Did you miss me? Teehee. =D

The vacay was absolutely FUN and relaxing. Zero writing done, of course, but the break gave me a chance to recharge my writerly batteries and now I'm happy to be home and get back into the nitty-gritty work of word-pumping.

But before I can hunker down in my cave and dive into my WIP, I have some business to attend to, namely: A blog award, and an opportunity to brag (yes, BRAG as in, I WON something and I'm so excited and though I don't usually toot my own horn, just this once I will and you are allowed to be sick of me for one day. That is all.)

So. Here we go. Apparently, someone thought I was cute enough to win an award. Christine Tyler of The Writer Coaster is a new blogger friend, and she was nice enough to hand me the Seriously Cute Blogger Award.

Seriously. Cute. Puppy!

Thanks, Christine! It's great to meet you through the blogosphere.

You all should pay Christine a visit because she's one cute gal herself, and her blog is witty and funny!

I'm supposed to list down 5 books/films/TV shows I've read or watched in the last 12 months. I'm good with sharing so here's my list:

1. TV

Chopped! No, really. I love Food Network's CHOPPED. (The fact that my fave TV program is in the FOOD channel, what does that say about me? Haha!) It is brilliant. And the suspense! Can the chefs come up with a delectable appetizer in under 20 minutes using strange ingredients from their basket? Last night it was quahogs, napoli (Mexican cactus), kettle chips, red miso, and persimmons. Whoa, you say. Yes, indeedy. This show is like a bloody battle done in so little time. They start off with 4 chefs, and after each course, one gets chopped and sent packing. The winner gets $10,000.

2. FILM

#1:   I've watched too many movies during our vacation. But let me rewind to last month when I saw SUPER 8. I went in not knowing what it was about. There was much hype, the trailers didn't reveal anything, and I kept bugging the hubster to tell me what it was about (like he would know or something. Haha, no he didn't. We were both clueless.) I won't tell you either, in case you haven't seen it. Let's just say I enjoyed it. It was like Goonies meets E.T. meets Sandlot. The kids in this movie are so cute I could've adopted them all. ;)



#2:   X-Men: First Class. Um, yeaahh. Hubs and I were keeping in with *tradition. So we sat through it. Entertaining, yes. But the whole X-Men-save-the-Cuban-missile-crisis is a bit farfetched, even for this Fantasy writer.

3. BOOK

#1:   The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. You'll just have to wait for my review coming up soon. ;) (Thanks to the lovely Michelle Simkins who recommended this to me when I was in the library looking for something to read.)



#2:   Crossed by Ally Condie. This is the sequel to Matched by the same author. I'm currently reading it and once I'm done, I'll post a review too. Shout-out to Jenny Phresh whose hand picked my name out of her sparkly fez and mailed me this prize. Thanks, Jenny! I'm lovin' it.





I would LOVE to tag all of you, so if you absolutely and really, really, really want that cute puppy in your sidebar, go get it! It's yours. Still, I'm going to tag these people so I can FORCE them to take the award ('cause if I don't, they won't take it.)

1. Bethany C. of RookieRiter. She is my lovely Shakira soul sistah (did you see her hair? I'm crushing on her hair.) And better yet, she just got herself an agent! Yes, she's cool like that.

2. A.M. Supinger of Inner Owlet. Go look at her Twitter pic. She's seriously CUTE. And this gal CAN write.

3. Suzanne F. Payne. From one hottie to another, right Suzanne? {it's an inside joke we share.}

4. T.S. Welti. This rockin' chick is superwoman in my book. I adore her. And you should too. Her MG book, The Fifth Specter, is out! I can't wait to read it. ;)

5. Mary Frame of It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets An Agent (wow, what a mouthful!). I love this gal. She is smart and funny and pretty. Check out her blog for great writing tips.

6. Jenny Phresh of The Party Pony. I worship her sneakers (even when they've stepped on goat poo). This chica is lovely in green. When she writes, she makes me laugh or cry or both. Seriously. You're missing out if you're not following her.

7. Michelle Simkins of Greenwoman. How could I not tag my lovely queen? Yes, I'm her minion and proud of it.

8. Anita Howard of A Still and Quiet Madness. My lovely, sparkly, talented friend. She's what I aspire to be.

Okay, lovely ladies, grab the award and spread the cuteness.

And now. I present to you my bragging rights on Michelle Simkins' Stone House Writing Prompt contest. Click here to read my winning short fiction piece.

I wish you all a good day! If you have any news to share, please. Go ahead and let us know. We'll celebrate with you! ;) 

I forgot to add this:
*tradition: I loved the X-Men comics as a kid. So everytime an X-Men movie comes out, my hubster takes me to see it (even though he doesn't care for the X-Men; that's how awesome he is!).

Hello Monday!

There's been a change in the Skeleton Key Round Robin Blogvel line-up. Chapter 4 is now up by my favorite teen, Riley Redgate over at In The Jungle,.

On other sweeter news, two awesome blogger friends were nice enough to give me blog awards. Kimberly Krey of The Write View and Carissa Elg of My Inner Stillness handed me another Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award.

These two chicas are rock n'rollers when it comes to writing and blogging. Thank you, ladies! The rules are to pick 15 other bloggers and share 7 random facts about myself. But today, I'm going to be a rebel and break the rules. Instead of picking recipients, I am giving this to anyone who wants this strawberry goodness in their side bar. Don't be shy. Come and take it. Just right-click on picture and do "Save Picture As".

I'm sharing 7 songs I like to listen to, instead of the usual random facts. Enjoy!

CONTEST! PRIZES! FOLLOWERS! OH MY!

As I've mentioned in yesterday's post, I've decided to do a fun little contest to thank my wonderful followers. Also, as I'm not a millionaire, we'll stick with easy, inexpensive prizes.

So. What's the deal? Two winners, two prizes. A $15 iTunes Gift card and a First Chapter Critique (your first chapter doesn't have 50 pages, right?). I know it's not super-mega-fantabulous, but hey I won't pull your leg either with the contest rules.

Speaking of rules, here they are:

1. Follow my blog. If you're already following, hooray for you! You're halfway there. *wink*

2. Post in the Comment Section the answer to this question: What makes you happy?
Easy, right? Since my blog is about the "pursuit of writing and happiness", I thought it would be fun to see what makes people smile.

3. Tell me your preferred prize, whether you want the gift card or the critique. I will then separate the entries for each prize and draw for a winner accordingly. Nothing scientific in the drawing process. I'll simply write your names on a piece of paper and let the kiddos pick them out of a hat. Or a bucket. Depends on what I find lying around the house. Contest ends on Thursday, May 19th at midnight (MST).

I hope you'll participate. I'd love to know what makes you float, sigh, thrum with giddiness, or burst into laughter. What makes your heart beat. Life is short, but it doesn't mean we can't make the most of it.   <3

Alright, on to the blog award my snazzy, peppy, and full of awesomesauce herself, blogger friend Sophie Li of The Wordsmith Apprentice bestowed on my undeserving head. She's quite a busybody--learning ballet, playing the violin and the viola, stalking out So You Think You Can Dance dancers, dressing up as a Harry Potter character, and did I mention she also served in the Army and had jumped out of a plane for a parachuting exercise even though she's scared of heights??

And yes, she's a writer working on her memoir. So pay her a visit unless you want something similar to this happen to you. Nah, just kidding. Sophie is an absolute sweetie. =)  Thank you, Sophie for the honor.

I had this on spaghetti. Super yum!

The rules are:

1. Thank and link to the person who gave me this fabulous piece of work. Thanks, Sophie!
2. Pay it forward to no more than one person per month. Elaborate why said person is deserving of said award. Are you deserving? I'm accepting applications now. *wink*
3. Answer the following questions:

       - What is your favorite song currently playing on your iPod, CD player, etc.?
I have Colbie Caillat's album Coco playing on repeat. Don't ask me why. It just is.

       - If we peek into your Internet history, what would we find?
Most likely a Wikipedia entry on carnival games. Been researching for my WIP. Good thing you didn't ask me this a week ago when I was searching for combination drugs for er...well, never you mind.

       -And lastly, what is your all-time favorite movie that you watch over and over again?
 Princess Bride! "Farm boy, fetch me that pitcher." "As you wish." Swoon! LOL

I am pleased to pass this award to one of my first ever blog friends, the lovely Ms. Anita Howard from A Still and Quiet Madness. She made me feel welcomed when I was still wobbling as a new blogger, and she encouraged and uplifted me in many, many ways. I know I'm not the only one who can attest to her awesomesauce-ness. Thank you, Anita, for being my friend.

************
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO JOIN THE CONTEST! It's really painless, and I'm a pretty adequate critiquer. I think. Hehe. =)

Hello Monday!

I am feelin' the LOVE.

What a great way to start the week, eh? Two blog awards from my fabulous blogging friends. I feel so honored, really I do. First off, we present the snazzy Stylish Blogger Award, presented to me by the equally snazzy and rockstar-in-disguise Caitlin Vincent of Musings of an Ordinary Mind. She does not have an ordinary mind, by the way. She just likes to make you believe that she does. (Ha! Right, Caitlin? You and your purple zebra-striped gloves. *wink*) Check out how stylish this thing is:

Ooh, it twinkles!

This shiny thing comes with rules. But before I get there, let me turn your eyes towards this simply delightful and scrumptious looking thing awarded to me by the ever lovely Ashley Nixon of Ashley Nixon. (Yes, her blog is named after her.)

Yum! Hey, no touching! This one's all mine, all mine! Bwahahaha! (Sorry, I haven't had breakfast yet.)

Miss Ashley is as sweet and pretty as the strawberries above. She's also a brainiac (Gates Millenium Scholar, whoa!), loves history, and has a boyfriend who looks like Aladdin! So check her blog out, if you haven't already done so.

Thank you, Caitlin and Ashley! You guys are super nice to me. =)

So. Rules. Here they are:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated me.
2. Share seven random facts about myself. (The magic number 7)
3. Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies. (This is for the Stylish Blogger Award)
4. Pass the award to 15 blogging friends. (This is for the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award)
5. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

My Seven Random Things:

#1 I once got my picture taken with figure skater Rachael Flatt. She is the 2010 U.S. National Figure Skating Champion, the 2008 World Junior Figure Skating Champion, and the 2008 and 2009 U.S. Ladies Silver Medalist. She performed at a local show and fell down twice! But, I still like her. =)

Unfortunately, I'm unable to find that photo of me and Miss Flatt, so I'll just leave you with this:

Source

#2 I am allergic to cigarette smoke. It gives me hives and triggers my asthma. One time, we were checking in at a hotel and our room was supposed to be non-smoking. I walked in, smelled the faint trace of smoke, broke out in hives, and started coughing. We were immediately moved to a different, nicer room.

#3 I can sing and dance to The Wiggles, The Imagination Movers, and the Yo Gabba Gabba Gang. But I refuse to sing and dance to Barney--I have nothing against the guy. Really.

Source

#4 I once took hula classes and got an A. Though if you were to ask me to dance the hula now, I will absolutely refuse, even if you were to pay me a million bucks. Okay, maybe I will. ;D

#5 I don't drink any alcohol. At all. I can't even stand drinking soda all the time. Except for maybe when I was pregnant with my first child, and because I couldn't have Coke, I desperately craved it. (No, I did not give in. I'm happy to say I channeled my soda craving to McDonald's double cheeseburgers. Not good for the thighs, I know, or my cholesterol, but safer for baby.)

#6 I wanted to be STORM of the X-Men comics when I was a kid.

