My Favorite Scrapbooking Tools - Read: Stuff You NEED!

Alright...let's get this thing a rollin'! I just finished wrapping and bagging 36 lb. of ground beef from my shopping trip and I'm ready to start writing! (For those who are curious, I bought twelve 3-lb. packages that were on sale for their lowest price of the year - this happens about every 8 months - and cut them down to 1-lb. portions. After an additional store discount I ended up paying $1.70/lb.) It made me happy.

Now...on with the scrapbooking!

For those of you not familiar with scrapbooking, there are A LOT of options when it comes to both supplies and tools. This was so not the case when I started. In 2002, I was lucky to find a craft store with 1/2 of an aisle of scrap supplies. Now...there are multiple craft stores with multiple aisles and even a few dedicated scrapbooking stores within 20 miles of me.

For an initial scrapper this can be totally overwhelming. But let me assure you...if you have some basics you'll be just fine and you can just grow your stash a little at a time. So...if you have nothing and you think this might be a hobby for you, here are the basic things you'll need :

• Photos (You should've seen this one coming.)
• Paper
• Cutting tools
• Adhesive

Anything beyond this...gravy. So, let's talk a little about the basics and then I'll share with you my top favorite scrapping tools.

1. Photos

There is no right or wrong way to do your photos. I only work by one rule...if it is an older photo (ie. family history) or a one of a kind photo (like class photos or maybe some school pictures) be careful. Older heritage photos should always be duplicated. Use the duplicate for scrapping and save the original. That way, if you're cropping (cutting the picture down to another size) and make a mistake, you haven't just destroyed the only copy of Grandpa & Grandma's wedding photo.

I use photos in all sizes and colors. I like glossy, but some people use a matte finish. Most of my photos are 4x6", but I also like to work in 5x7" and occasionally 8x10". I use mostly color photos, but I also edit them into black and white, sepia or antique.

We'll talk about more photo options another time.

2. Paper

Oh, paper...how I love thee. You may already be aware of my love of paper...I will share that with you some other time. There is much to be said on this topic. But for now, there are a couple of things to be aware of...type of paper and size.

Really it comes down to two basic types of paper...cardstock and regular scrapbook paper. Yes...there's vellum and fiber paper and blah, blah, blah, but let's keep it simple.

Cardstock is your heavier paper. It comes in both solid colors and patterned pieces. Cardstock is sturdier and generally patterned cardstock is more expensive than other paper. I keep primarily solid color cardstock.

Regular scrapbook paper is thinner and lighter. It too comes in both solids and patterns. Most of my regular paper is patterned. And I have A LOT of it.

Both types of paper can be used for anything. There is no right or wrong way to use paper. Both types of paper also can often be found in "stacks", meaning a set of paper that coordinates. This is most often the cheapest way to buy it.

And lastly, paper comes in many, many sizes. Most of my paper is 12 x 12" both because it is the most widely available and because it can be cut down to any size. I also have 8 1/2 x 11", 8 x 8" and 6 x 6".

There is so much more I can show you about paper...another day...

3. Cutting Tools

You need something to cut your paper and photos with. Sure, you can tear paper, but you won't always want to do this. You can use something as basic as a pair of garden variety scissors or you can use a paper trimmer. I have both in my arsenal. I'll share them with you here in a minute...my scissors are my very favorite tool. They're awesome.

4. Adhesive

You need something to stick stuff down - obviously. There are so many options here that it can honestly make you crazy. But...again, stick to the basics (pun intended). To start out, most scrappers begin working with either adhesive squares or a tape runner. I use both of these. I also have somethings called PopDots that bring things up off the paper and I have a little army of Xyron machines...I'll show you one here in a minute.

Once you have these things...you're ready to go!

Now, I've been doing this for a while so I've had some really great products and some really crappy products that I will never use again. It's trial and error. Everyone has their own preferences. But, this is my blog so you're stuck with what I like...okay, what I love.

So, in somewhat ranked order...these are my favorites.

1. Tim Holtz Ionic Scissors

I adore these scissors. They are fantastically amazing. I got them at CKU in 2008 and I will never go back to another pair of scissors (at least for scrapbooking). I also own a pair each of CutterBees, HoneyBees and ColorBees designed for paper, sticky things and metal, respectively. These were what I used before. The Ionic? It does everything. They cut paper, sticky things, wire, chipboard, cork, fabric, etc. I've used them a lot. The best part? They never dull (at least mine haven't - they're as sharp as the day I bought them...and trust me, they have a lot of mileage) and they don't get sticky from cutting sticky things. Amazing. Tim Holtz is magic. The downside? They are wicked sharp. Mine used to have a plastic cover for the tips, but I managed to lose it. It has not resurfaced and I'm very sad about it. It's a sore subject.

2. The "a-Dile" Products

Okay...I'm cheating a little here. This is actually three separate tools: the Crop-a-Dile, it's big brother the Big Bite and it's cousin, the Corner Chomper.

The Crop-a-Dile is the original. This tool is pure genius. I used to need three tools for what this one can do. It has two sizes of hole punchers (top and bottom) as well as multiple sizes of eyelet setters (the black/silver blocks). If you haven't ever used an eyelet...I'll teach you another time. But let me just tell you that using them used to mean a hammer, fear of smashing a finger and the inability to use them past a child's bedtime. This is a major improvement. I use the hole punch a lot.

This bad boy is the Big Bite. It does the same things as the Crop-a-Dile, but it allows you to reach to the center of a 12x12" piece of paper, unlike the very limited Crop-a-Dile. It can punch holes in just about anything. I use it primarily on paper, but I've also punched through chipboard and metal tags with it. Sweet.

The last member of the family is the Corner Chomper. It's the least used for me, but it rounds corners in two different sizes. I also have punches that do the same thing, but the Chomper is much easier on the hands.

3. Adhesives

Again...totally cheating. But these guys really have to be grouped together. They compete slightly, but they're used for different things. I'm talking about my Tombo Adhesive, my Vario and my Xyrons.

This is Tombo Adhesive. It's a refillable tape runner that comes in both permanent and removable. I like the permanent. I also have a similar product called Dotto. It's growing on me, but Tombo is my old standby. Typically they last a long time and go a long way, but I used up two whole rolls finishing these.

Ah, the Vario. This is Dotto's big brother. The Vario is an adhesive square dispenser. Basically, this means it shoots out little white double-sided sticky tapes instead of glue like the tape runner. I like using these to adhere my photos. They still stick just as good as the Tombo, but if I sit the photo in the wrong spot, this is much easier to move.

