Word Trix

CAS Birthday Cards

2012-02-13T01:35:00.001-06:00

Here are a couple of quick CAS (clean and simple) birthday cards I threw together Sunday night while watching (listening to) the Grammy Awards. As you can see, there is no stamping on either of these, mostly just a few paper scraps and some dimensional stickers.

I apologize for such dark photos. There's a reason I usually try to photograph my creations during the morning, when there is natural light coming in the windows. Alas, I wanted to get these out in the mail, so could not wait to photograph them in the morning. If I had, I would have forgotten to do it, and then they would have been even later going out than they already are.

PAPER: Kraft, assorted paper scraps
ACCESSORIES: Dimensional stickers (unknown company), grosgrain ribbon

Thursday Thirteen 237: Random Quotes

2012-02-08T23:13:00.002-06:00

A few random quotes collected over the last few months...

1. Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.
~Edith Sitwell

2. Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.
~Anne Rice, Interview With the Vampire

3. A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.
~Abraham Maslow

4. I dreamt that my hair was kempt. Then I dreamt that my true love unkempt it.
~Ogden Nash

5. And the fox said to the little prince: men have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

6. Even a good place gets to be a rut, especially if you're standing in it alone... Alone and lonely share the same root.
~Nora Roberts, Chasing Fire

7. Most people think that shadows follow, precede, or surround beings or objects. The truth is that they also surround words, ideas, desires, deeds, impulses and memories.
~Elie Wiesel

8. Books say: She did this because. Life says: She did this. Books are where things are explained to you; life is where things aren't. I'm not surprised some people prefer books.
~Julian Barnes

9. If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.
~Nora Roberts

10. Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.
~Lloyd Alexander

11. Tempting, really. But...I shot and killed my last boyfriend. I'm not ready for a relationship yet.
~Grace, upon being asked out
The Mentalist (12-8-11)

12. Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
~Thomas Merton

13. We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read.
~Jules Verne

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Wordless Wednesday 36: Journal

2012-02-07T20:58:00.001-06:00

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Teaser Tuesday 118: Tombs of Endearment

2012-02-06T22:23:00.004-06:00

You’d think by now I’d be used to people (or at least people who used to be people) popping in and out of my life. And I was. Mostly.

Unless they happened to pop up in my bedroom.

(pg 105)

Back cover blurb:
Cemetery tour guide Pepper Martin never imagined she’d get to meet rock legend Damon Curtis, the bad boy poet who made millions of teenage girls scream. After all, he kicked the bucket years before she was born. But thanks to her newfound ability to chat up the dead, Pepper’s got a front row seat perfect for swooning over the still-sexy Damon’s latest lyrics. He’s convinced that his former bandmate Vinnie Pallucci murdered him back in ’71, and he’s promised Pepper she won’t get any rest or peace until she helps him prove it.

But when Pepper goes behind the music, she finds Vinnie with a knife in his heart and the rest of the band members running for their lives. And if Pepper doesn’t snare the killer soon, Damon’s next hit from the great beyond might be her swan song.

Gingerbread-Mouse Ornament

2012-02-05T13:41:00.005-06:00

Another ornament photographed while in progress:

Random Photo: Tia

2012-02-04T01:04:00.001-06:00

The boss's little dog, Tia.

Random Photo: Walking

2012-02-03T01:57:00.000-06:00

I took advantage of the unusually warm weather Tuesday (it was 50 degrees here--in January!) and went for a long walk. Between the temp and wind, there was a lot of melting going on, which made for some rather tricky navigating at times. There were some more shaded sections of the sidewalk that were still icy, while others were under two inches of water. And crossing the streets? There was one corner where I was forced to cross to the other side of the street as I could not access the other corner without ~~swimming~~ jumping a two-foot moat. With temps in the mid-30s to 40s all week, there is hardly any snow left--not that we had much to begin with. This is not the warmest or least snowiest winter we've ever had, but it is sure to rank in the top ten.

Thursday Thirteen 236: Groundhog Day

2012-02-01T22:34:00.007-06:00

Happy Groundhog Day!

On this date last year, we were in the midst of a blizzard that dumped nearly 20 inches of snow across Southern Wisconsin. This year? Complete 180. Not only is there no snow, but we’ve had temps up to 50 degrees this week. 50—in January! It feels more like early April than February. So, chances are pretty good that rodent out in Sun Prairie is going to see his little shadow, and make us pay for all this unusually warm winter weather. In honor of it being Groundhog Day, here are a few facts about these famed weather prognosticators.

[ETA: Well, I'll be... Jimmy did not see his shadow this morning. Looks like we may get an "early" spring afterall.]

1. Groundhogs are the largest member of the squirrel family, weighing in at about 13 pounds, with the brain the size of a cashew. They are brown or reddish-brown in color, with black feet.

2. Also known as woodchucks or marmots, the average lifespan of a groundhog is 6-8 years in the wild, and up to 10 in captivity. They are naturally aggressive and do not make good pets. It takes a lot of training and patience to "tame" them.

3. Groundhogs are found in North America, primarily the northern and eastern United States, but also into Canada and Alaska. You will not find them in desert regions of the southwest, as they prefer areas where woods and fields abut.

4. Though ground dwellers, groundhogs can climb trees, and are fairly good swimmers.

5. Groundhogs will eat grass, fruits, vegetables and even tree bark. They can easily decimate an entire garden, putting on fat to prepare for the coming winter.

6. At the first sign of frost, groundhogs retreat to their burrows and hibernate until spring. During hibernation, the heart rate drops and body temperature isn’t much warmer than the temp of the burrow, about 40F.

7. The groundhog will lose half its body weight while hibernating (don’t you wish you could lose weight while sleeping?!).

8. In the spring, females will give birth to a littler of about six kits (or cubs), which stay with mom for several months.

9. February 2 is not only Groundhog Day, but also the Christian feast day, Candlemas. There is a saying associated with the day:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

Sounds a bit familiar, yes?

10. The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, who made his first prediction in 1886. He has a 39% rate of accuracy. Wisconsin’s Jimmy the Groundhog is reported to have an accuracy rate of 80%. Temperatures must be above freezing for seven consecutive days for a prediction of an early spring.

11. Wisconsin’s groundhog history is almost as old as Pennsylvania’s. Early journal entries from local farmers note observations of area groundhogs as far back as 1886, though an “official” Groundhog Day celebration did not begin until 1948, when Wisconsin celebrated its 100th anniversary.

12. In February1952, there was a congressional feud between the delegates from PA and WI over Groundhog Day that made national headlines. Later that year, Sun Prairie, WI was proclaimed “Groundhog Capitol of the World.”

13. The 1993 movie Groundhog Day stars Bill Murray, a weatherman who is forced to relive the same day over and over until he can become less selfish and learn to be a better person. Although set in Punxsutawney, PA, most of the movie was actually filmed in Woodstock, Ill.

Other Thursday Thirteen participants

Wordless Wednesday 35: Common Milkweed

2012-01-31T20:28:00.003-06:00

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Teaser Tuesday 117: Chasing Fire

2012-01-30T21:07:00.006-06:00

Flames kindled with a whoosh as they gulped fuel and oxygen. Burning the body as the soul would burn. Peace settled while the fire climbed and spread.

How did it feel to murder and burn?

It felt right.

(pg 299)

BOOK COVER BLURB for CHASING FIRE:

Little else in life is as dangerous as fire jumping. Flying past towering pillars of smoke, parachuting down to the edge of an all-consuming blaze, shoveling and sawing for hours upon hours, days at a time, all to hold the line and push back against the raw power of Mother Nature.

But there's also little else as thrilling—at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are one of the most exclusive fire-fighting squads in the nation, and the job is in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend in the field. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home—even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering in the air.

Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is among the strongest ever—and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kid's arcade. He came to Missoula to follow in the footsteps of Lucas "Iron Man" Tripp, yet he's instantly more fascinated by his hero's daughter. Rowan, as a rule, doesn't hook up with other smoke jumpers, but Gull is convinced he can change her mind. And damn if he doesn't make a good case to be an exception to the rule.

Everything is thrown off balance, though, when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't complicate things with Gull—any distractions in the air or on the ground could be lethal. But if she doesn't find someone she can lean on when the heat gets intense, her life may go down in flames.

Random Photo: Birds at Feeder

2012-01-30T00:39:00.001-06:00

Random Photo: Ernie and Kiki

2012-01-28T01:01:00.002-06:00

Two of a friend's six pets, Ernie the Cat and Kiki the dog-who-thinks-she's-a-cat. Both are afraid of the basement stairs.

Random Photo: Window View

2012-01-27T12:51:00.002-06:00

Sorry I've been MIA the last couple days. Came down with a cold Wednesday so haven't had much energy to spare. Planning to hole up with a book, afghan and box of Kleenex this weekend. Achooo!

Teaser Tuesday 116: Flipped Out

2012-01-23T20:25:00.001-06:00

A babble of protest greeted this pronouncement, as everyone wanted to express their shock, outrage, and innocence, all at the same time. Wayne held up a hand. "Save it for later. You'll have a chance to tell me your side of the story."

(pg 63)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Inheriting her aunt's old Maine cottage has led Avery Baker down a new career path—home renovation. Finding a property's hidden potential has rewards and challenges—not to mention certain unanticipated dangers. Like murder...

