Names in Writing: I recently read an interesting post by Philip Athans on the blog, Fantasy Writer’s Handbook, where he discusses the capitalization of a common word being used as a proper name. As in: the Tower, the Witch, the Magician, the Chancellor, the Mountain, the City etc. I’m guilty of this myself in my WIP. And, that’s okay if I’m using it as a placeholder until I come up with something better. He goes on to say that to elevate a common word is a missed opportunity for creative world building. And, I agree. Looking back on my choices of the Alchemist and the Sorcerer, the Broadsword and the Amulet, I realize that these were cop-outs on my part, choosing the easiest solution. But all is not lost, now I have a new world-building challenge to name my characters, cities and weapons in a new way that adds depth, meaning and magic to my world.

What I’m reading this week: Private, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. “Former Marine helicopter pilot Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily – and his staff of investigators uses the world’s most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.” Readers are given three intense and unrelated mysteries. Forensics are used to prove guilt for the largest case of the three and it’s not overly technical. We’re in Jack Morgan’s 1st person POV with other POVs in 3rd person close, which is a technique I’m hoping to borrow. Patterson and Paetro work so well together it’s hard to tell there were co-authors on this novel. The prose is crisp and fast paced. The narration is strong and all the characters, even the minor ones are memorable. The writing style paints a vivid picture with very few strokes, keeping our focus on the story. Well done.

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
Clock:
A symbol for time passing.
1. If you dream of watching a clock ticking, with the hands moving steadily, this is a warning that you need to stop wasting time.
2. Winding a clock or watch indicates that you are taking control of the situation.
3. Hearing a clock strike indicates that the time has come for some positive action.

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“You are the vibrational writers of the script of your life, and everyone else in the Universe is playing the part that you have assigned to them.” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“Having lost a bet, he was now tasked with turning a class of school girls into secret service agents.”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” –Jane Yolen

My favorite from the inter-webs: So, perhaps you’ve found that you have a few capitalized words that are common in your work. Where to begin though? If you need help getting those juices flowing, there are lots (and I mean lots) of random names generator websites out there. Even though the results may not initially be right for your world, they may spark inspiration that will lead you on a name-making journey. I’ve cruised through a few sites and the most prolific one by far is Fantasy Name Generator. The creator is obviously fond of role playing games, but there is so much more. Hovering over the “Fantasy Name” tab, you get a drop down list 5 columns wide by 26 items long. Yes, that’s 130 different random name generators from Alien Names to Zombie Types. I could write forever on the possibilities, so you’ll just have to check it out.
Find it at: http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/

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August Recap: This month has been full of creative endeavors. I’ve added a new daily kaleidoscope post that is finding interest and appreciation. Thank you to everyone who has liked my digital kaleidoscope posts and my new followers!
On the writing side, I’ve completed my novel’s outline and have started writing new pages. I’m meeting with new critique partners this Thursday and am very excited to move forward on my novel again. I finished my first draft in May 2016, but it’s taken me this long to rework my plot and define my heroine. I’m more of a panting-plotter, only taking time to work out a plan when I got stuck. I have to say, the knowledge that I know where my story is going before I start writing is very reassuring. Second draft, here I come!

What I’m reading this week: The Never Ending Story was and still is one of my favorite childhood movies. I love the idea of magical worlds that rise from within us, fueled by our wishes and dreams. The concept of a story within a story mesmerizes me. It reflects how as we live our lives we are also observing ourselves and are being observed by others.  So, when I saw the audio version come up in my Audible recommendations, I couldn’t resist. What surprised me most is that the movie only covers the first third of the book. Hollywood took some creative license (especially with Falkor, changing him from lion-like to dog-like) but overall the movie didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book or vice-versa. Michael Ende does a lovely job with the world-building too, not overdoing it which can often happen in fantasy. I also enjoyed the running catch-phrase. At the end of any unfinished side-story Ende teases us with “that is another story and shall be told another time,” which had the writer inside me yearning for a notebook to jot down my ideas on what that story could be.

