darling petunia

Baubles and Bits

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:35:00 +0000

Twas the day before Christmas and all through the house...

...everything is still a mess, but I take comfort in the tree. I love these old ornaments.

I love all the variety. Painted, glittered, indented, different shapes, different sizes.

This one is the most beautiful combination of pink and orange. I couldn't seem to capture it in a picture, but it just glows.

Some of them emerged from their brittle, tissue-paper nests looking as shiny and new as the day they were created.

Others are a little worse for wear. This one has a huge, gaping hole in the back, but that's our secret.

Even the ones which seem to have lost their lustre perk up and look lovely once they're on the tree.

This kind, with the painted picture, is one of my favorites. I love the lights strung between the trees.

These were new to me this year. Busy Santas toting sacks full of toys. Thank you for finding these, mom.

This one has a place of honor. The colors, the shape--I think it's beautiful.

More humble, but no less charming, a cheery bell is another favorite.

Of course the lantern must be positioned just so so a light will shine from it.

I hope, like these ornaments, everyone can come together this holiday season. Whatever your quirks, differences, and flaws, no matter how different your backgrounds, we can all make something beautiful. Merry Christmas.

Peppermint

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:19:00 +0000

Okay, so I didn't exactly make the flock of robins I envisioned, but I did make a prototype, and I think it came out pretty well! I'm not used to that much hand sewing, but the stuffed cat gave me confidence to try, and I think I could get used to it. It's just so hard to slow down and work on something like that when the holiday is so rapidly approaching!

I made the stuffed candy canes using a $2 thrifted sweater. Let me assure you, they look easy, but they are tricky little buggers. So far I've gotten three ornaments out of one sleeve, so I have a lot left to work with. Any suggestions for other shapes, projects, etc? I just love the cheerful stripes, so I'm being a little hoard-y with it and want to find just the right project.

How to Make a Bow

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:17:00 +0000

How do you make bows? Well, this is how I do it!

You need: Ribbon, obviously. Scissors you don't mind cutting wire with. Wire in a medium gauge. Too heavy is a pain, and too light won't hold.

Determine how long you want your tails to be and leave that much before you start making loops. Play around with the size of your first loop until you find a size that looks pleasing. Generally, wider ribbon=larger loops.

Twist your wire around the loop once or twice to hold it in place.

You've pretty much learned the entire method now. Make a second loop to match the first...

....and wire it as before.

Continue in this vein, making a loop and wiring it in place.

When you have enough loops, you're ready to make the little pouffy loop in the center.

And that's all it is--another loop, just much shorter than the rest.

Wire it as you did for the others.

And just puff it up in the center. Cut your other tail to match the first, and you're done!

Rockin' Robin

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:55:00 +0000

Remember the cute robins from Cath Kidston?

I sure hope she doesn't mind...

...if I make a few for myself.

Oh Tannenbaum!

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:22:00 +0000

So, this is pretty much The Tree. I still have a box or two of balls to hang, mostly to fill in on the sides and back to give it more dimension. Thanks to my mom for running down with several additional boxes of ornaments! I've never done the big tree all in glass, so I was running a little short.

As long as that tree skirt is there and the lights are plugged in, Isabella's happy place is under the tree. She's my little pudding!

Need Any Ideas?

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:55:00 +0000

Just to torture myself, I have the Fjorn website bookmarked. There are so many beautiful things I'd love to have, but the prices...oh, my! The set of ornaments above: $123.99. And they're SOLD OUT! Maybe I'll just have to try my hand at making a few. My favorites are the soldiers and the mushrooms. How about you?

A few other lovely items from the site:

First Sign of Christmas

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:52:00 +0000

I decided.

Fake tree for ease and expediency.

Vintage glass ornaments for a change.

It's not done yet.

Just a peek.

We're Not in Kansas

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:56:00 +0000

I have this friend who has two super-cute nieces. They are at the stage where they're all about princesses and fairy tales, and they want to wear their princess gear all the time--even to bed. I tipped her off to a nightgown I saw in an Avon catalog which features three Disney princesses at once, thinking that would be a big hit. I mean, three at once! Come on! No. As she put it, "Apparently "Aurora (or whichever character is in favor that day) doesn't wear a nightgown with her picture ON it!" Ahem.

