tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48620640702085130452024-03-14T03:41:43.083-06:00Come out when you're happyJanice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-38945399469302404572015-06-08T15:47:00.000-06:002018-02-23T10:12:12.386-07:00A year with kittens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A year ago, our house was feeling empty when our old cat died. He had cancer and a severe case of the grumps, but he still left us feeling like something was missing. That was when I had the brilliant idea to foster kittens. But look at these little faces. How could we not keep them? Hobbes made himself at home the moment he found the food dish.</div>
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Cinderella showed no fear. She has since learned to fear thunder. She still loves to play with string.<br />
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This is their mother, Padme. It took some serious coaxing to get her to come out and join the family. She has since found a family of her very own.<br />
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Cinderella loves her toys. Hobbes has grown fond of the toys too - as long as they contain catnip. He walks around the house meowing whenever he is carrying one around. Sometimes we have to hide his toys at night.<br />
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Cinderella is a big helper. She acted as a prop for Halloween.</div>
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Hobbes likes to show off his bunny butt.<br />
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Cinderella will never let her brother outdo her on the weirdness scale.<br />
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Hobbes was sure he was the best gift ever. (He's right.)<br />
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Cinderella checking out the toys we made for the homeless kitties at the shelter.<br />
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Hobbes didn't like the plant.<br />
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It takes too much effort to stand and drink. Love the water dish, Cinderella. Love it.<br />
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Cinderella waiting for favorite human to get out of the bathroom.<br />
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So there you have it. A year with the kitties. We don't feel like we're missing anything anymore. (Except for maybe some homework and legos) My next blog will not involve kitties. Promise.Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-45639670892867900062015-01-22T10:57:00.001-07:002015-01-22T10:57:46.180-07:00Rebel Princess has been nominated for best cover!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvXGyIoWOgU/UuqTj740z6I/AAAAAAAABAc/bZOH-e59OJk/s1600/rebelprincess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvXGyIoWOgU/UuqTj740z6I/AAAAAAAABAc/bZOH-e59OJk/s1600/rebelprincess.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
Hop on over the the <a href="http://www.newldsfiction.com/2014-best-middle-grade-book-covers-1/">New LDS Fiction</a> blog to vote for your favorite cover. And, while you're there, check out the other amazing covers in the other categories.Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-17482184066711586782015-01-05T19:07:00.001-07:002015-01-05T19:07:26.795-07:00Enjoy them when they're big!I can't count the number of times people told me to enjoy my kids while they were little because they grow so fast. It's true. They did grow fast, but I didn't stop loving them the moment my son's voice changed or my daughter developed hips and a somewhat obsessive interest in cute boys. They were fun while they were little - and they still are. In fact, I think they get better with time. Wiping bottoms and runny noses can't compare with exchanging books and laughing about jokes that actually make sense.<br />
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Here are some advantages to having older kids;<br />
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First off, they are still cute. Look at that face.<br />
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I still get to make her hair all pretty.<br />
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We can use much more exciting mediums for art projects. He twisted this balloon animal all by himself.<br />
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We made these shirts with permanent markers and rubbing alcohol--definitely not something you would do with a toddler.</div>
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We can go hiking with them and don't have to carry anyone. (Blogger did something funky with some of my pictures.)</div>
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They can still be silly. Here we are at the dinosaur quarry in Vernal Utah. They are touching a real dinosaur bone. (They have a designated place for people to touch the bones.)<br />
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The quarry was actually pretty packed, but I never had to worry about someone wandering off or running away.<br />
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We can stand by rivers and not worry that someone is going to drown.<br />
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In a few months I will get my own personal errand boy.<br />
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Their school projects are fun and don't involve macaroni noodles.<br />
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There was a cobweb I couldn't reach. He made a contraption that involved a mop, a broom, and some duct tape to clean it for me.<br />
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Blogger did something really weird with this picture. I'm posting it anyway. It's kinda funny. His entire head was attached when he was cooking. </div>
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The older they get, the better they get at cooking.</div>
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He collected over $1000 worth of items for a local children's hospital. Talk about a proud Mommy moment!</div>
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So don't panic when someone tells you to enjoy your kids while they are little. You can still enjoy them when they're big.</div>
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Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-54572676453138970562014-12-09T13:55:00.003-07:002014-12-09T19:54:13.046-07:00E-book Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvXGyIoWOgU/UuqTj740z6I/AAAAAAAABAc/bZOH-e59OJk/s1600/rebelprincess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvXGyIoWOgU/UuqTj740z6I/AAAAAAAABAc/bZOH-e59OJk/s1600/rebelprincess.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
You can get Kindle and Nook formats of my book for 99 cents until Dec 12th!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Princess-Janice-Sperry-ebook/dp/B00KVPHTLC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418158173&sr=8-1&keywords=rebel+princess">Amazon Link</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rebel-princess-janice-sperry/1117736950?ean=9781462114306">Barnes and Noble Link</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was born to be evil. Nice is NOT in my blood. Besides, nice girls get locked in towers. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Raven Perilous is like any other middle school girl—if middle school girls are usually evil princesses. The daughter of a gentle princess and evil sorcerer, Raven spends most of her time being as wicked as possible to avoid being stuck in a tower. So when Prince Charming shows up at her school, Raven knows she has met her nemesis. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In The Rebel Princess, loyalty, heroism, and a pinch of enchantment are perfect for conjuring up an adventure that you’ll never forget.</span></div>
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Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-62860870293993168352014-12-03T22:03:00.001-07:002014-12-03T22:03:55.819-07:00Carpet cleaning that works for you and the environment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't know about everyone else, but I like to thoroughly clean my house before the holidays. This includes cleaning the carpets. That's oil from a rolling chair. Lovely, isn't it?</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzXiLglsZd8/VH_hGwvYA2I/AAAAAAAABMQ/Y6KUIVsmfPg/s1600/2013-12-20%2B10.58.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzXiLglsZd8/VH_hGwvYA2I/AAAAAAAABMQ/Y6KUIVsmfPg/s1600/2013-12-20%2B10.58.33.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm not sure what this was but . . . ew.<br />
