Week 51

credits:
template - creations by Julie
An Old-Fashioned Holiday by Kathy Winters
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
Word art - Bethany
tags - Graham like the cracker
tree - AWP
present - Raspberry Road

Tree Eating

credits:Merry and Bright by Teri's thing o my jigs

Week 50

credits:
template - creations by Julie
An Old-Fashioned Holiday by Kathy Winters
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
Word art - Bethany

Week 49

credits:
template - creations by Julie *edited
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
Happy Holidays - Pretty in Green
border by Kathy Winters

Apple Pickers

Apple Hill by Gigngerscrap Designers

Pumpkin Patch '10

credits:
Hauntingly Cute by Kathy Winters
staples-Harmonystar
Quote: adjusted from Thoreaus which originally states "I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

Week 48

credits:
template - creations by Julie
An Old-Fashioned Holiday by Kathy Winters
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
File tabs -Creations by Julie

Autumn 2010

credits:
Autumn Whispers by HK Designs

Piano Players

credits:
Bella's Trinkets by dylabel designs
That Jazz by Nicole
Alpha by KrysHart

The Hunger Games Series

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

(goodreads)

Have you read these yet? I know I'm behind here in northwest, we usually are. Apparently these books have been quite the hit for sometime now. Are they really that good? Yes! I don't usually encounter a book that I "can't put down" I read often but in the evenings to settle down before falling asleep, but this book was glued to me. I read while I made lunch, while I ate it and fed the kids, I put a tv show on for the kids so I could read. I read well past my usual bedtime. It was bad, but just because the books were SO good. I didn't start out that way. Not really till halfway through the first book, but then I was hooked.

I'm not sure why I love it so much. You have the typical love triangle as your romance angle, but I think it's the dystopia itself that fascinates me. As a fantasy/sci-fi fan the idea of this book is not new. Bits from The Lottery, Running Man, The Hunted (I think that's what that short story was called but I could be wrong),& several others, anyway, it's how she has managed to put everything together to create a unique world with characters you love and hate.

From the first person view of Katniss the reader can feel personally involved in this cruel world that forces children to fight to the death. Does that sound like a turn off? Don't let it be. Even the violence involved seems clever, strategic. It's a game after all. Give it a read!!! I'm on my second round. :)

Quotes

"Remember, we're madly in love, so it's all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it."
— Peeta -Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"Destroying things is much easier than making them."
—Katniss- Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"You’ve got about as much charm as a dead slug."
— Haymitch--Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"And then he gives me a smile that just seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me."
— Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"It's lovely. If only you could frost someone to death."
"Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you will find in the arena. Say it's a gigantic cake-"
— Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"You’re not leaving me here alone,” I say. Because if he dies, I’ll never go home, not really. I’ll spend the rest of my life in this arena, trying to think my way out."
— Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!"
— Suzanne Collins (Mockingjay)

"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart."
— Suzanne Collins (Mockingjay)

"I think....you still have no idea. The effect you can have."
— Suzanne Collins (Mockingjay)

I better stop. These books are highly quotable. But really just go read it! :)

Week 47

credits:
template - creations by Julie
Apple Hill - Gingerscrap Designers
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
tags by Priddy Sweet Scraps

Week 46

credits:
template - creations by Julie *edited
Apple Hill - Gingerscrap Designers
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
tags & journal blocks by Dreamer's Magic Design

Week 45

credits:
template - creations by Julie *edited
Apple Hill - Gingerscrap Designers
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
tags by Un-Lesh-ed-Scraps

Faith of our Fathers Series

I've finished all 4 books in this series. I must say I started out strong loving the Civil War info the glimpse into America's past full of details I never imagined. The first book ended with no sense of conclusion in any way shape or form leading us into the second and third and forth. It is really on BIG LONG story. Not 4 seperate books with their own rise & climax. but there is plenty happening and many stories to follow.

I really enjoyed the first and second books, but the third I was a bit weary of the same ol stuff. Half way through the 4th book the war ends and Lincoln is assasinated. Somehow we still have hundreds of pages left. This is to wrap up the lives of the characters in a perfect little bow. I found this last half almost agonizingly boring. (possibly because I was looking forward to reading the Hunger Games again).

The LDS aspect that has been plesently discreet is now a major part of the plot, not that I am against this but it seems to disrupt the flow of the story. Whole other characters are introduced in this second half that I just don't care about and also feel they are simply padding to get to the end.

I know this now sounds like a bad review, but I assure you the story is pretty exciting and fascinated me with the Civil War facts and stories. I would recomend them to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. But If I ever by chance choose to read them again I'll probably quit after Lincoln's assassination. :)

Week 44

credits:
template - creations by Julie
Apple Hill - Gingerscrap Designers
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers

Week 43

credits:
template -Creations by Julie *edited
Hauntingly Cute by Kathy Winters Design
tags- atomic cupcake
Project 365- Gingerscrap Designers

Dark Angel

Stuart's Wolf, Ghost Smiler, Hash Face, Red Legs, Devil Man. People spoke his name in frightened whispers. Killer, horribly sarred and savagely aloof, it was worth your life to approach him unbidden. Stuart's Wolf was all those things but more importantly, on a quiet summer day in 1896, he was the answer to young girls prayer...

This book is set in Salt Lake 1869. Shortly after the Civil War and the West was still Wild. But as the author points out through the story, perhaps it's civilized communitees that make for the most wild areas of all. The setting is facintating the narrator a 10 yr old daughter of a mormon bishop. But if you're already rolling your eyes thinking this is a sappy LDS novel you are wrong.

Rose is rather irreverent and tends to use words she learned from the hired hands. How could she not be drawn to the dark dangerous sharp shooter that saved her and her sister's lives.

There's a deep message that isn't just hinted at but thrown at us about how good people can be worse than outlaws. (You'll see below from my quotes) It made me think quite a bit about jumping to conclusions and judging others and what it really means to be Christian. But in case you are now thinking it's too deep and a downer, it also is full of humor, after all this is life according to a 10 yr. old girl. I suggest you read and enjoy it!

Quotes:

"Even people like our neighbors can hurt others. Good people don't always do good things. They become frightened or confused and they do harm to others in the name of good."

Colleen Merrell from Dark Angel by Robert Kirby

"Except for shooting folks in the face and cutting off ears, the lanky killer had impeccable manners."

Rose from Dark Angel by Robert Kirby

"God save us all from good people and their best intentions."

Rose from Dark Angel by Robert Kirby

Week 42

credits:
template -Creations by Julie *edited
Hauntingly Cute by Kathy Winters Design
Project 365- Gingerscrap Designers

Week 41

credits:
template - Creations by Julie
Hauntingly Cute by Kathy Winters
project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
Make like a tree 2 by Harmonystar

Week 40

credits:
template - Creations by Julie
Hauntingly Cute by Kathy Winters
project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
day tabs by Simply Scraps
WA by Gabby
Balloons by nikki

Temple Vintage

credits:
Vintage Delight by Lynn Griffin

Hurry Today only! 10.10.10

http://store.gingerscraps.net/10-for-10-bundle/1.html

http://store.gingerscraps.net/10-for-10-bundle-2.html

Bella Tranquil

credits:
template - Scrappy Cocoa
Tranquil Times by doinDigital

Week 39

Credits:
Template - Julie
Project 365 - Gingerscrap Designers
Border - Gingerscraps County Fair - Gingerscrap Designers
apple - Harmonystar

The Heart the Truly Loves

The Heart that Truly Loves
by Susan Evans McCloud

Millie turned angrily to Nicholas. "You entice innocent women to leave their homes and the beliefs of their fathers, to give up all that they have and go to some wretched place in the middle of nowhere -- "

Nicholas put his hand on her arm as if to stop her. "Miss Cooper, you do not understand." He was grieved.

"I understand! Far more than you realize."

What Millicent Cooper understands is that the Thatcher family, with whome she has lived since her mother's death, has left the culture and refinement of Boston for the wild Missouri frontier. And it all is the result of Judith Thatcher's indroduction to the Mormon faith by four missionaries -- missionaries like Nicholas Todd.

Rather than live among a people with strange, alien beliefs, Millie has chosen to return to her hometown. There she encounters Nicholas Todd, who treats her with a tenderness that she has never experienced before. But his commitment to a religion that has disrupted, even endangered, the life of Millie's dearest friend, Verity Thatcher, only confuses and angers her.

