Joy Williams - Venus CD Review

Venus

Joy Williams 

Available on: iTunes & Amazon

Joy Elizabeth Williams was only 17 when she was first signed to Reunion Records. Though she was originally a Christian contemporary singer, she is most notably known for being half of the folk/rock band, The Civil Wars. Before the band broke up, the duo won four Grammy awards. Some have been holding their breath as to what Williams's solo album, Venus, will turn out to be: insanely amazing or horribly disastrous.

The truth is - it's neither. It's a solid album with promises of even better things to come. Venus, which Williams describes as her "coming-of-age album" is the perfect description for an album full of truthful lyrics, universal emotions, and an overall feeling of self-acceptance.

In just under 40 minutes, Williams tackles how she handled the breakup of The Civil Wars (What A Good Woman Does), heartache and pain (Until the Levee), and the duality in which women are often portrayed (Woman (Oh Mama)).

Before I Sleep is the first track on the CD and it's a good opener. It has strong vocals, a catchy tune, and it's easy to pick up the words and sing along. But don't get me wrong, Williams has not turned away from her folk-y roots, she's just added unexpected elements to them.






Woman (Oh Mama) is one of my favorite tracks on the album but its upbeat tempo doesn't seem to fit in with its otherwise slower sisters. Despite its simplistic lyrics - the song gets stuck in your head and feels empowering.


Until the Levee is probably the track the most similar to The Civil Wars. With great drums and an ethereal feel, her voice stands out powerfully against the music.







With 11 total tracks on the album, I found that I like and constantly listen to three-quarters. While listening I heard similarities to Dido, Florence + the Machine, and something that wouldn't be out of place in a Disney movie.

This solo album, she said in an interview, is about a "way to move forward. To heal." It sounds as if she has accomplished that. With Venus, she has weaved all the emotions of her life into lyrics and melodies.



I participated in the Joy WIlliams Venus album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

I've been a city girl my entire life. But if I were given acres of land on which I could raise a farm of animals, I would probably take them up on that offer.

But of course this is me we're talking about so my farm would include some of my favorite animals...most of which you probably wouldn't find on your normal farm.

I absolutely love alpacas! I mean they are just so fuzzy and their faces are so cute! They look like they would be totally cool if you went up to them and give gave them a big ol' hug.

I love owls so much. Besides being amazingly smart animals they are insanely cute and will even deliver your Hogwarts letter to you.

Have you ever seen a giraffe drink water? It is the cutest most hilarious thing ever. Because they are so tall they have to splay their legs and dip their necks way down. Besides this occasional ungracefulness I think under normal circumstances they are just majestic creatures.

If it were possible to pet a porcupine, we'd probably have one as a pet. I think they are the cutest little animals! They have their cute little faces and they waddle around. Did you know that porcupines are good swimmers? Their quills are hollow so they float pretty well.

Besides the fact that baby camels look like little fluffy alpacas, camels are very versatile, hardy animals. There's a reason they are the ones who cross the desert carrying most of the luggage.

Highland cows are FURRY COWS that live in Scotland. Just another reason I have to visit.




I think by now you can see a definite trend on this list. I love anything furry, bushy, or fluffy. These aren't even all of the animals I would want on my farm. I haven't delved into the water animals (beluga whales, penguins, manatees) or some specific types of animals like Pulis (dog). But maybe that is for another picture post.

If you had a farm what are some of the animals you'd let roam around? 

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Thorn
Author: Intisar Khanani
Published by: Intisar Khanani

Side Note: I would just like to mention that if you decide to buy this book, a portion of the price will go to Heifer International which is a charity that provides livestock to families to learn self-reliance. 

When Brothers Grimm stories get retold, newer versions have a way of missing the mark when it comes to the original bleakness. In her debut novel Thorn, Khanani stays true to the darker elements of this Grimm fairy tale.

Khanani is off to a rough start with this novel; the beginning slow and uncertain. When we meet Alyrra we know nothing about her except the arranged marriage between her and Prince Kestrin. When we learn that her brother physically abuses her and her mother is indifferent to her pain, we bind to her...but at a distance. This distance between me and the main character proved harder to cross the more I continued to read.

