InkSplasher

2012 Reading Challenge

2012-01-12T20:23:00.005-07:00

Doing the Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge again.

Didn't quite make my goal of reading 100 books last year, but this year I'm going to try harder.

Maybe.

Anyway, you should come join me in this challenge. To participate, go sign up for a GoodReads account, join the challenge, then track your reading.

Ready, Set... ha! already started.

JANUARY

Back When You Were Easier to Love — Emily Wing Smith; YA (5)
The Breakup Artist — Shannen Crane Camp; YA (3)
Pride and Popularity — Jenni James; YA (4.5)
Sean Griswold's Head – Lindsey Leavitt; YA (5)
Bitter Blessings – Christine Mehring; YA (4)
The Last Days – Scott Westerfield (4)
So Yesterday – Scott Westerfield (4)
Girls Don't Fly – Kristen Chandler (5)

Give Books for Christmas Winners!

2011-12-16T07:48:00.001-07:00

And the winners are...

The winner of Possession by Elana Johnson is...

Tiffany Drew

The winner of Nativity Bingo is...

Roberta P.

*Roberta, I don't have your email address. Please send it to me.

The winner of Santa Bingo is...

Sheila W.

Tiffany, email me your mailing address & I'll ship that right out to you.

Roberta & Sheila, I'll send you info for the free download via email.

Thanks for visiting everyone & have a wonderful Christmas holiday!

Win Nativity Bingo!

2011-12-05T08:00:00.020-07:00

I finished the second Bingo Book today!

Nativity Bingo!

This one centers around traditional Christian symbols of Christmas. Teach your children the meaning of Christmas as it relates to the birth of Christ, using the included information sheets.

Like the Santa Bingo book, it comes in zipped pdf files that you can open and print for hours of play.

(Yes, I do consider it a book because it's book sized and I'm negotiating now to have it printed and available as a book.)

AND it's not just Bingo. You can also play Memory Match-Up and Go Fish with the image cards.

Deadline to enter: Midnight, Thursday, December 15, 2011.

This giveaway is open to U.S. AND International entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win Santa Bingo!

2011-12-02T18:26:00.040-07:00

I decided to give away another book...

Santa Bingo!

What better way to have a little fun during the Christmas holidays? It's been thoroughly tested by adults, elves and grandchildren—and given a big thumbs up!

This book comes in zipped pdf files that you can open and print for hours of play.

(Yes, I do consider it a book because it's book sized and I'm negotiating now to have it printed and available as a book.)

AND it's not just Bingo. You can also play Memory Match-Up and Go Fish with the image cards.

Deadline to enter: Midnight, Thursday, December 15, 2011.

My giveaway is open to U.S. AND International entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

While you're waiting to see if you win this awesome prize, visit the other blogs in the hop and enter to win their books too! (See links below.)

Give Books for Christmas — My Prize!

2011-11-29T06:51:00.004-07:00

I'm participating in the Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop!

Why? Because I think EVERYONE should give books as Christmas gifts. I do it every year. In fact, I've sort of become known for it within my family.

Over the next two weeks, I'll be posting about books that I think make wonderful Christmas gifts for various age groups. But if you want a head start, go here for my Top 10 Christmas Picture Books that I recommended in 2007.

But now for the Giveaway Hop.

I'm giving away a copy of Possession by Elana Johnson.

Here's the promo blurb:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

I really liked this book and I think it would be a great gift for older teen girls—or anyone who enjoys Young Adult dystopian fiction.

Deadline to enter: Midnight, Thursday, December 15, 2011.

My giveaway is open to U.S. entries only.

That's it! The winner will be posted and notified at the end of the hop.

* I just added the Rafflecopter form on 12/1. If you already entered, don't worry about it. Your entries are on the list. :)

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop!

2011-11-28T08:47:00.013-07:00

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop
December 1-15, 2011
Hosted by Inksplasher

What is a Blog Giveaway Hop?
A blog hop is a linky list of bloggers that is shared across multiple blogs. Each blogger on the list agrees to giveaway a prize that is specific to the theme and rules of the particular hop. In this case, we're each giving away a BOOK!

If you are a blogger and want to participate by giving away a book on your blog, see the rules below.

If you are a reader and you want to win a prize, visit each of the bloggers linked below and follow their rules for winning their book.

Hop Rules for Bloggers:

Each participating blog will host their own giveaway on their own blog site.
The giveaway must be a BOOK. Gift Card to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other online bookstore is okay. (You may also give away multiple books. That's up to you.)
You must be able to ship the book on December 16th. (Inksplasher shall not be responsible for blog participants who fail to ship prizes in a timely manner.)
Your blog and the book offered must be "family friendly."
Create your post for the Giveaway Hop (see a sample post here). Post should include:
—image and description of book you're giving away
—linky code Go here to get the InLinkz code that best fits your blog platform
Add your blog to the linky list below. Include shipping information in parentheses after your blog name. [Example: Inksplasher (US) or Inksplasher (Int)]. Link directly to your giveaway post, not just to your blog URL.
Put a Give Books button in your blog sidebar. (Get code here.)
If you have multiple blogs, you may give away a book on each blog. Each blog must have it's own prize.

If you have any questions, email me at inksplashercontests-at-gmail-dot-com

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop Buttons

2011-11-28T06:51:00.003-07:00

Here are buttons and instructions for putting them on your blog. All bloggers must put the button in their sidebar.

If you're a blog reader and want to earn extra entries for Inksplasher's prize, put a button in your sidebar, then leave a comment on this post with your blog URL.

Thanks!

220 px button (for standard sidebar)

125 px button (for smaller sidebar)

To Install the Buttons on Blogger

If you have one sidebar, use the bigger button (220 px). If you have two sidebars, use the smaller button (125 px).

Put your cursor in the box below the button and copy all of the code. The easiest way to do this is to place your cursor in the box, then press control + a. This highlights all the text in the box. Then press control + c to copy it.
Go to your blog's dashboard and click Design. This should take you to Add and Arrange Page Elements.
Click on Add Gadget.
Scroll down the list and find the one that says HTML/JavaScript. Click on it.
Paste the code into the large Content box. You can type in a Title if you want. Click the orange Save button. If you get a message that says there are illegal characters, it means you didn't get all the code. Go back to Step 1 and recopy the code.
The button will display at the top of your sidebar. While on the Page Elements page, you can drag the new gadget box to another position on your sidebar, if you want. Then click the orange Save button.

That should do it. Let me know if you have any problems.

What's On Your Tree?

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

DH and I were married 10 days before Christmas. A dear friend decorated the room for us with Christmas trees and white fairy lights, burgandy poinsettias, cream candles, mauve netting, gold snowflakes.

It was absolutely breath-taking.

After the reception, she boxed everything up and gave us all the Christmas decorations as a wedding gift.
(Those white envelopes are not part of the wedding decorations. It's a family tradition on Christmas morning.)

I love this tree. Every year when I put it up, it reminds me of my wedding—a memory that makes Christmas even more special for me.

But.

After fifteen years, I decided I needed something new. My grandsons are fascinated with the Grinch, ever since Aunt Suan gave them the book, the movie and a Grinch doll for Christmas one year.

And she's also given me a couple of animated Grinches.

So...

Yep. It's a Grinch tree.

Next year, I may go back to my burgandy, mauve and gold tree, but it was fun creating something new!

What's on your tree?

I Can't Believe I Ate...Wait! I Have an UNDO Button!

2011-11-25T08:00:00.002-07:00

Who's regretting everything they ate yesterday?

I'm not much of a cook, so we took DH's mom to Golden Corral for our turkey dinner.

Thanksgiving dinner is MY FAVORITE FOOD of all time! I love turkey and potatoes and corn and green beans and rolls and...

...and I ate it all.

In previous years, I would be beating myself up for this holiday gluttony, but not this year because I have a SECRET WEAPON.

I have The Undo Button!

This book is by my daughter, McKenna, and I got to read the first couple of chapters a few months ago. It has some great information and is written in a friendly, easy-to-understand style—kind of like she's sitting down with me and chatting.

Definitely worth the read!

Here’s a little teaser of what you’ll get when you read The Undo Button.

Why we’re all addicted to food …page 16
The secret to getting through social occasions without even wanting to “cheat” … page 19
Your magic bullet to stop eating triggers dead in their tracks with a smile … page 32
How to eat healthy all the time, without feeling one bit of deprivation … page 38
Why cravings are merely emotions, and how to move through them gracefully and successfully … page 41
The Pantry/Fridge Raid – exactly what to keep, what to toss, and what to replace with delicious, healthy alternatives without your tastebuds noticing …page 52
How to see right through the lies on food labels to know with 100% confidence that what you’re buying is actually healthy and doesn’t just claim to be. … page 70
The specific foods that turn your body into a healing machine and can begin to reduce and reverse things like blood sugar problems, excess weight, IBS, arthritis, thyroid issues, acne, eczema, pain and inflammation, indigestion, insomnia, depression, anxiety, dormant sex drive, and energy that’s hiding in the toilet … page 81
How those who hate the taste of vegetables can still get the health benefits of eating piles of veggies each day, without purchasing a single product … page 86
The most gentle and simple way to detox your body and skyrocket your energy levels … page 103
My secret recipe to instantly zap the horrible water retention that occurs after just one day of unhealthy eating … page 172
Healthy desserts that taste ANYTHING but healthy … page 181
Plus pages on pages of delicious, energy-giving recipes that will make your fat cells cry for ever-loving mercy.

Get your copy during her
Black Friday special for less than half price!

And because I'm an uber-supportive Mom, if you leave a comment on her site HERE, stating that you bought the book because you heard about it from me, I'll put your name in a drawing for a FREE copy of my Christmas Bingo game!

Deadline: Midnight, November 28, 2011.

Christmas Bingo: Santa Edition

2011-11-25T06:01:00.000-07:00

My newest book is ready, just in time for Black Friday specials.

Christmas Bingo:
Santa Edition!

Keep the family entertained during the Christmas holidays with this downloadable PDF print & play bingo game can be yours in minutes!

Bingo game file includes:
12 color playing sheets

50 color image cards

Instructions for play

You will need to supply your own marker pieces.

Laminate for long-lasting playing sheets.

We play this Christmas Bingo game at our family party every year. We have a Treasure Box filled with dollar store items for all ages—enough for everyone to win a couple of prizes each. Each time we play the Bingo game, the winner gets to pick a prize from the Treasure Box. When everyone's tired of playing, it's a free-for-all for the leftover prizes.

Black Friday Special!

Use this code: blackfri
before midnight, November 28th,
to get any (or all!) Scatterbrains Print & Play games
for HALF PRICE!

(which is an excellent deal, considering their already low prices)

Want a chance to get the Santa Bingo Free? Read this post.

Grand Prize Winner!!!

2011-11-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

This contest is closed.

What is the Grand Prize for
Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower?

