Sunday, October 31, 2010

This Week In Books

 
 Monday:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Tuesday:

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday: nothing

Friday:

They Live by Jonathan Lethem (Just Showed Up Review Copy)
Death Wish by Christopher Sorrentino (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Saturday: nothing



A little bite-free bed bug is watching over my books this week. He's my first ever knit toy from MochiMochi!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Lookalikes 125


Grace, Fallen from by Marianne Boruch



No Shame, No Fear by Ann Turnbull

Sorry for pixelation central over here today but I wanted to get these covers up a little larger than I could find them. I'm also unsure what editions these are because I've also seen other versions for both. The coloring of both of these really kind of depresses me, but then again it might just be that the colors don't translate online because they are extremely monotone. It is rather interesting how the titles and author names appear in almost exactly the same place, makes me think that is is not a cropped version of the image but the entire image (or painting is it?) so that is all the space they had to play with, that's the most logical place for the information to go. Overall just a sort of eh feeling from me. 

Thanks to The Book Pixie who suggested this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Flash Your Stash 3

It's time to flash your stash a monthly meme hosted by Tami

I'm going to be a little more informal with my post this time around (No awesome lettering :( )
 
This yarn is for my three in progress (sort of) afghans/blankets. From left to right: Ripple, Summer Garden Granny Square, African Flower Hexagon Blanket. And why yes you can see some of those blankets in the background!


Here is some of my new yarn on the left (LYS sale purchase) and right (Smiley's Yarn online order) and in the middle are some of my smaller WIPs and their yarn.


Here is yarn that for the most part is attached to projects (go back to last Flash Your Stash for specifics) and my new Bernat Mosaic (obsessed!) and a few other things I've purchased in the last month. 


Here is my bulky yarn, the fun fur my Aunt gave me that is turned into a giant mass and I am currently untangling, oops! And some other yarn from finished projects or discarded yarn from projects and other random stuff.


This is the yarn that I currently have in a dresser drawer, the stuff in the plastic bags is all cotton (was trying a space saving technique with that lol) a lot of worsted and some sport for amigurumi and other random stuff that was used or discarded from projects.


Like Tami I'm hoping not to buy a lot of yarn til I use some of this up but sometimes that's hard haha! I do have my eyes on KnitPicks....!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Trick or Treat Witches! (From A of Pretty Little Liars)

Some of you might remember last summer I got to participate in the Pretty Little Liars Secret Keeper Game (ABC Family invited me to participate) here is my recap. The show is back with new episodes January 3rd. Anyhow, about 2 weeks ago I got a mysterious email from A saying that for doing so well in the game last summer I had earned a reward. Having so much fun this summer and wanting the game to continue I of course said YES send it my way!

Today the doorbell rang and as always I jumped (I don't know why the doorbell makes me jump!) and outside was a little box and I had a feeling that it was from A. I had no idea what was inside.


And inside was....
Seriously, whoever is the mastermind behind this is a genius! A flashlight with the Pretty Little Liars logo and a message that says "the light reveals the truth". And some candy (M&Ms that say Trick and Or Trick and -A) for Halloween! (Is it just me or after that candy is gone would that container make the best craft doodad holder!) If you shine the light behind the paper you can see the web address www.trickortreatwitches.com which has the message to come back Friday at 3pm Eastern Time! I can't wait to find out what is there! 

EDIT: Friday 2pm Central time, if you go to the website, linked above you can see a preview on of the first new episode, the aftermath of the last episode!

Weekly Dose of Crafts!

Not a whole lot to show this week unfortunately. I went to Knitting class last Wednesday with my purple bobble hat, really got going on it and then got home, kept working and somehow a lot of it was really really really wrong. So I ripped the whole thing out. I tried to restart it a few times but I I think I need some space from it now.


