A Collection of Thoughts

Book Recommendations

Thank you for all the book recommendations. I have decided to go with the Diana  Gabaldon series :)

A couple of you recommended this and I think they should keep me out of trouble for some time :)

and for everone following here were the other suggested reads ...

 Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

The moment by Douglas Kennedy

 White Gardenia, Wild Lavender and Golden Earrings by Belinda Alexander 

Water for Elephants  by Sara Gruen- read this and have seen the movie

The Descendants by Kaul Hart Hemmings  enjoyed the movie

The Help by Kathryn Stockett Love love love  this one

Before I go to sleep by S JWatson

The Lucky One  by Nicholas Spark - have seen the movie

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -still have the  third one to read

The little coffee shop of Kabul  by Deborah Rodriquez - this one has been on my to read list

A Thousand Splendid Suns  by Khaled Hosseini - have read this and highly recommend it as well as The Kite Runner

The language of flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The man who broke into Auschwitz by Denis Avey

The Villa Girls by Nicky Pellegrino

Tess of the D'Urbevilles by Thomas Hardy

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

50 Shades of Grey by EL James (this one may not suit everyones taste )

Suggested Authors

• Deborah Challinor
• Lee Child
• Phillipa Gregory

 I have also heard good things about The Dove Keepers by Alice Hoffman

I am on good reads as Tamar Bostock  - if you want to add me :) and I'll add you too! I joined yonks ago but have only just updated my read list.

Phew that should keep us all going for sometime.

Thank you all for your suggestions :)

 

Kindles and Reading

I have lots of stories to tell and photos to share so this is kind of backwards but you may remember I was researching E readers. In the end I plumped on the Kindle just the wifi one not 3G. Given where I live I figured I could get by without 3G. I spent the dfference on a lighted cover- totally worth it! Richard told me it was my mother's day present :) YAY I was happy to have it earlier.

 

I have to say I love it sooo much- best purchase ever.  I don't sleep very well and in the past I have spent the early hours of the morning googling - NOW I'm reading again - My brain seems to have pieced itself back together enough to remember story lines.

I also find that I read so much faster  ( I have always been a fast reader ) but now its super fast on the kindle

I'm just about to finish a trilogy which I have throughly enjoyed, by Jennifer Donnelly

 

It is a lovely light read - set in London before World War 1 it follows the story of the Finnegan family. Each book has a main heroine and while the story line can be predictable and we all love a happy ending you have to fall in love with the characters tennacity. ( there is some language)

SOOOO I'm putting it out there what your favourite reads?? Kindle lovers? Anyone?  hook me up :) I need to get ready for some serious reading over the next few weeks.

Thank you to my reader I can't remember who sorry -  that shared the Pixel of Ink link which gives links to free or cheap kindle books each day.

 Looking forward to adding some new reads to my kindle :)

Etzcetera Magazine- Issue Five

The latest edition of Etzcetera has hit the airwaves and its amazing. These girls are so awesome to work with. Over 120 + pages of fresh articles and pretty pictures and pure inspiration.

My style folio this issue is all about tea.

 Here is a peek

 You can buy the latest issue  here :)

 Enjoy!

 

New Reading - Teenagers

One of my readers some time back told me about a new novel that they had enjoyed and thought that I may too - Called the Hunger Games.

I'm not sure if I have blogged about it  but I did grab it and read it and I loved it so much I wrote a unit of work around it for my Year 12 ENC students.

 

 

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy)   was  $61.99  now  $34.95

I saw it has come up at Fishpond on special for the trilogy. It would be perfect for some teenage reading over the holidays  and is likely to be gaining in popularity as the movie is set for release in March 2012.

Here is a peek at the movie

Here is an overview from the Hunger Games website

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death - televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

source

I have only read the first one - but I loved Katniss and the whole concept of the "reality games". It's brutal in parts there is death ( I'm just forewarning ). Highly recommend it.

 

The Kindness Of Strangers

The other day Misses Talia and Sofia received three parcels in the mail  love how both fishpond and book depo do that? Weird.

Anyhow inside where these amazing colouring books which I had not seen before - also a pretty pattern book which Talia was quick to pounce on and explain to me that they now needed new good textas for colouring.

