I Love Yarn Day - October Fun for Crafters

Yarns

 The Craft Yarn Council (CYC), which represents the leading yarn companies, accessory manufacturers, and magazine and book publishers in the yarn industry, created I Love Yarn Day to share their affection for yarn and “stitch it forward” by teaching at least one newbie to knit, crochet, weave, spin or bomb.  It's a way to honor all those who create in the fiber arts and is held on the second Saturday of October.

My favorite crafts involve yarn – thus, there's nothing I like better than to talk about the projects my fellow fiber fans and I love to create.

The Crochet Crowd

My main (and favorite) yarn craft is crochet, a craft I've been doing for more than 40 years.  I taught myself to crochet as I am left-handed and no one could seem to teach me as everyone I knew who crocheted did it 'backwards'. (Well, maybe I'm the one who is backwards!). :) 

Plush Soft Toy Penguin

My favorite items to crochet are plush animals, especially soft toy penguins.  I make them in all the colors of the rainbow, including the actual black and white tuxedo penguin. 

Penguin is crocheted in a round and roly-poly Amigirumi style and measures about 5 x 5 inches.

Handmade penguins in this round style are very popular as a child's playtime pet plush animal, as it's just the right size for little hands to hold. This one is particularly adorable!

My plush penguins can be found in my Etsy Shop (Coastal Crochet Crafts), along with a whole bunch of stuffed animals and plush toys. 

Crochet Your Own Plush Animals

 

If you love to crochet plush animals, this pattern book called Edward's Menagerie has over 40 patterns for soft and snuggly toy animals in four different sizes, giving you 160 different possibilities.  The patterns use simple crochet techniques with step-by-step instructions which enable even a complete beginner to get started right away.

It's available on Kindle and in paperback on Amazon. 

The Nifty Knitters

I've tried knitting in the past, but will never be as expert at it as these knitters whose work I admire.

Lots of knitters make handmade hats and scarves, afghans and sweaters, but a few make really unique and one-of-a-kind items.  A group of Australian crafters (two daughters and their moms) have banded together to produce a a shop (Made with Altitude ~ the "Store Where Your Imagination Will Soar!") filled with four different crafts from 4 unique individuals whose stories and perseverance will amaze you.  My admiration for them and their work amazed me when I read their story.  

Smiling Sunshine Flower

Since this is an article about yarn crafts, I chose to feature here the shop's unique knitted item called Smiling Sunshine Flower, a flower toy hand-knit with a splash of love, and a little ray of sunshine.  Flowers always bring smiles and delight, and with this handmade knitted flower you can have flowers all year through.  Smiling Sunshine Flower has big full blooms measuring 9 ½ inches across, and is 15 inches long.  A wonderful gift to brighten someones day. 

Plastic Canvas Projects

Crafting designs on plastic canvas with yarn is a fairly new endeavor for me.  I began just a few years ago when I realized that my little balls of yarn leftover from my crochet projects were filling up an entire plastic bucket.  Since plastic canvas crafts, such as coasters and tissue box covers, take only a very small amount of yarn, this craft is a great way to use it up. Waste not, want not… as they say! 


The most enjoyable part of working with plastic canvas is watching the design come to life as you stitch with various colors.  My favorite project to create in this medium is beverage coaster sets. 

Pineapple Beverage Coasters

This is a set of four (4) beverage coasters with a design of a pineapple. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and friendship, particularly throughout the South, so using coasters with this design in a social situation is perfect.

Pineapple coasters measure 4 x 4 inches. Created in acrylic yarn colors of yellow, gold and green for the pineapple design on an eggshell white background. Each coaster is trimmed in light green. The pineapple design is outlined in embroidery black outline stitch with crochet thread.

A pretty set of Pineapple coasters for your tabletops. They also make a lovely hostess gift for a holiday dinner invitation or a housewarming gift. Lovely home décor for any home.
The design is created on plastic canvas using acrylic yarn in harvest colors. The set has since sold, but you can request another in a custom order in my Etsy Shop, Coastal Crochet Crafts.

