WINNER!

Thank you for your bids for the Alan Lee signed print!

CONGRATULATIONS, SILUS GROK! Please send me a copy of your paypal receipt to the NieNie Recovery Fund and your address and I'll mail your picture off to you! And THANK YOU!

Thank you, Jennie, as well xo! I hope we can meet in Dawlish soon for some clotted cream ice cream and an onion and an cheese pasty! Cheers!

AUCTION IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

My dear friend Jennie sent me this artist's print entitled "Merlin" by Alan Lee, her brother. Jennie and I moved to a small English town on the same day, we both have famous brothers. . . she taught me about squash and Tescos, and I taught her about American Halloween traditions, so we'll be friends forever! Her brother created the illustrations for the Lord of the Rings novels and won an Oscar for his artistic work on the films. Pretty big stuff. Happy bidding! I hope you get it!

Details: Total Print Size: 14 3/4" X 22 1/2" and Picture size: 10 3/4" X 18" An "Artist's Proof" signed by Alan Lee copyright 1995 ALAN LEE PUBLISHED BY GLIMMER GRAPHICS

Please bid in the comments section in whole-dollar increments. The auction will close on Friday, December 5th, 2008, at 10:00 pm Mountain Standard Time.

Upon auction's close, the winning bidder will be announced. The winner will then donate to the Nie Recovery Fund, after which a receipt will be emailed to the winner. The winner will then forward the receipt to me (lisavalentineclark AT gmail DOT COM) as proof of payment, after which I will mail the print to the winner!

You've Got to See This for Halloween!

I know this blog is just turning into one big advertisement for play after performance, but I'm okay with that!

THIS opens tonight!


From Topher's blog: Another show. This one for Halloween. All of the info is on the poster - click it and it expands. And all your nightmares will COME TRUE!!!!

Just kidding, it's not that scary. Unless you think rats, living death, and hellish elixirs of blood are scary!!!

The show is mixed media, meaning it's half film and half theater. I promise that - love it or hate it - it will be unlike anything you have ever seen. Easily the most difficult thing I've ever directed and possibly the most rewarding. Please come. It will make your Halloween season just that extra spooky.

The Thrillionaires Halloween Show with Guest Alex Boye

Here's what you MUST see this weekend:

The Thrillionaires’ October 18 performance will feature special guest artist and musician, Alex Boyé. After winning a singing competition in 1996, Boye gained success singing in an internationally acclaimed group called “Awesome.” Since then, Boye’s voice has accompanied superstars such as the Backstreet Boys, N’SYNC, Mary J. Blige and George Michael. Local audiences may remember him for his roles in “Smokey Joe's Cafe," "Big River," "The Civil War," and the film “David and Goliath."

Buy your tickets online for only $7 at www.coveycenter.org! It's sure to be a spooky good time!

The Thrillionaires!

The Thrillionaires plan the new fall season!

Oh, they just never turn it off, do they?!

We're having so much fun. . .

OH, still more fun!

Continuing my dedication to embarrass all my children, no matter how young.

You see, we're all jocks, and princesses, and freaks. . .

We kicked off our new season with an 80's show. An totally rad play about some awesome stereotypical teens in the first half, and then followed the rise and fall and rise again of the fictional band "Hot Sugar" for the second half's rock musical. I've said it a time or two, but I'll say it again: theater as improv is the best outlet around for me (right Hailey? and thanks for letting me steal your photos!)

Congratulations, Winners!!!

Congratulations to:

1. SHELLY TOBLER who won the signed Maroon5 guitar for $826!

2. DOMESTIC BLISS who won tickets to the September 10th Maroon5 concert for $300!

3. MICHAEL BARBER who won tickets to the September 10th Maroon5 concert for $300!

Winners, please send me a receipt from the pay pal donation (go here to find the paypal account) AND your name, email address, and phone number to lisavalentineclark AT gmail DOT com.

Thank you for everyone who bid! ROCK ON!

(and thanks again, James!)

AUCTION CLOSES SOON!

FINAL CALL: MY AUCTION WILL CLOSE THIS THURSDAY AT 10 P.M. MST!

So far:

1. the autographed Maroon5 guitar is at $800 (nick greer)
2. the September 10th Phoenix, AZ Maroon5/Counting Crows (2) tickets is at: $300 (domestic bliss)
3. the second set of (2) tickets for the same concert is at: $300 (michael barber)

My husband's auction--an awesome blog that will make someone awesome went for $825, so, you know, keep that in mind. It's not that we're competing against each other or anything. His success is my success and all, but we still have one more day of bidding. . . just a thought.

