Category Archives: Music

April Ishness + Hiatus Notice

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Hey guys! It’s May and I’m here with an Ishness post to recap Camp NaNo and my reading/watching/listening of April . . . and also to announce a blogging/social media hiatus for the rest of May.

Firstly . . . Camp NaNo!

WRITING: Camp NaNo

I successfully completed my Camp NaNoWriMo goal with 10,336 words! *throws confetti*

This was a really interesting Camp NaNo. It wasn’t technically a very large goal, but I’d been really stuck all year before Camp, so I’m just really happy I was able to make it — and, more importantly, to write regularly a couple times per week.

I usually try to stay ahead, but I also tend to binge-write a bit and then miss a few days. It was very noticeable this time and I joked all month about the staircase I was building. XD

But the fact that I was able to regularly sit down just twice weekly and get 2K in every week, despite how busy I was . . . this was a huge boost to my writing confidence and just happiness in general. It’s given me hope that I might be able to keep that up sometimes in the future!

It also really helped that I had a list of the upcoming scenes, and between that and wordwars with amazing friends, I made serious progress on Operation Foxtail, which has now passed 60K words! I’m. so. excited.

I also had a short story attack my brain near the end of the month. This story made me frantically type up notes and snippets on my phone at 2 a.m. XD Here’s hoping I can get back to that and see what comes of it! And I’m hoping to continue on Operation Foxtail as well, but we shall see.

Shout-out to my amazing cabin-mates! I had so much fun hanging out with so many awesome writers on the NaNo site. And thanks, too, to all the people who cheered me on over on my social media. So encouraging!

Overall, Camp NaNo was wildly successful and I’m happy I got about three chapters written and started a short story.

READING

Not a lot of reading happened, but what there was, I found to be absolutely lovely! You can read my brief thoughts on these on my book blog’s post.

WATCHING

I re-watched a handful of fun things:

  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier — Always re-watch Bucky. 😀
  • The Dark Knight Rises — I’m fascinated to realize that I like this one better than The Dark Knight (even if Batman Begins is still my favorite). I always thought of this one as the dark one and kind of put off re-watching it, but the ending is actually fabulous and makes me happy. So it was just the memory of not knowing what was going to happen while watching it the first time, and how intense it was, that pegged this one as darker (to me). So I like it better than the Joker one, apparently. XD And Blake is awesome.
  • Despicable Me — This was fun to see again. XD (Not pictured.)
  • So . . . apparently superheroes, ish?

I also saw a DVD concert of Celtic Women, which was lovely! I’d picked it up at a library sale years ago and never watched it until now. It made me happy. 🙂

And a smidge of NCIS, also not pictured.

LISTENING

  • I did actually follow through with my plan to listen to Andrew Peterson music. Help, I’ve fallen into this amazingness and can’t get up. Actually, don’t help, because I’m happy here. I listened to a lot of his music across several albums, particularly for Easter, and I love it so much!
  • Brittany Jean’s new album All the Love was another delightful thing I listened to last month! More happiness. 🙂 Do check it out! ❤ (CD here. Links for online listening.) You can listen to the title song, All the Love, which is probably my favorite, on YouTube here! The songs are lovely and catchy and I often find them dancing through my head. 😀 (There’s even a gorgeous version of Never Enough from The Greatest Showman!) Brittany has a lovely voice and I’ve been enjoying her new songs muchly. ^_^
  • Also, Tide Lines had a new song, Innocent and Beautiful, and I listened to that several times. 🙂 Go give it a watch. I believe they have a new album releasing this month. :O
  • I meant to listen to audiobooks again but . . . entirely failed at that. Whoops. XD

APRIL BLOGGING

Book reviews:

LIFE

For me, April was one of the busiest months ever, actually. I was quite occupied with work and copyediting (yes, both from home), and throwing Camp NaNo on there meant that I felt terribly busy basically every day of April. I’m kind of exhausted. 😛

Since there’s not much to share in the life category, here, have a couple of photography attempts and some Easter cake!

