Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Bee Fun

heh. Bee fun?  What...not funny? (sigh) oookkkayyy...

I found a ton of amazing HoneyBee jewelry on Etsy.  I think I need all of them.  Click on any of the pictures or shop name to visit the page for each item.

These gorgeous earrings are so simple yet very unique.  I love how it looks like the bee is flying!  Made by LeChaim - an adorable Etsy shop I've always loved.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/104686042/gold-bee-earrings-gold-plated-brass-bee?ref=favs_view_8

In fact, LeChaim also made this gorgeous bee pendant with amber colored Topaz.  If you didn't know, Topaz is my birthstone.  Amber Topaz is my favorite of all Topaz.  HoneyBee+Amber Topaz = perfect necklace.  Not to mention they match the earrings perfectly.  (By design I bet... but I like to think it was just a coincidence.)

 What's that? A bee locket?!  From LeChaim shop!? YES PLEASE!!  I absolutely love the blue-ish antique coloring.  It makes the bee stand out against the gorgeous gold.  The detail is amazing - the wing sections, the feelers, stripes, feet... so cool!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/117934442/bee-locket-necklace-gold-brass-locket?ref=shop_home_active_7&ga_search_query=bee
 
This ring made by fifthheaven is so teeny and tiny and cute and amazing!  And silver.  Most bee jewelry is gold - which makes sense - but I like silver jewelry more than gold.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/105680811/sterling-honey-bee-ring-sterling-silver?ref=sr_gallery_22&ga_search_query=bee+jewelry&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto1&ga_search_type=all
So cute and teeny tiny!!!

SimplyChic93 made this stunning bangle.  It's the honey bee hive cells!  Such a unique take on bee jewelry - geeky, chic, and gorgeous.  This would be a great date night or wedding accessory.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/162188452/bee-hive-gold-bangle-gold-bracelet-gold?ref=sr_gallery_23&ga_search_query=bee+jewelry&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fjewelry%2Fbracelet

Adding any of these pieces to your collection?  Happy Bee Day!!

Monday, January 27, 2014

Changes everywhere! :D

Change is good. It was much needed too.  I love changing things up every now and then.  What do we think of the new layout?  I like it!  Much cleaner, easier to read on and girly.  I like girly.

Here's a new button for my site.  Please add it to your site, then let me know you did!  I'll gladly add yours!
HTML: <a href="http://s1056.photobucket.com/user/HilyBee/media/Button1_zps1625b58a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t363/HilyBee/Button1_zps1625b58a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Button1_zps1625b58a.jpg"/></a>

Enjoy the new layout and colors.  All feedback is appreciated (unless you hate it so much you're going to be mean...then please keep that to yourself).  Happy Revamping Day!

Friday, January 24, 2014

Review Day: Forever Mine

Hey guys!  I have another book review for you today.  This one is not suitable for anyone under the age of 16 - some mature content is involved.

Title: Forever Mine (Moreno Brothers Book 1)
Author: Elizabeth Reyes
My Rating: 5 Stars!!!!

Book Blurb:
Seventeen-year old Sarah's life is turned upside down when her single mom is sent to jail. She's forced to move, leaving behind everything she's ever known, including her best friend Sydney. Lost and bitter in a new school, her one goal is to save money and move back home. Then she meets Angel Moreno.

Enigmatic but gorgeous, Angel is almost too good to be true. Except for one thing, his archaic belief that guys and girls can never be "just friends". The problem? Sarah's best friend Sydney is not a girl.

With their unexpected romance intensifying to places neither ever experienced, how long can Sarah keep Angel in the dark about the guy waiting for her back home?

My Review:
Oh.My.Goodness.  This was an incredible read!  I started the book not knowing what it was even about.  It was next on my TBR list.  I fell in love with the book after only one chapter!  The detail, emotion and incredible story captured my attention and wouldn't let go.  Now, this book is definitely a romance book.  We follow the story of Sarah, a seventeen year old girl who's life is changed forever when her Mom is sent to jail.  She moves in with her cousin and falls in love with a young man named Angel.  Their intense feelings lead to so much more than Sarah ever expected, but she also might lose her oldest best friend in the process - Sydney.

Elizabeth took a normal YA novel and turned up the heat.  The story was intense, hilarious (I was giggling like a kid in a candy store), emotional and amazing.  I clung to every page and couldn't put it down.  Now, I'm not normally a huge romance novel fan, but Elizabeth Reyes changed my mind!

Give it a read - it's free on Kindle!  Happy Review Day!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Yosuke's Review Day: Pet Shoppe Sweet Potato Chicken Wraps

I picked up some new treats for Yosuke the other week.  He loves dehydrated sweet potato so I thought, why not? Oven baked sweet potato chicken wrap sticks should be a hit!  I've been trying to only feed him single ingredient treats as much as possible.  He has to maintain his gorgeous figure somehow right?
These treats are by Pet Shoppe, a brand I found at Walgreens (I know, I know... not a "pet supplies" store).  The treats have three ingredients: sweet potato, chicken and vegetable glycerin.  Sweet potato is very good for dogs.  Sweet potatoes are high in fiber (always good to uh.. keep things moving), good for teeth in place of raw hyde, high in amino acids and antioxidants.  Basically, these little potatoes taste good and are good for your pup in moderation.  Chicken is a great source of protein for dogs, which is just plain good all around for dogs.  Vegetable Glycerin is a sweetener and preservative (sad to see these had it but at least its very little) used in many sources of food.  It's not good in large doses, because it does have some caloric value, but is better than pure sugar for animals.

