Learning to make your own Christmas wreath can save you money and give you a great way to bless friends and family this month! I’ve been making Christmas wreaths for nearly 20 years. For many years, it was a business for me and I made so many wreaths every November and December that my hands…
Continue ReadingWhen Your Art Feels “Ridiculous”
The other day Jesse came up to me with a solemn expression and made this confession: “Mom, sometimes when I’m in the bathroom by myself, I make up little songs but then I say ‘That’s ridiculous!’ to myself. And I stop.” Because this boy lives in a home that values creativity and celebrates all artistic…
Continue ReadingHow to Make Velvet Pumpkins
Have you swooned and drooled and stayed up nights wondering how to make velvet pumpkins? Then you’re gonna love this tutorial! With all the yummy drinks and baked goods you’ll be making this fall, it’s kinda fun to created something that won’t be consumed in seconds by hoards of small children #amiright? DIY Velvet…
Continue ReadingRevival of Beauty
I have let beauty slip…have let it become optional to my day. This ought not to be. I think it was the visit to my friend Amanda’s home while I was in Atlanta on Thursday that made me realize…I’ve been starving myself of beauty God designed us to appreciate and enjoy. (Her house was like…
Continue ReadingMarketing, Part 2 {Pratical tips for smaller platforms}
I’m no expert on marketing and I didn’t have a big enough platform for my book to go viral. But my book has enjoyed a measure of success and continues to sell 1 1/2 years after its first release. Here are my 3 best marketing strategies… Friends As I said in my post on timing…
Continue ReadingMarketing Theories {And what’s worked for me} Part One
The upside to self publishing is that you retain all rights to your book and the majority of the profits. You have the final word in every decision and maintain complete control of your content at every stage. You may ask, is there even a downside? Well, once you publish, the work’s not done. Now…
Continue ReadingA Time to Launch {Is My Platform Too Small?}
Timing is a very important factor to consider when self-publishing and marketing a book. All the experts say that you should wait to launch a book until you have a well-established platform. If you don’t have a large and loyal readership who will be excited to spread the word about your book, then you should…
Continue Reading7 Steps to DIY eBook Cover Design {The Art of First Impressions}
(My apologies if you’re getting a little tired of me posting nothing but ebook advice–I haven’t had a lot of time to blog much else this month! For those of you missing my traditional content, don’t miss my newsletter this month! I’m just wrapping it up and it’s gonna be delish. Sign up for the…
Continue ReadingDon’t DIY by Yourself {It takes a community to publish an eBook}
My whole goal in writing this series is to encourage you that even if you have a {smaller} platform or are a novice marketer, you CAN make your self-publishing dreams a reality. But doing it yourself does not mean you should do it alone. I could never have written much less published my eBook with…
Continue ReadingEditing and Formatting an Ebook {What NOT to Do}
Once you’ve written your book, you need to edit and format it. This was where I think we made the most mistakes with my book. We fixed the mistakes so you don’t see them, but doing it right the first time would have saved us a lot of headaches. Here’s 4 things I’d suggest to…
Continue ReadingWedding Eye-Candy
It’s a rare treat to share with you the photos of the most recent wedding I coordinated – rare because I’m always too busy to take photos at weddings. Thankfully, this wedding was well-documented by the amazingly talented Mabyn. I want to get married all over again so I can work with her. If you…
Continue ReadingAnyone Planning a Wedding?
I’m sharing some advice on wedding planning over at YLCF today… “As a wedding planner, one of the first questions I tackle when talking with a client is “When are you getting married?” Often there are significant factors to consider, such as housing to prepare, schedules of extended family, or even a cross-country move. But…
Continue ReadingResources for Aspiring Authors
Some would say that I’ve ‘arrived’. I’ve actually published a book. I can officially claim the title of ‘author’. But most days I feel like the journey has just begun. I have many more books and blog posts I want to write, and dozens of ways I want to improve as a writer. The great…
Continue ReadingTen in 2012 Update: The Studio Makeover
Everyone’s talking about it. How accountability is key to reaching your goals. That’s why I shared my New Year’s Resolutions with you in January, and why I’m here now to update you (and me!) on how I’m doing. 1. Beautify My Studio. DONE! Yes, it took a few weeks, and one very focused day with…
Continue ReadingIn Which We Confess Our Mess and Vow to Be Good
Notes from things I forgot to say…the beauty of my home management notebook is that I now can actually see where I will have time to tackle this Mt. Everest of organizational challenges. My notebook has been the final tool that has helped me be productive AND find rest in my schedule! And for me,…
Continue ReadingReal {Fast} Food: Re-Launch and Prizes, Prizes!!!
So, by now you all know how excited I am about getting my book, Real {Fast} Food updated and formatted for Kindle. It’s been really awesome hearing from many of you who’ve reviewed the book on Amazon how the book has helped you: add more real food into your busy schedules, feel less overwhelmed transitioning…
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