Book Review: Vigilante

Vigilante by Robin Parrish

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Vigilante by Robin Parrish was a really easy book to read, with lots of action. The main character is an elite war hero with amazing skills and a team that provides him with cool gadgets for crime fighting. He develops a plan to "show the world a better way" and begins to help people by saving them from crime and villains.  The action was great; the only issues I had were the character of Alice, while loveable and necessary to the story, seemed a bit unrealistic- he saves her from an abusive husband and immediately trusts her enough to risk his identity being revealed and eventually even invite her to live with them in his secret hideaway to save her from her husband.  That whole thing came about too easy and she accepted his actions and plans with very little thought- it seemed to tied up and neat.  The Christianity part of the book seemed almost secondary as well- growing up with a pacifist background, I was a little torn between the "help" the team gives others and the means used to do it, which granted, later becomes part of the character's conflict.  It just seemed to be shoved to the side to allow for all the action to unfold.  I did enjoy it though and would recommend it.

I recieved this book for free from the publisher for review. 

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Book Review: the Seraph Seal

The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I had high expectations for this book, as I was expecting a Da Vinci Code type thriller and it really wasn't.  The premise seemed great; the world is falling apart and the main character recieves clues through letters and historical artifacts towards some climactic final. However, the writing felt a little dry and I never really felt connected to the characters. There was a lot of science-y information and it really jumped around a lot- I could never remember if I was supposed to know a character or if they were a new one thrown in there to support what was happening in the story. It took me a long time to read this one (and I'm a fast reader!) because I just never felt invested in the story. I don't think I would recommend this one, and doubt I'd read it again, unfortunately.

I recieved a copy for free for review from the publisher.



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Book Review: Love and War and Safely Home

Love and War: Finding the Marriage You've Dreamed Of by John Eldredge

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Love and War by John and Stasi Eldridge has some great ideas to get you inspired to change the way you relate to your spouse. One of my favorite thoughts from the book is the reminder that God uses marriage to illustrate His love and relationship for us- and the note that the world is watching! What a motivator to remember that the way my husband and I relate to each other is being watched by others and that we can be an example of God's love and desire for us! though scary when you think about what is truly happening in our marriage somedays and when you look at the divorce rate within the church! I also appreciated the reminder that I am the greatest influence on my husband's spirit, though again, a very scary thought!
A negative I had read in other reviews was about the negativity of the book, and I have to agree in part that the authors do seem to assume that we all have years and years of awful horrible baggage affecting us. While I agree that our pasts affect our relationships, their examples and anecdotes tended toward extremely negative situations. I was also disappointed in the comment towards the end of the book that people who choose to say single and couples who choose not to have children are "fundamentally selfish" since their premise is that out main purpose on earth is to learn to love (which apparently one cannot do without a spouse or child). While (as with any book) there are negatives and things I don't necessarily agree with, I do see the benefit of this book to married individuals or to couples or group study. It was mainly inspirational in nature I would say and lacked real concrete, hands on advice but would be a good starting point for discussion with one's spouse or small group. Worth taking a look at.

I recieved a copy of this book for free from the publisher.

I also recieved from a different publisher "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn. This is an amazing book! Though written as fiction, it is an excellent look at persecution in China. As Christians in America, we forget I think that Christians are still persecuted in other countries!  Its a well written story as well as a wake up call (as another review put it). I definitely recommend it whether you tend to prefer fiction or nonfiction!

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Pretend Stuff...

My girlie was invited to a Princess birthday party a few months ago, so we made a few princess things for her to wear. Unfortunately she got sick and wasn’t able to go, but was still excited about the new things, like her Cinderella dress!

I used this tutorial, though hers is perfectly done and much more detailed. (If you sew your own children's clothes, you should definitely check out her site!  Awesome tutorials!) There are a few details I wish would have come out better, but for a first try, I’m pretty happy, and of course my daughter is thrilled. We also did a hooded cape (every princess needs a hooded cape right?!).

For my nephew’s birthday we made him a superhero cape. 

For some reason i didn't get a picture of the birthday boy... but here's Eli modeling it!

So simple!  I tried my hand at freezer paper stenciling and love it! I’ll be trying more of that! Who knew freezer paper could be so handy! 

There are several tutorials out there if you need better instructions, but for simple directions see below. If you don't sew, i've also seen tutorials for making them from an extra large tee shirt: you could just cut a big panel out of the back and cut so you leave the collar intact- tee shirt knit doesn't fray so no sew!

Don't mind the crazy mess...

I also made one for my girlie, more fabric but almost simpler since its reversible and i didn't have to do all the ironing to double roll the hems around the whole thing.

mmm. yeah ditto on the mess...

To Sew your own...

