tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44296084987188907592024-03-21T21:22:38.352-07:006 Opinions6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-24541578506591661332013-12-17T13:29:00.001-08:002013-12-17T13:37:42.682-08:00The Return of the Sea Lions<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: blue;">The Return
of the Sea Lions<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">For a week I had been hearing a
colony of sea lions barking across the Bay and although I had viewed them from
the dock I also was eager to observe them from the water however the weather
was not cooperating with my plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
winds had been playing havoc on the waters and the temp was near freezing so I waited
impatiently for the weather to be more agreeable for a paddle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Yesterday was picture perfect!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The sun was shining, the winds
ceased blowing, the water was flat and my kayak beckoned me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Each year the sea lions come for a
visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They just inexplicably appear, stay
for a couple of weeks and then depart as mysteriously as they arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> These winged foot mammals are enormous and I find them extremely fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paddled very close to the dock for a close up picture but as soon a huge bull started barking and dove (well actually plunked clumsily) into the water near me I quickly back paddled and gave them lots of room. I am not keen on doing water ballet with one of these huge guys! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Top Sea Lion Facts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> ·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Sea Lions enjoy relaxing and basking in the sun<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The males are called bulls and the females are called cows <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Males are massive and can weigh from 1,500 pounds to 1 ton in exceptional cases and can also be up to 11 feet long <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Females are smaller with an average weight of 700 pounds <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Female Sea Lions become part of a harem with a male that protects them<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">They give birth to pups, which are born on land and can weigh up to 50 pounds at birth <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">A Sea Lion is able to dive up to 600 feet for food in the water <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">They can remain under the water for up to 40 minutes before surfacing for air<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">They can swim at up to 25 miles per hour but generally they only move about 10 miles per hour unless they feel threatened<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The average life span in the wild for a Sea Lion is 20 years<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">A link to Pacific Ocean Sea lions:</span><br />
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<o:p><br />
Related articles<br />
</o:p></span><br />
<ul class="zemanta-article-ul"><span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a data-mce-href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/sea-lion-steals-fishermans-trophy-fish/" href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/sea-lion-steals-fishermans-trophy-fish/" target="_blank">Sneaky sea lion steals unlucky fisherman's trophy catch</a> (ftw.usatoday.com)</li>
</span></ul>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pacific+ocean+sea+lions&qpvt=pacific+ocean+sea+lions&FORM=IGRE#a<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Are you a nature lover?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What excites you about the outdoors?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="color: steelblue; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: x-small; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">author: Trish (BlackCrowCurios)</span></div>
6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com0Canada48.732714596101687 -126.0000085830688523.210680096101687 -167.30860258306885 74.25474909610169 -84.691414583068848tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-72263089455800237422013-11-22T16:42:00.001-08:002013-11-22T16:42:19.885-08:00Identity CrisisI began my Etsy selling adventures a lot more recently than it says in my shop profile. It was just dead space for a while. When I graduated college, I decided now was the time to REALLY knuckle down and use Etsy as a way to bring in extra income and keep my creative juices flowing while working some sort of "real job." Since then, I've had a wee little wrench thrown into my plans. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJsoekEVNrvvZo3QVc2cInpGhWfQktQ3bTw2UYKlzWWAix3MCvjay0uMa9j-CCQNM72RZMzdnQOBXWSNWk9BqVkElX9VxslbQL9JrFw0gQb6dBS219QHX1OcMX6gI0WtudnMr473mVY8/s1600/IMG_4973edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJsoekEVNrvvZo3QVc2cInpGhWfQktQ3bTw2UYKlzWWAix3MCvjay0uMa9j-CCQNM72RZMzdnQOBXWSNWk9BqVkElX9VxslbQL9JrFw0gQb6dBS219QHX1OcMX6gI0WtudnMr473mVY8/s1600/IMG_4973edit.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
I named myself Bonedance Jewelry because of my focus on fossil ivory scrimshaw, carved bone pieces, and similar organics mixed with metal. Then Etsy decided no more ivory, period. It doesn't matter that my work is legal and totally devoid of the ethical struggles of modern ivory since mammoths have been dead for over 10,000 years. I may have thrown a small tantrum when the new policy first rolled out. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I was just starting to really get some inventory up and sell things! And I had to rename my shop? And <a href="http://www.bonedancejewelry.com/" target="_blank">my personal site</a>! And make a whole new line of jewelry? Any reputation I had gained was poof. I thought about starting a new shop from scratch and scrapping Bonedance and the thought really hurt. I felt dead. <br />
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I got over all that about 59 seconds later when I decided this was a challenge, not an end to my shop. I laid out my new challenges (Keep thinking forward, Rachel, or else you'll have another tantrum and those are not pretty.):<br />
<ol>
<li>Make new metal work. Base some of it on my travels to London and elsewhere. Use all those damn gemstones I keep hoarding. Time to let them out into the world!</li>
<li>Find other ways to market and sell ivory and scrimshaw and bone. Use that free shop function on my personal website. Approach local stores for once. Keep loving what I do even if Etsy's blanket policies don't. The Etsy home page is not my goal, anyway. It's being competition for the amazing designer I recently discovered named <a href="http://moniquepean.com/" target="_blank">Monique Pean</a>. If her ivory is accepted, mine will be too. </li>
<li>Screw changing the name! I like it. </li>
</ol>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaM4kENDpK4J8NFc0Seel4IZfRsovr09cCNSH_6_6yLDZ7SJAiYGjVLSMRA6jawMgAqYsEy24F-LfHWs3M5dNi-7GwR99os_ALYIj7axbTXhFBYXu_lsh8OaZ4aDpCQ0RwLH7nlDtnw0/s1600/IMG_5706editforSNAGUNIQUES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaM4kENDpK4J8NFc0Seel4IZfRsovr09cCNSH_6_6yLDZ7SJAiYGjVLSMRA6jawMgAqYsEy24F-LfHWs3M5dNi-7GwR99os_ALYIj7axbTXhFBYXu_lsh8OaZ4aDpCQ0RwLH7nlDtnw0/s1600/IMG_5706editforSNAGUNIQUES.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>So lately, I've been nose to the grindstone making new metal jewelry. <br />
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When I'm not doing that I'm making plans to start showing at local art/craft fairs in the spring. I grew up attending the Yellow Daisy Festival in Stone Mountain, GA. Ever since I chose the path of being a maker, I've wanted to try my hand at showing at craft fairs. I think it's about time for that little dream to take off. <br />
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Thanks to the devastating Etsy policy change, I have been very slow at regaining my footing online, but I think a foray into the outside world might be even better. I now have THREE totally different lines of work to show off: scrimshaw, metalwork/gemstones, and funky beaded earrings (from my massive childhood gemstone bead collection.). The policy change was a bit like being electrocuted back to life. It may just be the catalyst that lights a fire under my rear and encourages me in the direction of success. <br />
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I'll keep you posted on how well this keeps going towards spring! <br />
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Have you ever experienced an event that initially was a truly awful thing but turned out for the better? I'd love to hear!<br />
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Happy (Upcoming) Turkey Day!<br />
Rachel <br />
6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-27662395946186177182013-11-09T14:30:00.000-08:002013-11-09T14:33:07.966-08:00A Sad Time For My Family<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAT5fQU9Cp7CMUPVZWK7sfSm5PVrddG9MrWDCp1LGyXHW9qdtSg5yELGdL_sUZ-iSjB3DYiFywgwUZHICLp_1ap2z21w-abWVA6VFchwVQvBeNrrrWWcKSOrx4AKfgEkVbLHUTj1K_XQ/s1600/grandma4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAT5fQU9Cp7CMUPVZWK7sfSm5PVrddG9MrWDCp1LGyXHW9qdtSg5yELGdL_sUZ-iSjB3DYiFywgwUZHICLp_1ap2z21w-abWVA6VFchwVQvBeNrrrWWcKSOrx4AKfgEkVbLHUTj1K_XQ/s320/grandma4.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Grandma Ione</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hello again everyone! Well this has certainly been a month of sadness for my family.<br />
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Many of you won't know that my grandmother, who taught me all the crafts I love so dearly, passed away a couple of weeks ago, and it's been hard trying to say goodbye. She was a very important person in my life in a lot of different ways, and while it hurts to know she's gone, it's comforting to know that I shared a special love of crafts with her. As I've spent time reminiscing about all the wonderful memories I cherish, I find solace when I pick up a ball of yarn and my knitting needles. That's what Grandma Ione would have done, and I've found a great deal of comfort in knitting up slippers just like she used to make for all of us in the family. The past week has been full of knitting slippers for many of my relatives in the hopes of providing them a little piece of comfort as they also spend time remembering the wonderful person my grandmother was.<br />
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At the same time, one of my uncles on the same side of my family is battling cancer and not doing well. We continue to pray for his health to return and for his comfort.<br />
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On the business side of things, I have to say I've been taking advantage of the fact that my shop has been pretty dead recently. It's given me time to focus on the sadness in my heart, and to take stock of the blessings I've had in my life. I've been slowly returning to a normal work flow from losing Grandma, and I've been working on the seasonal items I offer for the holidays. Work continues on the new website for the shop, and as soon as I have the new photos cropped and get them up, I may just be able to consider it complete which will be a relief to me. Now it's really just a matter of getting my name out there and getting business coming in, which continues to be my Achilles heel so to speak. Too often I make excuses for my laziness in trying to promote my business (after all, it's easy to procrastinate when you've got as much on your plate as I do--full time nanny, full time student, my own business, and I'm planning a wedding and a move!) Yes, I need to stop procrastinating and start promoting. Hopefully things will pick up here soon for the holidays. In the mean time I will continue on as I always have, doing my best and loving what I do!6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-48055797034005496922013-10-30T12:46:00.001-07:002013-11-02T17:16:02.912-07:00ETSY online!<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #365f91;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">IT’S ALL ABOUT ETSY!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZe8QazXvU1AIo3psgvyeYRx5-5xU1Rz_EsEr8YByKSaVzqL3eF7cROP53yAHAY9hSv9KonkSRG2gmcwCPUHBz6q944HXkeWenzdEIr5zMiC4RTAu7VdeqZPIQPuJjtFTD5kAUMw7odts/s1600/Jobanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="42" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZe8QazXvU1AIo3psgvyeYRx5-5xU1Rz_EsEr8YByKSaVzqL3eF7cROP53yAHAY9hSv9KonkSRG2gmcwCPUHBz6q944HXkeWenzdEIr5zMiC4RTAu7VdeqZPIQPuJjtFTD5kAUMw7odts/s320/Jobanner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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process and using reclaimed wood for Folk Art satisfies my need to be creative.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPG11hPNjG32hK-yrYDVUb1cX-pDhfNb6F-BB-M2rEogT0kh_XGVWUtEkq3-mB1DT_bDlTMmBSBRBN_nimnn1Nyh3irnQ90HCctg0i0LPH4ZGA_XkV5nPU2UiI4D9XG8Dt0m9Xl6Iq2mk/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPG11hPNjG32hK-yrYDVUb1cX-pDhfNb6F-BB-M2rEogT0kh_XGVWUtEkq3-mB1DT_bDlTMmBSBRBN_nimnn1Nyh3irnQ90HCctg0i0LPH4ZGA_XkV5nPU2UiI4D9XG8Dt0m9Xl6Iq2mk/s320/036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I enjoy playing with wood, cutting, painting and repurposing it as something
whimsical, fun and playful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">All
I required was an outlet to sell my product, so opening an Etsy shop seemed like
the right solution!<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Although I have enjoyed starting up my Etsy shop, the downside is that it is taking up a great
chunk of my time and I am discovering that too many hours at the computer is not
such a great thing for back and eyes which begin straining and complaining to
move away, go outside, jump, walk anything but sit at a screen editing
listings, interacting in the discussions, checking and rechecking tags and
titles, looking over the stats, (why are my views so low?) and brainstorming
marketing ideas.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Then <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘HELLO’ </b>I receive my first Etsy Transaction Note for an order and a
following email from Paypal stating that an item has been paid for and can now
be shipped and all the pains and strains melt away in the happy delirium of a
sale!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Having an Etsy shop is so much
fun and also <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">so addictive</b>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To create something out of reclaimed wood or
repurposed items and have a Buyer like it enough to purchase it, is so
gratifying and motivates me to keep on creating!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A
BIT ABOUT ME:<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DKvTFzHViCOD598mfMVdiW3Fd1vywm_h6xpfsZuF7RYhrKH7IoexEh5md5m7emJe92yQL2moe7otBhL8xAaRGkTY3XR-_X8dGMfn7BfbO9vv1ajl80X4vILPwaP-no6YAsn4dlucE3U/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DKvTFzHViCOD598mfMVdiW3Fd1vywm_h6xpfsZuF7RYhrKH7IoexEh5md5m7emJe92yQL2moe7otBhL8xAaRGkTY3XR-_X8dGMfn7BfbO9vv1ajl80X4vILPwaP-no6YAsn4dlucE3U/s320/064.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I live on Vancouver Island in a small
cottage by the sea called Black Crow Cottage. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My
husband and I built our small cottage a few years back when our
daughters grew up and away. We embraced the idea of minimizing, sold the big
house and gave away or sold a lot of the items that are necessary to fill all
the rooms of a big house and then we built small, very small by most folks
standards, a mere 1000 square feet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living on a smaller footprint has been
challenging in some ways and liberating in others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less time spent cleaning and more time having
fun!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">When a big storm took down
our friend’s barn in the Cowichan Valley, I recovered a barn window from the
collapsed building. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2kdzz9IR0MWOINU4Xmlc3s0sLKFABKIKS-SWkhFnDIfjE7hhMReoNkm7s4rbLkhmOwrPPhP58tjteg5h9F3NP7EkvUTCP-GlPdpRwxW3VL4IuT_rZWOMIElppDXZcKDcKajaYrLjyKE/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2kdzz9IR0MWOINU4Xmlc3s0sLKFABKIKS-SWkhFnDIfjE7hhMReoNkm7s4rbLkhmOwrPPhP58tjteg5h9F3NP7EkvUTCP-GlPdpRwxW3VL4IuT_rZWOMIElppDXZcKDcKajaYrLjyKE/s200/030.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I knocked out the remaining glass, removed the old putty,
repainted the frame and added squares of mirror. I gave it back to my friend as
a memory of her old barn and she was delighted with it! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there the inspiration of creating other
Barn Window Mirrors began. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaXxwQnp-qFKY-HXvObl7R7voo66CERisJiOV7PWXFP1DV-2wCeO9oxAgl2SJO9dTYW-1_FPlwn44ba77FNCK3g6mdyFmRjN4f7tBiIZhw4rUtSVsR5X7Uqs5fve2DsSzLyksDyWOgmI/s1600/081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaXxwQnp-qFKY-HXvObl7R7voo66CERisJiOV7PWXFP1DV-2wCeO9oxAgl2SJO9dTYW-1_FPlwn44ba77FNCK3g6mdyFmRjN4f7tBiIZhw4rUtSVsR5X7Uqs5fve2DsSzLyksDyWOgmI/s320/081.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I am constantly inspired by the beauty of our West Coast shores. Living by the sea not only affords me the luxury of kayaking, beachcombing and enjoying the West Coast lifestyle but also offers me a fresh 'crop' of driftwood daily to use in the making of driftwood boats, such fun to create, and of course it's very gratifying if others enjoy them as well!</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My Etsy shop is still pretty new and while I am very
focused on improvements I also have plenty to reflect on regarding my
accomplishments, what I have learned and what I still need to learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><strong>AND I HAVE LEARNED AND ACCOMPLISHED PLENTY!<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ve <b>ACCOMPLISHED</b> opening a shop, stocking it with
Barn Window Mirrors, Driftwood Boats, Wall Hooks, Signs and Folk Art and I am actually
making sales from people other than my friends and family. People unknown to me
actually felt my product was worth purchasing. Go figure…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ve <b>LEARNED</b> that opening an Etsy shop is
time-consuming and comes with an enormous learning curve. I am finding that I
am spending way more time on my Etsy Shop than I had imagined I would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have an addictive personality,
