Book Report.........

I finished this book and it was good but sad and I don't really like sad books.  It was very well written and I can see why people are attracted to this author.  It has an unusual storyline and beautiful descriptions.  I also like the low country of South Carolina where it takes place and the closeness of nature but it didn't leave me feeling very happy.  I might try reading another book of hers later but not for awhile.  The whole time I was reading it I was waiting for the "other shoe to drop" and it left me anxious right before going to sleep.  Maybe I need to read certain authors/books during the day time.  Regardless, it would probably get 4 out of 5 stars.
"A troubled daughter of privilege and her secrets threaten to blow a hole in twelve-year-old Emily's beautiful world."

Still reading...........still good..........a reference book that I would highly recommend!

This book is a Pulitzer prize winning book/author but so far it puts me to sleep....boring!  It's starting to pick up a little and I will persist and read the entire book.....maybe it will get better.  What's interesting is she wrote this book and taught in the same town where I worked at the exact same time, Iowa City, IA.  In fact, I even did some work in setting up data communications between the University where she taught and where I worked at the time as a systems programmer.  Why is it I am never impressed with what most are impressed by?  Especially "great literature".  

Since there seems to be nothing on the telly in the evening and I can't get NPR on my radio here, I have decided to listen to audio books while I do handwork; crocheting, knitting, etc.  I got this one at the thrift store awhile ago and so far it is very good.
"  A woman is summoned back to the town where she grew up.  And in the house where she spent her most magical years she finds a series of letters addressed to her.  Each of those letters is a piece of a story that will completely upend the world she thought she knew----and throw her into a love more powerful than she ever imagined could be possible.  Two extraordinary love stories are entwined here, full of hope and pain and emotions that never die down."
My nickname is Sam and in the story "Sam" is also a female.  Anne Heche who reads for Jennifer is one of my favorites too.

I picked up this magazine by USA Today.  It's a special publication on retirement and thought maybe I could learn something before it's too late? LOL!  It may be already! I just started reading it last night so I'll let you know what I think.

I know this isn't reading but I've decided to go through my music to see what to keep and what to get rid of.....so each week I pick a cd and listen to it all week on and off to see if I really enjoy it still.  I have all types of music and I know some of it I may have loved at one time but it also may contain triggers to some memories I would rather forget so I'm cleaning my "musical house".   For the last 3 weeks it has been classical and all 3 are "keepers"..........
These 2 will keep you from dozing!  Peter IljitchTchaikovsky (1840-1893) has always been a favorite because of his strong, vibrant musical scores.   The top one is Symphony No.2 op.17 in C minor "Russian" and Symphony No.3 op.29 in D major "Polish".  Don't ask me what that all means because I am not a music major or even a minor! LOL!
The bottom one is Piano Concerto #1, String Serenade, Violin Concerto, The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Suite, Capriccio Italien, Swan Lake Ballet Suite and Eugene Onegin: Polonaise......just in case you wanted to know all that....(whew!).

But of the 3....this one tops the charts at No. 1............Edward Grieg (1843-1907)...I'm not writing all that stuff down again but I love his music!  One you might recognize is the Peter Gynt Suite.
Again, this music will not allow "dozing" and is great for handwork or housework! LOL!

I wish you a great week with wonderful reads and maybe some great music when you can't be reading. 

YOP Sunday

Finally, at the end of the year I get organized.  I've made a page for YOP 1213 with my finished projects, works in progress and projects that haven't even been started yet.  They are all linked up to the actual pattern/project in Ravelry so even if I'm not posting about it you can access them from my blog at any time. 
It's been 5 steps forward and 10 steps backward this week but I keep plugging along.........

No, I did not  make this but I want to!!!!  Have you seen this?  I just had to share in case any of you want to put it on your YOP 1314 list!  I'm not sure there are directions but I'm sure it would be easy to figure out.

 I found a neat way to dry my hand knit socks.  I put rugs on top of my washer/dryer to dry and by accident threw my socks up there wet out of the washer so they wouldn't go in the dryer with the rest of the load.  I smoothed them out and they literally "blocked" themselves on that rug!  Easy peasy!  So now I always have a rug up there.  It also keeps things from sliding off.  The rug  has a latex backing so it stays put pretty well although once in awhile I have to straighten it out.  It also prevents items from falling between the washer and dryer.

 

 I started wearing my socks finally....and LOVE!!!!!  They are Cascade washable wool but they are actually cooler than my cotton socks and who needs Dr. Scholls with hand knit socks?  Not me!  They are so cushiony I couldn't believe it!  The yellow's are a bit small but they don't bother me but they'll probably wear out sooner.  Oh no, is that a bunion starting on my left foot?  OMG! 

 Here's he blue ones to match my gorgeously comfortable Asics LOL!  Guess what there's going to be a lot of on my 2013-2014 YOP list? 

 I've been going through containers in my basement to utilize for packing and guess what I found?
Yep, you guessed it.....STASH!  Recognize the sunflower afghan squares popular back in the 70's, an afghan I started for my daughter and son-in-law, an afghan for a grandson who is now a teenager and has probably outgrown the dinosaurs that were going to be on it.  I'm not even sure what the white and off-white pieces were supposed to be.  Does this mean I have to finish them?

 I have about 5 feet left on my chair pad I-cord and as for the Blackberry Salad blanket...I haven't touched it in months.  Below is the cuff of one pillowcase.  But I'm going to make ones without contrasting cuffs in the future as it is easier and I really don't think I care for the contrast but we'll see when I'm done.  I had a dickens of a time with the grain on this fabric.  I had to straighten it as it was so cock-eyed and I lost a good bit of fabric doing that and the selvages indicate that the green fabric is not quite as wide as the yellow.  One may be 45" but the other is 44"...and if I sew it with a 1/4" seam like they say the selvages will show.  Who knew a pillowcase could be so complicated? 

Check out my YOP 2012 - 2013 project page above and you will see all my projects for this year: finished, wips and all that I never even got started!  I'll be working on my YOP 2013-2014 page but there may not be as many pictures as I'm going to be working from a lot of books this coming year but I'll see what I can figure out.  Have a great week everyone!

WIP Wednesday

Please go over to Tami's and check out all the people over there who get lots more done than I do! LOL!
Meanwhile, it's been such a crazy busy summer so far...and this week add giant mold in my garden to the poison ivy....it's a sign....no gardening for me this year but I did have to indulge one of my whims....a fairy garden..........just started working on it...........I refuse to buy anything...just grabbing stuff I have around the house

Working outside doesn't leave me much time for handwork but I did make some progress on a few things...........
I'm getting the strips sewn together for my grandson's wall hanging quilt and the red dot material  is the cuff of a pillowcase I'm getting ready to sew.  My first one!   

I started back working on my little girl bunny.  I'd like to make some boy bunnies too but this one is a girl even if you can't tell.

Only 7 feet more to go on my I cord for my chair pad....I have 20 feet done!  BORING!  But I'll have one chair pad done! LOL!  It is a great t.v. project though....I average abut 3 feet per evening of television watching but this summer is hard because there is nothing on t.v. worth watching at all.  I'm down to watching the weather channel! LOL!  I think I'll get my audio books out for the rest of the season.

Last but not least...my cross stitch ornament....maybe I'll get one per year done but not one per month that's for sure!  I did do some light blue last night and then had to "frog" it because I had covered up where the buttons are supposed to go....duh!  

That's all for this week.....back to work....break's over! 

FOF can you beleive it?

 Just some pretty flowers in an old tin sink.....they're not finished as I hope they keep blooming all summer!

 Finally got the ball band wash cloth off the needles but actually I'm cheating.....I still have ends to weave it but I tucked them underneath so it looked "finished"! LOL!  I'm SO bad!  It's 3 times the work of Grandma's Favorite pattern...maybe more!  But it's twice as thick too.

