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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

What We Learned About Our Community

Today we heard from Tom Candelaresi. He has a financial service business and has a non-profit called the American Financial Educators Alliance.

Tom is currently a member of the Cincinnati Eastside Rotary, but was our Batavia Club President in 1987-88 during our 50th anniversary year. During that year they celebrated on the B&B Riverboats. Back in those days they served at Camp Allen, did an annual spaghetti dinner, did an easter egg hunt at Sycamore Park, and established the flag stand in Batavia. The thing Tom remembers most is that they met at 7am on Saturday mornings above the old post office in Batavia. The part that amazed Tom was that so many came out to be a part of Rotary at that time of day on a Saturday.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

What We Learned About Our Community

Today we heard from Rick Crawford. Rick was made the county historian by the Clermont County Commissioners in 1964. He’s written 14 books and been the sports editor for numerous papers. He gives tours on a regular basis.

Rick shared some neat facts about our county:
  • Olive Branch, Withamsville and Bethel are all 200 years old.
  • Moscow is having its bicentennial this year.
  • Methodism in the Northwest Territory started at a church in Milford
  • 7th oldest county in Ohio
  • Battle of Grassy Run was fought in Monterey. This was the 2nd largest Indian battle.
  • U.S. Grant (Civil War Commander in Chief) was born April 1832 in Clermont County. The next Commander in Chief was born in Laurel.
  • Tobasco was named after U.S. Grant was speaking near Mt. Moriah church. He took off his coat and told his wife, “This coat is as hot as Tobasco sauce.”
  • Charles Lindbergh landed a plan in Clermont County, and this was the first time a plane was seen in this area.
  • Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Booty Collins, is from Clermont County.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

What We Learned About Our Community

Today we heard from Margaret Jenkins and Trevor Corboy from the OSU Extension Program and Look to Clermont (LTC). LTC is a “place-based” youth leadership program for high school students that partners with local organizations to foster relationship pathways to emergent careers. The theory of place-based education is to have young people go different places in order to prepare them for the future.

The goal of LTC is to prepare teens for leadership roles in both work and family life today and into the future while encouraging young talent to remain in or return to their local communities to work and life. Their model is being considered for use in other parts of the state. Students get into LTC on recommendation of their high schools or by responding to an ad placed in the newspaper.

Key features of the program:
  • A call to action and teambuilding day where they tour parts of our county to learn about our history, agriculture, civic engagement and education.
  • They learn personal finance, safety and justice, community development, envisioning the future and leadership skills.
  • All students earn college credit and continually return to the community in which they live and work.

A few challenges they face:
  • Navigating the College Credit Plus program
  • Long-term sustainable funding (roughly $500 per day)
  • Emergent and rotating place-based learning strategies
  • Utilization of university online learning platform.

For more information contact Margaret Jenkins jenkins.188@osu.edu 513-732-7070

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

What We Learned About Our Community

Today we heard from Terri Lessnau of the Clermont County Boys and Girls Club which was established in 1996. They serve kids from ages 6 through 18 in New Richmond, Amelia and Glen Este. Terri shared how they have made numerous changes and partnerships to improve and stabilize their overall operation in the county. One major merger was to join together the Clermont County Club with the larger Greater Cincinnati Boys and Girls Clubs Organization. They have added a certified teacher and incorporated hot meals where they sit down together and learn manners.

The club operates on a Three Pillar Program:
  1. Graduate - working with the schools to help complete homework.
  2. Fit for life - requiring 45 minutes of physical activity daily.
  3. Ready to serve - working with local non-profits to help kids learn they can serve others.

Some of their other programs include:
  • First tee-A national program that teaches kids the game of golf.
  • Smart girls - Helping girls from ages 10-13 and 14-16 to make good decisions.
  • Passport to manhood - Helping boys from ages 10-13 and 14-16 to make good decisions.

A celebration will be held on Thursday, April 7 2016 at Receptions in Eastgate. Contact Terri at tlessnau@bgcgc.org or 513-888-0977.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

What We Learned About Our Community

Today we heard from Harry Snyder who is President of Great Oaks Career Campuses. In 1968 Hamilton County got things started with vocational education in our area. Today, they touch 36 school districts, serve over 28,000 adults, over 15,000 secondary students, have over 1200 business partners and offer 30 different career programs. Great Oaks is a state-funded school with a $60 million dollar budget. They offer all sorts of trainings and certifications for various fields including police, fire, aviation and CPR.

A few stats:
  • 94% of students are currently employed or enrolled in continuing education.
  • 46% go on directly to postsecondary education.
  • 84% of the 2015 student class passed a state of industry recognized assessment.
  • 96% of students are working in the profession in which they were trained.

Harry shared about a new program called RAMTEC. This stands for Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Collaborative. They collaborate with manufacturers, begin with short-term adult training, offer many certifications (Fanuc, Motoman, Mitsubishi, Parker, Yamasaki, Alan Bradley), expand to high schools and expand to lower grades through a mobile lab.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

What We Learned About Our Community

Today we heard from Cindy Gramke of Clermont Senior Services. Clermont Seniors has been caring for older adults for 47 years. They have a renewal levy on the ballot March 15.

Clermont Senior exists to provide a broad range of in-home services to keep seniors living in their own home as long as possible, delaying nursing home placement and saving taxpayers. They focus on things such as service, performance excellence and being careful, responsible stewards of taxpayer and donor dollars. Their typical customers are 75. Currently, the youngest is 60 and the oldest is 104.

73% of all revenue for services comes directly from the levy which has not increased in 15 years. Other revenue includes UW, Rent, Fundraising and Passport. In 2008 they lost about $1million in revenue and have been working to use their funds wisely, consolidating and cross-utilizing their staff wherever possible.
The following is a breakdown of funds:
  • Home care - 34.21%
  • Transportation - 18.84%
  • Case Management 13.93%
  • Adult Day Services 12.71%
  • Home-delivered meals 7.75%
  • Lifelong learning centers 3.50%
  • Volunteer resources 1.40%
  • Home repair .83%
  • Congregate meals .14%

For more information go to www.yesforclermontseniors.com

We also heard from Dan Ottke of Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities. They have a levy on the ballot March 15 which will replace 2 continuing levies that were originally passed in 1979 (.4 mill) and 1980 (1 mill). Replacement will combine the continuing levies into one moving forward. Since 2010, they lost over $1.8 million annually from state and federal sources. The needs of people with disabilities are on the rise, and without this levy passage their resources will be depleted by the end of 2017. There is currently a waiting list for services.

Clermont DD has done the following to conserve funds:
Downsizing of adult services
Reduces over # of staff from 189 to 159
Reduce by one building.
In 2015 and 2016 they put a freeze on offering any new services which impacts people needing community and home services.

A unique fact about Clermont DD is that they serve clients from birth through old age.

  • Early intervention and school age services
  • Full Time residential and day supports including transportation (Mandates)
  • Drop-in supports in the home
  • Vocational and day supports
  • Respite and assistance with summer care
  • Adaptive equipment and accessibility needs
  • Supported employment
  • Emergencies (Mandates)
  • Behaviour support
  • Investigations (Mandates)

For more information go to http://www.clermontdd.org/

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

What We Learned About Our Community

Today we heard from Mark Bryant of the Clermont County YMCA who spoke on the Global YMCA. The YMCA was founded in 1844 in London. Today, they are in 119 countries and serve 58 million people. They focus on local leadership and local needs and are far more than a “swim and gym.”

The Global YMCA Structure looks like this:
  • World Alliance of YMCAs
  • YMCA Area Alliances
  • National YMCA Movements
  • Local Y Associations and Branches

The Global YMCA currently has 270 Y-to-Y international partnerships to help 63 underserved countries. Mark shared that, in some countries, a YMCA is not a gym but rather a university because some countries do not have quality universities. Some YMCAs provide education and literacy programs. In Jerusalem the YMCA offers counseling to people who are hurting. The YMCA is the #1 provider of daycare in the United States. Global YMCA invest over $3million annually to help people all over the world.

There are many ways to get involved in with the Global YMCA. There are committees, global exchange programs, world service campaigns, fundraising efforts and volunteering at local YMCAs.


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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Peace on Earth

Merry Christmas!

I wish all of you the best of the holiday!

Take care, have fun and as my science teacher said to me and my classmates many seasons ago before going on Christmas vacation, 'See you next year!'

1 comment:

  1. D'awwwwww! :-)

    Merry holidays and keep on drawin'!

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As the Victorian era passed into the Edwardian and Roaring Twenties, a market developed for bisque and china bawdy novelties and figurines of women in revealing outfits. Although now most of these figurines seem more coy and cute than ribald and risque, in their time they symbolized the casting off of the perceived restraints of the Victorian era.

These little lovelies included bathing beauties, who came clad in swimsuits of real lace or in stylish painted beach wear, as well as mermaids, harem ladies, and nudies, who were meant to wear nothing more than an engaging smile. Also produced were flippers, innocent appearing figurines who reveal a bawdy secret when flipped over, and squirters, figurines that were meant to squirt water out of an appropriate orifice.

Most were manufactured in Germany from the late 1800s through the 1930s, often showing remarkable artistry and imagination, with Japan entering the market during World War I.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Dressel Kister Sisters

Although unmarked, this china charmer is a documented model from Dressel, Kister, and Company.     Of beautiful glowing pale porcelain, with soft blushing on her hands, elbows, cheeks, breasts, and knees, this 7-inch long languorous lady is molded in a sitting position.

