♥ Books, Crafts & Pretty Things Blog

Cat Thursday - That's not a cat - THIS is a cat!

2012-05-24T19:06:00.000+08:00

Have a great week.

Couple's shoot with Absolute Divine Photography.

2012-05-24T10:19:00.000+08:00

Our daughter and son-in-law got us this couple's shoot with the amazing Davina at Absolute Divine Photography. She specialises in Couples, Families and gorgeous newborn photographs. If you are in western Australia and are looking to capture some wonderful memories I recommend her. She's very relaxed and the shoot was really fun. I'm very happy with the results. We've had lots of great comments from the photos as well. She's just organising her webpage now, but you can contact her at her Facebook Page.

This page was created using the MyMemories Software for digital scrapbooking. To find out about it - click the graphic below.

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♥ Books, Crafts & Pretty Things Blog

2012-05-22T18:10:00.000+08:00

A new look to the blog. A new header and a new button.

Cheers, Kate

Cat Thursday - Hello Kitty! in Thailand.

2012-05-18T16:27:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.

We've just had a holiday in Thailand and I'm snowed under with work, study, family and life. I will be posting more photos soon. But to start off I have some photos of the Hello Kitty! stalls we saw in Thailand. My husband had to keep steering me away towards yummy food and other interests :)

Cat Thursday - Smart Cats

2012-05-10T10:00:00.000+08:00

For the Love of Books

2012-05-08T13:30:00.000+08:00

For the Love of Books by bookscraftsprettythings featuring a studded leather handbag

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Heart jewelry
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The Man Who Loved Books Too Much
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Tote bag
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Kindle Book Talk Make Your Own Kindle Cover
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Love Hearts Coloring Sheets
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Paint drip brush
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GreenMarker
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Frankie Johnny Book Lover Sleepshirt
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When people are ill...

2012-05-05T09:30:00.000+08:00

When someone has a chronic illness, it's easy to try and give well meaning advice. I'm guilty of it. Sometimes I was trying to be helpful and sympathetic, sometimes I just wasn't thinking and I've stuck my foot in my mouth.

But, I have a bit more sympathy for those with illness now. I hope that it's teaching me a lesson about having some consideration and trusting others to be in charge of their own health. I'm not a doctor or health professional, so something I may have heard or read is not necessarily going to be of use. The person is probably well aware of what they are doing and have made all their health decisions with their eyes wide open.

I have been suffering from chronic fatigue. Not CFS, just chronic fatigue as a symptom. I have been given all sorts of well meaning advice from resting more to exercising more and so on. Finally through the proper method, my doctor and I have worked out my problem is to do with sleep. Not the amount of sleep, but the quality. Thankfully I'm now under a specialist and having a sleep study done soon.

When we give advice to others, especially when they are sick - it can sound like criticism. Sometimes it's probably best (at least for me anyway) to lend a caring ear and keep my mouth closed, unless I have been there myself.

Cat Thursday - Vintage Cats

2012-05-03T21:34:00.000+08:00

Guest Post - Cats show their love in the strangest ways!

2012-04-27T18:32:00.000+08:00

Are you a dog person or a cat person? It’s one of the most common questions asked during any icebreaker or casual conversational between two people, and one that constantly divides pet owners. Of the two most popular pets in this country, cats are usually seen as the moodier of the two. Why so? I think it’s because unlike dogs, cats have a complex and nuanced way of showing affection and appreciation to their owners. They won’t just run up to you, wag their tail, and vie for your attention constantly.

Well, some cats do that.

But most cats do silly things that no other animal would do to be noticed. I have one particular story about my cat’s unusual display of affection that I’d like to share with you. This story is about my Russian Blue cat, Arthur. Arthur is a pretty laid back cat; he never really gets in my face for attention but he doesn’t disappear for hours on end either. He’s always around for me to give him an appreciative pat on the belly and he never fails to remind me when he’s hungry. You know, like a normal cat.

One day I was in my home office, doing some writing, when I heard a strange sound coming from the living room. No one else was home at the time; Arthur was the only one keeping me company. The disquieting noise sounded like a muffled rustling or flapping. Flap flap flap. Then silence.

