Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
Crazy Awesome Loving It Book Cover For Halloween Good Night!
I have a book cover, people! For my first-ever-to-be-published picture book, Halloween Good Night! Illustrated by the incredible Ella Okstad! Due out from Atheneum Books for Young Readers (a division of S&S) July, 2017! And the cover? IS FREAKING ADORABLE!!!!
Homeschooling and Hashimoto's Weirdness
I used to hate read-alouds. My neck would get tense, my throat would feel stiff and sore and my voice would hurt. (And if you say a voice cannot hurt, I assure you, it can.) Here's my story of how diagnosing and treating Hashimoto's changed my life in an unexpected way.
Guess Who Won a Sustainable Arts Foundation Promise Award?
That would be ME! Wow, I’m still in shock. Or still delirious from this flu Kilian was kind enough to share with me.
Picture it, I’m out of bed finally, after my third three-hour-long nap of the day. Sitting in a purple club chair while Penny steps onto her potty and Leaps off. “Look at me, Mama! Mama watch!” Kilian is hanging out with me. In fact, this shot was taken moments before...
5 Things to Love About a Community Fundraising Garage Sale
Every year my parish holds a garage sale to raise funds for the VBS and Preschool programs. It has fast become one of my favorite events and helping at every stage, in my mind anyway, absolves me from taking part in the actual VBS. Anyhow, a sale of this size is a huge undertaking. Like crazy huge involving weeks and many, many, many hours from lots of people. But it's so worth it, and apart from the usual reasons about helping others and serving the community, here's why…
Too Old for Rock and Roll
A couple days ago I had to Google, “What do middle aged women wear to indie rock concerts?” I came up with lots of pics of denim and leather and high-heeled boots. Not much different than what I expected young women to wear, except fewer backless shirts.
When I picked up my also-middle-aged friend (ok, not really, we're still young! Middle age means, like 79, right?) she was wearing the requisite jeans, tank top, jacket. I'd opted for...
The UNofficial Cover (Draft) of My First Book!
I shared this in the News section of my website, but realized it could be fun to share here, too. Still working out what goes where, and whether I really need two separate "blog-like-things." Maybe I don't. Anyhow. I do for now. What I wrote over there...
Surprise, surprise!
I ambled over to my agent's website today (ok, hubby sent me a link) and discovered...
She'd shared the cover to Halloween Goodnight!
Anger and Inspiration: Writing in Times of Turmoil
Then, about two weeks into the insanity, it hit me. I was angry. Furious. The injustice of the situation, the lies that proliferated...
Tax Season is Fun
When the tax documents come from...
Now is the time to Make Circles with Mints
I did it. I typed those two most-loved words: The End. Yet how have I felt these past few days? (Aside from the delirious exhaustion of Christmas with five children!)
Happy? Relieved?
Try...