because...

there are so many things that  i want to do that it's driving me absolutely insane that i can't do them yet.

happy news: it's my wonderful hubby's birthday today!

happy birthday to my best friend...
my partner in crime...
the peanut butter to my jelly...
my soulmate...
the guy i've been crushing on for almost twenty years...
the guy i've married a lot...
the one that i want to snuggle next to forever.

i am so incredibly blessed to have him in my life. i'm the luckiest girl in the world, and i can still say that 9 years after the first time i married him.

i can't wait to live the rest of my life with him...

and i'll continue to make my lists until chemo's over.

countdown: 2 months left!!!

i'm weird.

it's true. not like this should be a shocker to most of you that read my blog, but i am so weird.
for example, the list of things that i want to do with the next 15 years of my life should mind-boggle most 30 year olds...50 year olds...boggles my mother's mind, that's for sure.

so, knowing all these years that i am weird and dealing with bullying at a young age kind of got me to where i am today. and i'm thankful. where am i today? ha, good question.
home. enjoying the weather. watching my puppy stare at me while i write and create more lists and read more books.
about to step out to the library and possibly on a photo hunt.
making all my dreams come true at a rate i never thought possible?

that's where i am today.

by now you know that i'm very secretive/protective of my life and that of my friends and family's.
i know that there are know it all's out there. i am not one of them. people only tell you what they want to tell you- it's the way of the world. i can't judge- though i used to. that made it easy for people to bully me through manipulative ways.

those people aren't in my life anymore.

many of you probably think that i stick to a strict schedule of writing and reading. for the most part, i try to. the winter are my busiest working months, and by the time summer rolls around i am swimming in new material for new stories and scrapbooks...and to do lists.

being completely content with my life astounds most people around me. it always has. i used to care- time having gone by has allowed me to not care and chase some more dreams down.


have i changed? i like to think that i haven't. i believe that people grow up but that their cores are unchanging.
 so if i've been M.I.A, it's because i'm busy doing summer things so i can complete these to-do list demands of mine before i continue on this crazy whirlwind i call life.

and i hope your summer is going well, too!

<3

see you in a few weeks!
~the globetrotting gamine

upon completion

shot by me- long island 2008-2009

isn't it funny how life pans out everything for you when you least expect it?
over the years, i have found that while to do lists are awesome and help keep everything in check (ah- checks! love checking off things on to do lists) that there's a lot of unplanned stuff that can happen at a moment's notice.

i still blame the to do list. it's like this: you write down a great idea, and 1000 ideas later you bounce back to the first one and put everything into action. pretty soon, you realize that you've bitten off more than you can chew.

what i'm trying to say is: this past month, i've learned how to chew pretty fast and i am one week to the completion of my project.

it's a little frustrating. i hope i say all i want to say, do all i want to do, and i hope it comes out beautifully.

i have noticed the people willing to help, and those who weren't- and it's sad to say that i knew who was who. and i love them all the better for it, because at least THAT went according to plan.

that being said, i am not quite sure what else 2012 is going to throw at me...or more so- what i'll be throwing out at it...
but it's going to be
so
much
fun!

simply happy.

hi bloggie friends!

how are you? i hope all is well in your worlds. right now, the clock is ticking for me to do some last minute EVERYTHING before easter time. a few months ago, i had no idea how busy my life would be though i wanted it to be.

i am so happy that a lot of you who know of my project(s) have e-mailed me to wish me well. i need it! my to do lists have had babies. i don't know what they've named them...as of yet. (this is me being silly on only one cup of coffee today.)

teeny to do list for this...month?:

1. find someone to help me redesign this website...if you know someone, please pass them along to me :)
2. fix my master-to do list
3. send one of my projects on their merry way
4. start researching for the next big milestone in my life
5. plan plan plan
6. work on resume, because it needs a total revamping
7. mark dates of events coming up on a calendar- i have been really bad about this and i don't mean to be
8. buy mousse for my unruly hair-- feel free to send me the name of a great one!
9. use old papers for scrap paper- something i've been doing for the last 4 years and you should, too! especially if you're into lists like me!
10. learn to make a new dish...my cooking has been amazing lately. yes. i am tooting my own horn. toot.
11. blog more. i've been lagging. the photos sitting pretty on discs will not be pleased about this. (this goes hand in hand with the new website idea- maybe i'm holding out?)

if you want me to add anything to my list, life, to photograph for your amusement, let me know! until then...happy weekend [even though it's thursday!]

also, if anyone is willing to do an agenda book giveaway- please just send one to me. i need it. lol

2012 Goals

little is better than mapping out a plan of action i think- BUT you have to accept the fact that things might not turn out exactly how you plan. so for 2012, i made the conscious decision that i will be open to whatever is thrown at me and i will rock it. thus, my goals for 2012 are not written in stone and are subject to change:

1. keep visualizing the lifestyle i'd like to lead, even though it's scaring the bejeezus out of me!
2. that one special project i'm waiting to hear back on- rock it.
3. finish writing and illustrating at least 2 more of my children's book ideas- because practice makes perfect and the time is right. (remember, you can find out all about that here)
4. travel more- duh. like you weren't waiting for that one ;)
5. minimize paper and mental! clutter
6. refine blog posts to stories, lists, menu's, photographs...pfft, like i'd ever run out of things to ramble on about anyway!
7. re-do my office. thus needing design and organizational ideas which i love!
8. buy that juicer and juice! juice, damnit!
9. be out of my comfort zone a little more, because i found that it's eye-opening.
10. keep to what my Momma taught me: "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all!"

