Friday, December 31, 2021

Sewing Saturday ~ Happy New Year ~ 1/1/2022


I'm going to be featuring my sewing, crocheting and crafting projects on Saturdays.  Some weeks this will include a finished project, a FNSI or FNWF or just a WIP.

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I don't want to keep posting pictures of the slow-going Sage Afghan so I made some time to work on something fabric this week!

I have 6 blocks done of Pat Sloan's Fall Frolic and 3 more to go... Blocks 7, 8, &9.  I've had the patterns printed for a few weeks but just haven't made it to the cutting board.


I decided to to cut out the pieces for all three blocks and get them ready to GO!


The most challenging was Block 8 -- Cozy Nights which is a Log Cabin Block.  I've been using 4 blue patterned fabrics and this block called for 6 fabrics.  I made due with what I had.  I didn't want to introduce a 5th and 6th color into the quilt for just one block.


I'm getting this post ready a few days ahead of time (New Year's Celebrations) so they might be pieced by the time you are reading this.


This quilt will be for my Mom as she loves all things Blue.  

The next Block a week with Pat Sloan starts January 5th with a new quilt called "Sweet Dreams".  I had hoped to have the Fall Frolic flimsy done and sandwiched and ready to be hand quilted before then but that isn't going to happen.  I still need to piece the settings for the squares and that may take a while.

I wish each and every one of you a great 2022 filled with God's blessings from above!



Colletta

Thursday, December 30, 2021

My Weekly Bookishness ~ 12/31/2021


All things bookish!
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What I Read:


I finished!  And early at that :)

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What I'm Reading:


Blurb:

An invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society gives five New York strangers a chance to rewrite their own stories.

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to bare their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.


First Lines:

JETT

August in Manhattan

Well this was a fine mess.

56%/Page 56

Easier said than done.

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What I'll (Probably) Read Next:


Blurb:

Adelynn Spencer, a spirited member of the Edwardian London upper class, struggles under the conditions of her engagement to Detective Inspector Baze Ford. But during the gala announcing their betrothal, events take a fatal turn when Adelynn experiences a vivid dream of a man dying with a knife buried in his chest. To her alarm, Baze and his men later discover the man exactly as she witnessed.

When Adelynn sees a second dream—a second victim—she tries to convince Baze that there are more sinister things at work. Choosing hard evidence over Adelynn's outrageous claims, Baze dismisses her and turns his attention to the location of the most recent crime, the Empress Theatre. Determined to uncover the truth of her visions, Adelynn investigates on her own. She infiltrates the theater and becomes spellbound by the charming spectacle of the resident magician.

As Baze wrestles with the decision to harden his heart or take action to protect the woman who means everything to him, Adelynn ventures further into the clutches of magic and murder. Can she keep her mind safe and draw the killer out of the shadows?

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Book Haul:


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Book Blogger Hop:

Q.   What bookish things did you receive for Christmas? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)   

A.  I actually didn't receive anything bookish for Christmas now that I think of it!  I did download a ton of great sounding books to my Kindle though :)

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Bookishly Yours,


Linking up to: 

   


https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/

http://www.fredasvoice.com/  http://www.rosecityreader.com/


The Good Stuff ~ 12/30/2021


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~ Happy New Year's Eve Eve!  I love New Year's Eve and New Year's Day as much as I love Christmas :)  Christmas is wonderful but New Year's is full of fresh calendars and new beginnings.  A chance to start over...again!  A new year full of possibilities!  May YOUR New Year be filled with God's blessings :)


~Audrey Belle!  Speaking of God's blessings...Audrey Belle made her appearance on December 23rd!  My very special cousin, Brian, and his wife, Rachel, welcomed her at 3:01pm.  I haven't met her personally yet but she's beautiful :)


~Goodreads Challenge 2021!  I met my goal for the Goodreads Challenge but it was a pitifully low number.  I read just 12 books in 2021.  But, I've been reading away the past few weeks and am excited about the Kindred Readers Book Club.  I think I'll set my goal for 2022 at 52 books.  1 book per week.  I think I can.  I think I can! :)
~The Love of Reading!  Laken received the Percy Jackson book collection for Christmas.  This girl would spend ALL her time reading if we let her.  I love it!



What has you thankful/smiling/exited this week?  Tell me all the good stuff! 

Colletta

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

First Book of the Year ~ 2022


Sheila, over at Book Journey, is once again hosting the "First Book of the Year" fun!

My "First Book of the Year" will be:


An invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society gives five New York strangers a chance to rewrite their own stories.

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to bare their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls. 
 


What is your "First  Book of the Year"?


