tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23366856009652058592024-03-05T17:23:59.155-08:00Reading With ScissorsThe books I read and the books I reimagineStephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-11192771345645507032021-10-11T12:52:00.002-07:002021-10-11T12:52:42.862-07:00Ornament Sale on Etsy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DGeZW1g6WJraP951C9ogepJAw7tmkXM4wkMM99E41EAk64fyAuN8PHSGT2m5x7Q8a3QBotahxSZ01YpYP-FhUjvpbKwxBUwHdahbRYFywTXOEMnBF7rRD93hRxvc_9HGi7fjZ2uRWyk-/s890/Ornament3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="653" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DGeZW1g6WJraP951C9ogepJAw7tmkXM4wkMM99E41EAk64fyAuN8PHSGT2m5x7Q8a3QBotahxSZ01YpYP-FhUjvpbKwxBUwHdahbRYFywTXOEMnBF7rRD93hRxvc_9HGi7fjZ2uRWyk-/s320/Ornament3.jpg" width="235" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrzlVv3FaaMUyQQSHPT5EeoZfSlvoII8JI1FtRjkIPQG_WbDFWrSZz1XRt_qmflR4KbbtLCO1vYhsKkOng_6qgUpyhcshv5uNwAjFOSQvYXdCyN0qeDBW7WzIapH7PFBb85sBfIgCfb6S/s947/ornament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="713" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrzlVv3FaaMUyQQSHPT5EeoZfSlvoII8JI1FtRjkIPQG_WbDFWrSZz1XRt_qmflR4KbbtLCO1vYhsKkOng_6qgUpyhcshv5uNwAjFOSQvYXdCyN0qeDBW7WzIapH7PFBb85sBfIgCfb6S/s320/ornament.jpg" width="241" /></a></div></div><br /> Etsy is holding an ornament sale October 11 & 12, and Reading with Scissors is all in. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReadingWithScissors" target="_blank">Check out these new ornaments</a>--perfect for your book club friends, your best pal, or even your own tree.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcQ2i59BL4EJpe4LgJ2V7uQaHwr0lgIRDoVFblgkxDs85zFnb-QmlF0j6mOcFa7Y0KZMlVDO0F8Z4auSp04-Beg4ERZXjpFHCjtA-RwpZXAnB7YYk9BVsElgLLTgD-1FguKFgrbSFyAH3/s890/ornament2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="681" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcQ2i59BL4EJpe4LgJ2V7uQaHwr0lgIRDoVFblgkxDs85zFnb-QmlF0j6mOcFa7Y0KZMlVDO0F8Z4auSp04-Beg4ERZXjpFHCjtA-RwpZXAnB7YYk9BVsElgLLTgD-1FguKFgrbSFyAH3/s320/ornament2.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-37807387590115423312021-08-29T16:09:00.002-07:002021-08-29T16:11:06.206-07:00Rare Reads: Coffee Tea or Me?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1057410102/coffee-tea-or-me-by-trudy-baker-and" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGs7O_4AW6nwRQbFoed0gCKUO9FJCPNo_VPgZ56escfZNb-NamIFjiE0ytvqeXiK5oOJJY-FR6TwB522nwq9Le1kqiyReyTtWJ7px5ymbEBWcbYDuHNLjvrCcvbTWXt31mc19PO_NQu-G/s320/F605AC0E-CC78-4DD7-B5CE-F17B1348BA70.jpeg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div>For the past several months I've been selling vintage books on a new Etsy shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/RWSRareReads" target="_blank">Reading with Scissors - Rare Reads</a>. It's a lot of fun searching for treasures in someone's library and finding new homes for them in other people's libraries. </div><div><br /></div><div>What's NOT fun is finding something to write about each book in Etsy's Description field. Unless I'm going to read every book (and have you seen my To Read stack??), it's a bear finding something to say. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's when I came up with a novel idea--novel, get it? I would find original reviews of the books from back in the day on Newspapers.com and let those writers do my talking. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's been going well, and today I was looking for a good quote for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1057410102/coffee-tea-or-me-by-trudy-baker-and" target="_blank">a copy of </a><i><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1057410102/coffee-tea-or-me-by-trudy-baker-and" target="_blank">Coffee Tea or Me?</a> </i>That's when I ran across this review by Edyth T. McLeod. Now, granted, I haven't read the book, but...</div><div>well, let's just say if you're planning on buying this one to give your daughter who wants to become a flight attendant, you might want to rethink that. You'll thank me later. Hahaha!</div><div><br /></div>
<a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84375395/coffee-tea-or-me/" style="display: block; text-decoration: none;" target="_parent"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84375395/coffee-tea-or-me/" style="display: block; text-decoration: none;" target="_parent"></a><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84375395/coffee-tea-or-me/" style="display: inline; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_parent"><img alt="Coffee Tea or Me?" src="https://img.newspapers.com/img/thumbnail/62452343/300/300/4780_480_1535_1117.jpg" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a></div><span face="helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #747474; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font: 13px helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; max-width: 700px; padding: 4px 0px;"><strong>Coffee Tea or Me?</strong> 21 Dec 1967, Thu <em>San Antonio Express (San Antonio, Texas)</em> Newspapers.com</span>Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-3770753651241026732017-11-05T20:43:00.000-08:002017-11-05T20:43:46.159-08:00Fold Your Own Book for ChristmasIt's early November, but you've still got time to create your own folded book to set on your Christmas shelf. Yes, you, too, can create folded books, and Reading with Scissors is here to help!<br />
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I've added five new Christmas-themed kits to my Etsy store. Each kit comes with a pattern, instructions, a Reader's Digest Condensed Book to fold, and a couple of pieces of cardstock to re-cover the endpapers. And they all ship free. Choose from these designs:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/552033192/folded-book-kit-for-christmas-peace" target="_blank">Peace</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/564819745/folded-book-kit-for-christmas-believe" target="_blank">Believe</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/564822223/folded-book-kit-for-christmas-jingle" target="_blank">Jingle</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/564815883/folded-book-kit-for-christmas-naughty" target="_blank">Naughty</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqM9hELIBVAvEYG6Uwi3TFwmctLG58CaGCsDu86BE0M-Ok5lTkeWMtrbwfI8jliA261K51NHB4RNRkkd9-Nfxy9kCyscaMfvZvRJa2QYL-0Eb3Ej9pnKz21fdiYeIj_7ltFfMd4C5Sd7R/s1600/Kit-Nice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqM9hELIBVAvEYG6Uwi3TFwmctLG58CaGCsDu86BE0M-Ok5lTkeWMtrbwfI8jliA261K51NHB4RNRkkd9-Nfxy9kCyscaMfvZvRJa2QYL-0Eb3Ej9pnKz21fdiYeIj_7ltFfMd4C5Sd7R/s320/Kit-Nice.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/549675776/folded-book-kit-for-christmas-nice" target="_blank">Nice</a></td></tr>
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As mentioned, these kits all include a Reader's Digest Condensed Book, but if you already have a book on hand, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReadingWithScissors?section_id=17077372" target="_blank">I'm selling the patterns</a> and instructions by themselves, too. Purchase a pattern, and you can download it immediately and get folding right away.<br />
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And if the thought of making anything for Christmas sends you over the edge, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReadingWithScissors?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=20276631" target="_blank">I'll fold a book for you</a>, just get your order in early to ensure delivery before Christmas!<br />
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<br />Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-34530105163317986892017-09-05T21:59:00.000-07:002017-09-05T21:59:11.618-07:00Shop 'Til You Drop 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Houston is still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, so holiday shopping may not be the first thing on everyone's mind, but Reading With Scissors will be at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cwcshoptilyoudrop/" target="_blank">Shop 'Til You Drop Market</a> at the <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/tuq4ZAiinH92" target="_blank">Berry Center</a> on Sept 9, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgco7k9DRo6x66H40sT7UcPrFsYMnE2GBZXxDqQKFpqBUVVyEAkLLU6kHUG20ptM87DRDebzA-2Kgavy-3S7Z8QX7NpYZormsbQGsfLHYynqCh0jEsW2CQGL1WulKmaG6UFgL5S1plzv7G8/s640/blogger-image-1889242726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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I'll be featuring some of my new book-based art.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8w3qH1wH9KDQSGB59Dopg-WtI4nRYLBIDWpvrVjuIrXk5ndRivWuuZIvUAVOL9x9mILSL1-uLpLhHFHxqkNNvdR7sYQSMkwORSHm2Xya1oxATjmFFRPtPdgrBDcUOj93Q8neYvbGdF4yK/s640/blogger-image-592105943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8w3qH1wH9KDQSGB59Dopg-WtI4nRYLBIDWpvrVjuIrXk5ndRivWuuZIvUAVOL9x9mILSL1-uLpLhHFHxqkNNvdR7sYQSMkwORSHm2Xya1oxATjmFFRPtPdgrBDcUOj93Q8neYvbGdF4yK/s400/blogger-image-592105943.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgco7k9DRo6x66H40sT7UcPrFsYMnE2GBZXxDqQKFpqBUVVyEAkLLU6kHUG20ptM87DRDebzA-2Kgavy-3S7Z8QX7NpYZormsbQGsfLHYynqCh0jEsW2CQGL1WulKmaG6UFgL5S1plzv7G8/s640/blogger-image-1889242726.jpg" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqK70t7G7lzbXApQ9H94qw-xB-FY0Nto_tYAJJLvTyARUYKKH1vahbvlzqhr5lQytfzXje9lOPcqUa1jjPyw9lQWSvMvtd9Bw5dkttsLHlr9kZnFbK3rbt5DrZLrQxOwMdDr4W768MxsXY/s400/blogger-image--1371341408.