Flap flap flap.

At first I ignored the sound, but it continued to the point where I had to do something about it or else I’d go crazy. Had Arthur grown wings or something? I thought maybe something was wrong with the one of the appliances in the living room or beyond in the kitchen, so I got up to go check out the sound.

I went into the living room to find feathers everywhere, and immediately I knew what had happened. Arthur had gone outside and caught a bird, and he was holding it inside. The house has a doggy door to the backyard area so he can come and go as he likes, but that runs the risk of him bringing something inside. He’d done this once before, and the results were just as messy.

I found Arthur behind a couch, innocently looking up at me like nothing had happened. There were feathers everywhere around him, but no sign of the bird. After some basic searching I found the bird in another corner of the living room, alive but rough-looking. I guess Arthur had just brought him in long enough for the bird to escape from his grasp and flap around the place. I locked Arthur up in the bedroom and spent the next hour trying to shoo the bird outside, and miraculously it was able to flap away. It sounds worse than it was, but it was certainly a weird enough experience to throw me off for the rest of the day.

I feel like Arthur brought in the bird as a token of his affection for me, to show that he appreciates that I take care of him. It’s a sweet gesture, but not one that a person needs in their house. If only I could tell Arthur thanks, but no thanks. Instead, I keep him around for company.

Byline:
This is a guest post by Jane Smith from background check. She is a Houston based freelance writer and blogger. Questions and comments can be sent to: janesmth161 @ gmail.com

2012-04-24T13:56:00.001+08:00

From: Are You a Hoarder

Why my kids find me embarrassing...

2012-04-21T08:42:00.000+08:00

Cat Thursday - Ikea Cats

2012-04-19T18:58:00.000+08:00

Last week I was chatting with Andrea from over at From the Sol, about her cat Diva's love of reaching the highest of heights. This put me in mind of this video which I shared with her, and she suggested I share it for Cat Thursday. The first one is the actual Ikea advert, and the second one is a "making of" video which I found adorable.

What do you think your cat would do given this chance?

New Directory Listings

2012-04-18T01:35:00.000+08:00

Granny Chair Makeover

2012-04-17T11:07:00.000+08:00

When my daughter and son-in-law bought their brother a couch I was asked to pick it up with my trailer. So off to the recycling boutique (op shop, second hand store, bargain...) I went. When we were there I spotted a poor little old chair out the back. I asked the lady how much she wanted for it, and she said I could have it, as it saved them on rubbish collection fees. So this is how it looked.

I had the chair inspector check it out to make sure it was still sturdy enough to sit on. It was declared acceptable.

A splash of paint and a new granny square cushion later -voilà!

Cute country chair.

What a week - Have freebie on me!

2012-04-14T11:59:00.000+08:00

This has been an amazing week.
On Monday, I announced the winner of my Hunger Games giveaway.
On Tuesday, I went to Elizabeth Arden with my daughter and had a shopping day with a sushi lunch and my son got one of those new Samsung Galaxy Notes.
On Tuesday night, I finally had to admit that my little sapphire engagement ring (bought when we were so young) was too tight and hubby cut it off my finger!
On Wednesday, I met with a lovely lady from The Lemon Tree Book Co. She has developed book packs where your child can make a personalised book. I will be writing more about this later.
On Wednesday afternoon, I met with the lovely people at our local history library, where I will be working with the team who are adding metadata to the scanned images that the collection holds.
On Thursday, I had a cuppa with Mum and Dad.
On Friday, I got my cute necklace prize from Tuskc. There's still time to enter if you live in Australia.
I also got my Pinerly invite. For those who don't know, Pinerly provides dashboard functionality for your Pinterest account. I will review this later.
On Saturday, I gave you all this cute Freebie. As a MyMemories affiliate I can offer you freebies from time to time as well as a great discount on the software.
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Cat Thursday

2012-04-12T22:03:00.000+08:00

How this relates to Cat Thursday may not be apparent at first, but bear with me:

While we were on holidays we came across this cute Fairy Crossing sign.

