the night circus

The Night Circus is unlike anything I have read before. I was completely captured by page one.

The unique writing style flows from one character to the next as it follows the seemingly unrelated events. Switching back and forth through time creates an air of mystery and suspense.

The story surrounds a girl and boy who are forced into a game of sorts, where the rules are left unsaid. As the game progresses, strange events cause them to become increasingly worried and confused.

These events eventually bring together the lives of those in the circus and outside of it. As the mysteries of the game are brought to light, the characters lives join and all must play a part in preventing a disastrous turn of events.

This story will enchant you with its magical and brilliant story telling. The images it creates will capture your imagination and make you wish Le Cirque des Reves will come to your town soon.

expanded shorts

This summer I discovered that I had outgrown my jean shorts. But I decided to try and make them work.
This was a pretty simple project and I really like the result!

 

yes that is a chicken! 

All you do is cut your shorts down both sides. Measure out how much fabric you need/want on the sides(I just used a t-shirt for the material). Then sew each side onto the jeans. If your sewing machine is like mine, hand sewing may be better on the thick top part of the jeans. I would recommend trying them on after the first side. I unfortunately made mine an little too big, hence the belt, but better big than too small. 

And now you have a new one of a kind pair of shorts! Don't forget to show them off and amaze people when you tell them you made them yourself :)

the dovekeepers

The Dovekeepers tells the story of Masada, a Jewish stronghold, through the lives of four ladies.

Each has been forced out of their home and has made the journey through the desert to Masada where they find themselves working in the dovecotes.

As their lives become intertwined they slowly begin to open themselves to one another and are able to heal the deep wounds they carry.


Set in a time of exile and destruction for the Jewish people, this novel brings to life the circumstances surrounding this historical event. 


After reading, look up some pictures of Masada and see where this all really happened. It makes it all seem real.

cutting a mango

Mango's are one of my favorites. Cutting one can be difficult though, so here's how.

 

Slice one side off, then the other.
Try to get as close as you can to the seed in the middle.

Now cut off the strip left around the mango. Again, try to cut as close to the seed as possible.

Cut the two oval pieces in half lengthwise, and your ready to enjoy :)

Just eat the fruit right off of the skin and the seed.

This method is messy, so be prepared! 

favorite cookies

I've found it, the perfect cookie recipe! It is pretty much straight out of Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.
Ranger Cookies
1 14 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter-melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole oats
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup chocolate chips

Simply mix all ingredients and put onto a cookie sheet. It may be difficult to make them stay together because of the oats, pressing them into balls worked best for me. Bake in a 375 F oven for 8-12 minutes and enjoy!

I love the coconut and chocolate combination. Raisins or other "chips" would be good too. I know you aren't supposed to eat the dough, but I always do, and this may be my favorite! The baked cookies actually tasted very similar to the dough which was a very pleasant surprise!

apricots

My aunt brought by some apricots that were really ripe. I've never had apricot anything before, but I decided to try something. So here's the result:

Apricot Cobbler
7 apricots (more or less depending on size)
2 cups oats
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs butter (hard)
cinnamon
nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut up apricots into small pieces and place evenly in 9X9 pan. Mix oats and sugar in blender then cut in butter till only small pieces are left. Sprinkle lots of cinnamon and a little bit of nutmeg onto the apricots then pour oat mixture over it. Sprinkle a bit more cinnamon on top and bake for about an hour.



There you go, super easy and delicious! I love the sourness of the apricots, but you can add sugar to the fruit part if you want to. It's amazing right out of the oven with some vanilla ice cream.

cloth journal

I go through journals fast. I fill them up with whatever I feel like at the time which may be drawings, writings, quotes, pictures, tickets. It's kinda like a collection of me. 

I know that some people have trouble journaling or don't enjoy it, but they make great gifts and can be filled with anything, so be creative! 

 I've seen cloth journals around and really liked them, but you can skip the fabric and just decorate with pictures or whatever you have.

You will need:

• notebook
• fabric (I cut some from an old t-shirt)
• scissors 
• glue
• magazines, pictures, and whatever else you want to decorate with 

1. Cut the cloth an inch bigger than the notebook on
      all sides. Before you glue it to the inside of the  
      notebook make sure the fabric can stretch
      enough to close.
 




 2. Cut out a small section below the binding of
       the notebook so the fabric can fold over.

   










 3-5. Fold over the cloth from the bottom.
          There was extra fabric where the
          side and bottom overlap, so I cut it
          off. Glue and repeat with top and
          other side.








And now you have a cloth journal!


6. All that's left now is to decorate the
      cover, or not, depending on your
      preference.





So, pretty easy and now you can journal in style!