And then there is dark, brooding Luther Fenn, who returns from his voyage at sea seeking to claim the love of his youth. Millie is torn between her conflicting feelings for Nicholas and the promise of stability a life with Luther would provide. But after Nicholas departs for England, and suddenly his letters stop coming, Millie is forced to make the decision that will affect the rest of her life.

The harsh realities and heroic resolve of the Saints in Far West and Nauvoo are seen through the eyes of a nonmember who is struggling to find peace in her own heart. Set against the moody backdrop of the New England coast, The Heart that Truly Loves is a captivating tale of romance, religion, and the clash of two cultures.

That was a really long ingro. Pretty much sums up the story. Sounds cheesey? I thought so too. This book is full of grandiose phrases like"
"Something deep and dormant was awakened in Nature, and in the men and women who, dulled by city life, could yet respond to the pure bliss of living, of drawing life in through the senses and finding it good."
Pretty huh? I find it much more suited for a poem than for a novel, but that could be just me. It took more than half way through before I started caring about any of the characters and found it a good read. But my love historical fiction overcame my disdain of romance novels. If you are the kind of person that does like romance novels than I suggest the book to you, if you are the kind of person that thing reading hopeless romances that have predictable endings than perhaps you should stay away. I did however glean several quotes from this novel that I did indeed like.

"True knowing comes from deep in the heart, and many live and die incapable of it, ignorant of what they have missed."
~Daniel Hawkins

"Never make the mistake of mocking those who have found their way of truth, just because you are still blind to it."
~Daniel Hawkins

"What wretched creatures we are, that only through our own suffering can we develop tenderness for others. Where the mind has not been, the heart cannot follow. But why must it be so?"
~Millie

"To love something good and noble, to give your life to it -- that alone brings joy, that alone brings peace."
~Millie

week 38

credits:
template - Julie
Country Page Kit by Harmonystar
Apple Hill by GS designers
weekdays & journal blocks - Lyndsay Riches
project 365 - GS designers
border - Gingerscraps County Fair

Week 37

credits:
template - Julie
Scrappin Safari - GS designers
project 365 by GS designers
date tags - Julie Marie Designs
Happy Birthday Mini- Statements by Jodi
border - Gingerscraps County Fair - GS designers
yummy by Raspberry Road

Bella Rocks

credits:
Chocolate Raspberry by HotFlashDesigns
Blue Skies and Sunshine by HotFlashDesigns

House Without Walls

Sarah stared in disbelief at the lone house standing charred and vacant amid the rubble of war-torn Hamburg. Like herself, the family home had been miraculously preserved. But why? In the fog of painful memory nothing made sense -- except the two American missionaries. . . and their remarkable blessing. . .
A few years before, Sarah had become a Latter-day Saint. But then came the terror of the Third Reich. Will her newfound faith survive the trials before her -- the loss of family and friend, the horror of the Holocaust. and the heartache of an interfaith marriage? And what will she do when her son begins inquiring about her past?

The story seemed a bit scattered to me, but the information was remarkable. I love learning about war times and am fascinated with religions of all kinds. This is an interesting, realistic story about life and faith and love and tearing down the walls we put up. It was a good read if you are interested in these things as well.

Quotes:

"No man can pray to destroy another soul, only to know more of God."
~ Aaron from House Without Walls by Margaret Blair Young

"Maybe man makes history, but God uses it to teach spiritual lessons."
~Sarah from House Without Walls by Margaret Blair Young

Week 36

credits:
template - Julie *edited
Gingerscraps County Fair - Gingerscrap Designers
project 365 - Gingerscrap Desingers

Forgotten Notes

After four years of nursing school, Sarah Lewis has returned home to her tiny Welsh village of Pen-Y-Bryn, to live, to work, and to thrill audiences with her gifted harp playing. She loves the peace and beauty of her village, but finds her serenity shattered by the arrival of two Americans—Iris Pearson, and her handsome son, Brian—looking for answers about their infamous ancestors. The disappearance of Glyn Jones and Mary Williams from the village in 1881 has been the subject of speculation, rumors, and outright lies for over 100 years. When the Pearsons arrive, claiming to be Glyn's and Mary's descendants, some old questions are answered, but new, painful mysteries emerge. Sarah is intrigued by, then attracted to Brian—until she discovers that he is a Mormon. Torn between the horrible things she’s heard about his religion, and her growing affection for Brian, Sarah decides to take a chance . . . If only to help him with his search. Forgotten Notes, by Sian Ann Bessey, is an enchanting, romantic novel about one woman’s resistance to true love, a family’s search for truth, the redemption of a divided village, and the mysterious, long-lost letters that will solve everything.