So I had a look around the net to see what other funny signs there were and I found this one at A Haunted Halloween.

Then I found some funny signs at Post This Inc.

Lastly, I found this very funny one at Dark Roasted Blend.

Hugs from Jigglypuff and Kate xxx

Easter Weekend Break

2012-04-10T09:57:00.002+08:00

Whether you celebrate or not, it's the perfect time for a break and some family time. I was pleased to note that our state had a zero road toll, which was a good result, so well done to all the careful drivers and those who showed good judgement.
Even though I've been doing my heart health diet (the first diet I've ever been on in my life by the way) I still got a couple of treats. One nephew thought it would be a cute gag gift to give me some carrots instead of the usual chocolate. So clever. I'll be able to share them with the guinea pigs. We had a lovely weekend resting with the folks and our offspring.
Also, yesterday I announced the winner of my giveaway - which was Jessie H - congrats to her for her win.
How did your break go? Perhaps you had to work - so many people doing important jobs from saving lives to feeding those who can't look after themselves. I admire these people like my brother-in-law who give up every holiday because of the important jobs they do.

Cat Thursday

2012-04-05T19:14:00.000+08:00

Like/Hate App

2012-04-04T15:32:00.001+08:00

Like/Hate App

Source: like-hate.com via Kate on Pinterest

Guest Post -Help, My Teen is Being Harassed! - Jennie Withers - Bullying (Part 3 in a 3 part Series)

2012-04-04T12:33:00.001+08:00

I was recently invited to read Hey, Back Off! Written by Jennie Withers with her mother, Phyllis Hendrickson M. Ed. This is a topic I have discussed before on this blog. Jennie has been so kind and has contributed some material for my blog posts. In part three Jennie shares some hints for parents. Thank you Jennie for sharing this with us. You can find Jennie Withers online at her web page. Read part one here and part two here.

Help, My Teen is Being Harassed!
by
Jennie Withers (www.jenniewithers.com)
Author of, Hey, Back Off! Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment (New Horizon Press Books)

Helping your teen with harassment is all about getting your teen to think, discuss and make some decisions on what to do about his or her victimization. Your primary role is as a mentor who listens, offers support and guides your teen toward an assertive solution. This is the work of an assertive parent. Aggressive parents attempt to take over situations for their teen. Passive parents may expect a teen to deal with harassment on his or her own. Assertive parents have balance. Assertive parents:

· Do something, not everything and never nothing. As much as you may want to, you cannot stand up for your teen; he or she has to do it for him or herself. That's how your teen will gain respect from peers as well as self-respect. Conversely, believing that harassment is the responsibility of a third party such as a school, church or law officials, or believing that your teen should be mature enough to handle harassment completely on his or her own, will not help the problem either. It is going to have to be a team effort. Parents, schools, law officials and other organizations are going to need to be involved in educating, supporting and guiding teens to deal with harassment.

· Know the types of harassment, the law and their school's harassment policy. Knowing what constitutes harassment is a way for you to validate what your teen is going through, something that is very important to him or her. As an assertive parent you should be aware of the types of harassment: bullying, sexual harassment, stalking, hazing and cyberbullying. You should also be familiar with the law and your school's policy. Parents have the responsibility to work with schools and advocate for their children's safety and education. You cannot be effective in this role if you do not know policies.

· Encourage their teen to talk to them or another trusted adult. Teens are often times reluctant to come to their parents with harassment issues. Therefore, when you recognize there is something bothering your teen, offer to listen. If your son or daughter refuses to confide in you, brainstorm with him or her others with whom he or she can talk. Parents should realize that harassment issues don't have to be- nor should they be- taken care of completely within a family. There is help out there for your teen and for you.

· Listen to their teen. Listen to your teen's words, but also watch body language and hear his or her tone of voice. Many times, parents' first instinct is to offer their best advice and lecture their children. Most teens don't respond to this and will usually stop talking. Be a good listener, ask open-ended questions, guide decision making instead of lecturing and ensure that your teen knows you are there for him or her, because you love him or her.

· Are visible in their teen's life. Knowing your teen's friends, what your teen does in their spare time and showing up to their games, concerts, shows and project demonstrations is important for harassment prevention because it provides your teen with confidence that you are there to support him or her. Teens who feel supported are less likely to become the victims of a harasser. The key is to remember to remain an assertive parent, not one who smothers a teen as he or she hovers over every aspect of the teen's life. Find a balance so your teen feels supported but not suffocated.

· Have a support system. Standing on the sidelines of your teen's life can be very lonely. There are other parents out there who have similar struggles with raising a teen. Get to know those parents and professionals who are riding the same raising-an-adolescent roller coaster you are.

When dealing with harassment it is worthwhile for parents and teens to focus on what they can control. You cannot control what the harasser tries to do, but you can control what you will do whether that is to help your teen employ a strategy to make the harassment stop, or report it to an authority. Know that your teen can take back control of their lives and you can guide them in making assertive decisions that will make that possible. With assertive behavior and the help that is available to you both, you will achieve harassment prevention.

A specific example of what to say and do if you suspect your teen is being cyberbullied follows:

What to say:

· What happened?

· Would you feel comfortable saying something to the cyberbully face to face?

· What have you tried or what can you try to make the cyberbullying stop?

· Who can you count on for immediate help?

· Is the cyberbullying affecting your ability to be social and enjoy activities?

· Do you feel like the cyberbullying is severe, persistent or pervasive?

· Who would you go to if the cyberbullying becomes severe, persistent or pervasive?

· How can I help you?

What to do:

· Monitor my teen's technology use - let my teen know I trust them, but want to keep them safe.

· Create a safety plan with my teen.

· Lock abusive users out of my teen's social networking sites like Facebook, change my teen's email address and cell phone number.

· Make technology public domain in my house.

· Assure my teen cyberbullying is not his or her fault.

· Listen to my teen and guide their decision making.

· Encourage my teen to report if the cyberbullying is severe, persistent or pervasive.

· Report severe, persistent or pervasive cyberbullying if my teen won't.

Have you tried this yarn?

2012-04-04T12:33:00.000+08:00

When my sister went on holidays to visit her husband's family, she brought me back this gorgeous scarf from her Grandmother-in-law. Have you seen these around?

I found one type of similar yarn. But I've added links below to other kinds of lacy or ruffling yarn from around the Web. I'm looking forward to learning to make things with this. This one I found at Spotlight:

Here is one called Berroco Lacey!

One called Sashay!

And another called Marina!

Have a ball!

Hunger Games Book Give-away!

2012-04-02T16:41:00.000+08:00

Jennifer Lawrence stars as 'Katniss Everdeen' in THE HUNGER GAMES. Photo credit: Murray Close

The Butcher (Hubby) took me to see The Hunger Games movie last week. It was amazing. But it bothered me a little that there were small children there. I would definitely recommend a mature audience and be prepared to discuss the themes with your teen because some of them are very powerful.

That being said, I thought I had entered a version of the Makeup Junkie's (daughter) world with all the wonderful costumes, colourful hair and fabulous eyelashes.

Starchaser (son) didn't want to go because he wants to read the book first - so maybe he should enter my competition. It's open internationally and anyone can win.

I'm giving away a copy of The Hunger Games book by Suzanne Collins. Follow the Rafflecopter for entries and remember to message me on Facebook if you need help.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UPDATE:

Handy hints for Rafflecopter: (Taken from a note to an entrant)

Okay, so sign into the rafflecopter widget ( at the bottom of the post) with a name & email address (just first name is fine). Then it says "Like on Facebook" with a green "Do it" button. If you press this then the link will come up. The information you put in like Facebook name will not be published only Kate C. Then do as many of the things you feel like. These will all count as entries. Remember things like you already follow me on Pinterest. This counts as an entry. The reason I use rafflecopter is because it chooses the winner and there is no favouritism. If you have any other problems, message me. Cheers, Kate.

