Well, it has been a busy few days for me. That fabulous Shai Coggins I have spoken so highly of, has invited me to join her blogging community, AboutWeblogs.com. Of course I was so excited- and now the site is up, and I am the official Beauty Blogger! Come see me there, I will talk about all things Beauty–Skin Care, Body Care, Hair Care, Cosmetics, and overall Wellness. And who knows what else

I am going to try my hand at Podcasting, once again the lovely Shai Coggins as my guide….

Check it out… Christina’s World Podcast!

On Fox News.com today…Johnny Depp speaks of the Michael Jackson connection.

Hmmm…

If anyone reads this that doesn’t happen to get here through my website, I sure would like some feedback on my book covers. I have started a graphic design class at About.com, and it already is helping me through my cover trauma. Check the poll out here.

Ok, off to bed, my precious hubby is coming home tomorrow, and I have things to do:

1. Clean bathrooms and floors (everything else is done)
2. Clean office (well, almost everything..LOL)
3. Change sheets
4. Co-Op for horse feed
5. Goodwill drop (stuff is all loaded up in the car)
6. Take out the trash (I will post a picture of the trash sled one day, it is a hoot!)

Dang that is alot of stuff…ok, really off to bed now

I am still not sure what I think of that movie. We saw it this evening and since I left the theater, I have been saying, “Hmmm.” Hmmm.

I do like Tim Burton and Danny Elfman–will their style ever stop making them money? It is the same style, repeated over and over, movie to movie. Both music and film. But it works. And I have to say, I want to see the Corpse Bride too.

“Charlie…” was funny, there were alot of laughs in the theater, including mine, throughout the movie. The kids were great–I am glad they didn’t stray too far off with them. I am not sure why they strayed so far with Violet Beauregard though. Maybe it will come to me in a dream. Zoe told me that she was glad they showed what shape the other kids were in when they left the factory, that was something she (and I) had always wondered.

As I watched the movie, I noticed every little thing that they left out of this movie, that was in the original. I felt like they were zooming through the movie. That the Golden Tickets were found so quickly, they were in the factory, and out in the glass elevator before you knew it, and then it was over. But then I was astounded to see that 2 full hours had gone by when we left. That says something, I think!

I remember sitting through one of the Oompa Loompa sing and dance scenes and thinking this had a Michael Jackson feel to it. Something about the stripey socks and the high water pants, I think. Zoe said when we got home, “who is that guy…Michael Jackson, I think. That movie reminded me of him.” And when she said that, I seem to remember reading a review of it a couple of weeks ago that said something about the MJ influence. Interesting. And interesting that a 10 yr old, who really doesn’t have much of a notion about who Michael Jackson the entertainer, is, would notice that. Hmmm. See? And what on earth was he thinking about the pink (cotton candy?) sheep, and why didn’t he want to talk about them?? HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM……………….

Well, what have I done on my list below? Hmmm. I reworked my website (again!). I would say that was a waste of time (albeit a waste that I enjoyed!), but it surely was a mess after I added the cover art poll to it yesterday. It was getting a bit “stringy (is that a web design term??)” though. It looks much better now, I hope that if anyone sees it, that saw it before, they would agree.

Marshall’s first job with IPA (it IS IPA) is in Houston–nice and close to home! Yay! If it goes through, he will be working there for 4 weeks. How nice for a first job! Of course, his friend was sent to Palm Beach…..but if he was, I couldn’t stand not coming to see him! Especially after he has spent 2 weeks eating the best steaks he has ever had in Chicago! Grr!

Ok, I am getting back to the house cleaning grind. Zoe is in the mood, and I am going to go with it. She is just like me–gotta make hay while the sun shines!

Ahhh…finally I am getting motivated to get back to working on my book. This is what I need to do:

Cover-I need to figure out how to make a workable front and back cover. My good ol inkjet printer just isnt going to do it. I have tried HARD to figure out how I can apply a coating to paper, but I am afraid that just isn’t possible for me. Options are going to be either professional printing, or maybe try laminating the cover myself. I HATE to pay someone else to do something I can do myself

Editing-I spent alot of time while I was in TN proofreading, and have lots of comments all over the book. It is time! The cover dilemma is what is holding me back. I need to get over that, and get it done! Oh yeah, and I am patiently awaiting Suzzann’s editing to arrive in the mail! ::Starting to turn blue::

Adding content-I am going to insert a tear out reference card with the very basic steps on it. I also have to add a section about “ill nails (go to the doc if your nails are ill!!).”

ISBN-If I am going to submit my book for sale at Amazon.com, or ANYWHERE else, for that matter, I must purchase ISBN numbers (I know, repetitive, honey). And I have to purchase a block of numbers (10, 100, 1000), so I will be all ready to publish my next books–Artificial Nails, Makeup Application, DIY Hair. And my husband’s book–Business Secrets, What They Don’t Teach You At School! (Or something like that And maybe a book about our MRSA experience. Hmmmm. I imagine I can come up with 10 books to write, that will carry me through the next 10 years of Marshall’s working during the weeks. LOL

I also need to file a DBA with the county, and a Sales Tax form. I need to put that ahead of the ISBN, because I have to have my official publishers name there. Hmmm. Maybe tomorrow? That will get me motivated to get all of this work done.

It is so hard to get motivated without my hubbidy here to throw my thoughts at–especially because these thoughts cost money. Oh well, maybe he will come read them..LOL Honey, click the comment link below and let me know what you think–LOL

Been awhile, eh?

We have been working hard getting Marshall ready to go to his training in Chicago for his new job. He left Sunday afternoon, and we won’t see him until next Friday (one week to go! YAY). He is going to work for IPG (or is it A) as a consultant, and will be travelling forevermore from Sunday evening through Friday. It will be like old times, I guess. It is rather exciting instant messaging him again, I must say

Shirley and I took our kids (4 total) to Crystal Beach on Wednesday. We thought we would make a nice inexpensive day trip out of it. Yikes, was about an hour too far away for a day trip, I thought I would die on the way home. We left at 6 am, did the beach thing from 11-7pm, then left for the 4 hours home. Like I said, I thought I would die. LOL But we made it, and had a blast.

There was a shark attack less than a mile down the beach from us.

When we got back from lunch, a guy in a truck pulled up and asked me if the Sheriff had been by, and that they were telling everyone to stay out of the water, that a girl down the beach had been bitten in half by a shark! So, needless to say, we got out (well, came in and didn’t go past the knees, and Hawkeye MOM didn’t take her eyes off the water, for sure! I stood out there knee deep, and every time I would get what Noah thought was too far, he would look at me with worried eyes (which are precious in a 7 yr old!) and tell me to come in a little, he didnt want me to get eaten! Too sweet, he is :)

So, we never saw the sheriff, or anyone else for that matter, say anything about sharks. The guy who said that to us parked his truck a little bit down from us, and I kept waiting for him to get out a fishing rod. But he never did. About 2 hrs later, a couple in a golf cart stopped by and asked us if we had heard about the shark attack, and we said that yes, we had, and weren’t sure what to think of it, but we felt better about it now, because they lived there. Pretty soon after that, we saw a couple of police helicopters and a news helicopter, and decided that guy must have been right. When we got home, news of the shark attack was on CNN, and the morning news programs yesterday. But, thank God, the story wasn’t as bad as the rumours on the beach. Read it here.

Happy Birthday to my husband, whom I love (along with my babies) more than anything in the world! I am so glad you are with us!

I think back to the days when we were on AOL, and had never met before, and how I adored you then, and then after we met, in January 2000, how you were forever in my heart and soul. I think about your birthday in 2001, and how much fun we had, and how we might never reproduce THAT event, but how each year that goes by gets better and better anyway!

Thank God you are alive and well, and Thank You God for not taking my husband away just yet, I know he has much more to do here on Earth

I love you darling!
xoxox
your pm,
c.