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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And of course, holiday themed folded books will be available. And you can order customized folded books before the holiday rush starts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2-uu7o8frb6M689jVuSkPOhefmbG1gJemZWy_Z6iBWtbljCHehHkTI4Q7InNH7gmEVq2sVoaXfyueoksSrpZVkcOGOq8gfjuYXYhWVARJtyYEG1gbDgtMWHT3km2YJTUkdwvKbej00t8/s1600/DSC_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2-uu7o8frb6M689jVuSkPOhefmbG1gJemZWy_Z6iBWtbljCHehHkTI4Q7InNH7gmEVq2sVoaXfyueoksSrpZVkcOGOq8gfjuYXYhWVARJtyYEG1gbDgtMWHT3km2YJTUkdwvKbej00t8/s400/DSC_0244.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Shop 'Til You Drop features over 250 vendors (you read that right), so drop by and see what all the buzz is about. See you there!</div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-12694288405957570942017-04-11T09:55:00.000-07:002017-04-11T09:55:03.751-07:00Boxing Match<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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If you have been following my blog from the beginning--or if you have been around me for a nanosecond or two--it will come as no surprise to you that I am a clutter magnet. Wherever I go there is usually a collection of stuff that remains after I have left. I leave it there not because I am lazy. </div>
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OK, maybe it's a little bit because I'm lazy.</div>
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But more than that it's because deep down inside I am convinced that if I leave something out on a counter or a table, it will remind me to do something with it later. That usually works out like this:</div>
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Oh, this wine cork would make a beautiful flower. I'll leave it here on the table and make that flower sometime this week. Then a year later I find the cork under a pile of other saved treasures and ask myself, I wonder why I kept this wine cork??</div>
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And it's not like I can help being a clutterer. It has been scientifically proven. Many, many years ago, I went into a job interview and I had to take this personality test. When it was over the test administrator went over the results with me and said, "I think you're like me. Your desk is probably pretty messy most of the time, but every now and then you just get this itch to clean everything up."</div>
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BINGO! </div>
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Occasionally the urge hits me to get organized. (If Captain America tells you otherwise, do not believe him.) Recently I walked into my craft room and got that urge big time. So I bought myself a Workbox 3.0 from the <a href="https://www.theoriginalscrapbox.com/">Original Scrapbox</a>.</div>
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It's not like you can just go out and get one of these things at the furniture store. (Please don't tell me I could have gone out and got one of these at a furniture store.) They are so popular, that you have to put down a deposit and then get in line for the actual delivery--which usually happens a couple of months later. Then you have to be there for the delivery because it comes in a collection of boxes so big, I had to park my car outside my garage for about a week. </div>
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Once at my house Captain America and I had to carry it piece by piece up those stairs you see against the wall.</div>
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Then we had to put it together. That took a couple of evenings. Putting one part together...</div>
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and then others...</div>
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...and finally snapping all the pieces together.</div>
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So what's it look like now with all my stuff in it? Check it out...</div>
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<br />Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-82637106540049537002017-04-05T16:22:00.000-07:002017-04-05T16:22:57.378-07:00I love bumpy names<br />
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I love bumpy names. Like this one...</div>
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...and this one.</div>
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All those lumps and humps make for beautiful folding.</div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-60958129844898769072016-11-07T09:21:00.000-08:002016-11-07T09:21:38.176-08:00Capitola's Election Special<br />
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We're back with the Rare Reads Book Club and Capitola. For those of you who don't know what we're talking about, catch up <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2016/09/meet-capitola.html">here </a>and <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2016/09/rare-reads-book-club-wheres-capitola.html">here</a>.<br />
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In the meantime, it's Chapter 2 and once again we are starting in the middle of a story with a bunch of new people we know nothing about.<br />
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It begins with somebody named Old Hurricane raging that another guy named Black Donald has tricked him by disguising himself and freeing some prisoners. Hurricane is furious! Mad at himself and everyone around him who didn't recognize the dastardly Donald.<br />
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"I've coddled him up with negusses! I've pampered him up with possets and put him to sleep in my own bed!" cries Old Hurricane.<br />
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Sounds pretty serious! What in the heck are negusses and possets anyway? cried Stephanie.<br />
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Google to the rescue. A quick search of the word negus brought up two definitions. The first is a king, specifically the title of a sovereign of Ethiopia. That revelation brought me to<a href="http://www.okayafrica.com/news/kendrick-lamar-ethiopian-history-negus/" target="_blank"> a very interesting article on the origin of the word negus and its use in modern-day music</a>, but after reading that article, I figured that the second definition was probably the one that E.D.E.N. Southworth meant here. A hot drink of port, sugar, lemon, and spices.<br />
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A little more searching, and guess what. There are a few recipes for negusses floating around the Internet, like <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/jane-austens-negus-404531" target="_blank">this one from Jane Austen's Cookbook</a> and <a href="http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/recipes/a3816/negus-drink-recipe/">this other one from Esquire magazine</a>. It was invented, according to the Esquire article, by Colonel Francis Negus in the early 1700s, and, since it is served warm, makes a dandy mid-winter drink.<br />
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Posset, it turns out, is another kind of drink--a drink made of hot milk curdled with booze and typically flavored with spices--which sounds kind of ewwww until I realized that pretty much describes Bailey's, Kahlua, and Rumchata.<br />
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Interesting tidbit, according to the website, historicfoods.com, a posset was served in a posset pot that had this little pipe sticking out of it. Once set, a posset settled into three layers. The top layer was the foam on the top. People called it the grace, and they ate it with a spoon. The middle turned into a spicy custard, also consumed with a spoon. The grace and the custard sat on top of the boozy stuff at the bottom that you sucked out of the posset pot through the pipe.<br />
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So Old Hurricane went to the trouble of concocting a dish like that for Black Donald and then Donald turned around and tricked him? No wonder Hurricane was ticked.<br />
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In the middle of this tirade, we read:<br />
"'Uncle!' said Capitola."<br />
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Hey, we <i>finally</i> meet our heroine--at least I think she's going to be our heroine. And she's Old Hurricane's niece. The pieces are starting to fall into place. But her interjection doesn't stop her uncle from continuing to rant--this one for your election enjoyment:<br />
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"...at the very next convention of our party I'll nominate him to represent us in the National Congress; for, of all the fools that ever I have met in my life the people of this county are the greatest! And fools should at least be represented by one clever man--and Black Donald is the very fellow! He is decidedly the ablest man in this congressional district."<br />
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Finally, the party breaks up and Hurricane--whose real name is apparently Major Warfield--goes out to take care of his animals and that's when a servant tells him about the beautiful young girl who has been brought to the nearby Hidden House.<br />
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"She had better be dead than in the power of that atrocious villain and consummate hypocrite!" the Major rails. So Colonel Lenoir's reputation precedes him.<br />
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The chapter ends with Capitola also finding out from her servant, Pitapat, that there is a new neighbor at Hidden House. Capitola immediately decides to arrange a visit to the consternation of poor Pat, who has been told by Major Warfiled not to spill the beans about the new next door beauty.<br />
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"Now why doesn't he wish me to call there? I shall have to go in order to find out, and so I will," thought Cap.<br />
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I think I'm gonna like this chick.<br />
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Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-75123665602895051672016-10-21T08:00:00.000-07:002016-10-21T08:00:11.164-07:00It's Fall Fair TimeIt's time for The Woodlands Fall Market and Fair, October 22 from 9 am-4 pm at <a href="http://www.cc-um.org/">Christ Church United Methodist Church</a>. <br />
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I'm busy getting boxes filled and my truck packed, so these quick snaps with my iPhone (and lots of reflection in glass) are going to have to do.<br />
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Come to the Market to check out some of my new adventures in iris folding!</div>
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Or my new line of Fashion Statements...</div>
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Or maybe you need a turkey. </div>
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See you there. </div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-51731125776856901672016-09-26T13:02:00.000-07:002016-09-26T14:01:31.077-07:00Rare Reads Book Club: Where's Capitola?<meta property="og:image" content="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6l9xu_xwII5-eaz09pNj0zqGIxJr_bExvAJM_JaOUQ_xWfp9-paCHCVKXRAxOGBybw7Xt-ApagKwHxVC9RBooDQpy2NOtNffcSUEopd9hmfkgopPEOuM-GvGj62gGBAa3lMGTQRozPNZ6/s1600/hater.jpg"/><div>
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Here we go. Book Club post #1!<br />
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So I opened my copy of <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2016/09/meet-capitola.html" target="_blank">Capitola's Peril</a> and began to read:</div>
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"At nine o'clock the next morning Traverse went to the library to keep his tryst with Colonel LeNoir."<br />
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That, my friends, is how you start a sequel! No dilly-dallying with those who haven't read the first book. If you're going to read this book, then you better know what happened on the last page of the first book.<br />
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But even if you <i>didn't </i>read the first book, you can't help but be drawn in by the drama on the very first page of this one, right? Some guy named Traverse tells this Colonel LeNoir that a lady named Clara Day is staying at her childhood home with her old companion, Marah Rocke, based on the deathbed wishes of Clara's father. LeNoir accuses Traverse of wanting to keep the heiress for himself—ah! she's an heiress—and that maybe he isn't being totally truthful. To which Traverse says how dare you, and LeNoir says how dare you back.<br />
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At which point I'm asking myself, wait, isn't this supposed to be about someone named Capitola?<br />
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So then comes the reading of the dead father's will and when nothing is included about Clara staying put, LeNoir says ok, she's coming with me to my place called (cue ominous music: <i>dun dun dun) </i>Hidden House. And then the doctor that brought the will to the house says now wait a minute, I was there when the good man died, and and I testify that he wanted his daughter to stay with Mrs Rocke PLUS did you know that Clara and Traverse are engaged and the recently deceased daddy knew and approved? But LeNoir (cue maniacal laughter) says she ain't staying and she sure ain't getting married; she's coming with me.<br />
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Then Traverse Rocke (oh yeah, I forgot the part where we find out that Traverse is Marah Rocke's son) says not so fast, I'm going to take this to Orphan Court in the morning. So the next morning everyone heads to Orphan Court, and after 3 hours the judge sides with Colonel LeNoir. <i>Gasp! </i>After a tearful goodbye and a pledge to stay faithful, Traverse and Clara split, and LeNoir deposits Clara into his carriage and takes off. Despondent Mrs Rocke heads back to her cabin, and heartbroken Traverse takes off to bide his time in the West.<br />
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And holy schmoley that is just Chapter One!<br />
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<b>Well-known fact (and if you didn't know it before, you know it now)</b>: The author E.D.E.N. Southworth was known for her sensational plots.<br />
<b>Lesser-known fact</b>: Her contemporary, Louisa May Alcott, made fun of Southworth for that very thing in her book, <i>Little Women. </i>Check this out from Chapter 27, where we find Jo stealing a look at a newspaper held by a boy sitting next to her.<br />
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<i>Pausing to turn a page, the lad saw her looking and, with boyish good nature offered half his paper, saying bluntly, "Want to read it? That's a first-rate story."</i> </blockquote>
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<i>Jo accepted it with a smile, for she had never outgrown her liking for lads, and soon found herself involved in the usual labyrinth of love, mystery, and murder, for the story belonged to that class of light literature in which the passions have a holiday, and when the author's invention fails, a grand catastrophe clears the stage of one half the dramatis personae, leaving the other half to exult over their downfall.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>"Prime, isn't it?" asked the boy, as her eye went down the last paragraph of her portion.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>"I think you and I could do as well as that if we tried," returned Jo, amused at his admiration of the trash.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>"I should think I was a pretty lucky chap if I could. She makes a good living out of such stories, they say;" </i><i>And he pointed to the name of Mrs. S.L.A.N.G. Northbury, under the title of the tale.</i></blockquote>
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<i>"Do you know her?" asked Jo, with sudden interest.</i></blockquote>
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<i>"No, but I read all her pieces, and I know a fellow who works in the office where this paper is printed."</i></blockquote>
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<i>"Do you say she makes a good living out of stories like this?" And Jo looked more respectfully at the agitated group and thickly sprinkled exclamation points that adorned the page.</i></blockquote>
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<i>"Guess she does! She knows just what folks like, and gets paid well for writing it."</i></blockquote>
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<i>Here the lecture began, but Jo heard very little of it, for while Professor Sands was prosing away about Belzoni, Cheops, scarabei, and hieroglyphics, she was covertly taking down the address of the paper, and boldly resolving to try for the hundred-dollar prize offered in its columns for a sensational story. By the time the lecture ended and the audience awoke, she had built up a splendid fortune for herself (not the first founded on paper), and was already deep in the concoction of her story, being unable to decide whether the duel should come before the elopement or after the murder. </i></blockquote>
Trash? S.L.A.N.G. Northbury? Thickly sprinkled exclamation points!?!?!<br />
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But I have to confess that "<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">being unable to decide whether the duel should come before the elopement or after the murder"<i> </i>cracked me up<i>. (Should the Orphan Court come before or after the reading of the will?)</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Don't you love being in on the joke?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Anyway, we're on to more fun next time. If you haven't started reading yet, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Capitolas-Peril-Sequel-Hidden-Hand-ebook/dp/B0082RE3RO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474336559&sr=1-1&keywords=capitola%27s+peril" target="_blank">download your copy here</a>. Here's a preview: Capitola actually shows up in Chapter 2!!!!!!</span></div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-40416012323958029892016-09-20T08:03:00.000-07:002016-09-20T08:03:03.434-07:00Meet CapitolaOne of the best parts about having a business based on old books is that I have an excellent excuse to visit estate sales on the weekends. When Captain America raises his eyebrows, I just say, “Hey, it’s for Reading with Scissors. I have to, because you know, I’m making you rich one art project at a time.” Sometimes that even works!<br />
