Friday, August 31, 2012

Drop It Like It's HOT Hop 8/31

Welcome to Drop It Like It's Hot Hop! This hop is hosted by Charisma Media Network

Nook Color Giveaway

Welcome to the Nook Color 8MB Giveaway!

BuyDig has teamed up with Kate n' Kaboodle and co-hosts News Wahl and Colleen's Book Nook to bring you this wonderful Back to School giveaway!

This fabulous giveaway includes a 8GB Nook Color and a $25 Barnes & Noble Giftcard!

The Barnes & Noble 8GB Nook Color features the 7 inch VividView Touchscreen that displays 16 million colors ultra-bright. This touchscreen is specially designed for remarkable clarity, minimal glare and is ultra responsive. The Nook Color is fully customizable so you can make the text bigger, choose your favorite font or read in portrait or landscape.

Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Textbooks, Comics...if you want to read it, the Nook Color can deliver in seconds with it's built-in WiFi capabilities! With over 2.5 million titles available, there is something for everyone. There is an endless list of free books and you can even save up to 90% on textbooks!

Concerned about storage? Worry no more! With 8GB (up to 5,000 books) of built-in memory and expandable storage up to 32GB with microSD memory card, there is plenty of room!

Whether you want to watch movies with Netflix, read your favorite book, listen to music, check your Facebook, search the web or enjoy a wide variety of apps, the Nook Color is for you!

Read Kate n' Kaboodle's Review here and check out her other Back To School giveaways!

Connect with BuyDig

Online, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Blog, G+

Buy It

BuyDig currently has the 8GB Nook Color available on their website for $149!

Win It

One winner will receive a 8MB Nook Color and a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card!

Enter on the Rafflecopter below. US Only.

Good luck!

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Disclaimer: This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment, nor did I receive any compensation for this post.

Social Media Party Hop 8/29 #charismamedia

By Kechell E. 2:04 PM // No comments

Welcome to the Social Media Party Hop brought to you by Charisma Media!

Are you ready to party?! This party does not require an invitation because everyone is invited! Are you looking to improve your social media reach? Looking to make new friends and fans? Why not link up to our 4 way social media hop!

Metropolitan 5 Piece Dining Set Giveaway

By Kechell E. 1:33 PM // No comments

Hosted by: Mom Blog Society Co-Hosted By: My Vegan Gluten Free Life Powered By Mom Military Travel Mama Route249 Mom Does Reviews Mom To Bed By 8

OPEN WORLD WIDE

Prize: Metropolitan 5 Piece Dining Set, Black (residents outside of the US will receive a $180 Walmart Gift Certificate instead.

The Metropolitan 5-Piece Dining Furniture Set makes the perfect contemporary addition to any home. This dining room furniture features four upholstered chairs and a rectangular table in an elegant brown finish. Constructed from sturdy rubber wood, the furniture set provides extra stability and durability. The compact design of this dinning furniture allows it to fit perfectly into small apartments. This rubber wood dinning set has a good solid construction that looks distinctly elegant. The chairs do not wobble. They have cushioned seats with 100 percent polyurethane fill for added comfort. The 5-piece dining table set is shipped to your home in one box and will require assembly upon delivery.

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Deja Vu All Over Again by James Strait

By Kechell E. 5:20 AM // No comments

IT HAD LONG BEEN DEBATED THAT THE END OF DAYS FOR PLANET EARTH WAS SET IN CONCRETE AS DECEMBER 21, 2012. Mathematical savant Ana Christensen was merely following her instincts when working a theorem in a direction and style that could have never been accepted by traditional mathematicians. As a result she stumbled upon an ancient Mayan creation, a time loop beginning in 3114BC and ending on the long contested twenty first century date. In a dynamic race against time, Ana and her male compatriot battle the forces of individual evil, bureaucracy, paramilitary mercenaries, and most powerful of all…destiny.

