To kick off Road Trip ‘08 with Andie Smith, we’re going to set up the Lollipop Smiles portrait studio in my house on September 24 here in St. Louis. Not sure of the time schedule just yet! Will let you know, but most likely will be starting around most people’s lunch times in case you need to do it during your lunch hours. I’m located in Manchester (that’s near Ballwin) and am entertaining seating holds for anyone interested. The cost is just $50 and we’ll take 4 shots of you. You choose one when your negatives are ready and will receive it in high resolution format for your own use as 5 x 7. These portraits aren’t meant for large printing…due to the nature of the intense sharpening. Great for your web bios, avatars, blogs, etc. Email me at holly@hollymccaigdesigns.com to put your name in and the best time for you. It takes merely a five minutes of your time! Visit the Lollipop Smiles website here. And download the Save the Date flyer in PDF format as your reminder here.

Need family and other portraits done? Stay tuned for our openings of RT08 and pricing.

And, this won’t be my “official” list, but it’s what I HAVE to do TODAY!

UPDATED at 2:45: I have a LOT done! WOOHOO! Will do the emails now and then save the futon and lighting stuff for tonight when I can get help from my mom. We’ll fill out all the planner pages too. Feeling accomplished and if I have time will start on the PP stuff!

• Call my uncle to get weight and dimensions of ebay item - prepare shipping label and wrap that up. (selling on ebay is a LOT tougher than it used to be…more hoops to jump through and have to wait 21 days for your money to be released after you sell it. Crazy!
  
• Finish collab kit with (can’t tell just yet) Have completed all my pieces I think…sent those off to partner and we just have to put together a preview and post it for sale at Inspiration Lane.
• Print out the to-do house list (room-by-room projects that MUST get done - many before Friday) Opted to get the first week of Holiday Planning items printed too. Need to put these in binders and fill out tonight.
  
• Answer priority emails
• Finish July accounting reports for accountant. Why did I let two months get behind? And, soon will have to do Augusts! Need to dig out my paperwork for taxes this quarter too. Time for some lunch now.
• Take apart futon so we can haul it to Goodwill (no, we didn’t put it in the sale or on Craig’s list after all) Done Wednesday….better late than never!
  
• Figure out WHERE to put my lighting equipment that’s piled in the family room so we can move other furniture in there.
• Keep cranking on PP designs - I have to get a further ahead schedule somehow

Yes, those are the things I HAVE to do today. No question - PLUS, I have to watch Hillary tonight on the DNC. JUST HAVE TO! I’m really fired up after last night’s convention! Totally inspiring and exciting.

Tomorrow, I will have to finish those things I didn’t today and get to editing the rest of Larry’s photos. I need to go pick up the bathroom paint and prep the walls in there. And clean. We’re supposed to go out of town this weekend, and yet, my grandmother is coming here to visit with Jake, but stay in our house. Meaning - the house still needs cleaning even though we won’t be here.

Can you say life is completely out of control????

Where’s my morning coffee and Sudafed?

I am pretty much exhausted. This trip wore me out - I think because there really was no downtime. Our trip was planned out it seemed by every minute. We attended a wedding of a family member on my mom’s side in Omaha in case you were wondering. Friday evening when we got in, we had about an hour to shower and change before dinner at the groom’s parent’s house. Saturday was the wedding and reception. Sunday we went downtown with our cousins for lunch and to walk around the marketplace. After that, Jake and I headed to Nebraska Furtniture Mart to oogle over the electronics. Then, it was another dinner. We had to get up really early on Monday to drive back - so I could make it to pick up Jack & Daisy before they closed.

Our hotel was pretty janky. We have always stayed at this one hotel since I was a little kid. Everything was bad. I won’t even go into the details, but we probably can safely say we won’t stay there again.

I was happy to get back, but I crashed right after dinner. Then, was up today working on the Pink Ink Studios website. WE FINALLY got it back open!!! I think I might get back to regular work tomorrow if I can.

I was really glad to see Jack & Daisy. They missed us for sure. I felt so guilty for putting them in the kennel.

