Do you remember...

the days of card catalogs and visiting your school's library? I love that smell of paper and books and smeared ink...it really takes me back.

I was looking for card catalogs for sale today on eBay and damn are they expensive!

I was just reminiscing...(sigh)

Direction

When I started this blog, I had the best of intentions. My initial intention was to keep our families updated on what was going on with us on a regular basis. I also wanted to use this blog as a way of journaling what was happening on the creative/crafty/writing aspects of my life. I have not been doing that. I am too distracted with other things that I need to find some direction.

I am on hold as of now with the grad. school thing as I am waiting to hear if I got into the MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science) program or if I need to make a new plan for myself. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that I got in because of my lack of a back up plan. I didn't apply anywhere else! NOWHERE! Again I applied nowhere else...so as of now my fate is riding on this one program...all I know is that I am and have always been crazy for books.

So I'd like to do more with books and paper.

So from now on I intend to post those types of things, with the occasional side blog of the ridiculous happenings in the world.

Consider this blog a steak with a side of craftiness and writing.

Deven Elise

Our friends Jen and Mandy are having their first child. This past Sunday we went to their baby shower and had a wonderful time.

Here's their gifts all wrapped up...let's see from the top: this box is the baby booties I made...the next is a burp cloth that I found online that said PEAS OUT! The third package is a book for people raising daughters about great books for girls. The next one down is a magnet for their cars that says Princess On Board (that was more of a joke gift)...the next one down is another book called Great With Child: Letters to a Young Mother...I heard this book was a must have for new moms...and let's see the bottom package was a chenille/pink paisley/butterfly bib that I got on Etsy....so in general all things that I thought the new moms might love!

The party was a damn good time...good friends, AMAZING food, and perfect weather.


These are the booties that I made...sorry about the picture :)

Heavy

I try not to get too heavy around here. I don't talk politics/religion/Don Imus (bastard) but I must say that what happened at Virginia Tech is amazingly sad...my favorite poet Nikki Giovanni works there and to hear her speak of this tragedy (is that even a strong enough word?) will forever be in my memory.

A link to their newspaper: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/

I am also so very sad for one particular victim's family. Liviu Librescu was a holocaust survivor and was married to his wife for over forty years...I am so heart broken for her. http://civilliberty.about.com/b/a/257628.htm

Oh My, I'm blushing!---Did he say the content doesn't squirt in your face? Oh my!

Ann Arbor

A shot strictly for Jen (cuz' I know she'd have loved this place as much as I did...paper, paper and what?










MORE PAPER!













Ummm, why didn't I know this place existed? Hollander's School of Book and Paper Arts!!!!!!













A shot of our first meal. BBQ sliders and three cheese mac n' cheese...healthy huh?

By the time we got into downtown Ann Arbor we hadn't eaten anything besides what we had on the road so this was the first place that we came upon...their menu was posted on the window, it all sounded great and the food was scrumptious:)

Grizzly Peak Brewing Company ---eat and be merry!



A couple of shots from the Ann Arbor Botanical Gardens...

























My sliders again....yummy! $1.95 each on the appetizer menu...we got 6 of these and the mac n' cheese to split and it was plenty and quite cheap.











Passing the football stadium.

So all in all we had a good time...I picked Ann Arbor for its more than 30 independent book stores...we went to about 8 of those and they were great...smelled of old books and cigars. We also visited Kerrytown which was great (not much parking but good shops and great food. We were told by so many people that we had to go to Zingerman's Deli and boy were they right...that's some good stuff.


I got the #76 Thad's "Yes I Can!"Grilled Amish chicken breast, Wisconsin muenster cheese, roasted red pepper sauce & lettuce on grilled sourdough bread. $9.50 / $10.99 (the small one and it was amazing!) Amelia got the #27 Pat & Dick's HoneymoonerSmoked turkey breast, Wisconsin muenster & sweet-hot honeycup mustard on grilled challah bread. $10.50 / $11.99 (small as well) Amelia couldn't even eat this because the mustard made her eyes water but all in all it was great food.

A cutie and a goodbye

One of Charlotte's favorite things to do is lay on the warm laundry that has just come out of the dryer...this picture cracks me up because she looks all relaxed with her arm hanging out of the basket :)

I will be taking a blogging break for at least a few days as Amelia and I will be heading to Ann Arbor for a few days to celebrate our 6th anniversary! Enjoy blogland without me :)

I will return with some pictures of Michigan land, and no you OSU fans out there I will not egg, toilet paper or deface any Michigan property :) SO STOP ASKING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Belated Easter

Easter was great fun around here. Two of Amelia's sisters and one of her neices came to C-town to hang out with us. We had planned on either going to Paws, Claws, and Eggs at the zoo or to a local park for an Easter Egg hunt but it was too damn cold, so we stayed in and her family kept their tradition of blowing out (I think that is what is was called) eggs. I have never heard of this and I certainly had never done this but it was great fun to watch. Here are some pics.

Best MEME ever...

You google YOUR NAME and the word NEEDS in Quotes. Like mine was "Dawn needs"

here's what I got...

"Dawn needs"

1. A reality check
2. a tripod (what the hell is a Tripod?)
3. to get over herself (true 'dat)
4. A headcount before Thursday
5. A screamer (again what the...)
6. Some man on man action (HA one of my favorites)
7. a band
8. Some flextime
9. To be on TV Land
10. Hair to hang over her right eye (I already got that going for me)
11. To get out of the house
12. To get fired
13. A banana
14. Music and a mochalatte
15. a serious dose of some Led Zeppelin and AC/DC to get her back into the groove. (that made me smile)
16. you!
17. to come back to Texas
18. to settle down because she has alot going for her
19. a tummy tuck
20. to start checkin' her girl because it looks like shes the one playin dawn (What? Dang!)
21. psychoanalysis (again HA)

A week in photos...

Day 7---My favorite reading corner. It's cold here again, so we need that fire going.

A week in pictures...

Day 6---Alium the first picture and Hydrangeas the second picture...my favorite flowers...EVER!

My Lovely Lady Lumps...check 'em out!

On a little side note from my week of pictures I had to mention that today I heard Alannis Morrisette's version of the Black Eyed Peas song My Humps...it is crazy ass wack! The DJ seemed to think that it was sort of off the cuff...for the goddess's sake I hope he was right.

A week in photos

Day 5---More flowers from the front yard...

Literary Journal

A locally run publishing house has its second edition of its literary journal up and running. Issue 2 of Paradigm is now available for you to take a gander.

Here's the announcement:

Rain Farm Press has launched their second issue of Paradigm, its quarterly art and literary journal. The April issue proudly features contributions from legendary cinema illustrator Drew Struzan, acclaimed singer-songwriter Glen Phillips, award-winning extreme weather journalist Warren Faidley, national bestselling novelist Raymond Benson, and Hugo Award-winning author Charles Stross. Also, Paradigm is launching a brand-new Stage & Screen section, complete with three wildly different screenplays, including a crime-noir take on the superhero genre.

Did I mention that you can access it here....http://therainfarm.com

Go, Read, Enjoy, Bask in the glory of some damn good writing and art!

A week in pictures

Day 4---This is actually an old picture but too cute to resist sharing with you!

A week in pictures

Day 3---A basket of Violas from the Urban Gardener (thanks to a gift certificate from Shane)

Amelia wrestling a tree in our front yard (SHE WON!)