Start Where You Are Note Cards

The Start Where You Are Note Cards by Meera Lee Patel is an lovely set of note cards decorated in cute illustrations and inspirational quotes.

These note cards would be the perfect gift for a friend or family member who loves to send others just a little reminder that they are being thought about. Each card has a different design and quote and the envelopes match nicely. These aren't bold, out there cards. They are simple and nice to look out. I would definitely recommend these to anyone looking for a unique gift.

*I received this item for free from Blogging For Books in exchange for my review.*

A review of Megan Massacre's Marked in Ink.

One of my first love affairs in life was with tattoos. At the age of 15 I got my first tattoo. My love for them has grown over the years, which is why when I was given the chance to review "Marked in Ink: A Tattoo Coloring Book", I was thrilled.

The art is this book is fantastic. With a variety of designs like sugar skulls, flowers, and decorations, this coloring book has it all. I was glad to see that "Marked in Ink" wasn't like other coloring books available nowadays where you have to have tiny pens to color with. No worries, you can color with colored pencils just fine and you won't go blind trying to see the lines. Each page is one sided and they are perforated so you can easily tear out one page and color it with whatever medium you choose. The images are beautiful and would easily work as wall art if you want to display them.

I love "Marked in Ink", I would recommend it to others, and I would buy another coloring book of Megan Massacre's whenever she comes out with another.

*I was given this book free by BloggingForBooks to review. All opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone*

Pop Manga Coloring Book Review

Are you an adult who likes to color but don't want to squint trying to color in a tiny mandala? Want to color something cute but not kiddish? Well then, let me introduce you to the Pop Manga Coloring Book by Camilla D'errico.

This coloring book contains beautiful adorable images to color. With girls dressed in steampunk like costumes, bizarre little creatures and artistically drawn designs, this book is a blast to look at and to color in. I'm almost afraid to color the pages for fear of not doing these images justice. I have to admit that I did go to her site and look at some of her art colored in so that I could try to color her art like it should be. Below is my attempt. :)

The book cover says it is "A surreal journey through a cute, curious, bizarre, and beautiful world" and I could not agree more. I would gladly recommend this coloring book to anyone who wants to color something fantastic. I'm even thinking of buying a few to give out as gifts for Christmas.

Does her art look familiar to you? She is a well respected artist on sites like DeviantArt: http://camilladerrico.deviantart.com/.  Love her art and want to see more of it? Check out her website. You can buy prints and other items at her site as well. 

*I was given this book for free in exchange for my honest review of it. All opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone*

The Rooftop Growing Guide

The Rooftop Growing Guide by Annie Novak is an interesting book that provides plenty of information on how to grow gardens in confined spaces. Even if you aren't wanting to grow on top of a roof it is a useful read.  It provides tips and advice on how to grow in containers, understanding nutrients, planning your garden, etc.

The book has plenty of beautiful photos and well drawn illustrations. The charts provided are helpful and easy to read.

I'll admit when I first heard of this book I really thought it wasn't going to be a great read. But I really enjoyed this book and it should prove quite handy next year when I hope to have some raised garden beds in my back yard.

If you are looking to set up a small but productive garden, I would suggest reading this book.

*I was given this book free from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review*

The Time Chamber by Daria Song: A review

Adult coloring books are all the rage right now.  It appears that we adults are so stressed that we have to take a time out and color for a while to destress. If you are looking for a beautiful coloring book, might I recommend The Time Chamber: A Magical Story and Coloring Book by Daria Song.

This is a beautiful adult coloring book full of detailed drawings. If you love to color intricate magical items, this is the book for you.

Some of the pages are so lovely that I am afraid to color them for fear of messing them up. I highly recommend either colored pencils or artist pens/markers to color these pages as there are many fine lines, details, and designs. Crayons really won't work unless you have some very sharp crayons.

Not only is this a coloring book, but it tells a story too. So grab what you like to color with and start on this magical journey into The Time Chamber.

*I was given this book free to review. All opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone. I was not paid to review or promote this book. I do that happily because it is a work of art.*

Doctor Who: The Drosten's Curse

“I shall make you the jewel at the heart of the universe.”

"Something distinctly odd is going on in Arbroath. It could be to do with golfers being dragged down into the bunkers at the Fetch Brothers’ Golf Spa Hotel, never to be seen again. It might be related to the strange twin grandchildren of the equally strange Mrs Fetch–owner of the hotel and fascinated with octopuses. It could be the fact that people in the surrounding area suddenly know what others are thinking, without anyone saying a word."

The Fourth Doctor is in for some trouble in The Drosten's Curse by A.L. Kennedy. Then again, when isn't The Doctor in trouble. I'm not a big fan of the older Doctor Who episodes (mostly because old special effects make me roll my eyes) but I love the Fourth Doctor and his long wonderful scarf in this book. This had that creepy, wild adventure feel that a great Doctor Who episode has. While some times the pace of the story wasn't consistent, I really enjoyed the plot. There is a lot going on in the book so it never gets dull. Mind reading, creepy children, weird old lady, ancient being...what more could you ask for..  His companions for this adventure are funny and likable. And of course the TARDIS herself is the best. 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves Doctor Who and the Fourth Doctor. :)

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. But all opinions are mine and mine alone*

Q&A a Day for Creatives

Q&A a Day for Creatives by Potter Style is one of the most fun books I've had the chance to review from Blogging For Books.  This book is like the other Q&A a day Journals except you draw daily instead of writing. It has 365 different prompts and four spaces for each prompt.

Some of the prompts are a bit silly but I've been having fun drawing something new every day. I think it is going to be interesting to see how my drawings differ from year to year and hopefully I will be able to see lots of improvement. The paper  is only really thick enough for pencil drawings. I think mediums such as water color would go right through the paper.  I also think the book should have had a spiral spine instead of a bound spine so it would be easier to draw in all the boxes.

A Day for Creatives is 9 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches. Each square is almost 4 inches by 4 inches. Plenty of space for a daily sketch.  So if you love to sketch this book would be a great journal to have. I highly recommend it.

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