James Strait’s professional career began as a Special Forces soldier, where he demonstrated youthful tenacity and versatility by becoming the youngest recruit to graduate Special Forces Training Group.

After the military he enjoyed a thirty-year career as a professional pilot flyingover one hundred different types and categories of airplanes. In parallel, Mr. Strait operated a small business providing a variety of services to civilian companies and the military.

After retirement from professional aviation, Mr. Strait transitioned into broadcast radio where he has hosted “Strait Talks” radio since 2006. He began his professional writing career with the release of “Weird Missouri”, in 2008. His most recent book, “Déjà vu All Over Again” is an action adventure novel taking place in the final 57 hours prior to the calendar turning 12-21-2012.

His future projects involve the release of his third book, “Thomas Jefferson is Missing”. He will also be hosting Book Talk Radio, debuting in the fall of 2012.

Chapter Five

“Dinner Comes to an End”

Ana had dropped all pretenses at disguising the reality of our moment. “I know that we’re under surveillance because I’ve been tracking the actions of two men who are employees of the NCCS and work for the head of Internal Security… I interrupted—”You mean that you’ve been following their actions in real time?” I asked, with a sense of building concern. ‘Yes, I discovered them after first connecting Shitz to the head of Internal Security, and then following the actions of Anthony Noone—he’s the head of Internal Security,” Ana said, expanding my view of our circumstance. “These men are very good at what they do, and they scare me because they are stone cold killers,” Ana added, obviously fearful. “I’ve seen what they did to their last assignment, and I can tell you that he’ll never see the inside of a jail cell, or a court room—and he’ll never hack again—ever,” she added with emphasis. Tightness began to invade my body; a sensation that I get when I don’t have a clear understanding of a circumstance that implies that physical harm may come to me, or to someone that I care about. “Ana, where are these men right now?” I asked, hoping that the hair on the back of my neck was lying to me. She reached into her purse, which had been lying open beside her on the bench seat of the booth. Picking up her Blackberry she scrolled through a handful of pages of what looked like hieroglyphics—with a look of surprise and concern she said, “They have just arrived outside the restaurant and are parking their car.” Stunned, I felt immediate concern, but also thought that this was the first real test about whether Ana’s story was true, or the fabrication of a deranged mind housed in the head of one of the most attractive women on the planet. Regardless, that little voice in my head was telling me it was time to act. “We’re leaving”, I said while standing. Ana quickly picked up her purse and stood with the Blackberry still in her hand. ”Wait”, she said grabbing my forearm, “they’re going to come through the front door any second.” No sooner had she stopped talking than the front entrance door swung open and two middle aged Caucasian men walked in and stepped up to the hostess stand. I don’t believe in coincidence and those two men looked the part of action-oriented guys—Ana had

passed the first test of believability—and I was experiencing conflicting emotions about that fact. I was pleased that she was real, but displeased that two bad guys had entered our lives. The two men were now showing the hostess what looked to be a photograph. I knew that we had to move quickly and my system responded with a generous injection of

adrenalin into a stomach that was ninety percent empty.

I was on high alert and began calculating our next actions, which were going to have

to happen while on the move.

“This way”, I said, grabbing Ana’s forearm and pulling her towards me using

enough force to encourage her to follow.

As we began to walk in a deceptively brisk manner towards the back of the room I

was looking for a way out the rear of the restaurant.

“Do you see a back door to this place?” I asked Ana.

She scanned from left to right and confirmed that she too had not seen a way out

the back, which made little sense because there’s always a way out the back. We were

only a couple of steps away from a wait staff service station that was filled with napkins,

silverware, water glasses and large pitchers of what looked like iced tea.

As we passed the service station a waitress appeared from between two curtains.

The drapery had blended so well with the décor in the reduced light of the romantically lit

restaurant that I hadn’t seen that way into the back of the building.

Pulling Ana with me, I brushed past the waitress and walked through the curtains as

if I owned the place. Startled and also a little offended, the waitress immediately turned

to us and asked if we were looking for the restrooms.

In retrospect, had I known how much of a scene my ignoring her inquiry about our

need for a toilet was to cause, I’d have politely turned to her and said, yes, while still

walking towards the rear of the building. But as it happened, I just kept walking towing

Ana with me as I went.

My actions excited the waitress who was now talking in a voice that could be

heard throughout the restaurant, no doubt in an effort to gain the attention of her boss.

Unfortunately, it first gained the attention of the two bad men who had been assigned the

job of dealing with Ana—and by association, me.

Soon the volume of the waitresses voice elevated to the volume of barking dog, and

I knew then that an encounter with the bad guys was inevitable. It also dawned on me that

they probably didn’t know that I was with their prey.

Stopping in midstride I turned to face Ana.

“Listen, I don’t think they are after me because they don’t have any reason to know

that we’re together,” I said in a manner that she misinterpreted.

”You’re right” Ana said with a look of disappointment on her face.

I knew that she thought I was trying to justify a way to divorce myself from her

problem, and therefore not have to deal with her stalkers.

“Ana, I’m not leaving you, I just need an edge, so here’s what we do”, I then

explained in ten seconds my plan for our escape.

Without hesitation Ana exited the curtains walking back towards the booth that we

had vacated no more than a minute earlier. Not five seconds later Noone’s goons, whose

eye’s had adjusted to the dimly lit interior of the restaurant, began to make their way

towards Ana.

Peeking out towards them from behind the curtains, I invested a second of time to

measure their potential.

The tallest was an honest six feet in height and built like a long distance runner, the

other guy was about five feet eight and built more like a gymnast. They were both very

capable looking fellows, so I knew that I was going to succeed against them only with the

aid of surprise.

It was a gamble that they hadn’t seen me with Ana and I was hoping that when I

walked up to them they would think that I was either another patron, or an employee

looking to offer them assistance.

As I emerged from the curtains I could see that Ana was engaged in a conversation

with the taller bad guy and his partner was standing alongside of Ana facing the entrance

with his back to me. Walking into the waitress service area I reached in and grabbed a

white linen table napkin and also a full pitcher of iced tea.

Again looking towards Ana, I saw that the gymnast had taken hold of her upper

right arm much as I had her forearm only two minutes earlier. As unrealistic as it may

seem, his touching her made me genuinely angry—I took it personal. In a brief period of

time I had become very connected to that gorgeous woman with the incredible brain, and

no man or woman was going to lay an unfriendly hand on her and not pay a price.

Had I any previous reservations about getting physical with these two hired thugs

that reluctance had instantly gone away once the short one grabbed Ana’s arm.

I quickly exited the service area and walked towards the trio trying to look like a

waiter who was making rounds offering to refill half full glasses.

As I approached the three of them I could hear the short man say to Ana, “It’ll be

better if you don’t put up a fuss.”

Better for whom, I thought—knowing that Ana was in genuine jeopardy with those

two.

Hearing that kind of statement cemented in my mind what I was going to do, and

gave me an additional shot of adrenalin.

I’d only get one shot at making it work successfully, and I didn’t have the luxury of

a dress rehearsal. In less time than it takes to blink, I assessed that if I hit the short one on

the back of the head with the pitcher of iced tea, knocking him unconscious, that the taller

one would be shocked into in-action for a fraction of a second.

Those kinds of operators are pretty quick to think on their feet, and adapt during a

fluid event, so I’d not have long to follow through and take care of him also. To do that

meant that once the short one started to go to the floor that I’d have to move beyond

Ana to apply force to the taller one, but Ana stood between me and the taller one—so I

decided that I’d just apologize to Ana after-the-fact.

Playing it out in my mind motion by motion—in slow motion—I accelerated my

gate the last two steps while I brought the pitcher of iced tea up to shoulder level at arm’s

length and swung it at the short thugs’ right ear as if I were attempting to remove his head

from his torso.

