Cover Reveal - DIAMOND!

Hi lovelies!

Here it is, the cover for my upcoming novel, DIAMOND, book 2 in the I.C.E. Agency series!

The proof copy CAME and unfortunately the spine image got squashed by Amazon because the image I'd uploaded was too wide, so I'll have to alter that. But the rest of it is *singing voice* FAAA-Bu-Lous!

Thankfully the edits are all done - I tweaked a few things here, changed one character's name, added an extra scene, and generally made sure there were no missing punctuation marks. I am a typo bounty hunter, and I believe I've caught every single one of the little beasts!

So tonight I'm going to be uploading the revised document to Createspace and ordering another proof copy. As soon as that arrives and I give the final thumbs-up, the paperback AND Kindle versions of DIAMOND will be ready to purchase!

*SQUEE*

So tell me, what do you think? Do you like my cover design? How does it compare with its older sister, my first book? :)

A Summer Party {and where to get Tissue Paper Flowers on the cheap!}

So if you're interested in having your own summer party, you might like to see how I did my Spring birthday party.

I had a color palette I worked from, with a few slight modifications. :D

I added a little lemony yellow and hot pink to the soft peaches and creams and light pink.


Here's my list of party supplies:

Hanging Tissue Paper Flowers and Lanterns

Mason Jars for drinking glasses and lights

(already had those on hand!) 

With lids and pink-and-white striped straws.

And I found those at JustArtifacts.com! 

If I were a proper blogger I'd be getting some kind of compensation for telling you about this website, but nope, I am just sharing a great resource with you because I'm nice like that. :D 

So here's what it looked like!

We decorated our carport with the tissue paper flowers and lanterns and set up tables all around for the guests to sit at and enjoy the party food. Later we cleared them out of the way for the games. :)

The Lemonade Stand! :) My dad helped me make this a cute photo booth! We used scrap wood we already had, a plastic folding table, a plastic tablecloth and chalk from the dollar store. :)

Here's one of the flower bouquets on the tables. I got the silk peonies and roses from Hobby Lobby.

The set-up...

Already having fun serving ourselves some yummy punch and strawberry lemonade!

Here's what the glasses looked like - super adorable.

Since I have a bajillion beads on hand, I made a little game with some that matched the party colors.
Any idea as to how many there are? Oh all right - there were 224 beads! The closest guess was 235 and the guesser won a prize of a big box of starburst candy. :D

The photo booth was really cute. The backdrop is a vintage sheet I found for $5 at a little shop in town, and the photo props I found on sale at Hobby Lobby and customized myself. :)

There's Victoria!! She was invaluable as my set-up assistant, could NOT have done it without her! :)

My cake! The candles are from walmart (as is the dotted tissue paper beneath the cake stand) and the cake I bought from the deli in town - it's strawberry, my favorite! And it was so delicious. Totally worth blowing my THM plan for, just this once. :D

The strawberry lemonade and the fizzy peach-lime-kiwi punch were a big hit! 

Mama and Mark helped light all my two-dozen candles and then I blew them out in one breath. :D

Besides the cake, we also served:

• Mini Quiches
• Lunch Meat & Cheese platter, and bread & sandwich condiments
• Pasta Salad with cherry tomatoes

It was all very tasty! :) I was having so much fun that I didn't take as many pictures as I should have, but the memories will last forever all the same. :)

Hope you enjoyed that little glimpse! Do you have any plans for parties coming up this year?

Sequins & Twinkle-lights | Twenty-Three

I turned 23 last week, on Thursday.

I was expecting to feel old. I mean, fifteen-year-old Julia envisioned that I would be married, with two children, the perfect little house, and driving an aquamarine VW Bug by now.

You know what? I don't feel old. I feel YOUNG, vibrant, colorful, fresh, and blessed-blessed-blessed. (The last one needed repeating for emphasis.)

I'm unmarried, yup, but I have a savior who cherishes and loves me tenderly. I don't have children yet but there are sweet little kids all around me at work and church. I live in a gorgeous log home with two marvelous parents and two handsome brothers who are becoming charming gentlemen before my eyes.

The past month, I've been out and about so much for one reason or another that there hasn't been two days together that I've been at home all day! It's crazy! It's hard work! But it's fun. :D I love 'doing things' and I've certainly done my share lately.

