Book review- Love's Shadow

Time for another book review! This time around I'm reviewing Love's Shadow by Ada Leverson. Unlike most (all?) of the books I've received from the Library Thing Early Reviewer's program, this one isn't new. Far from it, in fact; it was published in 1908.



Leverson was a contemporary and friend of Oscar Wilde and, according to the back cover of the book, was called "the wittiest woman in the world" by him, so I had high hopes for this book going into it (I love wit and I love Wilde). To give a short summary, this book is a comedy about a small group of interconnected people from London, their interactions with each other and the quirks and small problems each of them have. I don't really want to give away more, since that's really the plot of the book.

Even after finishing it, though, I'm not really sure what I think of the book. I can't think of anything I hated about it and the dialog was very good, but... Well, for one thing the most important thing to me when I read are characters- and the character in this book were very flat and had very little character development or personality. That said, however, I think that was rather the point; they read like caricatures of people from that time, which I have a feeling was what Leverson intended.

I did enjoy the dialog (and this book is mostly dialog), but it wasn't quite as witty as I'd hoped from Wilde's lauding, and it didn't make up for the lack of plot. A few small things happened and people talked about other people and themselves, but the plot was nonexistent.

It took me a while to finish this book because it's not much of a page-turner, but, for all that this review is negative, I did like the book and will be on the lookout for more of Leverson's works (she's definitely worth giving a second chance!). It's not the best book I've ever read, but it's not a bad read, either. I'll give Love's Shadow three stars out of five.

Unrelated to the story, there is one thing I really didn't like- the cover. Everyone kept assuming I was reading a trashy romance novel, which couldn't be farther from what this book is. Unfortunately, the book is too large to fit in my paperback book cover, but too short to fit in my hardback cover. It's not that the cover is ugly (it's not), it's just that it's bright pink and the book is called Love's Shadow.

To see more reviews from LibraryThing members and to view the page on the book, go here.

I had another book review queued up, but I'll post this one first because it's a LibraryThing book and I need to post those to the site.

Trove Thursday- Colors of Spring

Yup, I know it's Friday but I wasn't able to snag this treasury until late last night. Since it's finally spring and (hooray!) leaves and flowers are starting to come out and show pretty colors, I decided to go with Colors of Spring for this week's Trove Thursday post:


If you're viewing this post before 2:30am Sunday morning (the 28th), you can find the treasury by clicking here. If you're reading this after that, click here to see the larger version of the image and find the shop name that way, or just scroll down and click the links I provide.

The "Alternates" are the ones that the curator of the treasury picks that don't show up for anyone else (at least not until they're switched in), so you get a top secret peek at them here. I even edited in the not-faded-out version from my poster sketch so you can see them better. ;)

1.) "Crochet Spring Flower Coasters - set of 4" by MonikaDesign.
2.) "Beautiful Bamboo YARN - RazzleBerry - HandDyed HandSpun Single Ply Bamboo Yarn 108 yards 3.6 oz dk weight" by kittygrrlz.
3.) "Forest Faerie Frolic - Earrings in Vintaj Brass and Flowers" by FaerieKat.
4.) "Spring Blossoms - Glass Ostara/Spring Equinox Egg Charm - Lemon Yellow" by MoonlitHerbals. (Alternate)
5.) "First Day of Spring - OOAK handknit designer handbag / purse in celery green" by EveldasNeverland.
6.) "Spring Blue Birdhouse" by BirdhouseBlessings.
7.) "Pink Bird Eggs - Necklace Large Chunky Rhodonite and Sterling Silver" by CrystalImpressions.
8.) "Lemon Swirl Feather Pendant" by mermaidencreations. (Alternate)
9.) "Spring greens - 4 fat eighths of hand dyed fabric" by therainbowgirl.
10.) "Smiley Swoopy Cat Swirls Away in Blue Purple and Green Watercolor ACEO" by Carapace.
11.) "Cherry Bomb POP" by KiKiBowns.
12.) "Mini Quilt Series-Spring Flowers, number 2, Daffodil" by MelodysUnchained. (Alternate)
13.) "BLUE FLAG IRIS handspun art yarn 110 yds 3.6 oz" by islandsweet.
14.) "Spring Meadows - hand painted silk georgette luxury scarf" by MuseSilkPaintings.
15.) "Hot Pink Daisy Armlet" by 88Links.
16.) "Lemon Drop - Necklace Lemon Topaz Marquise Drop, Pink Grapefruit Chalcedony Rondelles, Fancy Cut Blue Apatite, Sterling Silver" by CrystalImpressions. (Alternate) (Eep, I just realized I put Lucia in here twice. Ah well, she's awesome and makes lovely jewelry, so I'm sure no one will mind.) ;)

