Issue #36: Boo-It-Yourself

What I love most about Halloween, aside from the candy and decorations, is seeing how creative people get with costumes. It’s an artform, really. The details. The ingenuity. The time. And I just love seeing it come to life. 

Me taking in the pure genius in people’s costumes.

When my kids were little, I would meticulously plan our family costumes. We’d pick a theme that could fit the four of us (plus our dog at times), and Jon and I would gather materials and chip away at them—sometimes for months. Could I have saved time and just bought them? Sure. But that took the fun out of it (no offense, Spirit Halloween). It was kinda ridiculous how much time it took. But when we strutted out with our creations, it was always worth it. 

Here are some of our favorites:

Now that the kids are older, we don’t do the family ensemble anymore. But my younger son caught the DIY bug and took it upon himself to make Halloween decorations and his Terminator outfit—and even build a spooky animatronic. 

​If you’re out and about today with all of the monsters, ghouls, and goblins, take the time to notice the creative problem-solving behind those costumes. 

Happy Halloween!

Writing Updates: 
We had a lot of fun at the San Diego Comic Fest last weekend! In addition to sharing our book with new fans, we met so many talented creators.

​We’ve booked the following appearances:
11/3- Author Day, Anaheim Public Library
11/16- Author Day, Fullerton Public Library
11/23- Barnes and Noble Book Signing, Victorville
12/14- City of Walnut Winter Wonderland

If you’re in the area during those events, feel free to stop by or let a friend know. 

Also, we’re onto illustrating Book 2 of Three Bee Honey! Here’s a behind-the-scenes video of Jon setting up a page. 

If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, you can find Three Bee Honey for sale on our website. 

If you’re on Instagram, you can find us here for more updates: @st.amantstories

Recent Read: Dancing at the Pity Party, by Tyler Feder

This graphic memoir is about a woman’s grief journey as she processes the death of her mother. Dancing at the Pity Party flows chronologically, starting with her mother’s oncology appointment and terminal cancer diagnosis. While I also experienced the loss of a parent under very different circumstances, this book felt cathartic to read. I found myself crying on one page and smiling on the next, as Feder weaves through the many emotions that come with such a loss: the pain, the anger—but also the love. This is not just a story about facing death. It’s about celebrating a loved one and the impact they have on us. I highly recommend this very moving and eye-opening book. 

Pet Pics:

Lilo with her new toy. 

Cats in cuddle mode. 

Sanity Corner:
We often find ourselves in places where we have to interact with strangers. And while that can be intimidating or outright scary, it can also pleasantly surprise us. For the few hours we find ourselves at an event, a bar, or even waiting in line, I’ve noticed that I sometimes and completely accidentally strike up a conversation with a random person. 

We chit chat about our lives, maybe share a few jokes about our current situation. And then we both go our separate ways with no expectation of staying in touch. No forced long-term connection. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s more than okay—these small, positive interactions keep us from becoming too cynical about humanity. 

That’s all for October. Thanks for reading! :) 
​
Feel free to share this newsletter with your bestie! 

Take care,
Desi

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