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les Davey de France

Alan and Pat live and work in Bordeaux. Alan is a pastor and Pat was a nurse. Now we work with UFM worldwide. Read on! (If you'd like to know what took us to Bordeaux, then start with the archives from September 2004)

Friday, April 03, 2015

What I feared....

the wifi has ceased to work at our place.

Phone works.
TV works.
But they can't connect to the wifi.

Tried to fix it online using Free's magic toolbox, but the configurations I put in don't seem to be activated...

Oh well. I have suggested that Pat asks our neighbour to negotiate with the internet company for her.

No comments:


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Author's details

Date registered: November 21, 2013

Latest posts

  1. Heat Wave Safety — July 19, 2013
  2. Pequot & Non-Profit Support — July 19, 2013
  3. Committee Proposal Condensed — February 16, 2011

Author's posts listings

Jul 19

Heat Wave Safety

Heat Wave Safety! Here are some links and useful information as we make our way through another heat wave.  It is also important to remember that by the time you are thirsty you are already in the process of being dehydrated. For the WXEdge Post — Not sure I agree entirely with #5… My daughter …

Continue reading »

Jul 19

Pequot & Non-Profit Support

Speaking at the RTM meeting restoring funding for Pequot. This is about more than just one entity and is about driving costs down while keeping services in place by working with our non-profit partners. That was reflected in my words at the meeting in the video below.

Feb 16

Committee Proposal Condensed

UPDATED FEBRUARY 23, 2010 AT 6:30PM EST. Below is a summary containing the resolution, most recent draft resolution based on feedback received, and several articles that have been written. For supporting documentation (copies of the agreement, related documents, the legal opinion, previous meeting minutes, etc.) please send me an email and I will send you …

Continue reading »

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Tag Archives: integrated treatment for dual disorders Hazelhurst WI

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Monday, December 12, 2011

DaWanda finds on Stylehive!

Send me your articles and get featured!

So, I'm looking for some new ideas for articles... Can you write about...

How to guides - everything from listing an item, to leaving feedback and buying items.
Craft business ideas
Promotion ideas
A day in the life of a DaWanda Seller
DaWanda Sellers at Craft Fairs
My First DaWanda Sale
Your favourite finds on DaWanda
Your DaWanda Pinboard
Sales or special offers in your DaWanda store
The new collection in your DaWanda store
Your first purchase on DaWanda
Your favourite Seller on DaWanda

If so then check out this link...

Each article gets a shop link as a byline.

Introducing... Misty Aurora!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: ~*~ Misty Aurora ~*~ Dingalin's Handmade Goodies
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? February of 2008
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes
5. What Category are you under? Jewelry
6. What do you sell? I sell handmade jewelry and accessories
7. Describe 2 of your current products.
I had a polymer cake craze this weekend so i made a bunch of fruit cakes and pies into earrings that you can find in my shop :)

8. Tell me a bit about you... I currently live in Sweden enjoying the amazing scenery and the clean air (!).

My handmade adventure started about 10 years ago when i was still in school, making and exchanging polymer clay pendants with my best friend.

I love making jewelry and accessories with a variety of materials.

Mostly I work with polymer clay, beads and felt but im always up for the custom order challenge.

Every day I try to discover a new way of making stuff so be on the look out for new special and unique goodies in my shop.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? My blog is at : and you can also find me at Flickr : and Facebook

Sunday, December 11, 2011

What is DaWanda?

To help explain what DaWanda is to those of you who have stumbled across this blog site...

DaWanda is a site based in Berlin, Germany and they state 'Dawanda is the online marketplace where those who love uniqueness meet people with a passion to create.' What does this mean? Well it means that each seller has spent time hand crafting and hand making each item and has put passion and love into each item.

This site is perfect for buying gifts for friends and family, or even that little 'pay-day' purchase! The site offers secure on-line purchase and supports payment by Paypal (more information coming soon).

I have found the DaWanda site to be very easy to use and there are several ways in which you can search for your gift ideas.

  1. By category.
  2. By colour on the Coloranda, which is great if you have something in mind already.
  3. By Seller.
  4. Keywords.
  5. Technique - for example photo.
  6. By new product.
  7. By new shop.
  8. By featured item.
  9. Pinboards - surf other DaWanda sellers favourites.
  10. Trends - shop by DaWanda's trend information, from popular items, to popular sellers.
  11. Style Lab - your way to buy your own commissioned pieces.

If you would like to know more about DaWanda and find useful hints and tips for buying and selling, then please press the following link DaWanda - Your complete guide to buying and selling on DaWanda This is also a permanent link on the right hand panel.

If you wish to go straight to the on-line shopping site then please choose one of the following links;

DaWanda - English site

DaWanda - French site

DaWanda - German site

Introducing... Studio Bee!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Studio Bee
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? I registered Aug 2007, but only opened my shop January 2008.
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? I have requested an entry in the Directory.
5. What Category are you under? Art
6. What do you sell? Original paintings. Still lifes and portraits from your own photos.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

The eyes are the most important feature of my portraits. Whether it is the soft melting brown eyes of the two Border Terrier brothers, or the little girl with beautiful blonde hair and smiley blue eyes.

8. Tell me a bit about you... I am a British painter currently living on the island of Cyprus, with my husband, four foundling dogs and two cats. I suppose I am a bit obsessive ... I have to paint, and no day feels quite right unless I do :) I love to find that certain expression in a face that makes it unique. Then I work away until I've expressed it on my canvas the very best way I can.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? Work in progress and snippets of my life on the island of Cyprus can be seen at and completed paintings at

Saturday, December 10, 2011

I'll take the Checks!

I am totally smitten with this awesome top and skirt set from Akasha Couture. Too bad I can't fit into a S/M to save my life. Maybe you can and then you will have your very own one of a kind outfit! So check it out and remember to pin her fantastic shop!

Written by Andreanna of

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Looking For A Handmade Product That You Create?

Then look no further! Find all of your fully customisable products using DaWanda's Style Lab.

The Style Lab is easily accessible with lots of products especially designed for you to add your own personal touch. Here's a taste of their current offer...

English site - Style Lab
French site - Style Lab
German site - Style Lab

It's simple and easy to use...
  • Choose the product you like... introductions include the price and shipping costs
  • Press 'Create my Style'
  • Read the description (there are easy instructions to follow on the right hand side of the screen, if you forget the following)
  • (An aside - If you wish to find out who you are buying from then press the sellers icon at the top right of the page, or press profile.)
  • To continue buying scroll down the page.
  • You will now see a list of items, or 'elements' that you can choose from in order to make your own unique version of this product, from main colour to choice of prints, etc...
  • Select you choices by clicking the little blue box under the 'element' you wish to have.
  • Once selected these will fill the boxes that read 'Please select an element'.
  • Scroll down the page.
  • Add a message to the seller... for example if the description does not indicate how long the seller will take to make your item, then ask the question.
  • Press the button under 'Create the product with your selection?'
  • You now need to confirm your purchase in the usual way

I hope you enjoy creating your own products!

Written by Sara of Sara's Texture Crafts

Introducing... HipKid!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Hip Kid T-shirts
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? I opened my shop January 18, 2008. So it's pretty new.
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Not yet, but I plan to be soon.
5. What Category are you under? I sell under Children. But I have some adult T-shirts that I will be adding soon.
6. What do you sell? I sell funky and hip T-shirts for babies and children.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.
In my shop you can currently find silk-screened tattoo T-shirts. You can choose a heart tattoo with either mom or dad in the center. The tees come in pink or chocolate brown. I also am starting a line of organic cotton tees and onesies. Right now I have an organic onesie with a mom tattoo silk-screened on it.

8. Tell me a bit about you...
I am Suzanne. A technical writer during the day and a designer and silk-screener at night. I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband and 6-year old son. My son is my muse. When he was a baby his favorite color was pink, but he wanted a robot on his tee. Try to find a boy's tee in pink with a robot or a cowboy. So I started silk-screening my own T-shirts and found that I loved this creative outlet. I haven't stopped since. I hope to be doing this for a long time, but who knows how it will evolve.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? I have a blog that I updated usually once or twice per week. It's a bit schizophrenic, as I like to cover lots of topics.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Introducing... Lucy's Jewellery!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Lucy's Jewellery
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? I opened my shop January 12, 2008
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes, just today.
5. What Category are you under? Jewellery
6. What do you sell? Handmade jewellery made in various techniques, styles and materials.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

a) These adorable earrings are made of silver and precious rare peruvian opal stone. Earrings are also oxidized and smoothly polished to give them an antique look.

b) Romantic necklace in light rose and white colors with a focal polymerclay bead.
Perfect for any occassion including Valentines Day!

The necklace sits very comfortably and it is lightweight, because of plastic beads. I also used glass seedbeads and antique copperwire.

The lenght of the necklace is 40cm (this type of the necklace sits very close to the neck).

8. Tell me a bit about you... My name is Lucy (Ljudmila) and I'm 19 years old. I'm from Estonia, from the small city Haapsalu. At the moment I'm studying at the university in Tallinn. I study interior design and am totally crazy about it!

My second passion is making handmade jewellery. I have been making them now for 8 years and still am not bored! I get my inspiration for jewellery from the materials, nature, colours and even interior design.

Take a look around in my shop, I hope you will find something especial for you or a gift for a friend!

9. Do you have a website, or blog? Yes, I have a blog-

Monday, December 5, 2011

The CPSIA and You

We've all been hearing a lot about the CPSIA recently. For those not in the know, that's the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, passed in the US in August and ready to go into effect February 10, 2009.