I think I got members in there from all 7 of my street teams, or at least close to it. :)

Ravelry NatCroMo Crochet-Along- Days 1-12

I'm a complete knucklehead and didn't realize until the 23rd that this month is National Crochet Month- and time for another free-form crochet-along on Ravelry (the sad thing? This isn't new to me- I took part in '08). Luckily March is one of the long months of the year, so I think I have time to catch up and finish the same time as everyone else, pulled muscles and all. (Yup, I'm still a bit sore, but I figure I'll be okay if I crochet a little each day- man, do I miss crocheting!)

Anyway, here's what my mess looks like at the moment; this is days 1-12:

Ignore all those stray ends; I know we're supposed to weave them in as we go along, but if I do that I'll never catch up! (That's always my least favorite crochet step.)

To start, we had to chain our age (26).
Day 1) Crochet stitches for the time working on it by adding up numbers in the the time (11:03pm- 5 stitches), then doing that many triple stitches.
2.) Count up all of your crochet hooks- do that many crochet moss stitches. (12 that I could find).
3.) Grab a larger size hook, and switch to least favorite yarn and chain a length which will fit around your ankle, then 4dc into each chain until you reach the end. (I couldn't find a red yarn, so I went with yellow)
4.) Change to a yarn in your favorite color and work the same number of popcorn stitches as the date (or month) of your birthday. (green yarn, 6 for June- wasn't about to do 30! I'm trying to catch up here.) ;)
5.) Turn, chain 1. Continue this pattern to correspond with the number of popcorns from the previous row: sc, hdc, dbl, tr, dbl, hdc, sc, sc, hdc, dbl, tr, dbl, hdc, sc (I'll admit to messing up this row- I was watching tv and kept losing track of where I was).
6.) This involved the number of projects in your Ravelry queue, but since I only had 7, used a random number generator to get 25- then did that many filet mesh spaces.
7.) Gather some slinky, sensual, sexy yarn in a color that excites... but I'm pulling out the Joker (that's where we're allowed to change a stitch for any one day) here. This one had to do with sex and that's not my cup of tea, so I'm going to do this for the number of years I've been with my fiance (7, so 7x7 love knots) and I switched to a soft green yarn (no idea if I did this stitch right because I used such fluffy yarn).
8.) Count the number of colors you are wearing and multiply that number by the number of articles of clothing you are wearing. Do that many of the stitches of your choice in a yarn that you close your eyes and choose by feel. Use whatever hook you want. (4 colors x 5 articles of clothing= 20 sts. Did hdc in a blue/black yarn I grabbed, switching from K to H hook.)
9.) Had to count our rings, then switch colors by what colors the rings are (like switch for gold, silver, etc). Since I wear four rings that are all silver, I decided to use silver-colored yarn and do four rings.
10.) A series of fans to represent your full name, with slip stitches to the width of one fan for the spaces. (Not sure if I did this one right, either, but ended up with 5-8-5.)
11.) For the number of shells, count the letters in your favorite color, make that many shells. (Green, so did 5.)
12.) Using your favorite type of yarn, make as many rounds as your bust size divided by 2 then add one more round per cup size (i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, etc…). (Stuck with the same yarn because I ended up stopped at blue acrylic, which is what I usually work with and like, and interpreted this as 22 little circles into one circle.)

And that takes me up to day 13, which I'll blog about in the next batch update. :) As you can probably tell, I'm cutting corners where I can (like picking "green" instead of "kelly green") so I can do less stitches at a time and catch up faster. I figure if I can do 5 or 6 a day, I'll be set.

Talented Tuesday- Catrin of Cat's Wire

Time for another interview with a talented Plurk friend! I really admire Cat's work- I think it's just so pretty and unique! I'm especially in awe because I've wanted to try crocheting wire for a while, but haven't had the guts to try yet, so I think that what she can do with hooks and needles is the coolest thing! And have you seen her kitty things? Oh my gosh, they're adorable!



What's your name?
Catrin Maier, but many of my friends have been calling me Cat for the last 25 years

Where can you be found on the internet? (Website, Twitter, shops, blog, etc)
My blogs (English and German) can be found at www.catswire.com and www.catswire.de
My shops - www.catswire.artfire.com / www.zibbet.com/catswire / www.catswire.dawanda.com
Twitter - www.twitter.com/CatsWire
Facebook - www.facebook.com/CatsWire

Describe yourself in five words.
Crazy, creative, cat lady, bookworm, ironic

If you were a color, what would you be?
Sunny yellow alternating with black

If you were a "Dungeons and Dragons"/fantasy character or creature, what would you be? (Can be a specific character, or something general like "elven bard", "centaur", etc).
Have never played it, but can I be a witch??

If you could live anywhere (or anywhen), where/when would it be?
I would like to see places, but for living I'll stay in my hometown. I would love to see it in the 20s, but for living I would probably choose the 60s/70s. Good childhood memories ;-)

What is your greatest dream or goal?
Tough choice, that changes. Sometimes I want to be a great artisan, sometimes I just want to be happy and content with what I've got. And sometimes I would do anything to meet Johnny Depp.

What was your very first piece of art? How long have you been an artist?
I started in November 2008, first just for myself. My first piece was a pendant from crafts wire with little rainbow beads.

If you sell your art, how did you get started?
In February 2009 I joined a jewelry forum. And suddenly I had an online shop. Talking about very cold water here!

What is the strangest thing you've ever made?
Probably the pendants and earrings from my kitty line.

Pick your favorite project/artwork- what is it and what inspired you on it? If you'd like to share, tell a little about the process you used from inspiration to completion of that project.

My favorite is the blue rose pendant which is really mostly silver wire with blue sapphires scattered randomly. When I started knitting, I had a different design in mind, but suddenly I felt there was a rose in there and I changed to the crochet hook to be able to shape it better. It was not one of my most time-consuming designs, but it is a great example for how my pieces develop.

What kind of advice would you give to other artists?
Do what you feel inside yourself. Sometimes it takes a little time to find out what that is.

What is your favorite:
Color? Blue
Quote? I have so many, but I guess I'll pick "You're gonna need a bigger boat" from "Jaws"
Book? Almost everything by Terry Pratchett. Don't make me choose
Character? (book or whatever) Nanny Ogg
TV show and/or movie? So many. At the moment it's "Boston Legal" as a show and "Coraline" as movie
Season? Fall
Food? "Kässpätzle" (handmade Swabian noodles with cheese and onions)
Animal? Cat!!! *lol*
Art medium and/or supply? Wire and beads


Thanks for letting me interview you, Cat! (And can I say how awesome you are for not only being a talented artist, but for also being a Terry Pratchett fan?) ;)

LotR Read-Along- So you've come on this little expedition, too?

This is one book where I'm glad I have a nice fabric bookcover for my paperbacks; I really dislike this cover. Frodo on my copy of FotR is almost as cheesy, but at least he's not Saruman.

Anyway, time for another LotR Read-Along post; I'm all sorts of delayed in posting this, though, so I'm combining two Read-Along posts into one. Sorry about that! Like always, the questions were supplied by this month's host of the read-along.

1. Where are you in the trilogy right now? What do you think of the books so far?
I just started the second half, so I'm back with Frodo and Sam. I call TTT one of my favorite books, but really that's because I love the first half, what with the Ents and Merry and Pippin (I love how unaffected and cheerful they are, even after being kidnapped by orcs), and I even enjoy following Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. And the Rohirrim! I love the Rohirrim, so I love when the books involve Rohan. :)

The second half of the book... not so much. Long before I finally get to RotK I'm already bored of following Frodo and Sam. Trek trek trek, rocks, rocks, rocks, orcs, Shelob... ugh. Can I go back to Fangorn Forest, please? Sam is definitely the best part of the second half of TTT, though. Even with all that bad going on, he's still loyal and strong.

I'm honestly tempted to just skim the last chapters of this book, though.

2. What’s your past experience with The Two Towers? If you’re rereading, how does it stack up against the other two books?
I'm extremely familiar with the first half of the book; back when the movies were out (and I was in college and needed to take a break from writing essays) I wrote a parody of the first few chapters (I can't remember why I started with TTT- maybe that was after that particular movie came out?). Maybe someday I'll get around to finishing it- or putting it back online, for that matter. I grew up with MST3k so I'm a pretty good parodist. ;)

Anyway, like I said, love the first half (that makes Book 3 my favorite of all the books in the trilogy), but the second half (Book 4) is my least favorite.

3. If you’re a first-time reader, what big questions do you have at this point? What are you hoping to see Tolkien deal with in The Two Towers? If you’re a rereader, what are you most looking forward to?
Merry becoming an esquire of Rohan and he and Dernhelm kicking butt, but that's in RotK. I'm not really looking forward to much in TTT- I guess Sam being the Ringbearer for a bit and rescuing Frodo (that is in this book, right? The books kinda blur together).

4. What about the movie? If you’ve seen it, what did you think of it, and how much do you think it will color your experience with the book?
I definitely see the characters as how the actors portrayed them (appearance-wise, anyway; not necessarily the way they're portrayed in the movies). I much prefer the books, though, except in one scene I noticed in TTT- after Pippin looks in the palantír and Gandalf is forced to flee with him. I really liked that in the movies Merry and Pippin had a parting scene, which showed how much Pip looks up to Merry and always needed his guidance, but Merry couldn't help him. It's just heartbreaking to see them separated. In the book, Gandalf just grabs Pippin and rides away, and Merry and Pippin aren't able to talk, and, if anything, Merry is annoyed that Pip gets to ride off with Gandalf like it's a reward. That just seems weird to me now that I've seen the movies; Merry and Pip are so close that the movie version seems more in-character.

And now onto the Midmonth check-in questions (told you I was behind). Some of these questions are like the ones I just answered, so I'll skip those.

In Book 3, we visit lots of new places and meet lots of new characters. There’s Fangorn and the Ents, the riders of Rohan, Saruman at Isengard. Which are your favorites? Least favorites?
Fangorn! Ents! The Rohirrim! See, that's why Book 3 is my favorite- I love all of it. (Why'd we have to switch back to Frodo and Sam? Yeah yeah, fate of the world resting on their shoulders, but it's far less interesting.) I really like Quickbeam (yay for a hasty Ent!) and Eomer, and we get to meet Eowyn, who is probably my favorite female character in any fandom. Least favorite... I guess Wormtongue or Saruman, since, you know, bad guys and all.

Have your opinions of the main characters from Fellowship changed at all in The Two Towers?
Well, Legolas is slightly less annoyingly perky and emotional, so that's good. ;) Really, though, I still love all the characters I loved in FotR.

Are there any scenes that strike you as particularly memorable? Anything you could do without?
As you can guess by now, here's where I give "the entire Book 4" as my answer to "what I could do without". It's just such a let down after Book 3! As for memorable, that scene would be Merry and Pippin meeting Treebeard. I swear I have that entire chapter memorized.

Trove Thursday (Part 2) - Chainmaille

Eep, silly me almost forgot about the blogfire theme this week, or I would have turned the Trove Thursday post into one. So hey, it looks like you get two Trove-ish posts this week. ;) I decided to go with "Wow Items: Necklaces" (there were two other themes, but I liked this best), and I'm going to feature chainmaille necklaces.

I'm going to get started with my favorite necklace from my own shop:

That's my "Mermaid chainmaille & bottle necklace- Familiar of an Undine" (awkward, but Artfire didn't allow me to make it "Undine's Familiar").

And now on to the part I enjoy most about these feature posts- featuring other artists! (What can I say, I love window shopping.) ;)

Just click the image to be taken to the listing page. There are so many talented chainmaille artists on Artfire that it was so hard to narrow it down to 9!

Trove Thursday- Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I almost forgot to make this post! I wanted to wish everyone a happy St. Patrick's day and I figured I'd make this an early Trove Thursday post, as well. :)

Here are some cute items I found on Etsy and Artfire in an Irish flag theme:


I'm on the laptop and it's hard to copy and paste without a mouse, so I'm not going to link to everything individually like I normally do. However, since I made the trove in non-Etsy treasury form, you can click the image to be taken to the item listing. :)

And I also wanted to share that one of my Plurk friends did a St Patrick's Day feature post on her blog, too. You can find it in two parts here and here.

