paper

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, it is obvious that I am a fan of books.  Paper is one of my other favorite things.  Sometimes, though, managing the paper I have is not easy.  Here is a picture of five shoeboxes of letters I have.  They are letters mostly from family and one of my friends.  I don't want to get rid of these because they are irreplaceable.  The best thing is I still get some mail (letters, postcards and the occasional package) from my family because we like to write, though e-mail and phone calls have definitely reduced what I do get.   

 Then there is my stack of journals.  I have 39!  That is a ridiculous amount considering I started writing in 1990.  (22 years of journals).  One summer I started reading them in chronological order and quit.  It wasn't riveting reading at all.  And it changed the way I journal and now don't even write every week.  Some days I think about getting rid of them, but am afraid I could want them, and they would be impossible to replace.  Would you keep them?  

small books

My latest craft project is making these little books that look like matchbooks.  It is a quick project you could make with any kind of cardstock.  Of course, my students wanted my samples, but I have to make two dozen more before there is enough for everyone.  They would make really cute party favors or something to tuck into a note.  I suppose you could put one in your purse so you had something to write a quick note on, too. 

The directions came from the book on the right, Making Mini Books by Kathleen McCafferty, though I changed them to fit me...I wasn't completely satisfied with the directions, but if you are a crafter, you would be able to figure it out.  There are a couple more projects in the book I may try some day, but for now I had to return the book to the library so someone else could use it. 

In the Land of Blue Burqas

In the Land of Blue Burqas by Kate McCord is a book worth reading.  McCord (a pseudonym) tells stories of people she met and conversations she had while working as a Christian in predominately Muslim Afghanistan.  This book was easy to read as well as thought provoking.  I took almost two weeks to read it because there was so much to think about.  It would be a good book for a book club to read and discuss.  My thoughts yesterday after finishing the book were 1.) I am so glad I read the book, and 2.) it is a book that gives perspective. 

blue, purple, and white

This is the quilt I made this summer.  I made it for a friend and coworker who had her second baby.  The babies I know get plenty of stuff when they are born, so thought a gift for the mom would be a good choice.  I am not a fan of purple, but it was a good addition to the quilt.  To make it a bit more interesting, the blocks are four inches by five inches finished (instead of making them square).

Penny and Her Doll

Penny and Her Doll is Kevin Henkes' newest book for children.  Penny gets a new doll from her grandmother which she absolutely loves.  The problem is that Penny's doll needs a name.  The short text and easy to follow story makes it a good book for preschoolers and beginning readers.