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
Maze/Labyrinth
1. A portent of uncertain times ahead, when you literally won’t know if you’re coming or going.
2. If the dreamer found his or her way out and wasn’t particularly concerned about it, then whatever problems you face will be set right and you can get on with your life.
3. But if the dreamer was frightened, panicked, and kept running into dead ends, then the dream is telling him or her that it’s vital to calm down, try to relax, and face whatever appears to be stopping him from doing what he wants.
4. A change of direction is likely to be necessary.

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“People often believe that because something happened, and because it is a fact or true, that it should be focused upon, and therefore kept vibrationally active. And so, many people keep many things active that do not serve them.
If we were standing in your physical shoes we would not keep something active in our vibration just because it had happened. We would only keep things active that we want to repeat in our life experience.” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“You have a special backpack that supplies you with everything you may need for the day. One morning, while preparing for your day, you take a peek in the backpack and think, ‘Huh, well this should be an interesting day.'”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“When you are describing, A shape, or sound, or tint, Don’t state the matter plainly, But put it in a hint, And learn to look at all things, With a sort of mental squint.” –Lewis Carroll

My favorite from the inter-webs: Along the lines of writing blogs, another of my favorites is Creative Writing Now. The offerings include story starters and prompts, writing tips on everything from story and poetry basics to in-depth posts on character development and dialogue help. They even offer some interesting e-courses. Good information presented in a friendly and easy to understand manner. Who could ask for more?
Find it at: http://www.creative-writing-now.com

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A little re-branding: I like the idea of a seven-item bullet list every week. It may just be me, but I’m not wild about the term “bullet.” It brings to my mind ballistics and firearms. So, I’ve decided to change the title slightly to 7 Butter-Flydays. A bit more my speed and aesthetic.

What I’m reading this week: I just finished The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis. The story centers around a mysterious death that occurred in 1952 at the Barbizon Hotel for Women in New York. The story is divided between two narrators, Rose Lewin a journalist living at the Barbizon gone condo in 2016 and Darby McLaughlin a naïve young woman from a small town in Ohio to attend secretarial school. Davis does an excellent job mirroring the two plot lines. And she skillfully diverts us with a red herring (and I fell for it, too). Overall, an interesting read, we not only compare women in society in the 50’s with current day, but we also have an interesting mystery to captivate us.

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
Horse:
A universal symbol for freedom, friendship, and for both physical and unearthly power.
1. The ability to work with others and to assume some of their burdens. If the horse is running free, then the dreamer seeks freedom from earthly stresses.
2. If the dreamer is riding the horse, someone nearby is available to assist him.
3. A dream of a dark horse implies that the dreamer is moving from darkness into the light – or it could also imply the presence of a “dark horse”, as in our modern metaphor for someone who attains success by working behind the scenes.
4. A white or light-colored horse implies the gaining of power through wisdom.
Astrological parallel: Sagittarius
Tarot parallel: The Chariot

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“You cannot get sick enough to help sick people get better. You cannot get poor enough to help poor people thrive. It is only in your thriving that you have anything to offer anyone. If you’re wanting to be of an advantage to others, be as tapped in, turned in, turned on as you can possibly be.” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“He received a call asking for 5 minutes of his time. Thinking it was a sales person, and being in a good mood, he agreed. The person on the other side immediately hung up. When he looked up at the clock, he realized it was 5 minutes ahead.”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“Words – so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” –Nathaniel Hawthorne

My favorite from the inter-webs: Another author blog I follow is Aliventures: Master the Art Craft and Business of Writing. Her topics are focused on writing full-time, balancing work writing and novel writing, and carving out time from your busy life to write. Her current posts are centered on organizing various areas of you life, from your desk to your social media practices, giving suggestions if you only have 5, 15, or 30 minutes to spare. All good stuff, I hope you find it as helpful and informative.
Find it at: www.aliventures.com/

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What I’m obsessed with this week: Creating Kaleidoscopes with Photoshop. And man, have I been hogging the mac this week generating loads of digital kaleidoscopic images. I’m using average (and often below average) photos I’ve taken that are far from interesting enough to show anyone on their own. But, when you crop them and set them at angles, they become magical! It’s been all I could do this week not to stop strangers on the street and show them off like a proud mama. They’re inspiring me to possibly start a daily post that will show the original boring and ugly photo and how it transforms into something beautiful. I’m thinking I could do a series of seven kaleidoscopes every week. Here are a few of my favorites as examples. I don’t want to give away any spoilers yet on the original images, so have fun guessing!

Etsy shop: With my recent foray into butterfly quotes and now these digital kaleidoscope images, my thoughts turn to my neglected Etsy store. And so, I’m researching how to offer these images as digital downloads and possibly as prints on gallery wraps, metal and wood. Again, these kaleidoscopes opened a well-spring of inspiration for me. My goal, should I choose to accept the inspirational challenge, is to have items ready on my Etsy shop by mid-October for the upcoming holiday gifting season. I’ll keep you posted!

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
School or University:
1. A very common dream is returning to school and finding oneself late for an exam. This usually signifies unresolved psycho-emotional issues from school that the dreamer should try to work through.
2. If the dreamer is starting a new course of study, new opportunities will open up for her.
3. If the dreamer is teaching, then her Higher Self will soon bring new revelations her way.

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“The achievement of anything that you desire must be considered success, whether it is a trophy or money or relationships or things. But if you will let your standard of success be your achievement of joy—everything else will fall easily into place. For in the finding of joy, you are finding vibrational alignment with the resources of the Universe.” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“Your friend tells you, “Pinch me, I’m dreaming.” You do as he asks. He vanishes.”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” –Sylvia Plath

My favorite from the inter-webs: I follow many author blogs and this is one of my favorites. Anne R. Allen’s Blog…with Ruth Davis covers topics from the craft of writing to the business of writing and everything in between. Posts occur weekly and I’m often forwarding them to someone I know because they are so very informative. I hope you find it equally valuable.
Find it at: annerallen.com/

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Good-bye: Don’t panic, I’m not going anywhere… However, my writer’s group, Writers Endeavor, is bidding Yahoo Groups farewell. Our group has been on Yahoo since October 2005 (I joined the group in July 2009). It had been our message board, our file upload area and an all-around place to share ‘stuff.’ After having trouble uploading files and receiving notifications of said files and being unable to delete files that have been in the upload area for years, we’ve decided to switch to a simpler solution of a group email. We’ll remind each other of meeting times and share files the old-fashioned way. Good-bye Yahoo Groups, we’ll miss you…

What I’m reading this week: Please Don’t Tell My Parents I’m a Super Villain, by Richard Roberts. The publisher’s summary reads: Penelope Akk wants to be a superhero. She’s got superhero parents. She’s got the ultimate mad science power, filling her life with crazy gadgets that even she doesn’t understand. She has two super-powered best friends. In middle school the line between good and evil looks clear. In real life nothing is that clear. All it takes is one hero’s sidekick picking a fight, and Penny and her friends are labeled super villains. In the process Penny learns a hard lesson about villainy: She’s good at it.
My humble opinion: It’s a charming story so far, a bit cutesy at times, but it is middle-grade fiction after all. I’m about a third of the way through. It’s told in 1st person point of view and the author is very fond of using alternatives to ‘said’ such as squealed, quipped, sighed, snarked, etc. It’s a bit distracting, especially via audiobook when the narrator has already acted the descriptive. I’m interested to see how Roberts plays out the hero/villain or good/evil aspect. He’s playing with the shades of grey here. Our MC is afraid of disappointing her parents by being a super villain/bad person, but it doesn’t seem that there are any truly evil characters. And maybe that’s the point.

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
Stone:
1. If the dreamer is throwing stones, she is repressing anger that should be expunged.
2. Stones on a riverbank indicate a time of peace and tranquility coming up.
3. Stepping stones are a symbol for slow but sure advancement.
4. Cobblestones represent a rough road ahead.
5. Huge stones or boulders represent obstacles – and the larger the stone, the bigger the obstacle.
Astrological parallel: Saturn.
Tarot parallel: The suit of Pentacles.

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“You’re never going to get to any final place. And so, we want to remind you to relax and start having fun on the way.” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“Your eccentric great uncle recently died and left you his estate, which includes a rather large house filled with doors that don’t always lead where you’d expect.”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“Dialogue is not just quotation. It is grimaces, pauses, adjustments of blouse buttons, doodles on a napkin and crossings of legs.” –Jerome Stern

My favorite from the inter-webs: I found this gem researching herbal medicines to use in my writing. The link below is to the remedies list. All of the herbs are linked to their own page, with a photo and additional info on the sidebar such as how to grow the plant, recipes, and (my favorite) magic and superstition. I’m sure this will quickly become a well-visited site for my herbal magic research.
Find it at: http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbRemedies.htm

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July Recap: Wow! July was a busy month for me, especially in the blogging world. I now have three weekly posts: 7BulletFriday, Butterfly Quote, and Butterfly of the Week. The last two were started/brought back in July. I also started posting daily on my Facebook page last month. Thank goodness for scheduling features or I’d be unable to do anything else. My work in progress hasn’t been sitting idly, I’m nearly finished with story-boarding my second draft of Tree Dragon and then it’s on to re-writing pages. When you add on dance events and traveling, July has been busy indeed!

The reunion road trip: As promised, here are a few pics from my long-weekend road trip. From the mountains of West Virginia, past the cornfields and wind farms of Indiana, a brush by Chicago, to the reunion, and a big Illinois sky shot for fun. We’re a big family and not all of us made it for the shindig. I also managed to snap some great texture and sky shots that I will post to Pixabay (my very first shares with that community).

 

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
Wheels:
1. If the wheels are on an automobile, particularly on one in which the dreamer is riding, then the dreamer will soon embark on a new journey, either literal or figurative.
2. If the wheels are on an airplane, success in the dreamer’s current enterprise is indicated.
3. Slowly moving wheels indicate slow progress and frustration, but positive results in the end, while fast-moving wheels represent rapid progress.
4. Ferris wheels, or gambling wheels in a casino, indicate sudden and unexpected events that could bring either reversals or skyrocketing success, depending on other symbols in the dream.
Astrological parallel: Uranus.
Tarot parallel: The Wheel of Fortune

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“Make a decision and then make the decision right. Line up your Energy with it. In most cases, it doesn’t really matter what you decide. Just decide. There are endless options that would serve you enormously well, and all or any one of them is better than no decision.” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“Suddenly, all over the world, all children start drawing the same thing over and over again.”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“Write even when the world is chaotic. You don’t need a cigarette, silence, music, a comfortable chair or inner peace to write. You just need ten minutes and a writing implement.” –Cory Doctorow

My favorite from the inter-webs: I found this one yesterday! Have you ever wondered where to break a word with a hyphen? Every now and again I come across a line of formatted text that could use a hyphen break and I need that extra assurance that I’m breaking the word correctly. In walks Hyphenation24. Just type the word your questioning in the box and you’ll get a selection of appropriate breaks for that word. For example, reasonable can be broken rea-son-able. Hope you find it useful!
Find it at: https://www.hyphenation24.com/

Road Trip: My mom’s family put down roots in Chicago in the 1920’s. And although a few branches have moved out of the city to the neighboring burbs, to other states (and even the Philippines!), they all still try to gather once of year for a reunion. I’m not always able to go, due to travel costs and timing, but this weekend my boyfriend and I are hitting the road for the nearly 13-hour journey. I’ll try to take some travel pics worth sharing for next week’s post.

What I’m re-reading this week: I’m smitten with Lev Grossman and his Magicians trilogy. My goal is get my boyfriend hooked on them as well by having them as our diving entertainment. If you’ve not had the pleasure, here is the back cover blurb: “A thrilling and original coming-of-age novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world. Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery.At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, The Magicians boldly moves into uncharted literary territory, imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions. Lev Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren’t black and white, love and sex aren’t simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price.”

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
Cars
1. Motion, movement away from one thing and towards another.
2. Speed, acceleration.
3. Freedom.
Astrological parallel: Sagittarius.
Tarot parallel: The Chariot

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“It usually takes about 30 days to change a habit. Not because you need 30 days. You could do it in 68 seconds if you could once you did it hold your vibration there, but you have to consciously make that decision.” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“You are the person responsible for making all those magical/cursed items that people are always stumbling across.”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“As a writer you try to listen to what others aren’t saying… and write about the silence.” –N.R. Hart

My favorite from the inter-webs: Actually, this favorite is a free phone app called “Wayz.” This little wonder not only gives you turn by turn directions based on other users’ insights and shortcut knowledge, but you also get real-time warnings of traffic accidents, delays and whether there is a cop lurking in a blind spot up ahead. You can also add your own insights and warnings for other users, but I’m not quite savvy enough for that myself. I’m also trying to get in the habit of checking traffic every morning (I’ve been burned a few times.) And, needless to say, this app will be running throughout our road trip.
Find it in the App Store: WAYZ

Blogging Update: I now have three regular posts on this blog. Monday – Butterfly of the Week, Friday – 7 Bullet Friday, and now Wednesday – Quote of the Day. In addition to posting a Pinterest pin daily on the My Dreaming Butterfly Facebook page, I’m also creating an original “pinnable” quote using my own digital butterfly art and quotes that I’ve scavenged from reference books and websites (I discuss my favorite resource in today’s last bullet). Of course, I’ll still post updates on the progress of my first novel in the Dragon World series and short stories as they come. But, I’m getting myself in the habit of regular posts, and like any regimen, it’s starting to feel natural. Joy!

What I’m obsessed with this week: Quotes, quotes, quotes… I’m surrounded by books of quotes marked by post-it flags and spending countless hours pouring over websites. The hardest part is choosing which quotes to use first.

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
Butterfly
1. Because of its mysterious transmogrification from a caterpillar, the butterfly is a universal symbol for intense transformation, usually for the better.
2. If the butterfly is in the egg stage, the coming change is still but an idea.
3. In the larva stage, a decision needs to be made.
4. In the cocoon stage, you are working to make your dreams a reality.
5. An adult butterfly flying in the air indicates sharing, or the need to share, your ideas with the world.

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“We want to speak about freedom: This is a Vibrational Universe. The only Source that flows is the Source of Well-Being. And, physical and Nonphysical, we are all free to allow that Well-Being to flow to us and through us or we can pinch it off. It is our call — every time…” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“Drunkenly, you accidentally pour vodka into your pet’s water bowl. As a result, your pet breaks the number one rule: do not speak to your owner… Ever.”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“There’s always something to write about. If there’s not, then you need to live life more aggressively.” –Min Kim

My favorite from the inter-webs: GoodReads isn’t just a good starting point to find the most-loved books in any particular genre, but it’s a great source for quotes from famous authors on any number of subjects: art, love, fear, inspiration, dreams, purpose, wisdom, passion, and more. It’s soon to become my go-to research for the butterfly illustrated quotes I’m posting on this blog weekly.
Check it out at: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes

A thought on Fear: I personally have allowed fear to hold me back from doing a number of things, including this blog. I read a blog today called “The Biggest Killer of Creativity” by guest blogger Allison Maruska and it inspired me. She mentions her anxiety of publishing her novel and that her fears were that it would be both criticized/ridiculed and also completely ignored. The only thing that I would add is what I tell everyone (including myself, every time I’m afraid to put anything out into the world): for any creative endeavor, there is someone who will connect with it and appreciate it. What we need to look past are those it won’t connect to (those that never see it and never will) and those it connects to in a negative way (the criticizers and ridiculers). We shouldn’t expect to please everyone. Our audience, our focus, are the people who will love it and be inspired by it. And when you think about them, the fear fades away to a dull murmur in the  background.

What I’m re-reading this week: I love time travel stories, they simply fascinate me. So, I’m re-reading the trilogy and between-the-books novellas in Rysa Walker’s CHRONOS Files series. We follow the adventures of sixteen-year-old Kate Pierce-Keller as she navigates the world of time travel and learns about her family’s legacy of meddling in the course of history. It may be in the Young Adult demographic, but the only thing “young” is the protagonist. The story arcs and time travel conundrums and consequences are given in all their complexity and the characters all have the depth of adult fiction. I’m excited to dive back into these!

My favorite dream interpretation this week:
Superhero/Heroine:
1. A male superhero represents a super intellect; thus to dream of seeing Superman, Batman, Spiderman, or whoever indicates that your mind is particularly sharp right now, and if there is a project you’re working on that requires a quick, agile, and insightful intellect, this is the time to concentrate primarily on it. Female superheroes such as Wonder Woman or Supergirl indicate a heightened supportive mind – and thus the dreamer’s intuition is operating at a very high level. Therefore at this time the dreamer should definitely believe in his or her hunches and go with them – no matter what the intellect tells you.
2. If the dreamer encounters both male and female superheroes, then both faculties of his mind are especially sharp right now. Use your intellect, but when in doubt, follow your heart.
3. If the superhero or heroine is flying, or performing a rescue, then your mental and/or intuitive faculties will save you from an uncomfortable situation.

My favorite Abraham quote this week:
“Every time you say, ‘I appreciate that. I really like that. I applaud that. I acknowledge the value in that.’ Every time you do that, you spend some of your Energy, and it is the spending of the Energy that creates a vacuum, so to speak, or an attraction, so to speak, that draws more and more and more and more.” —Abraham
To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php

My favorite writing prompt this week:
“The ghosts haunting your house wake you up because something is scaring them and need your help.”

My favorite writing quote this week:
“A day will come when the story inside you will want to breathe on its own. That’s when you’ll start writing.” –Sarah Noffke

My favorite from the inter-webs: DailyOm is a beautiful website with daily inspirational posts and horoscope posts for every sign. But my favorite part of this website is their courses. So far, I’ve taken two (“Way of Story Writing Course” by Catherine Ann Jones and “A Year to Clear What is Holding You Back” by Stephanie Bennett Vogt) and am looking at a third (“Overcoming Creative Anxiety” by Eric Maisel). Not only are their courses high quality, but the cost is really affordable ($10-$40). The topics cover: art and writing, meditation and relaxation, nature, home and garden, relationships, and many more.
Check it out at: http://www.dailyom.com/

• Facebook Update: I’m focusing on the My Dreaming Butterfly Facebook page this week and have decided that a daily post will help bring more traffic to the page. My idea for an easy daily post is to use inspirational, butterfly themed Pinterest pins. So, I’ll be working on that over the weekend. This project may lead to creating my own butterfly themed art quotes, but I’ll keep that idea in the background for now. Ideally, I’ll be able to add quotes to some of my existing butterfly art and maybe some of my pieces going forward will work for this idea too. Hmm, thoughts bubbling, juices flowing…
• What I’m reading this week: Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen is currently playing on my Kindle. “Our heroine, Georgie, aka Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, cousin of King George V of England, is penniless and trying to survive on her own as an ordinary person in London in 1932. So far she has managed to light a fire and boil an egg… She’s gate-crashed a wedding… She’s making money by secretly cleaning houses… And she’s been asked to spy for Her Majesty the Queen. Everything seems to be going swimmingly until she finds a body in her bathtub… and someone is definitely trying to kill her.” So far, this cozy mystery is loads of fun. Wonderful narration, I’m loving the British accents. A good lessons in obstacles and overcoming them.
• My favorite dream interpretation this week:
  Driving:
  1. The need or desire to throw all the dreamer’s energy into a particular goal.
  2. The feeling of having no choice as to how to proceed in a given situation – in short, of being “driven.” If the dreamer is not the drive, he should consider who is doing it.
  Astrological parallels: Aries, Capricorn
  Tarot parallel: The Chariot
• My favorite Abraham quote this week:
  “It doesn’t matter what anybody else is doing with their vibration, it only matters what you are doing. You cannot desire something—and notice that it isn’t coming—without offering two contradictory vibrations that won’t let it come..” —Abraham
  To learn more about Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks), the Law of Attraction, or to sign up for Abraham’s daily quote visit: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php
• My favorite writing prompt this week:
  “I inherited a gift people would die for. A gift many would die to protect. A gift, I didn’t even want.”
• My favorite writing quote this week:
  “I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand in a box so that later I can build castles.” –Shannon Hale
• My favorite from the inter-webs: It seems like we have a day for celebrating everything from apples (Oct. 21) to the letter Z (Jan 1). So, of course there’s a website that will let you know all the celebration possibilities and the particular days they fall on. For example, today (July 7) is not only Chocolate Day and Strawberry Sundae Day, it is also Tell the Truth Day and Global Forgiveness Day. I’d like to think they planned for these last two to happen together. So, tell someone the truth, forgive them and yourself, and then go out for a strawberry sundae and a bite of chocolate to soothe any remaining hurt feelings.
  Check it out at: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/#

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