Happy New Year!

We say farewell to 2008...with all of it's ups and downs. Not a bad year for me, personally...I've certainly had worse.
There's a lot to look forward to in this New Year....and I found a lovely video that echo my sentiments.
Here you go....

A few changes in the New Year.

Beginning January 1st

I will no longer carry the little

pocket mirrors in either of my shops.

Since I have to order the mirrors

from another Etsy seller...

and the last batch took more than a month

to receive...

it's just easier to retire

these little treasures.

I will continue to offer art pendants occasionally,

when I have enough completed to list several

at once.

A lot of the tree prints I currently have on

will be ended in the New Year

and I will be replacing them with

a new series of

character based paintings and prints.

I've got a lot of new things

planned for the New Year and I've already

begun working on them.

As soon as things get 'back to normal'

I'll begin working harder

and listing more.

Just another quick reminder...

my shopwide sale does end

December 31st!

Shipping days changing.

Things have gotten quieter,

now that the Christmas holidays have passed.

We'll have another 'get-together' for New Year's Eve

and New Year's Day...as a family...and then

back to business.

This little break from everything

has given me the chance to start

'taking stock' about what I will do in the

New Year.

The one thing I will have to do...without exception...

is twice weekly printing and shipping.

I intended to do that this past year

and ended up doing it...almost daily.

With all that I have going on now,

I'm cutting it back to,

Tuesday and Friday printing...

Wednesday and Saturday packing and shipping.

International packages will still be shipped once

weekly..on Wednesday.

This will give me the time I need to paint

and create new digital pieces...

and to devote to the other things that I am

now involved in.

I

Looking ahead to the New Year.

2008 hasn't been that bad for myself and my family.

None of us have 'struck it rich', painted the

next masterpiece or written the Great American Novel.

We haven't hit the lottery and most of the

family live from one paycheck to the next...

but it hasn't been a horrible year...

so I guess I consider it a pretty good year..over all.

I wanted to post a reminder that the

sale I've had going in my Shop

has only five days left.

I'll be putting everything that will

remain the shop back to regular price, beginning

January 1st.

And, in Pendants Plus,

we'll begin including shipping costs

on the items that have had

free shipping.

We had a very nice Christmas,

without anyone going overboard,

and once things settle down

a bit, and all purchases have been shipped,

I'll be starting on

some new pieces that I am hoping

to put in the shop

in 2009.

Merry Christmas

O Holy Night

An Animated Christmas Card

The Night Before Christmas

A little Break over the Holidays

I've gotten everything either shipped...or almost shipped.

Now it's time to take a little break

over the Holidays.

I'll continue to keep an eye on my shop,

but I'll not be shipping anything more

until after Christmas.

There's a house to clean,

a tree to put up,

goodies to bake,

and a little shopping to be done.

I'm looking forward to celebrating

this time with my kids

and grandkids...and not worrying too much

about anything else.

Wishing all...a Very Merry Christmas...

and a Most Prosperous New Year!

Carol of the Bells

Wizards in Winter...and lots of Lights!

My Picks for a 2008 New Year's Eve Song Playlist

What a year this has been. Some don't want to see it come to an end, others can hardly wait for the New Year's countdown to begin. Whatever your take on this past year may be, time waits for no one.

No matter where you celebrate your New Year's Eve festivities you will, no doubt, hear such annual New Year's Eve song standards as; Prince's 1999, Europe's The Final Countdown and possibly even, U2's New Year's Day.

But when the clock strikes midnight, in every club and home, on every television and radio, you will most certainly hear the song that has become the anthem of every New Year's Eve, Auld Lang Syne.

As we prepare to bid adieu to 2008 and ring in 2009, with all of it's excitement and uncertainty I have selected a New Year's Eve Song Playlist sampler for those who are looking for some song playlist suggestions.

1. 'Shout' by the Isley Brothers, released in 1959 as a response to Jackie Wilson's 'Lonely Teardrops'.

2. What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

3. Waiting On The World To Change by John Mayer

4. Get The Party Started by Pink

5. You Should Be Dancing by the Bee Gees

6. Beautiful Day by U27. Last Dance by Donna Summer. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1978.

8. I've Had the Time of My Life by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1987.

9. Everybody Have Fun Tonight by Wang Chung

10. The Dance by Garth Brooks

11. Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy

12. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. From the film, Armageddon, it was written by Diane Warren originally for Celine Dion.

13. Let's Get It Started by Black Eyed Peas

14. Changes by David Bowie

15. 1999 by Prince. Yes, I had to include this one on my playlist.

