What I'm Reading: Wildwood

It's been a while, but I'm happy to be back. One thing I've done this year is make more time to read and generally relax. I spent the majority of January reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with my sophomore class and enjoyed it so thoroughly, I wanted another text in a similar vein. So when I thought about Huck Finn, I wanted a text that would have a lot of nature scenes or descriptions, a fun, whimsical story, with characters I could truly admire. I really thought I would just have to pick up another Twain piece, but then I saw this post from One Sheepish Girl and instantly fell in love with the cover art of Wildwood (yes, some of us still judge books by their covers). I had a little money left on a giftcard from Christmas, so I ordered it online after reading a few blurbs about it (I think I paid less than $12 total).

A few things caught my attention about Wildwood. The illustrations on the cover of Wildwood looks familiar to me, so after I realized Colin Meloy, the leadsinger of the Decemberists, is the author, it all clicked. Meloy's lady friend, Carson Ellis, is the illustrator behind both the Decemberists website and also this book! Cool!

So, once I was completely finished with Huck Finn, I picked up Wildwood and was instantly smitten. The illustrations alone made me excited to read, but when I cracked it open and realized that it wasn't written as a book for kids--it was a book for really inquisitive, smart kids--I was overjoyed. I don't read a lot of young adult literature any more (which I should probably change), and I certainly don't find myself in the kids section very often, so to read a book that has middle schoolers as the target audience and actually enjoy it was awesome!

What baffles me, though, is that while the storyline is fairly simplistic and wonderfully whimsical, the language is extremely complex. As nerdy as it sounds, I've counted 40+ SAT vocabulary words throughout the text, and I'm not even at page 200 yet! I plan on recommending this text to some of my sophomores as an easy book to read over the summer that can also simultaneously enhance their vocabulary. It'll seem like a dream come true, I'm sure.

Wildwood follows the story of Prue McKeel's sojourn through the mysterious Impassable Wilderness, otherwise known as Wildwood, area outside of Portland, Oregon in search of her baby brother. As she discovers this magical, animal-controlled world, she also realizes the terrors of being away from home, having to trust four-legged creatures and nature itself.

Although I haven't finished it yet--on page 200 out of 540+--I'm excited to keep reading. Usually a longer text like this doesn't keep my attention long enough for me to actually finish, but this is certainly a keeper! Also, I love books in series, and the second book, Under Wildwood, has already hit the shelves. I'm eager to give that a shot, too, to see how Meloy continues this story!

What have you been reading in 2013?

xo,

Craftspiration: What You Should Read Right Now

Let's be honest, we're always looking for inspiration. We're always waiting around waiting for that one brilliant idea to come about, or that color combination that sparks a genius idea (or any idea!) for our next project. For me, a lot of inspiration comes from reading. I tend to fly through craft biz books on a regular basis because I think it's extremely important to keep your skills and perspective as sharp as possible when trying to establish an indie biz. This is why I'm sharing with you two pieces I've read recently that I think you'll really enjoy!

1) In this month's issue of Martha Stewart's Living I stumbled across a two page article called "This is Your Brain on Crafts." The article is not available online yet, but I'm hoping that this post might inspire you to pick up a copy next time you're checking out at the grocery store or sitting in a doctors office. I love MSL magazine for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because it makes me feel good about myself. I love MSL's aesthetic and it seems like it was designed with people like me in mind, which is nice, because I don't usually feel that way with magazines. MSL inspires me to bake from scratch, to try new herbs, to learn how to weatherize plans (I mean really, if it weren't for MSL, I'd have no idea what weatherize even meant). I just sorta love this magazine, to be honest, but this article really hit home.

When I saw the faux embroidered image partnered with this article, I was intrigued. It was a good thing, too, because it completely validated the time I spent sampling a new yarn yesterday instead of grading papers. It made me feel much calmer about the idea of needing time to crochet and be creative instead of attempting to maximize every second I'm awake during the day. Ultimately, this brief article is worthy of the 10 minute break to read and have a private conversation within yourself regarding how much time you spent crafting or creating and how that should be just as important in your daily routine as eating balanced meals and exercising. I loved it! It's already torn out and on the cork board in our office!

