Booking Through Thursday - Gluttony

This week’s Booking Through Thursday question is:

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

My eyes are definitely bigger than my book belly! Back in my single, pre-child days, I could read whenever the mood struck me, which I'll say was quite often. But now, I can barely squeeze in time while riding the bus to and from work.

My husband, son and I love to browse through books and spend a good portion of whatever free time we have at a bookstore or library. In fact, when our initial plans fell through, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary hopping bookstores!

I buy books much faster than I can read them but I'm happy knowing I have a good selection waiting for me when I do have a few moments to spare. My husband has a bit more free time so he will actually get something read before our next bookstore run.

The beautiful covers, enticing blurbs, intoxicating scent of paper...ahhh... can you blame me for wanting more, more, more?

Click here to find out how other participants answered this question.

Manic Monday - April 27, 2009

Today's questions/prompts are:

What's the best summer job you ever had?

One of the few jobs I held before starting work full time was tying jigs. Fishing lure. The work was done at home and I’d receive a certain amount of cents per jig. Being a perfectionist, I’m surprised I didn’t agonize over getting them just right. I guess at the time, I was more concerned about making a few bucks and spending it with friends.

Tell me about the worst date you ever went on.

I’ve never had any horrible dates other than that I allowed I guy who liked me (but I wasn’t so sure I felt the same) to kiss me and it was the worst kiss EVER!!! Talk about all teeth and no nothing!

Do you think the age for a driver's license should be raised (currently 16 here in the U.S.)?

There are certainly some 16 year old kids mature enough to drive but there are many who are not. Perhaps there could be an additional test they’d have to take to prove maturity, responsibility and forethought. Hmmm…

You can find more Manic Monday participants here.

Booking Through Thursday - Juggling Act

At Booking Through Thursday today:

"Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…"

1. Are you currently reading more than one book?

Yes

2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?

Three: Poltergeist by Kat Richardson, The Sound of Paper by Julia Cameron, and Creative Journal Writing by Stephanie Dowrick.

3. Is this normal for you?

I used to read one book at a time but since I've started reading books on writing and poetry, I now usually read a writing book, poetry collection, and some type of fiction at the same time. Now I just need more time for reading!

4. Where do you keep your current reads?

I usually keep two books in my totebag: the fiction and either the writing or poetry book. That way I'm prepared for whatever mood I'm in during the commute to work. The other book stays at home in my bedroom or on the dining room table.

To find out how other participants answered these questions, click here for Booking Through Thursday.

Bookplate Tutorial

Fellow Texty Lady and author Jane E. Jones has written a tutorial on how to make bookplates and posted at our site today. It's great and not too difficult so if you're in the market for bookplates or would just like to give it a try, head on over to Texty Ladies today.

Manic Monday 4-6-09

Today's Questions:

How often do you change your toothbrush?

Usually every three months.

What is your favorite item of clothing to shop for?

Shirts, blouses, sweaters... I don't have to squeeze my hips into them!

Do you use social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)? Which do you use most often?

I have an account almost everywhere! I have personal and group blog Twitter accounts but don't use them very much. I go in streaks at Facebook: I can be obsessed for days and then not want to go there for a week or so at a time.

Click here to play!

BTT: Best "Worst" Book

This week's BTT question was suggested by Janet:


The opposite of last week’s question: “What’s the best ‘worst’ book you’ve ever read — the one you like despite some negative reviews or features?”

Okay, I'm going WAY OUT on a limb here people. I can't think of any books I've read that have had really negative reviews....so....I'm going to go WAY back to when I was, oh, 11 or so and I discovered a book in our downstairs bookshelf. No one ever looked at those books, or so I thought... hmm....

Anyway, I found this book and thought, "Wow, the cover looks very mod and cool. Maybe I should take a look inside." Lord, Have Mercy! That book brought a whole new world into existence. So much so that I had to share it with my girlfriend who lived next door.

What is this book I speak of? What could be that intriguing? Why would I name it as a best "worst" book?

I'm saying it was the best "worst" book I've ever read (actually, only a few sections!) because while it was titilating to say the least, it gave me one particular feeling I never wanted to feel again. That icky, squeeze-my-eyes-tightly-shut-hands-over-ears-la-la-la disgusting feeling. A lesson was learned that day.

