Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop! *CLOSED*

This Hop is over- winner's to be announced soon!
It's time for the enormous Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop FINALLY!  Woo hoo!  I'm so excited because this one is all about gift cards!  The hosts of this wonderful event are: 

Simply Stacie
Little Yayas
My Wee View
Stockpiling Moms

This giveaway hop lasts from now, Dec 1st to the 5th.

Below I have some fantastic giveaways.  I will lay out everything with each sponsor so it'll be easy to enter.

 There will be 4 winners.

My first sponsor is For Your Nose.

ForYourNose.com has been lovingly owned and operated by a work-at-home mom since 1996. The owner has a passion for great fragrances, and offers friendly, personal service through her web site. Her handcrafted bath and body products, most of which are made fresh when you order, are available in more than 350 fragrances. Some of her most popular products include perfumes, lotions, triple-scented body mists, soaps, and a variety of ways to scent your home and car. 

Lindy is giving away TWO Gift Certificates for $25 each!  She has amazing stuff and I just got some of her cupcake soaps and the soy tarts.  Everything looks and smells delicious! This Giveaway is open to US and Canada

Next up we have Cynthia's shop Whimsical Fiction.  Here's a bit about her and her wonderful shop:

I'm a 29 year old mother of two that fell in love with reading YA books after I read Twilight. Before Twilight I used to read but it was mostly adult paranormal. Ever since then I've been reading everything I can get my hands on that is YA, I'm addicted. I was inspired by the many series and books I've read to create jewelry that would be fun, cute, something that I would like wear and that only the people that knew about the books or read the series would be able to tell what the jewelry meant and what it was all about.

Cynthia is giving away a $15 gift certificate which buys just about anything in her shop.  This one is open Internationally!  

And last, but not least we have Southwest Sky Jewelry!  She not only does monthly giveaway's here for her amazing mini book charms but she also has some other amazing products.  Here's a bit about her:
I absolutely love collecting, buying and selling vintage Native American and Southwestern and Horse Related Jewelry.
Turquoise has always been my favorite stone (other than Amethyst-my Birthstone). Sterling Silver my favorite Precious Metal, especially Vintage Sterling Silver.
Over the years I have noticed that Sterling Silver from Oregon and Washington State is especially nice, so anytime I see that for sale I take a second look!
Of course Turquoise from the Southwest is the best- Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada-so beautiful and rich- you can not beat it worldwide!
I also love to make my own Handmade Southwestern, Native American Style Bracelets and Necklaces.
Recently, I have started making Miniature Book Charms; I always wished I could author a book- but that is not going to happen, ha!- so I guess reading and making these mini book charms is a way to fulfill a closeness to books for me.
My other Passion is Horses-I was lucky enough to own 2 beautiful horses for 18-19years. Their names were Love and Nevada. There is something about a horse that enriches the Soul.
Please Check my Shop often- maybe you will see something you would like!
My Blog is at:
www.southwestskyjewelry.blogspot.com
Please Come Check it Out and Leave Comments!!!!

She's giving away a $10 gift certificate good towards anything in her shop or mini book charms with free shipping (since they are the only thing $10)  USA only 

  CLOSED

Leave a comment (one is fine) with the following information:

Your country US, Canada, or International

Which you would like to be entered for (all three or just one specific one)
For Your Nose (US/CA), Whimsical Fiction (INT), Southwest Sky Jewelry (US)

For Extra Entries (in same comment)

Follow my blog +2

Subscribe to my blog by email and confirm +2

ENDS Dec. 5, 2010 at 11:59 EST

Steampunkery- the final thoughts...

Steampunkery is now over and I am going back to the world of the normal.  Okay, so maybe not so normal, exactly, but back to not Steampunk everything.  I really had a blast and learned a lot about Steampunk.  I also read a lot of books that I would have otherwise put off and some of them are now on my favorites list!  Actually there were quite a few I REALLY loved!  So Steampunk is staying on my favorite genre's list and I'll continue to have Steampunk features here and there I'm sure.

I hope you all enjoyed it as well and had a blast.  I picked some winners and I have more winners to pick tonight so I'll have a winner's post up soon.  It's been crazy busy over here so it's hard to keep up with myself!  I have an enormous giveaway coming up that I still need to get ready because my blogiversary is coming!

Okay, so I need to give a big shout out to tons of people!  First of all Mad Scientist was awesome in getting some posts for me.  The Friday Fashions, Knicker (Teaser) Tuesdays, the movie post, and much much more!  So be sure to check out her awesome blog.

