What Would They Wear in 2015? Rachel Van Buren

Each week we are picking a new leading-lady to feature and sharing ideas about how we think she would dress in 2015! Scroll below to see how I imagine she would dress, then you can show me how YOU imagine she would dress! Just upload a picture to the comments section here, or on Facebook, and the outfit YOU CHOOSE will be added my new Pinterest board. (Then we can all see each others ideas!)

This week, I'm featuring Rachel Van Buren from my second book, The Measure of a Lady. (Be sure to follow the Pinterest board so you'll see your outfit when it's posted!)

“Johnnie was halfway out of his chair before he realized it had been well over a year since he’d stood up for a lady. But lady she was. Standing amongst these disreputable miners in her coat, skirt, and sunbonnet. Caked in mud and looking so blasted pretty he could scarcely catch his breath.

Every eye in the place was on her. Even Rattlesnake appeared to have forgotten he’d just lost his fortune. And the lady? The lady’s attention was fully and completely focused on Johnnie.

And she was none too pleased.”
— The Measure of a Lady
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To get an inside peek at my inspiration for the characters of The Measure of a Lady, go here.

As for Rachel, my original inspiration was this model from the Neil Hamil Agency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Van Buren was all about following the plethora of Victorian rules that governed what a woman should do: speak politely, dress modestly, and rise above temptation. She lived in San Francisco, which today is one of the trendiest and funkiest cities in the USA. Here's some ideas on how today she might conform to the conservative demands of her day, yet allow a bit of personality show through.

Now it's your turn! Find an outfit you think Rachel would wear today, and I'll add it to my Rachel Van Buren Pinterest board! Just leave the image here or on my Facebook!

What Would They Wear in 2015? Constance Morrow

I LOVE the gorgeous dresses that women wore back in the day and I always incorporate some in my books. That got me to thinking--if my heroines lived in the 21st century, what would they wear? With that in mind, I scrolled through Pinterest (so addicting!), and found some fun styles I think my heroines would love!

For fun, what if each week we pick a new leading-lady to feature? I can show you how I imagine she would dress, then you can show me how YOU imagine she would dress! Just upload a picture to the comments section here, or on Facebook, and the outfit YOU CHOOSE will be added my new Pinterest board. (Then we can all see each others ideas!) This week, I'm featuring Constance Morrow from my first book, A Bride Most Begrudging. (Be sure to follow the Pinterest board so you'll see your outfit when it's posted!)

“‘He wants a fifteen thousand pound settlement,’ Drew said.
Constance widened her eyes. ‘Fifteen thousand!’
‘He says you’re a great deal of trouble.’
She hesitated for one startled moment before choking back a laugh. ‘I am.’
‘I thought so.’
Her father leveled Drew with a look. ‘If I pay you the fifteen thousand, do you swear to keep her?’
Drew reared back his head. ‘Forever?’
Her father scowled. ‘Forever.’”
— A Bride Most Begrudging
My original inspiration for Constance, and Emma Stone in *The Help*

My original inspiration for Constance, and Emma Stone in *The Help*

 

To get an inside peek at my inspiration for the characters of A Bride Most Begrudging, go here.

As for Constance, my original inspiration came from a picture of a doll I saw in a magazine while I was waiting for a prescription to be filled. I gasped and thought, "That's her! That's Constance as a child."

If I had to pick out an actress to cast as Constance, I'd chose Emma Stone--especially with the way her hair was worn in the movie *The Help.* (Who would you choose?)

 

 

 

Constance was a true red head and covered with freckles. Feisty, headstrong, and intelligent, if she were shopping for clothes today, she'd probably look for something tasteful and exquisitely made with a lot of class. A kind of Princess Kate look.

So, with that in mind, here's some things I picked out for Constance if she were living in 2015 ........

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Now it's your turn! Find an outfit you think Constance would wear today, and I'll add it to my Constance Morrow Pinterest board! Just leave the image here or on my Facebook!

Dee Just Wants To Have Fun

Each member of our family took a personality test based on Taylor Hartman's The Color Code.  I like it so much better than the Meyers-Briggs for a couple of reasons.  Meyers-Briggs has 16 categories, The Color Code has four.  Meyers-Briggs tells us how the personality types act, The Color Code explains why.

The Color Code breaks down everyone into four basic color groups:
    1.    RED: The annoying bossy types
    2.    BLUE: Moody artists
    3.    WHITE: Unmotivated layabouts
    4.    YELLOW: Party animals

That's obviously an oversimplification, but your color explains the motivation behind your behavior.  And your color is not something learned, it's something you're born with.  Though I mentioned the weaknesses of the personality types above, there are also many positives attached to each color (for example, Reds are fantastic, natural-born leaders).

At RWA I was having lunch in Orlando with NYT bestselling author Kristan Higgins when Goofy happened by. We stopped for a photo op. 

At RWA I was having lunch in Orlando with NYT bestselling author Kristan Higgins when Goofy happened by. We stopped for a photo op. 

To find out what color you are, click here and take a free 15 minute test (you don't have to sign up for email lists or anything).  At the end of the test, you'll find out what color you are.  I'm a yellow.  Take a peek at what motivates me (everything is spot-on except for the "uncommitted" part ... I'm very, very committed and very, very loyal).

Each person also has, of course, a strong secondary color.  Mine is Red.  So, the red in me is constantly trying to train the yellow in me!  Ha.  My overall pie chart indicated that I was:
    1.    60% party animal
    2.    30% annoying bossy type
    3.    9% moody artist
    4.    1% unmotivated layabout

To find out your secondary colors, you have to pay for it, though.  :(

 This is bestselling author Tamera Alexander and me when we were both nominated for a RITA (which she won, the dog--I've never let her forget it, either!!) :)

 

This is bestselling author Tamera Alexander and me when we were both nominated for a RITA (which she won, the dog--I've never let her forget it, either!!) :)

In this one I'm at RomCon and they had a big cardboard replica of a book cover with a hole where the heroine's face went. I got behind it and poked my head through.

