Another Big Give-Away!

Once again, it is time for the 2nd Big Peepsqueak Give-A-Way!   

Will you be the winner?

Will you get a box in the mail full of Peep goodies?

This time around, the prize is for both of my books, “Peepsqueak”, and “Peepsqueak Wants A Friend,”  AND a Peepsqueak plush toy!

Are you up for it?

Here are your 2 easy instructions:

1.   If you have not read Peepsqueak yet,  go to the story link below and listen to Brad Mendleson read it aloud.

2.  Go to the Amazon link below, and give me a review.  So I know you are entering the contest, start your review with the words, “I LOVE PEEPSQUEAK!”.  If you have read the second book, please feel free to review it too.  At the end of two weeks, I will take the names off the Amazon site and put them in a bowl and pick the winner!!!  You will be able to watch me draw your name!!  Here are the links! 

Peepsqueak story link:  http://www.readmeastory.tv/category/read-me-a-story/

Amazon review link:  http://www.amazon.com/Peepsqueak-Leslie-Ann-Clark/product-reviews/0062078011/ref=cm_cr_pr_btm_link_3?ie=UTF8&pageNumber=3&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

Please SHARE this with others.  Peepsqueak is waiting for you!!

love, Leslie Ann and Peepsqueak!

Bear With Me

Peepsqueak LOVES BEARS!  …. and so do I!! I LOVE toys!  I love weird toys, stuff animals, special teddy bears, and more. Having three grandsons gives me a great excuse to buy MORE toys!  I took a trip to the thrift store just this week to look for action figures!  I ran them through the dishwasher and stowed in my big toy trunk.  Three more trucks are sitting near the book-case in the “YaYa” room.  Its great fun!  On Tuesday I played “Superhero”!  My youngest grandson loves the stuffies!  Including my own little Peeksqueak plush by Merry Makers.  If you want to order one, you can go to the website, or call them.

retail orders online at http://www.merrymakersinc.com and retail and/or wholesale orders at 888-989-0454 or via email at merrymakers@merrymakersinc.com

They are a great toy company.  I want ALL THEIR TOYS!  ha ha!

You can also find Peepsqueak on his Facebook page.  I am going to have another book Give-A-Way as soon as the new toy gets here!  Peepsqueak and I are so excited!  I may also put it on this Word Press site so stay posted!

He’s Here!

Place your order online or by calling retail and/or wholesale orders at 888-989-0454 or via email at merrymakers@merrymakersinc.com.

Pajama Day!

Pajama Day!  I love the thought.  A day to stay inside, kick back, and coast. A day for breakfast in bed!  Toast, eggs, coffee with cream and strawberries on the side with a good book or magazine to follow!  Aaaahhhhh!!

As much as I love the idea, I rarely do it!  The last Pajama Day I had was when I had the flu three years ago! ha!  I suppose it is because I associate pajamas with the END of the day, with going to sleep. … and personally, I would rather be AWAKE!

Perhaps I will get in my pajamas just before dinner. Perhaps I will make eggs, toast, coffee with cream and strawberries on the side for dinner and cozy up with my good book for the evening.  Yes,  Pajama Night!!

Quilt A Fair

A Hankie A Day!

September brings cooler days…. but it also brings “Quilt A Fair” to the Boulder County Fairgrounds.  I love to attend each year.  I go every year for both inspiration for my job, and… for … HANKIES!!

I just love those brightly colored works of art.  They seem to tell me a story. No, not about the noses they have wiped! haha!  but about the designers who came up with the idea for each hankie.  I thought I would share with you my newest in my collection!

I have a funny story about one of my hankies.  I went on a walk one day and somehow my hankie fell out of my pocket.  I was so sad to lose one of my favorites.  Just a couple of days later I FOUND it on my walk!  Funny how a simple hankie can bring a smile.  I know… I’m weird that way.  haha!

Good bye Summer Red Toes – Hello Sockies

Summer days bring flip-flops, sandals and bare feet.  What fun to get out the bright red nail polish too!    Color color color!

But, alas, as the summer days are waning, I am trading my colored toes for my warm fuzzy socks.  I can almost hear them in my drawer asking when they can come out to stay!

The wood stove is beckoning me too.  The nights are cool… our covers come up to our chins.

“Where are my scarves? Its cold outside!”