She has the striated grey eyebrows and large languid brown eyes so often found on Dressel damsels, but instead of the typical molded grey tresses, a wig of mohair curls covers her bald solid pate.

Here is the identical wasp-waisted model, but with the grey molded hair incongruously found on so many of Dressel's nubile nymphs.

Like her eyebrows, her tresses are streaked to give the illusion of separated strands of hair.  Her blue-grey eyes have sultry shadowing underneath.

Here is the molded-hair version pictured in the company's 1911 catalogue.  She apparently came perched on her personal pedestal.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Case Studies

Over many years of collecting, I have added assorted other bathing-beauty themed items along with my china and bisque belles.  While straightening out a display case, I realized I had acquired a small sample of cigarette cases, each featuring a lovely lady.   This sterling sliver cigarette case with its nubile Nereid is typical of the art nouveau offerings by the Unger Brothers, a jewelry and silver manufacturing firm established in New Jersey in the 1870s. The firm became renown in the late 1800s and early 1900s for its elaborate and exquisite repousse art nouveau pieces, ranging from petite pins to entire vanity sets, and of course cigarette cases. The company's work often featured voluptuous belles, clad in little more than their own flowing tresses, floating in water or riding upon waves.  This stunning sterling sylph is 3.25 inches high and 2.5 inches wide.  The case is stamped on an internal bar or gate meant to hold the cigarettes in place with the Unger Brothers intertwined "U" and "B."   The case was clearly intended for a man, not only because of its bare buxom belle, but the back is also curved to fit snuggly in a man's pocket.

Featuring a more modestly clad bather in fired enamel, this case is 3.25 inches by 2.25 inches   Inside it is stamped with "800," which means it is 800 parts silver to 200 parts of alloy (sterling silver is denoted by "925"), as well as an unidentified maker's mark.  I suspect this piece is Italian, as prior to the establishment of hallmark regulations in the 1934, much Italian silver carried only mark establishing purity, sometimes along with a city or maker's mark.  Also, many years ago while exploring the jewelry and antique shops on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence I saw a case with a nearly identical, although badly damaged, enamel scene.

Another reason I think this case may be Italian is that the scene was "inspired" (a nice way of saying used without bothering about little things like copyright protection) by this postcard I believe was designed by Italian artist Giovanni Guerzoni, who worked in Milan from 1897 through the 1920s.  He is known for his soft impressionistic landscapes, portraits of pretty woman, and romantic themes.

There has been a flood in recent years of fake enamel cigarette cases, often with highly sought after erotic or historic themes, many selling for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. The case itself is often antique sterling or alpaca (a silver metal alloy created using nickel, copper, tin, and zinc, and often used as a silver substitute).  A ceramic plaque or laminated print is then inset into the cover or simply attached as a plaque on top.  This is how you can find an "authentic antique" erotic cigarette case with a British assay mark from the 1920s featuring a 1940s pinup girl!  The vast majority of antique cases were decorated with vitreous enamel, in which colored powered glass is fused to a surface by firing.  Most of the reproductions are using porcelain plaques or laminated pictures, often with images created using offset printing, in which the picture is made up of regularly placed dots.  The printed images used on the modern cases often are from from well-known Victorian or art nouveau paintings, or even old postcards that include the artist's signature (I have seen several of these cases using postcards designed by Luiz Usabal, whose work has been featured on this blog).  These artists designed the postcard, not the case!  As you can see in this enamel example, the signature was conveniently omitted.  The enamel work is softer and looser than the image on the postcard, with subtle changes in the scene and coloring.  A close up shows the enamel surface, including the expected wear and scratches, as these cases were meant to be carried about in pockets and purses and used regularly.  The enamel looks more like a painting than a print.

A close up of the postcard reveals the dots used on offset printing to create the image.  If you are in the market for an antique enamel cigarette case, check for these dots.  Also, do not be shy about questioning the seller regarding whether the image is original to the case and requiring that the seller the state on the invoice that the entire case is an original antique with vitreous enamel decoration.

An unusual alpaca case with the enamel filling an engraved design.  The case is 3.75 inches by 3 inches and inside has metal eyelets that would have one been strung with elastic to hold the cigarettes in place.  This was a much-used case and it appears at one point someone tried to efface an image or initials in the upper left corner.  Despite the surface wear and scratches, the details are still delightful, including her colorful cushions and the dainty pair of slippers sitting on the rug near her feet.

This case, probably dating from the 1910s or 1920s, was an inexpensive alternative to sterling cases with hand-painted enamels.  The image is a hand-tinted photograph printed on celluloid and resembles those found on little advertising mirrors and pins from the period.  Made of an inexpensive silver-tone metal, it is stamped "Germany" on the internal bar or gate. It is 3.5 inches by 2.75 inches.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Packing a Punch

This boxing belle may be related to the sultry sultana featured earlier on this blog.  Of high quality plaster, she shares the same slender modeling, unusual angular face with narrow eyes, and round reddish-brown base.  Wearing her original mohair wig, this pulchritudinous pugilist is 10.5 inches tall and, unfortunately, unmarked.  I wonder if she was originally costumed, and if so, how.  The modeling of her arms against her abdomen would have made dressing difficult, and her stylish high heels would appear out of place in the boxing ring.

However, in the 1927 silent film, "Rough House Rosie," star Clara Bow appeared in boxing garb, complete with pumps. Known as the "It Girl," Bow, with her head full of henna curls and vivacious, carefree persona, personified the young women of the flapper era. The movie was meant as a vehicle for Bow, one of the period's most popular actresses, so it is quite possible that some manufacturer created a pretty plaster prizefighter "inspired" by Bow in her brief boxing attire.  Unfortunately, the film has been lost, with only the trailer and some still photographs remaining.

A close up of her face shows the meticulous modeling, including parted lips exposing a row of tiny teeth.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Itty Bitty Bathing Beauties

A mere 1.75 inches high, including her base, this tiny china bathing beauty is surprisingly detailed and delicately decorated.  Her unusual base has a channel around rim with sew hole on each side.  Although marked only with a freehand "g" in black inside the base, she can be definitely attributed to the German firm of William Goebel.

One reason I can be so certain of my attribution is this quartet of diminutive damsels who have been featured earlier on this blog.  Although only 2.5 inches high, the figurine of the beach belle in the hooded “wicker" beach chair is incised underneath with the Goebel crowned intertwined “G” and “W” and what appears to be “P.O.” over “641.”  This is the only piece of the quartet that is marked.  She strikes a similar pose as that of the petite pincushion miss, with her hands tucked under her knees and her legs crossed at the ankle, though hers are left over right.  However the 1.25-inch long and high seated bathing beauty in red, who is clearly part of this series, is the identical model as that used on the pincushion base.  The reclining lady in red is 2.5 inches long and the decorator has added dots of blush to her knees.  The gal in green is a mere 2 inches long.  All these tiny treasures beautifully modeled and decorated considering their amazingly small size.

Friday, March 23, 2018

A Cat May Look at a King. . ..

. . . but in this case, this curious kitty is looking at something of a far more intimate nature.  No doubt another play on the double entendre regarding an affectionate name for a cat and vulgar slang for a woman's private parts, this prurient pussycat appears to be peering up her mistress's skirt.  This 4.25-inch tall bisque figurine is incised only “6435” on the back of the chair, but is certainly of German origin.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Playing Doctor

This lounging lady is of ivory and hails from China.  Such reclining nude carvings are called "doctor's dolls," based on claims that in ancient China a proper woman would not allow a doctor to physically examine her and would instead point out the ailing area on an ivory figurine of a nude woman.  Some experts challenge the truth of this tale, arguing that these carvings were erotic in nature and never intended to be used for diagnosis.  Whether these carvings were meant for therapeutic or titillation purposes, they were popular from the 1800s through the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) ban on the ivory trade in 1989.  Many were produced just for the tourist trade; when I visited China and Hong Kong in 1988, I saw scads of these scantily clad ladies in shop windows seeking to tantalize tourists and their dollars.  Most of these so-called doctor's dolls strike a standard pose, the lady lying on her side, leaning on one elbow, the other hand cupping a breast or modestly covering her crotch, with tiny bound feet clad in pointed slippers.  The carving varies from exquisite to mediocre and it is not uncommon to find a piece has been artificially aged by staining or heating to produce "age cracks."  This ivory belle appears to be an older piece and is more unusual as she is lying on her back and has dainty bare feet.  The carving is quite good, even indicating some structure to her abdomen, as well as details such as her flowing hair and her flower.

Her lacquer stand was carved especially for her, with indentations conforming to her curves.  Unfortunately, years ago it appears that someone tried to secure her to her stand with tape and the remnants of the adhesive have eaten into the finish.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

The Rambling Female Sailor

With jacket blue and trousers white
Just like a sailor neat and tight
Sure the sea it was the heart's delight
Of the female rambling sailor.

When in storm upon the raging sea
She was ready at her station
And her mind was as calm as calm could be
She loved her occupation.

                                                                             Rambling Female Sailor, circa 1830s

In the old folk songa young and pretty maiden decides to dress as a sailor and run off to sea.  Although this bathing beauty wears a swimsuit rather than "jacket blue and trousers white," she certainly appears to be calm and content as she sails her rather undersized schooner over the bounding main.  Of good china, this sea-going siren is actually a trinket or powder box.  Incised above waves on the back “Germany 10782, this belle and her boat are 5.5 inches high and 4 inches tall.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

The Supreme Flash of 1927

This flirtatious flapper certainly has a lot of flash in her form-fitting gold glitter bathing suit.  Of plaster, this golden girl is 16 inches tall.

