Month: March 2010

Prolific Blogger Award

Posted on by Cindy

I just started to see this award going around on a few blogs and I have to say that I really like it and I have to send a huge thank you to Beverly from Wormy Hole for honoring me with this award.

The Wormy Hole is a new to me blog and I just discovered it this past weekend from Jennifer’s Crazy For Books post about the Book Blogger Hop.

Thanks Beverly for giving this award to me.

The rules about this award:

A Prolific Blogger is one who is intellectually productive…keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content.

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!

2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award. (see above).

3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to Link To Ink, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.

4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we can get to know the other winners. (Another great way to discover new blogs)

I am probably going to break some rules here but I am bestowing this award on anyone who thinks that their blog is Prolific. Enjoy.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Waking up in The Land of Glitter Tour and Review

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Waking Up In The Land Of Glitter
AUTHOR: Kathy Cano-Murillo
PUB DATE: March 2010
PAGES: 336

Thank You to Miriam from Hachette for allowing me to be a part of this tour and for allowing me to review this book.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
With glue guns, glitter, twigs, or yarn, the ordinary can become extraordinary . . . especially at La Pachanga. Owned by Estrella “Star” Esteban’s family, the restaurant has a rep for two things: good food and great art. La Pachanga brings people together-even when it looks like they couldn’t be further apart.

One ill-fated evening, Star jeopardizes her family’s business, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her future career. To redeem herself, she agrees to participate in a national craft competition, teaming up with her best friend, Ofelia-a secretly troubled mother whose love for crafting borders on obsession-and local celebrity Chloe Chavez-a determined television personality with more than one skeleton in her professional closet. If these unlikely allies can set aside their differences, they’ll find strength they never knew they had, and learn that friendship, like crafting, is truly an art form.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathy Cano-Murillo is a lifelong writer and artist. Her crafts have been carried by hundreds of retailers including Bloomingdales, Target, and Hallmark. She is a former entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic, and has authored seven books including Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing. She is the founder of CraftyChica.com, a wildly popular web site to inspire women to brighten their lives with clever craft ideas. She has a web series on LifetimeTV.com, and can be seen on HGTV and DIY Network.

This is the official site for http://craftychica.com/

MY THOUGHTS:

This is Kathy’s debut novel. I am really looking forward to reading her future books. I also love the cover and I admit the picture doesn’t do the cover justice. The glitter details added to the book cover.

While I was reading this book I have to admit and I don’t know if any one else felt this way but I had the sudden urge to start crafting or doing something creative. Which I have to admit I have started to work on a few things. I guess a confession is going to happen here- I am creative but sometimes in my head its way better then what is actually produced. I think the one thing I can actually say I am good at is cross stitching hands down.

It was really nice to find at the back of the book a glossary of Spanglish (Spanish/English)definitions that were used in the book. Some of them I figured out on my own and others I wasn’t so sure so it was nice to know that.

In the book Star makes a love shrine (which BTW happens to be a actual store name in NYC) and I was curious to what it was and what it ensued thankfully Kathy mentioned what and how to make one. Also in the book the group has to make centerpieces for a national craft event and they decide to make glittered cactus which Kathy tells us how to make one of our own.

The book opens up with Star getting set to be interviewed on tv about a vandalism crime to a mural that has been painted on the family restaurant/art museum but Crafty Chloe. A lady Star doesn’t really like. Within the first few pages we discover who actually spray painted happy faces on the mural and the family and artist are very happy when they discover who did it.

Star is a twenty eight years old and does what she wants, when she wants and lives the life of a typical teenager basically. She lives at home with her parents. She has something good that could possibly be happening in her life but gets scared and ruins it and quickly realizes what she has done and tries to fix it. Can she get what she lost back?

Olfie is her best friend with a crafting addiction. She buys craft supplies like I buy books. Yes we are both addicts. The only thing is Olfie thinks her crafts are the best but in reality they aren’t that good. This is where I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Chloe is a young newscaster who will do anything to matter the cost or how it effects her just as long as she is the best and gets what she wants. She will use and step on anyone who gets in her way. Chloe in reality hates crafts and anything to do with crafts. Before long her secret is revealed and could possibly blow up in her face.

