Ellison vs Cricut

This is a totally biased and unprofessional review of Ellison Dye machines versus Cricut machines.  All opinions are my own, and you should probably not make a decision based on those opinions.


When I was in libraryland, I loved Ellison Dyes!  We had tons at my old library and they were so much fun.  However having an Ellison Dye is not practical at home, so when I needed to redo some bulletin boards at work, I asked my friend Kathy if I could borrow her Cricut.  While the Cricut worked just fine, I'm noticing some differences that I would like to discuss.

The Cricut:

Here's the Cricut at work this morning cutting out my bulletin board letters.  Why do I have Physics spelled out twice?  Wouldn't you like know!

Anyway, the Cricut is great because it's portable (I hauled it in here myself) and the cartridges are super small.  Kathy have me three cartridges with hundreds of shapes that I can size up and down and they take up the space of three VHS tapes.  Not bad!  Plus, you load up the paper and go.  I was checking email and such while my letters were merrily cutting in the background.

But, you can only cut cardstock with this thing.  I was specifically told not to use construction paper (which was good that she told me because that was my plan).  Also, it's kinda slow.  It took almost two hours to cut out all the letters that I needed (44 in total), and it's also LOUD!  After two hours of hearing that cutting sound I have a headache.

Now the Ellison Dye machine:

 

Kinda looks like a medieval torture device, right?  But it's great!  You have these wooden blocks with a blade in them encased in rubber, then you put the dye over the paper, under the press and then work those arms!  You can cut several shapes at once too.  

That's the dinosaur.  Imagine having to cut that out by hand.  I did in high school while working at the library and almost lost the use of my right hand.  It was very serious.  

Here's my opinion of the Ellison.  You can cut nearly anything with it.  I've personally cut all types of paper, wax paper, fleece, flannel, even tin.  It might not be great on the dye, but it works.  Plus, I feel like there is less waste because I've learned to fold the paper exactly to get what I need.  And it's silent!  Just a little whoosh of the handle being worked.

But it takes some arm power.  I had serious guns while working at the library because of this thing.  Also, it's not portable.  I could move the giant machine, but it took some work.  I looked like one of those Olympic weight lifters that was trying to deadlift a Toyota.  And it's not compact.  My former library had tons of Ellisons and they took up one whole section of a rather large craft room.  I'd definitely have to have an dedicated Ellison room, but it would be my favorite room in the house!

My overall impression is:  Cricut wins.  It's portable, more flexible and likely a ton cheaper, even though I didn't really research that part.  But if I were given the choice, I would definitely get an Ellison first.  It's like would you rather read the physical book, or the Kindle edition.  I'm still trying to get on board with technology.

So, there you have it.  A totally biased and unprofessional review of Cricut and Ellison, just in time for school.  How are your new school year boards coming along?  Mine have only gotten as far as the letters, but that will change soon!

Happy Reading!

Raging Pinterest Addiction

So, a couple posts ago, I told you about my NetGalley addiction.  I saw the irony in that when the site that I am super addicted to is Pinterest.  Now, if you are not on Pinterest, I highly recommend that you don't ever join!  You thought Facebook was a waste of time, holy cow are you wrong!  Pinterest sucks you in and suddenly you've stared at pics of crocheted sweaters and dogs in sombreros and funny e-cards for three hours and you think, what's my life come to, but then you click "See More Pins" and it just doesn't stop! 

But the worst part has to be when you start thinking, yeah I can do that.  I have a craft board full of great pins that I will never complete.  What's worse though is that I wasted money buying the supplies for crafts that are never going to happen.  And I see these cool house things and tell my hubby that our house will not be complete without a little drawer in the shower cleverly hidden by a shower tile.  Then there's the My Style board with all the pretty clothes that make my closet feel frumpy and I say to my hubby, but if I owned all the clothes I've pinned on Pinterest, I'd have something to wear to this party.  And honestly, if I start one more sentence with "So, I saw this thing on Pinterest", he might just take the dog and walk away.

