This weekend, I did something I haven’t done in more than fifteen years. I had a booth at a craft fair: two actually: one Friday and one Saturday. Last month I wrote about how I did a Holiday Open House, which was actually at someone’s home. The craft fairs this weekend were at two schools, and I was one of about thirty vendors at the first one, and one of about sixty vendors at the second one. I had forgotten how fun it was to make a bunch of crafts (travel journals that I sold along with my travel book) and then sell them. (Jim is probably groaning as he’s…
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- Best Thing Ever, Family Fun, Food, I've Got Mad Skillz, Jim Has Mad Skillz, My Sister Has Mad Skillz
Sometimes It’s Best If You Schedule These Things.
Confession time: over the past year or so (maybe even eighteen months: I’ve lost track!), Jim and I have been in a rut. I never thought it would happen to us, but it did. We used to have plenty of time, and plenty of desire. In fact, on the nights when I didn’t feel like it, he took charge, and vice versa. As of late, our busy schedules and pure exhaustion at the end of the day turned the tides. When we least expected it, something we used to do almost every single day became an afterthought, a rarity. Of course I’m talking about cooking dinner. We used to have…
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I Stand Corrected.
The last few weeks have been a blur, mostly. I have been in the throes of editing (and editing*) the manuscript for my book. Here’s an approximation of how this process went (I can only write this to the best of my limited memory: I just mentioned how much of a blur my recent past has been, remember?): 1. Back in January, I edited the entire manuscript (240 pages, nearly 50,000 words) for what may have already been the fifth or sixth time before sending it to my publisher so she could have her editor mark it up. 2. On March 2 (was it only THIRTEEN DAYS AGO? Oy vey.),…
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Ready For My Closeup…Sort Of. (Part 2)
Did you read Part 1 yet? You should, before moving on. Click here to read it. When I woke up at 2:30 a.m. I was completely annoyed. Naturally my thoughts went to the photo shoot, and then to other “work” related items. I tried my best to think about things like puffy white clouds and wide open meadows, to no avail. I was wide awake. I made myself stay in bed until about 4:40, and that’s when I got up and started getting myself ready. The hair, though it took a really long time, turned out really well! I followed Lynn’s (my hair stylist) directions and was beyond pleased, even…
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Ready For My Closeup…Sort Of. (Part 1)
One of the details I’ve had to coordinate, concerning my soon-to-be-published book (yay!), is my author photo for the back cover. My publisher suggested that, since the book is about Chicago, I have my picture taken in front of a recognizable Chicago building or landmark. No problem. I have my favorites, and it took me about a half of a split second to create the mental short list of locations for the shoot. In fact, if you’re one of my long-time readers, I bet that YOU could create a mental short list of locations for my photo shoot. It took me less than half of a split second to figure…
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What To Make For Dessert That Will Have Everyone Humming…
I’m swamped at the moment, between my Productivity project and trying to catch up on a few other things this week, so today I thought I’d give you Christmas-celebratin’ folks a great (and easy!) last-minute recipe, should you need a dessert at some point this week. It’s called Hummingbird Cake and though I’m probably way off, I consider it a sister of the carrot cake. It’s got pecans, pineapple, and banana in it, and the frosting is of the cream cheese variety. It is, as my sister (and Weaselmomma) would say, “STUPID GOOD.” When I wanted to make it last week, I couldn’t find the recipe I got from my…
- Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?, Fun in Chicago, My Sister Has Mad Skillz, Too Funny To Ignore
O, I Vlogged.
If you have ever remotely wanted to get inside my head, I have just made it possible for you to do so. (Advance apologies; it’s a mess in there.) Watch this first: When you’re done, click here for the first video I talked about. And finally, click here for the second video. Discuss. ©2010 Suburban Scrawl
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Fruitastic Summer Salad
I’m headed over to my sister’s place this evening. We’re going to watch “Billy Elliott” (I’ve never seen it but it’s been on my list!) and enjoy dinner. I’m bringing what has become my go-to, easy-as-pie-and-tastes-just-as-good-too dessert this summer, the recipe for which actually came from my sister. “Fruitastic Salad” (she made up that name, but it fits!) 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint5 tablespoons sugar or splenda*juice/pulp of one lime Pulse mint, sugar and lime juice in blender or food processor until mostly liquified. You want the mint to be small. (You can use whatever fruit you want, fresh or frozen, in whatever amounts, but here’s a good guideline):1/2…
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I’ll Tell You Who He Is…He’s MY SON!
Well, another lacrosse season has come and gone. This year, with both boys playing (the younger boy on the Fresh/Soph team and the older boy on Varsity), our family schedule was jam-packed. On some weeks, I had three or four evenings of games to watch. It was a lifesaver that the older boy has his own car to get himself to away games for pre-game practice so I could join later, as well as the fact that both of their teams did their Monday through Friday practices at the elementary school in our own neighborhood. Each of them had a very different season from the other. This was the younger…
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Crossing That Bridge Because We Came To It
The older boy and I met my sister Julesie at the riverwalk today, so she could take his senior pictures. It wasn’t the first attempt; it was the third. Last time, we were in Tennessee for Thanksgiving and although she took a couple of rolls, he was really crabby that day and she said it showed through in the pictures. The first time we tried, it was way too windy and cold. I posted one picture from that session; if you don’t remember it, you must click here, especially if you need a laugh. We had high hopes for today, and it went very well. I’ll post a couple when…