It's Time For Another Giveaway

Yes, you heard me right. It's time for another giveaway. The weather here in Salt Lake has been a bit confused lately: snow, rain, hail, and just a bit of sun. And even though I think it's time for spring, mother nature can't quite make up her mind. So instead of warm weather, maybe some cheerful little bird prints will be just what it takes to usher in spring.


You could win three bird prints of your choice from my etsy shop. Any three. You choose. 


It's easy to ENTER. All you have to do is make sure you're a follower and then blog, tweet, facebook or email about my contest, anything to spread the word. Then just write me a message letting me know how you did it. All new followers will automatically be entered twice. And like always, the more ways you spread the word, the more times you'll be entered.**


The contest will end Thursday, May 5th. 


** Don't forget to leave a message to enter. Otherwise I won't know to put you in the drawing. You can leave a message here or send me an email.

(a man enters)

Last night my mom and I got to see a staged reading of our play (a man enters) at SLAC. (By the way, this is a working title. If you have a flash of inspiration and come up with a better one please, please let me know.)

It was AMAZING. The actors were perfect and we were lucky to have a full house and many, many brilliant audience members who stayed after for our talk back.

My funny and neurotic mom (hmmm, that's not hereditary, is it?) was so nervous that she could hardly enjoy the play, but I had a GREAT time. Maybe it's because I let her do all the worrying and I was just there for the ride.

As we were waiting for the play to start I mentioned to my mom how excited and unworried I was and she decided it was because I have fifteen thousand other careers to fall back on if this one doesn't pan out. (Well, maybe she didn't say fifteen thousand, but you get my drift.) This might be the first time my "career attention deficit disorder" has actually paid off. 

I Should Be Doing [blank] Right Now

1-  Laundry—it’s always there. Always. Maybe we need to start walking around naked. It doesn’t have to be every day (maybe just every other).

2-  Revising—Yes, I did it all day long, but that doesn’t mean I’m done.

3-  Baking—Just think of all those yummy things that I could make if only I could follow the recipe.

4-  Going to the Post Office—I’ve got packages just waiting to be sent, but I guess if they’ve waited this long they can wait one more day.

5-  Cleaning out the kids’ drawers—How can there be so many clothes crammed in one drawer yet nothing to wear? Do everyone’s kids grow this fast?

6-  Writing—not this sort of writing. What about that new middle grade novel?

7-  The dishes—you mean you have to put them IN the dishwasher too? And start it??

8-  Painting—I told myself I’d paint three little birds a day. How many have I done today? You guessed it: zero.

9-  Mopping the kitchen floor—If I wait long enough maybe we can just call all that stuff leftovers and I won’t have to fix dinner.

10-              Laundry—Did I mention that it’s never ending?

11-              Reading—What about that list of books I want to read? Aren’t I the one always complaining that there’s never enough time to read them all.

12-              Rubbing my husband’s back—Actually he doesn’t even like his back rubbed, but I was just hoping that he’d reciprocate.

13-              Going to the grocery store—A family can’t live off of cereal alone. You know it’s bad when all that’s left in the refrigerator are condiments, and the containers of leftovers whose origins have long since been forgotten.

14-              Exercising—Ha! That was funny that I even wrote that down.

15-              Reading the newspaper—Don’t all the really smart people you know read the paper?

16-              Weeding—I’m happy that the snow has melted and my flowers do seem to be thriving, but sadly so do the weeds.

17-              Mowing the lawn—Yes, I guess I only do it once a year, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it more.

18-              Practicing the Piano—Okay, so I don’t PLAY the piano, but maybe if I started practicing I would.

19-              Writing thank you notes—Remember when I said that I wanted to start being considerate? What happened to that idea?

20-              Giving the dogs a bath—How can such little creatures get sooooo stinky?

21-              Vacuuming—Where do all those itty bitty bits of paper come from?

22-              Cleaning under my bed—I’ve lived in my house for over ten years and I think the only time I’ve ever cleaned under my bed was when we moved the furniture in our room. I wonder what’s under there (????).

Following Instructions

Anyone who knows me is aware that I'm not the best at following instructions. Maybe this is one of the reasons why it's so stressful to paint comissioned pieces. Even with specific colors, I'm always nervous that the painting I create will never match up to the image that the customer has in their mind.

Trying to understand what someone has envisioned in a custom piece is a little like trying to describe a dream. You know how sometimes a dream can seem to make sense in your mind, but the moment you try to explain it, it turns into something fuzzy and ethereal? That's a bit what visualizing commissions feels like to me. 

I've been working on a piece for a "special" (code word for secret) client that wants an exclusive painting for their store. I'm not done with the painting yet, but you're getting a sneak peek at it. What do you think?  

Let's Play

Yesterday was the first read through of our play at Salt Lake Acting Company and although I’ve heard it inside my mind for months it was like I was experiencing it for the first time. These professional actors have already done more for our play than I could have ever imagined.

The woman playing the character of Rosie (me) was a far better “me” than I could ever be. It made me wish that I could carry an actor around with me at all times to say things the way I really mean to say them.

It’s peculiar to think that the truth can be acted far more convincingly than reality can ever do it. Maybe this is the reason we’re so drawn to movies and plays, because in them we get to see things condensed and distilled to a reality that adds up to more than our disparate lives.

A Ceremony

Sometimes a ceremony is in order.

Of course when you've got a day filled with soccer practices, play dates, cookie baking, dinner making, and homework, sometimes even a ceremony can fall by the wayside.

My contract came in the mail today from Levine Greenberg and I resolved when I opened the package that I'd wait for my family to get home before I signed it. In my mind I had visions of brass bands and confetti; bouqets of colorful balloons floating into the sky.

Obviously that's not how things went.

So what if I didn't get around to doing my makeup or fixing my hair. It wouldn't have seemed right to have my family standing around me in three piece suits and evening gowns. Pajamas and clean, damp hair were fine with me. 

As I opened my pen at the dining room table Noah pounded out a drum roll on his vocabulary book and Morgan snapped pictures as well as any paparazzi. As I finished my signature with a flourish, Becca leaned over and asked me if I'd spelled my name wrong? 

Maybe we didn't paint our faces in tribal war paint like Morgan had hoped, or covered our bodies in our favorite words like I'd suggested, but it still felt like something special. 

The Best Tsunami

It feels like a tidal wave of saved up good Karma has washed over me all in the span of a few days and it has left me happily gasping for air.

My most exciting news is also the news that has taken the longest to get to. For fifteen years I’ve been working hard at nurturing my dream of some day being an author. I’ve written short stories and essays, slaved through 3 day novel writing competitions. I’ve attended conferences in short story writing, creative nonfiction and memoir. I’ve started countless novels and have even managed to finish a few of them. I’ve entered contests, and almost won a few and I’ve seen one essay go on to be published in a literary magazine. All that has brought me to the exciting place I am today: accepting representation from literary agent Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg. I couldn’t be happier!

Not only were my dreams of finding an amazing agent realized, but I also just found out that the play that my mom and I wrote together (tentatively entitled A Man Enters) is being considered by Salt Lake Acting Company for their 2011-2012 season. I can’t believe how lucky I am not only to be able to write a play with my best friend (and mom), but to possibly see that play produced. This play is extra special because it’s partially based off of my own life and my relationship with my estranged father. If anyone is interested in hearing our play while it’s still in development, SLAC (Salt Lake Acting Company) will be holding a reading of our play on April 25^th at 7:00.

Lest you think that the only good news lately has come to my writing life, let me assure you that I’ve also had plenty of good news about my art as well. Not only has my wonderful publisher, Laurie Downing at Poems Art Inc., informed me that she’s getting barraged with calls for new work from me, but she also arranged for a very cool exclusive painting for a big client. I also found out that the new movie 21 Jump Street has requested to use 10 of my prints on their set.

Wow! I’m exhausted with good news, but I won’t complain if the waves keep coming.