however I have to be careful that when I ‘power up my computer’ and sit down at
my desk I don’t get sucked into the Etsy vacuum and lose myself in the reading,
absorbing and applying of what I am learning.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ve <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LEARNED </b>that
if you want compliments, ask your friends and family but if you want an honest
critique from your Commitment Team that is exactly what you will get! Gut wrenching
honesty. I have learned many things from the team I have joined, such as my
photos are horrible, dark and cluttered and my shop is not cohesive. In the
future I hope you will see cleaner, brighter product photos and a more cohesive shop look. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ve <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LEARNED </b>the
INS and OUTS of social media and how to increase my shop’s reach. So ‘friend’
me on face book and ‘like’ me on my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Basically I am requesting all your hearts and attention…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In reviewing
my successes this year the only thing I really know for sure is that I am exactly
where I need to be...</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #365f91; font-family: Cambria; font-size: large;">BLACKCROWCURIOS believes in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_reuse" target="_blank" title="Creative reuse"><span style="color: #365f91; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: large;">creative reuse</span></span></a><span style="color: #365f91; font-family: Cambria; font-size: large;">
by reclaiming and transforming cast off items into useful and decorative home
accents. Beach combing and the inspiration of the outdoors are essential components
of the BLACKCROWCURIOS </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design" target="_blank" title="Design"><span style="color: #365f91; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: large;">design process</span></span></a><span style="color: #365f91; font-family: Cambria; font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Etsy Shop Link: </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackCrowCurios"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackCrowCurios</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Personal Blog:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://blackcrowcurios.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/folk-art/"><span style="color: blue;">http://blackcrowcurios.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/folk-art/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Guardian-EgypTT-Text; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Author:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trish Repay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #365f91; font-family: Cambria; font-size: large;">ARE YOUR CREATIVE
JUICES FLOWING?</span></h1>
<span style="color: #365f91; font-family: Cambria; font-size: large;"><strong>ARE YOU CONSIDERING
OPENING AN ONLINE BUSINESS?</strong></span><br />
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6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-48806974277287734632013-10-17T16:25:00.000-07:002013-10-17T16:25:49.913-07:00It's HARVEST TIME!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2GfE06Rb2dAsgW_4NxRcNL-98q4SI6wMXrsqvbNRhZUA2BwY0KoHzYY1Mz3SnIXOBsLJUDpwjIF0PM3h-KhtXijUFmu961x7a4FsnFxtJA-wMm5LA8cgKNXjH2VgT_B07d6NYiC9YWA/s1600/indian+creek+winery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2GfE06Rb2dAsgW_4NxRcNL-98q4SI6wMXrsqvbNRhZUA2BwY0KoHzYY1Mz3SnIXOBsLJUDpwjIF0PM3h-KhtXijUFmu961x7a4FsnFxtJA-wMm5LA8cgKNXjH2VgT_B07d6NYiC9YWA/s320/indian+creek+winery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I typically associate a Winery with a wedding location or a wine tasting tour. But last Sunday we went to the local winery, Indian Creek, for the Harvest Festival!! Let me tell you....it was beautiful weather, live music, local handmade crafters (Like Etsy sellers) and oh sooo good wine! We brought blankets and chairs and sat down on the beautifully flowering grounds with friends, wine and enjoyed the day!<br />
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The first 100 guests were given these fancy little wine glasses, and $5 bought you 5 tastings and a chance at a raffle. We arrived after, oh....let's say 500 people, so we had to pay for our lovely glasses. Then a bottle of Star Garnet, which is my favorite red wine that they make.<br />
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Above is where the band was set up all day and below, near a little pond were two gourmet food trucks! Apparently these food trucks are the new Top Chefs! I have ordered from a variety of these food trucks and the food never fails to be original, gourmet and so yummy! </div>
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B29 Streetery is my favorite, the brisket sliders and garlic cilantro fries are delish. </div>
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In their gift shop they have local jewelry and handmade goods among other must haves. I nearly bought this shirt, I am fairly certain it would have made me more awesome:) I do however have a bling wine shirt already, it reads Wineaux. Nearly every time I wear it someone tries to buy it off of me!!!</div>
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This little gal belongs to the owners. She roams the winery in search of pets and treats. There was a wine cork counting contest, guess how many in the bucket??? Alas I didn't win....</div>
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Needless to say the day was perfect and we can't wait to go to the next event. </div>
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Check out the events for your local winery, they often have Holiday Festivals, where you can buy last minute xmas etsy-like goods, wine and even make your own concoction of wine!!</div>
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Happy Thursday!!</div>
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Vikki</div>
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https://www.etsy.com/shop/BenderBuckles</div>
<br />6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-29995530276820749502013-10-11T02:00:00.000-07:002013-10-15T10:10:00.670-07:00What Are We Teaching Our Children?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Debora L. Griffin - Wife, Momma, Domestic Goddess and Jewelry Artist. Sharing everyday experiences, parenting while re-purposing and up-cycling unique handmade jewelry pieces. </span><span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">www.CraftedLocally.com </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">These are my opinions.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0BT7g1aQHN79NUnQD93t6oZoE7EH3z_vkVyCha4hJLHDk3z8oo4HLfpTecjIN_vSxJxy2R8i1etio2dbypnh0EtfgDqFjQKdPdLPRT88afrfb6Kj55il0r3akZfNbKrbLlBgAqA60o4/s1600/train+wreck+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0BT7g1aQHN79NUnQD93t6oZoE7EH3z_vkVyCha4hJLHDk3z8oo4HLfpTecjIN_vSxJxy2R8i1etio2dbypnh0EtfgDqFjQKdPdLPRT88afrfb6Kj55il0r3akZfNbKrbLlBgAqA60o4/s320/train+wreck+for+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For whatever reason, my husband LOVES to watch
the train wreck of Mommas on </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">Toddlers and
Tiaras</i><span style="font-family: Arial;">. He is so entertained watching grown women make idiots of
themselves.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Because I love him and
wanted to be with him, I sat in the room with him and watched with growing
horror.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I couldn't believe not only how
some of these women act, but also what they were teaching their children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">These women (I could say
parents or families here because sometimes it is the whole family but for
brevity I’ll leave it at women, that’s 99.9% of what you see on the show) have
sexualized their children beyond belief.
It’s not enough that they are putting makeup on them to “make them
beautiful” and that toddlers look like a 20 year old. Or that they are buying
hair pieces for a 3 year old to wear, or even that they spend a truck-load of
money for “flippers” (fake teeth to improve the smiles) and sparkly beautiful $5000
gowns. No these women have to go on and sexualize
them through their stage movements, dance and their theme outfits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9eQaTBgbK__PwXYwukswTobew8Wb88XymQ2vzsQCgnXLVCR_J17vhejOmrWZiOFVlSpnrE2V61bzQLlpj83OtgyZ4kbJuD3xupqqlPwEUxq-HC-OU1w4scLmvi8CYlAYTny58YXAS58/s1600/todler+julia+roberts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9eQaTBgbK__PwXYwukswTobew8Wb88XymQ2vzsQCgnXLVCR_J17vhejOmrWZiOFVlSpnrE2V61bzQLlpj83OtgyZ4kbJuD3xupqqlPwEUxq-HC-OU1w4scLmvi8CYlAYTny58YXAS58/s200/todler+julia+roberts.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsNHjsXgNMaT1jStTJLRGkDt0r_9dsixljZFuUoUVWqENPgZluS9WoGQBMax7Y2P8HH1hZnOGPuuIKrX_r9sj_5_akeEu5Y51wTS0AFw7CeKIrnnGrsb8uH6rYK5AU5NcQP6eu8kOaao/s1600/toddler+madonna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsNHjsXgNMaT1jStTJLRGkDt0r_9dsixljZFuUoUVWqENPgZluS9WoGQBMax7Y2P8HH1hZnOGPuuIKrX_r9sj_5_akeEu5Y51wTS0AFw7CeKIrnnGrsb8uH6rYK5AU5NcQP6eu8kOaao/s200/toddler+madonna.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madonna theme outfit</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions at dance
practice or stage performance practice or whatever you want to call it might
include “</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shake your booty</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,” “</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">flirt with the judges</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,” “</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">show your sexy eyes</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,” “</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">give me a real shimmy now</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">” and the
killer for me “</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sex it up some</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You heard me…”<i>sex it up some</i>.” To a three year old - “<i>Sex it up some</i>.” REALLY?
REALLY?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE
PEOPLE?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think it’s time for a
disclaimer here. My daughter
participates in pageants. She has
participated in 3 school pageants over 3 years.
So at 13, 14, and 15 years of age, we bought her a formal (well,
actually she bought it. She saved enough
money to buy it herself, I’ll tell you more in a later post) searched for that
perfect Sportswear Outfit, put on a little extra makeup and let her strut her
stuff across that stage. Basically, she
has fun playing dress up with her friends.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH97Na9NUpnGtZ5cKvc_BKDt52e5HU96sPIhSaIoq5cmOu3IdPvqgxBNEhA5g-vGzadzv-OALo3BveFu_8_X9DSDDLsetIvZFk7aalvBrAfnU6BsckF4beB_sHfMYj8LAx28qRRudFW0/s1600/e+griffin+miss+congeniality.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH97Na9NUpnGtZ5cKvc_BKDt52e5HU96sPIhSaIoq5cmOu3IdPvqgxBNEhA5g-vGzadzv-OALo3BveFu_8_X9DSDDLsetIvZFk7aalvBrAfnU6BsckF4beB_sHfMYj8LAx28qRRudFW0/s400/e+griffin+miss+congeniality.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E. in Blue - Miss Congeniality</td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So you can see we are not
against pageants - not at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But what these crazy mommas
on Toddler and Tiaras are teaching their daughters just astounds me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Even at 3 these pageants
could be beneficial. It could help a
child feel comfortable in the limelight.
It could help her overcome shyness…or if she’s really a stage hound, it
could give her a venue to perform a talent in front of a willing and
appreciative audience. As children get
older pageants can teach poise and self-confidence, and perfect talent
skills. They can teach children to deal
with stage fright, organizational skills, planning skills, time management, even
some beauty tricks that the average female may not know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But WHY OH WHY do we have to
make it about being sexy? Why does a 3 year old need sex appeal? WHYYYYYYYY?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There were some other values
being taught to the children that concern me too. i.e. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">You have no value if you aren't pretty;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do whatever it takes to win;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Belittle your opponent;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Complain if you don’t win;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Acting like a “diva” is
acceptable, nay, expected;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">No one else in this family
is as important as you;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">It's ok to treat your mother with
disrespect when you aren't getting your way;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Screaming at people is
acceptable;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Pitching hissy fits is
acceptable;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Throwing things –
acceptable;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ripping costumes –
acceptable. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KiQw21vWaZLLSls7YKRImNWrisUWN9vJxMZBh6SBQcVHLczovP_vpauI_WXCIooIr5q1kTmHyq7-0mGg05pGRjA1l5aPlvjk7s5d2aPz39rhTfiYD2MjzrSRrkgvHCDDiw0-F_qqeIk/s1600/unmade+toddler+interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KiQw21vWaZLLSls7YKRImNWrisUWN9vJxMZBh6SBQcVHLczovP_vpauI_WXCIooIr5q1kTmHyq7-0mGg05pGRjA1l5aPlvjk7s5d2aPz39rhTfiYD2MjzrSRrkgvHCDDiw0-F_qqeIk/s1600/unmade+toddler+interview.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">enough said</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPANhKAioC3h1scG6DwgN821mFGrTooo085TqeH4a1wO48sePyHSIgdm4PDA87drKeUnqKVe6ueZ6IfPY7t6rCCzsGjb7D8PaLvr-vhB-vS3YS3pnQev64-Lz-srNSHCGMZ4Mdd05EmU/s1600/toddler+meltdown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPANhKAioC3h1scG6DwgN821mFGrTooo085TqeH4a1wO48sePyHSIgdm4PDA87drKeUnqKVe6ueZ6IfPY7t6rCCzsGjb7D8PaLvr-vhB-vS3YS3pnQev64-Lz-srNSHCGMZ4Mdd05EmU/s1600/toddler+meltdown.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">screaming at mom</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUniqqCDLwdLX6xPrhTcRE_ISp9jD3Vs9ZF90WehQ9d9QdZeRHbogxPdwTw8gJUzHfR1CnCfml0IYsabqH7YYoVjK7ztlnNvUUnyYLJAN8pbr0p9eeyXwrrYdVaY5pZwyG78GxfgFU-M/s1600/toddler+hissy+fit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUniqqCDLwdLX6xPrhTcRE_ISp9jD3Vs9ZF90WehQ9d9QdZeRHbogxPdwTw8gJUzHfR1CnCfml0IYsabqH7YYoVjK7ztlnNvUUnyYLJAN8pbr0p9eeyXwrrYdVaY5pZwyG78GxfgFU-M/s1600/toddler+hissy+fit.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hissy fit</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintIVQGatga39qZqw2pQsUmBv5bAGoD2VeXHj5UaxaLp4AwMzHQ6zMdLFel7E4qWk4vxfEsVjcNSDLXdDc_1_yogR3TO3asLnKYDxHcfz4M7KRkU1FekiG6QfTFQiNj5nGJYjrZR171TU/s1600/toddler+disrespect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintIVQGatga39qZqw2pQsUmBv5bAGoD2VeXHj5UaxaLp4AwMzHQ6zMdLFel7E4qWk4vxfEsVjcNSDLXdDc_1_yogR3TO3asLnKYDxHcfz4M7KRkU1FekiG6QfTFQiNj5nGJYjrZR171TU/s1600/toddler+disrespect.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">disrespect</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This list goes on and
on. Some of these behaviors were
prevalent because the child was tired and didn't WANT to do the pageant at that
particular moment. I get that. But at 3
years of age, I can definitively say…MOMMA put her there. MOMMA entered her in a pageant. MOMMA is responsible for the behavior and the training of the child thereof.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What ever happened to?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Beauty is from within;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Play fair;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">May the best man (child)
win;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Learn from your mistakes;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Act like a lady;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Treat others with
compassion;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Be respectful;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Speak kindly to others;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">We’re in this together;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">You break it you pay for it
(or in the case of a 3 year old…you’ll do without)?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tolerating unacceptable behavior
as a parent is just raising the next unproductive, uncontrolled, undisciplined
adult, because you are telling them in the moment THOSE are the values you
accept – live even.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As we got deeper and deeper
into the show I started questioning…why would these mothers do this? Why would they let their children act so
disrespectfully? Why did they act like
children themselves? Why was having their child look sexy important to
them? It made me start thinking about
some of the issues these mothers may be dealing with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3dT43IELv4IQ_JZWGEcnR8dmdiEMAaUTtxcMeRtDBPLyyrN0uvf_PmNtZTx6rAJclM2HmXjZl8UKn0rEYmDgaTSfQQa18qnH54X8G4Sf_girPQpKPWiLsiEHlCG6apo0S_HxFDUk-8c/s1600/toddler+pageant+mom3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3dT43IELv4IQ_JZWGEcnR8dmdiEMAaUTtxcMeRtDBPLyyrN0uvf_PmNtZTx6rAJclM2HmXjZl8UKn0rEYmDgaTSfQQa18qnH54X8G4Sf_girPQpKPWiLsiEHlCG6apo0S_HxFDUk-8c/s200/toddler+pageant+mom3.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqyKT2VEjpGh8R8KMk9gUHTh-QbYROSBIBrjUFrGoYsFHN4J3utzmFTK4r3d6MNRKUWnVHZcBqkdpkSr_4vmeSxeNk2Klr5L6u9tns7wAyeERPlMs68_jbrdcJdx6iADwAx-b9_JvpG0/s1600/toddler+angry+pageant+mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqyKT2VEjpGh8R8KMk9gUHTh-QbYROSBIBrjUFrGoYsFHN4J3utzmFTK4r3d6MNRKUWnVHZcBqkdpkSr_4vmeSxeNk2Klr5L6u9tns7wAyeERPlMs68_jbrdcJdx6iADwAx-b9_JvpG0/s200/toddler+angry+pageant+mom.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI4J4hmnR7bWisM0ja0_lFa2McfU1SXa8xLXQZHabHzVq_xsXO_tcKGLpIXo0vm03RWmdh-3OeBjsLfN8zbIZl-nN-Iyws1dHWD_fRns6PO7asNnudoyT40hGIFbwcew9zVRxoiuQuws/s1600/toddler+pageant+mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI4J4hmnR7bWisM0ja0_lFa2McfU1SXa8xLXQZHabHzVq_xsXO_tcKGLpIXo0vm03RWmdh-3OeBjsLfN8zbIZl-nN-Iyws1dHWD_fRns6PO7asNnudoyT40hGIFbwcew9zVRxoiuQuws/s1600/toddler+pageant+mom.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_Rjigc5y7kpq3IQQpL2qqMj2RB7aSdNq-nb4z-Ghfr4UWEVqy4tCS8Ap3BGZPymYpov88hm6Ew5QBriVGozrnvxK7OUFSt1pk93ltNRjUeWTpFcVArXT2jQu9r1OWhXDdJnajZ-kYmk/s1600/toddler+pageant+mom+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_Rjigc5y7kpq3IQQpL2qqMj2RB7aSdNq-nb4z-Ghfr4UWEVqy4tCS8Ap3BGZPymYpov88hm6Ew5QBriVGozrnvxK7OUFSt1pk93ltNRjUeWTpFcVArXT2jQu9r1OWhXDdJnajZ-kYmk/s200/toddler+pageant+mom+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qStZtRuMn0TFqttDVtypDW6P8FUHUQjM4nuXAoprKTkfBqzmfWxC5Kn5UmcP1g8WALDslHmy8BxGsVYih90rPjdOP2O9ec2kaL32rOi_1cRG5GdqnqlWOsXuEtBOKXMnoTzY7yo4A_4/s1600/toddler+pageant+mom+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qStZtRuMn0TFqttDVtypDW6P8FUHUQjM4nuXAoprKTkfBqzmfWxC5Kn5UmcP1g8WALDslHmy8BxGsVYih90rPjdOP2O9ec2kaL32rOi_1cRG5GdqnqlWOsXuEtBOKXMnoTzY7yo4A_4/s200/toddler+pageant+mom+4.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But this is a parenting blog so I’ll stick to that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Parents – what you teach
