RF: Candy Corn baby down!

• I couldn't resist posting twice yesterday so that I could show you The Princess's Candy Corn Costume. It was remarkably easy to make and she really enjoys the fluffy tutu skirt. I think it's pretty clear that it's a candy corn.
• The other post was a giveaway for Shutterfly holiday cards, go enter if you haven't already.
• I am so far behind with sewing for the show. So of course I have a head cold. Thanks autumn, I appreciate it.
• I haven't been on Pinterest in days. I think I'm going through withdrawal.
• Remember I was getting my eyes checked last week? I did and they got BETTER. My glasses were making me dizzy because they were too strong!  I got new glasses, they have polka dots on them! Love!
• I have already decided I'm not doing any laundry today. I hope no one needs any clean clothes.
• I would really enjoy a Pumpkin Spice latte, if this town could quickly build me a Starbucks. Tho I'm probably saving a ton of money by not having one.

What I Read This Week:

• Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery. I read it in one day. It wasn't terrific, but there is some quality that sucked me in.
• Only Yours by Susan Mallery. See? It's been years since I've glommed onto an author like this. I can't even tell you that you HAVE to run out and read them, but I'm really enjoying them.
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Just hit part two. I had to wait for my new glasses before I could really tackle the tiny print.

Other Bookish Notes:

• I finally signed up for Net Galley. I feel like a cool kid.
• My kids ruined a library book and my account is locked until I pay the $18. Dang it. ( Raising Your Spirited Child for the curious. I didn't get it read.)
• Someone finally stole my mayorship at the library. I'm crazy disappointed. I can't seem to steal it back from him either!

I am an Amazon Associate. As such, any purchase you make at Amazon.com after following a link from this blog will earn me a (tiny) percentage back as income. Thanks. All content copyright Books. Lists. Life. at http://bookslistslife.blogspot.com. If you're reading this post anywhere other than there, you are reading stolen content.

Princess Candy Corn

The boys are pretty generic superheros this year for Halloween, but I wanted to do something fun for the Princess. I think her candy corn dress (candy corn tutu? candy corn costume?)  turned out super cute.

Sending out Christmas cards (and giveaway)

Every year I have the best of intentions to send out Christmas cards. Most years I manage to squeak in just under the wire, when I remember my cards once those of my friends start coming in the mail. If you get my card on December 27th, it still counts, right? But last year something happened and I didn't send cards out at all. Perhaps you remember- I had a baby, then my husband moved out of town and I lived alone with three kids, and then we moved right before Christmas? Needless to say, I didn't send out birth announcements, let alone Christmas cards. This year I was contacted by the nice folks at Shutterfly and given the opportunity to try out their Christmas cards and to give away a few batches of my own. SWEET!

I'd love to say that in my more organized years I've always ordered cards from Shutterfly, but that would not be true. I have, however, ordered a couple of little photo books (these are terrific gifts, I try to do one annually for the grandparents. I missed that last year too.)  And I'd spent an inordinate amount of time looking at all the fun gifts (I am especially drawn to the notebooks.) For the Pirate's second birthday I ordered pirate invitations from Shutterfly, which I'd love to show you as they were adorable, but I don't have a clue where to find one. I see they have a Star Wars one now, my boys would DIE. I'll have to remember that for next year.

I'm not sure which design we're going to go with this year, a lot of it will depend on the picture I eventually use. (The one we haven't taken yet, better get on that!) I tend to lean towards fun cards, as opposed to elegant, but you can certainly get either from Shutterfly.  I'll probably start out looking for a card  that allows four photos. I'd fill in one of each child and one of the whole family. (This assumes, of course, that we get a good picture of the family!) 

I'm going to give away three sets of 25 cards to my lovely readers. To enter all you have to do is tell me your favorite gift ever*.  If you don't tell me your favorite, you will be disqualified.  The first winner will be chosen subjectively, by the answer I like best. The other two will be drawn using the Random Number generator. Giveaway ends on November 10th.

*edited: I orginally meant that you ever received, but I guess you could go the other way too.

Work from home Monday: The craft show is in 18 days.

