tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46940865219865485102024-03-15T18:12:02.457-07:00Dear Molly AnneA Creativity BlogMolly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.comBlogger522125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-29379979713556774322015-04-14T22:17:00.000-07:002015-04-14T22:17:25.467-07:00Microwave & printer carts turned coffee stationI recently inherited a microwave cart. If you're too young to remember, microwaves used to be enormous and a special cart for one was really the most practical way to contain the beast and still have counter space left. The one I inherited was made by my grandpa out of juniper wood and even has wheels!<br />
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My microwave is pretty small and looked pretty silly sitting on it so I decided to free up space in my pantry by moving all my coffee and tea goodies onto the cart instead.<br />
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I also had a random printer table (back when printers used to be huge - do you see the trend? My current printer is tiny) that I've just never gotten rid of. It is doing me a favor by hiding some of my appliances in the lower shelves but the top was free space.<br />
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Side by side in my kitchen entry they help visibly break up the space instead of making my kitchen and living room look like one big area. Some linen burlap as runners and a hide-the-mess curtain unify them since clearly these two things don't match at all (except that they are victims of the modernization of appliances).
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The top is a mix of thrift and bargain store finds holding cocoa mix, coffee beans, an assortment of favorite teas and all the various additions you could wish for (honey sticks? coconut sugar? cane sugar? cinnamon?)<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_8352_zpsegexnpqf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_8352_zpsegexnpqf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_8352_zpsegexnpqf.jpg" height="507" width="640" /></a><br />
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These great vintage inspired jars have a nice tight seal for keeping food items fresh (I found mine at Hi-School Pharmacy). My coffee beans are kept air tight as well (I like locally roasted, ethically sourced <a href="http://garagecoffee.indiemade.com/" target="_blank">Garage Coffee</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_8353_zpsqnuyign4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_8353_zpsqnuyign4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_8353_zpsqnuyign4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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Below I have a pair of locker baskets that have been around so long I don't even know where they came from. They used to be under my bed doing a really inefficient job of holding old receipts and a really efficient job of gathering cobwebs.<br />
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I keep some of my favorite items readily accessible in one and my French press and fancy kettle for pour over coffee in the other (because you need a special kettle. Because of course you do).<br />
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On the lowest shelf I put a pair of collapsible baskets? Bins? I found at Ross for $3.99 for the pair. All my boxes of teas are in one and then random tea ware is in the other (all the strainers, steepers, pots, you name it)<br />
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My other flat surface is where I decided to put my new obsession: pour over coffee apparatus. I attended a coffee class hosted by the Garage Coffee guys and now I'm just completely obsessed. I hardly ever drink coffee but when I do I want a <i>good</i> cup of joe.<br />
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My burr grinder and Hario V60 coffee stuff I ordered from amazon. I found the gorgeous cutting board I'm using as a platform for them at Ross. A dollar store napkin holder is keeping my filters in place. And a thrift store jar is holding some cranberry pistachio biscotti I found at Grocery Outlet.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_8349_zpsvvwacfey.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_8349_zpsvvwacfey.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_8349_zpsvvwacfey.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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And of course chocolate syrup because I like my coffee when it's mostly chocolate.<br />
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A tension rod, little curtain clips and a piece of linen burlap (which I found in the yarn/rug making section of Joann) is keeping everything looking tidy and slightly rustic.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_8358_zpslbwaqwwi.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_8358_zpslbwaqwwi.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_8358_zpslbwaqwwi.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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And this wall was way too boring even with all this for me to leave it alone so I hung some artwork I got from my friend Megan (and which came from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/hairbrainedschemes" target="_blank">Hairbrained Schemes</a> on Etsy)<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_8351_zpsmvhekw6i.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_8351_zpsmvhekw6i.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_8351_zpsmvhekw6i.jpg" height="571" width="640" /></a>
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And a thrift store frame filled with downloadable and printable art (from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/JoyfulArtDesigns" target="_blank">Joyful Art Designs</a> on Etsy)<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_8350_zpsqk8qovbx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_8350_zpsqk8qovbx.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_8350_zpsqk8qovbx.jpg" height="501" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm in love. It's like living in a coffee shop (sortof) and really isn't that what we all want? Now to make my bathroom look like a luxury hotel...<br />
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I, of course, found a ton of inspiration on pinterest. Here are some of my favorites:<br />
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<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/5699937005109668/" target="_blank">Coffee & Tea station</a><br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/5699937005109664/" target="_blank">Chalkboard coffee station</a><br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/5699937001581624/" target="_blank">Coffee station on a cupboard</a><br />
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You can also follow my coffee obsession on my pinterest board <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/mollythepirate/magic-beans/" target="_blank">Magic Beans</a>.<br />
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<br />Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-47200978805825585892014-10-26T12:19:00.001-07:002014-10-26T12:19:12.454-07:00Style bargains: Autumn editionI love summer time. I love being warm and not needing a jacket and long sunshiny days and ice cream. I also love Autumn, but it is bittersweet as the days get shorter and the rain waterlogs us.<br />
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I spent a week in the woods, camping in a surround of beautiful autumnal color...<br />
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and when I came back I felt a little more prepared for the transition.<br />
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and we know I've finally accepted the fact that the season has changed when I make changes to my look. And thanks to some super thrifty tendencies I didn't spend a lot to accomplish it.<br />
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A visit to Goodwill and I was able to score a cashmere blend sweater that just happens to match the new accent colors at work.<br />
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Tags still on it.<br />
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My cost? $3.99.<br />
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Half price color of the week!<br />
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I've been on the hunt for a corduroy jacket for about 2 years and I keep hemming and hawing on the ones I've seen; until this one.<br />
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I really like all the detailing on the pockets and the back.<br />
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My cost? $3.99<br />
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Again, the half price color of the week!<br />
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I also discovered quite the selection of Essie nail polish at my favorite random store: Grocery Outlet. I picked up 4 colors for $2.99 each.<br />
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Normally $8.00 each.<br />
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These few cozy additions to my wardrobe at such great prices and now I'm really feeling good about Autumn.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/success_baby_zpsfe6f59b6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo success_baby_zpsfe6f59b6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/success_baby_zpsfe6f59b6.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-83809126427146164152014-09-23T00:00:00.003-07:002014-09-23T00:00:59.504-07:00The last rose of summerHave you ever suddenly noticed that you've been surrounding yourself with a collection of something? I tend to do this most often with colors (I've been obsessed with aqua for several years now) but sometimes flavors or scents as well (I absolutely love anything citrus scented).<br />
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Recently I noticed I've surrounded myself with a rose garden.<br />
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My favorite moisturizer has rosewater in it - it's a lightweight moisturizer that really absorbs quickly leaving no greasy feeling. I thought I was getting some kind of joke when I opened the huge box and out came this relatively tiny bottle but I've been using it daily since I bought it in April and I still have quite a bit left. I bought it directly from <a href="http://nourishorganic.com/collections/related-for-face-serum/products/lightweight-moisturizing-face-lotion" target="_blank">their website</a>.<br />
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I also love the Boots Botanics Rosewater toner (<a href="http://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=boots+botanics&category=0%7CAll%7Cmatchallpartial%7Call+categories&lnk=snav_sbox_boots+botanics" target="_blank">Target</a>) and the Mario Badescu facial spray with aloe, herbs and rosewater (<a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod6200727" target="_blank">Ulta</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_6270_zpsf97693e4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6270_zpsf97693e4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_6270_zpsf97693e4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a>
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My divinely scented Passionfruit Rose lip balm is like a treat to wear. I found it on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/FirebirdBathBody?ref=shopsection_shophome_leftnav" target="_blank">Etsy</a>.<br />
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I even drink roses now that my set from Tea Chai Te has arrived.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_6272_zps893a4b0e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6272_zps893a4b0e.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_6272_zps893a4b0e.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a>
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The Vanilla Rose Chai is definitely my favorite - so fragrant and delicious!<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_6268_zps8b108d67.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6268_zps8b108d67.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_6268_zps8b108d67.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a>
