Defective Compositions: January 2012

Black and White Sort of Day

A quiet day all to myself. A camera, a tripod, and a cute outfit. Perhaps the day was glowering from above, and the tiniest pieces of ash from a neighbor's fireplace came drifting down, imitating the subtle arrival of snow. As it was, the day was warm. Warmer than it has been in this generally warm winter.

Soft and warm chili cheese fries made a comfortable lunch, while I indulged my inner geek with a sci-fi TV show.

Little things called out to me, leaping in delight when I bent over to take notice of their simple and often overlooked beauty. Perhaps this withered plant may have been a weed, but even weeds can be beautiful and unique.

A colored shirt, as pretty as it was, seemed out of place in a black and white sort of day. Some days are just like that.

What I've been listening to:

A Little Fall of Rain ~ Les Miserables

What I've been reading:

Wives and Daughters ~ Elizabeth Gaskell

Ivanhoe ~ Sir Walter Scott

Pinterest Challenge ~ Day 5

I would say that today's project was less than 100% satisfactory. I made a sugar scrub, for use on body or face, following a Ginger Honey Sugar Scrub recipe.

After I got out of my shower I still felt just a little greasy, and that's not the way I really like to feel at that point. Now I have no idea what the long-term effects may be (this evening, tomorrow, with frequent use?), so I can't judge it based on that. My only experience so far has been this morning. It may just need a little tweaking to fit me better, or perhaps I'm just not a body scrub type of person! Having one unsatisfactory project out of five isn't too bad, really!

However, it was fun to make, and it would be a great gift for women who like that sort of thing. So, on this fine, last day of the Pinterest Challenge, what have you decided to whip up? Just participating today will get you two extra entries in the giveaway tomorrow!

Pinterest Challenge ~ Day 4

I must admit that I was extremely excited about today's project. I've always admired cute luggage and bags, so it is always awfully unfortunate that they are so expensive! That's where the Duffle Tote Tutorial from Weekend Designer came in.

I was utterly amazed at how easily this all came together for me. I have had that beautiful upholstery fabric sitting around for several years, almost too afraid to touch it. When I was in the midst of a completely different project I was digging around in my sewing box I discovered the handles and the most perfect blue zipper amidst the jumble. "Put 'em together and what have you got? Bippity-boppity, bippity-boppity, bippity-boppity-boo!" Oh, sorry.

There was no part of the tutorial that was very difficult. Of course I didn't follow it 100%, since I didn't put any web strapping that you usually see on a 90's style duffle, but I'm rather content. It looks great and it's bigger than my last duffle bag.

Yes, there's a little selvedge showing there, but it gives it character, right?

So, what do you plan on making today? You have a hundred or more tutorials pinned on a board, just waiting to happen, so what are you messing about here for? Come back after you've created something, and share it with the rest of us. I can't wait to see it!

Pinterest Challenge ~ Day 3

Today really did dawn bright and fair, and it feels like a "get it done" kind of a day. My project was a quick and easy one, and I'm excited to share it with you!

I found this scarf on Pinterest and immediately followed the link to see if it was a tutorial. It was not, but it really looked easy enough to do at home anyway! It is based on the Loop Lace Cotton Jersey Tube Scarf.

What I did was take an old t-shirt (one that I had already ruined in another project), cut two long panels from it and sewed those together. Then I took three pieces of lace and sewed those together side by side. Finally, I gathered the edges of the t-shirt pieces and sewed it to the ends of the lace, to form a circle.

Of course, I can't be 100% sure yet of the various ways a person could wear such an accessory, but up or down, twisted or straight, it looks nice so far!

Have you decided to take part in the Pinterest Challenge? I would love it if you would link up your post so that everyone can see your projects. Not only that, but for every day you link up, you get the chance of an extra entry in the upcoming giveaway!

Pinterest Challenge ~ Day 2

Day two for me dawned dark and rainy, but the show must still go on! Or something to that effect. Anyway, I was super excited today to do a project that I've been eyeing in my pinboards for quite a while now. These Hand-Embroidered Felt Bookmarks are a fabulous gift idea, even to give a couple to yourself! I decided to wing it, basing my design off of Wild Olive's "Endurance" design.

It was fun to stitch, absolutely darling when embracing a nice thick book, and each and every one will be unique. What's not to love? I only had red felt, unfortunately, but it was still a fun project.

So, what did you create on this fine day? A stuffed animal? A crocheted set of coasters? A decorated bottle? Link up and let us see!

Pinterest Challenge ~ Day 1

Today's the first day! This is really exciting, isn't it? I know that I'm eager to see what will be accomplished this week. If you're new here and aren't sure what this is, please read Problems with Pintereset Part 2ish.

As for today, my contribution for the challenge is slightly different than what was probably expected. Thanks to Pinterest I discovered this workout plan and for the last twenty days I've been working hard in order to simply finish it. Well today was the last day.

All of those jumping jacks, crunches, and leg lifts have really motivated me to keep going! If you're at all interested in trying this workout for yourself, please check out the original site, Downtownn.tumblr.com.

It's been great fun, and I'm looking forward to attempting the Level One Exercise Plan.

So tomorrow I will definitely post something a little more on the crafty side, but now it's time for me to see the wonderful things that you have made today! I'm looking forward to reading all of your posts about your Pinterest Challenge adventures. Make sure to link back to this post so that visitors can see what it's all about!