I also want to thank all the people who sponsored the giveaways, providing books and items for some of you to enjoy!  There really are too many to really start naming them all off, but if you've kept up with all the Steampunkery that was going on here then you know already!   But I'm very lucky, and thankful to have such an amazing community of bookies to work and spend virtual time with. 

Now, there are a few giveaways still going on, just look up and they are all listed at the top of my blog.

So thanks again all of you for stopping by through November.  I hope you all learned stuff and had a blast!  Hopefully your TBR hasn't grown too much.  Okay, not true.  I hope it grew by leaps and bounds!

Steampunkery Guest Post by M.K. Hobson and #giveaway *CLOSED* of The Native Star

 Some Costuming Thoughts for On-The-Go Steampunks

Hello! I'm M.K. Hobson, author of THE NATIVE STAR and I'm simply tickled to be here on Candace's Book Blog to help wrap up her Steampunkery month.

I've been intrigued in 19th century aesthetics and culture since I was in grade school, lo these many decades ago. In high school, I ran around in waistcoats. In college, my goth punk look was rife with distinctly steamy overtones — along with my pink hair and nose ring, I wore black crinolines, high laced boots and old Victorian watch fobs. While my primary creative outlet has always been writing, I've always really enjoyed costuming as well. During high school and college I was very active in student theater productions, and I always tended to gravitate toward the costume department. The smell of fabric burning under the iron! The sailor-like swearing at each broken needle or heel-caught hem! Costumers were a salty bunch, my kind of people. After college, however, I got away from costuming because I had a small child and it was just too labor intensive, mess intensive, and cost intensive. But now … steampunk has arrived! And now my daughter is almost a teenager (and likes wearing costumes of her own) so I have started making costumes again.

One of the reasons I write about the mid-19th century is because it is an aesthetic that really calls to me. I love the complex dresses, the many little accessories--hats and fans and watch chains and fobs and handkerchiefs and all those little elegant things that we in our modern life have replaced with blackberries and other technological gizmos. 19th century costuming, however, comes with a wide variety of challenges:

• Time. I'm going to put this one first, because it's just that important. In sewing, understand that everything will take longer than you think it will. Items you imagine you'll be able to "toss off" in a weekend will take you a month. Plan accordingly.
• Foundation garments. Before you can even begin to think about sewing a dress, you have to sew a whole suite of foundation garments, up to and including a corset. This is because your finished garments have to fit OVER your undergarments, and you can't take proper measurements until your undergarments are done. For the most part, foundation garment sewing is pretty easy (the occasional flat-felled seam here and there notwithstanding), but fitting and finishing a corset is a whole different kettle of fish. It requires patience, skill, practice, and not a few specialized tools and supplies. Also, if you're making petticoats or a bustle skirt, I hope you've got a line on cheap broadcloth, because you'll be buying a metric bustle-ton of it.
• Patterns. So you've got your undergarments sorted, you're ready to make the dress—how? Well, if you know how to draft a pattern, you can get inspiration from  the Fashion Plate Archive from Bunka Women's University Library (http://digital.bunka.ac.jp/kichosho_e/index.php). But if you don't happen to possess advanced spatial cognition and a degree from FIT, there are some modern sewing patterns available drafted from actual historical patterns. I have used and liked ones from Truly Victorian (http://www.trulyvictorian.com/) and Laughing Moon (http://www.lafnmoon.com/ -- I really like their corset pattern), but there are many others to choose from. You'll be tempted to skip the step of making a toile (or muslin), but don't—especially when it comes to bodices. 19th century bodices were generally trim and form-fitting, and to get that sleek look you're probably going to have to  make lots of alterations, especially if, like me, you are much taller (ahem) or much larger (double ahem) than most human females.
• Materials. One nice thing about steampunk is that a sense of fun, wit, and beauty take precedence over historical accuracy, so if you want to make an intricately detailed tea gown out of PVC vinyl, you're certainly welcome to do so; it will likely earn you an appreciative "what-ho" from those of the masculine persuasion. At the same time, however, some level of historical accuracy is appreciated—and you should at least *know*, when you're running around in an intricately detailed PVC vinyl tea gown, what materials said teagown would actually have been made from, otherwise you're really not in on the joke, are you? My point is, feel free to be creative with your selection of materials, but take some time to research how it actually was—it's a lot more fun, anyway!
• Styling. This is what makes or breaks a steampunk outfit, and what almost led to my downfall with the infamous "purple dress" I made this year for a series of cons (including Steamcon). I gave myself plenty of time to make the foundation garments and the dress … but when I got down to the wire I realized I hadn't given myself enough time to complete and/or find the elements that would be necessary to style the outfit -- things like the headpiece, the jet jewelry, the elbow length gloves. Luckily, I had just enough time to pull it all together, but it was a mad rush, and I risked being caught with my (ahem) bustle down.
• Transportation. Here's another thing to take into consideration, especially if you want to trot your costumes around at a con. Transporting a full-on Victorian ensemble is no small task. There's a reason all those Victorians lugged steamer trunks around with them. Hats have to have boxes, dresses have to have bags, and let's not even talk about the individual requirements of parasols, fans, and bowlers. With Victorian gear, it's not always a matter of space, it's a matter of cushioning and padding, because so much of the delightful frippery is eminently crushable or breakable. Feathers are a particular nuisance. I find that tissue paper and those hard-sided plastic storage boxes you can get at the Dollar Tree are your best friend.
• Maintenance. Speaking of those plastic Dollar Tree boxes, make sure you get an extra one and fill it with sewing supplies -- needles, thread, scissors, extra buttons, hem glue, two part epoxy, etc. At Steamcon I had to resew, by hand, the entire train of my skirt just before a panel. Nota bene: if you make a skirt with a train, the train will get stepped on. A lot. If by some incredibly fortunate occurrence you don't need these things, someone else at the con certainly will. Through such trials of fire are lifelong friendships forged.

