A slight reading frenzy...

Part of all this being on-the-go lately has meant I always wind up stuck waiting somewhere with a little time to kill. Be it 30 minutes between work and a Junior League meeting or anywhere in between, I've had a book or my iPad mini with me, and have gotten to read a TON.

Score one for my sanity, because reading keeps me going in crazy times.

Here's what I've been reading, sorted by where it came from...

From the half-price paperback store:

This was just a great, quick read. Love Kristen Heitzman because her work is so uplifting!

Colleen Coble is quickly become a HUGE favorite of mine. I loved the historical elements, and this story was just a fabulous one. I want to go read the rest of the books in this series now.

From Net Galley:

First, can I just saw how much I love Net Galley? I'm obsessed, and can't wait to spend a little more time on the site figuring things out and reviewing more books!

Oh. My. Gosh! Listed for just $3.99 in the Amazon e-book store, this was so amazing. I loved it. Falling in love with an up-and-coming actor who makes it big throws Lizzie for a loop while she's visiting London. The characters are so well developed, and the story made me stay up until 1 a.m. to finish it!

This book does not read like it's cover looks. It's a WONDERFUL book, with a few slightly racy parts. I love the ideas of princes in disguise, and being tricked into falling in love - in literature at least. And this book had it all! This book is currently listed for just $4.27 in the Amazon e-book store!

I'll be back with more books to check out soon. Have a wonderful weekend!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

October book reviews + a freebie...

Well hello there!

I have to say, I have made a lot of time for getting lost in good books lately, and wanted to go ahead and share some of my favorites before people start hitting the road for the holiday season!

Here are four books I read in the past week or two - covers, prices and reviews included!

The Reunion Lie

By Lucy King

Currently $1.99 on Amazon here

I absolutely loved The Reunion Lie, which I read thanks to NetGalley. (As I've said before, this is one of my favorite perks of blogging!) This was a quick and fabulous read on a lovely Saturday morning with a blanket and my coffee. It was a cute, fun story to follow, and Lucy King did a great job with believable characters. Plus, I totally love the cover - especially the lights. This was my favorite of the four books I've read recently -and for such a low price as a Kindle book, I highly recommend! Get lost and enjoy it one afternoon! 

Trapped

by Irene Hannon

Currently $9.99 on Amazon here

I've read a few of Irene Hannon's books before, included some of the Private Justice ones, and this one was no letdown! It was suspenseful and intriguing - and kept my attention for quite a while! I think this one took me about 4-5 hours to read one night last week. I couldn't put it down once I started - and it was nice to be reading it on my iPad mini since Mr. Jones rolled over and went to sleep and I could keep reading in bed! It's got great sub-plots, from family to romance to more. Highly recommend as a winter read!

Waking Up Married

By Mira Lyn Kelly

Currently FREE on Amazon here

Okay, Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly was absolutely hilarious. (I found it via NetGalley). Can you imagine going out, having a ball with friends, and waking up to find out you married a stranger the next morning? Yeah, I can't, that's for sure. But that's exactly what happens to Megan Scott. Instead of just putting it all behind her, Conner Reed sets out to win her - and stay married. I giggled my way through this one. It's a little short, but it's the perfect girly read for a night in with a glass of wine! Plus, it's free on Amazon for your Kindle. You really can't beat a free read, can you?

Naked Sushi

by Jina Bacarr

Currently $3.03 on Amazon here

My fourth and final NetGalley read from the month of October, Naked Sushi was interesting. Definitely a Cosmo Red Hot Read, as the cover claims. It started off a little more... raunchy.... shall we say than even I anticipated, but then it settled down with a decent plot. I enjoyed the main female character "Pepper" because it was a smart, strong woman who definitely had some ambition - she just kept finding herself in some random funny and strange work situations along the way! Not bad for just $3 on Amazon! My least favorite of my four recent reads though....

Hope you enjoyed and found a book (or two) that you'd love! As things slow down - or pick up - for the winter/holidays I'll have quite a few more to share with you!

XOXO,

Mrs. Jones

A sneak peak at Julep Maven...

The Julep Maven window is open for September, and I fell so in love with this CityScape collection that I had to share! How gorgeous are the colors (aside from the orange, which this Bama fan can never love.)

I had a really hard time picking my box for the month, and went away from my normal "Classic with a Twist" to sign up for the "Bombshell" box. I used some of my Maven rewards to add on the beautiful Josephine color for free.