What the heck book is it already?

Up, The Hard Way.

I don't know who the author is and I can't find it on Amazon or other bookstore sites. I'm sure it's online somewhere.

I think it was supposed to be a 70's look at the swinging lifestyle. I never read it all the way through, as I mentioned above. In fact, I could have the story all wrong. I do know that I remembered the experience and how my friend and I read a few sections, on a few different occasions, then stuffed it back in the bookshelf never to be looked at again (by my eyes anyway).

Before you go thinking I'm a prude, remember, I was only 11ish at the time. A book like that would undoubtedly not have that exact same effect today.

Forewarned is forearmed, I say. I think.

Interview with Melody Lane!

I do hope you'll stop over at Texty Ladies for my interview with author Melody Lane! She talks about her book ROCK ME and fills us in on what she's working on now. I hope to see you there!

Contest

My good friend and fellow texty lady Jane E. Jones is holding a contest! Win her new book Puppy Love and several other fabulous prizes. Just head over to Texty Ladies for all the details!

Manic Monday - Time

Fleur de Lisa's questions this week are?

What would you do with an extra hour each day?

I would write. I always say I never have enough time for it. If I had that extra hour, there would be no excuse.

Do you wear a watch? If so, tell us about it. If not, how do you keep track of time?

My watch was a gift from my husband. "I won't let you fall apart" is engraved on the back which is the NIN song, The Fragile. The song is very dear to us and tipped us over into love.

If it was possible, would you want to know how many days you had left to live?

On one hand, I wouldn't want to know because we should be living each day as if it could be our last; on the other, if I knew, I would make sure all of my affairs were in order. I guess the lesson here is to hopefully not know but get our affairs in order anyway and make sure our time is quality time.

Excellent questions, Lisa!

Poetry Play Thursday

Poetry Play Thursday is a meme I created for those who would like to try writing poetry. I'll post a new form of poetry each week and then we'll give it a try, hopefully sharing our poem with the other participants.

We'll start with the easier forms and move on to more difficult ones as we gain confidence. I plan to throw in a few unusual forms as well. :)

I hope you'll stop over at Texty Ladies, where the poem will be hosted, and give it a try. April is National Poetry Month and this will give us some practice.

See you there!

Manic Monday #156

Lisa's questions this week are:

What's one of the simple pleasures in your life?

Playing RockBand with my family and friends. We've slowed down a bit but we used to play it every night; sometimes more than once. Talk about Rock-n-Roll excess!

What do you like to snack on when you watch a movie?

Popcorn would be my #1 choice! Just a touch of butter will do. Of course, I wouldn't pass up some Goobers. Chocolate and peanuts are the perfect combination!

If you were a Survivor contestant, what would be your luxury item?

I'd want to choose something practical that would have many uses, like a Swiss Army Knife, but I wonder if there are restrictions on that type of thing. Maybe I'd bring a game that my tribe could play which would pass some time, might be fun, and also reveal personality traits in my fellow contestants.


More Manic Mondays.

Booking Through Thursday: Storage

Taken from the BTT site:

This week’s question is suggested by Kat:

I recently got new bookshelves for my room, and I’m just loving them. Spent the afternoon putting up my books and sharing it on my blog . One of my friends asked a question and I thought it would be a great BTT question. So from Tina & myself, we’d like to know:

“How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?”

I tend to group mine by genre, keeping all series together. I have so many books and my shelves are deep so I'll put older books that I've already read in the back with new books in front of them. I try to put heavier books near the bottom because I have a phobia that the kittens will be in freak-out mode and knock the shelves over on top of them. Yeah, I know, it's a stretch, but, hey, it could happen!

Since I have bookshelves in the bedroom and the living room, I tend to keep the romance and erotic romance novels in the bedroom (makes sense) and the general fiction, how-to's, gardening, animal, arts and writing books in the living room. We really need a separate room just for books. My husband is a collector as well. His large collection of excellent comic books are stored in long cardboard boxes down in the mancave.

My TBR books are kept on the top two shelves of one of the bedroom bookshelves. I've severely cut back on new purchases until I can whittle away at the TBRs.

