Wordless Wednesday; Who Day Indeed!

Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky: Jan 14-21, 2020

Book Review: Things in Jars by Jess Kidd

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book from Atria Books, via Netgalley,  free of charge, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own

In the dark underbelly of Victorian London, a formidable female sleuth is pulled into the macabre world of fanatical anatomists and crooked surgeons while investigating the kidnapping of an extraordinary child in this gothic mystery—perfect for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Book of Speculation.

Synopsis:

Bridie Devine—female detective extraordinaire—is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors trading curiosities in this age of discovery.

Winding her way through the labyrinthine, sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing a past that she’d rather keep buried. Luckily, her search is aided by an enchanting cast of characters, including a seven-foot tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary. But secrets abound in this foggy underworld where spectacle is king and nothing is quite what it seems.

Blending darkness and light, history and folklore, Things in Jars is a spellbinding Gothic mystery that collapses the boundary between fact and fairy tale to stunning effect and explores what it means to be human in inhumane times.

Review:

What can I say about this book, but WOW. Talk about a book grabbing you from literally the first page and not letting you go! I read this one LATE into the early hours of the morning, and had I NOT literally fallen asleep reading, would have stayed up to finish it! Jess weaves an amazing tale of a modern lass in spirit, in a Victorian times, with all the oddities that were around! It's Gothic, it's fun, it's police procedural, it's just spell binding! You'll be yelling and cheering, sad and upset with the injustive of a different time! Bridie, and her crew, will stay in your mind long after you finish reading this book! Do NOT miss this one!

About the Author:

Jess Kidd is an award-winning author with a PhD in creative writing from St. Mary’s University in London. She grew up as part of a large family from Ireland’s County Mayo and now lives in London with her daughter. Her first book, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards. Learn more at JessKidd.com.

Book Review: Modern Colored Pencil by Chelsea Ward

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Quatro Publishing via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.

Have you taken on a new creative hobby yet?

What about something from your childhood?

Learn to use colored pencils and watercolor pencils,

to create vibrant, exciting works of art!

Synopsis:

Modern Colored Pencil delves into all the basic techniques and concepts required to create fresh, colorful works of colored pencil art. Talented artist Chelsea Ward takes you on a lively, easy-to-follow exploration of colored pencils in this book, which is packed with creative exercises and projects designed to show you how to work with the versatile, approachable colored pencil medium.

The Modern series of books offers a fun, contemporary approach to working with traditional art media, demonstrating that with the right type of instruction, encouragement, and tips, drawing and painting success can be achieved by any artist or creative type. Modern Colored Pencil begins with a brief introduction to various tools, such as pencils (including colored pencils, graphite pencils, and watercolor pencils), papers, and other tools. This handy book also demonstrates often-complicated concepts, such as color mixing, shading, texture, and more, in an easy, approachable manner. Once you have a handle on the basics, explore how to create dynamic color palettes, use basic shapes and techniques to render a range of subjects, and create various marks and textures.

From beautiful florals and nature motifs to animals and everyday items, Modern Colored Pencil provides a fresh, contemporary, and enjoyable approach to learning how to create vivid artwork in colored pencil.

Review:

This is a great book to take you from not knowing how to work with colored pencils effectively, to learning to how to do more complicated techniques, like blending and layering! The book takes you from the very basics, the different tyoes of colored pencil, and why you need the different ones. Then it takes you onto actual drawing and learning to see shapes, to simplify how you draw, nd to be able to focus on details, an important concept to learn! With actual projects, you can work through, you learn as you are actually completing pieces. This is a huge confidence builder! This is a fun book for tween, teens and adults!

About the Author:

Chelsea Ward is an art teacher and maker of one-of-a-kind creations. Chelsea, who holds a BFA in studio art from University of Texas at Austin, currently manages her small business, Sketchy Notions, and an Etsy shop of custom treasures; teaches art lessons through Arts Outreach; co-hosts Bellissima Art Retreats with Gypsy Studios in Tuscany; and is the head chalk scribbler with Chalk by Chels. She is also the artist behind Cursive Cursing, a line of swear-word greeting cards. Her work has been featured in Elite Wedding Collection and The Knot, among other publications. Chelsea is the author of Modern Drawing, Your Year in Art, and Modern Colored Pencil (Walter Foster Publishing). Learn more at www.chelseawardart.com

Recipe Weekend: The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook by Pamela Compart and Dana Laake

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Quatro Publishing via Edelweiss, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.

Fair Winds Press

Even kids sometimes need a fresh start in the new year!

Synopsis:

The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, 3rd Edition explains the best diets for children with food intolerances and hypersensitivities that stem from altered biochemistry and which may be causing problems in learning, behavior, development, attention, sensory responses, sleep, and digestion. The authors provide guidelines to help parents determine which diets may be helpful for their child’s specific symptoms and needs.

One of the challenges that parents face is coping with children who have picky appetites and crave the very foods that negatively affect their behavior, focus, and development. Linked to this is the challenge of finding ways to get their children to eat the healthy foods that will improve their nutrition. This book provides suggestions for feeding picky eaters, including those with texture issues.

The 3rd edition of The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook provides a current and greatly expanded review of the most commonly used diets that are important in the treatment of ADHD and autism. There are recipes appropriate to specific diets as indicated by icons and descriptors with each recipe. The authors share details about just how and why each diet works, examine specialty ingredients in-depth, and provide extensive resources and references.

The specialty diets covered include:Gluten-free, casein-free, soy-freeFeingold diet: low phenol, low salicylate diet Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet (GAPS)Anti-yeast/candida diets, or Body Ecology DietLow Oxalate Diet (LOD)FODMAP (Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides, And Polyols)Anti-inflammatory dietRotation dietDespite the restrictions of these diets, this cookbook offers an array of tasty choices that kids and the whole family will love, including shakes, muffins, breads, rice and beans, vegetables, salads, main dishes, stews, and even sweets and treats. You’ll also find recommendations for school lunches and snacks.

Review:

If you have a kid on the spectrum, then you know that as more studies come out, and concepts change. So this book is now on it's 3rd publication and updated, and includes modern thoughts on diet and supplements. The books gives parents a lot of info on differnt concepts and diets and then gives you 150 recipes to illustrate that the diets ARE doable, and can be kid-friendly and familiar to them. With this book you can take the unknown out of  all the different books and studies and be confident n YOUR chiices for YOUR child!  I love that the recipes use different symbols, so it is easy to find the ones for the diet you are looking for. If you have a child that is on the spectrum, or suffers with ADD or ADHD, THIS is a book you need to check out!

Recipe:

Here is a everyday recipe that is great for brunch, weekend lunches and quick dinners, 
and everyone will love it!

About the Authors:

Pamela Compart, M.D., is a developmental pediatrician and a functional medicine physician in Columbia, MD. She is the co-author of The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook and The ADHD and Autism Nutritional Supplement Handbook,and is founder and director of HeartLight Healing Arts, Inc., an integrated health care center providing comprehensive traditional and complementary medicine services for children and adults. You can find her at http://www.heartlighthealingarts.com.

Dana Laake, R.D.H., M.S., L.D.N., is a licensed nutritionist and co-author of The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook and The ADHD and Autism Nutritional Supplement Handbook. Within her Maryland-based practice, Dana Laake Nutrition, she provides preventive and therapeutic medical nutrition services. An honors graduate from Temple University, she received her masters’ degree in nutrition from the University of Maryland. You can find her at http://www.danalaake.com.