Reading Challenge 2016 - COMPLETE!!

Yep! I did it. I completed my book challenge for this year today. I read 42 books of various topics, genres, authors and pages in 2016. (Frankly a couple more if you count the ones I completed before I started my challenge). I fell into this challenge late. It was the end of March when I found the Popsugar list and decided to give it a whirl. I was stuck in a rut looking for new books to read and new authors to fall in love with. The variety of this challenge allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. I researched books that would fit the topics. I skipped a couple that I simply COULD NOT FINISH and found others to replace them. All in all it was a great experience for me.

Loves This Year:

1. Sunlight and Shadow (Once Upon A Time #6) by Cameron Dokey -  I really enjoyed this author. I also read "The Storyteller's Daughter" for another category this year. Her stories are adaptations of fairy tales with a twist. Light reading of a story you may already know. 
2. The Devil's Intern by Donna Hosie - In this story "dead" people living in purgatory decide to turn back time and change the conditions of their deaths. I was not sure if I was going to enjoy this book. In the end I thought it was great and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
3. And on the order of devils, The Devil's Grin (Anna Kronberg Thriller #1) by Annelie Wendeberg - This was a nice beginning to a thriller series for me. I am not one for gory stuff. This delivered for me and started me on a new series as well.
4. Everybody's Got Something, by Robin Roberts with Veronica Chambers - I laughed out loud. I cried. I recommend this one to all.
5. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyers - I could not put it down!! Another adaptation of a fairy tale and the beginning of yet another series for me to read. (Do you see a pattern here?) Imagine the world in the future, fairy tale princesses and CYBORGS!!! An unusual combination, but done so well.

Not A Fan:

1. Sand In My Bra And Other Misadventures, by Jennifer Leo and Jessica Maxwell. I expected it to be super funny with all the chapters written by different comedians, but there were more chapters that were less funny than ones that made me laugh.
2. The Drowned World by J.G. Bullard - One word: SLOW!! It could have been great and maybe in its day it was. For me, not so much.
3. Out Of The Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis - EVEN SLOWER!!! Enough said...
4. I may be shot for this one, Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen. Jane, I love reading your stuff, but this one took me forever to finish and I was annoyed with it when I was done.
5. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote - I really wanted to love this one. I have seen the movie so many times. I even own two copies of the DVD. 

To see the rest of my choices this year, flip to the Book Challenge 2016 page of my blog. Please excuse the size of the print. Blogger has been messing with me all evening and I can't get it quite right. 

Popsugar has posted a new list of books to entice you to read more styles of books for 2017. I decided to skip the new list. I have many new series to complete thanks to this challenge as well as ones I had been working on prior to the challenge that I really want to get back to (Outlander!!) Hope you find lots of good reading material this year yourselves. If you read anything great, send me a comment. I may add it to my list for 2017.

Until next time...

A Couple of Days Of Tags

I have had an interesting week. Baking cookies. Viewing Twinkle light displays. Shopping for gifts. Wrapping said gifts. Attending a holiday concert. Stopping by urgent care to top it all off. Needless to say I have gotten behind on my listing and Advent art tags. So today while I have been doing laundry, icing gingerbread and making dinner, I have been trying to catch up.

This shows the placement of the tags in the book.
Just look for the number circles.

This is day 1 which i listed previously,
but is complete now that I added it's number.
The art journaling on the back is listed in the
previous post.

Day 2
Guidelines from 30 Days of Lists:
Activities I would like to try this month
From Mickie's Niche:
"Let It Snow"

Day 3
From 30 Days of Lists:
People Always Ask Me
From Mickie's Niche:
Glitter or Glitz: Use glitter, sequins, or other sparkles

Day 4
30 Days of Lists:
I Find Magic In
Mickie's Niche:
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Day 5
30 Days of Lists:
Things I Learned About Myself This Year
Mickie's Niche:
Use ribbon or lace

Day 6
30 Days of Lists:
On My Desk This Week
Mickie's Niche:
Be inspired by the Nutcracker

I have flipped to the next page in the book.
Number 7 is first and foremost on the page.

Day 7
30 Days of List:
How Can I Be Helpful?
Mickie's Niche:
Add wings to something that doesn't normally have wings.

I love the snowman with wings. Off to my next "catch up" duty.

Until next time...

December Lists and Daily Art Journaling

I am almost finished with my Book Challenge for 2016!! Time to start working my way back into the creative, artsy stuff!! This December I have decided to participate in a daily art journaling prompt as well as a daily list project. Both of these promise to not take up much of my time. But knowing me, my OCD will make it take a little longer than it should. 

Here are the links: 

Mickie's Mind

30 Days of Lists - December 2016

 I am using a December daily book I created a couple of years ago that has just been sitting around waiting to be used. It was made with manilla folders and lots and lots of Christmas papers and embellies. It has lots of nice pockets to stick tags and art work into as the month goes on. I am happy to have the chance to use it this year. 

For today's prompts I tried to just stick with the time frame. Mickie's wanted us to use a napkin in our art. My list prompt was my favorite things about December. I know I have a number 1 around here somewhere in my stash, but I will add it later. 

Flamingos for Christmas?! Yep, it was the only printed napkin I had in the house!! 

Until next time...