Time Crafted

Tangled up in Gaiman's Wondrous Web o' Words

2012-01-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."

-Neil Gaiman

Rolling down my newsfeed on Facebook, I delightfully fell into this web of words, shared by From Left to Write and I just love it!

"good madness"

I think I might have let out an audible squeal at those two words meeting.

Gaiman's words are so filled with life and hope and great "good madness". And as surely as my paint stained hands before me click clack across the keyboard this morning, I'm determined to grab me some, if not gobs, of "good madness" in 2012!

How about you?

Quiet can be Loud

2012-01-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

Are you an introvert or extrovert? Author Susan Cain explores how introverts can be powerful in a world where being an extrovert is highly valued.

Join From Left to Write on January 19 as we discuss Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain. We'll also be chatting live with Susan Cain at 9PM Eastern on January 26. As a member of From Left to Write, I received a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Are you an extrovert or introvert or a balance of the two, an ambivert?

Growing up, I would say I was an extrovert. I loved socializing, so much so, almost every school report card I had said, "Talks too much," and most people I'm friendly with today might even say the same thing. Yes, I can be quite chatty. I loved singing in choirs, playing in band, summer school drama classes, and definitely did not shy from attention.

Fast forward to my twenties. Something changed in me. I don't like being the center of attention, I prefer one on one or small groups, and I actually enjoy time alone now.

I'd even venture to say I'm more of an ambivert or possibly an introvert. So, I wasn't overly surprised when I took Susan Cain's Introvert Quiz and did indeed score as an Introvert. Whatever the reasons may be, I definitely no longer feel those extrovert qualities singing out.

There are lots of ways I've seen this shift factor into my life in the fifteen years since the shift began. I won't bore you with a long list, promise. Let's just stick to one way here: the creative growth in independent thought.

Susan Cain discusses the New Groupthink in her book in terms of how we as a society have jumped into that pool of thought that working in groups is better, more productive, more creative. Schools and companies have all jumped on this bandwagon.

I remember when group assignments in college went from on occasion to the norm during the 1990s. And I was never a fan. When working in groups, there was always a pack mentality and independent thought was watered down.

Cain shares Steve Wozniak's creative tech innovation and how it did not come to fruition in committee as an example of what an introverted thought process can bring to the table...after working independently.

For me, in these years since becoming more introverted, I've experienced a kind of creative rebirth. I absolutely love the creative energy that is shared in all directions being with creative friends. That energy is almost palpable and definitely inspiring. But, it is when I am on my own that I take that inspiration and try new things, take creative risks. It's where I feel free to explore a new medium, a new process, a new idea. When I have pulled it together, then I share.

Whether my old extroverted self will continue to haunt me in the shadows, pop out for some play on occasion or I develop my newer introverted nature or even learn to enjoy the best of both worlds, Susan Cain's Quiet has given me a lot of food for thought.

What about you? Are you an introvert? An extrovert? An ambivert? And whether you are a writer, a scientist, a rockin' awesome mama, an attorney, an artist, does it have an effect on your independent creative thought?

SOPA Strike

2012-01-17T23:53:00.000-08:00

Do you know about SOPA? What about it's counterpart, PIPA?

If you blog or use social media, you've probably heard about it. That's how I first heard about it several months ago - on Twitter.

If you don't already know about it, chances are you will by tomorrow.

January 18th is #SOPAstrike where many large websites (and even more smaller ones too) are going black for the day in protest to encourage everyone (because it truly will effect everyone who uses the internet for anything if passed) to contact your representatives in Congress.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

(I found the video a bit jumpy in the beginning, but I suspect it was due to high traffic. It does settle down and I'm including it because I feel it's a worthwhile watch.)

I'm keeping this short & simple because I want to you click through to the links with more information.

www.sopastrike.com

www.americancensorship.org

Be informed!

Quotable Bits Zwei

2012-01-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Source: mercurialme.com via Karen on Pinterest

If we live in the past, we take from our present and give ourselves no new future. That's something that has taken me years to learn. And while I still occasionally need reminders, thank goodness for a man from humanity's past to remind me!

Sidenote: Actually, there are so many uber awesome things that man said, wrote, gave to the world, I expect I'll be sharing another one or two from him again. :>

Guess what time it is? It's time for Bits of Bee's #QuotableBits! I loved her link up last week and am just beyond tickled pink that she enjoyed my { Magic } post so much that she's highlighted it as her favorite from her first meme! Thanks so much, Bianca!

If you are here, looking for my Write on Edge, RemembeRED post, scroll down or click here!

