Laina Turner's Blog, page 67

Athena’s Holiday a cozy short story

Meet Athena Parks, thirty something law professor who on a whim invites a guy she just met, Tristan West, home with her for the holidays. As crazy as it might seem she was willing to risk him being an ax murder in order to have a buffer between her and her mom. They had that kind of relationship.

Things were going well and she couldn’t deny there was chemistry between them. Maybe this was a sign she had finally found a good guy. Until her uncle Peter recognized Tristan. Who wasn’t Tristan at all. Who was he?

Grab this book for your Kindle at only .99 cents.

The next Athena book out, Athena’s Law, is now available on Nook, iTunes, and Kobo. You can pre-order for Kindle and will be released Nov. 23rd.

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Fab 5 Friday

 So many great posts and so little space to recommend them all. I hope you enjoy my favs from the week!

A Beautiful Mess – DLSR Basics and Photoshop for Bloggers…I so need these courses.
Putting Me Together – Red Blazer For Fall…you can’t go wrong with red!
Rosy Chicc – My Top 5 Editing Apps…very helpful.
The Nectar Collective – How I Went From My Day Job To Full-Time Freelancer in Three Months…I LOVE reading inspirational stories!
Into The Gloss – Revisiting the Gilmore Girls…watching this on Netflix and LOVE it!

 

Have a great weekend and if you need a good book sign up for my mailing list and get a free download of Mistletoe & Murder.

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I’m Turning into my Mother

Growing up I spent a lot of time making notes of all the things I wasn’t going to do when I was an adult and criticizing my parents. In my teens I would cringe if someone said anything that compared me to my parents. But as often happens I evolved into a grownup who now exhibits behavior that clearly shows the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree (I love clichés). Though now that I am an adult it isn’t nearly as horrific a thought as I used to think.

 My mother was an English teacher and a perfectionist. She wanted to be a journalist and a writer but growing up in the 1950’s unless you were the go against the grain type of women, you became a teacher, secretary, or a nurse. That’s even if you went to school.

 I remember my mom telling me her dad took flack from his friends when he sent my grandmother back to college in the late 1950’s and then sent her in 1960. His friends told him if he educated his wife she would leave him and why was he wasting his money on educating his daughter when she would just get married and her husband would reap the benefits. Thank goodness my grandfather could see past that narrow-mindedness thought process of the time.

 However, my mother was more a follower than a trailblazer so she choose to be a teacher. Super smart she majored in English and minored in journalism. She taught high school English and Latin and quit to stay home when I was born. Then when I started school she started subbing and eventually found her calling teaching adult high school equivalency classes. She dabbled in writing stories on the side but never went anywhere with it. Of course that was the days before indie publishing so her opportunities weren’t as great.

I grew up not wanting to have anything in common with my mom. At first consciously and then as I grew older I just became a much different person than her and didn’t think much about our similarities. I didn’t really think we had any. Until I woke up one day and realized how much like her I am.

She was a teacher. > I’m a college professor.

She had a degree in English. > Mine are in business BUT I am currently working on a MFA in writing.

She wanted to be a journalist. > I’m a blogger.

She wanted to write books. > I write books.

If you would have asked me in high school or my 20’s if we had similar interests I would have answered with a resounding no. But today I am proud to follow somewhat in her footsteps and even be able to take my passions a little further than she was able too in her day. Even though she passed away many years ago she still provides much inspiration and daily motivation. I know how proud she would be if she were here to see how like her I am.

 How have you become like your parents?

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Stylish Winter Boots — This Year’s Must-Haves

Boots, boots, boots! I love the winter season for this very reason — I get to wear boots almost every day! Whether you want casual, every-day boots, stylish professional ones or practical boots for the wintery weather, we have some great options for everyone. Check out some of our favorites below:

Frye Stitch Cowboy Boots (Brown)

Need a dressy pair of boots for work or a night out? These cowboy boots are sure to impress!

Frye – Frye Jane 14L Stitch Cowboy Boots (Brown) – $174.99, Free shipping – Available at 6pm.com

 

UGG Australia Women’s Bailey Button Triplet Boots

I love the buttons on these classic Ugg boots — super cute and always comfortable!

