We Promised You Good Stuff in the New Year...

...and today we're thrilled to share an exciting development here on The Red Dress Club.

Cheryl and I have such big dreams for TRDC. We want to make this your go-to place for everything you need. We want to challenge you, inspire you, educate you. We want you to be delighted by what you find here.

But, Cheryl still has Mommypants (five plus days a week!) and I still write over at in these small moments, and when all is said and done, we've come to recognize we need some help to accomplish our goals here.

So, we talked, meditated, searched, debated, considered, and talked some more.

And we believe that we have chosen someone who is going to bring energy, enthusiasm, and extensive teaching experience that will benefit all of us.

Our newest host is Katie, from Sluiter Nation, Exploded Moments, and Katie's Bookcase. Yes, you read that right...three blogs. (I did tell you that she's loaded with energy, right?)

Many of you already know Katie, as she has been an active member of TRDC for a while now. If you don't know her well yet, you will find her to be kind, sincere, open, intelligent, and witty.

And now I'm handing you over to Katie who has a few things she'd like to say:

I was just minding my own business one Sunday evening when I got a phone call. I never get phone calls. Ever. Texts, emails, DM’s, facebook messages…but never, ever phone calls. Except from my mom.

And this? Was NOT my mom.

“We’ve called to ambush you.”

And then a pile of giggles.

In case you haven’t figured it out, that pile of giggles was Nichole AND Cheryl.

I am fairly certain I sounded like an idiot on the phone. I couldn’t stop smiling. And nodding. And smiling.

They insisted I take my time to decide if I wanted to come on board. Ask the hubs.

I needed no time. OF COURSE I WAS IN!!!

I have spent the better part of my life immersed in all things writing.

I have my bachelor’s and Master’s in English with writing as an emphasis. Part of that was spent working with the Third Coast Writing Project on the best practices for teaching writing.

Watching these new practices in action as a high school teacher, and then as a college adjunct professor, have been incredibly rewarding.

But there was always something nagging me…I was not doing my OWN writing.

In 2007 I started writing freelance for my hometown paper. But it wasn’t the creative writing I wanted to do. I would have rather had a column than reporting on the local car dealerships weight loss plan for their employees.

A couple months ago, The Red Dress Club gave me that outlet. I have had many of you behind me pushing (even when I resisted) to keep writing…and to own my writing talent.

That is still hard for me. But writing has proven to be such a beautiful, therapeutic escape for me; I have absolutely fallen in love.

That is why when Cheryl and Nichole “ambushed” me and asked me to mesh all these things I love about writing? I melted all over…and then prattled on like an idiot (and yet they still wanted me!).

This—The Red Dress Club—is exactly what has been missing in my life.

I hope to not just share with you all, but to learn and grow as a writer. You have ALL helped me SO much already!

Thank you, so very much, Nichole and Cheryl, for this amazing opportunity!

Featured Blogger - Kate from Sluiter Nation

Today's featured blogger is Kate from Sluiter Nation. She is a woman after my own heart because she's as much of a grammar police as I am.


1. Tell us about yourself: I hate this question. Seriously. I swear this is the reason so many of my past job interviews have gone amok. I just don't know what people want to know. So here I go guessing what you want to know. Well, my name is Katie. Most people call me Kate. I am married to an awesome guy I have known since elementary school. I have an 18 month-old who has my personality and his dad's stunning looks. I teach high school and college. I blog here and there. I tweet a bit. I enjoy Pearl Jam, reading, and running amok.

2.Give us a 30-second elevator pitch about your blog: Since I have three blogs do I get 90 seconds? My "main" blog is Sluiter Nation. Like most people, I started my blog for family and friends not knowing there were many blogs out there. Since this spring, Sluiter Nation has become my "mom blog," I guess. I write about my family, what it is like to be a working mom, and all the stuff in between.
This summer I started Katie's Bookcase as a place to review all the millions of books I read. When it became clear that people wanted more than one post a month (because I can't read much faster than that with all I do), I took on a team of readers and writers. It's a pretty happening place if you're a bookworm. And recently, I started Exploded Moments as a place to do all my "me" writing. It's more my creative outlet. I usually do my Red Dress Club posts there, but sometimes you'll see them on Sluiter Nation.It's where I can try new things (like...gasp...FICTION) that really don't go with the niche I've created on Sluiter Nation.

3. Who is your favorite literary character and why?: Honestly, I have been thinking about this question since the very first time I read a featured blogger here. I have no idea how to pick! My favorite period is the American ex-pats of the 1920's/30's, but most of those characters make me crabby (in a good way, if there is such a thing). I would have to say right now it's a tossup between Owen Meany from A Prayer for Owen Meany and Pi Patel from Life of Pi. I like characters that have to overcome great odds. Who have to prove society wrong. Who stick to their convictions. And I like screwed up stories. So Owen and Pi fit nicely.

4. What kind of tree would you carve your initials on and why?: I don't usually go around carving my initials in things...ok, that is a TOTAL lie. In college I consistently carved my initials (or the words "Pearl Jam") into the trays in the cafeteria. Anyway, if we are talking about a tree, I would probably go all classic with an oak tree. Once carved in it will last the longest there. And I like to think that I leave a lasting impression on people.

5. What animal does your husband look like and why? I don't know about look like, but Cort most resembles a sea horse. The male sea horse is the one that cares for the young while the female goes out of the "home" for provisions. That is the case in our house. I work a TON (too much if you ask some of the ladies who hang 'round these parts) and Cort stays home with Eddie since being laid off over a year ago. This isn't by choice, but it's what our life is right now. And he probably won't admit it, but he is really good at this child-rearing thing.

6. If you could save one post in a fire, what post would it be and why?: The post I would save probably seems randomly chosen at first glance. It is called The One Where I Tell the Truth and it is the first time I told the world of my postpartum depression. And it is the first post where anyone in the bloggy world (that I didn't already know in real life) came and left a comment--actually 25 of them...which was like an explosion to me. Who am I kidding, that kind of turnout is still massive to me). It is the post that I think of as when I *really* started blogging. It is when I found the power of writing. When I realized what kind of outlet this blog thing was and what sort of people are out there--people like me. In fact, I met my blogging bestie--my etwin, Miranda (of Not Super Just Momof ). That post brought me all the way to here...as a featured blogger on The Red Dress Club. Something that I am beyond honored to be.