Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Tasty Tuesday! Club Pasta Salad from Betty Crocker

ingredients~

1 package Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® ranch & bacon pasta salad mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups cut-up cooked turkey or chicken
1/2 cup cherry tomato, cut into fourths
1/2 cup julienne strips Cheddar cheese
4 cups bite-size pieces lettuce

1.) Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2.) Drain pasta. Rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
3.) Stir Seasoning mix and mayonnaise in large bowl. Stir in pasta and remaining ingredients except lettuce. Serve on lettuce. Refrigerate leftovers (if desired, moisten with a few teaspoons milk before servings).

The reason I chose Club Pasta Salad as my recipe of the week...I absolutely LOVE Suddenly Salads Bacon Ranch pasta salad mix! Brittni introduced me to it right after I got out of the hospital in November and I'm addicted it. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch AND dinner! So when I saw a recipe using it, I thought, oh HECK YES! I have even substitued tuna instead of using turkey or chicken. But I do prefer chicken...

Monday, January 25, 2010

Blog Tour~Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles

Who Knew An Angel Could Get A Girl In So Much Devilish Trouble?
Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?



Product Details~
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star; Original edition (December 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416572821

about the author~(from the authors website)

Jill Myles has been an incurable romantic since childhood. She reads all the ‘naughty parts’ of books first, looks for a dirty joke in just about everything, and thinks to this day that the Little House on the Prairie books should have been steamier.
After devouring hundreds of paperback romances, mythology books, and archaeological tomes, she decided to write a few books of her own – stories with a wild adventure, sharp banter, and lots of super-sexy situations. She prefers her heroes alpha and half-dressed, her heroines witty, and she loves nothing more than watching them overcome adversity to fall into bed together.
She wasn’t born with a pen in her hand, like most writers. Jill did stick the occasional crayon up her nose, but she eventually grew out of that.
Mostly.

Author's Website
Jill On Facebook
Follow Jill On Twitter


my review~ OMG!OMG!OMG! This book is steamy!!
Gentlemen Prefer Succubi is the first book in The Succubus Dairies and is a funny, fast paced read, that had me LOLing, alot. I'm really glad that Jill Myles stopped sticking those crayons up her nose since she probably used those crayons to learn to write. Thank goodness that she did!!! The characters that she has created are sharp, witty, and just plain fun! Jackie's world has turned dangerous, and she has to (of course) save the day and the guy. Before I even finished with 'Gentlemen Prefer Succubi' I put 'Succubi Like It Hot' on my TBR list! Thank goodness, it's already out!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

In MY Mailbox 01/24/10

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.
If you haven't visited her blog, you should!
Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione
A DEMON ENSLAVED
Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master's assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister's life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he'll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.
AN ANGEL TEMPTED
Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side, sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She's determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary-even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again-one hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.
The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

Cover Story:
FLUTTER CARDIGAN
A Little Feminine Frill Adds a Lot of Flirty Style!
Also Featured:
PURSE-ONALITY PLUS!
Make Multiple Covers For One Basic Bag
STITCHES OF LOVE
Warm a Homeless Child With a Cozy Hooded Scarf



Saturday, January 23, 2010

in my email...


The Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk For The Cure


So, Britt, Matt & I are thinking of taking part in the Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk For The Cure in Chicago. I have to get the OK from my doctor (you know, the heart issues that cropped up when I was in the hospital in November). The dates are August 6-8th, you walk 20 miles (*gasp) a day, sleep in tents they provide. I go back to my cardiologist on February 4th, so I'm going to ask then. I'll let you know what he says and what we decide to do! But we are going to need a team name!!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Friday Fill Ins #4


1. You have a chance to make things right.
2. I need a nap right now!
3. There is a cat sleeping on my lap!
4. Buy now and pay later.
5. It's time to make the donuts.
6. Its seems as though my life is up in the air but it's just giving me a chance to think about what I really want to do with my life.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Ghost Whisperer and tomorrow my plans include catching up on my reading and Sunday, I want to watch the COLTS win the AFC Championship and head to the Superbowl, baby!!!!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Blog Tour~ Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo

Counting on each other...
Meet the Black Sheep knitters -- five smart, funny women who love to knit, gossip, and solve crimes.
Gloria Sterling had it all -- money, looks, and a new sexy young husband. So when she's found floating face down in her own swimming pool, shock waves ripple through tiny Plum Harbor. At the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, Maggie Messina and her circle are devastated to lose their dear friend -- a woman as colorful as her fabulous yarn creations.
The police are quick to call it an accident, but sorting out Gloria's final hours leaves too many loose ends to satisfy her friends. The vivacious, fiftysomething cougar had her French manicured tips in more than a few pots, and the threads of some inside deals stashed in her chic knitting tote.
Who was the last person to see Gloria alive on that quiet summer night? Two empty wine glasses suggest she wasn't home alone knitting the entire evening.... The Black Sheep need to know the truth and set out to unravel -- stitch by stitch -- the weighty secrets that pulled poor Gloria under.
about the author~
Anne Canadeo lives and knits in Northport, New York. While My Pretty One Knits is her debut novel, and the first in the Black Sheep Knitting Club series.
Product Details
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Pocket; Original edition (December 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 141659812X
my review~ Knit, Purl, Die is the second book in the Black Sheep Knitting Club series, written by Anne Canadeo. I have not had the chance to read 'While My Pretty One Knits' yet, but it is on my TBR list! Knit, Purl, Die can easily be a stand alone book but I'm looking forward to reading 'While My Pretty One Knits' as well as the books to come! Knit, Purl, Die reads easily & quickly, Ms. Canadeo knits together a story that draws you in. The characters are very realistic and theres a few twists in the story to keep you reading!
I've never read a book that is centered around a hobby before, and while I don't knit (yet!) I found it great that Ms. Canadeo mentions the Warm Up America blanket (actually the club is making one!) and I crocheted a blanket myself! Theres also a couple of recipes and knitting pattern websites mentioned!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Tasty Tuesday! Tuna Cakes from Kraft Foods

I'm going to start blogging about some of the recipes that I find online and I'm calling it 'Tasty Tuesday!' They will just be recipes that I find that I will be making or have made for my picky eaters. Nothing fancy just everyday food! So today's recipe is: Tuna Cakes! I found this recipe on the Kraft website (I just love Kraft!).





Ingredients~

2 cans (6 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked (I use StarKist)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish


1.) MIX all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 min.

2.) HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use ice cream scoop to add 1/3-cup portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet.

3.) FLATTEN into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 min. or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 min.


Substitutions-
Substitute 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, 4 chopped green onions and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice for the Cheddar, carrots and relish.
For Easier Handling in the Skillet-
Mix all ingredients. Shape into patties as directed. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour before cooking as directed.

So for dinner tonight we are having:

Tuna Cakes, homemade mashed potatos, green beans and pineapple upside down cake!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Blog Tour & Giveaway~A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine

SUITED FOR SEDUCTION
Fashion curator Athena Smith will do anything to get her perfectly manicured hands on the Clayworth family's celebrated couture collection for her exhibit. So when she's called in to make sure the gowns are the real deal, she's ecstatic...until a dress she's examining turns out to be loaded with toxins (talk about killer threads!) and Athena faints, only to wake up face-to-face with the One That Got Away, notorious Chicago bachelor Drew Clayworth.Drew still believes Athena betrayed him all those years ago, and he's sure he can't trust her. But when the priceless gowns go missing, she offers to help track them down. Reluctantly allied in the quest, Drew and Athena are soon stunned by the barely restrained passion still sizzling between them...and memories both bitter and sweet. Is their new partnership just a business arrangement? Or is this something more than...




Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Forever (January 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446618594

about the author~
(from the authors website)
Author Bio
I’m sure growing up in my grandmother’s house, taking care of my developmentally disabled mother, forged who I am, but I don’t believe any one thing defines me. My philosophy of life is that we are all in this together—and we need to embrace one another with as much grace, humor and compassion as we can muster. I see life as big, bigger, biggest, and I want to take everyone along with me on the journey. I not only attend black-tie affairs and work on charity board projects, but I am also just as likely to be taking a grandchild to lunch and a movie. I’m happily married to John, with whom I eloped when I was an 18-year-old freshman in college. It was quite the scandal. We have four beautiful children and 11 grandchildren. I won my first writing award in the seventh grade in a statewide essay contest about a television broadcast of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates. Instead of Silver Skates, they sent real skates, which I enjoyed immensely. I’m only sorry I don’t still have them so they could hang in my office. While moving 22 times across the country and rearing our children, I sold stories to Fate Magazine, Home Life Magazine and True Confessions. In 1988, I sold my first novel and a week later received a two-book contract from Fawcett. Sixteen novels later, I’ve seen The Other Amanda win the Wisconsin Romance Writers of America Write Touch Readers’ Award and Talk of the Town chosen by Cosmopolitan magazine as its “Red Hot Read” for February 2009.

Visit SherrillBodine.com
Follow @SherrillBodine on Twitter.

my review~
Who doesn't love a book about having a second chance at true love? Throw in a little mystery and what a ride! A Black Tie Affair is the telling of Athena & Drews second chance at love. This is the first book that I've read of Mrs. Bodine, but it will NOT be the last!

Go HERE for the giveaway~GIVEAWAY ENDS 01/28/10



Blog Tour~ Veracity by Laura Bynum

Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country's population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a Red-Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.
But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled "Book of Noah," they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper -- a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors' ultimate weapon -- or the instrument of their destruction.

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket (January 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439123349

about the author~
Laura Bynum was born in Springfield, Illinois in 1968. Childhood plans to be a writer of novels and screenplays and a director of films are currently underway. Laura completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communications at the University of Illinois at Springfield and Eastern Illinois University respectively. She’s since done some filmmaking (Ugly Girl Productions) and marketing consulting. In 2006, Laura won the Rupert Hughes Literary Writing Award at the Maui Writer’s Conference. As a result, she was signed with the Writer’s House. Her Literary Agent is Dan Conaway and her Books to Film Agent is Sylvie Rabineau of Rabineau, Wachter, Sanford & Harris. Laura’s first novel, Veracity, is due out January of 2010. In the summer of 2008, while moving from Illinois to Virginia, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer and has since been successfully treated.
Laura’s favorite books are both by Steinbeck- East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath. Her favorite song is Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel. Her favorite movie is The Quiet Man. She lives with her husband and three daughters in a small Virginia town in the Shenandoah foothills and is currently writing her second novel and first full-length screenplay.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

In MY Mailbox 01/17/10

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.
If you haven't visited her blog, you should!

Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo
Counting on each other...
Meet the Black Sheep knitters -- five smart, funny women who love to knit, gossip, and solve crimes.
Gloria Sterling had it all -- money, looks, and a new sexy young husband. So when she's found floating face down in her own swimming pool, shock waves ripple through tiny Plum Harbor. At the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, Maggie Messina and her circle are devastated to lose their dear friend -- a woman as colorful as her fabulous yarn creations.
The police are quick to call it an accident, but sorting out Gloria's final hours leaves too many loose ends to satisfy her friends. The vivacious, fiftysomething cougar had her French manicured tips in more than a few pots, and the threads of some inside deals stashed in her chic knitting tote.
Who was the last person to see Gloria alive on that quiet summer night? Two empty wine glasses suggest she wasn't home alone knitting the entire evening.... The Black Sheep need to know the truth and set out to unravel -- stitch by stitch -- the weighty secrets that pulled poor Gloria under.

Sleep No More by Susan Crandall
The night was always Abby Whitman's enemy. As a young girl she walked in her sleep, and one night, she started a fire that scarred her sister for life and left Abby with unbearable guilt . . . and a loneliness that echoes within her. Now Abby has begun blacking out again-with apparently fatal results. A car accident has killed the son of a prominent family. Even though the evidence seems to exonerate her, Abby is plagued by doubts-and soon by mysterious threats. Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Coble is intrigued by Abby and offers to help her explore the dark recesses of her mind. Through this terrifying journey, Jason's interest turns to passion, and he yearns to give her the love she craves. But first, Abby must trust him-and shed light on secrets that will rock this Southern town and reveal a danger that threatens them both.
Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles
Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her fi rst one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fi erce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?
A Highlander's Destiny by Melissa Mayhue JESSE CORYELL, a descendant of the Fae, is a man in search of his destiny. He's tried to lose himself in his work, taking on the worst mankind has to offer, but what he really needs to find is his true love. When he sets out to help a mysterious woman find her sister, what he gets is much more than he bargained for: battling an undeniable attraction to his sexy new client while fighting an ancient evil to keep her safe.
DESTINY NOBLE, abandoned by everyone she's ever loved, will stop at nothing in her desperate quest to find her sister. Authorities have declared Leah a runaway, but Destiny knows better. Her dream visions have shown her the frightening truth. They've also shown her Jesse. But finding her Soulmate could result in the most painful loss of all, when she's forced to choose between loving Jesse and saving Leah.
Jesse and Destiny race against time to save an innocent girl from a powerful ancient evil. Is true love their best weapon...or will they be required to sacrifice their own destiny?

