Category: Pretty Things…

One Word Wednesday

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Serendipity
{I was running on the beach the other day and apparently forgot to turn off the camera setting on my phone. When I got home, I found this image, which turned out sort of perfect without any effort at all. Love when that happens!}

  
Glorious
{I rarely miss a sunrise. They’re always lovely here in California, but lately we’ve had some exceptionally beautiful mornings. Seeing the sun come up over the ocean makes me feel all kinds of fortunate, no matter how many times I get to witness it.}


Brilliant
{The other day I finished Quintana of Charyn, the final book in the Lumatere Chronicles trilogy, and I was completely blown away. Melina Marchetta has a gorgeous, effortless way with language, and she crafts layered characters and builds complex worlds — I am in awe of her writing. Full review of this book to come tomorrow. Now I’m reading Chelsea Pitcher’s debut, The S-Word, a YA contemporary that’s fantastic so far.}


Delicious
{Last week when I got over my bout of Kindergarten Plague, I was craving something sweet and warm and comforting. This Cinnamon Roll Cake totally hit the spot. It’s so much easier than making actual cinnamon rolls, and it works as both a dessert and a really decadent breakfast. Recommend!}

  
Awesome
{I might be *slightly* biased, but my girlie is pretty much the coolest kid ever. While she appreciates a good pedicure and can spend hours dressing up her American Girls, she also loves to get her guitar on and run around on the ball field. She’s not afraid to pick up a snail or go down a water slide, and she’s memorized The Dixie Chick’s Travelin’ Soldier and sings it like she’s been there. Love her.}

Adoration
{Yep. She’s my favorite.}

Tell me: How’s your week going?

One Word Wednesday

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Happy
{That’s the smile of a kid who’s halfway through her second week of spring break. We’ve had all kinds of fun so far – treats and movies and kayaking and the park, plus a week-long visit with her grandparents, Mimi and Baba. Fun!}

Tedious
{Oh, look… I’m rewriting again. A different story now, one that’s full of characters I love and just can’t give up on. This manuscript had a plot that just wasn’t marketable enough, so I’m giving it a big ol’ facelift. I’m “done” rewriting about half the story, but it’s the back half that’s going to be most troublesome. Good thing Costco sells Jelly Bellies in bulk!}

Yum
{My husband and I have been doing the no-carb thing for awhile now, and it’s becoming harder and harder to come up with tasty and unique dinners that don’t include a bunch of bread/rice/pasta/potatoes. The other night I had a moment of inspiration and made what were essentially a crab cakes (sans bread crumbs). I  packed the mixture into portobello mushroom caps and baked it all in the oven. Even my girlie was a fan. Win!}


Awesome
{Yesterday we went whale watching, which was the coolest. We saw humpback whales (there’s a tail barely visible in the lower right corner of the above image), grey whales, sea lions, and tons of dolphins. The best part? I doubled up on Dramamine and didn’t feel the slightest bit seasick!}

Love
{We’ve been having a bit of a stay-cation over the last few days thanks to my visiting in-laws. It’s been so fun to hang in our town like tourists, and we’ve had a blast showing Mimi and Baba all the cool things the Monterey Bay area has to offer. Above is evidence of our trip down 17-Mile Drive.}

Tell me: What’s been the best part of your week so far?

One Word Wednesday

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Loveliness
{It’s been a little brisk in our neck of the woods lately (like, a high of 60 degrees with some pretty chilly wind — I know you feel SO bad for me), but still, it’s so nice to look out the window and see sun. This Washington girl did not truly understand the toll 226 cloudy days a year (Seattle’s average) could take on a person’s mental state until she moved to the land of sun. I’m feeling thankful!}


Photo-Bomb
{We went hiking in the Carmel Valley last weekend. It was beautiful and I took this picture of my crew, which I loved… Until I noticed Lucy popping a squat front and center. Aren’t pets fun?}


Peace
{This is so my Happy Place: Cozy socks, comfy couch, good book. Who cares that this was taken on a Saturday night and that Katy of a Decade Ago would totally cringe if she knew how lame Current Katy has become?}

 
Indulge
{My girlie had Monday off from school so we went out for a long afternoon walk followed by ice cream at the coolest little parlor. The building’s facade looks like it’s straight out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and the interior is full of mismatched furniture and vintage rock memorabilia. My girl had Midnight Cookies and Cream, and I had Banana Chocolate Chip Carmel… Yum!}


Delish
{Food recommendation: I chopped up mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and added them to a few loaves of Banana Bread. Definitely a fun, easy treat to try. And hey, there are bananas in it, so we’ll just go ahead and pretend it’s healthy.}


Cool
{I ♥ her. That is all.}

Tell me: What have you been up to these days?

