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One of the things I do which I have not really talked much about, is visualization. So, today, I want to just talk about it a little bit.

There are several versions of visualization. One of the most common lately seems to be vision board idea from the movie, The Secret. Basically, it’s a poster with a bunch of pictures, words, ideas and etc of things you want in your life. You create this poster and hang it where you can see it now and then.

About 7 or so years ago, I took a course and we studied some of these things. We did several techniques of the vision board – we made mobiles with things we wanted career wise and we made rock gardens that were labeled with things we wanted in all areas of our lives. In fact, I still have them and there is only 1 thing in my rock garden that has not yet happened. It will at some point, I believe.

But anyway, there’s another thing you can do and by the title of this post, you’ve likely guessed it already. You can create a picture for your computer’s desktop wallpaper that includes the pictures, words and ideas you want to manifest. I actually have several wallpapers that rotate on my desktop all day long.

Every now and then, I will minimize whatever I’m working on and just look at that picture. And it’s refreshing. It puts things back into perspective when I need it. It allows me to dream a little when I need it. It’s so helpful in many ways, I don’t think I can explain it, really.

It’s just one of those little ways I can connect with myself and my desires and I thought I would share it with you today! I hope you find it useful.

Be blessed,

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! May your day be filled with love and joy.

We’re going to hang out with family and friends and just enjoy visiting.

The Christmas Song
(Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa’s on his way;
He’s loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother’s child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I’m offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
A very Merry Christmas to you

Be blessed,

I do not often participate in memes (and likewise, I rarely do the email forward thing) but this one is fun and since the sun is shining today, it’s supposed to be a beautiful week and I feel happy, I decided to do this one.

Jo-Lynne (from Musings of a Housewife) posted this at her site and asked anyone who wanted to do it to write a post on their site and link back to her post.

So here ya go . . .

Six Unimportant Things That Make Me Happy

1. Sunshine! I love it when it’s sunny. It doesn’t have to be hot – in fact, I don’t really like heat. Just some good ol’ sunshine is enough for me. And right about 75 degrees with a cool breeze is perfect.

2. Bike riding. This has been one of my favorite pastimes since I was a kid. I rode my bike EVERYWHERE I possibly could, literally spending hours and hours outside traveling all over my neighborhood as well as all over town.

3. Hot bubble baths. Which I rarely have time for anymore. But I love them, hot bubble baths. Hmm . . . maybe that means it’s time to get a hot tub to put outside. Yeah, that’d be fun . . .

4. Reading. Some days, I could spend the entire day doing nothing else, just curled up with a good book or two. Or twelve. I wish I could hibernate all winter in a library and do nothing but read.

5. Music. Often, all it takes to make me happy is good music. I have the radio or iTunes or something playing 24/7. I listen to nearly every kind of music there is (with the exception of rap) but my favorites are jazz, classic rock and worship. My favorite artists are David Lanz, Keiko Matsui, Mindi Abair, Wayman Tisdale, Moby, Enya, Ottmar Leitbert, Celtic Woman, Rush, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Depeche Mode, Boston, Journey, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Pink Floyd, Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Michael W. Smith, Petra, Passion Worship Band, Third Day and Switchfoot among others. I also totally love Kelly Clarkson (that girl can sing anything!). And lately I really like The Veronicas, OneRepublic, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga to name a few.

6. Coffee. I love coffee. Have since I was a teen. My parents both are self-proclaimed “coffee-holics” and I’m sure I must be one too. My dad (who passed away in ‘99) ALWAYS had a coffee cup in his hand. Always. I kid you not. Didn’t matter what the weather was, he had his coffee. I used to drink mine black just like both of them but since I had my gal bladder taken out in 2001, I can longer tolerate the acidity without cream in it. I really hate the cream but I like coffee too much to not drink it.

And there you have it. 6 unimportant things that make me happy. I was going to put friends on this list but since I consider my friends a very important part of my life, that just didn’t fit. I love it when my friends just pop in to say hi, whether that’s online, on the phone, via text or email or actually showing up on my doorstep. I am blessed to have them in my life.

Play along if you wish. I’d love to read your fun lists! Drop me a note in the comments with a link to your post if you put one up.

In the arena,

Yes, yes I do have a love affair with vintage volkswagen’s. I just love them. Especially busses and double cabs and single cabs . . . even things. They’re so cute!

Annie Anderson is a freelance copywriter and graphic designer specializing in the small business and real estate markets. Her tagline “Making your business, my business” means that she’ll take the utmost care when creating words and images for your business – just as if it were her own.

If you’re in the Seattle area, there’s plenty to do this weekend with the SeaFair 2009 activities getting under way. Check out what’s happening:

SEAFAIR 2009

SEAFAIR Torchlight Parade & Run
July 25, 2009
Stake out a spot along Seattle’s downtown parade route to get your fill of SEAFAIR royalty, marching bands, dance teams, and military units. An 8K Torchlight Run precedes the parade; participate in the race and you’ll enjoy the opportunity to run in front of 300,000 fans. Awards go to the fastest runners and wheelchair racers, and to the most creatively costumed runners. This Saturday evening parade starts at Seattle Center and moves south down 4th Avenue to Qwest Field. You can reserve a comfortable parade view in the form of bleacher seats or grandstand seats, available for a fee through Ticketmaster.

SEAFAIR Hydroplane Races
Jul 31 – Aug 2, 2009
The unlimited hydroplane races on Lake Washington are among the most thrilling of Seattle’s summer events. Held near the shores of Stan Sayres Memorial Park, the racing and associated events cover three days. Park guests can take advantage of food and beverages booths, general admission seating, a pit tour, a hospitality area, and the log boom for boaters.

SEAFAIR Air Show
Jul 31 – Aug 2, 2009
When the Blue Angels take off from Boeing Field and fly in varying formations over Lake Washington, all eyes are glued to the sky. The SEAFAIR Air Show also features other military, vintage, and specialty aircraft, which can all be seen flying over South Lake Washington and the hydroplane race spectators.

Other Events Around the Sound:
Jul 22, 24-26 – IKEA Renton River Days (Liberty Park and other Renton parks)

Jul 22 – Greenwood SEAFAIR Parade (Greenwood)

Jul 24-26 – Tour de Terrace (Mountlake Terrace)

Jul 24-26 – Silverdale Whaling Days (Silverdale)

Jul 25-26 – Ballard SeafoodFest (NW Market St. – Ballard )

Jul 26 – Hispanic SEAFAIR Organization Festival (Seattle Center)

Jul 26 – Pista Sa Nayon (Seward Park Amphitheater)

Jul 31 – Aug 1 – Magnolia Summer Festival and Parade (West Magnolia Play Field)

Aug 1 – Lake City Summer Festival

Aug 22 – Central Area Community Festival and Parade (Garfield Community Center)

The SEAFAIR schedule of special events for 2009 includes the following:

Jul 25 – Seafair Scholarship Program for Women

Jul 25 – Torchlight Run (begins and ends near Qwest Field on Occidental Avenue)

Jul 25 – SEAFAIR Torchlight Parade (Seattle Center to Qwest Field)

Jul 29 – Aug 2 – SEAFAIR Fleet Arrival and Tours (Downtown Seattle Waterfront)

Aug 1-3 – Chevrolet Cup Unlimited Hydroplane Race (Stan Sayres Memorial Park)

Aug 1-3 – SEAFAIR Air Show – U.S. Navy Blue Angels (South Lake Washington)

Aug 1 - Seafair Concert & Fireworks (Genessee Park)

If you know of any other happenings around the Sound, please let me know.

In the arena,

Have a safe and happy SeaFair experience if you’re in Seattle this weekend!

Annie Anderson is a freelance copywriter and graphic designer specializing in the small business and real estate markets. Her tagline “Making your business, my business” means that she’ll take the utmost care when creating words and images for your business – just as if it were her own.

First, let me apologize in advance for the length of this post and it’s ramblingness. So many things have happened in the past several weeks since I last posted, there’s just no way to catch up without going on and on and on.

But I promise I will not be like the energizer bunny and never END.

So, having said that . . .

I’m happy to say the first order of business is to let you know that my former brother in law is doing much, much better! In fact, he is even going to be able to go home this Friday! We’re so glad about that. For the first several days after his stroke, it looked like he may not even make it through the weekend. Fortunately, he has LOTS and LOTS of people who just love him and his family who have never ceased praying for his recovery.

It’s been a very long road for him but he’s surprising his doctors and nurses and therapists with his bravery and his inner strength to get through this, to become whole again. All of that inner drive has certainly paid off. Even though he still has a ways to go, it’s looking better every day. For that, we’re all thankful. Just in time for summer, too!

And speaking of summer . . .

We’ve been so busy lately with school winding down. Lots of activities at the kids’ schools – committee meetings, award ceremonies, family nights, book fairs, concerts and the like – that I’ve barely had time to breathe. In between all of that, I’ve been working on design projects and writing projects, both volunteer and paid.

In fact, one of the committees I was on this year for The Short Dude’s preschool, was the cookbook committee. It was very fun and I met a few other moms and kids. It gave the Short Dude some other friends to play with once in a while during non-school hours as our meetings were usually on Friday’s when the pre-schoolers didn’t have class. He enjoyed the meetings as much as I did.

When everyone on the committee learned that I do graphics, they asked if I would create the cover and inner pages for the cookbook along with the flyers and what-not. I was blessed to be able to say yes even though it was A LOT of work. I enjoyed it.

The group and I came up with a cute cover, if I may say so myself. Honestly, though, I was skeptical about what it would really look like in print. I was afraid the background color would be way too bright and set an obnoxious tone. Since it’s all about kids, the cover features pictures of the kids from the pre-school eating fruits and veggies and it’s all in bright, primary colors. We called it “Children’s Chow of Choice” and I think it fits rather well.

So last week when I found out the cookbooks were in, my heart was pounding! I was both scared and excited to see them. Our group leader (who is a staff member at the school) assured me they turned out fabulous. And when I saw them, I must admit – they did look rather great!

Even though I’ve been doing graphics for almost 20 years, it’s still exciting to see something I’ve created in its final form. Often these days when I design something for a client, I never actually see the finished, physical product, (except for things like business cards). I’ll take a picture of the cookbook later and post it.

After such a great time working on the cookbook committee, when the director asked me if I’d be willing to work on the end of year celebration (graduation) committee, I agreed. So now I am working on the certificates for the pre-school ‘graduation’ celebration next week. The theme is “stars” so I’ve put a cascading rainbow of stars on the side of the certificate. I don’t want it to be overwhelming – it’s just a very simple design. I designed 3 different styles for the committee to choose from and now I’m just waiting to hear which one is a go.

Also coming up soon are the elementary school concerts. Gman’s class is performing a band concert with their recorders and other instruments they’ve learned to play in music this year. And Little Girls class is doing kind of a spoken word and music play of some sort. Not really sure but she’s says it’s going to be fun.

School is getting out almost a week late, though, because of the snow make up days. They were originally supposed to have half days this week but that changed too. I’m kinda glad, though – they’ll be home all day soon enough!

The highlight of the first week of summer vacation will be spending some time with my husband’s sister and her girlfriend. They are doing a 30-day long road trip around the Western US visiting as many of the National Parks (and friends/family) as they can. They are Zion National Park now, I think, and will be here June 12th for a few days before they head over to the Washington Peninsula to the Olympic National Park.

I’m very excited because this will be the first time I’ve met my sister in law! She lives in New York – almost as far away from Seattle as you can get and still be in the continental US – so getting together is not easy, especially when you throw in jobs and kids and school and those good things.

And the other thing I’m really looking forward to is the sun and BBQ’s and going to the beach! We’ve had such a cold, dreary winter, I’m definitely ready for a change of pace. This week has been quite nice – in the upper 60’s and low 70’s – just about perfect!

What are your summer plans? Has summer vacation started yet in your area? What are you most looking forward to this summer?

I hope whatever you do, you enjoy the time with family and friends.

I’ll be back soon with some pictures and maybe a reading list along with a few new recipes I’m itching to try out. Oh – and look for a new post over at The Weight Loss Papers soon too.

In the arena,

Shoot for the moon; even if you miss, you will still land among the stars. ~ Les Brown

Annie Anderson is a freelance copywriter and graphic designer specializing in the small business and real estate markets. Her tagline “Making your business, my business” means that she’ll take the utmost care when creating words and images for your business – just as if it were her own.

Over the weekend, I mentioned that The Teenager had an Annual Inspection and Parade with her NJROTC team a couple of weeks ago. My mom, Gman, Short Dude, Little Girl and I all went as did The Teenagers boyfriend. It sure brought back some memories for me!

There was lots of pomp and circumstance and the local Navy Band even played. The regional commander was present and performed the inspection and both the NJROTC armed and unarmed drill teams performed. And even though The Teenager is one of the taller people in our family, among her peers, she’s still one of the shortest. It was hard to see during parts of the ceremony.

I took quite a few pictures but didn’t really get any good shots of The Teenager because of where she was in the line but here’s a few for you . . .

And just because I can, here’s one of one my cats – Stardust – sitting on my lap.

Have a great day!

Here’s a few more wallpapers for your computer desktop in the luck o’ the Irish flavor for March.

Same rules as always – feel free to use for your personal, non-commercial enjoyment.

In the arena,

St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time – a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic. ~ Adrienne Cook

Annie Anderson is a freelance copywriter and graphic designer specializing in the small business and real estate markets. Her tagline “Making your business, my business” means that she’ll take the utmost care when creating words and images for your business – just as if it were her own.