Gearing up for GA COMO

This is the week. I'm making a trip to Macon, Georgia, for the GA Librarian conference. There will be at least 12 states represented in the SELA booth, which I'll be sitting in to help man the booth. If the SC School Librarian Association conference is any indication of what to expect, I should do well. I'm heading out Wednesday about midday and should return Friday evening some time. I will be away from the computer but will have my tablet, which is mostly for taking credit cards but also will be entertainment for me during down times. Afghans are almost completed. I have 3-1/2 skeins left on the one I'm working on now (Mirage, which is similar to the Aspen colors but with more blue and tan than the tans and browns that the Aspen has in it). I've finished all the other afghans I'll have on display for sale and I need to work up some bookworms in the Mirage color. I'm so looking forward to this event since it promises to be quite a large event and hopefully a way for me to get my foot in the door. Will post pictures and more information next weekend. Hope you all have a great week - see you in Macon - Ma America (aka Mrs. E) :)

End-of-School Year Bookworm Special Deal

Teachers, are you looking for a small gift idea to give your students for the end of the school year? Librarians, would you like to show your appreciation to the teachers at your school?

I have a special deal on my bookworms for the end of the school year. The bookworms are normally priced at $1.50 each and for orders over 20 I've got them priced down to $1.25 each. For one week only, you can place an order and get 25 bookworms for $30. This is like buying 24 and getting the 25th for free plus free shipping. This is a $13.75 savings from regular price including the shipping. Shipping outside the United States is $5 for the completed package.

Colors available include Aspen, Melonberry, Primary, Woodsy, Marrakesh, Old Glory, Christmas, bonbon print and Monet. For pictures of the actual colors, please visit the JGDS website, gifts tab and check them out there. This offer ends at midnight EST May 17, supplies are limited so hurry and place your order. All orders must be paid for via paypal (eeldering@gmail.com) prior to shipping. Please indicate how many of each color you would like. See you all in the postings - Mrs. E :)

Bookworms and Afghans

Ma America has been busy prepping for the SC Book Festival. She's been crocheting up a storm. It looks like she will have over 100 bookworms going with her to the festival and six afghans for her "curl up with a good book afghan" program. Over the next couple of weeks or so, she hopes to have all the afghans completed with bookworms almost completed.

In case you have forgotten, here are the colors of the bookworms and matching afghans on most (the Christmas colored one doesn't make a good afghan because of the spacing of the colors and only being three colors in the varigation; the Old Glory also does not have a matching afghan as that will be the giveaway for 2013; and solids don't have bookworms unless requested by the person making the afghan; and the Monet afghan has een sold but there are plenty of bookworms available).

The newest addition to the collection is Aspen:

bonbon print (which reminds me of cotton candy)

Christmas

Marrakesh (looks like the leaves changing color so appropriately called autumn or fall)

Melonberry (which has a spring look to it)

Monet (has an Easter look to it; also spring colors)

(sorry this afghan has already been sold but I wanted you to see the colors)

Old Glory (this is the red, white, blue varigated of which the afghan will be made for the annual drawing; this is also called summer)

Primary

Woodsy (this is an earth-y looking color scheme so I've called this one Earthworm or Earth-y)

Yarn was being purchased at Walmart but it looks like they are discontinuing the varigated colors and may eventually do away with all yarn but that remains to be seen. If the varigated colors disappear and cannot be purchased at a reasonable price, the afghans and bookworms will no longer be available. So, for at least 2012, everything is available aas is. The afghans retail for $60 plus tax and shipping ($70 total) if ordered from my websites or directly from my blogs (paypal funds to my email address eeldering(at)gmail(dot)com) indicating color of afghan. With each afghan purchase you do get a matching bookworm. Bookworms retail for $1.50 plus shipping ($2 total if mailed within the United States; $2.50 if mailed outside the United States). You can find both afghans and bookworms on the JGDS website under the gifts tab and orders can be made directly from the website as well.