16. December 1963 (Oh, What A Nigh)t by Frank Valli and the Four Seasons

17. Dance To The Music by Sly & The Family Stone

18. Rock and Roll All Night by Kiss

19. The Party Song by Blink 182

20. Celebration by Kool & The Gang

21. All Night Long by Lionel Richie. He performed this song at the closing ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles CA.

22. Get Down Tonight by KC and the Sunshine Band

23. Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys

24. New Year's Day by U2

25. Auld Lang Syne by James Taylor

So, there you have it. My selections for a New Year's Eve Song Playlist for 2008.

========================

This article, written by me, was published by Associated Content. It was a non-exclusive piece, so I do have permission to publish it elsewhere.

If you liked this piece, you can read the couple of other articles I have written, here.

Feel free to rate my articles but, please be kind!

Sale is almost over!

My two month long sale

is coming to a close.

I still have a few original paintings

left in the Shop

and I won't be painting anything new

until next year.

Everything is marked down

at least 25%

some items as much as 50%.

And, I finally have everything

that has been purchased to date...

shipped out!

Yay!

I'm just here for a Haircut...

My hair had gotten long enough

and frightful enough

that it appeared maybe I was looking

to audition for 'Wicked'.

Last Christmas, one of my children

gave me a gift card to a local

salon, so I could go get my hair cut,

'hint..hint'.

So...I was evidently looking pretty

raggy back then.

Well, I finally took the card, went out over the

week-end and got my hair cut.

I took in pictures, I often do, for the type of

cut I was looking for. I don't expect to end up looking

like the models in the pictures...I'm just giving them

a general idea of what I want. I know what my hair

will do and what it won't...so I stick to those

kinds of examples.

Needless to say, if my hair EVER does come anything

close to the pictures I showed...I'll have to wait

a couple more months to find out. It's way too short.

That's okay...I guess I can wait.

I'm not sure if my "stylist"...

and I use the term very loosely...

has had any 'refresher courses' since beauty school

or not...

She didn't seem to understand what I was wanting...

perhaps that was because she was too busy

wanting to 'chat'...

I really didn't come in to chat...

I'm just here for a haircut...

here's two pictures...use those as examples of what I'm wanting.

Still...she insisted on 'chatting'...

I said I sleep with a fan going...

she said, I might as well listen to water drip..

what?!!

I said I just wanted a shampoo and cut..

and use my pictures as a guideline...

she tried to talk me into a 'wax'...

I don't think so!!

I'll grow a mustache and beard

thank you very much!

I asked if she'd ever seen any of the

hair stylist reality shows...

she said she didn't care for Simon...

oh my gosh...

I'm just trying to be nice and partake

in conversation that she seemed

determined to have...

I didn't realize it was a monologue.

Finally...I told her I don't use

'product' on my hair...

even as long as it was...

I just shampoo...towel dry...and let it do

it's own thing.

I've ALWAYS done this, since college.

I do not want Product..

"not even a little Gel"

No...get away from me...I do not want

gel or mousse or hairspray...

nothing!

I didn't realize that a little dab of gel

would add $8.00 to the cost

of the cut...

see..then it's considered a 'style'.

I stuck to my guns...

no product.

Paid the cost of a cut...not a style..

gave a really good tip

(actually my youngest daughter did)

in spite of my better judgement..

(I would have tipped...according to my 'pleased' factor.)

It reminded me why I let my hair grow,

I have yet to find someone who will

cut my hair, give me what I want,

and not insist that I converse with them.

Really..I don't want any distractions..

I just want what I came in for...

"I'm just here for a haircut...one of these please!"

Bringing everyone up to date

I started selling my art online

in August of 2004.

I believe I have now sold more than

2000 pieces of art...mostly originals.

That's a lot of creating...and a lot of work.

I do enjoy painting and creating,

but I don't like for it to feel like 'work'.

I need to

expand my horizons a bit.

I'm not giving up my art...but I am going

to do fewer pieces this next year.

I always quit painting about the beginning of

December...for one thing...the holidays are so hectic.

Then, I begin again right after the New Year.

I should imagine this next year will be

much the same.

But, next year I'm diversifying.

I've begun writing articles. I only have a few

at this time, partly because of how busy

I've been with my Shops.

So, I decided that I am going to do

more writing this next year and I've started with

articles. I enjoy the research

and the writing.

Let me know what you

think.

I'm still a little rusty, but I don't think

they're awful.

My next article is going to be

My Top 5

Best College Bowl

MatchUps

in

NCAA History.

You might wonder why I selected this

from the list of topics to write about...

well...my husband was a huge

football fan and I

was a good wife.