AUCTION

Here's my offering for Nie Nie Day.*** (I'm shameless. I'm cashing in on my little brother's success. But at least it's for a great cause, right?!) I'm opening the bid right now, and I will close it on Thursday September 4th 10 pm MST. 100% of the money from these auctions will go directly to the Nie Nie Recovery Fund.

AUCTION #1: A GUITAR (NEW) SIGNED BY MAROON5 Bidding starts at: $300

AUCTION #2: 2 TICKETS TO THE SEPTEMBER 10TH MAROON5 & COUNTING CROWS CONCERT IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA AT THE CRICKET WIRELESS PAVILLION Bidding starts at: $150

AUCTION #3: 2 TICKETS TO THE SEPTEMBER 10TH MAROON5 & COUNTING CROWS CONCERT IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA AT THE CRICET WIRELESS PAVILLION Bidding starts at: $150

*Thanks Jimmy V! I love you!* (and not in a creepy stalker way, but with awesome sisterly love)

How to Bid: Leave a comment in the comment section below with your bid amount. Bid increments must be no less than $1.00. The winner will submit payment to the Stephanie Nielson Fund Paypal Account and send the receipt to me to receive their prize.


***Design Mom, my dear friend, Gabby Blair, has made today "Nie Nie Day." There are auctions all over the blog world today, and all of the proceeds for all various items will go to Stephanie and Christian and their dear little family.

Here's what Gabby has to say about it:

NIE NIE DAY
When tragedy strikes someone we love, our hearts swell, and the urge to take action is almost relentless. I know many of us are feeling that way about Stephanie and Christian. We want to take action. To do something. Some of us know them personally. Some of us know them through Nie Nie Dialogues. Some of us just heard about them and can't seem to think of anything else.

Well. I am still feeling that urge to take action. So here I go. I'm officially declaring next Thursday, August 28th, Nie Nie Day. The plan: instead of my usual Giveaway, I'll be hosting a silent auction at Design Mom. With all proceeds going directly to the Stephanie & Christian Paypal fund. What's the prize? Well Ms. Impatient. You'll just have to wait until Thursday to find out. Although I promise it will be great. And something that Stephanie would love.





For other AWESOME AUCTIONS check out:

Design Mom and Nie Nie's Benefit Blog for lists and lists of other auctions to check out today.

Good Friends

It is really amazing how kind and supportive everyone has been concerning Stephanie and Christian. Topher and I feel really grateful for such an incredible support system, receiving so much love and support in the form of calls, visits, and treats. We will use this support to help take care of each other in the Clark family, and there is something really beautiful about that. So, thank you.

My friend Gabby has written a beautiful tribute to Stephanie, and has a great call to action as well. Go to her site to see for yourself: www.designmom.com.

Something You Can Do

A lot of dear friends have expressed a willingness to do something--to help in any way. Here's the information our family came up with, knowing that their recovery costs will go into the millions. . .

Two donation accounts have been set up.

1. Visiting a Bank of America and donating to the "Christian and Stephanie Nielson Rehab Fund."

Or,

2. Visiting a Wells Fargo and donating to the "Stephanie Nielson Fund."

Although, visiting is highly restricted right now (only family members) we can post cards, pictures and well-wishes in their rooms (two separate rooms). Of course, they are heavily sedated at this time, but will make these hospital rooms Nie worthy regardless!

Send cards, pictures, etc. to:

c/o Stephanie and Christian Nielson
Maricopa County Hospital
2601 East Roosevelt Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008

Thank you again for all your emails and calls. Its overwhelmingly comforting.

pray and fast

It's a small blogging world, so maybe you've already heard the horrible news that my sister in-law, Stephanie and her husband Christian and a flight instructor were in a plane crash. I don't want to go into the details here, but they are in critical condition. We are told to expect months of recovery.

Go here for consistent updates from her sister, cjane.

I believe strongly in the power of prayer, so will you please include them in yours, also remembering their four small children? We are also having a fast for them tomorrow. You are invited to join as well.

Doesn't this shot look like I used one of those fake nature backgrounds from JC Penny?

And isn't it funny that my 7 month old baby can wear pigtails?




Don't you love how I just post photos all the time, and don't write many words?



Words are hard.

Summertime Update

I take the kids swimming, but strategically keep Margaret out of the water. Everybody wins!





My dad built us a fence and my mom takes us to Taco Bell! It is needless to say that my parents have given me the keys to good parenting.



Everybody's happy.

Don't Feel Sorry For Me (unless it means bringing me treats)

As some of you know, Topher's out of town being awesome with his mistress, Lady London. He loves that town and wishes we lived there. I compromised and now he travels there, hosting awesome UVU students, one month out of the year and I stay home where all my stuff is (At first, he kept telling me it was 3 1/2 weeks, but then when I saw the dates I figured it was one day short of 4 weeks and then and there insisted we just go ahead and call that four weeks, but whatever). That is our compromise. Honestly, I'm fine with it because its just too cool of an opportunity to pass up, but I will pull out my glossy martyr card now and again, like any good wife should.

Topher keeps a wonderful account of his travels on his London Blog: mind the gap. Its full of beautiful photos and great insights on traveling there. So if you're thinking about going: Go. If you ever have the opportunity (make it) to go, hosted by one Christopher Clark, you'd be crazy not to go.

Its only been a week, but I've made some observations this last week that have been solidified in my mind over the last three years of doing this (the first year he was gone for 7 weeks--too long!) Let me share a few of them:

1. You can immediately tell the kind a relationship someone has with their spouse by their reaction and line of questioning when they find out where Topher is and what he's doing. (I'm not judging, it's just interesting)

2. Topher apparently gets up with Hugh in the night. A lot.

3. You find out who your real friends are when your husband is out of town for a long time. Even far away friends. (now I'm judging. . . a little--but it's a good judgment)

4. Hiring a regular babysitter so I get expected breaks makes everyone happy. So do new shoes. And eating out.

5. My dad always goes above and beyond helping me when Topher's gone. (Maybe its because he traveled a lot when I was young and no one helped my mom.) It's really touching, and it makes me want to cry (well, there's a big surprise), in a good--that's so meaningful--way.

But if you speak/email/facebook Topher, tell him that "She seems to be holding up. . . " or "well, she's hangin' in there. . .sigh. . with all those kids. . ." and casually remind him that I might love a selection of European dark chocolate and some trinkets from H&M, or whatever.

This is why I can't stop crying

My darling friend, Haley took these pictures, isn't she talented? You should book her for your next photo need: family portraits, bridals, head shots, or just a Wednesday afternoon photo shoot. We all need one of those! Check her out: www.haywusup.blogspot.com. You should book her way in advance. . . seriously, she's good and in demand!

AS IF I COULD STARE AT THIS BABY ANY MORE!

WELCOME

Go over to this blog for a little something to start your Wednesday. Apparently I want as many blogs as I have children. I'm sure there's some symbolism there.

A fun new thing

A few months ago, bloated and pregnant with Margaret, I was asked to write a blog with some other women for Deseret Book. I was really excited, but explained that I might be "a little sad" after the birth of my baby (I love that I said "might," oh, always the optimist!), so I didn't think much of it when months passed and I didn't hear anything. Maybe I had said. too. much.

Well, about a month ago I got the go-ahead that the other women had joined on, and that the site would be up and running May 19th! I have been writing several posts over the last two weeks, and even had a real-life business meeting in "the city". I wore a skirt and everything. I felt very professional, even though I nursed through the agenda and changed Margaret on the floor under the business table when she pooped up her back. I had a back-up outfit for her and everything. Yes, the stars aligned that day.

Excel Entertainment functions under Deseret Book, and they're the ones who approached me. I've been thinking how it's funny how one thing leads to another: Garren's Comedy Troupe in college connects me to voice over and commercial work and connections which leads to the Junior's Giants cartoon series which jumps to Stalking Santa and Excel and now this. Who knows where this will lead. Maybe I'll finally get that pony!

The other women I'm blogging about are incredible: very talented, smart, and funny! I hope I can keep up with them. I'll let you hop over to the site to meet them. I don't want to ruin your surprise of discovery. As soon as the site is up and running, I'll post the link. Please check back, and then go over and read it!

10 Years

Miles, my oldest, just turned 10 years old which means that I've been a mother for 10 years now. It seems like a pretty big deal to me, and it brought up a lot of emotions in me that I found really surprising, but, really, I shouldn't have been so surprised. I always feel anxious when older women tell me to enjoy these kids while they're young because it goes by so fast. It's like telling someone who is hanging off a cliff, hanging on for dear life, to "hang on!" Of course I will, and telling me reminds me of the desperateness of it all.

As most of you know, I just had a baby, which, not surprisingly, has also brought up a lot of emotions for me. Basically, I'm an emotional person (wreck). A real BLUE (The Color Code Personality Test? Anyone?), which makes teacher and motherhood perfect careers for me, but also ones that torture me because they are wrought with emotional charge and change.