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One more lovely shot of my dirty carpet.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pfUMHfcRqaY/VH_hDh6ffyI/AAAAAAAABMA/OLMz_6-cj1I/s1600/2013-12-20%2B10.59.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pfUMHfcRqaY/VH_hDh6ffyI/AAAAAAAABMA/OLMz_6-cj1I/s1600/2013-12-20%2B10.59.13.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first thing I did was sprinkle my carpet with baking soda and let it sit all night. My early risers track it around the house in the morning, but it's just baking soda, so it doesn't matter. Vacuum the entire floor. I started taking pictures after I'd vacuumed.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wpi_qc6XqVA/VH_hfmGNkSI/AAAAAAAABMg/XMk82HWMgRs/s1600/2013-12-20%2B11.07.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wpi_qc6XqVA/VH_hfmGNkSI/AAAAAAAABMg/XMk82HWMgRs/s1600/2013-12-20%2B11.07.40.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fill your carpet cleaner with hot water and about 2 Tablespoons of vinegar. Go over your entire floor. This next picture is after the vinegar step. It looks a little better, but you can still see spots. For the record, I said this works, not that it's fast. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95sjWKwI84I/VH_heXb-tPI/AAAAAAAABMY/7HqSQTYUMro/s1600/2013-12-20%2B11.07.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95sjWKwI84I/VH_heXb-tPI/AAAAAAAABMY/7HqSQTYUMro/s1600/2013-12-20%2B11.07.45.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The oil stripe is a lot lighter after the vinegar.<br />
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The next step is to use liquid castile soap and water in the carpet cleaner. I use about the same proportions as the vinegar and water. You can buy castile soap at Walgreens or on Amazon. It is a natural soap and comes in several different scents. I like peppermint or orange. The next few pictures are after the castile soap<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2thCriCnsLs/VH_h05cYKVI/AAAAAAAABMw/QaykQTZBhAU/s1600/2013-12-20%2B11.45.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2thCriCnsLs/VH_h05cYKVI/AAAAAAAABMw/QaykQTZBhAU/s1600/2013-12-20%2B11.45.41.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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So much better.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UOYiiKUPej8/VH_h5LIIvEI/AAAAAAAABM4/iXF_GNPoy-c/s1600/2013-12-20%2B11.45.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UOYiiKUPej8/VH_h5LIIvEI/AAAAAAAABM4/iXF_GNPoy-c/s1600/2013-12-20%2B11.45.46.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the one that surprised me the most. No more oil stripe! I actually did this about a year ago and it is still gone.<br />
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The last step is to go over the entire carpet with just hot water. Keep going until the water is fairly clear when you dump it out. This ensures you got all the dirt and your carpet will not dry crunchy.<br />
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Be sure to test an inconspicuous area with this combination before you do your entire floor. Vinegar can lighten colors. My carpet is pretty light so it doesn't matter. (Note to self: Don't ever get light carpet again. It shows everything!)<br />
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Bonus shot of my book. Oh, pretty!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUNtQ1A2Hy8/VH_iRb8uXxI/AAAAAAAABNI/7E7QPohRTt0/s1600/2014-05-21%2B11.03.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUNtQ1A2Hy8/VH_iRb8uXxI/AAAAAAAABNI/7E7QPohRTt0/s1600/2014-05-21%2B11.03.10.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was not the most exciting of blogs so I will leave you with cute kitten pictures. I took these while they were still foster kittens so they have paper collars that they hated. Come to think of it, they don't like the regular collars either.</div>
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<br />Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-16266679921388165502014-11-04T17:53:00.000-07:002014-11-04T17:53:36.077-07:00Bryce Canyon Over UEA break my family took off for Bryce Canyon. We stayed at the KOA in Cannonville and had a great time. My boys played in the red dirt and chased rabbits. We arrived late Wednesday night and found that our reservation sheet had been picked up by someone else. We had no idea which cabin was ours and the office had been closed for hours. After about half an hour we found an empty cabin with a key on the table and decided it was ours. We unloaded and were soon in bed sleeping. There was a little bedroom with a queen bed, a bunk bed for the boys and a hide a bed for our daughter. It had a full kitchen, heat, and a full bathroom. I love camping like this! **The owners of the KOA were amazing and took great care of us. The mistake was no fault of theirs, they were ready for us and we highly recommend staying there.<br />
We woke to the most amazing sight out our windows, it was a long section of the Grand Staircase. And there were three rabbits playing by our car too.<br />
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This is Sunrise Point. We hiked one morning on the Queens\Navajo combination Loop. It was just under 3 miles and other than the last 1/2 mile, it was pretty easy going. The last bit was steep but plenty of room to "pull over" and rest up.<br />
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Upper Inspiration</div>
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This was on the way to one of the Hoodoo hikes called "Mossy Cave and waterfall." Part of the Jr. Ranger Program was to hike to at least three hoodoos and take a rubbing of the benchmark. When the boys received their Jr. Ranger badges we all received pins for hiking the Hoodoos.</div>
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One of the pull offs</div>
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My husband took this after a star talk by one of the rangers. So many stars!<br />
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This vest belongs to one of my boys. You can see he has earned a few pins from different national parks. We really love the Jr. Ranger program, It's fun and they learn new things like what scat it. ;-)</div>
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The pins are now what they earn and the patches we purchase for $1-3.</div>
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We spent 3 full days in Bryce and it was perfect for us. If you are more into hiking, you could spend a lot more time. Enjoy!</div>
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<br />Lezlie Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209474219822291266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-34690148049050112922014-10-24T16:43:00.000-06:002014-10-24T16:43:28.697-06:00Simple Halloween Decor That Doesn't Break the Bank<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've never been big on spending for Halloween. Money is often tight at this time of year as we work to get ready for Christmas. I buy a few Halloween decorations, but most of them are re-purposed or handmade.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--gh5U_fGcjw/VErDflpCoxI/AAAAAAAABLI/Jvw2eE7fauY/s1600/2014-10-23%2B14.03.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--gh5U_fGcjw/VErDflpCoxI/AAAAAAAABLI/Jvw2eE7fauY/s1600/2014-10-23%2B14.03.06.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Cinderella is not part of the decor. She just thinks she is. </div>
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My daughter found these dolls at a second hand store a few years ago. She thought they were beautiful and spent her own money to buy them. Then it got dark and she decided they wanted to kill her in her sleep. They spent some time locked away in a bin with books piled on top of them. Then I rescued them to use as Halloween decorations. My daughter thanks me every day for covering them up with distressed cheese cloth and putting them on display. I'm sure she'll want them back one day. </div>
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Distressing cheese cloth is actually pretty fun. All you have to do is cut and pull. It has a naturally creepy vibe, like the dolls.</div>
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I made this wreath out of an old glow-in-the-dark skeleton I had. Its legs were broken and it was missing several toes. I used black tubes from an old spider costume as the base. The ribs helped to make it more sturdy. Then, with my trusty glue gun, I attached the other bones and added the little skulls and bow tie. I didn't do a more detailed tutorial because I put it together with random pieces. It might be good for kick starting new ideas, though.</div>
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The monster is a big doll with a monster mask. Isn't she cute? I had to move it because the kittens didn't approve of the location. (It's all about them, you know.)<br />
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Cinderella insists on being in the pictures, but won't look at the camera. The skulls can be found in various stores for about a dollar.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vy-MaWOa52s/VErEdoLqylI/AAAAAAAABLQ/39UoHn_wbu4/s1600/2014-10-23%2B15.13.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vy-MaWOa52s/VErEdoLqylI/AAAAAAAABLQ/39UoHn_wbu4/s1600/2014-10-23%2B15.13.53.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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This ghost started out as a ghost costume. Unfortunately, the mask looks like Klan mask and I couldn't ever wear it. (It only looks that way on people. Weird, I know) The body of the costume is really long and with kittens around I decided it was best to keep it packed this year. I made a new body by tying three pieces of cheese cloth together and distressing them. The mask is stuffed with a paper mache head that glows under our black light. It's a pretty eerie way to greet our trick-or-treaters.<br />
