Brooklyn Ann's 2017 Re-cap. FAIL! ....Or maybe not?

...My Twin Peaks obsession hasn't worn off yet.

It's that time again, where I review my triumphs and tribulations of the year. I started out by reading the 2017 Goals I'd posted back in January. Oh man, that was a mistake. I only accomplished 2 1/2 out of 7 things on the list: Doing nice things for my boyfriend, spending more time with my son (but not as much as I should have) and quitting the day job. The last was HUGE, though!

Did I quit smoking? Fail. 

Write 30K a month? FAIL. 

Get my Datsun back on the road? Fail.

Come up with a marketing plan and schedule and implement it? FAIL.

However, when I did the next thing in my recap process: going through my FB feed month by month, I still had a lot of good stuff there. And I DID get all my planned books done, even if I was on the edge of my deadline every time.

 Without further ado, here's my long-ass Recap.

January:

I finished my 13^th novel.

Wynter's Bite was such a fun book to write and make teasers for.

Rock God made the Top 20 books of 2016 over at Behind ClosedDoors Book Reviews!

You can snag it for $3.99

I ended up on an Australian Heavy Metal Site! http://www.hotmetalonline.com/2017/02/01/hearts-of-metal-yes-metal-romance-novels-2017/

It was such an amazing experience! An Australian heavy metal journalist discovered my books and loved them! We even chatted on Skype and she's eventually going to interview me!

I did make an Author Media Kit, so there was some marketing.

February:

I quit the day job! 

After being trapped at a call center for three and a half years, it was so liberating to escape. I'm still not making enough from my books to be self-supporting, but I got an AMAZING stay at home job that allows me to go further with the writing.

Wynter’s Bite released

Made Swag and did Graphics

Like that Wynter's Bite teaser!

March:

Spicy in Spokane Convention.

It was a blast meeting new readers and fellow authors.

Got an airbrush kit… but didn’t do much

I still need to figure out straight lines.

Kent had surgery

He had cancer on his ear. It was benign, but the surgery and recovery was still painful for him.

April:

My uncle passed away.
RIP, David. You were so much fun and I'm glad I got to spend time with you.

Prepped for RT.

RT is the biggest con of the year, so there was a lot involved.

May:

RT convention

Kent and I had a wonderful time in Atlanta! I have so many pics from that fun time. And oh my goodness, the food was incredible!

We both got con crud after. Then, when I finally recovered, I sprained my ankle and had to hobble around with a can for a freaking week.

Despite this, I finished my 14^th novel, Pleading Rapture.

June:

Got to see HellYeah

It turns out that my boyfriend's old friend and former bandmate is now the guitarist of the band, HellYeah. He's super cool, we hung out with him in Vegas two years ago and this time he came up to Coeur d'Alene and hung out with us and ate elk steaks before he played a show in Spokane. He also gave me some useful research info for my Hearts of Metal series.

Pleading Rapture released!

Book 5 in my Brides of Prophecy series was one hell of a ride. Literally. I finally got to write an epic road chase scene that had been in my mind for years.

You can get it HERE!

Zima came back.

Yes, that's an event, damn it. I have fond memories.
...I got drunk off of two of them and amused everyone on Facebook.

Started writing outside.

This provided a huge boost in my writing productivity. Sadly, it got too hot by July. I should have started doing it sooner.

July:

I finished a scratchboard that a friend commissioned me to do:
The creepy church in Spirit Lake that was featured in my short story, Tesemini.

Signed another 3 book contract with Boroughs

More Hearts of Metal books are on the horizon!

Picked huckleberries.
Purple fingers and yummy goodness!

Finished Forbidden Song. 
My 15^th novel, Forbidden Song (Hearts of Metal book 5,) releases January 11th!
And it's available for PreOrder!

Got distracted by Twin Peaks

Oh man, that show has me obsessed... And my best friend was an extra in the diner scene! She's in the purple turtleneck and white vest.

And I made a lot of memes and stuff.

August:

My son started Driver’s Ed.
My child, behind the wheel of my car. The horror!

Turned 35
We won't talk about that.

Went to Reno
We went to visit Kent's family, but also RT 2018 will be in Reno, so I got to scope out the venue! I made a video.

Battled hackers
My website got attacked bad. Thankfully, my boyfriend's an IT Guy and saved the day.

Almost zero writing got done that month.

September:

Saw Guns and Roses at the Gorge
I LOVE seeing shows at the Gorge and GnR was a historic event!

