Thank you!

Yes, it's my birthday! I like to celebrate by having cake for breakfast! :-) Yes, really.

Already I've received so many lovely birthday wishes on Facebook etc. THANK YOU so much! It really does make the day more special and fun!!!

And I have a great day planned:  This morning: Coffee, donuts and WRITING at Starbucks while my daughter is in driver's ed, then a little shopping with daughter, then this afternoon I'm playing games with my family (either Mah Jongg, Scrabble, or Last Word, all of which I totally plan to win - hee hee) and MORE cake!!  It's a good day! :-)

Yesterday was Susan Chang, my fabulous editor's birthday too! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Susan! Here - have some cake!!! :-)

If it's YOUR birthday too - Happy Birthday!  If it's not - I hope you have a HAPPY Day!!

xo
~Kiki

What's the Bloghound Reading? Yes - it's my ARCs!!!!!

It's hard to decide which is prettier, isn't it?  The bloghound or her book? I love them both!

YAY! my ARCs came today!!!!! For those not familiar with the acronym, ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy.  The ARC is a paperback version of my book which is sent out to reviewers about six months before my release date. It is considered an uncorrected proof, so slight changes to the manuscript may occur prior to the actual printing of the hardcover, but in essence, it's a sneak peek of THE FAERIE RING.  Want to see more? ;-)

Here's the back:

Ohmygosh! I just about had a heart attack when I saw my picture on the back of the ARC!!! Needless to say - I had NO idea they were going to do that!!!! Thank goodness for Photoshop and removing wrinkles!!!!

And check this out:  They included all the blurbs from the fabulous people who read my advanced bound manuscript and offered comments: (THANK YOU!)

WAIT! there's more: (THANK YOU too!!)

and one final shot (because it's pretty! and I'm excited! :-)

Once again I'd like to thank my fabulous editor, Susan Chang, of Tor Teen, for being such a class act and making this journey to publication truly a dream come true. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for more.

Also, it's my father's 83rd birthday today and my daughter's 15th birthday is Sunday (Happy Birthday Dad and Carly!) so we are celebrating all sorts of things at my house today!

Thanks for sharing the journey with me!!

~Kiki

Beauty Homemade Birthday Gift Idea

They came bearing gifts. Kings came to see the child who was born in the cave that first Christmas night. They had been expecting his birth. They left their homes in the East and followed a star. They knew this child was something more than special. Every child is special but this one was different. They brought him gifts. Three gifts. Gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Why those three things? Tradition tells us the gold was for a king. The frankincense pointed to his priesthood, he was a priest of the Most High God. The myrrh was use for anointing the body of the dead. Its fragrant perfume foretold the day he would die.

The gifts of the kings tell us something about who they understood that child to be. They tell us who he was, is and shall always be. I find that they also tell me how to walk through this holiday season.

They myrrh let's each of us know that there is often pain amidst the celebrations of our lives. Pain can keep us from celebrating if we allow that to be. Or, it can remind us to celebrate what wonderful things remain in our lives. For those who have buried someone they love, the pain reminds us how much we cared and how much we are able to love.

Some have experienced losses of other kinds in the past year. Divorce, loss of a job, diagnosis of a serious illness, recognition that we have not been loved as we might want to be loved. The myrrh stands for all these things.

The gold is a very special reminder for each of us. Especially if we have known pain in the last year. The gold is that which we must strive to seek. Not the gold of money and stuff, but the gold that lasts. Each day brings gold into our lives if we will look for it. The gold of the smile of a friendly waiter, the gold of friendship, the gold of sight and breath. The gold of a child's laughter and the sun on the snow. The more we look for the gold in our lives and take the time to appreciate and be grateful for it, the more we can find joy in the midst of change or pain.

And the frankincense, the frankincense tells us how we can have eyes to find the gold. Christmas celebrates the entry of God into the world in a way that allows us to see Him, to know Him, and to allow His love to fill us and strengthen us. The decorations, the music, the celebrating all point out his grate gift of love for us. When we take the time to ground ourselves in the love of God, our eyes are open to see the gold surrounding us each day.

Yes, the pain can be there. He was given the myrrh as a birth gift. A life fully lived will hold some pain. But it holds much more gold. Celebrate his birth. Look for the gold. Seek it every day. It hides in so many nooks and crannies of our lives. You will only see it if you seek it out.

Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Let these gifts of the kings remind us all that in the midst of any pain, God is always with us and points us to the gold.

