Monday, May 2, 2016

20 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for the Book Lover

Mother's Day is a week away and if you're like me, you've probably been thinking about getting that literary mom of yours a thoughtful gift to show her how much you love her.  You've probably even realized that the $10 potted plant staring at you as you walk into Walmart probably won't cut it as the kind of unique present your mom deserves. What do you get the wonderful woman who seems to always know what to get you? Look no further! Check out these creative gifts that are bound to bring a smile to her eye and, dare I say, maybe a tear drop or two of delight.

20 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for the Book Lover:


Monday, February 15, 2016

Presidents' Day Book List

If you're looking for a book to read this Presidents' Day, we've got you covered. Whether you're in the mood for an educational non-fiction about American history, or an inspiring biography on one of our founding fathers, or a speculative historical fiction based on a president or First Lady's life, or even a funny political picture book to read with the kids, you'll find your perfectly presidential read right here.

book suggestions for presidents day

Monday, October 12, 2015

Book Review for "Murder on the Orient Express" {by Agatha Christie}




BOOK TITLE : Murder on the Orient Express                                
AUTHOR: Agatha Christie
PUBLISHER: Collins Crime Club 
NUMBER OF PAGES: 322
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1934
READING LEVEL: Adult
GENRE: Crime, Fiction, Mystery 





Our group rating was...

Friday, October 9, 2015

Pretty in Print: Haunted Gingerbread Houses


To go along with any fun Halloween read, we thought it would be fun to create a few haunted houses of our own.  Haunted gingerbread houses are such a fun activity to do during the month of Halloween
and they are the perfect craft to go along with Shirley Jackson's classic novel.


Thursday, May 28, 2015

Oh The Places You'll Go -- Graduation Celebration!!


School's OUT! Doesn't matter if you have a senior heading out into the big bad world or a a kindergartner moving on up, there's something to be said for the accomplishment of making it through the school year. 


Friday, May 22, 2015

Dead Author's Society: 7 Graves of Famous Authors

Authors often leave a legacy with the books they write, but have you ever wondered if their resting places are as noteworthy? Apparently I'm not the only one with the creepy obsession to author-stalk the dead. In fact, there's a website where you can stalk anyone famous (www.findagrave.com/).

One of the greatest writers of all times, or at least one of the most influential is the great bard, William Shakespeare. His grave site, located at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratsford, Warwickshire, United Kingdom, includes a gravestone with this epitaph (supposedly written by Shakespeare himself):

Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones


Famous author grave sites, Delicious Reads Dead Author's Society
Church of the Holy Trinity where William Shakespeare was buried in 1616.
Source

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

An Easter book worthy of your nightstand


This Easter I wanted to give everyone a special gift for their Easter baskets...
...the gift to learn what Christ was like when he was alive.

Monday, March 16, 2015

9 Easy Irish Foods for St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Delicious Dish Irish Foods

Are you lucky? If you're like me, you probably don't win at many things. That is unless you are running for a student body officer in high school and no one runs against you. Yep, true story. I won. I'm so lucky!

Friday, February 13, 2015

Literary Love: Famous Fictional Couples We Adore

Ah, it's Valentine's Day and love is in the air - and on the pages of our favorite books. I bet we can all remember a book where we felt our hearts flutter or couldn't help but sigh as a couple came together. Many of those books we come back to because the love story is so perfect in our minds. We decided to take a look at all of our favorite couples and choose a favorite quote that exhibits the qualities of love in their relationship - qualities we want in our own love stories. Who is your favorite book couple?



Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Valentines Day Style


Valentines Day doesn't always have to be dresses and skirts and loads of girly flair - sometimes it can be your favorite pair of faux leather leggings, your new favorites screen print tee

Monday, January 5, 2015

Guest Blogger: Carissa Miss and FREE PRINTABLE!


Delicious Reads Readers! Hi! So happy to be guest posting sharing some of what I'm looking forward to for 2015. I blog at Carissa Miss where I share how to get great design without spending a lot of money. You'll get great sewing/painting/design tips and tutorials as well as some fun free printables.

Monday, December 22, 2014

DIY Holiday Craft Ideas Using Books


(Photo by Kellie)
I love Books! So I love to see pages and books reused into beautiful creations. What a wonderful time of year to be creative and make decorations to use during the holidays with fun creations we make from books.

