reading reading reading:)

The other morning I could hear Em over the monitor talking to herself back in her bedroom.  It went on for a while and so I grabbed the camara and headed back to see what she was up to.  She had gone upstairs and grabbed her favorite dolly.  This is actaully a doll that my Grandma June made for me when I was a kid, but Em has claimed her and is always going upstairs to get her.  ANYWAY...she had brought her down and was rocking her and reading her stories. She would even show dolly the pictures and point to things for her---SO CUTE!!! 

I thought once she saw me the game would be over, but she REALLY wanted to read her "bibary books" so I left her alone.  She read ALL of her books to dolly and kept herself busy for a good half hour.  This girl LOVES her books. 

I ALSO love my books.  I finally found a good one.  THE WHITE QUEEN by Philippa Gregory.  I LOVED her book THE OTHER BOLYN GIRL, but have not really liked her other books as much.  I really liked this one.  It was a story I did not know anything about--which is scary since I was a History teacher:)  It is about Elizabeth Woodville who married King Edward of England.  They actually had a marriage of love and had more than 10 kids together.  Their reign as King and Queen was crazy though because he won the crown during the War of the Roses and the country was still at war.  The Yorks and Lancasters are fighting throughout the whole book and they gain and lose the crown, fight for the inhertance of their kids, and battle on many fronts.  Their two sons are the poor lost Princes who disappear from the Tower of London--never to be found again. It is a great story.  This is finally a book I can totally recommend:)

On a totally different note, why does dinner ALWAYS end up like THIS????  I thought she would grow out of this, but NOPE!!!  AND could she be any happier about her filthiness????

Where the heck???

Where have you been???  What have you been doing???  These are the two questions I seem to be getting a lot of lately.  At least people are taking a break from the ever present "when are you gonna have another one??" (but that is a whole other post).  Em and I have been laying low since March began.  Amy had her baby---meaning less for us to go do:)  AND we have been enjoying the warm weather.  I am a bit of a home body, so we have been ---well----enjoying our home.  I have done a little spring cleaning--VERY little and tried to get my house back into a bit or order.  Besides that......

Todd and I attended the Pink night to remember charity auction at the Trac which was planned by a great group---including my Aunt Tami.  This is where I said goodbye to Birdies and Bunnies and raised a little money to help fight breast cancer.  Our table was sponsered by ....

FIVE STAR AUTO SALES.  I think I embarrassed Todd by taking a picture of our centerpiece, but not as much as I did by saying "HEY THAT'S US"  AND pointing, everytime our logo came up on the slide show screen (roughly every 15 minutes).  It was a fun night and Todd even bid on a few items--shocker I know.  Jenny however bid on EVERYTHING and single handedly tried to cure cancer:)  My Birdies sold for $275.00 and I am not sure about the Bunnies because it was in the silent auction.  Not to shabby for someone who only pretends to know how to quilt--haha!!

I FINALLY finished ALL of my burp cloths.  I have NO MORE flannel bits laying around the house again-----PHEWW!!  I don't usually do a project more than once, so I was BORED of burpie rags!!!!

I completed another kit for QUILTS FOR KIDS.  I had a hard time doing this one because the fabric they sent was---UGLY!!!  I didn't mind the front--even though hockey was not my favorite theme, BUT THE BACK!!!! YUCK!!!  Not a fan of the orange and red.  I am sure some kid will love it, but I am glad to be done with the orange.  This quilt though is a little special to me becuase it is my first attempt at free motion quilting on a whole quilt.  It turned out horrible and almost got thrown in the garbage, but at least I tried.  I am embarrassed to send it off because of how badly I did the quilting, but what elso do you do with an ugly hockey quilt from donated fabric???  Now I just need to PRACTICE!!! 

And my BIG accomplishment of the last couple days----fixing this ugly thing.....

 

This is one of the pillows from our family room couch--yucky I know.  I was sick of looking at them, so I got out my fabric and starting cutting.  This is what I came up with...

They are supposed to match the quilt that I made for our family room at the crafting retreat.  ONE PROBLEM though....the quilt is still un-quilted.  It is just a naked little quilt top.  I put it in the picture to see what I thought....a little wild, but not bad.  And the best part about the pillows....

