Mel's Daisy Patch Crochet and Crafts: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

Monday Funday #88 June 30, 2014

Can you believe this is the last Monday in June already and that Friday is already the 4th. We are planning on having a cookout with the family. Hubby's brother is coming in from Texas...The kids are so excited!! They only get to see their uncle a few times a year, mostly on holidays, and they are over the moon for him. They don't get to see my two brothers as one lives in New York and I haven't seen the other one is close to 18 years even though he lives only 30 minutes to an hour away.

We had a quiet week last week. We have been having lots of wonderful rain off and on and when it is not raining the kids are outside, in the pool, or finding something fun to do inside (like reading!!) when it gets hot in the afternoon. I have been trying to walk at least 30 minutes a few times a week. Didn't make it out this morning because I slept in till...8:00. The little man woke me up at 4:30 this morning coughing. Not sure what was going on. Lulu wondered if little brother might have been snoring like their Papa and choked on his slobbers. Usually when he coughs like he was this morning he is getting ready to blow chunks so I high tailed it out of bed and into his room but he was out cold. Of course the adrenaline was ramped up by that time and I had a wee bit of trouble going back to sleep.

Once I got up and running we had a late breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes with butter, syrup, cool whip and cherries. YUMMY!! This is the second time in my life that I have ever made pancakes and didn't burn them. I'm so proud!! I have discovered the secret of pancake cooking...are you ready...it is... patients grasshopper. I always want to crank up the heat and get them done as fast as possible but that DOES NOT work.

I have also been working on some new items for the Storybook Felts shop. I will share them as soon as I get more ready. I also have a book to share with you sometime this week (I hope).

Okay I have rambled enough...On to the links. Oh and if you like seeing picture links over the text ones, see the info in red at the bottom of this page.

My Swedish Mora Clock from The Rococo Roamer

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An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, June 23, 2014

Monday Funday #87 June 23, 2014

Hello everyone. Yesterday my sweet baby girl turned 15! It is so hard to believe she is already 15 and will start High School in the fall. I am so not ready for this! She got her very own cell phone for her birthday. We were going to wait until she started driving to get her one then decided since she was going to be in high school next year that it might be a good idea to get her one now. We are so proud of the person she has become. I had the privilege of buying her a purity ring a few weeks ago. This is the one she picked out.

It has the inscription " True Love Waits - 1 Timothy 4:12.

One of the things that she thought was extra special was that the girl wears it until her wedding day, then the husband removes it and puts on her wedding ring during the ceremony.

We have been pretty lucky since she has not even had a boy friend yet. She has had a few crushes and lots of really great guys that she has been friends with. She just isn't ready to start all that yet. She has also decided to not even share a kiss until her wedding day. Both of my kids have talked about it. Boo-who is 9- thinks it is gross that people kiss unless they are in your family. I just pray that they both keep this mind set and goal until they are married. It is rare in this day and age for kids to even think about waiting for things like that until they are married.

Now on to the links!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, June 16, 2014

Monday Funday #86 June 16, 2014

Happy Birthday to the Love of My Life!!!
My Hubby is turning 45 today.

We had a rainy week here last week. Boo was running fever most of the week and ended up at the Dr. on Wednesday. He got a different round of antibiotics and was doing a lot better the next day. I spent most of the week playing with the kids and catching up on all of my book reviews that needed done.

Last week I introduced you to two cats that had adopted us, Tom and Evergreen. Well the rest of their family decided to move in this week.

Here is (from left to right) Tom, Lacy, Mittens and Evergreen.

Mittens is Black with a white tummy and white mittens. Lacy is white and gray. When Lacy received his name he was thought to be a girl and we found out this week that he is in fact a boy. Mittens is still an unknown. We are pretty sure all of them except Evergreen are boys they way they act though.

Tom has become my cat. He is still a wild thing but likes to come and rub on the back of my legs when I am standing on the porch. He doesn't want me to pet him but he has to pet me. He has allowed me to touch his tail though. And he seems to think my toes look like a tasty snack because he is always looking at them and has already tried to have a little nibble but I got them out of there before he could get a taste. The kids are having fun watching them. The cats love to sit in the chairs on the front porch. Then, when you open the door, you hear this huge explosion of chairs because they are scattering everywhere.

We are off to the library this morning to take back movies, games and a few books. I'm sure we will come home will another bag full of goodies. Each of the kids have been given a Green Bag Lady bag to carry their books in. The library has the plastic ones for everyone to use but we prefer taking our own reusable bag. I am thinking about using some fabric scraps I have around the house to make them one. That way they can pick the fabric it is made of and call it their own. The one Boo picked out is one that I won in a Christmas bag giveaway (Here. His is similar to the red one in the second picture). Lulu has another one that I won in another giveaway (If you click on the link hers is the one on top in the first picture.) it has elephants and penguins on it. You can find a picture of me with one of my bags on her site HERE. You can also find patterns and giveaways on the Green Bag Lady blog to either make or win your own bags.

Have a great day!!

We only had one link added last week so here it is.

An InLinkz Link-up

Saturday, June 14, 2014

The Beauty Book by Nancy Rue

I received this book from the BookLook Bloggers reviewer program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you would like to review wonderful books please visit the BookLook Bloggers site.

The Beauty Book by Nancy Rue

From the back cover...

Secrets for looking great, inside and out.

Everywhere you turn-TV, magazines, celebrities, and even your friends-it seems everyone demands that you look a certain way to fit in. But what if you aren't "perfect" like the actress in your favorite show? Or don't want to look like everyone else? What about true beauty, the kind God put inside you? Can your inside match the outside? Can you get the God-confidence you need to be content with the person you are?

All the answers are here in this unique and creative book for tween girls. Using a Q&A format, Nancy Rue answers the common questions girls ask during the often confusing and sometimes overwhelming stage of life. Filled with fun quizzes, imaginative activities, and cool illustrations, The Beauty Book offers relevant, timely information about everything from great hair to tattoos, from skin care to clothes, and much more.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
but a woman who fears the Lord
she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30 NKJV

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I love this series of books! They are wonderful for girls of all ages. They let girls know that it is okay to be themselves. They don't have to be super skinny or hair the next big thing in hair or clothes. Along with letting them know that it is okay to be them, it also gives them tips and techniques on everything from washing their face to how often to have their hair trimmed. There are also scriptures in each chapter that go along with the topic such as dressing modestly. At the end of each chapter there is a place for them to write down things they want to share with other or remember for themselves. I recommend this book for any girl, whether she is okay with who she is or she is struggling to learn who God wants her to be.

To find out more about Nancy Rue and her other wonderful books for girls and adults please visit her WEBSITE.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis

I received this book from the Blogging For Books reviewer program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you would like to review books please visit the Blogging For Books site.

Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis

From the back cover...

Every Friday, A Postcard
Every Friday, A Love Poem
Every Friday For Sixty Years

Adam Colby is just doing his job, sorting through the Alexander belongings remaining after the estate sale. He is unprepared for what he finds in an old photo album, overlooked by the bargain hounds and treasure hunters-six decades of postcards and poems from Gabe Alexander to his wife, Pearl. The mystery of the Alexanders' love entices Adam, a man unhinged by divorce and puzzled by the depth of commitment the he finds in the unabashedly romantic cards.

Forever Friday invites you to travel back in time to the early twentieth century Texas Coastal Bend where a young couple-Gabe and Pearl Alexander-are swept up in a miraculous love. As the heartwarming, pulse-quickening story of their relationship develops through Gabe's Poems, the Alexanders reveal a new way to consider what it means to be truly devoted to each other. Could the secrets of their love affair, laid to rest twenty years ago, hold the key to one man's future.

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This was a fantastic book to read. This book gives you a peek into the lives of four different people. It alternates between the different characters point of view in the story. You also get a peek at some of the letters that were written by Gabe. Oh to have love letters sent to you every week!!

Gabe is a man who loves his wife dearly. In order to show her just how much, he sends her a love letter/poem every Friday that they are married. After his death Pearl, a.k.a. Huck, still sees him in her dreams and is always waiting for one more letter from him to come on Friday. Because of Gabe's letters, Adam is able to see what true love can be like.

To find out more about Timothy Lewis and his books please visit his WEBSITE. You can also find a link to read an excerpt from the book while you are there.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

A Moment In Time by Tracie Peterson

I received this book from the Bethany House reviewer program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you would like to review wonderful Christian books please visit the Bethany House Blogger Review Program site.

You can also find a list of free or discounted Ebooks HERE.

A Moment In Time by Tracie Peterson

From the back cover...

Alice Chesterfield is a woman Pursued. Having survived an attack that left her scarred and her father dead, she is never free from fear and memories of the man who is responsible.

Texas seems to be an answer to Alice's prayers, and when she has the opportunity to relocate to a ranch near Dallas, Robert Barnett captures her attention. Unlike any man Alice has ever known, Robert doesn't worry about the obstacles that stand in their way-and he hardly seems to notice the scar she bears.

