Welcome back! Coffee's always on around here. Pull up your favorite chair and a grab a cup. Enjoy your visit today! And don't forget to stop back by again soon.

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,

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.

We’ve had much fun this past week, enjoying the sunshine and being outdoors. Here are a few pictures of recent activities, including a car show we went to Saturday afternoon.

If you want to see more pictures from the car show, you can check out my flickr photostream. They’re all uploaded there.

And I’ll be back shortly with some Around the Web posts and a few recipes we’ve tried lately that were just awesome!

Hope you’re having a wonderful summer! We are enjoying the beautiful weather here in Washington.

In the arena,

That stepside brings back memories for me! I had one of those after I graduated from high school until my oldest daughter was about 2 and then I traded it for a more suitable family vehicle. Boy, do I kick myself now! Perhaps someday I’ll have another one.

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!

A birthday isn’t special without the friends and family you truly cherish. You can have the most awesome cake, the coolest presents and the most spectacular party, but if it doesn’t include the people that light up your life, it doesn’t matter.

And since my birthday is coming up next week, I’ve decided that all I really want is a nice afternoon with my family and friends. The door is open – just stop by, say hi and have a cup of coffee or two with me.

Oh – and by the way – I’m not getting older this year.

Nope! I’ve decided I’m going to start getting younger.

In the arena,

Dance like nobody’s watching.

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.