Retreating

So, for the next few days, I'll be retreating on the Garden Path.

At the Oregon Garden Resort.

The Next Leval - Writer's and Illustrator's Workshop

SCBWI Next Level Series - Annex

When: Sat, October 18, 2pm – 4pm

Description: What, Where and When: Ready to bring your writing and illustration skills to The Next Level? 

Whether you're plotting a novel or perfecting a picture book, SCBWI Oregon’s professional series will give you tools to advance your career. Join us on the third Saturday of each month in The Annex at Tabor Space on 5441 SE Belmont. Doors open at 2:00 pm, and speakers start at 2:30. 

 Doors open at 2:00; Session: 2:30 pm-4pm ATTENTION from TaborSpace management: Parking has become a concern for our neighbors. Please park in the TaborSpace parking lot on SE 54th. If the lot is full, be very considerate of neighbors' driveways when parking on the street. Fees: This year we will be charging for this wonderful series—sorry, we can’t continue to give the event to you free. Fees pay for the room rental and speaker honorariums. But here are your options: 1. Purchase a Member Pass for $35 for the pass (nonmembers $50) by Sept. 17th, which gives you all 7 sessions… (This option will only be available for a couple months.) 2. Preregister for each TNL event, $8 for members and $10 for nonmembers by Sept. 17th for this month. 3. Register at the door and pay $10 for members and $12 for nonmembers after Sept. 17th. Topic: Picturebook Polka: the dance of words and images How do we know which words are essential to tell our stories? How can we create illustrations that expand on the story instead of just repeating in pictures what is already written in words? And most importantly, how can the two dance together to reveal the heart of the story? In this workshop, we will look at examples of books that attain this balance and those that miss the mark. Covering issues for both PB writers and PB illustrators (and for those who do both.) https://oregon.scbwi.org

Dracula Untold

It's not a bad way to spend a day. Watching handsome men dazzle their way across the big screen. But when you go to see a Dracula movie, you're usually expecting at least a couple moments sitting on the edge of your seat. But Dracula Untold seemed a bit more like a legendary history lesson to me than a good old October Fright Night movie.

Still the show was interesting...although it lacked any scary moments, it gave us another perspective on an old story.

And the scenery beautiful. I love shows which use costuming well and I think this one did.

Unfortunately though, this is one movie I would say to wait to see until it comes out in dvd...if you really want to see it. . . but DON'T expect any thrilling moments unless a handsome Vlad can take your breath away.

Warrior Goddess

Seeing this picture is so inspiring. Everyday we limit ourselves and believe we can't do things we never even try. Usually it is our own thoughts that hold us back from attempting things we could do with a little...okay, maybe a lot...of practice and hard work. Now, I'm not saying we could all do this, but we might be able to, if we tried.

So, I decided to try something new...not exactly what the woman is doing up above but she is pretty inspiring. And just trying archery was something new for me and it was a lot of fun.

Have you tried anything new for you?

And if you're interested in attempting what the woman at the top of this blog is doing, you might want to check out her book:

A quote from Warrior Goddess Training, a book by HeatherAsh Amara:

"The first step on this path is not about gaining some insight or attaining a new state of being. Rather, it requires you to relinquish some things that you have been holding on to for a long, long time. On a path of transformation, you must be willing to give up your false beliefs and self-limiting stories."

Order the book and get Warrior Goddess Online Bootcamp FREE. Details here.

Movie Review - Gone Girl

Gone Girl - The movie followed the book by Gillian Flynn fairly closely, even the opening was pretty much the same. I remember reading the book and thinking it reminded me of the Scott and Laci Peterson story and I was immediately thinking Nick Dunn was guilty and wondering why I was reading another story of a husband who killed his pregnant wife...(played by Rosamund Pike) but boy-oh-boy was I ever wrong and the story really only started getting good (for me) after about the first hundred pages because I already had my mind made up. 

Was that book ever a lesson in keeping an open mind in Innocent until Proven Guilty...

And the movie kept right along with the theme. The only thing I wasn't so happy with about the movie was the ending. I think the book left me not really liking either Amazing Amy or Nick Dunn and the movie didn't do that job as well. I almost felt sorry for poor Nick who was going to stay in a loveless marriage to save his child...

What a hero--Ben Affleck was--but he wasn't, at least not to me, when I was reading the book.

All-in-all I'd say this was a pretty good movie, but maybe more so because I already read the book. And, of course, there is one gruesome scene that people will be very surprised by, if they haven't read the story first. (Watch out for the part with Desi Collings - played by Neil Patrick Harris).

But, if you see it, I'd love to hear what you think/thought. 

I'd give the movie a C+ to a B-...I know, I'm a hard grader...but I'd have to say, you know ;) the book was better.

Big Bird And All the Crew

 I started to think about scary things and. . . with Halloween right around the corner . . .  I decided to carve a pumpkin...or four, with the help of my hubby.

I got most of  the crew together: Elmo (my fav),Cookie Monster (someone a lot like me), Gonzo and of course the giant among aves...in the world of avians.

Here's how we did it:

First we picked the pumpkins. And, have you ever seen the "PERFECT" pumpkin for a character...? Well I saw this one and immediately thought "GONZO".

Then I sketched their faces on the pumpkins and started carving...

I needed something special for the eyes...and Ping Pong balls seemed perfect.

Then we just kept going...

We had to think a minute about how to attach the beak to Big Bird. But we came up with a skewer of an idea.

My hubby hammered the bamboo skewers in place for me to hold the beak still. Then I painted the bird.

Then I put them all together to dry.

Now I just have to think of a way to put them on the porch . . .

Welcome to Sesame Street :D

DIY Ghosts for Halloween

This little ghost is so simple to make. 

 Here's all you need:

1) Cheesecloth (found in paint sections of stores)
2) Liquid fabric stiffener (most fabric/craft stores)
3) Wiggly eyes (found in craft/fabric stores)
4) Elmer's glue or some tacky glue
5) A tennis ball container or spray paint can

Steps to make ghosts:

1) Dip the cheesecloth in the fabric stiffener
(put a cookie sheet or cutting board underneath the tennis ball container or spray paint can for EZ clean-up)
2) Drape wet cheesecloth over tennis ball container or spray paint can
3) Let dry
4) Glue on wiggly eyes and hang up around the house

Dip the cheesecloth in the fabric stiffener and place over a can of tennis balls and put one tennis ball on the top to make the head round...ish.

 After it has dried overnight, glue on the eyes.

Then you can place your little ghosts around the house, or hang them with a thin string to dangle around the house and scare passersby. . . just a little.