The GRAND PRIZE includes...

Your Choice: 'Vampire Lips' OR 'Fangs Are Fabulous' Tote bag
with Matching Notebook

donated by Suan/Life is Good

PLUS several other awesome prizes!
GO HERE TO SEE!

And the winner
chosen totally at random
is
MEGAN ORME!

And the winning sponsor,
who gets the same prizes as the Grand Prize winner
(because I lurve my sponsors and want them to lurve me back!)
is
NANCY ALLEN

YAY Winners!!!

Thanks for playing everyone. Hope you had fun.

And just a quick heads-up...

I'll be sponsoring another contest in December. Check back for more info!

Breaking Dawn Puzzle & Game Winner!

2011-11-21T07:06:00.002-07:00

This contest is closed.

PRIZE: Your Choice of Any TWO Scatterbrains Print & Play Puzzle or Game

SPONSOR: Karlene @ Scatterbrains

Karlene's Question:
Which two game books do you want to win?

Answer:
Winner's Choice

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Juliana McIntosh!

Isabelle Webb Books Winner!

2011-11-21T07:01:00.003-07:00

This contest is closed.

PRIZE: Isabelle Webb, Books 1 & 2

SPONSOR: Nancy @ Nancy Campbell Allen

Nancy's Question:
Is Nancy an Edward girl or a Jacob girl?

Answer:
She is an Edward girl for the books,
and for the movies, she's a Jacob girl.

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Megan Swanson!

Breaking Dawn Calendar Winner!

2011-11-21T06:58:00.002-07:00

This contest is closed.

PRIZE: 2012 Breaking Dawn Calendar!

SPONSOR: Kandis

Kandis's Question:
Who is the minister that marries
Edward & Bella?

Answer:
Mr. Weber (Angela's father)

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Harlene!

Shakeology (Better Than Blood) Winner!

2011-11-21T06:52:00.002-07:00

PRIZE: Two Shakeology Packets

SPONSOR: Suan @ Life Is Good

Suan's Question:
In Breaking Dawn, Carlisle says, "I've seen vampire venom work miracles, but there are conditions that even venom cannot overcome."

What condition can vampire venom not cure?

Answer:
A heart that's stopped beating.

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Evelyn!

Peasant Queen & Home Movie Package Winner!

2011-11-21T06:18:00.002-07:00

PRIZE: Book & Home Movie Package

SPONSOR: Cheri @ From the Other Side of the Mirror

Cheri's Question:
I sectioned out the first chapter of
City of Light into what 4 blogs?

Answer:
My author blog (From the other Side of the Mirror)
My personal blog (Ravings of Intentional Motherhood) LDSWritersBlogck
and Mormon Mommy Writers

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Diana Ault!

Forbidden Sea Winner

2011-11-21T06:14:00.002-07:00

PRIZE: A signed hardback copy of The Forbidden Sea

SPONSOR: Sheila Nielson @ Forbidden Sea

Sheila's Question:
What is the name of the mermaid
that Adrianne meets in Forbidden Sea

Answer:
Jendayi

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Tayte!

Breaking Dawn Soundtrack Winner!

2011-11-21T06:02:00.001-07:00

PRIZE: Breaking Dawn Soundtrack CD

SPONSOR: Tiffany @ Scribble by Moonlight

Tiffany's Question:
What treat did Bella give Edward at the end of the book?

Answer:
She let him read her thoughts.

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Suan!

How To Outrun a Vampire Winner!

2011-11-21T05:57:00.001-07:00

PRIZE: A Chalene Johnson Exercise DVD*

SPONSOR: Suan @ Life Is Good

Suan's Question: Which of the
Cullen's is the fastest runner?

Answer:
Edward (of course)

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Dina!

Vampires & Werewolves & Mystery, Oh My! Winner

2011-11-21T05:46:00.003-07:00

PRIZE: Silver Necklace featuring a tropical flower
(to celebrate Bella & Edward's honeymoon)
and
Gummi Vampires & Werewolves

SPONSOR: Nichole @ Random-ish

Nichole's Question: Name three young adult genre books
which have been or are being released this fall.

Answers found here.

And the winner
chosen completely at random
is
Vivien!

Paranormal Nursery Rhyme Contest Winner!

2011-11-21T05:40:00.003-07:00

The winner of the
Paranormal Nursery Rhyme contest
chosen completely at random
is
Cathy Witbeck!

And can I say I am so glad this was a random drawing because I loved those nursery rhymes! At this point, there aren't enough for a book, but if you'd like to submit more, I'll still consider it.

Cathy chose box #1 which contained:

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

All prizes shipped at the end of the contest.

Name the Baby Vamp Winner!

2011-11-21T05:36:00.003-07:00

The winner of the
Name That Baby contest
is
Elaine!

Elaine got box #4:

Strawberry Hand Soap & I Heart Vampires Note Set

All prizes shipped at the end of the contest.

Last Day to Enter for Breaking Dawn Prizes!

2011-11-19T06:06:00.005-07:00

This contest is closed.

Today is the last day to enter to win Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower sponsored door prizes. In case you've forgotten what they are. . .

PRIZE: Silver Necklace featuring a tropical flower

and
Gummi Vampires & Werewolves

SPONSOR: Nichole @ Random-ish

PRIZE: A Chalene Johnson Exercise DVD*

SPONSOR: Suan @ Life Is Good

PRIZE: A signed copy of No Angel

SPONSOR: Theresa Sneed

PRIZE: Breaking Dawn Soundtrack CD

SPONSOR: Tiffany @ Scribble by Moonlight

PRIZE: THREE Down Under Workbooks

SPONSOR: Karlene @ Miles Ahead

PRIZE: A signed hardback copy of The Forbidden Sea

SPONSOR: Sheila Nielson @ Forbidden Sea

PRIZE: The Peasant Queen & Home Movie Package

SPONSOR: Cheri @ From the Other Side of the Mirror

PRIZE: Two Shakeology Packets

SPONSOR: Suan @ Life Is Good

PRIZE: 2012 Breaking Dawn Calendar!

SPONSOR: Kandis

PRIZE: Isabelle Webb, Books 1 & 2

SPONSOR: Nancy @ Nancy Campbell Allen

PRIZE: TWO Scatterbrains Puzzles or Games

SPONSOR: Karlene @ Scatterbrains

There's also still time to enter the
Paranormal Nursery Rhyme Contest
and the
Baby Name Contest.

AND you can still earn entries by spreading the word.

AND all entries enter you
to win our
GRAND PRIZE!!!

All contests end at midnight tonight, Saturday, November 19th!

Candy Contest Winner! (and Answers)

2011-11-19T05:54:00.003-07:00

The answers to the How Sweet It Is Contest are:

3 Musketeers
Snickers
Whoppers
Mike & Ike
Baby Ruth
Gummi Bears
Ice Breakers
Kit Kat
Life Savers
Now & Later
Rocky Road
Sugar Daddy
Nerds
SKOR
Butterfinger

And the winner is...
Michelle

Michelle got box #6:

Vampire Lips Tote & I Heart Vampires Note Set

All prizes shipped at the end of the contest.

Labor & Delivery Horror Story Winner!

2011-11-19T05:47:00.007-07:00

The winner of the

Labor & Delivery Horror Story Contest
is
Kandis!

Kandis got box #10:

Twilight Tote with 3 paranormal books

All prizes shipped at the end of the contest.

Name That Baby Contest!

2011-11-18T05:00:00.003-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Renesmee.

Seriously?!

Doesn't that just sound like a name a teenager would make up?

Yes, okay. I get that she wanted to honor both her mother (Renee) and Edward's "adopted" mom (Esme).

But still.

We can do better than that, can't we?

Today's question:

If you were having a half-vamp
baby girl, what would you
name her AND WHY?

(You have to include the WHY or you don't get credit.)

Leave you answer in the comments of this post.

Winner will be chosen completely at random and can pick a prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 22nd.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will also be awarded one entry per story for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 22nd. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Remember, you only have until midnight tomorrow to enter to win the Door Prizes provided by our sponsors. (See list in the sidebar.)

Door Prize: Breaking Dawn Puzzles & Games

2011-11-18T04:00:00.003-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Have you enjoyed playing our daily shower games? If so, the fun doesn't have to end! Scatterbrains has Print & Play puzzle & game books that let you take the party home with their printable .pdf files.

This is just one example:

PRIZE: Your Choice of Any TWO Scatterbrains Print & Play Puzzle or Game

SPONSOR: Karlene @ Scatterbrains

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE:

If you're not already a follower of this blog, follow me here at Inksplasher, then leave a comment on this post telling me you're a follower.
Visit the Scattergories Page at the Miles Ahead Website and choose the two Print & Play game books you'd like if you win. (Doesn't have to be the Twilight inspired ones. I have Harry Potter game books too!)
Send an email to bellasshower@gmail.com. Put "Scatterbrains" in the subject line. List the two titles you'd like to have if you win.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All Scatterbrains emails will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

E-mailers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Scatterbrains:
Scatterbrains is an imprint of my publishing company. It features fun "print & play" activity books and games for all ages. Right now, there are puzzle and game books inspired by popular books, but I'm also working on activity books for preschoolers (the ages of my grandsons) and other fun things. (I'm open to suggestions.) New products are added regularly so be sure to bookmark this page!

Pssst! You still have time to enter to win any of the sponsored door prizes. Click on the sponsor links in the sidebar to go to their party post for instructions. You have until midnight tomorrow, November 19th!

Breaking Dawn Word Puzzles!

2011-11-17T13:45:00.002-07:00

The Third and Final
Breaking Dawn inspired
Puzzle Book is Ready!

Breaking Dawn Word Puzzle Book
3 Word Searches
9 Fallen Phrases
3 Double Puzzles
6 Letter Tiles
4 Cryptograms

Just print & play:

Throw a Bridal Shower for Bella (five FREE printable party games here)!
Host an after-movie party!
Take it with you to play while waiting in line!
Buy extra copies for the Twi-hards on your Christmas list!

Only $3.99 through the end of
November!

See the other two books here.

How Sweet It Is!

2011-11-17T05:00:00.002-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Pregnancy, labor and delivery is not fun for anyone—especially not Bella. But she has some people in her life that make it sweeter.

Match the numbered statements with the candies listed below.

Bella's pregnancy protection pack—Jacob, Leah & Seth...
Sounds Renesmee makes when only a few days old...
What Bella told her parents about Renesmee...
If Edward & Bella had twin boys, they might be named...
A better name for Renesmee might be...
What snack Emmett might give Renesmee...
Edward's kisses feel like...
If Edward & Bella had twin girls, they might have been named...
Vampire venom can be...
The Cullen family will be together...
Bella's pregnancy is a...
What Renesmee might call Edward...
Mike and Eric are total...
What the Volturi have to settle...
Before Renesmee was born, Bella was a bit of a...