But the worst of the worst part of Pinterest is my Recipes board.  I've had some failed recipes, like baked potatoes in a crock pot that I burnt somehow, and this pizza sub thing that was just mushy.  Oh, and these banana oatmeal muffins that had me sick for an entire afternoon.  Now when I bust out a new recipe, Doug cautiously asks where I found it and if I say Pinterest, he starts packing his bags.  He has good reason though, because I almost killed him on Thursday.

I had this great pin for Crockpot Buffalo Chicken.  I like chicken wings and this was a recipe for shredded buffalo chicken sandwiches so it sounded perfect.  Plus, you just throw your ingredients in the crockpot and come home after work and dinner is ready!  So, in went a couple frozen chicken breasts, a packet of ranch dressing mix, and AN ENTIRE BOTTLE OF FRANK'S RED HOT!  That was my mistake.  I guess that there is a major difference between Frank's Red Hot and Frank's Buffalo Sauce.  At any rate, this stuff was so hot and so wicked that we ate our sandwiches drenched in ranch dressing and tossed the rest.  And my hubby was up until 1:00 am dealing with the consequences of my dinner.

Now, here's the librarian part.  As a librarian, you learn to check your sources.  But Pinterest is a site where you can pick up an idea from any website, blog, what have you, and put it out there for the whole pinning community to see.  My major fails have been from random blogs.  My major successes in recipes have been from kraft.com or tasteofhome.com.  You know, websites with the goal of keeping your family alive to see another meal.  I have to learn to check my sources!  Just because some random blogger swears by lemon and honey facial masks or cleaning her tub with a grapefruit, does not make it a good idea (I know, I have stupidly tried both of those things).

So, I, Tiffany, admit that I have a crazy Pinterest Addiction that is hurting the people that I love.  I vow to cut back my Pinterest time to 74 hours per week (I'll have to phase it out-I can't go cold turkey!).  I will check my sources and carefully record all proper ingredients to recipes found on reputable websites.  I will not wash my hair with vinegar, make my own laundry soap, or try to construct a life-size replica of Mt. Rushmore in my back yard using nothing but chicken wire and duct tape.  I will learn to be content with the contents of my closet, not the contents of thousands of shopping websites.  I will not determine my worth based on the number of followers I have or repins I get each day.  I will think before I pin.

It feels good to admit all of that!  So, keep my accountable people.  Help me kick my Pinterest habit and make sure that Doug gets eatable meals!

Happy Reading!

Best Storytime Ever!

I did not deem this the best storytime ever, one of my little rascals did.  After the program was over, he walked into the back workroom and told my co-workers with hands in the air "that was the best storytime ever!!", then walked back out.  Later I learned that the little stinker had eaten five little cups of Cheerios, so I think that might have had something to do with it.

During the Winter 2009 session, my goal was to do story telling in every storytime, and this program was My Senses.  I'll start with the activity and work my way backward.  Instead of a craft, each child received a Sense Passport and, with their parent or caregiver, went through each station and checked off the senses.  Here's a breakdown of each station:

1.  Taste:  Cheerios in ketchup cups.  I also had that box ready just in case someone had allergies, so parents knew exactly what was in there.

2.  Smell:  Perfume sprayed on cotton balls kept in ketchup cups.  I just grabbed whatever I had at my house and sprayed the cotton balls down.  One little boy said my linen spray smelled like toilet bowl cleaner.  You can't please them all.

3.  Sight:  I put out a few copies of Monet prints, like Waterlilies and such and had them describe the colors.

4.  Touch:  I took three empty Kleenex boxes (the square ones with the oval opening) and stuffed different items inside like a sponge, egg beater, and stuffed reindeer.

5.  Sound:  The kids just listened to a big seashell.

Funny but sad sidenote:  The day before this storytime my grandma passed away, but I had this program and another one the next day, so I didn't go home for a couple days, rather just did my job.  When I showed up at work in the morning with three full Kleenex boxes and started furiously pulling Kleenex's out, my co-workers almost sent me home, until I explained that, no I was not super-weepy, I just needed empty Kleenex boxes.  It was a hard couple days, but I was really excited about the programs I had planned, and I knew that my grandma would want to me do my job and have some fun.  Now the time I tried to get out of an appendectomy for a tooth fairy program was just plain stupid, but that's a story for another day.