And we got pretty close seats.

But then we came home to the whole northwest on fire and I caught the flu. :(

My Son turned 16!
OMG!!!

I ate Pumpkin Spice everything and started on mass prep for Halloween.

I saw IT.
This was a big deal because IT is my favorite novel of all time.

I saw Megadeth and the Scorpions.

Megadeth is my favorite band of all time and I cried when they did "Holy Wars."

The Scorpions are hella fun and they had a giant disco ball!

October:

I got back into writing and also prepped for Halloween. I carved some cool pumpkins.

I watched a ton of movies with Halloween Horror club and worked on revisions for Forbidden Song.

For Halloween, I dressed as Queen Elizabeth the First, and my son was a plague doctor. We decorated the yard pretty badass.

November

I wrote like a fiend and Finished my 16^th novel!

Then it was Thanksgiving.

I was all about the turkey.

December:

The Highwayman’s Bite released!

You can read the first chapter HERE! 

I got health insurance!

More on that with my 2018 goals post, which you can see here.

Aside from line edits for Forbidden Song, I spent this month recharging with books and movies. Reading for pleasure has been something lost to me for too long.

So, it really wasn't as bad a year for me as I'd thought. I feel like I lived more. I'll go more into my analysis of my successes and failures for next post, when I talk about my goals.

I hope everyone else had a great 2017 and has an even better 2018!

My goals for the year

2016 is due to be extremely busy and exciting for me! I will have at least 4 releases this year, OMG! I also have other goals aside from writing.

But no weight loss or quitting smoking... not this year, not with 3 jobs.

First goal: Finish Scandals With Bite Book 4

Creating the cover was on my list as well, but I already finished it.

If things go well, it may even be up for preorder later this month. However, I am only 1/3rd done with it, so I really gotta suck it up and spend some serious time writing this month. I need to not be like George RR Martin, lol.

Then I gotta arrange for advanced reviewers and a blog tour.

 Get a sewing machine and learn how to use it. 

After getting back to family tradition of making quilts, I realized that I can no longer just paint squares and have mom (who's no longer with me) or Grandma sew them for me. Time to be a big girl.

Write Brides of Prophecy, Book 4

With this series starting to gain notice, it is imperative I give my readers the next installment. Especially since there are two plot threads, one from the end of Wrenching Fate, and one with Razvan's missing twin brother, that are going to be resolved. I am so excited for that one!

If I'm lucky this one may be a Late Summer or Early Fall release.

Write book for Secret NEW series my agent is pitching.

Even if my publisher doesn't pick that one up, it sounds too fun not to write and find a home for.

Start another book. 

Which series that will be for, all depends on how my current contracts go.

Make a few teaser images and a book trailer for existing series.

These look so fun. I want to try them myself.

Get a stable, do-able marketing strategy. 

I'm still relatively unknown, so I need to get the word out about my books. However, I also don't want to be spammy. Gotta stay classy. :D 

Go Fishing!

I haven't had the chance to do hardly any fishing for the last four years. This is bullshit. I LOVE fishing and my tummy is crying out for some rainbow trout or beer-battered bass.

Attend at least one convention.

I had SO much fun at the three I've been to so far and made a lot of friends, so I must attend another. However, flights anywhere from my state are 4-500 dollars alone, and my budget is tenuous. I will keep you posted about where I end up.

And finally:

Quit the Day Job by the end of the year.

With 4 more releases coming this year, it might actually be possible!

Book releases:

Hearts of Metal Book 2

Scandals With Bite Book 4

Hearts of Metal Book 3

Brides of Prophecy Book 4

What are your goals?

The Value of Editing, Revising, and Not Giving Up

I use Grammarly's free grammar checker because it's a nerdastically fabulous source to ensure that you don''t sound like a twelve year old with a MySpace account. 

My first novel took about 4 years. The 1st draft was giant binder full of handwritten pages. Then I was finally able to get a computer, but no internet and type it up. With dreams of book deals dancing in my head, I checked out the latest copy of Writer's Market and mailed out a slew of query letters.

Naturally, that didn't turn out so well. After a few months of dejection, I got an idea for another book.

I hand wrote the pages at work and was encouraged when a coworker snatched them from my hands and demanded to know what happened next. 

I finished it shortly before I was able to get the internet. I immediately googled agents and sent a flurry of email queries. I got a few requests, but mostly rejections.

