The best-est, awesome-est thing about back to school time is the eagerness to start something new.

Last week I bought a pair of faux leather pants online because Who What Wear told me I needed a pair for fall. So I bought a pair. And a pretty dark floral sleeveless top to wear with it.

Then I went to the grocery store.

I'm in Publix almost every day. I buy the bulk of our groceries on the weekend, and then little odds and ends throughout the week. And just like that and overnight, the Back To School display by the front of the store disappeared. School started at the beginning of August, so by September students have everything they need. So, bye-bye display. But right there in front of me, was a huge bin of the leftover supplies. And on clearance!

I came in for cilantro and left with markers, pens, pencils, index cards, colored pencils, watercolors, and erasers.

After I came home and sorted my gorgeous new supplies, I opened my laptop and looked at my blog. Then quickly closed the laptop and took the dog for a walk. It was immediately and frustratingly clear: my blog needed a back to school refresh. So I've spent the last week furiously fiddling. I'll drop the veil on Friday - I'm saying it out loud here to force myself to finish all those little tweaks and pieces of code behind the scenes.

It's back to blog school for me these next few days - and I'm so excited, I can't sleep. I have some amazing events coming up: Authors At The Opry this weekend in Nashville (come say hi!), a poetry reading at the Beach House in Pine Lake, GA, and the Allatoona Book Festival. I also have a new book I forgot to tell you about (!!) and a few new goodies I'm excited to share. Oh, and a whole page of freebies. Yep yep. I'm stoked to show you what I have for you.

See you at school on Friday. I'll be the one in English lit doodling in my notebook, then asking for the bathroom pass so I can wave at you from the hallway while you are in your chemistry class.