Crafty Christmas Countdown: 20

 I realized I've never posted a glove puppet before. Probably because they aren't my favorite puppet style. Still, I've been trying to push myself creatively so I figured I'd give one a try. With that style in mind, I decided to go with a goose. 

The nice thing about glove puppets is that the design stage is very simple. You only need to make the puppet outline, keeping in mind where your fingers will fit.

 Then cut two pieces from your fabric. I used some thin fleece I had left over from another project.

 Typically with a puppet of this sort I would prefer so sew the seams but I was adjusting on the fly here so I decide to hot glue. Then I added a couple of small pom poms, a beak I made from craft foam, and a ribbon bow.

 Tada! A Christmas goose.

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 21

 Dollar Tree stores tend to have these little wooden craft kids. I've long wanted to build one but didn't really have a use for them. When I spotted this helicopter, though, it struck me that it could be Christmas themed.

I assembled it quickly with some hot glue.

Then it was a simple matter of painting it red and green. And then adding the extra element of a reindeer piloting the chopper.

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 22

 Can you ever have enough Christmas decorations? I was inspired this year to make a couple of foam decorations in unusual shapes. I love decorations that are a bit unexpected. In this case, I went with an avocado and a cactus formed from egg shapes and spiced up with a bit of glitter.

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 23

 It seems like a good idea to ease into the Christmas crafts, so I went with a kit today. I love these little paintable ornaments and tend to buy a new one every year. 

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 24

 It's already December! And that means it's time for me to punish myself by making a different craft every day until Christmas. I thought I'd start out the season with a craft a lot of us have learned this year: a custom mask. This one is double sided, with two different Christmas fabrics so I can pick the one that suits my mood on a given day.

Non-fiction book review - The Teachers March

 

The Teachers March by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace

Like most kids, my education surrounding the Civil Rights movement was limited to bus boycotts, sit-ins, and a little about Freedom marchers. This is the first I'd heard about teachers specifically marching. I had never considered the idea that teachers were considered influential community members and that for them to take a stand was a huge boon to the movement. Consider the risk they were taking. Teaching was one of a handful of good jobs available to people of color. To risk loosing that, knowing they would have very little employment opportunities if the pretest went badly, is huge. It's an important story to tell about an often overlooked part of history. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Cousins

 

Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen McManus

Genre: mystery

Similar books: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

                     Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Rating: 

 

doesn't quite live up to promise

Summary (provided by publisher): Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.
Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.
The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

My opinion: Culturally, we have something of a fascination with the hyper-wealthy. It seems like even their troubles are more glamorous than ours. So books like this one pick those perceptions apart. This one has some twists. The parents were disinherited, so the titular cousin's own backgrounds are diverse and each brings their own baggage to the investigation. These elements are compelling. The actual investigation is less so. What starts with a normal secret cover-up quickly becomes far less realistic. The ending wraps up in a tidy package, again less satisfying.

More information: The Cousins releases December 1.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley