A Little Bit of Everything!
Showing posts with label share your reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label share your reviews. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Super Sunday Reviews Linky--Week of 3/22/15
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Super Sunday Reviews -- The Funeral Dress
The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore
ISBN 978-0-307-88621-7
Published by Broadway Books
The Funeral Dress starts in the year 1974. Emmalee has decided to quit school and is hoping to get a job at the local shirt factory. She does get the job.
The next chapter skips to 3 years later. Emmalee is now 19 and has a baby.
The book skips from chapter to chapter going back to the past and then back to the present. At first I didn't like this. I wanted to know what was happening in the present. I soon figured out that the past tied to the present and was important to the story.
See, Emmalee lost her mother years before to sickness. She was raised by her alcoholic father in nothing more than a shack. They had no running water and barely any food. Now she is trying to take care of a baby with little no-how and still no running water, and barely any food....also barely any heat!
I don't want to tell much else about the book or it will give away most of the story, but a lot of the book revolves around Emmalee making the funeral dress. Emmalee just can't seem to catch a break for a better life.
Below is a picture of the copy of the book that I was sent for this review. You will notice that they also sent me a package of tissues as well.
There are definitely tear shed moments throughout the book. You can't help it. You want to scream at the same time and ask why?
Here is what I was sent about the book:
" The Funeral Dress is a deeply touching Southern story filled with struggle and hope. Emmalee Bullard and her new baby are on their own. Or so she thinks, until Leona Lane, the older seamstress who sat by her side at the local shirt factory where both women worked as collar makers, insists Emmalee come and live with her. Just as Emmalee prepares to escape her hardscrabble life in Red Chert holler, Leona dies tragically. Grief-stricken, Emmalee decides she’ll make Leona’s burying dress, but there are plenty of people who don't think the unmarried Emmalee should design a dress for a Christian woman - or care for a child on her own. But with every stitch, Emmalee struggles to do what is right for her daughter and to honor Leona the best way she can, finding unlikely support among an indomitable group of seamstresses and the town’s funeral director. In a moving tale exploring Southern spirit and camaraderie among working women, a young mother will compel a town to become a community."
I don't have the time (or should say take the time) to read books anymore like I should. The majority of my reading is done in bed with my nightstand lamp. This book kept me up rather late for many nights. I wanted to stop reading and get to sleep, but I also wanted more to know what was going to happen next in the book. Very good read! I highly recommend it.
They suggest this to be a good book for your reading club and I do agree. In fact, you can go to SusanGreggGilmore.com for more information and for extra book club materials like a hash brown casserole recipe, a reading group guide, and a Q&A with the author.
Disclosure: I rec'd a copy of The Funeral Dress and further information for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own. This post does contain affiliate links.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Super Sunday Reviews --Pigments of Your Imagination
I have seen art such as what is in this book and have always thought it was so cool and pretty. I had never heard of alcohol inks until receiving the book.
I immediately thought of my 2 youngest daughters. One who loves to draw and is good at it. The other is very craftsy, always finding projects on pinterest to do with her children.
Pigments of Your Imagination is set up into 6 sections: Simply Start, Special Effects, Ink-Scapes, Flora and Fauna-Scapes, Fabric Effects, and Everything Else.
Also included are dedication, foreward, introduction, finding your muse, materials and tools, about alcohol inks, gallery, glossary, resources, guest artists, acknowledgements, and about the authour sections.
Here is one of the pages from the Flora and Fauna-Scapes section:
Each section is full of vibrant illustrations and well written, clear instructions.
As a quilter, the Fabric Effects section interests me the most. I look forward to being able to buy the supplies needed and give designing my own fabrics a try!
Enjoy this video by the author, Cathy Taylor.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Super Sunday Reviews -- Crafty Creatures
Fill Your House With These Crafty Creatures
Crafty Creatures has got to be THE cutest craft book that I own! The best part? The projects are made with scraps and leftovers from other projects :)
It’s really just too much cute. I can’t wait to get started making many of these cute creatures to give to my grandchildren.