I loved how the bond of friendship was developed and carried on through out the book.

I have to say that once I started reading Waking Up in the Land of Glitter that I was hooked and had to read on to find out what kind of trouble these friends could get into, would they be able to over come all the obstacles that ended up in their way and be able to make all those centerpieces with just the four of them. I found it to be a quick and easy read.

Some Other Bloggers reviewing this book today:
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.thedivinemissmommy.com/
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Waking Up In The Land of Glitter Trailer

Posted on by Cindy

Tomorrow I will be part of a blog tour for the book Waking Up In The Land of Glitter and I thought that I would share with you the trailer for the book and a sneak preview of the book.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Wreck This Journal Review

Posted on by Cindy

TITLE: Wreck This Journal
AUTHOR: Keri Smith
PUB DATE: June 2007
PAGES: 192
PUBLISHER: Perigee (Penguin)

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

This book was created for anyone who has ever had trouble starting/keeping or finishing a journal/sketchbook. By forcing ourselves to wreck it on purpose, the “journal as an object” loses it’s preciousness, and allows us the feeling of completion. This book was created for every person who has looked at other artist’s journals and said, “I wish I could do that. I’ve started dozens of them but didn’t stick with it.” or, “But the journal itself is so beautiful, I don’t want to wreck it with my ideas/handwriting/drawings.” Or, “I feel pressured to write something good.”

In this book good does not exist. The goal is to fill it up, to shift your perception of the blank page and the journal itself into a place for experimentation. Into a place where you just get stuff out onto the page. A place to start working against your better judgment. To do those things you were taught to never do (make a mess, destroy, fold down pages, write in books, play with dirt). This book IS the place.

Each page of Wreck This Journal is filled with prompts telling you how to systematically ‘destroy’ the entire book.

You can check out Keri Smith’s blog by clicking on the links below:
http://www.kerismith.com/blog/ http://www.wreckthisjournal.com/

MY THOUGHTS:

Growing up I always had a diary and the summer before I started high school I started to keep a journal which I would write whatever was going on in my life, doodling, adding pictures or little trinkets to it and for some reason once I got married I stopped journaling.

Since having lunch with Linda Better With Books about two weeks, we went into this store which sold pens, journals, scrapbooking papers etc and since that point I have been thinking about getting back into journaling again.

I didn’t buy anything that day only because I found any of the nicer journals that I liked to be a little expensive for my liking so I have been looking around trying to find some nice cheap journals and I was lucky enough to find two at Chapters which I liked and you will be able to see them Sunday when I post my books bought meme.

The reason for this book was because I had goggled “JOURNALS” and I stumbled upon Keri Smith’s blog plus a few others who covered this book on their blogs. Although this was a project I think Keri did with people in 2009. I spent quite a bit of time looking at the pictures on the Wreck This Journal and decided I wanted to take part.

This isn’t your typical journal that you write your thoughts in, doodle in, adds pictures or trinkets etc and keeping it in pristine condition. This journal will make you break the rules, get dirty and basically destroy a book.

For me flipping through it I have to admit that I cringed, one of the tasks is to crack the spine of this book, I have never cracked a spine in a book before. Cracking the spine of a book is a huge pet peeve of mine. I cringe when I see a spine cracked in a book or someone cracking the spine of a book.

So this will be a fun task for me as it will force me to destroy this book, break the rules of which I have instilled in myself regarding books (keeping a book in pristine condition, never writing in a book etc) and to unleash my creative side which I have to admit will be fun as I love to be creative and haven’t really done anything creative in years. (I love to draw and create.)

When I picked up the book I decided that I will share my journey of Wreck This Journal with my readers. I plan on doing my write ups on a Sunday and showing you what I have done during the week with the journal. I think it will be one suggestion a day or more and run this feature for a month.

If you would like to take part you can go to Wreck This Journal site to see how you can do it. You don’t have to buy Wreck This Journal to take part, having any kind of journal will work and you can be any age to do so.

