Howdy Kids!

I can’t tell you how many birthday parties I have been to in the last month. I’m surprised I can even type with these fingers that have been cutting so many ribbons and bows.

Last Wednesday I was asked to go to yet another birthday dinner that was going to be held on Thursday.

It had been a while since I had seen my friend Bob and I had no idea what to get him. I knew he wouldn’t expect anything, but I didn’t want to come to the party empty handed.

So, I made him what I call a “Basket of Fun.” First, I found Nerds, Milk Duds and Reese’s Pieces that comes in boxes just like they do at the movies at the grocery store. Next, I stumbled on a box of nuts that I had to buy because the packaging was so cute and it said “Nuts!” And my friend is nuts.

While at the grocery store, I bought a package of ready-made cookie dough that I could just tear a part and pop in the oven for 15 minutes. I loved that it was so easy. After baking my fresh chocolate chip cookies, I placed them in a small coffee bag purchased from a craft store. What’s great about these coffee bags is that they are coated in the inside and will help keep cookies fresh.

Because I wanted to personalize the basket, I used an old picture of my friend when he dressed up like the Terminator for Halloween and I glued it to the envelope of his birthday card. I also printed his name out really big so that no one would mistake who this basket was for. And since my friend’s name is “Bob”, I put some Sponge Bob stickers on his cookie bag.

The last touches I put in his basket was a fancy bottle of water to drink after he ate all his sugary and salty snacks. Lastly, I found a cool key chain to give him as an extra bonus.

This whole project didn’t take a long time to do, it was inexpensive and most of all it was FUN TO DO. In the end, my friend was over joyed with his “Basket of Fun”.

What other goodies would you put in a Basket of Fun?

Supporting character Mase in your novel GAMMA GLAMMA rarely speaks. Was it difficult to express his intentions in details rather than dialogue?

No, because I knew a guy like that in high school. At first it was like trying to be a mind reader. But after a while it felf more like an easy game of charades or I should say Pictionary. But when you did get him to speak or laugh you felt like you just walked on water.

Luz has a watch/planner called Watchame, and it bears a drawing which corresponds with something you drew. Tell me how you came up with it.

First of all, I love stickers, and anything that looks Japanese. I wanted something fun to have that would work as a Luz’s mini-me and also works as a mascot for GAMMA GLAMMA. It was important that she looked hi-tech and fun. People really have taken a shine to her. We call her GG (like GiGi) for short. I love her and have her on all my folders, books etc.

(For entire interview go to …..http://slayground.livejournal.com/358123.html)

What do you love?

In life we always have things that we KNOW we need to do but PUT OFF until the very LAST minute. And this process normally causes a great amount of STRESS and makes us want to pull the cover over our heads.

We avoid activities like cleaning closets, dealing with paperwork or having an important conversation with a friend that has been on our minds for months.

What would you do if it could be dealt with quickly and easily? Would you do it? Bravo. Then here are four tips to help you jump over any hurdles of mess or stress.

1. GET YOUR BABY ON.
If you can’t get it all done in one day, just relax and take one TEENY TINY baby step.
Like opening up your closet door and pulling out all your shoes to sort through. Or like gathering all your paper work together and creating an area where you only work on this project. Or if you need to have a serious conversation with someone then schedule a day on your calendar that you will call them.

2. PROCRASTINATE PROCRASTINATION
We all have the ability or “gift” to be professional procrastinators. When it’s time to do something and your brain tries to sweet talk you into doing it later, TELL your brain that you’re going to DO IT NOW and will procrastinate on something else later. This way your crazy brain will be satisfied and you can actually get something done.

3. FUN AND DONE
Hate cleaning your closet? Then make it a more enjoyable experience by playing music. If you are going to do things with a lot of paperwork involved, use cool folders, highlighters and Post-It notes to help change your perspective. If you have to have an important but difficult conversation with a friend then plan on doing something for yourself afterwards to make yourself feel better, like going for a walk.

4. REWARD YOURSELF
After you do something difficult that you’ve been putting off, do something nice for yourself. Like instantly. After a while your brain will associate pleasure to doing challenging things and you will start doing all kinds of things that you normally would have procrastinated over!

And poof! Your stresses and messes will vanish into thin air. Now pat yourself on the back for doing such a fabulous job and being Super Buddhalicious.

What magic tricks can you do to get yourself to do something that you’ve been putting off?

Our guest model for today is Ally Fontenot! A Special thanks to her big sis Bridget!

In your novel GAMMA GLAMMA, Luz’s closest pals, Bridge and Adam, help her with her experiments. Who showed you support while you were writing this novel?

