Tyler has the ability to make her characters so very real.  You feel each emotion they feel and it seems that you are right there with them as they go through the various ups and downs of life.

The story is mainly about Macon Leary, a travel guide writer, who is coping with losing his son and separating from his wife.  He meets Muriel, an employee at the Meow Bow, a pet boarding business, and begins to date her.  Muriel is Macon’s polar opposite, but for whatever reason, this is exactly what he needs at this point in his life.

The story is not light or hilarious, like some of my recent reads.  Instead, it is very tender and sweet.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it if you’re in the mood for a well written, very real story. You will find yourself really caring about the characters and hoping for the best for them as they sort out their topsy turvy lives.

The movie has William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis playing the main characters.  Its on my list of movies to watch soon.

The story begins with Alice falling off her bike at spinning class and bumping her head.  When she bumps her head, she forgets the last decade of her life.  In that last decade, she completely renovated a house and had three kids.  She has absolutely no recollection of any of this happening in her life.

When she wakes from her fall, she wonders where Nick, her husband, is….why is he not racing to the hospital to be by her side??  And so, the story begins.

The novel takes you through the history of Alice and Nick’s relationship, the ups and downs and everything in between.  The mystery of the last 10 years unravels.

This story is so unique, so well written and completely riveting.

Love, love, love this one.  I immediately looked up Liane Moriarty to check out her other books.  Will review them as well.  I also looked up on goodreads to see Moriarty’s favorite authors and books.

Its fun to love see what writers inspired a writer I love.

I’m reading one of her favorite books right now and will report on that later.

So, so funny.  This is a hilarious, while sometimes serious, journey of one Mom in a dilapidated old house with a software engineer husband and a bright eighth grade daughter.

There are misadventures galore that will make you smile throughout.

Bernadette is kooky and so very real.

I have recommended this book to several friends who have subsequently read it and LOVED it.

Highly recommend.

This is my third bag since learning to sew over the past three weeks.  I picked up several new skills with this pattern including:

1. Sewing a lining in a bag
2. Sewing a pocket in the interior
3. Inserting a magnetic snap
4. Sewing rounded corners and making use of the pivoting skill

This time I used a quilting cotton fabric for the outside and a light denim for the inside.  Jenna Lou recommends heavy fabric on at least one of the interior or exterior.  I can see how it would be much more rigid with a heavy canvas for example.

Next time, I’m making this with one of the many Enchino fabrics I’ve been eyeing over the past few weeks since beginning my sewing journey.

I also really wanted to add a zippered pocket as the pattern called for, but due to time constraints (and wanting to finish the bag), I opted for the slip pocket……perfect for my iphone.

Here’s some pics of my latest creation……

This is such a great alternative to baking the same old chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Here’s the yummies…

Try not to eat all of the dough!

Delicious and crisp right from the oven.

Delicious blend of butterscotch and oatmeal – delectable.

Here’s the recipe….

Oatmeal Scotchies Recipe

 

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Author: Nestle

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups unsifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups Old-Fashioned Quaker oats
• 1 (11 ounce) package Nestle Toll House butterscotch-flavored morsels (about 2 cups)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
5. Stir in oats and morsels. Try not to eat all of the dough.
6. Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies, 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies.
8. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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I love clutches and wanted to try my hand at one.  I chose the “Easy Peasy Clutch” pattern from Lisa Lam at U-handbag.com.

The lollipop pattern makes this clutch extra sweet.  I chose the bright stripe interior to add to the sweet look.

Here she is…..

It occurred to me that instead of buying a new one that maybe I should learn how to sew and start making my own bags to my exact specifications.  I can choose the fabrics, the hardware, the number of pockets, zipper or magnetic snap closure etc….

I found Lisa Lam’s blog and was inspired by her knowledge of bag making.  She is so excited about the art of making bags, its a bit contagious.

My first bag that I finished last night is a tote called the “Flat Bottomed Girl” from her Bag Making Bible book.  I was attracted to the tote page because the words “easy as pie” were on this particular page.

Here it is……so excited…..

I think I’m in love with making bags…..

I’m sure some of you have noticed this too ……….kids are more excited about meals prepared at their friends’ houses.  Even if the meal is the exact same, something about the ambiance of a friend’s home just makes it better.

Luckily, this time, the recipe was simple and healthy.

This is a such a basic dinner, but for some reason, its easy to forget the basic dinner ideas.  This is why this meal is being recorded forever more in the MOTM archives, so I can access the idea electronically rather than store in my brain.

Here’s the dets……

Easy ingredients to gather…..peppers, broccoli, chicken, teriyaki sauce and rice. Yes, your kids will eat broccoli in this stir fry. The teriyaki sauce makes everything delish.

The final product. All three of mine (ages 11, 9 and 5) loved this! Sometimes the very simple is best.

Easy Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

 

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Author: Mom on the Make

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds chicken breast
• bunch of fresh broccoli
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 bottle of teriyaki sauce
• 1 cup of uncooked rice (brown or white)
• Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Use olive oil to stir fry chicken breast. Cut up into pieces and cook until browned.
2. Chop up peppers and broccoli and stir fry in olive oil.
3. Once veggies have started to soften, throw cooked chicken back in with teriyaki sauce and saute together.
4. Serve mixture over freshly prepared rice.
5. Enjoy!

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For those of you that don’t know, here’s an example…….

When we were driving back from our trip to Point Reyes a few weeks ago, we were enjoying amazing views of the farmlands in the Point Reyes National Seashore area. The car was quiet, and we were all lost in our own thoughts.

Out of the blue……

Bam-Bam asks, “Dad, do all battle droids have force fields?”

Pretty. Darn. Adorable.