Back to the passports!  Here are some JPEGs that you are welcome to use for your own sense passports.  If you would like the Publisher file, just email me at misstiffreads at gmail dot com and I will send them right to you!

 

 

Now that you have the activity ready, let's do the storytime!

Tell Me a Story:  My Senses

Preschool Storytime

Opening Song:  Bendable, Stretchable by Georgiana Stewart

Opening Rhyme:  Dance Your Fingers Up

Dance your fingers up, dance your fingers down

Dance your fingers to the side, dance them all around

Dance them on your shoulders, dance them on your head

Dance them on your belly, and now put them to bed.

Story:  Seven Blind Mice adapted from book by Ed Young

(Instead of reading the book, I told this story as a flannel board with props.)

Rhyme:  Little Mousie

Here’s a little mousie, peeking through a hole.

Peek to the left, peek to the right

Run back in, there’s a cat in sight!

 

Book:  Sleepy Boy by Polly Kanevsky

Rhyme:  Guess Who?

Growl, thud, roar, roar!

Who’s that knocking on my door?

Pound, stomp, scratch, scratch

Who’s that wiggling my latch?

Can a pig be at my door?

No it can’t cause pigs don’t roar!

Can a cow be wiggling my latch?

No it can’t cause cows can’t scratch!

Roar, scratch, growl, growl,

And I know it’s not an owl!

I think I know who it might be,

A friendly lion visiting me!

Book:  Five for a Little One by Chris Raschka

Rhyme:  Five Senses

Eyes to see with, ears to hear with

Nose to smell with, tongue to taste with

Feet to run with, hand to touch with

I’m a lucky child!

Book:  Forest Friends Five Senses by Cristina Garelli

Rhyme:  Squirrel Song (tune, She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain)

I’ll be gathering all the acorns till they’re gone

I’ll be gathering all the acorns till they’re gone

I’ll be gathering all the acorns, gathering all the acorns

I’ll be gathering all the acorns till they’re gone

I’ll put them all inside my little home

I’ll eat the nuts until the winter’s gone

Activity:  Sense Passports

And there you have it.  The best storytime ever as judged by one little rascal in my storytime group.  Let me know how your five senses adventure goes!

Happy Reading and Happy Weekend!

Cute as a Cubbie Bear

If you follow my instagram (misstiffreads) or if we're friends on facebook, you saw this picture last night.

Yes, that is me wearing a Cubs t-shirt.  (Actually this tee was my treat for having a good day at the dentist.  No cavities for me!  Yes, I'm a five year old).

Why is this a big deal?  Because I was born and raised in Southern Illinois, and was therefore a Cardinals fan.  GASP!  So, how can this be?  Love makes you do crazy things people.  Doug is a Cubs fan.  If anyone gives him flack about being a Cubs fan, he busts out the story of his 96 year old grandma and her 95 year old sister that still live together in an apartment and watch or listen to every Cubs game, even though they have never experienced a Cubs World Series in their lifetime.  It's something that he was born into and he will not give up.

Well, when we started dating, we knew this was going to be a problem.  We were in a mixed relationship, Cardinals and Cubs fans.  While many couples can make this work, we knew that it would be hard.  There would be long series, there would be a whole month of September with the Cardinals playing and the Cubs sitting at home eating nachos.  There would be taunts and teases and such.  We decided early on that we would raise the children Red Sox fans, since they are in a different league and Doug lived in Boston for a while, then, when they were old enough, we would let the children decide for themselves.

Then one night, after particularly bad Cubs beat down, and some pretty cruel taunts from friends (all of whom are Cards fans), I got to thinking about my true allegiance.  It would be nice for my husband to have some support in his fandom.  Also, when he asked me to name five Cards players, I named Mike Matheny, who apparently hasn't played for quite a while and is actually their manager now.  Okay, so I don't know anything about the Cards.  I was just a fan out of habit, and to annoy my husband.

In actuality, I know quite a bit about the Cubs.  CSN Chicago is on every night in our house, so I know the players (although not now, since they traded like every one I knew earlier this week), I know the management, and I can honestly hold a conversation about Cubs games and management.

Also, when we got married, Doug was Methodist and he became a Lutheran for me.  Isn't changing your religion on par with changing your baseball team?