Candies, in alphabetical order:

3 Musketeers • Baby Ruth • Butterfinger • Gummi Bears

Ice Breakers • Kit Kat • Life Savers • Mike & Ike

Nerds • Now & Later • Rocky Road • SKOR

Snickers • Sugar Daddy • Whoppers

Once you have the answers, type them in an email and send it to bellasshower@gmail.com. Type SWEET in the subject line.

The winner will be the person with the most correct answers and will pick their prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post. If there's a tie, those names will be tossed into the digital hat and the winner will be selected completely at random.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 18th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 19th.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will also be awarded one entry per story for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 22nd. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: Forget Vamps, Let's Go For Mystical Jewels & Cursed Mummies!

2011-11-17T04:00:00.006-07:00

This party game is now closed.

If I didn't already have BOTH of these books,
I'd have to rig the contest so that I'd win!

PRIZE: Isabelle Webb, Books 1 & 2

SPONSOR: Nancy @ Nancy Campbell Allen

Nancy's Question:

Is Nancy an Edward girl or a Jacob girl?

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE:

Visit Nancy's blog and become a follower.
Find the answer to Nancy's question above.
E-mail the correct answer to Nancy's question to bellasshower@gmail.com AND let me know that you followed her blog. Put NANCY in the subject line and include your name and mailing address.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 22nd.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 22nd. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Nancy:
Nancy Campbell Allen has been published with Covenant Communications since 1999 and has ten published books to her credit. She writes both historical and contemporary fiction with elements of mystery, suspense and romance. She is loopy for a good love story and a happy ending.

Morning Sickness/Cravings Game Winner!

2011-11-16T07:20:00.003-07:00

The How to Prevent Morning Sickness/Cravings advice contest winner
chosen completely at random
is
Evelyn!

Evelyn chose box #3, which contained:

Book Bling Wolf Bookmark

*All prizes ship at the end of the party.

Breaking Dawn Bingo Available Now!

2011-11-16T06:28:00.005-07:00

Are you counting down to the release
of Breaking Dawn Part 1?

Is this weekend just not coming fast enough?

Do you need something to get you in the spirit of the event?

Well, here you go—

TWO Breaking Dawn inspired
Bingo Games!

Breaking Dawn Pt. 1
Character Bingo
12 Full Color Playing Sheets
50 Full Color Image Cards
using promo images from the movie!

Match scenes from the movie to create a Bingo pattern—
use classic Bingo patterns, the "E" for Edward,
or create your own.

AND

Breaking Dawn Trivia Bingo
12 colorful Playing Sheets
50 colorful Trivia Cards
using trivia from the entire Breaking Dawn book!

Trivia cards contain a trivia question from the book.
Players must find the answer on their playing sheet to win.
(Answers to questions provided.)

Just print & play:

Throw a Bridal Shower for Bella (five FREE printable party games here)!
Host an after-movie party!
Take it with you to play while waiting in line!
Buy extra copies for the Twi-hards on your Christams list!

Only $3.99 through the end of
November!

Coming Very Soon: Breaking Dawn inspired puzzle games!

Horror Like You've Never Heard It Before!

2011-11-16T05:00:00.001-07:00

This party game is now closed.

What's the scariest story in the world?

Even worse than stories about vampires and werewolves and other assorted monsters that go bump in the night?

Stories about labor and delivery, that's what!

And it's what every first-time mother wants to hear at her Baby Shower!

Okay, not really. But we're going to regale Bella with our own tales of horror today—whether she likes it or not!

Share your most horrendous labor and/or deliver story in the comments section of this post. It can be your own personal experience or one you've heard about.

Got more than one whale of a tale? Tell them all—one per comment. No limit on the number of comments. Each story = 1 entry for the prize.

Winner will be chosen completely at random and can pick a prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 16th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 17th.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will also be awarded one entry per story for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 22nd. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: Wanna Kiss Edward?

2011-11-16T04:00:00.004-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Well, now you can!

Okay, well, maybe not really Edward, but you can smooch away on your very own picture of him with this prize.

PRIZE: 2012 Breaking Dawn Calendar!

SPONSOR: Kandis

Not a big Edward fan? You also get Jacob. :)

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Visit Kandis' post and answer her trivia question. E-mail the correct answer to her question to bellasshower@gmail.com. Please include your name and mailing address (so I can contact you if you win).

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Kandis:

Hi. I'm Kandis. I love playing in Karlene's blog parties. I almost always win something! I was a sponsor of her Eclipse movie release party and that was tons of fun.

When I'm not playing in one of Karlene's parties, I'm spending time with my family and hanging out with friends.

Paranormal Nursery Rhymes

2011-11-15T05:00:00.001-07:00

This party game is now closed.

I'm An Evil Vampire
(to the tune of I'm A Little Teapot)

I'm an evil vam-pire
A bit in-sane.
Here is my cof-fin,
here are my fangs.

When the sun is shi-ning,
Then I SHOUT!
I'm on fire, put. me. out!

(from Vampire Nursery Rhymes by She-Walks-Into-Doors)

Bella needs some special nursery rhymes to tell the little one. She's not very creative and we've got to help her out.

Take a commonly known nursery rhyme or children's song and re-write it adding a paranormal twist. You can twist them for vampires, werewolves, faeries, or any other paranormal creature.

Put your rhyme in the comments of this post. You can submit as many rhymes as you like. Put each one in a separate comment. Each rhyme = 1 entry for the prize.

Winner will be chosen completely at random and can pick a prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19th (I'm giving you extra time to be really creative). Winner will be posted & notified on November 22nd.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will also be awarded one entry per story for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 22nd. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

**P.S. Totally stole the Humpty Dumpty image from this site. The fangs are my own addition.

Door Prize: Better Than Blood

2011-11-15T04:00:00.004-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Suan has had some awesome health and weight loss results using Shakeology as a meal replacement and she wants to share some with you! (I've tried it. The chocolate is yummy!)

PRIZE: Two Shakeology Packets

SPONSOR: Suan @ Life Is Good

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Visit Suan's blog and answer her trivia question for this prize. While you're there, become a follower. Then e-mail the correct answer to Suan's question to bellasshower@gmail.com. Please include your name and mailing address (so I can contact you if you win).

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Suan:

I am a bag lady! Instead of wearing many hats, I carry many bags. I am a mother, wife, office manager, reader, scrapbooker, sister, friend, therapist, taxi driver, Harry Potter fan, and the list goes on and on and on...

Suan is a frequent sponsor at my various lollapalooza's (in fact, she's the instigator of most of them)—and she's my sister!

(P.S. Suan doesn't really have a tattoo on her neck. I just gave her one for the fun of it!)

Pssst! You can enter to win any of the sponsored door prizes at any time during our party. Click on the sponsor links in the sidebar to go to their blogs. If they have their party post up, go ahead and enter to win their prize—any time between now and midnight, November 19th!

Bella & Edward 1st Letters Winner!

2011-11-14T13:05:00.003-07:00

Erica won again!

Here are her answers to the Bella & Edward 1st Letters Contest.

Brazil (Isle Esme off the coast) [didn't count; someone else used it]
Eggs
Laughter
Lots of Vampires
Apologies

Engagement ring [didn't count; someone else used it]
Deer
Windows on the Cullens' house
Arguments
Red eyes
Death [didn't count; someone else used it]

Total Score = 8

Erica chose box #2, which contained:

Vampire Lips Tote & I Heart Vampires Note Set

*All prizes ship at the end of the party.

Words of Love Winner! (and Answers)

2011-11-14T12:27:00.003-07:00

Here are the answers to the Words of Love game.

"You are exactly my brand of heroin." Edward, Twilight, ch 13.
“You and me. That’s the only thing that matters. The only thing you’re allowed to think about now.” Bella, Breaking Dawn, ch 4.
“Hold on a second. I think I’m having an epiphany here.” Bella, New Moon, ch 24.
“What I want and need is to be with you.” Edward, New Moon, ch 23.
“I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.” Bella, Eclipse, ch 2.
“That was quite graceful – even for a vampire.” Edward, Breaking Dawn, ch 21.
“Let me get this straight — I’m the baby seal, right?” Bella, Twilight, ch 14.
“Distract me, please.” Edward, Twilight, ch 8.
“Time passes. Even when it seems impossible.” Bella, New Moon, ch 4.
"If we could bottle your luck, we’d have a weapon of mass destruction on our hands." Edward, Eclipse, ch 1.

The Words of Love
contest winner is
Kaitlyn!

Kaitlyn chose box #8, which contained:
Red Scarf and Bitten Notebook/Bracelet
(to cover up the bite marks on your neck)

*All prizes ship at the end of the party.

WHAT?! She Got Pregnant on Her Honeymoon??

2011-11-14T05:00:00.003-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Oh, how embarrassing!

(At least I waited a month...)

So. First time pregnant mom, Bella Cullen, is having serious issues—and she needs our help! I got a frantic email from her last night. Can you help with answers?

Bella writes:

I am having crazy morning sickness—all day sickness really. I can hardly hold anything down, and I'm getting so weak and tired. What can I do to help with the morning sickness?
I'm a little embarrassed about admitting to this, but I am having some SERIOUS cravings. All I want is blood! Blood. Blood. Blood. I am so sick of blood! And I feel so...alone. I know other women crave weird things when they're pregnant. What is the weirdest thing you craved during your pregnancy?

Answer Bella's questions in the comments section of this post. You can advise or commiserate, or both.

Make a separate comment for each answer. No limit on the number of comments for this one. Each answer = 1 entry for the prize.

If you've never been pregnant, feel free to make something up. (This is fiction, after all.)

Winner will be chosen completely at random and can pick a prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 15th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 16th.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will also be awarded one entry per story for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 22nd. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: Ready, Set, Watch!

2011-11-14T04:00:00.006-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Okay, that wasn't much of a clue, was it? Let me try again.

Need something to do while you wait your turn to see the movie? How about an awesome book about a faraway kingdom, an evil tyrant, and a young woman just trying to survive?

PRIZE: Book & Home Movie Package

SPONSOR: Cheri @ From the Other Side of the Mirror

What exactly is a "Book & Home Movie Package"? Well it's microwave popcorn and candy (lots & lots of candy)—along with a bottle of blood red nail polish and a copy of Cheri's book, The Peasant Queen.

AWESOME!

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Visit Cheri's blog and answer her trivia question. While you're there, become a follower. Then e-mail the correct answer to Cheri's question to bellasshower@gmail.com. Please include your name and mailing address (so I can contact you if you win).

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Cheri:
Cheri Chesley enjoys a good story, and hopes to share equally good writing. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children.

You can follow her blog at cherichesley.blogspot.com to learn more about her print novels and e-books or visit her official website at www.cherichesley.com.

Sunday: Resting from the FUN!

2011-11-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

We're taking a one-day break from Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal Shower to give you a chance to catch up on this past week's fun!

