Website for Readers

I had a friend on Facebook recommend this site to me a few weeks ago and I have had a wonderful time messing around with it. It is the same website that I get my widgets that display my favorite books on the right side of this blog. If you're a reader you may like to check it out.

http://www.shelfari.com/

I like it because you can list all the books that you've read including details down to the very edition and specific cover. It then presents all your books in a colorful, fun display of every book cover in your collection that you can tweak and make it look just the way you like. By clicking each book, you can access all sorts of information as well as log when you read it and what you thought of it, rate it, etc. You can ask for recommendations for books to read, read reviews, write reviews (I like to pretend my opinion counts for something), and join groups that enjoy the same things you enjoy. Like other social networking sites, you accumulate friends with whom you can compare, look at their "shelves," read what they thought of their books, etc. It goes on and on.

I'm becoming more and more of a book freak, even though I remain somewhat of a slow reader. Its a good outlet for me. I tell my kids that reading makes you smart, and I believe that with all my heart. I'd like to think that they are all three high readers because of my own enthusiasm about reading. I've read with them since they were babies and it has become an everyday activity for all of us. Its important for kids to see their parents reading for enjoyment, too. (Thanks, Mom for doing this for me.)

Anyway, go and visit the website. It's addicting.

If you'd like, go directly to my "shelf."
www.shelfari.com/janettel/shelf

My New "Most Embarrassing Moment"

OK, this is embarrassing, but it’s funny and I figure if it makes someone else laugh then I might as well share it.

I dressed up for church on Sunday. Now, this isn’t the embarrassing part, but understand our church is fairly casual keeping up with contemporary trends. Jeans are the common attire. In the summertime, to the dismay of our dear elderly members¸ shorts adorn the younger crowd.

It wasn’t always this way. Growing up in the Church of the Nazarene we attended services dressed to the hilt. Women wore an array of “Sunday dresses” with frills and lace and never went without panty hose. The men were in nothing less than a tie but usually in a full suit, even in the summer. It was one of the ways we showed respect for the house of the Lord. It wasn’t a bad tradition, but it has faded away it seems.

So, feeling nostalgic, I wore a dress to church that I haven’t worn in several years. (Yes, I’ve gone against the advice of the style editors and haven’t gotten rid of the things I haven’t worn in over a year.) It was made of a fairly sheer material and required undergarments. Since panty hose really aren’t worn now, I had to have something…you know, to hold things in. And of course you can’t wear sheer material without having on a slip. So, after digging through my drawers for the required underwear that I hadn’t seen for probably a decade; I dressed once again to the hilt, wearing under my dress a half-slip with worn-out elastic and a “slenderizer” that did not allow me to feel anything worn over it. Do you see where this is going?

So I attended the service with my children and everything went according to weekly ritual. After the service let out, the crowds filled the front foyer and busied themselves with jovial conversation. I was visiting with some very elegant and proper ladies of the church, friends of my mother-in-law, when I noticed something brush my ankle. To my horror, I realized that I was standing in the middle of a crowd carrying on a conversation, with my slip in a heap on the ground circling my ankles.

Now, what is one to do in this situation?

First, don’t draw attention to it. “Do NOT look down!” I thought to myself as I nodded to my companions, trying to look completely engulfed in the conversation. Second, get rid of it. I casually took a step to the side and with a quick flick of the ankle, kicked the dreadful thing to the wall. (“I don’t know who’s that is.”) Solved. No one even noticed. (I keep trying to tell myself this.) When it was time to go, I sneaked over and flicked it up with my foot to my grasp, wadded it up, and stuffed it into my Bible.

When I got home, I threw it away.

Introducing...the newest band to hit the scene....

Today was my sons’ 10th birthday. After a long wait, and thanks to their Grandma and Grandpa, they finally received the things they’ve been asking for. Adam received his very first drum set. And Adam got an acoustic guitar.

They were thrilled to say only the least. We took them over to their grandparents’ house and had a pizza dinner and cake. We then opened presents which were clothes (BTW thanks so much!). We were winding down and Grandma and I went back to the guest room where the boys’ presents were and waited for Grandpa to lead them to the room so we could capture their faces. It was priceless!

I told the kids that I wanted them to be in one sport and play at least one instrument (or choose another form of art/culture.) This is their choice and I couldn’t be happier.

Adam summed it all up when he told his grandma, “I think this is the best day ever!

Thanks Lee and Mary…

Now to find a teacher. The house is very loud. But it’s a happy sound so I don’t mind...but I might later!

A Project Even I Could Do: Plastic Bag Organizer

Here is what I thought was a great idea. I got it out of last month’s Martha Stewart Living magazine and I actually accomplished a fairly attractive and functional result! It’s an organizer for all those plastic bags from the grocery store. Now, I know that you can get these from the store, but I never can find one that is attractive enough for me or in my colors. So, I have just stuck with my mother’s tradition of rinsing out a gallon milk jug, cutting a hole in the side, stuffing in the bags, and storing it under the kitchen sink. But I never could get my family to buy into that process.

But this I thought was great! It’s made out of a dish towel, so you can choose any pretty dish towel you want, so it can match your décor. I like it because it’s large enough to hold a lot of bags and has a big opening at the top, so it’s very functional. I just used an old towel that I didn’t need.

Once you choose your pretty dishtowel, just fold it in half the long way with right side together. Measure 7 inches from the folded side and make a seam all the way up. No need to trim. Put a handle on the top and a short elastic through the existing hemline at the bottom and fill it up with your bags. It’s great! Here’s the link to the directions:
http://www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/pretty-plastic-bag-organizer?autonomy_kw=Plastic%20bag%20organizer&rsc=image_1