We had our annual Christmas Book Club and I thought I would try a few things this year to give to the members of our book club who moderated each month. So I decided upon a Christmas Ornament and a Garland. At the end of the night I gave these things I made to the wonderful and talented women who helped out so much this year to make the year so fun. There is a picture of one of the ornaments I made in the picture above and the garland pictured below.
(Photo by Kellie)
The Ornament Tutorial
Step 1: Buy Supplies
First I bought some plastic ornaments from Hobby Lobby (and I went with plastic because I thought that way I won't have to worry about them breaking). I decided to get the larger globes and they looked like this:
Here are the supplies you will need: ribbon (which I buy at Costco because it's such a great deal and you can choose from so many beautiful selections they have), Jumbo Glitter, Green crafting wire and double sided tape, also you need a little bit of fishing line which I found in my garage.
(Photo by Kellie)

 Step 2: The Picture

You can put anything inside these ornaments if you can get them through the tiny hole. I wanted to highlight the books we read each month but you could also put your favorite book you read this year etc. I printed two copies of each book about the size of 3" x 2" to fit nicely inside the globe without it feeling like it didn't fit right. I wanted it to loosely fit inside so that it could move freely and spin if needed. I printed these out and cut them and then used the double sided tape to match them up exactly. Before I put them together I cut a 5 inch piece of fishing line to hang the picture inside the globe without seeing the line that it is attached to. I put the fishing line in between the two pictures then sealed them together with the tape. I was able to fit two books on one 4x6 picture as you can see in the picture.
Step 3: Assemble
1. Next you want to put the glitter in the globe. I poured a generous amount that sits at the bottom. I didn't do this but if you want to try spraying glue inside the globe the glitter will stick to the inside and stay on the sides of the ornament. I didn't think of this till it was too late but doing it again I would most likely do that.
2. Next you will want to quickly roll the picture as loosely as possible to fit inside the globe. When it is inside and you have the fishing line to hold on to it use your finger to straighten out the picture to lay as flat as possible.
3. Then put the top back on and tape the fishing line to the top so that the picture is at a good position inside the ornament and doesn't fall down.
4. Now I cut a piece of the green crafting wire about 6 inches enough to hook it onto my tree later and looped it through the silver circle on the top.
5. Finally, I cut a long length of ribbon to tie a bow on the top of the ornament, then I cut the ends to look the same.


(Photo by Kellie)


The Books Garland Tutorial

Step 1: Get Your Supplies

You don't need too many things to put this together just an old book, rubber cement, a glue stick, gold jumbo glitter, hemp chord, baby wooden clothes clips, ribbon, cardstock paper and a paper cutter.


(Photo by Kellie)

Step 2: Assemble

1. I cut the cardstock in half so that I had two papers 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches.
2. Now I cut pages out of the used book I had. I just used scissors to score the edge as close to the binding as I could get. I used 4 pages for every piece of cardstock I had cut out.
3. I folded the pages at angles to cover the paper. Then I took the rubber cement and glued each one down until it was fully covered. On the back of the paper I glued one whole sheet so that it looked clean and nice.
4. Next I used the glue stick to go along the edges of the front of the glued down pages. Then I sprinkled the jumbo gold glitter on the edges. See below.


(Photo by Kellie)

(Photo by Kellie)
5. Next I rubber cemented the picture of the book on the front of the paper.
(Photo by Kellie)
(Photo by Kellie)
6. Then I strung up the length of hemp chord that I wanted and used the baby wooden clothes pins to clip them on the chord. Lastly I put bows of ribbons on the ends of the garland.
(Photo by Kellie)

These are some DIYs I found on Pinterest.


Good Luck with your DIY but you won't need it. It's easy.
xoxo, 

Kellie



Friday, December 12, 2014

Stocking Stuffers: Beauty Roundup

beauty products


At our December book club we had a bit of holiday fun with a "Favorites" gift exchange. The theme for our exchange this year was BEAUTY. Everyone wrapped their gift and put a card with a short clue or description of what was in the package. We couldn't open the package unless we could guess who it was from, it was really hard but fun to learn so much about each other! Once the gift was opened, it entered the white elephant exchange where the gift could be stolen up to 2 times before it was safe. It was really fun!! 

Here is a round up of some of our favorite items collectively. We thought we would pass these along in case you are looking for some of our favorite things as stocking-stuffer ideas!

Coast Scents Eye Pallete $20 This is for your MAC fix, when you don't want to spend quite that much. 