I watched all the games

with him!

MIA for a few...

I will most like be "M.I.A" for a few days...

and I decided I am just too swamped under, to

schedule anything to auto post on those

days.

Just letting everyone know!

Jaime will be monitoring my Shop

during that time...

answering any questions and handling

any sales that need attending to.

I'm hoping I'll be back by the week-end..

we'll just have to see!

I feel the need...

I get so many folks trying to reach me

during the hours that I am still in bed, that

I feel the need to let folks know what my

really 'whacked out' schedule is.

Since I have my fingers in far tooo many pots,

I have found that the schedule that works best for me is...

work until about 6 or 7 every morning...

go to bed..

get about around 2 or 3 every afternoon...

and then get on with my day.

I sometimes get two or three emails in a row...with times like

9:30 am...11:00 am...and so on.

I'm really not ignoring or avoiding anyone...I'm just not up yet!

The 'graveyard shift' just works best for me.

I can work...pretty much non-stop during that time

without a lot of interruption.

I don't necessarily like those hours...for sure...they just

seem to be my best hours for productivity taking

all things into consideration.

Hopefully, this clears up any questions people have

as to my hours of availability.

Once I can sift through the things that work

and those that don't...I'm really hoping to kick those hours

back.

I'd rather go to bed about 3 or 4 and get up around 11. I really

do miss the sunshine!

It's Been A Couple of Days...

It's been a couple of days since my last post and

during that time I've managed to 'bury myself' with

a lot of new things that need my attention.

I've now written several articles that I'm waiting

to see if they'll be published. Hopefully they will.

I've applied to six writing jobs and one illustrator position, that I'm waiting

to hear back on. Actually, I heard back on 2..one was the 'employer'

seeing if I was interested...I didn't respond to that one. I hadn't

yet found my way around the site and wasn't quite sure

what I was supposed to do. Besides, I still hadn't taken

the online tests to qualify me for the position. Seemed a bit

premature for anyone to contact me.

The other, I had my reservations about even applying,

as I noticed that that the average hourly wage for those applying

for that position was less than half of what I was asking...and when you

can get workers who go as low as $.44 a hour...YES...forty four cents an hour...

are you kidding me????

Anyway, I still have my Etsy Shops...of course...and as soon as

I start making enough to pay my bills, they will once again get my full attention...

but, until then...a 'girl' has to survive!!!

I've been tagged...

I don't exactly know how to play the

'tag' game...but, I've been 'tagged' by Jerry,

who is simply delightful and whose blog

I thoroughly enjoy reading,

and decided to give it a go.

The point is...to list 8 things that

few, if any, people know about me..

wow...that's a tough one..I'm a pretty open person

to the people I am closest to..

and those are the people who mostly read this blog..

but...in case any of them don't already know..

here goes..

(Ooops! I hadn't finished my blog before it published

sorry 'bout that)

1. I watch the LOGO program...'Sordid Lives'

I get a little 'uncomfortable' with some of the scenes...but the show makes me laugh.

I didn't know they even had a gay channel...but, I'm not here to judge.

2. I have never...for as long as I can remember...been able to sleep

on the right side of the bed.

3. I pile up the pillows on the right side of the bed, every night,

so that it feels like my husband is still there beside me.

4. I sometimes like to eat...candy cigarettes.

Ummmm...give me that sugar!

5. I believe that 'one day' I really will "hit the lottery"

6. I have just begun writing articles...I'll have

to write more about that, as soon as I am published.

7. I still want to write and illustrate children's books.

8. I still want to write and illustration a comic strip.

No...nothing too revealing here...but, it's all I could think of!

As for tagging....well...whoever wants to

write a post about their

8 things nobody knows....take it from here!

I'm better today.

At my age, you would think that I would know

better than to have any expectations about anything

as 'iffy' as online art sales.

If I were selling Wiis..iPods..or any one of a number

of 'hot selling' items online...I might have reason to

complain...

But, I'm better today. I've decided

that I'm going to have to take on some other kind

of work...to supplement my art business.

I haven't had to worry about this for the past four

years...but, I guess...we're in a recession

and hopes and wishes don't pay the bills.

With that said...yes, the amount of new artwork that I

am able to list in my CMZ Art Etsy Shop

and in Rustic Goth and

Pendants Plus

will all be affected.

I've decided to run the current sales...in all three shops...until after

Christmas.

Then, between Christmas and the first of next year...

I'll put everything in all three shops back to their regular prices.

I won't be spending as much time, the rest of this year, working

on new projects for any of the shops..as I will need to spend that time, instead,

on new employment endeavors.