I'm not sure if I should admit it or not but I am a magazine junkie. Have been for many years. These you will find on the bottom of several bookshelves, in a stack on my desk, another on my desk chair, and several others in bags and boxes in my closet. It's bad, I know. Not so bad that you'll see me on the evening news when an intervention unit is busting into my house because the neighbors tipped them off to a "magazine hoarder", but it could easily slip into that if I didn't occasionally weed through them and throw a few out. Since I've developed an interest in collage, I'm hoping to rid myself of several by tearing out the picture and article gems and throwing the rest out. May the Force be with me.

Want to know how others arrange their books? Go to Booking Through Thursday.

The Sound of Paper

Please check out my post at Texty Ladies today. It's about the booking I'm currently reading, "The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch" by Julia Cameron.

Leave me some comment love, if you're so inclined. :)

Manic Monday

Fleur De Lisa posts some fun questions over at Manic Monday so I thought I'd give it a go. Here are today's questions and my answers:

What's the most embarrassing song on your iPod (or music collection)?

Hmmm... I guess I'd have to say "Stay With Me Tonight" by Jeffrey Osborne. The only reason I picked it is because most of the music on my iPod right now is industrial, funk and electronic and a bit darker in nature. I'm not really embarrassed to say I love this song because it always makes me move and reminds me of a time in my life when I had fewer responsibilities. Come on. You can't help but move when you hear it!

How much time do you spend each day in your commute? (Or if you don't work outside the house, how much time do you spend in your car or other preferred mode of transportation?)

On average, I spend one hour before work and one hour after in commute. About ten minutes of that (each way) is driving in my own car; the rest is on public transit (oh, joy!).

What's your favorite wardrobe item and why?

My favorite wardrobe item right now is the incredibly soft and cushy robe I picked up while celebrating my husband's and my anniversary last year. They were, of course, draped over our bed, ready to be enjoyed and lusted after so that we'd HAVE to purchase them at checkout. We both couldn't resist and we rationalized our purchase with this excellent reasoning: The traditional anniversary gift item for that year was cotton, so exquisitely soft and comfortable cotton robes would only be honoring tradition, right? ;)

Hey, this was kinda fun! Thanks, Lisa! I think I'll look for next week's questions, too. Wanna join me?

Been There, Done That

I grabbed this from Melsdream.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (???)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Looks like I have some catching up to do.

Booking Through Thursday

There have been a lot of firsts on my blogs this week and I've got another one today. Booking Through Thursday is a meme about what else.....books! A question is asked each Thursday and participants then answer it on their blog or in the comment section of the host site. Here is today's question?

Since “Inspiration” is (or should be) the theme this week … what is your reading inspired by?

First off, my mood plays a huge part in what I decide to read. Quite often I'll want something lighthearted since there is enough to deal with in real life. Who needs more conflict?! Other times I'll long for something meatier; something that will require me to stretch my thoughts, question my beliefs or expose my heart. A good cry is quite cleansing, don't you think?

The author's voice and talent are what will determine whether or not I continue reading past the first few pages of any book. I can't tell you how many books I've started over the last few months only to place them back on my TBR shelves because I just couldn't muster up enough interest in the plot or characters. If I don't care about the characters, what's the point? Truly, I can forgive a semi-weak plot or some inconsistencies if I feel like I could live inside the main character or just want to know what happens to them.

As shallow as it may sound, an excellent book cover and back cover blurb may be what draws me in. I'm amazed at the beautiful art work and design being used for them these days. I guess those marketing folk know what they're doing, right?

Any number of things will inspire me to pick up a book, and how happy am I that someone was inspired to write them?!

A Snag in the Plan

Participating in the CreativeEveryDay challenge has been difficult since as soon as I decide to be more consistent in my creative efforts, the tendonitis in my right hand decided to flare up. I tried sketching and couldn't draw more than two small figures before the shooting and constant pain increased and I had to put down my pencil.

I will say that I've tried to think more creatively lately. My mind has been filled with ideas and projects I'd like to tackle so hopefully I can do that soon. Until I can draw again, I can be working on other projects like writing poetry. My goal this week is to write one or two or three haikus. I'd love to have enough to create a poetry book some time this year. Cross your fingers that I'm up to the challenge!

