life and pretty paper

Summer Reading

As I find myself elbow deep in summer the longer days and extra hours tend to find me outside getting some fresh air and reading a book.

I don't have any real goals when it comes to picking books for the summer.  I tend to look for suggestions over at goodreads and if I happen to be buying a book at amazon.com I always take time to look at the book suggestions it gives me.  There is one book that I put on my had to read list for summer, The Wind in the Willows.

 I remember my Mom reading this book to me and watching the stop motion animation special when I was younger. I got real excited when I looked at the back of some scrapbook paper by October Afternoon and saw that they had used text from the book as a pattern.  I decided I wanted to revisit the book since I have forgotten parts of the story and wanted to refresh my memory.  I should also see if I can find the book I had when I was little, it was more for children and had some beautiful illustrations in it.  I would sit for hours looking at that book and the pictures in it.  I don't know why I love this book so much, maybe because it's the one book I remember my Mom reading to me, each night before bed she would read a few pages of it and I would look forward to bedtime because I got to hear more of the story. 

  

Some other books I'm looking forward to reading this summer are Sarah's Key,  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,  and  Little Bee all highly recommended over at goodreads. I've also found some reading list online and might check them out when I need some new ideas for books to read. NPR Summer Book List 20 and the Summer Reading List at Oprah.com. 

I guess it's become a tradition for me to always read as many books as years I've been on this earth so starting this month I made a goal to read 36 books in my 36th year.  I wanted to mix in some classics this time around and have been looking at the Barnes and Noble Classics Collection and have added a few of the classics to my list of books to read. 

Have you been reading a lot this summer? What books are on your must read list? 
 

5 things I'm loving right now

1. The Big Bang Theory: Where have I been all these years?  I cannot believe I've never watching this show before it's fantastic!  If you have not watched this show before you must start watching it now.  Freaking Hysterical! 

2. Blue Bell Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream: SO GOOD!!  It's nice and thick and custardy with strawberries, what's not to like about that?

3. CHA is at the end of the month and the sneaks are starting to come out.  Lots of good stuff coming, but Studio Calico has to be at the top of my list.

4. Everyday Food: This magazine has always been a favorite of mine.  I've been cooking a lot more these days and this is my go to magazine to find new things to try.

5. Nikkor 50mm lense: I got this lense for my birthday and I am loving it!  It takes great pictures indoors and out. The only thing is it doesn't have a zoom lense so I'm having to use my feet to get close to my subject.  

36 things

It's become a tradition for me to create a goal list each birthday.  My birthday was earlier this month so I sat down and made my list of things I would like to accomplish in my 36th year.  Some big, some small, a few challenges, and some things just for me.

1. Learn how to really use my camera (get out of auto mode)
2. Attend yoga class twice a week
3. Get to a healthy weight
4. Get caught up with scrapbooking
5. Organize bathroom
6. Read 36 books
7. Start 365 project
8. Participate in a Flickr photo challenge group
9. Cross Stitch: at least one project a month
10. Make my own cards for holidays and birthdays
11. Expand the vegetable garden
12. *personal*
13. *personal*
14. Purchase a new car
15. Try three new recipes a month
16. Scan my childhood pictures
17. Create five handmade cards each month
18. Organize bedroom
19. Get digital photos printed and organized into albums
20. Learn how to us the new sewing machine
21. Organize recipe collection
22. Learn to crochet
23. Get a new computer (hopefully a Mac)
24. Give on handmade gift at Christmas
25. Pare down my closet; donate what I don't wear anymore.
26. Create a budget and stick to it
27. Find flea markets and antique stores to explore
28. Redecorate the bedroom
29. Redecorate the bathroom
30. Get a bicycle
31. Do 12 on 12 each month and scrapbook it
32. Complete unfinished Big Picture classes.  There are a lot but most importantly Ali Edwards Yesterday & Today class and The Challenge of Me!
33. Create a mini book for each season
34. Get more comfortable using Photoshop actions
35. A new blythe doll
36. Load all photos to Shutterfly share site

Looking forward to crossing some things off this list!

the classroom is open!

And it's the first day of vacation for me, which makes it even better!

Shimelle gave us two challenges today, the first one was to post a picture that makes you happy. Love this picture I took last year of the oldest niece at the pool. She was more than happy to jump for me until I was able to get this shot.

The second challenge was to take a picture five minutes after reading the challenge.  I had to run out the door the pick up the girls since they will be here this week and I snapped a shot of my drive to pick them up.

 
 So glad the rain has stopped, it was great while it lasted and we needed it but I'm ready to spend the week at the pool. In fact we just got back from there and it's time for me to run to the store and figure out dinner.  I'm thinking nachos.

Happy 4th!

 
Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.  ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

hello summer!

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Last year Molly Irwin did a series of post on summer, 100 reasons to love summer

Ali Edwards just started her stories of summer series

A new blog has been started to celebrate handmade art cartwheels in my mind

A few etsy loves: A new handbag for summer, so in love with these garden markers made of spoons, this print and this necklace.

Summer wouldn't be complete without something to cool you off with, popsicles!

I have loved these seasons stamps from Cat's Life Press for a while, I think it's time to get some for summer, here and here. I also might have to pick up some of these for road trip pages.

Hope eveyone has a great summer!