So this is Little Miss's goal tonight at the church carnival, I'm quite sure! =) She's going to be the cutest pirate princess ever, if I do say so myself. Pics to come next week! Have a safe weekend, everyone. And may we shine God's glory into a secular holiday.

Who's that guy?

So I'm working on a new proposal for my next story and I need a career for my single dad hero! I need to know...who's that guy? (and yes I totally have that song by the same title from Grease 2 playing in my head now...)


It's set in a city, not sure which one yet, that can be tweaked depending on what his career turns out to be. No farmers/ranchers/lawyers/celebrities/politicians. He needs to be able to support his young daughter but work hard.

Any suggestions? =)

Hoppin' Around...

Visit me today at SCRIBBLECHICKS and CRAFTIE LADIES OF ROMANCE

These are a few of my favorite things...

Fall is in the air, and that means Christmas is right around the corner! Do you hear sleighbells yet? =)

My mom insisted I make a wish list this year to help her and the family buy gifts, so here's a few items I wrote down...

1. Gift cards to Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and my favorite local clothing shop

2. A laptop pillow

3. Fabric for curtains and a slipcover for my window seat

4. Wall art, especially for my bedroom

5. New microwave safe everyday dishes

6. Maid service (yep! I really wrote that down! lol)

What's on your wish list this year? What are a few of YOUR favorite things?

Pumpkins, pumpkins....

I love fall!

We're taking Little Miss to a local pumpkin patch today for pictures and fun. She's a pumpkin fiend. Even when she was barely a year old she was trying to pick up pumpkins twice her size and lug them around the field. She has a ball, and we're sure to get cute pics and smiles watching her run around all crazy. I can't wait.

And neither can she. I made the mistake of telling her the night before, and well. "Is it time NOW??? Is it time NOOOOWWWW?????"

Happy Autumn!!!!

Bargain buys

So this post is really nothing but for me to brag on how excited I am! Haha. I went shopping yesterday, and ended up at a discount store I like. Found an adorable peasant style shirt for around $10, already a great deal since it was a namebrand. I noticed a small stain on the back though, which was pretty obvious since the shirt is off white in color and the stain was a dark tan. I took a risk and asked the clerk if I could have the shirt at a further discount. She asked the manager, who sold it to me for $6. I came home, easily removed the stain, and voila! A bargain! Love those days!!

Anyone have any good bargain stories to share? =)

Break me off a piece of that...

When you need a break, be it from writing or work or housework or whatever, what is your go-to treat? Caffeine? Chocolate? Coffee? Comfort food?






My stress relief treat is a super cold Diet Coke and usually a cookie or piece of chocolate. I'm in love with BUttercups cupcakes, but at almost $4 a cupcake, that's a rare treat as is my Starbucks stress relief mocha. Sometimes the stress relief isn't worth the new stress from over spending!

But I digress.

What is your "break me off a piece of that..." ?

Let's share cyber calories! =)

Scribble Time

Visit me today at www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com!

Did you know...?

It's Tuesday, which I think is plenty reason enough to play a game. ;)

Everyone, list 5 things I might not know about you in the comments section! Here's my list!

1. I really only like the red and purple Skittles. The other colors are eaten either by accident or last resort.

2. I have terrible posture. I'm always slumped over. Must improve!

3. I'm ridiculously self-disciplined. (though this might not be a secret if you have caught even a glimpse of my weekly schedule...)

4. I'm all for good deals and bargains, but some items from the grocery store simply MUST be name-brand, including trash bags, sandwich bags, and dryer sheets.

5. I act even sillier while home alone with my Little Miss than she does!

Your turn!

To e-book or not to e-book?

So lately there's been a lot of talk on my writer's email loop, on publisher's websites, on Facebook, and everywhere in between about printed books vs. e-books, about whether e-books will ever officially replace printed novels, about which e-book reader is best, etc. etc. etc.


As for me, I almost don't care because I'm ridiculously loyal to a book in my hands. Everything I do - EVERYTHING - is on a screen. Computer. Blackberry. Work. Working from home. Writing. Freelancing articles. Blogging. Short of doing my laundry on a computer screen, I pretty much spend most of my life staring at a glowing, backlit layer of plastic/glass.


So when I can hold something small, and tangible, that smells of history, that other people have touched and that has touched other people's lives in my hands, I'm going to do that.






That being said, do you enjoy e-books? I completely support the idea, don't get me wrong. Most of my novels are availabe in e-book and that's fantastic. I don't condemn people for preferring that method, I just choose to remain old school in this way. I don't need the travel aspect because for me, its just as easy to stick a paperback in my purse as it is to tuck a Kindle or an Ipad or a Nook.


But for curiousity's sake, which reader machine do you prefer of all the readers out there? Which do you prefer to read - printed material still or e-books? Both? What are your thoughts on the future of printed books vs. e-books? Let's hear it here!

