Jessica, who I swapped NaNo novels with to edit back at the end of 2007, just posted a new project on her Art Smarts 4 Kids blog. It's step by step (illustrated) instructions for making Valentine's Day cards inspired by Eric Carle's tissue paper collage technique. Yes, that's me she mentions in the beginning. Go check it out, and if you're feeling artsy give it a try.
You definitely have to be very careful to not rip the tissue paper, but it ends up looking awesome. :)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
"(Your name) (blanks)"
Stolen from John Green (he's an author... he writes... it's sort of a writing post). Type your name into Google with the verb that comes after in the question. Answer with your favorites from the first page of google results. Have fun!
Q: Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search.
A: "How to say michelle needs to go poop in different languages - How to say michelle needs to go poop. How do you say michelle needs to go poop in different languages translation." (If I ever decide to travel, this might actually come in handy.)
Q: Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search.
A: "Michelle looks like a man like always. Kelly looks gorgeous." (That's a blatant lie... and just mean.) "Michelle looks like a MOM - unlike her Dawson’s Creek co-star, Mrs. Tom Cruise!! ! who shops and drinks and only holds her child for Vanity Fair spreads!" (Give me time, I'm still working on the wedding.)
Q: Type in "[your name] says" in Google search.
A: "Michelle says Barack is a nerd!" (Obviously, the Obamas.)
Q: Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search.
A: "Michelle wants to earn money to buy a teeshirt. ... Michelle wants to prove to everyone that even though she's only nine she can babysit too." (Aww, I love Full House.) "Michelle wants to be Queen Bee." (Ms. Obama again.)
Q:Type in "[your name] does" in Google search.
A: "Michelle does Elle." (Sounds kinky.) "Michelle Does it Again! What can I say, I love monograms. I think they are a fabulous way to personalize your wedding or event." (Did somebody say wedding?)
Q: Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search.
A: "Michelle hates Bacardi - good girl" (Never tried it, actually.) "My friend Michelle hates semi-colons." (I don't hate them; I just never know if I'm using them correctly.)
Q: Type in "[your name] asks" in Google search.
A: "Celebrity Big Brother's Michelle asking for 'some stimulation'." (More kinky stuff.)
Q: Type in "[your name] likes " in Google search.
A: "Michelle likes obese men, so spend some time eating fatty foods." (LMAO. That's so fricken funny.)
Q: Type in "[your name] eats " in Google search.
A: "Michelle eats mozarella sticks the lazy way." (What the? Huh?)
Q: Type in "[your name] wears " in Google search.
A: "Michelle wears flats never would have thought of that!!!!!" (Yes I do, but most of the time I prefer to wear heels.)
Q: Type in "[your name] was arrested for" in Google Search.
A: (This is always the most fun, so there are more. The parenthetical thing below is not my comment, though.)
Q: Type in "[your name] loves" in Google Search.
A: "Michelle loves Paris" (Yes, yes I do.)
Q: Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search.
A: "How to say michelle needs to go poop in different languages - How to say michelle needs to go poop. How do you say michelle needs to go poop in different languages translation." (If I ever decide to travel, this might actually come in handy.)
Q: Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search.
A: "Michelle looks like a man like always. Kelly looks gorgeous." (That's a blatant lie... and just mean.) "Michelle looks like a MOM - unlike her Dawson’s Creek co-star, Mrs. Tom Cruise!! ! who shops and drinks and only holds her child for Vanity Fair spreads!" (Give me time, I'm still working on the wedding.)
Q: Type in "[your name] says" in Google search.
A: "Michelle says Barack is a nerd!" (Obviously, the Obamas.)
Q: Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search.
A: "Michelle wants to earn money to buy a teeshirt. ... Michelle wants to prove to everyone that even though she's only nine she can babysit too." (Aww, I love Full House.) "Michelle wants to be Queen Bee." (Ms. Obama again.)
Q:Type in "[your name] does" in Google search.
A: "Michelle does Elle." (Sounds kinky.) "Michelle Does it Again! What can I say, I love monograms. I think they are a fabulous way to personalize your wedding or event." (Did somebody say wedding?)
Q: Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search.
A: "Michelle hates Bacardi - good girl" (Never tried it, actually.) "My friend Michelle hates semi-colons." (I don't hate them; I just never know if I'm using them correctly.)
Q: Type in "[your name] asks" in Google search.
