I met Amanda McDonough when we were involved in some media work together and was truly touched and amazed (to put it mildly) by her amazing journey through deafness. Since I have a fantasy manuscript with a deaf main character I’m working on getting published, I wanted to know more about her life. When you meet her, what you’ll notice first isn’t her hearing aids or even her gorgeous smile. It’s her bright sense of vivaciousness and joy. Amanda is truly one of the most positive people I’ve met and is so authentic about her struggles and also how much…
Tour Whit’s End at Focus on the Family!
Tour Whit’s End at Focus on the Family’s Headquarters! Our family takes lots of road trips and we’ve been grateful over the years for fun entertainment with Adventures in Odyssey, both their videos and especially their audio programs. This summer, we got to tour the headquarters in Colorado Springs at Focus on the Family and see Whit’s End, where many of the stories come to life. From pretending we’re spies to learning wholesome lessons while being entertained, it’s been a great resource for long drives or a fun break. The games, puppets, and activities were perfect for my…
Tools and Treasures For A Great New Year
Thorn & Vine blog features three key areas to ramp-up your new year dreams and reenergize your family during this first quarter of 2017. Life 101 has tips for living well and intentionally with your choices and planning. Life Stories dives deep with books and inspiring stories of resilience. And in A Beautiful Life, you’ll find places and items to dazzle and delight your hunt for simple joys in life. Life 101 I’ve turned to some home remedies for help this fall and winter, both with health and outlook. From simplifying our household using time and money-saving processes, to dealing…
Resilient YA Author Lorie Langdon’s Wit, Struggles, and Triumphs
Lorie Langdon shares about her series Doon, co-written with Carey Corp, in which the tale of Brigadoon is retold in a modern context for teens. Magical bridges, foggy moats, castles, musical theater, big cities and pastoral lands, and romance with handsome Scots make this all fun. I love the enchanted premise and Lorie brings us behind the scenes for key decisions she made with Carey about the story and characters. Lorie also opens up about her own path to resilience through her battle with Crohn’s disease which has taken a great toll on her in the past. She’s so inspiring…
New Frozen Musical Medley at Hyperion Theater
As part of living a beautiful life, it’s important to seek out uplifting moments for the whole family, especially with all of the turmoil going on in the world. Come find some refreshment and truly “let it go” watching captured moments of Disney’s production of Frozen at the Hyperion Theater in California Adventure. You can see the long version soon on Geek Central Blog, too! Sign up for my blog posts and be entered in the November giveaway!
Let Your Creativity Take Flight with Actress Wendy Speake
Have you ever felt like the edges of your dreams—the ones where you’re a creative, lovely person writing, painting, drawing, or sewing—had slipped so far from your grasp as a wife and mother that you wondered whether you could really find them again? I have. After a summer of travel to launch the blog and for my writing projects, things were, well, a bit crispy on the fringes. I missed the simple joys of cooking a dinner and laying a table with pretty flowers and candles. And then I got to sit with Wendy Speake. She is part of a…
Enter A World of Gems with Eiseman Jewels
Join me for a special visit to Richard Eiseman Jewels, where I used to work as a gemologist, in Dallas, Texas. It is a joy to introduce you to some of my favorite people and an exceptional purveyor of fine jewelry and watches. Come get up close to gorgeous pearls, diamonds that capture a ray of moonlight, and emeralds that twinkle with greens beyond belief. As someone who’s passionate about creating and appreciating beauty, I’ve always been so grateful for the experience to work with such gorgeous gems and amazing professionals in the jewelry industry. Richard’s father, Richard D….
Situational Forgiveness and Podcast with Rev. Misty Tyme
As a survivor of losing every possession and our home in a wildfire, I sometimes get to share my story with others who have a special heart for helping hurting families. Recently I was asked to share some insights about situational forgiveness by Rev. Misty Tyme on her podcast. (Link here: Situational Forgiveness). We hit all the biggies, what it was like to evacuate, and how to find a path for forgiveness for self, others, and even God in the midst of stark tragedy. I was very open about how people treated us, both good and bad, and how we…
Never Let Go Of Magic with Author Shannon Messenger
Recently I met Shannon Messenger, author of the middle grade Keeper of the Lost Cities series and the Sky Fall series for young adults. Shannon is a delight and her stories are so wonderful. It was a genuine pleasure to meet her and hear about her books for both groups. Shannon is an accomplished artist and really helps us to never let go of our love for magical things in life. Her characters learn that belonging isn’t as important as being genuine and realizing their true value. Shannon gave me great swag (photo below) for two lucky winners of…
Great things and Giveaways, Author Interviews in September
Here’s a quick video update about wonderful things coming, starting TOMORROW! With Shannon Messenger’s interview about Keeper of the Lost Cities Series for middle grade and her young adult series as well. Later this month we’ll see Sara Ella and learn more about having a creative life with Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart’s new book, Life Creative. We’ll dive deep with updates about bullying and what you can do to not feel so helpless if it happens, how to diagnose it with young ones too. Sign up for the blog and my first giveaway, wonderful swag from Shannon Messenger and…
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