Lovely Handmade To Show Your Care

There is nothing like a handmade birthday gift that says I care for you in a special way. It is even better if the handmade birthday gift is made from flowers. Whatever the shape, size or color of this flower, it warms the heart and sheers the soul. For the gardener with an abundance of flowers or for anyone with an abundance of happy spirit, spring is a time to spread smiles with handmade birthday gift made from flowers. From the surprise and delight of an unexpected handmade birthday gift that brings joys and lovely mementoes of the season for the birthday celebrations.

Moss Covered Box:

During the afternoon in the early spring woods pale sunshine flits between the trees then quickly tiring, slips back into the shadows to sleep again. The woods are clean and barren with few plants braving the March cold. Sheet moss has a variety of uses for the crafty gardener. It is an all purpose covering for many different kinds of gifts and crafts. One of the easiest is simply to cover a cardboard or plywood container with the moss to create a lovely woody box. The time required for this takes thirty minutes. It is also very economical as it only requires a box which can be easily found at home.

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Materials required:

The materials required include cardboard or Plywood box with a lid. Thin sheet moss is easily available in the garden. Craft glue can be easily found in the stationary. Dried Rose bud is also required fro making the moss covered box for a handmade birthday gift.

This is ideal for a handmade birthday gift during the spring season and it can be stores indefinitely so it also forms a great keepsake. Before starting it is important to measure the dimensions of the box. Then you can cut the sheet moss accordingly. The sheet moss must envelope the entire length, breadth and circumference of the box. It is important to make sure that you do not use a box that is too big as you would be required to find a sheet moss of large size. Now you can apply the glue to the entire length of the box.

This way after you stick the sheet moss, you should leave enough space for the lid to fit easily. While covering the sheet moss, it is important to be very carefully and place the sheet very lightly on the box. You can also decorate the box with roses to make it more attractive. If you do not want to give an empty box, you can place sweet smelling potpourri in the handmade birthday gift

Romantic Gift Birthday for awife

Husbands always have the embarrassment of picking the perfect birthday gifts for their wife every year. Women don't like be asked that what they really want. It's the most important part is find out what she would really like. But now you needn't scratch your head figuring out that perfect gift ideas for your special lady. You are the one who can really make her birthday a special time because you know your spouse best. And it's also a great way to show how much you care about her.

Forget some old suggested gift ideas like flowers or jewelry. Start planning a romantic birthday for your wife. You can never go wrong gifting in the following.

Romantic means just the two of you. Take her to a park or her favorite spot to have a romantic picnic. You can make arrangements to have a table set away from everyone else. In advance you should get flowers and candles on the table as well as some nice wine or champagne, sandwiches, and birthday cake. You lady absolutely will love this surprised gift idea. If your budget is enough, purchase ahead two airline tickets and take her away for a quiet romantic weekend. Choose a destination depends on her taste. If she loves sunshine and swimming, choose the beach. Or if she enjoys sports, perhaps hiking is the best idea.

Send a special letter. Almost all women love to read romantic love letter even in this internet era. You don't need to be a poet, just say what your real feelings that never say it out. A hand-written letter telling her how much you appreciate who she is, and how she has been the important part of your life. She needs the proof of your love which can show for a long period of time, and you've just given it to her.

Create a DVD slide show of photos scanned of your memories together and add a special song in it. Girls always love to hear a song belong to just you two. Record a special message between each selection. If you're at a restaurant you can prepare in advance to play the video over their system. Everyone will focus on the happy woman. This is surely one of the most excellent gift ideas to show your love which makes her surprise and remember along the way.

Romance is about feeling. Be sentimental and you will ultimately melt your lady's heart.

Best Milestone Birthday Gift

For the sake of our examples we will begin with the 40th birthday. Turning forty years of age is when many people suddenly realize that their youth is over. Being forty means that you are mature, responsible and a contributing member of society. It also is the BIG birthday for many people because this is when many of us stop to evaluate our lives and the paths we have chosen to take. Instead of giving the usual and expected 'over the hill at 40' present consider giving a 40th birthday gift that is more unique such as a U.S. coin set from the person's birth year. These sets most usually come in handsome cases that can be personalized with the person's name and date of birth

A nice 50th birthday gift idea is a simulated newspaper that includes the person's name, date of birth and your own personal message. These fake newspapers generally feature events that happened on the person's birthday as well as many interesting facts that occurred that year. They typically come framed and ready to hang on a wall and could even include a fake announcement from the then-president of the United States. Imagine the laughter and joy this type of present would invoke! If you choose to be a bit more conservative with your present consider a 50th birthday gift basket that is filled with the recipient's favorite things such as cheese, wine and fine chocolates.