Remember when I went on vacation?

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We spent all of last week visiting family in Washington. It was fantastic! So, because I really like Instagram and my girlie and my husband, I’d love to share some images from our trip…

Someone's excited to see her Mimi and Baba! #WashingtonVacation2012
Cutie pie waiting to board our flight…


One of my girlie’s favorite things to do with her Mimi (my mother-in-law, who has quite a green thumb!) is pick flowers. These are a sampling of what they collected from the garden.

 
We took our girl to the American Girl Store, which was amazing. She was absolutely delighted with all there was to see! She got to pick out matching jammies for herself and Dolly, and also a few books. We had a special lunch at Romano’s Macaroni Grill (YUM!) and tea/lemonade/coffee in the American Girl  Bistro. All in all, it was a very fun day, and made for one tired kiddo!


Only on vacation, right? I had veggie, and it was delish!


My hometown is known nationwide for its fair, which happens over the course of two weeks in September. It’s a huge deal, and people come from far and wide to check it out. The Puyallup Fair is a big part of why we chose to visit Washington in September — my girlie has yet to miss a fair! This year’s experience didn’t disappoint; the weather was gorgeous, the food was abundantly greasy, and the rides were headache-inducing. What more can one ask for?

        


My husband is cute. ❤
We were lucky enough to enjoy not one but TWO adult evenings out during our trip (thank you, awesome in-laws who are always happy to baby-sit!), and we spent them both at the Puyallup Fair. Because it’s so much fun!


This sassy girl was so in her element. She had the full attention of her Mimi and Baba, plus she got to spend all kinds of time with her cousins, aunt, and uncles, who she adores. Obviously she’s not shy about hamming it up!


Bud Light, + Apple Crisp + Vanilla Ice Cream = A Perfect Autumn Treat
(Sadly, this treat was enjoyed while watching my beloved Cougs lose their Homecoming football game in its final minutes. Boo.)

 
Major highlight of the trip: TIM MCGRAW! This was the second time we’ve seen him live and, oh, he was so freaking good! My only complaint was that we somehow ended up sitting among a lot of old, lame people, which means my husband spent the bulk of the concert trying to convince me that I should sit down and stop fan-girling and flailing about. (He was unsuccessful.)


Airport Fun: An unexpected game of Where’s Waldo? How excited do you think this guy would be to know he’s found his way onto my blog? 😉

I’m curious about the last trip YOU took…
What were the highlights? 

BROKEN Cover Reveal!

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Today I’m thrilled to be a part of the cover reveal and first chapter preview of my friend and CP Ann Rought‘s YA debut novel Broken (January, 2013).

First, a summary:

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry’s boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she’s intrigued despite herself. He’s an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely…familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel’s. The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there’s something very wrong with Alex Franks.

And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks’ estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

And, Broken‘s gorgeous cover: 

Today Ann is sharing bits of the first chapter of Broken on blogs all over the YA community. Below is PART THREE. If you’ve yet to do so, I encourage you to visit Jessie Harrel for PART TWO before reading on…

After backhanding moisture from my cheeks, I jam my hands into my pockets and turn from the fence. We’ll never sit together again, and someday I’m going to have to accept it. He would want me to move on, not haunt the graveside his parents will never give his ashes. Heart heavy and somehow empty at the same time, I drift toward home. Fall leaves whisper beneath my steps. Jack-o’-lanterns leer from porches, glowing faces following my every step, as if they see the hollow space in me and find it familiar. The Wendell’s pumpkin is particularly vicious looking, narrow pointy teeth and angular flaming eyes, squatting like a gargoyle on the front step. Jason, a junior at Shelley High like me, really went all out with the carving this year. He’s always had a flair for dark and drama.

