World Book Night

April 23rd is World Book Night!

Some time last year – it was so long ago that I don’t even remember – I applied to be a book giver on World Book Night. Recently, I received an email that said I was a chosen one! What is World Book Night you ask?  World Book Night is one day a year where passionate people “spread the love of reading, person to person.”  www.us.worldbooknight.org

Last year was the first year for World Book Night.  On April 23, 2012, U.S. book givers personally handed out half a million printed books in 5,800 towns and cities across the country. Wow! All a book giver has to do is  seek out light or non-readers and give out 20 books. That’s it…what a great thing!  Book givers receive 20 free paperback copies of one World Book Night title, not too many to carry but enough to share with a good number of potential new readers. Click here for a list of books for 2013.

The titles I requested are: The House on Mango Street by  Sandra Cisneros, The Phantom Tollbooth by  Norton Juster; illustrated by Jules Feiffer, and I think Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by  James Patterson. But like I said, it was a while ago and I can’t remember for sure.  Actually, I didn’t even think I was going to get picked so I didn’t keep the piece of writing I used for the application… I wish I did.


Soon, I will receive an email telling me the title of my book to be given away, as well as where to pick up my 20 copies. I’m thinking it is going to be Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville… this sounds like something that’s right up their alley!! And now that I’m thinking about it, it may be where I saw the advertising for this event in the first place!! Love Anderson’s.

One last thing… On the World Book Night website you can sign up for the newsletter.  Then you’ll be ready for next year when they open the 2014 World Book Night application link.

A Fresh Start for 2013

 

A Fresh Start for 2013!

I often struggle with how to express my self creatively, so this year I wanted to begin a new blog. I wanted to create a place that will encompass my love of libraries and all the things found in them, as well as photography and travel and crochet and family and camping and decorating and gardening and crafting… and really anything that warrants its own post!! However, I couldn't give up all the memories that were on my old blog (this one). So I have decided to carry on. They say your blogs are supposed to have a theme, and if that were the case I would have so many blogs with different themes that I wouldn't be able to keep up! So, I've decided that this blog will be a collection of experiences; ones that I find particularly encouraging and inspiring and want to share, without a theme.

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… anything and everything goes!!

Here’s to a healthy and happy New Year… and I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I intend to have writing it!!

link to link

As part of an experiment for my LIS 750 course at Dominican University, I am adding a link to my blog that points to my LIS 750 Information Storage and Retrieval blog experiment.

http://lis750informationstorageretrieval.wordpress.com/

Yay for the Gingerbread Girl

 

 

Yay! The Gingerbread Girl is back!

Hello Ladies!

 

I love the One-a-Day group Carole has put together, and I'm glad it's back. For those of you that are new to the One-a-Day Tuesday Tallies...it's easy to join... just complete one square, one row, one [insert something here] every day and post your progress here. It's fun to see the familiar "faces" week after week. Here we go ladies... let's get busy :)

 

Having the One-a-Day Tuesday Tallies back is perfect timing, as I just declared my goal of finishing the Granny in three weeks... well, now actually two. I think I have been working on it intermittently for a year now... it's time! Today I thought I was finish with the bulk of it and only had the borders to do, but when I tried it on my toes stilled poked out at the bottom! UGH! So far, I have 63 squares finished and I'm thinking I need another 14 or so.

 

I am fond of snippets of yarn.

The bigger the pile the more productive the day, and above is a pretty respectable snippet pile. I'm satisfied with my day's work!

Looking foreword to checking in on every one's progress

xoxo,

Nicky

A Wedding in Lake Geneva

 

 

So... yesterday we were in Chicago, Illinois, and today we are in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

 

 

It's crazy that we went from this......................to this -- in a two hour drive from our base camp!

 

The drive was wonderful. We went from suburban houses packed together to lush green fields with sprawling farms and lots of cows. When we got there, we were rewarded with glimpses of sparkling Lake Geneva.

 

The houses on this lake are to die for, I mean HUGE, and old money if you know what I mean! But really, if I were to live on this lake, which I would love to -- who wouldn't want to wake up to the sunlight shimmering off the water -- I would want a teenie, tiny little cottage with tall trees waving in the breeze and gloriously fragrant flowers that wrap around my front porch. Wow, I can dream it, can't I?

 

So, why were you in Lake Geneva you ask??

 

This weekend my little brother, Ed got married!

And, we all headed north for one hell of a party.

Beth & Ed

 

If that isn't the look of true love, I don't know what is. Ok, can I hear a big, "ahhhhh."

Then we all busted a move! It was soooo fun. 

 

I love tulips!

 

At the end of the night, my two little monkeys were tired, tired, tired. The next morning they slept in late. We stayed at The Abbey, a really nice resort, with a really nice bed. So nice that I had to pull the sheets back and see what kind of mattress it was ... because I want one!

 

I am an early riser, and sleeping late for them meant I had to figure out what to do and where to go quietly while everyone else slept. There are not many options for quietness in a tiny hotel room. I carefully brought a chair from bedroom into the bathroom and faced it opposite the toilet. I then made some coffee, sat on the chair, and eloquently put my feet up in the toilet while I read my beloved Cottages & Bungalows magazine. Is there anything "eloquent" about being in a bathroom?? It was quite a sight, but everyone was happy! I got some "me" time that morning and oddly enough I spent in the bathroom. Ha ha ha

 

xoxo,

Nicky

Lincoln Park Zoo & North Ave Beach

Warning - Picture Heavy Post!

**Friday Fun Day **

My friend Julie & I decided that we needed an adventure... so we decided to head for the city! If I haven't mentioned before... and I probably do it again... I live in suburb of Chicago called Yorkville, Illinois. It's about 1.5 hours away from Chicago, so we don't get there much... but when we do it's like we're on vacation. It's so different from where we live. Totally city!!

First stop... The Lincoln Park Zoo.

 

The whole time we were there all we heard from the kids was, "We want to go to the beach!" But then when we came up to a really cool animal they were all like, "This is so awesome!"

 

We found time to be silly!

 

 

And, athletic!

 

and, amazed!

After spending some time at the zoo we walked a bit -- over Lake Shore Drive -- to North Avenue Beach.

It made my stomach a little woozy to see all that traffic speeding under my feet!

But, this was the gold at the end of the rainbow, Glorious Lake Michigan! The sand was like powder on the bottoms of my feet, the temperature was perfect, and there was a slight breeze blowing of the lake. Without any time to waste, we immediately found our spot and began doing beachy things!

 

Sand castle building was high on the list.

As the sun began to set, the long shadows reminded us that it was time to pack it in and head home.... but not without objection from four little beach goers!

Thanks for spending time with me today as I share some of my adventures. This is what I love most when reading the blogs of others and thought, "I had better add to the pool of fun with tales of my own!" Good times.

Next stop... The Lake Geneva Wedding!

xoxo,

Nicky

Ahhhh, the Joys of a Pedicure

 

 

There is nothing like a good pedicure. And, since we have a wedding coming up this weekend (my brother is getting married), I thought I would knock off the garden dirt and get my toes all dolled up. Funny... when I got home and was walking around my yard I noticed how close the color I chose was to my spider geraniums. Love it!

I am excited about the wedding because, for one, it is always good to share your life with someone you love, and two, it taking place in Lake Geneva -- a super cute town that's about 2 hours north of us. It is a kinda touristy, cutesy weekend vacation spot. I just love it. There is lots of shopping, a lake, and a beach to play at. Long ago, before kids, Jeff and I would drive up just to have lunch. 

 

On another note... I am still looping away at the granny. Meet Jimmy. He is our beloved house cat... who got outside this morning and I am anxiously waiting his return, as he is NOT allowed to frolic in the wild! I am hoping that he will come home when he is hungry?? Anyway, the point of this picture is that as soon as I stretch my granny out to see which color to work on, Jimmy immediately climbs on and curls up! He is sooo sweet I couldn't possibly get mad at him.

 

xoxo,

Nicky