I have rekindled excitement for reading again. Which I am thrilled about. I finished reading Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. And now I have a few new books sitting on my shelf just waiting their turn.
This book is a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales, The Twelve Dancing Princesses. A king has 12 daughters. Every night they go to sleep with beautiful dancing shoes, and every morning the king discovers that their shoes have been worn through. The king wants so desperately to discover his daughter's secret that he offers one of his daughter's hands in marriage - which would give the winner succession to the throne - to any man who can discover their secret. In the fairytale the daughter's love to go dancing, whereas in this book the daughters are cursed to have to go dancing each night, but have no way of breaking the curse. Until Galen, an orphaned soldier enters the picture. He becomes an under gardener to the king and falls in love with the eldest princess. Hand in marriage or not Galen is determined to break the curse and save the princesses from their misery.
It was a fun read; interesting to take a short fairytale and turn it into an over 200 page explanation and background. Good read for young girls.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
NaNoWriMo = PiBoIdMo
Every November novel writers take on the challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel from scratch starting on the 1st and finishing by midnight on the 30th. If you have the discipline and determination. It pushes them to take a kamikazee approach; take an idea and run with it without inhibition. It gives no time to over think your writing and second guess yourself.
However, I write picture books. My books are 500-1,000 words and 32 pages long. So, I was looking for alternatives last year per a friend's advice in my writing group and we found one: National Picture Book Idea Month. It started 2008. I started last year. Instead of us writing a novel we take the 30 days and generate a new idea every day. Some will stink and some, hopefully will be awesome! Some days we may only have a title and others we may write the entire story. Either way by the end of the month ... 30 new options. Which means: Yea!
So, awesome. I did it last year and it worked out really well for me. So, I'm doing it again come November. I think it's just what I need to give myself a good swift kick in the butt and get back to writing again.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Alice the Fairy
Remember the days of youthful imagination; where everything was possible and reality was something different entirely? That is what Alice is all about in Alice the Fairy.
Written and illustrated by David Shannon (same creator as the No, David books), Alice is a little girl who runs around with a wand explaining to the reader how she is in training to become a permanent fairy. She makes leaves fall from trees, turns her dad into a horse, and can make cookies disappear. And that's just for starters.
Alice is a true little girl to me. Although her teeth are a little creepy she has a vibrant personality of a small child who likes to dream big and see things better than they are. This book is not traditional story format, but rather focuses on the character. It's simple, yet fun to read to kids. I can just see my daughter being like this one day and look forward to reading it with her one day.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Taking the Plunge
Yesterday my husband and I went on a hike. Although we enjoy hiking together we have not been able to venture out on many trails this summer due to rather busy and conflicting schedules. However, it was refreshing to get back out into the canyon. We went to the Wind Caves - which is where he took me on our second date. It is a 1.3 mile hike one way and opens up a pretty view at the top. It's nice to work the legs and glutes, but my favorite part is all the random talking we do on these little adventures. It was a beautiful day.
On the way back home we decided to stop at 3rd dam and take a few jumps off of the bridge into the river below; he loves cliff diving; I love water. (This is one of our reverting back to childhood moments). But HOLY COW! The moment my body plunged into that current my whole body felt as if it might never be warm again. So freaking cold! It was seriously and literally shocking! I did jump once more, but merely for picture's sake (I do love pictures!) and decided to enjoy a sunny rock after that. Jason, however was more than happy to jump again and again; he has little reserve at moments like this and I admire his youthful inhibitions.
I, on the other hand just wanted to be warm again. It was like that moment you come in from the snow and put your fingers or toes under warm water to defrost them and it feels as if the warmth is attempting to bite those appendages off. I hate that feeling. Jason likes that feeling (weirdo), so it makes a little more sense. But good for him. I did get some fun pictures and promised to do it again with him next time - hopefully on a warmer day.
The good thing about it being so cold ... doctor recommended for the 'boys'.
On the way back home we decided to stop at 3rd dam and take a few jumps off of the bridge into the river below; he loves cliff diving; I love water. (This is one of our reverting back to childhood moments). But HOLY COW! The moment my body plunged into that current my whole body felt as if it might never be warm again. So freaking cold! It was seriously and literally shocking! I did jump once more, but merely for picture's sake (I do love pictures!) and decided to enjoy a sunny rock after that. Jason, however was more than happy to jump again and again; he has little reserve at moments like this and I admire his youthful inhibitions.
I, on the other hand just wanted to be warm again. It was like that moment you come in from the snow and put your fingers or toes under warm water to defrost them and it feels as if the warmth is attempting to bite those appendages off. I hate that feeling. Jason likes that feeling (weirdo), so it makes a little more sense. But good for him. I did get some fun pictures and promised to do it again with him next time - hopefully on a warmer day.
The good thing about it being so cold ... doctor recommended for the 'boys'.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Time for Change
Lately I have been feeling so blah about myself. I feel overwhelmed and underaccomplished. I am a slacker with my writing. I haven't read a book that was more than 32 pages in months. My workouts suffer ... not so pleased with how I fit my jeans. I am too tired to do much housework and new recipes lately. And we still aren't pregnant.
RUT!
So, I'm gonna do something. And I am not awesome at follow through, so I am really going to push myself. But I guess I have to because today I ordered a BBT thermometer for tracking my ovulation, I finally ordered my author cards (Yea! They look awesome!), and my Insanity workout will be here in 5-7 days. I have to be insane to do that, cause it looks intense. However, 60 days and I get a t-shirt! Oh, and better health and energy as a perk.
I am ready to rock and roll! This should be fun.
RUT!
So, I'm gonna do something. And I am not awesome at follow through, so I am really going to push myself. But I guess I have to because today I ordered a BBT thermometer for tracking my ovulation, I finally ordered my author cards (Yea! They look awesome!), and my Insanity workout will be here in 5-7 days. I have to be insane to do that, cause it looks intense. However, 60 days and I get a t-shirt! Oh, and better health and energy as a perk.
I am ready to rock and roll! This should be fun.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Annual Checkup
I went in to get my annual health physical this morning ... and took my husband. Interesting, I know, but since I already had an appointment we wanted to discuss our test results and possible baby options; kill two birds with one stone and all. Good news: I'm in good health and all seems to be hunky dory (Jason got his about a month ago and in excellent health).
Next Step: now we get to go see a Urologist. We have done my woman testing. Now for the man testing. And I get to take my temperature every morning when I wake up and before I get out of bed (that's going to be hard to remember right away) as one of my many 'homework' assignments. Then we check back in a few months. Hopefully these things work, cause insurance will not cover much more beyond where we are at.
It sucks the issues some of us have to deal with. But we will do whatever we need to to become the parents we are destined to be.
Next Step: now we get to go see a Urologist. We have done my woman testing. Now for the man testing. And I get to take my temperature every morning when I wake up and before I get out of bed (that's going to be hard to remember right away) as one of my many 'homework' assignments. Then we check back in a few months. Hopefully these things work, cause insurance will not cover much more beyond where we are at.
It sucks the issues some of us have to deal with. But we will do whatever we need to to become the parents we are destined to be.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Tacky the Penguin
When I was a little girl I was in love with children's books. Now that I am a 'big' girl, so to speak, I am still in love with children's books. So much so that it is my dream to publish one someday - hopefully in the very near future - but that is another story for a different day.
I have collected hundreds of picture books. Though we do not have children of our own as of yet to read them to that certainly does not stop me from reading them to myself. And to my husband some nights.
So, I would like to weekly share my findings. Shed some light, if you will, on some fantastic bedtime reading material for the tots that you might not know about. Or maybe you do.
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester. Ill: Lynn Munsinger.
When I was 20 years old I lived in North Carolina and was at a friend's house for dinner. She pulled out this book and read it to her children, and in turn, us all. I have loved Tacky ever since. Tacky the Penguin is about 6 penguins who live together on an iceberg. 5 of them are very proper and regal and reserved, as you would think birds who always appear to be wearing tuxedos would be. Tacky wears a Hawaiian shirt and does absolutely nothing proper and regal and reserved. Just the opposite, in fact. Tacky is loud and strange and very unique.
The thing with Tacky, however is that it is the odd things about him that make him so different from the other penguins that are the very qualities that make all of the difference in these books and eventually turn him into the hero. In this particular book (Yes, it's a series, sort of), his uniqueness saves him from the hunters. In others he helps to impress the penguin emperor, help his group win the talent show, and even save scout camp from the bear. And in each one he is a pleasure to follow and discover even more of his quirks. Kids love his zaniness. So do I. Tacky proves that you don't have to be like everyone else, or anyone else, for that matter. What matters is that you are true to yourself.
Tacky books are awesome to read aloud (make sure to do the voices) and some of them even have a quirky song to sing. For whatever reason I have not met many people who even know of Lester's writings, but they are missing out. Tacky has not won any awards, but you don't have to have an award to prove you're fabulous!
I have collected hundreds of picture books. Though we do not have children of our own as of yet to read them to that certainly does not stop me from reading them to myself. And to my husband some nights.
So, I would like to weekly share my findings. Shed some light, if you will, on some fantastic bedtime reading material for the tots that you might not know about. Or maybe you do.
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester. Ill: Lynn Munsinger.
When I was 20 years old I lived in North Carolina and was at a friend's house for dinner. She pulled out this book and read it to her children, and in turn, us all. I have loved Tacky ever since. Tacky the Penguin is about 6 penguins who live together on an iceberg. 5 of them are very proper and regal and reserved, as you would think birds who always appear to be wearing tuxedos would be. Tacky wears a Hawaiian shirt and does absolutely nothing proper and regal and reserved. Just the opposite, in fact. Tacky is loud and strange and very unique.
The thing with Tacky, however is that it is the odd things about him that make him so different from the other penguins that are the very qualities that make all of the difference in these books and eventually turn him into the hero. In this particular book (Yes, it's a series, sort of), his uniqueness saves him from the hunters. In others he helps to impress the penguin emperor, help his group win the talent show, and even save scout camp from the bear. And in each one he is a pleasure to follow and discover even more of his quirks. Kids love his zaniness. So do I. Tacky proves that you don't have to be like everyone else, or anyone else, for that matter. What matters is that you are true to yourself.
Tacky books are awesome to read aloud (make sure to do the voices) and some of them even have a quirky song to sing. For whatever reason I have not met many people who even know of Lester's writings, but they are missing out. Tacky has not won any awards, but you don't have to have an award to prove you're fabulous!
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