If you thinking about taking part let me know so I can check out your blog, all you have to do is leave a comment here and have fun. Check back Sundays to see what I have done with mine.

The above picture is what Wreck This Journal looked like on Sunday(March 7th)before I started doing anything to it.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

March Break

Posted on by Cindy
Last week was March Break for my son and I managed to get him into four library activities last week. Our library is really good about organizing events for kids during spring break, the summer reading program, and basically any time of the year be it holidays or weekends.

Michael started the week off by listening to Chief Topleaf (He went to Michael’s kindergarten last year) talk about Indians. Chief Topleaf is a Mohawk Indian from our area.

It was only a hour but it was very well done. Chief Topleaf is a great speaker. Kids asked him about the paint that they wear and he said he doesn’t wear it because it burns his skin and he told the kids that when you see a Indian wearing yellow and red it means a friend for life. He spoke about his name and what it was like to be a Indian 500 years ago.

I think the highlight of the week was on Tuesday afternoon when Michael finally got to meet Geronimo Stilton. I actually got the chance to see him in October but at the time Michael didn’t want to go but after seeing my pictures and video he wanted to go and he was really happy to hear that the library was going to bring him over Spring break.
Michael admitted that he found this activity hard because it was 100% in French and he is only learning french. He did say it was alot of fun. It was an added bonus that he was able to get his books signed.


The first picture is of Michael waiting to get books 3, 4 and 5 signed. Then when everyone was done he sneaked back to get 6-7-12 and a Xmas book signed. Plus he nabbed two signed postcards for himself.

He was so happy to get his books signed as you can see by the picture.


Of course no author event is complete without a picture with the author. We also got to meet Linda’s Better With Books sister. She came in to get her books signed. It was really nice to finally meet her.

Another activity that was planned at the library was Lego Club. They just started this this year and they were so overwhelmed that they had to open a second time which was great because Michael was on the waiting list. The theme this meeting was Space and you can see all the things he managed to make in 2 hours. He loves playing with lego.
Thursday we had nothing and Friday was a Wii game which Michael said was okay.
That was our spring break how was yours? Did you have it yet?
copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Honest Scrap Award

Posted on by Cindy

During my daily blog reading, I noticed that Diana from Stop, Drop and Read was awarded this blog and she said that anyone who was reading it could take this award so I decided to snag it.

I was first introduced to Diana’s blog Stop, Drop and Read when I discovered that she was my Secret Santa in the Christmas Exchange. I have been reading her blog ever since then.

The rules of this award are to: 1) List 10 honest things about yourself and 2) Pass it on to 10 other honest bloggers.

Here is a list of 10 honest things about me:

  1. I am a compulsive book buyer. I can’t walk into a bookstore without buying something.
  2. I love getting packages in the mail and feel a little sad when nothing comes.
  3. I love going to author events.
  4. It really bothers me when someone just stops talking to me. This has happened in the past and I have decided that I will give up trying to figure out what happened instead of racking my brain out.
  5. I don’t comment on blogs like I should and I feel bad.
  6. I love to sit down with friends over coffee and just talk.
  7. I love to go shopping.
  8. I hate trying on clothes and wish things would fit. (Like those jeans in the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants books)
  9. I have way too many books in my house.
  10. I love taking pictures

As for passing this award on I will be like Diana if you want to take part just do it.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Book Blogger Hop

Posted on by Cindy

I have been reading April’s blog Cafe of Dreams for several months now and I really enjoy reading her blog. If you haven’t checked it out you really should. I first discovered her blog one day on twitter and quickly added her to my Follow Blogs.

Today she posted about Book Blogger Hop that Jennifer from Crazy For Books is putting together. Its basically like what they do on twitter called Follow Friday. Where you list a bunch of people that you should follow.

I love to discover new blogs and when I am on someone’s site and they mention a blog I always click to check them out, or if I take part in book tours I always click on the people taking part what better way to discover new bloggers.

If you are interested in taking part all you have to do is check out Jennifer’s blog Crazy For Books and find out how to do so.

What a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.