Book Review: Oil Painting Essentials

I have always loved oil painting. It's been YEARS since I've done it. I have to admit that I am also intimidated by it - especially doing portraits. Landscapes are slightly easier - thanks to watching The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross since I was like 4 years old.

After reading the book, and deciding to make a go at it myself again, I can say that the advice given in this book is great for anyone that has a little working knowledge of some sort of art/ painting. I wouldn't recommend an complete novice to dive in to this. Of course, you will learn some great techniques, but for a novice painter, you really need to start with the basics.

Even though I haven't painted in ages, I was able to pick up the techniques outlined in this book. STILL extremely sketchy on doing portraits, but I'm willing to work at it! You won't get any better at it if you don't practice!

The only thing that I was kind of bummed about was that it focused a LOT on portraits. I would have liked to see more, or an even balance of all the subjects listed in the books. The landscape painting section got the least amount of attention. Overall, still a good reference book.

Infuse (Oil, Spirit, Water)

For awhile now, I've wanted to learn how to infuse olive oil. It all started when I made a stop at a friend's house. We decided to have a salad along side dinner and she told me she got a bottle of Lemon Infused Olive Oil to try, so we decided to put it over the luscious greens. I was in Heaven.

Along came infuse. I was blown away by the different varieties of recipes for the oil, spirits, and water. I got excited when I read them because I wanted to try a lot of them. Now, some of them are super easy and only take a few hours to maybe a day to do. Some..take a little longer (we're talking weeks here, people). I haven't tried those yet.

My only downfall with this book is the fact that they have a special lid to use for a lot of them. Since they are made in mason jars (and I have 5 kazillion of them because I drink out of them like they are going out of style), I would have to purchase the lid. Or, I could cheat and use other containers that had the shaker lids. I haven't personally made any of the recipes yet, but I borrowed the book to a friend of mine that does a lot of her own mixed drinks. She said the recipes were really easy and easy to follow. She also mentioned that the pictures alone were making her hungry (or thirsty).

Looking forward to trying a lot of these myself and contiuing on my journey with being all domestic-y and making things myself instead of buying into Big Box America.

*NOTE* I received this book in return for an honest review for Blogging for Books. The views in this blog are my own personal opinions on product. I am not receiving any compensation for my reviews. 

The Sprouted Kitchen: Bowl + Spoon

I love food. I love cooking food. I love looking for new recipes, especially since I have started to eat a lot more clean.

I've never visited the Sprouted Kitchen before, until recently  when I found a recipe for Sprouted Bread. Then I happened to see this on Blogging for Books. You can never have too many cookbooks or recipes right??

When I first flipped through the book, I was starting to drool just from looking at the pictures. So, I immediately decided to sit down and take a closer look. Sara does a good job letting you know what kind of "staples" you'll need in order to do the recipes. It's mostly the basic kind of things from utensils to use and things to stock your pantry with, which most of the stuff I have already.

Most of the recipes seem very easy. There are a lot of new names, at least for me, of different kinds of recipes and items used in them. Some I think might be hard to find. Most of the stuff I can either find at my local grocer, farmer's market, or health/ whole food store. There is a great variety of things to try that will suit almost everyone's taste buds.

While I haven't tried all the recipes in the book, I did make a couple of them. I made the Golden Quinoa and Butternut Breakfast Bowl (two of my favorite things: quinoa and butternut squash). I had most of the things on hand already and just needed to pick up a couple things that I didn't have. The recipe instructions were very easy to follow and it was so tasty I probably could eat this every day for every meal.

I'm looking forward to trying my hand at making the ricotta cheese with goat's milk (while I know that COW milk is VERY BAD for you, I am not sure on goat milk, but I CANNOT give up my ricotta cheese, which I eat straight from the carton, or with fruit, or in massive amounts in my lasagna. So if I can do a healthier version, then so be it!

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves food and loves to cook.

**NOTE** I received this book from Blogging for Books (.org) in return for my honest review of the product.

Just Add Watercolor...