Hot Cross Buns using your Breadmaker

2012-04-02T12:38:00.000+08:00

I made these last year and they were very yummy.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons dry yeast
3 and half cups bread flour
3 tablespoons milk powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons mixed spice
45 g butter or margarine
350 ml water
1 cup of mixed dried fruit or choclate chips or raisins or any dried fruit you like (eg. cranberries)

Put all ingredients into bread maker except the last one. Use the dough setting for "raisin dough". Add the last ingredient when the machine beeps. (Check your breadmaker's instructions carefully for individual settings and recipes).
When the dough is ready put it on a floured surface and knead it. When the dough appears to be elastic (that is when pulled it springs a little) divide into even portions for the size of buns you wish to make. Make sure the size is uniform. You will probably get around 12 - 16 buns.
Cover and let rest until it has risen, just like when making bread.
Mix an extra cup of plain flour with some water to make a smooth paste and pipe the crosses on with a piping bag.
Bake in a pre-heated oven of 200 degrees celcius (around 390 F) for about 20 mins, Check the colour and make sure you have a nice even browness. If your oven doesn't have a fan, then check they are evenly coloured and rotate during cooking. Put back for five more minutes if necessary depending upon the size of your buns.
Buns may be glazed by mixing a teaspoon of gelatine with a tablespoon of sugar and two tablespoons of boiling water. Brush the glaze on with a pastry brush while the buns are still warm.

Cat Thursday and my 200th post

2012-03-29T18:21:00.001+08:00

Hooray for the 200th post on

Books, Crafts and Pretty Things!

Have a great week,

Hey, Back Off! - Bullying (Part 2 in a 3 part series)

2012-03-27T12:51:00.001+08:00

Read Part 1 here. I was recently invited to read Hey Back Off Written by Jennie Withers with Phyllis Hendrickson M. Ed. You can find Jennie Withers online at her web page. In this part two on bullying, I review the book.
As you can see from the photo above, I marked a lot of passages in this book. I found many pearls of wisdom, as well as practical advice for both children and their parents when it comes to handling these situations.
The first thing that struck me about this book is how it clearly lays out what bullying and harassment are and the different types of harassment. This is particularly helpful for two reasons. Firstly, some people doubt themselves when dealing with episodes of bullying or harassment. If people say they are just being overly sensitive they may start to believe that they are the problem. Jennie Withers clearly lays out the ways someone can be harassed - so you can be clear in your mind that this person's behaviour is not acceptable and you have done nothing wrong to deserve such treatment. Secondly, it helps when you can use appropriate language to describe the types of bullying you (or your child) received. It is helpful if you have to report the matter to clarify your thoughts.
The next part of the book discusses the different types of personalities that we have. You can take a quiz to see what types of behaviours you display as a child or parent. There are helpful tips in turning passive behaviour into active behaviour, and turning aggressive behaviour into assertive behaviour.
The book then talks about different types of scenarios with real examples of the behaviours and language of harassment, with counter-measures you and your child can use in particular situations.
When I was bullied and when my children were bullied, the hardest thing was removing the emotion from the situation enough to deal with the situation with a calm demeanour. I think this book gives great advice, so you can feel prepared and have many tools available to plan your strategies, before you confront the situation. I'm sure this is a toolbox any parent will be grateful to have at their fingertips.
When the kids were little, I had a handy book for when they were sick and I could check symptoms and decide whether we could handle this ourselves or get help. I think that "Hey, Back Off!" is the same kind of tool, and would be just as useful for the same reasons. Your child's mental well-being is just as important as their physical health. It has taken a while for us, as a society, to realise that - but now we can take positive action to ensure our children's childhood is as it should be.
One small note - there is a chapter discussing the law. If you don't live in the US you can easily check to see what the laws are in your country regarding harassment. Many countries have recently made changes to their laws to encompass the various types of bullying or harassment using technology. A good example is this case in Australia/US where the police worked together and made an arrest:

Australian Teen Accused Of Cyberbullying Grafton Girl

As parents we need to educate ourselves about what is happening with young people and how to use the technology they are using. Otherwise we won't know how to give them strategies to keep them safe. Jennie Wither's book is a great start and I highly recommend it.