Pandora Charm Addict

It's no secret that I am a Pandora fanatic! It all started in May when I went to buy a charm as a gift for my cousin's confirmation. While I knew what Pandora was all about, I always steered clear because I thought it was a gimmicky and juvenile cult to be part of. Charm bracelets, at 26? Really? But no, in that moment while looking at all the charms neatly organized in their tiny sections in the shiny glass cases, I became a victim!

Now you may not be a fan of Pandora, or not really care at all about it, but I just want to highlight some of the cool reasons to be a collector.

The best thing about Pandora is that there really is something there for everyone. Every unique charm tells a little bit about the wearer of the bracelet. I look at the bracelet as a puzzle, and the charms are the pieces that represent you and what you like.

The first charm I bought was the house charm. ($30). I found it fitting since I had just bought my house and was getting settled in, so I thought that would be a good starting piece. The house charm is one of the least expensive charms Pandora sells. Most of their charms are very affordable, which is why I think they are so popular. If you go to Tiffany's, their charms are $200 and up, making it impossible for the average woman to afford a charm bracelet there.



 

The second charm I purchased was the ballet slippers charm. It was really cute and had a pink stone on it. Dance has always been a big part of my life, so I thought that was a fitting piece to get.

I am not a representative for Pandora (although the way I talk about them, people think I should be) but I do really love their charms. They often have neat promotions, like last month if you spent $100, you got a free sterling silver bracelet ($75 value). And this month, since it is Breast Cancer Awareness month, if you spend $100 or more, you get a free pink leather bracelet. I am going to the states this weekend, and with their promo, you only have to spend $85, so I will definately be taking advantage of that.

 

The new fall collection is out and I want to get the new crown charm. It is really cute, and since I am pretty much a princess, I think that should be part of my collection. I will also buy the Jack-O-Lantern since Halloween is coming up and it is my favourite holday afterall!

The most recent charm I purchased came all the way from England and is only exclusive to England! It's the Royal Wedding Charm. Eric's mom picked it up for me while visiting there last week. It's really pretty and heart shaped with the sapphire stone on it to represent Kate's engagement ring. And Catherine and William's initials engraved on the back. This is a rare charm because only so many were made. I am lucky to have one of them. There are lots of rare/unique/hard to find charms out there. I am determined to get as many as I can, including the dice charm, which is only available in Las Vegas!

 

 

Do you collect Pandora? What are your favourite charms?

 



BOOK REVIEW - Men, Women and Children by Chad Kultgen

Another filthy novel written by author Chad Kultgen is nothing less than expected in his third masterpiece.  Filled with sex, scandal, and secrecy…it possesses the perfect ingredients for a quick read on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

If you are familiar with Kultgen’s two previous works, The Average American Male and The Lie, this novel covers similar themes of teenage hormones and sexuality but this time includes the complexities of adult and parenthood sex lives.

It’s no wonder Kultgen writes such compelling stories, as a graduate in TV and cinema, he has the ability to bring his characters to life, to the point where you feel like you know them personally.

 In Men, Women and Children we are introduced to an array of junior high school characters and their not-so-perfect families.  First there is Don and Rachel, who haven’t had sex in over 6 months who live with their son Chris, a porn addict convinced he will never find a girl who can handle his kinky fetishes.

Then there is Tim, the junior varsity quarterback who suddenly quits the football team and becomes a depressed and introverted World of Warcraft gamer after his mom decides to leave him and his father, Kent, to get married to a new man.

Hannah, a wannabe actress and cheerleader, is desperate to be the first girl in school to lose her virginity. Her mother, Dawn, encourages her daughter’s dreams of fame by hosting a website dedicated to borderline inappropriate pictures of Hannah.

Patricia, an overprotective mother who monitors her daughter, Brandy’s online activity every hour, has no idea about Brandy’s secret MySpace account where she creates a fake identity to escape her own reality.

And Danny, comfortable being a 13 year old virgin, is feeling the pressure to have sex with his steady girlfriend of 1 year.  After his dad buys him a box of condoms, he feels even more stressed and confused.