 I'm not sure if this was all supposed to be needlework but it's my blog so.........ha! ha!  I chalk painted this dresser and milk painted the shelf and sanded and rubbed the antique wax on them.  I was happy with the shelf but not the dresser plus I wanted new hardware but I had sticker shock!  I think it needs a different color with more contrast against the wall but it's good for now.

 

 I also lined the drawers with scrapbook paper.  I just laid it in there.  So much easier than "the olden days" when we used to struggle with that awful contact paper!

 I'll visit tomorrow as I've been up since 2:30 this morning (long story) and I even did Walmart shopping today....I'm about to fall flat on my face! LOL!  Have a great evening!

WIP Wednesday

Wednesday again and I have WIP's for sure....in fact, that seems to be all I ever have!  But I did finish a piece of furniture yesterday that I chalk painted...........just so you don't think I do nothing around here! LOL!   But that will be for FOF!  Ha! Ha!  You've probably seen these before but if you look REALLY close you'll see I made some progress on them!
 The I-cord is now 17 feet out of 27....only 10 more to go!

 The cross stitch Christmas ornament is not going to get done in 1 month....how do people do that?  I'm not using a hoop as this fabric(Aida 14 ct) is very stiff.  It's taken me a bit to get back in the rhythm of cross stitching but I'm enjoying it again.

This will be an FOF by the end of the week and look at all those ends I need to weave in!  It's a washcloth if you can't tell.  This one has taken me LOTS longer than the Grandmother's favorite as I can't watch t.v. with this one. 

Zero progress on the quilt or pillow cases or any other WIP of which I have plenty!  Be sure and stop over at Tami's Amis and Other Creations 
for all the WIP's from around the globe!  It is inspiring!  Have a great day!

I'm still here TRYING to get things done but I think it's back firing on me..................

It has been a rough week with financial "mayhem" and poison ivy all throughout my front landscaping project.  I don't have it on me.......yet!  But I did last year and had to resort to steroids to get rid of it.  I searched the internet for a "natural" way of eliminating it but to no avail and had to get Roundup for Poison Ivy and spray it all around my raised beds where my vegetables were so, yes...........no more vegetable garden.  I know these are "small potatoes" compared to some people's issues but sometimes when you try so hard and nothing works it gets pretty disheartening AND expensive!  I try to take it as guidance though and that I am being "steered" away from one thing towards something else that's better for me.  Meanwhile, I threw myself into other projects to deflect the failure  learning in the other arenas.  I'm not sure that was a good idea though.  I think I would have been better off just kicking back and watching movies or something. LOL!
Anyway, I didn't blog Sunday because I had made no progress on my YOP projects and Monday I didn't blog because I was still reading the same books as last week but today I decided I just had to blog about something!  So here's a hodgepodge of what I've been TRYING to accomplish.    
I've been working on my bedroom and decided to take an old dresser and "refinish" it with homemade chalk paint.  I got the recipe from In My Own Style and it's great!  I've never used Annie Sloan chalk paint which is pricey but this imitation worked wonderfully and I liked it better than the watery and messy milk paint I tried!  Before I did that I sanded and took antiquing wax from Miss Mustard Seed and applied it to my milk painted little shelf..........

 Then I wiped it off and VOILA!

  

I like the way it turned out except the milk paint is so "watery" that it made the wood raise up in places so don't ever use it on veneer!   I do love that color green though.  She also has the regular furniture wax that you can use if you don't want to "antique" it .  I had also purchased her 100% Natural food safe hemp oil to use on my cutting boards..........

 and items that would be difficult to apply wax to............when I gently applied the hemp oil to the little basket it took off some of the paint....

In the future I will be using Johnson's paste wax instead of the pricey "carnuba" and the hemp oil will be reserved for my cutting boards alone.  The antique wax will be replaced by an experiment with acrylic paints that I can use as glazes and shoe polish...much cheaper alternatives.  Live and learn!

On to my homemade chalk paint which is "the bees knees"!  So easy, so cheap and so love the results!  If I'd only left it alone after I painted it and just applied the plain wax but no, I wanted to experiment and see what all the distressing and antiquing and waxing was all about so....I mixed up a batch using my "buttermilk" color that I'm using on the walls in my bedroom.

