tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3170198533182286542024-03-13T20:55:52.762-07:00Alina Sayreencounters with words and the WordAlina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-32893376405132247192013-11-15T11:56:00.002-08:002013-11-15T11:56:51.971-08:00New Site! This blog has moved! <div>
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From here on out, I'll be blogging at my new author website: <a href="http://alinasayre.com/">alinasayre.com</a>.</div>
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Come check it out! </div>
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~Alina</div>
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Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-90153740803235200792013-11-13T17:12:00.000-08:002013-11-13T17:12:15.023-08:00Moving Day: FridayTwo weekends ago, I helped my cousins move.<br />
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It was a happy thing--loading boxes into my car, toting furniture around, helping family settle into a pretty, spacious new home that much betters suits their needs. Their old house wasn't what they needed anymore.<br />
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It's just always a bit nostalgic to say goodbye to a place you've lived.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahhyeah/454494396/">Douglas Porter</a></td></tr>
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It is with that same mixture of anticipation and nostalgia that I get ready to close up this blogspot and move to my new author website on Friday (I'll post the address that day). I'm getting ready to launch my book in December, and I need an online living room big enough to host it. All the old blog posts will show up there, and I'll still be blogging every Friday. The new site is clean, fast, organized, easy to find, and (I think) beautiful. Michael, you're an incredible genius for building it. <br />
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But though this blogspot no longer suits my internet needs, it's where I first learned to blog--first agonized over publishing a post--first learned to say vulnerable things out loud. And so, though I'm thrilled to make the move, I quietly turn the key in the lock of this old house and fondly pat the closed door. It's been a good place to live. <br />
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<b><i>Stay tuned for Friday's reveal of my new web address, plus a blog post on the new site!! </i></b><br />
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<b><br /></b>Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-87923333786959639162013-10-30T14:53:00.000-07:002013-10-30T14:53:17.312-07:00Pumpkin FunToday's post arrives on a Wednesday. I hope that doesn't lead you to think that tomorrow is Saturday...<div>
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I am introducing this confusing mix-up because tomorrow is Halloween and I want to write about pumpkins! </div>
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My very favorite kind of pumpkin is the costume variety. I think all babies should be dressed up as pumpkins at least once in their lives. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snorp/2995883419/">James Willcox</a></td></tr>
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Awww...just TOO adorable! Dogs make pretty cute pumpkins, too:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mulmatsherm/234547415/">C Jill Reed</a></td></tr>
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But at my house, there being neither babies nor dogs to dress up, we paint real pumpkins. One of the vegetables below was designed by the engineer, one by the artist, and one by the writer in the house. I'll let you guess whose is whose.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HJc7P49V2Ao/UnF6uiDklkI/AAAAAAAAA_M/k_A1stWjUuo/s1600/DSC06555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HJc7P49V2Ao/UnF6uiDklkI/AAAAAAAAA_M/k_A1stWjUuo/s400/DSC06555.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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See? They're Betty Boop, a hot air balloon, and a poem.</div>
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Last year, I stopped trying to fight my klutziness and penchant for stick figures and instead repurposed Halloween as the <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween-and-world-literacy-project.html">World Literacy Project</a>, decorating my pumpkin with the opening lines of "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.</div>
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This year it's a different famous, slightly spooky poem (which I subjected my family to a reading of as I was writing it out in Sharpie). 10 points if you can guess the title and author! </div>
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But though I'm greatly enjoying the World Literacy Project (and I hope the neighborhood kids will, too), there's nothing wrong with stick figures. In fact, they can even make pretty cute costumes. Get a good laugh out of this one, and enjoy tomorrow!</div>
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Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-82874203677746306882013-10-25T16:49:00.000-07:002013-10-26T12:02:03.021-07:00Get Motivated<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="color: purple;">Today I'm THRILLED to announce that my long-awaited novel, a middle-grades fantasy adventure, is finished and going to be published! I hope to have it available in time for Christmas. To receive book updates, insider promotions, teacher resources, book-related games, etc., please <u>sign up for my e-mail newsletter</u> at the top right corner of this screen. Thank you!!</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">*begin blog post*</span></div>
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No matter how old you are or what you do, there are times you feel like you're a failure. That you're bad at what you do. That you're just barking up the wrong tree in life. </div>
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But when that happens, often the truth is that we're tired. (Or lonely, or hungry. Sandwiches have solved some of my life crises.) Sometimes we do need to stop and <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/09/rest-along-road.html">rest</a>, but there other times when we just have to press on. Move forward. Get it done. </div>
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And it's in those times that motivation becomes priceless.</div>
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As a writer, I may have more self-esteem problems than the average person. It's important for me to stay reminded that I'm doing what I've been called to do, what I'm good at doing, what I love to do--especially on the tired days. Even with a book about to be published, it's easy to get bogged down in the immensity of work and lose sight of the goal.</div>
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So I'm sharing with you 5 signs in my home/office that motivate me. They've helped me through some dry days, and now they help me celebrate as I get ready to see my dream come true. Most of them are word-based, because I love words, but I think motivation can come just as easily from pictures. When I lived in Seattle, nearly every student's desk or worker's cubicle contained a desk calendar with pictures of palm trees and white sand beaches. Case in point.</div>
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This one came from Barnes and Noble when I was probably 15 years old. Now I hang it on my door when I'm working instead of a "Do Not Disturb" sign. I look forward to the day when it'll come true!</div>
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This was an "award" I received during my freshman year of college. Apparently it was my dorm floormates' unanimous prediction. Later that year, I started writing my novel. Thank you, ladies.</div>
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This was drawn by my artistically gifted and always-faithful mother on a paper plate when I was in 7th grade. That's me, doing what I still do almost every day. (Maybe minus the scrunchie.) </div>
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This was a Trader Joe's greeting card that almost made me cry when I spotted it in the grocery store. I bought two, framed one for my wall, and mailed another to my knit-designing friend <a href="http://bear-ears.blogspot.com/">Audry</a>. When you're in a career that doesn't make financial sense and that takes a long time to produce gratification, you need this reminder EVERY SINGLE DAY. Actually, maybe you need it in any career, at any age. </div>
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And last, a beautiful picture made by my late grandmother, which she gave me for my 24th birthday. I think it's made of watercolor, pen, and of course her signature--glitter. Besides representing a heritage of art, this picture reminds me of one of my literary role models, Anne of Green Gables, and all that she stands for: optimism, hope, and adventure to be found in the wild blue yonder.<br />
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So happy Friday! Be motivated today!<br />
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<i>What signs or images motivate you in your daily endeavors? </i><br />
<i><br /></i>Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-91906800018776618362013-10-11T12:47:00.000-07:002013-10-11T12:48:38.365-07:00Beautiful British Library Mania!It's Friday! I'd say it's time for some beautiful libraries, wouldn't you?<br />
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Let's take an armchair trip to Britain to visit 5 beautiful libraries. (While the Republic of Ireland is not politically part of Britain, it is geographically part of the British Isles...it's a long story, better expressed by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10">a YouTube video</a> than by me.)<br />
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<b><i>1. The Bodleian Library, Oxford, England.</i></b> No library tour would be complete without the Bodleian, which houses 11 million printed items in addition to thousands of other materials. It actually consists of many different library buildings as well as a subterranean storage labyrinth. (Mystery novel, anyone?) The fan ceiling is renowned as one of the most beautiful in England.<br />
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<b><i>2. The Wren Library, Cambridge, England.</i></b> A small gem, tucked away in Trinity College, this library was designed by Christopher Wren, one of England's most famous architects. Containing first editions of works by Tennyson and Byron and the handwritten manuscript of <i>Winnie-the-Pooh </i>by A.A. Milne, the library also has a walking stick and lock of the hair of alumnus Sir Isaac Newton. Love the checkerboard floor, too--makes me think of <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>.<br />
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<b><i>3. The Long Room, Dublin, Ireland.</i></b> Two stories, marble busts of thinkers, and sliding ladders, oh my! Also located at a place called Trinity College (different from the Cambridge one), and sharing a building with the inimitable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells">Book of Kells</a>, they raised the barrel ceiling to accommodate more books! 200,000 of the college's oldest, rarest books, to be exact...<br />
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<b><i>4. The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Ireland. </i></b>A little-known gem I discovered quite by accident, this library is resplendent more with inner than outer beauty. More than a simple collection of books, it's a curiosity cabinet of antiquities from all over the world, including some incredibly old manuscripts. Imagine illuminated texts, an ancient copy of Augustine's <i>City of God,</i> and fragments of Bible papyri from as early as AD 150--yes, people, that would be an almost 1900-year-old book. Er, scrap of a book.<br />