your children matters. What you teach by
example is often more important that what you teach by instruction. Whether it is a pageant, sporting event,
field trip or just every day life, these are all teaching moments. And it is in these moments that your child
learns about themselves, develops their self esteem, their self worth, their
value, compassion for others, kindheartedness, self control, selflessness,
self-reliance, sensitivity to others, teamwork, strength, thankfulness,
thoughtfulness, loyalty... Again, the
list can go on and on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Teach your children positive
values. Don’t blow it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">PS...not all of these pictures above show toddlers...but they are representative of what I saw on the program last night. Below are some photos submitted for Miss Photogenic...I believe they are all toddlers - touched up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">PPS...I realize the producers choose the worst behaved child and weirdest mom...makes for "good" TV.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0i3uaCjviFGqu0WOD7bpbVzLckpymUqVeYOFEHSdQ8UcoPGU9Q7MWHtALkWV7GG0kb9pMmZ7UvZC3DH-40R1f2fkVLQz5mZ50E4nl6hzdRRcqRjqxEK4XMkjcDPHZDkVD-7kC-I1Uri8/s1600/toddler+photogenic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0i3uaCjviFGqu0WOD7bpbVzLckpymUqVeYOFEHSdQ8UcoPGU9Q7MWHtALkWV7GG0kb9pMmZ7UvZC3DH-40R1f2fkVLQz5mZ50E4nl6hzdRRcqRjqxEK4XMkjcDPHZDkVD-7kC-I1Uri8/s1600/toddler+photogenic+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now just a little pageant humor...or not.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Debora L. Griffin - Wife, Momma, Domestic Goddess and Jewelry Artist. Sharing everyday experiences, parenting while re-purposing and up-cycling unique handmade jewelry pieces. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">www.CraftedLocally.com</span></div>
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6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-37502367912405043162013-09-27T09:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T09:30:00.303-07:00Good Reads: Never Have Your Dog StuffedA few weeks ago a coworker at my "day job" foisted a couple of books on me. She used the old line "You'd really like these," and I ended up with them, obligated to read and, of course, report that I liked them. I love reading; books are my favorite method for escaping my own life (which, despite my own better judgment, I still seem to be trying to do). Yet, I am always wary of books given to me by others. Like the kid at the lunch table who gives away his dessert without bargaining for it, I have to wonder what is wrong with it. It's clearly not your prize treasure because you are willing to risk handing it to me. There's also this freaky thing: I feel like I am peering into your skull when I read what you read. <br />
<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=iPs8FX5zKG7j8M&tbnid=0iao5E5BWJ5tHM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Febnpasoa.typepad.com%2Fblog%2F&ei=aNPSUYTDCeL0yQH99oGYBw&bvm=bv.48572450,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNHkTrO0-3fb-tbIlAEN3Rphpf5nDA&ust=1372857429830030" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="200" id="irc_mi" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/n/never-have-your-dog-stuffed/9781400064090_custom-4f2bbb607c56aba6cca827f54f37426600279f78-s6-c10.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="131" /></a><br />
Hesitations aside, I picked up <em><a href="http://www.alanalda.com/" target="_blank">Never Have Your Dog Stuffed</a> </em>the biography of Alan Alda (M*A*S*H star "Hawkeye") today and have gotten about halfway through. He's funny, quirky, intelligent and I think we share a similar disregard for other peoples' rules. So far it sounds like he'd do just about anything to follow his dream of being an actor. That's something I admire. The biggest difference between us seems to be that, at the age of twenty something, he still had that feeling of invincibility that only toddlers and lunatics seem to be able to muster. He never grew out of it, I suppose, and I doubt I ever had it. This whole "making it on your own as an artist" thing scares the crap out of me! <br />
<br />
I am engrossed in figuring out how he managed to stay so insanely confident of success. I have been told before that learning about other artists is helpful to my own success, but it never really occurred to me to REALLY try until I met this HUGE ego of Mr. Alda's in his book. I suppose I'll let you know how the dissection of his words go. In the meantime, I am curious; what keeps the fear monster at bay for you when you want or need to accomplish a daunting task? I'd love to hear how other people operate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=5fuQfRTlMQZRZM&tbnid=vsXP0nU6JJ0hsM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.roportal.ro%2Fen%2Farticles%2Falan-alda-2099.htm&ei=DNXSUdfGFonkygH-2IHgCQ&bvm=bv.48572450,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNFVqnDJIPHNzJg82aYGyEvFZYtdaw&ust=1372857873767137" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="240" id="irc_mi" src="http://media.roportal.ro/upload/Image/actori/alan-alda.jpg" style="margin-top: 93px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nee-ner-nee-ner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-32860195034705044312013-09-19T20:24:00.000-07:002013-09-19T20:24:01.406-07:00Yummy! Weekend Breakfast!It's the weekend, and there is definitely one thing I look forward to...a yummy breakfast made at home with my family. We try to do this at least once every weekend, schedules permitting. So we do our best to sleep in a little, we slowly wake up and then I make a beeline to the coffee maker. Everyone else follows closely behind and then we start asking, "What would be good for breakfast?" There's always suggestions for the usual suspects: Sausage Gravy with Biscuits, Coconut French Toast, Eggs Benedict (my personal all-time favorite), Pancakes and Bacon...and the list goes on. We decide what we want and most of the time my husband and/or I have to go to the store and pick up odds and ends. (Okay, it's usually my husband because I'm just not quite ready to go out anywhere...ever...when I first wake up.) That's alright. Breakfast may be a little later than usual, but hey. It's the weekend! So - I'm going to feature three of our favorite breakfasts ever:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pjnRn4GgrV9Y4ACnzTzbintgO8oOONyNuhp9iZUtMyWXhsZOjHGvdyUNfrRUCHM7cNkG-qgJKb_KX4D_LSn6eGJyx1fmvjODnyudUvq-3Dhp5J80Jpj3cIcy9xfJVZsb17CEWCYiJDU/s1600/sausagegravy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pjnRn4GgrV9Y4ACnzTzbintgO8oOONyNuhp9iZUtMyWXhsZOjHGvdyUNfrRUCHM7cNkG-qgJKb_KX4D_LSn6eGJyx1fmvjODnyudUvq-3Dhp5J80Jpj3cIcy9xfJVZsb17CEWCYiJDU/s400/sausagegravy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
A family favorite is definitely Sausage Gravy with Biscuits. It's a recipe we got from my mother-in-law. I remember the first time I had it was with my husband and his parents. I had never had it before, and I was a little leery. (I seem to recall my dad calling it sh..on a shingle...it didn't sound appetizing AT ALL) I was polite and I tried it. SO GOOD! The epitome of comfort food for breakfast, and extremely easy to make. Brown a tube of Jimmy Dean Hot sausage in a medium sauce pan (DON'T strain the grease) sprinkle 2 - 3 <br />
tablespoons of flower over the browned sausage; mix well. Add 2 - 3 cups of milk (if you add 2 tablespoons flour, use 2 cups of milk (smaller, concentrated batch); if you add 3 tablespoons, use 3 cups of milk (larger, less concentrated batch, both options are very good and flavorful)) Turn heat to medium, stir frequently, let boil and reduce heat. Keep stirring occasionally until desired thickness is achieved. Cook biscuits according to directions (we like Pillsbury Grands in the exploding tube) Place 2 biscuits on a plate, pour gravy on top, and DONE! Seriously, it's so easy and very good. Not the best breakfast for dieting; it's definitely a treat. Pair this with a nice, hearty bloody Mary for the adults, and a glass of apple juice for the kids!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMHgBXL8Zc19aYnNuYdiszK16JFdxMyosp928AbTLgxYS4l7ldQsv88QwsrrO2hEE26hUGCdZce1PZw-VaZSsOD59iYUv-JVlF3RJ5zak7FKOTdamo85uvofHIL3qSImMzbdRIx4M7Kk/s1600/tropical-coconut-french-toast-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMHgBXL8Zc19aYnNuYdiszK16JFdxMyosp928AbTLgxYS4l7ldQsv88QwsrrO2hEE26hUGCdZce1PZw-VaZSsOD59iYUv-JVlF3RJ5zak7FKOTdamo85uvofHIL3qSImMzbdRIx4M7Kk/s400/tropical-coconut-french-toast-l.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Another family favorite is French Toast. I generally make the French toast for my family. My husband makes the pancakes, so this is my "specialty". I oftentimes make the traditional French toast recipe - milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon. The kids love it, and so does the hubby. Another very easy to make breakfast. And then I happened upon a recipe for French toast in Coastal Living magazine...Coconut French Toast. OMG yum. It's a little more of a high maintenance French toast, but worth the wait. I am attaching a link for the recipe from Coastal Living Magazine: <br />
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<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/coconut-french-toast-10000001589332/">http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/coconut-french-toast-10000001589332/</a> Seriously - if you like coconut, and you like French toast, you'll love this. It's especially great on a nice, sunny summer morning. Pair this with a fresh cup of Kona coffee for the adults, and a glass of pineapple juice for the kids! Then after breakfast you send the kids to the park and start making some pina coladas. ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc2tukPdPgkW_N71fLuhWkWPC8Uv-dSggolRcEOyKt_RHNOrEMDSOxiwY6YtSNZbGpDmsDHr6L3NgjlfXPKSyZ8H3m9CX3ji16WU2pevGGO41Eqki5g1PIeNpj1veZgJL1mabg4i85R0/s1600/Eggs+Benedict+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc2tukPdPgkW_N71fLuhWkWPC8Uv-dSggolRcEOyKt_RHNOrEMDSOxiwY6YtSNZbGpDmsDHr6L3NgjlfXPKSyZ8H3m9CX3ji16WU2pevGGO41Eqki5g1PIeNpj1veZgJL1mabg4i85R0/s400/Eggs+Benedict+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
And now for my all-time favorite breakfast in the world...Eggs Benedict. There are so many variations of this breakfast, and I prefer the traditional version - Eggs on top of a piece of Canadian bacon (or ham for those who don't care for Canadian bacon - I don't get this at all. Canadian bacon rocks!) on top of a toasted English muffin, smothered in Hollandaise sauce and topped with some parsley. Granted, I have yet to try to make my own hollandaise sauce; it's on my list of things to try. We just buy the packet of powdered mix, and then I soup it up with some lemon juice and pepper. My husband and I have yet to perfect the art of poaching an egg, so we make sunnyside-up eggs instead. Still very tasty, and the kids love it! Pair this with a mimosa for the adults, and a glass of OJ for the kids.<br />
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So - there you have it. Three awesome weekend breakfast ideas. Are they diet-friendly? Probably not. Are they yummy? Yes. Are they worth the wait for the weekend? Absolutely. I think next time I will give some diet-friendly breakfast ideas. Those are good, too!<br />
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Have a great weekend everyone!<br />
<br />
Heather Zappo<br />
Id & Ego Creations<br />
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6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-30827961495045684012013-09-13T22:02:00.000-07:002013-09-13T22:02:04.166-07:00Fall Gardening<h2>
Fall Harvest</h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUearHewSbm3zkAjMEP6gJEsLh1VOoWqOBowC6dmAFCV_Dp4D3HgTnsFYFIFeRYfsk_D5WPS87pc8LCuNtOdq_OjrVEurssrntqlgHJ8grtnn9DpdFYB1ld-ZsvNzEM08-f0KVC0oqhA/s1600/pumpkin+harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUearHewSbm3zkAjMEP6gJEsLh1VOoWqOBowC6dmAFCV_Dp4D3HgTnsFYFIFeRYfsk_D5WPS87pc8LCuNtOdq_OjrVEurssrntqlgHJ8grtnn9DpdFYB1ld-ZsvNzEM08-f0KVC0oqhA/s1600/pumpkin+harvest.jpg" /></a>When most people think about gardens in the fall, they usually picture ripe, orange pumpkins ready to pick, apples being picked off the tree, and baskets overflowing with fresh vegetables. Fall is the time when the summer vegetables and fruits finish ripening and become ready to enjoy. For many people, this season marks the end of the year for their gardens, and they are busy cleaning out the old plants and covering their garden beds with plastic for the winter. This has always been one of my favorite times of the year. Not just because I get to pick all the apples I want and eat all the fresh vegetables I want, but also because it's time to plant my fall garden.<br />
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Even in places like my home in Seattle, where we end up getting frosty mornings so quickly come fall time, there are many vegetables that can be grown successfully and are fairly frost-hardy. These plants include leafy crops like kale, lettuce, spinach, and swiss chard. Root crops like beets, carrots, garlic, onions, potatoes, radishes, and turnips. As well as broccoli, cauliflower and peas. These frost-hardy plants also make the best choices for the very first plantings in early spring.<br />
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If you're lucky to have a longer autumn season before the mornings turn frosty, then you can have your choice of any cool season crops, including: arugula (rocket), beets, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, celery (mild winter climates), chard, fennel, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard greens, onions (bulbing), onions (bunching--standard onions harvested before they form bulbs), Pak choi (Bok choy), and coriander (cilantro).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaL-K9EzeKyDf5kuMfm_qAAVFT1NLmNEqzh3fWkSbml5jtLNJ8v2Si6GVBFHqSpzRj1om8T51ZHLgLVh2lI8q8-OmgTxY4z_6ltJzOfxv6XoxIr1y8bLryhY3y4OZateP-0eqADoJrL4/s1600/harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaL-K9EzeKyDf5kuMfm_qAAVFT1NLmNEqzh3fWkSbml5jtLNJ8v2Si6GVBFHqSpzRj1om8T51ZHLgLVh2lI8q8-OmgTxY4z_6ltJzOfxv6XoxIr1y8bLryhY3y4OZateP-0eqADoJrL4/s1600/harvest.jpg" /></a></div>
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As with any gardening adventure, it's always best to do your research. Find out what grows well in the climate you have. Plant nurserys and your local county extension office will usually be more than happy to help you learn what kinds of cool season crops can do well in your area. Also make sure to research what the different crops need in terms of light/shade, and water. During the fall, you won't need to water a garden as much as you would in the hot summer months, but it's still important to make sure your plants are getting the water they need. Also make sure to find out what fertilizing needs your garden will have. During the wetter months of autumn, plants will usually need more fertilizer to ensure adequate nutrients in the soil. Above all, remember to have fun!<br />
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Enjoy your summer harvest, and get those cool season crops planted!6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-77816745683423547072013-09-09T18:59:00.000-07:002013-12-04T17:13:15.338-08:00ENTERTAINMENT - what is entertainment exactly?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What Do You Find
Entertaining?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My Webster’s
dictionary describes entertainment as anything from a leisure activity, a
pursuit of amusement, an enjoyable hobby, leisure time, a riveting distraction or
simply a diversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Entertainment
can be a source of laughter, enjoyment, delight, fun and pleasure when the
entertainment is geared towards being lighthearted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or it could
be relaxing if you are being entertained by soft music and a soothing massage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Entertainment
could also be dramatic and possibly heart rending as in an entertaining but sad
movie.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">My pleasures
are many and so varied and a good number of them are homey ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I38IxE1oIKkKox54hFKa4MDjrdq7j0XmH3IF-A6uUUtAXkhwGyPsLnGw_IDA2KRX0Py9indy9m_zl5Kgc0heU_m_sWCPXNR6xFcTot5ZkNIBv_ncA-pcqczaG_BhW-kgaz0HkG3HElk/s1600/sweet+spot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I38IxE1oIKkKox54hFKa4MDjrdq7j0XmH3IF-A6uUUtAXkhwGyPsLnGw_IDA2KRX0Py9indy9m_zl5Kgc0heU_m_sWCPXNR6xFcTot5ZkNIBv_ncA-pcqczaG_BhW-kgaz0HkG3HElk/s320/sweet+spot.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Things like devouring a book nestled in the
‘sweet spot’ of a comfy chair, dancing in the kitchen as dinner simmers,
enjoying the sedate excitements of domesticity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the mere feeling of Milorne’s soft touch on the small of my back entertains me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Really it doesn't take much...</span></span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoBQOCh3HjCUb3uk3-94O6CiGFbybhbGyyF-mBRKsPNWELtQbc8No42qbz1c-kWQUmYPvJbUHM2X5YLFm3YtJNY56cPIWz8m5Ql5cfqGOLRZYbn_ywvdpS0Mu6oLycIafo60fjD-ck70/s1600/Sherry%2527s+farm+on+Cameron+Taggart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoBQOCh3HjCUb3uk3-94O6CiGFbybhbGyyF-mBRKsPNWELtQbc8No42qbz1c-kWQUmYPvJbUHM2X5YLFm3YtJNY56cPIWz8m5Ql5cfqGOLRZYbn_ywvdpS0Mu6oLycIafo60fjD-ck70/s320/Sherry%2527s+farm+on+Cameron+Taggart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I am
easily entertained by rainbows, watching the sun rise or by reveling in the luxury of a
good book while relaxing in bed with the enticing smell of coffee wafting in
the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I am also thoroughly entertained
while meandering through the library entranced by the scent and symmetry of rows
of orderly books.<o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">I am often
entertained while hiking with friends or kayaking early in the morning when the
water is smooth as glass, or while biking
