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Stephanie Beavers

~ Always be yourself. Unless you can be a dragon. Then always be a dragon.

Category Archives: Life

Enjoying Music Again: Home Free

31 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun, Life

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author, Boondocks, country, country music, entertainment, Fishin' In The dark, fun, Home Free, Honey I'm Good, inspiration, life, love, moods, music, Stephanie Beavers, Try Everything, writer, Zootopia

music mood mover pixabay Music plays a different role for everyone. I’ve always found it to be a huge mood-influencer. If I’m happy, it’ll pump me up. If I’m melancholy, it’ll carry me away. If I feel one way and want to feel another, I turn to music.

However, as I’m coming out of a stressed-out, depressed and burnt out episode of my life, that it’s been a while since I’ve really, actively, enjoyed music. For the last while, it’s mostly been filler, background noise, and a distraction. But it’s been ages since I’ve sat at my computer and cruised YouTube for new tunes.

And I’ve rediscovered Home Free. They’re an a capella country band, and the sound that makes them them is delightfully unique. They do occasionally cover other genres, and while I enjoy the novelty of it, I enjoy their country stuff best.



I’ll probably have to source their CDs now…

How about you readers? What have you been rocking out to lately? I have a fairly eclectic taste in music – I might like it!

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Skittle Addiction

30 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun, Life

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author, candy, entertainment, fun, Skittles, Stephanie Beavers, Stephanie Stewart, sugar, sweets, writer, writing

I have a confession. I have a Skittle addiction.

Well, really it’s more of a sugar/munchies addiction, but let’s face it, “Skittle” is a fun word and “Skittle addiction” sounds better than “snackaholic.” Maybe. Actually, “snackaholic” sounds pretty awesome too. Ahem. Anyways.

I love candy, and everyone who knows me, knows that, including people at work. I have earned the nickname “Squirrel” for the snacks I stash away, and also “Hummingbird” for the sheer amount of sugar I consume (ironically, not usually in liquid form, as I don’t drink pop). They are all familiar with me nibbling away on chocolate, skittles, other candies, and Tostitos.

No Skittles for me, thank you. -Nobody

Which brought me to an amusing thought. What if, while typing, every time I ate a bite of something, I had to type the word skittle? When I send invoices to customers, it would probably read something like this:

“Dear Mr. skittle Smith,

Please find you invoice skittle attached.

Thank you for skittle your business.

Regards,
Stephanie skittle”

Or what about when I’m working on my manuscript?

“Vhi hovered behind skittle the thick trunk of a cottonwood, occasionally peeking around it at the village down the road. The village skittle looked to be a fairly humble one, with largely thatched roofs and accessed by a road that was more of a wide path of earth packed by feet and wooden wheels. Humble or no, each skittle glimpse of it drove her back into hiding behind the tree.”

Again, I may have a problem.

By the way, Orchard Skittles are the best variety of Skittles. Just sayin’.

Orchard Skittles are the best

So, dear readers, what’s your favorite kind of Skittles?

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Happy New Year 2017

01 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Life, News

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author, life, News, Stephanie Beavers, updates, writer

Happy New Year!

2016 was a tumultuous year. I’ve seen many people call it a bad year, but I can’t do that – I got married and got to go to Japan, after all! Rather, for me, it was a year of high highs and low lows. Illness and other life factors have kept me from my blog for the last two months, and to be honest, I’m not sure what it’s fate will be. I do want to connect with my readers as I continue to publish books, but I’m no longer certain this is the best medium for that.

Regardless, I’m hoping that for everyone, 2017 is a more peaceful and prosperous year. Lots of people make crazy resolutions, and I’m hoping that everyone manages to attain a little bit of the spirit of those resolutions, even if they don’t keep it to the letter. I know I need to pick up the pace of my writing and get those books written! I have one in the wings, but I’m going to be trying some new publishing strategies – please bear with me, dear readers!

So, since I didn’t wish you a Merry Christmas earlier, Merry Christmas, and have a very happy new year!

