What's Up Wednesday- March 5th


Spring, Fireflies in the Swamp & Owls in Residence


What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up.  Should you wish to join, check out Jaime's or Erin's lovely blogs and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of the post.


WHAT I'M READING
I had a hankering to pick up a "real" book with paper pages and that real book smell. So I reread PRIDE AND PREJUDICE  and then started MANSFIELD PARK. Despite everyone's obsession with getting married, I enjoyed it immensely. 

WHAT I'M WRITING

Over at YA Buccaneers we've been gearing up for Spring Writing Bootcamp which runs March through May!  (Click on the link to learn more about it and to join in.) Who couldn't use a little encouragement and a few awesome prizes as well?!! 

I've been making some decent progress on LOVE AND OTHER CURIOSITIES but I'm hoping Bootcamp will give me a much needed push in the right direction. I also did get my long-overdue edits incorporated into ISIS. I'm about ready to send it to my CP's of Awesome again. There have been a lot of changes since the last round (Read: More Naked Boy...That's just his nickname because he was naked on page 1...he's not naked the whole time....so don't go reading too much into THAT) anyway, I'm infinitely curious as to what my CP's make of the changes. 


WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO 

I've been "Springing" up the house. Granted our temperatures are more summery than that of Spring, but I've got Spring on the brain. The oaks are putting out their new leaves, ferns fronds are unfurling, all the irises in my wildlife pond are about ready to burst forth. So I wanted to add a little Spring to the house. I started with some new wall art. We've had Boy Chris' Halloween painting up since two Halloween's ago, and I think it was frightening some of the children. (Read: Everybody...including the UPS guy) So I painted some new wall art. And then because I can't do anything without turning it into a crazy lighting project, I decided to string some lights behind it. I'm calling it, "Fireflies in the Swamp". It's not done just yet. Still messing with the lights, but you get the general idea. I've put it on a fade timer, so it just starts to glow at dusk and then cuts itself off at bedtime.

Another infinitely easy and cheap decor project for my house Springing, was my thrift store owl makeover. I bought this guy for 99 cents for our Owl Party. (Yes, we are obsessed with owls over here. And that obsession includes throwing Owl Parties.) I decided he should be in permanent residence, so I painted him white. I think he's going to live in Terrarium Row.



WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW 

I've been trying to remember that even though things have been crazy busy, what with running two businesses and all of my crazy side projects, to take some time out. Even if it is just fifteen minutes of doing nothing at all or taking some "me time". (Read: Beach Time) I've been keeping my swimsuit in the car for quickie costume changes.

Yesterday, I went for a marvelous swim. The water was perfectly calm and clear. And somehow, without realizing it, I swam into a whole school of stingrays. It was amazing. They just circled around me like weightless birds. Perfectly silent and graceful. Their shadows skirting over the sand. They didn't seem to mind me treading water in their midst. 

Lesson 1: Beach Time is important
Lesson 2: I should always swim with the waterproof camera :)






20 comments:

  1. Okay, your art projects are inspiring me! I absolutely love your painting (with the lights especially!) and your little owl is adorable! What a simple idea for up-cycling a thrift store find. Now I want to go see what our local thrift stores might have. :-) Hope you have a great week, Kris, and I hope you find your much-needed "me time."

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    1. Hooray for art project inspiration! I waste far too much time on Pinterest sometimes though ;)

      Also, if I don't get any writing done, I don't get to start Any More Projects. That ought to work as a motivator.

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  2. Wow, that wall art is amazingly cool. I love the lights behind it, firefly effect. You are seriously talented.

    Have a great week!

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    1. Thanks Kate! I wasn't sure if I liked how it turned out at first. (The colors looked much lighter outside) But with the lights behind it, it looks pretty cool.

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  3. Fireflies in the Swamp is incredible. I wish I could paint. What's an owl party? Sounds intriguing.

