Just Loverly...

Remember the little expedition hubby and I did earlier this year to buy book shelves? Well, they’ve arrived!!! Aren’t they beautiful, sublime…

Magnificent (who needs a Kindle anyways - this kind of storage is much more elegant!) Perfect, perfectly HUGE

Dare I say – virginal (i.e. yet to be touched by a book spine, tee hee) Even Miss Gwendoline approves… (I think she's laughing at her crazy Mum)

Sorry, only a Librarian could get so overwhelmed by new bookshelves (sniff) ♥♥♥♥….Jewels

Update: Well I should have provided details. Custom made from Oak by a local Amish carpenter. Hardware is mission "style". Center piece is 72" W x 36" H. Inside each cupboard is shelving. Each bookshelf is 36" W x 72" H. Very reasonably priced (less then $1, 745 US)...

Nightstand Report

Goodness, my last report was last October! Truly I have been reading since then. While I am enjoying my Kindle (working through Follett's Pillars of the Earth at the moment), I still need to hold the real thing in my hand from time to time...especially when I need to see pictures!

I've decided Anne Shirley is one of our great philosophers (LOL). After all it was she who said (quite dramatically I might add) "My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes. That's a sentence I read in a book once, and I say it over to comfort myself whenever I'm disappointed in anything." How perfectly delicious. Now you would think being born in Canada this would be one of my earlier reads. I actually came to Montgomery's works a little later. The Bronte sisters were more my cup of tea - I still remember the first time I read Jane Eyre. I was pretty sick at home for awhile and the librarian from the Public Library Portable that visited our school regularly, sent it home for me to read. Funny remembering that Portable that would get pulled up outside our school - that's probably where I got my ambition to be a librarian. What a cool job to go around town and check out books to little children! Though in the dead of winter I'm sure the librarian didn't think so...

Anyway, I just finished reading Anne of Green Gables again (I always cry about Matthew) and found this quote that I've now posted on my blog. Anne was all about kindred spirits - and I truly believe that I have met many since I started my blog and made so many virtual friends.

Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It' splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.

Wouldn't you agree? Of course Anne gets 5 out of 5 lampshades. Cheers Jewels

The Dark Side? and a GiveAway...

I mentioned a spiff Christmas present I recieved from Hubby. After much research on ebooks he decided to get me a Kindle (thank you sweetheart). He would also probably say I made some "hints".
I have to say I was very undecided before I got this present. How could it possibly replace the "feel" of a real book. Would I be going to the dark side if I owned one? But I am hooked! I spent much of the holiday online looking for freebies (check out Project Gutenberg) to download - mostly classics.
And, as you can see, the librarian in me had to "organize" my collection right away (obviously I am in a P.G. Woodhouse kick - the result of watching the whole Jevees and Wooster series at the cottage). What fun; however, I consider my Kindle a compliment to my book collection and won't be stopping purchases of the real thing any time soon. The Kindle really is not good for anything with pictures and everything is black and white - I am sure that will change eventually with future models but for now I am happy to use it to read straight text. The funniest thing I had to get used to what was NOT reaching for the top corner to turn the page (LOL).
Besides, this past weekend we invested in new book shelves (not these ones but you catch my drift) so we could get all our books out on display again after a remodeling project (that, ahem, was over 4 years ago!). Our physical collection is not going anywhere anytime soon...
Moving on - I cannot believe I have passed the 10,000 mark for hits on my Blog - thanks to all my Peeps who visit me on a regular basis. Since I was in the process of making my January tag to exchange with Carol, I thought I'd make an extra one as a token of my appreciation.

If your interested in receiving this small piece of "art" leave a comment on this and any other of my next posts before January 25th and I'll put your name in for the draw. (I need to give credit for the photo to Beth over at Gathering Dust. It was part of her and Karla's Romantic Christmas online tutorial). The definition just cracks me up - a man's home certainly was HIS castle, egads. Good luck! Jewels p.s. Carol, the most luckiest person on the planet, is out of contention for this as she gets her own tag - so your chances are actually pretty good!

Odds and Ends

Just a few things to share. I've been doing more blog "remodeling" and think will leave as is for awhile.

I received a really lovely wall hanging from Terri today - it is just beautiful and I'm looking for a place of honour to show it off.

I've been doing the "green" thing lately (code for thrifting). I've found an abundance of old atlases - these date between 1930-1945.
The colours are wonderful - lots to use for glue books.

I've also found a few pretty covered books - destined for altered art (I hope). However, I don't plan to take apart the flower book.
It has some wonderful prints that can be scanned and used.

And finally - time for another vintage tag!

For November I concentrated on the rich colours of Fall ...

Enjoy!
(p.s. Mondo was robbed, I say, robbed - seems like most folks agreed - Project Runway may just see a drop in viewers after this season!)

