June 30th...

WOW! Where did June go?

 

Do you have any plans for the 4th?

 

Our weekend was pretty uneventful. Yardwork, errands, work, a little grilling and relaxing.

What did you do?

 

My "big" project I started....

(it's on my "to do" list and has been for a LONG time!)

 

I finally started cutting out pieces for this quilt hanging. Wow - I forgot how much cutting/pressing/pinning is involved in getting this ready to put together. And there are A LOT of little pieces to be cut out for this pattern....

 

It is: The Bridges of Madison County pattern by Button Weeds

 

Realistically, I hope to get the pieces cut out at least over the next couple of weeks and start putting it together after that. (I have a feeling that this is going to end up being a winter sewing project...)

 

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On another note, I have let my exercise/diet go again. I have GOT to get motivated and stick to it! Who's going to give me the kick in the pants and keep kicking?!

 

Happy Monday - I hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Friday!

For a short work week, it's been a really long one!
(And yes...I know I have done NOTHING on this blog this week - it's called laziness)

 

A little "Fluffy Guy" for your Friday.

 

Have a great weekend all!

Hello!

Happy Tuesday!

Just finished up a "staycation" with my husband and kids. It was very nice! (recap to come this week)

I hope you all had a nice weekend and the week is going well.

Friday Fun

Perhaps you have seen or heard of Richard Dunn this week. 

If not, this is why you should have....

He shot this while at the Las Vegas airport alone overnight.

Enjoy!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Literary Junkies - June edition

It's that time of month again - Literary Junkies, UNITE!

This month, our book was Beautiful Ruins. I struggled with it and didn't finish it. Sorry to say...

Anyway, here is this month's questions/answers:

1. What are you reading? Tell us about it!

I currently have two books going. The Shop on Blossom Street and A Life Intercepted.

The Shop is the first in a series about a street in Seattle, this one revolves around 4 women who are all struggling with something. A Life Intercepted is an ARC, it has a football theme with a mystery I am waiting to be revealed.

2. Library or bookstore?

Library!

3. What book(s) have you read and re-read several times?

Little Women, I usually read it each year around Christmas time.

4. What is the first book that made you fall in love with reading?

Hmmmm...this is really tough! My parents always encouraged us to read.

I think I would have to say the Little House books. My mom read us the series when we were growing up and I have read them a few times in my life.

5. Who's your favorite author? Tell us so we can binge-read!

Another tough one! I think I would say Sarah Addison Allen, her books are so magical (literally) and moving. I love reading them! Sue Grafton writes an awesome mystery series - was thrilled to meet her last fall!

 

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What are you reading?

 

July's book for the Literary Junkies is The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. I'm waiting for it to come in at the library.

The start of another week

HAPPY MONDAY!!!! I hope you had a nice weekend.

Ours was pretty uneventful. Saturday, the Mr. and Young Mr. had to work all day. I cleaned the house; did a little yardwork [where do the weeds come from?!]; had lunch with my sister & one of my sister-in-laws; relaxed a little. I had a photo shoot that evening for a big family celebration. It was a beautiful night and the family was a lot of fun!

Yesterday, we took the Mr. out for breakfast at a local place. We had a late lunch and watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (it was quite enjoyable).

It was pretty uneventful but nice. It's a short work week for me this week, as I am taking a long weekend to catch up at home and relax a little.

I hope you all have a good week!

Saturday Stuff

Happy Saturday! First, Happy Father's Day!

Second, if you are not listening to The Satellite Sisters podcast....you are missing an hour of fun! These 5 are funny, full of life and news you can you and stories. Please give them a listen!

I finished a couple of yarn projects this week. First up....a baby blanket for ny nephew who is due next week.

I am happy with how it turned out.

I also finished another square for the crochet-along on Ravelry.

I am using scrap yarn for the squares.

I am looking forward to making more squares.

Happy yarning!

Friday Fun

Because I'm dealing with stinking car repairs today (and they better quit calling with stuff they find...), here is some FUN!

 

The Mr. who thinks jokes making fun of men aren't very funny was dying laughing.

 

Happy Friday!

THANK YOU!

I want to say a BIG, BIG

 

THANK YOU!!!!!!

 

to all of you for your wonderful, supportive comments on yesterday's post and those of you who sent an email.  Your support is wonderful and most welcome.

 

Yesterday was a better day and she told me her "real friends" were nice to her and she wasn't going to worry about the "mean kids".

Beauty review

First, THANK YOU to Influenster for including me in their Spring Vox Box.

I am going to review one of the products here, but expect to hear about all the products I received very soon!

 

Today's review is of Kiss Everlasting French nails

 

These were relatively easy to apply. I spent more time matching the nail size and filing them to fit my weird shaped nails.

They looked great and wore pretty well.

 

This was after day 2: 

 

Unfortunately, on day 4 three of the nails fell off. I have removed them all now. My nails do not look or feel damaged.