along a tree lined trail where the boughs overlap and provide a canopy tunnel.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"> My entertainment quota is as full as the
first sip of wine on a sunny deck overlooking the shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLakqijplEE7ypjLtIU9kamRocsIc_uKwcNCVi6hz_qSvzngdhDKZ1gFqMXhyT2s4tx0Zp_aGMpMkJ4nJEj9_pnbfbTC3hXQenRv5rmBTQ_opR2gnAhfiHm2lPFMH5E2ZvEdQ0niI-Iw/s1600/IMG_3442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLakqijplEE7ypjLtIU9kamRocsIc_uKwcNCVi6hz_qSvzngdhDKZ1gFqMXhyT2s4tx0Zp_aGMpMkJ4nJEj9_pnbfbTC3hXQenRv5rmBTQ_opR2gnAhfiHm2lPFMH5E2ZvEdQ0niI-Iw/s320/IMG_3442.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The kid’s performances, cartwheels on the
grass, a fast paced live hockey game or just visiting and laughing with friends and playing bocce ball on the beach on a stormy day.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
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</span><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Recently we
sat on the grass in Victoria in the Inner harbour and watched for hours a
variety of acts put on by the Buskers at the annual Buskers Festival. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were an amazing variety of acts some
which involved quick intellect while others required team work,courage and strength. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">All humble delights
and yet greatly entertaining...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">How are you
entertained?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
author: Trish Repay (</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">BlackCrowCurios)</span>To learn more about the annual Buskers festival in Victoria BC click on the following link:</div>
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<a href="http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/guide-to-the-buskers-festival-in-downtown-victoria-1.542391" target="_blank">http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/guide-to-the-buskers-festival-in-downtown-victoria-1.542391</a></div>
6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-82873524525601654042013-08-26T08:36:00.000-07:002013-08-26T08:51:07.993-07:00PANTRY RAID!"Dinner Block", ever experience it?? Oh I have it allll the time. What should I make for dinner and I so don't want to go to the store. Time to Raid the Pantry!!!<br />
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Since I suffer from DBS (Dinner Block Syndrome) frequently, I have learned to come up with a few meals that I always seem to have the ingredients to make. Just normal stuff you are bound to have leftover in the fridge or pantry.<br />
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Vik's Tortilla Soup<br />
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I don't always have all these ingredients but what I always always have are a leftover store bought rotisserie chicken, because I also suffer from NETS (Not Enough Time Syndrome). Quinoa or some type of noodle, chicken broth or the little chicken bouillon cubes, sour cream, shredded cheese, rotel and tortilla chips. I raid the pantry for canned veggies and just about any will work!!<br />
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1-Boil, cover and simmer for 1-1.5 hrs-the leftover chicken in enough broth to cover chicken<br />
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2-Scoop out the falling apart chicken onto a baking sheet and use two forks to pull the remaining chicken off the bones. Skim the soup bottom and make sure all bones are accounted for!<br />
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3-In a sauce pan take 1 cup of the broth and cook up 1 cup of Quinoa as directed. Super easy and doesn't take long! if you don't like quinoa, cook up some noodles and drain or minute rice!!<br />
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4-Return chicken to broth and add the Rotel with juice, drained veggies and cooked quinoa. Simmer for 20 minutes.<br />
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Viola!<br />
Just add a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips and if you are feeling fancy, an avocado.<br />
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Vik's Turkey Meatballs and Cream Sauce<br />
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This one is quick and easy! And always always gets rave reviews from the family!<br />
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1-I am lazy when it comes to making meatballs, I don't like handling raw meat and I am not the type to add a bunch of ingredients to the meatball. Basically it is Just a meat ball with a little spice!<br />
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I don my plastic sandwich bags and mush them together and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, or salt and pepper for you "you afraid of spice" folks.<br />
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Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, flip, cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. (Start step 3 simultaneously)<br />
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2-In a sauce pan make 2-3 cups of Minute rice, per directions, cover and set aside.<br />
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3-In an even smaller sauce pan add 1 cup of sour cream and 1 can of cream of mushroom. I use 2 of each for a family of 5 because we have sauce hounds!! Let this simmer on med/low, stirring occasionally so it doesn't splatter. Add Cajun seasoning (maybe a teaspoon or more) to cream sauce or salt and pepper.<br />
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Serve it up!!!<br />
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Add a canned veggie or salad on the side if you so feel inclined.<br />
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Okay that's it for now! Hope you enjoy!<br />
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Vikki<br />
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www.etsy.com/shop/BenderBuckles6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-12422716175556798132013-08-15T19:54:00.002-07:002013-08-15T19:54:56.275-07:00Heroic Parenting Decisions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Parenting. A blog about parenting. It is something I feel strongly about. Parenting that is…not necessarily blogging…although
I am getting into blogging these days.
So far I’m just sharing opinions, not feelings. When I get really good…I’ll start sharing all
my feelings. Then you’ll be in for a
treat! (BAHAHAHA!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What comes to mind when
talking about parenting are some of the things learned while working at a
non-profit. For 9 years I counseled
women in unplanned pregnancies. When a
woman finds herself in an unplanned pregnancy, there are only two choices –
carry the pregnancy to term or end the pregnancy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Should a woman choose to
carry the pregnancy to term, she now has two additional choices – place the
child for adoption or raise the child.
Let me just say…not every woman is ready to be (or capable of being) a good parent. But every woman that ends up
pregnant and chooses to carry to term <b><i><u>has</u></i></b> to make at least one
parenting decision.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAdplzVTxVDTON46hTM_gVB8L_65kw1MQuLhQsy9K_nfSl8JxQmbcDKtu8uLfB7N3KeGXOZ311AVpPb7Ctq-9egdEtjYtl4gbYFo3E_dkzNPKhih26W9Do49l_mKW5PUmHnlMeErZv2I/s1600/newborn+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAdplzVTxVDTON46hTM_gVB8L_65kw1MQuLhQsy9K_nfSl8JxQmbcDKtu8uLfB7N3KeGXOZ311AVpPb7Ctq-9egdEtjYtl4gbYFo3E_dkzNPKhih26W9Do49l_mKW5PUmHnlMeErZv2I/s200/newborn+baby.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you realize what a heroic
parenting decision adoption is? HEROIC!
A child gets a loving home, a couple gets a beautiful baby to love and cherish.
The first parenting decision made by a mom can be such a heroic one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I would tend to believe that
most of us think adoption is a good thing.
Yes we've all heard horror stories.
But how many wonderful stories have we all heard too? How many childless adults got to be parents
because a woman somewhere thought outside of herself and her needs - put a
child’s need for a stable environment above herself and chose to place her
child for adoption? How many children were raised in a great home because of
adoption? My good friend was. She has an adopted brother and two wonderful
parents because her biological mom realized she was not ready to be a mom and
placed her baby girl for adoption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But let’s think for a moment
about how we TALK about adoption. What
do you think is the most often heard statement about adoption? I hear it in your head even now…”I could
never ‘give’ my child up for adoption.” “I
just don’t know how she could do that.”
“How could anyone ‘give’ their child up for adoption?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">First of all children are
not possessions to be given…they are people to be cherished. Secondly, what <b><i><u>is</u></i></b> being given is
a chance at a complete home, a stable home, a loving home, a home where parents
are WAITING for a child as opposed to (possibly) a broken home, a home of
unemployment, drugs or abuse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let me say it again. Adoption is a HEROIC parenting decision. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Adoption is not easy for
birth mothers. Don’t think I don’t know
that. I've grieved beside women who have
placed their children for adoption, and celebrated with the same mothers as
they see the fruition of their selflessness.
And I've seen how much harder we as society have made choosing adoption
for them by the words we speak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If we truly think adoption
is a positive action (and I think we do) we need to start using words that speak
positively to adoption, words that edify a woman who is considering adoption
(instead of vilifying her). Words like “Adoption
is such a selfless decision.” “I could only hope to be as strong as her, should
I ever need to consider adoption.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You may or may not know that
many women (particularly teenagers) will choose abortion over adoption because
if she chooses abortion, many may never know she was pregnant, and any </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shame that may be attached to that pregnancy is avoided. If she chooses adoption everyone will know
she was pregnant, and most will have comments. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Having said all that, I know
that some mothers choose single parenting and do a GREAT job. But let’s just not make it harder for those
who NEED to choose adoption, to feel free, accepted and heroic to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Be careful with your
words…you never know who you may be influencing, and what her first parenting
decision will be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDQiICbnRlT92deTYuxEyV7d9qVLzIz_zKtPLlJdSDGikfBLSNgiV51QhR8R_DtFdeteyqFc2CRCSvM7Hz-KUew-DQ9YgWDFPdu2cty2cgwns40d-JtZ26A2yg3pDZgv32AXo5gzQp8U/s1600/adoption+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDQiICbnRlT92deTYuxEyV7d9qVLzIz_zKtPLlJdSDGikfBLSNgiV51QhR8R_DtFdeteyqFc2CRCSvM7Hz-KUew-DQ9YgWDFPdu2cty2cgwns40d-JtZ26A2yg3pDZgv32AXo5gzQp8U/s200/adoption+family.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Debora<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">P.S. Do you have a great adoption story? Share with us in comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-65995800508080423432013-08-09T12:56:00.001-07:002013-08-09T12:58:12.663-07:00Fall Fashion Trends<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">This year is all about funky and cute!</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7YzLf8wG2g32y4ZwV2w4yZo3p20DyPHGzLNBJlfj-zGnyZrpOLlAuZfLvZiNg7RXN0ZBz9xMf4GritxtEGRYXvDY_pYoXOLO-AY5yoTzKM_k_NBj6haMCmenipJV2OS-ssIOZgoB61E/s1600/40255175-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7YzLf8wG2g32y4ZwV2w4yZo3p20DyPHGzLNBJlfj-zGnyZrpOLlAuZfLvZiNg7RXN0ZBz9xMf4GritxtEGRYXvDY_pYoXOLO-AY5yoTzKM_k_NBj6haMCmenipJV2OS-ssIOZgoB61E/s200/40255175-04.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
<b>A must have for this year is distressed skinny jeans!!!</b> All young girls need a pair of distressed skinnies. Paired with another trend for fall, the ankle boot these are the go outfit for all young ladies. <br />
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Wear your skinny jeans with a flowing blouse and a embossed bag! Accessories.... you say? <br />
Well... its back to the 90's! Perfect circle shades!<br />
Turquoise is a huge trend for jewelry this fall. Pair your outfit with funky bangles and necklaces.<br />
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<b>Hand painted anything is a huge trend!! </b><br />
All the celebrities are doing it. They are all over the runways.<br />
Painted dresses, painted shoes, painted handbags, painted jewelry!! They are all a must.<br />
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Young ladies are trying to show their creativity through their clothes. Getting a painted piece shows what their passion is as you can customize it to whatever you want!<br />
So you can't afford a painted dress.... buy painted accessories. There are plenty of great accessories that you can buy already painted or have custom made.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFor8QDFB20wcExsGl8CPi-vb3voBkp6hZgcuarfCLkHpzMB6EFpoFL0X6t6sg7B_xdag4hfCK1D2VahFdcXw0ywEua1nLu2whfl_ItUIEFiOp7RXOPnq_pgUy07G9FFlOT5ocPGuMOLw/s1600/0608FASH_Plaid_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFor8QDFB20wcExsGl8CPi-vb3voBkp6hZgcuarfCLkHpzMB6EFpoFL0X6t6sg7B_xdag4hfCK1D2VahFdcXw0ywEua1nLu2whfl_ItUIEFiOp7RXOPnq_pgUy07G9FFlOT5ocPGuMOLw/s200/0608FASH_Plaid_5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Finally plaid... lots of plaid!</b><br />
Cute little blazers are also a huge trend... so wear two trends in one! Buy a blazer in plaid and rock both trends!<br />
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If you love plaid... remember you can wear more than one plaid pattern, but they must either be the same colors with a different pattern or contrasting colors in the same pattern.<br />
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So take the the latest trends and mix and match!<br />
Go rock it ladies!!<br />
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Jo,<br />
www.Wasataylor.com 6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-55677383023850550372013-07-31T20:13:00.000-07:002013-07-31T20:13:34.585-07:00Good Reads: Of Cats and Creativity and FearSo, a few weeks past I was "cat sitting" for a friend. I was more like house-sitting though, because otherwise these cats otherwise become neurotic. (Neurotic like hiding poo in the corners of the master bedroom. Three separate piles.) I've always liked my friend's house, and she has a full studio in her basement that I was able to use for the week, so I went in telling myself that it would be a mini vacation. "Mini" because I still had go to work during the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbt_qpHdx5vLPaOW2G_ye2STUGRDuve4qLe8lGHdDrxl1s2zjFVKZCYhuM_NiMigxRlLqKezgjY31tmlT6GzY7e09U4mzCUpKZg7CDETfZDNCABXqDwLUDw_1cdEi7AywJ6tsG1U7DSc/s1600/IMG_4820edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbt_qpHdx5vLPaOW2G_ye2STUGRDuve4qLe8lGHdDrxl1s2zjFVKZCYhuM_NiMigxRlLqKezgjY31tmlT6GzY7e09U4mzCUpKZg7CDETfZDNCABXqDwLUDw_1cdEi7AywJ6tsG1U7DSc/s320/IMG_4820edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't she cute? ...and in my chair.</td></tr>
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I was more productive at her house than I have been at home in the last 3 months combined. (It's sad, but I've been out of focus lately.) A change of location really can change your attitude, your rhythm, your actions! It also helps when the borrowed studio is plastered with witty sayings, encouraging notes from friends, and clips of philosophy on creativity. Also pictures of all sorts of weird things. And not just the studio-- you can find these notes all around the house. What I've realized during this stay is that I need a better way to sustain my creativity and keep it fun. Too often I find myself wanting to escape <em>from</em> and not <em>to</em> creative outlets. It's a bit of a problem when you're trying to be a jewelry maker for a living. I bet a lot of you have similar issues, regardless of your careers. <br />
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With that in mind, I thought I'd share this site with you: <a href="http://doodlealley.com/">http://doodlealley.com/</a> I ran across this some weeks ago and I absolutely love it. The author, Stephen McCranie, explains it's purpose best himself: <br />
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"I started this project to encourage a dialogue between artists and creative types like myself [he's a cartoonist] about what the ideal creator looks like. I feel like sometimes we are myopically focused on perfecting our craft, and forget to build a healthy lifestyle to sustain ourselves and our creativity. This blog explores <a href="http://doodlealley.com/2011/08/27/principle-vs-process/" target="_blank">not just process, but principles</a>."</blockquote>
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Using the comic as his medium, Stephen is able to write incredibly clever, often humorous, and surprisingly deep discussions of what it means to be a creative person. I agree whole-heartedly when he says that no one teaches us how to be artists, they only teach how to make art, but the lifestyle is very, very, very important. And I think any type of person can glean something useful from him. His blog is inspiring and uplifting. This is where I go for a kick in the pants when I need some help figuring out why I'm stuck in life. Often I'm stuck because I run into my own fear and judgment. It feels like brick wall in the gut. <br />
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I need to get over myself, and that involves dealing with fear. Do you tackle fear, try to kill it, ignore it, deny its very existence? If you've tried this, you know it's not working. You are supposed to befriend fear. ("What? Woman, are you insane?" you may ask. Not this time around, I'm not. Stephen agrees with me.)<br />
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"<a href="http://doodlealley.com/2012/10/10/be-friends-with-failure/" target="_blank">Be Friends with Failure</a>" is one of my favorite reads from Doodle Alley. I think I feel a kindred spirit in the freaky kid named Failure. We had the same problem at the lunch table growing up. See? <br />
<img src="http://doodlealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/BeFriendswithFailure0006.jpg" /><br />
