Majestical Jewelry Review & Giveaway!

Disclosure- I received earrings from Majestical Jewelry in exchange for my honest thoughts on the product. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

I am a total girly girl. I love dressing up or coordinating outfits with accessories and jewelry and adding a great manicure to match. The fun of being a woman is having so many options to play around with when it comes to fashion. I was so excited at the opportunity to review a piece from Majestical Jewelry. As soon as I opened the package that contained these earrings, I already had several outfits in mind for what I would wear them with. In the picture, you can see that they are long, dangle style earrings and are mostly a pretty gold color. What you might not be able to see is the beautiful pearl circles that begin the earrings and the absolutely adorable gold flowers with a little sparkling center. I loved the cute little blue bag that came with the earrings in the box, arriving perfectly set up for gift giving.

The cool thing about a set of earrings like the ones pictured above, is that they can jazz up a casual outfit, but could also hold their own as a nice focal point for a dress or other special occasion outfit. There were a couple of things in my closet that I thought would go really well with these earrings. The first was a casual outfit-


I thought that since the earrings were so avertly feminine that a cute, frilly cardigan, a lacy gray camisole and skinny jeans would all go together super nicely. Add a dusty rose nail polish with a mint polish for accent nails and I think we have a pretty good casual outfit. To round it out completely, I would probably add a dainty gold necklace or bracelet.







The next outfit I had in mind, was more simple, yet refined and elegant. I have a thing for purple. I do have some little black dresses, but I have several dresses in purple and the one pictured below is one I have worn to a few special occasions already. I always get tons of compliments on it-

I think the Majestical Jewelry earrings and this very flattering, comfortable, beautiful purple special occasion dress are a match made in heaven. I think that the two stand alone well and no accessories or other pieces are needed. For the nails with this outfit, I would use Zoya's Tomoko from their Pixie Dust line, for a beautiful sparkle. Simple, yet sophisticated.

Majestical Jewelry has so many different pieces and styles of jewelry to offer, there is truly something for everyone. I am a big fan of pearls, so I absolutely love all of the freshwater pieces they have to offer, especially the gorgeous necklaces and bracelets. Something I really love about the website, is that there is a sale section, so I know exactly where to begin! Right now, you can stretch your dollars even further by using the promotional code 15DOLLARSOFF to receive $15 off a purchase of $55 dollars or more!

Like the fashion earrings featured in this post? Enter below for your chance to win them for yourself!!

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Veronica Mars DVD Giveaway!

*Disclosure of material connection- all material below and giveaway prize are courtesy of the sponsor.

Crowdfunding has been around for a few years now and one of the more well known websites that helps people achieve their goals through crowdfunding is Kickstarter. Crowdfunding is a great way to raise funds for a project that might not otherwise have the financial backing that it needs to be successful. One of the most well known crowdfunding campaigns is the Veronica Mars movie campaign. The huge fandom of the television show jumped on the opportunity to get this movie made, becoming a record breaking campaign for Kickstarter in April 2013 and was made in a short 23 days during the early part of summer. The Veronica Mars movie will open in theaters nationwide on March 14, 2014. In case you are wondering what the movie is about (I am guessing if you are a Veronica Mars fan, you don't need me to tell you this information, but I will anyway, just in case!) here is a short summary- "On the eve of graduating law school, Veronica Mars has put Neptune and her amateur sleuthing days behind her. While interviewing at high-end New York law firms, Veronica Mars gets a call from her ex-boyfriend Logan who has been accused of murder. Veronica heads back to Neptune just to help Logan find an attorney, but when things don't seem right with how Logan's case is perceived and handled, Veronica finds herself being pulled back into a life she thought she had left behind." Excited for the movie? To get in the spirit of things leading up to the movies release, there is a great Veronica Mars app! You can find it at the bottom of this post! Take the 3 levels of Purity Test Marshmallow Super-Fan Trivia and see where you stand! And don't forget to enter below via the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a Veronica Mars DVD.

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Find out which 10 episodes director Rob Thomas things are the ones you *must see* below!

Between Heaven and Earth by Steve Berger (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I was provided a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest thought. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% own.


