A Rose Above Any Other Sheet...

I am quite smitten with bed headboards. I think a bed without a headboard is like a boat without a sail. Yes you may look nice sitting in sleep harbour with your fancy duvet but how will you move through the ocean of your dreams without a sail? That's what a headboard is for. Ahhh. Yes. (And preferably a footboard as well.) :)

I found a really excellent article about headboards that I had to post:
http://www.articlesbase.com/history-articles/headboards-through-the-ages-773182.html

It kind of gives the history of headboards, and highlights that their function is not only practical but can define the aesthetics of a room based on what kind of headboard it is.

My current head and footboard have been in my possession for a number of years now. I like them a lot but at some point I'd love to get something a bit more intricate in detail. But until I have the money for that I decided to spruce up what I had with a garland of (very Victorian) roses.



Yes, I'm aware that it's achingly girly. But I made sure the roses were dark, almost a maroon color and for some reason they really do go so well with the wrought iron. It was also exciting to find that it was a perfect length as well. I suppose it was meant to be. I love bringing the essence of outdoors indoors, even if I do find it at Hobby Lobby.

Rene's Recommendation: Baby Name Books

Ok, today's recommendation is for all you fiction writers out there. I can't tell you what a dread it is to read the same names in book after book after book when there are so many amazing names to use. If you need ideas I would suggest going to your nearest book store and picking out a baby name book. Yes, you could probably find names online but there is something about skimming through pages in your hand before hitting upon the perfect name. I'd also like to suggest that as a writer, when naming your characters, that you find the balance between weird and unoriginal.

Yes, you can give your alien a name with no vowels but how is a reader supposed to pronounce that in their head? Or worse, when you read the name out loud to a group of people, will you want to say a name over and over that has three, four or five syllables in it? Try to make it at least somewhat relatable. On the other end of the spectrum, please name your characters something other then the top ten baby names from at least the last five years. For fear of insulting anyone with a particular name, I won't give examples but you can easily find out what they are. Unless you consciously make the decision to pick one of those names please put some thought into it. Go get a baby name book, write down a list of your favorite names for a character, and think about how that character makes you feel. Would it define his/her personality? What's in a name you say? Worlds. World's are in a name.