A Favorite Etsy Yarn Crafter

 

Halloween Treats Tic-Tac-Toe Game

Gail of Gails Crafts on Etsy has a very clever line of Tic-Tac-Toe games created with plastic canvas and yarn.  She makes these games for a variety of seasons and holidays and each one is cute and creative.  


This set includes a game board and 10 game pieces (5 each Jack-O-Lanterns and candy corns) and two fabric storage bags.

Game board is made from 7-mesh plastic canvas and 4-ply yarn. Game board is a 7”square  This and other sets, along with a wide variety of plastic canvas projects and other creative crafts, can be found in Gail's Etsy Shop called Gail's Crafts. 

Helpful Hints for Yarn

Beverly Owens, one of our creative crafters here on Review This, has reviewed a very handy tool every yarn crafter needs ~ the Stanwood Yarn Ball Winder.  If you have a large 'stash' of leftover yarn, like I do, this tool is perfect!

Now that you have your scraps of yarn neatly wound, check out these ideas from Favecraft on ways to use up those scraps. You don't even have to be a knitter or crocheter to find creative ways to use yarn.

50 Yards of Fun

This book is perfect for using up your yarn stash.  There are patterns for a delightful collection of over 30 irresistible toys and each project uses only about 50 yards of yarn!

Knit just five basic body shapes, each shown in several variations, to create knitted animals, robots, monsters, and characters of every description.

Celebrate I Love Yarn Day

So, for 'I Love Yarn Day' or any day, grab your skeins and balls of yarn, your knitting needles, crochet hooks or yarn needle and begin a new project.  Hand-crafting with yarn is a very relaxing hobby and your finished projects are a delight to behold.

*I Love Yarn Day was written by Wednesday Elf

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Review of Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke

Seasons of the Heart Series - Book 1

This is a rather unique book for the historical Christian romance genre because it is written from the viewpoint of a 12 year old boy.  In all honesty, the only reason I picked it up to read is simply because it was free for Amazon Prime Membersfor our Kindles.  I am so glad they offered this book free now!

I had absolutely no problem relating to Joshua, the boy in the book.  He doesn't like change and neither do I.  Even a change for the better, or one that is an improvement, I resist.  I prefer the comfort of consistency. 

Quite by accident, Joshua overhears a conversation between his grandfather and his Uncle Charlie.  Much to his distress, he fears a lot of changes are coming in his simple farm home life and he plans to do everything he can to stop them, including asking for God's help with a rather unusual request.

Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke

Book Review by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

 By Janette Oke Once upon a Summer [Audio CD]Both of Josh's parents are dead.  He lives with his grandfather, his grandfather's brother, Charlie, and his aunt Lou.  He adores Aunt Lou.  Even though she is only 5 years older than he is, she has been the only mother he can remember.

Grandpa and Uncle Charlie not only plan to ask their newly widowed father, who Josh has never met, to move in with them, but they decide it is their responsibility to select a husband for Aunt Lou.  Joshua is not happy at all about the idea of his family structure changing.  He doesn't like the idea of an "old man" who will require care coming to live with them.  And, he certainly doesn't want to lose his Aunt Lou to marriage.

It is actually funny listening to these two older gentlemen discuss how to handle different situations.  They even make a list of acceptable suitors for Lou while she is sleeping and completely clueless about their "plans".  Since Josh is ease-dropping on the conversation, he is not clueless.  He makes plans of his own, which include asking for Divine intervention.

I can appreciate Josh's antics to make every suitor unacceptable.  What he didn't expect at all was that he would find an ally in his "Gramps" when he joins the household.  He becomes close friends with the "old man" and together they make things happen.

The real life situations, the family changes mixed with humor, is quite entertaining.  I actually hated to see the book end!  So much so, that I gladly paid for the second book in the "Seasons of the Heart" series to be added to my Kindle.

My Book Recommendation

I can easily recommend this book to anyone!  I thoroughly enjoyed Janette Oke's unique approach by writing a Christian romance from the perspective of a young boy.  It was very easy for me to embrace his entire family.  Each member reminded me of someone I have known in my own life, which made the book even more enjoyable.

You should be forewarned though, this first book will certainly whet your appetite for more!

