually seemed more well rounded focusing on all of his achievements.  This book is also written by someone Neil trusted with his stories, so it is the most thorough representation of Neil’s life.  Throughout the book there are a lot of photos of Neil and his various adventures – from flying to the moon, to his time spent in the war.

This was a personal look into Neil’s life and one I am very happy to have read. I learned a lot that I didn’t know from reading other things about him and loved looking at all the photos.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

To date, everything written about Armstong’s life and flights has been written from the outside looking in; Barbree is the only person whom Neil Armstrong trusted to share close personal details about his inspiring life story.

Working from his years of notes, and with the full cooperation of the Armstrong family, Barbree has written the definitive biography of America’s most famous astronaut and one of our greatest modern heroes. Much has already been written about Armstrong and the major players who helped him fly to the moon, but he wanted this book to emphasize his two passions—family and flight.  Barbree and Armstrong discussed everything, from his two marriages and the death of his baby daughter, to his love of flying, the war years and of course, his time in space. The book, timed to coincide with the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch and full of never-before-seen photos, includes many personal details that have never before been written, such as what Armstrong really felt when he took that first step on the moon, what life in NASA was like, his relationships with the other astronauts, and what he felt the future of space exploration should be.

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