just finished harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban. i'm almost ashamed to admit that i'm enjoying these books and that the end of this one made me laugh out loud.

i remarked that the first one was written in a very simplistic this-is-a-kid's-book manner and was told that it improves with the story. and i'd have to agree, i'm not noticing any of the little things that annoyed me with the first book.
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in other news. i've been trying to call bryan at work for almost four hours now. i'm worried. dammit.

i finished very old bones by william kennedy last night. it's an amazing book that i highly encourage everyone to read. and what's more, it's only $3.98 at barnes and noble on the parkway (in the bargain books aisle).

according to my lj birthday list i should be saying:

happy birthday, splotchola!

but for all i know, it's just some arbitrary date entered for no reason.

because some people don't know about free comic book day, here's a link to educate you [link].

i'll probably be at the marketplace the saturday that it takes place (may 7th). so with luck my dear, sweet husband will make a trip to the used book store on south monroe and procure me a copy of the keenspot spotlight 2005 or maybe owly.
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also. i cannot stop listening to love/tragedy and ava maria by the cruxshadows. i keep having flashbacks to the show where rogue almost toppled a bunch of speakers over onto me and hcm28.
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those pretty stained pieces of wood? yeah. they warped. how the hell am i supposed to make shelves/stands out of warped boards? i can't think of any way to fix it and i really don't want to spend more money on wood that i'm likely to ruin. bah.
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all of my samples for the sampler are totally finished. i need to get a form printed to send with it, though. and then they'll be off to the lovely marie.
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i should be working. or at least drinking coffee.

i finished the chamber of secrets saturday morning. woo.

now i'm reading very old bones by william kennedy. it's pretty good so far. i'm a third of the way through it, but i haven't been reading much this weekend.
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i've bought an eight-foot by 12 inches by one inch piece of wood. we had it cut down and i'm making shelves out of it for my marketplace display. i spent almost two hours yesterday staining all but one of the pieces with red mahogany stain. it's pretty.

i finally found poly bags to package my pamphlet cards in. they aren't perfect, but it's truly all i could find in town. also, a box has been procured to display them in.

last night i spent entirely too long fighting with microsoft word at my father's house. i'm designing signs and bookmark-tags and other things. i hate microsoft. if i had the patience to download the new version of the gimp on their computer my life would probably be easier. oh well.

i have to go back over there this week to finish up my tags and borrow a folding chair.
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i feel like i've been crazy-busy but i don't seem to have a lot to show for it. gray and i have been battling sinus/allergy crap for too long now. gray seems to be worse off than myself, though. i woke up to him crying this morning just before bryan left for work. we had to give him more medicine and something to help his fever go down. poor kid.

i finished the wastelands this morning. unfortunately i loaned my copy of wizard and glass to my father so i won't be continuing the series for a little while. though if i get too anxious, i'll see if they have a copy at the library. then it will be on to the newest book and my reading of new material will resume!

as filler i'm reading the second harry potter book right now. i think i'll spend this rainy afternoon seeing if the library has anything off my amazon.com wish list.

woo.

last night bryan told me, once again, that i read too much. silly man, that one.
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while at the library last night (we had to return some stuff and pick up the HP book) i browsed through the cds and was very pleased to find that they have a whole section dedicated to local music. i was able to check out the jess franklin and the best little blues band cd that i used to have as well as a cruxshadows cd i haven't heard (though it's just remixes, i think). i was disappointed to not find a band that i can't remember the name of. sad, yes? the drummer lived almost across the street from us when my sister and i were in high school. it was a christian band, but only barely (no, it wasn't creed). they never went anywhere but i had a tape of theirs. i wish i could find a copy of it somewhere.

that reminds me. once upon a time i found a tape at vinyl fever called by a band called vampire nation. i don't have the tape anymore. it was ambient stuff. instrumental with some random native american influence. it was amazing. and i've never been able to find it again.

it saddens me that i've lost so much music that i loved.

oh. there was also a bluegrass band. it wasn't local, they were from louisiana. we saw them at the epitome. sam and i loved them. i can't remember their name, either.

and the band kite is a victim. yes. the album was called home, i think. it had a slipcover thing with a feather glued to it.

*sigh*
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i'm almost done with my samples for the sampler's may batch. i had originally started a similar but different project for it, then decided to keep those for the marketplace and start something else. so yes. much with the making of little things.

i still need motivation to make bigger things. i'm also lacking in non-bill related mail. i've got one and a half (half because it's not finalized) trades going on and dammit, i need more!
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and i've just remembered something i forgot to give bryan to take care of today. guess we'll have to make a stop at my father's to use his printer this weekend. bah.

yesterday bryan played hooky and we went to the beach. it was probably one of the best days i've had in a long time.



none of us were feeling up to par, but the sun was out and we couldn't resist. the last time we took gray to the beach he didn't want to touch the sand - which made things difficult. this time he loved the sand and the pools of water, but ran away from the waves.

we might go back when bryan's mother comes down to visit. it'll be warmer then and i think he'll enjoy it more.
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i haven't been doing a lot of work lately. and i'm only sort of okay with that. i know that i need to take time for myself and that i'm turning into a workaholic. but. it's not easy to change things in my head.

i'd like to be doing more work right now, but i'm again lacking the proper motivation. i have a trade book i'm making for sweetmadnes but i seem to be slacking on that one. i still haven't gotten around to mailing the book for youseeiseeyou. things are starting to cut into the efficient running of my business and it's time i made an effort to correct that.

i'm been lax on taking care of things. but today marks the beginning of a new effort on that front. i'm not going to let my emotions debilitate me anymore. i have a short list of things that will be done today and tomorrow. and by all the gods, they will be done. dammit.

finished the drawing of three. think i'll take another break and then continue on with the dark tower series so that i can get to the new one.

woo.

i finished the first harry potter book the sorcerer's stone last weekend. i've been terribly non-energetic with my postings. anyway. the book. it was good. i mean, the story is good. the writing is.. well.. come on, it's a kid's book, it left a little to be desired. but the story is still good. i think it'd make a great read for a young child.

i'd like to ask a favor of someone in town with a car. someone who would be willing to drive me and the kiddo somewhere (i have a car seat at home). i'm on aim (melliloquently) if you have some desire to help me out. i have chocolate chip cookies if bribing is necessary.

yeah. what was i thinking? someone do a favor for me? ha! besides. even if i was given the time of day by anyone, i'd have to bribe you. compensate you in some way. i mean, who's ever heard of a favor anyway? i'd have to buy you food or cook something for you or give you gas money. right. i'll just sit here. all day. like i always do. thanks.

i don't have the energy for this. i just want a fucking ride to the college of engineering. i'd rather not try to walk all that way with a two year old.

okay. these two books are being sent to someone who is only kind of expecting the one. but that's a story i don't think needs to be rambled here.

i'm very, very pleased with these. they turned out beautifully and i have this desire to keep them for myself - a desire i seldom have. but i only use one book (one of my firsts, it's sad looking) and it's nowhere near full. so these get to find new homes. i hope they're enjoyed.

i will be making more that are similar to these, though. because i just love them. gushy love, i'm telling you. i can't explain my happiness with these two very simple books, but i take my pleasures where i may.

photos and details behind the cut.
( book 123 - green fuzzies. )

( book 124 - pink asian sophistication. )

these are going to be posted out of order, number-wise. but i know how much it annoys people to have a single photo per post, so i'm grudgingly compromising.

there's nothing special to say about either of these, unfortunately.

( book 122 - pamphlet style. )

( book 125 - pink bow. )

why number 000? because it's a book i've read before, though not in over a decade. i've just finished the gunslinger by stephen king. i own the first four books and desire to read the new dark tower novel. the problem is that i can't recall exactly what happened in the story, hence the rereading.

i've been sidetracked, though. i broke down and reserved the first harry potter book from the library. so it's next on the list.

for my own record, though, this was the 15th book i've read this year. it is also the first reread of the year. woo.
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i cannot explain to you how much i hate the post office. i just got a package on the porch - which is humorous because we got a "sorry we missed you" slip yesterday for a package from bryan's mother. i watched the guy drive by without ever trying to deliver the package yesterday.

on top of that, the package i got today is the gorgeous painting by youseeiseeyou. on the packaging "damaged in handling at the postal service" is stamped twice. and let me tell you, understatement. the wooden supports for the canvas are pulverized. luckily the canvas itself doesn't appear damaged, so i guess i could just buy a new set of supports and remount it - or whatever the appropriate terms are.

the painting is lovely, though. i can't wait to fix it and hang it up in the bedroom. i'm going to ask youseeiseeyou if he minds me photographing it and posting it here for you all to be jealous over.
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i sold another book yesterday at pixelgirlshop.com. it was mailed today along with a box to delphizyx. tomorrow, youseeiseeyou's japanese coaster book will be mailed.

if the sun continues to cooperate, i have four new books to take photos of and post. i've been a bookmaking machine lately. i've another book that just needs endpaper, as well.

i think i'll drill holes in my next batch of sampler samples so that i can finish those up this weekend. i'm also working on a related surprise. i'm not saying anything about it because i feel that it would doom my effort and never get accomplished. so it remains relatively secret.
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tomorrow we're doing the easter thing at my father's house. he's vaguely upset that we're not doing in on sunday but my sister has plans with her in-laws. personally, i don't really care. no one in my immediate family is a practicing christian. sure most of us were baptised in one sect or another, but other than possibly lorna or melanie no one in my "family" really cares. but dad likes to do the family thing. and gray likes to run around on their back porch. and all the kids get a thrill out of hunting for plastic candy/coin-filled eggs. so whatever. no harm in it.

also. bryan's mother is coming down in may for bryan's birthday. i had these vague ideas of celebrating bryan's existence that weekend, but i guess they'll either be canceled or made family friendly. in all reality they'll probably not happen, as they were never concrete or discussed anyway.

why didn't anyone tell me they made vanilla cherry dr pepper? we bought some today (it was on sale) and i can't wait to taste it.

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i now own an orchid. yay! i've named it eric. go figure.

and now i go to eat chocolate and bind books.

where did the 19th go?!

happy late birthday, jodawi!

finished orchid fever last night. i'm not sure what to read next. i'm thinking that i'd like to re-read the dark tower series (my dad got me thinking about them again) and maybe talisman. but obviously they wouldn't count as new books since i've already read them (albeit about a decade ago).
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anyway. so much to do today. i doubt i'll get any of it done.

so. bored.

so i'll write myself a nice little list.
( ignore me. )

more books for the inventory.

this is an address book made from leftover printed pages from when i made [book 073] for sylvans_isis (think good thoughts for her today, will you?).

book details and photos behind the cut.
( book 121 - blue address. )

more books for the inventory.

photos and details behind the cut.
( book 120 - green and brown. )