Monthly Archives: May 2008

Breakfast is For the Birds

Leave a reply

Just now I was in the other room kissing the hubs good-bye as he heads off to work.  There was this god-awful squawking going on and I noticed the cat was paying close attention to something outside the window.  Turns out there was a baby bird in the flower bed squawking for his mama to bring him some food.

I noticed that she was feeding him some peanut shell (our crazy, bird-feeding neighbor across the way feeds buckets of peanuts to the local pigeons – and now the local area ducks – a couple times a day).  Figuring that peanut shell can’t be all too tasty, I ripped up half a slice of bread and quietly threw it out the door.

Of course, then five other small black birds came flying over to join the mama and her baby for some breakfast of ripped up bread.  Though I do wonder if it’s breakfast for them since they’ve likely been up for hours upon hours by now. I decided then and there that I was going to write this up since it was such a sweet thing, but I needed a photo so that the sweetness would just burst your little heart.  But um…I couldn’t find my camera.

This of course, is not good news (though secretly, deep inside it’s better than good news, it’s great news!).  I looked and I looked, and it was no where to be found.  It must have fallen out of my purse during the wine tasting trip.  Uh Oh!  Not cool since we go out of town this weekend and of course a gal needs her camera when going out of town.

I figured it was easier to break the news to the hubs now, so I had enough time to head over to Costco to pick up a new(er, smaller, sleeker, cooler – so exciting!) camera.  While I’m breaking the news to the hubs, I notice a black thingie under the coffee table.  Yep, my camera. *sigh* I mean Yay!

No new camera for me.  And sadly, no pictures of the mama and the baby bird as they’re no longer in front of our window.  Though I still here the baby squawking somewhere next door and there is still some bread crumbs in the front.  Maybe those peanut shells do taste better if you’re a little black bird.

The Best of Intentions

2 Replies

Well, I woke with the best of intentions today. Unfortunately, that seemed to have included a brief little freak out session. You see, I still don’t have a logo just yet. My friend that was making it for me got caught up in other stuff and well, it looked like we were this close to running out of time. Lucky for me, setting some intentions this morning and going with the flow, it’s all working out.

I found another recommended online printing company that has a different printing schedule, a lower price for two sided post cards and is not only local (and allows me to pick up personally thus saving both time and money on shipping), but also has templates if I needed to go that route. The logos are looking so good though that I’m thinking I won’t be using a template. I might still need to tweak things a bit after LWL LIVE event on the 31st, but we’ve got time for that.

Next bit of drama…I realized that I never got around to adjusting my site’s logo for the video interview I did last week. I pulled up the file, but dammit if I couldn’t unlock the layers to get rid of all the unnecessary crap (why I didn’t have a pure, crapless version I have no idea – needless to say, I do now). Luckily, thanks to the Twitter World, I was able to post my plea and Rachael over at antithete.com came to my rescue. Crisis #2 averted!

Then it was on to my main plan for the day…to finally get my interview with Liza edited so I could get that up already. Poor gal, it’s taken me nearly six months to get on it since I kept putting it off. It’s a shame too because not only is the book great, but it’s a great interview as well.

I’m thinking now of editing two versions. One for the site, and a longer, less edited one for my own blog. I know it’s more work (kind of funny that I’m even considering it since I don’t seem to be much of a fan of the editing process), but I’d hate to see some good stuff get cut just so I could make it shorter and easier to listen to.

I had also planned to edit the Lauren & Emira interview from last week as well. Thing is, I just now finally sat down to start the editing and well, dammit if I didn’t completely forget how to use the damn software. So I’ll just have to have my husband walk me through it again (he’ll probably have me use Garage Band instead of Soundtrack Pro – which is probably why I don’t remember how to use Soundtrack Pro). So we all know what I’ll be doing tomorrow.

So yeah, we all know what they say about that road and those intentions…

PS – I just googled my name for the hell of it and lo’ and behold, the article I wrote for the LWL magazine was published this month. Nothing like finding out when the month is half over. Yeah, I’m that behind on my biz & blog reading.

Have you Checked Out Kirtsy Yet?

Leave a reply

kirtsy!

kirtsy (formerly sk*rt) “is a social media platform of pure goodness. A plaza for the peachy. A portal to the pretty. A place to find cool things. To read smart scoop. To connect with fab ideas, exceptional people, useful information, excellent products. All of it. And more.”

kirtsy is kind of like an aggregator for a bunch of cool blogs on cool topics. They cover everything from arts and entertainment to politics and news, from food and home to travel and leisure, fashion and style to internet and technology. You name it, they’ve got it covered. So take a moment and check them out. Click on either the badge above or the one down in my sidebar to get there.

Must be Quick

1 Reply

I’m heading out the door in a few minutes. Yes, you’re eyes are NOT deceiving you, it is indeed merely 8:00Am here in the hot San Fernando Valley.  My widget tells me to expect 102 today. Yikes!

Well lucky for me, I’ll be out wine tasting in Temecula.  Mmmmm….wine.  It’s a shuttled trip with a friend from LWL.  So basically, we can drink more than we might otherwise and know that we have at least a two hour commute (no traffic) until we get back in front of our cars.  Should be fun.

I’m bringing my camera, so hopefully I can get some fun shots. Funny thing, I’ll be up in Sonoma in a few days for still more wine.  Yum!  You better believe that NO bottles of wine will be coming home with me (today).

And speaking of cameras…I went to the Crowded House show last night at the Orpheum.  The Orpheum is one of LA’s art deco style theaters.   Absolutely gorgeous.  We actually hung out afterwards looking around and taking pictures.  So woohoo, looks like I’ll have some fresh Wordless Wednesday material…finally.

The show was quite good as well.  The guys were in great form playing off of each other and the audience.  I did realize though, Crowded House is much like Toad the Wet Sprocket for me.  I love them, and will always recognize their songs, but…I can rarely sing along since I like to listen to them while doing other things.  They have great background noise and perfect for driving (not necessarily singing).

Okay, time to head out.  Hope you guys have a great Saturday and those of you here in SoCal, stay cool!

It’s All Business Baby

5 Replies

I was having a recent twitchat with some of my fellow biz friends and mentioned that I had a few book suggestions. I figured it would be easier to just write up a blog post about it, so here we go.

These are the books that have really grabbed me in one way or another:

The Boss of You by Lauren Bacon & Emira Mears – I just did a Skype interview with these two the other day.  I’m about 2/3 of the way through the book and I have to say, I love it.  They’ve got a lot of info about things we should consider about our business before getting started.  They cover all the bases from your business plan, who your clients/customers are and how to reach them, networking, marketing, you name it.  Good stuff and easy to read; just like chatting with friends.  I’ll post the link to my interview once I edit it.

The E-Myth by Michael Gerber – This book came highly recommended by damn near everyone at SXSW the year I went.  I actually drove out that night and picked it up.  Heck, even with our partying and the conference, I think I finished it that weekend.  Easy read and tons of good information about why many small businesses fail or just become overwhelming.

Awakening the Entrepreneur Within by Michael Gerber – I’m currently reading this one.  I was part of a teleconference where Michael was talking about this new book and venture and it was very powerful.  I’ve been dying to read it, but I keep telling myself that I’ll get more from it reading it straight through instead of bit by bit so I keep putting it off.

The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking by Diana K. Danielson – I stumbled upon this book somehow and thought it sounded like a fun topic.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually learned from it.  It’s a super easy read, great to toss in the purse on the way to waiting somewhere.  I really think you’ll learn a tip or too.

Small Time Operator: How to Start  Your Own Business, Keep Your Books, Pay Your Taxes and Stay Out of Trouble by Bernard B. Kamoroff – This book was recommended to Lauren & Emira through the genius behind Sublime Stitching, Jenny Hart (heard her speak at SXSW in ’07 and I was blown away by what she and the other biz ladies had to say about being the boss and growing your business your way – here’s a link from that Boss Lady panel discussion).  It’s rumored to be one helluva handbook and really touches upon the “what now” sort of issues around growth.

The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business by Clayton M. Christensen – This book also came highly recommended (and I’ve yet to read it) from a business workshop I went to a month or so ago.  Our “expert” took the time to bring it with him to show us so that we’d all take the time to read it.  I hear there are some fascinating stories from many startups.

I’m also interested in checking out Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs by Kaira Sturdivant Rouda.  She’s got a real estate background and that’s certainly not me, but it still sounds interesting and useful when it comes to working on that branding thing.

I’ve also started poking around some twitter folks profiles and have found some interesting women in biz blogs and communities that I thought I’d share with y’all. Enjoy.

Divapreneur – this is a Ning community of women in business. First and foremost, what a fun name! They seem to have some fun women signed up and some interesting sub-communities. Might just be worth checking out.

Her Big Idea – these gals also have a podcast that might be worth checking out.

Ms. Biz – I had a lot of hope for this site, but I can’t exactly get past the cartoonish banner. It also seems very momprenuer friendly and they do have a blogroll if you want to find other biz bloggers (or twittergals)

Woman Tribune – this site seems more women-centric than biz women-centric, but it seems to be a pretty good community and gives me some ideas for my own community.

Women Bloggers – another blog ring sort of place where you can possibly find other women bloggers – some biz ladies, some moms, some a bit of everything mixed in.

It’s all a start and just some suggestions.  Hope it helps you out as much as it’s helped me out.

My Twitter is Sick

3 Replies

It’s just not working the way it should and it’s been down (for the second time in two days) for the past couple of hours now.

How am I supposed to tell people that it’s in the 90’s, we’re due to be in the 100’s tomorrow and the coolest room in our house is i the 80’s?

How am I supposed to ask for help with making some vector file thing out of my logo?

What about needing to rant about how I fit into three different sized pants at three different stores?  For the record, I’m claiming that I fit best in the smallest size, of course (oh the vanity!)

And what about asking for input on whether I should do my regularly schedule girl’s night next week or do some networking over happy hour with Peter Shankman and his crowd while he’s in Pasadena instead? I’m leaning towards the happy hour.

What’s a gal to do?

Maybe I could read some. Or catch up on my blogs (yes, I’m behind…again!). Or I could watch Namesake. Or even just nap and rest my weary eyes (sounds lame, but my migraines usually start with my eyes). Or I don’t know…maybe I could actually work.

My poor Twitter, I do hope you feel better soon.

Wha?? Huh??

3 Replies

A couple of things that came to my attention today through my email…

Starbucks now has a +Energy thingamagiggy – you can add “a blend of B vitamins, guarana, and ginseng for added energy” to that triple shot, non-fat, soy macchiato.  You know, for extra energy and all that jazz.  Just what you need with your coffee.  This should really bring those RockStar swilling teens into Starbucks now.

It’s been a while since I’ve been out clubbing.  But I wonder, as a gal, do you really need to know dance moves?  I mean how difficult is it to bump and grind all up on some guy?  But if you’ve got that bachelorette party coming up and you just need to get your groove on, check out the fine folks at Learn Club Dancing and their Night Club Dance Series.  You can learn some Sexy Moves For the Club or Girls Night Out.  Or better yet, get your guy some Hip Hop Moves For the Club and the two of you can tear up the night and party like a rockstar!

Both of these are just what I need today…more energy with my caffeine and some Paris Hilton dance moves.  Just think of all I’ll get done!

A blend of B vitamins, guarana, and ginseng for added energy

I Love My Doctor

1 Reply

She actually just called me personally to tell me that we need to do some bloodwork (at the request of the insurance company) for my thyroid. Come on, what doctor does that? She didn’t pass the call off to her staff. Nope, she called me personally. Just another reason to love my doctor!

And totally unrelated…but when did we stop getting real mail?  All I get now on most days is piles and piles of junk mail.  You know, the stupid sales papers, postcards to bridal fairs and other wedding crap (it doesn’t seem to matter that I’ve been married four years now, someone must’ve recently sold my info), and other variations of junk and crap.  I want real mail dammit!

It Went Well

Leave a reply

Yesterday was my film debut (ha!) over in Venice. Looking back, I still can’t believe that I wasn’t crazy nervous. It was very casual, and very relaxed. To be honest, I was more worried over what to wear (nice black tee with a mandarin collar and a deep v – with a cami – and some simple jewelry). I was comfortable and I’m sure won’t clash with whatever goes up on the green screen (he threatened that it would be zoo animals).

For the most part, I just talked about what blogging is and how businesses can use blogging to help get their name out there. Basically, the same spiel I’ve been doing now for a couple of months. But way shorter and with less questions 😉 In fact, it went well enough that they even made the comment that it was “too smooth” and assumed that we must’ve forgotten something important – even though we answered every question that was asked. And as one would expect, afterwards I keep thinking of the many things that I forgot to mention or should have said differently. *sigh*

I should see a copy some time in mid-June. The DVDs are going to be handed out at the next meeting on June 7th (but I’ll be out of town) and at all the national meetings from this point forward. They won’t be hosted online, but they’ll be interviewing me again later for my own profile which will be hosted online. Either way, pretty cool.

Today, I interview Emira and Lauren the authors of The Boss of You. I’m just shy of halfway through the book and I have to say, I’m really enjoying it. It’s full of some great information, especially things to consider and plan before you hang up your shingle and call yourself a business. Which of course, many of us don’t even begin to consider until after we call ourselves a business. So my goal today is to write up some questions for them and finish as much of the book as I can. I’ll be recording a conference call via Skype, which is a first for me, so it should be fun.

Thank you everyone for your support through all of this forward movement. I’m so busy, but I’m actually loving it. Of course, it means I’m falling behind on reading my blogs, but I’m doing what I can. I’m usually reading along, just not commenting. And let’s not even mention my (seeming) lack of commenting here please. Just know that I feel the love and fully intend to reply to comments. Really.

PS – No Wordless Wednesday this week. No time to take any new photos. Through truth be told, I haven’t even moved my camera from the desktop in nearly two weeks. Yikes!

Moving Right Along

1 Reply

I can’t believe how well things are starting to fall into place.  I honestly do see now that many times, it really is as simple as just asking.  It’s even better when the Universe works with you 😉

I’ve got my headshot.  The hubs and I went out to the local park yesterday and took a few pictures.  My friend’s narrowed it down to two photos out of the bunch.  Today I cropped them down and asked my friends to pick which one to use.  So mark that task with a check!

My girl friend and I hit the mall for a whirlwind shopping trip for tomorrow’s video taping.  I came home with one pink and four black shirts.  I really feel most comfortable in the pink one, but I keep thinking that black would be the better option.  So I still need to try those on today for a final decision (I need to be in Venice tomorrow by noon).  Of course, the husband won’t really be much help since to him it will just be one pink and four, identical black shirts.  Men!  Times like this, I crazy miss my former roommate – then again, with a roommate, I might not have needed to buy something new thanks to the law of borrowing.

This morning, I chatted with a cookbook author hoping to convince her to become the food and entertainment expert on my site.  As she puts it, she’s definitely “intrigued” and that’s a good start.  I think after BlogHer, I’m going to focus on redesigning the site.  I’m ready for it to take on more of a magazine like look.

Wednesday I’m interview the two gals behind the book, The Boss of You.  My review (and giveaway) copy just got here about an hour ago.  I can’t wait to start reading it.  Believe it or not, this is a book that I’ve anxiously been awaiting publication of (and then forgot about until I saw the gals’ blog tour).  Once I was reminded of the book, I wasted NO time in contacting the publicist.  I’m that excited.

This will also be my first interview that I’ll be conducting via Skype.  So I have to work today on setting up my account and downloading the appropriate recording software.  I’ve used Skype for skype-to-skype calls before, but never as an actual phone line.  It should be interesting.  Of course, I’ll also need to decide if I want to transcribe the interview or edit it for an audio/podcast thingie.  Mind you, I still have Liza’s audio that I need to edit (ASAP dammit, that interview was nearly 6 months ago!!)

So now, I think it’s time for me to step away from the computer a bit and get busy.  I’ve got a lot to get done over the next couple of days (including getting my new website up and writing some giveaway materials…yikes!)

Happy Monday y’all!