Innards & Outards

Bloodline: A Halloween Tale

Helloooooo, Folks!

I’ve promised on Facebook and Instagram a spooky short story for Halloween, but what I DIDN’T say is that the short story I’m sharing with you today is extended from a piece of flash fiction that was CHOSEN TO BE SHARED ON A PODCAST!

Alone in a Room with Invisible People is a podcast hosted by Rebecca Galardo with recurring guest Holly Lisle.

Holly’s teaching style resonates…

Kindergarten, Here He Comes!

These people make up my sweet family!

My oldest kiddo started kindergarten today. He’s sweet and funny, careful and brave, a learner and a thinker… He’s going to be great! So cheers to my boy as he ventures this unknown! 🥛✨🥛

Mama LOVES you!

Fairytale Smairytale: Swoon-Worthy Reads

SOMEONE ELSE’S FAIRYTALE by E.M. Tippetts was a surprise of a story. I thought I’d be getting something fluffy by judging the cover, but looks were mildly deceiving on this one. This book has depth in a far-fetched plot, and I like that kind of combination.

I’m seeing a trend in the books I pick by cover lately. There’s lots of teal and fun graphics that hint of adventure. I don’t know what this…

Hate to Love: Swoon-Worthy Reads

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne has ALL my attention this week.

When I first chose this book, I loved the title and cartoonish characters in gorgeous colors. (I WISH I could wear yellow.) And then… I can remember it like it was yesterday… then I read the teaser and my head exploded. Then I read the book and my heart exploded. I’ve now read this book 4 times in the last year…

The Vespas Have it: Swoon-Worthy Read

Confession: Roman Holiday is one of my all-time favorite movies. I adore everything about it right down to ending even though it makes me weepy. If you seen it… YOU KNOW. If you haven’t, get working on that. Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, and Eddie Albert will charm you in ways you didn’t know existed and may never be duplicated.

Anyway, when I saw the vespa on the cover of ALEX, APPROXIMATELY by…

The Trick of It All

Clay and I were walking in the backyard, and we spotted this beauty. I wish mushrooms had a more whimsical name because some of them are really quite magical. But if you say, “Come look at this mushroom!” no one expects to see something gorgeous. Maybe that the trick of it all. I wonder if the namer thought the surprise of the sight was worth the sound of the title.

Immigrant Children Don’t Deserve This

I don’t normally talk about politics and legislation here. I like to consider this a “clean” space. But today, I am broken.

This issue breaks me.

Separating children from their parents is not the answer, nor is it right. In fact, it’s so far past wrong, there’s no word for the moral ineptitude that is this situation.

Who are we? What have we become? The identity of this country and its citizens…

Merci Monday: The Good Parts of Humanity

Late last night, around 10 pm, Brianna was in the process of helping someone jump off her car when I was walking to my car. I went to crank my own, and my battery was also dead. The other lady’s car was difficult to fix and Brianna called her husband to come help. I also called my husband because I didn’t want to assume that someone would help me, too.

While we waited, Brianna told me the story…

Flower Swords and Butterflies

This plant has doubled in size since this time last summer!

I call it a butterfly plant because the butterflies really like to hang around it. The kids love the color and the way the tiny blooms cluster together to make flower swords. Husband calls the bush by its Christian name, which I can’t dredge up from my mental well at the moment. Either way, it’s beautiful and looking at it makes me…

Cover Crush

Confession: In real life, I’ve always wanted to be more carefree than I actually am. This urge stirred when I saw the cover for Tarryn Fisher’s ATHEISTS WHO KNEEL AND PRAY. (This book is not about atheism.) I immediately wanted to be the girl on the cover. She’s so wild and beautiful and free-looking, and she might just be in the middle of a ritualistic dance. Just put a bonfire in…

Handmade Writer-Themed Gifts: Yes, I Craft!

I adore crafting and wanted to show y’all a few writing-themed presents I made for a friend!

  One is an actual writer’s block. (Gosh, I love a pun.)

The other is something I made up. I wanted a positive spin on writer’s block because, honestly, the idea of not writing is sad to me.   So, to counter it, I made a thinking cube!

There are concave buttons on two sides to fit her…

I ‘d never heard of PENNY REIDuntil this book came into view. If you know me, you know how much I adore all things vintage. This cover caught my eye in all its cross-stitched, past-honoring glory. It even made up for the strange title, which eventually I understood because I read the book. The story was as glorious as the cover. Since then, I’ve read quite a few of Penny Reid’s books, but this…