Illustrated Sexual Classic

As a former college instructor, I learned through pedagogical courses and experience that people learn in different ways. While models may suggest that you can be a physical learner or a visual learner or one of several other types what I observed when teaching and from myself is that generally we learn best in multiple ways. The newest edition of Janet W. Hardy's The Sexually Dominant Woman: an illustrated guide for nervous beginners is a mixture of the visual and the verbal with the options of solitary or social tossed into the mix. I think this makes the book very inviting and useful to newcomers to the concept of women in the sexual lead. I've also taught numerous classes about BDSM and femdom relationships and I know that kinky folks still hunger for information particularly if they are not living in a big city where organizations may exist who can provide hands-on and mentorship. Other people simply don't to explore outside of a committed relationship or they may be shy. A book like this can provide a good resources for all of these folks who are curious about female top dynamics. I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have three versions of this book.

The first was a gift from my husband when we still did kink together before we figured out that our interests didn't overlap enough to really make it enjoyable.

The second I got because I had women (and some men) approaching me to be a mentor and I wanted to read the newer version before recommending it.

This 25th anniversary edition has made the text more inclusive and the images are some of the most diverse and reflective of the kink community that I have seen in any book about BDSM. I took a photo of a two-page section just to give you an example; I picked randomly.

I love the fact that multiple first scenarios are presented instead of the starter scene from the first edition. I also love that other books that you might find useful are highlight both in the text and at the end of the book. I will admit I was disappointed not to see my own book, At Her Feet, mentioned since it is from the same publisher, but currently it is only available as an ebook and an audiobook.

Some people might complain that the book is too focused on safety but I did not feel that way. This is a book directed toward newbies not experienced people. You know what? some of us folks who have been doing this for decades still take safety quite seriously and am grateful we had those cautious drilled into us years back. I think this is a great introductory book and I hope if you are looking for last minute gifts for the holidays or for Valentine's Day in 2019, you will consider this book.

Self-Care and Beauty Care, Is it De-stressing?

Thanksgiving was yesterday and for many of us several winter/summer holidays are fast approaching. For women this can be a particularly stressful time. I know I grew up in a household where my mother was the primary social calendar keeper and the social focus for our immediate family. I grew up with that as my role model so it is not surprising that I am the Chief Communications Officer of our family starship (as we geeks like to say).

Stress from trying to manage different invitations to holiday parties from work, volunteer organizations, friends, family, and neighbors.

Stress from working on our own parties and trying to figure out who we can not invite without seeming like aholes.

Stress from all the holiday greetings everyone who doesn't live in our town will expect and then stress from keeping track of what we get because we don't hear back from you for three years, we aren't sending you a holiday card (the hubby declares).

4 Kroger Spa Line Products

One way we are told to lessen stress is to delegate to others and to take care of ourselves. Taking care of ourselves can involve a lot of things but many of them are physical. I'm part of the MyMagazineSharing Network through Kroger and I was sent four of their store brand "spa line" products for free in exchange for sharing my experiences about them in a fair way. I'm not a big spa person, I've been to a spa once in my lifetime. I'm not a big make-up user and the only time I try fancy or expensive skin care products is when I'm sent them to review. Today I want to share what my experience was with these products.



I started with the Bright Under Eye Care treatment because I've been very tired from pain and then surprise! I caught a virus from someone in my household. I was concerned my eyes might look extra tired or baggy. First I thought there might be two treatments when I opened the package because the pads look large.

Brighten Under Eye Care Pads, Kroger Spa Line

Then I put them on and don't these look HUGE? I don't have either a small or large face, for my body it is average sized but look how large these pads are. They tingled a bit and were cool when I put them on for the full 20 minutes. They came off easily and I gently patted the area underneath but my skin had soaked up most of the solution on the pads. The area under my eyes looked red when I took them off so I let my skin be for half an hour and my skin and eyes were fine. If this product helped under eyes then I guess I didn't have anything wrong with mine at all the day I tried this.

Are these pads huge? Kroger Spa Line

Then I tried the facial masks and these were literally my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th facial masks I have ever used in my life. These were very different from the first mask I used. These are fully formed face shaped sheets and that is where the big problems lie. Let's look at the first one.