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Visit their website <a href="http://www.teachaite.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I can't be the only one with these sudden onset obsessions. Tell me about your latest...although maybe you shouldn't - it might give me ideas...ha. :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-51412734560873937822014-08-10T08:14:00.000-07:002014-08-10T08:14:00.094-07:00Book lovers unite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
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I somehow missed a post for July. I will blame it on the camping I did which you can see photos of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/sets/72157645136255947/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/sets/72157645968441732/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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I've found out that today just has my name all over it. First of all we have National Book Lovers Day and then tonight is the August supermoon. If there are two things I love they are books and moon gazing.</div>
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So in honor of National Book Lovers Day I thought I would do some book chat.</div>
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I snapped that photo while camping last month. I don't normally take my kindle camping but in this case it was the best option because I couldn't decide what I wanted to read. I ended up reading was <i>The Valley of Fear</i> (aka Sherlock Holmes #7) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.<br />
Some of the Sherlock Holmes stories I've slogged through but this one was quite good!<br />
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The past few years I've been in a terrible book funk and I can barely make it through most of the books I pick up to read. Once in a while I'll get one that really grabs me but for the most part I find them to be quite silly. I still can't decide if that is just the books I'm choosing or if I'm just being a book Grinch or what. Anyone else having trouble finding books they can't put down?<br />
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So for this year I did the "Goodreads challenge" for.....20 books in a year. For reference three years ago I read 54 books in a year.<br />
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This year I'm only 10 books into my challenge but there are a few that kept me reading into the night/morning.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18209454-the-thousand-dollar-tan-line" target="_blank">Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line</a> - Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham<br />
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I caught a cold in February and my coworkers told me I looked horrible and to go home. They were doing some kind of construction in the apartment above mine so I couldn't sleep and so I thought I'd watch something instead. That something ended up being Veronica Mars which I then proceeded to binge watch until I'd finished the entire series (don't worry this took at least a few weeks).<br />
I may have gotten a little obsessed.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_2726_zps6400e04b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2726_zps6400e04b.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_2726_zps6400e04b.jpg" height="383" width="640" /></a>
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Get this mug <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/abirdinthehand" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The movie was already out on video at this point so I watched it next and then I was able to get my hands on this book. Fresh on the heels of the show and movie like that was a great way to read this book. I felt like I hadn't missed a beat and I read through this one quickly. The story was interesting and I can't wait for the next one coming out this Autumn....I think?<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13481275-lost-lake" target="_blank">Lost Lake</a> - Sarah Addison Allen<br />
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I don't know what to say about Sarah Addison Allen's books except that they are like the coziest, softest blanket that you can wrap yourself in. When I try to explain what her books are like I lose the words to describe how homey and magical they are and how they make me think that anything will be fine and hope abounds. This one was no exception. I'm an admittedly slow reader but I devoured this story like I was starving and felt quite satisfied when I was finished.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9462728-austenland" target="_blank">Austenland</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13492695-midnight-in-austenland" target="_blank">Midnight in Austenland</a> - Shannon Hale<br />
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Okay. These books were silly. The first was silly and the second was more silly than the first ever thought of being. But I still had a hard time putting them down. I remember reading in bed one night and literally smacking my forehead at what the characters were doing yet....reading in bed until way past bedtime? Yep. I can't explain it. I really don't feel like I <i>want</i> to recommend these due to their immense silliness. Or that I <i>can</i> recommend these. And yet I did get a modicum of enjoyment so there you go.<br />
I only read them because I was loaned the movie (which I watched <i>five</i> times before I returned it) and I thought after that that I just had to read the story that spawned that. The movie is hilariously funny (the more you watch it) and silly but also, in some ways, fantastic.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/f433aafe8db56da2de35ef06c46df191_zpsb62cdbeb.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo f433aafe8db56da2de35ef06c46df191_zpsb62cdbeb.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/f433aafe8db56da2de35ef06c46df191_zpsb62cdbeb.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://austenlandmoviefans.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Credit</a></div>
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I am definitely up for some book recommendations! Have you read something that knocked your socks off or made you laugh or otherwise wowed you? I'd love to hear about it. Obviously I'm not doing very well choosing reading material for myself.<br />
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If you'd like to keep up with my reading and are on Goodreads feel free to friend me <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4922592-mollythepirate" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-75204223466151767922014-06-25T21:50:00.000-07:002014-06-25T21:50:05.773-07:00Easy decor projectsOver the weekend I got the inspiration I needed (pinterest, of course!) to do a few projects around the place.<br />
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Most of my kitchen is visible from the door and I wanted something pretty for people walking in to see. I've had the idea to do a "coffee station" for quite a while but have been slowly gathering components to it together.<br />
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As I find more pieces (thrifting makes decorating go the long way home) and it really comes together I can let this space evolve. For now I'm loving it! I have an assortment of sugars, cinnamon, cocoa (for the poor man's mocha) and my matcha and melon syrup for my green tea frap. The little chalkboard I bought on jane.com and featured in some photos on my <a href="http://instagram.com/dearmollyanne" target="_blank">instagram</a>. The chalkboard bunting is a free printable found <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/5699937003619385/" target="_blank">here</a> that I <strike>spent forever</strike> cut out and affixed over a jute string. Tiny, clear Command hooks hold it in place.<br />
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Also in the kitchen area I already hung my canvas art and had this idea about a clipboard for my grocery list. I buy a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables so my list is constant. I took a cheap clipboard and painted it with Plaid Crafts FolkArt Chalkboard Paint.<br />
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This was a brush on paint and the brushes I bought for this project were absolutely horrific. The paint is thick and needed something much smoother hence why I only painted part of this clipboard so far. My intention was to paint it in a pattern or design but with the brushes inability to keep within the lines....that didn't happen. But it still works great!<br />
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The canvas art I made by designing the words in picmonkey, printed it with my little home printer and Mod Podged it to a small canvas. This made it easy to hang and I didn't need to frame it.<br />
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The quote is from my favorite scene in Arrested Development. I looked high and low for a clip of this scene and couldn't find anything worth showing which is really sad because it was hilarious.<br />
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I also finally figured out how to hang this Eastside Distilling calendar that didn't have any holes in it. The idea of poking a hole in the lovely photography made me sad and then the other day I had an epiphany...<br />
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I've also taken to growing lavender indoors.<br />
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I read somewhere that lavender (and other aromatic herbs) purify the air and I'm obsessed with lavender so any old excuse will do.
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See? Lavender obsessed.<br />
Herbes de Provence goes into many of my dishes (it contains lavender) and I had a lavender lemonade the other day and all I can think about is going back to that cafe and getting another one and maybe a lemon lavender cookie to go with it.<br />
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And speaking of obsessed, a fruit salad with the combination of watermelon, strawberries and blueberries is what I eat at least twice a day.<br />
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I hope your life is as delicious as mine has been lately. And remember, if you miss me you can visit me on <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/" target="_blank">flickr</a> or <a href="http://instagram.com/dearmollyanne" target="_blank">instagram</a> where I post more regularly.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-66897037131677481392014-05-31T19:00:00.003-07:002014-05-31T19:00:38.447-07:00Mini galleryI got a sudden inspiration the other day when <a href="http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/" target="_blank">Gina</a> tweeted...or pinned...or...one of those about some free printable art. I had three art pieces sitting on the arm of my chair waiting for number four to complete the set and they had been that way for two weeks.<br />
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I already had an old photo in a frame so I did a color wash on the frame to match my new scheme (color wash being paint plus some water to change the opacity) and I had a painting I rescued from Goodwill, already framed. I also had a canvas I had made based on the <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/5699937003298277/" target="_blank">glitter state pinterest project</a>. To be honest I based my project off the image and caption alone, the actual directions (follow the pin) are different.<br />
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Then I saw <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/5699937003526276/" target="_blank">this pin</a> and knew I needed to have that. I printed it and Mod Podged it to a canvas to match my home state art project and then I had a nice little set!<br />
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(If you look closely you can see my cat staring out the window in the reflection)<br />
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The chevrons are some chipboard shapes that came in this pack of three for $1.00 at a local variety store. I painted them gold and strung them on jute. I already had a little banner thing going on with my leaf banner on this wall so I chose to hang them this way for some interest. $1.00! C'mon.<br />
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Now my whole wall is decorated! This is a momentous occasion let me tell you.
