I got my copy , did you get yours? Alicia Paulson's book is here! and it seriously even SMELLS good. Like pine needles on a Christmas tree (you all know my obsession with book smells, remember?)
Must. Get. This. Book. Stitched in Time Memory-Keeping Projects to Sew and Share ~ Enjoy!
The photo above is my son wearing a tee shirt that I need to get in MY size pronto and proudly wear myself because my sweet Mom spent the better part of the day compiling all of your book suggestions from the giveaway. She printed out close to 300 comments, which translated into 50 pages! She then entered them into the corner book store link under "Tara's Blog Readers Picks", and it became 17 pages {and counting} worth of fine reading choices! Isn't she the best? (And if you don't see your book listed, just let me know in the comments and we'll get it on the shelves)
Her payment for all this hard work was a cup of coffee and a slice of homemade crumb-cake. Don't you feel sorry for her? Actually, I think she loved every minute of it. I could hear her in the next room on the other computer as she was working saying things to herself, like "oh god I love this book!" and "ohhhh yes I remember this book" and yelling to me "oh Tara you have to get these books by Janet Evanovich". Then she would sneak peeks at your blog links and call me into the room to show me this or that. Needless to say I didn't get as much done as I had to. But I can't complain though, she was working for crumbs {literally}. So, maybe you can help me SURPRISE her and give her a shout out here? She loves to read the comments you leave and visits all of your blogs on a daily basis. She'll call or email me after visiting your blogs to tell me to go check out something. She is my own personal blog fairy and thinks you are all so talented and lovely. She'll wake up and be SO shocked to see her cute face below smiling back at her.
Her name is Beverly. She's my mom :: and she ROCKS!
First up, oh my goodness, look at that book list! I'm in the process of compiling them all together and plan to put them in a some kind of .pdf or word file and I'll try to figure a way to link on the blog and have it all in one neat little place for us all to look at. It's on a very long list of "to do" things around here. Isn't it incredible all the wonderful book suggestions? I had so much fun reading all of them. Thank you for playing along and contributing to a fine reading list....and now for the winner, picked from a random number generator was Stacy Wilson Sabin who recommended the book "Abundance, A Novel of Marie Antoinette". Thank you!
We arrived back from our Pocono getaway and had the time of our life, {crammed into 3 short days}. I don't think we've been away alone together in a long time without the kids. I love those little peanuts, but I will admit that it's nice to getaway, just the two of us, and spend quality time together. However, do you notice when you eventually can sneak away with your spouse, you find yourself talking about the kids, telling stories about them, and thinking out loud when you are seeing something beautiful :: like the clouds settling in a mountain valley :: how much your little ones would love it too? I guess you can't win. Your heart is always wherever they are and theirs with you...connected always.
We stayed at the beautiful French Manor, high up in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania. The old castle was originally built as a summer & holiday residence for the original owners who loved France. It's now a bed and breakfast and well known for it's fine dining. A little slice of heaven that we promised each other we would re-visit every year. He pinky sweared.
We went fishing on the lake {well as you can see by the photos below, he fished, while I took in the scenery and started a knitting project} We also did some hiking, which I loved and my old boots got a lot of use. The inn had this big barrel of walking sticks to use on the hiking trails on the 40 acres the property sits on. Just grab one and off for a hike. Aren't they cool looking?
I managed to get out of horseback riding, and had a doctor's note just in case I was put under questioning.
All in all, we had a fabulous time on our getaway adventure, with the fresh mountain air re-energizing the soul and our love for each other unmeasurable. Also, I'm happy to report my parents survived 3 days home with the kids. An adventure for them as well !~xo
In celebration of books, I thought I'd have a little giveaway party! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment naming your favorite book you read this summer, or currently reading, even your favorite book of all time, .anything from decorating, romance, history, a childhood favorite, etc... My favorite book this summer was The Boleyn Inheritance and I loved it so much, I read it twice. Have you ever done that? My husband thinks it's weird of me, but I explain it's like watching a movie again, right? Anyway, I hope to find some new reads within the comments and hopefully you will too. A book reading bonanza! Only comments that include book titles will count for the giveaway. A random number will be picked and posted on Monday September 22nd . Have fun and happy reading!~xo
Here's what's included in the free book{ish} bonanza giveaway:
Don't you love the smell of a new book? I can't get enough of it. I think it ranks up there with a new car smell and a newborn baby's head. A recent trip to our local small bookshop uncovered some great finds. Yes, Amazon is easy... Barnes & Noble has everything under the sun (and a coffee lounge to boot), but there's something so lovely about a little corner bookstore. Remember the enchanted one in the movie with Meg Ryan, You've Got Mail? called "The Shop Around The Corner", a book lovers dream. Anyway, let me share with you some good 'smellin' books from our little shop around the corner! *Warning...lots of pictures ahead!*
On Alicia's blog, she has written about these yummy cookbooks and I happen to pass by them on my way to the Home Decor section. These are not your ordinary cookbooks, each page has beautiful photos, incredible family stories and delicious recipes. I couldn't put them down. When I paged through each book, I felt like I was transported to another time and place. It reads more like a story than a cookbook. Aren't the titles dreamy? Apples For Jam: A Coloful Cookbook and Falling Clouberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros. I'm anxious to try some of these recipes, they make me want to cook something...anything. Even if you don't cook, they are lovely to have sitting in your kitchen (just for the cover artwork alone!)
Coming up with a unique hostess gift (or any gift) sometimes can be so hard. The Art of Giving takes the guesswork out and is filled with the most creative (and easy) gift giving ideas I've ever seen. There are pages in the back for color copying and making your own labels & tags, etc. Take a look:
My daughter came home from school last week with a library book that was all tattered, torn, taped (the 3 T's) this book had received it's fair share of use. After we read the book, it became obvious why it was so over-used....it is probably the cutest darn book (and perfect for a 6 year old who is asking for a new doggie). She read that book at least 10 times a day, every word, over and over. Carried it wherever she went (Hey...it even comes with a leash strap!) and was so sad when she had to return it on it's due date. This book is the next best thing to a dog, and after you read it, you'll know why. (I won't spoil the ending for you.) So when we passed a new crisp copy in the children's section, she squealed like a monkey, jumping up and down. I highly suggest Open Me...I'm A Dog to anyone with children (or not) and whether you have a doggie (or not!)~xo
Oh, hello! I'm Tara Frey, an accidental author, purposeful blogger, aspiring photographer, designer, editorial contributor & writer. This spot, here, is my personal blog. A journal where I tap on the keyboard and babble on about my kids (aka "mice"), life, work, giant sunglasses, oreos, knitting and more. I love my husband. He's cute and he cooks. Stick around while I type.out.loud.
"Blogging for Bliss, Crafting Your Own Online Journal" is now available in bookstores everywhere, published by Lark|Sterling. I hope you enjoy this labor of love and find it resourceful, inspiring and pretty.
Copyright 2004-2011 Tara Frey©. ....
Please do not use my photos or reprint my writing without my permission. Thank you.
