Thoughts from an Evil Overlord

Book Review: The LIfe You've Imagined

2010-09-14T23:36:00.001-04:00

Are any of us living the life we imagined we'd have? I don't mean becoming a firefighter or a ballerina, but the daily quality of life with our families and careers? Kristina Riggle shares the lives of two single women in their early 30s, each at a crossroads in her life, with The Life You've Imagined.
Cami and Anna, friends in high school, have each coincidentally returned to the small lakeside town of Haven, MI at the same time. Their lives drifted into very different directions but they easily fall back into their friendship, working at the Nee Nance convenience store owned by Anna's mother, Maeve. Anna has returned home for some quiet time away from her job as a high-powered Chicago lawyer, and is living with her mother above the Nee Nance in her1970s wood-paneled bedroom. Cami returns to her father's ramshackle house, a place of terrible memories, because she literally has no place to go after a relationship break-up.

Told through first-person narration of each character, readers learn of the secrets of both Anna and Cami, as well as their parents. The Life You've Imaginedmakes readers think about parents and adult children in a different way. Do we really know our parents as well as we think? And do they know us better than we realize? Although both Cami and Anna return to Haven adrift, confused, and overwhelmed by life, by the end of the summer they are both heading into positive futures, and know they have a strong friendship that will sustain. I enjoyed The Life You've Imaginedfor reasons both thoughtful and whimsical. Memories of my own childhood paneling, running into the convenience store for a candy bar or popsicle, and the cycle of certain family disagreements that never go away, made me smile. The relationship of children and parents, which stays the same in some ways, but reverses in others was interesting to me, as someone close in age to Anna and Cami. The Life You've Imaginedis a book that made me think, while still be a very entertaining story.
This review is part of a TLC book tour. To read the thoughts of more book bloggers, you can visit TLC's Life You've Imagined page.

Book Review: What Alice Knew

2010-09-03T11:31:00.002-04:00

Jack the Ripper is perhaps the most famous serial killer of all time, especially because he was never caught, and he perpetrated his horrors in Victorian London, a time and place that never liked to know about the seedier side of life. Paula Marantz Cohen's historical novel What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper brings a new perspective to the famous case.

London, 1888. American author Henry James is living in London and is out every night as a member of the esoteric literary and arts scene. His sister Alice, a semi-invalid, also lives in London, in her own town home. The Ripper case is all anyone is talking about, and bedridden Alice, very intelligent and quick-witted, loves to read the papers, speculate, and design scenarios. When the siblings' brother, the renowned professor William James is summoned to London, from Harvard College in Massachusetts, by Scotland Yard. Professor James is engaged in "important research in the new science of the mind" and Sir Charles Warren, Metropolitan Commissioner of Police is hoping he can shed some light on the motives and behaviors of the elusive killer.
With the three James siblings reunited in London, Alice is excited to put a plan she has been scheming into motion. Although she cannot got about the streets of London herself, William, with his Scotland Yard connections, medical knowledge, and insights into the human mind, and Henry, a man who is able to fit into both high society and the more dissolute areas of London, can bring her information to analyze. The three will solve these crimes together, each bringing their own unique talents to the case. William is soon running about London with members of Scotland Yard, finding new evidence and refuting theories that were already in place. Henry is about in the drawing rooms and gentlemen's clubs listening to conversations, and soon the three have a suspect.
What Alice Knew is a well-written thriller, with oodles of great Victorian history thrown in. Ms. Cohen, a professor of English at Drexel University, brings her scholarship and research to the story, speculating on Henry's and William's feelings and motivations, and sharing stories about artists of the times such as John Singer Sergeant and Oscar Wilde, friends of the James family. As a lover of both historical fiction and mystery/thrillers I couldn't put What Alice Knew down, and I look forward to what Paula Marantz Cohen has for us next!

The Recessionistas: a Book Review

2010-09-01T04:05:00.002-04:00

Alexandra Lebenthal has put some fun into finance with her debut novel,The Recessionistas. Opening on Labor Day 2008, the lives of four very different women will all soon be affected by the stock market and mortgage crises.

Socialite Grigsby Somerset is as clueless as they come, continuing to lead a lavish life of excess while her husband Blake tries to keep afloat by entering into a deal with the devil, hedge fund owner John Cutter.
Executive assistant Renee Parker, newly hired by John Cutter, senses something is fishy at Flying Point Capital. Enlisting the aid of her friend, bond manager Sasha Silver, Renee and Sasha ferret out the inconsistencies at Flying Point while attending charity dinners and power lunches.
The Recessionistas is great fun in the tradition of novels like The First Wives Club. Pairing intelligent women against scheming men, Ms. Lebenthal has brought New York society after the crash into homes across America. She made a financial dolt like myself understand more about what causes our current economic crisis, while taking me to The Hamptons, the Cayman Islands, and the great restaurants and hotels of New York City.
On a whimsical note, I love the cover art for The Recessionistas. It's a city skyline designed with different Judith Leiber purses! How clever!
You should definitely give The Recessionistas a try, and to make that easier for someone (US & Canada only), I have a copy to give away from the great folks at Hachette Publishing Group! As always, I'll make it simple and give you several chances to win.

Leave a comment saying you'd like to win. Be sure to include a way for me to contact you.
Become a Follower of this blog, or of @ebogie on Twitter, or let me know you're already a follower.
Tweet about the giveaway. You can tweet once a day!
Leave a separate comment for each entry, for a total of 4+ entries.
Winner will be chosen Thursday, September 16.
Sorry, U.S. and Canada only.

This review is linked to Cym Lowell's Book Review Party, a great place to discover a new book!

I'd Know You Anywhere: Book Review

2010-08-30T20:59:00.002-04:00

I have enjoyed Laura Lippman's Tess Monahan mystery novels for many years. Last year I was asked to review her stand-alone novel, Life Sentences, which was so intricate, with very complex characters, that I was in awe of her thought processes. I have been fortunate again to be on the book tour for her latest, I'd Know You Anywhere. At first, reading the book summary, one might be a little creeped out and wary of beginning this unique thriller, but as soon as I reached the second page, I knew Ms. Lippman was going to do it again: show real people in sometimes awful situations and make me sympathize in some way with all of them, and be bewildered by all of them, also. How each character makes decisions, and then lives with the consequences of those decisions is fascinating.

The story opens in the present, with 38-year-old Eliza Benedict, mother of two, having returned to Maryland after living abroad for several years. As the summer comes to an end, Eliza is peaceful and content with her husband and their new home, and is helping her children prepare for a new school year. Her serenity is shattered upon receiving a letter from a man she hasn't heard from in 23 years. There was your picture in the magazine. Of course you're older now. Still, I'd know you anywhere. Walter Bowman, the man who abducted 15 year old Elizabeth Lerner and held her for 39 days in the summer of 1984 has initiated contact with his victim. How he found Eliza, she does not know, but he would like to hear from her, sooner rather than later. You see, Walter is about to be executed. In 1985 he was convicted of raping and murdering a different teenage girl. It is believed that Walter was responsible for the disappearance of more than twenty teen age girls, but only evidence for the last one. And Elizabeth, now Eliza? She's the only one who got away.
Switching between the present, where Eliza, with support from her husband, Peter, needs to make decisions about what her children should know, and if she should respond to Walter's letter, and 1984 where teenage Elizabeth idolizes Madonna and takes an ill-fated shortcut through the woods on the way to the local Roy Rogers, readers meet Walter, the sad, sick, serial killer, Walter's friend and advocate, Trudy, and Elizabeth/Eliza's unique and interesting family.

As stated earlier, on the surface, this may appear to be a creepy story. But it's not. Eliza and Peter have built a wonderful family and life together. Eliza's life is about taking her son Albie to soccer, and dealing with daughter Iso's acting out as she adjusts to a new school as she enters her teen years. Walter's letter breaks into that, but Eliza does her best to keep her daily life on an even keel, while working through demons she hadn't thought about in years. There are many mysteries in this story. What is the hidden agenda behind Walter contacting Eliza? What happened during the 30 days Elizabeth spent with Walter? Will Walter receive a stay to his execution?
On a silly note, As a child of the 1980s myself, I loved the section titles, which were all songs from 84 and 85, giving the Billboard statistics and the artist's name. Sadly, I was a little older than Elizabeth and did not ever actually wear the Madonna lacy hair bow and gloves, although I danced at many college parties to her music.

I found I'd Know You Anywhere to be gripping, not in the way of a spy thriller, but emotionally. Scenes that might have been gratuitously violent in the hands of a different author were handled in a straightforward, yet delicate manner. And, as always, Ms. Lippman's knowledge and love of Maryland shine with her descriptive narrative.
I definitely recommend I'd Know You Anywhere to anyone who enjoys a book that is ultimately about emotions, but doesn't make you cry.
This review is linked to Cym Lowell's Book Review Party, a great place to discover a new book!
To get more buzz about I'd Know You Anywhere, visit TLC Book Tours, where many bloggers are sharing their reviews.

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Dainty Jewels

2010-08-18T18:34:00.001-04:00

Whew! I missed Vintage Thingies Thursday last week due to a wacky virus, but I'm back and ready to share some beautiful items from my vintage jewelry collection. I think I picked some things that are light and summery.

This cute bracelet with roses and pearls is VERY small. It barely fits my niece's 12-year-old wrist! Shows how tiny my mom's wrist is, because she wore it as a young adult.

The gold-tone leaf bracelet is only missing one pearl. I keep meaning to replace it from my bead stash.

As a child, this necklace fascinated me. How did they get the pearls inside the gold?
For more wonderful vintage collectibles, visit Suzanne at ColoradoLady, our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess! You will notice that Suzanne has the Linky with participants up, but she is on a little break and doesn't have a post herself.

Monday Reading Report 8/16

2010-08-15T14:30:00.004-04:00

NEW ARRIVALS
From Hachette Publishing Group I receive Elin Hilderbrand's The Island and The Recessionistas by a new author, Alexandra Lebenthal. TLC Book tours sent I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman, The Life You've Imagined by Kristina Riggle, and Home Again by Mariah Stewart. The Bloody Field by Shrewsbury, a historical novel by Edith Pargeter is a re-print of the 1972 story of Henry Bolingbrook usurping the English crown from Richard II, coming in November from Sourcebooks.

READ
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand - Check out my review and giveaway!
The Recessionistas by Alexandra Lebenthal (fun women's fiction)
Mistress of the Vatican by Eleanor Herman (non fiction)
The Promise of Lumby by Gail Fraser (4th in the small-town series)
Sweet Dreams, Irene by Jan Burke (2nd in the CA female reporter mystery series)
Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix (YA Historical Fiction about the 1913 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire)
READING
The Cavalier by Cynthia Harrod Eagles (#7 in the Moreland Dynasty series)

TO READ
Home Again by Mariah Stewart
The Maiden by Cynthia Harrod Eagles
The Life You've Imagined by Kristina Riggle (women's fiction)
TO REVIEW
What Alice Knew by Paula Marantz Cohen (HF focusing on Henry James searching for Jack the Ripper)
The Recessionistas by Alexandra Lebenthal (fun women's fiction)
I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman (thriller)
To see what others are reading and have received this week, visit Mailbox Monday, hosted this month by Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit and It's Monday, What Are You Reading?, a weekly event hosted by Sheila from Book Journey.

Book Giveaway: The Island

2010-08-14T00:40:00.003-04:00

Romantic. Interesting. Funny. Tragic. Hopeful. The words describing Elin Hilderbrand's latest summer novel are varied and sundry. I have been reading Ms. Hilderbrand religiously since the publication of her first book, The Beach Club, ten years ago. All of her stories are set on the beautiful island of Nantucket, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a place I really should have visited by now, being a native New Englander myself. With The Island, Elin dips her toes into the Atlantic and takes readers on an even more magical summer escape, Tuckernuck Island, a half-mile and 80 years from Nantucket.
After thirteen years, the recently divorced Birdie Cousins is returning to her family's summer home on Tuckernuck, accompanied by her two adult daughters, Chess and Tate, and her widowed sister, India. They will spend the month of July taking cold showers and cooking over a camp stove, an almost Thoreau-like existence repeating the happy summers of their childhoods. This bonding time is ostensibly to support Chess, who has just experienced three life-changing events, breaking off her engagement, the death of her former fiance just weeks later, and walking out on her career as the youngest editor ever at Glamorous Home magazine. The downward-spiraling depression has completely engulfed Chess who sublets her apartment, moves to her mother's home, and after shaving all of her hair off, stays in bed for days at a time.

But Chess's supporters each have their own demons and ghosts traveling with them, unbeknown to the others. India, a successful museum curator in the Philadelphia art world still re-hashes the suicide of her husband fifteen years earlier. Now she potentially has a new romance, with a young female artist half her age. Birdie, while excited and thrilled to be back at her beloved Tuckernuck with her sister and daughters, has wistfully left Henry, her first beau since her divorce, behind in Connecticut. For Tate, the month at Tuckernuck will bring her back to Barrett, the golden boy of her teenage dreams, against whom all other men have come up short.
Tate spends her days in exercise, while Birdie and India take up the smoking habit of their youth, as they chat and needlepoint. Chess, in her attic hideaway writes in a journal, putting down the story of her relationship with Michael Morgan, and giving herself a better perspective on both Michael's actions and her own. As each woman works through her quandries and memories, they begin to share their stories with each other, creating a bond that will be stronger than the old New England blood running in all their veins.

Told through the eyes of each of the women, the story of their significant Tuckernuck summer makes readers want to leave television, cell phones, and laptops behind and spend a month taking walks, lounging in the sun, drinking wine and reading, on an island with no paved roads or public utilitles. Although I don't know if a die-hard blogger could handle that!
I loved The Island so much that the folks at Hachette Publishing have given me a copy to giveaway!! As always, I'll make it simple and give you several chances to win.

Leave a comment saying you'd like to win. Be sure to include a way for me to contact you.
Become a Follower of this blog, or of @ebogie on Twitter, or let me know you're already a follower.
Tweet about the giveaway. You can tweet once a day!
Leave a separate comment for each entry, for a total of 4+ entries.
Winner will be announced Wednesday, September 1.

If you're a fan of audio books, visit Sheila at Book Journey. She has 3 audios of The Island to give away!
This review is linked to Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday. There's lots of great books to discover, and he's giving away some great books, too!

Holly's Inbox: Totally Hilarious!

2010-08-10T20:34:00.000-04:00

The wildly successful Holly's Inboxby Holly Denham brought the 21st century to the epistolary novel, being written entirely in emails. The follow-up novel Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the Citybrings back Holly and her friends Jason, Aisha, and Trisha in all their gossipy, in-joke glory.

Although I did not read the first Holly's Inbox, I immediately felt that I knew the distinct personalities of Holly and her pals, living the fun, young London life. Holly and Trish work in Reception at a major bank, which I never realized was more than just answering phones and greeting people. They organize refreshments, book meeting rooms, and arrange for the comforts of visiting executives. Holly's life is going great with a promotion and a new boyfriend, but we all know the power of the internet and when some emails become public a big scandal threatens to bring Holly's world down.
When Scandal in the City appeared in my mailbox, I was a little intimidated by it's 544 pages, but soon got over my trepidations as I zipped through the breezy, funny messages flying between Holly and her friends. The emails are nicely written without a lot of the internet shortcuts used in texting or instant messaging, so people who are not up on that lingo will not have any trouble following the dilemmas of Holly and the gang in the worlds of career, love, and friendship, or sends herself little "reminder" emails. These reminder emails are great because they show Holly's inner thoughts and concerns, not just those she expresses to people in her emails. Fans can keep up with Holly's shenanigans at Holly's Inbox.com, where there are always fresh message awaiting our voyeuristic urges. If you're looking for a light, funny story in a fresh new format, definitely try Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the Cityby Holly Denham.

This review is linked to Cym Lowell's Wednesday Book Review Party. Be sure to visit and check out some great reviews and book giveaways!