Note how the size and placement of the sheet does not match my face at all. It would not smooth down, it tried to cover my eyebrows (no!), and it hung too low on my chin. To top that off this Exfoliate felt burning after a few minutes but I toughed it out for the full twenty minutes. Oddly the directions said to "gently pat" in the remaining product... ah, no! Exfoliating means that  you should be removing dead skin to reveal and promote newer skin. In fact, every one of the facial sheet mask had the identical directions for every step which makes no sense when each is supposed to do something different for your face.

I could try cutting the mask into pieces and applying it that way but I'm not being paid to test these out and that would take as much if not more time than applying a mask with just a semi-liquid product. That's adding more time and more work to an already stressful time of year for many of us.

For me this Spa Line from Kroger is a failure.

Looking at Clever Creations for Christmas

clever creations logo

Sometimes I get things to test out and review that don't fit into my blog, The Chocolate Cult, and when that happens I take advantage of this shared blog to let you all know what I think about a product(s) I was sent. It isn't even Thanksgiving yet and I've been sent 6 decorations for Christmas though some of these as you will see could work for more generic winter holidays. I received three nutcrackers -- a Santa Skiing Nutcracker, a Chubby Traditional King Nutcracker, and a Snow Queen Nutcracker, and three pickle ornaments. I'll tell you about each of these in this review. I got these 6 items via the Tryazon program from Clever Creations to test and write about it on various social media. No other form of compensation was received in exchange for my honest opinions.

Clever Creations Trio of Christmas Pickles

Let's start with the Christmas Pickles. My husband and I got one from his parents soon after we moved into our house because we had room for a full sized tree there. That ornament was a tradition his father's family followed so we started using it during our annual holiday party but in a different way. We send everyone who wants to play downstairs with one of us, then the other of us puts the pickle ornament on the tree. Those who are playing then all come up stairs and the first one to find the pickle gets a prize. I think this year, we could give the first three people to find it a pickle ornament of their own. The pickles themselves are fine, much brighter green than the heirloom ornament my in-laws gave us. The company claims it is shatterproof but I couldn't find a description of what is is made out of and I didn't want to throw one on the floor to test out the claim. I can say that they are lighter weight than the other pickle ornament that we have which is made from glass. The big negative is the silver strings that came with these, there were six strings in all and three of them were frayed at one end. I tried to tie them off but the material was slippery and my knots didn't stay. I recommend an old-fashioned metal hook like we use with our glass pickle.

Chubby Traditional Nutcracker King

I'm going to look at the nutcrackers in increasing size so we'll start with the Chubby Styles Traditional King Nutcracker. This little guy is cute! His mouth opens and closely well though honestly I doubt he is strong enough to crack nuts. Wood is great but I prefer metal for a functional nutcracker. He measures  6.25" x 3.25" x 2.75" and he comes in a small box that I labeled so I can use it to store him. He reminds me of the traditional nutcracker design from the ballet though he has a drum which I do not normally associate with the king figure. No, the drum and the arms/hands do not move.

Snow Queen Nutcracker

The next two are in theory the same height but the hats make all the difference. The Traditional Snow Queen Nutcrackeris the first female nutcracker I have seen for Christmas. She measures  14" x 3.33" x 3.66" and stands on a very glittery base. She came with broken pieces of styrofoam in her box and that was a bit annoying to keep discovery everyone as I unpacked and repacked her up. She reminds me of our stuffed Celestial Santas who is in blue and silver. He's packed away right now because it is too early to decorate for Christmas but I'll think about putting them next to each other when I do decorate after Thanksgiving. Her hair is very curly and it was entwined in the front. Oddly she is a nutcracker but the open is on her chest promoting my hubby to revert to a 12-year old boy and exclaim "She had nutcracking boobs!". The lever is under her cape so aside from the wood worry as strong enough to crack open nuts, it is more effort to access that movable part. The wand can be turned a bit but everything else is static about her. When I looked closely at her head I noticed that the crown is above the plaited hair line so it looks less elegant up close than at a distance.

Santa Skiing Nutcracker

The final nutcracker is just fun looking. The Skiing Santa Nutcracker is also 14 inches tall but his hat is an extra 4 inches to the figure and that matters depending on where you might want to place him. His other measurements are 3.25" x 5" so he takes up more horizontal space on a shelf. The hat has a wire in it so you can bent it to pose it. Up straight like you see in the photo or bending down to one side, or frontward, or backwards even. Other than the hat no other part is movable. Nothing is removable either so you don't' have to worry about losing parts of it. His mouth opens using an easy access lever in the back but again I wouldn't use him to crack actually nuts.

The Clever Creations nutcrackers are going to join our Christmas decorations assuming I can find space for them in our existing boxes. If I can't I guess they might replace older decorations or be given as prizes at our party. Honestly we don't put up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. These are our Thanksgiving decorations. And no, we don't need more of these, companies, but chocolate for the other blog would be very welcomed!



Do you have any Clever Creations nutcrackers? Does you family have a pickle deocration?

Cecilia Tan Gives Us the Hard Rhythm to Play With

Book three in Cecilia Tan's The Secrets of a Rock Star Series is out and she may have saved the best for last.  Hard Rhythm (Secrets of a Rock Star)spends a bit of time on the previous couples of Ricki and Axel along with Gwen and Mal but the focus is really on one of the employees of the exclusive private sex club that the Hamilton sisters run, Madison, and the drummer from The Rough, Chino.

Madison and Chino are a bit older than the previous characters and their internal dialogues as well as their actions show more maturity. They are still young by my standards, just approaching 30. Both of them have something that bothers them about their past and those pasts are something that many readers will be able to relate to. Chino's is a patriarchal conservative stepfather whom he is estranged from because of the stepfather's abusive attitude and behavior. Sadly that is something that many people in all roles of kink can relate to personally.

Cecilia Tan uses Chino's past to deal with some real life problems that aren't about kink at all: domestic abuse. Her afterword confirms that the information she has Madison give out to Chino's mother and sister are real, they can be used if you, the reader, or someone you know needs help. While that subject is a sizable part of the second half of the book it flows pretty naturally as Madison and Chino's relationship develops.

Madison's issue seem to be more about the negative feedback she's gotten in past relationships where she's bottomed or subbed.This can happen because too many folks can't separate fantasy from reality, the ideal from a real person. Couple that with her secret need to be approved of and the terms they decide to use in their relationship make sense but I'm not going to spoil the book by telling you what those are.

Without spoiling the plot I do want to make you all aware of some kinks that happen in this books because they might turn you on or off. The SM parts of the book are middle of the road, between what we got in  Taking the Lead (Secrets of a Rock Star)and in Taking the Lead (Secrets of a Rock Star). There is more exhibition in this book but it primarily confined to a private party setting. Lots of sex toys because Madison takes a job reviewing them. Gay and lesbian couples just not our main characters who become monogamous. This book also deals with a lot more kink relationships styles than the first two books did including pet/owner, child/parent, slave/owner, and competitive switches. Of course the sex is explicit and hot.

Even though the books can be read solo, the order does continue an overarching plot. The Hamiltons have inherited a secret sex club but as with many secret, eventually they come out particularly when power and wealth a factor. Madison tips off the Hamilton sisters and they address a threat to their club in smart and calculated ways emphasizing that even if each woman in this series feels best on her knees before a hot man, she is still a powerful force to be reckoned with. The trio of bandmates also come together during this novel to help out the sisters but also Chino as he struggles to be supportive of his abused mother and sister while not striping them of their power to determine their own lives.

The emotional complexity of all of the relationships and situations in this novel feel real, feel engaging. I was pulled far more into Chino and Madison life than I was with the main characters of the other two books of this series. I think Cecilia Tan saved the best for last in the series.

Book Review: Taking the Lead by Cecilia Tan

For folks who know me, I am not attracted in any fashion to the stereotypical romance or even the common man-in-charge idea. In fact, most romances leave me cold, so for any author who writes romance or any work of fiction with the maledom/femalesub orientation to keep me interested, that author has to have serious storytelling skills. Does Cecilia Tan have those skills in her new book, "Taking the Lead?" Let's find out. I will try not to include too many spoilers but just give you enough information to help you make a decision about whether or not to buy this novel. Note, though, that I will discuss some events and activities that might be considered edgy for some people – edgy beyond just BDSM, that is.

WARNING: There may be spoilers in my review so don't read further if you can't handle a few details being revealed.