You can still play the Bella & Edward First Letters game. You have until midnight tonight to get your answers in.

And you can enter for any of the Sponsored Door Prizes at any time. Just click on the link to go to their post, then follow the directions.

See you tomorrow, when we'll shift into Bella's Totally Awesome BABY Shower!

Paranormal Couples Winner! (and Answers)

2011-11-12T10:02:00.004-07:00

Here are the answers to the Paranormal Couples Match-Up Game. I've included links to the author/show websites and links to the first title/season on Amazon.

Abby & Dante (S); The Hourglass Door series by Lisa Mangum (The Hourglass Door)
Aislinn & Keenan (D); Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely)
Alexia & Maccon (M); The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger (Soulless)
Beth & Mick (K); Moonlight TV series (Complete Series)
Buffy & Angel (Q); Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series (Season 1)
Cat & Bones (G); Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost (Halfway to the Grave)
Clary & Jace (T); The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (City of Bones)
Elena & Stefan (J); The Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith (The Awakening), and TV show (Season 1)
Eve & Michael (F); Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine (Glass Houses)
Evie & Lend (P); Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White (Paranormalcy)
Grace & Sam (A); The Wolves of Mercie Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver)
Grace & Daniel (H or L); Dark Divine series by Bree Despain (The Dark Divine)
Josette & Barnabas (R); Dark Shadows TV series (Season 1); also movie releasing in 2012 starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas (can't wait to see this!)
Luce & Daniel (H or L); Fallen series by Lauren Kate (Fallen)
Meghan & Ash (B); Iron Fae series by Julie Kagawa (The Iron King)
Mina & Dracula (I); Dracula by Bram Stoker; most recent 1992 movie
Mercy & Adam (E); Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs (Moon Called)
Nora & Patch (N); The Hush, Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush)
Sookie & Bill (O); Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris (Dead Until Dark); also True Blood TV series (True Blood Season 1)
Suze & Jesse (C); The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot (Shadowland)

And the winner is:
Erica!
with every single answer
& bonus correct!

Erica chose box #11, which contained:

Alice's Make-Up Kit
Or at least, part of it. She was unwilling to share all her beauty tips and secrets.

*All prizes ship at the end of the party.

Know Edward Winner! (and Answers)

2011-11-12T09:36:00.004-07:00

Here are the answers to the How Well Do You Know Edward game.

Green.
It was the ring his father gave to his mother.
Edward Anthony Masen Jr.
She smelled so good he wanted to kill her.
A heart-shaped crystal (diamond).
In the truck, after visiting the meadow.
Chicago, Illinois.
Mountain lion.
Tanya.
Olympic Coven.
Telepathy.
Seventeen.

And the winner is:
Amy!

Amy chose box #9, which contained:

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
another paranormal love story
(Signed by author, hardcover first edition)

*All prizes ship at the end of the party.

First Kiss Contest Winner!

2011-11-12T09:30:00.003-07:00

The winner of the
First Kiss Contest
(chosen totally at random)
is:
ferretvamp14!

That's also the story that I liked best, so when I ship your prize, there will be something extra in the package. :)

Ferretvamp14 chose box #7, which contained:

Bella’s New Moon Parfum Spritzer

My favorite of the Twilight fragrances I created
(which, unfortuntately, are no longer available
except through this contest)

*All prizes ship at the end of the party.

First Letters Contest

2011-11-12T05:00:00.002-07:00

This party game is now closed.

For this party game, creativity and uniqueness counts!

You'll need to come up with a person, place or thing from the book, Breaking Dawn, that begins with the first letter of Bella & Edward's names. It must be from Breaking Dawn—so, for example, you could not use "Bree" for the B in Bella's name, because she's from Eclipse.

If someone else lists the same thing that you do, you lose a point!

Click on the image to enlarge it, or GO HERE to download the entire packet of printable party games for this week. It's FREE! (And if you download it now, it will give you extra time to figure out the answers.)

Once you have the answers, type them in an email and send it to bellasshower@gmail.com. Type FIRST LETTERS in the subject line.

The winner will be the person with the most correct answers and will pick their prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post. If there's a tie, those names will be tossed into the digital hat and the winner will be selected completely at random.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 13th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 14th (taking a break on Sunday).

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will be awarded one entry for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: Forbidden Love? How About a Forbidden Sea?

2011-11-12T04:00:00.002-07:00

This party game is now closed.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

And I'm so glad I was able to twist Sheila Nielson's arm and force her to be a sponsor here at Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower!

(Being in her writers group helped a lot with that.)

(Yes, I knew Sheila BEFORE she was famous!)

(I love it when I can name drop.)

Anyway...

PRIZE: A signed hardback copy of The Forbidden Sea

SPONSOR: Sheila Nielson @ Forbidden Sea

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Visit Sheila's blog and answer her trivia question. While you're there, become a follower. Then e-mail the correct answer to Sheila's question to bellasshower@gmail.com. Please include your name and mailing address (so I can contact you if you win).

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Sheila:
Sheila Nielson is the author of Forbidden Sea a fantasy novel about a frighteningly mysterious mermaid and the young girl who must face her. Sheila never did figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She graduated from college with a BFA in illustration, has worked as a children's librarian for fifteen years and would eventually like to be a full-time author. She lives with her pets, a parrot and a tiny toy poodle. She was born and raised in California but has come to also love Utah where she now lives.

Daily Prize Announcements Delayed

2011-11-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Hi. The daily prize winner announcements are delayed a bit. I had to make a quick trip out of state to help my mom recover after surgical complications. But keep playing! I promise all prizes will be awarded & I'll catch up as soon as I get some computer time.

Karlene

Words of Love Contest

2011-11-11T05:00:00.002-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Sometimes Bella & Edward's love is soooo sweet, it makes your teeth hurt. Just a warning.

This game contains quotes from the four main books in the Twilight series. Each quote is either Bella or Edward, talking to the other.

Your challenge is to determine who is speaking and which book the quote is from. Some of them are a little tricky...

Click on the image to enlarge it, or GO HERE to download the entire packet of printable party games for this week. It's FREE! (And if you download it now, it will give you extra time to figure out the answers.)

Once you have the answers, type them in an email and send it to bellasshower@gmail.com. Type LOVE WORDS in the subject line.

The winner will be the person with the most correct answers and will pick their prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post. If there's a tie, those names will be tossed into the digital hat and the winner will be selected completely at random.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 12th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 14th (taking a break on Sunday).

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will be awarded one entry for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: Renesmee's Favorite Activity Books!

2011-11-11T04:00:00.008-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Renesmee Cullen

This is one kid that's going to have to be home schooled!

But where are two very busy vampiric parents going to find quality materials to help with that?

At Miles Ahead Learning Resources, that's where!

Miles Ahead specializes in reproducible activity books that reinforce learning for all age groups—math, science, language arts, logic, and more!

PRIZE: Your Choice of Any THREE Down Under Reproducible Workbooks

SPONSOR: Karlene @ Miles Ahead

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE:

If you're not already a follower of this blog, follow me here at Inksplasher, then leave a comment on this post telling me you're a follower.
Visit the Miles Ahead website and choose the three Down Under Reproducible workbooks you'd like if you win.
Send an email to bellasshower@gmail.com. Put "Miles Ahead" in the subject line. List the three titles you'd like to have and include your name and mailing address so I can ship those books to you if you win.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All Miles Ahead emails will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

E-mailers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Miles Ahead:
Miles Ahead Learning Resources is one of my businesses. I started it back in 2000 to create and publish curriculum for the traditional classroom and for home schoolers. It got lost when Rosehaven folded, but I'm bringing it back. It will eventually feature the many curriculum aids I've created over the years as downloadable pdf files. In the meantime, I have these awesome reproducible workbooks!

Pssst! You can enter to win any of the sponsored door prizes at any time during our party. Click on the sponsor links in the sidebar to go to their blogs. If they have their party post up, go ahead and enter to win their prize—any time between now and midnight, November 19th!

Variant Book Bomb!

2011-11-10T08:00:00.001-07:00

I'm interrupting Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower for an important announcement.

I'm supporting the Book Bomb for Variant. I downloaded the sample chapters on my Kindle a few weeks ago and loved them. They were great so I put that title on my birthday hint list.

Here's a blurb:

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

Anyway, TODAY, Thursday, November 10th, Larry Corrreia is coordinating a Book Bomb to help boost sales of Variant on Amazon.

Not that Rob Wells needs to beg for sales. The book is doing well. But, Rob has a "situation" that would be greatly helped if everyone who plans to buy his book would go buy it on Amazon. Today.

(And if you weren't planning to buy it, reconsider—especially if you like YA Dystopian or you're trying to find Christmas gifts for teens.)

Visit Larry's blog for more details on the Book Bomb & Rob's situation.

I'm buying my copy of Variant today. Hope you will too.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled Bridal Shower...

Paranormal Couples Contest

2011-11-10T05:00:00.002-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Bella and Edward aren't the only paranormal couples out there!
In this game, you'll be matching some of your favorites from books, movies and television. How many can you guess without googling???

Click on the image to enlarge it, or GO HERE to download the entire packet of printable party games for this week. It's FREE! (And if you download it now, it will give you extra time to figure out the answers.)

Once you have the answers, type them in an email and send it to bellasshower@gmail.com. Type COUPLES in the subject line.

The winner will be the person with the most correct answers and will pick their prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post. If there's a tie, those names will be tossed into the digital hat and the winner will be selected completely at random.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 11th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 12th.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will be awarded one entry for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: Breaking Dawn Soundtrack

2011-11-10T04:00:00.008-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Oh. My. Gosh! What an awesome prize!!!

PRIZE: Breaking Dawn Soundtrack CD

SPONSOR: Tiffany @ Scribble by Moonlight

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Visit Tiffany's blog and answer her trivia question. While you're there, become a follower. Then e-mail the correct answer to Tiffany's question to bellasshower@gmail.com. Please include your name and mailing address (so I can contact you if you win).

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Tiffany:
Tiffany used to pull her little red wagon down the street to the library every week and fill it with books. She read all of them, most especially Calvin & Hobbes. Later on, even when she “grew up”, she never got past young adult fiction. She’s written and published “Elemental” (available through all major e-book retailers)—a story about a girl (Eva) with the power to control air and a heritage she does not understand. Of course, this story includes a boy, Luke, with an erratic power, who discovers that the only person who can control him is Eva. But whenever Eva and Luke get in the same room, they cannot restrain their violent reactions to each other. When one of their teachers is killed and they barely escape, Eva and Luke must find a way to work together. Or the only world they have ever known will be destroyed. To read more about Tiffany and most especially her “random rants” (including supposedly the “perfect” men of YA fiction), see www.scribblebymoonlight.blogspot.com.

Know Bella Winner! (and Answers)

2011-11-09T10:58:00.002-07:00

Here are the answers to the How Well Do You Know Bella game.