To sum it all up, costuming is a lot like writing. It can be intensely rewarding, depressing, thrilling, despair-inducing, infuriating, and uplifting. But just like writing, you don't have to launch into a novel right away. Start short: maybe assemble a costume from found elements from your local Goodwill—you'll be amazed at what you can repurpose. Then, when you're ready for a bigger challenge, get sewing! We can't wait to see what you come up with.

Biography:

M.K. Hobson's first novel, THE NATIVE STAR (www.thenativestar.com), is now available from Bantam Spectra. She blogs about history, costuming, writing, and other amusing things, at her Website, www.demimonde.com

Fantastic to have you here M.K.!  And love the tips!  I'm anxious to get on finding/making an amazing costume myself.  Maybe if I get a new sewing machine...

The Giveaway: CLOSED

M.K. Hobson is giving one lucky reader a copy of her book The Native Star.  I reviewed this book here, and gave it a 5 moon rating.  This book really was very nearly a Once in a Blue Moon book and I think it may end up on my favorites for this year list.  I loved that it felt like a mix of YA and adult.  Though it's an adult book it wasn't full of sex (no sex actually), though it had plenty of sexual tension!  

To Enter:

Leave a comment about your favorite Steampunk wear.  What is the clothing or accessory item that you find the most intriguing?  

Leave contact info as well!  Must be 16 or older and open to the US/Canada only.  Ends Dec. 15th, 2010

Thank you M.K. Hobson for the giveaway!

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

Details: Harcover, 307 pgs.
Published: Dec. 7, 2010 by HarperTeen
isbn: 0061869708 (ISBN13: 9780061869709)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Received from: NetGalley for Review

Description:

I had a life anyone would kill for.
Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.
Now Emma’s desper
...more
I had a life anyone would kill for.
Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.
Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?
From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.
Let the lying game begin. 

My Thoughts:

This was my first experience reading Sara Shepard though I've heard a lot of good things about Pretty Little Liars.  I thought this was the perfect opportunity to see what I thought of her writing.

I have to say I like her writing style quite a lot and she pulled off something that I think would be quite difficult.  She made two main characters and you are in the head of both.  There wasn't any obvious switching either.  They are twins and one is dead.  And the other is kind of taking over her life even though she never knew her.   And it all is wrote quite smoothly.

Although I felt like things were stretched a bit, I mean kind of completely implausible, it didn't bother me that much.  I really thought it was an intrigueing story line and was difficult to put down.  I wanted answers NOW!  I hated (in other words, loved!) that I didn't know who was good and who was bad.  I wanted her to trust someone and then she'd bring up a point on why she couldn't trust them.  

I have definitely found a new author to love and I look forward to reading her other series!

I give this one 4/5 moons!

You can find Sara Shepard on her website.

Want to buy it?  Purchase at your favorite bookstore or use my affiliate links to the left, or below.  All proceeds will be used to fund contests here, on my blog.

