• Check out scbwi.org
• Look up what a query letter is
• How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books and Get Them Published by Treld Pelkey Bicknell and Felicity Trotman
• How to Write and Sell Children's Picture Books by Jean E. Karl
• How to Write, Illustrate, and Design Children's Books Lloyd-Simone Publishing Co.
• You Can Write Children's Books by Tracey E. Dils

• Find out how to get a visa
• ✔ Work on French
  • look into Rosetta Stone-
  • ✔ sign up for classes with Alliance Francaise
• Research where would be best to live
• BASED ON ABOVE: create a timeline for when I can do this
• ✔ Keep a journal about all of this
• Pray everyday about what should happen
• Surround myself with things that remind me of France

• Computers
  • at least 4
• DVD players
  • 3
• Light bulbs
• Drawer
• Shelf
• Shovel
• Cork screw
• Chair
• Paint brush
• Phones
  • at least 3

COULD

• We are really really compatible physically
• We have basically the same attitude on gender equality
• We have basically the same attitude on a lot of big things
  • Money
  • God
  • Life in general
• We fit
• He would challenge me to know God more
• I don't think I would get bored with him
• He wants to travel and live abroad
• He is artistic

COULD NOT

• I have yet to live on my own
• I don't know where I am going
• Prince

• She's Every Woman
• I Wouldn't be a Man
• Before the Next Teardrop Falls
• La Vie en Rose
• Dance me to the End of Love
• A Kiss to Build a Dream on
• Annie's Song
• Danke Schoen
• I Want to Hold Your Hand
• Foxy Lady
• Hello Darlin
• I'm Kissing You
• Like Red on a Rose
• She's my Kind of Rain
• Sway

• Chips and salsa or green chile dip
• Cheese
• Olives
• Peanut butter
• Gushers
• Grapes
• Carrots
• Celery
• Edamame
• Berries
• Honey

• Flowers blooming on trees
• Shorts
• Sundresses
• Irrigating my fields
• Sitting on a bench in my irrigated field. It feels like I'm sitting in the middle of my own private lake.
• Driving with my rag top down
• Laying in the cool grass
• Butterflies outside of my window
• The smell of life growing
• Bare feet

• Dresses
• Being dipped while dancing
• Eyelashes
• Mascara
• Lipgloss
• High heels
• Curves
• Cute
• Level headed
• Beauty
• Smiles
• Mystery
• Femininity

• Learning French
  • Started audio lessons today!
• Ojo Caliente-
  • 12 hours from now!-
• Finding out about graduate school-
• Driving the new Mustang-
• Getting a puppy in the next 5 years
• Bikini this summer
• Moving out
• Where ever God is taking me!!!!

• My daily shower routine
• Pandora while I work
• Putting on mascara
• Picking out my jewelry for the day
• Blasting music in my car
• Singing to said music
• Walking
• Short conversations with people at stores, restaurants, etc.
• Daily dose of French

• I am not bound to please thee with my answers. ~ William Shakespear
• I'm not young enough to know everything. ~ Oscar Wilde
• Morality, like art, means drawing a line somewhere. ~ Oscar Wilde
• Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct. ~ Thomas Carlyle
• Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterwards. ~ Kurt Vonnegut
• We are all cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out. ~ Ray Bradbury
• You love God as much as the one you love the least. ~ John J. Hugo
• So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible. ~ Norton Juster

• Hair
• Lips
• Moles/Freckles
• Chin
• Eyes
• Hands

• Some Like it Hot
• Sabrina
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
• An American in Paris
• The Road to Morocco
• Casablanca
• The Seven Year Itch
• Funny Face
• Black Swan (The pirate movie, not the ballet one)
• The Adventures of Robin Hood
• Blazing Saddles
• The Sound of Music
• Mary Poppins
• Breakfast at Tiffany's
• The Big Sleep
• La Belle et la Bête

• Triathlons
• Breast cancer
• Snuggling
• Wanting to have tea time
• "Sweet Pea"
• Cookies
• Her helping in my classes
• Her telling me if I get pregnant before I graduate, my life is over
• The way Millie adores her
• Her laugh
• Her smile
• The way she cried
• How much she loves me
• She was the one to get me interested in Harry Potter

Even the ridiculous cheesy versions, I love. For some reason This story has taken hold of my heart in a way only a very, very few stories have.

• Strong female character
• She is a bookworm
• The characters' hearts and minds are changed
• It is dynamic
• It is what I want
• The love is based on character, not position or appearance
• I always want to comfort Beast
• I see myself as the leading lady

• Baby elephant
• Wombat
• Pygmy Puff
• Whale
• Hummingbird
• A kitten that stays a kitten
• Penguin

At first I was going to label this a "wishlist" but then I realized a lot of the time when I wish, I don't do anything to accomplish what I am wishing. I have to decide, to become determined that what I am going to do what I'm wishing no matter how difficult. So I thought I'd start by calling these "to do's".