PS - visit these blogs HERE and HERE to read an interview with me about my new Christmas novella release, MISTLETOE PRAYERS (The Gingerbread Season) and win a chance to get a FREE copy!!! =)

The best and worst of imaginations...

My two year old already has an incredibly active imagination. She entertained herself for hours on our 9 hour drive to the beach last month by "throwing" an invisible ball to various people in the car, "catching" it when they threw it back, "putting it" on top of my head then giggling and snatching "it" off. She'd even occasionally say "Oops! I missed!" after someone "threw it" back, and scramble to pick up....nothing. =)

She can play tea party and restaurant with the best of them, enjoying her plastic food and pouring imaginary tea into cups and warning me to be careful, "it's hot Mama." She makes her stuffed animals talk and laugh.

And on it goes.

As a writer, of course I'm thrilled. I have a big imagination too, and I'm so excited that she already loves books and making up stories and picturing the invisible. I sense great times in the future :)

But along with the perks of a good imagination come the cons. For instance, anytime my husband is traveling without me, and I can't reach him for a few hours by phone, I don't assume he's busy or in a bad service area. No, I go straight to he was murdered by his coworker who sent me a text saying "we're here honey, love you!" just so I wouldn't suspect anything. I go straight to "he slid off the rain-soaked road in his truck and is waiting in said ditch for an innocent passerby to help him chain his truck out but what if the innocent passerby is a hitchhiking prison escapee and..."

Yeah.

Which is ridiculous, because my husband is probably the LAST person to ever be taken advantage of by a hitchhiking prison escapee, but I'm a wife. I worry. And I'm a writer, so I worry in 3-d. ha!

Do you fellow writers or big imagination-ers struggle with this too? The paranoia, the over active imagination, the drama? I hope it's not just me....

Fun Thursday Quiz

What Cooking Show Are You?

Take the quiz HERE!

My results:

You are 30 Minute Meals!

You love to cook but you're also realistic. You need meals that are fast and easy. You don't mind taking a few shortcuts as long as your dinner is still healthy and flavorful. Like Rachael Ray, you are down to earth and fun. You love to cook for your friends and family. You can whip out an amazing meal in around 30 minutes and definitely have a few tricks up your sleeves.

Okay, so some of that is true and some sadly isn't but hey I give it my best try...that's what counts, right?

How'd you do?

Rats. Now I'm hungry...

Visit me!

Visit me today at ScribbleChicks!

I survived

Thanks for the tips from yesterday! I got everything done, by the grace of God, and didn't have too many melt downs. We took Little Miss for ice cream after dinner, since she put up with a lot from Mommy. :)



Today is another busy day at work and with deadlines so I can't "stay" long but didn't want the day to go by "unposted". So I'll just wish everyone a Happy Tuesday and promise to find more interesting topics later in the week.



HAPPY TUESDAY! (thank the Lord Monday is over, right??)

Monday Madness

Short post today, because my To-Do list is quite long.

Two articles due tomorrow for the newspaper where I freelance, my novel deadline is looming in November, I need to log in some at-home hours for work, and I have two phone interviews for the articles set for this afternoon and am trying to track down a third quote as we speak. Whew. And of course my Little Miss has only been up a little over an hour and she's needier today than ever - Murphy's Law!

But it's okay. It will all get done. What do you do to de-stress and focus when your list gets a little intimidating? I know its good to prioritize and realize you can't do everything, but sometimes the list is a list of MUSTs and not just NEEDs. I don't have a choice with my deadlines, I can't put those off like I could vacuuming the house. (Which thankfully got done the other day!)

What are your de-stressing tips? I just made strawberry cheesecake muffins for my Little Miss so maybe that's the first step ;)

Capturing lives one click at a time...

Here's an interview with the FABULOUS Hannah Hough of Hannah Hough photography. Locals, you are in for a treat!!



Check out the session Hannah did of my Little Miss, below. I wish I could upload all 80 or so pics because they're so great, but these are some of the best of the best of the best! (my favs)


Then keep reading for an interview with Hannah herself!

** Interview **

When did you first decide to get into photography?

1. I have always loved photography and my sweet husband had purchased me a very nice camera two years ago. I primarily, photographed my own boys, Carter and Jude, cause I think they're pretty cute but then decided that I wanted to branch out and expand my knowledge and repertoire. So, generally years ago, but specifically as a business it has only been a few months now. :-)



What is your favorite part about your new job?

2. My favorite part of my new job is getting to enjoy and be part of another families' life by taking pictures of them. I am never more fulfilled than when a client tells me "You captured their personality perfectly." That is important to me because initially I didn't know their personality, but through the shoot I was able to tap into it. So fun!!


What was something that came as a surprise when you first began your business?

