Autumnfawn Lane

Aquarium in Denver

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:09:00 +0000

While we were visiting in Colorado, we decided to stay one extra day to visit a local aquarium. Boy am I glad we did! Being able to see such amazingly diverse water creatures up close brought to life everything we've been studying in science this year.

Look at the lips on this guy!! Fish are kind of gross looking to me. And they certainly don't taste good!!

In awe of the beautiful colors under the sea!! Animals resembling plants are cool and creepy at the same time!

All throughout the aquarium you could hear giddy kids screaming, "DORY, DORY!" every single time they'd come across a Blue Tang. Not once did you hear, "Oh, that's a Blue Tang."

To touch and feel the very creatures we've seen only on the pages of our science book was neat. My kids have never been to the beach either to see any of these.

Ooooh, stingrays. They felt sort of velvety/rubbery. It was a bit difficult to pet them since they'd only come up and pause ever so briefly at the surface.

And NO aquarium is complete without this guy, right? I can hear him now, "WELCOME TO BIKINI BOTTOM!" Hahahahahahahaha.

Bloggy Backsliding

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:40:00 +0000

Yes, that's right. My blog *yawn* has been overwhelmingly boring as of late.

Not that it's ever been amazingly dynamic or anything.

I had BIG plans (well, not too big) for my blog come 2010.

For starters, I wanted to post consistently and frequently. (Scratch that already) I'd thought of a couple of weekly posts~you know like Works for Me Wednesday except different. One of those weekly spotlights was going to be SAHM Wise--it's on my nifty, new navigation bar and everything. (Yeah, as you can tell, haven't gotten around to that either.)

ONE of my goals has been achieved, though, but I can't take a lick of credit for it. The acknowledgement of my new blog design is WAY overdue. Thanks to Jen it's autumn all year round at Autumnfawn Lane.

It's kinda neat how we met, too. I met Jen's sister, Amy, (in the pink jacket) in bloggy land b/c she was looking for other home schoolers in our area. Amy and I met, became friends and I joined her home school group.

Jen, Amy's sister, (brown jacket) happened to know a bit about HTML and all that computer stuff, so not having ever met, she offered to change my blog for me. SO SWEET!!!!

Over Christmas, I had the chance to meet Jen in person when she came to visit her sister, Amy. I had a great time getting to know her at The Paradise Bakery. :) Okay, did you get all that? Anyway~thanks again Amy!!!!

Back to my bloggy mess:

I think I was saying something like my blog just ain't what I want it to be!!! So many post plans, so little time. Ahhhhh!

The extra time I had planned for spicing up my blog has been replaced by something else. An unexpected something else. A truly wonderful-opportunity-something else!

As of about 4 months ago, I was invited to become a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and website! It is exciting, challenging and I really do enjoy it. There has been some added stress in my life, I admit. This is the first time since my school days that I have deadlines to meet and papers to write. While I love my new "job" it does take time away from the blog world.

So, that's what I've been up to. Reviewing in my "free" time instead of blogging. Speaking of that, I've got a big one due soon. Better get crackin'!

I hope to get my act somewhat together so I can achieve my bloggy goals, but I will just have to fit it in when I can.

God bless all of you who still read my mindless twaddle!

Dude!

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:47:00 +0000

While intensely playing X-Box here's what a classic conversation between a bunch of neighborhood boys sounds like:

Dude!

DUDE!

dude

DUDE!

Dude, dude, dude!

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE!

WFMW: Sunbutter

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:45:00 +0000

Unfortunately, I have a child who is deathly allergic to peanuts.

The poor thing would always look longingly upon his brother's almond butter and jelly sandwiches. Though not allergic to almonds, the almond butter had a warning with which we are all too familiar: May contain peanuts. *Sigh*

But, his world got a whole lot brighter when my sister asked me if I'd ever heard of Sunbutter?

Sunbutter is made from Sunflower seeds! It looks just like peanut butter and tastes pretty good, too. It's made in a peanut and nut-free facility and is also gluten-free.

This butter is packed with protein, vitamin E and other important vitamins and minerals. And what about FAT? It contains 1/3 less saturated fat than peanut butter!

It's not only a great alternative for kids who have a peanut allergy but also for kids who may go to school and eat lunch in a peanut-free cafeteria. It does taste a bit different than peanut butter, but if you don't tell, they may not even notice. :)

My son with the peanut allergy likes it, and I am so happy that he can now eat one of my very favorite sandwiches from childhood~Sunbutter-Honey & Cheerio sandwiches!! (Well, as a child I ate it with peanut butter, but now I use Sunbutter or almond butter.)

Because Kristen from We Are THAT Family is in Kenya right now, you can visit Rocks in my Dryer for more WFMW tips!

First Curls

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:23:00 +0000

It was a quiet, early morning in Colorado. No one else was awake except for my kids and me. Breakfast had been eaten and we had time to spare before the "late-sleepers" would arise.

I thought it would be the perfect time for me to have some sweet "girl time" with Shiloh. I'd been dying to curl her straight, fine hair ever since I bought a nice curling iron with Christmas money.

Obviously she didn't share my enthusiasm.

One unhappy, yet very beautiful, girl.

She hasn't wanted her hair curled since. Doesn't she know she has a mama who would love to sit and pamper her? I am kinda sad. :(

WFMW: Better Than Doritos, Say What?

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:07:00 +0000

When it comes to chips, my man is a Doritos man. I don't think he's all that concerned about the INGREDIENTS! Taste is what matters most.

For me it's quite a different story.

Anyway, I wanted to do the happy dance the other day when he confessed that he'd rather have BOULDER CANYON ALL NATURAL chips over Doritos!!

Let me just tell you~these chips really are delicious! I LOVE them, my kids LOVE them and, can I have a "yea!", my husband LOVES them!

If you haven't spoiled your taste buds lately, you need to try these chips. Just click on the bag of chips to go to Boulder Canyon's website. There you can learn about them and see the different flavors. Our favorites are the Malt Vinegar and Sea Salt and Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper. BBQ is yum, too.

For more super, amazing tips visit We are THAT Family.

*Photo credit

Grab a Tube and Fly!

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:37:00 +0000

Tubing in Colorado was definitely an exciting adventure the kids will remember forever!! I certainly remember the first time I went tubing--around Lincoln's age in Minnesota--the place to where my family almost moved. We ended up moving to Memphis, but that's another story.

Join us as we relive the whipping wind in our faces while racing faster than a speeding bullet down a steep, snowy hill.

Gotta go over safety instructions first...

No chance of Lincoln getting cold.

Even Shiloh loved tubing as long as we didn't spin on the way down.

Baby Audrey wasn't quite big enough yet to ride down the hill.

Riding down in groups supposedly made you go faster.

The tunnel that took you back to the top.

Just an all-around, super-good time!!

WFMW: Apple Fun (Hidden Stars)

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:17:00 +0000

I love having fun with food! Show your kids that in every apple's core is a hidden star!

First, choose several varieties of apple--this part is just for the fun of tasting and learning!

Then, cut each apple horizontally directly in the middle of the apple. The rounder, more nicely shaped apples will give the best results. (Crookedly shaped apples contain crookedly shaped stars)

Wala! A perfect star!! My kids thought this was so cool. Now they want their apples cut this way instead of the vertical way.

*If you wanted to make an art project out of it, you could use the apple as a stamp and make stars with paint on paper. All of our apples got eaten, though.

For more creative tips, visit WE are THAT Family.

Front Porch

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:35:00 +0000

I wish I had one.

A big, beautiful front porch.

But I don't, so I took advantage of the one in Colorado. My only regret is that I didn't sit on it every single day drinking in the breathtaking view of magnificent mountains and never ending pines.

One day, though, I managed to fix myself some hot cocoa and sit for a few minutes just gazing and thinking. All by myself.

Wasn't too long before I just couldn't resist calling out the kids for some pics. I love porch pics.

The Revisitation of our Honeymoon Spot

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:23:00 +0000

Yesterday as I was lying in bed sick, I decided to dig out my old honeymoon scrapbook and relive some memories. My daughter crawled up beside me and wanted me to show her a picture of the horses that took us on our carriage ride. As she was looking and listening to me tell stories, she interrupted and said, "Daddy was so young, and you, too!" (Boy am I glad she is still too young to notice the fact that "mom jeans" and tucked in shirts with hideous looking belts must've still been in style~ugh, how embarrassing!)

Well, we recently had the opportunity to revisit our honeymoon spot and share a nice lunch there with the whole family.

It's been almost 13 years since my new hubby and I traveled to a quaint, little town in Colorado~Georgetown. It was still mostly as we remembered it. Cozy and neatly tucked away between gargantuan mountains and spectacular views.

This go 'round, we had 3 beautiful creations to bring with us! It was fun showing our kids where we honeymooned. :)

Unfortunately we couldn't find the Alpine Hideaway, the place where we stayed. I still remember those delicious breakfasts in baskets~YUM!

The kids enjoyed the new addition to Georgetown~a really cool park. They didn't play too long, though. We were all cold and hungry!!

My Guess: Not Strep

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:43:00 +0000

Praise the Lord for no more body aches and just a smidge of a sore throat!!!!

I really do appreciate all the prayers and sweet wishes of wellness. :)

Well, all the research I have done on strep seems to suggest that with a strep infection there would be no signs of sneezing, runny nose, coughing etc. I have all of those symptoms and more now, plus that is exactly how Lincoln's illness began. He sneezed all the way home from Colorado. (And that's a 16 hour drive one way!) Interestingly enough, that's the only part Mark got--the cold part.

It could have been tonsillitis or some other intensely painful virus. I am just relieved that I don't have to worry about rheumatic fever or any of those other terrible sounding secondary infections that could possibly be brought on by strep.

During some nights when I'd wake up in pure misery, I would actually imagine myself getting up, going downstairs, finding the sharpest knife possible and slicing those red, fiery balls right out of my throat. The thought of choking on large amounts of blood and bleeding to death usually jolted me back to my senses. And then I'd wait until it was safe to down more Advil.

It is quite obvious that I am feeling better today:

Despite the fact that my nose is drippy, my eyes still glassy, my neck glands slightly swollen, sinuses and Eustachian tubes blocked and clogged to the max, and a cough every now and then, I, along with the help of my loyal children, vacuumed, cleaned rooms, cleaned kitchen counters, mopped kitchen floor and did laundry. I am sure I will pay later, but I just couldn't stand to remain idle any longer!

I still had to shorten our school day, though. Gosh, it hurts to read out loud for too long. Plus I sound like Rudolph.

Once I got over my emotional breakdown, I did realize that since we've been ahead in some subjects, catching up really won't be that bad. :) (Pain can sometimes cause me to overreact just a tad.)

I am so thankful to be on the mend but so ready to be completely WELL!!

Echo Lake

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:50:00 +0000

Shiloh has complained off and on that she doesn't like living in the desert because it doesn't snow here.

She was beyond excited when we drove to Echo Lake where snow abounded as far as the eye could see. Let me be a cheesy mom for a moment and say, "I think Shiloh is the snow angel!" Aww, isn't she precious?!!

And snowballs--there is just something kids love about snowballs. Glad my kids had such a blast!

An evil, icy wind accompanied all this snow, and these desert cheeks weren't taking to it too well. And though my feet were double socked and wrapped in plastic bags, I might as well have been standing in the snow barefoot! Thankfully, the rest of me was quite warm due to all of the layering and snow gear provided by Grandma Honey and Jim. :)

Echo Lake was one of the places Mark and I visited while on our honeymoon almost 13 years ago, so it was neat seeing it again. Well, this time around we couldn't really "see" the lake as it was covered in so much ice and snow.

Despite the gelidity, the view was amazing and I basked in the magnificence of God's diverse creation! (And then I was ready to get back in the car where it was WARM!)

Ice Skating ~ Not So Much

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I used to be pretty talented on the ice. I got my start at The Mall of Memphis back in the day. My friend, Sara, and I would rock the ice with our fast moves and attempted twirls. I mean, we we could have tried out for the Olympics if we'd wanted to. (Yeah, right!)

When I was about 18 or so, I went ice skating with my church friends. I can't remember if Mark and I were already dating, but he was there and my friend Theryssa was there. If my memory serves me well, I think I could still stand up and at least proceed in a forward motion while wearing those bad boys.

I found out in Colorado that a lot has changed in 15 years.

Thank goodness I was the one with the camera that day. That means there will be NO pictures of me on this post. My family members were trying to be sweet by telling me it was probably just a bad pair of skates. Seriously, I had to call it quits for fear of breaking my ankles and ruining the rest of the vacation. That's okay, though, I hung out with my cute, little niece, Audrey, instead. (And took pictures from the sidelines.)

Anyway, so begins our Colorado vacation... on the ice!! (And I was literally ON the ice!)

Audrey

Lincoln, Mullin, Jackson, Shiloh

I Broke Down and Cried Anyway

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:03:00 +0000

So much for yesterday's post.

Just chilling didn't quite work out for me. I think I cried on and off the rest of the afternoon.

That really helped a lot. I got all stuffy and had to breathe through my mouth, which just made it hurt worse.

It is 12:08 pm on Tuesday and I am still in my jammies. Anyone who knows me at all knows that something must be terribly wrong if I am still wearing pjs after 7 am. I feel so gross, but I just got out of bed not too long ago.

Mullin has been Mr. Mom this morning. He took care of breakfast, entertained Shiloh, fixed lunch, emptied the dishwasher and washed all the dishes in the sink. Plus, he even managed to get a few subjects done in school. What a son!!!

I feel so horrible not being able to take care of Lincoln like I want to, but he seems to be feeling much better today. :) I am still hoping Shiloh will escape the torture of this infection--whatever it is. I think Mark is a bit under the weather as of last night, too. He still went to the store to get me some Popsicles, though, and went to work this morning.

MOTHERS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO GET SICK!!!!! Oh well, at least I can lay in bed at this stage in life. It's nice having children who are old enough to take care of themselves for a while. And sweet Shiloh keeps checking on me and planting soft kisses on my robe.

Please, Lord, help me to feel better tomorrow!!!

So Behind

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:31:00 +0000

We're only 39 days into the new year and I am sorely behind. Eight of those days our family was on vacation. Eight of those days I have spent being sick, thankfully I was well while on vacation, but as I type, I am on day 3 of painfully enlarged, fiery red tonsils splotched with blistery, white patches. Unfortunately Lincoln is sharing this experience with me. :( I have lost count of the number of days my kids have been sick on and off this past month.

I am exhausted and just plumb worn out.

Thank goodness I chose not to write up a long list of New Year's Resolutions, a tradition I have long since forsaken due to the fact that I can so easily become enslaved to it. I am naturally task oriented and if I can't meet my list's demands, well, I deem myself a FAILURE with a big fat F! I would probably be crying and having a pity party right about now if I had such a list, because there is no way to possibly catch up, or so it seems.

I can't help but still have a mental list, though. So, I am regrettably feeling a bit agitated about not meeting my mental list's demands. My plate of responsibilities has increased this year, and I am getting a slight panicky feeling that I am going to bomb.

I have decided to rest today and not push myself. That means the kids will fall behind in school. But, I keep telling myself that it's okay--it's home school. If we have to work on spring break or continue through June--no big deal. It'll get done somehow.

So what if my kitchen floor is disgusting and my kids' sheets need changing--people all over the world live in much worse conditions. It'll be okay. My body needs rest.

I could go on and on here, but don't want to get too discouraged. It is rest time now, so I am going to do just that~ REST.

I am really going to try to not think about lesson plans, reviews that need to be written, classes that need to be scheduled, laundry, cleaning, cooking, grading, blogging, blah, blah, blah.

*Sigh*

Kinda Krusty

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:46:00 +0000

I am not a crustacean fan. I think they are kinda gross. The way they look. The way they smell. Those eye stalk things on crabs and lobsters freak me out, and I would NEVER even dream of eating one. Sick. The thought turns my stomach sour. And I don't like watching people eat them either. Shrimp remind me of large grubs, so that's definitely a NO.

But...

That's what we're studying in science right now. I thought the Red Crabs of Christmas Island were neat.

Images below:

The kids had to design their own crustacean board game complete with questions and all. Shiloh found Lincoln Log people to use as pawns. We had fun playing, and I was surprised at how much they remembered from the lesson. :)

Also, we added to the ocean boxes last week: red crab for Shiloh, hermit crab for Mullin and a fiddler crab for Lincoln.

I Think It's Safe to Say: The Force is with Us

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:00:00 +0000

For a short time Thomas, Ninja Turtles, Veggie Tales characters, and Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter action figures littered the house, but ever since these boys got a load of Star Wars, everything else has been history. I kid you not, Mullin and Lincoln have been faithful followers of the Force for YEARS. There is no end in sight.

This is Lincoln's cake and mask from his 7th birthday. Notice the shirt as well.

Fast forward to his 8th birthday. He got the Star Wars ship he'd been wanting. Again notice the shirts. I doubt they planned it.

Same day--January 12th--8th birthday. Different Star Wars shirt. Short-sleeved this time b/c it got "too hot", he said.

I promise there are other shirts besides Star Wars shirts in their closet.

I am not even going to waste time loading pics from the last 4 Christmases. Just imagine various Star Wars ships and characters from vintage to new to Clone Wars to whatever else toy makers can get parents to spend their money on.

WFMW: Cut the Cheese, Please!

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:07:00 +0000

My life in the kitchen has been made much simpler by this wonderful tool, the cheese cutter. Mine looks just like the image on the left except older.

For years I have been buying block cheese instead of the shredded and pre-sliced cheese. (And I am not talking about the block of Velveeta cheese product, here.) I admit, it isn't as convenient, but at least it doesn't contain the anti-caking ingredients, etc. Until this past spring, I'd been using just a plain old knife to try and cut perfect slices of cheddar cheese. Anybody else out there know how hard it is to cut a thin, straight slice of cheese?!

Seriously, it never occurred to me that there was an easier way to cut cheese. I happened upon an old cheese cutter when going through a box of garage sale items given to me by my dad. Shamefully, I didn't even know what it was at the time. My husband of all people is the one who told me what it was. I decided to keep it and give it a try.

My life just hasn't been the same since.

Honestly, I am not even one who likes to have a bunch of silly kitchen tools lying around taking up space in my kitchen drawers. I can live without the banana slicer, the cute sandwich cutter, the strawberry slicer, etc., but I will ALWAYS have a cheese cutter from now on! :)

I really do love it and use it every time I need to slice those big blocks of Tillamook cheese.

Any other amazing kitchen tool that I have been missing out on?? Please feel free to enlighten me.

Visit here to view many more helpful tips!

Photo credit

Sweet Time Turns Sour

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:17:00 +0000

After lunch, Shiloh and Lincoln (and me, too!) partook of Gram's teacakes and sweet tea while I read to them from Oonawasse Summer, our current read-aloud. The teacake recipe was found in the back of the book. Yum! Poor Mullin couldn't be a part of it since he was pretty sick. :(

Once we were finished reading a chapter, we teamed up to juice some oranges from our friend's tree. Lincoln washed, Shiloh dried, and I cut.

I let the kids do the juicing since they did such an awesome job last year during citrus season. Yep, all was going quite smoothly until Shiloh decided she needed to stand on the chair for some extra leverage. *Sigh*

Juice, pulp, seeds and all things sticky all over my kitchen floor.

I held my breath for a moment and determined deep down that I was NOT going to get upset. Well, at least I wasn't going to show it too much. I calmly cleaned my daughter up and gently, but firmly, shooed my son and my ever-so-sorry princess OUT of the kitchen.

I tried to look at the bright side: My floor was going to get an unexpected mopping and I was going to get some unexpected exercise.

The End is Near

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:59:00 +0000

The light at the end of our tunnel is getting so bright I just may need to put on my sunglasses!!!

While this past year and a few months have been uncertain and very difficult at times, God has still been so merciful to us. We were still blessed with things that so many don't have. We never went hungry. We definitely weren't always eating like kings and had to pass up the urge to eat out, but we weren't hungry. Oh, I just can't imagine what that would be like.

We had a roof over our heads every single day. Now, there was a time or two when we weren't sure if this roof was going to be the one over our heads, but we continued to trust that God would take care of us. I am so glad we were able to stay in our own home. I can't imagine being homeless.

We always had a fresh, clean supply of water. To think that some don't have access to this necessity is so horrible. Even during our time of need, we had water! Water is something I just take for granted, but I really tried to be especially thankful this past year.

I have learned a lot, too, during this time. Um, hello humility! I know I have changed a smidge on the inside. I am a better person having gone (and still going) through this trial. I'd like to write about those things when I have more time. :)

Now about that bright light I mentioned...

Our present circumstances may be changing in the very near future, and God may be leading us down a path I would have NEVER imagined treading in a million years. I am beginning to think God likes working in the "never imagined possible" realm. I mean, I never thought I'd ever be living in the desert again, yet here I sit. In the desert. In January where it's 70 degrees.

I wish I could elaborate a little more, but I can't~ yet.

Photo credit

WFMW: Make Your Own Fondant!

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:45:00 +0000

Did you know you can make your own fondant with just 4 ingredients??

