The Misplaced Midwesterner: 11/1/10

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Up & Up He Goes

By the time they were done climbing they were all at the very top. Never thought we would get them out of this tree.

I have yet to take any Christmas photos, go see lights, get my tree or decorations up or even begin to start my Christmas cards because we've been pretty sick here at our house. This is why you're getting a photo that I took a month ago. Hopefully by next week I'll have that Christmas spirit.

If you would like to see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, A Beautiful Mess and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies. Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

My Review??? Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball: A Novella

From the backcover:

In a sleepy, snow-covered city, Cora Crowder is busy preparing for the holiday season. Searching for a perfect gift, a fortuitous trip to Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad’s (a most unusual bookshop) leads to an unexpected encounter with co-worker Simon Derrick. And the surprise discovery of a ticket for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas Ball.

Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they’ve decided to bring together.

This year, will Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith? Or will the matchmakers’ best laid plans end up ruining everything this holiday?

My Review:

I honestly don't know which way to go with my review for Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball: A Novella
by Donita K Paul. This is a book that I had a hard time putting down and read it in record time. But I find myself wondering if there shouldn't be more to the story. This book has a Fantasy/Christian theme which is very hard to do. The characters were great to get to know and were really starting to develop but I was let down at the end of the book. Don't get me wrong...I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to others...but for me personally I wish the story had gone further. I felt as though there were some loose ends that needed to be wrapped up in several of the story lines. And I honestly feel as though this story would have been better if it had been either all fantasy or all Christian.

Download Chapter 1

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Money Mondays ~ Week 8

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know that I did. My parents came down for a visit and we are having a great time together.

It's Monday and time to link-up and join in on the Blog Hop for Money Mondays. To read how Money Mondays got started check out my Money Mondays Page.

So here we go! Link Up your Etsy Stores, Websites, Photography Sites, ect. I'm enjoying hosting this blog hop every week and visiting all of yours as well. Grab the button above and place it on your site. Please remember to keep it family friendly. Explicit Sites will be removed. Remember to grab the Blog Hop Code below to share with others! Let's all have some fun, promote our own businesses and check out every one else!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Stuffed

Here is my first ever stuffed knitted project. He's a little Christmas Elf. If you are a knitter and would like to see the pattern...head on over to Spud & Chloe~The Blog to get the free pattern. I loved working on this project and watching him grow that I'm going to make some more. I also have to say that I'm hooked on knitting stuffed items and think I see more stuffed items in my future.

If you would like to see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, A Beautiful Mess and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies. Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Money Mondays ~ Week 7

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Fall Into Reading 2010

I may conquer this list yet! Since I last posted about my reading progress I have been reading like crazy! I've taken Uncommon Faith by Trudy Krisher off of my list for right now as when I started it I just didn't get into it and I had some other books that were calling my name. I've added those below.

Here is my "Books to Read" list and my progress:

A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton ~ I'm over half way through. ~ DONE!
The Nativity Collection by Robert J Morgan ~ DONE!
The Robe of Skulls: The First Tale from the Five Kingdoms by Vivian French ~ DONE!
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali ~ DONE!
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine ~ DONE!
Igraine The Brave by Cornelia Funke ~ DONE!
Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul ~ Currently Reading (review coming up)
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
DragonSpell by Donita K Paul
Masterpiece by Elise Broach

If I get through these I may add more...and who knows...I may change it up again. We'll just have to see what I feel like reading.

So...have you gotten any reading done lately? If so, what have you read? What are you currently reading or what do you want to read? Let me know!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Sam and Spelling Words

Going through some spelling words with Sam today. The word was "elegant". He was given three other words and he had to come up with the spelling word to match it. The three words were chic, classic and smart. I told him to think of a fancy lady. His response? "The total package!"

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Scout Camporall

Sam going across the Suspended Rope Bridge at the Scout Camporall this past Saturday. He loves doing these kinds of things. Love my kid!

While you're here...check out my giveaway from Scotch Tape!

If you would like to see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, A Beautiful Mess and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies. Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

It's Only Tuesday?

It's hard to believe that it's only Tuesday! This past weekend was a VERY LONG weekend. Friday evening was spent here at home sewing and getting ready for Saturday. Saturday it was ~~rise and shine~~ drag myself out of bed at 5 AM to get myself ready to take Sam 2 hours away for his Scout Camporall. This is a District wide event and there were hundreds of boys out there. Each Cub Scout Den goes around to the different Boy Scout Troops and participates in an activity for points. Each activity is was worth 10 points each. Sam and I had to leave in the afternoon so that I could make it back to work but we both had a fantastic time. I kept in touch with the parents that were still out there so that Sam and I could learn how the Den had done. By the end of the day Sam's Den had scored 97 out of a possible 100 but we still didn't know how they had placed overall. I'm happy to report that Sam's Den took 1st place and now has the District Trophy!

Sunday morning it was back up at 5 AM to get myself ready, finish making a casserole carrier (which will be on my Etsy store soon) and made a casserole. I was up at the church by 6:50 to help set up for the breakfast that our Sunday School class was cooking for the winning classes in the canned food drive that we held. I also played in the Hand Bell Choir in the first and third services as well as singing in the choir during the third service. Sunday afternoon was spent watching football, crafting and getting ready for the week.

Monday morning I got up and went to work, came home and realized that my eyes were really fighting my contacts so I took them out and put my glasses back on. I saw that my glasses were dirty so I went to clean them and they popped in half in my hands. So back in went the contacts. The day went as usual but it was back out to visit another Boy Scout Troop. Sam really liked this one and so did I. We didn't get home until around 9:30 last night.

This morning while standing and working my crossing guard corner I lightly rubbed my left eye only to realize that my contact had torn in half. DANG! REALLY? Now I have no contacts (it was my last pair) and no glasses. So I'm sitting here with Duct Taped Glasses. I'll be seeing the eye doctor next week (payday) and hope that everything will be back to normal with my eyes.

With such a busy weekend and going full force into the week it's hard to believe that it's only Tuesday.

Oh...here are three quick pictures (they really don't do it justice and dinner is almost ready) at the casserole carrier that I made...

Recycled Journal & Scotch Tape Giveaway!

Thanks to Scotch(R) Double Sided Tape for sponsoring my writing about crafts. Add your comment below to be entered for a chance to win free sample rolls to help with your upcoming holiday needs.

This year at school my son is in the Environmental Club and one of the first things that they did was to make a Journal. This journal was made out of items you can find around your house and I thought you all would like to see how it's done.

You will need the following items:

Scissors
Cardboard (two empty cereal boxes work great)
Ruler (but it's not necessary)
Glue or Double Sided Tape
Plastic Bag
Pencil
About 20 pieces of Blank Paper
Lightweight fabric or a Brown Paper Bag

Fold a piece of paper in half. Cut two pieces of cardboard slightly bigger than your half piece of paper. You can use a ruler or eye it. (see picture)

Lay down your fabric or paper bag under the cardboard and cut it about 2" larger than the cardboard. **IMPORTANT** Leave a gap between the 2 pieces of cardboard. If you don't your journal will not be able to close.

Glue or tape your cardboard to the fabric/paper bag. Then you will glue/tape the edges up on the bottom and top followed by doing the same to the sides. (see picture)

Now you will need to cut a piece of fabric or paper bag to fit just inside of the journal. Once it is cut out it is ready to glue or tape down. You have now finished the outside of your journal.

Now we are going to turn the plastic gab into a rope while your book dries (if you used glue).

Cut the plastic bag from the bottom up and cutting off the handles. You will then cut the middle part into two strips. (see pictures)

Tie the two long strips together. Now have someone or something hold the knot in place while you do the rest of the work. Twist both pieces individually to the right. Then twist them together to the left. This makes a good strong rope. Now it is time to put your journal together. Get your 20 or so pieces of paper, fold them in half, lay them in the middle of your journal and then tie your new rope around it. If you used a paper bag now is the time to decorate away. There you go...A recycled journal!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!! You have a chance to be one of 10 winners that will win 1 roll of double-sided tape, which will be provided by 3M. All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post telling me how you use tape in your house. I will draw the 10 lucky winners at 11:30 PM, Saturday, November 20.

Want more chances to win? Do one or more of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each one that you do...but not multiple comments for the points...I'll do all of that.

2 Entries ~ Subscribe to my blog newsletter via email as you don't want to miss anything including upcoming giveaways!

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Please learn more about Scotch(R) Double Sided Tape and other Scotch(R) Products, and join the conversation on the Scotch(R) Brand Facebook Page and via Twitter. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Pinewood Derby

For the 4th year in a row Sam has won his Pinewood Derby! He placed 1st within his Rank and placed 2nd overall! Here are some pictures from last Saturday. This was his last year as he will be moving up to Boy Scouts and they don't do the Pinewood Derby once they move up.

MAN! Does this boy need a haircut or what!?!?!?! Remember that you can click on the pictures to see them bigger. It was a long day at the races but a fun time was had by all.

If you would like to see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies. Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Money Mondays ~ Week 5

I'm running late this morning in getting the Money Mondays up...sorry about that. But I'm up now and ready to get this Blog Hop going.

Friday, November 5, 2010

The Nativity Collection ~ Book Review

I am officially ready for Christmas to be here after reading The Nativity Collection by Robert Morgan. I know it's a bit early and I'm one that hates seeing Christmas ads and decorations in the stores before Thanksgiving (except craft stores of course) but I have to say that this book has picked me up and has put me in the mood for it to be cold outside, fires burning in the fireplace, carols being sung and the Christmas tree is up!

From the back of the jacket:

In each home, beyond the Christmas gifts and decoration the Nativity holds a special memory. Robert Morgan, the author of Then Sings My Soul, has two million copies of books in print, but he writes only one short story every year~an original work to share on Christmas Eve.

From six different settings, each story centers around a different Nativity and how it impacts a family's legacy. You'll meet characters you feel you've known your whole life who'll make you laugh one minute and cry the next. You'll meet a shy, bookish boy who finds himself center stage in the Christmas pageant, a Pennsylvania family who discovers the value of hope when their car turns up missing on December 24, a mountain man with his grandson fighting for their lives during a blizzard on Christmas Eve, and much more.

These stories all touched my heart in different ways and the photographs that accompany the stories are just amazing! This is a must read now every Christmas for me and it would make a wonderful gift anytime of the year you want to get in touch with that Christmas spirit. My favorite story in this book would have to be of the bookish boy that finds himself in the lead role of the Christmas pageant. How he deals with his lines is so beautiful! I won't give it away as it would ruin the story for you...but you've got to read it!

I'm planning on sharing these stories with my Sunday School class over the Christmas season. Pick up a copy today to share with your friends and family...and don't forget to get a copy for yourself. In fact don't even worry about going out to pick up your copy/copies...purchase it right here:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Booking Through Thursday & Fall Into Reading 2010 Update

I really like the question today over at Booking Through Thursday. They asked..."I’ve seen many bloggers say that what draws them to certain books or authors is good writing, and what causes them to stop reading a certain book or author is bad writing. What constitutes good writing and bad writing to you?"

For me good writing constitutes developing characters and or the plot, but also characters and plots that I can imagine myself in. I like to put myself into the stories that I'm reading.

What constitutes bad writing to me is when the author is overly descriptive. I like my imagination to make up some of what is being told to me. That can also go the other way...not descriptive enough makes me not very interested in what I'm reading and I'd probably put it down faster than one that is overly descriptive. At least with the overly descriptive ones I can skip ahead.

Another big factor for me as far as what makes me stay with an author is if the characters are continually evolving. I can't stand a series where book 5 is starting to read just like book 1 did. I've even read some authors where their books are not series but all of their characters are just the same. When they do that it just doesn't pull me into the book and I'll probably put it down.

These are just some of the writing characteristics in authors that I find either good or bad. There are many more but these are the main ones for me and what makes me read more of a particular author. What about you?

Back on September 27, I posted that I was joining in again with Fall Into Reading 2010. I had a short but managable list of books. I've finished two on my list and added one. Today is close to being the halfway mark (it ends on December 20) and I'm not feeling like I've done much reading. Especially if you consider how many books I usually get read during these reading challenges. You can click here, here and here to see my past lists. See? My lists were not only longer but I read much more. Guess I better get on the bandwagon and start reading more and more often. Now the book that I am currently reading, and the one that I have added to my list, is one that I found in Sam's library. It's a book that he had ordered last year from Scholastic and I honestly am having a hard time putting it down. It's called The Robe of Skulls: The First Tale from the Five Kingdoms by Vivian French. As one reviewer put it, "This book was an absolute riot. While it is a super-fast read, you will find yourself enthralled with the quirkiness of the characters and loving the story. The illustrations are very comical, too!" I have to say that so far it's a fantastic read and I can't wait to read the other books in this series! Who cares if I'm not the target audience!

I may conquer this list yet and add to it. It's gotten cooler here and really is starting to feel like Fall. Not to mention that I think we're finally getting settled into our new schedule of how our days go. I think that was the biggest obstacle to getting some reading time. So...have you gotten any reading done lately? If so, what have you read? What are you currently reading or what do you want to read? Let me know! I should have my review of The Nativity Collection up either later today or tomorrow so don't forget to come back and check it out.

Here is my "Books to Read" list and my progress:

A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton ~ I'm over half way through. ~ DONE!
The Nativity Collection by Robert J Morgan ~ Book Review coming up! ~ DONE!
The Robe of Skulls: The First Tale from the Five Kingdoms by Vivian French ~ Almost Finished!
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali
Uncommon Faith by Trudy Krisher
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

And as promised before I'm finally getting you Sam's list. I'm hoping that we'll add to it as we go along and considering that next week is National Young Readers Week we should do more reading then!

The Last Mission (Laurel-Leaf Historical Fiction) by Harry Mazer
On the Move (Minipedia)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

You Capture ~ Silence

I didn't have to look far to capture this weeks "assignment". This week there were actually two themes to chose from. Either Halloween or Silence. I chose Silence. My first thought was church but then I thought of music. I know, I know...silence in music? Yes! For me there is a peace and a silence to music. Here is my capture...