Articles written by Ariel Stephens

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About me - Ariel Stephens

My first short story was about a character named Link from the video game The Legend of Zelda that I wrote when I was 6 or 7 and since then I've developed a niche for short stories. A non-fiction short story of mine was published in the college literary magazine

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Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Self-realization: 1 of 71
In seventh grade I realized I was not like other girls. Other girls' carried around Cover Girl compacts in their purses primping themselves during class and their braces matched the alignment of their teeth. Other girls had real bras. But sitting directly behind them in class, I noticed the one thing that significantly sepa... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: What my dog means to me: 20 of 428
In 1996 Percy, a full bred beagle arrived at our home with sad, chocolate brown eyes and droopy ears that nearly tripped him. Our previous pets were fish and two cats but never a dog. Somehow having a dog made our family complete and my sister and I promised over and over to take care of him, feed him and play with him every... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Bathrooms: 6 of 52
Greg and I just purchased our first house and while that's all exciting and terrifying, what was even more terrifying was the bathroom. Pink tiles wrapped around the entire bathroom with black accent tiles on top and bottom. And they didn't stop in the shower, no. They spread on the ceiling above the tube like a disease. D... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Expressing thoughts: 5 of 40
I was in the return line at Target. I happened to look over and see a grown woman standing at the counter with an employee assisting her. The woman had her arms crossed and frown on her face like a young girl who just had her dolls taken away. Pout, dissatisfaction, anger all flooded her face while the employee eagerly punche... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Baby Accessories Top 10 must-have baby products: 6 of 38
People love to buy baby things. (Ok, women do.) But it's easy to get carried away and lost between the 'wants' and the 'needs' So before you go spending hundreds on cute dresses and little jeans here's my Top Ten list of baby products that are practical and enduring. 1) CRIB I know, "Duh." Baby needs somewhere to sleep! There... More..
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Giving birth: 3 of 11
With a flushed face, neck veins surfaced and gritted teeth I pushed. Labor started at 5 a.m. and lasted until 8:30 p.m. That 'urge to push' everyone had talked about for the past 8 1/2 months arrived and my son would soon take his first breath. December was ending and his due date was not until January. My husband held one of... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Marriage: 12 of 39
Greg and I had been married almost 2 years when we found out we were expecting. Though incredibly thrilled, we both worked full time jobs, devoted time to ministries at church, and Greg was pursing a promotion that would aid more financially once the baby arrived. Tack on pregnancy mood swings and we were spent. One night aft... More..
Style & Beauty > Hair Care How to care for curly hair: 4 of 12
Curly hair can be a great soruce of frustration. The beauty and spunk is there-how to enhance it is the mystery. Every curly head has a different personality-spirals, kinks, waves-so not one formula works for everyone. But there are basic steps to take to ensure your curls are lively, smooth and most important frizz free! Fin... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: What's in a name?: 5 of 12
In elementary school, teachers always had a problem with me. It did not consist of my behavior or grads, but the pronunciation of my name. I entered elementary school shortly after the arrival of Disney's The Little Mermaid, and the way her name was said seemed universal. My timid nature sustained me from correcting my t... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Fertility Issues The comments that a pregnant woman doesn't want to hear: 6 of 13
Some people believe being in the company of a pregnant woman gives them license to comment on or to her. Maybe they want to chit chat. Maybe they secretly want to compare situations. Maybe they really are interested. Maybe not. "Wow, look at you!" someone said to me. Nearly six months along I was in my second pair of matern... More..