This is a Xyron. It's a sticker maker. Awesome huh? This is just the little guy, making stickers of anything up to an inch wide. They come in different sizes. My largest one can make up to a 9" wide sticker. They work very simply. You put the item you want to be sticky into the upper hole. You pull the end of the tape, the item slides through and it comes out wedged between a piece of white paper and a clear covering. You peel off the clear and then peel your item off of the white. The side facing the white is now sticky...in either a permanent or repositionable fashion depending on your cartridge. Some Xyrons even come with the ability to do double-sided lamination and magnet making. They're awesome. I use this little guy primarily to make letters sticky. I hate having to try and get adhesive on some flimsy paper "A". It just ticks me off and wastes a lot of glue. This is much easier.

4. Distress Ink

Ah Tim Holtz, you've done it again! These are so fun. I have them in a rainbow of colors, but the Walnut Stain and the Black Soot are my favorites. In writing this, I just discovered that he has 12 new colors available in addition to the original 24...oooh, want.

Meanwhile, you're looking at me like I'm a crazy person, wondering why I like ink. Trust me, once you start using it, you won't be able to let it go. I first used it when my friend Natalie told me about it like 5 years ago. I was resistant. It seemed like a dumb idea. But she showed me how to use it to edge paper and photos. Wow! It really makes things pop. I'll give you some examples on another day and maybe I can convert some of you nonbelievers.

5. Precision Pen

Once again, you're thinking I'm nuts. A pen is a pen is a pen. WRONG! This is my favorite pen for journaling. It's made by American Crafts, it's a fine point and the roller ball never gets stuck. It's even all the time. It's acid free, waterproof, fade proof and it doesn't bleed. I can write on a picture, run my finger over it 5 seconds later and it won't smudge. Seriously...best ever. In fact, mine is starting to run low and I'm afraid there will be tears on the day it goes dry. It makes me nervous just thinking about it. So if you're Christmas shopping for me...I would like this. :)

6. Pazzle

This is not it's most photogenic, but this is my Pazzle. It is an automated cutting machine. There are other similar products on the market that you may have heard of like Slice, Cricut or Silhouette. I like my Pazzle the best. Obviously. (FYI...I also have a Slice and it's super fun. I like taking it to crops.) The Pazzle was a Christmas present from Carole and I love it to pieces. I could go hug it right now...

The Pazzle hooks directly into my computer. The software comes with it. You can buy extra software from them, but I have never had to. This baby will cut letters in any size up to 12x12" and in any font on your computer. Some scrolly fonts take a little more work, but I've used a LOT of different fonts and totally love it. You can also cut different images including any clip art you have on your computer or images you design in the software. I'm telling you, this thing is genius.

The only downside...when things come out they aren't sticky. So...I end up putting them in the Xyron afterwards. I tried running a sheet through the Xyron first and then using the Pazzle. This worked with mixed results and I felt bad about wasting so much paper, so I just do it the other way.

So there you go...my top...hey!! 10 tools. That was totally an accident, but it worked out really well, don't you think? If you have any questions about any of these items let me know. Same goes if you have another scrap tool you've seen or heard about. More than likely I've tried it or know someone who has (I'm crazy like that).

And now it's off to read. I need to finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo before Sunday. Tomorrow night I'll be finishing up my scrapbook pages for my cousin Jenna's blog auction over at Mom, the Intern (to help her raise money for a friend with cancer). I'll share those with you on Friday. Tomorrow I'm going to share my favorite embellishments. Who knows? It might work out to ten again!

Slight Miscalculation in Time

Ya...so...I know I was supposed to post about my scrapbook supplies tonight, but I ran into a small snafu. Apparently today is the 29th...not the 28th like I originally thought when I woke up this morning. I had this brilliant plan to go grocery shopping after work on Thursday to make sure I could use up all of my coupons that expire on the 30th. Ya...fail. I realized today at about...oh...1pm, that the 30th is actually tomorrow. Fantastic. I haven't gone grocery shopping in about 6 weeks and I haven't done anything with the piles of coupons I've been amassing. So...in addition to helping with 4th grade English homework, I've been doing inventory, creating my meal plan, cutting coupons and readying the binder for a trip to the store tomorrow. Yippee. Thus far I'm about three hours in. Looks like I should finish up within the next hour, but then I'm planning on bed. Sorry. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see the coolest scissors ever.


** As a side note, it is apparently a good decision not to do a "real" post this evening as CableOne continues to tease me with internet service. For the 3rd post in a row my internet has dumped out as I have been writing.

My Scrapbooking Obsession - The Background.

This not being able to share my projects is really making things tough. I guess at least I'm being productive, but having to keep things under wraps is really making it difficult to come up with things to write about.

Since I need to get my scrapbook juices flowing and finish some pages for my cousin Jenna's online auction, I figured that I'll do a few features on scrapbooking this week, culminating with me displaying the items I'm submitting for her.

I will admit...I am a scrapbooking addict. I love it. I love the photos, I love the supplies and I like sharing my finished projects. It is a hobby that I will never give up.

So...a little history about how I've gotten where I am with this hobby now...

I've been scrapbooking since 2002 when I was in dental school. The craft has come a long way since then. When I first started I was making pages using construction paper, stencils and Mrs. Grossman's stickers. It was pretty low key. Some people don't like looking at the old style and continue to update their pages with the new supplies and styles. If I did that I'd never get anything done. So I've settled with leaving things alone.

I originally started working in 8 1/2 x 11" pages. Really that's all there was at that time - at least commonly. As time went on I started to work with other sizes. Most of my albums are now 12 x 12" with my mini-albums being either 6 x 6" or, more commonly, 8 x 8". I like mixing things up. It keeps it from getting boring.

So nowadays, my pages look something like this :

Whereas when I first started, my pages looked like this :

This is actually my very FIRST scrapbook page. Slightly embarrassing.

When I first started, I fell in love with Lisa Bearnson. For those of you not in the know, she is pretty much the queen of scrapbooking. She is a mega scrapper, used to run Creating Keepsakes Magazine (CK) and was a regular on QVC selling scrap supplies. She's now more or less retired. I started getting CK in 2003 and kept my subscription until early last year. I currently follow some of the bigger scrappers like Ali Edwards, Becky Higgins and Elizabeth Kartchner.

