With Love and Laughter, John Ritter - My Book Review

With Love and Laughter, John Ritter by Amy Yasbeck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a lovely book. This is written by Amy Yasbeck (Wings, Robin Hood Men in Tights), the wife of John Ritter.

This book is written with love and humor and in such a conversational way you feel that you could just talk with the writer. She has a fun sense of humor (I could totally hang with her) with which she lets you glimpse a little into the life and heart of one of our most beloved comedic actors.

I grew up with John Ritter as Jack Tripper. It was fun to reminisce a little about some of the roles he played. She tells you a little about her life, then his life, how they met, and some fun experiences that they had together.

One such story is the time they were invited to a party a Elizabeth Taylor's home. They were completely star struck. They had gotten their plates of food and weren't sure where to go. They saw Ms. Taylor seated next to and talking with Johnny Depp. Again, star struck. Ms. Taylor patted the floor next to her and they both quickly sat down on the floor so excited that she had invited them over only to notice her gaze looking elsewhere. They looked to see to very disgruntled pooches whose place they had just taken.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loved John Ritter as an actor or who just wants to read an absolutely lovely tribute of a wife to her husband.



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Mockingjay - My Book Review

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Contains spoilers)

I have real mixed emotions about this book. I had a really hard time getting into this one.

I read the first two books back to back in a week. I was riveted during the Hunger Games and when I was finished with Catching Fire (I hated how it ended so abruptly and left you hanging) I couldn't wait until Mockingjay came out. Well, that was a year ago. It had been long enough that I was having a hard time remembering who everyone one was. New names were being brought in now that they lived in District 13, old names were bandied about; this person died, they saw this person when they did this etc. I struggled to follow along at first. They kept referring to the pearl that Peeta gave to Katniss. I really couldn't remember anything about the pearl.

Once I got into the middle of it things picked up. There were a few twists that surprised me and I think I like the way this one ended. I was shocked when Katniss first goes in to greet Peeta and he tries to kill her. Who would think that sweet loving Peeta would be that crazed. I love when Katniss was getting ready to shoot President Snow that she turned around and shot Coin instead. I was sad that the author decided to kill off Prim at the end. It just seemed unnecessary. I was glad that Peeta was rehabilitated and they ended up together. I liked how in the very last pages it showed a glimpse into the future with them being happy and having children. After all the sadness and darkness in the series it is nice to have a happy ending.



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Katie Up and Down the Hall - My Book Review

Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family by Glenn Plaskin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a nice little book to read. A story of how dogs can enter our lives and change them.

This dog brought neighbors in a New York high rise together into a family. I thought the author spent a little too much time, at the beginning of the book, talking about his profession and the celebrities he interviewed but all in all it was about the dog and the people she brought together.

I was amazed at how dog friendly New York is; at all the places he was able to take his dog with him and all the places into which he was able to sneak his dog.

I enjoyed reading about the hall races Katie had with young Ryan; how Pearl, the Grandma of the group, loved this dog and Ryan as her own. I was riveted when reading how this small group dealt with the tragedy and displacement of 9/11; the Twin Towers being across the street from their apartment building.

This story covered the 15 or so years that Katie was with Glenn and the changes that life will inevitably bring. I was brought to tears when reading about the owner having to come to terms with Katie's end of life and the possibility of euthanasia.

There were a few pages in the middle of the book with pictures of the people you read about. It is fun to put a face with the names and stories. I would recommend this book.






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Nuclear Jellyfish - My Book Review

Nuclear Jellyfish by Tim Dorsey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book from the get go because I now understand the Serge character and there weren't as many intertwining plot lines as there were in Atomic Lobster. This would have been a better book to start with when reading my first Tim Dorsey book.



