So, you know my fabulous writing weekend I was talking about? Well… (the other) Amanda and I got iced in before we even left Georgia. As to avoid this:

we decided to cut our loses and stay home.  There will be tears tonight once it all sinks in, I promise.  At least the other three made it okay and will have a good time.  Make a toast for us, ladies!

Stupid, stinking, winter.

Oh yes, it’s finally time!  This weekend, I’m heading up to Gatlinburg, TN with a few of my fantabulous writerly friends, Regan, Krista, Jenn, and (the other) Amanda.  I know when people think of girls having a weekend long sleepover, they think it’s going to be all:

But really, let’s all be honest.  A bunch of women, away from their day jobs and responsibilities?  It will definitely be more like:

This is where we are staying:

Jealous yet?  Eep!  I’m so excited!  AND they are calling for a lot of snow.  It will be so perfect!  Be ready for a barrage of pictures and we may even get wacky and post a video. Ya just never know!  :-P

This is the stupidest video ever and I TRIED not to laugh.  But I failed.  Miserably.

This month’s blog chain (absolutewrite.com) is to list guilty pleasures.  So now you get to see into my soul.  And I was going to have these cute pictures, but the formatting is going all wonky. :(

Number One:  Twilight

Yep.  I can’t help it.  I won’t even begin to try and explain it because you either get it or you don’t, but yeah.  Love it.

Number Two:  Cupcakes/Cake/Cookies

I have an INSANE sweet tooth and I wish I still had the metabolism of my teenage self to compensate for it.  Sadly…I don’t.  So.  That sucks.

Number Three: Reality TV

No, not Survivor.  Couldn’t really get into that.  Give me American Idol, Project Runway, Big Brother (it is SO not summer without Big Brother), or America’s Next Top Model any day of the week.  I just love seeing people’s dreams come true.  Well, not counting Big Brother.  I just loves me some drama. ;-)

Number Four: Target 

My name is Amanda and I’m a Targetholic.  I could spend hours in there and leave totally fulfilled, even with an empty cart.  I seriously get a Target high.  LOVE that store.  Too bad their return policy stinks.  But I can’t break the habit!  I get the shakes if I go too long without a fix.  And at Christmas time?   *sigh*

Here is the rest of the chain:

Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogpost.com
Fresh Hell – http://freshhell.wordpress.com
shethinkstoomuch – http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com
lostwanderer5.blogspot.com – http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
Lindzy1954 – http://www.lindsayncurrie.webs.com
RavenCorrinnCarluk – http://www.ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com
Forbidden Snowflake – http://alleslinks.com/
AuburnAssassin – http://clairegillian.wordpress.com/
DavidZahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/
Charlotte49ers – www.amandaplavich.com
NEXT UP!! laharrison – http://lesleyharrison.wordpress.com/
collectonian – http://eclectic-world.com/
capes&corsets – http://theseventhcircleofelle.wordpress.com/
vfury – http://helencorcoran.wordpress.com/
Bsolah – http://benjaminsolah.com/blog
JackieA – http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/
LadyCat – http://carolsrandomness.blogspot.com
AimeeLaine – www.aimeelaine.com/writing/blog

I get a kick out of checking the keywords that bring people to my blog, so I thought I’d share:

- fold my tongue 

- I’m your cook, not you’re doctor!!

- this place is so creepy

- caterpillar lip

- debby ryan hot (wonder who debby ryan is?)

- crap logo (I hope my logo isn’t crap)

- I hate sexual tension (oh, but why?!  It’s so fun!)

- measure the hand force in the jombas play (I’m not sure I want to know what the jombas play is…)

What funny things have brought people to your blog?

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the world has an unnatural obsession with Emma Roberts.

It’s a big day in Georgia.  A BIG day, I tell you.  Why?  We had SNOW!!  A whopping one inch and the whole world is shut down.  Interstates, schools, offices, you name it.  Snow in the south is just plain awesome.  I got out half way through the day today and school is already cancelled for tomorrow.

As a child, I didn’t realize my teachers wanted snow days as badly as we did.  We were all wiggling and shaking and doing our snow dances yesterday and today.  Wouldn’t you know it?  It worked!  MIRACLE!

