Rediscovering My Cookbooks

Can I just tell how happy I am that it is the final day of January? This month seems to have dragged along on purpose, just to spite me. At least today was a sunny day but most of the week was cold and gray. Don't get me wrong, it's still freezing outside. When you have to bundle up just to get the mail and then actually getting the mail requires strategic acrobatic moves, and to make the challenge more interesting you happen to have impaired gait it isn't at all fun. Yes, I am looking forward to Springtime, yes it is months away, but at least January is nearly done.

Before I let the first month of the year come to a close, I wanted to write about one of my goals for this year. I had decided to become less reliant on using the internet for everyday things like cooking. I love social media, but not everything in my life requires a Google search. I have an amazing collection of cookbooks. I have some classics, some new gems, baking cookbooks, and ethnic cuisine cookbooks. I have practically everything I need to help me create fantastic dishes. I even have two binders filled with recipes that I've printed out over the years- some of them I printed out in 1998. So, I decided to start using my cookbook library again.

Once I started searching for specific recipes for making dinner or baking cakes, I began noticing some fantastic recipes for other things that I never once considered making, mostly because I had no idea that I had the recipe on hand. It is actually a lot of fun skimming through my books and finding endless possibilities.

This afternoon, I found myself getting sucked into re-watching season one of Pretty Little Liars on Netflix and I decided to bake some soda bread. I used a recipe from my "Irish Food & Cooking" cookbook. After looking through that book, I found a bunch of recipes that I had completely forgotten about. I know that a lot of those dishes my husband would love. I think I will be experimenting with those recipes over the next month. If and when I make something from that book, I will let you know. Until next time~Toodahloo!

A Spring In My Step

Today started on such a perfect foot; a foot ready to step towards crafty bliss. I wanted to work more on the quilt that I started way back in the Fall. I thought that I would watch a marathon of Pretty Little Liars all day, whilst working on the project. Tonight the Spring finale of the show will be on. Apparently, the identity of "A" will finally be revealed. I am very confident that this is another season finale that will not prove the identity of "A." It seems like every year that tasty carrot is dangled in front of us, only to be a parsnip.

My efforts to focus on the quilt were thwarted when other tasks got in the way. It was one of those "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" sort of days, where one task materialized, which then produced another and another. I never did get to that quilt. Fortunately, there is always tomorrow.

The good news- look at my book cases! They are getting tidier, aren't they? The task of re-organizing my books has taken time, but it's nearly complete. It feels fantastic to have that done. To have my books, neatly organized and categorized is very satisfying.

While I'm on the subject of books...I've recently seen a trend where thirtysomethings are feeling nostalgic for the "Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark" series. According to an article on nerdist.com, a documentary on the series is in the works. I find this to be very exciting. As you can see, I am a fan of the books. I loved those books when I was a little girl. I remember reading the first book in the series, when I was in the 5th grade. I thought the chilling stories were so thrilling and the illustrations were unnerving. At that point in my life, I was already a fan of monsters. I loved the Fall, and Halloween was my favorite day of the year. I still love spooky tales. A few years ago, I tracked down all of the books in the series at Goodwill. I am so happy to have those, to read them whenever I wish to feel spooked. Way back when I was worlds away, with my nose to those pages, I had no idea that I was exposing myself to literature which would later be banned. In fact, a number of my childhood books that I have in my personal library were or are on the banned book list. I am so happy that I was able to enjoy those stories and illustrations. My parents certainly shielded my eyes from inappropriate movies when I was a child. When it came to books, I was able to choose what I read. I never picked things that were inappropriate for my age, but even the most unexpected books were on the naughty list.
As an adult, I look back at the books that I enjoyed reading and smile. I read because I wanted to, not because there was the promise of a free personal pan pizza. When I was little, the nearest Pizza Hut was 30 miles away. The reward for reading a book, was the opportunity to drift away to another world. I don't know how many times I spent at "Green Gables," or played alongside "Ramona Quimby."
Now, with my books neatly sorted, it will be so much easier to travel through space and time. With that major task completed, I can focus my energy on more Spring cleaning chores and then I'll be able to create even more. Tomorrow, my project of the day will be the quilt. It would be nice to finally get back on that project and finish it. The weather is warmer and it is getting easier to get more inspiration for projects. I'll be certain to post about the quilt when I complete it.
Until nex time~ Toodahloo!

