handmade ornaments for x-mas 2010...in march

each month this year i am making a new handmade ornament for x-mas 2010

here is march..a little house with snowman

traveling threads ~ april block

This log cabin block is part of the Traveling Threads quilting bee, an adorable owl and flowers block for april.

You can see more from our group here.

52 books :: book 13 :: Magic Tree House (# 37,38,39,40)

These little books were a lot of fun this week. I decided to read along with my son Andre four titles from the Magic Tree House series, written by Mary Pope Osborne. The titles were:

Dragon of the Red Dawn (#37)

Monday with a Mad Genius (#38)

Dark Day in the Deep Sea (#39)

Eve of the Emperor Penguin (#40)

These particular four stories find Jack and Annie on a mission to find four secrets of happiness. They need those secrets to save Merlin from his sorrows. 

I don't want to give the secrets away, but I would like to say that, despite the fact that these little books are for young readers (grade 2 reading level), the secrets that were shared are for all ages.  

Since the books are quite small, I have decided to count them as one.

Books read: 13/52

Pages read: 4499 

Next book: Trouble in High Heels by Leanne Banks ~ I decided this week that I would try a genre that I have never really tried before, which is Romance. I asked our local librarian to choose a book for me in that section and told myself that, as bad as it might be, I will finish the book! I will let you know next sunday how it was...

52 fridays -- week 13

for my weekly self portrait...right after running 4.5km...feeling great

my little weakness...

Last summer I read all the Twilight books in just a few weeks. Like many, I couldn't put the books down. I found them easy to read and they kept my interest.
The movies so far, Twilight and New Moon, are sticking pretty close to the books and are enjoyable to watch. Here is the next movie, Eclipse, in the Twilight Saga, due in June of this year.

52 books :: book 12 :: the unschooling handbook

This week I finished reading the unschooling handbook: How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom written by Mary Griffith.
This book is full of great information. I found I could still relate to many of the stories even though we don't unschool. The book is full of stories collected from unschoolers and homeschoolers, as well as resources and practical advice.

From the back cover:
"The unschooling movement is founded on the principle that children learn best when they pursue their own natural curiosities and interests. Without bells, schedules, and rules about what to do and when, the knowledge they gain through mindful living and exploration is absorbed more easily and enthusiastically. Learning is a natural, inborn impulse, and the world is rich with lessons to be learned and puzzles to be solved."

Books read: 11/52
Pages read: 4068
Next book: 4 titles in the Magic Tree House series that my son and I will be reading: Dragon of the Red Dawn, Monday with a Mad Genius, Eve of the Emperor Penguin, Dark Day in the Deep Sea.
Check what others are reading here.

wall pocket - tidy tote

I made this little wall pocket this afternoon. I realized too late that I didn't have any fusible interfacing for this project, but decided to go ahead anyway. The result is that the tote is a little bit too floppy when it is empty, but it will work just fine with things in it. Celeste loves it. I told her that she can use it to help her tidy up. I am planning on making another one for Andre's room.

If you are interested, the tutorial is available at Jcasa as a free pdf.

52 fridays -- week 12

At the Tip, Point Pelee National Park

I had taken a couple of photos earlier in the week too, with a little bit of make up on, which I usually don't wear.  I like the second photo, I don't know why since it's blurry...

She makes me smile...

52 books :: book 11 :: Living Dead in Dallas

This week I read the second book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. This one is called "Living Dead in Dallas" and finds Sookie working for Eric again, this time in Dallas. She is asked to use her telepathic skills to find out information on a missing vampire.

I enjoyed this story as much as the first one, and I am looking forward to the third book. This series is easy to read and highly entertaining!

Books read: 10/52

Pages read: 3851

Next book: The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom by Mary Griffith

Check out what others are reading here.

52 fridays -- week 11

~ a blah week somewhat ~

~ taken with the webcam on thursday night, unaltered  ~

Wordless Wednesday

52 books :: book 10 :: The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book written by Neil Gaiman took me a little longer than 1 week to read. I didn't enjoy the book very much until the end. I think the idea behind the story is good, but the beginning and middle of the book were a bit slow. The story is about a boy, Nobody Owens (Bod for short), whose family is murdered at the beginning of the story, when he is only a toddler. He ends up at the graveyard and is taken in and raised by the ghosts there. He needs to stay at the graveyard because the man that killed his family is still looking for him.

I chose this book because I wanted to try a science fiction fantasy Hugo Winner. The Graveyard Book won in 2009.

Books read : 9/52
Pages read: 3560
Next book: Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Check out what others are reading here.

work in progress...coffee table runner

Using scraps to make a quick table runner..just the back to add and the binding.

I hope to have this finished tomorrow!

March sewing to-do list

After participating in the Sewing Olympics on flickr, a lot of the participants (and gold medal winners!) decided to continue on. I am a little late in putting my list together but here is it. A short list for the month of March filled with projects that have been on my to-do-some-day-when-i-have-time list. All these projects will use fabric and scraps that I already have. I wonder how many I will get done?

1. wall pocket tidy tote (planning on making 3, one for each of my children)
2. quilted advent calendar
3. patchwork camera strap cover
4. collections hanging thingy for Andre (not as big, but one that hangs from bunk bed)
5. a new eyeglass case for mil (last one broke)
6. table runner for coffee table

I also want to start collecting and organizing small pieces of fabrics for a i-spy rainbow quilt like this one.

52 fridays -- week 10

This week my photo was taken by Andre.

This was a first for me, I really don't like this shot but I still posted it to our group on flickr this morning. Seeing this photo also makes me want to reach for that box of hair colour fast!

52 books :: book 9 :: Under Pressure

Under Pressure: Rescuing Childhood from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting by Carl Honore is another great book on the topic of parenting and childhood in today's world. Just like the book I read last week, this isn't a parenting how-to book, but a book that explains the latest scientific research and shares insight into the lives of families around the world.

from the book jacket:
"When the instinct to give children the best of everything runs rampant, parents, schools, communities and corporations unwittingly combine forces to create overscheduled, overstimulated and overindulged kids."

I would recommend this book to every parent. It is well written and easy to read. The true stories throughout are relevant and interesting. The author writes about a variety of topics, covering many different ages and stages of children, from babies, to school age, extra-curricular activities and organized sports, technology, schools and tests, discipline, and consumerism.

Books read: 9/52
Pages read: 3253
Next book: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Check what others are reading here.