This is truly the art of someone who scrounged for materials but I have to say I'm really enjoying it.<br />
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Have you completed any pinterest projects lately?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-39561147583401931842014-03-20T21:33:00.001-07:002014-03-20T21:36:37.780-07:00Storage as artI had two problems with my bedroom space. I hadn't hung anything on the walls, and I have about a bajillion too many scarves hung up on the coat rack in the corner.<br />
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I actually decided to go for the smaller of the two rooms in my two-bedroom because I had more furniture that needed to go in the library/craft/makeup room. Also the smaller bedroom didn't share a wall and that was really the deciding factor. The point being that there just isn't much in this sleeping space.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_2567_zpsc61f36f8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2567_zpsc61f36f8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_2567_zpsc61f36f8.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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I decided to remedy my two issues with the help of these handy little clear Command hooks I discovered.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_2557_zps2f7057cf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2557_zps2f7057cf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_2557_zps2f7057cf.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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I also used some (a lot) of the Velcro Command strips on this mirror I found at Goodwill (have you ever tried to remove Goodwill price labels? It's like the best glue in the world which is why I didn't even bother trying to remove the label on this since no one will see it anyway.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_2564_zps4777cb67.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2564_zps4777cb67.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_2564_zps4777cb67.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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I put them all over the mirror and then snap the wall side ones into place, then it's a cinch to peel the backs and simply stick it to the wall. I've done this for other art and it works great. The heavier the piece, the more strips you want to use. And they aren't difficult to remove as I had already stuck this mirror on the wall and decided I hated the position of it. Sigh.<br />
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I used a pencil and a measuring tape to map out spaces 12 inches apart on my wall, stuck my hooks to the wall, and voila.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_2567_zpsc61f36f8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2567_zpsc61f36f8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_2567_zpsc61f36f8.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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It gets some of the scarves out of the way and makes art out of them. It did occur to me this might be slightly tacky and juvenile but I decided there were no decorating rules.
I hung up the bag because I think it's adorable and the poor thing is always getting wrinkled in a pile somewhere. In case you're wondering I bought the bag <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/seekerofhappiness" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_2569_zps2fad7f29.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2569_zps2fad7f29.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_2569_zps2fad7f29.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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Above the dresser I hung the mirror where I can use it to see what I'm doing when I put on jewelry. The mirrored tray I've had for ages and the jewelry tree was a Christmas gift from a friend.<br />
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I jumped on the giant blingy statement necklace bandwagon and those things do. not. fit in traditional jewelry storage no matter how many ways I tried. So I used some tiny clear Command hooks (seriously the company just needs to start offering me stock options at this point) to hang them from instead.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_2577_zpsf05b32f7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2577_zpsf05b32f7.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_2577_zpsf05b32f7.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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And it turns the necklaces into well-stored art much like the scarves.<br />
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Just an FYI - jewelry is more likely to tarnish out in the open like this but if you've got a jewelry buffing cloth and some time in front of the TV you can easily take care of that.<br />
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The dresser was a gift from my old neighbor who I was telling about trying to paint a dresser I'd salvaged (to be featured in another post) and he told me he had a dresser I could have. How great was that? (Those storage boxes to the side were blogged about <a href="http://www.mollythepirate.blogspot.com/2009/01/home-decor-improvement.html" target="_blank">here</a> way back in 2009)<br />
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I went from blank walls and piles of accessories to dig through to decorated organization.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/bedroom_zps013ab958.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo bedroom_zps013ab958.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/bedroom_zps013ab958.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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What do you think? Tacky and juvenile? Or would you try something like this in your home?<br />
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Also, I have to confess my real reason for being so absent from blogging anymore is that I've run out of storage space on blogger and it is just a pain to upload them to an outside site and then get them over here. It just makes blogging not as fun.<br />
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I do spend quite a bit of time on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/" target="_blank">flickr</a> and you will find much more of my goings on over there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-9117867522436607892014-03-15T13:14:00.000-07:002014-03-15T13:17:53.689-07:00Mr. Darcy's Dilemma & Delight - a review<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_1151_zpsbcc2c281.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_1151_zpsbcc2c281.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_1151_zpsbcc2c281.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a>
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I have actually been reading Pride & Prejudice spinoff stories for several years. When I worked at a school I saw one of the students reading one and then the idea was new to me so I read a few like Mr. Darcy's Diary and Mr. Darcy's Daughters (the latter of which is a part of a series that I really like). Since then I have read several every year. Somehow - according to my Goodreads lists anyway - I always tend to start and end my year reading these spinoffs. This year I mixed it up by reading this one a few months before the end of the year. I am such a rebel. ;)<br />
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Mr. Darcy's Dilemma and Delight is a different type of story about how Elizabeth and Darcy come to fall in love. They've already got some history - the history we all know - and then we find out how evil George Wickham truly is.<br />
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The story begins in medias res ('in the midst of things' if you're not a lit nerd like me) with Darcy out doing Darcy things like looking majestic on a horse and contemplating his responsibilities when he hears strange sounds that indicate someone is in trouble. He (unseen) witnesses Wickham walking away from - as further investigation enlightens - Miss Elizabeth Darcy sobbing on the ground. That's as descriptive as it gets, in case you were worried. And I promise that isn't giving away too much of the plot as it is in the synopsis as well.<br />
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Darcy mans up and gets help for Elizabeth, even going so far as to help her conceal events from her family (ruination for the sisters as well hanging in the balance).<br />
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We really breeze right on past the proud Darcy here and jump right into the most thoughtful and caring man on the planet. This man thinks of everything and creates a provision for it and he has a mindful, caring hand in Elizabeth's healing of her emotional trauma. And working through his doubts of how to care for a broken woman whom he still loves despite his hatred of Wickham and the evil that his actions wrap them into was a wonderful progression to read.<br />
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Elizabeth, in the meanwhile, is not a total shrinking violet. Obviously she has her rough patches and anxiety moments but she has an active hand in the restoration of herself that was written in a very gentle and believable way. She wasn't always one way or another because humans are not and emotions sometimes rule and sometimes we have good control over those things. If Austen's Elizabeth were a real person she would be very proud of this representation of her.<br />
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In the end, the love Darcy and Elizabeth develop is so full and deep it's like gentle waves washing over all the terrible things they've endured and making it all clean. A truly beautiful thing.<br />
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And there is no way you walk away from this book not completely in love with Darcy yourself. You thought the original made you love him? You ain't seen nothin' yet.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Darcys-Dilemma-Delight-Jadie-Brooks/dp/1491253797/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1394914495&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> has the kindle version for only $4.99 (as of this posting)!<br />
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Fun fact: the cover photo - I totally took that. :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-16171790483399152692014-02-15T15:57:00.000-08:002014-02-15T15:57:34.577-08:00Budget basic bathroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I really enjoy white in the bathroom, it really helps it feel clean to me. In this case, things I used just happened to be white and then I was able to collect a few to keep it up. Most of the things I used to organize and "decorate" - I'm using that term quite loosely - came from thrift stores so let me show you how I kept the budget way down and kept a clean look.</div>
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/a-2064_zpsc503c345.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo a-2064_zpsc503c345.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/a-2064_zpsc503c345.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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First of all, because this room just seems to be moisture prone even on no shower days I've decided against hanging art on the walls until I can figure out something that won't be adversely affected by that. I honestly haven't minded as I no longer use this room to do my makeup in the mornings and I don't stand there for an hour staring at nothing.
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My shower curtain was a new in the package thrift store find - what a score!<br />
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These cupboards/drawers are hideous and SO HEAVY Need something out of the drawer? Add it to the 12 tasks of Hercules.