Avery and her hunky handyman boyfriend, Derek Ellis, are renovating another house in Waterfield, Maine. But it's not just any house. It belongs to local news anchor Tony "the Tiger" Micelli—and it's a quaint cottage with limitless possibilities. Even more exciting is that the makeover is going to be filmed as part of a home-renovation TV show.

Unfortunately the road to cable-TV fame is a bumpy one; this DIY spins into a DOA when Tony's corpse is found at the cottage, flat on his back and not from natural causes. Turns out there are a few people who wanted Tony dead, and the murderer might have his sights set on more Waterfield residents. That means it's up to Avery to nail the killer. And fast.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
1. Fatal Fixer-Upper
2. Spackled and Spooked
3. Plaster and Poison
4. Mortar and Murder

Starry Night

2012-01-22T00:18:00.011-06:00

Back in March of 2011, I mentioned a large project that I had dug out to finish for myself. This was something I started X number of years ago, then set aside and somehow never got back to. Well, I am pleased to say that I did actually finish this project, on June 26, 2011. Here's a month-by-month chronology in completing this cross-stitch. Now to find a frame I like (and can afford)!

Progress as of March 27:

Progree as of April 25:

Progress as of May 22:

Progree as of June 2:

Progress as of June 21:

Finished, but unframed:

The Sky is Crying

2012-01-21T02:07:00.006-06:00

The music world lost another icon Friday, blues singer Etta James, age 73. Though her passing was not a surprise (she had been battling leukemia and was hospitalized in December), her loss still saddens me. Miss James won six Grammies during her long career, putting out a final album, The Dreamer, just last year. I have two CD compilations of some of her greatest hits, At Last! and The Definitive Collection. Among her best known songs are: At Last, W-O-M-A-N, Try a Little Tenderness, Something's Got a Hold on Me, Tell Mama, Damn Your Eyes, The Sky is Crying, I've Been Loving You Too Long, A Sunday Kind of Love, Stormy Weather, I Just Want to Make Love to You -- and one of my favorites -- The Man I Love.

Am I Dry

2012-01-20T13:13:00.007-06:00

Over on her blog today, Anita is talking about humidity, or the lack thereof during cold, winter months, and what you can do to combat it.

My apartment is extremely dry in winter--so much so that my sinuses are often sore or tender. Skin also suffers due to the aridness. Skin creams and moisturizers can help combat the dryness, as can using baby oil year-round after bathing. I find the baby oil especially helps my legs and back of the hands.

Another sign of how dry my apartment is, is that I have to water the philodendrons every 1-2 days. The only ones who actually like the dry air in my apartment are the Dragon Tree and Monster Fern. Being subtropical plants, they thrive on it, and I only water them about once a week.

Though I would love a humidifier, it's just not in the budget at this time. To help add moisture to the air, I have been doing the pot-on-the-stove trick a few times a week. This involves filling a large roaster almost to the top with water, and just letting it boil down. The only caution here is to watch that your pot doesn't boil dry, and that you remember to turn it off before leaving or going to bed. I also leave a shallow pan of water sitting on the back of the stove and--having a gas stove--need to refill it almost every morning.

Some would argue that part of the problem is that I keep my thermostat set too high, but I do not believe that to be true, for a number of reasons. See, though I have the thermostat set between 75 and 85, it is never actually that warm in my apartment. For one, I am over an unheated basement. I usually have to wear two pairs of socks (sometimes three!) during the winter to keep my feet warm. I am also on an exposed NW corner, am next to the back door, and there is little or no insulation in the walls. Which means that even when the thermostat says it's 80, it really isn't. You can actually feel the temp drop, walking from living room to back bedroom and bath. That's a drop of 10-15 degrees! And if the wind is blowing above 20mph? You can feel it blow right through the walls.

I also believe there is a mold issue in my apartment. I was flooded by the one above 4-1/2 yrs ago. Though they sopped up some of the water in my hallway, it wasn't enough. It was three or four weeks before the carpet and walls were completely dry, and to this day I have to keep an air freshener in the walk-in closet or it smells musty. Needless to say, I no longer store anything of value in there, unless it is in a plastic storage bin. And here is the irony of my apartment: during the summer it is so humid that the doors swell so much that I have to force the linen, bathroom and walk-in doors shut.

While they fixed the connections upstairs post-flood, they didn't do something right, because there was a steady leak in my wall from that day forward. Though I ~~complained~~ reported it regularly, it was more than two years before they finally repaired it. Naturally, in both instances, no one ever returned to my apartment to assess damages, even though I told them it was damaging my bathroom wall and ceiling. Last week, four years later, they were finally forced to repair it as the plaster was starting to peel and drop into my bathtub.

So between the walls, door frames, and hall carpet I do believe there is mold, especially under the carpet/carpet padding. I'd go so far as to bet that the sub-floor is separating, which is not good and actually happened in my kitchen before they repaired damage there (the previous tenants apparently broke a glass in the dishwasher. First time we used it, it flooded our kitchen, seeping under the tile).

Mold and dry air, of course, are only two of the many reasons why I need to find a new place to live. This place is killing me in more ways than one.

How about you> Do you have a problem with either mold or lack of humidity? How do you deal with it?

Thursday Thirteen 235: Recently Read

2012-01-18T20:34:00.005-06:00

It feels like it's been forever since my last "Recently Read" post, though I know it's only been a couple months. I had hoped to get a couple more books read during December, but all things considered, I didn't do too bad. I did, afterall, not only meet but exceed my 2011 reading goal of 100 books during December. Now to start counting all over again!

* All but the two books by Kate Collins were read last year. Total books read in 2011: 105, which exceeds my goal by five, and is one better than the previous year. I had hoped to get a couple more read during December, but those darn holidays kept interfering.

* Since catching up on favorite authors/series is one of my 2012 reading goals, I was happy to see that Kate Collins is the Featured Author of the month for the Cozy Mysteries group at GoodReads. I read the first four books in her "Flower Shop Mystery" series previously, had five on the TBR shelf, and there are three more books I don't yet have. What better way to start off the new year, and a new reading challenge, than by tackling one of those reading goals?

* Deanna Raybourn and Janet Evanovich were recommended to me by friends. Of the two series, I think I am most likely to continue with Raybourn's "Lady Julia Grey."

* The Winter Widow and The Christmas Thief enabled me to cross two more states (Kansas and Vermont) off the "Read the USA" mystery challenge list. Only twenty more books to go...

WHAT ARE YOU READING THESE DAYS?

Find more Thursday Thirteen Lists here.

Wordless Wednesday 34: Closed due to weather

2012-01-17T21:14:00.001-06:00

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Teaser Tuesday 115: A Tale of Two Cities

2012-01-16T22:33:00.001-06:00

There was a steaming mist in all the hollows, and it had roamed in its forlornness up the hills like an evil spirit, seeking rest and finding none. A clammy and intensely cold mist, it made its slow way through the air in ripples that visibly followed and overspread one another, as the waves of an unwholesome sea might do. It was dense enough to shut out everything from the light of the coach-lamps but these its own workings, and a few yards of road; and the reek of the labouring horses steamed into it, as if they had made it all.

(pg 7)

ABOUT THE BOOK
A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Dickens' greatest historical novel, traces the private lives of a group of people caught up in the cataclysm of the French Revolution and the Terror. Dickens based his historical detail on Carlyle's great work—The French Revolution—and also on his own observations and investigations during numerous visits to Paris.

"The best story I have written,'' was Dickens' own verdict on A Tale of Two Cities, and the reader is unlikely to disagree with this judgement of a story which combines historical fact with the author's unsurpassed genius for poignant tales of human suffering, self-sacrifice, and redemption.

WIP: Bear ornament

2012-01-15T01:06:00.001-06:00

Snow!

2012-01-14T00:04:00.000-06:00

Winter has finally arrived, and boy has it ever! Not only does it now look like winter, it feels like it, too. Since the end of November we've been experiencing above-normal temperatures, with highs of 40-50F and almost no snow. It was 51F here Tuesday, 50F on Wednesday. That night, though, the temperature started to drop fast. The high Thursday was only 23F, with windchills in the teens. Friday's high was 19F.

Wednesday evening a winter weather advisory was issued for our area from 6am Thursday until 6am Friday. Whoo-hoo! The first official storm of the season was finally on its way! Not only was it going to be cold and windy, they were predicting 5-6 inches of snow for our area.

The snow started to fall sometime after midnight, in the wee hours of the morning. By the time people were up and on their way to work, it was really coming down, and fell steadily throughout the day.

I had to take a break midday Thursday and step outside to get a few pictures at work, knowing I would get home far too late to get any snow pics that night.

I love that there was a gust of wind just as I snapped this pic, so you can see it swirling off the corner of the building. Kind of makes you shiver, doesn't it?

At least the trees no longer look drab and boring, sugar-coated in fresh new snow.

Offocial snow total for our area was 5.4 inches -- more than doubling our snow total thus far. The biggest snowfall we'd had prior to this was around 2 inches. We had flurries this morning and into early afternoon, and there is a chance for more flurries or light snow Saturday. Cold temps persist at least through next week. Looks like my winter boots are finally going to get a bit of use this year!

Thursday Thirteen 234: A Year in Pictures

2012-01-11T21:02:00.002-06:00

To say I have taken a lot of photos in 2011 would be a gross understatement. While I have shared a great many of them with you over the past months, here are a few of my favorites I never quite got round to posting—a hazard of taking 100 plus pictures a month!

This photo is from one of my favorite experiences. I went walking up at the Arboretum in early July, just before sunset and on a whim decided to wander down to Greene Prairie. Boy was I glad I did! This young doe and a young buck (I think they are the twin fawns I kept seeing last year) were both grazing in the meadow and came within a few yards of me.

January. Nothing chases away the winter blues like fresh fruit.

February. I happened to have my camera close at hand while watching a welcome home celebration for the Green Bay Packers after they won the Super Bowl, when they zoomed in on this poster held up by a fan. Here's to keeping that trophey at home this year!

Mid-March in the Arboretum, about a week after a spring blizzard that left several inches of snow in its wake. As you can see, it was melting fast!

April. Spring buds in the Arboretum.

May. Teal Pond Boardwalk, UW Arboretum.

June. I snapped these gorgeous tulips at the Farmer's Market early in the month.

July. These cuties shared a nest outside the door at work (there's actually a fourth baby hiding at back of nest). While Mama did not dive-bomb those coming or going, she sure did scold.

August. Butterflies in Bloom exhibit at Olbrich Gardens. You can see more photos from this event here.

September, and the bees were extra busy.

October. The Bittersweet was holding on during a gorgeous Indian Summer mid to late October.

November. Nothing like an Autumn walk in the Arboretum—leaves crunching under foot, a pungeant smell in the air... And yes, it was still this green in November. Pathetic!

December. There has been a dearth of snow round these parts, so I am afraid I cannot offer the usual snow-covered vistas normally typical this time of year. We have only had a bit over four inches of snow this season—about fifteen inches below normal. The poor plants are becoming confused—and they aren't the only ones!

More Thursday Thirteen Lists

Wordless Wednesday 33: What January is {Supposed} to Look Like

2012-01-10T20:13:00.005-06:00

January 2011...when we actually had snow

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Teaser Tuesday 114: A Rose From the Dead

2012-01-10T08:34:00.001-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

Just finished A Rose From the Dead by Kate Collins, book six in her "Flower Shop Mystery" series. I was a bit worried as many had told me this was their least favorite book of the lot, but there were actually quite a few laugh-out-loud moments in this one.

NOTE: This is one of my favorite series, but I do recommend reading from the beginning (Mum's the Word), as the books do build on each other, or reference events/people in previous installments.

"Eli isn't your concern, so just erase this whole incident from your mind, and let's get back to what you came here to do, okay?"

"Fine. It's erased."

"Good."

Men are so guillible.

(pg 30)

~*~*~*~

In this scene, Abby and Marco are searching the room of cosmetician, Sybil Blount. This scene had me literally laughing out loud. I may have also woken the neighbors, hehe...

I heard him open the closet door and suddenly I
remembered the dummy heads. "Wait, Marco! There are—"

"Shit!"

Too late. I peered around the corner at him. "I see you found the heads."

(pg 141)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Who knew death could be so much fun?

Abby is amused by the black humor of the usually somber "death professionals" who are attending the Midwestern Funeral Directors Association’s regional convention. Even organizer Sybil Blount—known for her cutthroat business practice and the signature rose she wears in her wig—isn’t what Abby expects…especially when her corpse is found in a casket.

When Abby’s friend Delilah Dove becomes a suspect, Abby shifts into full investigation mode and learns that Sybil’s enemies included the prankster sons of a big-time funeral director an eco-friendly purveyor of "green burials," and a strange Goth girl who captures the "music" of the departing souls on her tape recorder. It’s up to Abby and her boyfriend, Marco, to look beyond the trappings of death and find out who really loved Sybil—and who loved her not.

Winter Moonlight

2012-01-08T13:22:00.001-06:00

Winter Moonlight was one of the larger, more time-intensive projects stitched as a Christmas gift in 2011. It was a ten-week process, which I documented as I went along.

WEEK TWO:
I started with front of the house and sailboat mast in center, then worked my way down to bottom and over to the left corner.

WEEK 4:
The sky wasn't as difficult to stitch as it might look, just tedious. Extremely tedious! In fact, the decorated tree was more of a pain than that large expanse of sky.

WEEK 6:
I had to swtich over to work on some of the house and bottom right fence post for a while, before returning to finish the sky.

WEEK 8:
House, large dove and fence take shape.

WEEK 10:
The final week was spent backstitching birds, fence and large sailboat rigging, then matting and framing.

I think they liked it...

Triple Book Score

2012-01-07T15:48:00.001-06:00

As mentioned in this week's Thursday Thirteen post, I received two Patricia Cornwell books for Christmas, each book three in a different series. No worries, I thought, that only gives me valid reason for dropping in on the Sequoya Library's monthly used book sale. Along one wall they have shelves dedicated to the paperbacks of some of the most popular authors such as Nora Roberts/JD Robb, John Grisham, Sue Grafton and Cornwell.

They had about two dozen books by Cornwell, with doubles or triples of some titles. And...total score! I found three of the four books for which I was searching, for only fifty cents each. I'm sure if I keep checking back I will eventually find the second Andy Brazil. Now to work the new books into the reading queue...

SC365

2012-01-06T00:22:00.001-06:00

This is the anniversary card made for friends who were married on New Year's Day 2000. I used last week's SCS sketch challenge (SC365) for this one, turned sideways. The image is from the 2011 Mary Engelbreit Day-to-Day desk calendar, and I was able to use up several paper scraps in its creation.

Accessories: Circle punches from Marvy Uchida and Night of Navy ink from Stampin' Up.

Thursday Thirteen 233: Christmas Gifts

2012-01-04T23:33:00.028-06:00

Two weeks ago I shared many of the homemade gifts I was giving for Christmas 2011. Here are a few of the things I was grateful to receive.

1. Two books by Patricia Cornwell, Isle of Dogs (Andy Brazil #3) and All That Remains (Kay Scarpetta #3); Sense of Evil (Bishop #6) by Kay Hooper; Holly Lane (Destiny #4) by Toni Blake; and Tombs of Endearment (Pepper Martin #3) by Casey Daniels.

2. Mary Engelbreit Day-to-Day Calendar.

3. Pail of homemade sausage balls from one friend—these were so good, they did not survive the week—and a loaf of homemade chocolate chip bread from another, which is almost gone. Soooo good!.

4. Chocolate: Lindor Dark Chocolate Truffles and Peppermint Bark. Mmm...

5. DVD: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One (I have a feeling part two is coming for my birthday).

6. DVD: Monk, Season Three—received first two last year.

7. DVD: Psych, Season Four—now to acquire season five...not that I'm greedy or anything! *G*

8. CD: Christmas by Michael Bublé.

9. Four clear stamp sets, including “Trick or Treat” by Inkadinkado and “French Market” by Tim Holtz.

10. Two Tim Holtz embossing folders, “Artful Muse (3-pack)” and “Frame and Postal (2-pack” (for card making) .

11. Sizzix “Butterflies and Vines” border die and Martha Stewart “Spiderweb” border punch.

12. Four ornaments, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse glass icicles from Disney World, and two different snowmen.

13. Glass angel that lights up and is nearly a foot tall (sorry, forgot to take pic before I packed away the Christmas decorations).

Was there a favorite gift you received this past holiday season?

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Wordless Wednesday 32: New Growth

2012-01-03T20:41:00.009-06:00

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Teaser Tuesday 113: Acts of Violets

2012-01-02T21:55:00.003-06:00

Kate Collins is the Featured Author for the Good Reads Cozy Mysteries group, so figured I would kick off the year by catching up on a couple of her books from the TBR shelves, starting with Acts of Violets, book five in her "Flower Shop" mystery series. Have not yet started this one, but am about to do so. My teaser is the opening paragraph of the book.

“You think that was funny? You think I don’t know you did that on purpose? Well, I’ve got your number, shorty, so let me tell you something: Paybacks are murder.”

(Page one)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

During the annual Pickle Fest, Abby's boyfriend Marco inexplicably disappears for a day. When he returns, he's the main suspect in the death of a clown. It seems the cops have found Snuggles pushing up water-spurting daisies-and Marco was the last person seen leaving Snuggles's house. Although Marco is still a mystery to her, Abby knows he's innocent. Now she has to find a way to prove it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-31T02:06:00.004-06:00

Wishing you a safe, fun and happy new year!
Go Packers, Go Badgers!

Wordless Wednesday 31: Joy of a Book Lover

2011-12-27T21:41:00.000-06:00

I know it's supposed to be completely wordless, but I just need to say that these pics were not staged. My niece really was this excited to receive a new book!

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Teaser Tuesday 112: Santa Cruise

2011-12-26T21:29:00.005-06:00

Under cover of darkness late on Christmas night, in the Port of Miami, a rowboat glided silently up to the side of the Royal Mermaid. A rope ladder was dropped from the lowest deck.

(pg 15)

ABOUT THE BOOK
Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea
(Regan Reilly Mysteries #12)

Alvirah Meehan, lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, and private investigator Regan Reilly are guests, along with their spouses, on the "Santa Cruise." The cruise is a gift from Commodore Randolph Weed to a select group that "has made the world a better place." His largesse is prompted by the desire to create a buzz about his new cruise ship, the Royal Mermaid, as she sets out on her maiden voyage.

Alvirah, Regan, and her new husband, Jack—head of the NYPD Major Case Squad—are joined as guests on the cruise by a mystery fan convention celebrating a "ghost of honor," as well as ten men who donated time playing Santa Claus, now hoping for a restful post-season. That tranquility vanishes when two Santa suits disappear from a locked room, a storm develops, and an attempt is made on a passenger's life. As the Royal Mermaid sails through troubled waters, Alvirah, Regan, and Jack uncover clues that lead them to dangerous criminals not on the original guest list....