Bahama Mama Bronzer $18 Bahama Mama is a matte bronzer and also doubles as the perfect contour powder and matte brown eye shadow. Yes, this tropical beauty keeps busy! Creates the look of beautifully tanned skin without any orange undertones for a fresh-off-the-beach glow.

Real Techniques Contour Brush $6 Great brush for applying the Bahama Mama bronzer to contour in conjunction with the Real Techniques Blush Brush $8 for your cheeks.

Buxom lip plumping gloss $12 This is the item I received, I LOVE it!! Most lipsticks and chapsticks make my lips dry, but this product is wonderful. 

Victoria Secret Lip gloss 4 for $20 The girls love this for all the shiny fun shades. 

Seche Vite top coat nail polish $4 It was quite a hit at our retreat. This top coat can make any regular nail polish last up to a week. I rarely paint my nails because they don't last while doing dishes, playing in the sand, and bathing kids. This top coat lasted on my nails for more than 6 days! 

Burts Bees chapstick $3 This is the very best lip moisturizer (other than Bag Balm) and it makes your lips feel so nice and fresh with the subtle peppermint flavor. 

Aquaphor hand lotion $5 For a very good night time hand cream, this one does it. I say night because it is thick and takes a while to soak in. 

Trader Joes hand lotion $6 A great staple hand lotion to keep by every sink in the house, in your purse and the glove box in your car. 

Loreal Voluminous Lashes mascara $6 Some say the green and pink bottle is the best, but we feel this is the best. 

Candy Cane chapstick $3 It only comes around once a year, so stock up. It is a favorite to add a festive feel to any gift or stocking. 

ULTA Brow kit $12 Become your very own Brow Expert with this all in one pocket sized brow kit. The kit contains two brow powders, one tinted wax and a double ended applicator. Use the precise slanted tip applicator end for the powders; use the shades individually or combine the two to find your perfect customized shade. Once brows are filled in and defined, use the round shaped applicator end to smooth the tinted wax over the brows to set any stubborn hairs. In just a few quick steps, you've become the expert curator of your own dream brows!

Caboodle Organizer $30 This item was stolen several times in our exchange. Who doesn't love to organize and find a place for all your beauty products?

Catwalk Root Boost $15 For fine or thin hair, root boost sure helps give hair some nice lift. 

Demi Whispies Eyelashes $17 in black (no question) For that friend that loves to add a little detail that makes those eyes pop!

This is the gift card that each gal filled out and attached to her anonymous gift.



Happy shopping! Leave a comment and let us know your favorite beauty staples. 


Elizabeth

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Delicious Reads Fall Favs!






While I know you're all cozied up with some Favorite Fall Books, I'm dying to share some of my other Fall Favs! Is anyone else obsessed with all-things-fall??


Fancy Polish!
(picture source)
OPI is my favorite brand of nail polish because it stays on the longest (excluding Schelac type) and OPI has so many amazing colors! I switch up the polish on my fingers every week so I need a good selection to choose from. You can find OPI's FALL AND WINTER SELECTION HERE

Desserts that scream GET IN MY BELLY!

Recently I had a fall bake-off with one of my friends from all the mouth-watering fall food on Pinterest. We had a competition and the judges couldn't decide between these two recipes. Either one would make a great addition to a holiday bash or
 Thanksgiving Dinner!


 (Recipe Source- Lil Luna)
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1/2 cup Butter (softened)
  • 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped
  • 8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup Powdered sugar
  • 3 cups Whipped topping, divided
  • 2 1/2 cups Milk
  • 3 sm pkgs. White chocolate instant pudding mix
  • 1 - 15 oz can Pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp. Pumpkin spice
Instructions
  1. Layer 1: Mix flour, butter and 1/2 cup pecans together. Press into a sprayed 9x9 OR 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove and let cool.
  2. Layer 2: Blend cream cheese and powdered sugar, add 1 cup of the whipped topping then spread over cooled crust.
  3. Layer 3: Mix milk, pudding mix, canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice and 1 cup whipped topping until smooth. Spread over top of layer 2.
  4. Layer 4: Spread remaining 1 cup of whipped topping and sprinkle pecans.
  5. Let chill for 3 hours or until set.

(Recipe Source- Modern Parents Messy Kids)


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps cookies or graham crackers
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 – 4 cups melted vanilla ice cream
  • 2 cups frozen whipped topping thawed

Instructions

  1. Combine 1 1/2 cups gingersnaps and 1 tablespoon sugar and stir in melted butter.
  2. Press mixture into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 15 minutes at 300 degrees and allow to cool. Freeze for an hour.
  3. Combine pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir and fold in whipped topping.
  4. Take out crust from freezer and spread ice cream in an even layer in bottom (the amount of ice cream depends on how deep your dish is). Pour pumpkin mixture over ice cream.
  5. Freeze at least 2 hours before serving.
  6. Top with whipped topping and gingersnap cookies for a pretty presentation.
If you want to see other recipes I love and what else I'm pinning, you can 

Fall Candles!

Add caption
I've been obsessing over is this Limited Edition Pumpkin Candle. You guys… the flavor is to die for . . . Pumpkin Pecan Waffles!? Everyone who comes into your house will 1) think you baked something amazingly delicious to share  2) immediately ask how they 
can get their own. 

The Pumpkin Pecan Waffle Candle can be ordered from Bath and Body Works. 
And they have a whole line-up of Delicious HOLIDAY Candles and Candle Holders too!

Pumpkin Spice OREOS!


Yeah… you heard me right. OREO's came out with a PUMPKIN SPICE flavor! They are a limited edition and everything you could want packed into a fall Oreo. Get 'em fast! You will not be disappointed! I found these at my local Target.

Fall-ish Mugs for Delicious Beverages!


When I go on vacation I don't need a gift shop for my souvenir. I am a wee bit obsessed with mugs… so I've acquired quite a selection over the years. I'm all about creating a mood in my house and having the perfect mug with a delicious beverage is essential!

My new favorite mug comes from IKEA. It's nice and big to hold all my tea and hot chocolate and the best part, it's SO affordable at only $3.99!
 I'm thinking about Christmas gifts...

Lastly, who isn't obsessed with SCARVES when the cold weather kicks in and causes you to shiver?
Right now I'm crushing big time on this oh so COZY and large plaid blanket scarf. This gorgeous over-sized scarf can be tied several different ways to complete your fall/winter look and always makes me feel relaxed and ready for the day.
Find this and more scarves HERE

Well I hope you enjoyed this little sneak-peek into some of my favorite fall things. What about you? What do you love for fall??


We are getting really really exited over here for our first ever Delicious Reads Retreat that kicks off in Park City on Friday!! Stay tuned for pictures from our epic shin-dig! Author Teri Harman is coming to discuss her book Black Moon and we will also be selecting the whole 2015 Book Line up!! 

See ya next time! 

Your Writerly Ranter,
Brooke

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Looks from Books: Hedwig the Owl from the Harry Potter Series


 Jacque from Looks For Lovelies.com and Jen, a new contributor from ClassyCosmetics.blogspot.com are bringing you a brand new feature where we create a look from a book's character with styling by Jacque and Makeup by Jen and we couldn't be more excited!

Halloween makeup ideas, Harry potter halloween
Image Source
This month we are thrilled to share a look inspired from one of the most famous book series of all time... 
...Harry Potter.

 We decided to do a "nontraditional" Harry Potter Makeup by choosing to focus on one of the supporting characters,  Hedwig the owl. (Harry Pet.)

Harry and Hedwig,Halloween makeup ideas, Harry potter halloween
Image Source
We created this look by mixing textures and fabrics in shades of cream, gray, white and nude. We created a feather headband and necklace to bring in the look of feathers without overwhelming the palette. 
Halloween makeup ideas, Harry potter halloween
Photo by Niki Martins Photography
Jen created a dramatic eye look to mimic the shape of an owl's eye using a combination of black and brown shadows. Jen then create a metallic brow. Then we create a deconstructed fishtail braid to finish off the look. 
(Makeup details below)
Halloween makeup ideas, Harry potter halloween
Photo by Niki Martins Photography
Halloween makeup ideas, Harry potter halloween
Photo by Niki Martins Photography
Halloween makeup ideas, Harry potter halloween
Photo by Niki Martins Photography

GET THE LOOK:
EYES- Covergirl bombshell Shine shadow in "Gold Goddess" for the brow, and "Ice Queen" for the lid. MAC shadow in "Carbon", "Handwritten" and "Cork" for contouring.
LIPS- Lined with "Stripdown" by MAC and filled with NARS "Dolce Vita" gloss.
FACE- Loreal True Match in N1 & W3, contoured with Be Matte Bronzer in "Toasted Coconut."
BLUSH- "Glow" by Make-up Designory and highlighted by Becca "Opal."  


A big thank you to our gorgeous model Kara! 

XOXO 
Jacque and Jen