They flip over for a whole new look.  I almost like the backs better---hmmm?????

I had no idea how to make pillows, so I ended up making the outside too big for my pillow forms.  SOOO I ripped apart another ugly pillow from my couch and used the filling to fill in the empty space.  Em LOVED stuffing the pillows with FLUFF.  Once I closed up the hole she wanted to know where her FLUFF went.  Now I have a sewing room floor covered with fluff and a sad kid with nothing to stuff:) 

She really gets into her crafts:)  We are gonna have SOOO much crafting fun when she gets a little older!!!!

The only downfall to new pillows.....  Last night when Todd layed on one I had to catch myself from yelling at him.  I guess they are not just for looking at---but I hate the idea of them having big yucky drool stains and fruit snacks stuck all over them.

Crocodile on the Sandbank

I finished reading another book this weekend---Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters.  This is the first in a series of books about a Victorian lady named Amelia Peabody.  She is an older (almost 30) non-married lady who has decided she will be an old maid.  SOOOO when she inherits some money she heads on a trip to Egypt.  She meets up with another women (Evelyn) who has just been left by her lover and dis-owned by her family--bad luck!!!  Amelia doesn't follow all of the social norms of the time, so she takes Evelyn with her to Egypt.  They meet the Emerson brothers (which is why I chose this book) who are arechealogists and then start being "haunted" by a mummy.  Amelia is basically the female version of Indiana Jones--she gets herself into trouble and fights like crazy to save herself and her friends.  This is a funny little book and the mystery turns up to be kind of humorous.  I don't know if I will be reading the other 14 books in the series, but it was fun while it lasted:)

A few finished projects

Although we have been spending more time outside and enjoying the beautiful days, I HAVE been working on a few projects.  First off....a blankie for baby Colton.  I should have known he would come early, but for some reason I just got it done.  I actually didn't do a lot on this one.  Both the front and the back were a panel---even the chenille applique.  So I only had to quilt and bind it.  BUT I still love it.  I used a receiving blanket for the binding and I LOVE the stries.   If you don't know how to sew very well head over to JoAnns and try one of these cute panels--they 4 different designs in both boy and girl colors--just a suggestion. 

Next up on the list...

I started this 9 patch tablerunner at the craft retreat and finally finished it.  I made it from scaps of about everything I have ever made:)  The worst part is that I pieced the binding with 5 inch pieces.  It looks bad and was a PAIN to sew through all of those seams.  Live and learn I guess. 

Then it was back to making receiving blankets.  Todd's cousin had a baby girl recently and one of his high school friends will be having a boy soon.  SOOOO I took advantage of JoAnn's sale on flannel (2 bucks a yard---yay!!!) and got going.

I love love love this fabric---who can resist birdies????  I also finished 2 quilt tops for QUILTS FOR KIDS, but I will wait until they are quilted to share.  PHEWWWW  I guess I did get something done yesterday:)

Living in La La Land

My Marcie asked me where I have been all week.  I have been right here, but kinda not:)  After I finished my auction quilts, I have some extra time on my hands.  SOOO what have I been doing?.....reading of course:)  People always ask me "How do you have time to read so much?"  Seriously?....how could I not read???  I think that people make time for what they love to do.  I happen to love to read, so I make the time for it.  I read at night---and often into the morning.  I don't sleep a lot, so for me to read until 12:00 or 1:00 or a couple time this week 1:30---is not at all out of the ordinary.  The longer I read, the longer I WANT to read and I often have to force myself to stop and try to go to sleep--although sometimes I end up just turning the light back on after a few minutes of rolling around and trying to sleep.  I realize it is not what everyone likes to do, but for me---it works.  I also have a deal with myself.  Here it is....When I put Em down for a nap, I push the button on her night night music as I walk out the door.  It plays for 15 minutes loud and clear over the monitor.  Then for those 15 minutes I pick up the morning's disaster.  I usually load the dishwasher, throw in some laundry, make the bed, nothing major---just picking up.  Then after those 15 minutes, it is ME time.  I figure I clean, and chase, and read stories, and make food, and be a mommy all day, so nap time is MY time.  I sometimes sew, on occasion I take a little snooze, but a lot of times I read.  The only thing that takes away ME time----a dirty house.  If my house needs more than a quick pick up----like clean bathrooms or a major overhaul---then I give up this time and get to cleaning.  BUT I try to NOT clean during nap time because I can do that ANY time of the day.  It may sound selfish, but at least I don't regret my decision to not work and after that time I am a MUCH better mommy than if I had cleaned and slaved away at some task that could wait.  That is not the only time I read though---for example----yesterday we went to my mom's after church and I read while Em slept and while my mom played with her.  Then I read in the car on the way home.  Then I read on the couch while Todd and I watched the Olympic Closing Ceremonies.  If I really want to finish a book there is always time.  PLUS I don't really watch t.v.---imagine how much time some people do that----I am just reading instead. 
SOOO there you go. Here is a quick run-down on my latest finds.  First I took someones advice and read  A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. 

This book was pretty entertaining.  It is about a girl who goes to England on vacation with her boyfriend (in hopes of an engagement) and his horrible daughter.  They treat her like crap and eventually dump her off and leave her in a small church in England.  They take her purse and bags, so she has NOTHING.  She breaks down and cries in the church while laying on the tomb of a long ago Earl.  She prays for a knight in shining armor to come and sweep her off her feet and VOILA--a knight in shining armor arrives.  The Earl---who had been about to be be-headed for treason in his own time leaps through time to help her.  Seems silly, but kinda cute.  She helps him learn about cars, and toothpaste and she helps him try to clear his name of treason.  That is the main gist--she ends up back in his time for a while too.  A few times this book verged on being a little romancy--barf!! but by that point I really needed to see how it ended, so I didn't mind skipping a page here or there:)  I liked this one enough to try another one by the same author...

The Heiress by Jude Deveraux. 

In this one Jamie, who is a poor Duke with two sisters and an ailing mom to take care of, and NO money.  He is assigned to help the Maidenhall heiress (the daughter of the richest man in England) across England and to her fiance so that they can be married (an arranged marriage of course).  Jamie decides he must get the heiress to fall in love with him so that he can save his home and take care of his sisters.  The problem---the heiress pretends to be the maid and the maid---the heiress.  SOOO he flirts with the poor girl and fights with the true heiress.  There are kidnappings and burgleries and all sorts of mishaps of course on their way to the wedding and everything gets pretty mixed up.   There are 2 or 3 or 6 twists at the end and for once I did not completly guess what was going to happen---kinda fun!!

After these romancy books I decided to switch gears.  I read Gracleing by Kristin Cashore. 

It was a bit out of my comfort zone because it was fantasy, but I LOVED it.  Katsa is the main character and she is a Graceling--meaning she has a special power (or Grace).  Some Gracelings can swim, shoot arrows, run fast, cook well, on and on.  Katsa's power was to be able to kill---gross I know.  She has been forced by the King to use her power to control HIS kingdom and he sends her to keep order for him.  She HATES this, but must follow the King.  She starts doing secret missions to help save people--instead of kill them-- and ends up meeting a Prince from another land.   He is also a Graceling.  They go off together to help save a Princess who is being held captive by an evil Graceling.  It was weird--especially since I tend to stay away--far away--from science fiction---but I really liked this book a lot.  ALL ready to go and find another one by this author.  I also tried to read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but got bored after a couple pages.  I have heard it is good, but couldn't keep going.  Has anyone read it???  Do I just need to get past the first boring part????

Becauase a trip to la la land is not complete without a few chick flicks, I also rented Gone With the Wind and Pride and Prejudice--my two favorites. 

This was the OLD P&P---yep the five hour long one:)  I had never seen it, but it was worth staying up half the night to watch (my lack of sleep is not just for reading--I do most of my sewing, crafting, and pretty much anything productive after about 11:00).  I now think EVERYONE needs to try this movie out--if you have only seen the NEW version...

Which I also love, give the oldie but goodie a try.

ALSO, Gone With The Wind amazed me once again.  Even Em liked watching the dancing and warring.  She watched and commentated "mommy Uh OH" and "Lady Cries."  She got the main idea of what was going on I think:)  I also decided I need to get a big hoop skirt dress to wear around the house because I think I am a Southern Belle hiding in the body of a boring housewife:)  Don't worry--I did make it back to reality long enough to get some REAL cleaning done this weekend.  Plus I read all of my library books:)