Christmas Wishes

2011-12-25T00:27:00.006-06:00

May all your Holiday Wishes come True!
Merry Christmas!

Cards From Friends -- Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T00:04:00.005-06:00

I've shared plenty of my own crafts this month, so today I thought I would share a few handcrafted Christmas cards received from friends.

From Kristi R. I love this image, but not sure what set it is from.

Kim had her Dasher cards made way back in July,
yet did not get them in the mail until this week.

Sticker art from Jana.

"Sleigh Ride" from Delores. The blue panel
with the snowflake lifts up to reveal a greeting.

Merry Christmas, One and All!

Christmas Cards 9: Tim Holtz, Blue Scheme

2011-12-23T01:02:00.003-06:00

My last Christmas card share of the year! This group of cards again uses the Tim Holtz "Holiday Collections" set, but in a blue scheme. Pacific Blue, to be exact. I really liked the way all of these (somewhere around 40 cards) came out. In addition to using up quite a few sheets of designer Christmas paper, I also used up a ton of brads that were starting to collect dust. I love embellishing with brads, and some basic colors like white may be replenished, but others...probably not.

STAMPS: Holiday Collections (Tim Holtz)
PAPER: Wausau Paper, DCWV
INK: Pacific Blue
ACCESSORIES: Brads, Computer generated greetings, Word Window punch (SU)

Thursday Thirteen 232: A Homemade Christmas

2011-12-21T21:27:00.017-06:00

I'm a born crafter. That means I'm working on something for Christmas throughout the year, whether it be something small for the tree, or a slightly larger project for friend or family member. Here's a look at some of the works-of-heart made for Christmas 2011.

There were, of course, a lot of cards. I make about 50-70 Christmas cards every year, just for personal use. I like to have extras on hand just in case, and any leftovers can be donated or sold next year. I've been sharing samples of these all month, so if you missed them, click on the "Christmas 2011" or "Cards" label at bottom of this post or in sidebar.

I love these mini-stockings and wish I had made more. Not just for giving away, but for my own little tree. The only one I kept this year was a blue snowflake stocking. These are backed with felt, with a loop of embroidery floss for hanging.

This "Green Bay Packers" stocking is my own design, and sure to be a huge hit with friends and family. As you can see, I used the original free-stitched one as a pattern for others. Just needs trimming and a little hanger. Now to design one for the Wisconsin Badgers...

This ceramic star ornament was leftover from a bunch I stamped on a few years ago. I simply added a seasonal decal and some ribbon et voilà!

"File This" is one of the larger projects made, and is for a friend owned by two black cats. It measures 8x10 inches and still needs framing (it's on my Saturday shopping list).

Angel whimsey. The cording for the ribbon was a bit of a pain, but I like how the wire hanger turned out. Those can sometimes be a bit tricky.

Assorted mini-ornaments. All are backed with felt and have a small loop of embroidery floss for hanging. Like the mini-stockings, these are light enough to enclose in a card.

"All I want for Christmas is a Nap." Another larger gift, measuring 9x12 and still in need of framing. I received this kit as a gift last year. It's not my style, and—to be honest—I've had a hard time deciding to whom it should go.

Two or three years ago, I made two friends a bunch of snowmen ornaments, each getting three different designs than the other. Of course they tried to steal the other's when she wasn't looking and "hinted" that I needed to give the reverse the following year. Ha! Way too predictable.

I think they will be pleasantly surprised to round out their collection this year. (Wicked grin) Each is stitched on 14-ct Aida cloth and backed in felt with ribbon hangers.

Mouse banner. I did a snowman banner similar to this one in 2009. This year I was a bit smarter in finishing the edges. Rather than fold and try to hide tacking stitches to the underside, I dug out the Lite Steam-A-Seam2. Half inch strips along the edges were all it took to neatly and easily finish the edges. The tassel, on the other hand, was a bit of a pain.

These playful critters round out a set for a friend who collects anything Noah's Ark. Backed in felt, with ribbon hangers.

Another whimsey. I had trouble getting the wire hanger just right on this one. Both this and the angel above were stitched on 14-ct plastic canvas.

People often wonder how I am able to get so much crafting done. My secret is this: I am rarely idle while watching TV. You'd be amazed how much you can get done while watching a one-hour drama, two-hour movie, or three-hour football game. If it's not a craft project in my hands, it's pen and notebook. Also, starting in July this year, a friend and I got together about every other weekend for an NCIS/crafts marathon. We'd pop in a season and work on our respective projects. We got through the first seven seasons, made almost all of our Christmas cards together, and got a lot of other projects done during those long weekends. I have a feeling we'll be doing something like this again next year.

More Thursday Thirteen

Wordless Wednesday 30: O Christmas Tree

2011-12-20T20:00:00.001-06:00

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Teaser Tuesday 111: The Winter Widow

2011-12-19T21:27:00.002-06:00

He dropped instinctively and rolled toward a ravine. The second shot gouged a chunk from the rim as he tumbled in.

How's that for getting your attention?

ABOUT THE BOOK:

She'd been one of San Francisco's finest—hard-bitten, cynical and happily unattached...

Until Daniel Wren blew in like a tornado, sweeping Susan off her feet, and back home to Hampstead, Kansas—new bride of the small town's police chief. Ten days later Daniel was killed by a sniper.

Susan was an outsider—a city slicker, a woman and worse—personally involved in the case. She was also Hampstead's new police chief...hunting for her husband's killer.

A kid whacked out on crack was easier to deal with than the pigs, bulls and strange group of locals. But beyond the bleak winter wheat fields, Susan Discovered a hotbed of secrets—from toxic waste dumping to cattle rustling—and a killer who was just getting warmed up.

Christmas Cards 8: Tim Holtz, Red-Green Scheme

2011-12-19T00:09:00.013-06:00

One of my favorite "new" stamp sets is a 4-piece one by Tim Holtz that I got earlier this year for my birthday. I absolutely love the collage images in this set. Tim Holtz products in general fit my "style" and trend towards vintage images. I made two dozen cards in the "red-green" scheme, examples of which I share with you today.

I always make more cards than I need. For one, you never know when you're going to need an extra or two. Second, any leftovers can be sold or donated the following year. It's a win-win situation.

STAMPS: Holiday Collections (Tim Holtz)
PAPER: Wausau Paper (white), DCWV (designer and plain colored)
INK: Red Riding Hood (SU)
ACCESSORIES: Brads, Computer printed greetings, Word Window punch

Christmas Cards 7: Random

2011-12-18T01:02:00.004-06:00

A few random cards...

STAMPS: Snowflakes (Hero Arts), Holiday Collections (Tim Holtz--bottom two cards), Peace on Earth (Inkadinkado)
PAPER: Wausau Paper, DCWV
INK: Night of Navy, Red Riding Hood, Elegant Eggplant, Craft White
ACCESSORIES: Computer printed greetings, Word Window punch (SU), Designer Label (SU), Postage Stamp punch (Marvy), brads, grosgrain ribbon

Christmas Cards 6: Long and Tall

2011-12-17T00:33:00.000-06:00

These two long cards measure 4 x 9.25 inches. They fit inside a standard #10 business envelope. Images are matted slightly different on each card.

STAMPS: Holiday Collections (Tim Holtz)
PAPER: Wausau Paper, DCWV
INK: Red Riding Hood (Stampin' Up)
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon

CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

2011-12-16T00:25:00.001-06:00

CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients
2 pkg Pillsbury Crescent Roll sheets
2 (8oz) pkg Cream Cheese
1 egg, separated (use yolk, save white)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar

Topping
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 chopped nuts (optional)

Use a 9x13 pan and line with one package of the crescent roll sheet. Beat cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Spread evenly over crescent roll sheet. Place second package of crescent roll sheet over filling. Flatten as best as you can so edges touch. Beat egg white lightly and brush over top.

Mix topping together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Any leftovers (ha!) can be refrigerated.

Thursday Thirteen 231: Christmas Made in America

2011-12-14T22:29:00.005-06:00

If you watch ABC World News at night, you are familiar with their “Made in America” series, a year-long look at goods made in the USA. Recent focus of the series has been on Christmas shopping and how American consumers can help employ more of their fellow citizens. Here are a few of the statistics shared, as well as a few ideas for you last-minute shoppers.

* The average American spends $700 a year on Christmas presents, a grand total of $465 billion nationally. (Apparently I am far from average, as I have only spent about $100, no kidding.)

* In the 1960s, 9 out of 10 goods were manufactured in the US.

* Today, just under half of all goods sold in the US are made elsewhere, primarily in China.

* China makes billions of dollars off Christmas sales, though they do not celebrate the holiday themselves.

* In 2010, 5.1 billion toys were made in China.

* All told, China manufactures 1.7 million types of goods.

* If each American spent just $64 dollars on gifts made in America, it would create 200, 000 jobs.

* One way to find gifts made in America is to shop locally. This not only helps the US economy, but your local economy as well. What are some of the local companies near you?