  Disclosure: I received this book for review.  I was not paid or influenced in any way.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Interview with David Burton and #Giveaway of Scourge! 5 winner's! *CLOSED*

Today we have David Burton here to talk about his middle grade Steampunk book Scourge!  I read this book and quite enjoyed it!  Make sure you read the interview because there is a quite unique and exciting giveaway!

Candace: Before we get started can you tell us a bit about Scourge?
David: Sure! Scourge is a children's steampunk fantasy aimed at the 9-12 age range (middle-grade).

Here's the blurb:

Two dads, five siblings, and goggles! Grim Doyle has always known his life was not exactly "normal", and things get even more curious when he discovers a set of stones that sweep him and his family to the fantasy, steampunk world of Verne - a place they had escaped from years ago. Now that they've returned, Grim and his siblings hide from the evil Lord Victor and his minions. And while learning about Jinns, Mystics, and the power of absinth they try to discover who is trying to kill them with the deadly Scourge.


Candace: Why Steampunk?  What was your inspiration to write Steampunk?
David: I wanted to do something a little different than just fantasy and since adopting our boys (we adopted three brothers almost three years ago) I've been intrigued by what I see in the video game world. In fact, that's probably the greatest influence when it comes to this book (other than my boys, that is!).

I've been watching what really gets them hooked and that's when I decided to incorporate steampunk with fantasy. They're a great mix!


Candace: And why did you choose to write it for middle grade?
David: In truth, I can't tell you why middle-grade - just the voice of the narrative seemed to come out that way. When I originally wrote this book, it was aimed at middle-grade with a very different feel to it. It also had a female lead (Grim's sister Rudy). But after adopting the boys, I quickly realized that there weren't as many boy books that grabbed my own children's interest so I decided to make some changes to this one. They were also a great resource to draw from when it came to sibling interactions. :)

Candace: What is your favorite aspect of Steampunk?
David: Goggles!! In Scourge, I gave them a twist - you have to wear them to be able to see the races of beings referred to as The Unseen. It's the one thing about steampunk I'm always looking for. I love goggles!!


Candace: In Scourge who was your favorite character to write and why?
David: Oh, that's a difficult one. I don't know that I liked writing one character more than another. That said, I did enjoy writing Grim's character. He has a great sense of responsibility, especially for his siblings. He grows a little in this book, learning to see the other adopted children as his brothers and sisters by the end. And Grim's little sister Ellen, who has a smaller role in this first novel, is a little quirky, which I like. As Grim describes her: she's the "closest thing to a serial killer among the lot". :)


Candace: What was your biggest challenge with writing Scourge?
David: Writing about two dads. Not because I have any moral issue with it (I'm openly gay, live with my same-sex partner of fourteen years, and our three adopted children - so no issues there!). Nor do I think that kids would have a hard time with it. I'm going to digress here for a moment to illustrate.

ABC's Good Morning America wanted to see how today's children would do with the following riddle:

The setup: A father and his son are in a car accident. The father dies immediately, but the son gets taken to the hospital for surgery. Once in the operating room, the surgeon takes one look at the boy and says: "I can't operate on him. He's my son."

The riddle: Who is the surgeon?

Back in the day, previous generations had trouble with the idea that the surgeon was the boy's mother. Today's generation very quickly volunteered that answer, but what some also suggested was that the boy had two dads. So back to what I was saying earlier, I certainly didn't struggle with having two dads in this story. Today's children totally grasp the concept and don't seem to have an issue with it. My struggle was, funnily enough, how to illustrate two dads in various scenes. Some early readers (usually adults) had a bit of a challenge with who was who, so I had to carefully craft the scenes to make the two distinct so you know which dad was doing what. :)


Candace: Your the author of other books, do you want to tell us just a bit about them?  Do you have a particular favorite?
David: I released another novel earlier this year titled The Second Coming. It's NOT for children, nor for those who are sensitive about their religious beliefs. If anyone is interested further they can check out my blog (htt://davidhburton.com) for more information.

As for a younger audience, I am currently writing (and posting as I write it), another middle-grade book called Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave. It's about a boy who's dead, literally, and his adventures in the Afterlife. I wish I could give you more than that, but I'm learning about the story as I write it, so folks are more than welcome to join me in the journey. :)

As for favorites, I don't have a favorite at this point. I love them all! ;)


Candace: Okay, so you mentioned something awesome about Scourge.  You said that if people bought it on your site that you would customize it for the buyer.  Can you tell us about that and the link to purchase?
David: Sure! At my site, I'm offering an electronic version (ebook) of Scourge with a dedication page, addressed to the purchaser, that is signed by me. I will also substitute the name of one of the minor characters in the book with the name of the purchaser. It makes for a unique version of the book for those that want it.

The link is here: http://davidhburton.com/?page_id=4113

Candace: And last, but not least, what are you giving away? 
David: I'm giving away exactly what I'm offering at my site - the personalized, custom version of Scourge with the character substituted! I don't think I've seen anyone doing this before and I'm hoping kids will get a kick out of it. That's the beauty of the ebook version - it offers more flexibility to do this kind of thing.


Candace: Anything else you want to tell people?
David: As of November 29th (official release day), only the ebook version is available. If anyone is interested in the print version, that will be following in the next two weeks. :)


Candace: Thanks so much for stopping by and doing the interview!

David: Thank you so very much for having me here!! I really appreciate it!

Now I think this would be perfect for gift for a boy or girl that may be a reluctant reader.  Not only would they see their own name in the book and want to see what happens, but this is an action packed ride that most any middle grader would love.  Well, I'm an adult and I liked it, so I'm sure about anyone would!
Here's the book trailer to maybe push you a little more towards getting it ;)

The Giveaway: *CLOSED*
In David's words "I'm offering an electronic version (ebook) of Scourge with a dedication page, addressed to the purchaser, that is signed by me. I will also substitute the name of one of the minor characters in the book with the name of the purchaser."  He's now giving away 3 5!  Woo hoo!
Since this is an ebook the contest is open world wide.
Contest Ends December 15th
To Enter:
Leave a quality comment about the interview or steampunk, or even just middle grade fiction and your contact information.

Steampunkery- The Native Star by M.K. Hobson

Details: Mass Market Paperback, 387 pgs.
Published: Aug. 31st, 2010 by Spectra

isbn: 0553592653 (ISBN13: 9780553592658)

Reading Level: Adult

Received from: Purchased (and signed!)

Description:

 

In the tradition of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, this brilliant first novel fuses history, fantasy, and romance. Prepare to be enchanted by M. K. Hobson’s captivating take on the Wild, Wild West.

The year is 1876. In the small Sierra Nevada settlement of Lost Pine, the town witch, Emily Edwards, is being run out of business by an influx of mail-order patent magics. Attempting to solve her problem with a love spell, Emily only makes things worse. But before she can undo the damage, an enchanted artifact falls into her possession—and suddenly Emily must flee for her life, pursued by evil warlocks who want the object for themselves.

Dreadnought Stanton, a warlock from New York City whose personality is as pompous and abrasive as his name, has been exiled to Lost Pine for mysterious reasons. Now he finds himself involuntarily allied with Emily in a race against time—and across the United States by horse, train, and biomechanical flying machine—in quest of the great Professor Mirabilis, who alone can unlock the secret of the coveted artifact. But along the way, Emily and Stanton will be forced to contend with the most powerful and unpredictable magic of all—the magic of the human heart. 

My Thoughts:

Holy craperoni!  This book was GOOD!  Okay, so let me tell you why this book blew me away.  First of all although this was an adult book it was done in a way that made it feel similar to a YA.  It's really hard to explain that, but basically it took the best of YA mixed with the best of an adult fantasy romance.  Let me be clear though, this is NOT YA!  The characters are adult.  But the romance was all full of sexual tension, there wasn't any sex but there was plenty of tension!  And there wasn't the irritating behavior that you get in YA because these characters were mature adults.  Not that they didn't make any stupid decisions, but there weren't many and they did as well as could be imagined in the situations they were thrown into. 

I just felt a different vibe from this book.  It took so many elements I love and it completely skipped the things I hate, or that annoy me at least.  I think that's what made this one so good for me. 

The second half was better then the first half, but the first half was good too.  It's just the being introduced to the world and the characters that drew it out a bit longer.

The world created in this book is amazing!  It's very focused on magic.  Witches, Warlocks and all the different kinds of magic.  Those that draw their power from blood, from the earth, and from the emotions of others (that ones hard to explain).   Although we see a bit of zombies in the beginning it was a very brief thing and turned out to not really be something that was revisited.  So don't read this book for just zombies.  There were Steampunk elements but it is definitely not heavily Steampunk oriented.

The characters were amazing!  I found maybe one point that I was annoyed with Emily but it turned out that that thing that annoyed me is what made it all the more amazing when she opened her mind to new things and accepted the world a little differently.  And Dreadnought, well, the author did an amazing job making him immensely appealing.  I don't recall any description of him, though I know she described him in the beginning, all I remember is that he dressed very well.  And we got bits here and there.  But really, I have a picture in my head and I'm sure it's probably nothing like she's described him.  But I wouldn't want him any other way.  Oh yes, he is a fabulous character!