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    1. Thanks! And for the record I can't paint...I just muck about and hope for the best. ;)

      And an Owl Party is just something we made up because it sounded like fun. Basically, when our real live resident owls had their first successful nestling fledge in our back yard we decided it was cause to celebrate and we threw a party. Decorated everything with hundreds of owls, made an owl cake, had owl masks and just generally acted like insane people. As per our usual.

      It was a blast.

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  4. My mom is obsessed with owls- I should tell her to have an owl party!
    Love me some Jane Austen although Mansfield Park is probably my least fave.

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    1. You should, she'd love it! Also, I expect to be invited. j/k ;)

      Yeah, Mansfield Park isn't really my favorite either, but I hadn't read it in a long time and it goes well with hammock.

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  5. Lovely artwork!

    Hah, I love that you can just get up and go for a beach swim. I mean, I could... if I wanted hypothermia :P Yes, definitely take a waterproof camera and share amazing images with us. Pleeeeeeeease :D

    Enjoy boot camp ^_^

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    1. Thanks!

      And yeah, when people here complain about the water temperature dropping below 78 degrees, I have to scoff. I was born in the Frozen Hinterland, we used to break the ice to go swimming. Not a big fan of the Polar Bear Club anymore though....liiitle bit spoiled. ;)

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  6. Love the painting with the lights! Such a cool idea and definitely spring-ish. I could use more spring stuff around my place. You know, stuff that I can look at and dream of spring while avoiding looking out the window and seeing winter in all of its worn out, ugly glory. Bleh. Love the owl, too! You seem to be making a lot of great progress with your WiPs. That's fantastic! Can you send some of that awesome productivity my way, please??? Hope you have an awesome week, Kris, with the occasional trip to the beach for some "you time". :-)

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    1. Thanks Jaime! Your comment makes me want to mail you some springtime, because I used to be just *dying* for Spring by this time of year. Perhaps I could cram some orange blossoms, mini blue iris, a peck of baby owlets and some ferns & moss in a box and fedex it to you. *looks around for anything else to shove in the box* ;)

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  7. I think I'll have to check out that boot camp. I can't wait for spring - it feels like winter's gone on forever! Love the painting and the owl!

    Have a great week! :)

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  8. I signed up for writing boot camp too. It's just what I need to regain my focus. The beach sounds fantastic right now as I look out the window to snow on the ground. At least it's melting. Ha. Have a great weekend!

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  9. Those art projects are freaking amazing, Kris! I love the lights behind the canvas. Such an incredibly cool idea! We're rather fond of owls around here too, and I love ferns. We tried growing some in our backyard but they didn't like the environment much. Drat.

    You're reminding me that I need to read some more Jane Austen. I haven't read MANSFIELD PARK yet, even though I've seen the movie (shame on me). I'll have to squeeze in a few classics this year some time.

    Good for you for finishing up your round of edits and making progress on your other WIP! I don't know how you run two business and manage to be so creative at the same time. You rock!

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  10. 1. That painting is pretty much the most epic piece of art I've ever seen.
    2. I want to attend an owl party.
    3. Naked Boy! I actually remember him from the few pages I read years and years ago. That makes me feel a little bit like a creeper :)

    Have a fantastic, wonderful week!

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  11. I signed up for Spring Boot Camp and am so excited to get started! I need the good kick in the butt to get through revisions and drafting. I need to reread some Jane Austen! I try to reread P&P every year, but I admit I've skipped it the last couple of years. Love your springing up decorations, so fun!

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  12. Wow, that's a really cool picture, Kris--great idea for the firefly effect. Very creative!

    Perhaps if we sent you some of our winter, and you sent us some of your summer, we'd both end up with spring? Does it work like that? :)

    Have a really great week!

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  13. Those paintings are BEAUTIFUL! Seriously stunning. They look so magical and very spring-y. *pets computer screen*

    Hurray for taking time for yourself! Although I wish you had photos of your sting ray swim, it sounds like a magical and amazing moment - and just hearing about it gave me tingles. :)

    Have a wonderful week!

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  14. Your firefly art is SO pretty! I'm really impressed!

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