COLORING IS A LITTLE THING........

that makes me happy.  I love to color, so I've been buying me a new book to color in when I see them.  I've got 3 of them now.  I've also found a blog that I can share my coloring with.  The Best Basic Blog hosts Coloring Corner on Thursdays.  So though I would jump in and share mine.

This is the first coloring book I got.

This is a page I colored....

The second book I got....

Since everyone is wanting Spring to hurry up  and get here...this is the picture I colored.

And I bought this one Tuesday while out doing errands. 

Love sea creatures and this book if full of them. 

I'm also linking up with Little by Little for Little Things Thursday.

BOOK REPORT......

The Oregon Trail - Matt Doeden

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Youre living in the United States during the time of the Westward Expansion. Settlers are heading west on the Oregon Trail as they seek better lives. Will you: Go west with your family as part of a wagon train? Serve as a trail guide for a group of settlers? Try to cope with the changes in your way of life as a western American Indian? Everything in this book happened to real people. And YOU CHOOSE what you do next. The choices you make could lead you to opportunity, to wealth, to poverty, or even to death.   
Paperback: 112 pages 
Publisher: Capstone Press (August 1, 2013) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1476536074 
ISBN-13: 978-1476536071

MY THOUGHTS:  This is what is called an interactive book.  There are 3 story paths, 38 choices and 17 endings.  My choices got my family on the wagon train to their destination.  I wasn't so lucky with my choice for the trail guide.  The choice for the American Indian came out good.  Very interesting book to read.  This is the first interactive book I've read and I really enjoyed it.  I give this book 4....

This is also for 1 of my reading challenges....
Locations A-Z Challenge

I'm also linking up with The Book Date for Month in Review.

  What I read in February....
The Risk of Darkness - Susan Hill...2 Stars
 The Edge of Lost - Kristina McMorris....5 Stars
Stand Your Ground - Raeder Lomax...4 Stars Virginia's Diary - Suzanne Peyton ....5 Stars
Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter ......5 Stars
A Handful of Stars - Cynthia Lord....5 Stars
Fire Flight - John J. Nance....4 Stars

My favorite book in February....
The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris

This was my book clubs book choice for February.  This was a really good book.  If your looking for a good book for your book club, suggest this one.  All my books are linked to my reviews. 

BOOK REPORT.....

The Other Side of Silence - Bill Pronzini

Product Description(Amazon.com)
On his third day in the Valley, Rick Fallon comes upon a deserted Toyota Camry, and soon thereafter, the almost-dead body of Casey Dunbar. Having rescued her, Fallon soon learns what had driven her to give up on life…and, his own life on hold, he resolves to unravel the twisted and dangerous strands of hers, a quest that leads him to the glitter-dome of Las Vegas among other locales. 
Hardcover: 224 pages 
Publisher: Walker Books; 1 edition (September 30, 2008) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0802717136 
ISBN-13: 978-0802717139

MY THOUGHTS:  This is the second book I've read from this author.  It is just as good as the first one I read.  Lots of characters to keep your interest.  The mystery of Casey Dunbar's missing child, a murder, and intrigue all rolled into one book.  Rick keeps running into obstacles while trying to find Casey's ex-husband, who kidnapped their son.  Rick is trying to find him, but people keep giving him false info.  He finds the ex-husband, but the boy is missing, as well as the mother.  So Rick goes looking for them.  He finds out the truth about Casey Dunbar and what she's been hiding.  I didn't see this one coming.  Great book!  I give this book 5 ........

 




This book is also for 2 of my reading challenges....
Locations A-Z
52 Books in 52 Weeks

QUILTS AND CREATIVITY......

I was blog hopping the other day and found Red Letter Quilts.  She has this thing going on over there that I'm going to join.  It's called OMG one monthly goal.  Here is some more info....

Select ONE  of  your quilt-related goals and describe it in a blog post, with photo(s) of said project, and what you aim to finish.

What I'm going to work on in March is off my Quilt Finishing List.  The list is on my sidebar.  I'm going to bind the Winter Quilt and start on the Dots Quilt.  I'm going to TRY and finish the Dots Quilt, but not sure if it will get done.
Winter Quilt

 Dots Quilts

Over at Quilty Folk, there are lots of circles being made.  Go check it out.  There are lots of folks working on this and they have some COOL ideas on making their quilts.  I got all my February circles done.  Here they are in chronological order by the February calendar.

 I haven't started putting them together yet.  Not sure how I'm going to do this.  Still thinking about this one.  For now they are living in little baggies with their month on the baggie. 
 ******************************************************************************
I've also been working on my Smash/Junk Journal.  This is part of the Creativity Challenge over at Prairie Moon Quilts.  I changed the one I was using for a Composition Book.  The pages are lots thicker than the other one I was using.  This book is going to be "stuff " that I like, it's All About Me.

The cover....

I collect chickens so this picture was a good thing to add.  I also like working crossword puzzles.

Some quilt stuff I've added.  The trip to Joann Fabrics receipt and a snip of the fabric I bought.

SLOW STITCHING SUNDAY.......

Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts is the host for Slow Stitching Sunday.  Hop over and check out all the stitching projects everyone is working on.

I'm working on my ABC Quilt.  I've got A - L done.  I'm thinking about putting something on the letters that begins with that letter.....like A is for Apple.   I just happen to have an apple button.  Actually I have a whole jar of novelty buttons.  I'm sure I've got lots of buttons that will work for this idea.  If not, I'll think of something else.  Maybe some embroidery will work.

These are 9" blocks worked in needle turn applique.  I'm trying to use a different color for each letter.  I may have to buy some fabric.....as if that will be hard to do.....lol.  The letters are on bleached muslin. 

PLAYING WITH BLOCKS.....

I caught Bub playing with his blocks.

I'm linking up with West Metro Mommy Reads for Saturday Snapshot.

BOOKISH FRIDAY......

Gillion over at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings, Freda over at Freda's Voice hosts The Friday 56, and Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict hosts Book Blogger Hop.  Jump over and check them out, you could find your next book.

 The Other Side of Silence - Bill Pronzini

Synopsis
On his third day in the Valley, Rick Fallon comes upon a deserted Toyota Camry, and soon thereafter, the almost-dead body of Casey Dunbar.  Having rescued her, Fallon soon learns what had driven her to give up on life…and, his own life on hold, he resolves to unravel the twisted and dangerous strands of hers, a quest that leads him to the glitter-dome of Las Vegas.

Book Beginning....
When Geena finally left him and filed for divorce, Fallon put the Encino house up for sale and took his last two weeks of vacation from Unidyne.  Then he loaded the Jeep Liberty and drove straight to Death Valley.

I haven't gotten started good on this book, but the synopsis sounds really intriguing.

The Friday 56.....
On the second floor, a velvet-roped aisleway led to a wide set of closed doors.  A neon sign above the door bore the standard '30s tilted cocktail glass and the words INTIME ROOM in blue letters.

Sounds mysterious to me.  What do you think?  Keep reading or not?

Book Blogger Hop
Do your children, siblings, or other family members enjoy reading as much as you do? 
 My sister reads now and then, that's about all.  I'm the only one that is obsessed with reading.  lol

CREATIVITY CHALLENGE #7.......

We are suppose to start a Junk/Smash Journal.  Don't know what that is?  Click here for more info.  I've started my Smash Book, it's about my stuff.  Recipes, lists, books, movies, tv shows......it's basically ALL ABOUT ME....I'm still working on it, so it's kind of rough right now.  But then again Smash Books are suppose to be kind of rough.  They aren't perfect like scrapbooks.

This is the cover of my Smash Book.  I picked this up at Dollar Store.

Some pictures I got out of a magazine and a grocery store flyer.

A pretty Quilt and a recipe I want to try.

A pretty card and some bookmarks from my library.

A few receipts I've saved.

If you want to join in on the Creativity Challenge head over to Prairie Moon Quilts and check it out.  It's lots of fun!

BOOK REPORT.......

Fire Flight - John J. Nance

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Veteran pilot Clark Maxwell thought his fire bombing days were well behind him. But when Jerry Stein, Maxwell's friend and airtanker fleet-owner, calls at the height of the fire season to beg him to reenter the war, he doesn't hesitate. A pair of ferocious forest fires is raging out of control, threatening to destroy Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and incinerate thousands of area homes. As the wildfires spread, whipped by massive winds, and the federal forces arrayed against the fires reach their limits, anxiety grows in the local population. A paranoia plagues the fire bombers and smoke jumpers as well, after a mysterious string of violent airborne accidents among the airtanker fleet claims the lives of some of the most fearless and experienced veterans.
Maxwell has long argued that the airtankers -- old aircraft used by pilots to bomb the fires with fire retardant slurry -- are faulty museum pieces that should have been grounded years ago. Now some of the fleet seem to be falling apart in midair. In the middle of the area's worst wildfire season in history, Maxwell is convinced that a sinister cover-up is behind the rash of horrific air disasters. Were the planes' inspection papers forged? Is someone capitalizing on these crashes? As he races to unravel a very real mystery and prevent a natural disaster of massive proportions, Maxwell's probe reaches the upper levels of the very government agencies charged with mount-ing the aerial fire fighting effort -- a move that for wholly unexpected reasons just may cost him his life...and the life of Karen Jones, the married smoke jumper with whom he seems to have fallen in love.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a new author to me.  This book is filled with intrigue, romance and mystery.   When a retired pilot Clark Maxwell gets a call from his friend for help with a forest fire, he jumps right in.  But some of the older planes start having "accidents" and Clark is suspicious about what's going on.  Clark starts investigating, but this could lead him down a one way street with his death or the death of someone he loves.  Filled with lots of info about Forest Fires and the brave people who work to put them out.  I give this book 4 stars.....

This book is also for 2 of my reading challenges.
Full House Challenge
Wacky Readers/Locations A - Z

QUILT UPDATE.....

I went to Joann Fabrics over the weekend.  Got some fabric to put the border on my 4th of July Quilt. 

It now joins my loooong list of quilts to finish.
1. Calendar Quilt
2. Tree & Leaves Quilt
3. Winter Quilt
4. Dots Quilt
5. Dresden Quilt(Gray Center)
6. 6" Crazy Quilt
7. Halloween Quilt
8. Thanksgiving Quilt
9. Christmas Quilt
10. Jar Quilt
11. Strip Quilt
12. Easter Quilt
13. Boo Quilt
14. Valentine Quilt
15. Dresden Quilt(Red Center)
16. Under The Sea Quilt
17. Spring Quil
18. 4th of July Quilt

The ones in red are finished.   Just click on the link to see these finished quilts.  Or you can check out my Quilts Tab at the top of the page.  I've also been working on my ABC quilt.  I'm now up to the letter H.  Heather over at Books and Quilts stopped by, she suggested some embellishments for some of the blocks.  Which I think is a great idea!!  While I'm working on them I'll be thinking of what to do with them.  I have lots of novelty buttons, lace, rick rack ribbon and even some beads.   Well, that's it for today.  I'm linking up with Heather for Needlework Tuesday.  Hop over and check out her place.  She's sharing a Quilt Guild get together. 

BOOK REPORT.....

A Handful of Stars - Cynthia Lord

Product Description(Amazon.com)
When Lily's blind dog, Lucky, slips his collar and runs away across the wide-open blueberry barrens of eastern Maine, it's Salma Santiago who manages to catch him. Salma, the daughter of migrant workers, is in the small town with her family for the blueberry-picking season.

