New year/New faith.

As we begin our journey into the not-so-unexpected new year that is 2012, many people fear that the world will end come December. I however, do not fear such a fate because quite frankly, I am a saved follower of Christ. I believe his Word to be true 100 percent. That said, I can rest easy knowing that the end will come at the Lords perfect timing.
I admit I've kept most of my faith as a christian hidden from view. It shames me but He is faithful and will show Himself to you when you seek Him with a pure heart. By pure I mean a state of mind and feeling that can't be expressed in words, in which you desire a real relationship with the Father; not just a god-in-a-box handy tool to make you feel better.

I am commiting myself to read the Bible in one year. As I go, I'm writing my questions down and waiting for God to send me a leader who knows Him, to disciple me into a man after Gods heart. I pray the Lord Jesus will wash away my porcelain face paint once and for all.

Interview with Erica Engebreth, Owner of Stachington Cupcakes.

Imagine something for me: You wake up with a feeling that “today is the day.” You make sure no is looking then disrobe yourself. The digital numbers blink zero’s as your heart rate rises just a little bit. You look down as the zero’s become a number. You smile bright and shout for joy! Doesn’t it feel good?

I wanted you to imagine looking at a scale after losing the extra pounds. Why would I do that? Because, now that you’re where you want to be, you can start the upward climb again! And lucky for you, I know just how you can begin.

You bite into a delicious sugary sweet cupcake. As you savor the sweet flavors and start thinking about a cool glass of milk, something happens. The tip of your tongue begins to tingle and you feel a sweat coming on. The sugar has turned to spice. No, not a sweet spice, it’s… it’s… peppery. It seems to keep getting warmer and you realize you’re now chewing a hot wing. All you can think about (besides this new mash-up of wonderful flavors) is refreshing your mouth with a cold glass of beer. Then, there it is! You guzzle it down, wipe your mouth and think: “What just happened?”

 “I WISH!” you scream. Well allow me to introduce the Genie herself. Here to talk about how she can make my little fantasy I gave you, into fact. 

Her name is Erica Engebreth. Founder, owner and operator of “Stachington Cupcakes”. I was pretty offended when I first heard about the way she pairs cupcakes, wings (among other things) and beer. But hey, what the heck right? After all, this wanders right up my ally, given my love for art and creation. And once I talked to Erica a little about all she has going on, I think she has not only shown originality, but proven she is a risk taker in a time when taking risks is original in itself. Follow the risks on twitter and Facebook.

Hey Erica, what’s with the name Stachington?

My Husband came up with it one night when I told him that I wanted my logo to be a cupcake with a mustache he was being silly and said that the cupcakes name should be Stachington and I fell in love with the name.

I’m sure the question of the hour is: Hot wings on cupcakes??

Yep, Hot wings.

haha Yeah Hot Wings on cupcakes! Why not? When I started thinking about doing this whole cupcake thing I knew I had to do something different because there are cupcake places everywhere in Atlanta. So yes I have a Hot Stache Cupcake and a Chicken n' Waffles Cupcake that I do.

YUM! Where can we find these? A bar or bakery?

I have always wanted to open a coffee shop or bar. I have just come to love baking as I've gotten older. So now the goal is to open a location a year or two from now but until then I am doing catering and I really love it.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I get my inspiration from My husband most of the time and just from things I love whether it be Food or nature or art. I take what I see or eat and come up with ways to make them into cupcakes. Like the Hot stache cupcake, I love Hot Wings so I made a Celery Root & Carrot Cake w/ a Blue Cheese Butter Cream and topped with a buffalo chicken nugget. 

What do people think when they see these? Or rather, actually try them?

Most of the time when I bring cupcakes with chicken on it people give me a funny look but once they try it they really like it. But just so you know not all of my cupcakes are as odd as the Hot Stache Cupcake or Chicken n' Waffles Cupcake.

What a shame J

 So you’ll have the chance to return to these parties then?

Things are going well so far. Right now I am just taking it one day at a time and trying to get my name out there.

What if the catering begins to slow down?

I am doing research and working on a business plan. My goals are to open Stachingtons Beer and Cupcakes one day. I love Beer and Sweets and I have a lot of fun pairing the two together so why not share that with others.

 What else can we look forward to in the strange recipe department?

I want to do a Sushi cupcake and a Bacon apple cupcake.

Interesting. Is this creatively satisfying for you?

Yes! I get to spend time making new and fun cupcakes and making them not only taste good but look good.

Remember folks, it’s not a stache unless it’s a Stachington! You heard read it here first.

Interview with Jessica Kristie

Since the last 2 post were on Tattoos, I decided to shake things up and throw in a piece on Poetry. Actually, this marks my 3rd post so I should say my FIRST 2 posts but that’s neither here nor there. I love reading Poetry. I can spend hours entertaining myself trying to figure out what the author was going through. I enjoy seeing what emotions stir up inside me as I read the words. Yet, while this is great fun, I know deep down that everyone experiences emotion different. In turn making it difficult to really share what adventures life throws at you. Emotions and feelings are such a wonderful gift that should never be feared but honored no matter what. Artists understand this. Where do you think we get inspiration from?  

I came across Jessica Kristie not to long ago and stayed glued to her website for hours. She writes beautiful poetry in many forms and has a way with words that simply flow with ease. I took a chance and asked if I could pick her brain a little bit. We sent a few E-mails back and forth and here is what I wanted to know and then found out about Jessica Kristie. Author of "Dreaming in Darkness" A collection of poetry penned by her emotions and offered with love.

Hi Jessica! Can you explain what is expected of you on a daily basis as the writing curator and contributor for Artplatform and Inspiration Speaks?

There are no daily expectations for my work with ArtPlatform.  Nichole is the founder and a wonderful friend who I am honored to work with whenever I get the chance.  My primary focus is the project Inspiration Speaks which is an annual collaboration of writers and artists.  Each year a portion of the proceeds will benefit a specific charity. We hold submissions for writers who can enter several poems to be in the collaboration.  We will open up submissions for Volume 2 early 2012. You can check on the ArtPlatform.org and WinterGoose websites for when submissions open. Inspiration Speaks Volume 1 is now available in Paperback & eBook at most major retailers such as Amazon and BN.com. Proceeds from Volume 1 benefit ColaLife.org

I Googled you to see the results and saw you everywhere! Did you see yourself where you are now 10 years ago?

Absolutely not. I was wrapped up in the corporate world trying to reach the top of a slowly fading economy. After several layoffs over the last few years I finally dedicated myself to writing and from there it quickly flourished.  It has only been through the last year and a half of hard work that I have been able to reach this point.

Who "discovered" you?

No one really discovered me.  Now, in this age of Social Media, I have been able to get work out there that would have been impossible just ten years ago. It is still a lot of hard work, but my options are greater and my reach is wider. Publishers, agents, artists and readers have been able to see my work through my website and I can reach a new level of readers through my Social Media and current work.

By the way, you can find Jessica on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and in the Red Room. Then, go to Youtube and watch her book trailer. It has an awesome song playing and is very eye-catching.

What is the oldest poem from "Dreaming in Darkness"? And when looking back on your older poems, what kind of emotions stir up inside you?

My oldest poem is Oil.  It is the only poem included that I wrote in High School.  Although it has been edited since its original version, it still holds the same meaning and theme. All of the other poems were from the last three or four years and each has a specific meaning, purpose, person or feeling behind it. All of them stir something in me as each has been born from a different intense emotion.

Have any major changes occurred in your life in the last couple of years now that you are a recognizable figure in the poetry world?

I wouldn’t consider myself a recognizable figure in the poetry world, but thank you  I hope that someday that will hold true not only for poetry but for my writing in general.  

So many things have changed over that last few years because of my writing. I now have a published collection with another due out in March, I am the co-creator and contributor to Inspiration speaks, and I have numerous ongoing projects and compilations that have all come from my writing.  I also have had the opportunity to work with several publishers and have had many business opportunities as a result of my accomplishments. I look forward to many more opportunities to come.

You are releasing your new book "Threads of Life” in March of 2012. How do you feel about it?

I am proud of Dreaming in Darkness and it has been well received, but I am really excited about Threads of Life. It is a very emotional collection that surrounds a fictional series of bad relationships. Threads of Life was a progression from my first book that is written primarily in Prose Poetry with most of the pieces being followed by a traditional contemporary poem. I feel it is a unique expression that will reach down and grab you. I look forward to its release.

Who do you admire most from past centuries?

Tough question as I admire many from past centuries. If we are talking about poets, I really enjoy

T. S. Eliott, Sylvia Plath and, of course, Poe.

If you lost your hands in an accident, would you learn to write with your mouth, use a voice recorder and have someone else write it down, or have you thought of this and have another plan?

My need to expel what I am feeling would still be there, if not be even greater, so I would find anyway to do it.  They have programs where you can talk into it and it types for you. That would probably be the best option to still keep private what I want to keep private.

What is your favorite time of day and why?

I enjoy early mornings when it is cold and quiet and early evenings when my house has once again turned peaceful.

Who are your favorite authors for your own pleasure reading? 

I don’t really have a favorite author(s). I enjoy reading and have found books I have fallen in love with along the way.  Over the last several years my reading has slowed as my time has thinned but I am always on the hunt for my next great book love.

What other forms of Art do you enjoy?

I am a huge lover of all types of art. I find beauty in paintings, photography, sculptures and many other venues for expression.

In your photo I see a tattoo of a butterfly? 

Yes, I love Butterflies. That one is fairly new. Just over a year old I think. :)

Do you have any other tattoos? 

I love tattoos. Some people wouldn't think that of me as I can hide them but others are not surprised at all. I have six total. Two on my ankle, one (very large one) on my lower back and three on my upper back. One on each shoulder and one in the middle.

What is the back story of your ink?

Only one has a significant story behind it but the others are just things I like. Actually my first tattoo I got (illegally) when I was 17. I sneaked out of my house and went to the local "Tattoo & Blues"festival.  Luckily back then they weren't as strict with carding, I didn't even get questioned when I walked through the door. The stereotypical biker guy tattooed a gecko on my ankle. I had no idea what to expect or what I was doing. He was a huge bearded man wearing only a leather vest. 

I wore socks running from the shower to my room for the next month before I got enough guts to tell my mom what I did. Luckily she didn't freak out nearly as badly as I thought she would.

What are some of your favorite Hobbies?

I love to sing and always enjoy a good night out dancing.

Do you draw a line anywhere on what should or should not be considered art?

It is not my place to draw a line on something that is so subjective. There are general guidelines with things like writing. There is bad writing, but even then there are certain styles that people prefer or don’t and therefore can be somewhat subjective.  In other forms of art there are similar issues.

I read that inspiration hits you at random. I'm the same way and carry a composition notebook and pen at all time. Do you do something similar?

Oh yes. I have a small notebook that I carry around with me everywhere. If I left home without it, I would be lost. I have also made use of napkins, or anything else available, in the past.

Angel of Strength- By: J. Alan England

I am 27. That means I have had ink on my skin for 9 years. For as long as I can remember I have craved a tattoo with everything I had. My earliest memories are being 6 or 7 and begging my parents for a temporary tattoo. I never got it but a friend of mine did. I burned with jealousy! I hear all the negative things about tattoos but never bought into it. I always knew I was going to be inked up one day