While traveling to her new home, a sorceress switches Alyrra's body with that of Valka, a vindictive girl from her own hometown. At first Alyrra is scared of the switch but soon she realizes that this may be the answer to all her problems. As Valka she won't have to be a princess. She will be able to live a simple life in anonymity with the other people of Tarinon.

With her plan set, Alyrra arrives in Tarinon and becomes the Goose Girl, one of the lowest positions available. With her true identity secret, Alyrra lives the life of a commoner. Through hard work and a difficult language barrier, Alyrra learns about the city and the people within. She learns about the thieves and the snatchers. She learns about not walking alone at night. She learns who to turn to when you need justice for your family.

It is here where Khanani shines. She does not water down the gross mistreatment of women, the social injustices of the lower class, and the hatred that can harden ones heart in the search for vengeance. Rape and murder seem to be commonplace and the king's court does nothing to stem the numbers of these attacks. Alyrra's first hand view of these occurrences makes her question which life she truly wants to live. The one of Goose Girl, with a makeshift family, a roof over her head, and meager earnings or that of Princess with an ability to change the wrongs and reverse the plight of the people.

The plot speeds up exponentially over the course of the novel. Unfortunately when you reach the end, you find that it finishes more quickly and abruptly than you would like. The answers when it comes to the sorceress are vaguely addressed. The climax takes place within the last 50 pages and Khanani seems to think that a heart hardened over years of anger can change in three days time.

Even to the end, I felt no closer to Alyrra. On the contrary, I grew to hate her judgement the further into the novel I read. Her attitude towards the prince seemed unwarranted. To subtly distrust him in the beginning is one thing but to continuously think him trouble despite his actions are another. I also hated the way Alyrra thought of herself. No compliment, even those that were earned, were ever true in her opinion. She thought she was nothing and could do nothing. Her negative thoughts about herself left me feeling as if I shouldn't have positive emotions towards her. Even if her intentions were good, why would I want to become attached to a person who doesn't think anything of themselves?

Overall the plot of the novel was excellent. I continued reading to learn more about Prince Kestrin and what kind of man he would truly turn out to be. The topics discussed made the novel feel as if it wasn't just a YA. It can easily be considered a novel for adults as well. Khanani did a great job turning The Goose Girl into a modern fairy tale. I just couldn't learn to love Alyrra, which left me feeling like an outsider the entire novel.

I give it three out of five cateyes.

*I received this eBook free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

I Don't Want to Adult Today

Internet bill. Netflix bill. Gas. Electricity. Water. Rent. Student loans. Alarm clocks. Business Casual. Overtime. 401K. Taxes.

These are adult things. These are the things that turn your hair gray, make you stress eat, and make wonder if you should gamble that dollar on the lottery or buy a burger at McDonalds.

These are the things no one tells you about when you're 10 and wanting to run away from home so you can be an adult and eat ice cream whenever you want, skip school, and stay up late.

Being an adult does have some advantages but for those days when you Just Can't Even.

Why don't you try some of these things and release your inner flower child.   

1.) Leave the work emails Unread. 
It's okay. They will still be there tomorrow. Believe me.

2.) Sing in the shower. 
The reason people love to sing in the shower is the crazy good acoustics. So go ahead and belt out those high notes, inflect those crazy warbles, and rock that shampoo mic.

3.) Bake something. 
Or eat the dough right out of the bowl. Go ahead and ruin your appetite.

4.) Go outside.
Whether it's with a blanket and a book or your dog and frisbee - go outside and enjoy it! Take in the sounds of nature, the smell of the grass and dirt, & throw that frisbee as far as you possibly can.

5.) Don't get out of bed.
Except to pee and get more food.

6.) Get a kid's meal.
Remember when you would beg your parents to just, please, one time get a kid's meal with the cool toy and this was the last time you promise?

7.) Cuddle up with your furbabies. 
I think this one is pretty self explanatory.

8.) Watch all the Disney movies! 
And yes of course you can sing along.

9.) Watch some nostalgic cartoons.
Rugrats. The Flintstones. Life with Louie. Bobby's World.

10.) Camp outside in your own backyard. 
There may still be creepy bugs but at least you know there won't be bears and you don't even have to worry about wiping with leaves.

For those days when you just can't even, what do you to get through it?