There are a number of provisions to the new law, and many of them are welcome and make a lot of sense. Among other things, the CPSIA requires that a company do a lot more to publicise recalls, getting information about unsafe products into the hands of those who need it more quickly. It also bans lead and phthalates in children's products. Personally, I don't see a lot to object to in either of those goals.

Another thing it does, however, is require testing for lead in 'all consumer products primarily intended for children twelve years of age or younger.' Said testing must be performed by an accredited third-party laboratory. (Information from the official CPSIA site; I suggest taking a look at this for further information.)

Who does it apply to? Perhaps it might be of more use to say who it doesn't apply to. For starters, this is a United States legislation; if you do not live in or sell anything to anyone in the US, you don't need to worry about it. The CPSIA also doesn't apply to you if you don't sell anything intended for the use of children under the age of twelve.

Which doesn't include a lot of things. But in addition to toys it does include products like:

  • Children's clothing
  • Sporting equipment
  • School supplies
  • Baseball cards
  • Bedding
Note that the above said nothing about the size of the manufacturer. It does not apply only to large toy manufacturers (many of whom could probably use more stringent testing requirements anyway). It applies to anyone who's making products intended for children 12 and under.

That's a whole lot of us, folks.

Without going into detail I'm simply going to say that the testing is out of your price range. It's certainly out of mine (and believe me, I'm glad I decided to go into bath and body instead of, say, carved wooden toys).

So what's to be done? Alas, most of what follows will only work for US residents, but some of it will still apply to people everywhere.

The goal is to convince the US government that while regulating testing for large companies is fine (and honestly a really good idea), there should be exceptions for small, home-based companies. There are a lot of ways to do this.

Here are some petitions to sign:

Petitions are great and all, but there are plenty of other things to do, too:

  • You can always write your congress person and senators; there's a sample letter here. This will be even more effective if they serve on the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection or the House Committee on Small Business. Better yet, call them. Be brief, concise, and above all polite.
  • Contact local news outlets -- this is a local story as well as a national one! Find some local sellers (This link will do that on Etsy; I'm not sure how to do it on DaWanda or Artfire), especially those who sell children's things. If there's a local toy store that sells natural children's toys, they'd be great too. Ask for a business reporter and tell them that you have a number of local businesses about to be driven out by this legislation -- chances are if you do the spadework you'll soon see a story.
  • is a great place for making lots of issues heard -- check
  • here to vote for the CPSIA. The top 3 issues in each category will be presented to President-elect Obama.
  • Send an email directly to the CPSC or contact chairperson Nancy Nord at 301-504-7923. While you're at it, call the CPSC ombudsman's office. The number is 888-531-9070. Again, be brief, concise, and above all polite.
  • Get the word out! Blog about it, Twitter (with hashtag #cpsia), find others blogging about the same issue and comment. There's a Facebook group, a Ning group and a thread on Etsy.
  • Here's a badge you can put on your blog or website to help spread the word.

This tale is still playing out -- let's all do what we can to keep the US friendly for small businesses.

Written by Kate of

Saturday, December 3, 2011

My Valentine Finds on DaWanda - post your entries!

Have you got something to sell the world for Valentine's Day? Or have you found the perfect item for your 'special someone'?

I'm looking to feature a selection of artists here as a special DaWanda Valentine's feature... if you are interested please visit the forums and post your items here 'Show me your Valentine's'.

I will also be selecting my favourites to pin on my pinboard at To My Valentine!

Sara x

DaWanda teams... Sellers working together!

Have you seen the DaWanda shopping Community lately? Well groups of Sellers have started to put together several specialized teams at in order to help promote their shops, their crafts and spread the work about DaWanda.

Here are the few there are so far...
DaWanda Promo Bags
German Sellers
United Kingdom Sellers
French Sellers
Australian Sellers
Jewellery Makers
Glass Anarchists
Fibre and Felt
Everything about Paper

They are all free to join and could prove a great help to newbie shop owners, Buyers who love to buy a particular product and want to find the shops on DaWanda and as fun places to hang out and chat about your favourite crafts.

Meet our new Favourite Finds Editor!

Today I would like to introduce you to the very lovely Andreanna of Glamasaurus who has kindly agreed to share her favourite finds on DaWanda, here on the DaWanda Directory Blog.

You may have already spotted Andreanna's sweet jewellery making waves over on DaWanda and seen her cute little avatar around the forums and the DaWanda Shopping Community ... well now we will have the her very welcomed help here too! To catch up with Andreanna and find a few tips on what to put in your DaWanda shopping basket do check out Andreanna's articles (usually posted on a Thursday) at Index - Favourite Finds on DaWanda.

Thank you Andreanna!

Friday, December 2, 2011

DaWanda Shopping Community - New Rules

Recently we have had a run of negative things happening on the Shopping Community and so to avoid further disruption and emails from upset members I would like to set some ground rules.

So here are my rules for site interaction and SPAM...
  1. MEMBER PAGES - Please feel free to list where you sell and your on-line networks within your own members page only. Please also tell us about you and your work... you can also add an RSS feed from your personal blog here too.
  2. MEMBER PAGES COMMENTS - Please leave a comment for other members and help to grow your own network of on-line friends. Remember to keep those comments friendly!
  3. MEMBER PAGES BLOGS - Please only relate your entries to your DaWanda shop, your personal work, tutorials or related blog. This is not a space for you to mention other shopping sites, or networks and these entries will be removed. Repeat offenders will be banned from the network.
  4. COMMENTING ON MEMBER BLOGS - Leave a comment related to the post in question, or a general 'this is a great place, thanks for sharing' comment... we all like to hear that! Do feel free to leave discussion based comments... it's always good to hear feedback or work with new ideas. Do feel free to ask a question... we are here to help. Please do not leave negative comments... it's unfair to the sellers who work hard to promote themselves and DaWanda here and also to the buyers, who wish to share their DaWanda experience.
  5. CONTACTING MEMBERS - Please do contact members if you are interested in what they do, would like to invite them to a group here on the DaWanda Shopping Community (only do it once!), or have a question about their shop, or products. Please do not SPAM other members (or all of your added friends and group members) and ask them to visit your shop, your sale, your external sites. Repeat offenders will be banned from the network, I cannot allow members to be upset within the community.
  6. EVENTS - Please add shop sales, events and competitions to the Events page... you are also welcome to add an entry for any craft fairs, markets and shows you may be selling at... who knows we may just come and visit! Please do not create events for other shopping forums, or unrelated topics. These will be removed and repeat offenders banned from the network.
  7. FORUM - Please add topics related to each category... you will note that there is a special place to promote your shops and sales here. Please feel free to join in and comment on any of the forum threads you find there. Please do keep topics and discussions friendly and positive in tone... this site is a representation of DaWanda buyers and sellers and a promotional tool for all of us, so let's keep it 'up beat'. No... naming and shaming! This site is not part of the Dawanda company and these topics should be discussed with the DaWanda company through their feedback system only. Repeat offenders will be banned from the network.
  8. GROUPS - Please do add groups related to DaWanda and keep them open to all members... this is a community and members should not feel excluded in anyway.
  9. NOTES - Please do not add notes... this is for site reference only.
  10. PHOTOS - Please add photos of your work, turtorials, events and business. Please make sure that they are safe for all viewers, including children.
  11. VIDEOS - Please add videos of your work, turtorials, events and business. Please make sure that they are safe for all viewers, including children.

If you have any concerns, queries or things to report please contact me via the 'Report an Issue' tab at the bottom of the page.

Thank you,

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Introducing... Lola Van Loo!

1 DaWanda Shop Name: Just my name: Lola van Loo ;)
2 DaWanda Shop URL:
3 When did you open your shop? in July 2008
4 Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes.
5 What Category are you under? Jewelry
6 What do you sell? Jewelry made from Swarovski crystals and pearls as well as from glass and plastic beads. At the moment there are bracelets, necklaces and earrings in my shop. From autumn I will also make rings and hair accessories.
7 Describe 2 of your current products.
- MAUDE Earrings - for wedding or other romantic moments - vintage inspired earrings with ivory colored Swarovski pearls and metal cameos.
- COCO Long Necklace - for the colorful and coltish sites of life - bonbon-colored long necklace with lilac, fuchsia, crystal and ivory-colored Swarovski crystals, plastic beads and plastic heart pendants.

8 Tell me a bit about you... I am a crazy and coltish girl who spends her days (and sometimes the nights) interviewing celebrities, writing scripts and hosting radio shows. If I am not at work or spend my time with my favorite occupations such as free climbing, reading, and dancing... I create jewelry pieces all the time! I knew from a very young age that I wanted to live a creative life. So every free minute I sit at my desk and create jewelry. The little girl in me is attracted to anything that sparkles, the young lady in me in all things modern, vintage and romantic. It is a great feeling to see the smile people get when they see something that I have made.
9 Do you have a website, or blog? and

Saturday, November 12, 2011

DaWanda Sellers Blog Group – how to join and where to find members.

Where to find them…

They can be found at Select category 'shopping' and then subcategory 'crafts' - This is where we are listed.

The owner of the ring is Sara's Texture Crafts and you can find monthly updates at Crafts of Texture

How do I visit all of the blogs from other members?

On the right hand panel of this blog there is a box with I love DaWanda. Here you will see the words next, previous, random and list. By pressing any of these you will be taken directly to another members blog site.

How do I join?

Membership is free to all participants, but you must be a DaWanda Seller, whose blog links to their DaWanda shop. It would also be great if you could help to spread the word about DaWanda occasionally.

You must also display the group ring symbol on your blog before you can be accepted. The HTML code to place on your blog is on the completed application form – don’t forget to copy it and add it to your site before you exit your sent application.

