Happy Halloween!!!!

Well there are no plans for Halloween ’08. The only thing that may be planned is ordering food from El Rodeo, watch t.v. and play some Saints Row 2 on the Xbox 360. I used to do lots of stuff on Halloween, but this year I just don’t feel like doing much at all. Just staying in and snuggling with my man.

A friend just sent me a link and this was on of the ads – Click Here. Don’t they look comfy. Well anyhoo, this entry isn’t very long as you can tell. 

Happy Halloween!!

All Rights Reserved! © 2008 UpSideDownGrl

Hair—OMG

OMG I just dyed (permanent I must add) the underneathe part of my hair a blue-black color! I kinda like it, but it seems to have a bit of a greenish tint to it since my hair is blonde by nature – the blue black didn’t take as well as I thought it would. Why did I do this you ask? I’m not really sure. Here’s a pic of it, not that good because you really wouldn’t realize how hard it is to take an in focus picture of the back of your head. Try it sometime – without the tripod!

A Really Long Week

It’s been a pretty long week. In between the renovations and trying to find a good paying job or a job at all has been overwhelming and exhausting. The job I was working is over now until there is more for me to do. I have finally finished the last of the writing projects that I had with clients. Slowly but surely they are done and my official resigning of my writing career. 

As I still search for some design jobs, I have yet to find any, but in the mean time I am working on a lot of mock ups to use as samples. I have also dug up a few of my old designs that I created for clients back in 2005. I miss designing so much. It is one of my most loved things. 

I’ll write more later.

I have quit the writing business…

Today is my last day in the writing business unless it is something for Odesk. I will gladly take on a writing project from there due to the fact that the buyers on there are willing to pay what a writer is worth and not the piddly amounts that others are trying to pay for writing.

I am however still designing web pages, logos, and working as a virtual assistant. Those things I will never quit. I have a few things to finish up for a client then my writing is done other than just writing for the fun of it like in my blogs, etc.

I have been putting up a basic free website for my web design business while I work on my permanent one and have my portfolio up along with a lot of other things. So as far as my writing career goes – it will not progress any further. Now it’s time to focus on school, web design, programming, and some graphic designs. I’m really excited about making this change in my life. I’m the UpSideDownGrl as everyone already knows and now its time to turn my life right side up. Things need to change for me – so why not start with getting rid of the things that are not working out and only work on the things that are. The things that will benefit me, my man, and the rest of us. I’m no longer going to write for pennies while others are using my writings and making quite a bit from it while I don’t get any royalties from it, just that one flat fee. Not going to happen anymore. 

Well, I guess I’ll finish up the last bit of blog post then say au voir to all my clients I write for. And hello to all my new design clients. Time to get writing. 

All Rights Reserved! © 2008 UpSideDownGrl

Tuesday – And the World Turns yet another day!

I began designing mock logos this today. I’m at home all day today and don’t feel good at all. I have the flu or some really bad food poisoning. I’m not exactly sure. Yesterday I completed half of my sign up for college and next month I have to complete it. I’m going to get my programming degree so I can actually make some money. Writing is a lost cause. There is no money in it anymore like there use to be a few years ago. I use to be able to support myself with working as a freelance writer. Now days though no one wants to pay a writer anything but a few pennies. So going to college and working for QLF are my only choices at the moment. I want to work on some freelance web design if I can find someone who is willing to hire me (not even for the going rates for web designers) and let me get some experience and some one I can use as a reference. But many aren’t willing to take a chance. What ever happened to those who were willing to take a chance with someone and give them a chance to show what they can do for you. Now everyone is so selfish and will only let you work (with no experience) for free.

When I started working as a writer I had no experience. None what so ever. I failed English in College and barely made it thru in High School, but did anyone ask for a resume, did anyone ask how much experience and education do you have? No of course not. But today they do. And they’re asking for this info for what reason. Most of what they ask for is web content which only stays up for a month. No one actually reads articles online – they just skim it. Well I guess that is enough of me bitching about the writing world. From now on I am no longer a writer except for my blogs and websites. I will no longer be writing for anyone else unless (yes of course there’s an unless) they can pay a decent amount of money for what I write.

All Rights Reserved! ©2008 UpSideDownGrl

The Outsider – Me, Myself, & I

Wow, its been a while since I’ve posted anything! I’ve been working back at the shop full time for the last week. Monday I’ll be working as well after I set up my financial aid and everything else I’m going to need to start back to college in the Spring.

Something I’ve noticed over the last few months or so is that everyone treats me as an outsider. I’m no longer really included in anything and pushed to the side for other “more important things” to take my place. I don’t feel welcome anywhere – not even at home. I don’t know why – but maybe it is for a reason. Maybe to push me to move on with my life and those who are meant to be in my life, will be and those who aren’t, well they’ll be gone. 

I’m working on my Computer Information Systems (CIS) degree and will have over half of it completed within nine months. I know my plans for what I want to do with my degree and have found a shortcut to start a career in nine months instead of waiting 2 years to get my degree before I can start making the big bucks. I have met a great advisor who is helping me through the loop holes and helping me land one of the highest paying salary jobs in the area. I’m so happy and can’t wait until next September. No more having to write for pennies. I am still writing, but most of my clients have hired someone else because I have raised my rates. Blogs are now $20 -$35 per post instead of $10 and $15. Q & A  and articles up to 500 words are $45 each and my hourly rate is now $25 per hour. This is still under the current going rates for these types of articles and posts, but I feel I will still come out ahead with these rates. But many of my clients have looked for writers in India and other countries where they are willing to write for pennies – this in turn leaving American writers with no work. I have also started up web designing again. My rates for that are $50 an hour for now. Soon I hope that it will take off and I can make a pretty good income with that until I finish my degree. Well, I have to finish up the laundry and catch up on some other stuff around here.

Setting Up My Business – Today

My business name is Meisha MacKenzie. I’m setting up my site today.