Studying for Success

First of all, I'd like to thank Kyra Lennon for hosting the Christmas Dress-Up Contest.  I won the prize for the silliest photo, and the prize for that was a $15 Amazon gift card.  This is an awesome time of year to win such a prize, and I promise I already put it to good use!  Congratulations to the other winners as well!  There were some great photos out there.  If you haven't seen my photo, you can find it here.

The last week before Christmas means that this is also the last week before my husband gets more than a week off work.  He deserves it though.  He's been working overtime, so he needs the break.  However, I also need to make the most of the week ahead, because as we all know, changes in the daily routine make productivity iffy.  Some of you will find yourselves with more time to read and write over the remaining holiday season.  I, however, will find myself with less.  Yet never fear.  I intend to make the most of the time I get with my family next week.

However, for now I should focus on the week ahead rather than what will be happening next week.  I just finished reading On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King.  This book was fun, informative, and helped me think a lot about the choices I make as a writer.  Next I plan to read Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury.  I have always been a huge fan of Bradbury, and as a relatively unaccomplished writer, I could use all the help I can get.

Aside from my reading this week, I also plan to take part in the Build Me a Blog-Hop.  This event is hosted by the ever awesome David Powers King.  If you want an avatar, blog banner, or new blog background, head on over to see how you might be able to win one of those coveted prizes!

So, yeah, that's my plan for this week.  Read, write, blog hop, take care of the family, and wait for December 22nd to roll around.  I can't wait to prove once and for all that the Mayan calendar had to end somewhere, and that ending doesn't mean the end of the world.  After all, how long were the Mayans supposed to keep writing out their calendar?  Dang, they'd have to run out of room (or end up with severe hand cramp) eventually!

And after we get past that predicted apocalypse, you'll have my Beginnings Blogfest waiting for you on the other side!  Head on over to sign up if you haven't already!  If you do sign up, you have two fabulous badges to choose from!  You know one of them would look amazing on your blog, right?

P.S.-Pleiades, you tend to go MIA this time of year.  Please stick it out for this week at least!