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So it was the other day when I found myself way out in the country in someone’s house searching for books. I always hope to find sales that have big walls of books, but this one wasn’t like that. The owners had books scattered throughout the house--a shelf of books here and another shelf of books there. However, when I got to the living room I finally saw a big shelf of books…with an even bigger man standing in front of it. I stood over his shoulder for a bit, watching him carefully open each book, thumb through all the pages, close it up, put it back, take the next book off the shelf. It was obviously going to be a while. <br />
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That’s when I turned around and saw another small shelf near the door I came in. Many of the books on this shelf were decidedly older than anything I would cut up. First I grabbed this 1935 jewel about fellow Oklahoman, Will Rogers.<br />
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And then I found this one, <i>The Spirit of the Border</i>, by Zane Grey, published in 1906. Is that an awesome cover or what?</div>
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But then I saw this one, and I had to have it.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCtjeogykUY7FUfctWljQntMEokw_FL59Z46NJdjz9j3dIPQps3_7Qf2CBV1b5fAHhsUk8bc9D1cORkDvnHkhuKqr4fFs637jee6IyIloMfFLwNau6eq-fNps8xG1BwkTPKhgFlmQ5Med/s640/blogger-image-279600194.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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I mean, c’mon, isn’t that a great title? <i>Capitola’s Peril</i>! And if that’s her on the front cover, I figured the peril had to be from that big ole scarf around her neck that was causing her to walk around with an s-shaped spine! She’s so bent over, her bosom is even with her elbow. Girlfriend, I can relate!<br />
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The title page held even more intrigue…</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGg8dvuIbSuYrOxayYj1KAKvKxgW9odUj4ENF3UA54CqH_BeN99N0-rIvGSY2I9lo4n7BPOteoVlxu_LJGk6IUA6cIzYA99FmKTD6WczW2POD9nJjLuoZcmgYRyec0MLNPv1d1Riy8Miew/s640/blogger-image-1754371683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGg8dvuIbSuYrOxayYj1KAKvKxgW9odUj4ENF3UA54CqH_BeN99N0-rIvGSY2I9lo4n7BPOteoVlxu_LJGk6IUA6cIzYA99FmKTD6WczW2POD9nJjLuoZcmgYRyec0MLNPv1d1Riy8Miew/s640/blogger-image-1754371683.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
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First, this isn’t the first the world had heard of Capitola. It’s a sequel!<br />
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Second, E.D.E.N. Southworth – What kind of initials are those?<br />
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I had to go check it out. A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._D._E._N._Southworth">Wikipedia search later</a> and I had my answer. The author’s full name is Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth, and according to the article, she was the most popular American novelist of her day. And her day included Hawthorne, Melville, Alcott, Twain, and James. So there.<br />
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Why hadn’t I ever heard of her before? And what made her so popular?<br />
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That’s when I got the idea that I should actually read <i>Capitola’s Peril</i>. The problem was the pages in the book, while in fairly good shape, are still pretty brittle. I was afraid that they could end up disintegrating in my hand. <br />
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Kindle to the rescue! <i>Capitola’s Peril</i> is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Capitolas-Peril-Sequel-Hidden-Hand-ebook/dp/B0082RE3RO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474336559&sr=1-1&keywords=capitola%27s+peril">available on Amazon—for free</a>!<br />
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So wanna read along? Download it on your gadget and join the first selection of the Reading With Scissors Rare Reads Book Club. And <a href="http://eepurl.com/b86P01" target="_blank">sign up for my newsletter</a> so you can keep up with all the fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi7m9vkPs3y1pP04UZZPCCOwuQPlxG3HKbhIRK3Nih2uQ3yvQVOxL9Sp-NY8nSfu4hdSHF_oEV-iJMgu7Glk9rhVVM2BDwowQR9aqwsHvoKAmLWvbG0Dmv9-ejV4TU74gC8jLz1fn_3Bj/s1600/RareReads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi7m9vkPs3y1pP04UZZPCCOwuQPlxG3HKbhIRK3Nih2uQ3yvQVOxL9Sp-NY8nSfu4hdSHF_oEV-iJMgu7Glk9rhVVM2BDwowQR9aqwsHvoKAmLWvbG0Dmv9-ejV4TU74gC8jLz1fn_3Bj/s1600/RareReads.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's some chocolate and some wine to set the mood. Now get going!</div>
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Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-59372427791230470382016-08-30T06:59:00.000-07:002016-08-30T06:59:14.866-07:00C-man turns 1!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am going only a little crazy getting ready for Shop 'Til You Drop on Sep 10. I've been cutting and folding and coloring and painting and...whose idea was this anyway?</div>
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So with all this to do, what did I do this weekend? Threw a party, of course. Cause who wouldn't want to throw a party for this guy? C-man turned one!</div>
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And my Silhouette machine went nuts in the process. We had a baseball theme with hamburgers and hot dogs in the concessions area. (Check out that spiffy banner.) </div>
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And then here were bags of peanuts and bubbles for party favors with fancy-dancy Silhouette cut bag toppers. </div>
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C-man's aunt Stephanie made the cutest banner for the front of the high chair.</div>
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Stephanie works for the Texas Rangers, and she got an authenticated ball from an Astros/Rangers game to serve as a guest book.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1KBvns5c6aMoA8D1SKEz7HLsOsRBCQwR3_0qgesKsWNPkjn9BTnXWprUFzHV8rQtC3yApBmJDaMnTZOHxk1Mt2jXrD6KwChp9E9mBE37QUwQAqASqEiVksd66dW3YLtittBSpq4uMDhq/s1600/2016-08-27_155526358_CFC83_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1KBvns5c6aMoA8D1SKEz7HLsOsRBCQwR3_0qgesKsWNPkjn9BTnXWprUFzHV8rQtC3yApBmJDaMnTZOHxk1Mt2jXrD6KwChp9E9mBE37QUwQAqASqEiVksd66dW3YLtittBSpq4uMDhq/s640/2016-08-27_155526358_CFC83_iOS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There were the baseball cupcakes for the crowd.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTvEoyE_rD10gCt60owQQAJPwQsPmmCBD4LG8E6PvNj0pZTL9idt7BpYFY6UvzQR7wIdXXGOYn7dsmcWGD-jirnkAF4mLOz2S_AInmxVYkHUE799vtJiV4Bl870FX4i9RcFBIVMIsOTLE/s1600/2016-08-27_174802751_84F9F_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTvEoyE_rD10gCt60owQQAJPwQsPmmCBD4LG8E6PvNj0pZTL9idt7BpYFY6UvzQR7wIdXXGOYn7dsmcWGD-jirnkAF4mLOz2S_AInmxVYkHUE799vtJiV4Bl870FX4i9RcFBIVMIsOTLE/s640/2016-08-27_174802751_84F9F_iOS.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And, of course, there was one moment of pure panic. Seconds before the smash cake made its debut, the "1 candle" fell and broke into two pieces. </div>
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It took two grandmas, a grandpa and some special work with a Bic lighter to put it back together and get it to C-man in time for the song. I think the parents were none the wiser until they read this story. Surprise!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1CkSfhMcTNDXsnokWPnZMgBmGpyprf8xBG_jefVVrhUQt0cwYQtYLxKuKRONSgLuDbJzVVdDFkZutLTopldtKsbqzwS_maWUfGiSHmCwpIcAGWh6Q2udAeE8kMSC2wPlTlLjaoMEgwye/s1600/2016-08-27_180218588_F839B_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1CkSfhMcTNDXsnokWPnZMgBmGpyprf8xBG_jefVVrhUQt0cwYQtYLxKuKRONSgLuDbJzVVdDFkZutLTopldtKsbqzwS_maWUfGiSHmCwpIcAGWh6Q2udAeE8kMSC2wPlTlLjaoMEgwye/s400/2016-08-27_180218588_F839B_iOS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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C-man didn't seem to mind. In fact, I'm not sure he even noticed a candle. Two-fisted cake eating--<i>that's </i>what I'm talking about.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzwGEf4NjJh5jPulny3mxNIb8Q2F0dePHGLzzywthW-5Gcijlaj883FV4QYCR9ntacDAhNGFIDKdOQ0MYnOydA1eomlFlPdZFJVhpP26jlR6-JPReR74lPmq2LBZYGaMKlVMd3yKF4vPd/s1600/cartercandle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzwGEf4NjJh5jPulny3mxNIb8Q2F0dePHGLzzywthW-5Gcijlaj883FV4QYCR9ntacDAhNGFIDKdOQ0MYnOydA1eomlFlPdZFJVhpP26jlR6-JPReR74lPmq2LBZYGaMKlVMd3yKF4vPd/s320/cartercandle.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBRBtO4f2oV4h3rR9tcVk0IxxB3wuK_lub1svVL0Cb8pxUlmnF5gp1HWLsfAra9Tg0yMHuT7n8z56_037rDe7mo84E0MxY5DSDliGPs1RILS6xotHu9iEiXEb0EiyWcI6fQtLUKWYLcV9/s1600/cartereat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBRBtO4f2oV4h3rR9tcVk0IxxB3wuK_lub1svVL0Cb8pxUlmnF5gp1HWLsfAra9Tg0yMHuT7n8z56_037rDe7mo84E0MxY5DSDliGPs1RILS6xotHu9iEiXEb0EiyWcI6fQtLUKWYLcV9/s320/cartereat.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDtZynIxXu0QJPmvKvURqb4UvUBpXPVei1v3YcNfq3mOb7mJUREyBerzgPhSDA79uuFEI4cRWEsUorAEo8xUjl_iGUHEzQL-ElZQPaYMd4x46wpUNsaZLjlBDjmnAPUq38sdGkjtpRcCR/s1600/2016-08-27_174611058_94184_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDtZynIxXu0QJPmvKvURqb4UvUBpXPVei1v3YcNfq3mOb7mJUREyBerzgPhSDA79uuFEI4cRWEsUorAEo8xUjl_iGUHEzQL-ElZQPaYMd4x46wpUNsaZLjlBDjmnAPUq38sdGkjtpRcCR/s640/2016-08-27_174611058_94184_iOS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now it's time to get back to folding and cutting and drawing and coloring and...all-around getting ready. Sep 10 will be here soon! Get ready! </div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-57874986196507568552016-08-23T10:00:00.000-07:002016-08-23T10:00:01.924-07:00It's not even September yet, so what the heck??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Less than three weeks until I'm at the Shop Til You Drop craft show in Cypress, TX. So you know what that means...</div>