* Local companies are especially great for food gifts. A few made in Wisconsin (some in or near Madison) include:
Candinas Chocolatier (These are sooo good!)
Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier (Also good)
Door County Cherryland’s Best (Omigosh...these are addictive)
Baraboo Candy Company (Get your Cow Tails and Cow Pies here!)
Door County Coffee and Tea Company
Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge (Um...hello! Fudge!)
Klement’s Sausage Co. Inc
Door Peninsula Winery (Well-worth the drive up the peninsula)
Wollersheim Winery (Just down the road from me, a very nice selection)

* Classic toys made in the USA: Crayola Crayons, Sock Monkeys and Slinky.

* More examples of toys made in the USA:
Little Tikes
K’NEX (Legos are a timeless classic, but they aren't made in the USA)
Chelsea Teddy Bears (Forget the Build-A-Bear, buy American!)
Green Toys (These are all made with recycled goods—check 'em out!)
Springbok Jigsaw Puzzles

* Sporting goods often requested for Christmas made in the USA:
Wilson Footballs (What could be more American than this or...)
Louisville Slugger
Riedel Skates
Bag Toss

* For a list of where you can find other goods made in America (by type or by state), click here.

(Disclaimer: This post means no disrespect to other world nations or the fine goods they produce.)

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Wordless Wednesday 29: A Capitol Tree

2011-12-13T21:11:00.000-06:00

Madison, WI * 2006

Teaser Tuesday 110: Mrs. Miracle

2011-12-12T21:42:00.004-06:00

The air between them sizzled. Reba wondered if anyone else noticed. She did, and she knew he did, too.
(pg 85)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Seth must have realized who Vicki was because he moved closer, protectively, to her side. She was grateful for both the physical and the emotional support.
(pg 253)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

With Christmas approaching and wild twin boys to raise alone, Seth Webster needs a miracle. His home is in chaos, the latest in a long line of exasperated housekeepers quitting in disgust, and he needs help keeping his family together. And then it arrives on his doorstep. Her name is Mrs. Merkle, but the kids call her "Mrs. Miracle"—and from the moment the warm, knowing, and very patient nanny appears, everything is different.

Her sassy spirit is infectious, and it gives Seth the courage to approach Reba, a beautiful travel agent who’s been hurt and betrayed and is afraid to ever love again. Through the magic of faith—and with a little help from a children’s Christmas pageant and a lot of encouragement from Mrs. Miracle—Seth and Reba might just be able to find a Christmas miracle of their very own: true love.

Christmas Cards 5: SC359

2011-12-12T01:03:00.001-06:00

Today's Christmas cards use another simple sketch, SC359, from Splitcoast Stampers. The letters in the top card are square stickers, while those in the second were mounted on 1" squares of red cardstock. And have I mentioned how much I love this stamp set from Tim Holtz?

STAMPS: Holiday Collections (Tim Holtz)
PAPER: White cardstock (Wausau Paper), All Others: DCWV
INK: Red Riding Hood (Stampin' Up)
ACCESSORIES: Letter Stickers (DCWV)

Christmas Cards 4: SC361

2011-12-11T00:22:00.008-06:00

This duo was created for last week's sketch challenge at Splitcoast Stampers, SC361. I love this sketch for its simplicity, as well as the fact that it is excellent for using up leftover strips of paper from other projects.

STAMPS: Sleigh (Sleigh Bells Ring, SU); Soldier (Studio G)
PAPER: White (Wausau Paper), Other (DCWV)
INK: Basic Black, Night of Navy (SU)
ACCESSORIES: Colored pencils and blender pen

Random Photo: Magic

2011-12-10T01:11:00.001-06:00

This is Magic, one half of the duo that owns my friend. He is all-black, whereas his brother, Calvin, has patches of white on his underside. Magic is the younger and slightly smaller of the two. He is fairly skittish, disliking strangers or loud noise, and generally hides if there are a lot of loud and unfamiliar people in the house. Even though I have known them since they were kittens, it is only this past year that he has finally taken to cuddling with me when I am visiting.

Random Photo: Not a Job I'd Want

2011-12-09T00:03:00.001-06:00

Took this photo while friends and I were out shopping the weekend after Thanksgiving. Definitely not a job I'd want—especially this time of year!

Thursday Thirteen 230: Holiday Family Films

2011-12-07T21:35:00.002-06:00

Miracle on 34th Street
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Holiday Inn
White Christmas
It's a Wonderful Life
Scrooged
The Santa Clause
The Bells of St Mary's
A Christmas Story
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
Polar Express
The Holiday

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Wordless Wednesday 28: Turkey Feather

2011-12-06T20:41:00.000-06:00

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Teaser Tuesday 109: Christmas in Calico

2011-12-05T19:54:00.003-06:00

When Rose Cameron glanced down at her bundled-up son and saw his pallid face and vague eyes, she wanted to whip up the team and race into town at a full gallop, but the rutted wagon tracks bounced the buckboard brutally even at a single trot, and she forced herself to keep the team checked to its steady pace.

She thought of the ranch and the hardship in holding it together; yet it had wrenched her spirit to have to leave it.

But why, she wondered, am I always being torn by hard choices? (pg 28)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Distinguished writer Jack Curtis winningly combines suspense and a timeless holiday message with the best Western literary tradition in this dramatic novel. Heavy with child, Rose Cameron and her delicate son, Tommy, have tried to carry on her late husband's dream of a successful horse ranch despite a long drought, a thieving hired hand, and neighbors who want her land. But the hardest ordeal of all happens during Christmas, when a winter-kill blizzard sweeps the Nevada prairie, forcing Rose and Tommy to seek refuge in the poor town of Calico, where they must depend on the kindness of desperate strangers—and one mysterious lone rider—to survive and restore their lives.

Christmas Cards 3: SC310

2011-12-04T01:30:00.008-06:00

Two similar cards to share today, using SC310. Though I am not as diligent about participating in the weekly challenges at Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) as I used to be, I still print off the weekly sketch and keep some of them near by when making cards. They can be a good place to start on days I am not feeling very creative. I think the following card looks a lot better with the wide ribbon instead of the coordinating paper strip. The snowflakes are confetti that I pierced and attached with brads.

STAMPS: Holiday Collection (Reindeer, Tim Holtz); Snowflake wheel (SU)
PAPER: Wausau Paper, DCWV
INK: Perfect Plum, Craft White (SU)
ACCESSORIES: Brads, Snowflake confetti, wide grosgrain ribbon

BADGERS SMELLING ROSES...AGAIN!

2011-12-03T23:39:00.004-06:00

WHOOOO! That exuberant celebrating you heard this evening was ecstatic Badger fans. Wisconsin defeated Michigan State in a rematch of their October 22 game, which MSU won by a Hail Mary touchdown during the final seconds of the game. Wisconsin was determined to redeem themselves tonight, and did so in grand fashion. Not only did the Badgers win the inaugeral Big Ten Championship playoff game, they earned a trip to the Rose Bowl for a second consecutive year. The Wisconsin Badgers meet the Oregon Ducks on Monday, January 2 in Pasadena, CA. I may not be able to watch the game, not having cable, but you can bet I will be listening!

GO BADGERS!

Random Photo: Sneaking Up On My Brother

2011-12-03T00:07:00.002-06:00

A friend's cats. Calvin prepares to disturb Magic's nap.

Thursday Thirteen 229: Haven't We Seen This Before?

2011-11-30T23:15:00.001-06:00

Apparently, they really can't come up with anything NEW in Hollyweird. While recently browsing upcoming releases, I noted that there are A LOT of remakes or sequels coming our way. Here is a list of some of those that will soon be hitting theaters, or are already there.

Avatar 2 (2014)
Terminator Retribution
Matrix Reborn (#4)
Jurassic Park 4
Resident Evil 5
Ghost Rider 2
Iron Man 3
Conan the Barbarian (remake)
Happy Feet 2 (out now)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Amityville (remake)
The Lorax (remake)
American Pie: Reunion

Personally? I cannot say that any of these interest me. What do you think of movie remakes and endless sequels?

More Thursday Thirteen

Wordless Wednesday 27: November Sunset

2011-11-29T20:46:00.000-06:00

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Teaser Tuesday 108: The Christmas Clock

2011-11-28T21:31:00.002-06:00

There are years in our lives that change us, mold us forever in some way. I was eight years old that Christmas, too young to really understand all the undercurrents swirling around me.

(Opening paragraph of the prologue)

ABOUT THE BOOK:
From New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin comes an inspiring holiday story of vows broken and love redeemed, of courage and strength, all wrapped in a memorable tale that will resonate long after the book is over.

Teddy Winters was eight years old that Christmas, too young to understand all the undercurrents swirling around him in the tiny Michigan town of Dreyerville.

He wasn't able to value that Christmas for the miracle it truly was.

Teddy only knew he wanted to buy the beautiful Victorian clock in the window of Tremont's Antiques as a gift for his grandmother, Lottie Sparks, a woman desperate to find him a home before her rapidly progressing Alzheimer's left him an orphan.

Teddy didn't know that in trying to buy the clock he would meet Sylvia Winters and Joe Dixon, a couple, once in love, desperate to overcome the past. He didn't know he would form a friendship with his neighbors, Floyd and Doris Culver, two people struggling to revive their long-dead marriage.

He didn't know that these people would fill his Christmas with magic and hope; that the love of his friends would change his world, and that he would forever change theirs.

Yukon * Wildlife

2011-11-28T00:34:00.006-06:00

Two wildlife cards to share today...

