Rayen

I picked up The Astral Library by Kate Quinn on a whim, as I so often do. Whim books for me sometimes end up being stunners and keepers (while others turn out to be groaners.) I generally pay full price and I always hope not to regret that, as retail for harcover books these days is pretty outrageous. I do not regret paying full price for this novel -- one of my highest compliments. The premise: Alexandria (Alix) Watson is having one of the worst days of her young life: her credit card is declined at the market while she's trying to buy survival foods, she gets fired from one of her three part-time jobs for being profanely honest, she's losing the dismal room where she lives due to her roommate's jealous girlfriend, and then discovers what little money in her checking account (and her incoming paychecks) are being stolen by a stranger. She finally escapes it all at the public library. There she steps through a secret door into another, far grander library where t...

Rather than torture myself by trying to do more than my hands were capable of, I kept the August tote for my calendar project simple, and finished it after a few nights of work. It's basic, but the execution was better than I've accomplished in some months past. There is minimal sewing (all done on the machine), no quilting other then the embroidery (a single stretch of feather stitching by hand on each side.) I beaded the embroidery with seed beads and Swarovski crystals. The little chili pepper brooch was one I decided not to use on the January tote, and I'm glad I saved it because it's perfect for this one. I made the handles extra wide because I will be using this tote to do things like hold food I buy at Farmer's markets, transport food when we go visiting, etc. The bugs novelty print might not be matchy, but I like it.

I admit, I've become entirely addicted to crochet. It's not only helped my spirits as much as my arthritic hands, but I can finish things. Finishing things is the best feeling in the world to me. That said, I'm going through yarn so fast I should probably be leaving scorch marks on my crochet hooks. It's also a good idea for me to not become completely obsessed and risk burning out. I decided to spend one day off last weekend doing things other than crochet (in other words, fun cooking, project cleaning, machine sewing and even some beading, but no crochet whatsoever.) It wasn't difficult; I had a lot of things to keep me busy. First I gave my latest lot of Vera Bradley bags a much-needed bath. One reason I love this brand is that they are entirely washable. I hand wash them because the fabric tends to be thin and not colorfast. To eliminate the inevitable leftovers I converted my recipe for puff pasty chicken pot pie into single-serve chicken ...

My guy wanted to stretch his legs last week, so we went to walk our local Goodwill. There was no yarn or fabric on the shelves, so I drifted back to the books, and found a brand new hardcover copy of a cookbook I wanted to give my nephew, and four paperbacks for myself. The books cost me $3.00 total -- here's my receipt. That cookbook alone retails for $28.00. When we got home my latest thrifted lot arrived. Although the package was soiled, the six Vera Bradley bags inside were none the worse for wear. These two are in brand new condition. I thrifted this lot mainly for the big solid navy purse, which I plan to use over winter. These three need a bath, but otherwise are in very good shape. This little wristlet is on the shabby side, but I'm going to rehab it in a fun way. I paid $9.99 for the bag lot, which makes each bag cost $1.66. Can't beat that price.

Ten Things You Should Not Do (Even When the Internet Tells You To): Bathe only twice or three times a week: Unless you are living in a plastic bubble, you sweat and get dirty and generally stink by the end of every day. You always do, even if you think otherwise, because of the bacteria on your skin, the things you come in contact with over the course of the day and night, and your own (and perhaps other people's) body fluids. Please ignore poor hygiene advice wrapped in a "healthy" banner and bathe yourself every day. Every. Day. Also, use soap. It would be nice if you washed your hair, too, but I won't push it. Buy and Collect [pricey, worthless, or pricey worthless item] as an investment: Two words for you: Beanie Babies. Stop believing the get rich from collecting folks, who are getting rich off your obsession to get rich quick and spend your money on things like groceries, paying off your credit cards, saving up for a vacation or new car, etc. Fa...

Last week I had two pairs of thrifted trousers to alter: a pair of black capris to make into shorts, and a pair of jeans that were a wee bit too big in the waist. These are nice knit capris, but they look a little ridiculous on me, and the waistband gapes a bit so I don't mind chopping them up and tailoring them to make shorts. I hemmed the legs, put a couple of darts in the waist, and it's done. A nice pair of shorts for cheap. I'm having the same fitting problem lately with all bottoms -- my waist has grown smaller than my hips -- so I put a couple of darts in the waistline of these jeans, too. Now they fit perfectly. :)