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I remember when I was first touring this place and getting my key and the apartment manager was pulling on the towel rack to see how well it was attached and was like, "Oh this is a good one." And I looked at her like are you crazy? This thing is wooden! And has watermarks!<br />
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What can you do.<br />
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On the floor is this adorable doily look bath mat I got from World Market. It was cheaper and cuter than the ones I was seeing at Target, go figure.<br />
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On the counter I have a series of thrifted jars holding my extra soaps, Q-tips and cotton rounds.<br />
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The little glass tray is a new addition, also found at a thrift store. I was amazed at how clean it made things look even though things are still sitting in the same spot.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/a-2059_zps2ebe530b.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo a-2059_zps2ebe530b.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/a-2059_zps2ebe530b.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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In my window, which I posted about previously, is a shutter which adds extra privacy and hair doo-dad storage. </div>
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I wanted to be able to use this "chandelier" I made (see the original post here) but it wasn't waterproof so first I sprayed it with several coats of clear coat. Now it decorates my lightulb instead of the boring fixture that was there previously. Admittedly this works much better when you have a "normal" light bulb.</div>
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I'm going to estimate total cost for accessories around $40.</div>
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Could you go for a mostly white bathroom? Or would you go nuts and have to hang things on the wall? If you have any suggestions for things to hang that wouldn't be dust catchers or moisture wicking bacteria growers I'm all ears.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-73832975676838520512014-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:002014-02-02T20:26:16.910-08:00Minding Molly - a review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/MindingMolly_mck_zpsa13ec2b7.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo MindingMolly_mck_zpsa13ec2b7.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/MindingMolly_mck_zpsa13ec2b7.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
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I had planned to not take on any more reviewing tasks for a while since I've been so horribly slow at actually getting my reviews up but when I saw a book about a girl named Molly trying to take control of her life which keeps going end-over-teakettle I felt like I was supposed to read this book.<br />
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This is the third book in the "Courtship of Lancaster County" series. I have a friend who lives in Lancaster County, PA and she takes some beautiful photos of the occasional Amish thing she sees (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31714338@N07/9356951598/in/set-72157627906379863">this one</a> is a favorite) but when I started to read this book I realized how I know absolutely nothing about the Amish and just kept hoping the author wouldn't lead me astray with what I was "learning." There were several words that were unfamiliar (do you know how long it's been since I've even heard the phrase "Pennsylvania Dutch"? Probably high school?) but through context hoped I was getting it. To be fair, most of the words weren't so foreign I couldn't figure most of them out. <i>Dat</i> and <i>Mamm</i>, <i>denke</i> and <i>jah</i> were no brainers but there were others like <i>youngie</i> (which I am still just assuming but...a group of young people? I should google that.) and <i>rumschpringe</i> that left me curious. Sometimes a book will have a glossary explaining words, phrases etc. in the back but this one did not include something like that. Possibly because it was already the third in the series and they figure if you don't have it figured out by now why are you still reading?<br />
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Other things like how Molly wore flip flops and carried a cell phone threw me. The arranging for drivers for transportation to places was new to me. Personally I think that sounds great, I hate driving and would love to have a person I could call up that would drive me into the city. The final thing that threw me was a youngie camping trip the characters planned. Instead of being able to concentrate on the story I just kept thinking <i>the Amish go camping?</i> I know people who are not Amish but regular farmers and camping is really rare for them. Especially the dairy farmers I knew because who would milk all the cows? I was halfway through the camping scene before I decided to give up figuring out of that was a real thing or not. When I read in the author's note at the end of the book that she uses Shakespeare as a starting point for her stories and that this one was A Midsummer Night's Dream the camping bit (ie a night in the woods) made just slightly more sense.<br />
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Now that my musings are out of the way let's get on to the review.<br />
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Minding Molly is the story of Molly Zook who, I believe, is in her early twenties? Maybe twenty? She's currently taken charge of the family farm which grows flowers and nursery stock and hosts a weekend market ever since her dad passed away suddenly (and recently) and it looked like they might lose the farm. Her mom doesn't do well with making business decisions and has been acting so strangely they arrange a CT scan for her, she has a half-brother creeping around trying to buy the place out from under them, her sister doesn't seem interested in helping out around the place and sits around staring into space or writing into a mysterious journal. Then her mom starts pressuring her to marry the neighbor boy who works for them but her best friend is in love with him so she can't do that to her no matter to save their farm or not. Plus she doesn't love him and she wants to at least love whom she marries. The boy working for her best friend's family is from out of state and instantly catches her eye but everything seems to come between them as they try to court.<br />
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At home Molly is the organizer, the hard worker, the boss and people respect her authority, decisions and planning. When they decide to go camping everyone suddenly hates her for the same personality/skill set. And everyone - and I mean everyone - groans out their words. I've never read a story where every single page had so and so groaning or so and so moaning. Used appropriately I can understand but this was obviously enough use to catch my attention.<br />
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During the camping scene I honestly felt like another story or maybe even another author had taken over the book and plopped it into the plot. Everyone devolved into whining, conniving children. Speaking of children there was a whole thing about a toddler whose parents could not attend so they sent it along on the camping trip with all these young people and their chaperoning couple. Is <i>that</i> an Amish thing? Who in their right mind would actually do this?<br />
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Granted, the woods in A Midsummer Night's Dream changed people while they were there but Shakespeare was at least able to put it eloquently. This made me want to bash my head into a wall while they all tramped around the woods glaring at each other and fighting over imagined schemes of stealing boyfriends. I actually reached a point where I thought this was YA fiction (based on the character's behavior) but I don't think it is.<br />
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The big question here is will Molly's tumultuous relationships work themselves out? I do feel there was a satisfying ending to the story but I won't be giving away more than that.<br />
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There were a few moments in this story that I did like. I connected with Molly in name, in having a father die suddenly, in having a mother start behaving all strangely and in losing the place you loved living and working, There were a few moments with people talking out issues and problems that I thought "yeah that's some good stuff right there." but they were so lost in the rest of the story I just don't feel it was worth slogging through to find them.<br />
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The idea of these stories being based on Shakespeare really appeal to me and I want to like it. I've heard the first two were actually pretty good, and the one that's supposed to come after this is a Much Ado About Nothing story line which actually appeals to me and I may give that one a go. Maybe by then I'll have brushed up on my Pennsylvania Dutch.<br />
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I received a digital copy of this book for the purposes of review from Bethany House Publishers. Opinions and words are mine.<br />
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I really hate writing reviews of books I don't like...this makes me sad.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-62687267452020253902014-01-16T22:57:00.000-08:002014-01-16T22:57:21.712-08:00Stranded - a review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/stranded_zps1a66adbf.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo stranded_zps1a66adbf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/stranded_zps1a66adbf.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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Another belated review. This time because I was in the middle of packing, trying to find somewhere to live and then moving. Blech. But in contrast to my previous book review, I quite enjoyed this one!<br />
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This third in the series follows a few of the McKennas - a ridiculously talented and wonderful family from Alaska that I would dearly love to hang out with. The people are flawed but loving and I feel the realism in that at the same time it helps me see the flaws in some of my own behaviors towards people. Helpful.<br />
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I actually read the first in the series and <a href="http://www.mollythepirate.blogspot.com/2012/07/submerged-by-dani-pettrey-book-review.html" target="_blank">reviewed it</a> some time ago and when I saw this was available for review, I bought the second book so I wouldn't miss out and then read this one in proper order. There is character set up for the next pair (as in 'oh yeah they are so getting together') in each previous book so I suggest to start at the beginning and work your way through.<br />
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In this story we follow Darcy St. James (a side character from previous stories) investigating the mysterious disappearance of a friend who had taken a job on a cruise line. Darcy then uses her skills from her old position of undercover investigative journalism to get a job on the cruise line and see what happened as not only does no one seem to care, but they seem to be covering up the disappearance.<br />
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She runs into Gage McKenna at some point and there's a series of mistrust, semi-trust, life-saving, man anger, etc. I did not enjoy his constant well you're "undercover" so no matter your reasons for doing so you're just a lying liar pants from Liarstown. But they work out their issues in a realistic way, as opposed to I-hate-you-for-most-of-the-book-just-kidding-I-love-you-the-end. Which I have complained about MANY times regarding Christian fic.<br />
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There is a lot of outdoorsy adventure and suspense (near-death kayaking! corpse discoveries! Sketchy "romantic" walks with possible murderers!) as in the previous two which I love and seriously I just love all these people can we be friends already?<br />
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There's a 4th book on the way. I am going to be all over that.<br />
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I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for the purposes of review.<br />
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Sidenote: I got my review copy as an ebook and I can't remember which specific thing it was, double f's maybe? Some letter combination was left out of the entire story. Is that a normal thing so you don't feel all fancy that you got a free book? I found it super distracting and am impressed I was able to read the story without it. Anyone else experienced anything like that?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-12464971446574282082014-01-16T22:15:00.000-08:002014-01-16T22:19:24.984-08:00Rules of Murder - a review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/16110412_zpsfb43518a.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 16110412_zpsfb43518a.jpg" border="0" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/16110412_zpsfb43518a.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
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This is extremely belated but...I find this type of review difficult to write. I'm an encourager and I like to find the merit in everyone's writing but I just did not like this book. And if I don't like a book, I have extreme difficulty saying so in a review, I just prefer to put it away and never speak of it again. And if I saw someone reading a book I really hated, maybe slap it out of their hands as I walked by. I was super excited to see it on the list of books I could choose to review as I had heard about it previously and really wanted to read it which just made my dislike all the more sad.
