Reading List for 2016

I thought I would share my reading list for 2016. My list of planned reads are literally overflowing and falling off my nightstand. It's a little ridiculous, but there is something about a surplus of books that makes me insanely happy.

In no particular order:

• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (Followed by the rest of the series)
• Holidays on Ice - David Sedaris (Already halfway through this. It's not my favorite of his, but I am enjoying it and it's an easy read).
• Vintage edition of Edgar Allan Poe (Gifted to me by my father-in-law)
• The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin 
• The Zookeeper's Wife - Diane Ackerman
• Alice in Zombieland - Gena Showalter (SUPER excited to start this series!)
• Through the Zombie Glass - Gena Showalter (2nd in the White Rabbit Chronicles - need to purchase the 3rd and final.)
• Library of Souls - Ransom Riggs (The Graphic Novel of the 1st book in the series is pictured. It's a fun companion to the first book. LOVE this series!!)
• Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China - Jung Chang (A book my grandmother enjoyed and one that looks like something I will enjoy as well. Looking forward to reading it.)

Not pictured but still on my list:

• The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
• The Burning Times - Jeanne Kalogridis (Was given this YEARS ago and never picked it up...I need to. I hate having books unread.)

Anything I should add? What's on your list for the year?

First Day of Summer

I hope everyone is having a glorious 1st day of Summer. I did have some outdoor fun planned for this morning, but our backyard is a jungle at the moment and I get eaten alive, so we skipped that. 

In celebration of Summer I thought I would make a list of things I would like to do...in no particular order.

Step outside the borders of Texas…even if it’s only to take a U-turn in Oklahoma….it’s been 5 years since I left the state. Thankfully, Texas is massive.

Maine 2007 - not happening this year, but I'm allowed to dream. 

See fireworks with the boys

4th of July 2010

Dallas World Aquarium

2011 - look how teenie Munch is!

Water fight

June 2010

Tie-dye day

Our last day was in July 2010!

$1 movies

This week...but not actually a $1 movie...Epic was awesome though :o)

Frisco Discovery Center

Last Year

Enjoy a 1st Saturday in Dallas Arts District

Last Summer

Write letters to my favorite girl

Little Sis and I, last weekend. 

Lots of reading and learning with the boys

Update my summer reading list. Almost done with A Dance With Dragons. I want easy and fun reads. Any tips?

Take the boys bowling…I don’t bowl…where is a good place to bring a 4 and 2 year old?

Make a summer wreath for my front door.

Make my Mimi’s Strawberry Shortcake.

Ice Cream Social

And apparently I need to work on scrapbooking, because it's driving me nuts that all the old photos I used in this post haven't made it off my computer. :o/

What do you have planned for the summer?

Welcome Home Wednesday: Munch's Cave

Please excuse the mess while Angie of My So Called Chaos and Health Not to Health Nut works on revamping my blog. Super excited about it!!

This week I'm sharing Munch's room, before he moved into it. 

 (above: view from doorway. window looks over front yard)

 (above: view from right corner)

(above: view from left corner. you can just see the patch of flooring that wasn't completed in the closet. note: there is an extremely tiny opening (about house elf size) leading to the attic in Munch's closet, if we ever have the money it would be really nice to make a human size opening maybe in the hall outside the boys rooms.)



Munch's Cave To Do List:

• Finish flooring in closet.  Thanks, Honey!!
• Paint Thanks, Honey!
• Get and install more sturdy curtain rod.  Completed today!! Thanks, Honey!!
• Get Munch's fan from Mum's and install here
• Hang pictures/artwork

Next week I'll share the after pictures!

Welcome Home Wednesday: Kitchen Before

When we were originally looking at homes online, I skipped over this one.
One of the reasons were these cabinets. The color threw me off.  

 I still don't like it. The maroon seems an odd color for cabinets...possibly a good color for a barn though. The walls are sort of a creamy yellow. It is actually kind of a pretty color, but not my style and just painted really badly....and recently we discovered that it's the EXACT same yellow as the house AND the master bath....AND the color that our dining room was. (Is it just me that thinks that is bizarre?)

 It's possible that the microwave and oven were original to the house...I think that's the last time the oven had been cleaned too.

 The dishwasher was pretty old too and the rust stains at the base told of a leak...

 I love the granite counter tops and the huge sink with the beautiful window overlooking the deck outside. At our last house I was looking at an old air conditioner while I did the dishes.

The fridge was missing parts, so we planned on replacing it with my mother's old fridge. When that didn't work we went ahead and replaced all the old appliances with new white ones. 

