Oct 6, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Y’all may have picked up on this month’s theme: Autumn. Go figure. But, for realz. What, I’m gonna blog about the Easter Bunny? Nah. Not for at least six weeks.
As soon as the calendar turns to October, I turn to Fall. Even in the SoCal desert with it’s almost-80-degree temperatures and you-call-that-a-yard?-dirt, there’s something quite lovely about it all. Scarves come out, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are everywhere. It’s as if the Pumpkin Grinch himself dusted everything with pumpkin seed glitter.
The Pumpkin Grinch
I could go on and on, but since this is just a five item post, let me share my top reasons for loving October:
- It’s at most eleven weeks away from Christmas. For me, the first of October kind of jump starts the holidays. I’ll be lacing the car stereo with my Harry Connick, Jr Christmas CDs this weekend. #truestory. And in a few weeks the family will start to get cryptic texts like “For ransom: Doo Dads. Send money now.” [Note to self: Coupons are awesome. Start clipping.] Pretty soon the decor will come out of storage, the evenings will get longer. It’s one of my favorite times of year.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Holiday Doo Dads
- Baseball. Yup. That’s right. ‘Tis the season for my Yankees to bring it on home. And to watch Field of Dreams. And to eat Cracker Jacks. All these wonderful things are the zenith of my baseball watching experience. And I love it. Every. Single. Year. Does it matter that Jeter’s no longer on the team? Nah. We’re doing okay with Aaron Judge.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : If You Build It, They Will Come
- Pumpkin everything. I know, know. Y’all see it everywhere and are burnt out. This Girl say whaat?! How can you be burnt out of pumpkin? Pumpkin Spice Latte, pumpkin soup, pumpkin flavored Belvita crackers, pumpkin carving, pumpkin seeds. Did I mention Pumpkin Spice Latte?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Hello, PSL
- Autumn TV/Movies. This time of year is a guarantee you’ll find me watching The West Wing, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the aforementioned Field of Dreams, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Autumn in New York, The Godfather, and of course, Nightmare Before Christmas. I’m a sucker for all things autumn, New York, crispy leaves, and Disney. But I think all y’all already knew that, yes?
Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Bread and the Nightmare Before Christmas
- Cat Cuddles. Like I could leave my furfamily out of this. They’re the best part of this time of year. This year, in Lizzie’s absence, Little has already taken to sleeping on the pillow, and Iris is always by my side. Berry is always with me, and Sparkles has even warmed up to being in my general presence without argument.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Lizzie Cat
There are so many more things I love about October, but these are the best. My bonus reason is it’s my mom’s favorite time of year, too, and when she’s happy, I’m happy. [Hey, Mom. Let’s go Christmas shopping this weekend, okay?]
TWEET THIS: What are your favorite reasons for October? @RealMojo68 #fivethingsfriday
With an orange scarf and pumpkin latte,
Happy Autumn, y’all!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Sep 29, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Let’s just start by agreeing any celebration that includes coffee is awesome, am I right? I mean, I celebrate every day with coffee. But to actually have an official reason? Have mercy!
I’m an experiential person. That means I don’t just go through life, I live it. Fully, wonderfully, scarefully (is that even a word?). I feel it, my body absorbs it, my mind is constantly processing and connecting dots. And, yes. Sometimes making up the dots to connect.
But coffee. It’s just perfect. In celebration of National Coffee Day, here are some great non-coffee related dots that you’ll soon connect.
- Movies. Say, what-what? you ask. What do movies have to do with coffee? Well, there are a few great movies that feature coffee. Let’s take Breakfast at Tiffany’s to start. That iconic pose of Holly Golightly with her croissant and coffee cup in front of the 5th Avenue store. You know what I’m talking about. Can you get through a TV sitcom or cop drama without the characters having at least one cup o’ joe? I think not. But more importantly: why would you watch such a show?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Partytime: Bunco at Tiffany’s
- Jack Johnson. The surfer-turned-singer. Not everyone’s heard of him. But he’s got some pretty catchy tunes. His album, As I Was Saying, has more than a few songs on it that have inspired some of my writing. Plus, it’s pretty good driving-with-the-windows-down tunes.
- Food. What’s that? Did I just hear you groan, “Duh.”? Well. For your information, I don’t mean coffee goes with food. I mean, coffee in the food. That’s right. Who can forget my awesomely flavorful smokey paprika rub? Let me tell you, chicken never tasted so great.
