Sometimes you’re just happy to meet new people. That’s usually the way it goes for me when I sit down with the featured mother for On The Minds of Moms Magazine. Every couple of months, my editors and I get the unique experience of ‘group therapy’ with their pick for the next issue’s cover mom. I don’t know if my editors call it group therapy, but lately I’ve begun to really believe that there is some learning and healing that goes on during every one of these sessions.

Because for me, as a new mother, every one of the women that we interview has undergone something extraordinary when it comes to their own parenting journey. Some women have watched their child battle illness. Some women have adopted children from unlikely places. Some women have endured heart-wrenching circumstances.

That’s where Kristin comes in.

Courtesy: OTMOM - Feb./March 2011 - Kristin Nelsen and Rialee Photography

Her body betrays her. I’m not going to give away her whole story… I encourage you to read the excerpt and click through for the rest of the article. And yet, everyday, Kristin makes a choice to live her life to the fullest as a mother.

Be inspired. Meet Kristin Nelsen.

Courtesy: OTMOM and Rialee Photography, Kristin Nelsen

“She bounces into the coffee shop and breaks into a warm, engaging smile. “Hi, it’s so nice to meet you,” she gushes in a friendly voice. Her shiny, chestnut hair is pulled off her face with a glittering headband and her petite frame is beautifully dressed in a blush-colored, long-sleeve ruffle top. She looks graceful and classy and has an unmistakable glow of kindness, like she’d gladly hand over a couple bucks if you came up short for your latte. But under her left sleeve is a scar that runs from her wrist to her shoulder, staple marks permanently implanted on her skin offering a constant reminder that Kristin Nelsen has a harrowing story. A story filled with countless health scares, debilitating pain, dashed dreams of motherhood bliss and an ever-present fear of what the future holds.”

Click here for Kristin’s complete story.

My darling daughter turned one on Thanksgiving. It’s been an emotional and eventful ride through the first year of her life. Someday when I’m up for it, I’ll tell you all about it.

But what I’d like to do now is share some incredible pictures of Coralynn taken by Tiny Sprout Photography and Rialee Photography.

This first batch is from her 6-month shoot:

Courtesy: Tiny Sprout Photography and Rialee Photography

Courtesy: Tiny Sprout Photography and Rialee Photography

Courtesy: Tiny Sprout Photography and Rialee Photography

Coralynn is wearing her cousin’s Baptism dress in this photo! How precious!!!

This second batch is from her 1-year shoot:

Courtesy: Tiny Sprout Photography and Rialee Photography

Courtesy: Tiny Sprout Photography and Rialee Photography

Courtesy: Tiny Sprout Photography and Rialee Photography

Courtesy: Tiny Sprout Photography and Rialee Photography

As Chandler Bing would have said: “Can a child be any cuter??”

From the ‘In Case You Missed It’ file comes this gem that was first published in Minnesota Good Age Magazine in May 2011. It was the first story I ever wrote for MN Good Age and it introduced me to the wonderful art world that exists in and around the Twin Cities.

The story was essentially a “what you need to know” of three of the biggest art festivals in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin: Art-A-Whirl, St. Paul Art Crawl, and Fresh Art Tour.

This picture is one of the artists who showcased her work at Art-A-Whirl.

Courtesy: Minnesota Good Age - NEMAA president and member artist Susan Wagner Gintner adds the finishing touches Elysium, no. 4 in her studio in the Northrup King Building in northeast Minneapolis. She will be exhibiting her work at Art-A-Whirl.

These festivals will be rolling around again this spring and I encourage you to check them out if you can.

Here’s an excerpt:

“One boasts the greatest number of exhibitors, studios, and galleries in the country. The other sends you through a landscape filled with rolling hills carpeted in wildflowers. Still another invites you into rustic, converted warehouses propped in an urban setting. Yet they all have one thing in common – fabulous, locally-created art.”

Click here to read the whole piece.

MN Good Age - January 2012

Every year I make a new writing goal. My mission for 2011 was to get published in a national magazine. I was thinking something in a parenting, health or lifestyle publication was my best bet.

Turns out, I was wrong.

Here is who gave me my first national break:

FOP Journal - Winter 2012

I first reached out to FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) Journal after reading an advertisement that they were looking for product testers. Being the savvy, think-outside-the-box gal that I am, I pitched the editors a win-win. My husband would test the products, I would write the reviews.

Well, the folks behind FOP Journal didn’t go for it. But they offered me something much better – a paying assignment in a national magazine! Thank you.

My mission was to write about what it’s like to be married to a cop. I have first-hand knowledge of the subject, something my editors wanted me to draw on and include in the article. It’s the first time I had to interview my husband and let’s just say it was an interesting experience. Even more interesting was having to ‘interview’ myself. It turned into a really introspective experience and I think I learned a lot about my husband and myself and how we view our roles in the topsy, turvy world of police marriages.

FOP Journal - Married to the Life

As a majority, police marriages are not successful. And every police couple has different challenges to face. For ‘Married to the Life’ I also interviewed three other police couples; a retired law enforcement husband and retired law enforcement wife (both on their third marriage), a law enforcement wife and civilian husband, and a law enforcement wife and law enforcement husband with young children.

The entire article is available in the Winter 2012 issue of FOP Journal.

I also provided extra content for FOPconnect.com, the Journal’s online home. You’ll find a roadmap of resources and tips for spouses seeking help with the unique challenges of being married to someone who wears the badge.

Here is an excerpt:

“Being married to or in a relationship with someone involved in law enforcement is hard enough. Finding ways to troubleshoot erupting conflicts in your relationship can be even harder.

Most police-centric websites focus on safety, technologies, tactics, weapons and gear. These websites are often about street survival. But they rarely offer law enforcement officers help with surviving marriage and family life.

And with today’s strapped policing budgets, how many departments can even afford to put resources toward officers’ off-duty mental health? The answer, as we all know, is not many.”

Click here to read the rest of the story.

I have had the honor and privilege of contributing to Area Woman Magazine for the past year. Celebrating its 28th year as a premiere destination for women in the Red River Valley, Area Woman is known for putting strong women on its cover.

Some have overcome adversity.

Some exude positivity and grace.

Some are devoted wives and mothers.

Some show us that women can do anything.

Tammy Miller, who graces the cover of Area Woman’s current issue, is a woman who could fit into a lot of those categories but it’s the last category that most stuck out to me when I interviewed Tammy not long ago. She is flippin’ awesome! High energy. Extremely intelligent and articulate. Strong-willed. Keen business sense. Caring wife. Philanthropic-minded. Tammy is one of those women who has achieved nearly everything she has set her mind to and makes you feel like you can do the same (with a lot of hard work, of course).

Area Woman Magazine - Tammy Miller, Courtesy: Classic Photography

But why am I telling you this? Let her tell you herself… albeit through my writing.

Here is an excerpt:

“Tammy Miller knows exactly what she wants out of life. And she’s discovered her secret to making it happen. “Much of my career success has been driven by three key leadership strengths,” shared Tammy, the CEO of Border States Electric, a billion dollar distributor of electrical products headquartered in Fargo. “Vision and strategy; communication; accountability.” 

Tammy is confident that putting these ideals into action through the years is what propelled her to the top spot at Border States Electric.”

Click here to read Tammy’s entire cover story.

Lastly, thank you to Area Woman for giving me my first crack at a cover story with them. I’m truly grateful they felt I could step into that role for this issue. Hopefully there will be more to come!

If you have a heart, and I’m sure you do, you’ll want to read my latest profile for On The Minds of Moms Magazine.

On The Minds of Moms - Jenna Pepsin, Courtesy: Rialee Photography

Featured is Jenna Pepsin, an all-around awesome gal who makes it her mission everyday to make better her life and the lives of those around her. She’s a true inspiration for those of us trying to find balance on the woman/wife/mother/friend/daughter/sister/employee tightrope. Jenna knows the value of enriching her life as an adult with activities, friendships and work, but she also finds deep meaning in mothering and passing along her values.

On The Minds of Moms - Dec.2011/Jan.2012

As always, here is your excerpt (click here to read the full story):

“Some people look for others to sing their praises. They need a slap on the back or to be a recipient of a plaque or trophy to provide validation. And other people go about their daily lives quietly making imprints on other’s hearts. Jenna Pepsin is one of the other people, looking for nothing more than a hug, a sign of trust or a nuzzle from a four-legged friend. Finding riches with payments due in the form of love and compassion.”