I did a lot of experimenting this week, trying some of the yarn I have with different patterns, finally with some help from a very nice lady on Raverly I got going on a pattern (that stuck!) with my Bernat Mosaic (Ambrosia). The pattern was free on the Bernat website here. It is really a one sided scarf and is taking awhile so I think I will make it a little shorter than I usually do.




Then last Friday on my way to Pre-KidLitCon events I decided to go on a one person yarn store crawl and hit up 3 stores I've never been to. I think it's my personal goal to go to everyone that is less than an hour away, yes I'm crazy.


Anyhow, I was trying not to spend a lot of money and I did fine until I realized the second store had this GREAT sale section with GREAT yarn. Needless to say, I went a little crazy. But of the three stores, this is all I bought, makes me feel a little better, a little.




I've also been working on my ripple blanket a little here and there, so I decided to use it as my background this week!



For more crafty goodness be sure to stop over at WIP Wednesday! And find me on Raverly as mint910.

"Waiting On" Wednesday 101

Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies

Amazon.com:

With Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies, crocheters can have their cupcakes and wear them, too. The founder of her own popular line of food-inspired fashions, Twinkie Chan has whipped up a feast of head-turning scarves, mittens, hats, and more so that her many fans can learn to make her culinary creations at home.

You'll find recipes for food-themed scarves that feature sushi, salad, gingerbread men, buttered toast, eggs and bacon, ice-cream cones, popcorn boxes, and more. You'll also learn how to make a pair of strawberry fingerless mittens, a chocolate cupcake hat complete with a cherry on top, and even a coconut-lemon cake tissue box cozy. Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies is divided into three chapters--Sweet Things, Fruits and Veggies, and Savory Stuff--and comes complete with an illustrated how-to section, lists of "ingredients" for each project, easy-to-follow, step-by-step directions, and full-color photos and illustrations. Beginning and experienced crafters alike will go wild for these quirky, colorful, wearable confections.

Released November 2nd 201

I will admit, when I added this book to my wishlist last Spring I was a little hesitant. I've encountered "wacky" craft books that turned out to be so wacky they were basically unusable in the real world. Shelf Awareness recently had a dedicated issue for this book's publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing that included a ad for Twinkie Chan that lead to her website/blog and a video featuring her making a cupcake scarf from the book. Well, I can tell you I am 1,000% sold on this book now, it seems like so so so much fun but still things you could actually wear and make for other people. I love Twinkie Chan's whole look and collection she has created. I'm excited to hopefully get this book soon!

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Hardcover vs Paperback 104

After You by Julie Buxbaum

Hardcover

Paperback


The complexities of a friendship. The unexplored doubts of a marriage. And the redemptive power of literature... Julie Buxbaum, the acclaimed author of The Opposite of Love, delivers a haunting, gloriously written novel about love, family, and the secrets we hide from each other--and ourselves.

It happened on a tree-lined street in Notting Hill to a woman who seemed to have the perfect life. Ellie Lerner’s best friend, Lucy, was murdered in front of her young daughter. And, as best friends do, Ellie dropped everything--her marriage, her job, her life in the Boston suburbs--to travel to London and pick up the pieces of Lucy’s life. While Lucy’s husband, Greg, copes with his grief by retreating into himself, eight-year-old Sophie has simply stopped speaking.

Desperate to help Sophie, Ellie turns to a book that gave her comfort as a child, The Secret Garden. As the two spend hours exploring the novel’s winding passageways, its story of hurt, magic, and healing blooms around them. But so, too, do Lucy’s secrets--some big, some small--secrets Lucy kept hidden, even from her best friend. Over a summer in London, as Ellie peels back the layers of her friend’s life, she’s forced to confront her own as well: the marriage she left behind, the loss she’d hoped to escape. And suddenly Ellie’s carefully constructed existence is spinning out of control in a chain of events that will transform her life--and those around her--forever. A novel that will resonate in the heart of anyone who’s had a best friend, a love lost, or a past full of regrets, After You proves once again the unique and compelling talent of Julie Buxbaum.