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It's time to pull out the Halloween merch.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/158910967/boo-halloween-folded-book-sculpture?ref=shop_home_active_5" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKVXKnlj74ku7FLDhPEvJ-ZKEO6P5apRYSKs9DJMc0VwCfkANRedmDnTjeBMwAV1HDXyUkaf-5PkqVpp-TbyudKks05c2o_tml6dhmRXzDyibqS6sSyn8RVCtTTLAUJoxi2tCUfvLt6cD/s640/DSC_0244.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Less than three weeks and I'm pretty sure I'm way behind the getting ready curve. That's...</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/158926461/scary-halloween-folded-book-sculpture?ref=shop_home_active_6" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5uHdlBZA-MjPExn7YMLksPafgIQpO_nUzmQp70jcKyEIvh0KAxgMTNXkfNOUm_6gsJAg_iW75AxRZeakEjn1J_Dtxz02bkYrrJFQi1BclrcFfJGdtikzJEchHEH2uQ9Ce9TTSvfZbZ8l/s640/DSC_0236.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/158899714/creepy-halloween-folded-book-sculpture" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4h7dcOq-IpzJIBY1VTuZnzgGlqNw0Bp4EeJszESyhCF-1l5j9tEHicya-L8QdQktOHzUQS9Y-leMbOLW-GExacBWxgG7toul57SYAat_ySN1azvemxcPDwU33-SnNZkCXgItjbATfZN5/s640/DSC_0227.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Wait. Did you say Scary and Creepy? I think I dated that guy in college!<br />
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This is one of my favorites. C'mon, it's Halloween. It's funny, and...<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/228897329/bite-me-folded-book-sculpture-twilight" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI3zLTUjW82-XWPu4kSy7V1dPMtTpijV8GQUoWPVkMjakEk4reb2CSc49XTdCpnyjui6ukc-Pg1QjlnqeEhoR8LNrEPt8cLn34uLBcfP1ere5A1r2iXiTBb_jMewbQzO32xyE4yQ_bsn2/s640/DSC_0240.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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...it's made out of a Twilight book. Get it?</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/228897329/bite-me-folded-book-sculpture-twilight" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCUspz-T4BGSkJ5KSjKabyVfdpkRw6l2Lit-lBs0XMxfwpPO38zBODLYpxGGGeCJ0AXKtEuSnfosxTnOPtgG1UBtSoRrEPtibfYWH863ncQFdA0AAEM4faX-99MpB3KCPLROQqUqenFPf/s640/DSC_0223.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Speaking of getting it, click any of these pictures to buy a book. Oh, and one last chance to <a href="http://eepurl.com/b86P01" target="_blank">get on my email list</a> to get the inaugural issue. It'll be worth your while. Promise. </div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-12392591753926699142016-08-15T20:40:00.000-07:002016-08-15T20:43:04.471-07:00Things that make you go unhhhhhYou know how I get addicted to things? Right now I'm kinda addicted to markers. I bought a big box of them.<br />
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And then I bought another big box of them.<br />
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I even downloaded a color chart so I could track all the markers that I have...and now I can buy the ones I'm missing. Because that's what addicts do. Or people with OCD. Or maybe it's just me.<br />
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Anyway, here's one of the things I've been using them for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MD1rqlPbzAdLEl2DNNjItd4hNqGq0QAjOFsuERX_OHwJd4VY1pDiw56QHI18iF8ZZ8odNojn18N6iH0BVNnJ6j84MfTg7pAPKgSdWor-LyINOuFi5M6lnRDfr0C9WI9_hZ4PZXzwPGgf/s640/blogger-image-328608583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MD1rqlPbzAdLEl2DNNjItd4hNqGq0QAjOFsuERX_OHwJd4VY1pDiw56QHI18iF8ZZ8odNojn18N6iH0BVNnJ6j84MfTg7pAPKgSdWor-LyINOuFi5M6lnRDfr0C9WI9_hZ4PZXzwPGgf/s640/blogger-image-328608583.jpg" /></a></div>
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I call them Booktangles, which is a mashup between books and Zentangle. I've been having fun finding pages with just the right words on them. </div>
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Like this one. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4gzJU4BIlGn2jeFPYE6gNZmY4e4YeImOE5jl3awf76aqlyyrs-4auxCIgrT3mO-LrEe0jn4DdJvvvAcFSbd-bk_jYbHUNRTj7MMIB9lPXT-AYueyhbkOoRt1Xl7ffmY6JP9Np5SHlQ1S/s640/blogger-image-183673859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4gzJU4BIlGn2jeFPYE6gNZmY4e4YeImOE5jl3awf76aqlyyrs-4auxCIgrT3mO-LrEe0jn4DdJvvvAcFSbd-bk_jYbHUNRTj7MMIB9lPXT-AYueyhbkOoRt1Xl7ffmY6JP9Np5SHlQ1S/s640/blogger-image-183673859.jpg" /></a></div>
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Doesn't this little three line novel just make you want to go unhhhhh? (Is that how do you spell unhhhhh? That sound you make when you just barely moan because it hurts too much to really moan?)</div>
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Unrequited love. It'll do that to you.</div>
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Here's a brighter one. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42h-41QYlomJQDqZ_ctkE3xjBI8uESIod3JPOb-mOfl65x5PyaABYIqZaZstjxFNmoQ5OOjSB7vcDZp7wzOkwiziW5YRlLf2JNsXTVpFaXyasTMbZUNmEZWMjqmJFIJtNmWz28bSfL9DP/s640/blogger-image--1886728852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42h-41QYlomJQDqZ_ctkE3xjBI8uESIod3JPOb-mOfl65x5PyaABYIqZaZstjxFNmoQ5OOjSB7vcDZp7wzOkwiziW5YRlLf2JNsXTVpFaXyasTMbZUNmEZWMjqmJFIJtNmWz28bSfL9DP/s640/blogger-image--1886728852.jpg" /></a></div>
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In spirit and in color.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxL2dYwyIhjl8p9d0KF3i4jo1GqLy2FPG7c2g0Ec5rQG7tmcmXUdZaw6Y2AGNtxYD09TDbHQkPA7jCW46ME0s6MVBODy9YqPkhZydT1hIehGG_CoHvrf_0y9QQVBNhoZoVQ4OuPfIvUAYd/s640/blogger-image-1933250409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxL2dYwyIhjl8p9d0KF3i4jo1GqLy2FPG7c2g0Ec5rQG7tmcmXUdZaw6Y2AGNtxYD09TDbHQkPA7jCW46ME0s6MVBODy9YqPkhZydT1hIehGG_CoHvrf_0y9QQVBNhoZoVQ4OuPfIvUAYd/s640/blogger-image-1933250409.jpg" /></a></div>
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You could put this one on your desk to remind you that your mother was right. You are a genius. </div>
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Booklovers love Booktangles. They make them go unhhhhh. Promise.</div>
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Click one and see.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/469738741/original-drawing-in-turquoise-orange-and?ref=shop_home_active_2" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UY-wfdaH4hlhy6-NdAbscUKG6e51qc5JlrNNkWAR2BQhSlE-LbUt7yCMaiwWViZGq5vSMtKMOkG9chmE1l0s89Sb18DG6BboL9rUn0qrRpU8ZbHYct3_cKod6ZShbi3jfkRIbhIYQe2Y/s320/blogger-image--1138149864.jpg" width="240" /></a><span id="goog_1832007946"></span><span id="goog_1832007947"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/456249242/original-drawing-on-book-page-in-peach?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgLdQ2lJo4USlngfVWVWSt5GBoeIXhX75ls1oonG2kztmUM6mTROp-NHgcRSep-RGwFJI_oJJa4EkKpayMNhzIvxxiDJH2KMZWLRa_AUq43_hyphenhyphenekFtIc4RoG7UksVHVCZVBM_-6Kwl_hyphenhyphen/s320/blogger-image--2079571151.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-14047067807760244752016-08-07T11:00:00.000-07:002016-08-07T11:01:08.864-07:00Did You See My New Stuff?Notice anything different around here? Like maybe everything?<br>
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Yep, I decided it was time for a little spruce up at Reading with Scissors so check out that fancy-dancy new banner up there.</div>
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Or check out the new design on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReadingWithScissors" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a>...or ask me for a new business card...or have you seen my new packing slips? </div>
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I'd like to take credit for how ultra cool it all looks, but that honor goes to my friend, Paula. That's her below in the blue shirt. The one without the mustache.</div>
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Paula and I work together in Cube City with Chris (the one with the mustache) and Jasmine. Twice a day we get out of our chairs, circle the campus, and try to get some steps in. On one of those trips, I told Paula that I was thinking about rebranding Reading with Scissors, and Paula told me rebranding stuff was one of her best things. Match made in heaven!</div>
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I wanted to make her a special book for all the work that she had done for me. When I asked her what word she would like, she said...</div>
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Good choice! One of my favorite words, too.</div>
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I really like the way it turned out. Not only because it's one of those "round letter words" that looks so pretty in script, but also because I like the impressionist painting that covers the end papers.</div>
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It's a roiling sea--just like most of life these days--but in the midst of it: Grace.</div>
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If you would like to give the gift of Grace to a friend, you can order one by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/220111911/customized-folded-book-sculpture-your?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. And BONUS! You'll get to see Paula's work on the packing slip, too!</div>
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But wait, there's more! <a href="http://eepurl.com/b86P01" target="_blank">Click here</a> to sign up for the Reading with Scissors newsletter. It'll be lots of fun including behind the scenes looks at what's going on in the studio and what's happening in my car--which is where most of my good ideas are born. AND more Paula banners! Don't be left out. Sign up now. </div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-42254159893473227842016-07-19T08:00:00.000-07:002016-07-19T08:00:17.782-07:00Bo Does Mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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You know the way I love books? Well, that's the way Captain America likes airplanes. He can't get enough of them.</div>
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And that's how we got the newest addition to our family.<br />
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Meet Bo. Short for Bonanza F33a.</div>
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Isn't he a beauty? And the plane ain't half bad either!</div>
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Captain America traded in <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2014/08/come-on-and-fly-me.html" target="_blank">our first plane</a> and brought Bo home a couple of months ago. We've already taken him a few places, but this weekend we decided to go on our longest trip yet--to the mountains of Colorado.</div>
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Those of you who regularly fly the friendly skies in one of those big jet airliners at 35,000 feet don't know what you're missing at 13,000 feet.</div>
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That scenery right below your toes!</div>
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Another thing you're missing in an airliner is wearing an oxygen mask. It's a necessity when you're flying high in an unpressurized plane like Bo. Here I am modeling the latest in tube technology and looking remarkably like someone's grandma. Oh wait, <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2015/10/the-trouble-with-men.html" target="_blank">I <i>am</i> someone's grandma</a>!<br />
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Our first full day was spent in the quaint old mining town of Creede, known primarily as the place <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Assassination_of_Jesse_James_by_the_Coward_Robert_Ford" target="_blank">where the Coward Robert Ford was gunned down</a>, which I'm pretty sure puts me at one degree of separation from Brad Pitt. So there's that.</div>
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The next day we went to Williams Creek Reservoir in the San Juan National Forest. </div>
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In Houston the temperature that day was 96 degrees and 94% humidity. (That is not a typo.)</div>
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At Williams Creek Reservoir that day it was about 78 degrees and 11% humidity. </div>
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That's why we are smiling in this picture.</div>
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It was such a pretty Colorado weekend, one morning I sat out on the porch and before I knew it, I had made this! After I decorate the endpapers, it will be ready for your Christmas decor. </div>
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Wait, what? Christmas already?<br />
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Yes! I'm pleased to announce that on September 10th, Reading With Scissors will be at the <a href="http://www.cyfairwomensclub.org/index.php/styd-sites" target="_blank">Shop 'til You Drop Marketplace,</a> so I'm already making holiday products. I'll be featuring some of them here over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.<br />
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Speaking of staying tuned, one of the easiest ways to find out what's going on is to sign up for my new email list. The first email will be coming out shortly. There's a sign-up form on this page, so go ahead and don't miss out! There will be goodies. Just saying.Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-17861140912895714292016-07-07T20:52:00.004-07:002016-07-08T18:00:42.017-07:00The Funniest Thing I've Done LatelyThe first thing I told Captain America the night he proposed was that as soon as we got married, I was going back to school.<br />
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It was the summer after I graduated from the University of Oklahoma, and my plan had been to return there in the fall to start my masters,..and then well, you know what that they about a man in a uniform. Suffice it say that plans changed. At least for the year it was going to take him to finish pilot training.<br />
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As soon as the Air Force sent us to Tacoma, Washington, for Captain America's first assignment, though, I enrolled at the University of Washington. I was halfway through my master's degree when baby #1 arrived. So I put my plans on hold again...and then the Air Force moved us back to Oklahoma.<br />
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So I thought about getting my master's from Oklahoma State, which was the closest university, but it was going to be <i>so </i>hard for this Sooner to put that on my resume, that I decided to get my teaching certificate from them instead. Then baby #2 came. And then we moved to Houston.<br />
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Finally 16 years after I became Mrs Captain America, I picked up my master's degree from Texas A&M. I decided to become an Aggie, because I knew we weren't ever going back to Oklahoma. Plus, A&M was close to home. And most of all Sooners and Aggies have the same general opinion of Longhorns!<br />
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One of the things that I like about the folks from A&M is they know how to take a joke. And trust me, there are plenty of <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~mike_scott/aggjoke.htm" target="_blank">Aggie jokes</a>. And a lot them are probably true. I know from personal experience.<br />
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I mean, I'm still a Sooner through and through and all, but occasionally my inner Aggie shows up. For instance, that diploma I'm handling in the picture above? I have no idea where it is. I lost it. Every time we move--and we've been in 3 houses and a trailer since then--I think it'll show up, but it never does.<br />
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Another thing I like about Aggies is that they are good customers. I've sold more books that say "Gig 'em" than any other pattern.<br />
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So...the other day I made <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/215750487/gig-em-texas-am-university-folded-book?ref=shop_home_active_3" target="_blank">another "Gig 'em" for my Etsy shop</a>. When I was done, I decided I needed to take a new picture of it, so I set up my whole photography stage, perched my camera on top of my tripod, and took my first picture.</div>
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So far, so good.</div>
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Then I turned the book around to take a picture of the back...</div>
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<br />
Look closely.<br />
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Yep. I folded the book upside down.<br />
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Mind you, <i>I touched 288 pages during the creation of that book without even noticing! </i>Who needs a lost diploma with Aggie credentials like that?!?<br />
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Whoop!<br />
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I mean...Whoops!<br />
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But now that it's done, I kinda think it's great. I mean, c'mon, isn't it the best Aggie joke in folded book form ever?<br />
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So if you're looking for the perfect something for that new Aggie grad, purchase it on my Etsy shop, and I'll send it your way. First come, first served.<br />
<br />
And if Aggies aren't your thing, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReadingWithScissors?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=13377339" target="_blank">order something for your favorite school</a>. I promise to make it right-side up.<br />
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Hey, I'm starting a Reading With Scissors newsletter. It's gonna be full of fun stuff. More stories about Captain America and me. Pictures of things I've been making, Recommendations on good books and other stuff. All around goodness. See that sign-up form over there? Well, sign up already.<br />
