Be free to love what you love!

Today I'm over at Sandra Sookoo's blog talking about one of my most beloved places on earth!!! Come check it out!!

A-Z Challenge Day #18: Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr is for....

Yeah...this one is REALLLY a stretch.

R is for Pirates of the Caribbean...as in "Rrrrrrrrrrr...me Maties!"

Yeah, sorry...that was lame.

Moving on. Disney did good when they made the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I have always been a HUGE fan of the attraction, going back to 1989 and my first trip to Disneyland. It took me more than a decade after that to make it to Walt Disney World in Florida, but Pirates of the Caribbean was top on my list of attractions to do. Loved every second!

So when the movie came out, I wondered how they would make it into a story. And it didn't disappoint. So many parts in the movies are inspired by the attraction. And then the movie went and inspired the attraction, with the addition of animatronic Captain Jack Sparrow (which is freaking sexy, BTW-even the robot) and Captain Barbossa. And the smokey mist with Davy Jones on it...so so awesome.

Anyway, no post about POTC would be complete without mentioning my favorite- Will Turner. OMG! I was never a LOTR fan..he looked creepy and not remotely sexy. But as a pirate...shiver me timbers!

Birthday Blog Hop Day 2 and A-Z Day 6!

If you didn't stop by yesterday and sign up for Carrie Ann Ryan's awesome birthday giveaway, go there now and sign up!!! Winners will be announced tomorrow! And you'll wanna be in it!! I am giving away a $10 Amazon GC! But the grand prizes are a Kindle Touch and a $60 Amazon GC!! Sweet, right??? All you have to do is comment with your email address on yesterday's post!

Now on with he A-Z Challenge!

So today is day 6...that makes today F!

F is for Fairy Tales! Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of all things Disney! :) I love the parks most of all, but the parks are inspired by Disney movies. And so much of Disney is built on fairy tales and princesses and magic and happily ever afters!

I know some are appalled by the fairytales Disney produces, but I'm not. What's wrong with escaping every once in a while??? I think it's important for our kids to know fairy tales are not real life, but that it's okay to still like them and get lost in them.

Some of my favorite Disney fairy tales:

The Little Mermaid
Tangled
The Princess and the Frog
Beauty and the Beast

You have a favorite??

And remember, only those who comment on YESTERDAY'S post qualify for the giveaway!!!

One of my favorite things- Disney World!

Many of you probably already know. I have a slight obsession with Disney World. I go as often as our budget will allow, which isn't really enough, but that usually means like once a year....if we can get a great deal during value season staying in a value resort.

I like to consider myself something of a expert when it comes to planning a budget conscious Disney World vacation. many of my friends come to me when they need tips and advice. I'd typed the same email at least a dozen times with my best tips and a list of websites I love. Then it finally dawned on me to have a website I could direct people too. So I did. It's a blog I try to update whenever possible. There are tons of planning tips and advice and reviews on everything from rides to food to resorts.

So if you're a Disney fanatic like me, come stop by and say hi!

Disney Dreaming

Did you know I have another blog?????

Yes...I try to keep up two blogs. Tried it once before....a cooking blog I did with another writer...but that kinda failed. Went well for a while but both of us just got too busy to keep it up. It's kind of a pain to post a recipe and review and all that...takes a lot of time.

I've always had my other blog in the back of my mind...so one day I just decided to do it. Not sure if many of you know, but I am a HUGE Disney World fan. I  love the planning process that goes into a trip and all my friend know I am the one to come to with Disney-related questions. And everyone always seems to have the same questions. So I decided to start this blog as a place for them to go...with all of my advice already there and waiting. 

It is mainly an informational blog, so daily posts are not completely necessary. But I do try to post once or twice a week to keep it updated.

So if you're a Disney World fan like me, please stop by!! Disney Dreaming

A-Z Blogging Challenge Day 13: M is for Mickey!

It's no secret to anyone who knows me personally, I have a semi-obsession with Disney World. I can't really describe it....we just love going there and have such a fun time. It's an effortless vacation and we can really relax and just have fun. Everything that Disney does is amazing and you really feel transported when you visit their parks. I even have a blog that chronicles my adventures and helps others plan their trips. Check it out here!

And is there any other character that symbolizes Disney World better than Mickey Mouse??


I think not. Disney goes as far as hiding his silhouette in tons of random places around the parks. They call them "Hidden Mickeys". My daughter found this one on our most recent trip, on the Swiss Family Treehouse:



And if you're looking for something short and fun and romantic to read, check out Paradise Cove!! It's the perfect length for reading on an iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, or other smartphone!!