A genuine yellow rose of Texas. 😉

Pretty!

Delicious.

MAY PLANS: HIATUS

I will leave you with today’s Instagram photo! I’m so glad I was able to get these lovely flowers the day before Hobby Lobby closed. o.o

Anyway, I’m really tired and just need to take a step back after running non-stop since basically September? I often end up taking hiatuses in May. XD

So I’ll be taking a break from blogging for the rest of May, and also getting off of social media — Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads . . .

But! You can absolutely still get in touch by email, and I’ll still be checking Messenger/Instagram DMs, etc.

(And there are a few book releases I’m super excited about . . . so I mayyyy pop back on for a couple of those; we’ll see how I’m feeling. XD)

Thanks for reading, and let me know in the comments how your April went! I love you all and I hope you have an amazing May, and I will see you on the other side!

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March Ishness 2020!

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It’s somehow April so it’s time for a recap of March! (Don’t worry, it’s fun stuff. XD) The latest in my writing, reading, watching, listening, and blogging life!

WRITING

After being stuck and not writing anything for longer than I’d care to think about, I finally wrote a couple thousand words of Operation Foxtail in March — which felt really good, since I hadn’t touched it since NaNo! So that makes me happy, even if it wasn’t a lot. Hoping to continue that momentum with Camp NaNo this month!

READING

I read so much in March! :O I haven’t been reading this much in awhile so I’m kind of surprised. XD

Check out yesterday’s Book Ishness post on my book blog for quick thoughts on the books I read last month!

WATCHING

  • I finished my re-watch of the first season of Castle, and finished the episodes of Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye that I have, though unfortunately it’s not a full season. Those were fun!
  • I re-watched Howl’s Moving Castle for March Magics and had a blast!
  • And I got Mortal Engines for my birthday, so I watched that last month . . . twice . . . XD I saw it in theaters last year and loved it and I’m really happy that I own it now! It’s just . . . really fun and I’m not sure why I love it but for some reason I do! It’s just fun. 🙂
  • Not pictured, I also watched a smidge of NCIS.

LISTENING

  • I AT LAST finished listening to If Wishes Were Curses by Janeen Ippolito and had a really enjoyable time with that. ^_^ NA Urban Fantasy isn’t something I’ve really read but it’s interesting! And quite fun. 😀 I just started listening to the sequel so I’m looking forward to that.
  • I listened to Skillet’s latest album, Victorious, quite a lot this last month. I love their music and hadn’t really listened to this one yet so it’s been great.
  • I also re-listened to Brittany Jean’s fun album Wander with Me (I wrote a review for it once!), and her new single, On the Edge of Wave and World — which is actually a poem in Jenelle Leanne Schmidt’s amazing book Minstrel’s Song! So that makes me happy. 😀 Brittany Jean has a new album releasing this week! Check her out. ^_^

  • And I listened to the very tip of the iceberg that is Andrew Peterson’s music. I just never really listened to his stuff, but after reading Adorning the Dark I wanted to try, so I listened to a small handful and need to do more of that because so far I think I really like his music. (I don’t have internet in my room currently, so it’s just . . . more difficult for me to get around to remembering to listen to music when I’m online. So I’m going to have to make a conscious effort to listen to more. XD)
  • Random story: I sometimes hear “Is He Worthy?” on the radio (I think Chris Tomlin sings it?) and didn’t really think much about it, but my mind was blown when I realized that Andrew Peterson wrote it?? Like. How cool is that! I always liked it and didn’t realize it was written by the author of the Wingfeather books, and I love Andrew Peterson’s version of it. ❤

LIFE

Not much went on in March other than the obvious — and I’m kind of tired of hearing about . . . you know . . . so I’m not really talking about it. XD

Life hasn’t been too different for me, since I’m usually mostly home anyway, but I did miss getting to see some friends, and I don’t really have extra time like many people seem to right now, so that’s . . . interesting.

