the hollywood sign

Even though I pass this view almost everyday, I never really notice it.  Typically, when I take my walks I try to get home as quickly as possible so I can move on to the next part of my day.  Other times, my walks are slow and filled with stories.  I'm busy thinking about my writing and my characters.  I hardly remember that I'm walking.

Today was different.  I decided to slow down and look at the HOLLYWOOD sign.  Doing this made me think about all the little things I had already rushed past this morning: my french press coffee latte made with 2% milk, a white desk filled with art supplies, journals, pens, stickers and stationary, and the gardenias on our front porch that are just beginning to bloom.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Our WORD OF THE WEEK that I picked from the fish bowl on my desk

is...

crafty

1. skillful, clever

francesca lia block

I'm excited to go to a book reading tonight.  Francesca Lia Block presents and signs "The Frenzy" at Book Soup.

Francesca Lia Block (as described on the back of her amazing book "Echo") is the acclaimed author of the Los Angeles Times best-sellers "The Rose and The Beast", "Violet and Claire", and "Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books", as well as " I Was A Teenage Fairy", "Girl Goddess #9", and "The Hanged Man".  Her work has been translated into seven different languages and is published around the world.  She made her dazzling entrance onto the literary scene with her debut novel, "Weetzie Bat", in 1989.

On another note, if you haven't been to Book Soup (and you live in the LA area) you've got to check it out!  The staff makes great book recommendations "employee picks" which are sprinkled throughout the store.  Book Soup carries children's books, Y/A, adult fiction/non-fiction, photography books, memoirs, graphic novels, stationary and more.

Francesca Lia Block + Book Soup = the perfect way to spend an evening

October 27th at 7pm
Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069

recycle

This fabric came from the house I grew up in.

About a month ago, I made a pillow (see post called "Calvin").

Then, I decided to frame the scraps I had left.

The fabric has followed me for so long, I can't imagine wasting a single thread.

family of readers

I'm reading Linda Sue Park's "Keeping Score" (a terrific book for baseball fans) while Geoff and Calvin peruse "The Wall Street Journal".

Chloe is more than happy to sleep her way through a cloudy Saturday. However, when she wakes up I hope she'll come and read "Keeping Score" with me.

WORD OF THE WEEK

The WORD OF THE WEEK that I picked from the fish bowl on my desk

is...

twirl

1. to revolve rapidly  2. to pitch in a baseball game

lost pheasant

This sign caught my eye for a number of reasons:

1. Someone has a pet that isn't a dog, cat, bird or hamster.
2. I love the idea of a pet pheasant.
3. This pet pheasant happens to be a girl pheasant.
4. The line "looks like a little black duck" makes me smile.
5. The poster holds a sense of mystery.

Did someone actually lose a pheasant?  What do you think?

yoga

I am the kind of person who thinks a lot.  I think about what I am doing today, tomorrow and 2 weeks from Sunday.  I think about my family and my friends and my cats.  I think about the stories I write, my characters.  What choice will they make next?

Yoga is one of the ways I'm able to quiet this kind of thinking.  I went to a couple of yoga classes over the weekend with my very favorite yoga teacher, Andrea Marcum.  When I commit to the poses and listen to my breath, my list of things to think about fades away.  I feel peaceful.

Is there a place where you love to go?  A place that makes you feel quiet and simple and good?

cookie cutter

I've been reading my way through a creativity book called, "The Vein of Gold".  In this book, Julia Cameron gives the reader a number of creative tasks to work on.  Whether you are a writer, a painter, a singer or designer, these tasks apply to all artists.

The most recent exercise I've completed is called "Do Something That Has Been Done Before".  The directions were to "make a row of something very simple (hearts, daises, stars) and let yourself play with making these any color you want".

I found a cookie cutter in the shape of an "A" (for Alexandra).  Next, I used a green crayon to trace the "A" upside down and right side up again and again and again.  Then, I played with a box of watercolors, mixing different shades together, filling in my "A's".

When I finished, I decided to hang my picture on the door to my office.  It reminds me that there is creativity to be found in the simple things that surround us.

WORD OF THE WEEK

wo

The WORD OF THE WEEK that I picked from the fish bowl on my desk

is...

heart
 1. The chambered muscular organ in vertebrates that pumps blood from the veins into the arteries, thereby maintaining the flow of blood through the entire circulatory system.  2. The vital center and source of one's being, emotion and sensibilities.  3. The most important or essential part.

colorscope

I have always known that my astrological sign is Pisces but I've never fully understood what that means.  Whenever I read something about being a Pisces, I can't help but think about all the people in the world who are also born between February 19th and March 22nd.  That's a lot of people.  How can so many of us fit in the very same description?  This has never made sense to me.

And then I discovered Colorscope.

This is what my Colorscope looks like.  After I entered my birth time, place and date, I found out that I am more than just a Pisces.  I am bright blue (Gemini), lavender (Pisces) and light blue (Libra).  I also discovered that my colors represent:

BRUGHT BLUE (quickness)- a restless, busy curiosity.  I want to communicate with the world.  LAVENDER (mystical)- extremely sensitive to my surroundings.  Emotion and intuition are the elements that guide me.  LIGHT BLUE (gentle heart)- emotionally vulnerable and quite tender, light blue softens and elevates my personality.

I think these colors are a very accurate description of myself.  I particularly like that I am not one of millions.  In fact, the only people I know who share my exact Colorscope are the French fashion designer, Hubert de Givenchy and the actor, Michael Caine.

What are the colors in your Colorscope?
And do you know who you share a Colorscope with?
To find out go to:  www.color-scope.com

mirandom

Today I'd like to recognize MIRANDOM.  She is the artist who took my headshot for this blog (see column on right).  She also took the shot on the homepage of my website.  www.alexandrathayerstewart.com

Along with being a photographer, MIRANDOM is a talented deejay and painter.  Check out her work!  www.mirandom.com

4 more neat things about MIRANDOM: Her real name is Miranda Maxwell Smets.  She just moved from NYC to LA.  The image above is an example of her work.  And, she is my sister.

baseball

The Red Sox did not make the playoffs this year.  As if that wasn't bad enough, the Yankees did.  And things keep getting worse.  The Yankees look like they are going to beat the Twins and go to the AL Championship series.

I think MLB should make a new rule.  The rule would read like this:

If the Boston Red Sox do not win enough games to earn a spot in the the post season, the New York Yankees will be automatically disqualified from the playoffs.

Oh, and the photo?  It's a picture of my Boston Red Sox lunch box.

WORD OF THE WEEK

I've decided to make Fridays our WORD OF THE WEEK day.

This is a ceramic fish I keep on my desk.  It is filled with my favorite words.  I plan to pick a word every Friday and share it's definition.

And today's word is...

thoughtful
1. absorbed in thought  2. characterized by careful reasoned thinking
3. showing consideration for the needs of others

100% smart

A friend of mine just taught me about Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences.  As she described it, everyone is 100% smart but we are smart in different ways.

Gardner separates the areas of intelligence into 8 categories: Language/Word, Spatial, Logic/Math, Body, Music, Social, Self and Nature.

I took a Multiple Intelligence quiz and discovered that I am WORD smart and SELF smart.  Not surprisingly, my biggest challenge is LOGIC/MATH.

This made me think about people in my life and the ways they are smart.  I also considered Multiple Intelligences in relation to the characters I am writing.  How are they smart?  What are their weaknesses?

If you would like to learn more about this and take a Multiple Intelligence quiz go to:

http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/index.html

woof woof

This picture was taken in front of my neighbors' house.  I have never met these neighbors but I do know their dog.  When I walk past this house, the medium sized mutt lets me know his presence in a very aggressive way.  His sound makes me jump.  My heart races.  I walk faster.  I pray to god the gate stays closed.

I am a little bit scared of dogs who bark.

Is there anything that a little bit scares you?

victor hawley

Today is all about Victor.  I would like to thank him for helping me create my website and blog.

Here are a few things I learned about Victor while working together:

1. He knows a lot about computers.
2. He is named after his dad, except his dad goes by Vic.  Victor prefers Victor.
3. Victor's favorite football team is the Pittsburg Steelers.
4. His colorscope colors are bright green, dark green and black.
5. I think Victor might be allergic to our cats.  Our house made him sneeze.
    (Note previous post called "Calvin")

calvin

I made this pink pillow using fabric from my childhood room.  I wanted to put a little color in my office.  As soon as I finished sewing, my cat jumped on the chair and made himself comfortable.  I think Calvin is as excited as I am about our new pillow.