The sound of the heavy pitcher hitting his head made a sickening dull thud and

produced much more feedback through my arm than I had anticipated—I had expected

the pitcher to break. It was good for my immediate need, but it was bad for him. All of

the pitchers kinetic energy had transferred through the dense skull of the professional

bully, creating so much movement of the brain inside his then fractured skull that vital

arteries were torn loose from their connective placements, shutting his brain down

instantly.

He dropped like I’d turned off a light switch.

Committed and motivated, and not then knowing that the first one was out for

the count, I continued forward without hesitation. In one continuous motion I pushed

Ana aside where she fell into an adjacent booths bench seat. Then, while carrying my

momentum towards the remaining vertical bad guy, I anchored my left foot to the floor

as I raised my right leg as high as possible with my knee bent at a ninety degree angle,

effectively cocking my leg and making the sole of my shoe the next thing to make contact

with the slim framed operatives’ chest.

Moving forward and doing my best to accelerate all of my actions, I kicked my right

foot into the six footers solar plexus and tried to envision my foot exiting his back. He

too went down without hesitation but was still conscious as he fell and he instinctively

extended his arms to break his awkward backwards fall. Knowing that I had to hit him

a second time, I kept moving forward and took advantage of that split second moment

when his arms were still in the process of absorbing energy as he hit the floor.

With a small leap I became airborne above his body and again brought my right

thigh close into my chest, this time bending the knee so that my calve folded up against

my hamstring, effectively creating a blunt force weapon out of my knee cap. As I

descended towards the supine bad guy I could see in his face that he had accepted that

my next blow was unavoidable. His arms couldn’t reach me in time to prevent my knee

hammering into his already wounded solar plexus. When my knee sank into his chest I

could feel internal structures buckle, and in that same instant his face went calm.

Ana would later tell me from her referencing quantum space data, that his heart had

stopped on the thirty-third second, of the twelfth minute, of the twentieth hour, of the one

hundred and third day, of his forty-eighth year on planet earth.

Death of the bad guys was not part of my plan, but it was too late, the action was

now in the history books—or maybe I should say, quantum space.

Not knowing for certain that the first bad guy was down for good, I rose and turned

quickly to see if he had started to regain some composure. Seeing that he was still down

unconscious I grabbed Ana by the hand and pulled her along with me as we stepped over

the body of what used to be a pretty effective field operative for the Internal Security

Division of the NCCS.

“Goddamn it, I thought to myself.

Whoever owned those two was going to be pissed, really pissed, and now far more

motivated to track us down—and they won’t underestimate us a second time.

Exiting the restaurant rapidly, I pushed down a dire sense of dread.

“Now they know there’s two of us,” I said to Ana.

Ana was too busy trying to wrap her mind around all that had just happened to

answer my statement about the obvious.

As we walked towards my car I found that my keys were not in my pocket and

realized that they must have fallen out during all of my lethal acrobatics. Ana’s car was

next to mine so we jumped in, started the engine, put the car in gear and drove away with

the same fluidity of motion that I had used inside the eatery while neutralizing two bad

guys.

