I need a few of these...

I love crafty people. Once in a blue moon I can be crafty. It's more a lack of motivation than desire or inspiration. Many projects are on my "some day" list. I stumbled across this Etsy shop today and fell in love. I'm sharing the love with you!

Barn Owl Primitives

LOVE THIS!!!!!

Historical Fiction....*SIGH*

I just can't get enough of it. My love of history is extensive. My love of reading....ridiculous. Put them together?

BLISS!

Oh, and throw in a strong romantic element??  HEAVENLY BLISS!

So, last week being what it was, (see post below) I needed an escape this past weekend. In a bad way. An escape is really what all my reading is. I think that is why I have to read books that end happily. They may not be happy throughout, that's okay. But they must end feeling good. I'm escaping my stressful life for goodness sakes. I want some hope in there...some kissing too if we're being honest.

Last weekends escape was The Yellow House: A Novel, by Patricia Falvey. It was perfect. A strong voice in the protagonist and yummy secondary characters. The icing of course was the historical setting, which was Northern Ireland in the 19teens and 1920's. If you know anything about Irish or English history at that time you know it was an extremely tumultuous period. Home Rule, Easter Rising, Catholic, Protestant, Quaker, and of course WWI. It covers all of that time thru the eyes of a young Catholic girl coming of age and trying to keep her family together through it all. 

What I appreciated about Patricia Falvey's style was that it was smooth and easy. Sometimes with these historical fiction books you're in for a grueling roller coaster of emotions and drama. While there was no lack of drama or intensity...it wasn't heavy. It was perfect for summer and gave me my historical fix with the perfect romantic story woven in. I loved it. I escaped perfectly...and I thank her for that!

Love and Movies

I love, love. I love it in books, I love it in real life, I love my job because of it. Shooting weddings and families makes me happy.

When I read a book, I must have it in some way. I can't easily do a pure mystery or thriller. I can, and I have, but I'm not naturally drawn to it. Therefore, I don't write without it. I don't know if I could. Sometimes I consider trying to write (just as an excercize for myself)a purely horror short story or something. Just to test myself and strengthen my skills. I do that with my photography sometimes. I shoot something in a completely new way just to see if I can, and then to see if it helps me in my "normal" work. It usually does.

Does anyone ever try this? Write something that feels foreign to you? Obviously we were forced to do that in school...but that was a LONG time ago. I remember times in school when I would hear the assignment and groan only to find that I was actually pretty good at whatever was assigned.

That's my tip this week (hmmmm, I don't usually give tips) I'm going to write a couple of pages of something completely out of my comfort zone. It will have to be thriller or mystery. I encourage you to do the same. Let me know how it goes for you!! I'd even love for you to post and link it.

Also...has anyone seen the movie Midnight in Paris? If you are a writer, you will get a kick out of it. I wouldn't call myself a Woody Allen fan, but I adored this movie. Check it out!

A-Z Challange LOVE

It's been a stressful couple of days round these parts. I'd like todays challange to be easy. I can't do a lot of thinking right now. (On a side note...does your wip ever leave you in a funk?? But, it's almost like you need to be there? Ok, moving on.)

Things I love.

My Husband.
My Children.
My Mother
My Sister, My Sister in law(happy early birthday!)....and all my other family.
Writing
Reading
My morning Coffemate
Roald Dahl
Annie
Fried Pickles
Traveling
History
The North and South miniseries from the 80's
Johnny Depp(it started with 21 Jumpstreet!)
Photography
Museums
Mail
Birthdays
my laptop
My bed when I've just changed the sheets
Roasted Asparagus
Shopping with no children
Good deals
blogs
meeting friends for coffee
Pad Thai...or any asian food for that matter!!
Drinking milk after something really sweet
Farmers Markets
Ratatouille
Redbox
Libraries and Bookstores
Teachers
Online bill pay
Historical romance novels
The smell of grass in spring
Vanilla
Cooking
Going to the pool
New purses


Okay, I've got a kid to get to school so I must stop. I suggest everyone stop right now and make a list like this. It felt really good. It reminds you of all the little things in your life that are really, really good.

Happy Thursday!

A-Z Challange KANSAS

Oops!! I missed yesterday, please forgive me. I did think about it, and thought some more...but nothing came. Then, at a certain point I decided to forget about it, that's my prerogative right???

KANSAS

My state. As a child I thought Kansas was so boring. There didn't seem to be anything special about it. It was in the middle, flat, really cold in winter, and super hot in summer. It wasn't exotic, or romantic.

I was wrong. It is a beautiful state, full of wonderful people and perfect little towns. I've seen a lot of this state, and I've learned to  appreciate all the beauty it offers.


Sure there are no palm trees, sandy beaches, or majestic mountain tops. But that's why I have so much money...to fly to these places!  HAHAHAHAHAHA. (good one!!)

Sometimes, I will get to visit other places, but for now I love living in Kansas. It's home.

It's also home to my WIP, which is really special. It's so fun to write about a place you know and create people you end  up loving to live in it!

I love *Blogs*

This blog in particular. Well, Hello There Lover. I can't recall when I stumbled across it, a few months back maybe. But, it is so wonderful! Basically it's a single woman who is writing to her future husband, who she is already madly in love with. She is funny, and witty, and so romantic. I love everything about it. I want to write a story about this...it's just so perfect.

Who knows, maybe she's really a 70 year old widow...or a 45 year old married woman with 3 kids. Doesn't matter, I love it!

Plus there are lots of fun old photos like the one below! check it out!!