Let's be real.  This isn't about religion or baseball or records or any of that.  It's about fashion.  I don't look good in red.  It's hard being a Cards fan if you can't wear read, and the Cubbie Bear is so cute!  And blue is really my color.  And I love that they incorporate the green into game shirts because it really brings out my eyes.  So, yeah, I'm a Cubs fan now for the t-shirts.  I'm a girl and yes I do sometimes pick teams to root for based on the colors.  Get over it.

And raising little Cubbies is actually a good thing if you think about it.  They learn to be gracious losers and they aren't boastful, because what would they have to boast about.  Also, they learn that things don't always go your way, but playing your best is more important than winning.  I honestly think that there is a parenting book in there somewhere, like "Cubbie Bear Parenting", or something like that.

Although I'm still going to write a book called "Why Does Daddy Cry on Game Day?:  A Practical Guide for Cubs Families".

But I can make those kind of jokes because I'm a Cubs fan now.

Go, Cubs, Go!

Happy Reading

Book Covers Gone Bad

That wasn't a good title.  I'll try harder and get back to you.

In yesterday's post, I listed my comfy, cozy wish list, which included Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink, the third book in the Sisters of Prophecy Trilogy.  While Circle of Fire isn't a comfy, cozy book, I enjoy pretty light, escapist reading on a lazy day, and it would fit the bill perfectly.  But then I got off on a side tangent about the book cover, so I'm back to complete my rant.

Every book blog worth it's-not paper, not ink-file space, has done a post about book covers.  Whether they are bad (this post from A Fuse #8 Production), follow a theme (this post from Shelftalker) or use the exact same model (this post from The Chick Lit Bee), everyone has an opinion.  So, here's mine.

The first book of this trilogy, Prophecy of the Sisters, was published in 2009 with this cover:

 

Cool, right?  It's eerie, dark, a little gothic, and reminds me of one of my other favorite books ever, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  

Awesome book, awesome cover, I'll talk about in another post.

Back to the Sisters.  This post isn't really about the content of the books so here's a basic synopsis. Lia and Alice are twin sisters that are living out an age old prophecy of good and evil, but they are obviously playing on different sides, and not exactly the sides one might think.  Depending on who succeeds, our world will be saved, or taken over by monsters.  I'm assuming that book 3 will answer the taken-over-by-monsters question, but I haven't read it yet.

Back to the covers.  So book one in hardcover was haunting and beautiful and lured readers in (see comments on Goodreads).  Then the publisher decided to go another way for the paperback (which is not all together uncommon) and then used the similar design for the following hardcovers.  But look at what they came up with!

                               
So, on the left, we have the paperback cover of book 1, in the center we have the main cover of book 2 and the on right, the main cover of book 3.  While it's a plus that you can tell that these are part of a series (although the first cover looks a little washed out compared to the other two), they look very generic-like some trashy paperback you'd pick up at Wal-Mart.  (By the way, I was at Wal-Mart looking at the book section last night and it's sad, but even more depressing, they have a better selection than my local indy, that is unless I want to read about historic barns or how to make mooonshine.)

Back to the sisters.  Doesn't the book 3 girl kinda look like Andy MacDowell, or it is just me?

Okay, it's just me.

Moving on again.  ( I just cannot keep a train of thought together today!)  Check out the Spanish language edition.

Better!  Again, the first book stands out a little, but I really like the statues on the cover of the second two books.  I'm digging gothic statues over generic girls on the cover.  It makes the book look more ominous. 

I could play this game with covers from over mothers (er, countries) all day, but I sense you are getting a little restless, so I'll just say if you want to see more covers, head over to Goodreads.  They have covers for virtually any edition for any book and it's really fun (for me, at least) to see how other countries market their books.  That was a fun part of my Young Adult Lit class too, everyone holding up their books and showing how covers have aged over the years. 

So, that is my first cover rant.  Any book covers out there that are blowing you away, or ticking you off?  Any that look too similar to another and it makes you think someone got lazy with the clipart?  Let me know in the comments or at misstiffreads at gmail dot com.

Happy Reading!