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I do really like the cover artwork and I do applaud the author for writing something other than an old west mail order bride or Amish something which seems to be the bulk of Christian fiction last time I checked, so yay?<br />
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Drew Farthering, the hero, ends up with multiple murders on his country estate in 1930s England. He loves mystery stories and uses his "knowledge" of them to aid he and his friend Nick (who I kinda liked best of the pair) along with Madeline Parker (love interest/a guest from America and niece to his step-father) as they try to solve the case before the actual detectives do because everyone knows that detectives don't know what they are doing.<br />
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There are some nice twists but I found it difficult to keep track of some of the who was who and I felt the love portion of the story was a bit silly. As in, I just met you and this is crazy, but here's my number so please never leave I'm in love with you and we should be together forever. There were some odd character encounters that totally threw me like a breakfast scene where they were talking about eating some wonderful food and "Oh you'd eat this forever if you were stranded on a desert island? You must be reading ---" at which point the other character replies the equivalent of , "Nope." and just moves on. I felt like 'what just happened? Is that coming into play later?' It never did. So odd.<br />
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I see there are a couple more books in the series, or at least in the works and premises of those are totally drawing me in and making me want to read them so maybe there is hope yet that I will like this series.<br />
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This book was provided by Bethany House Publishers for the purposes of review. Obviously they did not dictate what my review would be like or it would not have been this.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-89204631109303373962013-12-22T10:43:00.004-08:002013-12-22T10:44:10.968-08:00My kind of Christmas decor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: start;">I don't know what your Christmas looks like, but mine looks like twigs and leaves. Coincidentally that's how my 'the rest of the year' also looks. I decided against a tree and so my Christmas decor looks as bare as nature does outside the windows, but I kind of like the simplicity.</span></div>
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If you tilt your head to the side this photo looks completely straight. </div>
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Above my "fireplace" I used a thrifted metal tray, a couple of large tea strainers with battery operated tea lights inside, a chunk of bark I salvaged from a tree that had to be removed and a sprig of faux greenery we were going to throw away from the decorations box at work.</div>
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And lit up...<br />
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I amuse myself by continuing to refer to these as "tea lights" since they are lights...and a tea strainer...and have tea lights inside. Ha. ha. Knee slapper?<br />
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The artwork was painted by a mom's friend who has since passed away. She always sent cards with images of something she had painted in the year. Most of her work was copies of other work but I don't know about this one. Anyone know?<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0986_zps27d4a948.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0986_zps27d4a948.jpg" border="0" height="637" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0986_zps27d4a948.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Above all this I hung a banner I made a few years back and forgot about. You wouldn't believe how many things I've found in old boxes (and how many things I can't find in new boxes). I hung it here using tiny, clear <a href="http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Catalog/~/Command-Clear-Decorating-Clips?N=5924736+3294737335+3294529207&rt=rud" target="_blank">Command Strip hooks</a>. They are my new favorite discovery, for sure. I linked it there if you want to check them out, I found mine at Rite Aid I think.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0982_zpsb6e212a4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0982_zpsb6e212a4.jpg" border="0" height="358" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0982_zpsb6e212a4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I made this using a pair of circle punches of two sizes and then using those weird edged scissors to give the inner one some interest. I aged the paper with ink and placed a glittery sticker in the middle, hanging it on some jute by punching two small holes in the top. I'm not usually a paper craft person but this turned out pretty well.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0983_zpsae4fd33b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0983_zpsae4fd33b.jpg" border="0" height="426" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0983_zpsae4fd33b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Along the top of my giant bookshelf it took me forever to assemble I've finally hung a few things on the wall.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0977_zps949fcc72.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0977_zps949fcc72.jpg" border="0" height="451" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0977_zps949fcc72.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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My chalkboard art can be seen originally <a href="http://mollythepirate.blogspot.com/2010/07/front-porch-makeover.html" target="_blank">here</a> and my leaf garland can be seen <a href="http://www.mollythepirate.blogspot.com/2012/12/pine-cones-twigs-and-leaves-for.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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To the left is my collection of thrifted bowls and cande holders topped by thrifted glass domes. They are holding an assortment of nature items and keeping them dust free for me.<br />
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On this one I've hung a tatted snowflake I bought from an older woman at a craft bazaar several years back.<br />
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The work is so beautiful!<br />
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This giant cone I also bought at a craft bazaar. The woman said it came from a tree in her yard. Can you imagine having a yard full of these giant cones? What if one hit you? Yikes!<br />
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It is sitting pretty on a little gold candle holder. The cute chubby snowman came from JoAnn stores several years ago. The leaves I took from my neighbor's yard one year and spray painted - they've stayed perfectly preserved for over a year.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0980_zps740f78f0.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0980_zps740f78f0.jpg" border="0" height="426" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0980_zps740f78f0.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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More gold leaves and some twigs with mini cones.
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Thanks for taking the tour with me!<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-71848560559245667952013-11-16T14:44:00.000-08:002013-11-16T14:45:15.912-08:00Shutter organizer and a kitchen cornerSometimes things happen and are a happy accident. I put this little shutter in my bathroom window for some added privacy. The window is a blurred, foggy glass but...well...I've seen what that looks like across the way and I don't think it's as private as it could be. Plus I love the rustic look.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0507_zps537aeeaa.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0507_zps537aeeaa.jpg" border="0" height="513" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0507_zps537aeeaa.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Then, when I needed somewhere to stash my headbands (two came from <a href="http://www.shopgussy.com/products" target="_blank">Gussy Sews</a>, the rosette one I made myself) and hair clips (dark one from <a href="http://www.payless.com/store/" target="_blank">Payless Shoes</a> and the light one I made) and to hang a necklace (made by me) for a moment, they all went on here and I realized how great it worked for it.<br />
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I haven't actually managed to decorate much as I'm still trying to get all my books put away. I purged my books 4 times - FOUR TIMES - before I moved and I still have so many books that I have no room. I bought a huge bookshelf that I'm taking a month to put together. Yes, really.<br />
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I did manage to put a few things up in the kitchen though.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0500_zps29bbbc50.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0500_zps29bbbc50.jpg" border="0" height="426" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0500_zps29bbbc50.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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A utensil holder filled with dried elephant garlic blossoms and this beautiful little gourd I found at a farm stand.<br />
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If you can't tell by now, I love natural elements in the home.<br />
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As I get things put in their proper places, I'll have more to show. For now I have to get back to that bookshelf...<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-65392123461069563582013-11-02T14:19:00.000-07:002013-11-02T14:19:35.540-07:00A hello and a "metal" necklace how-toHappy Saturday to you!<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0364_zps2523c3ea.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0364_zps2523c3ea.jpg" border="0" height="439" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0364_zps2523c3ea.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Try not to faint as you see there's a new post.
