Publisher Synopsis:With glue guns, glitter, twigs, or yarn, the ordinary can become extraordinary . . . especially at La Pachanga. Owned by Estrella "Star" Esteban's family, the restaurant has a rep for two things: good food and great art. La Pachanga brings people together-even when it looks like they couldn't be further apart.
One ill-fated evening, Star jeopardizes her family's business, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her future career. To redeem herself, she agrees to participate in a national craft competition, teaming up with her best friend, Ofelia-a secretly troubled mother whose love for crafting borders on obsession-and local celebrity Chloe Chavez-a determined television personality with more than one skeleton in her professional closet. If these unlikely allies can set aside their differences, they'll find strength they never knew they had, and learn that friendship, like crafting, is truly an art form.
My Thoughts:
When I found out one of my favorite crafting personalities, the Crafty Chica was coming out with a novel AND crafty goodness would somehow be involved, it immediately got moved to the top of my must read list. Since meeting Kathy Cano-Murillo, would likly result in me turning into an overly enthusiastic craft groupie and embarrassing myself, this is a much better way for me to rave about her.. Although, I do dream of going to CHA, the real life version of the Craft Olympics in the book, which I assume she goes to.
I love Cano-Murillo's bright and colorful pop art and collages that to me convey her enthusiasm for life. Her book is exactly what I'd expect from her. It's like sitting down with bowls of menudo, which by the way my Santa Fean friends attempted to get to try, and having a chat with her. Like she's just telling you about some crazy chicas she knows.
I was thrilled with Waking Up In The Land Of Glitter, from the first moment I first saw it's glittery cover. I can't help it! Glitter makes me giddy and after working for seven years at a major bookstore, I'm a bit of a snob about that kind of thing. A good cover can make you want to pick it up; just like a bad one lets you keep on a walkin' by. It just sets the right tone.
From the first page to the last it's a fun and delightful read that delves into the complexities of relationships and friendships, as well as finding yourself. I was instantly drawn to it because it's setting reminded me a great deal of our two years living in the Southwest, from the Spanglish terms sprinkled through out to the artsy atmosphere Cano-Murillo creates.
But regardless of the setting, Waking Up In The Land Of Glitter tackles universal situations that we can all relate to. She deals with her troop of crafters with kindness and compassion as their lives and relationships deal with the upheavals and downward turns, before they realize the strength they gain from one another. Their story, told from multiple points of view, unfolds at a good pace. Revealing just the right amount at a time and interweaving the women's lives, and one teenage boy's - can't forget Theo, deftly. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and at the end you'll have read a really good satisfying read.
One more thing, you don't have to be a crafter to enjoy this book. The themes are universal, but if you happen to have some crafty friends, who's obsession you just don't get. This book might just give you a little glimpse into our lives. Can't wait to read her next novel! While we wait for it, I suggest all my crafty friends check out her website, Crafty Chica. There's tons of inspiration to be had! I'm there a lot to read her blog.
About the Author:Kathy Cano-Murillo is a lifelong writer and artist. Her crafts have been carried by hundreds of retailers including Bloomingdales, Target, and Hallmark. She is a former entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic, and has authored seven books including Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing. She is the founder of CraftyChica.com, a wildly popular web site to inspire women to brighten their lives with clever craft ideas. She has a web series on LifetimeTV.com, and can be seen on HGTV and DIY Network.
Disclaimer: Thank you to the Hachette Book Group for providing the reviewers copy of this title. This review relates my personal unbiased opinions and yours may differ.
These next two crafts are easy ways to get your kids involved in Easter and if you're like me, you already have most of the materials on hand!
An avid history and historical fiction reader, I usually can tell within the first two pages if I'm going to like a book. This one quickly caught my attention and I was consumed by Cullen's tale, reading it through the first time, in one day. She maintains the right balance between being historically factual and rich vivid detail, immersing her readers in the sumptuous but rigid Spanish royal court, where even interactions between family members are constrained.
It's funny what you remember about people. I will always associate diet Faygo pop in glass bottles, with her. As well as watching her put curlers into her hair at the kitchen table or wearing them out under a kerchief. This is probably from my earlier childhood, as I know she also went to go to a hair beautician. I used to love going over her house, sitting in her den, in the recliner and reading her Star and Nat'l Enquirer magazines. She liked to keep up on all the gossip about the stars. 
I remember a narrow flight of stairs up to the attic or a long big upstairs bedroom at the home my mom grew up, before they moved closer to where we lived, and her stories of watching out the kitchen window for the girls to come home when they were out late. I think she mentioned Aunt Barb being one she had to wait for a lot.
She was always so happy to see ER and they had a special bond right from the start. She was charmed when during one of the first visits, ER grabbed a hold of her finger and held on tightly. She'd remind me of that over and over, as she stroked ER's cheeks and told everyone that this was her great grandbaby. Later on, she was always amazed by how much ER talked and did, telling me she was such a smart girl. Just like her mommy. She loved getting a new piece of original art work to hang on her wall and her picture board was overflowing with pictures of ER. She was always so proud to show ER off to the nursing home staff. 
ER took the news very hard. She was quite inconsolable for a long time. She was so upset that she wouldn't ever see Great Grandma again and worried that she wouldn't be able to hug her any more. She told me but she just had to go to Great Grandma's house to see the fish in the lobby and sit outside by the "pond", really a fountain, with Great Grandma. Then she wanted to gather up every single "baby" Great Grandma had ever given her from winning bingo at the nursing home.
Grandma left behind a legacy of love, with five children, seven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. She is the first one in my maternal side of the immediate family to leave us, and her loss will be felt greatly. I know I will think of her every time I say the rosary, her favorite prayer.
The new project from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer's, 
I decided to alter an old children's board book, literacy lovers don't worry I got it secondhand and it was pretty beat up, after a sheet of stickers with the theme of "My Hopes and Dreams for You" with poignant sayings printed on them, inspired me. I combined it with a sheet of sticker tabs and used them for most of my journaling throughout it. If you need some tips on altering board books, you can refer to my 
For the first page I printed out the lyrics to 
Then I continued to use my favorite pictures, laying them out through the book, using paper scraps, sticker sayings, and sticker tags. I painted the right side above, and also painted all of the edges of the book pages with the same blue. The blue side was created in the same manner of the cover, using two consecutive pages and gluing them together.
