peppurthehotone

[peppurthehotone]

What do you do? I'd love to know.

I’m having one of those days where I really want to tell you all something, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. When this happens, I start to feel like my inner psychic is trying to tell me something, but that I am not hearing her. Like, she’s telling me to take the headphones off…and listen. Sometimes, I can do this. Sometimes I can remove the barrier that is making being present so…

[peppurthehotone]

Perhaps you feel this way today. Perhaps you need some comforting. Knowing that where you are today, won't be where you'll be ten years from now. Or, perhaps you feel as I do when I read it today. Like I am now the bee in the story.

[peppurthehotone]

How Are You Coping?

It’s 4:00 am. I cannot sleep. Welcome to Fat Tariff Tuesday. I spent at least two hours before bed last night scrolling. And scrolling. And scrolling. I told myself I wouldn’t do this. That I wouldn’t get sucked into the vortex of chaos that is swirling around us. But I did. Is anyone else wishing they still had their notes from Econ 101? Is anyone else envisioning long lines at gas pumps,…

[peppurthehotone]

What Are You Doing to Take Care of Those You Love?

Last Tuesday, our team launched Season 3 of our Lagralane Spirits podcast. The theme this year is all about Bourbon. And thank God, because after doing this work, you need a damn drink! Podcasting is no joke. Everyone says, “Hey, do a podcast!”… but very few people talk about how much gosh darn work it takes to do a podcast! It is insane! One would think that you could just hook up a mic to…

[peppurthehotone]

How to Get Your Slither On

A few weeks ago, I attended a leadership coaching session with my friend, Kibi Anderson. She is a tour-de-force and I was encouraged to not only support her business, but to be in the presence of her greatness and the other leaders who were on the call to learn how to be their best. You see, this year, my plan is to re-arrange myself. To still be a writer, of course, but to be a better…

[peppurthehotone]

What happens when you get hit by a baseball.

Yesterday, I had the privilege to share my writer journey at an ASU Authorpreneur event. While recounting the story of getting a rejection from a London agent, I suddenly burst into tears. I quickly learned the emotion from that rejection was still living in me — eight years later. A few things. You guys know I’m basically ‘okay’ with being vulnerable. There were about 20 wonderful women in the…

[peppurthehotone]

How to let it all go.

Recently, a high school friend, Michelle Kohel, announced on Facebook that she was opening her own trucking and brokering company, Southport Trucking Services, LLC in Wisconsin. I was so incredibly encouraged to hear this news for her. What an endeavor! After working years in the field, she shared that she was taking a leap of faith and going out on her own. I love when entrepreneurs follow…

[peppurthehotone]

Let me help you help me!

Now that October is upon us, many of us are looking at these last few days of 2023 with a goal-oriented mindset. In my writer’s group, we have a “100 Days of Writing” challenge going on. We’re hitting these last 100 days hard with completion projects like finishing a manuscript, starting a manuscript, stock piling blog posts — all in the name of focusing on getting something done and feeling…

[peppurthehotone]

How to reclaim your power.

I bought a pair of shoes on September 5th. Here’s what happened next: Actually, let me start with how I bought the shoes in the first place. September 5th was a Tuesday; this shoe-buying event occurred around 2p that afternoon. From what I can remember, my day started late. I may have gotten distracted by something or was weirded out about something to the point where I couldn’t concentrate on…

[peppurthehotone]

Why gratitude matters.

I often mention that I didn’t grow up with sisters. There is something within me that seeks the safety of sisterly bonding and it usually manifests in how I collaborate creatively and within my friendships. If you have a sister, you may understand what I mean. This past week, my ‘sister’ Tanya arrived in Arizona. She didn’t come bearing gifts; she came with a whip ready to crack over our…

[peppurthehotone]

How to become a Shadowboxer.

Thank you for reading Pen and Peppur! Be sure to share if something resonates with you :) xoxo

Matt and I just completed a 14-day detox cleanse where we had to drink a special protein shake and also eliminated certain dietary meanies like dairy, caffeine, and alcohol, and gluten goblins like bread, pasta and cereal. I didn’t want to do the thing. I fought him on it. Until I didn’t. And it turned out to be an amazing thing that I am still doing. As outwardly adventurous as I may appear, I…

[peppurthehotone]

Be like me, but not.

Have any of you spent time thinking about the opportunities you’ve been given versus what your parents or grandparents were afforded? I’m super blessed to still have a grandma alive. Her name is Alberta (Grammy) and she is in her 90s. I’ve written about her before. Sometimes I sit with her and she tells me stories of how she had to yell at her kids (my three aunts and mom) to make sure they used…

[peppurthehotone]

Why being transparent matters.

I wrote this on February 22nd and F O R G O T about it! So, posting it now. Still relevant!Let me just say that I am super excited to be in this season of FINALLY launching my book, Harlem’s Last Dance. I don’t remember what I’ve already shared about it in past blog posts, but I want to start by saying this has been a nine year (ten year) journey. Sometimes, I really can’t believe it myself. When…

[peppurthehotone]

How to Find the Love of it All

It’s that time of year again! Hallmark Holiday time. There is a house in our Arizona neighborhood that really seems to be in love with holiday time. They show this love by being the king and queen of decorations. I mean, they go full out and and while it gives me joy to drive by their corner house and see their orange, glowing, spooky Halloween light projections on their garage and their 8-foot…

[peppurthehotone]

How to Act as If You Already Are

How to Act as If You Already Are

It’s the last Tuesday of 2022! I love Tuesday. I love how it looks when written, I love how it sounds and I enjoy how the number ‘two’ is embedded in the word, especially because we are in the year of the TWO’s! How exciting is that? What is your favorite day of the week and why? While you think about that, I’m going to offer you some very random things that low-key are inspirational messages…

[peppurthehotone]

How to have a Messy and Imperfect Thanksgiving

How to have a Messy and Imperfect Thanksgiving

Hello my friends! Happy Friendsgiving! I like using this term as ‘Thanksgiving’ is starting to sound a little icky given the knowledge we now have on how it all went down eons ago. At the risk of being hypocritical, I will say this. Even though I’m in my 50s, I still have such dreamy and yummy teenaged memories of our own Thanksgiving dinners over on Sheridan Road. I loved bringing out the table…

[peppurthehotone]

The Last of the Summer Whine.

The Last of the Summer Whine.

I join you from our dining room table, where to my right, I look out our large picture window where the afternoon October sun spills into the dining room. Gratitude. That is what I am feeling right now. As we know, emotions swing all over the place here are Pen and Peppur — just as they do with you, I imagine. I s’pose that makes it ever more important to highlight the fulfilling emotions as…