Here is where to apply - Application Form

Once a member is approved, they will also have an item added from their shop to the DaWanda Sellers Blog Group pinboard at DaWanda Sellers Blog Group Pinboard

I have joined – What happens now?

Apart from enjoying a little extra blog exposure you can read updates at Group News & Updates these include features, ideas for promotion and group news.

DaWanda Shopping Community - Membership Requirements.

With new members arriving almost daily in some cases, it does take time to sift through applications and make sure we are accepting credible members to the community. So to try to make this process easier, safer and quicker I have introduced some new requirements for applications.

You can find them here at Membership Applications

Friday, November 11, 2011

Come and join the DaWanda Shopping Community on Ning!

DaWanda Shopping Community

It's free to join and is easy to use... Come in, pull up a chair and meet fellow sellers and buyers from DaWanda on this new social networking site.

What can I find there?

Each person gets their very own page when they join, which they can customise once their membership has been approved. Here's mine to show you what they could look like You can add a little bit a bit you and what you do on DaWanda, or if you are a buyer, maybe you could put what you like about DaWanda?? You can also use this page to add blog posts about your latest crafts, purchases or products and to connect with other members as friends and leave them messages.

There is a groups page, where you can interact with other members and discuss topics of a relevant nature and there is a forums page where you can catch up with anyone who is on-line or pops in to say 'Hi'.

Do pop over and check it out... would be lovely to meet you all.

Sara x

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

A Special Thank You!

A special 'Thank you' goes to ContasCoeln aka ContasKoeln for translating the DaWanda Promo Bag thread into German for me and for helping to bring the communities of DaWanda together.

July Blog Carnival – Crafting on Holiday

This month’s carnival is entitled ‘Crafting on Holiday’, so I am looking for entries inspired by this theme. Entries could include;

Holiday additions to your shop
Your favourite finds this month on DaWanda
Up and coming Craft Fairs this month
Your personal craft work this month
Your favourite holiday purchase
Your crafting on holiday check list
Your crafting on holiday tips
Crafts you take on holiday
Crafts you have seen on holiday
Summer Craft Courses you have been on

Of course there are many more possibilities… so I will leave it up to your imagination!

So how do you enter your article? Well it’s simple… post your article on your blog and follow the instructions here Remember your entry doesn’t have to be the longest article and photos always help!

The deadline for your entry is 15th July 2007. All accepted entries will be published on or around the 17th of July.

Monday, November 7, 2011

New Topics to Write About...

Our recent poll just finished and so I can announce some new topics for Sellers to write about.

They are;
  • A day in the life of a DaWanda Seller
  • DaWanda Sellers at Craft Fairs
  • My First DaWanda Sale

Please visit this link 'Want to be a Guest Writer?'to find out how to enter your article.

Introducing... Moonstone-Creations!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Moonstone-Creations
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? 27 03 2007
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? yes
5. What Category are you under? jewelry
6. What do you sell? jewelry, supplies , paper crafts , cards
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

I have some very simple yet effective earrings made from precious stone chips. They are very casual but add a touch of color to any outfit. All metal parts used are nickel-free.

I have a friendship card that is made with alcohol ink on acrylic sheet, every card is different as the ink never makes the same pattern twice.

8. Tell me a bit about you... My name is Linda and I live in Belgium.

I've been creating all sorts of things for as long as I can remember but lately it seems to beads that rule!

I sell my jewelry under the name Moonstone.Creations at a local store.

I also teach basic techniques in workshops and organize creative birthday parties for children.

I'd love to hear from you, tips for items to sell are welcome! Just gives me an excuse to make some more !!! :)

I'm married and have a Thirteen year old son, a dog , two cats. I lived in California for a while and have travelled throughout Europe.

I love different cultures and wish we all would ....there is so much out there to see, so many people to meet and wonderful things to experience!

9. Do you have a website, or blog?

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Spring into Spring Contest

Glamasaurus is having a competition! Let's find out how to enter...

'Kiss the Frog' always has these lovely giveaways in her blog so for all my faithful or even not so faithful readers I am going to have a contest. All you have to do is comment on my blog entry at I will either use a random number generator or if the lovely miss Isabella does not try and eat the paper I may let her pick numbers from a plastic noahs ark (yes we are low on hats around here):D.

Your prize will be a necklace from my new collection-

So comment away! (remember to fill in your email address so I can contact you)

In two weeks I will pick a winner!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Introducing... Artemissne!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Artemissne art jewelry
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? In the first week of March 2008
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Not yet, but I'm in the Shopping Community by Sara's invitation!
5. What Category are you under? Jewellery (artists)/forging or /pearls, beads & precious stones. There isn't a separate section for glass jewelry (yet).
6. What do you sell? Jewelry made from my own glass beads, combined with silver and (semi-)precious stones.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.
my stormy silver ring: I made this glass cabuchon which I mounted on a snake-like silver ring from purple, ivory and black glass, and melted fine silver in it. The result is dramatically organic, a vortex: if you look at it for too long you might get sucked in! I wonder if it has any stormy powers. Now that could come in handy sometime...

And a series I'm really happy about is the talisman/talisvrouw (transl. -"woman"): faintly evoking primitive cultures with spiral designs on the focal glass beads on a silver chain of tiny Balinese or stamped Thai Hill Tribe silver beads and semi-precious stone beads. The beads reminded me of dryads, tree spirits and protectors, so I decided to donate a percentage (10%) of every sold necklace to an environmental organization, Natuurpunt (they work locally here in Flanders).

8. Tell me a bit about you... Since I've been a bit overly talkative above I'll keep it short: I'm Kristien and I'm owned by two felines and a hedgehog, in a little cottage near Ghent, Belgium. Chronic fatigue syndrome makes my life "interesting" but it's not the end of the world. After all, who doesn't like napping? :-)

9. Do you have a website, or blog? Both. But I guess my homepage is the best start:

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

How to make a DaWanda Pinboard

  1. Log in and go to My DaWanda.
  2. Press My Pinboards and you will find that one has been already set up for you by DaWanda. If you had previous saved favourite items these will show up here.
  3. Give your pinboard a name - At the top of your board is an editable section... You can change the title and leave a message.If you had items already stored, they will show up below... each will be in it's own box and you can add comments that you would like to share. You can also delete (remove from pinboard), add to basket or forward any items to your friends.
  4. Adding a new item to your pinboard - as you are browsing through the site and look at any item in more detail you will find in the top section that you can give an item a heart, add to pinboard, or forward to a friend. Select add to pinboard and choose which board you wish to add it to. You can also add a comment here... this will be visible on your pinboard once saved.
  5. Creating a new pinboard - When you find a new item and select add to pinboard you can choose to add to an existing board or a new one. Select a new one and give it a name.
    Comment on other people's boards - there is an area at the bottom of each board for comments from viewers...

Viewers can also buy from these boards, so show off those great finds!

Blog Carnival – The Holidays on DaWanda

This month’s carnival is entitled ‘The Holidays on DaWanda’, so I am looking for entries inspired by this theme. Entries could include;

  • Your Christmas pinboard
  • Your DaWanda shop over the holidays
  • Your favourite finds this month on DaWanda
  • Up and coming Craft Fairs this month
  • Your personal craft work this month
  • Your favourite Christmas recipe
  • Your Christmas gift list
  • Want I want for Christmas

Of course there are many more possibilities… so I will leave it up to your imagination!

So how do you enter your article? Well it’s simple… post your article on your blog and follow the instructions here Remember your entry doesn’t have to be the longest article and photos always help!

The deadline for your entry is 15th December 2007. All accepted entries will be published on or around the 17th of December.

Introducing... Aspen Spa!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: Aspen Spa
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? My shop opened on December 22, 2007
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes, thank you
5. What Category are you under? Beauty and Body
6. What do you sell? Soap, Scrubs, Aromatherapy, Lip Balm, Bath Salts and more
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

**Lemongrass with Sea Kelp Salt Scrub: This exfoliating scrub is made with a blend of mineral salts, grape seed and almond oil, vitamin E and essential oils. It smells heavenly, and gently removes dead skin cells from your body, revealing fresh, healthy skin that is moisturized and nourished.

**All Seasons Hand Salve: This perfect blend of moistuizing oils and essential nutrients is perfect for the seasonal damage that your hands endure. Made with cocoa butter, shea butter, tea tree oil and more, this salve is packed with nutrients to moisturize your skin and heal those troubled spots.

8. Tell me a bit about you...

I have been creating my own bath and beauty products for 2 years. Since I can remember, I've been concerned with all of the "mystery" ingredients in store-bought bath products. When I lived in Arizona, I found that it wasn't just folklore to use fresh aloe vera juice on sunburns--it actually worked to soothe and heal the burn! I'm a high school science teacher, and it's not always possible to buy the best products for my body on a teacher's salary! I began to research nature's own remedies for the common needs of the body; products I could use myself to be at my healthiest. I quickly discovered that the Earth contains many ingredients that gently clean and heal the skin, and leave it more moisturized than a store-bought product ever could. My discovery of nature's remedies, coupled with my passion for creativity, led me to create Aspen Spa--a line of beauty and bath products made with whole ingredients from nature. I enjoy creating new products, using them myself, and sharing them with friends, family, and now customers.

9. Do you have a website, or blog? No

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

My First Sale!!

I am so happy! I made my first real sale on DaWanda last Friday and the best part of it is that the customer loves the earrings! :)

Here they are:

It was really my "salvation" as I was prepared to give up my shop. I got an order which it was supposedly to be my first sale 9 days ago and I am still waiting to be paid... Actually, I am not 'cause I already asked the DaWanda team to cancel it. Too sad!

