CREATUS by Carmen DeSousa!

In every myth there is a modicum of truth…

Creatus

The reason we believe in Fairy Tales—and Monsters.

As the sun’s rays peeked above the horizon, lighting the abyss below her, she inhaled a deep breath, closed her eyes, and jumped. She didn’t scream; she didn’t look down. As much as she hated her life, she hoped it wouldn’t end this way. She’d really like to see him one more time.

Her life didn’t flash before her eyes as she’d always heard. Just an image of her mother covered in blood and her Dark Angel telling her he was sorry.

Creatus, by best-selling author Carmen DeSousa, is a new romantic-suspense novel with a supernatural edge that answers the myths and fairy tales you’ve heard about preternatural sentient beings.

Prepare yourself to believe.

Download Creatus:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

In order to spread the news, we are also giving away a $50 gift card! In order to qualify, just share this post’s URL in the Raffle Copter and share via Twitter. You can enter once a day.

Contest ends midnight, Monday September 2, 2013. The drawing, which includes all participating websites, will be held Tuesday, September 3, 2013. The winner will be posted the same day.
 

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♥Jessica(:

Review: Split Decisions by Carmen DeSousa

Split Decisions by Carmen DeSousa
Release Date: June 27, 2013
Format: eARC, 267 pages
Publisher: 5 Prince Publishing
Series: She Belongs to Me #2
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes

Description from Amazon:
Sometimes you want something so badly you are willing to abandon everything you've ever known--including yourself.

Eighteen years ago, Jaynee Monroe married the man of her dreams, became the mother of four, and fulfilled her career goals. About to turn forty, she senses something is missing from her idyllic life. While Googling her name in an attempt to find herself, she unearths something so impossible, she contemplates her own sanity. Seeking answers, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth, only to end up abducted by a deranged stranger who insists on calling her Caycee. 

Caycee took the road less traveled. Rejecting a marriage proposal from the only decent man she ever knew, she ventures to California to become famous. Eighteen years later, success has left her alone and miserable. Attempting to locate her lost love on Facebook, she discovers his infatuation with her. Not only does his presumed-dead wife have Caycee's uncommon middle name, it appears he has photo-shopped her face over hers.

Never could Caycee and Jaynee have imagined decisions they made years earlier would threaten not only their lives but also their loved ones. Caycee must now reunite with the southern gent she dismissed eighteen years ago and convince him to accompany her to New York to locate his wife, the most important person in both their lives.

She Belongs to Me was the first book I read by Carmen DeSousa (it was also her debut, but still), so I was super excited to hear that there was going to be a sequel featuring the characters of hers that are nearest to my heart. There's just something about that first couple, you know? So when I got this book...well, I flailed a little. Then I made time to read it and got to it right away.

I did not read this book in one sitting, but I DID read it in less than 24 hours. Because...goodness, things were HAPPENING and I needed to know what was going to happen next and AHHHHHHHH. Needless to say, I was exceedingly happy with this sequel. (I've been on a roll with nice sequels lately. This makes me so happy!)

Character Rundown:
Jaynee: I've come to realize that I like adult female characters so much more than YA female characters. (NA's kind of split down the middle.) So, of course, I liked Jaynee. She was intelligent and strong, but still had enough vulnerability to not make me angry about being OVER confident. She's still the same character I met in She Belongs to Me and I still 100% enjoyed reading about her and how her mind works.

Caycee: Oh, yeah. She's a whole other character, y'all. I have to say, she had a little attitude that I really liked. It was fun to see how she differentiated from Jaynee, but also to see how she and Jaynee were the same.

Jordan: Still the gentleman he always was. This guy just makes me SMILE. He says the greatest things, and he's so protective and caring. I'm so, so glad Carmen wrote this sequel and we got to see him again. Never will I ever not be happy to see this guy. <3

Plot. Well I must say, I was a bit confused at first. Admittedly, this this is mostly because I had all these predictions as to what the what was going on for there to be both a Jaynee AND a Caycee. But then I started the book and all those guesses were clearly wrong, and I didn't know what was going to happen. Once I got over that and into the book, it flowed well and was paced well and was wonderful. Highly mysterious, that's for sure.