Her sparkling slippers stand on a base incised "© N.S. Statuary Co."

This advertisement from the May 28, 1927, edition of "The Billboard," a publication for carnival concessionaires, features the same glittery gal by North Side Statuary Company of Chicago, Illinois.  Entitled "The Supreme Flash of 1927," the ad declares that this "new original copyrighted" bathing beauty doll is "already proven the biggest money-getter this year."  This shimmery sea-side siren is described as "natural flesh tone with highly attractive metallic bathing suit" who looks like she "just stepped out of the surf" and is a "Bathing Beach Banner Money Getter." Sounds like she's a bit of a gold digger! Packed 20 to a barrel, these twinkling tootsies were one dollar each.

For an inexpensive carnival prize, this bathing belle is surprisingly well sculpted and decorated, with a most appealing presence.  No doubt she tempted quite a number of nickels out of the rubes' pockets in her heyday.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

A Cryselephantine Coquette

Chryselephantine in ancient times meant a statue of wood, with a thin veneer of ivory representing skin and gold leaf picking out other details, such as clothing. The term is also used to describe statuettes produced during the art nouveau and art deco periods with parts of finely carved ivory inset into bronze or other materials.  This voluptuous bathing beauty is by Peter Tereszczuk, renown for his cryselephantine creations.  Born in the Ukraine in 1875, Tereszczuk studied sculpting in Vienna, Austria.  Most of his statuettes, representing everything from the innocence of childhood to erotica, were produced in Vienna from the 1890s through the 1920s.  This 6.5 inch tall belle of ivory and bronze  (including her marble base) is garbed in a bathing suit from the early 1900s, but her bust and arms are of ivory.  From the front, she presents the viewer with a bit more leg than would be proper at the seaside as she nonchalantly adjusts one of her garters.

However, a view of the back reveals that this little seaside siren needs to adjust more than her garter, as a naughty zephyr has blown up the skirt of her bathing outfit, exposing her bare bottom of subtly sculpted ivory.

A close up of her serene exquisite face and slender graceful arms displays the superb carving of the ivory.

The left side of the bronze base is  marked  with the intertwined "T" and "U" of the Tereszczuk-Ullmann foundry and "P. Tereszczuk."

The back of the base is incised "Made in Austria."

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Prima Ballerina

This beautiful bisque ballerina by Galluba and Hofmann is 7.25 inches high and 6 inches long.  A hole in the sole of her left foot fits over a supporting rod, allowing her to pose gracefully on tip toe.  She is unusual not only because of her pose, but also because she comes clad in a molded bustier, but no other undergarments. I added the tutu made out of antique gold mesh lace to cover her naked nether regions and maintain this delicate dancer's dignity.  The wood base is not original; she may have once posed on a pincushion, candy box, or bisque base.

A close up of her extraordinarily lovely face.  This ballet belle wears her original mohair wig

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Happy New Year!

Ending this year with a very different type of gal by Galluba and Hofmann.  This 4.5 inch tall little girl with her pet piglet is coated with finely ground bisque referred to as "snow."  Such snow children, often referred to as "snow babies," were first made in Germany in the early 1890s and were popular Christmas decorations through the early years of the 1900s.  Galluba produced a variety of such snow children figurines with different decorative treatments.  Some like this example were tinted with a soft faint golden brown wash, giving the appearance of ivory or alabaster, while the snow is a faint gray or slate. Others were fully colored.  Sometimes the snow covered just the base and was lightly sprinkled over the children's heads and shoulders and in other examples it completely covered the children's clothing.  The snow might be left realistically white or, when it coated clothing, colored blue.  As with all Galluba figures, the quality of the modeling and workmanship was always high.  Her piglet pal holds a four-leaf clover, a sign of good luck, in its mouth.  In Germany the pig itself was also considered a sign of good luck and prosperity. A person who is lucky might say "Ich habe schwein gehabt" (I have had pig). It is traditional to give gifts of candy pigs known as glücksschweinchen (good luck pigs) at Christmas and New Years and such propitious pigs were often featured on Christmas and New Year postcards.  Underneath, this snow child and her swine are incised "4644."  Galluba used a 4000 series number on its snow figurines.  Not all lasses with lucky pigs are so sweet and innocent; earlier on this blog I posted some more adult-oriented examples of German glücksschweinchen.

Here is a colored version offered by Theriault's, sharing the base with a little boy.  These charming children are 4.5 inches high and incised "4666."

Thursday, December 14, 2017

In the Mode

This fashionable fräulein clad in the epitome of Edwardian elegance takes her shaggy terrier for a stroll.  Her formfitting gown of emerald green and black is textured fine flocking, giving it the appearance of fabric.  This 7 inch tall bisque vase is incised “1071” on bottom back edge of vase.

She is part of a series of fashionable figures by Hertwig and Company of German, advertised in their catalogue as "Figuren mit Paperhüten und mit Tuchschur bemalt" (figures with paper hats and painted flocking). This lady has lost her original crepe paper hat and mohair wig, which someone has replaced with a turban of blonde mink.  As this catalogue picture shows, she has lost not only her original headdress, but also her male companion, as the set was advertised as "Paar Modefiguren" (pair of fashion figures).  The difference in the model number in the catalogue may be related to size, as the pictured set was advertised as 13 centimeters tall, or just over five inches in height.

A close up of her face, showing the flirtatious glance and subtle smile she once granted to her now absent gentleman admirer.

Friday, December 1, 2017

Gentle as a Lamb

The lovely lady with her loving lambkin is a big and very unusual figural powder dish.  The little lamb is the dish and a fluffy powder puff forms its fleece.

 Superbly sculpted from all sides, this piece is 6.5 inches long and 5 inches.  It is incised underneath “13746.”

Her slim, rather square face with narrow elongated eyes resembles those of certain delightful deco damsels by Gebruder  Heubach.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Rarity by Riera?

This elegant Edwardian is all original, from the top of her jaunty chapeau to the bottom of her velvet-covered box base (except for the antique paper rose I added to hide some damage to her left fingertips).  Twelve inches tall, she has a bisque head and limbs on an armature body.

Although there are no visible marks, the modeling and decoration of her face (especially the feathered eyebrows) recalls the lovely ladies made by Dressel, Kister, and Company.  The large expressive hands are also typical of Dressel.

Her feet are tacked to the box lid with little nails, which are cleverly disguised as shoe buckles.

Her base is actually a box, that may have once held some sweet treats or treasured trinket.

Her outfit would be the epitome of fashion in the late 1910s, with the unusual mushroom-shaped hat fitted low over the eyebrows, short jacket with a wide collar, high waist, and a full skirt, such as pictured in this fashion plate from 1917.

She may be a rare fashion doll dressed by Mademoiselle E. Victoria Riera, who created exquisitely costumed dolls in France in the early 1900s.  Riera is first mentioned in the French magazine Femina in 1908 as the winner of a doll dressing contest for three little ladies she garbed in detailed historical costumes.  Her dolls had bisque heads and limbs, which Riera bought from other manufacturers, and wore beautifully tailored hand-sewn costumes representing historical eras, regional folk dress, or contemporary fashion.  Her dolls were posed on velvet bases, often, but not always, with a label carrying Riera's name and the year.  These dolls were luxury items, exhibited at museums and high-end fashionable stores. Riera continued to dress dolls through the 1910s, including taking part in exhibitions to help raise funds for the French war effort.  This 12-inch fashion lady auctioned by Theriault's has an identical bisque head to my belle on a box, the same unusual feet with the nail buckles, and a similar velvet-covered base. Theriault's attributed her to Riera.


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Free CD

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1 Free CD on Sun Jun 22, 2014 7:27 pm

We caught a graphics/typo issue too late on our released CD. Decided to do another run. I have a bunch of these if anyone is interested. Just send me a PM or email with a snailmail address (USA only) if you'd like one and I'll send one out to you. No use having them sit around. I have a couple dozen with me.

It's free-form (though really not free of form) instrumental - fusion, ambient, and other stuff mixed in; funk, rock, etc. Just guitar and drums. It's jam yet, composition on the fly. Like a sound track with no movie is how it gets described by some. Tom (Cranor - guitarist) mixed and remixed until he got what he wanted, which includes a huge bass drum sound. You'd never know it's a 14x22. I was stunned by his final mix. Sounds enormous for just two guys.

Anyway, if you'd like one let me know.

View user profile http://drumsinhisheart.weebly.com

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Flood Damage Restoration in Hiram OH 44234

Locally Owned & Operated

Looking for the right Water Damage company for your home or property? Since 1980 we have been providing Water Damage services to the Hiram area.

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This is where water restoration companies offer the most value. You may take hours to Hiram OH 44234 learn and research to figure out best restoration plan for your property while professionals with years of hands on experience will immediately go to work and will restore your property in the most cost effective and efficient way. They will also advise you on potential issues with the construction of your building that might lead to future water damage issues.

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Friday, April 29, 2016

That Time Emma Fought A Snake. And Won.