Serge is a serial killer that you just love. He is ADD and OCD and a basic psychopath with seemingly boundless energy. He tries to help people out and only kills people who deserve it; usually in an attempt to "help" someone out. He likes to stay in touch with his kindergarten self and often has some great words of wisdom. He hangs out with his buddy Coleman who is in a perpetual state of getting and being stoned.



~~~~~~~~~~~

Example:

(Coleman)"Am I damaged?"

Serge placed a hand on his pal's shoulder. "Coleman, there are three - and only three - kinds of people in this world: Those who don't know they're damaged and blame others; those who realize they're damaged and blame others; and then people like you and me, who wear damage like comfortable pajamas."

Coleman swigged from his pint bottle. "Mine are the ones with the little feet."



~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here they are in a library where Serge wants to find a bar that was around in the 1970's:

(Coleman):"How are we supposed to get to the bar from inside a library?"

"Time travel."

"But time travel's impossible."

"Usually." Serge pulled a book off the shelf. "Unless you're at a library. I'm already in the time pod."

Coleman looked around. "I don't see anything."

"Children have it all over adults, possessing magical powers of imagination. Then they grow into cynical tall people. That's the whole problem with the human race: reverse metamorphosis. We turn from butterflies into caterpillars. The key to keeping your wings is regular exercise of your kindergarten muscles of make-believe." Serge grabbed another book off the shelf and flipped pages. "Wait here. I'll be right back." Serge stood perfectly still.

"But I thought I was coming with you," said Coleman.

"It's just a one-man pod."

"If the time pod's make-believe, can't you add an extra seat?"

"Pretty dangerous," said Serge. "Could put too much stress on the dilythium flux capacitor."

"I'll take the risk."

"Okay," Serge closed his eyes. He opened them. "Time pod, Mark II, with more leg room, extra seating and a killer sound system."

"Shotgun!"

"Don't forget your seat belt."

Coleman made a phantom motion across his chest.

"Stop farting around in the time pod. The strap's on the other side."

"Sorry. Got it now. Click"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Having read both of my Serge A. Storm books, I am sad I don't have another one to read. I think I will have to go out and buy me a few.



I won this book through First Reads!! Yay me!





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Atomic Lobster - My Book Review

Atomic Lobster by Tim Dorsey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have mixed emotions about this book. When I first started reading I didn't like it. I felt like things were all over the place. I would be reading and all of the sudden it would change to something else and I wouldn't know what was going on.



Example:I was lost during the Greek religious festival. I think if I had known that the young boys standing in their swim suits, the priest officiating, the boys jumping in the water, Serge talking about this being the sponge capital of the world, the boys diving and coming up frustrated, then Serge coming up with a white cross to have his buddy take pictures with, would have made a lot more sense to me if I had known that the boys were looking for something, namely the white cross and not, perhaps, sponges.



As it got further into the book and I figured out the Serge character a little I began enjoying it more. Like when his therapist told him to go to an anger management support group and he gets thrown out for fighting, she sends him to the Non-Confrontationalist Anonymous support group to try and have some sympathy for the other side of the spectrum. The group goes on a field trip to the zoo (staring down lions and tigers in cages to build courage), the bus ride reminds Serge of field trips in Kindergarten and gets everyone on the bus singing "If You're Happy and You Know It".



Then later in the book he gets the group together, puts everyone in masks and starts a "Fight Club" sort of thing to get them expressing themselves.



There are some pretty funny escapades that everyone eventually ends up in the same local and mishaps aplenty ensue. I did actually laugh out loud a couple times.



I take one star off this book, and feel I can't recommend it to most of my friends, because of the very liberal use of the F-bomb.



I won this book from First Reads and am now off to read Nuclear Jellyfish which I also won.



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BESTeam Feature: Fluttering Flowers

I am so excited to share this Etsy shop with you.   Welcome to Fluttering Flowers.

Everything in this shop is teeny tiny and so cute you just almost can't believe it and the prices are beyond reasonable. This is a polymer clay paradise and since a picture is worth a thousand words I am just going to get to the pictures so you can see for yourself.

