Book reviewers Wanted!

It's a few months late, but I wanted to announce on the blog that I've published my book. My editor and I worked very hard on it, and I am so pleased with the outcome - not to mention the reviews it has garnered!

The most enjoyable part of the ride has been sharing my daydreams with others. I'm keeping the eBook listed at $0.99 so I hope you might take an opportunity and read it.

The Touch
(available on Nook, Kindle and paperback)
Imagine being able to cure any illness in the world with the touch of a finger - yet looking into the eyes of a young cancer patient and not being able to because of the good that will come to the world through the work her family will do in research in her name. While the world debates the how and why of diseases, natural disasters, modern medicine and miracles, the simplest truth has always been a much less complicated – yet unimaginable - explanation: two covert groups of souls known as the Healers and the Grims that control with a touch of their fingers the process and order of life and death. While the two clans have worked together to oversee the world’s population, the taste of power is enough to coerce one Grim to stop at nothing to enact revenge for his bloodline.

Fresh from a move to small-town Lee, Healer AJ McCallister has found a pull with local Addie Jenko and found himself – along with Addie and her daughter Rose – in the beginning of the second Great War between the Grims and the Healers. As a Healer, AJ cannot heal those he loves, which creates an internal turmoil as he struggles with the decision of returning Addie’s love and losing his gift or continuing to heal the sick and living out his presumed destiny. He must learn more about his clan’s ancient roots to keep Addie and the town from falling victim to the latest threat to their humanity, all while keeping his secret intact and preparing for a battle he is sure he won't emerge from. As the town becomes more than another faceless crowd needing protection to AJ, he learns the lengths he will go to in order to protect the people he has come to see as family. 

Mustache Dress Giveaway!

I mustache you a question...do you like giveaways?

Okay, totally cheesy. I know.

I love this dress ;) I had so much fun making it, that I want to give one away! Don't you love the print?! Mustaches. This dress fits 2T (long dress) to 5T (tunic).

So to enter, here's what to do:
Find me on Facebook. Like me. Comment under the dress giveaway photo on my Facebook page saying you've liked me.

Additional entries:
Send your friends to the Facebook page.  Have them do the same. ;) But have them mention you sent them.


When I get to 650 fans, I will give away the dress!

I love giveaways and plan to do one every couple weeks, so come join us for some fun!

GIVEAWAY -- Pillowcase Dress!

I am giving away a pillowcase dress/tunic top on Facebook! It is a size 3T dress, but can be a 4T/5T tunic --  Visit https://www.facebook.com/#!/ProseBoutiqueFashion and get the details!

Finally Graduating!

Today I was proud to walk the procession to receive my M.B.A.  It's taken 10 years (one class at a time) but it's finally done. I admire all those moms and dads who get it done in 2 or 3 or even 5 years - heck, at all! It takes a lot of dedication and I cannot imagine getting it done in a shorter time. But it was amazing, and the only point I cried was at the beginning, when we were all lining up in the building to go in. As we rounded the corner, all the professors were surrounding the staircase we needed to walk down, applauding and whistling. Wow. I don't know why I got emotional - I know I didn't at undergrad - but it was just such a wow moment for me. So to all those ladies (and guys) out there, you can do whatever you set your mind to. As our noted speaker said today, "It took some of us 15 years to become an overnight success." I love that quote - keep on keepin' on and you can do anything!

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

I was sitting at home last evening, 10:30 p.m., watching the end of my show and fiddling on the computer when it hit me:

My kiddo didn't have a little teacher appreciation gift for his teachers.

He'd been asking me about it, and I had totally forgotten all week. I scoured pinterest for about 20 minutes, but unfortunately for most things I didn't have any of the needed materials. But, I figured I could put together some cute, teacher-y picture frames for him to bring them.

A little scrapbook paper, some scissors and modpodge, some handwriting paper, buttons, letters, ribbon, and crayons, and I had my supplies gathered.

Here is the result. The picture frames were ones I had on hand (I'm always buying frames) but hadn't used yet. It took me about an hour to get them all done. Then this very tired mama went to bed at 12:30 in the morning.

I especially loved the bottom, where I had my son write "Thank you!" in his handwriting, along with his name on the back.

I was pretty happy with them though. And not bad, considering the whole project was pretty inexpensive.

