Quote Up!

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse. - Henry Van Dyke

Quote Up!

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessing. -William Arthur Ward

Quote Up!

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss

Banana Cupcakes (Almond Brown Sugar Frosting)

I don't have a sweet tooth! (Ahh! Shocking!) Well, it's true. I do however love baking. I delight in many things, baking being in the top 5. I love creating new recipes. I love the smells baking cause in the house. I even enjoy the warmth of simply having the oven on! Silly, I know, but again, it's very true. With Autumn rolling around, baking in my home happens two or three times a week! The weather cooled down this weekend and for some odd reason I felt the need to bake. I mean it is something I really love to do.

I made Quick Lemon Drop cookies since I had some extra lemons that really needed to be used up. My sister who works way too much and way too hard was going into work at odd hours. Pulling midnights is hard work, but get this, she works in a bakery. Ha ha. I never even thought about it. She never brings that stuff home, it's frozen and never homemade, as sweets should always be! Since my sister was working so hard and wasn't able to eat as she normally would, I then created a basic breakfast cookies. But today I'm going to give you the recipe for my banana cupcakes! That's right you heard me:

Banana Cupcakes

With Almond/Brown Sugar Frosting

Look at them! Don't they look amazing? (Need a napkin to mop up the drool?!)

For the Cupcakes you'll need the following:

• 1½ Cup All purpose flour
• ¾ Cup Granulated sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Baking powder
• 1 Teaspoon Baking soda
• ¼ Teaspoon salt
• 1½ Cup mashed bananas (3 bananas)
• ¼ Cup coconut oil (Or unsweetened applesauce)
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
  

So here is what you do:

You know the drill first you preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line muffin tin with papers, set aside.


In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, add in the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just combined and no dry spots.

Divide the batter among the 12 cupcakes wrappers, about ⅔ of the way full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.




Cool completely.

While those are cooling let's make the frosting. You'll need an electric mixer. I've never made this by hand but I imagine it to be quite strenuous to do. So if you have it, use an electric mixer or stand mixer would be even better!

Almond Brown Sugar Frosting

• 2½ Tablespoon all purpose flour
• ½ Cup milk
• ½ Teaspoon almond extract
• ½ Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ Cup packed brown sugar
  

In a small saucepan, whisk the flour and milk together. (I used chocolate almond milk from my local grocer)


Cook this mixture over medium heat, continuously whisking until thick.


Remove from heat, stir in the almond extract and let cool to room temperature.

Again with a hand/stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and the graininess is gone.

Add in your cooled milk mixture and beat it on high speed until a whipped cream consistency. It's going to take a while, but it will be well worth it.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost away, and refrigerate any leftovers

I had some banana chips and decided on a little decoration. Aren't they pretty?! 

Enjoy!

Cheers to Comfort Food (Grilled Cheese and Tomato Basil Soup)

Tomato Basil Soup and Grill Cheese Sandwich!

It's classic, comforting and a reminiscence of childhood. Mom got home late from work as dad always does. You're use to doing your homework by yourself anyway since your siblings have their own lives to live. I was the baby of four, and by the time I can to be my parents were tired but grateful for their gift. I was truly a gift. Believe me it's true. But we were struggling to make ends meet. My mother, the great woman she is worked a hectic and stressful 9-5 for the government then went to school at night. She raised us almost singlehandedly until my father finally realized the other women he was chasing weren't actually chasing him back and mom wasn't bothering to chase him anymore either. (I mean you can only give them so many chances before you come to your senses.) She did a wonderful job as a mother, tired or not. We never wanted for anything. (OK, maybe some attention from her.)

 (I added some freshly shaved parmesan cheese and basil. YUM!)

 

She always had a knack for satisfying my hunger quickly. She'd come home late. My brothers would be out running the streets, my oldest sister was locked away in her room and I'd be waiting for her to walk through the door. She was terribly exhausted but she always went into the kitchen and made something that tasted like heaven. I didn't like tomatoes when I was a kid unless it came in a bottle (full of sugar) and I could squeeze it onto something greasy, and even then I would only use a little bit. But she could turn a simple can of tomato soup into a tomato bath that I would most certainly take. I've grown to love tomatoes, they are the first thing I think about when planning my garden each year. 