She first sees him in the Forks High School cafeteria. But she actually interacts with him first in their Biology class. (Either answer is correct.)
A Mercedes S600 Guardian.
Overprotectiveness or he drives like a maniac. (Either answer is correct.)
La Bella Italia in Port Angeles (book) or Edward's house (movie). (Either answer is correct.)
Orange blossoms, lilacs, freesia and roses. (If you listed any of these, I counted it correct.)
Isle Esme.
The lullaby Edward wrote for her.
Coke.
Strawberry scented.
Topaz, to match Edward's eyes. (It used to be garnet.)
Seventeen.
Marie (after her grandmother).

And the winner is:
Kamryn!

Kamryn chose Box #5, which contained the Book Bling! Wolf Cell Phone Tassel.

All prizes ship at the end of the party.

How Well Do You Know Edward Contest?

2011-11-09T05:00:00.003-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Okay, you Edward lovers! Now it's your turn!

Click on the image to enlarge it, or GO HERE to download the entire packet of printable party games for this week. It's FREE! (And if you download it now, it will give you extra time to figure out the answers.)

Once you have the answers, type them in an email and send it to bellasshower@gmail.com. Type KNOW EDWARD in the subject line.

The winner will be the person with the most correct answers and will pick their prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post. If there's a tie, those names will be tossed into the digital hat and the winner will be selected completely at random.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 10th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 11th.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will be awarded one entry for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: Why Are There No Angels In Twilight?

2011-11-09T04:00:00.006-07:00

This party game is now closed.

I've always wondered about that...If you're in the mood for angels, you're in luck!

PRIZE: A signed copy of No Angel

SPONSOR: Theresa Sneed

Jonathan is an angel with an attitude. He’s not at all happy about having to return to earth as a guardian angel, but it’s required of all post-mortal spirits to fulfill at least one angel guardianship. Fortunately, on the Guardians Unlimited application, he had the good sense to request a client with Early Marked Death status, so he believes that while his stay on earth will be most unpleasant, at least it will be short. What he doesn’t know is that a spirit with an Early Marked Death status can choose his or her time of death! Jonathan’s client, Celeste Knight, has a mind of her own and refuses death at every turn, leaving him stuck as her guardian angel―in a place he only wanted to forget.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Visit Theresa's blog and follow the directions in her post.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Theresa:
Growing up in the woodlands of Maine and spending most of her time climbing trees and looking for snakes under rocks, author Theresa Sneed has a wealth of childhood experiences and a lively imagination from which she creates her magical stories. As a mother of six, a grand mother of four, and an elementary school teacher, she enjoys weaving stories of fantasy and adventure that bring about moments of wonder and reflection.

No Angel is Theresa's first published novel. You can learn more about her and get a sneak peek at what's next at her author blog, theresasmallsneed.blogspot.com.

First Kiss Contest

2011-11-08T05:00:00.002-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Bella & Edward's First Kiss

Or if you're a Jacob fan...

Now it's your turn!

In the comments section below, describe your first kiss. It can be your first ever romantic kiss, or the first kiss with your spouse/current romance, or the first kiss with "the one who got away".

Or it can be totally fictional (just keep it "family friendly" or have to I'll delete it).

You can post anonymously if you like, just send an email to bellasshower@gmail.com so I know which story is yours.

And you can post multiple descriptions/stories, if you like. Put each story into a separate comment so it will get it's own entry.

Winner will be chosen completely at random and can pick a prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post.

And there may be a surprise gift for the story I like the best. (Just sayin'.)

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 9th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 10th.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will also be awarded one entry per story for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: How To Outrun a Vampire

2011-11-08T04:00:00.002-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Ever wondered what you'd do if you found yourself cornered by one of the Volturi? This prize will help you give them a run for their money!

PRIZE: A Chalene Johnson Exercise DVD*

SPONSOR: Suan @ Life Is Good

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Visit Suan's blog and answer her trivia question for this prize. While you're there, become a follower. Then e-mail the correct answer to Suan's question to bellasshower@gmail.com. Please include your name and mailing address (so I can contact you if you win).

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

*Prize may not be the DVD pictured, but it will be awesome!

About Suan:

I am a bag lady! Instead of wearing many hats, I carry many bags. I am a mother, wife, office manager, reader, scrapbooker, sister, friend, therapist, taxi driver, Harry Potter fan, and the list goes on and on and on...

Suan is a frequent sponsor at my various lollapalooza's (in fact, she's the instigator of most of them)—and she's my sister!

(P.S. Suan doesn't really have a tattoo on her neck. I just gave her one for the fun of it!)

Pssst! You can enter to win any of the sponsored door prizes at any time during our party. Click on the sponsor links in the sidebar to go to their blogs. If they have their party post up, go ahead and enter to win their prize—any time between now and midnight, November 19th!

How Well Do You Know Bella Contest?

2011-11-07T05:00:00.002-07:00

This party game is now closed.

Welcome to Day 1 of Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal Shower! We have a week of fun and games with Daily Prizes for each party game. Ready for the first one?

Click on the image to enlarge it, or GO HERE to download the entire packet of printable party games for this week. It's FREE! (And if you download it now, it will give you extra time to figure out the answers.)

Once you have the answers, type them in an email and send it to bellasshower@gmail.com. Type KNOW BELLA in the subject line.

The winner will be the person with the most correct answers and will pick their prize from Edward's Let's Make a Deal post. If there's a tie, those names will be tossed into the digital hat and the winner will be selected completely at random.

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 8th (that gives you almost 48 hours). Winner will be posted & notified on November 9th.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All participants will be awarded one entry for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

Pssst: Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Help spread the word! DETAILS HERE.

Door Prize: Vampires & Werewolves & Mystery, Oh My!

2011-11-07T04:00:00.006-07:00

This party game is now closed.

What a way to start the party!
Look at this awesome Door Prize!

PRIZE: Silver Necklace featuring a tropical flower
(to celebrate Bella & Edward's honeymoon)
and
Gummi Vampires & Werewolves

SPONSOR: Nichole @ Random-ish

TO ENTER TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Visit Nichole's blog and answer her trivia question. While you're there, become a follower. Then e-mail the correct answer to Nichole's question to bellasshower@gmail.com. Please include your name and mailing address (so I can contact you if you win).

DEADLINE: Midnight, November 19, 2011.

OPEN TO U.S. ENTRIES ONLY.

All correct answers will be entered to win the prize. Winner will be chosen using www.random.com and announced Monday, November 21st.

Correct answers will also be awarded three entries for the Grand Prize, to be awarded Monday, November 21st. (Grand Prize open to U.S. entries only. Sorry.)

About Nicole:
Nichole Giles was born in Nevada, and moved with her parents to a number of cities in and around the Midwest. Her early career plans included becoming a megastar actress or a rock star, but she decided instead to have a family and then become a writer, in that order. Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her husband and four children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.

Pssst! Want to get a head start on the other door prizes? Click on the sponsor links in the sidebar. If they have their party post up, go ahead and enter to win their prize—anytime between now and midnight, November 19th!

Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower

2011-11-03T18:08:00.000-06:00

Bella's Totally Awesome
Bridal/Baby Shower

How to Play:

Come visit the blog every day between November 7th through the 19th
Play my daily party games to be entered to win one of 12 daily party prizes
Visit the blogs of the featured sponsors to be entered to win their door prizes
All daily prize entries also earn you an entry for the Grand Prize!

You can start earning entries right
now by helping to spread the word.

WHAT TO DO:
Simply do something to help spread the word about Bella’s Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower. Use this link when you mention the shower on social media sites: http://bit.ly/tEglqI

Facebook
Twitter
Blog
E-mail
My button in your sidebar (get the code below)
Something
Anything

HOW TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what you've done and where
If you have a link, include it
You may enter this contest up to five times a day

PRIZE:
Each thing you do will give you one entry to win our amazing Grand Prize. (Details coming soon!)

220 px button (for standard sidebar)

125 px button (for smaller sidebar)

To Install the Buttons on Blogger

If you have one sidebar, use the bigger button (220 px). If you have two sidebars, use the smaller button (125 px).

Put your cursor in the box below the button and copy all of the code. The easiest way to do this is to place your cursor in the box, then press control + a. This highlights all the text in the box. Then press control + c to copy it.
Go to your blog's dashboard and click Design. This should take you to Add and Arrange Page Elements.
Click on Add Gadget.
Scroll down the list and find the one that says HTML/JavaScript. Click on it.
Paste the code into the large Content box. You can type in a Title if you want. Click the orange Save button. If you get a message that says there are illegal characters, it means you didn't get all the code. Go back to Step 1 and recopy the code.
The button will display at the top of your sidebar. While on the Page Elements page, you can drag the new gadget box to another position on your sidebar, if you want. Then click the orange Save button.

That should do it. Let me know if you have any problems.

Pick Your Prize: Bella's Bridal/Baby Shower

2011-11-02T15:13:00.006-06:00

Edward has always been a huge fan of the original Let's Make a Deal game show, featuring Monte Hall.

You'll frequently find him channel surfing the game show networks late at night, hoping to catch it in reruns.

So when I mentioned that we'd be giving away daily prizes as part of Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower, he insisted we do it Let's Make a Deal Style.

Each prize has been assigned a numbered box. Some prizes are pretty awesome (ex: signed copy of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain); others are smaller items (ex: 'I Heart Vampires' note pads). But they're all guaranteed fun! (Scroll down to the bottom of this post for a list of the remaining prizes.)

When you're notified that you're a winner of a daily prize, pick the box you like and you'll get the prize inside.

After a box is chosen, I'll post what was inside it.

All prizes will be shipped after the party is over.

Prize #1

Prize #2—Chosen
Prize #2 was Vampire Lips Tote &
I Heart Vampires Note Set
Chosen by Erica
winner of First Letters contest!

Prize #3

Prize #4

Prize #5—Chosen
Prize #5 was a Book Bling Wolf Cell Tassel
Chosen by Kamryn
winner of How Well Do You Know Bella? contest

Prize #6

Prize #7—CHOSEN
Prize #7 was Bella's New Moon Parfum Spritzer
Chosen by ferretvamp14
winner of First Kiss contest

Prize #8—Chosen
Prize #8 was a Scarf, Bitten Notebook & Bracelet
Chosen by Kaitlyn
winner of Words of Love contest

Prize #9—Chosen
Prize #9 was The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Chosen by Amy
winner How Well Do You Know Edward!

Prize #10

Prize #11—Chosen
Prize #11 was Alice's Make-Up Kit
Chosen by Erica
winner of Paranormal Couples contest!

Prize #12

If you really, really, really want to know
the prizes behind these boxes, click here.

I Am Driven by Peer Pressure...

2011-11-02T11:00:00.014-06:00

I've gotten several emails from Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower party guests saying,

"It would be great if we had an idea of
what the Daily Prizes were."

