Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

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One of the blogs I really enjoy reading is called “I Should Be Folding Laundry” and the author, Beth, along with her friend/business partner, Christy, and a couple of other people have started a new gig called “Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.”

And you probably guessed this already, but it’s all about losing weight.

Although I generally talk about my own weight loss goals and plans over on The Weight Loss Papers, I have decided to bring some of that over here during The Sisterhood’s new challenge “I’m Dreaming of a Light Christmas”.

So, let’s get ready! If you’d like to be a part of it, just stop by Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and check it out. It’s just a place us girls (and one guy – Beth’s husband) can share and help each other. I think it’s a fabulous idea!

And maybe I’ll actually get somewhere useful with this weight loss gig.

In the arena,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you and your family have a wonderful, safe, and joy filled holiday! May you be blessed.

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.

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Posted in Health & Fitness, Personal, Self | View Comments

Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore . . .

It’s been almost a month since I last posted and I don’t even know where to start! So much has happened, it seems like I’m in another lifetime.

Without getting into all of the sordid details, we moved! Not where we had expected to move, but at least we have a roof over our heads. You may remember a while back when I questioned staying in our house with all of the repairs it needed or finding another home that needed less fixing.

Well, we decided to sell and move . . . but things didn’t go as planned.

Much of it is a result of the mortgage industry crunch going on over the past few months and things for our new home didn’t close because of that – an issue from the sellers end. Since our house was already sold, we had nowhere to go – literally – at the 11th hour. We were supposed to turn over the keys to the new owners Sunday afternoon and found out Friday afternoon at 4 pm that the deal on our new place fell through.

So there we were, packing boxes, getting ready to haul our first load and had to nowhere to go!

That was not fun. I think I nearly had a heart attack.

I spent the next few hours on the phone trying to find even just an apartment to rent temporarily but there was nothing available that would fit our family. About 7 pm Friday, I finally called my mom and asked her if we could put our stuff in storage and stay with her for a while.

And that’s where we are.

It’s cramped, it’s not ideal, but thankfully it’s still within the kids’ school district and close enough to work for my husband. I think it will work out okay for a few months until things get straightened out and we find another home. At this point, I don’t really care if we rent or buy as long we have a place to call our own.

The week after we moved, my mom’s car broke down and required $1200 worth of repairs and then last week, OUR van had to have the heater core replaced to the tune of $450.

I’m so ready for November 2008 to be over!

Hopefully, all of this stuff will work out soon and things can get back to a more normal routine. In the meantime, I will just remember that there is a reason for all of this and even though we may not know what it is or understand why, it’s all a part of the grand scheme of things and we’ll get through it.

I do have one very cool piece of info to share, though -

My cousin Aaron and his wife April are on their way to Texas to adopt a beautiful baby girl they have named Halle Grace. Unfortunately, I can’t post her picture but just trust me, she’s adorable! And she is already much loved by our entire family. She will have a wonderful home and lots of cousins to play with.

Welcome to the family, little Miss Halle!

Now, I better get to work. I have LOTS of stuff to catch up on since I’ve finally got most of my computer stuff set up. And I have the house to myself until The Short Dude gets home from school at 1 o’clock.

In the arena,

Look for a new special deal on graphics and writing stuff coming shortly after Thanksgiving.

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.

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A personal story and a plea

While I am not normally one to discuss things such as politics and current events, there is something going on in the media right now that I just cannot ignore. And though I do not want to really add to the noise, the speculation and the drama surrounding such a private and personal tragedy, I feel lead to share a story.

I’m talking about the Jennifer Hudson family murders that happened last Friday when her mom, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson, were fatally shot in their home and then her little 7 year old nephew, Julian King was found murdered in the back of Jason’s stolen SUV Monday morning.

I just cannot fathom the pain Ms. Hudson and her family are going through right now. And if I could, I would just hug them all and tell them how much I hurt for them.

Because . . . I can understand the pain of losing a young child you would do anything for, one who is the light of your life.

See, on October 29, 1991 – 17 years ago today – my 8 year old niece, Sherri, died of cancer.

As Ms. Hudson has said about her nephew, Sherri was my reason for living, my everything. She and I were extremely close. She was the first child I ever felt that kind of love for, had that kind of bond with and she was like my own child.

Sherri would be 25 this year, probably graduating college, maybe even getting married or having a child of her own. It’s these thoughts that tear me apart. It’s these thoughts that tear me apart for Julian King and Jennifer Hudson and Julia Hudson and everyone around the world who has lost a special child.

So, tonight, I invite you to hug your loved ones, tell them you love them. Gather them close and let them know they are special to you. It’s time for the world to stop hurting.

Stop hurting ourselves.
Stop hurting our families.
Stop hurting our friends and neighbors.
Our brothers and sisters.
Our fellow man.

The time is now.

And this is why the elections next week are so, so, so important! As an American (if you are one), it is your duty, your job, your right – to get out there and vote. There are no excuses. Every vote counts.

Let. Every. Voice. Be. Heard!

In the arena,

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.

Sponsor this blog!

Posted in Life, Mindset, Personal | Tagged , | View Comments

We all need mentors

logo_hands.gifA couple of days ago, I wrote that I thought a “throw-away” mentality has become prevalent in our society when I asked “Do you pay for quality?” And as I’ve continued to ponder this thought, as well as some of the things going on in my life lately, I came to the conclusion that we all need mentors.

You know, you hear of kids needing mentors and people to look up to help keep them out of trouble, give them a role model. But I’m not really talking about kids here – no, I’m talking about adults. We need mentors too.

I mean, let’s be real – there are a lot of things out here in this world that are just plain trying and it’s during those times, having someone to look up to is a life saver.

So, I sat down here to write this post and had this crazy thought -

Back a few years ago, I belonged to a mastermind group and I really enjoyed it. And I’d like to be a part of another one again which brings me to the crazy thought –

Let’s start one!

If you read this blog and you would like to be a part of a mastermind group of like-minded individuals, send me an email. You don’t have to be on the Pacific Coast or even in the US. This is open to anyone around the world who can get online or on the phone as a group at least twice a month and chat.

I don’t know all of the details yet but we’ll work those out soon. I’m going to leave this open for a week or two so if you think you want to be a part, don’t wait too long! I’m going to close the doors when I think we’ve reached enough people – which will likely only be about 7 or 8 tops including myself.

Oh – and by the way – the offer I made a couple of days ago at the bottom of the desktop backgrounds post is coming to end probably today so if you want one, email me fast!

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.

Sponsor this blog!

Posted in Ideas, Mindset | Tagged , | View Comments

Review: Keen Shoes

Keen Silverlake - Free Shipping-1.pngSeveral years ago, I broke my little toe and since then, finding shoes that fit my feet correctly and comfortably without smashing my toe has been extremely difficult. I can’t just walk in to Wal Mart and buy a pair of shoes. Even going to specialty stores doesn’t always equate a good fit.

As a result, I’ve been searching for a shoe that fits my narrow feet and yet is wide enough not to cause discomfort in my toe. It’s been quite the challenge. And until recently, I’d never found a shoe that actually fit like I wanted it to. But my mom found Keen Shoes and suggested I try them.

I did.

And they are fabulous! I love these shoes!

My feet do not hurt. My legs do not hurt. And even some of my back pain has disappeared. These shoes are the best shoes I’ve ever bought! They are so comfortable! Yes, they are pricey, but if you shop around, you CAN find a good deal.

So . . . go check out Keen Shoes. They already have a built in metatomical footbed so no more need for orthotics, either – something I have to have for back problems. And I love that because I often have to replace them every 2-3 months. That gets expensive, as you can imagine.

These shoes are durable, waterproof and stylish too. They’re casual, yet you can wear them to a formal meeting and not be out of place. There are several styles available and the ones I bought are called the “Silverlake” style. Here they are . . .

Keen Silverlake - Free Shipping.png

This deep red color is gorgeous! Yes, this is really what mine look like – color and all. ;-) I don’t really like red, but dark red/maroon, I do and these look great with most of the colors I wear (earth tones, mostly). They also come in a variety of other colors. Probably one you like, too!

I plan to get a couple more pairs in the very future and now my husband wants some, too. ;-)

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.

Sponsor this blog!

Posted in Self | Tagged | Comments Off

I just have to tell you . . .

About this awesome blog I’ve been reading for a couple of weeks now. It’s written by an incredible lady who is 80 something years old who has written a lot of thought-provoking content. Check it out! Her stories are spectacular! She’ll make you think and perhaps even give you some perspective you hadn’t thought of before.

Octogenarians Blog

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.

Sponsor this blog!

Posted in Work | Tagged , | Comments Off

Some new desktop backgrounds

Here are a couple of new desktop backgrounds I created recently.

And yes, I do have a love affair with VW Buses. ;-)

VW Bus Beach Desktop

VW Bus Halloween Desktop

VW 23 Window Bus Desktop

Download them and enjoy! And if you have something special you’d like put on a background for your desktop, let me know and I’ll see what I can do. (Limited to the first 10 who respond.)

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.

Sponsor this blog!

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