So now, a decade later, I have a child in various ages of development: a newborn baby, a demanding toddler, a bright-eyed 5 year-old, an accountable up 8 year-old, and now a 10 year-old. On Miles' birthday, all day, each child reminded me of Miles at each developmental stage. I could see his fat round face as a newborn and all the questions I had as a new mom about what he would be like and what kind of mother I would really turn out to be. I saw him as a temperamental toddler asserting his new-found independence and I remembered the day he discovered the wind at 18 months and how he put out his hands to touch it and how it literally took his breath away. I remember how he would sit in his room, quiet, before he could read, and look at books for hours, and how he could name the planets, in order, and dreamed of sitting in a control room, blasting off his more adventurous brother into space, explaining that he would be too scared to fly into space, but Owen wouldn't! I remember his first day of kindergarten and how small he looked next to the other kids, and how I ran out of the school so that no one would see me cry, and then I called my mom and we both cried some more. I can see the soccer games, where he was more interested in waving to us than in kicking the ball, and the birthday parties, and most importantly, the quiet days. I remember everything, that's the blessing and the curse, isn't it?

The day before Miles' birthday, he had a late-night cast party for the school play, Much Ado About Nothing, at the school across the street. The kids were all in bed and Miles insisted he could walk home by himself, AT NINE THIRTY! I was so nervous and walked out to the corner to meet him. He didn't see me watching him, dressed in a Maroon 5 t-shirt, walking without a care in the world, humming something to himself, and in the moonlight I thought, "This is my little boy. What will the next 10 years bring him?" As I started to think of the dating, and driving and graduating from high school . . . it was too much for me to take in. I just wanted him to be ten forever. Or at least crack a corny joke and describe to me (in painful detail) all of the parts he liked in the movie version of Much Ado, which he did, then adding that he started global warming by farting in the ocean.


(Margaret on her blessing day)

Kacy Tagged Me--Oh, the Pressure!

If you're not reading everydayiwritethebook (www.kasm.blogspot.com), you're missing out! You're welcome.

10 Years Ago. . .
I was 9 months pregnant with Miles and lugging 60 pounds of pregnancy weight while teaching 10th and 11th graders the parts of speech (thank you Schoolhouse Rock!), how to write a 5 paragraph essay, and how to think and reason logically. That last one's not a joke, bytheway. I remember lots of free-writing exercises, saltine crackers in my desk, and that one of my students was pregnant at the same time! I couldn't wear regular shoes and had to stuff my bloated feet into my Birkenstocks, and we were so poor back then I had to wear the same 3 maternity dresses my mom made for me over and over (Topher, no jokes about the fish dress--it's still too soon), which was fine because high school students are totally understanding when it comes to fashion and appearance.

5 Things On My To-Do List:
1. Clean behind the boys' dressers.
2. Make grocery list, get groceries, put groceries away. Order pizza for dinner.
3. Write thank you note to my mom for gorgeous blessing outfit she made Margaret.
4. Learn to sew.
5. Put on my Birkenstocks and note to myself that they are loose and comfortable.

5 Snacks I Enjoy:
1. dark chocolate covered almonds
2. cheese--exotic cheeses, cheese dips (hot or cold), cheese flavoring
3. popcorn with a handful of m&ms thrown in, slightly melted
4. bruchetta
5. fresh pineapple

5 Foods I Love:
1. Pollo Rosa Maria at Carraba's
2. Authentic Margarita Pizza
3. Green Chili Chicken Salad at Bajio's
4. Citrus Grill Salads/Sandwiches
5. Medium Fillet with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

What I Would Do If I Were Suddenly a Billionaire:
Get that Nel-Net off our back. Pay off everything. Travel a lot. Save a lot. Give away some. Doesn't everyone answer this question pretty much the same?

5 Places I Have Lived:

1. Lincoln, Nebraska
2. Provo, Utah (seven different apartments, and a cute home)
3. Dawlish, England
4. Orem, Utah (but Topher told everyone we lived in Lindon)
5. in my head, in my own reality

Favorite Quote:

"The world is full of crazy people. Our job is to not let the crazy people take over." Robert Valentine

Mom Blog

"Oh Margaret! You're so cute! What a cute baby-boo-boo! Look at those kissy lips!"



"No, look at ME!"



"I can do awesome stuff Margot can't do. . ."



"Good one, Hugh! Hilarious! I'll have to remember that! Wait--what's a marker again?"



Scene.