Musings on Spring

Lots of things about my life have changed.  If there is one thing I've learned, it's that the only thing that never changes in Life is that nothing ever stops changing.  Change is a good thing, especially as the freezing cold mornings give way to cooler, foggy mornings that smell like roses and freshly-planted gardens.  We "Spring Clean" to clear out all the old, unused stuff we own and brighten up our homes as we put away the winter clothes.  I've realized just the past week how much I love Spring.  All the bright and happy flowers, the warm sun and the longer evenings make me smile.

I've neglected this blog, but that's actually a good thing.  Life is keeping me busy and I have little time to sit in front of my computer and write about the crafts I've been up to.  My son and I have moved to a small town and we're currently in an in-between home.  I know there is a permanent home for us here; I just pray I find it soon!  Our current place is larger than we need and while it is a beautiful home, it's not our home--and all our things are in storage.  Or the trunk of my car, or at our old home.....

Be patient with me, I have been up to art and have pictures to share.  I've been concentrating first on a Project Life album for 2013, secondly on art, with some sketchbook work thrown in in the past few days.  Good things are on their way!

I hope you too are enjoying the beginnings of Spring.  I'm a Christian, and Easter has always been a favorite holiday.  It feels triumphant, in a different way than Christmas does.  Christ overcame death so that we may have ever-lasting life--how amazing and humbling that is!  Plus Cadbury Mini-Eggs are the best candy ever!! ;D

Books I Read in 2012 30-54

So here's my final list of the year 2012.  I originally set myself a goal of 40 books, but passed that limit with a few more months of the year to go.  So I upped my goal to 60, and completely read 54.  Not too shabby!

Books 1-30 are listed here.

31. Shadow Kin: A Novel of the Half-Light City by M.J. Scott – 4 stars and I’m looking forward to reading book 2: Blood Kin

32. Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1) by Karen Chance – Another series I’m re-reading, but in this case, it’s to catch up to the next book in the series. One of the best Urban Paranormal series!

34. Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer, Book 2) by Karen Chance - 4 stars

35. Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 3) by Karen Chance - This was another re-read, and I love it still!

36. Grave Witch (Alex Craft, Book 1) by Kalayna Price - Loved it! 5 stars

37. Throat by R.A. Nelson - Didn't hold my attention well enough to follow the story but what I read was good; I skimmed rather than read. 3 stars 

38. Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane, Book 1) by Jaye Wells - Laughed my butt off at several parts, so a very enjoyable and unique urban paranormal - 4 stars

39. Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber - This is one of those books classified as "YA" that really are meant for their age level. I believe young readers, especially girls in the 9-12 range, will enjoy it. As an adult though...there was nothing unique or intriguing about this story. 1 star

40. Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card - If you want a book to make you think, deeply, about time travel--this is exactly for you! But I don’t... 3 stars

41. Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) by Ilona Andews - This is my absolute favorite urban paranormal series, and Kate Daniels is on my Top 10 list of favorite characters EVER! This is the 3rd time I've read books 1-3; I have books 4 and 5 now, so I'm going to go ahead and list them all. Oh, and 4 stars on this one--it's a bit of a slow start.:) 

42. Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, Book 2) Again, 5 stars Seriously, this has one of the best endings in any paranormal book ever!

43. Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, Book 3) Excellent book, and the romance begins to get really hot in this one! 5 stars 

44. Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4) Great ending--love this series so much!

45. Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, Book 5) - And yet again, another great ending. One of the best things about this series is that the endings are complete enough to leave you satisfied, but also interesting enough to make you continue on to the next book.

46. Divergent (Book 1) by Veronica Roth - 5 stars, and I'm very excited to continue the story in "Insurgent.” However, book 3 is not out til Fall 2013!

47. Insurgent(Book 2) by Veronica Roth was just as excellent - another 5 stars, and I eagerly await the next part of the story.

48. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - WOW! A great (and scary as all get-out) story, this is right along the same line as “Supernatural” on TV, so I really enjoyed it.

49. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - I’ve tried to finish this over and over and just can’t. I’m listing it because I made it most of the way this time. This is one of several popular YA superstar books that I just don’t “get;” to me, there is zero appeal. Maybe it’s the gorgeous cover art.... 1 star

50. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore - Another spooky story, this one set in rural Alabama and described so well that even if I wasn’t from Birmingham, I’d be able to understand how much the setting impacts the story. 4 stars

51. Hourglass by Myra Mcentire - a time-travel story I absolutely loved (but still made me want to sit down and draw a timeline, lol.) I can’t wait to read the next book, Timepiece. 4.5 stars

52. Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass - set in Atlanta, this novel was unique because of the use of Egyptian and and ancient African "good vs evil" basis. I really enjoyed this one and I look forward to spending more time with the characters.  4 stars

53. Hating Heidi Foster by Jeffrey Blount - I received this book through the Early Reviewers group, and this was a good story.  It had a deeper meaning than I expected, and the twist at the end is particularly unexpected. 3.5 stars

54. Angelfall (Penryn and the End of Days) by Susan Ee - Great!!  Very original and I can't wait for book 2!!  A great book to end the year with :) 4.5 stars

New Year, New Word

More info about the One Little Word meme can be found on Ali Edwards' blog through this link.  It's 2013, and there have been lots of changes in my personal life recently.  To celebrate, reflect and strengthen my life, this year my word is

BETTER [bet-er]

Adjective:

1. of superior quality or excellence:  a better coat; a better speech.

2. morally superior; more virtuous:  They are no better than thieves.

3. of superior suitability, desirability, acceptableness, etc

4. preferable:  a better time for action.

5. larger; greater:  the better part of a lifetime.

6. improved in health; healthier than before.

7. completely recovered in health.

Adverb:

8. in a more appropriate or acceptable way or manner:  

to behave better.

9. to a greater degree; more completely or thoroughly:  He knows

the way better than we do. I probably know him better than anyone else.
10. more:  I walked better than a mile to town.

Oh. My. Gosh!

So, the awesome giveaway I wrote about in the previous post...I WON!!!!  In fact, I won the top prize, a $100 shopping spree!!  You have no idea how thankful I am, and how happy I was to write to my brother that his gift has once again changed my outlook on life.

My son and I have enjoyed looking at every item in Michelle Allen's Close to my Art store today, but I am still in such shock that I didn't commit to anything.  I do love this Sweet Cupcake clock:

We also love this clock, a cat with a mouse pendulum, because our cat Mina is an accomplished mouser!  (We live in a rural area, with a huge field for a backyard, so mice are a constant problem.)

My favorite thing is how fun her art is.  As an untrained Art Journaler, there are many areas of art I am still too scared to try.  A cube?  No way!  A face?  Nope, unless it is in the cute, smiley-face style of my mom's when I was in elementary school.  I shouldn't take it so seriously....  That's my insight of the day :)

Actually, this is my deeper thought for today:
You never know how something can change another person's life.  My brother was just buying his sad sister a gift, hoping to make her smile.  There's also another story behind my pink girl bank too, about God and my son James and prayers being answered, but it's rather "round-about," so I'm not going into details.  But that girl has really made her presence known around here!  So she deserves two more pictures in the limelight:

Sitting next to my unfinished jewelry box

Sitting next to my treasure box, also by Michelle Allen

Sale at Close to My Art Sale!

I'm not normally a collector of knick-knacks and "shelf-sitters," but I do collect pieces by Michelle Allen, the artist at Close to my Art.  Her designs are whimsical and make me smile.  My first piece, the pink girl bank, was from my brother when I was having a tough time, and I smile whenever I see her.  I also really love her cat banks. 

Her shop is having a sale and a giveaway, and I'm beginning to make a Christmas wishlist, so this is perfect timing!

The pink girl on top and the 2 cats on the middle are by Michelle Allen.

NPR's Poll Results: Your Favorites: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels

I love YA novels, and apparently I'm not alone!  This summer, NPR's annual summer reader's survey had 75,220 listeners vote for their favorite young adult novels.

This is the Printable version of the list; for the original article and more details, go here.

I'm marking the ones I've read or have on my to-be-read list, just out of curiosity.  Only 25 read, with another 5 in my home but not read yet.  I thought there would be more.  I'm off to research the rest!
UPDATE 9/23/2012: read Divergent, and realized I'd read 2 other entries, so I've read 28.

1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
2. The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins
3. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
4. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
5. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
6. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
7. The Lord of the Rings (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien
8. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
9. Looking for Alaska, by John Green
10. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
11. The Giver (series), by Lois Lowry
12. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (series), by Douglas Adams
13. The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
14. Anne of Green Gables (series), by Lucy Maud Montgomery
15. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
16. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
17. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
18. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
19. Divergent (series), by Veronica Roth
20. Paper Towns, by John Green
21. The Mortal Instruments (series), by Cassandra Clare
22. An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green
23. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
24. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
25. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
26. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
27. Twilight (series), by Stephenie Meyer
28. Uglies (series), by Scott Westerfeld
29. The Infernal Devices (series), by Cassandra Clare
30. Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt
31. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
32. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (series), by Anne Brashares
33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
34. Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green, David Levithan
35. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
36. Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones
37. Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
38. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
39. Vampire Academy (series), by Richelle Mead
40. Abhorsen Trilogy / Old Kingdom Trilogy (series), by Garth Nix
41. Dune, by Frank Herbert
42. Discworld / Tiffany Aching (series, by Terry Pratchett
43. My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
44. The Dark is Rising (series), by Susan Cooper
45. Graceling (series), Kristin Cashore
46. Forever..., by Judy Blume
47. Earthsea (series), by Ursula K. Le Guin
48. Inheritance Cycle (series), by Christopher Paolini
49. The Princess Diaries (series), by Meg Cabot
50. The Song of the Lioness (series), by Tamora Pierce
51. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
52. Delirium (series), by Lauren Oliver
53. Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins
54. Hush, Hush Saga (series), by Stephanie Perkins
55. 13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson
56. It's Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini
57. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy (series), by Libba Bray
58. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
59. The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros
60. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
61. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
62. Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen
63. A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L'Engle
64. The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen
65. The Bartimaeus Trilogy (series), by Jonathan Stroud
66. Bloodlines (series), by Richelle Mead
67. Fallen (series), by Lauren Kate
68. House of Night (series), by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
69. I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
70. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlsit, by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
71. Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
72. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman
73. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
74. The Maze Runner Trilogy (series), by James Dashner
75. If I Stay, by Gayle Forman
76. The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley
77. Crank (series), by Ellen Hopkins
78. Matched (series), by Allie Condie
79. Gallagher Girls (series), by Ally Carter
80. The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
81. Daughter of the Lioness / Tricksters (series), by Tamora Pierce
82. I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak
83. The Immortals (series), by Tamora Pierce
84. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (series), by Patricia C. Wrede
85. Chaos Walking (series), by Patrick Ness
86. Circle of Magic (series), by Tamora Pierce
87. Daughter of Smoke & Bone, by Laini Taylor
88. Feed, by M.T. Anderson
89. Weetzie Bat (series), by Francesca Lia Block
90. Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen
91. Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (series), by Louise Rennison
92. Leviathan (series), by Scott Westerfeld
93. The House of the Scorpion, by Scott Westerfeld
94. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (series), by Diana Wynne Jones
95. The Lullaby, by Sarah Dessen
96. Gone (series), by Michael Grant
97. The Shiver Trilogy (series), by Maggie Stiefvater
98. The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
99. Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
100. Betsy-Tacy Books (series), by Maud Hart Lovelace

Best Teacher Gift!

 Here's my Rock Star craft of the school year:

I made 8x10 "tabletop" frames into desktop write on/wipe off message boards for James's teachers.  Now if they're grading papers or otherwise need a moment, they can write "Stop" on the frame and prevent interruptions.  Or use it for a million other things.  I gave his two teachers their gifts in an end-of-year conference, and all of the other teachers were excited about them.  (I didn't know there were going to be other teachers there!  Serious faux pas....)

There are very easy to make, I simply framed fabric and made matching flowers for little accents.  The easiest gifts can be the most successful!  James picked out his favorite fabrics for his two awesome teachers, and we're going to sorely miss them both next year. 

We have been re-zoned, and while it's to another very good school, we've been at the same school for Pre-K and Kindergarten.  Bittersweet!

Thank you Mrs. Garrett and Miss Taylor!  James <3s you both!!