 Once Upon a Summer (Seasons of the Heart) (Volume 1) Seasons of the Heart (4 Book Series)

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Review: Will a Sunlight Lamp Help SAD Disorder?

If you suffer from seasonal depression, known as SAD or seasonal affective disorder, then this is a very important question for you. My review is based on my experience, and I am not a medical professional. Your results may vary, but here's what I've discovered while using a sunlight lamp to help with SAD disorder.

The author's sunlight lamp.

The lamp in the picture is the sunlight lamp that I've used on my desk in my home office for several years now - and I love it. It helps improve my seasonal depression (SAD disorder) during fall and winter (also referred to as the winter blues). It also provides excellent lighting at my desk while I'm working all year round.

The sunlight desk lamp gives off light that is soft and natural, not harsh and hard on my eyes. I don't claim to fully understand the scientific explanation, but the light from this lamp simulates the colors of natural light, so that the light produced appears similar to sunlight. It's a cool sunlight, though, so don't worry about the lamp producing heat. Mine stays on for hours every day, stays cool and does not heat up the area around it. Instead, during the daytime it balances the light I work in (the lamp is on my left and I'm fortunate to have a big window on my right). When it's dark outside, the lamp provides all the light I need across my workspace.

Don't confuse a sunlight lamp with a sun lamp; a full-spectrum sunlight lamp won't give you a tan. While there are claims that a full-spectrum lamp helps produce vitamin D in our bodies, I'm skeptical of that. Don't stop your supplement if you take one. However, having a good amount of natural light most definitely puts me in a better mood. Like many others, I suffer to some degree from seasonal depression (or SAD disorder) and having plenty of soft "sunlight" to work in most definitely lifts my spirits during the winter months. I've used this lamp long enough to know that that claim is absolutely true, at least for me, and I would recommend using this lamp if you suffer effects of seasonal depression or live in a low-light latitude.

Inexpensive to Operate, Long-Life Light Bulb

The official light output of the sunlight lamp is 150 watts though it only uses 27 watts of energy. In other words, it's inexpensive to operate.

The bulb life is 10,000 hours and, while I haven't measured the exact hours, I've used my current lamp for over four years and just recently replaced the bulb. Given that the light is on for many hours most days, I'd say the bulb probably lived up to its long-life promise.

Other Features of the Sunlight Lamp That I Like

• The touch on/off switch. My previous lamp had a toggle switch (we lost that lamp in a fire) and when I ordered this one I didn't even realize it had a touch switch. What a happy accident! I really enjoy being able to just touch the switch to turn the light on. 
• The lamp looks nice. It's not a decorative lamp meant for a fancy living room, but it's sleek, nice-looking, and looks pretty as well as professional on my desk.
• The small footprint. The lamp does not take up a lot of space on the desk. The base is about 8 inches long and 6.5 inches wide. 
• The height is adjustable. My lamp is adjusted to about the highest point I can get it, about 18 inches high. That works for me. Occasionally I'll want to contain the light a bit, so I'll lower it by pivoting the lamp at the neck and adjusting the top. It's simple to move and stays put nicely at any height. 
• It only moves when I want it to. The lamp doesn't slide on the desk though I can pick it up and move it easily if necessary. I like that it doesn't slide. It's also heavy enough that it doesn't tip.  
• It's also available as a floor lamp, which would be absolutely perfect for people who do hand crafts. Placing the sunlight floor lamp next to your comfy craft chair would be a wonderful idea! (Think "gift idea"!)

So, Will a Sunlight Lamp Help SAD Disorder?

Based on my personal use, I do believe that the sunlight lamp helps improve seasonal depression, but I'm not a doctor so if SAD disorder is a problem for you, seek out a professional opinion. Or order a sunlight lamp and try it for yourself.

Do you use a full-spectrum sunlight lamp? For SAD disorder or just as a nice desk lamp? Feel free to share your comments about how you like it.

P.S. Replacement bulbs for the Sunlight lamp are sold on the product page or pick one up at your local Walmart.