Mission 101 2009

I've joined the Mission 101 2009 community over at LiveJournal. It's all about choosing 101 goals to accomplish in 1001 days (approx. 2.75 years). I like the mission idea and time frame because 1001 days is actually doable for most goals. The community members post updates on their progress and hopefully everyone will be encouraging and supportive. I've been posting my goals in increments of 20 at my LiveJournal Dreaming in Digital. I'm trying to throw in short and long-term goals and I have to say it's not easy coming up with 101 of them!

The Girl With No Shadow

I defer to my post at A Touch of Inspiration today. Please go have a look. It's about Joanne Harris' book, The Girl With No Shadow. I'm still setting up the blog, so please be patient. :)

Artist Camille M. Boggs

Over the past few days, I've been surfing from one creative blog to the next, pulling a few to add links to from my blog. I'm always amazed by what people come up with and the incredible talent that is out in this big, bad world. One artist blew me away so I'm featuring her here. Needless to say, I'm incredibly inspired by her work and it makes me want to figure out what my creative niche is. I present to you, Camille M. Boggs.

Camille Boggs fell in love with papermaking in college. She began cutting paper and found that the #11 x-acto blade became an extension of her hand. From the work you see here, I'd say she found the right medium to work in.

The Sun was Snowing

Maybe Next Time

She works in 2D and 3D and her photography mimics her cut paper work. You'll have to go to her site to view the rest of her jaw-dropping work.

Thank you for your amazing talent, Camille! It is such an inspiration!

Common Good Books

My husband and I dropped our son off at the Science Museum to hang out with his friend today and then we checked out Common Good Books (Garrison Keillor, prop), a bookstore I've been wanting to go to for some time now. I love going to the big chain book stores because there's so much to look at but I also enjoy shopping at the independent bookstores, not only because they have charm and you feel like you're supporting the common man, but I always feel like an important or delightful discovery is just around the next bookshelf.

Common Good Books didn't disappoint. The main body of the store is in one large open room but to get to Fiction and Travel, Religion and a few other topics, you're required to pass through doorways to narrow hallways lined with bookshelves, like a funhouse, and at one point, the wall recedes to an alcove with a couch surrounded by posters and books where you can sit and peruse to your heart's content. After months of searching for The Girl With No Shadow, Joanne Harris' sequel to Chocolat, I finally found it here. My husband found Bridgeman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life and a few other treasures.

CGB supports local authors by carrying many of their books and hanging posters celebrating their work. I know they hold many book signings throughout the year.

As it's a bit of a drive from our home, Common Good Books probably won't be a weekly visit, but I'm sure we'll stop by again...and again.

Creative Every Day

I've decided to take on a new challenge, entitled CreativeEveryDay. There's no pressure to post every day but I'll try to do so as often as I can. Finding time to be creative is next to impossible lately, if we're talking about sketching, writing a story, or something of that nature. There's more to being creative than that as you'll see if you follow my link to CreativeEveryDay. Have a look and maybe you'll want to take the challenge with me.

I think being creative can mean finding new perspectives and solutions as well as creating art. Maybe my daily creative act will be changing my attitude on something or finding a new design to get excited about. Some days will include drawing or adding a few more paragraphs (or chapters) to one of my stories. I hope this challenge will get me started on at least some of the many crafts I'd like to try. One thing this challenge has done for me already is direct me to the blogs of other creative people and I must say, there's a lot of talent out there!

P.S. I've decided to use this blog (even though I haven't posted here in a while) because it is easier to post pictures in the sidebar with links to other sites than some of my other blogs.

Word(s) for the Year

I posted my goals for 2009 yesterday because I wanted a fresh start after a very difficult year in 2008. My hope is that 2009 will be more productive and less serious. While surfing around my Favorite websites, I stumbled upon "Resolution Revolution" by Christine Kane. In her post, she talks about having a theme word for the year. Instead of listing resolutions that we try but often fail it, she suggests choosing a word to inspire and lead us throughout the year. I like this idea.

While I still plan to strive toward the goals I set yesterday, I'd like to also choose a word for the year that could help me accomplish even more. Ms. Kane suggests getting quiet and taking a few days to determine which word you will choose and offers a list of words you can choose from or to use as inspiration in your choice. My initial thought was to choose the word "presence" as I tend to be thinking of the future most of the time and not living in the moment. I think I'll get quiet and think on it for the next few days and then make my final decision and post it here. I recommend that you take a look at her post on this subject and give it a try. What could it hurt?