So, okay. I posted a partial list of prizes.

"...but we want to see PICTURES."

You know what they say...curiosity killed the werewolf. But whatever. I am nothing if not totally swayed by peer pressure. So here you go, posted in alphabetical order...

Alice's Make-Up Kit
Or at least, part of it. She was unwilling to share all her beauty tips and secrets.

Bella’s New Moon Parfum Spritzer

My favorite of the Twilight fragrances I created
(which, unfortuntately, are no longer available
except through this contest)

Book Bling Wolf Bookmark
(also no longer available except through this contest)

Book Bling Wolf Cell Tassel
(also no longer available except through this contest)

Chess Set
(If you don't know why this is one of the prizes,
you really need to re-read Breaking Dawn)

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
another paranormal love story
(Signed by author, hardcover first edition)

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum
another paranormal love story
(Signed by author, hardcover first edition)

Red Scarf and Bitten Notebook/Bracelet
(to cover up the bite marks on your neck)

Strawberry Hand Soap & I Heart Vampires Note Set
(In one of the books, it mentions Bella's shampoo is strawberry scented.
I decided her hand soap is too.)

Twilight Tote with 3 paranormal books
(Tote is promotional item for the original Twilight movie; books are "gently used")

Vampire Lips Tote & I Heart Vampires Note Set
(Two of the boxes have this in it)

And there you go. That's what you'll win by playing the Daily Party Games. One of these prizes will be in each of the wrapped boxes here.

Have fun & Good Luck!

(And NO! I WILL NOT GIVE YOU ANY HINTS AS TO WHICH PRIZE IS IN WHICH BOX!)

Bella's Bridal/Baby Shower Grand Prize!

2011-11-01T14:01:00.004-06:00

What would Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower be without lots and lots of prizes?

Well, it certainly wouldn't be totally awesome—and we can't have that!

Anyone who participates in Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower will be entered to win the Grand Prize.

1 entry each time you help Spread the Word (up to 5 per day)
1 entry for participating in Daily Games & Trivia
3 entries for visiting Sponsors and participating as directed on their blogs
The more you participate, the more chances you have to win!

The GRAND PRIZE includes...

Your Choice: 'Vampire Lips' OR 'Fangs Are Fabulous' Tote bag
with Matching Notebook
(the other one goes in the Sponsor's Grand Prize)
donated by Suan/Life is Good

I Heart Vampires Note Pad & To Do List
donated by Suan/Life is Good

Bella’s New Moon Parfum Spritzer
donated by Inksplasher

Breaking Dawn Pt. 1
Print & Play Character Bingo
donated by Scatterbrains

Breaking Dawn Pt. 1
Print & Play Trivia Bingo
donated by Scatterbrains

Breaking Dawn
Print & Play Word Puzzle Book
donated by Scatterbrains

Breaking Dawn Treat Bag
donated by Inksplasher
(okay, there may never be a photo of this one,
but trust me, you'll get a Treat Bag!)

...and More!

I Love Halloween

2011-10-31T18:36:00.015-06:00

But I wasn't going to dress up this year. I was just too tired. I put on my denim shirt with the Halloween stitching, some skeleton earrings, and a spider ring, and called it good.

But then...

Well. I want my grandkids to remember me as a fun grandma. Not an old stick in the mud. So I hurried and got a costume together—and just in time, too! I'd barely finished when...

...the Sumo Wrestler and the Old Lady dropped by for a visit.

Okay, technically, I know I'm not their grandma.
But I have fun pretending I am.

Then Burrito arrived in his Spidey costume.
I said, "Burrito, I'm going to pretend to scare you
and you pretend to be afraid, okay?"

I think he did a good job.

And then Shrek came.

He doesn't look very scared, does he?

Great minds think alike!
Burrito is giving me his best scarey Spidey look.
Shrek is standing still—very still—
because every time I snapped a photo, he jumped
and was a total blur.

So, he's pretending to be a Spidey statue.

And here is Monkey Boy (aka Buddha).

Wait, you've got to see this one up close.
CUTE!!!

And look at that little tail!

Buddha said, "Tricker trick." And then gave me lots of candy.

I still haven't decided what to call this little bundle of joy.

He's dressed up as a baby. Clever, isn't he?

"Grandma, could you please get your hair out of my mouth?"

And this one gets the favorite child award tonight.

She's the only one of the ~~sticks in the mud~~. . .
~~party poopers~~. . .
adult children who dressed up tonight.

Totally Healthy Holidays …have your cake and eat it too!

2011-10-24T08:54:00.007-06:00

If you've visited my blog before, you may know that I can't eat sugar. I haven't had sugar in over 12 years.

Most of the time, that's just fine with me. But when the holidays roll around...

I watch everyone around me eating scrumptious holiday goodies, and...

I don't get any!

[pout!]

And yes, yes. I eat the store-bought sugar-free goodies but it's just not the same as homemade. Plus, they cause—erm—"digestive issues".

So when my daughter, McKenna, decided to create a Totally Healthy Holidays cookbook, I was cautiously excited. I say cautiously because when she told me what she was planning to include I thought there was NO WAY she'd be able to pull it off.

I mean, really—

Red Velvet Candy Cane Cake???

Well, that's what she served for dessert at out last family dinner—and I ♥ IT!

No, that's not quite true. It would be more accurate to say,

I ♥ ♥ ♥ It!

I also loved the Dark Chocolate No Bakes. Heaven!!

And it's not all cakes and cookies either. Look at these:

Halloween Chili

Pear-Pom Maple Salad

Don't they just make you drool?

And I can't wait to try the:

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Christmas Morning Pancakes
Candied Butternut Salad
Holiday Fritata
and...well, all of them!

All of the recipes in Totally Healthy Holidays are easy to make and contain NO refined or processed foods. They're sweetened with natural sweeteners (so no digestive issues—yay!), and many of them are gluten free and/or raw vegan recipes.

Okay, so here's the deal. Totally Healthy Holidays was officially released this morning and it's available at a...

Special Introductory Offer

until midnight, October 28th

But don't wait because you know you'll forget and miss out on the Special Price.

Go check it out now!

(What are you still doing here? Go NOW!)

Who's Excited About Breaking Dawn Part 1?

2011-10-11T08:50:00.007-06:00

Yep, I'll be hosting another lollapalooza in honor of Breaking Dawn Part 1:

Bella's Totally Awesome
Bridal/Baby Shower

There will be contests and prizes and lots of fun for two full weeks before the movie release.

(Click here to see the fun we had for the release of Eclipse.)

The party will run November 7–18th, so be sure to come visit then.

And you'll also want to check back here before then because I'll be posting countdowns, blog backgrounds and other freebies related to the movie release.

But today, I'm sending out an
open invitation to sponsor
Bella's Totally Awesome Bridal/Baby Shower.

To be a sponsor, you need to:

have a blog
post a shower invitation on your blog*
put a button in your sidebar*
provide and ship a prize to the winner

In return, you'll get:

a spotlight post on my blog during the shower (like this one)
new traffic and followers on your blog
links and references throughout the contest (in the form of silly adventures like this one)
the joy of participating in a fun event

If you're interested in being a sponsor, email me at bellasshower AT gmail DOT com ASAP and I'll send you the full details. I'm limiting this to 36 sponsors; first come, first served.

*Code for invitation and button provided by me.

Too Much Fun!

2011-09-28T07:22:00.010-06:00

Tuesday—rockin' our artistic selves at a ceramics place in Berea, KY.

We painted.

And painted and painted.

We kept finding cute things to make!

Here's our final score.

Can you guess which ones I did?

Here they are from another angle.

They still need to be fired and then shipped out to us in Utah.
I'll post the "after" photo when I get them.

Then we went to GiGi's for cupcakes.

I couldn't eat any. My teeth started hurting just from looking at them.
But if I could have eaten them, I'd totally have gone for
the dark chocolate Midnight Magic!

Then we went to Ramsey's for dinner.

They are known for their hot browns.

I don't like hot browns.
I got the BBQ chicken. Quite possibly the best I've ever had in my life.
(with one exception—made by this guy)

We had lots of fun.
This is G, dancing on the table at Ramsey's.

We finished off the night at Orange Leaf.
Fro-yos for everyone!

I like Big Boys and I can not lie...

2011-09-26T21:01:00.000-06:00

Big Boy brings back fond memories of my misspent youth.

Which I will not be sharing here.

Just Horsin' Around...

2011-09-26T20:00:00.013-06:00

Monday.

We went to the Kentucky Horse Park.

It was a little cold and drizzly outside, but we had fun anyway.

(Don't tell Suan I said that. She paid for me to get in because I really didn't want to go, but she said if I had fun, I had to pay her back.)

We walked all over that park. And took the trolley ride.

The museums were my favorite—because the flies don't get in there and it doesn't smell like horse poop.

I found the cutest little baby buggy for my newest grandbaby but I couldn't figure out how to pack it in my suitcase. :(

We learned lots of interesting facts about horses, like...

Capt. Kirk LOVES horses!

And so does Carson Kressley.

This is his Emmy on display.

Then my sister dared me to actually RIDE a horse.
(She always gets me into trouble.)

It wasn't too bad at first.

But then the horse started to MOVE!

Ryane got into the horse riding big time!

I can't be shown up by my niece, can I?

We won't say anything about my sister's picture-taking skillz.

An Apple a Day

2011-09-25T18:33:00.007-06:00

I may have mentioned that my sisters and I are trying to do something new and fun every month.

Yesterday, we visited a vampire coffee shop.

Today, we decided to do an apple tasting contest. (It was Suan's idea.) We went to Wal-mart and got one of every apple variety they had.

(I was not super impressed because they did not have any Jonagolds.)

This is what we ended up with:

Golden Delicious, Enza/Jazz, Honeycrisp, Red Delicious
Gala, Fuji, New York, Granny Smith

We cut the apples into pieces and then passed them around the room.

There were two parts to the taste test.

1) They had to guess the type of apple they were tasting, and

2) they had to vote for the best and worst tasting apples.

Drew said he guessed five of the apples correctly,
so we gave him the prize and took his picture.

Drew lied.

He didn't get ANY of them right.

We stripped him of his prize plate of leftover apples and
awarded them to the real winner!

Yay, Mom!

Winner of the WORST APPLE OF THE BUNCH:
The New York Apple

(I have no idea what a "New York" apple really is, but that's what the label said.)

It was so bad, it scared G when Elaine tasted it!

Winner of the BEST TASTING APPLE OF THE BUNCH:
The Gala Apple!

(Which just happens to have been my favorite!)

What's your favorite apple?

Common Grounds

2011-09-24T17:28:00.004-06:00

So my sisters, my cousin and I are cruising through town and stumble upon Common Grounds Coffee Shop!

So? Did you just say, "SO?"

Common Grounds is a coffee shop located just off the Texas Prairie University campus, where Claire Danvers (main character in Morganville Vampire series ) attends college. Common Grounds is considered neutral territory for both humans and vampires. (wikipedia)

We had to go check it out.

Elaine and I are sitting by the bar, waiting to get our Common Grounds t-shirts.

It was daytime, so there were only a couple of vamps inside.

Two, to be exact. I've marked them with a red arrow.

The rest of the people are human.

"Oliver" (vampire/owner—far left) and
"Eve" (human/employee—far right)
happened to both be working.

They were very nice. They let us take a photo with them.

Elaine said Oliver drooled on her neck.

Riotous Living

2011-09-24T11:38:00.000-06:00

If you read the title wrong and thought this post was going to be a sermon on "righteous living"—

NOT!

Someone turned 50 back in December and thought they got away with it...

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

In case you missed it, that was the
BIG 5-0!

But he was a good sport and wore all the decorations we put on him.

Without complaint.

Much.

One of us had a little too much fun and had to be restrained.

Several extended relations came by but I forgot to take photos.
(Sorry. I'm bad.)

Saturday morning, we were all partied out.

NOT!

(Will you people never learn? I am never partied out!)

(Well, rarely.)

The birthday boy, however, was tired of pictures.
He's giving me the "Put down that camera and nobody gets hurt" look.

Ryane & Suan doing the princess wave.

Sharing is caring.

Me & my Pops!

The One Where We Almost Set the Restaurant on Fire...

2011-09-23T13:13:00.000-06:00

After a grueling morning of photo posing, we worked up an appetite. We went around the block to Cosi's, where in addition to yummy sandwiches and soups...

they let you make your own S'MORES!

at the table!

How totally awesome is that?!?

You could make them with graham crackers
or with chocolate cookies!

My sister is a bit of a pyromaniac.

(Hey, YOU!
Yes, you—the entrepreneur located in Utah County.
You really ought to do this at your restaurant!)

Okay, okay. I like mine burnt black too.
I couldn't eat it because it would put me in a sugar coma, but I had fun making one.

(And if you do put this in your restaurant,
please stock sugar free chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers.
Yes, they do exist.)

Seal of approval from my niece.

But the REAL PROOF that they were yummy?

So what's your favorite s'more recipe?

Here's a link to some good ones.

This explains a lot...

2011-09-23T11:52:00.001-06:00

I'm in Kentucky! All four of us kids made it back to my parents' house at the same time. We overlapped by about 36 hours. We had to pack a lot into that time.

First on our agenda was Family Pictures.

Everyone wants family pictures, but no one really ever wants to pose for them.

They say that you can learn a lot about a person by the way they interact with their family of origin...

This probably explains a lot.

We did take one serious pose—for posterity.

Also, I promised my grandsons I'd take a picture of me on the airplane to prove to them that I was really on one.

But I forgot. This will have to do...

(They won't know the difference, will they?)

More to come...

Why, yes, Grandma! I'd love to help you pack!

2011-09-21T15:00:00.002-06:00

Totally his idea.

Worst Movies Ever Blogfest

2011-09-19T08:17:00.018-06:00

Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting a blogfest today: Worst Movies Ever.

How could I not participate?

So a disclaimer here. First, I don't watch a lot of bad movies because now that movies cost as much as a car payment, I usually won't go see a new release unless someone I trust recommends it.

Second, I try to block bad movies and wasted life from my mind. So there may be some titles that are more deserving for this list, but I just can't remember what they are.

Third, I'm not including movies that I was forced to watch because of my kids. (Like Maid in Manhattan, Save the Last Dance, A Walk to Remember, and Kazaam.) This list contains movies that I thought I might like, but were sorely disappointing.

And last, I don't watch R rated movies. I'm sure if I did, my list would be much different.

So here we go, my top 10 worst movies in alphabetical order:

All About Steve (2009): Convinced that a CCN cameraman is her true love, an eccentric crossword puzzler trails him as he travels all over the country, hoping to convince him that they belong together.

Okay, by every objective standard, this was a terrible movie. The characters were stupid, the plot was lame, the dialog was cheesy.

But. Deep in my heart of hearts, I liked it. I couldn't help but admire her positive attitude. This is definitely my own personal cult-classic.

Apollo 18 (2011): Decades-old found footage from NASA's abandoned Apollo 18 mission, where two American astronauts were sent on a secret expedition, reveals the reason the U.S. has never returned to the moon.

Went to see this with my husband. The trailer looked good. I did not realize that THE ENTIRE MOVIE is filmed in that same grainy, jumpy footage format. The story is difficult to follow. There are plot holes bigger than moon craters. So many unanswered questions. And so, so stupid. 86 minutes of wasted life!

Battlefield Earth (2000): After enslavement & near extermination by an alien race in the year 3000, humanity begins to fight back.

I love John Travolta. I love science fiction. This ought to have been a perfect match for me.

NOT. I have tried to watch this movie multiple times and I just can. not. do. it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992): A flighty teenage girl learns that she is her generation's destined battler of vampires.

Who's surprised to see this on my list? Buffy the Vampire Slayer (with Sarah Michelle Geller) is my all-time favorite TV series. I own the entire series on DVD and watch it over and over.

But this movie? Quite possibly THE worst movie ever.

Eragon (2006): In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.

Another potential favorite that just didn't do it.

Didn't like the book. Didn't like the movie. Have not been able to force myself to read/watch the entire thing.

The Mummy Returns (2001): The mummified body of Imhotep is shipped to a museum in London, where he once again wakes and begins his campaign of rage and terror.

I loved The Mummy. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz had such spark together! But this sequel was awful—everything that I loved about the first movie was missing from this one. Ugh.

Night at the Museum 2 (2009): Security guard Larry Daley infiltrates the Smithsonian Institution in order to rescue Jedediah and Octavius, who have been shipped to the museum by mistake.

Another sequel gone bad. Loved the first one. Could hardly stay awake for this one. In fact, I think I may have had to leave the theater for a bathroom break during this movie. Twice.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000): Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey", set in the deep south during the 1930's. In it, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.

My husband loves this movie and watches it every time it comes on TV. But I just don't get it. It's stupid. And horrendously boring. And I've never been able to watch more than five minutes at a time.

Ultraviolet (2006): A beautiful hemophage infected with a virus that gives her superhuman powers has to protect a boy in a futuristic world, who is thought to be carrying antigens that would destroy all hemophages.

Another plot line that should have been awesome and it just — wasn't. It was disconnected. It never clearly explained enough backstory for you to understand what was going on. And that kid in the briefcase was just weird. I loved how her hair changed color, though. That was cool.

Wild, Wild West (1999): The two best hired guns in the West must save President Grant from the clutches of a 19th century inventor-villain.

Loved the original series. Love Will Smith (even in Hancock). Love Kevin Kline.

Hated this movie. It just went on and on and on and... well. And I can never understand what Selma Hayek is saying—in any movie she's in.

What's on your list of Worst Movies Ever?

Name This Baby Contest!

2011-09-17T09:09:00.004-06:00

If you're my friend on Facebook, you already know that we welcomed a NEW GRANDSON into the world yesterday.

(Squeee!)

(Yes, I'm still doing the Happy Grandma dance!)

So. Now I need an online name for him—because I will not ever use the real names of my grandchildren online.

Because I'm paranoid.

I always believed that my children needed to be extra careful of kidnappers because they were the CUTEST kids in the neighborhood and if kidnappers were trolling, they'd go for them first.

That goes double for my grandchildren!

What am I saying?!?? ~~Quadruple~~ — no — uhm — ~~CENTUPLE~~ — no — uhm — INFINITY and BEYOND!

Anyway. The contest.* I need an online name for this new little bundle of goodness. Just as a reminder, here are my other three grandsons.

Suggestions?

*There are no prizes for this contest other than the WFFI you'll get if I pick your suggestions.

Hang 'Em High by Tristi Pinkston

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hang 'Em High
by Tristi Pinkston

The Secret Sisters are at it again—this time, they're solving mysteries on a dude ranch.

Backliner: When Ida Mae Babbitt receives an invitation to visit her son Keith's dude ranch in Montana, she's excited to mend their broken relationship, but not so excited about spending time with cows. Arlette and Tansy go along with her, ready to take a vacation that does not involve dead bodies or mysteries of any sort—one must have a break from time to time. But it seems a no-good scoundrel has moseyed into Dodge City and is bent on causing all sorts of trouble for the ranch. Unable to keep her curiosity in check—especially when it seems her own son is the most likely culprit—Ida Mae decides to investigate. Can she lasso the varmint and get him to the sheriff in time?

Hang 'Em High is what is called a "cozy" mystery—meaning, it's a very light and easy read (not a James Patterson). The good thing about a cozy is it is usually very character-driven. There's nearly as much time spent on the characters—learning they're quirks and delving into their emotions—as there is spent on the actual mystery plot. You really come to love the characters. Ida Mae, Arlette and Tansy are so unique and individualized, each with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. They are definitely three of my favorite cozy mystery characters.

The bad thing about a cozy is it is usually very character-driven. Some cozies start out a little slower than I like and I'm impatient to get to the dead bodies (or whatever). That was my experience with Hang 'Em High. It took awhile for the actual mystery part of it to get started.

However, once they get to the ranch, the pace picks up quite nicely. Which is not to say you should skip the first few chapters because there are some funny parts (like Ida Mae and Arlette's discussion about double-knit vs blue jeans). But once at the farm, the book just blossoms. More than once, I found myself laughing out loud over the antics of these "mature" ladies.

The plot (once they get to the ranch) was great. There were several possible culprits and I figured out who it was at just the right time in the storyline. The dialogue was fun and funny. The characterization was dead-on for the recurring characters. And I really liked how Ida Mae is finally re-connecting with her son and clearing up some of the issues of their past.

If you like clean, cozy mysteries, you'll like this one. I give it four stars. And as soon as it's available for the iPad, I'm getting it for my mom (who loves the series).

You can read my reviews of Secret Sisters (book 1) HERE and Dearly Departed (book 2) HERE!

Oh. I almost forgot...

To celebrate the release of Tristi's eighth book, she's holding a contest!

If you leave a comment on this review, you will be entered into a drawing for a free manuscript evaluation, done by Tristi Pinkston Editing.

In fact, you can leave comments on all the blogs participating in this virtual book tour! Go to Tristi Pinkston's blog for a complete list. The deadline is October 5th at midnight MST.

(If you win and you're not a writer, you can give this evaluation to a friend. Hint...hint.)

*Free review copy provided by the publisher.

Tackle It Tuesday: Fridge for the Woman Cave

2011-09-13T07:30:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I wanted a mini fridge for my Woman Cave. Just big enough to hold some bottled water. And maybe a bag of chocolate.

This is the one I wanted.

<-------------

Well, not exactly that one. Not that brand.

I wanted the one that Wal-Mart had online back in the spring. It was a deeper pink. And it was around $90.