So what did I "do" for my birthday? Ah - well, on the actual day, I enjoyed a delectable dinner with my family of the best. lasagna. ever. And I had my sweet friend Allison M. over and we watched Persuasion and drank chamomile-lavender tea and ate homemade strawberry cheesecake and she created a show-stopping hairstyle for me, which she then replicated two mornings later, when in the evening, we both attended ... an English Country Dance BALL.

Yes. I went to a ball. It was thrilling and lovely and splendid! *happy sigh*

And this... is what I wore...

I really did feel like a princess.

Hugs and love to my wonderful mom who finished my dress just how I wanted it!

 See? There they are. The azaleas, right on time for my birthday. God telling me "Julia, you are precious to me, and don't ever forget that." :D

And just a FEW pictures of the ball - I have way more, and videos besides, but that will have to wait until I can edit them all! :D

Delightful chitchat - this is just in one small spot of the lovely barn.

Twinkle lights and polished floor... (this is only a fraction of all the dancers that were there)

And now... *drumroll please*... 23 things I've learned in 23 years:

1. A smile fixes {nearly} everything.

2. Always check to see if someone left the parking brake on (really, we live on a hill...).

3. Mom and Dad give THE best encouragement and counsel. period. 

4. Strawberry anything, anytime, anywhere, for the win. And Chocolate. Yes.

5. There is always a silver lining. Look for it. (In other words, be grateful. There is always something to be thankful for!) 

6. Do not, under any circumstances, buy a piece of clothing without trying it on first, and hang on to the receipt for at least ten days in case of buyers' remorse. Also - shop thrift stores! One gal's leftovers are another's gold mine. 

7. Drink lots of water, eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, and go on long walks in the sunshine whenever possible.

8. Take zillions of pictures, write in a journal, and make a million memories. The best moments in life deserve to be remembered. 

9. Stay true to your standards, faith, and convictions, you won't regret it. Don't let the world tarnish your shine!

10. Music can turn a dreary job into a dance par-tay.

11.There are a terrible lot of shop assistants with flirtatious manners out there, but do not let it ruffle your feathers. You're holding out for a real gem. (Perhaps Mr. Collins has a cousin.) ;)

12. Brothers make great friends and shed valuable insight on occasion. Also, they are hilarious. Respect and honor them, and never let the sun go down on a disagreement. 

13. Do not be superstitious (see what I did there? #13) or fearful. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. He's already got your story written out so beautifully, even if you can't imagine what the next plot twist will be.

14. Find your best color (mine is peach!) and wear it whenever possible.

15. Embrace the gifts and talents you have, and work to overcome your weaknesses. There is always room for improvement, but there is only one amazing, unique, and wonderful you. 

16. Always be prepared. Bring a sweater, pack a lunch, wear sunscreen, read up on the subject, practice beforehand, do your research. It pays off big-time. 

17. There are inevitably going to be people who are jealous, bitter, angry, rude, unkind, unfaithful, and annoying. Ignore them, and forgive their foibles. Worrying about what someone else thinks of you is not worth your time.

18. Work HARD. Play HARDER! :D Be amazing and awe-inspiring, if you can. But always be kind, gracious, and humble. You are a mirror that reflects the image of Jesus Christ.

19. Never, never, never give up, keep calm and carry on. :D

20. Do something enjoyable, something you love, something inspiring, something refreshing, every single day. Have fun! But don't forget to take some time to be still, rest, and soak it all in. 

21. Spend as much time as you can with family and friends. They are priceless. So answer their emails, letters, texts and phone calls, and listen when they talk. :)

22. Try not to spend your entire life scrolling through Pinterest. ;) 

23. God will always come through, and he is literally the only thing you'll ever need.

I should totally make that into a tag. :D If anyone wants to write their own list of things they've learned in their own number of years, I'd love to read it. 

Love to all my blog readers!

"And Oh, You Electrify My Soul..."

WARNING: PRETTY FLOWER PICTURES AHEAD ;)

I've begun to not take blog post titles that seriously. :D They don't have to perfectly describe the post like a newspaper headline! :) (FYI: The title is a line from a Natalie Grant song that I got on iTunes recently. The last half of the line is ... "and you're bringing the dead to life!" Love that victorious note in there!

 So yeah! Look at me, coming through on a promise! I did go out and snap some shots of the beautiful spring blooms... it just happened on an unexpected day off instead of Sunday. It was raining so hard on Monday that they canceled all of the events at the Rock Ranch.

