Pinterest is a fickle friend.

Pinterest, ah, pinterest. It keeps me up at night, makes me run out the door five minutes later than I'd like, and convinces me that I should be trying crafts that aren't at all within my skill set all the time. So here I am with my latest skill acquisition campaign- chalkboard art.

DIY chalkboard word art is harder than you'd think. I did this with chalkboard marker. Because it goes on smooth and dries *slightly less smudgeable than your standard chalkstick. Of course, halfway through, the friend to whom I was sending progress shots pointed out that I had misspelled a rather prominent word- yay distractions- and I got to test my damp cloth "spot removal" technique, then try to rewrite and resize the word, without smudging the word beneath it. I highly recommend triple checking everything before committing it to the board, and then before moving on.
The inspiration piece is, of course, more polished, but this will do. And now there are another four chalkboard boards calling my name in the basement. Next, I think I'll try to conquer painted word art, you know, for masochism's sake.

Any other suggestions on deceptively complicated Pinterest inspired projects to attempt?

My DIY Kinde Case- Because Sewing and Reading are Life

 Ooh, pretty, but was is it? It's my DIY Kindle cover. Why? Because I needed one.  Cool yes?

 I decided I wanted one that would stand up, and not just keep it from getting dinged up in my bag. I would have just bought one, but I wanted two things that weren't going to happen if I bought one. I wanted a pretty floral (hello Amy Butler Ginger Bliss, circa 2005) and I needed it that night. Well, perfectly girly and immediate just doesn't happen all too quickly, so, I had to get creative.




Basically, I traced neatly around my new Kindle onto two layers of that plastic grid my grandma was always trying to teach me how to cover in yarn to make nifty over large cross-stitch-esque designs. Yeah, that never happened, but it is nice and stiff.

Once I had two pieces that matched my kindle of said plastic grid, I cut one into two pieces lengthwise about 2/3 of the way across. (that way those two pieces bend when everything is put together).

Then I cut matching pieces of felt and hot glued them to either side of the plastic grid for softness.

Next I cut four short pieces of elastic and one long piece of elastic, and the strip of fabric for my case cover. I determined it's size by laying out my three case pieces on top of the fabric, with about a quarter inch between the one that went behind that back of the kindle, the narrow one, and then about an eighth of an inch between the narrow and the last one, (the narrow will go in the middle) on the wrong side and tracing around them lightly in pencil. Then, I moved the pieces as though mirrored from those positions, outward, so that I traced a second large rectangle outside the largest rectangle, a second midsize next to the midsize, and a second small on the end, because in the end, I wanted my opening to go in the middle. Once I had all these rectangles marked out, large large, small, medium, medium, small, I added a 1/4" seam allowance around the whole thing, and marked that in, then cut out the long rectangle. Then it was just a matter of lining up where I wanted my elastic to go: four  short pieces situated so they'd cross the corners of the RIGHT SIDE of the end with the first large rectangle - you'll want to fold under the edges on the end that will be visible and finish it nicely, but that's only the two on the fold between the two large rectangles. Stitch them in place at the ends. They need to be tight because these will hold your kindle in place, so cut them a touch short and pull them a bit taut when you put them in.
Then put the long piece all the way across the RIGHT SIDE  approx 1" from end between the two medium sized rectangles, and stitch it down, just at the ends. When you're done, this is what will hold it close.

Now, you'll want to press the far ends (one end of a large and one small rectangle) under. Then fold these two bits toward the center so they just meet and stitch along the top and bottom, like you're making a pillow sham.

Then, the whole thing gets flipped right side out, the rigid felt covered parts slide in. Stitch between the split ends of the front cover so the rigid cover pieces don't slide around, and then along the edge of the narrow one between it and the opening.  Woot! Almost done. Slip the Kindle in to see if the elastic holds it. If it's too loose, use a needle and thread to tighten up the elastic. If you pulled it during the insetting phase, you should be peachy.

Now, the unsightly opening. I covered mine with a strip of ribbon neatly hot glued in place. Why? Because it was quick.