But there are storm clouds gathering: devastating information about her family comes to light, threatening Alice's peaceful sanctuary. Disillusioned, Alice must learn to place her trust in God as she seeks a measure of peace for her future...and for her heart.

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A Moment In Time by Tracie Peterson is the second novel in the Lone Star Brides Series. This book is a continuation of Tracie's last novel, A Sensible Arrangement.

Alice has remained a maid, and friend, to Marty Wythe even after the Wythe's were forced to let other help go. Due to the drop in silver prices, the bank where Marty's husband, Jake, works is forced to close its doors. Jake then returns to Texas to find work. Once he has found work and a place for them to live he has promised to send for Marty and Alice. Alice and Marty stay behind and volunteer at the local orphanage for their room an board. Alice also takes a job in a local diner to help cover some of the cost for their food. During this time "Mr. Smith" continues to follow and torment Alice until she is forced to return to her old home that she shared with her father. The woman who now lives there gives her information that may change her life. Jake ends up at Marty's family home and sends for the women to come to Texas. Once they arrive Alice finds herself falling in love with Marty's nephew, Robert. Alice and all the others believe him to be engaged to a childhood friend, Jessica Atherton. The only thing is that Robert has other plans.

I was so glad that this books continued where the last one left off because I felt like there was more to the story that had not yet been told. Tracy Peterson is one of my favorite authors. I always find myself lost in her story lines to the point that I can't put the book down until it is finished. All of Tracy's characters are so real and seem like old friends that you have know forever. The purity in the book was refreshing. Robert and Alice had never kissed another until their wedding day.

There is another book in the series that is scheduled to be released in October 2014. The third book will be about Jessica Atherton. I can't wait to read it!

To find out more about Tracie Peterson and her other books please visit her website.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Meant To Be Mine by Beck Wade

Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

From the back cover...

Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park. All through high school-irresistible. When their paths cross again after college-still irresistible. This time, though, Ty seems to feel exactly the same way about Celia. Their whirlwind romance deposits them at a street-corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.The next morning they wake to a marriage certificate and a dose of cold reality. Celia's ready to be Ty's wife, but Ty's not ready to be her husband. He's a professional bull rider, he lives on the road, and he's long planned to settle down with the hometown girl he's known since childhood. Five and half years pass. Celia's buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter. Ty's achieved all of his goals. Or thought he had. until he looks again into the eyes of the woman he couldn't forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had. How much will Ty sacrifice to win back Celia's trust and prove to her that their spontaneous marriage cans till become the love of a lifetime?

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Meant to Be Mine is Becky Wade's third novel. It is a stand alone novel but can also be considered a sequel to her last book, Undeniably Yours. I have read all of Becky's books and this one did not disappoint.

Celia Park has always been head over heels crazy about bull riding champ, Ty Porter. It started in high school when he walked into their high school Introduction to Ceramics class and took the seat next to her When they meet up again in Las Vegas years later, her old flame is still burning for him. He talks her into a whirlwind wedding at a Las Vegas Wedding chapel. Then, they wake up the next morning and he realizes his mistake. He lives on the road traveling as a professional bull rider and is in love with a woman that he has know since they were kids. Not exactly what any woman wants to hear the morning after she has married the man of her dreams. They go their separate ways and lead separate lives. Then one day Ty is back in Vegas and sees the wedding chapel that they were married in. Now he can't get Celia out of his head. Neither one of them has ever filed for divorce so they are still married. He never imagined that he had a child though. He does his best to wiggle his way back into Celia's life but it is hard for her to forgive him. He does everything he can along the way to make up all those lost years to her and their daughter.

Becky Wade is a fantastic author who knows how to write a beautiful story that pulls you in by both legs and wont let you go, even after it is over.

If you would like to find out more about Becky Wade and her other books, please visit her website.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

A Shining Light by Judith Miller

A Shining Light by Judith Miller.

From the back cover...

The kind people of Amana have been her guiding light, but her greatest trial is yet to come....

West Amana, Iowa, 1890

After Andrea Wilson receives the devastating news that her husband has been lost at sea, she returns home to Iowa with her young son, Lukas. But what she finds there causes more heartache: The family farm has burned and her father has died, leaving Andrea with nothing.

