Happy May….

First off, I have to show you the awesome Keds I found on Amazon.  They are SO ME, I couldn't pass them up!!  I just got them yesterday and I'm so excited to wear them somewhere.  My hubby said that all I need now was a floppy hat and a big red nose, but I totally disagree!  I bet people are going to ask me where I got them so they can get some too.  AND, they come in different colors too!

Delia's friend sent me a photo of Delia with herself.  Too bad she decided to change her hair color since I made her.  If you remember, she was Lady #66.

And, naturally, we have the envelopes I sent this week:

And lastly, I read a few books (again)….mostly from the library this week.  There is just something about holding a hardcover book that I love!

"The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry"             by         Rachel Joyce
"Lost Lake"                                                           by         Sarah Addison Allen
"Ruin Falls"                                                           by        Jenny Michman
"The Weight of Blood"                                          by        Laura Mc Hugh

The first one (the only softcover) took me forever to get into, and I almost put it aside, but I'm so glad I didn't because it was my favorite of the week.  Anyone over 50 should really be moved by this debut by Rachel Joyce.

So, that's it!  Tonight I have to check to see if I have to show up for jury duty tomorrow as the summons declared.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for "NO".   How I'll ever sit that long is beyond me…say a little prayer for me please.  Many of the trials in our county are settled the night before, I understand, so I can only hope!!!  Until next week…………..

3 Missing ladies plus more

Yeah, today you get to meet the missing ladies.  They were all commissioned some time ago, but were gifts so we had to wait.  First, is Delia from the UK (actually they're all from the UK, if you can believe, but I'm not sure they all know each other.  lol)  Delia is Lady #66

A friend of Delia's asked me to do her portrait as a gift.

Then, not long after, Ailsa wrote to me from Japan and asked me if I could do both her mother and aunt who were not sewers, but knitters and visiting her from the UK.  She wanted to surprise them. I had never done a knitter before, so I sort of "winged it", but she told me they were pleased.  First, meet Ailsa's Mom, Margaret…..Lady #68:

And here is Ailsa's Aunt Pat, lady #69:

And YES, I did knit that tiny earring!

Naturally, I sent out envelopes.  The bunny was sent too late for Easter, but the thought was still there.

Of course, I read some books this week too.  Believe it or not, three were from the library (although I still have stacks of soft covers here to read.  lol)

"Silence for the Dead"                           by                      Simone St. James
"Without Warning"                                by                      David Rosenfelt
"Vintage - a Novel"    (Debut)               by                      Susan Gloss
"The Good Luck of the Right Now"     by                      Matthew Quick

The last three were the best in their own right.  "Without Warning" was a thriller, "Vintage" was a contemporary and "The Good Luck of the Right Now" was laugh out loud funny and all three are available at your local library.  They're recent releases and all hardcover books.  I love reading different stuff!!!

So, that's the news!  I did sew this week too (if you can believe????)  I joined two swaps, and had time (for some reason) to browse through my favorites on flickr one evening which gave me tons of  inspiration.  Who knows, I just might start sewing like a mad woman again?????   Have a super week, my friends!!  AND….if you have time…..jump over to freeze-frame's blog on my side-bar and wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  It's Monday!  Have a happy week, Annie!!!                

Happy Easter

May you all have a blessed and Happy Easter!  We're going to our daughter's for a brunch today so I'm a happy mama.  No cooking for me this year!  Hubby, of course, had to color eggs though.  You'd think at 68 years old he might be a little past the egg coloring stage, but NO.  Every year I'm told to pick up a kit at the grocery store and every year I hear the story how his family colored 5 dozen eggs every Easter when he was a kid.  I think he's upset that I only let him do one dozen.  Maybe I should suggest that he get involved in a "hunt".  Then, I'd let him dye eggs to his hearts content!  lol

Naturally I sent out some envelopes this week.  

And, I bought a few more books.  Check out that bottom one…….800 pages!  I think I'll give it to my son to read first.  He loves books too and if it's good, then I'll read it.  

I did read quite a few books this week again.  I'm telling you, I am getting to be quite a hermit…..all I do is grocery shop, cook and read.  What a life!  Oh…and I did go to the library a few times too.  lol

These are the ones I finished:

"The Book of Joe"                          by                           Jonathan Tropper
"A Dog's Purpose"  ******           by                            W. Bruce Cameron
"Defending Jacob"                         by                            William Landay
"Love and Treasure"                       by                           Ayelet Waldman
"The Other Story"                           by                           Tatiana De Rosnay
"The Storied Life of A J Fikry"       by                           Gabrielle Zevin

I gave up on "Love and Treasure" after 130 pages, too boring!  But absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, "A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron.  It was the best of the bunch, by far.  I sobbed at the end!  My 2nd favorite was "Defending Jacob".

So, that's it for this week.  Next week I'll be able to introduce you to the 3 missing ladies and I can't wait!  Have a good Easter, my friends!!  Until next week……………..

Mostly books this week…...

All I did last week is read.  Seriously!  Seems that almost every book I picked up (and I did borrow some from the library…if you can believe???) was so good that I could hardly put it down.  Things will change this week though.  My house needs some attention badly!!  The dust is calling and I must prepare for Easter, although at this juncture, I'm not real sure what I might be doing.  Usually, my sister and her family host the holiday, but this year, she, my brother-in-law, her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter are on vacation until late Saturday, so won't have time and she let me know before she left that they'd just as soon forget it anyway considering the after vacation chores required to prepare for the work week on Monday.  My head is spinning with Easter possibilities, but the question is whether or not I really want the work, expense, and hassle involved with just providing a holiday outlet for my adult kids and their spouses (none of whom is religious anyway) and one little 5 year old granddaughter whom I rarely see anyway unless she requires a gift for some special occasion.  Naturally, I do have a basket filled with goodies…….so one way or another she will be blessed even if we have to drive it over to her!    Call me lazy, but at this time in my life, I'd much rather just read than be expected to provide tradition just for tradition sake.  I guess you'll find out next week…..me too!  lol

These are the books of the week:

"Second Star to the Right"            by            Mary Alice Monroe

"The Ocean at the End of the Lane"        by                  Neil Gaiman

"The Glass Kitchen"                by              Linda Francis Lee  

"In the Blood"          by            Lisa Unger

"The Winter People"        by         Jennifer McMahon

"The Third Hill North of Town"          by         Noah Bly

I won "The Glass Kitchen" free through Goodreads.com First Reads give away.  The release date isn't until June.  All I was asked was to give an honest review.  Easy enough!  That one and "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" were the worse ones of the week.  All the others were top notch!  They were all different, but equally entertaining!  I highly recommend any and all! 

Then, naturally, I sent out some envelopes:

So there you have it!  My week in a nutshell!  OH…….and I did get a jury service notice for May.  Ugh!  Good thing we can take books there to read while we wait.  lol

Same old - same old

Boy, my life is boring……seems like I do the same stuff every week lately.  Problem is that I'm not sure if that's good or bad.  lol  All I know is that the weeks are getting closer to spring when I can open my windows and let the breezes in rather than having the furnace on all the time!  Right now though, if I did that, I'd freeze.  Temps this morning are about 37 degrees.  Brrrrrr!!  At least it's not snowing.  lol

Lady #71, Diane from WI, is joining us this morning.  Diane is the long armer at my quilt shop and is a busy, busy lady!!  I can't image how many quilts she quilts every week on the 4 long arm machines they have at the shop.  All I know is that I'm happy she does it and not me.  

And here is the "real" Diane.

Then, naturally, I sent out envelopes.  Mostly to my little sweeties, but also one to my son-in-law who has a birthday this week.

Last, but not least, I must tell you about the awesome books I read this week.  I think this was the best week yet for favorite reads.  Out of the 4 there was only 1 that wasn't right at the top of my favorites so far this year and the name of that was, "All you can Dream Buffet".  I wasn't crazy about that one at all.  DO check out the others though.  I loved each of them and highly recommend them all!!

"A Fall of Marigolds"                 by                             Susan Meissner
"The Lost Wife"                         by                             Alyson Richman
"Calling Me Home"                    by                             Julie Kibler

That last one took awhile to get into and I almost gave up on it after about 130 pages, but I'm so glad I stuck it out because by the end, I was crying, it was so good.

So, that's it!  Believe it or not, I just started reading my first borrowed library book.  I had 3 books on library hold since March 12th, but somehow or other they disappeared off my "hold" list, so when I re-entered them on Friday, I  discovered that I could already pick one up, so sent hubby to fetch it yesterday.  I'll tell you about it next week.

I hope you all have wonderful days ahead!  Happy spring and happy reading, or sewing or both…..lol!  Love ya!