• Learn Spanish
• Get accepted to graduate school
• Complete graduate school
• Go to Italy on a cooking vacation
• Wear a bikini
• Read the Bible from cover to cover in order
• Do something absolutely insane
  • Like sell all my possessions and start over in Ireland
  • Or Sweden
  • Or Spain

• It's about time!
• I think I should be more scared than I am
• I wish I could take a day off to move in
• I can't wait to have studio space
  • even though it will be quite small
• I can't wait to have my own space
• I'm looking forward to when I can live with him
• I wonder how long I will be able to resist getting a puppy

• Haircut-
• Agenda
• Cheap radio
• Print out pics and get frames for office
• Research counseling programs
  • Costs
  • Lengths
  • Licensure
• Take a nap with Josh-

• I made the right choice
• This is definitely not what I want to do for the rest of my life
• Government is screwed up
  • Not any particular political party, just policy and how things are set up.
• I wish people who receive public assistance weren't so stigmatized
• It's amazing how many people working in my office have given up on adventure
• I really miss being a scholar
• I wonder if I really will do all of the things I want to do...

• 40 hours is a lot
• I hope I enjoy it
• I'm so happy to start making money again
• I hope this is enough for me to live off of
• I'm so glad I'll have something to do all day
• I am so blessed to be able to work in my field straight out of college
• I can't wait to see where I'm headed

• Spit
• Speed
• Operation
• Mermaids
• Outburst
• Boggle
• Mille Bourne
• Racko

• Heartbreaker
• Love is a battlefield
• I need a lover who won't drive me crazy
• Hit me with your best shot

Sing it girl!!!

• Seminar class on Harry Potter
• Psychology of Human Sexuality
• Painting I
• 2D Design
  • Only because I met my best friend in it. The professor was horrible!
• Flamenco
• Adolescent Development
• Fathering
• Abnormal Psychology
• Family Life Education

The first letter of the names of crushes I have had. This is for my whole life, including elementary school.

• A: 2
• B: 2
• C: 2
• D: 2
• E: 1
• G: 2
• J: 4
• K: 1
• L: 1
• N: 1
• P: 1
• S: 2
• Z: 1

Apparently, J wins!

In no particular order...

• Beauty and the Beast
• Up
• Lady and the Tramp
• Aristocats
• Sleeping Beauty
• Toy Story
• Finding Nemo
• Hercules
• The Rescuers
• The Rescuers: Down Under
• Meet the Robinsons
• George of the Jungle
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

• Marseille
  • Bastille Day Fireworks
  • Ice cream at the beach
  • Castellane
  • Cathedral Major
  • Cooking Tuesday nights
• Ireland
  • St. Jame's Gate
  • Gallagher's Boxty House
• London
  • St. Paul's Cathedral
    • That was a lot of frickin' stairs!
    • But totally worth it for the whispering dome and the view
  • Kensington Gardens
  • Tea at Harrods
• Morocco

• Not very easy
• A path few have taken
• Innocent
• Through:
  • Books
  • Handwritten letters
  • Ice cream
  • Chocolate milk
  • Dancing
  • Beer
  • Gutair
  • A smile
  • Humor
  • Intelligence
  • Confidence
  • God
  • Balloons
  • Complements
  • Respect
  • Equality

• Kiss
  • I was 11, and clueless
• Traveling Outside the U.S.
  • I was 11, we went to Cancun
• Driving
  • I was 13, a big pick up truck
• Alcoholic Drink
  • I was 14, and couldn't enjoy it because the guys we were with started throwing up and I had to clean it up
• Make Out Session
  • The same night I had my first drink...I can't believe I made out with and dated a guy who threw up on me!
• Heartbreak

Long list items, but I need to get them down.

• Both times I have gone to the hot springs at Ojo Caliente, something natural and very, very beautiful has happened. The first time, it snowed. This time, my best friend and I watched the moon rise while in the water. The big deal about that is that tonight the moon was closer to the earth than it has been in years.
• Watching the moon, and watching at least a dozen others watching the moon I had an epiphany. The moon only does exactly what God created it to do. It doesn't try; it's probably not even self aware. God put it in orbit to create tides and help people keep track of months. Yet it is one of the most mesmerizing, beautiful things in the whole world. It caused everyone to stop and stare tonight. How many poems have compared the beauty of a woman to tha...

