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Non Fiction Review: Figure Drawing for Kids

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Figure Drawing for Kids by Angela Rizza
Figure Drawing for Kids: A Step-By-Step Guide to Drawing People
by Angela Rizza

4 out of 5 stars


This book gives step-by-step instructions for sketching and drawing the human figure, beginning with basic shapes, proportions, and teaching how to draw movement and add shading. All the example drawings and instructions are appropriate for this age level, and full of fun and useful information!
I like that there is not a ton of fancy equipment required to do the drawings and sketches in this book. Simple pencils, fine-point ink pens, nice colored pencils, and a basic sketchpad are all you need.
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Non-Fiction Review: Herbalism at Home

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Herbalism at Home by Kristine Brown
Herbalism at Home: 125 Recipes for Everyday Health
by Kristine Brown

4 out of 5 stars


Part One of this book talks about the history and benefits of herbalism, equipment and basic ingredients that you need to make the herbal recipes, and an encyclopedia of common herbs and their uses. This includes instructions for drying your own herbs, and types of poultices, syrups, powders, and massage oils. There is an entire chapter with advice on making your own herbal teas, tinctures, tonics, elixirs, salves, ointments, and baths.

Part Two is the actual recipes for herbal mixtures, including remedies for cough, asthma, digestive troubles, nausea, eczema, bug bites, cuts and scrapes, acne, earache, lice, warts, chickenpox, bladder infections, menstrual cramps, hair loss, acid reflux, diabetes, tinnitus, and dozens more. There are also blends for emotional relief from anxiety, insomnia, stress, depression, and PTSD. Continue reading →

Cookbook Review: Cake Decorating for Beginners

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Cake Decorating for Beginners by Rose Atwater
Cake Decorating for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Decorating Like a Pro
by Rose Atwater
5 out of 5 stars


This book begins with basic tools and equipment that are needed for cake decorating, separated by must-have equipment and nice-to-have tools. There are also instructions on using food coloring, sprinkles, fruit, candy, and other decorative items on cakes.

There is an entire section just on baking and prepping the cake, with some basic cake recipes for common cake flavors. Then there are a few recipes for buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, and whipped cream frosting. The instructions on how to frost a cake are clear with photos showing each step, and tips on getting the frosting to spread evenly and smoothly. Continue reading →

How I Get Ideas for Video Content

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Vlog Like a Boss Book: https://www.amazon.com/Vlog-Like-Boss-Online-Blogging/dp/1946114162/
Amy Landino: https://www.youtube.com/user/savvysexysocial/featured

5 Favorite Dickens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zX2TcSCSM
Let’s Talk Authors: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyxE4BGNkAaslTgSkU66aObvzH5Ia4VjG

Non-Fiction Review: The Bullet Journal Method

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The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll
The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future 
by Ryder Carroll

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


I guess I was expecting something… different from this.

This book spends very little time actually outlining HOW to set up a bullet journal. There are a few good ideas about lists, calendars, tasks, goals, and habit trackers, but not many.

The book is almost completely enveloped in a philosophical message about being your best self, and staying true to your real goals, with a ton of cutesy sayings and quotes from Ghandi and Benjamin Franklin.

I wanted a much more practical guide to using my BuJo, but instead this is a lengthy treatise on how to change your life and motivate yourself to reach your goals. I mean, that’s fine. But it’s written so condescendingly, that I was rolling my eyes through half the book. Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Book Review: Vlog Like a Boss

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Vlog Like a Boss by Amy Landino
Vlog Like a Boss: How to Kill It Online with Video Blogging 
by Amy Landino (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

I got some really good ideas from this book, and got inspired to polish up my vlogging in a more professional way. Some of the tips were things that I already knew or had learned myself from over 4 years of vlogging on YouTube, but some of the advice was new to me. I wish that I had read this book when I was first starting out, and I might have grown my brand much more quickly.

I like that the author goes in depth into the structure of a video, how to engage your audience, how to film with good lighting, how to promote your brand, how to include a call to action for new subscribers, how to set up a collaboration with another vlogger or company, and a dozen other subjects that come up in the world of vlogging and interacting through social media. And she gives examples, and practical tips, and good solid ideas, that you can immediately use to create a plan and take action.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in vlogging, filming, and creating their own brand on social media.