Ahoy maties!

In honor of ye ol' Talk LIke a Pirate day, ye best be sheddin' yer land lubbin name and get yerself a name fittin' for a pirate at Ye ol' Pirate Name generator. ARRRRRRRRR!

My new pirate name be Burnin' Juliana Hawkins. What be yers?

click here or click ye above to go to the name generator.

Play a game with your Characters

The Best Day/ Worst Day Game

Character development doesn't have to be dull. Try playing a game with your characters. In John Green's "Finding Alaska" his characters play a game of "Best Day, Worst Day" where each character told the others their best and worst day. I found this interesting because the answers each character gave told the reader the experiences that made them tick, gave them their drive and direction in life.

So . . . I thought, that may be a good character development game. Then I started to wonder what other games might be fun to play while getting to know our characters. hmmmmmmmm

Critter's first visit in Blogland will be with . . . . .

Critter is very excited. He's packed his bag and is ready for his Blogland adventure.

All the entries are in my handy-dandy tupperware bowl of winningness and Critter is about to milk his pants from the the excitement. (If you haven't noticed, this critter is part cow.)

And the first person Critter will come to visit is . . . . .

PJ HOOVER!!!!

YaY PJ! Critter will be able to enjoy Texas w/o the fear of too much perspiration. :0)

But don't worry folks. There are 14 more places that Critter will get to visit, so you still have 14 more chances to win a visit by following him on his journey I will post links to the places that Critter is going so you'll be able to have another chance on the other blogs. PJ's blog is PJhoover.blogspot.com. Check out her blog and watch for Critter to show up! :0)

Random title and plot generators

OK, here's a couple things for fun. Who knows, you might even get something good out of it.

First is the random title generator. When I tried it there were some rediculous titles (obviously) but there were actually a few that I liked too. One was "Waves in the Ashes" If you go to the link, let me know what good titles came up for you.

Here's the link to the Random Title Generator

The random plot generator is hillarious. I'd be surprised if you get a really good idea out of this one, but who knows, perhaps this could be good for a creative writing exercise or just something to get your creative juices flowing.

Here's the link to the Random Plot Generator

Enjoy! :0)

I found my untapped Super Power in Pennsylvania

Does this caterpillar make my hand look fat?

The retreat was great, but what really surprised me was that I discovered my untapped Super Power while I was there.

As it turns out, I'm a caterpillar rescuer!

On average, I saved at least 20 caterpilars that had wandered into peril, whether it was in my cabin, or if they were dangling from a spider web, I was there to save them! (insert super hero trumpet here)

Thanks to me, there will be more butterflies in PA this year.

What is your Super Power?

If you don't know your Super Power, Click here to find out what it is.

Ask my CrAzY Random 8 ball and a shout out!

Need help making decisions this weekend? You're in luck. I'm allowing you use of my CrAzY random 8 ball. It's always right . . . as long as you ask it a random crazy question as opposed to a serious one. For example, you need to ask it things like

should I put sardines on my peanut butter and jelly sandwich

should I sing and dance the Macerana while I'm standing in line at the bank today?

Should I change my name to Villinus Schmataximus?

You know. That kind of stuff. Let me know what you ask it and what kind of advice you get so I may share in your joy.

Magic 8 Ball & MySpace Layouts

AND . . . a shout out is in order. Remember the interview I did w/ Ian Sands? Well, Ian has another exciting deal in the works. His art has won a contest and will be featured on the side of our City area buses. Click here to read more about it on his blog.

Congratulations Ian!

Christy Needs . . . .

First off, Thanks to Rena, I have been able to answer the life long question that has been gnawing at the pitt of my soul. What would I look like if I were an M&M.
Now I know. The hair, the coffee cup, the flip flops, the color. It's totally me!

There is also another question that we all ask ourselves. "What do I need?"

There's a fun Meme going around facebook, and I thought I'd bring it out to my side of blogland too. What you do, is type {your name} and the word "needs" in your google search engine and then list the first 10 things that it says you need. Here's mine:


here's mine. funny! ;0)

christy needs . . .
1) to blog
2) help
3) her own series
4) to take her opinions elsewhere
5) more pop video on AOL
6) a new computer fund
7) an intervention
8) to take a good hard look in the mirror
9) to know where her inventory is at all times
10) to go to sleep.

So. What does Google say that you need? :0D

What does your blog say about you?

Tara posted this test on her blog. This test was (for the most part) scary-spot-on for me! While age and life circumstances has taken a bit of my "energy and talking" away, this is still mostly true. I'm not always a big talker, but if I feel comfortable, I can be. Go to typelyzer, stick in your blog address and they analyze your personality based on your blog. This is what they said about me:

ESTP - The Doers

The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

Shake my snow globe

Click on my snow globe to shake it. Shake it baby shake it!

Snow Globe Toy & MySpace Layouts at pYzam.com

My Supernatural encounter with poultry: Is there a Duck whisperer out there?

There's the Virgin Mary's image on a piece of toast,
Fecal matter in the shape of Abraham Lincoln . . . and now we have wax duck-bills . . .


Candles flickering, wax melting and spilling over the side of my silver decorative candle plate until a perfect waxen image gels on my ceramic cook-top stove. No human help is required. This form comes together on its own. A duck bill with a perfect crack down the center that puts me in mind of a smiling Donald Duck! It is true. I've been contacted by the great poultry of the beyond. But what are they trying to tell me? Is there a duck whisperer out there? Anyone who can make contact with dearly departed fowl?

How much do you think this supernatural phenomena will sell on e-bay? ;0D Baby wants a vacation.

The Writers 12 Days of Christmas

Our collective genius has been compiled and it is now time for the unveiling!

I give to you . . .
THE WRITERS 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

(I'll start at the end . . . you know how it goes)

On the 12th day of Christmas my writing buddies gave to me

12 Chapters written
11 Movie deals
10 Newberry awards
9 Best Sellers
8 Partial Requests
7 Quiet hours
6 Starbucks cards
5 Cups of coffeeeeeeeeeee
4 Calling editors
3 Ink pens
2 Eager agents
and a Nobel Prize for all the world to seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Ta-dah!

I feel so freakin' festive now. :0)

Thanks to all who made this song possible. What a talented bunch we are! :0)

Book Drawing winner and Wedding Photo Challenge

I did it! I completed the fast draft of my first NaNo project. It only reached 27,002 words. But for this type of book I think that's not too bad. Those Slice of life YA girlie books are usually shorter. And today, I plan on starting my next idea.
In celebration I have drawn the winners for the next two book Giveaways!
(insert the Chicken Dance polka here because drum rolls are becoming too cliche)
Sruble is the winner of KATIE KAZOO
Beth Revis is the winner of the AMERICAN GIRL book
Contact me at Bevers@nc.rr.com with your mailing info and I'll get those out to you.
CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS!

And now, to the wedding photo challenge. Rena started a challenge on her blog for people to post their wedding pictures. So, here's mine. 15 1/2 years ago. I think that football player is still looking for the shoulder pads that I stole from him. ;0)

My bouquet is a bit unusual. For one of my birthdays my Grandmother had a special Bible sent to me. I decided to include this Bible as a part of my bouquet. The flowers were made to fit and latch upon it. I'm really big into "meaning" and 'sentiment" over tradition.

So, now it's your turn. I'm passing on the challenge. Post your wedding picture if you can!

My life as a teenage time traveler

1964
I should've taken the dogs for a walk. Instead I tampered with the laws of time and space. The good news is. . . I got pictures! :0) the bad news is that I ran into some relatives and it's questionable if I will continue to exist. My nose is starting to disappear as I type.

Anyway, while I still have some time left, I thought I'd post some pictures of my trip. Due to this whole "yearbook" picture blog thing that's been going on, I decided to have my yearbook photo taken in various years.

1974
somewhere in the process of transport to 1974, my chin exploded and doubled in size. (note to self: don't listen to Red Hot chilli Peppers on an i-pod in the midst of time travel. random body part explosions may occur.)

1962
This year left me with a little bit of that time-warp glow. It almost looks like a beard, doesn't it? No wonder I couldn't get a date. Not even with that FABULOUS hair-do!

This is me in 1968 and this little flippy-bob is like totally far out!

This is me in 1958
This was a good year. I learned to bake bread, type and do the jitter bug.

Note to readers: if you choose to travel through time, remember not to "bump" into your old self (very messy.) or alter history in any way. You might erase yourself on accident.

go to yearbookyourself.com if you'd like to take a trip through time too.

Well, I guess I should go back to 1964 and see if I can get my nose back.

My life as a 6th grade dragon-maker

The current "tag" around blogland is sharing your senior picture. So. Here it is in all it's Aqua-Net glory. Looking at this picture I have to wonder how much of the ozone I am personally responsible for.


