How to Build an Escape Plan | Christmas Rewind | Nostalgia

 Dear Reader,

Having deleted the previous two, this marks my third attempt to write this post, not counting the number of times I've wiped paragraphs or the whole page clean. As a writer, it's easy to find a theme and put a story into the perspective of the main character. Real life? Not so much. How does one describe the past year or two years or recent handful? Challenging? Depressing? Mind-boggling? Chaotic? Insane???

Life Blog: Happy Holidays | Three Things Twilight Did Differently | Parental Guidance Suggested

 

Dear Reader,

The holidays are here again. I titled this post with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" for reasons that you'll understand below. However, in case I'm not available later, I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas (and Happy New Year and Got MLK?).

Life Blog: October | Asian Film | Zombie Etiquette

 

Dear Reader,

By the time this blog post reaches you, the calendar will have turned another page, and it will be October. And so it begins... the thing that has infiltrated our lives. It's everywhere, and you won't escape it. By now, most everyone has already chosen sides in a highly controversial topic. You either love it or hate it. You know what I'm talking about.

Pumpkin Spice vs The World.

The Book Two Posts: Ep. 13, The Pop Culture Conundrum

 Okay, dear readers, I'm just going to be real here.

I have been on the outs with my writing as of late. It was going really, really great. Really. I was on about Chapter 20 of the edits and re-calibrating my trajectory as I edited my way through. There were some major plot changes, but it was still going pretty well, and I felt that what I had so far was SOLID. Like, granite solid. I was pretty certain that any other changes to those chapters would be very minor. I could see the checkered flag waving in the distance. But then, something happened in the real world. Something that sent my writing into an out-of-control spin, hurtling through the air with the grace of a broken toilet seat.

Thoughts on Horror | Midsommar | Why I Hated the Fear Street Movie | Is the Metaphor Dead?

Warning: Here thar be spoilers! Arg!

In addition to a few others, I watched the movie Midsommar this weekend. It has been on my list for a while, and it's one of those movies that you can't really get a feel for by watching the trailer. I was interested in the concept of the midsummer festival and how they were going to use that material in a horror movie. I really had no idea what to expect.

The Book Two Posts: Episode 12: Magic Moments and Changing Characters

Dear Readers,

First, I finally finished the EverMerge Gnome challenge, so here is my "Duck Duck Gnome"!  I felt that the Gnome challenge was very fitting since I'm still writing the Gnome Sweet Gnome series. I realize that not everyone will be impressed. 😸

It has been a strange time since I published my last book. There has been every type of distraction you can think of (a pandemic, for Pete's sake!), and I'm an easily distractible person. I had a lot of things tripping me up about the current work in progress, but I finally determined that I want it finished! Don't get me wrong. I'm actually really enjoying the writing at this point. My brain is really happy with the task and living in this other world. I mean, of course, we could ALL use a vacation from the real world right now, right? So this is the best possible scenario at this point! 

The Book Two Posts: Episode 11 - Plot Twists

If you have read my earlier posts, you know that I've been organizing my office. It was also part of a huge effort to reclaim my creative space from work, which takes up far too much mental real estate, for health benefits, to take back control of my life and space, and to get back to doing what I love.

Planning Episode 1: Erin Condren Surprise

Recently, Erin Condren ran a sale on their website, and I was able to use a first-time user coupon. I'd been admiring the gold and acrylic stapler for a long time, so I got it at a really nice discount, even with having to pay shipping.

When I got the order, it came in a huge box for a stapler. This happens sometimes. I've gotten large boxes with nothing in them but a tiny bottle of essential oil, so I didn't think too much of it until I opened the box. I was surprised at what I found!

Organizing Update No. 3: Prepping for Creating & the Struggle to Stay Positive

Things are coming along. I got a few things done last week in spite of myself. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been working on getting organized, and, recently, I've been focusing on my office-slash-art studio.

I covered in my last post, Life Update: Organizing, that when I bought my desk and drafting table a little over a year ago, it wasn't with the thought that I'd ever have to work from home. Working from home seemed like a good thing, but it's been an eye-opener just how much bringing home work impacts my attitude and health. That being said, I've been focusing on bringing the positive and a healthy attitude back and reclaiming my personal space.

Life Update: Organizing

I've been laying pretty low this weekend. I spent about three days last week putting together furniture in the office. My second bedroom has been pretty much storage for three years. I only have one and a half closets, so I have really procrastinated working on the room. Last year, I had just started clearing the room, and I bought an L-shaped glass desk and a glass drafting table. Then, Covid and work-from-home. When I bought my desk, it wasn't with the plan that my day job would take over my creative space. It is a bit of a catch-22. I like being in my own environment, but I don't really like being invaded by work. So, I really need to find a solution where work isn't taking up so much space and casting such a dismal shadow upon my creative space.

Organizing: Tiny, Vintage, Artsy Kitchen

One of my goals this year is getting organized. Although 2020 sucked in many ways, I did accomplish a lot. In 2019, my living room had two end tables, two French bergeres, two book cases, a piano, and a black French provincial dresser with a TV on it. There was more art hanging on the wall than furniture sitting on the floor. In 2020, I was able to add a sofa, a coffee table, a rug, and curtains. They’re not my favorite drapes, but they look better than the blackout liners. I also got a desk and a drafting table. I have yet to organize the office, but the living and kitchen are looking pretty good.