Time Flies!

Okay, so I haven't been posting every week. Sorry. I can't believe it's already been a month! I feel like I haven't gotten anything done. That's not true, but there are so many things I need to get done that I haven't even started! So let's see what I've done in the last few weeks... Got a bunch of stuff up on eBay, updated a bit of Mick's website including making a neat little photo gallery for his Rock music book covers, started designing soap opera t-shirts because I figured there's a bigger market for that right now than Al B. Mouse (though I gave away a bunch of Al B. Mouse Christmas ornaments in my eBay packages and figure the word will spread eventually), updated The Zander Smith Memorial Website with a hair gallery (Zander fans will understand) and now I'm updating my blog--finally. Sorry if you tried to comment and it wasn't letting you. I had it set up so only members could leave comments. Now you can comment to your heart's delight.

Here are some of my latest soap opera designs. Click on them to see larger versions:


As you'll notice, I've changed the blog from Holly's Projects to Mick & Holly's Projects. It's easier than keeping track of two blogs. We'll also have Gen's projects thrown in. She's writing novels now. No words, but definite stories in pictures. We hope she keeps it up. She got a Reader Rabbit computer game for xmas so she'll probably be reading and writing entire sentences by the end of the year.

This Ain't Easy!

Okay, it's week two and I feel like I've accomplished almost nothing!

Well, that's not true. I created a cool looking storefront for The Al B. Mouse Shop. It looks like an extension of Mick's website. I had to use my limited web development knowledge to go in and doctor the CSS code for the template. It worked great! Here are some of the graphics we're using on the shirts... (click on picture to see larger version)


Here's a coupon for Cafe Press if you're interested in buying something.


I also got a bunch of stuff photographed for our eBay store. We actually sold quite a few items this past week!

For Dot Net, I'll be attending a Marketing conference in San Francisco next week. That should be fun. I told my friend, Valarie Beadle (Dot Net prez), that even if I never get paid I'm learning quite a bit that will help me with my own businesses. She in turn reminded me that the goal is to get all of us paid and she's happy to have me aboard.

Gen has been sick with a cold for almost two weeks. Poor baby. The doctor had me give her a decongestant, rather than cough medicine since coughing is "good". It prevents pneumonia. We're currently looking into lowering our Kaiser bill, since there is no way we can keep paying their new rate of $800 per month! We'll just get real intimate with their advice nurses and have the doctors call us at home to avoid the new $50 co-pay. I'm all for a government regulated health care system like in Canada. Discuss that issue amongst yahselves.

That's all for now. Back to work!

Tripping Into Uncertainty

An historic event has taken place. Holly Gray has taken a giant step toward following her bliss!!!

Every New Year's Eve I promised myself that I would listen to my intuition, but I never followed through. I ignored that tiny little voice inside me that kept saying, "You don't belong here! You need to do what's in your heart!" That was referring to my job. And to my co-workers reading this, I want to thank you for making my time at IBM a very pleasant one. You were the only reason I didn't leave sooner. Well, that and the steady paycheck. But now I must strike out into the unknown and let go of my security blanket. It was tripping me up! I have so many ideas inside my head and I couldn't move forward with any of them. Now I will devote my time to making my dreams come true. Let's just hope the money doesn't run out before we make a profit. The only thing Mick is concerned about right now is not being able to eat out so much. That was our one addiction. If any of you were planning to buy us a gift this holiday season, we would love restaurant certificates more than anything else in the world!!! Seriously.

Well, today was the start of my adventure into uncertainty. There was no stress when the alarm went off. I considered not setting it anymore, but I enjoy hearing trivia and a bit of news on the radio so I know what's going on in the world. I got up, fed Genevieve, exercised a bit and went into the office. Some of my eBay items sold over the weekend, so I got the shipments ready to go. Then I helped Mick finish up some art pages so they could get back to DC before Thanksgiving. He really appreciates that I can assist him during the day now.

This past week, I began designing t-shirts and stuff at cafepress.com. I just wanted to market Mick's character, Al B. Mouse, but then I started getting all these other graphic ideas. So I'm not sure if we'll keep the name "The Al B. Mouse Shop" or not. Suggestions are welcome. The Al B. Mouse Shop (www.cafepress.com/mickgray)

The eBay store will have new items added each week. There will be no more than one page per section at a time, if I can help it. I'm still in the process of designing a new auction template. I'm going to incorporate Al B. Mouse into everything! www.mickholly.com

I've been in charge of the advertising for all of the Dot Net Group sites for about a month. Right now they just consist of banner ads for our affiliate programs. Soon enough I'll be getting real advertisers to pay us for front page ads and stuff.

There's a contest going on right now for anybody who registers at any of the Dot Net sites between now and November 30th. Go check it out, there are family friendly sites for just about any interest you may have! www.thedotnetgroup.net

And for those of you who don't know, Mick has been writing a monthly music column for Entertainmentwatch.net. It's pretty fun stuff, just his own take on today's great musicians, most likely some you've never even heard of! Mick's Picks. He also writes concert reviews, which I've posted on his website. Many of you are already on his concert mailing list, but here's the link anyway. Re-live the hilarity! Mick's Concert Reviews

Next month I will start writing the script for the Mick Gray video. Working title is "Inking With Mick". It'll be about more than inking, but that's a good part of it. Any of you who have advice to share in the field of video production, please send it my way. At the moment I'm just planning to do it in iMovie and iDVD, unless someone gives me a copy of Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro (or the express versions--is there an express version of DVD Studio Pro?).

For my fellow Zander fans, I created The Zander Smith Memorial Website, which will eventually hold all of my old fan fiction and videos dedicated to this ex-General Hospital character. Right now it just links to my fiction and videos site through a cool home page. I don't watch soaps anymore and I've stopped writing fics and making videos (for the moment anyway), but I will always have a fondness for Zander. I just wanted to have someplace to park everything. My EZ Board site will eventually fade away. www.zandersmith.net