I tweaked the manuscript and researched the industry and eventually made friends with other authors. Finally I found what I was supposed to have done in the first place: have other people critique it first. Many other writers graciously volunteered. 

Alas, none of them ever sent me feedback, except for one, who critiqued the first couple chapters and flat out said, "I stopped reading here. I'm sorry." 

Thankfully, one saint of a reader made her way through the whole thing and pointed me in the write direction on fixing it.

I rewrote it and found more beta readers.This time, all made it through and provided excellent feedback. None seemed to adore it, however. I rewrote it again before sending out more queries and getting MORE rejections. 

"My book SUCKS!" I wailed, and tossed it in the proverbial trunk and began a new book ...in a completely different subgenre. My 3rd novel, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE ultimately landed me my fist book deal. And that one also endured at least 6 revisions.

However, my previous book, WRENCHING FATE lingered in my mind. Using all I learned from my 3rd book, I completely overhauled and rewrote the 2nd one. It was practically my 4th novel.

I found more critique buddies and guess what: they LIKED it! Alas, with the publication of BITE ME, YOUR GRACE and working on the other books in that series, as well as working on other shiny new ideas, I had little time to work on WRENCHING FATE.

But that story never left my mind.

Whenever I had a spare moment, I utilized the feedback I received from my beta readers and critique partners and revised it again.

And again.

Now it's in the hands of the final batch of beta readers.

And guess what?

They're already messaging me to tell me they LOVE it!! 

The moral of this story is that if you know deep in your heart that you have a good story, it is indeed possible to make it a great, well written story. 

It just takes a TON of hard work, determination, lots of learning, and countless revisions. Utilizing sources like Grammarly, which I mentioned above, as well as reader feedback and learning from your own mistakes can aid you in your journey to success.  

Summer Goal Summary...(Wow, that's fun to say!)

As we're already halfway through 2012, it's time to check up on my goals and see how I'm doing.


1.) Make all my writing/editing deadlines in time for my editor: I'm kicking ass with this one!

2.) Finish book 2 of my regency paranormal romance series: Rough draft is done, and the deadline to turn it in isn't until September. Doing great there.

3.) Finish at least the rough draft of book 3. I already have the hero fleshed out in my mind and I can't wait to tell his story. I'm going to start this one July 1st

4.) Finish revisions on WRENCHING FATE: DONE! (I hope!)


5.) Find a home for WRENCHING FATE/ the UF series. I have 2 fulls out with 2 lovely agents. Got my fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted!

6.) Keep track of all writing expenses so I survive tax season next year. I have all my receipts in one place at least...

7.) Maintain a strong online presence and continue to build my platform. I love my online community! But I could probably do better.

8.) Form and follow a plan of preparations for the release of my debut novel (Spring of 2013) Besides the edits, I know there's a ton of other stuff involved. And I still haven't figured out where I'm going to hold my release party...which is fine now, but as that date comes closer....EEK!

9.) Not go insane as my release date creeps closer. OMG OMG, I'm already on my way. I need to keep remembering to do that thing....what's it called again? Oh yeah, breathing.

10.) Maintain good relationships with my friends and family. I would not have succeeded if it weren't for their love and support.

11.) Quit Smoking on August 13. I'm getting more scared of this one every day.

12.) Lose twenty pounds. We-ell, I haven't gained any weight....


And a 13th goal has also been added: Finish Rough Draft of HIS ROADIE by July 1st. Really I have no idea what I'm going to do about my rock star novellas, but they're still crying to be written.


So, for the summer I'm going to be writing about rock stars, revising my 2nd regency paranormal, and beginning my 3rd. I get to research 19th century medical practices, autopsies, and other fun stuff!


What are your summer plans? 

Getting back in gear

I've missed a few blog posts this week...and the ones from last week were late. I've also been minimal in my social networking...and I've only averaged 4-5K a week in my #WIP this month. Still, this is pretty good for me. Since my mom died on Valentine's day of 2009, I'd alternated between a numb, mindless state and a quivering ball of misery every February. Although, come to think of it, I don't think I'd had good Februarys before that, being that it's the time I'm at the verge of screaming in impatience for winter to be over. I HATE winter.

This year, however, I had enough good days to get at least something done every day...except Tuesday, I slept through most of that and spent the rest reading. 

But now it's time for me to get back in gear. My goal is to finish the first draft of this novel by May....and I want my rock star novella finished by the end of June....and sometime soon I need to do a final polish on WRENCHING FATE so I can find a home for it. And of course there's edits and revisions on my remaining projects. 

