My Cyber Cabin in the Woods

Image via Wikipedia

I've been spending way too much time online lately. I always do that when things in my personal life get nutty, as with our impending move to Dallas. I use the internet as a refuge.

Can't find a house? No problem. Go into your Wordpress dashboard and play house there. Tweak Thesis to within one inch of its life.

A garage filled with crap to be sorted through? Time to take a hard look at your Twitter followers and weed out some of the people who are no longer participating.

Aware that you will need to discard baby items that have sentimental value because you can't keep them all? Make a post about your children, or upload photos to Facebook.

The internet is hardly a world over which we have total control, but it does allow us to hide and dream and think that perhaps we are connecting with others and improving our personal organizational situations. Yet, I have two crochet projects that sit on my shelves, unfinished. I should be packing. Christmas shopping. Scrubbing the bathroom floor. Walking. Interacting with my children as often as possible.

So why do I find myself here with increasing frequency? In my mind, while everything around me is swept up in toddler tornadoes and cross-country move panic, I can come in here and build upon something concrete. Slowly and surely, brick by hard-won brick, I will have carved out a little place for myself in the midst of the deluge—my own little cyber cabin in the woods.

As is the way of the internet, my little cabin is hardly safe, and might even slide down a hill if the rain gets too heavy. I think that, perhaps, instead of spending too much time on the drapery and pillow covers, I should also work on its foundations. It's not nearly as fun, but ten times as necessary. What are some things I should be doing?

• Learning about security and safety, but not overdoing it. There is always something to fear, but the thing we must fear the most, you may have heard, is fear itself.


• Determining my goal. If I don't know what I'm aiming for I will surely never achieve it.


• Mastering SEO techniques. If I didn't want people to visit my cabin I would be posting offline.


• Seeking out and supporting a list of like-minded bloggers. Taking a hard look at my current list of contacts.


• Setting up a daily routine with a time limit. (Oh, how I hate time limits and routines!) Something like, reading and commenting on blogs, one hour, posting, half an hour, etc. I might even want to expand this into a weekly schedule so everything gets covered.


• Perhaps expand the schedule to include a blog posting schedule. This way I could include a mix of diary posts for my own sanity, and potentially entertaining and helpful posts.


• After the move, make time for daily writing exercises. This is really where my blogging heart is, and learning to be a better writer can only have a positive impact on not only this blog, but on all of my communication attempts.

I'm in my personal comfort zone when winging it. But, as I recall, when I worked in an office I liked to have strict control over my activities to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks. What was absolutely imperative was done first thing in the morning so that when urgent and unexpected situations presented themselves I was still firmly on track. If I were to approach my blogging activities through the eyes of a professional rather than those of a dabbler, I just might be able to manifest a highly satisfying experience for myself and my readers. Should I discover this to be impossible, at least I will know I did everything possible to make it happen, instead of waiting for it to happen to me.

Oh, and I should probably pack, too. :o

Happy Thanksgiving

What better time than now to count my blessings? I am grateful for...

God
My family (I love and appreciate you guys beyond words!)
My friends (Thanks for seeing beyond all the crap and accepting me.)
My life
My health
My freedom
My country
All service people - military, police, fire, postal, teachers
My love
Kind people
Helpful people
Funny people
Caring people
Serendipity
Honesty
Forgiveness
Art that makes me think
My husband's sense of humor
ETA: The fact that my husband reminded me to add Charmin to this list
My husband's new job
The fact that I have a choice to stay home with my kids
Carl Jung
Passionate music
Engrossing books
Masterful films
Animals who don't bite people
Animals who want to bite people but stay far away from them
People who suck it up and just do what needs to be done without complaining
People who forgive me when I fail to suck it up and just do what needs to be done without complaining
Black pants
Black underwear
Black shorts
Black dresses
Funky t-shirts
Jane Austen
Johnny Depp
Dexter
Pumpkins
Cinnamon
The smell of a book
Clean sheets
True Blood
Stephenie Meyer
Twitter
Facebook
My Power50 Allied Bloggers
Toasters
Peanut butter
The ocean
Water in general
Clouds that look like stuff
Free pedicures
Baby nuzzles
The sounds of the word "Mommy" as it hits my ear
Used book stores
Friends who can somehow see through your smile and are extra kind to you on days when you need extra kindness
Junk drawers
McDonald's Diet Coke
Dr Seuss
Emily Dickinson
Robert Frost
Earnest people
Sincere people
People who don't hold back
People who make you get up again after you fall
People who don't keep a record of wrongdoings
Awful people who make me appreciate the wonderful people
People who are good at things I'm not good at so as to take the pressure off of me to not have to do those things all the time
Customer Service reps who are patient and helpful
Doctors who ask if I have any questions and actually answer them
Zip-off crib sheets
Vanilla scented lotion
Yankee candles
Nag Champa incense
Thrift stores
People who know how to paint and sell their stuff for reasonable prices
Really good comedy writers
30 Rock
Wooden toys
Santa Claus
The Easter Bunny
Christmas music
Christmas puzzles
Amazon gift cards
Google maps
Flip flops
Scrunchies
Hair dye
Built-in shelves
Hair dryers
Red geraniums
The Sound of Music
No tears bubble bath for kids
Potatoes
Tequila
Lemons
Garlic butter
Pianos
Chocolate
Free concerts
The Grinch