I will keep completely current on correspondence..

through the Etsy Shops conversations (I only check my email--since

I have several--about once a week.)

and I'll remain current on all packing and shipping.

I'm going to take on a couple part-time positions...which will leave

plenty of time for everything I would have to do

that is shop(s) related.

Cyber Monday???

Here it is...the end of Tuesday...and I'm still waiting

for Cyber Monday sales....what???

Ain't gonna happen....!!!!

Wow...why did I work so hard the last couple of weeks???

Oh well...I didn't want to pay my rent anyway!

I really do wished the media would stop with the

'we're in a recession...the sky is falling...hold on to your money'

mania they have going on.

I do think that some folks are definitely affected by what's going

on..on Wall Street...and I'm talking 'working folks'...like us.

Folks have lost homes...due to the mortgage fiasco...others have lost their

jobs..due to cutbacks..bad for the working guy (but almost always good for the CEOs)

but, most of the people I have talked to were affected more by

the high gasoline prices than they have been by

the stock market roller coaster.

I noticed the media didn't say much right before 'Black Friday'...

oh well...it is what it is.

I really...really...really need to STOP counting on

good sales on Cyber Monday. I'm not really sure who benefits

on those days...but, it's never been me...in 5 years I have YET to see good

sales on that day!

And...I'm doing all of this ranting for ME.

You see...it's my way of keeping my books...sort of.

If I write it in my blog

I just check back...next year at this time...have a look

and say...

'Oh yeah...Cyber Monday...I've never had even

average sales on those days...no need to work any harder

than usual'

And..then...I won't be upset when the sales aren't there.

I haven't done this in the past...someone said I should

never write about slow sales...it makes me look..

well...less successful.

What the heck...I'm not trying to impress anyone...

I'm just trying to pay my bills!

And...that's not looking very promising this month!

But...life goes on...and so do I.

It Isn't Over Yet...

This is a print of a painting I did in 2005

titled...

"It Isn't Over Yet"

An abstract of the red AIDS ribbon.

Since 1997 I have contributed

in one way or another

to the eradication of this horrible virus.

In 1996

my youngest brother

passed away..from AIDS.

Today is World AIDS Day

and

I decided that

I will offer 12" x 16" prints of this painting

for sale...here

with proceeds going to benefit

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.

A very busy week-end!

What a busy week-end I've had.

I did a bunch of the Glass Tile Pendants

for Pendants Plus..and, I've got to

retake quite a few pictures

that just didn't come out.

I'm not the best photographer in the world...

I managed to get 5 new paintings finished...

1 for Rustic Goth

the other 4 for CMZ Art.

It's been, at least a year, since I last painted

a Tuscan landscape...I now have a new

one to list later today or tomorrow.

It's done in much the same way as the one

I've shown here...

I still have to take the photographs

for the listing.

New Pieces for Pendants Plus

Over the next couple of days,

I will be listing all of the new

Bamboo Tile

and

Glass Tile

pendants

that we have ready in the

Pendants Plus Etsy Shop.

If you haven't already checked them out

we have

HANDPAINTED bamboo tile pendants

for ONLY $8.oo--with Free shipping...

that's a bargain

(if I do say so myself)

We're going to offer them for that price

until the end of the year.

The glass tile pendants

are $7.50--with free shipping.

Check them out .

Nintendo Wii

I hope everyone had as good a Thanksgiving Day

as my family did.

We had a wonderful 'feast'...everyone was

responsible to bring certain items

so it didn't all fall on one person...(me).

I didn't even do the Turkey this year

yay!!

We have always...always played family games

on Holidays...but, as the grandbabies get

older, they don't really like being

relegated to 'kid games'...and it usually creates

something of a fuss.

So, this year, my oldest daughter

decided to bring over her

Nintendo Wii...

I am 'hooked on golf'... and it's okay

that I couldn't figure out the controller

and came in last every time...

I don't play with these games...so I didn't expect

to do well.

But...I really did enjoy it!

And...oh my gosh....

I see that they have

'Mini-Golf' for Wii...

oh...I am going to have

to get that game for

our Christmas get togethers!

For this we give Thanks

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

I thought I'd share this vintage photo and lovely prayer...in celebration of everything

we have

for which we give Thanks.

===============

And...just a quick note...

I'll be taking this long Thanksgiving week-end,

hopefully, to use those

gifts I am so thankful for.

More Bamboo Tiles

We've got a few new

Hand Painted

Bamboo Tile Pendants

listed in the

Pendants Plus Etsy Shop.

New Pendants...

We have some new...Bamboo Tile...pendants now

listed in the Pendants Plus Etsy Shop.