Basically I just hemmed a large rectangle on the sides and bottom, sewed a gathering stitch across the top (set your machine to the longest stitch and don’t backstitch to set the first or last stitches). Pull on one of the threads to gather it, and then sew on a neckstrap. I made mine about an inch wide, so I cut my fabric 4 inches wide by the length I needed to go around a child’s neck (add seam allowance for both ends). I ironed it like bias tape, ironing the long sides into the middle and then in half again, ending up with a piece 1 inch wide by the length you needed. Tuck the raw edge of your cape into the middle and then sew the sides of the neckstrap to catch it in the fold. Add Velcro or a snap or whatever to close. You could use ribbon for ties, or a button and loop if you are wary of snaps and Velcro.  I used Velcro for easy off/on.

For the reversible one, just cut two pieces the same size, sew the sides and bottom together (right sides together) then turn it right side out and top stitch (sew around the edge about 1/8 to 1/4 inch from edge. Follow above to add the neck strap. 

Pillowcase Dresses

I made a pillowcase dress for my girlie using this pattern from Little Big Girl Studio. There are tons of tutorials though, using an actual pillowcase, or just cutting a rectangle shape from your fabric.

Ignore the crazy hair... she wasn't into being the model and I only got 1 shot! and if you don't look too close, you won't notice that I had the fabric upside down when i cut it out... Doh!

There is a printable pattern to make things really easy (though you can just cut a rectangle as well). It is actually a little big for my L, and if I were to make it again, i'd take a few inches of the width probably, but she wears it and it doesn't look too oversize! I'd guess the pattern would be a better fit for a 5t plus.

I also made my own pattern off an old outfit of L's; the goal is for it to fit 12-18 months, but I didn't have anything but a romper to test length off of (I didn't feel like digging forever in those bins in the attic!) I'm not sure on how the length will work...

Got to wait for new baby neice to grow up a bit to see how it fits! These are sooooo simple to do, you can make yourself a dress for so little $$! L's was made out of a half yard, and the little one was a remnant I found at walmart. I don't even know how much fabric it was but I know it wasn't much!  So if you sew even a little, and want an easy dress to start on, this is the one! 

Recovered Kid's Chair

When the temps in my house were over 90 DOWNSTAIRS, the kids and I fled to central air at Grammy and Pappy's!  Trying to make the best use of my time, I took a few projects along... and actually got to check one off my list!

The new and improved! I didn't even take a pic of the old one; trust me, it was all ripped up from the dog and getting moldy... ew.

I haven't actually seen anyone online doing this, and I'm not sure if the bigtime crafty girls think its a waste of time, or if I'm the only one stupid enough to give it a try, but it actually wasn't too difficult and cost me about $3!  I bought about 3/4 yard of fabric from Walmart (I can't remember if its actually outdoor fabric... i think its home decor) but I could have gotten away with a 1/2 yard for sure. I actually only needed about 15 inches i think! 

I also used some heavy fabric from my Grandma-supplied stash- they were cut to be a huge pair of pants, which was JUST wide enough to give my chair some support. (I couldn't figure out who would want to wear pants made of such heavy stiff material anyway...) and reused the plastic... grommets? from the old chair.

There's the grommet!  I also sewed a bit of ribbon on to hold the arm down onto the chair, otherwise they slid off too easily.

I also added two in the back of the chair, so that you can lift the chair by the back without it sliding off.

Bonus of the little ties:  the whole thing can be easily removed and thrown in the washer! 

And it still folds up nicely!  I did have to retie the ties when in the above position, otherwise it was a bit tight.  They still work well in the open position as well.

I used the old peices i took off the yicky old dog eaten moldy chair fabric to use as a pattern for my new one, but instead of binding edges, i turned and topstitched. Love the way it looks, and now my girlie has a new and unique chair, and for about $2.50!  Might have to attack the red faded Cars "found" chair for one of the boys next...

Baby Gifts: Carseat Canopy

Another baby gift, also on my list for the upcoming babe is a carseat cover!  

Double duty: hopefully will be enough to keep away wind and chill for winter babes as mine will be, and light enough to throw over and avoid all the touchy strangers with germy hands wanting to pinch your baby's cheeks!

It has a handy little peek-a-boo window! No waking up the baby to check on him!

And you can just throw it back when you're in the car or wherever you are going.

Those handy loops keep it attached to your carseat so it doesn't slip. I'm excited to try one when my new baby boy arrives, I've always just thrown a blanket over the top, but love that this one style should stay where its supposed to! Crossing my fingers that the recipient ends up with her baby girl or I might have a girly carseat cover (and chenille blanket) to get rid of...

Almost forgot to give credit to the author!  I used this tutorial from Wannabe Crafty (though the tutorial was guest posted on Sew Dang Cute). Great tutorial and fairly simple project for any level sewist! You could buy one at a store for about $20-25 or buy one from another crafster on etsy for anywhere from $25-45 (most tend toward that upper end..). Or just buy 2 yards or so of fabric (depending on width) and make your own!  you could easily do this for $10-15 dollars, or even cheaper if you get super sale fabric!