Last things last. Take a strip of the plasticy stuff about an inch by three inches, cover it in the coordinating fabric, and hand stitch it along the top and just a bit down either short side about an inch and a half from the far end of the back of the cover, to hold the folded front as a stand.

And then you're done.
Woohoo! Enjoy some good reading, or stream some movies. Live is just more fun with a good cover.

My apologies if that was hard to follow, but the whole process was pretty intuitive. You'll be fine. Seriously. You will.
If you don't want to have to deal with folding your elastic under, you can add an extra half inch between the two large rectangles, cut between them, attach the elastic, then sew them back together before proceeding. It makes for neater elastic ends, but it's more complicated from a construction standpoint. But you know, it's totally within your skill set.

Violcolora Wood

Well, I was aiming for blue with this woodgrain fabric design, but I love this violet-ish blue even more than expected. Of course, I forsee a few other colors that need to happen based on the woodgrain, because a woodgrain quilt might be exactly what I need.
I, For one, really like interestingly stained wood.
You?

Spring Harvest

While meandering through my garden I spied a shy peek of red. This year's improvised mesh cages over the strawberries seem to be keeping the hungry birds at bay, so I got to enjoy the first sweet berries of the season. What's ripening in your garden?

5 Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts for the Broke, that Won't Clutter Up Mom's House

So, you forgot Mother's Day this year? Or maybe you don't have a lot of money to spend on your mom, or perhaps you put off buying the card until it was too late. If you're like me, you probably just had grand visions of making something complicated and ran out of time. Never fear- there's still time to do something thoughtful on the cheap.

1. Brighten Her World- Nothing says "I love you, mom" like showing up early Sunday morning with some window cleaner and washing Mom's windows, inside and out. Bonus points for not creating clutter and being nearly free. Yes, it requires you to live near your mom, but frankly, if you don't, and you didn't send anything, you're in a delivery or Amazon gift card kind of bind.

2. Grow Some Love. Plant her garden for her. This is particularly great if your mom loves a garden but has trouble getting down on her knees for the intensive start of season planting. This is what I do, every year, for my now 80 year old Mother-in-Law. Picking up a tray of flowers is not expensive (less than $2 for 6 plants, at most garden centers I've visited) and can put a lot of color in her yard.

3. Bind a Memory. Check out the myriad book binding tutorials online. They're fabulous, easy, and can be done with stuff you probably have on hand. If your mom is anything like my mom, she'd love a small handbound book (yay printer paper) to toss in her purse or keep by her bed for jotting down all those fleeting thoughts you and I would just tweet to the world and then not be able to find later. Bonus if you've got some lovely scrapbook paper laying around for a cover.

4. Girl Time. Forget the expensive spa, just you and mom having some good old fashioned girl time, at home. Do each other's nails, make a scary face mask out of stuff from your kitchen- just have someone else watch any of the littles who might detract from the calm of your time together.

5. If you don't have time for any of that, hit up the office supply section of your local box store, because I have yet to meet the woman who can't use a nice pencil sharpener or a good pen, and it's all under ten bucks.

If you're wondering, I just want my husband to fix my leaky faucet, and for my mom, I used the scrap wood in her garage to build the raised beds she's been asking for. Yay free!

Good luck, and Happy Mother's Day.

Home is where you post your plight.

My neighbors? They're cool. So I wasn't surprised, at all, to see this cute little sign pushing out of the mound near the curb as I walked to visit a neighbor today. Ah, winter, feel free to move along.