And those are just a few of the characters and a bit of their background story.

Normally, I don’t like books with too many characters, because I find it’s like reading a soap opera. But with Kultgen, I don’t mind so much.  All of the characters are connected through the high school community and the high school football team.  

I must admit this wasn’t my favourite novel of his, but it did keep me turning the pages. If you haven’t read his previous novels, I highly recommend them for an easy, fun read.

The Bachelor Showdown!!

It's down to the final four in this season of The Bachelor with loveable Ben Flajnik. So who are the lucky ladies that Ben gets to visit this week in their hometowns? I have been watching all season and I must say I was quite surpirsed with his choices. At the beginning I thought he was only interested in blondes, but in the past few weeks he has slowly eliminated almost all of them, so that theory was flawed. So maybe it's not the blondes he is after, but after observing his dates with these women I have come to the conclusion that he wants a needy girl.

Let's take a look at the final four and test this theory shall we:

LINDZI - I liked this girl from day one. She has a fun, sweet nature that seems to make Ben happy. I liked her from day one with her unique entrance to the show on a tall, wild horse. Throughout the season she has stayed under the radar, not causing any drama, which seems to be a rare thing to find on this show! In this week's hometown dates, her family seemed to really click well with Ben. I think he feels sorry for her because she went through a bad breakup last year and is still in a "healing process". He likes the challenge of trying to win her over, and getting her to forget her past man. They did some horse racing and chatted about Lindzi's past relationship. It seems like she is ready to take the plunge and wants to settle down just like Ben. I think my vote is with Lindzi at this point.

KACIE B. - I never liked Kacie B and I still don't know how she made it this far. She reminds me on a desperate teenage teenybopper waiting to tear Ben's clothes off everytime they are together. Throughout the season I enjoyed watching her jealousy towards the other girls, it was quite amusing watching her nostrils flare and face puff up. Being the youngest of all the girls this season, she certainly looks the oldest! I don't know what it is about her but she looks like a 40 year old mother but behaves like a 13 year old Justin Beiber fan. Again, back to my needy theory, Ben likes Kacie B. because she is Ben's fan girl. She is obsessed, jealous and hurting which is all good in the hood for Ben! In the hometown dates, she isn't doing so hot. Her dad isn't a huge fan of Ben and her parents don't drink...which Ben describes as "Strike 1" since he is a winemaker. Dun dun dun!!! Goodbye Kacie B!

NICKI- Who? My thoughts exactly. This woman got barely any airtime this season which is why I was shocked Ben chose her over Rachel and Emily last week. I don't have much to say about her other than she is divorced and looks older than Ben. In the hometown date (in Texas), she takes Ben shopping for cowboy boots. Ben actually looks like he fits into this hillbilly atmosphere.  Her group date with Rachel and Kacie B. last week was her big opportunity to tell Ben how much all the women of the house hate Courtney. (Yes, we all hate her). And she was very pleased with herself about that. Ben obviously didn't listen because Courtney is still in the game. Nicki's dad is concerned about her rushing into things with Ben, since she was already married and divorced. This could be a deal breaker for Ben. But he loves that needy Nicki so we shall see!

COURTNEY - Ugh! Hate this "woman". More like girl. A little girl who has daddy issues. Talk about whiny and annoying. I don't know how Ben is so blinded by her fakeness. I know she is a model, but she looks pretty plain and boring to me, not to mention her lack of curve/figure. But that's besides the point. Clearly she is too good for Ben and using him to get more fame. Oh and look it's working, I have already seen her on the cover of US Weekly and People this week. Congratualtaions Courtney, you got what you wanted! In hometown dates, she was already practicing wedding vows with Ben! This girl really knows how to play the game because Ben wouldn't wipe that stupid smile off his face the entire time. Let's check in a year from now and see how that smile stands then, after she's annulled the marraige, taken half the vineyard and has a new movie contract thanks to the Bachelor stepping stone.

Oh this show is such a guilty pleasure!!!
Stay tuned for next week's review by me :)