In fun news, I had a birthday (yay cake and books!), celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day at home by wearing lots of Celtic jewelry, and started a new Instagram theme that I’m excited about! (Blue flowerssss!)

Here, have some pics.

I’m rather fond of this photo I snagged on a backroad after some rain which made Texas look like Ireland around Saint Patrick’s Day. ^_^

Let them eat cake! Birthday cake!

Posting about this delightful book and celebrating with a cupcake at my favorite cupcake shop which happened to have lifesaving Wi-Fi when mine was out and I needed to post a review. XD

Saint Patrick’s Day!

New theme (love my new blue “flers”!) and finishing Diana Wynne Jones month!

BLOGGING

Here are my March posts on my two blogs!

General posts:

March Magics posts:

Reviews posted in March:

 

APRIL PLANS

Other than miscellaneous work-from-home projects (which, let’s be honest, I already do, so it’s not like much has changed for me) like editing, the main thing that’s up right now is CAMP NANO!

We’re already nearly half done this Camp month, and I’ve had some ups and downs on it, but I’m happy that I’m writing at all, because I’ve had a bit of a writer’s block problem and it’s also hard for me to write when I’m distracted, busy, or stressed. So any writing is progress!

My goal is 10K words and I’m working on Operation Foxtail! ^_^

So that was my March. Thanks for reading! I hope you’re all hanging in there and reading good books. ❤ And good luck to anyone who’s doing Camp (buddy me!) — you can do it!

Ishness! February 2020

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Hey! It’s March (somehow??) so I’m back with a post about the Ishness that went on in February!

WRITING

I did not write in February. That’s unusual for me, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s kind of getting me down. But I was coming out of NaNo + finishing a novella in December + January hiatus all in a row, so I’m a bit between projects and stuck.

I did write a billion blog posts though (okay, 13), and I did a lot of brainstorming/plotting on about a dozen different stories and ideas. So it wasn’t like I did nothing writing-related. Just no actual manuscript words. XD

  • I had exciting spinoff ideas and new plotting for my steampunk fairy tale series.
  • My otter flash fiction and mentor flash fiction collided and decided they’re in the same world — yay for a novel with a twist on fantasy tropes which I plan to write sometime!
  • I came this close to writing another Glassman, but it didn’t stick; I did make notes, though!
  • And I want to get back to Operation Foxtail (NaNo ’19) but need to do some plotting because I’m stuck.

So that’s where I’m at right now! Many ideas, not a lot of time or focus to do something about it. Maybe in March.

READING

Compared to January’s fifteen reads, I did not, seemingly, read as much. But some of these were a bit longer, and mostly delicious, so we’ll call it a win.

  • Cry of the Raven (Morgan L. Busse) // A new favorite! (My review.)
  • Lifelong Writing Habit (Chris Fox) // Some interesting tips.
  • Fairest Son (H.S.J. Williams) // Delightful novella! (My review.)
  • Green Dolphin Country (Elizabeth Goudge) // Absolutely fascinating!
  • This Year You Write Your Novel (Walter Mosley) // Eh. It was okay.
  • In the Region of the Summer Stars (Stephen R. Lawhead) // Aaahh! This was magnificent! Another favorite. I need the sequel ASAP.

I also did a smidge of editing and read some short stories/serials online, so those aren’t counted here.

‘Twas a good reading month! 🙂

WATCHING

I watched sort of a random assortment of things this month? Mostly older movies I’d had on my to-watch list for awhile. And re-watching the first Captain America movie, which was fun! (I know the second one is pictured here; that’s the one I own. XD)

And I found the first seasons of Castle and Sue Thomas: F. B. Eye for a couple of dollars, which made me really happy, so I’m in the middle of those right now! (These Castle episodes are re-watches, and I’d seen some of Sue Thomas before but I don’t remember which episodes, so it’s fun discovering/rediscovering!)

