Here is a list of ten book's I'd recommend anyone reading:

I don't take the time to read as much as I'd like.  I'm a slow reader, I take my time, and if it's good I can't put it down, then not much else gets done around here.  Today I thought I'd share a short list of some of my favorites with you.

• Spilling Clarence - Anne Ursu

I like books where the author has come up with a premise, in this case, "What would it be like if we never forgot anything, our memories never faided?".; For example, the pain of loss we feel when a loved one dies.; We never gain the benefit of time easing that pain.

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

The glimpse into the life of an autistic boy.

 

• Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire

Poor Elphaba, she's was so misunderstood!  Also saw Wicked at the theater.  I was going to say I also saw 'this' at the theater but while it was an entertaining and beautiful production, it was as warped from the book as much as Wicked was from Oz!  You've no doubt heard it a thousand times before, the book is better!

• Son of a Witch: Volume Two in the Wicked Years - Gregory Maguire

Loved the ending! 

• A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years - Gregory Maguire

Can't wait to read more.....

• Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

What more can be said?

• The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Again, the author's premise is so intriguing.

• A Girl Named Zippy - Haven Kimmel

I'm a mid-west gal form this era, gotta love it!

• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I do not have the wonder lust, but this book really makes we want to go to this place!

• The Confessions of Max Tivoli - Andrew Sean Greer

Again, the author's premise, very interesting.

If you agree, or disagree, with any of the books on this list let me know.  Also, if anyone has a recommendation for something they've recently read I'd love to hear it!

Seems I was busy doin' somethin' close to nothin'

Ah, the immortal words of Prince!

My house is kinda trashed right now.  Stuff is piled all over the place.  I'm trying to find 2 things that I want to do 2 things with so those are out on the counter waiting.  So since I'm looking in all my cupboards I thought I'd organize my "supplies" or "good junk" better so I can find everything when I'm ready to work on something.  So I've got a stack of plates here and there.  Candle sticks in that box.  A couple dozen vintage pictures in that tub.  All the stuff off the hutch since I might as well take down the pine cone plates and put up my Granmas floral plates for Spring.  Ah ha, I did find something else I was not really looking for, flux, I thought I had some and didn't want to buy again.  Found about a dozen decor items I no long want and just put them on craigslist.  If they're not gone by Monday they are going to my favorite junk store.  Let's hope I don't buy them back!  So, once I figure out how big each pile is I can figure out which cupboard gets which stuff.

Which reminds me of the time I was checking out and trying to find exact change and I said to the sale girl, "There's method to my madness." and that cheeky little girl says to me, "Or is there madness to your method?"  I use that line whenever I get a chance!  Still makes me chuckle.

I've also been trying to get more items posted in my etsy shop.  I sold a mirror memo board yesterday, lots of fun wrapping that up to mail!  What was I thinking?  Hope it gets there safely.  Here's a few of my favorite things for sale in my etsy shop.  zueeuz.etsy.com

Well, I better get back to this chaos I call a house.

The search continues.....

Display Dreams, Dispair, and Done!

One of my favorite gift and antique stores was having a "garage sale".  

The shop set up a tent in the back alley and vendors brought in some odds and ends as well as some drastically marked down items from the regular shop.  People were making piles of the stuff they wanted to buy so they could keep their hands free to grab more good stuff.  

Crowded but lots of fun and a few treasures found.  

The most exciting thing I bought was an ironing board cupboard.  

I didn't think to take a picture of it and now it's hiding in my storage unit.  But you know what they look like, the ones that get built into the wall space between studs.  I've always thought they were nifty.  This one's not in too bad of shape, a little musty and dusty.  I threw most of the fabric from the board away but the bottom layer was a pretty floral that might be useable, it's in the wash now.  

Anyway, I'm thinking of using the cupboard for jewelry display at craft shows.  

I'll have to think on how that's actually going to work.

Since I was in the area I figured I better swing by my favorite junk store.  

(I'd tell you where it is but my best junking pal, Jan, doesn't like me to divulge that information.)  

I didn't get any fantastic treasures from there today but I wanted to share with you pictures of a couple display pieces they have that I covet.  Believe me I've asked and no, they won't sell them to me!  @#&*!

The first is a cute vintage metal stand in 50's green.  

You can see they are really picked over from their recent vintage sale.

The second is the sweetest little light green shelf with cut away sides.  

It makes me smile every time I see it.  

Then......see that mean little sign taped to the upper right hand corner?  

"For display only."  No fun!

My last display piece is something I've been thinking about for a while.  

How exactly do I make it, hmmm?   Then, duh!  I came across this hand thing that I'd bought from Marshall's months ago and used for ring display once but I didn't really like.  I was planning on painting it but put it aside when I got this other idea, to stuff a vintage glove.  I think a light bulb actually went on above my head!  I just put the glove on the hand!  (Almost had to break the hands thumb to get that sucker on, but I got it on!)  

I know, amazing how blind I was to the obvious solution!

The hand doesn't know what the glove is doing, or something like that.

  The base is a pretty heavy candle stick just glued to the bottom of the hand.

The glove is off white leather with pretty seed bead scrolls stitched on the back.  

I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, excited even!

These are some button rings I made the other day.  

So one thing gets crossed off the list and another is added.....

The Artistic Mother Group

This really creative woman, Shona Cole, wrote this book.  It's about inspiring women, moms, to make time to indulge their creative selves.  Learn more about her and the book at 

shonastudio.blogspot.com

'The Artistic Mother -  

a Practival Guide to Fitting Creativity into Your Busy Life'

 

Now, another gal, Trudy Callan, has started a group for anyone to join, 

moms or grandmas.

Here's what she says.....

"I started this group because I have a hard time balancing doing art every day along with carrying on with my every day life. I figured that other women might struggle with this as well. I thought it would be nice if we all came together as an accountability group to encourage one another, find inspiration from one another and build the habit of doing something artistic each day, even if only for 15 minutes, as we go through the 12 projects in Shona Cole's book, The Artistic Mother."

To join this group or learn more about Trudy go here.....

artisticcreationswithtrudy.blogspot.com

 

 Now, I haven't gotten the book yet, but from what I can tell, it is a guide on how to create the time and motivation to squeeze creative time into our day.  That would be me.....in need of time and motivation!

The idea is that members of the group will create the projects in the book and blog about them and inspire each other.  How cool is that?!  So joining this group!  You too?  Here you go..... 

 

artisticcreationswithtrudy.blogspot.com

 

Check back with me here to see my creative progress.   There are 10-12 different project we will be working on.  I'll also have a link to others in this group so you can see what they've created as well.  I can't wait to see how different all the same things turn out, know what I mean?!

 

The book is available at amazon.com

The suspense continues.....

 

 

Where to begin?

So, I've been visiting all these inspiring blogs, seeing all the lovely things people have been creating for their homes or to sell, or just to inspire someone, like me for instance.  I want to join in on all this fun in blog land so here I am, ready or (most assuredly) not!  I will list some the most yummy places I've visited when I figure out how to do that.  Please forgive me for not being very tech savvy.  

Another reason I want to be part of blog land is because I think it might motivate me to get some of the things on my "to do" list done.  You know, to do something post worthy.  Yikes!

My husband (trying to think of something cute to refer to him as.....OM old man, BW bread winner, MW mr. wonderful, he'd like that one but let's not go crazy, I'll figure something out).  Anyway, he was out of town last week so I took that opportunity to make a mess at my house that I wouldn't have to clean up for a couple days.  Oh, and there were paint fumes too.  

This, I also thought, for my first post, would prove to the world that I do actually get some things scratched off that to do list!

This is in the jack and jill part of my son's bathroom.  Ok, the whole truth about this piece is that when I bought it, I read my notes wrong and it's actually 2" too wide for the space available.  There's a door (to the guest room) on the right that only opens 2/3 of the way.  It'll stay until I find something else to put in it's place.

 

This is a cute little shelf that's veneer kept coming off from the decorative cutouts.   So I glued what was saved and filled what was missing and am hoping the paint will keep it all where it should stay.  I plan to use this for when I do craft shows.  (I'll link to my etsy shop when I can figure that out too.  It's hell being computer illiterate!)  

This is one of the 2 mirrors that came with an old french provincial dresser I bought for our bedroom.  Love the dresser, the mirrors, not so much.  So this one's painted white and the other is black.  

This monster is in my sewing room.  I forgot I wanted to paint it last week, too.  Oops!  So here's where the accountability comes in to play.  Now that I know, that you know, that this thing is in my house and I'm supposed to have it painted.....that's supposed to motivate me.  

And so the saga continues.....