Life, Social Media

To My Friends and Acquaintances Due East…

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Hey, friends (and acquaintances), and all those dealing with Hurricane Sandy right now. How’s it going? Yes, I know, it’s a bit uneasy out there right now. Please be safe, and know that the rest of the world is ready to help if you need us, even if we can only offer positive thoughts right now.

I send out a giant virtual hug with comforting thoughts of kittens (or your preferred cute, cuddly animal), chocolate and rainbows!

To those of us not directly affected by Sandy, remember, chances are someone you know will be dealing with this in some way, and in a major way, at that. You can text REDCROSS to 90999 to pledge your help now (it’s applied to your phone bill). Check up on friends and loved ones, or have them do so when they can (by social media, text, or whatever is at the ready). We may need to be patient, but let’s lend a hand, because if we were in their situation, we’d appreciate the thoughts and support, too. 🙂

This is no small storm that people are going to be forgetting anytime soon, so while this may all sound cheesy and simplistic, I’m trying to get my thoughts across as best I can given the situation.

We are here for you, guys! Take care!

–With Love from the West Coast, and the Rest of the World. 

Creative Writing, Design, Life

Leaps of Faith (Whee!)

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Oh hey there, it’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Well (deep subject), I’m still juggling a whole bunch of stuff at the moment: helping put on an auction (see my previous post about Gloria’s Angels), plus the big screenplay rewrite (we’re on track to be done by year’s end, with casting to begin in early 2013), and just plain working at the ol’ jobby job. Plus, I have been mulling over and finally decided to take the plunge and strike out on my own, full-time, by starting my own freelance design/copywriting business. I’ve been dabbling in design more as a hobby with little projects here and there, and using my skills on the job for many years, but I want to give it my full focus now, while continuing to follow my various creative pursuits. Never a dull moment; I can’t imagine just doing any one thing forever; I’m a free spirit who wants to embrace as much as I can while I still can. It’s requiring a lot of leaps of faith, but I am at a point where I feel I can trust my abilities and believe in myself, knowing I will land on my feet.

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Gloria's Angels

Gloria’s Angels 2012 Dinner and Auction Gala!

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Gloria's Angels Logo

Gloria’s Angels – Lifting Burdens, Building Communities, Caring for Loved Ones

This is a cause that is very near and dear to me, so I want to spread the word here. On Saturday, November 3, 2012, the 5th annual Gloria’s Angels “Angels Among Us” Dinner and Auction Gala will be held at the DoubleTree Hilton in SeaTac, Washington (near the Sea-Tac Airport). This year’s very fitting theme is “Hollywood Walk of Fame.” Anyone who knew Gloria knows she aspired to be a Hollywood star one day, so this is sure to be a great event with the kind of glam and glitz Gloria loved.

Who is Gloria? What is Gloria’s Angels? 

Gloria’s Angels was formed in honor and memory of Gloria Strauss, a brave young lady who fought neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, for four years, and passed away at age eleven in September of 2007. During her journey with her illness, family, friends, and even complete strangers rallied behind and followed her through a series of articles originally published in the Seattle Times by columnist Jerry Brewer. You can read the full series here: A Prayer for Gloria. These touching articles earned Jerry a 2008 Pulitzer Prize nomination.

To briefly describe what Gloria’s Angels does: they work with families taking care of a loved one dealing with a life-threatening illness or situation, all for free. They seek to ease those burdens by forming teams that surround each family to help with basic needs at home (and beyond) so the families can focus on caring for their family member(s). This can’t be done without the generosity of the community through donations, events like the “Angels Among Us” auction and from volunteers.

What Can I Do?

If you would like to know more about the Gala, perhaps to donate, attend, volunteer, or just read more about what Gloria’s Angels does and how they might be able to help someone you know, please visit their site: GloriasAngels.org.

If you’d also like to read the book Jerry wrote about his journey with Gloria and how it has impacted his life, I highly recommend the book “Gloria’s Miracle.” Come prepared with a box of tissues.

Thanks for reading, and please spread the word! -Jill 🙂

Crafty, Creative Writing, Entertainment, WordPress

Playing with WordPress and other Creative Endeavors

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So, I got bored of the standard “2011” WordPress theme, plus I’ve been wanting to learn more about how WP works and can be customized, so if you’ve been here before, you’ll see I’ve modified the design a bit. As in, installed an entirely different theme! I didn’t design the theme, just trying to make it my own and figure out all the quirks. (For one: why is it centering all the smileys? Very strange indeed…) Graphic designers need to know these things to be useful to their clients, after all. 😀

I still have a million other things I’m juggling at the moment (well, maybe not a million things, but a decent amount), not the least of which is working on a collaborative rewrite of a screenplay! Yes, at last I am using those creative writing skills for good (not that I didn’t before). I was approached by Vernon “Eck” Eckleberry of Atlantic Pictures, LLC; he’s a classmate from a screenwriting class I took through Gotham Writers’ Workshop, and it’s been an exciting process so far! Since we’re several states apart, we’re doing the Skype thing (very useful service, let me tell you), and making some really great revisions to his original script, 10,000 Angels. His first film, Mattie and Meteor, is in post-production right now and is slated to air on OWN in the fall. Stay tuned as we go along, because I’m hoping it’s just one little step toward a very rewarding series of long-term projects! 🙂

I am also doing some artsy-fartsy things and trying to gear up for opening a little Etsy shop soon, but it’s not quite ready to go, so hang tight. If you like quirky critters made out of polymer clay, though (sneak a peek here), it’ll be right up your alley! And that’s all I’m going to say for now. 😉

That’s about it for today – check back now, ya hear?