I also got back to Once Upon a Time (a few episodes in season 3 — crazy Neverland stuff. XD), and saw a smidge of NCIS (7th season, I believe) and started the second season of Trollhunters. All fun. 🙂

LISTENING

Continuing my attempt to get back into audiobooks, I’ve been listening to If Wishes Were Curses by Janeen Ippolito (which I started last year and then got distracted) and I’ve been enjoying it! I don’t read much urban fantasy, so it’s been different, but rather fun.

I’m hoping to finish it this week and start listening to the next in the series this month. I’m trying to listen to one audiobook per month this year (since I have about a dozen on my to-listen list right now), so I’m a bit behind, but hopefully I can finish up two this month!

I’m sure I must have listened to music but I’m drawing a blank. Probably Red and Tide Lines, since those are my go-to bands these days. 😛

BLOGGING

I’d been very remiss about blogging for . . . several months now. So I’m very pleased that I was able to post regularly on BOTH my blogs, all through the month of February! I had yearly wrapups and #FantasyMonth posts to share, and some reviews, so ’twas a fun month! Very happy with all the catching up I did.

Here’s a list for each blog, in case you missed any and want to check them out. 🙂

This blog

The Page Dreamer

Reviews posted in February: (Click the GORGEOUS covers to read the reviews!)

LIFE

Blogging + tea. Tiny stone critters from a fair! Farris wheel + ponies also at said fair; no, I did not ride either of them. XD

Not too much exciting happened this month. Just life busyness.

My internet was out for half the month, which involved traveling to get good Wi-Fi quite a lot. I feel like between that and life happenings I was barely home. My Baggins-ish self was not pleased with that, but I survived. 😛

Confused Texas Spring weather ranged from 26 to 80 degrees at random intervals. XD Sometimes sunny, sometimes rain…

I had a fun photoshoot dressing up as Selene Ravenwood from Cry of the Raven. This pic turned out to be my most-liked photo on Instagram ever! :O

My Realm Makers costume had to come out again for this. 😉

More Cry of the Raven pics

Other fun things:

  • Went to a little fair
  • Baking cookies with my sis
  • Visiting a cupcake shop and library
  • Bookshelf reorganizing
  • Chats with friends ❤
  • Occasional walks if the weather’s nice
  • Bookmail
  • Instagram photography

Spring + tea + cookies

MARCH PLANS

Image by Kristen @ We Be Reading

I really want to get back to writing this month. All I’ve written this year (decade??) so far is Girls, Spies, and Other Things the Faeries Stole: Part 2. So here’s hoping I can get back to writing something or other!

Also! It’s #MarchMagics! Which is an event hosted by Kristin @ We Be Reading and is focused on celebrating the works of Diana Wynne Jones and Terry Pratchett. As a super DWJ fan, I’m very excited and hope to do some reading, re-reading, and posting on these subjects. Also, I’m planning to share my DWJ book collection over on Instagram throughout the month, so follow me there if you’re interested! I’ll be posting about my March Magics plans on my book blog tomorrow!

It’s also my birthday month. And I know I have about 8736987491 things on my to-do list, so I’m sure I’ll be busy.

That’s it from me today! Thoughts? How was your February? Thanks for reading and I hope you have a lovely March!

2019 Highlights!

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Even though it’s February, I thought it would be fun to do a sort of mini Ishness, recapping the most exciting things of 2019, since I haven’t been very consistent about doing Ishnesses. XD

But I don’t want it to be super long, so this will be mostly in list form! (And will also include some long-overdue thoughts and pictures from Realm Makers 2019 at the end!)

Because everyone loves lists, and pictures, and highlights, right? Right. Let’s get to it!

