BOOK REPORT...."G" IS FOR GUMSHOE

"G" is for Gumshoe - Sue Grafton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
G IS FOR GAME…
When Irene Gersh asks PI Kinsey Millhone to locate her elderly mother Agnes, whom she hasn't heard from in six months, it's not exactly the kind of case Kinsey jumps for. But a girl's gotta pay her bills, and this should be easy money―or so she thinks. Kinsey finds Agnes in a hospital. Aside from her occasional memory lapses, the octogenarian seems fine. And frightened.
G IS FOR GUN…
Kinsey doesn't know what to make of Agnes's vague fears and bizarre ramblings, but she's got her own worries. It seems Tyrone Patty, a criminal she helped put behind bars, is looking to make a hit. First, Kinsey's car is run off the road, and then days later, she's almost gunned down, setting in motion a harrowing cat and mouse game…
G IS FOR GUMSHOE
So Kinsey decides to hire a bodyguard. With PI Robert Dietz watching her 24/7, Kinsey is feeling on edge…especially with their growing sexual tension. Then, Agnes dies of an apparent homicide, Kinsey realizes the old lady wasn't so senile after all―and maybe she was trying to tell her something? Now Kinsey's determined to learn the truth…even if it kills her. 
Series: Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries (Book 7) 
Hardcover: 262 pages 
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1st edition (May 15, 1990) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0805004610 
ISBN-13: 978-0805004618

MY THOUGHTS:  Kinsey is in trouble.....someone has been hired to kill her.  After someone drives her off the road and nearly kills her, Kinsey calls in help.  She gets Robert Dietz, a fellow PI to be her bodyguard.  While Kinsey is trying to solve the mystery of Agnes, the killer makes two attempts on her life.  Dietz is not happy about letting Kinsey wonder around digging up clues to find out what happened to Agnes, but goes with her and both find what they are looking for.  The hired killer tracks them down........but does he get away this time?  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.....
Alphabet Soup Challenge
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT.....I, ALEX CROSS

I, Alex Cross - James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
You can't runDetective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.
You can't hide
The hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.
Alex Cross is your only hope to stay alive
As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world. 
Series: Alex Cross 
Hardcover: 400 pages 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (November 16, 2009) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0316018783 
ISBN-13: 978-0316018784

MY THOUGHTS:  This is book 16 of the Alex Cross series.  It is as good as the first.  This time Alex and Bree are up against a big secret and the killer will do anything to keep that secret.  But Alex is determined to find the person who killed his niece.  So he keeps looking and asking questions.  But bodies keep falling all around Alex.....and people keep putting obstacles in his way.  I give this book 5......

 This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.....
Alphabet Soup Challenge
Outdo Yourself Challenge

NEEDLEWORK......

Since I've been posting my books a lot, I'd thought I would post about my needlework.  I've got several projects I'm working on.  Mostly I've been working on my Crazy Quilt block.  I got Sharon Boggon's book, you can see lots of "stuff" over at Sharon's place, Pintangle, go check it out.  The Visual Guide to Crazy Quilting Design. 

 This book is full of information from designing you block to embellishments.  Lots of eye candy too.  I've got my block all done and am now putting on the embroidery stitches and other embellishments.  I've run into a snag and can't figure it out.  Here's the block......

see that piece of lace in the middle, I'm not sure where to put the darn thing.  I've been moving it around the block but it doesn't seem to fit anywhere.  I'm open for suggestions......anyone just jump in and let me know what you think.
****************************************************************************
I've also been working on my piece for the Summer Of Love challenge.  This is taking place at The San Francisco School of Needlework Design.  Just click on the link and you'll be there.  It is a Stitch-at-home challenge and is being sponsored by DMC.  They supply you with your choice of 3 different colors of floss.  You can use your floss, but the piece has to have the three DMC colors on it as well.  Here is my piece I'm working on........

I just have to add my words "Peace & Harmony"  to the middle and it will be done.

I am linking with Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday.