Old Lady Hobby

There is something soothing about making the same movement over and over again. About counting how many squares across and down you still need to go. About picking the right color thread. About seeing how much left there is to go. About seeing the work start to take shape. And then eventually it turns into a feeling of accomplishment when you see the finished product. What old lady hobby am I talking about?

Well cross stitch of course!

I think I've mentioned before that I love to cross stitch. I started it about a year ago as a way to pass the time. I wasn't even that interested in it. I found a dollar project in a bin at Michael's and I couldn't pass it up.

It came out pretty bad. The little kit I bought didn't have any instructions. Just a picture with the legend of colors to use. I had no idea what I was doing and I didn't know what to do with the outline. It was just a complete and utter mess.

I never even finished it. 

Fortunately I had bought more than one kit. For the next one I actually decided to look up some tips and tricks online before starting. This helped A LOT. By the time I was finished you could even tell what it was I was supposed to be making.

The back is a whole 'nother story though. 

By the time I finished the little kits I had bought, I was hooked. I bought a hoop and some cheap aida with a big bag of cheap thread in various colors. I started getting patterns from Pinterest, Google, Etsy. It was so much fun to make these little crafts. John even got in on it and would tell me which colors to use and fun accents to put on a project.

He'd also help in the naming. 

I loved doing the small, easy projects. Those that could be completed within a few hours. But after doing several of those everyone thought it was time to tackle a bigger project. I decided on a sugar skull pattern I had purchased off of Etsy. When completed it would fit into an 8.5x10 frame. Bigger than anything I had yet tried to do.

It came out great! There were a few spots I had to actually undo my stitches and redo them correctly but I love the finished product. I was going to frame it but the glass from the frame broke and I haven't quite gotten around to it again.

I love cross stitching. Even if the finished ones tend to end up crumpled and dirty hiding underneath books or strewn across tables. It's just a fun hobby, old lady or not.

What are some of your favorite hobbies? Any of you love cross stitching?

My First Media Kit- Whaddya Think?

This is the year I've really been taking my blog seriously. I'm actively trying to get more followers, loyal readers, get my writing groove on, and find my voice. Because of all this I've also started to wade into the deep end of the pool - sponsored posts.

I know that sponsored posts aren't anything to be too worried about but I do want to seem professional and like I am actually trying. I don't have that many followers on social media even though (shameless self-plug) I have doubled every single one of them!

For those of you with tens of thousands of fans my measly numbers may not seem like a big feat but let me tell you, as someone who is shy and introverted, this is the best! It is definitely a milestone for me each time I hit a new multiple of ten or hundred.

So with my wanting to work with some awesome brands I decided to tackle my first media kit. I went on Pinterest and Google to get some inspiration. I got some ideas, headed to Canva and voila!

My first attempt.

I'm pretty happy with it. I love minimalist design and I love that the colors and arrow theme come straight back to my blog.



Do you have a media kit? What does your look like? If you want, leave a link for other readers to see yours. If you have any suggestions for mine, don't hesitate to leave your two cents. I greatly appreciate it.

Edgewater by Courtney Sheinmel

Edgewater
Author: Courtney Sheinmel
Published by: Abrams/Amulet
Expect it in Stores and Online: Fall 2015




Edgewater is the name of the mansion where Lorrie, her sister Susannah, and their aunt Gigi live. What was once a beautiful, sprawling homestead overlooking the ocean is now so disgusting that Lorrie's best friend Lennox has never set foot in it. Filled with unwashed dishes, carpets full of cat urine, and an indescribable stench that permeates the entire house, Lorrie hopes every day that she won't be recognized as one of the girls who lives there.

When a failed tuition payment forces Lorrie to leave her summer riding camp and return to Edgewater, Lorrie is intent on emancipating herself from her aunt and gain access to the trust fund her mother left when she moved to London with her boyfriend. The only problem is the empty tank of gas. With only eight dollars to her name and an embarrassing negotiation underway over a can of Coke, Lorrie's pride is sort-of saved by Charlie Copeland. On one hand, she won't have to put a Coca Cola on credit but on the other hand, the Senator's son has just paid for her gas...and invited her to a political party at his house on Friday.