First of all, doesn't this book sound interesting? Personally I'm much more attracted to the hardcover, just the fact that it hints that it's about more than just a little girl (like the paperback) makes it more interesting to me. Also I love love love love the use of white space and the font used for the title, the paperback positions the title right over the image which sometimes doesn't work for me, like here.

Thanks to Violet Crush who pointed out this H vs P!

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Guest Post from Sarah MacLean, author of Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord

Today I am so excited to welcome Sarah MacLean the author of two of my favorite books (The Season-YA and Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake-Romance and also my first ever and favorite romance novel!) and I'm sure a soon to be third favorite, Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord which is out tomorrow! I'm so excited about Sarah's guest post, it meshes her interests with mine so well!!!!

I’ve been lurking around and reading Alea’s blog for years—since before the release of The Season, and I love this blog (and not just because Alea has always been kind to me in reviews).  I love its passion for books and the community that it has built as part of first, the YA book blogging world, and now the wider world of book lovers.


I also have a soft spot in my heart for Alea because (as you may know) I was her first romance novel.  My March release, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, was the first romance she’d ever read . . . and it sucked her into this genre that I love so much.  Over the last months, Alea has asked me for recommendations and encouraged me to make recommended lists on my blog, but today, I thought I’d make her a list here—and why stop at books?  

In celebration of my new release, Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord and Pop Culture Junkie, I give you:

Sarah MacLean’s Top Ten Pop Culture Romances (no Romance Novels included)

  1. Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice – I write historical romance. This has to be number one.  But it also has to be on the list because Lizzie and Darcy are such a perfect match. He’s arrogant to a fault, and she’s the only lady with guts enough to stand up to him. Is it any wonder he can’t resist?

  1. Susan Vance & David Huxley, Bringing up Baby – Played by Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant, Susan and David are the best opposites attract couple ever.  He’s a nervous, uptight paleontologist with an obsession for dinosaur bones and she’s a wild heiress who has lost her leopard, Baby. It’s love at first sight for her . . . and something entirely different for him . . . and pure, luxurious fun for us.

  1. Harry Burns & Sally Albright, When Harry Met Sally – The greatest friends-into-lovers story ever.  You know it right from the beginning, these two are meant to be. But it takes years and years, and they have to (of course) screw it up before it all ends in smooching.  

  1. Westley & Buttercup, The Princess Bride by William Goldman – Yes. You read that right. I’m foregoing the adorable Cary Elwes-portrayed Westley in favor of the fictional character Westley because, I don’t care how good the movie is, the book is about a hundred times better. And, if you’ve never read it and you love the movie, go now and get a copy. You’ll feel like it’s Christmas in July. Or, October, as the case may be.

  1. Florentino & Fermina, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Unrequited love has never read so well.

  1. Mu Bai & Shu Lien, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – So beautiful. So devastating. I defy you to watch this movie and not weep. The love story is incredible.

  1. Meghann Cleary & Father Ralph de Bricassart, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – Ok. It’s a weird story. Parish priest falls for young, beautiful parishioner in an immense, epic tale that spans three generations and something like 40 years. Here’s the thing . . . he can’t have her. He’s a priest. And you can’t put the book down because it’s so very over the top and awesome.

  1. Josh Lyman & Donatella Moss, The West Wing – Seven years of witty banter *finally* pays off. And it’s worth every single episode. Also, Donna has what is possibly the greatest line ever in the history of romance lines:

Josh: “If you were in an accident, I sure wouldn’t stop for a beer.”
Donna: “If you were in an accident, I wouldn’t stop for red lights.”

  1. Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward – At least one of these romances had to be a real couple . . . and these two are it.  They were married for 50 years despite fame and fortune and all the trouble that comes with it.  And to make it all even better, when asked about infidelity, Newman once said, “Why go out for hamburger when you have steak at home?” Love.