I looked over at Ana hoping to see in her expression a sense of relief, but what I saw was fragility. “I’m sorry that things happened the way that they did in there”, I said to Ana sincerely. Those two were going to take you, and if you’d have left the building with them it would have been the end of the game for me, and maybe for you”, I said, trying to both explain and justify my actions. “I realize that”, Ana replied, “it’s just that I’ve never been near any kind of violence before—it’s disturbing—I’m shaking inside.” “Yes, I understand, but I really had no attractive alternate choice. When I saw the short guy grab your arm and then tell you to not resist—well—from that point forward I was going to remove them from the equation, at least for that moment in time” I said, explaining my actions. Ana was still holding onto her Blackberry and she scrolled through a couple of pages and then looked over at me with a look of anguish on her face. “They’re dead,” she said flatly with all of her air exiting her chest in one big shoulder dropping exhalation. “You mean those guys in the restaurant are both dead?” I asked not wanting to believe that I’d just killed two Federal agents. “Well yesss—those two guys” Ana said exasperated. Ana looked at me for a moment, and I was suddenly uncomfortable being scrutinized by the woman that I ‘d just saved from a potentially lethal kidnapping. “Who are you?” Ana asked, “I’ve never seen anything like that other than in a movie.” “Ana, I’m that same guy who came to you this morning looking for understanding about seeing an old code on his laptop. I had no idea that you were who you are, or that you are doing the kind of work that you are doing. I didn’t know about quantum space, or DEEP, or the Internal Security Division of NCCS. And I sure as hell didn’t wake this morning thinking that I’d wind up the killer of two other human beings today, even if they were bad people—and Federal contractors no less!” I explained with controlled animation. Ana was justifiably upset, but I too had just been involved in an action that was going to forever alter my life. Both of our lives were now far more complicated than when we woke this morning, and trouble was now promised at every corner. If nothing else, it was important that we keep the air clear between us. “And I’ll tell you what’s also disturbing”, I said to my new partner in intrigue, “when I dropped my knee onto the tall guys chest and watched his face go slack—I felt a sense of déjà vu—a really strong sense of déjà vu—and to be honest, I feel slightly nauseous because of it.” “But what’s most disturbing is that I sense that you fear me now, and that would be unfair to me—and to you, because I’d take a bullet for you. I can’t explain why, but I’ve felt close to you and protective of you from the first moments we spent together”, I confessed hoping for understanding. Ana continued to sit quietly, but soon broke her silence. “Me too”, she said in a calm, controlled voice. “Me too, what?” I asked.

“I felt that same closeness to you”, Ana said, looking me directly in the eyes, and weakening my knees in the process. “Well, we’re into it now”, I said again, stating the obvious. “No matter what the reasons were prior to a few minutes ago, soon, all the stops are going to be removed in an effort to reel us in. How can that Blackberry help us out?” I asked. Scrolling through her data she turned to me and said, “Drive north, we’re going to Philadelphia.”

Jame’s personal/radio website is www.straittalks.com
Website Link : www.DejavuAllOverAgainBook.com The book can be purchased at:
www.dejavualloveragainbook.com
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/155138
http://www.amazon.com/DÃ©jÃ-vu-All-Over-Again/dp/0741466546/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340502874&sr=8-3&keywords=deja+vu+all+over+again
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deja-vu-all-over-again-james-strait/1107080360?ean=9780741466549

Action Campaign: No Kid Hungry

By Kechell E. 3:38 PM // No comments

Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign released a report this week that revealed startling statistics about children and hunger in the United States. According to the report:

3 out of 5 teachers say they have children in their classrooms who regularly come to school hungry
4 out of 5 of those teachers say these children come to school hungry at least once a week.
A majority of teachers who see hunger as a problem believe the problem is growing.

They also released an infographic that shows the problem in full detail. You can see the infographic, share it with your readers, and see how you can help. Spreading the word about this problem to your networks is a great place to start!

Tweet: 3 in 5 #teachers say students regularly come to school hungry. You can help: http://bit.ly/O4jIHp #NoKidHungry #socialgoodmoms

Drop It Like It's HOT Hop 8/24

By Kechell E. 2:16 AM // No comments

Welcome to Drop It Like It's Hot Hop! This hop is hosted by Charisma Media Network

Creative Bioscience: 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge Update

By Kechell E. 1:25 PM // No comments

So, I am more than half way done with my weight loss challenge from Creative Bioscience.

When I first started out it was kind of hard to stick with it. Finding the time to workout and remember to take the pills everyday.

With all weight loss you should be on a healthy diet. Creative Bioscience provided me with a list of foods that I should eat to help the weight loss along while using the pills. Sometimes I wouldn't stick to the list, and the loss was slowed down.