bwahahahaha - Squished bug!! - only $1.80!

Small Sleeping Baby - $1.20

Small Bonsai Tree - $2.40

Toadstool Buttons - $4.80

Three Tiered Cake - $2.40

Giraffe - $2.40

Girl and friends - $6.00

I don't know how she does it.  Everything is so detailed and yet so small.  It just makes me happy looking at all this cuteness.  You need to check out the cute bunnies! 

Take a minute and visit Fluttering Flowers and see all the other fun items available. You can also find Fluttering Flowers at her blog Polymer Playtime where you can keep up on her polymer creations and see some pictures of her big fat turkeys!

BESTeam Feature: Elizabeth MD

Meet Elizabeth of ElizabethMD. No, she isn't an MD she is Elizabeth M Duquette.  A daughter a creative parents who has been drawing and designing jewelry and clothing since she was 15.

She graduated from Fashion Merchandising at Fanshawe College in 2004 and has turned her love of design, into a love of one of a kind handmade jewelry. She started designing jewelry when she wasn't finding the kind of jewelry that made her excited to wear it.


You're one of a kind, so why shouldn't your jewelry be? This is the philosophy behind ElizabethMD.  Come look at a few of my favorite one of a kind pieces.

Red Berry earrings.  ONLY $5!!!

I love these berry earrings.  So festive for the holidays.  Only $5!!

Copper Bouquet necklace, $16

I absolutely love this necklace.  "A bouquet of flowers trickle down from this necklace."

Double Stranded Lampwork and Agate Stone Necklace, $31

This is such a versatile piece that would go with just about any outfit.

Gift Certificate, $10

For that woman who has everything, how about a gift card, available for $10, $15, or $25, so she can choose what she wants!



You can also find Elizabeth at her blog Elizabeth MD Jewelry Designs.  Stop on by for her latest updates and deals.

Request a Tutorial

I would love to put some more tutorials on my blog. I did one in 2006, a cute little tote out of a placemat. and it still gets tons of traffic.  This tells me there are other crafty bloggers wanting to expand their crafty abilities.

So -  I am asking for your input. 

What would you like to see as a tutorial?  

Give me some ideas of what you would like to see demonstrated.

• Visit my etsy shop.  Is there something there you would like to learn how to do?  
• Is there a craft or project you want to make after I figure out how to do it first?
• Have you seen something in a magazine or on a website that you want to try and make?

Leave me a comment with your tutorial wish list. 

Make sure to follow my blog so you know when your tutorial goes up!

If I use your suggestion for a tutorial I will send you a little gift of crafty goodness.  

(maybe even the thing you wanted demonstrated)

Let's get our crafty on and make some stuff!

BESTeam Feature: Our Home To Yours

What could be better than buying handmade goodness from a Mother/Daughter/Daughter etsy shop?  You probably think I am talking about my Etsy store, which is a great place to shop, but this time I'm not.  I found another shop that has that same trio as ours.

  Our Home To Yours.

You will find things to keep you warm, things to accessorize, things for weddings, home decor and more.

 Debbi (the mom) and Amanda use yarn, thread, beads, paper and paint and Alison uses any and all material she can get her hands on. (sounds like my kind of crafters!)

  Here are a few of my favorite things from "their home".

Crayon Roll, $12

For the person you know with a touch of OCD that loves crayons (and who doesn't). My 19 year old wants one!

Eternity Scarf, $20

 I love this scarf idea.  It is made in the round so their are no seams.  You loop it around your neck one, two, or three times depending on how loose you want it.

2 Rosette Headband, $10

Headbands with adorable wrapped roses.

Crocheted Tam, $10

Something for that man in your life to keep his noggin warm!  No girly colors here!!

Pink and Purple fuzzy scarf, $12

I just loved this picture. We used to wrap things around our girls faces when they were little and pretend they were flowers.  This would be a "scarf flower".



Come on over and visit this fun little shop Our Home To Yours.  You can also find them at their blog under the same name.

BESTeam Feature: Elle's Beads

Here is some great holiday shopping without all the chaos and potential battle scars of Black Friday shopping.  Plus you can stay in your jammies.  

Take a look at Elle's Beads.  

This shop offers one of a kind (OOAK) funky handmade jewelry. You can also find brooches, book marks, cell phone charms and barrettes. Her shop is a lot of fun to look at too.  She has make her pages into a beautiful palate of color.  Looking for red jewelry?  They are all together.  Need blue jewelry?  All the blues are together.  Not only is that very helpful when you are shopping but it is beautiful to look at. Yellows fade into orange which then turn to red then on to pinks etc. I am amazed by it.  Don't really know how she keeps it this way.