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Bumper Stickers For All Kinds

17 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun, Life

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author, baby on board, bumper stickers, Calling On Fire, Fire Within, fun, funny, humor, laugh, lol, passive aggressive, smart alec, Stephanie Beavers, think, writer

Bored Panda had some amazing bumper stickers the other day. I’ve picked my favorites and divided them into categories for you:

For the passive-aggressive types:
Sorry for driving so close in front of you

Stupidity isnt' a handicap, park somewhere else

Watch out for the idiot behind me

Stickers for people tired of seeing “Baby on Board” signs:
Durex: no babies on board.

Adults want to live too

Fair warning stickers:
So gay I can't drive straight

70 leave me alone

Asian Driver: good luck everyone

“Deep” bumper stickers:
Just because no one understands you doesn't make you an artist

Don't believe everything you think

Smart alec bumper stickers:
This isn't the best car ever, it's just a tribute

I've got a perfect body, but it's in the trunk and it's starting to smell

Carbon offset

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Happy Thanksgiving 2016

10 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Life

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author, Canada, Canadian, grateful, Happy Thanksgiving, Stephanie Beavers, thankful, Thanksgiving, writer

I know this is a little strange for non-Canadians, but Happy Thanksgiving! (No, I’m not mixing the holidays up.)

Not what I meant when I told you to carve the turkey thanksgiving joke

I am so thankful for all the amazing things in my life. I finally got to trade vows with my husband last summer, we’re departing for our Japan trip shortly, and we really don’t have anything to complain about. I’ve pre-scheduled some posts while I’m gone, but I doubt I’ll be able to answer any comments until I get back. I wish everyone the best, and I hope you take a moment to meditate on the things you’re thankful for too. A mindset of gratefulness can do amazing things for a person’s well-being!

For my fellow Canadians, I hope you enjoy your turkey/ham/special dinner and time spent with family. If you don’t have those things for one reason or another, I hope you find a way to celebrate anyways.

The meal isn't over when I'm full, it's over when I hate myself - Louis CK

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Not Just For Writers

26 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Life, Thoughts

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author, books, children, childrens books, Giving Tree, kids, Kristen Lamb, life, literature, philosophy, Silverstein, Stephanie Beavers, Where The Sidewalk Ends, writer, writing

As a writer seeking to better myself, I follow Kristen Lamb’s blog. She’s given some incredible advice over the years, much of it entirely for free! But every so often, some of her posts reach far beyond just writing and author advice. Her latest post, Why I Hate “The Giving Tree”–But How This Story Makes Us Better Writers, is one of these.

Now, I had to google “The Giving Tree” and reread it again before I could remember what it was about, and it never actually had an impact when I read it. I guess because it didn’t have magic or animals in it (then, as now, I was very partial to a particular kind of books). Reading it now, I think it’s rather brilliant. Not that I necessarily like it, but I do admire it. But enough of my thoughts, it was Kristen’s that impressed me.

I’ve cherry-picked my favorite parts, but if you want to read the whole thing, definitely click the link above:

“Shel Silverstein didn’t write The Giving Tree with plans that it was a cautionary tale against toxic relationships. He didn’t write it to be some Christ-like example of selfless love. He wasn’t writing a tale of capitalism run amok or misogyny. According to him, he simply wrote a story about the complicated dynamics of human relationships. We, as the reader, assign whether this is a tale of warning or wonder, horror or hope.”

apples apple tree

“I honestly believe that stories we gravitate to as children says a lot about our fundamental nature, our strengths and weaknesses.

I always loved the parable of the Tortoise and the Hare, namely because one of my strongest traits is my persistence. I loved the parable of The Crow and the Pitcher because I was always good at finding clever ways to solve seemingly impossible problems. The stories I loved possibly reflected back personality qualities that even at a very young age, I possessed and was even proud of.

But then there was my dark side, a side I noticed even by the tender age of four when I was sounding out the words And the tree was happy. My tendency to people please (Old Man Whickutt’s Donkey) and my seeming inability to set a boundary with those who would take and take until I had nothing left to give (The Giving Tree) and me happily enabling my own self-destruction. The anger I felt toward the tree being a fledgling anger I felt for myself.

