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