  1. Lady & the Tramp – Classic, right? She’s fancy pants, he’s from the wrong side of the tracks. She’s uptight, he teaches her to let loose.  It’s a story that’s been told hundreds of times and never gets old. But it rarely gets done better than this. Don’t believe me?  Go watch it again, now. I bet it’s better than you remember. 

I also have the opportunity to giveaway a signed copy of Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord to one of you!

Here is how to enter!

Fill out the giveaway entry form here.

The giveaway is open to addresses within the US only.

The giveaway will end November 8th at 6:59 pm Central Time.

Entries left in the comments of this blog post will not be counted, please fill out the giveaway entry form.

**Prize provided by the author**

Sunday, October 24, 2010

This Week In Books and Kid Lit Con (recap to come!)


Monday:

Very Easy Circular Knits by Betty Barnden (Purchased at Tuesday Morning)
200 Stitch Patterns for Baby Blankets by Jan Eaton (Purchased at Tuesday Morning)
Greetings from Knit Cafe by Suzan Mischer (Purchased at Tuesday Morning)

Tuesday:

Hunger by Michael Grant (Purchased at Target)
The Doggy Divas: Roxy's Rules by Lauren Brown (Accepted Review Copy)

I got a gift from Bookfairy A in the mail, thanks!

Baby It's Cold Outside by Cathy Yardley
Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
Deadly Temptation by Justine Davis
The Family He Wanted by Karen Sandler
Safe Haven by Marie Ferrarella
A Christmas Wedding by Tracy Wolff
A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine
Court Me, Cowboy by Barbara White Daille
To Catch a Thief by Sherryl Woods
Courting the Enemy by Sherryl Woods
Wish Come True by Patricia Kay

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday:

Knitting Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec (Purchased at Borders)

Friday:

The Fart Party Vol 2 by Julia Wertz (Purchased at the comic book store)


Saturday:

The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston (Purchased at KitLitCon and signed by author)
The Hole in the Wall by Lisa Rowe Fraustino (Picked up at KidLitCon)
Peanut Butter and Jeremy's Best Book Ever! by James Kochalka (Purchased at the comic book store)
Fall For Anything But Courtney Summers (Requested/Accepted Review Copy) !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Lookalikes 124

 Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert

Still Life by Joy Fielding

This stock photo really does nothing for me, literally, I see it and I see nothing I think the subtle highlights are too subtle for me. But I will say I enjoy the typography on the Keeper of Light and Dust!

Thanks to Steph Su who suggested this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Weekly Dose of Crafts!

Last Friday afternoon my second ever online yarn order arrived and boy was I excited!!!!!!!!!! Here it is right after I opened the top!


Here is all the yarn laid out. It might look like a lot (or maybe not) but I didn't pay over $3 for any of it and a lot of it was $1 or $1.50. I've already used up almost all of the red for a scarf you will see below. I made sure to get enough yarn to complete a project, so these are all attached to projects, mostly hats, scarves and a pair of mittens!


Remember that heart hat I started last week for my Knitting class? Well I really got going on it and realized I didn't even need any help! It was really fun to make and it fits!!! It's maybe a bit snug in one spot and it's a little longer than I would normally wear but I really like it!


Here is the scarf I made with those 8 balls of red yarn pictured above. It was the first project in either knit or crochet that I made using 2 pieces of yarn at a time! It came together really fast! The pattern was in the first issue of Crochet Today I ever got last spring, it was actually on the cover so I will attribute it to getting me interested in the magazine! 


Yarn used:
8 skeins Filati Cervinia 1616 
 
As I've been doing every week I picked and started a new project to get help with in Knitting class tonight. This week I picked this hat from 60 Quick Knits. I had some yarn I was just going to use and then decided I really really really wanted to use the yarn from the pattern (Cascade 220 Amethyst Heather) I checked 3 yarn stores and nada, but luckily at my last stop the woman working there (who had been my crochet teacher!) suggested another yarn that had a similar look and I'm rather happy with it!


