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Just heard this and had to share it with you -

Jennifer Hudson and Michael Buble singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

Stay warm, y’all!

Be blessed,


{ write * design * blog }

Music, TVand a Video

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you likely know that I love music. And you may also know that I don’t really like nor watch TV. But what I do really like – and don’t admit too readily in public – is the TV show “American Idol.”

I know – it’s kinda cheesey.

And Simon is the King of Twits but it’s inspiring to see young hopeful musicians and singers get a chance at living their dream. There are some truly talented young people out there. It’s one of the few shows our entire family will sit down to watch.

So last night was the beginning of the new season – Season 8 – and I must say, the new judge Kara DioGuardio (I’m not sure I spelled that correctly) seems like a good fit so far. Her tiff with the “bikini chick” was pretty funny. We’ll see how long Miss Bikini Bitch lasts. I don’t know. I think she has a decent voice and perhaps some talent . . . but her attitude is going to be her downfall.

I’ll tell you – the guy to keep your eye on is Mr. Oil Rig. Can’t remember his name but wow! He has a very powerful voice. I think he’s going to go quite far. There’s also a 16 year old girl that I think will do very well. I was surprised at how powerful her voice was because she’s so tiny. Not as small as Ramielle Malubay from last season, but close, I think.

And speaking of AI, my favorite American Idol of all time also released her newest single yesterday. I just listened to it about 4 times and even though the beginning sounds similar to “Since U Been Gone”, I think it’s going to be a great hit. If the rest of the album is as good as this, I think it could be her best album yet.

Kelly Clarkson – “My Life Would Suck Without You”

The song is catchy, has a nice, fast vibe to it and here it is. Have a listen! Enjoy! And I’ll be with you again in a few.

I think it’s pretty good for a pop song.

I don’t listen to much contemporary music but Kelly is one of the few I do enjoy. She has great control of her voice, great pitch and a wide enough range to not be the same ol’ same ol’ on every song. And she doesn’t sing cutesy crap either.

Because if it’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s cutesy pop music. Like that one song Barbie something or other. I have no idea what it’s called but it mentions Barbie about a million times and I hate that song.

I don’t hate Wednesdays, though.

You know why I like Wednesdays? It’s because it’s AWANA night. And that means not only do I get 4 hours of quiet time in the morning while everyone is at school, but I also get 3 hours of quiet time in the evening while the kids are at Church. Yay!

That’s very good indeed.

What’s not so good, however, is The Teenager isn’t going to be able to switch schools at semester like we’d hoped.

We had a meeting with the director last Friday after school and found out that the school she wants to transfer to is still full for this year. But the good news is she CAN switch for next year AND she is finally going to get the help she needs in math. It only took us half the year to get it straightened out.

The director had some great ideas on what we can do to get The Teenager’s math to a more manageable level and I think it’s going to work out fine. Hopefully she gets everything sorted out and the new placement done by next week when 2nd semester starts so The Teenager doesn’t have to change classes AFTER the new semester is already in session. Even if it’s only a few days, sometimes changing classes like that is a difficult move. I’d rather she be able to start off the new semester already in the right classes. I’m sure she would too.

I’m also sure this day is going by way too quickly, that morning came way too early today and that it’s way too cold in here for comfort. Why is it that some days 68 degrees seems perfectly comfortable and other days, it feels like an arctic blast?

Must mean it’s time for more coffee . . . Right?

In the arena,

New posts on customer service do’s and don’ts coming in the next few days so watch out for those. And I’ll have a Shrinking Jeans report sometime today as well.

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.

I’ve got lots to talk about today so let’s dive right in!

First, the weekly weigh in for Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans because I should have posted it Wednesday but it’s been so busy around here, I’ve hardly had time to sneeze.

And the answer is – I have no idea! LOL. The scale is still broken and I have yet to replace it. But I don’t think I’m going to. Anyway, I haven’t really noticed any changes this week. My clothes are still fitting the same. We’ll just call it good.

The other day, I mentioned it was The Teenager’s Birthday this week – yesterday, actually. Grandma surprised her with a trip to Jazz Alley to see Peter White – a jazz guitarist. We had a great time although we were not impressed with our server. He was not very attentive and never came around to take our dessert order. It was a bit disconcerting and incredibly unusual – the service is usually above and beyond at jazz Alley.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed the concert. About halfway through when Peter White came out into the audience – we couldn’t have planned it better if we’d tried – he sat down next to me at our booth in the middle of his song. I told him it was The Teenager’s 15th Birthday and we were there celebrating. When he got back up on the stage, he said “Well, I had the opportunity to meet (The Teenager). Today is her 15th Birthday so let’s all sing Happy Birthday to (The Teenager).” And he got the entire place to sing!

It was very cool!

Even though we didn’t get dessert.

We did, however, have some birthday cake when we got home.

A very chocolate birthday cake that I spent the day making from scratch. It was D E L I C I O U S! I’ll post the recipe later for both the cake and the frosting. They’re very simple and the cake is nice and moist. Actually, I think it’s the moistest cake I’ve ever baked.

It was supposed to be a double layer cake but one of the layers had trouble coming out of the pan and cracked. I wasn’t able to salvage it for the cake so we only ended up with a single layer cake. The good news is . . . everybody LOVED it! The cake really turned out great and it’s most definitely one I’ll be making again when we have need for another cake.

Probably in a couple weeks since MY birthday is coming up.

So, now that I’ve spent entirely too long writing this post (I got interrupted for a couple of hours!), it’s nearly time for bed. I’m very tired and looking forward to getting a good sleep. I spent nearly the entire day at one child’s school or another in meetings with teachers, directors and other support persons trying to straighten out a few issues The Short Dude and The Teenager are having. (Maybe I’ll write about those soon.)

And now I’m beat.

Night, y’all!

In the arena,

A quote from one of my favorite authors. “If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn’t part of ourselves doesn’t disturb us.” ~ Hermann Hesse – Swiss (German-born) author (1877 – 1962)

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.

This past weekend, my mom and I went to Jazz Alley in Seattle to see “Guitars & Saxes Christmas” with Paul Brown, Richard Elliot and Jessy J.

It was a great concert but not nearly as “Christmassy” as I was expecting. While they did play some Christmas tunes, there were more non-Christmas songs than there were Holiday songs. On that note, it was a bit disappointing. Other than that, it was an awesome concert.

First, Jessy J and Paul Brown did several songs together. Jessy is a beautiful sax player. A real up and coming powerhouse. I think she has the potential to be in the ranks of Kenny G and Dave Koz some day. We met her after the show and she is incredibly kind and generous. You can find out more about Jessy J and her music at her website as well as listen to some songs from her new CD.

Paul Brown is a legendary guitarist and producer (he produced Jessy J’s album, in fact) and it was a treat to see him. He did some of his best songs as well as a tribute to Luther Vandross.

Finally, Richard Elliot came out and really showed off. I like his music – he is a phenomenal saxophonist – but watching him play is a bit of a turn-off. He’s so flashy, strutting all over the stage and trying to be cool, it’s annoying. I wish he’d just play and have a good time.

All in all, it was a fun concert and I’m glad I went even though I was still feeling rather ill. This time, we actually had dinner at Jazz Alley instead of eating somewhere else beforehand. Since I’d been sick, I didn’t eat much – just a bowl of Curry Carrot soup – which was fabulous! – and some bread. Although my mom did try to share her chicken with me and I did have a couple bites of that but food really wasn’t on my agenda. It’s just so hard to eat when you’re sick.

Like I said in my last post about Jazz Alley – if you’re ever in Seattle, you owe it to yourself to see a concert there. Really. Just go. It’s one of the best small venues in Seattle.

In the arena,

Want to work with an award-winning writer? Now is your chance! Hurry and book for the 2009 before the calendar is full. I still have some space available. Check out the Hire Me tab above for info on how to contact me and your reserve your spot now.

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.

A couple of days ago I said would be back with a new Reading List very soon but as I did not make it Half Price Books after Thanksgiving due to being sick, I have no new books on my shelf. Sad, but true.

So . . . I’ve decided for the next few weeks before Christmas that instead of a Reading List, I’m going to post a Music List! And this is the first one!

Currently on my stereo . . .

1. Celtic Woman – A Christmas Celebration
2. Manheim Steamroller – Christmas Song
3. Enya – And Winter Came
4. Casting Crowns – Peace on Earth
5. Brian Culbertson – A Soulful Christmas
6. Trans-Siberian Orchestra – The Lost Christmas Eve

Have you heard any good music lately? What’s your favorite Christmas album?

In the arena,

Want to work with an award-winning writer? Now is your chance! Hurry and book for the 2009 before the calendar is full. I still have some space available. Check out the Hire Me tab above for info on how to contact me and your reserve your spot now.

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.

A couple of weeks ago I blogged that I’d won tickets to the George Duke & Anthony Hamilton concert at McCaw Hall and although I wasn’t too thrilled to see George Duke, I thought Anthony Hamilton would be cool.

Well, I was right. I mean, don’t get me wrong – George Duke is a talented musician and he does have a few songs I enjoy, but for the most part, he’s not my favorite artist. The concert was good and I enjoyed a lot of it, but Anthony Hamilton definitely stole the show. He was awesome!

Man, that guy is ALL OVER the stage when he performs. I got tired just watching him!

One of the best highlights of the show was the opening act – a group of young men from the Jackson Street Music Program in Seattle. Wow, they were good! Honestly, they could have skipped George Duke and went straight from these boys to Anthony Hamilton and I think it would have been a better concert. These boys were great. The one on the piano also sang – what a powerful voice! If you ever get to Seattle and you enjoy music, find out where the kids from the program might be performing and go see them. You won’t regret it.

Here’s a couple of George Duke – just because I took them

George Duke’s back up singers -

And here’s Anthony Hamilton, his band and his wife who also sang a couple of songs –

I would love to see Anthony Hamilton again by himself or with someone else. I did like a couple of George Duke’s songs but really, the guy seemed a little bit arrogant to me. He invited some horn players from the Jackson Street Music Program to do a couple of songs with him but then mostly tuned them out once they were on stage. I thought it was rude. And you could barely hear these boys over him and his band. If he wanted to highlight them and show their talent, he should have taken a back seat. That made both my mom and I irritated.

Anyway, all in all it was a good concert, glad I went but also glad I won the tickets and didn’t pay the $68 a pop for them.

Before the concert, my mom and I had dinner at a new restaurant in Northgate called Saffron Grill. The last time my mom went there, it was a different place and when we got there, we realized it was different but we decided to try it anyway. We were glad we did because it was excellent food!

They serve Indian and Mediterranean food. We both had curry dishes that were fabulous. I’ve eaten Indian food before but this was the best tasting curry ever. And the prices weren’t bad either. Oh and the Chai Tea was so good! I must have drank a full 6 cups. I’d say it’s the best tasting Chai ever too. Every time my cup got nearly empty, someone came along and filled it up. Go there if you’re in Seattle and like Indian cuisine.

And that was the end of the good part of my weekend. I’ll tell you about the rest another time. Right now, though, I’ve got to get ready to meet the bus and finish up some work.

In the arena,

Did you know I design blog headers and ebook cover graphics, too? Yes, I do. And you can get one now for the introductory price of $55 for a limited time. Just send a payment of $55 to me via PayPal along with a description of what you want. You’ll have a design within 48 hours.

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.

The last week has been an interesting one. Some sweet memories and some teenage rebellion I hope doesn’t go any further plus an awesome concert and lots of pictures.

One thing at a time, though. Right now, I want to share what it was like putting my baby on the bus the first week of school.

The Short Dude started pre-school last Wednesday and I was a bit emotional watching him get on the bus. Then watching the bus drive away with my little man on board – without me, without his siblings – just new faces and strangers he didn’t know. That was a difficult moment. But I knew it was for his growth (and maybe for mine, too) so I anxiously counted the minutes until his return home. I did not cry, though.

Really. I didn’t. Because isn’t he cute? Sitting there in his seat like the big boy he is, with his backpack, on his way to his FIRST DAY of school.

We took lots of pictures (you can see them all on my flickr photostream) before and after school last week. Like these flowers at grandma’s house -

And this one of the Short Dude riding Little Girl’s bike –

And these grapes the Short Dude had for snack after school on the first day that he *insisted* I take a picture of -

I love the clarity and quality of the pictures my new camera takes. It’s a Fuji FinePix S5100. Although it’s technically a point-&-shoot camera, it has all sorts of options like you’d find on a DSLR. I think I may do a review of the camera here on the blog soon. Since I got the camera last week, I’ve taken over 400 pictures! And I haven’t even touched them up in Photoshop.

Anyway, I am tired – it was a long weekend but I’m just not ready to talk about it yet. It’s time for a quick bath to relax and head to bed. I will be back this week with an around the web post (which I simply got too busy to post last week – sorry!), part 3 of Stories make us who we are, another post about connecting, a review of the George Duke & Anthony Hamilton concert I went to at McCaw Hall Friday night and anything else I happen to think of.

Oh – and probably a boat load more pictures. I hope you like them!

Until then . . .

In the arena,

Did you know I design blog headers and ebook cover graphics, too? Yes, I do. And you can get one now for the introductory price of $55 for a limited time. Just send a payment of $55 to me via PayPal along with a description of what you want. You’ll have a design within 48 hours.

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.