(Don't you just love those crunchy pieces that escape! I Do! This isn't a marriage proposal but it could be!)

My dad made the best grilled cheese sandwiches, of course I never told mom that. He did this sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar that drove our taste buds crazy. Put them together and yum yum! You have the most delicious and crazy fast comfort food imaginable. So today I woke up feeling a little blue. I've had a hard time since father's day, missing him and whatnot. I guess I find myself still lingering in the stages of grief. I also miss my mom who lives not to far from me, but with both my and my husbands hectic work schedule, I can't get 10 minutes to go get a comforting hug or a kind word. She misses me too! Right now I have a busted vehicle making it even more difficult. Life's that way sometimes huh?!

So my sadness and heartache needed a little comforting, and I chose two of the classics, and they were delicious!

Red Velvet Pie?!

Red Velvet Pie?! 

Do you mean cake? No! 

I mean PIE! 

I'm not much of a dessert person, but my household has a large sweet tooth. Plus, I get to do the creative baking, so it's a win-win. I'm also a pinterest addict. Hello my name is Kelly and I'm addicted to Pinterest! Hell I'm proud of this addiction! So as I was scrolling through Pinterest one evening I saw Red Velvet Pie and not a lover of Red Velvet Cake I scrolled on past. The next morning I was back in front of the screen and scrolling, and scrolling and happen upon it again. 

Red Velvet Pie.
 Not cake so it might be interesting. 
 Red Velvet Pie.

I have all the ingredients at home already. But since I'm trying a new recipe I'm not going to make the cake part of the pie from scratch (you can if it suits you). 

Ingredients -

- 2 Pie Crusts (You can buy frozen or make your own)
- 1 Box Red Velvet Cake Mix
- 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 Stick of Butter
- 2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

~Follow the instructions for mixing on the back of your cake box (or prepare your homemade batter). - I usually use an extra egg making the cake taste more decadent.
~Butter your pie pans and place the crusts gently into them.
~Pour your cake batter into the shells, splitting it evenly between the two. 
~Bake your cake as you normally would following the directions on the back of the box (or if homemade, according to your recipe).
~Now it's time to make your topping. Put the butter, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips in a pot and cook on medium heat until smooth.
~Top the baked cakes with the chocolatey goodness and let set up. 

I also heard that it is even better if you double the delicious chocolate topping! (I just might take them up on that offer!) For someone who doesn't care for red velvet cake I sure enjoyed this dessert. I'm not even a fan of chocolate but I enjoyed every single bite! (And so did my family who has requested it many times since.)

The Finished Product = YUM!

A Little Mexican! (Oven Baked Chimichangas)

OVEN BAKED CHIMICHANGAS

Boy do I love, love, love Mexican. It is my favorite food to eat. Now I've settled for the likes of Taco Bell, in a pinch. You know, when money is tight and it's the middle of the night. We lived on it when we were in high school. There was one Taco Bell close to the school that was open in the early morning hours and yep, you guessed it, we had it for breakfast. Who could pass up tacos that were less than a dollar when that was all we really had in our pockets. I know I sound like my elders who claim bread cost a dime and they walked a mile to and from school in the snow, barefoot. Who would send their children out in their bare feet? Even in the old days. Though I have to admit I love having bare feet. I would never wear shoes if I didn't have to.  BTW, yes I know Taco Bell is not authentic, but that wasn't the point!

But I love Mexican! I love real Mexican food, and it's not hard to find. But I try not to indulge in it's richness too often, though if I could I would eat it every single day. But last night I made Chimichangas, but I didn't want to fry them. Oil and Middle age just doesn't work together. So I came up with these oven fried Chimis that were so delicious that even my husband cleaned his plate! (I have to admit that I was angry when I looked over and his plate was empty because I usually get his leftovers on Mexican night.)

My sister and I went shopping the day before and found some beautiful jalapeno flour tortilla and boy oh boy they added a lovely flavor! I made six with beef, beans and rice. I also make homemade taco seasoning because we don't know what 'other' ingredients they put in that packaged stuff.

Ingredients -
 - 6 Medium Tortillas (I used Jalapeno)
- 9 oz. Ground Hamburger
- Cheese (whatever flavor and amount you want)
- 1 Small Onion
- 1/2 Cooked Rice
- 1/2 Can of Bean (Your favorite variety, I used Red)
-  2 Tbs. Taco Seasoning
- Water
- 2 Tbs. Vegetable Oil (Coconut oil would be a healthier option here.)