With that said, my blog will be reduced to two posts a week...though I'm planning to get more awesome guest authors for you guys, starting with Grace Burrowes next week and Shana Galen in Mid-March for sure. I'm still working on convincing Bonnie R. Paulson to show us how to make spreadsheets because these are invaluable not only for keeping tabs on yourself, but also for tax purposes.

In the meantime I'm going to be working hard to get caught up on this novel. 

How's your productivity been? How do you catch up when you're behind?

Becoming a Ninja in Productivity

Yesterday I had a bunch of stuff going on that interfered with my writing. The first one was a four hour long bunch of BS that I wasn't supposed to be involved with, but still had to show up and wait in line to prove this was the case.

When I arrived, I slipped on the ice and nailed my elbow and knee, which doubled my foul mood. Then I got packed in a room resembling a sardine can with 30 people while we waited...and waited...and waited. It was too tight to use my laptop but luckily I was given a pen and scrap paper. With this, I was able to compose Friday's blog post and next week's author interview. Then I outlined the next few scenes in my WIP, write 300 words, and organize my to-do list for the next 2 days.

Thankfully, I provided the right paperwork so I don't have to go back there again.

Then, while waiting at the doctor's office, I was able to email the interview questions to my next guest author and transcribe the 300 words to my manuscript.

The moral of the story: Don't let things stop you from getting things done. Sneak in what you can when you can. You'll be surprised at the results! 

A Lesson on Priorities

Dio says, "Listen up!"

Last Saturday, I dragged by hungover ass to my 2nd RWA meeting. (It had been a month since I'd had a karaoke Friday and I'd desperately needed it.) Despite my queasy stomach and exhaustion, the meeting was well worth it. I learned so many things about goals and time management and I hope to share them all with you as well as how I do with implementing them. My husband says I have the organizational skills of a cement mixer and he's totally right.

One thing I want to discuss today is this: One author shared a story about another author who had been angry with someone. Later, she calculated the time she spent on being angry vs. the time she spent writing. Naturally, the results were unpleasant. The author sharing the story then gave us all handouts to fill in our goals for a day and a slot to fill in how much time we spent on them.

This really hit home with me. First because only a few days prior, one of my crit partners and I were doing a writing sprint...but then it dissolved into a conversation about an inconsequential matter. It was fun and much girl talk was exchanged, but we were supposed to be writing.

Then, today I had my weekly session with my therapist. Yet another thing had happened which could potentially affect my writing and a bunch of other stuff. My therapist said, "Come on, I know you are dedicated to your writing career. If this does happen, you'll move things around, but you WILL get the writing done. Sometimes it may not be easy, but you will do it. I KNOW you will. Worrying about it will only waste more time."

Then I remembered the lesson of the RWA meeting and I'm all, "Oh yeah, duh."

Moral of the story: STOP letting inconsequential matters get in the way of what you need to do. STOP worrying. Worrying wastes time you could be spending on more productive or pleasant things.

My 2012 Goals

Besides petting kitties and ogling topless guys, of course.

Since my career as an author has reached a new level, most of my goals will be focused on writing. And... this year I'm not even going to bother anything about keeping the house clean. I'm just going to have to accept my limits.

1.) Make all my writing/editing deadlines in time for my editor: This is the most important one. I need to prove I've got what it takes to be a professional author. Since I'm crazy obsessed with punctuality, I feel optimistic about this one.

2.) Finish book 2 of my regency paranormal romance series: With my awesome crit group on my butt about getting pages to them in time, I KNOW I'm going to make this one. Hell, I even have hope I can...

3.) Finish at least the rough draft of book 3. I already have the hero fleshed out in my mind and I can't wait to tell his story.

4.) Finish revisions on WRENCHING FATE: I'm already getting good critiques back on it. The good thing is that everyone loves the story and characters so I just have some technical issues to sort out.


5.) Find a home for WRENCHING FATE/ the UF series. I already have a few ideas, but my regencies need to come first for now.

6.) Keep track of all writing expenses so I survive tax season next year. My husband says I have the organizational skills of a cement mixer...I better do something about that.

7.) Maintain a strong online presence and continue to build my platform. I love my online community!  

8.) Form and follow a plan of preparations for the release of my debut novel (Spring of 2013) Besides the edits, I know there's a ton of other stuff involved. And I still haven't figured out where I'm going to hold my release party...which is fine now, but as that date comes closer....EEK!

