Pretty Cupcake Kit GIVEAWAY!!!

~Happy Mother's Day to You my Friends~

Pretty Cupcake Kit

by Chronicle Books

2011

ISBN: 978-0-8118-7548-6
*this product was provided to me by the publisher*

My Review:

From the Publisher:

So festive, so pretty, and so fun, cupcakes are a welcome addition to any celebration. Bakers of every skill level will love this handy kit, which includes a booklet with basic recipes for chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, various frostings, and simple, quick decorating tips. Packed with hundreds of decorative paper liners and dozens of colorful flag toppers, the Pretty Cupcake Kit comes with everything you need to make the cutest cupcakes ever!

Shana Faust is a freelance stylist and designer living in New York.

Elinor Klivans's most recent cookbooks include Cupcakes! and Chocolate Cakes. She lives in Camden, Maine.

Johnny Miller is a Brooklyn, New York-based photographer whose clients include Martha Stewart Living.

***GIVEAWAY***

1. US residents only, no PO Boxes.
2. Leave me a comment with your email address.
3. Pretty Cupcake Kit provided by Chronicle Books, Shipping provided by Beachbrights.
4. It's that easy to enter! Contest ends Sunday, May, 8th @ Midnight.

From Seed to Skillet **GiVeAwAy**

**Giveaway**

From Seed to Skillet

by Jimmy Williams & Susan Heeger

Chronicle Books

ISBN: 978-0-8118-7221-8

My Review:

From the Publisher:

Jimmy Williams learned all about vegetable gardening at the knee of his grandmother, a South Carolina native from a traditional Gullah community whose members were descendents of Caribbean slaves. He pays homage to his family history in this inspiring step-by-step guide to designing and planting a backyard vegetable garden and growing one's own food. With this essential garden manual, home gardeners can learn how easy it is to plan a garden, design and construct growing beds, tend the crop without using harmful chemicals, harvest gorgeous vegetables, and cook a delicious feast using Jimmy's favorite family recipes.

Urban farmer and landscape designer Jimmy Williams oversees his growing grounds, plants edible gardens for clients, and dispenses cultivation and cooking tips, plus vegetable, herb, and fruit seedlings, at three Los Angeles farmers' markets. He grows and sells heirloom tomatoes from seeds that have been passed down from his great-great-grandmother.

Susan Heeger is a long-time magazine and newspaper feature writer with a specialty in garden, design, home, lifestyle, and food stories. She lives in Los Angeles.

**Giveaway**

1. US residents only, no PO Boxes.

2. Leave me a comment with your email address.

3. Book provided by Chronicle Books, Shipping provided by Beachbrights.

4. It's that easy to enter! Contest ends Friday, January 7th @ Midnight.

Resource Links:
YouTube: From Seed to Skillet
From Seed to Skillet Web

Fall Look Book by Style Your Life (GIVEAWAY)

Fall Look Book

by Jennifer Rossen, Style Your Life

Buy Here

I am so excited!  Now it feels like fall.  All it took was for my copy of Style Your Life's Digital Fall Look Book to arrive...now I am ready to plan, shop and welcome Fall.

Fashion has always been important to me. When I was little my dream was to become a fashion designer. When I was a little older, I would sew some of my own clothes and when I graduated from college, my first job was in the fashion industry.  I worked in fashion for 15 years and loved it.  However, something has changed over the last ten years.  Maybe it was becoming a mom, putting on extra weight or just a general shift in my priorities but fashion took a backseat.  My wardrobe now consist of the same black yoga pants. I have lost my fashion sense but Style Your Life has encouraged me to get it back.  I love visiting Jennifer's blog and learning about the newest fashion trends and how to complete an outfit.  What I love most about Jennifer's style is that she has something for everyone (every price range, age etc.) and her outfits are fresh and stylish.  She is also great about giving lessons on "why" or "how" you should wear something. Her Look Book and Blog are priceless.

Jennifer publishes a seasonal wardrobe digital Look Book for $5.  It is the best investment you can make before you start buying your seasonal outfits. The book contains 33 pages of information on trends, fall essentials and key looks. The book goes into greater detail on why you should buy designer jeans and the best sweaters for different body types. My favorite part of the book are the 10 virtual outfits for anything from tailgating to a night out on the town.

Not only is this book a value at $5 but the book also preaches mix and match styling to help stretch your clothing budget.

From Jennifer:
The Fall Look Book contains all the pieces you need to have a complete Fall Wardrobe, along with some of my favorite Fall trends. All the sources are listed and can be CLICKED (like the blog).
Just click on title of each image and go directly to the source. You will get a security message from Adobe asking to allow to go to the source website, I assure it is all safe. However, I can't guarantee all items will be in stock.

Here is one readers comment about her Summer Look Book

"I LOVE my summer style book!! I bought it on Friday and went shopping on Saturday and I got 3 new outfits using my guide! Woo hoo!"

Now for the GIVEAWAY:

Just leave me a comment (with your email address) and one randomly picked comment will win a copy of Style Your Life's Digital Fall Look Book. Giveaway ends Sunday, Sept. 19. Thanks Jennifer!

~XOXO

Chocolate...A Love Story (& GIVEAWAY)

Chocolate...A Love Story by Max Brenner

Artwork by Yonatan Factor
Little, Brown and Company
November 2009
ISBN: 978-0-316-05662-5

My Review:
Yes, Max Brenner is a Chocolate God.  Mr. Brenner has amazingly crafted the diverse flavors of chocolate to create 65 decadent recipes bound in this one book. You think you know dessert pizza? Think again. Max's Bad Boy Chocolate Pizza comes complete with a chocolate-hazelnut spread and topped with chopped marshmallows.  If that did not wet your appetite, how about A High School Bonfire Chocolate Melting Heart Cake that is filled with a mixture of heavy cream, marshmallows & white chocolate. My knees are getting weak just thinking about these delicious recipes.  What you will not find in this book is traditional pictures of the recipes.  This book is just as much about chocolate as it is about art, words and the intimate stories they tell. This book is seductive.

One final thought, my review would not be complete without the recognition of the artwork. What grabbed my attention among these 144 pages was the illustrations by Yonatan Factor. Page after page of pop art eye candy. I have found a new favorite artist. The pages of this book will one day be framed and hanging on my wall.

4 out of 5 stars

From the Publisher:
With gigantic vats of churning chocolate, desserts like their famous chocolate pizza, and 12 varieties of hot chocolate served in custom mugs, Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man has turned their line of hip, colorful themed restaurants into an international sensation.. Chocolate: A Love Story is a vibrant new cookbook that includes 65 original recipes narrated in the quirky, captivating voice of Max Brenner, the restaurant's visionary founder and "bald man." Bold original illustrations inspired by Art Deco poster graphics, full-color photographs, easy-to-follow, delicious recipes, and a serving of Max's unique vision for spreading "chocolate culture" around the world make this book a must for every chocolate lover.

You can learn more about Max Brenner at his website.

LEAVE ME A COMMENT TO WIN A COPY!
1. A copy of Chocolate A Love Story by Max Brenner will be sent directly to winner from Hachette Book Group. Your comment must be associated with an email address so I can contact you.
2. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win
3. No P.O. Boxes
4. Contest ends Tuesday, November 17th.

XOXO-

**Thank you Anna from Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to review.**