Basically these treats are designed to be semi-sweet, with health values added.  What's not to like?

Yosuke's Review:
Mom brought home these new things she wanted me to eat and they were not good.  I pretended like I liked them by barking and bouncing like normal, but really they weren't good at all.  The treats are supposed to be chewy, but really they're just hard!  HilyBee: Uhhmm.. yeah... the packaging kind of tore wrong when I opened it so it won't reseal.  Guess that's my fault!  Oops!

Anyways, these smelly treats taste so good but make me so mad!  All I do is wander around with it because I have no idea what to do with it!  The only thing its good for is teasing Sera (my BFF cat friend whom I torcher love to pieces).  She thinks they smell good too.  Smells are important you know.. but the smell has to lead to something yummy.  These are not yummy.  They are super hard to eat too.  For a chewer like me, that's not fair!  I love chewies and killing stuffties, but these just aren't fun to gnaw on.  They break off in huge pieces causing me to spit them out and eat the pieces.
Ignore Mom's man hands.
Chewy size: Too small for even my tiny cuteness!
Taste: Meh... just okay.
Smell: Super smelly, but not annoying to the humans

Pros - Wheat, soy and corn free; two healthy ingredients (chicken and sweet potato); super smelly but not annoying; oven baked; low in calories and fat

Cons -  Very awkward shape (long rectangles that don't cut up well for smaller bites); Not easy to chew; Harden easily if you don't keep tightly sealed; vegetable glycerin is the third ingredient; makes Yosuke whine and whine and whine!; looks like something my cat would throw up

I'd give them 2 out of 4 paws up for having two natural ingredients.  We won't be eating these anymore or buying them again.

Any recommendations for better chewies that are all natural?  I'm tired of Mom's horrible and boring homemade treats.  There's only so much peanut butter and rice cereal I can stand!

Happy Review Day!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

8 books and counting...


I've been reading like crazy lately.  I've finished 8 books and 6 short stories in the last 8 days.  I think I need help.  Happy Reading!

**Photos from Aestes Book Blog**

Monday, January 13, 2014

Review Day: Eyrie (Book 2)

It's Review Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: Eyrie - Society of Feathers #2
Author: Emma Michael's
My Rating: 5 stars

Book Blurb:
Somewhere between falling and flying…you will find the truth.

The truth is being unveiled and Iris’ past is unlike anything she ever could have guessed. For Stryx, finding your missing half doesn’t always mean finding your mate. Iris has been missing a part of herself for so long that no one is sure she will be able to put the pieces back together and her ever reliable dreams may be forcing her astray. Coping with the death of someone she loved, she is forced to face the truth and break free from the lies that have caged her.

Emma Michaels' Bio:

Emma Michaels is the author of the ‘A Sense of Truth’ and ‘Society of Feathers’ series. Her goal with her latest YA series the 'Society of Feathers' is to give others what she did not have growing up; a strong female protagonist with asthma.  While her previous aspiration was to be a lady knight she realized that not being able to run more than a few feet might become a hindrance so turned to writing instead. Her day jobs include being a cover artist, marketing consultant and silk screen designer.

As the founder of The Writers Voice blog (http://OurBooksOurVoice.Blogspot.com) she loves to connect authors and readers. As a book blogger turned author, she was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, until she moved at eighteen to Washington State. Suddenly, the world was a new place filled with tall green trees that reached further for the sky with every moment, making her want to do the same. Ever since, she has tried to make her life something new and different from what it was before, pursuing her future career, setting high goals and reaching for them. With the support of her fiancé, Chihuahua, and her amazing blog followers and fellow bloggers, she wants to prove to the world that anything is possible and help inspire fellow literary lovers to reach for their dreams.

My Review:
Emma Michael's has done it again!  The sequel to an amazing first novel, Eyrie is filled with more romance, drama, action and of course unforgettable characters.  Eyrie blends perfectly into the series.  We pick up with Iris learning more about her past, her owlet side and her heritage.  She learns how to control her abilities and what it means to be Stryx.

This incredible series is a fast paced read and so much fun.  I thoroughly enjoy reading each installment in the series.  Its a good mix of mystery, romance, fantasy and history.  There is so much packed into each book, but not in a bad way. Miss Michaels does an incredible job of giving the reader enough detail to paint a picture, but not too much to overwhelm you.  The minute you begin Eyrie you are transported into Iris' world and mind.  I'm absolutely blown away by how attached I've become to the characters and the story.  I have an emotional attachment to all of them - even the bad characters.  I highly recommend this series to everyone!  Sit back and enjoy!  But... start with book one. ;)

Enter to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card below!

Happy Review Day!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Winter TLC - Snowpocalypse 2014

With the incredibly beautiful terrible horrific stupid annoying sh*t storm snowy rainy weather that decided to hit and screw up all my plans... I'm going to treat myself to a little mini-vaca TLC in the middle of the "snowpocalypse 2014".

Facials, nails, video gaming, cleaning, rearranging, sleeping in and cuddling are just what the doctor ordered.  Stay warm friends!  If you're stuck inside, make the most of it!  Enjoy the time you have off to spend getting those things done you've been meaning to for weeks (or months).  Pamper yourself and spend time with your family (or fur-family).  Stay safe and warm!