9.) Not go insane as my release date creeps closer. OMG OMG, I'm already on my way. I need to keep remembering to do that thing....what's it called again? Oh yeah, breathing.

10.) Maintain good relationships with my friends and family. I would not have succeeded if it weren't for their love and support.

11.) Quit Smoking on August 13. Yeah, you heard me.

12.) Lose twenty pounds. But I'd be happy with fifteen.

My 2011 Recap

Some things I did okay. Others....not so much. Either way, it's been a great year. 

1.) Get the first two books in my BRIDES OF PROPHECY series polished enough for my agent and then ready for her to submit to publishers: I got them polished, though I'm still tinkering. My betas are raving about em, but other things happened with another project and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this series. I'm still working on them, though. They will have a home someday.

2.) Complete another manuscript. I completed a few short stories, a novella, and wrote the beginnings of 3 more novels. Hooray for progress!

3.)Blog at least twice a week. I nailed this goal, for the most part.

4.) Have at least one awesome guest author every month. Not so well here. Some months I had none, others I had four.

5.) Become more regular on Twitter and Facebook: Ironically I did better with FB than twitter.

6.) Get up to 3000 followers on Twitter: For reasons stated above, I only got to 1650.

7.) Keep the house clean and organized. HAHAHAHAHAHAH! No.

8.) Lose 20 pounds.. I think I lost about 8. Well.....I lost 10, gained back six, then lost four...or something.

9.) Learn how to use a sewing machine to make/ repair clothes. Didn't happen...although I did find someone willing to teach me how to sew by hand.

10.) Keep my marriage healthy, happy, and full of passion. I think I've done well with this and I still have a big crush on my husband.

11.) Become a better mother. I noticed I've been yelling a lot less. :)

12.) Get a tattoo...or 2.  I got one!

                                                      

So, I think I did okay. Especially since I achieved my long time dream of getting a book deal! 

OTHER EVENTS/ Accomplishments:

On May 30th, I celebrated my 1 year wedding anniversary (though we've been together for 8 years). I drew him a portrait of our hero, Ronnie James Dio:

This really helped me get back into art so I also did a painting of a '64 Volkswagen Beetle for my neighbor:

And a poster of the IRON MAIDEN album, "Killers." 

My husband grew an excellent garden this year, yielding around 200 lbs of tomatoes (making several jars of salsa,tomato sauce, and stewed tomatoes), 20 quarts of pickles, 24 cabbages (which made 3 gallons of saurkraut)  And lots of lettuce, broccoli, and peppers. Our herb garden thrived as well, along with our strawberries. 

He also got his deer, so we filled our freezer with meat.

I'm finally getting the hang of making friends, so not only did I get to know more awesome writers and formed a critique group, I've also branched out with other friendships. I'm pleased to be doing karaoke again. 

I think 2011 was a great year and I hope 2012 will be even better. 

Constant Beta Readers Whip Ya In Shape!

I cannot emphasize the importance of beta readers. They keep you grounded, keep you inspired, and keep you from going out on submission with your fly unzipped. Hmmm...looking at that picture above puts the word "submission" into a whole new context. Anyway, moving on.

Last spring, I got together with Bonnie R. Paulson and Shelley Martin and we formed a critique group. However, though we kept in touch, the critiques stopped over the summer and fall due to a lot of other things things going on, the release of Bonnie's novel, BREATHE AGAIN and my book deal, to name a few.

We just reunited and we now have Michel King joining us. After our first meeting, I'm now remembering the benefits of the group. No only do I get excellent feedback and quick fixes on my mistakes, but I am motivated to write more. Our first session was 20 pages each...but Bonnie wants to step it up a notch and do 30 next week. I'm now remembering how I completed a novella in under two months last Spring. Besides the imposed deadlines to get stuff to them, my beta readers increase my productivity by keeping me inspired to please them.

As I write, I think, "Ooh, Shelley's gonna laugh at this part!" or "Bonnie's gonna call me on being cheesy here...how else can I word it?" and now, "Michel's going to want me to describe this part more." So it's like they're with me all the time and because of them, I'm not only getting more work done, but it is better quality than it was when flying solo.

Also, it is beyond wonderful to talk to someone about my stories and characters and have them completely understand my struggles with them. Writing a novel can be a lonely quest.

AND, I have the bonus of reading their awesome stories before anyone else!

Keep those whips crackin' ladies. I'm honored to return the favor. 