Why did the boy feel the need to take all the apples? All her branches? Why couldn’t he just take some? Why did the tree feel the need to offer all her apples and all her branches? Couldn’t he see he was killing her? Did he even care?

When it came to her trunk? Why didn’t she tell him to just go pound sand?

God, how many times have I done the same?”

teddy bear child's toy

“Our culture is guilty (my POV) of assuming that every child’s story is to serve as a role model. Don’t bully. Be a good friend. This is what happens when you learn to share. But literature serves a higher purpose.

Isn’t the point of being a parent to rear a fully developed person more than simply being an activities director? That we are charged with rearing a grownup with fully developed empathy and a sense of injustice? Doesn’t it say something when a child reads a story like this and is incensed at the injustice of it all?

The children’s movie Inside Out explored how dysfunctional we have become regarding human emotion. We aren’t permitted to be angry, sad, disappointed, jaded or hurt. We can be depressed (because there is a pill for that). Yet these “negative” emotions serve a purpose. It is okay to be angry and sometimes it is downright warranted. It is all right to be afraid.

Our culture has become obsessed with never being offended and yet being offended is vital. There are things that should offend us. That is when real change is possible.

Insulating entire generations from ever experiencing negative emotions is in a word? Psychotic.

dark psycho teddy

Silverstein didn’t believe in happy endings being a necessity. He felt that set children up for failure, that things didn’t always work out. That if every book had an HEA then children would wonder what was so wrong with them. They didn’t always get an HEA in their lives. What were they doing wrong?

Nothing, my Wee One. It is life. Fair is a weather condition.

Good stories also serve as catharsis. We need to watch comedy because we do need to laugh, but you know what? Sometimes what we need is a good cry, too. And maybe we aren’t yet “evolved” enough to cry over what is going wrong in our own lives, but we can cry for a beautiful tree that was rendered a stump.

And that makes us all just a little bit more human.”

Now I’m a real sucker for my happily-ever-after, but even I agree with Kristen.

What are your thoughts, readers? Did you remember this story? How do you interpret it? Do you agree with Kristen about the bad side of only giving children their happily-ever-afters?

By the way, if you’re a writer, definitely subscribe to Kristen’s blog!

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Summer Is Women’s Winter

22 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun, Life

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AC, air conditioning, author, CollegeHumor, entertainment, fun, gender stereotypes, Stephanie Beavers, summer, winter, writer

I’m one of those people. Yes, one of those people. The one who’s always cold. It will be crazy hot outside (say, mid-thirties Celsius – mid-nineties to you Americans), and I will be packing a sweater around because the second I step foot inside, I know I’ll be freezing. ‘Cause y’all have the AC on too much.

So while the below video is a very humorous portrayal of this trait divided across gender lines, I take it to new heights. The other women laugh at the fleece blanket that I cuddle up in while they’re complaining about the heat.

So ladies, take pity on me, because if you feel like the ladies in the video, imagine how it must be for me; when you’re warming up, I’m still cold.

How is it for you, readers? Are you like me, always cold, or like the guys, laughing at the cold people?

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The new DQ is all for ME

08 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun, Life

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author, blizzard, DQ, fun facts, history, ice cream, soft serve, Stephanie Beavers, writer

So. Exciting news. A new DQ opened by my house! Well, a few blocks away, but STILL. DQ. ICE CREAM NOM NOM. Yep, I’m gonna be fat.

In celebration of all things Dairy Queen, I found some cool facts:

Though Dairy Queen has been around since 1940, they didn’t invent their trademark Blizzards until 1985. They sold more than 175 million Blizzards in the very first year. Source.
That’s right. It took them 45 years to invent my favorite ice cream. Then again, it still happened before I was born, so it’s all good.

DQ logos and branding

The original logo. See the rest of the logos below, but click this one to read the history!


The Green Tea Blizzard is the #1 seller in China. In the U.S., the most popular Blizzard is Oreo. Source.
Yeah… I’ll stick with Oreo too. In fact, Oreo with caramel is my favorite.

200.
Technically, the soft serve you order at DQ technically isn’t ice cream. It has to contain 10% butterfat to be considered ice cream and only contains 5%. Source.
Don’t care, had ice cream.

201
No Doubt was formed at a DQ in 1986. Eric Stefani and Greg Spence met while working at the same Dairy Queen and often talked about starting a band together. They finally did, and looped in a bunch of other musicians to round out the group. Source.
I’ll leave it to you, dear readers, do decide whether this was a good thing. ;)

202
The phrase “Dairy Queen” is mentioned in the social universe about once every 18 seconds. Source.
So I’m not the only one.

200
Dairy Queen’s soft serve recipe is a highly guarded trade secret. And just like KFC and Coke, they’ll never reveal the ingredients. “[The formula] is kept in a safe deposit box and there are only a few keys to it,” DQ’s chief branding officer, Michael Keller, has said. Source.
Keep it safe, DQ. Keep it safe.

I’m so full of onion rings right now. Mmmm…

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Aching Legs and a Dead Battery

16 Saturday Jul 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun, Life

≈ 3 Comments

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author, entertainment, fandom, fun, pokemon, Pokemon GO, Stephanie Beavers, video games, writer

I have aching legs and a dead cell phone battery. Yes, you guessed it, I have been sucked into Pokemon Go. I wasn’t really planning on playing it. Really. Sure, I heard all the hype on the internet (and even on the radio!) but I kinda went “meh, nothing will beat the original games I grew up on” and had no plans of pursuing go. Besides, it’s technically not even available in Canada yet. But then my husband became strangely obsessed with the game. He started researching about it, figured out how to “side load” it (don’t ask me, he put it on my phone for me, and he said he just googled how to do it), and now we are Pokemon Go players.
pikachu-rat
So there are three Pokestops within close walking distance around our apartment, and we have been walking laps between them. There are also two gyms within walking distance (a little further than the Pokestops, but not horifically far). We tried out battling, and clearly we need to do some leveling/practicing, but I did manage to add one of my Pokemon to a gym for about 5 minutes before the gym was defeated by another team.

I’ve collected a few facts about Pokemon Go:
1. My feet hurt. I need new shoes. Like, real shoes, with support.
2. Our local Starbucks, with a Pokestop right on top of it, is enjoying a surge in business.
3. My phone battery is going to be worn out in no time from all the draining/charging cycles its going through.
4. This game really is getting people out and about. My husband and I enjoy guessing which of the people we see out and about are playing Pokemon Go, and I suspect its quite a few of them. At the very least, it’s getting US out and about. I had no idea the number of little parks in the area.
5. The gamer rage when servers are down is unreal (and they’re down kind of a lot, when they’re not just plain glitchy)
6. Starter Pokemon are useless. No really. The only way to level them is to catch multiple of the same kind to get breed-specific candies to feed them. Since they’re super rare (as far as I can tell, although I’ve only been playing a couple days), you get your first one and then never use it because it’s super pathetically weak compared to stuff you catch even a couple levels later. This disappointed me actually quite a lot, since I went out of my way to get a Pikachu as my starter.
7. It’s fun. No really. Get it on your phone and get out in the world.
My Pokemons let me show you them

Oh, and there are some dangers involved. VG Cats explains one humorously.

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Back and Celebrating with a Baby Armadillo

04 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Life

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animal, animals, armadillo, author, Canada Day, cute, dog, dogs, Fourth of July, fun, Independence Day, life, News, pet, pets, squee, Stephanie Beavers, writer

Wow. Okay, so I didn’t intend to take that long of a break. Sorry, folks. But all that wedding stuff just piled up on me and I needed the break. But I’m back! Time to get back to the grindstone with my edits, blogging, and tweeting.

To celebrate that, Canada Day, and the 4th of July, here is Rollie, an adorable baby armadillo playing with a toy:

maple leaf flag

Happy Canada Day!

This dog wishes you a happy fourth of july

Happy Independence Day!

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Calling - Ebook Calling On Fire by Stephanie Beavers!
Two brothers with magical abilities seek to stop an evil mage only to find the fate of an entire race in their hands.
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  • Enjoying Music Again: Home Free
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Philosophy, kittens, and candy.
Disclaimer: The "be a dragon" quote is not mine. If you know who originally said it, please let me know so I can give due credit!

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