tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58815108514333122132024-03-14T07:10:02.707-04:00The Library Lady LifeA random collection of things I love, including books, travel, and thrifting!courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-85112198567155766582023-01-20T10:41:00.001-05:002023-01-20T10:41:28.013-05:00Rothy's - are they worth the expense? <p> What is the big deal about Rothy's? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkIJN4FVdDcGzd6cgf9EB4vT1W-bFGNR2y9h-U9YJAf0SZlZE-jcaqzbvDLzQkTjGhDVy16hZEb5Y3MjpVBSE3gqn1t0FZHNsDZOXpyaStAUAm9qeF0bJ83zsefJxTv3N86HY5DiWClA_dnztjDbzRmJPqVRLCt300EXeGmAxEj6W4HOOIUIxkfmTFg/s1656/323528198_697834368711934_5618677868615066468_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkIJN4FVdDcGzd6cgf9EB4vT1W-bFGNR2y9h-U9YJAf0SZlZE-jcaqzbvDLzQkTjGhDVy16hZEb5Y3MjpVBSE3gqn1t0FZHNsDZOXpyaStAUAm9qeF0bJ83zsefJxTv3N86HY5DiWClA_dnztjDbzRmJPqVRLCt300EXeGmAxEj6W4HOOIUIxkfmTFg/s320/323528198_697834368711934_5618677868615066468_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Well, in a word, they are awesome! Let me tell you why:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Sustainable</b> - they are made out of recycled plastic bottles. Bonus? That means, that if you are clumsy like me, the toes don't scuff when you trip - because it's not made out of leather! </li><li><b>Easy care </b>- they are machine washable - did you hear that? No more stinky shoes! Just take out the insoles, and throw them separately in the washer, and voila! They come out clean! Just be sure to air dry them!</li><li><b>Ethical</b> - they are ethically made in the U.S. </li><li><b>Comfortable</b> - Rothy's really are the most comfortable shoes I've worn with NO break-in period or blisters! </li><li><b>Long-lasting</b> - I purchased my first pair of Rothy's in April of 2019 (my red pair) and I have worn them a LOT. Like at LEAST once a week. And they still look great! </li><li><b>A variety of styles</b> - you don't have to love ballet flats to love Rothy's - they have pointed flats, round flats, square toe flats in addition to loafers, sneakers, and boots! </li></ul><div><br /></div><div>I now own several pairs of Rothy's - some purchased from the Rothy's website, and some purchased secondhand from Poshmark. Shopping Poshmark is a way to get a color or design that may be discontinued on the website. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, you buy a pair, I highly recommend them! If you purchase from the<a href="https://share.rothys.com/x/mrdbTZ" target="_blank"> Rothy's website</a>, you can get $20 off your first pair! (In return I also get a $20 credit!). If you find a pair you love on Poshmark, you can register for a Poshmark account with COURTNEYRICOLE and get $10 off your first order. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7mstLij_dwkqZs1a4GkIl2AUDaxM9g8CQQL82byQz9psZfj7IJRQAPE2O4XL8fVvBPt46AYgb5s0H9PIIJsmmgSy-zGY2bmX3uh_gmP16ViBHEjZczsAZVIf5waZNe1Z4mNtKCxCb6vjBLgd4th864fAeqMm7XBFYMbnV7Il6ILiR1Tj_J2oD5KLmQ/s1500/Rothys-styles.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1500" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7mstLij_dwkqZs1a4GkIl2AUDaxM9g8CQQL82byQz9psZfj7IJRQAPE2O4XL8fVvBPt46AYgb5s0H9PIIJsmmgSy-zGY2bmX3uh_gmP16ViBHEjZczsAZVIf5waZNe1Z4mNtKCxCb6vjBLgd4th864fAeqMm7XBFYMbnV7Il6ILiR1Tj_J2oD5KLmQ/w499-h289/Rothys-styles.jpeg" width="499" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Which style would you choose? </span></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-79386896863629666632023-01-16T16:12:00.000-05:002023-01-16T16:12:13.974-05:00Winter Reading Challenge 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWK9zWpzCMQV00pkt46DdJVunW69K5bpbLJaUok3ikZQxcSKIvdDZsI9DEO5E6jwMM6D4_K9TtDCg8pmoKZEmQc1m6E9xTob4Ge72es_Lgd9Uy9bFcAIRVz6kZRSVLzHWPLEAmDrHP7j-2CLKvVPk0-PbB0aYIjPgD4U_ag09_wScb4kqn1yWznQPCQ/s1920/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWK9zWpzCMQV00pkt46DdJVunW69K5bpbLJaUok3ikZQxcSKIvdDZsI9DEO5E6jwMM6D4_K9TtDCg8pmoKZEmQc1m6E9xTob4Ge72es_Lgd9Uy9bFcAIRVz6kZRSVLzHWPLEAmDrHP7j-2CLKvVPk0-PbB0aYIjPgD4U_ag09_wScb4kqn1yWznQPCQ/w220-h391/3.png" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In 2022, my friend <a href="http://www.instagram.com/i.m.kacey.joy" target="_blank">Kacey</a> and I created monthly reading challenges and posted them on instagram. This year we decided to change things up a bit and do three different 2-month challenges - winter, summer, and fall! So the winter reading challenge runs all the way through the end of February - plenty of time for you to join us! Because there are 2 months to complete the challenge, there are 9 prompts instead of 6: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMte_luOpp5hYEreuqzRi_AJIDvyh78uG8YYQdrCo5Ff2O12Bq1Y0--cwmEI3Tf-F6cMEugyzW7n7vHdw5rPtHB9w-nPz8UyKP73RHBTlWjjOWF-7yTXHIkd5__cpa8tDP7Lj1uUZyKXE2ELQ8GWqyKTaZ2oFAJe2EhzDt-O_1bllb4jBHG4p6zRCeA/s1920/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMte_luOpp5hYEreuqzRi_AJIDvyh78uG8YYQdrCo5Ff2O12Bq1Y0--cwmEI3Tf-F6cMEugyzW7n7vHdw5rPtHB9w-nPz8UyKP73RHBTlWjjOWF-7yTXHIkd5__cpa8tDP7Lj1uUZyKXE2ELQ8GWqyKTaZ2oFAJe2EhzDt-O_1bllb4jBHG4p6zRCeA/w240-h427/1.png" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rules are simple: Pick a book that fits the prompt (one book can only be used for one prompt), read it, and that's it! If you share your reads on Instagram in your posts or stories, be sure to tag us so we can see! We love to share what people are reading - it gives others great recommendations for the prompts! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is also a template for sharing your reviews of the books you read! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuT9pZV18mFBoopERnwkqPcv7Fkum_O3vskEyp3AaosS6XSX90tPferktpOHFRPRtClLd4Q-c_DKAEe0P0GQXAeXQ4Re_gwYyPgetPzfD5WSaFtBviByOSHRcLHzcuhnzP6mBeWnEnHEhsuOQqdfpfgDHdzWx4NP1QVJjWU7zzxRF_-Zi_fRvv07luA/s1920/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuT9pZV18mFBoopERnwkqPcv7Fkum_O3vskEyp3AaosS6XSX90tPferktpOHFRPRtClLd4Q-c_DKAEe0P0GQXAeXQ4Re_gwYyPgetPzfD5WSaFtBviByOSHRcLHzcuhnzP6mBeWnEnHEhsuOQqdfpfgDHdzWx4NP1QVJjWU7zzxRF_-Zi_fRvv07luA/s320/2.png" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Reading! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">What prompt would you be most likely to start with? </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-91082687148859403742023-01-14T12:23:00.001-05:002023-01-14T18:41:43.504-05:00Top Books of 2022<p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Disclaimer: I've added links to Amazon in this post and if you purchase through the links I may earn some $ - </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">however, I encourage you to utilize your public library to read!)</span></i></p><p><br /></p><p> Last year was a pretty phenomenal year of reading for me - I read 119 books - which is far more than I've ever read in a year. I attribute this to 3 things: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I created monthly reading challenges with my friend <a href="https://www.instagram.com/i.m.kacey.joy/" target="_blank">Kacey on Instagram</a> and we challenged ourselves and others to read at least 6 books a month with different prompts each month! </li><li>I let myself read what I wanted to read - I indulged in all the rom-coms I wanted! It was great! If it had an illustrated cover with 2 people on the cover, I read it! I also read all of the <a href="https://amzn.to/3IMpPkm" target="_blank">Bridgerton</a> books, which were wonderful!</li><li>I was able to track my reading and my reading challenges in <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/" target="_blank">Storygraph</a>. I like Storygraph MUCH more than Goodreads because there are no ads. Plus it has some really great charts and graphs of your reading statistics! If you want to connect on Storygraph my username there is <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/libraryladylife" target="_blank">libraryladylife</a>)</li></ol><div>So, that being said, I read a lot of good books last year - you can see a quick look at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cmt2sIvJeLd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">all of my 5 star reads here</a>. (Disclaimer: I am pretty liberal with the 5 star ratings - I just can't help it!)</div><div><br /></div><div>I read a ton of books about books, libraries, and bookstores - they were all so good!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1GajjT2SJ1Ko77lHQZi606gCQptxM1ZxSKKVTl5ioakUPS0en_7l4fbvFIbhzzP1ZPVLCFb6bQVWygbUS22FOxOr3455gROuiMleHQxtfaJq5ib8g2wMltMvjcOEopBcJQ6zSFJz_ZqAgUwzDCsxswQ-mzN1fcwzvRjWgPZ1uk9DhK8k0p1S4yuqnw/s788/books.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="699" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1GajjT2SJ1Ko77lHQZi606gCQptxM1ZxSKKVTl5ioakUPS0en_7l4fbvFIbhzzP1ZPVLCFb6bQVWygbUS22FOxOr3455gROuiMleHQxtfaJq5ib8g2wMltMvjcOEopBcJQ6zSFJz_ZqAgUwzDCsxswQ-mzN1fcwzvRjWgPZ1uk9DhK8k0p1S4yuqnw/s320/books.jpeg" width="284" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I found a ton of new authors to love, including <a href="https://amzn.to/3W9FrRJ" target="_blank">Christina Lauren</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3iuboGU" target="_blank">Helen Hoang</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3CMM99A" target="_blank">Talia Hibbert</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3W89V6L" target="_blank">Ali Hazelwood</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3iyra3i" target="_blank">Abby Jimenez</a>, and rediscovered <a href="https://amzn.to/3ZxNfQh" target="_blank">Meg Cabot</a>! </div><div><br /></div><div>Because of book clubs I read some psychological thrillers and discovered that while very engaging, that is NOT my genre of choice! </div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of the year I completed a book bracket of my favorite reads from each month and it ended up that my favorite book of the year was <a href="https://amzn.to/3W8n1AR" target="_blank">The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms </a>- definitely a great read. But I wasn't really expecting the bracket to end up the way it did! </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0etjUeZBJZR-CUZtEu5c9cF-tRgvutZaL2eHEGDXLQfXLviJ4Q15sx3zwHvUjj0YFabq3dIAXTe9e-WQG8LcrJqHT76yMntLaSjgp8SbD3y5Gf406LQexGarf2ZK8j_TEyVX2VmQRMo3m1hmef6ELrD8MO-ikQLnqzVMQwfe9rIzogx2dQlUq0gHnmg/s1920/2022%20book%20bracket.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0etjUeZBJZR-CUZtEu5c9cF-tRgvutZaL2eHEGDXLQfXLviJ4Q15sx3zwHvUjj0YFabq3dIAXTe9e-WQG8LcrJqHT76yMntLaSjgp8SbD3y5Gf406LQexGarf2ZK8j_TEyVX2VmQRMo3m1hmef6ELrD8MO-ikQLnqzVMQwfe9rIzogx2dQlUq0gHnmg/w275-h489/2022%20book%20bracket.png" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">What was your favorite read of 2022?</span></div><br /><p><br /></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-18128624988253960542023-01-12T13:58:00.002-05:002023-01-12T13:58:14.876-05:00I’m back!<p> It’s been a while since I’ve posted. A little over a year in fact. 2022 was a bit of a blur. Not a bad year necessarily, but one in which time seemed to simultaneously move too fast and too slowly - and I felt as if I couldn’t catch my breath. It felt a bit like the whole global pandemic stress caught up to me and I had to spend a year just surviving. </p><p>Well now it is 2023 and I am ready to be back. I’ve still been on Instagram sharing about my library lady life, but now I can share more than a simple Instagram caption here on the blog! </p><p>I have some ideas for the blog, but what do YOU want to see from me this year? </p><p>See you soon!</p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-73730981969782627152021-12-14T13:20:00.003-05:002021-12-14T13:20:41.409-05:00Top nonfiction reads of 2021<p> I already shared with you my <a href="https://thelibraryladylife.blogspot.com/2021/12/top-books-of-2021-fiction-edition.html" target="_blank">top fiction reads of 2021</a>, so here is my top nonfiction reads of the year! </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you purchase a book from one of the links I may earn a small commission.)</span></i></p><h3 style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><b>Top 5 nonfiction reads: </b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNxakBsDy-elqAXzEsesyOIMTBtz_zyfJYmHVACBBsfLUuXSY2TJyB-ukWM_l1luXOik6ehQiBFEGAi3mewjxIkAeCefXgwyigVsTHXbF3vBaJ8nYIQl-BILP70u5QdIaMsWezlcb5eqZfahBKZWFgsq12U6Bz3vOPW254iFaZSfATOYWfhnfA2PzLpg=s499" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNxakBsDy-elqAXzEsesyOIMTBtz_zyfJYmHVACBBsfLUuXSY2TJyB-ukWM_l1luXOik6ehQiBFEGAi3mewjxIkAeCefXgwyigVsTHXbF3vBaJ8nYIQl-BILP70u5QdIaMsWezlcb5eqZfahBKZWFgsq12U6Bz3vOPW254iFaZSfATOYWfhnfA2PzLpg=s320" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3GFTdEv" target="_blank"><i>Just Mercy </i>by Bryan Stevenson, young adult version</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book, or it's original adult version, is a MUST READ in my opinion. EVERYONE should read it. While it tells the story of specific cases that the author has worked with, it also does a great job giving an overview of the issues of injustice in our justice system. It is definitely eye-opening for someone who doesn't have a close view of the system. Please read it! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvDFqLChUbArftTYRYwc3_kENd_RjiVGYTKCGgaidtIojgHQpsOuTkrfYoheltaOHjD-3CCYILNUvi5qNjb3-Uin5o75uvrSfFfxTgqtLFt7yG_vtKu5wyrVs8je3PoxXfdnBWfKaV8JqRYMhKLvhgJMJEsxmUBYYVoHHwaxrobLJJoejnHmGD6OkoEA=s346" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvDFqLChUbArftTYRYwc3_kENd_RjiVGYTKCGgaidtIojgHQpsOuTkrfYoheltaOHjD-3CCYILNUvi5qNjb3-Uin5o75uvrSfFfxTgqtLFt7yG_vtKu5wyrVs8je3PoxXfdnBWfKaV8JqRYMhKLvhgJMJEsxmUBYYVoHHwaxrobLJJoejnHmGD6OkoEA=s320" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3dVC4tS" target="_blank"><i>The Black Friend</i> by Frederick Joseph</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is another great read - targeted at young adults, it is a good one for adults as well. Frederick Joseph (who I follow on instagram) talks to an audience of white people - on how to not be racist. In many ways, racism is so subversive and subconscious, people say things or do things that the do not mean to be racist, but they are - this book confronts some of those things and is a good primer on how not to be racist. I definitely recommend it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5i9VnowB3WiY4SCluW3E5qVnHl5C3Zrj8d3abwtGwtzm8VRzsYX2meUeT9qCLMdzYjPBUG62W9DB3mIG_pNgv4NZu-6KaZEwp7rFSUkJe7y21JM0keLRstqU_1gZgPW6Iy6DvbhfQmXqtieAdbWb5gFFJ47Jz03tuVMQKEAXO6KaHsOjYuWvypHAMyA=s500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5i9VnowB3WiY4SCluW3E5qVnHl5C3Zrj8d3abwtGwtzm8VRzsYX2meUeT9qCLMdzYjPBUG62W9DB3mIG_pNgv4NZu-6KaZEwp7rFSUkJe7y21JM0keLRstqU_1gZgPW6Iy6DvbhfQmXqtieAdbWb5gFFJ47Jz03tuVMQKEAXO6KaHsOjYuWvypHAMyA=s320" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3EUXnYp" target="_blank"><i>Keep Showing Up</i> by Karen Ehman</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've read a lot of marriage books written for women and this is one of the best. It doesn't have the "just submit" message, but rather is an encouraging read with practical information backed up by Biblical references. I took copious notes as I read it - it was that good! And I have lent it out to a friend to read! So if you are a married woman who is a Christian I would recommend it! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0eoE-GvIrARhn-HL_R1pnB73NNyP0DLxrTLt-gdaErlCeS9OVDYJT7Me33-5BqP45888UFXzFkCEKEWRHtrRvbalm2eoUob5n1wipACKruhBkxdYefj0hZrCvQJWZyHwN1reaoLjvzB6JahBsMmwkhxmXzCsZ4VaQrSPGrroAK96dfFgbGulzPuMCpQ=s218" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="141" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0eoE-GvIrARhn-HL_R1pnB73NNyP0DLxrTLt-gdaErlCeS9OVDYJT7Me33-5BqP45888UFXzFkCEKEWRHtrRvbalm2eoUob5n1wipACKruhBkxdYefj0hZrCvQJWZyHwN1reaoLjvzB6JahBsMmwkhxmXzCsZ4VaQrSPGrroAK96dfFgbGulzPuMCpQ" width="141" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/31Ym34f" target="_blank"><i>Now You're Speaking My Language</i> by Gary Chapman</a></b></div><div><br /></div>I like the whole idea of the love languages, which is also from Gary Chapman, and this book is just about communication in marriage - but it has good application for communication in any relationship. I like that it has practical information on different levels of communication and how to get better at each level. This one is also lent out to a friend! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAwRRVsNeSDfRNXfErcad3o_4FVc3CMRdjsxThMpzLe8ZmlvauH963aKKDtpAWn9935WgLfKloHhlV_S-lT8YjztHy3mLP6hle1IhEF46tTvf6W4rfl28B7cWhKSpyODQlP0o3CZAmJrSEOVcjLyonJhUsXsnIGMPCPfRZH8FzVjYQGHhkLL7l6Cv7tA=s346" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAwRRVsNeSDfRNXfErcad3o_4FVc3CMRdjsxThMpzLe8ZmlvauH963aKKDtpAWn9935WgLfKloHhlV_S-lT8YjztHy3mLP6hle1IhEF46tTvf6W4rfl28B7cWhKSpyODQlP0o3CZAmJrSEOVcjLyonJhUsXsnIGMPCPfRZH8FzVjYQGHhkLL7l6Cv7tA=s320" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3m1pjmk" target="_blank"><i>Boundaries</i> by Cloud and Townsend</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I just reread this one because I tend to struggle in this area, and I especially wanted to read the chapter on boundaries and children - it all seems to be changing with a child becoming a tween. If you haven't read this book - you should - it is just a great book on both having and respecting boundaries. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-47116137880247275802021-12-09T14:46:00.004-05:002021-12-09T14:46:38.787-05:00Top Books of 2021 - Fiction edition<p> While I haven't gotten to my goal of 50 books in 2021, I'm getting close, and it's about time to give my top reads of the year. I am going to have to break it into fiction and nonfiction lists because otherwise I wouldn't be able to choose! So up first, FICTION!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you purchase a book from one of the links I may earn a small commission.)</span></i></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Top 5 fiction reads: </b></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aenmnKQaCo7JRJGTxoUSotqGzSo3wTWJuHeaUdPqXUD1Got7a3Kz7oN9xe59bYjXx8cVZc-aNXjxf6UVsQdZKaVfaIjCxylscaath9dY2STzMWV_8zSeEyF-zFrow4FOnNltLPsLFsIL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aenmnKQaCo7JRJGTxoUSotqGzSo3wTWJuHeaUdPqXUD1Got7a3Kz7oN9xe59bYjXx8cVZc-aNXjxf6UVsQdZKaVfaIjCxylscaath9dY2STzMWV_8zSeEyF-zFrow4FOnNltLPsLFsIL/" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3oEkT6i" target="_blank"><i style="text-align: left;">Redeeming Love </i><span style="text-align: left;">by Francine Rivers </span></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span> This book is amazing, and I think everyone should read it. It is being made into a movie, and I'm glad about that. However, I'm not sure I can sit through the movie - nor do I think I could reread this book. It is heart-wrenching in the best way, and it is very difficult to explain it. But take my word - read it - BEFORE you see the movie. And let me know what you think. </span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_g9qNfPUoBE8e-3FIGQXdbJzqD3ftmd_v5JkahYEcDGkU_RBxQRmDkqSUSgDKUcdQLtWN5fIaZLTE7tDfC-AK9juiPWv62-MgVMT-WTn-RL3twUWNY4kAOFo16JMhYw5WcEgleQCCCAw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1332" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_g9qNfPUoBE8e-3FIGQXdbJzqD3ftmd_v5JkahYEcDGkU_RBxQRmDkqSUSgDKUcdQLtWN5fIaZLTE7tDfC-AK9juiPWv62-MgVMT-WTn-RL3twUWNY4kAOFo16JMhYw5WcEgleQCCCAw/" width="156" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3IEbZh6" target="_blank"><i>The Inheritance Games</i> by Jennifer Lynn Barnes</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b>This book set off a flurry of mystery reads for me. I love the puzzles and twists and turns in this book - it is the first of a trilogy, and unfortunately I have to wait until next fall for the third book to be published. So maybe put this on your list for next fall so you can binge read the whole series!</div><br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEBh_juY26yvrMhHqYfKANdKXiI50yKQtpABHtkwLiZ_hhBmVCrHEurPqf5p_xwmvkjtbyuTG_XQEPM5qefEJCtP2A2qOJ_b713OtjvFESJYECecpjAy7a0vuWslmriLHdT8CmRnX7L2e/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="410" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEBh_juY26yvrMhHqYfKANdKXiI50yKQtpABHtkwLiZ_hhBmVCrHEurPqf5p_xwmvkjtbyuTG_XQEPM5qefEJCtP2A2qOJ_b713OtjvFESJYECecpjAy7a0vuWslmriLHdT8CmRnX7L2e/" width="156" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3dzjpUG" target="_blank"><i>Caraval </i>by Stephanie Garber</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b>I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but it was recommended by a good friend who I trust their book taste. It did not disappoint! I read this one in one setting. It is also the first in a trilogy, but all three are already published (woohoo!!!). It has magic and mystery, romance, and is so much fun to read!