Oh the beauty and fun of Colorado!  Four definite seasons and I love them all.  …. BUT, my favorite is sock season!

But then you knew that didn’t you? I was thinking about starting a sock chain letter. …..

Bicycle Built For Two

The last few months of preparing for Surtex have been grueling at times.  It is amazing to think how sitting at desk is so hard on your body.  Today we took some time off for a nice ride through the parks in town.  The roses are peaking everywhere. We passed garage sales, people walking dogs, and once in a while the smell of breakfast was in the air.  That always makes me smile.  Our bicycle built for two was a very good investment in time together many years ago.

New York Fun – Surtex 2012

After months of prep work, Surtex 2012 is history.  It was a great time of meetings, and visiting with other artists.  It almost feels like a dream now that it is over.  I am filled with ideas and hope for the future!

Here is a picture of Margaret Anastas, my editor at Harper Collins, me, and Annie Stone, Margaret’s assistant.  It was so fun sitting at Harper C. and visiting with everyone who worked so hard on Peepsqueak and his promotion.  I do love my HC family.  They had a nice breakfast for me and we all met in the Harper Collins library. I wish I had a picture of Jeanne Hogle.  She was my graphic designer.  She escaped the room before I could snap her picture.

After our meeting, I packed up 30 books and headed to the Javitz Center in a doozy of a rainstorm!  I LOVED that cab driver for picking me up!!

Messing around with my friends Jane Shasky and Megan Halsey during my Peepsqueak book signing at Surtex. Everyone was in such a good mood!

Here is my teeny tiny room at the Best Western.  I was surprised at how small it was, but in the end, it was cozy and I was so glad I stayed there. It was a good retreat after a busy day.

Can’t forget my sweet agent Alicia Dauber. She had everything running smoothly!

Outside my window all the horse drawn carriages were lining up.  New York is so full of LIFE!

As amazing as the big city is, it is always nice to come HOME!   I had to get my zinnias planted!!  Now it is back to work for the next show!

Nosey!

My nose is running!  I have been sitting on the couch all day!! Sometimes it is okay to be lazy.  The body needs a little TCL. I am not used to being in slow motion.

The Place In Between

In Blue Skye Studio, creativity seems to happen somewhere between MESSY and CLEAN!  If my studio is too messy I cannot work.  If my studio is too clean, I sit there frozen, unable to become inspired.  Soon the sketchbook comes out, the pencil is poised and the wonderful creative process begins!  Before long, ideas begin to flow…. and then, suddenly…..everything is  MESS again!  haha!

Icecream! Icecream! Who wants some icecream?

Oh little Snofolk,  I’ll take that ice cream! 

I played in the snow with my Snofolk today.  I colored hats, scarves and passed out rosy cheeks for all of them.  There is ice cream, sherbet, and snow cones for all.  What’s YOUR favorite flavor?

A Summer of Fun

I really do love summer.  What I love the most is being outside and doing those things that cannot be done in the cold of winter.  I may be take a long hike, ride my bicycle, sleep with the windows wide open, garden, having picnics, eat my morning breakfasts in the backyard, read a book in the shade of the tree, drive with the windows down…. the list goes on.  We simply must pack it all in before the snow flies!  Today I am sketching. No t.v. … no radio… just listening to the birds and the bees fly by.  I think I better get another glass of ice cold water and lemons!  I love you summer!!

The Singing Cousins

Aaahhhh childhood!  Tis a time of make believe, wonder and  fun!  My cousin just sent me this picture from many days gone by.  It made me laugh out loud!!!  It is with great thanks to my parents and grandparents that I was raised with music in the house.  My dad and uncle were barber shoppers but long before they started that up, we spend time together in the basement around the piano singing songs.  It was great fun! This shot was taken while visiting my cousin.  She is the little one on the left… sooo cute!  Every child should be given the opportunity to sing their head off!  It is good for the soul!!

Kiss Me Baby!

“LIPS” Bench at University of Denver

Have you ever thought about kisses?  I mean, really thought about them?  What a funny thing to do. Big smacker kisses!  So funny!  Human beings make me laugh sometimes.  A kiss can be simple and sweet or passionate.  A few weeks back we were in front of a bookstore. There in front of all the people walking by were two older people kissing like crazy.  It was so weird.  ha!

I suppose anything can become weird if you think about it long enough…. like… like…… sleeping! Every night you brush your teeth… climb into bed, turn off the lights… and sleep. You have to stop everything to do it.  I know one lady who could not sleep. She was so scared at night that she did not sleep for days.  Soon she started seeing things that weren’t there.  How funny that we have to recharge our human bodies with sleep.  …. just thinking….

Icky Food

“Clean your plate!”,  “Your mother took a lot of time making that dinner for you.”,  “There are plenty of kids in the world that would love to be eating that dinner of yours tonight”, “You are going to sit there until it is all gone!”.

And that is how it was growing up. We all laugh about it now. My mother always wanted to cave and let us get by.  She remembered well how she was not able to eat all foods, but our DAD was the boss!  I truly don’t think there was anything he would not eat. There was nothing we could hold against him!

When you get to be the parent you are free!!!  NO MORE GOOEY EGGS!  In fact, you don’t even let your kids know that they are even served up that way. ha!    Just when you think you have it all figured out, you find you have kids who don’t like meat, rice, spaghetti? What?  What do you mean you don’t like chili?  What’s a parent to do?  My own philosophy became this,  “You sit there till you finish”.  In my mind was the second half of that order. (…..unless you are gagging).  Well, it worked for me…. until my youngest was born. She was hard on me.  She could sit there for the longest time!  My oldest and middle daughter chomping away… under duress…. finishing their plates. Then I would look at the baby and say… (caving here).  “Well, just take two more bites”.     Boy, I did get a lot of grief for that.  Middle daughter announcing how it was not fair, how she had to gag it all down.  I cannot tell you how this effects my belief in my own cooking skills. ha!     Perhaps that is why I finally got free!  Yes,  I listened to a sermon once about finding your gifts that God has given you.  A light bulb went off in my head.  I do not have that gift!!  Of course!! I was FREE!!!

So, now I throw things into a pot… pull salads out of bags, open cans and crank up the stove… throw a little cheese on it and you’re good to go!

A Lesson To Be Learned

Two things I learned on my walk today.

#1. If you travel just a little slower in life, you see more.

#2. If you travel too slow, you get run over.  (the next snail I saw was smashed).

So, is there a middle ground?   Travel slow and keep your eyes open?  Ditch the snail’s pace and hope for the best?   What did I learn today?  Hmmm… maybe nothing… but the snail was sure cool to look at.

Planting!!

Oooh…. today I bought some Spanish Lavender for my garden. Even though I only have a weeee bit of time in the day to enjoy the garden each day, I am happy to dig around and imagine the best garden yet!

SEEDS!

It’s that time of year again.  A time to dream about the garden!  Many people begin cleaning their homes but my mind travels to the garden. I am not a master gardener, but I love digging and planting and waiting to see what comes up!  This year I am planting with my niece in mind. She is getting married in August and I love the idea of snipping off blooms for her center pieces!

I picked up some seeds at the nursery today and  will place an order at Burpee for some fancy zinnias!

HOORAY for SPRING!!!!  Rocks in my shoes, dirt in my hair, hahaha!  FUN in the sun!

…Okay, so we are expecting snow tomorrow and Monday… but I am already growing flowers in my dreams.

Enter Mr. Frog

Oh bright and sunny day!  A new character emerges out of the pond.  Mr. Frog in all his glory!  Soon a host of other frogs appear and the day is filled with croaking and catching flies.

Life in Blue Sky Studio is never boring.  It is a place where shadows disappear and light rushes in!  I love being an artist.    I am driven by a desire to create and make people happy with my art. If I have done that for one person in one day then I can go to bed smiling! Ribbit!!

Laughing

Have you ever thought about laughing?  I mean, have you ever thought about what it really is?  It’s enough to make you laugh out LOUD!

I went to visit a friend a few weeks ago and we laughed so hard I was crying.  I love that kind of laughing. It’s supposed to be really good for us!!  The Bible talks about laughter being good like a medicine and doctors agree.

We should all find ways to laugh out loud every day. We can hunt down funny people and hang out with them! We can stop taking ourselves so seriously.  We can imagine funny scenarios and make them happen!  Why not?  We might just make someone ELSE laugh!

And so my wish for you today is a good old-fashioned belly laugh! You might have to search hard.  The sad, crabby, disappointing days are challenging,  but when those funny moments come….. JUMP on them!!!!