Book Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The third installment in the Graceling series.  Bitterblue has been ruling her shattered, but healing kingdom since the age of ten.  Now, at 18, she is trying to do more than just maintain a peaceful kingdom, but try to really improve the world around her after her father's diabolical reign.  It is an uphill battle from the beginning, more questions than answers, and the never ending doubt of who to trust.

I really enjoyed this book, especially since many of the characters from the first two books make appearances in this one.  This isn't technically a series in that you need to read the books in order or at least read the others first to enjoy this one, but I would highly recommend you do so if possible.  The world(s) that the author has created are very imaginative and complicated.  The more you know about how they work, the better you will be able to enjoy the twists and turns in this book.  Some parts are not easy to read, mostly flashbacks to Bitterblue's father's reign and the horrible things he did to people.  Luckily, there was enough humor and romance to balance it out and make it through the hard to read parts.

This is really weird to write, but this series to me is a mix of Hunger Games (suspense, violence, writing style), Lord of the Rings (fantasy words, kingdoms, cloaks, monsters, and castles), and X-Men (special  enhanced abilities for some people).  Somehow it all works despite the strange combination.  I will probably reread them in the future.



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Fabric and Ribbon Memo Board from Jewelry Organizer

Remember my jewelry organizer I made a couple of years ago?  I won't feel bad if you don't.

  Anyway, I found a different jewelry solution and decided to reuse this framed piece of batting and fabric covered board.

Took some ribbon out of my stash, cut and stapled it to the back of the frame, AND....

....instant memo board!

Helps free up precious fridge space for alphabet magnets and spelling tests.

DIY Framed Chalkboard

I know this idea is nothing new to blogland, but I finally got around to making my own and I wanted to take some step by step pictures in case anyone was wondering how to make one too.  Super easy and cheap!

You will need:

• a frame
• a smooth piece of wood, glass, metal, cut to size
• primer (optional)
• chalkboard paint
• brushes/rollers

I bought my frame at Hobby Lobby and a piece of thin MDF at Home Depot.  MDF board is a good choice because it's smooth, light for hanging, but sturdy for writing.  The workers at Home Depot will cut it to size for free if you ask nicely.

A nice, snug fit is what you want because you will be pushing on the wood a lot when you eventually draw and write on your chalkboard.  After I was done with the entire project, my husband secured my board even more with a few strategically placed staples using our hand staple gun.

Paint time.  I decided to prime my board first.  Glad I did because the wood seemed to suck up a bit of paint.  I used Rust-oleum Painter's Touch Latex Primer and painted it on with a small, sponge roller.  I used a small brush to get the sides, even though they weren't going to show...I'm weird like that sometimes.

Using some push pins to hold up your board while you paint really helps a lot.

 I think I painted two coats of primer and in between each one, I lightly sanded it down, wiped off the dust with a damp cloth, and then dried it with a paper towel.  It doesn't take long to do each step, and if it's 100 degrees when you paint, like when I did, it will dry really fast.

Rust-oleum Chalkboard Latex Paint.  Sponge Roller.  Three coats.

Watching paint dry....

I will warn you that the chalkboard paint dries REALLY fast and is not completely smooth.  The directions on the can tell you how to dilute the paint if needed.  I probably should have considering how hot it was, but it still turned out fine.  Sand between coats if needed.  Although my finished surface is not completely smooth, you can still write on it without any problem.  We have found that the more we write on it, the smoother the surface seems to get as well.

According to directions, you are supposed to wait 3 days for it to set.  This was by far the hardest step for me.  I hate waiting.

I love the contrast of the dark board against the bright frame.

Three days later, I "cured" the chalkboard by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk all over the surface and then erasing it off.

I wanted to be a little cheeky and write "Bless This Mess" since my house was a complete disaster by the time I finished this project.  I was making stuff instead of cleaning and controlling the mass of toys in the living room.  Sometimes I just have to let it go if I want to actually make anything fun.  I left my phrase for a moment and came back to this.  So appropriate.  I guess the cheekiness has been passed on.

 My oldest really wanted a turn, and this is what he made all on his own.

Awwww...that one is a keeper.  

Once the novelty wears off, my kids might actually let me write something on it too.

Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Tris and Tobias are trying to make sense of everything that just happened, how their friends and fellow faction members were controlled and what they can do to stop it.  The exciting climax from book one in this series picks up right where the last one left off.  Can Tris and Tobias stop the factions from all out war?  Can they stop their friends (and themselves) from mind control simulations?  Can their love survive the trials ahead?  Can they survive, period?

I was dubious of this book, I am always leery of book #2's in a trilogy, as they have a tendency to be a "filler book" to drag the story out a bit more.  Unfortunately, this was a bit of a filler book for me, BUT I have read much worse #2 books before.  The plot moves along for the most part and mystery slowly starts to unravel as the characters learn more information about the simulations and what it means to be Divergent.  There is plenty of action to keep you going, I think that saves the book from being a complete filler #2.  My biggest problem with this book is Tris and Tobias' relationship development.  They spend a good deal of time arguing about the same stuff over and over and Tris, instead of looking brave, ends up coming off as annoying with her constant death-wish, impulsive plans. 

I know I went into this book with doubts and perhaps that skewed my ability to enjoy it fully, you'll have to be the judge for yourself.  I will read the next book and am interested to see where the author takes the final plot twist in the next book.



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Travel Kit for Kids

Found some great printables online, laminated them, and included a set of dry erase markers.  Instant birthday gift!

All of these mazes were found at Mr. Printables.  Love their creations, so simple and cute.

The plastic folder I used to keep the sheets and markers together had a little label slot.

Happy Birthday, Braden!

Sea Turtle Sourdough

Did you know that if you buy a loaf of bread at Boudin and you have kids with you, they will give you some cute mini loaves in the shape of animals FOR FREE?  This day was sea turtles.  Actually it might be sea turtles every day, not sure.  I guess we'll have to go back and see.  The kids thought they were so fun and the bread itself is phenomenal.  I love sourdough!  

Artist's Palette Cake

This cake was made for an arts and crafts loving 10 year old.

 Started off with a confetti cake leveled and iced with chocolate frosting.

Rolled out some white fondant.

Cut out a shape and shaved down the sides bit by bit until it would fit on the top of the cake.  I just eye-balled it.  Smoothed out any jagged knife cuts with my fingers and some powdered sugar.

Mixed up a few colors for the paint.  I did a thin consistency of frosting and used Wilton gels for the colors.

 I placed the fondant palette on the cake first and then added the paint colors.

 I improvised for my border and combined all my leftover colored frosting into one piping bag fitted with a #22 tip.  The consistency was a little thin, but it ended up looking like dripping paint a bit, which I liked.

Simple and cute.

Made a quick triangle pennant using my Silhouette software and the Waterbrush font.  Used a paintbrush for the pennant's pole.

She loved it!

Happy Birthday, Brenna!