While Lorrie and Charlie are getting to know each other, things like a turned off phone, no electricity in the house, and a need for food are pushing Lorrie to get a job and sort everything out herself, with no help from Gigi or Susannah. Unfortunately things aren't going as planned and even weirder things are happening behind the scenes of the Copeland residence. What secrets are the Copeland's hiding and why does it seem that Lorrie's family is involved?

The plot is interesting but I found the characters hard to like. Undoubtedly this is the way Sheinmel intended as both Susannah and Gigi find nothing wrong with living in the squalor they have made for themselves. There may be those who may find sympathy but I could not. Susannah at 15 should have been helping Lorrie take care of the house or at the very least not add to her troubles. Gigi who was obviuosly going through a depression should have had help. Though, I can see why neither Lorrie or Susannah would have wanted to involve social services. Lennox's mothers seemed the perfect people to broach such a subject and yet, the girls were left to live in horrible conditions.

What I also didn't like was the fact that the idea of Edgewater being in such ruin was nothing but a talking point to those who lived within the neighborhood. Perhaps they didn't have a homeowner's association but what...they didn't have property taxes? I'm sure that people who live within such riches would take more interest in a house that looked like Edgewater next to their lovely, perfect homes.

Edgewater is mostly a story about the idea that money doesn't grow on trees and there are people who really have to work to earn such a living. A fast read but does not require much thought or leave you feeling changed. It's an okay book to pass the time while waiting for a flight.


I give it three out of five cateyes.

Favorite Blogging Apps - Promoting

I realized that I left a big part out of my Favorite Blogging App series - promoting! If you've been blogging for any amount of time you know that getting your blog out there and read is important whether you have commissioned posts or just want to meet new people. Of course for most of us, we have school, jobs, children, and like sleep so getting something out on each and every social media outlet can be very time consuming.

Fortunately there are apps to help with that. These are the ones I use most often.

IF - formerly IFTTT. Available on iOS & Android. 

IF utilizes recipes. There are tons and tons of recipes in their database, but if you can't find exactly what you're looking for you can always make your own. These recipes do everything from turning on a light in your house, to automatically downloading all of your Instagram pictures, to automatically tweeting when you've posted a blog post. It's based on an IF/THEN statement which shows you just how versatile this app can be.

The recipes I use for my blog the most are:

• Send a tweet when you post about something on your Blog. 
• Post Instagram picture on Twitter as a picture (not a link). 
• If any new post on your blog, then create a link post on your Tumblr blog. 

You can also use it to automatically post about your newest post on your Facebook Page. I had that one but it wasn't working correctly with my current Blogger template and I haven't gone back to look through it. And don't worry if you have Wordpress. It works the same way. The best thing about IF is that you don't have to think about it. The app works in the background, so as soon as one of the IF statements are triggered, it automatically does the THEN.

I know this post is for promoting your blog but you really should give IF a looksie. They have so many different recipes to make your life a lot easier.

Hootsuite - Available on iOS, Android 

Hootsuite is a beast of an app. It can take so many of your social media accounts and show you their feed, schedule their posts, and even give you analytics on them. For those who have group blogs or shared Facebook pages, this app will alleviate all of your drama because it allows for awesome integrated collaboration. There is a free and a paid version depending on your needs.

I use Hootsuite to schedule most of my tweets. Hootsuite has this "smart" autoscheduling that will try to schedule your post at an optimum time of day. What I love most about the app is that it will auotmatically shorten your links - no need to head to Bitly before composing. It also will show your Twitter pictures as native instead of links which helps with audience connection.

There is also a desktop Chrome app which allows you to easily share any website, picture, story, or Pin on the web with just a click of the button.

I admit that I haven't delved into this enough to utilize all of its capabilities but just the Twitter thing does it for me. It's invaluable and I hardly even use the actual Twitter app anymore.

Facebook Groups - Available on iOS & Android. 

Facebook has gotten so much better separating all of its components. The Groups app allows you to manage, connect, share, and view all of the groups you are a part of. No need to go through your personal feed to get to what you really want. From here you can add to a thread, comment, or share your own post. This is what I use to read a lot of the daily group threads for my various blogging groups. You have the option of notifications for each group, which I love, because I am a part of some groups that I don't need to be constantly up to date with. This option lets me pick and choose which groups or actions I think are worthy of notifications. Easy to use with a simple yet useful layout.