Romance. Come on, guys. JORDAN is in this book. Of course there was romance. He's so sweet. I'd think something was very wrong in the world if there was no romance in those pages. And...well....I wanted to say something about ANOTHER character that I really liked and want to high five, but I'm not going to spoil who that not-bad character is. So...yeah. NO SPOILING HERE....

The ending. I will give you one word here. Or, well, a name: Tyler. That's it. That is all I'm giving you.

Overall, Split Decisions was a highly compelling sequel to She Belongs to Me filled with mystery and romance. I was swooning one second and asking myself just what was going ON the next and I loved every moment of it. Another wonderful story by Carmen DeSousa! Now I shall go eagerly await her next one...

♥Jessica(:

New Romantic-Suspense SPLIT DECISIONS by bestselling author Carmen DeSousa is now available!

Split Decisions is a follow-up novel to the romantic-suspense bestseller She Belongs to Me. While you do not have to read the first book to enjoy the second, we believe you should have the option, so click here to avoid spoilers.

If you’re still here, read on for a first peek at Split Decisions and a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Book Description:

Sometimes you want something so badly you are willing to abandon everything you’ve ever known—including yourself.

Eighteen years ago, Jaynee Monroe married the man of her dreams, became the mother of four, and fulfilled her career goals. About to turn forty, she senses something is missing from her idyllic life. While Googling her name in an attempt to find herself, she unearths something so impossible, she contemplates her own sanity. Seeking answers, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth, only to end up abducted by a deranged stranger who insists on calling her Caycee.

Caycee took the road less traveled. Rejecting a marriage proposal from the only decent man she ever knew, she ventures to California to become famous. Eighteen years later, success has left her alone and miserable. Attempting to locate her lost love on Facebook, she discovers his infatuation with her. Not only does his presumed-dead wife have Caycee’s uncommon middle name, it appears he has photo-shopped her face over hers.

Never could Caycee and Jaynee have imagined decisions they made years earlier would threaten not only their lives but also their loved ones. Caycee must now reunite with the southern gent she dismissed eighteen years ago and convince him to accompany her to New York to locate his wife, the most important person in both their lives.

Download Split Decisions here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Now all you have to do to register to win the $10 Amazon Gift Card is share this page via Raffle Copter. Contest ends 7/1/13 at 12:00 a.m. EST and you can share daily if you want. Good luck!

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I loved She Belongs to Me! Jus throwing that in there ;)

 

♥Jessica(:

What I Got #29 ♥ I Heart Jessirae!

What I Got is a weekly meme hosted by Monica over at Cover Analysis :)

 

Hey, y'all! So I am sick. If you follow me on Twitter, you've probably seen me whining about it. I lost my voice, have to take the WORST tasting medicine, my mother keeps trying to jam juice down my throat, all that fun stuff. But I'm doing a What I Got post. Because I AM SO BORED. And I didn't make one last week.

 

So yeah. Since I haven't done one of these posts in a couple of weeks, chances are I am totally going to forget something. OH WELL. I already know there's going to be a bunch of books on this list anyway, so I'm not too worried about forgetting books. Life goes on. ;)

 

E-books:

**Click the book covers to see the books on Goodreads**

 

   

    

 

The Forever of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

I can't even tell you right now how deliriously happy I was when I got approved for this on NetGalley. Like...AHHH! I have the first book (with the original cover) and I thought I wouldn't have a chance in h-e-double hockey sticks of getting approved for the sequel...but I did...and now I have it...and oh, goodness, I can't wait to read it!

 

Truly, Meadly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Another one from NetGalley. April Henry was at my school in April, and she was telling a few of us about this book and I must say, the premise? SO. INTERESTING. I kid you not, it is so cool. Check out the description on Goodreads. You'll see.

 

Second Chance Boyfriend by Monica Murphy

Jessirae, being the fantastic person she is, loaned this to me! Because she KNOWS I have a thing for Drew, and it's all her fault since she loaned me One Week Girlfriend, too. I'm probably going to sneak-read this one in between blog tour books because...goodness...DREW.

