Monday, June 16, 2014

June 16, 2014

Crafty Creatures
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.

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