Facebook Pages Manager- Available for iOS, Android. 

The Facebook Pages Manager lets you post, comment, look at your Insights, chat, and schedule posts to your Facebook Page. This app is easy to use and helps when you don't want to be bothered by your personal Facebook feed. I love that it allows me to add posts from this app as opposed to waiting until I'm at my desktop. It also makes it easy to connect with readers since you have the option of putting notifications on. There's not much to say about it, but it's definitely a life saver.




So that's what I use on a daily basis. What about you? Are there some apps I've completely overlooked that would make my life so much easier? Let me know in the comments!

Past Present Future - Vol 3

\\PAST\\
I took an 18 hour sleep the other night. It felt sooo good. I've been so sleepy.

Finally bought Mum her birthday/Mummy's Day present. She had been wanting an enameled casserole dutch oven like mine. They were on sale and I couldn't pass it up! Now she can make no knead breads, one pot soups, and brown and finish cooking meat in the oven. Woo!

I went and got bangs again! I look about 15 on average with them down.


\\PRESENT\\
I told you I bit the bullet and bought a Day Designer and I have to say that I am in love! It's pretty big, kinda heavy, and probably not going to fit into your purse but I love that there is a spot for everything. To Do, Schedule, Notes, etc. Even though I'm not that busybusy it's nice to see my days spread out so I know what I have to look forward to and I can really focus on all the things I have to do - work wise and blog wise.

I paid off another one of my loans which means I only have one more to go! I'm so excited youhavenoidea. Once that last one is paid off I'll be completely debt free! And...then I can start looking for a car. I've had my car since I was 19. She's a little beat-up, smelly, and the bumper is a different color than the rest of her but she's still running pretty smoothly so I'm not in dire need. But still, having a newer car would be nice.


\\FUTURE\\
I am literally counting down the days until I'm done double-jobbing. I'm really going to miss the paycheck but ohmyglob I can't wait to sleep more than 4 hours a night. I know some crazy people can live like that but I'm definitely not one of them. I should have bought stock in 5 Hour Energy because those little disgustingly flavored energy shots are basically the only thing running through my blood stream right now. And coffee. Always coffee.


Reading: Everything, Everything.
Watching: Call the Midwife, Mr Selfridge, Parenthood, Bob's Burgers
Listening to: I'm a total Anglophile and I recently found this YouTube channel called: Anglophenia which I absolutely adore. If you're interested you should look at: How To Speak British & TV Shows America Stole from Britain
Needing: To drink more water regularly.
Wanting: More dresses. Always more dresses.
Something I'm Looking Forward To: My eShakti dress to arrive.
Five Good Things That Happened This Week:

1. We decided on a book for our Blogs, Books, and Babes book club! King Dork is first up and I can't wait to get started reading and discussing it with other bookworms. 
2. Paid off another loan.
3. Bought a dress off eShakti. It's blue and white gingham and I got it (with shipping) for less than 25$!
4. Got a coupon for a free medium fountain drink from the gas station. Woo! Cherry Dr. Pepper. 
5. Finally got Boyboy a new collar. This one is orange and hopefully won't turn his fur black like the metal one did. 

How was your week? Anything fun, interesting, or hilarious?

You Lied to Me - A Memory for Mother's Day

"Valerie, have you been watching TV even though you're grounded?"

"No."

"Are you sure? What have you been doing?"

"Nothing."

I like to believe that I was a good child up until I hit those globawful teenage years. But no child is perfect and I'm no exception. I feel like I was always grounded or punished for something or other when I was younger. Throughout the years the punishments would change but one of the first things I remember being taken away was my TV time.

But I was a scheming, lying child and I hated being punished for what I thought weren't really wrongdoings. When I was about 6 or 7 I came up with an ingenious workaround to get out of my unfair punishment.

See my mom was the disciplinarian but she also worked later than my dad which meant I had a few good hours of mom-free time to watch TV. My dad was usually out in the yard, or the garage, or underneath the car working on something. He wasn't too concerned with what I was getting up to and even less concerned about what new punishment my mother had dished out.

So my great plan was simple but foolproof. I would watch TV while my mom was still at work and when I saw her car pull up I'd simply turn it off and tell her I hadn't watched it!