Before I left, I managed to put up an extra kit at Inspiration Lane. It’s called Bliss. You can actually get the kit, or the quickpage shown below. I even made a little “blog set” that you can buy to decorate your blog with.

Click here to visit the Inspiration Lane store, or here to sign up for my Google Groups to get news sent to your inbox!

It’s been fun doing some designing, but really only happened this time because I was so busy FTP’ing all my Pink Ink Studios files back and that left me with plenty of design time. I have been asked to stay on with them, being encouraged actually. I don’t know. I guess I wonder what everyone thinks. I mean, it isn’t like I have time to design like I used to, but I’d have to commit to more regular digital designing. I’m not sure if I can pull that off with everything else. Thoughts? At least I wouldn’t have to manage the store this time! Lots of pros and cons to consider.

I also started reading the Stephenie Meyers books, and am reading Twilight. I’ve heard so much about it, so here I go! You know that if me, a person with ADHD and not really able to concentrate on reading much is into it, then it must be pretty good. Don’t tell me anything that happens!

Here’s a picture my cousin took at the reception this weekend of me, Andrea and Jake.

So, for the past two days, I’ve been doing nothing but uploaded buttloads of files to my new server at Pink Ink Studios. Now, my blog readers may not read the Pink Ink Studios blog, so you may NOT know what’s been happening. We found a new host, they transferred our files and on Monday I was told he deleted accidentally the portion of the store that had the actually e-downloads. The products zip files.

O.M.G.

Nightmare.

Meaning, now, everyone had to reload all those files again. Every designer. You see, me alone, I have 194 products. Yes, and each one has its own zip file!

So, that’s what we’ve been doing. The guy was so apologetic and how can you continue to be angry when he is? It’s on a virtual private server and that runs us about $90 a month. He has credited me what I paid and will be crediting me for the next four months of hosting. I guess that’s worth it in the end when you think about it.

Still, sucks out the major wahoo!

So, surfing the net hasn’t been too simple.

I did manage to get my Google E-News Group back and going, so if you aren’t signed up to get special announcements from me, please go here and join! IT’s really to keep you updated on all things me if you aren’t a regular blog reader or you want to be alerted. Like, when I put up some digital item, my ETSY store updates, photography specials, etc. Those that sign up always are in the know for something real special that no one else gets.

And, I also managed to record my own “Cribs” a la Studio Style yesterday while waiting on files to upload. I just am getting irritated with iMovie at the moment so I don’t have it all set up yet. Sorry. Maybe when I get back! OR, maybe I will take my laptop and work on it in the car? Hmmm.

Hope you all have a really great weekend - and HUGE LOVES AND SHOUT OUTS TO KATIE! Our design team member at Pink Paislee, Katie Watson, lost her brother-in-law last week because a drunk driver hit him. It’s so tragic and heartbreaking. In the midst of it all, Katie still sent me a package full of Maya Road goodies (she’s on their team too). I can’t believe how selfless she is - thinking of other things during that time. She’s really just such a sweet girl. Please feel free to read her blog and share your thoughts with Katie and her family.

Upon returning home from CHA, I knew I’d be in for a TON of work to do and catch up on. This weekend it was family stuff both days and “me” time for crafting. I think I needed that to decompress (pictures to follow). I still need to finish up the edging on my paintings too. Next weekend we head to Omaha for four days (well, counting travel time), and it just seems I got home.

I’m super busy with deadlines and completed one today - HOORAH! Have to go to Columbia on Wednesday to meet up with Rebecca since we were just too busy to meet while in Chicago. So, trying to do as much as I can before then to prep and finish some things. We won’t discuss my September trip with Andie just yet - I know - I’m the travel bug!

Anyhoo - after seeing Mike post his video on Toasted Rav, I had to know what he used to do it. So, I downloaded a trial and ran this today - for the most part of the day cept when I ate lunch. This is kind of a fun way to capture your work day…pretty boring huh?

Now, I’m going to bed!