My fiance and I at Walt Disney World in July, 2012

Without a trace.

It's official. Our living room couch eats knitting needles. Specifically in the last two days, two 8" Knit

Picks Harmony size 7 double pointed needs....like so The couch is federal blue, oversized, and cushion-filled. And also, evidently, hungry. The first needle turned up missing on Sunday. I searched high & low, pulled out all the cushions, consulted my fiance, pondered mauw mauw's involvement. To no avail. The second needle vanished on Monday, today. Evaporated. Not a trace. No-wheres-ville. Just like its partner. Hence, it must be in the belly of our couch. I hope it's full now because it's wrecking havoc on meeting a deadline for a pattern submission. Keep knitting amazingly!

spring dress day

spring dress day by laura-coccarelli featuring prom clutches

Short dress
$99 - bqueenshoes.com

Friis & Company high heels
€50 - welikefashion.com

Prom clutch
$30 - dsw.com

Betsey Johnson toggle bracelet
$65 - nordstrom.com

Colucci Diamonds diamond earrings
$28,000 - forzieri.com

feelin' good, out & about town

feelin' good, out & about town by laura-coccarelli featuring high waisted pants

Lipsy mesh tank top
£38 - lipsy.co.uk

Biker jacket
$78 - romwe.com

High waisted pants
£104 - farfetch.com

Wedge booties
$40 - boohoo.com

Clutch handbag
£55 - coast-stores.com

Leiber crystal teardrop earrings
judithleiber.com

Tie dye scarve
$25 - serrv.org

Rubber Stamp Expressions All Products - Paper Source
$6.95 - paper-source.com

Well. I am posting again. The journey has taken me on a path I hadn't expected. For the time being I will say that I am very grateful for all that I have been blessed with in my life.

The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent story of relationships and culture. Explores mother-daughter relationships as well as the tension of raising native born American children while instilling traditional Chinese values. Very well written.

View all my reviews

The Madonnas of Leningrad

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A story of an aged Russian couple who has moved to Seattle, living with Alzheimer's Disease. The tale is woven through the siege of Leningrad in World War II, the Hermitage Museum, and contemporary times. It is poignantly told.

View all my reviews

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

i had no preconceived notions when i began this book--no ideas of what it was about. after reading it, all i know for sure is that it is an excellent study of characters. it is beautifully and very well written. i enjoyed it very much.

View all my reviews

Wizard's First Rule

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

great beginning to a fantasy series that includes adventure, magic & romance. looking forward to the rest!

View all my reviews

Two Weeks into School

and it's been a tremendous experience so far. lots of reading. the lots of writing bit begins this week.

i feel as if i'm talking & answering too much in class. i'm not quite sure what to do about it. i've done all of the reading & homework, so i'm well prepared. in addition, being such a mature student, with so much life experience, i seem to have personal stories pertinent to almost all of our in-class discussion. but, i don't want my fellow students (we spend 14 hours together within 2 days) to sigh and grimace behind their hands when i participate, though.

it's a quandary.

am really loving the coursework for the msw and feel as if i've made the right decision to pursue this career path. yay!

First Day of School

First day of school was exciting & nerve-wracking. I was at least a half hour early for each of my three classes. I showed up at 2:30 for a 3:00 pm course on Social Behavior to find a nearly packed room of Foundation Year Graduate Students. There were 5 empty chairs remaining in the room!

3 hours later, half an hour early again, most of those same folks were in their same seats in the same room. I think we'll be getting to know each other well.

Noon to 9:00 pm, which includes the drive, is what Wednesday's on campus look like. We'll see how Thursdays shape up!

Traveling with Pomegranates

Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story by Sue Monk Kidd

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable story of two women in life transitions. Well written from both the mother & daughter perspectives. Especially liked seeing _The Secret Life of Bees_ beginning to unfold within this book.

View all my reviews