Quick Links: Order your sunlight lamp from Amazon.com

Or find one on eBay:

~ Susan Deppner

Meet the Reviewer

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Reviewing the Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop

Dry Sweep Or Wet Mop With One Tool

Here are some reasons that I feel that every home (large or small) needs a Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop. How often do you find that you need to sweep up a small area in your home that does not have carpet on it? It is not big enough of a job to pull the big old vacuum out. There are times when a small area of non-carpeted floor gets soiled by a spill or muddy footprints. Do you mop the entire floor or could you just do the small surface area?

There was a time when I would have dragged out the vacuum for those small jobs or I would have filled the mop bucket up and mopped the entire floor. I no longer do that for those small jobs. I use my Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop, instead.

Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop

What I love about this handy little sweeper/mop is that it can do two jobs for me. If I just want to sweep a little dust off of the floor, then I can use one of the disposable dry cloths. It picks up hair (helpful with our cat), dust and dirt really well. They are easily placed on the sweeper edge by pressing the ends into the four little slots and removed just as easily. I just wad them up and toss in the trash basket.

When my husband, cat or the grandkids track in mud from outside or if I happen to spill something in the kitchen, all I have to do is get one of the wet cloths and attach it to the sweeper/mop. Once the area has been mopped, I just toss the soiled sheet into the trash.

Storing the Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop is easy, also. The head folds down so that it doesn't take up much room in my little cleaning closet where I keep all of my cleaning supplies.

You only have to purchase the sweeper mop once, then as needed you can purchase refills in both the dry and wet versions.

I like to get the Dry Cloth Refills in the 48 count box because I sweep my tile floors just about every day with this little broom or dust mop tool. If I am going to run the vacuum on the carpets then I will use it on the tiled floors, too. But for those quick little once a day tasks of sweeping the floors this little sweeper works like a charm.

The wet sheets come in a smaller count of only 12. That is just fine for my needs because I don't use them as often. I do not mop my entire floor with this handy little tool, although I could if I wanted to. If it is an all floor job, then the mop bucket and mop come out of the cleaning supply closet. I use the Swiffer wet cloths and sweeper for the small little mopping jobs that come up once in a while.

If you are like me and find that just about every day there is a small little sweeping job staring you in the face, I can highly recommend using this product.

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Steve Berry's The Amber Room Book Review

If you love thrillers like Ian Fletcher's James Bond stories, you will likely enjoy Steve Berry's books. If you have been to St. Petersburg, Russia, or you are going there, you will definitely want to check out his first book as shown here, The Amber Room. If you are going to Russia and you have the chance, I would definitely recommend reading the book before your trip.

Steve Berry's fictional work The Amber Room is especially fascinating because it is based on the existence of a man made marvel and World War II mystery the site of which you can actually visit in Russia. The book is a mystery thriller, set in the world of art and based loosely on the true story of the Amber Room, which legend says the Nazis took when they invaded the Soviet Union.

I was particularly interested in The Amber Room because I had the opportunity to visit the port of St. Petersburg, Russia, for two days on a cruise. St. Petersburg was my favorite port and it was while on a cruise ship excursion to the truly resplendent Catherine's Palace in Tsarkskoe Selo that I learned of the existence and saw first hand The Amber Room.

The Amber Room that we visited that day in Catherine's Palace is actually a replica of the original Amber Room, recreated by Russia and Germany after the war because the original room is still missing. However, even this replica of the original room was beautiful as I suppose it should be since it cost $6 million dollars to create.

This book was interesting and entertaining but be warned that it also contained violence, sex and profanity. With regard to  profanity, Berry has since said that this is his only book that has excessive profanity. He said, "It was an experiment, as there's a character in that story who says just about anything. He was fun to write but I learned that excessive profanity is not all that necessary." In any case, I am sure that this book would be rated R, if they rated books in the same way that they rate movies. If it had been a movie, it would have probably been too violent for me although the idea of this book as a movie is actually intriguing.

If you can tolerate the issues, I do recommend this book. I have since enjoyed many more Steve Berry novels. If you are a reader and looking for a new author to 'consume,' do check him out.  The Amber Room and his other novels are available in all formats from hardcover through to Kindle. You can click here to order your copy of The Amber Room from Amazon.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

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The Best Picture Hooks for Drywall

Available on Amazon

These hooks for hanging pictures are so amazing I'd be willing to do an Infomercial about them!

