It seems like mostly I've been around Facebook these days, what with being a new mother and all.

Speaking of which, my daughter is 8 weeks old, and learned a new game/magic trick yesterday (which you may already have seen on Facebook):

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It's trite to say that time really flies with a baby, but it's true.

Mothering is like some separate sense, an ( Read more... )

Having a cold and being 8 1/2 months pregnant is a bad combination. I feel really lucky, as this is the first time I've been sick while pregnant. Yesterday was okay. But today this cold has totally wiped me out.... I've passed most of my time with 2 naps and some more laying on the couch. What's the point of feeling sick if you don't even feel like ( Read more... )

As I wait (impatiently) for the stork to rap on my door with his cartoon beak, my sweet baby bundle in tow, I've filled my week with writing projects, projects that would be great to complete, but ones that aren't time-sensitive should my daughter decide to arrive early.

The problem: motivation, dedication, avoiding procrastination, sitting down and ( Read more... )

This week, as part of her final VCFA residency for an MFA in writing for children and young adults, my mom, Sarah Blake Johnson, gave a presentation on character roles. Unluckily I wasn't able to attend the official lecture, but I did get to see one of her practice run-throughs. My mom wasn't talking about archetypal roles (for example, a Christ ( Read more... )

One of the challenges I face when writing is I tend to over think things in the initial drafting stage. This goes for research as well.

So one of my goals for NaNoWriMo is to restrict the researcher in me. And so this month, during my writing time, I am almost entirely limiting myself to quick trips to Wikipedia for research. If I've hit my word ( Read more... )

It's still Halloween, and I do hope that you've had a Happy Halloween with lots of cute trick or treaters.

And I hope that you'll have a Happy November!

My musings on November:

I've always liked November. It's often still Fall--cool, crisp mornings, somewhat warmer in the afternoon. I like that I always get to spend time with family in November, and ( Read more... )

Light, delicious little snowflakes. Utah skiers are certainly  thrilled--there's been a ton in the mountains. And as long as I keep myself warm I don't mind winter and I rather like the snow. I like autumn better, but I'll take snow as long as it provides minimal inconvenience and cold for me. And I have super cool snowflake earrings that I got ( Read more... )

1. Every six months or so, it seems I need to readjust myself to my own life, to re-learn how to cope, to think about all the roles I play, how I spend my time, and what it takes for me to be happy. I've spent less time online as a result, and been have been reminded that writing, while important to me, is just one aspect of me. The same goes for ( Read more... )

 I've officially decided to do NaNoWriMo this year. One of the challenges I have with writing is I'm a slow writer--particularly when it comes to first drafts. And I like revising much better than writing a first draft. So I've decided to do NaNoWriMo this year.

Any suggestions from those who have done NaNoWriMo before? What works well, what doesn

I was debating the best way to keep track of all the free online patterns for crocheted baby girl sweaters, and I realized that it was the links I wanted. So I decided the blog was the place to put it. So this entry is really for myself.

( Pattern Links beneath the cut... )