Something British Monday #2: Olympic Swimmers

Over the last two days I have been following the Olympic swimming, diving, and polo.

Because of this:
















And this:














And this:



















And this:



















And this British man:
















And this fine British fellow:



















Of course, I am not only following the swimming. I quite enjoy the gymnastics and volleyball as well. Though I really do wish the Olympic feeds would cover Equestrian and Fencing. Even though they don't have men like this, I would still like to watch them.

What about you? Are you following the Olympics?

Oopsie Daisy

I knew exactly what I wanted to discuss in for my blog this morning, but unfortunately, my plans have changed (that topic has been moved to next Wednesday). Instead, this morning I’m going on a spontaneous fishing trip with my hubby, (Yay!) and will talk briefly about that.

I’ve been begging him to take me fishing since we started dating nearly 10 years ago. We had originally planned to go tomorrow while my mother-in-law babysat, but no matter how many times I asked my husband to check with his mom to see if she was willing to do it… he never did. Sigh (big surprise). So yesterday afternoon I told my mom that I really hoped our plans wouldn't be a bust... and she offered to take the kids for the night! Huzzah!

So not only do I get to go fishing (finally!) with my hubby this morning, but I got to have an uninterrupted sleep! What a wondrous thing!

Be forewarned, I am going to bring my camera… so plan on finding a blog sometime soon about my fishing adventures.

Have you ever gone fishing? If not, do you think you might ever want to go? If you have, what did you think of it? Did you enjoy it? Hate it?

Plenty of Pictures

I have recently joined the Internet phenomenon of Pinterest. And as it turns out, I love it! It’s a great place to express oneself through pictures. You can share, pin your own pictures, or just view what others have pinned.

It is easy to spend hours perusing Pinterest. I love searching for simple words such as, ‘cute’, ‘happy’, ‘adorable’, etc. they always come up with the best pictures of animals and people alike. 

It has also given me many scenery ideas for future novels!

Pinterest is definitely something to be admired. It has proven useful for so many things! If one is searching for a handy recipe, a new hairstyle, natural cleaners, deodorizers, or organizational ideas, Pinterest is where to go. I’ve tried out several recipes, myself, and they turned out fantastically! I got some ideas for organizing my kitchen and my living room, and only a matter of days later, the techniques are in place and I couldn’t be happier!

 

My Pinterest page is a place I go in my spare (and not-so-spare) time, just to dream about travel, look at cute pictures of animals, or read a humorous anecdote.

So now I ask you: Are you on Pinterest? Have you ever been there? What did you think?

Something British Monday #1

As this is the first week of my Something British Mondays, and as the 2012 London Olympics begin this week, I thought I would briefly talk about it.

In this past May, my husband and I went on a trip to Edinburgh and London, and while we were there, we saw some decorations for the Queen’s 60^th Jubilee and for the Olympics!

The streets were crowded, and the people excited. The heat and humidity were unbelievable in the, apparently, unseasonably warm days we were there. I would go back in a flash!

I am so excited to begin watching the Olympics! I've got some events set to record on my PVR, and others, I plan to watch or have in the background as I go about my daily business. As I’m from Canada, I naturally support the Canadian athletes. But I’ve always been a lover of the UK, so my support is divided.

For the Summer Olympics, my favourite events are Archery, BMX, Fencing, the Boating events, Equestrian events, Football (Soccer), and Gymnastics. Phew! There's a lot. I like the others as well, but there are so many to follow diligently, that one has to pick their favourites. 

Have you seen the mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville for the 2012 London Olympics? While my husband and I were in London, we saw them everywhere! We even bought our sons some stuffed mascots as souvenirs. They’re pretty cute!

So now I ask you: Will you be watching the Olympics? Which country do you support? What are your favourite events?

My Husband, the 'Chef'

Not my personal picture

During the week it is my responsibility to prepare the meals, which usually consist of salads and pastas. I’m not the best of cooks. But I try.

It is for that reason (but not only that reason) that I am incredibly fortunate in my choice of husband. He is an amazing at-home chef! He’s an electrician by weekday, and by weekend, he’s a chef. This morning, for example, he has prepared crepes. Yum!

Not my personal picture

One of our breakfasts last weekend was Eggs Benedict. It’s remarkable how he suddenly becomes the expert the moment he walks into the kitchen. His specialties include homemade burgers, taco salads/tacos, chicken potpies, banana chocolate chip muffins, and of course, his Eggs Benedict, and crepes.

My homemade pizza pockets

This week I tried to match him in creativity and cleverness. I thought it was fabulous, but it didn’t go over so well with my husband and sons… they thought it was “Ok”. Sigh. And here I thought that putting pizza toppings inside the Pillsbury croissant rolls was ingenious. I thought it was delicious, though.

So now I ask you: Are you a good cook? What are your specialties?

Tips for Writing a Steamy Love Scene

As a newly self-published Historical Romance author, several people have asked me just how I write those steamy love scenes. So I came up with these few important notes.

-Stay true to character – if the heroine is bashful do not make her the dominant, sexy seductress. If your guy is strong and confident in character, do not turn him bashful.

-Keep it ‘real’ – don’t contort your characters in such a way that the reader will not believe the act is physically possible.

-Use your imagination.

-Keep the reader engaged – static love scenes and repetitive language is not likely to keep anyone’s interest. Stay fresh.

-Use this opportunity to get to know your characters, and allow them to grow. It isn’t just sex, it is a future husband and wife falling for one another.

It is at this point in my blogs in which I usually ask a question to readers. As the content here is of a ‘spicy’ nature, I have chosen to change the topic for my question.

So now I ask you: Do you have any tips for writing that you would like to share?

Important Little Notes

When writing a novel, there are many small details that one must remember. Once you have mentioned that your hero enjoys smoking cigars, you must remember to add scenes with him enjoying one. If you imply that your heroine’s favourite pastime is riding horses, you had better put her on a horse at some point. If you decide to put your characters in costume, you must remember what each is wearing.

This is why I have a large notebook full of odd notes. I am constantly scribbling, scratching out, and re-writing notes. I’ve got arrows indicating the sequence of events, lists that help me understand terms that I looked up, and translations for the characters that happen to be from a different country.

My notebook is an indispensable tool for me while I do my writing. It helps me keep my novels free of discrepancies or continuity errors, and it ensures that I remember important plot points.

I keep a notebook for my ‘real’ life, as well. It has my list of things ‘to do’ and the list of things I must remember.

So now I ask you: Do you have a special notebook? What do you use yours for?