RemembeRED: Title & Tagline

2012-01-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

On the Move

After living on two coasts, in four states, twelve towns, sixteen abodes, standing still, she regained her momentum.

Our memoir prompt at Write on Edge is "to come up with a title and tagline that captures your life, or a moment from your life."

Easy peasy, right? Yeah, that's what I would have thought since microfiction and I are such fine friends.

But, micro memoir that's boiled down to a title & a tagline? Not so much! I wrote about a dozen or so, but this is the one I'm running with.

Color Wash

2012-01-12T22:32:00.000-08:00

Turning onto the main drag we look for a place to park without great success. Cars accessorized with different states’ plates, packed full of travelers gear, line both sides of the narrow lane. Just as we reach the street’s far west end, we find a small space to slide our car into.

We step up onto the crumbling concrete sidewalk, his hand opened wide, inviting my own. Grabbing it, we walk the familiar path eastward. The sky, donning its morning slate cardigan hovers above us. Salted air skims our skin; I drag it in deeply, filling my lungs with its pleasantly peaceful scent.

Trinket, tchotchke, souvenir shops with windows filled wave for our attention, but our eyes dial in our target up the small incline. One step in front of the other, stepping aside for groups walking back down – some returning to their cars, some to the bluffs, some to take their cooped up pup for a walk – like a folk dance, native to this small spec of a town.

Without a word exchanged, we step into the first of our routine stops. Pretty jewelry, nice paintings, some woodwork we stop to examine and the fat cat that’s always in the back gets a chin scratch.

Cross the street, up the white stairs, local artists’ work and one to chat with as we find a perfectly personal present to tuck away.

A few doors down, canvases steal our breath – our eyes fooled, rather than paint we see strokes of light. Jokes about the necessity of kids’ college funds routinely punctuate the visit. And with one last look we return to the crumbling sidewalk.

Pausing for a seafood lunch with a view we can see now that the coastal sky has shed her morning cardigan. We chat, we eat, we agree that nothing we’ve seen sparks us both, yet. Paying the overpriced tourist trap bill we readily signed up for, we walk up a block off the main drag. No sidewalks, just road. There are a handful more stops to make to make the day’s gallery walk complete.

We leisurely stroll back to the car. Not a painting in hand, but the hours’ zen color washed across us. It’s a favorite hue, bookmarked for our annual visit. Carrying it with us, one town north, we step into the next color waiting to paint our day, staining our memories…hopefully, permanently.

2012 has put The Creative back in the driver's seat - but, so far that has been via journaling; (different for me) scrapbooking; inking, painting, doodling in my art journal; trying new GFCF recipes; and lots of photo editing.

The Creative, however, had not joined me in the word pool until I found a little { Magic } in a Ronald Dahl quote, earlier this week. So, I'm tickled pink to finally be responding to a Write on Edge prompt this year!

The prompt is to write a piece, fiction or creative non-fiction, 400 words or less, sparked by "Flavor." Whether that be a taste, spice, or the quality or character found in something is up to us.

This began as a fictional piece, but it's so colored by memory it definitely falls into the creative non-fiction category. Can you feel the flavor of the memory?

{ MAGIC }

2012-01-09T22:52:00.000-08:00

Source: madiillustration.blogspot.com via Karen on Pinterest

~ Ronald Dahl

Magic bits of our days carry a key for me. That key unlocks all those little bits and pieces, small moments that make me smile.

Laughter floating through air, a leaf coasting upon it.

Sun shinning through a spider's night shift masterpiece.

Felines stretched long; furry bellies soaking up sun.

Painted toes, never seen beneath a warm winter shoe.

Fresh crayon boxes, filled with pointy rainbows.

Overflowing tubs of broken crayons; hand pressed stories in every break.

Rain water's curbside travels, breaking at each tiny pebble in its path.

So thankful to believe in the magic.

What about you?

Happy to be linking up with Bits of Bee today on her meme hosting maiden voyage! I have always been driven by, inspired by, made better by taking in the words of others. I've had quote journals, walls covered in quotes written on post-its, and now, thanks to Pinterest, a Letters Word Type Talk board celebrating words themselves.

And a meme dedicated to that very thing I love? Perfect.

I found the above image on Pinterest and via that, have had an opportunity to check out the rest of the artist's site. Definitely go see Madi Illustration for yourself!

Surprising Superbowl Spread Requests

2012-01-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

It was Wild Card weekend, aka the first round of NFL playoffs and my boy started thinking about Superbowl Sunday - from the big plays to the touchdowns to which teams might make it there to the food. Yes, the food.

Last year, we munched on some yummy GFCF goodness, including trying Pioneer Woman's Shrimpo de Gallo for the first time. I think he liked having a spread of munchies that were all safe for him to eat.

So, grabbing a cookbook, he went to his room to make a list.

I was quite impressed that with each item he was interested in, he was noting which ingredients he could have, as is, and which ones we'd need to either check for gluten or substitute something to make it GFCF. This was a fantastic first!

Now, here's the surprising part - check out what my elementary school aged boy asked if we could make:

Citrus Spiced Mixed Olives

Pork Satay

Grilled Trout in Grape Leaves

Wilted Escarole with Garlic & Potatoes

Seriously? Did he just ask for escarole?? Grape leaves? And trout?

I know my kids like great flavor and are willing to try new foods - actually, they usually beg for it. But, even my husband and I did not expect a Superbowl food request like this one.

As of right now, I have no idea what we're planning on making, but Yowza - I think my boy just scored a Touchdown!

What will you be having come Superbowl Sunday? And what teams do you think are going to make it there?

Worth the Click: Plugging back in for blogosphere great goodness!

2012-01-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

So, guess what marched its nasty ol' self into our home just after Christmas?

Mr. Stomach Bug

I'm rather sure I never painted a 'Welcome' sign, never sent out invitations, never lit the way. Yet, it's marched through multiple generations and the only person who was left standing was my husband.

Thankfully, while that pesky li'l bugger's shadows are still haunting, just a touch, it's making it's travel preparations to leave us....as long as said husband keeps using his magic Stay Away powers, avoiding it.

But, I didn't invite you to join me here for stomach bug tales o' woe. I thought you might like to check out some rockin' awesome places I've been visiting in the blogosphere over the last twenty-four hours as I plug back in.

Elsie shares her Bike Love, but really, I'm feeling the purple boot love.

And while visiting Elsie's A Beautiful Mess, I cannot help but get excited about her new Art Journal All Year e-course. I haven't committed to this creative course...yet. But, it sure does sound tempting.

Grab a cuppa and spend some time checking out the SITS Girls new look.

Ali Edwards put together a video tutorial for Printing Two 3x4 Images on a 4x6 - great for all kinds of uses, but also specifically for people who use Project Life.

I love the idea of monthly inspiration bulletin boards! And Kal Barteski is sharing hers for January on [i] Love Life.

Sunday's beyond exciting news that took 8 years, 11 months, 10 days to be able to say!

Alisa Burke has made some delish looking gluten/dairy free pumpkin muffins that make me want to riffle through my cupboards and get baking.

While photo a day challenges have been perking my interest for the last several years, this is not one I've dived into this year. But, for those that have & in case I ever do, Angry Julie's got How to Organize Project 365 & Stay Sane.

So many great goodies throughout the blogosphere this first week of Twenty Twelve off, don't you think?

May our uninvited guest finish packing its bags and exit with speed.

May Mr. Stomach Bug stay far away from your doorstep.

May you enjoy this round of Worth the Click as much as I have, clickin' my way through the goodness!

Linking up: It's Monday and I'm being "Miss Elaine-ous" over at The Miss Elaine-ous Life - join the fun!

Creative Everyday 2012

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've seen Leah's Creative Everyday Challenge for the last two years. Since that's already a focus I try to have, I haven't joined in.

But, I've loved the premise of it. I've loved that it views 'creativity' in the broadest sense of the word; from something whipped up in the kitchen to words written on a page to images captured through a lens to paint spilled across a canvas.

It's part of why I started blogging: to alter personal time to include creativity in my daily life.
I have loved Leah's Creative Every Day Challenge.

And I still do.

And I want to connect with more people diving into whatever 'creative' is for them. So, I'm joining in for 2012! What about you?

One Little Word 2012

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

On Friday, I wrapped up my online experience with my 2011 One Little Word and now that we're into the new year, I wanted to share with you my word for 2012.

For the last couple months of 2011, one word had been coming to me, at me, swirling around me, escaping my mouth. But, when I started thinking about committing to the word for the coming year, it didn't hit all the notes I wanted. And the search began for a word that would both simmer and excite me.

My 2012 One Little Word is

I am taking Ali Edwards workshop over at Big Picture Classes again this year and am excited to see where my word and I will go.

What about you? Do you select just one little word to guide you through your year?

We said Good-bye, We say Hello!

2012-01-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

Did you have fun ringing in 2012 last night? We were mellow, at home, kidlets asleep at their usual time, but there was a fun, fresh energy buzzing about that made me welcome in the New Year!

Before the kids went to sleep though, we had one last 2011 task. I printed out a li'l something I found at Pinterest:

Source: thirtyhandmadedays.com via Karen on Pinterest

Mique has great things to share at her site, 30 Handmade Days - go check it out, she's oh so Worth the Click!

I knew my girl would be all over this and she didn't disappoint. And while I thought my older boy wouldn't be too thrilled, he jumped right in and filled it out! Way to make this Mom happy!

I may be a tad late to the this tradition train, but I still think it's going to be pretty cool to have them fill something like this out every year and watch them grow.

I'll be back tomorrow with my One Little Word for 2012 to share. In the meantime, tell me what you did to welcome the New Year in last night, or even today!

Happy New Year!!!

2011 One Little Word Wrap-Up

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

For the last two years, I've chosen One Little Word to guide me for the year. As a fan of Ali Edwards, her thoughts on the effects of choosing just one word, resonated with me. And so I began the process in the last days of 2009, choosing 'Live' for 2010 and 'Grow' for 2011.

As I began reflecting on this last year, I pleasantly discovered that I had accomplished several of my goals and did indeed, Grow in many ways. Sharing some of the ways I've grown on here at Time Crafted, seems only appropriate since so many of you have given me both inspiration and support.

I began the year taking Ali Edwards' year long One Little Word workshop at Big Picture Classes. And while it was great to see Andi, Siri, and other familiar, friendly faces, I mostly worked on this offline.

She's repeating the workshop for 2012 and I'm leaning towards signing up again. It definitely helped me keep 'Grow' close at heart throughout the year.

One night on Twitter, @thienkim urged me to check out The Sketchbook Challenge. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I was excited to create along.

Creating an art journal always seemed intimidating to me. It might sound silly, but many creative bloggers and artists I visit, have mad crazy talent and I fretted about not measuring up...until I realized that the goal isn't to 'measure up', but rather to grow, try new things, learn new skills, and improve on what I already do. So, I did.

After reading the creative writing goodness that Mandy weaves with her words, I wanted to get back into my own creative writing. I missed it and knew that it had been far too long since I swam with crazy colored words.

I decided to start small and began with a microfiction meme. It's the shortest of short fiction, written in 140 characters or less, including spaces & punctuation. Turns out, microfiction is a whole mess o' fun!

Looking at where Mandy was sharing her fiction with, I headed over to The Red Dress Club, which is now Write on Edge, a virtual writing community.

I began writing and sharing my fiction with their Red Writing Hood prompts, as well as some memoir with their RemembeRED prompts.

And then I got brave. In November, a group of writers within the Write on Edge community participated in NaNoWriMo and I joined in.

I didn't hit the word count, but I'm okay with my results. If you want to know what I thought was so cool about the whole process, check out my really short post: NaNoWriMo in 8 Sentences.

When Bruna, @beeswithhoney, said she wanted to feature me on her Let's BEE Friends series, I was tickled pink. And when Sarah, @MamaRiceCake, asked me to write a positive guest post for her, I went Dancing with Rainbows. Mandy asked me to guest post on Makes Fun and I wrote the low down on The Little Red Bear.

And speaking of writing, one more area I wanted to grow was right here on the blog. In this case, I wanted to literally grow...more posts, that is. I didn't set a goal or a specific number to hit; simply that I wanted to post more than I had last year. And with this post, I'm coming in with 51 more posts than in 2010. Grow Goal, accomplished.

I spent most of 2010 knowing that I ~~needed~~ ~~wanted~~ needed to upgrade my Point & Shoot camera. I had squeezed out every ounce I could from it and was itching for a DSLR. In February last year, it was time to take the leap. I bought a Nikon D3100 and while I'm still learning how the heck to use it in manual, photography is something I've grown to love since beginning this blogging journey.

2011 became the year of the virtual Book Clubs, starting with Andrea (a sweet Book Fairy) leading one on the SITS Girls site, which is now over on her site Great Thoughts. She selects great books and we wrap our reads up with fun monthly Twitter parties, tweeting with the books' authors, using the hashtag #Gr8Books. You should join us!

This fall, @thienkim asked me to be a From Left to Write Contributor. What's wonderfully unique about this book club is that we write posts inspired by the books we read. As a result I was able to share Who Will Tell Your Story?, as well as a favorite artist of ours, Michel LeRoux. Another unique bit is that the book selection here really varies, widening my viewpoints, and hopefully, others' too.

This was a looong post, I know. If you're still here, give yourself a pat on the back, a taste of Nutella, a cuppa java, or an ice cold martini. Thanks for hanging in there!

The One Little Word, Grow, has taken me on quite a journey this year! How about you? Do you chose just one little word to hold near your heart, to guide you, to focus you in your year ahead?

2011 Favorites

2011-12-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

Here we are, wrapping up the remaining days of 2011. Can you believe it? I barely can. And yet, when I was writing a wrap up post on my journey with my One Little Word for this year, I came across quite a few paths travelled.

But, that post is Friday, so do come back! Today, thanks to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, I'm sharing a favorite (or simply special) post for each month of 2011. Grab a cuppa and join me down memory lane.

January

Just before Christmas 2010, I got the uber brilliant idea that it was time to organize my son's crazy huge collection of Lego bricks. Actually, it was indeed a brilliant idea. My timing, though? Not so much.

And in January, I shared our results and what has become my most frequently visited post of 2011, From Lego Landslide to Organized!

In case you are wondering how well this organization system has worked, I can tell you that a year later, thousands and thousands of Lego bricks are still in their appropriate drawers after hundreds of building sessions!

February

My daughter's sweet face in the morning sunlight had me clicking my camera, capturing one of my favorite photos of the year: Sweet Lashes.

March

Good friends can make a person tick and I'm lucky enough to have a close friendship with three gals for well over twenty years now, who are like sisters, who keep my heart tick tocking in time.

In Gravity or Instinct, I Just Knew, I shared how I met one of these women, all those years ago.

April

In Even the Easter Bunny Gets Creative, you'll see how that Bunny likes to have fun in our house!

May

I took a stroll down Memory Lane to share this experience: Sushi Gone Wrong.

June

In R.S.V.P., the first of four fictional characters emerged, Cassie. If you like her, the next installment is Kick Ass Shoes!

July

Taking a day trip to the coast is a favorite activity for all of us; we Love the Ocean, Dig the Beach!

August

When listing 10 Places I Love to Be, I found that not all can be found on any kind of map. What about you? Can you look up your favorite places?

September

One of those favorite places in August's list led to For the love of bound paper... - obnoxious signage, promised treasures, and the sad reality that sank in.

October

If you're coming in from Mama Kat's (or one of the millions who read Pioneer Woman), you might remember the prompt that led to the post that showed me I have done more than I realize over the years. 22 things I { have } done

November

After an Unexpected adventure, I felt the impact that someone you don't even know can have.

December

My last piece of fiction shared here this year brings new characters and the beginning to a brand new story, The Doorbell Rang.

What about you? Where have you journeyed to in 2011? I hope you'll make one more stop back here this year, on Friday, looking where just One Little Word can take a person.

Santa's Smiling Treat

2011-12-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

Just a li'l Christmas share today, before wrapping up the holidays here.

The kidlets dutifully left Santa and his reindeer a thoughtful GFCF snack. They said they want Santa to be healthy. But, the kicker was the smiley face they left the Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies, mug of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and carrots in the shape of. (Yes, the carrots got a li'l wonky in transit from the kitchen to the living room. Nope, didn't fix it - it's their effort, I'm just documenting it!)

Guess they thought Santa deserved to be greeted by a smile upon arrival. They knew he had been traveling for quite a long time by the time he hit our house. Did you know he even visited the International Space Station this year? He did. That Santa Tracker that the kidlets had me refreshing on my computer all night said so!

- - - - - - - - - - -
I regularly purchase Pamela's mini cookies (the ginger ones are my fav, the chocolate cookies are the kids' fav variety) and the Silk almond milk (it's delish in my coffee, when my son doesn't drink it all...the almond milk, not the coffee!) with my own money. Affiliate links are used in this post.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a whirlwind of Christmas activities in this li'l dot on the globe. And as exhausting as it all has been, every last bit has been worth it.

Our days have been filled with lights, tree hunting & decorating, school field trips, singing, bell ringing, Christmas crafts, shopping, wrapping, Advent Calendar ornament hanging, gingerbread house candying, card making, GFCF Christmas menu planning, more shopping, more wrapping, more singing, and a whole lotta family smiles and laughter.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! May the holidays that you celebrate be filled with loved ones, giggles, hugs, and fun!

#iPPP ~ Bird Ribbons

2011-12-21T07:22:00.000-08:00

We see these small birds every year, sometime in November or December, scavenging the remains of the harvested vineyards. The way they fly together and abruptly change directions make it look like there are ribbons dancing across the skies.

Last year, my brother snapped a couple pics on his iPhone to show me.....because he thought they were bats. Nope. Tiny little birds, flocking together.

I'm usually behind the wheel, driving when I see them and have never been able to take a photo, so I was stoked that he did. Aren't they cool? Their movement drops my jaw in awe, every year, every time.

From The Good Life, a la The Actor's Studio

2011-12-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

Stasha, at The Good Life, has a great list of ten inspired by Bridget, inspired by James Lipton from Inside The Actor's Studio, inspired by the Proust Questionnaire. And since I somehow, quite mysteriously and rather accidentally, took a week off from blogging, dipping my toes back in via a list makes the water, as it usually is, mighty fine.

1. What is your favorite word?
You might think the words 'actually' and 'just' are favorites, since I actually use them just far too often. But, they're not. I am rather fond of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, though.

2. What is your least favorite word?
Hate.

3. What turns you on?
Contagious laughter, creative thinking, creativity manifested.

4. What turns you off?
Intentional rudeness.

5. What sound do you love?
Water rushing, lapping, trickling. In the ocean, on a lake's shore. Through a stream.

6. What sound do you hate?
Extreme whining. Car alarms.

7. What is your favorite curse word?
Frak and all derivative states of it. Yes, I'm a scifi geek.

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
Pilot.

9. What profession would you not like to do?
Plumber. Spelunker. Deep sea diver. Can you see the theme here?

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
Welcome.

And yes, I just now realized that today is Tuesday, not Monday. Rather silly, considering I spent all day yesterday at my daughter's school - which is obviously not open & active on a Sunday. Going to go pour myself some java now and hit my reset button.

{ Shaking head, rolling eyes, facepalm. }

Christmas Music

2011-12-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I last updated my Christmas music - awhile, as in everything was on CDs. Now, while I do love some of those CDs - Il Divo: The Christmas Collection, Sarah McLachlan: Wintersong, and Josh Groban: Noel - they're a few years old and it's time to update!

And these are the directions I headed in:

Admittedly, I came to the Glee party nearly a season late (gasp!). But oh my, I haven't been able to get enough since climbing on board Glee Train. Naturally, I had to check out their first Glee Christmas album from last year!

And while I was getting my holiday Glee on, I had to go shopping for the Glee Christmas Album Volume 2 - of course! Mercedes' (Amber Riley) All I Want for Christmas is so lively it's perfect for when the To Do list starts to get overwhelming. :>

I adore listening to this guy! Michel Bublé sings his snazzy Christmas album as only he can and we love it. My girl's favorite on there right now, is his Jingle Bells with The Puppini Sisters - so fun!

What are you listening to this holiday season? I've been updating my whole music library, so if Christmas music isn't a holiday you celebrate or simply isn't singing it's notes to you, what are you listening to? Any new favorites?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I purchased the music myself, this post is not sponsored, and there are affiliate links included.

Red Writing Hood: The Doorbell Rang

2011-12-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

The doorbell rang, barely audible above clanging pots in the kitchen, “Jingle Bell Rock” humming from the living room stereo, and the family’s chatter. Nevertheless, Aunt Suz heard it chime and hurried to answer it.

Still wiping her hands on the Christmas red kitchen towel, she opened her front door.

“Craig! Merry Chr…” Her voice dissipated when the look on her husband’s friend’s face reached her. Dressed in uniform with another officer, he motioned for her to step outside. The kitchen towel slid through her still damp hands, drifting to the ground.

“Suzanne. Are your parents inside?”

“Of course, it’s Christmas. Almost everyone is already here.”

Everyone was already at the house, everyone except Aunt Suz’s sister and her family – everyone except my parents and me.

“We need you to come with us.”

“I can’t leave. I have a ham in the oven, potatoes on the stove…I…”

“Suz. We need to go. We need you to come.”

In a daze, Aunt Suz quietly passed off Christmas dinner instructions to her sister-in-law; slinging on her ivory wool coat, she slipped out door and into the night.

Watching out the window as the officers drove her to the hospital in the next town over, she jerked in the frigid air that refused to fill her lungs with anything but dread. She dug her nails into the icy vinyl backseat of the patrol car, deeper with every mile traveled.

The other officer swung the car to the curb at the entrance and Craig helped her climb out of from back. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other with her husband’s friend guiding her by the arm. The Emergency Room’s automatic doors whirred open, catching the soft white reflection drift down, they looked back; it had begun to snow.

It's fiction day at Write on Edge! And I'm writing with a new story and characters today. We were prompted to: use the holiday season to inspire you to write a piece beginning with “The doorbell rang” and ending with “snow began to fall.”

RemembeRED: Crash

2011-12-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

Crash. The impact changed more bits and pieces than I can count. Crash. The tiny car I drove collided with an eighteen wheeler big rig, or so I’m told; I have no memory of it.

Crash. Waking in the ICU, only flickers and images of those three days remain. Crash. A week in acute care and a few realities set in. People only kissing me on my upper left forehead – something was wrong with my face. A cast had made a home on my leg. Every part of my upper body cried out, if I tried to move. A phone call from the CHP officer asking me if I remembered what happened – I didn’t. Filling out his report, he told me I was not at fault. Visitors, lots of visitors came in and out – family, friends, coworkers from my new job, and my new boss popping wheelies in my wheelchair at my bedside. It hurt to laugh, but I smiled.

Crash. Two weeks on the rehabilitation floor. The mini gym on the lower level found me twice a day for Physical Therapy. Once a day, I navigated through Occupational Therapy for simple tasks that weren’t quite as simple anymore. While washing my thick curly hair without getting that cast wet was a necessity to learn, I argued with my therapist that burning my lacerated face to bake chocolate chip cookies to prove I could feed myself upon release was rather ridiculous as there was such a concept as a sandwich – simple and without the need for a hot oven scorching my face. Crash.

Released from the hospital, still in a wheel chair and using crutches for stairs. Crash. Feeling years older than my young friends in college, even though we had celebrated the same number of birthdays, I took advantage of every physical therapy appointment over the next four months.

Crash. I was twenty-one years old and almost every aspect of my life changed. People always told me that I was lucky to be alive. I always responded that I was lucky it wasn’t worse.

From a single crash came a completely new world. While there’s some stuff I’d hand back in a heartbeat if I could, I’ve learned quite a hefty volume about myself and the world I live in. I was looking forward to the future then and fifteen years later, I still am.

This week's RemembeRED prompt from Write on Edge is a tad different. They gave us the word "Crash" to write on for ten minutes, polish, and publish. It's flash memoir!

Do you have ten minutes? Come write with us!

Infusing some December Daily into my days with Her Lost Tooth

2011-12-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

Turning on her light, she barely stirred more than a deep breath inhaled. Other than her hair streaming out, I could see nothing beyond her two colorful quilts, made with love by a grandmother and an auntie, covering her small body.

“I wonder if the Tooth Fairy came?” I mused.

Fast as a cork released, she popped up from her cherry red framed twin bed. Taking no more than a second to steady herself, she ran down the hall to the blanket folded into a pillow left on the table next to the front door. The tradition began with her big brother and his first lost tooth. It was only logical to leave the pillow near the door to make the exchange easy for the welcomed Tooth Fairy.

Not my first rodeo, I had my camera already in hand, turned on, ready to capture her expression as she saw the lump in the blanket pillow. Already smiling, she rapidly progressed to squealing with delight as she pulled out a present from the fairy who had taken her first lost tooth and left behind a small toy. In the low light she saw the small Lemon Meringue figure from the Strawberry Shortcake bunch, a tiny comb, itty bitty hair clip, and a long hot pink hair extension.

I might have held a piece of technology in my hand, meant to capture moments in a flash, but the best moment captured was her pure joy burning a place in my heart. The pictures will record the gap in her mouth, the jammies she wore, her hair pulled back, but my heart will hold her bubbling delight in its treasures.

* * * * * * * * *

I've already shared my excitement for the creative bonanza that is Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, but the other creative infusion I get at this time of year is from Ali Edwards' December Daily album.

I've always wanted to create one, in real time, throughout the month of December. Without a photo printer at home, I've never been able to make the project function for me (same reason I've struggled with Project Life, but I'm toying with some ideas for next year and will get back to you on that! :>).

But, no more excuses! Whether I jump in and get a December Daily album put together or not, I'm not going to let 2011's December memories fall into the blurred oblivion of one Christmas season fading into the next. To ensure that, I've been writing a single story (or journaling it, if you're coming from a scrapbooking perspective) to etch the day into our family's preserved memories.

And I thought I'd share today's with you!

How do you preserve your memories?

NaNoWriMo 2011 Wrap Up

2011-12-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

A whole month has passed since NaNoWriMo began! The excitement was a brewin' and I shared NaNoWriMo in 8 Sentences.