Textas in our house disappear like odd socks - colouring in pencils on the other hand multiply.

Here they are the smiling girls - so stoked with their lovely books -and sharing their favourite pages. We have lots of down time and quiet time these days and I just love these so they can be happily crafty without needing any or minimal input from me.

Thank you so much whoever you are who thought to do this. So very kind.

I've just had a quick look on fishpond - there are all different ones - I think I'll be adding another on to the girls Christmas gifts- such great books!

Drawing, Doodling and Colouring Book and an Advent Calendar to Colour and a

Monsters Colouring Book  for the monster inclined:)

Patterns Colouring Book (Usborne Colouring Books) This is the other one we received and the girls are going through popping "bags" it post it notes on their favourite pages :)

Perfect christmas gifts!  Thank you so much to our sweet anonymous friend.

This afternoon I'm venturing out for a milk shake and texta buying :)

Happy days.

Here's hoping tomorrow is equally as calm.

 

 

Magazines and Mama Mia

The girls love those tweenie magazines - they cost like $5.95 and I can't work out the release cycle but it inevitably coincides with a visit with their PohPoh who is naughty and often gives them $10 each just because that's what Grandmas do.

SIGH

Anyhow - they love them. Filled with gossip about their favourite stars, a recipe or two, some craft, the latest trends in lipgloss, important details about Justin Beibers favourite colour and so on - you get the idea.

I often have a quick look but really don't take much notice. Until the other day Tals says Mummy have a look at this Katy Perry looks weird.

And sure enough on the front cover - is Katy photoshopped to within an inch of her life- actually I would argue beyond her life.

I grabbed the mag to look through and most of the images to be fair are not photoshopped but seriously?  I was so cross I did something I have never done before and I sent an email off to Mia Freeman and her team as photoshopping and images in magazines is something she regulary highlights.

Imagine my surprise to find my quickly worded email up on her site -in her Open Post of the week - here

along with the advice to watch this great resource from Dove which I had totally forgotten about.

The girls and I have watched it now a couple of times together and I overheard them telling Richard all about it. The eyes are the bit that get to me - the way they open her eyes.

Needless to say I'm more aware now about what they are reading/viewing and while I still allow them we are discussing the images.

 

Dottie Angel Book

Have you seen? The ovely Dottie Angel has released a new book.

via uppercase.squarespace.com

Available for preorder here

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore

As a book loving family we are always on the look out for new things to read. The other night I stumbled across a really interesting video about a new book that had just hit number one in the ipad app store.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

“Morris Lessmore loved words. He loved stories. He loved books”

It's based on the book by William Joyce and has been developed by Moonbot Studios. It’s not really an app- more an interactive book. The story in itself is just delightful  - it is about people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favour. But its the actual animation and what you cab do using the app which adds such a dimension to the story. This is what I imagined books would be like on the Ipad and now they are.

At $5.49 it will be the best dollars you will ever spend. Now I will apologise in advance because I am totally smitten with this story and beautiful app so this post is filled with every link I can find to share with you.

 

 Here is the promo video :-)

and then I found these little videos on vimeo which goes through the making process You must watch !

There are nine parts in planned apparently ( but for the life of me I can't find where I read that  )  but only four are up so far .  Here is part one.

The Making Of Morris: Part 1 (The Power of Story) from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

You can see the rest here.

Buy the app here. Go now!

Love Love Love

 

Day Five - Hip Hip Hooray For Winter

Today marks the last day of our Hip Hip for Winter series - over waaay too fast! My girls love it when we do this - every day it's what are we making today Mumma :)

For Day Five I have one of our favourite topics on hand - Books Books and more books- and for just good measure the best sticky date pudding and caramel sauce recipe ever :)

So let's get started.

Making a Bookmark corner

They are super easy and fast to do - and saves all those dog eared corners.

You will need some double sided paper ( not essential but nice )

 3 x 3 inch square and a bone folder ( if you like to keep your folds crisp)

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1. cut a 3 x 3 inch square

2. fold your sqaure into a triangle

3. fold the top of your triangle to the base

4. fold the left point into the centre

( click for bigger )

5. fold the right point into the centre

6. unfold your right point and fold it up towards the top matching with the centre line

7. tuck it under

8. do step 6 and 7 on the left side

 One bookmark corner completed.