I first noticed the hooks advertised on TV a few years back, and remember thinking I really should give these a try. Well, I finally did...and yep, they're amazing. 

They're called 'The Monkey Hook', in fact the package says 'The Amazing Monkey Hook', with each hook holding up to 50lbs. Actually, they have hooks for various weights, so be sure to check the package to ensure it's the weight you wanted.

You don't need any tools whatsoever to put up a picture..not one tool. There's no mess, no major damage to the walls, no hammers, no plugs for the wall, and no nails for screws. Best of all, there's no need to try and find wall-studs. Use these directly on the drywall, where there isn't a stud, even for those heavier pictures.

For women, or at least for me, I found these hooks to be a HUGE time saver. I no longer ask my husband to put pictures on the wall.

How They Work:

They're shaped in a curve.

With the end of the curved hook, simply work a little hole into the wall then turn it upwards inside the wall where the hook then grips onto the drywall, leaving you with a nice little, but strong hook to hang your pictures on.

The absolute best part is they barely leave a mark on the wall. All you see when the photo is taken down is a tiny pinprick where the hook initially was.

If you've never tried The Monkey Hook, don't hesitate because it works exactly as it claims it does. I highly recommend these hooks. They're all I use now.

I'll add that I trust the hooks more than I do hooks that just stick to the wall, especially for heavy items.

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Canadians and Thanksgiving, The Time is Now!

This coming weekend while our friends south of the Border will be still dreaming about Turkey and all the fixings, Canadians will be in Full Turkey Mode!
It's time to get out the fancy glasses, a nice tablecloth, napkins, china and all the things we save for a "special day". For my family, it doesn't get more special than Thanksgiving. We like to celebrate and we like to do it up right!
Canadian Thanksgiving has had it's day celebrated at many different times of the Calendar year.  It was only in 1957 that Canadian passed a law that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the second Monday in October.

Until that time, Canadians had sometimes celebrated the holiday and sometimes did not.  In the late 1850's it was celebrated in June following the end of one of the many battles of Upper and Lower Canada.  At that time Thanksgiving was only celebrated 6 times in a 15 year period.

In 1872 it was celebrated in April when the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) was returned to health, from a very serious illness.

So you see in Canada, we don't have the same attachment to Thanksgiving that our American cousins have.  Ours is still a very "young" holiday.
It doesn't mean that we don't do it up right, though. Most families will go that extra mile to make Thanksgiving dinner something to remember.
The important word is "Holiday", who doesn't enjoy those.  Added to the holiday is good food and family get togethers and you have a "holiday" that everyone enjoys.

Just to make it even more special, we will have all the fixings, Turkey and stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, squash soup, or a vegetable, some green salads and dessert of course.

Just to make everything perfect, a beautiful table and all the things needed to make dinner wonderful, joyful and thankful. While it's early for a lot of people to be thinking about Thanksgiving, just know that up north, we will be dining on Turkey and feeling very, very stuffed! Happy Thanksgiving to all, whenever you celebrate.

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Review of Tips on Photographing Waterfalls

Photographing Michigan Waterfalls

Melting Snow Equals Beautiful Waterfalls

The Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan is known for large snowfalls. It is not unusual to have over 200 inches of snow in a season and the record snowfall stands at 390.4 inches according to a sign we saw in the Keweenaw Peninsula. When all of this snow melts in the spring the waterfalls in the area are full of rushing water. In the UP you will find over 324 different waterfalls.

When we visited, in mid June, we found waterfalls everywhere we went. Many times we would pull off the road and hear the rushing water. Other times we would follow signs that led us to paths to the nearby waterfalls.

Earlier in the spring, I had attended a class where the instructor gave us tips on photographing waterfalls, so I was anxious to try out these tips and photograph some waterfalls.

On this page, I will pass on the tips that worked for me as I show you photographs from 5 of the waterfalls I photographed in Michigan. We returned to Michigan in September and was able to photograph the beautiful Tahquamenon Falls. I am adding that photo near the end of this page.

all photos by myself-mbgphoto

Alger Falls - forgetting the tips

The first waterfall that I photographed was on the side of a busy road. My husband pulled off the road and I jumped out with my camera. The ground in front of the waterfall was rocky and hilly and I thought I could shoot it without a tripod. 