Oh, better titles for this post include, Spain Wins Gold in Book Covers, The Andy MacDowell Doppelganger, and The Gothic Statue Formulation.

Ready for Something Cozy

You might remember from this post from last week that I have been feeling a little anti-social.  Well, now it's blown into a full on I-want-to-hibernate-with-a-book-athon.  Basically it's just a combination of little things.  Everyone has those days where it feels like you are on repeat and you just want a nice calm break.  My perfect break would include sleeping in, comfy clothes all day, good books, and so on.

So, I am ready for something cozy.  Here's my wish list.

1.  The Keep it Casual shirt by Mark by Avon.  Doesn't it look so cozy!  And relatively lightweight, so if I would wear it now, I wouldn't die of heat exhaustion.  It would look great with my dark skinny jeans and big boots with a scarf, or just with yoga pants and a messy ponytail as I read myself into oblivion (which, let's be real, is the more likely pairing).

2.  Bright Young Days by Anna Godbersen.  It's like Gossip Girl, but set in the 1920's so it's not as mind-rotting, but a perfect guilty pleasure.

3.  The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch.  This about a debutante society in Savannah with a dark secret.  Great day-off reading and perfect for a cozy day.

4.  Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink.  I read the previous two Sisters of Prophecy books and now I just want to know what happens.  The first book was great, the second just okay, and what's with changing the cover!  The first cover was creepy and beautiful and the next two covers are just generic.  Anyway.  Paranormal twin mystery where the good twin might be the bad twin and they might be working with the devil.  It's crazy but in a good way.

Book 3 on is on the left, but seriously, look at the Book 1 cover!  How cool is that?!  This might demand another post someday.  And by someday, I mean tomorrow.

5.  A fireplace

6.  A big, soft blanket that doesn't leave fuzz all over me.

7.  Hot apple cider with apple cider donuts for breakfast.  I'm cozy just thinking about it!

8.  This mug for obvious reasons.

9.  A full day, alone, with no housework, real work, review work, or cell phone to distract me.

10.  Maybe an evening walk with the dog through the fall leaves.

I so want a cozy day!  I'm so ready for fall!  But mostly I want to hibernate with a big stack of books.  Ever had a day like that?  What would be on your cozy list?

Happy Reading

The Night Circus

 

The Night Circus is the book for my August book club.  I was very excited to read this book because I heard great things, and the cover is amazing.  Yes, I do judge a book by its cover.  Designers spend lots of time working on those covers, so they should be rewarded.

Where do I even start?  The beginning I suppose.  

A young girl is dropped off at the room of a magician and told that she is his daughter.  Upon discovering her innate magically ability, he binds her to another magician and his unknown student in a dangerous competition.  The two students grow and learn without understanding what, when or where this competition will be.

Finally a venue is chosen.  A traveling circus that appears from nowhere and disappears just as quickly.  But they are not the only ones involved in the circus, as there are acrobats, a fortune teller, a contortionist and twins, born on opening night, amongst others.  Now, all of their fates are intertwined in a competition that long out lives the expectation and begins to take on its own life.  

For the sake of the circus and all those involved, even the spectators, the competition must somehow cease, but how can a competition end when there are few rules and an unknown goal?

The plot is thoroughly engaging, but every word brings you to the circus.  The tents are described so perfectly, the food is amazing, and all the spectacles become real to the reader.  Everyone that reads this will become a revuer, a circus groupie if you will, hunting down the circus and begging for more. 

There is so much involved in this book that it is hard to put into words, but it was fantastic.  The chapters are short which makes it perfect for busy readers, since you can start and finish a chapter in a short sitting.  Also, each chapter heading includes the date, so be sure to pay attention to this feature since the chapters do move freely in time.  I should have paid more attention to this as well because I felt a little lost sometimes.  

Overall, this was an excellent book club selection, especially for the summer.  While this isn't a fluffy beach read, it is engrossing, so if you are sitting out, be sure to wear your sunscreen otherwise you'll look up 200 pages later and be sunburnt.

Let me know what you thought of The Night Circus.  Follow me on Good Reads under Miss Tiffany, or on Twitter under misstiffreads.  Or, just comment!  

Happy Reading!