Flowers are blooming and fresh vegetables are here. Ah, the many beautiful colors of summer! Pompom garlands are colorful, quick and inexpensive. Use them as party decorations, hang them in a window or frame a doorway. All you need are pompoms, yarn and a needle with a large enough opening to string the yarn. We have provided all of these items in our next Crafternoon-To-Go kits which will be available on June 17.
These kits will be available while they last in all of our branches. You may pick them up at the Reference Desk at the Columbia library and near the service desks at our other branches. Be careful when handling the kits, as they do have needles inside. For other decorating with craft ideas, try this list.
I collect those black Singer sewing machines. They are awesome! And they will continue sewing as long as you keep them clean and oiled. My featherweight machine is named Inskeep after my mother-in-law as it was her machine before me. She sewed my husband’s school shirts with it and probably many other things but of course, as a child, he only remembers what involved himself. I don’t know if he actually liked the shirts. I don’t think that was one of his mother’s requirements. Continue reading “Beginning Sewing”
As we swing into summer and flowering plants start blooming, I want to introduce you to the concept of wild harvesting, which is finding dye plants in the ditches along country roads and highways. Wild harvesting should not be done in your neighbors’ yards without permission nor in a protected area such as a park. Always park safely and watch the traffic, don’t over-harvest an area, and always watch for the wildlife sharing the ditch with you.
With so many events happening in May, we thought we would make this month’s Crafternoon super easy: refrigerator magnets. We provide the magnet, flat glass bead, Mod Podge and a glue applicator stick. All you need are a pair of scissors, a dab of glue and a picture of a family member, furry friend or even just decorative paper. (These kits are designed for adults; the magnets and glass beads can be dangerous for children due to their small size.)
These kits will be available while they last in all of our branches on Friday, May 13. You may pick them up at the reference desk at the Columbia library and near the service desks at our other branches. For other picture craft ideas, try this list.
Crab apple blossoms change from fuchsia to blush pink along one of three Tree Trails on Mizzou’s campus
Getting outside in this spring air is grounding, refreshing and stimulating to all our senses. Budding trees, aromatic blossoms and brilliant shades of green abound. Raptors soar above us in stark contrast to the pastel sky. The creeks and streams babble terrifically cold water. There is so much life to witness and be among.
We are truly lucky in central Missouri to have a number of quality trails and natural areas where we can do just that. But keeping track of all the options can be tricky, as there are many distinct jurisdictions. There’s municipal parks, college grounds, state parks, conservation areas and even a national forest on the southwest border of Boone and Callaway counties. These trails run the gamut of accessibility and activities. Some are paved and centrally located while others are rugged, faintly developed and remote. Use the links below to discover your next local trail.
“Its landscape of entrenched creek valleys, massive limestone bluffs and caves, and rolling grassy uplands intrigues and charms…Listen for spring peepers, watch for Virginia bluebells, and catch the fragrance of wild plum.”
I could throw out the oft-given opinion that society is more divided than ever. I’m not sure I completely agree with that, but I do know that mending division often happens face-to-face and at the individual level. Continue reading “Human Library: Unjudge Someone”
Lots of events are coming up: Easter, graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays and many more. And what do we usually do at these events? Take pictures, loads of pictures. Our kit this month shows how to make a photo wall hanging of these pictures in black and white. You can certainly do this in color, but we wanted to highlight the black and white photo look.
These kits will be available while they last in all of our branches on Friday, April 15. You may pick them up at the reference desk at the Columbia library and near the service desks at our other branches. For other photo craft ideas, try this list.
Baseball is happening folks! We can all exhale now. Let’s celebrate by checking out what our library has to offer on the topic of this great national pastime.
The subject of this blog was initially inspired by reading a coworker’s work. I wanted to find books that combined two of my loves: music and cooking. So, I searched the catalog for “cookbook” and “music.” The first result was “That Sounds So Good” by Carla Lalli Music. What did I expect, right? Though it was clearly not what I was looking for, the title did interest me. Sigh, the focus of the blog changed, again. There are musicians with their own cookbooks, here is a short list with some of those titles, which includes choices ranging from Sammy Hagar to Snoop Dogg. Continue reading “Read the Recipe! Vol. 7: “That Sounds So Good””
Flowers are blooming and fresh vegetables are here. Ah, the many beautiful colors of summer! Pompom garlands are colorful, quick and inexpensive. Use them as party decorations, hang them in a window or frame a doorway. All you need are pompoms, yarn and a needle with a large enough opening to string the yarn. We have provided all of these items in our next Crafternoon-To-Go kits which will be available on June 17.
With so many events happening in May, we thought we would make this month’s Crafternoon super easy: refrigerator magnets. We provide the magnet, flat glass bead, Mod Podge and a glue applicator stick. All you need are a pair of scissors, a dab of glue and a picture of a family member, furry friend or even just decorative paper. (These kits are designed for adults; the magnets and glass beads can be dangerous for children due to their small size.)
Lots of events are coming up: Easter, graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays and many more. And what do we usually do at these events? Take pictures, loads of pictures. Our kit this month shows how to make a photo wall hanging of these pictures in black and white. You can certainly do this in color, but we wanted to highlight the black and white photo look.