You can sign up via my referral link here and use the code FREEBOX to get your first box for free! I love this box more than any other because you can change, skip or gift your box each month! It doesn't get much better than that!

Are you a Julep Maven? Do you like what I picked for this month?

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

That {blog}lovin' feeling...

I made the switch to reading my favorite blogs in BlogLovin' about a month ago, and it took a tiny bit of getting used to, but now I'm pretty hooked.

Since Google Reader disappears on Monday, I wanted to let you know you can continue to follow me on BlogLovin here! I don't want to lose any of you lovely readers.

You can also keep tabs via GFC on my sidebar! Be sure to go ahead and follow, because I've got a giveaway coming your way next week. So excited about it too!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

On the hunt for glasses?

I'm not sure how many readers know, but I have terrible eyes! The life of a writer and editor, I guess, right? Well, if you're the same way, you know a great pair of glasses eyeglasses is exactly what you need when you're fed up with your contacts for the night (or the entire weekend if you're having a lazy one like I am!)

So, I wanted to share a little bit about GlassesUSA.com with all of you lovely readers! They have great customer service, and I've been browsing there for my next pair! I've only got one pair right now, and I need a backup!

This fun site offers high quality glasses frames and lenses - and they have a 110 percent lowest price guarantee. You know I'm all about saving money! On top of that, they have a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, which is huge for me when I'm shopping online!

The cool feature they've introduced is their Virtual Mirror! How cool is this? You can check yourself out in online eyeglasses!

And, in case you're looking to make a purchase, take advantage of their fabulous storewide offer right now:
- 15 percent off PLUS free shipping on orders over $50 with the code FS15
- 10 percent off any order of prescription glasses with the code Blog10

Happy shopping!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

(Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are, as always mine alone!)

Sweet Home Amy - A book review

Well now.... I didn't drop too far off the map, did I? Oops. Forgive me. Work, exhaustion and life kicked my butt for the last few weeks, but I'm finally back at it full force, and ready to share a little more with you about Sweet Home Amy by Amy Green!

One of the lovely things I read while NOT blogging or reading blogs lately was to read Amy Green's precious new book. Now, I'll be very honest. Her experiences are so incredibly far from my experiences that to me, her real life story felt like just that - a story. Sometimes I'd forget that I was reading the real-life story of a blog friend. But that's the mark of a great book isn't it? I think so. If you escape your world for a while, and dream and imagine and think.... that's why I read.

I loved her book. Amy is a brilliant writer who makes you laugh and cry while you read her story! To get a digital copy for just $2.99, click here - or order a print copy of her book for $8.99 here!

You know I'm a hard copy kind of girl - but when it comes with a sweet note inside? It's even better!

Here's to you, Amy Green! Thanks for sharing your story, and inspiring the rest of us to always keep writing!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

A little note from Sweet Home Amy...

Friends, I have such a treat to share with you today! Many of y'all might remember the blog Sweet Home Amy, and today I've got a fun little message to share from Amy herself!

I wanted to introduce Amy today, and I'll be back to share a review of her book tomorrow!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

*****

On Feb. 9, 2009, I remember sitting down at my computer with my head in my hands, feeling utterly embarrassed and ashamed, and wondering what the heck to do next. I had hit rock bottom of the dating world. I was divorced, and officially had gone wild trying to get back "in the game". There was always one thing that made me feel better whenever I was down - writing. So I turned to the computer, and found blogging.

Fast forward a few years later and I've blogged about every dating disaster, dating success (yes there have been some!), cross country move (multiples of those), new job, and new friends. I quickly found a home in the blogging world, where my emotional rants and crazy dating tactics were completely acceptable.

About a year ago I decided to close down the blog, as I found myself living a pretty happy life. But a writer will always be a writer! Not only did I miss blogging (no worries - I'm back!), but I wanted to do something more. That's when my boyfriend said to me, "Why don't you write a book?"

So I collected my blog posts and went to work. Turns out I've had so much craziness happen in the past 4 years that one book wouldn't do. So I am turning Sweet Home Amy into a series. Book 1 was published on Amazon in November, as an e-book. The paperback became available through LuLu in December. (Links to both can be found on my website!)

Now, I am back to blogging, and currently am writing the second book. I live at the beach with my pretty amazing boyfriend (better known as Surfer), love playing guitar and baking, and am self-employed as a software consultant.

