Today is one of those days...

...when there is a ton to do and not enough time to do it.
...when I have a million ideas in my head, but can't get them onto paper. (or computer, as the case may be).
...when I wish that I could be meeting my best friend's new little boy, but respect her need for a day or two to take it all in.
...when the lunch that looked and sounded so good has ended up being fed to the cats.
...when I hear that I have not one or two new projects headed my way, but three!
...when I know I shouldn't be typing, but I need a mental recharge break, so I do anyway.
...when I will the peaches to ripen faster so I can make two pies. They don't seem to respond to my stares, though.
...when the man next door is blaring his TV set SO loud that I just have to turn up my music and dance! (hey, remember, I'm doing a mental recharge-thing here.)
...when I look at my herb garden and feel guilty because it is wilting.
...when I look at the blank spot in my office and wish I could find the perfect letterpress.
...when I get a wonderful treat in the mail from my incredible sister, complete with a framed picture of my favorite little man (my nephew!) as well as a lot of other spoiling!!!
...when tears well up in my eyes as I think about how lucky I am to have so much to do, so much to love, so much that I have already accomplished, so much to marvel at and so much ahead of me.

I guess it really is a wonderful day. Now if I could just find the perfect design...

Favorites for fun

Here are a few more favorites for you to enjoy!

Envelope and Letter folding: (See image to the right) Some definite "must-try"s for a few new designs. Too many to list here, but check it out!




The Food Loop: I thought this was kind of a cool invention, especially for the cooks in the family. It's a heat-resistant loop thing that is great for holding things together, such as meat rolls, etc. while they bake. Even works in the microwave or freezer! Oh, I'm starting my Christmas list already!




Ron and Joe Illustration: Stumbled on the site for these guys and have been enjoying their wares ever since! Illustrations, fonts, and even a few freebies. Enjoy!



Lip Medic: I am a huge fan of chapstick in all forms, from glossy and glittered to plain and scented. This site is a collection of all of them, broken down just about any way you can imagine. DO check out the organic and petroleum free - no need to imbibe more chemicals than we already do. Good prices, too!

To Do

On the to-do list:

• 2 new biz card clients, each requiring min. 3 designs to choose from
• Covers for the bottoms of kiosks - 4 designs for each set of 4 panels
• 3 birth announcement clients requiring unique designs
  
• 1 website + printed colateral (mine)
• 15 sets of personalized stationery
• Christmas card designs
• Preparation for November sale
• New bag designs
• New jewelry designs
• 1 Save the Date client
  
• 3 designs for Nutcracker invites, then final printing/assembling of chosen piece for non-profit group
• Daily corporate clients + trying to get more
• New corporate card designs for next year + gift basket
• Finish line of everyday greeting cards

And that's just on the creative side of things - there is more administrative stuff to do, too. It's a busy time. Good thing the hubby will be gone next week so I can once again lock myself in the office and pound away. Sorry for such a boring post, but it's all that's on my mind lately! Even woke up at 1 a.m. to doodle!

Happy Birthday to me

Today is my birthday. Yes, the same day as the attacks. Hey, it was my day first. It was also this day four years ago that hubby and I had our first kiss. Awwww... tain't that sweet?

A Few Favorites

Looking for something to tide over your weekend web browsing? These are some of my favorites!

Free music from Amazon - That's right - completely free, no strings attached! Not a lot of mainstream, in fact, most I haven't heard of before, but isn't that the best kind? Discover some new favorites of your own.

Last FM - More on the music scene. Type in a favortie band here and see who else is recommended for your listening pleasure. Create playlists, check out the charts and even listen to the radio.

Bug-Me-Not - Don't you hate having to go through the whole signup process just to read something on the internet? Worry no more about where your email address might be sold, trying to remember a zillion passwords, etc. Type the URL you're trying to gain entry into in the box and a perfectly usable name and password are at your fingertips. I've used it many times.

Logo Lounge - Whether you are a designer yourself or just like to look, this site has tons of constantly changing examples of top logos. Great inspriation - just don't copy them, ok?

Stuff On My Cat - This site has had me howling for days! All sorts of crazy stuff on or involving cats. This one is titled "Mini Gus shows Big Gus how to fight dirty".

More favorites next week! In the meantime, have a great weekend!

Ugh... the website

I made a promise to my hubby before he left to see his family for five days that I would lock myself in the office and work on my website. I can assure you that I have turned on my computer and started GoLive! too many times to count. What do I have to show for it?

Well, I finally got a haircut, went to the flea market, sewed a new bag, got caught up on my magazine reading, played with the cats, browsed the art store for a bit, and went to see "The Wedding Crashers" last night. (Hilarious, by the way! A bit predictable, but funny nonetheless.) I even made a to-do list, highlighted "WEBSITE", and put stars next to it, but somehow, I still don't have a site. I keep justifying it to myself by saying that I'm just waiting for the instructional book I ordered on GoLive! to get here.

What's worse is that when I graduated from college, you know what I did? Built websites. Granted then I had graphic designers and HTML coders working with me, but I could do a pretty good site on my own and even maintain some of the more complex ones. So now, when I plop down in front of the screen, mind focused on creating something grand, why is it that I get lost? I sometimes think that it is much harder to create your own website than to do one for someone else. Or maybe that's just another one of my justifications.

In any case, wish me luck. The hubby gets home in approximately 48 hours and I have to have something up. I've definitely reached that point in the business that requires it.