Geeky ramblings and treasuries

I haven't been able to work on much art recently, so instead I've been doing some writing. I've mostly been working on the D&D game I'm going to be running soon; I already have some very silly encounters thought up (thanks, Josh!) and I'm working to come up with more. This is going to be so much fun!

I also did some writing by scribing my other D&D group's blog and I updated my character's blog:

I keep meaning to start writing up Cyneric's backstory (right now I'm just writing his journal as things happen), but I haven't had a chance to do that yet. Feel free to read those journals if you'd like- I try to make them interesting. :) I miss my writing and online roleplaying, so penning those blogs helps me scratch that itch a little.

And speaking of geeky things, I found this really awesome Twitter account that Tweets what happens in Lord of the Rings in real time. (I actually follow this account because it's in my time zone, rather than the UK.) How cool is that? And since I'm rereading TTT right now, I'm slightly behind the story as it happens (I think I'm at March 3rd).

And for some random (and ungeeky) ramblings, I'm in three treasuries right now (three! I'm amazed!). Click the images to view them full-sized.

You can find this treasury here until 2:30am Saturday.


You can view this one here until 7:15pm Saturday.


And you can find this one here until 1:20pm Sunday.

Thanks so much for including me in those treasuries, guys! *hugs!*

Trove Thursday- Lucky Clovers

Hooray, I snagged an Etsy treasury! Some of these items are the same as in my last Trove Thursday post because I decided to go with a clover/shamrock theme and I only picked items that were made by my teammates (amazingly I was able to get people from almost all my teams). So if you got featured twice, congrats. ;)

Here's the Lucky Clovers Trove:

If you're viewing this post before 4:45am Sunday morning (the 14th), you can find the treasury by clicking here. If you're reading this after that, click the image to go to the flickr page, then click "all sizes" above the image and it'll take you to a bigger version. From there, just type the username (that's the name in grey under the images) into your browser's address bar and add ".etsy.com" (minus the quotes) to get to the relevant shop. For example, the first one will be GretchensCreations.etsy.com.

The "Alternates" are the ones that the curator of the treasury picks that don't show up for anyone else (at least not until they're switched in), so you get a top secret peek at them here. ;)

To make the linking even easier, here are the items:
1.) "Looking Over a 4 Leaf Clover Bowl" by GretchensCreations.
2.) "Kiss Me, I'm Irish keychain" by breathofthedragon.
3.) "Magical Shamrock Flower Necklace" by BunnyKissd.
4.) "Little Leprechaun From the Emerald Isle - Green and White Clover St. Patricks Day Irish Child or Adult Elf hat" by RagamuffinDesign. (Alternate)
5.) "DOILY Lucky Shamrocks N Lace Crochet Thread Art Doily" by crochetbymsa.
6.) "Lucky Shamrock/ Four-Leaf Clover Pillow - Stuffed with herbs, flowers and crystals to help with spells involving luck and good fortune" by MoonlitHerbals.
7.) "Lucky Pentacle Necklace - sterling silver, amber, snow quartz, green aventurine" by ekpaganjewelry.
8.) "Irish Shamrock Magnets - Wood and Resin - Set Of 3" by PenguinsPieces. (Alternate)
9.) "Tea Towel Embroidered with jacobean Shamrock" by rainsews.
10.) "Celtic Clovers Pendant" by EquosDesigns.
11.) "Crochet Hanging Towels, Machine embroidered, Best Friend" by mishap1165.
12.) "Irish Hex - 8 inch Available" by thedancingdragon. (Alternate)
13.) "Green Onyx and Fine Silver Necklace - LUCKY CHARM" by shijewels.
14.) "St. Patrick's Day Felt Shamrock Brooch" by blackcatmima.
15.) "Lucky Pot of Gold St. Patrick's Day Card" by OneFoldDesigns.
16.) "Handknit Lucky Slouch Hat" by Foolmoon. (Alternate)

Art update- St Paddy's Day dreadfalls

Amazingly I was able to make something this week, pulled muscles and all. :) I made this pair of Saint Patrick's Day dreadfalls:



You can find them here in my Etsy shop and here on Artfire. They're made from all sorts of green, white, and orange yarn and ribbons including handspun yarn (some I got off Etsy, some is my own). When I first learned how to spin I could do thick-and-thin yarn that works great for dreadfalls, but as I've gotten better at it, I've forgotten how to make it anything but fairly thin. Now that the weather is getting warmer and I can spin outside again (can't use my spindles indoors because of the puppies), I'll have to see if I can learn how to make yarn thick again. That'll be my task for later this month when my side muscles heal up. :)

Anyway, the dreadfalls are on tan elastic ponytail holders so they'd probably work best in long hair that you can put in a ponytail or bun, but they also work on short hair like my mannequin's; I just attached hair clips to the elastic hair ties and they stay in fine (the kind of hairclip I used was the one you can see in the hair on this listing).

