Book Review: Black-Eyed Susans By Julia Heaberlin

This is a book review and sneak preview of Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin that was recently published by Penguin Books Australia on 26 August 2015.

Julia Heaberlin grew up in a small Texas town and five years ago quit her entertaining career as a newspaper features editor to begin her writing career. Julia writes thrillers and is currently at work on her fourth book.

This is a thriller that switches back and forth throughout the book between Tessa as a 16 year old girl and the lone survivor of a serial killer to 20 years later as a woman trying to remember what happened to her and how she ended up in a shallow grave with the bones of 3 other "Susans" covered with black eyed susan flowers growing over their grave.

When the man thought to have been the person responsible for kidnapping Tessa and the other "Susans" is facing death row and with new forensic information coming to light - Tessa starts to have second thoughts about whether they have imprisoned the right person.

The story follows Tessa's teenage sessions with a psychologist and then Tessa as an adult working with lawyers and forensics to try to remember what happened to her all those years ago. The tests of her memory and her mental state make this a very realistic read.

From the very beginning this book gave me goosebumps, it was thrilling and mysterious, and disturbing as details of the missing girls the "Susans" are slowly revealed.

I absolutely loved this book - the writing is brilliant, it's modern and upbeat, the characters are likable and realistic, which just makes it all the more terrifying!

I recommend this book to thrill seekers who like modern tales of suspense and mystery.

I give this book 5 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

Black-Eyed Susans can be purchased from the author here and Penguin Books here

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Penguin Books Australia to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Image via Penguin Books Australia] 

DIY Bride: Simple + Rustic Ceremony Booklets

When I asked the Reverend of the Church where Mr P and I are getting married next month if he had a template for the ceremony booklets that I could use he actually tried to talk me out of having a booklet! 

Well there's no way this crafty minx wasn't going to make a ceremony booklet! 

But the Reverend was right in what he said that people usually fiddle with them and read along the script instead of watching what was happening in front of them. So I took his advice on board when making our ceremony booklets.

For the front of the booklets I kept the details to the absolute minimum - I didn't include the vows or the readings or anything else I kept it short and sweet and in good humour which is Mr P and I down to a tee!

For the back of the booklets this is where I wanted to acknowledge the people involved in the wedding - our bridal party, parents, those giving readings and to include a thank you message to all our friends and family.

I designed the booklets in a word document, copied 3 designs to a page and printed double sided on brown paper so that each booklet is just a small strip of paper with information front and back.

The brown paper is from Target and cost $8 for 40 sheets - with 3 designs a page means I could get 120 booklets from it. I used the same type of paper to make the wedding invitation belly bands.

I cut the papers with a guillotine, it's a real life saver having a guillotine I'm so glad I got one to do the wedding stationary it's made it far easier than scissors and gives a much more professional finish.

I had some leftover Avery labels from when I made the wedding stationary - white and brown labels that I had inserted our monogram initials into and printed out in colour. You can see how I DIYed the wedding stationary here.

I reused those labels to add some texture and colour to the booklets. Besides any excuse to use our monogram initials and I will I just love the floral heart design and it's so awesome that it was a free design to download!

I finished them off with a pretty piece of green satin ribbon that matches the wedding decor theme, used a two hole punch and then threaded the ribbon through and tied it in a knot.

I was surprised at how much ribbon I went through - 20 meters in total. The ribbon cost $4.

Next I needed a nice booklet holder to store them in.

I shopped at home and found a strong square box that was the perfect size, I tied some gold satin ribbon around it with a big bow at the front and filled the box with a piece of gold satin fabric.

I think the booklets look really great in the home made box .... even my furbaby Lexi is impressed!

This little craft project took me a few hours to design on the computer and then a few hours to assemble.

The total cost was $12 for 120 booklets which is an absolute bargain. Let's face it most of these will end up in the rubbish bin so there's no point in spending a lot of money on something that ends up in landfill right!

Do you keep the ceremony booklets from weddings?

Sharing with link parties:
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays
Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner

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[All images my own]

Book Review And Preview: The Saddler Boys By Fiona Palmer

This is a book review and sneak preview of The Saddler Boys by Fiona Palmer that is due to be published by Penguin Books Australia on 23 September 2015.

Fiona Palmer is an Australian author who has written a number of rural romance novels. Fiona lives in a tiny town of Pingaring in Western Australia and spends her time writing, working as a farm hand, helping out in the community and looking after her two children.