When we were just a family of three with our little Matthew, I became very adept at dealing with a child whose list of fears was longer than Santa's "Naughty List." Loud noises of any type, the dark, big dogs, small dogs, bath water, running water, any type of water, sand, mashed potatoes...I'm telling you, the list was endless. We still have to prepare ourselves mentally and emotionally for a gigantic breakdown from Matthew on the 4th of July because the noise from the fireworks are too much for him to handle. We only survived last year because we gave him hunting ear plugs that cancelled out most of the noise, enabling him to enjoy the sights of the fireworks without the scary booms and hisses. When we had Emma, we were prepared to rear a child with similar fears and worries as her big brother. However, we soon discovered that Emma has absolutely no fear.

Emma's courage is mostly a good thing, although it has resulted in a couple hairy situations. She has attempted to pet a few dogs that were less than friendly, although their rabid barking failed to deter her from extending her hand out to every animal she spies. This is the reason she has been bitten by a goat, a llama, a horse, and (almost) a hog. The first time I took her to Lake Erie, she quickly ran into the surf and was almost overcome by a wave. While that moment completely terrified me and nearly convinced me to never ever bring the kids near a body of water again, Emma's love of the water never waned. For the most part, I admire and enjoy her tough, edgy demeanor and wouldn't change it for the world.

Emma's courage is pretty limitless and we recently discovered that this applies even to slithering reptiles that make both her father and brother cringe. Paul's greatest fear, other than spiders and worms of unusual size, is of snakes. To illustrate this point, Paul and I encountered a snake while taking a walk on our honeymoon and Paul instantly dropped the hand of his new bride and went bolting the opposite direction down the path. Let's just say, Paul's daughter is a bit more brave than that.

A couple weeks ago, the weather was so warm and enticing that we decided to head out to the woods for an afternoon hike. The trail is rustic and winds throughout several woods, creeks, and gorges. Emma insisted on walking all by herself for the first time - we would normally carry her in backpack carrier hoisted high on Paul's shoulders. Paul's back was thankful for the reprieve. Emma started out strong on our hike, but soon was distracted by all the new, blooming flowers and began to dawdle because she was more interested in picking an impressive bouquet than continuing onward. Paul stayed behind to encourage Emma to walk faster while Matthew, Lucy, and I went on ahead.

As Matthew and I approached a curve in the trail, we spied a group of teenagers huddled around something off to the side. They were pointing, taking pictures with their iphones, and shouting, "A snake! Oh gross! A snake!" I hurried up ahead to see for myself (and also because I wanted to be sure that they were not planning on harming the snake) and found a snake holding a frog by its leg. The poor frog was chirping loudly as it struggled, but the snake had such a strong hold on it that the poor thing could not get away. I can't begin to describe what sad, desperate sounds that frog was making, almost as if it was begging us for help. The teenagers were laughing and remarking that this was "the perfect example of Natural Selection at work." (Ehh...not really, but I didn't think this was an appropriate "teachable moment".)

Anyway, it was about this time that Paul and Emma caught up with us. I was looking around for a stick to use to try to free the frog from the snake. Before I could find one, Emma had shoved her way to the front to see what all the commotion was about. When she took one look and saw the poor frog desperately trying to escape, she immediately bent down and grabbed the frog, pulling him away from the snake: "Let go you bad snake! Let go of the frog!" The snake would not give up it's prey, and Emma was in a veritable tug-of-war. I gently told her to let go out of fear that between the two of them, the frog would end up with a broken limb. Paul then took a stick and lightly snapped it against the tail of the snake. At the impact, the snake let go of the frog and Emma once more got in there and scooped up the poor frog and cradled it gently, "It's ok, you poor frog. I have you!" The frog stayed as still as could be. We then moved the snake off the path and then went in search of a creek where we could safely drop the frog off.

We finally found a creek opening just off the path and Emma set the frog down gently in the water. The little frog immediately took off swimming in little circles, so happy to finally be free and safe. He swam a quick lap and then came close to the edge of the water where it sat, staring at us solemnly, almost as if it were thanking us for the rescue.

Suddenly, as we were wishing it goodbye, a noise came from the brush behind us and a biker appeared at the top of the ravine, speeding towards us. We quickly jumped out of the way but then watched in horror as the biker seemed intent on crossing the creek at the shallow point where our poor frog friend still sat.

I know what you must be thinking. After all that...the frog then gets squished by the biker? Thankfully, no...the biker missed him by mere inches. After the biker passed, Emma asked fearfully, "Daddy, did the biker squish my frog?" After that, we encouraged the frog to swim towards deeper, safer waters by nudging him a bit and then he was off! Free to live another day.

Paul and I were both so proud of how courageous our little Emma was that day. She was so determined to save the life of that frog and a scary snake was certainly not going to deter her from that mission. I love my tough little girl, but I think I need to start teaching her a couple things about snakes. I don't want her to try petting a rattler next.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Millionaire's Shortbread

This past weekend, we celebrated the conferral of the Sacrament of Confirmation on my little sister Amy. I love all of my sisters greatly, but Amy holds a very special place in my heart for she is also my goddaughter. Months ago, she humbled me greatly by asking me to sponsor her as she prepared for her Confirmation. I was honored to be chosen and felt blessed that the role of being her sponsor naturally syncs with the responsibilities I already carry as her godmother - to mentor her and guide her in the Catholic faith as she grows and discerns her vocation. And, honestly, I benefit greatly from this as well because there is nothing like having someone looking up to you as a role model to force you to keep your own life in check!

Amy chose Agnes for her Confirmation name because she feels a strong connection to Saint Agnes, a first-century martyr who died at the age of 12 or 13 for refusing to compromise her purity. Amy spent quite a bit of time choosing her saint's name, almost embracing the name of Saint Gianna at one point, but, in the end, she really identified with Agnes' commitment to chastity and purity. So, Amelia Grace Agnes is now her name!

At one point during the Confirmation Mass, the candidates all stood and renewed their baptismal promises. I got a bit emotional during this part because I remember so well the day 14 years previously that I made the baptismal promises on the behalf of an an infant Amy at her baptism. Now, it was truly moving to witness her reciting the promises with such fervor and commitment as she heads quickly towards adulthood. She has made her own mind up to be committed to Christ and a witness of his love to the world. Witnessing such faith in someone so young is always incredibly moving.

When we were walking up to the front of church for Amy's turn to be anointed by the Bishop, Amy was shaking like a leaf - she was so nervous! I loved seeing how seriously and reverently she received the sacrament. I know God has wonderful plans for this sweet young lady with the most gentle heart. I pray that she will always love God and her faith as much as she does today. Saint Agnes, pray for us!

Doesn't Amy look cute? I love the dress she wore. Catherine and I worked on her hair for about an hour. I was thinking that it would take maybe 20 minutes tops to curl, but she has so much hair! It took us almost 90 minutes to finish!

Random funny story, I bought the pink dress I wore for Easter at Macy's and actually called my sister Catherine immediately afterwards just to say "I just bought a dress that you would LOVE!" Well, turns out I was right because she actually already owned the exact same dress and we found that out because we both wore that dress for the Confirmation Mass. And similar shoes. Sister twins! Catherine thought it was oh-so-funny and said that it reminded her of the days when we used to match on purpose. I think she is remembering the days that she used to try to match me on purpose and I used to get so annoyed with it! Little sisters!

My Mom also wanted me to share the lovely ice cream cake she made for Amy's party following the Confirmation. Isn't it beautiful?

She did some lovely piping around the borders of the cake, but then accidentally dropped it when she tried shoving it back into the freezer, hence the slightly "squished" appearance. She requested a picture to be taken as evidence that I don't get any baking talent from her. And Paul was just happy to be eating ice cream soon, so he proudly took a picture with her. Ignore all my Mom's negative comments and just know that the cake was really delicious. Even Emma took a break from her sandbox play - where she pretty much spent the entire weekend - to slowly and deliberately enjoy a gigantic slice of cake.

Amy is also graduating from 8th grade this May and, as a present to her from our parents, she is coming to live with me for a month during the summer! I am beyond excited for her to stay and have already planned a whole slew of activities and road trips for her to experience during her time with us! Amy also shares my love of sweets and baking, so of course I want to do lots of baking and cooking while I have a dutiful live-in dishwasher (haha...just kidding Amy...or not!).

The recipe I want to share with you today is right up Amy's alley - it's sweet, salty, crunchy, and very reminiscent of a certain popular candy bar. Millionaire's shortbread is apparently British in origin and features a shortbread "biscuit" bottom, a chewy caramel center, and a smooth, shiny, chocolate topping. It's rich and indulgent but also something that would not be such a bad treat to serve with coffee (or "a spot of tea" if we are to truly pay homage to this cookie's origin). The only thing I would possibly change about the recipe is perhaps a touch more salt added to the shortbread layer although Paul told me not to change anything because to him it was perfect as is and thus I have presented the unadulterated version of the recipe below.

All THREE of my children loved this recipe, a rare thing for sure since there is always at least one child who wrinkles their nose at whatever it is I've lovingly prepared. Emma and Lucy actually sat right at my feet chewing on the extra bits while I photographed the nicer-looking cookies for the blog. Lucy in particular would have eaten the whole batch had I not cut her off. That girl loves chocolate.

If you're a fan of the Twix bars, this is definitely the cookie for you!

Millionaire’s Shortbread
from America's Test Kitchen

Important Note: To ensure that the caramel filling has the perfect texture, use an instant read thermometer. Grating a portion of the chocolate is important for getting the chocolate to set properly. The small holes on a box grater work well for this task. Stir often while melting the chocolate and monitor the temperature by holding the bowl in the palm of your hand; overheating the chocolate will cause it to set poorly. For the neatest looking results, slice the shortbread with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.