Problems with Pinterest ~ Part 2ish

I really was going to come up with another post about the junky ideas that get spread around on Pinterest, continuing on the same lines of the "feel free to be you" stuff I posted about earlier. To be honest, I can't think of anything. Not that those selfish ideas aren't out there, but I haven't come across anything lately that seemed worth writing about.

I did, however, come up with an exciting idea!

I'm sure it's been done before, but I want to host a challenge on this blog, specifically geared for Pinterest.

We all procrastinate, not only in the real work we're supposed to be doing, but even in the exciting things that we pin! When was the last time you recreated an idea from Pinterest instead of just adding new ones!

Here is the challenge.

Every day during that week, make one project from any of your boards. As long as you do one project a day, it doesn't matter if it's food, home decor, toys, or clothes.

As an additional challenge, I will be posting a linky here everyday along with my own daily creation, so you can blog about your new project and join up here to show everyone what you've made!

Finally, to make this challenge really impossible to resist, not only because it's fun and appealing to get something done for once (just kidding, right?), I'm also hosting a giveaway. It will be open to everyone, not just those who participate in the challenge, but those who did attempt it will get extra entries!

You'll want to make sure you blog about it, or post about in some other manner. Anything like Flickr, Photobucket, or even Pinterest itself will work! Just post your picture and a description and you'll be good to go!

We'll start on Monday and go through Friday. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it! So here's a couple of buttons in different sizes to help spread the word.

Weekly Reads ~ Early January

The beginning of this year has been pretty good so far. My family has leapt into the life we left of last year and we're going at it with pretty much all sails flying. I was especially touched by these posts that specifically talk about newness, determination, and faith. Why don't you take a look?

hello, lovely. would you like to be friends? Fabulous post on the purposelessness of striving for popularity in the blogging world, and deciding to be an Authentic Blogger.
New slate, anyone? Are we really wiping our slate clean and starting fresh in the new year, or are we building upon the foundations we've laid in previous years?
redefining

Lead Me and Guide Me

For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.

Psalm 31:3

Win an iPad 2 or an Kindle Fire!

I don't normally post about giveaways on my blog, but when you get five extra entries for doing it, sometimes it's hard to resist!

Rafflecopter is a great tool for anyone who is doing a giveaway. Simply put the widget together, and Rafflecopter does the rest!

To celebrate their "Grand Opening" per se, Rafflecopter is giving away an iPad 2 and two Kindle Fires. Who doesn't want a chance to win one of those? It's so easy to enter, so check out the widget below!

The Paradise War (The Song of Albion, #1)

The Paradise War by Stephen R. Lawhead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first in a trilogy, The Paradise War follows the amazing and fantastic adventure of a young college student by the name of Lewis Gillies. When he follows his friend on an sudden and unlikely urge to explore the strange appearance of a long extinct beast in Scotland, he is shocked when his friend disappears inside a cairn and does not return. It is only when he attempts to follow Simon that he understands why.

Albion is where he finds himself. It is the Otherworld, and he is thrust into it so quickly and violently that he doesn't even have time to protest the series of events that lead to his warrior training and the events that will follow. Lewis is in Albion, a land so steeped in Celtic myth, lore, legend, and culture that the novel resonates with this fantastic framework and thrills the reader with their own discovery of it.

Lewis comes to love Albion so well that the thought of returning to the drab, gray, meaningless life that he left behind him makes him sick. How could a person desire to take a shadow of a thing over the reality? He comes to realize, though, that the presence of strangers has brought a new influence in to the ancient ways and traditions of the country, and that it is steadily bringing about the downfall of the world. Simon is a changed man, and his greedy words of dissent whispered into the right ear causes waves that cannot be stopped. Lewis realizes that he must prevent anything else from taking place, and though it grieves his heart, he tries to force Simon back to their own world, only to be met with surprise.

This book is my introduction to the works of Stephen Lawhead, and I must say that I am very impressed. He has created a rich and colorful world that so thoroughly held me captive in a way that books have not done for a while. I fell in love with the beautiful descriptions, the wonderful lore that made the skillful foundation for the work, and the very characters themselves caught at my mind and are still clinging there.

I personally loved The Paradise War and can't wait to finish the second book in the series, The Silver Hand, although I would probably not recommend the series for younger teens and below.

Finally, I just want to say, I think I love Great Britain more than ever! At the very least I find the ancient history and mythology fascinating.

View all my reviews

Little Things

Lucia is having a fun photo challenge and as I'm not hosting my own challenge anymore I thought this would be a fun one to participate in! Her theme for this month is "little things", and I immediately decided to snap these two shots.

This is my entry for Lucia's challenge!

One little thing I enjoy is being able to curl up and read a book. I don't take advantage of this nearly as often as I should, but it is so comfortable when I do! Cozying up with a book seems like such a little thing to us, but then I remember the thousands of people in the world who don't have any books at all, and I realize it is not a little thing at all.

My second little thing is one of my Christmas presents. A darling little keychain in the shape of one of the cutest looking vehicles ever!

One Word ~ 2012

Last year I posted about a fabulous idea called One Word. New Year's resolutions are so hard to remember, keep, or even to remind yourself to look at them and see how you measure up! We always try to make too many, and we fail.

With One Word, you choose exactly that. One Word. It's a word that will hopefully stay with you all year long.

In 2011, my word did pop up all year long. I would go for weeks at a time without thinking of it, and then I would remember and renew my purpose in that area. More often than not I was reminded of it after I had failed in a certain area, and it gave me the determination to try again next time.

Last year my word was "Serve".

That was 2011.

This year my word is "Love".

This is 2012.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there aretongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:4:8