This turned out to be not as cheesy as I had anticipated. Still very predictable, and the one secret that I thought was going to be exciting turned out to be quite a let down. But the characters were likable and the writing was well done. I loved the Wales setting. Not a deep thinking book by any means, but a good read.

The Diary of Adam and Eve

Mark Twain brilliantly gets down to the true nature of man and woman. It's so funny that I was always giggling and ended up reading the whole thing to my husband because every word was good and worth repeating. It's a quick easy read if you've never done so you absolutely should!


Quotes: (This entire book is quote worthy,but here are a few of my favs.)

"After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her."
— Mark Twain (The Diaries of Adam and Eve)

"Wheresoever she was, there was Eden."
— Mark Twain (The Diaries of Adam and Eve)

"How little a thing can make us happy when we feel that we have earned it."
— Mark Twain (The Diaries of Adam and Eve)

"I wish I could make him understand that a loving good heart is riches enough, and that without it intellect is poverty."
— Mark Twain (The Diaries of Adam and Eve)

Week 35

credits:
template - Julie
Gingerscraps County Fair - Gingerscrap Designers
project 365 - Gingerscrap Desingers

English Trifle

High Crimes at High Tea

Things to Do in England:

Visit Westminster Abbey

the Tower of London

the London Zoo

Take the Jack the Ripper tour (creepy!)

Sample authentic English scones and crumpets

Discover a dead body

What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor. Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two. When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder. Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth or if the case is really as hopeless as it appears to be. Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget.

For this second time around I felt it a bit more cheesy. Like our dear slueth was more annoying than anything, in the first one with it being her friend in her neighborhood it seemed right for her to snoop, but in this case she just came off a bit more pushy to me.

I did however still enjoy this mystery. I had it figured out pretty quick, though I had the motive all wrong. :)

I even tried one of the recipes in this book and it turned out great! I plan to try another before giving the book back to my mother.

Once again, if you are looking for a good clean mystery, this is a good series.

Faith of our Fathers - A House Divided

For some reason I can't find the backcover teaser for this anywhere, so I'll tell you a bit what it's about.
taking place just before and at the beginning of the Civil War we follow a few different families (good thing there is a character chart at the biginning in case you get confused with who belongs to which family) and their lives as this occurs. From the wealthy plantation owner and their slaves and rogue son who moved out west after joining the Mormon church and a botched attempted to free the slaves he considers family, to the Boston abolitionist family who's daughter dresses as a boy to get the scoop around town for her newspaper column. The war is approaching and Everyones lives are going to change forever.

How was that for a synopsis? good? Well I found the book wonderful. It's a series and completely leaves you hanging at the end. The books clearly do not stand alone like fantasy series usually do, so I guess I just need to get ahold of the other books to read.

The book was clean and entertaining and very educational as I realize I know very little about the Civil War. I loved the real quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Gives a real sense of the feelings and tensions during this time. Check it out!

week 34

credits:
template - Julie *edited
Backyard BBQ - Gingerscraps Collab
project 365 - Gingerscraps collab

Yellowstone Beach

This didn't turn out quite how I had in mind, but youget the idea. :) Still a good showcase for these photos I think.

credits:
Shabby Seashore by Gingerscrap Designers
twine by Scrappin' Cop

Getting Down & Dirty

I actually got to do a speed scrap! And I loved it!
credits:
Dirty Grungy Rock Star by Scrippity Scrap
Garden Grunge by Harmonystar
staple - Harmonystar
Worldart - Bethany

Let's get Together

credits:
Marilyn by Little Dragon Design
Word Art -Get Together by Nadine's Art Scraps

Week 33

credits:
Backyard BBQ - Gingerscraps Collab
project 365 - Gingerscraps collab

Busy Girl

Credits:
Baby's Dark Blues by Harmonystar
paper by Scrappin' Cop
Word Art by Bethany

Quote - Talents

"Hide not your talents, they for use were made, What's a sundial in the shade?"
~Benjamin Franklin

Lemon Tart

5 families living on Peregrine Circle
1 flowered curtain tieback
1 missing child
1 body in the field
Mix with a long list of suspects and top with two very different detectives. Increase heat until only the truth remains.

