Some of My Favorite Things

As I travel around for my "day job" as a travel writer, I often find items that really appeal to me, so I'm in a habit of writing down brands and looking them up when I get home. I have a list of some of my favorites:

For the perfect bed, visit Frette. For a more affordable option, try Home Goods.

For the perfect table, try Global Table. They have great bowls, candles, plates and glassware you can use every day.

For the perfect table for special occasions, visit Juliska. (This is one of my favorites)

For those who want the perfect modern home, check out CB2.

For the perfect offerings in home decor, you'll like Pierre Deux.

For perfect green items, 3r Living is fabulous.

Finally, for perfect body items, many in great travel sizes, check out EO Products. 

It's always fun to find things in life that make you smile.  

Change

Found this great quote from Maya Angelou:

If you don't like something, CHANGE IT; 

If you can't change it, CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!

What a simple yet powerful message.

Routine Maintenance Schedule for the Writing Life

I have discovered the greatest little book. Be sure to pick up a copy of The Pocket Muse: Ideas & Inspirations for Writing by Monica Wood. This book has great ways to start your mind thinking when the muse is hiding. There are great little anecdotes to go along with the inspiration. 

One of my favorite finds is the list entitled "Routine Maintenance Schedule for the Writing Life". Here's what Wood suggests:

Once a week: Skip to the next part of whatever you're working on, no matter how stuck you feel.

Once a month: Write all day without talking to anybody.

Every three months: Send something out for publication, just to keep your hand in.

Every six months: Clean your workshops: Pitch obsolete files, lumpen drafts, rejection slips, leaky pens, old mail. Clear away the dross, and you'll be able to think more clearly.

Once a year: Take a chunk of time, whatever you can afford -- three full days, minimum -- and go someplace where your writing will not be disturbed except for eating and sleeping.

What lovely maintenance items. We make maintenance checklists for our vehicles, but not our lives. This is an eye-opener for me. I think I'm at the "every six months" spot and need to clear away the dross.

Perhaps my favorite is her parting quote: Don't forget to be grateful that you love words.  

New Year's Writing Resolutions

I prefer to call my New Year's Resolutions "Goals". Somehow it feels more like something to work toward. With that in mind, I made several goals for the new year. 

The first is this blog. I plan to blog more. Information about my writing, my novels, my travels, about me on this crazy writing journey. So, be sure to check back for more insight into my writing world.

Another goal is that I'll finish my new novel, SABOTAGED, by April 15th. Just the crappy first draft. I have until July to finish the edits on it and have it ready to start submitting. 

I also plan to register for the RWA National Conference to be held in Washington, DC in July. 

I have to stay organized and focused to accomplish these goals along with the freelance writing I do. (Check out my freelance website at http://www.thotinfo.com). That's perhaps the most important goal of all. 

What goals do you have for the new year?