 

I would definately use these again!

 

A parenting W-T-H

I may get myself in trouble with some readers with this post but I am going to/need to vent here! I have wrestled with myself about posting this, but have decided that I will.

The past week has been a little rough for Little Miss at school. (I am SO glad this school year is almost over!)

Last week, her classmates were asking her if she wore diapers and called her Diaper Baby for a day. Yesterday, she attempted to make a couple new friends but they told her that they wouldn't be friends with her because she's gay. They had seen her hug one of her friends, so that meant she was. I told her that those girls weren't worth being friends with and to hug her friend if she wanted to.

WOW! Really?!  We're going to start with this already, in 4th grade?!

As any parent knows, we all fear our kids being picked on/not liked/teased/etc. As any parent with a special needs child knows, our fears are doubled - as a special need seems to put an extra target on a child to their peers. We have tried to raise Little Miss to remember that she is who she is and if people can not accept her, then they aren't worth her worry.

I really expected we were going to have to deal with teasing in junior high, but I was not/am not mentally prepared to deal with this already.

Praying for a calmer rest of the week for her.

19 years ago today

I met my husband.

 

Our good friends' wedding day... He was the best man, I was the maid of honor.

I never would have thought that day, that I would be married to this man, today.

 

 

Here's a few older pictures of us (apparently I need to update our "couples" pictures real soon!)

 

I love you, honey!

Hey, it's Monday!

It was super quick weekend!

Friday night was pretty mellow, which was much needed.

And now for another edition of.....
Tales from the Library

I worked Saturday and I am thinking we must be close to a full moon - it was a

W-E-I-R-D

afternoon!!!! I got to the circ desk after my lunch to hear a patron calling our librarian a b*%$#. I think I may have physically taken a step back. All because she asked him to put a lid on his coffee (while at the computers). She showed him the written rules that says all drinks in the library need to be capped or have a lid - fair enough, right? So said patron storms out of the library. I continue my shift at the desk with my Saturday "partner in crime". About 1/2 hour later, same patron sticks his head in the main door and throws his borrowed materials in the foyer and leaves.

Guess who's been banned from the library?
(giggle,giggle, cough, giggle...) 

Back to Life:

While I was working, the Mr., Young Mr. and Little Miss helped Young Mr.'s girlfriend (YMGF) move into her first apartment. She got pretty settled that day and she had Little Miss working away (she was tired when she got home). Last night Young Mr. and YMGF unpacked some boxes and got her bed put together. Last night was her first night there.

Yesterday morning, Little Miss & I took a friend to the airport. We made it there and back in just over 2 hours. The Mr. was impressed with my time. The Mr & I and the kids went to DQ for lunch; putzed around B & N for a while then napped and rested the rest of the afternoon/evening. I did get my scrapbooking stuff out and sort of laid it on my craft desk - I'll probably work on a "drive by" layout all week... 

How was your weekend? What did you do?

Wishing you all a SUPER week!

Book reviews

 

 

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with the following books to read and review.

Lucky You by Amy Bloom
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
On Sale: July 29, 2014

Publisher's Synoposis: So begins the story of teenage half sisters Eva and Iris in this brilliantly written, deeply moving, and fantastically funny novel by the beloved and critically acclaimed author of Away. Disappointed by their families, Iris, the hopeful star, and Eva, the sidekick, journey across 1940s America in search of fame and fortune. Iris’s ambitions take the sisters from small-town Ohio to an unexpected and sensuous Hollywood, across the America of Reinvention in a stolen station wagon, to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island. With their friends in high and low places, Iris and Eva stumble and shine through a landscape of big dreams, scandals, betrayals, and war. Filled with memorable characters and unexpected turns, Lucky Us is a thrilling and resonant novel about success and failure, good luck and bad, and the pleasures and inevitable perils of family life. From Brooklyn’s beauty parlors to London’s West End, these unforgettable people love, lie, cheat, and survive in this story of our fragile, absurd, heroic species.

My thoughts: I really struggled with some of the characters and their traits. The storyline seemed to plod along at times. Overall, a good read though.

Bring on the Heat  by Katie Rose
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
On Sale: August 26, 2014

Publisher's Sysnoposis:House-sitting for a rich and famous friend has its perks, and Darcy Hamel isn’t shy about enjoying them. Especially when it means scoring a ticket to an exclusive fashion show hosted by the New Jersey Sonics. An avid baseball fan, Darcy has always dreamed of meeting the team—especially the starting pitcher whose body is as hot as his fastball. But there’s a catch. The gala is by invitation only. To get behind the velvet rope, mild-mannered Darcy will have to pose as party girl Lydia Logan.

Schmoozing is one of the downsides of fame, but Chase Westbrook knows how to liven up even the dullest event. And nothing spices a night up more than a beautiful socialite with a naughty reputation. What Chase doesn’t expect is a hint of sweetness beneath her sultry façade. Flirtation turns to seduction and leaves him aching for more. Chase just doesn’t know who the real Lydia is: the spoiled tease crying foul over some missing diamonds or the alluring woman making a play for his heart.