In 18 short days I'll be taking this show on the road and entering my first craft show. I'm incredibly nervous about many parts of it, but specifically, will I have enough product? I don't know the magic formula for determining how much product to take with me. I don't know if my table will look nice and full or if I'm going to look like a craft show rookie.  I made a list of goals for what I'd like to have made, and the last week or so have been plugging away at it.  This is a bit decieving, as I have some of them cut and that isn't on the list, but I can't take a half done item, so they aren't counted til they are done. (I also did not count my chickens.)  If things get awfully quiet around here in the next two weeks, please refer back to this list for a reason!

(PS. The random B at the top doesn't mean anything. The Pirate had the wrong marker and it won't go away.)

Random Friday: Big Dork

• Every time someone replies to a comment I left, I have to go back and read my comment to make sure I'm not a big dork.
• I do it with email a lot too.
• I can't stand to watch the Neelys or Paula Deen. I feel like their Southerness is exaggerated to an unpleasant extent. Perhaps this is just my being out of the South for so long.
• Last Friday we carved a pumpkin. On Sunday it was already moldy inside. That is not good enough return on my investment.
• As soon as I find time to take some pictures, I'll be listing another type of wallet and a cool variation on a crayon wallet in the shop.
• My to do list today is a million miles long and none of it is negotiable.
• I'm getting my eyes checked today, for the first time in years. I Can. Not. Wait. Thank goodness for vision insurance. The glasses I'm wearing now are two prescriptions ago, but these dang kids keep breaking my glasses. I think that since I don't have a professional type job I will go ahead and get pink or purple or teal or zebra glasses, might as well, right?
• My craft show is a mere 3 weeks away. I gotta get crackin'!

What I Read This Week:

• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. I enjoyed this, but didn't love it. I never read his other book so had no idea what to expect. I might review it.
• Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean. Finished this one, as expected. Nearly perfect.
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I've only had it on my shelves for 10+ years. Time I read it, no? I'm only about 3 chapters in, but it's much too hefty to shove in my bag so I don't read it a lot.
• Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery. I really like Mallery's writing. Nice easy romance, not a lot of thinking, but also not just fluff. I love the town and the relationships she's building.

•  I am an Amazon Associate. As such, any purchase you make at Amazon.com after following a link from this blog will earn me a (tiny) percentage back as income. Thanks. All content copyright Books. Lists. Life. at http://bookslistslife.blogspot.com. If you're reading this post anywhere other than there, you are reading stolen content.

How to make a pot of coffee.

A sample of my life.

• Hey, I need to make coffee!
• Walk into kitchen.
• Notice cabinet is open.
• Start to shut cabinet, but realize dishes need to be unloaded.
• Open dishwasher.
• Remove one item.
• Realize that the cabinet it goes into has been demolished by the Princess.
• Sit on the floor to straighten cabinet.
• Since I'm on the floor anyway, put away the stuff in the adjoining cabinet, since it's also on the floor.
• Stand up and remember the coffee. Take out old grounds.
• Trip over open dishwasher on the way to the garbage.
• Toss grounds.
• Return to open dishwasher
• Take out silverware basket, but realize that there is too much laundry on the bar to put it by the drawer.
• Put away a couple stacks of laundry to make room.
• While putting laundry away, realize that it would save time if you took the dirty laundry back to the laundry room with you.
• Collect dirty laundry.
• Restrain from swapping laundry, since you just made room for silverware on the counter.
• Put away silverware! (Even tho this is the Pirate's job. He does it if he's home.)
• (fast forward another 10 minutes...)
• Make coffee!!

Now. Did you realize what I left out of that story?

The Pirate. The Bug. The Princess. Bo Peep.

It NEVER goes as smoothly as that.

