Newsletter Makeover + The Week I Did Everything! ✨
Ciaran Blumenfeld
Hello magical friends!
Welcome to the New Look!
I've redesigned things a bit—more on that later! First, let's dive into the beautiful hot mess that's been my week.
As I've mentioned, I'm clinging to summer like a cat climbing a screen door in pursuit of a bug, determined to claw every last bit out of the season I can. But life intrudes, you know? Reality checks like doctor appointments, eldercare responsibilities, and high school registration arrive whether we're ready or not.
Fifteen Years, One School, Final Round
My youngest is entering his senior year at the Orange County School of the Arts—the same dreamy, creative community where my other four kids attended. Since my kids are all 3-4 years apart, I've been doing registration at this school for fifteen years in a row! How crazy is that?
It really hit me that this was the last time. It was also the first time we sailed through the entire process without any "lost book holds," missing paperwork, or late fees. First time ever! Only took us fifteen tries.
Culinary Adventures & Creative Victories
Between errands and appointments, my husband and I managed to go out to dinner three times this week! Twice with friends, once just us. Bad for the budget but perfect for my "pretending we're on vacation" fantasies! We indulged in a proper culinary voyage at June et Jolie in Carlsbad and enjoyed farm-to-table deliciousness at Farmhouse in Newport Beach (attached to Roger's Gardens, which is an experience in itself, especially in fall for Halloween decor lovers).
The real culinary discovery? Hazelnut gelato at Bacio di Latte, also in Newport Beach. It seriously rivals anything I've had in Italy. This is dangerous knowledge for my waistline.
On Saturday, while my husband tackled a 22-mile outrigger race from Dana Point, I showed my support by sitting on the beach stringing beach glass necklaces. That was exactly the sort of mindless task I needed to do, especially since I finished the first draft of my work-in-progress this week! I'm onto final edits and SO excited to share book three of the Natural Magic series with you all!
Heartbound Books & Real-Life Readers
Sunday brought the honor of signing books at Heartbound Books in Anaheim, specializing in romance with the most adorable merch (the phrase I heard most all day: "So cute!"). I met fans who came from quite a distance and made new friends. Book signings mean everything to me. As great as online sales totals are, connecting with real-life readers is the most gratifying.
More signing events coming—stay tuned for a calendar in next week's post!
Two things: 1. I can't stress it enough how great it is to meet my beautiful readers. 2. I need a selfie stick. My arms are too short and I totally failed to center this pic!!!