Salon de Maria Blog

As I continue my quest to do something different each day, I thought I'd visit other blogs that I've never read before. 

Being that I am an artist, I wanted to discover other artists who blog and I came across The Affluent Artist Blog which is written by Rick DiBiasio.

I like this post, Too Busy to Get Anything Done, in which Rick talks about how many of us need to "declutter" our life to make room for the important things.  Here is a video clip of Rick expanding on that thought...

I think it's synchronicity that brought me to Rick's blog because I've been doing alot of thinking about what I really, really want in life. I've been so busy being busy that I haven't really stopped to consider if what I'm doing is in tune with my long-term goals in life.

So as I look at all the different projects or businesses that I'm working on, I realize that there are a couple things that I could cut out of my life...

My jewelry business - I love making jewelry, but I feel that I've lost the passion for the business aspect of it. I think I may just keep jewelry making as a hobby.

My greeting card business - I feel the same way about this as I do about my jewelry business.

My main focus right now is writing on my blog network, Studio 747, and attracting more subscribers to those blogs. The next step is hiring contributors to those blogs so I don't have to write so much. I'm also working on attracting more advertisers to sponsor the blogs.

I'm going to take Rick's advice and start doing the five things each day that will get me closer to reaching my goal of making $5,000 in passive income. Yesterday I created a mindmap for an affiliate program that I've just started promoting. I'm excited about it because I think it's a great product and it also has the potential to make people a great deal of money. Read more about this opportunity on one of my blogs: 3 Reasons Why An Online Membership Website Is a Great Online Business.

So as of right now I'm just going with the flow of things. I'm taking inspired action instead of taking action based on the "neediness" to be busy. I'm no longer chasing after the money. I'm doing things which spring from the desire to be of service and to bring value to the other people's lives.

P.S. You may be interested in reading Rick DiBiasio's book,The Affluent Artist: How Creative Could You Be If Money Wasn't an Issue? The Money Book for Creative People

Posted by Maria Palma at 05:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I finally took a vacation!  Well, actually it was a mini-vacation (4 days) in Las Vegas.  I've come back refreshed and ready to go on another blogging marathon ;)

Most people would think that it would be impossible to have a relaxing vacation in Las Vegas, but I'm here to tell you that it's possible.  The energy of Vegas dictates that you should always be on the go or you should be partying your ass off, but if you've been to Vegas as many times as I have, you get to the point where you're just over it. 

So, the first thing you should do in order to have a relaxing vacation in Las Vegas is to stay in a hotel off of the strip.  My friend and I stayed at the Cancun Resort which is actually located on Las Vegas Blvd., but it's far enough away from the actual strip that you don't get caught up in the hustle and bustle.  What I love about the Cancun Resort are the hammocks located right by the pool.  I can't even remember the last time I hung out in a hammock...

The second thing you need to relax in Vegas is a room that has a jacuzzi tub.  Every night after walking along the strip, I filled up the tub and just soaked while reading a book.  If you can't get a room with a jacuzzi tub, at least get a room with a patio.  We had both amenities, so I definitely took advantage of that.

The third thing you should have to relax in Vegas is plenty of wine.  Fortunately, there was a grocery store right across from where we stayed, so I was able to just walk over and grab a bottle...or two...My friend and I had a buffet lunch at the Paris hotel where we also shared a bottle of wine while enjoying scrumptious food.  It was definitely a relaxing two hour lunch ;)

So there you have it.  Three things to help you have a relaxing vacation in Las Vegas.  I would mention other things, but as they say, "What happens in Vegas...."

Posted by Maria Palma at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Antique Row Cafe has been dubbed the #1 American Restaurant in all of San Diego. Interestingly, I've passed the one in Lemon Grove dozens of times and never noticed it.

As part of my quest to do something different everyday in 2009, I thought I'd check out this cafe. It's located on the busy street of Lemon Grove Avenue right across from the Lemon Grove Trolley Station. I was going to do some work at the Starbucks on that street today, but Starbucks was out of sandwiches, so I ventured out to see if I could find some good food nearby.

What I noticed first about this cafe was the outdoor patio with its spacious eating area. On this particular day it was a little nippy outside, so everyone was inside.

When you step into Antique Row Cafe, be prepared to be whisked away to another era - an era when jukeboxes, Marilyn Monroe, and Coca-Cola bottles existed. Old-school memorabilia is displayed throughout the restaurant. In the booth I sat at, there was a picture of "Beaver" Cleaver with his TV show brother. There was also a little cork bulletin board with people's business cards tacked to it which I thought was pretty interesting...

I loved that there was a variety of dishes available for breakfast. If I remember correctly, the menu had one whole page dedicated to breakfast entrees. The breakfast I ate was the corned-beef hash dish that came with hashbrowns, eggs, and toast all for $8. The food came very fast and was served in generous portions.

Although the food was great, I must say that a true mark of an exceptional restaurant is its customer service. And as some of you know, I'm all about customer service. Well, this cafe lived up to my standards! I was greeted with a warm smile by the host and the waitress. Both of them had that warm and genuine aura about them. There wasn't anything fake about their service. The waitress checked on me a couple times and offered to refill my drink. I could tell that this was a restaurant with great service because there were many regulars that came in and they were all greeted by name.

Overall I was impressed with Antique Row Cafe and I do recommend it as a must-check-out place if you're in San Diego. Read more reviews over at Yelp.

Posted by Maria Palma at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)