I was lucky enough in 2008 to be given an awesome early birthday gift from Collin and his mom Carole. They signed me up to attend CKU (Creating Keepsakes University). It was an awesome experience of three full days of scrapbooking with the masters. I was able to take classes from Tim Holtz...

Don't judge me in these photos...pretty sure I was running on little to no sleep. Not my prettiest...

 and Ali Edwards, among others.

I had a blast and learned a lot of new stuff. I also met Lisa Bearnson and it turned out to be more or less her last CKU. Lucky me.

One of my best takeaways from the experience was learning Ali's style. We put together an album entitled Evolution. It was so much fun and it makes me want to try to break out of the mold a little more often.

I'll probably share this album at some point, but here's a little taste.

I always enjoy learning something new or trying new products. I'm looking forward to a few new things in 2012. (Wow...it seems crazy writing that down and knowing that it's right around the corner.)

I've gotten myself a Smash book...

...and I'll be using that to keep all the little odds and ends that I gather through the year.

I'm also thinking about doing something along the lines of Becky Higgins' Project Life

I'm excited to see where these new ideas will take me.

For those of you new to scrapbooking, it can be overwhelming at first. But don't let it be. It doesn't have to be complicated.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about my favorite scrapbooking tools and products and why they make my scrapbooking life so much easier. After that, I'll share a little more of my scrapbook evolution - both in terms of my pages and my methods. In the meantime, if there's something specific you want me to cover or a question you have about anything you're seeing, please shoot me a comment. I love them and appreciate every single one.

Happy scrapping!

Summary Sunday - Slightly Buzzed Edition

Happy Sunday and post turkey day weekend everyone! It was a nice few days for us over here, other than the fact that Collin was gone for a five day stretch. I've been crafting my butt off for the last few days and I've been pretty darned productive. Even with a rather horrid yarn measurement problem and an emergency trip to JoAnn Fabrics, I got quite a bit done. I also managed to get somewhat high on the fumes from a few projects I did yesterday...those fumes are still lingering today and may be affecting my judgment. All well. Despite the side effects, I'll admit that I'm rather proud of myself.

So now I'm looking pretty good. With 27 days remaining, here is where I stand...

That leaves 23 projects. At least there are now fewer projects than days. There are quite a few that should be able to be banged out rather quickly, but the last four on the list are going to require some extra time and do have me a little worried about deadlines. I'm going to need to get to them soon...

I also realized the other day that I have scrapbook pages to put together for Jenna's blog auction over at Mom, the Intern. She'll be hosting the auction in less than two weeks to raise money for her friend with cancer. For those of you who want to donate, please contact her via her blog. I'll be putting together my layouts over the next few days and scanning them in for her to post. I will feature them here as well if anyone is interested on bidding on them.

Collin finally arrived home tonight, so I'm putting this together before we have a little much needed time together. So...let's get to the roundup...

Posts I Posted :   I made some cute advent calendars for myself and my sister-in-law Emily. They turned out pretty good and ours will be going up on the wall next week when I put up Christmas decorations. (For the record, I cannot believe that it's that time of year all ready.)  I reviewed a couple of fabulous books recommended by my friend Erin and added a few to the brackets. We're getting closer and closer to moving forward in the brackets...

Recipes I Used : It was a breakfast extravaganza this week. Being ever so festive, I made cranberry pancakes on Thanksgiving morning. They weren't awful, but not impressive either. They will stay as a theme breakfast only...too sweet. Today however, was a different story. I tried my hand at making these. Holy crap you guys...literally. It was a religious experience. Bacon pancakes are awesome! I used some thick cut bacon and basic buttermilk Krusteaux mix. They were fantastic. That recipe will go into rotation.

Books I Finished : Believe it or not, I finished Sing You Home. Ugh, sorry to ruin the upcoming review, but this book so wins the worst book of the year for me. I did NOT like it. I was even more disgusted when I discovered earlier this week that it is nominated on Goodreads for best fiction of the year. Apparently some people have no taste. I have now started reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It is not at all what I expected, but at about 100 pages in I am liking it. I am also super happy to know that I will soon be able to watch a movie about it starring Daniel Craig (my not-so-secret fantasy boyfriend...I love him). Don't judge me. He's yummy. (I think I just threw up a little in my mouth for using the word yummy.)

Projects I Finished : I have shown you the advent calendars that I made despite the adhesive debacle that ensued. I finished a few of the projects that will be revealed next weekend and I finished projects featuring a new technique that nearly got me high. Those lovely beauties will be revealed after Christmas. I also finished a couple of other Christmas presents that will be revealed in the new year. This being secretive thing is killing me.

Best Blog Post & Best Thing on the Internet : As I discussed with my friend Shalini over at Reading (and Chickens), my "to read" list has grown exponentially this week. I'm up to over 400 posts that I "need" to read. I've accomplished nothing. It's sad really. So I have nothing here to share. Don't stone me. I will find you something fun soon...

...and with that, I'm off! It's time for some quality couple time.

Progress Report

I'll admit...I have no idea what to write about tonight. It's been a rough couple of days. Scratch that...it's been a rough week. Between dealing with Darian not doing homework and projects and having Collin out of town for the holiday and subsequent weekend we've been a little out of sorts.

I've been trying to keep things kind of low key. I took Dar with me over to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. It was nice and relaxing. I did not join the ranks of those crazy enough to go out to Black Friday today. That is very much not my thing. I don't like people that much. I'd rather keep my sanity.

Instead, Darian & I slept in, slowly got ourselves ready and then ran a couple of errands. Other than that I've been working on projects and doing some Netflix action. It's slow and steady progress right now, but tomorrow and Sunday should help the numbers look awesome.

Here's the count as of this evening:

So with 28 days left I still need to finish 31 projects. Let's see if I can't close that gap a little by Monday.

I also managed to FINALLY finish Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. Ugh. Horrible. It ended up with two stars. It would've been one star if I hadn't read Jodi Picoult before, because I'm pretty sure I would've stopped reading. I had NO interest in that book. Really. Bad.

But now I'm starting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'm excited. With any luck, this trilogy will prove as good as The Hunger Games and I'll blow through three books rather quickly. It would be nice. As of right now I'm on track to finish my 52 book goal. The count is currently at 46. Not too shabby.

So the goal for tomorrow is to finish three more projects...possibly four depending on how much I accomplish during the BSU game. I'll let you know on Sunday...

Advent Calendars - AKA Adhesive Mayhem

So a few months back, my sister-in-law pinned this cute thing on Pinterest. Like an idiot, I told her I would make her one in exchange for her talking up my blog. Well you'd better get on it Emily, because these things were an obnoxious pain to make. Why do I always volunteer myself for extra work?!

I finished one last night and the other this evening in between watching Netflix and talking with Collin on Google Talk. (He is up working on shift about 5 hours away until Sunday afternoon. Darian and I will be spending Thanksgiving with my family tomorrow and we'll have our Thanksgiving next week.)

They turned out pretty cute, but were wrought with disaster. Ok...maybe not disaster...how about hiccups.

FYI...my house is not photogenic. I really need to stop doing these posts at night. The lighting is horrible. Don't judge my photo skills. I really do know how to work my camera.

Each pocket has a day of the month from the first of December until Christmas Eve. In each pocket is a 3 1/2" x 5" card with a winter or Christmas activity for the family.

So obviously I made a few changes from the original example. Hopefully Emily still thinks hers is cute. I originally wanted to use tan posterboard, but apparently that is too much to ask for. No one carries tan. My choices were white, some random neon colors or a gold/silver reversible option. Dumb. So I went with white. I cut each posterboard to 22x22".

I used a nice pile of Christmas paper that I happen to have laying around (the bonuses of having a scrapbook room full of random supplies). I cut each pocket to a 4 1/2" x6" size. I then adhered decorations and numbers. This took a little work because while I seem to have many, many chipboard and sticker alphabets I appear to have very few numbers. There was some tension during that part of the process.

I then stuck the pockets to the posterboard. My advent calendar will be the one on the left. Why? Because I'm an adhesive moron and my glue was too wide, making my activity cards extraordinarily snug in their pockets. There was a LOT of cursing last night as I tried to slide them in. Thankfully I was smarter with the second one and those babies move in and out like clockwork. (As a side note, I also went through two - TWO - rolls of Tombo adhesive to make these things. Not cool.)

I took some of the activity ideas from the original example, but then supplemented some options with my own. Also, since I had the white posterboard instead of the tan, I didn't want to do white cards. So I did half in red and half in green. So Christmasy. There's no set day for each activity so they can be shuffled into whatever order you like. There's also the possibility of adding new activities/traditions as the years go by. Don't worry...I saved the template. :)

Once I had the pockets and tags all assembled, I attached the pieces. I did this by taping strips of ribbon to the backs of the pieces. I also added a top handle with another ribbon. The ends are slung through punches in the posterboard and secured with large brads. I'm thinking that a modification to the taping at the middle may be needed as the years go by. I may add some small brad attachments in that area as well to keep things more secure. We'll see how it goes.

So that puts another two projects in the finished pile. I'll be taking Emily's to her tomorrow at Thanksgiving dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and I'll be back on Friday with another post...though I have no idea yet what that will be about. Yay for spontaneity!

52 Books in 52 Weeks - #9

Taking a break from the crafting. I may finish up another project tonight, at the latest tomorrow afternoon - thus making this week's deadlines. Here's where the stats currently stand:

There are 32 more days to go and 33 projects. Hmm...guess I'd better step on it. Don't worry...I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll make a huge jump by the end of the weekend. I'll keep you posted.

I'll actually be sharing a project tomorrow night. I know, shocking right?

For tonight, we're talking books. And in case you're wondering, I'm still working on Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. I'll be blunt. I DO NOT like it. I really need to finish it. (And ugh, I just found out that it's been nominated for best fiction of 2011 on Goodreads. I'm disappointed in people's judgment.)  I also found out today that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (AKA The Daniel Craig Extravaganza) is going to be released on December 21st. Since I want to finish the trilogy before then, I'm going need to get it moving. If Daniel Craig can't motivate me to finish this book, nothing can. (Insert daydream sequence here.)

But for tonight, I'm filling another three brackets.

I'm reviewing another five books from this year. And I promise, there's no shenanigans. I'm reviewing them in the order I've read them. And off we go...

1. Room by Emma Donaghue

2. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

4. A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

5. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

It's an odd batch. But unlike last time, I know exactly which one will win. I also know the wild cards. I'm feeling mighty smart this evening.


1. Room by Emma Donaghue

Finished : August 22          Rating : 4 out of 5 stars          Award : Oddest Narrator

Jack is five. He is the narrator. He lives with his Ma in Room. He knows no other place and no other person. He loves his home, but his mother is living a live of entrapment. She does her best to protect Jack, shutting him up in Wardrobe at night to keep him from Old Nick.

This is a book where the 20-page rule paid off. (When I start a book, I always give it 20 pages before I decide to stop reading it.) The rule saved this book and I'm glad it did.

When I first started reading, I was frustrated by the 5-year-old point of view and the difficult time I had understanding Jack's way of talking. By page 6, I really just wanted to give up. But I kept going. Though it was still sometimes difficult and I still got confused by his way of referring to items and activities, the point of view worked incredibly well for this story.

Now, that's not to say that I actually liked the story itself. The topic is horrendous and I found myself often nauseated by the things that take place. I say this as a testament to how well written it is. The book itself is fantastic, just the plot is a difficult story to read due to its complete upheaval of the human condition. Though this is a fictional account, it is based on real cases. The thought of living through such an experience made me realize how strong an individual can become when faced with adversity. The strength of Ma in this narrative is impressive. She stays as sane and resolute as she can under the circumstances, solely for the betterment of Jack.  She is a wonderful mother and, because of her love, Jack becomes an amazing boy despite the lifestyle he came to know. This book was definitely worth sticking it out. I would've missed out on a wonderful book had I put it down.


2. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Finished : August 24          Rating : 3 out of 5 stars          Award : Lived up to Potential the Least

The story follows Rose Edelstein, who can understand people based on the taste of the food they make. She can identify ingredients and their sources - down to a particular town or manufacturer - in addition to the emotions of the chef at the time of creation.

It all begins with a taste of a chocolate frosted lemon cake baked by her mother. To Rose, it tastes like sadness.

I'm going to be blunt about this. This book was weird. Easily read, sure. Well-rounded characters, yup. Plot, just plain odd.

I think this book had great potential. The story could have blossomed in so many ways. There were opportunities that I felt should have been taken that weren't. The plot was occasionally left dead and empty when it temporarily had such promise. Just when I would get to a point where I thought "Here we go. This is about to get really good..." Nope. It stopped. The direction of the plot would change or the time frame of the story would jump to another year, another location. It was very frustrating.

