I {heart} books

Technology and I are not natural bedfellows - there, I've said it! I'm a blogger (never called myself that before) who would prefer to sit and write in a journal then tap away on a keyboard. Weird eh!

However...and I'm sure that my OH might contradict the following statement... I have in the past year or two gotten better at embracing my digital side! I am still what might be called lazy 'reluctant' when it comes to trying new services on my phone and keeping up to date with the best way to communicate/ store passwords (to my OH's eternal frustration) but I am slowly letting it filter into life as I currently know it and have to admit that I am actually vaguely enjoying it. I even... tweeted...several times yesterday!!! * audible intakes of breath from all corners*.

In case you are in to that kind of thing and better at it then me, I'm #unsurprisingly @thiselandbean

So (after a much longer than planned prologue) coming to the actual point of my post about one of my great loves - the antithesis of technology - books. I LOVE books! I love the feel of them, the smell of them, the weight of holding one in your hand, the crinkles that they get in their pages as a sign that someone has loved and read/re-read the book many times. I even love the notes you find in a second hand book that someone else has made and i love the way that you feel connected to a book in a way that I never felt to a kindle! I have to try really hard not to hoard them but they are probably (after the son and OH) the first things I'd save in a fire.

So how happy was I today when I received not one but two packages containing new books!

This one was totally unexpected. I had (and still have) no idea where it came from... there was no note!

I suspect that it either came from the publishers as some very random thank you gift for subscribing to Craftseller (awesome magazine). Very random seeing as I've only been subscribing for about 3 months. Or, its the most secret, secret santa present I've ever received! It couldn't have been better timed though as  had looked at buying a similar book the day before but didn't have my card next to me so put it off for later. Serendipitous don't you think!

The second package contained this lovely children's book. I knew this one was coming but had only read about it online so it was such a pleasure to open it up and look through. The illustrations are just wonderful and the story is a really touching one about a little boy who wants to catch his own star. Its a wonderful story about not giving up on your dreams.

And ***spoilers*** there's a happy ending!

I would highly recommend getting it if you have a little person in your life.

p.s. if anyone reading this did decide to send me that book thank you very much! :-)

Another Share

My machine has been going like the clappers (where does that expression come from?!?) since it returned home on Friday, but I haven’t had the chance to sort any photos yet, so they’ll have to wait.

So instead I have another share…look what I got in the post on Friday!

How exciting! Its my first ever Japanese pattern book! It was possibly the best wrapped ANYTHING I’ve ever had in the post. My mum bought it for me here.

Not only did the seller send a bonus pack of stickers with it, but the she also popped in the cutest handwritten note to say thank you for the purchase.

 

Hows that for customer service!

Its going to be a while before I get to make anything from (mainly due to the fact that I have yet to learn how to read Japanese patterns) but I’m in love with the book already.

Sunniness where I can get it (ed. yes that is now a word!)

I am soooooooo over the winter! After being mild for the past few weeks (which stupidly gave me a flicker of hope that spring was around the corner) its gone UBER cold again today. Brrrrrr! I don’t think I had realised how grey it had been recently until the sun came out last week, which picked up my mood no end.

Anyway enough of my griping...

Instead of waiting for sunny weather I have been getting my sunny thrills from my crafts. Like this birthday present for my friend Jenny.

She’s finishing off at college at the moment so I thought I’d give her something that would make her final term a bit more pleasurable. Thank you to Pascale on Between the Lines for the cloth covered books tutorial. Awesome idea!

I’ll be giving her an accompanying coffee cup huggie. One of these three.

What are you  doing to keep the grey clouds away?