ABOUT ME:
Hi, I’m Beth.
The Little Magpie comes from my enthusiasm and infatuation with so many topics and other bright objects. It isn’t lack of focus, it’s truly that so many things captivate me. I consider myself exceptionally fortunate to be able to explore so many things, and I hope to pass that same zest for life to my daughters along with a “carpe diem” attitude.
I love all things green, marketing, PR, social media, telling stories that are real and true through writing, farmers’ markets, gardening, amazing food, historic downtowns, biking rails-to-trails projects with my husband and our century-old home. I hope each day that I’m making it a magical place for our kids to remember. I’m Fred’s wife, Sophie & Ainsley’s mom, a bit of a francophile and a general enthusiast.
Regarding this blog: it’s evolved over several years from previous blogs in fits and starts. I’ve given up trying to categorize and neatly arrange my topics, tags and rants – if you know me, you know that it is virtually impossible to file my interests and condense my randomness. Since that is who I am, so be it. The beauty of a blog is that only those who find it of interest read it, right?
I’d love to connect – reach out via beth@magpiemarketing.org or on Twitter (@bethanystephens). Thanks for reading!
ABOUT THIS BLOG:
Honestly, interacting with me is a little like drinking from a fire hose. I have a litany of interests and I’m prone to pursuing dozens of ideas and interests at a time. A mentor once said of me: she goes 90 miles an hour with gusts up to 120. Knowing this, as a courtesy, I often offer an advance disclaimer to new acquaintances of my tendency to overwhelm. I’m a writer and blogger whose strength lies in turning a meaningful phrase and making the mundane fabulous. I’ve always found my personal and professional life to be better when I’m writing.
With all that said, I suppose the bucket this blog fits is lifestyle. I range from musings on life and intentional parenting to tirades on food (more of that over at The Food Adventuress), green topics, technology and an array of other topics. See more on that below.
Words from a few friends – all amazing bloggers worth reading in their own right:
Kelly’s Pink Bicycle: “The Little Magpie is your personality in blog form – a little bit literary, a little bit business-minded, and a a little bit mom and wife.”
EvolvedMommy: “The Little Magpie is artful, inspired and beautiful. It’s simply gorgeous to look at and fun to read. A great example of how to do it right.”
Tara Bradford Writing and Photography: “The Little Magpie is a mix of down home story-telling and high-tech forward thinking: a comfort zone communicating books and ideas to birds of a feather.”
HillbillyWisdom: “Intelligent, informative, interesting, humorous (but not snarky), witty, well written!”
nwaFoodie: “A one-stop connecting point for all things Beth.”
Angie Albright of A Growing Season: “Consistently fantastic, coherent writing. Never self indulgent but still very personal. Broad range of information and topics. P.S. I often end up going to the links, books, or blogs you note and always love them.”
WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME:
I work with two marketing entities, Magpie Marketing and Porch Swing Marketing, along with my partner-in-crime Stephanie Buckley (The Park Wife). I’m fortunate to serve along with Steph and Julie Kohl (Eggs and Herbs) as one of the partners in Arkansas Women Bloggers, a site that aims to gather, grow & connect women bloggers from throughout Arkansas and beyond. Check it.
I’ve done freelance writing most of my adult life, because it is good for my soul. I’ve been fortunate to have articles in AY Magazine, At Home in Memphis, Celebrate Arkansas and a number of other blogs and websites such as nwaMotherlode.com and PracticallyGreen.com and, of course, Arkansas Women Bloggers.
TOPICS (a few of the things you’ll find me writing about):
- Arkansas: my adopted home state: beautiful, tragically under-appreciated and full of neat things.
- Books & blogs: no shyness here (or at GoodReads) about sharing what I’m reading.
- Family: thoughts on intentional parenting, adventures and often (gasp!) strict parenting and related challenges can often be found here.
- Food & cooking: I mostly explore these things over at The Food Adventuress.
- Gradual greening & the great outdoors: we’re not all perfect, let’s not kid ourselves. I work every day to live more responsibly and sustainably, and there are plenty of pitfalls. I’m also a fan of nature play, outdoor time, gardening, home-packed lunches and conservation.
- Marketing, technology & social media: Love ‘em, can’t get enough. Love to see folks learn to flaunt it when they’ve got it, and have often been known to willingly help in the quest, especially for nonprofits and small businesses.
- A slice of Americana: We live in and love historic downtown Rogers, Arkansas. I think there’s a piece of yearning for a town like this in everyone, so you’ll find no shortage of Americana musings like this one.
ABOUT THE MAGPIE:
A chattering magpie signifies good news and the arrival of guests. I love that.
The European Magpie, Pica pica, is known for its fondness for bright, shiny objects and a penchant for making them its own. While unfortunately not a reflection on this blog’s author, the magpie is believed to be one of the most intelligent of all animals. In China, the magpie is a symbol of happiness, and its singing foretells happiness and good luck. A chattering magpie signifies good news and the arrival of guests. Interestingly, the black and white, black-billed, long-tailed magpie was sacred in ancient times to Bacchus, the god of wine. All magpie information from Magpie in Nature & Myth edited by Peter Y. Chou.