Here's where I come in. Jeanne (my friend) asked if either I (or my mom, but this is her busy season) could make them nightgowns based on Dorothy's outfit in the Wizard of Oz. Sounds like fun! Sure, I'll try it!

My thinking on this was that a nightgown should be simple, soft, and roomy, and it should have no buttons or zippers or any other nasty hard bits that might be uncomfortable to sleep on. I started with Simplicity pattern 5695, view E and just added the bib on the front.

Those bias cut straps seem to be vital to making a semi-authentic Dorothy! Thank goodness I looked at lots of Dorothy pictures before I started, or I might have made a huge mistake!

Now all they need are red bedroom slippers and a couple of little Toto toys and they're all set!

Souvenirs of Our Trip

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:43:00 +0000

No matter where I roam, I love to visit thrift shops. In Ireland, they call them charity shops, and the ones I run across most often are Oxfam, Mrs. Quin's, Vincent's, and Enable Ireland. Want to see the treasures I picked up on our trip?

How could I resist an Irish counties puzzle? I got this for just €4 at the Arklow Vincent's. My plan is to stick the pieces down with some BluTak and prop it up somewhere like artwork.

I'll always remember it was from Arklow, because it's conveniently marked on the puzzle! Oh, someone tried to rub it off, but it's there! Thank goodness the outlines of the counties are marked underneath, because I need the help!

This child's mug is another treasure from Arklow; this time a bargain from the table outside Mrs. Quin's. Just €.50. Mrs. Quin's in Arklow is tiny, but we always find a thing or two. Last year's Garda doll came from Mrs. Q's.

Gerry's mom came from Arklow and worked at the Arklow Potteries, so he loves things like this. And I have a little collection of children's china, so we're both happy!

Gerry was a little dubious about this one, however, and I can't say I blame him. We came across a lovely Vincent's in Greystones while we were looking for a geocache, and I spotted this blanket for €2. It's really too bad I didn't think to take a "before" picture, because it looked nothing like this before I washed it. I knew it was filthy, but even I was surprised by how bright and colorful it turned out to be.

How could anyone resist an Irish wool blanket for €2? And check out this fringe! Wheee!

Next time you're traveling, don't forget the charity shops! You can find lovely souvenirs of your trip--unique things--at bargain prices.

Link to the Irish Charity Shops Association.

Weigh In on My Dilemma

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:10:00 +0000

We're already into the second week of December. We just got back from vacation. My Thanksgiving decoration (yes, that's all there was) is still up. I am almost, but not quite, done with the mountain of laundry that emerged from our suitcases. There are piles of new goodies we brought back from the trip waiting to be absorbed into the household.

And we need a Christmas tree. Enter dilemma.

We have an artificial tree that we've been using for the past few years. (That's a picture of it last year.) I'd never had an artificial tree before. Gerry, on the other hand, well, let's just say handling pine/fir trees gives him welts, and he always seems a little terrified that the whole thing is going to go up in flames. I can sort of understand that as (a) we are terrible about keeping trees watered and (b) he grew up in Southern California where Christmas trees seem to be dried out before you even get them home.

So we have this fake tree. It was just a cheap tree, bought in an after-Christmas clearance sale. I have to admit, you can really pile stuff on there, because every branch is strong and there are lots of spaces to fill up. And, okay, I admit it's nice not to worry about watering the thing. And we already have it, so it's FREE. Always good, right?

So what's the problem? The problem is that it takes a lot of ornaments to make that pitiful green plastic thing look good. You can't just hang a few, simple, well-placed ornaments and expect it to look good.

And that takes time. It's fun, though, decorating the tree. What's not so fun? UN-decorating it after Christmas.

So here I am, pining for something simpler this year: a real tree that's beautiful even before the first ornament is hung. But a real tree is going to cost what? I don't even know anymore. Twenty five dollars? And then it gets thrown away. And Gerry will get welts. All good reasons to use the tree we have.

I just don't know what to do. I just about convince myself to just spend the money and get a real tree, then I'm afraid I'll miss seeing all my favorite ornaments. But packing them up in January...ugh, I just don't know.

Comments?