She's Gone Country: Review & Giveaway

2010-08-10T01:44:00.002-04:00

Every summer Jane Porter brings us a funny, relevant contemporary romance, and this year's She's Gone Countryis no exception. The story of former model Shey Darcy's return to her Texas ranching routes gives readers glimpses into both the worlds of professional ranching and bull riding, as well as high-fashion modeling. Shey's seventeen year marriage has fallen apart, and she has returned to her hometown with her three teenage boys, who are having trouble adjusting from their fast-paced New York prep school lifestyle. In addition to dealing with motherhood dilemmas, Shey's Southern Baptist mother is making her disapproval of Shey's parenting known. Throw gorgeous, world-famous professional bull rider Dane Kelly, Shey's childhood crush, into the mix and you've got a story with something for everyone. Each of Shey's sons is a distinct personality with specific issues which with she must work with her ex-husband John to do what is best for that boy. It's nice to read about a divorce where the parents don't always agree, but can put their child's needs first.

I really enjoyed learning about the Professional Bull Riders Association, which was created in 1992. The training of the athletes, and the care taken in breeding the best bulls was very interesting and was presented nicely through the character of Dane, a fictional founder of the PBR, teaching Shey's youngest son how to be a cowboy.
Also included in the story are brief visits from Shey's two best friends, Tiana, who we met inEasy on the Eyesand Marta fromOdd Mom Out.
The fantabulous Brad from Hachette Publishing has given me a copy of She's Gone Countryfor one lucky reader. Entering is simple:

Leave a comment saying you'd like to win. Be sure to include a way for me to contact you.
Become a Follower of this blog, or of @ebogie on Twitter, or let me know you're already a follower.
Tweet about the giveaway. You can tweet once a day!
Leave a separate comment for each entry, for a total of 4+ entries.
Winner will be announced Monday, August 30.

This review is part of Cym Lowell's Book Review Party. Visit to check out lots of great reviews, and find some giveaways!

Vintage Day on Vacation

2010-08-04T21:46:00.001-04:00

Every summer my family visits the beautiful village of Ogunquit, ME. One of the fun things to do in Ogunquit, especially on a rainy day, is to hit the antique and vintage shops. They have everything from very high-end places with Chippendale furniture to the great "junk" malls where you can buy a box of metal thingies for $2.00. Because I've been sick, we haven't hit the stores in the past few years, but this year, even with the gorgeous weather my sister and I managed to squeeze in a visit to our favorite place, the Blacksmith's Mall, right on Route 1/Main Street. I have coveted the bench out front for years, but I'd have no place to put it. I love these antique malls where vendors rent space because you can often find similar items and compare prices. Now, I'm not going to show you everything that caught my eye, because that would be the longest post in history! I'm going to spread it out over several posts, with little themes. This post will be about the things we actually bought.

My sister stumbled upon a gorgeous example of a Wallace Nutting print right away. It was hanging in a window and she had to climb into a tiny space to see it. I've written about our Wallace Nutting collections in a past Vintage Thingies Thursday. Since it was the first thing we saw, and she doesn't like to spend money anyway, we left it and decided to go back later.

In our wanderings, I came across these great little packages of unused Christmas cards from the late 1950s in a big mixing bowl. I definitely got one of these! Don't know what I'll do with them, because you know I'm sure not cutting them up for crafts!

Meanwhile, K had stumbled on 2 more Nutting prints. One was much larger than the first, but not as pretty, and the other wasn't in as good shape. The first one we saw was not only the prettiest and in pristine condition, it was the least expensive! That was definitely a sign, so K scooped it up, and was very pleased with her purchase, knowing just where it would hang. I'm glad she bought it, because if she hadn't I probably would have gotten it even though I have no place to hang it and money is very tight for me right now. It was a good shopping day where we didn't get out of control, and each got something we really liked! Upon returning home, my sister realized she had one more Wallace Nutting print than she had thought, and the "perfect" spot to hang the new one in the grouping isn't going to work. Now a complete re-arranging of the living room artwork is underway!
For more great vintage items, be sure to visit Suzanne at ColoradoLady, our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess!

Beautiful Place by the Sea

2010-07-30T00:32:00.003-04:00

For the past fourteen summers my family has spent a week in Ogunquit, Maine, the Beautiful Place by the Sea. Ogunquit is known as an arts community and is one of the top 10 beaches in the United States. It retains its old time charm by having no chain restaurants or hotels.

I don't know if this is an ordinance, but other than bank branches, the only chain store in the place is Cumberland Farms. That's not a problem because if a personal desperately needs their Dunkin Donuts or McDonald's they are 5 minutes up Route 1 in Wells. I've been on my vacation all week, and am on my way home as this post goes live. Since I haven't been able to share new pictures with you, here's some from past trips.

My dad enjoys the pavilion at the top of the beach. It's right by the trolley stop. The trolleys are a great way to get around and many of the seaside towns in the area use them.

Walking the Marginal Way is a tradition for most people who visit Ogunquit. My family likes to have dinner at one of the great restaurants in Perkins' Cove and then take the walk back into the center of town.

Climbing on the rocks and scaring the pants off their mother is a highlight of the week for the kids.
In a few days I'll have pictures from this year's trip, and of course a post about all of the places we ate!!

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Summer Camp

2010-07-28T21:22:00.000-04:00

As a child I always wanted to attend sleep-away camp, but never got to. However, as an adult I've been 12 times, since we take our sixth graders to environmental camp each year, at an actual camp on the shore of a lake.

Donna Parker: Mystery at Arawak was one of the books that inspired this desire in me.

The seven-book series of Donna Parker books were written by Marcia Martin. Mystery at Arawak was published in 1962 and was the sixth in the series.

Besides getting to be a cool junior counselor, Donna found herself being pursued by the neatest counselor at the camp!

My book was purchased at a yard sale more than 30 years ago from someone named Linda.
From dishes to tools, furniture to toys, Vintage Thingies Thursday at ColoradoLady has something for everyone! Stop by and check it out!

Giveaway: Sea Escape by Lynne Griffin

2010-07-27T21:04:00.000-04:00

Sea Escapeis the second novel from nationally recognized family life speaker and author Lynne Griffin. With her particular insight into the dynamics of mothers and daughters, she brings readers into the lives of Laura and Helen, an adult daughter with a distant mother. A sudden stroke incapacitates Helen, bringing Laura to the realization that they may never have the chance to bring back the deep, warm relationship she remembers from her early childhood. Discovering a love letter written to Helen by her long-dead husband, Laura tries to connect with her mother by reading the letter aloud to the comatose woman. Hunting through her mother's ocean-front home Sea Escape, Laura finds more of the precious letters written during their courtship and early marriage, as well as others from the Vietnam War era, when Joseph was a war correspondent. Believing that her father's loving words have the power to heal, Laura reads the letters to Helen as she awakens but seems unable to speak. Through the letters Laura learns more about the father she lost when she was eleven and begins to understand some of the secrets of betrayal and sacrifice in her family.
Lynne has generously provided me with not only a copy of Sea Escapefor one lucky reader, but a copy of her first novel, Life Without Summer, for a second reader! Here's a summary from the publisher: Life Without Summer draws a haunting portrait of two women whose lives converge after a hit and run accident outside a school. Fans of Deep End of the Ocean and Good Grief will be transfixed by this novel about family, forgiveness and the struggle to find hope in healing.

Let's make winning super simple, OK?

Leave a comment telling me which of the two books you prefer. Be sure there is a way for me to contact you.
For extra entries become a Follower, Tweet, or blog about the giveaway.
Open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.
Giveaway will close on Friday, August 13 at 11:59 PM, Eastern Time and winners selected via random integer generator.
This review is one of many on the TLC Book Tour for Sea Escape. Definitely go check them out, because many are also having the same giveaway!

Don't the covers of these two novels call to you? I know I'd stop and check them out in a book store!

Monday Reading Report: 7/26

2010-07-25T15:19:00.004-04:00

RECENT ARRIVALS:
I am at the beach in Ogunquit, ME this week, and got some great beach reads to bring with me! But, I may not be able to make all my weekly visits, as I'll have little access to technology.
Sandra Brown's latest romantic thriller Tough Customer looks like it won't disappoint. It's the story of a young woman who meets her father for the first time when he is called to help keep her safe from a crazed stalker.

I received two very different books from Sourcebooks. Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham is definitely going to be beach reading at it's best! Written entirely in e-mails, this second installment of Holly's adventures focuses on a scandal erupting that could ruin the happiness in both love and career that Holly has recently found. One of the things I love about Sourcebooks as a publisher is that they speak to me as a reader. Historical fiction, mysteries and chick-lit are what I'm all about!

Sourcebooks also sent me the intrigueing What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James, William James, their Sister Alice, and Jack the Ripper from first time author Paula Marantz Cohen. Seems like it will be a great historical mystery/thriller. I really like the cover design on this one. It's very dark and mysterious, showing the back view of a Victorian woman, The image is bordered with a traditional golden frame and the title is in a plain, traditional font. Then the sub-title down lower is at an angle in a bright red font that is reminiscent of that used on murder-mysteries long ago.

I've also received the new Jane Porter, a major force in the chick-lit market, She's Gone Country. Be sure to come back for that review, I'll have FIVE copies to giveaway! I'll be sharing these all with my mom as we lounge at the beach and poolside. Or, if it rains, our hotel has a gorgeous porch with big rockers where we can rock 'n' read!
FINISHED THIS WEEK:
An Accidental Woman by Barbara Delinsky is a follow-up to Lake News. Both books have been out for many years. I love the way she writes about New England life.
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, very funny story about a finance lawyer who runs off to the country and becomes a housekeeper. Unfortunately her fancy education did not include cooking or even sewing on a missing button!
Death of a Hussy is #5 in M.C. Beaton's cozy mystery series about Scottish policeman Hamish MacBeth. It was a very quick read, but lots of fun as always.

I was reading Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick last week, but I didn't finish it. It was well written and an interesting idea of what Van Gogh's last year's may have been like, but I couldn't get past the sadness and loneliness of his life, and knowing the outcome just made it sadder.
CURRENTLY READING: Desert Wives by Betty Webb. This is the second of her Lena Jones mysteries, about the murder of the Prophet of a fictional polygamous cult called Purity in the Arizona/Utah desert.
To see what others are reading and have received this week, visit Mailbox Monday, hosted by <>Marcia at The Printed Page and It's Monday, What Are You Reading?, a weekly event hosted by <>Sheila from Book Journey.

I'm a Winner!

2010-07-23T01:47:00.001-04:00

Like many bloggers I often enter giveaways. Recently I won a few things.
Deborah, from Deb's Vintage Soul was having a giveaway for some lovely gray pearl shank buttons. They look so yummy in the picture, don't they? I'm going to make myself a twisty bracelet like Deb's. She still has more buttons and other great vintage items available in her etsy shop, also called Deb's Vintage Soul.

The wonderful Jen from J. Nichelle Holiday is also very vintage. From her blog I won a Sugar Exfoliant and Body Emulsion made by Haus of Gloi. They smell like sugar cookies sprinkled with coconut, yum! Everything at Haus of Gloi is 100% vegan and cruelty-free, so I can feel extra-special when I use it.

Every Wednesday I participate in Cym Lowell's Book Review Party. If you've never checked it out, it's a great place to discover new books. Or if you're a book blogger you should really link in, the review doesn't have to be from that exact day.

Cym does a random drawing of participants every week for an Amazon gift certificate and last week I was the winner! Yay for me!

So go on and get out there! Enter some giveaways and let us see your goodies!

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Red Tractor

2010-07-21T21:38:00.000-04:00

My father's Depression-era tin airplane was such a hit last week, I thought I'd share you another one of his childhood toys. This red tractor was very well-loved; it still has dirt embedded in the tires!

The large rear tires are labeled AP Grade Balloon, 1800x24. At some point in the tractor's history someone painted the inside of the front tires blue, but it has chipped off. One of the tires falls off, but since we just display it, we haven't bothered to fix it. Sometimes repairing vintage items lowers their value. It's pretty heavy, probably made of cast iron. I think the best thing about the tractor is the farmer driving it, who is part of the mold.

When I see these old toys that my dad actually played with, I picture him in the backyard at his Aunt Gertie's house in Windsor Locks, CT. I never knew the house where he grew up, but I was often at Gertie's as a young child, so that's where I picture him. She lived alone in the family's Victorian farmhouse until she was in her 80s. Her house looked almost exactly like this one. In the back there was a lot of grass and an old carriage house. I can just picture him sitting in the grass and playing trucks, the only boy, while his sister and girl cousins did something girly. Many of my antique and vintage items came from this house, including my huge collection of pink Depression glass.
For more memories and nifty items, visit Suzanne @ ColoradoLady, our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess. Suzanne is known for her family of dachshunds and has a whole bunch she is sharing this week!

Monday Reading Report 7/19

2010-07-18T20:16:00.002-04:00

I received two books for review this week. What We Have: a Family's Inspiring Story About Love, Loss, and Survivalby Amy Boesky is a memoir about a family where the women often die young of cancer, and Amy's fight to live a positive life out of that shadow. As a cancer survivor from a family of survivors I am eager to read this one.
Doctor Margaret's Sea Chestis a historical novel by Waheed Rabbani about a trunk found in the storage room of a Delhi, India hospital in 1965. The trunk belonged to a young female doctor who traveled to India in the 1880s. It sounds like it will be a really interesting read.

READ
I've been reading a lot of mysteries lately. This week I tried two series that are new to me: Goodnight, Ireneby Jan Burke, and Desert Noirby Betty Webb. I enjoyed them both and have put the second book in each series on hold at my library. I like "discovering" series that are a few years old because then I can read several of them really quickly. It's kind of like watching a TV series on DVD instead of waiting each week for a new episode!
Two other mysteries I've read have a historical twist to them. And Only to Deceiveby Tasha Alexander takes places in Victorian times, with the wealthy widow Lady Emily Ashcroft unraveling a mystery surrounding her husband, a man she did not know very well. It is the first in what is currently a 4-book series. Madeleine Robins Point of Honouris about Sarah Temperance, an independent woman in Regency London who makes discreet inquiries and is spectacularly adept with both a rapier and a short sword.

READING/TO READ
I'm about half way through Sunflowersby Sheramy Bundrick, historical fiction about the last 2 years of Vincent Van Gogh's life in Arles, France. When that's done I have M.C. Beaton's Death of a Hussy, from her Hamish MacBeth mysteries. Then I need to read Doctor Margaret and What We Have to review.
While you're here, be sure to check out my Giveaway for Hidden Wives by Claire Avery, a very interesting novel about two sisters escaping from a polygamous group.

Fun in the Sun

2010-07-16T10:42:00.000-04:00

It's been steadily hot and humid in New England for the last couple of weeks. I'm thrilled to have central air conditioning, which is not common in our area. I'm also thrilled that my health is better so I can go to the lake more often with my niece and nephews, and I'm able to physically do more.

I'm pretty sure Cooper isn't fond of being out on the big tube with the boys and their remote control boats.

The Big Mabel holds two people and can be towed from the boat.

I attempted to nap, and Cooper decided to join me!

We had a great sunset barbecue on the 4th, and then stayed out on the lake to watch the fireworks. It was great because we could see them from every town around the lake.

I'm excited to be going back this weekend!

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Tin Airplane

2010-07-14T20:06:00.000-04:00

I love going to restaurants where they have all sorts of old toys on display, don't you? If anyone is starting one of those type places, call me, because I've got lots to offer!

One is this wonderful Depression-era tin airplane. It's wheels still move, and all the glass is still in the windows. Some of the writing has been rubbed off from play and rubbing against other things in one of my dad's many boxes of miscellany in the basement, but you can still read that it says Doug Corrigan's Jalopy. I wonder if it was a promotional toy? My dad still likes to collect promotional toys like Hess Trucks.

It looks great on display with many of his other toys at my sister's house. If I had a place and good way to display them I'd steal them all from her!
For more Vintage fun, visit Suzanne @ ColoradoLady, our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess!
While you're here, check out my giveaway for the novel Hidden Wives, about teenage sisters escaping a polygamous community.

