My Most Memorable Books...

I read this book a few years ago and it has really stuck with me. It is a fascinating look at how a woman named Marion lives her life during the medieval era. It gives you a real birds eye view on how life was lived then. The author really give insight into the day to day life and Marion's feelings about her situation. I found this book impossible to put down, such was my fascination. I was very sad when the book ended because I felt like I had become a part of her life and wanted to know what happened next. I don't have this book in my library, but it is definately one I am keeping an eye out for as I would love to read it again...and again...



This is another book that I read a few years ago and it stuck with me. Similiar to the previous one in that it gives you an up close and personal look into the daily life and thoughts of a woman's existence. It is about a society controlling reproduction due to a serious decrease in fertility among the women. Women are de-individualized and placed into catagories of usefulness. It is a fascinating and disturbing look at how a society at large can be controlled and opressed. There was a movie made of it years ago, but I wouldn't recommend the movie. It didn't and couldn't reach the depths of emotion and meaning you get by reading the book.

So have you read any good books lately or do you have anything in this genre that you could recommend to me?

Poor Puppy...

I have two dogs and a cat. One of the dogs is a puppy that we recently got. That's not who I'm telling you about. I'm telling you about my main squeeze, Bowser. A bi-black (no carmel) Sheltie.

He is the sweetest, most loyal dog ever! He's a little neurotic though. This is because when he was a puppy, Baby Girl accidentally broke his leg. Runner was supposed to be watching them while I curled my hair upstairs. Baby Girl thought it was a great idea to put Bowser in the laundry basket, hold it up, and have him jump out as he was such an avid and high jumper. Well, it was inevitable, the last time he jumped, his foot got caught in the basket.

Serious break. Surgery. Metal plate screwed into leg. Circlage wire. 16 weeks in a CAGE so he wouldn't jump, walk, run...basically move. It was horrible. My poor baby went through a lot. He became afraid and mistrustful of others, something that hasn't really gone away even though we have tried to socialize him.

Bring in the new puppy, Buddy. Half dachshund, half shitzu, all energy!

Not a match made in Heaven, but it's starting to work. Bowser will actually play with Buddy now after three weeks.

So back to the main reason for my post. Last night Runner and Boy Genius had a band concert. We're all running around like crazy, Runner can't find the bow tie to his tux, normal, insane stuff. I put Buddy in his cage (not potty trained yet) and Spartan (unknown to me) lets Bowser out to go potty. Hurry, hurry, we'll be late, there won't be seats, no Baby Girl, you can't take 10 toys with you, where are your instruments, zoom, zoom, out the door, off we go...

Great concert, always is, we have a wonderful Symphony band in our High School. OOHH so cold when we come out. Terrible with that breeze. Pull in the driveway...what do we see? A black streak across the front, snow covered, yard. OH MY GOD! The front door is open and the dog is still out! I start saying "Who let Bowser out?" Not me says Runner. "WHO let Bowser out?" not me say Boy Genius and Baby Girl together. "WHO let Bowser out?" I say figuring one of the kids is trying to cover their butts. "I did." Says Spartan. Shut my mouth. What am I supposed to say to that? It's like 0 degrees, out without the wind chill and Bowser is an indoor dog. Goes out to potty then stares forlornly in the door to be let back in. As I'm heading back in the house, my parting and only comment, is: "You would rip the kids up one side and down the other for that." Nuff said.

My poor puppy stood on the porch for 3 1/2 hours freezing his little feet off on the cement, staring in the front door wondering why we weren't letting him in.

Needless to say, he is a little spooked from it all. He still won't let Buddy near him again as he gets all fidgety and nervous. I don't like it in the dark in the woods and I can reason sounds out, I can't imagine how he felt.

He's at his post now, at the top of the stairs, guarding my bedroom door, ready, at a knock on the door to go guard the other side of my bed (you know all those bed-nappers out there), dreaming of his warm feet in his warm home...

Pink...

love! Well, it was Valentines Day! I can't help it, I'm in a pink mood. So here are a few pictures I found around the web that I thought were pretty/cool/neat!

I especially love the cake and the egg. They are so quirky! I wonder if you have to use that type of egg to make that type of cake? What do you think?

Pincushion Love...

So, I like, LOVE pincushions! Especially ones I can make out of wool felt.