Almost 7 Years

I've spoken about my mom's journey with brain cancer before (you can view it here), so I won't rehash the details again. What I want to do instead, as I near the 7 year anniversary of her passing, is share with you a few of the most important things I learned during that time. While the loss was painful, there were so many great things that we walked away with that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience.

First, we have some pretty amazing family and friends. When mom first was diagnosed - and every, single day after (and I seriously mean EVERY SINGLE DAY), she was showered with phone calls, visits, meals, laughs, stories, smiles, rides to treatments, shopping trips to get out of the house, having books read to her, manicures, cookie deliveries, and so much more. It was so awesome to see how many people cared for her, and how kind those we filled our life with, were. It was like an army just gathered around us for the battle, and held all of us up when we felt like we just couldn't go any further. I will never, ever forget how great these people are. Everyone should be so lucky to have people like this in their life!

Second, life is short. Yes, it's cliche but it is so very true. There are so many great things out there in the world to do, so many things to see. There are so many people to spend time with, and so much we should be saying to the people we care about. Never let those moments go past. Say "I love you" at the end of your phone calls, tell the funny stories about the past. Those shouldn't be reserved for the very special circumstances of holidays or illness - they should be handed out in abundance.

Third, anger gets you nowhere. Not that anger is always bad (I think you need a little anger sometimes for motivation and such), but when you let it build up and overtake your life, the only person that gets hurt is you. It's such a poison, and something we should avoid. The truth of life is this: whether we like it or not, sometimes bad things happen. They'll happen a lot, to very good people. We can't predict it or stop it. All we can do is accept it and believe that down the road, something better is waiting for us. I wasted a great amount of time being angry and the only place it got me was alone - not a very fun place to be. So be angry for awhile, yell it out, have a good cry and then let it go into the past where it should remain. Start every day fresh.

Fourth, take joy in the little things. Honestly - set five minutes at the end of your day every day for a week, maybe as you're laying down to bed, and list 10 things that you enjoyed about the day. Even on your worst day, there are bound to be some small events that made you smile. Like your son dancing around in a Mardi Gras mask; your husband mowing the lawn so you don't have to; the dog laying down by your feet to keep you company; your daughter batting her eyelashes to ask for one more cookie. They don't have to be massive gestures, just small ones that you are grateful for. Trust me - it makes the day a whole lot better when you take the time to be thankful for what you have.

Lastly, do some fun stuff. We spend so much time working or going to school, running errands, chauffering kids, going to meetings. Sometimes we forget to just breathe; to just live. I try and make sure now that at least once a week we do something we all deem fun. Maybe it's my writing club, or board game night. Maybe it's a glass of wine with the girls or going to a movie. Whatever it is, I make sure that I let a little fun in because the truth is that all the awards or degrees I earn during my life aren't going to be what matters to me 30, 40, 60 years from now. What's going to matter is who still wants to spend time with me and laugh and smile with. Work to live, don't live to work. You'll miss out on a whole lot of living!

So with all that said, go forth this May - which is Brain Cancer Awarenes Month - and think about those facing this battle. If you can't make time in your life for fun and happiness now, you may never have the opportunity. In honor of those like my mom who were cut short on years, make a promise to yourself to start living - and then go out and do it!

Me ;)

  

A Toothfairy Pillow...

By the time my beautiful son (now six) was a year old, he had so many teeth - even the doctor's couldn't believe how many teeth he had! Here he is at a year - isn't he cute? I know you can't see his mouthful of teeth, but this is one of my favorite photos of him at that time ;)

Here is the little stinker now:

 

Which is why I guess I thought he'd start losing them at 5, like his buddies. But alas, he turned six the end of last year and nothing! He has been so disappointed, because he hears about all the goodies the tooth fairy brings and really wants to have that experience.

Low and behold, tonight we found a barely loose front tooth (barely, but definitely loose!) and he was ecstatic! So he and I worked on a little project: making his very own tooth fairy pillow!

I have to run it through the washer and dryer a couple times to get the edges to fray really nice, and look vintage-y, but here it is pre-washing. We even put a little square on the back where we can use a fabric pen to write down the dates he lost his teeth. Let the toothless fun begin ;)

Have a great week, everyone ;)