Tuesday, May 22, 2007

finally finished

Last Thursday I finished the Memory Keeper's Daughter. I really thought it would have a much more explosive ending. I was actually disappointed in how the book ended. While I never saw it coming that David would die suddenly, I guess I almost wished it would have ended hauntingly with Norah and Paul never knowing that Phoebe was alive.

But now back to Momzillas, which is making me grateful for the fact that I do not run in circles where getting into the right pre-preschool is so important. I'm actually happy with my middle-class existence!

K

Saturday, May 12, 2007

current projects

In a flurry of inspiration from my sister-in-law as she decorates her impending arrival's nursery, I have launched several projects for Addison's room. Since we didn't know if Addison was going to be a girl or a boy, I didn't decorate her room or hang things on the walls. We painted the walls butter yellow and the trim white and hung up all the bedding accessories, but beyond that, her room is devoid of decoration. It's about time to remedy that with the following projects.

--ribbon bulletin board--multicolored dots sprinkled on a blue background with purple ribbon--I bought purple ribbon at Michaels without the fabric in hand and thought the purples would match and they totally don't.
--embellished letters--I am covering A-D-D-I-E with scrapbook papers, sanding the edges for a rough finish. I've seen a multitude of ideas online which go one step further and add 3-D details on the letters, but since I chose five different papers for the letters, I can't decide if I need a unifying element besides the paper colors. People have been using scrapbooking flowers, beads, sequins, buttons and ribbon. Making Memories added their enamel letters to embellish just one initial which looked really good. I could definitely add some ribbon, but it would come down to finding the right color. Michaels does have a good selection, but I couldn't find exactly what I needed. Maybe Joann's?
--square box shelves--At Hobby Lobby, they have decorated the typical cube shelves by painting the edge facing out and adding a design on the sides of the cubes. I want to make something that isn't so girly but that coordinates with the bedding. Definitely green on the edge and maybe something simple like dots or circles on the sides.
--I also bought three picture frames to hang on her walls. One is a wall hanging with a picture frame in the middle, another is a predecorated shadowbox. At Target, I found Making Memories preembellished mats that you use in any picture frame. The colors are a little muted, so I don't know if I will end up using it in her room, but I'm sure I can find another place for it.

Other exciting crafting news:
--I finally found a copy of Ribbonrie! I've been looking for this book everywhere. Usually I try to ILL a copy before I buy it but no libraries had it and I couldn't even buy it through Baker and Taylor. I found it on sale at Archivers and I love it!!
--At Walmart and Joann's, I found fabric that was smocked at the top that you just throw a seam and a hem into and you have yourself a top or dress! I bought some of this in a great pink and green paisley design with the intention of making Addison and I matching clothes for tonight's Mother/Daughter banquet at church--Addie would get a dress and I would wear a top. But they won't be complete in time since I haven't even taken the machine out of the box, which leads me to the next item...
--I got a sewing machine for my birthday/Mother's Day! A researched and picked it out all by himself! The only free time I seem to have lately is at night after Addison has gone to sleep, and I can't really start practicing then since the machine is so loud, I'm afraid it will wake her up. But very soon, I will be cracking that thing open! I'm so excited to have this tool in my repertoire now! I went through my fabric box and found all sorts of goodies (several of them paisley, surprise, surprise) that I cannot wait to sew into some fabulous skirts. I've been waiting and waiting for this day and I'm so excited!

K

still working on it...

After my last book, I started reading Momzillas. Absolutely hilarious! But I had to stop 100 pages in so I could attempt to read The Memory Keeper's Daughter before book group. Well, I didn't make it and I didn't go to book group because I had to work, so I'm still trying to finish it. It's an amazing book. I knew it had to be since so many people are reading it right now, but really, it is amazing and is currently making me more aware of special needs children. As soon as I am done, though, I'm racing back to finish Momzillas. I can't wait!

K

Friday, April 27, 2007

catching up

So two weeks ago, I had started four different fiction books. I never read more than one at a time because I usually get confused. So I decided to focus my efforts on which was due back at the library first--Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares. In this fourth volume, the girls are once again up to their usual traveling and forgetting who they are and what they are about. There was also a lot of sex. That particular aspect sparked a conversation with A about what we would let our kids read. It was classified in the juvenile fiction in our library instead of YA; maybe the whole series should be moved to YA even though the first books are tamer (then again, didn't Bridget sleep with Eric in the first book?). A asked me if I would want/let Addison read this and I think I said not before high school, but I'm sure I was reading this level of fiction in middle school. And if I hadn't read it myself, I guess I would have assumed, if picking it out for my daughter, that since it was in JF, it was appropriate for ages below 14. It just makes me wonder/realize how much stuff my kids will encounter without me even knowing it. There is no way for me to prevent them from being exposed to all the things that I don't want them to know about before a certain age. It is just kind of amazing to realize as a parent that no matter how much you want to protect them, there is no way to protect them from everything. Very sobering thought for me.

Anyway, now I'm finished The Three Day Rule by my favorite British authors Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees. I have to finish it asap so that I can return it to the Vancouver (Ont.) ILL department before it's overdue (no renewals!!). I hate how Canada can get British fiction that we can't in the USA. All those British people get to read Jane Green books before I do, too. So unfair!

K

Thursday, April 5, 2007

so many books, so little time

Today I finished Class Mothers by Katherine Stewart. Short and sweet about rich moms in Manhattan. I didn't like the ending though, where one character's resolution is to be a private investigator. That just seems a little to far-fetched. Otherwise pretty good, if you want something totally breezy.

And now I've found several titles I'd like to read, but I think I'm going to start with The Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King. I haven't read The Sunday Wife by her, but I know that is a popular book group selection. This story about Southern women reuniting every summer reminds me of the YaYa books and Deborah Smith. I love good Southern stories--makes me want to move to North Carolina! (But that probably isn't considered the Deep South.) Cathy Kelly, you are next.

K