Attitude and Success (at the Zoo and Beyond)

May 28, 2015 | Coleen Patrick

According to a recent article at Time.com, the number one thing that holds people back from success is…

*half-hearted drumroll*

ATTITUDE.

*sigh*

I SO get this.

There are days I know I need to rally. I want to rally.

But then you know, you’re tired.

Anyone else up for being carried around?

Or distracted. Somewhere else.

I’m sure you’ve seen this before.

Or felt this:

You’re frustrated. You’ve lost your focus.

You need an attitude metamorphosis.

So get ready.

Here’s some baby attitude to get you started.

It’s go time.

**Thank you to the lovely creatures at the Richmond Metro Zoo, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, and the ones I’m related to (note: not the giraffe, I don’t have that graceful of a neck) for their camera ready looks.

Happy Thursday!

Any of you lovelies have a tried and true method for regaining your spunky attitudes??

Warning: Photos May Cause Dizziness

May 12, 2015 | Coleen Patrick

I like to play with photo prompts on Instagram

and this week one of those prompts was upside down.

Birds at Fountain Lake here in Richmond.

So I flipped this photo

and something about the birds flying into the bottom corner made my brain buzz

(and maybe made me feel a tad dizzy.)

Pipeline walk in downtown Richmond.

As much as I get a certain routine comfort in knowing I can plant myself on the couch in front of the TV at night,

eat the same salad,

make the same gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough (oh the burden),

or walk the same pipeline,

crackling synapses can be pretty cool.

Virginia Beach Pier

And oh how I crackled (and snapped and popped) at the feedback I got from the story I’m working on now.

Let’s just say I had to remove a couple of “pier legs”.

But the structure is way better.

Thanks to a new perspective.

Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg National Military Park

Wishing you a Happy Tuesday!

And Happy National Odometer Day (thinking about this holiday oughta keep your brain fires stoked).

What’s got your brain firing and crackling?

The Joy of Discovery (Chocolate Included)

April 13, 2015 | Coleen Patrick

I love how even the tiniest of discoveries can uplift

Tiny turtle power.

We discovered this little guy on the Greensprings trail in Williamsburg, VA.

And just last weekend I left the house and saw this:

The cherry blossom trees are blooming!

It seemed like they bloomed overnight.

(Much like my kids.)

We also found Edvard Munch’s Scream in the James River. Can you see it?

Oh and he’s in this doodle too.

Just kidding.

Here’s some chocolate.

Did you know that you can put the chocolate on the inside of the strawberry?!

Oh the freedom,right?

Hey, look at me doodling on the definition of writing. 😉

Although,

I have to say I could’ve done without this discovery when I walked in the door at work last week:

Dummy at work.

Note: Mannequins are not a typical sight in a library office.

Hey, after this surprise, who needs coffee?

But back to a slightly lower level of adrenaline,

I got the proofs of the illustrated covers that I designed for my Chasing Normal series

and I discovered I’m pretty excited with the way they’re turning out!

What have you discovered lately?

Happy Monday!!

Miles of (Mostly) Irish Smiles

March 17, 2015 | Coleen Patrick

Today at the library where I work, a patron read my name tag and then asked if I’d been brought in for St. Patrick’s day.

Yup.

All Coleens must pass a rigorous mascot training. It’s not enough to have the Gaelic name or the Irish heritage.

There’s tons of other factors. Other (mostly) Irish things about me that are maybe not so obvious.

I eat St. Patty’s Day themed treats.

(Although, I also do the same for most other holidays.)

I doodle Shamrocks.

I make friends with mules.

Now, I don’t think Hamilton (of Meadow Farm) is actually Irish, but he’s silly and stubborn. And silly and stubborn are traits that are very dominant in my Irish family.

So… let’s call Hamilton mostly Irish.

I married this guy. He’s not Irish either, but we met on St. Patrick’s day 25 years ago.

So again, mostly Irish (especially when you factor in that he’s also stubborn and silly).

So many factors. It’s not easy being green.

Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? What is Irish (or mostly Irish) in your life?

Wishing you miles of smiles!

Winter Fun: A Truffle and a Snow Day

February 26, 2015 | Coleen Patrick

Honestly, I hesitated over the word fun in my blog title. Like lots of people (who aren’t kids) I’m kind of done with winter.

But we’ve got another snow day here in central Virginia.

And just as nature teased us with some thaw.

I decided not to wear my boots this day. Soaked my sneakers and socks. I was just a tad too optimistic.

But I have been finding some fun (I am, a kid at heart, I suppose).

A winter scene by Cold Fingers (aka me)

A walk at the mall. The frozen fountain was kind of awesome.

Finding a sunny spot to read.

I wish. This was me reading at the beach in 2013. #ThrowbackThursday

(I like to keep my fiction skills simmering.)

This cookie truffle has nothing to do with winter. I just like how it turned out.

And it’s kind of snowball-ish.

No caption necessary.

Me sledding last week.

In my own backyard.

What happens when a writer and an engineer are home for a snow day?

Check out the video!

What’s your favorite thing to do on a snow day? And if it’s summer where you are, tell me something warm. 🙂

Happy Thursday!

Abandoned, but Maybe They’ll Leave the Light on for You

October 31, 2014 | Coleen Patrick

You know how some people need to sky dive or bungee jump to get their adrenaline going?

Not me.

All it takes to get me running scared, is an old, abandoned motel (during daylight).

Haunted? Maybe.

Just tires. But my mind added chainsaws.

Definitely no air conditioning (some find that scary)

It was super quiet here.

And something made me start running back to the car. Fast.

Probably just my imagination.

But I’m not opening the door to find out.

What scares you? Would you stay the night in a haunted motel?

Enjoy your stay!

Happy Halloween/Weekend!

Whittling the World Down to a More Manageable Size

April 21, 2014 | Coleen Patrick

Do you know what kind of bug this is???

It looks like a praying mantis, but it’s about the size of a nickel. What do you think?

Bugs and flowers aside, my daughter came home for a visit last week, so I’ve also been happily focusing on family. 🙂

What are you taking a closer look at lately?

Tell me, I’d love to know!!

HAPPY MONDAY!

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The Plucky Crocus: A Sign of Sunny Optimism

March 11, 2014 | Coleen Patrick

“Winter lingered so long in the lap of Spring

that it occasioned a great deal of talk.”

~Bill Nye

Today is shiny and warm. YAY! I’m going out to soak up the sun. I promise I won’t take it all. 🙂

What are you grateful for today?

Happy Tuesday!

Coleen xo

Nature Selfies: Ready for My Closeup

March 3, 2014 | Coleen Patrick

**Photos taken at Meadow Farm, the Virginia Aquarium, and my neighborhood. The last photo is NOT in fact an alien, but a dogwood bud encased in Polar Vortex ice (or what I imagine my fingers, toes, and nose to look like lately).

Anything you’re taking a closer look at lately? What are your thoughts on selfies?

Happy Monday!

Coleen Patrick

Coleen Patrick children's book author illustrator

RVA