Honestly, I was torn as whether to give it two or three stars. The sheer potential of this book is the only thing  that saved it from a two star rating. I found the story line of Rose's brother, Joseph extremely vague and frustrating. I'm certain that the vagueness was intentional, but because of it the story line containing the brother only detracted from the novel as a whole rather than adding the depth that it had the possibility of doing.

Overall, I suppose I just find myself disappointed and angry at having finished this book without getting what I wanted out of it.


3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Finished : August 28          Rating : 5 out of 5 stars          Award : Best Controversial Plot

Skeeter is a college graduate who has moved back home to live with her parents in the summer of 1962. Her parents are well off and in the upper crust of Mississippi society. Skeeter is bothered by the way her well-to-do white friends and acquaintances treat their hired help. Civil liberties are minimal and in the deep South being vocal about the blatant racism is a dangerous thing. But Skeeter cannot be deterred. She sets out to use the experiences of the local maids to write a tell-all of Mississippi society.

I LOVED this book. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. The only thing I didn't love about it is that it left me wanting more. I wanted more time and follow up. This is honestly a book that could do very well with a sequel. At the end I didn't feel disappointed in any way, but I felt a strong desire to know more about the lives of Skeeter, Minny, Aibileen and Yule May after the story ended.

I know that there has been some controversy about this book,in fact this will probably prove to be my most controversial review of the year, but I think that it was very well written. Writing it from multiple points of view was definitely helpful in developing the story and keeping things more transparent for the reader. I think that there are balanced examples and a fair representation of the social climate of Mississippi in the 50's and 60's. I base this not on my own personal experience, but on the other novels I've read about the time period and the other information I have been exposed to regarding the civil rights movement in the United States.

I honestly didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. I thought it would be much less than it ended up being. I can't explain exactly what I expected, but I know that it did a magnificent job of getting me sucked in. I can definitely see myself reading this book again, without question.


4. A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

Finished : August 31          Rating : 4 out of 5 stars          Award : Best Animal Plot

The story follows Bailey through multiple lives as a dog. As he goes from breed to breed and owner to owner, he ponders his purpose in life, wondering where it will all go. He thinks he has found his life's journey when he becomes the beloved puppy of a boy named Ethan, but becomes uncertain when he is reborn once again.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't believe in reincarnation and I found the narration from the dog a little awkward at first, but I came to really enjoy the story. Both the good and the bad of humanity are represented in their interactions with the dog or with those surrounding him. The balance was very well worked out.

There were pieces of my own pets that I could identify with in the actions of the dog as he continued his journey - I think that made me love the story even more.

I became hooked after the start of his second lifetime and I struggled to put the book down. Though somewhat fantastical, the charm of this book overwhelms the need to be practical and realistic. I found that I didn't mind the fact that such a story was far fetched. It was beautifully written. I will definitely read this book again.


5. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Finished : September 14          Rating : 5 out of 5 stars          Award : Closest to Home

Henry Lee grows up in Seattle in the years leading up to WWII. He comes from a traditional Chinese background. His mother is quiet and reserved. His father is proud of his heritage and expects Henry to follow in his footsteps.

Henry has a scholarship to the white school in town, where he meets the only other cultural outsider in the student body. She is Keiko, a young Japanese American girl.

Though his father disapproves greatly of the Japanese and his son's interaction with her, Henry begins to fall in love with Keiko only to be devastated by her family's forced move into a Japanese internment camp as the war progresses.

I really enjoyed this book. I love historical fiction, but WWII was not a time period I had really spent much time with in the past. This was a great first book to try out for the era. The details were fantastic (except for one mistake near the beginning of the book about CDs, but I let that one go - even though it bugged me for a few pages).

I live just a few hours from the internment camp spoken about in the novel, so I found that even more interesting.

The writing is beautiful and the character of Henry is great. The supporting characters aren't as well developed, but they still tend to work well. I'm really glad that the book is structured the way it is - bouncing back and forth from past to present. Sometimes that can create a really disjointed story line, but in this case I think it worked in favor of strengthening the book as a whole. This is a book I will be reading again.


The Conclusion :

So there you go, a pretty mixed group right? Though based on the reviews I've read you either love it or you hate it, my decision for the winner of the bracket is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I obviously loved it.

As for the wild cards, it wasn't a difficult decision. I'm going with A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. (And here I will say thank you to Erin, who has suggested quite a few of the top books this year.)

Now back to the advent calendar...

Summary Sunday - Twilight Edition

It's been a project focused week. I've pretty much eaten, slept and breathed projects. I went out and purchased nearly everything I'll need to complete the presents on my list. I used a nice pile of coupons (of course) and I managed to save a total of $102 at JoAnn Fabrics in three separate purchases. In all, for all of the planned projects I spent around $150. Not too bad if I do say so myself. I'm excited for quite a few of the projects since they will involve trying some new craft skills.

I've managed to take a couple of small breaks. On Monday night I lost about 1 1/2 hours by accident. Darian has started 4H, working with the dog project Pawsabilities. He is working on training Piper and he seems to be having a pretty good time. Training is on Monday nights, so we hopped in the truck after work and drove the 25 miles to the training center. We got there early and sat waiting for the first people to arrive. After 15 minutes...nothing. I got the brilliant idea to pull up the email we had received from his group leader on my phone only to discover that there was no training this week. Fantastic. We ended up driving right back home.

I also took Friday night off. The orthodontist I refer my patients to had bought out the local theater for a private showing of the newest Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn. He has done this for the past movies as well. I gave my guest ticket to Patti and we met up with Erin and her friend Heather. I've read all of the books and I've seen the prior movies so I was somewhat excited to see it. Patti and I have decided that we were apparently in quite cynical moods since we were unable to focus on the actual story and spent most of the time poking fun at some of the horrible acting and poor directorial decisions. I'm glad I didn't pay the $10 required for the ticket, but I will probably watch it again after it comes out on video.

Speaking of Twilight, Collin & I are watching the first movie as we speak. Go ahead, judge away. I like it. It's not as fantastic as Fiddler on the Roof, which I watched earlier today while working on an advent calendar. I LOVE that movie. But...I digress...

So I suppose I should update you on my progress. I have finished a few projects this weekend - I'm actually pretty proud of how much I've accomplished. Unfortunately, I also realized that I had miscounted the total number of projects I had to complete. Originally I said 28, then modified that to 30. Haha, nope...still wrong. I recounted last night. True count of projects? 40. Whoops. As far as deadlines go I have two projects that need finished by Thanksgiving and four that need completed by the following Saturday. I don't see that as a problem. But...here's where things stand as of now... (I modified the graphic to allow for the total 40 projects.)

