2008 Book List

A list of everything I read in 2008!

At the beginning of the year I shared with you that one of my 2008 goals had been to read 100 books in 2008.  A rather lofty goal as in 2007 I had only read 28.

As you know, I didn’t make my 2008 goal but I did read 31.  I have revamped my goal for 2009 to 50 books.  Hopefully a little more doable but still a push!

I figured I would need to read at least 4 books a month with a couple of extra thrown in somewhere.  As an update – I did read 4 in January and think I will make 4 in February too!

I have been wanting to share the list of books I read in 2008 with you for a while now but just kept finding other things to post about instead but today you are getting the list.

So here is the list – in order read.  I have to say that my favorite book of 2008 was the first one I read – Molokai.  My friend Jody had recommended it, her book club read it.  I read it, loved it and presented it at my Book Club.

I am a huge historical fiction fan and this book was perfect.  It was fascinating learning about the Leper Colony in Hawaii and the history of leprosy.

So what was your favorite read in 2008 – please leave a comment and let me know!

Molokai by Alan Brennert

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – my feeble attempt at reading some classics

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Freakonomics by Levitta Dubner

A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson – another favorite

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

Belong to Me (the sequel to Love Walked In) by Marisa de los Santos

The Whistling Season  by Ivan Doig – another Book Club read that I really enjoyed

An Unfinished Marriage by Joan Anderson

Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom – a re-read that I loved as much this time as the first 3 times!

7 Habits of Effective People by Stephen Covey  – another re-read

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

The Holy Secret by James Ferrell

The Miracle at Speedy Motors  by Alexander McCall Smith – another fun read in the Ladies Detective Agency series

Just Who Will You Be by Maria Shriver –  a fast read

A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna  Quindlen

Being Perfect by Anna Quindlen

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka – about a Japanese Internment Camp

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Loving Frank  by Nancy Horan – enjoyed this book about Frank Lloyd Wright’s love affair

A Walk on the Beach by Joan Anderson

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld – YA fiction we listened to in the car on the way to take Cali to college – enjoyed by all!

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows – loved this book.  Our Book Club also read it.

Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah. Takes place at the Oregon Coast.

The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak – another historical fiction that takes place during WWII – YA Fiction.  Loved it!

How to be Lovely by Melissa Hellstern – about Audrey Hepburn

An Elegant Spirit, A Son Remembers by Sean Hepburn Ferrer – I got on a little bit of an Audrey Hepburn kick!

The Second Journey by Joan Anderson

and I ended 2008 with

John Adams by David McCullough – I love history!

So out of all the books you read in 2008 – what was your favorite?  Let me know by leaving a comment – thanks!

What are some of the first books you are reading in 2009?

Happy reading in 2009

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Dream Board Tutorial

Last week I had a fun activity with some members of my homebased business team.  We put together Dream Boards.

When I visited cold Minnesota in January my friend Susan took me through a dream board exercise and I created one of my own.  In the past,  I have shared with you the 3 dream boards I have in my office.

Dream boarding is a concept I have done for years.  A Dream Board  creates a vision and picture of what you want your life to be – what you want to create with your life!

A Dream Board is easy to put together – all you need is a piece of poster board, scissors, glue sticks and a pile of magazines.

Before you begin ripping, tearing and cutting pictures/words out the magazines ask yourself the following questions and use the time frame of the next couple years when answering them.

What do you want to do?

What do you want to have?

What do you want to be?

What do you want to give?

Where do you want to go?

After answering those questions start looking through magazines and just start tearing out anything – words or pictures that appeal to you.  You may not know why you are attracted to it initially but tear it out anyway – it’s only paper!

Do not over think this part of it – just have fun tearing out pictures and words that you like!

Set yourself a time limit – 30-45 minutes for finding pictures.  When your time is up go through what you have torn out and trim them up.  I usually just tear out the whole page and then cut out just what I want.

The next step is to start sorting your pictures – you will discover a theme or a couple of different theme’s emerging.  You may need more than one board to hold all your pictures.  Kris needed two!

After you have sorted them by theme you are ready to start gluing them onto your posterboard.

Sue discovered a theme of “All About Me” and “What I Want” in her Dream Board.  Sue recognized that she needed to take care of herself and meet her own needs in order to take care of others.

It was fun to see what emerged on each person’s Dream Board.

It is a fun exercise to do with family, friends or work mates.  It gives you better insight into yourself and to those you care about.

I recommend laminating your Dream Board and then hanging it somewhere  you will see it on a daily basis.

Cathy, another participant shared that years ago she had put together a Dream Book and years later when she pulled it out and looked through it she was amazed at how many of her dreams she had actually accomplished.

So grab those old magazines and start tearing away – see what dreams emerge!

Happy dreaming!!

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Hugs and Kisses Banner

I am in a banner mood.

Last week I shared this fun Valentine banner.

This week my Camp Craft Ladies and I are getting together and we needed a craft to make.  I saw this darling Hugs and Kisses Banner over at My Romantic Home and since I seem to be in the banner mood I decided it was perfect.

I thought it would be a good idea to try it out first before the Crafty Ladies got together.

I got a little carried away.  Not only did I put together one banner – but I made three!  I decided that in addition to the Hugs and Kisses and a Love Banner that I needed a banner for my new Word for 2009

Here is my new Joy banner….

I am going to hang it in my office.

I put together a little tutorial on how I put together my 3 banners.  Give it a try!

Step One:

I purchased brown paper covered letters from Joanne’s for the words I wanted to use.  You could draw your own letters or print them off on the computer too.  Mine were on sale for $2.00 a piece and I figured I would use them for something else sometime.  You will also need coordinating scrapbook paper, foam core board, spray adhesive, a SHARP exacto knife, a self healing cutting mat and ribbon.  I was excited when I found the exact paper My Romantic Home had used at Michael’s.  I LOVE that pink toile paper!!

Step Two:

Using a pencil trace your letters onto the foam core board.  I just made my own pattern for the heart.

Step Three:

With your foam core board on top of your self healing mat use a SHARP exacto knife to cut out your letters.  I highly recommend putting a brand new blade into your knife before you start.  It will make it so much easier.  You will get a cleaner and more even cut – especially important on those curved letters.  I learned this from experience!

Step Four:

Using your spray adhesive (do this in the garage or outside) spray the front side of your letter and place in face down on the wrong side of your paper.  Rub to make sure it is adhered.

Step Five:

Using your SHARP exacto knife cut out around the letter/shape.

Step Six:

Using an ice pick or other sharp pointed instrument poke a hole through each letter for the ribbon.  I use the ice pick to push the ribbon through each hole too.  Depending on where you will be hanging it will determine the length of your ribbon.  Be sure and leave enough on either end to attach it to something and tie a bow.

Step Seven:

I added a bow to my O because I tore the paper a little and it covered up the mistake!  Hang banner and enjoy!!

I will be taking one of the two Valentine banners with me to Utah next week when I go to visit the college kids.  Don’t you think it will be darling in Cali’s dorm room? (don’t really think the boys want one for their apartments)

Which one do you think she would like.  Cali?  If you are reading this – let me know which one you want!

Here’s the love one.

Note:  On my Joy banner I used a Distress Ink pad to distress the edges.  Just rub a sponge onto the ink pad and then rub the sponge around the edges of the letter.

Happy Crafting!!

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