Eat

• Monkey bread
• Boxty
• Fresh sopapilla
• Homemade chicken pot pie
• Enchilada's with a fried egg on top
• French pastries
• Nutella

See

• The Sandia's at sunset
• Bastille Day fireworks in Marseille
• Baby panda
• Birth (animal or human)
• Fireflies
• Balloon Fiesta

Hear

• Acoustic guitar played well
• Someone's voice on a whispering dome
• Rain falling on a tent

• Dirt
• Rain
• Rain on dirt
• Rain on concrete
• Honeysuckle
• Daisy (both the flower and the Marc Jacob's perfume)
• Books
• Lavender
• Wine
• Cinnamon
• Popcorn
• Chocolate chip cookies
• My mother's garden
• Cedar
• The way he smells
• Cooking garlic
• Coffee
• Grass
• Campfire

• Ribbon
• Pearl bracelet
• Gold dangle earrings
• Big rhinestone ring
• Pashmina scarf
• Red belt
• Mascara
• Cameo brooch
• Flowers for my hair
• Anklet

• Learn every language
• Go to culinary school
• Paint 100 paintings
• Fold 1000 paper cranes
• Become a sharpshooter
• Read every book ever published
• Master yoga
• Run a marathon
• Spend a month isolated
• Never stop traveling
• Learn to play the ukulele
• Build a house by hand

For some reason tonight I felt as if a decision I had made 8 years ago had set me on the wrong path for the rest of my life. I still have some hurts and I am still uncertain, but I needed to remind myself that my life has meant something. That every event has had a reason.

• I have experienced living in another country
• I have had a profound impact on others' lives
• I have faced the most painful heartbreak that I think could ever exist and......
  • I survived
• I have passed the point of feeling like I need a guy to complete me
• I have earned a college degree
• I have kept my childlike enthusiasm
• I have gained confidence
• I have forgiven

• Books
• Wand
• Grandmother's jewelry
• Skinny jeans
• Bible
• Some Like it Hot
• French typewriter
• College diploma
• Paint
• Temperpedic mattress topper
• French polka dotted dress
• Red high heals
• Time turner
• Algeria bag
• Lace gloves
• Ribbon
• My happiness

• Handwritten letters
  • Pen pals
• The word "chagrin"
• Cameo brooches
• Lace
• Handkerchiefs
• Top hats
• Bow ties for everyday wear
• Sunday strolls dressed in your finest
• Hopscotch
• Charm
• Ribbons
• Bows
• Parasols made of lace

I am rapidly becoming more and more obsessed with balloons. Here is how and why they fill my heart with wonder...

• They remind me of childhood
• They defy gravity
• If you ride in one (hot air balloon) there is no knowing where the winds will carry you
• They are incredibly soothing and satisfying to paint: The circular motion of the brush, the different colors you use to round it out, the white splash to indicate where the light hits it
• They make me believe anything is possible
• Le Ballon Rouge
• The Twenty-One Balloons William Péne du Bois
• Up
• Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

• Hand soap
• Floss
• Toothpaste
• Loofa
• Body wash
• Vacuum
• Broom
• Trash can
• Mop
• Kitchen Towel
• Food:
  • Milk/almond milk
  • Veggies (frozen/fresh)
  • Fruit (frozen/fresh)
  • Pasta sauces
  • Soup
  • Chicken
  • Coffee
  • Cheese
  • Pasta

• I am stubborn. Stubborn enough to have changed my name by myself when I was 4
• I do not follow conventional gender roles
  • I get dirty jokes
  • I'm not embarrassed for people to know that the relationship I have with the man I love has a physical element to it
• I hate to present myself in a false manner to those around me
• I am respectful of everyone, but will not be a doormat to make others comfortable.
• I am strong enough to stand my ground, even in the face of losing someone I deeply care for.
• I am a woman of the desert
  • I am dry
  • I am tough

Little things that don't matter on there own, but make me me.

• I secretly love that I am short
• My favorite books are children's books
• I like when I "accidentally" get paint on my clothes so people know I am an artist
• I'm a daydreamer
• I love yellow
• I like to feel flower petals between my fingers because they are so soft
• I have a slight obsession with balloons
• When I drive, I yell and cuss at other drivers
• Beer and pizza is my favorite meal
• Polka dots are my favorite pattern
• Listening to audio books while painting is heaven
• When on road trips, I write my name on bathroom stalls
• I love the smell of rain on concrete or d...

