Fifth Time’s the Charm

Guys, it happened again. Another Liebster. People love to give me the Liebsters! This one is my fifth, but I’m just as pleased as I was with the first

One of the really lovely things about receiving blog awards is that I often get them from readers whose blogs weren’t previously on my radar. This time I got to meet the lovely Michelle of Eclectic Threads. I haven’t been reading her blog for very long, but I love her writing style. Her posts are well-crafted, thoughtful, and (of course) eclectic! Hop over; give her a read!

You guys know how I feel about rules, right? But, I’m going to a be a good girl and answer some questions anyway.

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Hmmm. . . while there are lots and lots of places I know I’d like to visit (Japan, France, England, Scotland, Australia, Costa Rica, the list goes on. . .), the only place I know I’d like to live is the country. I need lots of land and trees and air to be happy.

2. What is the favourite age you’ve been so far?

11 was pretty fun.

3. What was your favourite subject at school?

English; grammar was always easy, literature was interesting, writing was a challenge.

4. If you could go back in time and live in any era, which would it be?

This is tough because I love Regency era clothes and manners, but I’m also a big fan of plumbing and clean teeth.

5. What is your fail-safe dinner-party recipe?

Hahaha–me giving a dinner party. That’s hilarious!

6. What animal are you most like?

While I am not one to play with small rodents until they give up and die, I’m probably most like a cat. I prefer to be clean and dry, I’m a fan of relaxing, I, too, am most active in the mornings and evenings, and it takes a while for me to warm up to people.

7. Do you have a life plan, or do you prefer to coast along and take things as they come?

A little bit of both. I know too well that over-planning only leads to disappointment and discouragement. But I do have life goals.

8. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This would be a very, very bad thing. I would get sooooo tired of eating the same thing over and over. I should choose something healthy, but the truth is. . . pizza.

9. What is your most treasured possession?

I don’t have one. I’ve never been sentimental. To me, things are just things. But my most used possession? My iPhone.

10. What is your favourite Disney film?

Beauty and the Beast. Belle is feisty, the Beast actually has a personality (how many Disney “princes” can claim that?), and he gives her a library. A LIBRARY.

11. Name five people, dead or alive, fictional or real, that you would invite to your dream dinner party.

Sharon Creech (because she’s my favorite author), C. S. Lewis (because he was brilliant), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (because he’s adorable), Nathan Hale (because he was a teacher turned spy), and my friend Anna, just in case things get awkward. And if I had J G-L over and didn’t invite her, she might never speak to me again

 

Thanks, Michelle!

And don’t worry–I have big plans to get a-nominatin’ soon. Gotta spread the love!

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 31 (I Should Explain. . .)

So, here we are.

Congratulations to all of you who made it through the month–31 days of taking pictures and/or writing posts is no small feat!

Me-Made-May, for those who haven’t been sewing their whole lives, is a challenge. This, I knew–but this being my very first MMM, I wasn’t quite prepared for the amount of time I’d spend taking photos, downloading photos, editing photos (this takes forever on my little laptop), and then uploading photos, not to mention writing the posts–all usually well after my bedtime.

But, I learned a lot: what not to wear, what I need to make, what I need to stop making, how not to take photos. And I’m pretty proud of how I managed to stay true to my vow: Me-Mades six days a week.

Which brings me to today. . .

I do not have a Me-Made to show you today. I stumbled just as I was crossing the I-Can-Finally-Stop-Taking-Daily-Pictures-of-Myself Finish Line. But, I’m not kicking myself, and I don’t feel guilty.

Today was a sad day. It was one of those bittersweet days that you see coming and you feel you’re prepared for. But when it arrives, the bitter just sort of engulfs you. And while you know the sweet is still there, it’s hard to see.

Like, when your oldest child leaves for the college she’s always wanted to attend.

When your sister marries the man of her dreams. And then moves to the other side of the ocean.

Or when you get to take the kittens you’ve raised to their new home. But suddenly your backyard seems like a very lonely place.