For the Crust:

2½ cups (12 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (3 ½ ounces) granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed (4 2/3 ounces) dark brown sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
½ teaspoon salt

For the Chocolate:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated

For the Crust: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of 13- by 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with rubber spatula until flour is evenly moistened. Crumble dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into even thickness. Using fork, pierce dough at 1-inch intervals. Bake until light golden brown and firm to touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack. Using sturdy metal spatula, press on entire surface of warm crust to compress (compressing crust while warm will make cutting finished bars easier). Cool crust to just warm, at least 20 minutes.

For the Filling: Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is homogenous and sugar is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sweetened condensed milk, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to boil. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping corners of saucepan, until mixture registers 235 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt. Pour over crust and spread to even thickness. Let cool until filling is just warm, about 20 minutes.

For the Chocolate: Microwave 6 ounces chopped chocolate at 50 percent power, stirring every 15 seconds, until fully melted but not much warmer than body temperature, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 ounces grated chocolate, and stir until melted, returning to microwave for no more than 5 seconds at a time to complete melting if necessary. Spread chocolate evenly over surface of filling. Refrigerate shortbread until chocolate is just set, about 10 minutes. Let set at room temperature for at least 1 hour before cutting.

Using foil, remove shortbread from pan and transfer to cutting board; discard foil. Using serrated knife and sawing motion, cut shortbread in half crosswise to create two 6 ½- by 9-inch rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half to make four 3 ½ - by 9-inch strips. Cut each strip crosswise into equal 10 pieces. (Shortbread can be stored at room temperature, between layers of parchment, for up to one week.)

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Lucy's Favorite Green Monster Smoothie

I first made a "green smoothie" a few years ago when Matthew was about a year old. It had peanut butter, bananas, and, of course, spinach in it. It wasn't so much green as a sludgy, grayish-brown color. It was not good. Paul took one sip and just about threw up. He still tells people about the time I tried to poison him with my "salad smoothie". Because of this, I stepped away from the blender and never joined the green-smoothie making craze.

Now, as an owner of a powerful Vitamix blender, I decided to give one of the green smoothies from the Vitamix recipe book a try and I fell in love. So refreshing! So healthy! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. I was greedily slurping down my smoothie, when I suddenly became aware of a tiny little person, not quite two-and-a-half feet tall, flapping her arms wildly while hooting like an owl in an attempt to get my attention. Lucy saw me enjoying that drink and wanted a taste of it herself. I gave her a spoonful and she gulped it down, then froze every muscle in her body as she processed the taste and temperature of this unexpected treat, and then smiled and greedily demanded more. And more. And more. Pretty soon, tiny little Lucy had drank half my smoothie. My other two little wards were a little too turned off by the flavor to give it a go, but Lucy was hooked. I made this smoothie again the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that (there was a huge sale on grapes and oranges so I had plenty of materials). Each time I brought out the blender to make this, Lucy would get very excited in gleeful anticipation of her new favorite drink.

This is a fantastic green smoothie and the only one that I have truly loved. You really do not notice the spinach at all and the sheer variety and amount of fruits in the mixture make a very refreshing, energizing drink. I have been drinking this immediately following my workouts and I believe it has been instrumental in helping my body recover and hydrate after an intense sweat session. I love how great I feel after drinking a huge glassful! Plus, I'm really enjoying my new afternoon tradition of splitting a smoothie with my baby.

Lucy finds the drink energizing as well.

If you have also been a bit skeptical about green smoothies in the past, I think this one could possibly change your mind!

Green Monster Smoothie
adapted from the Vitamix Recipe Book

1 frozen ripe banana
1 cup fresh sliced pineapple
1 1/2 cups red or green grapes (the green grapes will give you a more vibrant green color)
1 orange, peeled
1/8 teaspoon lime zest (optional, but good)
1 1/2 cups spinach
2 tablespoons honey, sugar, or agave (I never add this - it's sweet enough)
1 cup ice

Add all ingredients in the order listed. Blend until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses or, if you're a baby, a cup with a tight-fitting lid. Your floor will thank you.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Blueberry Lemon Cake

I cannot express enough how much I love to bake and decorate layer cakes. There is something therapeutic about baking the layers, making the frosting, and then carefully spreading the frosting over the layers. Maybe it's also because cake is usually very much appreciated and the effort of making a cake rarely goes unacknowledged and unappreciated. Everyone loves a really good slice of cake. Everyone that is, except for my strange little children.

Each year, my kids get to choose the cake flavor to be their birthday cake. Normally I have to really encourage Matthew to think beyond the boring, unimaginative flavors of chocolate and vanilla in order for him to pick a flavor that is a bit more exciting and unique. Emma, on the other hand, had been adamantly requesting a Blueberry Lemon Cake for her birthday for the past several months. I was so excited by her specific request and carefully selected the perfect recipe to make. I worked all afternoon baking and decorating the cake. I chose to decorate it simply with extra blueberries, some coconut that I colored to look like Easter grass, a couple chocolate eggs, and a few chocolate chicks that I had found at the grocery store. The chocolate chicks were so cute and reminded me of Emma's love of ducks and birds so I thought that they would be perfectly fitting decorations for her cake. The birthday girl was quite pleased with the final product.

However, after we had sang to Emma and she had blown all the candles out, she did not care to even try the cake that she had so passionately been requesting and looking forward to eating for months! I was heartbroken! I had worked so hard and was so excited to watch her enjoy eating a slice of the cake. I just about cried. Paul reminded me that this happens pretty much every birthday with each kid. They are just too excited and overstimulated after a day of attention that the last thing they want to do is sit down and eat. They'd just rather be running around and playing with their new toys. He's so right, but it's a bit depressing nonetheless. Matthew made up for Emma's lack of interest in cake by eating an entire gigantic slice and singing my praises the whole time. Matthew is not much of a dessert lover, so that was an incredible compliment!

This cake is such a beautiful, elegant treat! A lemon-kissed buttermilk cake with juicy blueberries suspended throughout enveloped in the most deliciously light and creamy whipped lemon cream cheese frosting - what is not to love? It's definitely one of my favorite layer cakes.

For the record, Emma did eat a slice of cake for breakfast the morning after her birthday. And she loved every bite.

Blueberry Lemon Cake
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

For the Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter, softened to room temperature
1 3/4 cups (13 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
4 large eggs (7 ounces), room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups (12 ounces) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, softened to room temperature
4 1/2 cups (18 ounces) powdered sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with at least 2-inch sides with parchment paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla until well-combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined and a few dry streaks remain.
Add the buttermilk and lemon juice to the batter, and stir by hand, folding the batter until just combined.

In another bowl, toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons flour. Add the blueberries and remnants of flour to the batter and fold in by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon until just-combined. Be careful not to over-mix!

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until just baked through. The top will spring back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs but not wet batter.

Let the cakes cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, whip the cream cheese and butter together with a handheld electric mixer or with an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix on low speed (so the powdered sugar doesn't fly everywhere) until combined. Increase the speed to medium and mix until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and whip the frosting until very light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

When the cake has cooled completely, place one round on a platter or plate and spread the top evenly with frosting. Place the other cake round upside down on the frosting and press just lightly. Continue frosting with a thin spatula or offset spatula until the top and sides of the cake are evenly frosted. Store in the refrigerator, but be sure to remove 1-2 hours before serving!

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Emma Turns Three

I have admittedly put off writing Emma's birthday post because I find it difficult to put into words what this special little girl means to me. Before Emma was born and it was just my buddy Matthew and I hanging out together, I used to think that I would probably be perfectly content to just be a mother of boys. When I found out I was pregnant again, I remember hoping that the baby would be another boy - and not just because I already had a ton of boys clothes and gear - but because I really had decided in my mind that I wanted to mother an army of little boys. But the minute Emma was born and I held my little girl for the first time, I forgot all about that and tumbled headfirst into a world of pink things, princesses, tutus, ponies, and butterflies and have never once looked back. Now I am a Mom to two precious little girls and I can't imagine life without them! But today, I just want to talk about my Emma.

Since the moment she was born, Emma has been the light of our world. She was our easiest baby by far - in fact, Paul and I briefly nicknamed her "The Baby the World Forgot" because as long as she was fed, we could stick her in her bouncy seat or the swing and she would just sit there contently, looking around or playing with her hands. She slept well at night, was extremely sweet-tempered, and very social. She also seemed to want to grow up a bit too fast - probably because she was in a big hurry to chase after Matthew. There was a time where we kept scolding Matthew for teasing Emma by taking toys from her or knocking her over. However, it wasn't long before we had to protect Matthew from Emma. That girl learned very quickly both how to press her big brother's buttons and how to defend herself from his shenanigans. Her speech was extremely advanced for any of our children and she could speak simple sentences by the time she was a year. It just seemed as if Emma was not a baby very long.