A <i>lot</i> has been going on and this poor blog has been so, so neglected. I had some people recently tell me they missed my posts and then I got a message via Etsy (Hi, Mary!) saying she'd read my whole blog and I thought...holy cow I haven't written anything in a long time! So you all can thank Mary for making me post something.<br />
I admit a lot of my lackadaisical approach to blogging has to do with all the changes to blogger. I worked so hard to learn all the tricks and now everything is different and it gets exhausting; I am no computer genius.<br />
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Halloween has come and gone and I thought I would share his year's "costume." I don't care how old I get, I will absolutely grasp at any opportunity to "dress up," however, I work in an office and my costumes have to be fairly subtle.<br />
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Last year I was the Doctor from Doctor Who and this year I decided to be Sherlock. So two years in a row I've dressed as a British man. I'm not sure what to say about that.<br />
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For Christmas last year a friend bought me a "detective hat" and I bought myself a blue Pashmina style scarf which I believed was essential to the BBC Sherlock look but I knew the two elements together wouldn't necessarily scream Sherlock (I did look a bit Dickensian to be honest) so I decided to make a necklace to try and pull the look together.<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0372a_zps4cde7a87.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0372a_zps4cde7a87.jpg" border="0" height="426" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0372a_zps4cde7a87.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Here was the final outcome. My coworkers exclaimed over the fact that I'd made it and that it looked like "real metal" which I'm taking as a good thing?<br />
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What you'll need:<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMG_0374a_zps72f472e5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_0374a_zps72f472e5.jpg" border="0" height="473" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMG_0374a_zps72f472e5.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Black paper (a sizeable scrap will do)<br />
Metallic letter stickers<br />
Small, sharp scissors<br />
Tweezers<br />
Two pair pliers<br />
Chain<br />
Metal jewelry frame (not shown)<br />
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The metal frame comes as the metal edging with two slides of glass. It has a hinge of sorts and you open it to removed the glass slides and can place whatever you like inside. I first cut my paper to fit the slides and then made sure I had enough room for my stickers. I would almost suggest waiting to cut the paper after you've placed the stickers on it, and then you can use the slides as a guide and make sure your design is centered. I ended up having to cut mine and placing a secondary piece of paper behind to frame it.<br />
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Cut your letter stickers out with the scissors and make sure you have enough room for them all. The frames come in a variety of shapes and metallic finishes so pick what will work best for your project.<br />
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I then peeled the stickers from their paper using the tweezers and was able to line them up and lay them down easily using the fine point.<br />
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Trim your paper as necessary, and place between the two glass slides and put back into the frame and close the hinge.<br />
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If you don't have unsoldered chain you will need wire cutters and some jump rings to connect the chain, but my chain was unsoldered so I was able to simply open the links and attach directly to the frame loop. My biggest pet peeve about "gold" jewelry supplies is that none of it matches which is why it is so rare to see anything of gold tones in my Etsy shop. I don't think it was too noticeable but <i>I</i> knew it didn't match perfectly.<br />
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And you're done! Talk about a simple project!<br />
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<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/user/scarlettplume/media/IMAG1844-1_zpseb1ac65d.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMAG1844-1_zpseb1ac65d.jpg" border="0" height="640" src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/scarlettplume/IMAG1844-1_zpseb1ac65d.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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I did have a person ask me if there was significance to the numbers on my necklace. It was almost as depressing as the time I asked a library assistant for help and she didn't know who or what Jane Eyre was. Argh.<br />
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If you haven't seen BBC's Sherlock I highly recommend it. I believe they are on Netflix...<br />
The Basil Rathbone films of Sherlock Holmes are also good.<br />
I liked the Robert Downey Jr. version, but the sequel I did not enjoy as much.<br />
And of course there's The Great Mouse Detective, an animated feature that is one of my favorites as well.<br />
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I've been reading the stories but am only 3 or 4 in so far. Have you read/watched any? What are your favorites?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-12038795471932156712013-05-18T20:12:00.001-07:002013-05-18T20:15:03.026-07:00Yesterday's walkOn my way home yesterday I stopped to get the mail and saw baby birds peeking out of the honeysuckle so I changed as soon as I got home, slung my camera around my neck and went walking back up the driveway. I dangerously left my umbrella at home thinking, hey it doesn't look too bad out!<br />
My cats promptly ran after me, me walking quickly as I could because me yelling "stay!" just wasn't working. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8752158118/" title="Pied Piper by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="Pied Piper" height="270" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8553/8752158118_fdf41b4e17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They eventually stopped thank goodness.</div>
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I was still <em>quite</em> a ways away from the nest when lady blackbird hopped around me, fencepost to fencepost squawking at me.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8752162682/" title="Angry bird by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="Angry bird" height="502" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2850/8752162682_2d2704101c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I got to the end of the driveway where there is a fence covered in honeysuckle, I found little strawberries along with everything else.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8751469330/" title="Strawberry by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="Strawberry" height="425" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3721/8751469330_3e21cdfb72.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Surprisingly I was able to get really close to the nest and not one bird attacked my head. Blackbirds are always so protective it surprised me I came away with all my hair. But I did notice an unusual number of blackbirds squawking at me and I finally realized there were actually three nests in the honeysuckle. I didn't know they grouped like that. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8751047343/" title="Baby blackbirds by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="Baby blackbirds" height="425" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2822/8751047343_191cf012c7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Baby bird eyes are watching you. They didn't make a sound or a movement while I was standing there so their parents taught them well.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8751457117/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Fuzz head by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="Fuzz head" height="425" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2829/8751457117_dd2b0c0de7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I didn't want to agitate the parents too much so I didn't stick around long. </div>
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Although one of the dads gave me the stink eye.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8752566696/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Angry bird II by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="Angry bird II" height="448" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8396/8752566696_6bd513e15e.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I spent some time chatting with my neighbor and then decided to hustle back down the driveway as the wind picked up and the clouds started looking ominous.<br />
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Despite the portents of inclement weather I still took enough time to look around and enjoy the scenes. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8750342343/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Starling by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="Starling" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8750342343_10b4f945c6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like birds on gates and cottonwood fluff floating in the air.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8751487367/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="By the pond by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="By the pond" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8273/8751487367_278d58dff3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Or tall grass by the pond.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8751463630/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Hatched by Dear Molly Anne, on Flickr"><img alt="Hatched" height="425" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/8751463630_2f52321cce.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Or eggshells I find and carry the rest of the way home.<br />
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And I did make it home just as it opened up and rained. <br />
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And the cats were bounding along behind me and darting in the door with me, happy to be able to follow me again.<br />
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<br />Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-60398502979861644132013-03-03T19:55:00.002-08:002013-03-03T19:55:30.385-08:00Lovely days<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogcBPe_BHu4ePFNNoXru497hTilJb3IGTBmZLXE6psKqYSXyER_OhJ92DPVNlnKTf9xzRaBXbTCfIIOUeHyDucYKYQa8bUxKqkane-jObWb6s_tHFzRGda2_IjnE0In8bLe-5EqT9c5X2/s1600/3-02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogcBPe_BHu4ePFNNoXru497hTilJb3IGTBmZLXE6psKqYSXyER_OhJ92DPVNlnKTf9xzRaBXbTCfIIOUeHyDucYKYQa8bUxKqkane-jObWb6s_tHFzRGda2_IjnE0In8bLe-5EqT9c5X2/s640/3-02.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I haven't participated in a Mosaic Monday in ages! I feel like I don't even know how much time has passed. But this weekend as I was snapping photos of all the Spring-ness around me I felt like a collage would be just the thing.