Up to this point I have lost 15lbs. This is a great achievement for me but it was not all easy. I started using my Wii fit for working out and now have a steady workout plan that I can stick to. Things are still going good and I am stay on track.

Roll Call by Glenn Langohr

By Kechell E. 8:15 AM // 1 comment

Book Blurb:

"Whacks you aside the head with the force of a baseball bat. Langohr's incredible description of his fight for survival in prison has 'screenplay' written all over it." John South, American Media
Roll Call is a story with a cast of characters that include Mexican drug cartels, southern California street gangs and Hell's Angels all fighting for their piece of the drug culture. In the middle of it all, B.J. is hell bent for destruction until he realizes his destiny in the nick of time.
Add a good detective squeezed out of the loop by an overzealous narcotic detective; a robust prison union trying to call the shots; a handful of drug criminals trying to find their conscience and you have the perfect recipe for a revolutionary uprising, bound by blood, all leaving the reader wondering, who are the real criminals?
Glenn Langohr's other books include: Upon Release ( Roll Call Volume 2 ) .99 cents with kindle, Race Riots ( Prison Killers Book 1 ), Lock Up Diaries ( Prison Killers Book 2 ), Gladiator ( Prison Killers Book 3 ) and Underdog ( Prison Killers Book 4 )

Excerpt:
Vince wrapped his body around Candy’s in a spoon position. She was facing the other way and he breathed in the fragrance of her shampoo and thought about things. I’ve been out of prison for almost three years; I’m off parole and back in Orange County. Why did I feel so drawn back to this county? Why didn’t’ I just stay in Bakersfield with my Mom where parole and life was so easy? I know why, life is boring out there and I missed this area. Feeling Candy’s heart beating too fast and her foot kicking, Vince thought about being released from Pelican Bay and then High Desert. He remembered paroling with Damon and the pact he made not to do any more speed no matter what! He remembered telling Damon how he could see that speed the biker slammed into his vein clearly, how it sent him off on a path that went in so many directions, but guaranteed that it would end in prison. Now here he is, discharged from parole and back in Orange County with this gorgeous girl, Candy for the past two months. Her heart is beating too fast. Vince thought, Candy got out of rehab two months ago and seemed to fall in love with me instantly. Now I know I’m in love with her. Vince looked at the alarm clock he’d set up with the small mirror angled just right until he could see Candy’s face. Her eyes were open and her eye lids were flashing open like a butterfly’s wings. Vince thought about what he’d heard about Candy. There were rumors she had been an escort, a high priced one. It was said she used to have a route through the most expensive gated communities in south Orange County where she stopped and did what she did to get her bills paid and clothes and other presents bought for her. Supposedly she didn’t have sex with any of them, rather she was more like a mobile stripper who teased and flaunted her way through wallets and credit cards. Vince laughed, I should have known, with her name, Candy.

Links:
Amazon page for the U.S. http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00571NY5A
For the U.K. My blog http://www.lockdownpublishing.com
Glenn’s facebook pages http://www.facebook.com/#!/glennlangohrcalifornia
http://www.facebook.com/lockdownpublishingdotcom
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roll-Call-and-Lock-Up-Diaries-by-Glenn-Langohr-Amazon/210255492329535
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/lockdownpublishing

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Roll-Call-Glenn-Thomas-Langohr/dp/1439246084/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343503959&sr=8-1&keywords=Roll+Call

Trailer:

Ciao by Bethany Lopez

By Kechell E. 8:00 AM // 1 comment

Synopsis:

Melissa has had a fantastic summer hanging out with her friends and making new ones. Life as she knows it will change when they all come together to begin their sophomore year at Dearborn High. Connections will be made and friendships will be tested. Will Melissa's family and friends be able to help her through the challenges she will face in the upcoming months?

Bio:

Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult novel. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her contemporary Young Adult series, Stories About Melissa. Ta Ta for Now!, xoxoxo, and Ciao.