Here are some of my favorites.

 

Mosso is for Music Lovers - Antique Silver Charm, $10.00

 


I thought this was beautiful.  The silver with the aged piece of sheet music.  A great find for that music lover in your life!

Vintage Pearl and Diamond Charm Necklace with Sterling Silver Chain, $20

 I know a few lovers of vintage, pearls and diamonds.  I am guessing you do too. 

Swirling Silver and Black Crystazzi Beaded Earrings, $20

I love the design of these earrings.  This is a great pair that would go with just about anything.  You could use these for New Year's Eve dress up or go casual with a pair of jeans.













Stop on by Elle's Beads to find some fabulous Christmas (or any time) buys.  You can also find Elle at her blog. You can sign up for her newsletter and follow her blog to stay abreast of the new items that are put up.

BESTeam Feature: Midnight Chalk

Today I want to share a fun little shop from UK.  Midnight Chalk.

Sandra from Midnight Chalk is a mom of two who likes to explore the countryside, find beautiful things and record them, either as photographs or as fine art sketches and drawings.


Upon first inspection of her Etsy shop you find three photos offered there.  But like looking for hidden treasure, if you search a little deeper you will find much more.  Here are two of my favorites:

If you see a picture that you like, you can convo Sandra about ordering different sizes.  You can also find additional photos on Sandra's blog.

Here is a photo from her blog that I think is absolutely adorable:

Midnight Chalk is a fairly new shop, opening this year in April.  Take a minute to visit her and give her some Etsy love.

Driving With Familiarity; What Does it Really Breed?

Article first published as Driving With Familiarity; What Does it Really Breed?, by Linda Voss, on Technorati.

The saying goes “Familiarity breeds contempt”. Lately I have been wondering if it breeds something else.

There has been a lot of road construction happening on our freeways of late. It has become apparent that we are busting at the seams and need more lanes. While this construction is going on there are a lot of road detours, orange barrels, and wonky lane changes. There are sections of the freeway where you will have narrowed lanes, others where you will make a curve to the far right then a curve back to the left, and times when you will actually be driving on the other side of the freeway.

When the construction first started it was scary driving on these new sections of the freeway. You weren’t exactly sure where you were supposed to be going. The cement barriers that were put up along the sides of the lanes made you feel boxed in and like you were going to crash into them. (Ok, they make me feel that way).

The posted speed limit in these construction zones is 55 mph (miles per hour). In the beginning that speed was all too fast. Now that construction has been going on for several months people are more accustomed to the changes and know to expect the unexpected. Mostly we keep an eye on the traffic ahead of us, watch for speed traps, and slow down when we see a friendly policeman reminding us of the speed limit.

One day I was driving home on a straight section of freeway that wasn’t actively being worked on. I was driving a little faster than the posted limit, 80 mph, when in my rear view mirror I saw a big truck coming closer and gaining on me. I was just about to turn on my blinker to move into the middle lane, because I am a considerate driver like that, when he zoomed into the middle lane, passed me, zoomed back into the left lane and sped off into the horizon.

Remember I mentioned I was going just a little teeny bit over the speed limit? It makes me wonder how fast he was going. This is when I started thinking about the familiarity thing. It bred something in him but I am not quite sure what it was. Apathy, confidence, stupidity, or was it just plain familiarity. At times we get so familiar with things that we become comfortable with them. In that comfort we stop being so careful.

Maybe this is why teenagers text while driving. They are so familiar with one thing that it doesn’t seem like adding it to another will do any harm. That and teenagers tend to feel invincible.

An accident injury law firm cites the following statistics of accidents in highway construction zones: “Crashes in highway work zones have killed at least 4,700 Americans – more than two a day – and injured 200,000 in the last five years alone.About 85% of people killed in work zones are motorists, not workers.”