Random Friday: Parliament

• Did you remember to enter the owl giveaway? Contest ends tonight, winner announced this weekend. There are Halloween owls now too, and you get your choice.
• This is my 900th post.
• The first person to explain today's post title gets three bonus entries in the contest.
• Does anyone else employ subterfuge to keep your kids from eating your stuff? I just bought myself flavored creamer (a rare treat) and am going to decant it into some other container so the Bug won't keep adding it to his milk.
• There has been next to no sleep going on around here lately. The Princess has a cold and can't breathe, so she wakes up and wants to nurse. Then the nursing isn't all she hoped it would be, so she gets mad. It's fun!
• Mike worked his usual 10 or 11 hour days this week, until today when he got up at 5 and went to Denver for a conference. He'll be home Monday. After bedtime.
• I plan to leave the house to get the Pirate from school today, then to check out the craft show at the mall tomorrow to check the competition and otherwise not leave the house.
• Aladdin was on tv last night. I completely shocked the Bug by knowing all the words to the songs and large chunks of dialogue. He's gonna DIE if he ever watches The Little Mermaid or Labyrinth (wow, I dislike the new cover) with me.
• It's hunting season in South Dakota.  Pierre seems to have a lot more camo than Rapid City.
• This is my new favorite blog. Today's picture is priceless.
• Are you on FourSquare? Can we be friends?
• I just signed up for Wunderlist. I think I'm gonna love it.

What I read this week:

• Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean. I should finish today, only 20 pages to go.
• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

 I am an Amazon Associate. As such, any purchase you make at Amazon.com after following a link from this blog will earn me a (tiny) percentage back as income. Thanks. All content copyright Books. Lists. Life. at http://bookslistslife.blogspot.com. If you're reading this post anywhere other than there, you are reading stolen content.

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

The Princess is wearing a 28 - 36 year old smocked dress, handmade by her Great Grandmother. (I'm not sure whose dress it actually was originally.)

Scenes from work at home Monday

Halloween Owl Change Purses in progress

The boys playing on the rocks, just before the bleeding head wound.

The Princess and Bo Peep on the porch

Laundry on one end, sewing on the other.

PS. Did you remember to enter the giveaway for your own owl pouch? You'll be able to choose a Halloween one if the others don't strike your fancy.

Random Friday:The days are so busy!

• How does it get back to Friday so quick every week?
• We are trying some new recipes this week, starting with Spicy African Peanut Stew. Wish us luck. Have you had anything new lately that turned out really well? My family doesn't like spinach or much seafood, but otherwise we're open to suggestions.
• The Bug and I are making Shortbread Candy Cookie Bars after lunch. Er, make that after I get up and get moving. Lunch is over. (Broccoli in butter and pimento cheese sandwiches, if you're curious.)
• Did you enter my giveaway to win one of those adorable owls?
• The weather is finally turning to fall here. I wasn't in a hurry for it, but it's odd to be in October with 80 degree days.
• My cat has taken to sleeping in the shower. She is so weird.
• It's a good thing I bought these boys a new big bed. We went with a full size to share, they have no interest in not sleeping together.
  
  
• It's also very handy for lying in with the Princess at 5 am when she refuses to sleep. It's not on a frame yet, so you don't have to worry about her falling if you happen to doze off a bit. Well, if the boys are on the couch.
• I've done a ton of sewing prep this week, not so much actual sewing. I need to get on it.
• We're still selling Boy Scout popcorn, and can do so online, if anyone needs some!

What I Read this week:

• Still reading Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean. Still loving every thing about it, but just not getting a lot of reading time lately.
• I have a ton of books that are really appealing to me lately, I wish I could find time to actually read them.

My blog is five years old!

Guys, somehow Books. Lists. Life. had another birthday and turns five today! I thought we'd celebrate with a little giveaway!  I'm gonna give away two of these little owl coin purses. They are tiny and cute, only slightly bigger than a credit card.





The first winner will be chosen from everyone who comments on this post! That's it! Easy peasy! (Please don't just say "pick me!", say something witty, or tell me your favorite romantic movie or song or book, or tell me what's for dinner, ok?) Winner number one will get their choice of owl. At the time of this posting, there are three to chose from, but if they continue to multiple I'll happily give the winner one of the others.





The second winner will be chosen from the losers. (What?)








While credit cards will fit in the owls it is a tight squeeze. (Tho I'd imagine they will loosen up a tiny bit over time.) The black one does not have a key ring, the other two do.

If you'd like to be a fan of Made By Lisah on Facebook, you might win the third one. Just Saying.

Contest is open until October 14th. I'll announce the winner on October 15th. If you do not have an email address in your profile be sure to leave one, because I will not track you down! If you do not win, and you want an owl of your own, I'll be listing them in the shop soon! This giveaway is open internationally.