Frozen and the Gay Agenda

Yes, Virginia, it is reasonable to argue Frozen has a gay agenda. Here's why.
The whole point of fairy tales is to tell stories with archetypes whose struggles work on multiple levels and speak to different situations. Elsa's is the story of a girl who was different, whose parents felt she should hide that difference. A girl who felt isolated despite the love around her. On the surface it is the story of hidden power, the fear of an accusation of witchcraft or sorcery. Those are still real concerns today, and to every little pagan kid in the audience, the story touched a chord. For the LGBT audience members, they may have identified with Elsa's isolation too, and that's, wonderful. That's the point.
Elsa began concealing who she was for the sake of other people's opinion and learned that the path of honesty, love, and self acceptance can make the world a better place. Who can't benefit from that lesson? The closet atheist, the creative depressive? No, everyone can benefit from that message. So while yes, there has been a lot of drum beating with the far right, dare I say extremists, decrying that Frozen is nothing but shoring up the Same Sex Marriage argument and normalizing homosexuality, really it is just normalizing vulnerability, inner strength, and the positive effect of embracing our individuality.
Go out there and interpret Frozen. Then reinterpret it. Deconstruct it, compare it, look at the symbols and pick apart the social values. Mock Anna's lack in judgment and scratch your head wondering where the Regent went. Connect with the piece. It is a fairy tale, created for human connection- a metaphoric prism through which we can all view many things, even the "gay agenda." Then when you've exhausted yourself, Let it Go.

Geeky Girly Fabric Joy

My new fabric swatch, One Ring Cathedral Window - Hot Pink, from Spoonflower came in the mail today, and it's even prettier than I expected. I'm thrilled. I forsee myself getting some of this printed off to edge some pillow cases, and possibly shrinking it down a bit for some more geektastic Raggedy Rebels. I missing having the truly nerdy dolls in the shop.

Of course, I'll have to shrink it a lot to make it a doll size print. I can't  help but think that the One Ring Cathedral Window print, in all the different colors I have put it out in, would make a FABULOUS bow tie or neck tie fabric. Of course, I'm partial to bow ties, you know, because bow ties are cool.

Getting More from the Library

*I tried Grammarly's grammar checker free of charge because I've been editing that novel I mentioned, and if I stare at the words long enough, they start staring back at me. It gets a little disquieting.*


So, you're using the library to check out books. I tip my hat to you. Here's seven more things that if you're not doing already, you might want to start.

1.  Checking out things your library doesn't have on hand.

       Seriously- if you didn't know this, you need to hop on it: even if your library doesn't carry something, if you want to read it, you can request it. If you can't request it from home, online, your librarian can do it for you. Be prepared with title, author's name, publisher, and ISBN. 

2. Checking out music.
     Libraries aren't just about reading material. They're repositories of information and culture, and their holdings include a plethora of media. Here's a hint, they have movies too.

3.Joining Book Clubs.
     After you finish reading books, doesn't it feel good to talk about them with someone? Well, chances are, your library hosts a book club or can point you in the direction of one. My library hosts two a month, and the members are wonderful.

4. Checking out e-books. 
      Libraries have e-books, and e-books have the added benefit of returning themselves. That's right, no late fees. God bless my e-reader.

5. Using magazine exchanges.
     Many libraries have places for patrons to bring in their magazines and drop them off for other patrons to pick up and take home to read. It keeps them from becoming clutter without creating extra waste.

6. Sorting Government Hokum.
     Need those tax forms? Need help with your taxes? Need to know how to sign up for the ACA? Most libraries will have the standard tax forms on hand, and many have people trained to assist in filling out not just tax forms, but also other government forms, like the applications for health insurance through the new exchange system. Check your public library's website or give them a call to see which services they provide.

7. Getting Research Assistance.
     Don't know where to start looking for something and you really need more information on it? Talk to your library's research librarian. They can point you in the direction of books on the topic, help you determine better search parameters, teach you how to use the big scary microfilm newspaper viewing machines, and possibly put you in touch with someone who knows a lot about the topic you're researching. Topical experts are wonderful, research experts are priceless. Some libraries have excellent local history sections and special collections with amazingly detailed information as well. Research librarians are Heroes.

Laser Eyed Pigeon of Love Valentines Day Printable!

Picture it, dinnertime- chicken and toasted ravioli. Sure, it's not "healthy fare," but the kids were happy and that's what matters. Somehow the conversation swings around to light bulbs. Light bulbs? Yes, light bulbs, and the wasteful nature of the warmth and wholesome glow of incandescent bulbs and the wonderment that is the efficient and passive aggressive maverick way to light your home, the compact florescent. This reignites the age old debate of Tesla v. Edison. Here's a hint- we're Team Tesla in our household. All discussions of Tesla lead back around, eventually, to his laser eyed love pigeon. You wish I was joking, I wish I was joking, alas, I'm not. Tesla loved a pigeon, and at St. Valentine's Day, it's always good to honor those who embrace the adage, "Love as thou wilt." So, on a lark, I decided to throw together a Laser Eyed Pigeon of Love design for her to hand out for Valentine's Day. I mean, who doesn't want obscure geek references for their Valentines cards? Really, it worked out well, because writing Valentines in Circular Gallifreyan was proving to be a much more complex task than I'd originally thought it would be. 

I considered using a great Tesla quote:

“I have been feeding pigeons, thousands of them for years. But there was one, a beautiful bird, pure white with light grey tips on its wings; that one was different. It was a female. I had only to wish and call her and she would come flying to me.

I loved that pigeon as a man loves a women, and she loved me. As long as I had her, there was a purpose to my life.”

Long story short, that was too many words and we wanted something less... heartfelt. Since it's a fun and simple design, I thought I should share the printable geekery. Feel free to distribute to those who would get a kick out of it, just, you know, don't sell it. That'd be tacky.

Just fit-to-printable-area and print on standard 8.5x11" cardstock.

For more nerdy Valentines, check out the Standardized Test Valentine I made a couple years ago!

Goals and Accountability: Where did NaNo Go?

I have a gorgeous calendar by my computer. Okay, that's misleading. It typically sit under my netbook and is more than many moons outdated. Anyway, it's open to November and has word counts penciled in on it, a relic from a year I almost didn't finish NaNoWriMo, and yes, before you say anything, I do need to clean my desk more often. I know that it is January and NaNo is long over, but let's face it, I'm not done. Sure, I, like you, hit my goal of fifty thousand words, and then some, but that doesn't mean I'm done. Fifty thousand is a good starting point, but for my emotionally-fragile family drama, but before I start shopping it out to agents, it really needs to put on about thirty thousand meaningful words. 

Let's have a moment of math, shall we? 

80,000 - 54,376 = 25,624 words to go. 

Time to get writing!

That's not so bad, really. If I hit they keyboard like it's November, I'm looking at another two weeks of writing. Six weeks of writing? No big. However, that's when the real work starts. The editing. 

Have you already hit the word count zone for the novel you're writing? Yes, there really are word count guidelines for different genres. Then you still need to be editing with the rest of us, and so it's time to set some goals.

It is not November. Try however I might, I can't make it be November now. I can't summon the collective energy of millions of writers struggling to hit their daily word counts, and I can't convince myself I'm racing against a friend's growing word count chart, especially when editing isn't as simply quantifiable as a word count. As a result, it is time to be honest about what kinds of measurable progress I can aim for. 

Word Count

Goal 1: 500 words a day. I'm not going to finish this as quickly as I started it, so the imaginary six weeks is right out. At 500 words a day I have another month and a half ahead of me, and that's manageable. 

Accountability tool: I'm replacing the outdated calendar with a new one to pencil in my word counts. If it's a number I can see with my eyes even when I' not touching a device, I'm far more apt to keep up with it. I keep it simple by updating word counts at bedtime so I don't have a string of numbers confusing me later.

Editing

Goal 1: Read through and correct all glaring errors. There's always a lot more to editing than correcting errors, but it's somewhere to start.

As I get back into the process of writing every day, I'll write about more of my little goals on the way to actually finishing my novel. With any luck, all of us will be finished before November rolls back around.

Want a Kindle?

As part of the Xpresso Book Tours promotional tour for RATGIRL: Song of the Viper by Gayle C. Krause, Xpresso is also hosting a giveaway for a Kindle.

I was lucky enough to get a chance to review RATGIRLl: Song of the Viper for We Do Write, so hop on over if you're interested. I'll also be posting my opinions on RATGIRL here and on Biblivoracious over the next few days. Good luck!

Thanksgiving Bake Off

I'll be baking all morning, but first, why not blog a little?

We weren't planning to have a proper Thanksgiving meal today. Our extended family celebrated a week and a half ago due to travel plans, and it was a lovely gathering. However, yesterday the four-year-old announced that it wasn't really Thanksgiving if we didn't have turkey. I'm sure there are some vegetarians out there who beg to differ. But, this means pulling together a last minute meal.So, I'm bringing the stuffing, the potatoes, the cranberry sauce, and the Abomination Pie.

This year I'm halving the recipe on the Abomination pie, making two, and putting one in the freezer for Christmas.  Good news- Aldi and my usual grocer carry non-Nestle pumpkin. Go options!  That said, I'm also considering trying an apple abomination one of these days. Mmmm. Apples.

Also, when I made my cranberry relish for a week and a half ago, I also set some aside in the freezer, which I'll be cooking into a sauce today. Mmm, yummy orangey cranberry sauce.

Potatoes should be easy, just slice potatoes into slices, start a roux, add milk and cheese, then boil potatoes for a bit in said sauce, pour in a baking dish and cover with another layer of shredded cheddar and colby. Bake for an hour, easy peasy.

Stuffing? No prob. I'm all about the box on this one.

All in all, it should take all morning, but nothing is going to be too hard What are you cooking this year?

Easy Peasy Orange Squeezie Cranberry Relish

It's almost Thanksgiving, especially for my house. Because there are a few snow birds a couple generations up, we're celebrating early this year. That said, November is a busy month. There's NaNoWriMo, the reviews I am working on for We Do Write and Biblivoracious, holiday shopping, and by shopping I mean sewing, and finishing up winterizing the garden (oh, my poor exposed roses!) and keeping up with the kids' activities. Long story short, I decided I'm not devoting an entire day to food prep for early Thanksgiving, especially considering that we're still planning standard Thanksgiving with the other side of the family.  So, I'm bringing the Cranberry Sauce, well, really it's a yummy cold relish. Easy peasy, orange squeezie.

Orange Cranberry Relish:
You'll need:

1 8 oz bag cranberries, frozen or fresh. I prefer fresh
1 small orange or 2 clementines - if I use the small orange I zest it, then peel the orange and split into sections. If I use 2 clementines, I just cut them down into a few strips each, still in their peels.
2 T turbinado/ raw sugar
fresh mint for garnish

Put sugar, oranges, and cranberries in food processor. Puree until the consistency you prefer. Decant into a decorative serving dish, cover, and pop it in the fridge to keep cold until serving. I like to slice the mint for garnish and set on top. It looks nice and adds a pop of unexpected flavor.

Orange Cranberry Sauce:

You'll need the same ingredients

If you like the orangey cranberry goodness in sauce form, instead of just pureeing it all together, you can add the zest and juice from the oranges to the cranberries and sugar in a sauce pan and simmer for somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 minutes. The cranberries will lose their structural integrity and it will make a nice somewhat thick sauce. 

Book Review: Dream Weaver, Jane Yolen

Dream Weaver by Jane Yolen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book changed me. Huddled low in a library, trying to avoid the helpful gaze of a librarian and bored beyond all hope of salvation while my dad was busy talking to someone else, I plucked this slim volume off the shelf and decided to go ahead and read it. Don't misconstrue me and suppose that I didn't enjoy reading, I did. However, reading hadn't yet blossomed into a full-fledged hobby for me. I was pretty young and still reading mid-grade chapter books, at best, and teachers were still telling us that a lack of pictures and book length were some of the most important characteristics of any given text. This felt naughty. Some ten full page illustrations ornamented it's meager eighty pages of transporting storytelling.
I remember the first time I looked at the copyright page and saw that Dream Weaver was published in 1979. It was like Jane Yolen had written it just for me because she knew I'd been born. I know she didn't, but it felt that way, nonetheless.
The Tree's Wife particularly resonated with me at the time, and since then dryads have come to hold the foremost place in my heart with regards to mythic creatures. I keep a copy of this book near my bed, beside Faery Flag, just in case I need a good short bedtime story for one of my kids.
I love this book.

You can check out my quick and to the point reviews on.Biblivoracious.

Defiance

Defiance is a sunflower who doesn't care that the frost and short hours of light have frozen the life from her stalk and leaves, her sister blooms and neighboring plants, but unfurls her delicate petals against the cold.
Defiance stands proud and strong; she thrives in adversity.
Defiance challenges bleakness. She is beauty where only death was expected.

