Friends:

I arrived in East Brunswick, New Jersey on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel for the New Jersey Association of School Librarians Conference. After signing books at the Libraries Unlimited booth, I went to dinner with Debby Laboon (Libraries Unlimited’s Authors Respresentative) and Anne Scharff (Greenwood Press’ Sales Representative). We met Judy Freeman and her sweet husband, Izzy, at a restaurant in New Brunswick called Soho. Dinner was delicious. After returning to hotel, I went to my room, Skyped with my family and then crashed.

The morning of November 14, I attended a session by Wayne Free, who works with the Louisiana Association of Educators. The room was small and the crowd was spilling into the hallway. Wayne spoke about how librarians could incorporate using media (the Internet, etc.) into their library lesson plans.

Wayne Free 11-14-08

After Wayne’s session, I attended Judy Freeman’s session on picture book “Winners.” It was a fabulous session and her room was full. Judy is so animated and energetic, a great storyteller, singer, and entertainer. The books she showcases are definitely winning reads. This is Judy reading Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel.

Judy Freeman 11-14-08

I had to leave Judy’s workshop a tad early because I had to set up for my workshop. I presented “Handmade Tales.” Here are the attendees creating “Joseph Had An Overcoat” cut -and-tell story.

NJASL Workshop Participants creating "Joseph Had an Overcoat Cut and Tell" - 11-14-08

We were having so much fun in the workshop. They really enjoyed “Bandana Man,” an adaptation of “The Gingerbread Man” done with a bandana.

NJASL Workshop Participants with "Bandana Man" - 11-14-08

Look at this cutie! He was the old woman in “Bandana Man.”

The Old Woman in "Bandana Man" - 11-14-08

I received rave reviews on my workshop from the workshop participants. It was so much fun. Afterward, I went to the Libraries Unlimited booth to sign books. Then it was time for dinner. I went to dinner with Debby Laboon, Judy Freeman, and Susan Fichtelberg (another LU author). We ate at a swanky diner that had the best food and we had the best time.

Susan Fichtelberg, Debby Laboon, Dianne de Las Casas & Judy Freeman - 11-14-08

The next day, Saturday, November 15, 2008, I ate a quick buffet breakfast at the hotel’s cafe and then headed to the ballroom to set up my second “Handmade Tales” workshop. Another author was presenting and went over time, giving me less than 10 minutes to set up. I was frantic!

Nevertheless, I had a room full of enthusiastic librarians, who enjoyed the workshop as much as the previous group. Here is a workshop participant’s rendition of an original draw-and-tell story, “The Emperor’s Dragon.”

Draw-and-tell Story "The Emperor's Dragon" - 11-15-08

Here is a table of librarians who are all “Reading Stars!” The star is made with a single sheet of paper, five folds and one snip of the scissors. The librarian on the right is author Susan Fichtelberg.

The Magic Star - 11-14-08

My final story was “The Stubborn Turnip,” a string story adaptation of the Russian tale “The Enormous Turnip.” Below, workshop participants celebrate their successful attempt to make the string bowl in the story.

"The Stubborn Turnip" String Bowl - 11-14-08

Both of my workshops were full of lively librarians who appreciate the hands-on activities of the workshop. I had a great time presenting at the New Jersey Association of School Librarians state conference. The 2009 Conference Chair attended my first workshop and asked me to return next year. Now that gives me warm fuzzies all over! My Handmade Tales book sold out even before my first presentation began – wow!

Thank you so much to the conference chair, Pam Cheskey, the conference staff (especially Aliah), and all the lovely librarians who chose to attend my session when there were other wonderful sessions ongoing simultaneously. Thank you to all the librarians who helped me set up and pack up, especially Karen and Wendy. I just love librarians! They are always willing to lend a hand.

A special thank you to Debby Laboon (I just luv u!) and Anne Scharff (my bud), who are both wonderful women. I so appreciate what you do for my books!

Happy Tales to You! Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

ORGANIZED AND ENERGIZED! PART 3 – THE LIVING ROOM/FAMILY ROOM
By Dianne de Las Casas

The Living Room or Family Room
If this is the place where your family gathers to watch T.V., play games, and talk, then you definitely need to take control of the clutter in this area. You probably have a number of items to store in the living room including DVDs and CDs, board games, blankets, photos, remote controls, books, and children’s toys. Where does it all go?

Coffee Table with Storage – If you don’t have a coffee table that doubles as storage, perhaps you can retrofit it. Does it have a shelf underneath to which you can add boxes, bins or baskets? My coffee table does triple duty – it is a storage unit where I can store blankets and games. The cushioned top can seat extra guests. Then the top flips over to become a serving tray. Simply ingenious.

End Table with Storage – When my husband and I looked for an end table, we couldn’t find one that suited our needs. So I decided to use a non-traditional piece. We found a high bedside night stand with a drawer and two shelves. The drawer houses our remotes and the shelves become a home for books and magazines. A perfect solution.

Entertainment Unit – Find an entertainment unit that can house your TV, A/V equipment, CDs, DVDs, books, collectibles, photos, and games. An entertainment unit that provides added storage is a valuable piece of furniture. Last year, I helped a family organize their entire house in five days. Whew! This entertainment unit was purchased by my clients, Mr. and Mrs. M, from IKEA. It houses a flat screen TV, all the A/V equipment, bins, collectibles and books. Plus, there is room to grow.

Miscellaneous Storage – Are you a magazine junkie? Control magazine mania with a magazine rack or, better yet, labeled magazine holders stored on a bookshelf. Keep a basket handy to gather stray toys (children’s or pets) that are to be put away by evening’s end. Love your wine but don’t have room in the kitchen for it? Consider a wine/liquor bar. This one is in our living room and houses all of our wine, liquor, liqueurs, glassware and bar supplies. It was purchased from World Market.

Bookshelves – Bookshelves make terrific storage pieces. In addition to storing books, you can store DVDs, CDs, and collectibles. Bookshelves can also hold bins, baskets, and boxes to contain just about anything. Put baskets on the bottom shelf to hold the children’s toys. I use my baskets to store my CDs (the ones I recorded). The red boxes store extra paper and postcards that don’t fit in my office.

This bookshelf, purchased by Mr. and Mrs. M at Target, mimics the slant of the staircase. We used it to store photo albums (that were in piles on the floor), travel treasures (buried in various places around the house), and family photo frames (we edited to select the best ones).

There is a Shaker saying that a friend of mine taught me, “If it can be put down, it can be put up.” Put up the clutter; don’t put up with the clutter! This is your year to get organized and energized. Here’s to beautiful spaces. Here’s to beautiful you!