Excerpt:
ENTRY ONE
My Fifteenth Birthday:
Happy Birthday to me…. That's right I'm now fifteen years old. You may be wondering where I have been all summer, since I haven't written since the day of the Buddy Walk. Well, that last entry filled up my journal. I can't believe I filled two journals already. I didn't realize how much I like to write! I kept meaning to get another one, but I have been so busy that I just never got around to it. I have to say, I have really missed writing things down at night. I was so happy when I opened Megan's present, and she'd gotten me another journal for my birthday. She said it is going to be a tradition, and she promised not to write in this one!
I know I have a lot to write about my summer, but I have to tell you about my birthday party first. I had such a great time.
My actual birthday was yesterday, so I celebrated with the family last night. We all went out to dinner and then they gave me presents when we got home. Mikey gave me some nail polish and Monica drew me a picture of the two of us playing Barbie's (I think that was a hint!). My parents gave me some gift cards, because I like to pick out my own clothes rather than have them pick them out, and they also gave me a new iPod, which I totally needed. Max smiled at me, so I took that as my gift from him. He is turning into a really cute little guy.
To celebrate with my friends, I wanted to do a BBQ deal at the house and just invite everyone over for a great party. So I contacted my friends and told them to invite their friends, and my dad agreed to man the BBQ and try not to be too intrusive.
I went with pink and white colors, because I just love that combo, and my friend, Cassie, helped me pick out decorations and decide what to wear.
Cassie just moved to Dearborn. She moved in a few doors down from my house at the end of June. Being the outgoing and super friendly person that I am, I went down and introduced myself. Turns out she's really cool, and we've spent a lot of time together this summer. She will be starting DHS as a sophomore with me in a few short days. She already knows Brian and Jimmy, of course, but the BBQ gave her a chance to meet everyone that she will be going to school with this year.
Anyway, it turned into an all-out bash! I was feeling particularly cute (Yoga is making me totally toned!) in my baby doll pink ruffled tank with white shorts and white sandals. I wore my hair in a side braid with pink hoop earrings and this sweet white flower ring that Cassie gave me as a birthday present. Mom kept Monica and Max entertained and Megan wandered outside a couple of times to grab cheese cubes and a hot dog, but was ghost most of the day. Mikey hung out with my friends the most, but it didn't bother me. He played catch and basketball with some of the guys and stayed out of my hair.
Brian brought Mo along with him, but promised that there wouldn't be any trouble, and there wasn't. They've had football practice for about a month now to get ready for the season, so they brought some of the guys from the team along with them. Jimmy brought Kasey, Joshua, and Joe, who run track with him, and they brought their girlfriends. I hadn't talked to any of them very much since my fallout with Layla, but they were all really cool. The others who came must have heard from word of mouth, because I had about fifty people from school at my house. It was awesome!
The biggest surprise came about halfway through my party. I was looking for Jimmy and couldn't find him anywhere. He'd told me to come find him later, so he could give me my present. Just when I was about to give up, I saw him coming out of my house, and I started towards him. He caught my eye and smiled and then turned to motion to something behind him - and Jess walked out! I let out a "Whoop!" and went running up to hug her. She wasn't supposed to be home until the day before school, so this was totally unexpected.
"OMG, Jess! What are you doing here?" I squealed, holding her close and not wanting to let her go.
"I wanted to surprise you. Happy Birthday, Mis!"
"You totally did! I'm so happy you're here!" I said as I led her down the stairs.
"Jimmy, you knew about this didn't you?" I accused, laughing as I turned towards him.
"Yeah… It was tough not telling you, but I knew it would be a great surprise!" he explained, grabbing Jess for a quick hug and telling her that he missed her too.
She hugged him back and smiled. Then she turned to Cassie, who had come up next to me and said, "You must be Cassie. I've heard so much about you. I feel like I know you already! Welcome to Dearborn!"
"Me too! I mean, I feel like I know you too, with as much as Melissa has talked about you. Thanks, and welcome back," Cassie replied, looking quite stunning. Her hair is a striking red and she has brilliant green eyes. She totally looks like a supermodel and I would hate her if she wasn't my friend. She would be intimidating if she wasn't so sweet and friendly.
So, the party was pretty much perfect after that. My mom even gave me a letter from Ben, which she'd saved for me, since he wrote "Happy Birthday" on the front of the envelope. In fact, I have been saving it and didn't think about it until now, so I'm going to sign off now so that I can go and read it. I'll write more later to fill in the blanks about my summer vacation!

Website/Social Media Links:
IAN - http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/bethany-lopez.html
Webpage - http://www.bethanylopez.blogspot.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/BethanyLopez2
Facebook - http://on.fb.me/LypEaO
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/bethanylopez2/

Buying Info:
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WBHIRM
B&N - http://bit.ly/NwTgBg

Back to School Nook Color Event - Blogger Sign-Up

By Kechell E. 5:02 PM // No comments

Sign up's are now open for the Kate n' Kaboodle Back to School Nook Color Event!

This is a free blogger event!

Prize: Barnes & Noble NOOK Color 8GB Memory with Wifi

Dates: Aug.30 - Sept.13

Metropolitan 5 Piece Dining Set, Black-Blogger Event

By Kechell E. 4:39 PM // No comments

Metropolitan 5-Piece Dining Furniture Set

Solid rubber wood with Black finish
This elegant 5-piece dining set features classic yet modern design
Table: 29
Chair: 35.5

Open Worldwide (outside of the US will receive a $180 Walmart Gift Certificate instead.) The event dates: August 18th - September 2nd Requirement to join Free Facebook and FREE MOM BLOG SOCIETY FAN PAGE LINK. THE MOM BLOG SOCIETY FAN PAGE LINK is for YOUR FAN PAGE. IF you haven't set one up do so now. Your fan page link will look similar to this: (http://momblogsociety.com/index.php?do=/ladonnadennis/)

[ SIGN UP HERE ]

Drop It Like It's HOT Hop 8/10

By Kechell E. 3:02 AM // No comments

Welcome to Drop It Like It's Hot Hop! This hop is hosted by Charisma Media Network

Social Media Party Hop 8/8 #charismamedia

By Kechell E. 4:59 AM // 1 comment

Welcome to the Social Media Party Hop brought to you by Charisma Media!

Summer #BlogChallenge Day #35

By Kechell E. 4:05 AM // No comments

-- Talk about a fear you have.

A fear I have? Well for sure one fear I have is being alone. Not like not having a certain person or not being around people. But being alone in the sense of never finding someone to be with.

Now I will tell you why. I have meet a good amount of guys and most of them just want to hookup and I'm not down for that. The guys that I'm interested in are not interested back (because I'm not putting out), they are already taken, or they are not interested for other reasons.

So, I have grown to think that I am somewhat unattractive and I will not meet someone. That's why I fear that I will be alone.

Maybe I don't have anything to worry about, but who knows :)

Summer Blog Challenge

Day 33 | Day 34

Summer #BlogChallenge Day #34

By Kechell E. 3:50 AM // No comments

--To celebrate Independence Day, you are "free" to post whatever you want.

So, for the Fourth of July I stayed at home and my mom cooked while my dad barbecued. My nephew and I stood outside and watched to fireworks. It was his first Fourth of July so the fireworks scared him a little bit but he did enjoy looking at them.

It was a pretty chill and laid-back day, but than it usually is.

Summer Blog Challenge

Day 32 | Day 33

Summer #BlogChallenge Day #31

By Kechell E. 3:26 AM // No comments

--Talk about something eco friendly that you already do.

I try my best to be as eco-friendly as possible. Something that I already do is turn the lights off in rooms when there is no one in them. It has always been a pet peeve of mine; to have lights on during the day when the sun is out.

I always recycle and try to reuse until it can't be reused anymore. You can find other eco-friendly things I do here.

Summer Blog Challenge

Day 29 | Day 30