Now she is three years old and I can hardly believe it! She has grown into such a beautiful little girl who loves dresses and skirts, bows and ribbons, tea parties and tiaras. She might love all the fancy and dainty things, but this little girl is also one of the messiest eaters I have ever seen. Every meal time must involve Emma wearing a bib for she will find some way to saturate or stain her outfit! She also has one of the most doggedly determined personalities I have ever encountered. If she wants to button her own shirt, put on her own shoes, or buckle herself into the car seat, you better let her do it because she will fight you to the death. She is also highly picky when it comes to choosing outfits to wear, but thankfully actually has fairly good fashion sense. She loves her shoes, most especially fancy sandals, and always must have accessories with her, including her sunglasses and purse. She loves to read books, especially little small books she can easily stack together, and has recently been into drawing me pictures. If there is a flower growing in the yard, she will pick it. If there is an animal nearby, she will pet it. If there is a child playing nearby, Emma will quickly make friends. Everyone loves Emma and Emma loves everyone!

I can't get enough of her hugs and kisses. Paul and I have always talked about how Emma gives the best hugs. And she does because she puts so much emotion and love into each and every one! I love how she will respond when asked to do something for me, "Oh of course, Mommy!" Or how, in response to hearing me tell her she looks beautiful, she will exclaim: "Oh thank you! That's very nice of you!" When tucking her in at night, she always wraps her arms around me, gives me a sweet kiss, and whispers in my ear, "I love you, Mommy. You are very special to me." My heart almost can't handle the emotion that floods it when I hear her say those words.

She loves to be tickled, hugged, and kissed and her laughter and her smiles are both so incredibly infectious. She also loves to dance, especially one-on-one with her brother as she pretends to be the princess dancing with her prince. She is extremely defensive and caring about her little sister and always refers to her as "Little Lucy". And "Little Lucy" loves and adores her right back.

Don't get me wrong, it is not all rainbows and sunshine with Emma, for she can be the most difficult child when she is in a bad mood. Her extreme stubbornness can be quite challenging at times and she has been known to throw the occasional spectacular tantrum. Thankfully, those have been few and far between. Out of all of our children, she has the most difficult time waking up in the mornings and usually requires a good 45 minutes after actually opening her eyes to truly wake up before she is capable of carrying on a conversation sans grunting and groaning. When we have to wake up early on Sunday mornings for church, Paul and I always brace ourselves before entering Emma's room. We usually begin by opening her door open, allowing the light from the hallway to flood inside and hopefully encouraging her to naturally wake up as she hears the sounds of the rest of the family getting dressed and ready for the day. On more than one occasion, she has simply gotten out of bed, slammed the door shut again, and climbed back into bed to resume her sleep.

But, I wouldn't change a thing about her - her spunk, her spirit, her energy, her zeal for life, her enthusiasm for beauty, her love of others, and her earnest desire to please. Words truly cannot describe what an honor and a privilege it has been to be her mother.

For our special little girl, I wanted to give her a very special birthday. However, this year her birthday fell on Good Friday and since this is a somber day of fasting, it didn't seem right to celebrate with cake, ice cream, and presents. So, we instead just gave her a couple extra hugs and deferred her birthday until the following Tuesday. Obviously, she did not notice or care but we did tease her at breakfast on Easter Sunday by telling her that she was already three.

"No! I'm two! It's not my birthday yet!" she cried.
"Actually, Emma, your birthday was last week but we decided to skip it!" Paul told her.
"What? No! I'm two! That's not true, right Mommy?"
"No Emma....but actually yes."

It was actually rather comical but she insisted that she was two years old until she blew out the candles on her birthday cake. She already has a fear of growing old.

On the day we actually celebrated her birthday, she woke up to find her room filled with two dozen balloons. She came downstairs to find her high chair covered with pink and purple balloons as well as a beautiful tiara and a new Princess Sofia cup. She was in heaven! She immediately put the tiara on (and if I ever called it a "crown" she would vehemently respond that it was not a crown but a tiara!) and began to tell me she was the "Queen of the Day." This made me think I had possibly created a birthday monster. I served her highness strawberry pancakes for breakfast along with chocolate milk in her new Princess Sofia cup. The meal received her royal seal of approval.

We had a great day together - dancing, having a tea party, coloring, and watching her favorite movie Frozen together. However, towards the end of the day, I could see her starting to become tired - and grumpy. I tried to convince her to take a birthday nap, but she was too wound up and excited for presents and cake in the evening. So, she just bounced on her bed for about 45 minutes before I decided the effort was futile.

When Paul arrived home that evening, we headed up to Texas Roadhouse for Emma's birthday dinner. The kids had enjoyed Matthew's birthday dinner so much, that Emma requested the same location for her special day. Of course, being the health-conscious child that she is, she ordered Macaroni and Cheese and fries but barely touched it. Instead, she played with the peanuts and drank her weight in root beer. When the waiters and waitresses came over to give her a birthday "Yee-haw", she whined and moaned the entire time although normally she would eat up that sort of attention. She was definitely tired and beginning to suffer from Too Much Birthday Syndrome. However, she did not leave the restaurant without first having the balloon artist make her the most obnoxious glowing balloon headband.

When we got home, we opened her gifts and she delighted in each and every one. She and her siblings began playing with all her new treasures immediately - which included a new kitchen set, a new outfit and crib for her baby dolls, and a barbie in the likeness of Anna from Frozen. She also received several little sundresses for summer, but those were less exciting to her than the toys. When it was time for cake, nobody sang The Birthday Song louder than the birthday girl herself. Emma loves that song. When Matthew blew out Emma's candles on her cake, we had to light the entire thing again and do the whole ritual all over. After quite a bit of huffing and puffing, blowing and spitting, Emma finally blew out her own candles. And now she is three.

Shortly afterwards, the birthday girl suffered a bit of a sugar coma and had to be escorted to bed a bit early where she slept grandly before uncharacteristically waking up before the sun the next morning just so she could resume playing with all her gifts.

Emma Rose, we love you so much! We pray that you will always remain as sweet and dear as you are today. You are very special to us.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Pasta with Ham and Broccoli

The weather has really been toying with us around here. One day we are enjoying beautiful, warm temperatures and sunny skies, and the next day we wake up to several inches of snow covering the ground. The kids have been really confused by all of this. Emma especially was majorly bummed when I told her that she had to exchange the sun dresses she had been sporting for her winter coat and gloves. "I don't like the snow! It freezes me!" she pouted. My thoughts exactly, young lady.

Even though the temperatures have plummeted once more, Paul and I have still kept our windows open in our bedroom. Our room heats up so much at night that the only way to keep it at a temperature that is bearable enough for sleep is to open both the windows. Well, we have yet to put the screens up on our windows and based on the early morning visitors we had last Saturday, it just might be time to get that little chore done. See, we were awoken early on Saturday morning by Matthew who was tapping frantically on Paul's shoulder to tell him that there was a bird trying to get into our room through the cracked window. Paul and I were pretty groggy after a rough, sleepless night with a fussy Lucy and told him to go away and leave us alone for a bit longer. We then tried to get back to sleep but were awoken by this frantic scratching sound coming from the window in our bathroom. We looked up to see a very large robin trying desperately to squeeze its way inside. Thankfully, it was a very fat bird and could only manage to twist itself in halfway before realizing the effort was futile. He did, however, leave a disgusting gift on the inside of our sill before flying away. An examination of the other window where Matthew had seen a bird trying to break in found the same gift. Like I said, those screens are going up!

Here is a great recipe to use up all that ham you might have leftover after making this amazing Cherry-Port Glazed Ham. This is a super simple and quick pasta dish that the whole family will love. You can change it up to suit your personal preferences by adding in some different vegetables, like peas instead of broccoli. Always serve with more cheese on the side for sprinkling on top. That's Emma's favorite part. She always requests a generous layer of "cheese snow" to be strewn over the top of her pasta. Smart girl.

And, if pasta is not really your thing, there is also this awesome soup or these mouth-watering sandwiches. Leftover ham is never a bad thing around here.

Pasta with Ham and Broccoli
adapted from Simply Recipes

3/4 pound shaped pasta of choice
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups diced ham (or more)
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces and lightly steamed
1/2 cup cream
1 cup of pasta cooking water (reserved from cooking the pasta)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat 4 quarts of water and 2 Tbsp salt in a large pot for the pasta. Once the water starts to boil, add the pasta and cook at a rolling boil, uncovered, until al dente, cooked through, but still a little firm to the bite (the low end of the cooking times given on the package). Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

While you are cooking the pasta, heat the butter in a medium skillet on medium heat until melted. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the ham.

Stir in 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Stir in  1/2 cup of cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

When the pasta is ready, toss it with the sauce in a serving bowl along with the steamed broccoli and serve.


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Friday, July 18, 2014

Modern Quilting for The Bitchy Stitcher

WARNING:  If you think quilting isn't funny, or are easily offended by (im)mature language, I recommend you stop reading now.  You've been warned.