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The top middle photo is an homage to Jennifer's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31714338@N07/8521669994/in/contacts/" target="_blank">here</a> - after I saw her photo I noticed some of my plants had done the same! (She's a great one to follow if you like horse and nature photos.)<br />
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The circle of smooth stones is in my neighbor's field. I don't remember there being a tree there, but there's a circle of stone around a sunken area of ground; it always looks pretty in Spring. Of course Spring isn't even officially here yet, but plants and animals (field of calves and lambs) don't lie. :)<br />
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Be sure to visit <a href="http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Little Red House</a> to see all the lovely mosaics!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-1214882200941719332013-01-17T20:51:00.001-08:002013-01-17T20:51:39.226-08:00New craft spaceA few redesigns of organization and I finally have something I can show. Organizing is messy business.<br />
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Welcome to my new craft space!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXxvDtrLlEMkjlUexyMPWU7ncw3cE_Z2JAIvgxl4yhgQi_2ror8-F7M6J3Rg8ktLuY0pR8XwRhxummMRvpKqTb-7NuVBtHEaIUSz65tIqvt96SEYgetdlpVvGr0UdNW-L3oMS6OqmgGXv/s1600/IMG_0995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXxvDtrLlEMkjlUexyMPWU7ncw3cE_Z2JAIvgxl4yhgQi_2ror8-F7M6J3Rg8ktLuY0pR8XwRhxummMRvpKqTb-7NuVBtHEaIUSz65tIqvt96SEYgetdlpVvGr0UdNW-L3oMS6OqmgGXv/s640/IMG_0995.JPG" width="422" /></a></div>
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(I'm a wee bit too short-legged for my chair so a folded up blanket gives me a boost - also this may be the ugliest floor in the entire world, nay, universe)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oDlmpw4zS919L3YHqEhPkjbK4G6Bdm3dkT2xb7kH0jpYvBIMsUYsyuILQMuY0RiywqwSIKeh4SjAhZb5T53HpxBpZT3YQgVd7TiKw2oR4NWHftiBNtZmkbfdtxakz-wcsfWfBdoCtn1L/s1600/IMG_0996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oDlmpw4zS919L3YHqEhPkjbK4G6Bdm3dkT2xb7kH0jpYvBIMsUYsyuILQMuY0RiywqwSIKeh4SjAhZb5T53HpxBpZT3YQgVd7TiKw2oR4NWHftiBNtZmkbfdtxakz-wcsfWfBdoCtn1L/s640/IMG_0996.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thanks to <a href="http://www.gussysews.com/2012/06/to-live-wisely-a-printable/" target="_blank">Gussy Sews</a> (and some scrapbook paper and some paint on a thrifted frame) I have art that matches the pretty art my friend Megan got me for Christmas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWL_XVS81HnGS0o9Ue-nZmD1pkbO1UsP_XJsAiNsXklqJOf1vmsdiGhSy_Ahyphenhyphen-zSqof1pqdQlsL-qMa_9znp7swRPfVazIPUF_TN_Bi1t-d3VLML8w3VevkaycIL7rVZTmYURj1oFsAP3/s1600/IMG_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWL_XVS81HnGS0o9Ue-nZmD1pkbO1UsP_XJsAiNsXklqJOf1vmsdiGhSy_Ahyphenhyphen-zSqof1pqdQlsL-qMa_9znp7swRPfVazIPUF_TN_Bi1t-d3VLML8w3VevkaycIL7rVZTmYURj1oFsAP3/s640/IMG_1017.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I've had my eye on this "tea & happy things" print for quite a while. (It's from the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/hairbrainedschemes" target="_blank">hairbrained schemes</a>.)<br />
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I have a complete mishmash in here, but it works. I pulled the drawers out of this little cabinet thing to get twice the storage capacity (see the drawers in the crate holding yet more).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnsWVJpNLp5QaWdxlNro4v7JC8rqsoec-TXwca-gse6maZEHZynVxIDYgGoZLbB7e96D7dk2uvm0nsxjw9-MFJaodAdZDyijWAIi8u4Sy5-EN6DDQn_XLBQO_jSwuWm4u4EBbKrRrEFFZ/s1600/IMG_0998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnsWVJpNLp5QaWdxlNro4v7JC8rqsoec-TXwca-gse6maZEHZynVxIDYgGoZLbB7e96D7dk2uvm0nsxjw9-MFJaodAdZDyijWAIi8u4Sy5-EN6DDQn_XLBQO_jSwuWm4u4EBbKrRrEFFZ/s640/IMG_0998.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONSqmGCVLumMP1aRnFZVzfiu26jW1fJm948LhbxKwgCigu4SHxUmSc4mcO8pv_35CQWz_H8mdtiga1-eE-B6bx_ggAHf9daU2wjk-7UHGYP-wXHPkkCFRNC78zM5fRgG8WIvhhZzoUyBH/s1600/IMG_1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONSqmGCVLumMP1aRnFZVzfiu26jW1fJm948LhbxKwgCigu4SHxUmSc4mcO8pv_35CQWz_H8mdtiga1-eE-B6bx_ggAHf9daU2wjk-7UHGYP-wXHPkkCFRNC78zM5fRgG8WIvhhZzoUyBH/s640/IMG_1002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even candle holders work great at holding supplies.<br />
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A collection of random boxes hold all my jars of beads.<br />
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Thrift store jars hold some other supplies and my jewelry making tools are in easy reach.<br />
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I have some seriously great art in here. What I've already mentioned, as well as an ornament from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SarahLambertCook" target="_blank">Sarah Lambert-Cook</a> and two mini prints from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/flapperdoodle" target="_blank">Kate Gabriel / Flapperdoodle</a><br />
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I have a good view of the field and treeline through these two corner windows.<br />
Hello corner of a shirt. Did I mention this is in the corner of the laundry room? :)<br />
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I feel very organized and like I have all kinds of space to spread out and create because:<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-49941181926295675432013-01-05T11:37:00.000-08:002013-01-05T11:37:48.391-08:00Bookish listIn 2011 I read over 50 books. Mostly because I spent a month here and a month there house-sitting, etc. and had a lot of porches to sit on to soak up the sunshine and plenty of reading leisure.<br />
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In 2012 I got a "real" job and read just 34 1/2 of my <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4922592-mollythepirate" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> goal of 35 books.<br />
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A lot of the cut in books read had to do with the cut in my time to read and a lot of it had to do with the malaise I became enveloped in. Maybe even some of it had to do with the fact that not a lot of the books were really enjoyable. Many of the books I read were ones I owned and I wanted to read at least once before deciding to get rid of them. And, I assure you, after I'd read them I had no problem tossing them in the "get them out of here before someone thinks it's my favorite book" pile.<br />
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In any case I'll make a few recommendations and the rest of my books you can politely ignore. Or not politely because some of them deserve a round of raspberries.<br />
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<strong>Recommended:</strong><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41424.Beauty" target="_blank">Beauty: A Re-telling of the story of Beauty & the Beast</a> - I wanted this book to go on and on, and while it really isn't at all like the Disney movie, I definitely noticed where Disney got some of their ideas (right down to the Beast's blue jacket). <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11235712-cinder" target="_blank">Cinder</a> - An amazing futuristic/spacey Cinderella adaptation. Thankfully this was just part one with part two expected next month - yay!<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767052-the-hunger-games" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a> - is this considered a bandwagon thing? I <em>really</em> liked this book. Is it still considered a bandwagon if I'd preferred it was a single book and not a series? The second was...okay but the third one was so incredibly depressing.<br />
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<strong>Honorable mentions:</strong><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12882349-submerged" target="_blank">Submerged</a> - I wrote<a href="http://mollythepirate.blogspot.com/2012/07/submerged-by-dani-pettrey-book-review.html" target="_blank"> a review</a> of this (as I'd received it for just that purpose) and while it was flawed, there was a lot I liked about it and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11983940-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet</a> - this book doesn't have the best reviews but I enjoyed it. Possibly because I've always loved anything Robin Hood (and because I kept picturing Gisbourne as Richard Armitage's version).<br />
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<strong>Avoid at all costs:</strong><br />
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<em>Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind</em> <br />
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What I imagined: a supressed woman frees herself from social confines and gives everyone a piece of her mind. <br />
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In actuality: nothing. I don't remember her speaking her mind and I don't remember a single interesting thing that happened. Biggest disappointment of my reading year? Possibly!<br />
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<em>The Map of Time</em> (SPOILERS) <br />
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Promised: H.G. Wells, time travel, Jack the Ripper. <br />
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In actuality: All of that and then at the end "just kidding!" I wanted to punch this book in the face.<br />
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<em>The Secret History of the Pink Carnation</em><br />
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I ignored warnings that this book was terrible and I shouldn't have.<br />
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Promised: Scarlet Pimpernel type stuff but with women.<br />
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In actuality: a yawn-inducing series of meet-cutes between the same two couples <em>ad nauseum</em>.<br />
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For the upcoming year? I hesitate to make a list of "to-reads" like I have in the past since I don't seem to have as much time. However, I am thinking of buying a Kindle so I have easier access to some hard-to-get-out-here-in-the-sticks books and so I don't develop back problems lucking giant paperbacks around in my purse everywhere. <br />
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So I have two questions for you:<br />
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If you have an e-reader what kind of recommendations can you make for me? With differing versions I am having trouble knowing where to start. <br />
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And two: what books should I be reading in 2013?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-58615172416016702372012-12-23T11:34:00.000-08:002012-12-23T11:34:16.732-08:00Pine cones, twigs and leaves for ChristmasI have always loved to decorate with natural elements which is a plus when you are on a tight budget.<br />
I told a friend that I always seem to decorate with twigs, rocks, feathers, etc. And she suggested I wanted to live in a cave instead of a house. Yes but it would be a very classy cave!<br />
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I love several ways of Christmas decorating but I think "natural Christmas" may be my very favorite. And while I didn't go all out this year, what I did decorate was called "cozy" and I think that is a lovely compliment.<br />
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Pine cones I collected (small ones) in Sunriver and larger "frosted" pine cones I begged off a seller at a craft bazaar I attended and the largest pine cone I saved from my pine tree before it had to be cut down. I saw <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/5699936997925577/" target="_blank">this</a> on pinterest and loved it so much I wanted to try my own version.<br />
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The oak leaves I collected from my neighbor last year when I raked his lawn for him after back surgery. I put them away and forgot about them and when I came across them this year knew I wanted them gold (which<a href="http://mollythepirate.blogspot.com/2009/12/leaves-and-twigs-are-not-just-for-mulch.html" target="_blank"> I've tried before</a>) and knew I wanted a garland.<br />
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To make the garland I used a large strand of jute and used thinner jute string to simply tie the leaves in place.<br />
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I think I was channeling a little bit of <a href="http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/" target="_blank">Donna</a> with the rusty bucket tree.<br />
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A tree branch that blew down in a windstorm, a hole punch and some ribbon allowed me to display my Christmas cards.<br />
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Herbs in small canning jars brought some greenery into the kitchen.<br />
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You can't tell in the photo but we couldn't find the tree stand so instead have it in a large aluminum pot/cauldron thing we found in a barn and put gravel in to stabilize. Funny thing is, I think it works better than any tree stand we have ever used.<br />
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Merry Christmas everyone.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-84221643090899131632012-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:002012-12-18T08:13:38.194-08:00Furry companyI can't even begin wrapping gifts without something like this happening.