Giveaway: Hidden Wives

2010-07-11T23:25:00.002-04:00

The world of polygamous religions is fascinating to many people, as evidenced by the popularity of the HBO television series Big Love. In Hidden Wives Claire Avery (a pseudonym for sisters Mari Hilburn and Michelle Poche) introduces us to the Blood of the Lamb community through the eyes of teen-age sisters Sara and Rachel. By the age of fifteen, most girls in their community have been married for at least a year, but Sara and Rachel are still unwed and attend the local public school. That changes when the leaders decide that the children should be home-schooled, to protect them from outside influences. Sara, an avid reader and student is devastated as she sits through hours of women tonelessly reading aloud from The Book of Mormon. Rachel, who has always dreamed of becoming a wife and mother, is not as upset. But another change comes to the girls when they learn that Sara has been promised to her half-uncle as a wife, and several powerful leaders have received the word of God that Rachel should become theirs and the Prophet is having trouble making a decision about her. Always more receptive to the outside world, Sara has become friends with a local boy who helps her spirit away the more reluctant Rachel, escaping not only the restrictions of the community but the physical abuse of their father, which is allowed by both their mothers.
Being a person who has always had a "live and let live attitude", the theoretical concept of polygamy has never bothered me. But like all theories, there are those who will abuse and bastardize a well-intentioned concept, and that is what the fictional Blood of the Lamb has done. Chasing teenage boys out of the community, the elders are able to have their choice of multiple brides, even those younger than their own grandchildren. Girls can be forced to marry for political and social reasons, and their "marriages" are usually well before the age of consent, making rape another one of the community's dirty little secrets. Many women in our world cannot conceive of what these girls and women live through every day, and will often ask, "Why do they stay?" For one, it is the world in which they are raised, and we all know how things taught at an early age stay with us. Living in a secluded community, often being home-schooled, many of these people don't know that other ways of life exist. And being constantly indoctrinated about the evils of the outside world, they are often more afraid of the unknown beyond their compounds. Well researched through interviews with former polygamous community members, Hidden Wivesis a compelling story of overcoming adversity at a young age and on one's own, within the framework of a fundamentalist religion.
Below is a great interview with the authors discussing their own unique view of extreme religion, having been raised in a fundamentalist Catholic commune.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

US and Canadian Readers: To receive your own copy of Hidden Wives, compliments of Forge Press, just leave a comment with a way I can reach you if you win.
Name will be selected via Random.org on Saturday, July 24.
For extra entries you can be a Follower, Tweet, mention the giveaway on Facebook, or blog about it. Leave a separate comment for each entry!
Many other blogs are reviewing Hidden Wives for a TLC Book Tour, and some are also giving away a copy, so be sure to go check them out!

This review is also part of Cym Lowell's Book Review Wednesday. Come on and join the party!

Review: Cold Rock River

2010-07-10T11:57:00.001-04:00

Set in the early years of the Vietnam War,Jackie Lee Miles' Cold Rock Riveris the story of Adie, seventeen years old, and quickly married after becoming pregnant. Befriended by her neighbor Murphy and midwife Willa Mae, Adie attempts to make a life for herself and baby Grace Annie in Hog Gap, GA, while her husband Buck continues with his lover-boy life. Unlike those around her contented with their lives, Adie wants more for herself, and definitely for her daughter. Adie finds comfort and sisterhood in the journal of Tempe, a slave ancestor of Willa Mae, whose story of her life and motherhood during the Civil War draw Adie into new ways of thinking about her Southern heritage.
Like many Southern writers, Ms. Miles uses vivid descriptions to bring her landscape to life: In the distance, Cold Rock Mountain rested like a fat king on his throne. The sides sparkled like jewels as the sun bounced off chunks of granite embedded along the edges., as well as dialogue thick with regional sayings and accents. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspirational, and always true to the characters, Cold Rock Riveris a story of unusual friendships and hope within the realities of life. I look forward to trying Jackie Lee Miles' other Southern drama, Rosewater Creek, and the sassy Divorcing Dwayne trilogy.
This review is part of Cym Lowell's Book Review Wednesday. Come on and join the party!

Vintage Summer Thingies

2010-07-07T19:32:00.000-04:00

Most of the items I share for Vintage Thingies Thursday come from my father and his bottomless basement, as you know. But a few things have been my mother's, specifically the jewelry and fashion items. This week I am sharing some of her more summery contributions to my vintage treasure box.

Mom has many hats from the 1960s, but this is the most summery, with the daisies all over it.

I love the texture of this starfish pin. It's two-toned metal is a nice touch.

I'm not a strawberry fan for eating, but I absolutely love this pin! It's only missing a few stones, which isn't noticeable when it's being worn.

And here's the vintage fashion plate herself, circa 1962, the year she and my dad were engaged!
I hope you enjoyed seeing what a fashionista my mom was back in the day! For more vintage goodies, visit Suzanne @ ColoradoLady, our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess.

Review: The Fixer Upper

2010-07-06T22:11:00.000-04:00

Mary Kay Andrews is back with another hysterical, laugh-out-loud story of a Southern gal doing things her own way and finding love in the process. Andrew's seventh novel, The Fixer Upper, a perfect beach read has just been released in paperback!
The story of Dempsey Jo Killebrew, a down on her luck Washington, D.C. public relations specialist will capture readers' interest from the beginning. When her boss is caught up in a major scandal, and Dempsey's career falls apart, she agrees to take on the project of renovating and "flipping" Birdsong, the neglected family house her father has recently inherited. When Birdsong turns out to be Bird Droppings, Dempsey rolls up her sleeves and begins removing the duct tape holding the place together as she establishes herself as a resident of Guthrie, Georgia. With help from the smooth-talking local realtor, and the cute lawyer/newspaper editor, Dempsey stays one step ahead of the FBI agents investigating her former boss, and turns Birdsong into an aria.

I have enjoyed all of Mary Kay Andrews novels, and this was no exception. Dempsey is a very realistic heroine, trying to do what's right in the face of opposition, and creating a life for herself out of nothing, with little familial support. Although determined, Dempsey is not overly spunky or confident, and has her mess ups and confusions just like all of us. If you haven't tried one of Andrew's fun Southern comedies, I strongly suggest you go out and grab The Fixer Upperfor your vacation!

This review is part of a TLC Book Tour, where you can find many other reviews of The Fixer Upper.
I have also linked in to Cym Lowell's Book Review Party. Check it out, there's all genres of books being shared, and many giveaways!

Review: The Dark Rose

2010-07-06T00:50:00.055-04:00

The Dark Rose, Book Two in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles massive Moreland Family Saga makes its U.S. debut this month. The Dark Rose begins in the year 1501 and brings all the intrigue of life at the court of Henry VIII to readers through the eyes of Nanette Moreland, who becomes lady in waiting to Anne Boleyn. Nanette is a good friend to Anne, and witness to her tantrums and triumphs as she leads King Henry VIII on a merry chase for many years. Meanwhile, at Moreland Place in Yorkshire, Paul Moreland works to build the family holdings and diversify their business in the wool trade, making the Morelands one of the most powerful families in their region. These successes are tempered with tragedies of illness and death, foolish, youthful indiscretions flowing into adulthood, and the love, resentment, and jealousies that can often be found in a large family who work and live together.

I enjoyed The Dark Rosebecause of the way the lifestyles of the different classes were described in such detail. Not only do readers enjoy the pomp and intrigue of daily Court life with velvets and jewels, but the supposedly simpler life of those making a living from the land to support the lavish Court lifestyle. For Tudor lovers The Dark Rose brings us another perspective on life at Court with Henry, Catherine of Aragon, and Anne Boleyn and for lovers of romance there's plenty of love and lust both at Moreland Place and Whitehall Palace.
As with the other books in the Moreland Place series, a family tree is provided at the front of the book, to which I referred often while reading. On Cynthia Harrod-Eagles web site there is a map of the fictional Moreland Place and it's surrounding villages, which is fun to have as a reference, also.
I have linked this review to Cym Lowell's Book Review Party, where you can find many other great book recommendations.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-03T22:00:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend with their friends and family! We are having beautiful hot weather here in New England, and I am having a great time on the lake in New Hampshire for the past few days!

Furry Visitor

2010-07-01T22:25:00.004-04:00

I have a new nephew, Cooper, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel. He joined the family about two months ago, and is a joy to everyone. His parents and siblings went on vacation, so Cooper came to stay with me for a week or so, and we had a grand time. Puppies are a lot of work, in case you didn't know! But they are also very sweet and cuddly, and love to play. Here's some of Cooper's activities from last week.

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Independence Day

2010-06-30T20:14:00.000-04:00

I love dressing up for holidays, and July 4th is no exception. After 9/11 when patriotic furvor was so high, we were having dress-up days at the school where I teach quite frequently. Around Thanksgiving of that year I stumbled upon this pretty pin in a second hand store.

It isn't missing any jewels, and I paid $2.00 for it! From the little research I did, I believe it is from the 1960s. It seems to be a replica of a pin Jackie Kennedy wore, and thousands of copies were made of it.

Of course I would be remiss if I didn't share some vintage postcards with a patriotic theme!I don't think many people these days know the song mentioned on this card, but I remember singing it in elementary school.

This pictures takes me back to my childhood, making newspaper hats with my dad. Not for the 4th or anything, just for fun. Then we would paint them with out watercolors. Maybe we only did the painting part once, I'm not sure, but it's definitely a memory that's strong in me.
For more vintage goodies you can visit Suzanne @ ColoradoLady, our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess.
Have a fun and safe holiday weekend!!

Farm Fatale by Wendy Holden

2010-06-28T20:35:00.001-04:00

Wendy Holden has done it again! With Farm Fatale: A Comedy of Country Manorsshe had me cracking up as well as worrying about her heroine Rosie, and her semi-unfocused life. Illustrator Rosie lives in London with her boyfriend Mark, an ambitious reporter. Desperately wanting to move to a country village, Rosie is able to pull her plan together when Mark is given the opportunity to write his own column. They will find a country cottage and Mark will write about their experiences as Londoners learning the country way of life. A cottage built in 1649 with an overgrown garden becomes their home, surrounded by quirky yet friendly neighbors and visited daily by the nosiest postman in England. Rosie adapts well to their new home, bringing the garden back to life, finding the perfect illustrating job to complete in her rural world, and making friends all over Eight Mile Bottom. Mark is having a more difficult adjustment, unable to find topics worthy of his column, holing up in the cottage, and worrying about the criticisms of his editor.

Rosie and Mark grow apart, and Rosie grows close with a local farmer while Mark begins questioning the wisdom of staying in the countryside. A large social occasion in the village brings their relationship to a head, and in the days following Rosie and Mark begin building their separate lives.Farm Fatale is filled with funny characters and situations, including a wanna-be starlet and the local publican, who runs the village hen races. Wendy Holden gives us more thoughtful moments as Rosie contemplates jumping from one relationship to another, and she learns that the person the world sees is often not the person one is inside. I greatly enjoyed Wendy Holden's Farm Fatale, and would love another story about all the interesting characters of Eight Mile Bottom. I can't recommend this book more as a great example of fun, summer time beach reading!
I've linked this review to Cym Lowell's Book Review Party where you can learn about many more great books for reading this summer!

The Great Lover by Jill Dawson

2010-06-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

Students of English literature learn of poet Rupert Brooke through his famous works The Old Vicarage, Grantchester (1912) and The Soldier (1914), written on his way to war. Brooke never made it to the battlefield, dying of sepsis from a mosquito bite, on a French hospital ship in the Aegean Sea in 1915, yet he is considered the first of the famous WWI poets. Dying at the age of 27, Brooke led an adventurous life from the South Seas to North America, leaving trails of heartbroken women, and some say men, in his wake. Jill Dawson's The Great Lover covers a period of about five years in Brooke's life, beginning in 1909 when he rents rooms in the Orchard, a popular tea house that takes in boarders, mostly students from nearby Cambridge University.

The story opens in 1982 when elderly Nell Golightly receives a letter from a stranger in Tahiti. The letter has been addressed to anyone living who might know of events at the Orchard when Rupert Brooke was a resident, and has been passed on to Nell because she was a young housemaid there at the time. The author of the letter claims to possibly be the natural daughter of Rupert Brooke, conceived during his visit there in 1914. Because her mother did not know Brooke for long, she did not have many stories to tell her daughter, and all she wants now is to get to know him through others before she dies.
Thus begin Nell's stories of her memories of Brooke, sharing her feelings as a girl from the mind of a woman who has experienced the world. A sensible seventeen year-old, she has taken the job of housemaid at the Orchard to bring in money for her five younger siblings now that both of their parents are gone. The world of philosophizing university students waxing poetical over their ale and lounging about for hours is totally foreign to Nell, and she begins to fall under the spell of the dashingly romantic Mr. Brooke.The Great Loveris known for his publicized romance with the actress Catherine Nesbitt, and engagement to Noel Olivier, but could this man of the world have loved a housemaid, and was he even capable of love at all?

Told from the points of view of both Nell and Brooke,The Great Loveris interesting historical fiction that gives a perspective on the daily life and possible thoughts of man often in the limelight during his lifetime.
Many other bloggers are sharing their thoughts on The Great Lover through a TLC Book Tour. Sit down and have a relaxing drink while reading more about this fascinating man who lived several lifetimes in less than 30 years.
You can also find other great books being reviewed at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!

Introducing...New England Bloggers

2010-06-20T10:41:00.000-04:00

The New England Bloggers are celebrating the beginning of summer with a blog carnival introducing our readers to someone who is a New England Blogger. The link-up to everyone's posts is at the bottom. I hope you get a chance to visit some and maybe make a new bloggy friend. I thought I'd share two with you.

I'd like to introduce you to Kelly from This Vermont Life. Kelly lives in a rural area, although I think there are many people who consider all of Vermont rural, and has some hilarious comments about the mud she experienced back in March. She wrote a wonderfully funny poem about mud, but her son's song is the best of all, and his shoes show his love of this gift from nature! The Gift of Mud

Cindi is a NEB with THREE blogs! Her most recent, Great Finds and Giveaways, just launched last week. You'll definitely want to visit her to try and win a Keurig B60 Special Edition coffee maker! If I don't win it, I sure hope one of my readers does.

Featured Blogger: Beaded Tail

2010-06-18T23:41:00.002-04:00

My EtsyBloggers colleague, Sharla, of Beaded Tail, makes beaded jewelry for animal lovers, with a portion of all her sales going to support animal awareness causes such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Human Society of America.

A little bit of animal print is just right whether you're getting dressed or decorating a room. The mascot of the school where I teach is a jaguar, so I will probably be scooping these earrings up for myself, even though they're technically leopard. Ha! She has tiger stripes, lions, and all sorts of other animals; think what a great gift this would be for your child's teacher or someone who attends a school with one of these animals as a mascot.

Don't you just want to take a cuddly puppy like this home? Or at least the silver and wood bead earrings?

Got a big yard? How about a panda? Or maybe just some fun earrings to help everyone remember our endangered friends.

This gorgeous pink cat's-eye bracelet has a delicate paw-print awareness charm.

When you visit Beaded Tail, you'll notice that all of the jewelry is not animal specific, and the workmanship on Sharla's jewelry is exquisite; just look at the delicate swirls of silver on her multi-colored polymer clay earrings.

Sharla even makes something for your dog or cat! A little ruff that fits over their collar; how cute!

My "nephew" Cooper, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel needs to be sporting one of these; much more unique than a bandanna!
Thank you, Beaded Tail, for giving us an etsy shop that lets us show our love of all animals, and contributes to making their lives better at the same time!

I Can't Believe It's Happening!

2010-06-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

Every week the EtsyBloggers Team has a carnival with the theme suggested by a member. This week, Rainy Day Art has asked us to write about an accomplishment or goal reached. I am going to share with you a long story that will lead up to a goal I have had since September 28, 2006.

I haven't written about my health lately, so if you are a newer visitor, you can read all about my Cancer Journey in these older posts. Here's a quick re-cap, and a picture of me with my donor's bone marrow cells. After a bone marrow transplant a patient no longer has an immune system. This has to be rebuilt, just as it is in a newborn child. Even all of the standard childhood vaccines have to be given again. Something that delays this process is the side effect of certain medications which halts the growth of the immune system. So for almost 4 years, any small germ, could have become a catastrophic illness for me, and larger ones could have killed me.