I just hope it will be the first of many sales! ;)

Sara says, 'I'm sure it will be your shop is beautiful!'

Monday, October 10, 2011

Adding your DaWanda Widget to your DaWanda Community Page.

You can add a DaWanda widget to your page on All you need to do is look under your profile box and there will be a text box. Press 'edit' and add the DaWanda code from your shop.

You can find your DaWanda shop code by logging onto your DaWanda shop page... at the bottom of your shop page there is an 'integrate these products with your website button'. Press that and you will be taken to the screen where you can make your widget. Choose your row and column numbers (how many you want to show) and choose your colours (you can press preview here if you want to). The code is then worked out for you, so all you need to do is copy the text in the little box and paste this into your page on Once you press save your page here will reload with the shop link showing.

Yay, Thanks DaWanda for making my life so much easier!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

DaWanda Shop Directory: March Blog Carnival - Vintage Crafts

Please note that this carnival is postponed until I return... therefore I am still accepting entries, so feel free to read about this months theme at DaWanda Shop Directory: March Blog Carnival - Vintage Crafts

How do I confirm a sale?

DaWanda will email you when an item has sold from your shop. You then need to confirm the sale to the buyer. You can do this by;

  • Log into your DaWanda account
  • In the ‘Overview’ you will see a blue link that says ‘New Sale’. Press this and you will be taken to your ‘Sales’ page
  • You will see new and pending sales under the ‘Open Sales’ section at the top of the page.
  • On your new sale, press ‘Confirm Sale’ on the right hand side. You will then be taken to the details of the invoice.
  • You will need to type in the confirmed Shipping amount in the relevant box… make sure to check where the Buyer has asked you to ship!
  • Then press ‘confirm’.
  • The buyer will then receive an email from DaWanda stating that their purchase has been confirmed and that they need to pay for the goods.

Remember if you want your Buyers to pay with Paypal, or to your bank account you must set these up before you confirm the sale.

Written by Sara of

Selling Online

by Carolina Gonzalez
Carolina González - My Little Magick Shop
Victorian Tribal Esoterica

The Problem

Sara asked me a few days ago to write an article about making the best of your Dawanda shop, since she had read several threads in the forum where sellers showed their concern about the low amount of sales they had. I have to admit that I had mixed feelings about the topic.

On one hand, I absolutely love Dawanda. I love the place, I've had the pleasure to confirm the efficiency and maximum care for sellers that the administrators have, I love the politeness on the forums. Oh, and listing is free! I do not even consider moving my shop to that "other" online venues with more traffic.

On the other hand, I really dislike that "ohmygod I'm not selling" attitudes from sellers. If venues like Etsy have such a success, visitors and sales, it's 80% a merit of sellers only. Etsy sellers are fans of Etsy; they buy there, organize themselves in Street Teams, write blogs, make blogrings, Flickr groups... and a million things I could add here. They promote the venue everywhere, all the time.

I don't see that on Dawanda. If projects like Sara's promo bags are doing so well, why not do it and send her your items? If what we need is traffic, then it's our responsibility to bring it in, in all the ways we can. We cannot just list things and wait for sales to come – selling online is not that easy, on Dawanda or on any other digital market.

To be honest, the only seller that makes a success is the one that works hard and patiently. You can't expect a flood of customers if you have only five items, badly photographed with your camera phone. You can't make what everyone else is doing. You have to become a real professional in order to have a successful life as an online seller. From banners to categories, from pic's layouts to business cards, everything is equally important. Look for an art/craft seller that is making a life out of Internet, and 9 out of 10 sacrifice long hours, sleep and personal life as much as someone who has a "physical" shop. If you really think there is success and future without complete commitment to your business, maybe you should be doing something else.

Do everything that is at your hands to promote your shop, don't use shortcuts and learn from those that you admire. And waste your time learning and becoming a better artist instead on complaining on the forums.

Tips To Become A Better Online Seller

LOVE what you do: the key of it all. If customers can't feel your passion about what you make, you will never sell it, no matter how well done your product is. You have to be in love with what you create to make others love it too. I think that the secret to find our true creative energies is to give it time and being humble. Look up for those that you admire, but don't copy! As we are all unique, there IS a unique way for you to express yourself.

A cohesive look: your banners, advertisements, business cards and pic layouts should all go in a theme, so customers can identify you easily and quickly. Iconographic branding is one of the most important parts of your business, believe it or not! Your image should reflect not only your personal tastes, but also the market niche you want to get to.

Good photographs: you won't make a sale without them. Learn to use macro settings and be playful and original. Attractive colours and textures can say more than any description, and they are the calling for impulsive buyers.

Good descriptions: the more information the better. Customers love to read a mix of personal stories, inspirations and all commercial data about the product (size, weight, uses, etc.). Take your time! My tip: writing descriptions in a document instead than in the listing window – I always write longer and better descriptions when I can see the whole text, and I can use the spell check. The key for non-impulsive buyers.

Professional customer care: there are quite a few online sellers I will never buy again from because they didn't even bothered to send me a thank you note, wrap the parcel secure and pretty, and things like that. A good presentation and safe shipping are a must to make your business known. Your customers are your only investment – treat them as they deserve! Always send them a thank you message after their purchase, and another one when their item is shipped.

Networking: be everywhere! Organize groups, participate in sample gatherings, promote other artists in your blog, write in forums, write in Squidoo, Stumble your friend's pages... again, the more the better. You won't attract traffic if people can't find you.

Organize your time: check the traffic at your page and learn to select the places where good traffic comes from, and leave others aside, so you get targeted traffic. Targeted traffic=sales. Give promoting a time every day, 30 minutes for example, and keep inside that time!

Don't put all your eggs in one basket: diversify the applications of your knowledge by teaching, giving seminars, selling locally, selling at home parties, etc. Online selling has better and worse times and you don't want to rely all your income on it. Also, the more things you do, the most interesting your blog will be. Customers want to know about the artist as much as they can, and who wants to know about the life of someone who's always at the computer?

Become an expert: first, learn as much as you can about your craft; then, help others learning for free. Writing articles, making tutorials and helping in forums is the best way to earn a good reputation, and will always take you to sales.

Having an online business is not instant success; it needs commitment, sacrifice, and above all, it needs true Love, because if you don't love what you do, you will grow tired of it quickly – and patience and continuance will be very much needed to make your business succeed. This process can take a long time and you shouldn't be afraid to make sudden turns and change your business direction until you really find something you can't get tired of exploring. There are no failures, but new beginnings!

Friday, October 7, 2011

How much is this in my currency?

Do you need to work out Euros into US Dollars, or British Pounds? Well, there are lots of easy to use currency calculators on the Internet so do not fear!

This is my favourite

All you need to do is select the currencies you wish to work out, in this case I chose to convert 1 Euro into British Pounds. Then you press calculate and in the top box appears your conversion rate. Couldn’t be easier! Remember to add on the postage amount so you get a total idea of the cost of your item!

Written by Sara of Sara's Texture Crafts

Advertising Spots... more information coming soon!

Here at the DaWanda Shop Directory I am hoping to bring sellers another option for advertising their shops... more details will be coming soon, so keep an eye on the blog.

Sara x

Thursday, October 6, 2011

DaWanda are having a Spring Sale!

DaWanda have invited Sellers to participate in their Spring Sale!

Buyers will receive 11% off of purchases on DaWanda from April 19th to April 26th 2009, between 18:00 - 00:00 CET according to the pre-selected product category of the day.

The daily pre-selected category is one of the DaWanda top categories: Fashion, Accessories, Jewellery, Art, Bags, Baby & Children, Home & Living and Supplies. On one day during this period, all categories will be included in the promotion.

All the listings which are included in the 11% discount program will be clearly marked to stand out on the DaWanda website.

Get over to DaWanda now to check out your sale bargain!

Written by Sara of

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Introducing.... eCRAFTic!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: eCRAFTic
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? 21/05/2007
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes
5. What Category are you under? Accessories, Bags and Purses.
6. What do you sell? Brooches, Pendants, Hairclips, Headbands, etc etc etc
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

a. Audrey Cameo Set: This Set is King among all my creations, my most sold product and part of my logo too. Wearable, glamorous, and definitively my favourite!!!
b. Amelie Set: This one is also a star in eCRAFTic's universe, bought for all those who worship this beautiful film, those who believe their destiny is really marvellous. One of my favourites too.

8. Tell me a bit about you...

I'm a Phd student who loves to free her mind from the laboratory by creating little fashion pieces made to let anyone stand out from the crowd. I'd love my hobby would become my job.

9. Do you have a website, or blog?

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Introducing... La Srta Pil!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: La Srta Pil
2. DaWanda Shop URL:
3. When did you open your shop? 13/03/2008
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Yes
5. What Category are you under? Art
6. What do you sell? Illustrations, prints
7. Describe your current products. Illustrations originals, i work on ink and watercolor, sometimes with digital, and then print in my own home, with a lot of care.
8. Tell me a bit about you... I'm a mother of two, love draw, make animations, do things with my hand, i like a lot plants and to care of my dog, Cooper.
9. Do you have a website, or blog? My blog is:

Monday, October 3, 2011

Love Letters

Dear Andreanna,
I can't live without you. Run away with me yada yada---Ok so I never got letters like this from anyone but I bet someone has. Maybe if you a re not the best on paper buy your sweetie this necklace to make up for her lack of love letters. Made by Tizzalicious this cutie is sure to steal her heart and probably earn you major points!

Written by Andreanna of Glamasaurus


text:
Tuesday, June 19, 2007

What's This?