Colletta

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Kindred Readers Book Club ~ 2022 Genres/Themes and February 2022 Poll



We've decided on the genres/themes for 2022!!!  They are:

January- Nonfiction
February-Contemporary Romance
March- Time Travel
April- Humour
May- Memoir
June- YA
July- Beach/Summer
August- Historical Romance
September- School/Library/Books
October- Suspense/Mystery
November- Nonfiction
December- Christmas/Holiday

As I've mentioned before the January 2022 selection is "Year of Yes" by Shonda Rhimes.




We've started a poll on the Book Club group for the February 2022 book.  The selections are:


"The Next Always" by Nora Roberts



"Virgin River" by Robyn Carr



"The Ex Talk" by Rachel Lynn Solomon



"Nobody's Baby But Mine" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips



Click HERE to come join our Facebook Group!

We hope you'll join in!


Colletta

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Best of 2021 ~ 12/28/2021


I hate to admit that I finished very few books in 2021.  Therefore, I'm only going to share my top 5 books read in 2021.  You can click on the cover to go to my review.

Best Books I Read in 2021:

in no particular order...

One


Two


Three


Four


Five




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Please leave a comment with the link to your Top Ten Tuesday post so I can return the visit :)

Monday, December 27, 2021

One Monthly Goal ~ December 2021 ~ Did I Finish?


 Come join this awesome motivational link up hosted by Elm Street Quilts!

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My December 2021 One Monthly Goal was to finish an Attic 24 Cozy Stripe Sage Afghan.

This is where I started :)


This is where I finished the month (well almost the month):


So I did NOT finish :(  

I greatly underestimated my crafting time in December...

There's always next month!

Colletta 

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 12/27/2021


Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 
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Hello, and Happy Monday !


The weather outside is:

Well, we didn't get a White Christmas this year but there is a Winter Weather Advisory for Monday with snow and ice.  Snow I don't mind.  Ice is another story.  Stay safe everyone!



On today's to-do list: 

I was supposed to do the grocery shopping but if it is icy, it will have to wait until Tuesday.  To be honest, I could use another quiet day at home.

Happening this week:

Laken has a dentist appointment this week but other than that it is pretty quiet until the weekend.  Then it will be New Year's Eve (my favorite) and New Year's Day.  Pretty sure we'll be getting shrimp for NYE and pork for NYD.

The hubby is off this entire week!  whoowhoo!

Currently reading:

I started reading "A Cross-Country Christmas" by Courtney Walsh on Christmas Day.  I decided there was time for one more Christmas read.  So far, I'm really enjoying it.  This is a new-to-me author so I'm always leary but I've heard good things about her.




On the TV:

Encanto (Disney+) - a must watch!


Listening to:

This week for "Songs on Sunday" I featured "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by Zac Williams.  I hope you'll check it out :) 

On the menu week:

I haven't worked on the menu yet.  I really need to get back into the habit of working on the menu over the weekend instead of leaving it until Monday morning before getting groceries!

Monday ~  
Tuesday ~ 
Wednesday ~ 
Thursday - 
Friday ~ 
Saturday ~ 
Sunday ~ Potluck at Church

In the Craft Basket:

The Sage Afghan wasn't picked up the entire week until Christmas Day when we watched "Encanto".  I got a few rows added and hope to work on it a bit each day.



Picture from the Camera


Audrey Belle!  My cousin's baby girl was born on December 23rd.  What a wonderful Christmas present!  She is named after our grandmother Audrey.  I cried!  Audrey Belle was the recipient of the I-Spy quilt I made in November.

Memory Verse

11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is [a]Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a [b]manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly [c]army of angels praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among people [d]with whom He is pleased.”

15 When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:11-15



Have a great Monday!

Colletta

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Songs on Sunday ~ Go Tell It on the Mountain by Zach Williams


Go tell it, Everyone!!!


Colletta

Sewing Saturday ~ Merry Christmas ~ 12/25/2021


I'm going to be featuring my sewing, crocheting and crafting projects on Saturdays.  Some weeks this will include a finished project, a FNSI or FNWF or just a WIP.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS DAY, EVERYONE!!!

I didn't get much done on the Sage Afghan this week.  (Read that as I didn't even pick it up!)  I was so busy with Christmas preparations and when I was done with that I was exhausted.  I almost didn't make a Sewing Saturday post, but I wanted to go ahead and mark the day here on the blog :)

Here is where I started the week:


And that is also where I finished...

We're sitting down now to watch "Encanto" so I'll be picking up the hook this evening to work on getting some rows done.  I'm enjoying the process and the Holidays!


What project are you working on this weekend?


Colletta