Back in April of this year, The Bitchy Stitcher wrote a fun post that tickled my funny bone.  I set out to make some of her amazing modern quilts.  In miniature.  I also found a short thread (that I can't find now) over on the Quilting Board where there was some butt-hurt that lasted about three posts until someone pointed out that her new book, Modern Quilting:  F*ck Yeah!, was a joke.  The original post was posted on April 1st, after all.
First I picked out my solids, because everyone knows that modern quilting demands solids.  Lots and lots of solids.  These are all Kona Cottons from Robert Kaufman that I had in my stash.  I have so many of these because they are quilting staples.  I also have batting by the roll and thread in colors the rainbow never heard of.  Don't judge.
I was going to use Kona white (there are actually several shades of white/neutral in this line) for the backing and the background for some of these.  I ended up changing my mind on the backing fabric since I decided to print the label directly on the backing fabric.  I used the prepared fabric you can get at quilt shops for printing with your inkjet printer at home.  I've had these fabric sheets for a long time and decided that I should use them.  It is only a matter of time before the sticky backing either doesn't come off or falls off before I can print on it.
To get the shapes for the front of the quilts, I went with English paper piecing.  I have an unnatural (and disturbing) urge to do this sort of sewing.  It goes against everything I am when it comes to quilting.  I am a machine sewer.  I am a machine quilter.  I finish binding by machine.  But... English paper piecing is a topic for another blog post.
I attached the shapes to my white background fabric.  Sometimes, my hand work is better than others.  The hexie was fine.  That quadrilateral challenged my sewing ability and my inner calm.  I decided to just let that one ride.  Life is too short to rip.
The quilting is where I really let this project take off.  First was Far From the Madding Crowd.  I sort of let the walking foot do the work.  This is another thing you see a great deal of in modern quilting; long parallel lines that use some of the piecing as a base and just take off across the surface of the quilt.
Here we have Dream Your Explosion Tiffany.  I used one of the fancy stitches on my sewing machine to balance the feather I put in the white background.  That feather isn't perfect, but I love it anyway.  Sometimes the feather, an heirloom quilting motif, is stitched into the negative space of modern quilts because, well, feathers are awesome.
Finally, we have Meadowlarking.  I love the quilting on this one.  Each of those little clams challenged my free-motion quilting abilities.  Overall I like this one the most.  The quilting is perfect!
I trimmed and added the binding to each tiny quilt to contrast the quilt and really help the design stand out.  Nah, I just sort of followed the book on this one.  I still love the effect.  Megan picked great colors.
Each back was printed with the label prior to quilting.  This is a great way to label your mug rugs.  I should use some freezer paper to do this sort of thing with other mug rugs.  Sometimes I'm such a genius!  (One millisecond is all it takes.)  I suppose if I do that I should also share a tutorial.
 Far From the Madding Crowd
 Dream Your Explosion Tiffany
These quilts were a blast to make.  After they were done, I bundled them up and sent them to The Bitchy Stitcher.  I can only hope I did her patterns and designs justice.

As I mentioned before, The Bitchy Stitcher is collecting quilt blocks to create the Laughter Quilt.  This is a great way to share something that makes you laugh with the quilting world.  Seriously, lend a hand.  Remember, if you can't laugh, you'll cry.  There is no crying in quilting, especially modern quilting.

  1. I love Megan's blog and your mug rugs are awesome! :-). Thanks for linking up for TGIFF!

  2. Interesting projects! Great for FMQ practice!

I love receiving comments and will attempt to reply to questions as I am able. I reply to comments exclusively through email. If you do not change your settings in Blogger to ensure you are not a no-reply blogger I can not respond to your comment.


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Bechdel Test Movie List

/bech·del test/ n.
1. It has to have at least two [named] women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

[[3]] The Post (2017) [imdb]

This movie passed 3 of 3 tests (although dubious). It was entered by Wendy on 2018-03-11 14:10:39.

Wendy said:
Although there are occasions that a woman (namely Meryl Streep's character) speaks to other women, it is mostly conversations with her daughter in private. All other female characters orbit each other, very close to conversation but given no dialogue.
But I suppose that is the point of the film, the fact I am able to make such an observation is exactly the point the film is trying to portray.
Message posted on 2018-03-11 14:10:39

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Wychwood Hobgoblin

Wychwood's Hobgoblin Dark English Ale, 5.2%, UK.
Nick mentioned he grabbed one of these at the Fermentation Lounge, and I remembered passing this over a few times at our local store, so I had to give it a try.

It pours dark, but fairly clear brown - just a hint of red, with a nice pat of foam on top.
It smells of molasses and fruit, and the taste follows with a big fruity presence, slightly apple-y. The mouthfeel is fairly light. There's some malty biscuit action going on there. Even though there's tons of flavor, it drops away quickly. This is one easy-drinking brew!

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begg cousland

Gas Cleaning

Turnkey Filtration Systems

Package Gas Scrubbing and  Filtration Systems

Begg, Cousland have supplied hundreds of highly successful turnkey filtration system installations, used for industrial air pollution abatement, often known as Tail Gas Cleaning or APC equipment. Depending on the application and pollutant, and location of the process plant, we can design the system with any of our filter types, or combinations of – ‘BECOFIL’ Candle Filter Mist Eliminators / ‘BECOIL’ Knitted Wire Demisters / ‘BECONE’ Co-Knitted Coalescer Meshpads / BlueFil® mesh & meshpads / ‘BECOFLEX’ Rotary Brush Scrubber / Packed Tower Internals – as well as associated irrigation systems, pumps, coolers, fans, instrumentation etc.

We are also able to work on the basis of design and key equipment supply, which means you will have our full guarantee just as you would with a ‘turnkey’ supply. However, you can source certain equipment / vessels locally, saving cost and logistics issues.

Examples of our know-how and success are the 70+ turnkey installations of ‘BECOFIL’ Candle Filter Mist Eliminator systems removing plasticizer oil fume from the exhaust gas from curing ovens, e.g. :
vinyl coated flooring & wallpaper
synthetic leather ( car upholstery, bags, shoes etc.)
laminated sheets ( special films, belts, tarpaulins )
foam products
Our method for the removal of these fumes is not only highly efficient (meeting the lowest emission level requirement in Europe), but often gives the added advantage that the recovered valuable liquids can be re-used.

We supply the complete system, from the inlet to the chimney.

File Name : DSCN1016.JPG File Size : 356.4KB (364905 Bytes) Date Taken : 0000/00/00 00:00:00 Image Size : 1600 x 1200 pixels Resolution : 300 x 300 dpi Bit Depth : 8 bits/channel Protection Attribute : Off Hide Attribute : Off Camera ID : N/A Camera : E775 Quality Mode : NORMAL Metering Mode : Matrix Exposure Mode : Programmed Auto Speed Light : No Focal Length : 5.8 mm Shutter Speed : 1/119.4 second Aperture : F7.9 Exposure Compensation : 0 EV White Balance : Auto Lens : Built-in Flash Sync Mode : Normal Exposure Difference : N/A Flexible Program : N/A Sensitivity : Auto Sharpening : Auto Image Type : Color Color Mode : N/A Hue Adjustment : N/A Saturation Control : N/A Tone Compensation : Normal Latitude(GPS) : N/A Longitude(GPS) : N/A Altitude(GPS) : N/A

PVC Coating Process Oven Fume Abatement

Oil Fume Abatement

Epierre BF Unit

Chemical Fume Abatement

Chemical Fume Abatement


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Ol'ga (ID: 73013)

Ukraine bride  Ol'ga 37 y.o. from Kiev, ID 73013
Slideshow > Off Slow Medium Fast
  • Age:37

  • Date of birth:November 01, 1980

  • Height:5' 2" (160 cm)

  • Weight:105 lb (48 kg)

  • Hair color:dark brown

  • Eyes color:gray

  • Country:Ukraine

  • City:Kiev

  • Religion:Christianity

  • Marital status:single

  • Children:No

  • Smoke:no

  • Alcohol:Socialy

  • Profession:translator

  • Education:university

  • English language:Fluent

  • Others foreign languages:No

  • Seeks partner:37 - 53 years old

  • Total photos:8

  • Bikini photos:0

Hobbies and interests:

I am interested in learning foreign languages and as a consequence I love travelling pretty much. I also enjoy long walks, especially in pleasant weather, reading, cinema. I am engaged in Pilates and yoga.

About me:

I am an introvert type with a very balanced personality. But it doesn't prevent me from being active through life and sociable with those I like. I am intelligent, very pleasant to talk to, friendly, gentle, open-minded, devoted, caring and loving.

Looking For Men Type:

I am looking for the one who has an opposite character to mine - extrovert, emotional, passionate. But he also should be intelligent, interesting to talk to, goal-oriented, caring and genuine.

Random girls

  • 91642 Viktoriya Vitebsk (Belarus)
  • 89797 Natal'ya Minsk (Belarus)
  • 91172 Yemiliya Minsk (Belarus)
  • 90569 Diana Minsk (Belarus)


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Viktoriya (ID: 76324)

Ukraine bride  Viktoriya 30 y.o. from Odessa, ID 76324
Slideshow > Off Slow Medium Fast
  • Age:30

  • Date of birth:November 26, 1987

  • Height:5' 6" (170 cm)

  • Weight:127 lb (58 kg)

  • Hair color:chestnut

  • Eyes color:brown

  • Country:Ukraine

  • City:Odessa

  • Religion:Russian Orthodox

  • Marital status:divorced

  • Children:No

  • Smoke:no

  • Alcohol:Never

  • Profession:Engineer

  • Education:University

  • English language:beginners' level

  • Others foreign languages:No

  • Seeks partner:30 - 58 years old

  • Total photos:10

  • Bikini photos:0

Interview Profile

Hobbies and interests:

I like reading books, going to cinemas and theatres. I'm passionate about playing basketball and volleyball. I like cooking new things and dishes from different cultures. Oh, and I like surprising my family members by something new and tasty all the time. I also like dancing. It's interesting for me to learn new things about different cultures. And now I started learning English because I realize how important it is and I am passionate about speaking it!

About me:

I am very active,optimistic, sociable, delicate, emotional, honest, nice and slim woman. I like having new experience and making people smile. I dream about finding a man with on open and kind heart who also believes in happy marriages and mutual understanding. I am easy-going and family-oriented and I like being surrounded by sincere and good people.

