Summer Reads

Here is what I'm reading now...

I'm in the middle of this book now.  It is so cute.  It is written with such colorful language.  It's as if Alan Bradley had spent his whole life reading and studying 19th century literature and then decided to write a children's novel.  The sentences are so buoyant and complex.  You'd think Alan Bradley was crazy for attempting to write the children's novel after studying all of that old english literature, but you're wrong!  It's great and sweet.  It reminded me how beautiful language can be, even today.
"Something came over Father's eyes, and I saw that he had vanished down one of those personal rabbit holes which so often engulfed him.  I sometimes wondered if I would ever learn to live with his sudden silences.  But then, like a jammed clockwork toy that jerks abruptly back to life when it's flicked with a finger, he went on with his story as if there had been no interruption."
Flavia de Luce is our heroine, who loves chemistry of all things.  Why did Alan Bradley think he would ever write a good children's novel?  But he did, he wrote about a clever little girl with an old soul.  She takes it upon herself to solve a crime that had been committed in her home.
Even though I already know how the story will end, because it is a children's book, I can't wait to read the rest of it!

This cover is for the large print edition.  Yep, I got the large print edition from the library.  There are always less requests on the large print than the regular copies.  That tip was for free.

Decorating

Brian moved into our eventual apartment months ago.  The funny thing is, he thinks it already looks really girly and "decorated" because I put a candle holder on his table, shower curtains in the bathroom, and hand towels in the kitchen!  Oh, what a funny boy.  I'm not sure he realizes what's coming to him.

So I've gotten to the point where I can't take it anymore.  If he is telling everyone that I've decorated his apartment, I feel like I really should so at least I can be proud of it.

The first thing I want to do is paint birch trees on either side of our fire place.

I like the one on the left best for the fireplace.  I feel like the one on the right would be awesome in the bathroom or something.  I'm not sure yet.  These are actually awesome decals on etsy but super expensive and I can't afford that!
Find them here and here.

The other thing I would like to do is add artwork to (our) his apartment.  I think getting a huge paint-by-numbers painting would be awesome.  I found these on etsy too.  here and here.

We have started a library and we would like to decorate our bedroom with a kind of library theme. The plan is we would move the library decor into a library when we get a bigger place.   I found these paper-cut prints at elsita on etsy and fell in love! $7 each!

This is kind of what we had in mind for the "library" though.  I wanted to make something.  I wanted to get a huge square frame, 5'x5' or something.  Fill it will old book pages and paint something like this ship on top.  I would need something a little more simplified though.

Annie

Annie spends rainy days at the library.

Annie doesn't take off her rain coat and hat while looking for interesting books.

Annie browses through ethnic decor books.


Annie reads about symbolism in African rugs.

Annie's practical book of oriental rugs.

It was a good day for Annie, she loves to learn new things.

A new day

So every now and then I go to the library and pick up all of the easy to read books about a craft.
This is how I learned to crochet and knit. Over Christmas I got books about origami and used odd bits of wrapping paper to make animals and put them in the Christmas tree.
So on Saturday I went to the library yet again and got a bunch of books on embroidery. (and a couple of children's chapter books on tape for the drive back to school--guilty pleasures)

Anyways so I went to the basement and found some left over fabric from some curtains and went to town.

monogram

snail!

It all matches my bedspread too. AWESOME.
Can you tell that I'm just a little pleased with myself. I can't wait to improve.