I hope that you enjoy my book! My goal is to make you laugh as you read about all the drama of a young Southern divorcee just trying to figure out life!

xoxo,
Amy

Stella & Dot... Beautiful baubles!

Today's the day! I'm so excited to see Lauren and have some friends over to play with some fabulous jewelry. I know I've already shared my favorite necklaces, but my real love is earrings. They are the perfect way to dress up ANY regular old outfit.

My short bobbed hair hides most earrings, so as long as they are light, I got for LARGE earrings so you can see them. Does anyone else have that problem? I'm curious as to what you do? Do you do the same thing?

Anyways, if you're looking for some Stella & Dot, you can check things out and shop here.

Sanibel Chandeliers

Garden Party Chandelier Earrings

Serenity Stone Drops

Seychelles Chandeliers

Which ones are your favorite? I'm loving the Seychelles right now, but I love the other three too! Choices, choices! What's a girl to do?!?

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

Social Sunday: Catch Us Up With Your Life

Happy Sunday y'all....

Alabama football survived a crazy night in Death Valley last night, and I'm grateful we escaped with a win! Anyways, I wanted to pop in on this lazy Sunday and play a little Social Sunday fun.... It's a great day. The house is clean, laundry is done, and I'm curled up in bed blogging and watching the first season of Revenge on Netflix.

What is currently on your wish list?
So many things. Goodness!

What is a new fall TV show you have added to your DVR?
Revenge. It's been DVRing all season long, and I'm catching up on season one on Netflix before I start it. I'm obsessed.

Share your social media links for us to follow you on. Which is your favorite and why?
Blog: http://atthejoneses.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/areallifeWife/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jlpjones2/

I love Twitter the most, but Pinterest is rapidly climbing in popularity! :-)

What is a TV show or movie or song you could listen to or watch over and over and over?
There are two TV series I can watch over and over - Gilmore Girls and The West Wing. I love them so much! I'm currently hooked on Alicia Keys' song "Girl on Fire" - it's my theme song right now!

Happy Sunday, y'all!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

In Other's Words....

This week, two posts have really touched me. I wanted to share them.

Whitney at Southern Grace posted on what she's been thinking. It moved me to tears. Read it here.

Ashley at Oh Wells Instead of What Ifs posted about blogging, and what is attractive to readers, and what we strive to be as bloggers. I loved it. Her list is so true. I want to read a blogger who is honest, happy and a great story teller. Reader her post here.

That's all for tonight. Happy Friday lovelies!
Mrs. Jones

Blog Star July!

I mean, I may be a day late, but I figure I'm not a dollar short and I'm still going to manage to get this post up for July!

I'm Mrs. Jones and you've stumbled upon my little slice of blog heaven known as Keeping Up with the Joneses.... I blog about our happy little life and home in Alabama and all of our adventures. I love to read, cook and drink wine!

I share our sweet little home with my wonderful husband, Mr. Jones and our precious pup Eve Belle (Eva is how we say it!). We've been in our first home for just over two years, and I'm still working on making it how I want it. Someday we will get it right!

 

 (Us: then and now!)

EB is our happy little princess. We spoil her rotten and treat her like a family member, because she totally is!

I'm a writer by trade, and I love spending time blogging and sharing our adventures because it's that little slice of writing that I get to do for me. I love the blog world and all the friends I've made! Hope you enjoy reading and following along with our crazy little life!

XOXO and thanks for stopping by,
Mrs. Jones

Sharing the love: Local {ATL}ast

Good morning lovelies!!!

I've been meaning to do this for quite a while, but one of my dear bloggy friends has revamped her blog and gotten back on the bandwagon.

Tami is just adorable and I want you all to go read her blog and enjoy it! Her blog, Local {ATL}ast, is wonderful, so go check it out here!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

Stella & Dot Giveaway!

To celebrate my very first virtual trunk show, sweet Lauren has decided to sponsor a Stella & Dot giveaway! The winner will receive a pair of Marchesa Stud Earrings from Stella & Dot!

The giveaway starts tonight, and will end on Friday, Dec. 9 at 10 p.m. (CST).