The Holiday Craziness

The holidays are an explosion of insanity for anyone, but for writers, it's even worse. Between the rush and pressure to finish the Christmas shopping and subsequent wrapping of gifts, there's always holiday events and parties to attend, the regular day job...and cold and flu season to contend with.

But the writer still has work to do. Projects still have deadlines, whether real or self-imposed. The self-imposed ones are the hardest. I believe that for the aspiring writer, the holidays are a dangerous time. With all the chaos, it is tempting to put a project away with a tentative promise to oneself to dig it back out in January. Or even worse, it can be tempting to just give up. Contracted authors have it a little easier, in that they have no choice but to push on.

And push on I will, daunting as it is. Despite the holiday craziness, I will keep writing. I have 3 projects, but will expend the most effort on the one which has a home. I will also do my best to keep up with my critique of a friend's novel. ...and I'm making a quilt for my oldest stepdaughter. It won't be done by Christmas, but I hope make progress on it. And if my house has to look like it threw up for the next few weeks, so be it.

How are you managing the holiday craziness? What do you do to keep your sanity?  

Now That Summer's Over...

The kids are back in school and I hope to get my writing schedule back in shape. I'm on week 3 of wearing this stupid brace on my hand (that's why I haven't been as active online. Typing in this thing is a bitch). So I should be free of it by Monday. In the meantime I'd like to compile my fall/winter goals.

1.) Get back into a regular writing regime. My husband may actually help me get on board with this by taking my internet modem away and leaving me alone for 2 hours.

2.) Finish rough draft of Book 3 in my series by Christmas. Because Book 4 is really nagging me..so much that I may sneak in notes and rough scenes by then.

3.) Get books 1 & 2 polished up a little more before I commence the grand agent hunt. What's cool is that I just put them on my Kindle and WOW! Not only is it crazy to read my book as a book, it is also easier to spot errors. I found 3 typos in the 1st 3 chapters...and realized the hero from book 2 isn't smoking his pipe in book 1. For shame!

4.) Keep caught up with blog posts. I've been slacking again... But next week I have some awesome guest posts!

5.) Get caught up with the bills...so I can buy more books! I'm loving my Kindle...but hating my empty bank account. To solve this, I've begun my "Blood for Books" campaign. No, I'm not letting vampires bite me. ::wistful sigh:: I'm selling my plasma. My 1st appointment is today...and since I can't have alcohol within 24 hours of donating, this should help stave off "Hemmingway Syndrome."

Anyone else have plans for fall and winter?

Status Check 2011 Goals

Back in January I made a list of goals for the year. Goals, not Resolutions: Many of us do that in January, but how often are we keeping track of them by late July? Let's see how I'm doing.

1.) Get the first two books in my BRIDES OF PROPHECY series polished enough for my agent and then ready for her to submit to publishers.


Well, I don't have the agent anymore, but I do have both novels nearly polished to my satisfaction. A few more touches (Razvan isn't smoking his pipe in book 1) and it'll be ready to go.


2.) Complete another manuscript.


W00T I did this! So far, I've completed a short story and a novella and I'm now working on book 3 of my BRIDES OF PROPHECY series.


3.)Blog at least twice a week
So far I'm doing pretty good with this. I think there was a week or 2 in there with only one post, but life happens.


4.) Have at least one awesome guest author every month


Damn, I'm not doing too well with this one. I think because my writing is interrupting with my networking but I do have a week slated in September for some awesome authors. :)


5.) Become more regular on Twitter and Facebook


I'm doing better with FB, but twitter...I'm slacking. Again, the writing...


6.) Get up to 3000 followers on Twitter


Not doing too well there either, Since January I've gone from 1370 to 1600. I'm slacking.


7.) Keep the house clean and organized.


Utter and complete FAIL! But that's just how I am. Maybe when the kids move out...


8.) Lose 20 pounds...and get my tummy looking good again


Ehhh, I think I've lost about 10 lbs...it's hard to tell. Don't marry an Italian, especially one who cooks. That is all.


9.) Learn how to use a sewing machine to make/ repair clothes.


Nope, nothing there. It was my husband's idea, but since he's now moved on to making bamboo fishing rods, I think it's a lost cause.


10.) Keep my marriage healthy, happy, and full of passion.


I think we're doing good there!


11.) Become a better mother.


I dunno...but at least I haven't become a worse one.


12.) Get a tattoo...or 2.


LOOK! Isn't it lovely?

It's almost done healing and it itches like crazy.


How are you doing on your goals for the year? Successes, failures?