Pretty Handy Girl Recommended Books Giveaway
Okay, let’s get this out upfront. THIS IS NOT A DIY POST. There, I said it. So, if you want a tutorial, come back tomorrow.

Now, the rest of you who like to read, I know you like to read because you stuck around. And if you follow my blog, I know you like to read and DIY! Which is why I know you’ll love Ladies’ Night by Mary Kay Andrews!

Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews

What really made this book all the more enjoyable is that the main character, Grace, is a blogger and she loves to remodel homes!

Pretty Handy Girl Recommended Books Giveaway

This book is full of laugh out loud moments as jilted Grace Stanton recovers and bounces back after she catches her husband with her assistant. Ladies’ Night is filled with juicy nuggets of revenge. A shirtless and attractive guy. And a crew of divorcees who bring the hilarity to a weekly Anger management class.

I highly recommend Ladies’ Night as a fun read that will keep you laughing and take the weight off your day. After I finished the book, my Mom snatched it up and couldn’t put it down either (fun for all ages!)

Pretty Handy Girl Recommended Books Giveaway

Enjoy!

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The second book I’m recommending is Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain.

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

 Where Ladies’ Night is light and fun. Necessary Lives spins the amazing tales of several women affected by the forced sterilization practices in rural North Carolina. Based on true stories (but told through fictional characters), Necessary Lies will takes you into the seemingly simple life of a rural farm in North Carolina.

Pretty Handy Girl Recommended Books Giveaway

You’ll walk in Ivy Hart’s shoes as a young teenager falling in love with a boy who is not “in her class.” And you’ll work alongside Jane Forrester as she struggles to help and do what she thinks is right for her clients including Ivy Hart and her sister Mary Ella.

Your beliefs and understanding of the forced sterilization program will be changed forever. I promise. A must read and a true page turner.  Check out Diane’s site for more ordering information!

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The giveaway has ended! Congrats to Tami, Mrs. C. Ashworth, Patti, Marie and Carol!

PHGFancySign Disclosure: I was provided with two review copies of each book. I was not compensated or told what to write. I’m sharing these books with you of my own will, because I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I did.

 

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My name is Pretty Handy Girl and I am addicted to my Christmas mantel. Yes, I have used it since December 2012. I needed to enroll myself in a program that would help me get unhooked from holiday mantel décor. Truth be told, I needed a little help from my friends to change my habitual ways. So let’s turn this Christmas mantel into A Lazy Girl’s Patriotic Summer Mantel.

Thanks to my good friends on Facebook and Instagram, they intervened and guided me in the right direction. With some suggestions they helped me turn around and get my life back in the correct season.

Using my kitchen upheaval as an excuse is really only acceptable for one or two months. I used that lame explanation as a crutch for seven months! But, the issue became glaringly apparent when our good friend and house sitter remarked that she thought that was our Christmas mantel still up in June. {busted} Before she settled into our home (while we left for an extended vacation), I knew I had to change it up.

Everyone had some great ideas, but the easiest and quickest were to add buntings and some blue. Within 45 minutes (because I always have to play around with things for at least half an hour.) I had a fresh seasonally-appropriate Patriotic mantel.

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Inexpensive buntings from Michael’s were the undeniable champion in this makeover.

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A few American flags in a cobalt blue bottle brought some more patriotism onto the scene. Red, white and blue books were an easy way to add the right colors.

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The stars remained unchanged, except I ripped off the crispy dead sprigs of rosemary.

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Antique tins and a cigar box bring out the Americana feel.

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Yup, give me 45 minutes and I can change a Christmas mantel…

…into a Fourth of July mantel!

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Thank you to my social media friends for your help and for not turning me in to the decorating police. xxxooo

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Do your kids want to build and paint just like you?  This project a great beginner build for young ones who want to get in there and make something to call their own. And once they’re done building they can paint it too!

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Or give the build as a unique personalized gift for that artsy friend who loves to paint:

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Attach a cute gift tag (download my tag free from here) and include some fun acrylic paint colors and brushes:

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This project is super kid friendly, I tested it at my 6 year old daughter’s birthday party and all the girls absolutely loved building their own project .  We used kid sized drills (like these kid sized drills) and they truly enjoyed painting their bookends: Read more

I think 2012 could be named the year of DIY blogger authored books. So many fabulous bloggers have come out with phenomenal  books. Young House Love, Miss Mustard Seed, Ana White, and The Handmade Home just to name just a few.

For me this is a dream come true. Finally, the beautiful words and photos of my favorite bloggers are now in book format. Here’s a quick round up of three DIY books I think you’ll enjoy. You’ll surely want to add them to your holiday wishlist! Read more

Want to make an Autumn Book Page Leaf Garland to decorate around your mantle or a doorway? Two years ago, I saw this beautiful wreath in a magazine. I snapped a picture with my phone and figured I’d try to DIY my own version. Then I forgot about it until I stumbled upon the picture recently. After a little research, I found that the wreath was a Martha Stewart contest winner by Emily Morris.

I loved the leaf shape and the simplicity of the project. So, I decided to alter it slightly to work as a garland for our mantle. Read more