Recipes I Used : Ya...I'm  horrible. I really didn't cook anything this week...yet again. At least nothing that was new or fancy in anyway. I will probably continue to disappoint for the next couple of weeks on this front. Sorry about that.

Books I Finished : I started Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult on Monday night. I'll admit...it's not going well. I'm struggling to finish it. I'm thus far not a fan. In fact, at this point it is definitely my least favorite Jodi Picoult and it will probably get one of the lowest ratings of the entire year. I'm really hoping I can finish it in the next couple of days and move on to my next planned series.

I plan to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo next. This is partly due to the fact that I found out there will be a movie based on the book coming out soon and it will be starring Daniel Craig. I adore Daniel Craig.

Yes, please.

So of course I have to read the book. (Patti tells me that I have apparently been living under a rock since I didn't already know this.)

Posts I Posted : I posted another group of books and added 3 to the bracket. I was accused of foul play since Bossypants didn't make the final cut. I did really enjoy it, but I'm telling you...Anthony Bourdain is worth the read. Do it. Do it now. Is that enough peer pressure?

I dealt with a misbehaving child and created the graphic shown above. We're still struggling to keep the 9-year-old in line. I am currently devising a way to bribe him with Christmas presents...or maybe I should phrase it as threatening him with taking presents away.

I also shared my first attempts at knitting, including some mild kitty torture and the debut of Abigail's modeling career.

Projects I Finished : Sorry...no disclosing specifics until later. You're just going to have to wait.

And...since I've been very project focused this week there has been little by way of blog reading and internet surfing. So of course I'm back up to 250 posts to read and I have nothing fun to share. But...I do have some days off this week so maybe you'll get lucky next Sunday.

Now, back to the project frenzy.

Check it out! I can knit!

One of this year's resolutions was to learn and/or do 33 new things...one for each year I've been around. I passed the mark quite a few months ago, but there are some new things that have been more impressive than others. Since I'm a bit of a crafting nut, (I seriously could do this full time...if only the pay would support me) I made sure that some of these new things were crafty.

A couple of months ago, I messaged my friend Jen over at Two Frogs and a Grasshopper. She is a seamstress extraordinaire and is handy with a skein of yarn. I decided that she would be the best on giving me advice for how to learn to knit and crochet. The tips she gave me were marvelous. I haven't yet braved the crocheting, but I did start knitting about a month ago. Jen's best tip on knitting? Don't use knitting needles. Use a loom.

Now if you're like me, you hear the word loom and think of some giant contraption. Well...you, like me, would be wrong. This was the kind of thing she was talking about.

This makes knitting ridiculously easy. Yes, it still takes time to complete a project, but there isn't the frustration that I can foresee myself having with needles.

I went out and purchased a set of round and a set of rectangular looms. This way I can make anything from hats to scarves to afghans. Fantastic!

I started out with a hat. My first hat took me just a couple of hours, but I made a fatal error. Not having done this before, I had no idea which size would work. The initial plan was to make one for one of the little girls. Ya...size fail. Here's who it ended up fitting.

He doesn't seem to think this is fashionable.

All kitty torture aside, here's the basic instructions for knitting on a circular loom. If you get one you might want more specific instructions, but this will give you an idea of how straightforward it is.

Get your loom, a skein of yarn and your knitting hook (these typically come with the looms).  Loop your yarn around the start peg on the loom (the only peg that is on the side of the loom instead of the top. Starting with the peg to the left of the start peg and working clockwise, wrap your yarn counterclockwise around each peg. Do this until each peg has two loops.

Once everything has two loops, pull your yarn down and loop it again on the start peg or hold it fast. Starting with the peg to the right of the start peg use your hook to pull the bottom loop over the top loop and off the peg. Continue this clockwise. When each peg is back to one loop start the process again.

Once you have a few rows (somewhere around 5ish) you can release the yarn around the start peg and let it just drop through the center of the loom. Continue row after row until you've get the length you like (I created a brim on my hat - that will require an extra step - but let's keep it simple).

Once you have the length that you like you will use your needle (also usually included with the loom). Cut the yarn (leave the end long enough to wrap about 1 time plus a little slack around the loom). Thread this yarn up through the loops one at a time in the same order this time pulling the last loop of the loom as you go. When you get to the end, pull the yarn tight, tie a square knot and clip. Done.

See...that wasn't that bad.

Once I figured the process out, I broke out the next sized loom and went to town. This time it did fit one of the original intendeds. She was a semi-willing model.

Her blue steel look needs a little work.

The process for making a rectangular object is slightly different, but the skill level is about the same. Now granted, there are some more advanced projects that I haven't really tried my hand at, but I was pretty proud to be able to complete a wearable product in my first attempt. I don't call that half bad.

Happy knitting to you! I'm off to work on some more Christmas Projects!

Christmas Present Project Countdown

Well this has been a trying evening. It's always fun to come home to an email from your child's teacher informing you that he has not been taking his homework home. Apparently Darian continues to think that it's better to come home and play rather than do homework. I don't think he's liking the results of our awareness of the situation. He has returned to grounded status after a near month of freedom and I have become a proud owner of a slightly used Nintendo DS. Ah, the fun we have...

I spent the remainder of my evening trying to relax and refocus. I settled on the couch with some knitting and managed to finish off a Christmas present while watching episodes of The Big Bang Theory. 

Speaking of Christmas presents, I mentioned the other day my lunacy in deciding to make homemade gifts for the majority of our family and friends. I did a count today and we're looking at a grand total of thirty projects - not including the quilt I'm helping Katherine make. Since I can't share the projects themselves until after Christmas, I thought I would at least share my progress. So I made...the 2011 Christmas Present Project Countdown. Isn't it cute?

As I finish each project, I will place a check mark across one of the presents. As of today I have 39 days to finish all of these projects (that will put me finished on Christmas Eve). With any luck, I'll be done a little early.

I have started and finished a couple of projects and I have a nice pile in the works. The fabric store run is planned for Saturday and I have been piling up my coupons to get the best deal I can. I'm super excited to get my fabric. Seriously. I'm giddy.

In keeping with my 2011 resolutions, some of these projects will be ones I have never tried before. I'm learning a few new skills along the way that I will share after the gifts have been opened. I'm excited to try them.

Tomorrow I will be talking about one new skill that I learned last month, knitting. I'll be sharing my first projects with you and telling you the secret that my friend Jennifer told me...it has made knitting super easy. (You can find her awesome projects over at Two Frogs and a Grasshopper. She's super talented.) Thanks Jen!