 

Rule by Jay Crownover

This is another one Jessirae lent me. Mhm. Yeah. Y'all were like "Isn't she going to thank JL?" Well, I AM, PEOPLE. Just not yet. And not now, either. There's more. But this book looks so magnificent, and this is another one I'll probably sneak-read. Because sneak-reading is my specialty.

 

Real by Katy Evans

Priya Kanaparti...that wonderful, wonderful human being...she loaned this to me. And YES. I WILL SNEAK-READ THIS, AS WELL. Because it looks so worth it. Gosh, look at that cover. This is going to be a great series. I can feel it. I just need to meet my boy Remy. THANKS, PRIYA! <3 you to pieces!

 

This Girl by Colleen Hoover

OMGOMGOMG I SAW THIS ON NETGALLEY AND OMGOMGOMG. I got it! Ahhh! Ah, man. I can't wait to read this and review and just...OMG. Feels, guys. Feels.

 

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping by Alyssa Rose Ivy

I'm going to be on the blog tour for this! Around the end of May! So yeah. There's that. And the description for this book...I loved the tone of it. The voice. The MC seems like she's going to be fun. Eeep! Plus. That cover. COME ON.

 

A Summer to Remember by Jessica Gunhammer

Is that the same couple as The Hazards of Skinny Dipping? Looks like it is. HA. I didn't mean to put those right next to each other. Those are just both the books I got in my email this weekend (so far). Or that I sent to my Kindle this weekend...EITHER WAY. At least they aren't the same pose. And that boy...he looks so niiiiice, doesn't he? ANYHOO. This one just looks good. Boy, girl, small town, amazing summer...it'll be fun! *happy dance*

 

For Review:

**From here on out, click on the book titles to get to the Goodreads page for the book!**

All of these are from Spencer Hill Press! There was some swag that came with it, but it was put away (i.e. thrown in a pile somewhere or something) before this pic was taken, so...yeah. Either way, thanks so much to SHP for always making me happy!

 

Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller

I've been waiting and waiting for this book for a while now. It was even one of my Waiting on Wednesdays, back when I actually, you know, DID WoWs. But this one's about a girl who goes on a cruise and there are two guys and...STUFF happens. What kind of stuff? Well, gee. I do not know. Myabe I should READ THE BOOK and find out, eh? Oh, I plan to. As soon as I possibly can. As soon as I possibly can. (PLEASE, GOODNESS, LET THAT BE SOON.) I want it to be soon.

 

PODs by Michelle Pickett

I saw this one everywhere and it looked so cool. Then I found out it was from SHP and requested it so fast, you don't even KNOW. And now I have it in my hands and....happiness.

 

Copper Girl by Jennifer Allis Provost

I already had an ARC of this, if you remember me telling you that. But another ARC of this came with PODs, so hey. I have an extra! That means I'll probably have a giveaway sometime ;)

 

Bought:

 

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen was in Austin! And I met her! And I got a book signed! Yay! She was also giving that snazzy Colby stickers, too! I won a pen with a Dex quote as well, but I didn't think to include that in the pic...oops.

 

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

This one is for my best friend. That is also what the second Colby sticker is for. I have my own copy of Just Listen I'm going to get signed at ATBF. Because, um, yeah. SARAH DESSEN'S GOING TO BE THERE!!!! (I'm still OMFG about this!)

 

Gifted:

 

When Noonday Ends by Carmen DeSousa

This is a spin-off of Land of the Noonday Sun. Which I LOVED. So yay! Tom is going to be awesome. Eeep! Thank you SO. MUCH. To Carmen for sending this to me.

 

 

Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler

Y'all know what TLA is, right? Well, I didn't go. But my librarian did! And because she's so awesome, she got me a signed copy of Sass & Serendipity, plus a couple signed bookmarks (The Collector--AHHH, V! and Splintered by A.G. Howard!), along with a really cool key necklace for the sequel to Splintered, which is going to be called...Unhinged? I think? I can't remember off the top of my head. But still. I thought it was so cool she got me ANYTHING, let along some signed stuff!