Andrea must rely on the kindness of the people from the nearby Amana village who invited her to stay with them for a time. She discovers much generosity and contentment among the Amanans-especially from the tinsmith, Dirk Knefler, who takes her some under this wing. But is the simple, cloistered life in Amana what Andrea wants for Lukas's future? Is she willing to give up the comforts and freedom of the outside world? and when yet another round of shocking news comes her way, will Andrea ever be able to find the serenity and hope that have eluded her for so long?

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I have only read one other book about the Amana Colonies besides this one. I am fascinated by their way of life. They live with no money of their own and the colonists take care of one another as one huge family.

In A Shining Light, Andrea and her son are outsiders who find their selves accepted as colonists in West Amana. Andrea comes from a very abusive marriage. Her husband has been lost at sea and she returns to the only home she has every know to find that her father has died while she was away in Maryland. After the colonists find Andrea and Lukas living in the barn on what she thought was her father's land, they take them back to the colonies and allow them to live as they do. Andrea works in the Kitchen house and her son goes to school and helps out at the tinsmith's after school. Before long Andrea finds herself falling in love with Dirk, the tinsmith. Then, along come problems to stand in their way. Even though these people live a simple life, there are lots of interesting things that happen in the book to keep you wanting to read more. Judith Miller writes with such detail that you feel like you are there watching the story unfold instead of reading it in a book.

You can find out more about Judith Miller and her books on her Website.

Have a great day.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Monday Funday #85

I can not believe that it is already the second week in June! Where is this year going. It seems to be flying by. The Kids finished up school on Wednesday of last week and we have been having fun at home. Boo had field day on Wednesday and had fun playing outside with all his friends. Lulu went on a trip with her choir class to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. She got her hair done while she was there and it turned out really cute.

Here it is from the back.

This is what it looked like a few days later when we took it down. The woman that did her hair said that she leaves hers up for 12 days or more which to me was kind of gross.

We have new friends living at our house. Hubby's mom and dad have had barn cats for years. Then some of the kittens decided to move into their yard. Now two of them have decided that they want to live with us. Please allow me to introduce Tom and Evergreen.

Tom was not liking the sound the phone was making when it took the picture.

Lulu named all the cats except Tom. Evergreen got her name from the big spot on her nose that looks like a evergreen tree.

They love to lay under my Crepe Myrtle bushes.

Tom is my buddy. He wont let me pet him but he does love to hang out on the porch with me when I am outside reading a book and such. He is quite the talker. He will start meowing the minute you come out the door when he is really hungry. He and Evergreen are expecting kittens are far as we can tell. We have been feeding them in hopes that they will stay and take care of the mice around our house. We haven't had any in quite sometime since the cats always visited between the two houses. It would be nice to have them stay here though because I enjoy watching and talking to them. Tom is very playful. He likes his tail and is as bad as a dog when it comes to chasing it.

Okay enough about the cats. If we do happen to get a set of kitties I will share pictures with all of you. Now on to the Features for this week. Enjoy.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, June 2, 2014

Monday Funday #84 June 2, 2014

Can you believe it is already June!! My kids are on their last days of school and will be free on Thursday. It seems like they just started this year a few weeks ago. The older they get the faster it seems to go by. I have a pretty busy week with awards assemblies and school picnics and such but after Wednesday everything will slow down and I am ready for some summer fun. We put the pool up a week ago and the kids are ready to get in it. It has been raining and a little cool but this week is supposed to warm up and they will be in it pretty soon.

I shared some great news on the Storybook Felts blog last week about what I had been working on for almost a month. I meant to share it here also but got busy with the kids school stuff last week and never go time to get back to the computer long enough to post something here.

Here it is...500 mini tooth pouches. They will be inserted in a new book about the Tooth Fairy. The title of the book will be Smiles In The Sky. The author has promised to send me a book once it has been printed. It will go to print some time this month. There was a lot of work that went into these 500 little pouches. I had to call in reinforcements to get them all finished in the 3 weeks that I thought it would take. Each one was hand sewn.

This week I get to start on another fun custom order, but it will be a lot easier to do. I have a customer who orders the doll clothing sets and then uses them to dress up a bobble head doll.

I am working on a outfit for this little guy for June and then there will also be one for July. I'll share them with you when I get each one finished.

Here is my schedule of fun for today:
Drop off Boo at school.
Drop off Lulu at school.
Back to Boo's school for his awards assembly.
Back to pick up Lulu after her final is over.
Back to Boo's school for a school wide cookout.
Then hopefully home early.

I hope all of you have a fantastic day and week. Now go link up and don't forget to visit others while you are here.