New craft space

A few redesigns of organization and I finally have something I can show. Organizing is messy business.

Welcome to my new craft space!

(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)

Thanks to Gussy Sews (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.

I've had my eye on this "tea & happy things" print for quite a while. (It's from the hairbrained schemes.)

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).

Even candle holders work great at holding supplies.

A collection of random boxes hold all my jars of beads.

Thrift store jars hold some other supplies and my jewelry making tools are in easy reach.

I have some seriously great art in here. What I've already mentioned, as well as an ornament from Sarah Lambert-Cook and two mini prints from Kate Gabriel / Flapperdoodle

I have a good view of the field and treeline through these two corner windows.
Hello corner of a shirt. Did I mention this is in the corner of the laundry room? :)


I feel very organized and like I have all kinds of space to spread out and create because:

 

Bookish list

In 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.

In 2012 I got a "real" job and read just 34 1/2 of my Goodreads goal of 35 books.

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.

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.

Recommended:

Beauty: A Re-telling of the story of Beauty & the Beast - 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).

Cinder - An amazing futuristic/spacey Cinderella adaptation. Thankfully this was just part one with part two expected next month - yay!

The Hunger Games - is this considered a bandwagon thing? I really 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.

Honorable mentions:

Submerged - I wrote a review 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.

Scarlet - 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).

Avoid at all costs:

Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind

What I imagined: a supressed woman frees herself from social confines and gives everyone a piece of her mind.

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!

The Map of Time (SPOILERS)

Promised: H.G. Wells, time travel, Jack the Ripper.

In actuality: All of that and then at the end "just kidding!" I wanted to punch this book in the face.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

I ignored warnings that this book was terrible and I shouldn't have.

Promised: Scarlet Pimpernel type stuff but with women.

In actuality: a yawn-inducing series of meet-cutes between the same two couples ad nauseum.



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.

So I have two questions for you:

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.

And two: what books should I be reading in 2013?

Pine cones, twigs and leaves for Christmas

I have always loved to decorate with natural elements which is a plus when you are on a tight budget.
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!

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.

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 this on pinterest and loved it so much I wanted to try my own version.

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 I've tried before) and knew I wanted a garland.

To make the garland I used a large strand of jute and used thinner jute string to simply tie the leaves in place.

I think I was channeling a little bit of Donna with the rusty bucket tree.

A tree branch that blew down in a windstorm, a hole punch and some ribbon allowed me to display my Christmas cards.

Herbs in small canning jars brought some greenery into the kitchen.

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.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Furry company

I can't even begin wrapping gifts without something like this happening.

Oh. You wanted to wrap this? But I need to sit on it.

And I'll never have to sit by the fire alone because Spud discovered that's where the warm comes from.

These indoor/outdoor cats have become decidedly less outdoor lately.

First shot

I used last month's Black Friday to my greatest advantage and bought myself a Canon DSLR.

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.

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 this in my head.

I have noticed an astonishing change in clarity and color and that is what I was really wanting.

 

Tiny succulents in the oak moss.




Spudnik.





Calliope keeping watch. She doesn't like her photo taken so she's hard to catch.




"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.




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.


I can't wait until my ability catches up with my desire.

Do you know of any good photography tips blog posts, web pages, etc? Please share!

P.S. I hate new blogger. Sorry my post is messed up and I've given up trying to fix it.
Also if you want to see the photos of some photographers that really inspire me:

Gypsy Mare Studios

Little Red House

Mt. Hope Chronicles