2) Hello Craft's Handmade to Sell was just published last month and has been flying off the DIY bookshelves. I picked up this book on a whim last month when I knew I wouldn't be able to get to it for at least a few weeks. Fortunately, I'm able to squirrel in a few pages every now and then before bed and I'm so happy I have it as a positive, thorough tip-of-my-fingers resource. My favorite component of this book is that it uses real, successful shops instead of fabricated imaginary shops (pun not intended ;)). Kelly Rand certainly gets to the point and explains the what's what extremely well and in a very positive manner. The other thing I really enjoy is that Kimberly Dorn, cofounder of the local (and amazing) Crafty Bastards and Handmade Mart, also contributes to this book, which tells me that it's extremely up to date and applicable for people like me (I was accepted to Handmade Mart last year, but couldn't attend because of other plans)! I appreciate the jump start this book offered me as I look down the remaining days of 2012 and begin to think about how I want to advance my small biz on 2013!

What have you read that has given you craftspiration? 

Crochet Book Review: Crochet Boutique

Back in early August I was ordering a few birthday gifts for Cory from Amazon and a suggested product (not because of Cory, but because of previous purchases) for me was Rachael Oglesby's new crochet book, Crochet Boutique! At first I was surprised because I've followed Rachael's blog and shop for so long, I was surprised I missed her speaking about this book project. Either way, I was stoked to get a little more insight to this intriguing crochet artist.

Since I'm trying my hardest to get back into the blogosphere on a regular basis, I thought since I'm currently drooling all over this book, I'd share a review of it with you!

To be honest, this book is like a peek inside a lifestyle I can only dream about right now. It's warm, inviting, comfortable, and effortless. All the images are gorgeous and you practically want to own every piece of crochet wear plus the outfits the models are wearing. The pairings seem natural unlike other crochet books where it's obvious the models don't wear crochet or knit on a regular basis.

The models look as if they not only enjoy wearing these goods, but that they could easily be Rachael's best friends. The book opens up to a gorgeous spread and a very detailed table of contents.

If you're a fan of Rachael, it should come as no surprise that the projects featured within this book have a varied skill levels but use very simple, easy to acquire yarns that you can find at your local craft store. I'm usually all about high quality yarns, but I've seen a lot of obscure yarn published in books. Let's be honest, if you're reading this book, you're going to want to start on these projects ASAP and not have to wait around for your yarn delivery to come in within the next few weeks!

 When I pre-ordered my copy of the book, I actually ordered two books. I knew I was going to keep one, but I also had a friend that was just getting into crochet, and I knew I could trust Rachael to include projects for beginners that would have very easy-to-read directions. I was totally right. I gifted the second copy of this book to a friend back in mid-September and although she may not have the time to dig into it right now, there's no doubt in my mind that the general perception of the book is making her eager to get started!

The photo above shows the step-by-step photo directions for each of the stitches used throughout the book. The stitches are actually fairly simple for each of the projects. I like it because many of the projects I could easily make in just a few hours. Nothing beats a quick project!

When it comes to Crochet Boutique, I think it actually was the jump start I needed to get back into crocheting full-force after a crazy summer away from home!

For those of you already thinking of holiday gifts, certainly add Crochet Boutique to the list. It would be an excellent gift to give a friend who wants to learn the craft or would function as a great resource for the most experienced stitchers out there!

I hope you'll check it out!

xo,

The To-Read Pile that Turned into a Mountain.

I talked about my summer To Read pile a few weeks ago and was really happy that I documented all the titles that I wanted to make sure I read. But of course, I'm never just limited to those books. After realizing that the novels would/could be changing for a few of the classes I'll be teaching next year, I had to add two more books to my pile--both of which I am excited to read!

Have you ever read either of these? I started reading The Namesake earlier this week and find Lahiri's writing fairly exquisite. I'm excited to sit down with it for some one-on-one time this weekend!

Disclaimer: I love Steinbeck. It's true. I've taught his books and have made t-shirts about him for years. I think, however, without the right processes or teacher, it's really hard to understand his commentary on life as a high school student (mostly due to the lack of life experience). If you've read Steinbeck as an adult or college student, I would love your feedback about The Grapes of Wrath, too!

Happy reading!

My Summer Reading List

It seems like I have been slipping into a daydream so easily recently! You're probably familiar with the situation: overwhelmed with work, everything is loud and chaotic, people are stressed. It all makes for me to easily drift off into a daydream and I, of course, start thinking of the summer to come. Fully aware that we only have 25 days of school left, my patience and my students' patience is wearing thin, but we're trying to hang on for the sake of keeping each other smiling.

Today I couldn't help but think about all the books I want to tackle this summer for pleasure. I am not hiding away from the fact that I am going to be doing a LOT of school work this summer. There's pretty much no way around it as we transition away from our Maryland state curriculum and into the Common Core curriculum throughout the next year. Next year is absolutely going to be a transition year, but it should be no surprise to you, that I am eager to get a leg up on the process and start working now, so it's not so much of a burden in the future. That's how I am--I plan ahead and work ahead all the time.

So, realizing that summer is going to be tricky to balance work and rest, I started making a list of books I definitely want to read over the summer. It includes books I've already read, but want to re-read, and books that are recent publications that have been sitting on my bookshelf for far too long without my attention.

I really don't get into any kind of romance, paranormal reading, but I do love me some good, classic Americana reading. I think each of these books can fit into that category except for A Game of Thrones. It truly isn't something I would normally pick up, but due to the hype of the TV show and me always wanting to read the book first, I figured why not?

I've seen a lot of bloggers posting about their summer reading lists recently like Mandy over at Miss Indie and I am in LOVE with the new Literate & Stylish series from Dani Hampton on Sometimes Sweet.

What are you reading these days? Have you been making a to-read pile/list?

If you're interested in other posts about books go here or if you want to keep tabs on what I'm currently reading, go here. 

xo,

Book Review: Shopgirl by Steve Martin

You know that moment when you realize you should've paid more attention to your parent's and grandparents' taste in music, film, and books? Maybe I'll never like the same kind of music they do, but there are a few little things popping up here and there that make me think back to my younger self and realize maybe they knew what they were talking about. One of those things I should've paid more attention to is Steve Martin.

My mom and dad used to watch The Jerk by Steve Martin on a regular basis to the point they practically memorized it. I cannot tell you how many times one of them would interrupt a unrelated conversation by saying, "I was born a poor black child." Now, without having developed a mature sense of humor, I always thought the movie was dumb. That's right. Dumb. I just didn't get it. I didn't get the dry witticisms; I didn't really get Steve Martin. 

Fast forward 7-10 years and here I am as a 26 year old strolling through Barnes and Nobel looking for something to read. I should probably spend more time strolling through my bookshelves at home for something to read, as our collection of books is pretty impressive (we own over 500 books--and just donated around 400 to a local used book store about a year ago), but I digress. Anyway, so I see a special table set aside for Steve Martin publications because he had just published his book of Tweets (which is a hilarious concept unto itself, much like Sterling's Gold from the Mad Men producers). Never knowing much about Steve Martin other than he-was-the-guy-my-parents-liked, I flipped through some of the books and did my usual, Should I Read This? process. 

I ended up picking up Shopgirl, because honestly, I knew it had been made into a movie that I had never seen and also because it was the shortest of all his books. I'm never one to grab "the shortest" on the shelf, but I know that it takes much skill for a writer to hone their craft into so few pages. I figure, if Steve Martin considers himself to be a writer, I'll be able to figure out if he's as skilled as he thinks since a writer has to be pretty poignant when working with only 130 pages. 

It took me a few days to finish the book because I would read a few pages before bed here and there. Finally, my first night of Spring Break allowed me a few hours to dig into it. I woke up early yesterday morning to finish the read, because I was eager to see how Mr. Martin was going to tie together Mirabelle's emotional and relational "strings." 

Here's the deal with Shopgirl. We've all been Mirabelle. We've all had the relationships that make you feel icky inside even though you can't seem to leave. We've also had the relationships where you so desperately want everything to work out, but it just won't or can't. We've all had lackluster phases in our lives that we feel will never end. She's real, not a stereotype. I appreciate that.

The other thing I appreciate is the contrast between male and female perspectives that is delicately illustrated throughout the text. Ray and Jeremy's mentality is just as Cory describes the "male brain" to me whenever we're discussion our respective points-of-view with one another. Nothing in Mr. Martin's book shocked me other the very realness of it all. In the end, I'd much rather enjoy a work of fiction that doesn't feel so fictional, than a piece that does. 

Shopgirl is an easy read. It's nice. It's like hanging out with your college girlfriends after a few years apart; you catch right back up and you completely understand each other. Now, don't get me wrong, Mr. Martin is no lackadaisical writer. This isn't smut and it's not contrived. I probably didn't learn any new vocabulary words or get a different view of the world, but I enjoyed my time nestled inside those 130 pages.  

So would I recommend this book? Let me put it to you this way, I've already picked up his most recent fiction publication, An Object of Beauty to add to my to-read pile. 

Want to see what else I'm reading? Go here.

Want more book reviews? Go here.

Happy Reading!

New home vignettes.

I like to change things up in our house every few months. Most of the time I'll just rearrange a few items in a new vignette around the house instead of going out to buy something new. That is exactly what I did this past weekend.

How do you freshen up your home?

Book Review: Extra Yarn

A few months ago I was scrolling through sponsorship ads on some of my favorite blogs and stumbled upon One Sheepish Girl, written by one of the sweetest people in blogland, Meredith. It didn't take me long to see a lot of myself in Meredith as she so accurately communicated the ebbs and flows of college life for an English major as well as the ebbs and flows of a knitter/crocheter! Now, we all know I'm no knitter, but I sort of want to be by looking at her beautiful work (I really die over those stirrup socks every time I see them)!

Anyway, so one day in December Meredith posted about a soon-to-be-published children's book, Extra Yarn. As soon as I heard the name, no lie, I headed straight to Amazon to pre-order it. I received the book in January and have been loving on it ever since. It has transformed itself into a coffee table book that Cory and I have on top of our wedding album! That's how much I love it!

I think the cover alone is sort of amazing; I seriously can't imagine how it could be any better. I love the mixture of texture and color with the little details, like the strand of yarn winding between the letters in an outdoors setting--so unexpected!

I love how the publisher suggested that this text is appropriate for people aged 4-8. Do you know of a knitter or crocheter of ANY age that just wouldn't love it?! I mean come on!

I am in love with the image above (^^) as the image of a girl, hooks/needles and yarn in hand, patiently walks her dog through the snow as if there is nothing more in life that she needs. I have definitely had those moments when the snow is falling and I have nothing but a good project to keep my mind occupied. Pure bliss! 

What I love most about this book is that it's simple. I miss the days of simple stories and simple ideas that truly keep our world working. Children's books are often convoluted with bright colors and extreme stories--but this is the complete opposite. The colors are used to show the magic of yarn and craft, the magic behind patience and knowing a skill, and the magic of creating. This is now my go-to gift for needleartist friends and baby showers! Love it!

What books have you discovered that put a magical twist on an art or a craft? I'd love to add them to my library!

xo,

High School Reading Challenge

 

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As a high school English teacher, I spend a lot of my day figuring out how to make classic pieces of literature more accessible for teenagers. Not every teenager is overwhelmingly eager when it comes to reading Crime and Punishment or Romeo and Juliet. Sound familiar?

One thing I have been trying to do within the last year is stretch my boundaries when it comes to works of literature I read in high school but am not as acquainted with as an adult. A lot can seep away from that lit-lovin' memory in the 10 years I've been out of high school.  A few years ago a colleague of mine urged me to revisit the Thornton Wilder classic Our Town because he suggested that I would find more meaning in it as an adult than I did in high school. He was so right. At the beginning of this school year, when I realized I would have a spring semester loaded with all freshman English courses, I had to revisit texts from my distant past--Ethan Frome, Romeo and Juliet, Night, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Animal Farm.While I'm still hacking away at this list, I have found that I am getting so much more meaning from these texts as an adult and I am thinking that you might as well. For example, Ethan Frome is much more intense and meaningful now that I'm married and understand the trials and tribulations of marriage. Animal Farm hits home, not because I live on a farm, but because I have a more mature understanding of the way politics, governments, and free societies work. See what I mean?

Now, sure, I understand that I have an English degree and naturally love reading, but maybe there's a piece from a high school English class in the past that you never paid much mind to. Wouldn't it be awesome to go back and revisit that text just to see what it's like now, however many years later? 

Ok.. maybe I'm just a nerd...

Either way. I challenge you to find a text from the past--an essay, novel, play, etc.--that you haven't visited in a while and re-read it. Just try it.

And of course-- let me know how it goes!

I'm going to start this challenge by re-reading Night by Elie Wiesel. It's been a while and after my trip to the Holocaust Museum in DC a few weekends ago, I think I need to revisit it.

Good luck! :)