Honestly.  It’s amazing I get anything accomplished during the day.
So, let’s chat about embarrassing confessions.  So, once upon a time, I tried to create an “inspiration file.”  You may remember this blog post.  Said “inspiration file” had saved pictures of celebrities who I thought resembled the characters in Anything You Ask of Me, historical clothing references, pictures, whatever that would act as a good point of reference.  Get the creative juices flowing?  I don’t know.  I’d been reading that lot of authors do this, so I tried it out.  And promptly felt like a creeper.
For whatever reason, I decided to try it again on Pinterest.  Because…mainly because I was on Pinterest at the time and it seemed like a reasonable idea.  Especially seeing as how on Pinterest, you can create “secret” boards that your followers can’t see.  So…when you’re 31 years old and the following happens, you don’t feel like a weirdo.
So, for the sake of an example, let’s say I created a “secret” board of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  And let’s say that I did this because a) in my mind’s eye, he’s a good representation of the main male character in Random Contemporary and b) obviously, because that’s what I did.  So.  I said, to myself, “Self, just pin a few reference pictures, and then move on.”
Enter the search function.  Loads of pictures!  Hello, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  I had a crush on you in 1994 when I was twelve and saw you in Angels in the Outfield with Tony Danza (“Hold me closer, Tony Daaaanza!!!!”).  I’m not entirely confident of what happened next, but what I can tell you is, that I was using the app on my phone and that makes it ridiculously easy to repin stuff.  Ridiculously?  No.  Dangerously.  Ten minutes later, I flipped back to the board to review.
I’d pinned 101 pictures.
In ten minutes.
My God.
There are just no words for this.  No words.  On a positive note, I have lots of “inspiration” pictures.  Or whatever reason I pinned them for.  On a negative note, I pinned 101 pictures in ten minutes.  To a “secret” board on Pinterest.  No, no, there’s nothing weird about that at all.
Ugh.
So, I shut the app down and retreated to the laptop where I had all intentions of actually writing.  Inspiration, right?  But no, somehow I found myself on CafePress designing Rambling Jour t-shirts.
And in a not embarrassing confession, I really, really wanted to order one.  Why yes, I do need a Rambling Jour t-shirt.  And coffee mug.  And tote bag.  That’s my thing.  That’s me.
But…I didn’t.  It’s not that I didn’t want to spend thirty bucks on a t-shirt, because we all know I do that way too often as it is.  However, I’d just bought this t-shirt.  You see.  My cousin has her own business.  It’s called Beautiful Love Apparel and she designs all the t-shirts herself.  So, yes, although I still think I need a Rambling Jour t-shirt, I also needed a Beautiful Love t-shirt.  I’d had my eye on this snazzy little number for quite some time.
Then I tried to take a “selfie” like all the cool kids are doing and this is what I came up with it.  I’m not saying it’s a bad “selfie.”  It’s just…well, I don’t know what happened to the background, but it looks like I’m standing in the same room as Gen was in The Dark Crystal after he repaired the Crystal Shard and all the Skexies and Mystics….did whatever happened.  That movie.  Holy cow Jim Henson, holy cow.
I feel as if it’s only a matter of time until this Rambling Jour t-shirt thing happens.  I have a feeling with the holidays rapidly approaching, my mother is going to end up with a tote bag or something with The Rambling Jour on it.  Darn you internet and your accessibility to all things creative.  Next thing you know I’ll be peddling t-shirts while I’m peddling my books.
But seriously, if you want a Rambling Jour t-shirt, you just let me know.
But even more seriously, if you want a Beautiful Love t-shirt from my beautiful cousin Gabby, check out her site.
Meanwhile, for this Rambling Jour t-shirt-less gal, it’s back to Random Contemporary.  Six chapters in the bag.  I’ve started chapter seven and am this close to breaking the 100 page mark.  With as much “inspiration” as I pinned the other night, you’d think the whole book would be done by now.
And, in an “it might be related to that Pinterest” moment, The Toddler’s new word this week was “awkward.”  Yes.  My twenty-two month old child now says “awkward.”  Enough said.