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UPDATE: The first to come was served. The upside-down book is sold. Whoo-hoo! Right-side ups are still looking for a good home. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/215750487/gig-em-texas-am-university-folded-book" target="_blank">Apply here</a>.Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-80984886338840198452016-02-04T10:27:00.000-08:002016-02-04T10:27:15.270-08:00Book Review: Lafayette in the Somewhat United StatesTitle: Lafayette in the Somewhat United States<br />Author: Sarah Vowell<br />Format: Kindle<br />Reading Dates: 1 Jan 2016 - 1 Feb 2016<br />Rating: ***1/2<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />I think it's fair to say that to this frustrated history major now working in corporate America, Sarah Vowell is a heroine. To be able to drive around the U.S. with your best friends and favorite family and visit historic sites, both famous and obscure and then write about them... ACK! Why did I give up so early?!?<br /><br />Not only do I love her life, I love Sarah's style--observant, sarcastic, and insightful--all delivered with a healthy dose of humor. This is the third Sarah Vowell book that I've read and each of them has presented a story that I thought I knew--or should have known--in way that proved I only knew the bullet points or, in some cases, the myth.<br /><br />In the case of <i>Lafayette in the Somewhat United States</i> Vowell takes on the part of the French in the American Revolution through the life of its most famous Frenchman, General Lafayette. It's hard for me to even write that term "General" because the dude was only 19-years-old when he received that rank. Apparently, all that fighting the French and English had been doing for centuries and the personal toll it took on Lafayette (his father was killed in battle early in Lafayette's life) made Frenchmen in general and Lafayette in particular much better at the art of war than the typical American. So the young commission.<br /><br />He proved himself a loyal and able leader and endeared himself to the Americans so much so that when he returned to the United States nearly 30 years after the end of the war (and after having endured a harrowing time back home during the French Revolution), he was met with hugs by the Founding Fathers. Literally.<br /><br />So I knew that the French backed us during the Revolution and I knew that Lafayette was one of them, but I really didn't understand how decisive the French help was. Without them there wouldn't have been us. Vowell does a really good job of showing me that as she took me from walks through the mansions of pre-revolutionary France to tours of US battlefields to an interview with George Washington in Colonial Williamsburg. I learned a lot.<br /><br />All that being said, as much as I liked unlearning all that stuff I thought I knew before, I missed the funny Sarah. There were a few places in this book where I guffawed, but mostly she seemed more ticked off than in her other books. I'm not sure if that's a sign of the times, the subject matter at hand, or maybe she was being funny and I was just too much of a stick in the mud to recognize it. It's hard to hear jokes about heroes, right? I mean they ARE the Founding Fathers, don't you know?<br /><br />Anyway, the more serious tone is not enough to keep me from recommending this book - it's good! - but if you've never read Sarah Vowell before, start with something else, like <i>Unfamiliar Fishes</i> or <i>Assassination Vacation.</i>
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This one sorta reminds me of the 70s. Of Goldie Hawn dancing on Laugh-In.</div>
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And seriously what was the point of that?</div>
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What's the point?</div>
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Oh, I can see a point or two somewhere near the end of that arrow.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/266769955/original-drawing-on-book-page-whats-the"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/266769955/original-drawing-on-book-page-whats-the">Sock it to me</a>.Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-88078441355740263792016-02-02T09:15:00.000-08:002016-02-02T09:15:11.131-08:00Guilty...ObviouslyIf greens and oranges are your thing.<br />
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Or if you're a prosecutor.<br />
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This might be for you.<br />
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Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-77316522414881461982016-02-01T09:10:00.000-08:002016-02-01T09:10:09.632-08:00Drowning<br />
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I love <a href="http://amelialangford.com/image/7728174188">this drawing</a> by Amelia Langford. (Seriously, go check it out before you read any further.) I love the colors. I love the size of the waves compared to the itty-bitty boat.</div>
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When I saw this page the thing that stuck with me were all those "ing" words. All about water--too much water---it made me think of Amelia's boat picture, and I drew this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnWUGrLCuY0NwgDbCaGM38q_gI9EZkw4MaGSZwq3PDFXW_XLEtu7qoHqMMUQ1rBgrOXJz71iYoF9pSNxw6TjnHoLiU0znKuV1jRNS4GzBsbkZ4YG4mDt8UrqyBUq6BPP6bOHjN-7E8KhN/s640/blogger-image--1300733480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnWUGrLCuY0NwgDbCaGM38q_gI9EZkw4MaGSZwq3PDFXW_XLEtu7qoHqMMUQ1rBgrOXJz71iYoF9pSNxw6TjnHoLiU0znKuV1jRNS4GzBsbkZ4YG4mDt8UrqyBUq6BPP6bOHjN-7E8KhN/s640/blogger-image--1300733480.jpg" /></a> </div>
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So if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... consider this big time flattery!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuv0EUCmoTogyW1lmft12seAChFwa5ioVYUUu1tZ8YXG6qrU5nHAUJBtrbRN7gG7U7G78hUVfAGGdCQOOAHSL3JXHYWDZSuyDcLXtg3zEqusqJJZ_-8CUMXRYKVGwfpTC17TcPWNFYyNC/s640/blogger-image-903597636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuv0EUCmoTogyW1lmft12seAChFwa5ioVYUUu1tZ8YXG6qrU5nHAUJBtrbRN7gG7U7G78hUVfAGGdCQOOAHSL3JXHYWDZSuyDcLXtg3zEqusqJJZ_-8CUMXRYKVGwfpTC17TcPWNFYyNC/s640/blogger-image-903597636.jpg" /></a></div>
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And isn't it cool how in just one page our hero is both lost and saved? Yay for RDCBs!</div>
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Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-69157215111738679892016-01-29T09:12:00.000-08:002016-01-29T09:12:00.763-08:00A Tough Trip<br />
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Truer words were never spoken.</div>
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Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-13691201847319349252016-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:002016-01-28T08:49:01.097-08:00Make Yourself a Fool<br />
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It's cold outside, so I've been inside playing with my markers again.</div>
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Dreaming of a warm time when there are sunflowers and gaillardias in my garden again.</div>
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<br />Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-17688136637937116512016-01-27T08:46:00.000-08:002016-01-27T08:46:06.283-08:00I'm in LoveYou guys know me--I am a sucker for all things modern. I like my furniture minimalist. I like my art abstract. I like my Christmas trees aluminum.<br />
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But then there is china. There I come down squarely in the lover-of-all-things-flowery category. When I was a little girl my grandmother started collecting <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/royal-albert-old-country-roses-after-dinner-cup/1041609996?skuId=41609996&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_dining_&adpos=1o1&creative=43742635189&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KEQiAz5y1BRDZ4Z_K_eGa84cBEiQAtQkeaCqA-dldO2P2VpXd4tjsGbpqRLbEpcwxqbIDV4iOfVIaAjQa8P8HAQ">Old Country Roses china</a>, and I was enchanted--by it and her. I still am.<br />
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What's not to like about all those cherry reds, vibrant pinks and eye-grabbing greens? Nothing, I say!<br />
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That's why I picked those same colors for this bit of inky fun.<br />
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What do I think about the result?<br />
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Well, like the book says.<br />
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You in love, too? I've added drawings to my Etsy shop! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReadingWithScissors">Check them out here</a>.</div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-7807520306429698902016-01-26T20:26:00.000-08:002016-01-26T21:21:30.572-08:00My Favorite Books of 2015Cue trumpets! It time for <i>My Favorite Books of 2015, </i>the fourth in the <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/search/label/favorite%20books" target="_blank">series of posts</a> where I bring you the best literature that's passed my way during the past year.<br />
