Thank You Cards for the Coaches

It's been awhile since I've been in card-making mode (see last year's Coach card), and being the paper nerd that I am, I volunteered to make two thank-you cards for the girls' basketball coaches. I sorted through my stash--scrapbook paper, hole punches, and glue--and told Alexa to blast Sam Hunt for some good times. This morning I put on the finishing touches and crept out of my basement studio with two cards, just in time for the awards/pizza party.

Ta da!

Coach Dan

(Atlas by L. Renard from Hammond's

World Atlas Classics Edition, 1958)

Assistant Coach Sebastian

___________________________________

"A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever." ~ Mary Lou Retton

“Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back. Play for her.” ~ Mia Hamm

2017 ESPIALDesign's Art for Heart Donations

I enjoy doing these blackout poems so much that I have a decent sized collection brewing. Here's the latest:

THE WALL

Officially starting another observation of the wall.

It was an exercise in staring.

So...what to do with them all? Why not sell 'em? I tucked them into cellophane envelopes and then uploaded them to my new Etsy shop. The proceeds will be equally divided between the American Heart Association as an ongoing effort toward my Heart Art Challenge and publishing costs for book #3. Check out a sample of the goods below:

An Array of Blackouts

Check back for a running tally of the donations here.

___________________________________

SOLD!

Teapot

The Rain

Cat Man

A New Idea Is Born

The Wall

Start

The Universe

Little Fool

A Part of Me

There, I Said It

Secret's Out

Deep Root

Carried Away

 $26.00 paid to the American Heart Association (AHA) on 11/28/17 for #GivingTuesday.

March 2017 - Green Covers Reading Challenge

I've got TBR piles all over the place: library books, e-books, new paperbacks, and old hand-me-downs. Writing, marketing, cooking, romances, and kid lit. How does one decide which one to read next? That's right...

Green reading challenge, coming right up!

Last year, Green Books for March 2016, I read six out of seven on my green list. Not too shabby. This year I found six green books within reach. Below is the list of *potential* reads. I say potential, because I probably won't get to all of them, but they're pulled from the dark depths of the stack to make an appearance at the top once again.

Green Book Pile

Matched by Ally Condie (YA Dystopian) Used from the thrift shop
Up in the Treehouse by K.K. Allen (New Adult) New book from Amazon
Pack of Dorks: Camp Dorks by Beth Vrabel (Middle Grade) New from Barnes & Noble
Five Ways to Fall by K.A. Tucker* (Romance) Used from the thrift shop
Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts (Romance) A giveaway from the RWA conference

...and not in my picture above but still green is Squish: Captain Disaster by Jennifer and Matthew Holm* (Chapter Book Kid Comic) Borrowed from the library

* A recommended read!

Currently: A List of Lucky Things

Currently, it's March! I can finally relax with all the hearts and love stuff and start thinking about hard work and fortune. Bring on the good luck, I say. I'm not Irish, so I don't celebrate St. Paddy's day, drink green beer, worry about mischievous leprechauns, or chase rainbows. I do try to wear green in case there's a hold-over who thinks butt pinching is okay. And yes I know, St. Paddy's day isn't until March 17; I'm just sharing.

That's right...should not.

Okay, so back to the lucky stuff. I went on a search and gather mission to see what I have tucked around the house...and of course, I had to make a list.

Good Luck Charms

1.) Magic 8 Ball

2.) Lucky cards (8)

3.) Jade turtle

4.) Iron piggy bank

5.) A Great Blue Heron

6.) Ladybug

7.) Wishbone

8.) Elephant

9.) Lucky dice (7)

10.) Lucky coin

11.) Fortune

12.) Horseshoe nails

13.) Iron key

14.) Arrowhead

15.) Color green

But, HOLD THE PHONE. I just read that it's the year of the "fire" rooster and according to Chinese astrology, I'm a rooster, this is my birth year, and luck MAY NOT be on my side. Say what? My whole lucky blog post is getting shot out of the water.

Dammit.

Time to reverse this...back to the basics. "Magic 8 Ball, will 2017 be a lucky year for me?" [Yes. Definitely.]

Okay, good. Carry on.

"Luck is believing you're lucky."