I wanted to share some good news and thank you all for your prayers and support the last several months especially! As some of you know, I’ve been working on fundraisers for a dear author friend who lost her home and wellness to mold poisoning. As a wildfire survivor who’s had to rebuild her own life, I couldn’t just sit by and watch as Mary Weber and her family dealt with so much (more background HERE). So, I reached out to friends and over time we built a big team—and the team has just done something AMAZING. It has been…
Dust Blog Tour Stop #12 and Interview
Hey Lost Boys and Girls welcome to the Dust Blog Tour which features my friend author Kara Swanson with her amazing Peter Pan retelling called Dust. It will debut on July 21, 2020 and I would highly recommend a pre-order. By participating in the whole blog tour, you can read many interviews with her and also win gorgeous swag. But watch out for Captain Hook along the way! To get in the mood, I brought all my treasures together with Peter Pan and Wendy and the family – including this map and teapot and mug. And pixie dust. So, without…
A Walk In The Garden With An Author’s Eye
A Moment of Beauty at Filoli Gardens I received the most wonderful email last week saying, with precautions in place, a local historic garden I love to visit (and want to write about some day) was opening this week. You can bet I was there the day and moment they opened with my mask (that makes me look like a gangster) and took a walk through their beautiful paths that twist around the historic home. In case you also need a moment of beauty while on lockdown or as things ease and open in your area (we are at over…
Writing Resources During Covid Virus Quarantine
Writing Resources During Covid Virus Facing this unique moment in time in productive and hopeful communities February began with me typing much of my second book in the hospital with my father recovering from a difficult fall and hip surgery. I literally drove home from a week with my parents to try and find toilet paper and supplies as things worsened due to the virus. At the time of writing this, it’s more than eight weeks since Covid Virus stay-at-home began for my husband and I and our two teen boys in Northern California. We are doing okay so far,…
Book Review of The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre
My review for MMGM, Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, under the Magical Gazebo this week taught me bravery, endurance, cleverness, and was deeply entertaining and fun with The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (yes, that one – who wrote Ella Enchanted!). My review I’ve been saving this read from one of my favorite authors, and it seems like someone knew I’d need it right now, going into week eight of being on quarantine in Northern California. We’ve all had to be more brave in weird ways recently, haven’t we? Well, I found such inspiration from Levine’s main character,…
The Amazing World of Gem Photomicrography
What is gem photomicrography? Years ago I was blessed to attend the Gemological Institute of America and learn more about the inside of jewelry. Deep inside. And I fell in love with the dazzling world of miniature inside the microscope. Gem photomicrography is a specialized view deep inside of gems through a microscope – captured in a photograph. Some sophisticated lighting and angles can open up the most fascinating imagery. I’ve written an article about it combined with a devotion for Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Magazine that is just released in the February, 2020 issue – and here it…
2020 Updates!
Thank you for your support during an exciting year and happy new year 2020! I wanted to give an update about some neat things in the works and what will be coming in the months that follow. Upcoming and recent appearances I wrote a science/devotional about the amazing inner world of diamonds and gems for Clubhouse magazine for children with Focus on the Family, and it will be out in February, 2020! I just received this preview and have to share how rewarding it was working with the Gemology community in researching the specialty of Photomicrography – taking very detailed…
Heart Moments at Nymph Lake
A few years ago, I took my children to see long-time friends in Colorado for a summer visit. It was wonderful getting to walk in the mountains that feel like old friends in the Estes Park area. When I was just out of college, I mentored a group of high school girls through Cru (then called Student Venture) and we fundraised and were able to come to camp at YMCA of the Rockies in that area. So, I have walked those paths several times over the years. Getting to take my children to that special place with dear friends was…
Five Lessons Disney’s The Mandalorian Teaches About Creating Epic Characters
Like much of the country, I have fallen for the two main characters in Disney’s The Mandalorian series on the new Disney Plus service. On a recent visit to The Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, I got to really consider Baby Yoda, or The Child, and the Mandalorian himself as characters. We even spotted some Easter Eggs or items in the park which you won’t want to miss and so keep reading :). And if you haven’t watched yet ++spoiler alert++ so I recommend watching before reading further. How did we become so connected with so few words? I’m not the…
Special Gem Feature: Eiseman Jewels
This week I’m so excited to highlight one of my favorite jewelers in the United States where I worked back in the day as well – Eiseman Jewels. You can find them in Dallas, Texas in a really unique mall filled with art and a lot of local history called NorthPark Center. And don’t miss the links at the bottom of this article for a tour on YouTube and another post with more gems! As a graduate gemologist, I so enjoyed seeing the selection of gems. I asked my colleague Diamond Cutter and wonderful person in general, Andre Vorster, to…
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