There's much, much, more. Thank you if you are reading this, you've given me the best gift one possibly can, the gift of your time. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Love,
Heather

Dara England's $25 Barnes and Noble Christmas Scavenger Hunt

[caption id="attachment_1864" align="alignleft" width="234" caption="Click to find Brought to Life at BarnesandNoble.com"][/caption]

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you wonderful people! Joe Joe woke us up at an unholy hour this morning, so naturally my first instinct was to slip behind my laptop and poke through my Facebook messages. I'm glad I did, because I found one from Dara England announcing her fun Christmas Scavenger Hunt! Here are the details so that my interested readers may participate as well.

From Dara:

This is a Read, Play, and (hopefully) Win game. The prize is a $25.00 giftcard to Barnes & Noble.

Step #1. If you haven't already, you'll need to read all the way through my book Brought to Life. (You knew that was coming, didn't you? I'm a sneaky, sneaky lady.) Brought to Life is a paranormal romance/time travel ebook that can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/l/e673a;www.lyricalpress.com/brought_to_life.html

Step #2. Email me at dara [at] daraenglandauthor [dot] com with the answers to these two questions (these answers can only be found in the book). *1. What is the name of the heroine's roommate? *2. What famous author does the heroine meet at the end of the book?

Step #3. Wait. I'll randomly select a winner out of those who answered correctly and will notify them via email on 1/1/10.

Happy hunting and happy holidays!

--Dara

Dara England on Facebook

Dara England (Carol Green) on Twitter

Dara England's (Carol Green's) Website

LadyFingers Designs

Have fun!

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Barnes and Noble Affiliate Program

Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale List!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I mean really. I think it's all a lie. But just in case it isn't, here's a list of great deals provided to me by some of my affiliates to kick off your holiday Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanzaa shopping! (I may get a little sump sump if you click on my links and buy from these folks, just so you know. Wink wink.)

Barnes & Noble.com

Catch up on the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse in this 8-volume eBook bundle and save 20% (Expires 11/26/09)

Go back to the beginning with J.D. Robbs Naked in Death, only $4.99 as an eBook (Expires 11/30/09)

Get 2 previously unpublished Kurt Vonnegut stories for just $1.99 each in eBook format (Expires 11/30/09)

Get Kiss of Shadows, Laurell K Hamiltons first Meredith Gentry novel, for FREE as an eBook! (Expires 11/30/09)

Nora Roberts Spellbound, only $2.99 as an eBook! (Expires 11/30/09)

Stephen Kings eBook exclusive, Riding the Bullet, only $2.50 (Expires 11/30/09)

Pre-order Laurell K Hamilton's 8th Merideth Gentry novel, "Divine Misdemeanors," and save 40% (Expires 11/30/09)

Shop by 12/20 to receive Free Shipping in time for Christmas on orders of $25 or more! (Expires 12/20/09)

BN Members receive a holiday bonus of FREE 3-day shipping on orders of $10 or more! (Expires 12/25/09)

Hundreds of the hottest DVDs at Special Black Friday prices most 50% off or more! (Expires 11/30/09)

Blockbuster

Chefs Catalog

11/27 Only: Nonstick 4-Egg & 6-Egg Poachers just $29.95!