About the book-

It's not easy separating fact from fiction when it comes to heaven, nor is it always easy to see how the afterlife can affect our lives today. After a car accident caused his nineteen-year-old son to unexpectedly enter heaven. Pastor Steve Berger chose to reject despair and commit himself to carefully studying his son's new, eternal home. He had no idea how much there was to learn, and his life hasn't been the same since. The biblical and deeply personal study of heaven will give you hope for the future.

But more than that, it will show you what it means to live today in light of the reality of heaven. If your view of heaven isn't life-changing, it needs to be adjusted. Let Pastor Berger's exploration of eternity fill you with overflowing hope, courage, and purpose.

My thoughts-

I am not sure exactly what it was I expected from this book. Of course, any book about a place as lovely and as equally mysterious as Heaven, I fully expected to be encouraged. To have that hope that all Christians have magnified and renewed. But there was something I wanted that I just didn't find in these words. Steve Berger definitely has a passion for sharing the hope of heaven and living for heaven and not for Earth. There are great examples from the Bible throughout these pages of people who longed for heaven, people we should try to be more like in that regard. Heaven is a mystery, so whatever it was I was hoping to find would have probably been impossible to reach. There were parts in the book that I found especially encouraging. Chapter four has 2 charts, one lists the things that we are promised in the Bible that are not going to be in heaven, along with their corresponding Bible verses and even more enthralling, there is a chart that reminds of us all that WILL be in Heaven that we can look forward to. I also enjoyed the very next chapter that highlights the verses in Revelation in which John describes what heaven will look like. There is no way we can imagine what heaven will be like because it will be better than anything we can fathom, but it is interesting to have even the smallest inkling of what it would like.

Although I didn't find exactly what it was I thought I would in this book, I found it to be encouraging. We as Christians probably do not think of heaven as often as we should. I think if we thought of where we were headed more often, we would probably be more joyful, more apt to share our joy and hope with others who aren't on the same journey with us and more likely to just be better people over all. Between Heaven and Earth is filled with wonderful verses and great reminders of what an awesome God we serve and that this Earth is just a temporary home and there is something much better right around the corner. Who wouldn't want to read a book that reminds them of such important and wonderful things? I would recommend this book to any Christian or someone who is curious about the Christian faith and/or heaven.

About the author-

Steve Berger is the senior pastor to more than four thousand people at Grace Chapel, Leipers Fork, Tennessee. Steve is also a part of the teaching faculty for the National Worship Leader Conference and regularly contributes to several publications. Steve and his wife, Sarah, live in Franklin, Tennessee, with three of their children, Heather, Cody, and Destiny.

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Between Heaven and Earth is available for purchase at Amazon.com and Christian retailers nationwide.

Don't Even Think About it by Sarah Mlynowski (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received an e-arc of the book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-
Secrets. Scandals. ESP. A terrific and sexy new novel about a group of Tribeca teens from Sarah Mlynowski that will immediately appeal to fans of realistic fiction as well as readers who enjoy a little magic.

"We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening."
My thoughts-

When I read the plot synopsis of this novel my thoughts drifted to whether or not I would want to know what all of my peers in high school were thinking. I definitely think there are some things I wouldn't want to know, but I think when it all boils down to it, it would be nice to know that all teens have the same kinds of fears and insecurities regardless of how they portray themselves on the outside. I wouldn't want them listening into *my* thoughts though, what a horrifying thought! I was intrigued with this fresh take on young adult fiction and definitely wanted to see how the story panned out. I liked that there was a little touch of "magic" if you will, with the bad batches of flu shots causing telepathy in the teen recipients. Mlynowski definitely hit the nail on the head being able to get into the psyche of several different teen minds in a very believable way. There were times I felt bad for some of the characters and others being able to read their minds or everyone knowing their business before them. There were other times I was super annoyed with some of the characters, but to me that is the sign of a good author. As long as I have strong feelings one way or another about the characters, there is good writing involved. I liked that the ending left room for this to possibly be a series. I am always more likely to read a book if I continue further on the journey with the characters. For some of my more conservative readers, I will warn that there is a bit of language that may be off putting, but if that sort of thing doesn't bother you or you can ignore, this was a fun, fast little read. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy young adult or fantasy novels.