Directions -
- Preheat the over to 425' 
- Brown your beef, then drain it of any excess grease.
- Add onion and cook (Just a few minutes).
- Add rice and beans to the mixture.
-Add your taco seasoning, (more or less to taste)
- Allow mixture to marry, for a few minutes adding water if it looks really dry.
- Lay out your tortillas and filled them using all of your filling.
- Add cheese, again to your liking. (I forgot the cheese and only added it after they were cooked. They still turned out wonderfully!)
- After they are rolled tightly, using a pastry brush, brush the oil on every side of each of the chimichangas, turning to coat them well.
- Lay them side by side in a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray so they won't stick.
- Bake for 15 minutes, gently give them a turn and bake for another 5-10 until they are crispy and delicious!
- Top them with whatever your heart desires. (I top ours with fresh tomatoes, sliced scallions and hot taco sauce!) MMMmm!

Missing You, Still

Missing You, Still

When you were here, your presence was so contagious.

But living without you is simply outrageous.

I'm frustrated to know that you were once mine,

and I wonder, what if we had just a little more time.

Then again, a little is never really enough,

because for you, my brother, life surely was tough.

You made it work though, you always carried a scheme,

but in your sickness, you became quite mean.

Such spirit however, you always had a laugh to give.

I sometimes think it isn't fair, that I still get to live.

You were hard to shut up and a real pain in the ass.

The heartache still lingers, so slowly time does pass.

I hope that wherever you are, that you are content.

I enjoyed the time with you, what little we spent.

If I'd known that death would come to take you away,

I'd say 'I love you' and wish for you to stay.

Quote This!

If you really do put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.

I saw this quote today and had to post it. It's a lesson that everyone should learn and recall it whenever something brings you down. You are not out, all you have to do is stand back up.

Rascal Flatts!!!

Did someone say Rascal Flatts? YES I did! I've been a fan of RF since 95 when I attended the Wild West Show where Brooks and Dunn/Toby Keith were the headliners. RF (Gary Levox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney) were one of the first 5 acts and had only one hit song at the time.  A young woman there at the concert told her date that they would be one hit wonders. I knew differently. They were destined to be legendary.

I love Rascal Flatts, mainly because Gary Levox's voice is still to this day the most unique of any singer/songwriter out there. There hits, most of which are sappy, break up, run of the mill make up and I lost my puppy songs, but they also have their toe tapping, finger snappy hits to balance it out. For me good people, Rascal Flatts is the creme de la creme'! That is why I was super excited when I received tickets for my birthday this year (2012) and waited impatiently, I might add for July 20th to come.

Eden's Edge
Eli Young Band
Little Big Town

All took the stage -- we enjoyed the entire concert, including the lovely drunken fans that decided to tailgate. We should have tailgated too, but had we done so, we would probably still be the parking lot three days later trying to sleep it off. The entire show was amazing and I find myself wishing that they would come back for another round in Detroit.

Jay DeMarcus a third of the trio had a baby earlier in the day, flew to Tenn and back to the city just in time fo rthe show. Still in his scrubs, Jay did wonderful and we are thankful that he included us in his thoughts on such an occasion. Here's to you Jay, you rock! Gary's voice was stellar! And Joe Don, can play the guitar like a rock God, by the way he looks like one too!

Till the next concert I will be patiently waiting -- ok, maybe impatiently!

It's Garden Time Again!

A few years back I decided to try my hand at gardening. My father who is from Mississippi has an incredible green thumb and I wanted to see if maybe I had a little of that. Of course since he became a family man he only grew an occasional house plant but he was so great at it, it inspired me. I've always heard things taste better when you grow them by yourself and boy there is a lot of truth in that. So we got 4 raised garden beds and of course that first year we were very overzealous with planting the seeds. There were so many veggies in each of the beds I didn't thing anything would grow, but they did and that tasted so amazing!

I knew I had found something I was good at and I was excited about something which was something I hadn't been feeling in quite a while. That first year the garden flourished, we had a lot of veggies, even some to spare for the neighbors who often commented on the beautiful things growing in our backyards.Second year we didn't do as well as we hoped. We tried a lot of new things that we didn't really know how to grow but hey that is how we learn. So some thing grew and somethings didn't.

