A few random-ish things…

Ahh, the start of a new week… I’ve got a few random things to share on this lovely Monday morning:

Last night I watched Disney’s Prom. I’ve wanted to see it since I caught the trailer ages ago, but I don’t make it to a lot of movies and when I have “free” time at home, I’m usually writing or cleaning or reading. So…


I finally got to spend a full ninety minutes lost in high school melodrama. It was glorious. Honestly, I’m partial to any movie set in a high school (The Breakfast Club, Clueless, The Girl Next Door, Grease, and Ten Things I Hate About You are a few of my favorites), and Prom was fairly average high school fare. A little slow, a little fluffy, but still cute enough to hold my attention and leave me with a tiny crush on Jesse, the movie’s bad-boy-heartthrob and, in my opinion, a baby Johnny Depp.


Tracey Neithercott’s Fall Book Club has officially begun! Click HERE for the official stuff (don’t worry, it’s all easy). Wondering what we’re reading?


Ransom Rigg’s Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. I started this weekend and yeah… absolutely loving it so far. I highly recommend you jump into the fun and join the Fall Book Club.

I’m revising again, this time with a heavy focus on pacing. I recently read James Scott Bell’s Plot and Structure (thanks for the recommendation, Jessi Kirby and Vickie Motter!) and it has been immensely helpful. Here’s what my copy looks like:


Sheesh. You’d think I’d never read a craft book! But there’s just something about James Scott Bell’s approach, his simple way of explaining what’s already trapped in the mind of any avid reader, that spoke to me. So, I highlighted the heck out of Plot and Structure, then drafted a revision plan that’s working miracles. Yippee!

Over the  last month I’ve become obsessed with this:


Best workout DVD ever. Seriously. I happily hop out of bed a half-hour early each morning to do it. I love Jillian Michaels’ no-nonsense approach. I love how I feel when I’m done. I love that my daughter now knows what “Down Dog” is. And the results! I’m seeing them! It’s so motivating!

And, finally, these photographs beg to be shared:


That’s my husband there on the left–you know, the deliciously handsome one :)–and that’s the Washington State University flag he and his buddy are raising in Afghanistan. Yep, our beloved Cougs are representing half-way around the world. Crazy to think about, right?

And one final, incredibly important thing: Happy birthday, Dad! Love you!

So, how was your weekend?

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28 thoughts on “A few random-ish things…”

  1. Lindsay says:

    Whew! That was one packed post:) I’ve been wanting to see Prom – glad to hear you thought it was worthwhile. I loved Clueless and sadly, still quote it LOL! Good luck on your revising – such a tough thing.

  2. Nadja Notariani says:

    It is always great to sit down and enjoy a movie that makes us smile. I’m not much for television, and I don’t often get to watch the movies I like – I live with my husband and three boys (they watch sports…a lot of sports) – so when I get my hands on the remote control (aka when no one else is home) I put on the Food Network…Ha! I know….but I just love to cook.
    I’m interested in the book you just read, Plot & Structure. I think I’ll get it to my Kindle. You are not the first person I’ve seen who highly recommends ths title.
    Really, my heart goes out to you and your husband, who is serving in Afghanistan. My husband is former Navy and we have our second oldest (we actually have five – but two are already grown) serving in the Navy right now. I’ll keep you in my thoughts, as separations are hard!

    By the way…I’ve had a fabulous weekend …thanks for asking! ~ Nadja

    • katyupperman says:

      I love to watch Food Network too! I try not to do it too often though, because then I get all hungry and want to cook tasty things with lots of butter and sugar. 🙂 And yes, definitely check out PLOT AND STRUCTURE… it was a fantastic read!

  3. Steph Campbell says:

    He he, I LOVED Prom as well! I rented it on Directv late one night and the hubs said, “You know that’s going to expire before Hailey get’s a chance to watch it.” (Hailey being our 10 year old I use as an excuse to rent such things) 😉 It.Was.Fab. 🙂

    Stay safe and thank you for your service, to your husband! 🙂

    • katyupperman says:

      I don’t even have a preteen daughter to excuse away my thing for teen movies. I love them unabashedly and my husband is forced to deal with it. 🙂 Glad I’m not alone!

  4. Rebecca B says:

    Thank you for the DVD recommend! I love the Shred, and I need something new to kick my butt into gear for fall.
    Also for recommending Plot & Structure–I’m first drafting right now, but I am going to need major help for this one, when it comes time to revise. 🙂

  5. Gilly says:

    Heh, I loved Prom. It was totally my recent movie guilty pleasure. I dragged my poor husband to see it with me – in threaters. He deserves an award. There were a fair few teenagers in our audience and hearing him laugh every time they swooned over Jesse was hysterical.

    Thinking good thoughts for you and your husband for his service and for yours!

    • katyupperman says:

      Sounds like when I forced my husband to see Dear John with me on opening night… I swear we were the only people in the theater over twenty-two. It was horrifying, both for him and me!

  6. Kirsten Lopresti says:

    The book club book looks interesting. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Way to go with Yoga tape! I keep saying I’m going to start Yoga and never get around to it.

  9. sarah says:

    Ahhhh the Cougar flag!! I will now think of you when I see the WSU flag during college gameday 😉 Even though I’m a Husky, that never fails to crack me up on Saturdays!

  12. Chantele Sedgwick says:

    I’ve wanted to see Prom since I saw a preview for it in theaters! It looked SO cute. I love high school movies. I don’t care if I’m way older than them! lol 😉 And that plotting and structure book sounds great. I may have to check it out!

    • katyupperman says:

      I hope you love PLOT AND STRUCTURE if you decide to give it a read… it’s been SO helpful to me. And PROM was pretty darn cute. Why am I such a sucker for teen movies and literature?!

  13. jodi says:

    I’ll need to check out that revision book… pacing has been on my mind a lot recently, and I’d love to be more skilled in that area. Also, I adore high school flicks.

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