STAMPS: Ram (Wildlife Reserve, Stampin' Up), Bear (Yukon, Stampin' Up)
PAPER: White (Wausau Paper), Solids (DCWV), Patterned (Top card: DCWV; Bottom: top layer-SU, bottom layer-DCWV)
INK: Basic Black
ACCESSORIES: Computer generated greeting, Word Window Punch (SU)

Christmas Cards 2: SC343

2011-11-27T01:27:00.006-06:00

All three cards below use sketch SC343, with the first one being turned sideways. This sketch is great for using up strips of decorative paper. All three of these are 'scrap cards,' meaning they use up bits of paper and stamped images leftover from older projects.

STAMPS: Dove (Holiday Minis, SU); Holly (Winter is Calling, SU); Snowflakes (Lace Snowflakes, SU)
PAPER: Paper Co, Wausau Paper, DCWV
INK: Basic Black, Night of Navy, Light Blue (SU)
ACCESSORIES: Circle and oval punches (Marvy), Markers, Brads

Random Photo: Fallen

2011-11-26T22:40:00.003-06:00

UW Arboretum * Oct 9, 2011

Christmas Cards 1: SC356

2011-11-25T01:12:00.006-06:00

A couple of Christmas cards to share today. I've been trying to use up leftover images from previous years, as well as some of my paper scraps. Both of these cards follow sketch SC356.

STAMPS: Holly (Winter is Calling, SU); Snowflakes (Lace Snowflakes, SU)
PAPER: 'Baby Boy' pack (The Paper Co), White (Wausau Paper), Decorative (DCWV)
INK: Basic Black, Blue (SU)
ACCESSORIES: Circle Punches (Marvy), Scallop Square Punch (Marvy), Sticker (?), Computer Generated Greeting, Markers

Thankful

2011-11-24T00:28:00.004-06:00

Although this is from his holiday album, I feel this song appropriate for today. May you have much for which you are thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful
Written by David Foster, Richard Page, Carole Bayer Sager
Sung by Josh Groban

Some days we forget
To look around us
Some days we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

(Read the rest of the lyrics)

Wordless Wednesday 26: Gray Dogwood Berries

2011-11-22T21:30:00.002-06:00

UW Arboretum * Oct 9, 2011 * Madison, WI

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Teaser Tuesday 107: One For the Money

2011-11-21T22:32:00.004-06:00

There are some men who enter a woman’s life and screw it up forever. Joseph Morelli did this to me—not forever, but periodically.

(pg 1)

For those who are really into this series, the movie opens July 27, 2012. Click here to view the trailer starring Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara and Daniel Sunjata.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
One For the Money
By: Janet Evanovich

Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car’s in repo-hell. So who does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures it’s nice work if you can get it—shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop. So she joins up.

Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. There’s also a cranky ex-prize fighter dogging her and a nasty habit she has of leaping first and looking later. If Stephanie doesn’t wise up fast, the first dead body in her future could be her own.

Inchies Trio

2011-11-21T01:59:00.005-06:00

This set of cards uses one-inch images, what are refered to in the cardmaking world as "inchies." Inkadinkado has numerous clear stamp sets for all seasons and occasions just for this type of card. The top two follow sketch SC356.

STAMPS: Dogs (Dog's Life, Inkadinkado); Swan ( Butterflies & Birds, Inkadinkado)
PAPER: White (Wausau Paper), Solid colors (DCWV), Patterned (top two cards-DCWV; bottom-SU)
INK: Basic Brown, Going Gray, Elegant Eggplant (SU)
ACCESSORIES: Brads, Computer generated greetings, Word Window Punch (SU)

Pheasant Birthday

2011-11-20T02:19:00.003-06:00

Here's a fall-themed birthdya card using left-over components of the Thanksgiving cards posted Friday.

STAMPS: Autumn Days (SU), Fall Studio (Leaf—Clear and Simple Stamps)
PAPER: "Cypress" color pack (The Paper Company), White (Wausau Paper)
INK: Basic Brown, More Mustard
ACCESSORIES: Leaves & Acorns (Sizzlits from Sizzix), Sizzix Sidekick, Top Note Die (SU), Word Window Punch (SU)

Random Photo: Prairie Grasses

2011-11-19T01:20:00.002-06:00

Prairie grasses in early October
UW Arboretum * Madison

Thanksgiving Cards 2011

2011-11-18T00:21:00.001-06:00

This year's Thanksgiving cards involved more work than those I usually do. When I saw this card, I knew I had to copy it as best I could, given the supplies on hand as I have no budget to go craft shopping. I worked on these in the evening every night for a week while watching TV.

First, I stamped and cut out all the pheasants. I did about thirty, just in case I accidentally amputated a tail feather or a foot or two. Any extras can always be used for fall or masculine birthday cards.

Next came all the punching. I used my Sizzix Sidekick (mine is red BTW, not pink) for all the leaves and acorns, and the Sizzix Bigshot (again, mine is red and white) for the Top Note die (the large fancy brown pieces). A scalloped punch was used for the small white squares, with brown pieces cut to mat. I also had to stamp and cut out the larger, patterned leaves (left, on top of brown Top Note).

After cutting grey grosgrain ribbon the width of the card (4.25 inches), I then cut out the middle portion of the Top Note die, going lengthwise. These were adhered about an inch away from the righthand side of the card. The ribbon was glued on top of that, to cover the seam.

Next came the matted squares. The pheasant was adhered to center of square, with large stamped leaf tucked behind the top left corner. Other leaves and acorns were then adhered randomly, and a greeting tucked under the right side of the small square. Greetings are computer generated—I had to create my own, as I had nothing small enough to fit in my stamp cabinets.

Cute, yes? Now to finish all those Christmas cards. I'll be sharing plenty of those in weeks to come, as well as some "scrap" cards I've been working on.

STAMPS: Autumn Days (Stampin' Up), Fall Studio (Leaf—Clear and Simple Stamps)
PAPER: "Cypress" color pack (The Paper Company), White (Wausau Paper)
INK: Basic Brown, More Mustard (SU)
ACCESSORIES: Extra Jumbo Scalloped Square Punch (1" punch, Marvy), Word Window Punch (SU), Top Note die (SU), Leaves and Acorns die (Sizzix), Sizzix Sidekick, Sizzix Bigshot

Thursday Thirteen 228: On My Mind

2011-11-16T22:54:00.002-06:00

Stuff on my mind this week…

1. First: THE PACKERS ARE 9 AND 0, BABY! They have actually won their last fifteen games, including that really big one last February… you know, THE SUPER BOWL.

2. Thanksgiving is still a week away and I am already tired of the Christmas commercials, especially the ones for TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods. Can you say “annoying”?

3. Speaking of stores, does anyone else think it ridiculous how some stores are opening late Thanksgiving night for Black Friday sales? I mean, isn’t opening at 4 or 5 am crazy enough??

4. One of our local stations switched to their all-Christmas music format on Monday. I really wish they would wait until the week of Thanksgiving rather than the week before.

5. Of course, that also means it is time for the annual Holiday Fantasy in Lights display. I thought they usually lit up the display the Monday before Thanksgiving, but checking their website just now, I see it has been open since last Friday. Sheesh…talk about getting an early start!

6. We had two water main breaks on my street this past weekend. I had water at 10 o’clock Friday night, then nothing at midnight. It was still off when I woke up around 3am, but back on at 7. The relief was short-lived. Just before 9am there was a second break, this time right outside my building’s main entrance. Two in under ten hours…that has to be a new record for this place. Last year there were breaks on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

7. Ironically, they have been replacing the water mains (and, apparently, fire hydrants) on my street since November 1st. They were originally only going to do the first block this year, but according to the letter left under my door today they are now going to do my block as well. I want to know whose bright idea it was to wait until November to undertake such a project? Our street already looks like a minefield and is only going to get worse as we transition into winter.

8. I really need a humidifier (maybe even two: one for living room, one for bedroom) for my apartment. It is so dry in here, it is killing my sinuses—and it’s only mid-November. I was over to a friend’s this past weekend (she had running water and no backhoe) who just got one, and I noticed a difference within hours. Amazing!

9. I appreciate people who offer contests, but I am really starting to resent those who require people to “friend” or “follow” them in order to enter the drawing. And this isn’t solely about book blogs. I received a newsletter from a local arts venue this week about a contest to win the new CD by a group I like—but only if you friended the venue on Facebook. Thanks, but no thanks.

10. NEWSFLASH: Everyone in the world is NOT on Facebook or Twitter. Those who are not have their reasons for not joining, be it time, privacy or — you know, having a life. (Not to mention all those third-world nations out there that have little to no electricity.)

11. And speaking of blogs, what’s with truncated posts (which do NOT show up in Google Reader or other alert services), and people who participate in blog memes, but do not allow comments? For the latter, isn’t the point to comment on each other’s posts? For the former, I keep up with favorite blogs through Google Reader, and usually prefer to read new posts there as it loads faster without all the other stuff bogging down people’s blogs. If I can’t tell what a post is about, odds are I’m skipping it, not clicking over to read it. I’ve even been known to delete people out of my queue who switched to a permanent truncated format. Sad, but true.

12. I don’t like the direction NCIS:LA is taking Sam’s character. Sam is supposed to be one of the good guys, a Navy SEAL and government agent. He’s supposed to be honest and solid, not unscrupulous and duplicitous.

13. On the other hand, I love the whole family dynamic they have going on NCIS this season, and liked that new peek into Gibbs’ history we got the last two episodes.

So, those are a few of the things on my mind this week. What’s on yours?

