Stephanie's Studio

When I first became a blogger it was difficult to know if I had readers and visitors coming to my blog. I’d post and be met by the sounds of crickets. Then, I branched out into the world of the blogosphere, a world I  didn't  know really existed. From my ventures, I met a lot of interesting bloggers.  I've  started following and commenting on numerous blogs, for you see, prior to my outings, I too was out among the crickets. Lurking about but seldom saying anything. A fellow blogger  I've  met through my journeys around the blogosphere is Melissa Maygrove . She had the brilliant idea to have a Follow Fest , where we share about who we are, what we do and most importantly, how you can connect with us further. It is my intention through joining Follow Fest, that I’ll connect with many more readers and people interested enough in what I do to want to learn more by following. So, here goes my entry for the fest. Name:   St...

I've joined yet another blog hop. "Underrated Treasures Blogfest" is hosted by Alex Cavanaugh, who also put together the much talked about A to Z April Blogger's Challenge. Thank you Alex, for reminding us that our posts are due today. Sometimes I get oblivious and caught up in my own world. When I first heard of this blog hop I got very excited because on the designated day, bloggers post about an underrated or obscure book, movie, band or a TV Show. What I like about this challenge is that it made me think. I went through my mental inventory of books, movies, bands and TV programs to decide which one to blog about and why. What did this particular type of expression mean to me and what could it offer others. This was a fun exercise in itself because I was reminded of the many hidden treasures I enjoy that could be shared. I will do so, each month, as the hop continues. You can see what other people are sharing by scrolling down  Alex Cavanaugh's Blog  to...

While it may sound unbelievable, when and where I grew up speakeasies were still in existence. I grew up in Southern New Jersey, what we call South Jersey, of Jersey Shore fame. As far as when, that rests with me. There were many fascinating things about visiting speakeasies with my parents, one of which is that my mother was learning to make her own alcoholic drinks. We went regularly to one which featured the white lightning of the owner and another featuring homemade wines. My mother was a very idiosyncratic woman. She liked drinking the white lightning perhaps a bit too much. On the other hand, at the other speakeasy we’d visit, she quickly became captivated with the idea of making her own wine. From there, she went about going to antique shops, in the ‘olde’ town of Swedesboro, to find just the right crocks, as the vessel in which she’d make her wines. To my untrained nose, her wine-making was a foul affair. What else could it be in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, so di...

This is a first for Stephanie's Studio. Please welcome Chrys Fey, who is our guest blogger for today. I met up with Chrys in April during the A to Z Challenge . With that challenge, bloggers posted every day of April on a topic built around the alphabet letter of the day. I'm not sure how I came across Chrys' blog. Perhaps it was through our mutual groups on She Writes . Immediately upon discovering her blog  Write with Fey  I was struck by the depth and breadth of her posts. Very generously, practically everyday, she posts helpful hints for writers. Her posts are informative, entertaining and engaging. You can tell she's beloved in the blogosphere because numerous people comment on her posts on a daily basis. If you're into writing, I highly recommend you visit her blog. What Chrys and I have in common is not only our passion for blogging. We are also both authors. She has been prolifically publishing suspenseful novels. One of the groups she created on She Write...

It's been an interesting end to the summer. I've found work, as I shared previously, and it's meaningful to boot. The type of freelance writing jobs coming my way enhance rather than distract from the direction of my path. Even while working, I find myself deepening my spirituality and credit a lot of this to the Law of Attraction . Before I even knew what the Law of Attraction was, I began to notice people popping in and out of my life in a way that suggested all of it served a purpose. In my line of work, which involved working with lots of different students, I connected in meaningful ways that were mutually beneficial because of this coming together. Lacking the words to describe this phenomena, I could only say we crossed each others paths for a reason. Years later, I read a book that changed life as I knew it called  "The Secret." Now that I understand the Law of Attraction and embrace its precepts more good is flowing in and negativity is swiftly dep...

Where have I been? What have I been doing the past two weeks? Making decisions, sorting things out, and as my last post suggests, moving forward. While sometimes I imagine I've gone down the ubiquitous rabbit hole, what I've been doing is necessary. To grow is to change and changing takes place on a convoluted path in its own time. As a writer and member of the Insecure Writer's Support Group , I gained some much needed courage. It may sound counterproductive but I quit a year long writing class that wasn't serving my needs. I'd been tortured about quitting it since the beginning. You have to apply for the class. Twice I was rejected but last year I was finally admitted. It's a small class that promises a lot. In the end I could see it was never going to deliver. Our teacher was disengaged all month and seemingly only thought about the class a few days before we were to meet (our meetings were once a month). The week I quit she asked us to...