About the author-

Sarah Mlynowski is the author of the Magic in Manhattan and Whatever After series, as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have), Milkrun, and more. Her books have been translated into twenty-two languages and Bras & Broomsticks was optioned to Hollywood. Sarah was born in Montreal but lives and writes in New York City.

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Don't Even Think About it will be available on March 11, 2014. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.

When Calls the Heart: Lost and Found (DVD Review)

Disclosure- I received a copy of the DVD via Edify Media for review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the DVD-

When Calls the Heart: Lost and Found tells the captivating story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teach accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coalmining town where life is simple, but often fraught with challenges. Lori Loughlin plays Abigail Stanton, a wife and mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine. along with a dozen other miners, has just been killed in an explosion. The newly widowed women find their faith is tested when they must go to work in the mines to keep a roof over their heads. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) who believes Thatcher's wealthy father has doomed the lawman's career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate's daughter. Set against the wild canvas of 19th century coal town, Elizabeth will have to learn the ways of the frontier if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her own.

My thoughts-

This is the second installment in the When Calls the Heart series on the Hallmark Channel. You can check out my review of the pilot here. Even if you haven't seen the pilot, this movie can stand alone. When it begins Elizabeth is on the last leg of her tumultuous trip to get to Coal Valley to accept the teaching job that was offered to her. When she gets there she is surprised to find that things are not at all well. She is determined to prove that she can handle life on the frontier and be a good teacher to the children of coal valley. I enjoyed watching Elizabeth get her footing with the kids and learning how to teach them in a way they could understand. She also had her work cut out for her with the mother's in town, none of them seem to have much faith that she can handle the job she has come to do and it is nice to see her eventually win them over Perhaps the most interesting relationship Elizabeth has is with Jack Thornton, the new town Constable who it turns out her dad sent to babysit her basically. They do not start off on a good note at all, but you can tell they are intrigued by each other. I love that this is a tv show so I can continue to watch their relationship grow and as a hopeless romantic, I am of course hoping that sparks do eventually fly. I love the time period in which this show is set, the early 20's and that although Elizabeth is well to do, it focuses on people with more meager means. I love watching shows like Downton Abbey that show the ins and outs of high society, but it is a nice change of pace to have a nice period drama on television about the working class as well. Anyone who is a fan of the Love Come Softly movies will probably really enjoy When Calls the Heart. I would also recommend this series to anyone interested in history, period dramas, and uplifting shows that can be watched with the whole family. In fact, my 6 year old daughter set down and watched this with me and told me she really loved the scenes when Elizabeth was teaching the kids. I like having a show we can enjoy together! It can be difficult to find these days! When Calls the Heart airs on The Hallmark Channel on Saturdays at 9/8c.

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When Calls the Heart: Lost and Found is now available on DVD. You can also purchase the digital copy on Amazon.com. You can also watch several episodes of the show for free on Hallmark.com.

About the Director: 

 

Michael Landon Jr. has been in the film business for over two decades. He has been a part of two of the highest rated films in the history of the Hallmark channel and has several top ten releases targeted to the Christian market. He has also developed or worked on projects in some capacity for Fox, CBS, NBC, Disney, Sony, Lifetime and others.

  

About the Writer/Producer :

 

Brian Bird is co-founder with partner Michael Landon, Jr., of Believe Pictures, a film and television production company.  He was co-executive producer and writer on the successful television series, Touched by an Angel. Bird has also written and produced episodes of Step by Step by Step, Evening Shade and The Family Man. He also wrote and produced Gametime for NBC and The Shunning, inspired by the novel by best-selling author Beverly Lewis for the Hallmark Channel, among others.

 

About Word Entertainment: 

 

 A leader in the music industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Love & The Outcome, Dara Maclean, Point Of Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print, Word Films, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records, Word Worship and Fervent Records.

Let God (Movie Review)

Disclosure- I received a copy of the dvd for review via Edify Media. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own.

About the movie (from the back cover of the dvd)-

As rumors of gold in California spread across the United States in 1848, Levi decides it is time to head west with Amelia, his young housewife, ,to stake their claim and build a better life. Against her better judgment, Amelia honors her husband's demands. leaving her home and family. Secretly, they join the last wagon caravan of the season dangerously late, leaving behind a string of bad debts. On the trail, they encounter unimaginable danger that will ultimately change the course of their lives.