Being a teacher has been my passion since I was a small child, so being unable to work, and the possibility that I would never teach again has haunted me more than any fears of long-term chronic illness or even death. Children are major germ carriers, so a school is no place for a bone marrow patient. Long-time readers know how I love to teach something in my Vintage Thingies Thursday posts!
For these 4 years, my world has shrunk to my townhouse, where I live alone, the television, and the internet. I have friends and family who would come by, but I pretty much went nowhere except to the doctor every two weeks. Side effects from the transplant and various medications caused me to be on oxygen, develop cataracts, have constant shaky hands/feet, and my face became a giant prednisone pumpkin-head. I was even using the motorized carts if I absolutely had to go to a store. (The picture above was taken November 2008, 18 months ago.) Almost everything I bought was online, including groceries and prescriptions. However, in the last 9 months my world has become larger. I have the strength to do my own errands, I can see to drive and read, my hands no longer shake, and I am able to breathe so that I can actually walk and talk at the same time! (That's not a joke.) You may even notice that I do not post as often, nor do I get to all my blog visiting, because I'm out in the real world. I have even returned to working, two days a week at the school department's central office.

I still take 29 pills a day, 2 liquid doses, and 2 injections, but I have not used my oxygen tank for 2 months! And, because of the breathing problems I've lost over 100 pounds in the last 18 months!

To the world I look fabulous, a new woman with a slightly pumpkin-face, but inside I am still vulnerable to any germ out there, until I get my full round of vaccines this autumn. My mom took this picture 3 weeks ago.
September 28, 2006 was the last day I was in a classroom. Since I was 4 years old, I have only missed 4 "first day of school". I am excited, nervous, and thrilled to announce that September 1, 2010 will be my 36th First Day of School!! Maybe I'll even take a dorky picture with my lunchbox to share with all of you! So, thank you Rainy Day Art, for choosing a topic for this week's EtsyBloggers Team carnival that fits perfectly into my life right now!

Vintage Father's Day

2010-06-16T22:53:00.002-04:00

From the title, I bet you're not certain if I'm writing about my vintage father or a vintage gift! Vintage Thingies Thursday is falling very close to Father's Day, and I won't be seeing my dad, the famous hoarder, from whom I get most of my VTT treasures. I thought I would share something fun, and taunt my dad at the same time. This week's items DID NOT come from his basement. They came from my friend Paul's basement! He wanted me to give them to my father, but I didn't! HA!
My dad used to collect McDonald's Happy Meal toys. When the toys all started being part of movie promotions he pretty much stopped, unless it's something really special. Remember the Inspector Gadget where all the small toys could be put together to make Inspector Gadget? That was a really good one. Dad prefers the McDonald's-themed toys, such as the McNuggets that come with Halloween costumes that can come off. So this batch of stuff is a gold mine, and I don't think he owns any of these. They are all transformer-type foods, manufactured from 1987-1990.

No trip to McD's is complete without a shake. I'm a big Shamrock Shake fan.

You might like to start your day with an egg McMuffin, which looks a little gray and unappetizing to me. I've never been a Big Mac fan, they always fall apart on me. But, I can still sing the Big Mac jingle!

Many people like to debate which fast food fries are the best. Personally, I'm a Wendy's gal, but there isn't a Wendy's convenient to my home.

Remember the Styrofoam boxes that the big sandwiches used to come in?

McNuggets were introduced when I was in high school.

And you can finish it all off with a cone! If you've never tried it, their hot fudge sundaes are excellent. Very thick, chocolate-y fudge!
I know my mom will bring my father over to the computer so he can see this post. He's probably laughing and complaining that I didn't give him the toys, and thinking about running down to the infamous basement to see if he has any of these. He'll be riled up all day reminiscing about the good toys and telling my mother all about them.
Have a great Father's Day weekend, and be sure to visit all of the other Vintage Thingies Thursday participants that are listed at ColoradoLady!
For those who are too young, or who have forgotten, here's the Big Mac commercial!

Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne

2010-06-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

The first book I ever reviewed for a publisher was The Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne. It was a wonderfully sweet story that I greatly enjoyed, so I was thrilled to be asked to review his most recent novel, Sweet Misfortune, the story of chocolatier Sofie Jones.

The trauma of losing her parents at the age of nine has followed Sophie into adulthood, where she has extreme difficulty trusting people, preferring to be alone rather than be hurt if someone leaves her. She spends most of her time with her best friend, Evalynn, with whom she was raised by their foster mother Ellen. But things begin to look up as Sophie opens her heart to Garrett, and the two plan a life together. When Garrett calls off their marriage just days before the wedding, Sophie retreats again into her solitary world, pouring all of her time and effort into Chocolat' du Soph, inventing wonderful confections, including the wildly popular Misfortune Cookies, a beautiful, bitter chocolate cookie filled with a handwritten misfortune such as, “You will soon fall in love. Caution: when people fall, something usually breaks.”
When Garrett walks into Chocolat' du Soph a year later wanting to talk to Sophie, she puts him off by setting him the task of finding 100 people who can describe true happiness. If he is successful she will meet with him and listen to what he has to say. A local news station hears about Garrett's ad in the Seattle Times, and letters start pouring in, but few meet Sophie's standard of true happiness. However, one letter in particular touches her, and sets Sophie off on a quest to find the sender, which opens many doors in her heart, as well as to information about the tragic accident that took her parents and grandmother.
Sweet Misfortune attempts to answer the question, "Are coincidences really fate in disguise?" as Sofie finds many connections to the tragedy of her ninth birthday, and comes to realize that an accident is just that, accidental, a series of unfortunate actions which, when put together, bring about a horrible outcome for all involved. I definitely recommend Sweet Misfortune to everyone who enjoys a story of hope and redemption, with a nice serving of chocolate on the side!
FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review, other than an uncorrected Advance Reader Copy of the book.

Life After Yes: a Review

2010-06-08T21:04:00.004-04:00

What happens the day after the wedding? Aidan Donnelley Rowley tries to answer that question in her debut novel, Life After Yes.
From the Publisher: This is the story of Quinn—born Prudence Quinn O'Malley—a confused young Manhattan attorney who loses her father on that tragic September morning that changed everything. Now, at an existential crossroads in her life, Quinn must confront impossible questions about commitment and career, love and loss. Her idealistic beau desperately wants a wedding, and whisks her away to Paris just to propose. But then Quinn has a dream featuring judges and handcuffs and Nietzsche and Britney . . . and far too many grooms. Suddenly, her future isn't so clear. Quinn's world has become a minefield of men—some living, some gone, and traversing it safely is going to take a lot more than numerous glasses of pinot grigio.
While everything around Quinn seems to be perfect, inside she is still struggling with the recent death of her father on September 11, 2001. As a New Yorker, she has been touched both as a daughter and an individual, and the impact of those events have left her questioning every decision she's ever made.
Quinn's an associate in a great law firm, starting to realize that this may not be the career for her. If this choice wasn't right, who's to say that her choice of dress, wedding menu, or even husband will be right? Throughout Quinn's story, the idea of prudence, the name given to her by her parents, follows Quinn in every decision she makes.With an atypical ending in which Quinn begins to realize that some endings blur into beginnings, readers are left to wonder exactly where Quinn will end up in both her career and personal life, but we know she learned to use prudence in her decision-making.

Aidan and Life After Yesare touring the blog world courtesy of TLC Book Tours. Next stop: Book Club Classics! Get to know Aidan and her wonderful family on her very funny blog, Ivy League Insecurities, or become her friend on Facebook!
More great books are being shared this week at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party!
FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review, other than an uncorrected Advance Reader Copy of the book.

Review: Backseat Saints

2010-06-08T00:20:00.002-04:00

Joshilyn Jackson's Backseat Saintsis a look into the world of mistreated women. Why do they stay with their abusers? Why don't they report them to the police? The once bright and funny Rose Mae Lolly has made herself over into perfect Amarillo housewife Ro Grandee, trapped in a marriage heavy with physically abusive "love". Her fate seems mapped out when one day she encounters a mysterious gypsy woman in an airport, whose tarot cards forsee that Ro's husband is going to kill her if she doesn't kill him first.

With her snurfly 3-legged dog Gretel, Rose sets out across country to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, looking for her high school sweetheart, and uncovering many truths which she has had hidden inside herself for twenty years. Ending her journey in Berkley, CA, Rose has to learn that there are people who will help her whom she can trust, and that she has more inner strength than she realizes.
Backseat Saints is a raw look at one of society's biggest problems that we often don't want to face. The characters are believable and the situations are real, unfortunately, shining a spotlight into the depths of human cruelty, and giving readers a taste of hope for Rose Mae to create a new life.
You can find more great books at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday! FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review, other than an uncorrected Advance Reader Copy of the book.

Monday Reading: Report 6/7

2010-06-06T19:48:00.000-04:00

I participate in two great reading memes each Monday. Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page is a meme where folks share the yummy books that showed up at our doors! WARNING: Mailbox Mondays can lead to extreme envy and GINORMOUS wishlists!! It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. Bloggers share books completed last week, the books currently being read and the books you plan to read this week.
It was a deluge at the mailbox this week! I received two books to review: Hidden Wives by Claire Avery for a TLC Book Tour, which is about life in a polygamous community, and Life Without Summer by Lynne Griffin, an unsolicited novel from St. Martin's Press is the story of major life events in the lives of two women, a therapist and her client.
From the Goodreads book swap four novels arrived: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale, Life a la Mode by Linda Lenhoff, and The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connolly. I am holding on to some of these for my vacation at the end of July.

FINISHED READING
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connolly - Excellent lawyer mystery.
For the King's Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick - ARC coming out in September about the reign of Henry II.
The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth - HF taking place in Sicily during the early 12th century.
U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton - The 21st of Grafton's Kinsey Milhone mysteries. Still keeping up the quality after more than 20 years!
A Cup of Tea by Amy Ephron - HF about love between different classes in 1917.
The Pearls of the Stone Man by Edward Mooney, Jr. - ARC I reviewed last week. I have 3 copies to giveaway!

CURRENTLY READING
Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland (audio, library)
The Calder Game by Blue Balliett (audio, library)
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (library)
The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice (library)

UP NEXT
Woman in Red by Eileen Gouge (library)
Stealing Lumby by Gail R. Fraser (library)
Wedding Season by Katie Fforde (library)

REVIEWS: Only 1 review to write, and it isn't up until September, For the King's Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick.
CONGRATULATONS to the winner of my giveaway for Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs, Toothy from Toothy Books!

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Watches

2010-06-01T20:52:00.061-04:00

WOO! HOO! It's Vintage Thingies Thursday over at ColoradoLady! Be sure to stop in and see the treasures everyone is sharing this week. I have two vintage pocket watches from my dad. One was his father's, but he's not sure where the other came from. They don't work anymore, and they're made of nickel instead of silver with engravings or anything, but of course they're valuable to me because they're family heirlooms. The style is called "open front" because there is not cover for the face. Too bad; I always like the idea of clicking a pocket watch open and closed, don't you?

I love that the minutes are broken down next to their hourly counterparts on the bottom photo, and I always enjoy watches that have the separate second hand dial. Of these two watches, the bottom appears to be older based on advertisements I've seen, and the fact that it doesn't have the Radiolite hands, the first luminous watch hands. Radiolites were not manufactured until after WWI.

I did a little research and found out that these are Ingersoll pocket watches. In 1892 Robert and Charles Ingersoll began manufacturing inexpensive pocket watches in New York City, with parts purchased from the Waterbury Clock Company in Connecticut. These watches were not the same as more expensive makes of the era. They did not use jewels in their mechanisms, instead they used the "pin lever" method. Instead of a jewel being used as a bearing, a hole was drilled directly into the pocket watch plate and a pin attached to the gear sat inside the hole. This was a simple and effective way to drastically reduce costs. Oiling was very important to reduce wear on the metal-to-metal contact surfaces, and the movements did eventually wear. But the goal was achieved - make a watch affordable for the everyday worker.

Geared for the "every man" the "Dollar Watch" became known the world over, and was even mentioned by President Teddy Roosevelt in a speech he gave on a hunting trip to Africa! "Everyman" would certainly describe my heritage! The watches were made of nickel, and were known for their accuracy and reliability. They were so popular that by the mid 1890s over one million had been sold! Neither of my watches is an actual "Dollar Watch" they would have been sold for about two or three dollars each. Today they are being sold for $2.00-$20.00 depending on the condition.

After a series of bankruptcy problems and several sales, by 1930 Ingersoll was a wholly British-owned company. The US branch of the company was named United States Time Corporation (now Timex Group USA), and continued producing the Ingersoll brand until the 1950s.

During the Depression, Ingersoll was saved from a second bankruptcy when they manufactured the first Mickey Mouse watch and obtained exclusive rights to all Disney characters. If you're interested, there's one for sale right now on eBay and includes a watch fob. It's only $999.99, but shipping is free; what a bargain!
Even though Ingersoll watches are not particularly valuable, they are considered highly collectible, they are a little piece of American history, and in my case a little bit of my family history.
For more nifty things and interesting stories be sure to visit the Vintage Thingies Thursday participants listed at ColoradoLady!

Giveaway: Pearls of the Stone Man

2010-05-31T23:57:00.006-04:00

I am very excited to have THREE copies of Edward Mooney Jr.'s The Pearls of the Stone Manto give away to my readers! Originally published in 2002, Sourcebooks has recently re-issued this endearing story of Joseph and Anne Marino, married for 53 years. The Pearls of the Stone Man is the first in an anticipated trilogy, and The Journey of the Stone Man is the second book. I greatly enjoyed Joseph and Anne's story, as they continue laughing and loving, knowing that the end of their wonderful lifetime together is soon at hand. Anne expresses her feelings about this time in a beautiful letter to her husband, which is shared in the video below.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Just leave a comment stating you'd like to win this beautiful love story. Be sure I have a way to contact you when you win.
Giveaway will end at 11:59 PM EST Friday, June 18. Winners will be notified via email and will have 3 days to get back to me with a mailing address.
For extra entries you can 1) become a Follower of this blog, or let me know you are already a Follower, 2) Tweet or post to Facebook about the giveaway, 3) Mention it on your blog and link back. Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry, for a total of 5 possible entries.

More great books are being shared at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday! AND he's having an Amazon GC giveaway!

Monday Reading Report 5/31

2010-05-30T19:16:00.003-04:00

Bloggers share books completed last week, the books currently being read and the books you plan to read this week.
In my mailbox this week I received for review The Pearls of the Stoneman by Edward Mooney, Jr. from Sourcebooks, and Mary Kay Andrews' The Fixer Upper from Harper Collins. Look for a review and multi-book giveaway for Pearls of the Stoneman in the next week.
FINISHED READING
Within the Hollow Crown by Margaret Campbell Brown
The Devil’s Queen by Jean Kalogridis (audio) - Historical fiction told from the point of view of Catherine de Medici. Loved it.
The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser - Sweet story about small-town life and quirky characters.
CURRENTLY READING
The Calder Project by Blue Balliett (audio) - Young adult mystery about a mobile by Alexander Calder that goes missing.
U is For Undertow by Sue Grafton

UP NEXT
The Pearls of the Stoneman by Edward Mooney, Jr.
The Postmistress by sarah Blake
Woman in Red by Eileen Gouge
The Geometry of Sisters by Luann Rice
Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland (audio)

I am all caught up on my reviews, so I didn't have to write any this week!
GIVEAWAY for Leaving Unknown ends Friday. It's one of my favorite books this year, so I hope you'll check it out!
Writing a post each week about what I've read and plan to read makes me feel I've accomplished something. How about you?

Pink Saturday's Second Anniversary!

2010-05-28T23:57:00.043-04:00

I haven't participated in Pink Saturday for a few months, but when I received Beverly's notice that this would be the second anniversary, I eagerly responded that I would be at the party! I have written 73 Pink Saturday posts, and was browsing through them to get ideas for a "wowser" of a post. I was struck by some of my photos that stood out in my mind as funny, or gloriously pink, or of something lovely and feminine, so I decided to share my favorite Pink Saturday photos that I took myself.

November 2009: My niece in my mom's hairdryer from the 1950s.

December 2008: Gloriously pink vintage Christmas ornaments.

January 2009: A noble lady from the 1780s, this container belongs to my mom.

March 2009: Yummy, scrumptious pile of pink buttons.

I hope you will take the time to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound and wish her a Happy Second Anniversary. Over the two years, over 800 different bloggers have participated in this meme, and it is featured in this month's issue of Artful Blogging!

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Memorial Day

2010-05-26T20:56:00.000-04:00

With the Memorial Day weekend upon us, I thought some patriotic images might be appropriate for Vintage Thingies Thursday. I would never think to send a Memorial Day postcard myself, but a little souvenir card tucked into the corner of a mirror, or on the fridge with a magnet would be a nice reminder to be thankful for the men and women we have lost in battle.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service to our country. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I, when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war. It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead. This information is from U.S. Memorial Day History, a site with poems, prayers, speeches, and ideas for ways to observe.

In 2000, Congress passed a resolution creating a National Moment of Remembrance, which asks that at 3:00 PM local time, all Americans "voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps".
Enjoy the holiday weekend with your family, after you check in with the Vintage Thingies Thursday participants at ColoradoLady!

Giveaway & Review: Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs

2010-05-24T23:23:00.002-04:00

Maeve Connelly is on a road trip of epic proportions with her foul-mouthed cockatiel, Oliver, as navigator. Traveling across the country from her home in North Carolina, with the ultimate goal of reaching Los Angeles, Maeve has planned her journey to include stops in as many towns as possible that have unique names. Toad Suck, Arkansas; Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; and Ding Dong, Texas are all part of the plan until her 1970 Plymouth, affectionately named Elsie, breaks down outside of Unknown, Arizona. All Maeve wants to do is earn the money for Elsie's repairs and get out of Unknown, but the warm-hearted and eccentric residents are pulling her in more every day. With Leaving Unknownas her ultimate goal, Maeve finds a job at the local bookstore, and takes on the daily running of a rooming house in exchange for her own place to live. As Maeve becomes more entrenched in Unknown life, she also starts to find a focus for what appears to have been a day-to-day existence for many years. Kerry Reichs slowly reveals the source of Maeve's wavering lifestyle through flashbacks and revelations Maeve shares with her new friends. Ultimately Maeve does manage to get out of town, only to realize that she has left her heart and soul in Unknown.

I absolutely loved Leaving Unknown, and it is now the third book on my Top Ten of 2010. To many it may seem to be a standard "finding your place in the world" story, but to me it struck many personal, resonant tones. Besides having me laugh out loud constantly, I appreciated that romance was not at the heart of this piece of "women's fiction", although there was some that helped Maeve move out of her floating existence and into real relationships. Because I felt such a personal connection to Maeve and her story, I may be a bit prejudiced toward Leaving Unknown, and I encourage you to visit the other blogs on this TLC Blog Tour. Some of them are giving away copies of the book!

CAUTION: Small spoiler below!!
As a cancer survivor, Leaving Unknownis the first novel I've ever read where the feelings of the patient have been expressed so accurately. Cancer patients are usually portrayed as brave or sad, and I've never been exposed to a literary character before Maeve who seemed so true and richly faceted.
Official FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review other than an advance copy of the book.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

Leave a comment about a favorite book you've read this year. Be sure I have a way to contact you.
This giveaway is open to US residents only.
Giveaway will end on June 4.
For extra entries you can be a Follower, Tweet about the giveaway, post it to Facebook, or mention it on your blog. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. +1 each

More great books, are shared every week at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!

Monday Reading Report 5/24

2010-05-23T19:08:00.006-04:00

NEW ARRIVALS
Just one new book this week,The King's Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick, from Sourcebooks. I've been reading a lot of historical fiction lately, and Elizabeth Chadwick is one of the best!
FINISHED READING
Hens Dancing by Raffaella Barker
The Brass Verdict by Michael Connolly
Practically Perfect by Katie Fforde

CURRENTLY READING
Within the Hollow Crown by Margaret Campbell Brown
The Devil’s Queen by Jean Kalogridis (audio)
The Calder Project by Blue Balliett (audio)
UP NEXT
The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser
U is For Undertow by Sue Grafton
The big news...I am all up to date on my book reviews! I know many of you can relate to my elation over that!
I hope you'll stop back tomorrow for my book giveaway of Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs. It's one of my favorites of 2010, and all the blogs on the TLC Book Tour are loving it, too!

Scoring a Treasury

2010-05-20T20:43:00.005-04:00

If you are an Etsy shopper, you know about the great tools they have to help you find just the right thing. Of course there's a regular search box, but there's so many other neat things, that when I first started visiting Etsy I would get lost for hours using the different shopping tools. A buyer can Pounce, which means finding shops that have either recently sold something, or have recently updated and are looking for a first sale; you can Shop Local, which means you are supporting crafters in your own geographical area; use a color wheel to see what pops up in a particular shade, or visit the Treasuries.

Treasuries are groups of items chosen by any etsy user, usually with a theme. It's a great way to get your items seen because when someone has an item showing in a Treasury they tell all their friends and everyone visits. The Etsy administrators also choose many of their front page items from Treasuries. The thing that makes being in a Treasury special is that they only last for 48 hours, and there's a limit to the number that can be listed at any one time. So you've got to time it just right to be able to score the opportunity to make one. I don't work full time, and I have a very erratic schedule, so I've been lucky to have made 4 Treasuries in the last few months.

I also discovered Treasury East, a new beta tool etsy is using to refine the way Treasuries are made. Treasury East is cool, because more items are featured and they don't expire. Instead of being listed by date/time they are listed by levels of "hotness".

I try to feature items from members of my EtsyBloggers Team, since the point of a team is to support each other. I search for my theme idea, such as "turtles", and include "etsybloggers team" with it. I took screenshots of the three treasuries I currently have up. You can click on the picture and it links to the live page. The Red, White and Blue expires Saturday, so I hope you'll check it out right away, and leave a comment there, too!
Are you an Etsy shopper? Have you tried any of these tools? Or maybe you have your own shop?
CAUTION: If this is your first time visiting Etsy, be sure to set aside plenty of time to lose yourself in the beautiful and creative items made by people from all over the world!

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Some More Crewel-ty

2010-05-19T16:04:00.001-04:00

It's Thursday, the day for all things vintage to be shared with your blogging friends! Suzanne, our own ColoradoLady is the hostess for this long-running meme of family heirlooms, antiques, and junk-shop finds. Be sure to visit her and the other Vintage Thingies Thursday participants.
I was inspired to share this great crewel-work shadowbox by the birds who sing in the woods outside my bedroom window every morning, starting at about 4:30, as soon as they can see the sun starting to come up. My mom made this shadowbox in the 1970s. It has many different stitches, but the one that fascinates me still is the puffy cut loops that make up the nest. I've never done that particular stitch myself.

It hung in our upstairs hallway for 20 years, until the box separated from the backing and it was never fixed. I need to take care of those stains with Suzanne's special recipe for washing vintage linens, and then I will put it back together and hang it in my house. I know nothing about birds, so if you know what kind these are, please share with us! I think the bird in the top box looks like the one on the Vintage Thingies Thursday logo, don't you?

Mailbox Monday 5/17

2010-05-16T13:38:00.001-04:00

Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page is a meme where folks share the yummy books that showed up at our doors! WARNING: Mailbox Mondays can lead to extreme envy and GINORMOUS wishlists!! I received a variety of goodies this week.
Leaving Unknownby Kerry Reichs I read in 1 day. Loved it and will be reviewing it next week for a TLC Book Tour.

The Great Loverby Jill Dawson is historical fiction about a 5-year period in the life of English poet Rupert Brooke where he has a nervous breakdown and an affair with a Tahitian woman while in the South Seas.
The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace came from the goodreads book swap. Historical fiction about the invention of the first documented typewriter, its inventor, and the Italian contessa whom he loved.
Did you receive anything great this week? Looking forward to something coming soon?

Sandi's Birthday Bash!

2010-05-14T02:11:00.001-04:00

Sandi the T-Shirt Lady, one of my EtsyBlogger colleagues is having a month-long Birthday Bash celebrating her birthday! She's offering 50% off EVERYTHING at Handmade By Sandi, AND every purchase gives you two entries into a raffle for $25.00 gift certificate! This is an extremely generous offer! Could Sandi have gotten to an age where she's lost her marbles?Sandi is an amazingly talented woman, who offers a huge variety of knit and sewn items, as well as jewelry.

I definitely could use one of her coffee cozies. The people at the Dunkin' window keep forgetting to give me the cardboard one!

Here's Sandi herself, modeling a great summer apron made with seashell fabric. Maybe I should do some modeling of my own merchandise, instead of using other people...

Handmade by Sandi is the first shop I've seen selling these great sleeves for cold drinks. Not only does a little bit of insulation keep your drink cold, they go under the can or water bottle to help avoid condensation rings!

She even crochets earrings! I've never seen anything like it!
As you can see, Sandi truly is a versatile crafter! As a cancer survivor she also has some survivor jewelry, and lots of great hats and scarves, perfect for those with hair or without! I wish I'd know about Handmade by Sandi back when I was Baldie McBalderson! You can get to know Sandi better and see some of her talents that I haven't mentioned (like felted bowls!) at her fabulous blog, The T-Shirt Lady, where she has tutorials and features many other crafters. There's also a link to her online store Sandi's T's featuring snip-snip technique t-shirts, home decor, and gorgeous purses and bags! When you visit to check out the great Birthday Bash deals, be sure to leave her a comment and tell her Elizabeth the Evil Overlord sent you!
OOH! I forgot to remind you about my Blue Mondays in May special at Little Somethings; anything with blue on it is 10% off and free shipping. I hope you'll stop in!

Vintage Thingies Thursday: It's My Birthday

2010-05-12T18:50:00.000-04:00

It's the Birthday Edition of Vintage Thingies Thursday! I'm very excited to have my actual birthday fall on a Thursday this year! In honor of this important occasion, I am sharing some vintage little girl birthday cards that I own.

What a graceful young lady we have here, sweetly holding some little chicks. She must have been modeled after me. I love the pantaloons peeking out from under her skirt!

I'm sure every little girl has received a ballerina card at some point!

The hat on this girl seems a little bit overwhelming, don't you think? Is it bending her head over?

I have several kitten themed cards for a girl's birthday, but I am more of a dog person. I only have this one with the funny shaggy dog being tormented by the butterfly on his nose.

And just for something slightly strange, why is this squirrel wearing a hat? At first I thought it might be a skunk, but either way it's weird. Anyone who finds squirrels cute obviously hasn't had them eat through window screens or trash barrels!
For more fun and fantastic Vintage Thingies, hope on over to ColoradoLady to enjoy a vintage-themed luncheon party, and see the list of all the participants!

My Boyfriend's Back

2010-05-11T13:17:00.002-04:00

Several months ago I wrote about my sadness that the NBC television show Friday Night Lights had ended their season. I don't understand or like football, but I love this story of a small-town Texas coach and his family. Kyle Chandler, the actor who plays Coach Taylor, has been a favorite of mine since he was in the WW II TV drama Homefront in the 1980s, and the fun Early Edition in the 1990s.
In September, while cutting all of their 10:00 PM dramas, the executives at NBC had to do a lot of scrambling, and they made a deal with Dish Network to have the first airings of Friday Night Lights. So if you didn't have Dish Network you couldn't see the show until Spring, once the entire series had run. Last Friday was the first airing for the rest of us, the Comcast, Cox, Verizon or other cable provider customers.
Although the wait was long, it's still the same characters dealing with new issues in Dillon, TX. Coach Taylor has been moved from his championship high school to a run-down mess of a school that is being re-opened after the re-districting of the town. His wife has become principal of West Dillon High, and feels conflicted about which school's game to attend on Fridays, as well as being in the middle of all the politics and bad feelings that any school re-districting brings about. They have a daughter in high school who is caught in the conflict, and a baby daughter also, so their family life is very hectic.

Some of Coach Taylor's players have graduated and gone on to college, while others have stayed in town to help with family problems. He has almost an entirely new team, but a couple of characters will be key, and it's a nice storyline to see Coach getting to know them.
I don't understand how a re-districting could be arranged so that all of the championship Panther team stayed together with the exception of one, and that everyone on the newly-created Lions could have never played organized football before, but it makes for a good underdog story, and will show how great Coach Taylor is as he brings them along.
I enjoy the fact that we now have fresh TV shows year round, thanks to cable channels like FX, TNT and USA having shaken things up with all the series they're producing, but it definitely seems silly to be watching a show about football as we begin baseball season, don'tcha think?
If you missed the first episode on May 7 and you can't get it On Demand, NBC has a recap on their Friday Night Lights page. If you've never seen the show, check it out. It's something you can watch with the whole family. Just remember that cute Coach Taylor is mine!

It's Monday, Here's What I'm Reading 5/10

2010-05-10T09:26:00.002-04:00

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a meme sponsored by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. I enjoy participating because it helps me see what I've accomplished and what goals I've set out for reading this week. Visiting all the participants is a great way to hear about new books, too! I didn't participate last week, so I have two weeks of reading updates to share.

READ

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
Do Me, Do My Roots by Eileen Rendhal
The Blind Contessa’s New Machine by Carey Wallace
Light on Lucrezia by Jean Plaidy
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allan
The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Patillo

CURRENTLY READING
Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper
The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

TO READ

The Blue Orchard by Jackson Taylor
Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons
Cold Rock River by Jackie Lee Miles
Life After Yes by Aidan Donnelley Rowley

REVIEWS WRITTEN I've completely caught up on my reviews; even those not coming out until July!
Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne
The Black Rose by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
Have you read anything wonderful this week? Are you looking forward to something special?

Finished For Friday: Bracelet Sets

2010-05-07T03:02:00.006-04:00

Big, bold jewelry is all over the place these days, so I decided to make some pieces that fit in with this trend. I bought these unusual silver chunk beads a couple of years ago because I thought they were so cool with their pits that sparkled with red and blue. I've finally had a great idea for using them.

I made three bracelets, each with different color spacers. On their own they make a strong impression, but together, KAPOW!

The trio can make even a simple black t-shirt and jeans into an outfit. They could also be worn as just two, of course, depending on the wearer. I have short chubby arms, and they even look pretty good on me. I am going to sell them separately in my etsy shop, Little Somethings, with links to the other listings, and show the picture of the three together on each listing.

I just love these pretty millifiori square beads. Millefiori is Italian for "a thousand flowers". Flowers are the most common design, but it's the technique of making the glass items that millefiori has come to mean.

I made a pair to be worn and sold together. The beads are small enough that one could even be used around a pony tail. Any thoughts on stacking or grouping jewelry? I've always been a big stack-ring fan myself.

Don't forget my Blue Mondays in May special at Little Somethings! Anything with blue is 10% off and free shipping. You could put things in your cart early and just click the sale through on Monday to get the discount.
Finished For Friday is hosted by 3under2 at Lit 'N Laundry. There's always some great project ideas being shared, from sewing, to mosaics, and even organizing files!

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Summer Fashions

2010-05-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Vintage Thingies Thursday, the most wonderfully fun day of the week! Our hostess Suzanne @ ColoradoLady has a list of all the blogs sharing wonderful vintage and antique treasures this week. I have some more patterns from the awesome basket of vintage patterns my mom gave me for Christmas.

I remember wearing a bathing suit like the one on the right. The panels would float on top of the water and got in the way when trying to swim. If I'd been older and into my tanning phase it would have been helpful, though!

Check out the little girl in the red play suit! She's got some attitude, huh? I actually think I'd like a little outfit like that right now!

Sundresses are the way to go for summer. I love polka dots and rickrack trim, but the dress seems a little baggy, although it would definitely be cool and comfortable.
For more fun Vintage Thingies, be sure to visit Suzanne @ ColoradoLady!Suzanne has some great vintage crochet and doll clothing patterns this week.

My Crafty Mama

2010-05-04T00:24:00.002-04:00

This Sunday is Mother's Day, and my EtsyBloggers colleague Made by Melissa has suggested we write a post about our mom. Since it's an EtsyBloggers post, I decided to write about how craft my mom is. Back in the 1970s my mom was a SAHM who did all the mom things: she was our Girl Scout leader, drove the car pools, and taught several sewing and crafty badges to our Girl Scout troop.

She had always made her own clothes, and was still making ours, so taking a class called "Sewing With Knits" or learning to crochet were right up her alley.

She took classes in ceramics and made some great things, including a little Swiss cottage bank for me, and a statue that looks like my sister with our dog.

I have shared some of her crewel work in the past, including my dancing Raggedy Ann, which currently hangs in my powder room, and the beautiful Jacobean panels that she has hanging in her living room.