On the one hand, I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to go to work, I love that place, but on the other hand... yay for not having to work with muddy ponies!! :D Feels like I dodged a bullet with that one! ;)

 You know... my post title does go with this post. Looking at these pictures electrifies my soul with some sparks of awe at the grandeur and majesty our Creator displays even in the tiny veins of a dogwood blossom petal. My God, how amazing you are!

 I will admit, there is a hint of a photo filter in these pictures, I about gasped when I clicked the button whilst editing them and saw the result. WOWZA.

 My faithful readers are welcome to pin these to Pinterest, but please don't take them for anything else. (You'll notice I actually watermarked them this time!) :)

Noticed this little fellow and got right in his face for a close-up, marveling at how he matched the flower center exactly!

 I hope my grandma Pat is seeing this blog post - wish I could show her our sweet GA spring season in person, she has always had a great appreciation for flowers!

Oh... and we also have azaleas.

I know!! Aaaagh, I love them so much. I will take more pictures as soon as they hit peak bloom, there are only a few at present.

My faves are these "Peppermint Azaleas". They look as if they have a bright brushstroke on each crisp white petal!

Take care, lovelies! I shall write again soon...

MIA - Missing In Action?

Hey Everybody!

I did not mean to disappear out of sight like a little chipmunk diving deep into a burrow. But it happened, quite by accident. 

Indeed, I've been so busy I feel a bit like a puppy chasing its tail in circles and never catching up!

Before I forget to tell you, I have a post coming up tomorrow on Meditations of His Love that I'd love for you to read, featuring a song that has really spoken to my heart without using any words. 

My design inspiration for my jewelry pieces has been old-fashioned, vintage, peach, and old turquoise.

There you have it. Peach and turquoise. In one photo.

I have a book review, a soup recipe, pictures of some of my jewelry projects, and the release of a stunning new website + a giveaway all stacked up in my "To-Post" box. I will try to crank them out within the next few weeks! So stay tuned. :) I haven't gone anywhere, life has just revved up a little for me and the scenery is flying past more quickly! :)

Have a lovely weekend!

I'm thankful for Colors and Writing

I missed yesterday! Boo-hoo-hoo! *sniff*

So... I'll make up for it by posting TWO things I'm thankful for today. :) That'll make it all better. ;)

I really am so glad my sweet friend Rachel started this challenge and prompted us all to join her! :) It has been a blessing to me! :D See the other posts at Young Homemakers!

I love writing.

I don't dedicate my whole blog to the topic of writing, nor do I really share about it much, but writing is a huge part of my life. I love my characters and plot twists and finding the perfect phrase or descriptive word. It's a very personal thing for me, and for a while I was actually terrified of the idea of publishing something I had written. It wouldn't be good enough... there would be so many flaws... what would people I know in real life think of my writing? Would they be searching my book for a character that looked just like them, and be offended because I had given the annoying character their same hair color? ;) (I know, ridiculous, right?)

I'm okay with the idea of publishing my book now, but I'm not planning on doing anything to actively market it until I write "The End" and do some careful typo-checking and tweaking of words. :)

But I'm so glad that I can write. I love writing and I am very thankful for it. :)

The other thing I am thankful for today is COLOR. I love colors! Colors move me and inspire me and excite me! I can be walking down the yarn aisle and spot a delightful skein of yarn in an amazing shade and have it bring a delighted smile to my face... whether I buy it or not! I love the colors in the leaves of Autumn and the roses of Summer. I love designing something with digital graphics with colors that become instant eye candy when placed together. I love throwing together shades of color that complement each other in a soft, cozy afghan. :) I am so thankful for the colors God created.

Leaf-ing ;)

Hey Ya'll! I'm going on a weekend trip up to North Georgia and leaving tomorrow, and I'll be unplugged for the weekend. :D I'll miss everybody's posts... I'm going to have to catch up when I get back! :)

I'm hoping to find a few little treasures to take home in the quaint little tourist shops, and come home with shots of the fall colors that should be farther ahead up there than our woods down here. :)

In the meantime, here's what I've seen roundabouts lately...

(and if you steal my photos without asking, be warned, I will hunt. you. down. Grr. So don't do it.) ;) I did not have time to edit these or add a watermark, so don't anybody take them, please!

Love the oranges and yellows together with that hint of red... (this tree has since turned candy-apple sports car red.)  Must take more pics soon!

