Two-Timing Kitty

Luke sat in front of me like a tempting piece of chocolate. Something I wanted, so badly, something that tasted so good, but in the end wasn’t great for my health and something I knew I couldn’t resist.

Have you visited my other blog yet? I’m really having fun with it! I’ve created a character, Kitty, and each entry is like a (short) chapter in her story. I’m even ‘staying in character’ when I answer the comments. It’s really fun! We’ll see where it goes…a book deal eventually? Hmm. Nice thoughts anyways (:

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Book Worm

I was reading one of my Daily Reads tonight about her Saturday and she got me thinking about books. I could spend hours and hours in a book shop, browsing the shelves, reading a chapter here, a chapter there.

One of my favorite shops to visit in Edmonton or Calgary when we go to visit, is Chapters. I get so excited just seeing the store, and going through those big wooden doors make me grin like a school kid in a candy shop.

My dream book shop though, was in Lewes, England. When I was there last, about ten years ago (wow, that makes me feel OLD!), my Uncle took me on a tour of the town. We came to a corner in the street, at the top of a cobblestone alley where book shelves stood, stacked full of books, on either side of a sunken doorway. Of course I had to take a look. Inside, after my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, the walls were lined with tall shelves, all sagging from the weight of the antique books they held. There were tables in the middle of the store, stacked high with more books, and even more books stacked on the floor beside them.

I dont’ think that I’ve posted on here but: Hubby and I are planning a trip to Europe this spring! It’s a slightly “spur of the moment” trip, and it isn’t going to be as long as I had wanted, but it will be GREAT to see my family over there and experience the culture again. I’m so in love with England it’s not even funny! And we’ll also be taking a couple day trip to Paris while we’re over there, so I’m THRILLED to see the Eiffel Tower and have crepes and wine and cheese at a Parisian cafe. I’m such a romantic!

About Me

Some random facts about me, just for fun:

1. My favorite movie is Moulin Rouge.
2. I am addicted to Vegemite…and I’m running out. I’ll need to order some from Australia soon.
3. My favorite book is The Thirteenth Tale.
4. I text my sister constantly. All day every day. It’s free though, so I’m not worried.
5. My biggest pet peeve is when people don’t use their signal lights.

Also, I’ve added some new blogs to the Blog Roll:

• Casey’s Musings
• Darling Dexter and
• Cicada Daydream
• Also, check out this blog about the Aussie fires that have been happening lately and the artists efforts to help the families.

Before the Fire

My birthday was a couple weeks ago and OF COURSE I asked for a gift certificate to Chapters. It’s really just a given for me. The whole experience is a gift for me. The moment I walk into Chapters, I feel a weight taken off of my shoulders, I breathe easier, I fall in love.

Books, antiques and new, get me somehow. As soon as I see them I want to flip through them, smell their pages and take in their words.

We don’t have a Chapters in our town, so during our trip to Calgary and Edmonton, we enjoyed a couple trips to the store.

We stepped into the store, the big classically worn doors closing out the winter cold and the tables of colorful books inviting us in even further. I smiled and breathed in the relaxation that pounced on me.

First: to the discount tables. I’m a bargian shopper, so any novel that I can get at a discount is a double treat. But since I love books so much, it’s really not something I stress about too much.

Then: to the Fantasy section. I’ve been meaning to start reading the Robert Jordan fantasy novels since I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the books…including my Dad-In-Laws opinion, which says a lot. I also picked up a novel about the beginnings of King Arthur by Jack Whyte. The author is actually from my province British Columbia.

Now: To Heather’s Picks. Heather reads tons of Chapters books and then reviews them or picks her favorites. I picked up a book “The Thirteenth Tale” and looked it over. I had seen it before and it looked interesting. I bought it.

Talk about AWESOME! It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten lost in a book. You know that feeling where you just can’t stop reading and even when you do, you want to go back to your book? This book does that. A total classic. Well written and a beautiful and twisting plot. Prepare to LOVE IT!

I finished the book last night, as I sat before our fireplace on my green velvet arm chair, and kept wishing it wouldn’t end. It’s really that good.

Need a New Craft?

Apparently I do. I dont’ really…but my brain is always forcing me to spend more money and learn new things. Dang you, brain!

I was going through my blogroll when I peeked into Erin Zam’s blog. I always love her entries but this one was even more inspiring. If you’re looking to start or try out a new craft technique, this is the entry to get you started. Check out her Etsy store while you’re in the clicky mood!

Techniques

                      

The other day, in my Get a Makeover post, I wrote about using different items in your product pictures to show the size of your products. You can do the obvious, and place a ruler in the picture (this is a good technique for fabric sellers) or you can be a bit more creative. Lusummers store has some great examples of this. See the cute little pin cushions at the top? As soon as you look at this picture you know the size of the product. She’s done it in a creative way, without using a ruler, by using an item we all are familiar with: a book.

                       

I wanted to show you this picture as well because it’s a great example of a clickable picture. One of the best tips I’ve read on Etsy is this: Use a main picture that will draw in the viewers interest and make them want to click. To do this, it’s best if you just give them a hint of the product and make them have to click to see what exactly the item is. Have the picture at a weird angle, show them just a piece of it to get them curious. That’s exactly what Lusummers did here. From this picture, you don’t really know what the item is but it’s colorful, interesting, and fun so you want to click it to see more!

Make sure to apply this to your new items and when you’re updating old photos!

Green Grass

 

Last night I tried to garden…I walked around the yard, hoping to find something to weed, something to get my hands dirty. Nothing. In our area, the veteran gardeners don’t suggest to plant your garden before the May Long weekend, so I can’t plant anything yet.

I ended up planting some Basil to grow in the house, grabbing my book and camera and laying on the grass for a while. Cobes thought I was playing, why else would I lay on the ground??, and would sporadically come and pounce on me or lick my face as she walked by. She finally settled down and chewed her twig while I relaxed, soaking up the sun and feeling the grass on my feet.

I’m so releived it summer! It feels so good to have the sun beating down and the yard looks so fresh and green and bright! I just can’t wait until after this weekend when I’ll plant my Foxgloves, Hollyhocks, Peonies, Lupins and hopefully a few Hydrangea trees (trees? or shrubs?).

The last picture of Cobie shows off her big ears…”Cobie – Bat Dog!”.

Q: What are your summer weekend plans?