She learned macrame and made jewelry and wall hangings, including this big panel that's in the dining room, and an owl and a frog in the family room. The best thing about my mom's craftiness is that she passed it on to me! I have made many things as gifts, and have kept a few creations, like the cross-stitched schoolhouse clock, and now I make and sell macrame jewelry, a skill she taught me, on etsy. So thanks Mom, for passing on your creative craftiness!

Here she is teaching her granddaughter to make a macrame bracelet just last year!

This photo from Mother's Day 1971 has nothing to do with crafts, but I just had to share the red patent-leather raincoat and hat we gave her that year!
Is your mom crafty? Is there anything she taught you as a child that you still do today?

Rebecca Wells' The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder

2010-05-02T23:57:00.000-04:00

Rebecca Wells has brought readers another wonderfully complex southern woman, Calla Lily Ponder. The paperback release of The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Pondercomes just in time for summer, when we are all looking for something funny, yet not foolish, to read. Calla Lily has an idyllic childhood growing up in La Luna, Lousisiana in the 1960s. Swimming in the river, roller skating at Nelle's Grocery "N Rollerama, running around the countryside with her two older brothers, and helping her mother at The Crowning Glory Salon, Calla Lily is known throughout her small town for her irrepressible good humor and sense of fun. But Louisiana in the 1960s is not all sunshine and Popsicles, and issues of segregation and Civil Rights touch Calla Lily's life through long-time family friends. Although Calla Lily's life is blissful, she is made aware of the cruelty in the lives of others through Olivia, a faithful family housekeeper, and her son Cleveland, a boy Calla Lily's age arrested and nearly beaten to death for daring to skate at the Rollerama. When her neighbors' grandson Tucker comes to live with them, Calla Lily is exposed to the meanness and despair of alcoholism and it's effects on a family. In her teens, tragedy strike's Calla Lily's life directly, and she begins life anew in New Orleans, finding a job and building a little family of new friends mixed with old. But La Luna still calls Calla Lily home again and again, until all the stars and moon align to bring Calla Lily, her true love, and La Luna together at the same time.

Like Rebecca Wells' famous Ya-Ya Sisters books, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponderis filled with wonderfully complex southern characters, tragedy and joy. I am so glad to have been asked to review this novel for a TLC Book Tour. The other participants on the tour can all be found on the TLC Rebecca Wells page.
Here's something fun for those of you in real-life book clubs. Book Club Girl is offering a prize to the first 25 book clubs that commit to reading The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder between May and October. Information is available on the Book Club Girl website, as well as excerpts from the book and a Reading Group Guide.
Also, this Wednesday, 5/5 at 7:00 PM Rebecca will be on Blog Talk Radio. If you have never tuned in to a program at Blog Talk Radio, be sure to set up your account before that time so you can participate for the whole discussion with IM and call-in.

Official FTC Disclosure: Other than a copy of The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder from Harper Publishing, I received no compensation for this review.

TSS: Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell

2010-05-01T01:28:00.001-04:00

Jill Mansell's Rumor Has It makes it's US debut just in time for the fun summer reading season! Newly single Tilly Cole impulsively moves from London to a small village, only to find she's arrived in a hotbed of gossip and intrigue.

Taking a job as Girl Friday to interior design Max, Tilly comes into contact frequently with his good friend Jack, the most desirable man in town, with the reputation of a playboy whose bedpost has been chopped down with all the notches it has received. Warned off Jack by Max, her friend Erin, and Max's teenage daughter Lou, Tilly has no intention of falling for Jack. But the thoughtful, reliable man she comes to see as a friend, doesn't seem to fit the image the village has of him. The confusing messages keep Tilly wondering about Jack and his intentions, as she navigates her busy days helping Lou with fashion and boys, gluing Swarovski crystals to ceilings for crazed clients of Max, and avoiding Jack's many manic conquests, who are suspicious of her friendship with him.
Another great story from bestselling U.K. author Jill Mansell, Rumor Has Itbrings us quirky English village life at its very best, with interesting characters, gossip, and romantic machinations. Definitely put this on your summer reading and book club lists for a book that will make you laugh out loud often, while you worry and commiserate with Tilly about her situation with Jack.
Official FTC Disclosure: Other than an uncorrected Advance Reader Copy of Rumor Has It from Sourcebooks, I received no compensation for this review.

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Decorative Planters

2010-04-28T21:30:00.000-04:00

My favorite day of the week is here: Vintage Thingies Thursday, hosted by Suzanne @ ColoradoLady! Every Thursday we get together to show off wonderful vintage and antique treasures from our attics, basements, and shopping excursions. If you love vintage, or maybe have a question about something vintage that you own, join us for Vintage Thingies Thursday next week!

I have two planters to share this week. This floral one is a hexagon shape in a Japanese style with roses and birds painted on it to look like enamel. I can remember this planter being in my maternal grandmother's kitchen throughout my childhood. She was fabulous with plants, and whenever my mom had a sickly plant she'd bring it to Grandma to revive.

This yellow basket weave pattern is classic McCoy Pottery, and is from my dad's basement, of course. It has always been down there, until I took it about ten years ago. I don't ever remember my mom the plant killer having a plant in it, but maybe she did at one point. In both of these planters I have little vintage china plant decorations.

This Pinocchio is from a plant my paternal grandmother received when she was hospitalized kn 1948. The base of it broke off, but my resourceful mom fixed it with a plastic drinking straw; pretty smart!

I don't know exactly what this person it, I call it a scholar because he is holding scrolls in his hand. He always was in a plant on my maternal grandmother's kitchen counter.
Do you have anything vintage or antique from your family? Why not share it with us next week for Vintage Thingies Thursday with Suzanne @ ColoradoLady!?

Monday Reading Report 4/26

2010-04-25T19:08:00.007-04:00

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. Bloggers can list the books completed last week, the books currently being read and the books you plan to read this week.
Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page is a meme where folks share the yummy books that showed up at our doors! WARNING: Mailbox Mondays can lead to extreme envy and GINORMOUS wishlists!! This week I've highlighted the titles of the books that arrived in my mailbox.
READ: Lots completed last week because it was school vacation here in Massachusetts and I didn't have to work.

Madonna of the Seven Hills by Jean Plaidy: Great story of Lucrezia Borgia's early years.
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily (Pink Carnation)by Lauren Willig: Sixth in the swashbuckling historical fiction "flower spies" series.
Rumor Has it by Jill Mansell: Hysterical British chick-lit I'll be reviewing in July.
The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponderby Rebecca Wells, author of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood books. This is her first stand-alone novel, just out in paperback. I'll be reviewing it next week for a TLC book tour.
The Black Pearl by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles: Sixth in the Moreland Dynasty series that runs through British history. Covers the years of the Restoration.
Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne: ARC coming out in June. A nice love story about coincidences, fate, and divine intervention.

READING: Beginning tonight I"ll be reading Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson, an ARC from Hachette. From the publisher: An original and heartwarming portrayal of the lengths a mother will go to right the wrongs she's created and the distance a daughter will travel to escape the demands of forgiveness.

TO READ: I've got a few ARCs to read, and several books I'll be picking up from the library this week.

The Blue Orchard by Jackson Taylor
Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons
Cold Rock River by Jackie Lee Miles

OTHER NEW ARRIVALS: From the goodreads book swap I received A Cup of Tea: A Novel of 1917by Amy Ephron, and Sunstrokeby Jesse Kellerman. I'm very excited to read the first novel from the son of 2 of my favorite writers, Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, but I'll be holding on to these until my ARC and library book piles go down!

REVIEWS: I got three reviews written in one morning this week! Woo Hoo!

The Black Rose by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne
Farm Fatale by Wendy Holden (done!)
The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells (done!)
Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell (done!)

Did you read anything awesome this week? Receive something you've been eagerly awaiting?
To see other people's rreading lists, be sure to visit Mailbox Monday at The Printed Page, and It's Monday, What Are You Reading at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. I always find several goodies to add to my TBR through these memes!

Finished For Friday: Summery Jewelry

2010-04-22T21:39:00.002-04:00

Finished for Friday is sponsored by Three Under Two at Lit and Laundry. People share so many things they've finished up during the week, from big decorating projects, to reorganizing the sock drawers. I've spent this week of Spring vacation working on things for my etsy shop, Little Somethings. Last week I found a great background layout for my pictures, so this week I finished photographing all of my jewelry, and I'm slowly getting it all up on etsy as I crop and resize. I've also made a few new, summery pieces of jewelry. For some reason I see macrame jewelry as very summery and beachy. I've got a few different styles of anklets, which are so much fun to wear with shorts and capris in the warm weather.

I love the colors of this anklet, it goes with everything and really catches the eye.		Perfect for all those summer barbecues and long holiday weekends.
On this bracelet, I put dark blue hemp inside the natural so it peeks through. It looks great with these tribal style beads.		I think of this bracelet as being a really traditional style of macrame, with both square and spiral knots. The stone-looking beads keep up the whole "natural" theme.
I'm madly in love with the glass fish beads on this anklet!		Using the colored hemp is a lot of fun and brings a new look to a very 1970s craft, don't you think?

I hope you'll check out my shop's Facebook page or Little Somethings on etsy to see the other styles I've been working on. I'd love some comments or suggestions for other color combinations or styles.

Have a great weekend, and be sure to visit Lit and Laundry and see what other folks have Finished for this Friday!

VTT: Hog Scraper Candlesticks

2010-04-21T23:08:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday, the day to whip out our vintage treasures and share their stories. Vintage Thingies Thursday is hosted by sweet Suzanne from ColoradoLady, who seems to collect everything under the sun. Be sure to stop over and see what she's got for us this week.
I actually have some antique items this week, and they didn't come from my dad's famous basement. About 20 years ago my parents gave me one of these candle holders for Christmas. They found it at a collectibles fair and knew that I liked rustic things. MY dad is always on the lookout for tin items, which I love, and this being a little beat up made it a perfect item for me. For several years my candlestick was an only child, until I was making enough money to start collecting things on my own. Now I have three, which makes a great grouping, and an official collection!

These hog scraper candle sticks were one of the most common style used by average families in colonial New England, along with the fish-oil burning betty lamp a style popular with German settlers. While the wealthy brought their silver candlesticks from Europe, and the poorer farmers would make their own candlesticks out of wood, a family with a little bit of money could purchase these tin candlesticks, which were made here in the New World. They are called hog scraper candlesticks because of their curved handle's similar shape to hide or "hog scraping" tools. I've always loved the little elevator in them, so a really long candle could be used and just pushed up as it got too short. Most have a curved-up lip which would catch the candle drippings, and then when the candle was pushed up the drippings would be re-used, which was very economical. It's been difficult to find them for a reasonable price in stores lately. I found the third just a couple of years ago at a shop in Maine. There are plenty on eBay, but many are reproductions in brass and iron, which were very popular during the "Colonial" decorating style that was popular 40-50 years ago. Of course, if you have one of these reproductions, it's still a vintage collectible!
For more wonderful vintage thingies, and the stories behind them, visit the Vintage Thingies Thursday participants listed at Colorado Lady. And think about the neat things in your own attic or basement that you could share with us next week.

Giveaway & Book Review: Watermark

2010-04-20T23:59:00.002-04:00

Vanitha Sankaran has brought me my favorite book of 2010 so far! Watermark: A Novel of the Middle Agesis an interesting and compelling story that will entrance lovers of historical fiction, and hold the interest of readers who love a sweeping adventure. This debut novel brings an era of time to us of which little is known, the Dark Ages.
In 1320s France most people cannot read or write. But Auda, daughter of a paper maker, has been educated beyond the bounds of everyone in her village. Reading and learning the intricacies of her father's craft delight Auda, an outcast in the community because of her white hair, very pale skin, and piercing blue eyes, who is considered cursed and was made mute on the day she was born. In a time where anyone different might be accused of witchcraft, Auda rarely is seen in the market, and is content with her quiet life at home. But this life cannot last forever and outside pressure forces Auda's father to look into marriage possibilities, to give Auda a protector when he is gone. Auda's excursions into the larger world bring her and her father under scrutiny, and tragedy destroys Auda's happy little world, sending her out into the world to survive on her strength of spirit alone.

Watermarkis a fabulous story of strength and perseverance of spirit, as Auda works to reclaim her heritage and gain a true sense of self and her place in the world. With her sense of exploring and improving knowledge, bettering skills and methods of work, Auda brings light and hope to a little corner of the Dark Ages in France. I eagerly await Vanitha Sankaran's next novel.
Because I loved Watermarkso much, I begged the folks at Avon Books to let me give a copy away. The giveaway will last until 11:59 PM on Monday, May 3. Winning the books is simple, and there are several ways to enter.

Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite era of history to read about. (required)
Leave a comment telling me you are a Follower of this blog. (+1)
Tweet about this giveaway, and leave a comment with a link to your Tweet. You can do this once a day! (+1 each time)
Mention the giveaway on your blog with a link to this post. Again, be sure to leave me a comment so I can check. (+1)
I will announce the winner on Tuesday, May 4.

This review is part of a TLC Book Tour, so you can read reviews from others on their Watermark page, and see if anyone else is giving away a copy.

I have linked this review to Cym Lowell's Book Review Party. There's always great books being shared, so click on over and check it out! After you enter my giveaway, of course!
Official FTC Disclosure: Other than the uncorrected advance copy of Watermark, I received no compensation for this review.

Magdalene Jewels

2010-04-20T00:02:00.003-04:00

Meet Pam, my EtsyBloggers Street Team colleague, and the creative designer of Magdalene Jewels and Magdalene Knits on Etsy. I wish I could remember how to knit and crochet, but I haven't used those skills in 30 years! It would have certainly come in handy for the nearly 4 years I was bald during chemotherapy treatments!
Pam has made some very cute hats that she is donating to Relay for Life, like this one. It's perfect for a bald head in the spring and fall because it is lacy and lets in some air, while still being cute and soft. Her crocheted creations range from baby clothing and toys to adult items.
Her jewelry pieces are also varied, with some delicate, sparkly pieces and strong pendants that make a real statement.
You can get to know Pam and her family at her blog Magdalene Jewels. She has so many great ideas for creating and using things she makes to help others!

They Say It's Her Birthday!

2010-04-17T00:33:00.001-04:00

This week's EtsyBloggers Team Carnival is celebrating the birthday of our glorious leader, Joey and Aleethea by writing about birthdays. I have had so many wonderful birthdays that it's hard to pick one to write about, so I have several tales to tell.
When we were children in the 1970s, our mom always did AWESOME parties at the house. There were always games that she devised, except for the year I insisted on the store-bought pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.

Giant potatoes in spoons for a relay race, pushing peanuts with our noses, 3-legged races, all the classics. When we were old enough to read there were elaborate treasure hunts. She would put the clues all around the yard, our little grove of woods, which at the time seemed like a forest, and house while we were at school. The clues were riddles or rhymes and must have taken a while to devise. Everyone would take the school bus to the party and all was ready as we arrived. And when we were even older and allowed to run around the neighborhood like "wild Indians" there were scavenger hunts begging neighbors for a matchbook that had never been used, a dirty sock, or a colored paper clip. She always made the cake, and even took a cake-decorating class My sister has taken these traditions and really run with them for her children, make 3-dimensional firetrucks, princesses, and Power Puff Girls, having fun games like panning for gold and conducting science experiments depending on the theme of the party.

As an adult I enjoy celebrating my birthday, but don't feel the need to have it acknowledged with gifts or celebrated on the exact day. I've had a few fun parties for myself, including a Chuck E. Cheese party the year I turned 25. I know my friends thought I was nuts, but once we were there playing Skeeball and Air Hockey, it was one of the most hilarious evenings we ever spent together. A few years ago I had a jewelry party at a local bead store. Everyone got to pick out their beads and make something, and the woman from the shop showed us how to put the crimping bead on to hold everything in place, and then use the pliers to attach the clasp. The store was closed for the evening so we had the whole place and a table for our "cake" of whoopie pies!

My best birthday of recent years was when I turned 40. As a single person and a teacher, saving large sums of money is a challenge, but the week before I turned 40 I was able to close on my first home, a pretty yellow town home in a great location, with a nice deck and protected town forest in the back. The feeling of home ownership is so amazing, and almost every day I look around and get a little internal giggle that it's all mine!
So what's your great birthday?

Working on My Photos

2010-04-15T23:20:00.002-04:00

I'm excited to have something to share with Lit and Laundry's Finished for Friday this week. I haven't been doing a lot of creating, but this week we had great weather and I had time to work on taking better photos of my jewelry for my etsy shop, Little Somethings. I've tried a lot of things over the past year, including a hand model, laying things on different colors and textures of fabric, and even on just plain plastic. I've definitely learned to always use natural light, so the great weather was an opportunity to go out on the deck and try something new. I laid out my black velvet, which absorbs light, and then put down frosted glass pieces.

I think it worked the best of all the layouts I've tried.

I've also gotten better with the camera settings and the angles of the shots, as well as with using Photoshop to make the pictures look better.

Overall I'm much happier with my more recent photos and just need to get out there and finish with the rest of my jewelry. These pictures can all be enlarged for better viewing, just by clicking on them. I'd love some opinions on the different backgrounds, cropping, and any advice you've got about taking good sales photos, without having to go buy a professional camera.
To see other people's great finished projects, visit Three Under Two at Lit and Laundry where all the Finished For Friday participants are listed.

VTT: Infant of Prague

2010-04-14T21:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Vintage Thingies Thursday, hosted by Suzanne @ Colorado Lady! This is a fun day to show off your vintage and antique finds, junk store treasures, and family heirlooms. If you've got something to share, think about joining us next week!

Do you recognize this guy? He's pretty famous in the Roman Catholic world. It's the Infant Jesus of Prague. He's so famous he even has his own Official Website! He has stood on my mother's dresser for as long as I can remember, and she has her plain wedding band hooked over the cross on his royal orb. My sister and I always enjoyed pulling the Maltese cross out of his crown; very disrespectful! My mother got it from her mother, who always kept it on her dresser. Where did it come from originally? My grandfather's gift and card shop in Middletown, CT. He was brought home when one of his fingers broke off and he couldn't be sold!

The original wax, doll-like statue can be traced back to 1628 when Princess Polyxena von Lobkowitz brought the statue, a wedding gift from her mother, to Bohemia. The Princess became very attached to the Discalced Carmelites, and presented them with the statue, saying, "Venerable Fathers, I bring you my dearest possession. Honor this image and you shall never want". When knowledge of the order and their vow of poverty came to the attention of Emperor Ferdinand II, he sent them 2,000 florins and a monthly stipend for their support. When the Carmelite novitiate moved to Munich and left the statue behind, Bohemia was thrown into years of war, and the statue disappeared into a garbage heap, until it was discovered by Father Cyrillus in 1637. One day while praying before the statue, Father Cyrillus heard a voice say, "Have pity on me, and I will have pity on you. Give me my hands, and I will give you peace. The more you honor me, the more I will bless you." Since then, the statue has remained in Prague and has drawn many devotees worldwide to go and honor the Holy Child. People from around the world visit the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Malá Strana to pray before the Infant.

The altar designed around the Infant is so ornate he's almost lost in its intricacies!

Like a doll, the original Infant has many different robes to wear, but is most often seen wearing red. Here he is in green.
Many of these images came from Galen Frysinger's travel photo website. I always find great things there!
I always enjoy learning about the history behind the objects in my family, as well as those shared for Vintage Thingies Thursday, don't you?

Men & Dogs: a Review

2010-04-14T00:17:00.038-04:00

Men and Dogs.What a great title for an interesting, sometimes hilarious, and always thought-provoking novel. Often I am given books to review where the title or the cover art don't make sense to me after reading the book, but Katie Crouch and the folks at Little Brown have hit the nail on the head with both on this one. The men in the heroine's life and her disparate relationships with each are the forefront of the story, and the beautiful photo of a young woman in a fishing boat with her back to us is representative of the central mystery which she is trying to answer.

Like many people, Hannah Legare's life has been formed completely around an event from her childhood, the disappearance or death of her father while he was out in his fishing boat. I say death or disappearance because although the incident is investigated and declared a death, without a body Hannah has always refused to believe that her childhood hero is gone. Her brother and mother move on, but Hannah's insistence on bringing up the topic, planning her life around his possible return, and resistance to her mother's new husband crack their relationship almost to the breaking point. Now it's twenty years later and Hannah lives in San Francisco,on the opposite coast from her family, and rarely visits. Her once thriving business built with her husband, Jon, is bankrupt, and Hannah's out of control behavior with men has pushed her saddened and defeated husband to leave her. After a horrible accident while Hannah is trying to win back Jon, she is "sent" to her mother's in North Carolina to recuperate physically and hopefully mentally. Being back in Charleston brings out even more wackiness in Hannah, and she begins an investigation into her father's disappearance, looking through old photos, questioning her family and long-time family friends. Instead of answers she gets more confused, and the and the small webs that had begun to repair the cracks start falling apart as she alienates and frustrates those around her.
Many interesting, well-thought-out characters live in Hannah's world of Charleston, NC. I especially enjoyed her stepfather, DeWitt, a boisterous good ol' boy who wants everyone to have fun and enjoys writing checks for Hannah and her mother Daisy. Daisy, wife to one of Charleston's wealthiest men and organizer of numerous charity events is hysterical in her thrift-store clothing and frequent Goodwill shopping, especially seen through Hannah's eyes. I enjoyed the relationship Hannah has with her former teacher, Virginia, who is also the mother of Hannah's high school boyfriend. Virginia is an artsy, earthy woman, who takes time to listen to Hannah both as a teen and an adult, and tries to guide her in her decisions, to little avail.

The side story of Hannah's brother Palmer, with his separate remembrances of their father's death and his own childhood show that she is not the only one who has held on to childhood events, but instead of yelling his issues from the rooftops Palmer holds everything in and, like Hannah, is destroying his relationship with his partner, Tom. This makes Hannah, who might have been a somewhat unsympathetic heroine, less raw, as I was able to understand that she was not the only one hanging on to the event, she was just the loudest about it. Hannah is bright, creative, and funny, sometimes an ostrich with her head in the sand and others an owl hooting questions into the night. While she is spouting questions and theories all over town, she is ignoring the fact that her husband has filed for divorce, she hasn't done any work for their business in several months, and when informed of their bankrupt status she just ignores that too. As a professional procrastinator I can definitely relate to that (!) as well as wanting to ask questions about family events that happened before I was born or before I was old enough to remember, albeit nothing as huge as a disappearing father. Hannah ends up with some answers to her questions, and some insight into the behaviors of others, and eventually gets her act together so she can begin building a new life as a single woman in a new career.
Katie Crouch's Men and Dogsis thoughtful and quirky, with quick-witted descriptions and interesting characters, making it a story that will appeal to many.
Official FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review, other than an advance copy of the book from Hachette Publishing Group.

The Exodus Quest by Will Adams

2010-04-12T20:17:00.002-04:00

Will Adams has brought back archaeologist Daniel Knox for his second adventure in The Exodus Quest. The British scholar can't seem to avoid historical trouble! Just strolling through the Alexandria marketplace one day he notices an intriguing bowl filled with matchbooks, that looks very familiar. Looking through various databases he realizes it is not a bowl but a lid to a uniquely built storage jar. Based on what the market vendor told him it may have come from an ongoing student dig, and he informs his friend Omar, head of the Supreme Council for Antiquities about it. What should be a routine check-in seems very suspicious when the men in charge of the dig don't want their visitors to look around without an appointment. Daniel and Omar return in the night for a little exploratory reconnaissance and a chase ensues. After a horrible accident Omar is dead and Daniel is hospitalized with complete memory loss of his last 24 hours, about to be charged with killing Omar. Now the adventure really begins! Daniel runs to his friend and fellow archaeologist Augustin for help in jogging his memory and avoiding the police. Not only are the authorities after Daniel, but a mysterious man who keeps trying to kill him, which keeps Daniel constantly on the move, but unaware of who is after him or why.
Meanwhile, Daniel's lady friend Gaille has been lassoed in to touring a television archaeology crew through a lesser-known area of important archaeological finds, but finds their steps thwarted by the local tourist police steering them away from certain spots. They, too attempt a night-time exploration and get into even more trouble than Daniel! Now he has to try to rescue Gaille while avoiding his would-be assassin and a variety of legal and government authorities. The Exodus Questis truly an Indian Jones type adventure for the New Millennium!

I love Will Adams' style of writing, with short sections usually ending in a cliff-hanger, and each section rolling into what is happening in another locale with the other characters. One would think that it would be easy to find a place to stop in such a book, because there's always a good break, but it made me keep reading because I wanted to know how the storyline that had just had a break would play out. This one kept me up well into the night! I also liked all of the ancient Egyptian and Jewish history in the book, comparisons of stories from different mythological traditions, and reading about the objects of daily life that were being excavated and how they might have been used.
The Exodus Questis a must-read for lovers of thrilling adventures and history.
Official FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review, other than an uncorrected advance copy from Hachette Publishing.

It's Monday, Here's What I'm Reading 4/12

2010-04-11T17:49:00.003-04:00

It's Monday, What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.This is yet another opportunity to make other bibliophiles jealous of the good stuff you got to enjoy the past week. I had a big pile from my library and really read a lot.
From the library I had Alison Weir's The Lady Elizabeth about the life of Elizabeth the I up until her becoming queen. Another perspective on a story I know well, and historian Weir really throws a doozy into the story, bringing in a 500 year old rumor and presenting it as fact, which she freely admits makes writing historical fiction sometimes more fun than non-fiction. Loved it!

Book 4 of the Morland Dynasty, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles The Oak Apple brings the family up to the horrors and sadness of the English Civil War, with family members on both sides of the fight.
I stayed up all night to read Wenchby Dolen Perkins-Valdez cover to cover. I really enjoyed this story of four women slaves who become friends as they visit a northern resort with their masters each summer, but I wasn't as fascinated and didn't have my thoughts provoked as much as I had thought I would. So many people were comparing Wench to The Help, which I adored, and the thoughts it brought up, that I was expecting another literary revelation. Maybe it was for many, but while I was fairly ignorant of domestic life in the early 1960s in Mississippi, I already had some background on the resorts for the free blacks and the slave owners who brought their slave concubines north to play house in the summer. Wench put a face to the players, and is an excellent book for everyone, especially those who know little about this aspect of slavery.

Jill Smolinski's The Next Thing on My Listpresents itself as light chick-lit, and while I did totally crack up through the book at the sarcasm and similes, especially when June tries to write a letter about how thankful she is for her older brother, I think it's a lot more thought-provoking that people would expect from the title, cover, and summary. It's definitely a great one for a book club and would bring up lots of discussion.
Actually got around to reading one of my own books, Pope Joanby Donna Woolfolk Cross, and loved it as I expected. Whether a reader believes that Joan actually existed or not, it's a fascinating story of life in the dark ages, and the early government of the Catholic Church.

For review I had Will Adams' second archaeological adventure The Exodus Quest, and I am proud to say that I have already written the review for it!
In addition to The Exodus Quest, I got reviews written for Men and Dogsby Katie Crouch (hysterical, in stores today!), Beautiful Peopleby Wendy Holden (also hysterical!), and The Foundingby Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (awesome historical family saga). They'll all be posted in the next 2 weeks.
I only have 4 left, and 3 of them don't have to be done until May! Hopefully I won't procrastinate them for too long.
All of that reading helped me to finish the 2010 Pub Challenge and the Mystery and Thriller Challenge, too!
What's the best book you read this week? How are you doing on your challenges? Do you have a big pile to review, or do you get them done as soon as you finish the book?

Mailbox Monday 4/12

2010-04-11T17:01:00.000-04:00

Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page is a meme where folks share the yummy books that showed up at our doors! WARNING: Mailbox Mondays can lead to extreme envy and GINORMOUS wishlists!!
I am very excited to begin Rebecca Wells' latest, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: A Novel, which arrived from Hachette for a TLC Book Tour celebrating its paperback release this Tuesday, 4/13. I've read all her previous novels and enjoy the southern humor along with the complexity of her characters. I love the bright green of the cover; it would really catch my eye in a book store!

I also received a much lighter book through the goodreads swap, See Jane Date,by Melissa Senate. I am saving it for summer beach reading because it's a good size paperback and won't have an intricate plot to remember when I get interrupted over and over.
That's it for the mailbox this week. Got a huge pile from my library and have 2 left.
Did you get anything you've really been anticipating this week?

Four Seasons Collection

2010-04-09T18:25:00.009-04:00

I haven't been doing much creating lately, but I am excited about this set of bracelets I just made. Springtime is the season of renewal, and my EtsyBlogger Team colleague, Rainy Day Art, has asked us to write about renewal and the inspiration for trying something new. I won a beautiful bracelet in the fall that was made with an amazing variety of beads all within a color family; I went through the entire bracelet and only found 1 duplicate! This inspired me into thinking what I could make with all of my own odds 'n' ends beads on the same idea.

Sorting the beads into color groups has been great little job to do while watching movies for the last couple of horrible rainy weeks we've been having in New England, and I've come up with a collection of coiled wire bracelets that I'm calling the Four Seasons Collection. I'm so in love with a couple of them that I had to make them for myself, too!

Besides being cute and using up some orphan beads, they're really comfortable and I can wear them while using the computer and it doesn't slam, slap, or get in the way, which is a real plus for a person who works on the keyboard all day!

After making the collection I made a couple of other memory wire bracelets, and with one I made matching earrings that are really fun and flirty!

I love this one with the natural stone nuggets and carved silver beads, and wear it all the time. All of these are in my etsy shop, Little Somethings, and as always I offer free shipping for blog readers who mention this post.

Has the fresh spring weather inspired you to create anything new? Or maybe just do a little cleaning? I scrubbed the deck furniture today!

The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

2010-04-08T12:23:00.002-04:00

Sweeping historical family sagas have always been a favorite of mine;I plowed through John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles when I was still in middle school! Now I've found a new fictional family to follow through history, The Morlands from a fictional village in Yorkshire, England. In The FoundingCynthia Harrod-Eagles introduces us to orphan Eleanor Courtenay and wool merchant Robert Morland who are betrothed by a contract between her guardian and his father in 1434.

For Eleanor, life with her grim and gruff widowed father-in-law and mild-mannered husband is not what she might have chosen for herself. Although Robert is kind, his father Edward rules the home as well as the business, and Eleanor's efforts in organizing the household and staff are thwarted at every turn.The Foundingtakes readers through Eleanor's entire life, which is very long for this era, and her encounters with important historical figures of the age, including Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, and his two sons Edward IV and Richard III of England. In her personal life Eleanor gives birth to more than ten children, encourages the expansion of the Morland wool business, and brings about the building of a new home which will become the great Morland Hall. Robert and Eleanor's sons go out into the world as soldiers during the Wars of the Roses, courtiers in London, and apprentices and scholars at grand homes. In addition to the "womanly arts" their daughters are educated in reading, writing, and mathematics, along with languages.
The Foundingis the first in a more than 30-book series following the Morland family through England's triumphs and tragedies as their own fortunes rise and are imperiled. I greatly enjoy reading about historical events from the perspective of a person who was there, but not a key player in events. It's especially interesting to me to read about the daily life of a large manor, the food eaten, clothes worn, and amusements of those who live there. In The Founding, and the other Morland books I've read, the details of how things were done are fascinating, such as placing guests for a meal at court, and where the salt is set on the table, bringing about the description of a person as "below the salt".

The Founding is the perfect title for the story of Robert and Eleanor. Although they were not pioneers starting out with nothing, until Eleanor came along the Morlands were simply two men raising sheep for their wool and living in a dark, dirty house with a few servants who went about their days with no direction. With Eleanor's ideas and support, Robert is able to build his business, acquire more land, and found what will become a wide-spread, influential English family.
In addition to enjoying Eleanor's family story and the historical information, I was very excited that the book has a family tree at the front, to which I often referred while reading. On Cynthia Harrod-Eagles website she has all of the family trees for each novel, as well as a hand-drawn map of the Morlands' fictional world, which I printed out to look at while reading. Her website is fascinating with information on her research and the factual places she melded to create the Morland home and environs.
Official FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review, other than an advance copy from Sourcebooks.

