Greetings from Cleveland!

Greetings from Cleveland 

Dear StyleList,
Cleveland is the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a fact that makes our town proud. Maybe that's why we Clevelanders tilt toward independent styles - just like the rockers inside.
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I've mentioned this before, but getting published on StyleList makes me giddy....they purchased it, published it and I am giddy today!
The article is nothing much, just a few thoughts, pictures and quotes....but Wooo Hooo!  

thought i'd share...

Freelance Writing Turned Me Into a Compulsive Gambler

Freelance writing has turned me into a compulsive gambler. It's true. I recently wrote an article highlighting a few contests and favorite contest websites of mine. It only scratched the surface.

The very process of crafting a story and then throwing it out to the wolves ( er,  editors) is really just a gamble. Some companies are riskier than others, but I keep going back, since the "prizes" (translated, pay)  they offer are so more attractive than the less risky sites.  If they never bought a 'big' article, I could walk away, (I think)....but since the ratio is more like one in five, I continue to test my luck.

Lately I've been running across slogan, logo, essay and photo contests that are too "easy" to pass up. What's five minutes when I could win *insert prize here*  So far I've won several gift certificates to Amazon, a funky piece of jewelry and a DVD that will be re-gifted. These little gifts keep my hopes up on the trips to Spain, New York City, Bahamas, shoes, toys and electronics....someone has to win, right?

It's pathetic, I've never been one to use coupons, or turn in a Publisher's Clearing House. I don't watch game shows, have no desire to go gamble in Las Vegas or any casino really...but will spend precious brain power on crafting a new slogan in order to 'win the big one'

Aside from the possible wins, here is how I justify my newest obsession....it's keeping my brain strong. Suduko and crossword puzzles are not the only brain gymnastics on the block, baby. Alright...mama needs a new pair of shoes.... : )  Wish me luck!

 

 

Art News

Something finally clicked yesterday. It's been literally months since I picked up a paintbrush, my wire tools or anything remotely close to artwork. Sure, I've painted a bedroom and made little graduation cap centerpieces for my son's school ceremony...Martha Stewart would be proud....but no real art.  In fact there is a 3/4 mural done in my hallway that I've completely abandoned. It is obviously not done....and I have no desire to continue. (in fact it's all going under a dark layer of paint soon)

Writing took center stage for a long while. The instant gratification of paychecks and visual proof that I am in fact working, really sucked the life out of my art. BUT, at the same time writing drew me back. I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning sketching and planning and scheming how I'll put aside time...and put my studio back together. As a writer for eHow I write on a lot of art related topics, that's how I landed the job I think. My years of experience creating and teaching gave me a background they were looking for. Art articles go through with minimal to no edits, while other articles are full of rewrites and second tries. For months now I've put my blinders on and worked, unfazed, until yesterday.

Yesterday I wrote an assignment on oil pastels. Nothing fancy, I'm actually not fond of the medium, but while adding research notes at the bottom I came across a piece of art that reminded me of something....it reminded me of the backgrounds I love to paint and that did it. 

After my head finally hit the pillow last night, I remembered my scribbled goals the very first time I worked through the Artist's Way book....'to be an artist, to be a teacher and to be a writer'. At the time I was none of them, only a big dreamer. Now I'm officially a freelance writer, officially a teacher and the spark has finally returned to create. Wow, too bad I didn't add 'to be independently wealthy'    

This will be interesting to see how it all fits together.  Stay tuned.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl......

New writing assignment.

I am unreasonably excited about my new gig.  Huge fan of Roald Dahl, the author who introduced the world to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, Fantastic Mr.Fox and many many MANY more interesting characters and their nemisis....and I, little ol me, gets to write up lesson plans for this mans fascinating books.

I've decided that coming up with lesson plans and writing tests are so much better suited for me than the actual teaching. While I love teaching, this is the best part, reading childrens books and coming up with creative ways to present it......without actually having to speak or discipline...how cool.

Snuggie War

 Anyone who knows me, knows I am against Snuggies. The marketing genius behind the awkward blanket with sleeves, is, on the other hand someone not to be ignored. That man could take over the world.

Truth is, there is a snuggie in my home. My daughter bought one to wear to her formal as a joke...and yes, I did try it on. So now I have a first hand complaint, for one, it really is just a blanket...with sleeves. Truth in advertising I suppose, but I was expecting something to stay on not flop 5 inches on the ground and over my hands while not being attached in the back.


My other complaint with a snuggie is the implication it can be worn to sporting events, or outdoors...not without tripping all over it...or looking like a bizarre cult member...anyways, that's my girl in the blue snuggie...tied together with a ribbon...

Homemade Valentines...K.I.S.S

K.I.S.S. your way to Homemade Valentines!   Check out my article on how to create homemade Valentines...Keep it So Simple, Silly  Keep it a Secret, shhhh  and more tips.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

My daughter was born to travel. Her career aspiration since she was aware of the possibility, is to be a photographer....and travel the world.  Every trip is an adventure to her, every corner coffee shop or rest area is an amazing new place to explore.


Her dream to fly is coming true this year. I was so excited when she opened her birthday card and airline tickets fell out. She's going to Florida with her cousin in about a month....but she's already packed and has saved enough money for "adventuring" whatever that might entail.

I know this won't be her last trip either, Lonely Planet is bookmarked on her computer and gets frequent hits. To say she's going places isn't just a phrase. She really is going places. Anyplace. Anytime.

Now that she has a very lucrative babysitting job, (seriously, she makes a killing), I know she'll constantly be on the lookout for cheap flights , airline tickets and places to escape to for the day. Happy to tag along, she's been to hundreds of soccer games for her siblings, national tournament and events, my art shows and my uncanny ability to get lost anywhere....often leading to more places to explore as we find our way back!  

While she hasn't traveled far in her 15 years on the planet. I do try to take her to as many interesting places as possible. Places her camera can capture in unique ways. So, I was very happy when My Travel Web featured an article on Cleveland, (January 7th). It featured info on the Old Arcade.  A fabulous choice for a day trip...suggested by an authority.

Funky Shui

For fun ideas to what I mean by Funky Shui, check out my recent article on this style of decorating....
Funky Shui, Decorate Your Way Out of the Winter Doldrums

Personally I am waiting patiently for my second favorite sales of the year...the after Valentine's Day extravaganza.  ( my first love will always be back to school shopping sales, 10 cent notebooks are dreamy) My bedroom needs a little something something.  I changed the style up last year to an almost cabaret type look, with 3 deep chocolate brown walls and one lipstick red accent wall....funky red curtains with tassles and a leopard print side lamp. The after Valentines day sales rounded out the look with trims and red silky things.

My house is an ever evolving fairy tale forest, with this room in the back our little secret, funky shui.

Mirror. mirror on the wall

Winter is the time to practice a little funky shui with new mirrors.   Yes, I said funky shui. It's the casual approach to feng shui.  While I do appreciate the ancient art of feng shui, and love a reason to declutter the house, the rules always trip me up. I get bogged down in the details....end up having nightmares of dragons swallowing the kitchen because of a poorly placed mirror or dirty stove, or money being whisked out the backdoor in a great unstoppable wave, because the lid to the toilet was left up.

The yearly ritual of pulling out the feng shui books usually ends with me cleaning out the closets, rearranging furniture, shining the stove and remembering to always close the lid to the toilet. This also inspires me to add a few new plants and place mirrors in helpful places. Mirrors are sometimes called the feng shui aspirin..and Lord knows I need an aspirin after trying to figure out the bagua map.


At the thrift store where I volunteer, the manager thought it was time to toss the ridiculously large collection of mirrors we had sitting in storage. Free for the taking, the rest would be tossed into the dumpster out back. Mirrors. Breakable mirrors. I did not want that job. Ever piece of folklore, old wives tale, fairy tale, myth, superstition and general thrifty decorating mentality screamed inside at the thought.

So, I set a few aside....and got busy making coffee, let the guys take the seven year fall.  

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Improvisation

One of the things my family misses most about our old home is my daughters piano lessons. There is an  eccentric fellow a few doors down from our old house that teaches piano full time. He's my age, a friend of  a friend and a fantastically talented man. 

My daughter loves the piano because of him. But does not want to take piano lessons from another teacher. She's content finding sheet music and practicing on her own. Finding a little help in the way of dvd's and books have helped a lot. Her teacher is also a composer and she loved just listening to his original music.
 
The first day he met my little girl he sang her name, loudly, emphasizing the ending in a sing song voice like this...abi  GA~IL. Whatever she learned was second to the impact he made on the family. This was a man that has quirks. He doesn't do lawn care in the traditional sense, letting his bushes grow into a omnimous hedge in front of his house, planting tiny trees all over the lawn, front and back, growing pots and pots of baby trees on the deck for some future use.  And at my daughters first recital, he showed up with two different shoes on. 


But since traveling to piano lessons out of town just isn't an option with my schedule, and since Abbey won't hear of taking lessons from anyone else but Mr. Free Spirit himself, we've improvised and she's doing fantastic. I do think he'd approve of the improvisational course we've taken.

   

Transposing....

Transposing....that's the word I was looking for. For whatever reason I find it enormously difficult to explain anything on the spot. I could write it out for you, just hand me a pen... but to think on my feet, that is a heruculean task that I shy away from. 

That is exactly what is behind my apparent shyness over the years, a simple factory flaw. I was not equipped with the little mechanism that allows coherent words to come directly from my head to my mouth in any reasonable amount of time.

I've learned to deal with it, mostly by preparing....and not living so much in the stories in my head when in public, writing and art invite me to escape to the playground of my mind. Now that I'm working on finishing up a novel though, the time spent with my characters is clearly more intense than day to day interactions. And with the addition of a teeny tiny portable notebook computer into my family, I needed to come up with a concise statement that makes sense to the 'man on the street' who casually asks what I'm working on.

Like the simple question, how are you today?, it requires a simple answer. Preferably one without a lot of possible follow-up questions.  Transposing, is simply laying one thing over the other, hand motions are even possible....but since it is a big word, the possibiliy of follow-up is rare.

I know I am showing my vulnerability and extreme oddness with this post, but the truth is I am fine with all this, at this stage in the game, there is no reason to pretend that I am anything but who I am. So that's that, like the characters in The Big Bang Theory, I have my quirks, and don't really mind them all that much.

So, when asked what the book is about....I can say I am transposing a true story over a collection of fairy tales, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality....and if they ask anything else...well, you'll have to wait for the book to come out!  : )