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Plastic pumpkins pick up light from the window behind it.<br />
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Fuzzy pipe cleaner spiders. Take 4 pipe cleaners, twist them in the middle and glue a body over the twisted part. You can do a head too. I didn't because they aren't seen from close up and I was going for simple. They look pretty creepy from a distance with all those spindly legs.</div>
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Our ghost masks are still a favorite. This is their third year and they are still going strong, despite the crazy weather. Go <a href="http://comeoutwhenyourehappy.blogspot.com/2012/10/ghost-masks.html">here</a> for a full tutorial.<br />
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Have a safe, happy Halloween!Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-74962997546527255522014-10-13T21:46:00.004-06:002014-10-13T21:46:50.596-06:00Last minute Cell structures and story linksMy 14 YO informed me this afternoon that she has to make a "cell" complete with the membrane, ribosomes, golgi apparatus, smooth ER, Rough ER and lots of other parts that I don't care to remember. "Fantastic," I said not feeling happy. I had a root canal only 2 hours before. "When is it due?" Silence. Then a little whisper, "Tomorrow."<br />
Dear dear 14 YO. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME? SEND ME TO THE ER?<br />
Expired cake mix + scrounged up candy + cake sprinkles + my lone avocado=Eukaryotic Animal Cell. Sigh. Time for more IBU.<br />
I have to wonder sometimes...I learned all about this stuff in the 9th grade too. And have never once used it. I learned all about (well, was supposed to learn about) sentence structure and how to diagram them and the only time I've needed it was when my a fore mentioned 14 YO asked how to diagram a sentence for her homework.<br />
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Sigh. It's done and my poor avocado will not be delicious on a turkey sandwich anymore. Such is the life, we give up so much for our kids. I hope the appreciate it. ;-) </div>
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On a happier note: Here's a little blurb on my story, Snow Angels</div>
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<a href="http://blog.cedarfort.com/fiction-fest-a-peek-at-lezlie-andersons-snow-angels/" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1413258177404_8634" rel="nofollow" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333339691162px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: start;" target="_blank">http://blog.cedarfort.com/fiction-fest-a-peek-at-lezlie-andersons-snow-angels/</a></div>
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Night all!</div>
<br />Lezlie Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209474219822291266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-54883603309285733192014-10-08T11:04:00.000-06:002014-10-08T18:05:00.937-06:00Easy sew cat toy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My daughter has been wanting to learn to sew. She sewed a little bag in school and a few other things here and there, but she wanted to do more. So I came up with a design for a cat toy. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vEzOYmCKpXE/VCyGf8htSvI/AAAAAAAABIs/WLMEfzxtuK8/s1600/2014-10-01%2B10.10.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vEzOYmCKpXE/VCyGf8htSvI/AAAAAAAABIs/WLMEfzxtuK8/s1600/2014-10-01%2B10.10.44.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I made the big one first. They like to wrap their paws around it and attack with their teeth and claws. They also like to snuggle with it. The fluffy pillow protects our fingers while we play with them, so it's a win all around. My daughter made a big one and then she also made a tiny one. The kitten approves.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w7_StBFm1Hk/VCyG1qtbKiI/AAAAAAAABI8/7-SMCdNlapA/s1600/2014-09-26%2B07.57.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w7_StBFm1Hk/VCyG1qtbKiI/AAAAAAAABI8/7-SMCdNlapA/s1600/2014-09-26%2B07.57.55.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cinderella likes it so much she carries it around with her. She also loses them so we have to make more. Here's a video of her carrying it (with a bonus view of one of my son's socks!)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwLoqSJaFo9H2lXKjvdt7Dqmt_YVXdJWQvtqYd9SSslvew5aCi9ROeXiDbkrp9RfuTX3ucMXuIzdK7XAHTQcQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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You can use any size or shape of fleece to make this project. I used a long piece.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O7pE0ALJDJ8/VCyG0ZzHDUI/AAAAAAAABI0/X9cHrdMpICk/s1600/2014-10-01%2B10.11.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O7pE0ALJDJ8/VCyG0ZzHDUI/AAAAAAAABI0/X9cHrdMpICk/s1600/2014-10-01%2B10.11.57.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then I folded it in half<br />
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Most kittens come running when they hear the can opener. Mine comes when she hears the sewing machine.<br />
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Is this for me???? I love these!</div>
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Sew half way up each side. Cinderella wouldn't leave it alone long enough for me to take pictures.<br />
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This next shot was supposed to have had the toy in it, but Cinderella snatched it before I could take the picture. Imagine a tiger striped piece of fleece that is sewn on both sides and has a fringe cut on the edge. In the future, I will check pictures after each step.<br />
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And there is the little thief herself. <br />
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I grabbed another toy for her to play with and got my project back. Below you can see the promised fringe. I turned it right side out and stuffed it. (I put a little catnip in this one, but Cinderella doesn't care if I don't.)</div>
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The next step is to tie it straight across to close it.</div>
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At long last (about ten minutes) she has her completed toy. I love her funky little tail!</div>
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Hobbes is excited too.<br />
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You can see it in his eyes.<br />
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I've seen similar toys in the store, but they usually have feathers or are noisy. My kittens don't like toys that rattle and they rip feathers out in seconds of getting them. These are quiet, durable, inexpensive, and machine washable.Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-35911889106431987932014-10-01T17:27:00.002-06:002014-10-01T17:27:47.977-06:00Pre order from Amazon! Snow Angels by Lezlie Anderson<img src="http://blog.cedarfort.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/October-Marquise-releases.jpg" /><br />
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Looks good doesn't it? Christmas is in less than 3 months, order now!Lezlie Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209474219822291266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-54441499387956974732014-10-01T13:17:00.002-06:002014-10-01T13:21:35.185-06:00Only 14 More Days!Snow Angels will be available on October 14, 2014. You can preorder from Amazon!<br />
<a href="http://blog.cedarfort.com/october-fiction-outstanding/" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1412188823410_8589" rel="nofollow" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333339691162px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">http://blog.cedarfort.com/october-fiction-outstanding/</a>Lezlie Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209474219822291266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-35462621430861228302014-09-15T11:46:00.001-06:002014-09-15T11:46:35.023-06:00Library Event<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I will be at the Viridian Center on Sept 27 for the Local Authors & You event. The list of authors attending is on the picture below. Books will be available for purchase, but the event is free. Come say hi!</div>
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<br />Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-37249730418651234932014-09-05T20:17:00.002-06:002014-09-06T11:30:09.273-06:00Jam Jam and more JamTis the season for jam and jelly! And I've been busy! Current jelly, pear and peach jam, plum jam and syrup and my new favorite is spiced pear jam. It almost tastes like apple pie filling. Yummy!<br />
Why do I bottle? Because I enjoy it (other than pears, they annoy me). I like to see my family enjoying it. I've never done anything with tomatoes. How about you? We love marinara and spaghetti so maybe I'll try them next. What is your favorite thing to bottle? Let me reword that-what is your favorite thing to eat out of season that you bottled in season?<br />
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Lezlie Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209474219822291266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-49352439626762363202014-08-28T13:42:00.001-06:002014-08-28T13:42:45.356-06:00A cat postSorry to those who aren't cat fans. I've been thinking about writing this post for a while. I am reminded about my evil kitty every time I hear or see my bio from my book. Sadly, he died a few days before the book was released. Here are some pictures of him.<br />
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He was a beautiful cat. I would post more about him, but I still get emotional and I'm pretty sure few people would care. So, I'll just say he is missed. We had him for 17 years.<br />
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The day he died, I came home to an empty house. All the kids were at school. And, while the cat slept most of the time, the house felt empty. I tried to occupy myself with cleaning and writing, but I couldn't shake off that empty feeling. My youngest came home from school that day and said the house felt empty without the kitty, which made it feel even more empty to me.<br />
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We weren't planning to get another pet right off. How can you replace someone who has been part of your life for 17 years? I popped onto the Humane Society webpage, just to look, and found a tab on fostering. It was the perfect solution. We could temporary fill in the empty gap in our home until we were ready to adopt. So I sent an email and a few days later we got a call about a mother kitty and two kittens that needed fostering.<br />
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The kittens are Manx. Hobbes doesn't have a tail and Cinderalla has a stubby tail. Sometimes Manx kittens have litter box problems because they are born with nerve problems in their back side. They needed to be observed in a home setting before they could be adopted out. (They didn't have any problems using the litter box.) Kittens do better after they are adopted if they have spent time living with people so they are placed in foster homes until they are old enough to be separated from their mother.<br />
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Their foster status lasted for about a week before we decided to keep them. The adoption was finalized shortly after their surgeries. (The Humane Society spays and neuters all kittens and their adoptable moms. I don't know about feral moms.) It was about 2 months after our other kitty died, but it wasn't about replacing him. It was about loving them and I was okay with that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iyAvRQ2FPcQ/U_94tzQDIzI/AAAAAAAABFc/N4FmaZCa2Lc/s1600/2014-06-10%2B19.43.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iyAvRQ2FPcQ/U_94tzQDIzI/AAAAAAAABFc/N4FmaZCa2Lc/s1600/2014-06-10%2B19.43.10.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padme</td></tr>
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Padme was desperate for love and also terrified of everything. She spent the first week under our couch. I took this picture after several long grooming sessions. She was a mess when she came to us. Poor baby. Her little family was sent to the Humane Society from another shelter so I didn't know her background, but it was pretty clear that she had been hurt in some way by people.<br />
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After a week with us, she slowly started spending more time on the furniture instead of under it. She also developed a sassy attitude, which was so much better than terrified.<br />
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We loved Padme, but we weren't the right family for her. She needed a home that didn't have a high amount of traffic. So she went back to the shelter for adoption after she healed from her surgery. I am happy to report that she has been adopted! The Humane Society interviews people who are interested in adopting to be sure they are the right match. The people who took her were the right family for her. We miss her, but it is best that she be with the right family.<br />
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I highly recommend fostering for anyone thinking about getting a pet. So often people get a dog or a cat and end up taking them back to the shelter. Fostering is about a 6 week commitment. You can adopt them if you want or return them to the shelter for adoption. (There are still fees, but ours were reduced.) You can always continue fostering and have a never ending supply of kittens or puppies. You can also foster animals that need healing time. You will literally being saving lives.<br />
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Now for my soap box. Summer is known at shelters as kitten season because hundreds of abandoned kittens are brought in. So many people fail to spay and neuter their pets. This creates a surplus of puppies and kittens that often end up at the shelter or are abandoned and die an early age. (I suspect that Padme was abandoned.) Even when the owners find families for their furry babies, those are homes that could have gone to a homeless pet. Please, please, please spay and neuter your pets!<br />
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And now some more recent pics of the kittens. They are getting big!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TqYni_C9Ytg/U_-CJtEA0HI/AAAAAAAABGE/bzbtORpt8nk/s1600/2014-07-31%2B23.01.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TqYni_C9Ytg/U_-CJtEA0HI/AAAAAAAABGE/bzbtORpt8nk/s1600/2014-07-31%2B23.01.03.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monster under my bed is adorable.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4UpSfKc3Xc/U_-B8LYRLSI/AAAAAAAABF0/Q95lt7OJDoQ/s1600/2014-08-01%2B10.21.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4UpSfKc3Xc/U_-B8LYRLSI/AAAAAAAABF0/Q95lt7OJDoQ/s1600/2014-08-01%2B10.21.18.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PGBEhKzfjxM/U_-B-flO3GI/AAAAAAAABF8/KGYpZMpJHFc/s1600/2014-08-07%2B21.37.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PGBEhKzfjxM/U_-B-flO3GI/AAAAAAAABF8/KGYpZMpJHFc/s1600/2014-08-07%2B21.37.41.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinderella fell in the tub and got all wet. Hobbes was helping her feel better.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--QJ8VDtHTew/U_-CuPM_d9I/AAAAAAAABGU/PpcToKBr6-Y/s1600/2014-08-16%2B23.03.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--QJ8VDtHTew/U_-CuPM_d9I/AAAAAAAABGU/PpcToKBr6-Y/s1600/2014-08-16%2B23.03.54.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She does this all the time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CMk_hFnS350/U_-CxcQND4I/AAAAAAAABGc/O9FoiGZd2Uo/s1600/2014-08-23%2B15.52.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CMk_hFnS350/U_-CxcQND4I/AAAAAAAABGc/O9FoiGZd2Uo/s1600/2014-08-23%2B15.52.42.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hobbes stretches out like his sister, but he does it upside down.</td></tr>
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Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-2430376943530123112014-08-20T09:17:00.001-06:002014-08-20T09:17:07.640-06:00Hey everyone! I'm only two days late with my first blog. I'm off to a good start!<br />
Blog #1 For Lezlie<br />
Topic: Ramblings from someone who doesn't want to go shopping.<br />
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What makes me happy? Knowing that school starts next week for my kids and the electronic games will be all but banished. That's what makes me happy today. We really do work better on a schedule. I go back to work too, I work in an elementary office part time and I'm the PTA president. PTA isn't my dream job, but it brings a lot of important things to my kids that they otherwise wouldn't have. I have met so many amazing people through PTA. Do you volunteer? Please do! Parents & Grandparents, the kids need you! Go read with them, make copies for the teachers, help with science or art projects. Be involved!<br />
Okay, I'm off the soap box now. It's slippery up there.<br />
I really do need to go to the store. My hair dryer broke. My daughter lost the hair brush. And my roller brush broke too. And my daughter picked one pair of pants "Size 1 short" on accident. The size one boggles my mind, but she tried on one color at the store and it was perfect. Gets home tries on the others, 3 inches too short. Sigh, back to that store too. And the camping trip this weekend is looking a bit wet. Do they have umbrellas big enough to cover an entire tent, table and a hammock?<br />
My Christmas pamphlet,<i> Snow Angels</i>, went to print last week! It comes out in October.<br />
Rambling must end, time to go. My hair is finally about half dry. :-)<br />
<br />Lezlie Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209474219822291266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-68865485087599321802014-08-13T10:01:00.000-06:002014-08-13T10:01:03.469-06:00Blog Changes<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif;">Something exciting is about to happen with this blog! My sister, Lezlie Anderson, is going to join me. We will post regular content, all about things that makes us happy. I've posted about crafts, books, food, and created rather random illustrated posts that amuse me. Regular posts have not been a part of this blog, but that will change with Lezlie's help. I interviewed her to help everyone get to know her better.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif;">(Me) Lezlie, what make you happy?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2tkd2iv2cCo/U-rXVc94DNI/AAAAAAAABEY/0z7TumLWNoo/s1600/lezlie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2tkd2iv2cCo/U-rXVc94DNI/AAAAAAAABEY/0z7TumLWNoo/s1600/lezlie.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">(Lezlie) My kids, my husband, books, crafts, rain storms and chocolate make me happy</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br />
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(Me) I'm with you on all those except for rain storms. I only like them when I don't have to go anywhere. You have a <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT36" style="color: darkblue; cursor: pointer;">Christmas</span> Pamphlet coming out this year. Tell us about it!</div>
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<span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">(Lezlie) My </span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT33" style="color: darkblue; cursor: pointer; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">Christmas</span><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;"> booklet (Snow Angels) is about a family who is having a hard time being happy! The kids act as if spending time together is torture. So Mom decides it's time for them to think of others rather than themselves. They head out to do some snow shoveling and before long the parents can't get the kids to stop!</span></div>
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(Me)I am pretty excited for your pamphlet to come out. The story is adorable. Tell us three amazing things about yourself</div>
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(Lezlie) 1-I have an amazing family! My husband and I have been married for 18 years and we have 3 adorable, yet sometimes onery, kids, 3 cats, a desert tortoise and a fish that seems to have more lives than the cats.</div>
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2- I went back to work part time last year in a brand new elementary, I'm the PTA president and I just finished year 6 of planning Girls' camp for my ward. Yikes! </div>
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3- I love trying new crafty things, but they never seem to turn out like they do on Pinterest. Go figure!</div>
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(Me) Welcome to the blog, Lezlie!</div>
Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-82176281620017048662014-07-01T10:19:00.002-06:002014-07-01T10:19:56.685-06:00And the winner is...Before I announce the winner, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in my blog tour. Thanks to all the reviewers and all who read the reviews. And thanks to all those who entered.<br />
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And the winner is Lisa Swinton! Lisa, please email me at janicesperry @ q.com to claim your prize.Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-10756429208848192032014-06-16T09:32:00.000-06:002014-07-01T10:25:41.612-06:00Join me for my blog tour!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kfCjTJBImHo/UwUUQti5iYI/AAAAAAAABB8/UtNl42e8F1o/s1600/Rebel+Princess+blog+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kfCjTJBImHo/UwUUQti5iYI/AAAAAAAABB8/UtNl42e8F1o/s1600/Rebel+Princess+blog+tour.jpg" height="145" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">It's an online party! To celebrate my blog tour, I will be doing a giveaway at the end of the month. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. I can only ship inside the US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Anonymous entries could be anyone so be sure to sign in or leave your name in the comment. I will announce the winner on July 1. Be sure to either follow this blog or my author page so you will know if you win. (The winner will have one week to claim their prize.)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">And now.... let's get this party started!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 15: </span><a href="http://www.cherrymischievous.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Cherry Mischievous</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 16: </span><a href="http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Why Not? Because I Said So!</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;">I Love to Read and Review Books</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 17: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><a href="http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bookworm Lisa</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Getting Your Read On</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 18: </span><a href="http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/wordpress/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">LDS Women’s Book Review</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Readalot</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://www.kristawayment.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Christa Marie Wayment </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">• </span><a href="http://crane-ium.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Crane-ium</a><a href="http://www.kristawayment.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank"><br /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 19: </span><a href="http://debraerfert.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Debra’s Windows Into Writing</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://tressaswishfulendings.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Tressa’s Wishful Endings</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 20: </span><a href="http://www.katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Katie’s Clean Book Collection</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 23: </span><a href="http://www.newldsfiction.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">New LDS Fiction</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 24: </span><a href="http://annajonesbuttimore.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Anna Jones Buttimore</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://www.melsshelves.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;">Mel’s Shelves</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 25: </span><a href="http://www.jjbennett.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">J.J. Bennett</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://princessdelight.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Princess Delight</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 26: </span><a href="http://vformation.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">V-Formation</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://nathanbarra.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;">Nathan Barra</a><a href="http://www.nathanbarra.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank"><br /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 27: </span><a href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Blooming With Books</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">A Backwards Story</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 28: </span><a href="http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">LDS and Lovin’ It</a> <span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">•</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <a href="http://sarcasticpalmtree.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">sarcastic palmtree</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 29: </span><a href="http://hopetoread.com/blog/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Hope to Read</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">June 30: </span><a href="http://ldsmag.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Meridian Magazine</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #492a0f; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> • </span><a href="http://www.lauradbastian.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-out; color: rgb(140, 0, 39) !important; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Laura D. Bastian</a><br />