My thoughts: This was a fun, sexy romance with a fun baseball theme.

The Beach Quilt by Holly Chamberlin
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
On sale: June 24, 2014

Publisher's Synoposis:
Set in a picturesque Maine beach town, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's heartwarming and insightful novel delves into the choices and changes faced by two families over the course of one eventful summer. . .

Everyone in Yorktide, Maine, knows sixteen-year-old Sarah Bauer. She's a good student and a dutiful daughter, as well as a beloved best friend to Cordelia Kane. So it's a surprise to all when sensible Sarah reveals that she is pregnant.

Though shocked, Sarah's family is supportive. But while Sarah reconciles herself to a new and different future, the consequences ripple in all directions. Her father--a proud, old-time Mainer--tries to find more work to defray expenses. Her younger sister grapples with a secret she can't share. Cordelia feels abandoned, and Cordelia's mother faces the repercussions of a long-ago decision. As Sarah's mother, Cindy, frets about how she'll juggle childcare with her job at the local quilting store, she seizes on an idea: to band together and make a baby quilt. Piece by piece, a beautiful design emerges. And as it progresses, reflecting the hopes and cares of the women who create it, each will find strength in the friendship and love that sustains them, in hardship and in joy. . .

My thoughts: I REALLY struggled getting through this one. I felt the storyline was repetitive and TOO much comparison of rich vs. poor.

Book Review-People I Want...

Thanks to Net Galley for the advance read of

People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann
5 out of 5 stars
Genre: Memoir/Humor
Publication date: September 9, 2014

Publisher's synoposis:
A debut collection of witty, biting essays laced with a surprising warmth, from Jen Mann, the writer behind the popular blog People I Want to Punch in the Throat

People I want to punch in the throat:
• anyone who feels the need to bling her washer and dryer
• humblebraggers
• people who treat their pets like children

Jen Mann doesn’t have a filter, which sometimes gets her in trouble with her neighbors, her fellow PTA moms, and that one woman who tried to sell her sex toys at a home shopping party. Known for her hilariously acerbic observations on her blog, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Mann now brings her sharp wit to bear on suburban life, marriage, and motherhood in this laugh-out-loud collection of essays. From the politics of joining a play group, to the thrill of mothers’ night out at the gun range, to the rewards of your most meaningful relationship (the one you have with your cleaning lady), nothing is sacred or off-limits. So the next time you find yourself wearing fuzzy bunny pajamas in the school carpool line or accidentally stuck at a co-worker’s swingers party, just think, What would Jen Mann do? Or better yet, buy her book.

My thoughts:
Holy crap! This NOT a book to read before you go to bed, you will be laughing too hard. I have enjoyed Ms. Mann's blog for a while now and this book is true to the form of her blog. I love her takes on mommy wars; classroom activities and her life.

Make sure you check out this book!

And you can check out her blog here: 
People I want to Punch in the Throat

Cheers and happy reading!

Friday Fun - Summer Camp

This was passed around our office yesterday:


Last year, my eight year-old son went to summer camp. It was the first time he had been away from home for more than a night. An hour after I dropped him off, I missed him. By the time I went to bed, I found myself wandering into his bedroom, just to feel close to him.

As the days passed, I wrote to him daily. Each hour dragged as I'd wait for the mailman, hoping for just one letter from him. By that point I missed him so much, I began to imagine what he might write.

I fantasized I would receive a letter something like this:

Dear Mom,

Thank you so much for letting me go to camp. I have learned so many cool things, like how to take a fish off the hook, tie sailing knots, and how to groom a horse. Thanks for packing sun screen. I've been out on the lake a lot, so it's really come in handy. You think of everything! I've been drinking tons of water since it's so hot. See? I do listen to all your good advice.

 
The other boys in my cabin are really smart and nice. I'm making lifelong friends I will cherish forever. We've had fun learning camp songs, playing cards, and catching frogs in our free time. During quiet time, I read the book you sent along. What a great selection!

Like you suggested, I'm trying a lot of new foods. You were right, the oatmeal at breakfast isn't bad if I add raisins. And don't worry, Mom, I'm using all the manners you've taught me over the years.

We're camping under the stars tonight. I hope to see fireflies.

I love you,

W

xxoo

P.S. Tell my brothers I miss them!

The next day I received an actual letter from him. It was just slightly different from what I imagined:

This year I'm sending a whole book of stamps to camp with him.

Can't wait to see what he writes!


Source: MSN

Happy Monday!

How did it get to be June?!

 

We had an event filled weekend. Two dance recitals, a baby shower and LOTS of yardwork. I am pooped...

 

Here's a couple of photos I had the privilege of taking Thursday and Friday evening.

 

I hope you all had a great weekend!