Yarn used:
Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted 2426


I'm still on a magazine kick, earlier in the week I had tried to find something new to get without any luck and then yesterday when I stopped at a new yarn store they had 2 issues I had missed in Summer when I wasn't really working on my Knitting skills which I was sad I had missed so I snatched those right up and also the new Interweave Crochet Accessories issue that I've practically been haunting stores looking for it!

Today I also picked up a skein of Bernat Mosaic in Ambrosia (one of the magazines had an ad for it and a beautiful free pattern!)



For more crafty goodness be sure to stop over at WIP Wednesday! And find me on Raverly as mint910.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Hardcover vs Paperback 103

This One is Mine by Maria Semple

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. THIS ONE IS MINE is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more--and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness. 
 
I always appreciated the hardcover, the painting seems like something wonderful you would see from the 1940s or something. But I could see with it being rather original that maybe some people wouldn't pick it up for maybe fear of it not being contemporary or even fiction. So I understand the switch to the paperback, but really I feel like I've seen that cover a zillion times. I like covers like that but it doesn't really separate this book from the crowd. Sort of one extreme to the other.
 
Thanks to Bermudaonion who also noticed this H vs. P!
 
Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

This Week In Books and a Book Festival!



 Yesterday (Saturday) I went to a local book festival! I had heard about it the last 2 years but somehow didn't make it, but this year I did and I'm glad I went! More below.


Monday:

Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean (Just Showed Up Review Copy) YES!!!!

Tuesday:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Requested Review Copy) YES!!!!!
Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen (Purchased at Borders)
Trash by Andy Mulligan (Just Showed Up Review Copy)
The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter by John Gosselink (Just Showed Up Review Copy)
Violet in Bloom by Lauren Myracle (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday: nothing

Friday: nothing

Saturday:

So Saturday I went to my first local Book Festival finally! There were author signings, booths, panels and all sorts of other fun things! I started my morning off meeting a few bloggers at a nearby coffeeshop (I'm not going to name names because well, I'm feeling lazy!) So here is a little recap from me!

We headed over to the Festival and there was Alexander McCall Smith right when we walked in! I figured there was going to be a giant line but only a few people were waiting so I got a book signed, I totally freaked out! I checked out most of the booths said Hi to a few people I had met before, petted a cover of a book I had done with was on display in one of the booths and ran into another blogging friend.

Then started the panels. I went to 3 panels which were:

The Changing World of Publishing which Sheila of Book Journey (who I met that morning) was on the panel for. I enjoyed the discussion between the authors and publishing people and Sheila the resident blogger!

Jeffrey Zaslow and 2 of the Girls from Ames. I really enjoyed his talk, he was rather funny. I remember seeing The Girls From Ames when it first came out and I finally got it!

Local Comics, this was the first panel I saw that I had wanted to go to, we have a great comics scene around here I think so this was another great panel!

My friend joined me for the comics panel and then we browsed around some more, had a sit down with a snack and then I was on my way home!


The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith (Purchased at Book Festival and signed by author)
Lutefisk Sushi Vol D (Purchased at Book Festival)
The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon by Sara Beitia (Purchased at Book Festival)
The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn- Mills (Free at Book Festival)

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (Purchased at Book Festival and signed by co-author)
The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow (Purchased at Book Festival and signed by author and 1 of the girls)
Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham (Purchased at Book Festival and signed by author)
Fingerprints by Will Dinski (Purchased at Book Festival and signed by author)
Modern Day Gypsy by Gypsy Brown (Purchased at Book Festival)


Dark Water by Laura McNeal (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Friday, October 15, 2010

Lookalikes 123

 Kindred by Tammar Stein

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Hmmm. I'm not really a fan of this picture but I do appreciate a aged looking cover every once in awhile like in Kindred. I do not like that font though.

Thanks to Kelsey who suggested this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Amazon.com:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.


I really loved and appreciated The DUFF. In a sea of Young Adult Literature it really comes off as authentic and real to me. I loved the storyline, a girl falling for the guy she she cannot stand, I mean how does that happen and once it does what do you do!

I adored Bianca she's a rather average and normal girl but she's not boring or someone that fades into the background, she's a real person with real problems and I loved seeing her story unfold on the page. And Wesley, who doesn't know someone that comes off slimy like that! All the characters in the book were great!

I know a lot of people have commented on the language and the sex in this book. This is my take on it, the language didn't bother me one bit, I actually liked that it was written that way, it made the dialogue seem a hell of a lot more real that way. And the sex, while there was a lot, it didn't happen without explanation and I found the book to really flesh out and explain everything, nothing was meaningless.

Overall this was a breath of fresh air and I can't wait to read more from this author!

The DUFF was released on September 7th 2010
Genre: Young Adult
4.5/5 Stars
Picked up at BEA

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Recent Giveaway Winners

The winner of Last Night's Scandal is:

Erin L.

The winners of Bloodthirsty are:

Danna W.

Throuthehaze

Mary D.

I have emailed you all, please respond back by Saturday the 16th with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize!

Weekly Dose of Crafts!

Thanks to everyone that voted in my African Flower Hexagon Motif blanket poll! I'm going to officially call Almost Random the winner, and good thing too because that's what I think I've decided to go with!

Last Wednesday night I went to Knitting class determined to start a pair of mittens (Gauntlet Mittens from the book Speed Knitting) knit in the round, knitting in the round and double pointed needles scare the heck out of me though. But with the help of my teacher I got going and it wasn't so bad. I tried to make the thumb on my mitten, it turned out horribly (3 times!) so I decided to get the second mitten all the way done except for the thumb and hope to get some help in class with it tonight.


Yarn used: 
Lion Brand Yarn Tweed Stripes Orchid

With the confidence those mittens gave me (even though they aren't a success just yet) I decided to tackle a simple knit hat pattern I had gotten and started in my Knitting 101 class last winter. It was a breeze minus trying to work with the last few stitches at the top and I'm really happy with how I turned out, I couldn't believe I did it without really any help! 

Yarn used:
Cascade Lana Grande 6039

 Last Friday me and Tami took a peek at Smiley's Yarn and decided we must have some. I woke up on Saturday determined to use up some of my yarn to make room for what was the come and I decided to make these fingerless mittens, based on Attic24's pattern. Well it didn't use up that much yarn (duh!) but they were still fun to make! I ended up using 3 of the Comfort DK colors I decided not to use for the African Flower Hexagon Motifs. I got my sister to model them for me! 


Yarn used:
Berroco Comfort DK
2730
2721
2744

Thanks to everyone for the input on the yarn used for the Isar Scarf, I decided to rip it out and try my second choice of yarn, it worked up a lot faster and I ended up finishing it earlier this week. I've given it to my mom and sister who really liked the colors so I think I'll be making myself another one with different yarn sometime in the future. 


Yarn used: 
Premier Deborah Norville Serenity Garden Yarn Sea (2 + a little skeins)

Last week I pulled out this scarf I had started knitting for my sister like last March, I decided it was time for it to be finished. And so I took care of that! It was just a simple garter stitch scarf that was made a little more interesting by the texture of the yarn.


Yarn Used: 
Lion Brand Yarn Homespun Apple Green

 After looking at patterns for several days trying to figure out what I could tackle next in Knitting class I decided to just go with this pattern I had been holding onto, at first I thought it was going to be too hard, but I think I can do it! Check out the From Norway With Love Winter Accessories pattern here, I'm starting with the hat but got enough yarn to do the entire set! It was a lot of fun heading over to my LYS and getting a little help choosing my yarn and having 3 different people give their opinion on colors and having a nice chat while they made my hanks into cakes!

I started the pattern last night and hope to get up to the color change on my own before class today, if I'm feeling brave I might just start myself and see what happens! 