Ugg – UGG Australia Women’s Bailey Button Triplet Boots Shoes – $219.95, Free shipping – Available at Fullfillment By Amazon

(459 reviews)

 

Clarks Artisan Jolissa Gypsum Dressy Lace Up Ankle Boots

Lace up ankle boots are quite the trend this year and this pair is very sharp looking.

Clarks – Clarks Artisan Jolissa Gypsum Womens Dressy Lace Up Ankle Boots Brown 7 – $145.88, Free shipping – Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

 

G by Guess – Women’s Hendora Knee-Length Boots

Everyone needs a pair of black knee-length boots and this pair from Guess is the right price!

G by Guess – Women’s Hendora Knee-Length Boots, BLACK (7) – $69.65, 5.00 shipping – Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

 

Sorel – Caribou Snow Boot

What about all that snow shoveling? You better invest in a practical pair of winter boots and these Caribou snow boots are perfect. 

Sorel – Caribou Snow Boot – $139.95, Free shipping – Available at Backcountry.com

(40 reviews)

 

Teva – Lenawee Leather Winter Boots

Want a combination of practical, yet still stylish? These winter boots from Teva are a great option. 

Teva – Lenawee Leather WP Winter Boots Women’s – $82.49, 5.95 shipping – Available at Derailed

(5 reviews)

 

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Wedding Wednesday

I got engaged in May. You can see my first ring here but as sweet as this one was I wanted something a bit more substantial so we ring shopped over the summer and had a difficult time agreeing on a ring. We have very different tastes so it was a bit of a stressful undertaking. We finally went to a great place, Distinctive Diamonds, where the wonderful sales person Tammy suggested we should take the elements we each liked about the rings we saw and she could have their designers create a custom piece for us you can see it here. It was a genius idea and one that worked. Finally, we were able to agree on a ring and it ended up being a fun process.

That was at the end of August, and I have had to wait…and wait…and wait until a few days ago to see the finished product, and I was not disappointed.

When I got the call that the ring was in I was so excited, as was my fiancé, but also a little nervous. Afraid that it wouldn’t be as beautiful in person as it was on the CAD drawing. I was worried for nothing. It is as you can see, as gorgeous as can be.

Walking out of the jewelry store with that ring on my finger was such a great feeling. Even though a piece of jewelry doesn’t change anything about being engaged, and I’ve been engaged for months, it felt more official. Of course, I’ll have to switch it to the right hand when I go out clubbing but since that hasn’t happened in 20 years, I think I’m safe.

Along with seeming more official it’s also brought to the forefront that I have less than 8 months until the wedding date. 234 days away to be exact and except for the ring and the venue I haven’t done anything. I better get cracking.

I think my biggest challenge is going to be finding a minister to marry us since we don’t live in Milwaukee where the wedding takes place. I have officially placed this task at the top of my to-do list but if anyone have clergy connections in Milwaukee help a sister out and send them my way.

Have a great week!

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What’s in my closet?

The first thing I want to say about this post is it’s November in the midwest and taking these pictures was COLD. I now have a new found respect for supermodels who take swimsuit pictures in a snowstorm to get a good artistic effect. You may be seeing a lot of pictures of What’s in my closet but underneath my coat in the coming months. 

This is one of the few casual outfits I have. I tend to have work type business clothes and yoga pants. I’m not a huge fan of jeans, I don’t think I look my best in them, but I must admit these photographs didn’t look all that bad. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself.

I love this long sleeve T from Old Navy. I have a lot of dark neutral colors in my wardrobe and while this shirt is a dark grey the splash of white and yellow make this short a little bit more fun. Pairing it with the bright yellow scarf not only kept my neck warm during this sub zero photo shoot (ok it was only like 40 but I really despise the cold).

Having an outfit I feel good in makes me more ready to take on the world.

Oh yeah, and the jazz hands post was to show off my engagement ring that FINALLY came in after 10 weeks. Better pictures tomorrow!

Have a great day!