Source

#7 I used to watch anime shows. One of my favorites is Naruto, a quirky, orphaned Ninja boy who's a sort of an outcast in his village because of a demon, the Nine-tailed Fox, sealed inside him. Despite his blunders and comical antics, he has a big heart and will do anything to help his friends, even at the cost of his own life. (I don't watch it anymore, btw. Too busy.)




Alright. Now that you're all acquainted with my own quirks, it is time to pass on the awards to these amazing bloggers I admire. Here are the nominees for the Stylish Blogger Award (hold your breath, people):

T.S. Welti

Ashley Nixon

Dierdra Coppel

Rebecca Dupree

Jen


And the nominees for the Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award are (drum roll, please):

Caitlin Vincent

Anita Grace Howard

Bethany

Angela V. Cook

Sophie Li

Jeana

Ashley Graham

Jenny Phresh

Huntress

Jemi Fraser

EEV

Joyce Alton

Sarah

Carissa Elg

Shawna

Congrats, blogger friends!

I also had fun making my own blog award (inspired by my creative buddies Anita and Jenny Phresh, who made their own snazzy awards to give to people). I call it the Cool Blogger Award. Check it out:




This is my sort of Jack-in-the-box award. I'll spring it on you when you least expect it. Uh-huh. So watch out, stay cool, and maybe you'll find Ms. Butterfly flitting your way. For my first ever blog award giveaway, I give it to my super cool friend Lori M. Lee of You Are the Unicorn of My Dreams. That's right, Lori! This one's for you for being fantastic. Enjoy it!

What? You're asking for rules? Erm...you tell me one cool thing about yourself, and then you do a surprise attack on another blogger to present them this award. Sounds good enough? Okay, moving on....

As promised, here's the Monday funny. Sorry for this extremely long blogpost. We might as well end it in a good humorous note.



By Debbie Ridpath Ohi


P.S. To claim your award, right-click on the pic and do Save As. To display award on your blog, go to Design, click on Add Gadget, scroll down to Picture, and upload the award pic. Voila! You now have blog bling for extra pizzazz!

Hello Monday!

I got up bright and early today, despite my reputation as a reluctant week starter. Why? you ask. It's May and the sun is shining, hooray! Well, that and the fact that my bestest blogger friend Anita at A Still and Quiet Madness has graciously and generously handed me my third award (I'm really feeling the love these days, folks! Thank you so much!).

It's so lovely, I'm afraid to touch it. Thank you, Anita!

She's giving out more awards over at her blog (I told you she was generous), and I'm happy to see some familiar names given recognition for their efforts.

When I started blogging a month ago--it's my blog's monthsary--I was a newborn babe flailing around in the world of bloggingdom. I remember my fingers getting clammy at the keyboard, my stomach twisting in complicated pretzel knots, and the fear that I would become another dead blog in cyberspace because really, who'd take interest in an unpubbed writer deigning to proclaim herself a writer in the first place when she has nothing to show for it...yet?

But I made friends and quickly inundated myself with all things blog-worthy, such as learning what HTML codes are and don't ever forget to save your template if you're attempting to change your layout.... I found that being myself, in all my incompetent and so-far-from-perfect glory, is okay. That people can like me for who I truly am inside.

One month, 50 followers, 3 blog awards, and friends I'll keep forever--these are my stats and they're AWESOME! I'm happy I took the plunge that April Fool's Day (thought I was fooling myself. Tehee.) Thank you for helping me feel so welcomed.

And now, as it is Monday after all, here is the funny for today. To all my friends/followers, cheers!  *passing out cookies*

By Debbie Ridpath Ohi

We interrupt your lazy Saturday routine to bring you this exclusive news (those chips are not going to walk away, trust me).

My good karma is paying off. This morning, I woke up to another surprise. This time, from my lovely friend Huntress who, by the way, has such an awesome name! When I think of a huntress, I immediately conjure up images of the Greek goddess Artemis, who is known for her hunting prowess and superbly athletic abilities. This goddess is not one to fool around with, I tell you.

I digress.

Back to the announcement.... Huntress aka CD Coffelt keeps a dynamic blog over at Spirit Called. (Check it out, folks, if you haven't already done so.) And this morning, she handed me my second blog award: Blog On Fire Award. How cool is that.

Woohoo! Look at that thing. It's on fire!

I am really and deeply honored to have people care enough to remember me. What a nice welcome for this newbie blogger. Thank you for making me feel all mushy and tingly inside.

*grabs Kleenex box*

So. To pay it forward, I pass this award to the following blogs I frequent for the humor and fun, for the connection they extend to their readers through sincere and heartfelt posts, and for the sheer awesomeness of the blogger behind the blog.

Bluestocking Mum

A Still and Quiet Madness

Rookie Riter: Trying to get it write

Reads, Reviews, Recommends

Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire

Musings Of An Ordinary Mind

The Wordsmith Apprentice

The Party Pony

Congratulations! May our blogging endeavors connect us together and enrich ourselves and our readers.

UPDATE: My new blogger friend has also awarded me the Blog on Fire. Thanks to Scott Niven! Check out his blog here. His books are out and the cover art is beautiful!

I had a nice surprise this morning. My new blogger friend Lori M. Lee over at You Are The Unicorn of My Dreams (such a cute blog name) passed me The Versatile Blogger Award. Here it is in its beautiful, green glory:

 Woot! Woot!


My very first blog award, yay! I feel so super. Thanks, Lori! <3

There are rules that come with this baby:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated me.
2. Share seven random facts about myself.
3. Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

I've already thanked Lori so I'm just going to say, check out her blog because she is such a cutie, she loves anime/manga (who doesn't, right?), and she loves cheese! (Yes! Yummy cheese.)

Now on to the 7 random facts. Hmm...this one needs more brain power.

#1 I went to geek school for High School. It was a government-sponsored institution and we had to take two different exams (a sort of screening test) to get in. The focus of the school was on Science and Technology (we were the ultimate nerdbots), so all of our curriculums covered advance Math and Science subjects. (We were also on scholarships, which meant I never had to pay a dime and I received a monthly stipend from the school. Sweet!)

#2 Because of said geek school, I had to live in a dormitory for 4 years. I was barely 13 when I entered. I cried into my pillow for several nights, until I made friends and my homesickness lessened. I did get to go home every weekend.

#3 On a not so depressing note, I used to join Art Poster Competitions. I won three times: school level, interschool level, and regional level. I used the prize money to buy myself a new dress and new shoes (I was 12 at that time).

#4 I went to Hawai'i for college. Blue skies, hitting the beach in between classes, it was truly paradise. =)

#5 I worked part time while going to school. I was a waitress, food server, gate greeter at an Ali'i Luau restaurant. Tourists would come up to me and have their picture taken...with me in it. It was hilarious.

Photo by andy castro

#6 Alright...what else is left in my arsenal? Oh, the first time I experienced snow, I was in Japan with my hubby. We were there for Christmas vacation. On our way to the airport, a huge blizzard hit and our flight was canceled. We drove through the thick sheet of snow with zero visibility. It was crazy, but we made it to a hotel safely. To this day, we joke around that it was like Planet Hoth from Star Wars.

Ice Planet Hoth Photo by ulybug

#7 And lastly, I come from a big family. Lots of siblings, lots of fun and chaos growing up.

Whew, glad to get that part over with. And now, I'm passing this awesome award to my new blogging buddies who have entertained me, made me laugh, helped me along the way to bloggingdom, and are just plain awesome people.

The nominees are (drumroll, please!)

Mindy McGinnis

Ashley Graham

Jenny Phresh

Lydia Kang

Joyce Alton

Come collect your award, ladies. =)

UPDATE: I'm also fortunate enough to be handed this award two other times from these SUPERB WRITERS: Carissa from My Inner Stillness and Scott Niven from Scott Niven - Author. Check them out people! They are wonderful.