you're invited...

If you're in the Cleveland or Cincinnati areas, I'd love it if you'd come to one of my storytimes and book signings at Joseph-Beth. Click here for the scoop. And bring the cubs if you got 'em.

garden gifts

This year, Jeff and I decided to ease into gardening and planted some veggies and herbs in half of our neighbors' garden. This photo was from a few weeks ago, so things have already grown quite a bit more since then. We got a late start planting, and the deer already ate the tops off all our tomato plants before we could even get them planted, so we'll see how things go. I think most of the tomatoes are bouncing back. It already makes me want to plant lots more goodies next year. Once you get going, you just want to grow EVERYTHING yourself, right? Maybe some day.

And going along with the garden theme, I thought I'd post this gift card I did for Target last year. I just discovered it up on the Target website, so I thought I'd share. I had fun with this one.

check out my new diggs

Just a few pics of the new studio. These pics are of my room...Jeff has his own room now, and we have 3 other rooms for storage and clutter control. I love it...kind of like a mini apartment. And it's so nice to have lots of windows and feel connected to the world when I'm working. I do not miss our bat cave office one bit.

I painted my room (very) blue...I thought it was going to feel a little more like an antique blue, but at least it's not dull (even if I do feel like I am underwater in a swimming pool). I've decided to like the color. This is the first whole room I've ever painted...Jeff says I am a master taper, which I guess really means, "You will be doing the taping from now on, Bets." That's okay, I don't mind, because he has to paint everything up high for me. So it seems like a fair trade.


I think it is so funny that right outside my big front window, centered perfectly, it says, "Y-O-G-A." (there is a yoga studio directly across the street). Do I need any more signs to get my butt over to yoga class??? Geez.

I still have a lot I want to do to "betsify" the space, like add curtains, get a funky rug, stuff like that. But it's a good start. And now it's time to forget about decorating for a while and get back to work. Happy "Independence" Day!

my new favorite bag

I have a "thing" for bags and jackets, and I am loving my new bag from Etsy! What a surprise, I've picked out another thing with a bird on it. It just came in the mail yesterday...from Istanbul, Turkey, made by Sinem Inugur. It's nicely made and I really like the splash of orange inside, perfect for a summer day. Do you "need" a new bag too? I bet you do. Here is the link to Sinem's Etsy shop. Lots of fun bags to choose from.

Isn't Etsy such a cool thing? An international online consignment shop...gotta love it.

parent's choice book review

Hey all. Click here to read a nice review and article about board books by Parents' Choice. I kind of can't believe Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger? puts me in the company of Margaret Wise Brown and Eric Carle in this piece, but I'm certainly happy to be there!

haiku by two interview

Alison at haikubytwo.com recently reviewed Haiku Baby, and also contacted me for an interview. How fun, my first interview! And don't you love the bird art on their web banner...by Alison herself! Alison and her friend Kelly co-write and manage this haiku-centered website together. I love hearing about "friend projects" like this.

So, if you're procrastinating on whatever it is you really SHOULD be doing (like I am), click here to check out the interview (below is just a quick screen-grab for eye candy).

don't look back!

Happy, happy birthday to my dearest "Gram." She's 86 today, and we just celebrated at her place with dinner and this cake. In a nutshell, here is why I think my Gram is the best...

I've always looked up to her, for so many reasons. I'm in awe of her crossword puzzle, Scrabble and card-playing skills...she has the most extensive vocabulary of anyone I've known, yet she's not snooty about it. She loves learning, and has been a long-time volunteer for PEO, an organization that promotes education for women (they gave me a scholarship and a loan too, thank you very much!) Though Gram's very modest about her artistic skills, she's got a creative spirit for sure, and has a lot to do with why I do what I do today. When I was a kid, we made paperdolls, watched birds, played dress-up, went to museums and the theater (saw Robert Goulet in South Pacific!), and had many, many sleepovers. So, I still think my Gram is one of the super-coolest ladies in the whole wide world. I got so lucky to get her in the grandma lottery...I really hit the jackpot.

When I was little and it was time for good-bye, my Gram would always turn her back to me, look over her shoulder and say, "Don't look back!" I think that's a good philosophy in life, and it's good to be reminded of that today.

So, just wanted to give a cyber shout-out to my Gram on her birthday. She's not really into fancy, newfangled technology, so she won't see this. But that's okay cuz she already knows how much I adore her. xoxo Gram!


This is Gram, my grandfather (who I never got to meet), my mom (left), and my uncle (right). My mom was born in Hawaii when my grandfather was stationed there...he was a military doctor.


Here's me playing dress-up at Gram's house...this was my mom's wedding dress.


And here's me as a bride again, officially. Gram's in the middle and my mom's on the right. Have I ever mentioned how awesome my wedding photographer/friend Donna Von Bruening is ??? She gave Jeff and me the gift of her photography for our wedding (as if her gift of friendship is not enough). She shot Jeff's sister's wedding, and she's shooting Jeff's brother's wedding in October (can't wait!).


And my Gram gave me this necklace to wear on my wedding day. It was more perfect than anything I could have picked out, and meant so much more.


And here we are today, 3 generations.