 

I got ALLLLL this from Jessirae this morning. Made this sick girl SUPER happy. And made my mom freak out because the packaging was all "dirty." (There was, like, one scuff mark or whatever.) Either way, I put my cinnamon roll down and OPENED this shiz. Gifts, for a few reasons (birthday, Christmas, you know how it is) and just because she likes to give me things like the fabulous friend she is.

 

OH. And the loads of swag. I smiled so hard at the swag. I LOVE IT SO MUCH I JUST WANT TO PET IT ALL DAY EVERY DAY.

 

Crash by Nicole Williams

I AM SO HAPPY SHE GOT ME THIS BOOK. I have wanted to read it for a loooooong time. I was getting ready to start nagging people to get it for me, but then JL was like "Oh, well I got you that for your birthday" and I was like SBDGIUQEBRN! She knows me so well. This is the first in a trilogy, though. Which means SOMEBODY's going to be hearing from me about the other two. Probably my parents. Because I'm like that. Oops. ;) Oh, and in non-whiny news, I am now listening to Hey Jude on repeat. Because yeah. I have a feeling this book is not going to sit on my stack unread for a long time. I've got that happy feeling about this book.

 

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

*MC*Neil, you guys. Not O'Neil. Geez. You should know this. But anyway, it was on my wishlist, and JL knew it, so she gave me an ARC because she's just that wonderful.

 

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

I hear this one's sad. But it was also on my wishlist, and I really think I like it, and since Jessirae is a terrific human being, she sent me an ARC of this, too!

 

Flawed by Kate Avelynn

I love this book so much, there are not words. It is so sad and I just don't even know right now, but I am so ecstatic to have a print copy, I just...AHH! It's so great! When she told me she was sending me this, I was like "Seriously?!?!" and she was like "I'm totally serious!" and I was like "YOU'RE REALLY SERIOUS RIGHT NOW, LIKE SERIOUSLY?!?!?!!" and she was like "OF COURSE I'M SERIOUS WHY WOULD I NOT BE SERIOUS." So yeah. Happy times, right here. Well, not the book, obviously. But GETTING the book. That made me happy.

 

Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler

Again, if you remember, I checked this out from the library. I'd already read it, but I really liked this book and wanted to peek at my favorite parts again and a whole bunch of other stuff because OMG I actually think I GET this book and it is so great. Well, JL saw that and was like "Well, I have that book and I've already read it and, well, I can send it to you if you want" and I was like "OMFG, REALLY?" and then she was like "Um. Yeah." and I was like "YES PLEASE OMFG" and she was like "OKAY." And now I have it and I'm so happy to add it to my shelf/stack! (Not exactly sure WHERE I'm putting it yet...let's just say I'm glad to own it.)

 

So, Jessirae, I heart you to infinity and beyond. You, my friend, are the flipping BEST. <3

 

And...that is all I got this week! Thank goodness. I am SO. DONE. with this post. Blah.

 

Now, tell me!

 

What did YOU get this week?

 

Have you read anything I got?

 

What book should I read NOW?

 

Have you ever lost your voice? Isn't it TERRIBLE?

 

Don't you think Jessirae is awesome?

 

Okay, that's all. Answer me at least one of those questions in the comments, pllleeeease! And have a great Sunday! (Or have a horrible Sunday, I can't tell you what to do. I hope it's great, though!)

 

♥Jessica(:

Review: Entangled Dreams by Carmen DeSousa

Entangled Dreams by Carmen DeSousa
Release Date: November 14, 2013
Format: Paperback, 266 pages
Publisher: 5 Prince Publishing
Source: Author

Description from Goodreads:
When Alexandra Nicole was eight, she thought she was a princess in a fairytale. But after a tragic accident shatters her magical life, she finds herself in a cold and heartless reality.

As an adult, she once again faces harsh truths and decides to take control of her life. Unfortunately, choices have a way of entangling her dreams and pushing her down a dark and dismal path.

Alexandra must trust her instincts to escape danger, but be able to surrender all to find her happily ever after. Knowing how to decipher the difference, will be her toughest challenge.

Carmen DeSousa is one of my favorite authors. So of course I was incredibly happy when I got this book in the mail. Having loved Carmen's first two books (they are truly terrific), I was so ecstatic to jump into this one. And I expected to love it. Which I did.