"Taking the Lead" is book one in a three-book series called "The Secrets of a Rock Star." These are contemporary BDSM romances, written by an award-winning romance and BDSM author and publisher; that alone might make you want to check out the book, but my reasons are more personal. Cecilia Tan bought my first for-pay piece of fiction, and more recently she took a chance and published my "Beyond the Softness of His Fur" trilogy. I've met her in person a few times and even shared a hotel room with her at Frolicon several years back. I want to assure you all, though, that I'll treat this book as I would any I'm sent to review; I play no favorites.

Frolicon 2010

This book is told in first-person, from two viewpoints. Ricki Hamilton is the daughter and heir of a powerful Hollywood family. They aren't famous actors; they're the movers and shakers, the wealthy elite who actually run the industry and the social circles of Hollywood. After her grandfather's death, Ricki and her sister Gwen must fulfill several conditions of his will in order to inherit. The one that Ricki dislikes the most is running the secret sex club that her grandfather hosted in his basement. The letters "BDSM" are tossed around at the club, but there are some issues of consent and secrecy that may seem very unusual for folks into the Scene today. The world of kinky sex used to be secretive like this, and probably still is in some locations or for some people; it was also a world where consent wasn't as widely championed either. I'll get back to that issue later. Ricki agrees to the terms of the will because she wants to make movies, and she wants to be a force in popular media, but to do that, she'll need the family money.

The other main character is Axel Hawke, the lead singer for a band called "The Rough." He seems to be a confusing man at first, less in control of his life than many "alpha male" characters in current romances. I can say firsthand that people who are dominant in the bedroom – heck, even just in their personality – often just have to follow the lead of those with positions of authority above them. Unless you are old and have a ton of experience, you have to work your way up, regardless of personality or sexual orientation. Axel follows the lead of their band manager and publicist because it gets him what he wants: fame, and the possibility of more fame. For Axel, his dominance really seems to be 1) sexual in nature and 2) something I'd call "service topping." While he certainly can be aggressive and in-charge, it's also very clear that he cares right from the first moment we meet him. Given that alpha males are not my type, this made him more interesting to me, as well as more realistic.

One of the old tropes of romance is "hate at first sight," but Tan rejects this cliché. When Ricki and Axel meet in a limo on the way to the Grammys, they're both immediately attracted to one another, even though they both have other dates and are both cognizant of this fact. Even at the lowest point in their later relationship, hate, fear of the other, and anger toward the other, never really arise. Ricki has her own past and her own conflicted feelings about enjoying a more bottom role in the bedroom, but I never got that old "hate turns to love" or "fear turns to desire" vibe from this book. Because of this, their developing love feels both honest and possible, not just because you want to buy into the fantasy but because it makes sense.

There are several actions in the book that might offend some readers or simply turn them off. Without giving away too much plot, let me discuss these. Fairly early in the book there is a shaving scene that seemed a bit fast to me, but I can understand that in romance issues of negotiation can seem tedious to the reader. It is written in a very sensitive and sexy fashion, so unless sharps are a limit, I think most readers should be able to appreciate it.

There are two kidnappings in the book. The first is a misdirected publicity stunt that allows Axel and Ricki to explore their mutual attraction. It is fun and counts as "kidnapping" only by the loosest definition. At no time did it seem like anyone would cross the line. The partners were going with the flow, trying out new things, and checking in with each other.

The second kidnapping is after Ricki breaks up with Axel; it is an honest-to-goodness kidnapping that immediately turned me off, so much so that for the rest of the book I simply could not get aroused. The kidnapping seems motivated by a sudden, private reaction to being dumped, driven by what seems to be anger. Now, a safeword is clarified, and I believe we are supposed to understand that Ricki believes her use of that safeword will be respected, turning a real kidnapping into a hot scene. In the past I've planned and carried out a kidnapping for a submissive partner of mine. The big difference between that and this, the key difference for me, is that at that time he was my partner, he trusted me, and we had a relationship. That is not the case at this point in this book. Again, I know that issues of consent and negotiation aren't "hot" for a lot of romance readers, but it is a big deal to me personally.