<br />Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-30181864108219201512014-04-29T08:21:00.002-06:002014-04-29T08:21:28.444-06:00The Princess and the Prom Queen book launch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1926740_10152358680813092_789758737_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1926740_10152358680813092_789758737_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I am so excited to help with the launch for Jaclyn Weist's book launch. The Princess and the Prom Queen looks so cute. Here's the blurb:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jenny’s had it with her life. Six siblings in an overstuffed house are enough to drive anyone crazy, and sometimes she dreams of escaping to some fantasy world. When she suddenly wakes up to find herself being kissed by a strange—but very handsome—prince, Jenny knows her life just got a lot more exciting. Now stuck in a medieval land of castles and royalty, when Jenny learns that the queen has agreed to marry her off to the prince, it’s time to take matters into her own hands. She goes on a quest to find out who dragged her to this time while trying to keep from falling in love with either of the boys vying for her attention. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Princess Genevieve has only known life under her mother’s rule. She wants to do more than go to battle or deal with suitors. She wakes to find herself in a new world filled with gadgets, electricity, and moving carriages. She finally has the freedom to be who she wants to be with a family who cares deeply for her and a boy worth any sacrifice. It’s more than everything she always wanted. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As Jenny and Genevieve settle into their new lives, they face an unknown evil which threatens everything they care about and makes them face tough questions—like who they are and what they really want their lives to become. </span><br />
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Come join the online party tonight (April 29) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/312279742253197/">here</a>.<br />
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I even get to help with a giveaway. My contribution is a 1st chapter critique. I did win the MG 1st chapter contest last year at Storymakers, so that makes it a cool prize, right? (Say yes.)Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-64594133214986649012014-04-03T07:16:00.000-06:002014-04-03T07:16:34.565-06:00Trusted Blog Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ftx2lVHRx9g/UzwjxVViDhI/AAAAAAAABCU/eI_RY5l7SSQ/s1600/received_m_mid_1394657524831_054a2b5e54d2585622_0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ftx2lVHRx9g/UzwjxVViDhI/AAAAAAAABCU/eI_RY5l7SSQ/s1600/received_m_mid_1394657524831_054a2b5e54d2585622_0.jpeg" height="217" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JCZ2HsAbHbQ/UzwjirCdGBI/AAAAAAAABCM/xv85E8nil28/s1600/author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JCZ2HsAbHbQ/UzwjirCdGBI/AAAAAAAABCM/xv85E8nil28/s1600/author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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I am excited to participate in a blog tour for the first time! It was fun getting to know Krista a little better. We both participate in the same Facebook group, and she is always helpful, so I jumped at the chance to help spread the word about her book. Now it's your chance to get to know her!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yGKL5gMyr2E/UzwnMv0-wVI/AAAAAAAABCw/qKt7sKgQX_I/s1600/author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yGKL5gMyr2E/UzwnMv0-wVI/AAAAAAAABCw/qKt7sKgQX_I/s1600/author.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krista Wayment</td></tr>
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ME: I get a lot of questions about how my book is getting published. So I'm asking you the same question. How is your book getting published and why did you choose that method?</div>
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KRISTA: I am independently/self publishing my book. I chose to take this route because agents and editors have to sift through a lot to find the diamonds in the rough. I didn't want to leave the fate of my book up to chance. So I decided to take the risk myself and get it out there in the hands of readers.<br />
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ME: Self published books don't always have a great reputation. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">What steps have you taken to be sure your book is ready for publication?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">KRISTA: </span>Lot's and lot's of revision and editing. I wrote the first draft January of 2013. I then revised it. Next I had a group of writer friends read this second draft looking for little mistakes and plot holes. They gave me some excellent notes. And I revised again. Then I had a second different group of writer friends read the third draft followed by more edits and revision. The most important step though--I hired a professional editor. The amazing Tristi Pinkston. She went over Trusted with a fine toothed comb. When she was done I had lot's of fixes to make.<br />
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After that final polish, I proof read Trusted three times looking for typos. I also made sure to get a physical copy, a proof, and make sure that the cover was right and all the formatting looked good.</div>
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For the eBook version I checked the formatting in several programs and all different kinds of devices.</div>
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It was a long process and a lot of work. But because of all that effort Trusted is the best it can be. And I am proud of the final result.</div>
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ME: Dark chocolate or milk,</div>
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KRISTA: Yes. Basically if it is chocolate I love it. These days I do lean a tad bit toward dark though :)</div>
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ME: Where is the strangest place you've written?</div>
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KRISTA: Sitting in the hall way with my laptop on a step stool so I could watch my little one in the bath and still make my writing goal.</div>
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ME: Being a writer can be discouraging at times. How do you get past those times when you're pretty sure no one will ever want to read your book? </div>
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KRISTA: Being a writer is part of who I am. So when I don't have time to write I get depressed. It makes it rough when I'm discouraged about my writing ability. Usually what I do is start something new. Start with a clean slate and let the book I am unsure of rest for a while as I perfect my craft.</div>
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ME: Why did you decide to write for young readers (aka Middle Grade)?</div>
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KRISTA: When I was growing up I kind of skipped the whole middle grade section of the library and went straight to adult. Mostly because that is where I found the best Science Fiction and Fantasy books. Later, when I was all grown up I kind of "discovered" middle grade books and fell in love. So I decided to try my hand at writing one and loved that even more.</div>
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ME: What is your favorite book (that you haven't written)?</div>
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KRISTA: That's a tough one because I have read so many books that I love. I'll mention just a few. First, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinely and second, The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. They have both inspired my writing a lot.</div>
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ME: Other than reading and writing, what else do you do?</div>
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KRISTA: I'm a mom and part-time computer programmer. Those are my main "jobs," other than writing. I also really enjoy playing video games (especially Zelda) and crocheting.</div>
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ME: I love Zelda too! My oldest is much better at it than me, though. </div>
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ME: What is your favorite fruit?</div>
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KRISTA: I'm not much of a fruit person, I prefer veggies. But I do LOVE kiwi, and not just because they have a cool looking and sounding name :)</div>
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ME: Where can readers purchase your book?</div>
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KRISTA: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trusted-Dragons-Trust-Book-Volume/dp/1495482294/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">Paperback</a>: <span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trusted-Dragons-Trust-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00J93GJ1S/ref=sr_1_2" target="_blank">Kindle:</a></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgRbSeg6p-0/Uzwjw2AH0_I/AAAAAAAABCY/4w4rMBneNNU/s1600/Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgRbSeg6p-0/Uzwjw2AH0_I/AAAAAAAABCY/4w4rMBneNNU/s1600/Cover.png" height="320" width="208" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">About
the Book<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Renick, the fifth son of a dragon
breeder, crashes into an unexpected adventure that challenges everything he
thought he knew about dragons, history, and himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stranded in the massive Helath forest,
Renick meets two other passengers: Thane, a noble training to be a dragon
knight, and Lainey, the orphaned niece of a healer. Together they survive an
attack by vicious wolves, rescue a baby dragon with a broken wing, and escape
from a band of dragon hunters as they make a perilous climb into the mountains.
What they discover there will change everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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And finally, for those participating in Krista's scavenger hunt, here's your dragon scale!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O0AtFkQ1hSI/UzwnEI4usVI/AAAAAAAABCo/84x1J_qv-gM/s1600/BlueDragonScale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O0AtFkQ1hSI/UzwnEI4usVI/AAAAAAAABCo/84x1J_qv-gM/s1600/BlueDragonScale.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-27401365080217353862014-02-19T13:28:00.000-07:002014-02-19T13:28:17.711-07:00Teaching kids to writeMy kids were once reluctant writers. They would sit at the table and stare at a blank paper or screen for hours. (You think I'm exaggerating, don't you? I'm not. HOURS.) I always dreaded the assignments that consisted of them writing a story. This might sound odd, since I'm a writer, but it's true. They couldn't even get past "Once upon a time." Often, they couldn't even get that far. They refused to start the story with Once upon a time unless it was a fairy tale. And they didn't write fairy tales.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k3UOovKeh2w/UwUOrXL7iAI/AAAAAAAABBo/68WaM8fmYfA/s1600/new1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k3UOovKeh2w/UwUOrXL7iAI/AAAAAAAABBo/68WaM8fmYfA/s1600/new1.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'd sit down with them and ask they what they wanted to write about. Sometimes I'd get a blank look and sometimes I'd get a rough summary, but even with a summary it was too hard for them to know where to start. Finally, I told them to start with a character and build from there. So I thought I'd write a quick little story starter for other parents of reluctant writers.</div>
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Who is the character? </div>
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-Animal or a person? </div>
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-Male or female?</div>
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-Name?</div>
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-What does the character look like?</div>
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-What is something funny about character?</div>
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What does the character want more than anything in the world?</div>
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-It could be a thing like a toy </div>
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-Maybe they want to go somewhere like Disneyland</div>
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-It could be getting parents or enough food.</div>
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What is in the way of the character reaching the goal?</div>
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-Not enough money</div>
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-Mean people are keeping him from his family</div>
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When does the story take place? </div>
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-It could be a time of day or year</div>
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-It could be in the future</div>
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Where is the character?</div>
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-Home</div>
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-Dungeon</div>
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-Farm</div>
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Why does the character want what he wants?</div>
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-Did he see an amazing toy?</div>
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-Is he lonely?</div>
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-Is he jealous of someone else?</div>
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How is the character going to go after his goal?</div>
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-Does he get a job?</div>
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With all these questions answered, you have a basic outline for a story. The child doesn't have to use the examples listed below the question, but every question must be answered in their own words. Here's a first sentence to help them get started.</div>
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All (Character) ever wanted was (desire).</div>
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From there, they can build their story. It is important that they use every answer they gave for the questions above. This is, obviously, a tool for very young writers. But, once a child learns how to transfer the stories in their head to paper, they will have the tools they need and you will no longer be standing in the middle of the kitchen at 10:00 pm yelling at them to PLEASE JUST WRITE SOMETHING!</div>
Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-9311133047127087822014-02-07T12:34:00.000-07:002014-09-05T21:20:05.170-06:00Our Books<h2>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KG3P-6Sf4RE/VAp0hZEdWKI/AAAAAAAABIE/1r2On_IiG4E/s1600/snow21948034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KG3P-6Sf4RE/VAp0hZEdWKI/AAAAAAAABIE/1r2On_IiG4E/s1600/snow21948034.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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Snow Angels</h1>
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<span class="" style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;">by</span> <span class=""><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT43" style="color: darkblue; cursor: pointer;"><a class="" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8155680.Lezlie_Anderson" style="color: #666600; cursor: pointer; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.799999237060547px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lezlie Anderson</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; color: #aaaaaa; display: inline-block; font-size: 0px; height: 15px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap; width: 75px;"><a class="" href="about:blank" style="background-image: none; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: #666600; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 15px; text-decoration: none; width: 15px;" target="_blank" title="5.0 of 5 stars">5.0 of 5 stars</a><a class="" href="about:blank" style="background-image: none; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: #666600; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 15px; text-decoration: none; width: 15px;" target="_blank" title="5.0 of 5 stars"></a></span></div>
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<span class="" id="freeText10541272265304749793"><span style="color: #181818;">A winter storm, a family, and an idea for a service project all add up to a delightful Christmas</span><span style="color: #181818;"> surprise! When Mom and Dad suggest serving their neighbors for the holiday, their kids can’t stop grumbling. But as they secretly shovel snow, their attitudes change, and soon the parents can’t get the kids to stop serving. Share the joys of serving others in this wonderful </span></span><span style="color: #181818;">Christmas </span><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4;">pamphlet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; line-height: 1.4;">Coming October 14 2014!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Angels-Lezlie-Anderson/dp/1462114997/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409973113&sr=1-1&keywords=snow+angels+lezlie+anderson">Amazon </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snow-angels-lezlie-anderson/1119234407?ean=9781462114993">Barnes and Nobel </a></div>
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Rebel Princess<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">(This damsel is NOT in distress!)</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">"I was born to be evil.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Nice is NOT in my blood.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Besides, nice girls get locked in towers.".</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Raven Perilous is like any other middle school girl--if middle school girls are usually evil princesses. The daughter of a gentle princess and evil sorcerer, Raven spends most of her time being as wicked as possible to avoid being stuck in a tower. So when Prince Charming shows up at her school. Raven knows she has met her nemesis.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">In The Rebel Princess, loyalty, heroism, and a pinch of enchantment are perfect for conjuring up an adventure that you'll never forget.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Princess-Janice-Sperry-ebook/dp/B00KVPHTLC/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409973254&sr=1-2&keywords=rebel+princess">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rebel-princess-janice-sperry/1117736950?ean=9781462114306">Barnes and Nobel</a><br />
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The Candy Cane Queen</h2>
(Kindle edition)<br />
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Susan Winters has a secret. Every year at Christmas time, she abandons her solitary lifestyle and anonymously spreads the joy and spirit of Christmas as The Candy Cane Queen. But this year, something's about to change. This touching story shares the important message that at Christmastime we need each other more than ever. Perfect for the whole family to enjoy together!</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Candy-Cane-Queen-Janice-Sperry-ebook/dp/B00A2H9J7Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409973377&sr=1-1&keywords=candy+cane+queen">Amazon Link</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-candy-cane-queen-janice-sperry/1110593722?ean=9781462111022">Barnes and Nobel Link</a></div>
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Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-54852163575549437162013-12-12T11:30:00.000-07:002013-12-12T11:30:32.155-07:00Tween Spa Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm a little behind on my blogging. I've been working on my book and I'm so excited to announce that I am getting a book published! Rebel Princess will be out June 2014. I will post a picture of the cover as soon as my publisher sends it to me. I'll blog more about the book when the release date gets closer. Needless to say, I am very excited.</div>
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I've been meaning to post my daughter's birthday party for months. (The green grass and shorts should give you an indication as to how long!)</div>
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For my daughter's 12th birthday, she wanted a spa party. We decided to keep it simple. See the decorations on the side of the house? That was all the decorating and we even already had them in the basement. Party's don't need to be extremely elaborate to be fun. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OmWkk4Fm3gQ/Uqn2WswPTuI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/V6uFCDOj0Dg/s1600/faceless2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OmWkk4Fm3gQ/Uqn2WswPTuI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/V6uFCDOj0Dg/s640/faceless2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I did secure the table clothes with an elastic band, as you can see in the picture. That was to keep the cloth from blowing away. Worked like a charm and it's kind of cute too. Win! My daughter's friends have faces. I just blurred them out because they're not my kids. I blurred my daughter's face too, just so she wouldn't feel left out. They're all adorable. You'll have to take my word for it.</div>
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The first activity was to decorate shopping bags. I got fabric markers and rulers with lettering. They all put their names on their bags so there wasn't any confusion. I was surprised at how long they all took to decorate their bags. They spent a lot of time chatting about boys and camps that were coming up. They also sang funny parodies. Twelve year old girls are too fun. The bags turned out very cute and they were excited to take them home. I found the canvas bags on Amazon in bulk.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kz6paZdnj98/UqnxLBhEaFI/AAAAAAAAA-o/9-zCIxakB0A/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kz6paZdnj98/UqnxLBhEaFI/AAAAAAAAA-o/9-zCIxakB0A/s640/006.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Next, they filled their bags with goodies. I found scented hand sanitizer at Bath and Body works for a dollar each. We also found a 12 pack of flavored lip gloss for a few dollars at a party store. Then we added all sorts of chocolates because my daughter insisted that girls needed chocolate at a spa party.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UNldAexlfS8/Uqn0ifytGqI/AAAAAAAAA_M/HypeHy9tDY0/s1600/faceless.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UNldAexlfS8/Uqn0ifytGqI/AAAAAAAAA_M/HypeHy9tDY0/s640/faceless.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once their bags were filled (and their mouths), we played a game of musical toes. The pink table cloth isn't really necessary, but I thought some girls might not like sitting on grass. It also made it easier if a bottle of polish was dropped. For this game, I got a 20 piece lot of nail polish from Amazon for about $20. (The price has gone up since then.) The girls picked a color and I turned on some music. When the music stopped, they painted a toe nail. A few of the girls wanted to do finger nails instead. I let them pick. They all ended up with super cute multicolored nails. They got a little silly so it spread onto their toes too. </div>
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I you're thinking of doing something like this, be sure to have polish remover handy. Several girls wanted to remove the polish they had before painting with new colors. I had a little basket with all the polish, a bottle of remover, and cotton. It was nice doing it outside so we didn't have to worry about spills or getting remover on the carpet. </div>
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After the game, I had them each add a bottle of polish to their bags.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JrqBk6qebEc/UqnxSZaCGvI/AAAAAAAAA-w/hQ5nT6Ps8o8/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JrqBk6qebEc/UqnxSZaCGvI/AAAAAAAAA-w/hQ5nT6Ps8o8/s640/014.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Instead of cake, we did cute little cupcakes and ice cream bars. For the cups, we put temporary tattoos on plastic cups. They looked pretty fancy. Most of the girls took their cup home instead of throwing it away. I froze green punch in a star shaped ice cube tray and poured the lemon lime soda over it. It was a huge success. It was cute and tasted really good. I also had plain water available for the girls who didn't like soda. The frozen punch worked well in water too.<br />
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I worried that we wouldn't have enough activities, but the girls spent a lot of time chatting, singing, playing with balloons, and taste testing chocolates so it filled up most of the time. Once my daughter opened her presents and all the cupcakes were gone, the two hours were over and it was time for the girls to go home.<br />
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It turned out to be quite a successful party. The girls had a great time and I didn't spend a boatload of cash. Win!Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-49966666873174819702013-09-27T11:26:00.000-06:002013-09-27T11:26:02.603-06:00Super Easy Link Costume<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I was walking my cute 3rd grader home from school on Tuesday and he told me they were going to have a superhero day and he needed a costume. I said that sounded like fun. When was the day? Turns out it was that Friday and he needed me to sew an entire Link costume. (I agreed only because he's going to use the same costume for Halloween.) Link is the hero in the Zelda video games. There are also *graphic novels available. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">I've come to smash your pots and take all your rupees!</td></tr>
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On Wednesday, I went to the store and bought the green undershirt and an XL men's shirt. I put the XL shirt on my son and marked the places to cut and sew with chalk. (I was short on time and my camera is broken, so I made a lovely drawing to show what I did.)</div>
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I took the sides in and used a sleeve to make his hat. I didn't hem anything. It gives it a rough look. Also, I don't have any green thread. It wouldn't have been pretty.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bGE608KXq9k/UkW6sxiPNYI/AAAAAAAAA-A/uB_7X2zsPFA/s1600/linkshirt.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bGE608KXq9k/UkW6sxiPNYI/AAAAAAAAA-A/uB_7X2zsPFA/s640/linkshirt.GIF" width="640" /></a></div>
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I cut and sewed while my son was at scouts. He tried it on on Thursday. We added the belt and boots. My husband took the picture so you can't see the boots. And he's wearing the whole outfit today. Whew!</div>
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He couldn't have his sword or shield at school. They will be part of his costume for Halloween. The light and dark green are swapped, but we weren't going for accurate on this costume. We were going for fast. </div>
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* A quick note on graphic novels. They are more than just comic books. Many of them are on a 5th - 6th grade reading level. They are perfect for kids who read on a higher level, but have a shorter attention span. They are also perfect for older kids who struggle with reading or kids that just enjoy reading them. My 9th grader still likes them. (He lets his little brother and sister check them out, though.)</div>
Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862064070208513045.post-63907356262550083182013-09-14T14:50:00.000-06:002013-09-14T14:50:45.263-06:00You may be addicted to the internet if . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1. You go through withdrawals every time your WiFi light blinks.<br />
2. You posted pictures of your child sitting on the potty (for the first time!) on Facebook.<br />
3. You've forgotten how to use a phone book.<br />
4. You are seriously considering getting a waterproof phone so you can take it in the shower and not miss any new tweets.<br />
5. Your children set the house on fire while you were checking Pinterest.<br />
6. Your first impulse, upon seeing a massive zit somewhere on your body, is to take a picture and post it on Instagram.<br />
7. Fresh air hurts your lungs.<br />
8. You get tired while walking from your computer to the bathroom.<br />
9. You constantly compare real life with a video game.<br />
10. You turn every occasion into a tweet.Janice Sperryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00178805752960449557noreply@blogger.com1