The Beginning of My Goddess Year

2012 Creating My Goddess Year Workbook and Planner

If you are a woman - any woman - I believe you will find Goddess Leonie inspirational, truthful and full of love and joy.

Recently I purchased "2012 Creating My Goddess Year Workbook and Planner."  

It is gorgeous  - lots of colors, fun fonts and art throughout.   I got right to work on filling out the excercises, which are thought provoking and help get your mind in the right place when starting out a new year. 

There are worksheets to fill out to help you ease out of 2011 and plan and dream for 2012.

To Do Book

One thing that I really found helpful is making a "to do book” as Goddess Leonie describes.  She tells you how to do this in the workbook, but she previously did a video on this

here’s her video:

Ask Goddess Leonie: The To Do List Book from Goddess Leonie on Vimeo.

If you know me, you know I have a list.  Or rather a few lists.  I have read a bunch of books and I have tried all kinds of different ways to organize my lists.  Usually I can't figure out how to keep my list with me, while still being able to keep it constantly changing.

If my list isn’t with me, it’s sort of pointless.  I’ve tried to find ways around this that have improved the situation (like putting my lists on google docs so I can access them anywhere I have the internet; however, I don’t have internet access everywhere I go.)

Now I have finally found the solution!  Goddess Leonie's "to do list book."  Or as I like to call it, the Big Book of Beautiful Bounty.

After reading about it in "Creating My Goddess Year Workbook and Planner," I got straight to work on it.  Just like Goddess Leonie suggested, I put one goal on each page.  Actionable tasks go underneath.

The best part, is that no matter where I am, I can take the book with me.  It fits in my purse!  It travels!

I saw the video when Goddess Leonie first showed it and I didn’t really think it was for me, but after reading about it again, I realized that it was the perfect solution.  In perfect time for the New Year!

This is just one tiny little juicy tidbit in the "2012 Creating My Goddess Year Workbook and Planner."  It’s over 100 pages.  I am working through it myself right now!

It is soooo affordable and you instantly get it in your email.  I’m planning my yearly goals and dreams in it.

Who wants to join me? Let me know if you are already doing it and want to talk about it.

If you haven't gotten it yet, head over to get your copy now:  2012 Creating My Goddess Year Workbook and Planner.

Review of the book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I finally got a chance to read The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

This book was captivating.  Set in Mississippi in 1962, the book is told through the voices of 3 very different women.  Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is just out of college and living with her parents.  Aibileen Clark is a 50ish black woman who is a maid and becomes one of Skeeter's friends.  Minny is the third narrator and she is a younger outspoken maid.  I have always been pulled in by books that had several different "voices."  One of my favorites like that is The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

The three woman begin to work together on a book about the "Help," filled with stories - good and bad - about being a black maid in a white household in Mississippi in the time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book.  I couldn't put it down.  However, I also wonder if the author really portrayed the nitty gritty of the time period accurately.  Yes, the book is entertaining and highly readable, but I think the unrest of the time period in Mississippi is a little brushed over.  The reactions about what could have happened to any of the woman participating in the project felt a little played down to me.

However, overall the book is definitely worth a read!

(Full disclosure:  I am an affliate of Amazon, which means if you click on the image above and purchase this book, I receive a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon in no way influences me to write this review, what to write or my opinion.  My opinions are freely given.)

Book Review: Little Bee by Chris Cleave

I just finished reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave.

I am like this with a lot of books, but I really didn't want this one to end.  I wanted to follow along with each of the characters and follow them for the rest of their lives.

This is a novel full of truths, set in the United Kingdom, but can easily translate for the United States.

It is a beautiful story of 2 woman who meet and then their lives intersection again 2 years later.  I know that description is so generic and this story is anything but generic!!  But, I simply will not tell you anymore or else it will ruin the book.  Do not ruin the book by reading the reviews on amazon.  Also, the blurb about the book says that the book is funny and the scene on the African beach is horrific.  Both are true, in a sense.  This book is not a riot.  There are moments in it that may be funny, but this would be a drama if it were a movie, not a comedy. 

The beauty is in how the story unfolds, and I don't want to take that from you.  The book is captivating and well written. 

I must say, the reason that I even picked up the book to begin with is because of the mysterious blurb on the back.  I figured it was a gimmick, but it ended up that it is so true!  I don't want to ruin the book by telling you too much.

I will say I highly recommend this captivating book and that you will not be able to put it down once you start!

{I just added a page to my blog called "books I love"!  More will be added soon!}

Book Review

I received 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse for this past Christmas.  I have been meaning to blog about what a wonderful book it is. 

This book is like a huge gallery of gorgeous photos of unique items.  The book shows photos of each item and who created each item, but there's no text.  In the back is an index of what each item was created out of.  This is not a "how to" book, but rather a collection of people's amazing work.

I find this book to be very inspiring.  These artists have come up with so many awesome ideas for reusing items in different ways, ways that you would never think of.  It gets your brain thinking outside of the box.

Each time I look through the book I see more and more that I didn't notice before, so I like to keep it around to page through every so often.

If you're interested in seeing what creative people are doing to reuse everything under the sun, I highly recommend this book!

Died In the Wool: Book Review

Died in the Wool

by Mary Kruger

Book Review

Last weekend I had an ear infection. I am on the way to recovery now, but over the weekend I was pretty much out of commission. So I had a rare opportunity to actually read a book.

I love to read, but I get so busy that I don't always get time to read. This past Christmas I got a lot of books from my Amazon wish list for Christmas. Died in the Wool was one of these books.

I love mysteries and I love crafting. A little know fact about this jewelry designer is that I really like to knit, too. So this book seemed perfect.

I am not going to give any more of this book away than you can read on the back cover . . .

