simple Analogy

Balloon Postcards

Carving:  Balloon

Stamping:  Watercolor paper

Punching:  Heart     Rounding:  Edges

Sending: Postcards

Research Happens

At the same time that the boys are in the middle of their yearly research papers (of which I am very much a part since I am their teacher), I'm in the middle of a research project of my own...

I'm in the planning stage of adding a little seating area in the nursery at church.  Since I don't have a pinterest account (dumb old pinterest requires a facebook/twitter account to join - I'm bitter) wanna see what I love? 

source

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And pull it all together with this.

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As you can see, this is World Market heavy!  I did all the research online to save myself time and gas then hit the brick and mortar store to "kick the tires" a little.  I could spend hours there just looking around.  So inspiring!  Of course my eyes are a little bit bigger than my budget, but hey - start with the main pieces (couch and chair) and add the rest as the budget allows.  That's my plan. 

If you sign up for their email you'll get a 10% off coupon!!!

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Oh, and just in case you need help with bibliography pages, try Bibme.  I'm tellin' ya - kid's these days have all the good stuff!

During Tebow Time

Yes, we are truly Tebow fans.  We appreciate his testimony and his athletic ability.  Sadly, our Tebow watching days are over until the football season starts up again in the fall.

While I am a fan, it's hard for me to watch hours of football.  So during the last playoff game, I brought out my sketchbook and watercolors.  I didn't have a plan... just started sketching.  

My mom was sitting on the couch behind me during the game, and it was nice to hear her comments as this painting progressed.  

She wants this one.  So since it is destined to be her Valentine's present, I subtly added a few hearts on a few petals.  Now all it needs is a mat and frame.  Oh and I guess to be official, it should have a signature.  Now if only my signature had a little more flair...

Little Bit of Randomness

Every now and then I like to read some random.  And every now and then it's fun to write some random.  So here we go...

* If you have to drop a glass bowl on the kitchen floor, it's a good idea to have it entirely filled with the cheesy contents for lasagna.  When it breaks, the glass doesn't splinter into a million pieces.  It gets weighed down under the plop of heavy cheese and stays within a reasonable radius.

* If you need more cheese for your lasagne, the Walgreens around the corner carries cottage cheese.  Just check the date!

* If you want something fun to do, try the Instagram app.  (That cute little picture up there was altered using it!)

* If your washing machine starts making sci-fi music sounding noises, I hate to tell you, but it's probably gonna need to be replaced.

*  If you want to read up on sewing with knits, Made by Rae is the place to be.  Knitereview is going on right now.

* If you want a picture of what homeschool looks like on a cold day, I'll tell you:  everyone on the couches in the living room, with mugs of hot cocoa, under blankets, learning about the War of the Roses.

* If you need a boost of vitamin C, the oranges are particularly good this year.  At least the batch I got.

*  If your iphone is looking a little drab, try this or even this!

* If you need a very sentimental gift for your sister, try cinnamon sticks.  One of my new favorites.

*If your hair stylist breaks her foot to smithereens, you can get by a couple months without a haircut by wearing your hair up or in a pony tail.  It's been a long ponytail winter!

NOOK

Continuation of last time...

I went with Barnes & Noble's Nook Simple Touch for my reader. 

Why Simple Touch?  I didn't need a fancy-schmancy-do-everything tablet.  I just wanted it for reading.

What do I like about it?

1.  Small size.  Perfect for tucking into my bag for on the go reading.

2.  Touch features.   At the time when I was making my decision on which reader to buy (October-ish), Amazon only had the old keyboard Kindle.  I definitely like the touch technology.

3.  Not backlit.  It's really easy on my eyes.  Plus they say that you sleep better if you're not looking at backlit screens before you go to bed, which is when I do a lot of reading.

4.  Lightweight.  Since I do like to read in bed, the lightness of the Nook is perfect.  My arm doesn't get tired of holding it up like a book, and I don't have to keep the pages open!!!  (Go ahead.  Say it.  "LAZY!")

5.  Convenient.  When I need another good read or the boys need a new book for school, we just search and most of the time it's there.