BOOK REPORT...."F" IS FOR FUGITIVE

"F" is for Fugitive - Sue Grafton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
When Kinsey Millhone first arrives in Floral Beach, California, it's hard for her to picture the idyllic coastal town as the setting of a brutal murder. Seventeen years ago, the body of Jean Timberlake―a troubled teen who had a reputation with the boys―was found on the beach. Her boyfriend Bailey Fowler was convicted of her murder and imprisoned, but he escaped.
After all this time, Bailey's finally been captured. Believing in his son's innocence, Bailey's father wants Kinsey to find Jean's real killer. But most of the residents in this tight-knit community are convinced Bailey strangled Jean. So why are they so reluctant to answer Kinsey's questions? If there's one thing Kinsey's got plenty of it's persistence. And that's exactly what it's going to take to crack the lid on this case.
As Kinsey gets closer to solving Jean's murder, the more dirty little secrets she uncovers in a town where everyone has something to hide―and a killer will kill again to keep the past buried... 
Series: Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries (Book 6) 
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages 
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; First Edition edition (November 29, 2005) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0312939043 
ISBN-13: 978-0312939045

MY THOUGHTS:   Jean was a troubles seventeen year old girl who was found dead on the beach after being strangled to death. She was pregnant at the time of her murder. Bailey Fowler confesses to the murder, but his father, Royce, doesn't think he's guilty.  Royce wants Kinsey to investigate the crime.
Kinsey starts her investigation and soon finds out that no one wants to answer any of her questions. The more Kinsey digs into the crime,  the more secrets come to light.  There are two more persons  murdered.  Along the way we learn of secret love affairs and a murderer who is adept with a shotgun. 
Can Kinsey uncover the murderer in time?  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT....ALEX CROSS'S TRIAL

Alex Cross's Trail - James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he's written--a novel called Trial.
As a lawyer in turn-of-the-century Washington D.C., Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his home town to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.
When he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town's black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror--but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a gripping story of murder, love, and, above all, bravery. 
Series: Alex Cross Novels 
Hardcover: 512 pages 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Lrg edition (August 24, 2009) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0316072893 
ISBN-13: 978-0316072892

MY THOUGHTS:   This is book 15 of the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.  Alex is writing a book about a family member his Nana Mama has told him about his family.  Now Alex is writing this novel for his children.  The story is set in the tiny town Eudora, Mississippi,  Alex's home town.  Set during the 1930's, Ben Corbett is asked by the president, to head home to investigate the rumors of the Ku Klux Klan.  He meets with Abraham Cross, who lives in the Quarters of Eudora.  Ben and Abraham work together to get the information that the president wants.  The town is full of KKK members going around hanging black people for no other reason then they can.  Ben is beaten and hanged, but he survives and people of the Quarter nurse him back to health.  Ben and Abraham set a trap for the KKK.  They capture 3 of them, they are arrested, brought to trial.  But do they get any justice?  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

BOOK REPORT..."E" IS FOR EVIDENCE

"E" is for Evidence - Sue Grafton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
It was the silly season and a Monday at that, and Kinsey Millhone was bogged down in a preliminary report on a fire claim. Something was nagging at her, but she couldn't pin it. The last thing she needed in the morning mail was a letter from her bank recording an erroneous $5,000 deposit in her account. Kinsey had never believed in Santa Claus and she wasn't about to change her mind now. Resigning herself to a morning of frustration, she phoned the bank and, assaulted by canned carols, waited on hold for an officer to clear up the snafu.
It was with something less than Christmas cheer that Kinsey faced off only minutes later with California Fidelity's Mac Voorhies. Voorhies was smart, humorless, stingy with praise, and totally fair. He was frowning now.
"I got a phone call this morning." he said, his frown deepening. "Somebody says you're on the take."
Suddenly the $5,000 deposit clicked into place. It wasn't a mistake. It was a setup.
"E" is for evidence: evidence planted, evidence lost. "E" is for ex-lovers and evasions, enemies and endings. For Kinsey, "E" is for everything she stands to lose if she can't exonerate herself: her license, her livelihood, her good name. And so she takes on a new client: namely, Kinsey Millhone, thirty-two and twice-divorced, ex-cop and wisecracking loner, a California private investigator with a penchant for lost causes--one of which, it is to be hoped, is not herself.
As Kinsey begins to unravel the frame-up, she finds that her future is intimately tied to one family's past and to the explosive secret it has protected for almost twenty years. Digging deeper, she discovers that probing the past can have lethal consequences as she follows a trail of murder that leads to her own front door. And in what may well be her most challenging case, Kinsey comes up against the fact that sometimes, "E" is forever. 
Hardcover: 240 pages 
Publisher: Henry Holt; 1st edition (May 15, 1988) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0805004599 
ISBN-13: 978-0805004595

MY THOUGHTS:  This is book 5 in the Alphabet Murder series by Sue Grafton.  It is full of clues that twist and turns.  Kinsey is trying to connect them all together.  But, she's not having very good luck and bodies keep dropping all around her.  She can't seem to connect them all up.  Until she learns what the family secret is.  Then it all comes together and the result is not pretty.  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.....
Alphabet Soup Challenge
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT......CRAZY QUILTING DESIGN

The Visual Guide to Crazy Quilting Design - Sharon Boggon

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Tell a unique story with fabric! Embrace crazy quilting with 35 must-know stitches and endless variations, shown in clear, step-by-step photographs for both right- and left-handed stitchers. Learn design fundamentals to guide you in your process, so you can sew thoughtful, visually appealing blocks. Study the theory and process behind this fascinating art - how to choose fabrics, piece stitch-and-flip blocks, and embellish using a variety of materials. 
Paperback: 144 pages 
Publisher: C&T Publishing (July 5, 2017) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1617453617 
ISBN-13: 978-1617453618

MY THOUGHTS:   I love making crazy quilts.  But I have a problem getting started.  I can't seem to get my fabric onto the block, I usually have way to much fabric or not enough.  This is the perfect example of not enough fabric and way too many open spaces and not enough seams.

This block on the other hand has numerous pieces of fabric and lots of seams to work on.

Sharon over at Pintangle has written a book to help guide you through the process of making a Crazy Quilt block from beginning to end.  If your not quite sure how to start a Crazy Quilt block, you should get this book, Sharon has lots of info and ideas for making your Crazy Quilt look awesome!
I give this book 5.....

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges....
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT.....CROSS COUNTRY

Cross Country - James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
When the home of Alex Cross's longtime friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, he is devastated. The destruction leads him to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his girlfriend Brianna Stone begin the hunt for the villain responsible for the killings, they quickly find themselves entangeled in the deadly Nigerian underworld of Washington D.C.. What they discover is shocking: a strongly organized gang of teenage thugs headed by a powerful, diabolical man-The Tiger.
As the killing spree escalates, Alex and Brianna realize they are not dealing with any ordinary killer, but one who has brought his personal war of vengeance to America's capital. But just when the detectives think they're closing in on the elusive murderer, the Tiger disappears into thin air. Unable to let the killer get away with this narrow escape, Alex makes it his duty to bring the brutal butcher to justice. He knows that he must follow The Tiger. Alone.
When Alex arrives in Nigeria, he discovers a world where justice is as foreign as he is. Unprotected and alone in a strange country, bombarded on all sides by the murderous threats of The Tiger, Alex must draw on his fiercest instincts just to survive in a lawless world. 
Series: Alex Cross Novels 
Hardcover: 480 pages 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Lrg edition (November 17, 2008) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0316024643 
ISBN-13: 978-0316024648

MY THOUGHTS:   This is book 14 in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.  Alex is after a killer who is new to America.  The murders are gruesome and violent, the worst Alex has seen.  The murderer is not just killing one person, they kill the whole family.  As Alex and the team track down the clues it leads them to the Nigerian Underworld to a powerful man, The Tiger.  He seems to elusive and Alex won't give up on this one.  The hunt for The Tiger takes Alex to Nigeria.  Alex soon realizes the rules at home don't apply here.  There are corrupt cops, lots of gangs and the CIA to fight along with finding The Tiger.  Does Alex make it back home?  Does he catch The Tiger?  I give this book 5....