Overdue Books

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Evan Blessed and Evanly Bodies by Rhys Bowen: Alas, I've come to the end of the Evan Evans series. I'm sorry to see this one end, but I know there are so many others out there to discover. I wish Evan and Bronwen much happiness together. On a side note, I watched a few episodes of Escape to the Country (which I loved!) while on vacation, and one was set in Wales. What a surprise to hear how things are pronounced!

Oh Danny Boy by Rhys Bowen: Book five in the Molly Murphy series. I'm sad to say, not one of the better ones. I hope the next one picks up!

Whistling Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton: Mainly notable for its cute and clever cover. Yes, sorry to say, it wasn't that great. But it did get me in the mood for bundling up in mittens and scarves! I can see this being made into a feel-good movie with Reese Witherspoon or someone similar, though.

Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery: This is the author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog which has been enjoying enormous popularity. (I haven't read it yet.) Foodies are sure to enjoy it, as it focuses on a dying food critic craving one last taste of something he can't put his finger on. Warning: Some of the vocabulary in this book is really out there. I don't usually come across many unfamiliar words in my reading, but there were a bunch of them in this book.

Rainwater by Sandra Brown: I think this was supposed to be a different side of Sanda Brown. Not a tawdry romance, not an over the top thriller, just a simple story. It was okay, but it obviously didn't play to her strengths as a writer.

92 Pacific Boulevard by Debbie Macomber: This is another series I've been reading forever. More of the same in the Cedar Cove series, but somehow I always enjoy them. They're familiar.

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern: The Christmas books have been pouring into the library, and it's always fun to read a few, so I chose this one. I usually like Cecelia Ahern's books, but this was one wasn't well-crafted. I'll have to look for something better.

The Family Man by Elinor Lipman: By far the standout of this batch. I think I've enjoyed every Elinor Lipman book I've read, because she delivers interesting and well-drawn characters. She also has an eye for little details that ring true. Read this!

The Marriage Casket by Deborah Morgan: A book I grabbed to read on the plane. Sadly, not for me. It didn't hold my interest.

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:46:00 +0000

Another post from the road. This is a recipe from Martha. It wasn't on her site last I looked, but it's all over the web. Here is one link:

http://www.wearenotmartha.com/2009/10/moroccan-style-stuffed-acorn-squashes/

Gerry used cous cous intead of the bulgur wheat and we didn't have pine nuts or parsley, so he left those out. Verdict: delicious. And it made good leftovers, too!

Double Refashion

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Apologies for the lull in posting. We're on our annual post-Thanksgiving trip to Ireland, but we're paused for the moment, waiting out some rain, so I thought I'd dash off a post.

I've been trying to come up with new things to wear during the transition from warm to cold weather, when it's not quite cold enough for lots of layers, tights, boots, but I still want the feel of a new season. I found this sweater at the thrift shop for a few dollars. I liked the color and the style, but the buttons really dated it.

A couple seconds with the seam ripper took care of the buttons. Unfortunately, nothing I do ever comes off without incident, and I managed to poke a bit of a hole in the shoulder as well. Argh! Luckily, I caught it and sewed it up before it got too big, and it's barely noticeable.

I used the corduroy from this haul to make the skirt. The cargo-style I'd originally envisioned didn't seem like such a good idea after all, because I just wanted something very simple to wear with longer, bulkier sweaters. I finally settled on a pattern I'd made a while back...darn, I wish I could remember the pattern company/number, but that'll have to wail until I get home. It almost doesn't matter, though, because after sewing it up as written, I made a bunch of changes, and it looks nothing like the original design!

I'm pleased with the final result, but I went about it in such a roundabout way, I don't know if I can ever duplicate it. Either my next go at it will run more smoothly, or it will be a complete disaster!

Squeeeee!

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Look what came in the mail for me! Last month, Rowena of new year bunting spotted some Hello Kitty tissues in the photos of my new bag. She left a comment saying her daughter was wild about all things Kitty, so we worked out a transatlantic cuteness exchange! She picked out the perfect Charlie and Lola lunch tin for me, the tomato hater. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it. Thanks so much, Rowena!

Rowena also held the traditional 100th post giveaway at her blog, and I received a sweet and simple stained glass bird. As Lola would say, "Red is my favorite and my best."

It's so exciting to get packages! Thanks again, Rowena. Just let me know when you need more hankies!

$1.50 Laptop Case

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:16:00 +0000

Did I tell you Gerry gave me a present? He'd been socking money away in a virtual wallet somewhere, and surprised me with a shiny, red laptop last month! --squeal!-- Since then, I've been shopping around for a laptop bag or sleeve to protect my new toy, but none of them were exactly right. The cutest one, and the one I almost bought, was this flowery one from Built, but it's almost $30, and I just could not bring myself to do it.

So this is what I came up with instead. You might recognize the fabric from the camera case I made for Gerry a few months ago. I wasn't trying to be all matchy, but it was the only quilted fabric I had, so I went with it.

I thought it could use a little more padding, so I went to the thrift shop in search of something cushy to use for a lining. I was thinking maybe a fleece shirt, but none of them were quite nice enough, and they were all a bit pricey as well, so I ended up with this crazy flowered towel.

Let me tell you, Gerry is WILD about that lining! He thinks I'm a genius for using a towel. "It'll polish it when you put it away!" he said. I just thought it was cute, matched the denim, and added some padding. But if he wants to think I'm a genius...okay.

I think this is my favorite part. I'm not a big Velcro fan, so I used buttons and bias tape to make kind of an interoffice envelope closure. Winding the string in a figure eight to close those envelopes always sort of tickles my fancy!

In the end, instead of spending $30 for the neoprene sleeve, I spent a grand total of $1.50 (for the towel). The quilted fabric was given to me by a friend, and the notions were just part of the stash. Not bad!

Limbs and Answers

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:56:00 +0000

Look who has limbs! After another lengthy pause, I spent some time on my calico cat yesterday. She's all done now...just waiting for her kittens to arrive. In the meantime, she's learning all about life as a cat from Isabella.

And now it's...
ANSWER TIME!

Q: Kelly asked about a comment I made on the Already Pretty blog regarding slips. My lingerie drawer is one of the few things I haven't talked about on this blog, but here goes: I own over forty slips. Kelly asked where I find them.

A: Thrift shops and rummage sales! Long, short, and everything in between, they're secondhand. If it's a color I don't have or a length I don't have, I'll buy it. If the lace trim is pretty, I'll buy it. If it has a slit or is fuller or slimmer than the slips I already have, I'll buy it. Slips are a bargain at most thrift shops. I guess they carry the "Ewww, underwear" stigma or something. --shrug-- Doesn't bother me. Most of the slips I find are in such excellent condition, I suspect they weren't worn more than once or twice anyway.

Q: Regarding my post about my stripey top Linda asked what I'd wear it with.

A: The black corduroys I'm still looking for! By the way, Linda? The pattern is yours. I'll email you for your address.

Q: Lorelei asked me to tell more about The Lace Reader.

A: I am hopeless at summarizing! You can read a professional's summary of the book right here! (Trust me, you don't want to get me started!)

I think that picks up where I left off being diligent about answering questions. If you ask me something and I fail to answer, please email me or comment again and tell me to stop being such a lazy sod. Thank you. =)

Not the Usual Book Post

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0000

One of the things I do at the library is unpack and process the boxes of new books. At first I was assigned the children's books, and then I switched to doing the adult books. I love getting first crack at the adult titles, but oh how I missed the picture books! So here's a confession: Whenever I can, I "help" with the children's books. -wink- Each of these books I've unpacked recently caught my eye in a different way.

First, For Just One Day by Laura Leuck, illustrated by Marc Boutavant. It's probably not too terribly hard to figure out what attracted me to this one! Check out Marc B's website for at look at more illustrations. So cute!

Next is The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward. This is a sweet little story, but let's face it: It's all about the Bog Baby.

This little guy reminded me of another nebulous, goggle-eyed creature,one from my childhood, The Aminal. Anyone remember that book? The stories are completely different, but I think all kids love little beasties like that!

Finally, Stormy Weather written and illustrated by Debi Gliori. The illustrations are lovely, but for me, this one is all about the words. If I had a child, I would have to buy this for bedtime.

And so it continues, in a lovely, lilting, soothing rhyme. Aaah. I wouldn't mind if someone read that to me every night.

Revised Flower

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Popping back with the stripey shirt, just to show you how the revised flower turned out. I made a larger one, then layered the small one on top. This made a nice, full bloom! I also turned some of the layers wrong-side up, thinking it might add a little to it. Not sure it really shows up, but I know it's there!