I can't say how many times I have asked myself some variation of this question since becoming Oliver's mother. What's this new thing? This new insight? This new behavior? This new sleep pattern? Is this a new emerging skill or a one-time thing? In a comment on someone's blog recently I referred to myself as the Puzzle-Master because I am always trying to figure things out, to see patterns and devise strategies and approaches. My greatest frustration and the source of a lot of anxiety for me is the not knowing if I've got the right answer, if I'm doing the right thing, too much or too little. And sometimes, when I focus too much on what I think is lacking in my own abilities to get it right, I get stuck; I get overwhelmed with inertia.

Since Oliver's bout with the flu a few weeks ago, when his frustration over not being able to communicate seemed to take center stage even while his fever hovered in the so-high-it-makes-me-nervous numbers, I've been stewing. I've written before that Oliver's silence has almost become overlooked at our house these days. He is just our Oliver and he doesn't talk. We are happy when we hear words but it hasn't been our focus over the past year. Starting RDI helped me to feel more comfortable about not focusing on the language bit. Instead our goal became communication, which is a vastly different thing. And I've been so happy with his progress overall that it has helped me not to be so panicked by his lack of speech.

But then again, I would really love to hear what he has to say. I would love to know if he is cold or hungry or what he finds so funny. And I never want him to again be so frustrated because he can't say: "Just leave me alone!"

On the upside, Oliver is trying to use language more and more. I can ask him simple questions and he can respond:

"What's this?"

"A cow."

"How does a cow go?"

And he is repeating much more of what I say and can label just about anything. But it is all prompted. Very little of it is spontaneous. And I am starting to see that he has trouble making certain sounds. And sometimes he has trouble being able to produce a word that I know he knows. And sometimes he just says the first sound or syllable of the word. And sometimes he just tries to get away from me!

So what to do? If speaking is something that causes anxiety for Oliver then I don't want to keep pressuring him to talk by always asking questions. On the other hand, it is SO encouraging to hear his little voice and to know that he knows certain things. It gives me immeasurable hope. And yet I find myself almost constantly barraging him with questions and that isn't right either. Who wants to be constantly bombarded with questions?

After thinking about it a lot I determined that I need to find a structured approach that will help to address his issues of competency so that his level of anxiety will also gradually decrease. So for now I have settled on the Association Method because it is a "multi-sensory" approach to teaching language syllable by syllable. In a way this very much parallels the RDI approach to autism remediation in that areas of challenge are addressed in a very incremental way that focuses on building competencies.

I am more than a little anxious about getting started. I'm not a teacher or a speech pathologist. I never could learn grammar, myself. Why do I think I can do this? And this method teaches reading and writing simultaneously. ... Is this biting off more than I can chew? More than Oliver and I can chew together? Well, maybe. But I'm going to give it a try anyway. But gently. And hopefully Oliver and I will develop our competencies as we go along. Together.

Isn't it amazing the world that opens up to you when you are a parent?

  1. The thing with Autism interventions, is that you don't know if it will work, until you have tried it with YOUR child. Several years, and thousands of wasted dollars later, you may actually have a working plan:P

  2. Anonymous7:14 AM

    good luck with this new method. i have no doubts about your ability to learn it and teach it and that oliver, well, he is one smart dude!

  3. Anonymous10:52 PM

    I'm also looking into using the Association Method with my son who's 7.What is appealing to me is that it uses reading and writing. My son from the age of 4 was able to recognise many written words. he was entirely self taught. Very often seeing the written word is a trigger for him to be able to say the word. Good luck. you never know Oliver might already be recognising written words.

  4. One thing that got me to thinking about the Association Method is that you NEVER ask a question until you teach how to answer it. You teach the sentence first and work on it until the child becomes competent. Only when the child is competent with that question, do you teach the child how to ask questions associated with the sentence.

    That means that you are not just focusing on getting information out of the child. You are teaching them that they can get information from other people. That, in a true relationship, sometimes you share ideas and, at other times, you ask for ideas.


text:
Providing Asset Management and Advisory Services to TIC Owners

Bridger Asset Management LLC ("BAM"), a division of Bridger Commercial Funding, to date has been retained as an asset management and special situation management specialist by a number of TIC investor groups. BAM staff are specialists in managing disruptions like those that TIC investors face because of a Sponsor's bankruptcy or financial or other difficulty.

BAM provides asset management and advisory services during the transition period and following. The terms of our engagement are flexible to meet TIC owners' varying requirements. For further information on our experience and ability to assist you, please contact:

Paul O'Rear, Senior Vice President
Peter Grabell, Executive Vice President

Auction Results

1. The successful bidder at the auction was TIC Property Management, LLC (“TPM”). TIP bid on both acquiring the 1% interests held by DBSI and the right to negotiate for an assumption of the master lease. TPM is taking the position that they intend to purchase the 1% interests in all of the properties even if they do not become the asset manager/master tenant for any property. This will require two actions on the part of investors: — immediate notice to TPM of their limited role as DBSI’s successor and their obligations to the other TIC owners. — immediate amendment to the TIC agreement to clarify TPM’s role as DBSI’s successor as a TIC owner.

2. We have received DBSI’s proposed form of assignment agreement for the Option 2 properties. As you might expect, they did not strictly follow the auction requirements and tried to expand the form of assignment to protect their position. We have objected to their form and submitted a revised copy of same to the court. 3. TPM most likely will approach investors and try to negotiate an assumption agreement. Counsel has reviewed their forms of asset management and master lease agreements, and they contain many unfavorable provisions (increased fees, minimum term, termination fees, etc.). Finally, it appears that none of the lenders has indicated a desire of any TIC group to approve TPM as a replacement master tenant or asset manager.

Date to Hear Motion for Rejection of Master Leases extended from December 30 to February 4

The US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware that is hearing the DBSI bankruptcy case announced on December 19 that it has extended the date to hear motions regarding rejection of DBSI Master Leases to February 4, 2009 from December 30, 2008. This gives TIC owners additional time to consider their strategies as relates to a replacement Master Lessee and replacement Asset Manager.

To discuss the property and investment implications of your group's decision regarding replacements for DBSI, please contact:

Don Farmer, Senior Vice President

Peter Grabell, Executive Vice President

Testimonial From DBSI Investors working with Bridger

So far you guys have been doing a great job on the two DBSI Investments I own. This pro-active approach is putting us well ahead of the curve. Keep up the good work!

- DBSI Investor

Group Leaders Can Request Information from DBSI

DBSI has established an e-mail address (for now) where Registered Group Leaders only can submit information requests, Expect to execute a Confidentiality Agreement (DBSI will provide the form.) DBSI will decide what information it will release, including lease and sublease information, and to whom. Direct your information requests to your Group Leader, who can convey your request to DBSI.

According to DBSI, "Group Leaders and their counsel are urged not to use the information to interfere with DBSI's direct contractual rights, including the right to receive rents from subtenants, until the bankruptcy court determines the status of their Master Lease." Also, check your Sharepoint site for information additions or deletions.

TIC Investors Looking for Other Investors

Below is a list of project/property names. We have contact with at least one investor looking to connect with their group.

Commercial Offerings

Colonnade at West Lake - Humble TX
East 37th Street(Vatterott II) - Wichita, KS
Fairlane Green Allen Park Michigan, Kellogg - Wichita KS
Lakeview & Sojourn, Coppell - Addison, TX
Sheridan Street Professional Plaza - Hollywood, FL
Tower Park - Waterloo, IA
Woodland Medical Office, LLC
1 East Broward Blvd - Fort Lauderdal, FL

Land Offerings

2007 Land Improvement and Development Fund
Cavanaugh Land offering in Meridian, ID

Email if you are looking to connect with these properties, or have other DBSI investors you are trying to find.

DBSI Sharepoint Server Access - download now

We have been hearing reports that DBSI is removing important property operating documents off of their Sharepoint server. If your TIC group has access to the DBSI sharepoint server, then download all the documents soon. They may not be available to you in the future.

DBSI Counsel Ultimatum on TIC Options

Click here to listen to a recording of DBSI Bankruptcy Counsel on 11/19/2008.


text:
Friday, May 20, 2011

Friday Favorites!

Every year, the goths in Seattle sponsor a float in the local Pride Parade, entitled the "Dark Side of the Rainbow." Today's Friday Favorites post is dedicated to the wonderful folks who march with this float every year.

Gothic Pride Seattle - Darkside of the Rainbow - One Inch Pinback Button Special Edition Set, by hereticsaint

Red Chiffon Dracula's Bride Gown by Kambriel:

Devil Heart Bottle by Kitcameo:

Red and black Cameo hairclip fascinator, by TheEmeraldSkull:

Butterfly Veiled Goth Tea Dress Rosa Collection 2010, by priscilladawn:

THE CROW, Black Lace Cuff, Goth, Victorian Style, by vivitoo:

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Friday, March 9, 2007

Thing 7: Tonic

Yesterday was “dine out to fight AIDS” day, with a number of participating restaurants donating anywhere from 25 – 100% of their profits for the night to Food & Friends, a very worthy cause indeed. So GFD and I gathered up various friends and significant others, and chose to spend our for-charity dollars at Tonic, a bar and restaurant in the evolving Mt. Pleasant neighborhood.

We chose Tonic for several reasons – they were donating 35% of their profits to Food & Friends, while most other places were only doing 25%, I am trying very hard to go to places I’ve never been and neighborhoods I might not normally go to, and I had heard that they made a rockin’ mac ‘n’ cheese. Also, the review in the Post had made it sound like a laid back place with dressed up comfort foods that went out of its way to cater to the locals in the community. It sounded like the kind of scene I dig.

I’m going out of my way to say that I really wanted to like Tonic. And I am really sad to report that I didn’t. I was completely underwhelmed and disappointed.

It didn’t help that I had made 9:00 reservations and that no one seemed to be ready for us and we didn’t get seated until 9:20. Then there was the debacle of our waitress spilling an entire glass of red wine and an entire vodka martini directly into the lap of one of our dining companions. She clearly felt terrible and the restaurant gave him a t-shirt to wear, offered to launder his shirt while we ate, and comped his entire meal, but he was understandably cranky after that.

Tonic's tater tots. More tot that tater, really.No, the real disappointment was the food. I concede, the tater tots were delicious, being deep fried and wonderfully crunchy (“more tot than tater”), and came with a ‘kitchen sink’ dipping sauce that we all enjoyed. But that was the highlight of the meal. And frankly, when tater tots are the highlight of your menu, there is a problem.

The mac ‘n’ cheese that I was ready to write home about? It came served in a cast iron skillet and looked promising, but the cheese sauce was runny, not thick, the Mac 'n' cheese. That's about it, really.flavor was bland instead of rich and cheesy, and the texture was grainy from some kind of cheese they use that didn’t melt smoothly.

I had a half rack of ribs, that came dry rubbed and with a sweet apricot BBQ sauce on the side to dip them in. They were fine, but not particularly memorable. My dinner included a side of baked beans, slow cooked with bacon, which were tasty. Other people ordered a chili burger (a big ol’ mess of beef, chili, cheese, bacon and sour cream), a flank steak, a strip steak, a veggie burger, and meatloaf. The meatloaf – a gargantuan slab of meatloaf with a thick mushroom gravy and a side of mashed potatoes, was the best thing anyone ordered by far.

We were all stuffed full of meat and carbs and couldn’t bear to look at a dessert menu, so we got the check. I had the beginnings of a tummy ache, and the boyfriend wasn’t doing too much better. The combination of such heavy food at such a late hour wasn’t sitting well. No one seemed thrilled with our Tonic experience, but at least our dollars went to a good cause, right?

Side note: I’m writing about the things that make DC special, so I have to write about the ducks. As I was waiting for the 42 bus to Mount Pleasant last night, at a corner of Franklin Square, there were about 50 ducks in the park! A homeless woman was feeding them stale bread, and they were all in a huge, writhing duck cluster, honking and squawking away. I have no idea where they came from – there is no body of water nearby – or if they’re there every night as I’m not usually hanging out in Franklin Square after dark. It was just this strange anomaly, fifty ducks not three blocks from the White House in the middle of downtown.

I took some pictures, but I’m limited to my Treo until I buy a digital camera, so forgive the poor quality.

The Franklin Square ducks! The Franklin Square ducks!

Jenny said...

it turns out tonic was the not the cure, but the "cause of what ailed me"... felt a little sick when i got home last night! late hour or too many carbs? who knows... i'm thrilled that the "eat out for life" project exists, and that we participated, but if we are ever tempted to go to tonic again... maybe we should just triple-fry some tater tots and drink from the box.

Jessica said...

So, we tried to do the dine out for AIDS thing last night too and all the places in VA were too crowded. So Rob was starting to get mildly angry at AIDS patients in general and to pacify him I was forced to eat at a restaurant not on the list. So, I feel your pain. I agree with Jenny-fry and drink my own next time and just send in a donation!


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Sunday, February 28, 2010

A Weekend in Rye

February may seem an odd time of year to head for the beach, particularly in England. But we had a good reason: the annual Rye Bay Scallop Festival. Rye is a small village southeast of London on the south coast of England. Actually, it's not quite on the sea; it's two miles inland now. It was a port city until the sea retreated a few hundred years ago. Rye Bay is full of scallops, hence the festival.

While I was excited about the prospect of scallops, I had done little to no research about the town (or about the cool places we could have stopped on the way). So I was a bit nervous when I read on the car ride that Rye is one of the most popular places in East Sussex and is now very commercialized. I needn't have worried: We rolled in to Rye about 45 minutes before sunset after a 3ish-hour drive from Cambridge and quickly discovered that, although it's clearly a tourist destination, it's still adorable. The pretty little town includes Ypres Tower, once a prison that served as part of the town's 13th century defenses; the gorgeous Church of St. Mary, which has been around for 900 years or so; pretty half-timbered buildings, and charm galore.

Another draw is the nearby coastline and nature reserve. We got a good dose of both on a walk on Saturday. We woke up to find the sun shining that morning, so after a lovely breakfast at our hotel, we drove out to Rye Harbour, a mile or so closer to the sea than Rye, with the intention of spending a few hours walking. Rather suddenly, our blue skies had disappeared and it had started raining. We suited up in our rain gear and walking shoes and headed out anyway. Ten minutes in, the wind kicked up and the rain turned to sleet. It was a bit ridiculous. We considered turning around, but at that point I was willing to continue purely out of spite. We figured we'd at least walk to the sea, then re-evaluate.

When we got to the sea, it had eased back into rain, and we could see signs of clearer skies coming. So, we pressed on and, sure enough, the rain stopped, and later the sun even came out. We mostly stayed on the path, but after a while, we ventured onto the shingle beach -- small, water-worn pebbles are called shingle -- and down near the water. Waves crashed furiously on the beach, warning of the storm that would come the next day. Even so, it was nice to be near water in sunshine. We carried on into the nature preserve, which is, we're told, great for bird watching. I'm afraid we aren't birders so if we saw some interesting birds, we don't know it. We did encounter quite a few people with binoculars and cameras with telephoto lenses, though, so there must have been some interesting wildlife about.

The highlight of the walk was Camber Castle, built by Henry VIII in 1536 to defend the area from attack by France and Spain. It's only open on summer weekends, but from the looks of it there's not a whole lot to see on the inside. The outside is much more impressive. It's rather understated, as castles go; it sits in the middle of grazing land, and you have to know where you're going to get there. (Interestingly, sprinkled throughout the area are little "pill boxes" -- concrete structures built during WWII to protect the area from a land invasion. 400 years separate the construction of the structures to serve essentially the same purpose.)

But of course, we came to Rye to eat some scallops. And we did. (I should say now that I'm going to talk about food for quite a few paragraphs. If you don't like reading about food, you should skip ahead. Or maybe stop reading this blog.) Friday night, after reading a great many menus and taking into consideration our mood for more a casual place, we settled on the Ypres Castle Inn for dinner. While it looked like a pretty standard pub with some good choices of real ales, it had a pretty impressive menu that fortunately translated into an excellent meal. Like most places in town, the restaurant was offering a special scallop menu for the festival. I had a starter of scallops wrapped in parma ham, and seafood tagliatelle for my main course. JT had pan-fried scallops in lime and chilli sauce for his starter and his main course was seared scallops on chorizo with crushed new potatoes. All dishes were absolutely excellent. The pub was a friendly place, too; we struck up conversations with both of the guys working that evening and with some of the locals once the TV came on to show the rugby match.

The next night we dined at the Globe Inn, which we had seen advertised in the window of the local deli. Turns out one of the deli owners also runs the restaurant. When we walked in, the bartender questioned how we found out about the place; the Globe is a few minutes' walk outside the town and so doesn't attract many tourists. We were very well cared for and had a delicious meal. JT went the non-scallop route: He had a mezze starter -- tzatziki, hummus, chorizo, and pita bread (a fine starter, but not very strong either), and a black angus steak with mustard mashed potatoes. He said it was easily the best steak he's had in England. Definitely a delicious dish.

I went for the posh scallop menu. The starter was a scallop sampler: one seared with seaweed (delicious), one tempura-battered and fried (the best one -- so delicate), one "drunken" -- pan fried and served floating in a shot of vodka (gimmicky -- but both scallop and vodka were awesome). My main course was scallops poached in champagne served on fried chorizo and pancetta served with a lovely salad. Extremely delicious. I finished with a cheese board with Kentish blue cheese, stinking bishop, and (maybe) Camembert, and JT had the traditional British sticky toffee pudding. We can't say enough about the Globe Inn -- it's well worth the 10 minute walk out of town.

Sunday morning we woke up to the edge of a storm that absolutely pummelled northern France. On our end, it shook the windows of our 400-year old B&B and rain slapped the windows in sheets. We wimped out on braving the elements to watch the second annual scallop race, where people run with a wheelbarrow full of scallops down to the docks and back. By late morning, though, the rain and wind had calmed down a bit, so we walked down to the pub/restaurant where the race finished. Sure enough, the place was packed with racers finishing off their coffees and hot chocolates -- the race had gone on despite the weather. The pub, The Ship Inn, was instantly inviting: Good jazz playing in the background, delightfully mismatched tables and chairs, families crowded around playing Scrabble in the front window, an espresso machine pumping out 'proper coffee' (what it said on the sign), a pile of Sunday papers on the front table, two real ales and four local ciders on draft, a roaring fire. THIS was a place I wanted to spend some time.

We had a coffee over some newspapers, then a pint over more newspaper. Then we wondered what the menu looked like, sure we weren't ready to eat yet after our big breakfast. We got menus; suddenly we were hungry. JT had a smoked haddock and parmesan pot (to spread on toast) -- I stole some of this and can tell you it was excellent. Then he had chicken, ham, and leek pie -- also truly delicious. My entire scallop tasting menu was divine: leek & potato soup with seared scallop; a scallop served in the shell with some potato and a lovely sauce; and seared scallops with smoked prawns and corn fritters. I'm a big fan of the Ship Inn now.