Good points such as: "Cool starry underwear, Failure!" He's free to be himself because, well, it can't get any worse than failure; so if you keep trying, something's bound to change for the better. If you don't try, if you let the brick wall of fear knock the wind out of you and you decide not to try to take another breath, you're done. Toast. Swimming with the fishes. And that would suck. So don't do that. Go make friends with Failure, even though you think he might have some dark magical powers to curse you. If such a scary dude is your friend, nothing else will scare you :) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0a3uvZ_dkZ7GLMB5jMyA9dK__yJqFoo5pQ7mq4Dj9CpP0Yaf-HqyCk1x3hc69jOFjg8I5sw8b4u3VetCQu6vQfxt_wAiyAN6Oyb5Q7lucR4THqUGKbeS_KhjNIXHyMp20l6ILzMRodG4/s1600/IMG_4660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0a3uvZ_dkZ7GLMB5jMyA9dK__yJqFoo5pQ7mq4Dj9CpP0Yaf-HqyCk1x3hc69jOFjg8I5sw8b4u3VetCQu6vQfxt_wAiyAN6Oyb5Q7lucR4THqUGKbeS_KhjNIXHyMp20l6ILzMRodG4/s320/IMG_4660.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Except maybe the guys on the wall of <em>my</em> studio.</td></tr>
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<br />6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-65385677654721229992013-07-16T00:14:00.000-07:002013-07-16T00:20:39.701-07:00Martinique in Minnesota<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Since I've been a Minnesota girl my whole life, I have often wanted to decorate my surroundings more as if I lived in a tropical location. It's hard to get away with that here, but many people do it anyway. Why not? That's great! But somehow it's just not the same to have lime green walls in your living room when you're not residing in Martinique. You can do it, sure; just expect to get a raised eyebrow with a pointer finger over the lips on a head shaking back and forth ever-so-slightly if you do. Especially if that head is attached to a person known as a Realtor. The first thing they're going to tell you is, "Oh my Lord. That has GOT to go. Paint it something more neutral; it's not good for resale." It's true! Not many lutefisk-loving Minnesotans are going to look at your home and see past that, even when they know "It's just paint. We can paint over it." They don't want to, and they'll probably move on to the next place on their list. Not only that, but do you really want to paint over that before you move? Or change the wall color when you get sick of it, which is pretty likely to happen within a few years with super bright, saturated tropical colors like lime green? NO.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKnBQVdSU406pAd4TLGdPnYiGivKHgsdRJW2Lgvw7V8tG4mysLrCITdbCegX8OQNbOgbMDgVlnCczJJsifpZMUbfabcm3uXoasUvPAwHy_w52fEDOnYAEmevPpUeKs_4YFWdSxn2mgSg/s1600/northwoods+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKnBQVdSU406pAd4TLGdPnYiGivKHgsdRJW2Lgvw7V8tG4mysLrCITdbCegX8OQNbOgbMDgVlnCczJJsifpZMUbfabcm3uXoasUvPAwHy_w52fEDOnYAEmevPpUeKs_4YFWdSxn2mgSg/s400/northwoods+snow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So if you see this out your window...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDg5sFJ75dnulPQOO0_t3qHL7QX8rF2OOFtsNelmI7EVXRm4WvM666_s13naJag6ZbI5dkwdcnHfG6iYATMt75EcO_5mhqFdqjH_H1VxDY2T9eAS-KFGEF95beb3GIq4aQOWgTm8QMCjo/s1600/Green_Paint-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDg5sFJ75dnulPQOO0_t3qHL7QX8rF2OOFtsNelmI7EVXRm4WvM666_s13naJag6ZbI5dkwdcnHfG6iYATMt75EcO_5mhqFdqjH_H1VxDY2T9eAS-KFGEF95beb3GIq4aQOWgTm8QMCjo/s400/Green_Paint-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This probably won't fly. (BTW - what IS that on the wall near the stairs?)<br />
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So...how do you add a little Martinique when you're living in Minnesota without making too much of a statement? Easy! You start with a neutral background. That doesn't necessarily mean oatmeal carpeting and beige walls, either, although that certainly works. What about a sophisticated greige on the walls (Gray and beige mixed together into one fabulous neutral color) and a medium-dark carpeting or hardwood on the floors?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAFN9j-eLKWLK0EnVGUL1L31XfnYHvJyevM5sX_mgscnkiNSo_3pBMwJYGBOOYwkcM3BuxFfRgPl8xJ2-zFLE8u8Xz5EbYITmyrg4KyWaMYM6R9e_TU5rvjTPOMopC0CJVZE2P3SfMMo/s1600/Greige+Walls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAFN9j-eLKWLK0EnVGUL1L31XfnYHvJyevM5sX_mgscnkiNSo_3pBMwJYGBOOYwkcM3BuxFfRgPl8xJ2-zFLE8u8Xz5EbYITmyrg4KyWaMYM6R9e_TU5rvjTPOMopC0CJVZE2P3SfMMo/s320/Greige+Walls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greige walls, white and a lighter greige for main upholstery, darker wood floors - together they create a neutral "shell".</td></tr>
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I see greige as being a warm neutral, which is a super great thing when it's 18 below zero on a crisp winter morn. It's also not TOO warm, so it will be soothing on a 105-degree humid mid-summer day. (OK. I'm being a little sarcastic; Greige is kind of magical, though.) On top of a great wall color like this, it's also a good idea to have a contrasting neutral (lighter and/or darker tones) for your main upholstery fabric and dominating case and occasional pieces (tables, chests, cabinets). White, ivory, charcoal, chocolate brown...a lighter version of greige...all good choices!</div>
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Then...add some colorful accessories and occasional furniture pieces! See - these things can be changed up at any given time. When summer rolls around, bring out some bright, cheerful colors with throw pillows on your sofa. If you have wood floors, add a casual, coastal stripe area rug to ground your scheme. Add coordinating accessories like bowls, vases, etc. to tie it all together. In the fall, try a different color scheme...or just keep it the same all year round.</div>
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Add bright, colorful accessories, rug, and occasional furniture to add fun color to your neutral "shell"</div>
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So, in the end your neutral room turns out looking something like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07jkFIxwhVFvPUlkB9by4rug73n_WgAr0-_A5cgVyYjFcHUsWY5TVPa62EntQpuGlFSyUre1KwVGcaGH29iJUm5NsSH7sPU1tC90QBIm7kLYxlpXMPsnVlunbILkCBwD0zjYCKbAw1wQ/s1600/Summer+Room+Idea.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07jkFIxwhVFvPUlkB9by4rug73n_WgAr0-_A5cgVyYjFcHUsWY5TVPa62EntQpuGlFSyUre1KwVGcaGH29iJUm5NsSH7sPU1tC90QBIm7kLYxlpXMPsnVlunbILkCBwD0zjYCKbAw1wQ/s320/Summer+Room+Idea.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I figure when you have a room like this in Minnesota, instead of walking outside and seeing one of these:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeU5Za9Z4IA-Fx3miO-QLLbZpGmOnr2LJOSjCewrRZqQ0bk0TF6ydGo9e_TSxqo97JVv1VgDmvzoT9OywlD6q0EnqnFs28rqsQukeOEekmIpCFaxghYUkF1iDvq00vMInTUkx8fSXKW1Y/s1600/Snow+covered+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeU5Za9Z4IA-Fx3miO-QLLbZpGmOnr2LJOSjCewrRZqQ0bk0TF6ydGo9e_TSxqo97JVv1VgDmvzoT9OywlD6q0EnqnFs28rqsQukeOEekmIpCFaxghYUkF1iDvq00vMInTUkx8fSXKW1Y/s400/Snow+covered+car.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UGH!</td></tr>
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You may expect to walk out and see one of these instead.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83Q91e7y19-aMuZYnmo2EUGTPHrnNbNjIVuoX3agVZU5Qk5_jadAne3El6G1hOBjxLuPkHsopm3E5_3XX4ksQNMi3oJwvL8nZh8Ue1EZuBoxzmCB020wrssAJ-3hemtq9OUt1XgS9UQ0/s1600/Summer+Boat+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83Q91e7y19-aMuZYnmo2EUGTPHrnNbNjIVuoX3agVZU5Qk5_jadAne3El6G1hOBjxLuPkHsopm3E5_3XX4ksQNMi3oJwvL8nZh8Ue1EZuBoxzmCB020wrssAJ-3hemtq9OUt1XgS9UQ0/s320/Summer+Boat+Image.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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Ya, Mon!</div>
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Enjoy your stay in Martinisota!<br />
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Heather<br />
<a href="http://www.idandegocreations.etsy.com/">www.idandegocreations.etsy.com</a><br />
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6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-39504341327737896932013-07-09T11:13:00.003-07:002013-07-09T11:13:42.942-07:00SHOPPING MY CLOSET
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: blue;">Shopping My Closet<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I received a compliment from a friend the other day on the outfit I was
wearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she asked where I got it
I replied “I shopped my closet”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">My friend asked where this shop was located and I repeated to her that
what I was wearing came from my closet and that I had just “shopped my own closet”!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I explained further that I was not working much these days, basically
just delivering some part time Training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I was transitioning into retirement mode and trying to cut back on
spending and part of my restraint program involved a personal challenge to stop
buying unnecessary clothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I have always loved fashion and take great pleasure in shopping for
clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result was a closet bulging
with so many items I had a tough time finding ‘anything to wear’!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>New items would be purchased and added to the
already overflowing closet and although I did on rare occasions clear out that
which I didn’t fit or wear much I knew that I had more than enough to wear
without buying more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Shopping, although fun and therapeutic at times, had become
a costly habit for me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">My closet is not large and yet it isn’t too small either but I knew it
wasn’t more space I needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I needed to
organize the space I already had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
would aid my motivation to ‘shop my closet’ instead of a store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I devised a plan to clean out my closet and
organize it in a way that I could clearly see and find outfits that I actually
wore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past I had thought about removing
seasonal clothes however it seemed like too much work at the time. In spite of
this I started with the removal process and I eventually removed EVERYTHING with the intention of only putting back what I actually wore regularly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqP8OIuLELMcZlX0ZGFT-6EM4AxGhJKCcELq_uxj7xdKjEM49ZvcIrMNiV8Db0S1pFswmonpIU43p6k66ixoo6HfvBpHk-hMmTyTqQa5Cp9N0lt_Xgn2AEE0bYwCWIrQwjn4k2S5ZTk24/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqP8OIuLELMcZlX0ZGFT-6EM4AxGhJKCcELq_uxj7xdKjEM49ZvcIrMNiV8Db0S1pFswmonpIU43p6k66ixoo6HfvBpHk-hMmTyTqQa5Cp9N0lt_Xgn2AEE0bYwCWIrQwjn4k2S5ZTk24/s400/014.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLk5aWSrcJw-jJCBWO1IKyFEpjPL0_ugM293O4CjpWtluJwvvLiDFeWLFnpCcmM-M6OKqxMENZwrhJHj51wJTEPht74TLyyeNFnKoDy5SI2xlliJLwEPlJqakrQqsjpBmTIhwPWq-H-4/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLk5aWSrcJw-jJCBWO1IKyFEpjPL0_ugM293O4CjpWtluJwvvLiDFeWLFnpCcmM-M6OKqxMENZwrhJHj51wJTEPht74TLyyeNFnKoDy5SI2xlliJLwEPlJqakrQqsjpBmTIhwPWq-H-4/s200/022.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Having freed up some space allowed me to spread out my outfits and be able to clearly
see what I had available to wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
tried on everything and if the buttons were bulging or the waistline too tight
they were sent off to the Thrift Shop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I found things that I had forgotten I had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I discovered ‘shamefully’, outfits I had never
worn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I had more than enough to wear and
the best things were jammed in where I couldn’t even see them!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">So now that I have completed this mountainous task I can ‘shop my
closet’ and revisit items that are like new. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>So take a peek in my closet and think of me
the next time you say “I have nothing to wear” and consider “shopping YOUR
closet”!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">
Author: Trish Repay (BlackCrowCurios)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">visit me at my personal blog: <a href="http://blackcrowcurios.wordpress.com/a-bit-about-me/">http://blackcrowcurios.wordpress.com/a-bit-about-me/</a></span>6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-53476321263874419522013-07-02T03:39:00.000-07:002013-07-02T03:39:58.332-07:00My Daughter<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My daughter was a senior
this year.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was a whole new
experience.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">She is my firstborn and her
entire life I’ve always gotten excited about the “new” experience.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LhL9-c1nbsBNdjEyq5cw21CsVRwiUWSOE0nDgKy0ilbI-bDaDo4b8AiRff9FT1mZMyBfR0xIdkB7MKf6tEzpqhEL61D3lFtxlAnMEgnM1cPA8zDlpIXyYWajZzWWBWZMfw8nPxMN6gs/s924/SRG+4+yrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LhL9-c1nbsBNdjEyq5cw21CsVRwiUWSOE0nDgKy0ilbI-bDaDo4b8AiRff9FT1mZMyBfR0xIdkB7MKf6tEzpqhEL61D3lFtxlAnMEgnM1cPA8zDlpIXyYWajZzWWBWZMfw8nPxMN6gs/s200/SRG+4+yrs.jpg" width="135" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">We dealt with infertility
for 3 1/2 – 4 years until finally God gave us our first child through medical
science. She is adorable, beautiful, lovable, kindhearted, thoughtful, smart
and all things wonderful. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-jdxzHFw_MQ0GyVPFReIX5q0hNLtWj2uXRiPg8cmx1ywOQwfNqCb8hBzDh_qeIYjAS2l4WQlA72gR8S4AlfF1PbfQCddGSRx3FKU-soXj7qE671ytm_OotmJf3dOlPujRs1w4aklo_s/s1040/Samantha+10+months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-jdxzHFw_MQ0GyVPFReIX5q0hNLtWj2uXRiPg8cmx1ywOQwfNqCb8hBzDh_qeIYjAS2l4WQlA72gR8S4AlfF1PbfQCddGSRx3FKU-soXj7qE671ytm_OotmJf3dOlPujRs1w4aklo_s/s200/Samantha+10+months.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb7gaF_ToSNCaX78DgvFgn0wJR5YnxPdWzqpPS2IuRl1w4BPAlLxuXVgTaC0A4pZfr-xMn7UrHvgWdcwadbqzHpAraHVe1uPJcBPkjj5mzL2uo5_z2XMwJt-ib_ELLrVUgq4hm7Qbws8/s1200/SRG+3+and+a+half.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb7gaF_ToSNCaX78DgvFgn0wJR5YnxPdWzqpPS2IuRl1w4BPAlLxuXVgTaC0A4pZfr-xMn7UrHvgWdcwadbqzHpAraHVe1uPJcBPkjj5mzL2uo5_z2XMwJt-ib_ELLrVUgq4hm7Qbws8/s200/SRG+3+and+a+half.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this year
over and over I heard the phrase “it’s my last…” and “next year I won’t even
live here and you won’t KNOW what I’m doing or where I’m going…” It seems they grow up before you know
it. I was told this…but didn’t really
believe it until this year. I suspect on
move in day for college I will be experiencing another “new”…and it will be
very emotional.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As we approach the end of
this journey, I ask myself, did I do all I could? Did I do the things I should have? Does she know what she needs to? Will she remember the fun times? Is it too late for a deeper
relationship? Does she know how much I
love her? Will we ever be friends? Do I have to let her go?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Intellectually I know the
answer is yes to all of them, but my heart still worries. Sometimes I reflect on the
feelings/experiences I have/had with my mother and I always think “I hope I did
better.” But honestly - my mom did a
great job…I stunk/stink at being a great daughter, but it’s through no fault of
her own. I hope one day my daughter will
think the same of her mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So today I write to tell her
a few last things before her final days in our home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Samantha, YOU are the light
of my life. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLui6FNdcj3XJIRyAR0OoEjntsu7OkMh7o5o94ZZd3lVgFsnK3wRahlB0MtELKFlegy3iNBRqMuVlLi6C1IS3oOObx6ji4nJ4JFTrfKEgOkf-6LZKLTvYwG_zTfIxAjrFBw5oj63uooHg/s920/sr+pics+with+Greg+Owens+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLui6FNdcj3XJIRyAR0OoEjntsu7OkMh7o5o94ZZd3lVgFsnK3wRahlB0MtELKFlegy3iNBRqMuVlLi6C1IS3oOObx6ji4nJ4JFTrfKEgOkf-6LZKLTvYwG_zTfIxAjrFBw5oj63uooHg/s320/sr+pics+with+Greg+Owens+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
I love you with all my
heart. God gifted us with YOU because
you are what blessed us and helped us grow and mature as people. You are called by Him and He has great things
ahead for you. I am so proud of who you
are. You made a decision for college
based on what God wanted for you and moved ahead against all obstacles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> You are kindhearted and caring – deeper than
probably you realize. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<b>You are smart,</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> funny and a great joy to be around. </b></div>
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<b> </b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> Y</b><b style="text-align: center;">our friends are some of the luckiest in the world to know you. </b></div>
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<b>Your SISTER is "more" because of who you are to her!</b><br />
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I can’t wait (well actually I
can because you are still too young yet) for you to get married and have
kids. You will be the best wife a man
can ask for. You will be a patient, fun,
kind mom to your kids.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I love you so much and will
be learning to live in the moment with you these final few weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Debora</span></div>
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6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-15995858125122238532013-06-16T16:40:00.000-07:002013-06-16T18:27:06.435-07:00DANCING IN THE KITCHEN<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM9ujdHpKr9yYBaihh5sneF7Xg4VV2Q6E-0SuvNCvGvfN9LgnfgYgubob5PxQTvHzHVo8xhg_PLFoymZBBt8tMmeShzvgfXMybKNfz-m5Eo8ZcJ1HAQcwRM_vffsfTNCItg_nd2bKRho/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM9ujdHpKr9yYBaihh5sneF7Xg4VV2Q6E-0SuvNCvGvfN9LgnfgYgubob5PxQTvHzHVo8xhg_PLFoymZBBt8tMmeShzvgfXMybKNfz-m5Eo8ZcJ1HAQcwRM_vffsfTNCItg_nd2bKRho/s320/072.JPG" width="166" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">In years gone by we would go out dancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved dancing and considered it a much
needed work out as much as a way to connect with others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I think back, this was a fitting
attitude for me to employ since I lacked any rhythmic or dancing talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However lack of dancing ability never held me
back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With arms flailing and feet
gyrating, in beat or not, I threw myself into the fast moving heat of the
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would dance until we literally
worked up a sweat, resting a moment, refreshing ourselves with cocktails and rehydrating
with water and then joining back with the other frenzied dancers under the
shimmering mirror ball on the dance floor of the disco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqpCnA7KMbIPSVYRSVaWM-jbgGV70xu8Q9kI0Bdbz81pDZcrB5-Y1t-unO1uhrRRkP7Z-chyr6H5bKHxOs2s7tvdwXv36bUoCBW6DERxElTND2o5putuPPDbHF6awjWJdvBBybwV3374/s1600/disco+ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqpCnA7KMbIPSVYRSVaWM-jbgGV70xu8Q9kI0Bdbz81pDZcrB5-Y1t-unO1uhrRRkP7Z-chyr6H5bKHxOs2s7tvdwXv36bUoCBW6DERxElTND2o5putuPPDbHF6awjWJdvBBybwV3374/s1600/disco+ball.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I wasn’t kidding when I said 'in years gone
by’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">On the dance floors there was little to no conversation as I recall as the booming music was
deafening loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we outgrew the
discos we would still join others and kick up our heels at a community dance or
at a house party. Dancing the night away was a great way to spend time with
friends and to work off those extra calories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Nowadays we don’t go out dancing much however after dinner we do crank
up the music and let loose with our uninhibited and unrestrained moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some nights we groove to oldies, other nights
we dance close and lovingly sway to old romantic favorites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">After dinner at our daughter’s home her kitchen also becomes a dance floor and she, her husband and two kids amuse us
with their astonishing and exceptional smooth moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The songs are often sung or belted out karaoke
style, sometimes a budding musician pounds out a mysterious tune on the piano,
mostly our daughter chooses pop tunes of her era, and we all shake our booty while the kids command the dance floor
and put on the real show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">We all join in during clean up and perform the quick step as we clear
the table, bebop our way to the dishwasher, hip hop as we scrape leftovers into
the waste bin, and slow dance by the light of the open refrigerator.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">One festive evening not too long ago there was cause to celebrate a
birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following dinner, our son-in-law
Rob went into the kitchen to light the abundant candles on the birthday
cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dancing music proceeded in
full force and young and old were shaking and gyrating with vigour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some with more enthusiasm than others, some
with smooth moves and others taking calculated risks that involved injuring
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Caution, dancing is not a
spectator sport and can cause injuries.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Meanwhile one song ended, another began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This new song happened to be a big favorite of Rob’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Bohemian Rhapsody with gruesome words such as </span>‘Mama I Killed a Man’ which has become an
all time favorite and is sung at most celebration dinners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why that song? Honestly I don’t know or we
just can’t remember!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">However, the fully lit
cake was abandoned on the counter as Rob wholeheartedly grabbed center stage (a
coveted floor space dividing dining room and kitchen) and danced off his entire
meal while singing 'Mama I killed A Man' plus amazed us with his innate aptitude at playing air guitar!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhI135KRz-IWQ5frKbj-JPkChSZ1UctSskO14dNiujKFBLZ9y-7HKT-FPIUcWBqieW9rPUuxn8d9AFqchyphenhyphenrgOomcN1feuP8zYpnsU-xBC7efSnckhN1t6g44eT39lFGp_78a3H5JbsmY/s1600/air+guitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhI135KRz-IWQ5frKbj-JPkChSZ1UctSskO14dNiujKFBLZ9y-7HKT-FPIUcWBqieW9rPUuxn8d9AFqchyphenhyphenrgOomcN1feuP8zYpnsU-xBC7efSnckhN1t6g44eT39lFGp_78a3H5JbsmY/s320/air+guitar.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">While directly behind him scores of small fires were glowing brightly, smoke
was curling upwards, candles were delicately melting and a coconut topped cake
was browning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aroma of the toasting
coconut alerted us to the kitchen being ablaze mere seconds before the fire
alarm drowned out the blasting music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You can see the cake burning brightly in the background of this picture while Rob dances on. It was a long song...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h7rLlWhi-jY6IOii2NJKoZDHF9zvlUOIog-wXcBblXSbW-NBUZ_P8551b3r75e9mo9Qe0gPB5zEh9IkNaNhGPZTtaSBSEOLf5fV0XQamYWICbCKhA0EqrjuMsG08J_jYrNKJzBr_TzI/s1600/burning+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h7rLlWhi-jY6IOii2NJKoZDHF9zvlUOIog-wXcBblXSbW-NBUZ_P8551b3r75e9mo9Qe0gPB5zEh9IkNaNhGPZTtaSBSEOLf5fV0XQamYWICbCKhA0EqrjuMsG08J_jYrNKJzBr_TzI/s320/burning+cake.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Much to our hilarity the cake was presented and enjoyed, melted candles,
toasted coconut and all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">A night of
dancing long to be remembered!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTd4HqM83lum0FZHypspCgFBYpfbSou3FsGMw4tPIVxJptPnRBz5_566LS6kLzmhYvgr6BI8b6djlRvyIaCnDCuNHvCVZYuNc1LrazpZZRjTkN6ImyPI7IflK4lT4-PLydGP5GPLTEnM/s1600/G+Bday+Cake+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTd4HqM83lum0FZHypspCgFBYpfbSou3FsGMw4tPIVxJptPnRBz5_566LS6kLzmhYvgr6BI8b6djlRvyIaCnDCuNHvCVZYuNc1LrazpZZRjTkN6ImyPI7IflK4lT4-PLydGP5GPLTEnM/s320/G+Bday+Cake+2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SLIGHTLY TOASTED COCONUT CAKE!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> A FEW NOTES...</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Dancing is all about letting go of your inhibitions so don’t try to look
cool while dancing because dancing is all about having fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Following are my three personal commandments of dancing:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thou shall let go of all restrictions and allow the music to draw
you in<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thou shall just relax, get up off that chair, feel the music
and bend your knees, one leg at a time while channelling your natural fun
seeking and creative impulses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thou shall not light the candles until the music ends...</span></div>
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Following is a youtube link that teaches you how to dance to Lip Gloss by Little Mama<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KjdbAN8PqA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KjdbAN8PqA</a><br />
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author: Trish Repay (BlackCrowCurios)</div>
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6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-42934349584186788482013-06-14T07:38:00.002-07:002013-06-14T07:38:32.506-07:00Sustainable Style, Weird or Wonderful?Who thinks about sustainability when they are considering what style they like? I for one am passionate about style and love the idea of re-using resources that will improve the longevity of our planet and the health of it's inhabitants.<br />
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For those of you that have been to my store on Etsy <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThisMerryLife?ref=si_shop" target="_blank">ThisMerryLife</a>, you know that my brand is all about reusing old and broken pieces of jewelry and giving it new life in a different form. The term we use for this is <a href="http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FUpcycling&ei=hiS7UYW6OcLnrAHyuYGoCQ&usg=AFQjCNEanq3u-S9Gg1lGg-n0AjbGXyRQHA&sig2=NXuMyj1XkMyWT5c9_SArtg&bvm=bv.47883778,d.aWM" target="_blank">"Upcycling"</a>; reusing items without breaking them down first. This isn't a brand new concept, it has in fact been around for some time. What has changed is how mainstream this idea is becoming. Many designers have eco-friendly and ethical clothing and accessory lines with the focus being not so much about the style itself but how the style is made.<br />
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In the past I think eco-friendly / sustainable / recycled / upcycled fashions had a reputation for being a bit... odd. Clothing and accessories were often unwearable as actual clothing items (or, let's get real, just butt ugly); they were made to display the creativity of the artist rather than actually to be functional.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Newspaper dresses: in a rainy climate they would melt like like an ice cube on a hot sidewalk. </span></b></span><br />
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1815" height="375" src="http://www.greenpacks.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/newspaper-fashion-dresses.jpg" title="http://www.greenpacks.org/2008/10/14/recycled-newspaper-for-fashion/" width="500" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Stiletto made with recycled elephant dung. Wait, what?? </b></span><br />
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<img alt="Recycled Stiletto" height="400" src="http://ecofriend.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/recycled_stiletto_ouvly.jpg" title="http://www.ecofriend.com/weird-ways-green.html" width="396" /> <br />
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More recently as being kind to our earth becomes more mainstream, there has been more demand for eco-friendly and ethical fashions. Clothing is made with earth friendly dye, organic materials, in factories that use sustainable processing methods, in ways that do not harm animals and made locally by designers that pay their workers appropriate wages. This picture below shows just how fair eco-friendly fashion has come; many mainstream designers have an eco-friendly line, and some designers specialize exclusively in eco-friendly fashion.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ShopEthica.com ... designers that specialize in ethical fashion</span></span></b><br />
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<img alt="" height="307" id="slide-3" src="http://shopethica.vaesite.net/__data/cf2b18938cfe9400bbd3caa4911a6c30.jpg" style="display: inline;" title="http://www.shopethica.com/features/ethical-fashion-fw13-runway-report" usemap="#Map1649011" width="640" /> <br />
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In the present world you will find beautiful recycled fashion in many of your favorite stores. H&M is a great example of this with their <a href="http://eco-chick.com/2013/04/28010/conscious-collection-hm-fast-fashion-sustainability/" target="_blank">Conscious </a>and <a href="http://about.hm.com/AboutSection/en/news/newsroom/news.html/content/hm/NewsroomSection/en/NewsRoom/NewsroomDetails/conscious-exclusive-at-hm.html" target="_blank">Conscious Exclusive</a> collection; Etsy is another fantastic place to find earth friendly fashion and accessories. My store <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThisMerryLife?ref=si_shop" target="_blank"></a>happens to be one of them and it is one of the reasons I am so passionate about this topic, however there are literally hundreds of other amazing sellers that use sustainable principles to design and make their items. <br />
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Sustainable style can be very cool, hip and wearable and I encourage all those that have a passion for sustainability and style to look for items in your favorite stores that are made with ethical principles... you will be amazed at what you find!<br />
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Thanks for reading...<br />
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Merry W 6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-27817850238386241302013-06-11T15:13:00.000-07:002013-06-11T15:18:43.712-07:00The Virgin Islands Anyone?!?!Well folks we just took us a little trip to paradise and I wanted to share our experience!<br />
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Where are the Virgin Islands you ask? Once you travel to the southern tip of Florida head southeast past the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and finally you've reached the British and US Virgin Islands!! It is about a 2 hour flight from Miami to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVA29nWvjKHduDkGMHJQgb7yp6t1FBxKZLP_3dCcf9OSEINSYV25Neq202EH4LXn2Il1JcN78doyxG9OxnjUunvoyAu8UId0Fanf9VKGi86SFXvuPh-ylzLICCdvYnEIhOScFHNrHLyuc/s1600/loc_virgin_islands.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVA29nWvjKHduDkGMHJQgb7yp6t1FBxKZLP_3dCcf9OSEINSYV25Neq202EH4LXn2Il1JcN78doyxG9OxnjUunvoyAu8UId0Fanf9VKGi86SFXvuPh-ylzLICCdvYnEIhOScFHNrHLyuc/s320/loc_virgin_islands.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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We arrived around 8pm and were immediately served a shot of the the Cruzan Rum!! Which they make in the neighboring island of St. Croix. Hailed a taxi and headed to our first hotel called The Galleon. This cute hillside place overlooking the ocean is a hidden gem! The price was right, a bit older and the linens were worn but clean, the staff was excellent and the included breakfast was yummy! The following day they even let us store our luggage nearly all day after checkout while we explored, shopped and drank while waiting for another couple to fly in and meet us.<br />
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Once we "cheers"ed with Rum Punches when our friends arrived, we hit another taxi, pocketbook drain for sure, and arrived at the Red Hook Ferry. Naturally we all ordered Frozen Bushwacker drinks at the ferry bar. Have I mentioned this is a vacation in a tropical location, hence the drink in hand at all times:) The ferry took us to Cruz Bay, St. John, a perfect 20 minutes away. We arrived at our destination, a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom hotel/condo at the Westin! Oh did I mention they greeted us with Rum Punch?!<br />
Here are a few of our adventures that week:<br />
Trunk Bay, we had to stop for this picture because...well.... just look at this place!<br />
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Cinnamon Bay, where we were pelted with sand and wind and got rejected by the Wind Surfing Rental Nazi Guy. He told us we would scare away the customers due to our inexperience....our thought was we ARE the customers and the only ones in line. Oh well the beach was still beautiful and the snorkeling was fun.<br />
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Deep Sea fishing on the Mixed Bag II, we have used this sea vessel before and had great luck catching huge Tuna for dinner. This time not so much due to high winds and having to fish near the island for risk of our lives. But it was still an adventure! This a picture of a previous more successful adventure.<br />
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Sugar Mill tour and hike was so worth the money. It included the taxi ride up the hill and commentary from a park ranger. We hiked about 3-4 miles down to the ruins and petroglyphs!! Ate our packed lunch and then we got to swim out to the two deck boat that took us around the island and home, this was also included!<br />
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Chartered Catamaran to the British Jost Van Dyke Island. We chose the smallest chartered catamaran, a 27 ft, 6 person with 2 crew. They naturally served us drinks and snacks, we snorkeled in a beautiful bay and even saw a shark!!! Okay well it was only a nurse shark but I was still a bit cautious and our tour guide kept us all safe. Amazing fish and coral, so very worth it.<br />
From there we made the 45 minute sail to Jost Van Dyke and to the famous bars Foxys and the Soggy Dollar. We spent a good few hours on the beach and or in the bar drinking Pain Killers and eating but most of all people watching!! People watching is my favorite.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7N7XmzwlLuqIO573RkKv3Ef6Mz24LD-3sPuAXP3y2A6i65rQYcbMBT1jtU5eYRVm1g9vOMi3vv82Z3RvBbO7vYEFYD4p3KelBSselHQeyEQcB7fTKwwWDF3wgV8rlVQS-PJ_Pq1zjSso/s1600/Soggy-Dollar-Bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7N7XmzwlLuqIO573RkKv3Ef6Mz24LD-3sPuAXP3y2A6i65rQYcbMBT1jtU5eYRVm1g9vOMi3vv82Z3RvBbO7vYEFYD4p3KelBSselHQeyEQcB7fTKwwWDF3wgV8rlVQS-PJ_Pq1zjSso/s320/Soggy-Dollar-Bar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few places we frequented in the tiny relaxing downtown Cruz Bay, St. John:<br />
The Tap Room Brewery with great mexican pizza and Ginger Root Beer, like Root Beer but better<br />
Margarita Phil's with 20 oz frozen margaritas and nachos<br />
Banana Deck with their Lime and de Coconut frozen drinks and famous banana splits<br />
Woody's bar and grill with fried calamari and delicious burgers, a kind of hole in the wall dive but you just can't pass it up!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEfoQWm2qX9nLZlbWkMD6MjoDkJL6hMlXmmR87xqt0ph_5ZClxusB0ZjJEWStudI6_N6QYrRQ-u8i9U4gtWX81putoahBg_KPz537e2AYba0dkY_cD-Nh-kFynXFLtTsWKMDeo6w8sj4/s1600/woody-s-on-st-john-usvi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEfoQWm2qX9nLZlbWkMD6MjoDkJL6hMlXmmR87xqt0ph_5ZClxusB0ZjJEWStudI6_N6QYrRQ-u8i9U4gtWX81putoahBg_KPz537e2AYba0dkY_cD-Nh-kFynXFLtTsWKMDeo6w8sj4/s320/woody-s-on-st-john-usvi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">High Tide, by far my favorite, because of the sunset view right on the water, the staff, amazing salads and of course the yummy Bushwacker drinks!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7PQqxWPlX4pnsPFIF2I5zGP1WOPOqMFCrjTgAa83Yc-tKHEvVegvCM9fwkjvVqxgG4TAirzGoKNxNPWxQRqd8Uvjf9eThtnXfYhiVE-PcyyZnuLIB1Y8qHXUKkqTIOToeNBm9gSypxc/s1600/599511_10151592103573184_72254548_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7PQqxWPlX4pnsPFIF2I5zGP1WOPOqMFCrjTgAa83Yc-tKHEvVegvCM9fwkjvVqxgG4TAirzGoKNxNPWxQRqd8Uvjf9eThtnXfYhiVE-PcyyZnuLIB1Y8qHXUKkqTIOToeNBm9gSypxc/s320/599511_10151592103573184_72254548_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Needless to say we hemorrhaged money, drank too much and gained weight from all the yummy food. But we made amazing memories and had way too much fun!<br />
Thanks for reading-Vikki<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BenderBuckles?ref=si_shop">https://www.etsy.com/shop/BenderBuckles?ref=si_shop</a><br />
<br />
Rum Punch Recipe:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, DomCasual; font-size: 16px;">Splash of lemon juice </span><br />
<span class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, DomCasual; font-size: 16px;">2 Cups Cruzan light rum </span><br />
<span class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, DomCasual; font-size: 16px;">2 liters ginger ale </span><span class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, DomCasual; font-size: 16px;">1 qt. fruit punch </span><span class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, DomCasual; font-size: 16px;">1 qt. orange juice or pineapple juice</span><br />
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Pain Killer Recipe:<br />
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<ul class="ingredients" style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
<li style="font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients">2 ounces Pusser's® dark rum (or any brand)</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients">1 ounce cream of coconut</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients">4 ounces pineapple juice</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients">1 ounces orange juice</span></li>
</ul>
Bushwacker Recipe:<br />
<span class="ingredient" style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="amount">4 oz</span> <span class="name">cream of coconut</span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient" style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="amount">2 oz</span> <span class="name">Kahlua® coffee liqueur</span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient" style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="amount">1 oz</span> <span class="name">Bacardi® black rum</span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient" style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="amount">1 oz</span> <span class="name">dark creme de cacao</span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient" style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="amount">4 oz</span> <span class="name">milk</span></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><br /></span><br />
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<br />6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-78194619273352608422013-05-30T18:51:00.000-07:002013-05-30T18:51:03.074-07:00Big Black Puff Balls<br />
So, today I don't have an opinion. I'm going to share something quite random instead. It has vaguely to do with our recent focus on fashion and style. <br />
<br />
I had a really weird dream the other night. There was some sort of epic fight at a girls' boarding school over whether the new girl should attend classes or not. Guns, grenades, and eventual triumph by the headmistress of the dream school. And at the end, the girls were celebrating with a pompous gala. The fashion at this gala was hilariously gaudy. Like, imagine this one with a 4ft wide white hat with trailing black tulle ball/bow things. It was magical. Cruella de Vil meets Black Swan. <br />
<a href="http://www.dhgate.com/store/product/gorgeous-black-and-white-wedding-dresses/14498787-159415453.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://image.dhgate.com/albu_345612481_00-1.0x0/gorgeous-black-and-white-wedding-dresses.jpg" height="400" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="300" /></a><br />
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In honor of this dream, here's a collection of some of the weirdest black and white dresses I could find on the internet. Enjoy!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=WLcxoD0ipF_xaM&tbnid=-TXJVnv8RMEOXM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthevoguesociety.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fmia-and-house-of-holland.html&ei=XamjUdKFEorS9gSuv4GYBg&psig=AFQjCNH3uAuMhMzFfbwRMC4cWbDBcdHxaQ&ust=1369766309149163" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor; clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjddDFv-OAjES-9bmcaJdS1RqMDvPwUh5bQ6cbTGfHwiClHGtL2_vC3qQg4IM9ejPOrfFD9nix1FgykxW1QQkOaz-qEQ-46IyB1FnApT5ClK2Wd9ah3C8-psAaZvnZxsTcqsgMHjIIXZ9I/s320/0209mia-maternity-grammy-dress2_fa.jpg" height="320" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 80px;" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's so proud of this, too....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=6BGc4nG32bzd-M&tbnid=lblaqzNF7hoTTM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redcarpet-fashionawards.com%2Fcategory%2Fred-carpet-events%2Flacma-art-film-gala%2Fpage%2F5%2F&ei=vqmjUcS7AY288wTwhAE&psig=AFQjCNH3uAuMhMzFfbwRMC4cWbDBcdHxaQ&ust=1369766309149163" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://redcfa.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/nicole-richie-marchesa.jpg" height="247" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 64px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black snakes or duct tape? What do you think?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://superqueen.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/marchesa-rtw-fw2011-runway-028_212948666373.jpg?w=652" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="size-full wp-image-5700 aligncenter" src="http://superqueen.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/marchesa-rtw-fw2011-runway-028_212948666373.jpg?w=652" height="320" title="marchesa-rtw-fw2011-runway-028_212948666373" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=SJR4LL3dXbzR2M&tbnid=hfAwjwG1Srz_dM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dressale.com%2Fpower-fashion-couple-of-black-and-white-tulle-gown-p-19111.html&ei=d6yjUcjyGIKy9gSYjoGoAQ&psig=AFQjCNFGHwiQWqGzXV3bD5iQ9t2t4aHOOg&ust=1369767333560511" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor; clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://images.dressale.com/images/320x480/201301/K/power-fashion-couple-of-black-and-white-tulle-gown_1358443530332.jpg" height="320" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 40px;" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YES! My wish is to shop at Walmart in this.<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Actually, that last pic came from another blog, <a href="http://superqueen.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/the-witch-of-the-place/" target="_blank">The Witch of the Place</a>, that has a fabulous collection of wacky dresses. Reading her gushing love for each dress is rather fun...<br />
<br />
Okay, I changed my mind. I have an opinion. DO NOT put your $200,000 six carat diamond in the tiniest dang four-prong basket setting you can find. No amount of metal is going to "cover up" that sparkle, but you are gonna notice when you lose it. Geez. Better yet, come to my house and snag it on the carpet. I'll take better care of it. <br />
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Peace and happy Friday! <br />
<br />
Rachel C<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjddDFv-OAjES-9bmcaJdS1RqMDvPwUh5bQ6cbTGfHwiClHGtL2_vC3qQg4IM9ejPOrfFD9nix1FgykxW1QQkOaz-qEQ-46IyB1FnApT5ClK2Wd9ah3C8-psAaZvnZxsTcqsgMHjIIXZ9I/s320/0209mia-maternity-grammy-dress2_fa.jpg" height="96" style="left: 168px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 688px;" width="65" />6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-77706631134411431052013-05-26T23:23:00.000-07:002013-05-26T23:23:11.377-07:00My Coastal DreamThere has always been a part of me that has felt a connection to the coast, the ocean, the beaches, the sea. I love the calming sound of waves lapping onto the beach; the smell of salt in the air and the singing chirps from seagulls. I long for the beautiful blues and greens of the sky and water and the soothing, warm, soft sand under my feet. I want to be sporting cool, casual beachwear, to go shopping at quaint beachside boutiques, and to go out for lunch and cocktails at an open air restaurant on the water with my husband. Who wouldn't, right? Too bad I live in Minnesota! I do love it here, but my dream is to own a cottage on the East Coast someday. I can picture everything from family fun and romantic evenings on the beach to crazy, wild, girls' weekends. I'm not exactly sure where this cottage will be, but I know what it will look like. It's been in my mind's eye for a long time...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUZJ0f6M1VvZvgvfod-CiKTuzCL56qoz034ZFy5Tw98eqXyLZMtZUbG0Bu_FGK4Do9BWkUZ0Bj6XnG9r6GEx6F_TMy-T1G0ae3HA2a75UNnODalplPaUJDqD-R60sIQeyouRUBW1jJac/s1600/Dream+Cottage+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUZJ0f6M1VvZvgvfod-CiKTuzCL56qoz034ZFy5Tw98eqXyLZMtZUbG0Bu_FGK4Do9BWkUZ0Bj6XnG9r6GEx6F_TMy-T1G0ae3HA2a75UNnODalplPaUJDqD-R60sIQeyouRUBW1jJac/s320/Dream+Cottage+Photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Ideally, it will look a lot like this, except instead of tan with white trim, it will be a warm gray with white trim. Of course there will need to be some really comfortable and casual outdoor furniture, such as upholstered rattan pieces and Adirondack chairs on the porches. And I'm guessing the Mr. will want a fishing boat and other water sports stuff parked in that little garage under the front porch. Wait, no, no, no. That stuff will go out back or somewhere else. That little garage will house my brand new charcoal gray Jeep Wrangler. Silly me! <br />
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The "back yard" will look a lot like this. Soft, tall, blowing grasses flanking a long boardwalk out to the beach. YES! This is where we will collect sea shells and set up beach towels at dusk while enjoying a glass (or five) of wine or beer and unwind from a long day at work. This is what I will walk out to when I need a break from work, which, by the way, will be located on the top floor of the cottage: My own studio where I will design and assemble my wares. When our kids have families, this is where they will come to visit and vacation. I'll have my girlfriends over for long weekends and bonfires at night on the beach. This is where memories will be made with our family and friends.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIAzhQP_93RBS2hrm6VWAEAuuW6FaXFCUVbL8JEPTcZZsn7X-oNPJMFxGMhANzGEAlSmF4FQqiWHzZX24EqKLVQgiD2FxhoV8pC8LOn3J9qAEtKmAcZc2Iv82B58aa3G5n_7sDTdtMiY/s1600/Beach+Back+Yard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIAzhQP_93RBS2hrm6VWAEAuuW6FaXFCUVbL8JEPTcZZsn7X-oNPJMFxGMhANzGEAlSmF4FQqiWHzZX24EqKLVQgiD2FxhoV8pC8LOn3J9qAEtKmAcZc2Iv82B58aa3G5n_7sDTdtMiY/s640/Beach+Back+Yard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, A beach cottage isn't complete without a fresh and casual interior. I see a white envelope - walls, built-in cabinets, some furniture; with accents of shades of blues and greens to bring the feel of the ocean and sky inside. I want my kids and future grandkids, family and friends, to feel at home and relaxed when they come to visit. It will feel comfortable, bright, and energetic during the day, and cozy, warm and peaceful at night. It will be a retreat and a home at the same time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9eTvY_CO3Oe6XdO5ll4_6d8OqooZ7pRxj-Ewo5bQ9LJlGrvnFBFyH3lt1Yd4cuCcwno1yyVNKPFEoei8HeBkGPCUtv3NUaVMiI7SFBj0oPiQwUonGqpgUds8_4qTY9FLWd2BnQByhE8/s1600/Living+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9eTvY_CO3Oe6XdO5ll4_6d8OqooZ7pRxj-Ewo5bQ9LJlGrvnFBFyH3lt1Yd4cuCcwno1yyVNKPFEoei8HeBkGPCUtv3NUaVMiI7SFBj0oPiQwUonGqpgUds8_4qTY9FLWd2BnQByhE8/s320/Living+Room.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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This is my idea of a living/family room. Energetic, eclectic, casual.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaGbiTjdZ_aSw-aGUzCfVaXo7MK4RFhb8g_rVX8QINRM5G-kzBS_UKWFNVFP-8XpMKA0Eq8u5OoPUz1EF5jAU_5Dh4fIOe912jyid4fZwjCxZnFGMytt5fYDBEYogLTG9x7a43PyQRGs/s1600/Master+Bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaGbiTjdZ_aSw-aGUzCfVaXo7MK4RFhb8g_rVX8QINRM5G-kzBS_UKWFNVFP-8XpMKA0Eq8u5OoPUz1EF5jAU_5Dh4fIOe912jyid4fZwjCxZnFGMytt5fYDBEYogLTG9x7a43PyQRGs/s320/Master+Bedroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And a soft, soothing and romantic master bedroom...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkdZ9LFBMjukGIfMWOOPCNzZdzUrpjtFBGKQP1cbOkhlGPbCyx0ghAxy4Af32nr-qpF5v6KZBX9dfT5-pV2Mc61nh2g9V5EcPkZsybrlFsJ7DStDidrANgSdYM-FjqzRNjpjMhRjgUQ8/s1600/Dining+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkdZ9LFBMjukGIfMWOOPCNzZdzUrpjtFBGKQP1cbOkhlGPbCyx0ghAxy4Af32nr-qpF5v6KZBX9dfT5-pV2Mc61nh2g9V5EcPkZsybrlFsJ7DStDidrANgSdYM-FjqzRNjpjMhRjgUQ8/s320/Dining+Room.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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and a light and airy dining room with a view of the ocean.<br />
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Ahhh...so...this is my coastal dream. I already feel relaxed and refreshed, and - even though I'm sitting in my suburban Minnesota townhome on a cold, rainy, spring night - I can smell the ocean breeze, hear the singing seagulls, and smell the salt in the air. It's time to wake up from my dream and face the daily grind and get to work. How else am I going to reach my ultimate goal? Well, I have to dream big!<br />
<br />
Heather<br />
<a href="http://www.idandegocreations.etsy.com/">www.idandegocreations.etsy.com</a>6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-3332588371255282732013-05-21T18:52:00.001-07:002013-05-22T17:57:02.500-07:00FOLK ART<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">FOLK ART<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Traditionally Folk Art is the
work of untrained craftsmen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a
strong functional and practical element to Folk Art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utilizing the long winter hours, farmers would
build new tools and whirligigs for the farm while the women would gather
together and create quilts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Folk Art reminds us that art has
a place in the simplest of homes. Combining a love of color and an inventive
spirit with a creative flair, Folk Artists are perhaps untrained and yet
demonstrate imaginative, artistic talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Primitively crafted and often roughly
painted, Folk Art offers a bit of charm and whimsy but is meant to be practical
and utilitarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHOtLhbEGIi298PpuliZG8U0-vmMZghtZJZoANEsAxpps_g-Q9O5IZPtDAa9fdbb5uzSGccaFvXF3z5q709llltvz0WvO4AlhZ-XPixWDg97V_2JFXdk4am2Apf2GFSS6SX0FYhNJ33k/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHOtLhbEGIi298PpuliZG8U0-vmMZghtZJZoANEsAxpps_g-Q9O5IZPtDAa9fdbb5uzSGccaFvXF3z5q709llltvz0WvO4AlhZ-XPixWDg97V_2JFXdk4am2Apf2GFSS6SX0FYhNJ33k/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FOLK ART GARDEN GATE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><strong>For me using reclaimed wood for Folk Art satisfies my need to be creative. I
enjoy taking a cast off piece of wood, cutting, painting and repurposing it as
something whimsical, fun and playful. </strong></span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><strong>Folk Art pieces are fun to create, and of course it's very gratifying if
others enjoy them as well!</strong></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHke_b1oXqs-Xm8VhyoRiXBoTxKEM_dst8JyL_zsk3H_Ipgkg9D4_mvhxeJEghic0zl64FnjkLmBcL6d4rm0OD4spD2vpevpg1CNIoFCv5x2fLQxqlBnAgBd84NEe6uH2KwqOwbu1ew3k/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHke_b1oXqs-Xm8VhyoRiXBoTxKEM_dst8JyL_zsk3H_Ipgkg9D4_mvhxeJEghic0zl64FnjkLmBcL6d4rm0OD4spD2vpevpg1CNIoFCv5x2fLQxqlBnAgBd84NEe6uH2KwqOwbu1ew3k/s320/027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PRIMITIVE FOLK ART TOY<br />
NOAH'S ARK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">The simplest and most common example of Folk Art is the wind-driven
whirligig.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word whirligig is derived
from two Old English words whirlen (to whirl) and gigg (top) meaning to
literally ‘whirl a top’.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">The American version of the wind driven whirligig probably originated
with the immigrant population of the United Kingdom as whirligigs are mentioned
in early American colonial times. <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigM9s4uGbinUcgLhFmUMSCPIysCaOtpFt-kaTSkphyRokR67PW6uXQYpted91WmPdD7GoD545yU8p8-F-q0FvlM7YQ1qyG0XWIp0srSqtPDlIr9KFOwInkNLMyCwkOOCoIHetycm77vgg/s1600/FolkArtWhirligig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigM9s4uGbinUcgLhFmUMSCPIysCaOtpFt-kaTSkphyRokR67PW6uXQYpted91WmPdD7GoD545yU8p8-F-q0FvlM7YQ1qyG0XWIp0srSqtPDlIr9KFOwInkNLMyCwkOOCoIHetycm77vgg/s320/FolkArtWhirligig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of a wind driven whirligig</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 6pt;">
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">By the latter half of the 19th century constructing wind driven
whirligigs had become a pastime and art form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Craftsman from the southern Appalachians continued to produce whirligigs
into the 20th century. During the great depression there was resurgence of
whirligigs by craftsman and amateurs which was attributed to the need for ready
cash.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">A wind-driven whirligig transfers the energy of the wind into either a
simple release of </span></b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_energy" title="Kinetic energy"><b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">kinetic
energy</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"> through rotation or a more
complicated transfer of </span></b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotational_energy" title="Rotational energy"><b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">rotational
energy</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whirligig can be either a simple or a
more complicated mechanism that produces repetitive motions and/or creates
sounds. The wind simply pushes on the whirligig turning one part of it and
setting it into motion by using inertia.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">An example of a simple whirligig is the button whirligig, (also called
button spinners).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Button whirligigs are
simple spinning toys made with a button and a string or thread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They work by looping the ends of the thread and
twisting and pulling with both arms, causing the button to spin. They were
simple toys. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In America, they were popular
during pioneering days and during the Depression Era because they were
inexpensive to make, yet very entertaining. Children of the great depression
from the southern Appalachians and Ozarks remember a button and a string as the
