The Nest

Blog

5 Activities to Do with Your Kids this Summer

by | Jun 16, 2023 |

Schools out for summer (cue Alice Cooper) which can bring a love/hate experience for parents. On one hand, you're excited to be done with another year of scholastic hustle & bustle and dress up days but on the other hand, now you have to figure out filling in the...

Burnout: Identifying, Treating, and Preventing

by | Feb 4, 2023 |

Burnout Definition: "A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long term involvement in emotionally demanding situations." – Ayala Pines and Elliot Aronson Work, family, school, and social life. These are just a few factors that can contribute to...

When Sports Begin to Die Out for Girls

by | Feb 23, 2022 |

I first picked up a softball when I was seven years old and never put it down. I fell in love with sports. In middle school it kept me busy. In high school it kept me out of trouble. I continued my passion to play into adulthood and try to stay active today. Softball,...

Rainy Days

by | Dec 30, 2021 |

As Echo and I watch the rain play a game of tippety tap with the outside world, I’m reminded of my love of the sound of rain. Being wet in it? No. Having to do anything IN it? Also no.  I remember as a child, in the house on Seville, anytime it rained I would grab an...

To celebrate LAUNCH DAY for Gilly, I want to share the process each illustration goes through in this (and every) book. 👻

Once @zoe.mellors.illustration receives my manuscript, we discuss items such as the general story, colors or clothing of the characters, and any Easter eggs that will hang out in the book. Hint: this book has an Easter egg from both Super Max and Dino Deegan 😉.

First, Zoe sends over a sketched version of the book. Tweaks are made (if needed) then confirmed.

Then we move to the second phase which is the color test. You’ll notice the page looks a little flat. This is because we are looking at color shades (brighter orange vs darker orange, etc.). Once it all looks good, it’s confirmed and ready for the last stage. 🧙🏻‍♀️

The final image stage is where all the goodies come in. Zoe adds dimension, shading, accents, everything! This is the 😍 phase because Zoe does such an awesome job! 🎃

If you’re interested in taking a peek at the beautiful illustrations and story about a ghost who learns some boundaries, and his friends to help him keep this boundaries, it’s now live on Amazon on Kindle, softcover, and hardcover.

Find the new Gilly Ghost Loves Scaring the Most book Here