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<b><i>5. The British Library, London, England.</i> </b>Last but not least, a classic among libraries. Along with the Library of Congress, the British Library is the second-largest library in the world. Yes, <i>world. </i>It's a legal deposit and research library containing over 150 million items. Contemporary architecture (including a bench shaped like a folded-open book) pairs here with a mind-blowing collection of some of the world's oldest manuscripts. Inside you'll find everything from <i>Beowulf </i>to <i>Jane Eyre, </i>from Handel's <i>Messiah </i>to the Magna Carta, from a Gutenberg Bible to Anne Boleyn's copy of the New Testament. It's the Louvre of libraries.<br />
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<b><i>Bonus #6! The Strahov Monastery Library, Prague, Czech Republic.</i></b><br />
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This one may not be in Britain, but it sure belongs in a tour of the most beautiful libraries. Tucked away in a hilltop monastery in Prague, surrounded by whitewashed walls and the waving stems of yellow roses, is this little-known gem. After a climb up a steep hill, one is rewarded with this sight:<br />
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Globes, illuminated manuscripts, a book wheel, and a painted ceiling! It became an important point of inspiration for my novel. And made me think of this scene from <i>Beauty and the Beast: </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHYPDgec_QI/UlhT9C91t-I/AAAAAAAAA84/SrtRKxRUpt0/s1600/origin_4284018350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHYPDgec_QI/UlhT9C91t-I/AAAAAAAAA84/SrtRKxRUpt0/s400/origin_4284018350.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blogggles/4284018350/">Jessica Ta</a></td></tr>
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<i>Happy Friday! Which of these libraries (the Disney one included!) </i><i>would you visit if you had the chance? </i><br />
<br />Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-4775930190192078392013-09-27T13:38:00.000-07:002013-09-27T13:38:16.914-07:00Rest along the RoadWhat's the purpose of your life?<br />
<br />
The thing that's bigger than yourself--your mission, dream, calling, purpose, the something that you alone feel uniquely designed to do.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's writing a book (harrumph). Maybe it's spiritual growth. Maybe it's investing in a relationship. Maybe it's leading a ministry. Maybe it's raising a child (or a few). Maybe it's spending a year backpacking across the country, like <a href="http://benicetobackpackers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my friend David</a>. Maybe you don't have a clue, but you're seeking it. Something you were born to do. Something you believe in, that gives you purpose, that makes you feel alive.<br />
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Purpose is a great thing. Without it, we constantly ask ourselves, "What am I here for?"<br />
<br />
But journeys of purpose are big. And big journeys take time. Lots of time.<br />
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As time passes, energy drains away. We lose sight of the distant, big-picture goal because our myopic vision gets crowded with small failures, hiccups, hardships, naysayers...and tiredness. Just plain road-weariness.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bQwfMdPq2_w/UkXp5GxAeOI/AAAAAAAAA60/796teADnpx8/s1600/large_845173739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bQwfMdPq2_w/UkXp5GxAeOI/AAAAAAAAA60/796teADnpx8/s400/large_845173739.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_chaz/845173739/" target="_blank">Chaz Harding</a></td></tr>
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I read this story about the Biblical prophet Elijah today. Talk about someone with a big life purpose. But at one point he said to God, "I have had enough, Lord" (1 Kings 19).<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Had. Enough. </i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E1QJY9bPlaw/UkXrR71EiSI/AAAAAAAAA7I/TAWf9LnZzrY/s1600/origin_413565429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E1QJY9bPlaw/UkXrR71EiSI/AAAAAAAAA7I/TAWf9LnZzrY/s400/origin_413565429.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomecho/413565429/" target="_blank">Soon</a></td></tr>
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The long road of pursuing purpose can leave us feeling burned out like fire-gutted stumps. Elijah was so fed up with chasing purpose and feeling like a failure that he wanted to die.<br />
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God's advice, delivered by angelic messenger?<br />
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"Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you."<br />
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God even sent Elijah an ancient Hebrew Happy Meal to get him started.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKXiION1ELk/UkXp61ZBZpI/AAAAAAAAA68/c5D0uiuj6Ko/s1600/large_4387291247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKXiION1ELk/UkXp61ZBZpI/AAAAAAAAA68/c5D0uiuj6Ko/s400/large_4387291247.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/4387291247/" target="_blank">Stefan</a></td></tr>
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Before God urged Elijah forward in his journey of purpose, the prophet's immediate needs had to have some attention. He ate some food. Took two long naps. Went away to Mount Horeb for some refreshing alone time. Spent time in the presence of God. Found a helper.<br />
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And THEN he was able to go back to full time prophet-ness. Proclaimed God's words to difficult people. Did miracles. Made history.<br />
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There's a lot on my plate right now, especially as I look to move forward with my writing career. Maybe there's a lot on your plate, too. But Elijah's story encourages me.<br />
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The strength to carry on, to continue down that long and worthwhile road, may be closer than you think:<br />
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Eat food. Get sleep. Take some time away to refresh. Be in the presence of God. Get a helper.<br />
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Or, in the sweet and simple words of my friend and fellow blogger Anna Taylor: <a href="http://www.lineandfeather.com/2013/09/peace-darling.html" target="_blank">Peace, darling</a>.<br />
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Purpose is a long road. So pace yourself. Rest along the way. You'll make it in time.<br />
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<i>How do you find rest along the way of purpose? </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-50287106071721157202013-09-20T12:34:00.000-07:002013-09-20T12:34:59.651-07:00Inspiration: The Playlist<span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you get inspired to create? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some authors (and other kinds of artists, too) have the luxury of full-time creative work. Others, like the 40 pictured in <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/40-inspiring-workspaces-of-the-famously-creative" target="_blank">this article</a>, have had brilliant, inspiring spaces dedicated exclusively to their craft. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But some of us have other jobs. When I'm not writing, I'm teaching kids to craft paragraphs or fixing people's grammar. I'd love it if my workspace always looked like this:</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9Ny3ZFYlWw/Ujye3fLu0WI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/xfLmol114wU/s1600/DSC02096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9Ny3ZFYlWw/Ujye3fLu0WI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/xfLmol114wU/s400/DSC02096.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But more of the time, it looks like this: </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mnl7EJk5nc0/Ujye3Cw8tHI/AAAAAAAAA6I/wuCDThs96W4/s1600/DSC02312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mnl7EJk5nc0/Ujye3Cw8tHI/AAAAAAAAA6I/wuCDThs96W4/s400/DSC02312.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Or just this: </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yLbDY0NQwXk/Ujye1vqdNOI/AAAAAAAAA6E/22o0cmPEygU/s1600/101_6706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yLbDY0NQwXk/Ujye1vqdNOI/AAAAAAAAA6E/22o0cmPEygU/s400/101_6706.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Just enough space to sit in the middle of the explosion.</span><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So how do you get your mind to travel to far-off places and create vivid, enthralling scenes when all you can see is the carpet that needs vacuuming or the piles of unanswered notes on your desk? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm going to be writing a series of blog posts on where I find writing inspiration. These are my personal quirks to trick my brain into creating, even when the space around me doesn't inspire or my brain would rather just spend all day staring out the window.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Number one is the playlist. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For my novel-in-progress (which is very, very close to being my COMPLETED novel), I write to a list of songs that take me to the fantasy world of my story and reconnect me with the characters. I've developed an almost Pavlovian response to the song "Ora" by Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi (the first one on my list). The first few notes play, and I'm instantly in the story. I don't know if I'll ever be able to write another story to this song. It's too tied to this set of characters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yjprWxdr6q0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Over time, I've collected more and more songs for this list. There are now 43 songs on it, for a total of 2.9 hours. I know it's a good writing day when I finish the last song and have to start the playlist over. </span></h1>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UG3fr3LpXNI/Ujye3bUb4DI/AAAAAAAAA6U/ZTNLrmFUnkc/s1600/Playlist+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UG3fr3LpXNI/Ujye3bUb4DI/AAAAAAAAA6U/ZTNLrmFUnkc/s400/Playlist+2.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></h1>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With a few exceptions, most of the songs are instrumental, so the words in my head don't have to compete with the ones in my ears. Some tunes are classical (like Beethoven's 7th Symphony or Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring") but more have a Celtic flavor to them. I especially like Enya, Jim Brickman, and Loreena McKennitt. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Soundtracks are also one of my favorite resources. Music that was originally composed to tell a story helps me tell mine. My list includes selections from the live-action <i>Peter Pan, The Lion King, </i>and <i>A Series of Unfortunate Events. </i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="400" src="http://content7.flixster.com/movie/10/91/88/10918857_det.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="279" /></span></td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've made playlists for other stories, too, but they look completely different (well, except for the emphasis on instrumental music). One has a couple of Irish drinking songs on it; another emphasizes classical Spanish guitar. When this novel is done, I guess I'll have to start an entirely new playlist of inspiring songs.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does music help you to create? What songs get your creative juices flowing? </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-63001213579512491612013-09-13T07:30:00.000-07:002013-09-13T13:29:33.273-07:00Even More Cuteness, Part 3Does anybody else need some cuteness this Friday? Yeah, me too. Five different kinds of cuteness, coming right up.<br />
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Four baby raccoons in a tree! (A group of raccoons is called a gaze.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FF6JBr2JSNs/UjDw3GDdpaI/AAAAAAAAA4U/vZ4rdrCs-OM/s1600/Baby+raccoons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FF6JBr2JSNs/UjDw3GDdpaI/AAAAAAAAA4U/vZ4rdrCs-OM/s400/Baby+raccoons.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/doodlemonger/182158241/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Tyler Smith</a></td></tr>
