The Arts

Lately, I've been feeling the Martha Stewart vibe, I suppose. It started with some paint-it-yourself figurines I bought at Hobby Lobby. The next thing I knew, I was mixing paints and perfecting my technique. They still look like crap, but my husband thinks I am now crafty. Then came the should-we-do-something-for-friends thing for Christmas. I suggested that I could make pumpkin bread from a recipe my mom has used ever since I've been around, and probably longer. Hubs agreed this was a great idea, and we got right on it. Not only was I being a domestic goddess in the kitchen, but I took pictures!

We get a bit messy when we cook. Lol.


Only a little messy, really. . .


I could honestly eat all of these loaves by myself, once they're finished.


The finished product, with home-made (read: crappy) tags I made to distinguish which family receives which loaf. MMMMMM.

And, to continue my creative-artsy-awesome streak, I just bought two plain shirts from Old Navy. At first, I didn't want them, because they were plain, crew-necked t-shirts. They weren't "cute". But Hubby mentioned that we could go buy stuff to make them better. So, off to Hobby Lobby, where I bought some stuff for silk screening one and an applique for another. Perhaps I'll take pictures and post that one next? Stay tuned. . .

Look, A Nook!

OK, so I got a Nook for my birthday. Yay, yay, yay! I haven't blogged about it yet, because (here comes the old college cheer) OMG FINALS WEEK. But now I am ready to gush about my Nook.

First of all, it came as a total surprise. Then there was the fun in figuring out how it works and all its features. I learn best when I just play with tech, and so I tapped screens and looked up books and checked out the Barnes and Noble top 100, not to mention the New York Times Best-sellers list, all provided on the home screen. And then I made a promise before my mother and my husband: I would only allow myself one purchase a month. A MONTH! Because I could easily spend a hundred dollars in one day, let alone a month. Of course, I completed the first book and am now currently reading (for free) Pride and Prejudice. My fist purchase was . . .

Masques, by Patricia Briggs. It was new and it was written by Briggs, need I say more as to why I purchased the novel? The plus side to only buying one book is that I can still visit my library, although I'm currently torn between a bizarre attachment to my Nook and a strong desire to smell a book and turn its pages. There was a certain sadness when I returned my last check-outs; I thought I'd never set foot in my library again. And I LOVE libraries. But then my husband made a fantastic point. If I'm only purchasing one book a month, I'm still going to need my library, for the times when I sit idle, having completed the novel I had just bought.

All in all, you can't really lose with a Nook. I love the user-friendly interface; the fact that I can browse just like I'm in the store; the slim size that weighs about as much as a childrens' paperback; the matte finish on the screen to prevent glare; the ultra-crisp quality of the wording done in E-ink; and the space it saves.

I love books, and I will by no means abandon them, but I love my Nook, and it is now a very important part of my own personal library.