Nancy Drew Sleuth Book

2013, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, From the Stacks Challenge, Nancy Drew Challenge /

Ages ago, Texasebeth sent me a copy of The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book and it’s been happily on my shelf of Nancy Drews ever since.

I finally made time to read it last night and it was awesome. I did not own this book when I was a kid so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Turns out it’s the best (worst) of all things Nancy Drew (from that era.)

– “She’s so fat, someone should put her on a DIET!”
– “Gypsy palm reading is against the law in River Heights!”
– “Don’t all the people in Chinatown have almond shaped eyes?”

I could go on, but you get the point.

It’s awesome in its horribleness. And, Nancy is a great teacher! River Heights is just crawling with girl detectives thanks to her little club!

Nancy Drew Sleuth Book Read More »

168 Hours

2013, Books in Bed, Don't Read This, Non-Fiction /

Some people I know (ahem) swear by 168 Hours. Some of those people told me I should read it. Some of those people told others they should read it. Some of those people should be SHOT.

What a waste of time, speaking of time management. AHEM.

I thought the book might have potential and after the first chapter I was looking at time trackers (again.) Also, why isn’t there a 168Hours App? Seriously. You have this book with PRINTABLE PAGES and you don’t have an app? Ho hum. Also. AHEM.

No.

I quit the book half-way through it.

I don’t know if I’m just good at managing my time. Or if I’m not all that unhappy about not having time to do x, y or z so this book doesn’t speak to me. Or… I don’t know.

168 Hours Read More »

Two Mixed Media/Collage Books

2013, Art, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction /

I enjoyed Collage Playground but most there weren’t a lot of new techniques in this one, for me. That doesn’t make it a bad book. I’ve just watched a lot of videos, read a lot of books and done a lot of collages in my day. I think I’d probably recommend this book to someone who hasn’t had a lot of collage experience. The step by step instructions were excellent.

I was a little disappointed with the Collage Discovery Workshop, at first. I think I was expecting more — possibly because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Hellmuth’s work in person and the collages were a little simplistic considering some of the pieces I’ve seen. After I slept on that, I decided I actually liked her book. Rather than it just being a showcase of her talent, she brought collage to a place where anyone would feel like they could do this.

Two Mixed Media/Collage Books Read More »

I Hate Holidays

5 Comments / Daily Dose, Day to Day /

I don’t really hate them but then again, I do. They make coming back to work a whole lot more complicated.

No matter how many times I tell myself that today is Tuesday, at some point, I’m going to confuse myself by thinking it’s Monday. Or Wednesday. Or some other day of the week that it’s not.

And this will happen all week long.

What’s worse is I realized this morning that… I did not blog yesterday.

Yea. Sadness.

I’ve blogged every single day, at least once, since mid-October of 2012 — and I didn’t blog yesterday.

I thought I had. Probably because I spent most of yesterday thinking it was Sunday and I knew I had blogged on Sunday.

This is why it’s good to blog holidays — even if everyone else in the damn world is blogging those holidays and nobody really wants to read another post about that holiday from anyone except maybe their adorable grandchildren.

Sigh.

Lesson Learned.

Starting over again now. Blogging EVERY DAY. AGAIN.

May 27 will be the day that lives in my memory forever. (Or for as long as I am able to hold onto my memories.) The day my blogging streak died.

Poop.

I Hate Holidays Read More »

NOS4A2

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

I love Joe Hill. He’s so much better than his dad.

NOS4A2 was creepy — Christmasland, ugh. That’s some freaky stuff that can give a person nightmares if she spends too much thinking about it.

I loved Vic and Lou and Wayne and also Maggie and Tabitha (though I do find it disconcerting when authors give characters names of family members — I kept picturing Tabitha King, which didn’t work very well for this Tabitha.)

I was a little worried about the end but was happy with it when it was all over and done with. The ornament removal ending was the right ending. (The Acknowledgements and About the Font pages were also good. Don’t skip those and find yourself on the naughty list.)

NOS4A2 Read More »

Ouch: On Crock-Pots, Band-Aids and Hyphens

7 Comments / Daily Dose, Day to Day, Health and Wellness, Money Talks, Personality /

It is still cheaper to buy a replacement crock for a crock-pot than it is to buy a new crock-pot. This disappoints, TW. I don’t know why since I like our crock-pot.

(I find it difficult to hyphenate crock-pot, don’t you?)

When you’ve sliced open a couple of finger tips on the crock-post stoneware, you should really put band-aids on them if you’re going to paint a couple of pages in your altered book. Or if you’re going to use gesso and chalk pastels in a couple of pages of your altered book. It kind of hurts to scrub the paint/chalk out of those cuts.

I should have listened to Ken Jennings when he said I should keep my cuts covered and moist rather than listening to TW (and my own hatred of band-aids.)