mmm...
yeah, #10 is going to be a toughie.

hope you're 2012 is kicking ass so far,
the globetrotting gamine

essence of time

lately i've been feeling as if there aren't enough hours in the day...not enough to blog, and write my articles and work on my stories. does anyone else feel this way?

so today, i vowed to myself to get an ample amount of work done- but it works out that my to-do list again has grown legs and begun running.

so let's start with today and take it one step at a time. this past month has been another happy whirlwind- time goes so fast! the summertime versions of LML like to take a lot of time talking and planning, and it usually happens at the vineyards...

ah- and a lot of the laughing and planning brings good friends, too! such as cocoa puff, pictured above.

life goal:

to one day own a vineyard

or

to learn the ropes of the vineyard and learn how to make vino!

moving on, there are so many things in the works for me that at best, it feels like a lot of things are on the backburner.

so, as part of my 'had-been-neglected' monthly lists a la Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project...

THE JUNE LIST

• finish the 2nd book to A Coincidence Away (which is still being sold on lulu.com for now!)
• finish reading the 100 books i have taken out from the library
• organize my paperwork more efficiently
• work diligently on my blog(s)
• dust off my fancy camera in the closet
• work on my new and fancy recipes- and POST
• talk more about my travels via blog
• send out submissions
• send out queries
• work, work, work on my sad little office and make it writer friendly

if you have any questions, comments, answers (YAY!)

please comment or e-mail me.

you guys are awesome and give me strength

<3

the globetrotting gamine

things going on today:

• mini photo shoot for pup
• mini photo shoot for me ( pictures to follow)
• attacking the to-do list, full force
• continuing with the books/stories i've started
• the gym or yoga. i am still undecided
• start on some jane austen books
• re-vamp my office- find ideas on how :)

what are you up to today?

love me,
the globetrotting gamine

what i did this morning

• double checked my to do list: figured enough items have been crossed off on it that i will create a new one for next week.
• cooked for pup
• ignored fixing the bed
• took pictures of pup
• wondered if i should post pictures of pup up...and figured a no.
• peeled potatoes
• boiled greens for dinner
• made my famous garlic mashed potatoes...mmm mmmmmmm
• found out LML was going to a farmers market- (freudian slip: instead of market i had written rocket.)
• figured it would be cool to ghostwrite someone's book if i liked the idea
• went through my list of agents to contact
• walked by the unmade bed
• tweaked ideas for the second part of 'A Coincidence Away'
• wondered what's going on with the postal service that i haven't gotten any great mail or any mail in a couple of days. bastards.
• refused to vaccum until later
• wanted the rain to go away
• sat here and wrote this.

what did you do today?

are you ever...

so tired, that no matter what you have to do you just don't want to do it?

yesterday, i thought to myself (and LML) maybe I'm depressed?

But then, I don't feel depressed- a little sad sometimes but I'm thinking that if I'm mostly giggly and laughing, then that can't be it.

It's so crazy- I was with some friends yesterday discussing nasty people- they really do seem to hold you back.

Because of crazy people, I feel as if I can't write what's actually going on in my life (and there's really, really cool stuff I'd like to talk about) because there are these nasty people are keeping a vigilant eye on what I'm doing. The feeling leaves me stifled and I wonder: do these people have any blip of a life of their own that they costantly have to spread rumors and focus on mine?

Not that I ever let anyone hold me back- except maybe myself- but come on! I'm almost 30 and these people are my age or older. Eeps.

Never thought such negative influences would be around me...though more and more I've been reading that they actually get attracted to happy go lucky people (i.e. me and various people I know)

It figures.

So in the case of blogging what you actually want to blog about, aside from starting a new one- what do I do?!

love me,

the globetrotting gamine

i have discovered

this week  have discovered that:

• my to-do list should, pretty much, grow legs. it would be much easier to taunt me while it chases around my house and wherever.
• true friends are just that, and they make me happy.
• everyday should be mother's day, father's day, valentine's day. isn't there something wrong with celebrating important relationships only one day a year? i think so.
• vacations should be funded by the government and required at least once a year.
• people should really start looking at why they're miserable instead of making the happy also miserable. stop trying to get people down if your life sucks, and fix it. it's not the happy people's (or my) problem!
• there should be more hours in the day!
• there should be more time to drink wine, read, stare at flowers, take pictures, and smile.

happy monday <3
love me,
the globetrotting gamine

i have

(shot by me- who else?)

i have a to do list bigger than anything...

research to do...

writing to get done...

and luck has found it that ihave to go out and run errands. so i will be researching instead- all day long.

any ideas on how to take it easy?!

quite honestly...

quite honestly, i have found that i don't care too much for winter, for being tired, or for being up for half the night.

i don't care for the amount of time we have to get stuck in one place-it's the gypsy in me, and she seems to be getting incredibly restless. when this happens, things tend to go awry. with me, that is.

i am staring at a stack of old postcards with the itch to get away. thankfully, allllll the negative influences in my life took a hike a long time ago and I am happy. I know I am truly blessed but I feel...yuck.

...like nothing will get done and there is no time.
...like the weather will never stop being disgusting...
...like spring/summer/ SUN is never going to be here.
...like my to-do list may as well sprout legs and kick me in the tushy

hopefully this weekend will improve my mood- i am having a glass of red wine with chicken and potatoes tonight.

what are you having?