primary spinning toy of their youth. <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"></span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Create a simple button whirligig:<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMnSfKSraHfyEl59MeB9Squ3AR5U2m_qCz2kJBIUIJ1V7FqLo8GKaHD9m1Jo2G-50HJ2lcCSD8ty6IERhhye5FLr2HAUdByf2mIiQN5ozyxCfGr08p_oQ-Jp8iWhpWzJ__DGqxM1FIYI/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMnSfKSraHfyEl59MeB9Squ3AR5U2m_qCz2kJBIUIJ1V7FqLo8GKaHD9m1Jo2G-50HJ2lcCSD8ty6IERhhye5FLr2HAUdByf2mIiQN5ozyxCfGr08p_oQ-Jp8iWhpWzJ__DGqxM1FIYI/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b></b><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><strong>YOU WILL NEED:</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><strong></strong></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><strong>Button</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><strong>Thread</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><strong>Scissors</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>
</strong></div>
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJbHFZNKygHY2hDpIXp6UuPhUhHiooy5WW6Wao-6BXqpJsEHvZROl9q6TNJzduLpMmq5MPzgrBVCACOQvdkD0VHhIATXCZEeEH6K6k-fJ1KeTspfchMeCY115MC2NvwY1jRPsZ2Rlzp0/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJbHFZNKygHY2hDpIXp6UuPhUhHiooy5WW6Wao-6BXqpJsEHvZROl9q6TNJzduLpMmq5MPzgrBVCACOQvdkD0VHhIATXCZEeEH6K6k-fJ1KeTspfchMeCY115MC2NvwY1jRPsZ2Rlzp0/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</strong><br />
<strong>
</strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><strong>INSTRUCTIONS:</strong></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>1</strong><strong><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Cut a 24-inch length of string.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<strong>
</strong><strong><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Thread the string through the
holes in the button.<o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
<strong>
</strong><strong><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Tie the ends of the string
together.<o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
<strong>
</strong><strong><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Insert the middle finger of each
hand into the loop at each end with the button in the middle. <o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
<strong>
</strong><strong><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Spin the button to twist the
strings and c</span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">ontinue twisting the string
until it becomes wrapped around itself all the way to your fingers.<o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
<strong>
</strong><strong><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Pull the strings taut to let them
begin to untwist. </span></strong><br />
<strong>
</strong><strong><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">7. </span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Release the pressure and then pull the string taut again to
keep the whirligig spinning. Apply gentle tension to the string by pulling your
hands apart. The button will begin to spin. <o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
<strong>
</strong><br />
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string tension keeps the button spinning. Speeding up the action causes the
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6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-39205130925141747972013-05-16T13:49:00.001-07:002013-05-16T18:14:04.749-07:00Beer is not just for Guys. Ladies you can learn to love it too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMewIKq0nXHk1JZRf4pGfQb235X5ppA3GjcsF37De9IdhaoU4Ka2ybPg9evqPBFepqsnXc1ney9bst8NCiCNzJwXg812MFR-sZ-AOlBRTbeI1pINWpRHpbFwX881LWQk5AVLzqccgRSY/s1600/10-barrell-brewing-in-boise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMewIKq0nXHk1JZRf4pGfQb235X5ppA3GjcsF37De9IdhaoU4Ka2ybPg9evqPBFepqsnXc1ney9bst8NCiCNzJwXg812MFR-sZ-AOlBRTbeI1pINWpRHpbFwX881LWQk5AVLzqccgRSY/s320/10-barrell-brewing-in-boise.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
When I think of beer, I think of Al Bundy from Married with Children, sitting on the couch in front of the TV with his hand in his waistband and him opening up a cold one...haha. Talk about stereotyping! With the huge influx of Micro Breweries popping up all over the United States, it's time to redefine and open your eyes to this neat little world.<br />
<br />
I hear it all the time from women: "I don't drink beer, it's bitter and it doesn't taste good!" Well ladies that's because you haven't given any time to "acquiring" a taste for beer. How many women choose wine over beer? I don't know but it seems to be a lot. When I look around a restaurant or bar and grill, the guys are drinking beer and the majority of women are drinking wine or a mixed drink....aka foofoo drinks. Now think about the first time you tried wine, did you go straight for the Merlot? Most likely not, you went for the white sweet wine, such as a Riesling. Once you've established the taste for white wine you eventually move up and onto red wine, like a Shiraz or a blend...thennnnn maybe a Merlot. I can only speak from my personal experience and that of other people I know, but once you've moved from white to red wine, that becomes your go to wine. Yes you will occasionally drink white wine, when pairing it with a particular meal or on a summer day but it's not your favorite. What I am saying is you've "acquired" the taste for wine over time, and this is the same for beer. Give it a chance and taste a few...don't give up!<br />
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First a little beer history-Beer basically falls into two categories-Ale or Lager. It's all about the yeast, Ale yeast collects near the top during fermentation and Lager yeasts collects near the bottom during fermentation. Lager yeast also tends to ferments more aggressively lessening the sweetness and flavors. Beers are rated with two values that may be listed on your menu: ABV (Alcohol by Volume) and IBU (International Bittering Unit) how bitter, skunky or hoppy a beer is.<br />
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So you are in a Micro Brewery with friends and there are a ton of beer selections, what do you order?? Well let me break it down for you:<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 465px;"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 4973; mso-width-source: userset; width: 102pt;" width="136"></col><col span="2" style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col><col style="mso-width-alt: 2669; mso-width-source: userset; width: 55pt;" width="73"></col><col span="2" style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl65" colspan="3" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">ALEs</td>
<td class="xl65" colspan="3" style="border-left: none;">LAGERs</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">ABV</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">IBU</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">ABV</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">IBU</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">Ambers</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">4-6%</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">25-40</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">Light Lager</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">4-5%</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">8-10</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">Brown Ales</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">5-8%</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">20-40</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">Dark Lager</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">4-5%</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">15-25</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">Hefe-weizen/Wheat</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">4-5%</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">5-20</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">Pilsners</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">4-5%</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">25-45</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">Pale Ales</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">4-7%</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">30-45</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">Bocks</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">6.5-8.5%</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">25-35</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">IPA (Indian
Pale Ale)</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">6-9%</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">40-70</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">Imperial Pale
Ales</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">8-20%</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">60-100</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">Porters</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">6-7%</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">25-50</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl63" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">Stouts</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">4-5%</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">35-75</td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
<td class="xl63" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td colspan="3" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; mso-ignore: colspan;">*Imperial
anything= High ABV and IBU</td>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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1)If you are a newbie or an "I'm going to give this a second chance" gal then start off with a Hefe-weizen/Wheat beer or a Light Lager. These are lower in alcohol content and their IBU is the lowest, meaning its going to be less bitter, less hit-you-in-the-face aftertaste. If you prefer flavor then definitely go with the WHEAT BEERS. Most Micro Breweries will have a few wheat beers on tap, ask for a fruity one. Many are berry, orange, apple or even grapefruit flavored. In bottles- Leinenkugel offers a Berry Weiss or Summer Shandy and Shock Top offers Raspberry Shock Top. They taste delicious!<br />
<br />
2)If carbonation is the hold back, many of the breweries now offer Nitrogen infused beer. Rather than using only Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to carbonate beer, they can offer a combo of CO2 and Nitrogen (N). The Nitrogen has a smaller particle size, thus giving the beer a smoother headier taste. Beers such as Guiness and Murphy Stout have always been nitrogenated. My personal opinion is the beer tasted flat...I apparently prefer lots of carbonation.<br />
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3)If that still isn't your style then go for the newer Hard Ciders, but beware they taste like apple cider but with alcohol....try not to chug them! At least you won't look like the odd man...I mean woman out, you still look like you've got a beer in hand.<br />
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I hope I have at least gotten you interested in a do-over and giving beer a second chance. Remember, just like wine, you most likely have to acquire the taste for beer....give it time:)<br />
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**Popular beer brands you might recognize:<br />
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Brown Ales-New Castle, Moose Drool<br />
Wheat Ales- Blue Moon, Shock Top, Leinenkugel<br />
Pale Ales-Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Blue Heron<br />
Stouts-Guiness, Murphy's<br />
Amber-Fat Tire<br />
Pilsners-Beck's, Stella Artors<br />
Light Lager-Papst, Coors, Bud Light Corona, Heineken, Red Stripe<br />
Japenese Rice Lagers-Sapporo, Asashi<br />
Bocks-Shinerbock, Michelob Amberbock<br />
Hard Cider-Old Orchard<br />
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Vikki<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BenderBuckles?ref=si_shop">https://www.etsy.com/shop/BenderBuckles?ref=si_shop</a><br />
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<br />6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429608498718890759.post-13781103124242505422013-05-13T21:42:00.001-07:002013-05-15T19:30:29.795-07:00Style – House Style<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Personally, I have little or
no style – clothing wise that is. I
totally believe in being comfortable…and have not always pulled that off
stylishly. You could probably say I
dress like your typical stay-at-home mom…well typical in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arkansas</st1:place></st1:state> at least. In winter - jeans and sweater (light weight
of course), in spring and fall – capri pants with cool sandals, summer – shorts
and tanks with more shorts and more tanks.
For those of you who don’t know – it’s awfully dang hot and humid in
south <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arkansas</st1:place></st1:state>
in the summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But my house now…I have
always had a stylish house. I’m fairly
certain my husband and I buy and remodel houses just so I can decorate. LOVE to decorate. When we had been married a little over 4
years, we bought a house that is about 4 sizes too large for us. It needed a lot of tender loving care, and
the plan was to remodel, decorate, and resell.
Seventeen years later we are still living here, because I can redecorate
anytime I want just my rearranging who is sleeping in what room or what a room
is being used for. Plus, now that we've been here this long, we have WAY more furniture than I want to move to another house</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Ever fear you are turning
into your mom? Well, in many ways I
could totally benefit by being my mom…but she has no house style. Here’s her style: </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4IlKHB-uf_44iQEyGR94RJbjaO3XO1d4rYV-Hb0aFqdbZUDC3Yu_i92Ob0_piNZEtUMsT2GY52RzVlTkXcbw_lq1IEJuc2XKiziEoUAccrKhbo1bhsd5EKNEnPEYAU3TvmJMRFAD9ZM/s1600/early+american+style.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4IlKHB-uf_44iQEyGR94RJbjaO3XO1d4rYV-Hb0aFqdbZUDC3Yu_i92Ob0_piNZEtUMsT2GY52RzVlTkXcbw_lq1IEJuc2XKiziEoUAccrKhbo1bhsd5EKNEnPEYAU3TvmJMRFAD9ZM/s1600/early+american+style.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje14woWTvwFNqkqGov7NsQKaz2JGgURVgGkHy6Pp4IMOReKtvEBjI5e1ylOl09iBYtjEMGNXwJx-Q5YeWHfvwn8sTMbFlwThYVe-3xJkjbAtnS3Ku4fNRcn5YykqcCq2B-42lGpkvjCrc/s1600/early+american+style+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje14woWTvwFNqkqGov7NsQKaz2JGgURVgGkHy6Pp4IMOReKtvEBjI5e1ylOl09iBYtjEMGNXwJx-Q5YeWHfvwn8sTMbFlwThYVe-3xJkjbAtnS3Ku4fNRcn5YykqcCq2B-42lGpkvjCrc/s1600/early+american+style+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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ugly early American. REALLY ugly.
I was so proud of my mom last year when she decided to remodel. Unfortunately, she just remodeled right back
to NEW ugly early American. Remember Hurculean? YUK.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYwPWdAzp6nbOuyPICUPlr4OWN2WOuYxU0npB22joZ0CABfSt-gUIgnLB967I9lOaO6wLV20GZF1bPA0hXMEJAQASB4DwGdTZ0u75lrdfkzI7CjqQyYloD-cMfpYgvGU9PF8cDpvvSW0/s1600/modern+library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYwPWdAzp6nbOuyPICUPlr4OWN2WOuYxU0npB22joZ0CABfSt-gUIgnLB967I9lOaO6wLV20GZF1bPA0hXMEJAQASB4DwGdTZ0u75lrdfkzI7CjqQyYloD-cMfpYgvGU9PF8cDpvvSW0/s320/modern+library.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A readying nook/library - so me!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> always liked many
different types of style – ultra modern, French country, mid-century
sleek. But I find that I end up
decorating in more of a transitional style.
I love to find an old piece of furniture and put a totally modern fabric
on it. Or take an abused piece of mid-century
furniture and paint it high gloss black.
Here are a few pictures of rooms you might find in my house...if I took pictures.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguWKZP8r50-K0Ujp7OkafsDdCyjbdjQsxoMp5eA-0yhQPG89axfh2EUhrXvA3onAaOCjCKFViATsJJpyVQ1uoiMhjFWpaYHwYY4PNhHuL3wysptDdbPFN5Wl8PJaGnD0DOlYWT-NP7Lo/s1600/Modern+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguWKZP8r50-K0Ujp7OkafsDdCyjbdjQsxoMp5eA-0yhQPG89axfh2EUhrXvA3onAaOCjCKFViATsJJpyVQ1uoiMhjFWpaYHwYY4PNhHuL3wysptDdbPFN5Wl8PJaGnD0DOlYWT-NP7Lo/s320/Modern+hall.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my exact hallway but pretty close.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAlGLkiWtez_qM1AGvlXvPZ7i5MR_J4bxjX44E8THuqyjrF9WQmPYmynknzQvytJBkXB7pCOTh2zjm-n_a6Mu7gONn9qZdxq9KkoFzZGfzX8h-ha2HuRMTZc1k6-Tpdhw3FUhWFSo-TU/s1600/modern+fireplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAlGLkiWtez_qM1AGvlXvPZ7i5MR_J4bxjX44E8THuqyjrF9WQmPYmynknzQvytJBkXB7pCOTh2zjm-n_a6Mu7gONn9qZdxq9KkoFzZGfzX8h-ha2HuRMTZc1k6-Tpdhw3FUhWFSo-TU/s640/modern+fireplace.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just love this painting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA6EpErDsk2v7bv6NTME6sy4l2JQqO8Vi-PV3a3HWDRPJ2B5KJQxrLzek_xRUVwXcvapnfYO1qUghGg2AtLz0pXVMgwe3Ml5ZE6PmF2V4-KnAZUGghVsh5zmyGrW47ltKYEwD_1Y-b94/s1600/modern+dining+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA6EpErDsk2v7bv6NTME6sy4l2JQqO8Vi-PV3a3HWDRPJ2B5KJQxrLzek_xRUVwXcvapnfYO1qUghGg2AtLz0pXVMgwe3Ml5ZE6PmF2V4-KnAZUGghVsh5zmyGrW47ltKYEwD_1Y-b94/s400/modern+dining+room.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dream dining room...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHpihZt_6UlDiT5642ec7Ia_mrowCpzlWvXfauiVl30G6qyfihFd60KnT6dYVBCMCKhVbubOiHXgns00gkR4EzsRXs1DyC73RyuWn4st7Z1LlDq8kSaj4wyrbVFHumbFLPragYOJBmuo/s1600/modern+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHpihZt_6UlDiT5642ec7Ia_mrowCpzlWvXfauiVl30G6qyfihFd60KnT6dYVBCMCKhVbubOiHXgns00gkR4EzsRXs1DyC73RyuWn4st7Z1LlDq8kSaj4wyrbVFHumbFLPragYOJBmuo/s400/modern+kitchen.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My current kitchen looks a lot like this...I just need more window.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWDDMvWUD_h-8hQ7AHij1BiY6g2Yr3vTdvNQqFB4zj2FNQUtUJ1CQR1JLKnoaiYGWKSWOhAVEiqFb7FYNpfVI4fcUsOQFjkR1dCjctLeKgSSOiwXVIdvXVqCjwymL_dPTDEPJ9rA4oKo/s1600/modern+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWDDMvWUD_h-8hQ7AHij1BiY6g2Yr3vTdvNQqFB4zj2FNQUtUJ1CQR1JLKnoaiYGWKSWOhAVEiqFb7FYNpfVI4fcUsOQFjkR1dCjctLeKgSSOiwXVIdvXVqCjwymL_dPTDEPJ9rA4oKo/s320/modern+bedroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bedroom to dream dreams in!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You can see more of my particular
style on my pinterest board: <o:p></o:p></span><a href="http://pinterest.com/griffindebora/favorite-places-spaces/">http://pinterest.com/griffindebora/favorite-places-spaces/</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My style is an expression of
my emotions via my house. I like things
organized and clean…if only I could convince my family to feel the same </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6.5 Opinionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998461621498099278noreply@blogger.com0