Yarns used: 
Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light
4201
4282
4288
4275
4294
4268

Since I'm progressing on my Knitting I thought it might be fun to check out some Knitting magazines, here are two current ones that looked fun, if you reading Knitting magazines what are your favorites? 


For more crafty goodness be sure to stop over at WIP Wednesday! And find me on Raverly as mint910.

"Waiting On" Wednesday 100

The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman

Amazon.com:

A funny, clear-eyed view of the realities of teenage love from National Book Award winner Pete Hautman. 

Jen and Wes do not "meet cute." They do not fall in love at first sight. They do not swoon with scorching desire. They do not believe that they are instant soul mates destined to be together forever. 

This is not that kind of love story. 

Instead, they just hang around in each other's orbits...until eventually they collide. And even after that happens, they're still not sure where it will go. Especially when Jen starts to pity-date one of Wes's friends, and Wes makes some choices that he immediately regrets. 

From National Book Award winner Pete Hautman, this is a love story for people not particularly biased toward romance. But it is romantic, in the same way that truth can be romantic and uncertainty can be the biggest certainty of all.

Released January 1st 2011

What instantly attracted me to this book was it's cover, I haven't seen a cover this fantastic in a long LONGGGGGGG time! And the story sounds really really awesome as well, for some reason it's giving off a 500 Days of Summer vibe, with the whole seasonal thing. I can't wait to check it out!

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Hardcover vs Paperback 102

The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel

Hardcover (Used by two publishers)

Paperback


Loyalty, loss, and the ties that bind: These are the ingredients of The Recipe Club, a "novel cookbook" that combines an authentic story of friendship with more than eighty delicious recipes.
Lifelong friends Lilly and Val are united as much by their differences as by their similarities. In childhood, "LillyPad" and "ValPal" form an exclusive two-person club, writing intimate letters in which they share hopes, fears, deepest secrets . . . and recipes—from Lilly's "Lovelorn Lasagna" to Valerie's "Forgiveness Tapenade." The Recipe Club sustains Lilly and Val's bond across the decades: through the challenges of independence, the joys and heartbreaks of first love, and the emotional complexities of family relationships, identity, mortality, and goals deferred—until the fateful day when an act of kindness becomes an unforgivable betrayal. 

Here's another one I've read! I rather like the coloration of the paperback and the detail in the pots and pans, definitely more memorable so that is where my vote will go! 

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Saturday, October 09, 2010

This Week In Books or Go Ahead And Laugh


Why yes that is Vampire Knits the book I made fun off just a few months ago. I gave it a few looks in the store over the past week and decided besides the horrible horrible concept and some of the horrible patterns there are actually some really pretty things in here.  Also decided to go low-tech tonight with the picture, for a camera phone picture that's not bad though! 

Monday:

Violence 101 by Denis Wright (Just Showed Up Review Copy)


Tuesday:

Witch Craft compiled by Margaret McGuire and Alicia Kachmar (Purchased at Borders)

Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming  (Harlequin Ambassadors)

Wednesday:

Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (Just Showed Up Review Copy)


Thursday: nothing

Friday: 

The Sugar Mother by Elizabeth Jolley (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

Foxybaby by Elizabeth Jolley (Just Showed Up Review Copy)


Saturday:

Banished by Sophie Litttlefield (Just Showed Up Review Copy)

The Other Girl by Sarah Miller (Just Showed Up Review Copy)



Vampire Knits by Genevieve Miller (Purchased at Borders)

Friday, October 08, 2010

Lookalikes 122

 Best Bet by Laura Pedersen

 Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald (paperback)
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

While the first two definitely share photos from the same shoot the third and newest is also rather similar. The only thing that makes me think it might be from a different shoot is the coloration of the clothes, what do you think? I'm thinking it's from the same shoot and some photoshop magic was performed.