Part of the Bamboo Tiles are hand painted

and others have a mini print on them.

We also have some new

Glass tile pendants in the shop...

and more Bamboo and Glass Tile pendants

ready to be listed.

We'll be listing these throughout the week.

Beware e-card Greetings...Virus Alert!

I'm not usually an 'alarmist'

but after seeing what happened when my

daughter's computer "went down"

and all of the information she lost because she

didn't save it on a disc...

I thought I'd pass along some information

I received in an email today.

"You should be alert during the next few days.

Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer.

This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called 'POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do NOT open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept."

There you have it...beware e-card greetings this year...even from family and friends.

Better to be safe...than sorry!

Some new paintings

I was able to finish three

new paintings this week-end.

I will start listing in my shop

beginning on Sunday...

and on Monday.

Now on Imagekind

I now have a CMZ Art shop on Imagekind.

It wasn't that I was looking

to see how much more work I was

wanting to take on...

it was more about what they

offer there.

You can get my art on various

fine art papers

or

on a gallery wrapped canvas.

It was the canvas that did it for me.

I can't offer a gallery wrapped canvas of

giclees of my art through my Etsy Shop,

so I went out to find someplace that could.

I don't have many pieces listed yet,

but I am working on it.

A word about shipping.

Since we are getting closer to "that time of the year", when packages seem to take FOREVER to get from point A to point B, I thought I'd write a quick note about shipping.
I have used FedEx, UPS and USPS all, as my primary carriers, in the five years I have been selling my art online.
My preference...

UPS for large packages. You can print a UPS shipping label through PayPal and then just drop the package at a drop site. It tracks the package from check in through to delivery...very good, especially at this time of year.

For smaller packages, I use USPS. Again, you can pay and print through PayPal and just;
1. drop off at any Post Office
2. schedule a Pick Up...you have to have a Priority, Express, International or Return package to schedule a free Pick Up...but then, you can include all kinds of ground packages - up to 70 pounds...by including just one upgraded package.
3. For the smallest of ground packages, I can just put them in the mailbox and raise the red flag.
Pay and print shipping includes Delivery Confirmation, so...while you can't actually 'track' the package, you can see when it is finally delivered.

The only 'drawback' to pay and print shipping, through PayPal or the USPS...

you can't print First Class International Labels, those need to be taken

directly to the Post Office, paid for and sent out from there.

Soooo...I only send International packages once a week...usually on Wednesdays.

With my schedule, I just can't handle long lines at the post office any more often than that.

Christmas Cards

I already have these...and others...Christmas Cards

listed for sale in my

CMZ Art Zazzle Shop.

Since I orginally designed them to

include in my

CMZ Art Etsy Shop

I will be listing them there, later today

or tomorrow as packets.

I will also be listing a few of my card

designs as prints.

I am featured on this blog....

I did an interview

for

Fresh Peaches
who (in her words) is an Aries who likes to live vicariously through others.

her blog is...
Such Cool Stuff!
Coupons, Sales, Artists, Crafts, and other cool stuff I find as I meander through this crazy internet thing.

It is in her blog today,

please visit her and see what you

think!

It would be great

if you would leave a comment

for her!

Thanks so much!

How many backlinks do you have?

This really isn't me 'crying'...it's me...exhausted!

I've been doing soooo much 'online studying' the past couple

of days, my eyes are beginning to droop...and yes, there is

a tear or two that escapes from time to time.

When I was much, much younger...I really wanted to write...

so I wrote and wrote...every spare moment I got.

I won't go into why I went into art instead...

Anyway...I have digressed....in my online studying (about writing)

I've run

across a lot of information that was new..to me..

the information I learned today was...

how to check for 'backlinks' on my different sites.

In short...

go to Yahoo search...

type

linkdomain:www.yoursite.com

and you get

all of the sites that are linked to your site.

I found it very interesting...

it gave me several sites that I had no idea

had included links to this blog

on their sites.

2008 Art by Me...Music by Moby

I have been wanting to put together some new You Tube videos of my art. Here is the latest!

Christmas Cards

My own design of Christmas Cards are now

available in my

CMZ Art Zazzle Shop.

Some more new prints...

'Winter Thoughts'

'The Storm Has Passed'

'In The Spirit'

I listed these three new digital prints in my
CMZ Art Etsy Shop
today.

I've got a few more new landscape
prints that I will be listing
later this week.

In the meantime...I am hoping to be able
to get a couple of new acrylic paintings
underway!

The week is shaping up to be quite busy..
and I've got a 'list' going..
we'll see how it works out!