I use aperture priority when I shoot. This allows me to pick the aperture and the camera sets the speed. In order to get a slower speed to get the smooth waters that I like to take you have to use a larger number on your aperture. Ideally I would like to use an F22 or higher but without a tripod the largest number I could use successfully for this photo was a F11. This gave me a speed at 1/20 a second. It was not really good enough for what I wanted, but then I was in a rush. 

The resulting photo is, in my opinion, mediocre. In the photos that follow you will see the results when I use the following tips.

1. Always use a tripod 
2. Slow down and take your time 
3. Use a polarizing filter to reduce the glare and slow the speed 
4. Use a remote shutter release

Munising Falls - 50 foot drop

 

This beautiful waterfall was located near where we were staying in Munising. We parked in a lot and then I walked a well maintained path into the woods for about 1/2 mile to reach two of the viewing platforms for the waterfall. This waterfall has a breathtaking 50 foot drop into a canyon. 

The platform for viewing made it easy for me to set up my tripod to get a good shot. A tripod is essential to get the smooth looking water in this photo. I shot this photo using the aperture setting of F22 this gave a shutter speed of .6 seconds. I had my ISO set at 200 and used a shutter release to keep the camera steady.

 

Photography Equipment - three items to capture perfect waterfall photos

• If you are looking to get the look of the smooth flowing water in your waterfall photos, a tripod is an essential piece of equipment. The tripod listed below is the one I use. It is not a high priced piece of equipment and it works with all of my cameras (yes even my point and shoot). To get the steady shot you need for waterfalls I highly recommend using a tripod.
• Using a polarizing lens will help you to slow down your shutter speed to get the smooth look of the water. It also helps to reduce any glare. This is especially important if you are trying to shoot on a sunny day. On a cloudy day it wouldn't be necessary.
• A shutter release is also helpful in keeping your camera steady. I have one that attaches to my camera, but I think a remote one would be really nice.

Tripod on Amazon.com

Smooth Flowing Water - Wagner Falls

The Wagner falls was also near Munising, Michigan. It starts with Wagner Creek which flows over a number of rocky ledges to create this beautiful waterfall. There was also a tree limb that had fallen across the area, which added to the falls of the water.

I got to this waterfall by walking a short gravel path to a viewing platform. As was the case for the Munising Falls, the platform made a perfect place to set up my tripod. I was shooting from several angles, moving around the platform, when another photographer came and stood near me. He watched me for awhile and then inquired as to whether I had a polarizing filter in my camera bag. Now, I knew that was a way to slow down my shutter speed, but I had forgotten to add the filter. I thanked him for the tip and then went and put on the polarizing filter. This made a really nice difference.

It was a sunny day and the filter helped to reduce the glare and slow down the speed. I was able to shoot this photo using a F25 aperture and a speed of .5 seconds. I was pleased with the smoothness of the water in the resulting photo.

Wagner Falls with an Aperature of F8

Jacobs Falls

The next two waterfalls are ones that we encountered as we were visiting lighthouses in the Keweenaw Peninsula in upper Michigan. In both of these photos I remembered to use all of the waterfall photography tips I had learned. I took my time, used a tripod, used my polarizing filter and used an off camera shutter release. 

In this photo of Jacob Falls I used a setting of F22 which gave me a speed of 1/3 second. I also pushed my ISO down to 100 to further slow the speed. 

In the photo of Eagle River falls I used a F22 setting at 1/15 second. 

Eagle River Falls

 

Tahquamenon Falls - beauty in the fall

The Tahquamenon Falls are beautiful. They have a orangish brown color that comes from the tanic acid that leaches into the river from cedar and hemlock swamps. When we were there in September of 2013 I took many photos of the falls. Sometimes I tried to capture some of the fall colors of the trees to pick up on the orange color of the water. On other photos I looked for a way to frame the falls to show off the beauty of the falls.

In this photo I found a place where I could take the photo with a tree stem on each side of the picture. I think it works well to frame the photo.