(Band-aid is another word I have trouble hyphenating.)

~~

If you broke the stoneware in your crock-pot, would you order a replacement stoneware or buy a new crock-pot?

If you cut a couple of fingers on the stoneware of your crock-post, how long would you leave band-aid(s) on the cut(s)?

Ouch: On Crock-Pots, Band-Aids and Hyphens Read More »

Two More Art Journaling Books

1 Comment / 2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

Yep, still all art journaling all the time around here. Or at least reading about art journaling and watching videos about art journaling. Not a lot of actual journaling going on, though. Not none, just not a lot.

The Art Journal Workshop was excellent. So excellent that I’m going to take a peek at the dvd that’s attached to the book. (I never do that.)

I’m also not much of a “prompt” kind of person but I really liked all of the exercises and prompts in this book. Of all the art journaling and mixed media books I’ve read recently, this is my favorite.

Painted Pages is not my favorite. It’s probably my least favorite. Not because it’s not a technique book but because the pages here just don’t work for me. Not a bad book, just not the book for me at all.

Two More Art Journaling Books Read More »

Missing This and Of Course, There’s That and TW is Nuts

2 Comments / Daily Dose, Day to Day /

Oops.

With the art journaling moved to the nice little dedicated corner of the family room… I’m not actually remembering to journal. hahah. When they were on my desk, I could pick them up and doodle. Or throw down a layer of paint. Or at the very least, remember to do something with the calendar a day thingy.

Out of sight, out of mind — I skipped four days of calendar journaling because the altered book is in the other room. I also haven’t done anything with The Pocket Scavenger because that book was also in the other room.

If only I didn’t mind prairie dog goo in all of my pages, then I could move the red table in here and the expedit into the other room and … but no. Not happening. I just need to develop a new habit — and maybe get back to taking those work-day breaks I’m supposed to be taking.

~
But not taking because work is weird and I can’t seem to find a good long stretch of time that works. Maybe it’s just this week that’s the problem and next week will be better.

I hope.

~
Speaking of weird work – TW has a new job so she’s doing that thing where she tells everyone all about how awesome her job is and how they should do THAT thing because DID YOU KNOW…?

It’s amusing but it can also get a little tiring.

Poor Annie, the librarian. TW tried very hard to convince her she should come over to BlogHer and enter sweepstakes and giveaways. We used to be Annie’s favorite library patrons — now, I’m not so sure. Hah.

~
In two weeks we’ll be in Austin. Where it’s warm. Where my baby girl will also be. TWO WEEKS! I’ll also get to hug some co-workers and some friends and listen to food bloggers talk about food and food blogging. Food bloggers are fascinating creatures. I always feel like I’m gawking at the exotic birds and flowers when I go to BlogHer Food. So awesome. I can’t wait.

And did I mention it will be warm there?

~
I’m back to wearing two pairs of socks and two jackets IN MY HOUSE again.

Damn Chicagoland. Can’t we just move to Savannah and be done with it?

Missing This and Of Course, There’s That and TW is Nuts Read More »

Dog Food is Complicated

4 Comments / Daily Dose, Day to Day, Personality /

When DID dog food get so complicated?

I’ve had at least one dog for most of my life and I’ve never spent more than two minutes choosing a dog food. What’s the cheapest? Have I bought it before, only to have the dog turn up her nose at it, (though honestly, this has always been more likely to happen with cats)? Have I bought it and the dog had any weird stomach things happen around the same time that might be attributed to this dog food.

And that’s it. End of thought process.

So why in the hell am I not only asking people on Chatter/Twitter/Facebook about dog food but also considering only higher priced dog foods — dog foods you can’t get at the grocery store?

Hell, I even asked the damn vet if he had a dog food recommendation.

And when did dogs start having gluten problems? Is that new? Because I’m almost 50 years old and for a good 40+ years of that time, I’d never seen a single gluten-intolerant dog. I worked at a KENNEL for three years and we never had a dog come in with a special gluten-free/grain-free food. EVER.

Skeeter will LITERALLY eat anything at all. It might not do her tummy any good to eat Elly’s sock or the Hershey’s chocolate bar wrapper she dug out of the trash — but she’ll eat it but here I am wondering about what food to buy. Whether we should just stick with the brand she’s used to, just in adult formula, in case she doesn’t “like” a different kind. Then again, she’s thrilled when she can break into the shih tzu’s room and eat his Kibbles n Bits (or whatever inexpensive food HE is eating.)

I’ve become one of those dog owners. I have to just admit it – to myself, and to all of you (who have already figured that out.)

It wasn’t the making of the dog toys last weekend that cinched it. It is the indecision over dog food.

Hell.

Dog Food is Complicated Read More »