This is our third year, and things are growing like the first year. Of course, me having OCD about cleaning and things being tidy, that is hard to do in a backyard where our three dogs (yes we have a zoo in this house (three cats too!)) play and constantly break things. The dogs have a lot to do with why the garden didn't grow second year. We put up a plastic net like fencing that I thought would be good enough but apparently our boxer mixed has a plastic fencing fetish that eventually turned into a craving for his own raw veggie feast. He didn't bother the herbs though. Guess he didn't need any seasoning.

Like I said this is our third year and I politely asked my husband (Snacker) and my sister (Juju) for new sturdy fencing to protect our harvest. It still needs some work but we have down such a wonderful job so far I don't mind that some things aren't done. We are super excited about this years produce and can't wait to start harvesting.

The saplings have sprouted, the saplings have sprouted! I'm a happy girl!!

 

My Perfect Birthday!

On May 16th, 19.... Hey I'm not telling you my age. Well my birthday is May 16th and this birthday was the greatest birthday ever! I had such a lovely time, it was truly a perfect day for me. My husband Simon and my sister Julie spent the day outside in the sun, grilling, gaming and laughing and having a sweet time. The food was excellent (Thank you honey) The company even more so. We watered the garden, watched the dogs play, a little rough at times but not too bad. We listened to music and play some board games. Now you may not think this is a big deal, but for us it definitely is! We barely get to spend time together, working or exercising or running errands, life just gets in the way sometimes, but not that day. As I sit here and write this I wish I could turn back time. (Oh ok, I really would like some more of those grill roasted veggies. They were fantastic!!

Just looking at that pictures gets me all tingly! And hey it's healthy right? So I should just go for it! -- No I did not just lick the screen of my laptop! Stop judging me or I'll cry. I guess it's a good thing I cleaned the screen today, I mean do you know how many germs are on most computer screens? Anyway back to the veggies. (Wipes drool from the side of my mouth.) Who the hell orgasms over veggies? Not me!
On the menu for my birthday, for lunch we had chicken wings and oh la la veggies. (Damn things are hunting me I swear). Delicious! Again, thank you honey.
For dinner we had ribs? We are suppose to be on a diet. Well we measured and they are actually not bad in calories. Guess what? Yes, it is true, you can have anything your little heart desires, as long as it is in moderation. They were right! (By they I mean the vicous skinny people who can control their garlic bread intake.) MMmmm garlic bread (slaps self) back on track now. For dinner we had ribs, potato salad (homemade of course), baked beans (also homemade) and grilled corn (Simon burnt it!) and it was all just so fantastic. The weather was beautiful.
We played games and listened to music and when the sun started setting we lit a fire and our tiki torches and bam everything was seriously perfect. I don't much care for the word perfect (it's actually a pet peeve of mine.) Nothing can be perfect, but this day was just that. Perfect.
Got a new MP3 player for my tunes while cleaning, exercising, shaking it. The best gift of all, Rascal Flatts tickets!! Woo woo, haven't seen them live since 95, but I will be seeing them soon. Really can't wait for the concert.

 Life is good. Stop licking my damn computer screen people, it's a picture!
 Till next time...

Quote!

Whenever we need an answer it is there.

No matter what the situation, our higher self knows exactly what is best for us.

The spirit within is there for us, always.

We just have to acknowledge it, praise it, thank it, and know everything is all right now.

– Iyanla Vanzant

Dark Skies

The skies are beautiful
Even in the darkest nights
The winds blow steadily
But I feel no chill
Okay I feel cold, dark and damp
Why do these thoughts cloud my mind
Of DEATH
of the darkest demise
Beauty surrounds me
I can see it, but I can't feel it
My body goes numb
With my eyes red, my tears began to flow
Whispers in my ear
Tell me it's time to go
I close my eyes
I leave
Forever
From my body
So cold, dark, and damp!

Are We Ready For Some Football?

Let's Go Patriots!!! Who doesn't love the Pats? Well you should. I have always loved Brady and the Patriots, and now they are back for a fifth chance at the trophy. Tom has three, he lost the one where his team helped him with a 19-0 season. Came out of the Superbowl with a lost, finally defeated and pissed off. Who did they play you ask? Those damn NY Giants. Young Manning and his upset will finally be revenge in one week, at his big brother's stadium no less.

