NATURALLY FUN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

 

Handmade Crafts Journey

Siena and her mother Marcella, talked with me about their 17-year journey of selling handmade crafts, which began when Siena was only 6 years old, when they were homeschooling. Siena explained that she has dyslexia, which makes her more visual and naturally inclined towards creative activities, while Marcella shared that their family has a strong tradition of crafting, with both her mother and grandmother being artists. The conversation revealed how their homeschooling environment provided the freedom to explore various types of crafts, ultimately leading to the successful craft business they have built over the years. They have even been in Better Homes & Gardens magazines!

Family-Inspired Creative Exploration

Siena talks about her family's artistic background, particularly her mother's embroidery and knitting work, which inspired her own creativity.  She explained how having access to a variety of materials at home encouraged her to experiment and try new ideas without the pressure of saving materials for specific projects. Siena showcased some of her wool felt toys, including gnomes and mushrooms, which she creates without faces to allow children's imaginations to shape the characters and stories.

Naturally Fun Business Philosophy

Siena explained the origin of the business name "Naturally Fun," which reflects their philosophy of incorporating natural materials and a focus on fun in their products and homeschooling approach. She emphasized that people often describe their items as fun, happy, and unique, which totally aligns with their mission to infuse joy into their creations.

Crafting Journey and Market Expansion

Siena discussed her journey with crafting and selling items at markets, starting with school markets when she was very young and expanding to private markets during COVID-19. She noted that private markets reached a different audience and allowed her to explore her passion while balancing work and travel. Siena loves her flexible schedule and work-life balance that this creative business provides, motivating her to continue growing and pushing herself.

Upcoming Events and Promotions

Siena and Kimbra discussed upcoming in-person events, including the Oswego Farmer's Market Reunion, Baltic Holidays, Portland Wilder School, and several events in December, such as the Scan Fair at the convention center. Siena highlighted her unique crafts, including felt ornaments and sweater trees, and we all want to encourage supporting small businesses. 

If you want to check them out, here's a list of events they'll be at:

Check out my interview with them here: https://youtu.be/FWgOGZBr-kk

ASMR HAIR BRUSHING - Relax, Rejuvenate and get Ready

Author Interview - With Help for Writers

If you're a reader or a writer, you'll be interested to hear Mary Rose tell her story of her path to publication and how she found a publishing coach to help her get her book into print. 

And, if you're interested in middle grade fiction, Evelyn Am, just might be the story you'll want to pick up for the holidays. 

Readers have compared Evelyn Am to To Kill a Mockingbird and It's a Wonderful Life - so a perfect book for the holidays. 

https://youtu.be/vB60mAdZ4jo

Which One Did it Better - Ghosts or Snowmen

 I just finished our Harvest Festival, and now I'm moving on to Christmas Crafting with transforming my Firewood Ghosts into Firewood Snowmen. Which one do you think did it better? 

Vote down below

Ghosts?

or 

Snowmen?

Or maybe even the reindeer...? 

If you're having trouble deciding, check out my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/gJJ3SQZP_Yk and make sure to vote. 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW With The Path to Publication and New Release Discussion

 

Margaret's Path to Publication with her New Book: Dying Cry 

CHECK OUT THE INTERVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/GiFruX2ss74

Margaret talks about her path to publication with her first book, "Killing Trail," published by Crooked Lane Books in 2014 after the arduous journey of finding an agent. 

She discusses using a canine character and how her books appeal to both male and female readers, including animal lovers and professionals like retired police officers and veterinarians. 

Success Strategies for Aspiring Writers

Margaret shared her success story with Crooked Lane Books, where her first two books were well-received, leading to a contract for ten books in total. 

Writing and Publishing Insights

Margaret shares her experience of writing and publishing her books, emphasizing the importance of querying agents, crafting elevator pitches, and building a social media presence before securing a contract. 

Dying Cry" Book Discussion

Margaret tells us a bit about "Dying Cry." Maddie, Cole, and Cole's daughters hear a scream while snowshoeing and discover a body at the base of a cliff, leading to a host of suspects and one heroic dog who plays a central role in solving the mystery.

Integrating Experience into Fiction Characters

Margaret also talks about her transition from writing nonfiction to fiction. 

I hope you'll check out her book and help out another reader and writer by giving her book a review - it really helps! 

ASMR HAIR BRUSH VIDEO

If you're looking for something to help you unwind so you can get to sleep, then try ASMR with the soothing sounds of crunchy hair brushing, blow drying and hair styling to help put you to sleep.

Need Sleep - Try ASMR Crunchy Hair Brushing

 

If you need sleep, check out the soothing sounds of ASMR hair brushing sounds. Just close your eyes and listen: 

https://youtu.be/BO9w_gM27_8

ASMR HAIR BRUSHING AND BLOW DRYING

If you need sleep, check out this ASMR hair brushing and Blow Drying video. 

ASMR HAIR WASH AND BRUSH

Your Path to Publication

I've always loved reading. Maybe because I grew up in a house filled with children. Mom had 9 of us and Grandma lived with us too. So, as you can imagine, Mom and Dad were always busy. 

Plus, we only had one television when I was a kid, and it was black and white. Okay, I know that dates me to nearly the Stone Age but it's true. And, in those days you had to find ways to entertain yourself.

And being nearly at the end of that long line of kids, I never got to pick the television shows we watched, unless I ran home from school and was the first into the house. Then, if I was lucky, I could catch the last fifteen minutes of Dark Shadows and Barnabus Collins. 

You might ask, "What does all that have to do with me getting published?"

And, I would have to say, "A lot!"

You have to be an avid reader to be a decent writer. And, even if you disagree with me on that one issue, you'd have to admit that if you read a lot, you at least have some concept of how words should be put together to tell a story and that definitely can't hurt with your writing. 

And, if you've always wanted to write a book, my best advice to you is to...start writing.

There are a lot of people who dream of becoming an author, but the first step is to work on perfecting your craft (aka writing).

Once you've worked on that angle of the pie, you need to do some research. Check out the best writing groups in your area and of course the best critique groups, agents, editors and publishing houses. 

You might not know where to begin looking, so I'm going to provide some helpful links and suggestions.

Manuscript Wish List: The Official Manuscript Wish List Website – #MSWL: What do you wish you had in your inbox?

Agent Query: https://www.agentquery.com/

Query Tracker: Literary Agents on QueryTracker

Directory of Literary Agents: USA Literary Agencies - Directory of Literary Agents

Another thing I would do is to track down blogposts and interviews your dream agent has done to learn more about this person who might become your literary partner for years to come.

Next, see if there are any conferences your dream agent has or will be attending in the future that you might be able to participate in.

These are a few websites, links and suggestions that will at least help get you on the "write" path to publication 

And, if you have any questions, just let me know and I'll see what I can do to help. 

Noises Off at Lakewood Theatre

 

We went to see a comedy show at the Lakwood Center for the Arts on Thursday night. 

Even the grounds were spectacular. There were art pieces to catch your eye on the walk up to the venue.

And, once we got inside there were costume displays and previous show fliers to entertain us while we waited for the show to begin.

It was a farcically fun night out filled with physical comedy and spoofs plus bits and pieces of hilarity. 

The show was performed in this intimate setting with beautiful backdrops and obviously perfect coordination from the cast and crew:

Director: Don Alder

Stage Manager: Cassie Kanios

Set Designer: Chris Whitten

Costume Designer: Janelle Sutton

Sound Designer: Marcus Storey

Executive Producer: Steve Knox

Prop Designer: Jim Crino

Lighting Designer: Dug Martell

ASM: Megan Misslin

The Cast Consisted of:

Dotty: Sarah Lucht (My favorite of the characters-though everyone was exceptional)

Lloyd: Tom Mounsey

Garry: Tom Walton

Brooke: Bonnie Auguston

Poppy: Ariel Puls

Frederick: Mark Schwahn

Belinda: Melissa Whitney

Tim: Andy Baldwin

Selsdon: Grant Byington

The show runs from February 28 to April 6, 2025, so there is still time to catch a fun night out in a quaint venue. 

Ticket prices:

$42 Adults

$40 Seniors

$30 Students

If you have further questions, call the Box Office at 503-635-3901 

Palm Springs, The Parabas Open and The Joshua Tree National Park

If you love tennis, sunshine, and hiking, this trip is for you! We went to see the pros play the court game of tennis and stayed to check out the celebrity city of Palm Springs. We saw it all from famous icons of Marilyn to stars on the walkway of Ginger Rogers, Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller. 

Then we went up to the mountain to hike around the Joshua Tree National Park, where we saw geckos, strange rock formations and interesting vegetation, including the endangered Joshua Tree (which I think looks a lot like the hybrid of a cactus and a tree).

                                   

We even found another statue of Marilyn and then found a Pioneertown where we had lunch at the Red Dog Saloon.

 

It was a fun trip and we saw some fantastic tennis.

NEED SLEEP - then watch this ASMR hair washing video

This hair washing video will help you relax. Just click on the link: https://youtu.be/nmLf9dJALhU