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A quick count of the books I read in 2015 tells me my total hit 23 this year. Frankly, I find that surprisingly high because this is also the year that I discovered podcasts, and so I expected my audiobook count to drop, but apparently the edict that we leave our home offices and start working back on campus this year has afforded me enough commute time to listen to both.<br />
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So which ones did I like the best? Let's start with the ones that garnered<br />
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The first two books, <i>The Court-Martial of Paul Revere </i>and <i>A Spy Among Friends</i> were ones that I received as part of the Early Reviewer program on LibraryThing.com.<br />
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<i>The Court-Martial of Paul Revere </i>sounds like one of those novels where they rewrite history and make you wonder "what if?," but this book is no novel. It's a non-fiction account of the accusations made against Revere after the ill-fated Penobscot Expedition. Well done history! You can read <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2015/02/book-review-court-martial-of-paul.html" target="_blank">my full review here.</a><br />
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Not just the title, but all of <i>A Spy Among Friends</i> reads like the best in spy fiction stories, but it, too, is a history book. A suspenseful, enjoyable read. <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2015/06/book-review-spy-among-friends.html" target="_blank">More here</a>.<br />
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I listened to <i>All the Light We Cannot See </i>for a book club that I led. It was the first of two books I read this year that included scenes from the occupation of Paris during WWII. This one was my favorite. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so as it won the Pulitzer. Here's <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2015/02/book-review-all-light-we-cannot-see.html" target="_blank">my full review.</a><br />
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The last two on the 5-star list were audiobooks--although it's hard to even classify <i>NPR American Chronicles: First Ladies </i>as a book, I'll do it because it's another that I received from LibraryThing.com. <i>First Ladies </i>is a compilation of stories about the women beside the President as told on National Public Radio. Each of them offered something surprising. Those of you who are podcast fans like me would enjoy this listen. <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2015/03/book-review-npr-american-chronicles.html" target="_blank">Find out more here.</a><br />
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And finally, <i>Tess of the D'Urbervilles. </i>I think it's my favorite book of all time, and this year I decided to give it a read again. It's just as good as I remembered. And one day, when I write my first Broadway musical, it'll be a co-production between me and Hardy.<br />
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And now for the runners up at<br />
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<i>Stoner</i> is one of those very subtle book, like the <i>Bridges of Madison County, </i>where not a whole lot happens, but ordinary lives are changed in profound ways that make them not so ordinary anymore. <a href="http://www.readingwithscissors.com/2015/02/book-review-stoner.html" target="_blank">A little more here.</a><br />
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The last two are about birds.<br />
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I'm kidding.<br />
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Instead they are both gut-wrenching stories--one about WWII and the other about the first interplanetary contact with an alien society.<br />
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<i>The Nightingale </i>tells the story of two sisters living in France during the occupation by the Germans. The two women deal with the circumstances in different ways, and it is this contrast that causes you to ask what's right and wrong? Is there such a thing during war? What would I do?<br />
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And finally, <i>The Sparrow. </i>This is one of the most unusual books I have ever read and so intriguing. Father Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit priest, has returned to Earth as the sole survivor of a mission to Rakhat, the first planet where intelligent life has been found. The story jumps back and forth in time between the build-up to the mission and the investigation into what happened on Rakhat that turned Father Sandoz into the physical and emotional wreck he is at his return. Equal doses of science fiction, theology, and old-fashioned good writing make this a book not to be missed. Read this one.<br />
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And that does it for the winners. Five books clocked in at a very respectable 4 stars. If you want to see a list of those and all the others I read last year--even the stinkers, check them out on <a href="https://www.librarything.com/catalog/spounds&deepsearch=2015">LibraryThing.com</a>.<br />
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We now return you to your local blog.Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336685600965205859.post-77819314973351159262016-01-16T21:49:00.002-08:002016-01-16T21:52:43.686-08:00Take My Heart For a Spin<div>
Today I did something pretty silly. For the past several years I've had this table in my craft room. It holds my Silhouette machine and my laptop. It's a nice table, but it's really, really low. Whenever I had to use my computer or feed my machine I had to scrunch over.<br />
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I finally decided that I needed to buy a real big-girl desk, so for the past couple of weekends, I've been scrounging for one. I finally made Captain America take me around in his pickup today so we could bring one home. And we did.<br />
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So I got home, and I went upstairs to move the table out of the way, and it was at that point that I noticed that the legs were expandable, and tje tab;e could stand as high as all my other tables and my new desk.<br />
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I kid you not. Sometimes I can be so dizzy!<br />
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Speaking of dizzy, I've been folding books like crazy the past couple of weeks, but in between I managed to make this swirly, twirly heart.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3_ND5NCbTRX5Hch-ak3OJD-rOYWNfXJ7UKLxaLpfBNA3IOdj90VGPwqgv2P95jzjdQiklIJ9vLBfbrFiw4TE9R7tS1alHx0aqDfFPxZ-eF0yZQhGJFOp15lMGcDXRyKd68u4hzsH6pEh/s640/blogger-image--63084469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3_ND5NCbTRX5Hch-ak3OJD-rOYWNfXJ7UKLxaLpfBNA3IOdj90VGPwqgv2P95jzjdQiklIJ9vLBfbrFiw4TE9R7tS1alHx0aqDfFPxZ-eF0yZQhGJFOp15lMGcDXRyKd68u4hzsH6pEh/s640/blogger-image--63084469.jpg" /></a></div>
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There is something about iris folding that just makes me happy. My eyes keeps following one swirl and then find another one and go off in another direction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJto0nqIi18vgn-rZPmXP0XAGB_-oXp1C5sZxMM9wk-WTxrpWWfC5XfbFYZtXbwtBAIJGas6D6XthfU2kP_zq7s9egCZR4eKu2LlEDnicsi2ufZdnnmaUwXYgA2itk1B20KXOh2XUVVm-Y/s640/blogger-image--863677661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJto0nqIi18vgn-rZPmXP0XAGB_-oXp1C5sZxMM9wk-WTxrpWWfC5XfbFYZtXbwtBAIJGas6D6XthfU2kP_zq7s9egCZR4eKu2LlEDnicsi2ufZdnnmaUwXYgA2itk1B20KXOh2XUVVm-Y/s640/blogger-image--863677661.jpg" /></a></div>
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This one made with pages from two different dictionaries and two atlases. I love the subtle colors and how they all blend.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQHHouuQXLZE87F6oH_WmTnacdCR9KqoZqqaiekhzQX_DUDrw3vtKKfqheOREt7E2IQc2bpBz28z9OmQQic3eDdNrqUaPSmyXyjsDCzWRfudH07i91dPB2zGyHyR0mAkay80aa6NZIKfg/s640/blogger-image--1854750980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQHHouuQXLZE87F6oH_WmTnacdCR9KqoZqqaiekhzQX_DUDrw3vtKKfqheOREt7E2IQc2bpBz28z9OmQQic3eDdNrqUaPSmyXyjsDCzWRfudH07i91dPB2zGyHyR0mAkay80aa6NZIKfg/s640/blogger-image--1854750980.jpg" /></a></div>
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In the middle of my heart is you...of course. What else would be there?</div>
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If you're looking for a gift for an anniversary, wedding, or your Valentine's sweetheart, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/264176554/paper-heart-valentines-day-love-iris?ref=shop_home_feat_2" target="_blank">it can be yours.</a> Go ahead. I can make more. I have twice the table space in my craft room that I used to. Doh!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CGEaFnSr5l_lneGqCPtgdzo0lEU0TpyNaRSpfp0e1feeD5j0gZaavKUJf-woZ6QrJ95xurDKrAFmCCf-oUY8fP65n_djPCK70Zlexw35KGIcMP3mbybMxzsUfIBQio3DNAm8HKnG291Q/s640/blogger-image--2142619702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CGEaFnSr5l_lneGqCPtgdzo0lEU0TpyNaRSpfp0e1feeD5j0gZaavKUJf-woZ6QrJ95xurDKrAFmCCf-oUY8fP65n_djPCK70Zlexw35KGIcMP3mbybMxzsUfIBQio3DNAm8HKnG291Q/s640/blogger-image--2142619702.jpg" /></a></div>
Stephanie Poundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447516433879314618noreply@blogger.com3