So...I'm going to go read and try to keep on top of that resolution while I'm ahead. I'm going to be starting Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. Yes...another Jodi Picoult. Don't judge.  But, before I go, here is what the project countdown looks like as of this evening...

Whew! I admit...that looks a little daunting...

52 Books in 52 Weeks - #8

Well I'm hard at work on Christmas and pre-Christmas gifts. The fabric store run is planned for this Saturday. Hopefully I'll be able to get everything I need and more or less have all of my shopping done. That would be LOVELY. (If any of you just heard Seth from Superbad in your head, you get points.)

Unfortunately, since most of the projects I'm working on have to be kept under wraps, the next month an a half will be some interesting posting. If you have suggestions for posts or questions that you'd like me to answer - now would be the time. I could use some genius ideas.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue on with the results of my book challenge. This is where we were last week. For those of you who missed it, last week I filed in a ton of slots by announcing some of the wild card winners.

So let's fill up another 3 slots, shall we?

This week's contestants are...

1. 1984 by George Orwell

2. Bossypants by Tina Fey

3. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

4. Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

5. Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Let me just start up by saying that this is a great set of books. I'm honestly not quite sure where things will end up. I guess we'll find out...


1. 1984 by George Orwell

Finished : August 6          Rating : 3 out of 5 stars          Award : Best High School English Staple

Ah, Big Brother. We've all heard that term. And here is where it all began. Even though the book was written in 1948 (and by the way I enjoy the 48 - 84 transfiguration), it presents a very realistic view of how life could be if government is given the ultimate control. For lack of a better term, Winston Smith is a copy editor. He is employed to rewrite pieces of history - keeping the current "historical" accounts in line with activities that will prove favorable to the current political climate. The government controls everything - rations of supplies (from shoelaces to chocolate), how you can interact with others (class segregation) and what you can teach your children (think...Hitler's youth). It honestly paints a fairly terrifying picture of what could happen - and to an extent, what does happen in other countries.

Like Gatsby, this was a reread for me. I initially read it as a requirement for my 10th grade English course. I had decided that it was time to read it again now that I'm older (and hopefully wiser). The story does definitely show some parallels with life in today's political climate - in ways that have been a bother for me for some time. However, I found the writing fairly pedantic and the story didn't seem to flow as easily as it could have. I'm sure that part of it was on purpose, in order to mislead and confuse the reader, but I don't think that the approach served the plot as well as it could have. There were times when the vagueness caused more frustration than curiosity for me. Overall, not a bad read and I can understand why it is a staple for high school and college English courses. It's just not one of my favorites.


2. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Finished : August 7         Rating : 4 out of 5 stars          Award : Funniest Female Author

Tina Fey unleashes it all and tells stories of her life, from her youth to her years as a parent. She discusses her rise to success in the comedy field and what it took for her to become who she is. Told in small vignettes and not necessarily told in any chronological order, the story jumps around a lot and has to be read as a series of short stories rather than a flowing novel or biography.

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars for this book, but then I realized that I was only leaning towards a 3 because of some preconceived notions of what I expected to be in the book. Tina Fey is hilarious and definitely keeps the book entertaining. Honestly, my biggest problem was that I felt like I was left wanting more. I could've easily read twice as much material written by her. As it was, I finished the entire book in less than a day. That should say something about how much I enjoyed it, I suppose.


3. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Finished : August 14          Rating : 4 out of 5 stars          Award : Best Sarcasm and Snarkiness

Anthony Bourdain, the chef known well for his series No Reservations on the Travel Channel, writes of his life from how he became a chef to his rise as the head chef at one of the most prominent restaurants in New York. It is scathingly honest, he is not one to shy away from an uncomfortable topic. He is also not afraid to tell you what he thinks of someone. Though he keeps his rivals and mentors protected with pseudonyms, he does admit that anyone who knows the scene will be able to determine who each character is.

I really enjoyed this book. I love Anthony Bourdain and his punk rock, sarcastic but honest look at life. I love his snarkiness and his ability to be so incredibly blunt that there really could be no other way to say what he comes to say. I respect how brutal he can be - both with others and himself. My only criticism? Something I already knew and somewhat expected...Anthony Bourdain uses too many five-dollar words. Not having a background in either French or cuisine, there were a LOT of words that I had to look up in order to understand...not usually an issue I have with the books I read.

His writing can also be a little crude, but then again...if you know him from his television show this should not be a surprise. His stories are entertaining and reading the book actually made me want to cook more and learn more about cooking. I consider this a good sign that the book is doing what it ought to do. This is a book that I would very easily read again.


4. Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

Finished : August 18          Rating : 4 out of 5 stars          Award : Most Traumatizing

Nina Frost is a force to be reckoned with. She is a powerful assistant district attorney working hard to protect children by prosecuting child molesters and ensuring that they are punished for their actions. Nina's world is turned upside down when she discovers that her own child, five-year-old Nathaniel has become a victim of sexual abuse. The resulting chaos, confusion and stress wreak havoc on Nina's life, making her feel helpless as a mother. Her family is torn apart by the trauma of the event and she knows that she will do whatever it takes to make sure her son's abuser is taken to justice, no matter who he might be.

I'm going to start by saying that I have read too many Jodi Picoult novels. This is not a bad thing...I love her. However, when I first started reading this one, I seriously had to question whether I had read it before...turns out, no. I love her writing, but a lot of the plot lines from her different books seem to interweave - either with characters or events.

As with a lot of her books, I thought I had the whole thing figured out a quarter of the way through the book. I started truly questioning how she would keep the plot going for another 3/4ths. I should know better by now. Picoult has a knack for taking wild turns that can completely catch you off guard. She sets them up beautifully and very, very rarely do they seem far fetched. In this case, I was stopped in my tracks and have to admit that I did a little mental bowing to her mastery.

The thing I like best about her novels is how I get sucked in. They are always a quick read for me. I just can't stop once I've started. Though this one is not my absolute favorite, it is certainly worth the read.


5. Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Finished : August 20          Rating : 4 out of 5 stars          Award : Most Emotionally Moving

Still Alice is a very well-written and detailed view of the life of Alice, an early-onset Alzheimer's patient. She is a brilliant professor, respected by her colleagues and mentoring a graduate student when she begins to notice small changes in her ability to find places (getting lost on her way home) and losing objects or becoming confused (winding up in her neighbor's home instead of her own). The book follows her life for a two year time period, documenting her steady decline.