Here's how to enter. Leave a separate comment stating each thing you did.
1. Follow my blog
2. Follow me on Twitter (@aRealLifeWife)
3. Tweet the following: "I entered to win a pair of Stella & Dot Marchesa Studs from @laurenbtrain on @aRealLifeWife's blog! Check it out: http://atthejoneses.blogspot.com/2011/12/stella-dot-giveaway.html"
4. Like Lauren's stylist page on Facebook
5. Go to Lauren's stylist page on Facebook and leave a comment with your favorite item!
6. If you make a purchase, you will earn 5 additional entries (for a total of 10 if you complete all of these!)

I am so grateful to Lauren for sharing Stella & Dot with my lovely readers! Enjoy and good luck lovelies! We will announce the winner on Saturday!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

I'm the guest, I'm the guest!

Yes, I'm humming along to "Be Our Guest" this morning.... hence the title of this post. But I am the guest this morning!

Hop on over to Cole's blog to read my Holiday Season Top 5!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

Menu Monday: Creamy Spinach Lasagna

Boy, oh boy, do I have a recipe to share with you tonight! And it comes from the blogging world, which only makes me happier to share. My lovely blog friend Cole from All the Small Stuff is masterful with recipes, and she posted this one in September.

I made it last week, and it was a HUGE hit. Mr. Jones wasn't too sure about it when he saw spinach - and no meat - but he has declared it a winner. I made a ton, so it's been great to start this week with some lunches already prepared!

Check it out here and ENJOY!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

The Wine Chronicles: Arrington Vineyards

Our little blogger weekend was so much fun. After our low-key Friday night, Katie arrived on Saturday morning and the three of us headed out to Arrington Vineyard after a stop at Whole Foods for some picnic sustenance.

I'd never been to a vineyard before, and this one was so beautiful. We truly had the perfect time out there!

The wine tasting was great. We each tried four different wines. My favorite was the riesling and the raspberry dessert wine. I got a bottle of each to bring home!

Mrs. Smith, me and Katie - such sweet friends!

Our little picnic with a view while drinking a bottle of wine together was simply the best. It only got better when we hit up some fabulous shopping on the way back to Mrs. Smith's house to get ready for dinner! I don't know about my friends, but I'm ready for another girls trip for sure. And I'm also desperately wishing this winery was a little closer so Mr. Jones and I could take a day trip.

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

A cozy night in Nashville

I left Alabama and headed across the state line to Tennessee on Friday afternoon to meander to Mrs. Smith's house for the first part of our weekend. We kept it low-key and spent the evening relaxing with a glass of wine, pizza and some seriously funny and entertaining tv shows. It was the perfect night for us to relax.

I will share that Mrs. Smith made the BEST homemade pizza for dinner. She blogged about it for her Menu Monday post here. When life and work and all that jazz calms down next week, I will be making this for one of our nightly dinners. It was divine. See?

Mmmm... Honey goat cheese pizza. I'm getting hungry. 

We had the perfect night, and turned in fairly early, which was perfect because our Saturday was jam-packed full of fun! I'll post the rest of our trip soon.

XOXO and Happy Friday!

Mrs. Jones

Wishful Wednesday: Big Wishes

If we're wishing big for Wishful Wednesday this week, here's what I'm loving....

Ralph Lauren 

Crepe Flyaway Suit Jacket

White House Black Market

Colorblock Ponte Dress

Tory Burch

Robinson Satchel

I think the Tory Burch bag is my favorite. But the White House Black Market dress is amazing too. What do you think?

XOXO,

Mrs. Jones

The Wine Chronicles: Secco Italian Bubbles

I have gotten to try so many sparkling wines lately that it is kind of funny... A friend brought me a bottle of Secco Italian Bubbles after a rough day last week. That's the best kind of friend, you know?

Anyways, we curled up on the couch, chatted, and split this lovely treat. I liked it more than Cupcake Prosecco. It was smoother to me, which was nice. I enjoyed it so much I searched around for it online to learn a little more about it... You can read more here.

I learned that there is also a Rose blend, and that "Dessert Bubbles" is coming out this year. I'll be looking for them for sure. This is one of the first wines I've tasted and written about that led me to learn more, which I'm enjoying!

Have you tried this? What's your favorite bubbly?

XOXO,

Mrs. Jones

Will you vote?

I've had the privilege to meet and know this beautiful girl - and now she's up for a MAJOR award. If you could take a second to vote for her, I'd appreciate it so much.

Click here to vote.

Thanks so very very much!
Mrs. Jones