I love art. I recently revisited watercolor as a medium to learn to paint with. I was so happy when I saw this book from Helen Birch was available for review from Blogging For Books.

This pint size book has over 200 watercolor pictures from different artists, incorporating different styles and mediums. In the beginning is a contents of thumbnail size images along with the page that they are on. On the opposite page there is a description of what kind of watercolor it is, a summary of the artist/painting, and a tidbit to help a budding artist.

This book is small, but it is packed with information for those that like to look at art, those looking to explore a new medium, those looking for inspiration, and those that just simply need a gift for an artist friend/family member.

I enjoyed looking through it and I will be keeping it on my coffee table and art desk for inspiration.

**NOTE: I received this book in return for my honest review from Blogging for Books.**

Hot Body Year Round

When I got the email that Blogging for Books was having copies of Cassey Ho's "Hot Body Year Round", I literally leaped for joy. I scambled to get on the website because I knew that this book would fly quick for reviwers. I got there just in time. There were TWO (!!!) left!

If you haven't yet checked out Blogilates, you really need to. Or first, ready Cassey's book. She is the founder of Blogilates.

I have been a fan of Blogilates for a couple years now. I've done the exercises, tried the recipes, and have smiled from ear-to-ear from Cassey's positive affirmations. Her workouts can be INTENSE, but when you do them, it feels like there is a friend with you because she is burning hard, laughing, sharing stories, and constantly encouraging you as you do the video when you feel like giving up.

This book is PACKED full of that same information. The exercises are easy to follow with colorful pictures of beautiful outdoor scenes. The recipes are easy, healthy and fun. And of course, you get to learn how Blogilates came to life with Cassey's honest story.

When you are on the go, and don't feel like loggingin on to a computer, this book has everything the website has at your fingertips. I highly recommend it.

**I received this book for free in response to my honest opinion for Blogging for Books. **

Henry Hodges Needs A Friend

I don't believe that I've posted a kid's book in a very long time. Let me just say what a nice little "retreat" it was to get away and let my brain just relax for a little bit.

Henry Hodges Needs a Friend is a short story by Andy Andrews. It's about a lonely boy who ends up looking for a friend. His parents decide that he doesn't need a human friend, but a pet. Not just any pet though; a one-of-a-kind pet. The majority of the book is Henry thinking about all the possible silly animals that he could find.

The illustrations are vibrant. The text is easy to read, even for a beginner reader and would make a great learning tool. There was one thing I did find odd. On every page, only one word was a different color than the rest of the text. I don't know if there was a special reason for it or they just felt like doing that so it too was one-of-a-kind.

Overall this book was cute and I think kids would get a kick out of the pictures of the animals that Henry dreams up while the adult was reading the book to them.


I recieved this book for free in return for my honest review from BookLook Bloggers.

Beyond Willpower

Many people are looking for something "higher", something that will help them change their life. Many people are looking for self-help as well. Living a healthy and balanced life, being happy and successful has at one time or anoher crossed every person's mind.

Although, I agree with almost everything Dr. Loyd has to say, I believe that God has a bigger hand in healing and bringing peace to our lives.  Dr. Loyd speaks of God, love and grace, which is good. I see God, love and grace powerfully packed into a bold, capital letter GOD. Maybe he does too. I'm not sure. The Bible is good. Psychology is good. The Bible is where I go first. But I don't discredit other books that have helped others (including myself) along the way that are considered "new age-y". 

I would still recommend this book to anyone who wants to  overcome and ELIMINATE (not cover up or repress) past unhealthy negative memories and images. The many years of experience, research, and scientific information will open up an new positive way of thinking and new outlook on life.

Note Takers Bible

NASB Note-Taker's Bible

Age Range: Anyone 

Genre: Bibles

Hardcover: 1072 pages

Publisher: Zondervan

Source: From publisher via Booklook Bloggers

My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

About the Book:

Finally, a hardcover Bible that has plenty of room for taking notes during public or private worship, small group fellowships, or any other time or place readers feel the need to make comments in their Bible. No more cramped writing in tiny margins—the NASB Note-Taker’s Bible makes it easy to stay organized and neat. Readers will be able to personalize the text of God’s Word to their lives like never before and will treasure it as a record of their spiritual journey. Includes the complete text of the popular New American Standard translation.

