Book Review - Winter's Bone

Although the Ozark Mountain language is a bit foreign to me and causes me to stumble and puzzle at meaning a few times, the book is an intriguing blend of sensory descriptions of the cold, once paradisaical Ozark Mountain hallow, now home to drug labs and human discards, and the story of a admirably strong character I'm so glad I got to know.  The blend makes a book I stayed up at night to read.  It is that good!

Mother's Day Card

Happy Mother's Day!

A card created at the request of my thirteen year old granddaughter for her dear mother.

My Snow Queen Doll

When I took the girls to Decorator' Warehouse, Texas' largest Christmas store (http://www.decoratorswarehousearlington.com/), in November I fell in love with a Snow Queen doll they were selling for $200.  I knew I could make my own.

I made my doll from a ceramic "umbrella doll" I found at the thrift store.  She has no legs.  Under her skirt, her torso is connected to a white umbrella .  I love it as I can close her skirt up to put her away and she doesn't require a stand.  She looked like this, only taller than 18":

I pulled off her old hair and painted her white.  I tore apart a thrift store Santa beard and glued it on her head to make her hair.  

I sewed her dress from a thrift store dress using the doll's old dress as a pattern.  I sewed on the trim I had removed from the thrift store dress. 

I cut a white miniature Christmas tree skirt in half and added that at her waste as an over-skirt on the back of her dress.

I made a crown from some silver wire and blue beads and added a dollar store snowflake decoration cut in half at the back.

I twirled some of her hair around some wire and glued it on to make the wild tendrils.  Finally I painted her yes, lips, cheeks and drew a snowflake on her chest with sparkle nail polish.

I've been working on her for about 3 months; slowly, as the inspiration of what to do next came to me.

I love her much more than the one from Decorator Warehouse!