I went to bed last night just 1700 words short of my 50,000 go for NaNoWriMo. I woke up fresh and early and got it done! I have completed the 50K words in 30 days that I set out to do and I feel great!
Sadly the story is not done. My character has a new bad guy after her, and she still has a kidnapping to solve. So her and I still have some time to spend together while I get to the real end of her story, but it was a great month. We really learned a lot. I'm taking a break for bit. I really need to catch up on my reading!! And I have a pile of critiques to clear out of my studio. And a studio to create!!
My English final is due tomorrow - 3 essays. I have finally finished them. YES!!! I can't wait for this darn class to be oooooooovvvvvvvvvveeeeeeerrrr!!!
The funeral was exactly what I expected. But I loved seeing my aunt and uncle.
I needed some cheering up, so my long-time BFF Crissy, cute preK teacher extraordinaire, and I went out for dinner and a movie. We watched 4 Christmases (HILARIOUS! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT) and had a bit of my favorite Italian cuisine at Olive Garden. (I would have loved an Italian Margarita but guess I couldn't finish my paper drunk, and I don't want to be hung over tomorrow - those drinks have kick).
An uneventful weekend for sure. I went shopping at some local flea markets - bought a bunch of stuff for my new studio. And I have some great new vintage pieces for my altered art and art journals. (I can't wait to get into some paint soon!) My niece and sister are going Sassy Scrappers with me. Woohoo! I've created monsters. My brother-in-law is mad at me (my sis keeps buying scrapbooking supplies - hehehehe). I look forward to working in some art. Words are kinda getting on my nerves this week.
My first short story is published and available for viewing online at www.theshinejournal.com/blanchardm.htm . Go check it out!
Mood: tired
Music: Katy Perry - Hot n Cold
Motivation Level: 1.5 (out of 10)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Taking a Step Back
As the end of the month approaches with the NaNoWriMo Challenge due, 3 English papers due, and a newsletter due, I found myself a bit overwhelmed today. So I decided to take a step back from my life.
I threw my obligations into the (recently cleaned) backseat and opted to have a grand day filled with spur of the moment activities, like shopping at local flea markets, buying stuff for my new studio/workroom/writing room, visiting the local scrapbooking store which I never seem to find time to do, and watching a movie I purchased 3 months ago and never got around to opening much less watching, called Dedication, with Billy Crudup and Mandy Moore. (I'm a Mandy Moore movie-fanatic). He's a writer, she's an illustrator - really good!
Seeing Billy put me in the mood for another movie of his, so I pulled out one of my favorites, Stage Beauty. I started the day in a rut, depressed about a funeral I'll be attending this weekend, not wanting to write anymore, for my novel or my English class, and just in a general funk. (Wait! Me without words, (shudder); now what kind of world is that - a scary place for sure. But don't get too excited I can still manage to talk your ear off!)
Regardless, I made the best of it. And while the words were lost, I did the next best thing. Chin up with a smile, I escaped. And finding that escape I returned to my precious movies and found the passion and emotion that is missing in a lot of the movies that are made today.
I guess it's easier to show passion and emotion when you're quoting Shakespeare but Claire Danes and Billy Crudup really light up the screen, which is just what I needed right now. Because my character is headed for her onstage debut - which leads to her next BIG (hot) scene with the hero. Hmmmm. I should be able to breeze through 6000 words now!!!
Drinking: Coke Zero
Music: Sick Puppies - My World
Mood: Melancholy.
It's sad to see the heroes of our past fall. Rather than think of the recent situation - where I'm the hated black sheep of the family - I will remember us as we used to be. The family get togethers, crawfish boils, cousins everywhere, and the 6 men who stood strong as one family. I'll remember the man who came to the circus with us, who hung out with us, and who made us laugh. I'll remember the good days. Rest In Peace.
I threw my obligations into the (recently cleaned) backseat and opted to have a grand day filled with spur of the moment activities, like shopping at local flea markets, buying stuff for my new studio/workroom/writing room, visiting the local scrapbooking store which I never seem to find time to do, and watching a movie I purchased 3 months ago and never got around to opening much less watching, called Dedication, with Billy Crudup and Mandy Moore. (I'm a Mandy Moore movie-fanatic). He's a writer, she's an illustrator - really good!
Seeing Billy put me in the mood for another movie of his, so I pulled out one of my favorites, Stage Beauty. I started the day in a rut, depressed about a funeral I'll be attending this weekend, not wanting to write anymore, for my novel or my English class, and just in a general funk. (Wait! Me without words, (shudder); now what kind of world is that - a scary place for sure. But don't get too excited I can still manage to talk your ear off!)
Regardless, I made the best of it. And while the words were lost, I did the next best thing. Chin up with a smile, I escaped. And finding that escape I returned to my precious movies and found the passion and emotion that is missing in a lot of the movies that are made today.
I guess it's easier to show passion and emotion when you're quoting Shakespeare but Claire Danes and Billy Crudup really light up the screen, which is just what I needed right now. Because my character is headed for her onstage debut - which leads to her next BIG (hot) scene with the hero. Hmmmm. I should be able to breeze through 6000 words now!!!
Drinking: Coke Zero
Music: Sick Puppies - My World
Mood: Melancholy.
It's sad to see the heroes of our past fall. Rather than think of the recent situation - where I'm the hated black sheep of the family - I will remember us as we used to be. The family get togethers, crawfish boils, cousins everywhere, and the 6 men who stood strong as one family. I'll remember the man who came to the circus with us, who hung out with us, and who made us laugh. I'll remember the good days. Rest In Peace.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
So Much To Be Thankful For
What a wonderful day! I love having the day the off!!!!
My family does not believe in a traditional turkey dinner. I can't remember what we ate when I was a kid, but Thanksgiving, as with most holidays, were usually at my grandmother's house with the whole gang (aunts/uncles/cousins). But the tradition seems to have changed as everyone got older, and Thanksgiving is at my mom's house each year. It's a small affair. Lunch is cooked by 10 am, and you had better be finished eating by 12:30pm cause the 'kitchen's closed', and we get kicked out. The rest of the day can be spent doing whatever we want to do, at our own houses (lol).
Until I started working at AT&T 6 years ago, I have never experienced a "real" Thanksgiving feast like I read about and see in the movies. A friend of mine, Licia, decided to cook a Thanksgiving meal for me. She started at 3am and by 12pm (what is taking so long) I still had not eaten. After we raided her neighbor's apartment for some of their turkey grub, I decided the whole turkey fiasco was not for me.
This is the Blanchard Family Thanksgiving meal:
Some of my Mom's finest seafood gumbo and potato salad (the potato salad was a bit dry this year - so it may not look that great but it sure tasted good). My niece and I usually are in charge of washing dishes so we love using paper plates instead of the "fine china." You can keep all that meat and mess. I'll stick with the easy fixin' foods.
Stacey, the world traveler and scrapbooking fanatic, wonderful mother of 2 beautiful kids, photographer, best big sis a girl could ever ask for:
Jason, my fav and only little brother, electrician extraordinaire, dare-devil, hard working, lover of toys (trucks, bikes, 4wheelers, etc) 
My family does not believe in a traditional turkey dinner. I can't remember what we ate when I was a kid, but Thanksgiving, as with most holidays, were usually at my grandmother's house with the whole gang (aunts/uncles/cousins). But the tradition seems to have changed as everyone got older, and Thanksgiving is at my mom's house each year. It's a small affair. Lunch is cooked by 10 am, and you had better be finished eating by 12:30pm cause the 'kitchen's closed', and we get kicked out. The rest of the day can be spent doing whatever we want to do, at our own houses (lol).
Until I started working at AT&T 6 years ago, I have never experienced a "real" Thanksgiving feast like I read about and see in the movies. A friend of mine, Licia, decided to cook a Thanksgiving meal for me. She started at 3am and by 12pm (what is taking so long) I still had not eaten. After we raided her neighbor's apartment for some of their turkey grub, I decided the whole turkey fiasco was not for me.
This is the Blanchard Family Thanksgiving meal:
Some of my Mom's finest seafood gumbo and potato salad (the potato salad was a bit dry this year - so it may not look that great but it sure tasted good). My niece and I usually are in charge of washing dishes so we love using paper plates instead of the "fine china." You can keep all that meat and mess. I'll stick with the easy fixin' foods.
On this Thanksgiving Day 2008, I have a lot to be thankful for. I have family and friends who love and support me. I have a great critique group and writer's group. My life is full of hobbies and dreams that I get to work toward every day. My first story will be published, hopefully, in 3 days. And I seem to be working toward finishing a novel; a first for sure.
These are two women that show me courage and strength each and every day. Intelligent, beautiful, resilient. They inspire me and make me want to be a better woman, mother, sister, friend, just like they have been every day of their lives. Yvonne (mom) and Belver (grandmother):
Stacey, the world traveler and scrapbooking fanatic, wonderful mother of 2 beautiful kids, photographer, best big sis a girl could ever ask for:
Jason, my fav and only little brother, electrician extraordinaire, dare-devil, hard working, lover of toys (trucks, bikes, 4wheelers, etc)
Lauren, my beautiful niece, honor student, Harry Potter loving, smart alec Jr., lover of music and dancing
Michael, my sweet, sweet nephew, so cute in his new glasses, gameboy playing, soft spoken, I just love his blue eyes and his sweet smile
Paul, my brother-in-law, smart alec Sr., comedian, iPhone lover, motorcycle riding, foosball playing
Today I'm feeling a bit melancholy. Our family is growing and changing and yet for me it feels like my life is standing still. Daddy's birthday just passed on the 22nd, and I miss him more and more every day. How different would our lives have been had that one moment been altered in our pasts? Who would we be? But what happened happened and cannot be changed.
But I miss you, Daddy. I wish you could see us now and see Michael and Lauren grow up. I wish they could know what a wonderful person their grandfather was. I wish I could see your smile and your eyes light up in laughter just one more time.
I'm thankful for the day spent with my wonderful family, and for the fact that we were all together this holiday! Thanks for keeping my family and friends safe and healthy. Thanks for every day that you give us. Thanks for life!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sassy Scrappers
Today I attended the Open House for the Sassy Scrappers MeetUp group in Lafayette (LA) with my long-time friend, Tanya.
She was working hard:
And I was hardly working:
J/K. The final piece is a secret so I can't post that picture (I know you're so disappointed).
This was a great opportunity to enjoy the company of some wonderful ladies while creating on such a beautiful Saturday. I plan on attending many more meetups as I learn what scrapbooking is all about. Anyone in the surrounding areas who loves to scrapbook or create altered journals should check it out and JOIN US FOR SOME FUN-FILLED meetups.
Its amazing how much work we accomplished. I thought I had brought too much stuff (okay I had) but I could have brought more because this meetup was SO PRODUCTIVE.
Find out more about this group at http://scrapbook.meetup.com/624/ . I hope to see you at the next one!
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