Above is the set up the previous owners had. That's a curtain chilling out in the middle of the window, held up by a shower curtain rod and a bunch of strings looped through hooks around the window. I have no idea what was going on there. The window does get some insane morning sun, so we will need to put blinds up.

To Do:

Replace Appliances

Repair problem with cabinet wall housing the Dishwasher (VERY soon I hope)

HOPEFULLY repaint cabinets - (I was leaning towards a light gray, but our bedroom is gray and so is our dining room...opinions?)

Paint walls - really depends on if we CAN repaint the cabinets

Purchase and hang blinds in window

Repair/replace light fixtures

Ultimately I would like a new backsplash, but that probably won't be anytime soon.

I really hope we are able to focus on this area soon...I love this kitchen, but really have yet to make it mine. 

Welcome Home Wednesday: Master Bedroom Before

I love this room. The high ceilings make it seem huge and so much natural light flows into it. I wish these pictures showed just how insanely green this room was and how gross the carpet looked.

 (above: view from doorway. windows look out on the back yard)

 (above: view from the right window.)

(above: view from the left window)

Master Sanctuary To Do List

• Paint 
• Replace carpet with laminate. 
• Replace curtain rods and curtains 
• Hang art work
• Replace light covers on fan. I actually like the fan, but wouldn't mind something less builder grady...yep...I know grady isn't a word.
• Make some yellow pillows for bed - have some beautiful vintage material I bought - just need to get to work!

Finally got some after pictures this week. Should have an after post for this room next week. I love how it looks now!

Welcome Home Wednesday: Out Back

Our backyard! Photos taken November 2011

(above: back gate)

(above: view of our deck from back gate) 

 (above: our loverly, spacious shed) 

 (above: view of back yard from deck. note: poor, brown cedar...)

 (above: view of yard and little magnolia from left fence. LOVE the magnolia)

 (above: view from rear fence)

(above: view of side patio off dining room)



Out Back To Do List

• Pray that our beautiful big cedar is still alive - pretty please? Turns out it was NOT a cedar as we were told, but a balding cypress. Yay!
• Remove dead limbs from magnolia
• Clear rocks/pebbles from flower bed near rear gate Mostly...from our veggie garden anyway.
• Plant some veggies in bed by rear gate. We planted tomatoes and jalapeno last year. 
• Repair loose panels along rear fence
• Attempt to remove old fencework from rear left corner flower bed What we could anyway.
• Get soil  and fill holes in beds/yard
• Clean out rear flower beds completely
• Repair sprinkler system
• Clean out gutters (on neighboring house)
• Install lattice work to cover the underneath of shed and deck
• Sand and repaint deck
• Plant drought/butterfly/Texas friendly plants in flower bed (did this last year and we got an awful caterpillar infestation...so we need to do it again. SIGH)
• Remove large hooks from rear fence (What the heck are those for anyway?)
• Get a smaller smoker to replace our insanely huge one. Went with a propane grill instead, cause smoker flames make me nervous with our houses so close together.
• Have BBQ and Enjoy (lots)

Welcome Home Wednesday: Home Front

Not so long ago, I had a dream of starting a second blog, one to write about my home and family...and then I was going to just keep this one for crafts. It wasn't very long before I gave that idea up and moved back to Craft Cherry. I have been thinking lately that it would be nice to move the posts about our home over here, but I didn't want to flood my blog with posts that I wrote last year...or bore anyone that might have already seen those posts....SO Wednesday will be dedicated to my home. Hopefully, this will help me stay on top of some of the projects we need to work on and make me take some pictures of the projects we have completed!

Here is our lovely little home as of November 2011:

 (above: general front of house and yard)


 (above: far right front: notice all that ivy...eek)

 (above: front entry: note pebbled walkway with TEENIE pebbles, also drainspout it hanging on to gutter for dear life.)

(above: view from front door. notice the sad state of flower beds?)

Home Front To Do List:

• PRIORITY: Clear out insane amount of ivy in flowerbeds (Taken care of by our new lawn guys!!)
• Clear out dead plants from flower beds
• Remove awful red wood chips that is at least 10 feet thick.
• Remove or clean up pebble path in the middle of flower bed directly in front of front door: (in progress.)
• Clean out rain gutters
• Repair rain gutters
• Plant new Texas friendly plants
• Repair right side of driveway
• Repair sprinkler system  (turns out it wasn't actually broken in the front.)
• Put together pretty blue rocking bench for entryway
• Paint back gate white to match with house. 
• Take current photos in the Spring. Right now, everything still looks dead and sad.