More reading

So the passionfruit curd didn't happen, did however try out a recipe with mushrooms...but I imagined it to be loads better.  Gotta try these things for yourself right?  I did finish my latest read- the new James Patterson read and my thoughts on it...so you glad you wanted to know.

TITLE: I, Michael Bennett
AUTHOR: James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
RELEASED: 2012
PUBLISHER: Random House

IMAGE: bigw.com.au

I haven't read a James Patterson for a while (years) and whilst this moved along at a good pace, for me it was just OK. Not bad but not fantastic either, just meh, just nothing too unexpected story wise.

What I would however tell you is "beware the finish" - you'll be waiting for the next installment (should you care).  It ends rather abruptly, I actually flicked back a couple of pages to check the page numbers because I thought I had missed a chapter.

So what I thought....3 out 5

BTW I also finished a couple of the those "almost but not quite yet done" cards, so once I've taken pics I'll show you the results.  

A few new cards

It's been a couple of weeks, but I've some half done cards which I had been working on (still about a half dozen waiting in a 95% done pile) - we can blame books, baking & visitors for getting side tracked in the most delilghtful ways. 

 
STAMPS: Stampin' Up Triple Treat Flower / Short and Sweet
INKS: Stampin' Up Real Red, Fabrico Black
ACCESSORIES: Stampin' Up Jewellery Tag Punch / Word Window Punch, Cuttlebug + Bloom Dots Embossing Folder, Dimensionals, Organza Ribbon and Brad
PAPER: Grey, Charcoal and White Card

I liked the simplicity of the "flower" dots mimicing the flower stamp.
A little hard to see in the photo...but a lovely card.  I've also created it in a blue and white colour scheme - a classic combo that looks equally good.

This is one I thought could be tweak this easily for various uses (birthdays, get well, congratulations).



And another..  I'm loving the colours together very autumnal.

STAMPS: Stampin' Up Fifth Avenue Floral
INKS: Stampin' Up Whisper White, and Flower done ages ago - so unsure on the inks
ACCESSORIES: Aqua Pen, Versamark Pen, Bronze Emboss + Heat Gun, Organza Ribbon, Dimensionals
PAPER: Recycled and Rust Card, Watercolour Paper

Now off to get a cuppa, and contemplate today's project.  I've been given HEAPS of passionfruit, and I'm going to try passionfruit curd.  Found a couple of easy recipes online.. so game on.

Laid back weekend

What a laid back weekend I've had...just fabulous.  Caught up with some friends on Saturday and went to lunch out to the Eatons Hill Hotel.  A relatively new place, it's only been open - maybe a year(?)  Beautiful food - a couple of people went the entree option - which I would easily be happy with for lunch.  I shared a vege pizza, topped with roasted sweet potato, caramelised onion, fresh spinach and some sour cream..YUMMO! As we were unsure on the size we got some chips to go with it...again YUM!

Then it was home to do a little craft.  My beautiful niece is just soooo popular - so some more thankyou cards were needed.  So what a fantastic excuse, I didn't need to be asked twice.  Here are a few to share..

The first one is one I've tried a few variations on, various sentiments happy birthday / best wishes, and colour waves of purples and pinks.  It also works with/without embossing folder and it's only two stamps with such great results.  A bit of a favourite combo with comes out regularly.

STAMPS: Stampin' Up Garden Whimsey / Short & Sweet
INKS: Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip / Bashful Blue / Not Quite Navy
ACCESSORIES: Cuttlebug + Stampin' Up Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder, Stampa Ma Jig, Pearls and Dimensionals
PAPER: White and cream card stock

The next  was one I did at a Stampin' Up Catalogue launch, but whilst I thought the teacup was cute.  The card well, it just wasn't for me...so it's a bit of a do-over using bits and bobs from the craft cupboard & now I'm happy.

STAMPS: Stampin' Up Tea Shoppe / En Francais / Tiny Tags / Wonderfully Worn
INKS: Stampin' Up Pink Pirouette / Pretty in Pink / Rose Red
ACCESSORIES: Jewellry Tag Punch / Word Window Punch / Scallop Trim Border Punch, Pearls, Linen Thread and Dimensionals

PAPER: White, Pink and Grey Card Stock

And last one for today, is one which was a bit of this and that...but I'm loving it and the colours.

STAMPS: Stampin' Up Fifth Avenue Floral / Tiny Tags
INKS: Stazon Timber Brown, Stampin' Up Whisper White, and poss Pink Pirouette and Pretty in Pink
ACCESSORIES: Versamark Pen, Aqua Pen, Stampin' Up Jewellery Tag Punch / Word Window Punch, White embossing powder, Stampin' Up 1cm Luck Limeade Ruffled Ribbon
PAPER: Watercolour, Gloss, White, Pink and Recycled Card Stock.

Well, I think the sun has now hit my lounge - so I'm off to read the Sunday Paper with a cuppa tea.  Ahhh what a Sunday.

Baby it's cold outside

 

Well since the sunshine last weekend, we've seen the cold weather return sans rain.  So yes it was cold but the days were clear and not miserable; so in my opinion a definate improvement on the week before.

So whilst it's been a bit chill, and there's been utter rubbish on TV - I have been reading on the bus to work, finding a place in the sun at lunch and reading, bit more reading on the bus coming home - then well nothing on TV so getting in my flannie jim jams and crawling into bed with a book (and hot water bottle).  Hence I have a few reviews to tell you about.  So....



TITLE: The Forgotten Garden
AUTHOR: Kate Morton
RELEASED: 2008
PUBLISHER: Allen & Unwin
IMAGE: thereadingexperiment.com

On the upside I liked the fairytales interwoven into the story.  I thought the intricate layering of different times and places was clever.  But it felt like pretty much every character had mother/child abandonment issues.

An OK read, but just a bit average.  I'm thinking 3/5.


And then, the girl I sit next to at work and I were having a book discussion, which ended with her lending me a copy of one of her favourite books & me lending her one of my favs. I told her about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - she definately got the better end of the deal.

 TITLE: Tomorrow When the War Began
AUTHOR: John Marsden
RELEASED: 1993
PUBLISHER: Pan Macmillan
IMAGE: books.google.com

So this was a school read for the girl at work, and she has re-read it several times.  I didn't like to tell her I was out of school when it was published - I'd heard of it and that was about it (and truthfully that was probably more due to the movie coming out last year).

It did have convincing teenage characters & I can see it would be great for teenagers.  However I'm thinking if I read it when I was a teenager, it may have been good but I'm suspecting I'm just too old, and don't really go for the dystopian novels.

My thoughts are it was OK, but won't rush out to buy (or even borrow) remaining books in series...2.5/5.


And my last one a bit of a wash out.  Well OK it was the book that never makes you want to try new books.


TITLE: Let's Pretend This Never Happened
AUTHOR: Jenny Lawson
RELEASED: 2012
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins
IMAGE: goodreads.com

Hmmmm, read the reviews which indicated irrevant but a good read.  I wish I could get my money back!  A couple of smirks, but heaps of language and she kept referring to her "fanny".  What is that about?  The couple of smirks just didn't outweigh all the other rubbish for me.

I didn't even finish it because I just didn't care.  For me the title did actually say it all! I've deleted it off my e-reader as there is a snowflakes chance in hell I'd ever be bothered to read it again.

On the upside interesting cover, although I spent more wondering about the photoshoping on the cover than the contents of the book.

Safe to say a 1, and only because there were a couple of chuckles.

So a huge post covering a couple of weeks of books.  Bring on the weekend :)