I’m Turning into My Mother (Totally Random)

OMG how has this happened? I’ve been a tomboy all my life. I preferred to buy everything in grey, black and blue (the darker the better). Everything was to have as little glitter and glitz as possible, and make-up, forget it. On the other hand my mom is one of the most festive people I’ve ever seen. Glitter, sequence, bright colors galore and poor woman she’s spent her life trying to convert me (and probably wondering why she got stuck with such a dull dresser). Of course, over time, she’s decided to buy my clothes to help spruce up my wardrobe, but that only went so far and even though the clothes were cute I still resisted wearing them.

Well I don’t know what alien came and altered my brain while I’ve been sleeping, but now… things have changed. I go to the store now and buy reds, oranges, pinks and yellows. One of the last things I purchased was black but *gulp* shinny. I purposely bought a top with (oh my dear) sequence. And I have a few of pairs of leggings sporting (heaven forbid) glitter. As I checked out my wardrobe, recently, I realized that my mom must be rubbing off on me... but maybe I kinda like it so I’ll keep the little parts I’ve stolen… for now anyway. Sorry mom. :P

Tasty Beef Stew

Here I go again with the Crock Pot. I'm telling you, that thing is completely awesome. I found a recipe for easy beef stew and I want to share it. I hope you enjoy!


CROCK POT BEEF STEW

2 lbs. stew meat in 1" cubes
¼ c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ c. beef broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic or chopped onion
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. paprika
4 sliced carrots
3 diced potatoes
1 stalk celery, diced
Put meat in crock pot. Mix flour, salt and pepper and add to meat and stir to coat meat. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix. Cover and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours. Stir well before serving.

Far From Perfect by Portia Da Costa

FAR FROM PERFECT - Portia Da Costa

Enduring passion, turbulent emotions, and an engagement of convenience…

Anna Felgate and Nick Lisitano shared a night of passion together four long years ago, and even though the sex was perfect, the emotional aftermath and the estrangement that followed were about as far from perfect as it's possible to be. Both strong willed individualists, they've been keeping their distance ever since - even though they both secretly admit that they're still hot for each other. But the best laid plans of estranged lovers never run smoothly, and a crisis in Nick's family brings the two of them back together again. For the sake of his ailing father, Nick proposes a daring plan - a temporary engagement - and even though she knows she's playing with fire and putting her heart in deep peril, Anna is compelled to agree to it.

Can these two former lovers pull off their deception without tearing each other apart in the process?  And will they manage to resist their mutual desire and keep their hands off one another... or will they plunge headlong into an affair, perfect or otherwise?

Read an excerpt

Read a longer excerpt at Google Books

Read an excerpt and BUY from Samhain

Personal Time

I have a thing for this time “issue” don’t I? Anyway I was really considering the notion that many people want time for themselves but rarely get it. We feel guilty thinking of ourselves when we feel that so many others want or “need” our attention. There is nothing wrong with wanting to share time with others, but there is something (in my opinion) wrong with never feeling like our own needs are met.

I’m not saying go out for hours and spend time frolicking out in the forest communing with the creatures in nature… unless you want to. But we can take a sliver of time (or more) each day to take a deep breath, relax and just be. Most of us take some sort of lunch break or other break no matter what our professions happen to be (including being a stay at home parent) and during these breaks, we could take some time just for ourselves, if we wanted.

Who says that taking time for ourselves has to take hours and cause us to feel guilty about leaving our families or loved ones without our attention (heaven forbid)? But, we could take fifteen minutes here or an hour there, each day to relax our minds and spend some special time just alone with our thoughts and no one else. And it doesn’t have to cost anything either. It can be window shopping at a new store, or taking a walk down a trail, taking a drive down a street you’ve always wondered about, but never went to. It could even be something as simple as going to the local park and observing the people around you. It’s the quality of the time that matters not the length of it or the amount of money you did or didn’t spend. It doesn’t even have to be done every day, but it sure would feel nice if we could all pull it off.

I think things like this contribute to the overall wellbeing of people in general and specifically to their creativity. When we are able to clear our minds and just let things be and enjoy ourselves it seems that a weight is lifted from our minds, so we can have clarity about what we’ve been trying to accomplish. Spending quality time with myself often helps with my writing and makes me feel like the creative individual I desire to be. Give a shot. What do you have to lose?

The Plot Bunnies are Against Me!

I’m sure I’ve brought this up a time or twenty, but sometimes I just need to vent a little. My characters do what they want, with no regard to how I feel or how I want MY story to go. My ideas come and go constantly. One moment I think I have the best idea ever and then the next I think I need my head examined for ever having it. On top of all that, before I can finish anything I get more and more and more and more (ok you get the picture) ideas for new stories.

The plot bunnies are evil. They pop up out of nowhere, sprinkling my brain with little dustings of story ideas that I can’t forget, but I have to force myself not to work on them. Then I get all antsy, because I want to work on them (because I won’t allow it if I ever want to finish something). I have documents and workbooks full of story ideas not to mention the tons of stories I have yet to complete. Please just hit me over the head with a mallet and end my misery. *sigh*

My Boyfriend's Back by Chrissy Olinger

My Boyfriend's Back

A Short, Sweet Romance

by Chrissy Olinger

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance only .99

15,826 words

Available on Kindle
from Amazon.com -- BUY IT NOW

"Fear not! I bring you tidings of... DAMMIT!"

With those few words, Jack Lynch's world was turned upside-down. Once the nerd everyone loved
to torment, he has returned to his home town for his twentieth reunion. Now a multimillionaire, Jack has everything but the one thing that matters: his
true love. Twenty years ago he let her slip away. Now he's back, and determined to win her heart.

But screeching tires on an icy road change everything. If being temporarily dead weren't bad
enough, Norman— an angel in training— returns Jack's spirit to the wrong body— the class bully, John Lydon.

With the rockin' hot bod of his former nemesis, the help of a nerdy angel, and his own wits,
Jack has to get Rori to see him, love him, and bring about a miracle... without revealing this true identity. The clock is ticking, and he only has three days.

Jack's got the brains; his new body has the brawn; and Norman's got his back. What could possibly
go wrong?

*This book contains some mild language, no strong sexual content, and an excessive amount of silliness.

Chicken and Rice Recipe

Here is a recipe I love because it's so easy. The crock pot is one of the best cooking inventions ever, in my opinion. I can make a wonderful meal with as little hassle as possible for the most part. Check it out and tell me what you think.

CROCK - POT CHICKEN AND RICE

4 lg. chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ c. diced celery
1 c. minute rice
Mix in crock pot the 3 cans of soup and rice. Place the chicken on top of the mixture, then add diced celery. Cook for 3 hours on high or 4 hours on low. Makes 4 servings