6.  Free books.  I like to read a lot of the classics and older books of which many are offered for free.

7.  Lower cost.  We needed to buy a book for Landon for school the other day.  Hard copy $10.  Nook version $1.  Yes, I'll share!

 8.  Support.  I can take it to a brick and mortar Barnes & Noble for any help I need.  I like that!  And their people are really friendly.

What do I wish was a little bit better?

1.  Searches.  I guess I'm just used to searching Amazon, which is super intuitive.  Barnes & Noble takes a little bit more work.

2.  Some of the older books (before 1900's) have some flaws.  When they scan the books, some of the letters and symbols get mixed up.  Sometimes a word will be misspelled or even look like gibberish.  Most of the time I am able to read through the mistakes, but there are some that are terribly flawed.  The other day I downloaded a free version of Great Expectations.  Gobbledygook!  I couldn't even read it.  [Delete]  Guess I'll buy another version later.  I understand that the book was offered for free, but you'd think they'd at least proofread them before offering them!

And there's my two cents... 

Throughout the year I'll be updating the READING tab underneath my banner, so check back often to see what's on the bookshelf!

2011 Reading List

***Warning - Really long post with no pictures!  Hee hee!***

Oh, hi there!  Totally took a little blog break there.  Christmas and New Year's was so filled with fun and family that I totally missed the "Hello 2012" rigmarole that most of the other blogs are doing right now and which you're probably tired of by now anyway.  It's good to be different, right?  So instead of jumping through that hoop, lets talk books.

Another year gone by, another list of books rated by me... 

Rating Key:   

Loved (!)   Enjoyed (*)   OK (/)    Didn't enjoy (-)   Hated (#)     

In His Steps by Charles Sheldon  (*)

Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin  (/)

Six Months to Live by Lurlene McDaniels - A blast from the past:  as in I read this when I was in junior high!  (/)  But when I was in Jr. High it was a (!!!)

Gladys Aylward:  The Little Woman by Gladys Aylward  (*)

The Case of the Dinosaur Birds by John Erickson  (*)

The Case of the Dancing Cowboy by John Erickson  (*)

Ten Boys Who Changed the World by Irene Howat  (/)

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers  (*)

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis  (*)  I listened to the audio version, but I'd recommend going hardcopy!  This is a book that engages your mind, and there were some places where I would have wanted to re-read and think about it a little before moving on.

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan  (/)

Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis  (*)

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis  (*)

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott  (*)

True Devotion by Dee Henderson  (/)

The Tempest by William Shakespeare  (-)

The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson  (/)

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young  (*)

A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken  (*)

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery  (!)

Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery  (!)

Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery  (!)

Anne of Windy Poplars by L. M. Montgomery  (!)

Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery  (!)

Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery  (!)

Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery  (!!!!)  Love those manse children!

Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery  (!)

Beowulf: A New Verse Translation translated by Seamus Heaney  (*  believe it or not!) 

 The Bible Smuggler by Louise A. Vernon (-)

Ink on His Fingers by Louise A. Vernon  (-)

God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew  (!!!)  Couldn't put it down.

John and Betty Stam:  Missionary Martyr by Vance Christie  (*)

Stick to the Raft by Mrs. George Gladstone  (/)

Design*Sponge at Home by Grace Bonny  (!)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare  (*)

Boyhood and Beyond by Bob Schultz  (*)

***** Move to an new era... e-reading*****

D. L. Moody A Worker In Souls  by Gamaliel Bradford  (/)

Lessons From the Life and Death of D. L. Moody by R. A. Torrey  (/)

Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French  (/)

Mystery of History Vol. 2 by Linda Lacour Hobar  (*)

How To Pray by R. A. Torrey  (/)

The Life and Times of John Wycliffe:  Morning Star of the Reformation  (*)

My Mates and I by Mrs. O. F. Walton  (/)

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens  (*)

A few friends have asked me if I like e-reading as well as hard copy reading.  To tell the truth, I didn't know if I'd like it as well.  But after several months of e-reading, I can say I love it.  This post is long enough, so next time we'll talk about which reader I use, why I picked it, and why I love it.

Happy New Year!  And happy reading!