Parental death and alcohol abuse are central to Ricki's background, and that might be uncomfortable for some readers. I think this background made Ricki more understandable, though. I also think the topics were addressed in a careful but not lingering fashion. I didn't get tired of the "downer" past before things were addressed in a way that allowed Ricki and the romance with Axel to develop.

Finally, yes, there is kink here, and there are explicit sexual descriptions. These aren't pornographic: they aren't gratuitous or focused on body parts, even when parts are named or briefly described. The focus of the sex is mental, emotional, physical, and connective. Some romance readers want to go to bed but not see under the covers. If you are one of those readers, don't get this book.

Now that I've mentioned these possible trigger subjects, I can say that the book is very well crafted. Dialogue feels natural, characters are complex, and they and their world change as the story progresses. There are some hints of what might happen in the next book, even though the trilogy novels will be free-standing, meaning the later ones won't require you to read the earlier ones. I felt invested enough in Ricki and Axel that I found myself talking out loud to them at times when I was reading. I even got turned on a few times by the intensity of the sex or the depth of their developing feelings. Good stories and sexy relationships can transcend the reader's orientation if the reader is willing to expand their range and the author is skilled enough.

Cecilia Tan has the storytelling skills to make this contemporary BDSM romance work. This is an intriguing start to her new series that focuses on The Rough (Axel's band) and their sex lives. If this book sounds good to you, follow the link below to get your own copy from Amazon. For other ways to buy it, check out the series page on Cecilia Tan's website.

Book Review: Counsel of the Wicked by Elizabeth A. Schechter

One of the "professions" I've had for many years now is as a book reviewer -- much like many of my "professions" it would be nice if it paid but at least I get free books and a chance to express my opinions. As you may have figured out, all of us butt-kicking women love to share our opinions about anything that pushes our buttons, lightens our lives, or simply stirs our imaginations. When I enjoy a book, having read it and sharing it with others means a great deal; when a book is a struggle, that's when I want to be paid for it. Book One of the new Elizabeth A. Schechter series, Rebel Mage, is a pleasure to bring to your attention. Book 1 is entitled Counsel of the Wicked but don't let the cover fool you; while that is our main character, whether or not he is "wicked" is one of the subjects of the book and I suspect the entire series.

Warning: While I am trying not to spoil the book, the rest of this post may contain information some readers would prefer to discover on their own. To make a more in depth and serious review, I need to touch upon these matters. Do not continue reading of you dislike any type of spoiler.

As you hopefully recall from my interview with Schechter, defining her books is difficult yet Fantastic Fiction Publishing labels this Bisexual Romance and Fantasy on the back cover. It is certainly a fantasy book. This appears to be set post devastating world-wide collapse of civilization; on Earth or another planet is unclear. There is some technology but it is hoarded by Elders in charge of specific towns. At first we think that these towns are all that is safe in the world because it is all our main character, Matthias, has ever known. Except that isn't quite true; he doesn't live in the town, he lives outside of it because his mother, a rape survivor, is condemned by their town for having a child out of wedlock. Sounds like the neo-con religious fanatics have taken over, huh? The "new" powers in charge have counseled the world in a very wicked fashion.

Matthias is undoubtedly our main character, about half the book is spent looking at his experiences as an outcast, his abuse at "The School" the High Elder sends him to, and his life on the run after he is rescued from that nightmarish place. Schechter gets us into his mind and his heart from chapter one and so we can feel great empathy with him even if he has a very limited world view and knowledge. Is he bisexual? He seems more uninterested in sex except to please his partners. He survives sexual assaults in "The School" and yet it felt like he worked through that fairly quickly once he and the rebel group that rescues him were on the run. As a survivor, I could read this two ways -- an attempt to keep the protections of the group by using sex to appease them or forcing himself to reject the abuse and go back to his normal sexual activities. Matthias seems to have no sexual interests and he doesn't seem driven to keep his rescuers happy. He is selective about whom he shares his body with and this demonstrates that no matter his situation, he has maintained his personal power. He can do this because he has been alone and needed to care for himself, having more than one friend, needing help to the degree he does at "The School" those are new experiences for him. I would expect some emotional fallout eventually from everything that has happened to him once the rebel group gets a few days to recover and calm down.