I love this book so much. It just may be my favorite book by Carmen DeSousa. I'm not sure. If it's not, then it's definitely tied with Land of the Noonday Sun. Either way, this book was great. It's different from Carmen's usual stories, but still portrays her wonderful writing style and loads of sweet moments that make me feel happy inside.

Character Rundown:
Alexandra: This girl knows what's up. She doesn't sit around and whine or look to others to solve her problem. No, sir. She handles them herself. This said, she also knows when to ask for help. When there truly is no better option. I admire this trait in her character.

Cameron: I love him! He does what he has to do, but doesn't go looking for trouble. He's strong and stable and such a great person. A complete sweetheart, this guy. <3 He's also not perfect. And he has secrets. I liked the fact that he was mysterious without being stereotypical mysterious. He comes across as such an open book at first. ;)

Romance. Cameron is so perfect for Alexandra, it only makes sense that they would be the adorable couple that they are. Goodness, they are not perfect people, but when all is said and done, they are perfect for each other. I was rooting for them from the moment they met!

Plot. Not a big twisted mystery like Carmen usually writes, but a darn great love story and I enjoyed every second of it. The surprise in this book lies more in the secrets we uncover than the who-done-it. Personally, I am okay with that. Heck, I am more than okay with that. Have I MENTIONED that I love this book?

The ending. Well, you see, first there was just a lot of ohmygosh ohmygsoh ohmygosh. Then were was a big, huge AWWWWWWWWWW! No cliffhanger or anything and everything wrapped up in a way that made me grin so wide.

Overall, yet another AMAZING book by Carmen DeSousa. A beautiful love story that I never wanted to end. I seriously cannot wait for Carmen's next book!!

♥Jessica(:

She Belongs To Me♥

Did you know that you are able to buy now and gift later?

Yep! Take advantage of this special pricing on the romantic-suspense bestseller, She Belongs to Me, for yourself, and buy one to deliver to your avid-reader friends for Christmas.

She Belongs to Me by Carmen DeSousa has sat alongside such writing greats as Nicholas Sparks and J.D. Robb, and this weekend it’s only $0.99 cents, so don’t miss the savings!

Book Description:

After secrets and a mysterious background leave a wife’s life hanging by a thread, a husband must look for answers in the only place he knows—the past.

When wealthy construction company owner and Charlotte detective, Jordan Monroe, meets Jaynee for the first time he is awestruck and determines to make her his wife. Jaynee, however, has a history she cannot easily overcome and is fearful to submit to love. Jordan succeeds in making her his wife, but five years into their marriage, he realizes she is keeping secrets.  Before he can decipher her duplicity, he discovers her unconscious in their home from a gunshot wound only hours after giving her an ultimatum concerning their relationship.

With Jaynee’s life hanging in the balance, the mystery of her past drives Jordan to investigate. But what appears to be an attempted suicide turns out to be something far darker. Is someone from her past stalking her? Or worse, is someone close to Jordan trying to kill them both? As Jordan edges closer to the truth, it may be deadlier than he could ever have imagined.

What readers are saying:

A passionate romantic-suspense of love, betrayal, and obsession, She Belongs to Me will have you falling in love and wondering who you can trust right up to the last page.

"You'll be swept off your feet along with Jaynee as she discovers the man of her dreams. You'll be drawn into the drama. And you'll flip the pages fast as Jordan must desperately figure out the truth in time. I was and did!" — New York Times bestselling author Jaime Rush

“Carmen DeSousa has written an incredibly stunning book, full of spot on visuals that put you in the midst of the conversations, like a ghostly guest that spies on a romantic dinner date.” — International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne

“If you love a romance read with a dash of danger, intrigue and suspense sprinkled in, this is the book for you.” — Bestselling Author and The Examiner's "Top 12 Fiction Books of 2011" Carolyn Arnold

Download She Belongs to Me:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

A writer of modern-day fairytales, Carmen DeSousa’s stories overflow with romance, mystery, suspense, and of course, tragedy. After all, what would a fairytale be without a tragic event setting the stage? All of her novels are sensual, but not erotic, gripping but not graphic and will hopefully make you cry, laugh, love, and hope.