I found myself emotionally involved and moved by the story, sometimes feeling as if Alice were a real person needing comfort. Lisa Genova captures Alice's struggle to accept her disease and share it with her family. she demonstrates the difficulty that faces Alice in giving up a profession she loves and in slowly losing her memories of the people closest to her.

I hurt for Alice and I found anger in the way her husband approached the illness, often abandoning her in order to save himself from the pain of the disease. I felt her loneliness and I ached for the times when she felt so utterly confused and lost.  I feared for her safety and her happiness. In short, I felt that I came to really know her.

For the most part, I absolutely loved this book. Though sad and, in the end inevitable, I could not put this book down. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars for me was a somewhat lackluster conclusion, leaving me with a feeling of emptiness and a lack of resolution. It felt as though the book was wrapped up rather hastily, as if in a hurry to get it to a publisher rather than taking the time to really keep the detail that had pulled the story along so seamlessly and see it through to the end. I really could have done with more.


The Conclusion...

Well...I promised this would be a tough one. I have been debating my decisions as I have written these reviews. I'll admit that it has not been easy. Ultimately, I am deciding by applying the question - which book would I most love to read again. That creates a fairly clear picture for me. So...without further adieu...the winner is :

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

But don't worry...it's not over yet. I still have the two wild cards to choose from this set. And so, into the running we add...

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

and

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

Those slots are just steadily filling in...

By the way, this was in no way on purpose, but I really enjoy how The Red Queen and The White Queen have ended up straight across from one another. We're getting closer and closer...

Summary Sunday - Fabric Edition

I have finally finished cutting out patterns for a pile of pre-Christmas and Christmas presents. My right thumb is killing me and apparently is not a super fan of the rotary cutter. I guess that's to be expected after cutting pieces out of nearly 4 yards of fabric.

I am happy to say that I have figured out presents for nearly everyone on our holiday shopping list. Even better is the fact that nearly all of those gifts will be homemade. I did the tallying last night and it looks like I need to make a nice run to the fabric store in the next week or two in order to have everything ready to roll, but I have enough for quite a few presents already at home. Yay!

I will definitely be a busy bee between now and December 24th. I can't tell you exactly what I'm making because it would totally wreck the surprises, but my family & Collin's will not be surprised to know that there will be quilting and scrapbooking involved. In all, including the pre-Christmas presents (can't tell you about them yet either, but they'll be revealed at Thanksgiving), we're talking a grand total of twenty-eight homemade gifts. Whoa. It really looks nuts when you write it down that way. But...I have one finished, one nearly finished, and I cut fabric for nine more today - they're all ready to sew. Oh...and I volunteered myself to help one of my employees make a photo quilt for her mother (Collin says I'm crazy).

Her photo quilt will look a little different, but you get the idea.

As for the rest of this week, as usual it has gone by in a blur. We celebrated Miss M's 1st birthday and my 100th blog post. Dar & I even got a free meal out of it since Emily made some delicious tortilla soup.

Tyler asked if she was turning 9...

Work was work and not my favorite thing so it was nice to have a long weekend. I pretty much spent my Thursday sleeping and reading. I haven't been feeling really great for the last couple of weeks (the migraine that just keeps giving) so it was nice to do pretty much nothing for a day. Plus, I was able to catch up on a LOT of reading this week. You're going to be surprised.

Yesterday started out a little rocky when my carpet cleaner decided that it was going to go ahead and blow a hose. My poor dining room was near flood stage for a good portion of the day, but it seems to have dried out now. Owen & Patti brought Miss K over to watch the BSU game...it was a little rough to watch and we unfortunately lost - not something we're used to. But, I'm a true Bronco fan so I know that we'll just come back stronger at the next game and we'll finish out the season with our heads held high. In fact, I'm sporting Bronco gear today.

For those of you wondering, no...I didn't do a darned thing with pumpkins this week (other than eat pumpkin seeds). I'm pretty tempted to just let the rest go to trash. Besides, I think 30 cups of puree is more than enough for this family.

Recipes I Used : Holy cow I actually cooked this week...slightly. My not feeling so well translated into me not eating dinner and thus general dinner laziness most of the week. I did however try two new recipes that I found on Pinterest. I'll show you pictures, but don't judge me. I always hate the way my food photos turn out. Honestly, they remind me very strongly of this (also found on Pinterest - thanks Erin)...

But...I made some Baked Parmesan Tomatoes and some ridiculously easy Pepperoni Rollups.

The tomatoes were good, but a little thick. The instructions call for cutting a tomato in half...my hothouse tomatoes made this slightly overwhelming so next time I'll be doing thick slices.  The pepperoni rollups were awesome. We ended up having to substitute shredded swiss cheese in a few since Collin apparently ate the majority of our string cheese, but those turned out good too. They're best when dipped in ranch.

Books I Finished : Prepare to be amazed. I finished four books this week!! I finished all three books in The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins - which I found to be absolutely fantastic. I couldn't put them down. Word to the wise though, don't start one of them unless you have the other two ready at hand. She's the queen of the cliffhanger. This morning I finished The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain. It was also good, though not what I expected. I'm pretty sure I had the premise confused with another book, but it still turned out to be a good read. I recommend all of them.

Projects I Finished : Coming down from the last two weeks of craziness, I didn't really finish much project wise. It was nice to not have a deadline looming. I did however finish one Christmas present yesterday. Nope, I'm not sharing what it is or who it's for. I'm hoping to get started on an advent calendar next weekend. I promised Emily that I would make her one (and I want one for myself too...it's going to be super cute).

Favorite Post of the Week : I actually had quite a few posts that I liked this week (that's what happens when you have 250 backlogged posts to read. So...I'm sending you to two. They both have to do with parenting and hilarious children. Kit at Blogging Dangerously shared a story about her strong-willed 4-year-old and Greg at Telling Dad gave quite a few examples of his son's burgeoning genius. They're both worth the read and each one had me giggling.

Best Things on the Internet : Ok...so this is totally cheating, but I'm sending you to two more blogs. It's worth it. First of all, I just about died listening to Handflapper's quitting song. It was made all that much more funny by the fact that I heard REO Speedwagon's "I Can't Fight this Feeling Anymore" later that day. Secondly...Nodakademic shared a recipe for bacon wrapped tater tots. I know, right?! You really want to go make these right now don't you? I'm not ashamed to say that I do.

And that's finally it for this week. Now, if you'll excuse me I apparently have to go feed the kid...