Sweet Children's Story

When I saw the title of this children's book, I immediately thought of my grandchildren. All children seem to want to defy sleep. There is just too much to learn to let sleep rob them of the excitement of the world around them. 

"Don't Close Your Eyes" by Bob Hostetler is a sweet children's bedtime story. Beautifully illustrated by Mark Chambers, the lyrical rhyme and adorable pictures is sure to keep a little ones interest. The pictures are so cute, they even make the adult laugh.

 Thinking of a child fighting the heaviness of sand in their eyes.

And the weight of slumber sprinkling over their eyelids reminded me so much of my own children when there was just too much to miss if they fell asleep.

A sturdy board book, sure to make reading it over and over without damage a winner for parents, grandparents, baby sitters or anyone who loves to read to children.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

From the heart

Happy Valentine's Day!

Can I get a Whoop Whoop! 

 Finished or Not Friday 
Brag About your Beauties

The Sky Above Us

As many of my readers know, I am an avid reader. And having the opportunity to review new books is a thrill for me.

I enjoy good historical fiction. Sarah Sundin has once again written a very worthwhile story about World War II. The Sky Above Us is the second in the series Sunrise at Normandy. This story had me hanging on to every word. I loved how Ms. Sundin wrote the dramatic situations the airmen faced.

Lt Adler Paxton has been running for the last three years. Running from the demons of his past. Violet Lindstom plans to become a missionary, but is sidelined by a broken engagement. She joins the Red Cross thinking she will work with the children affected by the war. 

This story drew me in, with the drama, romance, and so many facts about the events during WWII and D-Day. In today's world, it's sometimes hard to understand what these men and women went through during the time of war. When a letter would take weeks to arrive. Or word of whether a pilot survived a crash. In The Sky Above Us each of the characters were well vested and gave the inside views of the events they were part of.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Thank you Betty

I've had the HandiQuilter Sweet Sixteen for almost two months. The month of December was a loss, as I did not do much sewing or quilting during the holidays. So when January came around (along with the cold weather), it was my goal to start learning to use the SS.

 I quilted one baby quilt with no problem. Then decided to change the thread to another color. That's when all my troubles seemed to start. I could not get the stitches to even out, no matter what I did. I studied the manual, watched YouTube videos, and the DVD that came with my machine. Still I was not able to regulate the stitches. I left it for a while, and came back to it this past week. I changed and checked everything that I knew to do, and still there was eyelash stitches on the back of my fabric. Last night I was at the point of tears.

So today I called HandiQuilter and spoke with Betty. She was patient with me, as we walked through each of the steps. After about twenty minutes of checking the bobbin, re-threading the machine and  anything else she asked me to do, she said we would need to reset the tension.

This little tension knob is the whole key to regulating your tension once the bobbin tension is correct. Following her instructions, I loosened the knob as far as it would go without falling off, cleaned around the groves, then pressed the reset button, turning it to zero. Betty told me to turn the knob four complete turns, then check the stitching. Still loose but better. We kept turning the knob a half turn until the stitches on the back of the fabric looked good. 

It was wonderful to be able to talk with someone at HandiQuilter who was able to help me as the dealer we bought the machine from is 1 1/2 hours away. 

So THANK YOU Betty! I am keeping your number close at hand, just in case. 

New York City triligy

 

A Desperate Hope is the third in the Empire State series, written by Elizabeth Camden. Following the history of the need for water in New York City, many small towns in upper New York were flooded and made into a reservoir. This story centers around Eloise Drake, a brilliant accountant and Alex Duval, the mayor of the fictional town Duval Springs. 

After Duval Springs loses a long legal battle to save the town, Eloise is sent as part of the team that will oversee the demolition. Alex and Eloise have a history, which Eloise would rather forget. Yet when Eloise returns to Duval Springs, Alex only wants to reconnect with her to rekindle the love they once had for each other. And is bent on doing something to save his town.

As Elizabeth Camden is so excellent in her research, this story reflects many of the things that happened in the early part of the 1900's, when New York City was being developed. In the previous two novels, there was a great deal of historical foundation laid for the ability to bring water to the city. Ms Camden has a wonderful and clever way of weaving history into her novels. Yet this book is a stand alone story.

 I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Florida days

I know many of you are still in the middle of snow and cold. But this is what the weather was like yesterday.

Happy Quilting!

Pillowing along

I enjoy making pillowcases. And I enjoy them even more, knowing that they will bring a little bit of sunshine to a child in the hospital.

The latest stack going to Ryan's Case for Smiles.

And coming up soon, is the All About Strings Blog Hop.  Hosted by Creatin' In The Sticks. 

Stay tuned :-)