Award-winning author Josi S. Kilpack introduces a new series of culinary "cozies" that is sure to tantalize mystery lovers. In this debut volume, cooking aficionado-turned-amateur detective, Sadie Hoffmiller, tries to solve the murder of Anne Lemmon, her beautiful young neighbor - a single mother who was mysteriously killed while a lemon tart was baking in her oven. At the heart of Sadie's search is Anne's missing two-year-old son, Trevor. Whoever took the child must be the murderer, but Sadie is certain that the police are looking at all the wrong suspects - including her!

Armed with a handful of her very best culinary masterpieces, Sadie is determined to bake her way to proving her innocence, rescuing Trevor, and finding out exactly who had a motive for murder.(goodreads)

May sound a bit funny for a middle age home maker to solve mysteries, and to be honest I had my doubts, but the characters were likable, or unlikable, the setting realistic, the emotions true, and the mystery intriguing. I enjoyed it a great deal even if it was a bit cheesey. I was patting myself on the back for thinking I had it all figured out early on in the book only to be proven wrong. lots of fun twists to keep you wondering. Since this is a series, I need to go borrow the next one from my mom. :)

week 32

credits:
template - Julie
Backyard BBQ - Gingerscraps Collab
project 365 - Gingerscraps collab

week 31

credits:
template - Julie
Backyard BBQ - Gingerscraps Collab
project 365 - Gingerscraps collab

Water for Elephants

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell." Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. (goodreads)

Sounds good doesn't it? I picked this book up because we were reading it for the Gingerscraps bookclub this month. Unfortunately the person that suggested it didn't mention the swearing and graphic detail of things that a hint is all that is needed. I got a thrid through the book thinking I could skip the undesirable parts but soon realized it was unavoidable and I closed the book for good.

I believe the story is good and am going to have someone from the book club tell me what happens. This is in the works of becoming a movie and I think it may be likely I'll have to pass on that also. We'll have to see. So read at your own risk, details extremely dirty for sensative ears like mine. :)

Ithaka

Many years have passed since the end of the Trojan War, and Penelope is still waiting for her husband, Odysseus, to return home. The city of Ithaka is overrun with uncouth suitors from the surrounding islands who are vying to win Penelope's hand in marriage, thereby gaining control of the land. When a naked, half-drowned man washes up on the beach, everything changes. . . .

Told through the eyes of Klymene, a young girl who is like a daughter to Penelope--and who longs for more than friendship from the young prince Telemachus--Ithaka captures the quiet strength and patience of a woman's enduring love for her husband and the ensuing chaos that threatens all as Penelope is pressured to remarry.
(goodreads)

Mythology has always interested me, of course this includes the great story of Odysseus. How could I resist the chance to read about the lands and amazingly loyal woman he left behind.

The story was good. Strength, weakness, love, betrayal. I found this story in the young adult fiction section, but it is not a book for the young. There is quite a bit of descriptive love making and violence. Not as much as a full blown romance novel, but more than I would suggest to even the teen age. Just my opinion. I do however plan to read her first novel, Troy, because I did find the story pretty interesting.

week 30

credits:
template by Julie *edited
project 365 - Gingerscraps collab
tags - Harmonystar
border - Andrea

Murkmere

Aggie's life in the village is as normal and dull as any girl's; she has never questioned the rule of the Ministration or the power of the divine beings-the birds. Then, the crippled master of the nearby manor, Murkmere, sends for Aggie to become a lady's companion to his ward, Leah. Aggie accepts and even starts to befriend the wild and strange girl who seems to want nothing but to escape Murkmere and its powermongering steward, Silas. As preparations begin for the ball celebrating Leah's sixteenth birthday, Aggie finds herself further and further enmeshed in the sinister plots that surround Murkmere, Leah, and the mysterious Master. Suspenseful and haunting, Murkmere pulls the reader into an unforgettable world between history and myth.(goodreads)

This was an interesting find. It was a bit on the dark side perhaps that's what made it so enthralling. Keeps you wondering through the whole book. I enjoyed it.

week 29

credits:
template - Julie
project 565 - Gingerscraps collab
Stars - Kathy Winters
splash - Modern June

Carousel

credits:
Gingerscraps County Fair by Gingerscraps collab