Guest bloggers Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

Captain’s Log, Stardate 06.26.2006

I’ve got a double-shot headed your way with my guest bloggers today—Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt, co-authors of the books EMILY EVER AFTER and CONSIDER LILY!

CONSIDER LILY

Lily Traywick thinks she must have been adopted. It’s easier than believing she’s actually related to Joan and Roland Traywick, her power-couple parents who run Traywick’s of San Francisco, the most chi-chi department store on the west coast. While her parents party with Miuccia in Milan and Gabbanna in Paris, Lily hangs out at home in ratty jeans and an old t-shirt. She loves softball, guys, and Jesus, and she’s eager to make her own way in the world. Feeling that her life is on hold, she turns to her best friend Reagan, a fashionista who has it all, for a major life makeover.

Lily is soon dressing in the latest must-have fashions and pursuing a writing career. She’s even dating the perfect guy. But does he love her for who she really is?And what about his friend from college, reappeared in his life?

As Lily’s friends question her new way of life, everything is getting more complicated. Public scandal, family drama, and technological disasters add to her confusion, and Lily is forced to consider whether her quest to have it all will cause her to lose everything that matters. A tale of love, trials, and faith set against a wonderfully drawn portrait of San Francisco, Consider LIly is a hilarious look at life as a modern Christian.

And now, make way for Anne and May!

MY DEAR FRIEND, THE ELEPHANT MAN

Technically, CONSIDER LILY was born over beers at McGee's, the terrible Irish pub where we met every week for "writing group" last year. But the seeds for this book were actually sown many years earlier. You see, like many women, we used to believe that we didn't measure up.

Anne
I won't go into the many reasons I thought I was destined to be friends with the Elephant Man for the first twenty two years of my life. Let's just say my perm didn't help, and neither did my braces, my bangs, my acne, and my utter lack of fashion sense. I think in my heart I knew I shouldn't have these feelings, but it didn't make a difference. I was still cripplingly self-conscious.

May
As a child, I was so withdrawn that I had to establish a "secret ring" for when my parents called and I was home alone. They'd ring twice. Hang up. And then call back. Only then would I answer the phone. On top of my shyness, I couldn't make sense of fashion either. I was constantly mocked about my hilarious ensembles (let's not even discuss the exclusively silk wardrobe I tried out in ninth grade). Needless to say, I felt like some kind of leprosy victim walking the halls of my school. Unclean! Unclean! Social leper coming through.

But the thing is neither of us were actually ugly. We just believed we were because we didn't look like the women in the fashion magazines. We had freckles, scrunchies, frizzy hair, and amorphous bodies. Only through many years of seeking God and knowing that he loved us, did we begin to feel more "normal." And that's where this book really started—in the slow recognition and firm belief that we are beautiful—that we are all beautiful—because God made us, and everything he made is good.

CONSIDER LILY
With CONSIDER LILY we wanted to write a book that addressed the insecurities and self-loathing that we all sometimes feel. Lily Traywick, the heroine of our second novel, is an awkward tomboy who doesn't know how to act around guys, a girl who really believes a major life makeover will help her become the person she wants to be. And, much to her surprise, it works. Soon she is dressing better, dating the perfect guy, and feeling pretty special. It's a wild ride through the city of San Francisco, but in the end, Lily has to face who she really is at her core and what, ultimately, makes her special. (Here's a hint: It's not her Seven jeans, though they do make her butt look good.)

CONSIDER LILY was a blast to write, and we hope it's fun to read. But we also hope that it makes women think about how God sees us and to delight in that. We hope you enjoy the read and please feel free to write us your thoughts about it. We love hearing from you guys!

Anne and May

http://www.goodgirllit.com
anne.dayton [at] gmail.com
may.vanderbilt [at] gmail.com

Ecclesiastes 3:11--He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Camy here: Thanks, Anne and May! You guys rock! I know I’ll totally relate to Lily.

