Quick post from the Nook

Love from Texas!

Happy 7th Birthday Nora!

 

Happy 7th Birthday my sweet Nora! 

She's been wishing for a night at a hotel with a pool for several months now and is being a good sport patiently waiting for this Birthday wish.  We won't be able to tonight, but following our vacation to KY for the 4th of July we will get to accompany David on one of his nearby business trips to Kemah, TX and THEN we will celebrate her belated birthday then! :)    

Tonight, we are at Soccer Camp cheering on Olivia and Paul Thomas and then will hit the "D.Q." for a birthday supper and treat!

Wordless Wednesday - 6/22/11

Nora Playin Dress Up with Olivia & Paul Thomas 6/11

Wordless Wednesday 6/22/11

Just 2 things going through my mind... 1, wonder how many more days we have left that PT is still OK with playing dress up with the GEARLS... and 2, wonder if he will kill me when he's about 15 for posting this photo to both my blog and facebook...

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Love from Texas!

Judy Moody is IN THE HOUSE!! TY Abbey & Michael!!

 An early Birthday Package arrived this week from Nora's Godparents in Mississippi.  

I kinda already knew what might be inside because Abbey had emailed to ask me which Judy Moody book Nora had recently finished.   There are 9 in the series and she's read 1-5 already this summer.

 

Now she not only has the next book #6, but also #7 ALSO!!!  

"DOUBLE RARE!" said Nora after she opened them. :)

 

Talk about wasting no time... after I took photos of her opening her present, she immediately cracked open book 6 and started reading and already had about half of it read before supper time!  I love reading and I'm so proud that she loves it too!!!   
 

 Perfect Gift Abbey & Michael!!! 

Double Thanks!

Love from Texas!

current Projects

Some of you might remember the pillow cases I made for each of my kids for Easter. Well now it seems I can't go to walmart with them and not go down the isle with the fabrics.  They all think they *must* show me and pick out their most favorite fabrics... and they do! :)  So here's a look at what I'm working on for their belated birthday gifts. 

 

Not sure if I'll make up the one with Barbie fabrics for Nora or not since she's YET to even like even one single pillow case I've made for her :/  She says, "They're just not as soft Momma" and to that I can't argue with that...  So for now I'll just enjoy that the twins both la,la,love anything I make them for their beds! :)  Aren't these robots too cute!!!  and lesson learned on the directional fabric of the Carebears... but Olivia will never notice :)

And since JudyL's Design Wall Monday is just around the corner - her's a look at whats still on my design wall and floor...  both projects that seem to be taking me forever to finish up....

   

I keep reminding myself that it doesn't matter how long it takes to get it done... just matters that I get them done! Right?

Love from Texas!

All aboard the Reading Train!

Can you spot a reader in the engine of this locomotive play area???  Yep, that's Nora up there curled up reading her latest book!  I tried to get her to choose a cooler area to do her reading, but to a soon to be 7 year old, there seems to be NO OTHER reading spot that is cooler than at the window in this train play area just outside of our library! :)

It seems that my girl has found a book series that she loves!  This summer she and I began by reading the first Judy Moody book by Megan McDonald.  It was a Nook $0.99 special and I thought it looked like something she might like so I purchased and downloaded it.  

We took turns reading pages at night after bath time and we were both hooked!  Now she checks them out at the library each week!!  I recently started paying her a nickel for each book she reads so that at the end of the day she has several coins to add to her piggy bank but for chapter books she earns a quarter.  She also negioated to me that if she starts and ends the same book in the same day can she get another quarter???!  PLEASE???

Well how do you say no to that?  I'm just happy she loves reading!

An uber-awesome collection for ages 7-11!

1. JUDY MOODY
2. JUDY MOODY GETS FAMOUS
3. JUDY MOODY SAVES THE WORLD
4. JUDY MOODY PREDICTS THE FUTURE
5. JUDY MOODY M.D.
6. JUDY MOODY DECLARES INDEPENDENCE
7. JUDY MOODY AROUND THE WORLD IN 8 1/2 DAYS
8. JUDY MOODY GOES TO COLLEGE
9. JUDY MOODY GIRL DETECTIVE

Six Bucks a Book at the Martingale Warehouse Sale!