Features:

• Deluxe wide margins for note takers
• Complete NASB text
• Double column text for easy reading
• Words of Christ in red letter

My Thoughts:
    
I have read many different kinds of Bibles all through my life. I have at least three that I use on a regular basis. That is becuase they are different  versions. I gravitate towards NLT, NIV, and ESV versions. When Book Look Bloggers had the NASB Note-Taker's Bible available for review, I decided to give it a shot. One reason is because I have been taking more and more notes in my Bible and found the Bible Journaling Community, and the other reason is to see how different it is compared to the other versions I have.

I found that the margins in the Bible, each page had at least 1.5 inches of space for notes. The space is on the left, right and bottom of the pages. The pages are thin, like a normal Bible and I was worried that if I started drawing and scribbling, painting, and gluing,  the pages would rip. 

The other thing I found was that I didn't really like the style of the wording in the Bible. I may be biased beacuse I use the the other versions, but this version of the Scripture was not to my liking. If you like NASB and like note taking then this Bible is for you. 

I recieved this Bible from Book Look Bloggers for free in return for my honest review. 

Daily Painting

Daily Painting by Carol Marine

Age Range: Anyone that wants to broaden their artistic design

Genre: Painting and creativity

Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Watson-Guptill (November 4, 2014)

Source: From publisher via Blogging for Books

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

About the Book:

A unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing sales for artists of all levels, from novices to professionals.

Do you want to bring the joy back into your art? Have you landed in a frustrating rut? Are you having trouble selling paintings in galleries, getting bogged down by projects you can’t seem to finish or abandon, or finding excuses to avoid working in the studio? Author Carol Marine knows exactly how you feel—she herself suffered from painter’s block, until she discovered “daily painting.” The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to you), and if you’d like, post and sell it online. Soon you’ll find that your block dissolves and you’re painting work you love—and more of it than you ever thought possible!

With her encouraging tone and useful exercises, Marine teaches you to:

• Master composition and value
• Become confident in any medium
• Choose subjects wisely
• Stay fresh and loose
• Photograph, post, and sell your art online
• Become connected to the growing movement of daily painters around the world.

About the Author:

CAROL MARINE is an artist and the creator of the popular blog A Painting a Day (or Almost). She is a member of Daily Paintworks, a distinguished group of daily painters, and she teaches daily painting workshops around the country. Marine lives in Eugene, Oregon. Visit www.dailypaintworks.com.  

My Thoughts:
   
I have read my fair share of art books beacuse I've wanted to branch out more into different mediums. I have to say, I really liked the style that Carol used in order to bring this book to life. This book is great for any artist that is just budding or an expert. She goes over some great content. I think I thought like a lot of artists and thought you had to paint BIG in order to "make it". I love how she helps you bring out different things in yourself and your medium, whatever it is. This is a great how-to to experiment with different mediums. 

I never really thought about blogging and selilng my art before. I just did it for fun. But, after reading her steps, and how easy it seems to get things going (mind you, she DOES specify that things don't happen over night....) on a blog to sell your work. I think this is something that I'd like to venture in to.

I highly recommend reading through this book and take up some of the techniques for yourself!

I received this book for Blogging for Books in return for my honest review. 

NIV First-Century Study Bible

I've read/skimmed my fair share of Bibles in the past. I thought this Bible would be a nice edition to my collection. I write in my Bibles, so I have a tendency to run out of margins or coloring on the pages.

I got this book as an eBook. While the text is the same as any NIV, this Bible incorporates lots of different studies for words and text amongst other things. There is a lot of different learning tools that can be utilized in this Bible.