Looking Towards Spring: Nature Journals

Now that we are in the middle of February, I console myself with the knowledge that Spring is not far away. I recently acquired the book The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden and this book is beautiful. I already had in my library The Edwardian Lady by Ina Taylor. It is a lovely companion to the Holden book, as it is a biography on the incredible life of Edith Holden. The Handbook Of Nature Study is an excellent resource for nature study. It was published in the same period of Edith Holden's nature journals. The Handbook Of Nature Study is full of ideas and challenges for nature study, as well as some background information on flora and fauna. I also have numerous resource books on tree and bird identification. The nature journals created by Edith Holden are so  nice to look at during these frigid days. She was an accomplished artist and illustrator. The book includes not just watercolor paintings of plants and animals, but also poems, Bible quotes and little bits about each month.
These books really are inspiring me to begin a nature journal this year. However, I think I'll wait until Spring. Were I to attempt to make a journal now, the pages would just look like blank pages. There is nothing but snow around. I did spot two birds outside my kitchen window yesterday and decided that they were drunk. Two drunk birds who wandered out of the nest and deeply regretted their choices. They were full of loathing.
On Pinterest, I saw a post about making a travel size art kit. I thought that it was a brilliant idea. In previous years, I've dabbled in nature journaling and it involved a heavy messenger bag filled with watercolor pencils, notepads and books. I think this will be an easier approach.
Here is how I made my travel nature journal-

A variety of textured paper for a variety of medium and small tubes of watercolors.

A travel portfolio, an Altoids tin and an empty gum pack.

I wanted to make a small sketch pad that could easily fit in my little portfolio. I also wanted various types of paper on hand so that I could have the option of drawing instead of painting, if I wished. I gathered several pages from my paper supply and I folded them in an accordion style; this made the pages easier to cut to size.

I added a small piece of cardboard to use for stability when using the paper. I attached the paper to the cardboard with a small clamp.

I tucked the pad of paper in a pocket in the back of the portfolio. This portfolio came in a binder style, which included a small note pad (great for taking field notes) and it also included a detachable, clear ruler.

I trimmed the empty gum package to fit inside my mint tin. I placed the package inside, so that it was nice and snug, and then I added some watercolor paint. I will be able to use the lid as a reservoir for water. If I'm outdoors, I'll have a water bottle with me; so I'll be able to get water from that.

The tin of watercolors is tucked inside the portfolio and there is extra space for pencils, sharpeners, erasers, brushes etc. I also have extra pockets that could hold my phone (in case I wanted to take some photographs). This will be great to keep in a bag with a resource book, and that will be enough for when I'm out. I can always add my artwork to a journal later and add anything else to that journal. This just makes the load a lot easier and a bit more practical for taking quick notes outdoors.

This is just one of many reasons why I love Pinterest, that site is such an excellent resource for inspiration! By the time this is posted, I will be out and about with my bestie and having a fabulous girl day. Apparently, it is going to start snowing tonight and continue into the morning. I really hope that this does not put a damper on tomorrow's plans. If that does happen, I'm sure I can entertain myself in some way. It won't be nearly as exciting as a girl day, though. My fingers are crossed for an excellent girl day! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Scones On A Snowy Sunday

It has been snowing all day today. It is nearly 7 pm and I just stepped outside to see that the snow is really coming down, now. It's a wonder there will be any school tomorrow. On days like today, with slightly stormy weather, I like to make the house cozy inside. I thought that scones would be just the thing. I've been baking cranberry orange scones for years. I love them, they are a family favorite. However, I like to change and try new things every now and then. My recipe tends to be very sweet. I wanted more authenticish scones. I found a recipe on Pinterest from BBC Good Food for "Ultimate Scones." Well, I figured the BBC would be a good place to find a true scone recipe and with a name like "Ultimate Scones" I felt that I couldn't go wrong. These are delicious. I did need to adjust the recipe and convert the measurements, but it was worth it. Here is the original recipe- http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1729/ultimate-scones The next time you find grey skies outside, bake these and brew some Earl Grey Tea, you'll thank me later.

