August Reading Recap

My mom brought me this book & told me I had to read it.  I know ALOT of people are big fans of Jodi Picoult, but I've always found her books so-so.  But since my Mom said I had to, I figured I better listen to Mama!!  :)

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult (3.5 Stars out of 5)

I really enjoyed the story line regarding a family who's youngest daughter Willow was born with a rare disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta -which is also known as Brittle Bones Disease.  Willow was a smart little loveable character while her family lived in a whirlwind of trouble.  I wasn't a huge fan of how the Mother took her disappointment/frustration out over having a child with special needs. I didn't quite find it believeable/relateable.  I much preferred the storylines of all of the other characters.

Overall the book seemed like it took quite a long time to finish, although it did hold my interest and I never found the book dull or boring.  I think I just don't connect with with this author.

Dove® Advanced Care VoxBox

Hey All!  It's been quite a while since I've received a VoxBox and this one came just in the mail - just in time for the heat of summer!

Dove® Advanced Care VoxBox

I don't know about you, but I've been using the same deodorant for years. I don't even think about changing, when I'm out I just buy another at Walmart. I haven't used Dove Deodorant before, but have seen the commercials.  I have issues with getting ingrown hairs and red bumps, so I was really excited to use this!

The first test was when hubby & I attended a July outdoor wedding.  Complete with the heat & humidity found here in the Midwest, you bet that it was gonna be warm!  My first impression was I loved the scent!  It went on smooth and a pleasant surprise, the Dove Advanced Care did not leave my underarms feeling sticky like the gel-type that I currently use can. And wearing a black dress, not even a single white mark on my outfit!

Dove at the gym

My second test was the gym, doesn't get much sweatier than that! Once again, the coconut smell was refreshing without being overwhelming.   My underarms felt fairly dry after my workout, however when I was finished I noticed I smelled!  And not in the good way :(  I usually don't have body odor, but I don't think it was able to keep up with my workout.

Overall, I loved the softness and smoothness of the Dove Advanced. It is great for the normal day to day wear, and I love that I don't have to worry about getting marks on my work clothing.  However, for the gym - I'm gonna stick with my current brand.


Want to get in on the next Vox Box?  Go here to sign up!  www.influenster.com/r/337688?utm_campaign=sum

*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.*

May Reading Recap

Wreckage by Emily Bleeker (4.5 Stars out of 5)

My Reading Recap book this month was Wreckage by Emily Bleeker.  A different twist on the “Castaway” type of story, Wreckage goes back & forth about the recollections of David and Lucy after a plane crash were stranded on a deserted island.  The way the story laid out each of them telling their story to a hard-hitting investigative reporter was a unique perspective. You think you may have figured out how the book ends in your mind, but as you read you get more & more interested to put all the pieces together.  This was the first book I've read by this author and would definitely read another one by her.  I bought the hard-copy book but if you have Amazon Prime I see that its part of their $0 lending library!  And no…Amazon doesn’t pay me to say that and I don’t make any $$ if you buy the book either.  Just an observation that I thought I’d share :)

Mother's Day Sewing Time!

Since I didn't see my mom on Mother's Day, we planned a sewing weekend last weekend!  We let laundry and dishes sit by the wayside and my dad was even nice enough do the cooking!

But before I headed up north, my cousin had let me know he had 25 cases of mangos & did we want any? Well my hubby LOVES mangos, so I met him & got my mangos and headed home.

Mango smoothies - YUM!!

Of course I couldn't go without my adorable co-pilot showing off his new car seat!

I was expecting to take more pictures, but when you're in the cutting & sewing groove - there is just no time for pictures!  I did capture this one of the fabric I'm cutting for the wedding quilt I'm working on.

Overall we had an amazing weekend, after a full day of quilting & sewing I fed the goat mango peels (oh my goodness did he love them!) and drove the fourwheeler in the mud - embracing my country girl roots.

And we decided we have GOT to do that again! What a fun time!

Spring is Here

Finally feels like we are out of the grips of winter.

I've got tulips coming up and the weather this weekend was amazing!

Saturday was so beautiful I set myself up out on our deck in the sun to read!  It was cool enough where & didn't get hot, but the sun was out in full force!  It was so relaxing & reminded me of how much I enjoy reading.  Unfortunately I did spend a little TOO much time out there & got my first sunburn of the season. Although between you & me, it was totally worth it :)

Next weekend Mr. C and I are headed up to my parent's where my Mom & I are going to have a sewing day!  She said she might need to go pick up some more fabric, so when I was out at Joann's I got us $93 of fun!  Hope this week goes fast!

Melissa

2015 - Q2 Finish Along

I have decided to join the Q2 Finish Along over at On the Windy Side.  So instead of drooling over everyone else's projects, I hope to have two of my very own finished by the end of the Quarter (well let's be honest, I'll still be drooling because everyone makes such amazing projects!)

The two projects I want to have finished are

1. Jelly Fish & Octopus Quilt
This one I started just because I loved the fabric!  I started piecing the squares quite a while ago, as I mentioned in this post Taking a Jelly Fish Break.

Then once the rows were together, I did nothing.  For a very very long time.  I didn't want to iron my seams.  Can anyone relate?  My ironing board and iron were away, and it just didn't seem fun.

Last weekend I decided I need to get this one finished so I can start my next project, so I've got it put together with ironed seams - well, except the one in the center because my iron had shut off and I didn't to wait around any longer.

So for this Finish Along, I need a little fire under me to get this guy finished!  After I'm done ironing I am going to attempt to quilt it myself using my walking foot.  I think it will be good practice, since its not going to anyone.

Once that one is finished, its on to the real deal project. The make or break, I gotta get this baby done!

2. Field Day Wedding Quilt
One of the girls who works for me is getting married in July!  She's a fun, vibrant, exciting girl so for her wedding I wanted to make a quilt with colors that I believe reflect her!

I have had this Field Day Fat Quarter since August and I think that this Squares & Strips tutorial at Cluck Cluck Sew will be perfect.  Doesn't she have the best Tutorials?

I feel like this is an agressive plan with working full time, all of the every day things, as well as a vacation to Seattle scheduled.  But I need to find more time to sew, if not just to keep myself sane.  Well and a Deadline of a Wedding date doesn't hurt either!

Do you have any projects you want to get finished before the end of June?  Join us!

Baseball Opening Day!!

Something that most people don't know about me is that I LOVE baseball!!  I grew up watching it with my parents, we would make a Saturday of it watching local teams or even fast-pitch softball.  In addition, my great-grandmother was a die-hard fan, I remember as a little girl her watching the World Series with her in her nursing home room.  So I'm pretty sure its in my blood.

If we had a closer MLB team, I would totally have to buy season tickets! Since we don't, I have to settle for going to games when we travel to new cities!  Lucky for me, my hubby is a good sport and we have gone to some great games!  We've been to a few Rockies games in Colorado, and last year we had so much fun at a Milwaukee Brewer's game, that we are going again this April!

And no Wisconsin baseball post would be complete without mention of Hank the Ballpark Pup who is proudly displayed on my desk at work  .

If you are unfamiliar with Hank, he is the cute little doggy the Brewer's team adopted last year at Spring Training.  You can learn more about his story here.

Spring Baseball & Dogs!  What could be better?

Play Ball!!