</div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQonTrXyRuIC-rmiGrSP4adhg1MxjGeluGy9zXNXWdItTf7GAD-wwD49Mf0zSVjNkNt5EUBYixP9UhxWJs7ewsPivtO0DzjAkOvk-nhixVDMJiuW6c02P0-yBW-Hs0s6V4vF_KSD8BG4C/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1341" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQonTrXyRuIC-rmiGrSP4adhg1MxjGeluGy9zXNXWdItTf7GAD-wwD49Mf0zSVjNkNt5EUBYixP9UhxWJs7ewsPivtO0DzjAkOvk-nhixVDMJiuW6c02P0-yBW-Hs0s6V4vF_KSD8BG4C/" width="157" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3lRBz8D" target="_blank"><i>The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue </i>by Mackenzi Lee</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b>This is a sweet book - a little bit historical fiction, a little bit mystery, a little bit adventure, and a whole lot of romance! If you like any of those things, you will like this book. It is the start of a trilogy as well, and the third book just came out, so get to reading! I am reading book three this weekend! <br /></div><br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8_ZWqshuqxY230v_eNKfx7b6OVAp0dnF900v8KW9pOuyxaQZwIwWSjzcJ3fziz0MGEnPSyaXhjLYPvHRc1Hk08PHKzDmnNE_qmfru3TqH83uRZ1sxzPSvnhzxf3KlDPs9ZzwCDPlgI8W/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1380" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8_ZWqshuqxY230v_eNKfx7b6OVAp0dnF900v8KW9pOuyxaQZwIwWSjzcJ3fziz0MGEnPSyaXhjLYPvHRc1Hk08PHKzDmnNE_qmfru3TqH83uRZ1sxzPSvnhzxf3KlDPs9ZzwCDPlgI8W/" width="162" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3GtQa1X" target="_blank"><i>Truly Devious</i> by Maureen Johnson</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b>This book begins a series of four books that follows a teen detective who wants to solve a century old crime. Because of this the book goes back and forth between the 1930s and present day, giving it a taste of historical fiction as well. The first 3 books in the series deal with that crime, and the 4th, <i>The Box in the Woods</i>, deals with another cold case murder from 1978. All 4 books are great! <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What was your top fiction read this year? </h3><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><p></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-80489427628537453322021-07-26T12:01:00.000-04:002021-07-26T12:01:08.944-04:00DIY: Painting an heirloom piece of furniture <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love furniture - especially vintage furniture. And as I've become an adult I've acquired quite a few great pieces of furniture, but my favorites are the heirloom pieces that have been passed down from older generations in my family. The twin bed that was in my bedroom when I was a kid came from my great grandmother's house. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See below to see the bed in the background of an awesome 1990 fashion photo! (I was 11!) This was the best photo of the bed I could find. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxkx2S5nj2YUj6LZcg8F7jaXR_g3NVnP-10PFGzl8_GOCCb9_cvJ4l8LugiJVjyFMKronK2Arfg8QtpS-7eD1FJFyZOXOY9w9YZ_i1wiFrLgYG-eTcrOxJYkcp_YkSCh2z4kGgWiqlgVF/s2048/IMG_0775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1796" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxkx2S5nj2YUj6LZcg8F7jaXR_g3NVnP-10PFGzl8_GOCCb9_cvJ4l8LugiJVjyFMKronK2Arfg8QtpS-7eD1FJFyZOXOY9w9YZ_i1wiFrLgYG-eTcrOxJYkcp_YkSCh2z4kGgWiqlgVF/s320/IMG_0775.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>1990, 11 years, old, dinosaur bedspread, clear phone<br /><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Fast forward 25 years - In 2006, Carlos and I were married and moved back to my hometown. We didn't have any kids - just a fixer upper and 2 beagles. In a 3 bedroom house, we each had an office. <div>I wanted an office/guest room that was pink, black, and white with a Parisian theme. So I took my childhood bed, painted it white, and voila! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvpx9tbrvDPIbvcaIZF8UXWsPil-38JtQGzmFeizhWLps8v-Ni_lM68sLN82PgfuTz4plJ5K8Wpe7JeyrKCChsd9kSbTYfXDQNL5LYvhBSnxUATo08dN-yhvhfuEEo-hBRHt3q2zxoWrb/s2048/House_Fall2007_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvpx9tbrvDPIbvcaIZF8UXWsPil-38JtQGzmFeizhWLps8v-Ni_lM68sLN82PgfuTz4plJ5K8Wpe7JeyrKCChsd9kSbTYfXDQNL5LYvhBSnxUATo08dN-yhvhfuEEo-hBRHt3q2zxoWrb/s320/House_Fall2007_09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, that bed went into storage once our first kid was born, but once his little sister needed his toddler bed, he inherited the white bed that was once mine for his Star Wars room!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSTosngdXoRLV9DwOIE_R5GFb8R2UhsHkpviY5mr42AHA5LHaoAscwgp9AHhU7IHKao8-pIXQmHDD8FblqNGKFi2_3OSHnF6SQZGrAtwZhKKH93iS3ocViOK0srdDwoE4ECt5GJVvXL_L/s2048/Photo+Feb+06%252C+7+51+57+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSTosngdXoRLV9DwOIE_R5GFb8R2UhsHkpviY5mr42AHA5LHaoAscwgp9AHhU7IHKao8-pIXQmHDD8FblqNGKFi2_3OSHnF6SQZGrAtwZhKKH93iS3ocViOK0srdDwoE4ECt5GJVvXL_L/s320/Photo+Feb+06%252C+7+51+57+PM.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, that bed was one of a pair - my cousin had the other one growing up, and now it was needed when little sister outgrew her smaller bed. We decided to give her the white bed and paint the second bed frame blue! This was one of my summer projects this year. Carlos found the perfect shade of blue in a spray can and I got to work! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHNAVNNU__pdKokT-wuZsITfQucwpX1nAk01YDBcAu4TE2KpVsTcipvtbinP6Nt8RlfW5-_R_jwS1_fAhDVltF0UcDrg-gamHINtGYM-aQAfdJLF1cPMZyWJ-bW4Wm-my7zQ63YXxnJJZ/s2048/IMG_8948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHNAVNNU__pdKokT-wuZsITfQucwpX1nAk01YDBcAu4TE2KpVsTcipvtbinP6Nt8RlfW5-_R_jwS1_fAhDVltF0UcDrg-gamHINtGYM-aQAfdJLF1cPMZyWJ-bW4Wm-my7zQ63YXxnJJZ/s320/IMG_8948.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> I think the blue looks perfect in his room! </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGoPnb5m1j-0svUHW3x5bIPo5GjLQIga-KLoeLiB54efyqLNilchebljXen98a5ym-JAYejs0c3R0rWFZN4U0Bf3sasyByhBV31CpOi_v1zUM1ovmoNWT3qFiVAuSlJDh4JtMArSTKr_U/s2048/64731098109__664D4ED3-7531-48DA-AD08-C8441785B6A5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGoPnb5m1j-0svUHW3x5bIPo5GjLQIga-KLoeLiB54efyqLNilchebljXen98a5ym-JAYejs0c3R0rWFZN4U0Bf3sasyByhBV31CpOi_v1zUM1ovmoNWT3qFiVAuSlJDh4JtMArSTKr_U/w300-h400/64731098109__664D4ED3-7531-48DA-AD08-C8441785B6A5.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And sister's room is coming along with her new bed as well. We are transitioning from<a href="https://thelibraryladylife.blogspot.com/2019/11/star-wars-girls-bedroom.html" target="_blank"> a Star Wars room</a> for her to something else. We are trying to go with just pink and add accent pieces as I feel like her interests will change pretty often. Right now it's all about cats, so she has this pretty awesome zip up cat bedspread! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoBLAgE1BLmy4SPjQdhgcKPUCUYFIY68IWPhsJMoTdEUM7cb-YEMH_bI5vl7nDqM7uPvgTQdGMnA5jW4bQsvbJ3YP13_aoF-B4V99KMQkU4wdFHP8a0ukHmNkXfJ0PvPBugceZp7kZnoc/s2048/64731069560__D539FB58-5481-4B02-871E-7F1B354B7B2D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoBLAgE1BLmy4SPjQdhgcKPUCUYFIY68IWPhsJMoTdEUM7cb-YEMH_bI5vl7nDqM7uPvgTQdGMnA5jW4bQsvbJ3YP13_aoF-B4V99KMQkU4wdFHP8a0ukHmNkXfJ0PvPBugceZp7kZnoc/w300-h400/64731069560__D539FB58-5481-4B02-871E-7F1B354B7B2D.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-8344381678820936052021-07-05T09:20:00.000-04:002021-07-05T09:20:53.512-04:00A week at Hogwarts<p> I recently taught a week long summer enhancement class for 4-6th graders that was Hogwarts themed! I gathered so many ideas from around the internet, and I thought I'd share them with you here! </p><p>First of all, I got some great decorations for the classroom from Amazon <i>(the following are affiliate links - if you purchase something, I may make a small commission)</i> </p><p>Check out this video to see all of the decorations! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz7yEg_lS4KE42h20QyCDXrUAojt5kmUb42yvmphrfVALgzqbKZHQeFHw8aDqX9YwFrY13Ua0ts-GXyExThKg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See the links below to what I purchased:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/35Wmavx" target="_blank">Brick wall doorway</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3vVSgSN" target="_blank">House Banners</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3xZO59L" target="_blank">Floating candles </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3qCvRbZ" target="_blank">Harry and Hermione cardboard cutout</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3xWvBXR" target="_blank">Hogwarts tapestry/mural</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3x40Foi" target="_blank">Have you seen this wizard photo prop</a></li></ul></div><p>The<a href="https://amzn.to/3vVSgSN" target="_blank"> house banners</a> are so great - they are large and good quality - I will be able to use them for a number of years I believe. They came with grommets at the top which I used with fishing wire to hang from the ceiling tiles. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXIaK-I_j5I-8pGJP2Tn2EA-CuVtt6TLSnRmXNchDBPXPpart7xBDGpHHZA0MKz_icEKCWf98oDBV-Rej0WUdjLk7XfC5SaOA8_ZcmjATDqg3FWKc9v9-AcdYaX19UI6le7FAGZKczhFJ/s2048/IMG_7620.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXIaK-I_j5I-8pGJP2Tn2EA-CuVtt6TLSnRmXNchDBPXPpart7xBDGpHHZA0MKz_icEKCWf98oDBV-Rej0WUdjLk7XfC5SaOA8_ZcmjATDqg3FWKc9v9-AcdYaX19UI6le7FAGZKczhFJ/w400-h300/IMG_7620.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>On the first day, the students were sorted into Houses. I used<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saLPZXZa4GY" target="_blank"> this quiz,</a> but I also tabulated the scores instead of the students so I could fudge the numbers a bit to make somewhat even houses. I did allow the students to write what house they wanted to be in if they already knew their house. I tabulated the scores as the students watched the Sorting Ceremony scene from <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i>. </p><p>Once the students were moved to their house tables, we started the first activity - <a href="https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/harry-potter-butter-slime-recipe/" target="_blank">House Butter Slime</a>. This slime recipe makes a super smooth slime that the kids LOVED playing with! Now, I will tell you, when you first start mixing the slime with the Model Magic, it doesn't look like it is going to work, but if you continue kneading the mixture, it comes out great! I purchased a <a href="https://amzn.to/2ULVUBK" target="_blank">box of Model Magic packets</a>, which came with red, blue, yellow, and white - so we only had to add food coloring to the Slytherin slime. They got the white packets which we colored. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdG7WE124Ggt1pTEYjazLPejRAU0IFb_3eJ_38m8BNzuTNBpxCfNwV-PUPr7qOXzlXthhjCySIf6Xh0_5m9AwLGZkYDapj3xVXExZs9-xqrXQNj6TFMBUcHiVaftL51FnUgoiN_VaydxIP/s2048/IMG_8347.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdG7WE124Ggt1pTEYjazLPejRAU0IFb_3eJ_38m8BNzuTNBpxCfNwV-PUPr7qOXzlXthhjCySIf6Xh0_5m9AwLGZkYDapj3xVXExZs9-xqrXQNj6TFMBUcHiVaftL51FnUgoiN_VaydxIP/s320/IMG_8347.JPG" /></a></div><p></p><p>On the first day we also wrote <a href="https://rockyourhomeschool.net/harry-potter-inspired-mad-libs/" target="_blank">Harry Potter Mad Libs</a>, and I took the students' pictures for their <a href="https://cdn.naturalbeachliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Wand-Permit.pdf" target="_blank">Wand Permit</a> which they would receive the next day. We used a <a href="https://amzn.to/3heh6Yt" target="_blank">Fujifilm Instax Mini </a>to take the pictures - which was it's own kind of magic for the students as most of them had never seen a polaroid picture develop before! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mpVZ054Siz-EmHzDmSUUcYlHVRbZJZ6-bMXakBB6IJA4PfmcBozUNufDaz0ur8UyVaUL5e4CjU4n2Vg3u-dIhUvWV7Ztws2LWqnuJBqk4tTU4lHyK84ftVfQ2EZvPoxkj9AjqZ31e5-4/s2048/IMG_8634.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mpVZ054Siz-EmHzDmSUUcYlHVRbZJZ6-bMXakBB6IJA4PfmcBozUNufDaz0ur8UyVaUL5e4CjU4n2Vg3u-dIhUvWV7Ztws2LWqnuJBqk4tTU4lHyK84ftVfQ2EZvPoxkj9AjqZ31e5-4/s320/IMG_8634.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 2 was all about wands!! We created<a href="https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/harry-potter-wands-stem-project/" target="_blank"> light up wands</a> with sticks, electrical tape, led light bulbs, and battery packs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejgx8eU0e5M6Vj4xaM7nuDzrtU1gKNKgbTuknm3iQuHsESeE0yWdSIZmRjrgBxDEHhWFFXBinnGbai7f9x3lXYPsL4ZwvkmBT3DMOMrojPChRTbboDO0HSpznnPfq3w4yw1-FCqOR2Woc/s2048/IMG_7860.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejgx8eU0e5M6Vj4xaM7nuDzrtU1gKNKgbTuknm3iQuHsESeE0yWdSIZmRjrgBxDEHhWFFXBinnGbai7f9x3lXYPsL4ZwvkmBT3DMOMrojPChRTbboDO0HSpznnPfq3w4yw1-FCqOR2Woc/s320/IMG_7860.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p>This activity actually went quite well - the students chose their stick, the color light bulb, and were instructed on how to wire it all together. Some students needed more help than others, but by testing the connections at each step, most didn't have an issue. I used 2 different types of wire and I will say <a href="https://amzn.to/3hgmdY6" target="_blank">this wire</a> worked the best, it just needed to be stripped quite a bit for students to be able to twist the wires together. </p><p>And finally . . . Lumos!!!</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT244n3lVDNsoq_81ub6zRGA3ktEOUDgQE9BPpyc_XtszvKv3sEWU2x5Oi_iLBwCxZnKsgO8srueAGf10X9LT3GbjOHU0p-6RBCocO0gpajd9zZJTv03GSRD10eSwyHScG2eLLYsgEKsJH/s2048/IMG_7868.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT244n3lVDNsoq_81ub6zRGA3ktEOUDgQE9BPpyc_XtszvKv3sEWU2x5Oi_iLBwCxZnKsgO8srueAGf10X9LT3GbjOHU0p-6RBCocO0gpajd9zZJTv03GSRD10eSwyHScG2eLLYsgEKsJH/s320/IMG_7868.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On this day we also did some Harry Potter Arithmancy with <a href="https://teachbesideme.com/harry-potter-stem-arithmancy-math/" target="_blank">these handouts</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieTA5z-iTO81A4fP_hcg064-cgM6SJNrjL1gHFoS97u_va0HNimtjtGTpHoyNs5Td2IlkafDYtSI-ZShDbOQmTGQZUjLOQYV5DFzfwbSzcH-npujhRloaIoLgP9SgSUfoTaVF8ru5ZTIo/s2048/IMG_7886.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieTA5z-iTO81A4fP_hcg064-cgM6SJNrjL1gHFoS97u_va0HNimtjtGTpHoyNs5Td2IlkafDYtSI-ZShDbOQmTGQZUjLOQYV5DFzfwbSzcH-npujhRloaIoLgP9SgSUfoTaVF8ru5ZTIo/s320/IMG_7886.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had an entire day devoted to Potions! At first the students did a<a href="https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/acids-bases-ph-chemistry-experiment/" target="_blank"> pH testing activity</a> - we used test tubes and pipettes and they LOVED it</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAIZn-AclY0LkyW4yJfSlO-kqP9EOMamhWvchaU007Ltswkyo_wSaLC_eDn1mMELKf1dCtQlnr0EfqJblY6ARwJ4mJfFdw4DN7yy5Wle0Mv21KzQE6AmACmU7zQffMI6zqNt8HbcrkkT2/s1477/IMG_0077.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1477" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAIZn-AclY0LkyW4yJfSlO-kqP9EOMamhWvchaU007Ltswkyo_wSaLC_eDn1mMELKf1dCtQlnr0EfqJblY6ARwJ4mJfFdw4DN7yy5Wle0Mv21KzQE6AmACmU7zQffMI6zqNt8HbcrkkT2/s320/IMG_0077.PNG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I created this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Harry-Potter-Potions-worksheet-pH-level-7004906" target="_blank">Potions worksheet</a> to go along with the activity - before we started they came up with predictions for each of the substances - then they recorded their observations as they did the activity. Once we were done we discussed what happened and I showed them a pH scale and we discussed density. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtMx8wBfk2-Yy1igdQq2Pd7ATy_8xsYXDeEugrzGJ7Q-Uzj8umee3Y9jM-4DG5jeEcqVpBGlFoeaKxwLSMlqJM_NTdnrdXwmKuYndj4rC6sAnv6IeJUhoyeJKL7RkONrVJerZ0H0dg4cQ/s1214/IMG_0079.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1214" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtMx8wBfk2-Yy1igdQq2Pd7ATy_8xsYXDeEugrzGJ7Q-Uzj8umee3Y9jM-4DG5jeEcqVpBGlFoeaKxwLSMlqJM_NTdnrdXwmKuYndj4rC6sAnv6IeJUhoyeJKL7RkONrVJerZ0H0dg4cQ/s320/IMG_0079.PNG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also did a small group potions activity. They were given the ingredients and recipe to make Veritaserum. I love that <a href="https://imaginationsoup.net/harry-potter-potions-class-experiments/" target="_blank">this activity</a> had Harry Potter named ingredients - it was so much fun! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc95r6c-P3tBHuthJ4XGgSprynMXFOehl5hAnyiJim6tuxjFS_GuQPL4ufEt8LCBgvrownjo-D782NGoLb2Avu-M6QxAYkpEum_dJFgXYSExwKo6pCMbqPQHXzQIpE80DF0O_0BHDdtHv/s2048/IMG_7963.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc95r6c-P3tBHuthJ4XGgSprynMXFOehl5hAnyiJim6tuxjFS_GuQPL4ufEt8LCBgvrownjo-D782NGoLb2Avu-M6QxAYkpEum_dJFgXYSExwKo6pCMbqPQHXzQIpE80DF0O_0BHDdtHv/s320/IMG_7963.JPG" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another favorite activity was making <a href="https://royalbaloo.com/harry-potter-transfiguration-mugs/" target="_blank">Transfiguration Mugs</a> - the students drew their designs on the mug with oil-based paint pens and then painted over the design with thermochromic paint which changed from black to clear with heat. We drank hot chocolate out of our mugs and the results were great! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQALu2dSOnvWbSMN5FO0ulSxm9viA4FS1XoaQVspl2Sdqb83GotBg9zAgdWnXswiYlagu8SIy_xrG4-d1uBMKV6-GZG6yCOSF3EHF5mf6L1njBxqagubI-84Mc0_C5Xt6SVnh5DQxr8ug7/s2048/IMG_7884.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQALu2dSOnvWbSMN5FO0ulSxm9viA4FS1XoaQVspl2Sdqb83GotBg9zAgdWnXswiYlagu8SIy_xrG4-d1uBMKV6-GZG6yCOSF3EHF5mf6L1njBxqagubI-84Mc0_C5Xt6SVnh5DQxr8ug7/s320/IMG_7884.JPG" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A fun activity that the kids LOVED was <a href="https://jonesing2create.com/harry-potter-minute-to-win-it-party/" target="_blank">Harry Potter themed Minute to Win It</a> - this was a fun way to give out House Points and they had a great time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3tHf51APWw26KSCnUGSVQ8lY-GXlHwhuu2RBdzNztr_-5zKGN0c-iVZmZGJ1rT6QeoGLUDs1EWA4g2SDBdz7L8JE6IxDFwRlODigIcfM6y_cGLKOPPDl05wWMYbR_GsaZHhM226JmbO3/s2048/IMG_7986.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3tHf51APWw26KSCnUGSVQ8lY-GXlHwhuu2RBdzNztr_-5zKGN0c-iVZmZGJ1rT6QeoGLUDs1EWA4g2SDBdz7L8JE6IxDFwRlODigIcfM6y_cGLKOPPDl05wWMYbR_GsaZHhM226JmbO3/s320/IMG_7986.JPG" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you enjoyed this journey to Hogwarts as much as the students and I did! These activities were great hands-on STEM fun that we all loved! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-78785069658525135972021-05-27T11:44:00.000-04:002021-05-27T11:44:16.765-04:00Cleaning, repairing, and wearing vintage clothes<p> I was recently gifted with a treasure trove of vintage dresses from a friend who was cleaning out her grandmother's house. I was so floored by this gift and very aware of the gift I was given. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUYnR_nTG7RKHCGGqsZR-wzldmeTcjPwFtH2HjzVbFlKMXK99FVQTzdJHNLp7AFR0WYf1iNBF_Z1frwHP4YlAWGiy8DQBcfSq6Jwt_FLC7FhP_1WjBx0CMKaDDnrj630x25wqYa8L3fjy/s2048/191851216_312102313860955_8087550812716044202_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUYnR_nTG7RKHCGGqsZR-wzldmeTcjPwFtH2HjzVbFlKMXK99FVQTzdJHNLp7AFR0WYf1iNBF_Z1frwHP4YlAWGiy8DQBcfSq6Jwt_FLC7FhP_1WjBx0CMKaDDnrj630x25wqYa8L3fjy/s320/191851216_312102313860955_8087550812716044202_n.jpg" /></a></div><p>While I have some vintage clothes in my closet, I do not have many, because frankly, buying vintage clothing is quite pricy. I always balked at paying the price of ready-to-wear vintage clothes. However, after cleaning and repairing vintage clothes , I now understand the labor that goes behind getting something clean and wearable! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw5lxrnGWqwgs-2_PfZTqlfdVq7gh4p2Q6HbyiMvlxisWU3SbcCgLoulMY4I2eqkdwhGWuC5e9ZlD5IgZqCTI4gi2n4YKQcg5RBivOYt7THhIgj1ywYg05sifBfSFGYMXBTMuyFA5rnCh/s2048/191433751_201847678330630_1256499862457508269_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw5lxrnGWqwgs-2_PfZTqlfdVq7gh4p2Q6HbyiMvlxisWU3SbcCgLoulMY4I2eqkdwhGWuC5e9ZlD5IgZqCTI4gi2n4YKQcg5RBivOYt7THhIgj1ywYg05sifBfSFGYMXBTMuyFA5rnCh/s320/191433751_201847678330630_1256499862457508269_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I washed the dresses individually several times - then did vinegar rinses, and for some (like the dress below), did a baking soda scrub to tackle the underarm staining. That + lots of sunshine did the trick! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdfKakQ6tQ8Edb5sJQarbfa5-iKjsYvQHIMTzcYX9uOgvqBo4KYKj_hR5LpToumNDP5GDWBMM84nune_eb3BYa9APVywLpTRegtdfL7ZXzvpm3IMIAynlYx8Vph5xwAbDd-bK5TwsiHCg/s2048/179914720_784014025884870_3342608123456986882_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdfKakQ6tQ8Edb5sJQarbfa5-iKjsYvQHIMTzcYX9uOgvqBo4KYKj_hR5LpToumNDP5GDWBMM84nune_eb3BYa9APVywLpTRegtdfL7ZXzvpm3IMIAynlYx8Vph5xwAbDd-bK5TwsiHCg/s320/179914720_784014025884870_3342608123456986882_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXMPUxX6fQ0pDVPELOmpaINNfoMUpw_NSAn8zrATRmwJksRFJYFuX4ANY2sAEKuI6cIfQcfFg4udU1OIFKU1_eDXTRhhO0M4emtKbkf0NMEZDY-J796bBDmGxy6cXAsZVcfZUADN0cQaD/s2001/193376438_584158679229944_5811749941381314440_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2001" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXMPUxX6fQ0pDVPELOmpaINNfoMUpw_NSAn8zrATRmwJksRFJYFuX4ANY2sAEKuI6cIfQcfFg4udU1OIFKU1_eDXTRhhO0M4emtKbkf0NMEZDY-J796bBDmGxy6cXAsZVcfZUADN0cQaD/w180-h320/193376438_584158679229944_5811749941381314440_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One dress was gorgeous, but needed a lot of TLC. After washing it, I reinforced nearly all the seams, re-did the hem, and resewed on the buttons. It is definitely starting to disintegrate, but I plan on wearing it as much as I can until it does! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdY84enKa2OwhK0q-fSggrlcjKWlSd_GuDDe6E2Zbe7XKDrmucGspPPk07U1YAPxyKgSxZJH_B7-eTFn0RTURZoMQON2sO5moLuwJWRbGCz5hcnW2SnPSnsjR5ec5DZ3FkXbWvp5e3Zlb/s2048/192280629_544785053191037_1779128018066295597_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdY84enKa2OwhK0q-fSggrlcjKWlSd_GuDDe6E2Zbe7XKDrmucGspPPk07U1YAPxyKgSxZJH_B7-eTFn0RTURZoMQON2sO5moLuwJWRbGCz5hcnW2SnPSnsjR5ec5DZ3FkXbWvp5e3Zlb/s320/192280629_544785053191037_1779128018066295597_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another dress that I thought didn't fit or flatter me at all simply needed to be hemmed for me (I am quite short at 5'0"). That simple change made ALL the difference in the world!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjTWQ_APJF1e-JIG-TXD8Y4bBm2AASfWYixndaGq1fyrT82CaUbgdMu4G3ljPNbUYiASYYGSUuNKMXtOukYtqmNZOWxMd0C9yrLM7UjSBUewYbNDGrD23n6CtxbQ2aJGqNbVZ6EaPcauZ/s1391/191555843_768705010548948_3688402857440019340_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1391" data-original-width="908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjTWQ_APJF1e-JIG-TXD8Y4bBm2AASfWYixndaGq1fyrT82CaUbgdMu4G3ljPNbUYiASYYGSUuNKMXtOukYtqmNZOWxMd0C9yrLM7UjSBUewYbNDGrD23n6CtxbQ2aJGqNbVZ6EaPcauZ/s320/191555843_768705010548948_3688402857440019340_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before</div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkkc0I35gBJOjtJTMBSwzh3Qylsus9ezHcCnnMrk6fofODR79xwsk64SCpwz_wO1R0UlESprHSzlyoqMBkamISHpOIoYsQuPQUBs4tqWnSyOfHBXYd_ODf5r6XkRudsuQsbLlxtJbvRLI/s2048/190147861_311373760587358_1457581520806449407_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkkc0I35gBJOjtJTMBSwzh3Qylsus9ezHcCnnMrk6fofODR79xwsk64SCpwz_wO1R0UlESprHSzlyoqMBkamISHpOIoYsQuPQUBs4tqWnSyOfHBXYd_ODf5r6XkRudsuQsbLlxtJbvRLI/s320/190147861_311373760587358_1457581520806449407_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My last challenge is this dress. There is fading on the sleeve into the chest. I feel like I have 3 options: (1) Try to dye the dress and lose the white trim of the hearts and stitching, (2) Cut off the sleeves and add trim to cover the fading that is left, and (3) Reverse tie dye to camouflage the fading. I haven't decided for sure which one I will do - but that's a project for the summer! Stay tuned! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmj7B9nI5Eyos2dTgBFNcz4eB6ugjzflZ8hVsmzxse38jzLwn692GpfOFN9Ic9wP31yan0am75a4aknsV-9Lk1JUHTQ0S_eELs_vFhkwRP61hIv5KFX8HkxULBog3UluMdEYJlPNLlJWc/s2048/188809736_809409360004025_2998674362948512476_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmj7B9nI5Eyos2dTgBFNcz4eB6ugjzflZ8hVsmzxse38jzLwn692GpfOFN9Ic9wP31yan0am75a4aknsV-9Lk1JUHTQ0S_eELs_vFhkwRP61hIv5KFX8HkxULBog3UluMdEYJlPNLlJWc/s320/188809736_809409360004025_2998674362948512476_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I will always be grateful to my friend for the gift of these dresses, and if you have some vintage dresses in your closet (or your grandmother's closet) - know that I will love them and give them a great home! :) </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-43658938085102525062021-05-25T13:05:00.003-04:002021-05-25T13:05:41.483-04:00Ask a Librarian: Favorite Dystopian books<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Dystopian literature is a sub-genre of science fiction - where a fictional state or society that deals with great suffering or injustice - often under the guise of a perfect society. </span></div><p>I have LOT of favorite dystopian books, because it is one of my favorite genres, but there are some YA books that I pretty much recommend to everyone - and here they are! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOTLYRASNH4G7S4PwJY_a59_SPQyZNaC0hr9PzrB1TLlktFrAVsVx3AQ7FspAQzrH9gGXF3EZqueiZrtaN1YtKsUt6Z-ySgabG1FoZ0eg8hCXBnChYHdj1Tq9YdRyzixhZc8kj15shqdM/s1200/even+more+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOTLYRASNH4G7S4PwJY_a59_SPQyZNaC0hr9PzrB1TLlktFrAVsVx3AQ7FspAQzrH9gGXF3EZqueiZrtaN1YtKsUt6Z-ySgabG1FoZ0eg8hCXBnChYHdj1Tq9YdRyzixhZc8kj15shqdM/w266-h400/even+more+%25281%2529.png" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Disclaimer: If you purchase a book through the links, I may make a small commission. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can also look for these books at your local library!)</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Best classic dystopian book: <a href="https://amzn.to/3yFytJC" target="_blank"><i>The Giver </i>by Lois Lowry</a></h4><p>This is a classic dystopian novel that transcends time - it is a must read! There are also 3 additional books in this series. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3yFytJC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-v8PTXiAx62mZ3D-2_O4bHFP903o4agKeObu9GJcG49m_OOLVHa_I3jW_0Lf8ApK-SdGwSj8nbGfwVYzQNtIvagTb5vB6qXc-0Mav6_p7lxftXHViec-EoaIJaLb6khV514TsE7KdTge/s320/191445214_811396699480177_5614970334837463638_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Dystopian book that had me writing down quotes from it: <a href="https://amzn.to/3vkQ2N3" target="_blank"> <i>Internment</i> by Samira Ahmed</a></h4><p>This book is a recent one and it hits very close to home for our day - it follows Islamophobia that takes place in America that leads to the internment of Muslim Americans. Very good book that is thought-provoking! (Would be a great companion to a WWII/Holocaust/Japanese-American Internment study)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3vkQ2N3" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="1125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkbA_yTfY_1v5zaosc0Fd1udodBKv-OckNjNgdnlihdnXPYSqkq0Il1aucNJ9J4dNwZ0R84pl5WgN7zksjGezZ-Mnwgu0B2KKC2KzOz9Hh0vX-q7F2ucjtiJTNht2Kq3h5MKCpqv1k-WN/s320/192369204_596196291282061_3206982155394669716_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Dystopian book that could actually happen: <a href="https://amzn.to/3yEqM6r" target="_blank"><i>Ashfall</i> by Mike Mullin</a></h4><p>This book follows what might happen after a supervolcanic explosion from Yellowstone. So interesting - and potentially realistic! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3yEqM6r" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLK2Ol9ANeA2U9s3GBc_43t-3vxJsgZe0JOymsDQ_QctJ7vVljZmjaeMT0bNDrka6aMe0jnyIReErdi1WZ9rpXcZu590yHlojliUR-VZh8spbtyhMNx7Wrk97dKBI0T340o4wDTQ9LVMHG/s320/189976704_858374681383038_535001318302301763_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Best middle grades dystopian series: <a href="https://amzn.to/3wpjhyy" target="_blank"><i>Uglies</i> by Scott Westerfeld</a></h4><p>This series is just so good. It is based on the concept that everyone in the society has plastic surgery to be beautiful when they turn 16. I love this series and think it is a great middle grades series simply because of the focus at that age on looks and fitting in. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3wpjhyy" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiCm9ycnYkwHjOhU4JQwP9OfiA0zd2jzoPbiaff7v3w0Uu1IdCeJYAzALXAaabC_J-4IWFECk52RGE63eOMm9pR8Zw8rVvocm-VfSZuJxUFFteqkfgR9PaJdwg4UsraVfSmNDaQ3tzUpB/s320/191503322_482482162863035_3364672482846772927_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Best dystopian book with romance: <a href="https://amzn.to/34jDR7k" target="_blank"><i>The Selection</i> by Kiera Kass</a></h4><p><i>Hunger Games</i> meets <i>The Bachelor</i> in this series - it is more than just a sweet YA romance though - it is well written and a great read! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/34jDR7k" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfSM0L0drKifSW0F9G9hrgP5AnD3uEgaaZ7bdDGU-sr_Ckx28IvlG0fYfP0qvnQ9PJdIIYeEBqTFxkF8sXkMHQOMTE0JjXxdKEWcDjKxzNmvfkJpx49AE3kNnkg7Q2ZZDK5zZzPBTXXkB/s320/190493338_3014995915448353_7792995561692032672_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Dystopian book for computer lovers / gamers: <a href="https://amzn.to/34eiGUr" target="_blank"><i>Little Brother</i> by Cory Doctorow</a></h4><p>This book follows a group of teenage gamers and hackers who are arrested by Homeland Security. Very thought-provoking and good! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/34eiGUr" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33OLXeiXUCTdFr2Xz1qGba_VgNN8ce_BlcMrtTMC8MThmd_ey9BNmI804uFH9GrH8lpp2qf4W8zlh1-2ba_6T_xjRbEaWt7wyEmP0X9Deg4Zy7P-np5TcD9t5qAgZ04Ysh8OIBFIFfX2F/s320/190902896_216433183404337_2199362411055433021_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Best stand-alone dystopian book (not a part of a series): <a href="https://amzn.to/2RLLUXR" target="_blank"><i>Feed</i> by M.T. Anderson</a></h4><p>SUCH a great book! It is about a society where everyone has computer implant in their brain controlling their environment. Great thoughts on our constant feed of information from our phones (and this was written in 2002!!) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2RLLUXR" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2xaxjNaBoPUPYvIv4mvDNkJL71z_JYNb9baBbZlg4oelt1gdTAey5v0_DikCO9sfAj0M-rR2VKzO2ks5hsz4_fXzfpp8fm84ej2K4wueG84EBH4ehtzRzhhHr1WTtu0nphbdGsItUyVS/s320/190389840_456033282163965_4171331260861030718_n.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Creepiest dystopian book concept: <a href="https://amzn.to/3oQPM5X" target="_blank"><i>Unwind</i> by Neal Shusterman</a></h4><p>In response to the pro-choice/pro-life argument, no child may be aborted, but at age 13, the parent can choose to have them "unwound" - a process in which every organ and part is harvested for donation, thus not technically killing them. Super creepy concept and a great series! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3oQPM5X" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuDyDWyPcK9R9ITh2ONqf5AgKKbCN7KppBD5WEyR4HlGWXpQxIl5AIhc3k6jT5sUc96dDpwd9Plrm6y-lJHDR0_wkgjLM0o-mj6Zjjp6svgZ8ePtjisNJiPrzKHbm5DivrYVwnjtQ3fpJ/s320/190229877_314387076798394_166313543121714700_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>What is your favorite dystopian book??? </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-30063106066847540772021-04-30T09:03:00.002-04:002021-04-30T09:03:53.450-04:00Dapper Days are my Favorite Days<p> Dapper Days at Disneyworld are by far my favorite days of the year! </p><p>What is Dapper Day? Well, it is Dapper Day itself is an organization out of California "that celebrates fun, refined styled from yesterday and today." They organize events that encourage attendees to "step out in style." You can keep up with when <a href="http://www.dapperday.com" target="_blank">the next events are </a>on their website. </p><p>So at Disney World, it is a weekend where thousands of people dress up and come to the parks! It is a time to hang out with old friends, meet new ones, and show off your style! It is a great time to visit the parks whether you dress up or not. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think I finally realized what it is that I love so much about Dapper Day - it is the camaraderie. Everyone is there to see and be seen - you can hear "Happy Dapper Day!" as you walk and there is nothing but smiles and greetings! For an extrovert, it is heaven! I've made friends at Dapper Day that have gone far beyond the smile and greeting, and it's a time I look forward to mostly because of these relationships. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So what did we wear to Dapper Day this spring? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, Friday night we celebrated the final episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier with these disneybounds. I channeled the Winter Soldier and Carlos was the Falcon. This was worn to Disney Springs, where we went to meet up with friends and have dinner! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRXTVqLkZl1JHnIIDhWU9WlxKkLVQqonaiX1N9NthNcFiPqc1zj1ZeO90c-b-q6IXJGcdceiSVH9Vi_yJs81wPsMqP1mKkYsLcid3i-0sVzysHmY3aRFeQX5gs1rSnLQxwCvOCBMYRWAO/s960/dapperday2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRXTVqLkZl1JHnIIDhWU9WlxKkLVQqonaiX1N9NthNcFiPqc1zj1ZeO90c-b-q6IXJGcdceiSVH9Vi_yJs81wPsMqP1mKkYsLcid3i-0sVzysHmY3aRFeQX5gs1rSnLQxwCvOCBMYRWAO/s320/dapperday2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday we headed to the Magic Kingdom and were a part of a group Disneybound representing the <a href="https://www.shopdisney.com/minnie-the-main-attraction-content/" target="_blank">Minnie Main Attraction Collection Series</a>. This group was organized by our friend Nastassia of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtyy_D0lcuFjPN46H5Nd7Og" target="_blank">The Princess and the Bea</a>r (check out their Youtube channel for great Disney vegan/non vegan food reviews!). We represented the Enchanted Tiki Room - one of our favorite attractions! How did we do? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzu_wI9Sf7Z2ZZZUkuJSW_IpBC7GTQRhTUzXMGq_MAZISCxEp1WJwtCTRZzvtTCmXrwzwSd4yX2xICWBc4wzVpNj79kyiB0k5Y43ferFJm9DHzmFjh4iB9wFPHzQQvWyu5elwtOfqi6br/s385/4up-SQ_mma-tiki_20200418_2x.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="385" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzu_wI9Sf7Z2ZZZUkuJSW_IpBC7GTQRhTUzXMGq_MAZISCxEp1WJwtCTRZzvtTCmXrwzwSd4yX2xICWBc4wzVpNj79kyiB0k5Y43ferFJm9DHzmFjh4iB9wFPHzQQvWyu5elwtOfqi6br/w200-h200/4up-SQ_mma-tiki_20200418_2x.webp" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsc_UrbcgghxaQ0FjFy1JrxfIX6N5SkvKHN6EAQnB3iBBqmZW2TVzln8X84dh4LWtDog2OJ0sEfEmXaKGD_kdUsgj-VopwtLvVNllgD406gKQiCrieDwazEtQePkuWJdtzYzXwJJIbRDg/s1395/tikiroom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1395" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsc_UrbcgghxaQ0FjFy1JrxfIX6N5SkvKHN6EAQnB3iBBqmZW2TVzln8X84dh4LWtDog2OJ0sEfEmXaKGD_kdUsgj-VopwtLvVNllgD406gKQiCrieDwazEtQePkuWJdtzYzXwJJIbRDg/s320/tikiroom.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://www.ellieanneimages.com/" target="_blank">Ellie Anne Images</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMFmv422K46JFFVz-LNpobGCR1rSeN2arwdPjXFtO6SEOPrw5YgVJKP3Ofy5KclE0EpejKzfjaXN10CDASJPlKxzO6ZMTsOoLkhRTTlTmLmRSbTpuW41zGvs2OnGEvXfxW0EAGXU8SU0H/s2048/179843574_187375873204220_7455737641353258086_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMFmv422K46JFFVz-LNpobGCR1rSeN2arwdPjXFtO6SEOPrw5YgVJKP3Ofy5KclE0EpejKzfjaXN10CDASJPlKxzO6ZMTsOoLkhRTTlTmLmRSbTpuW41zGvs2OnGEvXfxW0EAGXU8SU0H/s320/179843574_187375873204220_7455737641353258086_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sunday was our favorite day - Epcot day! Epcot is our favorite park and it's also a park where it seems to be easier to see different people - so we saw a lot of people that day! It is the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot right now so we went with that as our theme for the day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlzQeA6Ot7dQ-FTqiyays95D9AuO797MyVf5ORW06yYphQe1DNuSyF0-Fr7zNw6-GKIQ3SC0lf4dtKVhu3HdKczmOp8yn8ytQPAin_S6sAQDRDr9Osw_O2twpKgMVOiiki_WAtZmDPD6O/s960/dapperday3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="940" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlzQeA6Ot7dQ-FTqiyays95D9AuO797MyVf5ORW06yYphQe1DNuSyF0-Fr7zNw6-GKIQ3SC0lf4dtKVhu3HdKczmOp8yn8ytQPAin_S6sAQDRDr9Osw_O2twpKgMVOiiki_WAtZmDPD6O/s320/dapperday3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Would you like to attend Dapper Day? My hubby plans all of our trips and he can plan yours too! Check out his travel site - </span><a href="https://jetset.tours/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Jet Set Tours</a><span style="text-align: left;">! </span></div><br />courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-77390463700218455522021-04-22T09:49:00.004-04:002021-04-22T09:49:32.048-04:00Ask a Librarian: 10 diverse middle grade reads with a male protagonist <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZQzP-G1fruIfQhoNqXS02JQm0M96VrrEhZ7KVr5teJRFXdDdnzQGEBVKZfXSoOh-4gTCZ25c2vL8LxIPvwePZaNhDH_cLWp_3K0phzGLa5vkyAqHfWJ-JAD36d_qx36egy-ctUpQZpoo/s1200/10++diverse+middle+grade+reads+with+male+protagonists.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZQzP-G1fruIfQhoNqXS02JQm0M96VrrEhZ7KVr5teJRFXdDdnzQGEBVKZfXSoOh-4gTCZ25c2vL8LxIPvwePZaNhDH_cLWp_3K0phzGLa5vkyAqHfWJ-JAD36d_qx36egy-ctUpQZpoo/w266-h400/10++diverse+middle+grade+reads+with+male+protagonists.png" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Disclaimer: If you purchase a book through the links, I may make a small commission. </span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can also look for these books at your local library!)</span></i></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" /></div></div><p>Earlier this month I was asked for a <a href="https://thelibraryladylife.blogspot.com/2021/04/ask-librarian-10-diverse-middle-grade.html" target="_blank">list of middle grade books with female protagonists</a>. That naturally led to the question about books with male protagonists - so here you go! </p><p>First off, I want to define "middle grade" books. Middle grade books tend to refer to books written for and read by 8-12 year olds. Many 4th and 5th graders would enjoy these books, and I even have these books in my high school library. It's a pretty broad category, but they address issues of growing up without the worry of having coarse language or sexual situations that may come with young adult books. </p><p>So, here are 10 diverse middle grade books with male protagonists - recommended for both girls and boys to read! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tIevv7" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3msT7l895qGLGsqX6CprToVbGIU_ze4hVavVlCaPefvBGDybbEYOWNDJG558May7jamiWKXIv13RgNkCIOlMuvkyM1WkIM6iL4MCeUjSDB23_uY7c13u3s-kgUiEz64uC8vbYZKNN9ldM/s320/ghostboys.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tIevv7" target="_blank"><i>Ghost Boys</i> by Jewell Parker Rhodes</a> is a MUST READ for everyone. Boys, girls, teenagers, adults. It is so relevant and so well-written. It follows the after death experience of a boy who was killed by police and how he is greeted in the after life by Emmett Till. The story works through his own processing of what happened to him. It is thought-provoking and probably one of the best middle grades books I have ever read! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3arvSbZ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8_KaRYCOv8Nutqo93cJ9mNoNK1NhfG7VCMj9r47TDxWFRkIfhzj8K6zpgkjehieORw1J3OSRMzQUjWv5xshaVoPp2rTmV-RCZfU5gDPE5mpt6pv3gQK4yt1Gcmt-lN-Bkuw5TQCp9mSV/s320/epicfail.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3arvSbZ" target="_blank"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3arvSbZ" target="_blank"><i>The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora </i>by Pablo Cartaya </a>is a cute book set in Miami, Florida. The story surrounds a Cuban-American family who owns a restaurant. It addresses the issue of gentrification in a way that students can understand and then discuss. There is a lot of Spanish thrown in, so this would be a great read for dual language students! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3etMAZA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb57nWb0dpjdXMSwqs6tljPbo4tE_LXsiTr0sRf4mUyOW_0w9_MF8SOnEBSEnzStjo-VsjuEbyEovS8leY1yChzEZXO7Syslxs_SIWKbVJ7FcoI4pjt84nVcTN4TU4ImCXibInx0mp7gS/s320/juba.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3etMAZA" target="_blank"><i>Juba!</i> by Walter Dean Myers</a> is a book of historical fiction based on a real dancer, Master Juba. This talented young black man, named William Henry Lane, influenced today's tap, jazz, and step dancing. He lived in the 1800s. This also is Walter Dean Myer's final novel before he died. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3elkgsd" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1363" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjfn4mQRDQrGuZNv-lGngugmOYIhz7HwdK61Bc4Lw9oxcQXDnHdMPOqPAeTEh82DP_chfBdsOOIxIMbwIi97g6-rtGokVPRt4wA9fbtCVlhFJe6xj2dS9TGAjKHsduSS7oRyfhppOckh7/s320/lookbothways.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3elkgsd" target="_blank"><i>Look Both Ways</i> by Jason Reynolds</a> is a series of short stories about the walk home of 10 kids - one story per block. The stories are related in that all of these middle school kids go to the same school, but they each tell a different story. This would be a great book for a student hesitant to pick up a big chapter book as each chapter is a story in itself. Also, you can pretty much know that anything written by Jason Reynolds is a winner. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3sHoPC7" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNSb6CEOKJ4Y7W75-E2gEvicaT-6FC3K5s61d9tiWUingNrTkUMlWuktFr0-gTSujmHTCkovrpcQNrhL7sIBKKIUm0MMSoheydljamAYSpx3f2N-zm6icVH0b4JzuoAwiyqoVBjhI2K-r/s320/newkid.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't read many graphic novels, but I picked this up off of my library shelf and read it in about an hour. <a href="https://amzn.to/3sHoPC7" target="_blank"><i>New Kid</i> by Jerry Craft</a> is a great story about a boy going to a new middle school. It addresses both race and class and how some kids have to "code switch" between two environments. It also addresses the character's trying new things and meeting new friends. It is well written and well illustrated. I highly recommend this book! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3epr6Nc" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMGlnGr-I_xJn3PwpJvxBXqbW2NDVyRzKysRj7QzdwekeA7IpitAWSEdsovIAoU8ADbXJfTBQPHFrA9VGOkc0ftY99Kz0_iJUQ1j9AfpiJsM9jtT7loBscPDkxfI-lb7L7kpqIIo3D4S1/s320/wonder.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few years ago,<a href="https://amzn.to/3epr6Nc" target="_blank"> <i>Wonder</i> by R.J. Palacio </a>was all the rage. A movie was made from it, and it seemed that everyone read it. It is about a boy with a facial difference that makes him stand out. Auggie just wants to be an ordinary kid. This book is both heartwarming and a lesson in not judging someone by how they look. It's one that is popular for a reason! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3dIDKId" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="792" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8b0GzLCbNkrz85yFWeP5EBTWnw6g8Ccq_77uvrwYKEBoyCSneH86X7-jaMg5jRNQ0UEECknpTZs0Ets3kYcOp8oJRXimh08RufcMQe1wtzqTMOWpZq8NbSTGUjyvuGB_SkspXz9T3I0At/s320/refugee.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3dIDKId" target="_blank"><i>Refugee</i> by Alan Gratz</a> is a work of historical fiction that follows the stories of three refugees fleeing a home that has become dangerous - one is a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, one is a Cuban girl in the 1990s, and another is a Syrian boy in the 2010s. It tells the journey of each person, and the stories tie together in the end. A very relevant book with a lot of options for discussion!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3gwg77u" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1635" data-original-width="1101" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuE6MwiWlm5rS9WZMx_0H3IasznGfD7sBqCPfgck1kXd4iTrFTkMDyPUfxHn6fSVRQ_x0n7KpGiyua_kgQ5SAUIXAIWDIyL22nxKsJfqG9_Ha085YkEC2NtSHUVLFOhHL158p4C0OVcUb/s320/restart.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3gwg77u" target="_blank"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3gwg77u" target="_blank"><i>Restart</i> by Gordan Korman</a> is about a popular kid (who happens to also be a bully) who falls off of a roof, goes into a coma, and wakes up with no memory of who he is. This story follow him as he relearns who he was, who he is, and who he wants to be. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3vchIDC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OIgJYdT7RMQfd55zuqJOMfegdxCYKA-7_uIrHbHEEFFc-oE0uHsW_ZXr2fsvHDWsRNhzlbnBQOKifX3-TIE-i3-XyR42zV8BlVnucM8Z0Q4SRjjojEE4bmM1m6ePhfHgVOe9xj-W8xgO/s320/seeyouinthecosmos.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3vchIDC" target="_blank"><i>See You in the Cosmos</i> by Jack Cheng</a> is a difficult book to explain, but it is a good book. It follows 11 year old Alex on his quest to launch his iPad into space the same way that Carl Sagan (his hero) launched a record into space. Along the way, he meets a lot of interesting people who will change his life as he works through his own family "stuff." It's a great book - especially for a space-loving kid! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2QNnQ6a" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JVYQAN3lnZiD6v5-L6WQQNdxAP907o9mv7qcCtsGe37_JURLpXNWJoRRIJhOT7xIdC_whmzGUdEs4HETCpLBpXZBsMmHS2eq3_n7SGmploiWMXBMi24xj0RiLdJmxNcctL0ctuiHyALA/s320/tristan+strong.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For readers who enjoy the Percy Jackson books, the fun can continue with the Rick Riordan Presents series of books. They are more diverse stories that pull from mythology. In the <a href="https://amzn.to/2QNnQ6a" target="_blank">Tristan Strong books</a> (there are currently two with a third book expected this year), the mythology is West African with references to African-American heroes such as John Henry. These are great ways to introduce the fact that mythology is more than the Greek gods. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>For an even more extensive list of diverse middle grade books, check out my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/libraryladylife?listId=IBGON4YA1C6X&ref=idea_share_inf" target="_blank">Amazon list</a> - and watch for a printable list coming in my May email newsletter! <p></p><p>Not signed up for the newsletter? <a href="https://madmimi.com/signups/26df133824494deb9c656ad439f8773e/join" target="_blank">Sign up here!</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-14437315597585962672021-04-08T11:51:00.001-04:002021-04-08T11:51:46.089-04:00Ask a Librarian: 10 diverse middle grade reads with female protagonistsI get asked for book suggestions a lot as a librarian, so I thought I'd start a new series! <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t_MrvyXYy4M5prx97XqMbuv9OChjjgWe93PgwuReS4Zq7i05Z3Kcf2WXMY3wyIe6m_zE9Grvh15auyVHC6K7lDhaWjXKQNwW_MqCKuiIoOhN-mNdd9_TsbQ58F8moW3ZQyu_kLYuK7i0/s1920/Ask+a+Librarian.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t_MrvyXYy4M5prx97XqMbuv9OChjjgWe93PgwuReS4Zq7i05Z3Kcf2WXMY3wyIe6m_zE9Grvh15auyVHC6K7lDhaWjXKQNwW_MqCKuiIoOhN-mNdd9_TsbQ58F8moW3ZQyu_kLYuK7i0/s320/Ask+a+Librarian.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Feel free to send me your questions at courtney@librarylady.me! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Disclaimer: If you purchase a book through the links, I may make a small commission. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can also look for these books at your local library!)</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Question: </b> <span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">What does your 9-12 year old love to read? Preferably with a female main character. </span><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have already been through Little House, Nancy Drew, all Beverly Clearly's stuff, and many others--but hunting fresh and new and wonderful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Answer:</b> Now is a GREAT time for middle grade books! There are SO many choices that offer diverse perspectives. This age is a great time for a diverse list of books, exposing readers to different cultures, races, and experiences through stories! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-piolhuVPzvGUfNvQCdULjXxrbC0vzc0EguKwg7X1Qvwab6MfyH0ueQuddwpOI3Y_UdC0ykeb-e9AwOnDyvFDj5Qd8FwicjQGhF_GJ1xNF4sReWoLGG4wlJSk6iG-5aQFCJvsjDYn0Rcp/s1200/10+diverse+middle+grade+reads+with+female+protagonists.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-piolhuVPzvGUfNvQCdULjXxrbC0vzc0EguKwg7X1Qvwab6MfyH0ueQuddwpOI3Y_UdC0ykeb-e9AwOnDyvFDj5Qd8FwicjQGhF_GJ1xNF4sReWoLGG4wlJSk6iG-5aQFCJvsjDYn0Rcp/w266-h400/10+diverse+middle+grade+reads+with+female+protagonists.png" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4 l82x9zwi uo3d90p7 h905i5nu monazrh9" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="ozuftl9m tvfksri0 olo4ujb6 jmbispl3" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 12px; margin-right: 12px;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw i1fnvgqd gs1a9yip owycx6da btwxx1t3 ph5uu5jm b3onmgus e5nlhep0 ecm0bbzt nkwizq5d roh60bw9 mysgfdmx hddg9phg" style="align-items: stretch; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px -2px; padding: 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t g5gj957u d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz rj1gh0hx buofh1pr n8tt0mok hyh9befq iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 2px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSkWK6xAfLzk3Bw_uQIFoBGZRiyXEoBOG9c6Y6qHHYTj904pN68SB1qZd7Q7ooO4ij0WtrWoRK06iCSbs8YZL8HQeJpOLs48OJTlUHGoM9z79tElPFzlVPpQpdbu8vFyWxtUfv4mJYi9Z/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="327" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSkWK6xAfLzk3Bw_uQIFoBGZRiyXEoBOG9c6Y6qHHYTj904pN68SB1qZd7Q7ooO4ij0WtrWoRK06iCSbs8YZL8HQeJpOLs48OJTlUHGoM9z79tElPFzlVPpQpdbu8vFyWxtUfv4mJYi9Z/" width="157" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3s0h6il" target="_blank"><i>Counting by Stars</i> by Holly Goldberg Sloan </a>follows a a 12 year genius, Willow, who finds comfort in order and in counting by 7s as she navigates life after her adoptive parents die in an automobile accident. It follows her grief and how she learns to open up and find a group of people she can connect with. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEvFxOqMErwCKgtBH64rb-xepIIFZ00AWiEa6p2Ul0JUgkBY98JuFNwCeGHXFLfJK7ATaScQM_L4hKVdOgObD2IEx5if_-3JPLh1SbPiGsVOct1-jE5Fk_VV12dT0xc_EakiV-PlvS31S/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEvFxOqMErwCKgtBH64rb-xepIIFZ00AWiEa6p2Ul0JUgkBY98JuFNwCeGHXFLfJK7ATaScQM_L4hKVdOgObD2IEx5if_-3JPLh1SbPiGsVOct1-jE5Fk_VV12dT0xc_EakiV-PlvS31S/" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3fUYTAi" target="_blank"><i>Fish in a Tree</i> by Lynda Mullaly Hunt</a> is about Ally, a smart girl with dyslexia who has been able to hide her inability to read by being a disruption in the classroom. She finally gets to a teacher who sees beneath the troublemaker and helps her not only learn to read, but also learn that she can be more than her label. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGF23SISWzh6vhsckPozr0kcJTQaEnajHkwO5U7MCfvS3BxaA1WhVKxk93_sZvZSMxx5aqqirAerA29aNhN-Re3VBu2kJSMoNwftWweg41MfeeeHx_4qkUBRsO43jq7fdDR_tF0y09-9A/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="330" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGF23SISWzh6vhsckPozr0kcJTQaEnajHkwO5U7MCfvS3BxaA1WhVKxk93_sZvZSMxx5aqqirAerA29aNhN-Re3VBu2kJSMoNwftWweg41MfeeeHx_4qkUBRsO43jq7fdDR_tF0y09-9A/" width="159" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3d10S45" target="_blank"><i>Amal Unbound</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>by Aisa Saeed</a> is about Amal, a young girl in a Pakastani village who unwittingly becomes an indentured servant, dashing her dreams of becoming a teacher. She learns of others who are in the same situation as she is and works to make a difference for herself, for them, and for her community. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrbAFZ2TgZsBzpg0FYQ8gAeaGubdZ_srwdTtc9rGkkAI0VFYKMCarX3rL15mrWhyphenhyphenuUUNFJ0evtVys7lJS2peOJMF8q_Y4y7rsFvhAKunaYrmoEZ4dFCA96MXt10OUiia_Z8cfO3IX3u0E/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrbAFZ2TgZsBzpg0FYQ8gAeaGubdZ_srwdTtc9rGkkAI0VFYKMCarX3rL15mrWhyphenhyphenuUUNFJ0evtVys7lJS2peOJMF8q_Y4y7rsFvhAKunaYrmoEZ4dFCA96MXt10OUiia_Z8cfO3IX3u0E/" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In <a href="https://amzn.to/3mxbL0Y" target="_blank"><i>Front Desk </i>by Kelly Yang,</a> Mia Tang is a young immigrant who lives in a motel that her parents manage. At 10 years old, Mia manages the front desk as her parents clean the rooms. She dreams of being a writer, but as her parents offer free rooms to other immigrants, they may be doomed when the cruel motel owner finds out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6wTagM2XjXHr-_FE4Gqo_EwzcQYdtmNfjaZou2VavR6YRAGxza7q_yhV1NDjvhCn95MqJrw9CDWs-eZm_9sOvAghzh6vrgrIMl6itUKYuUfVB_bZrZIb8B0q11GwNs7Qkb-66ZmZj7lj/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="198" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6wTagM2XjXHr-_FE4Gqo_EwzcQYdtmNfjaZou2VavR6YRAGxza7q_yhV1NDjvhCn95MqJrw9CDWs-eZm_9sOvAghzh6vrgrIMl6itUKYuUfVB_bZrZIb8B0q11GwNs7Qkb-66ZmZj7lj/" width="162" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/39U4IKi" target="_blank"><i>Out of My Mind</i> by Sharon Draper</a> is an amazing book. The protagonist, 11-year-old Melody has cerebral palsy and because of that cannot talk, cannot walk, and cannot write. However, she is much smarter than most people assume, in fact, she is the smartest student in her entire school. And she is determined to prove it somehow.<span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGTWoPvPCs2465p5LLCD3YUSLgiayga-D6R1dHh8eLCl5PUbvoajw9sseHpPu91cvlG9rG5IWDG3iA2V0pHGC2pg9F7dTXrN9X3YKSr5SL2k7tHj7_iOF-CEAY-aiWtggUz99keMKy14S/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGTWoPvPCs2465p5LLCD3YUSLgiayga-D6R1dHh8eLCl5PUbvoajw9sseHpPu91cvlG9rG5IWDG3iA2V0pHGC2pg9F7dTXrN9X3YKSr5SL2k7tHj7_iOF-CEAY-aiWtggUz99keMKy14S/" width="159" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3dPcfeP" target="_blank">A Long Walk to Water </a></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3dPcfeP" target="_blank">by Linda Sue Park</a> is based on a true story. It is actually 2 stories, told in alternating sections of 2 children. A girl named Nya and a boy named Salva. Nya fetches water twice a day from a pond that is a two hour walk from her home. Salva becomes one of the "Lost Boys" of the Sudan, refugees who walk to find family and a place of safety. Their stories intersect in a moving way. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7dgZMNb8HwihrBaq3t2GMC0A1YNFPONYg56FKM_B8V1MXReOPwrYb0ZATf0Mv113IACgq5g5LU4A2gzz59V7rTQ9LZR53Vg-33WihmP5PXUTWir1UWYWztik80DFXVHjXBuuJOoXu8CC/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7dgZMNb8HwihrBaq3t2GMC0A1YNFPONYg56FKM_B8V1MXReOPwrYb0ZATf0Mv113IACgq5g5LU4A2gzz59V7rTQ9LZR53Vg-33WihmP5PXUTWir1UWYWztik80DFXVHjXBuuJOoXu8CC/" width="159" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Set in the 1920s,<i> <a href="https://amzn.to/3s7xQo0" target="_blank">Beyond the Bright Sea</a></i><a href="https://amzn.to/3s7xQo0" target="_blank"> by Lauren Wolk</a> is about a young orphan, Crow, who was raised on a tiny island in Massachusetts. This story follows her journey to discover who she is, where she came from, and the true meaning of family. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fzy06cXVxFCHWnaeU6vDhDrEam5OWd0Ub789cIx_biYmHolzJagdxk14AVvWNg4SYExOh67GpY_gy2dtp6qjyDYFGHRzgYEx5uozRsIgA6bHNnaaZlfqEIEZ4m-4WqqwXUT9Jt5zpzbh/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fzy06cXVxFCHWnaeU6vDhDrEam5OWd0Ub789cIx_biYmHolzJagdxk14AVvWNg4SYExOh67GpY_gy2dtp6qjyDYFGHRzgYEx5uozRsIgA6bHNnaaZlfqEIEZ4m-4WqqwXUT9Jt5zpzbh/" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/39Ui89e" target="_blank"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/39Ui89e" target="_blank"><i>Other Words for Home </i>by Jasmine Warga </a>is about Jude, a young Syrian girl who has to move to the United States with her mother when things turn violent in their town. She has to maneuver a whole new culture and school, all with her brother and father still in Syria. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTACIvnQvZANFXTTeCqAuU1u4y-iabgbC4608E1mez1r7r_y-DXoMCnTWGut7MF7cKx71-ErpQvSj6dPVJ4LbFshqLqU2lINusKI1bfZBq2b4z_go81GXHEQxGg0nelwAe1ANGCux-1D_L/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTACIvnQvZANFXTTeCqAuU1u4y-iabgbC4608E1mez1r7r_y-DXoMCnTWGut7MF7cKx71-ErpQvSj6dPVJ4LbFshqLqU2lINusKI1bfZBq2b4z_go81GXHEQxGg0nelwAe1ANGCux-1D_L/" width="159" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/31Zv4WZ" target="_blank"><i>Stella Diaz has Something to Say</i> by Angela Dominguez</a> is about Stella Diaz, a girl whose best friend is in a different class this year. As she tries to befriend a new boy at school, her confusion with speaking Spanish when she means to speak English embarrasses her. But she has to overcome her fears for a big presentation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvQwHNjzYg_QGCqaTzesFDdFHW8p11lynHNY8pgIoTCuvPsA_dOyMZvmlaCTRP91LxhZSihfN_C7bN1lg1p0sbn15qoQIIyBpBLd7VBTf9AcjelD7uAULc9d7hZKgNWPzXI8qHvdAf_ZP/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvQwHNjzYg_QGCqaTzesFDdFHW8p11lynHNY8pgIoTCuvPsA_dOyMZvmlaCTRP91LxhZSihfN_C7bN1lg1p0sbn15qoQIIyBpBLd7VBTf9AcjelD7uAULc9d7hZKgNWPzXI8qHvdAf_ZP/" width="160" /></a></div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Set in South Carolina in the 1960s and 70s, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3dNhmMq" target="_blank">Brown Girl Dreaming</a></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3dNhmMq" target="_blank"> by Jacqueline Woodson</a> tells what life was like for African-Americans in that time. Told in verse form, it is the memoir of the author. </span></div></div><div aria-label="Leave a comment" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 pq6dq46d mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso l9j0dhe7 i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="cwj9ozl2 tvmbv18p" style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 4px;"></div></div></div></div>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-30762963375425471642021-02-26T10:15:00.000-05:002021-02-26T10:15:12.777-05:00Refashioning thrifted clothes <p> I love thrifting. Sometimes I find something great that doesn't fit quite right - enter refashioning and my developing sewing skills. Even better, because I've only spent about $1 on each item, if I completely screw it up, I am not that upset about it. In the meantime, I'm developing my skills as I go. Yippee!</p><p style="text-align: center;">First up is this striped jumpsuit. I loved it so much - and look! It's the right length! Only problem? It's a child's XL with no zipper and once I got into it it wasn't easy getting out of it - not the best idea in a romper you have to pull down and up to go to the restroom. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWe4z4NAouOzWFbLAcfE1e3cl8d9G5zlVnXOE4BzM2K_coK6_ZlAaZqICnbCKQXmPL5KUg6CjJe2i2rAFf6j_7W35e0dK2naLP6yp27OmFY-dg0aNfXfuu_KbyNwpwx2EBspZUtPbiH3BW/s2048/152333558_771651666779054_5815637461616967823_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWe4z4NAouOzWFbLAcfE1e3cl8d9G5zlVnXOE4BzM2K_coK6_ZlAaZqICnbCKQXmPL5KUg6CjJe2i2rAFf6j_7W35e0dK2naLP6yp27OmFY-dg0aNfXfuu_KbyNwpwx2EBspZUtPbiH3BW/s320/152333558_771651666779054_5815637461616967823_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, I had this zipper that I had taken from a different thrifted item last year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Sidenote: If you find something at a thrift store that has great parts for sewing - get it and deconstruct it!) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I decided if it had a zipper, it would be easier to get in and out of. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So I literally just pinned the zipper to the back, cut down the middle and sewed it on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcl-BI6qVPZQdFRF8rzTg_dvU_IzWd3pw8Sqd7Xv3vB3ewRMl-0EMUr76yjiAfOFBIERcSFAqucNnpmA5C8zFjZevnmo-xm3kn5Z3tmo_GQmoDRm4L8FFWnQRRulPdunyFYi_gwvNdb65/s320/152810618_1581949511998979_6293886424636165201_n.jpg" width="320" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWHn8TITkAJffDKC9lMMB39yYT_Led2rl1E3jP-fNozoxGo77wKfV5L_LI2J27DFbXyp-X6f67_-jzF8uvu_VrcIFqgdXW4YtODTM-maSOFj7gxphDXom6edFeTZcgZ2Bdcbp5Sim7Lok/s2048/152515756_769284113712023_3132091249535006849_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWHn8TITkAJffDKC9lMMB39yYT_Led2rl1E3jP-fNozoxGo77wKfV5L_LI2J27DFbXyp-X6f67_-jzF8uvu_VrcIFqgdXW4YtODTM-maSOFj7gxphDXom6edFeTZcgZ2Bdcbp5Sim7Lok/s320/152515756_769284113712023_3132091249535006849_n.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not very glamorous, but it works. After I stitched it on with blue thread, </div><div><div style="text-align: center;">I decided it needed a little more something so put another seam in yellow. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilm0jrem5y53CC5keIa-Jr0BKzNqAdi2w-4rGKc0hUdVrUhEScyXyxM8yPqMTaDL5Au2kb-xhqR1PLa1F5_L1FvwZxpCp9L3J8CjfRfwvx-HIiz41fYt8AvPFb3BXu3GEUGNT3RPZrajfI/s2048/152035630_1410139039338772_6754413121725964712_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilm0jrem5y53CC5keIa-Jr0BKzNqAdi2w-4rGKc0hUdVrUhEScyXyxM8yPqMTaDL5Au2kb-xhqR1PLa1F5_L1FvwZxpCp9L3J8CjfRfwvx-HIiz41fYt8AvPFb3BXu3GEUGNT3RPZrajfI/s320/152035630_1410139039338772_6754413121725964712_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div><div style="text-align: center;">Next up was this dress. And I have to be honest. I had no idea what I was doing. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I just tried to figure it out as I went along. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAyFknpE9fx5wOy_1VthURjPaCXYDIVMNs2is1kChTbNsTBHz9HFcS9d8KZ_7985vjnCkyFcTmCujI-eAkaJduTlET8XYObtd96MSCCZb-jpUeUDpu3xw0_fTBqCMvCs3xa8rNLJIw9P7/s1936/152174787_180709243486867_4023823549820305959_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="1936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAyFknpE9fx5wOy_1VthURjPaCXYDIVMNs2is1kChTbNsTBHz9HFcS9d8KZ_7985vjnCkyFcTmCujI-eAkaJduTlET8XYObtd96MSCCZb-jpUeUDpu3xw0_fTBqCMvCs3xa8rNLJIw9P7/s320/152174787_180709243486867_4023823549820305959_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was a big shapeless blob. Way too big for me and long to the floor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But I loved the color. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So first I set it beside a dress with a shape that I love: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZBqOGgy7eR7l41BfHZMV9vLnxi0N22f-yiMIbomZobITtamcSrsPSXiCfqi_YYRSkFJ8-zxyy4s6HubOaMIlEyYQ0vM9mCiv7hAmv10GEN23a7a6j6fjay-YxrdALt4rn9dEOBf3lH-f/s2048/152721578_126928192663916_5442647661634398959_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZBqOGgy7eR7l41BfHZMV9vLnxi0N22f-yiMIbomZobITtamcSrsPSXiCfqi_YYRSkFJ8-zxyy4s6HubOaMIlEyYQ0vM9mCiv7hAmv10GEN23a7a6j6fjay-YxrdALt4rn9dEOBf3lH-f/s320/152721578_126928192663916_5442647661634398959_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I turned them both inside out and used the red dress as a pattern and just started cutting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvpy3EgsJ0E7uTa0qzhmvH0Uu-Cj5DXElDqVodFjHd-0OThyHebeupWdGymL97c5c-eyFn3i9SZOT5_8PYFmkrkXmQBLt6wwzaiGLrGGKvCtg4FMuwxfQzjZsnLd49SFSl1RcQ7j4F5dD/s2048/152466923_1079951359194043_3364598475246482264_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvpy3EgsJ0E7uTa0qzhmvH0Uu-Cj5DXElDqVodFjHd-0OThyHebeupWdGymL97c5c-eyFn3i9SZOT5_8PYFmkrkXmQBLt6wwzaiGLrGGKvCtg4FMuwxfQzjZsnLd49SFSl1RcQ7j4F5dD/s320/152466923_1079951359194043_3364598475246482264_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then I remembered there was a zipper. So I stopped, removed the zipper, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and then continued cutting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I pinned the bodice to the skirt without trimming the skirt - so I folded over 2 pleats in the front to allow the material to match up. I matched the seams in the back and reattached the 2 pieces together. I then put in the zipper. Not great, but my first attempt at actually sewing a zipper in, so I was okay with it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgC2megPDZr7P74D3kO70xidtjQGPsurmJnXPWTGkbyJVuT_C-pyiUX324U0TT3uCD9h_QgY6aQfD59uLFG7TIfI5HlNbE2XYEwPs3ylVp16kN5yKcsJkzqM9REXzjOnPVCiYkKVYhf2N/s2048/152414870_484779452897857_7824790232041714467_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgC2megPDZr7P74D3kO70xidtjQGPsurmJnXPWTGkbyJVuT_C-pyiUX324U0TT3uCD9h_QgY6aQfD59uLFG7TIfI5HlNbE2XYEwPs3ylVp16kN5yKcsJkzqM9REXzjOnPVCiYkKVYhf2N/s320/152414870_484779452897857_7824790232041714467_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I tried it on and realized that it needed to be made "petite" by taking up the straps a bit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUPtxj7dPEaNHg_nxt3OkcK81VSYoCypC2U_tmhjLbcVv5KLwDbAralKlg09svQtvnYJuuRkiH6TdVWD753LuvbDHfXKn_GncnH7zDtVNX3fxDu8D8m6QL7gSsCd54p7o9MgqBi9P91IH/s2048/152047341_337969390833387_8178541220014736409_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUPtxj7dPEaNHg_nxt3OkcK81VSYoCypC2U_tmhjLbcVv5KLwDbAralKlg09svQtvnYJuuRkiH6TdVWD753LuvbDHfXKn_GncnH7zDtVNX3fxDu8D8m6QL7gSsCd54p7o9MgqBi9P91IH/s320/152047341_337969390833387_8178541220014736409_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I really really really wanted to just sew across that strap, but I knew that wouldn't look good at all, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">so I began taking out the whole seam. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zM7DZ-4LksEGKi4v0AvSM2Le79o5GAqEUJsTMe_KBUAY7GTX_jH7XuMdQ8LjHvNBzfrAwPTcOqx3fl8QdUMWNBFrvni76OF8NPNaBqkjuyfpAJdPwd-lN9V1yAeW-p3uRJXVokQNJPrn/s2048/153450336_258804172350784_716630367606133961_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zM7DZ-4LksEGKi4v0AvSM2Le79o5GAqEUJsTMe_KBUAY7GTX_jH7XuMdQ8LjHvNBzfrAwPTcOqx3fl8QdUMWNBFrvni76OF8NPNaBqkjuyfpAJdPwd-lN9V1yAeW-p3uRJXVokQNJPrn/s320/153450336_258804172350784_716630367606133961_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I cut off the amount that I had measured, </div><div style="text-align: center;">and then kind of folded it until it looked like it had before and sewed it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">(I just have to give a shout out to my mom who has kept all of her and my grandmother's thread from over the years and because of that, I had the EXACT color of thread that I needed!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here is what it looked like after I sewed the shoulder back: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH_Kbc1MFMf-J_ntfl8aBTTGz32HX0Hc0f1JXpomQ9udVzqenKhzhFTe6uqKTII949sKPjZNr7KgSwgSeROQSXPzdW23J18GZbteLwFNTmodgJinndYxvFfM7uRSOUjfpcJmHvfLRf3yv/s2048/152435676_224190386087982_6662491228907438275_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH_Kbc1MFMf-J_ntfl8aBTTGz32HX0Hc0f1JXpomQ9udVzqenKhzhFTe6uqKTII949sKPjZNr7KgSwgSeROQSXPzdW23J18GZbteLwFNTmodgJinndYxvFfM7uRSOUjfpcJmHvfLRf3yv/s320/152435676_224190386087982_6662491228907438275_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here is the finished dress - not perfect by any means, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but I practiced a lot of skills and it only cost me $1.25! Yay for Last Chance Goodwill!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4KEStlY3Yq_djVciZ42CJiXdNoKgd3kEBiHGBMnUGOU8ntiEMspCl1qnPHp0zUMHJAPQr6OQElq4Ji1k0uarJUmVa2KJbOj_gznrR0YSjR6kNdajKF8Aa2pVbICU_i9bqsvyONWs1FwM/s2048/152863890_737761743841087_8615976531169724588_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4KEStlY3Yq_djVciZ42CJiXdNoKgd3kEBiHGBMnUGOU8ntiEMspCl1qnPHp0zUMHJAPQr6OQElq4Ji1k0uarJUmVa2KJbOj_gznrR0YSjR6kNdajKF8Aa2pVbICU_i9bqsvyONWs1FwM/w239-h320/152863890_737761743841087_8615976531169724588_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div></div>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-34277165806420568282021-02-11T14:34:00.000-05:002021-02-11T14:34:04.086-05:00Master Bathroom Renovation Reveal! <p><br />Several years ago, we (and by we, I mean my husband) finished our <a href="https://thelibraryladylife.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-joy-of-home-renovations.html?fbclid=IwAR2AytmIAh_ADAfJfme2dNgcYxne-Dls48ujW9QUP89NE7gvaqJ09teHD_c" target="_blank">hall bath renovation</a>, and this week I can finally say we are DONE with our master bath renovation!!!</p><p>For some background, we bought our 1959 ranch home as a fixer upper - it was bank-owned, which meant we got a great deal, but we also got a great amount of work! At this point Carlos has basically rebuilt every room in the house except the living room and the kitchen (and those are on the to do list!) </p><p>When we first bought the house this is what the master bathroom looked like. It was huge, having been the original kitchen in the house before a previous add-on. It seemed that the countertop was 'new' - but if you look closely you can see that those 2x4s are holding up the sinks. It was as if they turned the sinks upside down, drew a circle and then made that cut - and then realized the hole was too big. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhi-9OW2Sm7nEQ7o0qw2kxj2_z5-tYNrg-5kDzl3altOvoAe_GcwO5nnMgQV7SEd3r_vmNjGE0prFncb8epjpkj8weVQSu0BUMioqpY0KchnAROz8ie2pq2MP7V1-3fU4kc_pzhOPCU-S/s448/1928740_65240082291_7311_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhi-9OW2Sm7nEQ7o0qw2kxj2_z5-tYNrg-5kDzl3altOvoAe_GcwO5nnMgQV7SEd3r_vmNjGE0prFncb8epjpkj8weVQSu0BUMioqpY0KchnAROz8ie2pq2MP7V1-3fU4kc_pzhOPCU-S/s320/1928740_65240082291_7311_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So immediately when we moved in, we had to replace the countertop. We also replaced the sinks and the faucets, along with the doors and hardware. It was an immediate improvement! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMdyb5DfnGVtgkkit-w4Mry4bP0uNG95SzbLmKsC65x5r352UK0tRCu9lY93I9kY5Clw6JeT-_uy1TWd9vRHDPe4PaCpd55Zkzq7p2JpfcvCUVWuS8dxbzQzuJ6osQUnHzY9K8okvcQl9/s448/1928740_65240177291_910_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMdyb5DfnGVtgkkit-w4Mry4bP0uNG95SzbLmKsC65x5r352UK0tRCu9lY93I9kY5Clw6JeT-_uy1TWd9vRHDPe4PaCpd55Zkzq7p2JpfcvCUVWuS8dxbzQzuJ6osQUnHzY9K8okvcQl9/s320/1928740_65240177291_910_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHtChKirIMQrCQwfbusW3DAaD8ZdvJszuEsgxwqrZIVh3zENX2fb_w6QbP660mT01lry8yI2En9stCr_Ouq1myKAQkeNVhbf8RiS6GfJhWFAS-H2nlrzS6cTVgUwC8-OfhC0gbHqKzgWf/s2048/146120642_212921677196294_2388000637902888870_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHtChKirIMQrCQwfbusW3DAaD8ZdvJszuEsgxwqrZIVh3zENX2fb_w6QbP660mT01lry8yI2En9stCr_Ouq1myKAQkeNVhbf8RiS6GfJhWFAS-H2nlrzS6cTVgUwC8-OfhC0gbHqKzgWf/s320/146120642_212921677196294_2388000637902888870_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What you can't see on the other side of the tub was a closet with our washer and dryer in it. That was kind of strange, but rather convenient. We lived with the bathroom like this just fine, but knowing it would have to be rehauled eventually. Carlos completely renovated the kids' rooms each time I was pregnant (insulation, drywall, electrical, and windows) and then he did the hall bath renovation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What came next was actually the first step in the master bath renovation and that was the master bedroom. He insulated, drywalled, and rewired the master bedroom. As he was doing that, he changed the bathroom wall, adding two doors instead of just the one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4enNeE3POtY5pJtxQ_S4kPckBjtxyl41xaNMjEp1d8XIQT0vSITJtKEqfV5LfqwGTtXt0Gxo9q_Fwfm40Z49Ms_Ujm8pBN2OZ8iv87bf6UyTw8IJKDl0P8DXiEsoKrFFlez3rrS2ol9HO/s1280/145995814_710809846291661_8320376810687218990_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4enNeE3POtY5pJtxQ_S4kPckBjtxyl41xaNMjEp1d8XIQT0vSITJtKEqfV5LfqwGTtXt0Gxo9q_Fwfm40Z49Ms_Ujm8pBN2OZ8iv87bf6UyTw8IJKDl0P8DXiEsoKrFFlez3rrS2ol9HO/s320/145995814_710809846291661_8320376810687218990_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the original wall - with the one door to the bathroom</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqloA33yoLi2AUWKX1PpODAz5ZkmbISdZLZqfWyx8S_FgLMB8qb2Z6yH-m84OP8xcGdt-waYFeioL6BQYPcdMIT3czSS3W_6QaWClPAB73vN1XrQaXUbhu9pn_5Z1mVYrw7z1RoZlGsCxZ/s320/146081236_878406899668751_3093349709502367997_n.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The wall with two pocket doors. For a while they both led to the bathroom. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When the two doors were put in the sink cabinet had to be taken out. This left us with a toilet and shower, and we had to use the sink in the hall bath. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjo20flTy9v6g3Q42QNVAzOXIB0HVDShr4KOUKuRyetRXtBKvxOfomW2lDadLh_PG8H1u2vtUJ2dqR_nuHP9nvr2_glWLmyGq_Rk5Q_F9peDLhTfgd0NF4KADpbCjwrHxorRvCjiZ24VX/s2048/145939041_3432371033540324_3747174075135561615_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjo20flTy9v6g3Q42QNVAzOXIB0HVDShr4KOUKuRyetRXtBKvxOfomW2lDadLh_PG8H1u2vtUJ2dqR_nuHP9nvr2_glWLmyGq_Rk5Q_F9peDLhTfgd0NF4KADpbCjwrHxorRvCjiZ24VX/s320/145939041_3432371033540324_3747174075135561615_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before the bathroom could be completed, the washer and dryer had to be moved. This meant that Carlos had to do plumbing and electrical at their new location. He also installed a new tankless water heater and relocated an electrical panel. (The work never ends for Carlos!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So finally the real demolition began!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDBOaZPMng9EPdGdYOB46f4pYAJ1qEoNXpdjoPNx8vq8ajmcddiMZIkAoH_NX8MCjcTTBOKrLYV_oel90JIuN59Bvem23su0K7H89w5Z2hdbzxX2KPsZmpt3HBQRdNq2X1V88apZzCdyv/s1822/118764384_3582016131831038_3261329967525682580_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1822" data-original-width="1366" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDBOaZPMng9EPdGdYOB46f4pYAJ1qEoNXpdjoPNx8vq8ajmcddiMZIkAoH_NX8MCjcTTBOKrLYV_oel90JIuN59Bvem23su0K7H89w5Z2hdbzxX2KPsZmpt3HBQRdNq2X1V88apZzCdyv/s320/118764384_3582016131831038_3261329967525682580_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbmTAtPe3EuCf1sj_4UOwu6mWppONfswMseplWsPhipivAlmvnlSgKKZTVeCLtoGHjIywgP8o6igs1YLvlaJiKCDJaHNTvgLGIdg5R0ENyk29GUhqqW3EVMxEfzGMFUqizMGmXeTzUWiX/s1768/118766464_335546077636246_2527613843339081907_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="1326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbmTAtPe3EuCf1sj_4UOwu6mWppONfswMseplWsPhipivAlmvnlSgKKZTVeCLtoGHjIywgP8o6igs1YLvlaJiKCDJaHNTvgLGIdg5R0ENyk29GUhqqW3EVMxEfzGMFUqizMGmXeTzUWiX/s320/118766464_335546077636246_2527613843339081907_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Absolutely everything came out - and Carlos had to actually rebuild some of the floor, so when I say he built it from the ground up - I mean it literally!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The plan was to split the huge room into 2 smaller rooms - one to be an office/walk-in closet and the other side to be the master bath. So he framed a wall between them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AvHaygNwSfrRG9NjeM4KIdviL4i0K0IW6m-3W2Yrr84nWZV3zQGL2nZhLcgETL4RviT4vmC4uI7toqi6ojlAm_82LASXiBeKzVWBPqoDsXEHMEA5lt_ZZS06BIoAwCzdip0EbszU5kV_/s1771/118764386_345850846602860_4072985069209518650_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1771" data-original-width="1328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AvHaygNwSfrRG9NjeM4KIdviL4i0K0IW6m-3W2Yrr84nWZV3zQGL2nZhLcgETL4RviT4vmC4uI7toqi6ojlAm_82LASXiBeKzVWBPqoDsXEHMEA5lt_ZZS06BIoAwCzdip0EbszU5kV_/s320/118764386_345850846602860_4072985069209518650_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvsPXOhZVrsSHBQg_iSnHh9tXJZ8x8jCzi3h8uf1gShmFT3eIbTPGehTvkByOKO6zAlAB2GHnQZSktNdlMh1iJLvs0xWChlecHGVn0CeTn-BZib4guSQDJXciGDZ_hrYLRLo1_gqm-knz/s2048/104757863_3093286844027248_2521811661074718772_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvsPXOhZVrsSHBQg_iSnHh9tXJZ8x8jCzi3h8uf1gShmFT3eIbTPGehTvkByOKO6zAlAB2GHnQZSktNdlMh1iJLvs0xWChlecHGVn0CeTn-BZib4guSQDJXciGDZ_hrYLRLo1_gqm-knz/s320/104757863_3093286844027248_2521811661074718772_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After that came drywall, electrical, and plumbing. We took out the window (which was the old kitchen window but currently just looks out onto the carport) and he also added heated floors and a beautiful ceiling. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a LOT of work, it is finally finished. And it is beautiful! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTDXheq9yCr0kg8pBR-9JaCyWSYPjh311Fd18BstHnegGXl2fP07b2ZRYHMtghpp7ZHTcoe2Z7XaYwjXcpxRUerIbaZfMvfrzvxiKpBN6KaIeRnMABurAMacjusSOLiBoLvwgLS9rTrb6/s1500/145906769_410771023331443_8690542716817873469_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTDXheq9yCr0kg8pBR-9JaCyWSYPjh311Fd18BstHnegGXl2fP07b2ZRYHMtghpp7ZHTcoe2Z7XaYwjXcpxRUerIbaZfMvfrzvxiKpBN6KaIeRnMABurAMacjusSOLiBoLvwgLS9rTrb6/s320/145906769_410771023331443_8690542716817873469_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7T-gRa8z8_TEb_lKXlh5hM58rvag5XXM_47RWq-Zt8MxsXWw7BAHNlXrvM31qDT3kgswkbGZ9fUF8NbE1s0aybyCF7dTeJg_E56w5ZONfpeHSa3VuRK_MHg10lR0Xji_Do34nRHQNFWw/s1125/146087758_164815598529285_6297481916908124735_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7T-gRa8z8_TEb_lKXlh5hM58rvag5XXM_47RWq-Zt8MxsXWw7BAHNlXrvM31qDT3kgswkbGZ9fUF8NbE1s0aybyCF7dTeJg_E56w5ZONfpeHSa3VuRK_MHg10lR0Xji_Do34nRHQNFWw/s320/146087758_164815598529285_6297481916908124735_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfcQoqWK3q0ndbcS4xEOZ7D0366u_lV2uJxIkVLg79Ql_2n5xnL_suGHNCweexArmrZ8QUE13CNVLUknzMx0wFH-p1Bb5z5DV514UlGcjAosBVg4Q4uZH27ECU1fWiym_NHUfu3sI5C12/s1500/146125014_1006690446522200_6173247495523862157_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfcQoqWK3q0ndbcS4xEOZ7D0366u_lV2uJxIkVLg79Ql_2n5xnL_suGHNCweexArmrZ8QUE13CNVLUknzMx0wFH-p1Bb5z5DV514UlGcjAosBVg4Q4uZH27ECU1fWiym_NHUfu3sI5C12/s320/146125014_1006690446522200_6173247495523862157_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRMPRMJcolOB6D0qrlInHe19BbvO1qhhMq9iJhfSZGjGWsn4IpGUzgQ-vi1Fj8iXDBJ_zy5nR57Z4PiyuxFiRpVZuGaWlCuQuc9qvvYsD7bFAHQyvkwIzkw8lo_BXHtRdZcG0GzRYHOkm/s2048/146380327_232048528500650_7667174310607182360_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRMPRMJcolOB6D0qrlInHe19BbvO1qhhMq9iJhfSZGjGWsn4IpGUzgQ-vi1Fj8iXDBJ_zy5nR57Z4PiyuxFiRpVZuGaWlCuQuc9qvvYsD7bFAHQyvkwIzkw8lo_BXHtRdZcG0GzRYHOkm/s320/146380327_232048528500650_7667174310607182360_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BoMZrtgTxI9fE9_vDuLEGBENS9BO0VpVW_whsOXS8Q7WuWFlRKHB72z20EaJEwXGhou5TX03W-QoglG4Lb_nRj0SzfoERsPoD-pgDTdGJqDvkWJrhPLBLxI4RDvSiIFLRwfvP3kOIOWm/s1500/145893365_830626751120383_8795144533365907476_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BoMZrtgTxI9fE9_vDuLEGBENS9BO0VpVW_whsOXS8Q7WuWFlRKHB72z20EaJEwXGhou5TX03W-QoglG4Lb_nRj0SzfoERsPoD-pgDTdGJqDvkWJrhPLBLxI4RDvSiIFLRwfvP3kOIOWm/s320/145893365_830626751120383_8795144533365907476_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-44143594809233595562021-01-31T12:56:00.000-05:002021-01-31T12:56:07.698-05:00Fantasy Bingo Reading Challenge<p> It's no secret that my favorite genre is fantasy - I love all things vampires, fairies, magic, and mythology! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxyKq_kyC1IsY_LmhMqcLoCkjRt-buMZUOBn6BRCClwPuZg6hPmfebZVE9XD5RnPspKlMb_0EF7bVJ0XxGPOw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>So, for a fun challenge, I thought I'd create a Fantasy Bingo Reading Challenge for the month of February! Now, before you get overwhelmed, I want to make sure you know that if you take advantage of the free space you only have to read 4 books! Also, children's books, middle grade books, and young adult literature counts! This challenge is more about exploring different types of fantasy lit than about reading a certain amount of pages. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBJZsUYIg95BgU1AQf0a9noZ45QECaWu1h30vyxBcQ6SBDH9fTGdLJVohV6ON-v0BrcnXC6elmGxQQ4LikbZ2mWEKYh2VFc7pZwhtlxpa6Yaq3PWnJneKXYU0wquk6pYXlfwgepjzTxhq/s1080/YA+Fantasy+BINGO+%25281%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBJZsUYIg95BgU1AQf0a9noZ45QECaWu1h30vyxBcQ6SBDH9fTGdLJVohV6ON-v0BrcnXC6elmGxQQ4LikbZ2mWEKYh2VFc7pZwhtlxpa6Yaq3PWnJneKXYU0wquk6pYXlfwgepjzTxhq/w400-h400/YA+Fantasy+BINGO+%25281%2529.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please allow me to share with you some of my favorites from these categories - you can find them at your local library or a used bookstore near you, or you can use the links below to Amazon, and I may make a small commission from the affiliate link. </h4></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=courtneyflore-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B087V733YJ" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Vampires</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVIOvRI5YtVfhyphenhyphenWKWN3sCokct7ZQuLSX9ceyHH5kkgNxSEsvnCHP1XQWSh4WBJJdchKVlvVGE3UqIj8xI3_XP8aHWaTjY-l_Sz8sxJPqW0XAKOpXpPKTufPtRv1-VHwOV1JmMb6AlrTW1/s2048/144633291_164345491902749_354776936405016162_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVIOvRI5YtVfhyphenhyphenWKWN3sCokct7ZQuLSX9ceyHH5kkgNxSEsvnCHP1XQWSh4WBJJdchKVlvVGE3UqIj8xI3_XP8aHWaTjY-l_Sz8sxJPqW0XAKOpXpPKTufPtRv1-VHwOV1JmMb6AlrTW1/s320/144633291_164345491902749_354776936405016162_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3oz68yC" target="_blank"><i>Midnight Sun</i> by Stephenie Meyer </a></li><ul><li>This is the recently published book which tells the story of Twilight from Edward's point of view. I found it completely enjoyable and actually better than the original. I liked his story-telling better, and I definitely liked Bella better from his perspective! It was a fun read that got me to reread the rest of the series again!</li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/36rjua1" target="_blank"><i>Blue Bloods</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>by Melissa de la Cruz</a></li><ul><li>This is a great series about a coven of vampires who lives in Manhattan and operates as a part of a secret, elite society. It's sort of vampires meets Gossip Girl type of story. </li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3r5NU9p" target="_blank"><i>The Hunt</i> by Andrew Fukuda</a></li><ul><li>This book turns the normal plot of vampire stories on its head - instead of the vampires hiding among a human world, it is humans who have to hide in a world run by vampires. </li></ul></ul></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ghosts</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUSLgZN0NM7QLIoYEv9MEjcw6iweOuy2ACh5g0ttihL8NmwcZjnMAtiNOxuRlhLAh_fFCoEjd3HZW-LcsBREHjU0eIq7P6qU6DwdWNEcQQD84BYtssajuYMPH_vvK_nWU_OlQkxuUezag/s2048/144546319_164889855432146_6983644967786748067_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUSLgZN0NM7QLIoYEv9MEjcw6iweOuy2ACh5g0ttihL8NmwcZjnMAtiNOxuRlhLAh_fFCoEjd3HZW-LcsBREHjU0eIq7P6qU6DwdWNEcQQD84BYtssajuYMPH_vvK_nWU_OlQkxuUezag/s320/144546319_164889855432146_6983644967786748067_n.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3owi3NG" target="_blank"><i>Ghost Boys </i>by Jewell Parker Rhodes</a></li><ul><li>This book is not your normal ghost story, but it is a MUST READ! It is the story of a young black boy who is killed by a policeman who mistakes his toy gun for a real gun. The story begins once he is a ghost - and he meets Emmett Till's ghost who helps him process what happened. It is a great middle grades book that I would recommend anyone aged 10 and up to read!</li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><ul></ul></ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3coF4iW" target="_blank"><i>The Name of the Star</i> by Maureen Johnson</a></li><ul><li>This story is a more traditional ghost story that also connects to the history of the murders of Jack the Ripper - it is a good ghost story for anyone interested in history as well! </li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li><ul></ul></ul> </ul></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fairies</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V5__GuI9jhz2BeZOhbmL8lRy4L_AtUxqfXfr47-KB-KI5Fmf77WbxQmLZb6MgxIuedeSbLdSblWY5RyrBVFC3M43W4bI2WsklifVwZeZ6RA_a3UARNqGp0pLnvtO7HJKBAs28hxhOG2j/s2048/144269676_158964806027506_7574259786490462456_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V5__GuI9jhz2BeZOhbmL8lRy4L_AtUxqfXfr47-KB-KI5Fmf77WbxQmLZb6MgxIuedeSbLdSblWY5RyrBVFC3M43W4bI2WsklifVwZeZ6RA_a3UARNqGp0pLnvtO7HJKBAs28hxhOG2j/s320/144269676_158964806027506_7574259786490462456_n.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3afHspE" target="_blank"><i>Cruel Prince</i> by Holly Black</a></li><ul><li>Holly Black is THE YA author for fairy stories - and this series, Folk of the Air, is a great one. It tells the story of a human who was taken into the fairy world when she was 7 years old, and despite the fact that she is mortal, she longs to be accepted there and finds herself fighting for a place in that world. </li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3oIE7ot" target="_blank"><i>Wicked Lovely</i> by Melissa Marr</a></li><ul><li>This is an older series but is one that I loved. It follows the story of a girl who has "the sight" - the ability to see fairies. She has lived her life following certain rules to avoid being noticed by them. However, her rules don't work forever and she becomes the desired possession of the Summer King. </li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3tdjXWY" target="_blank"><i>A Court of Thorns and Roses </i>by Sarah Maas</a></li><ul><li>This is an AMAZING series that has another book coming out this month (2/16). It really is more in the "new adult" genre rather than "young adult" because it's a bit more steamy that most ya fantasy would be. Like many fairy stories, it is about a girl who gets unwillingly pulled into the fairy world. This one has political intrigue, romance, and many twists and turns - it has a huge cult following as well (just google ACOTAR) </li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fairy Tale Retelling</h3><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9tryHiKfNzbNDo4z-r6SafoYgBhIH4syZmi72dSY0mYB_bzM426M_VXl8ytC_m52RDm0XLjzUDYD5_4t8mxCDzjF8bqBjUCuXqdQ6ezBRX7g5QWAywW8dmHHyP0mOm5DAJ6ffP1lIBLT/s2048/144926790_1340616102984512_2527601134039263501_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9tryHiKfNzbNDo4z-r6SafoYgBhIH4syZmi72dSY0mYB_bzM426M_VXl8ytC_m52RDm0XLjzUDYD5_4t8mxCDzjF8bqBjUCuXqdQ6ezBRX7g5QWAywW8dmHHyP0mOm5DAJ6ffP1lIBLT/s320/144926790_1340616102984512_2527601134039263501_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3r7qrVp" target="_blank"><i>Cinder </i>by Marissa Meyer</a></li><ul><li>This is a GREAT retelling of Cinderella - very original - kind of a steampunk/cyber punk story were Cinderella is a cyborg. Well worth your time reading! </li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul><li>Twisted Tales series -<a href="https://amzn.to/3r9ocB6" target="_blank"> such as <i>Part of Your World </i>by Liz Braswell</a></li><ul><li>If you love Disney fairy tales, this series reimagines the stories if the villain had won - In <i>Part of Your World, </i>you find out may have happened if Ariel had never defeated Ursula. It's a fun way to revisit your favorite Disney fairy tales! </li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul><li>Disney villains series by Serena Valentino (be sure to read them in order starting with <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2NSaZOJ" target="_blank">Fairest of All</a>)</i></li><ul><li>Another great series for any Disney fanatic is the Disney Villains series - it is a series that tells the story from the villains' point of view. This is a must read for anyone who loves the villains! </li><li>Bonus for the Fantasy Bingo - written by a woman!</li></ul></ul><div><br /></div><div>Finally, the series that can meet many of the squares of the Fantasy Bingo Reading Challenge - <a href="https://amzn.to/36o2Ck7" target="_blank">The Mortal Instruments</a> Series, along with the prequel series, <a href="https://amzn.to/2MFXQHK" target="_blank">The Infernal Devices</a>, and the sequel series, <a href="https://amzn.to/3ahFyF4" target="_blank">The Dark Artifices</a> - it will keep you reading for a long time! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteOPIAgHgslGTGJDTRzLixLs3UVuYlPMhyBPYR5qP0NTj5RArP8uuWtrYu_OqnrmyZ0I-x6MgCXY8rpk6hPSJgiGGrXeFAQe3UJwK5Nvh7Y9RjBC1JmS5YPPXBfchRH0GN1WIx5v0yRmm/s2048/144102132_176755117567662_5348670607518954403_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteOPIAgHgslGTGJDTRzLixLs3UVuYlPMhyBPYR5qP0NTj5RArP8uuWtrYu_OqnrmyZ0I-x6MgCXY8rpk6hPSJgiGGrXeFAQe3UJwK5Nvh7Y9RjBC1JmS5YPPXBfchRH0GN1WIx5v0yRmm/s320/144102132_176755117567662_5348670607518954403_n.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>From what I can figure, a book from this series meets any of the following categories:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Fae/Fairies</li><li>Urban fantasy</li><li>Demons</li><li>Vampires</li><li>Fantasy Romance</li><li>Written by a Woman</li></ul></ul><div>Plus, it's one of my favorite young adult fantasy series, so it comes highly recommended by me! </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless of what you read, I hope you cross a few boxes off on the bingo chart - and if you do - let me know what you read!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Below is my bookstack for the challenge - can you guess which categories I am trying to check off?</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcrFt8qnMg5d8Kt9gg9tJlwwj2BbqWLrladK8nGNfcSC2gfimnO99ACtBguI8-x3CqbnWymLt_ikn_SspvaY2hSl-YuZgk3UFLlz1bbXN0LrvTMHpxnieMwwq7MIGK7nyMWVyaIfT6B_Z/s2048/293755C4-512F-4A29-AA23-9EA5314878E9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcrFt8qnMg5d8Kt9gg9tJlwwj2BbqWLrladK8nGNfcSC2gfimnO99ACtBguI8-x3CqbnWymLt_ikn_SspvaY2hSl-YuZgk3UFLlz1bbXN0LrvTMHpxnieMwwq7MIGK7nyMWVyaIfT6B_Z/s320/293755C4-512F-4A29-AA23-9EA5314878E9.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-31086552075752154692021-01-01T08:00:00.001-05:002021-01-01T08:00:04.493-05:00Word of the Year for 2021<p> So 2020 . . that was quite a year, wasn't it? My word of the year for last year was Gratitude. And it ended up being a great word for the craziness that was. I chose to look at all of the obstacles through a lens of gratitude and it helped me get through some of the hard days. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_NlREHSXWE3orNXnZCL4yw2kKUz4ykvUv1vVeVvcxtF7JAMFw9xymfB4XNQMPCp9cBE8nOZSkP8ANx9PgbSHZc8SULhczsHYV_u5hGyj6rNGJZrejhf4AUYUcGXrAV83yf8pxL_-KE9c/s2048/134066415_752068458765420_5967582421869222215_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_NlREHSXWE3orNXnZCL4yw2kKUz4ykvUv1vVeVvcxtF7JAMFw9xymfB4XNQMPCp9cBE8nOZSkP8ANx9PgbSHZc8SULhczsHYV_u5hGyj6rNGJZrejhf4AUYUcGXrAV83yf8pxL_-KE9c/s320/134066415_752068458765420_5967582421869222215_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>For 2021 I decided to choose the word Grounded. The definition of the word grounded is: mentally and emotional stable, sensible, realistic, strong connection to who you are. (and I will add to WHERE you are). I have a tendency to be so wrapped up in dreams, ideas, and plans, that sometimes I can just float away from reality all together. I want to learn how to dream while keeping my feet on the ground. </p><h3 style="text-align: center;">I want to be grounded in Christ, in love, in reality, in my body, and in who I am. </h3><p>Now, what is pretty funny about this is that there is a maxim that I have HATED with all of my being for my entire life that ties in pretty well with this word - </p><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>Bloom where you are planted. </blockquote></h4><p></p><p>I still hate it. But I want to live it this year. Gratitude has brought me a deeper appreciation of the life that I have - in 2021 I want to grow in that gratitude and put more of my focus on the things that are right in front of me. </p><p>I want to water my roots, nourish myself, and be connected to those around me. I want to feed my soul by unplugging more, dancing more, praying more. </p><p>I want to be grounded in God's Word - I would like to memorize 21 Bible verses in 2021, and these are the 2 I will start with: </p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>Ephesians 3:17-18 - I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love. </blockquote><blockquote>Colossians 2:6-7 - Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.</blockquote></h4><p style="text-align: left;">Also, while I never will get to the point where I will be considered 'athletic,' I want a better connection to my body. I did a bit of pilates last year with <a href="https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/" target="_blank">The Balanced Life </a>youtube videos. I plan on trying to do more of that, and also doing some zumba and checking out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUN4EOchmBbZ9ZjKi9IRVQ" target="_blank">Lazy Dancer Tips</a>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I don't know if I will get there, but here's to the effort!!! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5jpIRaBMWw-PaPabYQyodaVMM-6wWaBvo8_PVV664jewZwpRKhFipNi8mAGz_xCYU7NGNXGLhj5iCmrWvxyGfOxh4T7-727CtPzHqzCDE_HbRsxy_Hqg_IUeZ4exyG-wopX_P13inltE/s2048/133873708_400144191269893_7866345376141583816_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5jpIRaBMWw-PaPabYQyodaVMM-6wWaBvo8_PVV664jewZwpRKhFipNi8mAGz_xCYU7NGNXGLhj5iCmrWvxyGfOxh4T7-727CtPzHqzCDE_HbRsxy_Hqg_IUeZ4exyG-wopX_P13inltE/s320/133873708_400144191269893_7866345376141583816_n.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Did you choose a word for 2020 or 2021? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-65266642240577044932020-12-28T08:33:00.001-05:002020-12-28T08:33:01.109-05:00What I Read in 2020<p> Early in 2020 I had the grand idea to create a reading challenge for myself (and anyone else who wanted to join) and create a list of 20 authors to read in 2020. It was a good challenge, and I started strong. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P1-tYnFbivrYdXXD9hBHi0GDNkO8A1WIlb04NSOY6poCu8QcgBP1KNm-BhvY9AzBopVVcjUVZvv5TqdVlygY151DkjZJvrrnmyhXHSYHvlbc-XqDWZXhamIzNBSQzRFbX1JtGWl97UgW/s2000/The+Library+Lady%2527s+2019+Book+Challenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P1-tYnFbivrYdXXD9hBHi0GDNkO8A1WIlb04NSOY6poCu8QcgBP1KNm-BhvY9AzBopVVcjUVZvv5TqdVlygY151DkjZJvrrnmyhXHSYHvlbc-XqDWZXhamIzNBSQzRFbX1JtGWl97UgW/s320/The+Library+Lady%2527s+2019+Book+Challenge.jpg" /></a></div><p>I read about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but when I got to his books, I realized it wasn't going to be a quick read, so I moved on to some of the young adult authors on the list. Then Covid-19 happened and the world turned upside down. And all I wanted to do was comfort read. So I dropped the challenge and read what I wanted. I only ended up checking off about 3 of the authors (Samira Ahmed, Holly Black, and Jason Reynolds) but by the end of the year I read 50 books. </p><p>Here are my stats! (see my <a href="www.instagram.com/libraryladylife">instagram</a> for a blank template)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqdZYB3_2IXamghboXSBcNZ8o9egtcwtT39Rm6R1V0SOdKqOFY1Prt-Smehaw0zEvuoOrB_wg1VANxy_xhOHp3MSy9lcMIsKvaUJ3IsDKNuZpOvBUBe-6K4w-ewwf9kYQwuLpAOhDfg6X/s2001/130492205_710800086079598_1921503808567637977_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2001" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqdZYB3_2IXamghboXSBcNZ8o9egtcwtT39Rm6R1V0SOdKqOFY1Prt-Smehaw0zEvuoOrB_wg1VANxy_xhOHp3MSy9lcMIsKvaUJ3IsDKNuZpOvBUBe-6K4w-ewwf9kYQwuLpAOhDfg6X/s320/130492205_710800086079598_1921503808567637977_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer: If you purchase a book through one of the links below I may earn a small commission. </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can also look for these books at your local used bookstore or at your local library!</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started and abandoned 3 books - which as a Library Lady I give you permission to do. There are too many great books out there to read one you don't love! (Even if everyone else loves it!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Abandoned books: </h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3qDwCRI" target="_blank"><i>The Graveyard Book</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>by Neil Gaiman</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2JNLBId" target="_blank"><i>Between the World and Me</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>by Ta-Nehesi Coates</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/370an0D" target="_blank"><i>The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> by Douglas Adams</a></li></ul><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fiction books:</h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/370tasv" target="_blank"><i>All American Boys</i> by Jason Reynolds</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3lYFWvN" target="_blank"><i>Vixen</i> by Jillian Larkin</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3oG7qbh" target="_blank"><i>Ingenue</i> by Jillian Larkin</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/39YK2Sm" target="_blank"><i>Diva</i> by Jillian Larkin</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2JOfbxg" target="_blank"><i>See you in the Cosmos</i> by Jack Cheng</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/33Y6qaD" target="_blank"><i>Counting by 7s</i> by Holly Goldberg Sloan</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2K7UYCt" target="_blank"><i>Cruel Prince</i> by Holly Black</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3m9gwvT" target="_blank"><i>Wicked King</i> by Holly Black</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/37RMreO" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Nothing</i> by Holly Black</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/39UR0I4" target="_blank"><i>Internment</i> by Samira Ahmed</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2VZ3TbP" target="_blank"><i>The Hunger Games</i> by Suzanne Collins - reread</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2VVn5HJ" target="_blank"><i>Catching Fire</i> by Suzanne Collins - reread</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/39UcO6L" target="_blank"><i>Mockingjay </i>by Suzanne Collins - reread</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3gtHAVe" target="_blank"><i>The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes</i> by Suzanne Collins</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3n4Vy2c" target="_blank"><i>The Girl of Fire and Thorns</i> by Rae Carson</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2VWw9vR" target="_blank"><i>The Crown of Embers</i> by Rae Carson</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3oAiqqP" target="_blank"><i>The Bitter Kingdom</i> by Rae Carson</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/39VMSHW" target="_blank"><i>Alex and Eliza</i> by Melissa de la Cruz</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/370qNGh" target="_blank"><i>Midnight Sun</i> by Stephanie Meyer</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2Ldbm4W" target="_blank"><i>New Moon </i>by Stephanie Meyer - reread</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/37OUdGr" target="_blank"><i>Eclipse</i> by Stephanie Meyer - reread</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2VYuC8E" target="_blank"><i>Breaking Dawn </i>by Stephanie Meyer - reread</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3755ZgZ" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone </i>by J.K. Rowling - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3m0zyV8" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets </i>by J.K. Rowling - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/36Y56Xm" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban </i>by J.K. Rowling - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3gxUQbA" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire </i>by J.K. Rowling - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/36YqYld" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</i> by J.K. Rowling - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2K1E3kR" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince </i>by J.K. Rowling - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2K1EbAR" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows </i>by J.K. Rowling - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3oEGJnI" target="_blank"><i>The Chocopocalypse</i> by Chris Callaghan</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3n5pKum" target="_blank"><i>Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess </i>by Nancy Springer</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3m0h5bb" target="_blank"><i>Rebecca</i> by Daphne du Maurier</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3m2X7fI" target="_blank"><i>The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</i> by Mary Ann Shaffer</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2VUjrhd" target="_blank"><i>City of Bones</i> by Cassandra Clare - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2VTI1yC" target="_blank"><i>City of Ashes</i> by Cassandra Clare - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3gvxQK4" target="_blank"><i>City of Glass</i> by Cassandra Clare - reread </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3gyqi9p" target="_blank"><i>City of Fallen Angels</i> by Cassandra Clare</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3n0NMq5" target="_blank"><i>City of Lost Souls</i> by Cassandra Clare</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3n3PxCZ" target="_blank"><i>City of Heavenly Fire </i>by Cassandra Clare</a></li></ul><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Nonfiction books: </h3></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3n5fT7Q" target="_blank"><i>The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler </i>by John Hendrix</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3gwqVAA" target="_blank"><i>The Plot to Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero </i>by Patricia McCormick</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3m24i8b" target="_blank"><i>Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You</i> by Jason Reynolds</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3lV9BpO" target="_blank"><i>The Making of America: Alexander Hamilton </i>by Teri Kanefield</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2LlScdn" target="_blank"><i>Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge</i> by Erica Armstrong Dunbar</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2VYH87S" target="_blank"><i>Love and Respect</i> by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/33Wtwi4" target="_blank"><i>Love and Respect in the Family</i> by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2W3bbLD" target="_blank"><i>The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child </i>by Donalyn Miller</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/370KtKg" target="_blank"><i>Make Change: How to Fight Injustice, Dismantle Systemic Oppression, and Own Our Own Future</i> by Shaun King</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/33WZta6" target="_blank"><i>Boundaries in Marriage </i>by Cloud/Townsend </a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/37LxeMx" target="_blank"><i>The Hour that Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal</i> by Parrotts</a></li></ul></div></div><div><p>So that's what I read - I was influenced by a lot of different things in choosing what I read, but here is a few: </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">New Releases</h4><div>There were several new releases this year that I was excited about - <i>The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes </i>and <i>Midnight Sun </i>specifically. They prompted the rereading of those entire series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The re-reading of the Twilight series was especially nostalgic for me. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Release of Hamilton on Disney+</h4><div>When Hamilton was released on Disney Plus in July I went kind of Hamilton crazy - that prompted me to read the YA biography of him (which was great) and the historical fiction <i>Alex and Eliza</i>, which was cute, but not good enough for me to read the next 2 books in the series. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Netflix film releases</h4><div>I am a firm believer that the book is always better than the movie, and if a movie is based on a book, I want to read the book before I see the movie. I didn't do that with the <i>Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</i> - I watched that movie before I realized it was a book. I read the book this year and it, as always, was better than the movie! I read the Enola Holmes book and <i>Rebecca</i> in preparation to watch the Netflix movies. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Black Lives Matter and the fight against systemic racism</h4><p>Along with the rest of the world, this summer I realized I needed to broaden my horizons and learn about the issue of system racism and how it affects people - so I read books such as <i>Internment</i>, <i>Stamped</i>, <i>Make Change</i>, and <i>All American Boys. </i>I firmly believe that books can help open our eyes and help us become more empathetic to the issues that others face. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">So what was my favorite? </h3><p>My favorite fiction book was definitely <i>Internment</i> by Samira Ahmed. It was thought provoking and relevant. It's the first fiction book in a long time that has prompted me to write down quotes! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQIttmMwFKCeTc4YodPNugsN4ZZcXbuipi6YkQcbUBXEAd7mt1966CF9P9kNY5lUuaXjwhLqSr0TuPrZlRNkTZ8ohkv-d0OibyKOfFfgWa4OgU_rbQUTxatyL98ahU-nrbdLx-K36cWPX/s960/100576022_10158507468252292_568669196297175040_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQIttmMwFKCeTc4YodPNugsN4ZZcXbuipi6YkQcbUBXEAd7mt1966CF9P9kNY5lUuaXjwhLqSr0TuPrZlRNkTZ8ohkv-d0OibyKOfFfgWa4OgU_rbQUTxatyL98ahU-nrbdLx-K36cWPX/s320/100576022_10158507468252292_568669196297175040_n.jpg" /></a></div><p>My favorite nonfiction book was Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds. I love when there is a young adult version of a bestseller. It retains all of the good stuff and is an easier read. This book is no exception - Reynolds does a phenomenal job breaking down the information from Ibram X. Kendi's bestseller Stamped from the Beginning. I learned so much from this book and it is a great first read for anyone wanting to learn more about systemic racism in America. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_374Q8gaABIxzpUNF49F8NBvyW5OKrUACZQK7fPRaTqYiqgQcDZ2pLn1zm0TE2vno_HbYI93bknPuZc0Bcrd3izsVlrWLN397-XqSi9T8Ur8IeNV-AGVM21yiHr0wBQYEqjZOvKNjPIKn/s2048/131032315_232974704929739_7252138835650935115_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_374Q8gaABIxzpUNF49F8NBvyW5OKrUACZQK7fPRaTqYiqgQcDZ2pLn1zm0TE2vno_HbYI93bknPuZc0Bcrd3izsVlrWLN397-XqSi9T8Ur8IeNV-AGVM21yiHr0wBQYEqjZOvKNjPIKn/s320/131032315_232974704929739_7252138835650935115_n.jpg" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">What was your favorite read in 2020? Did you read any of the books I read?</h3><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-88612105513508606952020-09-15T09:29:00.002-04:002020-09-16T13:09:44.722-04:00Should you cancel Netflix over the movie "Cuties"? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0fya9MY0XwT_J874jrH5MU-bl6HAa7ERU5Z7K1RLgcqAIs_l8FXpDUKQlPd4Wqi5xEUSYyR2d5x16qXmMh7JorcsS7stL4NfzDvq1YANHfugD6kanWSqC1uSpUUsJHt_zEZQbXesunj0/s2048/Untitled+design+%25286%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0fya9MY0XwT_J874jrH5MU-bl6HAa7ERU5Z7K1RLgcqAIs_l8FXpDUKQlPd4Wqi5xEUSYyR2d5x16qXmMh7JorcsS7stL4NfzDvq1YANHfugD6kanWSqC1uSpUUsJHt_zEZQbXesunj0/w400-h225/Untitled+design+%25286%2529.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>A trending hashtag this week is #cancelNetflix - a backlash over the French movie "Cuties" which, according to Neflix is "a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. It's an award-winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up - and we'd encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie." So if you watched it, or saw scenes from it and were disgusted, that's kind of the point. </p><p>Whether you think the film shouldn't have been made because of the exploitation of the actual girls acting in the film, or if you think it shouldn't have been made because people shouldn't be watching the exploitation of girls, I understand your point. However, it was made to bring up an issue, and it worked. </p><p>The question now is, what will you do about it? Does canceling your Netflix account actually do anything about the issue itself? I would venture to say it doesn't. </p><p>So what <i>should </i>you do? </p><p>First of all, <b>get educated</b> on the issue: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Read <a href="https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/not-object-sexualization-and-exploitation-women-and-girls/30366" target="_blank">this article from UNICEF </a>about how the the sexualization of women and girls leads to violence against them. </li><li>Visit<a href="https://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls" target="_blank"> this topic page from the American Psychological Association</a> about the sexualization of girls and how it affects their mental and emotional health. </li></ul><div>Then,<b> take action</b>:</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a parent of a daughter, here are some ideas:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Listen to your own words. Do you praise your daughter for being "cute" or "pretty" more than for being "smart" and "strong"? She will learn to value what she gets positive attention for. </li><li>Watch what they watch. See the images they see, the videos they watch, and the tiktoks they favorite. If you see something that concerns you - talk to your child about why. This really is the first step. If your daughter is inundated with media that glorifies sexuality, she is likely to move that direction. </li><li>Be willing to have the conversation. Understand that your daughter, if she is on social media, is closely watching her likes and it doesn't take long for her to realize that being 'sexy' gets more likes. It's a tough balance between not shaming girls for normal feelings and discouraging hypersexuality - try to find the balance. </li><li>Find positive role models. Girls like Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai and Simone Biles. Follow <a href="https://www.amightygirl.com/" target="_blank">A Mighty Girl</a> for resources. Their website even has a <a href="https://www.amightygirl.com/parenting/child-sexualization" target="_blank">book list </a>for parents wanting to combat the sexualization of girls. </li></ul><div>If you are a parent of a son, be willing to have the same conversation about how girls are praised for their looks over their talents. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, I'm not sure that vilifying a product that brings attention to an issue rather than vilifying the issue itself is all that helpful. Rather, it's a distraction from the actual issue. You can cancel your Netflix account and post about it and feel like you accomplished something. And maybe collectively it will accomplish something. I don't know. But the real work is done in real life - with your daughters and her friends - with the relationships with the girls in your life. </div><div><br /></div><div>So go tell a girl she is smart and strong - she probably needs to hear it! </div><div><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p>courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-79155431446169594392020-07-05T10:40:00.001-04:002020-07-05T10:40:24.786-04:00Why I wear a maskIn this strange time of the Covid-19 pandemic, wearing masks to prevent the transmission of the virus has become controversial and politicized. Those who do not wear masks accuse mask-wearers of living in fear, and those who wear masks accuse those who won't as being selfish and uncaring.<br />
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While much can be said (and probably has been said on social media) about masks, I want to just tell you why I DO wear a mask, even though it isn't the most comfortable or convenient thing in the world.<br />
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My entire perspective on this (and hopefully all other issues) comes from my identity as a Christian and how I feel I can best live out my faith and demonstrate love to others.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmGtrhwH0OSvaqdAruzMN4tgHoYXswJKKbDALtyCCajuatTdMda1Yv_R_e7uUxp2t9b3NcZD9_WjNZhlCZAOZeVi9wJ3H-1WGxmClBB-eBFg-9H4qGE7kUUFSb12LUBF1NhAl3PyJ9O-b/s1600/4111BBA6-423F-4167-BE92-6CBA5B6E716F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmGtrhwH0OSvaqdAruzMN4tgHoYXswJKKbDALtyCCajuatTdMda1Yv_R_e7uUxp2t9b3NcZD9_WjNZhlCZAOZeVi9wJ3H-1WGxmClBB-eBFg-9H4qGE7kUUFSb12LUBF1NhAl3PyJ9O-b/s320/4111BBA6-423F-4167-BE92-6CBA5B6E716F.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While I've made most of our masks, this one was purchased on Etsy from the shop MadeatHomeMasks - <br />you can also buy them at <a href="https://www.madeathomemasks.com/">https://www.madeathomemasks.com/</a></td></tr>
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<h3>
The importance of knowledge</h3>
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In many places in the Bible, but mainly in Proverbs, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding are praised, and foolishness and ignorance are condemned. While there are many opinions about the effectiveness of wearing a mask to prevent virus transmission, the scientific and medical community, the source of knowledge in this area, have said that wearing masks can prevent the spread of Covid-19. Now, I do not necessarily want this to be true - it would be much easier to just decide it doesn't matter and go about my business any way I want to (without the inconvenience of a mask) - but then I read this:<br />
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"A fool's way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise." Proverbs 12:15</blockquote>
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"A discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness." Proverbs 15:14</blockquote>
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"The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of wise seeks it" Proverbs 18:15 </blockquote>
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<h3>
Love your neighbor as yourself</h3>
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As far as I understand, wearing a mask does not protect ME against acquiring coronavirus. My wearing a mask protects OTHERS - in the case that I may be an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. Now as it would work best, everyone would wear a mask and everyone would be protected. However, my wearing a mask is a tangible and visible way for me to love my neighbor.<br />
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"I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, but you must also love one another. By all this people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35</blockquote>
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"We must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action." 1 John 3:18</blockquote>
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<h3>
What if I'm wrong?</h3>
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What if I'm wrong and wearing masks doesn't do anything to protect others? Well, if I'm going to be wrong, I want to err on the side of love every time. Which is why I won't be unloving to those who refuse to wear masks. Their convictions of how to love others isn't for me to judge. I can only live out my own faith and demonstrate love in the best way I know how and in the way that I feel led to do.<br />
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So there you go, one more opinion you didn't ask for, but got anyway. :) courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-43687194898063705682020-05-11T16:16:00.000-04:002020-05-11T16:16:30.662-04:00Some of my favorite fantasy booksSo, during this global pandemic, I, along with millions of other millennials and gen-xers (and even some boomers) have gotten addicted to <a href="http://www.tiktok.com/libraryladylife" target="_blank">TikTok</a>. I made a video about fantasy books I love and many people asked for the list of the books, so, here they are!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (As always, if you purchase a book through one of these links, I may receive a small commission)</span></i></div>
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And here is the video, with a sound clip from my favorite show, Parks and Rec:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzd4QZcv58LFwGpJdaPIxsIx4Yj-lxEXgbCiUXYzdB8XS9NNZuHcYzgBB11gpwsnhRSDP-jJ3iBsnXUNXrO8w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b>Vampire book: <a href="https://amzn.to/2Wp3pwN" target="_blank"><i>Blue Bloods</i> by Melissa de la Cruz </a></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Not to be confused with the TV series, the Blue Bloods series follows a community of vampires set in New York City. Set in a prestigious private school, it is a fun vampire series to read!</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKy49HgwvZYkayi_w-Ekal_FosNZG6G3mxckUNt9F8B8gV6nq2cAQANDBq9yuPzC1CRGSh1rcVWLfMyWTbEsb_gB2okC3L5Mqtsh4ma8TSpScJ9h0Dvf9xRwDg3jFkXk4ZjIi99DRtFdj/s1600/bluebloods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKy49HgwvZYkayi_w-Ekal_FosNZG6G3mxckUNt9F8B8gV6nq2cAQANDBq9yuPzC1CRGSh1rcVWLfMyWTbEsb_gB2okC3L5Mqtsh4ma8TSpScJ9h0Dvf9xRwDg3jFkXk4ZjIi99DRtFdj/s320/bluebloods.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<b>Werewolf book: <a href="https://amzn.to/2WooHug" target="_blank"><i>Shiver </i>by Maggie Stiefvater (The Wolves of Mercy Falls series)</a></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>A great werewolf trilogy, the Wolves of Mercy Falls is about a girl who has grown up watching the wolves behind her house and suddenly finds herself falling in love with one of those wolves, whose human days may be ending soon. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGuHI11AZ7P3htWMyWlr6qcK0sQuoHshS_iSrEazTn4iXtDZjk1nVeBCJyFGtENrCIbbIqIcMVqkFniWgIgYja1ck6Aayugm-bB9FbBRtNvoCLQDo0hyLu7BUB-NfzVYQn5A2GvvHLGtu/s1600/shiver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="449" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGuHI11AZ7P3htWMyWlr6qcK0sQuoHshS_iSrEazTn4iXtDZjk1nVeBCJyFGtENrCIbbIqIcMVqkFniWgIgYja1ck6Aayugm-bB9FbBRtNvoCLQDo0hyLu7BUB-NfzVYQn5A2GvvHLGtu/s320/shiver.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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<b>Monsters: <a href="https://amzn.to/35OAEN4" target="_blank"><i>Sea of Monsters</i> by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)</a></b><br />
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<li>The second in the Percy Jackson series of books, this book has Percy and his friends are confronted with fighting more monsters. If you haven't read this series - it is a great middle grades series. And Rick Riordan's other series are also definitely worth checking out!</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_KsZxMFSMEW5Et-LanGsk9hodntQj-y3QU4NbSM0JLt7w4Jtw3s_MzAE6XsIgwhSqA0diL72QjAI120kEkY36pk_lo_FMvFAHhs0EFOKpAgPsxuQ-Gn_KVYTh77_I-1o1177tR2GQPkT/s1600/seaofmonsters.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="257" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_KsZxMFSMEW5Et-LanGsk9hodntQj-y3QU4NbSM0JLt7w4Jtw3s_MzAE6XsIgwhSqA0diL72QjAI120kEkY36pk_lo_FMvFAHhs0EFOKpAgPsxuQ-Gn_KVYTh77_I-1o1177tR2GQPkT/s320/seaofmonsters.gif" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>Zombies: <a href="https://amzn.to/2Lnqycs" target="_blank"><i>Enclave </i>by Ann Aguirre (Razorland series</a></b><br />
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<ul>
<li><i>Enclave </i>is the first in a great dystopian series set in a post-apocalyptic New York City. The population, mainly under the age of 20, resides underground and survives by avoiding the tunnel dwellers, or Freaks. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUfa7TwW04zCXlN50-iMNkoKxnvBER71pUBegzmuT2o6e3FkX2EdKmDLqz2qhUBPF9WqXVLsjfShN3AB-gFaCRdleB6BSnUq524USHfeT_hMWroxllL7JUSDjIomQoN_y67g2O7gtsriM/s1600/enclave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUfa7TwW04zCXlN50-iMNkoKxnvBER71pUBegzmuT2o6e3FkX2EdKmDLqz2qhUBPF9WqXVLsjfShN3AB-gFaCRdleB6BSnUq524USHfeT_hMWroxllL7JUSDjIomQoN_y67g2O7gtsriM/s320/enclave.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>Sorcerers: <a href="https://amzn.to/2Lnqycs" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i> by JK Rowling</a></b><br />
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<li>No fantasy list is complete without Harry Potter - especially one that includes sorcerers. :) </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYt_tGzbbBmCi7TsLoJZc4WbdFA_FSBDQSsv512UBHPjSLAJB1FW1IAoUFVjSKPs5fw80mikaTPGYE3AGrpAPHmE1ELbmnAxB2lJ2nDpa9NhxV9jzHGkt1JDE0rPsQRRWbK1nfbeotKvH/s1600/harrypotter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYt_tGzbbBmCi7TsLoJZc4WbdFA_FSBDQSsv512UBHPjSLAJB1FW1IAoUFVjSKPs5fw80mikaTPGYE3AGrpAPHmE1ELbmnAxB2lJ2nDpa9NhxV9jzHGkt1JDE0rPsQRRWbK1nfbeotKvH/s320/harrypotter.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<b>Beasties: <a href="https://amzn.to/2yMn2Wz" target="_blank"><i>Tiger's Curse</i> by Colleen Houck </a></b><br />
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<li>This series is set in modern day India and follows an prince who is trapped in the body of a tiger. Incorporating a lot of Indian mythology, it is a beautifully written adventure! </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDBovu3kcrRxbFa1MHIx-cBuNNJEFPHZwsJd4N-ui8fodmLvoepLlZDDP2WFpciHJrwOhlpLI4AWEaOXF78fCkWRH_gaG1iHiuOg2DVWoPnAjZkRNqN6bxF9lJgT5ZHxsZP9pvJu1Waz-/s1600/tiger%2527s+curse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDBovu3kcrRxbFa1MHIx-cBuNNJEFPHZwsJd4N-ui8fodmLvoepLlZDDP2WFpciHJrwOhlpLI4AWEaOXF78fCkWRH_gaG1iHiuOg2DVWoPnAjZkRNqN6bxF9lJgT5ZHxsZP9pvJu1Waz-/s320/tiger%2527s+curse.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<b>Time Traveling:<a href="https://amzn.to/2SXvKbn" target="_blank"> <i>Invictus </i>by Ryan Graudin</a></b><br />
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<li>The only book on this list that is NOT a part of a series, <i>Invictus </i>is an AMAZING time traveling story! I love fantasy/science fiction and historical fiction, so books with a time-travel element give me both! I highly recommend this book to just about everyone! </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhCSafTbQ9S5qs6527SfwVVCQQz3uh0C1Q7W_Y17tY8xfpCmiX1RdmGfKXtERwa3Fsy9yw2qf_MrZ6EfeWLzPJTdfaTJZGecKb6bRlD7Hw7SOfB_GkGwwnSxCP2AsFEuloStvigVPh2jB/s1600/invictus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhCSafTbQ9S5qs6527SfwVVCQQz3uh0C1Q7W_Y17tY8xfpCmiX1RdmGfKXtERwa3Fsy9yw2qf_MrZ6EfeWLzPJTdfaTJZGecKb6bRlD7Hw7SOfB_GkGwwnSxCP2AsFEuloStvigVPh2jB/s320/invictus.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have you read any of these books? </span></div>
<br />courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-16526000178335768742020-05-03T21:57:00.003-04:002020-05-03T21:57:48.099-04:00May the Fourth Be With You! Tomorrow is Star Wars Day, May the 4th, and to celebrate I want to share several Star Wars books that I think you will LOVE!<br />
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You can find the full list of<a href="https://bit.ly/starwars_books" target="_blank"> Star Wars books</a> on my amazon store - if you buy a book from this link, you get a great book, and I may earn a small commission - everyone wins!!<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/3c13oEt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzCjlBbwpWAk6Zm9vZ5CdwG90QnZSKcawOpBTp7RrqA7b9U0TfUvrU3OYEi7Y7owMymdnXDButuCya39FTiLuYFWXoSnp0sS3UnUZl9wfhfb-0hDJOz0AHSnhy5kFPBB0mCegk3_Wg8f5/s320/95874514_2580935052194345_8872396414756323328_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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My absolute favorite Star Wars book is <a href="https://amzn.to/3c13oEt" target="_blank">this Star Wars Super Graphic book</a> - my Star Wars son is obsessed with it and reads it all the time! It has such great information presented in fun graphics!<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/3c13oEt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbhIDXEK73Vxwvie0qS1zMgWHRqKmP-NDWYnJtPsedMCoHPZkO7Z65kYrFOoN3IW-r7ODdKNO0yLb3bYlHU-Y1PhYkJ26I7wL-qyiS8p2hTAbZwEl6zwuBCjUryL3qoxfjc1qBmnf2sPY/s320/95558997_659740027904706_7030033419627134976_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another must-have Star Wars book is the book version of the original trilogy. This hardback version first came out with Darth Vader on the cover, but now it comes in a <a href="https://amzn.to/35qwzhQ" target="_blank">beautiful white hardback cover with Princess Leia</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsTYbN4FlzMiWHU0P74jLRh6PURobtiBfrVRSPIiLmE-Kssm9yMcYrQdYnTaAS_JLIJBUokk2B5H89bFHAuUT84WGndU5hSgOC71vYlUHv167PwtBrL5RpyEdZKnVAqq0Ciz0XieecPCv/s1600/95657265_667849170444309_2209475479373611008_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsTYbN4FlzMiWHU0P74jLRh6PURobtiBfrVRSPIiLmE-Kssm9yMcYrQdYnTaAS_JLIJBUokk2B5H89bFHAuUT84WGndU5hSgOC71vYlUHv167PwtBrL5RpyEdZKnVAqq0Ciz0XieecPCv/s320/95657265_667849170444309_2209475479373611008_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Would you like to bring out your inner <a href="https://amzn.to/35sRd0N" target="_blank">Vader </a>or <a href="https://amzn.to/35tWoxE" target="_blank">Yoda</a>? These books help you do that with simple advice with quotes from the movies. Great as a gift for any Star Wars fan!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGDogVAUMI5QYWh06_whahok26ZY6N27SVS_2N-E2IDxkBn0EVHnO4HcLKp5vO5tKBejwkTUINLzPJRtqfLRE_davb9u5gG8waQ9CNl-giiV-WYzY4eoFOPGjig4CY9HnKJLKqLtwjBVE/s1600/bemore.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGDogVAUMI5QYWh06_whahok26ZY6N27SVS_2N-E2IDxkBn0EVHnO4HcLKp5vO5tKBejwkTUINLzPJRtqfLRE_davb9u5gG8waQ9CNl-giiV-WYzY4eoFOPGjig4CY9HnKJLKqLtwjBVE/s400/bemore.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love this book - <a href="https://amzn.to/35r0wyg" target="_blank">Women of the Galaxy </a>- a book that highlights all the strong women in the Star Wars saga.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNa0knVNAXj6w-J1tTx3ElmGsBxb7UEkC_qQ7uCw-Y0I7oVfRFtWSV69CJLrZYh9Z04TQ_UzzAC0eCnAkGg9mrXBDeA_oEsMsS961p0ir0KUvLaYhETNDhYONmEufvLMOghHocFPSrx7U5/s1600/women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNa0knVNAXj6w-J1tTx3ElmGsBxb7UEkC_qQ7uCw-Y0I7oVfRFtWSV69CJLrZYh9Z04TQ_UzzAC0eCnAkGg9mrXBDeA_oEsMsS961p0ir0KUvLaYhETNDhYONmEufvLMOghHocFPSrx7U5/s320/women.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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Another fun, tongue-in-cheek book for the Star Wars fan is this <a href="https://amzn.to/2YBPAMO" target="_blank">survival guide </a>- a book that helps you survive the hazards of the Star Wars world! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbS9jxdkdEDNJT2SGUn4cQaQu8ZfoT7gC-d7WEgPoJQH0bFMzAD5Vs-h0kO3M-WdrK4CTNkSCGHVC4G4LVGH9fNMLewPAWV1G5oYCVdmf_ppR9SXQfBFek5NCcAZ4d7RlRid3oi3lLRNI_/s1600/91eBbSSyHQL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1183" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbS9jxdkdEDNJT2SGUn4cQaQu8ZfoT7gC-d7WEgPoJQH0bFMzAD5Vs-h0kO3M-WdrK4CTNkSCGHVC4G4LVGH9fNMLewPAWV1G5oYCVdmf_ppR9SXQfBFek5NCcAZ4d7RlRid3oi3lLRNI_/s320/91eBbSSyHQL.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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Are you a superfan of the Skywalker saga movies? This book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3ffCAT9" target="_blank">Resistance Reborn</a>, chronicles what happens between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZmaeOvdYRTKe4bDjj5ufOodIIBuWJ4kctg-D2BFfjb0pME4kFvSGKaSDZsBnmNcio3F6_Uysxee-OVsv3OBZjZoI5MiVCkO2y_Jv-D2NmpFthpwm6YvDdpqObK6Vdll9UeIZVDKedFPP/s1600/918C%252BH31h2L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1045" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZmaeOvdYRTKe4bDjj5ufOodIIBuWJ4kctg-D2BFfjb0pME4kFvSGKaSDZsBnmNcio3F6_Uysxee-OVsv3OBZjZoI5MiVCkO2y_Jv-D2NmpFthpwm6YvDdpqObK6Vdll9UeIZVDKedFPP/s320/918C%252BH31h2L.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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Ahsoka Tano is undoubtedly one of the best characters to come out of the animated series The Clone Wars. In<a href="https://amzn.to/2KY4vcs" target="_blank"> this book</a>, her story is told, and it just might hold you until she gets her own series! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7omwQCXwPf6m38DTVGUZITp_HROAyvWOyblWraPKrF-hZKS-4a3PbLndIpTcUUP-smZoM6XSCviVHu0_IaX12iHx2IrxGoj_jCiTf_QaP2BWg9EgN_pzRmQt3ucPA5vHcMB0of7jAv8w/s1600/9781484782316_p0_v2_s1200x630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7omwQCXwPf6m38DTVGUZITp_HROAyvWOyblWraPKrF-hZKS-4a3PbLndIpTcUUP-smZoM6XSCviVHu0_IaX12iHx2IrxGoj_jCiTf_QaP2BWg9EgN_pzRmQt3ucPA5vHcMB0of7jAv8w/s320/9781484782316_p0_v2_s1200x630.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Another fun series for the Star Wars fan is these training guides - the first one was <a href="https://amzn.to/2W0qfKR" target="_blank">The Jedi Path</a>, an ancient training manual for the Jedi-in-training. Since it was published, other tomes came out for each path in the Star Wars universe: <a href="https://amzn.to/2YBtMkN" target="_blank">The Imperial Handbook</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2WpVFt0" target="_blank">The Book of Sith</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/35sEtHt" target="_blank">The Bounty Hunter Code</a>,<a href="https://amzn.to/2KYvEvP" target="_blank"> The Smuggler's Guide</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/3c1YfvY" target="_blank">The Rebel Files</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJh2Y7dyv3XCrO7bW_EjOLi7qj1YgN1u8nnhJI8sz1L6HfHmH7-Lr3DnYGi5frJLTTAMjjx1XYs6IxPOTQ-_c0U4Lz8tiDcNprRlb0CCJdbPdKEN32OmNTL1bxZNPu98EVazxzcOnXBNZ/s1600/JediPath_BookSith_DeluxeBoxSet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="840" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJh2Y7dyv3XCrO7bW_EjOLi7qj1YgN1u8nnhJI8sz1L6HfHmH7-Lr3DnYGi5frJLTTAMjjx1XYs6IxPOTQ-_c0U4Lz8tiDcNprRlb0CCJdbPdKEN32OmNTL1bxZNPu98EVazxzcOnXBNZ/s320/JediPath_BookSith_DeluxeBoxSet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And finally, a fun Star Wars book that also helps you learn coding through the free website <a href="https://scratch.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Scratch</a>, this <a href="https://amzn.to/2WoGsIY" target="_blank">book of coding projects</a> will help you celebrate your love of Star Wars while also learning to code! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGbW3XmO-V-fkGMFmbfzPsKffJeNj9XvARTAuSr9lgDTH6_6xzyoRxbLXo8G5DHmzNsOc9CfoakIc4jBeM__uv8TEfWQzbsMrckspQrQ9v82xcTQP1IC92kNvGB_PMzvGO_-yDgzFiVqX/s1600/96045461_2831735356934415_2600240614805078016_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGbW3XmO-V-fkGMFmbfzPsKffJeNj9XvARTAuSr9lgDTH6_6xzyoRxbLXo8G5DHmzNsOc9CfoakIc4jBeM__uv8TEfWQzbsMrckspQrQ9v82xcTQP1IC92kNvGB_PMzvGO_-yDgzFiVqX/s320/96045461_2831735356934415_2600240614805078016_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Again you can find all of these books and more listed in my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/libraryladylife?listId=2QRGCBIS6UC4E&ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_list_own_libraryladylife_dp_pKeLk4cu56Qyt" target="_blank">Amazon storefront. </a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now, how do you plan on celebrating May the 4th?? </span></div>
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<br />courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-70322193557205326222020-04-18T20:15:00.000-04:002020-04-18T20:15:02.519-04:0010 great books to read!I asked my instagram friends what was the last GREAT book they read - I wanted to gather a list of great books for all of us! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xpE-ZEzFfkT-N3Jeo-BPIVi5sXaLpIEsDnGMvuJeaEphDd2weZSwBhEykVpLH8oVHJ2DEq7wOd8ELfUsUTsECAOSOeZpa8a1PGObAhgJjBzlwTCp5xV1aBh1aIVHuVOBlgnin9zk-wOW/s1600/booksig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xpE-ZEzFfkT-N3Jeo-BPIVi5sXaLpIEsDnGMvuJeaEphDd2weZSwBhEykVpLH8oVHJ2DEq7wOd8ELfUsUTsECAOSOeZpa8a1PGObAhgJjBzlwTCp5xV1aBh1aIVHuVOBlgnin9zk-wOW/s320/booksig.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, here are 10 great books to read, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">as crowd-sourced on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/libraryladylife" target="_blank">instagram</a>! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2vpuy6bdT-yeRUpJwduVzuMNYMQXIGvNc1ktshzqkuNtJwOYq6EkNy_vkyrobf8md0nl4NXWbCeJtIY-D_fyI9YvmKlSMCRXBZXrVf3tF_HTbmg_zi_1ax47oivSHz2mpXXAcqsu85zf/s1600/treebrooklyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2vpuy6bdT-yeRUpJwduVzuMNYMQXIGvNc1ktshzqkuNtJwOYq6EkNy_vkyrobf8md0nl4NXWbCeJtIY-D_fyI9YvmKlSMCRXBZXrVf3tF_HTbmg_zi_1ax47oivSHz2mpXXAcqsu85zf/s320/treebrooklyn.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@honeycombhannah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5TE76P1DWm_ushlAWTCwEZYx5wruP437bGaRQEhFIiYS_yYlC74mvzBqr-1qMxDb5uNxBLi3K40C__oPeKepJn-UnAEzq83hA3zvmbPVRVZEfPa00wvpqUiT59RDq4r4uJLQ3Uz_i8hj/s1600/beforewewereyours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1051" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5TE76P1DWm_ushlAWTCwEZYx5wruP437bGaRQEhFIiYS_yYlC74mvzBqr-1qMxDb5uNxBLi3K40C__oPeKepJn-UnAEzq83hA3zvmbPVRVZEfPa00wvpqUiT59RDq4r4uJLQ3Uz_i8hj/s320/beforewewereyours.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@grimm_brittany_</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQFNxRCkM8nt6cfy2FWK3qpGQw8jcFy040T-R6uQAnal6S22C58BOCkh7a7Pfbo8zf7bzyQ7QlIZrk-fwjUiCuy9BHEr8LPL0082Wy0bh9h5crg0QU3zVUQdwzNvhfOn4F67oehzePvS0/s1600/beingmortal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQFNxRCkM8nt6cfy2FWK3qpGQw8jcFy040T-R6uQAnal6S22C58BOCkh7a7Pfbo8zf7bzyQ7QlIZrk-fwjUiCuy9BHEr8LPL0082Wy0bh9h5crg0QU3zVUQdwzNvhfOn4F67oehzePvS0/s320/beingmortal.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@kayelbee05</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUH1xCsYkyCPIgJPHD4qbcFPUW1un0Km8k-BNVhrz398uWi-VSpNsaJ5rZY9Fl1WTjFrXZPEfffINT19EWMkIjoiJTn_tYCekh0e4b-lQz6Wi7rzXrtf3pzc6bqaC0-Gr1j7owJKHvHXaK/s1600/buncle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUH1xCsYkyCPIgJPHD4qbcFPUW1un0Km8k-BNVhrz398uWi-VSpNsaJ5rZY9Fl1WTjFrXZPEfffINT19EWMkIjoiJTn_tYCekh0e4b-lQz6Wi7rzXrtf3pzc6bqaC0-Gr1j7owJKHvHXaK/s320/buncle.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@boundingability</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP9tPJO5vzAX9chjTNuqmpKrpmmV1pu84lehR0gwDRgXBjSFF-k5UxGVnfKrLm0P_Nq4siBTzfgdUFaqe5a44U-B9iDvbwZfadAgCJH0cAWXeTxNTKUrl2G_vTIQrS1D0GkQsTWANIgcP/s1600/crawdads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP9tPJO5vzAX9chjTNuqmpKrpmmV1pu84lehR0gwDRgXBjSFF-k5UxGVnfKrLm0P_Nq4siBTzfgdUFaqe5a44U-B9iDvbwZfadAgCJH0cAWXeTxNTKUrl2G_vTIQrS1D0GkQsTWANIgcP/s320/crawdads.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@whimsical_lindsical</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSTVerLIiOd_RRfhMkkYIFjaDse3-obLxU70bTjBi8Fywvb-ErMdM82iLH0yM4n7OjvBneuTJPDk_p0j725f48v679xBOmb7HXq-wJJ1YzX2G59ywv0xnK-QjLlpZB-N-P8HG8OeCaSL3/s1600/driversed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSTVerLIiOd_RRfhMkkYIFjaDse3-obLxU70bTjBi8Fywvb-ErMdM82iLH0yM4n7OjvBneuTJPDk_p0j725f48v679xBOmb7HXq-wJJ1YzX2G59ywv0xnK-QjLlpZB-N-P8HG8OeCaSL3/s320/driversed.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@staci_l_</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GQpxrNHFRbigKqVBKGq8K65VA9oWNlGoFjNAttZWWf1XSkSxS1T0YQOZrgCLnmWibK-Y45ocVetU0_zsdYUZzWSTaUHIedkUZ5dGA1Ogh3Dn4TbbcJ07geGV46hM40UWp-LD8e4Y6ikX/s1600/idab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="339" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GQpxrNHFRbigKqVBKGq8K65VA9oWNlGoFjNAttZWWf1XSkSxS1T0YQOZrgCLnmWibK-Y45ocVetU0_zsdYUZzWSTaUHIedkUZ5dGA1Ogh3Dn4TbbcJ07geGV46hM40UWp-LD8e4Y6ikX/s320/idab.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@abigailrose2892</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbicVPY9wscHAcqUR-5rHqKRt-HbRnzGhBpzUZRMAnJaPkzUDQ1RN7AFUlFKlIo1_UaLK0suBj3-ZUuBpuLGIwtgQ92g5R4AH8v7GtA0h6cz5-RWrCNo8ehMnBnZEwrTsDNxu9QClIqDjr/s1600/illuminae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbicVPY9wscHAcqUR-5rHqKRt-HbRnzGhBpzUZRMAnJaPkzUDQ1RN7AFUlFKlIo1_UaLK0suBj3-ZUuBpuLGIwtgQ92g5R4AH8v7GtA0h6cz5-RWrCNo8ehMnBnZEwrTsDNxu9QClIqDjr/s320/illuminae.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@kwjonesie79</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZ5qI-R5mEpmzjWGX97fFjpwJyQhP3j-ltm73fK9aRPovq5CXZJSBCHWf0UHRiaOblOWx-Av6_vcNsF7Nm1JygaTodugfEpg7W6ovSuzXXB4vrzEa_kA54JAxNE9fYdP52Ckv4cewLgxO/s1600/it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1050" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZ5qI-R5mEpmzjWGX97fFjpwJyQhP3j-ltm73fK9aRPovq5CXZJSBCHWf0UHRiaOblOWx-Av6_vcNsF7Nm1JygaTodugfEpg7W6ovSuzXXB4vrzEa_kA54JAxNE9fYdP52Ckv4cewLgxO/s320/it.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@christijohnson </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn7ZRZcoo7fAGt2SK_3D26nABT-XT8EzEihuA0Ny6bMmhG79hmpvuUcNM5gg6zLx0vyQoWwKmnZs8JQUCO1B0uCEDiKiti_SeJffOjYJHPdC1cAqEHMUyEifliIk1liodjwrQZ32x98WH/s1600/the+only+woman+in+the+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn7ZRZcoo7fAGt2SK_3D26nABT-XT8EzEihuA0Ny6bMmhG79hmpvuUcNM5gg6zLx0vyQoWwKmnZs8JQUCO1B0uCEDiKiti_SeJffOjYJHPdC1cAqEHMUyEifliIk1liodjwrQZ32x98WH/s320/the+only+woman+in+the+room.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@skygirlkay<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Have you read any of these books?? </div>
</span><div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What is the last great book YOU read? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-89783218053610975532020-03-31T17:04:00.001-04:002020-03-31T17:04:18.408-04:00Coronapocalypse Self-CareWe've been at home for the last 2 weeks, not sure when things would get back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic. At this point, it is clear that for at least the entire month of April, this self-isolation and social distancing will be our new "normal." Online learning is starting in most areas, and it's time to come to terms with this new normal. <br />
<br />
There are many ways to take care of yourself during this time, so I'm going to share a few of those ways, along with how I'm implementing the ideas for myself! <br />
<b><br /></b>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx4Gd1MiqZLV_UuONOGsQwFTSAL0-Qg6I1d5rkVJmnE9RH_cNaBBDOmaBh-d6eMgDa7gGuLoWnnvQJ-nMDSalpEPW9nw1a7yXhZ-GR1wQxs-vPyOr8wTzhnFEM22FKcPHhaXaj7OxKP7o/s1600/91498578_10158295248257292_202712350313152512_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx4Gd1MiqZLV_UuONOGsQwFTSAL0-Qg6I1d5rkVJmnE9RH_cNaBBDOmaBh-d6eMgDa7gGuLoWnnvQJ-nMDSalpEPW9nw1a7yXhZ-GR1wQxs-vPyOr8wTzhnFEM22FKcPHhaXaj7OxKP7o/s320/91498578_10158295248257292_202712350313152512_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bullet Journaling has been a great great creative outlet for me while at home!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Routine </b>- Although it's tempting to sink into a life of no routine, that isn't really beneficial for us emotionally or physically. Especially if you have kids, they need routine - so have consistent wake-up times, mealtimes, and bedtimes. Come up with at least a loose schedule of schooling, play, and work. </li>
<ul>
<li><br /></li>
</ul>
<li><b>Get dressed - </b>It's hard to be motivated to get out of pajamas when you aren't going anywhere and won't be seeing anyone. However, what we wear has a big impact on how we feel, so get up, get showered, brush your teeth, and get dressed. You can get dressed in comfortable lounge wear, but at least get out of your pajamas. This step helps with the next one.</li>
<ul>
<li>Disneybounding has been great for motivating me to get dressed. It is the March Disneybound Challenge and I've been posting bounds (mostly #backyardbounds) on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/libraryladylife" target="_blank">Instagram </a>like the Perry the Platypus inspired outfit below!</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIuxToh5B57QN1S_id3SBuAuI8eLtYBykvgvJUyQSEiYbJ_HdN7cX-i-vxi43Vld9A1FL4upliBQrQUvmCy3rhsnvhT0qpUoNDnky8OgqSkxzMvuOleKbsAZyrPsVYHOr6MxGBJS502VF/s1600/91473789_10158295253737292_1887850156242501632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIuxToh5B57QN1S_id3SBuAuI8eLtYBykvgvJUyQSEiYbJ_HdN7cX-i-vxi43Vld9A1FL4upliBQrQUvmCy3rhsnvhT0qpUoNDnky8OgqSkxzMvuOleKbsAZyrPsVYHOr6MxGBJS502VF/s320/91473789_10158295253737292_1887850156242501632_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Go outside</b> - Go read in your yard, take a walk, ride your bike, plant some flowers - anything to get outside in the fresh air.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwA0xBv1DqW8OhBwzFcLQyNPQsfT1dPLtL22Rsiqwe5hOCy1D4OVq6pDloTaxQG-JPHhCarAfMsD5Mp8nbUN6tR1xMLnRuHfvAnAvX2AvAN10qx6405ZlsAvUxRZCOgpHlaVVTrYUozma/s1600/91527470_10158295248582292_6689400254871109632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwA0xBv1DqW8OhBwzFcLQyNPQsfT1dPLtL22Rsiqwe5hOCy1D4OVq6pDloTaxQG-JPHhCarAfMsD5Mp8nbUN6tR1xMLnRuHfvAnAvX2AvAN10qx6405ZlsAvUxRZCOgpHlaVVTrYUozma/s320/91527470_10158295248582292_6689400254871109632_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite thing to do outside is sit on the porch swing and read. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSk_P7kl6FwqSghdYV7wNuCPI5R_AfcoYZtMJASSeFWLMIyEILgzVEuNYUMMfQxo7yqUKMPqv4ANEQ9bxfqa9uPAHy-TB-zm4JzbHz5ABPCWoOygFRM0k7iA-EC1hO_SopqObwMeMwKaB/s320/91611297_10158295248517292_59322225731305472_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids have enjoyed a lot of backyard playtime!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><b>Exercise</b> - Whether you exercise outside or inside, get moving. While it would be easy to just sit around and be sedentary, our emotional well-being depends on our getting off our couches and start moving. </li>
<ul>
<li>I have started a Quarantine Bootcamp with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ7VA2qeBkCL7JEflBh96xA" target="_blank">Danica B Jammin</a> and I am committed to sticking to it for 5 weeks!! (Who even am I??!?!) </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWUZ1v_lYoRPavRriQSpkYUtllgqFSF6vvg73JawiuQv9eHhvFu8QDoUf1r3Y-yzwvyD-Dtcaso9PH-GUFM91-03LWSTf7rGlBOdTruoX16GAKm_-TE68XES7nHbq5CibjFBoYuWqdsdV/s1600/91546690_10158295248442292_8729432819081674752_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWUZ1v_lYoRPavRriQSpkYUtllgqFSF6vvg73JawiuQv9eHhvFu8QDoUf1r3Y-yzwvyD-Dtcaso9PH-GUFM91-03LWSTf7rGlBOdTruoX16GAKm_-TE68XES7nHbq5CibjFBoYuWqdsdV/s320/91546690_10158295248442292_8729432819081674752_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Drink water - </b>Keep hydrated and try to drink 64 ounces of water every day. This is good advice for anytime, and being stuck at home doesn't change that. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgfxpYM3IqFcfxwJfNGqy_W-7DYAQGcHqM7CEct9QnX82BpuyZpOt1ubQDNtqjdaGy-4nnqPXygO67cTc2tLGJhePGlUkxDDvi_OG-GwNXKAyFnrDMBfNQFk36MR2xzeezPZ9H15trXua/s1600/91536362_10158295248397292_2556994035050872832_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgfxpYM3IqFcfxwJfNGqy_W-7DYAQGcHqM7CEct9QnX82BpuyZpOt1ubQDNtqjdaGy-4nnqPXygO67cTc2tLGJhePGlUkxDDvi_OG-GwNXKAyFnrDMBfNQFk36MR2xzeezPZ9H15trXua/s320/91536362_10158295248397292_2556994035050872832_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Connect</b> - While we have gotten used to just texting, this is a great time to get back into the old tradition of actually talking on the phone. There is something wonderful about just hearing someone's voice. You can also do facetime and zoom calls if you would like to see people's faces. I'm trying to set this up for my kids as well, who are missing their friends as much as I am! </li>
<li><b>Learn something new</b> - I'm not saying you should put a lot of pressure on yourself (or your kids) to learn something new, but you do suddenly have a lot of free time - so if you have wanted to learn something, now is a great time! You can learn how to do just about anything on youtube - so start learning! My goal is to learn to play the ukelele and do more sewing projects - stay tuned for progress on that! :) </li>
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<li><a href="https://www.duolingo.com/" target="_blank">Learn a new language</a></li>
<li><a href="https://code.org/" target="_blank">Learn how to code</a></li>
<li>Learn how to play an instrument</li>
<li>Learn how to sew</li>
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<li><b>Be creative</b> - If you know how to crochet, sew, play an instrument, paint, or dance - do it! You have plenty of time to practice your craft, and chances are it is something you enjoy doing. </li>
<li><b>Limit time on social media and consuming news. </b>This is a no brainer for self-care. Sometimes you just have to step away from the constant news feed of social media and updates. I promise you will feel better! </li>
<li><b>Play </b> - whether you have kids at home or not, this is a great time to play - play video games, online games, card games, board games - anything you have the ability to play! </li>
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<li>We have pulled out our old Wii and are playing Monopoly, Just Dance, and Mario Kart! </li>
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<li><b>Focus on what you can control</b> - if you are stuck at home, you might as well cross some projects off your to-do list. Getting things done will help you feel productive and in control of at least something in the world right now. This is also a great time to start a long-term project - read a book series, binge a Netflix series, something that will help you pass the time. </li>
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<li>Carlos and I are rewatching the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. This is our 3rd or more time watching them, and we are watching them in chronological order: </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLD4sEf-WwM1cgZE1LcNcLe5CkHtUp4asjdbASACCc7I6fsuSBXu-qbYACl0bkWR17FKW2dueRFudmzxpCNT62HRB5q60n9yqniQCMUax3H6cp62IepBEPUfyCH7pPjVctpzw0h0VMX4To/s1600/91545435_10158295248197292_7227898431195316224_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLD4sEf-WwM1cgZE1LcNcLe5CkHtUp4asjdbASACCc7I6fsuSBXu-qbYACl0bkWR17FKW2dueRFudmzxpCNT62HRB5q60n9yqniQCMUax3H6cp62IepBEPUfyCH7pPjVctpzw0h0VMX4To/s320/91545435_10158295248197292_7227898431195316224_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li>I am reading the Little House on the Prairie books to the kids. We have them, and I think they will enjoy them, so it's a good time to do it. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6160p9VI3JQzWd26mv2ohbxxTv5BAXA061DSQBmAZT_NvNIY5BPgNHJvgTvawd7lWiKlyU8CsgtDwuv6JeArZ2hXL1aQTQ5OXFBCjarOWCQxXT1sqNoBU5qCK9o8VA0RFnyZbStd72XD/s1600/91735710_10158295247992292_3226981119018663936_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6160p9VI3JQzWd26mv2ohbxxTv5BAXA061DSQBmAZT_NvNIY5BPgNHJvgTvawd7lWiKlyU8CsgtDwuv6JeArZ2hXL1aQTQ5OXFBCjarOWCQxXT1sqNoBU5qCK9o8VA0RFnyZbStd72XD/s320/91735710_10158295247992292_3226981119018663936_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><b>Give grace</b> - to yourself, and to the people around you. This is a hard time and we are all dealing with it in our own way. Tempers may be shorter, so give people space - and a lot of forgiveness! </li>
<li><b>Count your blessings</b> - Make a list of things you are grateful for, and focus on the good. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnK5PXg4dQuQ5HRMQq2JnOEXdZ0Ry4gVzcYPxGAEgVKolezKVDVx79q3YeJEikFLVscAs926GMBGVsGVKh0DV2t0QoWyNvQxQuOOIaX_vZy44d4J2nCJH3ixv1Ik0U1ZYHeQp7QzTNOeec/s1600/91414227_10158295248062292_4816324760357044224_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnK5PXg4dQuQ5HRMQq2JnOEXdZ0Ry4gVzcYPxGAEgVKolezKVDVx79q3YeJEikFLVscAs926GMBGVsGVKh0DV2t0QoWyNvQxQuOOIaX_vZy44d4J2nCJH3ixv1Ik0U1ZYHeQp7QzTNOeec/s320/91414227_10158295248062292_4816324760357044224_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Overall, just take one day at a time, and remind yourself that, while we don't know when, this will pass. It is temporary. It feels very permanent, but it isn't. Life will restart at some point - right now we just have to make the best out of the days we have. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What's your best stay-at-home self care tip? </span></div>
courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881510851433312213.post-11710931122419715842020-03-21T14:10:00.001-04:002020-03-21T14:10:57.963-04:00Disney Theme Days: Hercules<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">During this social distancing time of Covid-19, we are all looking for ways to fill our time - I saw several people are doing Disney-themed days, so I thought I would gather some resources to help others who might be interested! <i>(These activities are best for elementary aged kids.) </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First up, Hercules!!! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm89cJIDyXgrE7e1Av02Dp4XTXoYZzzvJ2LaREPoLYqomKOQTf2ahS2AWzni0Jv8jaUvA5a9y0wonPAACjtkV44IUASvTnJRItu_0kpiklQTt2xFVdE5yKxqgOEcaAanR9Vr3FfRCpe75y/s1600/hercules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm89cJIDyXgrE7e1Av02Dp4XTXoYZzzvJ2LaREPoLYqomKOQTf2ahS2AWzni0Jv8jaUvA5a9y0wonPAACjtkV44IUASvTnJRItu_0kpiklQTt2xFVdE5yKxqgOEcaAanR9Vr3FfRCpe75y/s320/hercules.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greek Mythology is a pretty popular topic with kids, so there are a lot of great resources out there! <i>(Because you may not want to use up all of your printer ink, the items in bold do not require anything to be printed!) </i></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/games/personality-quizzes/which-greek-god-are-you-/" target="_blank">Which Greek God are you? </a>This online quiz tells ids which Greek god they would be. (By the way, I am Zeus!)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="https://www.greekmyths4kids.com/" target="_blank">Learn about Ancient Greece and myths </a>- there are even links to play some interactive online games here! </b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Here is <a href="https://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greek_mythology.php" target="_blank">another website</a> for information about Greek mythology.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763634034.kit.1.pdf" target="_blank">Print </a>some mythology activity sheets that include art, crossword puzzles, and writing!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Grab some sheets and have a<a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Toga-out-of-a-Bedsheet" target="_blank"> toga party</a>!!! </b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Draw Hercules and Meg with this<a href="https://www.activities.websincloud.com/copydrawing/hercules/16.html" target="_blank"> grid drawing</a>!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Learn about Greece with this free <a href="https://www.123homeschool4me.com/ancient-greece-printable/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=962619112_43004656_162688" target="_blank">Ancient Greece mini-book printable</a>!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, watch Hercules on <a href="https://www.disneyplus.com/welcome?cid=DSS-Search-Google-71700000051863720-&s_kwcid=AL!8468!3!406653605723!e!!g!!disney%2B&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9tbzBRDVARIsAMBplx_Tcy9urmeOuTMV2nMJIBtHta3SQU__wg8ZiiTkL2cjjZuiP9HLRGUaAunaEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Disney+</a>! </b></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recipes: </span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/ambrosia-salad/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Ambrosia salad</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_97SmYbohUMMEIqGLpwyrYoYGfw3ZH-IqBmTGhaTDaC6DeqDi9CRF1QMQ1Uzyms0GovNxYNGq5F0V6AaBEQhbhmFX7NziqwOSLqRwrA9lcquY8Xu6lDlHTHVk87t05i5XiccsQ0XzgAct/s1600/ambrosia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_97SmYbohUMMEIqGLpwyrYoYGfw3ZH-IqBmTGhaTDaC6DeqDi9CRF1QMQ1Uzyms0GovNxYNGq5F0V6AaBEQhbhmFX7NziqwOSLqRwrA9lcquY8Xu6lDlHTHVk87t05i5XiccsQ0XzgAct/s1600/ambrosia.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/269871/greek-inspired-snack-board/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greek Inspired Snack Board</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44S12_2JCvNHrrpXwg9CihomrjtD9z5meYMMoF1QkbCrNiLEbrkYIovAWuweQXt1-lNeTSXEMNmLGBBZXcD9t-MkT45ZlfdG-QhhrSBN6EJt16rSghD2PKbt1lZ9YAJt2AkwGlIKEgW1-/s1600/greek+board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44S12_2JCvNHrrpXwg9CihomrjtD9z5meYMMoF1QkbCrNiLEbrkYIovAWuweQXt1-lNeTSXEMNmLGBBZXcD9t-MkT45ZlfdG-QhhrSBN6EJt16rSghD2PKbt1lZ9YAJt2AkwGlIKEgW1-/s320/greek+board.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">More mythology: </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If your kids get hooked on Greek mythology after this, check out my Amazon list of great <a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/libraryladylife?listId=2MMT5YQ07T2GX&ref=idea_share_inf" target="_blank">Greek mythology books</a>! </span></div>
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courtneyricolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00354879495266674396noreply@blogger.com0