More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wordless Wednesday 25: Lines

2011-11-15T22:10:00.003-06:00

More Wordless Wednesday

Teaser Tuesday 106: Whisper Falls

2011-11-14T22:26:00.005-06:00

"Well, if you're so sure you want him," Rachel said, looking as if she couldn't quite believe she was actually suggesting this, "why aren't you making a move?"

"Because he didn't," Tessa explained. "That's kind of like getting turned down—without having to get turned down. Saves the embarrassment."

(pg 100)

Hate to say it, but I think she has a point.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Welcome to Destiny, Ohio - where coming home means finding your true heart and maybe even your true love

Tessa Sheridan came crawling back to her quaint hometown of Destiny after her big-city interior design career crumbled. Now not only must she struggle to make ends meet, but she has to contend with a biker next door and the roar of Harleys shattering the serenity of her cabin in the woods by Whisper Falls. Worse still, her sexy, bad boy neighbor makes her feel breathless and weak—and shy, petite Tessa knows what a major mistake it would be to get involved with someone so...dangerous.

They say that former teen rebel Lucky Romo has a dark, secret past—that he's trouble with a capital "T." Still, Tessa feels all tingly when she sees how well he fills out a pair of tight jeans. And when Lucky invites her into his world, she knows the intense heat sparking between them could lead her somewhere wild and wonderful...and, yes, dangerous!

Random Photo: Paths

2011-11-11T01:01:00.001-06:00

(UW Arboretum, Nov 2011)

Travelers, there is no path.
Paths are made by walking.
~ Antonio Machado

Thursday Thirteen 227: Recently Read

2011-11-09T21:07:00.006-06:00

October was brimming with paranormal reads—as well as a bit of murder and mayhem. And yes, every one of the following was read during the month of October. As always, click on any cover to read a description of the book.

* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is one of the November group reads (I got an early start) for TNBBC at GoodReads. This was a reread for me, and it's nice to know I still remember some of the poetry.

* The Last Battle by CS Lewis rounded out my (re)read of The Chronicles of Narnia, which I have been working through this year. Some I remembered reading as a kid, some I didn't.

* Don of the Dead and The Chick and the Dead are the first two books in the "Pepper Martin" series by Casey Daniels. Will definitely be reading more of these!

* Leann Sweeney was the October featured author for the GoodReads Cozy Mysteries group. This was a really cute series—definitely one that appeals to crafters and cat-lovers alike.

* The Triplet Witch series by Annette Blair was a sexy and funny paranormal romance trilogy. Skirting the Grave was book four in her Vintage Magic (para-cozy mystery) series.

* Wicked by Gregory Maguire is one of the books mentioned a while back that was on loan from my sister. One down, many more to go.

More Thursday Thirteen posts

Teaser Tuesday 105: Silent in the Grave

2011-11-07T22:39:00.000-06:00

To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.
(pg 13)

~*~*~*~*~*~

And then there is this passage from farther on in the book...

Before I could even put my weight upon the foot, he was up and across the room, moving with a speed and ferocity I would never have imagined.

I gasped when his hand closed hard on my wrist. He jerked, pulling me into the room. With his free hand he slammed the door in Monk’s face and twisted the key in the lock.
(pg 213)

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Silent in the Grave
By Deanna Raybourn

"Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave."

These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a longstanding physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband's murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward's demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

Sympathy

2011-11-06T01:20:00.006-05:00

Sadly, I recently had need for a ~~trio~~ quad of sympathy cards (two were of the same design). These are all simple designs on white cardstock, photographed against a gray background so they would stand out.

MATERIALS:
Stamps: Boots (Scene in a Garden, Stampin' Up); With Caring Thoughts (single stamp, company unknown); Flowers (Pocket Silhouettes, Stampin' Up); Bird (Wildlife Reserve, Stampin' Up)
Ink: Basic Black, Ruby Red, Night of Navy (Stampin' Up)
Paper: White (Wausau Papers), Solid (Recollections), Patterned (DCWV)
Accessories: Word Window Punch (Stampin' Up), Circle punches (Marvy), Printed greeting (computer), Grograin ribbon (JoAnn's), colored pencils, hole piercer (Stampin' Up)

If I Could Turn Back Time

2011-11-05T13:05:00.002-05:00

I'm sure there are many times we wish we could turn back time. Tonight, you can--by one hour, anyway. That's right, we get an extra hour of sleep Sunday. Don't forget to set those clocks back an hour before going to bed!

Random Photo: Little Reed

2011-11-04T01:05:00.001-05:00

The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright
again when the storm had passed over.
-Aesop

Thursday Thirteen 226: New Music

2011-11-02T21:42:00.002-05:00

Some new music for your listening pleasure—click on any link to hear the song.

01. Foster the People — Pumped Up Kicks

02. Mat Kearney — Hey Mama

03. Fitz and the Tantrums — Don’t Gotta Work It Out

04. Red Hot Chili Peppers — Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie

05. Adele — Someone Like You

06. The Bodeans— Blowin’ My Mind

07. Coldplay— Paradise

08. Bon Iver— Calgary

09. Death Cab For Cutie— Stay Young, Go Dancing

10. The Decemberists— Calamity Song

11. NeedtoBreathe— Drive All Night

12. Florence and the Machine— Shake it Out

13. Ryan Adams— Lucky Now

Find More Thursday Thirteen lists

Wordless Wednesday 24: Patch of Blue

2011-11-01T20:43:00.001-05:00

More Wordless Wednesday

Teaser Tuesday 104: Alice in Wonderland

2011-10-31T21:34:00.003-05:00

"I quite agree with you," said the Duchess; "and the moral of that is—'Be what you would seem to be'—or, if you’d like it put more simply—'Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'"
(The Duchess to Alice, chapter 9)

About the Book:
First published in 1865

Conceived by a shy British don on a golden afternoon to entertain ten-year-old Alice Liddell and her sisters, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have delighted generations of readers in more than eighty languages. "The clue to the enduring fascination and greatness of the Alice books," writes A. S. Byatt in her Introduction, "lies in language. . . . It is play, and word-play, and its endless intriguing puzzles continue to reveal themselves long after we have ceased to be children."

Bat Cards

2011-10-31T01:52:00.003-05:00

Two more Halloween cards...

STAMP: Bats About You (Studio G)
PAPER: White Cardstock (Wausau Paper); Patterned Paper (DCWV)
INK: Basic Black (Stampin' Up)
ACCESSORIES: Grosgrain ribbon, bat punch, scallop punch, hole piercer, glue dots

Halloween Cards

2011-10-30T00:33:00.005-05:00

Products of a crafty weekend...

STAMPS: Cat and Haunted House (Studio G)
INK: Basic Black (Stampin' Up)
PAPER: White cardstock (Wausau Paper); Patterned papers (DCWV)
ACCESSORIES: Grosgrain ribbon (Joann's), rikrak, bat punch (EK Success), hole piercer (Stampin' Up)

Random Photo: Window Watching

2011-10-29T01:39:00.001-05:00

A neighbor's cat—isn't he a handsome one?

Random Photo: October Roses

2011-10-28T01:13:00.002-05:00

These final roses, blooming bright during the Indian Summer of early October, are all but a memory now.

Thursday Thirteen 225: Happy Halloween

2011-10-26T21:17:00.017-05:00

Happy Halloween, everyone! For your viewing pleasure this week, I thought I might share a few of the Halloween decorations up around my neighborhood. While most houses feature no more than a pumpkin or jack-o-lantern or two, others go all out this time of year—as you will see below.

I love this display of multi-colored trick-or-treat pumpkins.

A window of the local elementary school.

While ghosts flit about the trees in this yard...

...tombstones list in the sideyard.

Oops...guess someone had a mishap.

I've saved the best for last. This house is located on a back loop in the neighborhood, and was a real treat when I came upon it. Below are a few closeups of the yard.

I wonder if they realize they've misspelled 'Dracula'?

And yes, Frankenstein really is a Packers fan!

Safe and Happy Hauntings, everyone!

More Thursday Thirteen posts

Teaser Tuesday 103: Wicked

2011-10-24T20:55:00.003-05:00

"What the hell are you doing up there?"

So he slipped, of course, because he was startled, and because fate, having been so kind to him as to award him this ecstasy, retributively was going to kill him now. He lost his footing and grabbed for the chimney but missed. Head over thighs he rolled out like a child's toy, smashed into the poking branches of the damn pear tree, which probably saved his life, breaking his fall. He landed with a thud on a bed of lettuces, and the wind was knocked out of him, mortifyingly so, through all available orifices.

"Oh, brilliant," said the voice. "The trees are dropping their fruits early this year."
(pg 96)

~*~*~*~*~

People who claim they're evil are usually no worse than the rest of us. It's people who claim that they're good, or any way better than the rest of us, that you have to be wary of.
(pg 357)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

Random Photo: Playful Squirrels

2011-10-22T01:23:00.000-05:00

These are actually two different squirrels, just a couple trees apart.

Thursday Thirteen 224: S and S Vocab

2011-10-19T21:48:00.006-05:00

As mentioned in previous posts, reading the classics is an excellent way to increase and test your vocabulary. Here are a few of the great words I took note of during a recent reading of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. We'll begin with the obvious choice of the title words and, because there are so many different volumes, I will note chapters instead of page numbers for examples quoted from the book.

1. sense [sens] noun
sound practical intelligence: He has no sense.

2. sensibility [sen-suh-bil-i-tee] noun, plural -ties.
capacity for sensation or feeling; responsiveness or susceptibility to sensory stimuli.

