Check out my new background!

I happened on to the the cutest little site today by accident --> cutencool and I am so happy that I did.

Isn't this one of the coolest backgrounds you've seen? Okay - maybe you have different taste then I do, so it's okay if you don't like it. But me? I LOVE it. Sweetest part? I was able to get this little lovely for free. Oh, so now it's looking better to you huh? Cutencool has other backgrounds, headers, buttons etc and they are really lovely (and a few are creepy to). There is even one that reminds me of some of  Laini Taylor's characters from Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Working on some book bracelets tomorrow. No not bracelets with books on them, bracelets for books. Are you curious?

Cass

Tools for Contests

Do you like contests? I do. Another thing to learn about me huh?

I entered a contest hosted by Rafflecopter who says they make it crazy-simple to create, run, and enter online giveaways and sweepstakes.  Sounds good to me!

Bookity Book Trailers

I like books trailers. Did you know that about me? No? Well now you do. :-) Just giving you a heads up, you will see book trailers here often because I think they are a unique way of getting people interested in a book. Helps build the buzz. 

Well, I'm really looking forward to getting my copy of So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev (which is the 3rd in the Theatre Illuminate series) so you can imagine my little squee of joy moments ago when she tweeted a  link to this little lovely:

Bookity Book Trailers

This one is for Hallowed, by Cynthia Hand. Have you seen this one it yet? Ooooh I love me a book trailer.  Looks like Egmont has another winner.

Yay for contests!

I won an ARC of The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting. She hosted a contest over on Facebook where you had to leave a comment of what you thought her daughter was thinking as she stood there looking at a couple of large impressive horses in the snow. My comment was about yellow snow. It made her daughter laugh (along with 3 other entries) so there were four winners today. How cool is that? I can't wait to read it.

Flirty or Coy

Almost every day on my way to work, I am graced with the view of one of Mother Nature's works of art, Mount Rainer. I say almost because sometimes Mount Rainer likes to play coy and goes into hiding.

I've lived in Washington most of my life, and have always been within view of Mount Rainier. I think it is a view that some take for granted.

Last year I was at a book signing for Kimberly Derting (author of the Body Finder Series and The Pledge) and she was talking about a conversation she had with someone in the publishing industry (her editor maybe) and she made a comment about Mount Rainer, and whether  or not it was "out". The person she had been talking to didn't quite understand that sometimes you could see the Mountain and sometimes you couldn't.

That got me to thinking more about Mount Rainier.  It's funny how I can see the mountain as I go to work in the morning, and by the time I go to lunch it's gone into hiding. I decided I wanted to somehow document the appearances (or lack thereof) and what better way then a pictorial. Oooh. How about a 365 days of Mount Rainier pictorial. I bought myself a camera right before Christmas and checked out what would be the best location to take the photo. And did I find a doozy. Right under a bridge, looking up the Duwamish River. In my mind it was perfect. I told my co-workers I was going to start January 1, 2012.

January 1st came and went. So did January 2nd. Mount Rainer never even entered my mind those two days.  Why? Because I didn't leave the house sillies. It was a holiday. Then yesterday on may way to work, there it was, right in front of me in all it's glory. At first I was all flummoxed because I had missed out on January 1st start date, but then came around to the realization that I could still do 365 days a photos, it doesn't really matter when I start, right? I hurried to the spot I had chosen to take the photos was sad to discover my view was blocked. Someone had docked a big barge on the river, right in front of my "perfect spot". I threw up my hands in frustration. Who was I kidding anyway. Was I really committing to taking a photo EVERY DAY? FOR A YEAR? Still wanting to document Mount Rainier's habit of hiding in plain site (but not every day) I changed up the plan to one day a week. Yes, that would be easier. I could commit to once a week. Then I thought I'd better make it a weekday too, as those are the days I guarantee I leave the house. So fingers crossed, I'd try again the next morning.

This morning I woke up to a beautiful sunrise. I just new Mount Rainier would be shining. I'd even found a solution to the big barge being in the way. Instead of taking the photo from under the bridge, I would take the photo from up ON the bridge. This way nothing blocked my view.

So each week, I'll take a photo from the same basic location and we'll see if Mount Rainier is playing coy or flirty. Today? Definitely flirty.

Steampunkery Goodies

I have to say I am fascinated with just about anything Steampunk. I love the look of the gadgets and attire, and I LOVE worlds created in that same theme. Well I just was over at Tiffany Trent's website and am excited to find another book to add to my ever growing list of must reads. She is even having a contest where the prize is Steampunkery Goodies. How is it I didn't know about this upcoming book The Unnaturalists? Go over and check out that cover. It is just awesome. Tiffany says that the folks over at Simon and Schuster truly captured the book in that cover. I know one thing is for sure - the bookshelf devoted to my love of Steampunk stories is getting a new addition!

What Will 2012 Bring?

A better title probably would have been What Will I Bring to 2012?

I was reading Diana Peterfreund's Blog this morning and saw a detailed list of what she as hoping for in 2012. I thought that was a great idea, so I'm going to do the same here. I'm so looking forward to the new year, and figure maybe if I write down my own bullet list of the things I want out of 2012 I just might achieve some of them.


Work

•  A kind word costs nothing but is worth so much to the receiver. Remember everyone likes to be shown appreciation for a job well done.

•  Delegate. Delegate. Delegate. They won't learn the job if you don't let them.

• Help plan a Holiday Party for 2012. It has been too many years since we had a sit down dinner for everyone. 

• Have fun with the new Newsletter . 

Home

• Set up my craft room/writing room instead of using it as the catchall room.

• Take all of the boxes of crafty items and all of the unshelved books scattered throughout the house and put them way in their proper places in the new improved craft/writing room noted above. (Once it is set up of course)

• Sweet talk ChopSuey into knocking down the wall. Yes that one. 

• Get the forced air vents and furnace professionally cleaned. We've been here 14 years. I guess it's about time.

• Turn the basement into the Family Movie/Game Room. 

• Move AlleyCat into the room off the balcony. It's about time she has a real room of her own.

• Get the other garage door hung. We've had it in the garage for what, 2 years now? This will be the year to hang it.

• Take better care of the yard. It's not going to do it by itself. (Though I wish it would)

Family

• Get our Will set up. I can't believe that we have never followed through with this before. We aren't getting any younger and need to make sure both girls are taken care of.  All parents need to consider doing it, but I think parents with a special needs child/teen has to take extra precautions and make their wishes known.

• Work with Peanut on her communication skills. We got her an iPad for Christmas this year. She has been using one at school for adding to her vocabulary and improving her communication skills and we want to continue it at home. When she turns 18 she will have an opportunity to participate in a school to work program, but I've already been told that her ability to communicate would have to improve. 

• Finding more Me and AlleyCat time. She's at that angsty age of 14 and I'm scared one of these days she won't want anything to do with me. We need to continue to make sure AlleyCat knows just how proud we are of her. She is such a great kid, awesome student and fantastic sister. Book signings is something she loves to go to, so I will have to research what authors will be here in 2012. (It's a win/win for me too!)

• Try to get Chopsuey to go out of town with the girls and I, even if it is weekend trip to the ocean or the mountains or somewhere in between. 

• Spend more time with mom and dad. I hate to hear  it said my sister who lives four states away spends more time visiting than I do at forty miles. (Actually I improved on that greatly since 2010 but sadly it was on account of my mom and a bout of that dirty beast cancer).

Self

• Get to know more online people in the writing community. Make connections. Look for critique peeps.

• Find the time to write. Quit coming up with excuses and continually proCASStinating with Twitter and sit down and write. Come up with a schedule with Corbin and go back to our weekly writing sessions via phone. 

• Be more active. I have got to get this butt off the couch and outside walking. I can't keep going on like this. Something has got to change.

• Go to SCBWI-WW conference this spring. I just saw the line-up and laughed when I realized I already follow about half of the speakers on Twitter.

• Make more items for my etsy shop. Of course my version of  the ClockWork Angel Pendant has been a hit, but I'd like to fill the shop with the other book inspired items I've been making.

• Post more here on my Blog. Maybe it will be my own spin on Field of Dreams - If I write it, they will come.

What are you looking to get out of 2012?

Happy New Year To All!