On newsstands now in Fargo-Moorhead-Grand Forks, and available by subscription here, On The Minds of Moms is a modern resource for today’s parent.

Sometimes asking someone else to toot your horn is a good investment. It’s even better when that someone is me.

I offer a fresh perspective. A friendly, accurate, and creative way with words. An uncanny ability to understand your company and your mission in a short amount of time. A reliable partner who doesn’t miss deadlines. A hard worker who understands the value of your dollar and who isn’t satisfied until you are.

This fall, Onsharp, an interactive agency offering web-based solutions, was looking for someone to come up with a new melody for its horn. Analogy aside, Onsharp needed a skilled copywriter to overhaul promotional case studies for its website. Onsharp needed someone who could confidently handle interviews, technical language and SEO writing. Someone who could be trusted to take a project from outline to website, without a lot of hand-holding.

Courtesy: Onsharp

Perhaps it was serendipitous, then, that someone (click here to find out who!) from the Fargo chapter of the North Dakota Professional Communicators happened to think of me when they learned of Onsharp’s needs. A portfolio-filled email and several meetings later, Onsharp had their writer – Patricia Carlson Freelance.

You can find several case studies I’ve written for Onsharp here. And please be on the lookout for more in 2012!

Courtesy: Onsharp and College Nannies and Tutors

Meanwhile… enjoy this brief excerpt of the College Nannies and Tutors case study:

“Imagine trying to pair the perfect nanny with the perfect family. Now, imagine doing that hundreds of times over. Every day. By hand.”

Click here to read the full case study.

Courtesy: Onsharp and College Nannies and Tutors

Happy 2012!

It’s starting out to be a great year and I’m looking forward to what this year will bring, professionally and personally. One of the things I’ve made a priority these last few weeks is sending out hand-written Thank You notes to all of my editors, media contacts and communication colleagues. It’s important to me that they know I’m grateful for the work and that I value our relationship. It’s also a nice reminder that I’m available for projects. Just sayin.’

If you haven’t put pen to notecard in a while and thanked somebody, please give it a try. You will feel better and so will the person who receives your lovely note. Just ask this guy… his little book about gratitude has made him a pretty penny!

Courtesy: A Simple Act of Gratitude by John Kralik

One such project that I’m thankful came my way in 2011 is for a dynamic consulting firm named Onsharp. They have a heckuva team (kudos to Tami!) at Onsharp so I was really flattered that they reached out for some web/copywriting help for their website re-launch. I was asked to re-write some of the case studies that promote what Onsharp has provided for its clients.

Learning the technical language was a real challenge, one I welcomed and embraced. I now know what a ‘dealer portal,’ ‘thematic design upgrade,’ and ‘navigation interface’ is. Better yet, I know how to properly use these terms in business/web/copywriting. And they make a mean ice-breaker at a cocktail party.

Here is a link to one such case study.

Wil-Rich

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank the wonderful folks at Wil-Rich and Onsharp for always being there if I had a question. Customized scalable database anyone?

Facebook can be a wonderful thing. When I put out the call for active, loving and most importantly, involved, dads to interview for an article, some of my favorite guy pals responded with gusto. They patiently answered my numerous questions about what it really means to be a dad today… and why they wanted to become a pop. Being a parent is certainly not an easy burden to bear.

Minnesota Parent, November 2011

I’ll not spoil their answers… but I will tell you that they will melt your heart. I mean, just read Craig Jordan’s quote below… sigh.

Courtesy: Craig Jordan and Minnesota Parent

Click here to read the article… which also happens to be my debut piece for Minnesota Parent.

Patricia Carlson is a freelance writer based near Fargo, North Dakota. Please visit my career page to learn more about my work. Then, be sure to contact me to find out what I can do for you! 

If you follow my weblog or Facebook or Twitter accounts, you know I’m always working on something. Usually I keep it hush-hush until publication, but I thought I’d share a sneak peek of one of my next articles! If you can figure out what or where it is, I whole-heartedly encourage you to experience it for yourself.

Happy Investigating!

Sneak Peek