AND if you are interested in entering this awesome contest to win some Disney-fied goodies, stop by Growing Up Disney! Click here!!

My New Blog!!! Check it out!!!

So, I have decided to start another blog. I know, I know. Sometimes I barely have enough time for this one. And I tried a second blog before and I didn't have time for that one either. Well....I'm gonna try it again!!

I've decided to start a blog for my Disney adventures and tips and anything that crosses my mind about Disney World!! My family simply adores it and we've had some fantastic times there.

And not to brag, but I've become quite the planning aficionado! And I love sharing what I know with others! I've been told I should charge for my services!

So come stop by and check it out!! Disney Dreaming

Back to the real world!

Hello everyone! We're back from our Disney World trip!! We had a really great time...always love spending quality time with the hubby and kids. It wasn't perfect by any means- the kids still annoy each other on vacation and standing in lines and dealing with rude people wears on you. But we still loved it and can't wait to go back! Hoping to get some pics uploaded and posted here by the end of the week! :)

So now we are home and trying to get back into the swing of things. Today is day 4 of being home and only two suitcases have been emptied, but I did do all vacation laundry. We came home to between 3 and 4 feet of snow covering our entire property, less the area my dad snowblowed in our driveway so we could pull our car in when we came home. And we have been thrust into holiday festivities. Had a party last night and the night before were theater tickets for opening night of "A Christmas Story" at our local theater. Luckily we did get most of our shopping done on Black Friday and we really only have a few more gifts to pick up.

I'd really like to jump into edits of Karma Kameleon, but I know that is at least a few days away. Hubby's aunt has decided to do a scrapbook for her parents this year and each family was asked to contribute pages to it. I don't have a problem with that...I adore scrapbooking. But I do need a good chunk of time to do it. She wants an entire 2-page layout for each of our kids (the great grandchildren of the recipients), plus hubby, then an additional 2-page layout for our family. So 8 pages total...that will probably take me 3-4 hours. Yeah, I could just slap the pictures on some patterned paper in a half hour, but that's not my style.

So as much as it saddens me, edits will have to wait, at least a few days. And as we all know, this time of year is pretty busy, so who knows what will come up after that.

Hope you all are enjoying your December!

I'm freezing!!!!! And my brain can't function!

It's Buffalo, so yeah....being cold is the norm this time of year. But it's supposed to be like 62 today!! Major heat wave, people!! The weather woman on the radio said it's our Indian Summer....go figure...it's usually never in November!

And here I sit freezing! I have my electric blanket around me. I have plans for taking a walk later to soak up some sunshine and warmth before it's gone for the winter.

But the temp is not the reason for my poorly functioning brain. I have vacation on the brain and I just cannot shake it!!!

We leave for our yearly family vaca to Disney World in 17 days. In order to afford it this year we've had to cut out a lot and the entire summer was spent doing very little. We are so eager for some fun and family time....away from our home. Disney gives us the perfect escape. And now that it's finally almost here, I can't get my brain to stop thinking about it. I can't keep away from Disney sites or message boards. I keep reviewing our plans and adding to our packing list.

But there are other things I really should be doing. I need to finish this round of copy edits for Paradise Cove. I completely ignored them yesterday. I do plan on tackling them some more today...almost done. I need to do pre-edits on Soap Dreams, which I have started but still needs work. And let's not forget Karma Kameleon.....I so wanted to have it polished and submitted to my editor before we left for our trip. :( Looks like that's not gonna happen.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend....maybe some nice sunny warm days for you too!

Back to reality...but did I ever really escape??

We're back from our alone trip to Disney World, just hubby and me. We had been looking forward to this trip...we so needed some alone time and a chance to reconnect and just "be" without worrying about anything. I knew the trip would not be 100% worry-free...we were left our kids for 5 days and they were over 1000 miles away, but still. They were in mostly capable hands.

The trip itself was fantastic. Fab weather- 85-88, sunny, only rained one night and it was later on. We had a lot of fun and were silly and posed for lots of pictures. We rode all our favorite rides and re-rode them too.

On the Tomorrowland Speedway:


Waiting to be seated for Mickey's Philharmagic 3d show:


At Winter Summerland Mini Golf:


Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival:




The Morocco Pavilion in the background:


Streets of America at Hollywood Studios:


On the Teacups at Magic Kingdom:


And Cinderella's Castle:


Sunset Boulevard at Hollywood Studios with our favorite ride in the background- Tower of Terror!!


