Cynthia Luhrs's Blog, page 31

Feeling Retro? Or just want to know what a typewriter is?

For all of you who remember typewriters, take a look at this – a USB typewriter. Someone on Etsy has retrofitted a typewriter to work with your iPad, tablet, computer, etc. How fun!

http://tinyurl.com/d784qz7

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What “retro” items do you use? Fun colored pencils, markers, glitter notebooks? Let us know what you like.

Cheers!

iPotty – every bathroom reader’s dream

I’m not sure what to think about this…

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http://tinyurl.com/aaya2jv

The iPotty is billed as a way to help potty train your child – or cat for those of you so inclined. I can’t help but wonder…was the inventor someone who loved to take a newspaper or book into the bathroom with them?

I’ve never been a bathroom reader but I know many folks who are…and I think some of them are wondering if this comes in adult size. After all with physical newspapers and books becoming a thing of the past, it was only a matter of time before the iPad made its debut into this private room.

My friends with children tell me it’s the only place they can get any peace and quiet - I’m thinking put a lock on that walk in closet door, set up a desk or recliner in there and go.

Thoughts?

 

Have you had Cupcake? Not the iced cake…

[image error]If you’re a wine snob, read no further…for the rest of you, read on. I like wine but I don’t care where it was made, etc. All I care is do I like it or not. This past year I discovered Cupcake Wine and let me tell you – YUM!

I tell my nieces this is auntie’s grown up kool-aid and they can’t have any. My favorite is the Pinot Grigio but several of them are fabulous. So if you’re looking for a new wine that won’t break the bank, give Cupcake a try.

If however, you do care about where it’s made the tasting notes, etc. This is straight from the Cupcake Website:

Appellation: D.O.C. Trentino, Italy

Tasting Notes: “Our Pinot Grigio is full with a nose that shows hints of pineapple, pears and sweet lemons. The body is full and gives way to a creamy mid-palate, integrating tropical fruits with the vibrant zing of citrus fruits. It is reminiscent of a pineapple upside down cupcake.”

Food Pairing Recommendations: Enjoy with bay scallops in a cream sauce, linguine alfredo or simply as an aperitif.

Winemaking Notes: The grapes were picked by hand, de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing a cool fermentation in steel tanks. The wine underwent an extended maceration on its lees. A portion of this wine (approximately 5%) was made using the traditional passito method, whereby the grapes were harvested and left to dry on straw mats for several weeks. Once dehydrated they were gently pressed and fermented. This wine was then blended back into the overall wine, giving this Pinot Grigio a level of depth and complexity.

Cheers!

Try something new…it’s not a resolution for 2013…if you don’t like it, have a glass of wine instead

Maybe you don’t want to make any resolutions this year or maybe you hate the damn things…either way, how about trying one thing out of your comfort zone?[image error]

For instance – you normally only watch RomCom’s? Try an action flick with a hunky hero or hot heroine.

You only read thrillers or suspense? Try a romantic thriller or heck, go way out there and try a nonfiction book. I read Nudge this year and it was interesting. I very rarely read non-fiction.

Never tried your hand at art? How about a painting or heck color something. The painting here is called “A Day at the Farmer’s Market” I painted it after seeing these two ladies arguing over which color mums to buy.

Or maybe you like the idea of a clean slate the new year brings? If so, read on (the rest of you can pop a beer or pour a glass of wine at this point).

In the corporate world goal setting took place late fall every year. There were mandatory goals such as company profits and safety and then a section for personal and professional development goals. Well, since I’m no longer in the corporate world – here are my goals for 2013:

Finish the edits and publish Book 1 – Shadow Dance by end of February
Write 3 novels – book 2 and 3 in the shadow walkers series and the first book of a trilogy based on the end of the world – it’s fun and snarky along with the dark vibe
Make my word count every week
Post to this blog and my www.wickedgreensmoothies.com blog twice a month
Participate in NaNoWriMo again (National Novel Writing Month)
Take time for me – movies, massage, girl’s night out, etc.

I’ll check in to report my progress as the year progresses.

What are your goals for the year? Do you set goals?

And on the trying something new concept – I will give one of those goofy comedy’s a try. Normally I say “this is so not funny” while my friends are laughing their heads off. Also, I’m going to try a fruit and vegetable I’ve never eaten before.

Cheers!

Movie Reviews – in case you’re tired of returning all those gifts and want something fun to do…

It’s been a fun week. Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday’s. Caught up on my movie going/watching over the past couple of weeks so here’s my two cents:

Les Miz - Loved it! Hugh Jackman was fantastic. I’m betting he’s an Oscar contender along with Daniel Day Lewis for Lincoln (also fantastic and I’m so not a history buff -gave it an A). Give it an A-

Hitchcock – I wanted to like it but it seemed like the movie couldn’t make up its mind if it wanted to be a comedy or drama or what. Wait for Redbox on this one. Give it a C

The Hobbit – enjoyed it, worth seeing on the big screen, looking forward to the next installment. It wasn’t up there with Lord of the Rings but I give it a B+

Jack Reacher – didn’t bother me that Tom Cruise doesn’t match the guy in the books. He may be a bit odd in real life but as an actor, I like him. Violent but liked it. B+

At Redbox:

Lawless – Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain were fantastic. A-

Butter – fun and quirky. B+

Pitch Perfect – fun and goofy B-

Beasts of the Southern Wild – a bit strange for my taste – C

Killer Joe – too weird for me. C

So enjoy the rest of 2012. I’m looking forward to a bunch more movies in the next month. Of course, I have to pace them out as I’ve started on Book 2 – movies are a great reward when I’ve reached my weekly word count goal. So is a massage…

Cheers!

New Beginnings

I am spending all waking moments working on my first fiction novel – pssst, it’s about ghosts.

While I’m writing and you’re waiting, I want to share some of my favorite quotes – not sure where I got them but they are appropriate in so many situations in life.

My current mantra – Writing every day can be a powerful action, a gesture of belief in one’s own imagination.

When you do what you love, the Universe conspires on your behalf.

Even if things aren’t working out the way you’d like at the moment, the law of karma says that the positive effort you make now will inevitably come to fruition.

You’ve got to decide if you really want it bade enough. Once you know it’s something you really want, then you’ve got to be 100% committed.

Here’s the truth: people who get what they want tend to be the ones who make the effort to know what they want.

When you are joyful, when you say yes to life and have fun and project positivity all around you, you become a sun in the center of every constellation, and people want to be near you.

Here’s to the Universe!

Cynthia Luhrs