I found this book impossible to put down and I'm SO glad I had the opportunity to meet the author and found her brilliant book!  

I give this one the full 5/5 moons!

You can find M.K. Hobson at her website. 

You can purchase at your favorite bookstore and be sure to preorder the second book, to be released April, 2011!  You can use any of my affiliate links and all proceeds will be used to fund contests here. 

  

In My Mailbox (36) - vlog

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is where we share the books we got through the week.

From NetGalley:

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard (Dec. 2010)

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky (May 2011)

 

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell (March 2011)

From Paperbackswap:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Bought: 

Pretty Little Liars Box Set: Books 1 to 4 by Sara Shepard 

Winner from Little Eclectic Me Giveaway

I have finally got a winner for the Little Eclectic Me Giveaway!  There were 60 people who entered with a total of 617 entries.   

The winner was selected with random.org and is...

Annabelle!  

Congrats Annabelle!  

She's been contacted and has 48 hours to respond.

I'm still working on adding entries for the multiple winners packages (Steampunk books), but I'll be sure to announce the winners once I have them.  I will also email the winners.

I have more giveaways listed up at the top and I have more coming all through next week.  So many in fact that a giveaway will be listed almost every day! 

Thanks everyone who entered the contest and I have word that there may be more giveaway's from Little Eclectic Me in the future! 

Saturday Situation- Link up your Giveaways and Reviews!

It's Saturday again and time for a new Saturday Situation, hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself.  It's a linky for Giveaways and Reviews (and whatever neglected posts you may have).  You'll find the same linky's at Pure Imagination, so don't enter them twice!

Keep in mind that you can add your links through the entire week.  

You can find this post again by clicking the button on the top right of my blog.  I'll try to keep it up to date to go to the newest Saturday Situation post.

PLEASE make sure you use the correct linky! Giveaways go in the BOTTOM one!

BOOK REVIEWS AND OTHER NEGLECTED POSTS

Example:
Name: Fallout Review
URL: http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2010/09/review-fallout-by-ellen-hopkins.html

BOOK RELATED GIVEAWAYS

Example:
Name: Middle Grade Giveaway- It's Raining Cupcakes and others Ends Sept 30th US Only
URL:http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2010/09/middle-grade-giveaway.html

Black Friday- My Wishlist

Today is Black Friday!  Now I doubt I'll go and fight the crowds but I may stop by some of my favorite second hand stores just to see if they happen to have anything I need/want for the kids.  But I think most of my shopping will be done on amazon, or online anyway.  It's just too hard to shop with kids.  However, things may change depending on circumstance.  Like I may get a sudden urge to go out and shop.  So we'll see.  But I thought it would be fun to do a post about my/our wishlist. 
I've wanted a wii for exercise for ages, but my husband bought a Playstation 3 in the summer so he said we just need the Playstation Move.  I'm still doing research but I think it's safe to say that that may end up our family Christmas Gift.  If anyone has one or knows people with one, please let me know your opinion!
Now, I'm going to go on to my wishlist and what I know I want.  I could go crazy and say I want an iPad, NookColor (Yeah, it's looking pretty cool to me, but I'm constantly changing my mind), and a car.  But I'm going to stick with being realistic and what I could actually get. 
I'm going to start with books.  Dash and Lily's Book of Dares and Anna and the French Kiss are both at the very top of my list.  I honestly am not sure I'm going to be able to resist buying them.  I want them SO bad!   I do have a 40% off coupon for Borders... Anna and the French Kiss would have to wait since it's not out yet though.  Probably a good thing.  I'm also wishing

for The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney, Deaths Excellent Vacation by various authors, and well, the list goes on.  Those are just a few.
I would also love some boots.   These brown ones shown are pretty cool.  The main criteria is no heels!  It's hard to buy boots online though.

Now the debate has been on for what to get the kids and to be honest they want so many things it really should be easy, but it's not!    For now I'm debating on getting them something big to share.  Like a play kitchen.  Or to get them each something smaller.   I was thinking a small racetrack for my baby (who's almost 2).  Or a play guitar cause he LOVES to play with his dads guitar.  My daughter really wants a dinosaur.  But last year she wanted an Elmo and I don't think she played with it once.  So I'm not so sure about the dinosaur.  We'll see...  I'm still up in the air with her. 



That's a few of the things on our wishlist, how about you?