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| Evergreen Farm; 514 pages; Buy Link; Blog Tour |
Sew quilts in the instantly recognizable style of Kansas Troubles Quilters--two ways! Some designs are traditionally pieced, simplified for smooth and easy piecing. Others use Lynne's clever layered-patchwork technique, where pinked-edge precuts reduce cutting time, minimize bulky seams, and skip pressing steps. The raw edges of layered-patchwork blocks barely fray when washed, giving a fluffy, snuggly finish. You'll love the look of both kinds of quilts: cozy, country-style designs that call out "cuddle me!"
Lynne Hagmeier and her husband, Robert, live outside of Bennington, Kansas, where she grew up. They work together at the KT Quilt Shop, hosting quilting retreats, traveling to quilt guilds and shops across the United States, and teaching on quilting cruises. Downtime is spent relaxing with their brood of six kids and nine grandkids scattered across the Midwest. A social worker in her first life, Lynne feels blessed to work in a business with creative women who live their dreams through fabric and quilts. Visit Lynne's website at: www.ktquilts.com
When they struggled, we held our breath. When they lost, we felt their pain. And when they won, we cheered them on again and again.
Coach Eric Taylor is the newest hire at a small town high school in Dillon, Texas. After a series of events leading to his release, Taylor is forced to build a football team from the ground up at the rival high school. His wife Tami, high school principal, faces scrutiny of her own as she takes constant blame from angry parents. But even through the hardships at work, challenges at home with teen daughter Julie, and endless drama, only one thing matters: Friday night.
Through five extraordinary seasons, the residents of Dillon, Texas, kept viewers captivated with the small-town struggles, victories, and heartbreaks that resonated across America with breathtaking realness, and made Friday Night Lights, a Primetime Emmy® award-winning drama. Relive the spirit of this small town with a big heart: from the pride and pitfalls of high school football to the intimate relationships between lovers, parents and friends.
CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN’T LOSE.
My Thoughts: This a cute and soft little teddy bear that's wearing a Santa stocking cap and a green and red scarf. It would make a great stocking stuffer for just about anyone.
My Thoughts: This calendar should appeal to any quilter, crafter, or art lover. The illustrations are cute, and since there are 365 days in a year, there are plenty of designs to color.
My Thoughts: The figurine is much bigger than what I thought it would be. It's also made really well with a detailed design. It would make a cute little present for anyone who likes snowmen.
It's time for a brand-new year filled with cheerful quilts and pretty sewing projects shown in all their fabulous, full-color glory. You'll find a wide variety of designs to tempt you, including scrappy patchwork, simple embroidery, primitive accents, and more. Complete instructions for each project are included so you can sew along all 12 months with That Patchwork Place.
A Wookie is probably the best sidekick a person could have. And now you can have one for each foot! Unlike those droids, these are the slippers you're looking for. These wonderfully furry slippers are as warm and cuddly as Chewbacca himself, except the slippers won't rip your arms off if they lose in a game of space-chess. Plus, you can yawn and make incoherent grunting noises to pretend your feet are talking to one another. If your toes sometimes feel like they're frozen in carbonite, you'll love the comfy warmth of these slippers! Rrrrrrr-ghghghghgh! - (from www.bunnyslippers.com)
Quilters will be delighted with this calendar's 50-plus quilt designs, more than 260 quilt blocks, and the fabric requirements to create them all. This extraordinary collection will bring hours of enjoyment all year long, and the results will be treasured far beyond.
Whitman's 629 piece - Ultimate Coin Supply Kit is loaded with value!Kit Includes2018 Red Book price guideStatehood Quarters Folders Volumes I, II & III300 Nickel - Quarter Mylar holders300 Cent - Dime Mylar holders5 Quarter Storage Tubes5 Cent Storage TubesWhitman 2x2 Storage Box5 Quality Thumb-cut Pages8 Plastic 2x2 Quarter holders3" Round Magnifier
Coin collecting is a wonderful hobby that can be enjoyed by just about anyone, which is why I'm featuring the Whitman Ultimate Coin Supply Kit on the first day of my blog's Holiday Gift Guide. Whether you're a newbie or an expert at coin collecting, this would make a great gift for any collector.
Yes, the kit's price tag is nearly $30, which might seem a bit steep at first, but once you start adding up the price of each item, you'll realize you're getting a bargain. The retail value of everything in the kit adds up to over $70!
The kit featured in the photo up above in this post is of the kit that was sent to me last month. The only difference between the kit now listed on the Whitman website is the addition of the 8 Plastic 2x2 Quarter holders, which I didn't receive with my kit. Nevertheless, this is still a great kit to give as a present for Christmas.
Everything you would need to start collecting coins is in the kit, which includes cardboard Mylar holders, a coin box, a magnifier, coin storage tubes, plastic 2x2 quarter holders, and thumb cut pages (can be used in a coin binder).
Tip: Don't staple the Mylar holders! Only use scotch tape, as this way you can remove the coins without damaging the holders.
Of the course the big highlights in this collection are the Statehood Quarters Folders Volumes I, II & III, which holds both the Denver and Philadelphia Statehood mints from 1999 to 2009.
An inside look at the coin book. I'm saving my favorite item from the kit for last - the 2018 Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins, which is a must have for any coin collector.
The 2018 Red Book!
There are different editions of the Red Book, but the one in the kit is the spiral version. It has 464 pages and features many detailed colored photos throughout the book. Like the previous Red Books, the 2018 edition begins with an introduction to coin collecting and followed by a bit of history of each types of coins (1793 to 2017) along with the current price guide. The book retails for $15.95
Overall, the Whitman Ultimate Coin Supply Kit is a great kit to own. It will make a great gift for any coin collector.
A sneak peek at the Red Book.
What's your immediate feeling when entering a bookstore, as compared to how you feel when entering a department store?
My Answer:
Shopping in a department store makes my anxiety and stress levels skyrocket. However, I'm much more relaxed when I'm in a bookstore.
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| Bethany House; 318 pages; Blog Tour; Buy Link |
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| Revell; 416 pages; $14.99; Amazon |
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| Bethany House; 320 pages; $15.99; Amazon |
If you had an author-only Thanksgiving party, who would you invite?
My Answer:
I would invite Stephen King, Diana Gabaldon, James Patterson, R.L. Stine, and John Saul.
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| Disney/Pixar; G; 103 mins; Amazon |
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| Buy Link |
Available on Google Play is the Android App "The Simpsons: Tapped Out." While the game is several years old, don't let the age fool you, as it's just as fun as ever. In the game, you can create your own version of Springfield using characters and buildings. The game is updated regularly with holiday-themed content.
Another game app that's been around for awhile is Star Wars: Commander. The war-strategy game let you play for either the Rebels or the Empire. You get to build a base, weapons, ships, and train soldiers. Then you can attack other players' bases. It's the perfect game app for any Star Wars fan!
Available on Google Play and the App Store, is one of the newer apps on my list, titled "Ask Bongo." What is Bongo? Well, Bongo is a super intelligent monkey from the shores of Borneo. Bongo knows everything about everyone and anything! So, just Ask Bongo anything you want to and get an answer.
When I was seven years old, I hadn’t even “found” the first genre that would help me fall in love with reading and turn me into an avid reader for life (the genre was stories of girls my age with horses and ghosts—don’t laugh!), but my 2nd grade English teacher asked all of her students to write a new story every single week. Mine were all true, from whatever adventure I had that week or interesting thing I witnessed, but the teacher praised my stories the most and begged me to read them to the class each week. I guess that made me realize I had a knack for telling a story, or at least spotting what makes real life most interesting.
My very first stories published were travel articles for print magazines—a long time ago. My first fiction story published was Last Shot, published as a single on Amazon: a very dark, psychological tale about a man trying—and failing—to successfully commit suicide, over and over, and how he changes in the process. It’s intense, but ultimately a comedy.
It was time to finally sit down and write a novel-length story, whether or not I felt ready for the challenge. I picked up the first few pages I’d already written for a story I knew was going to be “a long one,” based on one sentence I woke up with one morning: “he remembered everything.” I knew the main character remembered things he shouldn’t, things that surprise him, things that might make other people upset, and I started writing to discover what all those mysteries were. I hoped to at least get to 50k words, but the story ended up requiring 117k words to tell it!
Tres, the main character, is probably most like me; I think he’s like all of us. He has very specific struggles and gifts, but when it comes down to it, he’s just someone trying to find his place in the world, to fit in with everyone around him, to discover what makes him different but not wanting to be too different. He wants to belong, and he wants to know what he’s supposed to do with the life he’s been given. He’s not afraid to change his mind or his direction, try different things, and explore different things in finding his answers.
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| Avon Inspire; 272 pages; $12.99; Buy Link; Blog Tour |
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| Bethany House; 384 pages; $15.99; Amazon |
I started writing stories in college. I read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and I decided I wanted to write stories that were entire worlds unto themselves.
My first story published was called “Keats House” in a journal called Moondance in 2003. Her Dear and Loving Husband was my first novel published in 2011.
I had read the Twilight books and watched True Blood and I began wondering what it might be like for a vampire who loses the only woman he’s ever loved.
James is most like me because he’s very bookish and very loyal. The character least like me would be Kenneth Hempel, the reporter out to prove that James is a vampire. Kenneth isn’t very generous or understanding.