For starters it was my literary agent, Nicholas Lewis who was very supportive of me to turn my TV show into a book. If he hadn’t challenged me to do so, there wouldn’t be a GAMMA GLAMMA.

Writing a novel, I found out can be a lonely experience sometimes. But what kept me going is I had a friend of mine name Rodney Stringfellow who is a brilliant TV writer. Rodney writes for the Backyardigans, Little Einstein and the Wonder Pets.

Rodney wanted to write a novel at the same time. So every week or every so many pages, we had to turn in something to each other. Being accountable made a huge difference to getting both our novels finished. Along the way when were writing, we gave constructive criticism to help tell the best story we could at the time.

My brother John Flores (who is third of the six kids) was instrumental because he works at a college library and is a playwright. (In fact, he has a world premiere play that he wrote that’s going on in PRAGUE! It’s called THE HALLUCINOGENIC TOREADOR based on the life and painting of Salvador Dali. Check it out at www. praguefringe. com) John gave me great insight on GAMMA GLAMMA

And lastly my biggest support was my husband/crushable Mike Swenson. He encouraged me along the way to keep on going and would help with the edits. He has amazing patience and intelligence. I also helps that he’s “man-some”.

Who inspires you?

(For entire interview go to …..http://slayground.livejournal.com/358123.html)

Got Parties? Need Snacks? For those of you famous folks that get invited to more than one party this Memorial Day weekend, here’s a few quick ideas that will beat the pants off another chip and dip tray.

I guarantee that your friends will feel loved and you will feel proud of your creation. Best part of all,  it’s easy and fun!

The first memorable snack idea is baking cupcakes. My friend Jill had her BFF Betty Crocker hook her up. She made strawberry cupcakes and kept the patriotic theme with white frosting, a dash of blue sprinkles and topped it off with baby American Flag toothpicks.

Our friends at the party demonstrated their love for our country by devouring all the cupcakes. And some even ate the flag (which wasn’t edible), but at least was heartfelt.

Another quick but memorable snack that I did was a fruit salad. But how I made it go from “blah” to “rah!” was quite simple. I just cut the watermelon into a container that was unique. You can do the same by cutting your watermelon into a bowl, basket, a car or a face like I did.

I first determined what I was going to cut out and used a highlighter to draw on the watermelon to help guide me where I was going to cut.

Then, I scooped out the inside of the watermelon and placed the contents in a giant bowl. I then cut up the watermelon along with various of other fruit like cantaloupe and grapes Next, I poured all the cut fruit pieces into the watermelon.

The final piece? I added eyes made out of a piece of cantaloupe and watermelon.

All memorable snacks were gone before you could say, “Happy Memorial…”

What snacks to you like to make that are memorable?

What were you like in high school? and/or Which of your characters in GAMMA GLAMMA is the most like you? The least?

I was a total hybrid in high school. Most people knew me as the feature twirler. I twirled batons, hoop batons, fire and knives. I was also in band, drama, student council, annual staff and Keywanettes, a community service organization.

Everyone was pretty nice to me because I don’t think they knew how to label me and it didn’t hurt that I twirled machetes.

As far as the characters in GAMMA GLAMMA that are most like me, I would have to say that’s Luz and Susan. I was like Luz when it came to crazy fashion and that was partially influenced by being in drama. I would wear vintage clothes, pajamas, safety pins and slick paint creations that I would make. Like Luz, I wanted to have friends and boyfriends and would plan on how I could make that happen.

I was also like Susan because even though I wanted to have friends, I didn’t feel the pressure to be anything else than me whether folks liked it or not. I believe this is because I am one of six kids so I learned to have a pretty thick skin even in my own family!

I could be loud like Adam and I was also a writer for the annual staff. I like to draw (and still do) like Mase and Susan. And I could be catty like Venus. (I hate to admit it but we all have our bad behavior days!)

The person I am like the least like is Luz’s best friends, Bridget Joiner. Bridge wears all the right clothes and does all the right things but is still terrified what people will think of her.

Growing up, our family had the basics so I couldn’t have all the designer clothes I wanted. So I just used what I had and WORKED IT. I did have many friends who were like Bridget and we had a great trade off. They would let me borrow some of their cute clothes and I made sure to fend off any of the bullies that roamed the halls. It was a perfect situation.

(For entire interview go to …..http://slayground.livejournal.com/358123.html)

What were you like in high school? Are you still the same?

Spring has been here for a while and summer is just around the corner. and you know what that means? Sashaying with a new bag, purse, tote or clutch. With so many cute choices out there where do you start?I’ll make it easy for you. No matter what kind of bag you get, make sure that some (if not all) of these 11 things are able to fit in it.

1. ID/WALLET NUMBERS
This seems like a no brainer, but I can’t tell you how many folks leave home without it because it’s too big or bulky to fit in their microscopic size purse. Your ID is so important because if something happens like you get hurt or you leave your fav purse somewhere, how are people going to help you if THEY DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Here’s another part to this. In your wallet, you should have a few numbers stowed away. In case you lose your phone or break the glass of your iPhone (seen it millions of times), you can’t retrieve your important numbers if there is ever an emergency. One things police say is helpful to them and other is that in the list in your wallet or on your phone if you put the initials I.C.E before anyone’s name then they know that that number should be called the “In Case of Emergency” so that they aren’t trying to call oodles of numbers in your phone or wallet.

2. TOOTH BRUSH AND PASTE
When I had braces, I started carrying around the travel toothpaste and brush. And I still do it even after they came off. It’s so easy when you’re out to brush your teeth and clean the lunch out of your teeth. Not only will you look cute and have minty breath but your dentist will heart you too.

3. LIPSTICK
If you wear lipstick, then get a tone that you can wear everyday. A make up artist friend told me that you can also use lipstick on your cheeks if you need a quick little blush. Just dab a little on your finger and rub it on the apples of your cheeks. Wow, I love two-fers!

4. CLEAR GLOSS
Now you can get gloss with color and glitter as well, but the reason I choose clear gloss is that you can use it alone if you want an extremely natural look or you can apply it over your lipstick and up your glam for special events or evening looks .

5. HAND CREAM
Just like the lip-gloss, you can get hand creams with color and glitter as well, but the reason I love regular hand cream is that it works as a two-fer just like the lipstick. Rub it on your hands when you need it, or, if you have some fly away hairs, you can just use a pinch (and I mean a pinch) of this stuff to tame those little critters. It work like magic.

6. PEN AND PAPER
Pen and paper. It’s not just for work or school anymore! Having a pen and paper is so important for writing down numbers, things you shouldn’t forget, or if you are a writer or artist it’s essential when you get some amazing idea or inspiration. And now that pens and paper come in such cute sizes and color - why wouldn’t you have some fun in your bag?

7. NAIL FILE
Nothing is more aggravating than to be stabbed or snagged by your own torn or ragged nail. By having a nail file in you possession you can take care of it at a moment’s notice. And it’s something fun to do when you’re waiting, when not texting.

8. PHONE*
A phone is a great tool. And yes, you can do all kinds of things like text, watch shows, listen to music and yes, make calls. But don’t get so preoccupied on your phone that you leave your bag or purse behind. It makes you look not just irresponsible but..uh… dumb. Yeah, I said it. *And if you don’t have a phone. Make sure to always carry loose change with you.

9. COMB
Combs are great because they don’t take up space. If you need a brush, you can find a tiny one. But don’t use your toothbrush. It’s not a two-fer.

10. MEDICINE KIT
Here’s some more magic. Everytime I carry things like aspirin, girl products (you know what I mean here!), bandages etc, I never need them. But when I don’t have them, I ALWAYS need them. Like right away. Like pronto, people. Plus, I can’t tell you, how many new friends I’ve made because I’ve helped someone out because they didn’t have these little lifesavers.

11. SAFETY PINS
For bras, missing buttons and to use as a very tiny weapon against teeny-tiny aliens. But be careful. They can put your eye out.

What else do you put in your purse?

Hey kids SO sorry for the blog silence. I’ve been working la vida loca lately on various shoots that had free ice cream, real live giraffes, sock hops and cranky famous movie stars with bad allergies. That last shoot was not so fun

Anyhoo - in addition, I’ve been working like a wild woman on my television show pitches. After this weekend, I was so happy to come back into town and spend time with you and, not to mention, find the latest issue May/June of Six78th in my mailbox. It was like the mini vacation that I needed.

It’s a fabulous issue. Some of my favs are:

The story about the “Crushed Assignment” in Oops and Ohs Section.

The tips on how you can celebrate with your Mom for Mother’s Day. (They are actually great ideas to do with your BFF as well.)

I took a quiz and found out what kind of shoe I am. I am a stiletto and I’m proud of that.

And there is a really great spread about girls all over the country from different countries and walks of life in the article called “Bridging the Barriers”. It’s really interesting and inspiring.

What also so amazing is that GAMMA GLAMMA has an ad on the back cover and it even matches the colors of the Jen Steele front cover PERFECTLY. I love serendipity!

So hurry and get your May/June issue of Six78th before I buy them all. And for those of you in the Dallas area I already bought all the issues at Barnes and Nobles across from North Park Mall and at the Borders on Greenville.

So you better snap to it and get your issue on before I buy them all. I am a stiletto after all.

What kind of shoe are you?

www.six78th.com

What is your secret passion? Mine is to write TV shows, books, and blogs. My other passions are to create toys and to help support my favorite causes.

Some people want to write a book, others have desires be a makeup artist, or website designer. What do you secretly want to do?

If you think you’re too busy to follow your dreams then please allow me the privilege of kicking you in the pants to help you think again. Feel better? Good. Now let’s get started.

Here’s how you can find time to pursue your passions with just a wee bit of effort.

GET UP EARLY OR GO TO BED LATER
Some experts say get up an hour early to find more time. I’ve never been able to do that successfully, so I stay up one hour later to find extra time. That way I can go to bed with a smile on my face knowing I did something in the direction of my dreams. And this is what sweet dreams are made of. (Thank you, Annie Lennox.)

TUNE OUT TELLY
If your best friend comes with a remote control, then you might need to take a little va-cay from your TV. Tivo your favorite shows so you can watch them when you want later. And use that time whether it is 30 minutes or 1 hour to pursue your passion. I promise it doesn’t hurt anymore than that kick in the pants you received earlier.

CHORE BORE
If you have chores to do, see if you can delegate to another family member or friend to find some more time. (But if they do a chore for you, remember that you MUST be there for them when it’s time to repay the favor.)

LOG YOU EXTRA TIME
Here is something to help you even more. Write down all the extra time you can find for yourself during the week. Keep doing that and in a month’s time, you will see where you can save tons of time for yourself.

SCHEDULE IT
The next secret is to write down in a calendar or notebook when you are going to schedule time to pursue your passion. Treat it like a hair appointment, doctor’s appointment or time with your best friend. Make it a “must do”.

Okay, so now you’re saying, “Thanks Kim for all this time, but what am I actually supposed to do with it to get closer with my dreams?”

I’m so glad you asked.

HUSH YOUR MOUTH AND DO IT!!!!
Like attracts like. So with that in mind, use your extra time to begin to study, research and experience the things you want to pursue. I could give you lots of examples but let me give you an example that I’m working on right now.

I’m pitching three exciting shows to one of my favorite networks soon. One of my shows is going to be an animated show and the other shows are going to be live action shows, meaning they have real people in them and not cartoons.

At the same time, I’m working on my other jobs in the film industry, writing books, cleaning my house etc. You get the picture.

One of my sketches

So, for the cartoon show, I find and schedule time to draw so that I can figure out what characters will star in my show. I need lots of time for this activity because I draw very slow since this isn’t something that I do everyday.

Mingo Flores 2008 (he’s my bro!)

I look for inspiration for my drawings from books, movies, and art. Again this takes time so, I schedule time to go to the bookstore, to “Google” things for research or go to an art gallery.

Since people are the biggest resource on the planet, I also make time to talk with other people who are doing things that I would like to be doing.

Mike (my crush, for those of you who don’t know) and I had lunch with a mutual friend of ours named Keith Alcorn. Keith is a very gifted artist who helped in the creation of the series Jimmy Neutron and was also friends with my good friend Joe Riley (Joe had helped me on my GAMMA GLAMMA mascot). During that lunch, Keith soon became our cartoon guardian angel and gave us insight about how the animated world works. It’s similar to the film world but in some cases it’s very different.

Little by little by taking time out of my “real” life, I will have used all my newfound time to create a show that I have written with fun characters that I have drawn myself all while learning new information and skills. And with that who knows, my cartoon series might be on your TV soon. And wouldn’t that be a dream come true?

This is my character’s called Cherish. Don’t you love her?

Oh, and sorry for kicking you in the pants but it was done out of love. Really.

What is your passion that you need to make time for?

What are you doing today to find more time to pursue your passion?

In your novel GAMMA GLAMMA, there are all types of experiments.
Do you recall any science experiments you conducted in school?

Yes, the one that sticks out in my mind was a last minute science experiment to find out if my cats were colorblind. I colored all of their food and water green, blue and red. We found out that cats can see blue and green but not really red. The cats really didn’t go for the blue or green food but ate the red just fine.

I didn’t win because it wasn’t “break-through” science. However, I got many kudos for drawing tons of cats on my poster that looked like Garfield which was hot at the time. And I got to draw Garfield (and Snoppy) on all my friends notebooks and lunch sacks after that like Susan/Jabba in GAMMA GLAMMA.

I also had an experiment to taste whether Meow Mix tasted like Chex Mix.

It doesn’t.

It wasn’t a scientific experiment - it was Truth or Dare.

(For entire interview go to …..http://slayground.livejournal.com/358123.html)

What are your most memorable science experiments or Truth or Dares?