A: "Celebrity Big Brother's Michelle asking for 'some stimulation'." (More kinky stuff.)
Q: Type in "[your name] likes " in Google search.
A: "Michelle likes obese men, so spend some time eating fatty foods." (LMAO. That's so fricken funny.)
Q: Type in "[your name] eats " in Google search.
A: "Michelle eats mozarella sticks the lazy way." (What the? Huh?)
Q: Type in "[your name] wears " in Google search.
A: "Michelle wears flats never would have thought of that!!!!!" (Yes I do, but most of the time I prefer to wear heels.)
Q: Type in "[your name] was arrested for" in Google Search.
A: (This is always the most fun, so there are more. The parenthetical thing below is not my comment, though.)
- MICHELLE was arrested for public intoxication.
- Michelle was arrested for possession of two ecstasy tablets in Bali.
- Michelle was arrested for alleged assault and indecency. (Quite frankly, had she been 10 pounds lighter she would have been real decent looking.)
- On the night Michelle was arrested for DUI, Scott testified that he had “about eight beers.”
- Michelle was arrested for the murder of Drew's biological father, Ben Warren.
Q: Type in "[your name] loves" in Google Search.
A: "Michelle loves Paris" (Yes, yes I do.)
Friday, January 2, 2009
Sunday Scribblings #144: for richer or poorer
I missed a lot of good ones while I was busy during the holiday season, and I may still do a few some time, but for now I'll settle on the current prompt.
Mark and I are not the richest people in the world, but we're not the poorest. I wouldn't put us at upper middle class either, though. We have enough to get by, but definitely need to put a lot more into savings than we have right now.
Mark likes to play those scratch-off lottery tickets. Sometimes he loses, sometimes he wins anywhere from $2 to $500. Sometimes he plays the lotto numbers too. He has a plan, though, just in case he ever wins big. You know, the millions-upon-millions kind of big win, which they always advertise as if it's within grasp ("New York Lotto: Hey! You never know!") but which always grows so you know that nobody has won it yet. I swear, the state must make a fortune on the interest alone from what everyone is putting into it...
So here's Mark's plan, in no particular order. Pay off all of our debt (including credit cards, my car loan and student loans). Pay off all debt for those in our immediate families. Gift a million or so to his mom, and another million or so to my parents. Buy a house for us to live in with our future children. Buy a couple dogs. We both retire, and start "for fun" jobs - his would be a sports memorabilia store, mine would be... well my ideal is to be a stay-at-home mom while raising our children (I know, how terribly '50s of me), and then when they are in school, maybe go back to work part time so I'd be home by the time they are. Or pursue my dream of becoming a published author, with my own home office of course.
That's the "for richer" part. Now here's the "for poorer" part. I'm trying to pay off my credit cards but need to get my spending further down so I'm not charging more each month than I pay off. I have just over a year left of payments on my car. At that point I will not get a new car, so I can transfer those payments onto credit cards (if they're not paid off by then) or into a savings account. I have student loans that I'll be paying off forever (or so it seems right now). When we decide to get a house, we will end up with a huge mortgage that will also take forever to pay off. I know that our salaries will go up over time, but so will the cost of living.
Despite our college degrees, including my Masters degree, we are like millions of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck and hope we can continue to get by. My biggest hope is that one day I will have enough money that my paycheck doesn't disappear almost immediately with bill payments, and that I will actually feel calm when thinking about money instead of feeling stressed. But the most important thing is working together and sticking it out, and not letting finances get between us in that bad way.
*****
Sunday Scribblings is a blog run by Meg Genge and Laini Taylor that posts weekly writing prompts.
Mark and I are not the richest people in the world, but we're not the poorest. I wouldn't put us at upper middle class either, though. We have enough to get by, but definitely need to put a lot more into savings than we have right now.
Mark likes to play those scratch-off lottery tickets. Sometimes he loses, sometimes he wins anywhere from $2 to $500. Sometimes he plays the lotto numbers too. He has a plan, though, just in case he ever wins big. You know, the millions-upon-millions kind of big win, which they always advertise as if it's within grasp ("New York Lotto: Hey! You never know!") but which always grows so you know that nobody has won it yet. I swear, the state must make a fortune on the interest alone from what everyone is putting into it...
So here's Mark's plan, in no particular order. Pay off all of our debt (including credit cards, my car loan and student loans). Pay off all debt for those in our immediate families. Gift a million or so to his mom, and another million or so to my parents. Buy a house for us to live in with our future children. Buy a couple dogs. We both retire, and start "for fun" jobs - his would be a sports memorabilia store, mine would be... well my ideal is to be a stay-at-home mom while raising our children (I know, how terribly '50s of me), and then when they are in school, maybe go back to work part time so I'd be home by the time they are. Or pursue my dream of becoming a published author, with my own home office of course.
That's the "for richer" part. Now here's the "for poorer" part. I'm trying to pay off my credit cards but need to get my spending further down so I'm not charging more each month than I pay off. I have just over a year left of payments on my car. At that point I will not get a new car, so I can transfer those payments onto credit cards (if they're not paid off by then) or into a savings account. I have student loans that I'll be paying off forever (or so it seems right now). When we decide to get a house, we will end up with a huge mortgage that will also take forever to pay off. I know that our salaries will go up over time, but so will the cost of living.
Despite our college degrees, including my Masters degree, we are like millions of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck and hope we can continue to get by. My biggest hope is that one day I will have enough money that my paycheck doesn't disappear almost immediately with bill payments, and that I will actually feel calm when thinking about money instead of feeling stressed. But the most important thing is working together and sticking it out, and not letting finances get between us in that bad way.
*****
Sunday Scribblings is a blog run by Meg Genge and Laini Taylor that posts weekly writing prompts.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Comparing NaNo 2007 to 2008
Following Jessica's lead, I'm posting my chart comparing this year's word count each day to last year.
Why it's so different?
Why it's so different?- Last year's novel followed the quest archetype, which meant I had a bit of a built-in outline, but this year I started with a very basic concept with few plot points.
- Last year I worked part time, about 6 hours a week being average. This year I am working full-time (yay!) and therefore had a lot less free time in my day (boo!).
- Last year I got engaged November 17 and just wanted to finish as soon as possible. This year I'm living with my fiance and have to juggle my free time with when he's home (I find it a lot easier to write when I'm alone).
- Last year I met with Aimee (Poughkeepsie area ML) Tuesdays in addition to write-ins every Sunday. We had a lot of great back-and-forth convos about our novels. This year I went to the Poughkeepsie kick-off party, one write-in down in Westchester, and a couple IM convos with Aimee (and one with my cousin's daughter) and that's it.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
WINNER!
Ashley was loverly and stayed longer at work (unpaid, not working) just so she could see when I won. And I did it! 50,005 words total. There will be much merriment later, probably including wine.
Now it's time to work on updating my nano badge in the sidebar here.
Now it's time to work on updating my nano badge in the sidebar here.
48k
No song because I am at work, but I will listen to lots of songs later.
I have overtaken Mark's word count (48,156) which I didn't realize until I was updating my NaNo profile with the exact same number. Then I wrote a few more to get ahead.
Ignoring those who have passed 50k, the only person on my NaNo friend list left to surpass is at 49,862. So I may as well just shoot for the win now.
1704 to go and counting!!!
I have overtaken Mark's word count (48,156) which I didn't realize until I was updating my NaNo profile with the exact same number. Then I wrote a few more to get ahead.
Ignoring those who have passed 50k, the only person on my NaNo friend list left to surpass is at 49,862. So I may as well just shoot for the win now.
1704 to go and counting!!!
Friday, November 28, 2008
47k song
Journey "Any Way You Want It"
47,030. I have caught up to the target word count for the day, and surpassed it a little. My word count for today is more than the remaining word count I have left to write (which means finishing tomorrow is totally possible). I started my final scene, which I am trying to stretch as much as possible by adding more detail and description because it's more important than any other part of the novel. Less than 3k to go and I am done for tonight, and getting to sleep at a decent hour for once.
No, I have to get to 47,157 so I can say I'm finally less than 1k behind Mark. :-) But that's not much further. Then tomorrow I will claim sweet victory.
47,030. I have caught up to the target word count for the day, and surpassed it a little. My word count for today is more than the remaining word count I have left to write (which means finishing tomorrow is totally possible). I started my final scene, which I am trying to stretch as much as possible by adding more detail and description because it's more important than any other part of the novel. Less than 3k to go and I am done for tonight, and getting to sleep at a decent hour for once.
No, I have to get to 47,157 so I can say I'm finally less than 1k behind Mark. :-) But that's not much further. Then tomorrow I will claim sweet victory.
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