In this one I'm at RomCon and they had a big cardboard replica of a book cover with a hole where the heroine's face went. I got behind it and poked my head through.

In our family, we have 2 reds, 2 yellows, 1 blue and 1 white!  No wonder things were always in an uproar around here!  :)  Anyhoo, take the test and leave a comment telling us what color you are!

All the Juicy DeeTales: A Secret Revealed

One of you asked me to reveal something about myself that not too many people know. So in today's video, I confess to a prank I did to a fellow who teased me in high school. Wonder what ever happened to him. Click below for All the Juicy DeeTales!

If you have a question for me, leave it in the comments section here, on my Facebook page, on Pinterest, on my YouTube Channel, or on Goodreads and I'll pick one for the next edition of *All the Juicy DeeTales!*

Mimi's Cutthroat Christmas

This was the first year to have Christmas without my dad. Mom decided to stick with tradition though, and I'm so glad she did. Every year we celebrate Christmas at their house the weekend before Christmas Day. Rather than buy things for all the kids and grandkids, Mom cleans out her cupboards and gives away items she no longer needs/wants. Since they are secondhand items, she doesn't feel right wrapping them up and putting them under the tree. So instead, she distributes them under the guise of a white elephant gift exchange. The thing that is different is that instead of just one gift, she fills a lawn-and-leaf black garbage bag full of items (one bag per person). Some of the items are what Mom calls "three-star" items (like cut crystal from her china cabinet) and some receive no stars at all (like staple removers).

Still, the family embraces her game and what started years ago as a friendly white elephant gift exchange has evolved into what the kids call “Mimi’s Cutthroat Christmas”. Due to the plethora of items and competitive family spirit, the game can get pretty ruthless. LOL.

"Game Faces" Left to Right: My son-in-law, 27 yo daughter, niece-in-law (is that a word?), and nephew.

"Game Faces" Left to Right: My son-in-law, 27 yo daughter, niece-in-law (is that a word?), and nephew.

Since Dad wasn't there to help, I went over to Mom's the week before. We corralled the gifts, divided the gifts, and wrapped the gifts. Took us about 30+ hours to get it all ready. My mom made a spreadsheet of sorts to make sure each garbage bag had items that a man would enjoy, items a woman would enjoy, items that were of high value, and items that were of no value.

This year's gifts ranged from blenders to Christmas decorations to pink flamingos. The rules change each year and the kids enjoy debating the rules almost as much as the actual game. Every year we tell ourselves that we’ll remember how we played for next year. And every year we always forget.

My nephew opened a red velvet cape, which was stolen by my daughter-in-law.

My nephew opened a red velvet cape, which was stolen by my daughter-in-law.

It was great fun to see the kids open the gifts and to see if Mom and I were right in estimating what the "hot" items were. We were convinced that the fold out card tables would be a big hit. Much to our surprise, it was Dad's full size disco ball (he used to be a square dance caller) and his machete which were this year’s most sought after. (The kids were stunned when they opened the disco ball. They had NO idea their 84 yo grandpa had one up in the attic. That took a little explaining. LOL. And my sweet daughter-in-law who stole the velvet cape, also snagged the machete. An inner-warrior hiding inside that one. Ha.)

When all is finished, my mom let's them pick one painting from the wall (she's an artist). This is the highlight of the day and the kids have to draw numbers for their "Mimi art." There is NO stealing in this game. So getting the #1 pick is a big, big deal. 

Despite missing Dad, it ended up being a time of laughter and poignancy as we drew comfort from each other while still experiencing the joy of the season and joy of being with family. Do/did you have any special traditions when you went to Grandma's house?

No Blog Today

No blog today because the proofreader has finished TIFFANY GIRL and I have to sign off on the changes, so I've spent the last several days combing through the manuscript to make sure we haven't missed anything. My man surprised me at lunch yesterday by bringing me an artfully arranged plate, including a chocolate ganache orange truffle he made from scratch, a chocolate covered strawberry from the chocolate he'd handmade, and half of a chocolate chip cookie he'd made. *sigh* A jock, a cook, and a romantic. Do I have me a keeper or what?

All the Juicy DeeTales: Do You Know What's Next?

Some of you have asked when I sign a multibook contract with a publisher, do I know in advance what all of those books will be about! Find out the process and learn why everything doesn't always go according to plan!

If you have a question for me, leave it in the comments section here, on my Facebook page, on Pinterest, on my YouTube Channel, or on Goodreads and I'll pick one for the next edition of *All the Juicy DeeTales!*

Yearbook Yourself

I "yearbooked" myself. Have you seen this website? You superimpose your face on different yearbook pictures to see what you would have looked like in high school back in the day.  Here are some of mine:

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LOL! You can do couples, girlfriends and all kinds of things.  And you know what's scary? That 1978 pic looks a lot like my real pic in my high school yearbook!!! What about you? Does your yearbookyourself.com pic look anything like your graduation photo in your real yearbook?

 

Christmas Decorating

I listened to my favorite Christmas album this morning. Is it too early for that, do you think? Probably, but I so love the Christmas season. I always go all out with my decorations and transform the house into a winter wonderland with all the trimmings.

One year I was so tired that I only decorated one tree (instead of two), hung the stockings and that's it. Because as much as I enjoy the decorations, I abhor putting them away at the end of the season.

The kids were grown and gone, but when they walked in and that's all they saw ... ohmygosh. They were crushed. So ever since, I'm back to two trees and all the trimmings. :)

What do you do? Do you go all out? How do you "keep the joy" when it's time to put it all away?

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