 This is the "before" which I almost forgot to take I was so excited to slap this new paint on.......

 They say there is no priming or pre-sanding needed but if it is highly varnished like this piece I would recommend roughing it up a bit with sandpaper not to make the paint stick as it sticks just fine but for the antiquing and sanding later.

 It went on like a dream and 20-30 minutes to dry and I applied a second coat.  You can see it's still wet on top when I took this picture but it was the easiest painting I have ever done!

 I did not paint the knobs because I planned on getting new hardware to "gussie it up"........

 Then I sanded everything and got this effect.....................

 Then the antiquing wax....which antiques and seals it.............you apply ....

and let it sit about 5 minutes or not and wipe off and buff with a clean rag and you get this........

I can't close the drawers because I haven't put the knobs on and I was going to get new hardware UNTIL I priced the knobs I wanted and they were $7.50 each and I need 8 of them....uh oh....Houston we have a problem!  So, anyway, I'm not sure this wasn't another failure learning experience! LOL!  When I figure out the knob situation and get it back where I want it with lamp and accessories hopefully it will look better but right now I'm thinking maybe the "before" looked better than the "after"?

Tonight I'm shampooing carpeting....I can't screw that up can I?  I know....never say never!

I hope your week and weekend went better than mine!

WIP Wednesday

I think I'm probably working on the same things as last week....with some progress but not much!  I have made progress outside though and in my garage but you probably don't want to see that! LOL!
 Here's the Ball Band dishcloth which is actually on it's 3rd go-around.  I had an awful time with the stitches sliding off the steel needles and now I know why I had so much trouble with my first pair of socks too!  I like wood and sticks not cord if I can help it.  But slippery steel is what I have so I just have to be careful.  I just finished the 2nd repeat of the 12 row pattern...you repeat the 12 row pattern 5 times and then repeat rows 1-8 to finish.  Sounds like a big washcloth to me!  I have to pay attention on this one so I'm listening to classical music, Grieg in particular....just right for knitting.  BTW, for those of you who heard my question about joining....seems I was doing a slip knot all along but didn't realize it!  Duh!

 

 I'm also working on my grandson's quilted grow chart....28 of these so far and adding another red strip on another side tonight...maybe, we'll see.  I'm thinking after a nice bath and some "din-din" I'll be ready for bed!  I worked up a sweat outside today and yesterday I mowed....I need to clone myself.

I hope you had a great day and Mother Nature was kind to you!

Monday Book Report

I'm still reading this book.  I'm a little more than halfway through it.  I've never read this author but so far it is very well-written and an unusual story that really keeps you interested.  She a very gifted writer!

This book is not one you can read for hours on end as it is so full of valuable information.  I highly recommend this book if you are thinking of selling your "wares" on the internet or to retailers or starting your own business of any kind.  I've read a lot of these types of books but so far this one is the best!  I'm using my highlighter quite a bit!

I went to the library as my "books to read" list was getting fairly long and I didn't want to buy them if I didn't have to but as usual I was disappointed.  From more than a page long list they had one!  So, I got it but have barely started reading it.  It was recommended by someone but I can't remember who or where.  I think it was the author more than the book itself as she has written several.

 I think it won the Pulitzer Prize for literature once upon a time so we'll see if I agree.  LOL!  Sometimes I find that greatly acclaimed literature can be rather "dark" and that is not what I care to read.  I'll let you know!
I think I mentioned that I also have 1 magazine I read each evening so that I stay on top of them.  I finished my O magazine for June and when I'm done I take a magic marker and write "read" on the cover so I know.  I also highlight while I'm reading and then when I finish the magazine I go back through it and check the websites, recipes and add books to my list....whatever I highlighted that I want to remember or save.  Then I can put it in the "free" bin at the library and share it with others.
That's it for this week.  I haven't blogged or even visited all week between storms, getting new insurance and trying to stay on top of outside and inside it's been pretty busy!  I'll try and catch  up with you all this week!  Hope you all stayed safe and dry during the hectic weather across the nation.