This is the story of 22 year old city girl Natalie from Perth who moves to a country town in Western Australia to be a school teacher for a year in a tiny remote school.

Natalie takes a liking to one of her school kids Billy and single dad Drew aka The Saddler Boys. They soon become friends and show Natalie what life is like in farming country - shearing sheep, bomb fires in the paddock and being a part of a close knit community.

Natalie is torn between leaving her family, friends and fiance in the city and living her dream of teaching and living in a country town that she's growing to love.

I really enjoyed the writing style, it was a sweet romance, easy to follow and down to earth. I also liked all the characters in the story, in fact they were so realistic I think I may even know some of those country folk and stereotypes!

I was drawn to this book mostly because it's based in my home town of Perth, Western Australia and I love stories about our sunburnt land especially when there's a bit of romance thrown in. I could relate to the country town, farm and school as I grew up in a very similar environment and that is another reason why I enjoyed this book because I could relate to it.

I recommend this book to romance fans and anyone interested in Australian farm life.

I give this book 4 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

The Saddler Boys can be purchased from the author here and Penguin Books here

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Penguin Books Australia to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Image via Penguin Books Australia] 

Laundry + Powder Room - Lighting Inspiration

Our laundry and powder room renovation is not quite finished yet but it's been 6 months since my last project post so I thought I'd share a bit of an update ..... better late than never right!

Lexi still takes her job as site manager very seriously and has been watching our progress very closely .... albeit it's been a little too slow for her liking!

The last project we did in the laundry was install new shelves in the laundry cupboard which has been fantastic I can fit so much in there now it's really great overflow storage for appliances and kitchen items that won't fit in the kitchen cupboards.

We have hung 3 new doors and installed new handles to the laundry cupboard, powder room and laundry room but still need to paint them. We are in the process of hanging and painting new doors throughout the house so I'll share the new doors update in a separate blog post as soon as we've finished them.

So back to the to do list for the laundry - all we need is a light fitting and power points for the washing machine so I don't need to run an extension cord into the kitchen every time I do a load of washing! Some art for the wall and a floor rug will add the finishing touches.

In the powder room - I need to find a mirror to hang above the basin, some art and a light fitting.

Then I can do a proper before and after reveal of the very last room renovated in the Jarrah Jungle home!

We have booked in the electrician to come out in two weeks so I need to hurry up and pick the lights for him to install but to be honest I'm a little stumped on what type of lighting to get for the laundry.

I'm conscious that the laundry light can't be too big or hang low or it will get knocked around. Maybe a flush mount or ceiling downlights like we installed in the kitchen might be the safer option.

Here are some lights I love .....

I can probably be a bit more daring in the powder room/toilet and have a pendant light.

Although this room is really tiny so it can't be too large either. Wall lights either side of the mirror could be a good option for this room.

I'm going light shopping this weekend so wish me luck in finding something that's both practical and pretty!

What type of lights do you have in your laundry and powder room/toilet?

Sharing with link parties:
The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays
Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner

To see our laundry renovation progress to date check out these posts:

Laundry Renovation - Wallpapering A Wall and A Door

Laundry Progress - Plastering, Sanding and Washing
Laundry/Powder Room Renovation - Changing The Plumbing

Laundry/Powder Room Renovation - Demolition Success
Laundry/Powder Room Renovation - Demolition Weekend Plans
Laundry Renovation - The Final Design
Laundry Renovation - Wood Look Bench Top

Laundry Renovation - Turning A Wood Panel Into A Bench Top
Laundry Renovation - Flat Packs Vs Cabinet Maker
Laundry Renovation - Flat Pack Assembly and Install

Laundry Renovation - DIY laundry cupboard shelves
Tips for picking out laundry flat pack cabinets
Powder Room Renovation - It's All In The Flush
Powder Room Renovation - Basin and Vanity: Take Two
Powder Room Renovation - Basin and Vanity
Splash Back Choices - Be Brave Or Play It Safe
Laundry Renovation - Let's Go Mosaic Tile Shopping
Laundry Renovation - Picking The Tiles
Laundry/Powder Room - Floor Tiles Laid
Laundry Before - Our 1960s Laundry/Toilet
edesign Mood Board for the Laundry
Renovating - 5 tips for planning and designing

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[Images 1, 2, 3 my own - All other images via Pinterest 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

DIY Bride: Bridal Party Invitations

I've tackled some wedding related creative projects lately that I wanted to share with you.

I used some of the leftover invitations and labels I had from previous projects I've done with Avery products. They have a huge range of products for everything to keep your home organised to a celebrations range which I'm loving right now as you can tell!

Coming up with ideas to use the products in a different way has been easy because there are so many uses for them, they are all very versatile all you need is a computer, printer and ideas and you can create anything!

My engagement invitations and wedding invitations using the Avery invitations

These creative projects involved the bridal party and asking them to be a part of our special day and also the wedding rehearsal invitations.

There are so many amazing ideas on Pinterest it has provided so much inspiration for the wedding, I got most of the ideas off Pinterest and then personalised them to suit our bridal party ..... 

Bridesmaid Bottle Invitations

I took the girls out for dinner and drinks and asked them to be in my bridal party but I also wanted to give them something special as a memento to remember being a part of the wedding.

For my girls it had to be said with a bottle of bubbles! I got a nice bottle of sparkling wine, soaked it in water in the kitchen sink until the labels came off, and then attached my own personal labels.

For the labels I used arched labels that were leftover from when I organised the pantry.

I designed them online on the Avery design and print section of the website using one of their templates and typed up my own poem for each of the girls. Once I was happy with them I printed them out on my colour printer.

I designed and printed two labels for each bottle - A larger one for the front with a poem and then a small one for the back with the wedding date.

A pretty ribbon around the bottle and they were ready to be handed out!

Groomsman Cigar Invitations

For the lads, Mr P took the lads to the pub for beers and pizza and asked for their services (literally!)

The momento for the lads had to be simple and masculine and for these I made a cigar invitation using some leftover Avery invitations.

I found out afterwards that cigars are also used when someone has a baby but in this instance it was definitely for a bridal party invitation - I can assure you!

I went to an awesome cigar shop in town and got a small cigar to fit the invitation. They also provided a special bag to keep them in so the cigars stay fresh and in good condition.

I designed these online on the Avery design and print section of the website using a template with a simple border and a few words and then printed them out in black and white. 

I attached the cigar to the centre of the invitation with some double sided tape taking care not to damage the cigar and put the invites in the special bag so the lads can keep them fresh until they smoke them.

Wedding Rehearsal Invitation

The wedding rehearsal invitation was a really sweet little project that took just a few minutes to do.

Again I used the Avery invitations for this. I found the poem on Pinterest for the rehearsal and think the words are just adorable! I edited them to suit our times and places of course and typed it into a basic invitation template on the Avery design and print section of the website. 

I found the wedding silhouette images online and picked the images that looked like each of us - Mr P and I and our bridal party. I saved the images and re-sized them so they all looked the same and then inserted them into the invitation.

I kept these wedding rehearsal invitations in black and white so they were easy to print out.

All of these projects were ridiculously easy to make and I think they look great!

They haven't taken long at all to do and I think it made the bridal party feel extra loved and appreciated when you go to that bit more effort to include them and make them feel special.

I've never been in a bridal party before so I'm just making things up as I go along and having a lot of fun with these projects along the way!

Have you ever been a part of a bridal party? How were you asked? Or did you do the asking!

Sharing with link parties:

Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner
The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays




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[All images my own]

Book Review and Preview: The Wrong Girl By Laura Wilson

This is a book review and sneak preview of The Wrong Girl by Laura Wilson that is due to be published by Hachette Australia on 29 September 2015.

Laura Wilson is a British author who lives in London. She is currently working on her thirteenth novel and writes crime and mysteries, she is also a crime fiction reviewer for the Guardian newspaper and teaches a crime thriller novel creative writing course.

Molly a 10 year old girl starts to think she is Phoebe, a 3 year old girl who went missing on a family holiday 7 years before. Molly has a mum who drinks, is out a lot and doesn't spend much time with her. For reasons I never quite understood Molly thinks that she is Phoebe the missing girl and wants to be reunited with parents who will love her and spend time with her. Then suddenly Molly goes missing as well.

Janice the main character in the book gives up her baby Suzie for adoption when she was young and doesn't hear from her until Janice's brother Dan dies and Suzie and her daughter Molly, Janice's grand daughter, have been staying with Dan in what was once Janice's family home in a small English village.

Janice was a free loving hippy in her day and is now a single lonely middle aged woman, finally reunited with her birth daughter and grand daughter, but having to face the sad passing of her brother. There was a lot of reminiscing about Janice and Dan's youth, a famous band and other village misfits to keep the plot entertaining.