Who says kids aren't geniuses?

I finally decide to put my plan into action. I turn on our old TV. The TV is an old console TV. The ones built into the wood surrounding them? It weighs about 100 pounds and still works. I know because it's the TV my parents have in their bedroom.

This is what I was determined to watch ladies and gentlemen. 

Anyway, I turn the TV on and I probably watch Barney or Arthur or Sesame Street because we don't have cable and PBS is the only channel that's not showing some Jerry Springer type show. I settle into our recliner which is perfectly positioned in front of the TV and a window that faces our driveway.

I've probably been watching for a few hours when I hear my mom's car pull up. I quickly run to turn off the TV and settle back into the recliner, cool as fuck.

Mum opens the door in her work clothes. As soon as she sees me, she gets suspicious. She walks towards me. She looks at the TV and then at me and then the TV again.

"Valerie, have you been watching TV even though you're grounded?"

"No."

"Are you sure? What have you been doing?"

"Nothing."

"I think you were watching TV."

"No I wasn't."

Then she does this bit of motherly magic I didn't know existed.

She goes to touch the turned-off TV screen with the back of her hand - the same way she would test my forehead for fever. 

"It's hot. You lied to me. You have been watching TV."

I sigh loudly, eyeball roll (I was an early adopter), and I earn an extra week of groundedness. She yells at me for lying. Tells me how bad it is to lie to your parents, blahblahblah. 

I never watch TV again when she's not there. Lesson learned. 

The end. 

JUST KIDDING!

It's totally not the end of the story. 

So it's a few years later, I'm probably 11 or 12 now. I don't watch much TV. My new form of punishment is no phone time. Anyway, I'm watching TV and it's been on a while when I get up to get a snack and kind of trip/brush my arm on the TV screen.

The TV screen that has been on for hours.

The TV screen that has been on for hours and doesn't burn my arm. The TV screen that has been on for hours and isn't even hot. Isn't even warm. 

And right then, like a lightning bolt I get it.

MY MOTHER LIED TO ME. 

She couldn't tell that the TV was on because it was hot! She knew I was lying because what kid sits in front of an off TV like that? No one! She saw me looking all smug and cucumber (as in: as cool as) and knew that I wasn't just sitting there looking out the window for fun. Oohhh no. I had been watching TV and she busted me.

But the real motherly magic was the trickery she used to get me to never watch TV while grounded when she wasn't there, for fear that she would call me out on it.

Touche mumsies. Touche. 

Happy Mother's Day! 

What are some of your favorite mother memories? Did your mom ever trick you into behaving? 

The Wrath and the Dawn - Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Published by: Putnam Juvenile

In this beautifully written first novel, Renee Ahdieh weaves a story as complicated, colorful, and beautiful as a tapestry you might find hanging in the caliph's palace.

For weeks Khalid has been marrying girls and then hanging them the next morning at dawn. One of these girls was Shazi's best friend. Filled with hate and a need for revenge, Shazi volunteers to be his next wife. She knows that she must do whatever it takes to survive that first night. When Khalid comes to her room she tells him a story that lasts until sunrise - refusing to tell him the ending unless he spares her life for one more day. Khalid reluctantly agrees.

With her life secure one more day, Shazi must figure out the caliph's weakness so that she may be the one to end his life and avenge the suffering of everyone who's lost a daughter in the village.

Shazi knows that in order to figure him out she must get close enough to understand him, what she doesn't expect is to see a quiet, alert, troubled boy who keeps too many secrets for one soul to bear.
When her emotions toward Khalid become increasingly blurred she strives to figure out why Khalid acts as he does so that her feelings can reconcile the man or put her back on her path of vengeance.


With a real and honest look at the the confusing and conflicting nature of love, The Wrath and the Dawn does an excellent job at being both a love story and an intensely interesting tale about revenge, redemption, and the choices we make at the hands of others. With multi-dimensional, believable characters and hints of as-of-yet untold magic this novel will leave you reeling after you're finished and will make you impatient for the next installment.

I give it 5 out of 5 cateyes. (Though this book has pretty much changed my entire cateye judging standard.)

*I received an advanced copy of this book from the First to Read Penguin program. All opinions are my own.*