Summertime This and That

It's been a busy couple of weeks, and online I've gone missing. Missing in a good way. Missing in a summer is so full kind of way.

An update on Sullivan life:

Our family drove to Colorado to view the cutest baby known to man, also known as my new nephew. We went hiking and paddle boating and paddleboarding, and while we are talking about paddleboarding, I think I need to share with you that I could be a champion paddleboarder. Really, if there was an Olympic sport in paddleboarding, I would dominate. I love paddle boarding so much that I wish I lived on a lake and had to paddleboard to work every day. On the way home from work, I would paddle over to the grocery store and carry my groceries back. Yes, all on a paddleboard.

In other news, my blue slide phone died. Rest in peace, 'ol girl. I walked into Verizon and promptly told the Verizon worker not to even try to talk me into a fancy phone because I didn't want one. No sir, not me. I wanted my old, neon blue, slide phone, and I didn't see it on display anywhere so could he walk to the back room and find one. Poor guy.

Apparently, Verizon doesn't make slide phones any more. What? Who wouldn't buy a slide phone? What's wrong with the world?

Anyway, of course, I ended up with a fancy phone (although my second choice in phones was the Jitterbug), and now I am on Instagram. Do you see how fast that happened? Fear not, I haven't posted anything on Instagram yet because apparently there is a smidge more to it than taking a picture with your fancy phone and posting. I'm sure my two Intagram followers are disappointed.

In other fun news, I also went to an amazing meal put on by one of my favorite organizations and learned more about people shaking it up in my community. I teared up throughout the entire dinner and while listening to the speaker because I am a sucker for stories of hope and people who believe in change and our God who believes in second chance after second chance.

These people went with me. They happen to be my favorites.

There's more, but that's all for now. Thanks for spending your free minutes here.

One more thing: My new and big website revamp is coming soon. I am absolutely giddy to share my new digs with you.

Your turn. Tell me what's happening in your world or if you are a champion paddleboarder or if you own a Jitterbug (I'm jealous).

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An Outdoor Movie Night and A Giant Permission Slip to Refocus

Last weekend, we hosted an outdoor movie night.

We projected the original Parent Trap on the front of our house and ate a 20 gallon tub of popcorn with the neighbors. The super moon came out and so did new friends. 

Our movie night started late, and went until way late. At one point, the only people watching were the adults as the kids were busy stringing together a slew of glow sticks and using their new creation as a whip.

That's summer for you.

A couple of days later we watched Shakespeare in the park.

I spent the first part of the play repeatedly saying, "But, really, I've never heard of Tartuffe!". Turns out, Tartuffe isn't Shakespeare. It's Molière. This I did not know. This I still loved.

People with zero plans of anything except sitting in a camping chair, eating picnic food, and watching a play.

Another scoop of summer for you. It's like a giant permission slip to lounge and refocus.

You go. Tell me about all of the the fabulous happenings in your world or if your happenings are not fabulous, tell me how you have been spending your summer days.

: :

Have you peeked at this?

Linking with Jenn.

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Impact with Simplicity and Savings

Do you remember Impact with Crafts? It was the first issue of Impact, an online ezine focused on simple ways we can have a positive impact others.

We (being myself, Lisa V., and the pages of talented ladies who shared practical tips) hope you enjoy the current issue of Impact, which focuses on simplicity and savings. As an added bonus, the authors included in this ezine give shout outs to their favorite nonprofits and others-centered organizations.

Should you have difficulty with viewing the ezine here, try this.

Should you like what you read, please show our writers some love via social media and be sure to check out the organizations they support.

As always, thanks for showing up and reading!


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World Book Blog Tour and Hair Product. These Topics Always Go Together.

Happy Sunday, friends.

Today I am participating in the World Book Blog Tour. Here's how this dealy-o works: I share about who invited me on this tour, projects I am working on, and upcoming stops on the tour.

Ready? Here we go.

I was invited to participate in the World Book Blog Tour by Pam Thorson. Thanks, Pam! You can find out more about Pam and her books here.

What am I working on?

Hmmmm, right now? At this very moment? Peach salsa chicken in the crock pot. Although I am certain you don't care about my peach salsa chicken because the question means what am I working on writing-wise.

Well, the second issue of IMPACT, a free, online ezine this girl and I put together releases tomorrow. Lisa and I enjoy rallying your favorite online voices (and hopefully new voices as well!). Each issue of IMPACT gives different ways readers can have a positive impact on others. The upcoming issue focuses on simplicity and savings. Do you remember our first issue of IMPACT? Its focus was on impacting others with handmade gifts and crafts.

I am also working on a series of historical fiction picture books on strong, Christian women for tween girls. Yepper. Sure am. I am in mad, crazy love with this idea.

I am pitching more articles to print magazines. I sort of love magazines. I love the way they look, how they feel, and that new magazine smell. Sometimes in the grocery store, I open a magazine and stand there and smell it just because. One print magazine I go weak in the knees about is this beauty. Here's another.

This lady and I are working on a new website. I know I said I would have the site done by the end of June, but people, I was having too much fun this summer to worry about websites. Plus, if you want to know the truth, I got a really bad hair cut and became very confused on what to do with it. I decided I couldn't possibly get a new headshot with such mom hair. Thankfully, my neighbor came over and said I needed to get over myself and use this new thing called "product" on my hair. Product? Oh, no.

This brings me to headshots. I'm working on new headshots. Headshots are very funny because when I look at pictures of myself, I think two things: wow, that's awkward or wow, I'm trying way too hard to look comfortable, but at least now that I know all about hair product, I will not be saying, wow, that's mom hair.

Finally, my first book on generous living is releasing on September 22nd, 2014. Kendal, Lori, and Beth have asked that I not become one of those authors who write a book and talk about nothing else. They say they will disown me as a friend if I engage in this kind of behavior. Therefore, I won't blabber on about the book. Instead, I will say although the book is finished, I'm learning all kinds of behind the scenes things about what releasing a book means, and I am really starting to pray for those who read it.

Why do I write what I do?

I write because I can't not write. I can bat down the idea of sharing my work or shake my fist at the publishing industry, but I write because it bubbles up in me.

How does my writing process work?

Ideas come into my head always, always. Most of the time, I take notes on a random legal pad and the notes don't make sense. Then I ignore the notes for awhile. A couple of days later, I find the legal pad, type out what I was thinking, and see if I still like the idea.

My writing takes place in the early, early morn when my house is still asleep. Think 4:00 am.

What's the next stop on the World Blog Book Tour?

So, here's the point in the post where I name the next stop on the tour. Drum roll, please.

Next stop: Amelia Rhodes. Amelia is author of Isn't it Time for a Coffee Break: Doing life together in an all-about-me kind of world. You can also find Amelia's online home here.

Click over to Amelia's place next Monday to learn more about what she's writing. Who knows, maybe she makes peach salsa chicken in the crock pot too.

Your turn. Do you love print magazines? Do you smell them in the grocery aisle? Do you know about IMPACT ezine? Do you know about hair product? Do you know why I started talking about a World Blog Book Tour and now I am talking about hair product? Holy questions!

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