I’m a sucker for books. I love my new Nook Tablet – and yes, I still have my old Nook and no you cannot have it, ! But since I have my nook, I generally will buy them on the e-reader and not in print now.

So, one day I decided to make more room in the house (did I tell you I am totally hooked on organizing? I could be the poster person for how to organize your house. You really need to come check my closets, LOL!). So, I took a day and diligently and lovingly went through all my print books and categorized them into those into categories:

1. to be taken to Half Price books,
2. to be given away,
3. to be kept. You know the kinds: some written by super special friends of mine and several of my all time favorites. And, of course, the many, MANY reference books I have collected throughout the years. Those I put all in appropriate and labeled boxes and have stored safely away. Out of sight, but easy to get to. (the organizing thing again).

But, I discovered last year I don’t like journaling on the computer. I NEED something with me, at all times, that I can jot things down that I just know I will need at some point. Or thoughts that I want to remember and can refer back to. Or set some goals for the day/week and check them off. Or even some errands I need to do that day and want to plan my day.

Last year, I’d picked up a really neat hardback book at Barnes and Nobles that was perfect for me to carry around. The size was perfect, my special pen fit in the spiral binder (I have a special book so need a special pen, correct?) and it truly went almost everywhere I went. I actually filled it up during the year and when I went through it the other day, I was surprised at some of the things I’d written.

Some were profound, some were funny, some I’d forgotten about but needed. It also showed me where I was at the beginning of that year, and where I ended up at the end. And I realized I’d grown in some areas that I’d needed to and am pretty durn proud of. There were also some ideas on possible stories, some plotting ideas on the one I’m working on now. A few snippets of conversations I’d heard that would make good fodder in a story some time, and some of those really cute sayings that you think you’ll never forget, but always do.

Since I’m such a visual person, I thought I’d share a picture of it:

2011 Journal

So, I decided to do it again this year.

I gathered all the similiar books, I’d collected throughout this last year and put them all in a basket (that silly organizing thing!) and contemplated which was the one I wanted to use this year. It had to be the perfect one for the year as I’d have to live with it for the next 12 months.

Hmmm...lots of possiblities.....

They are all so pretty! How to decide???

But, eventually, I had to make the decision and the winner for the magical Journal of 2012 is…

Journal 2012

So, do you journal and, if so, what do you like to use?

Had such a wonderful birthday weekend! Couldn’t have asked for anything more!

Not. One. Thing. More.

Thanks to all my friends and family who called, texted, emailed me…I so appreciate and love you guys!

Thanks to M & L for helping us celebrate that night. Always fun to be with special friends on special occasions.

Many, many thanks to my sweet, adorable, handsome, funny, brilliant husband for making the weekend so special in so many ways.

Loved the ‘pre-birthday’ card, Babe, you always make me laugh! REALLY loved the ‘real’ birthday card – will always treasure it. And the wonderful present! You didn’t have to, but glad you did. Thanks for just vegging with me all day and doing what we never take time to do. Doing absolutely nothing felt so good all day Saturday. And the birthday dinner Saturday night complete with the 47,125,657 layer chocolate cake at my favorite restaurant totally rocked! YUM!

I love ya, Sweetie!

If you are into music at all, if you watch the news, tune in to any music awards show, or sing along to the radio, then chances are you’ve heard of Lady Gaga.

Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in Yonkers, NY, she debuted in 2008, eventually selling more than 15 million copies of her two albums and almost 51 million singles worldwide. Topping the charts with songs like Paparazzi, Poker Face, and Just Dance with her newest hit Born this Way being the fastest selling single in iTunes history, with a million copies moving in just five days.

She is provocative, she is talented, and she is outrageous.

What impresses me the most about, though, is that she knows what she wants, is very determined and, above all, believes in herself.

I recently read an interview with her and she was asked ‘What is your definition of Fame?’ She answered ‘you don’t need to be a celebrity or have money or have the paparazzi following you to be famous.’

She went on to say (and I am paraphrasing it) that she and her friends just simply declared fame on their own. It was their confidence and their conviction and their abilities (with some vanity thrown in) and have all of that exist in every fiber of their being that makes it work so well.

Imagine that.

They just declared it and then believed it.

If we could only see ourselves where we want to be in life – as a person, as writer, or whatever you choose to do – and truly BELIEVE it in every fiber of OUR being and go for it, we could surpass our wildest dreams.

It did for Lady Gaga.

So I challenge you know to go forth and declare your fame!

Avery

So, we made it through the holidays without a scratch and now deep into winter.

It’s been weird weather for North Texas the last two weeks. Better Than Spring Weather. Then Snow and Ice. Back to Better Than Spring Weather. Today it’s Snow and Ice again.

What with this? According to Candace Havens’ tweet this am, Old Man Winter may need a GPS to figure out where he’s supposed to be.

I plan on staying warm with a cup of peppermint tea while working on my YA in progress.

If I get my word count in, I’ll reward myself by reading some more on Beastly by Alex Flinn.

Stay warm!

…days of fun, sun, flip flops, prettily painted toes, tanned bodies, and just generally being lazy – around the pool, around the lake, around the beach….

In spite of being lazy, which I love to do – I make goals. A roadmap which gives me a focus.

This year I decided to try it in a different way. Set my goals for the upcoming season. To me, it’s much easier than making yearly goals which I tend to procrastinate thinking I have ALL year to do them and then don’t get any done. Usually.

I don’t write them in stone, but I don’t write them in the sand either.

It can be something simple, such as getting a closet cleaned out (okay, sometimes closet cleaning is not that simple) or learning something new. Or even just getting a tan and reading the next Gallagher Girls book.

Things I DID accomplish last Spring: I learned how to cook on a gas grill, I wrote an article for my writer group’s newsletter, and wrote 11,000 words on my new WIP.

Things I DIDN’T accomplish: another 10,000 on my WIP, clean out the garage, and losing five pounds.

But I didn’t beat myself up about what I didn’t accomplish, I celebrated what I did.

Soooo…my goals for this summer are: take an online writing course, attend RWA nationals in Orlando Fl., get the garage cleaned, lose five pounds, and complete my WIP.

Right now I am in the middle of the online course and my ticket has been purchased to go to Orlando.

Not a shabby start since Summer officially begins this next Monday.

How about you? What do you have on your ‘To Do before Summer ends’ list?