But of course it was stressful too...our son got sick, just a little virus or something, but because he has asthma, it becomes a bigger issue. Luckily I had prepared our sitters ahead of time and he seemed to be okay. But still.....very hard for me to be that far away at a time like that.

And the relaxing nights we had planned for the resort's hot tub...yeah...that didn't happen. There were tons of school trips and such while we were there and every night, when we headed to the hot tub, we were pretty much the only adults there, surrounded by a minimum of twenty unsupervised teenagers.

The trip was well worth it and we did find ourselves missing the kids and very much looking forward to our next trip to "The World" with them in December!

Getting ready to leave!!!!!! YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!

We've got about 2 days, 3 hours and 55 minutes before our plane takes off!

It's funny how you never realize how badly you need something `til you actually start planning it. I love my kids more than life, but every parent knows you just need time away to recharge and rekindle your relationship as a couple and not just as mom and dad. We're leaving our kids in safe hands- their grandparents- so I feel confident in going. They will have fun being spoiled and we will have fun spoiling ourselves.

My apologies for the lack of posts the past week or so and I will most likely not be posting again `til after we come home! Enjoy your week!

I so need a vacation!

It's been almost eight years since the hubby and me have gone away just the two of us. We've taken many trips with the kids and they've been great...real honest to goodness family bonding time and we loved every minute. We even got away 3 times without them for weekends away with friends. But as fun as those weekend were, (and trust me, there were some really fun times!!) it just was not what we need. We are in such desperate need of some time away...just us...to reconnect and enjoy each other without worries and stress and appointments and everything else that makes up the busy life of two parents with two young children.

The idea for this trip just kinda happened. I wasn't looking to plan a trip...it really just fell into our laps.

I'm a huge Disney fan...everyone knows that. Luckily, hubby shares the love as well. We've been fortunate enough to be able to take our kids the last three years in a row and will take them again the end of this year. We love being there together as a family...but hubby and I have said "How cool will it be when we can come all by ourselves!" Not that we don't like being with our kids, but there are things at Disney World that don't particularly interest the kids...like World Showcase at Epcot. It's something we usually kinda skip over cause they don't want to watch the films and inspect each pavilion.

So back in January, I was visiting a Disney planning message board that I frequent, gathering info for the December trip and lo and behold....Disney had announced a promotion for the spring. Book a 5 night trip, get a $300, $500 or $750 gift card, depending on which category of resort you stayed at.

Great deal......but what about airfare???

The $64 air on Southwest sealed it for us.

The price was too good to pass on and we said "What the hell!"

We booked the trip, organized the babysitters, and started planning it out. We leave in 9 days and I cannot wait. Each day, when the kids are screaming and my son is beating my daughter over the head with a toy golf club....I remind myself of how many days are left til we leave. I am so looking forward to waltzing through World Showcase, a fun drink in one hand, my beloveds' in the other. I can't wait to ride Tower of Terror, both my and hubby's favorite ride anywhere, and actually get to ride it together...been many years since we've been able to do that. I can't wait to just relax and not have to deal with anything besides what restaurant we're gonna eat at that day (we chose the quick service dining plan this time so we won't be tied to any dining reservations at all).

9 days and counting.....

What makes you happy??? Here is what makes me happy!

A HUGE thanks to Dawn Simon at Plotting and Scheming for honoring me with this award!!!!! Check her out!!!

So now, without further ado, my list of 10 things that make me truly, utterly, head over heels happy (in no particular order...just randomly as they pop into my head):


#1: My husband, who has been incredibly supportive in this literary journey I have embarked on...way more supportive than he was when I had my floral business...which to this day still puzzles me since the flower thing actually did bring in cash..... But anyway, he spoils me and gives me the freedom to create.



#2: My kids, who never cease to put a smile on my face. Well, no, that's a lie. I do not smile when my daughter gets in her little almost 7 attitude or when my son acts like the little devil he can be.



#3: My forthcoming novel, A Bitch Named Karma. I am doing a full read through after this second round of copy edits before I send it back to my editor...and let me tell you...I am still soooooooooooo in love with this story!!!

#4: Walt Disney World. I cannot help it. I LOVE that place. We feel so free and relaxed when we're there. We can have fun with the kids and leave all worries at home. I truly feel like I've been whisked away to some magical land! We love it so much, hubby and I are even sneaking away just us for a few days in April!



#5: Scrapbooking. Been so busy the past year that I have hardly had time for it, but I so love it! I have always been a crafty kind of gal, but I found craft perfection when I found scrapbooking. I am very much into pictures and photo albums and combining that with crafting is nirvana for me!!



