Book Review: Red

One of the regular posts I'd like to incorporate into this blog are recaps of the books I read.  I know there are so many amazing current authors, but I've always been drawn to the early to mid-1900s writers.  My favorites include Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad, Ernest Hemingway, and Ayn Rand.  So those are the books I'm going to start with.  Maybe this will create a resurgence in these past greats.

Up first is a story I read from a volume of Somerset Maugham's short stories I found in a book store last year and have been slowly making my way through.  I love his short stories.  They always seem to have some sort of twist at the end that is jaw dropping, even almost 100 years after he wrote those words. 

The story is called Red and opens with a fat, old ship captain exploring an island where his ship landed.  With great effort he makes his way to a house on a hill and encounters the homeowner, a middle-aged man from Europe.  The ship captain is invited inside and is at once struck by the amount of books this man has.  The homeowner then goes on to tell the story of how he came to the island 25 years ago and about a pair of young  lovers who he has immortalized as the epitome of true love. 

I would have to say that this is my all time favorite short story by Maugham.  The way the homeowner goes on and on about the young lovers representing life's highest ideal and then the jaw dropping realization at the end makes this a can't miss.  It isn't very long but packs quite a punch. 

Verdict?  Go read it right now!

Candy Crush Saga

Has anyone else been totally taken over by the game Candy Crush?  A co-worker downloaded the game on my phone, and I can't stop playing.  Argh!  I go to sleep with visions of the different colored candies.  What makes it so alluring is that you don't have unlimited lives.  Unlike most of these types of games, Candy Crush is not all about instant gratification.  Now you could pay the $39.99 for I don't know what.  You'll probably beat the level, but what kind of satisfaction is that?  I swear they have some sort of reader that says how many times you've failed a level, because just at the point I'm about to give it up for good, I win and am drawn in to the next level.  I need to start weaning myself.

DIY: Ferris Wheel

I've had a fascination with ferris wheels and old timey carnival themes for a while.  Put "old timey" in front of anything actually, and I'm there!  So when I thought about a 30th birthday party theme, I was natuarally inclined to sway towards a carnival.  Maybe that had something to do with all the cute pictures I had recently seen on Pinterest about carnival-themed weddings and first birthdays.  Yes, this party could have easily been a girl's first birthday, but I don't have a baby so I'll just go on record as saying it's a perfect 30th birthday theme for a lady.  But I didn't want any of that red and white mumbo jumbo.  Instead, I wanted a plethora of peaches, pinks, and aquas to meet sparkling silver and gold colors.  So now that you have the back story on why I chose the theme, you should also know that I had an unfinished ferris wheel hidden behind the couch in my craft room for about 6 months.  I had lost interest in it before, but I felt a renewed surge of energy to finish the project and make this wheel spin!.  I'm sorry I don't have better pictures of each step.  I wasn't sure if it would work out, so I didn't document the process very well along the way. 

Supplies:  Wheaties box, 2 Crystal Light canisters, and a wooden dowel.

Step 1:  I eat Wheaties every morning.  And I mean every morning.  Have I mentioned before that I am a total creature of habit?  Well, Wheaties isn't just the breakfast of champions, it also makes some pretty sweet wheels for your ferris wheel.  I cut up a Wheaties box and laid it out flat and drew a giant circle on each side, using a plate for guidance.  Then I just used a ruler to draw in the spokes of the wheel.  Using an exacto knife, I cut out the space between the spokes.

Step 2:  Then I cut holes above each spoke using an exacto knife.  These holes are what the dowel rod will fit into, so make sure they're big enough for the rod.  Also put a hole in the middle of the wheel.  Next, I spray painted the wheels.  It takes quite a few coats since one side of each wheel is covered with the Wheaties logo.  You could use a plain cardboard piece to fix that. 

Step3:  Then cut your dowel rod into equal pieces and paint if you like.  I just used a craft paint, which worked well.  Then put the painted dowel pieces into the holes you punched in Step 2.  Cut a longer piece for the hole in the middle of the wheels since that is what the ferris wheel will be resting on.

Step 4:  Now it's time to create the objects that the ferris wheel will be resting on so that it can spin.  I used 2 old cannisters of Crystal Light, but you could use anything for this as long as it keeps the wheels in the air.  I just wrapped the cannisters with tissue paper and tape/glued in place.  You're done!  You have a cool statement piece that is 100% customizable and can be fun all year round!

Home

"Home is wherever I'm with you." I always think of that song when I think about the hubster. So glad this guy is home after being on a business trip.  Just in time to make our weekly dinner date to Chipotle. I'm especially am looking forward to it since I've had to fend for myself this week for dinner.  Yes, ladies.  I married up.  My husband likes to cook!  And he's good at it!  I didn't realize what a positive that was until he went out of town soon after we got married, and I tried to make what I had made for myself before we were married--an omelet out of egg beaters:(  It just didn't have the same pizazz. I had become accustomed to the finer things.  So now I just let him do all the cooking.

New glasses

Things look a lot clearer now. After waiting 6 weeks (a looooong time) I finally got my new glasses. They're going to take a little getting used to (look more black than tortoise), but I think I love them.

Goodbye 2012 and hello 2013

2013. It just sounds futuristic. Like we should all be driving around in floating cars. That's probably another year or two off, though. We said goodbye to 2012 with good food, good friends, and good times. As for new year resolutions, I'm going to have to do a little more soul searching. I want to blog more so that I can remember all these special moments that pass by so quick. And I want to knit a scarf. And learn how to sew on an actual sewing machine. I guess there are some good ones right there. So here's to 2013!

Iowa

The hubster's birthday was last week, and we went up to Iowa where is family is to celebrate. His brothers surprised him with a limo on Saturday night! Classy. We had a blast. It didn't hurt that the drinks were served with dry ice, so they smoked. Again, classy.