There are projects with yarn, felt, and fabric.
I love sock monkeys and instructions on how to make them with a pair of socks is included in the book. Boy couldn’t I have a blast and add a bunch to my collection.
Other cute projects include:
Cat’s Bed (featured in my photo below)
Bees and Bugs
Mobile Owl
Knittens
Pocket Pets
Your Little Pony
30 projects to choose from!
The book also includes instructions and supplies for your sewing kit, how to do the stitches with great illustrations, How to knit also with great illustrations, and even threading a needle and sewing on a button.
Crafty Creatures is written by Jane Bull and published by DK. See the video I am including below to see the projects come to life out of the book.
I can not say enough good things about this book. I highly recommend it for yourself or as a gift to someone who loves to craft.
I am sad that I don’t have the time I would like to make a bunch of the projects for Christmas gifts. I do look forward to getting on them and giving these as birthday gifts throughout the year to the grandchildren.
I also plan on sitting down with the grandkids and letting them have fun making their own Craft Creatures as well!
Here is the cat bed that I made and gave as a birthday gift to my granddaughter, Zelda, for her 2nd birthday:
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Super Sunday Reviews--How To Fix Absolutely Anything
instructables.com has done it again with their newest book, How To Fix Absolutely Everything--a homeowner's guide.
Edited by Nicole Smith.
They call this books "Crowdfixing" Each item in the book is accompanied by a URL to visit with the same details.
Fix any problem, big or small, with the help of experienced do-it-yourselfers.
Love to buy in bulk? Create a can dispense that will store 81 different flavors of soup.
Have extra large feet? The homemade velcro sandals should help.
Tripping over your book collection? Turn your bedroom door into a bookshelf.
Learn how to pull that drawstring back out of your sweats or pj's.
Can't miss projects including: hack a mattress into a couch, fix a broken super hero with no glue, install a rainforest showerhead, fix a totaled car, hang your bed from the ceiling, perform reconstructive surgery on your suitcase, and so much more.
There are chapters on the yard, office, kitchen, garage, bedroom, bathroom, living room, laundry room, dining room, and kids' room. Improve, fix, and organize every room in your house.
This book is so cool! I can't wait to delve in to some of the projects. I can't begin to tell you everything that is in the book. However, a few of the items that catch my attention other that what is already mentioned are:
Multi-purpose holder from a kitchen whisk
Patch your jeans without a patch
Walk-in closet makeover on a budget
Raised bed with bookshelves for storage
Make a TV cabinet fit its electronics
New living room pallet table for letting house
Rain-Gutter book shelves
Fixing up old furniture with decoupage
Canvas pocket bookshelf
Angry Birds cable holders
Block base for a fire stand
How to create a mini ironing table
Looks like it's time for me to start saving and rounding up materials to make some of the super cool things in this book!
Disclaimer: I rec'd a copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing it. I was provides some of the shared information for this post. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Super Sunday Reviews --Will It Waffle?
I attended a Test Kitchen event last night at our local Bluebird Bookstore. I couldn't help but want to buy this cookbook---Will it Waffle? Yes, it will! by Daniel Shumski
We were served the Toasted Cheese Wavioli. That isn't what sold me on the cookbook. It was looking through it after the taste event and seeing several foods that looked too good not to try.
There are 53 recipes included and I can't wait to try lots of them!
Just some of the ones I want to try are:
Crispy Waffled Bacon and Eggs
Waffled Hash Browns
Truffled Eggs
Waffled Macaroni and Cheese and
S'moreffles
I could take up half a page with all of the recipes that I want to try. While reviewing, there are recipes that I won't have anything to do with as well. This doesn't have anything to do with the recipe itself, but foods that I don't, or won't eat. These include the recipes for mushrooms, calamari, crab and such.
Our waffle maker hasn't left the top shelf or it's box since we bought this house 3 1/2 years ago. With Will It Waffle? I have a feeling it won't ever be put back on that high shelf!
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