Looking For Men Type:

Reliable, honest, kind and attentive. Age, race, social status are not important. I know what things are REALLY important in family relations and I am looking for them. I am looking for a man who will trust me completely and whom I will trust to 110%. I am looking for a man who will be able to appreciate my ability to find compromises and who won't take everything for granted.

Random girls

  • 90744 Aleksandra Minsk (Belarus)
  • 91172 Yemiliya Minsk (Belarus)
  • 87275 Anna Mogilev (Belarus)
  • 59134 Anna Vitebsk (Belarus)


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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Brandy Melville Haul, Making My Own Dress & Peruvian Chocolate In Its Finest ☯

Hello loves! So my Brandy Melville order finally came in the mail after 2 weeks of waiting! It was quite exasperating to have to wait so long, but it was worth it in the end. The arrow ring was $4.00 which is insanely cheap and I absolutely love it. The 'Rene Tank' is $22.00 and I know it seems very short, and that's because it is. But I don't plan on wearing it with regular jeans or shorts because then it's just a bit too much skin showing. I'd wear it with a high-waisted skirt or shorts that way it's only a bit of stomach that would peak through. The high-to-low skirt is gorgeous though it is quite wrinkled, but that can be fixed. This was $26.00 and it's a really nice Burgundy colour. I'll probably wear these soon and do an OOTD (:

Dona Pepa is honestly one of my favourite chocolate's EVER. My nonna always brings it over from Peru when she visits and I always eat it when I go as well. But I recently found out they sell it in a shop where I live and I nearly fell off my chair.

This here, ladies & gentlemen, is my creation that I made from scratch. It was probably one of the most difficult, frustrating, and cry-worthy experiences of my life - but it was worth it in the long run! Sure it's not very detailed or amazing but I'm very, very proud of my dress and when I finished I nearly burst into tears. It was such an accomplishing feeling.

Question: For my next post, would you rather see:
A.) Perfume Collection

Alright, bye! :) x

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Mini Drugstore Haul + Regal Rose Wants ☯

I haven't really posted anything the past few days mostly because I've had nothing to post! It's a bit difficult since I have school the entire week and I wear a uniform...and I always get home quite late due to rehearsals so the lightning is always shit. But I've got a very mini haul on some things I picked up today.

I got three Revlon Polishes (in order) : Sunshine Sparkle, Revlon Red, Mischievous. I absolutely love Revlon Polishes and I have 'Sunshine Sparkle' on at the moment, and I tend not to be a massive fan of yellow polishes - but I'm in loove with this one (I tried to get a decent picture but it wouldn't work! I'll try to upload one on my next post). I really can't wait to try the others.
I also bought the Rimmel Natural Bronzer. I went out to watch a film and put this on and I have to say, so far, I'm more than happy with the product. It leaves my skin glowing and it's perfect for my pale skin tone.

I've really been into the shop/website 'Regal Rose' (mostly because BeautyCrush always has jewellery from there that I absolutely love) and these are only some of the many things I want to pick up from the website. The prices aren't too bad - it really depends on what you're getting.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend x

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Rainy Day, Wall Progress, Possible John Green Obsession + Wishlist ☯

Hello lovelies! Let me take a pause to celebrate my grand total of 3 followers! Though this may sound like sarcasm - I am genuinely thrilled about this. Sad, I know. Today was an overall gloomy and humid day - when I took this photo the rain had finally stopped and the sun had gone out. You can see the faintest trace of a rainbow that had been extremely prominent only a few seconds before.
This is my in-progress 'Wall of Inspiration' that just really represents my style and really just is a culmination of photos that I like from the magazine 'Nylon'. It's my favourite magazine and the only one I use for my collage. I'll be sure to take a photo when I finish it completely.
After reading 'The Fault In Our Stars' - I knew I had to read every book John Green has ever written. So I ran to the book shop and picked myself up 'Looking For Alaska'. I've heard wonderful reviews about it, and though I'm only two chapters in, I already love it! Not sure if it'll be as amazing as TFIOS (not sure anything will ever be!) but I have high hopes for it!
(skull shirt; urban outfitters;£18 or $30) (black dress; brandy melville; £64 or $102) (maxi skirt; brandy melville; £34 or $58) (nars nail varnish; £11 or $18) (gold studded slippers; topshop; £35 or $56) (double golden cross ring; asos; £6 or $10)

I've been having a horribly-unhealthy love for skulls recently (I'll probably make a separate post about that) so this shirt is a neeeed at the moment. And I've also been really craving a LBD and though I would never get this BM one (way too expensive) - it's the general shape that I'd like it in. The sheer maxi skirt is so lovely and since it's blistering hot where I live, it would be perfect. Adding on to my skull obsession would be that skull bracelet that you've been seeing everywhere! I actually ordered myself one from BM. I don't know why - but I've been really into light blue nails! No idea why - but I've just been loving them at the moment. And I've been meaning to get myself a pair of studded slippers - aren't they just adorable? I feel like I could pair them with so many things. And I just love crosses and cross jewellery and cross tattoos - so I would love to have that double-cross ring.

What's on your current wishlist? And any of you working on a similar wall-collage? And whose your favourite author? Alright, thank you! bye x

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

August Favourites & The Awkward First Post ☯

Hello loves! This is a bit odd to start off considering I have 0 followers and absolutely no idea if anyone will ever even read this, but I've always wanted to start a fashion/beauty blog and eventually (when I stop being so scared) a Youtube channel.  I guess I'd just start off with my August Favourites (the ones you see above in the picture) + some other things I really loved last month!

This is Taylor Swift's fragrance 'Wonderstruck'. I never thought I'd love it as much as I actually do considering I'm always a bit put off by celebrity fragrances - no idea why! But this is so beyond wonderful. I'm shit at describing scents but I can make out bits of raspberry, green tea, vanilla and some musky-ness in it.

Please excuse the terrible photo/lightning throughout this entire post. It's was really dark when I took the photos (not a smart move on my part) and I'm slowly getting better at taking photos and learning what lightning is best. I promise next post will be better! Anyway - The Fault In Our Stars is a novel written by 'John Green' - one of my all time favourite authors! TFIOS left me a blubbering tear-filled mess by the last chapter yet also cracking up out loud like a loony throughout the entire novel. I don't want to give away too much so here's a snippet of the summary "Narrator Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old girl with terminal cancer, was pulled out of school at thirteen and rarely socializes with people her age. After being diagnosed with clinical depression, she joins a support group for children with cancer where she meets Augustus Waters." I really hope that you go out and buy this book because it is honestly one of the best I've ever read (and I've read quite a lot of books, so trust me - it's good.)

This here is my baby! I purchased it from Urban Outfitters a few weeks ago and I've literally taken it everywhere! From shopping, to friend's houses, parties & just days out. I'll post some photos of polaroids in later posts. I'm absolutely obsessed with it and though it was expensive it was worth the money!

I've been wearing 'Fig Jam' which is a Revlon Colour Burst Lip Jam daily to school. It's so moisturising and build-able - I really love it. Not much else to say about it, really! It's just an overall great product.

I feel like this is a staple for me. I've owned it for a year now and it's just an all-time favourite. It's the Revlon Colour Stay Liquid Liner. It's so easy to use and extremely pigmented. I wear it loads during the weekend and for parties.

Some other August Favourites:

 * Dreamcatcher tattoos and tattoos in general! I've always known I really wanted to get inked when I turned 18 but lately I've just been so excited & sure that it's something I'm going to do.

* I've also been listening to Marina & The Diamonds on repeat lately. She's so gorgeous and her lyrics are so interesting. Not to mention her music is catchy as hell! She's got a classic, retro style that I absolutely adore.

Alright, loves! That's it for now! Feel free to give me a follow or a comment and let me know that I'm not talking to myself, haha - alright, bye! x


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The Key Reason Why Is Fire So Critical To Survival?

Fire offers an assortment of advantages in survival situations, but none is as important as letting you boil water. Water is one of the most essential resources for survival, as humans can simply go several days before dying from dehydration. While most water sources include a a number of harmful bacteria and pathogens, you can remove them by boiling the water for a few moments.

Besides enabling you to boil water, fire enables you to cook any food you could get. Although some animals, like earthworms as well as fresh fish, could be edible uncooked, you must cook any mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian you capture to destroy any sort of internal parasites and bacteria. Fire likewise provides warmth, which may be lifesaving if you are in a cold environment. Also, fires supply light during the night, which helps keep you safer and allows you perform chores in the dark.

Possessing a device that will let you start a fire swiftly will substantially improve your chances of survival.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Summer Poems & Prose Volume 1: j.a. Gingrich

railbridge in september (or day for night)

by j.a. Gingrich

If this were an American movie

the music would swell,

and we would lean

into each other for what might seem like

But here we are in Canada - dead centre -

forty feet above the water in St. Jacob’s

under a moon

so full

I wonder if soon this tiny river might swell

with salt water pulling in from either coast

(up here we know that everything bursts at the seams

under moons like this)

In an hour or two

this railway bridge

will turn raft

shuddering dully

with the thump

of each passing fin

we will be still

or silent

mouthing the cycle of moonlight

to fin

to water

and only when the tide

has swallowed

every visible gap

will we sense its shift

and gape

as it aloofly trails the moon back home

beneath us

two forty foot walls

of water will leave

just as they came

one rushing east

the other slinking west

and we here

in our Canadian movie

will bend

and follow

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