3. devolve [dih-volv] verb (used with object)
to transfer or delegate (a duty, responsibility, etc.) to or upon another; pass on.
"The son, a steady, respectable young man, was amply provided for by the fortune of his mother, which had been large, and half of which devolved on him on his coming of age." (ch. 1)

4. indecorous [in-dek-er-uhs, in-di-kawr-uhs, -kohr-] adjective
violating generally accepted standards of good taste or propriety; unseemly.
"...and he finally resolved, that it would be absolutely unnecessary, if not highly indecourous, to do more for the widow and children of his father, than such kind of neighborly acts as his own wife pointed out." (ch 2)

5. diffident [dif-i-duhnt] adjective
lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy. Reserved in manner or conduct.
"He was too diffident to do justice to himself; but when his natural shyness was overcome, his behaviour gave every indication of an open, affectionate heart." (ch 3)

6. approbation [ap-ruh-bey-shuhn] noun
approval; commendation: official approval or sanction.
"Marianne was affraid of offending, and said no more on the subject; but the kind of approbation which Elinor described as excited in him by the drawings of other people, was far from the rapturous delight, which, in her opinion, could alone be called taste." (ch 4)

7. inquietude [in-kwahy-i-tood, -tyood] noun
restlessness or uneasiness; disquietude.
"A doubt of her regard, supposing him to feel it, need not give him more than inquietude." (ch 4)

8. incommode [in-kuh-mohd] verb (used with object), -mod•ed, -mod•ing.
to inconvenience or discomfort; disturb; trouble.
"No sooner was her answer dispatched, than Mrs Dashwood indulged herself in the pleasure of announcing to her son-in-law* and his wife that she was provided with a house, and should incomomde them no longer..." (ch 5)
(* son-in-law used here actually means stepson)

9. demesne [dih-meyn, -meen] noun
land belonging to and adjoining a manor house; estate.
"A small green court was the whole of its demesne in front; and a neat wicket gate admitted them into it." (ch 6)

10. unaffected [uhn-uh-fek-tid] adjective
1. free from affectation; sincere; genuine.
2. unpretentious, as a personality or literary style.
"The Miss Dashwoods were young, pretty, and unaffected." (ch 7)

11. raillery [rey-luh-ree] noun, plural -ler•ies.
good-humored ridicule; banter.
"Marianne was vexed at it for her sister's sake, and turned her eyes towards Elinor, to see how she bore these attacks, with an earnestness which gave Elinor far more pain than could arise from such common-place raillery as Mrs Jenning's." (ch 7)

12. insipid [in-sip-id] adjective
without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid: an insipid personality.
"...but the cold insipidity of Lady Middleton was so particularly repulsive that in comparison of it the gravity of Colonel Brnadon, and even the boisterous mirth of Sir John and his mother-in-law, was interesting." (ch7)

13. exigence [ek-si-juhns] noun
1. The need, demand, or requirement intrinsic to a circumstance, condition, etc.: the exigences of city life.
2. a case or situation that demands prompt action or remedy; emergency.
"One consolation, however, remained for them, to which the exigence of the moment gave more than usual propriety..." (ch 9)

These examples are from just the first 30 pages or so of the novel. Obviously, I could do an entire second post devoted to the vocabulary of this book—and I might do just that in the next few weeks.

Your turn: Pick any word from the list above and write your own sentence.

Read the Teaser Tuesday excerpt here.

Teaser Tuesday 102: The Cat, The Lady and the Liar

2011-10-17T20:43:00.001-05:00

“Help us. Help her,” Ritaestelle said. She looked down into the water.

(pg 65)

The cats—particularly Isis in this book—lend a bit of levity to some of the more serious content. Though it’s a bit longer, I offer the following as an example. Poor Isis—she does get into quite a few scrapes book.

I walked slowly toward her soft meows. But when I found her, I had to cover my mouth to keep from breaking into laughter. The goddess was surely embarrassed by her predicament, and I didn’t want to make her feel worse.

Isis had climbed into a basket… It was dark-colored wicker with a handle—and much too small for her. And yet she’d managed to squeeze into it and now obviously couldn’t get out.

(pg 63)

About the Book:
The Cat, the Lady and the Liar (book 3 of series)
by Leann Sweeney

When cat quilter Julian Hart tracks down the owner of a gorgeous stray cat, the trail leads her to none other than fabulously wealthy, undeniably quirky Ritaestelle Longworth. The gossips in town are questioning Ritaestelle’s sanity, and the high-society grande dame isn’t helping matters with her wild accusations that someone is drugging her to keep her away from her beloved cat.

Before Jillian can get to the bottom of Ritaestelle’s charges, a body turns up in the lake behind her house—and her cat Chablis discovers Ritaestelle standing nearby. Can Jillian’s three wise cats aid her in solving a mystery with roots that are decades old? Jillian knows from experience that to find the purr-petrator, she’ll have to prick up her ears and follow the paw prints straight to a killer…

Random Photo: Out on a limb

2011-10-17T00:16:00.000-05:00

Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is.
~Will Rogers

Random Photo: Do not follow

2011-10-14T00:04:00.001-05:00

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thursday Thirteen 223: Random Quotes

2011-10-12T21:22:00.003-05:00

The other day I was flipping through some of my older journals, searching for something I never did find, when some of the random quotes jotted down caught my attention. I am constantly copying down quotes I run across, bits of TV dialogue, song lyrics or passages from books I am reading. I thought some of these might make for a good Thursday Thirteen, so here are a few of the random quotes from the journal dated Feb-April 2009. Enjoy!

"Sure you got the right place?" Kid asked.
"Dunno. I plugged 'crime scene' into MapQuest and this is what it spit out."

(HIDE by Lisa Gardner)

* * *

The problem is, there's no soundtrack for real life. In the movies, you know when something bad is going to happen, because the heavy bass tells you so. There isn't a person alive whose heart doesn't race upon hearing the theme song from JAWS, and frankly, that's a comforting thing. We like our markers. It gives the world a sense of order. Bad things may happen, but only after the background picks up with da-dah, da-dah, da-dah-da-dah-da-dah.

The real world isn't like that...

Life changes in an instant, with no soundtrack to be your guide.

(HIDE by Lisa Gardner)

* * *

Our heads are round so that thoughts can change direction.
~Francis Picobia, painter & poet

* * *

Life is not a reality show. Get one, and you'll see.
~Leonard Pitts Jr, writer

* * *

The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.
~Maureen Dowd, writer

* * *

Until we lose ourselves there is no hope of finding ourselves.
~Henry Miller, writer

* * *

The problem is we think we exist. We think our words are permanent and solid and stamp us forever. That's not true. We write in the moment.

(WRITING DOWN THE BONES by Natalie Goldberg)

* * *

As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate.
~Sandra Boynton

* * *

Fear impoverishes, while the acceptance of sorrow can enrich.

(SEDUCING HUNTER by Cathie Linz)

* * *

But what are we but our bad habits? They make us feel alive, don't they?
~Marilyn Harris

* * *

Half of our mistakes in life arise from feeling where we ought to think, and thinking where we ought to feel.
~John Churlton Collins

* * *

Monsters are real, and ghosts are real, too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.
~Stephen King

* * *

Sometimes tracking a thought is a futile pursuit.
~Me, to friend VSB, July 2000

What about you? Do you ever write down the words of others that inspire or speak to you at a particular moment?

Read more Thursday Thirteen posts here.

Wordless Wednesday 23: Blue Bottle Gentian

2011-10-11T21:13:00.001-05:00

More Wordless Wednesday

Teaser Tuesday 101: The Cat, The Quilt and the Corpse

2011-10-10T22:28:00.005-05:00

My jaw dropped and my stomach roiled simultaneously at what I saw in the dining room beyond.

It wasn't an injured cat.

(Pg 60)

About the book:

The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse
(A Cats in Trouble Mystery, book 1 of 4)
By Leann Sweeney

Recently widowed Jillian Hart is rebuilding a life for herself and her three beloved cats—Chablis, Syrah, and Merlot—as a quilter in a small South Carolina town. The quilts she makes are for cats as smart, special and sweet as her own, and business is thriving.

But when she returns from an overnight quilting show, she discovers Chablis sneezing—and since Chablis is allergic to humans, that can only mean one thing: Someone has broken into her house. When she realizes her Abyssinian Syrah is missing, Jillian suspects catnapping.

Spurred by Chablis’s and Merlot’s mournful meowing, she investigates—and discovers more missing cats and a murder. Now she’s got to save more than one cat in trouble—not to mention herself.

Random Photo: New England Asters

2011-10-10T10:09:00.001-05:00

Owing to the pleasant Indian summer we've had the past two weeks (15 to 20 degrees above normal), the New England Asters are still blooming at the Arboretum. Alas, they won't be around much longer, as temps take a dip back down to normal this week.

Kidding Around

2011-10-08T01:45:00.000-05:00

Trio of goats at Eplegaarden.

Random Photo: Indian Summer

2011-10-07T13:19:00.000-05:00

We've been enjoying a pleasant Indian Summer here this week, with temps in the mid-70s and low-80s and very low humidity. The sky has been a deep and cloudless blue, winds light or non-existent. The leaves are a riot of color and sunsets have been spectacular--perfect for long, breathtaking walks in the afternoon and evenings. I hope you have been able to get outside and enjoy the Autumn weather!