52 books :: book 25 :: Grave Secret

The last book in the Harper Connelly series by Charlaine Harris. Now that I have finished the series, I can honestly say that I still prefer the Sookie series, but this one was interesting too. Once I finish the next book (#5) Sookie Stackhouse series, I will be ready for something different. I think I might take a little break, one can only take so much of vampires, weres, and dead people!

Books read: 25/52
Pages read: 7734
Next book: Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

52 books :: book 24 :: Dead to the World

Another book from the Sookie Stackhouse. Another entertaining one!

Books read: 24/52
Pages read: 7428
Next book: Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

52 fridays ~ week 22 ~ landmark theme

The theme this week is landmark. I cheated a bit and gave you:

Detroit skyline in the background... the view when you are standing at the riverfront in Windsor, (Ontario, Canada) the closest big city from where I live.
 

spider and moon photo shoot

After saying good night to my children tonight, I noticed the moon in the clear night sky and started taking a few photos of it. I always find it can be a challenge to get a good picture of the moon.
I also noticed an orb weaver spider outside one of our windows and after putting a light on it, I took a few pictures of it too...so now you know what the spider and moon photo shoot means! And here are my favourite photos:

52 books :: book 23 :: Club Dead

It might seem like I am going through books really fast lately...I am!  I don't regularly watch tv since we don't have satelite or cable, and we haven't been watching many movies either, so I read at night or whenever the kids have been busy and happy by themselves. Lately, with the nice weather back, they have been outside a lot! I set up my chair outside and enjoy reading in our backyard.

I finished Club Dead this afternoon. I found out that a few other homeschool moms from our local group love Sookie Stackhouse novels too and were happy to lend me the ones I couldn't get fast enough from the library! How nice!!

Anyway, Club Dead was excellent. A fast pace story in which Sookie is found in danger again while trying to save Bill and confused with her feelings for...Bill, Eric and Alcide (a new character but not a vampire). Great story full of humour and excitment. I can't wait to start the next one.

Books read: 23/52
Pages read: 7137
Next book: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

52 fridays ~week 21 ~ black and white

52 books :: book 22 :: An Ice Cold Grave

The third book in the Harper Connelly series by Charlaine Harris is called An Ice Cold Grave. This story really picks up the pace about half way through the book and is quite disturbing at times..the description of the murders and the growing romance between Harper and her stepbrother (no blood relations) is still not sitting that great with me!
I did request the last fourth book in the series from the library because I am curious to know how it could potential end, but I prefer her Sookie Stackhouse series.


Books read: 22/52
Pages read: 6845
Next book: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Wordless Wednesday ~ Observing

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52 books :: book 21 :: Eclipse

I re-read this book in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer in anticipation of the release of the movie in june. Eclipse is the 3rd book in the series about Bella Swan, Edward Cullen and Jacob Black.
I find each story in the series to be easy and entertaining to read. I know I am not the only one ;)

Books read: 21/52
Pages read: 6565
Next book: An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris

52 books :: book 20 :: Dumbing Us Down

I finished this book in only two days, it isn't very long and it was just perfect. Dumbing Us Down is written by John Taylor Gatto and is one of those books that many homeschoolers have read and appreciated. It's been on my list of books to read for a few years now. I am so glad I finally read it. It is more about what is wrong with compulsory schooling than a homeschool manual, but I think it's just as important to read.
If you are interested in finding out more about this book, you can visit John Taylor Gatto's site for a long review here.

Books read 20/52
Pages read: 5936
Next book: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer  
I have decided to read Eclipse again since the movie is coming out at the end of june, and I don't remember how the story goes.. Here is a trailer for the movie:

homemade birthday presents for Celeste

A little tote bag, with an inside pocket:

A simple pillowcase:

a birthday shirt:

I found most of the instructions online for these projects, adjusting some of them..here are the links for each:

little tote bag (adjusted from the Kidlet Tidy Tote)
simple pillowcase
birthday shirt

PQS3

PSQ3 means Placemat Quilt Swap #3.

Here is the plaemat I received, with many little gifts, from Sarah in Florida:

The placemat she made just for me is perfect. A house on one side, and all Snoopy on the other. I love it!

She really spoiled me and my children too. We had both agreed to send each other some homeschooling stuff since we both are homeschool mamas...and she added lots of scrap fabric and a Sookie Stackhouse novel! What an awesome package, and perfect timing, it arrived the day after my birthday!

Sarah, if you are reading this, thanks again!

Here is what I made for her. She had requested a scrap placemat with boyish colours.

52 fridays ~week 20

♪♫ 38 ♫♪

38 !?!

How can that be?

I really don't feel 38...

I woke up this morning wondering what this year will bring to my life, how can it be any better than it already is?

I also thought about the 2 years I have until I turn 40.

I have told myself often that by the time I am 40 or during my 40th year I would run a half or full marathon, if possible at Disney World. I have been slowly training for that. Running is one of my passion, but like all my personal passions, sometimes it takes a back seat. It can be difficult to juggle all my responsibilities and passions, but I am wishing that this year, I remember to take care of myself. Take time to run, take time to read, to sew, to take photographs, and to spend time by myself.

Happy Birthday to Me ♥

52 books :: book 19 :: Grave Surprise

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris is the second book in the Harper Connelly series. I read the first one not long ago, and even though I didn't enjoy it as much as her Sookie Stackhouse series, I still was willing to read another one.
Harper and her brother Tolliver, who is not her biological brother (seems like the story is taking a turn a bit there...romance with her "brother" in the future?? weird..), are on another job visiting an old cemetery near a university. She is there at the request of a professor to "show" her talent of  finding dead people and their cause of death.  Harper ends up finding the dead body of a missing little girl that she had been trying to locate a while back. The missing girl's body was thrown in an already occupied grave and the mystery of how it got there and also who killed her is the main story of this book.
The story was good, and I finished the book in two days..but again, not sure if I really like this series, but since the library still doesn't have Sookie Stackhouse #3 ready for me, I will keep on reading more from this series. For now, my next choice brings me back to reality...

Books read: 19/52
Pages read:  5832
Next book: Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto

52 books :: book 18 :: Hold On to Your Kids

Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate.

I read half of this book over the last two weeks. It is an amazing book, very informative, but to be read slowly in my opinion so that the information has time to sink in. I decided to stop and finish the last half of the book at a later date. I would recommend this book to all parents and teachers, there is so much relevant information about our relationship with children, and how that is affected by their relationship with their peers.

Books read: 18/52
Pages read: 5687
Next book: Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

52 fridays -- week 19

I made a mosaic since I couldn't decide between the four self portraits, with books which was the theme of this week. I am getting used to the short hair..and the silver. It really all depends on how the light sits on my hair, the silver ends up being more noticeable at times than others (like that top right one...who is that old lady looking for a book?!!).

very little hair left...

I might use this pic for friday self portrait theme of books, or take another one...


I got my hair cut on Saturday and told the hairdresser to take all my blond colour that was left off. The result: a very short hair cut that I don't like at all..but it will grow.

I can now see my natural hair colour again completely, along with the silver hair. I am getting used to that, just not the shortness of it!