3. A guess I never knew how much of a fool I would have to be to get the perfect smile or shot, but it is so worth it.


Tell us something about a camera most people wouldn't know

4. You know when you look at something everything is for the most part sharply focused, but sometimes after you take the picture you see that only your subject and something behind them was in focus? That is called depth of field. This depends on your aperture value, focal length of your lens, and your distance from the subject. When most things are in focus we say that there is lots of depth of field and if only a small area is in focus then the depth of field is limited. So if you want a larger area in focus then you need to keep your aperture number high such as f/16 and if you only want your subject in focus then you would want an aperture number of f/1.8, but on most standard lenses this number would be more like f/3.5.


Which group do you enjoy shooting pictures of the most? Children, families, engaged couples, senior photos, etc.

5. I really love to shoot all demographics. I am trying to do as much of a variety as possible from newborns to families, to engaged couples. I love to do it all.


Any funny stories from past photo shoots?


6. Funny stories.....On one of my first shoots my sister Hope came to help me do the shoot and we were photographing three precious boys. We were having trouble getting them to smile so Hope but a metal bowl on her head and started running around and hitting it with a spoon. It was hilarious, but we got "the perfect shot", so it was well worth it.


Can you offer a price list for potential clients to consider?


7. For a one hour shoot my sitting fee is $75 dollars and photos are available online for purchasing at http://www.hannahhough.com/.

For two locations and a two hour photoshoot the price is $100 and photos are available online for purchasing as wellIf you are interested in purchasing the disk with all the pictures edited and ready for printing then this cost is $300. Wedding packages start at $1000


Describe Hannah Hough in 50 words or less.

8. I am a Jesus-loving, Bible believing, realist. Mother of boys, wife to a great husband, nurse at Shriner's, budding photographer. I love fun outings, being busy, snuggling, and being outdoors, cooking and eating out. I love spending time with friends and family and watching LSU football.


Thanks Hannah!!!


Guys, don't wait - book your family portraits, new baby, engagement photos, or Christmas card sessions with Hannah now! :)


For more information and to view more of Hannah's work, visit http://www.hannahhough.com/

Isn't it ironic?

(photo courtesy of KTBS NEWS)

This morning around 6 am, Caddo District 1 Fire Station burned, as you can see above, almost to the ground. An explosion from one of the trucks wakened the 6 men on duty and they were able to escape while ironically, neighbors called 911. They say at this point that the cause of the fire was possibly from an electrical short and leaking fuel in a brush truck. Thankfully, no one was injured, although the station is being called a "total loss" and will have to be rebuilt.

This story struck home for me for many reasons, one because I'm writing a fiction novel right now for Love Inspired, contracted for an August 2011 release and titled FIREMAN DAD. I've drawn from real life experiences from my husband's fire department lay-off last year. in the story. But this very station was also one my husband worked at many times over the past several months as a part-timer, and a station he had hoped to get hired on permanently on many occasions including potentially next year. Not sure what this changes for him and other hopeful future hires, or what it means for the current firemen and their jobs. Hopefully nothing negative for them. We've been there, done that!! Ugh.

So please pray for Caddo 1 today and their men and the boards they will be making decisions for the future. They'll all need encouragement. I can't imagine as a fireman how they must feel knowing their station burned around them and they couldn't do anything but leave. So painful...

When do you stop?

Visit me today at www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com to find out what my 2 yr old has to say about when to stop editing your mansucript...

Teaser...

Little Miss had some professional pictures today a few weeks ago and I got the proofs today on a disk. I'm so ridiculously excited about them I have to share!

But I can't post any of the pics yet because... as a special treat I'm going to post an interview with photographer Hannah Hough here in just a few days along with all of her contact info and fantastic prices.

So brace yourself for the coming cuteness of my Little Miss. Trust me, you'll need a few days to prepare. I've never seen such amazing pictures of my baby girl. Of course I'm biased to the model, but Hannah did a fantastic job and I was so blessed to have her do these.

Stay tuned for more info on Hannah's new photography business and sample shots of Little Miss' photo shoot. Trust me, it's worth the wait! ;)

5 Carets

Special thanks to Tonya, a dear reader for giving my Christmas novella THE GINGERBREAD SEASON (book two of a Christmas compilation titled MISTLETOE PRAYERS with fellow author Marta Perry) 5 carets on her review blog! Woohoo! What an honor.

Check out her review here.

Less than 100 Shopping Days left...

Happy book release day to me...and yes it's already putting me in the Christmas spirit!! =)

I've started my Christmas shopping! That's right. Okay, so far its just one person's gift but it's a really fun one and it was 50% off! I'm hoping the rest of my shopping season goes as smoothly.

Do you get a headstart for the holidays? I refuse to use the credit card for holiday gifts anymore so I try to start early and pick up things here and there as I see them, then stash them for a few months. Sometimes this doesn't work for everyone on my list, but it's at least an effort and helps me spread the budget and not go overboard.

What do you do? Do you love Christmas shopping? Dread it? Make gifts? Spill the beans here!