Blog CPR!

This is me breathing new life here........

As those of you know who follow the ijustfinished.com site blog know, I am at Book Expo America in Los Angles. After attending a bloggers workshop, and talking to a few people, I have learned that people want to follow my insane journey. There was a request to go back to this blog, so here I am. Humbled and honored!
Actually, since I am reporting from BEA, I am slightly more insane than usual. I think I may have developed adult onset ADD, cause I cannot even process it all!

After looking back at this blog, it is very clear that there is a big gap of missing work. You will have to check out the www.ijustfinished.com to get filled in on the new look, link to the blog for the posts that bridge the gap, and talk on the forum.

Otherwise, in my life....what is new?
My baby(Bella) that I reference from the beginning, she is a toddler now. My son(Josh) is starting high school next fall. I have an amazing new boyfriend (Jeremy), and am in love like I have never been in my entire life. Expect to be hearing lots more about him.
I am doing freelance design and writing from my other site www.inspireddesignconcepts.com.
I am also doing reviews for several online sites, and recently got accepted to review for Publisher's Weekly Magazine. I am very excited about that.

Today was a full day at BEA, and I hope to have more exciting stuff to report, more pictures, and more brain power. So, stick with me kid, this is going to be a fun ride...

I took the day off!

Crossways2
Originally uploaded by Paleontour

Yes, it is true. I got the sites up, and online then I took a day off. It started with sleeping in, which with a baby is a huge luxury. Then, a friend met me for lunch, and afterward, we went shopping at the mall. Power shopping, all afternoon. It was the kind of afternoon you have to go home a relax from! I didn't buy much, since I have no regular income, but I did enjoy the process of looking around. It was so nice. Everyday, I have gotten so focused on "what did I do today?, it was nice to not worry today. My lesson for the day is that everyone needs a day off now and then! Tomorrow, back to the grindstone, and getting content loaded to the sites!!!

5...4...3....2.....1......blast off!!

Ijustfinished.com









inspireddesignconcepts.com
We are live!!! It is true! Try for yourself. After a four hour class with Robert, both sites are up and running. No exciting content yet, but a step in the right direction. I will be spending the next few days and probably weeks loading content, especially into the database for the boo title population. I won't bore you with the gory details of how the back end works for the site to run smoothly, just bear with me, it is coming. Also, you might see that the message board it up for the Ijustfinshed.com site, but also has to be populated with the books, and authors as they are listed onto the site. I am also teasing you guys with a list of the authors I am loading first. I have some commitments for help from fellow reading book lovers, and these are the authors that they have agreed to monitor. Since they love these books, I am sure that many people do as well, plus seems like as good of a starting point as any. Also, a little tidbit for the followers of the blog, the link to the blog with become the monkey on the bookshelf. I think I will keep it a secret link, though. On with the list:
Nora Roberts
Laurell K Hamilton
Christine Feehan
Maggie Shayne
Patti Callahan Henry
Sophie Kinsella
Nicholas Sparks
Libby Bray
Sara Shepard
Kim Harrison
Lyndsey Sands
Stephanie Rowe
MaryJanice Davidson
Charlaine Harris
Katie MacAlister
Kelly Armstrong
Jim Butcher
Simon Green
PN Elrod
Casey Daniels

That is of course just the tip top of the iceberg!