I received an email over the weekend, and also saw it on facebook today.  Martingale Company is having a Warehouse Sale and all books listed are only $6.  The sale only lasts for 3 days and I'm thinking today might be the last day...? so better click on over and check it out!

CLICK HERE for Warehouse Sale - Quilting$6 each

CLICK HERE for Warehouse Sale - Knitting & Crochet $6 each

The shopping begins now and supplies are limited, so make your selections quickly. It's the perfect time to pick up inspiring books for yourself and your friends. Normal shipping charges apply, but as always, buy three and the shipping's FREE!**

So when I saw that, in stead of getting the two books I wanted most, I picked a third!  3 books for just $18 no shipping!! What a deal! :)  These are the three I bought.  What about you?

Love from Texas!

In the Mood to Read!

Yesterday I blogged about PT and his adventure with the claw truck before going to the library.  Well today I want to share with you about Nora's book she picked out.

Together we read the first book in the Judy Moody series last week, so yesterday when she spotted them at the library she grabbed book #2 and sat down and started reading while I followed behind the twins around the children's room.

but Nora picked up this title today and dove right in and read it all around town and while driving home. She's already on page 98 and only 2 more chapters to go! She came right in from the van and into the house to a comfy chair and wants to finish it. :) Guess we'll be visiting the library again tomorrow to pick up book #3

For several months now I've been giving her a nickel for each book she reads but today I gave her a DIME and you should have seen her eyes!!! I told her that it was because she read this chapter book all in one day and she was so excited skipping up the stairs to go put it in her piggy bank. She has already asked if we can take her library book back tomorrow and go check out #3 in the series. :)  

Nora gives 2 thumbs up for the 2nd Judy Moody book!

  
I love my READER!

Love from Texas!

 

not just for reading NOOK books - for reading my favorite blogs too!

Tired of hearing about the books I've downloaded or plan to read soon on my New Nook Color?

Well how about something QUILT related. ;) Take a look at the 3 blogs I've bookmarked on my Nook. They are the ones I check, and have checked in on EVERY DAY for the past... oh 5 years or so. Give or take a month. ;)

   

Don't they show up great!  and I can zoom in to make the words larger and just like reading form the computer I can tap the photos to open them up and see them larger too!  Now my 3 favorite bloggers are at my finger tips daily! :)  Do you recognize them?  On the Left is, JudyL at Patchwork Times, in the center is Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville and the one on the right is MaryJ from Mary Quilts.


They are my Go-To-Girls and the only 3 that I need to bookmark on my Nook.   Speaking of a go-to-girl... take a look at what I found when I went into the den. :)  Miss Olivia as Sleeping Snow White. Who gave her the poisonous red apple?  :)

Love from Texas!

Our new Build-A-Bear Friends!

 

I guess I'm as close as I can get to being 100% certified CRAZY MOM!  

What qualifies me as that you ask?  Well lets just say we celebrated the twins' Birthday Saturday and Nora's too... and we spent about 3 hours at Chuck-E-Cheese followed by a trip to the mall to go to Build-A-Bear! 

Yes, you read that right.  Both places. Same day.

A couple weeks ago, Mamaw & Papaw sent digital counter piggy banks to each of the kids with $20 included in each and they've since been busy around the house doing chores to earn a nickle.  I'm loving it b/c they are always ready to help!!!  I had promised them if they got to $10 each saved in their banks, we'd take them with us to Build-A-Bear and let them each make their own.  

While it was something the kids enjoyed, I do not recommend ever taking 3 kids to both places in the same day.  Not even just 1 kid.  Talk about melt downs and overload. Sheesh.  At least the 3 new fury friends we brought home - Spiky, Francine, and Souley are happy and not fussy. ;)

Love from Texas!

Nook Alert - Unplanned

I had been saving a magazine where I had first saw this book advertised and today when I looked it up I was happy to find it for only $2.99 in the Nook format over on the B&N website!  That's a great deal!  I thought I'd share with not only my facebook friends that have Nook but also over here on my blog.

Unplanned is the courageous true story of a former Planned Parenthood leader and what she saw that changed the entire direction of her life.

CLICK HERE to take you to the B&N site and download the nook version for only $2.99 (as of 6/6/11)

Overview

“As I took the ultrasound probe in hand, I could not have imagined how the next ten minutes would shake the foundation of my values and change the course of my life.”

Abby Johnson joined Planned Parenthood as a college student because she wanted to help women in crisis—a goal she believed the organization shared. As she rose through the ranks to become a clinic director, however, things started to shift. Finances grew tighter, clinic practices changed, and Abby became increasingly unsettled about what she was being asked to do. But it wasn’t until she helped perform an actual abortion procedure that Abby fully realized what she’d been a part of all those years.
In the pages of Unplanned, you’ll also discover:

• What Abby found so attractive about the mission and goals of Planned Parenthood
• The personal secret that Abby had kept buried for years
• The things she’d believed and told patients that she discovered not to be true
• An insider’s perspective on Planned Parenthood’s practices as well as the heartfelt but misguided efforts of some radical antiabortion activists
• The courage and resilience she’s seen on both sides of the fence—from staff members to clients in crisis to prayerful volunteers

A compelling story of crisis and change, Unplanned is also a reminder of how grace finds us in unlikely places, and how we can all reach out with love to those who stand on opposing sides.  Abby Johnson holds a B.S. in psychology from Texas A&M University and an M.A. in counseling from Sam Houston State University. She was hired by Planned Parenthood in 2005 and progressed to the position of community services director and health educator, where she served as liaison between the community and Planned Parenthood as media correspondent. Later promoted to health center director, Johnson ran both the family planning and abortion programs.

In 2009 she left Planned Parenthood and joined the local Coalition for Life as a volunteer. She continues her volunteer activities and now works on projects with the national 40 Days for Life campaign. She and her husband, Doug, have a young daughter and live in Texas.

Love from Texas!

Feeling Moody this summer??

Maybe you've seen the commercials for this soon to be released movie? Next Friday, June 10th?  Nora and I have been reading together at night and just finished the first book of the Judy Moody Series.  Perhaps for her birthday weekend at the end of the month she'll want to go see it together?  HERE'S A LINK to the review posted by Focus on the Family.  What are your plans?  Will you be going to the movies to see it?

Click HERE to see all the books listed in the series.  I got the first one for my Nook on sale for only $0.99 a few weeks ago.  Just downloaded the second book today and also the book based on the movie.

Love from Texas!

Meet my NOOK Color Mother's Day Gift

Do you remember me mentioning that I received a NOOK Color for my Mother's Day gift this year??  And that I'd blog about it later... well today while looking through my photo album on the computer I found the ones I took during the first minutes after buying my Nook! ;)

It was no secret, I was with David and the kids when he bought it.  I knew what I was getting b/c on Friday David flat out asked me, "Would you rather get a new cell phone?? or a Nook?  or both??"

A NOOK!!  I'd la,la,love to have a Nook please! :)  I've downloaded their free app for both my blackberry and laptop and have been reading free books on them since Christmas, but a NOOK?  REALLY???

YES PLEASE!

 

 

What I didn't already know about the Nook - was HOW COOL the BOX it came it was gonna be! I played with the magnetic flip top lid all the way home! :P  And did I mention, that before we left the house David did some looking on line and found out that Best Buy now sells both the Nook and also Amazon's Kindle... and that the advantage to buying from Best Buy was that during Mother's Day weekend, they were giving a $25 Best Buy card with it!!  Ch-Ching! 

it's a rebate sorta thing that I'll have to wait a couple weeks for it to arrive in the mail - but that's OK. I can wait.  When it comes I'll head back to Best Buy and pick out a Nook Cover for it. :)

Do you read books with a Nook?  Do you know about the NOOK DEALS BLOG??

They post book reviews and feature books that are very low priced or for FREE??  Sometimes the publisher lets them post the book for free for only 24-48 hours at a time! So I added that blog to my Google Reader so I can stay up to date on when they post something new.  It's a great place to shop. Lots of variety! They also have a Nook Deals Page on facebook if you'd rather stay updated that way.

Here are a few I recently downloaded to add to my Nook.
June Bug
Miss You Most of All
Life's a Beach


Hope you find several good reads! :)

Love from Texas!