I decided to get creative last night and turn my website/blog from dismal to delightful. I’m quite pleased with the result! Photo collage is one of my favorite things in the world, so I smile every time I see my new header, which is filled with things I love. I also adore the colored lights at Golden West Cafe, which were twinkling overhead when Steve and I visited last week to celebrate a day filled with good news. There may have been garlic fries and wine involved…
I’ve continued to note things that I am grateful for with my iPhone Happytapper.com app this week. It’s amazing how uplifting it is to pause, observe and give thanks, and then continue with your day. You can’t help but smile a little more. A trend that I’ve found in my handy journal of thanks is lots and lots of books and bookstores. Baltimore is packed with bookstores:) Recently, I’ve visited Normal’s, Ukazoo, Atomic, breathe (don’t miss their $6.99 per pound book sale!), and Barnes & Noble. I can’t help but peek at the shelves in each store and see where my book will (hopefully!) sit one day…
I just joined Laini Taylor’s mini-NaNo group for March. I’ve been moving along quite well with my second novel, but this added inspiration can’t hurt! How do you stay motivated while working on a long-term project? Although twitter and blogs can be distracting, I am often inspired by reading about the triumphs, challenges and lessons learned by fellow bloggers and tweeters:)
While walking to the post office last week, I listened to Stephen King’s On Writing. My favorite part of the book describes the days just before King sold Carrie, his first published novel. So I’m listening to King’s reflections on this difficult yet inspiring time, when my iPhone sounds its Pavlovian bell, letting me know I have a new email. I check the message (with Stephen still reading in the background) and find a treasure.
Recently, my husband has become a huge fan of Ray Bradbury. As always, he dove head first into researching the author’s life. Steve had found a video (see above), which led him to write me a simple and perfect email. In it, he shared Bradbury’s quote: “Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.”
This is yet another reason why I love my neighborhood. How could I resist taking a picture of this lovely Hampden front yard? These are the kinds of scenes that spark my imagination for future characters and settings. I snapped this picture while walking to the post office last week. I’ve stayed true to my daily strolls and sun salutations and it makes a world of difference!
I’m back in Charm City, but I’ve been on the road for the past five days. First stop was dinner at Candle 79 with the CSL crew. Next stop was Jersey City for a weekend filled with friends and Indian food. Next month I’ll be part of an Indian wedding and to get us in the spirit of this joyous occasion, we watched Bride and Prejudice. Twice. You’ve probably already guessed that this is the Bollywood adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel. My dear Jersey City friend had these guys (below) on her shelf and they made me smile.
On Sunday, I headed to CSL headquarters in Woodstock, NY and I was back on the road by Tuesday night! I’m happy to be home and looking forward to a relaxing weekend of reading, writing, and seeing friends and family. I finished Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (AMAZING) and started Nicole Peeler’s novel, Tempest Rising. It’s a fun and adventerous read and I’m excited to dig in more this weekend, rather than reading a few pages a night. Speaking of which, it’s time to do a few more manuscript edits and jump in bed!
How cool is this kettle? I drink about ten cups of tea a day, so this is one of my most treasured Christmas gifts. The past couple days have constisted of reading, writing, editing, and researching literary agents. Since I’ve come down with the first cold I’ve had in years, all of these activities work well while tucked in bed or lounging on the couch.
I’m also thankful to finally have a bookshelf in our living room! We’re packing it with our favorite books and have been on somewhat of a book-buying spree. On Friday we visited Ukazoo Books and took advantage of their “Buy 3 Used Books, Get One Free!” I also picked up a new copy of Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker. Steve found a copy of Margaret Atwood’s book, Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing. This is yet another example of how well he knows me. Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale was a huge influence on my novel, so her writing advice is like a goldmine.
On Saturday, we stopped at Atomic Books, since I couldn’t go another day without Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, book 2 of The Hunger Games trilogy. I’ve learned a lot from Collins. Especially: Set the stakes HIGH. The stakes could not be higher for Katniss Everdeen and that’s why I can’t stop reading it. Plus, it seems like there’s no way out of her predicament, so I’m desperate to find out how she manages to survive her conundrum. I’m sure not everyone likes to read stories like this, but I can’t get enough. At least at the moment, if it’s not life or death, I probably won’t get through the book.
One of my favorite people blogged today about her “10 for ‘10,” which inspired me to write my own list (in no particular order!)…
1. To be thankful every day for the “little” and “big” things.
2. To continue believing that I can create the life of my dreams and to nurture things like my vision board, affirmations, and relationships with creative and inspiring people.
3. To help CSL grow and help thousands more people this year!
4. To sign with a literary agent and begin our long and successful career together!
5. To finish my second novel.
6. To care for my mind, body, and spirit each day, even if it’s only through a ten minute yoga session, a big glass of green juice, or a few quiet moments with my journal.
7. To be unconditionally loving toward myself and others (there is such a thing as loving detachment for anyone who is a jerk!).
8. To shut down the computer more often (do I really need to read thirty blogs a day?) and go outside, read more books, and spend more time with my amazing husband.
