Read in style

If you find your book accessory assortment lacking, head on over to etsy to spice it up with handmade bookmarks, covers, bookends or vintage reading lamps. Typically I use gum wrappers, receipts or plane tickets to mark my page, but I was given an adorable robot bookmark as a gift, which I have been diligent about not losing.

Since I tend to have several books in progress at once, I decided to get another bookmark and found this dino marker for only a buck!

And on my "Favorites" page, I've had these bookends saved for a while. Nonchalant cowboys love holding up books! Also by the same artist: t-rex, "fancy horses," cats and sewing machine bookends.

the bean bag predicament

I've been slacking, I know. Here's one I started a while back.

Lawn games are tough on the equipment, to be sure, which leads me to the predicament of figuring out how to make durable, washable bean bags. The material is easy enough, upholstery fabric should do the trick. But the guts? Previously I used popcorn, but I was worried that they would rot or pop during washing. Beads? Beans could rot too? Tough. Store-bought bags are filled with sand, and aside from the "free sand" aspect, they leave something to be desired. So I went with Stensby's idea of varnishing the popcorn, hopefully sealing it. Any other suggestions are welcome...

My bean bag recipe:
6 inch squares upholstery fabric
Double stitched, 1/4" inseams
Just shy of 1 cup varnished beans per bag

A bean bag that has it figured out: Mean Bags. Embroidered with insults, you simply throw the Mean Bag at the offender. Brilliant.