What's on your reading list at the moment?

One of the things I like to do is take a quick picture on my phone of books that catch my eye at the bookstore. So I always have a little reading list ready to go..

On my phone at the moment I have

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I'd love to hear if anyone has read any of these so I can push them up my must read list.

 Finally I have for you the best ever recipe for caramel sauce - you just have to trust me and give it  a try.

This was my first time making sticky date pudding - yet another one of those recipes that I put off because I thought oh that seems too hard . It's not at all. - and mostly it's staple ingredients except perhaps the dates - throw some in your trolley next shop :)

This recipe makes 12 muffin size puddings - you can freeze them :)

Pudding

• 2 cups chopped dates
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 90 gm butter softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 and 1/2 cups of SR flour

Caramel Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of cream
• 125 gm butter
• 1/2 cup orange juice

To make the puddings

1. Grease your muffin tins

2. Combine dates and water in a pot. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in bicarb soda. Leave stand for 5 minutes.

3. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in eggs one at a time

5. Fold in sifted flour then add date mixture. ( mix will be very runny -its right don't panic! )

6. Pour into muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes or until cooked.

7. Turn out onto rack.

To make the Caramel Sauce

Combine all ingredients into paot . Stir over a low heat without boiling until sugar is dissolve. Simmer for 5 minutes

Serve pudding hot tor cold with warm sauce.

I hope you have enjoyed our little winter series - back to normal blogging tomorrow:) don't forget to head over to Mels blog to see what she has for you today.

 Thanks for stopping by

 

 

 

 

I Love Harry Potter

I am no lone soldier with that devotion I know - and it's been hard for me to sit and wait it out three days before being able to book my ticket. I'm off tonight - to the 9.00pm session when the girls are in bed and Richards lost in the football. Im the only fan - well actually no that's not fair Richard acknowledges the phenomenon  and the girls talk about reading the books and watching the movie but I'm happy for that to happen in another year  or so - hence it's just me holding the lumos wand LOL

 

via pinterest.com

 

I first fell in love with Harry not because of the story but because I was DESPERATE to find something that would engage a  class of  year 9 boys who did not read mostly because they couldn't. I remember standing in Angus and Roberston asking if there was anything that would suit a class of boys who had no common interest and that wasn't too long so I could read it aloud.

 The answer was have you heard of Harry Potter - might be what you are looking for.

 And it was

We read the first two books that year and one boy continued to read the whole series - appearing regularly to show me the next installment. He came back to school a few years later and asked me if I remembered reading Harry to him - How could I forget?

 

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I have read them all and some parts multiple times  and it lead me in search of other fantasy sci fi as well which I hadn't read until I met Harry.

I'm excited but sad to see the last part.  Ironically  I started reading to that first class in 1999 and now 12 years on my english communication ( year 12 students )  are all giddy about the movie. Many went to the midnight showing and for the last three days they have spoke of nothing  else. I have been told in no uncertain terms I have to see it this weekend so we can  about it - as I have put  a ban on them telling me anything other than if they thought it was wonderful. And they have.

 

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I've been tempted to get some dvds out and watch again before I go but time hasn't allowed for that so I'll just have to go and hope my brain kicks in and I remember.

via pinterest.com

While preparing this post I had a search for some of the fabulous harry stuff online. If my girls were into it we would totally be having some sort of harry party - there are just so many cute cupcakes and goodies out there - I even saw snitch cake pops! CUTE

 

via pinterest.com

I fund this via pinterest from tumblr I would love this for my classroom

via www.etsy.com

and these notebooks  - each cover is screen printed - this one for potions would make a perfect recipe book don't you think??

 4 hours to go - I have my peanut M and Ms ready to take and all I need to do is buy a coffee when I arrive and then immerse myself in the experience.

CAN NOT WAIT. I am sad that I don't have a friend who loves HP as much as me I would have really liked sharing it with someone else - my students will have to be my  sounding board Monday morning :0