Beautiful People

2010-04-07T00:36:00.000-04:00

My goodness, does that Wendy Holden make me laugh or what! I gobbled up Beautiful People, a fun story of the acting industry on both sides of the pond, Hollywood and the London stage. Darcy, a young British actress is the daughter of an acting family where the stage is the ultimate form of their craft and film is a lower form of the art. Belle is a young Hollywood actress desperate for a come-back after her recent meteoric rise and then sudden crash-and-burn. The lives of these two extremely different young actresses intersect in Southern Italy, along with former boyfriends and lovers, and potential new lovers and friends in a hysterical series of almost improbably coincidences and run-ins. The novel is peppered with secondary characters that are no less interesting than our heroine and antagonist. Emma, the conscientious Nanny who falls in love with her charges; Orlando, the extraordinarily beautiful, shy young man bullied by a social climbing mother, who is unsure of his future path, and Marco the amazing chef/owner of a wonderful local bistro are all people I would want to sit and have coffee with, or a glass of wine at Marco's restaurant. Not so much though for Christian, the opportunistic Hollywood heart-throb or Niall the pretentious wanna-be London stage actor, both of whom use women shamelessly, Christian at least admitting to everyone about his intentions.

Not only did Beautiful Peoplehave me laughing, I was entranced enough to not put the book down, hoping that certain characters would succeed and prosper and others would get a good comeuppance or smack in the face. Light-hearted women's fiction can sometimes be predictable, which is definitely not the case with Beautiful People. I am thrilled that Sourcebooks has brought this best-selling British author to the United States!
Official FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review, other than an uncorrected copy of the book from Sourcebooks.
To find more great books, visit Cym Lowell's Book Review Party! Bloggers post reviews of all genres, so there's sure to be something perfect for you!

Get Lucky!

2010-04-05T18:08:00.002-04:00

Get Luckyby Katherine Center is a wonderful story of what it means to be a sister, a friend, and family. High-power advertised executive Sarah loves her life in New York as much as she loves talking several times a week on the phone to her sister, sharing highs, lows, and the minutiae of her life. Her sister Mackie lives with her husband Clive in their hometown of Houston, TX, each working to build their own business and trying for six years to have a baby. Sarah describes her relationship with Mackie: I should mention that my sister and I were close. We weren't best friends exactly, thought-because a best friend is a person you choose. A best friend, in most cases, is a temporary person, too, until she moves away, or gets a promotion and starts working too hard, or just drifts off. Friends depend on a certain amount of convenience. With friends, you have to have their number handy, or work in the same office, or live in the same city. With sisters, none of that matters.
When Sarah suddenly loses her job at the same time Mackie and Clive have decided to stop fertility treatments, things just fall into place when Sarah offers to carry their baby as a surrogate. While getting back on her feet professionally, Sarah lives with Clive and Mackie, putting the sisters in the same city and same house for the first time in over 10 years. As a sister who moved across the country and lived with my sis and BIL for a time, I could see this one coming from the start! Mackie and Sarah's relationship begins to change as Mackie fusses about what Sarah eats, how much exercise she gets, and how she spends her days. Sarah begins avoiding her sister, sleeping late, skipping family meals, and finally escapes the house by taking a job with the Historical Society, helping them with their efforts to save a local library. Both sisters notice the change, but don't talk about it, and after giving birth, Sarah continues to avoid Mackie, until they are brought together is some very funny circumstances on the roof of the historical library and are able to talk about their changed relationship and roles.

Katherine Center's Get Lucky is a touchingly funny, sometimes poignant story of these two sisters who are each others' best friend by distance, learning to rework their relationship and individual lives when they are suddenly living together.
This review is part of a TLC Book Tour. You can learn more about Katherine Center, and find the list of all the reviewers on their Katherine Center Page.
Official FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review other than an advance copy to read from Ballantine Books.
To find more great books, visit Cym Lowell's Book Review Party! Bloggers post reviews of all genres, so there's sure to be something perfect for you!

Review: The Creation of Eve

2010-04-02T00:09:00.108-04:00

With The Creation of Eve, Lynn Cullen brings the unusual life of Sofonisba Anguissola, renowned female artist of the sixteenth century, to the world. In a time and place where women did not have careers or leave the home without the watchful eye of a chaperone, Sofonisba studied in Rome with Michelangelo, and lived for almost ten years in the court of King Philip II of Spain as an artist and painting teacher before marrying and traveling extensively, always painting the events and people of her life. I loved reading about how Sofonisba was able to study painting within the social constraints of her time. Through Lydia at G.P. Putnam's I was able to ask a few questions about Lynn's research process and inspiration. Here's her reply, so take a minute to get to know Lynn, and through her a little about Sofonisba, who is shown here in one of her many self portraits.

Elizabeth was kind enough to ask me how I discovered Sofonisba Anguissola, and what inspired me to write a novel about her. The answer, in short, is like many of the best things that happen to you in life: it was an accident.I had thought it might be interesting to write a book about Philip II of Spain As a longtime fan of Tudor history, I knew he was the terrible despot who had the nerve to send out the Armada against good Queen Elizabeth. I had read that he was very close to his daughter, and that he was so private that he wouldn’t allow a biography to be written about him. So I thought it might be great fun to have his daughter write a biography, and while doing so, discover, to her surprise and horrification, what a monster her father was. As usual, the surprise was on me. I learned that he really was a decent king who devoted his time either to his family or judiciously governing his far-flung lands. As the richest man in the world, he could have immersed himself in sport and luxury. Other kings had. But his concern was for Spain and his children. I was paging through a biography on him when I came across the painting, Lady in a Fur Wrap, attributed there to Sofonisba Anguissola.The painting alone was enough to completely turn my head.I wanted to write about the mysterious and painfully defiant subject of the painting, whoever she was. I’d make her up, if it wasn’t known. I had to write about her. Then I read that the painter, Sofonisba Anguissola, was a lady-in-waiting and painting instructor to Philip’s teen aged queen. Another abrupt turn. What if I had Sofonisba narrate the story instead of Philip’s daughter?

But the more I read about Sofonisba, the more I knew she was my star. Here was a woman who painted professionally when only men were doing so. She wasn’t allowed to study human bodies from the nude, and so unable to accurately depict the scantily clothed subjects in the historical or Biblical scenes so popular then, she painted portraits. She took this a step further by doing something no one else thought to do then: paint scenes from her family life.

Her painting, Portrait of the Artist’s Sisters Playing Chess, predates the genre painting that Dutch artists would popularize by a century. If she didn’t invent genre painting, she certainly was one of its earliest pioneers. Incidentally, she included her servant in several of her home-life scenes. This servant became Francesca in The Creation of Eve. I’m not aware of anyone carefully painting their servants during this era. I loved Sofi for it.

Painting aside, Sofonisba was incredibly gutsy. She traveled around Italy to paint in the various ducal courts when most women didn’t leave their houses except to go to church. She painted under Michelangelo. (This made a siren go off in my head. Get to the writing pad!) She went to Spain to teach the queen to paint. She fell in love with the young captain of the ship on her final voyage home and married him soon after they hit the shore. (He was a younger man, which makes her the original cougar.) And in her old age, she gave that whippersnapper Anthony van Dyck lessons, which would serve him well when he became painter to the English court.

So, why write about Sofonisba Anguissola? How could I not write about her? Thank you for allowing me to gush about one of my favorite characters!

As you can see from Lynn's response, there's even more to Sofonisba's career than the time she spent at the Spanish court. Her education and later travels with her husbands gave her many rich experiences to record through her painting.
TLC Book Tours has organized this book tour for The Creation of Eve and I am proud to be the caboose. For more information about Lynn Cullen and her wonderful adult debut, you can visit the other cars on the train at TLC Book Tours.

Bizarro Vintage Easter Greetings

2010-03-31T21:33:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Vintage Thingies Thursday! In my search for the cute Easter images I shared with you last week, I came across many not-so-cute, and downright creepy vintage greetings. I shared a view weird ones last year for Blue Monday and Pink Saturday, and I think sharing weird vintage images for holidays may become a tradition here at the castle of the Evil Overlord.

Here we have rabbits playing baseball. Now, baseball IS a spring sport, but what does it have to do with Easter? And the chickens as spectators look a little frightening to me.

I know chickens lay the eggs we color for the holiday, but why would their courting rituals be a part of it?

Knitting socks? For chickens? Won't they just snag all the way down?

Why does this Easter bunny look so grumpy? He only works one day a year! It makes me wonder if he has to color all the eggs himself. I've never heard of him having elves like Santa, have you?

A frog in striped boxers juggling colored eggs for an audience of baby chicks. Just strange!
Would you send anything even remotely like this as an Easter card? Here's hoping that your Easter isn't as strange as these greetings!
More great Vintage Thingies are being shared at ColoradoLady, where our hostess Suzanne has a big find from the Goodwill store. Go check it out!

My Own Personal Soap Opera

2010-03-30T00:20:00.026-04:00

Libby Malin's My Own Personal Soap Operais the hysterical tale of Frankie McNally, head writer for the long-running soap opera Lust for Life. Growing up, Frankie watched the show every day with her mother, and it still one of their biggest connections. Frankie is doing all she can to hold things together at the struggling serial, with a writing team that could be a cast of characters on their own show, and a disinterested producer only looking for his next step on the corporate ladder. When Victor Pendergast, head of the corporation that sponsors the show begins taking an active interest in scripts and the daily behind-the-scenes doings, Frankie's low confidence in herself and weak sense of authority roll into overdrive, causing her to say and do foolish things, usually around Victor. The two manage to pull together a balanced working environment based on strong personal interests in keeping Lust for Life alive. With Victor's strength and Frankie's creative ideas, the two are able to pull together a team that can breath Life back into Lust!
Being honest, I must say that at the beginning of My Own Personal Soap OperaI found Frankie's low self-confidence and constant straining to assert her authority annoying. But as she saw her ideas working out, and trusted Victor's belief in her, she became the person I wanted her to be.

In the end I was confident that she could lead her staff and bring up the ratings on Lust for Life. My Own Personal Soap Opera is a super-fun read, especially as we move into beach reading season!
Looking for more books? Check out some of the reviews at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party! I find something new there every week!
Official FTC Disclosure: I received an uncorrected advance copy of this book from Sourcebooks, so I could write this review. I received no other compensation.

What I'm Reading & What's In the Mailbox 3/29

2010-03-29T00:49:00.001-04:00

Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page is a meme where folks share the yummy books that showed up at our doors! WARNING: Mailbox Mondays can lead to extreme envy and GINORMOUS wishlists!! Pretty empty mailbox this week, but the one book that arrived I was very excited about. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross came from the goodreads swap. Even though I was still reading another book, I immediately jumped into Pope Joan when I finished opening the mail. I'm excited to read about this hidden figure from history.

It's Monday, What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through Books.This is yet another opportunity to make other bibliophiles jealous of the good stuff you got to enjoy the past week.
Laughed my way through Farm Fatale by Wendy Holden, the story of a young couple moving from London to a little village. I've got to get more of her books to read, especially for the beach this summer!
I read book 3 in the Moreland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod Eagles, The Princeling, which I got from my library, as well as her well-researched I, Victoria, the fictional autobiography of Queen Victoria.
I got 1 book review written last week, Get Lucky by Katherine Center, but there's still a big pile staring at me. I even have them stacked right next to the computer for inspiration!

Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch
Beautiful People by Wendy Holden
The Founding by Cynthia Harrod Eagles
Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran (I'll be having a giveaway!)
The Dark Rose by Cynthia Harrod Eagles
Farm Fatale by Wendy Holden

Escape is at Hand!

2010-03-26T00:18:00.010-04:00

The EtsyBloggers Street Team is writing about surviving the winter doldrums for this week's team blog carnival. I've had the doldrums here, for sure! The Winter doldrums move in and sometimes feel like they are smothering us. Gray days, constant snow or rain, blech! Here in the Boston area we had snow in December and January, but February and early March have just been yucky rain. It's on these days that I am so glad I don't have to go to work! I stay in my jammies, drink tea, and have soup or chili.
We were tricked with what appeared to be an early spring. Sunny with temperatures in the 50s and 60s for 2 weeks, and now we are getting a cold, windy rain storm today, with some places even getting snow!

Seasoned New Englanders know not to trust these little bursts, but the doldrums and the teasing of spring makes me want to make fun spring and summer jewelry, especially anklets, and I've listed a few this week, too.

I also made a dozen of my inner balance anklets as party favors for a friends' daughter's birthday. It is a spa theme and the other favors are headbands to wear during facials, mood rings while they do yoga, and my anklets for the footbath/pedicures. Cute idea, huh?

Making things with bright colors is a great way to zip up a gray day!

All of these anklets are available in my Little Somethings shop. Don't forget to tell me in the notes to seller that you're a blog visitor and you'll receive a refund on shipping. Something kicky and fun like a bright anklet will definitely melt the winter doldrums!
What do you do to climb out of the doldrums? Has spring been teasing you, too?

VTT: Fun Easter Greetings

2010-03-24T21:17:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Vintage Thingies Thursday, one of my favorite days of the week! Suzanne, our hostess from ColoradoLady invites you to join us with your flea market finds, basement treasures, and decorating delights!
This week I have some cute vintage Easter cards. I like to use these images when I make my own cards or in scrapbooks, cutting out all the details. I don't own any of these actual cards, they are all (supposedly) free images I found online.

I've never heard of an Easter witch, but this one sure looks friendly! I hope she's not dropping eggs from the sky, though!

I've used this bunny couple on a few cards, and enhanced them with pink glitter paint for their mouth, noses, and ears.

Isn't the Easter bunny cute traveling in his Model Ts?
Hope you're planning a fun day with your family for next Sunday! My family likes to go to a really nice buffet at a historical restaurant. For more great vintage goodies, visit our Vintage Thingies Thursday hostess, Suzanne at ColoradoLady. Think about joining us next week with your own treasures!

Here Burns My Candle

2010-03-23T00:33:00.008-04:00

1745 Ediburgh, Scotland is simmering. Bonnie Prince Charlie is riding from the Highlands, determined to reach London and claim the crown for his father, the claimant King James III, son of the deposed King James II. Got all that? Family relationships of royals are always confusing, but the relationships within the Kerr family are the center of Liz Curtis Higgs'Here Burns My Candle. The central characters are Lady Elisabeth Kerr, daughter of a Highland weaver who has married far above her station in the mind of Dowager Lady Marjory Kerr. Marjory pampers her two grown sons, Lord Donald and Andrew, who do nothing wrong in her eyes, while mourning the loss of her beloved husband John many years previously. The family live a fashionable social life until rumblings of a rising against King George begin. People are choosing sides and the Kerr sons enlist to fight for Prince Charlie.

When the Prince takes control of Edinburgh there are parties and functions, parades and fun. Men join his cause and are trained and the army marches for England, making it to the Borderlands, where the Prince's Council votes to turn back because promised English support is not coming. With the English army hot on their heels, the Scots flee north, far into the Highlands. All changes in the city when the Duke of Cumberland takes over. The Kerrs who had been at the heart of Prince Charlie's circle are outcasts and soon officially declared traitors, forfeiting all they own to the Crown. And here the story ends, with the surviving members of the Kerr family (Nope, I didn't tell you who died or how!) en route to a distant relative in the hopes they will be taken in temporarily. The rest of the story will be told in the sequel, Mine is the Night, coming out next spring.

There are many things that make Here Burns My Candle a great historical read, as well as a story about personal growth and faith. First off, it had a map of Edinburgh in 1745, a Scottish glossary, and historical notes from the author. I also liked Ms. Higgs style with the Scottish language, peppering it into characters' speech in such a way that it was easy to understand. The transformation of our two Lady Kerrs, one growing in confidence and her relationship with God, the other learning to appreciate the smaller things in life was well-written, not a slam-over-the-head "Aha!" moment for either, but a gradual growth, as these things usually are in life, but often not in fiction.
The wonderful Smiling Sally recommended Liz Curtis Higgs to me and I am so glad she did! I eagerly await the continuation of the Kerr family story. All of these pictures are from the author's website, where she has a gorgeous slide show of the Kerr's world for you to see. I've also included the movie trailer that will really bring you into the world of 1745 Edinburgh.
Find more great books reviewed at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party!

Official FTC Disclosure: Other than a copy of the book from Waterbook Press, I received no compensation for this review.