On Friday night we had a drink in The George, a popular Rye bed and breakfast with a posh restaurant and a great bar. We had a drink at a table in front of the enormous fireplace and people-watched as people arrived all dressed up for their evening out. The Ypres Castle Inn, the Ship Inn, and the George set the bar pretty high for us in terms of local pubs.

We very much enjoyed our bed and breakfast -- the White Vine Hotel, a small, family-run business with a lot of attention to detail. We didn't get to spend time in the pretty front tea room, nor did we eat in the restaurant, but truly enjoyed our experience here as hotel guests.

We were sad to leave Rye but also excited at the prospect of not being rushed, of being able to unpack and settle back in, and watching the US-Canada hockey game. But we made one more stop on our way out of East Sussex: Bodiam Castle, built in 1385 and complete with moat. We both forgot our National Trust cards so we didn't go in, but we were very happy to stroll around the grounds and admire the view. It made for a nice end to our Very English Getaway Weekend.

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Sunday, January 8, 2012

University Study Confirms Neonicotinoids Killing Honeybees

by Alan Harman
Frightening new research shows honey bees are being exposed to deadly neonicotinoid insecticides and several other agricultural pesticides throughout their foraging period. The research, published in the scientific journal PLoS One says extremely high levels of clothianidin and thiamethoxam were found in planter exhaust material produced during the planting of treated maize seed. The work, which could raise new questions about the long-term survival of the honey bee, was conducted by Christian H. Krupke of the Department of Entomology at Purdue University, Brian D. Eitzer of the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Krispn Given of Purdue.

Read the rest of the article HERE

And to download the study:

  1. If you don't use a pdf reader, because you've lost faith in pdf's, being one of the most prolific computer virus transmission vectors (that was a mouthful), you can read it on the PLoS ONE (Public Library of Science)site, in good old HTML, with links to all the reference research, if you want to follow on any sources easily.

    I have a pet hypothesis of my own, that this is the reason HFCS is said to be bad for bees. Well, not bad, compared to starving. As it was put it in the January 2012 issue of American Bee Journal, "Honey is better than Sucrose [white sugar] is better than HFCS", and I would add, "is better than starving." (Honey > Sugar > HFCS > Starvation)

    I have yet to read a peer reviewed paper, and it may be out there, that says HFCS is bad for bees, so I've treated it like hearsay or anecdotes, so far. But if HFCS is actually worse for bees than Sucrose, despite HFCS being formed of sugars that much closer to honey's own sugars than Sucrose is, my pet hypothesis would hold that: it's these type of systemic pesticides used with corn, finding their way into the corn syrup itself.

    I mean, how could they NOT be in Corn Syrup of any kind, right? They don't affect the mammal nervous system the same as insects, so it's deemed safe for consumption. What I need to find is data, telling me how many and at what levels systemic pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, are detected in HFCS.

    I don't think, which is an admission that I don't know, that the sugar cane and sugar beet industries, which produce white Sucrose sugar, use any systemic pesticides regularly. This may be why it's considered safer to feed everyday white sugar, instead of a corn syrup.

    Anyway, I'm rambling. Just needed to post the link and shut up.

  2. Wow Chuck, I had not put corn and High Fructose Corn Syrup and these pesticides together, but it seems like a reasonable and easy-to-research-with-science assertion.


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Monday, December 16, 2013

Five Reasons to Keep My Security Bars

NOTE: This was an unpublished draft that for one reason or another I did not publish on the date given. In order to clear out my draft folder on 12-16-2013 I chose to publish it. However, I won't vouch for the completeness or accuracy of it, and it most likely does not reflect my opinion anymore.
1. Zombie Attack.. unless they get up to the 2nd floor then I'm screwed.
2. Gardening. I hang window boxes and trellis from them.
3. Flier holders. An alternative to placing them in my mailbox or fence.
4. Target for the Newspaper Guy. Aim for the door, not the plants.
5. The Henry Louis Gates, Jr. incident. You can't arrest me if you can't get in.... without a warrant of course.

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Posted on Oct 15, 2008 in Barack Obama, Beltway Politics, Campaign '08

DC Quickey

What Senator McCain should say during tonight’s debate:

“Senator Obama may say that his past is irrelevant and off topic. On the contrary, when a man runs for President of the United States, and holds the destiny of the world in his hands, everything about him, past, present and future is very relevant!”

“We don’t really know Senator Obama, all we have is a slogan, a sparse legislative record and a bunch of off-limit topics. What are you hiding Senator? People know who I am, do we really know who you are?”

“Leadership is about trust, how can we trust you when we can’t even get a straight answer on whether or not you were friends with someone or did or did not hear a sermon?”

“I am not George W. Bush. I am no more George Bush than my friend Senator Obama is Jimmy Carter.”

One can only hope McCain quits his Ben Stein act.


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Trump: I will go to Puerto Rico next Tuesday

President Donald Trump said Tuesday, September 26, 2017, he will travel to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico next Tuesday.

(CNN) — President Donald Trump said he will travel to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico next Tuesday.

Speaking in the Roosevelt Room, Trump said it was the earliest date he could reach the devastated island due to first responders’ ongoing relief and recovery efforts.

Trump said the US territory was “literally destroyed.”

“I know many Puerto Ricans, and they’re great people and we have to help them. It really was devastated. Some people say, I read it this morning, it’s literally destroyed,” he said, adding, “The infrastructure was in bad shape as you know in Puerto Rico before the storm, and now in many cases, it has no infrastructure, so it’s, you’re really starting from almost scratch.”

He said he may also stop in the US Virgin Islands during the Tuesday trip.

Trump, speaking later Tuesday during a news conference alongside Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, said a “massive effort” is underway in Puerto Rico to help the flattened US territory recover.

The federal government is “doing everything we can” to help the island’s hard hit people, Trump said. “All available federal resources, including the military, are being marshaled to save lives.”

He said he was directing all relevant federal agencies to participate in the recovery efforts, and insisted the relationship between FEMA and the island’s agencies was strong.

“We have been really treated very, very nicely by the governor and everyone else,” he said.

He said the nation had been tested by hurricanes over the past month, but said the “resolve of the American spirit” could not be broken.

Unlike the efforts following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Trump said, recovery is more challenging in Puerto Rico due to its geography.

“It’s very tough because it’s an island. In Texas, we can ship the trucks right out there, you know, we’ve got A-pluses on Texas and Florida and we will also on Puerto Rico, but the difference is this is an island sitting in the middle of an ocean, and it’s a big ocean, it’s a very big ocean, and I think we’re doing a really good job,” he said during his Roosevelt room comments.

He touted FEMA’s work, noting the “hourly” landing of water and food supplies to Puerto Rico’s airport runways, which he described as “devastated” and “broken.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump vowed that federal assistance is on its way to Puerto Rico, a day after he commented for the first time in days about the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria since it made landfall on the US territory.

“Thank you to Carmen Yulín Cruz, the Mayor of San Juan, for your kind words on FEMA etc. We are working hard. Much food and water there/on way,” he wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning, moments after Yulín Cruz appeared on CNN’s “New Day.”

Sharing harrowing details of rescue efforts in her city, Yulín Cruz praised the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “great job” and “logistics help.”

“Our bodies are so tired, but our souls are so full of strength that we will get to everyone we can get to,” she said.

Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico last week, whipping the island with Irma-level winds, drenching it in Harvey-level flooding, crippling communications, decimating buildings and damaging a dam that puts downstream residents at risk of catastrophe. Without power and communications for much of the island, millions of people have been cut off from the world since the hurricane hit.

Trump said Puerto Rico is “very important” to him.

“These are great people, they’re wonderful people, they’re hearty people, they’ll be back,” Trump said.


text: Jim Lehrer will step away from his regular anchor role on PBS NewsHour effective June 6, the latest in the evolution of the pubcaster’s signature news show that began broadcasting in 1975. Lehrer has been anchoring or co-anchoring the newscast for 36 years; he will still appear many Fridays to moderate the weekly analysis segment with Mark Shields and David Brooks, and he will remain involved in the editorial direction of the newscast as part of the program’s producer MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. In December 2009, the show changed its name from The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer and added senior correspondents Gwen Ifill, Judy Woodruff, Jeffrey Brown, Ray Suarez and Margaret Warner to the anchor rotation. That team will continue on, minus Lehrer. “I have been laboring in the glories of daily journalism for 52 years … 36 of them here at the Newshour and its earlier incarnations … and there comes a time to step aside from the daily process, and that time has arrived,” said Lehrer, who has moderated 11 presidential debates and has interviewed every U.S. president since Gerald Ford.


text: It looks like the senator will be adding another Batman film to his resume. Leahy says he was invited to make a cameo appearance in The Dark Knight Rises in a scene with Christian Bale (Batman) and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox). The movie will be screened in the senator’s home state of Vermont on July 15 ahead of its July 20 U.S. premiere. Leahy says Warner Bros. CEO Barry Meyer will join him at the Vermont screening. This isn’t Leahy’s first big screen appearance. Leahy, a lifelong Batman fan, also appeared in The Dark Knight in 2008.


