I’m horribly behind on my blog reading, but I ran across this adorable item:

Isn’t that the cutest? Now it’s a pattern and I’m not really hip to patterns, but I have many many friends who love em – if you want them – they’re here: http://www.valeriebothell.com – she’s a very talented Crazy quilter and owner of the Pink Bunny.  However, I think I might just dream up my own – so wait and see.

I have stitch night tonight and I’m thinking it’s ALMOST time for me to dig out my advent calendar and start working on it!

Aren’t they cute?

This summer we’ve started the family tradition of “hug bug” – which came from “slug bug” – but two children in the back seat of the car in a pacifist family hitting each other each time they see a cute car seemed wrong, so we’ve modified it.

Anyway, I saw this post on Penny Sanford’s blog and thought I had to share – hop over and see the other quilted cars AND a quilted gas station – too cute!

Life has been upside down here – we’ve uprooted the house, and moved the office and the kids are starting a new school in a new district in just a few weeks. I feel like I’m at the last mile of a very very very (did I mention “very”) long race. This is a summer I won’t forget, but not particularly in a good way.

Anyway, the hallmark of this summer for me has been books. I’ve been reading like a madwoman! According to the records I keep in Goodreads, I’m on my 15th novel since the kids got out of school at the end of May. Some I read in a few days, some got neglected on my bedside table for a few days, but that’s what I’ve been doing to escape the chaos.

This, of course, is not including blogs, articles on the internet and all the other reading I do. Only one of those has to do with Aspergers (which my son was just diagnosed with), although I’ve just added 4 on that subject today which I will be reading soon. I have to admit I don’t do well with “text” books – much better with something that’s readable.

Anyway, what prompted this post was that I was looking at comments about some of my favorite books that I’ve been reading this summer (I’ve been especially enamored with Elizabeth Berg) and looking at how wide of a range comments can be on the same book. It’s interesting how one book can be seen as “sappy” by one and “deep and inspiring” by another.

I was thinking about how – in participating in Internet focus groups and other geeky internet things – some companies hate “comments” or “ratings” on their products and I was wondering how I would feel if I were that author. Some people write really nasty things – I think I’ve only slammed one book, but I did do it.  Books are so personal, I would think that sort of comment would really hurt – not sure. I guess you’d either have to take it as constructive, ignore it as “one person’s opinion” or not read them.

I like ratings – on almost everything BUT books. I tend to read the description of the book and decide based on that. Mainly because I feel like how someone experiences a book is deeply personal – very individual to not only the person reading it, but to the time in which they read it.  For example, I never read heavy, sad or violent books when I need to be happy and flighty. Why ruin a good time! However, sometimes I just love those things – just when you need to escape or look a little more insight-fully at your own life.

Anyway, this isn’t a book blog (although there are days I wish it was – ha ha) – but I would love for any of you book lovers to go find me on Goodreads – I think it’s a great place to share books and I can’t tell you how many of my “future reads” come from my friends on there! For example I’m now dying to read “The Hunger Games”, which along with being written up on Bookclubgirl.com has also been suggested to me by two of my Facebook friends – LOVE new book ideas!

I also LOVE book blogs – and one of my favorite: bookclubgirl.com recently chose me to recieve this absolutely awesome “banned books” bracelet:

Isn’t it fabulous? If you want one, you can get one over at the ALA store – there’s a kids one I might get Missy C for Christmas (shhh).  I do LOVE it when I get mentioned on a huge blog – very very fun! (I feel famous – ha ha).

So, what are your favorite books? Have you ever slammed a book online in a review? Are you on author? How do you feel about that “feedback”. All questions I’ve been pondering today!

Managed to finish my July doll. There’s a bit of a story behind this.…plus as I started stitching and embellishing it took on a “woodland nymph” theme…which is interesting since our very chaotic month ended up in woods around Leadville in the mountains.
The back got some flowers – obviously you can see I’m playing with the feather stitch her and some pretty beads.

On to the weekend – we’re enjoying a reunion in Leadville, Colorado – very picturesque and the weather has been amazingly accommodating! Having lots of fun and enjoying seeing some very old friends (ok, the friends aren’t old, the friendships are – ha ha). So, we’re off to the Elks club tonight and to have a bit more fun…home tomorrow!

Before I go tho – Racaire (who does some of my favorite historical embroidery) is doing some lovely needle lace – although she claims to NOT be expert because she doesn’t have many pictures of her work…go check it out!

A few months ago, my friend Melissa Taylor invited me to do a guest artist post on her Award Winning blog “Imagination Soup”! Well, I pondered and worried and finally came up with my favorite summer activities for kids!

If you pop over and read it you can even get two pdf downloads of some neat felt/paper dolls that I recreated from some I grew up with!

Go check it out! Oh, and say hi to Melissa – her blog is fabulous!

Last night was stitch night and I got a bit more organized with my projects and everything is moving forward. The spirit doll on the left is July’s and the one on the right is an “extra” (see April’s) that I’m making for a friend.

This month’s spirit doll is an interesting process. That’s actually a crazy quilt block I did in a class that I had no use for. So I just plopped down my pattern, traced and sewed it to a backing. Interestingly I didn’t really know what the pattern would be on the front, I figured I’d just “wing it” on the embellishment.

It’s not really summer colors or anything, but the “winging it” sort of sums up my month…since we’re still working on selling the house, and getting all moved and resettled before school starts (in a month – YIKES) so life is all about “winging it” and I figured I needed a bit more improv in my work!

Then last weekend, I went to a sewing festival and came home with this quick little Brazilian embroidery number – yay! Love it and it’s going super fast! I’ve been taking it to the pool while I wait for the kids swim lessons:

This one is a bit more complicated (an ADVANCED pattern – hee hee) and so I’m just working on the simple butterfly first.

Last but not least is my Brazilian shell I finished…which is now being transformed into a pillow. I plan to bead all around the edge…I just need to find a fabulous fringe now!

Today we’re off to the Denver Mint – we got tickets months ago (which you have to do) and so it should be fun. You can’t even take a purse – so I guess it’s off with just a small wallet and keys. No pictures because they aren’t allowed!

We’re off to swimming lessons and then to ride gondalas today (not kidding it’s a promotion for McDonalds) – so that should be fun! However, I just ran across this fabulous little visual ditty from Anna Maria Horner:

It’s been a week since  posted! Yikes! Well, really a week and a day because I’m late with this. It’s been insane around here, getting caught up with work (which has gotten really busy), showing the house (which isn’t busy enough) and just all around stressing about a multitude of things.

However, last Wednesday evening, I posted this on Facebook:

A good book, rain falling gently outside, dinner on the stove (not prepared by me) and a cat on my lap. Perfection.

And it was – it was really really lovely. Everyone in the house was quiet, or doing something they liked and it was a lovely evening. I love it when the world just seems to slow down and you can catch your breath and enjoy.

I’m not sure what it is about rain, but there were other posts on Facebook:

“loves rainy days. There is no need to run around town with everyone, we can relax at home, get some cleaning done and breathe in the sense of home.”

“has ordered the pizza and is about to open the beer.”

“Pouring rain and thundering. A gloomy, cool day (which I love), the afternoon spent with a dear friend making PIE. The best way to spend a day!”

Thus, not only a perfect moment for me, but it seemed like for many.

We had a wonderful week this week. Now that the house is ready for showings, there really isn’t much to do but keep it clean and get out of the house a lot. So, we managed to make it to Hammond’s Candy – which was really fun! The kids really enjoyed it! It’s not a really exciting tour, and I’d recommend going during the week when there’s more going on in the kitchen, but it’s free and we came home with a ton of candy (oh wait, that’s not free…ha ha).

Anyway, oddly, that’s NOT my perfect moment of the week – spontaneously (I say because we had NO idea what to do ) we drove up to Idaho Springs up I-70 into the mountains on Sunday during our Open house. We stopped by the grocery store, got some chips and sodas and sat by a lovely stream in a park in the middle of town. It was really fun! We all commented how soothing and relaxing the river is – and how fun it was to wave at the rafters as they headed down the stream!

Somehow I think the spontaneous moments are the best – aren’t they?

I’m SO sorry I found this on Geekdad today instead of yesterday – hope everyone enjoyed the fireworks!