*marshmallows
*powdered sugar
*water
*Crisco

Not healthy, I know. And I really don't like Crisco, but it is a must for making this very sticky "dough". (Only sticky in the beginning) The Crisco is used for keeping your hands and counter greased at all times.

In 2007 I made a baseball cake for my oldest son's birthday. At that time I did not know how to make fondant and definitely couldn't afford to buy it. Plus, I had heard that store bought fondant doesn't taste very good. Anyway, I tried my best to make regular, white icing smooth because I just didn't feel like starring it.

Well, it worked for the party, but I wasn't completely satisfied. I knew I'd probably use the ball pan again for end-of-the-year baseball parties and such, so I found a home made fondant recipe through a friend of mine.

A year later, I tried fondant on the baseball and loved how it looked! To me it was a huge improvement over the frosted one.

Here is a Lego cake I just made for my second son's 8th birthday. It was my first attempt at coloring the fondant. (Please keep in mind that I am NOT by any means a professional!! I just make cakes for my kids' birthdays and stuff.)

Now, if you'd like to give fondant a try, I am going to refer you to the same website that I used. I just printed off the very easy to follow and very detailed instructions and gave it a shot. I must warn you, I did get a little frustrated at first since it was a bit messy. It's gotten easier with each batch, though. I have probably made it 4 times in the past few years.

For more fabulous tips visit WeareTHATfamily.

Lincoln's Birthday Party

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:42:00 +0000

Singing Happy Birthday--really he isn't the big 8 just yet.

Not much frosting to lick off of fondant. :)

Love the twins faces here. Guess I should get them each a sling-shot for their birthday this year?? Bet mama and daddy wouldn't like that too much!

Cool rockets--one already decorates the neighbor's roof. Go figure.

My dad, a die hard Cowboys fan, reluctantly got Lincoln this Steelers jersey he's been wanting.

They both have stars on their uniforms, right? Shouldn't that count for something!

Lincoln and cousin, Jacob, playing on the castle. Love being able to have a birthday party at the park in January!! Nice to just let the kids RUN.

Lego Cake

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Wow, up close you can really see all of the imperfections in the fondant!! Yikes. From a distance it doesn't look too bad for my first time to dye it.

I have seen enough Crisco to hold me over for awhile, that's for sure!

Crisco

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:44:00 +0000

...an intestinal nightmare.

I will not eat it anywhere.

I don't care about fried chicken,

or its claim of finger-lickin'.

Hydrogenation's not for me.

I want my food trans-fat free!!

Oh no! Wait, there is a place

I'll eat this gloopy, white disgrace.

Mmmmm, rich buttercream

and fondant dream;

I'll eat you up upon a cake!

Please don't call me phony, fake.

I just can't refuse the taste!

I cannot let it go to waste!

Just one meal--

No big deal.

But... until the next birthday rolls around,

In my food no Crisco will be found!

WFMW: Help! (I need writing and agent advice.)

brandi@autumnfawn.net (Brandi) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Yea! It is backwards edition for WFMW participants, so if you have a question you hope to have answered, hop on over to WeareThatFamily and ask away.

First, though, I hope you can help me with some writing and agent advice!!

I won't bother everyone with all of the gory details of my writing journey, but here is where I am at right now--I have written two children's, fiction manuscripts and am working on another. I have already sent one off to a publisher, and one I entered in a contest. I am assuming both were a no go. I am thinking at this point it would be better to go ahead and get an agent instead of wasting my time sending unsolicited manuscripts to publishers. The 2009 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market book has been my companion and guide for the past year, but what I really need now is some advice from a real, live person who maybe has been there and done that or knows someone who has. (Plus, I am tired of researching endless material on the internet.) Sigh.

Question #1 Do any of you know an agent personally or have any of you worked with one you would recommend?

Question #2 Can anyone give me some advice on writing a great query for a children's fiction book? My only experience is with writing cover letters to publishers.

Question #3 Are there any other resources, besides the one I mentioned earlier, that I should be reading?

Question #4 Is it possible to find new, but reputable agents who are actually looking for work? And where would this info be found?

And finally, if any of you just have general writing advice you wish to give, I would very much appreciate it!!

My ultimate goal is to write novels, but so far I just have notebooks filled with notes. Home schooling takes up most of my time right now, but I have been able to squeeze out a few children's books. Gotta start somewhere, I guess. :)

Blessings to you all, and hopefully I can be of help to some of you and your unanswered questions!!