The front porch door opens with a screech of hinges. Mrs. Wendell shuffles out, flowered house coat catching the breeze and showing her corpulent, pasty white legs. She gives me a wave and sympathetic smile when she stoops in her housecoat to blow the candle out.

You can continue on with PART FOUR over at Elana Johnson‘s blog!

I’m so excited about Broken and its gorgeous cover. I hope you’ll hop on over to Goodreads and add it to your To-Read shelf now!

It’s here!

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I don’t consider myself to be a particularly emotional person, but the just-released official The Hunger Games trailer nearly had me teary…

Honestly. It’s everything I’d hoped for and then some. Based on its trailer, I have 100% confidence that this movie is going to be amazing. March 23, 2012 cannot get here quick enough!

So, what do you think of The Hunger Games trailer? 

Happy Veterans Day + Five on a Friday

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Happy Veterans Day!

As a proud Army wife, I encourage you to take a moment today to show your appreciation and gratitude to our nation’s Veterans, both past and present. My husband has served in the Army for nearly nine years and is currently rounding out his fourth deployment. Both of my brothers and my father-in-law are Veterans as well. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that they have all faced plenty of adversity and frustration during their deployments. Yet they never complain and each has accomplished amazing things while overseas. I am so very proud of and thankful for all who serve, but especially my incredibly selfless husband, my two courageous brothers, and my wise father-in-law. Thank you, Veterans!

With that said… I can’t believe another week has come and gone. How is it already mid-November? How is Thanksgiving only two weeks away? And Christmas… Must. Finish. Shopping! Regardless of my pre-holiday panic, I’ve got a good old-fashioned Friday Five for you today–all kinds of random about what’s going on in my life…

ONE – Though I’ve schooled my husband repeatedly on the realities of the book submission process, the statistics of a person actually selling a book, reasonable debut advance amounts and how they’re doled out, he continues to ask me this annoying yet slightly endearing question: When you sell a book, are you going to buy me a boat?

I honestly think he pictures our lives turning into a scene from Captain Ron, only insert an image of little ol’ me sitting on the boat’s bow, toiling away on my laptop, writing Best Sellers and earning bazillions of dollars. Don’t get me wrong–I’m obviously all for sailing the seven seas without a care in the world except for writing, but I can’t help but think his expectations might be the *tiniest* bit high. Please tell me I’m not the only aspiring author with a husband full of visions of grandeur!

TWO – Somehow a catalog for My Twinn dolls found its way into my mailbox, and then promptly into the hands of my daughter. She. Is. Smitten. Anytime someone asks her what she wants for Christmas, she mentions the Twinn dolls. I, however, am slightly less than horrified. Long story short, you can customize these things to look exactly like your child (down to hair texture and freckle placement) and they are NOT cheap (like, $140 for the BASIC doll!). And… they’re weird. I mean, feast your eyes on the creepy:

See! Weird, right?! Do I really need another doll taking up space in my house? One that has the EXACT same features as my daughter? One who is poseable in freakishly human ways? One whose eyes follow me around the room? Um. No, thank you, I do not.

THREE – Speaking of my daughter… We went to the most adorable Mad Hatter Tea Party last weekend! It was hosted by our local bakery (which always carries a full selection of to-die-for-amazing yummies), and we took my husband’s mom along with us. Such fun, and so well-themed! The little bottles of juice had stickers that said Drink Me! and there were cute little cookies (among MANY other treats) that said Eat Me! The bakery plans to host themed tea parties once a month. I can already proclaim with confidence that we’ll be attending all of them!

Love our local bakery!

Such an adorable theme…

Cheshire Smile Cupcakes!

Cutest girl ever! 🙂

FOUR – It’s official: Bravo has seduced me with yet another show. Work of Art, The Next Great Artist is a reality competition that’s right up my alley. Eccentric, highly emotional contestants? Check. Heaping doses of creativity? Check. Over-the-top challenges with nearly impossible deadlines? Check. Much like Top Chef, another of my favorites, Work of Art is the perfect combination of drama, talent, and completely unapologetic kookiness. There’s actually a participant who has graced himself with the moniker SUCKLORD. Like, for real. Wednesday nights, 9:00pm, Bravo. You simply must tune in!

