Thursday, February 16, 2012

Book Review: Smitten

I've got another Booksneeze review for you guys! This review is LONG overdue. I finished this book in December, right around Christmas time! But I didn't want to post about it then because I didn't want to interrupt all the Christmas goodness. Anyway... the book is called Smitten and it was a collaborative novel between four author friends, Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, & Diann Hunt.

I just want to start off by saying I loved this book! It was such a fun read and easy to read, too. Anyway... Smitten is about four friends who are all from the town of Smitten, VT, a town kept alive simply by the logging factory at the top of the hill. When the factory must close due to bankruptcy the four friends devise a plan to turn their small little town into a romantic tourist destination capitalizing on its charming name. Each of the women takes on a business venture related to romance and tries to gather the support of the whole town. The other women in the town are eager to help but some of the men take a lot of convincing. The four main characters, Natalie, Julia, Shelby and Reese work very hard to save the town and make it a honeymoon destitation spot and along the way they find romance of their own!

Like I said above, I loved this book. It was so cute and definitely a fun romance novel! And I especially loved that each character's story was told by a different author. The book is broken up into four small novels each one about one of the women. And though the authors have different writing styles, they all compliment each other well and each new character's story picks up right where the one before it left off! It was so fun to read the story like this with different characters and different points of view! And each story was sweet and had me excited to see how it would end! If you want to read a book about overcoming obstacles and finding love along the way then this is definitely a book you should pick up!

Cindy

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines.

Love Day Celebration!

Collin and I have praise team practice at 6:30 every Tuesday night. Because of that we couldn't celebrate Valentine's Day properly on the day itself so we had an early celebration on Monday evening! I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it here on my blog before but in case you all don't remember (and for the new followers) Collin and I had our first date at Chick-Fil-A. Romantic, right? But honestly, it was such a fun and memorable afternoon together so therefore Chick-Fil-A is "our" place. It doesn't hurt that the food is oh so yummy, too! Anyway, we had our Valentine's dinner at Chick-Fil-A and it was great! We got and ate our food and then sat in the booth next to each other just talking and planning for our romantic weekend! As a sort of continued Valentine's celebration Collin booked a room at a local hotel for tomorrow night just so we can "get away". And Collin amazingly enough has off work on Saturday so we're just going to do whatever we please and enjoy a NORMAL-person weekend! Hurray!
Early Valentine's dinner with my love at "our" restaurant! My scrumdiddlyumptious original chicken sandwich. So, so good. Love Day 002 We had a coupon from our Chick-Fil-A calendar so we got the new chicken tortilla soup. That stuff was spicy! But it has a good flavor! Love Day 001 Love Day 003 Love Day 004 Love Day 005
This man makes my heart so happy!

Our actual Valentine's Day wasn't completely without celebration. We were able to have lunch together and that was very nice. And after praise team practice we made grilled cheese and tomato soup and watched some tv together while cuddling on the couch and it was just relaxing and nice.

I will say though, I had a meltdown in the afternoon. After work I went to Target to finish getting Collin's Valentine's gift together. I was planning on printing out a picture from our first Valentine's together and the picture of us from above where we're both smiling at the camera and I was going to put it into a notebook and begin a year-long journal where I write down what I love about Collin each day. I was going to give it to him with the two pictures and the first day filled out and then give it back to him next year completely filled. Heh. That did not work out so well. I spent an HOUR AND A HALF at the Kodak Picture Kiosk in Target. Never again will I use that machine. Anyway... I was literally so frustrated with it I was almost in tears standing there in the middle of Target. And it was not a user-error either. The dumb thing took 45 minutes to LOAD the pictures from my phone. And then once they were loaded it kept glitching and scrolling past the picture I needed. And then it wouldn't even let me select it if it would land on it. It was as if every time you touched the screen it would move the scroll bar even if you weren't touching the scroll bar. So yeah... after an hour and a half at the machine I gave up. I ended up getting home over an hour after I was planning to and Collin's gift wasn't complete and I was so frustrated with the picture kiosk that I just had a meltdown. But Collin was so sweet. He came into our bedroom and sat with me and let me blubber out what was wrong and then he of course told me that it was all okay and that he appreciated the thought. He told me he was sure what I did get him was great. And of course he loved it. I still gave him the journal sans pictures but I also bought him lots of Twizzler Nibs. They were the only thing he asked for so I got him lots! I'm so blessed to have such a sweet and understanding husband. Someone who loves me despite my meltdowns and takes the time to encourage me and love me even when I don't deserve to be loved. I thank God daily for my wonderful, wonderful husband.

Anyway, sorry for that rant. I'm quite pleased with my gift from Collin! I got a gigantic bag of Lindt chocolates!! Soo yummy!

Amazing Valentine's gift from my love. Sooo yummy!

How was your Valentine's Day? I hope you were able to spend it with the people you love most and that it was a day filled with love and sweet surprises!

Cindy

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

(Semi) Worldess Wednesday

Such a beautiful sunrise this morning. and
 then, she {snapped}
Such a beautiful sunrise this morning. It was the perfect compliment to yesterday's day of love. This sunset reminded me of the unconditional love my God has for me. He knew I'm not feeling well this morning. He knew I was running late and a little flustered. And yet when I walked out the door He had this beautiful display for me. That's some true love right there. Doing little things just to make me feel better. =) Thank you God!

Cindy

P.S. Tomorrow I'll share with you about our Valentine's Day and how my husband also shows me true love on a daily basis! He never ceases to shine the light of God in his life!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Love Day!!

Photobucket I've always liked Valentine's Day. Even when I was single and yes, a little sad to be so, I still liked the day. Maybe it's because my parents always showered us with gifts and love, maybe it was because I was surrounded by lots of friends and family who loved me. But regardless of the reason, I think I've just always liked Valentine's Day because I love love. I have always loved the idea of love and seeing others in love. And not just romantic love either. This day is about loving all those close to you! And boy do I have lots of people close to me to love!

So today, whether you're celebrating this day with your spouse/signifcant other, or spending it with your friends, or even just spending it by yourself, know that you are loved. And share the love you have in your heart with those around you. Just tell your friends you love them. Call your family. Enjoy this day filled with love!

And I'm especially thankful for the gift of love given to me by my God and Savior. I know that in all things I have the greatest love ever surrounding me today and all days through!


1 John 4: 7-21
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Love to you!
Cindy
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