A pile of stage and technical make-up instruction books. That I recently acquired.

I might have mentioned before that I studied Visual and Performing Art when I was in college. It involved a lot of art/ film history, improvisational method, design, studio art and jazz hands! I kept things in balance by studying science too. Do science and art go together? It depends on who you ask, but for me it was essential to my being awesome. At any rate, I have a nice collection of beauty make-up books, Kevin Aucoin, Bobbi Brown, etc. and I wanted to add to the mix. These books are usually very expensive, but I lucked out and found all of these for less than $10.00. I also managed to get more costume design books thrown in the mix, too. These will be very useful in the Fall for some posts that I intend to do.

This past year, I've observed the importance in maintaining hobbies or even developing new ones. Through hobbies, you gain more skills, you can meet like minded people, you can make things that are useful, you can find ways to save money by making things on your own. Most importantly, you stay connected to that little piece of you that makes you smile. I've had friends who never new that they could be fantastic cooks until they decided to branch out and try new recipes. I've seen friends discover that they love to bake cakes. What is so wonderful about it is that they get a confidence boost and it is so good for their self-esteem. There is this big myth that you grow up and suddenly, your hair is amazing and your make-up is always perfect, your skin is suddenly flawless and everything is perfect. What a big lie! The sad thing is, somewhere between college and the road to a career, we got so busy that we forgot about our hobbies. Some people think hobbies are frivolous and even dorky. Well yes, most of my hobbies are dorky; but at my age I don't care about trying to impress the big man on campus.

I like to sew quilts and rag dolls. I like to read Victorian literature and I love Shakespeare. I like to sew dresses, make hand bags, build costumes and do experimental make-up. I like playing outside in the woods because I love the smell of ferns, pine and lichen on trees. I still do ballet barre exercises, because I'm a bit a a fancy pants princess and it keeps me in shape. I like my silly dance music, 80's retro, 90's boy and girl bands. I like dorky British anything and tall & skinny Irish men. I still get super excited/giddy and even squeal at the sight of a glacial erratic, because Geology is and always will be my jam. I love the smell of old books, which is why I always buy second hands books. I am at an age now, where my sequined covered freak flag is always flying high, flapping in the wind and I'm totally cool with it. So, if you had a hobby that you lost touch with and you feel a little lonely without it, hop back on that train. Whether your hobby was drawing unicorns, writing dark stories, painting,
 D & D, what have you, snap back into what makes you happy. You could even try a new hobby; who knows, you might be an excellent clog dancer!

Until next time~ Toodahloo!

It's Finally February...Six More Weeks of Winter

At last, at last, February has arrived! January was so dreary and it seemed to last longer than it did. February is here; the first week has been dominated by snowstorms, but I'm just happy that January is over. So, what have I been doing the first week of February? I've been doing a lot of waiting. I've been waiting for shipments to arrive and anxiously waiting for other things. Waiting for a fun package, such as books, can be fun, but also very aggravating when you don't have a useful tracking number. I love the handy tracking number, I enjoy the thrill of stalking a package and seeing how close it gets to arrival. When I'm given a tracking number that is a bit of a dud, it isn't as fun waiting for the arrival. Also, when a package arrives later than expected, it makes it difficult to write a blog post. I digress....