Seduce By a Rogue by Amanda Scott
Flaxen-haired and beautiful, Lady Mairi Dunwythie is heiress apparent to the wealthy nobleman blocking Clan Maxwell's attempt to control much of southwest Scotland. Her first meeting with handsome robert Maxwell ignites an attraction that is immediate, intense, and almost irresisible-until she learns he is asking her father to submit to the Maxwell demands.
Rob is a warrior, a man of action. So when Mairi's father stands defiant, Rob daringly absucts her. As clan tensions mount, passion escalates between the lovers, tempting them beyond reason. Soon they must choose between loyalty and love...before the eruption of all-out clan war.
101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle by Dawn Del Russo
Every girl dreams of living a glamourous jet-set lifestyle, weather in the lap of luxury or on a tight budget. Dawn Del Russo Author of 101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle provides quick cheeky tips to living that swank life. Put together simply each one-liner is illustrated by Barbara Ann Scarrillo with charming, fashionable sketches sure to delight. Indulge in this fabulous quick read. Dawn Del Russo, high profile fashion stylist has been featured in print like US Weekly, Life and Style, InStyle, Glamour, Real Simple, and on Fox 5 NY for her style advice. Del Russo is also a contributing writer for multiple online publications. She has a keen sense of style and trends and is dedicated to helping women find their inner beauty, and confidence starting from the style on the outside. 101 Glam Girl Ways to and Ultra Chic Lifestyle is every women's secret guide to breezing through life glamourously.
Veracity by Laura Bynum
Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country's population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a Red-Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.
But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled "Book of Noah," they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper -- a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors' ultimate weapon -- or the instrument of their destruction.


Saturday, January 16, 2010

101 glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle by Dawn Del Russo

Every girl dreams of living a glamourous jet-set lifestyle, weather in the lap of luxury or on a tight budget. Dawn Del Russo Author of 101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle provides quick cheeky tips to living that swank life. Put together simply each one-liner is illustrated by Barbara Ann Scarrillo with charming, fashionable sketches sure to delight. Indulge in this fabulous quick read. Dawn Del Russo, high profile fashion stylist has been featured in print like US Weekly, Life and Style, InStyle, Glamour, People StyleWatch and on Fox 5 NY for her style advice. Del Russo is also a contributing writer for RunningwithHeels.com and ChicGalleria.com. She has a keen sense of style and trends and is dedicated to helping women find their inner beauty, and confidence starting from the style on the outside. 101 Glam Girl Ways to and Ultra Chic Lifestyle is every women's secret guide to breezing through life glamourously.

Author: Dawn Del Russo
ISBN: 978-144956336
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing


Bella Dawn Boutique
Bella Dawn Blog
Buy The Book!



my review~ Ok, I've said before how a book is a quick read, but this book is really a quick read. I read it within 10 minutes!
Here are a few of my favorite tips:
Tip #32~Drink Red Wine- Why not look chic while enjoying a glass of antioxidants
Tip#70~ Make Life A Special Occasion- Everday should be treated like a special occassion, so go ahead, treat yourself
Tip#86~Learn How To Listen- Theres a reason why you have Two ears and one mouth


Each tip had its own illustration by Barbara Ann Scarrillo and it's own page. And each tip was indeed worthy of its own page!

This is a great book that came at a perfect time for me, since I just turned the dreaded 40 and have been in the hospital off and on since October. There hasn't been a time that I can remember that I've felt less glam. But this book that took me 10 minutes to read really opened my eyes back up to the simplest ways to glam up. And it reminded me to glam up to stay home too! Thank you Dawn Del Russo for giving me a book that was a quick & easy reminder to be GLAM! And that glam can be quick & easy too!


Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started by
Jill overat Breaking The Spine.

Shift
by Rachel Vincent

TROUBLE IS IN THE AIR...

