Hey Caffeine Cravers!
January 13th at 2:00 pm
Starbucks will be having a tea time event with complimentary teas and food samples.
How to be Creative
October 1, 2008 By
So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:
1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be yours.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
11. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
13. Never compare your inside with somebody else’s outside.
14. Dying young is overrated.
15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
16. The world is changing.
17. Merit can be bought. Passion can’t.
18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
19. Sing in your own voice.
20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
23. Worrying about “Commercial vs. Artistic” is a complete waste of time.
24. Don?t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
25. You have to find your own schtick.
26. Write from the heart.
27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
31. Remain frugal.
32. Allow your work to age with you.
33. Being Poor Sucks.
34. Beware of turning hobbies into jobs.
35. Savor obscurity while it lasts.
36. Start blogging.
37. Meaning Scales, People Don’t.
37. When your dreams become reality, they are no longer your dreams.
Key Lime Coconut Angel Cake
September 23, 2008 By
Tomorrow is Travis’ birthday and this is one of the recipes I have in the top five! I am going to make him a delicious cake! He deserves it so much!
1 box Betty Crocker® white angel food cake mix
1 1/4 cups cold water
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Key lime or regular lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup flaked coconut
Sliced kiwifruit and strawberries, if desired
Make cake mix as directed on package, using cold water. Cool cake completely. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place bottom layer, cut side up, on serving plate.
In large bowl, beat milk, lime juice and lime peel with wire whisk until smooth and thickened. Fold in whipped topping.
Spread 1 cup lime mixture evenly over top of first layer of cake. Place second layer of cake carefully on bottom layer; spread evenly with 1 cup lime mixture. Top with remaining layer of cake.
Frost top and side of cake with remaining lime mixture. Sprinkle with coconut. Garnish cake with kiwifruit and strawberries.
Makes 16 servings.
1 Serving: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 290mg; Total Carbohydrate 46g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 35g); Protein 5g
Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 10%; Iron 0%
Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Betty Crocker
Have You Taken Your Dog Out Lately?
September 20, 2008 By
The games continue! After the dogs played with the hose in the yard earlier, we took them to a local walking trail/park where they got to run through this beautiful wooded park and chase each other silly! Taking them out to run in a new surrounding is like taking a kid to a theme park. they love it! After our dogs had a run, they rested in the grass and took it all in. Happy, happy pups!
And after a long run, our puppy “Gunnar” is happy and calm as a cucumber…
Has Your Web Browser Been Hijacked?
September 18, 2008 By
One of my favorite techie rescue apps is TrendMicro’s Hijack This. Best of all, it’s free. It’s a browser hijacker killing app that is Windows MSCONFIG on quadruple espresso and a case of some out of control energy drink! Hijack This will bulldoze over any listing in the group of registry keys that run when your computer starts, with a special emphasis on the browser Hijacking apps that hide there. It’ll promptly handle anything you’ll never find yourself in MSCONFIG. IT techies use it all the time and for good reasons. Beware though, Hijack This will trash anything you tell it to, but it cares not for things you actually need to start your PC, so be careful. It isn’t for the weak-hearted when it comes to techno-geekiness! Personally, I love it. Yes, I am a certified geek to the bone. Ohhh… it’s a happy world for a geeky girl like me when apps like this come along for free. Visit the HiJackThis! webpage for more info/download.
Friendship…
September 13, 2008 By
Friendship…
is you
is love.
is shared.
is understanding.
is shared secrets.
heals many hurts.
is not judgmental.
is shared laughter.
is slow and steady.
can be angry at times.
is dependable and true.
is more precious than silver or gold.
is meant to be savored like fine wine.
is not perfect, much like we are not perfect.
does not hold grudges or demand perfection.
makes all the wrong things in life, right somehow.
is meant to be gulped like lemonade on a hot summer day.
is always there, through times of trial, happy times and hard times.
just happens, but once discovered, needs to be tender like a beautiful garden.
is a road to be traveled slowly, remembering the sights and sounds.
is strength when you are too weak to notice its there.
is a cherished moment of mutual understanding.
reaches into your heart and grabs a firm hold.
is a refreshing rain on a hot day.
is sunshine through the clouds.
cannot be forced or induced.
is relaxed and comfortable.
is a shoulder to lean on.
is an ear to whine to.
gets better with age.
is shared tears.
is shared pain.
is shared joy.
is shared.
is love.
is you.
” We are not miles away …………….. just a mail away”
Sign of Autumn
September 12, 2008 By
Summer in Kentucky is painfully muggy with more flies and mosquitos than in the Caribbean. I can say that as a resident and not just a tourist!
The flies here in the warm weather are awful little things. Not to mention the swarms of june bugs that completely freak out at the sign of the outside light coming on. Even the hot summer weather in Southern California is easier to take than the weather here. Well, goodbye slimey summer weather and hello autumn! I went out and raked up leaves early this morning and I was thrilled about it. Fallen leaves mean a cooler and cleaner-feeling season where the very thought of having a candle-lit dinner on the deck in the evenings is actually a possibility! Oh, I love autumn! It’s a beautiful season in many of the places like Australia, Canada and here in the U.S. that I have been fortunate to have lived in. Yay! Autumn is almost here!
9|11: Taking Time to Remember & Give Thanks
September 11, 2008 By
It’s so hard to believe it’s been so long since the tragic and horrendous events of 9|11. I don’t know one single person who doesn’t recall what they were doing on that day. On the west coast, in the early morning, I was just getting on my treadmill when I grabbed the remote and turned FOX News on to be shocked beyond belief at what I was seeing on my tv. As the day progressed, I was so disappointed to listen to those I was close to at the time, worrying more about their apartments and warehouses in NYC than in the people who lost their lives that day. It was that very day that I made a decision to end a relationship and choose my friends more wisely who didn’t put wealth and assets before the lives of people in harm’s way. It was one of the wisest decisions I have ever made.
Today, I am thankful for the people who continue to keep this country safe. But at the same time, I am worried by the current state of the election and in a candidate who is so gullable and lacks an understanding in how such a tragedy could actually happen again. We won’t be sitting around picking pansies and having picnics with those we think we can reconcile our differences with over tea. I pray America chooses the right leader and in the end, I believe they will.
So today I am thankful for the fact that we live in such an amazing country where we have our freedom. I am proud to be married to one of those selfless and brave Americans who gave up their professional careers after 9|11 to fight for this country and very, very sorry for those who lost loved ones and friends that day.
Every year, this day can take me from smiley and happy-go-lucky to sad and filled with emotion. I hope everyone takes a moment today so honor those who have lost their lives and also for those who fight to keep our country safe. God help us and keep us safe.