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31 December 2014

Wrapping up 2014

Wrapping up 2013
  1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?
    Bought a house!
  2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
    From Last Year
    • A bad habit I'm going to break: Snacking mindlessly (NOPE)
    • A new skill I'd like to learn: Photoshop (like a pro) (MEH, although for work, I've had to step up my game)
    • A person I hope to be more like: My manager, who is patient and kind and outgoing (Sometimes I feel like I was starting to learn, but ...)
    • A good deed I'm going to do: Donate blood. It's been a while since I've been able to do this (NOPE. I also found out that I am AB, so in addition to any inability to donate on my part, it's also the least helpful blood type...)
    • A place I'd like to visit: The El Paso Mission Trail (I was not able to do this this year, but we did go to Carlsbad Caverns, instead, which was a really good trip)
  3. This Year
    • A bad habit I'm going to break: Buying snacks from a vending machine
    • A new skill I'd like to learn: How to do a stunning cat eye
    • A person I hope to be more like: My husband, who is mindful and organized.
    • A good deed I'm going to do: Donate to one of the many public services we utilize
    • A place I'd like to visit: All of the conservation trails in my neighborhood
  4. Did anyone close to you give birth?
    Indeed! We had a baby girl come into the world shortly before Christmas
  5. Did anyone close to you die?
    Thankfully, no.
  6. What trips did you take?
    Mexico! It was just Cancun for a few days, and it was for work, but hey! I got a passport stamp.
    Nashville—another work trip that was tons of fun
    El Paso—we went down for a family wedding and had a blast
  7. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
    A diet and exercise routine
  8. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
    June 1, the day we moved to our new house
  9. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
    Getting our shit together and buying a house. There were a lot of obstacles and hurdles, and it was emotional and financially terrifying, but everyday we are in this house, I feel better and better about our decision.
  10. What was your biggest failure?
    My big mouth
  11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
    Just the usual colds, allergies and sinus things.
  12. What was the best thing you bought?
    Our house!
    A 10' Tall Christmas Tree
    A new couch that J actually fits on
  13. Whose behavior merited celebration?
    Our families all came up to spend Thanksgiving with us, and it was wonderful.
  14. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
    There was an incident of "baby name theft" that left me pretty angry.
  15. Where did most of your money go?
    Our house...I'm beginning to see a theme.
  16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
    My birthday present, which was a vinyl recording of my favorite Smashing Pumpkins album. Buying a house (HOUSE!)
    The potential of a whole new world in the kitchen when I got a stand mixer for Christmas.
  17. What song will always remind you of 2014?
    Let Her Go by Passenger (THANKS, BUDWEISER)
    Counting Stars by One Republic
    Argentina I, II, III by Tokyo Police Club
    I Wanna Get Better by The Bleachers
  18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
    Taking advantage of our beautiful neighborhood and all of the trails near our house.
  19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
    Being hung over—it's not like it was in my 20's. Now if I have a hangover I spend 3 days feeling like shit instead of one morning.
  20. How did you spend Thanksgiving?
    We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year
  21. How did you spend Christmas?
    With our MA family, eating a delicious dinner and drinking the best Old Fashioned I have ever tasted.
  22. How will you be spending New Years?
    Probably sleeping
  23. Did you fall in love in 2014?
    As always
  24. What was your favorite TV program?
    Gilmore Girls on Netflix
  25. Do you "hate" anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
    I think that I've come to decide that "hate," even the mild pretend "hate," is a completely wasted emotion. This doesn't mean that there isn't anyone that could have made this list, just that I choose not to participate in this question anymore.*
    *I have added an addendum to include the strong sense of dislike that I feel for people who mark up library books.
  26.  What was the best book you read?
    The Handmaid's Tale
  27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
  28. What did you want that you also ended up getting?
    The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness on vinyl.
    A new dining room table and a new couch
    Cowboy boots from Nashville
    An Aqua Stand Mixer
  29. What did you want that you did not end up getting?
    A greyhound, which happens every year. One day I will have a house and a schedule that allow for a dog, but right now it wouldn't be fair to a four legged family member
  30. What was your favorite film of this year?
    The Imitation Game
  31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
    I turned 30, the big doble-quinceañera. We went ice skating, had some dinner at Border Cafe and then went to Harvest for some great dessert and cocktails. We had a piñata, but decided to save it for the summer when more people were able to join in the fun.
  32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
    If I had done a better job re-learning spanish
  33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
    Plaid and Flannel
  34. What kept you sane?
    Prozac and Klonopin, and allergy medicaiton
  35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
    Benedict Cumberbatch, Alli Speed
  36. What political issue stirred you the most?
    I got pretty riled up about our local ballot questions. Turns out we moved to a red zone.
  37. Who did you miss?
    I always miss my grandmother—buying our house and settling down up here made me think of her and her house quite a bit when I found myself trying to figure out what makes my house my home.
  38. Who was the best new person you met?
    Our neighbors are wonderful
  39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014
    "Don't spend time with people who don't treat you well," among other things.
  40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
    Two sips from the cup of human kindness
    and I'm shit faced, just laid to waste.

08 January 2014

31 Things to do Before 31

  1. 100 Pushups
  2. Do another 28 or 30 day challenge
  3. Log my food and exercise every single day for a minimum of 3 months
  4. Go ice skating
  5. Run a 10K
  6. Go to sleep early
  7. Improve my posture
  8. Buy a house
  9. Knit a sweater
  10. Schedule "me" time at least once a week. Strive for at least two hours of solitude
  11. Meditate
  12. Visit a new state
  13. Visit a new museum
  14. Go to at least one lecture or creative performance
  15. Read Four Classics:
    The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
    The Age of Innocence (Edith Wharton)
    The Stranger (Albert Camus)
    The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood)
  16. 52 Weeks listing Things for which I am Grateful
  17. 52 Weeks to an Organized Home
  18. 90 minutes of Yoga at minimum once a week
  19. Learn about my family tree
  20. Make cheese souffle
  21. Buy a watch
  22. Make hot buttered rum
  23. Take a stunning photograph
  24. Write a haiku
  25. Make a pair of earrings
  26. Get my eyebrows shaped professionally
  27. See a Penn State Game at Beaver Stadium
  28. Letterpress
  29. Buy number or letter balloons for an occasion
  30. Find a new shade of lipstick
  31. Buy It's a Wonderful Life on DVD

07 January 2014

30 Before 30 List Update

Up until 30, for some reason it made sense to me that I wanted to to x-1 things before I turned x. But 29 before 30 seemed kind of...silly. 30 is big. 30 is...thirty. So without further adieu, my list of thirty things I wanted to do before 30:
  1. Visit Fallingwater
    Frank Lloyd Wright's PA treasure was beautiful, and definitely worth the wait. We got tickets for the in-depth tour, and we learned some really interesting facts about the house, plus I was allowed to take some really great pictures with a wide angle lens that I rented from borrowlenses.com.
  2. Visit a new state
    I was not able to do this this year. We made it up to Maine, out to California (twice), Nevada, and back to PA, but we've been to all of those places before.
  3. Visit a new museum
    I visited the Andy Warhol museum while I was in Pittsburgh over the 4th of July weekend. It was pretty awesome, and although they didn't allow photos, I was too mesmirized by the David Bowie interview to really pay attention to anything else (well, besides the silver clouds)
  4. Make my own flavored vodka
    I made cherry flavored vodka with a mini-bottle of Bully Boy and some in-season black cherries. Sonic ain't got nothing on my homemade cherry limeade slushes!
  5. Make ice cream
  6. Find a piece of good furniture
    I feel like I did one better and got a very beautiful rug by Austin artist Alyson Fox (from West Elm). It is gorgeous and I love it. We even bought a vacuum cleaner JUST BECAUSE I love this rug so much, and want to take care of it properly forever. We also finally got around to getting a cube Expedit for our vinyl collection.

  7. Grow tomatoes
    Yeah, baby
  8. Add a lens to my camera collection
    After some deliberation, I decided to rent the lens I wanted whenever I needed it. This worked out for the best, financially. Although I'd still like to add it to my collection eventually, the cost for this one was prohibitive.
  9. Take bird pictures
    Done! Got a photo of a hawk a week after I posted this, which was more than I ever could have dreamed! Now I need to use the good old telephoto lens and get some "real" bird pictures as the telephoto intended.
  10. Make a lightbox
  11. Finish knitting a blanket
  12. Sew a skirt
    I will update with this project soon!
  13. Make a travel book for guests/Scrapbook about Boston
    I collected some maps from the airport, and gathered all of those plus soaps, shampoos, and a list of suggestions for things to do.
  14. Take a haunted trolley tour
  15. Ride the Swan Boats
  16. Learn to play guitar
    Ha. Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking.
  17. Take spanish lessons
    I didn't really follow through on this, even after I looked it up and asked around.
  18. Read Three classics: War and Peace, Persuasion, and Crime and Punishment
  19. Start waking up early
    I had to start waking up before 6:30 for my new job. So...done!
  20. Visit a national monument
    Turns out that Symphony Hall is a National Monument, so check!
  21. Run another 5K
  22. Repaint/refinish our kitchen chairs
  23. Overhaul the sh*t out of my closet
    My intentions were good, but I did not have time for this.
  24. Overhaul the sh*t out of my online portfolio
    I kind of did this, but not to the depth or extent I wanted.
  25. Serve on a Jury
    Okay, this wasn't strictly on my list, but I did finally get to serve jury duty. It felt great to do my civic duty, even though the trial was pretty abysmal and left me with little sense of justice. Innocent until proven guilty, though, right?
  26. Get my first tattoo
    I decided I'd rather have a house. We'll see what happens after we save all our extra $$$ and buy property.
  27. Do 30 days of yoga
    I did this challenge
  28. Keep a Therapy Journal
    I never got around to this, but I do jot down some of the more important things when I think of them or when they help me more than usual.
  29. Set a measurable goal in therapy
  30. Eat a cleaner diet
    J and I started doing Paleo in July. We hoped to make it a lifestyle change instead of something we did for a few weeks. I think it made us more aware of where our food was coming from, and how lazy we had become since I started working full time. We're still making adjustments, but it was good for us, and we both lost some weight and learned some things.
Total: 20/30