A'thrifting I Have Been

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Oh no. I think maybe my purchase of that $7.99 pair of pants opened the floodgates on my profligate ways.

I paid $6.50 for grandpa gnome. I just wanted him. He's from Gorham and dated 1979, so I figured he might at least have some vintage cred, but there doesn't seem to be much interest in old gnomes on ebay. That's okay. He's happy here.

THRIFTING TIP!
In case you're wondering, the price tag is still on there because I want to hit it with the hairdryer to soften up the adhesive before peeling it off. That's a good way to ensure you don't peel up paint along with the sticker. It works well on paper too.

A couple of years ago, Cath Kidston was selling a colorful, granny square blanket. Bloggers the world over started whipping up their own versions. Like this one and this one and this one. Here's the original:

I love all the different versions, and I would love to make one of my own, but you all remember how well last month's attempt at learning to crochet went. I've resigned myself to looking for them at thrift shops. I found this throw at the thrift shop for only $2.25. While it's not as elaborate as all those examples, I think it has its own charm. Every yarn item I bring into this house ends up as a cat bed anyway!

THRIFTING TIP! This blanket is acrylic, but I've successfully washed wool blankets in the washing machine using either Woolite or baby shampoo and the delicate cycle. Dry flat or set your dryer to fluff. I try to avoid dry cleaning because of both the cost and the chemicals.

Another of my recent finds is this thing, whatever it's supposed to be! I suppose it's a trivet or hot pad of some sort, but I'm planning to use it in a little arrangement somewhere, to add height and pattern.

THRIFTING TIP! This one's pretty obvious, but consider alternative uses for things. I didn't need another trivet, but I really liked this thing, so I'll find a way to use it!

Stripey Top

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Don't you think it's about time I sewed something to wear? Me too! Now that it's all behind me, I will confess that the reason I haven't been sewing much lately is because I was scared I might lose my job. Budget cuts hit Pennsylvania libraries hard, and in the midst of all the anxiety and depression, I just couldn't get excited about sewing...or much of anything, to be honest. Now that things are getting sorted, and I still have a job (!), it's time to get back to it!

I was tempted to get back in the swing of things by making a skirt, but a faithful reader, Mags, gently reminded me that I can do skirts in my sleep, so maybe it was time for something new. With that in mind, I decided to tackle the striped knit I got at Jomar Fabrics last month.

You all know how fond I am of sewing knits. --ahem-- Originally, I intended to make the Built by Wendy pattern, Simplicity 3692. Taking a closer look at it...oh, yikes. It has that yoke, and it's not my usual silhouette, and I'm a huge wimp who doesn't like to take chances. So I turned to Butterick 6084. Ah, that's more like it! A simple boatneck top.

So how did this happen?

Well, that Butterick pattern is O-L-D and I guess I never looked at it very closely, because it's not my size. [If anyone would like to have it, let me know. It fits sizes 8, 10, or 12, and if you click on the link for it, you can see the corresponding measurements.]

So it was Built by Wendy, be default. The shirt was not that hard to make after all. It's maybe a little more voluminous than I'd like (and that was going down a size), but I'm pleased with it. The only thing I changed was the hem. The pattern has slightly rounded hem, and that looked terrible with the stripes, so I picked apart the first hem and redid it.

I also thought it needed a flower, but I didn't feel like winging it, so I did a quick search for a tutorial. (The CraftStylish blog is pretty cool, by the way. I don't think I've ever been there before.)

Notice how the flower looks bigger in the third picture? That's how it started out, and I cut it down. Now I wish I'd left it bigger, so I'm going to redo it. Geesh.

Speaking of geesh. Taking pictures of yourself with a timer can sure be entertaining.

Um, why didn't I put the shoulder with the flower towards the camera?

Okay, better, but I think I'd prefer it straight on.

Too low.

Still too low.

Timer? What timer?

I Spy

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:55:00 +0000

I spy something with my little eye...

...which I am going to copy for my Christmas tree!
These cuties are from Cath Kidston.

I also hit another milestone recently, so I'm going to have a giveaway soon!

Can you guess what the milestone might be?

Bob's Your Uncle*

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:10:00 +0000

Cousin Mary's Apple Cake

This is our cousin Mary in Ireland.

We love Mary, and we love her apple cake.

We've been trying, but ours never comes out like hers.

This is our third and, so far, best attempt.

This recipe will make four loaves of apple cake, which is a lot of apple cake even if you love it. If you wish, you can change that to two loaves of apple cake and 24 cupcakes or any combination you like. Or you can just make all four loaves and share!

Preheat your oven to 320 degrees F. Ready your loaf pans (buttered) and/or cupcake tins (use liners or butter). Cream together 12 oz castor sugar and 12 oz softened butter. In another bowl, measure out 18 oz self-rising flour. Crack six large eggs into a measuring cup and add milk to make 12 oz. Beat together.

With mixer on low, alternate adding the flour and the egg mixture into the creamed sugar and butter. Increase the mixer speed and keep scraping the sides until well mixed. The mixture will be rather thick.

---Edited to add: If you're doing the cupcakes, fill up those tins now, before you add apples! They will bake at 395 degrees for 12-15 minutes.---

Now you're going to peel your cooking apples. If you're doing just two loaves, you'll need about 6 to 8 small apples. We did all four loaves, and we used 12 apples. Cut them up, but leave them fairly chunky or, as Mary says, it won't look like apple cake. Mix the apples into the batter. Next, add about four tablespoons of cinnamon to the mixture. (You can use whatever spices you like, really--some nutmeg, some mixed spice, etc.)

Divide batter into pans and sprinkle a little brown sugar and cinnamon on top. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

And Bob's your uncle!* This try didn't turn out too badly. Still not on a par with Mary's, but we're getting closer.

*If you're thinking, "What the heck does that mean?" click here for an explanation!

B-O-O-K-S

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:47:00 +0000

I wonder if it's a coincidence that the two spookier books were my favorites this month?

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger- This is the new book from the author of The Time Traveler's Wife. I have to admit, I liked this better. It's spooky and strange, but not nearly as complicated as TTW. I thought it was very atmospheric.

Where You Once Belonged and The Tie that Binds by Kent Haruf- Haruf's books Plainsong and Eventide are two of my favorites, so it was high time I read some of his other work. Of the two, I preferred the latter, but both were good. Simple and quiet, but strong books.

Confessions of a Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado- Nothing new, really. This is Sandra Bullock's sister, she opened a bakery, etc.

Sleeping Naked is Green: How an Eco-Cynic Unplugged her Fridge, Sold her Car, and Found Love in 366 Days by Vanessa Farquharson- It's gimmicky, yes. She decides to make one change per day towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I'd skip the book and read the blog.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie- (young adult) A friend at work raved about this book (and heck it won a National Book Award) so I gave it a try. It's good. I still prefer John Green for YA novels. I should probably ask my friend what she liked so much about it. Taryn?

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry- Also recommended by a work friend. Loved this one! Perfect read leading up to Halloween, too, as it's set in Salem.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown- Yep, I read it. And guess what...I actually enjoyed it. I wonder, though, if that's because I so rarely read stuff like this.

101 Things to Do Before You Diet: Because Looking Great Isn't Just About Losing Weight by Mimi Spencer- I love the concept--dressing to flatter, having confidence, etc. I was dismayed, however, to find that there was also quite a bit about, you guessed it, losing weight.

The Carousel by Belva Plain- Yeah it's melodramatic and dated and trashy, but it's still fun to read! This is one of those books you're a little embarrassed by, but we all need to read one of them once in a while!

Boo!

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:13:00 +0000

A few thrift shop finds. I was suddenly drawn to all the Fall and Halloween stuff I'd ignored for weeks.

Why? 75% off will do that to a girl.

The wondrous specimen of flocked goodness set me back 31 cents.

And this rakish pumpkin head...

...thirteen cents.

No Thanks, I'm Stuffed

DarlingPetunia@aol.com (Darling Petunia) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:10:00 +0000

I made a little progress on my calico cat today. Her little head with one ear had been smiling at me from my sewing table for three weeks! Listened to some Lyle Lovett while stitching on that second ear and constructing the body, then switched to who else but Elvis Costello?

The result was lots of little threads and bits on my carpet. You can keep your Dysons. I prefer this snazzy little number. Quiet, efficient, and ecologically sound!