Thanks to GreenBeanTeenQueen who suggested the first two!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Thursday, October 07, 2010

iDrakula by Bekka Black

Amazon.com:

The classic vampire story that started it all gets new life for a generation of connected teens

18-year-old Jonathan Harker is diagnosed with a rare blood disorder after visiting a Romanian Count. His girlfriend Mina and a pre-med student named Van Helsing team up to investigate the source of the disease. The teenagers discover a horrifying truth: the Count is a vampire. The harrowing events unfold through emails, text messages, web pages, Twitter feeds, and instant messaging-the natural modernization of Bram Stoker's original Dracula, which was written in letters, diary entries, and news clippings.

While I've sort of been put off paranormal lately, iDrakula called to me, with it's unique way of storytelling and I'm so glad I picked it up!  Not having read the original of even seen a movie version of Dracula (which I did so afterward and of the two iDrakula wins) it was fun to experience the story in one of my favorite ways, through emails, text messages, web pages etc. I've heard that the original is told in letters and diaries, so I think it's really fun to see how that was modernized in this book too!

It really sucked me in and I finished it in about 2 sittings which never happens for me. I definitely thought it was creepy and mysterious. But at the same time I felt sort of removed from the situation, but I think that is just the case with this story because of the way it's told, even the original. One thing I would have liked was just more, the story moves at such a quick pace it's over like THAT. So maybe a little bit more detail would have been nice!

Reading iDrakula has opened me up to exploring other versions of the story and that I'm definitely excited about!

iDrakula was released on October 1st 2010
Genre: Young Adult
3.5/5 Stars
Picked up at BEA

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Weekly Dose of Crafts!

As some of you may know, last Wednesday was the first session of a Knitting class I was trying to get into, I ended up going to the first session (because when I called they didn't have an answer) and turns out I was allowed to join the class! So in preparation for my class tonight I made two dishcloths from patterns I had. The heart one was the pattern I left my last knitting class with, the practice increases and decreases and had never completed.



As you can see I had a few issues with the bottom portion of the heart (it's totally not right!) and some of the edges but as I worked my way up the cloth it all went well from there on out. And that was after like 5 other false starts with 3 different types of yarn and 2 different sets of needles. Ugh! I'm glad it's done though!

Yarns used: 

Pink Dishcloth:

Lily Sugar’ n Cream Strawberry

Heart Dishcloth:

Lion Cotton Poppy Red

And because you can never have too many projects going at the same time I decided to start another scarf, the Isar Scarf to be more specific! This is my first time using a fingering or sock weight for a project! I think next time I would pick a yarn with less colors in it, maybe 2 total. This is looking kind of muddy to me. What do you think? Should I rip it out and pick a new yarn?

Yarn used: 

Berroco Comfort Sock 1818

And finally, I decided what to do with my 20-something skeins of Comfort DK (after changing my mind several times)! I'm going to make an African Flower Hexagon Motif Blanket!  I ended up not using 3 of the colors I had purchased for either being too similar to other colors or in one case for just being ugly in the end. I tried a variety of color palettes and this is what I ended up with, I really like them!





Yarn used:
2705 Pretty Pink
2704 Peach
2706 Limone
2709 Menthe
2707 Boy Blue
2708 Grape Fizz
2742 Pimpernel
2731 Kidz Orange
2719 Sunshine
2740 Seedling
2761 Lovage
2733 Teal/Turquoise
2758 Crypto Crystaline
2747 Cadet
2753 Agean Sea
2726 Cornflower
2739 Grape Jelly
2722 Purple
2723 Rosebud
2734 Liquorice

So now the question is how am I going to arrange these motifs. I decided I wanted to make a chart and really plot it out this time unlike my Summer Garden Granny Square blanket that's still being put together. So I made 6 charts and really can't make up my mind, none of them are really calling to me. So I would love your help in deciding, please feel free to vote in my poll and help me decide!












I also got a few books in the last week. Seriously someone has to buy Witch Craft and do a project with me! I really want to make something with someone else! There are some really cute things in there!

For more crafty goodness be sure to stop over at WIP Wednesday! And find me on Raverly as mint910.
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