Sunday, August 21, 2016

Review - Christmas Reindeer Fabric


With Halloween just over two months away, the countdown until Christmas will quickly follow.

Yes, I said Christmas!

Soon enough, stores will begin putting up Christmas tree displays, probably towards the end of September. Book publishers have already jumped the gun and have started to release holiday-themed books. I just saw a Crafter's Choice's flier for a new Christmas quilt book that is coming out soon.

Though I'm not even close to being in the Christmas spirit yet, I've already reviewed a few Christmas titles and I have other holiday-themed books that I haven't read yet for upcoming blog tours. I'm always looking for new products to feature on the "Coffee & Crafts" posts, so I agreed to review the Christmas Reindeer Fabric from iNee.

The fabric is sold by the yard on Amazon for $11.99 and it comes in three different colors - purple, teal, and pink. The 1 Yard x 59" fabric that was sent to me is the purple color!

What does the fabric look like?

Well, the background is purple. The pattern on the fabric features a yellow reindeer with a little bit of brown and it has several flower-like designs on it's body. Scattered across the fabric are flowers and hearts in different in shapes and colors.


front-side of the fabric

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Popcorn & Coffee: Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete First Season



TV-MA; 294 minutes; $49.99 - Blu-ray; $39.98 - DVD
Arriving on DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow from Anchor Bay Entertainment is Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete First Season, featuring all 10 episodes from the hit STARZ Original series. 

Set 30 years after the original Evil Dead trilogy, Bruce Campbell returns as Ashley "Ash" Williams, the hero from film series. Despite being a little older, he's still the same old Ash with the same dead end job as a stock boy. 

After a drunken night trying to impress a woman, he accidentally recites the incantation from the Book of the Dead and unleashes the Kandarian Demon, again. Of course, Ash is determined to fix his deadly mistake by seeking out a book dealer who might be able to read the Necronomicon, but with the evil awaiting for him around ever corner, he going to need some help this time.

Yep, this time Ash has two sidekicks - Pablo Simon Bolivar (played by Ray Santiago), a young co-worker who thinks Ash is a hero, and Kelly Maxwell (played by Dana DeLorenzo), a new co-worker who was just trying to get home to her father, but ends up tagging along with Ash.

With his house trailer attached to his Oldsmobile, Ash, Pablo and Kelly head out to stop the Kandarain Demon, if they can outrun a state trooper, Amanda Fisher (played by Jill Marie Jones) and a stranger named Ruby (played by Lucy Lawless), who will do anything to get a hold of the Necronomicon.


Friday, August 19, 2016

Book Blogger Hop: August 19th - 25th


Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Teri @ Sportochick's Musings!

Do you read via eBook and if so which one/ones and why?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer: 

 While I prefer to read printed books, I do occasionally read eBooks on my Kindle.


Linky List:

Review - Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ


Tyndale; 420 pages; $15.99; Amazon
Who hasn't heard of Ben-Hur before?

I recall trying to watch the 1959 classic starring Charlton Heston when I was teenager, but I found it to be boring. I believe I actually fell asleep while watching it. I was well aware that the film was based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ by Lee Wallace, however I never attempted to read it as I thought it would be just as boring as the movie.

If you aren't already aware of it, the remake of Beh-Hur is arriving in theaters today starring Jack Huston in the title role. Despite the obvious CGI overload from the trailers, the movie looks like it might be mildly entertaining.

To tie-in with the remake's release, Tyndale Fiction has recently released a new version of Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ, which has been rewritten by Carol Wallace, the great-great granddaughter of Lee Wallace.

The novel centers on Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman who is betrayed by a childhood friend, Messala. He is falsely accused of attempting to kill a Roman governor and  is sentenced to five years on a Roman slave ship. Eventually, he would seek his revenge by entering in the huge chariot race against Messala.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Summer Reads: Dark Road Home


Crooked Lane; $25.99; 304 pages; Amazon
I had first heard about the Anna Carlisle's debut novel a few months ago when I saw it in a Doubleday Book Club flyer (Yes, this club is still around!). I was intrigued by the cover art from the get-go, but after reading the blurb, I knew I wanted to review the book.

Dark Road Home centers Virginia "Gin" Sullivan, a medical examiner who gets a shocking call from her old high school boyfriend, Jake, informing her that the body of her younger sister, Lily, was found in the woods buried inside a cooler.

Lily had gone missing in 1998. While there several suspects (including Jake), nobody was ever connected to her disappearance.

Gin quickly packs her bags and travels back to her hometown of Trumbull to be with her parents. Of course she has another agenda up her sleeve, she wants to lend her medical skills to help the local authorities find the killer.

Several twists and turns occur, along with another murder, which leads Gin to unravel a startling dark secret from her family's past.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Summer Reads: Fetching Sweetness


Harvest House; 224 pages; $12.99; Buy Link; Blog Tour

Though I do like all animals, I am more of a cat lover than a dog lover. Nevertheless, I went ahead and signed up to review Fetching Sweetness by Dana Mentink through the Litfuse Publicity. Honestly, I wasn't very intrigued by the cover art, but after reading the blurb, I did become interested in reading it.

Fetching Sweetness, book 2 in the Love Unleashed series, centers on Stephanie Pink, a literary agent who has been sent to a small town in California to pick up Agnes Wharton's new manuscript. Agnes had written the bestselling novel "Sea Comes Knocking" over fifteen years ago, and the agency had promised to handle her next book, which is where Stephanie comes into the picture.

What she thought would be a quick trip to get the manuscript, becomes a huge hassle. As soon as she arrives, Agnes's canine companion, Sweetness, escapes for the woman's home at the trailer campgrounds, and of course Stephanie has accepted the task of  retrieving the dog.

After spending more time than she wanted to there, Stephanie is still looking forward to reading the manuscript. Unfortunately, there is a little catch - Agnes needs her help in taking Sweetness back home to Eagle Cliff, Washington. Since Agnes has lost her driver license, so they must ask her neighbor, Rhett, to drive them there.


Fetching Sweetness Dana Mentink

DVD Review - Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Complete Season


NOT RATED; 460 minutes; $14.98; Amazon

Lionsgate Home Entertainment is not just releasing one Power Rangers DVD set this week, but they are actually releasing two!

Arriving on DVD today is Power Rangers Megaforce: The Complete Season (you can read my review here) and Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Complete Season. Both sets are 5-discs and come with a Digital Ultraviolet code.

Super Megaforce is the second season of the "Megaforce" series, but technically it is the 21st season of the Power Rangers franchise.

The first episode (Super Megaforce) picks up directly where the first season ended. Robo Knight has vanished, and Prince Vekar invades Earth with his alien armada. To save humanity, the Megaforce Rangers must use their new Morphers and special keys that will allow them to use the powers, weapons and zords of every past Power Ranger.

Everything leads to the Megaforce season (series) finale, "The Legendary Battle," where several of the past Rangers (actors) return for cameos. The fifth disc on the set features the original version of the episode and the extended movie version.

Disc 1: Earth Strikes Back
  • Super Megaforce
  • Earth Fights Back
  • Blue Saber Saga
  • A Lion's Alliance

Disc 2: The Silver Warrior
  • Samurai Surprise
  • Spirit of the Tiger
  • Silver Lining
  • Silver Lining, Part 2

Disc 3: The Perfect Storm
  • Power of Six
  • The Perfect Storm
  • Love Is in the Air
  • United As One
  • The Grass Is Always Greener...or Bluer

Disc 4: Sky Strike
  • In the Driver's Seat
  • All Hail Prince Vekar
  • Vrak Is Back, Part 1
  • Vrak Is Back, Part 2
  • Emperor Mavro

Disc 5: The Legendary Battle
  • Extended Movie Edition
      • Bonus Feature:
      • Power Rangers: A Legacy Featurette

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Fitness & Coffee Sundays: NoChill: Nootropic Drink Mix



Have you ever had a nootropic drink?

A nootropic drink helps to enhance your memory, concentration, learning abilities and focus.

Nootropics can be found in lemon balm, grape seed extract, St. John's wort, caffeine and green tea. These drinks normally contain theanine, B group vitamins, iodine, magnesium and taurine.

Unlike energy drinks that are full of sugar, nootropic drinks are low in calories and are normally sugar free. It's meant to give you a brain boost not an energy boost.

Recently, I was sent a 4.65oz container of NoChill: Nootropic Drink Mix (Mojo Punch) to test out and review. Retailing for $39.99 on Amazon.com, each #NoChill container has 30 servings (scoops) with 0 calories.

The ingredients per serving are:
enhancing focus, memory, concentration, learning abilitie - See more at: http://www.brainenhancementadvisor.org/drink-your-way-to-a-smarter-brain-5-nootropics-to-make-water-more-interesting/#sthash.VEJvvqQt.dpuf
enhancing focus, memory, concentration, learning abilitie - See more at: http://www.brainenhancementadvisor.org/drink-your-way-to-a-smarter-brain-5-nootropics-to-make-water-more-interesting/#sthash.VEJvvqQt.dpuf

  • Vitamin B6 - 10mg
  • Vitamin B12 - 100mcg
  • Sodium - 20mg
  • BrainMojo Blend - 2.98g
    • Creatine Monohydrate
    • Acetyl L-Carnitine
    • L-Tyrosine
    • L-Theanine
    • Caffeine
    • Vinpocetine