Some of the things I wrote, watched, listened to, and did during 2019…

WRITING

In 2019, I:

  • Wrote 102,585 words
  • Finished writing KW2 (The Secret of Kedran’s Wood)
  • Wrote an entire novella: KW2.5 (Double Lives at Kedran’s Wood)
  • Got halfway into Operation Foxtail (codename for . . . something else. >.>)
  • Completed Camp NaNo in April
  • Won my 10th November NaNo — a decade of NaNoWriMos!
  • Went to Realm Makers 2019!
  • Hit one million words since I started tracking my words
  • Completed my tenth yearly writing journal

I also wrote three short stories, all of which can be read online:

READING

I read 140 things in 2019, according to Goodreads, which you can check out here. My own spreadsheet says 175 things, but anyway. XD I hesitate to say “books” instead of “things” since many of these were short — short stories, novellas, picture books, etc. About 20,000 pages read, which seems to be usual for me.

I just shared my Top 15 (ish) Favorite Reads of 2019 post on my book blog yesterday, so check that out!

WATCHING

I saw my second-ever play! It was a college production of Peter and the Starcatcher and it was a lot of fun. 🙂

I went to half a dozen movies in theaters, which is . . . rather a lot. o.o I had mixed feelings, depending on the movie, because I never totally love or totally hate everything about any single movie, but the experience is always so much fun, and I always find things to enjoy about a movie (or a book!). 🙂

  • How to Train Your Dragon 3
  • Captain Marvel
  • Endgame
  • Tolkien
  • Frozen 2
  • The Rise of Skywalker

I saw a bunch of other movies too, and some of my favorites were:

  • The Secret World of Arietty
  • The Incredibles & The Incredibles 2
  • Christopher Robin

I’ve also been enjoying old seasons of NCIS, and early in the year I binge-watched the first 4 seasons of Merlin, which was a lot of fun! (And select bits of season 5, avoiding sadness. XD)

MUSIC

This year I discovered (or re-discovered and became a super fan):

Favorite Songs From Them:

Other Favorite Songs:

AUDIOBOOKS

BLOGGING

INSTAGRAM

2019 was my first full year of Bookstagram, and I absolutely loved it!

  • 262 posts
  • Hit 500 followers
  • Successfully posted every day for five straight months (aside from skipping one week for Realm Makers) which I was kind of proud of. XD

My top 9 most popular Instagram photos of 2019

EDITING BUSINESS

So, I don’t talk about it super often, but I do freelance copyediting/proofreading. It’s kept me busy, and I’ve been loving it. 🙂

This last year, I edited (or beta-read, in a few cases) five and a half novels, seven novellas, twenty-some short stories, and two works of non-fiction, for a total of about 700K words. (Not counting reading some of them three or more times.) Y’all, I know some super talented authors. 😉

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Went to Realm Makers 2019! (More about that in a minute.)
  • Went to a couple of book events and got to meet various authors including Terry Brooks (at Realm Makers) and Douglas Gresham
  • Saw Casting Crowns in concert!
  • Was ML (municipal liaison) for my local NaNoWriMo region for the 7th time
  • Various meetups with authors, writers, and friends (ALWAYS a highlight! I may be an introvert but hanging out with friends who I know well is the best!), and going to a few writing events/write-ins/workshops

CRAFTING

Usually my creativity comes out in writing and not much else, but this last year I enjoyed branching out a little with other artsy things. I think I should do this more often.

  • Two pairs of fingerless gloves (one pair for my costume and one for a friend)
  • Some art quotes for Christmas presents
  • A gingerbread house

REALM MAKERS 2019

Books!

Okay, I know I never did an actual recap post for my 2019 conference experience, for which I apologize. I was worn out afterward, and just never did get around to sorting through all my photos and trying to craft a post about it. I was kind of discouraged about some of the business/industry/publishing side of things, which also made it hard to write about.

Otherwise it was absolutely hands-down my most highlight-ish highlight (shh, I promise I’m a writer) of 2019! Getting to see SO MANY of my dear writer friends, some of whom I’ve only known on the internet (even from as far away as Canada!), and meeting and hanging out with amazing authors (including Jill Williamson and Terry Brooks) and being surrounded by books . . . It was a dream and was even better than the first time in many ways!

While the industry side of it may have been discouraging, I was SO encouraged, on a personal level, by the writers, authors, and friends who I had the privilege and joy to talk with. I’d even go so far as to say that the success of my NaNo was due in part to encouraging conversations I had there. And just the life and atmosphere and joy of being surrounded by authors and books and friends, all of which “got me” is unparalleled. Plus, it was just fun. 😉

I’m not going to do an entire recap here, but I will share a few pictures, which are long overdue, and seem fitting in this highlights post, since Realm Makers was the brightest star in the sky of my year!

(I’m not heading back this year, sadly, but two years of getting to go has been an absolute dream!)

This looked so cool

In a class at Realm Makers

Wayne Thomas Batson taught about balancing life and writing. His was my favorite class! Helpful, but also funny!

I also loved C.J. Redwine’s class about fairy tale retellings

I cosplayed as Lady Selene from Mark of the Raven by Morgan Busse — and so did the author! Dreamwalker twins. 😉

We’d be here all day if I shared all the AMAZING costumes at the costume banquet, and all of the amazing friends and authors I got to hang out with! (Which is one of the reasons I never got around to posting a whole recap. What if I leave someone out??) But I have to post this one, because it’s Christine Smith, my “Lauri,” who is an amazing writer and also keeps me on track with my own writing — and she’s dressed as Kuzko from The Emperor’s New Groove! XD Partners in uncrime forever!

I got to have lunch with three members of the Phoenix Fiction Writers: Hannah Heath, K. L. + Pierce, and Beth Wangler! Here we’re admiring the gorgeous copies of a book which had just arrived, by another PFW member (E.B. Dawson)!

Hanging out in the lobby at the hotel

Roadtrip! Traveling to and from Realm Makers with fantasy authors Claire Banschbach and Kendra E. Ardnek was a blast — and sometimes I got to sit with the pretty Oath of the Outcast things! Also, note all the buttons on my bag. XD

How gorgeous is this hotel??

I adore the clock tower. I want to live in it.

Overall, an amazing event, my second Realm Makers!

*awards cupcakes to anyone who made it this far* Thanks so much for reading!

January 2020 Ishness!

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It’s only been FOREVER since I posted one of these, but I want to get back into the habit of writing Ishnesses, so here’s a recap of January!

Today I’ve got an update on my writing/reading/watching/listening, as well as some photos I took, and other thoughts. So let’s get to it!

(I plan to have a 2019 recap post soon too, but I got this one done first. XD)

WRITING

I took a writing hiatus in January, and it was so refreshing! After writing 50,000 words in November for NaNoWriMo, and another 7K (finishing my WIP novella!) in the midst of Christmas craziness in December (which is when I usually take a writing break), I was ready to recharge.

I did start a new writing journal, though—a gorgeous Christmas present that I’m in love with! It’s my 11th in a series of yearly writing journals I start every New Year.

I also popped out of writing hiatus to write the second installment of my Urban Fantasy serial Girls, Spies, and Other Things the Faeries Stole, which I posted last week!

(Images via Unsplash)

That was the first writing I did this year (decade??), and it felt marvelous to dive into after a three-week break following finishing Double Lives at Kedran’s Wood in the final days of December. Also, I wrote it on my “Writing Day” (January 20th), on which I’ve written at least something every year since 2010. (Bonus: that’s also my character Tare’s birthday.)

I’m not sure what my writing goals are this year, but after taking a month off to refill my creative tank, I’m looking forward to dipping back into writing again now that it’s February. 🙂

READING

I read fifteen books in January! (I use the term “book” loosely. XD)

Seven novels (ish?), four short stories (one on audio), two anthologies, and two nonfiction works about writing.

Some of these I beta-read or copyedited (I edited 400,000 words in January, so . . . that took up some time. XD), and there were a couple of review books, and the rest I just slipped in for fun.

I’ll post a complete list on my book blog with brief thoughts on each, later, hopefully. 🙂

Highlights were Winter Spell by Claire M. Banschbach and The New Emperor’s Concerto by Hazel B. West! Both are releasing this month (I can’t wait to see their covers!) and y’all need them in your life!

(The physical books I read in January.)

WATCHING

My watching this month has been rather assorted. A couple of random action movies, re-watching the first Thor movie (I forgot how much fun that one is!), finishing the first season of Trollhunters, finishing the sixth season of NCIS, a couple of random fantasy movies (Dragonheart and Earthsea, both . . . strange but with good parts), and Arthur Christmas—which was hilarious and so much fun. XD

LISTENING

I’m still obsessed with Burn the Ships by For King and Country. *grinning*

I planned to get back into audiobooks this year, and I did! Albeit in a small way. I listened to a short story, Elapse by Sarah Holman, and quite enjoyed this Kingdom Adventure tale, which made me excited to read the next book in the Tales of Taelis series.

BLOGGING

(Most of these were on my book blog.)

Cover reveals

Other posts

LIFE / PHOTOS

I got a nasty flu a week into January and spent most of the month sick and trying to stay on top of work and commitments. But it was a good month, regardless. 🙂

I went to a writer event and got to see authors and talk with friends new and old, which was fun.

Those are the main things not represented by pictures. XD So here are some photos from this last month!

It’s the little things. Drinking lots of tea from this new mug I got. Setting up my new journals for the year. Getting back into using calligraphy pens, to spice up my journals.

Nature pics from rain and sunshine! My cat and a good book helping me beat the flu. Sparklers on New Year’s Eve and watching the decade turn at midnight. Going to a horse farm event where I got to see an old friend and watch talented people train and ride gorgeous horses.

I got to trek through some rainy woods and while I was looking at a HUGE tree my brother snapped this picture of me. (Sometimes I forget my hair is that long because I don’t see it!)

MUSINGS

I absolutely love this quote from Winter Spell (by Claire M. Banschbach)—a book that I copyedited this last month. I loved this so much I had to write it out in calligraphy and prop it on my nightstand as a reminder. It’s been so inspiring. ^_^

Other musings and things I’m learning include that I’m afraid of change (I’m Baggins-ish and don’t always have that Tookish adventurous spirit!), but that even when things are scary it’s still probably going to be okay and I need to stop worrying so much.

Breathe. I’ve been thinking a lot about this word. I don’t really choose a word for the year like some people do, but if I did, I might pick this one. Breathing is literally the number one thing that keeps us alive, physically, and this might be a hint about needing to metaphorically breathe—to rest and take time between things. I spend a lot of time feeling stressed or behind or trying to conquer the never-ending to-do list. But slowing down and taking time out for resting and recharging is so important. I’m trying to remember to stop and breathe in this way. Last week I took a whole day with the internet turned off and my to-do list cleared, and I rested up—I read some short books, napped, watched a movie, sat in the sun for a few minutes, and just breathed and de-stressed, and it was fabulous. Just a reminder (mostly to myself!) that we are not machines and we can’t keep going every minute, nor should we.

FEBRUARY PLANS

I’m hoping to make some writing goals and get back to that, as well as catch up on review books, keep up with editing jobs, and finish up some other life projects. We’ll see how the month goes . . .

It’s February Fantasy Month, hosted (for the fifth time!) by the fabulous Jenelle Schmidt! So be sure to check that out for giveaways and fantasy awesomeness! Not sure if I’ll have a chance to do much for that, but I hear there’s a tag, and an Instagram challenge, and I might post some reviews . . . We’ll see!

Also . . . we get a leap day. How cool is that? 😀

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my January! If you read this far, you deserve a cupcake. *offers virtual cupcakes*

What have you been up to so far this year, and what are your February plans?

Thanks for reading!