There are tons of great milestone birthday gift ideas out there meaning that you should not have a problem finding one that perfectly matches the personality of the intended recipient. Remember that milestone birthday celebrations are those that are most often remembered. Why not make the day even more special by giving a gift that is sure to be cherished for years to come? Use your imagination and have fun choosing a terrific gift!

Funny Birthday Gift Idea for All

Are you boring about traditional birthday gift ideas? Try some different ones. Whether it is a certain style of comedy, a pie in the face or a practical joke, the funny gift ideas are always welcome in birthday party. It will surely make the atmosphere full of joy.

Personalized silly T-shirts and other attire with a funny logo are certain to make birthday celebrants laugh. Try to find general novelty shirts, or personalize a shirt to feature a joke which you can design yourself and have printed on a plain white T-shirt. For example, you can get your friend's infamous nicknames in college years printed on the back of the T-shirts or some joke words you can choose.

Buy him a book full of jokes or just a funny book. Comic books and funny books come in every variety. Books of jokes would be welcomed by some people enjoy reading jokes and others enjoy telling jokes in the birthday party. Or you can buy some funny movies, classic or current. For a fan of movie, a boxed set of a funny television series from Six Feet Under to Gilligan's Island is also welcome gift ideas.

Buy him a solar dancing cactus. Just give the cactus some light; he will not stop waving happily from side to side. Put it in a place where can get some sun and this green cactus with a sombrero on his head won't stop dancing. Everyone will laugh about this special gift.

Joke a day calendar. This will ensure a laugh every day of the year! He can display the funny desktop signs on his desk. It can be changed depending on his mood. For example, when the going gets tough, the manager is nowhere to be seen which make everyone in his office laugh.

Creative Birthday Gift Idea

Birthdays mark ceremonial passages of time and are observed around the world in innumerable ways. Celebrating that exclusive day in someone's life, birthdays help break humdrum routines and invigorate relationships like nothing else can. It all revolves around your culture, religious beliefs, prevailing social customs and circumstance.

Birthday gifts are dictated by the age of the recipient, the milestone that has been reached, the relationship you share, the recipient's temperament, hobbies, interests and whether you are personally present to celebrate or extend your greetings from afar.

Gift ideas can be fine tuned with introspection and creative zest. If you are family, then selections can be personal, candid or humorous. Food items, electronic gizmos, jewelry, personal or home accessories, crystal, luxury products, do-it-yourself and must-have-at-your-age kits and presents that enrich the recipient's pet leanings, make for useful birthday gifts. You can also create your own gift through art, wood, music or photography.

If your friendship is a special one then your choices can lean heavily into the family circle. Gift choices with a whacky sense of humor are fine so long as they steer clear of personal affronts or sexual overtones.

Birthday gifts for business associates call for more circumspection. Cakes, cards or flowers are just right. An impromptu birthday toast while presenting the gift can radically alter peer relationships and create memorable moments to boot.

Hosting a party at home or a restaurant can be a surprise and marks the event with rare good will. Other lavish overtures can be gifting a one-of-a-kind experience that he or she had secretly longed for but dismissed as self-indulgence-designer wear, personalized beauty treatment, rare artifacts, pricey magazine subscriptions, an exotic weekend retreat, adventure sports or membership to an exclusive club/hobby.

On Birthdays, Bound Manuscripts and Cake for Breakfast!

It's my birthday today so I always celebrate by having cake for breakfast. :D  That lovely little specimen shown above no longer exists because I have snarfed it down in celebration of sunshine (it's supposed to be 84 here today) and getting older. :D  I'm planning on more cake later in the day.  It's going to be one of those days...... *cackles with happy laughter*

In other, more interesting news, I have received Bound Manuscripts (hopefully you can hear the echo) which is a preliminary version of THE FAERIE RING, bound like a book. See below:

My lovely editor, Susan Chang, my fabulous agent, Kate Schafer Testerman and I are sending these little beauties out to authors and bloggers in the hope that we get some blurbs (short comments expressing undying love for the book) that we can put on my ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies) and eventually, the final book.

It's a little surreal to see these familiar words bound up in book form, and even more bizarre to consider *people* are hopefully reading and enjoying the story.  I might add that when I was writing this book, it NEVER occurred to me that some of these *people* might be reading my work one day. Ah - the power of a dream....

Anyway, that's it from here.  What's new with you?