Nightstand Report

It’s been awhile since I did a nightstand report so catching up. Let’s just say I’ve had more time for reading lately.
Looking at this picture it’s pretty clear what an eclectic reader I am! I’ll start with my “low brow” selections first.
I consider The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club and Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil my equivalent of Harlequin novels. Boy does that bring back memories – my Mum went through a phase when she was addicted Harlequin and they were all around the house – I gobbled them up. Anyway, the main attraction for me with McNeil’s novels are they take place in England and I can relate to some of the references. Both books are about Jo Mackenzie, a sudden widow with two boys forced to leave her life in London and move to a small seaside village to takeover her Gran’s wool shop (sounds okay to me). Not masterpieces by any stretch. I give both 3 out of a possible 5 lampshades.
A.S Byatt is more challenging. I enjoyed Possession. The verdict is still out on The Children’s Book – struggling a bit to get into it – so no lampshades yet.
I always have either craft magazines or books by my bed. Beth over at Gathering Dust had recommended Amy Barickman’s Vintage Notions. It has all kinds of cool stuff in it and is inspired by Mary Brooks Picken of The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences. 4 lampshades just for the pictures and graphics!
On the more academic side we have The Fourth Part of the World by Toby Lester. I had heard an interview of the author on the radio while at the cottage and thought it was very interesting. It is about medieval explorers and the discovery/naming of America. The main focus is on the Waldseemuller map of 1507 (don’t ask me to pronounce). Really fascinating for those of us who studied History at university (I’m such a snob). Anyway, I do recommend it and give it 4 lampshades.

I really like biographies. I had read about Lyndall Gordon’s Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family’s Feuds in The Economist. Talk about scandals and secrets. I’m ashamed to admit I am not as familiar with all of Dickinson’s poetry. What is interesting is she was a recluse who was probably epileptic. The question has been how could she have written the kind of poetry she did based on her sheltered life. Well Gordon provides some amazing insights based on her research. Another 4 out of 5 lampshades (with the qualifier I probably am enjoying The Fourth Part a little more).

So what’s on your nightstand?

Nightstand Report

Well as many of you know I'm a self confessed book junkie. Just look at my nightstand this week (ignore the box, yes we've lived here for ten years and yes I still have unpacked moving boxes)...
200 Crotchet Blocks, eh...hmmmm Do you think I can get through them all? Which lead me to start thinking about my hoard of craft books around the house...

Looking through the shelves, they really reflect my changing interests and tastes over time.... Some old standbys when I was more into making "big" quilts - though I pulled Harriet off the shelf just the other day for a refresher on a technique. I think the first edition of Quilts, Quilts, Quilts was one of my first quilting book purchases.

I like the Vintage stuff still...
Including this new Redwork book I just picked up - includes 100 patterns on CD (okay so now we are up to 300 patterns I have to try).

..and I'm frequently making Baby quilts (a size I can manage these days)...

But I've also been draw more to fabric art lately...
My first Lesley Riley book got me started I think

As well as Artist Trading Cards

My latest purchases have been around collages - by Blogging Peep Beth recommended True Colors to me...

This past couple of weeks I splurged and here is what I picked up (oh what did we do before Amazon???)
I'm really liking Fabric Embellishments - lots of neat ideas
I had bought Freeman-Zachery's first book and was thrilled she has a new one out..
I also was intrigued by the Good Mail Day book ... maybe the next thing I'll be experimenting with (I agree with Carol - not enough time to try all the wonderful things out there!).
As for my Crotchet book - probably a 4 out of 5 lampshades on this one - I'm still thinking how much wool it will take to make all of them! So what's on your nightstand?

Spring Gossip

Last Fall when we were up in Glen Arbor, MI I dropped in a local bookstore. In the back they sold older books and I picked up the Thornton W. Burgess Nature Almanac, 1949. I loved the graphics and hope you do to. One of the pages was dedicated to Spring Gossip which just seemed to fit the mood today here at Maple Hill - you know, when you can "smell" Spring (aka there is a lot of mud in my yard, but that's besided the point)...
I have not seen a Spring Robin yet but hope to soon.

Our Chickadees are a rather rude bunch - I've noticed they don't share well in the Bird Feeder.

We have a thing about Chipmunks here - cute as they are, I have lots of "tunnels" around my house - lets just say we've had to take some drastic measures much to the dislike of other members of my family (Sis knows what I'm talking about).

We see Hawks around our place all the time - wish they did a better job with Danny Meadow Mouse!

Cardinals are one of my favorite birds - I love their red coats.

Johnny and Jerry are more likely to be found at one of the ponds further up the road from us.

And I'll soon start seeing Redwings on my morning runs - a sure sign Ole Man Winter is giving up. Hope you enjoyed the current gossip in my "hood"....Jewels.