The writing was great and I liked that it was fast paced, many twists and turns and a lot of mystery and thought provoking to the story. But I also found the main story line a bit confusing at times, there were so many multi layers of things happening that it was hard to keep up and understand what was going on.

I recommend this book to fans of family drama with a mystery thriller mixed in.

I give this book 3 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd pass up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

The Wrong Girl can be purchased direct from the author here or Hachette Australia

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

You can visit the author's website here 

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Hatchette Australia to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Image via Hachette Australia]

Touring Around The U S of A

I am so excited about our honeymoon trip to the USA and have everything and I mean EVERYTHING organised and booked in for us. 

I've gone way over the top with the organising and planning for this holiday.

I don't know if it's because I'm being overly organised with the wedding planning and this holiday is part of that or if leaving things to chance doesn't appeal to me so much as I've gotten older. 

All our accommodation is booked and paid for in advance so I know exactly where to go when we  get off the plane and where our head will rest each night, which is the best feeling.

Mr P wanted to just rock up in a foreign country and look for our hotel when we arrived and all I could imagine is us lugging our suitcases from one hotel to the other and having no choice but to check into the most expensive room available .... there's no way that's going to happen future husband to be!

We are using Airbnb for the first time and while I was a little nervous about it at first now I'm really looking forward to staying in someone's apartment in New York City and we've saved money by booking through Airbnb owners for hotels rather than going through the hotels direct.

All our flights are booked in and I've signed up with all the airline frequent flyer programs in the hope that we may get a free upgrade. It's on my bucket list to fly first class .... imagine how awesome an upgrade to first class would be!

We are flying a lot, I'm talking 5 domestic flights and 2 international flights and with plane changes it's a total of 11 flights over 3 weeks. I worked out we will be flying 60+ hours and that doesn't include stop overs and waiting time, that's just being in the air.

My e-reader will be charged up ready with books and if there's free WIFI at the airports I'll be able to keep myself amused. Mr P is on the lookout for a new tablet or laptop to load up with games and movies to pass the time.

With only 2 to 3 days in each town I really want to get the most out of the places we're travelling to and discover the history, see the sights, must eat foods and bars.

So I've booked us on 4 different tours with local tour guides. I don't usually book tours because I like to be an independent traveler and make my own way around, and see what I want, when I want. But with our short time constraints it really is the best way to see and do everything and get the most out of our time there.

I rely on Trip Advisor for everything and anything travel related and all the tours I've booked I found on Trip Advisor by checking out all the reviews to see if the tour would suit what we're looking for.

These are the tours I've booked so far ..... 

I'd love to hear from you if you've been on them!

New York - I love the idea of the pay what you think tours and I booked one of these for New York with Free Tours by Foot it's a 6 hour walking tour 'All In One Downtown NYC'.

After flying 24 hours I don't know how we'll feel about doing this tour on our first day in New York but the beauty of this tour is we have reserved our spots but not paid any money so if we sleep in or can't make it, we'll just cancel no money lost and no harm done. 

Louisville - We are booked on a full day 'Bourbon Trail South' tour of the Kentucky bourbon distilleries and beautiful countryside with Mint Julep. We had to book this tour well in advance as it was Mr P's dream to visit bourbon country, imagine getting there and all the tours were booked out, it would be a very sober bourbon country trip!

I have gone one step further and the next day we are booked on 'the everything tour' with City Taste Tours. The lovely operator was very understanding that we may be sporting a hangover after our bourbon trail adventures so has reserved our spots and will allow us to cancel if we have sore heads!

Las Vegas - Not far from Las Vegas is one of the seven wonders of the natural world the Grand Canyon which is a sight not to be missed. It would take a day to drive out to the Grand Canyon and back but there are lots of helicopter tours on offer that take you in a quarter of the time.

We are booked with Sundance Helicopters on the 'Grand Canyon Picnic' and I'm sure this tour will be one of the highlights of our honeymoon. I am so excited about this one it's going to be amazing!

Los Angeles - We are in LA for just 24 hours before our flight home and I can't go to Tinsel Town without seeing the Hollywood sign, Sunset Strip and Beverly Hills and hopefully a few celebrities too! 

The best way to make that happen was to book on a sightseeing tour so we are doing the 'City + Celebrity Homes'  tour with Legends of Hollywood.

New Orleans and San Francisco are the only places I haven't booked any tours YET!

Have you been on any of these tours in the USA? 

I'd love to hear from you if you have!

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[Images via my Pinterest - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]