 The rope around the base of the tree in this pic is one end of the clothesline. :D Yes, sometimes we hang our laundry on the line just for the fun of it. :D

 The sky has been so brightly blue lately! I think it's due to the clear Autumn atmosphere. :D

In the next few shots, I was playing with the view of the setting sun through the leaves, and trying for a hint of bokeh whenever possible. :D

Yum. Yum. Love the colors in the above shot... (and this is unedited!!)

Have a great weekend, everybody! I'll see you when we get back. :D

Of Giveaways, and Gray Slippers, and Great Ideas...

Top o' the mornin' to ye! :)

Well, don't know about you, but it's gotten pretty chilly in my neck of the woods! Whew! Time to unpack my winter clothes... and put away some of my beloved t-shirts and capris and bermuda shorts! There's just something nostalgic about finding soft, cozy sweaters and becoming acquainted with the other half of your wardrobe all over again... :D

And I'm trying not to dread those mid-winter months when I just get so tired of wearing knee socks and long johns... sigh! ;) But spring always comes again. A cheery thought. :)

For now, though, it's still Autumn, and the many oak trees around my log home are dropping a bountiful harvest for squirrel and interior decorator alike! :D I picked up some acorns just for the fun of it, and was wondering what to actually 'do' with them, when I found this stellar idea:

See? See the jar at the bottom of the picture? It's filled with acorns and tiny pinecones! How CUTE! We have some old mason jars just like that! *bingo*. :D I just LOVE the amazing interior decor photos on this blog, it's so creative and artsy it  almost makes me want to do handsprings...

And then for something I've been working on:

(this is not my main crochet project, just something I tried in between working on that) :) I found this slipper pattern and thought "Oh! I want to make those!" So I tried it... I made myself a little slipper in shades of gray, and even crocheted a little flower to go on top... I haven't taken any pictures of it yet, but I thought I'd tell you about it anyway. It looks just like these... (only cuter.) ;)

The pattern for these sweet slippers can be purchased on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62872279/crochet-slipper-pattern-oma-house?ref=em

That's where I bought it! :D

And it was only $5. I mean, come on, that's a pretty great deal! :D 

And how cute is this branch decorated with little crocheted leaves! An adorable way to use up your leftover yarn bits! :D The free pattern for this project and several other charming ideas can be found here: http://easymakesmehappy.blogspot.com/2010/03/page-under-construction-crochet.html
I want to try making one of these in burnt oranges, crisp reds, and golden yellows... :D


And lastly, a giveaway for a cute Sense and Sensibility e-Pattern for a "Tea Gown" can be found HERE.

Very pretty, don't you think?

Have a lovely week!

Finally NOT Wordless... on Wednesday

Yes, my poor, beloved, neglected blog readers! THIS is the dread reason I have not posted for a week and two days! I got a Facebook.

Wow, what an experience! I found so many long-lost acquaintances (including the girl I grew up living across the street from) that it fairly made my head spin! And there's always so much happening. People are way more current with their FB pages than their blogs.

I promise I will not desert you all for so long again. I still plan to blog as often as I can ... there's something so much classier and personal about a blog post than a one-liner Facebook status update.

Oh, and please don't bother looking for me on Facebook unless you know me in person. I'm not friending anybody I don't know in real life. Sorry. :(

 

A wonderful thing is that all the other MOHL authors were already on Facebook! So now we're all on Facebook together! We even have an inside joke.

^That's the inside joke. But I can't tell you any more about it... because then it would be an "outside" joke! Lol!

As for what else I've been up to besides Facebook... I've been cleaning the house! But that's boring. So I won't go into detail about how my fab housecleaning skills are improving.

I've gone to Ultimate Frisbee Friday and then played the game again the next day at Bible Study... wow. I have not been so stiff and sore for a really long time. Not doing that again any time soon. :D

I've also been.... designing! Blog headers! For friends and family. :) Take a look-see!

My mom's yummy new header. Ah! I love this one!!!!!

My sweet friend Allison's new header... so cute/vintage/country! It fits her lovely personality. :D

Our good friend "Frisbeeman"-s header! I was really happy with how this came out.

So. Life has been fun and full and rich for me the past week! And we've even had some rain fall on our parched ground... thanks be to God! I'm secretly hoping for gorgeous Autumn colors this fall, and the changing leaves are their prettiest when there's been plenty of previous rain.

Have a lovely week!