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Oh. You wanted to wrap this? But I <em>need</em> to sit on it.</div>
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And I'll never have to sit by the fire alone because Spud discovered that's where the warm comes from.<br />
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These indoor/outdoor cats have become decidedly less <em>outdoor</em> lately. <br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-1628126477848508832012-12-08T10:06:00.000-08:002012-12-08T10:15:28.734-08:00First shotI used last month's Black Friday to my greatest advantage and bought myself a Canon DSLR.<br />
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I have managed to get some really treasured (to me) photos from my little point and shoot cameras for years but I felt like I wanted to make the big step up. Of course...I didn't make the biggest step up (considering my last camera was only $100 this felt like a gigantic leap), but I feel like this camera and I can go places even if those places are just of delight to me.<br />
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I am a complete photography amateur but that doesn't make me love it any less. However, I knew I would not be fantastic right away and I'm glad I knew. I've taken probably 150 photos with the new camera so far, but really only liked a few.
I figured I would shoot tons of photos just to get to know the camera. And let me tell you how many times I've gone out shooting and singing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MNANgFCYpk">this</a> in my head.
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I have noticed an astonishing change in clarity and color and that is what I was really wanting.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8255467238/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="tiny succulent w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8255467238/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="tiny succulent w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"></a><br />
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8349/8255467238_3cd77ba5de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tiny succulent w" border="0" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8349/8255467238_3cd77ba5de.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8255467238/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="tiny succulent w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8255467238/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="tiny succulent w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8255467238/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="tiny succulent w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8255467238/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="tiny succulent w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tiny succulents in the oak moss.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8255460656/" title="Spudnik w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"><img alt="Spudnik w" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8213/8255460656_43b32221c1.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Spudnik.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8254383945/" title="Calliope w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"><img alt="Calliope w" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8358/8254383945_1f8796a0d7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Calliope keeping watch. She doesn't like her photo taken so she's hard to catch.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8254390793/" title="kestrel in tree w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"><img alt="kestrel in tree w" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8082/8254390793_093cc06237.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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"My" little kestrel. I usually see it only in passing as it sits on the fenceposts and I drive by on my way to work. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollythepirate/8254397329/" title="tree full of birds w by Molly the Pirate, on Flickr"><img alt="tree full of birds w" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8079/8254397329_1cb4209fb9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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A tree full of birds! There's a line of trees quite a ways from my yard out into my neighbor's field. Birds love these trees. Here we've got robins, starlings and crows.<br />
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I can't wait until my ability catches up with my desire.<br />
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Do you know of any good photography tips blog posts, web pages, etc? Please share!<br />
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P.S. I hate new blogger. Sorry my post is messed up and I've given up trying to fix it.<br />
Also if you want to see the photos of some photographers that really inspire me:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31714338@N07/" target="_blank">Gypsy Mare Studios</a><br />
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<a href="http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Little Red House</a><br />
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<a href="http://mthopeacademy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mt. Hope Chronicles</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-23360498822394302682012-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:002012-12-02T18:58:56.374-08:00Why not? I'm a fungi!One of the cedar trees in my yard died and had to be cut down. Near where the tree fell is now full of fungus - all different sizes and types I've never seen before.
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I don't care for edible mushrooms so I'm really not going to know non-edible types. Can anyone identify these for me?<br />
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I had a lot of "help" when I was taking these photos...<br />
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Spud, the rescue kitty, has been made of velcro lately. And here he is trying to see what I was bending down to photograph. He was very puzzled by the whole thing but loved to bat at my dangling lens cap and rub (ie bump) on my arm just as I was about to press the shutter button.<br />
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And my real velcro cat, my little white shadow, was none too pleased that he was so close to me and she wasn't.
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Death glare.<br />
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Ah, cats.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-44490613854004018762012-11-12T07:00:00.000-08:002012-11-12T07:00:00.427-08:00ShiftYou may notice some changes going on. Really all I changed was my header and I changed it to match my newly renamed Etsy shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/DearMollyAnne" target="_blank">DearMollyAnne</a>.<br />
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I've been thinking about the Etsy change for quite a while but I wasn't ready to let go of my "mollythepirate" nickname I've had so long. When I got a full-time job and my shop and blog went neglected I kinda forgot about it. Lately I've had the bug to get back into that creativity and I thought a push in the right direction was a name change that reflected my life and style a little better. I've spent this last weekend doing inventory, updating the shop, renewing listings and filling up the shop which was down to about a quarter of the items I used to have. <br />
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I've spent the past couple of weeks ordering supplies for some new goodies that should be in the shop in time for the holidays and. Feel free to stop by the shop and see the changes. You can also find me on<a href="https://twitter.com/DearMollyAnne" target="_blank"> twitter</a> and<a href="http://instagram.com/dearmollyanne" target="_blank"> instagram</a> as well where I frequently talk (and show) about what I'm working on.<br />
So I'm back in the saddle, so to speak, and it feels quite good to be back.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694086521986548510.post-38271811349669613862012-11-03T17:01:00.003-07:002012-11-03T17:04:15.606-07:00Casual steampunk mantelThere's steampunk and then there's I want to be slightly more subtle steampunk. I happen to be a fan of both. I love to think how fast I would trick out my living room in nature/scientific Victorian splendor if I had the stuff; but in reality I'm a little more casual.
When some friends gave me an old microscope in a wooden box I knew I wanted to make a steampunk-inspired display. <br />
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The box the microscope is stored in made a great stand to get different levels.<br />
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A jar (I think it once held fruit preserves and then I removed the label and spray painted the lid) full of old keys sits in a candle stand.<br />
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The other side is a necessary lamp, an old glass insulator and a metal tray and metal bowl with a glass "lid."<br />
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The "lid" is actually a light fixture cover I bought at a thrift shop and I spent months thrifting and antiquing to find a bowl it would fit inside. I'm using it to keep dust out of a bird nest I found when I trimmed the pampas grass and a little half eggshell I found elsewhere in the yard. Wrong egg for the nest but you work with what you find, right?<br />
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A look at the whole: casual steampunk-inspired style.<br />
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Really casual.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/240/5265E1196A38198D67DCFB417E30C0E8.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Molly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979813404407688739noreply@blogger.com1