I have to say Brady has not been playing that great as of late. His offensive line has been doing their job, giving him time to run the plays but his throwing arm only shows up 60-65 % of the time and for Brady that just isn't right! Let's hope his vengeful heart and body are ready this time. The Patriots defensive line must have been working hard in the off season because I don't remember one game where they didn't save Brady's ass!

The Patriots known for their offensive seemingly had the defensive take the lead this season with Brady giving a lack luster performance. This is a big something for me to admit because I am a die-hard Brady fan, always have been, and always will be. Hopefully they will come together and give it all on both sides of the ball. One week and counting. I can't wait.

What do you think of this football season? Who will win this year's Superbowl?

Nanowrimo Anyone?

Yes it is November again and that means it's Nanowrimo time, and I'm up for the challenge. Are you? Of course you are, but what if we can't get to the computer? Well pick up a pencil damn it. It is sad that a lot of people these days need a computer in order to write. If this is your craft, put a little effort into it. I can write anywhere, even in the car (of course not while driving.) But for the car, if I am driving I have a digital recorder that works out excellent. I record my thoughts and then write them down later when I'm at home. Easy! To my fellow Nanonovelist I wish you the best of luck, especially my Detroit folks, can't beat our home town because we got it like that. I love all the wonderfully creative folks out there. Again best of luck to you all.

Building Your Writing Confidence

I get numerous articles in my email daily about writing. I love the craft, hell we started this forum -mainly for writers- for artist and the like. I have to admit however I have a lot of issues with my writing. I try to write everyday, but of course sometimes life gets in the way and sometimes I'm just plain lazy, it happens I know. One of my main concerns with my writing is -- wait for it -- wait for it -- whether or not I'm good enough. Sometimes when I re-read something I write I wonder 'what the hell was I thinking? This is crap.' More often then not that is my opinion. So when I received this particular email I knew I had to keep it and while I was storing it in my computer's hard-drive I wanted to share it with you. So for my writing friends here I pose the question -- How is your writing confidence these days?

Do you ever worry that your writing isn’t good enough?

Maybe you’re scared to let anyone read your latest short story. Or perhaps it’s worse than that – you find yourself agonising over every email that you write.

You’re not alone.

Most writers – even those who make a living from their craft – lack confidence at times. Writing is, after all, a daunting thing to do: you’re putting down your thoughts on the page and hoping that they’ll be worthy of someone else’s time and attention.

A lack of confidence, though, can be crippling. It leads writers to give up before they’ve even begun – or to fret for hours over the simplest of writing tasks.

Whether you’re struggling to get to grips with grammar or preparing to launch your third novel, you can become more confident.

Here’s how.

#1: Practice Writing – Regularly

As a child, I had piano lessons. I didn’t much like having to practice – but I knew that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t get any better.

It’s the same with writing. Some people love writing, others find it tedious: but either way, you’ll find that the more you practice, the more you’ll improve.

That could mean:

• Spending ten minutes free-writing every morning
• Working through different writing exercises, so you get experience in several forms
• Deliberately working on the elements of writing that you find hard (e.g. if you write fiction, practice dialogue or description; if you write for work, practice those difficult emails)
• Writing a weekly post for your blog – no excuses!
• Write from a prompt (a word, phrase, question or image that inspires you)

Your writing exercises might be for your eyes only – or you might choose to develop them into something more. Author E.J. Newman’s From Dark Places is a book of short stories that started as pieces written from prompts sent in by her “story of the month club”.

#2: Read Widely

You’re probably already reading a lot in your chosen genre or area – but try dipping into a book, magazine or blog that’s very different from what you’d normally choose.

You’ll come across authors who are:

• Journalistic and factual, giving you the details without making any judgements about them
• Extremely personal and introspective, writing based on their own experiences
• Unconventional and creative with their use of language, perhaps coining new words
  …and so on.

There’s no one “correct” way to write a book, a blog post, or an article – and the more you read, the more you’ll realise that lots of different styles can be effective. You’ll learn new techniques, and you’ll also get a better feel for your own voice and style (look at what resonates with you – and what turns you off completely).