 




This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT...."D" IS FOR DEADBEAT

"D" is for Deadbeat - Sue Grafton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
He called himself Alvin Limardo, and the job he had for Kinsey was cut-and-dried: locate a kid who'd done him a favor and pass on a check for $25,000. It was only later, after he'd stiffed her for her retainer, that Kinsey found out his name was Daggett. John Daggett. Ex-con. Inveterate liar. Chronic drunk. And dead. The cops called it an accident―death by drowning. Kinsey wasn't so sure.
Pulled into the detritus of a dead man's life, Kinsey soon realizes that Daggett had an awful lot of enemies. There's the daughter who grew up with a cheating drunk for a father, and the wife who's become a religious nut in response to an intolerable marriage. There's the lady who thought she was Mrs. Daggett―and has the bruises to prove it―only to discover the legal Mrs. D. And there are the drug dealers out $25,000. But most of all, there are the families of the five people John Daggett killed, victims of his wild, drunken driving. The D.A. called it vehicular manslaughter and put him away for two years. The families called it murder and had very good reason to want John Daggett dead. 
Series: Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries (Book 4) 
Paperback: 320 pages 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 2 edition (October 2, 2012)
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1250020263 
ISBN-13: 978-1250020260

MY THOUGHTS:  Book 4 of the ABC Mysteries by Sue Grafton.  Kinsey is looking for a guy that stiffed her for 400.  She can't find him that easy, he's gave her a different name, so she starts digging and finally finds him, but she's too late, he's dead.  The police are calling it an accidental death, but Kinsey isn't so sure about that.  After digging up some info on him, people she has talked to, she's 99% sure it's murder.  Now all she has to do is narrow the suspect list down to find the killer.  Can she do it?  And who wanted Dagget dead?  I give this book 5....

  




This book is for 1 of my reading challenges....
Outdo Yourself Challenge

BOOK REPORT....DOUBLE CROSS

Double Cross - James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Just when Alex Cross's life is calming down, he is drawn back into the game to confront a criminal mastermind like no other. The elaborate murders that have stunned Washington, DC, are the wildest that Alex Cross and his new girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, have ever seen. This maniac adores an audience, and stages his killings as spectacles in public settings. Alex is pursuing a genius of terror who has the whole city on edge as it waits for his next move. And the killer loves the attention, no doubt-he even sets up his own Web site and live video feed to trumpet his madness.

And in Colorado, another criminal mastermind is planning a triumphant return. From his supermaximum-security prison cell, Kyle Craig has plotted for years to have one chance at an impossible escape. If he has to join forces with DC's Audience Killer to get back at the man who put him in that cell--Alex Cross--all the better. 
Series: Alex Cross Novels 
Hardcover: 448 pages 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Lrg edition (November 13, 2007) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0316004316 
ISBN-13: 978-0316004312

MY THOUGHTS:  This is book is book 13 in the Alex Cross series.  Instead of 1 criminal, Alex has 2 criminals to catch.  One, the Audience Killer,  is a master at setting up show stopping murders for everyone to see.  He's leading Alex and Detective Brianna Stone into a set-up with a criminal Alex has already put behind bars, Kyle Craig, former FBI agent, and really, really bad guy without a conscious.  Alex and Brianna are close to catching  the Audience Killer, but haven't quite got that last clue as to who he is.  But they keep digging and finally get the last piece of the puzzle, but there is a surprise at the end....guess who's there waiting for them?  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 1 of my challenges.....
Outdo Yourself Challenge

THURSDAY RAMBLINGS........

Tamar over at Random-osity is the host for Little Things Thursday.  Hop over and check out what everyone is sharing today.

There's nothing like hopping in the pool on a very hot sultry summer day.  We bought the twins a kiddie pool to play in.  They like playing in water.  They aren't particular about what kind of water.  It can be a hose, a muddy puddle, or the water feature in our back yard.

The "pond" took a beating for the winter, so now we have to re-work it, but the kids seem to not care what it looked like.  So we went and got the kiddie pool.  They had so much fun.

I can't believe they are getting so big now.  Don't know if I've told you before, but both kids are Autistic.  They are doing so great in school, they both are going to FIRST GRADE next year.  Bella is very excited about that.   Bub could care less, he's not very fond of school.  He would rather stay home and be on his computer.  It really is the little things in life that gives you the most pleasure!

I'm also linking up with LA Paylor over at Not Afraid of Color for I Like Thursdays.

EMBROIDERY AND QUILTS......

this seems to be what is taking up all my time lately.  And of course reading, I'm on this QUEST of sorts on reading.  To finish the Alex Cross series by James Patterson and the Alphabet Mystery series by Sue Grafton, which you can find my list in my Series Books Tab at the top.  But, back to embroidery and quilts.
While I was blog hopping a couple weeks ago, I ran across this embroidery challenge called Summer of Love.  It's sponsored by DMC and is taking place at the San Fransisco School of Needlework and Design.  It's a  stitch-at- home embroidery challenge.  When your done you can either send the piece to them or email a picture of your piece.   You can find all the info you need by clicking on the link.  That's what I've been working on, "Summer of Love".  This is what I've gotten done for now.

I've also been working on my Crazy Quilt for the 2020 Crazy Quilt Challenge going on over at Sharon's place, Pintangle.  I've got Block 7 done and have pieced Block 8.....started adding some lace and ribbon on it, but that's it for now.  My process of doing Crazy Quilt blocks is to let the piece "talk" to me.  Meaning, I let it lay a few days and let thoughts roll around in my head as to what to add to the piece.  So it could take a few months for 1 block to be finished.  But this quilt has  about 4 years to get done.  The object of the challenge is to have 2,020 different pieces of fabric, lace, ribbon, buttons, embroidery work, charms, rick rack and what ever else your counting.  These are the things I'm counting for my quilt.  Plus I'm keeping a little journal of each block so I know how much I've gotten done.  So far I've got 299 different pieces.  I've got a long way to go!
So that's what I've working on, I'll be working on these plus trying to get my Christmas Quilt tied so I can bind it.  What are you working on now?
Block 7

Block 8

I'm linking up with Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday.

I'm also linking up with Wendy over at Sugarlane Designs for the Friday Night Sew-In.

BOOK REPORT...."C" IS FOR CORPSE

"C" is for Corpse - Sue Grafton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
C IS FOR CALCULATED
How do you go about solving an attempted murder when the victim has lost a good part of his memory? It's one of Kinsey's toughest cases yet, but she never backs down from a challenge. Twenty-three-year-old Bobby Callahan is lucky to be alive after a car forced his Porsche over a bridge and into a canyon. The crash left Bobby with a clouded memory. But he can't shake the feeling it was no random accident and that he's still in danger…
C IS FOR CRIME
The only clues Kinsey has to go on are a little red address book and the name "Blackman." Bobby can't remember who he gave the address book to for safekeeping. And any chances of Bobby regaining his memory are dashed when he's killed in another automobile accident just three days after he hires Kinsey.
C IS FOR CORPSE
As Kinsey digs deeper into her investigation, she discovers Bobby had a secret worth killing for―and unearthing that secret could send Kinsey to her own early death… 
Series: Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries (Book 3) 
Paperback: 320 pages 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (August 7, 2012) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1250020255 
ISBN-13: 978-1250020253

 MY THOUGHTS:  Book 3 of the Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton is just as good as A & B.  Kinsey is looking for clues to find out what Bobby can't remember.  She's not getting very far.  The clues seem to lead to a little red address book, which Bobby can't remember who he gave it to.  So Kinsey starts asking friends and family.  One of Bobby's best friends has the book, but where is this going to led Kinsey?  Who does she ask for info first?  While reading this book, I would have never guessed where this was leading.  Total twist and turn clues.  I give this book 5.....

This books is for 2 of my challenges.....
Alphabet Soup
Outdo Yourself

BOOK REPORT......CROSS

Cross - James Patterson

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Alex Cross was a rising star in the Washington, DC, Police Department when an unknown shooter gunned down his wife, Maria, in front of him. The killer was never found, and the case turned cold, filed among the unsolved drive-bys in D.C.'s rough neighborhoods.

Years later, still haunted by his wife's death, Cross is making a bold move in his life. Now a free agent from the police and the FBI, he's set up practice as a psychologist once again. His life with Nana Mama, Damon, Jannie, and little Alex is finally getting in order. He even has a chance at a new love.

Then Cross's former partner, John Sampson, calls in a favor. He is tracking a serial rapist in Georgetown, one whose brutal modus operandi recalls a case Sampson and Cross worked together years earlier. When the case reveals a connection to Maria's death, Cross latches on for the most urgent and terrifying ride of his life.  
Series: Alex Cross Novels 
Hardcover: 448 pages 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Lrg edition (November 13, 2006) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0316017744 
ISBN-13: 978-0316017749

MY THOUGHTS:  This is book 12 of the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.  This book takes you back to the night Alex's wife, Maria, was killed.  Alex is looking for closer for him and his family.  Alex has left the FBI and is now practicing as a psychologist.  Alex's life seems to be balanced out now.  Then comes John Sampson, former partner on the DC, Police Department with new info about Maria's murder.  There is a serial rapist roaming around town and he is a different kind of rapist.  But Alex and John can't quite put the pieces together to connect the rapist to Maria's murder.  They keep digging and working the case.  Alex even pulls in the FBI for help.  But nothing pans out.  Then they get a good clue and run with it.  Do they connect the dots or does another killer get away?  You'll have to read the book to find out.  I give this book 5.....