For the first week of February, I've been held up in my lair. All of this snow has made me a bit grumpy. Also, with some things on my mind, I haven't been sleeping properly, so I've been very tired. I have recently acquired the first and the third book of the "Emily" trilogy. I already had the second book, but I needed the other two. "Emily" is another Lucy Maud Montgomery character. Her full name is "Emily Byrd Starr" and she lives at New Moon in Blair Water, PEI. This particular character reminds me a lot of L.M. Montgomery, herself. My favorite Montgomery heroines are "Anne Shirley," "Emily Starr" and "Pat Gardiner." These girls have similar personalities and the books they are featured in have a nice variety of characters.

There was a tv series based on the "Emily" books; well, loosely based on the books. I have the series on DVD and I like the series, although I do wish they had stuck to the story. I really do love the "Emily" trilogy and I wanted to get the other books to add to my Montgomery collection. I nearly have all of her books now. Some, I have on my Kindle, but I'd like to get the physical books, too.

I have been reading the books this week and cuddling with Fred. Frederick doesn't like to be away from me. He is much like "Isis" on Downton Abbey, always at "Lord Grantham's" side (when permitted), but Fred is far more babied. He really likes to be held cradled like a baby. I have a bad habit of taking off my pull-over sweaters and placing them at the foot of my bed. Fred sees this as the perfect opportunity to make a cozy nest with warm sweaters that smell like me. This wouldn't bother me as much, if my sweaters were not cashmere. It's really my fault for not putting them away. Oh well, were I in his paws, I'd do the same.

I have more packages arriving this week and next, I hope to be able to play with the new toys, get crafty and share more projects with you soon. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

I Made A Kindle Case

One day I was passing my time, scrolling through pins on Pinterest, when I came a across a cool tutorial on making a Kindle cover. What I really liked about this project was that it re-purposed old books. I love projects that involve re-purposing materials, so I thought I'd give it a try. A link to the original tutorial can be found here- http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2011/12/kindle-cover-from-hardcover-book.html. The blogger did an excellent job explaining the steps. I did my project a bit differently, though.

I began my project by gutting a couple of books that I got at a thrift store. Be sure to keep those inside pages to use for other projects!

Then, I took two pages from the book that I gutted and I used them as a template for the fabric pieces. I used a ruler to mark a space for the spine. I cut two pieces, the same size. One to use at the back material and one to fold in half to use for a pocket.

For the next step, I ironed the fabric, taking one piece, folding it in half and pressing it in place. After that, I sewed the pocket piece onto the bottom half of the rectangular fabric piece. I placed a kindle on top of the pocket and marked out where I would sew the seam for the Kindle pocket.

Here, I sewed the straight stitch, to create a pocket to hold a Kindle.

As in the original tutorial, I used heat bond to adhere the fabric to the inside of the book. Since I had a raw edge and visible stitching along the lower perimeter, I folded the sides under and pressed them in place before applying the heat bond.

When I can locate my glue sticks, I'll attach the elastic strips to the corners. This will help hold the Kindle in place. I wanted to have a pocket on both sides so that I had a pocket to keep a pen and a small journal. Usually, I need to write things down when I'm working online. So, having a journal and pen handy is very helpful.

Other than using a sewing machine in a few places and adding an extra pocket, I didn't deviate too much from the original tutorial. I had fun doing this and it was very easy to do. I can't wait to use the left over book innards to make angels tomorrow! Until then~ Toodahloo!

Freaking Myself Out For Halloween

It is now ten, TEN days until Halloween and I"m getting very excited about this! This is the time when my decorations are already up, baking has kicked into high gear, my costume has been chosen and is in development, and I'm watching all sorts of creepy movies. So, some of you might be so busy that you've totally forgotten that Halloween is around the corner. Some of you might has been a huge fan of the spooky holiday since childhood and have lost touch with it. This post is to help those of you catch up with some ideas of what you can do to begin celebrating.