OK. But here's what I'm really proud of. A middle-school friend of mine (that I've reconnected with through Facebook) has been posting some pictures that have made me rather nostalgic. My best days of school were in 5th and 6th grade. One of my 15 minutes of fame was when I won a snow sculpture contest with 4 of my friends. Those were the days when snow was fun. As an adult, I've gladly turned in my midwestern snow shovel for a NC sand pale. I still like to make sculptures, though my preferred medium includes sunshine, ocean and a bathing suit.

P.S. That's me in the middle.

Anyway. This blog isn't fun when I just talk about myself. Now it's your turn to take a walk down memory lane. Do you have any newspaper or t.v. moments of fame? What are some of your proudest moments?

Evil puppet-master sock-nappers and other sock theories

First I will address the obvious:
*Yes those are a picture of our family socks
*Yes I took the picture
and
*Yes I realize that posting picture of my socks most likely indicates that I have some sort of blogging dependency problem. I will tackle that issue once my friends and family successfully carry out an intervention. (but they have to catch me first)

Now. Take a good look at the picture above. Notice anything? Like maybe NONE of those socks have a match!!!!!! Where did they all go? This is just one load.

Sure, recently I discovered that my 6 year old was using socks for Barbie dresses and sleeping bags but that only accounts for a handful of our missing footwear. What about the others?

I wonder if there are some evil puppet-masters that go around sock-napping freshly washed footwear in order to exploit them for their shows. Or maybe my house is a safe haven for disgruntled socks everywhere. Take a look at the picture. Maybe one of these socks ran away from your house and have sought refuge here. Perhaps I shall start taking individual sock pictures and putting them on milk cartons and junk-mail post-cards. MISSING SOCK!

Strangely enough, a friend brought to my attention (thanks John!) that there are web-sites like everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=24013 that explore the explanation of missing socks. Some of these include wormholes, communism, sock gnomes and my personal favorite is here in quotes.

"Quantum Theory of Socks"


Socks — Schröedinger's Special Theory of Socks stipulates that not only do socks in a washing machine exist in all possible states for socks, but they also exist in all possible states for other objects. Theoretically, you have a jumbo jet, the remaining members of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, and Friends, the Lindbergh baby, and God knows what else floating around in your washing machine. It's not really that difficult how to understand that if you suddenly leap into the washing room and yell "Boo!", the ur-laundry will suddenly have to resolve itself into socks. Which means that some of your socks will get it wrong, as the universe can be kind of slow on the uptake sometimes. So don't be surprised when in addition to suddenly missing socks, you also have three of some socks (of which you had two only a few hours previous) and some unidentifiable objects. This is why so many theoretical physicists are also raging alcoholics.

Now it's your turn. What's your theory?

Come with me to a place of fantasy

Brenda Posted a fun meme on her blog. Here it is:

Find a song that sums up what you think it means to be a writer and post the lyrics on your blog and why you've chosen it. It doesn't have to be your favorite song, it just has to express how you feel about writing and/or being a writer. It can be literal, metaphorical, about a particular form or aspect of writing - whatever you want. Then tag 5 others to do the same (reprint these instructions).

I'm tagging anyone who reads this blog (and you do not need to tag others), So, You!. Yea, you. The one with the eyes reading these words. TAG! You're it! ;0)


It didn't take me any time at all to choose a song. I already knew what to pick. Over the summer I made a slide show of our summer vacation set to this song. While I was making it, all I could think of was how much this song made me think of writing. So, here it goes:


PLAYGROUND by SIA (with explainations)

Come with me to a place of fantasy I'll take you on a seesaw. (I write fantasy and I want to take the reader along)
Come with me to a place that's by the sea, I'll take you upon a boardwalk.
Take my hand I'll take you to the sand, you and me will build a castle.
Ready set go, I'll race you to the wall, I will win I am the fastest. (I often have to tap into my inner child in order to write, and I want others to enjoy what I create. I want them to feel like thy aren't just along for the ride, but that they are apart of the ride.)
I don't wanna grow up, bring me all the toys you can find (this is reality. Growing up isn't fun!)
You don't wanna grow up, you can be my partner in crime.

I'll be sure to write you from the war, put your guns away its tea time. (I love the simplicity of this line and the different ways this can be taken. I think about going from one game to another, and how it's all about fun.)
Water bombs and tea towel tired moms, looking for a little me time (back to reality again. I'm a tea towel tired mom looking for a little me time. As a matter of fact, writing is when I hang up my tea towel and have "me time"
close your eyes and count to 35, you may never ever find me
close your eyes and then I realize you are never far behind me (again, bringing the reader along,hoping the story is interesting enough to follow, but not so confusing that they get "too far behind or want to stop reading."
I don't wanna grow up, bring me all the toys you can find
You don't wanna grow up, you can be my partner in crime.

Lets have fun let me out under the sun, will you take my hand lets see how far we can run
etc. etc. etc.

This is great! I feel inspired to write now! :0) Thanks Brenda

Click on the youtube below to hear the song. Enjoy!

I've been meme'd

I've been tagged in a Meme by Brenda. I'm supposed to tag some people too, so I'll tag Karen Lee, Janelle, Beth, Kathy, Kia, Jacqui, and and I'd tag Ian too, but he never responds to these kind of things . :0P

So, here's my answers

1. What are your nicknames? My brother calls me Chris. That's about it.
2. What game show and/or reality show would you like to be on? I'd like to be on What not to wear. It would be humiliating at first, but to get a $5,000 shopping trip and makeover in New York . . . . . who cares! :0)
   
3. What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD? 1st VHS was Bird on a Wire w/ Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson
   
4. What is your favorite scent? Vanilla or coconut
5. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it?
   I'd buy a beach house.
   
6. What one place have you visited that you can't forget and want to go back to? France
7. Do you trust easily? Nope.
   
8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think? depends
9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days? What me? Unhappy? No way! I'm a little ball of sunshine! :0)
   
10. Do you have a good body image? nope. I avoid full length mirrors at all costs and cringe when I see a photo.
    
11. What is your favorite fruit? blueberries or strawberries
    
12. What websites do you visit daily? facebook
13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately? skinny Vanilla lattees from starbucks
14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? thrifty, earth conscious, smart, funny, and strong.
    
15. What's the last song that got stuck in your head? Jenny Says by Cowboy mouth
    
16. What's your favorite item of clothing? Yoga pants and a t-shirt
17. Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy?sure
    
18. What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground? first I'd see if it belonged to anyone else. If there were a lost and found, I'd return it. If not, I'd pocket it.
19. What items could you not go without during the day? my laptop, my car and wireless internet. hmmmmm. . . maybe I should forget about becoming Amish.
    
20. What should you be doing right now? There's always stuff that needs to be done, but since it's 11:00 at night, I think I'm safe to say there's nothing else I SHOULD be doing now.
    

Which C.S. Lewis Character are you?

I haven't done one of these in a while and I feel like bringing my alter ego to the surface. Click on the link below and come play along! Let me know who you are and we can meet at Mr. Tumnus's house for tea. ;0)

Here's my results:


You're Reepicheep
Take Which C.S.Lewis Character are you? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

Extra Extra Read all about it! Art Trend in Apex NC!

Pole Gallery Art is popping up in Apex, NC this summer. Keep your eye open for monsters, racoons and critters of all kinds displayed on random street corners! It's nice to have something to smile about in traffic for a change! :0)

For more pictures, click here: Polegallery.blogspot.com

This is soooo cool! Fun in the Bug House!

My kids have done this in school and I've seen this on t.v. but this is the first year we've tried it at home. it's a kit that allows you to watch a caterpillar change into a butterfly.
First you send away for some caterpillars
and they send you a cup with 5 caterpillars and enough food to last the duration of their pupal stage.

Then, after a bout a week of eatting, they crawl to the top of the jar, continue to spin protective silk, (like their own little rooms) and then the hang upside down and turn into a cocoon.
It's pretty amazing. In just a matter of minutes they transform from the J position, like the guy on the right, to shedding their outter skin and legs and a plastic-like film covers their head and top part (whatever it's called. On a human it would be our chest)
If your lucky you can catch this process, but it's hard. You have to be there at just the right time. It happens fast.

Once all of the caterpillars are in their cocoons, it's time to put them in the Fun Bug Tree House, as pictured below.

The lid of the jar is lined with a thin paper, where the caterpillars attach themselves.
You take the paper out, and pin it to the inside wall of the Bug House.
We did that today. Now, in about a week, we'll have some butterflies.
We'll fill the bug house with flowers and sugar water for their food, and then after a couple of days we will release them.
Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures of them hatching. Is it called "hatching" for butterflies?
Well, whatever it is when butterflies emerge from their cocoons.

I feel some sort of writing analogy coming through . . . .

updates to come