2014 Parenting Reading Challenge

Julie @ Books Are Portable Magic is hosting a reading challenge this year. It is all about parenting; "books may be novels, mom lit, parenting advice and how to, inspirational such as the Chicken Soup books or Mom devotionals, parenting memoirs, or parenting humor".

Julie did request that we select a level and since I work with preschoolers, I thought that would be a good starting place - so that means my goal is to nine to twelve books this year. Completely doable!

I read all the time and one of my goals this year is to read more non-fiction than I normally do so this is challenge will be a great accountability tool. 

I'll update this post throughout the year with books I read for this challenge as well as on my Goodreads account. Click on the banner for Julie's post!

Currently Reading: 

1. Raising a Lady in Waiting: Parent's Guide to Helping Your Daughter Avoid A Bozo by Jackie Kendall
an e-ARC review copy

Completed:

1. Raising Boys: Why Boys Are Different - and How to Help Them Become Happy and Well-Balanced Men by Steve Biddulph


2. There's A Green Plastic Monkey in My Purse (And Other Ways Motherhood Changes Us) by Jessie Clemence

Love for Books Readathon

Reading.
Every day.
Without fail.

I participated in the February, Harry Potter read-a-long and thought this would be a good one to participate in since anything goes. Looking forward to reading this week! This post will contain updates throughout the week.

Details: Monday, February 17 - Sunday, 23
Sign up HERE if you want to join in.

Goals:
Like everyone, my life is busy and this week is even more so with at least three major projects going on. However, I do read every day so I know that I can spend at least 30 minutes reading, even if it is at bedtime.
Here is what is on my reading list this week:

1. The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery that Holds the Secret of America's Future by Jonathan Cahn
A dear friend loaned this book to me and this is the second time that I am reading it. It is very interesting and intriguing; it is taking me a long time to finish it - not because it lacks anything, I am just reading and processing as a slower pace.


2. The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller. as well as the Discussion Guide. My
We are reading this in my Bible Study Home group and I have been enjoying it very much. As is usually the case, God is revealing my shortcomings and His overflowing love.


3. Once Upon A Prince (The Royal Wedding Series #1) by Rachel Hauck
I picked this up at the library a few weeks ago and it was pushed to the bottom of the pile with the YearAThon Harry Potter read-a-long. I enjoy a Happily Ever After romance and this seems to fit the bill.


4. Raising a Lady in Waiting: Parent's Guide to Helping Your Daughter Avoid a Bozo by Jackie Kendall
I received an e-ARC of this and have been reading it for the past several days. I don't have a daughter, but I do have a son, and I certainly want him to "be a Boaz" and pray that he finds an honorable woman one day.

Those are the books I know I will be reading this week. I have several others in my book pile and on my Kindle to read this week as well. Feel free to check back in and see how I'm doing!

Progress:
I copied the format for this from Jessi at Novel Heartbeat, one of the hostesses for this event. I'm not sure if I'll do a very good job of keeping track this way as I do not normally pay attention to how many pages I've read or keep track of the amount of time I have read. I will more than likely be a day behind my updates as I don't log on last thing at night and don't have time to do so in the mornings.

Monday 2/17
Currently reading:
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Books completed today:

Tuesday 2/18
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Wednesday 2/19
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Thursday 2/20
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Friday 2/21
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Saturday 2/22
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Sunday 2/23
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SUMMARY
Total # pages read:
Total time spent reading:
Books I completed: 

Bout of Books 9.0

Please scroll down for updates on my progress!

I have always considered myself a bookworm and there is nothing else I'd rather do than curl up with a good book! Browsing youTube recently I saw several videos talking about Bout of Books.
Here is the official blurb:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

You can find out information here if you are interested. Keep reading to see how I've challenged myself and for progress updates during the week!

My Challenge:
This is a busy week prepping for a birthday party on Saturday. I picked up 4 books at the library yesterday afternoon so my goal is to read those.

1. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
This movie is in my Netflix queue and I want to read the book first.



2. Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman

3. The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore

4. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park
My 1st grader has been talking about his teacher reading these books  so I thought I should find out about them. I love children's literature and completing series....so I'm sure I will end up reading them all.

I also want to participate in some of the challenges and comment on at least two blogs each day.

Progress:
Monday

Tuesday

# of books read: 1

# of books finished: 0

# of pages read: 80

Books Read: I started The Lucky One.  I discovered Bout of Books at about 10 pm on Tuesday so I am pleased with progress so far. I did finish a book on my Kindle earlier in the evening bu am not counting it in my goal or total. 

Wednesday

# of books read: 1

# of books finished: 0

# of pages read: 42

Books Read:Still working through The Lucky One. I enjoy the first person viewpoint of the three main characters. I read Safe Haven this summer and at this point I think Safe Haven was the better of the two.

Thursday

# of books read: 

# of books finished: 

# of pages read: 

Books Read:

Friday

# of books read: 

# of books finished: 

# of pages read: 

Books Read:

Saturday

# of books read: 2

# of books finished: 1

# of pages read: 

Books Read: I did a horrible job keeping track of pages read at the end of the week - I was just too busy! I did finish The Lucky One and began The Funeral Dress although I didn't read very much of it. 

Sunday

# of books read: 2

# of books finished:1 

# of pages read: 

Books Read: I finished The Funeral Dress and would recommend it as a great read. So often I think new moms (regardless of their age, income or marital status) have so much pressure to be great at mothering. It is hard work and I wish more new moms knew it was okay to admit their fears, frustrations, misgivings, etc. I wish there were more women like Easter and Cora who could offer support to new moms.
I got a few pages into Chasing Hope and will finish it sometime this week.

I didn't meet my goals but that doesn't bother me. I still enjoyed some good literature and will look forward to participating in this challenge again in the future.

Thanks for stopping by!

Kitchen Refresh

Karen who hosts The Graphics Fairy is looking to update her kitchen. Mine could sure use some help as well. She has a giveaway --- $1,000 gift card to Home Depot. That would certainly make a dent in a kitchen project!

Valentine Boxes Part II

 I wanted to share the box I made and sent to Laurie my partner in the Valentine Box Swap. She told me that she liked soft colors, very vintage and I knew she loves buttons.  

I chose some vintage style papers along with some flowers in soft colors and a cupid cut from the cover of a book. I also tucked in some little pieces of lace.

This is a shot of the side. I painted all the edges and then layered on some punched paper and some lace. I can't remember exactly where I got it....I don't think it's vintage by definition, but it is older. I didn't take interior shots of the box because I was not happy with how they turned out. At least it is on the inside. 

We were to make something to put inside our box. I decorated a spool and then it wouldn't fit in the box! This is the first "spoolie" I've made. I saw some pretty examples at Lynn's blog and wanted to try my hand at one. I chose a birdcage die cut and attempted to make it 3D. 

I also altered a spoon for Laurie with a piece of silverplate from my collection. 

It's really difficult to see, but the handle in monogrammed. I can't make it all out, but the first letter I'm pretty sure is an L.  

I packaged each of these separately in a kraft bag that I decorated on the outside but forgot to take pictures of them. 

This is the box all packed up. 

I included some of my favorite laces and little bits of flowers and such for decorating items. The pink velvet ribbon is off a vintage roll and tucked underneath is a really pretty vintage look napkin that I just love. I also included some of the brown crepe paper that I used on the spoolie.

I picked up a monogram stamp that I thought Laurie could use on artwork that she sells in her etsy shop along with an old bottle to alter and a pretty vintage dish. I was saddened to hear that it didn't arrive in one piece. I also found a pretty vintage postcard and included a modern bookmark with a vintage look.

Laurie is a Button Floozie so I included 2 packs of buttons in her box. These pretties were sealed up in a little organza bag. Some of my favorite buttons are in this set: the pink plastic pierced one, the cream with the rhinestone center and the big square pink one. It has a bit of sparkle in it. I don't know if it's very old, but I think it's pretty fun! The charm attached to the ribbon is an extra I had from another swap about a year and a half ago. In the center is a very shabby button. It's not in great shape, but I think it's so pretty. I hope Laurie likes it to either admire or use in a project. The chain on the left is a zipper pull; it has the logo of a local department store here that was the place to shop for many years. It closed in the 90s finally and many years after that I found a full box of these at an estate sale. They must have been some sort of promotional item.

I added a bit of book page and a vintage style ticket (you can get the free printable here) to this bag full of buttons and other assorted items.

A mix of vintage buttons and modern embellishments. I always like to order a few things at swap times and then spread them out over several swaps. I picked out some vintage french sequins, a plastic heart button with a rhinestone and some carved buttons  . The thick pink ones I found locally in a little button jar; they have a shape I don't see very often that I really liked. There were also two angel wings in this pack but they are very translucent and hard to see.

This was a little bag I made to hold some ephemera and vintage inspired images. The main focal piece is from one of the decorative napkins that I mentioned earlier. 

I included some printable images and a few of my favorite ephemera pieces: a game card, some tea packets and a royal mail stamp. 

A printed vintage valentine and a carved antique button. You can also see a silverplate spoon I included in case Laurie wanted to alter one. 

Another napkin, some printed banner pieces, and a Valentine from the 1930s. I found it and the carved button at my favorite antique store here. I can't remember the exact year she told me - but it was mid to late 30s. She had several beautiful pieces for sale! The rolled up paper is some paintable wallpaper I picked up back when I first started stamping at a hardware store that was going out of business.

I hope Laurie enjoyed opening up each item and that she has a few new treasures to enjoy and create with. 

Valentine Boxes

Remember being in school and creating something to hold valentines? When I was growing up, we did it in class, from a big piece of construction paper and made a pocket that we glued cut out hearts onto. Simple and perfect.

I recently participated in a Valentine Box swap. My partner, Laurie from Indulge Your Shelf,  spoiled me with what she sent. I cannot tell you how perfect the  items she picked out for me are! 

Here is a quick picture of what I pulled out of the box. Laurie even put a huge heart shaped doily on the box but I didn't take a photo of that. Lots of attention to the little things is one of her strengths!

Here is a close-up. I wish you could see the detail on this. Laurie created a box in a style that I really love but have a hard time personally pulling off. Lots of text and DTP (direct-to-paper). And see that gorgeous heart crochet trim? And that pretty tin? It's very sparkly in real life. Look close and you'll see another favorite - Laurie used some sort of netting - I'm thinking it might have been off a vintage hat? 

This is what I saw when I first opened up the box. Swoon, right? A pretty vintage doily - love it! And in the corner - do you see? Laurie had posted on her blog some little fabric hearts she had been sewing - I was beyond excited to see one in my box!! 

Here is a close-up shot. It is very romantic with the lace and the tiny ribbon holding a "love" charm! 

And the back of the heart - just as lovely! 

Laurie had packaged all these elements in those cool cellophane bags but I took out quickly and spent time with each one. Lots of ephemera (stuff that I don't see around these parts) - she has an etsy shop where you can pick up pieces just as wonderful.

I wish I'd gotten a better shot of this photo as there are so many wonderful treasures in this shot! In the upper right is a lovely ceramic? plaster? piece with roses. Swoon. And then there was a tin inside for me to alter, filled with goodies like a frozen charlotte, cabachons, and then a really cool paper spool. It's definitely vintage, very soft colors, and has an embossed design. I don't know what it is exactly, but I know that I love it! If you look carefully you'll see the pink bottom layer. It has lily of the valley flowers on it. I had mentioned that I loved roses and lily of the valley and Laurie sent so many items with those images. It is a small table runner size and I can't honestly decide if I want to leave it as is to enjoy or make it into a Pretty Pocket to enjoy. 

Laurie also sent this lovely little sack with another treasure inside. It held a tin that she had altered a little into a pincushion and then it has the prettiest doily gathered up  around the bottom. It looks so pretty sitting on the table! And check out the stick pin!

Here is an inside shot of the tin. Oh my, full of the prettiest items. Laurie heads up the Button Floozies blog and she sent a terrific selection. I can't get over how sweet that big red button is! I'd like to say that I will use it in a project, but I have a feeling that I'll just keep it and always think of Laurie when I see it. 

Here are just a few of the favorites from the tin. My little man (who is not so little anymore) loved the charm the best. He picked it up right away and mimed out "I love you" to me. That boy melts my heart every day! 

Laurie, Thank you so much for sending me such a pretty box, full of sweet treasures. I know that I will be enjoying them for years to come!

I'm Crossing My Fingers

I'm crossing my fingers to win the Grand Prize package from Webster's Pages. So much that I'm even helping them out by loading up this blog. You should go check out their page here for contest details AFTER you watch the video here (it's got the answer you'll need).

Gallery Idol 2011 Submission

Well, I decided to create a card for the PaperCrafts Gallery Idol 2011 contest. Today.

My sister and her husband are buying their first home. I'm really excited for them and so I thought I would make a congrats card for them tonight.

As I was thinking about what to create, I remembered a card I made (waaay back) here and decided to use that same idea. This time I used my Cricut and Gypsy to create the base, welding and flipping so that I would have a pocket which was much easier than the last time!

I cut the roof off the outer pocket and cut another house to create the insert. Since my sister's bedding is a grey with bright pops of colors I decided to pair some grey script paper with some Basic Grey papers. All from my stash. I love the little crystal doorknob and wreath on the door. And the lace trim.

Happy Birthday!

My brother celebrated his 30th birthday this year and suggested golf stuff or gift cards to golf as ideas from his wish list. I was able to make his card this morning before we all gathered for lunch to celebrate his day and the Fourth of July.

The image is from Magenta; not sure if they still make it or not as I've had it for years. It was fun to sit and color and my little man sitting nearby creating a card for his uncle at the same time, sharing colored pencils and listening as he learned to draw a flag from his daddy. I think my brother was pretty impressed with that card....might have been his favorite although my sister got him a singing one that brought back great memories of our childhood so there might have been a tie!

Hope your day was wonderful for our nation's birthday! Our time with family was terrific but now we are home and I'm figuring out what to do next. Normally we would be heading to the local fireworks show in an hour or so. The rains just have not come this spring and early summer so not only have fireworks been banned in the city (they usually are) they are banned completely. Someone told me from the whole state but I'm not sure if that is true or not. Either way, no fireworks this year. The city is doing a laser light show instead and I have to say I just think that is lame LAME. I hope they bring back the fireworks next year!

Waiting

is not one of my strengths.

I received word this week that two recent swaps are winging their way back to me. Can't wait to spend some time in my rocker soaking up all the beauty from this swap and then time in my creative corner creating with tidbits from this one.

I also can't wait for this swap to come in. I love bling and perhaps wearing this while I do the dishes will make the task more pleasant?

I did manage to get a set of ATCs completed for my local stamp club. Our theme this month was "Domestic Animal". There was quite a bit of debate last month on what was meant by the theme - domestic, domesticated, domestic to where (or should that be who? whom?)

I found this sweet old childrens book at an estate sale awhile back and even though the covers were missing and it had pencil lines on almost every page, I snagged it because I knew that my little man would get lots of giggles out of the story of a puppy named Wiggletail.

And I was right.

I scanned in one of the pages, resized him and cut him out. Applied color to my watercolor paper base in a variety of ways - just playing around - to get the look of sky. Then added some vintage book paper colored with ink to simulate the grass and the sun.

It's very one-dimensional and I wish I could've thought of what else to add. Days later I think of a collar of course. My little man awoke from naptime about the time I was thinking of sentiments. I asked him once what he thought the little puppy was saying and for the next 15 minutes he had me in stitches. Of course, they got more elaborate so I just stuck with a simple please.

I hope you've had a chance to giggle this week too!