Book Review: Wicked as They Come by Delilah S Dawson

Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When it comes to Dark Romance, Delilah S. Dawson knows what she's doing. With engaging, concise, and lively prose, as well as careful world building, Dawson impressed me. I have recently found myself complaining that I don't like it when my leading characters are both helpless and in the dark, which seems more and more often to be the case in novels with a paranormal edge. In Wicked as They Come, while the main character has to have a good many things explained, she is never both helpless and uninformed at the same time, and she is always armed with wit, logic, and the scientific method to help her get through the toughest of problems.
With the sequel, Wicked as She Wants launching right now, I'm anxious to get my hands on it. I want to see what happens next because although the loose ends are tied well enough for this to be a stand alone novel, I care enough about the characters to want to know more about them.
Hat's off to you, Ms. Dawson.

Book Review: Hopeless Maine: Inheritance by Tom and Nimue Brown

Inheritance by Tom Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Inheritance episode in the Hopeless Maine series swells with creepy but gorgeous artwork that feels like the story is reading the reader right back. The Island of Hopeless Maine, isolated and crawling with secrets is certainly one I'd hope to escape.
Torn between her friend, the wasting illness and rapid decline of the woman who took her in, and the discovery of an eccentric family member, Sal begins to push out on her own, but at what cost?
I love the mood of the piece and the beautiful artwork, but the story was a little disjointed for me, and at times, the voices of the characters seem at odds with the attitudes in which they're drawn. I liked it and will read it again, because the creepy art deserves a revisit.

Sustainability Book Review- Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter by Lloyd Kahn

Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter by Lloyd Kahn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Written as a collaborative work featuring the homes and space, written by the people who built them, Tiny Homes is a great source of inspiration for smaller more sustainable living. Many of the homes and spaces (studios, saunas, offices) were built using salvaged materials, opening up the readers options, not only in size, but also in economy.
Covering a great number of less-than-conventional but earth and pocketbook friendly construction methods, like straw bale, cobb, and palate, and including an article on the basic municipal planning and building approval process, Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter is a valuable resource for people dreaming tiny.
After reading this book, I look around my ridiculously oversized spaces filled with too much stuff and feel compelled to pare down the clutter and live with more of the things I use and less of the things that just take up space.
What makes this book special, beyond the valuable information, is the peak into the lives of the diverse people who have decided to live somewhere tiny and sometimes hand built for very different reasons and in very different places. I also like that tiny home builders featured throughout the book are easy to find and contact because the inclusion of website information from the contributors. All in all, it's a great resource filled with beautiful pictures sure to plant the seeds of a plan in readers' minds.

Steampunk Costuming

The first rule of Steampunk is we don't make rules about Steampunk.

So, while I'm working on my pieced jacket for Teslacon, I have the distinct benefit of being able to do some serious stash busting while I'm at it. Fabulous paris street map print coupled with gray and taupe spiral upholstery? Awesome. Belt straps salvaged from boots that died far too soon? Perfect. Pocket from a dress recently modified? Of course. It's all welcome. Pattern? What "pattern?"
Need some stays? Sounds like a good opportunity to bust out the heavy duty zip ties.
For me, this is what makes Steampunk the best. I get to flaunt my love of the victorian aesthetic, do my own thing, and relish in the fact that if someone looks at it and thinks, "you made that out of stuff you just had laying around," that they're really thinking "omg, you made THAT out of stuff you had laying around! Capital," as opposed to "meh, you didn't spend a lot of money on that, oh lesser fangirl."
Want to buy your gear? Awesome, the artisans out there appreciate your business and make some hella great things. (Have you seen the teacup holsters Artificer makes, or the breathtaking pieces by Bionic Unicorn? And hold the telegraph, KMK Designs. Swoon.) But if you are into making your own, it's like "woah, you rocked your own concept in your own way- and it's fabulous."
Did I mention I love getting together with the emphatically positive enthusiasts I'll be seeing at the upcoming convention?

It makes my heart happy. What are you working on that makes your heart happy?