#6: Dancing. I love to dance. This is my 11th year taking an adult jazz class...we even perform in the yearly recital! I've done ballet and competition classes too...can't do that anymore :( And I'd love to take ballroom lessons if I had the cash...even compete too. That would be so so fun!



#7: Shopping...I can't help it. If I'm sad, buying soemthing totally cheers me up. I love getting new things, especially when I get a bargain!!!!



#8: Food scented body wash and lotion. YUM!!!

#9: Having parents who don't criticize or tell me how I should live my life. (Though dad does get something in every once in a while.) They are such a breath of fresh air when I see how other people's parents are. They're not perfect, but I am very lucky!!

#10: Going out to eat! Though I love to cook...I love going out to different restaurants and trying new things! It's nice to sit back and relax and have someone else have to clean up!

Okay...Now to pick some bloggers to give this award to! You must pass it on to others and post 10 things that make you happy!!

Roni at Fiction Groupie: Love reading your posts and you don't have this award yet!!
Anne at Piedmont Writer: We are so so alike!!
Stephanie Damore: Always love your posts!!

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.....can we compare it to the publishing industry?

The Carousel of Progress is one of my favorite attractions at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. It was originally built for the 1964 New York World's Fair. It moved to Disneyland for a few years then made it's permanent home in Florida. If you've never been to Disney World, this is a must see, for me at least :)

The attraction takes it's guests through the 20th century, starting at the turn of the century, then into the 20's, the 40's and then present day. The continuing theme is progress and how we always think it can't get any better, but then a few years down the road, things are different and better and again we can't think things will ever be any better.

With all the discussion lately about the publishing industry...and where it's going to be a few years from now....I think of the Carousel of Progress. For a long while, I'm sure people thought books were fantastic and they were great just the way they were....and couldn't possibly think of how they could be improved upon. Well, lo and behold, the digital reader was introduced and it's thrown the industry up in the air. But I find myself thinking to the future....5, 10, 15 years from now, will digital book readers be the norm and and we won't be able to think of a better way to read a story?

Sometimes I think people have a hard time embracing change...but change can be a great thing.

"There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day!
There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow is just a dream away!"

Have to share my piece of exciting news!

Thought it has absolutely nothing to do with writing...not even a tiny but.

Those that know me well, and even some that don't, know I have a couple obsessions. I'm not talking about the things I love with all my heart, like my family and kids, or my writing...these are silly things that just make me who I am, things most people think are completely stupid.

#1: New Kids on the Block. (Can't help it..loved them since I was 11.....and they've only gotten better with age)

#2: My ever growing pressed penny collection. (It's quite hard for me to walk past one and not dig in my purse for 2 quarters and a penny)

#3: Walt Disney World (Just like my writing and what I like to read, nothing brings me more joy than being immersed in a fairy tale)

And #3 is why I'm posting today. I booked our next trip and we're going almost 5 months earlier than planned. I poke around online from time to time...one of my friends recently booked a trip and another is looking to. They work fill time jobs and when I need a break from scanning my latest WIP, I pop online to check things like airfare. Well, today I came upon direct flights to and from Orlando, fabulous times (arriving in Orlando at 10:25 am and leaving at 6:35 pm) for $59 each way! Disney's Free Dining promotion has been in the back of my mind, but I had a bunch of reasons why it wouldn't work for us. Until today when I actually sat and priced it out and compared that with what it would cost to go in January when we originally planned. The deal was just too good to pass on.

I think I can understand addiction

Today I received some news and found myself unable to resist. I just *had* to look into the piece of information I came across. Then when I found that this unbelievable thing was indeed believable....I was giddy! Until I told my husband about it and he shot me down with a dose of reality and proceeded to tell me I had a form of OCD.

And he was right; I knew he was right, but something inside me still yearned to make this dream a reality and hoped he would change his answer after I gave him ways to make it work. Nope. But I have accepted it and will move on....

This brief experience gave me a glimpse of what it must be like for an addict...of anything- cigarettes,gambling, caffeine, sex, shoes......whatever...that *need* to have something even when your brain tells you it's wrong and you shouldn't. I can see how addiction can take over your life and make you do things....things you enjoy immensly. And for as much joy as they give you, they bring just as much, if not more regret later on.

Luckily for me, I can keep my addiction in check. I can stand and say I am an addict.....but in all honesty, I have zero intentions of ever recovering!!!! As long as I keep my logic hat on, I will be okay. But if I suddenly come into tons of cash...that hat is being burned!

(And FYI, the piece of information I recieved was an email about a price reduction on a Walt Disney World trip.)