Special orders can be made of solid colors (1, 2 or 3 different colors, your choice) with a 2-row, 4-row or 6-row change out of colors (samples can be seen on the JGDS website but those colors are not the choices as I only did examples using what yarn I had available, except the 2-color, 6-row change one as that is a special order for a friend's birthday present). See you all in the postings - Ma America & the JGDS

Savannah Children's Book Festival

The day started a bit rough with being woke up by either a TV or radio at about 5:30 but once that got taken care of the rest of the day was gorgeous. Many kids at the book festival today; I probably handed out 250 bookmarks today - so yay me. I did sell four state books (I think I sold three of Successes and 1 of Wilderness), one of my YA paranormal mystery and 42 bookworms - yes I started with 59 and ended with 17 - totally was so worth making up those bookmarks. I had started with 72 Wednesday morning and in just three days - sold almost out. I took Benjamin out for supper and we went to the movies tonight (I saw Happy Feet Two; Benjamin saw In Time) and afterwards stopped by Walmart to pick up some more yarn - couldn't find the colors I had used for winter previously, so that will be changed and I wasn't really liking what I had started with for spring so got something different for spring. I'll post those changes when I've made some new bookworms. All in all, a good weekend - see you all in the postings - Mrs. E :)

Bookworms 3

I was in Walmart again today and picked up my yarn for the spring bookworms. I also liked the one that is labeled "primary" so picked up a skein of that. My autumn colored ones sold well last Friday at the teachers' conference so I picked up one more skein of that color and was going to get another one of the Christmas colors but they were sold out. Anyway, here are my spring and primary colored bookworms:

Spring bookworm

primary bookworm

I do like how the spring one is really the pastel looking colors and does remind me of springtime. I don't know why I like the primary colored one so much but I do. So what do you all think? Which is your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know.

All six choices side by side - :)

See you all in the postings - Mrs. E & the JGDS

SCISA Teachers' Conference

The day started at 5 in the morning. It wasn't raining or anything but felt like a Friday the 13th once getting to Columbia. Thursday evening, Ms. Barbara, a member of the local Sisters in Crime group, had written a check for two copies of Finally Home for her granddaughters and some bookworms she had purchased; she banks at Bank of America. I knew I wouldn't be able to cash the check at my bank since I would already be in Columbia by the time the bank opened. I decided to cash the check in Columbia at a Bank of America because I knew I needed to stop at Walmart and pick up a few items for my workshop. We got to Columbia about 10 minutes before 8 and found the Bank of America (which happened to be almost across the street from Walmart) and was going to sit in the drivethru until they opened (the thinking being that since my bank opens at 8 AM so would this one). The drivethru didn't open until 8:30. So we headed over to Walmart and got the items we needed. I went back to the bank about 8:25 to wait in line. I finally get to the window and then they tell me that I have to come inside because they need to fingerprint me since I don't have an account with them; well, how fun the inside doesn't open until 9 AM (now I'm supposed to be at the conference about 8:30 so I could set up and help my friend Shelley while she did her workshop). So naturally I sat in the parking lot waiting for the inside to open. That said and done, I went back to Walmart and made my purchases and then headed to the school. It was a bit drizzly on the way over to the school, but we made it about 9:30 and got the table set up. Had a few teachers walk by the table and pick up bookmarks and sold 7 bookworm bookmarks.

About 11:15 I headed to the building where my workshop was and had a few teachers waiting for me - lol I wasn't late really but just had to walk a mile to get from the gym to the multipurpose room (okay not that far but it felt like it) and they were early. In all, I had 7 teachers come in for the workshop. I hope they took away enough information to help them with the writing process that they can help their students. They all enjoyed the make-and-take and playing my Road Trip game. Those teachers were as competitive as the students who have participated in my workshops and played the game. After the workshop, we basically had to head home. No time for workshop attendees to do any shopping (that was a bit disappointing as I got back to the gym and I was basically the last one still set up - lol). No one bought any books but I'm hoping that enough people picked up my bookmarks and have information to take back to their schools that their social studies or ELA or other teachers can use the information.