You would think that this thought process and my knowledge that I am NOT invincible would make me more wary of driving fast. I was on the freeway again yesterday and thought I would stay in the right lane and go slower. That lasted about 15 minutes. I can relate to Sammy Hagar when he sings “I can’t drive 55”. Going 55 mph stinks.

I speak with that bravado now but wait until it snows. Maybe then I will be back in the right lane.

BESTeam Feature: CyndesPlace

Welcome to CyndesPlace.  Where handmade and whimsy meet.

CyndesPlace feels the most perfect of days "starts with a steaming cup of cinnamon coffee and the whole day to sew." This type of day is when she will make the handbags and accessories that you will find in her shop.

Here is a sample of what you will find:

Peaceful (get it!) Night on the Town, $26.50

Weekend in Wonderland, Extral Large Duffle, $160

Felted Fall Handbag, $60

Madalin Carries it all Handbag, $75

Money Envelope Clutch, $8.00

Like a style but want a different fabric or color combo?  Convo her and she will make something to your specific needs, or wants.  

You can also find CyndesPlace at her blog Hip Chic Designs.  Stop on by.  She has giveaways, tutorials, and will introduce you to wonderful Etsy finds that she makes.

I never thought I'd say "I knitted a cozy"

I never thought I'd say I had knitted a cozy.  That is something that we tend to make fun of in our house.  "Oh, why don't you make a cozy for it". 


You know.  People, I guess those who haven't discovered amigurumi and don't know what else to knit or crochet, make covers for everything.  Toasters, tea sets, coffee pots, tissue boxes, calculators.

Tea cozy, click here for the pattern

Tissue box cozy, click here for pattern

But now I can join the ranks. Hopefully mine will be in the "hey, that's really cute" category and not the "why on earth would you make that" category.

Here is my cozy.

I made a few to try and sell on my Etsy shop FromShirlee.  They are MP3/cell phone/iPod cozies.













My girls think they are cute.  Now we just have to see if anyone will be willing to pay me for one!

Is what you write free for the taking?

Article first published as Cooks Source Magazine Bagged for Printing Writer Article Without Permission, by Linda Voss, on Technorati.


Writing seems to be a hard knock business. Most people who are writers write for the love of words and writing. To actually get to a place of note and maybe earning a little money takes a lot of time, experience, and possibly luck.

That being said you would think that someone who has been in the business for 30 some odd years would know that taking an article written by someone else and publishing it in your for-profit print magazine, without their permission or even their knowledge, is wrong.

You would think. Enter Judith Griggs, editor of Cooks Source Magazine. This is exactly what she did. The article she printed without permission is a Tale of Two Tarts, Redactions of two English apple pie recipes and a discussion of how they changed over time, by Monica Gaudio.

Monica recounts her experience of learning about this, through a friend who wanted to know how she got published, on her blog


Aside from the whole intellectual property infringement, going against good taste, and doing something that even a high school student would know was wrong, the truly amazing part of this tale is the response Judith gave to Monica’s request of an apology, acknowledgement and a donation to her alma mater.

Judith’s response, which was quite snarky, said in part: “But honestly Monica, the web is considered "public domain" and you should be happy we just didn't "lift" your whole article and put someone else's name on it!” . . . .
“I have a bit of a difficult time with your requests for monetary gain, albeit for such a fine (and very wealthy!) institution. We put some time into rewrites, you should compensate me!”

The internet, Facebook, and Twitter is all a buzz about this event. Bloggers are in an uproar. The Cooks Source Facebook page has increased a fan base by over 2000 people since this happened. It isn’t that they are truly fans of this magazine it is so they can post comments and flames on the page.

Judith is responding with the likes of “you children should go to bed” and “you would think people would understand”. Her personal Facebook page says “Why are all these people so mad at me? I was just helping that silly girl, and I get treated like this?!?”

There is also some talk on these same bandwidths that this all may be a big hoax. If it is a hoax it is a doozie. Monica is getting a lot of publicity about her apple pie article and a lot of traffic to her blog. Will the traffic be sustained? I don’t think so.

One thing you can take from this, true or not, is that what is on the internet stays on the internet and travels like wild fire. Take care what you put out there because you can ruin a reputation in the blink of an eye, the turn of a phrase, or the theft of an article.