So to celebrate, some cute snapshots of my little man.  I will photoshop these and make them pretty, but I don’t have the software on this computer, so deal with it, k?

And what would a snow day be without some killer boots?

And, to make this writing related, a little poem:

Snow is white.

Snow is bright.

Teachers wish for it with all their might.

Snow is cold.

It’s worth its weight in gold,

When you are told…you don’t have to go to work. 

Ta-da! 

And lastly, my baby trying to catch a snowflake:

So, again, I’m reading Nathan Bransford’s blog.  This many posts about it make me feel kind of like a stalker, but I’m really not…I’m usually pretty normal, I think.  Except when the voices start talking to me…*cue creepy music*

Anyway, the discussion was about your favorite book as a teen and how embarrassing those years were for you.  My answer to the book question was a two answerer (so a word…trust me): Harry Potter and In Cold Blood.  Psychoanalyze that.  ;-P

And then, high school…ohhh high school.  Basically, I was a dweeb.  Full on braces, some rockin’ bangs, and zero fashion sense.  I’d like to say the fashion has changed a lot, but really, not so much.  I envy people who can whip up a super cute outfit and look adorable, but not me.  I’m a jeans and sweater kind of girl, but when I’m rich and famous, I’m hiring a stylist to dress me.  I just have to figure out how to be rich and famous.  Any ideas?

So, without further ado, 15 year old me:

I was so hardcore.  Oh, and the fantastic photography is courtesy of my friend, Regan.  We had many adventures in high school, that’s for sure.  And yes, that’s blue mascara you see.

As we enter 2010 and leave 2009, I have a lot to reflect on.  I’ve  picked up some new things that I really have a passion for, so I have quite a few goals/resolutions for the new year:

1) Lose 20 lbs.  – yeah, I know, but it would be nice.  I’m really going to try.  Seriously.

2) Finish my manuscript and get it query ready in the next 6 months - it’s taken me a while to get to this point, but I feel like I can get a decent first draft ready in the next couple of months if I really put some effort into it

3) Complete my second manuscript by the end of the year - so basically, have two novels query ready by the end of the year

4) Really grow my photography business  – I love photography and I started my business this year; I’ve let it run itself to this point and relied on word of mouth for it to grow, which has been fine, but I’d like to see it do even more since I love it so much

5) Finish my masters degree and start my Ed.S. - unless there is some cataclysmic disaster, this shouldn’t be an issue.

So here’s to 2010 being a kick booty, rockstar year!

*and yes, I realize I’m a day late with this post, but whatever – it’s the thought that counts

Ok, I’m a celebrity gossip junkie.  I’ll admit it.  I really don’t know why, either, but I am.  I know they are real people and need their privacy, blah, blah, blah.  Become a lawyer, then. 

It’s weird, because I’m not the type to get overly excited when I actually see a celeb. I mean, I think it’s cool, but I don’t try to attack all fangirl like or anything.  So, with that being said, let me share with you the things I’ve learned from the high quality television show, TMZ.

1) All the “I hate you paparazzi” is so fake. 

I mean, yeah, people like Brad Pitt, etc. who are stars without having to be in the spotlight constantly probably really do hate them, but give me a big ole break if you honestly think Paris Hilton, Jon Gosselin, Kristin Cavallari, and other types wish the paps weren’t there.  If they weren’t, they’d be out of jobs.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the ones to call the paparrazi before they went somewhere.  How can I tell this from TMZ?  They freaking smile in the middle of their, “I hate you,” dance.  ANNOYING.  Why are these people celebrities anyway?

And this is especially true when people eat at The Ivy.  Heck, I think even I would be photographed at The durn Ivy.  What do they expect?

2) I never want to attend a celebrity party.

Everyone looks so fake and it oozes politics and fakity, fake, fake, fake.  So, I’ll pass, thanks.

3) The office looks like a super fun place to work.

So, yeah, all the celebrities hate you, but they sure do laugh a lot.  Looks like fun, personally!

Finally, one last note.  I think the show has made TMZ more responsible for what they publish, so I haven’t seen anything completely outlandish lately, so that’s nice.

Oh, and if I become all super star one day and you see me playing the, “I hate you,” game, I must really mean it because I will never (and I do mean never) stoop to the level some people do to stay in the public eye.  Insane.

The End.