After a savage attack takes her husband, Amelia is left alone and without resources. For the first time, Amelia must take her life into her own hands, battling winter, hunger and the unknown. As she grows weaker by the day, she finds strength in a mysterious and unexpected guide.  Survival becomes a race against time and Amelia must find something greater than herself to help survive the frigid winter along the Oregon Trail.

My thoughts:

I just can't seem to get enough of period pieces. Whether it be a movie or a book, there is just something about reading about past eras that intrigues me. Movies about other periods in time are always so interesting because we get a visual of how people lived in that time period- what kind of clothes they were, what they ate, where they lived and what kind of challenges they face. "Let God" is the story of Amelia, who has reluctantly headed out on the Oregon Trail with her husband after hearing rumors of gold in California.  She learns that her hesitance was well warranted as she ends up the sole survivor of an attack in the dead winter, lost and without food. Amelia has to try to find her way to town, but she has no idea how far it is or if she will be able to survive long enough to find it. I really enjoyed the acting skills of Jasmin Jandreau. I can only assume it is really difficult to be in a movie with a very small amount of scenes shared with others. Most of these scenes are Jandreau fighting the elements and her own mind as she tries to reach her final destination. This woman definitely has skills. She portrayed Amelia in a very believable way. I was captivated by the situation in which she found herself and definitely found myself wondering how I would feel if I were in her position, far away from her family and friends, alone and seemingly without hope. Although there were times it seemed like she might give up (and who could blame her when things looked so bleak) Amelia persevered and was as strong as she could be given the situation. Somewhere in the middle of her journey, she runs into an interesting guide. This little one gives her the strength to carry on. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys movies about earlier era's in time, dramas with great acting or movies with a great message.


About Word Entertainment-

 A leader in the music industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Love & The Outcome, Dara Maclean, NEEDTOBREATHE, Point Of Grace, Sidewalk Prophets, Skillet, Switchfoot and We As Human and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Music Publications & Church Resources, Word Films, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records, Word Worship and Fervent Records.

The award winning movie "Let God" is now available Christian retail stores nationwide.

Watch the trailer below:

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Grapevine Texas- KIDS GO FREE Printable Coupon!

*Disclosure- I may receive complimentary passes for my family for sharing this promotion with my readers. Regardless, I only recommend products and places I would personally recommend and that I think my readers would enjoy.

I grew up in north Texas in a suburb of Dallas and I wouldn't have it any other way. I prefer the feel of a small town, my husband would rather live in a big city, so we settled on a mid sized city. There are a lot of options here, but the good thing is no matter where you live there are cool things to do everywhere around you. One of my favorite cities to visit is Grapevine. It is about half an hour from where we live and it has the best outlet mall around- Grapevine Mills. A few years ago, Grapevine Mills became an even greater place to visit with the addition of the Sea Life Aquarium and LEGOLAND. I have three little ones, so we have been to LEGOLAND our fair share of times since it opened. When we first started going to LEGOLAND, my kids were still toddling around, but even then there was plenty for them to do. There are stations with all kinds of LEGOS set up throughout LEGOLAND. There are sections that are clearly meant for toddlers, which is nice. They have the nice big DUPLO blocks that those kids enjoy playing with. Now that my kids are a little bit older, they like to explore all of LEGOLAND. There is a 4D movie theater on site that my kids have loved going to. There are usually two movies playing there alternately and we have definitely been known to watch them more than once. My daughter (who is 6 years old) absolutely loves the little roller coaster ride called Kingdom Quest Laser Ride. It is fun for the older kids, but not too scary for the younger ones either. I think my kids' absolute favorite thing at LEGOLAND is the big, soft playground. They can spend hours in there. Sometimes I have to coax them out to go check out the other stuff.














LEGOLAND is currently offering a great special-KIDS GO FREE with the purchase of an adult. The coupon code is valid for up to (4) free children's ticket per coupon with the purchase of (4) adult tickets.


Head over to USFamilyGuide for the printable coupon. LEGOLAND is a great place to have a day of family fun, but what makes it even greater is that you are already in Grapevine Mills Mall so there are endless options to make the most of your family's time in Grapevine. There is so much to do, you may find yourself heading back to fit it all in.