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To decorate or not to decorate...

...well, that's not really the question, because oh there WILL be decorating. lol

But when do you decorate for Christmas? Before Thanksgiving? The day of or the day after? December 1st? Ever?

I usually decorate the house the day after Thanksgiving, especially since I usually avoid Black Friday, but because of our scheduled vacation, I decided to do it this year the day before Thanksgiving. It's sort of hard to eat pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes with Christmas decorations everywhere, and I felt bad for my scarecrows and leafy wreaths to have to be put up 48 hours early, but - I made do ;) Trust me, the pie was eaten.

What is your tradition?

Mystery post...

Happy Monday! So Thanksgiving is over - are you full? Did you hold back at all or embrace the holiday calories with abandon??

So besides hitting the treadmill, what is everyone doing this week? What writing projects do you have going on? Or books in your to be read pile?

I'm actually traveling this week and scheduling this post early. That's right, I'm on vacay with my little fam, and guess where we are???

A few clues.

It's quite magical.

I just saw a giant mouse in shorts.

Little Miss is wearing a tiara.

And I can't get "it's a small world after all" out of my head...

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That's right! Disneyworld!! WOOHOO!!!

See y'all soon, with lots of pics of course.

PS - anyone have a message for the Little Mermaid or Cinderella? I'm sure Hubby would be happy to deliver it. Meanwhile, I'm taking all messages for Aladdin and Prince Charming ;)

Closed for Black Friday

Closed for Black Friday...

no, I'm not shopping.

I'm sleeping ;)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

May your turkey be juicy, your cranberry sauce chunky, and your waistband expandable ;)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Thankful today for...

Visit me today at Scribblechicks!

PS - Today I'm thankful for leaves. Yes, they're a headache to rake, but they're so beautiful falling from the trees and cycloning around your car as you drive down country roads. Makes me feel like I'm in an Autumn-themed snowglobe :)

ADDISON BLAKELY - coming to a bookstore near you January 1st!

http://www.youtube.com/user/BarbourPublishing1?feature=mhee#p/u/6/qJa7O8je-xM

Check it out! How awesome a job did they do??? :)

Thankful today for...

Today, I am thankful for...

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the fact that my To-Be-Read pile is literally so large in my home office that it's in 3 stacks, all of which are teetering atop my file cabinet. How great is that??!

What about you? :)

Thankful for...

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

This week I'm going to post every day something I'm thankful for, and I'd love for you to join me in the comments!

I'm going to go outside the box though. Yes, I'm thankful for my salvation, for my family, for my daughter, for the freedom I have in Christ, for my church home, for a roof over my head and food in my pantry and clothes on my back, but I want this week to be a little more creative than the typical answers ;)

I don't take any of the above for granted, especially lately, but for a blog post, I want us to have fun.

So, still with all sincerity, I am thankful today for...

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the chocolate covered cherry in my desk drawer here at work. :)

What about you? It's the little things in life after all, right!??

Hi and bye!

Shorty post today, because...I'm at Barnes & Noble, enjoying a white chocolate mocha and cranberry orange scone and about to try to knock out some chapters in my current proposal. :)

Gotta write while I can, (though blogging, facebooking, emailing, and web surfing about Demi divorcing Ashton is a little tempting!) so I better get to it. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

PS - it's COLD in here. Like, I can almost see my breath. Is that enough reason to get two coffees?

Thanksgiving fun...

In honor of the upcoming beloved TURKEY DAY, I thought we'd take a little quiz, just for fun. I figure you all need a break from working ;)

"What Does Your Thanksgiving Meal Say About You"

Take the quiz HERE!

My results: (pretty accurate!)

When it comes to the holidays, you follow and love the big traditions. You look forward to them every year.You see the holidays as a time to be close to loved ones. It's a good time to reconnect and make memories.You like the more adult aspects of the holidays - parties, cocktails, and having time off from work.During the holidays, you are likely to feel generous. At your worst, you feel exhausted.You consider yourself a big kid, and you're proud of it.You tend to spend your holidays relaxing. Holidays are your down time.

What'd you get? :)

PS - what are you thankful for this year (Besides dressing and gravy. hehe)

Scribblin' as usual...

Visit me today at SCRIBBLECHICKS!

Whatcha writing/reading?

So, fellow authors - what are you writing right now? Are you working on a holiday story, while you're in the seasonal mood? Are you working on a new proposal? Are you starting a new idea, finishing a current project, or revising an old story?

I'm working on a new proposal right now, while waiting to hear back on some others. It's good to keep that cycle spinning! :)

And readers - if you don't write, but enjoy reading (hopefully my stories ::wink::) what are you reading right now? What genre do you prefer most at the moment and why? And what would you like to see coming out soon?

Afraid of the transparent...

So lately I've had some convo's with friends, who agree that we would live in QUITE a different world if people were just a little more transparent.

For example...What would happen if, when the Sonic carhop said "How are you today ma'am" as she handed over your large Diet Coke with cherry, you answered honestly? What if instead of rattling off the typical "Fine, thanks" you really told her how you were doing?

"Well to be honest, I'm struggling with fear today in this area of my life and could use some prayer." Or "My husband and I just had a huge fight and I'm really sad." Or "My friend's marriage is in trouble and I'm hurting for her." Or "My kid has a really bad cold and I'm so exhausted and ready to cry at the drop of a hat."

Besides the risk of said carhop possibly dropping your drink in surprise, what do you have to lose? What if that honesty helped HER with the struggles SHE had that day? What if she really did pray for you and God used that openness to bless you AND her? What if asking for prayer caught her so off guard, she thought about God for the first time in a long time - maybe ever?

But we don't do that. Because it's scary. Because someone at some point has to go first. Someone has to risk it all and be honest and vulnerable without the guarantee that someone will do so in response and leave you hanging. And that's where it gets tricky.

So guess what? I'm going first!

Today, I'm struggling. Struggling with God's timing, struggling with hearing God's voice/direction in several areas of my life. Struggling with exhaustion over the spiritual issues, struggling with how to proceed from here. Struggling with faith that Romans 8:28 will be used in my current circumstances - both personal and writing ministry wise. Struggling with spiritual warfare and lies repeating in my head. Struggling with the strength to keep fighting. Struggling with selfishness.

I would love for you to share your doubts/fears/thoughts/concerns/prayer requests in the comments section today. Let's pray and lift each other up. No problem is too big, too small, too messy, or too insignificant for us to pray about. So let's hear it.

Will you be transparent today?

So good, I'm reviewing twice! :)

So I've already reviewed this novel once on my blog, but its so good I'm going to review it again ;)

Seriously - it really is that great, but I somehow got signed up for two different tours on accident, and need to fulfill my duty. Thankfully Tamera is so awesome I don't mind in the least! :)

Here's so more info on the book you might have missed the first time I posted earlier in November.

About the book:

A fake. A forger. More than anything, Claire Laurent longs for the chance to live an authentic life, to become the woman she wants to be. And she'll be given that choice. But will it come at too costly a price?

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville only a year after the War Between the States has ended, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe. She considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But after he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged the man. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville's society, Claire believes her dream to create a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach--but only if her fraudulent past remains hidden.
The Federal Army has destroyed Sutton's home and confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him and to right a grievous wrong reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined--as well as the woman he loves.Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves--and each other--for who they really are.

About Tamera:

Tamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.
For more information please visit www.tameraalexander.com

Kindle Fire Giveaway and Facebook Party from Tamera Alexander!

While Tamera and her book, A Lasting Impression, are traveling across the country virtually (with a few international stops as well!), she will be hosting a Kindle
Fire Giveaway (11/4 - 11/15) and preparing for a lavish Southern-Style Facebook Party (11/15) (dripping with hospitality, of course). She will be giving away Southern Food
Baskets, books, and an array of other fabulous freebies! Don't miss a minute of the fun. Swoon!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Brand New Kindle Fire (shipped as soon as it releases)




• A copy of A Lasting Impression and 3 other special books Tamera wants you to have (for Kindle)
  
  Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on November 15th. Winner will be announced at A Lasting Impression Facebook Party on the 15th. Tamera will be wrapping up the A Lasting Impression celebration with an author chat and giving away Southern Food Baskets (Loveless Cafe Food Baskets, books, Amazon & Starbucks gift certificates, and copies of Christy Jordan's Southern Plate cookbook), six gift certificates to Starbucks and Amazon.com, and copies of A Lasting Impression! So grab your copy of A Lasting Impression (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Tamera on the evening of November 15th for an author chat, a trivia contest (How much do you know about the 1860's?) and lots of Southern-inspired giveaways (complete listing here).
  
  

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on the 15th!

Here's the rest of the tour!

Buy your copy HERE!

Help - before I gain 10 lbs...

Sorry I vanished!

Yesterday we made an impromptu trip to Dallas to pick up my husband's motorcycle. Yes, I am now a motorcycle mama. At least in the sense that I'm married to someone who has one. That's about as far as it goes for me right now, as I'm still trying to get the incessant mantra of "motorcycles aren't safe motorcyclesaren'tsafemotorcyclesaren'tsafe" out of my head :)

Sigh. I'm happy for him, he's happy, woohoo! But...shut up, mantra.

Any suggestions? lol So far I've mastered the distraction technique, which involved redoing my daughter's bathroom, buying leopard print heels and popping Godiva chocolate like medicine.

PS - never driving on 635 in Dallas alone, again, or really at all, ever. For any reason. I'm still one big stress ball. There's a reason I've made it 27 years without doing so. I shouldn't do it. At all. Ever.

Scribblin'

Visit me today at SCRIBBLECHICKS

I couldn't resist...

Shoe Personality Test

(I mean really. Why not? Besides, I have a pair of dress sandals and a pair brown boots shipping my way as we speak, so...seemed timely ::wink::)

TAKE THE QUIZ HERE

My results:

Big Black Boots

hehehehe. Fitting, though the description wasn't totally accurate. I do love my knee high black boots though and actually wore them today :)

What'd you get?

I'll be the one in the weighters...

Everyone has That Closet.

You know the one, in the guest room or the back office in your house that is the stash-all, catch-all place. The closet that you're afraid to open for fear of avalanche. The closet that makes you wonder why you even have the stuff thats in it, because obviously you're not using it, i.e. not missing it.

Tuesday is closet day.

My husband and I have literally been putting this off a year, but if I want to decorate my house for Christmas, well, we're going to have to dive in so I can salvage the decorations and get some order put back in that guest room as a whole. We have a storage problem, because while we have a large house, it's manufactured so we no attic, and no basement. Hence...The Closet.

I refuse to do the chore alone for multiple reasons, the least important being I don't think I physically can because of the heavy boxes inside, and the most important reason being I'm afraid of what might come crawling OUT of the closet. Shudder.

So if you stop by Tuesday and I answer the door carrying a flyswatter and wearing my husband's fishing weighters,well. Don't be surprised.

Someone, please, please tell me you have such a closet too? :)

It's a mocha scented day

Yesterday was NUTS.

Like, everything in my entire world due at one time, endless deadlines, toddler feeling ignored, nothing going right, dirty house driving me crazy, can't control my temper, too busy to even get the mail NUTS kind of day.

Today, I have coffee.

How's your Friday? :)

Fantastic, engrossing read by Tamera Alexander

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Lasting Impression
Bethany House (November 1, 2011)
by
Tamera Alexander

I'm still reading this story but I'm almost halfway through and LOVING it! And how beautiful is the cover? Almost as beautiful as Tamera's sweet spirit and heart for God! Don't miss this intriguing historical read about art forgery, suspense, romance, and wealth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Her second historical series, Timber Ridge Reflections (From a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart) continue her signature style of deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose which has earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.These awards include the 2009 and 2008 Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the 2010 and 2007 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2010 and 2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2010 HOLT Medallion, the 2007 Bookseller’s Best Award, the 2007 National Reader's Choice Award, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction for 2006, among others. Tamera's newest novel A Lasting Impression is the first of a brand new three-book Southern historical series, and the first two chapters are available for review. She's at work on her ninth novel which will release in fall 2012.After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, along with Tamera's father, Doug, and with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.

ABOUT THE BOOK

To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach.All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined.Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Lasting Impression, go HERE.

Buy your copy HERE!

Scribble Chicks

Visit me today at SCRIBBLECHICKS and read about God's fingerprints in our lives...

We survived Halloween!

So last night was one hectic evening of candy, cupcakes, hotdogs, popcorn, inflatable slides, carnival games, suckers, cotton candy, nachos, and irreversibly tangled strands of hair from one adorable little chocolate-smeared Rapunzel. Whew.

I'm worn out, and I probably shouldn't have worn my super-cute yet super-unforgiving silver ankle boots for 13 hours straight. Oops.

We never made it to the ventriloquist act, but I heard it was fantastic and I hope that many attendees heard the Gospel through his unqiue talent, and responded!

How was your night?

Here's some pics from our chaotic and sugar-filled fun ;)