Books Worth Reading:
The Harry Potter Series By J.K. Rowling- Witches, wizards, werewolves and faeries. Spells, enchantments, good fitting evil and He Who Shall Not Be Named....
Wicked By Gregory Maguire- The beginning to the Wicked Witch of the West's story and all the things that happened in Oz before a farm house crash landed there.
Frankenstein By Mary Shelley- Old school science fiction/horror. This story makes you really think about science and how it can go too far, with a tragic outcome.
Dracula By Bram Stoker- Certainly, one haunting tale. This is perfect to read on rainy and stormy October nights.
The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe- Practically every creepy short story you could read from Poe, truly a masterpiece of fright.
Roald Dahl's Book Of Ghost Stories and Skin by Roald Dahl- Very different from his beloved children's stories. These stories are witty, dry and totally creepy. If you grew up reading his stories, you'll be surprised by these tales.
Spooky New England: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore Retold By S. E. Schlosser- Classic New England folklore involving ghosts of pirates, weeping ladies, ghost animals and more.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark By Alvin Schwartz- I still have this series from my childhood. I discovered this in the fifth grade and the stories have stayed with me. Classic slumber party horror stories. These are just a hoot to read as a grown-up and they still maintain their creep factor.

These are books that I enjoy reading this time of year. Obviously, there are plenty of Steven King stories to read. However, his horror novels terrify me and I can't read them because I'm a big baby. You'd think that a person who loves spooky things would be all up on that, but no thank you. I'll stick to his short stories that don't involve horror.

Movies Worth Watching:
Carrie- This is a classic horror movie based on a Steven King novel. Those high school girls wear worse than bullies, they were horrid. However, I do think they got a little more than they deserved, don't you think?
Nosferatu- For a silent film, this is darn frightening. Put this on at shut out the lights and you'll be surprised at how scary a silent film can be.
Halloween- The first movie of this franchise is incredibly creepy, a guy in the mask that follows you around all the time is very unnerving. Even the theme song to this movie gives me the heebeejeebees!
The Others- Oh gosh, things that go bump in the night and in the day, too! If you grew up in a haunted house, like I did, this movie totally takes on a whole other meaning. Freaky stuff!
The Omen- Made me hate the name "Damien." This movie terrifies me, a cute little boy who isn't such a cutie pie.
The Exorcist- This movie, where do I begin? It is wrong, just wrong and makes split pea soup very unappealing. This movie will spook you.
Rosemary's Baby- Poor Rosemary, her maternal instincts are dead on and everybody is out to make her feel crazy. This is a very scary movie to watch.
Poltergeist- This movie doesn't scare me as much as it did when I was younger. However, it is a tradition for me to watch this film. Some aspects of the movie are scary, while others are overly dramatic.
Carnival Of Souls- Hands down, my favorite "B" movie. This horror classic from the 60's was a DVD that I happened upon at Walmart when they sold $1.00 DVD's I bought it and I adore it. If you can find this online, you should watch this gem, it's really great.

Spooky Kids Movies Worth Watching:
Coraline- Based on Neil Gaiman's story, this is such a great story with adorable animation. I dressed up as Coraline, last year for Halloween. The animation is beautiful and this movie is very moody.
The Nightmare Before Christmas- This movie came out when I was in high school and all of my friends and myself went nuts for this. It's based on a poem by Tim Burton and it is typical Burton style.
Corpse Bride- Again, another animation type movie using puppets and stop motion, this is such a fun movie with great music by Danny Elfman.
Hocus Pocus- You read this right, this is a classic and you know it!
Teen Witch- Because I am a child of the 80's this is sort of a must. The acting isn't great, there is an awkward moment when two suburban teenagers engage a a rap duel. The weird psychic lady from "Poltergeist" is in this too and as creepy as ever. Watch this gem!
The Worst Witch- I watched this dozens of times as a little girl and bought it on DVD years later. Tim Curry plays a warlock in this, it is very adorable and one I'll be watching soon.
Return To Oz- Not intended to be a Halloween type movie, but way scarier than people anticipate it to be. I never saw this when I was little, and I couldn't get my hands on the DVD until a few years ago. This is so scary compared to the musical movie made in 1939. Dorothy was going to get electro shock therapy! Seriously, watch this if you can find it, it is amazing!