Before "The School" Matthias' only friend was Balthazar, the son of the town's Elder who also happens to be the High Elder on the Council of Elder.  Note the clever word play that Schechter has used here -- "counsel" and "council." But are these true wicked people in this story? There are hints that they are not. Balthazar is naïve because he has had a sheltered life of privilege. Oddly, Matthias attempts to let his friend know what his life has been life seem very recent. Of course, Balthazar wants to be more than friends and his pressuring of Matthias for more left a distaste in my mouth but also foreshadow some truly horrific events later in the book. Balthazar is definitely bisexual; we see him having sex with one woman who is a leader among the rebels who have survived outside the Council controlled towns. Unlike with Matthias, I couldn't manage to feel empathy for Balthazar at any point in the story. When the novel switched to following him around, I just wanted us to get back to Matthias. That's sad because a lot of good world building was revealed through Balthazar's own adventures.

It is primarily after Balthazar leaves the Council towns that we see hints of what has happened to create this dystopian world. Information through the eyes of the High Elder, the other "students" at "The School," and the rebels they encounter suggest this is not Earth but another world which has survived a great war only to be thrown into pockets of civilization. Just how far the authority and influence of the Council of Elder goes is yet to be revealed. Matthias himself has newly discovered talents that are only being nursed by otherworldly allies.



Schechter tackles a lot of difficult subjects in this 290 page paperback. I've mentioned the destruction of civilization, the rule of the corrupt, and even sexual assaults, but there are other topics as well. Religion is the cover for much of the corruption in this book but these are not Earth religion so get into a tizzy about it. Gender roles and control over the female body are also addressed though given that our main character is male with male love interests it may seem larger to me because I am a woman. There is no clean authority in this book when it comes to women; both the Council of Elders and the rebels who are led by women have no problem dictating what women should do in terms of their careers and reproductive lives. I'm curious to see if Matthias will care about this in future books and I hope that he does or his status as "hero" will be lessened in my eyes. All of these subjects are dealt with in a matter-of-fact fashion that is also sensitive just not in a "I'm teaching you a lesson" way that can detract from the story and character development.

There explicit sex in the book though I've seem far more explicit... heck, I've written it! In general the sex flows naturally from the storylines and character development though the scenes between Matthias and Solomon (one of the "students") once they are on the run felt a bit forced; do you really make time for sex when the baddies are on your heels? Maybe folks do this but I can't imagine it myself. That doesn't make this story bad, it just follows in the expected flow of sex in most popular books. If you can't handle explicit sex or complex social ideas and violence, don't buy this book! It is as simple as that.

Council of the Wicked is a good setup for at least one more book, possibly more.

Nail Fun with Friends or Lovers

I've written before about nail polish; it is my own form of cosmetics unless you count lip balm, lotion, or scent. Recently I've experimented with decals and nail decoration that goes beyond polish. I was offered a chance through the Amazon Vine Reviewer program to test a nail kit marketed toward kids from Alex Brands. I hoped this would teach me a bit more about nail decoration. I was sent this kit in exchange for an honest review on Amazon but I thought some of you might find it interesting as well. I received no other compensation for this article.

The kit box proclaims that it has 190 pieces but let's be honest -- most of these are the 135 tiny "sticky nail gems" and I mean I needed tweezers to use them tiny. There are also 49 appliques that you can color in that are very fragile but larger so be careful when you add them. There are 5 2-in-1 nail polish pens that have a brush in and a "precision tip." There is also a star-shaped nail file that is very weak even if it looks cute.

To use the polish pen's brush or tip, you remove the top in different ways that took us a few minutes to figure out. These pens are sealed tight and the polish inside varied in thickness. We discovered that the tips flowed smoothly once you got them going but you needed to scrap off the brush part before trying to apply it because if the nail polish is too thick it won't dry evenly or quickly. There are these taped pins on the flat, black bottom of the pens if the tip doesn't work but we didn't have to use them at all so I left them attached as you could see.

The supplies came in an over-sized plastic box inside the cardboard box. Given all of the small pieces such as the pins and the gems and appliques, I wish this had a storage case instead of the plastic that you can see in this photo.

I applied nail polish to my partner's hands along with some of the "sticky nail gems" as you can see here. He loves getting peacocked up but he feel conscious about doing it in our culture so we can only do it on weekends. Personally I think this is sexist in a bizarre way. In much of the animal kingdom, male animals are more colorful. Even pickup artists, as much as I loath their sexist philosophies and fuck at all costs attitudes, seem to understand that dressing up nice and being colorful is a good way for men to attract attention. I like his nails, what do you think? He has nice large surface areas to work with, we could have easily put 1-2 more of the gems on each one. We didn't use a clear top coat, none came in the kit and the instructions do not mention them; the gems fell off in less than 24 hours with normal daily activity but the turquoise polish remained.

We used the color-in appliques on my nails and my partner used the "precision tip" to color them in. What do you think? We did use a clear top coat because these were more fragile to begin with and I wanted mine to last; he used polish remover Sunday night on his for work the next day. The polish dries very quickly if you do not apply it too thickly. If you use tweezers you can get the stickers or appliques on fairly well. The appliques are less thick and I loved the coloring in aspect of it. Frankly get rid of the "sticky nail gems" and give me more of these with more colors to use.

One final photo for you. These are my nails a week later. I've used basic polish remover but look at what has been removed -- the top coat and the polish. The only damage you see to the appliques are what happened while using my hands for the week I had these on. I'm not sure at this point how to remove them except by working at the edges and peeling them off but that is taking a bit of time. At least it isn't as stinky as polish remover, right? How many of you have done the stickers, decals, and multiple colors to your nails? Tell me about it in the comments please.

Catching Santa -- Gimmick or Fun?

There are times when I feel that the holidays, almost any holiday frankly, has lost it's meaning and simply become a means to sell products and get more stuff.  I do a lot of product reviews over on The Chocolate Cult but sometimes I'm offered a product to review that just doesn't make sense there so from time to time I'll be doing a review here.  One of these is today for a contest and a product from iCaughtSanta.com.  Their site gives you a background for your photos that you can then share either via Internet posts or you could print them out to mail the old fashioned way.

We aren't much for family photos in my house so I had several old ones converted to digital so I could try iCaughtSanta.com to test the company out. One thing was immediately confusing because originally I thought that they had not only Santa images but background you could just insert yourself and your family into.  That turned out not to be the case -- you put the Santa (and some Rudolph) images into your photo.  That makes more sense because I'm not even sure how to cut out a background to a photo myself so the people are all that is left.

I conducted my testing of this website on Wednesday, November 27, 2013, starting at 9:05am and ending at 9:37am. The formatting is pretty straight forward if you have ever done anything similar on your computer.  There is a tutorial video or step-by-step guide, too.

Making the first photo was easy, took about 6 minutes total.  This is a scene from way back in time when we lived in NYC for five years.  Our first ever visit to the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.  I figured this one was a good one to try because I didn't have to manipulate Santa around us but around a monument.  See he's pointing to the tree!

While I waited for the first photo to arrive in my email I created a second one. Then I realized that you don't need an email to get it. Right after you create it, you can download it especially with the freebie coupon we have below for you all to try.

The second photo was just as easy though it took longer to find a good Santa that would fit well with the image.  There are 20 images to chose from and you may want to click them to see them full size.  Sometimes the face is the only really difference so look carefully.  This was taken when I was in college and that's my future husband with me. We were dressed up for a formal dance as as you can see Santa is checking out his "naughty" or "nice" list and making adjustments. Don't worry we didn't do anything "too naughty" that night.

You might notice that I used a different border for each photo -- that is something you can add to the pictures as you manipulate them on the site.  You don't have to have a border so let's look at one without a border, shall we?

This is also from back in NYC -- geesh!  I was thin then and my hair wasn't particularly good, was it?  We didn't have a lot of money back then and the first apartment was around 300 square feet only!  I still had a kitchen -- I think it was a converted closet -- so I did bake cookies. Look! Santa is eating one!  Chocolate chip, too, just like I'd make.

If you want to give the site a try yourself you can use this code until December 10th to try it free: #SantaShare

There is a contest you can enter at the iCaughtSanta.com website as well to win several prizes so you might want to check that out.  They use Rafflecopter so just follow the instructions to enter.

I did have fun with this and I was done creating three images in about half an hour so it is fast.  I think even little kids could use this program and have a blast.  So give it a try and leave a comment letting me know if you had fun doing so please.

 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.