Whatever the reason, a red nose and puffy eyes do not good pictures make.

I’ll be back sometime with pictures of the outfit I had planned for today. And, more importantly, I’ll tell you about my very, very favorite author. I saved the best for last, and it would break my little heart not to share her with you!

And goodness knows my heart doesn’t need any more of that nonsense. . .

Happy Friday, y’all! If you need me, I’ll be here watching Arrested Development and playing Minecraft on my phone. Like a boss.

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 30

It’s almost over! Woot!

Here’s this shirt again. . .

Woke up with a sore neck which proceeded to hurt all day. Thanks, neck.

I’m thinking, after seeing several pictures, that I should have lengthened the front by a couple of inches. It hits me a sort of a weird place.

Top: Sewing with Knits Scoop Neck Tee (with mods)

Today’s book is Everlost by Neal Shusterman.

Guys. Neal Shusterman. Read him. He is amazing.

This was the first book of his that I read. Afterwards, when I was exclaiming about it to a friend, she gave me another book of his (The Schwa Was Here) which was also amazing.

Now, the premise might sound a little weird and morbid, but trust me–this is a fantastic book. (And now I’m totally going to copy what I wrote on my old blog forever ago because I am too tired right now to make logical words. . .Three cheers for “copy” and “paste!”)

“What happens to people–specifically, kids–when they die? According to Shusterman, there’s a world in between ours and the afterlife. Kids who die sometimes become stuck between-worlds in a shadow land called Everlost. Nick and Allie find this out first hand when they both die in the same car crash on a lonely road next to a dead forest. When they wake up they are in a live forest wherein lives a strange boy who explains what has happened to them. Everlost is a land which is ruled by Mary, the Queen of lost kids, and is haunted by a monster named The McGill. Once the two meet Mary, Nick develops quite a crush and is content to stay, while Allie wants nothing more than to go home.

It all sounds rather dismal, but the story is told with good humor and a measure of lost-boy lightheartedness. I found the fact that Mary has created a home for lost children in the ghosts of the Twin Towers to be strangely poignant–especially when I picture all those children playing happily in front of what was once a scene of such devastation. The entire story revolves around death, but it abounds with hope.

I casually read the first half of the book, but after that point I was hooked. This was another one that I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning to finish. Once I was done, I just set the book down and laughed for the sheer brilliance of it all. The ending was so phenomenal that it is the reason that I love the book so much. If it had ended differently, I think I would have been highly irritated.”

It can be said, then, that Everlost is heaven. Perhaps not for people, but for the places that deserve a share of forever.

 

Such places are few and far between, these grand islands of eternity in the soupy, ever-changing world of the living. New York had its share of forever-places. The greatest of these stood near Manhattan’s southern-most tip: the two gray brothers to the green statue in the bay. The towers had found their heaven. They were a part of Everlost now, held fast, and held forever by the memories of a mourning world, and by the dignity of the souls who got where they were going on that dark September day.

 

(Bonus! The book has sequels! I haven’t read them yet. In fact, I just discovered their existence not long ago. Go forth and read!)

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 29

WEDNESDAY–ugh.

Moving on…

This dress is back.

I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m struggling to keep it fresh.

Not that that’s a requirement.

Also, a wee bit sad today, triste and whatnot. But I’ll be fine by and by. . .

Dress: Simplicity 2444

In the meantime, I’m reading an awesome book.

It is The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt.

This book is amazing. It’s set in Long Island during the Vietnam War, a time of great civil and social unrest in America. This book reflects the turbulent times; it addresses racism and prejudice, lost loved ones, mistrust of the government, family turmoil, and all the other perils of being a junior high student. That’s not the awesome part.

What’s awesome is that in spite of being very true to the timbre of the times, this book still manages to be killingly funny. (Especially if you’re familiar with Shakespeare.)

“I almost cried. But I didn’t, because if you’re in seventh grade and you cry while wearing a blue floral cape and yellow tights with white feathers on the butt, you just have to curl up and die somewhere in a dark alley.”

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 28

Confession: I just bought Minecraft for my phone and am now completely useless to the world. No one is surprised.

But, I am getting caught on this MMM madness.

You’ve seen this top before.

The only thing I’d do differently is the sleeves. I don’t like how they wing out when my arms are by my sides. I’m thinking either the shoulder needs to be longer or the sleeves need to be shorter. The latter would be an easier fix.

Top: New Look 6808

Today’s (yesterday’s) book is The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.

I love fairy tale retellings. I really do. I will read every single one that crosses my path. This one is based on, you guessed it, “The Goose Girl” (or maybe it was “The Goose Maiden”). It’s the story of a princess who travels to a far away land to marry a prince but on the way her trusted maid betrays her and takes her place. When the princess arrives at Far Far Away, she’s forced to become a goose herder (gooseherd?). Also, she has the ability to talk to animals (sort of) and there’s this unfortunate bit about her horse being killed and its head mounted on a wall.

I can’t honestly say that it’s an actual favorite (when you do this for a whole month, you have to stretch your parameters); books don’t generally reach “favorite” status until I’ve read them multiple times and still want to read them again. But it’s a very enjoyable and satisfying read.

“Ani felt a stirring, a hope, a winged thing waking up in her chest and brushing her heart with it’s feathers.”

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 27

Is anyone else thinking right now that May is the LONGEST MONTH EVER???

It’s not the posting that gets me–it’s the taking of the pictures. And the uploading and editing and uploading again of the pictures. Takes. Forever.

But, we’re coming to the end of this celebration of sewing prowess, so I’m going to try to get caught up.

Confession: I didn’t actually take these pictures yesterday. But this is the outfit I wore yesterday.

As you can see, I’m sort of over it. Not the shirt (which is the only Me-Made), but just the day.

I was pretty tired.

Plus tomorrow is Wednesday (reminder, this is the outfit I wore Monday, but didn’t take pictures of until today. Then again, it’s 11:30 and I may be the only one confused. . . )

It’s almost comical how angry I looked in every single picture. These were the “happy” faces.

Top: New Look 6107

So, what do you do when you’re majorly grumpy pants? You turn to one of your favorite authors.

You can probably tell from this prodigious stack that I kind of enjoy L. M. Montgomery.

Today’s book is Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery. (With a very warm nod to Rilla of Ingleside.)

I love, love, love, adore this book. I love the college atmosphere. And the fact that Anne and her friends live in their very own house. Not to mention it’s the book where (spoilers!) Anne and Gilbert finally get together (le sigh. . . ).

It’s just the most homey, most relaxing book there ever was.

“I love them, they are so nice and selfish. Dogs are TOO good and unselfish. They make me feel uncomfortable. But cats are gloriously human.”

 

 

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 26

I wasn’t originally planning on any complete outfit repeats, but due to entire lack of sewing mojo, it couldn’t be avoided. Whatevs. Someday I’ll sew again. I have to get over my fitting mental blocks first.

Anyways. I wore this dress. . .

It was comfortable. It could be taken in at the waist, but having a little breathing room (and a little party) never hurt anybody.

Dress: Simplicity 1801

Today’s (yesterday’s) book is The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.

Several seemingly unconnected people are invited to move into Sunset Towers which seems peculiarly suited to their specific needs. Before long, Mr. Westing, the eccentric millionaire who lives across the lake, dies mysteriously and each resident is invited to the reading of the will. Claiming he was murdered, Westing divides the residents into unlikely pairs, gives each a set of clues and ten thousand dollars, and charges them with discovering who murdered him. The winner receives the entire fortune.

There’s really nothing that original about the plot, I guess. But the characters are all unique and likable. The story is fast-paced and highly entertaining. The writing is clever, and all the clues are right in front of you. I read this book with my 7th graders back in the day, and we had a lot of fun with it.

“Life, too, is senseless unless you know who you are, what you want, and which way the wind blows.”

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 25

A day late again. I’m spending the weekend with a friend, and we’ve been having too much fun to post.

Keeping it simple.

Top: Colette Sorbetto

Today’s book is Villette by Charlotte Bronte.

Most of you have probably read Jane Eyre, as have I. But, I liked Villette so much more. For one, Rochester most definitely drove me crazy with his long speeches. He would go on and on and on for pages and I was like, “Dude. . . chill.” Also, I really liked the setting of Villette. It takes place at a girls’ school in Villette which is in France. Other than that, I don’t know why I liked it so much (I feel like I say this a lot).

I will also say this: I did not see the ending coming. I got to a crucial bit and was like,
“Wait. . . what???” And I had to go back and re-read a few chapters with my whole brain. (Sometimes I space out when I’m reading books with long sentences and big words.)

Maybe it’s this: I really liked Lucy, the main character. In some ways she reminded me of myself. She never did crazy things that I wouldn’t do. And sometimes it’s a relief to meet myself in a book.

“I believe while I tremble; I trust while I weep.”

(Also, warning: There’s a lot (a lot) of French in this book. My version did not include translations or explanations. And some important bits of conversation are in French. So, it helps to have Google Translate at the ready. Or to speak the language.)

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 24

Not much to say about this one…

I like it.

Maybe it should be a smidge longer.

Top: New Look 6107 (modified for knits)

It should come as no surprise (if you’ve been following along) that, of course, I love me some Harry Potter. Oddly, though, my favorite in the series is one that a lot of my HP-loving buddies didn’t really care for.

Today’s book is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by (do I even need to say it?) J. K. Rowling.

Why is this one my fave? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because I like the idea of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I find the whole competition both terribly exciting and nerve-wracking (I actually feel ill when Harry is waiting for his turn before he battles the Hungarian Horntail).

Maybe it’s because the wizarding world opens up and we get a glimpse into schools other than Hogwarts.

Or, maybe it’s because this book was a major turning point of the series. I mean, Things. Get. Real. People die! (Oh, Robert P. I liked you so much better as sweet little Cedric.) Harry was growing up and so was his audience. Naturally, his story had to grow up with him. But, this book was right there in the middle–it had moved beyond the decidedly juvenile bent of the first three books but it hadn’t yet delved into the inescapable darkness of the last three books. It’s a happy In-Betweenland.

So, I guess I knew why after all.

“I am what I am, an’ I’m not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used ter say, ‘there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth botherin’ with.”

Me-Made-May ’13: Day 23

Oops–totally forgot to post last night. It was sort of a crazy evening. But it’s okay. This is why all the sensible people do round-up posts.

I must have found my camera’s flattering angle because these pictures are terribly deceptive.

And sorry about the terrible framing. You’d think I’d be better at this by now. . .

So, when I tell you that I felt like a manatee in this outfit, you might think I’m just being hard on myself.

But seriously–me=manatee (minus the making people think I’m a mermaid).

So much so that I had to change for comfort’s sake.

Into another skirt that I’m not fond of…

But which I felt so much better in.

MMM ’13 Lesson #1: Make myself skirts I like to wear for Pete’s sake.

Skirt #1: Colette Beignet (still not blogged yet)
Skirt #2: Simplicity 2564

Today’s book is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

I’ve read both the abridged and unabridged versions of this book and let me tell you, the unabridged is soooo much better.

I do understand the need for an abridged version though. The story tends to wander off down these long, long rabbit trails. They’re not strictly necessary, I suppose, but they give such a rich history of what Dantes (our hero) has been up to since his escape from prison.

I can’t say that I like Dumas altogether. I’ve read The Three Musketeers and The Black Tulip and didn’t really enjoy either of them. I don’t know why–they just didn’t interest me all that much.

But Monte Cristo is amazing. You should read it (if you haven’t already). And I won’t even judge you for choosing the abridged version if you don’t feel like dealing with all the sub-plots.

 ”And now, farewell to kindness, humanity and gratitude. I have substituted myself for Providence in rewarding the good; may the God of vengeance now yield me His place to punish the wicked.”