My Waterfall Photos on Zazzle

Michigan Waterfalls by mbgphoto
Try post card printing using zazzle

Michigan Waterfalls Greeting Card by mbgphoto
Shop for Michigan waterfalls Cards online at Zazzle.com

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Reviewing The Stanwood Yarn Ball Winder

A Yarn Winder For The Crafter

Using my Stanwood Yarn Ball Winder has made my yarn stash so much easier to live with. If you crochet, knit or do other crafts that require yarn; you know that it doesn't take long before those leftover skeins of yarn start to look messy and are actually hard to store. Try to figure out what brand and color one of those leftovers is and you can just forget about it. You lost the label ages ago so you can't be sure. I now have a tool that helps me keep organized with my yarns.

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Stanwood Needlecraft YBW-A Hand-Operated Yarn Ball Winder, 4-Ounce

After decades of crocheting, trust me I have quite the yarn stash! Once I purchased my Stanwood yarn winder, at least it is easier to figure out just what is what. Some of the older skeins are still mysteries as to brand and actual color name because the label is gone but the new yarns are in neat little yarn cakes that I can roll up the label and place in the center for later reference.

Watch this video to see how the yarn ball winder works. After watching Mikey, I bought my first yarn winder and I am so glad that I did.

Funny thing is that when the grandchildren come to visit, they ask if I have any yarn to be wound! They love turning the crank and making those neat little yarn cakes! Yes, I've been known to save a partial skein of scrap yarn for them to wind for me, its just what Grandmas do you know.

One would think that the best selling item would be either yarn or crochet hooks but I have not found that to be the case. Instead my number on best seller is this exact item, the Standwood Yarn Ball Winder.

I know how happy I am that I now don't have those deflated skeins of yarn in my craft room and I have never regretted purchasing this handy little tool. I keep it secured to one of my tables so that it is always ready to go.

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Review of The Obituary Society by Jessica Randall

Sometimes light escape reading is just right when we aren't feeling up to tackling nonfiction or literary novels. Times of illness or convalescence call for lighter than normal reading. That is what I wanted after my cervical spine surgery.

Perhaps with flu season fast approaching, it would be good to have this book on hand -- just in case. Of course, it's also a fun read when you are perfectly healthy and just don't want to get involved in a book that you can't put down when you have commitments to keep. 

I was only in the hospital overnight and through lunch the next day. I did manage to start and finish one book on my Kindle before I went home: The Obituary Society by Jessica L. Randall. I was in a post-op drug and sleep-deprived haze when I read the book, but I remember enjoying it. 

It's set in Auburn, a small town in the Midwest, and the main character, Lila, inherits her grandfather's house there. She lives with her Aunt Ada while the house, which needs a lot of work, is being repaired. Strange things happen whenever she's working at the house, however, and it would seem that someone doesn't want her there. Some incidents are even a bit frightening.

There is a lot of humor in the book that revolves around the relationships of Aunt Ada's friends and associates in her church. Some of the ladies collect clippings of the obituaries of their friends and neighbors in scrapbooks and discuss them at meetings of their Obituary Society.

There is also mystery. Lila has been warned never to go near the pond at the back of her property, but she decides to explore it by herself anyway. What happened there almost killed her. It was a place most people avoided because it was considered dangerous.

One of the most humorous series of interactions provides a touch of romance. One of Ada's friends, Gladys, tries in very obvious ways to match Lila with her grandson, Max, whom Lila doesn't like much at all.

This book was just right for hospital reading. It had enough action in the plot to grab me and keep me interested in spite of my condition, and I needed the humor. I was satisfied with the ending that resolved the mysteries and put the right people together. Another thing of interest at the end is a collection of all the recipes mentioned in the book. Many of the chapters deal with church dinners and such and women who have special recipes they are known for.

If you're looking for some easy light reading, The Obituary Society is a winner. It would be ideal to have in front of you when you are waiting for slow websites to load or programs to update. I often have my kindle handy for such occasions when I can only read in spurts, with one eye on the computer so I can click at the right times.  Enjoy. 

The Obituary Society: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (An Obituary Society Novel Book 1)Check Price

For more of my book reviews, please check out Bookworm Buffet, where you will find a varied menu for bookworms.

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