Soooooo out of my budget!

I was griping to my sister about not being able to afford the pink one and maybe I'd get the white one (about $20 cheaper) but still that was out of my budget and I didn't really need one, I just wanted one so I wouldn't have to climb up all the 14 stairs from my basement if I got thirsty in the middle of a project and never mind the fact that I have to regularly climb those stairs to... well, there's no bathroom downstairs, but really it was just a pie-in-the-sky daydream because there were other things I needed more than a mini fridge but the pink one was sooo cute and it matched the decals I got at the Dollar Store and...

And she interrupted me—which normally would tick me off—but she said she had a black one she was getting rid of, if I wanted it.

Of course I wanted it!

And here it is. In my woman cave.

And here it is with water in it.

And here it is with some of those cute little decals from the Dollar Store.

Total Price: 50¢ and the swap of a bean bag chair
that was on its way to D.I.

Now all I need is an extension cord that will take a 3-prong plug and I'm good to go!

Thanks, Suan.

Tackle It Tuesday, sponsored by 5MinutesForMom.com.

Tackle It Tuesday: Hang That Plaque!

2011-09-06T19:11:00.001-06:00

I decided to start doing the Tackle It Tuesday thingee, sponsored by 5MinutesForMom.com.

Because I've been working on this house re-org for awhile now and I need to breathe some new life into it.

Or into me.

Or something.

So back in December, I got some new blinds for my front room. They are working out so much better than the shears they replaced.

But the drapes were created to work with the shears and without them, there's a big glaring blank spot.

A few months later, while I was still pondering what to do about that blank spot, I won a plaque. In a blog hop. (I think it was sponsored by Tristi Pinkston but if I'm wrong, don't hate me.) (And I can't remember who I won it from. I'm a bad, bad blogger.)

The plague fits perfectly in that spot!

Ta-da!

And here's a close-up of the plaque itself:

Sorry it's so blurry. If you can't read it, it says, "Be Still, and know that I am God."

Perfect.

Josi Kilpack on a Roll!

2011-09-02T08:45:00.004-06:00

Okay, so puns are lame—but I couldn't help myself.

Last weekend, I had three books I've been dying to read sitting on my nightstand. It was a very, very tough decision as to which to read first.

But because Josi S. Kilpack has NEVER failed to entertain me, I decided on Pumpkin Roll.

And yes, Josi did it again!

If you like culinary mysteries, the Sadie Hoffmiller series is my absolute all-time favorite. I like that Sadie is mature (but not old), kind, creative, interested in others, and trying to redefine herself in life—kind of like me. and Pumpkin Roll is the best of the bunch! I give it a FULL 5 STARS!

Not that the previous books are bad. They are all very, very good. (One of the books only got 4 stars; the rest are full 5s!)

This series just keeps getting better and better—and harder for me to figure out ahead of time.

This one totally surprised me when the who-dunnit was revealed. Not totally surprised in a way that it didn't make sense and I wanted to throw the book across the room (I hate books like that) but totally surprised in the way that Josi very deftly left clues and hints all along the way, but kept them subtle enough that I was still guessing at the end. (I had it narrowed down to two.)

In this book, Sadie travels to Boston to help Pete (her boyfriend) tend his grandsons. Here's the backliner:

Sadie Hoffmiller is looking forward to spending her favorite baking season of the year making delicious New England recipes in Boston, Massachusetts, with her favorite leading man, Pete Cunningham, as they babysit his three young grandsons. But when the boys insist that Mrs. Wapple, the woman who lives across the street, is a witch, Sadie and Pete are anxious to distract the boys from such Halloween-induced ideas. However, it gets harder and harder to explain the strange things that keep happening, particularly after Sadie learns the eccentric Mrs. Wapple has been attacked in her home.

As the unexplained occurrences escalate, Sadie finds herself embroiled in yet another mystery with life-or-death consequences. Can Sadie discover whoever—or whatever—is behind the mystery before anyone else gets hurt? Or will this be Sadie’s last case?

Pumpkin Roll is book 6 in the series, and while some of the books can be read out of order, you really need to read previous ones to fully enjoy this one.

Pumpkin Roll's official release date is September 7th, but it's available at Amazon now and it should start showing up in stores any second. (I got my copy early because I have connections—and I know how to grovel.)

You can read the first chapter here.

Oh, and I almost forgot! Josi and her publisher are hosting an awesome drawing for an iPad. (This contest did not at all influence my review, as you would know if you're my friend on Goodreads.) (Devil's Food Cake and Key Lime Pie made my top 10 list for 2010.)

In conjunction with the release of Pumpkin Roll the author, Josi S. Kilpack, and the publisher, Shadow Mountain, are sponsoring a contest for a new iPad. To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog before November 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified November 3^rd2011.

For additional ways to enter, go to www.josiskilpack.com

Sadie Hoffmiller series (in order):

Lemon Tart
English Trifle
Devil's Food Cake
Key Lime Pie
Blackberry Crumble
Pumpkin Roll

It May Not Be Terabithia, but...

2011-08-28T16:27:00.023-06:00

A little over a week ago—

Wait! Has it really been only a week since I got home? It seems so long ago since I was in heaven...

[*long pause* *deep sigh*]

Okay, so a little over a week ago, I went on an awesome trip with my friend, Colleen.

Colleen, did I promise you I wouldn't post this photo on my blog? If I did, I'm sorry. I forgot. But you look so cute! I love that expression on your face.

Anyway, Colleen and I have been dear friends for years. We've supported each other through many of life's trials. We even shared a house for a year and a half when we were both struggling financially. Colleen is really more like a sister than a friend and she looks so much like my mom's side of the family that I think we must be related somewhere back in the tangled roots of our ancestries.

So, where was I?

Oh, yes. We took this trip to a magical kingdom deep in the backwoods of Idaho—where there were lots of bears and mountain lions and man-eating squirrels and stuff.

DH made me take pepper spray, and I have to confess, there's a bush up there crying its little eyes out right now.

I knew we were entering a magical place when we drove over the ~~Bridge to Terabithia~~… uhmmm… ~~the Bridge on the River Kwai~~ … The Very Dangerous Bridge that Glory must cross to get the alicorn belt-buckle from her father's ancestral home.

(Don't feel bad if you've never heard of that bridge. It's in one of the novels I'm working on.)

Then I got my first glimpse of THE RIVER...

I am obsessed with this river!

I took fourteen photos of it.

But don't worry. I won't force you to look at all of them.

Just this one.

And maybe this one.

And here's one with my feet in the frame, lest you think I just stole all these photos off the Interweb.

(Which is something I would never, ever do!)

(Unless it was for a trip to Forks)

(or something.)

And here's the cabin we stayed in.

What? You don't believe those are really my feet?

Okay, here's me pondering a plot line on the magical swing hand-carved by Rocky Mountain ogres.

And here's me taking some character notes for my YA mystery.
Notice how close I am to THE RIVER? It was only 30 feet from the front door.

I spent much time out by THE RIVER—thinking and writing and watching butterflies flit by on their way to some important task.

I think one of them had a job at the local Grease & Go because it was bright orange with black smears all over its wings—just like the uniform the guy wore who changed my oil last time.

And here's me pointing to the trailer hitch—to prove it's a trailer that we're staying in because from the inside, you'd think it was really a HOUSE.

And speaking of the inside, here's the front room-slash-kitchen.
If you listen really, REALLY, carefully, you can hear THE RIVER.

And here's my bedroom.
Where every single night I was serenaded by THE RIVER.

I haven't slept that well in years!

Right outside my window is the cutest little flower garden.

"That's gorgeous, Karlene!
I wish you had a close-up of the flowers."

Well, okay.

This is going to be my next colored pencil project.

And when I finish that, this will be my next one.

While I was up by THE RIVER, I wrote every. single. day.

And I hiked.

And I admired the firepit.

But I didn't use the firepit because I'm really not into roughing it.

Ahhh…

My own little slice of heaven.

For a week.

And I miss it.

I'm making a huge collage of all my photos (no, I did not post all of them here) and I'm hanging it on my wall by my computer. Then I'm posting this sign on my office door.

And when you call and I don't answer, you can be sure it's because I've gone back to heaven.

Now playing on my iPod: Own Private Idaho by the B-52s

Stone Gate Open House

2011-08-27T09:21:00.008-06:00

Virtual Tour: | Tour Part 1 | Tour Part 2 | Tour Part 3|

Okay, I said this was a virtual tour in three parts...but I lied.

I also want to encourage you to attend the
Open House Today from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m
They have lots of fun activities, drawings for prizes,
and it will definitely be worth you time.

Click here for address and map!

Bring your kids and let them play in the Bouncy House

Get your photos taken at the Photo Booth

And meet the Botts—who created this awesome place.

Shanna & Ryan Bott, Me, Vickie & Randy Bott

Shanna & Ryan Bott
with me and Julieann

Stone Gate Virtual Tour (pt3)

2011-08-27T09:01:00.007-06:00

| Tour Part 1 | Tour Part 2 |

PART 3: WEDDINGS & EVENTS

Stone Gate Center for the Arts in Pleasant Grove is an AWESOME place for weddings, receptions, performances and other events. Makes me want to get married again!

Grand Ballroom set up for reception.

The Grand Ballroom is designed especially for weddings and receptions. You can't really see the chandeliers but they are beautiful. And look at those arched recesses along the walls! Breathtaking!

Sample Cake

Stone Gate can set you up with providers for all things needed for a fabulous reception—like a cake! Sorry the photo is so blurry.

Bride's Room
A special room just for the bride!

Two Carriages!

They can pick you up from your wedding site and deliver you to Stone Gate, or take you from Stone Gate to the secret location where you've hidden your car. :)

They also have the Cultural Hall with a stage. (Again, blurry photo does not do it justice.)

You can have a reception here, or other events. Stone Gate will also sponsor theater productions and the Candlelight Concert series.

Stone Gate Virtual Tour (pt2)

2011-08-27T08:49:00.006-06:00

See Part 1 Here.

PART 2: PRESCHOOL & ART

One of the big things you'll find at Stone Gate Center for the Arts in Pleasant Grove (aside from weddings and special events) is their Stepping Stones Preschool. For 3 and 4 year olds, they have an enriched curriculum that includes art, singing, dance, performance, music and more.

Preschool Art Room

Preschool Classroom
Preschool in the mornings; performance art in the afternoons.

They also have a HUGE list of art classes for adults—all taught by gifted professionals.

This is the adult art classroom.
Lots of windows and great lighting.

Joe Flores puppets

Matt Loveridge cartoons

Art classes include:

Acrylics
Oil Painting
Watercolor
Pastels
Pen & Ink
Character Design
Basic Drawing
Homeschool Art
Portrait/Line Drawing
Photoshop

And much, much more!

They also offer performance art classes, such as Acting, Mime, Music, Dance, Puppetry and More!