A Day At The Fair: Skywatch Friday

Paper Lanterns

I was fortunate to exit the fairgrounds via the Home and Garden section, and capture these lovely paper balloon lanterns land-marking the Japanese gardens. One of my favorite things to do is visit Garden Club Exhibits, stroll through the Botanical gardens and take in a museum or two. How about you?

For more wonderful photos from all over the world, you will enjoy visiting Skywatch Friday

The Hammer

Absolutely insane! Photo Credit: gforce

Potted Plant Display

 Tons of the Bromeliad plants were growing on a wall display for the layered look. I have tons of them and will be giving potted plants away to piano students and their families. They seem to grow well here in the shade in SoCal. I have no need for them now, since I have grandchildren and the leaves seem rather prickly. Although I have seen smoother outer surfaces and different colored blooms. They look lovely indoors, as well as around the pond.

Wood Working Exhibit

From clocks to harps, and then to wood-carved birds and a picture of the Last Supper, I thoroughly enjoyed the wood-working section at the fair. We have a lot of carpenters, cabinet makers and general contractors in the family. I've always admired this form of artwork. The quilting and food preserving is fun to see for all the ladies but I must say, the photography section is out of this world and naturally, no photos were taken of their work but deeply respected and admired. It's so inspiring to see someone's professional work, especially when you're a beginner to photography.

Animals and Food

Last but not least, the grandchildren loved the animal section and adored petting each and every one of those bunnies! Thrilling for a child is to eat a hot dog at the fair and all the wonderful sights and smells to take in. I headed off to the Greek section for a bite to snack on and then promised the family some Kettle Corn and turned toe car towards home. The fair was located near a beach city, around a 40-minute drive from our ranch in the country. We had a wonderful time together; loads of fun!

The Friday 56 

In My Corner, written by Susan O'Brien Fischer, is about reflections on family, gardening, raising children and facing life.  I'm liking this book so far. What are you reading?

"After the game we'll round up our brood and pull them reluctantly toward the car, attempting to ignore their pleas to have "so and so" spend the night, and their "promises" to go to bed at a decent hour if we acquiesce." In My Corner

My daughter playing with her very cool nephew. He only has eyes for her!
Have you noticed how babies love to be surrounded by color?!

Have a wonderful weekend,

InLinkz.com

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

Book Review and Interview: The Not So Wicked, Wicked Witch

About The Book

The Not So Wicked, Wicked Witch is a children's book about a witch that is "labeled" in name only. The story itself reveals an old philosophy "you cannot judge a book by it's cover, but read the contents and then decide". The Witch in this book has the "witch image", however, get to really know her and see who she is inside and out!

Author: Amy Purser Carter

Illustrator: Sarah E. Markham

Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com

My Review

A delightful twist from the usual scary stuff! No witches brew nor flying high in the sky because this witch has only good intentions. Besides, you'll find her wearing pink, instead of orange, and happily baking lots of sweet treats. The rhyming text is easy to read, with soft palette illustrations that are loads of fun. The author presented a strong, moral lesson; to see her kindness from the inside. 

I really do think a lot of children will like this story.

5/5 

Recommend? Yes

For additional information, visit www.thenotsowickedwickedwitch.com

Author Interview

I had asked Amy Purser Carter if she would be available for an interview with yours truly and she said "yes"! Dear readers, you are in for a treat. (You know, trick-or-treat)

 Tell us a bit about your book and where it’s available.  It is about a witch that tries to live up to her witchy image but is kind, fun, mischievous, and loving, not to mention “not so wicked”! She is not your average, run of the mill witch and has a heart of gold.  The book is available online at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Abe Books and some local bookstores.

What was the inspiration for your book?  I have always loved Halloween – it is actually my very favorite fall holiday!  For me, the witches were so scary but I liked the thought of them.  When I was at Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) the witch was created.  Many years later (obviously) I found an illustrator (Sarah E. Markham) and she brought her to life!

What was your aim for this book? What did you want readers to think and feel when reading it?  I wanted it to be fun and happy, but not necessarily just a Halloween book.  Due to it being about a witch, it is usually promoted at Halloween.  I want young readers to enjoy a witch and not be scared.  When reading at different schools, that is the reaction/thoughts of the children.  They like the witch because she isn’t a bad witch and loves children.

Do you have any other books currently available?  Not at this time but many already complete and on the back burner !  I would love another book about The Not So Wicked, Wicked Witch!

What will you be working on next? Maybe a sequel to the witch book!

How did you originally get into writing? I have always enjoyed reading books, poetry, and short stories.  Writing poems, for as long as I can remember, was a favorite pastime.

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?  I really enjoy the challenge of creating the words/phrases that rhyme to make the story.  It is actually a lot of fun to me.

What do you find hardest about being a writer? The struggle that it is at times to piece a story together.  Also not having the ability to draw!  If  I could just do both then I could bring it all to life while creating the story.

Who or what would you count as your main influence? My mother – she loved to read, write poems and short stories.

What do you enjoy reading?

I enjoy different types of books – fiction, history, english literature.

Who is your favorite author?  I really do not have one!  There are so many great authors with wonderful books. 

 What would be your ideal writer’s haven for creating your book? Would you have a desk in a quiet cabin somewhere or an iPad on the beach?  A desk, laptop in a quiet cabin!  

Thank you, Amy Carter! Wishing you much continued success!

LadyD Books highly recommends this Halloween season,

The Not So Wicked, Wicked Witch!

Warmly,

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

Pagoda Sky

These photos are of skies from a different land seen through the lens of my daughter's camera. Although there isn't a lot of action with clouds and sunrises in this week's groupings, I thought the buildings were pretty cool. I haven't seen anything like this before in California.

For more photos from around the world, visit Skywatch Friday

A "Pagoda" is a many-tiered tower, a temple or sacred building. Lots of gold found here in Thailand.

The ornate details of the houses and buildings in Thailand are truly amazing.

The children of Thailand are so beautiful. Look at the details in their clothing, let alone the serpent is on both sides of the steps! So much intricate detail! Photo for Kids-e-connection

The open air markets display a beautiful variety of flowers for sale. Photo for Flowers for Saturday

I'm reading a chapter book to my grandson this week. Are you familiar with Roald Dahl's work? This one is regarding a sweet and silly love story because everyone knows, "the way to a woman's heart is through her tortoise."

Friday 56 Freda's voice

"Oh, Mr. Hoppy, it worked!" she was crying. "Your magic words have worked again on Alfie! He can now get through the  door of his little house. It's a miracle!"

From Esio Trot by Roald Dahl

Quote It Saturday

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men. "
Roald Dahl

Happy Reading! 

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

Pretty Leopard

Review: Halloween Kitty Costume

Cat Costumes are the best for my two-year-old granddaughter. That's what she wants to be for Halloween this year, a Pretty Leopard. I must say, she is adorable! We are very pleased with the outfit. The cat costume fits perfectly in size. We, her mother and I, chose a 2T Toddler. In addition to the main, full-length portion of the body, the costume comes with a kitty ear headband and tail. I especially love the black feather trim around the pant legs and arms. It adds a great, festive touch. See for yourself in the above photo. I think you'll agree with me; so cute! They even have adult selections, too. Stop by and visit more cat costumes.

As a grandma of four, I'm a member of the preferred customer program. That means I receive free expedited ground shipping on all orders of $50.00 or more. Costume Supercenter.com takes the risk out of shopping unseen. They have a great free size and product exchange. The company is located on the east coast and provides a huge selection of costumes for everyone. Plus, there are oodles of choices of accessories for any occasion.

What I especially like about the company's website is that it is easy to navigate and find what you want based on your family needs. They have categories arranged for men and women, boys and girls, toddler and teens, and Plus sizes, too. Prices range from under $5.00 to over $100.00 If you're looking for a bargain, visit the Clearance Costumes as well.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the quality of the Pretty Leopard costumes. The animal print fabric is very soft to the touch and it doesn't hinder any movement while wearing it. So, trick-or-treating will be a fun and safe activity. The company has provided a great quality outfit. All we have to do is add the nose and whiskers with a black pencil!

We love the Halloween Kitty costume! ***** stars! What a great choice.

You might want to catch my other Halloween costume review that my grandson loves, Super Mario

Have you thought about it? Are you thinking of a dress up any character for your little one this Halloween?  I've seen costumes in the store already, so shopping online at Costume SuperCenter.com is another great alternative.


 Warmly,






 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

Review: Ghost Buddy #1 (Zero To Hero)

English: Henry Winkler at a ceremony for Adam Sandler to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Annika Dawson from www.facebook.com/43KIXSanDiego, contacted me in regards to reviewing Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver's Ghost Buddy Series. You can catch the second book in the series that I reviewed, here. I absolutely loved it, rating it 5 stars. But I must say, Zero To Hero (Ghost Buddy #1) fell a little short with me. It was good but not great. Let's talk about it.

Book Description

A hilarious new series from Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver, authors of the bestselling HANK ZIPZER books!

Billy Broccoli is new to the neighborhood and wants cool friends and a spot on the baseball team more than anything. But the one thing he never wanted is his own personal ghost. So imagine his surprise when he ends up sharing a room with Hoover Porterhouse, a funny ghost with a whole lot of attitude.

When an obnoxious school bully sets out to demolish Billy, the Hoove comes up with a plan for revenge. It’s all in the Hoove’s Rule Number Forty-Two: Stay cool. And like it or not, Billy and the Hoove have to stick together if Billy ever wants to get in style, get even, and conquer the school.

About The Author

HENRY WINKLER is admired by audiences of all ages for his roles as the Fonz on the long-running series, Happy Days, and in such films as Holes and The Waterboy. He is also an award-winning producer and director of family and children's programming, and the author (with Lin Oliver) of the critically-acclaimed HANK ZIPZER series. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

LIN OLIVER is a television producer and writer, and the Executive Director of the Society of Children's Writers & Illustrators. She co-authored (with Henry Winkler) the New York Times bestselling middle-grade series, HANK ZIPZER: THE WORLD'S GREATEST UNDERACHIEVER and wrote the series WHO SHRUNK DANIEL FUNK? Lin resides in Los Angeles, California.

My Review

Right away I was impressed with the main character of the story, Billy Broccoli. A sensitive lad who wants to play ball on the baseball team and connect with sincere, popular friends in a new school. His challenge in Middle School is learning to deal with a bully successfully. I like how the authors address  some very important issues that our youth face today. I especially love the ending on how Billy goes about getting back at the bully the right way. Sometimes I found the pace of the story unfolding too slowly and a bit boring. At other times, the layers of the story are confusing, not connecting. Being the first book of the series it just started out a little slow for me. When you get to book #2 in the series, Winkler finishes  with a bang. I loved it. With this one, I liked it. **** stars.

Ghost Buddy #1: Zero to Hero
 





 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

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