The book starts off in Ariadne's yarn shop (yay! yarn shop!) where she finds the body of a customer strangled with homespun yarn.

I loved that it was a murder mystery and I LOVED all the knitty-crafty little details thrown in here and there. There is a twist thrown in as well about something that all designers worry about. I read the book in one day and it keep my attention the entire time. Frankly, the ending was complete cheese (and therefore perfect for my intentions of being thoroughly entertained) and some of the writing left a little to be desired, but if you are into crafting, especially knitting, and murder mysteries, you would probably find this book to be perfect for a cozy evening of reading.

I don't want to give a really thorough review, because I don't want to ruin the book for anyone who wants to read it!

I have ordered the next book, Knit Fast, Die Young, which features the same characters. I hate when you get all wrapped up in a book and it ends and then you wonder what happens to the characters, so I love that there is a second book with the same characters.

If you would like to read this book, I will probably be listing it in my eBay store for sale this weekend sometime, so stay tuned.

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In other news, I am about to go watch the debate and relax. I have had a harsh couple of days and want to just relax and do nothing. Actually, I want to watch the debate and knit. (Funny how the book had that effect on me.) I hope to at some point do some listing and updating in my Etsy Shop - new jewelry and the Craft Tips PDF need to be listed - but I also want to spead some time away from the computer, too this weekend.

I hope every has a wonderful weekend!

Conversations with the Fat Girl ... A Book Review

Actually the second book I have read this year, but the first book review...

Converstations with the Fat Girl By Liz Palmer

This is a cute and fun novel if you just want to veg out and not think too much. This isn’t a book that makes you think or come to some wonderful conclusion. It is entertaining, but not particularly thought-provoking.

Basically, Maggie and Olivia have been best friends since they were in grade school. They were both overweight and become friends because they had no other friends. Now they are grown up and Maggie is still dealing with being overweight, while Olivia has had gastric-bypass surgery and will be a size 2 at her wedding. Olivia is marrying a handsome doctor and living out the girls’ teenage fantasy, but is hiding her past from all her new friends, and has pushed out Maggie.

Maggie comes to grips with her issues and gains confidence. She is inspiring because of this.

This book reminded me of … me. I am – and always have been – overweight. Maggie’s fears and thoughts are mine as well.

Maggie is successful in the end and gets the boy and I cheered! (I got the boy, too, by the way, just not the weight loss!)

This is a great book when you just want to unwind and not really have to think too much. I hate to be down on the book too much because I really did enjoy reading it, I just don't think it was wonderful writing or made any kind of great statement. It was a fairy tale. I happen to like fairy tales every once in a while in my dark world of drama, so I did enjoy this.

Find it used on my half.com shop now OR on amazon.com

Enjoy and don't try to think to much!!

Love your favorite Fat Girl,

Kim

3rd Book This Week!

I have a confession....I am addicted to books. I pick them up, smell the new -- or old -- pages, feel the texture of the pages and I must read them. I start a book and I MUST finish it, soon..... I have been that way since I learned to read. Sometimes, life gets in the way and books are forgotten for a little while. During the school year I kind of get stuck with reading textbooks and that is all the time I have to read (I don't get the same feeling with them, somehow!) But, now that I am on summer break, I am back off the wagon (or on the book wagon...it always confuses me!)

So, you can read my previous post about the 2 books I read over the weekend. Since then, (specifically yesterday) I have finished another great book: Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon.



This book is a very entertaining, suck-you-right-in book. Murders, mystery, likable characters and hate-able villains. It isn't thought-provoking literary genius, but this book takes you away from your daily hum-drum life and its little problems. I really couldn't put this book down. I must admit, I did pretty much have the bad guy figured out from the very beginning, and other details long before they were revealed, but, I am also a very bright person. (Just kidding!!) I do read a lot of books, so I do tend to ruin them for myself by figuring them out. However, I still needed to read to the end and was sad when the book was over.

This would be great for a fun, get-away-from-it-all read. I really enjoyed it!

If you read this book, feel free to comment! Please. :)
Love,
Kim

What I read this weekend...

Now that I am done with school for the summer, I have some free time to do something that I really love to do: Read!
This weekend, I finished 2 books:

Little Children by Tom Perrotta
and
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson

I just breifly wanted to share my thoughts on these books, mainly because I tend to read books for entertainment purposes and kind of forget what they were about a couple weeks later.

I read Little Children because my boyfriend had read it last year or maybe the summer before last....plus, now it's a movie, so I thought I would read it before seeing the movie.

The book was very entertaining and what I liked most about the book was that all the characters interlinked in some way; however, I did not like the way the author wrote. I cannot place my finger on it. Also, I hated the ending. In general, I do like endings that allow the reader to come to their own conclusions and that I have to come up with how the characters live the rest of their lives, BUT in this book, I just didn't like how it ended. Which is perhaps why I didn't like the non-ending ending in this case.

I have been reading about the movie, and frankly, I am kind of confused about how it all works out. It seems like issues are introduced in the movie that are not broached in the book, and one of the main character's name is completely changed. Weird.

Overall, if you are looking for an entertaining read at the beach or something like that, I would recommend it.

The next book I read was Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. I never thought I would be a James Patterson fan. This was for no particular reason in general. I guess that I read a couple of the back of his books and they didn't pik my interests. However, I am a big fan of his romance novel-type books. I read Sam's Letter's From Jennifer at the beginning of the year and loved it, too.
I happen to be a big fan of diary or letter type novels I think because you kind of feel like you are getting read something you are not supposed to be reading. This book is very well written and the story is laid out beautifully. There are surprises throughout, but nothing unbelievable. And just when you think there is no possible way for this book to end happily, it does.

This book is highly recommended from me, if you enjoy this type of book!