Day 1 - July 8

I am the queen of procrastination. I wait until the last minute, work diligently to get things done, then call it good. The idea for 50 books/50 days came during the Spring 2007 semester. I was eager to start but overwhelmed by the planning I thought needed to be done before I began. I was also in the throws of my second semester as a tenure-track prof, and was up to my eyes in all kinds of fun ivory tower stuff. The summer, I told myself, would be the ideal time to start and finish 50 books...

The summer is quickly slipping away, and I had not yet started my book project. And as usually happens, when I get busy with other things in my life I get more productive. I had been away from home helping my little brother and his wife move from Charlottesville, VA, to Gainesville, FL. Then, my mother and her husband and my lil sis stopped by in the 35-foot catamaran during their first year of the 'crusing lifestyle.' (Mom and hubby are retired - lil sis is taking the chance to rethink things.)

I'm busy now. And, as my friend Heather says, I'm getting my 'poop in a group.' I've got items on my calendar, and now books to make.

Since my mother is trained as an architect and an artist in her spare time, I took the weekend to get my supplies together and start talking about books, and finally just simply make one (well, two!).

So, here are the specs on the books.

Book one: post binding with a cover

{paper} text block: remnants from my wedding invitations (yellow paper with color laser printed color bars)/cover: box from muffin packaging
{binding} remnant post; paper punctured with hold punch




Book two: three signature, exposed chain-sewn binding with covers

{paper} text block: left-over cream colored paper from my job search; remnants from wedding invitations (see above)/ cover: box from muffin packaging
{binding} sewn with linen binding thread

Today was a good start. Inspired by conversations with my mother and her work I created two tiny books, neither of which structures, or sizes, I'd made before. My mother works on her book, surrounded by materials. Orange kitty ChaChi has taken on the title 'book kitty.' Notice the two tiny books in the lower left corner; the book with the red/pink yarn is by mom, the books with the white ribbon, by me.