Carmen loves talking about all things books, so please connect with her via one of the links below.

Website

Twitter</ span></ o:p>

Facebook

Goodreads

♥Jessica(:

Review: Land of the Noonday Sun by Carmen DeSousa

Land of the Noonday Sun by Carmen DeSousa
Format: Paperback
Publisher: 5 Prince Publishing and Books LLC
Source: Author

Description from Goodreads:
When two strangers have nothing left but their dreams, they must forge a relationship in Nantahala, North Carolina, a small town known as Land of the Noonday Sun.

Cassandra is the beautiful, yet analytical daughter of a wealthy attorney. Destined to follow in her father’s footsteps, her life of privilege suddenly shatters, and she finds herself with no home, career, or money. A glimmer of hope arrives in a letter from the grave promising a happier existence. Cassandra stands to inherit over half a million dollars if she can live in the sleepy little town of Nantahala for six months. Falling in love, however, was not part of the deal, and without warning, she finds herself fighting for two lives.

A man with a traumatic past is able to turn his life around and is happy with his chosen career as a whitewater guide. Everything changes though when fate hurls a woman into his path. His carefree life is in turmoil, and his former weaknesses threaten to overtake him. Will he be strong enough when tragedy strikes and is once again in danger of losing everything he loves?

Carmen DeSousa has officially been added to my list of authors I will read anything by If her name's on it, I want to read it. Land of the Noonday Sun was that great.

Right of the bat, this book begins with a very intriguing scenario, and then continues into more events that just suck you in. Then, we start getting attached to the characters and drawn into the mystery until we have no choice but to read read read to get to the ending. Needless to say, in this book, there was rarely a dull moment.

Character Rundown:
Cassandra: Cassie is a nice protag. She's serious, yet passionate, and a very real character that can most definitely be related to by a reader. I liked her. She made the best of what she had, though she was cautious, for good reasons.

Chad: I liked Cassie, but I LOVED Chad. I enjoyed reading from his point of view the most. Carmen DeSousa gave us yet another southern gentleman that I couldn't help but love. While Chad was a super amazing southern gentleman, he ws by no means perfect. He said not-the-best things. He did not-the-best things. But he made up for all of it a hundred times over. This guy is seriously amazing.

Other Characters: Tom--I like Tom. A lot. That guy...he's a good guy. Michelle--that girl is all kinds of crazy. Sorry, but it's true. Brandy--there's more to her than meets the eye, and that was ocol to find out.

The plot. The plot was fast-paced and utterly captivating. Not something I got bored while reading, that's for sure.

The sweetness. I already mentioned that Chad is a southern gentleman. Which means that there was of course an abundence of sweet, tummy-tingling moments. Cassie and Chad's relationship may not have been perfect, but it was beautiful.

The ending. These characters got the wonderful ending they deserve. Plus, it wasn't an ending that made me want to slap people! Yay!

Overall, if you thought She Belongs to Me was good, you'll be blown away by Land of the Noonday Sun. And if you haven't read either of them...do it.

♥Jessica(:

What I Got! (13)

What I Got is a weekly meme hosted by Monica over at Cover Analysis :) where we tell y'all about the wonderful brag-worthy bookish things we got this week!

 

NET GALLEY:

Undeadly by Michele Vail 

I've only ever reviewed a book from Net Galley for a blog tour, but when I saw this...my finger slipped. ;)

 

Broken by A.E. Rought

I repeat: my finger slipped. This book just looks so good!

 

GIFTED:

Land of the Noonday Sun by Carmen DeSousa

Carmen DeSousa is amazing. That is all. Oh, and she writes GREAT books.

 

WON:

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Yes. I already own this book. But this one is SIGNED. Plus, having double means I can give the extra away sometime... And this book is fantastic. In case you wanted to know.

 

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Now, this one I have NOT read, but I am completely excited to. I legit love Miranda Kenneally. This one is signed, too! THANK YOU, MIRANDA! I won both of her books in a Twitter giveaway, because I have the kind of memory that doesn't forget pervs within awesome books. Yeah.

 

So, what did YOU get this week? I love to see these things--leave links in the comments!!

 

♥Jessica(: