Books, books, books

I'm not just a crafty nerd, I'm also a book nerd. And recently I've been reading some great things.
Barbara Kingsover's "Animal, Vegatable, Miracle" is one of the most interesting books I've read in awhile. It chronicles her family's effort to eat only food which is grown locally and sustainably for a year, much of which was grown in their own garden. I think I esspecially loved it because I read it in the spring, when I was planning and planting my own garden.
New Knit Books! Erika' Knight's "Mens Knits" was a gift from my favorite (only) British friend. I probably wouldn't have bought it for myself, but I love it, and I'm sure I'll make more the the sweaters for myself than I will for my boyfriend- he's difficult. "Feminine Knits," by Lene Holme Samsoe. I really intended not to buy anymore knitting books until I had my WIPs and stash under control, but this book is full of such pretty, wearable pieces that I couldn't resist. And since I had a gift card I don't think it counts as something I bought.
"The Boleyn Inheritance" was very entertaining. I think Phillippa Gregory's books are not just interesting from a historical perspective, they're also great reads for just relaxing, and this one was almost as good as "The Other Boleyn Girl."
Currently I'm reading "My Life in France," written by Julia Child with her nephew. So far I'm loving it, she has such great descriptions, right down to how everything smelled.
And I also picked up "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe" which I've been meaning to read for awhile, even though the movie was terrible, and a book on how to be more productive. I hope it works.
Also, some of my favorite magazines have been great lately. I don't usually buy "Vogue Knitting", the style just seems a little "old" for me, but the spring/summer issue was full of wearable designs. I always love "Knitscene." The summer issue of "Interweave Crochet" is my favorite issue yet, with several piece I can't wait to make, when I have time... And the ultimate crafty, bookish magazine, "Piecework." I couldn't resist the idea of travel sized, historically inspired patterns, particularly the Norwegian Tree of Life Mittens.

Yay!! A box of pretty papers! Last week I got an order from one of my suppliers, and spent some time building up inventory. And I was glad I did, because today when I got an order (from a repeat customer!!) all I had to do was print a shipping label, invoice, pack it up and put it in the mailbox. No spending 45 min finding all my supplies, clearing a workspace, and throwing out the first few mistakes. Not only did it take less time to print and package many sets at once, but there was less waste (I almost always have a few unsellable prints) and significantly less stress. And I have a much better idea of what I have in stock, and what I need to order for my autumn designs. I think I'm going to try to devote a few afternoons to making stock every month. So much easier than making my card sets by the order.
And I was able to make my illustration into cards, before I didn't have the right color envelope. So I'll be listing a few new things in Scarlett Design this week.