How about eight more (with lots of run-on sentences to squeeze it all in)?

The picture above says, "Participant" and not NaNoWriMo Winner for a reason: while NaNoWriMo continued to be an incredible experience, I did not reach 50,000 words - not even close - and surprisingly, I'm okay with that.

I have an unhealthy relationship with the backspace key, hitting it nearly as often as I tap the letter keys to craft words together - that does serious damage to NaNo word counts!

Word counts quite obviously die when you don't write words...at least when you don't write words for your NaNo project (I missed Maggie, Cassie, Adrianna, and Lauren too much to leave them alone for so long).

I learned what inhibits me creatively, which I think is probably the most invaluable lesson I will take from this experience.

I learned that even if I don't go the outline in advance route, I need to have my story idea more established in my head before taking on my next NaNo (yes, I hope to write along again, sometime) - this year, I was beyond what wrimos call a "Pantser"!

And as a Pantser (someone who starts NaNoWriMo without any outlines or characters sketches or pre-writing work done and flies by the seat of their pants), thank goodness for the writing software, Scrivener - I'm using the free trial right now, but participants get a discount to purchase it - to help me get my proverbial ducks in a row and be able to easily skip around when writing and still keep my story organized.

I learned that yes, I can write while the kids are in the same room with me; we turn on my writing music, they do their homework and their reading and I click clack across my keyboard and we're all happy.

I have a brand new main character, supported by more than a dozen other characters, quite well established now; which means, I'm not done with this story and plan to stick with it in the coming months; it's like my own Christmas present to myself, from myself, nanowrimo.org, peeps at Write on Edge, Cameron Garriepy for organizing us, my tweeps on twitter, and a rip roarin', rockin' awesome NaNoWriMo community across the interwebs - Thank You!

Worth the Click: Holiday Inspiration & Freebies

2011-11-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

Hopping around the interwebs, I've found a few fantastic holiday freebies to make your season just a bit more festive.

Becky Higgins has free templates with instructions for your Holiday Cards in three different sizes, including the one you can use to have Costco print your photo cards. They even provide the matching envelopes!

Jessica of vol.25 has free unique holiday tags that you can print, including wood grain to cut into strips for paper ribbon. How cool is that?!

What about fonts? Fonts, especially free ones make me shake with glee! dafont.com has a handful of free holiday fonts with alphas and images.

Katie at Smile Like You Mean It has a cute handmade snowman ornament tutorial you can check out.

And if you're simply looking for Christmas ideas? It's Pinterest to the rescue. I'm having an all out love affair with that scrumptious online rendezvous.

Feel free to check out my Christmas Pinterest Board for some ideas!

Are you starting to feel a festive spirit? If you don't celebrate Christmas, I'd love to know what holidays or traditions are special to you in the coming month. I love to hear what makes people smile!

Celebrating { Creative Traditions } Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas

2011-11-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

I may not be sharing a whole lot of papercrafting as of late, but it is something that has made me smile for the last seventeen years, since I first visited a rubber stamping store that I later worked at.

One of my favorite December traditions is coming up very soon...

Come December 1st is Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas!

Papercrafting, stamping, mixed media, inky joy is sprinkled all around during those twelve days. Quite literally, I find myself on a high every night I can stay up 'til 12:01 a.m., when he posts the next day's tag or first thing in the morning if sleep found me before the clock ticked past midnight.

But, that joy isn't just for me! In addition to all of Tim's great fans around the globe, I happen to have one little one right here with me. My wee girl (she's probably officially not 'wee' anymore, but I still think of her that way!) adores Tim and all his creative creations.

She begs to watch "Mr. Tim's" videos on YouTube and to see what inky, painty, stampy tag he has created for her today (okay, okay, so maybe not for her...but, don't tell her that! ;>). Her eyes widen and glisten with sheer delight.

"Mom! He has paint! Ink! Look at his hands!" That last bit would be in reference to his stamper's manicure which she knows I always love to see on my own hands...because it means I found time to create - hands on.

Sometimes creativity is simply something I enjoy for myself or with my girl. Sometimes creativity is put to use for others. One round of Tim's tags inspired me to make sets of Christmas tags for my son's teachers' gifts. Practical and creative!

Whether paper or stamps or paint or ink or altered items or the holidays bring you delight, I do hope you find the time to bring a little creativity to your days in this busy, chaotic, fun, joyful month that will arrive on our doorsteps in just a few short days.

I know where I'll be heading to recharge my creative batteries for at least twelve of those days.

What about you?