Sunday is Voting Day!

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Voting day is just around the corner. All the preparations and planning are pretty much done! This is one last push to remind you to vote.
During the contest we will be giving away fun story related prizes, beginning with the grand prize of a nifty super hero cape, tune in tomorrow for pictures. The fun is just beginning!
* The voting starts on Sept. 20 and ends Oct. 4, 2009

* Only one vote per day, per IP address

* Please tell everybody who is planning to vote to make sure they have their computers/Internet browser set to “allow cookies” or their votes will not register.

Voting link:http://www.abcbookcompetition.org/5th_comp/SorryDoesntCleanItUp.html

Below is a coloring page for the kids. You can print Here and email it back to me. Then check back to see your work on the Sorry Doesn’t Clean it Up Blog
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If I’ve driven you crazy with my rambling and promotional posts bear with me a bit longer…. you all know how hard this industry is to break into…. that tasty carrot forever dangling in font of the nose. I would just like a little nibble!!
A big thank you to Caroline Soer for adding my button to her side bar… and to all of you who visit my blog and leave your encouraging comments. I feel as though we are a all neighbors in the world’s coolest neighborhood!

Sorry Doesn’t Clean it Up Goes Live

So Tyler and I and Liv of course…. put our acting shoes back on… OK…technically Liv’s too young to have any…. to make this book trailer-ish video!

Guess who is who… and I am not grandpa!

Voting starts soon!

  • The voting starts on Sept. 20 and ends Oct. 4, 2009
  • Only one vote per day, per IP address
  • Please tell everybody who is planning to vote to make sure they have their computers/Internet browser set to “allow cookies” or their votes will not register.

Voting link:

http://www.abcbookcompetition.org/5th_comp/SorryDoesntCleanItUp.html

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ABC Children’s Picture Book Competition and the weather

Last year I participated in the ABC Childrens Picture Book Competition Round 4… and what do you think happened?

A hurricane named Ike came right through Houston and knocked the power out, leaving us with no lights, no water, no air conditioning for two and a half weeks. Yep… right in the middle of  the competition!!  There was no way to promote much less find out what was going on in the outside world!

So this year… I’m back for Round 5 of the competition!

I’ve been chosen to illustrate a scene from Sorry Doesn’t Clean It Up by Wendy Rogalinski. It’s an adorable story about a whirlwind of a boy who blows through rooms leaving a mess in his wake! Talk about a hurricane!!

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  • The voting starts on Sept. 20 and ends Oct. 4, 2009
  • Only one vote per day, per IP address
  • Please tell everybody who is planning to vote to make sure they have their computers/Internet browser set to “allow cookies” or their votes will not register.

Also, if you would consider highlighting “Sorry Doesn’t Clean it Up” and the competition on your blog… or post this picture below to your side bar through October 4th….I’d be be so grateful!
# Voting link:

http://www.abcbookcompetition.org/5th_comp/SorryDoesntCleanItUp.html

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…weather permitting… that is!!!

Illustration Friday ~ Sugary

“I’ve run from an old woman,
And from an old man,
And a cow and a horse.
Run, run, as fast as you can,
You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”

I’m in Halloween mode but the stuff I’m working on just isn’t sugary enough! So I made this naughty little guy instead!
Sunday is the last day to vote in the ABC Children’s Picture Book Competition. Then the contest will be over! There’s still time to cast your vote for your favorite. And if Mrs. Argyle Christmas tops your list of faves, I’d be OK with that!
And did I mention I have a Mrs. Argyle’s ornament give away go on? See below.

After Ike

Hi yall…. I’m back, well sort of, anyway!
We got back Saturday to lots of trees down and no power.
Right now I’m in a Starbucks on my daughter’s laptop. We are under a curfew still and food and water and electricity are returning slowly….very slowly!

The best way I know to describe what it’s been like, short of writing a short novel is to list:
Things I’ll Never Forget After Ike

1. The tired distressed look on most of the faces.
2. Grocery stores with empty shelves and check out lanes to the back of the store.
3. Three hour waits for gasoline.
4. The sound of silence, the sound of generators.
5. The difference of the color of the night time sky without street lamps.
6. Neighbors canoeing to their front porches.
7. Trees that are twisted, not snapped off.
8. Dusk til dawn curfews, 6:30 comes really quickly.
9. No power for over a week.
10. Some houses destroyed, some not even touched.
11. No electricity, phone, Internet or water.
12. Radio broadcasters that say ” Over on the right, you’ll see… or “just log on to www……”
13. Army helicopters flying over five at a time.
14. The sound of sirens.
15. Neighbors with open arms.
16. Emergency rooms with a hundred people.
17. People coming together in time of need/ people unwilling to help.
18. Lost pets, mostly dogs.
19. Water covered freeways.
20. Odors: rotting food, raw wood, garbage.
21. Knowing that the rest of the world goes on as normal.
22. Kids playing outside, riding bikes instead of video games.
23. Tree limbs embedded in the ground.
24. Sight seekers!
25. Bug bites….everywhere!
26. Boiling water, restricted bathing and flushing.
27. Dreaming of hamburgers and fries!!!

Going through all this makes me wonder… Have I been compassionate enough to others in their time of need? In the past I would say “Yes, of course” now I know not nearly enough!! This is a surreal experience. I’ll post pictures when my home computer is back up.

On another, lighter note… I’m participating in the 4th Round of the ABC Children’s Book Competition. The voting begins on September 21 and runs through October 5th. Voters can cast their vote once daily for the those two weeks, with the winners announced October 20th.

Our story is Mrs. Argyle’s Christmas written by Jim and Cheryl Pahz with an illustration by me.
I’ll hope you’ll take the time to visit http://www.abcbookcompetition.org/ and vote in the 4th Round.
Also, Mrs. Argyle has her own blog where you can participate in giveaways and contests and all kinds of Christmas fun in September.
http://www.mrsargyle.blogspot.com/