Television Shows To Give You The Creeps:
Twilight Zone- All kinds of freaky stories to unnerve you.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents- Even more creepy stuff, hosted by Alfred Hitchcock.
The Outer Limits- More bizarre stories that keep you up at night.
Dark Shadows- The tragic soul of Barnabus, mastered brooding long before Edward Cullen.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer- The chosen one, stabs vamps with stakes, but loves them too!
Vampire Diaries- Modern teenagers falling in love with centuries old teenage vampires. Such drama!
Hemlock Grove- For most of season one, you don't know what's going on, creepy as all heck. Season two, totally messed up but fun to watch a great show if you like monsters- which I do!
The Walking Dead- This grew on me, I'm watching new shows as they air and watching older shows on Netflix to catch up. This show sucks you in, it is so well written and acted. The makeup and costumes are amazing. This show, by the way, is terrifying!
Sleepy Hollow- This show is so fun! IT is spooky. It recalls classic early American folklore and it is so great how the writers are able to connect stories with historical events and figures. The actors are very great at what they do, such a charming show.
Haven- I've written about this show before, but again, I love this show. Set in fictitious "Haven" Maine, the "troubles" make life difficult in the otherwise sleepy coastal village.
Supernatural- Two brothers fighting evil for nearly a decade. There are a lot of demons on this show
Harper's Island- I caught this show when it aired on the channel CHiller. This show is terrifying, I can't believe it was on CBS. It was like a slasher movie in 60 minute episodes. Such a twisted story and the ending is crazy. I think you can find this on Netflix (although, I'm not certain of this.)
Witches Of East End- Two generations of witches that just want to live normal lives in a quiet town, but life won't settle down.
The Originals- A spin-off of THe Vampire Diaries, set in New Orleans, lots of scary (and attractive) monsters.

Food Stuff:
-Pretty much anything that involves pumpkin.
-Treats that are shaped like pumpkins, ghosts, or bats.
-Treats that look like zombies
-Treats with candy corns
-Caramel apples
-Caramel corn

This zombie cake I made a few weeks ago. I used a devil's food cake mix with raspberry pie filling in the middle. I also used 1 can store bought chocolate frosting that I mixed with 4 ounces of cream cheese and 23 tablespoons of cocoa powder and I mixed it all together. Then, I bought these gummy eyes in the cake /cookie decorating area at Walmart. It was super easy and a hit with my nephews.

Spooky Music:
 I searched and found all kinds of Halloween classics like "The Time Warp" and "Monster Mash" even scary movie themes all on Spotify and I bet many other music streaming stations have the same thing. Create a great song list, I had a lot of fun creating a Halloween list on Spotify. Also, I know that premium cable has a seasonal music channel on their music channels. They have a few channels to help you get in the spirit of Halloween.

So friends, get creative, pop some popcorn brew some cider punch and get ready for the big day! The internet is an excellent resource for recipes, craft ideas and even has great sights for watching spooky things. Go to the thrift store and gather supplies for a unique costume and have fun!
Until next time~ Toodahloo!

September Reading List

Books for my reading list from my personal library.

Whenever this time of year arrives, I'm reminded to return to reading. I've decided to start a reading list, with the hope that I will actually stick to it. So, for the month of September, I've decided to read books that would have been on my reading list in school at this time of year. Some of these books are classics and are easy to find.

Here is the September reading list:
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane
Good Wives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England 1650-1750 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

These books should keep me busy and very entertained for the month! Next month will be a much darker selection, but very entertaining, too! If you're into reading check these out, or revisit these if you've read them before. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Thrifting For Creativity

Spring is in the air. Even though another snow storm might be arriving this weekend, the birds are chirping, today, and the sun is shining! For the past few weeks, I have been hunting on Pinterest for craft inspiration. After much pinning, I have a list of projects to work on. I like to go to the thrift store to find my supplies for my craft projects. Last week, I went to my local thrift shop and found five t-shirts and two books for a total of $5.00. One of the t-shirts I used in a craft project that I did yesterday. The book on birds I intend to use for this year's nature journaling. The copy of the book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a nice hardcover book (as is the bird book) with a fun art work on the dust jacket. I grabbed the book after seeing in on a list of books everyone must read, online. So, I couldn't resist snagging it. It should be a fun read on a warm sunny day, this summer.

Earlier, this week, I went to another thrift shop while I was on a girls day out with my bestie. I went there looking for a the game Guess Who? and the game Operation. Then, I found a copy of the soundtrack to the movie Elf, such fun holiday music! I also found a denim skirt that was on sale for 1/2 price, which was a nice bonus, because I wanted another skirt for the summer.



I was in search for the game, Guess Who?, after seeing an amazing craft project on Pinterest where some very crafty Whovian actually drew each Doctor, some of his companions and some of his nemeses. This clever little Whovian then put those pictures in the slots of the original Guess Who? characters, and thus, they had  Guess Doctor Who?! I know! I want to track down that brilliant Whovian and make them some fish fingers and custard! I wish I could remember the exact link to that awesome craft, but it can be found on Pinterest.

I wanted the get the game Operation after I saw "Sherlock" playing the game on the show Sherlock. I forgot how much I loved that game. So, when I saw it at the thrift store for $.99, I was very happy. I was even happier when I opened the game and discovered that the only piece missing was the Adam's Apple. I can easily make another Adam's Apple with polymer clay. So, the 99 cent investment was well worth the effort.

So, this week will be filled with a lot of crafting. I still have so much more that I wish to do, but it all hangs on what I can find at the thrift shop.  I like the challenge of using what I can find at the thrift shop for crafts; it's almost like Iron Chef, but with fabric, thread, paint and hot glue instead of potatoes, marshmallows and catfish.  I hope to keep this updated on this blog, as well as any other baking, and etc. that I take the time to do. Until then~ Toodahloo!

Judy Blume and Other Things

'Tis late in the evening and realized that I neglected to talk about Judy Blume in my previous post, which is silly of me, considering. Then again, considering the title of my post, it stands to reason that I am a bit absent minded.
I should be sleeping, as I am tired and I have a busy morning ahead of me tomorrow. I felt that I needed to write about some of my favorite childrens book authors. For some strange reason, I have always confused Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. I'm not sure why that is, but to this day, I still confuse them.
I know that Beverly Cleary wrote the "Ramona" books, while Judy Blume wrote books like "Blubber." Perhaps, I confuse them because they both had young girls as the major characters and they wrote for similar audiences. However, I think that if you read their books as an adult, you'll find bigger differences.
I never read the "Margaret" book that Judy Blume wrote. In fact, I think that a lot of her books I shyed away from as a young girl, because I was a bit skiddish about the subject matter of them. Last summer, my library was having book sales all throughout the summer. During one of these sales I grabbed the book "Blubber" and after reading it, I really wished I'd read it when I was a young lass. I'm not sure why girls act like they, sometimes, do. I think that everyone should read the book. It is odd, the movie, Mean Girls shows how girls behave when they are put together. When you watch the movie, you're sort of glad that you're out of high school. Then, you turn on the tv, and Bravo has they're own version in the form of the series Real Housewives. Oddly, a lot of the women on the show are single and I'm pretty sure they spend more time at parties than at home. At least, that is the bulk of what is shown- parties, fashion shows, and cocktail hour with the ladies. I guess the kids are with the nanny. So, that may not be what they do when the cameras are gone, and I'm sure the show is editted that way. I guess somebody thinks that seeing cat fighting at a party is more interesting than seeing these women actually being housewives.
At any rate, it's hard seeing grown women behave that way, and I wish they would all get a copy of "Blubber." I think that it would make them be better people. Maybe it's easy to revert back to behaving the way we did when we were kids. However, when you're an adult, with an adult heart and you read that book- everything comes back to mind. All the awful stuff you endured as a kid. It's harder as a grown-up reading that book, because we've all been there. The thing is, it reminds even the kindest heart to try harder. That's my thoughts. Until next time~ Toodaloo!