And hey, hooray for sunny weather that's warm enough for me to get outdoor photos! Boo on nothing blooming yet so the pictures look blah (I like to take my photos outdoors against the trees and grass, but I haven't been able to do that since October). Ah well, it's March; things will start blooming soon enough. :)

I'm going to try to work on some horns this week since I can't crochet or do chainmaille right now, and I have a custom cartilage earring to work on today. I'll blog pictures of those things once they're done, I promise.

Talented Tuesday- Robyn of JewelledTrellis

I know I've been missing these weekly posts- sorry about that, guys! Today's interview is with one of my good Plurk friends, Robyn of JewelledTrellis. Robyn is a super-sweet person (I'm so glad to have her as a friend!) and she's also a very talented jewelry artist.



What's your name?
Robyn Selk

Where can you be found on the internet? (Website, Twitter, shops, blog, etc)
www.jewelledtrellis.artfire.com, www.twitter.com/jewelledtrellis, www.facebook.com/jewelledtrellis, www.jewelledtrellis.zibbet.com, www.jewelledtrellis.etsy.com, www.jewelledtrellis.blogspot.com

Describe yourself in five words.
Loyal, Fierce, Shy, Empathetic, Tenacious

If you were a color, what would you be?
The dark indigo that is found streaking the sky after the sun has dropped beyond the horizon and night is descending.

If you were a "Dungeons and Dragons"/fantasy character or creature, what would you be? (Can be a specific character, or something general like "elven bard", "centaur", etc).
I would be a Silver Dragon or an elf. I love both dragons and elves. Ironically my nickname in high school was Dragon lady not because of a collection of dragons or the like but because I was a formidable debater. My husband still claims he can’t win an argument to this day.

If you could live anywhere (or anywhen), where/when would it be?
It would be the wilds of Ireland in an charming drafty castle around 1200’s.

What was your very first piece of art? How long have you been an artist?
My first piece of art would have been a cross stitch when I was ten. I stitched a pillow for my bed. I still love to cross stitch especially if it is on a celtic or art nouveau style. I love to dabble in all kinds of artistic expression. I did learn over the years that I do not sculpt well or excel in watercolors. I was an abysmal failure at both of those.

If you sell your art, how did you get started?
I started 2 1/2 years ago selling my painted candles, cross stitch, some beaded jewellery and ornaments

Pick your favorite project/artwork- what is it and what inspired you on it? If you'd like to share, tell a little about the process you used from inspiration to completion of that project.
I have deep Celtic roots and have been fascinated by family history since I was very little. Family crests, Coat of Arms and crest style jewellery is probably my favorite type of piece to create. My favorite piece would have to be this crest piece.

I think there are those of us who seek out our roots because of a longing to belong to something that endures and lasts. Something with deep history and long standing family tradition. That desire drives me as well every time I work on a crest or coat of arms style piece.

What kind of advice would you give to other artists?
Surround yourself in the art that inspires you. If you wake in the morning with visions of a project or design than that is what you should be engaged in doing. Make what you love your obsession and you will find success.

What is your favorite:
Color? Rich deep royal purple
Quote? All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. - Thomas Edward Lawrence
Book? I can’t pick just one. There is only one thing that surpasses my collection of crafting and jewellery supplies and that is my book collection. It has grown to the point that my husband has created a library for me. I have a rather eclectic reading collection but I unwind with a good fantasy novel. My copies of Lord of the Rings are falling apart. I admit to enjoying Jane Austen’s works and the lighter writings of Lynn Kurland when I need to relax and unwind.
Character? (book or whatever) I admire the tenacity and shrewdness of Catherine the Great, Czarina of all the Russias.
TV show and/or movie? Stargate is my favorite series but I adore old movies from the 1920’s-1950’s as well.
Season? Spring with all the wild thunderstorms and the fresh new green of life returning after the bitter cold.
Food? Atlantic Lobster and fresh mussels steamed and served in a tin pail at dusk while sitting on the porch of my Aunt and Uncles cottage.
Animal? Hammerhead shark
Art medium and/or supply? I currently adore vintage glass cabochons and unusual gemstones. I tend to dabble in multiple mediums and have loved each in turn.

I’m married to my high school sweetheart for 16 years now. I have 5 children, 3 girls and 2 boys who I home school. We live in a tiny town in the Northern part of Canada. I collect tapestries, craft supplies and old movies. I sing and dabble in playing the harp and piano. I studied in Sweden for a year and still dream in Swedish on occasion.



Thanks for letting me interview you, Robyn! :)

LotR Read-Along- The Fellowship Has Broken

Since I just finished FotR, it's time for another LotR Read-Along post! :) These questions are from February's host of the read-along.

1. Since we’re dealing with a third of a novel, instead of the first novel in a series, do you find anything different?
I've read this book so many times that I don't think I can really answer this. To me, this book does feel like the first in a series. Lots of different series continue like this- following a few characters over the course of a short time, but each book connecting to the one previous. Also, the first time I read this book (well, had it read to me), it was years before I read the next one, so for me FotR feels separate from TTT. The fact that FotR is generally more upbeat than the following two is definitely a reason I can see this as a separate book. I know FotR, TTT, and RotK are all one, but I still see them as separate books.

2. Do Books One and Two have significant differences to you?
Like I said, I feel that FotR is more upbeat and happy than TTT and RotK, but even within this book that fact is split. Book 1 of FotR is before anything bad really happens and the hobbits are still pretty clueless about what lies ahead. It isn't until Part 2 (after the fellowship leaves Rivendell) where things start to get heavier. Still, FotR is probably the most enjoyable of the trilogy, if just for the fact that so much time takes place in elven lands. What can I say, I love elves.

3. Who’s your favorite character so far into the novel?
My favorite main character, hands down, is Meriadoc Brandybuck. Merry's always been my favorite character and as I'm rereading this I remember why- he's so smart! I said this before in a previous LotR-Along post, but it still holds true. Hobbits are certainly not dumb; they may be naive to start, but they're intelligent, brave, and loyal.

I'll admit that I also really like Radagast (he's pretty much a D&D-style druid- yay!) and wish he'd had a bigger part in the story.

And I mentioned this in an earlier post, too- I really liked Gildor at the very start of the book. If only he'd been the elf in the party instead of Legolas! Legolas is cool and all (he's a Mirkwood elf- I'd like him just for that fact), but Gildor was more witty and interesting. Legolas is all "Alas! Alas!" and too busy prancing about for most of the book. I totally blame Gollum's escape from Mirkwood on that particular scatterbrained elf. And I have to laugh about the fact that despite being around for what? Three thousand years or so? Legolas never bothered to visit Lothlórien which is pretty much next door to his forest. (Okay, so no one goes into southern Mirkwood at that point so it would be a roundabout trip, but still, three millennia without visiting a neighboring forest that apparently he was so interested in? What the heck, elf.) So yeah, now I remember why Legolas never became a favorite character, despite being the son of one of my favorite minor characters- he can be so annoying! Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't hate him, but geez- this is the elf that gets fangirls? Why?

4. What surprised you the most?
Boromir. I don't recall ever disliking that character on previous reads (I even thought he was pretty cool), but this time around he sorta rubbed me the wrong way. Probably because I was already rolling my eyes at Legolas that I noticed shortcomings in other members of the fellowship. Poor Aragorn! This was the ragtag bunch he was stuck leading for a while? I think I envy Sam and Frodo going on alone. ... I jest, I jest! I'm just in a silly mood tonight. ;) Really, I think the fact that it is a ragtag bunch that don't get along at first (and really don't work well together for a while) that really makes this book. I like to see Legolas and Gimli becoming friends, I like seeing Aragorn start to take on the roll of leader as the company comes to terms with losing Gandalf, I love Sam's loyalty to Frodo, and you always gotta love Merry and Pippin.

And I'd forgotten that I never disliked Frodo at all; that was all influenced by seeing the movies recently. Movie-Frodo definitely got on my nerves but book-Frodo so far has been a lot less... well, pathetic. I can't even put my finger on why... maybe because Frodo is more strong and defiant after getting stabbed by the Ringwraith in the book verses in the movie where he just kinda passes out? Movie-Frodo has been into book-Legolas' strange over-emotional "Woe! Alas! Alas!" spiel, but instead of being over-dramatic like Legolas, always looks like he's going to cry.

5. What was your favorite scene?
Hmm... I'm not really sure if I have a favorite. Lothlórien is beautiful and Rivendell is almost as pleasant, and I enjoyed the scenes with Tom Bombadil, but nothing really jumps out as something I like above all else (if I recall correctly, my favorite LotR scenes are in Fangorn, with the Rohirrim, and when the hobbits come back home and kick butt at the very end of RotK, and those are all much later).

My favorite quotes from the second part of the book are Gandalf's words to Saruman "And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom" and some of Elrond's words at the Council: "Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere".

I'm glad I did a reread of this book- I hadn't read it in a few years and a lot of things I'd forgotten. I'll admit that most of the characters I originally had in my head have been replaced with the actors from the movies, which is fine because the actors all look the part, even if the acting is somewhat off. (Frodo, I'm looking at you. Legolas, I think you actually took a turn for the better in the movies.)

This isn't my favorite of the trilogy, but I very much enjoyed it. Yes, I pick on the characters but that's because I love them. They're like old friends by now. ;)

I'll be posting about The Two Towers in the next few days when I start rereading it, but right now I'm taking a short break from Middle Earth to spend some time in Tortall.

Trove Thursday- Luck of the Irish

It's been a while since a Trove Thursday post, huh? Sorry about that! I'll try to get back into the schedule of promoting others. :)

This week's theme (and probably next week's theme, as well) is St Patrick's Day, and this particular Trove is called Luck of the Irish.



1.) "Magical Shamrock Flower Necklace" by BunnyKissd.
2.) "Luck o' the Irish plaque" by breathofthedragon.
3.) "Luck of the Leprechauns Soy Spell Candle - 4 ounce in glass hex jar" by MoonlitHerbals.
4.) "Patrick O'Mousey, the Leprechaun of the Mouse Kingdom" by MouseHole.
5.) "CELTIC TRIQUETRA PLANT POT FEET - Garden Decor" by PhenomeGNOME.
6.) "CELTIC IRISH MERMAID and Sharmrocks art print" by camillioncreations.
7.) "3 Green Window Stars" by harvestmoonbyhand.
8.) "Path to the Pot of Gold Hanging" by threadsofmagique.
9.) "Irish Clover Magnets Set Of 3" by PenguinsPieces.

If I could be...

My friend and elf-sister Ruthie posted this and I thought it looked like fun so I added in my own answers. :)




If I were a month I’d be June
If I were a day I’d be Saturday
If I were a time of day I’d be mid-afternoon
If I were a planet I’d be Neptune (or maybe Mercury)

If I were a sea animal I’d be an undine
If I were a direction I’d be East
If I were a piece of furniture I’d be a comfy wooden chair
If I were a liquid I’d be a blue slurpee

If I were a gem stone I’d be emerald
If I were a tree I’d be a beech (or maybe a maple)

If I were a tool I’d be a crochet hook
If I were a flower I’d be wild

If I were an element of weather I’d be a sunny summer day
If I were a musical instrument I’d be an ocarina
If I were a color I'd be forest green

If I were an emotion I’d be curiosity

If I were a fruit I’d be a blueberry
If I were a sound I’d be chirping birds
If I were an element I'd be Earth (with a bit of Water)

If I were a car I’d be something environmentally friendly

If I were a food I’d be maple syrup
If I were a place I’d be Mirkwood (or Ireland)
If I were a material I'd be linen

If I were a taste I’d be sweet but filling

If I were a scent I’d be the smell after a light early-summer rain

If I were a body part I’d be eyes
If I were a facial expression I'd be a grin
If I were a song I’d be something Celtic and ancient

If I were a bird I'd be a peregrine falcon

If I were a gift I'd be a book
If I were a street I'd be tree-lined

If I were a city I'd be small and open (I wouldn't be a city)
If I were a door I'd always be ajar

If I were a pair of shoes I’d be comfy boots