• Country
• French-y jazz (such as Edith Piaf)
• Jazz
• Flamenco
• Classic rock
• Blues
• Classical
• Folksy
• Cajun
• Bluegrass
• Musicals

• Easel
• Chair
• Canvas or paper or wood
• Brushes
• Paint
• Pallet
• Pallet knives
• Jars
• Gamasol
• Linseed oil
• Galkyd
• Music/audio book
• Water, wine or the like to drink
• Earrings
• Side table
• Bobby pins
• Painting skirt
• Painting shirt
• Pencil
• Eraser

• Knock you naked brownies Pioneer Woman
  • WINNER
• Salted caramel brownies Pioneer Woman
• Mocha Silk Pie Pioneer Woman
  • Can't do this one for family, because it has raw egg
• Ice cream pie with easy caramel sauce Pioneer Woman
• Coffee cake (Literally!) Pioneer Woman

I was inspired by Hall & Oates...

• Feeling God's love
• Smelling my mother's garden through my open window
• Edith Piaf
• Cooking
• Painting
• Girl time with my best friend
• Wine
• Being told I'm just like my dad
• When the world is blue: when the sun is set, but its light still lingers and there is a blue hue over everything.
• Laughing
• Feeling free
• First kisses

• A Wrinkle in Time- Madeleine L'Engle
• The Phantom Toll Booth- Norton Juster
• Possession A.S. Byatt
• The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne -
• Catch 22 Joseph Heller
• The Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan
• Paradise Lost John Milton
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret Brian Selznick
• My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business Dick Van Dyke

• 9/11
• Princess Diana's death
• Hurricane Katrina
• The Balloon Boy
• Jonbenet Ramsey
• President Clinton's scandal
• BP oil spill
• Earthquake in Japan

Hm... I think I'm going to stop. Everything on this list is so sad. I wish joyful, positive things were as memorable as these are.

• J.K. Rowling
• Eric Carle
• Roald Dahl
• Louis Lowry
• Dr. Cuthbert Soup
• Trenton Lee Stewart
• Mo Willems
• Sharon Creech
• Jan Bret
• Dr. Seuss
• Beverly Cleary

• He is love
• He is patient
• His words create things
• He is just
• He provides
• He shows the way
• He is light
• He loves me
• He has a sense of humor
• He is enough
• He is indescribable

• Dress
• Stretcher bar
• Collages
• Mess
• Scarf
• Ribbon flower

Ha! That would be a good list...

• Harry Potter's
• Sophie Hatter's
• Kate Wehterall's
• Belle's
• Salamanca Tree Hiddle's
• Juliet Dove's
• Jo Stockton's (technically from a movie, not a book)
• Arthur Dent's

• Josh Turner
• Pat Benatar
• Duffy
• Adele
• Toby Keith
• Elvis
• Rockin Robin
• Big Bopper
• Dixie Chicks
• Shut up and Kiss Me
• Pink Martini
• Sympathique
• No Regrets
• Edith Piaf
• La Vie en Rose
• Before the Next Teardrop Falls
• Smoking in the Boy's Room
• Conway Twitty
• Diamond Rio
• Randy Travis
• American Woman

• In God
• In love
• In compassion
• God has a path marked out for me
• God's love is not dependent on if I do or don't do the right thing
• In the power of faith
• In the power of God
• In deep connections with strangers
• In communication without a common language
• That love is THE most important thing in the world
• That God IS love
• That I am unworthy
• That I am made worthy in Christ
• That God can do infinitely, abundantly, above and beyond all I could ask or think
• That God cares about me, even my petty, little concerns
• That even when I am hurt, or things turn ...

• Ojo Caliente
  • again
• Paris
• Hawaii
• Ireland
  • again
• Alaska
• Boston
• Spain
• Italy
  • Cooking vacation to the coast
  • Rome
• Greece
• Sweden
• Tokyo
• Australia
• Tamecula
• Morocco

• Being ~different~
• Speaking before I think things through
• Having a very vivid and active imagination
• Wanting adventure
• Knowing I'm on the right path, but still mourning what I can't have
• Being the rock
• Loving him-

• Clueless
• Immature
• Real, innocent
• Stupid
• Overdue, but too late
• Ill-founded
• Painful
• Necessary, but embarrassing
• Not bad, but smothering

• The Holy Bible God
• Go, Dogs. Go! P.D. Eastam
• The Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling
• The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure William Goldman
• Howl's Moving Castle Diana Wynne Jones
  • Hense my listography name which is not my real name
• Hank the Cowdog John R. Erickson
• Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Mo Willems
• Walk Two Moons Sharon Creech
• Is your Mama a Llama? Deborah Guarino, Steven Kellogg, and Amy Madigan
• If you're Afraid of the Dark, Remember the Night Rainbow Cooper Edens
• the Ramona Quimby books Beverly Cleary