Dreaming in HTML

What Dreams May Come
Originally uploaded by stephentrepreneur

Yesterday I had web design class. This was not just any class. It was as my teacher put it "down and dirty" coding. I admit it, I have been avoiding the code aspects of learning to design websites, cause it is very intimatating to me. I never really grasped math concepts, so when I see math problems on paper, they all just sort of jumble, and I am overwhelmed. Well, that is how code seems to me, also. Just jumbling of symbols, and letters, that I did not have the answer key to understand. I like the creative side of designing the web sites, but I really wanted nothing to do with the coding of it all. Robert (my teacher) has other views. He creates sites in code, and feels that you have to know code to make clean, error free, compatible sites. He also was on to my stalling, and said, no more excuses, you're not getting out of it, You are going to learn how to code in HTML.
So, I cussed my self for this crazy web design career idea, and went to class. Poor Robert spent most of the class explaining everything four or five times. Occassionally he had to draw pictures for me, since I am a visual person. He would say "do you follow me?" I think to be nice, and I would say "no", so he would start all over. He was very gracious. Me, I would have quit on the spot, and said "lady, go back to nursing "cause they don't make web design in special ed, and you are hopeless". but he did not. So after a mind numbing two hours I finally understand the BASICS of HTML. More importantly I have pages of notes that I can refer back to when I forget what the heck I am doing.
Now, you are wondering what does that have to do with the photo? Well, since it was an exhausting day, I went to bed early, hence no post yesterday. Instead of resting, my brain decided to review, and assimilate all the information into my dreams, so I woke up this morning exhausted, having dreamt all night about code, in code, and with code. Sometimes it was the background of my dreams, sometimes the foreground, but it was all night, code, code, code.
Normally, this kind of thing would cause me to panic some, for fear that I might be in need of some professional help, but this time I am going to take it as a good sign. Maybe some foreshadowing that I am going to understand, and that my old brain is working extra hard to learn something new. If I start speaking in code, then i will go ahead with the original idea of some professional help.
Oh, and yes, since learning the basics of code, I was able (with Robert's help) to remodel the blog. That is something that i have been wanting to do since I started it, but wasn't sure how. I hope you all like it. Now it is more reflective of the I just finished site, and not so brown. Enjoy!

Inspired Design

Lotus bud 2
Originally uploaded by tanakawho

Today, the second day of my new career, I needed business cards. My mother, the writer, was scheduled to attend a writer's luncheon at a local country club. She graciously asked if I, the now self employed, would like to go with her. Heck yeah, I wanted to go. I needed an excuse to change out of my PJ's at least once this week. It seems like wearing your PJs to work is a perk, but actually by day I was feeling like a slob.
Off I went with make up on, hair curled, and earrings. At least I looked like I was making money. So, we have salad, and meet the others at the table. It is going nicely. The director of the IABC (International Assn of Business Communicators), the group sponsoring the lunch, starts things off, and wants all the guests to introduce themselves. Yeah, that was me. Shit, shit, shit! What was I supposed to say? And, I am sitting in the front of the room, since we were the last ones in the room. Yep, Mom, the one with actual credentials goes first, then me. So, off the cuff I say that I am a freelance writer, since I got that great job writing yesterday, and have done a tiny bit on elance, and web designer. Just moved to the area from Austin. Okay, so I didn't say web designer in training, since that sounded lame, and I was nervous. But I have designed some stuff, so it was sort of true. Anyway, they guy talked, it was mildly entertaining, and the food was good. Then, it was over, and I started gathering my stuff to leave. Since Mom knew some people there, she was mingling, and I was gathering. THEN, here is what happened: two people came up to me and asked for my business card. Yeah, like I had a business. Except, wait, I guess I do have a business. I just have to start thinking of it like that. I make a lame excuse that I was having them printed since I just moved to the area, and promised to have some next time. (they do the lunches monthly, and I WILL be there next month) Once I finished gathering, my mom's colleague said, "since you are doing web design now, maybe you could be the webmaster for our writer's group". Me "gulp, yeah, of course I can do that, I would love to", her " and we have been meaning to redesign the site as well, that would be great". Me "Yes, that would be great", as I am feeling the water going up over my head.
So, after I regained my composure in record time, and accepted my reality check, that I was a freelancer, and had my own design/writing business, and needed to represent myself that way, and network, I got my teacher on the phone and said, " Robert, we need business cards, and our professional web sites up by this time next week, since we are going to have work to do."
Needless to say, we both worked the rest of the day on our personal professional sites, and designs for business cards. That is the reason for the picture. I have used this photo, and a series of the lotus opening up, for the buttons on my site, since it is called Inspired Design, and I think it is inspiring and pretty. The lotus is cloaking in all kinds of legend of enlightenment, and inspiration, so I think it is fitting, and the colors match the seedling picture I am using on the banner. I wanted you guys to have a preview. I think the cards with be black border, with this picture, and then the writing. I will post it, as soon as I have the prototype, and the site should be up by next Thursday.
Hopefully, soon I will have more work than I know what to do with, and be hiring help! So today is another thankful day, and progress in the right direction. Stay tuned for tomorrow, plus I have some reviews to post!