Frankly, My Dear . . . MoJo Spice Blend: Turmeric, Smoked Paprika, Ground Coffee
- Laughter. It’s aerobic, yes? What’s better than circling the table with friends and family, pouring a hot one, and sharing life’s moments. We were meant for community coffee moments.
- Me-Time. And by Me-Time, I mean You-Time. Or, really, Anyone-and-Everyone-Time. Coffee is your five-minute-break time. Your I-need-to-get-things-done time. Your life-is-good-let’s-take-a-breath time. It’s pretty much the I-don’t-need-a-reason-for-it beverage. And that just makes it all the more better. Yes?
Seattle Souvenirs: Coffee, honey, and books.
How will you celebrate National Coffee Day?
TWEET THIS: Happy National Coffee Day! @RealMojo68 #franklymydear #fivethingsfriday
With a hot coffee and another hot coffee,
Plus one for you.
Happy Coffee Day!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Sep 22, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
So, I know the blog’s been a little eclectic lately. A bit of this, a touch of that. A few guest posts. But that’s just like life, isn’t it? I mean, are all your shirts blue? Do you only ever eat eggs for breakfast? Do you never hang out with different people?
I think not.
And that’s why this blog is a li’l bit of everything me and you.
Today’s Five Things Friday is the essential foundation of Frankly, My Dear . . . These five tenets are what FMD is built on. And just like a recipe or a closet, they’re made to mix-and-match. One wouldn’t be without the others. That’s why there are contributing writers, and many readers. We just blend together, dare I say it, like sweet and tea. And Frankly, My Dear . . . I wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Frankly. Okay, Yes. It’s Southern. Yes, it’s Gone With the Wind. Yes, it’s, well, in a polite way, my way of saying I’m gonna be who I am and while I respect all y’all’s opinions, I’m gonna say it like it is. I hope that’s okay with you. And since the blog’s been around for a few years and is growing, I’m gonna assume it is.
Frankly, My Dear . . .
- Faith. This is a biggie. I can say with certainty I would not be here without God and the peeps He’s placed around me. Y’all are my strength, my source of encouragement, my sounding boards. And I pray each day that I’m able to give as much back to you as you give to me. There’s such beauty seeing God at work in and around me, and I long to share it with each of you.
Frankly, On Faith.
- Family. Whether it’s blood family, God’s family, or my writing family, I’m blessed by every one of you. Family are the ones who see your inner beauty when it doesn’t show. The ones who talk you off the ledge. The ones who let you tether yourself to them for strength and guidance. And they’re the ones who laugh and cry with you no matter what, no matter when. Just because you’re family.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : New FRIENDS
- Food. There’s nothing better for me than feeding my people, and feeding them well. Food, drink, snacks, desserts. Doesn’t matter. The kitchen is my second favorite creative place and I relish making recipes. Heh heh. I said relish. But seriously. Food is more than essential. It’s a beautiful necessity. And I love sharing it with you.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : The Unemployment Cookbook
- Fun. This is the “everything else” category: Writing, crafting, travel, reading, DIY, home improvement, Happy Planning. And coffee. These are the things that make us happy individually and collectively. These are the seasonings to life.
Seattle Souvenirs: Coffee, honey, and books.
What are your favorite parts of life?
TWEET THIS: Five Things Friday: Frankly Faith, Family, Food, and Fun @RealMojo68 #5TF #fivethingsfriday #franklymydear
With open arms and a happy dance,
Happy Living, y’all!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Sep 15, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
Forty-eight hours ago our weather shifted. The California desert went from 93 and sunny to overcast and windy. Thursday brought winds and cooler temps and, now don’t quote me, but I’m almost certain I heard that midnight carnival train in the distance.
Yup. Autumn is almost upon us.
But wait!, you say. It’s technically still summer! And so it is. At least for one more week.
Here are few ways to celebrate the end of the season:
- Host a BBQ potluck. Have your friends, family, and neighbors over. They bring the meat, you bring the grill. After all, food is the answer to
almost everything.
- Stay out late. Okay, in my neck of the we-don’t-have-trees woods, being out after dark isn’t always a barrel of fun. But getting a carload of peeps to go cruising to the local park, sit on a picnic bench and watch the evening stars shoot overhead? That’s some magic right there.
- Clean the house. What?! you say. How can that be fun?! Oh, come on. You know that awesome I-can-breathe-better feeling when the clutter is gone. Am I right? So grab a few boxes and bags and organize those closets. Do it now before the holidays fill your schedule and you’re pulling out flip flops where the scarves should be.
- Go somewhere fun. Take a short drive to the beach. Walk the sidewalk. Make a day out of running errands. Find a reason to enjoy the sunshine, before there’s less of it to enjoy.
- Buy a Pumpkin Spice Latte. ‘Nuff said.
And now I want to hear from you. What are some of the things you do to wind down summer?
TWEET THIS: Five ways to #celebrate #summer before it’s over. @RealMojo68 #FiveThingsFriday
With a shooting star and Venti coffee,
Happy Seasoning.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Sep 8, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
You know those moments when you know what you know, you just didn’t know you knew it until someone else turns on the light bulb? Yeah. That’s how the new career is lighting up my world lately. And it’s ahh-mazing. It’s like a triple-caffeine-intake while racing the Indy 500 through LA Traffic and surviving kind of high. It is that kind of awesome sauce.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Which Bulb are You?
So, I’m still doing the writing thing, still doing the editing thing. But as you can tell, I’m also still doing the marketing thing. And this new career keeps reaffirming that I know what I’m doing. How’s that for sweet in me tea. (Oh, please. Y’all know it’s not a week unless I mention my sweet tea.)
BEE the Zebra is super excited, too. Because while NIPPERS is all about the media, y’all just know BEE is all about the marketing.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : BEE the Zebra has a plan
Now, whether you’re a writer, editor, quilter, clothes salesperson or dog walker, we can at least all agree that we’d have, like, zero business if it weren’t for marketing, am I right? And whether you have a team behind you, or you run a do-it-yourself ad campaign, here’s a few things I know.
So grab yourself a glass of that goodness and relax while I share with you five prominent marketing ideas.
- I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. And again. And again. Word of Mouth Advertising only works if you open your mouth. You can’t very well be a dazzling zebra if you don’t let anyone see or share your stripes, now, can you?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Word of Mouth Advertising only works if you open your mouth.
- Brand Awareness. This was a fun one for me to name. Because I love love love helping others find, and maintain, their online identity. You are not your brand. Well, sometimes you are, but not really. You have so many facets. And like most people, you keep a good portion of your private life, well, private. But if you were to poll your peeps, most of them could easily give you five to ten traits that make you, you. From those, you can easily curate your brand. It should be the image you want to publicly reflect. When people think these things, they should think of you. That’s the power of branding.
- Needs Analysis. Holy cow, is that a fancy way of saying, “How can I help you?” A needs analysis is a term that’s been used for years. It basically is the LEGO connector between what you need and what someone else has to offer. Offer-Person says, “Let’s discuss this.” And Need-Person says, “This is where I’m at, and this is where I want to go.” So Offer-Person creates some strategies to help get you there. The information is the needs analysis, the diagnostic appointment to get the ball rolling.
- Pivoting. We all do this. And as fiction writers we’re especially good at it. This is where Person A says, “I need Item A.” But Person B, who knows more about the situation, says, “I agree. Let’s take care of this and then let’s talk about that.” See? You went from A to B with just a turn of the page. Writers pivot every time we ask you to believe our characters then put them into turmoil. We cause you to read on, with different expectations.
[Note to self: Stop letting Josie get into so much trouble in NOLA. no spoilers!]
- Audience Engagement. Do I really have to explain this? Nope. But I do want to discuss it. This of course is when you get your peeps involved. You’re nothing without your audience . . . Unless you sing in the shower. And while most of us like the acoustics, do we really want to stop there? Not at all. We all have gifts, talents, product, merchandise, you-name-it-we-got-it stuff that we want to share with others. So we need to make sure we’re actually sharing it, and not just laying it down. It’s a hand-off, a relay-race if you will. Get your people involved and they’re more apt to pass the baton to someone else (that’s the referral).
Frankly, My Dear . . . Are you ready to run the marketing race?
So now it’s your turn: What are some of your marketing tips and tricks?
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . : Are you ready to run the #marketing race? @RealMojo68 #FiveThingsFriday
With high top running shoes and a bejeweled baton,
Happy Marketing!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