The only downfall I found with the eBook was that it took forever to load. I tried it on three different things: my phone, my tablet and my Nook Color. They all seemed to load very slowly, sometimes not at all and all I got was the spinning wheel of death. While having an eReader or eBook is nice and handy, I much prefer to have a real, solid book in my hand. There is something more appealing to me. I would have loved to seen this Bible in physical form.

The Woman Who Would be Queen

I'm a sucker for Ancient Egyptian history and have been since I was a child. When I found out this book was available to review on Blogging for Books, I didn't hestitate to grab it up.

I have never read anything really on Hatshepsut or from Kara Cooney, so I was excited to dive in. At first when I started reading, I was a little worried that this was going to be nothing more than a romance/fiction from the styling of the first chapter or two. But eventually, it got more into the "real" stuff and explained the reign of Hatshepsut.

I found this book very easy to understand and follow. Sometimes, authors use jargon that isn't familiar with an audience who is interested in learning about it on a more plain level. While there was still scholarly information, it was still easily understood. While I know a little about Ancient Egyptian life, I tried to come from the angle of an person who does not understand this amazing society of ages past. And I found it to be very easy to percieve. I would recommend picking this up if you are interested in learning about one of Egypts greatest pharaoh's and women.

Fiddler on the Roof

I have always loved Broadway and Fiddler was one of the ones I enjoyed the most. It's a classic. And it was so nice to be able to get a copy of this book. It is the script of the musical. Call me silly, but I followed along with the book while watching the movie. It's always interesting to see things come to life, whether it be on screen or live stage. And reading it all by myself put a different spin on the characters as well. 

Great gift for any theatre junkie. 

Pink Bible

I have read many versions of the Bible. I happened to be thinking the other day, "What if I run out of room with all the notes that I put in my Bible???" Low and behold, I was able to request a copy of this Bible.

This is an NIV version, with devotionals spread out across to help those that are going through breast cancer or are a survivor. I am neither,  but my mother passed away from Kidney Cancer, so this is partly the reason that I got it. I really liked reading the little devos that were included. It spoke right to my heart about things that I have had to deal with while mom was going for treatments.

I Just Graduated...Now What?

"I just graduated...now what?" I'm sure that is a question a lot of graduates ask after they complete college. They are stepping into a new world and unforeseen territory. So...what happens next?

Katherine Schwarzenegger has brought to us a collection of stories. This was not was I was expecting. I thought it was going to be some manual on how to look for, get, and keep a career. Instead I got something surprisingly different.

Can I just be honest for one second?

I was kind of disappointed in this book. Not going to sugar coat it. We all can't be pleased with things we read, or feel personally attacked because someone doesn't like what we say. Aren't we entitled to an opinion?

It is a collection of people; from celebrities to politicians. It shows their stories from where they graduated and with what major and how that stepping stone moved them into their lives they have now. A lot of them took VERY different paths than what they originally graduated with.

While that's all well and good, I could have found very similar stories with people that I know in my own community. I didn't need "famous" people to tell me how they "got famous".

I'm not saying that's bad either. Some people will feel encouraged by these stories. I just personally didn't.

**NOTE: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest review. All thoughts are mine.***

Child of Mine

I have always loved Beverly Lewis. This book is slightly different of hers from what she normally writes.

Instead of taking place in an Amish community, this book takes place in the "Englischer" world. It was a nice variation of hers.

I don't want to give too much away. This book has twists and turns all through it. It kept me guessing. It was a little slow to start for me, but once it got going, then I whizzed right through it. Normally, I can tell what is going to happen in the end with her books. I kept making the wrong guesses though.

Good, clean reading. Romance, suspense, and light hearted laughter from a little girl. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read about those things.

Butterfly and the Violin

This story has two stories that meet together: one from the past and one from present day. The past is about a promising violinist that helped smuggle Jews during the Holocaust and she too is taken to a prison camp. The other, is about a woman who is in the search of a rare painting of this promising violinist. 

The Butterfly and the Violin, is the first book in Kristy Cambron’s debut series "A Hidden Masterpiece". This book is about the story the painting tells, and the impact the story has on Sera James.

The book switches between both time periods with ease. I was never confused as to which era I was in. Kristy Cambron writes with a clarity and authority on her subject matter. Even though this book is classified as Historical Christian Romance, anyone, regardless of their reading preference, will certainly love this story. I am looking forward to the second book in the series when it releases.

**NOTE** I received this book for free in return for my honest review from BookLook Bloggers

The Ecstasy of Surrender

Now...from the looks of the cover, you may be thinking that it is about sexual ecstasy. However, it is not.

If you have read "The Secret" or the "The Power" from Rhonda Byrne, this book is in a similar genre. A lot of the concepts I read in "The Power" are in this book. But Dr. Orloff goes a little deeper in depth.

Dr. Judith Orloff, MD, writes twelve ways of how letting go can empower your life. When we hear the word "surrender", we think about submission or giving up. However, that is not the case here. Surrender means of letting go...letting go of things that are holding you back from your full potnetional in life. Situations that have caused you great pain, and they have crippled your belief, esteem, spirit, and more.

The book is divided in to five sections: Power and Money, Reading People and Communication, Relationships/Love/Sensuality, Mortalitiy & Immortality: Cycles of Light, and Embracing Ecstasy. From there, the 12 surrenders are broken down into their correlating   parts.

What I also like about this book is that Dr. Orloff gives examples from her life as well as some from her patients. It shows that no matter where you are in life, no matter what you are struggling with, surrender really can be attainable.

NOTE: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books with the intent of giving my honest review. All reviews are mine, and my opinion of the book. 

Cuffed, Tied, and Satisfied...

First thing I thought of when I got this book, was "50 Shades all the way..."

This book is very detailed in the life of BDSM. It's a great book for those that are curious about it, especially after hearing about or reading the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy. It will help open your mind to the world of "kinky sex" whether you or your partner enjoys it or is curious about it. It goes through role playing, and different ideas that can be used. Everyone has their own ideas for BDSM, while there are rule involved: the relationship is safe and consensual. The safe words help the dominant and the submissive in knowing where the lines are and where they should not be crossed. Mistress Jaiya is very thorough throughout the book in explaining all the different facets of BDSM. 

The Loving Kitchen

Good, down-home cooking. That's what brings happy memories to my mind. And as this books suggests, most of the recipes remind me of times I've gone by friends houses, visiting my grandmother, or making them at home (I still cannot master making home made bread...maybe someday!)

A lot of the recipes were fairly easy to follow. Just looking at the ingredient lists, most of the stuff you have at home already. The instructions were easy to read too. There were a lot of the recipes I have used, or very similar to, so to me it reminded me of a regular "down-home" cookbook.

One thing that I notice about myself is I love to look at the pictures of the recipe being made. I get an idea of what the final product is supposed to look like. While there were probably plenty pictures for most people, I would have loved to have a picture of every recipe. Maybe that's why I love Pinterest so much. Finding the recipes, seeing what they look like, and then going to the person's blog and reading about the process and seeing the recipe in motion.

Overall, if you are looking for a good home cooking cookbook, you will like this one.

Urban Watercolor

I love art. I love to paint. I am new to watercolor and I was excited to get this book.

Urban Watercolor Sketching is a great instructional for anyone who is just beginning to learn watercolor to the person that is a seasoned artist looking for a new angle on how to approach the medium.

I love the beginning on how watercolor was birthed. I didn't know this and I have a better appreciation for the medium.

The text is visually paired with colorful images. This book is not a how-to paint a picture with instruction. It is a guide on the materials used- from paper to brushes. It is a book that helps you expand on your imagination, changing the perspective of a view, and helping the artist grow. It is a about the art of storytelling through painting.

I putzed around with some of the guides and found it very easy and understood more about watercolors versus watching a video. Which is not like me....I'm a very visual learner, and this book helped me dig into myself and pull out feelings and expressions that I didn't know I had.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in return for my honest review of the product. I did not get paid for my review, but got a free copy of the product.