We've been working on non-cake stuff lately; what you might call the "higher" level/quality goods that elevate a mere Baker to Pastry Chef/Chocolatier/Cake Decorator. ;o)

( Cut for massive photo explosion! )

http://sarahmillerbooks.blogspot.com/2009/12/napoli-strikes-again.html

I knew my first hardcover copy of HOT ROD HAMSTER was scheduled to arrive yesterday. Nothing makes a day longer than waiting, does it?! Every time I looked out the window at the empty street or came home to an empty porch, it made it harder.

I found all kinds of things to do in the yard so I could I watch for the delivery truck. I picked up branches that fell in the wind this week. I filled the window boxes with spruce and bittersweet branches. I cut some holly to bring inside. I pruned the arbor. UPS drove by TWICE and didn't stop.

Finally around two-thirty, I was talking to my husband and glanced out the window:



"DHL!" I screamed and nearly trampled the poor man in my driveway.


It doesn't SMELL like a hamster. . .

"LOOK!" I made everyone at my house admire the box before I opened it.


OPEN IT!

When I reached inside, my fingers immediately knew that hardcover size and feel. I've read many, many picture books to my kids and my students over the years. The feel of it really hit me before I even pulled it out and unwrapped it.

It has beautiful raised letters and foil on the cover, which isn't something I've ever had on a book. I kept babbling things like, "It's so SHINY!"

It made it too hard to take a photo, though. The flash mirrored off the shiny parts and it was too dark without it. But the cover is beautiful, fancy, and so appealing.

My husband got out his special photography lights and took this no-glare photo for me:


Ready to ROLL!

Derek and I have our names on the cover, but a lot of talented people at Scholastic worked on this book--especially our editor, Leslie Budnick, and our art director, Marijka Kostiw. I've been blessed to work with brilliant people.

As an author, it feels like magic to write a picture book and have it come to life away from you, in other people's hands. I remember the first time I saw my daughter's face, I thought in my mind, "Oh, it's YOU!" It's a lot like that to see a book character, too. Though this isn't the first time I've seen Hamster, it was him for real. Right there in my hands.

"It's YOU, Hamster."

And since I held my first real, sharp-cornered, tightly-bound, hardcover copy yesterday, December 4th is the first winning date in my waiting contest. No one chose that exact date, but the closest person picked December 3rd.

borealowl !

Barb, as your prize, you can choose one of my author copies of HOT ROD HAMSTER (Derek Anderson and I are going to sign and swap some of our author copies, so I could send you one signed by both of us) or I'll send you an ARC or copy of TOUCH BLUE when those arrive.

As Hamster says, "Which one would you choose?"

What are you ladies making the men in your life for the holidays?

I would like to make something for my boyfriend, but I am stumped this year! :(

1. I didn't get a poem up for Poetry Friday but I've been darting all over the place reading great poems. This week's Poetry Round-up is at Wild Rose Reader. Favorite stops for me today were kellyrfineman who is one of a special group of poets who were challenged (and who rose to that challenge) to write villanelles as they were challenged to by the ever inspirational, liz_scanlon whose own villanelle makes me turn off the computer and try this villanelle stuff my own. Other villanelles can be found with Sara Lewis Holmes , Tanita Davis and Andromeda Jazmon. Another favorite stop was with laurasalas (one of the talented villanelle poets) not just to read her villanelle but to check out the poems from Thursday's 15 Words or Less challenge. And then over to The Miss Rumphius Effect (to read HER villanelle) and to check out this week's poetry stretch which was all about mythical creatures.

2. Which means this is possibly a good time to mention that next year I will be starting something call Poetry Push that I think will run on Tuesdays.

3. Recently I had the pleasure of reading my picture book, Oliver's Must-do List for the local television show Willow Glen in Motion. You can watch it with a child on your lap.

4. We have lists, lists, and more lists. At Chicken Spaghetti you can read a constantly evolving master list of "best children's books" lists!
and then MotherReader shares 105 Ways to Give a Book and Abby the Librarian gives us Twelve Days of Giving.

5. Yesterday I took my first collage class with the talented Lori Krein who inspired me to try something similar to her landscapes. Hopefully I'll finish it next week. I was inspired after reading about Melodye's creative journaling here and here. I have a vision in my head of doing one of my own but I'm not quite there yet. I wish I had a local coffeeshop to gather at with friends to do just that.

about 2 years ago, I found a crochet pattern for a hat. my computer died so I no longer have it bookmarked. the hat looked kinda like a bucket hat, it was lime sherbet green with a black ribbon through it. It was worked with fpdc to make a spiral pattern. it wasn't a beret. anyone know the pattern I am taking about? thanks

I hope you all have a great weekend!

So far J has had b-ball practice, an ice skating party, and is now at a sleepover. It's a good thing I'm 37. I'm too tired to be 12.

