I am back to Reading!

Because some of my family & friends believe I am a little stressed... and I might be... so, I am back to reading. At night, before bed, is working for me.  There was a time when I would read 400 books a year.. (yes, I read fast). I think last year I read 5 books! Not a lot. I used to read so much I would keep a log of my books read. I am starting a new log for this year and see where it takes me.

Part of my problem with starting a book at night is that I want to stay up and finish it. It has been hard to put it down. My day starts early, no matter what time I go to sleep.

This week, I pulled a book from my stash of  books to sell and now I am Keeping it. It is my sort of book-- a Cozy.

                        Mrs. Mallory Investigates by Hazel Holt (1989). 
Just by luck it was her first in the series, that now is at 20 books.

Mrs. Mallory is a 50 something widow with a son in college. She lives in a small seaside village in the West Country of  England. She grew up in the village and knows most everyone. A long time male friend from High School is long distant dating Lee Montgomery a local real estate agent, who Mrs Mallory is not very fond of. She does her best to be nice for the sake of her friend, but there are inconsistencies in Lee's story and Mrs Mallory starts to wonder. Then Lee disappears and her friend, Charles asks Mrs Mallory to try to find Lee and see what is up. Well, Lee ends up murdered, with a knife in her back. Mrs Mallory now feels it is her duty to figure it all out. After all, she wants to help her friend and this is her home town. And now someone she knows is a murderer.

In the story you meet lots of the townspeople and the role they did and did not play in Lee Montgomery's life. The story is not just about the murder. It is about life in a small town with church gatherings and dinner parties. Mrs Mallory is not some frumpish old lady. She is smart, drives her own car, lives alone with her pets. Has girlfriends that she shares with. She is a mom who had a wonderful life with the husband that she misses. Mrs Mallory is someone I would like to meet... along the lines of  Jane Marple and Mrs Pollifax and even Jessica Fletcher.

It was not until the end of the book that I realized who the murderer was. It was well put together.
I can't wait to read book #2- The Cruelest Month. I have already ordered it from my library.

And.... until it gets here... I have an older Elizabeth Peters that I have never read. An Amelia Peabody book.

Are Covers that Important ? Apparently Not.

As I sit here in my "computer" room, and look around at all the Stuff I have to sell... it makes me crazy. I spent a good portion of today, rearranging it and listing some things on Etsy. I also want to list on Ebay tonight- the Ebay fees are annoying me- but I have things that I can't list on Etsy due to their age and have to do Ebay. I want my 1500 feedback there. I am close.

But today I decided... I guess I don't care how I sell my books. Others are taking off the dust jackets and selling them in a group by binding color... for home decor. I went through my vintage books that are not selling and did the same thing. Maybe they will sell that way.  And then I will figure out how to market the dust jackets that I took off some. Maybe to scrapbookers.

I really want to downsize all the stuff  I have to sell. It is confining to me to have so much stuff.  I have pretty much stopped selling for others, it gets to be too much, especially when no one wants to come back to pick up their things that just don't sell. I am not a storage unit.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92930811/red-hardcover-books-home-decor-display

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92946643/white-hardcover-books-home-decor-display

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92925394/gray-black-books-home-decor-ellis-peters

Other than trying to downsize.. My taxes are at the accountant! (Yea). And I sold a book today on Etsy. (thank you!). So, all is well with my world today. Hope it is in yours too.

It's back... (the Snow).

Well-- it is back... the snow that is. Not sure for how long. We had snow at the end of December and then nothing til now. All the schools are closed and the roads are slippery today. I am staying home, I don't have any place to go and have a ton of things to do here. And while I love the snow-free days that we have been having, I totally do not mind the snow. Realistically, we now only have 8 wks of possible snow left. I think the latest that we have ever gotten plowable snow is St Patricks Day. And the weather people are saying 50f next week!! So, go figure.

Destashing

Nasty business-- but someone has to do it!

If you read my other blog  -- you will know that I sew, a lot. And I am most definitely in The Race (the big one to see who has the most fabric race). But this blog and the Etsy shop that goes with it, is the one where I sell my destash along with Vintage.

So, January is a good time for me to sort through fabrics that I have and seriously wonder where my head was when I bought them! I am slowly but surely going through my bins of fabric and just selling off what I just do not want any more. That extra money will help when I find more fabric to purchase.

One of my teams suggested that us fabric people have pheromones that others do not - we get a huge rush in a fabric shop...and when we wash the fabric... they disappear and we have to go buy more to get them back!! (I think that's true. I know I get a huge rush in a fabric store).

Are you destashing? And what?

Books to Read, Books to Share

I so love to read and I just do not have the time to read in the fall, at all. In fact the library told me that I had not been in to take out a book in over 8 months! Surprised me... but then I do have lots of books here to read and re-read. And it's not like I have not been reading or listening to books on tape in all that time. These days- books on tape are so much easier. I can do what I have to get done and still "read" at the same time. I am careful to get the unsbridged editions. I think I am up on my favorite authors latest books.
I do however have 3 hardcovers here to read-- and I think I have to get them read asap or risk a fine with the library. And- No the Kindle or like devices are Not for me. I really do not want to have to wear my glasses to read a lighted screen, I can still read a page without donning my glasses. Eye strain is not fun. I so enjoy sitting in my favorite comfy chair with a hardcover book and reading. Maybe if I was traveling or sitting in waiting rooms- I would feel different.

So my books to read this week are 1) Prince of Ravenscar, by Catherine Coulter 2) In the Company of Others, by Jan Karon 3) A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett (a paperback). With all I have to get done for my other business --The Homespun Loft- it will be a lot to get these read before my library time expires.
And I am off to sew and listen to a MC Beaton book featuring Agatha Raisin!

What are you reading??

I am Back!!! For a quick minute....

Okay-- So I know I have not been here to post anything.... I am swamped with sewing orders and supplying my gift shops and for my other Etsy shop.. that I have let this one slide.

Nothing new is going on.. I really need to check in with all my forums and post some things on Etsy 2.

I have some vintage Christmas things that I will be listing this weekend on Etsy 2. And all the hardcover books that I should be listing here and on ebay....

And think that after Christmas- I want to start doing interviews for other Etsy sellers here. I do it on my other blog and it is fun for me and hopefully the seller too.
I will get back into this.. when I get some free time.... lol.

Another thought

I found a great  shop..The Stitching Coop on Etsy. She sews the most wonderful things. And she is having a giveaway on her blog-- http://shesinthestitchingcoop.blogspot.com/ .

Here are a couple of her things that I just love..
http://www.etsy.com/listing/81382250/pillow-teacup-roses-doily-cottage-shabby

And here is another.. http://www.etsy.com/listing/81111317/rag-quilt-hearts-pink-roses-cottage-chic

Please go to her Blog and check it out..

How I do a Treasury on Etsy

I think I forget to post on this blog since I post similar things on my other Blog ... But people ask and this is   
                                                

 How I do a treasury...

I pick a theme-- these days I am into the Alphabet... Then I open my Treasury page (click on the main etsy page-- the orange logo on the top left... The treasury page is on the left side most of the way down-- go to "create a Treasury")... and fill in my title and some of the tags...
Then I open another tab ( you can open as many tabs as you want-in case you want to go look at something better) and go searching for items that will fit into my theme. I Look around and just copy the link to the item that I want and paste it back into my Treasury page. Very simple. Just make sure to keep the original page open with your 16 treasury picks.
Then when I am all done-- I might rearrange them and add more tags. You can add tags for your teams. I think you are allowed 18 tags. Try to use the Buzz words that Etsy is looking for-- for the front page.

When you are done with the treasury-- You don't have to do anything. The shops who are in the treasury should find out that they are in it by looking at their activity feed. But many somehow just don't know.. So-- a lot of the time-- I let each of them know to go check it.

I hope this helps some of you who just have not done one before. They are fun to do and it really does bring exposure to your shop and when you are done- make sure you tweet it and put  a link to it on your blog and facebook too.

Good luck..

New Treasury Lists

I really like to do treasuries and decided to start doing series of Treasuries.

One is an Alphabet one.. Based on Books and Authors.
Lousia May Alcott

And another based on all the Colors in a box of Crayola Crayons.
Orange

Please come take a look and leave comments on Etsy or here...

Cats and Books

Maybe you can tell that Cats play an important part in my life. ( I also have 2 dogs that I love to pieces).
We used to have 12 cats and now are down to 2! And for the time being these 2 will have to do. One of my dogs seriously hates cats-- and she grew up with them! So, go figure.

My cats are Henry (5) and Gus (7). They are best buds and came to us as strays when they were 6 wks old. They are indoor cats. Gus used to go out- he always stayed around and would come if  I called him, out from under a bush or somewhere close. Henry is petrified of outdoors. So they both stay in. I don't think Gus minds much anymore. It took about a yr before he stopped trying to get out. It has been 4 yrs since he has been out. He has open windows now (open from the top since he can pop the screen and escape!).

Gus

I find really nothing more soothing that a purring cat. I love to sit in my favorite chair with a good book and a cat on my lap, and a dog at my feet (my dogs are big ones).

Henry

And as I have written before some of my favorite authors have cats in their books. ( Lilian Jackson Braun &  Jan Karon).

So, lets chat-- Who are your reading companions?