Books and Dolls and Books

It's been great getting a new shelf at the right level to work on my Golden books and get them in order. I managed to spend most of a week working on this project. We hiked and did a few other interesting things too but when I close my eyes I see books! lol

I have a wooden doll house so I put it in the center of the shelf below the books...all centered up, of course! And I put just a few things in front of my books. I don't want to make it hard to access the books. I don't want to 'what not' every shelf to death. heehee! I love putting cutesy things here and there but when you have too much, it looks cluttered. 

I've enjoyed your stories about the Golden books you had and the memories of reading them to your kids too.  I still have a few that were my sons but most of these I've bought for a nickel or a dime at the thrift store or library book sales.

Have you ever seen a Golden book with a dust cover? I bought one at a library book sale a few years ago. It's from the 1940s.

The cover and dust cover are identical. I don't remember ever seeing one before!

And recently I bought another one from a shop on Etsy.

Thanks to all of you that leave such sweet comments. I collected my dolls and books over many years and enjoy them all. I probably wouldn't start a collection now. But hopefully I'm preserving some things that someone else can enjoy when I'm too old to play.

TOO OLD TO PLAY??? 

I hope that day doesn't come any time soon!

(no dolls were harmed in the making of the Golden books shelf....really! I promise!!!)

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE .

Cookies and Collections!

I love to 'collect'! I don't know why but I do! I remember my Grandmother loved to collect so maybe I can blame it on her. lol I like to keep things neat and tidy but I like LOTS of stuff too! So it's a constant battle to keep everything under control.

(a gift from my sweet cousin, Cindy)

I don't buy dolls now. I have a nice collection of dolls that I bought back when I was working and earning! And a lot of the Golden books I have were bought a long time ago too. But now that I visit the library (books sold in lobby) and thrift stores, I find old Golden books from time to time.

I would rather keep the old vintage copies so I donate the newer Golden books to children when I end up with duplicates...which I always do!

So now I'm getting ready to move some bookshelves around to make it easier to access my Golden books and play with them! For some reason, it's not as easy to sit on the floor now. Why is that? Don't you DARE answer that question if you know what's good for you! hahahaha!

And for all this work play, we deserve a cookie!

I've been able to eat a chocolate chip cookie for the first time in over 20 years! I'm trying not to over do it and eat too many. They are sugar free but of course NOT calorie free. And they are SO SO SO GOOD! I can't eat sugar at all....I'm allergic and have a terrible reaction to it. And because I want to be healthy I avoid sugar substitutes. But I finally found some ingredients that 'agree' with my healthy lifestyle and I was able to buy everything in the local grocery store. The recipe is HERE. I used the Bake Believe chocolate chips, almond flour and erythritol (in place of sugar).

I haven't had any bad reactions to these so it has been quite a treat....to say the least! And for those of you that wonder, I can't eat processed sugar or even natural sugars like honey, maple syrup or fruit sugars.

Golden books and cookies....ahhhh....life is good and I am very thankful! What are you thankful for today?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .

The Freedom Library

If you've visited me over the years, you KNOW that I love public libraries! I was fortunate to have a best friend, Jeannie Carol who lived across the street and also loved to read. She was just a couple of years older so I was able to tag along with her and walk to the library, especially during the summer months. We would spread a quilt under the Silver Maples in her front yard and read to our heart's content! She helped me with any words I didn't know and we even played 'school'. I went back to school in the Fall knowing a little more than my other classmates as a result! Aahhhh! Such good memories!

 Wendy can read!

 Of course you probably knew that already! hahaha 

(I've sure had fun with her lately! Thanks for playing along!)

So what did I bring home from the library this week? I'll start by saying that I check out books online and read them on my IPAD now using a program called Overdrive. FREE from the library!

But this week was the Book Sale! 

 I'll make some mosaics to share my 'finds'! 

 $7 bought everything you see here!

 No wonder it's so hard to pay $5 for a Golden Book. We bought them for 39 cents back in the 'olden days'!

And I picked up some new bookmarks,

 And got some good movies to watch, 

And the latest Ocala magazines were in the lobby!

What a haul! And in case you wonder! I don't 'hoard' all of my children's books. I donate a lot of them to the family room at the Legacy Hospice house where I volunteer doing patient visits every week.

Have you used your library card lately?

I’m joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE 

and Amaze me Monday HERE.