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn’t easy. Scars accumulate, but I’m stronger in so many ways.As for my personal life? It’s complicated. Choices worthmaking always are. Ever since my brother’s death and myfather’s impeachment, it’s all I can do to prevent more bloodfrom spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight ofvicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our newenemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe.With the body count rising and treachery everywhere,my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimesa leap of faith is the only real option.…


Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Mira; Original edition (March 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778327604
ISBN-13: 978-0778327608

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Plus Size Crochet-fashions that fit & flatter by margaret hubert

At last, a book of crochet patterns devoted entirely to the plus-size woman!
Plus-size gals are a group that seems to be neglected in the plethora of crochet books on the market. The author, Margaret Hubert, has often been approached at trade shows and through her classes by women in this size category, begging her to design patterns that would fit them. A plus-size crocheter cannot simply take a smaller pattern and increase the number of stitches or rows to get a garment that fits and flatters. There are lots of proportion considerations when designing patterns for larger sizes.
Plus Size Crochet has 20 crocheted garments and accessories for plus-size women. The projects are stylish and flattering for various large figure types. There are also hints and tips to help the crocheter accommodate her special needs.
Only crochet book for plus-size women
Similar to the books in our popular ôHookedö series: easy to use with lay-flat wire-o binding, stitch detail photos, project specs at a glance
Includes crochet basics section with step-by-step photos
Product Details
Spiral-bound: 128 pages
Publisher: Creative Publishing international (November 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1589233395
ISBN-13: 978-1589233393
my review~
I LOVE THIS BOOK! The author, Margaret Hubert put together some great patterns! While I have crocheted off & on for about 30 years, I do not read patterns very well. These are super easy (to me) patterns to read. I am having a really hard deciding which to make first, but I think (and as always I can change my mind!!) I will make the Five Yarn Jacket first (please see the photo below!!) for next fall/winter. In the back of the book, there is a section of crochet stitches, directions on how to line a crocheted bag (woohoo! I needed this) and the commonly used pattern abbriviations. I love this book and look forward to using these patterns.


Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme
is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Anyone can play along!Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can addthe book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:
"Have you ever considered suing your brain for non-support?" I took a deep breath, praying for patience and the restraint not to kill him.
I just started reading 'Mia the Meek' by Eileen Boggess. That line cracked me up!

Monday, January 04, 2010

my weekend...


We had the grandbabies over to spend the night on Saturday, for the first time since I was in the hospital back in October/November. Here is a picture of Brittni, Kaylee & Taylor, Sunday morning. Britt & Kaylee were finished with their french toast but Taylor savored hers.
Needless to say, I did not have a lot of time to read, crochet or anything else...lol! I had forgotten just how active (and LOUD) 2 little girls could be!

Sunday, January 03, 2010

In MY Mailbox (01/03/10)


In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.
If you haven't visited her blog, you should!



Mia the Meek
by Eileen Boggess
Mia Fullerton has entered her freshman year at St. Hilary’s with a goal: to lose her nickname “Mia the Meek,” and soar into a confident high school career. Unfortunately, her transformation is made harder by her English-teacher mom, bratty little brother, already popular nemesis, and new neighbor. Although she’s prepared herself for the battle by reading Excruciatingly Shy: How to Defeat Public Fear and Become Popular, her freshman year remains a series of uphill battles






Mia the Melodramatic
by Eileen Boggess
Summer has finally arrived, but Mia Fullerton doesn’t have much to celebrate. Her best friend, Lisa, is spending the summer at a Mensa camp, and her boyfriend, Tim, will be at his grandparents’ house in Maine. So, stuck with a choice of spending the next two months hanging out with her younger brother, Chris—who has declared a prank war on her—or taking a job on the stage crew at a local children’s theater group, Mia chooses the lesser of two evils and begins working at Little Tyke’s.



Mia the Magnificent
by Eileen Boggess

I can not find a summary or cover art for this book.







A Black Tie Affair
by Sherrill Bodine
Fashion curator Athena Smith will do anything to get her perfectly manicured hands on the Clayworth family's celebrated couture collection for her exhibit. So when she's called in to make sure the gowns are the real deal, she's ecstatic...until a dress she's examining turns out to be loaded with toxins (talk about killer threads!) and Athena faints, only to wake up face-to-face with the One That Got Away, notorious Chicago bachelor Drew Clayworth.Drew still believes Athena betrayed him all those years ago, and he's sure he can't trust her. But when the priceless gowns go missing, she offers to help track them down. Reluctantly allied in the quest, Drew and Athena are soon stunned by the barely restrained passion still sizzling between them...and memories both bitter and sweet. Is their new partnership just a business arrangement? Or is this something more than...


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