After their initial chance meeting, Salma and Lily bond over painting bee boxes for Lily's grandfather, and Salma's friendship transforms Lily's summer. But when Salma decides to run in the upcoming Blueberry Queen pageant, they'll have to face some tough truths about friendship and belonging. Should an outsider like Salma really participate in the pageant-and possibly win?
Hardcover: 192 pages 
Publisher: Scholastic Press (May 26, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0545700272 
ISBN-13: 978-0545700276

MY THOUGHTS:   This is a new author for me and I really enjoyed her style of writing.  The author put all the facts right out front so you didn't have to keep guessing what was going on.  Lucky is Lily's dog and he's going blind.  He needs surgery but they don't have the money.  So Lily is painting Bee Boxes and selling them.  While out for a walk Lucky gets loose from Lily.  He's headed for the road and a on coming car.  Salma jumps up with her lunch and gets Lucky to stop.  Salma and Lily become friends and work together to get enough bee boxes done for the festival.  But do they get enough money to do this?  And does Salma win the Blueberry Queen Pageant?  Read the book, it's really good.  I give this book 5.....

This book is also for 4 of my reading challenges.
What an Animal Challenge
Full House Challenge
Monthly Keyword Challenge
52 Books in 52 Weeks

BOOK REPORT.......

Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter

Product Description(Amazon.com)
More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed.

The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it. 
Hardcover: 416 pages 
Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (September 29, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0062429051 
ISBN-13: 978-0062429056

MY THOUGHTS:  This is the second book I've read from this author.  Pretty Girls is a suspense thriller and it does keep you on the edge of your seat.  I couldn't put the book down for too much time, as I wanted to find out what happens to Claire and Lydia.  Claire and Lydia keep digging until they have all the answers they want.  Really awesome book!  I give this book 5......

This book is also for 2 of my reading challenges....
Full House Challenge
A-Z Locations

CREATIVITY CHALLENGE......

I've been slacking on this for the last couple weeks.  I've got the challenges done, but haven't posted them.  Challenge #5 was to illustrate something four ways.  I wasn't too sure how to do this one, so I just did what I thought was right.  This is my version....

I started with a smiley face and progressed from there.

Challenge #6 was to make a drawing using crayons.  I'm not a very good drawer, so I went something simple.  It's my version of a vase of flowers.

The table didn't come out very well, but overall I like the picture.

For Challenge #7 we are suppose to start a smash/junk book.  I've been wanting to make one of these for a while.  But where to start????  So I'm going to give it a try.  If you want to join in, just head over to Prairie Moon Quilts and check out this Creativity Challenge....

 

WHAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON......

I've been working on my quilts the last couple weeks.  I've got the 4th of July quilt done, except for the border.  Have to make a trip to Joann Fabrics for that. 

I've also been working on Crazy Quilt Number 8 block.  It's kind of going slowly.  I've run out of ideas for the embellishments.  I'm hoping something will pop out at me.

A few weeks ago I was working on my Creativity project hosted over at Prairie Moon quilts.  We had to make something using our initial.  I made a pillow with the letter S.  I got to thinking this would be a great quilt, an ABC quilt.  I've started this one, it's coming along nicely.  The blocks are 9" X 9", on unbleached muslin. 

I'm also linking up with Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday.  Hop over and check out Heather's quilt, it's beautiful.

What have you been working on?  Let me know, I'll come visit you.

BOOK REPORT......

Virginia's Diary - Suzanne Peyton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
What would you do if you went to bed tonight and had a dream that changed your life and your family's history forever? January 3, 1958 - An old woman, who had been wrongly committed into a mental hospital, took her own life. I found out later that woman was my great-grandmother, Virginia Avery. January 3, 1999 - I had a dream that causes me to challenge every story my mother had been told about Virginia, who supposedly abandoned her children in 1904. As the lies began to unravel, my journey led me to New Orleans, and what I found, rocked me to my core. 
Paperback: 294 pages 
Publisher: White Bird Publications (August 4, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1633631249 
ISBN-13: 978-1633631243

MY THOUGHTS:  I received this book from Kelley & Hall Book Publicity for my fair and honest review.  This is an awesome book.  I couldn't put it down.  The mystery is so real I could almost think I was there with the author.  The author takes you on a wild ride while she is trying to solve the mystery of her Great Grandmother, Virgina.  Weeding through all the lies that have come down through the generations from her family.  What the author finds is really hard to believe.  The book is based upon the author's Great Grandmother.    I highly recommend this book and I give this book 5....

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges....
Full House Challenge
52 Books in 52 Weeks