Here is a book that I bought a while ago:

Really great book! I have made a couple from it like the ones on the cover and they turned out really cute!

I am going to start keeping a list in my sidebar of all the pincushion tutorials that I like. Most of them I haven't made yet, but I plan to! If you make any of them, please let me know, I'd love to see your versions!

A Mushroom, A Couple of Birds and A Hairy Finish!

I take bad pictures since I still haven't figured out how to use my digital camera to its best advantage, so, I played with my new images in my PaintShop Pro program (that I love!) and made them all look fancier!

First I have a darling little wool felt mushroom house that I finished a couple of weeks ago. I got the pattern from the little house by the sea. I love the way it turned out! If you like to work with felt you should really check out her wonderful pattern! I took a series of pictures of the embroidery I did on it. We start at the front door and work our way clockwise around the "house."


Next up I have the second completed applique block from the BOM offered over at Bunny Hill Designs. I think it turned out really cute! I fused the applique's on then did a blanked stitch in coordinating floss around them. But where is the first block you say? ('cause I know you totally noticed that I haven't posted the first one yet) Well, I haven't quite made that one yet. No one ever said I liked to do things in the proper order!!

(lace was just added in my photo editing program)

Last, but not least, are a couple more pictures of Baby Girls hair. The first one I did yesterday. Just kinda "made it up" on the fly (not that anyone ever makes up anything new!). I was doing her hair the way I usually do it, just pulling the front back in a band, when I decided to put it in a twisted pony. Why stop there I thought, so I kept gathering new sections and twisting them through until we had a complete pony tail/twisted braid thingy. (Just in case you didn't know, "thingy" is a technical term that I frequently use)


Today I went here and used a modified version of her heart ponytail. I like Baby Girl's hair down and softer around her face so that is what prompted me to do it this way. I think it turned out really cute! In case you can't tell, my Daughter is loving all the new do's! 'Course, what girl doesn't!!

Once Upon A Time...

One of the BOM's I have been doing is the Once Upon A Time embroidery BOM from Bea at Capricorn Quilts. Her images are charming to say the least! I have finished both January's and Febuary's blocks and love how they have turned out!
Rapunzel:

The Frog King (or Iron Henry)


I have a couple other things in the works that I will be able to share with you soon.

We Interupt Your Regular Scheduled Programming...

For Baby Girl!

So, the other day I was surfing the intrawebs...just for a short while...really...no I was not on a marathon "waste your day at the computer" streak! I did not sit in front of my computer for four hours...it was more like five. What do you mean I have a problem?!?

Oops! Did I say that out loud? Anyways, as I was saying before I rudely interrupted myself, I was surfing the intrawebs, minding my own business when I jumped to Tip Junkie. What to my wondering eyes should appear but a beautiful braid! Yes I said braid...no I don't care if they don't want to hear about braids...they can go always close the window...now will you shut up and let me finish! Jeesh, people are going to start thinking I talk to myself, or have a split personality or something!

Tip Junkie did a spot on The Story of a Princess and Her Hair. Let me tell you, boys and girls, Kori does some amazing things with her Daughter's hair. The really cool thing is that she shares how to make the styles with all of us in blogland who are interested! Believe you me, I'm interested!

I usually just pull the top of Baby Girls hair back to keep it out of her face. Sometimes I do a french braid or what I call a princess braid (which is a half french braid on each side), or two braids (think Indian maiden). Baby Girl has so much hair that I am sure I can get some great looks using Kori's instructions.

Here's a picture of Baby Girl with her Princess Braid:


This has been an alert of the Emergency Hair Broadcasting System, if this had been a real hair emergency...yadda, yadda, yadda...

We now return you to your regular programming...

Look What I Got In The Mail!

I participated in the "Show Some Sewing Love Swap" and look what my partner sent me! This was Robin's (no blog) first swap and she out did herself! She sent me two pot holders and an oven mit, CANDY!, notecards, a measuring tape, a strawberry pincushion, muffin cups, a darling ornament she made and a beautiful table runner! I take crappy pictures so it's hard to see how wonderful the table quilt really is. I already have it proudly displayed on my diningroom table. She also sent the nicest note! She really should have a blog because she is a very interesting person. I look forward to getting to know her better!