By Jane Bull
I loved Crafty Creatures by Jane Bull. It arrived just as my seven-year old grandson
was visiting for a week. The weather
wasn’t conducive to outside play, so we spent much of our time crafting, with the
help of Crafty Creatures. The photos are wonderful and directions
were easy to follow.
I bought a big selection of
felt, which was very inexpensive. We
followed the directions, but used our own creativity. We made a bed for the three bears out of a
matchbox cover and added more accessories for a little dog. My grandson did a fantastic job, considering
it was his first sewing experience and he had fun. It was a great ‘reality’ activity. I highly recommend the book and the
activities it contains.
Made by Me
By Jane Bull
I bought Made by Me as
a companion book to Crafty Creatures by Jane Bull. The pictures and projects really appeal to
the ‘little girl’ in me. Although it is
clearly geared toward little girls, older children and/or adults could easily
complete many of the projects. Colorful embroidered pouches, lavender or dried
herb bags, pocket lockets are a few of the projects that would make great
gifts. Very basic embroidery, sewing and
knitting instructions are included with clear pictures and directions. This is not a book for anyone looking for
advanced skills or projects, probably including children. It’s perfect children who are beginners, and
for adults whose ‘inner child’ is looking for a sweet treat.
Eat That Frog
By Brian Tracy
I just finished reading Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy. It's
a motivational book that basically says the same thing over and over again, in
different ways. His main theme is to stay focused, organize yourself and
to do your most difficult task first (eat the frog). He gives many
suggestions as to how this should be done. Each chapter is only three to
four pages long.
Eat that Frog is not a guide to a happy
life. The book is intended for
businesses and job related situations, but it's also applicable to almost any
project situation. Tracy clearly states
that his objectives are professional advancement and success. While I am sure that many of his strategies
do work well, some of them appear to be stress inducing. When reading anything, you need to keep your
own personal values and goals in mind. I
would recommend taking the strategies in Eat the Frog that are useful
for your personal goals and life situation.
Reading to find strategies for focus and organization in personal
projects, I found Tracy’s book very useful.
I am not using it as the ultimate guidebook for improving my life.
Counting on You
By Lisa Bork
Counting
on You is the second book that I
found on my Kindle by Lisa Bork. It was
very different from Discovering Nowhere, which I’ve also read
recently. The setting was in the
Marshall Islands and the story involved a mysterious murder. As in Bork’s other book, the story and
characters were engaging. Characters with a life-threatening illness, Marshall
island cultural background, and a mysterious murder make this cozy mystery a
good read. I like Lisa Bork’s style and
will definitely try more of her books.