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Garlic Basil BellaVitano Spread

I tried another Sartori cheese recipe, a garlic basil Bellavitano spread, and I was not disappointed. I didn’t pay much attention to the quantity of ingredients as I bought the items but as I started to make it I realized I should have halved or even quartered the recipe because it made a ton. The good news is it lasted in the refrigerator for days. I will definitely be making this again for some holiday party I am going to. It will be a big hit with everyone, I just know it.

Ingredients:

4 – 8 oz cream cheese

1 pint sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

1 tbsp fresh garlic

2 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp dried basil

12 oz Sartori BellaVitano Gold cheese, shaved (the original recipe calls for 8 oz)

3 tsp Kosher salt

3 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. The original recipe says chill overnight before serving but both me and my fiancé liked it better warm. Each to his own, I guess.

We tried it both with pita chips and pretzels. I liked the pita chips better, he liked the pretzels. It would also taste great as a vege dip.

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Gems & Gunshots – a cozy mystery

In this cozy mystery, Presley heads to San Diego to hang out with Cooper and enjoy the great west coast weather. She didn’t expect that while hanging out at the local coffee shop she would be a witness to a robbery and murder at Gemstone’s Unlimited. Much to Cooper’s dismay Presley feels compelled to investigate. She discovers that not only was the store owner a womanizer but also was filing false insurance claims for diamonds that weren’t really stolen. Was that why he was being blackmailed? Was that why someone robbed his store? Presley’s determined to find out!

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Fab 5 Friday

A few of the amazing posts I loved this week from around the blogosphere.

Thanks, I made it – DIY Glitter Earrings…so cute.
oh dear drea – Self Discovery…love, love, loved this. We all have our own journey.
Smitten Kitchen – Pretzel Parker House Rolls…I love carbs.
Chocolate Covered Katie – Cookie Dough Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal...can’t wait to try this.
Southern Curls & Pearls – Cold Weather Casual…love this sweater.

Have a great Friday!

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Time to Order Your Holiday Photo Cards!

It amazes me that even though we’ve pretty much eliminated snail-mail from our lives, there are still a few occasions where sending a card through the mail is deemed the “norm” and is highly encouraged. One of these occasions is during the holidays — it seems like everyone still sends a holiday photo card. And why not? It’s the perfect occasion to send family and friends a thoughtful greeting and an updated family photo! 

So, you’ve already had your holiday pictures taken…now what? Now, you need to find the perfect holiday photo card to design and send! Here’s a few of our favorite picks from Shutterfly and Tiny Prints:

The Naughty List Holiday Card

This “naughty or nice” card is super cute and would be perfect with a fun portrait of your kids.  

49132 – Christmas Cards – The Naughty List – $24.90, 8.95 shipping – Available at Tiny Prints

 

Soft String Lights Corporate Holiday Cards

Does your business need to send holiday greetings? This is a cute squared corporate holiday card from Tiny Prints.

38678 – Corporate Christmas Cards – Soft String Lights Business Holiday Cards – $26.40, 8.95 shipping – Available at Tiny Prints

 

Picture Collage Card

The collage picture card is always fun because you can include photo highlights from the whole year. You can even custumize these cards for different family members.

Shutterfly – Picture Collage, Black 3×5 Folded Card – $21.48, 5.99 shipping – Available at Shutterfly.com

 

Top Ten Of 2014 Flat Card

This is the first time I’ve seen a holiday card like this one. You can include a family photo and your top 10 highlights from the year! What a cute way to update all of your family and closest friends!

Shutterfly – Holiday Cards: Top Ten Of 2014, Multicolor 5×7 Flat Card – $2.16, 0.99 shipping – Available at Shutterfly.com

 

Year In Photos Christmas Card

Want to include more than just a photo? This 5×7 tri-fold card allows you to include numerous photos and gives you plenty of room for your greeting message, as well. 

Shutterfly – Year In Photos Christmas Red 5×7 Tri-Fold Stationery Card – $2.79, 0.99 shipping – Available at Shutterfly.com

 

Flat Holiday Photo Card

Then there’s always the standard flat holiday cards — but you can customize the text and # of photos to your liking.

32579 – Holiday Cards – Flat Holiday Photo Card – $26.90, 8.95 shipping – Available at Tiny Prints

 

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