11/27 Only: Kuhn Rikon Ultimate Shears just $14.95, normally $23.95!

11/27 Only: KitchenAid Pro Line Chef's Blender, KPCB348PPM just $179.95 - normally $350!

11/27 Only: 8-Piece Glass Prep Bowl Set just $9.95 - normally $19.99

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11/28 Only: CHEFS Essentials - Tri-Ply Roasting Pan just $59.95 - normally $100

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Dr. Scholl's

Free Shipping on entire order 11/27/09-12/4/09
Free Shipping + 20% off with code. Code will be live on 11/30/09 only (They did not provide a code, hopefully it will be apparent on that date.)

ProFlowers

(11/27/09-11/30/09)


(Expires 11/30/09)

Reader's Digest

Save up to 40% on all Children's Books at Reader's Digest Store while supplies last.

Some AWESOME deals that expire today, Wednesday 11/25/09:

Deal	Code	Expiration
New - Pick Your Day to Save	N/A	11/29/09 only
New - FREE Standard shipping on all orders	N/A	11/29/09 only
New - Save 15% on all Music collections	N/A	11/29/09 only
New - Save 10% on all Clearance items	N/A	11/29/09 only
New - Save 15% on all Home Improvement books	N/A	11/29/09 only
Expiring Soon - Save 20% on all books in the 'Crafts & Hobbies' category	RDCRAFTS	11/25/09
Expiring Soon - Save $5 on purchases of $30 or more	RDSAVED5	11/25/09
Expiring Soon - Save up to 75% off + save an additional 10% off already reduced items	SAVEFALL	11/25/09
Free Shipping on all purchases over $25	N/A	Ongoing

Reader's Digest Store is now Tweeting! Follow them @Noel_TimeLife for all your up-to-date Reader's Digest Store savings!

Sears

(Expires 11/25/09)



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Sketchers

Neurotic Confessional

[caption id="attachment_1812" align="alignleft" width="235" caption="Edvard Munch - "The Scream""][/caption]

Are you a flaming neurotic? Well, you're not alone. In fact, if you head over to i am neurotic and read through other peoples' neuroses you may even start to feel "normal". You can submit your own neuroses to unburden yourself from the weight of non-disclosure.

I did. I entered a rant about how my skin starts to crawl when people forget to capitalize the letter I when appropriate. I'm totally freaking out just thinking about it. Seriously. And I know it's wrong. It's not you, it's me.

I'm also a wee bit obsessive-compulsive. For example, if I step on a crack in the sidewalk with my left foot I am compelled to step on a crack with my right foot in just the same spot to even things out. I'm lucky in that I can resist these impulses, as I understand many are not able to.

There's more, but I don't want to expose my freakazoidalism more than is required for this post to function properly. Do you suffer from any neuroses?

Monday Mischief

Are you feeling tired and defeated this very fine Monday morning? Perhaps you find yourself slumping over your desk, dripping crumbs from your burnt toast out of the corner of your mouth into the guts of your fifteen year old Dell keyboard and wondering...

"Hey! Why am I ploitering at this smelly old desk at this stupid job in my faux-leather Payless Shoe Source footwear next to a mouth-breathing, back-stabbing fussock, when other people who are no smarter than me perch smugly in their fancy schmancy corner offices and fondle their bacculas and stare at their really hot assistants who happily bring them muffins and coffee and don't complain about the fact that indentured servitude is well beneath them?"

It's not just you. You really did get a raw deal. And those other people really are looking down on you. But that doesn't mean you have to bend over and take it like a perma-grinning cymbal monkey. You can fight back in subtle ways.

One way to battle El Jefe is to stuff his in-box with links that, once clicked, will serve the dual purpose of both irritating the crap out of him and annoying the other pent-up puckerbutts in his vicinity. This will effectively red-headed-stepchildify him, dropping him a wee bit closer to your own level of the social stratosphere (rock bottom). You'll probably be fired faster than you can say "case of the Mondays", but it will be well worth it!

Here are some links that will get the job done:

Walama

Most Annoying Noise Ever

Disney Don't Change

Cat on a Keyboard in Space

Elecktronik Supersonik

The Most Annoying Sounds All In One

How IRRITATING! (Do NOT Watch this!)

And an oldie but goodie...  It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!!!

You will thank me later. Oh and hey - can you bring me a muffin?

What is my purpose?

I'm starting to realize that the more I communicate with other human beings, the less likely I am to write. Also, the more regular regular readers I am lucky enough to procure through arm-twisting and bribery, the more likely I am to want to please them with my posts, rather than blogging for me.

But you haven't been pleasing me, you may be thinking. You've been blogging crap lately.

I know. I know, right? And it's your fault. :wink: When I gander the spectre of you on my shoulder I am prompted to write things that I think might be of interest to you. But since I only have it in me to be me these days, my decades of natural, habitual and possibly pathological people-pleasing long behind me, this errant desire to please functions in my psyche as sand would in the guts of a pocket watch.

Or perhaps it's not your fault. Perhaps it was my decision to monetize my blog that is making me think of cutting my hair and dressing for success rather than embracing and developing my peculiarity. And isn't it justifiably so?

When you work for sponsors, or to attract them, isn't it necessary to attend the mandatory drinking of their kool-aid? You owe the people who pay you. Exactly what you owe them I'm still trying to figure out. In an office setting it is simple. Adhere to the dress code. Read between the lines and step things up. Go above and beyond the usual means in order to please and represent them. When people pay you to perform a function aren't you meant to lose yourself in order to become the function? And if you want people to pay you, shouldn't you proactively become the function in order to attract them?

What am I supposed to be doing? What is my purpose? Perhaps I should look to my own posts for the solution. It would seem my natural inclination is right before my eyes.

I don't answer questions. I ask them. And it has always been this way.

There, I can work with that.

I'm going to continue to be myself here at Happymaking. Hopefully sponsors will be  attracted to me and want to throw money at me for being weird. Barring that, I am also going to start two niche blogs and focus directed material at them. I would like to thank DiTesco of iBlogZone for sharing his expertise with me via private consultation and for answering my questions about niche blogging.

In the meantime, if you have any answers that need questions, you know where to find me.

Twilight Craft Ideas from Cut Out and Keep!

Image by Katie Freeland via Flickr

Cut Out and Keep is a wonderful community where members can make and share step-by-step craft tutorials. They have a whole section dedicated to Twilight Craft Ideas. At this printing, 77 projects and counting.

Thesis Options Frozen

Hello, all! Happy Hump Day! :D

My Thesis Options page freezes my computer. Hence, I've been avoiding it. However, I need to add a header script for Google Webmaster Tools, so I must access it.

I'm going to attempt to delete the Thesis Options and Thesis Display Options and re-install them as laid out in the Thesis Forums HERE.

Just letting you know. If my site disappears and I flip out and go on a cross-country rampage, at least you'll know why.

Ta Ta for now,

Heather

[Edited to add: Wahoo, it worked! Thesis Options now functions properly.]

Moving to Dallas, Texas!

Dallas, there goes your neighborhood. Raise your fences and hide your sheep, cause here come the Kepharts!

Dennis and I found out on Friday that he was offered a position at the Dallas, Texas branch of his current employer. We're very excited and looking forward to the adventure, but this news leaves us with mixed emotions.

I've lived in California my entire life, and all of my family lives here. It will make me sad to move this far away from them, and from the west coast, as it is the backdrop for all of my memories. Gratefully, my Mother will be making the move with us, and living with us until she finds an apartment of her own. Dennis' father and stepmother live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area, so we will have some other family there. Plus, I have some friends in the Austin, Texas area, among them Holly Jahangiri and Jannie Funster.

Although we knew there was a possibility of this happening, I hadn't considered it a viable probability and kept it on the outer rim of my consciousness. I'm excited to move to Dallas, but the timing has me thrown. This news, plus news of a situation with the health of one of my lifelong best friends had me shaken and in tears most of the weekend. I missed three full days of writing and now I'm more than 6,000 words behind in Nanowrimo. We have a full month and a half to make this move, but with the holidays coming up I wonder about the practicality of concentrating on my personal writing goal when my time might be better spend weeding through and selling or giving away some of our personal items in preparation for this move, and preparing for Joe's birthday, and Christmas, etc.

To be honest, had I known we would be making this move, I never would have chosen to participate in Nano this year. But I didn't know, and I did choose to participate. I made the commitment. What would you do at this point? A little bird tells me that if I quit Nano I will feel like a failure and that I should stick it out and devote the next two weeks to it, even more time than I had been, trying to get caught up. If I suck it up and focus my energies and complete Nano I will feel a tremendous amount of accomplishment. If I quit, I will probably beat myself up for the next year. Plus, I will let down the people who are rooting for me and sitting beside me on the Nano journey.

But the other side of me wants to spend the time preparing for the move. I've never lived outside of California, and we will be needing to dump a lot of stuff to cut moving costs to the bare minimum. There are so many details to be attended to, and logistics aren't my forte', so I'll have to work extra hard to make sure this move goes off without a hitch.

I am looking for some advice here. Please don't say what you think I want to hear, but let me know what you would do in my situation. Thanking you in advance should any of you choose to accept this mission!

My Feet by Joe Joe

I sneaked out of my room early the other morning in search of candy. Drat, Mom remembered to put it on top of the refrigerator. Why she doesn't just throw it away is beyond me.

[caption id="attachment_1571" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="What's this black thing?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1569" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="One small step for me, one large step for toddlerkind"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1570" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="If one foot is good, two feet are better. Right foot a bit shy."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1568" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="If two feet are better, two feet and three mini newtons are best!"][/caption]

I am getting bored with photos and have moved on to taking videos.



[caption id="attachment_1576" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="Brian came over Saturday night and carried me and Lily around before borrowing Dad's fancy shoes and heading out to the pub to score chicks. Yes I realize I'm much too old for a binky. Send your angry emails to my Daddy."][/caption]

Bye-bye.

Joe :D

The Seedy Underbelly of The Kephart Compound

I find it's best to write my blog posts as soon as I get up, before my brain has a chance to click into gear. Every morning I awaken a babe in the woods among you—unsullied, fresh and eager to make new friends and tackle new challenges. By noon, not so much. :?

Given my present state of mind, it seems a fabulous idea to share with y'all the seedy underbelly of our home. The "B" side, if you will.

[caption id="attachment_1588" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="I found this wad of playdough on the floor the other day. The embedded pattern looked strikingly similar to that of my shorts. Hope I didn't wear it to the store."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1589" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="The Kephart children like to raid our pantry on a daily basis. Sometimes Lily reaches into the trash can and grabs things. I'm going to Hell for allowing that to happen."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1590" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="I allow my baby girl Lily to sit in mud puddles on a regular basis."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1591" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I get up and put my hair back. Usually I remember to take a shower and fix it. Not this day. My husband Dennis told me I looked like I was from "the South"."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1592" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="I allowed this to happen too."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1593" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Lily has taken to removing her diaper during sleep sessions and flinging poop all over her room. I found poop on each page of the small book in her crib, and on each shelf of her changing table (Daddy found her first). Yes, Grampy and Grammy, this is the doll you gave Lily for Christmas. Don't worry - it came out in the wash. She sleeps in pullups now."][/caption]

And there you have it, folks! Wishing you a lovely, relaxing Sunday surrounded by the people you love.

WritersWeekly 24-Hour Short Story Contest

I first learned of this contest from AnneOnWriting. Great find, Anne!

Click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page for the contest guidelines.

Taken from WritersWeekly:

********************


WritersWeekly.com's 24-Hour Short Story Contest!

You can enter the Winter 2010 contest below.

Please note: You must be entered in the contest before the topic is posted in order to submit your story. You cannot write your story first, then enter the contest.

24-Hour Short Story Contest! - $5.00

Select this to register for the Winter 2010 24-Hour Short Story Contest. Start time is January 23rd , 2010 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) central time. Held quarterly and limited to 500 entrants. Don't miss out on the ultimate source for creative stress...and tons of fun! More than 85 prizes! (When you purchase this, you'll download a PDF file of the guidelines. There is also a link to them in the email receipt.)

I want to enter the Winter 2010 contest.

Winners from the last contest

********************

1st Place

$300 Cash Prize

Publication of winning story on the WritersWeekly.com website.

1 - Freelance Income Kit

Includes:
1-year subscription to the Write Markets Report
How to Write, Publish and $ell Ebooks
How to Publish a Profitable Emag
How to Be a Syndicated Newspaper Columnist Special (includes the book; database of 6000+ newspapers; and database of 100+ syndicates)

2nd Place

$250 Cash Prize

Publication of winning story on the WritersWeekly.com website.

1 - Freelance Income Kit

Includes:
1-year subscription to the Write Markets Report
How to Write, Publish and $ell Ebooks
How to Publish a Profitable Emag
How to Be a Syndicated Newspaper Columnist Special (includes database of 6000+ newspapers and database of 100+ syndicates)

3rd Place

$200 Cash Prize

Publication of winning story on the WritersWeekly.com website.

1 - Freelance Income Kit

Includes:
1-year subscription to the Write Markets Report
How to Write, Publish and $ell Ebooks
How to Publish a Profitable Emag
How to Be a Syndicated Newspaper Columnist Special (includes the book; database of 6000+ newspapers; and database of 100+ syndicates)

20 - Honorable Mentions

Honorable mention winners receive a one-year subscription to The Write Markets Report AND one ebook of their choice.

---

DOOR PRIZES (randomly drawn from all participants)

15 - One-year subscriptions to The Write Markets Report

5 - Freelance Income Kits ($49.95 value)

5 - copies How to Publish A Profitable E-mag

5 - copies of Query Letters That Worked
Features real query letters that landed these contracts: Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies $11,300; and many more!

30 - Grab Bag!Winners of grab bag get one ebook of their choice from our list HERE.

Daily Journaling for Children

What do we all think about the idea of creating journals for our toddlers and preschool-aged children or grandchildren?

From the AARP article "Start a Tradition With Your Grandchildren",

The Write Impression: Dahlia Duran, Oak Brook, Ill., one grandchild
I started a journal for my four-year-old grandson even though he can't write yet. When I sleep over, I ask him what he would like to remember about his day when he grows up, such as events that took place at his preschool. I write down his answer and he draws a picture on the following page. He loves it! I thought this was a good way to get him to tell me about his day, and when he's older and learns to write, he can take over the journal.

My dear sweet Mother emailed that blurb to me the other day (thanks, Mom!) and I had one of those a-ha moments one experiences in the face of a simple but brilliant idea.

As part of our nighttime routine with Joseph, while I am nursing and rocking and reading to Lily, Dennis reads to him and plays with him for a bit. Then it's my turn to read to Joe and and attempt to cuddle him while he pushes me away and climbs on my back and tries to "ride" me. That would be a perfect time to ask him about the day. I would put his words on one page, and let him draw on the right side of the page, then read to him. If he ended up getting too wound-up by this activity, I would move it to the time after lunch, just before nap time. Then, when he is older, I could ask the questions and he could fill in the answers himself. Eventually, hopefully, he would want to do it on his own, and learn to take refuge in his journal, to share his joys, or unburden himself, whichever the day should call for.

I don't think it matters if we use expensive journals or reasonably priced notepads. I just think it matters that we do it. What a wonderful gift to give our children. The gift of self-expression. And I know for certain that they would cherish these journals in their later years, as would their children and grandchildren. Perhaps it will even become a family tradition.

We will start today. :)

Thanks for my Best Blog Award!

Thanks to Poncho Meg for bestowing the Best Blog Award on me! I appreciate you thinking of me. I'm touched. :D

[caption id="attachment_1435" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Thanks for the award!"][/caption]

The Best Blog Award rules are:

To accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have recently discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers you've awarded to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Okay, here are my picks! I cheated, though. I couldn't keep my list to just 15. I'm a bad, bad girl.

• Aswani (Future Perfect)


• Anne (Anne on Life)


• Ceblogger (Blog From Cebu)


• Ching Ya (Social @Blogging Tracker)


• Connie (Brain Foggles)


• Damien (At The Speed Of Life)


• DiTesco (iBlogZone)


• Elmot (Pinoy Sounding Board)


• Eric (Blog De Manila)


• Gem (The Lady Programmer)


• Holly Jahangiri (A Matter Of Perspective)


• Jan Geronimo (Writing To Exhale)


• Jannie (Jannie Funster)


• Jaypee (Jaypee Online)


• Jed Chan (JeD Chan dot com)


• Jena Isle (Random Thoughts)


• Jhong Medina (Qlick Cafe)


• Justin Germino (DragonBlogger)


• Karen (Blazing Minds)


• Kelvin (Kelvinonian Ideas)


• MinnieMadz (Unrevealed Thoughts)


• ReyJr (ReyJr dot com)


• Roy (Roysville)


• Yatot (Yatot Chronicles)


• Zorlone (Filipino Poet)

Mad Men Yourself!

Thanks to Cindy the  Bat Lady for sharing this link to Mad Men Yourself.

Enjoy! If you Mad Men yourself & upload the photo somewhere, please post a link so we can giggle with you. :D

Here's mine: (I had that very same dress when I was a baby. But I regret not putting the donut in my hand. And re: the coffee, it's iced coffee. Hot coffee intimidates me.)



Oh, and here's Cindy the Bat Lady's Mad Men Yourself. Couldn't resist posting it here:



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Edited to add: Here's a link to Anne's "Mad Men Yourself"!I love it Anne! Looks like you're at the opera. 8)

Going Mad [Men] With Heather & Cindy The Bat Lady?

Guest Post: Cindy the Facebook Bat Lady

Those of you who are Facebook friends of mine are familiar with Cindy the Crazy Bat Lady. For your reading pleasure, here is her ode to Cinnabon. Enjoy! 8)


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Oh Cinnabon, oh Cinnabon why do you tempt me so? your luscious layers coiled so sweetly around a quarter lb of butter, caressed ever so gently in the intoxicating mixture of sugar,cinnamon creamy icing, and love,or is it lust dear Cinnabon?, whatever this emotion, it stirs my soul, Yes my soul !! Cinnabon, only you could make me leave my bed in the early hours of noon to trek long miles scorning basic hyegine, barely noticing the concerned looks of passer-bys as I make my way to you. Arduously I press on to the mall where you wait for me. Sequestered behind the glass I see your loveliness,oh how I long to simply reach out and make you mine, I demand to have you!! I throw all my worldly wealth at your gatekeepers in hopes that I might persuade them to let me have you, to indulge myself in your sweet warm sticky moistness held warm in little pans lined with parchment paper containing your sweet sweet love. I procure your freedom and at last we are one! Aww my sweet sweet Cinnabon! OH RAPTURE,RAPTURE ,(oops the plastic fork broke) upon RAPTURE!...but alas it it over all too soon, and I am left ashamed, sticky, and curiously wanting more...Oh Cinnabon my tummy's desire, my love for you grows as does my hindquarters, you are not good for me Cinnabon! I must leave you now & vow not to partake in your delights again. Sadly I know I will, and I know I must, maybe next time you'll just increase my bust, oh what kind of fool thinks like this?My Cinnabon,my sweet Cinnabon, I fear you have done me in.

~ Lil' Cyni (that's my rapper name)
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Do you think the Amazon toy list ad looks okay?

If it looks like Poo Poo I'll ditch it.

Combat Barbie

Lyle Ham posted a cool article about England's "Combat Barbie".

My Weekend by Joe Joe

I put on a little show for Mommy. She was surprised to discover that I knew of this song because I always put my hand over her mouth when she tries to sing, roll my eyes and say, "Stoooop!"



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Click thumbnails to enlarge and view my artistic genius up close.

Thanks for your patience

I'm almost done with my site redesign. :)

In search of a Wordpress theme

Hello! I've decided to add some ad space and do a little bit here and there to make a little money off of this clunker. I've been up to all hours trying to find an appropriate theme, and testing them to no avail. Hopefully I'll get it all sorted out today.

I'll be sure to share any tips and tricks I learn along the way because I love you so much. In the meantime, please bask in the glory of the reposted pic of the Dik Dik sign we encountered in San Diego this summer. Huhhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh. :)