Another Surf's Up Saturday

Ok, so I fully admit that in the nuttiness of Mother's Day and all that I totally missed my new Surf's Up Saturday... so I am retro-posting this and humbly beg your forgiveness!

Since I am still in awe over the wonder that is the new children's section of the library I am going to make this post a letters, reading, book theme. (Plus it gives me a chance to shamelessly toss in my new graphics project!!!)

First up I want to share a great for a great little book cozy for a bed. I am an avid reader and usually will be reading two books at the same time- a series book and a single book that has nothing to do with the other one. This time it is the Harry Potter series (I am on book two) and a craft book for kids who like dinosaurs. However, with all the reading I do my bedside is a jumble and I have stacks of books laying about. This is where the book cozy comes in. Coming to you from One More Moore it is a great idea for kids and adults alike!

Second is another crafty idea for my girls from Nothing Fancy- a felt mail center. I want the girls to associate good things about the mail and thought that this would be a great balance to hearing mommy and daddy swearing every time they open a letter! (I guess I will have to learn how to use my sewing machine for sure now)

Next I found a great website that has the most wonderful book plates. I love the idea of book plates because out collection is so big and I tend to lend without keeping track of who got the book. Then I see it at their house and can't remember if it is mine or if it is theirs... oye! Anyhow, Felix Doolittle has not only beautiful bookplates, but also other wonderful stationary... just lovely!

Fouth I want to share a great book that I have been reading with Gabby at bedtime. Gabby's tastes are pretty wide, but she has really been getting into being read to in Spanish. Luckily we have some Spanish books, but by far her favorite is Margaret and Margarita/ Margarita y Margaret by Lynn Reiser. It is a great story about two little girls who meet in the park but do not speak the same language. Little by little they communicate and find out that they have a lot in common. I love that this book has English in red and Spanish in blue, translates without losing the story, and teaches Spanish (or English) so easily. Gabby has definitely learned a lot from this great find!

And finally I want to share a great Photoshop tutorial that combines two of my favorite things: Photography and Words. It is Placing Multiple Images Inside Text. I have decorated wooden letters in the past for my girl's rooms and have seen beautiful artwork where the artist takes the letters of a name and turns them into animals and objects that start with that letter. (Turning a G into a Giraffe) But this little tutorial opened a whole new realm of word art! I love that you don't have to print out the pictures, it is all done graphically. Letter art facinates me because there are so many ways to do it... here are some of my designs!