This book is for Outdo Yourself Challenge.

SUMMER OF LOVE EMBROIDERY CHALLENGE.......

I was blog hoping the other day and ran across an embroidery challenge.  It's called The Summer of Love.  The San Fransisco School of Needlework & Design, along with DMC is hosting this Stitch - At - Home challenge. To find out about this challenge just click on the link, it will take you to their page.

The challenge is based on The Summer of Love.  Click on the link to find out more.  DMC is providing 3 skins of floss for this challenge.  There are 5 colors choices you can choose from and you must use one of these colors in your piece.  All the links are there for you to click on.  Including how to submit your entry.  Either send the piece or you can submit a photo via e-mail.

I've already picked my design out, just have to cut my fabric, transfer the pattern and start embroidering.  So if you are up to the challenge, head over and check it out.  I've also got the link in my sidebar, towards the bottom.

BOOK REPORT....A MAN NAMED OVE

A Man Named Ove - Fredrick Backman

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations. 
Hardcover: 352 pages 
Publisher: Atria Books (July 15, 2014) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1476738017 
ISBN-13: 978-1476738017

MY THOUGHTS:  This is my book clubs choice for June.  I really enjoyed reading this book.  It's an awesome book about the life of Ove.  Ove may be a little grumpy.....well a lot grumpy, but he's also very lovable.  When I started this book I was a little worried it was going to be one of those books I couldn't finish, but the more I read, the more I wanted to find out what the heck was going on with Ove.  Why was he so grumpy, why didn't he want to be friendly with people and why did he want to kill himself?  The story this author tells starts with Ove as a boy and follows him through marriage.  If's an awesome book to read and you find out through reading the book why Ove is like he is.  If you get a chance to read this book, do it, I highly recommend this book.  I give this book 5......

This books is for the Outdo Yourself  Reading Challenge.

STITCH A LONG CHALLENGE.....

Sharon over at Pintangle is hosting a stitch challenge.  Here is the challenge:

Feeling like a stitchers challenge? I have decided to propose a challenge/stitch along to make a 2020 quilt. What is a 2020 Quilt? It is a quilt with 2020 different pieces of fabric in it but when you give it a twist and apply it to crazy quilting it becomes 2020 items. At the turn of the millennium many quilters made Y2K quilts with 2000 pieces in them. They are usually charm quilts. Many quilters got the bug me included as I made the I Dropped the Button Box quilt. I loved making it. So I have decided to revisit the idea 20 years on starting now so I have a good chance of finishing it by the end of 2020!

The rules are simple – make your quilt of blocks that are any shape or size.  The quilt has to be made of 2020 unique items or pieces. The aim is to finish by the end of 2020 to mark the year 2020.

Now down to the nitty gritty …Those unique items can be fabric, lace, braid, ribbons, doilies, hankies, buttons, charms, and beads. When this was discussed on Facebook counting types of seed beads and bugle beads was raised. For instance if you had green seed beads then some purple seed beads on a block that would be 2 ‘items’ ie. 1 for the green and 1 for the purple. I think many people who enjoy beading and want to push their skills in that direction will be happy to know that. In other words what you count as part of your 2020 items and how you count them is up to you. Variety is the name of the game here.

Where to Share : Admins on the two big Facebook groups Crazy Quilt Divas and Crazy Quilt International   are more than happy for people to share there work there. For those who have blogs you can leave your web addy in the comments. Instagram people can use #2020crazyquilt to share progress photos.

I started a Crazy Quilt a couple years ago, but got sidetracked by other things.  Plus I didn't really know too much about Crazy Quilting.  I've learned a lot the last couple years.  So I will be adding to this for my 2020 challenge.  I've gotten lots of info from Sharon over the last couple years.  She has tutorials on embroidery stitches.  She also has info on Crazy Quilting.  As a matter of fact, Sharon has lots of info at her place, go check it out.  You might find your next project.  I'll be adding this challenge to my Tabs at the top of my blog.   This is Crazy Quilt block I made.  It's one of my favorites.