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And

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Camy’s Worsted Cotton Comfortable Skirt with Lace Edging knitting pattern

I made my original Comfortable Cotton Skirt with a simple eyelet round at the bottom, but this one has a simple antique garter stitch lace edging, “Edging to Trim the Body and Sleeves” on page 43 of the book New Guide to Knitting and Crochet , published in 1847. You can download a free ebook copy of the book here . The edging was originally to trim a Baby’s Knit Body, but I have no idea what that is. :P If you do, please do leave a comment. I also changed the hip increases to 4 distinct darts rather than 8 sections, but if you prefer the hip increases from my original Comfortable Cotton skirt, you can substitute that. Like the original Comfortable skirt, this one is cotton for summer, and loose for casual wear. It has a little positive ease and is only slightly flared. The waist is drawstring rather than elastic so that I can loosen it on my fat days or after pigging out at my favorite restaurant. This pattern/recipe is for my size, but there are instructions at the bottom for

One-Skein Pyrenees Scarf knitting pattern

I got into using antique patterns when I was making the scarf my hero wears in my Regency romance, The Spinster’s Christmas . I wanted to do another pattern which I think was in use in the Regency period, the Pyrenees Knit Scarf on pages 36-38 of The Lady's Assistant for Executing Useful and Fancy Designs in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work, volume 1, by Jane Gaugain, published in 1840. She is thought to be the first person to use knitting abbreviations, at least in a published book, although they are not the same abbreviations used today (our modern abbreviations were standardized by Weldon’s Practical Needlework in 1906). Since the book is out of copyright, you can download a free PDF copy of the book at Archive.org. I found this to be a fascinating look at knitting around the time of Jane Austen’s later years. Although the book was published in 1840, many of the patterns were in use and passed down by word of mouth many years before that, so it’s possible these are

Keriah's Narrow Crescent Scarf

In my series Lady Wynwood’s Spies, my character Keriah is more emotional than her friend Phoebe, and so when writing about her in Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 6: Martyr , naturally I described her scarf as having more lively colors than the greens and blues that Phoebe favors. I didn’t really have a particular yarn colorway in mind when I wrote the scene, but when looking through my stash to knit her scarf, I found the Carnival colorway in Knit Picks Chroma Twist Fingering, and it was absolutely perfect for her. Chroma Twist Fingering is discontinued, but you could knit this in Chroma Fingering or any other color-transitional yarn. In the Regency era, a tri-color 3-ply yarn like Chroma Twist Fingering would probably not have been sold in shops, but it also may not have been completely unheard of. It is made by simply dying the wool rather than the finished yarn, and then the dyed wool would be split into 3 parts and each part spun into a single ply, before all three plies

The Robe by Wes King

Captain’s Log, Stardate 01.07.2006 I’ve been developing the spiritual theme for this current project for a while, and I think I’ve finally nailed it down. This song has inspired me in my own walk, but then it occurred to me that it communicates the emotional theme for my WIP very well, too. The Robe by Wes King Anyone whose heart is cold and lonely Anyone who can't believe Anyone whose hands are worn and empty Come as you are Anyone whose feet are tired of walking And even lost their will to run There is a place of rest for your aching soul Come as you are For the robe is of God That will clothe your nakedness And the robe is His grace It's all you need Come as you are Anyone who feels that they're unworthy Anyone whose just afraid Come sinner, come and receive His mercy Come as you are For the robe is of God That will clothe your nakedness And the robe is His grace It's all you need Come as you are From the album: The Robe c1993 Emily Boothe, Inc. (BMI)/Careers-BMG Mus

Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter

I worked on my first Kickstarter and it got approved! It’s for the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer and the release of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster. I contacted my graphic designer about the Special Edition Hardcover of vol. 1: Archer—it’s going to be SO beautiful! The Kickstarter focuses on the Special Edition Hardcover, but it’ll also include vol. 7: Spinster so that it’ll sort of be like a launch day for vol. 7, too. A third special thing that’ll be in the Kickstarter is Special Edition Paperbacks of all the books in the series. They won’t be available in stores, just in the Kickstarter (and later, from my website, and also in my Patreon book box tiers if I decide to do them). The Kickstarter is not live yet, but you can follow it to be alerted when it has launched. (You may need to create a free Kickstarter account.) Follow Camy’s Kickstarter

Grace Livingston Hill romances free on Google Books

I wanted to update my old post on Grace Livingston Hill romances because now there are tons more options for you to be able to read her books for free online! I’m a huge Grace Livingston Hill fan. Granted, not all her books resonate with me, but there are a few that I absolutely love, like The Enchanted Barn and Crimson Roses . And the best part is that she wrote over 100 books and I haven’t yet read them all! When I have time, I like to dive into a new GLH novel. I like the fact that most of them are romances, and I especially appreciate that they all have strong Christian themes. Occasionally the Christian content is a little heavy-handed for my taste, but it’s so interesting to see what the Christian faith was like in the early part of the 20th century. These books are often Cinderella-type stories or A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) type stories, which I love. And the best part is that they’re all set in the early 1900s, so the time period is absolutely fasci

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Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter