Tuesday Night Rambling

IT.IS.HOT! We are under a heat advisory and watch for the rest of today and all day tomorrow. It is miserable outside. I don't like heat like this. If I have to be out in it, I get grumpy. I thoroughly enjoy the temperatures that come with fall. I am not ashamed to say that I am very much looking forward to fall.

I could not live in an area that doesn't have seasonal changes because I could not make it without seeing my world transform from green to brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow. It is magical. I love everything about fall, the aromas and the sights. I also dearly love to walk outside and not be hit by a wall of heat and humidity.

My one hope for fall is that is will last. It seems to be over as soon as it arrives. I am hopeful for a fall that will hang on this year so that we can enjoy each and every minute of beauty and crisp air.

Watching God's hand at work as he creates a masterpiece of color in the trees is absolutely brilliant. His is an amazing artist in each season.

We purchased a new children's Bible story book for our daughter's 4th birthday. I had read about the book on Angie Smith's blog Bring the Rain. I also knew some friends that had it for their children. I can't say enough about it. Peanut looks forward to it each night, anticipating the upcoming story. She sleeps with it and some nights I hear her retelling the stories that we have already read or making up stories about the ones we haven't. I love that each story ends with foreshadowing of what or Who is to come.

The name of the book is PERFECT, The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. That is exactly how each story ends. The story doesn't end, it fills you with anticipation for what is to come, the Rescuer. I have enjoyed reading it with her each night almost as much as she enjoys hearing the stories.

I am thrilled to see her excited about these stories and for her to hear how God has helped his people since the beginning of time. How He has never given up on us, even when we are in the mire of sin.

I highly recommend this book if you have littles at home or for a family with littles.

On a completely different note, I am getting close to 150 posts. I am thinking of doing a giveaway or something for that post. I'll keep you in suspense though! A giveaway would be a great way to actually get some comments on here again though. Ha! Keep checking back to see if I do it or wait until 200 posts.

Inspiring

I checked this book out of the library a few weeks ago after reading about it on a blog. I fell in love. It is a great book bursting with fun ideas. I have been in a crafting lull and just not motivated to do anything with my sewing machine or crafting. Like you hadn't noticed due to the lack of posts on projects I've been up to.

This book filled me with excitement as I looked through the patterns and fun things to make. My in-laws were here visting for a day. She leafed through it and I told her how excited I was about this book and that I was hoping to buy it.

Wouldn't you know it....a week later this book showed up in my mailbox! Have I mentioned that I have a sweet Mama-in-law who loves to do little things like this? She is the best!

So today it is cloudy. Today I have no car to tempt me in running around town. Today I have my sewing area ready to go. Today I have a bunch of one yard pieces of fabric stashed away. So the real question is will I GET to sew today? Will my littles let me have some time? We will see. We will try. Hoping to be back with pictures of something that I created.

If you are a sewer you really should take a peek at this book. It is so fun and you only need ONE YARD OF FABRIC for all of the projects. That is what appealed to me so much. Fabric is so expensive but one yard, I can swing that. So grab a copy and take a peek or mention it to a loved one and maybe it will show up in your mailbox too.

Book Recommendations

I just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett last night. It was excellent. I actually picked it up from the library on Friday and couldn't put it down. It is a huge book so I was surprised how fast I got through it. Beware though if you read it, you just might never eat chocolate pie again, at least a pie someone else has made for you.

I wanted to share with you some other books that I have read over the years that have stuck with me and I would HIGHLY recommend to you. The only order they are in is the order they popped into my head.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Someone Knows my Name by Lawrence Hill

The Shack by William P. Young
PHENOMENAL!!!! (I must add that if this is ever made into a movie, Queen Latifah must play Papa because she is who I pictured while I read it.)

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
This was a very quick read, but it really did move me. It was an emotional book.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
(I have her next book on hold at the library, Broken Horses.)

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This was one of the most powerful books that I have ever read. I had seen the movie first and was so incredibly moved by it that I made a bee line for the library to get the book.

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

What are some of your favorite books? I am looking for a new one to read and need some recommendations.

Freshening Up

***Up Date - I just finished Sarah's Key. It definitely was written from a secular perspective but the story in and of itself was incredible. It was difficult to read as it had to do with the Holocaust. I recommend it to you.

Time for a freshening up here at Daisy Path. Hope you enjoy the new look. I had fun playing around. It might change a little bit over the next few days if I think I need to tweak things.

I have been reading again. I try to fit in bits of time here and there. I love to read but have found it so hard to make time once we had our first baby. I decided to pick up some books again and have to recommend what I just read and what I am reading right now. I try to keep my reading gadget up to date over on the left column so you can keep track of what it on my bed side table.

I read about both of these books on Mommy's Creative's blog. I was not let down. The first book that I borrowed from the library was Someone Knows my Name by Lawrence Hill. Hubby was astounded by the size of the book but I stuck to it and had to renew it only once! It was such a powerful story of a woman taken captive as child and sold into slavery. Her plight was truly incredible, heart breaking and inspiring. It was hard to put this book down.

I just started Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. I am only on page 38 and have already shed tears. This follows a young French girl whose family was taken by the French police during the Holocaust and an American journalist living in France during the modern day. I am waiting to see how their paths will cross and stories connect.

I am thrilled to be reading again and passing this love on to my girls. I love to read to them. I love to see them "read" (the baby just chews on the books right now). I love to have them see me read. Reading...it does a mind and a soul good.

Blast from the Past

This morning my daughter discovered Mama's books. I have a stack of books from my growing up days in the back of her toy cabinet. She has never gone through them until now. She had them all spread out around her and we spent some time reading through them. Half of the stack are my Little Golden Books. Oh, the memories came flooding back of when I was little and looking through them. The pictures are so beautiful in some of them. I had to share a couple with you! There are many more but these are some of my favorites.

































Now onto bags! I tried to make a bag last night using some bamboo handles. I don't know....the handles and my sewing machine did not get along well. It was really difficult to keep the handles in place and sew. And even more exceedingly difficult to do the second handle because the first handle wouldn't fit in the space between the needle and the machine. I think I am going to have finish it by hand but am going to the mama-in-law for advice. Ha! It was late and I was tired so I'm not sure that I am all too happy with the turn out of this one. We'll see. Maybe it will grow on me. This is from the same pattern as the first bag I made....Simplicity Pattern #5151.

I checked a neat book out from the library about making quilted bags. There is the cutest patchwork tote with handles in it. It is all embellished with ric-rac and buttons. I want to try to make that one too. I need to see if my kind mama-in-law will let me go through her bits and pieces of fabric to find some pieces that go well together. We'll see.