1. Blizzard. Enough said. Reminds me why I hate winter. And winter driving.

2. I am sitting in Second Cup enjoying a cup of peppermint tea while Superson is off playing Laser Tag at a birthday party. Woo hooo. Will get some writing done while he plays pretend guns in a dark, black lit room. And I don't have to play.

3. Time is becoming more of a precious commodity. Time to step away from the computer and be present for Superson. Time to clean the house. Time to write. Time.

4. In the "cutting back" times went to a total "swishy" Christmas party with my hub last night put on by some of his clients. We're talking first class all the way. The best lamb I have ever eaten in my life. It was interesting to see how many layers of chefs there were in the kitchen and serving the food. They served fancy hors d'oeurves as well. The best...they called fish and chip. A baked piece of fish on top of a thinly sliced and cooked potato. So. Good.

5. Went to Chapters and admired all the books by people I "know", mostly in an online writing community way. Some I have met in person though, like the recently nominated William Morris Award books by Malinda Lo and L. K. Madigan. Both who are wonderful people as well as wonderful writers and richly deserve the accolades. Life is cool.

I am soooo excited! Hope to see some of you there!

http://sarahmillerbooks.blogspot.com/2009/12/poetry-friday.html

I stink at making up titles.
But with FRAMED, I thought I'd finally done it:
created the perfect title
right from the start!

It's been FRAMED through
every single draft
and revision.
I was so proud of my multi-layered title.

But now it's been pointed out that
FRAMED is too subtle for a middle-grade novel.
Sadly, I believe that's true.
So now I need something else,
perhaps FRAMED plus subtitle.

Or maybe something completely different.

Have I mentioned I stink at titles?

I had this idea to ice a cake in blue, then decorate it with a white snowman. I thought it might be a cool effect to cut some circles out of paper and use them as stencils for the snowman's body, and shake confectioner's sugar into the circles to make the snowman. Would the sugar stick well enough to show up? Would it just sink into the buttercream and disappear? Am I better off just piping the snowman?

Your thoughts and advice are appreciated!

( just two )
Thanks for looking!

I am so glad it is Friday!

Even if I am just going to clean my house this weekend.
Because it is a wreck.
A happy wreck, but a wreck.
Oooh, actually I just remembered I am going to try out a new Christmas cookie recipe.

Anyone else reaaaaaaaaaaaalllly glad it is Friday?

Only a little over a week left for teens 13-18 to get their entries in for the FreshBrain.org $1000 scholarship to create a book trailer for the middle grade verse novel, Hugging the Rock.

There are only a few entries so far and a nice chunk of money on the table so the chances of winning are looking good!

Deadline December 15th
Details: http://freshbrain.org/scholarship/freshbrain-video-book-trailer-scholarship

Please help spread the word!

I'm a lazy person. When I lived in an apartment, my curtains were always flat sheets - I mean, they come in a million colors and patterns and already have a built-in rod pocket. How simple is that?

Fast-forward several years, and I'm looking for a way to make really fast bags to store my coin belts for belly dancing. I have a gorgeous one I crocheted, but I really don't want to spend that much time for each one (it's amazing how fast you pile up costumes...)

Someone gave me a pile of t-shirts, and suddenly a light bulb went off over my head... I doubt I'm the only one to ever think of it, but since my searching didn't come up with anything like it (or I would have made tons already...):

( Click here to see! )

My fabric is everywhere! I have 3 apple boxes full of fabric, a box of various ribbons and notions, and a medium/large moving box of remnants. I need a space saving way to deal with this. The fabric reall is the most important thing to condense and organize.

Why? Here’s the story: As a college student I’m renting a room from my brother. He’s a great roommate and a great friend. He rarely complains about anything and he’s really helping me out, so I try to read between the lines and do what I can to make life easier. I have extra space for my drafting table, art supplies, and sewing, but I really want to figure out how to get it out of the way.

I got my yarn habit under control a while ago. Turns out a great solution to yarn tucked away for years that you never even look at is to send it away with your brother to his office. Let the women there pick it clean, then you’re only left with the stuff you have ideas and time for!


I’m really into restoring and refurbishing old/unfinished furniture(been doing it since the 10th grade), SO NO SUGGESTION IS TOO ELABORATE!


Pictures welcome! I’d love to see your creative solutions. Thanks everyone!


Cross posted at sew_hip

while on a very strict budget???


A craft :D


( Come see :) )

I often feel short of ways of making my current living space (I'm a college student, and it changes every freaking year) look decorated. I'm not allowed to paint. I don't have the money for a lot of things. So, this year, my roomie and I made the Tea Mural.

Just every time we drink a cup of tea where the bag came individually wrapped, we tape up the package in the color-appropriate spot.

(And yes, this is tea from two people. Not counting the eight or so kinds of loose leaf we also drink, or the non-individually wrapped Market Spice we finished in .2 seconds. Or the tea we drink out of the apartment.)

( pretty big pictures )