#3: Take Time Over Your Writing

If you don’t like writing, or if you find it anxiety-provoking, then you might be tempted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

That’s not a great way to build your confidence. No writer – not even Shakespeare! – can produce a perfect piece of work in just one draft. By taking a little extra time to edit your work, you’ll realise that you can:

• Spot clumsy or ambiguous sentences and correct them
• Change words that aren’t quite right
• Fix any typos or spelling mistakes that have crept in

I often advise writers to write a basic plan then produce a quick first draft, without worrying too much about quality: that way, they don’t get bogged down trying to perfect the first paragraph. After that, though, it’s important to edit rigorously. You’ll feel more confident about your work when you know you’ve given it enough time and attention.

#4: Learn About Writing

I’ve been writing with serious intent (i.e. hoping to get published!) for thirteen years now – half my lifetime. I’ve read dozens of books and ebooks about writing, I’ve subscribed to a writing magazine, I’ve taken several online courses, and I’ve completed an M.A. in Creative Writing.

Obviously, I wouldn’t have progressed very far at all if I didn’t actually write (see #1!) – but I learnt a lot about the theory and practice of writing from all these resources.

Whether you’re a brand-new writer or an old hand, there’s something you can learn. Look out for:

• Blogs on writing (like this one) – a great place to start learning for free.
• Books about your specific area or genre – try your library
• Specialised ebooks and ecourses – you might want to start with 100 Writing Mistakes to Avoid
• Writing conferences where you can attend lectures and workshops
• Degree programs – a big investment of time and money, but a great way to study writing in a thorough and rigorous way, alongside other students

#5: Ask For Feedback

This one requires a bit of bravery … but it’s a great way to give your writing confidence a real boost.

Ask someone for feedback. Ideally, pick a writer or tutor who you know and trust – you want them to be honest but also thoughtful.

Get them to tell you what you’re already doing well (because there’ll be plenty of good things in your work!) And ask them what you could improve on. I know it can be quite daunting to have your work critiqued … but once you’ve edited a piece based on feedback, you’ll be able to have real confidence in it.

#6: Share Your Work With an Audience

One great way to boost your confidence is to have appreciative readers for your work. But where do you find them?

The Web 2.0 era has made publication accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Sites like Blogger.com are free and extremely easy to get started with, and allow you to publish your writing online.

(If you start getting serious about blogging, I’d recommend using WordPress and hosting the blog on your own domain, for maximum control over your work. For all things blogging-related, check out Daily Writing Tips’s sister blog, Daily Blog Tips.)

You might even choose to put together an ebook for people to download and read. You can create this using a word processing program (like Open Office or Microsoft Word) and then convert it to a .pdf file, which can be read on any type of computer and on many devices like Tablet computers and ebook readers.

#7: Submit Your Work for Publication

One of the best ways to achieve publication is to send a guest post to a big blog. This can be a pretty daunting thing to do … but it’s a huge confidence boost if you get your post accepted. Follow the tips above and make it as good as you can before sending it in – and make sure you follow any submission guidelines.

You might think that you have to already be a big “name” in the writing or blogging world in order to get published, but this simply isn’t true: editors care about the quality of your writing and the professionalism of your approach.

If you’re a fiction writer, try entering competitions – winning a prize, or even being shortlisted, is a great validation of your work.

And if you’re aiming to write for magazines as a freelancer, try sending in fillers or letters to the editor – a great first step in making contact and seeing your name in print.

Keep Moving Forwards – However You Feel

Maybe it seems like other writers have far more confidence than you. You see them chatting away at conferences, or you look at their work on big blogs or you read their prize-winning competition entries … and you think if only I was as confident as them.

Perhaps you already are. Maybe they spent a week screwing up their courage to send in that competition entry, or they had to take a deep breath and conquer their nerves before striking up a conversation with a stranger at that conference.

As you write more (regardless of how you feel) and as you put your work out there in the world, you’ll find that you gradually become more confident and comfortable with your writing.

What one step could you take today to help boost your writing confidence? Pick something from the list above – or add your own ideas in the comments!

You can find Ali Luke posting all over the blogosphere – but her home base is on her own blog, Aliventures. If you want to get more writing done, check out her post How to Write Thousands of Words Every Single Week and follow the eight simple steps there. (While you’re at it, you might want to grab her RSS feed too.)

8 Great Ways To Start The Day!

I found this wonderful article this morning which made me feel good. So maybe it will make you feel good too!

This is an Excerpt article. See full article here: www.latonyaharrison.com

Having a great day can indeed be pre-planned and manifested by us! While we can’t control a lot of what happens in our world, what we can control is our own state of mind and how we respond to what’s happening in our life experience.

I’m most able to create a fantastic day when I start the day off by feeling good. By the time I walk out of my front door, I want to be just oozing joy, peace, optimism and a high vibration. I figure that if I can get myself into feeling those states at the start of my day, I can look forward to the law of attraction working the entire rest of the day to bring into my experience even more joy, peace and delicious goodness to me.

Whether we’re conscious of it or not, we create our life experience based on our ability to love, our thoughts and our emotions. So here are a few quick ways that we can exercise self-love combined with positive thoughts and emotions to start our days out fabulously!

Sleep State Programming - The night before – set your intention as you are drifting off to sleep that you will sleep peacefully.

You could say something like “I choose to have a restful, rejuvenating, peaceful nights sleep and wake up refreshed, energized and ready for a great new day. I ask my guides and Spirit of the highest vibration possible to assist me in making this so.” Say what feels right for you.

Breathe / Stretch Lightly – Upon awakening, do some deep breathing and stretching right there on the bed before you get up to get your juices flowing. As you’re breathing and stretching, you could think about what you’re grateful for at that moment or thank the Universe for your life and the new day.

Use Aromatherapy to Set the Mood – Upon awakening, light incense or essential oils to envibe your home with refreshing, rejuvenating scents.

Love Yourself - In the bathroom before you brush your teeth, develop a habit to first look in the mirror and smile at yourself and say something positive, affirming and loving to yourself. Examples could be “I love you”, “I accept you just as you are”, “you are perfect in every way”, “you are beautiful inside and out”.

Does the above sound silly to say to yourself? Well, as Spirit shared in a recent message: “... t may sound silly, forced, or even stupid in the beginning, but keep it up and you will create new pathways of thought in your brain. These pathways will begin to become habitual, feed you positive energy, and attract new and positive experience into your life every day.” <1>

Take an Invigorating Shower/Bath - As you take your shower or bath, you could engage the power of visualization to envision the water flowing over you as God-white light releasing all tension and stress and filling you up with love, acceptance and joy, all the while placing yourself in anticipation of the great day you’re going to have.

Move the Body / Basic Stretching – We all travel in our energy bodies at night while we sleep. Plus, during these shifting times, many of us are doing some serious heavy duty healing work at the same time. So often when we wake up, we might feel unexplained tightness, tension and soreness, almost as if our spirit body is having to again get used to inhabiting the tight confines of our physical body. By taking a walk outside in nature or doing some light stretching, we’re able to wake up the physical and release some of the energy we might have built up while sleeping, as well as incorporate more photon energy into our being which will help raise our spirits and outlook.

Journaling – Engage in journaling in the morning to recall the meaning of your dreams, release repeating thoughts that clog the mind and set goals for your day. It’s amazing how much lighter and more joyful we can feel after clearing the mind!

Ask Yourself for Guidance and Be Spontaneous – Although connected as one, we are still diverse. Every day is different, and we each have our own way of finding joy. So don’t hesitate to go within and ask your own Sacred Heart what might best serve you on any particular morning.

Another Quote...

"I feel keeping a promise to yourself is a direct reflection of the love you have for yourself. I used to make promises to myself and find them easy to break. Today, I love myself enough to not only make a promise to myself, but I love myself enough to keep that promise"
~Steve Maraboli~

Disappointed

I'm not sure whether I'm disappointed in myself, or in the rest of the world, probably a little of both. I've received so many rejection letters, many of them just plain old form letters over the years. Of course when I first received them I'm upset, I try to play it off and move on because there isn't much more I can do. Then down the road I reread them and find that I'm pissed off at the agencies that don't even bother to explain why they have rejected me. Was my writing bad? Grammar (probably)? Am I not marketable as a writer? Who knows. So what do I do other than move on, keep writing with a massive chip on my shoulder. I'm just at a point right now where I'm ready to give up this writing dream because it only adds another layer of depression I never knew I had.

So be it...