~ while researching the aforementioned average price on the Button Book, I came across this book site - http://www.bookride.com/ - oh, wow! need to visit this in detail sometime
~ and this site is a start for my research in reprinting books (I'm primarily interested in reprinting vintage cookbooks) - they print vintage and out of print gun / sports catalogs - http://www.cornellpubs.com
~ getting ready to begin to commence to start in to proceed to shut down ebay store - sad day - had the store for 10 years - can you tell I'm reluctant? but the new fees start at the end of the month - $14 / mo w/ 20 cent per listing fee or $50 / mo w 10 cent per listing fee or $250 / mo w/ 3 cent per listing fee - either way, is going to be a hefty per month fee for a store with an average of 1,000 items. I'll keep the user id for buying or sporadic auctions - but the store is going bye bye. I think.
~ noticed in vintage cookbooks / menu planning how moms would start dinner in the morning, saving them steps and chaos in the evening - great idea - going to start today - tonight is tacos - cooking the meat, slicing the cheese / tomatoes / lettuce this morning to save time tonight - kids can then just buffet it, and make it them own selves ...
~ gardening stuff needs to be looked at, cleaned up since I didn't clean them up last year (oh, Martha - don't look, I'm so embarrassed) - and I also need to assess my collection of watering cans to figure out what I want to keep and what has to go bye bye / get sold
~ found a great idea on what to do with an unwanted book (other than the obvious sell/give/pitch) - make it into a fake safe:
http://pad1.whstatic.com/images/c/c6/Hollowed-out-book-4276.jpg
How to Make a Hollow Book
originated by:Sondra C, Jack Herrick, Krystle
A hollow book can be a nifty way to hide something, whether it's a spare key, a secret note, or even money. Most people wouldn't think to browse your library for private or personal things. It's also a great way to pass something to someone discreetly--an unsuspecting onlooker will just think you're sharing a very good read
Select a book, preferably a thick one with a sturdy hard cover.
Select the first few pages as you want and hold them to the front cover with plastic food wrap so they do not get messed up with the glue. These, except for the last one of these pages, will not be cut out. This will allow the book to look like a book when it is opened up and will cover the hole itself. The page nearest the hole will be glued later on and explained in the last step.
Mix a solution of white glue and water. Make the consistency just enough for the glue to be runny, and absorbed by the edge of the book's pages. 50% to 70% glue (30% to 50% water) or half a 35mm film canister full usually works well, but use your judgment given the thickness and size of the book. Alternatively, try a craft glue like Mod Podge.
Hold together all the pages after the one you set aside earlier and brush the edges with the glue solution so that it is reasonably absorbed. This will hold them together. Remember: clean the brush off immediately, or else it will harden and become useless.
Let the book dry for fifteen to thirty minutes. Place a sheet of plastic food wrap in between the glued pages and the page(s) (if any) that will not be cut (including at least the previously selected page and the front cover) so that they do not touch and stick together. Place something heavy on top of the front cover so as to apply pressure.
Open the book to reveal the first glued page. Draw a half-inch (1.2 cm) border within the edge, on all four sides (including the spine). Drill a hole in each corner of the newly drawn box to the depth you wish the hidden compartment to be. (this makes cutting out the pages easier because the blade does not have to make a 90 degree turn.)
Cut along the inside of the drawn line with a straight edge knife (a box cutter works especially well). Try to make the cut as vertical as possible, or else try to tilt it so the hole will narrow as you go down. Using a ruler, as shown in the image, can help a lot. Apply enough pressure to cut a few pages at a time.
Continue cutting through the layers. Do not rush this step, because the slower and more carefully you do this, the smoother and straighter the inside edges will be. Remove the bits of paper from the inside that accumulate from the cutting
Brush the glue solution onto the inside edges of the hole and allow it to soak in. The glue dries clear, so if it drips a little, do not be concerned. While waiting, apply a second coat of glue to the outside edges of the pages.
Brush the "frame" of the hole with a light coat of glue. The saved page will be glued directly on top of the hole, essentially covering it (for now).
Close the book again, this time without any spacers. Allow it to dry for about 15-30 minutes. In this drying phase, the saved page will become affixed to the hole, as mentioned in the previous step.
Cut the saved page along the edges of the hole so that the hole is visible and accessible once again. The insides of the book may still be moist because the book had been closed while drying. Now is a good time to let the book dry while it's open.
Check to make sure every part of the book is thoroughly dry. Touch it with your fingers, and when you are certain it is dry, fill it with your treasured items, shut the book, and put it in the bookshelf. Only you will know that this book has a compartment because it will be surrounded by many other books!
Utilize the book as you continue to work on it by storing some personal items inside while you take a break. This gives you a feeling of accomplishment that will help you complete the project.
If you ask, "What is the purpose of saving the last page to glue on top, and then cutting through it just like the others?" It's to cover up the lines you initially drew to cut the book apart. It also allows the book to be fully closed, compressing the pages while the inside dries. This is important so the book will close properly when it is finished.
Make sure you only use a hardback book. If the cover is soft, you will end up cutting through the back of the book.
A Dremel tool makes quick work of 30-40 pages at a time, and sometimes the heat of the cutting disk burns the inside edges, leaving smooth brown lines on the inside.
Multiple books can be held together with long skinny bolts. Use a template to cut through each book separately so the knife or Dremel tool will reach. Leave the back cover open on the last book, and drill through the book corners and countersink for the bolts before gluing the back cover on.
It is best to use a book that people think you might actually read. (But not so interesting a title that they might want to take the book down and flip through it.)
Use a metal ruler (or a wooden ruler with a metal-edge insert) to guide your knife. The illustration pictures a plastic ruler, but the knife can easily bite into plastic (or wood), messing up both the ruler and the project.
You can put magnets on the inside of the front and back hard cover so that the magnet holds the book together closely.
You may be able to get free old books from libraries that are clearing out the archives.
If the hole you have cut is too small, you can sand the edges, but it will leave a slightly furry feeling depending on the paper.
~ another way to make use of unwanted books: make them into a light - from the site Craftster / seller name horizonpurple:
"...Being as I'm a bookish sort of a person. It doesn't cast a superduper amount of light, but it's bright enough to read by if you sit close ..."
some ideas from comments/author:
~ use unwanted reader's digest condensed books
~ use outdated law books
~ outdoor lighting section at the hardware store. They're solar powered, but you should be able to find mains or battery if you'd prefer. I don't know about in the states, but here they're just lumped in with the bulb type light strings.
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