BabySchep's Monster Quilt: Part 3

Hello, and welcome to week 3 of this monster quilt journey!  In case you missed it, here are weeks one and two.  Once again, this week will be short and sweet.

Our yard sale on Saturday was (mostly) a success, so I was pretty busy/tired this week.  I'll have to pick up the pace if I'm going to keep up with these weekly progress posts!

Goofy monster.  Anyone else a fan of those Toscana blenders? 

I'll call this one Greenhorn.  There are very few areas in life where I actually feel "experienced," so I can relate.

More cutting has happened on the long term hexie project.  I have some seminars coming up for work, so it won't be too rude to baste while listening, no?

 

In other news:

Recent Reads:

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not very impressed. I thought this would be another Flynn-esque psychological thriller, but it just wasn't that thrilling. Yes, it retained my interest long enough to get through to the end, but it wasn't the "page turner" (I actually listened to the audiobook) I expected it to be. Perhaps that's partially due to the soft-spoken narration of the audiobook, or the fact that I had it figured out from the beginning. Not a bad read, just don't expect it to be one that you rave about to your friends.

View all my reviews


I used to have a set of Disney read along books as a kid, so I started buying some for the boys.  Now they come with CDs instead of cassette tapes!  Our library offers free access to virtually all of the Disney read along digital audiobooks, but there's just something nice about teaching a kid to use a CD player.  I've started with Lil'Schep's favorite Disney character:

We still have a long way to go patience-wise!


Nothing new on our tabletop this week.  Stay tuned. 


Perhaps I'll actually remember to link up to Finished or Not Friday this week.  Until next time, God Bless!

BabySchep's Monster Quilt: Part 2

Wow, has it been a week already?  And I've actually blogged two weeks in a row??  Something crazy must be going on.  Anyway, in case you missed it, check out Part 1 of this quilt.  


It'll be short and sweet this time--here are the next two blocks I've managed to complete for our little monster's quilt:

Red eye is a tad creepy for me.  I'll go with a less creepy color next time. 

I love the baby monster!

In case you're wondering, I use Sulky 12wt cotton thread for the hand blanket stitched edges. 


In other news, I'm having my first grown-up yard sale of my own tomorrow (eek!), so I will need much patience, I'm sure!  I've got a bunch of quilty things in the sale, so if you're in the Lakeland area, come on by!


Linking up with Finished or Not Friday this week. 




Recent Reads:


Flat Broke with Two Goats: A Memoir of Appalachia by Jennifer McGaha
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a delightful listen! This book came at just the right time to remind me why we're so budget-conscious--to prevent the financial collapse that this family experienced. Admittedly, at times I judged these people for their poor decision making, and at other times, it was simply laugh-out-loud funny. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it.

View all my reviews


I've been trying to introduce Lil' Schep to audiobooks, and so far, he likes the musical books the best:

On our tabletop:




Settlers of Canaan.  Yes, Canaan.  I have a wonderful collection of Bible themed games!



Medici, the Card Game

Until next time, God Bless!

BabySchep's Monster Quilt: Part 1

Biting off more than I can chew, I'm sure.  I have started another birthday quilt with fusible applique finished by hand.  You may recall this quilt for Lil'Schep's first birthday:

Windy Hill Farm Quilt, pattern by Antonie Alexander

Now, Baby #2 is 8 months old, so I've got to get going on his first birthday quilt.  I've chosen another quilt from the same book:

This time, I'm making the monster quilt, and here are the first two finished blocks:

I'm sticking with the black/white/grey backgrounds on this quilt so that the monsters will really pop.  These applique quilts always seem like a daunting task, but they are oh-so-fun when you're actually stitching them! 


I'll keep y'all posted.  Linking up with Finished or not Friday today. 


Recent reads:


What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained by Robert L. Wolke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More of the same. If you've read other books in this series, you'll find several repeat explanations in this book, but frankly, I don't mind. It kinda makes me feel smarter to already know the answer to the question! I did find it enjoyable for these questions to be focused on the science of cooking--I'll definitely be giving the sequel a listen, too.

View all my reviews


Chernobyl 01:23:40: The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster by Andrew Leatherbarrow
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This Leatherbarrow fellow has decided to tell the story about his trip to the Chernobyl disaster area alongside his retelling (through research, not personal experience) of the disaster itself. It was okay.

This had the potential to be so much better. This is actually the first book I've "read" about the disaster, so I really have nothing to compare it to. What I did find laughable about this book is the fact that the author starts off by complaining about other nonfiction authors who find it necessary to share their opinions, when Leatherbarrow is guilty of the exact same thing! I didn't find his account of his trip to the Ukraine to be compelling in any way--I read this book to learn more about what happened, and the people it happened to.

Unfortunately, I do find myself curious about disasters, and this book did little to quell that curiosity. Now I'll have to find a different book to read to "clear the air," so to speak.

View all my reviews


What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions by Robert L. Wolke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More of the same type of simple scientific explanations for commonplace curiosities. I always enjoy listening to books like these because I'm the type that seems to always ask "why?"

View all my reviews


On our tabletop:

We've been playing this gem for years, and I've got a quilt in the works inspired by the game!

Until next time, God Bless!