FIVE – Pinterest. Oh, Pinterest. How I love you. I really, really do. Thanks to you, I’ve scored tons of tasty recipes and craft ideas that I’ve tried and loved and recommended to others. And, I’m getting ready to make a board full of images specific to the WIP I’m mentally preparing to rewrite. Yay for visual inspiration! But lately, Pinterest, I’ve found myself pinning pictures and links to items I adore, but don’t exactly need. I feel a little like my daughter with her Toys R Us Christmas catalog and black crayon. For example:

Herb Sheers… So cool, but a necessity? Maybe not.

A ring, which I LOVE, but probably can’t afford–not that I’d ever buy myself a diamond. That’s what husbands are for. 🙂

Boot socks! How cozy do these look? And the tops, made pretty to peek out from tall boots. I know it’s nearly winter and all, but can I honestly claim that I can’t live without these? Not really.

Smart Phone Gloves… These are genius, but can’t I just wait until I get inside to use my phone?

Aqua Notes = Coolness. Now this one… I *might* be able to justify this one.

Anywho… I’m certainly happy to see the weekend! I’ll be spending mine with my girlie and an eGalley of Kimberly Derting’s new dystopian The Pledge. As a self-proclaimed super-fan of The Body Finder series, I’m pretty excited about reading this book. Look for my Bookanista review next week!

So, what are you reading this weekend?

Three Things I Love (And You Will Too!)

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I’m not normally a Saturday poster, but I’ve fallen in love with three (random) things that demand sharing, like, right this second:

1) Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me – I’m fairly well-versed in the world of middle grade fiction. I used to teach fifth grade, so I have a decent collection of Newbery Medal and Newbery Honor books, and I’ve read and reread many over the years (The Giver and Island of the Blue Dolphins are among my favorites). Since I started writing YA, I’ve focused my reading pretty much on that level, but when I saw When You Reach Me at the library, I knew I had to give it a go. I’ve seen it recommended up and down, and now I know why. It was AMAZING. Seriously. One of those books that gives you chills, moves you to tears, and won’t let you stop thinking about it. Even if you’re not a big middle grade reader, I still highly recommend you give this one a shot. You won’t be disappointed!


2) This adorable You Tube video, a tutorial on 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf. Even as an enthusiastic wearer of cute scarfs, when I first saw this on Lola Sharp’s Pinterest page, I thought well, that sounds sort of lame. No. It’s all kinds of fun, and quite informative too!

 

3) Dexter Season Six – Now, to be honest, I’m not newly discovering Dexter. I’ve been a super-fan for several years (my daughter even knows who Dexter is… *sigh*), but the first episode of Season Six, which aired last week, had me at religion (also, the creepy black snakes… yikes!). Because that’s what Dexter is exploring right now: God, right and wrong, what to expose his son to, how to incorporate spirituality and morals and ethics and theology into his own nontraditional (okay, warped) lifestyle. These are musings I can relate to (though I’m certainly not toting around a dark passenger), and that makes me even MORE excited for tomorrow night’s episode!


What had you excited this weekend?

Road Trip Wednesday: Undercover

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Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where the ladies at YA Highway post a weekly writing- or reading-related question for participants to respond to on their own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

Today’s Topic: What are your all-time favorite book covers?

Honestly, this post could have featured fifty book covers… there are SO many I love! But, I managed to narrow my choices to a few that really stand out…

The Sky is Everywhere – I love the contrast in colors, I love the simplicity, I love the asymmetrical heart, I love that this cover is so different from a lot of the YA covers out now. The new paperback version of The Sky is Everywhere is beautiful too, but personally, I’m partial to the original hardcover.

If I Stay – Another cover that’s clean, pretty, and completely encapsulates the mood and beautiful simplicity of the story. I love the burst of red and the font, especially that it’s all lowercase. Again, this book’s paperback cover is lovely, but I’ll always favor the hardcover.

Bad Taste in Boys – The only book on my list that I haven’t read yet! I just can’t get over the awesomeness. So striking. So unique.