It's official, I've hung up my stethoscope!

Stethoscope
Originally uploaded by happysnappr

Last night, I formally quit my job. It was really tough on many levels. The family I was working with are the best a nurse or friend could eve ask for, and my patient was the best little miracle baby I have ever seen. But, at the end of the day, she has a loving family, who will always take great care of her. I however have to take care of me and my family. Working nights was holding me back. So I stared today working for myself.
My web design teacher took me after calls on Monday to meet with a contact he has that needed some freelance writing done. We met, and I offered to do a couple of articles to see how he liked my work, so today, I cranked them out. I was nervous, but the reviews were great, and the money offer more than expected!
On other news, my website template is done, at least for now. I am sure i will be tweaking it more in the future, and now I am adding pages. Actually I am starting with the book pages, cause that is the part that interests me most right now. Then I will go back and add some of the other less fun pages, like user agreements.
This is the participation part of the blog. I am begging for input form you readers to suggest what books, or authors to add first. There are thousands, so I need a starting point. Any suggestions, or best loved, most favorite? I was going to start with my favorites, Katie Mac Alister, Kim Harrison, Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell, of the top of my head. I would love more direction, or suggestions. This site is for the book lover, so now it is time to show the love!!!!

The Update...

Well, for everyone following along, I have news! I have finished the template for the site, and it is being cut of and coded. That is web designer talk for moving from the design phase to the functioning phase. We should go live with the beginning of the site before the end of February. I think it is very clever, but I am counting on you all to give your input for the beta version, That is web talk for the experimental unfinished product. I am hoping that you guys think it is a clever as I think it is. I am working on content now, so there is actually something to read on the site once it is up. That is important, so they tell me.

More updates, I am also almost finished with the Inspired Design template, which I am actually fond of. That will just be a simple site, that is the online version of a business card. That should go live soon also. I am also working actively on the other site that Jan is having me do a navigation bar. That is exciting.

Up this week, I am buckling down on learning the language of HTML, and all of the coding. That is the part that I am the most intimidated by, but my teacher says that it is learn able, and has faith in me, so I am diving in to that.

I am also going on vacation with my family to Colorado to visit family. We are all very excited. Understandably though I have been very busy.

Stay tuned, soon we will have sites for visiting, and more news!

Been busy...

Sorry for the lapse, folks, but man have I been busy. Now I have more to do between the sites, and the writing projects that there are hours in the day. Of course that is a great thing, and ideas strike all the time, which create more work. Good work, but work.
Speaking of ideas, on my way home this morning, I realized that I need to come up with a name and concept for my web design work. It will be freelance, and so that constitutes a business of sorts. So, I was thinking again how amazing it is when you make up your heart and mind about something, it then becomes inspired. Heart + Mind = Inspiration. That is my theory. So after turning that over in my head all day, I have decided to call my venture, Inspired Design. Then some kind of slogan about heart and mind together. Something clever, about creative inspirations when heart and mind align. You get the idea. I am still working on the logo idea, but I may get that site going sooner than later, since it should just be a simple site with only a handful of pages.
As for the www.ijustfinished.com site, ewh wee I have have some serious inspiration the last 24 hours, so I will slaving lovingly over that tonight. I'll let you know if it works out like I hope. My teacher said that once i get the template finished, getting the rest of it up and going should take much longer.
So, that said, I am headed back to work on the template right now....