A Boy Called Christmas--Blogging for Books Review

Hello! I just recently read (or rather heard) A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig. This is my first audio book that I have read and it was great. There are four CDs and it's 4 and a half hours long. It may be just a few days before Valentine's Day, but this book is perfect to read any time of the year. 

Eleven-year-old Nikolas—nicknamed “Christmas”—has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he’s happy with his turnip doll, because it came from his parents, who love him. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him. 

Along the way, Nikolas befriends a surly reindeer, bests a troublesome troll, and discovers a hidden world of enchantment in the frozen village of Elfhelm. But the elves of Elfhelm have troubles of their own: Christmas spirit and goodwill are at an all-time low, and Nikolas may be the only person who can fix things—if only he can reach his father before it’s too late. . . . 

My Review: 

The characters were interesting and the story really got my attention. I loved that there were some twists to the story and it was not your typical Christmas story. I think this book is great for older kids (8 years old and up) and perfect for middle school aged children, but it is great for adults as well. I definitely recommend this book. As I said before, this is the first audio book that I have listened to and the voice sounded great. I definitely plan to listen to some more audio books.

Have you read A Boy Called Christmas? Do you listen to audio books?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Awesome Ladies Project - January Layouts

Happy Thursday! For those of you who may be new to my blog, I was part of the Awesome Ladies Project Creative Team and am now the group leader of the Currently List Challenge group. The Awesome Ladies Project is an awesome community filled with amazing women who share their stories. Many of these women are scrapbookers, journalers, photographers, etc. 

Today I'm so excited to share my layouts that I made in my Awesome Ladies Project travelers notebook. Below are the layouts that I made.

There are various challenges for the month, but you are also free to create anything that you want. This month's overall challenge was to focus on "Right Now".  For the layout above, the challenge was to use patterned paper as a main focal point.

For the layout above, I wanted to document my right now. I love the black and gold embellishments.

For the layout above, I documented spending time with my little sister. I took my sons and my little sister to a new (to us) playground. I used a die cut from my stash and some Project Life stickers.

The layout above is part of the "Words" challenge. The challenge was to make a Top 5 list.

This layout is part of the photo challenge. The challenge was to take a mirror selfie. I don't normally take a lot of selfies so this was definitely a challenge for me. I used one of my Awesome Ladies stamp sets, a Heidi Swapp date stamp, and some embellishments from a Freckled Fawn kit.

How did you document your January? 

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Handmade Birthday Card

Over the weekend, I made a handmade birthday card using some items in my stash. I used Crate Paper's Hello Love paper for the base. Even though this paper pad is Valentine's Day themed, I love that I can still use it for other occasions. I really love how this card turned out and I love that I can personalize it by adding someone's name beneath the word "birthday" and the next to the cupcake.

Supplies Used:

• Crate Paper Hello Love 12x12 Paper Pad

• Freckled Fawn - February 2015 Kit

• Recollections Pastel Enamel Dot Stickers

• Simple Stories SNAP Letter Stickers

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Currently List

Happy Tuesday! It's time for another Currently List!

Watching: I decided to catch up on the news and I wanted to see the news reporters reactions about the Super Bowl.

Reading: So many people were upset that the Patriots won. The memes are hilarious.

Listening: I don't listen to the radio often, but it was a nice change of pace.

Making: I drafted a bunch of blog posts for the week and am currently working on another one.

Feeling: It's been a rough morning and I didn't get enough sleep. I really need a nap.

Planning: I'm going to make lots of soup for my boys. They are not feeling well especially my youngest son. I also think I might be coming down with a cold so I will be sure to make some for myself as well.

Loving: I've been in my pajamas for most the day and it feels awesome!

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Using Distress Markers to Make a Watercolor Background

A couple of weeks ago, I read a blog post by Alisa Burke. She blogged about using her kid's markers to make a colorful background in her watercolor notebook. I thought it was such an awesome idea and decided to try this technique, but I used my Distress Markers instead. Distress Markers are water-based inks and can be used in many different ways.

To make the colorful background, I just simply took a few of my markers and then scribbled onto the paper. Then I grabbed my watercolor brush, dipped it in some water and then began go over the scribbles. I didn't have to use a lot of water and you can still see some of the scribbles/markings, but that's ok. Once the paper dried, I decided to use a sharpie marker to draw some shapes and flowers. 

If you use a sharpie in a Moleskine watercolor notebook, there will be some bleed through. You can use a Micron black pen if you want to avoid any bleed through. I chose to use a sharpie since this technique is new to me and I was/am trying to get out of my comfort zone.

Supplies Used:

• Tim Holtz Distress Markers

• Moleskine Watercolor Notebook

• Sharpie Marker

• Winsor & Newton Cotman Size 10 Round Brush

Have you tried this technique before?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday! Today I'm linking up with Krysten, Lindsay, and Charlotte's weekly link up.

1. Working in my Awesome Ladies Project book

2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (the movie)

3. Pizza Bagels

4. Meal planning for the month

5. Chili cheese hot dogs

6. Naps

7. Reading

8. Getting stuff done early

9. Cinnamon Rolls

10. My boys

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Currently List

Happy Tuesday! It's time for another Currently List.

Watching: I've been watching some Instagram Stories...I think that's what they are called. I've been watching a lot of art videos (especially watercolor tutorials) on Instagram and Youtube.

Reading: As usual, I'm catching up on some blog posts. I also need to finish reading my book. I want to try and read at least one book every month.

Listening: I love this song. I can listen to it all day long.

Making: I'm working on meal plans for February and have been making lots of grocery and recipe lists.

Feeling: All. The. Feels. So much has been going on and I can't wait to share.

Planning: I still have a ton of my Freckled Fawn kits so I plan to make some more cards using the kits. Once I finish making the cards, I am going to list a few in my shop and also share them on the blog.

Loving: So far this day has been great and I am sure it's going to stay great.

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...