In the Woods – The tree branches remind me of creepy fingers reaching out, which is so absolutely fitting to the mood of this novel. I love the contrast of the black and white, and the way the branches appear to fade into fog. Spooky.

Matched – I fell in love with this cover the moment I saw it. That green dress = Gorgeous. The futuristic font = Telling. Pretty girl trapped in a bubble = Intriguing, and so symbolic of Cassia’s journey.

Living Dead Girl – Ugh. That empty little girl’s dress. The domineering man’s leg standing above. The dead leaves. So haunting, right? I almost don’t even like to look at this cover because it reminds me too much of “Alice’s” experiences in the book. Very evocative.

The American Wife – Everything about this cover is perfect, perfect, perfect. Clean, prim, and proper. Just what we want to believe is true about the life of the First Lady. It almost made me envious of that fictional bride pictured. Then I read the book. All was not quite as perfect as it seemed…

Perfect Chemistry – What can I say, other than: HOT. The way he’s touching her face, the way she closes her eyes… These models look exactly the way I picture Alex and Brittany, which makes me love this cover even more. I also love the blurring of the title’s font,  representative of the fast, page-turning quality of this book.

The Giver – So timeless. I love the contrast of the old, withered hand next to the young eager ones. I love the glimmer of light that’s being passed along. I love the dark, mysterious landscape in the background. This is by far my favorite of the many cover versions of The Giver.

So, those are some of my favorite book covers… Which stand out to you?

Friday Fun: Inspiration X2

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Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about inspiration, which works out well for today’s Friday Five, and for my new obsession with Pinterest.

First, the FIVE, hosted by Paper Hangover, a fantastic group blog offering writing tips and advice, book reviews, weekly blog topics, and teen interviews. Here’s today’s prompt:


So, I’m going with living authors whose careers inspire me to write, read,  network, think business, think creative, branch out and explore:

1. Judy Blume…  One of my childhood idols (along with Walt Disney :)). I was (AM!) such a fan of Blubber, Just as Long as We’re Together, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, and Forever… I’d love to chat with Judy about where she lives part-time: the Florida Keys, and how she manages to write for a large age span with such a perfectly authentic voice. But, let’s be honest… I think that if I had the opportunity to speak to her, I’d be too star-struck to complete a sentence.


2. JK Rowling… I have a feeling the creator of Harry Potter is on any avid reader’s list of authors to meet. I watched the interview she did with Oprah last year and was blown away by her creativity and brilliance, not to mention her humility and sense of humor. And oh-my-gosh does she generate some amazing character names!

3. Ken Follet… Pillars of the Earth and World Without End are two of my favorite novels (and that’s saying a lot because I’m not normally a fan of historicals). Ken Follet has a knack for writing period drama full of emotion and rich detail. Also, he’s hugely prolific. Who wouldn’t want to pick his brain for tips on fostering a super successful writing career?


4. Melina Marchetta… My favorite YA author, and a complete and utter genius. Every time I finish one of her books my heart ends up shredded. I find myself thinking about it for weeks after, picking apart the nuances, reliving the romances. Her characters are so layered, so damaged, and so likeable. And her dialogue… LOVE. It’s so real and raw and enviable. Melina Marchetta is one of the few authors who’ve made me cry. So, yeah… I pretty much worship her.


5. Sarah Dessen… The Goddess of Contemporary Fiction. She writes like I want to write, about topics I like to explore: family, friendships, and romance. Her protagonists have a way of figuring out who they are within the context of their worlds without being preachy or condescending. I follow Sarah on Twitter and I’m certain she’d be all kinds of fun to meet. She often mentions reality TV, yummy food, and the beach, and she’s an admitted worrier, just like me! Plus, she was on the cover of Writer’s Digest. How awesome is that?


AND for further inspiration, I’d love to share some images (all found on Pinterest!) that have me thinking and pondering and toying with ideas and angles for a new story. It’s been awhile since I’ve written something brand new (I’ve been revising one manuscript and rewriting another most of this year), and lately I’ve been itching to start something fresh and totally from scratch. So, here’s the pretty that’s got my muse all abuzz:









Who or what has you inspired on this lovely Friday?