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Fennec foxes. (A group of these would be called a leash, a skulk, or an earth.) The pets I want almost as much as <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/08/hedgehogs.html" target="_blank">hedgehogs </a>and <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/08/all-cuteness-part-2.html" target="_blank">sugar gliders</a>. Look at those ears!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Si7s9SRWSO0/UjDs7m9gbTI/AAAAAAAAA4I/MSBVPilE9Us/s1600/Fennec+foxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Si7s9SRWSO0/UjDs7m9gbTI/AAAAAAAAA4I/MSBVPilE9Us/s400/Fennec+foxes.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aspexdesign/5561355163/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Dean Thorpe</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Baby sloth in a box! For extra squeals, here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1mAGQAw3Oc" target="_blank">video of baby sloths taking a bath</a>! (A whole bunch of them together are a "bed" of sloths :)).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ijzzn9JTzDM/UjDrImSAbmI/AAAAAAAAA3k/ikWK5fCODnY/s1600/Baby+sloth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ijzzn9JTzDM/UjDrImSAbmI/AAAAAAAAA3k/ikWK5fCODnY/s400/Baby+sloth.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovingshiva/115593623/" target="_blank">Jennifer Jordan</a></td></tr>
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Koala taking a nap. (There's no name for a group of these, because they hang out by themselves.) Sooo cuddly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gYs-R0a8CcE/UjDrI8U1PoI/AAAAAAAAA3o/c0NSj-GBSRY/s1600/Koala+nap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gYs-R0a8CcE/UjDrI8U1PoI/AAAAAAAAA3o/c0NSj-GBSRY/s400/Koala+nap.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanrenee/2954453825/" target="_blank">Susan Renee</a></td></tr>
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And squirrel monkeys goofing off for the camera. (Hehe, a group of monkeys is called a troop of monkeys!)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kVrzepT6sbc/UjDrJe6g71I/AAAAAAAAA38/4D47GgU-5gg/s1600/Squirrel+Monkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kVrzepT6sbc/UjDrJe6g71I/AAAAAAAAA38/4D47GgU-5gg/s400/Squirrel+Monkey.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joachim_s_mueller/3778145550/" target="_blank">Joachim S. Muller</a></td></tr>
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Happy Friday!Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-84779897056792999252013-09-06T07:30:00.000-07:002013-09-06T07:30:01.878-07:00Literature, Kniterature<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Today I'm tickled to host my second-ever <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/search/label/author%20interviews" target="_blank">author interview</a>! My good friend Audry Nicklin has designed, written, and published <i>Lit Knits, </i>a book of ten knitting patterns inspired by works of classic literature that allow you to "wear your favorite story." </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mS0hXoKdzt8/UijFGmsOLiI/AAAAAAAAA2k/im82abLCLwQ/s1600/authorpic_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mS0hXoKdzt8/UijFGmsOLiI/AAAAAAAAA2k/im82abLCLwQ/s400/authorpic_small.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a delicious stack of old books!</td></tr>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ever since I decided I wanted to be a writer at age 14, I've loved reading interviews with authors. I love to get inside their heads and learn their habits and tips. Maybe it's my secret hope that the literary prowess will rub off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's go behind the scenes of a real live author's creative process. We</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">lcome to my virtual living room, Audry! </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. We all know that a book takes a long time to produce. How long has your book been in the making,
from concept to publication?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">This
book has been a long time coming. It took me roughly 2.5 years from concept to publication. And within that 2.5 years, I was also working part time at a
yarn shop and submitting patterns to other publications.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>2. How did you get the idea for </i>Lit
Knits<i>?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">After
reading <i><a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2012/08/writereditor.html" target="_blank">Anne of Green Gables</a></i> in early 2011, I was inspired to make a shawl that
had bits of the story knit into it. So I made up a stitch pattern that looked
like the house, Green Gables. Below that I knit a texture of a fence followed
by a field of flowers leading down to the Lake of Shining Waters. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AyA6pRbHSzI/UijLxdPFHzI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bIaLOPTQvpo/s1600/Avonlea1_LitKnits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AyA6pRbHSzI/UijLxdPFHzI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bIaLOPTQvpo/s400/Avonlea1_LitKnits.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Avonlea" shawl from <i>Lit Knits. </i>I love <i>Anne of Green Gables</i>!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">After
completing the shawl, I started working on a pair of mittens inspired by the
white rabbit in <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</i>. One thing led to another and
I realized that I had a solid theme for a collection of patterns. It did take
some time to figure out how to make the collection as cohesive as possible. I thought about doing a knit for <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> by Dickens and one for
<i>The Raven</i> by Poe. But <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> and <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</i>
are considered classic children's literature, so I kept within that theme.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>3. </i><i>Of the 10 patterns in the book, which is your favorite?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">I
can't say that they are all my favorite, can I? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Each
pattern represents a different part of my knitting journey, so I like each one
for a different reason. "Down The Rabbit Hole" is based on one of my favorite
childhood stories. But the "Robin Hoodie" represents the culmination of all my knitting
abilities. I couldn't have written that pattern when I started the book. But I
gained enough experience while writing the other patterns to make it a reality. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--KUB0VlMrrw/UijLY4DJHlI/AAAAAAAAA3I/qqoc1Grke1I/s1600/RobinHoodie1_LitKnits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--KUB0VlMrrw/UijLY4DJHlI/AAAAAAAAA3I/qqoc1Grke1I/s400/RobinHoodie1_LitKnits.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Robin Hoodie," the culmination of all of Audry's knitting abilities.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>4. What would be the 11th work of literature you would add if you could?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">This
collection almost had 12 patterns. Before I designed each garment, I read the
book I wanted to base the knit on. I read <i>Little Women</i> and <i>Heidi</i>, but when
it came down to it, I had trouble designing knits that didn't look kitschy. So
I cut the collection down to 10 patterns.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>5. The photography in your book is incredible.
However, we all know that serene images don’t always come from serene
photo shoots. What were some funny stories that happened while you were taking
pictures for this book?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Well,
you were part of one of the more amusing photo shoots. Since the socks you
modeled were <i>Black Beauty</i> themed, we needed to have horses in the background.
After getting permission to go to a field where there were horses, we couldn't
find them! It took a good half hour of circling around groves of trees before
we found the herd. Then three curious horses came over to investigate. Just as
we would shoo one away from the equipment, another one would sneak up and have
a look. I still have horse spit stains on my camera bag. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8nZXTDRgUiw/UijF_B-hfMI/AAAAAAAAA2w/grZl_rI8JRk/s1600/behindthescenes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8nZXTDRgUiw/UijF_B-hfMI/AAAAAAAAA2w/grZl_rI8JRk/s400/behindthescenes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glamor? More like cold mist, grass stains, allergies, and horse spit. Photo credit: Juliet Nicklin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">I
know you were cold during that shoot since it started to mist by the end of it, and I had horrible allergies for two days afterwards because I spent the entire
time with my face practically rubbing the grass. And I never did get those
grass stains out of my jeans.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>6. I know you made extreme efforts to use authentic props in your photo shoots. What was the coolest prop you collected for
this book?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">I
was lucky to have all sorts of neat props for this book. But my favorite prop
was the real Piece of Eight that I used in the "Sail To Treasure Island" shoot.
It came from my Opa's coin collection and was minted in 1744 during King Philip
V of Spain's rule.</span> </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lBF96Iotljk/UieDOC-tntI/AAAAAAAAA2I/tGtfuH7hFwE/s1600/SailToTreasureIsland4_LitKnits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lBF96Iotljk/UieDOC-tntI/AAAAAAAAA2I/tGtfuH7hFwE/s400/SailToTreasureIsland4_LitKnits.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Sail To Treasure Island" blanket, its inspiring book, a compass, and a real Piece of Eight. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>7. Okay, let's get into your secrets of creative success. On a “normal” day, what does your
creative routine look like?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">I
know some people like to have strict time schedules. I find that keeping up
with a schedule stresses me out, so I just have an order I do things. I'll get
up mid to late morning, shower, and walk the dog, Scooter. Then I walk myself to and
from a local coffee shop to get tea, after which I eat lunch and read a little bit of a book
before I sit down and work. I typically make a list of what needs to be done
the night before, so I just start working down the list. Then it is a second
dog walk followed by more work. After eating dinner, I might watch a little TV
with Scooter while knitting. (He gets grumpy if he doesn't get at least a
half hour of TV time.) </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JJiuowsXM4Q/TBgqBxkZboI/AAAAAAAAAsE/8oQfwbNegc4/s400/orange+blanket.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audry's four-legged creative muse, Scooter.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Depending on what stage I'm at in a design, I might be
doing "work" knitting or "personal" knitting. After TV time
with Scooter, he and I head to bed, where I might work into the wee hours if
things are going well. If not, I give up and go to bed. Before my head hits the
pillow, I'll typically list a few things that need to get done the next day.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>8. 2 1/2 years of dedicated work is a lot. What kept you from quitting on this project when the road got tough?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">My
options were to either finish the book or go look for another job. Working on
the book looked like the better option. After a while, I had told so many people
about the book that it would have been terribly embarrassing to not finish. So avoiding
humiliation is what kept me going after a while. That, and I didn't want to
disappoint my parents. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>9. Self-publishing v. traditional publishing is a big conversation in the book world these days. Why did you choose to self-publish rather
than seek traditional publication? Are you glad you did?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">I
chose to self-publish because I didn't want to sign over the rights to my work.
The thought that a publisher could do one print run and let the book go out of
print was a little too much to take. However, this also means that I am in
charge of all the promotion. So while part of me is frustrated that I don't
have the resources to promote <i>Lit Knits</i> as widely as a publisher could, I'm
still satisfied that I've chosen to self-publish. I've been lucky that my
background is in print design. I don't think I could have done it myself
without that experience.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWfHkiYI8P8/UieDOYt_a_I/AAAAAAAAA2E/u6ck7lto350/s1600/BookCover_LitKnits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWfHkiYI8P8/UieDOYt_a_I/AAAAAAAAA2E/u6ck7lto350/s400/BookCover_LitKnits.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd say she did a pretty good job designing her own cover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>10. Now that </i>Lit Knits <i>is done, do you have another creative project in the
works? Can you give us any hints?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
think I'll always be working on some sort of knit. I have 2-3 more book ideas,
but at the moment, I'm working on some single-pattern proposals for knitting
magazines. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's
been interesting seeing how each of my previous jobs has led to the next. I
look forward to seeing where this book takes me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Thanks
for having me, Alina!</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">My pleasure! It was a fun privilege for me to both copyedit the manuscript of <i>Lit Knits</i> and </span><a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-everything.html" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">model a pair of socks</a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">. But above all, seeing my friend successfully pioneer her own book enterprise inspires me to take my own novel seriously and see it to completion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you love to knit, know someone who does, or just like whimsical pictures of cool, literature-inspired clothes, check out the book on <a href="http://bear-ears.com/lit-knits/index.html" target="_blank">Audry's web site</a>. She's got a special preorder deal going until September 25. You can also find her author page on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BearEars" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</span></div>
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Have more questions? Leave a comment! Audry and I will both be around for some Q&A! </div>
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<br />
<i>Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of Audry Nicklin. </i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-18090349468414174472013-08-30T07:30:00.000-07:002013-08-30T07:30:02.131-07:00Blogiversary #2I love fall. The student in me thinks of September, not January, as the beginning of the year. As the weather gets cooler, I get an almost Pavlovian excitement for office supplies, pumpkin spice lattes, and new beginnings.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="299" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6853851563_1454ba5e7e_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jason-samfield/6853851563/" target="_blank">Jason A. Samfield</a></td></tr>
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But what almost took me by surprise is that this approaching fall season also marks my second blogiversary. I went to write this week's blog post and realized it'll be two years on Sunday! Which prompts a bit of reflection.<br />
<br />
It's a little harder to track this year's progress than it was <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2012/08/blogiversary.html" target="_blank">last year</a>. I do know that I've published a total of 95 posts and accumulated nearly 20,000 page views since starting this blog in 2011 (numbers which thrill, startle, and humble me by turns). Sometimes numbers help me step back and get some perspective on the small routines I perform regularly.<br />
<br />
This year I have branched out to share a wider variety of art forms, including <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-spark.html" target="_blank">poetry</a>, <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/03/life.html" target="_blank">photography</a>, and excerpts from my <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/06/novels-and-ships.html" target="_blank">novel-in-progress</a>.<br />
<br />
Speaking of which, that novel is in its 4th (and hopefully final) draft! Sometimes not losing vision in the last stage is the hardest part. I'm both eager and nervous to set out on the road to publication.<br />
<br />
I struck the words "recent college graduate" from my <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239" target="_blank">Blogger profile</a>. Now that I'm 2+ years out of academia, I think I'm really beginning to consider myself a working adult.<br />
<br />
Which is beginning to make sense, now that my weeks are full with 15 tutoring students, regular <a href="http://bear-ears.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">freelance editing projects</a>, novel revisions, and some very dear relationships that make my life full and sweet. Sometimes living has been so sweet that I've clean forgotten about blogging (that's why there's no December under the 2012 tab).<br />
<br />
I had a chance to share my life story with some peers a few weeks ago and it gave me a chance to realize what this blog has done for me. Not only has it kept my writing muscles limber in busy times when other writing projects have gone into hibernation, but it's been cathartic for me as well. Sometimes it's easier to blurt out the truth in a public forum (especially online) than it is to be honest with your close friends and family.<br />
<br />
Here I've reached new levels of honesty as I've broached subjects like <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2012/11/zucchini-cake.html" target="_blank">vulnerability</a>, <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2012/11/death-and-song-lyrics.html" target="_blank">loss</a>, and <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/02/lament.html" target="_blank">lament poetry</a>. What's even better is that some of you have come to me and shared that my halting admissions of hurt, confusion, and failure have made you feel freer to admit your own struggles. And that makes it worth it.<br />
<br />
It's also been joyful to celebrate new beginnings throughout the year, noticing <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/01/small-magic.html" target="_blank">small magic</a>, overflowing like <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/02/popcorn.html" target="_blank">popcorn</a>, and cooing over adorable <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/08/hedgehogs.html" target="_blank">hedgehogs</a>. It's wonderful to celebrate fullness and joy. I think honesty about the empty and the hard makes this part even sweeter.<br />
<br />
And with that, I commence celebrating blogiversary #2. No pumpkin spice lattes in my local Starbucks yet, but I'm waiting. Oh yes, I'm waiting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8198/8212020625_33c5322b36_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/briani29/8212020625/" target="_blank">brina_head</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<i>In the meanwhile, let this changing season give you a chance to reflect. What milestones are you celebrating? What are you looking forward to this school year? </i><br />
<br />Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-6199044428425319592013-08-23T07:30:00.000-07:002013-08-23T07:30:04.070-07:00All The Cuteness, Part 2Okay. If you thought the <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/08/hedgehogs.html" target="_blank">hedgehogs </a>were cute, I am about to show you something that will BLOW YOUR MIND with cuteness.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ready? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zTWJMdMViig/UhaZHCbT2TI/AAAAAAAAA1M/pcTAiriNQq8/s1600/large_550102918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zTWJMdMViig/UhaZHCbT2TI/AAAAAAAAA1M/pcTAiriNQq8/s400/large_550102918.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanleeuk/550102918/" target="_blank">Ryan Lee</a><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sugar gliders! They're tiny flying possums that are native to Australia and Indonesia...</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
...and they fit inside wine glasses. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pbLoNdZaSTg/UhaZH90YCZI/AAAAAAAAA1c/eZEdNh5kHWQ/s1600/origin_3848744983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pbLoNdZaSTg/UhaZH90YCZI/AAAAAAAAA1c/eZEdNh5kHWQ/s400/origin_3848744983.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27229185@N05/3848744983/" target="_blank">Arnold T. Schwartzenglider</a></td></tr>
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</div>
<div>
...and they snuggle in the palm of your hand.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SxUqhoJgoWI/UhaZHDyOiJI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/nOz9N5r_8SQ/s1600/large_5182662114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SxUqhoJgoWI/UhaZHDyOiJI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/nOz9N5r_8SQ/s400/large_5182662114.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27229185@N05/5182662114/" target="_blank">Arnold T. Schwartzenglider</a></td></tr>
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<br />...and they hug your thumb.<br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A1DtVaYY-Uo/UhaZHbtbpmI/AAAAAAAAA1k/MgDCOkKktGQ/s1600/large_2122222943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A1DtVaYY-Uo/UhaZHbtbpmI/AAAAAAAAA1k/MgDCOkKktGQ/s400/large_2122222943.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wmjas/2122222943/" target="_blank">Wm Jas</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And they can do this!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4HCYKj1kjE/UhaZHpoN4VI/AAAAAAAAA1g/6jzP2_BgCtA/s1600/medium_2541416661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4HCYKj1kjE/UhaZHpoN4VI/AAAAAAAAA1g/6jzP2_BgCtA/s400/medium_2541416661.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27229185@N05/2541416661/" target="_blank">Arnold T. Schwartzenglider</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I want one of these to go with my imaginary hedgehog. But sadly, sugar gliders are also illegal pets in California (and Alaska, Hawaii, and Massachusetts). Seriously, what are those lawmakers thinking?<br />
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But tell me you're not smiling now. Have a great Friday!<br />
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Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-24832208071838235392013-08-16T12:12:00.000-07:002013-08-16T12:12:43.887-07:00Someday I Will Be The Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm pleased to report that the old-books shelf in my personal library is now double stacked.</div>
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j_R0N10tZFY/Ug5qrP_r3SI/AAAAAAAAAz0/Y1JZZFEv4Hw/s1600/DSC06336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j_R0N10tZFY/Ug5qrP_r3SI/AAAAAAAAAz0/Y1JZZFEv4Hw/s400/DSC06336.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My mom has autumn cleaning fever, so I've inherited more books! It's extra exciting, because these are old books. <i>Rebecca </i>belonged to my grandmother, and the other three were my great-grandfather's in Mexico. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0B_B56F0ZY/Ug5qQ4rk_hI/AAAAAAAAAzs/YBlL6SOWkjA/s1600/DSC06343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0B_B56F0ZY/Ug5qQ4rk_hI/AAAAAAAAAzs/YBlL6SOWkjA/s400/DSC06343.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I guess keeping a personal library has always been a byproduct of my obsession with books. Not to mention that my only motivation in interior decorating is finding more ways to store, display, and curl up with books.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1GSEV_hXqs/Ug53TziSyTI/AAAAAAAAA08/6foATiREqEU/s1600/medium_5097009893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1GSEV_hXqs/Ug53TziSyTI/AAAAAAAAA08/6foATiREqEU/s400/medium_5097009893.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ok, maybe not the antlers.<br />photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovemaegan/5097009893/">...love Maegan</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a></i><br /></td></tr>
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But little did I think when I started collecting books that one day they might be a novelty. Before there were museums, people used to keep "curiosity cabinets" in their homes. I saw one in Prague, containing things like model ships, coats of chain mail, and petrified sharks.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qX32kTYf6Xk/Ug50DZgZIJI/AAAAAAAAA0k/oZKpHFB7INk/s1600/DSC00537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qX32kTYf6Xk/Ug50DZgZIJI/AAAAAAAAA0k/oZKpHFB7INk/s400/DSC00537.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Except that mine will be full of books. </div>
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This week I read a <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/08/an-end-of-books.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> (thanks for forwarding, Michael) by Seth Godin predicting 7 things that will be lost as our society transitions from paper to electronic books. Godin doesn't predict that paper books will disappear entirely, but that the infrastructure surrounding them will, including bookshelves, bookstores, and libraries. </div>
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Or at least, libraries as we know them. Have you heard about the nation's first "<a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/community/southside/news/article/Bookless-library-BiblioTech-set-to-open-in-South-4211767.php" target="_blank">bookless library</a>," set to open in San Antonio, TX, in the fall (thanks Hannah!)? No books. Just desktops, laptops, and e-readers for checkout, as well as remote-access materials.<br />
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Sad.<br />
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I mean, don't get me wrong. The really important things are that people keep reading, that one idea keeps leading to another, and that stories keep teaching us how to live. Those things can happen just as well on electronic devices as on paper. I have a Kindle, and I like that it allows me to keep one-glance track of all my highlights and notes and even share those with others on the Internet.<br />
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But...but...libraries.<br />
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To think that someday I might have to tell my kids a <i>fictional </i>story about a magical place where endless shelves of paper books sat waiting to be thumbed through, perused, checked out, brought home with you for a glorious three weeks. Not just to read. To admire, carry around, smell. They have histories. They start conversations. Sometimes they even start relationships. As you're putting one back, another catches your eye. And you realize you'll be spending the rest of your life reading. So many books, so little time.<br />
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Well, here's one library that's not going anywhere.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i4jhgqQWzQw/Ug5x8O6PgVI/AAAAAAAAA0U/p2X_gtaf-Bo/s1600/DSC06341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i4jhgqQWzQw/Ug5x8O6PgVI/AAAAAAAAA0U/p2X_gtaf-Bo/s400/DSC06341.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Someday, I can imagine giving tours of my curiosity cabinet like a museum docent. When bookshelves, bookstores, and libraries have gone out of fashion, I'll take down my old books and let people smell them, sneeze on the dust. <i>This one was my great-grandfather's. </i><br />
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<br />Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-35508515657142981302013-08-09T07:30:00.000-07:002013-08-09T07:30:01.409-07:00Hedgehogs<div>
Warning: this post has absolutely no intellectual content. Sometimes brains need a break.</div>
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So this post is about hedgehogs.</div>
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I didn't really understand what the thing was about hedgehogs before. Their pictures circulate a lot on Facebook, but whatever. Puppies are way cuter. </div>
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But on a visit to the San Francisco Zoo a few weeks ago, I actually got to see a hedgehog...and pet it...</div>
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...and now hedgehogs are a thing. So. Much. Cuteness.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><img height="400" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/t/tb/tburgey/70177_8783.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Image courtesy of stock.xchng and tburgey<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I know, right? Beatrix Potter's respectable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Mrs._Tiggy-Winkle" target="_blank">Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle</a> and Brian Jacques' <a href="http://redwall.wikia.com/wiki/Ambrose_Spike" target="_blank">Ambrose Spike</a> never prepared me for this. Those spikes aren't really poky--they feel kind of like rubber. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/s/sp/sparkules/398245_1578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/s/sp/sparkules/398245_1578.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of stock.xchng and sparkules</td></tr>
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...and this one drinks out of a teacup! Just like a good British hedgehog. </div>
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<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/g/gr/greengia/582894_23773428.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of stock.xchng and greengia</td></tr>
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...and here's one rolled up in a ball...<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/m/mo/mouse/92665_9150.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of stock.xchng and mouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Eee! It's waving. Hellooo, little adorable hedgehog...</div>
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Depressingly, hedgehogs are <a href="http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/illegal.shtml" target="_blank">perfectly legal pets</a> in all the states except for Maine, Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Pennslvania...and California. Guess I'll be contenting myself with internet pictures for the time being.</div>
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(If you have links to more cute hedgehog pictures, post them in the comments! I can't get enough of them!)<br /><div>
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Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-10043808367733189242013-07-26T11:39:00.001-07:002013-07-26T11:39:25.085-07:00Used Bookstores: Santa RosaThis is the story of my life.<br /><br />
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<img alt="not to be trusted in a bookstore with a credit card - pinback button badge" height="293" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/5537638/il_570xN.195915536.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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Especially at a used bookstore like Treehorn Books in Santa Rosa, CA. My mom and I took a short trip up there last fall and saw the "Books" sign in the window. You know what happened next. <div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U37YyxAvWoQ/UfK8zvbnpUI/AAAAAAAAAyw/oI8T-B6HOYw/s1600/101_5879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U37YyxAvWoQ/UfK8zvbnpUI/AAAAAAAAAyw/oI8T-B6HOYw/s400/101_5879.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Of course I couldn't resist going in. In a cheery, pedestrian-dominated downtown just off of Highway 101, this bookstore rubs elbows with public outdoor gardens, international fair-trade shops, coffee shops, and an <a href="http://portobellohats.com/section/279330.html" target="_blank">authentic millinery store</a>--that's a hat shop to the rest of us. </div>
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'<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ur7LWMTwG5c/UfK80Egv1fI/AAAAAAAAAy4/2B6zO_8qCyg/s1600/101_5885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ur7LWMTwG5c/UfK80Egv1fI/AAAAAAAAAy4/2B6zO_8qCyg/s400/101_5885.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My attention was arrested right from the window, where an array of dollhouses and paper constructions, including Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, announces the presence of whimsy and imagination (some of them are dangling from the ceiling). </div>
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But of course, as with good books and good people, it's the inside that really counts. This bookshop is much bigger than it looks on the outside. Rows and aisles and alcoves and crannies of books. No sliding ladders here, but there are some stepstools. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K33VsJNbMco/UfK8zlN1eLI/AAAAAAAAAys/GJ0MzKzdBzg/s1600/101_5881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K33VsJNbMco/UfK8zlN1eLI/AAAAAAAAAys/GJ0MzKzdBzg/s400/101_5881.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I drooled over books old and new for a while, even chatting it up with the friendly store owner for a few minutes. But what almost got me was the first-edition boxed set of the <i>Lord of the Rings </i>trilogy under glass by the cash register. Gasp. Drool. (For those of you who don't yet know, I had <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>read to me when I was eight and it's been my most favorite, inspirational set of books ever since. See my <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/p/good-reads.html" target="_blank">Good Reads page </a>for evidence.) </div>
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Unfortunately, those beautiful first editions were something like $250 <i>per book</i>. And since I am a devoted book lover, I majored in English in college. Which meant that that purchase was not happening. So I admired that boxed set like a work of art in a museum and decided to put it on my "when I am rich and famous" list. </div>
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Take heart, though! The less rare books were very accessibly priced. So if you're ever in Santa Rosa, climb a few of the stepstools for me. </div>
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<i>Treehorn Books is located at 625 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. They don't have a website, but their <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/treehorn-books-santa-rosa" target="_blank">Yelp page</a> has all their information. </i></div>
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Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-74168315754094291552013-07-19T12:26:00.002-07:002013-07-19T12:26:39.881-07:00Cats, Dogs, and GrammarWhen I'm not writing irresistible blog posts (*ahem*) I actually make a living by fixing people's grammar. As a freelance editor and English tutor, mostly, but occasionally for free in conversation. I really try to keep that knee-jerk reaction under control, though.<br />
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Grammar is <i>descriptive </i>rather than <i>prescriptive</i>, meaning that what is "correct" changes over time, according to the way people really use words in speaking and writing. Unlike in science, there are very few absolute laws in grammar. So anyone who tries to collar you and tell you that ending a sentence with a preposition is a cardinal sin is probably just...overreacting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/x/xv/xvoltagex/1353556_66607857.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="285" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overreacting. Image courtesy of stock.xchng and xvoltagex</td></tr>
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That being said, the goal of language is to communicate, and to accomplish that, the way we use language has to be standardized. Publications like the MLA Handbook, the Chicago Manual of Style, and the Associated Press Stylebook exist to teach us how to write standard English (and even write with style). And because of them, here are a few of my pet peeves from the last few weeks:<br />
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1<i>. Take your sentences to the gym</i><br />
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I think of a sentence as a person going for a workout. Get rid of all the extra flab, and you've got a toned, healthy, athletic body. You can't get attached to that extra bit of tummy fat; it's about the health and fitness of the whole body. So for the sake of the sentence's health, ask yourself, "Can I say the same thing in fewer words?"<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/c/ct/ctr/812863_90858969.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="305" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of stock.xchng and ctr</td></tr>
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2. "<i>The difference between the right word and the </i><i>almost </i><i>right word..."</i><br />
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"...is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug" (Mark Twain). I love big words. I am enraptured by big words. My favorite word in English is <i>tintinnabulation. </i>(Go look that one up for a grin.) But every word has a shade of meaning, and you have to choose the one that best suits your sentence. So don't use <i>incursion </i>when you mean <i>raid, </i>or <i>hirsute </i>when you mean <i>bearded. </i>There's a time and a place for big words, but they're not one-size-fits-all. Make sure you understand what you're really saying.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/c/ca/catrya/1424959_62542792.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="298" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of stock.xchng and Catrya</td></tr>
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3. <i>Be nice to apostrophes</i><br />
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This one's best explained with a couple of formulas and a picture.<br />
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Your=belonging to you<br />
You're=you are<br />
<i>You're about to step on your French poodle.</i><br />
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Whose=belonging to whom<br />
Who's=who is<br />
<i>Whose French poodle is that? </i><i>Who's a French poodle? </i><br />
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(Note: who'se is not a thing...)<br />
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There=a place<br />
Their=belonging to them<br />
They're=they are<br />
<i>They're picking up their French poodle from there.</i><br />
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Poor poodle.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/l/c/cr/crs_171/640949_27367015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of stock.xchng and crs_171</td></tr>
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Loving the grammar (or need some more help)? <a href="http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl" target="_blank">Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips</a> is one of my favorite quick-reference websites. I also just found out that Grammar Girl has a whole <a href="http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl/grammar-girl-cartoons/" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a> of hilarious cartoons for grammar nerds. Enjoy!<br />
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<i>Do you have any pet grammar peeves? Feel free to share them in the comments!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-43884784292793438192013-07-12T12:30:00.000-07:002013-07-12T12:30:54.643-07:00Used Bookstores: SeattleSince I spent last weekend visiting my college stomping grounds in Seattle, Washington, what could be better than to do a tour of the city's used bookstores? In a city full of coffee, hipsters, and rain, the book trade flourishes, and the used bookstores each have as much uniqueness as the people walking by. Here are my top 3 favorite Seattle bookstores:<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.arundelbookstores.com/home.html" target="_blank">Arundel Books</a><br />
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Though Arundel has recently moved to the Pioneer Square area, its old location was just a few blocks from Pike Place Market. Selling new, used, and rare books, it has something to tempt everyone. I found one of my rare nonfiction buys there: a copy of Bruno Bettelheim's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Uses-Enchantment-Meaning-Importance/dp/0307739635" target="_blank">The Uses of Enchantment</a>, </i>on the psychology and importance of fairy tales. Very intriguing. Just as intriguing as Arundel's spiral staircase that leads into an airy balcony packed with books.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QbOmwlwUVyg/UeBQh1YV8TI/AAAAAAAAAyU/7ebofO6mUU0/s1600/Kodak+243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QbOmwlwUVyg/UeBQh1YV8TI/AAAAAAAAAyU/7ebofO6mUU0/s400/Kodak+243.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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2. <a href="http://www.mercerstreetusedbooks.com/" target="_blank">Mercer Street Books</a><br />
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When my old favorite, Twice-Sold Tales, left the Lower Queen Anne area, Mercer Street Books rose from its ashes. A quick bus ride away from my school, this bookstore's big, inviting windows often lured me to step inside...probably more often than I should have. In addition to selling used books, they also buy used books.<br />
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To me, selling books feels like selling children. I could perhaps conceive of passing along a few "less-favorite" titles in order to make room for more books on my shelves. But I have this hunch that if I were to trade books for money, I'd instantly trade money for more books. Then I'd leave with more than I brought. It's one of the unfortunate laws of book magnetism.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.opheliasbooks.com/Welcome_to_Ophelias_Books.html" target="_blank">Ophelia's Books</a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImE-7CAjzfM/UeBQg-wswcI/AAAAAAAAAyI/10T-jgivGWg/s1600/Kodak+138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImE-7CAjzfM/UeBQg-wswcI/AAAAAAAAAyI/10T-jgivGWg/s400/Kodak+138.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Definitely my favorite used bookstore in Seattle, Ophelia's also buys and sells used books. I found a nearly-new copy of Umberto Eco's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Name-Rose-including-Authors-Postscript/dp/0156001314/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373656612&sr=1-1&keywords=the+name+of+the+rose" target="_blank">The Name of the Rose</a> </i>for about $7 here while I was working on my college senior project. But the real draw of this bookstore is its charm. See that upstairs loft? The ceiling is only 5' 10" off the floor. And guess what's shelved up there? Children's books. Oh yes. Perfect.<br />
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There's always at least one cat lurking around Ophelia's. Even though cats make me sneeze, they do lend a certain ambience to a quirky little book paradise like this one. And I love that the store is named after a character from <i>Hamlet, </i>my favorite Shakespeare play!<br />
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Ophelia's also has a spiral staircase. Have I mentioned that I think spiral staircases are awesome? Almost as awesome as <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2012/05/splendid-supply-of-surprising-sweets.html" target="_blank">sliding ladders</a>. Those will show up in another bookstore, another day.<br />
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<i>This concludes our tour of the Rainy City's used bookstores. I know there are many more, though, so if you have a favorite that's not listed here, please leave a comment!</i><br />
<br />Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-79874442221831675772013-06-29T09:58:00.003-07:002013-06-29T09:58:51.715-07:00Novels and ShipsSo instead of blogging yesterday...<br />
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...I worked on my novel.<br />
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Which looked kind of like doing Internet research on ships.<br />
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I found one that might end up in my final draft. It was known as a packet ship of the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/nyregion/answers-to-questions-about-new-york-city.html?_r=2&">Black Ball Line</a>, active from 1817-1878.<br />
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<img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/08/21/nyregion/21FYI/21FYI-articleLarge.jpg" /><br />
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Cool, huh? Fast, spacious, well-armed. I won't tell you what it's for, but let's just say it's making a cameo in this book so it can possibly reappear in the sequel.<br />
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And here's a snippet of what I was working on yesterday:<br />
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<i>Ellie took the pen and let it hover above the page. </i>Fill the words with light. <i>Where on earth to start? She closed her eyes, remembering the story. Instead of curly black letters, she saw sailors fleeing from giant waves, a salty hurricane of spray overwhelming them. But then the clouds broke, and the white gull came wheeling down in a shaft of late golden light. The fearsome waves were turned to turquoise mountain peaks, capped with snowy foam--and gilded with light like the </i>Legend <i>in her visions. She dabbed her pen in the dish of blue ink and began to draw. </i><br />
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Getting excited? So am I. I've only got about 45 pages left to revise!<br />
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<br />Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-37493956135065557342013-06-21T08:00:00.000-07:002013-06-21T08:00:01.693-07:00Signs of the Southwest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I get such a kick out of <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2012/01/life-according-to-road-signs.html">road signs</a>. I grew up with the habit of reading anything with words on it (including the backs of cereal boxes at breakfast). So now it's hard to stop. And sometimes, especially while traveling, the habit leads to laughs. </div>
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For example: where else but the Grand Canyon will you see a "Mule Crossing" sign? Let alone one that gives them the traffic right-of-way? </div>
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I liked this one in Bryce Canyon, Utah. I thought maybe standing close to it would be good for my creative juices.<br />
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This one, at Hoover Dam in Nevada, was especially beautiful. I didn't expect to find a giant lump of concrete so interesting, but it takes on a different meaning when you realize that this giant dam redeemed a desert wasteland. Because of Hoover Dam, arid stretches of Arizona, Nevada, and southern California are now fertile and life-supporting. And more than a few workers during the Great Depression gave their lives to make it happen. </div>
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Sometimes, grammar is just funny. (If you're wondering, the correct conjugation is "bitten.")<br />
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Some wise and artistic person decided to complement the beauty of the Grand Canyon with the beautiful and praise-giving words of the Psalms (I found these plaques scattered at various viewpoints along the South Rim).<br />
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And the moral of the story is: do not--do NOT--attempt to buy gas in Death Valley.<br />
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<i>Seen any wise, wacky, or hilarious road signs lately? </i><br />
<br />Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-51830698223354426072013-06-14T11:23:00.002-07:002013-06-14T11:23:38.501-07:00CanyonsCanyons are a bad idea.<br />
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As my family and I roadtripped around the American Southwest at the end of May, we saw a lot of them. They're fissures in the earth, weird yawning abysses. I thought of Dante's <i>Inferno </i>or C.S. Lewis's <i>The Great Divorce. </i>In fact, it looks like I wasn't the only one:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0xb5aF0DCo/UbtaftS14NI/AAAAAAAAAvw/MVphd0oTfbI/s1600/DSC05440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0xb5aF0DCo/UbtaftS14NI/AAAAAAAAAvw/MVphd0oTfbI/s400/DSC05440.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A sign from the Grand Canyon shuttle route</i></td></tr>
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Canyon <i>hiking </i>is an especially bad idea. Besides the abnormal elevation at the rim, the increasing temperature as you descend, the arid landscape that sucks out your body moisture, the sheer drops at every turn, the risk of poisonous snakes and scorpions, possible claustrophobia, and rapidly changing weather conditions, you have to deal with this fact:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Down is optional, up is mandatory</i></td></tr>
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Unlike with mountain hiking, in a canyon you hike downhill first, while you're fresh. But you'd better hike to only about 1/3 of your energy--because then it's twice as hard to come back up. When you're already tired.<br />
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So canyon hiking is a <i>really</i> bad idea.<br />
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But...<br />
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...if we never took risks...<br />
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...if we never ran with an idea that might fail...<br />
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...if we never did anything just a little bit crazy...<br />
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...we'd miss out on this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fqdPVizJeBU/UbteMCmvvkI/AAAAAAAAAwk/SzUk-sFZRLs/s1600/DSC04660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fqdPVizJeBU/UbteMCmvvkI/AAAAAAAAAwk/SzUk-sFZRLs/s400/DSC04660.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bryce Canyon, Utah</i></td></tr>
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And this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xF_Lea9vrc/Ubtb_-TxuSI/AAAAAAAAAwI/WXDO2nlGhb0/s1600/DSC05664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xF_Lea9vrc/Ubtb_-TxuSI/AAAAAAAAAwI/WXDO2nlGhb0/s400/DSC05664.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Grand Canyon, Arizona</i></td></tr>
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And this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iYi0FXl0HnY/UbtdaauOQsI/AAAAAAAAAwY/ohlYxGwiuWw/s1600/DSC04982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iYi0FXl0HnY/UbtdaauOQsI/AAAAAAAAAwY/ohlYxGwiuWw/s400/DSC04982.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Antelope Canyon, Arizona</i></td></tr>
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Sometimes risks aren't worth the payoff. And of course you have to plan for them accordingly. But sometimes...maybe unexpectedly...risks can reveal life's beauty.<br />
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<i>Ever taken a risk that made you glad you did? </i><br />
<i><br /></i>Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-69151726734874427082013-06-07T14:50:00.000-07:002013-06-07T14:50:25.330-07:00Inner Beauty Photo ShootYesterday I had the privilege of photographing two lovely young women, both of whom recently graduated from college. (It's that time of year when it seems like everyone is transitioning from one life stage to another!)<br />
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Kristin has a smile that could dazzle the socks off of you. She's also got this incredible long blonde Rapunzel hair (not quite 70 feet long yet, but getting there).<br />
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Jasmine has these stunning eyes that kind of change color to match whatever shade of blue she's wearing. And a great sense of style. I mean, seriously.<br />
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What I enjoy most about these ladies, though, is their personality and sense of adventure. I always enjoy interacting with women who exemplify a sense of inner beauty. You can't always catch that sense of sincerity on camera, but occasionally it comes out. For instance, Kristin wasn't afraid to play on the corkscrew fixture at the playground. No, sirree.<br />
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And Jasmine cleverly repurposed that pink scarf she's wearing from another piece of clothing. You can't see it in this shot, but she then repurposed it again as a dance ribbon.<br />
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Loveliest of all is the friendship between these two, which I've been blessed to participate in over the many years we've known each other.<br />
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Happy graduation, Kristin and Jasmine! Here's to two young women who are beautiful, both on the inside and outside!<br />
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<i>Next week I'll be starting a series based on my family's roadtrip around the American Southwest. Be sure to check back in for some crazy pictures, stories, and traveler tips! </i><br />
<br />Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-74150118910852890922013-05-24T08:00:00.000-07:002013-05-24T08:00:01.749-07:00Used Bookstores: Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On an avenue lined with bakeries, antique shops, street singers, and delicious coffee stand three little-known gems of the literary world. Today we're on Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. </div>
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First stop: <a href="http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/">Bookshop Santa Cruz</a>. </div>
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This one's a mix of new and used books, but the store prides itself on its independence and emphasis on local authors. With a clean, bright interior and an impressive selection, it's also one of only twelve bookstores nationwide to have an <a href="http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/espresso">Espresso Book Machine</a>. Okay. This is the coolest thing ever. It's a machine that prints books on demand, on the spot. You can select from over 8 million titles and have your own copy printed, bound, and trimmed in front of your eyes, or even self-publish your own book. (The link above includes a video of the machine printing.) </div>
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Next up: <a href="http://www.literaryguillotine.com/">The Literary Guillotine</a>.<br />
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Cool sign, right? Considering that Charles Dickens' <i>A Tale of Two Cities </i>is one of my favorite books, I definitely stood there and snickered at it for a moment. </div>
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The Literary Guillotine isn't located right on Pacific Avenue--it's just off to the side, at 204 Locust Street (wonder if there's any symbolism in that). There's a cute little red wagon containing sale books just outside the door. Unfortunately, I thought the outside was a little cooler than the inside. Maybe I'd think differently if I were still in college--their selection is heavily academic, catering especially to UCSC students. Maybe my brain is getting soft, having been out of school for almost 2 years. </div>
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Last, but not least: <a href="http://www.logosbooksrecords.com/">Logos Books and Records</a>.</div>
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Fun factoid: <i>logos </i>(λογοσ) means <i>word </i>or <i>Word, </i>one of my favorite words in Greek (see my blog subtitle). I'm not much of a music person, but Logos Books and Records definitely has a selection--along with a huge variety of paperbacks, hardbacks, bestsellers, and antiquarian books, which hold much more draw for me. Over 40 years old, Logos claims to be the largest independent used books and music store on the central coast of California. On a previous occasion, I found a book on bookbinding here; this time, I bought a copy of Dorothy Wordsworth's journals, cross-referenced with a selection of her brother William's poems. After learning about Dorothy while visiting the Wordsworth's home in England, I was thrilled to find some of her writings. Such "finds" are one of my favorite things about the used bookstore experience--I came out with something I wasn't looking for, but that adds a welcome "friend" to my collection. Old, obscure, and only $5? Yes please. </div>
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At a price like that, I can get coffee too...and enjoy both at San Lorenzo Park across the river.<br />
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<i>Have you been to any of the bookstores on Pacific Avenue? Have any reviews, trip stories, or extra information to share? I'd love to hear your comments! </i><br />
<i><br /></i>Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-23446504946782400252013-05-17T12:43:00.001-07:002013-05-17T12:43:59.367-07:00Why Used Bookstores? Though I've been a book addict since before I could read and much of my childhood was spent haunting Barnes and Nobles or public libraries, it wasn't until college that I discovered used bookstores.<br />
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Wouldn't you rather buy new books? you ask. What's the draw of a used bookstore?<br />
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Here are my top 3 reasons to choose a used bookstore:<br />
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<i>1. Cheaper books</i><br />
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As any economist can tell you, when the price of a commodity falls, demand for it rises, because people can afford to buy more of it. Cheaper books=more books on my shelf. Where's the problem?<br />
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<i>2. Charm</i><br />
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Far from the mass-produced commerciality of chain bookstores, with their hygienic, matching stacks of flash-in-the-pan bestsellers, used bookstores have the allure of individuality and eccentricity. Don't get me wrong--I love a good multi-story Barnes and Noble with a digitized inventory system (I spent two college summers working in one), or in Britain, a big, clean Blackwell's or Waterstones. But from the sign over the door to the entrance display of books to the cat in the window, no two used bookstores are exactly alike.<br />
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<i>3. Adventure</i><br />
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Chain bookstores have the feel of business parks; used bookstores are more like house parties with literary friends. You step in and run into someone you know ("Mr. Wordsworth! It's been too long!"), make some small talk, and pretty soon they're introducing you to their friends and their friends' friends (Eco, Joyce, Zusak, I take down on my To-Read list). Next thing you know, you're exchanging business cards and promising to keep in touch and walking out with a dreamy smile and a stack of "finds" you didn't know existed an hour ago. (This is why I often leave my credit card in the car when I enter a bookstore.) It reminds me of the movie <i>Midnight in Paris, </i>where if you step into the magic car at midnight, you might be whisked off to sit in Gertrude Stein's living room and watch Hemingway argue with Fitzgerald. Sometimes I'm so overwhelmed by the collective wisdom and camaraderie that I get teary in front of the fiction section.<br />
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So, to shed some light on these little-known gems (and to give myself an excuse to visit more of them), I'm starting a blog series profiling various independent bookstores, especially those that include used books. Some will be local to my area, some farther afield. While there won't be a new one every week (I wish), this series will be recurrent as I discover more bookstores. If you read about one you've visited, feel free to post your experience with it in the comments section. If there's one that strikes your fancy, go visit (and let me know how it goes)! Or, best of all, if you have recommendations for bookstores I should cover, I'd be only too happy to hear about them :)<br />
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Next week: a trio of bookstores on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz...<br />
<br />Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-10606908516084168982013-05-10T09:40:00.001-07:002013-05-10T09:40:17.253-07:00Heroines of Inner BeautyAs kind of a follow-up to last week's post, I've compiled a Top 5 list of books that focus on <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2013/05/tiaras.html">inner beauty</a>. They're all fiction, because I believe stories are one of the most powerful teaching tools in existence. Some of the heroines of these books have been my best friends and role models since childhood. If you've already met some of them yourself, you know what I'm talking about.<br />
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So without further ado: a reading list for your daughters, nieces, sisters, or anyone else you might want to inspire to grow in inner beauty.<br />
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1. Anne Shirley, from <i>Anne of Green Gables </i>by L.M. Montgomery<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">If I were a literary character, I'd want to be Anne. The smart, spunky, redheaded heroine often gets herself into "scrapes" because of her quick temper, but her imagination and indomitable spirit usually dig her back out again. </span><br />
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2. Polly Milton, from <i>An Old-Fashioned Girl </i>by Louisa May Alcott<br />
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While the author's tone can verge on moralistic at times, the childlike Polly is impossible not to like. She grows from a little girl who enjoys being one to a responsible, kind young woman who sets the example for others. <br />
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3. Sara Crewe, from <i>A Little Princess </i>by Frances Hodgson Burnett<br />
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A classic riches-to-rags-to-riches story, <i>A Little Princess </i>follows Sara from a position of great wealth to one of destitution. While she starts out as a kind, imaginative girl, poverty puts her to the test--and reveals that being a princess is something that comes from the inside.<br />
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4. Stargirl, from <i>Stargirl </i>by Jerry Spinelli<br />
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This whimsical modern classic follows Leo Borlock's discovery of and fascination with Stargirl, a formerly homeschooled high schooler who simply doesn't conform to the crowd. Whether she's carrying her pet rat around in a sunflower bag or cheerleading for the opposite team, Stargirl is always true to herself, never bending to others' expectations.<br />
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5. Anne Elliot, from <i>Persuasion </i>by Jane Austen<br />
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Jane Austen's last work (and one I just read last year), <i>Persuasion </i>isn't your typical love story. Anne Elliot has lost love and never expects to find it again, filling her life instead with cheerful, humble service to friends and family. When love does reappear for her, it is sweeter than she could have imagined.<br />
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<i>Have you read any of these books? Are there any that you'd add to this list? </i><div>
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Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-77046052305209663932013-05-03T15:26:00.000-07:002013-05-03T15:26:19.062-07:00Tiaras<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am writing this post while wearing a tiara. (It's quite fun; you should try it sometime. I think maybe it helps me to write better.)</div>
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It came from a women's retreat, where I was privileged to address a group of lovely women last Saturday. We gathered to discover what "Once Upon A Time" (one of my favorite phrases in the world) means for women trying to live as Christians in an often confusing world. </div>
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I don't love large crowds of strangers, and assumed I would feel awkward at this retreat. Although these glittery tiaras were temptingly arrayed on the tables when we walked in, I self-consciously left them there until I saw the other women putting them on with gusto. Green, blue, pink, purple crowns sparkled in gray hair, red hair, black hair, sparse hair. Women who had fussed with their straightening irons or their ponytail holders before coming, now laughed and let the plastic combs do their worst. It was time for me to learn to go with it. I was glad I did. Because for a few hours, we all got to be little girls playing princess.<br />
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Some of the things said at the retreat were quite serious. We talked about destructive messages about outward beauty and the constant temptation to be self-centered. The longing to be beautiful consumes many women, who turn to eating disorders, plastic surgery, or a constant negative self-image as a result. Some women appear very beautiful outwardly, even while they climb over others to put themselves first. It broke my heart to see the nodding and tears in the audience as we discussed these personal and painful issues.<br />
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Beauty is often portrayed as something to be bought; a hopeless ideal that no woman without an airbrush can ever really achieve. The recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk">Dove beauty commercial</a> takes strides toward achieving a more realistic standard, but its focus is still on the outside. Real beauty, that doesn't depend on age, ethnicity, acne, freckles, height, weight, or whatever, comes from the inside. It's the beauty of quiet strength, of a servant heart. It's the difference between cheap, glitzy rhinestones and <a href="http://alinasayre.blogspot.com/2012/02/rhinestones-and-diamonds.html">hard-as-nails diamonds.</a><br />
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But at this retreat, we did not neglect to be silly as well. With games like purse scavenger hunts (even I was surprised at what came out of my purse) and toilet-paper dressmaking, this group of strangers was soon laughing like a gathering of sisters. One of the sweetest sights I've ever seen was a woman in her seventies, dolled up in tissue paper and masking tape. Instead of turning up her nose at the situation or soldiering through it disapprovingly, she pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on with sass to complete the look. Because winning a dress-up contest is a serious achievement, to be embraced with glamor and pizzazz.<br />
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I guess last Saturday was one of those events where I went expecting to give, but unexpectedly received. I learned from the teaching and the singing. But more significantly, I was dazzled by the beauty of the women God has made. As they carried crock-pots and stacked chairs, cracked jokes and sang snatches of Disney songs, sorted the junk that came out of each other's purses and twirled girlishly around in plastic tiaras, their spirit--their faith--our new-forged friendship--took my breath away.<br />
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<i>What have you learned about beauty lately? About friendship? </i><br />
<i><br /></i>Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317019853318228654.post-15527885313387550622013-04-26T16:16:00.000-07:002013-04-26T16:16:02.853-07:00On This Day...Ever look at your calendar and remember what you were doing on this day, one or two or three years ago?<br />
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<u>Three years ago</u> (well, April 25), I found myself in church. In western Ireland.<br />
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With only about 10 regular attendees, there were more people buried in the churchyard than alive inside the service. It was rather quiet. </div>
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Aftewards, some friends and I went horseback riding! I hadn't been on a horse since I was eight years old (when veterinarian topped my list of career choices).</div>
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This horse was named Rua (Gaelic for "red"). As we neared the hilltop, she bolted. Bouncing around, as in control as a sack of flour, I clutched the English saddle, watching my life flash before my eyes...and arrived at this incredible vista of clear sea and sky (with the Blasket Islands visible across the bay).<br />
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Having survived our adventure, we limped off, saddle-sore, to reward ourselves with...<br />
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...the world's most amazing chocolate cake! Murphy's is an Irish ice cream/sweets shop that makes absolutely the best chocolate cake in the world. If you're ever in Ireland, find some. It's an especially good way to forget about being saddle-sore. </div>
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I still miss Ireland some days. Especially when I think about what I was doing on this day <u>two years ago</u>: editing my senior project in college. </div>
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With scissors. Helps rustle up the necessary ruthlessness. No better way to visualize transposals or deletions. I also think I killed an entire rainforest's worth of post-it notes. But I graduated!</div>
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<u>One year ago</u>, I was...</div>
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...at my desk, finishing the second draft of my novel. I'm now partway through the fourth draft, which (I hope) will be the last. Maybe this novel will see the light of day before I start getting a senior discount on my office supplies. </div>
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And <u>today</u>, I am here, typing up this blog post:</div>
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Freelance life may not often take me across the world on exciting adventures. I don't often find myself bolting up hills on a runaway horse or violently editing a story with scissors. It's not every day I get to celebrate the accomplishment of a completed novel draft. But my imagination doesn't starve. And that is a blessing.</div>
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<i>What do you see when you look back at this day in past years?</i></div>
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Alina Sayrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11305597686935121239noreply@blogger.com3