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Showing posts from March, 2014

Homemade Books - Book Binding - Lots of pictures

I've been playing around with learning how to bind my own books. It started with wanting to make a gratitude journal, rather than spending a lot of money on a new one. I found an old book cover, then looked up ways to bind a book, read up on the coptic stitch, and then found out some of my own books are bound using that method. Finished it today (only took about an hour of my time) and then began thinking about making by hand, some hard copies of my books in general. That one is percolating. Here is my gratitude journal. I just have to decorate it. I plan to make more (because it's fun!) and will list them for sale. The size will depend on what old covers I've found. As well as the paper. I'm also making little ones and will give those away. If you want a little one, just comment below. If I don't have an email, leave it so I can contact you. :)   The book this cover came from, lol. I was going to use this dust jacket, but then went meh.    The pr

Blogging Lounge - Prompt #6 - March 22, 2014

Basic Instructions: Your mission should you choose to accept it. Blog, vlog, sing or dance about the prompt. Interpret it how you wish. Post it in a blog and share. Include “The Blogging Lounge” and “Ariana Browning” in the post. Or just use the image provided. All links posted within Facebook Group are shared on Twitter profile for the group. Join the Twitter group, use the hashtag, and I will RT all. (Includes anything except promotions.) I try to share all prompts on my sites. Read below for full information and links. When you've posted, you're welcome to come back here and share those links in the comments below. I will participate the same way and link my post (if I do one for the prompt) in the comments below. Feel free to save and share the image above. It's a square, which makes sharing on Instagram much easier.  Want to join, and don't have a place to blog? www.arianabrowning.proboards.com  I do frequent the forum, even if

What do you want more of?

I'm open to suggestions of things you would like to see more of on my site. I'm busy redesigning a new theme and site design, so I would like to know what you want to see. No suggestions are bad. I'll take in everything told and try to accommodate what you want to see more of! Some of the things I know you love are the quotes and recipes, or bits about the gremlin gang. What else? I also plan to make a new tutorial on working with the CS templates since that one was such a huge hit for you. That includes a part for Lulu since I now use that for my hard covers. :)

Special offer - buy one get one - 4 left

Dark Illusions: The Next Chapter The paperback is officially available! See link: https://www.createspace.com/4583957?ref=1147694&utm_id=6026 I have a special offer, just for you. This is for Dark Illusions: The Next Chapter only. Please read carefully, and if you have questions, feel free to ask. Buy One, Get One : If you purchase a copy of the paperback book through me personally, the first FOUR (one offer has been claimed so it's down to four) people who do, will receive a signed paperback copy. And you can also receive one signed paperback for free. Which means two books for one price . Choose to either get two free signed copies for yourself to give away, or you can receive one for you, and I will send another directly to a friend of your choosing. Again, this is reserved for the first FOUR people who take advantage of this offer. As soon as I've reached five, I will send out a notice and let you know in a special note. How to redeem . Either rep

A Personal Note to All of You

I shared this on Facebook the other day, but thought to myself, I really need to share it again for those that missed it. And all over. So here you go. I consider myself a very fortunate human being. Getting to know such an exceptional group of people, fans, and individuals, has been an amazing experience in the past year, and longer. Every day you deserve to be told how great you are and how much I adore you all. I am impressed by, and absolutely love the creativity everyone shows, especially those who are a part of The Blogging Lounge . I enjoy reading the incredible things they come up with in general, but especially for the prompts. That is why you have seen me sharing their links on my profiles when they share the prompts in the group. I am so proud of them. It takes great courage to write and share your thoughts. Let's never forget that. To do so in any form online is a brave feat. I don't think we realize sometimes that we are so much stronger than we may believe. We a

Can you tell she smells baked pancake?

Lucy in the midst of her haircut. I paused to make baked pancake for lunch.  I told her that I would be making a baked pancake and she should bug my mom for some. This is what she did. She went to the kitchen, smelled it cooking, and wouldn't stop looking at the oven.  Too smart for her own good. That's Cheyenne looking at me. "What are you doing?"

Vanilla Granola

I would love to take complete credit for this granola, but I'm afraid I can't. I mix and match parts of it (i.e. to use walnuts in place of mixed nuts, pancake syrup in place of real maple syrup [only because we never have real maple syrup]) but I found this recipe online somewhere years ago and I've been addicted ever since to it. It's very simple to make. I usually make a double batch (just double every single item) and use 2 cookie sheets so that I can make an extra bunch of it. I usually go through it within one month, more if I don't cook dinner at night some times and use this for my dinner.  It's also great to top oatmeal with this granola, or ice cream. Some times you can even use it on top of yogurt, or anything else you may enjoy using this with! The best part of this granola? Is how your house smells during and after you've made it! Now since I always end up with needing to use substitutions, I'll asterisk a lot of the items and tell

Old World Charm - Modern Living Cinnamon Roll Bread

Cinnamon Roll Bread This recipe is derived from The Pioneer Woman cinnamon roll recipe -  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/   INGREDIENTS: 1 cup milk 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup sugar 3 tsp yeast (I use quick rise) 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional) 2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup flour 1/4 heaping tsp baking powder 1/4 almost tsp baking soda 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt 1/4 cup softened butter 1/4 cup sugar (I prefer 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, but either works) cinnamon to sprinkle over top *optional chopped nuts of your choice (if you choose to use nuts, know that the bread will fall apart very easy) Pan used is an 8x4" loaf pan DIRECTIONS: Mix the 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup oil, and 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl. Stick in microwave for about 1 minute. The time varies. You want it warm enough you can add the yeast without scorching, but not cool enough that the yeast won't react. I have found 1 minute works great for my microwave. Mix i

Trust your instincts, even when you're afraid they're wrong

There are times when we do things that we often regret, analyze too much over, worry that it wasn't the correct decision. I know I face that one a lot. The over-analyzing. I do it with decisions I make, with things I do, things I don't do. Everything and anything is over-analyzed to a bazillionth degree. I don't allow myself to feel bad, I just naturally am inclined to thinking too much. I have a scientists brain. I study and analyze myself, and others, for fun. As odd as that sounds. But honestly I have always believed that even though my mind becomes filled with a lot of fear based reactions and thoughts of should I have done that?, that yes. The answer to that question is yes , you should have. You should have made that decision. You should have said those words. You should have reacted that way. Because you were meant to. Now, I'm not this overtly religious human being. I'm not this destiny and fate girl. I do believe in some things, I don't in ot

Blogging Lounge - Prompt #5 - March 8, 2014

When you've posted, you're welcome to come back here and share those links in the comments below. I will participate the same way and link my post (if I do one for the prompt) in the comments below. Feel free to save and share the image above. It's a square, which makes sharing on Instagram much easier.  Want to join, and don't have a place to blog? www.arianabrowning.proboards.com  I do frequent the forum, even if I'm not posting. If you use the Forum, I'll share the links through the Twitter profile below. Join the Twitter group!   www.twitter.com/blogginglounge  and read the perks of following and joining us there -  http://www.arianabrowning.com/2014/03/the-blogging-lounge-to-take-over-twitter.html What is  The Blogging Lounge ?  http://www.arianabrowning.com/2014/01/spring-cleaning-except-its-not-and.html Access the archives by clicking the picture. I can't wait to see how this inspires you! Join the Facebook Gro

Embrace the fear

  The other day, or rather night, I had a moment that I thought I would share with you. It's very easy to look upon people who live in the public eye and believe they must be the most confident, fearless people on the planet. I know that's something that people have always believed about me. Either I'm assumed to be extremely confident, or well . . . a bitch. I can't remember what set it off exactly. I was in the midst of reading some material about authors, reading a book, and studying grammar and writing. Somewhere in there, in the midst of the evening hours, I remember reading a random sentence and then I was struck with this "oh my god, millions of people around the world may one day know my name, and read my books," realization. I understand that it's an obvious thought. I write, I publish, people will see the books. I will receive the attention. But I don't know. I was just hit with the realization that sometimes occurs

The Blogging Lounge to take over Twitter!

With your help, that is. Well, maybe not take over Twitter. Maybe . . . the world!  If you missed the post the other day on Facebook or Twitter, I created a group Twitter account for The Blogging Lounge at www.twitter.com/blogginglounge If you're a writer who would enjoy increasing your readership and want to meet like minds, a reader who'd like to read some wonderful blogs (trust me, I don't pimp out blah sort of reads, lol), and overall want to join in, feel free to follow and come by. Every day I RT [almost] anything that is tagged @blogginglounge or #theblogginglounge. If you are part of the group on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/1377737912484876/ ), I pop in, grab links shared that day and tweet them. If you tag, you may end up earning two tweets a day. This isn't a competition sort of thing, it's just that I may overlook, or do it accidentally. Which is all right because you get more views! Just no playing with my mind you meanies, be

Book Review - Dean Koontz - Intensity

Thought I would scream Okay, as with the title, this is an intense read. I'm not sure what is is/was about it that makes it that intense, but my heart definitely was pounding while I read it. I got too into the book. The only "off" thing for me, if you can call it that (I'm brutally honest with reviews) was the over usage of "honey" from Chyna near the end. Not saying more than that because I don't want to give the book away, but for me, I get bothered by too many terms of endearment. Which is funny considering I write them into my own books at times, but it just began to feel a bit fake. Other than that really minor nitpick, no cons from me for this book. LOVED it. I found myself relating well to Chyna's personality. Maybe that's also why I could connect with this book so well.

Weekend Writing Fun

Image Courtesy of http://amazingpics.net/ Let's see how much writing I can get done today and tomorrow. Working on Winged Shadows 2. Still have to rework the first Winged Shadows, but I'm trying to be good and remain with working on the 3 I'm writing. THEN tackle another after they are done. I'm also hoping that with the publishing of the last Dark Illusions, that I will finally free up at least an hour in the mornings to write during the week Editing OT doesn't leave me time to write except on the weekends. Maybe I can also get a schedule in place to include working out 3 x a week. Right now it's mainly when I have the time. I would enjoy doing it consistently.