RUMMAGE SALE FINDS........

I stopped at a rummage sale this past weekend.  They had a lot of kids clothes and twins are fast growing out of their clothes.  So thought I'd a peek at what they had. 
I didn't find any clothes, but I did discover a little box under a table with lots of embroidery items.  A baby quilt that's almost finished.

It just needs a few more stitches around the outside.  I'm hoping the masking tap comes off.  I also found a few quilt blocks already done.  Not sure what I'm going to do with them.

There was table scarf there that someone started.  This picture is kind of blurry.

And a set of pillow cases.  I've started this one already.  I was going to buy some new pillow cases and now I don't have to.  The pattern is kind of faded, so you can't see it very well in the picture, but I can still see it. The pattern is roses.

I'm hoping when I was them the yellow comes out.  I'm linking to Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday.  Hop over and see what everyone is sharing.  Are you working on something you want to share? 

BOOK REPORT...."B" IS FOR BURGLAR

"B" is for Burglar - Sue Grafton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Beverly Danziger looked like an expensive, carefully wrapped package from a good but conservative shop. Only her compulsive chatter hinted at the nervousness beneath her cool surface. It was a nervousness out of all proportion to the problem she placed before Kinsey Millhone.
Still business was slow, and even a private investigator has bills to pay. Millhone took the job. It looked routine.
Elaine Boldt's wrappings were a good deal flashier than her sister's, but they signaled the same thing: The lady had money. According to the manager of her California building, the wealthy widow was last seen draped in her $12,000 lynx coat heading for Boca Raton. According to the manager of her Florida building, she never got there. But someone else had, and she was camping out illegally in Mrs. Boldt's apartment. The job was beginning to seem a bit less routine.
It turned tricky when Beverly Danziger ordered Millhone to drop the case, and it took on an ominous quality when Aubrey Danziger surfaced, making all kinds of wild accusations about his wife. But it only became sinister when Millhone learned that just days before Elaine Boldt went missing, her next-door neighbor and bridge partner had been murdered, and the killer was still at large.
As Millhone digs deeper into the case, she finds herself in a nightmarish hall of mirrors in which reality is distorted by illusion and nothing―except danger―is quite what it seems. 
Series: Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries (Book 2) 
Paperback: 320 pages 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (June 5, 2012) 
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250020247 
ISBN-13: 978-1250020246

MY THOUGHTS: Another great book with lots of twists and turns.  What starts out as a missing person case for Kinsey, fast turns into a mystery even for Kinsey.  She can't quite figure it out.  Elaine Boldt has dropped off the face of the earth.  Kinsey has all kinds of clues to follow but she isn't getting anywhere with the clues.  Then a "clue" clicks and Kinsey figures it all out, but her life is in danger if she gets caught finding out about this "clue".  The last 2 chapters were a on the edge of your seat read.  Does Kinsey find Elaine Boldt?  Read the book, you won't be disappointed.  I give this book 5.....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.....
Chapter Break Bingo
Outdo Yourself Challenge

MONDAY RAMBLINGS......

I was cleaning out some of my photo files yesterday.  Some of my photos have two or three of the same pictures.  So I'm going down memory lane today.  Which lane am I going down?  The twins of course.  Born 2010, they have grown so much. 

Joining Tamar over at Random-osity for The Good. The Fun. and The Random.  Hop over and see what everyone is sharing today.

THE GOOD.
Bella-4 days old

Luke-4 days old

THE FUN.

Bella and Luke's 1st Birthday.

They were more into smashing the cupcake than eating it.

 THE RANDOM.
 Now they are in school getting ready to go to 1st grade.  It seems like the last 7 years have flown by.  These are their Kindergarten pictures.  I haven't gotten this years pictures uploaded to my computer yet. 

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Also joining Kathryn over at The Book Date for Monday, What Are You Reading?  Hop over an check it out, you could find your next book to read.

What am I reading now....
"B" is for Burglar - Sue Grafton

Up Next is....

What I just Reviewed.....
Mary Mary - James Patterson