On the way home, we decided we needed lunch as we hadn't eaten anything but a banana which I grabbed off the refreshments table when I walked through the building after parking the car. I called my finance guy to find out about the van I had looked at Thursday (found out on Wednssday that daughter just got a job and with her in classes in the mornings and now starting a second shift job I knew I had to seriously look at vehicles and get something by the middle of the week coming up). I had gone to a car place last Friday (the 28th of October after having my eyes dilated) and they were trying to get me in a PT Cruiser - not really what I wanted and my finance guy couldn't get it approved because they weren't willing to take what he could pay on the vehicle. So anyway, I had looked online at a couple of places in our small town and found a Kia Sedonia EX van at one of the places. After receiving the text from my daughter Wednesday about her getting this job, I went Thursday before the Sisters in Crime meeting to test drive the van. I loved it. I contacted my finance guy and set the wheels in motion. I called Friday on our way out of Columbia and he said everything seemed to be a go - yay! I had a van and I was on my way to get it as soon as I got back in town. I had to call the insurance company and get the insurance put on the van and all but I didn't tell them to fax the proof of insurance to the finance guy so by time I got back in town and got te van and got over to the finance place, the insurance place was closed. Sad thing was that the finance guy called the car place and told them the situation and he said I had to bring the van back until I could proceed with the paperwork Monday - wahhhh :(( - I didn't get to bring my van home yesterday. I totally wanted to cry. But not to fret, Dennis has assured me that the van is mine but it's a matter of getting the proof of insurance and filling out the paperwork first thing Monday morning. So the good news even after the harrowing day I had is that I get a new van and it's all me - no one had to cosign for me, no one had to put their name on the van but me - first vehicle I've ever had that I can actually call my own.

Monday will be here soon enough and I will be driving my new van and not be carless any more. The last couple of months of not being able to run errands during the day and having to wait for my daughter to get home from classes have been weird for me. You'd think that with me working at home that I wouldn't really miss the car during the day but it's the whole idea of not being able to go anywhere and if an emergency happened at the school not being able to get my son or just running to the grocery store when I wanted something to munch on that bothered me the most. I'm very dependent on having transportation for anything and have felt the helplessness the past couple of months. Now I will no longer feel that way - so yay!!!! - new vehicle coming to my house Monday - lol.

See you all in the postings and keep your chin up and happy writing - Mrs. E & the JGDS :)

Bookworms 2

I went to Walmart today and picked up some more yarn for bookmarks. I couldn't find exactly what I would call "winter" but maybe a varigated color called "Shaded dusk" will work for the winter bookworms. I also picked up the Christmas colors called "mistletoe". To order bookworms, please visit my website and click on the gift page. I've got one more to add to the collection and that will be the "spring" one which I think I'm either going with the yarn called "primary" or "bikini" - those were the most spring like colors to me. I will probably pick that up tomorrow, if I sell a couple more books when I pick up my new car.

Do you think this looks like winter colors? Leave a comment and let me know -


Here is the Christmas colors bookworm:

Hope you all like them - please leave a comment and let me know what you think. See you all in the postings - Mrs. E :)

Bookworms

I found some red/white/blue varigated yarn at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago and started making some different items. I had found a pattern years ago for a crocheted bookworm. I searched and found the pattern again. While in Walmart with the girl Friday I found this autumn looking colors of varigated yarn and picked up a skein. I made a few bookworms (4) Friday night and put them on the table Saturday morning and sold 3 of them. I also had to make up at least 1 of the red/white/blue because the previously done ones had been sent to Mr. Hughes' class for a prize for a contest I had run for the kids.

Upon returning home, I got to thinking, now would be the time to snatch up some Christmas varigated yarn and make some Christmas bookworms, and then I thought, "Why stop there? why not make some for every season?" There are many varieties of varigated yarn that the possibilities are endless. So when I get a chance, I'll snatch up several skeins of Christmas colors, pastel/Easter/spring colors and more of the autumn colors and keep using my 40% coupons for the red/white/blue skeins to get a supply of that going. I think I'll post the bookworms on my website for teachers to order as gifts for their classes.

Let me know what you think? Do you think teachers would order small gifts like these to give to kids for birthdays, Christmas or other times during the school year? Leave me a note and let me know - Mrs. E :)

Here are an autumn and a red/white/blue colored one: