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Why is my Home So Messy?
Let's face it, life is busy and when you finally get around to cleaning you expect the house to stay clean. Does that usually happen? We can all be honest in saying no! What we realized is that we needed functional objects that keep our everyday lifestyle organized. Starting in the main area where your family enter and exits the home. Invest in a piece of furniture or an organization system that allows a spot for coats, lunch boxes, and shoes. Items that clutter your space allows for stress and takes away from the time you could be spending with family. The main key to cleaning up the messes in your life is to make sure you have functional pieces that make your life easier, not messier!
The Importance of the "Pop"
Personally, we LOVE color, now just because we love color doesn't mean that all of our clients love color as much as we do! There is also a point when color can begin to be too much and sometimes color can be scary! If you are a little hesitant about committing to an entire chair in bright red, bring in pops of color instead. We love the crisp clean lines of this room that exhibits an everlasting style with the mixed metals and greys but the pops of color brings a little extra fun into the room and allows for easy transition of new colors as well.
Do you have an awkward space in your home that you just don't know what to do with? We love finding unique ways to incorporate an area that you can actually use instead of just having a blank space. In this space, sloped ceilings always can be a little tricky to a design plan. The bright colors make the space appear larger instead of darkening the space and making the space feel overwhelmed.
A Work In Progresss
We love watching the transformation taking place on the job site. From absolutely zero focal point on the wall to a beautiful stacked stone fireplace. We cannot wait to see the finished product!
Bringing the "Wow" Into Your Space
Every room needs that statement piece that makes you say "WOW"! We are continuously searching for that item that make your space absolutely perfect and allows your space to be completely different from everyone else. Upholstered headboards are definitely on trend right now, but how amazing are the curves in this headboard? Extremely eye-catching and a creative touch of style to the upholstered headboard trend!
As the temperature continuously rises, thoughts of backyard barbecues and lounging pool side come to mind. For us, we love an oasis away from the office and that tends to be an outdoor location in the summer months. We love the idea of a space that is relaxing but yet really makes you happy as well. Don't you love the feeling when you sit down and your surroundings just make you happy? With so many specific protectors against the sun or water you can make your outside just as beautiful as your inside!
Summertime Sanctuary
Details are Everything!
Dramatic details in this gorgeous bedroom are what give the bedroom that serenity feeling. Pair a berry hue with dark brown or gray for a dramatic effect.
August 2019


text: from £199.00 Per Week Mannequin House Roost It is located in Zone 3, Waltham Forest Borough, 15 minutes to London Metropolitan University, 20 minutes to London College of Fashion on Oxford Street, and 25 minutes to University College London by tube. Blackhorse Road train station is nearby for easy connections. The beautiful Low Maynard reservoir is just a 10-minute walk away from the building. Approx. 1 hour 20 mins by public transport St Mary's University, Twickenham - London View on map View Offer Starting Price £ 199.00 In stock

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm not picking nits- I just have great deal of curiosity when it comes to grammar. The description of the Domestic US Politics forum (Discussion of US politics and their world impact.) seems awkward. I think its the use of "their" Anyone know if that grammar is correct? Would "its" be better grammatically?(Discussion of US politics and its world impact.)
Just wondering.


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Nothing new there either; but it just so happened that this time I hadn't closed all the programs on my computer, let alone the windows on these various programs. It was bad enough, then, that as the cursor whizzed across the screen minimising windows here and there (my blog on whether science is sexy… oh dear) it hesitated and I could almost feel the snigger.
Here's a thing. You can tell what someone's thinking when they're on the other side of the world, when you aren't talking to them and when you can't see their face. You'd hardly call it body language but there was an eloquence to the way the cursor twitched when it hovered over the open window in Google Chrome. You know the one. The one that's open at the article on How to Tell if You're a Psychopath.
If friendly technician had an ounce of sense he would, of course, immediately have put two and two together and made a writer. But I'm mightily relieved that he didn't get a look at some of the other things in my browsing history. Apart from betraying my time-wasting devices (What Norse God Are You?) and my hopeless fantasies (PhD Projects in Geology & Geophysics and Atmospheric & Environmental Science) he would, if he hadn't calculated that simple sum of two plus two correctly, been straight on the phone to the police.
I'm writing romantic suspense, remember. And I don't (yet) have an encyclopaedic knowledge of crime so I have to look things up. Which is why my browsing history contains searches relating to chloroform and how long you will remain unconscious... other drugs which leave no trace... how you can stab someone so that they bleed a lot yet recover fairly quickly. And so on.
It could have been a lot worse. I've always been a little bit wary of the search terms I enter into the internet, which is why my story about the Suffragette and her home-made bomb skimped on the detail and is possibly also why it never got published. I've also thought twice before typing certain things into Google Earth , and I certainly will be if I ever have a plot that includes a raid on Fort Knox.
I know I'm not alone. We writers are a vile, twisted lot. Want to tell me your secrets, list some of the sites you've visited in the name of research? Go on — I'd love to hear.


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"Everything's like something else"
12 Jun 2016
I'm not a noun. Neither are you. Think car crashes, lightning flashes, flowing waves of crazed relations, long meandering conversations, smoke and mirrors and obfuscations. We're fictional characters, fluid creations, in a story that never ends. Truth is just one reflection in this funhouse mirror of worlds. But don't worry. It's not so bad—being a dream.


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What should I expect if I come to BNC?
You will be greeted by people who really care about you. In worship, our first priority is to be centered on God as we enter His presence. There will be singing, scripture reading, a Biblical based message, and opportunity to respond. We are an inter-generational congregation. A priority in our worship is to remember how God has moved through His people in the past and remain open to a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit among us. The worship service is relaxed and informal.
We offer Sunday School for all ages plus small group opportunities on Sunday and throughout the week. Children's Church is offered during the worship service. We hope to see you on Sunday!
What is offered for children?
Great question and we are glad that you asked it! Sunday mornings we offer Sunday School for all ages, broken down into Pre-K to Kindergarten, 1st grade to 4th grade, 5th grade to 12th grade, and for the littlest ones we offer a nursery during the Sunday School just like we do during the worship service. Speaking of the worship service, we offer time things for the kids as well. Nursery remains open during the duration of the worship service, but right after we do our morning announcements we dismiss kids from ages 3 to 10 to their own Kids' worship service we call Children's Church. During Children's Church, kids enjoy a small snack, completing activities and games, and most importantly learning about God's Word.
Throughout the year we also offer a variety of activities such as Vacation Bible School in the summer and Family Fall Fun Day in October. Keep connected with us as we continue to offer more for children and their families.
What will the music be like?
Worshipping God with music is an important part of our service. Most of the time, lyrics are projected on a large screen. We have a blended worship service in which we sing a mix of hymns and contemporary worship songs, led by a worship team and accompanied by our musicians.
What is the style of dress?
We encourage you to come as you are! Whether you are comfortable in dress clothes, casual, or jeans, our focus is that you are able to worship The Lord and receive His word.
What should I bring?
A Bible if you have one. If not, don't worry, we have some stashed in the pews that you can use.
What kind of teaching can I expect?
We are a Bible-based church, meaning that we fully believe the Bible is truth and the true word of God and that truth remains just as relevant in our lives and culture today as it has in the past and will in the future. Our sermons are Bible-driven, practical, and authentic. No matter where you are in your Christian walk, there is something to gain from each sermon. For those who enjoy taking notes to follow along, sermon notes are found each week in our church bulletin. We also make it easy to follow along with sermon slides which are displayed on screens behind our pastor, as well as notes that are in our weekly bulletins.
Do I have to make a donation?
Visitors are our guests. We are less concerned about what you're giving and more concerned about what you are getting when you are here.
Will I be singled out?
We will not embarrass you or ask you to do strange things. We want you to relax, be comfortable, and enjoy God's Word. If you aren't familiar with our music, don't worry, we had to learn it too.
When Are The Service Times?
9:00 am – Sunday School for all ages
10:15am – Inter-generational Sunday Morning Worship Service
Want to know more?
Sign up for a Journey class. What is Journey? It is our church's intentional plan to help you move to new places in your relationship with God, and in relationship with other people who are walking the same road.


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Ordering with Us
How it Works
The cut off time to receive your orders is 7am on Tuesday.
Orders received after the cut off will be saved and put out for delivery the following week.
All of our coffee will be sold as beans.
All orders come with FREE shipping!


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Our school has a commitment to providing a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the guidelines set out in the National Curriculum and Early Years framework.
Our School Curriculum follows all the requirements of the National Curriculum but we are proud to offer a much broader curriculum than that, making the most of many and varied opportunities in London and around the country to broaden and enrich the curriculum for our children. The emphasis is on British Life, Society and History.
The National Curriculum provides the school with the outline of knowledge, skills and understanding that we are required to cover in school. We choose to teach much of this through creative, cross-curricular themes where children will learn different strands of the curriculum from a range of subjects, all within one common theme for a term. The curriculum has a strong commitment to equal opportunities, diversity and multi-cultural values and ensures that all children enjoy success and high standards.
We aim to teach our curriculum in an engaging, interesting and stimulating way primarily through a thematic approach. The school runs a framework of study that is based on the individual subject guidance and our commitment to topic work that makes links between subjects. In planning learning for children, every teacher ensures that learning is fully embedded in real life skills that promote lifelong learning.
Want to know more? You can download the curriculum overview from this page.
Want to know even more? Please see government information on the National Curriculum.
We love our Yoga sessions with Tracy.
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Diamond "Gift Of Love" Pendant For Daughter
Exclusive handcrafted design. Solid sterling silver, 24K gold-plated accents, genuine brilliant-cut solitaire diamond. Includes gift box with poem.
Pendant measures approximately 3/4" L; chain measures 18" L
- Price:
- s&s◇
A love for a special daughter is much like a precious package tied with a ribbon and bow. This stunning pendant necklace for daughters is a reminder of a love that truly is a gift! A genuine solitaire diamond adds the sparkle of beauty and value to this heartfelt mother daughter jewelry gift.
Give her a lovely, beribboned box that can be held close to her heart with this gorgeous diamond pendant necklace for daughters, a fine jewelry design available exclusively from The Bradford Exchange. Handcrafted in solid sterling silver and accented with 24K gold, the pendant necklace arrives in a lovely gift box that holds a touching poem card. Makes a treasured jewelry gift for daughter. Heavy demand is expected, and you won't want to miss out. Order now!
- Express your loving feelings for a daughter most dear with this fine jewelry design, available exclusively from The Bradford Exchange
- Pendant is exquisitely handcrafted in solid sterling silver and accented with 24K gold
- This exceptional jewelry gift for daughter sparkles with a gleaming genuine solitaire diamond!
- This fully sculpted pendant is uniquely designed in the shape of a gift-wrapped package tied with a golden ribbon and bow
- Arrives in an elegant gift box that has a touching mother to daughter poem tucked inside
- Makes a wonderful mother daughter jewelry gift
- Certificate of Authenticity
- Pendant measures approximately 3/4" L; 1.9 cm L; chain measures 18" L; 45.7 cm L


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Who will go and shake a tail feather on Thanksgiving morning?
walking each mile, after waking and yawning.
Venturing out to the streets and with a jog or a walk,
These people will be giving it all that they've got.
They will be the county's turkey parade, this year,
Awaiting Thanksgiving dinner that's so near,
So no matter if they run at a pace or a wobble
They leave with them memories forever to gobble.2 Comments


text: Maine Ag in the Classroom supports agricultural literacy in many, many ways, including their Read ME program, which includes free books, connections to farmers who will make classroom visits, and curricular materials. The deadline to apply for this program, which runs in March, is January 1. Not in Maine? Find your local chapter of Ag in the Classroom organization here.


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Welcome to the #44 episode of the RCDRL Podcast Show. Host Michael Mercadel with Co-host Jerry Lumar welcome double-up Supers winner Zack Shivers and Top Fuel winner Francisco Frontera to today's show. Awesome memories were created at the 2018 RCDRL 6th Annual RockStar Powder Coat US Supernationals let's recap the fun-filled weekend! Sit back relax and enjoy the show!
The RCDRL Podcast Show Facebook Page


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Gottifredi Maffioli's Swiftcord has been at the core of their range for more than 10 years. Swiftcord, has been responsible for winning many world championships and Olympic medals. Swiftcord is a modern, single braid construction which is available exclusively in the hi-tech Gottifredi Maffioli "Melange" look. It consists of 70% high quality Dyneema® and 30% non-slip Cordura®. This tacky rope is ideal for any line which is frequently adjusted by hand on dinghies and keelboats - primarily main and jib sheets but it is also excellent for outhaul, cunningham or vang systems. Available in bright colors and in diameters of 3-10mm.
- AttributeValue
- SWL (kg):920
- NBL (kg):2300
- Rope diameter (mm):8
- Weight per meter (g):31.2
- Construction:Simple tresse
- Core Material:DSK + non-slip
- Cover material:N/A
- Colour:Grey
Gottifredi Maffiol


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Archive for the 'travel' Category
Interesting perspective of new Iceland volcanic ash cloud
Thx to Big Picture!
Their images tend to be "big" and jaw dropping!
Related articles
- Bidisha's thought for the day: Volcanic ash (guardian.co.uk)
- The Latest Volcanic Ash Map, And A Look At Flights Impacted (businessinsider.com)
- Icelandic Volcanic Ash Cloud to delay Champions League Final? (theoriginalwinger.com)
Majestic view of the Grand Canyon
Apparently not all is well with the Grand Canyon Skywalk, except for the view which is enjoyed by several hundred thousand tourists annually. For those who get to walk there they can see the Colorado River about 4,000 feet below. For me that would be a scary walk since I am agrophobic, fear of heights.
Another thing I miss in China – PBS TV
Here from the NY Times article, which thankfully I can view here every day:
There is an interesting resto, coffeehouse and bar in Dalian
It's name is simply Havana and when you walk inside you find a treasure trove of Cubana artifacts, including a series of photos of Che Guevara including this one sitting and chatting with J-P Sartre and his dear friend Simone de Beauvoir:
When I first saw this photo I did a double take. I quickly wrote a note to be attached to the image which you can see in part on the left side of the image. The staff of Havana did not know anything about these intriguing people with Che. Oh, they knew about Che but not anything about the other two.
The owner of this cafe is a Chinese businessman who has a casa in Cuba, he tells me, and a chicken farm or farms there. This man has an intriguing name. He is Mr. Mao but in person he is a paragon of China-Cuba charm, although his English is dim so we tend to try to communicate with my dim Spanish until his niece, Helen, helps us out.
Two other photos in frames caught my eye:
And I'm sure you will agree that this headline is enough to catch anyone's eye since it's on the wall with the Che Guevara images. But this next one is also intriguing:
I'm sorry, I can't seem to eliminate this upside down image, but I'm sure you will agree that this photo of a front page, even if upside down, is quite recognizable!
and then I found another candid image of Che:
And now one of those Cuban artifacts with a quite recognizable cigar, looking a bit weary and tattered but a cigar nonetheless:
All the photos were snapped by me on the walls of Cafe Havana, a really neat place since they serve cold Australian beer and coffee and pretty good eats! The cafe is one street away from a very busy Carrefour Supermarket and a building known as the Roosevelt! Now that has to be intriguing since it's all near a Xi'an Lu (road) and Huanghe (Yellow) Lu.
Helen is a neat lady and her uncle is an authentic Chinese character since he even finances an amateur soccer team in soccer crazy Dalian.
I guess once you consider this post you'll have a better idea why I find joy on the back streets of Dalian!
Related articles
- Using Che Guevara image riles some Cuban Americans (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Che Guevara is executed: This Day in History – 10/9/1967 (jeffpruett.wordpress.com)
- Poems about Che Guevara [Zahir shamsery] (ecademy.com)
Does this goat look deadly to you?
Think again! Read Tim Egan's column in NY Times!
China's borderlands are gigantic!
Global Post had an excellent but too short piece this morning about China's borderlands and here's an excerpt:
In short, China's most delicate and dicey challenges are often seen most dramatically on its borders. In the regions where China meets the rest of the world, its own ethnic lines are blurred by intense concentrations of minority populations, sometimes dominating whole provinces like Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Manchuria. Many of these regions have broken away from Chinese control throughout history. Today the borders are strong, but the 14 countries that frame China couldn't be more different, from Pakistan to North Korea and Mongolia to Myanmar.
It's no small challenge for China, which, with 13,743 miles of international borders, has more borderlands than any other country in the world.
Based on what I read in public print China does a much better job than the US does with on its border with Mexico. Here is a small photo illustrating what China has to deal with on its borders with North Korea:
Related articles
- Will New Chinese Infrastructure Prevent the Next 10-Day Traffic Jam? (fastcompany.com)
- China's Discreet Hold on Pakistan's Northern Borderlands (nytimes.com)


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UAE Ambassador, Indian Permanent Representative to UN discuss cooperation.
Dr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al-Banna, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of India, has met with the Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, at the headquarters of the Indian Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
During the meeting, the UAE Ambassador and Indian Permanent Representative to the UN discussed ways to further develop bilateral relations and means to coordinate stances vis-a-vis issues of common concern.
The meeting also touched on the ties of cooperation between the two countries as well as the agenda of the UN General Assembly meetings.
Source: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs


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The Ten– Why They Matter
Exodus 19:1-6
On Wednesday evenings, here at the building we have been drinking coffee and talking about the book of Hebrews. Over the last three weeks we have been camped out in the 11th chapter. So many of us grew up referring to this chapter as the Faith Hall of Fame and I was taught growing up that if we were going to be faithful then we needed to emulate the folks found in the chapter. At first glance that sounds like great counsel; Abraham who was the Father of Faith, Moses who left the comforts of the Pharaoh's palace to lead the Israelites through the wilderness, and David who was a man after God's own heart.
Growing up in the church I was taught what it meant to seek out God. Elders, Deacons, Preachers, and Bible School teachers used the folks found in Hebrews 11 to teach that if you want to be pleasing to God then you need to find God's will for your life and follow it perfectly. The problem I ran into was the more I studied these men and women mentioned in Hebrews 11, the more I realized that they didn't follow God's will perfectly. Noah was a drunk, Abraham lied about Sarah twice, Moses had an anger problem, David cheated with his good friends wife and then had him killed, Rahab was a lying prostitute, Gideon set up a gold idol and the people worshiped it. When you dig deeper into the lives of these men and women that are held up as faithful, you begin to see a problem.
While we lean on the perfect way that we kept God's Law we tend to focus on the wrong things. We boast in the fact that we have not murdered anyone, or committed adultery, or that we got Baptism right, or the proper order of worship. But deep down we know that we can't keep the law perfectly.
Our struggle is compounded when we come across passages like James 2:8-11: If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
My greatest struggle in this journey I am on, is that I have spent so much time searching for God through trying to keep the rules that I missed the chance to form a relationship with Him. I have noticed that God uses the rules to bring me closer to Him so that we can have the relationship He desires.
In the introduction to her book, The Ten Commandments, Dr. Laura Schlessinger writes; Each day we make many, seemingly minute decisions about things that don't really seem earth shattering. So what if we broke a promise? So what if we find passion in another bed while we or they are still married? So what if we are too focused on work, TV, or clubs to spend time with our family? So what if religion is not a big deal in our lives? When one adds up all the so-what's, one ends up with a life without direction, meaning, purpose, value, integrity, or long-range joy.
She is spot on. I doubt that you can find another passage in the Bible that so concisely, clearly and compassionately outlines the grace of God and our response to that grace than the Ten Commandments. If you have a Bible with you this morning, or a tablet or phone, I want you to turn with me to Exodus 20 and let's read verses 1-17 to see the relationship God is inviting us to. (Read Text).
These is so much power found in the the Ten Commandments that we over look because we get fixated on the Thou Shall's and the Thou Shalt Not's. Any document that has lasted as long and has exerted as much influence on humanity as this one must have something going for it.
First, we need to know that they are rooted in a relationship.
These are not arbitrary laws that require blind obedience to an invisible authoritarian. Exodus 19:5 says, If you keep my covenant. A covenant is a sacred promise between two parties. You can have a contract without having a relationship. But you can't have a covenant without one. Think about the Ten Commandments less like a set of laws and more like wedding vows.
God pledges His power, love, and presence to Israel. In turn, God expects Israel's loyalty to himself and compassion toward others. God didn't jot down the Ten Commandments then answer Israel's question, Why should we do this? by saying Because I told you so. There are times God tells His people to obey because, I am the Lord. But even then His commands are predicated on this relationship. I think it's pretty cool that God is as bound to the Ten Commandments as we are.
That's why the Ten Commandments won't work with people who don't have a relationship with God. Why should a person avoid stealing if he or she doesn't acknowledge the God who said, Thou shalt not steal? Why should a person honor their marriage commitments if they haven't already made a commitment to the God who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery?
The power of the Ten Commandments is not found in the fact that they are laws, but in that they are descriptions of how people live in relationship with God. At first glance these are law, but as you dig deeper you realize they are more than that, they are words that describe a relationship.
Next, The Ten Commandments outline the human response to the grace of God.
Exodus 19:1-2 uses the word after twice. So that should lead you to ask, after what? That's verse 4, After I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. God continues this idea in Exodus 20:2. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Before God ever commands them to do anything or to refrain from doing anything, He saves them. Moses doesn't show up in Egypt with two stone tablets and say, If you guys will agree to obey all these commands, God will deliver you from Egyptian slavery. He showed up and said, God has heard your cry and has sent me to deliver you. Then, and only then, did God outline the response Israel was to make.
God includes the outline in Exodus 19:4-5. First He says, You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. He follows that with, Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Deliverance first. Commandment second.
For a moment I want you to fast forward to what happens 40 days after they received the commands. Moses has gone back on the mountain and the folks get nervous. They decide to violate at least the first two commands by making a golden calf and having a party. If God was strictly interested in justice, He would have wiped them off the face of the earth and gone in another direction. But that's not what He does. Instead, He forgives them and reissued the commands. That's a show of Old Testament grace.
When I mentioned that I wanted to spend an extended amount of time looking at the Ten Commandments I had a friend tell me that it was a waste of time since the law was nailed to the cross. He was quick to remind me that we are saved by grace, not law. So he wondered out loud why I would spending all this time talking about the ultimate example of law?
I guess my answer to him and to you is that even Paul writes to the Christians in Rome that the law is good. While the law doesn't save us; it does describe how saved people respond to the grace that saved them.
Then, The Ten Commandments move faith from the abstract to the actual by specifying behavior.
If you were to do an impromptu survey and ask people, Do you believe in God? I bet the numbers would surprise you. A huge percentage would say; yes, absolutely, I believe in God. But then if you examined their lives you'd find that what they profess to believe and how they live show very little correspondence. For example, I can tell Trista, I love you. But if I never come home or treat her with respect and act out that love in specific, concrete behavior, my words are empty.
Faith, like love, is too easily kept in the realm of theory. Remember that faith is a verb, it demands action. The Ten Commands don't allow us to claim belief in God without demonstrating that belief in concrete actions and behaviors. They require us to affirm our faith in the daily grind of living.
So instead of, "Do you believe in God?" the Ten Commandments ask us ten questions,
Do you honor anything or anyone above the one true God?
Has God been replaced by something physical or material in your life?
Have you dishonored God's name by using it in a frivolous manner?
Is your work more important than your relationship with God?
Do you honor your father and mother?
Do you value human life?
Have you kept your marriage vows?
Do you respect other's rights of ownership?
Do you tell the truth?
Are you content with what you have or do you covet the possessions, relationships and successes of others?
By giving us the Ten Commandments we are given the chance to move from the abstract of what we claim, and into the concrete of how we actually live our lives. You see our answers to those specific questions about behavior and morality demonstrate the truth about our beliefs.
Next, They require personal responsibility for the well being of the community.
One of the great things about our culture, is our ability to separate ourselves from everyone and everything else. The Ten Commandments force you to take responsibility for the community where God has placed you. I hope you noticed that the you in everyone of these commands is singular.
One of the reasons, maybe one of the top three reasons, our country is in such a moral mess right now, can be summed up in the words; It's not my problem. Really, it doesn't make a big impact on my life if someone in Houston covets his neighbor's way of life. If someone in Denver lies about a real estate investment, big deal. If there is a murder in Michigan, that's too bad. What's the weather going to do tomorrow? Those sins don't affect me; it's not my problem. The problem is, though, that most everybody feels that way. And sooner or later you are going to be lied to, or robbed, or see your marriage go up in smoke.
When God came down to the mountain, He did not address the crowd, He addressed each and every individual. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall have no other gods before me.
You, standing there by that rock, and you over by that cedar tree, and you in the red turban who is thinking how glad he is all these other people are hearing all these commands. I'm talking to you! There is a connection between personal responsibility and the welfare of the community. The Ten Commandments shout at the top of God's voice, it is your problem!
Every lie you tell or tolerate, every covetous thought you allow to live longer than a flash, every secret lust, every act of dishonesty, all of them matter. And the only way you are going see your community healed is if you take personal responsibility to make it a holier, healthier community by beginning with yourself.
Finally, They illustrate the connection between our vertical relationship with God and our horizontal relationships with each other.
The first four commands describe our relationship with God. The last 6 or 7 describe our relationships with each other.
In Mark 12 Jesus was asked which of these commandments was the most important; which one carried the most weight. His answer was, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And He not only answered the question asked, He also answered the question that was implied: The second is this; Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. What Jesus did was summarize the Ten Commandments by saying Love God and Love your neighbor.
Jesus filtered the Ten Commandments to just two, but our culture wants to filtered Jesus' summation of the Ten Commandments from two down to one. As long as people love each other we're happy. You can keep God, thanks. All you need is love. The problem is we can't get everyone to love each other. You see God is love. You get rid of God, you lose the ability to love.
What sounds like a thoroughly New Testament teaching had its origin in the Ten Commandments You can't have a healthy, holy relationship with humans without having a healthy, holy relationship with God. This is so important to us because we were created to live in and thrive in relationships, and God established His laws not to keep us in line, but to invite us into a relationship with Him.
What relationship do you have with God today? Is it a cold distant relationship where you wonder if He's there and if He even cares? The Ten Commandments say to us this morning that not only is God there, He cares deeply for you. His greatest desire is for us, the creation, to have a relationship to Him, the creator.


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The Lake District would probably not be somewhere you would associate with cutting edge cuisine but since 2003 it's been home to L'Enclume, one the UK's most innovative places to eat. They also provide rooms for guests to stay in and do a special couple's deal that includes accommodation, a bottle of champagne on arrival, an eight course dinner and a full English breakfast for £319 in total.
I'd read a lot about chef and co-owner Simon Rogan over the past few years and for my birthday we decided to avail of the promotional offer by taking a trip over to see if his restaurant lived up to its reputation. Here they take the local and seasonal mantra that many profess but don't practice to its extreme by running their own organic farm meaning a lot of the ingredients on your plate will probably have been picked on the day.
We arrived for check in early in the afternoon but I won't go into to much detail about the hotel as it's not what this review is about; it'll suffice that the room was fabulous and the complementary champagne was excellent as well. We had booked our table for eight o'clock and when we arrived a little early we were brought to a seating area where we could browse the wine menu whilst our table was being prepared. We also took the chance to upgrade to the twelve course tasting menu costing an extra £15 each. The building is an old converted blacksmith's but the dining room is strikingly modern, lots of cool slate and minimalist design touches sympathetically wrought so as not to make the space feel sterile.
Shortly after being shown to our seats we were brought the amuse bouche which was a deep fried parcel of local black pudding and roasted leeks. I'm a big fan of blood sausages in general so I really liked this and it was also was nice to see a Michelin star restaurant using such an unglamorous ingredient to set the the tone for the meal.
The first course proper was the intriguingly named carrot sacks with ham and juniper: these arrived in small metal containers that looked, unsurprisingly, like soil bags and held a carrot puree covering a ham flecked jellied stock. The carrot and the juniper went particularly well together and the saltiness of the ham offset the sweetness of the carrots very nicely.
Next up was one of the best and most technically accomplished and 'modern' dishes of the night. It featured what the menu called a 'cod yolk' which turned out to be a saffron dyed cod mousse that had been gelled and then surrounded by cream of egg and garlic so it actually looked like an egg. Beside it were crispy grains of rice dusted with salt and powdered vinegar and the way it was all plated in a deep bowl meant you couldn't eat without breaking everything up and mixing it together to give a lovely contrast of different tastes and textures. The combination of cod and salt and vinegar was also a clever and playful nod to fish and chips, still one of the most enduring and popular foods in the UK.
Following on from that piece of trickery was something far more prosaic but none the worse for it: fresh curds and oxtails with grilled lettuce and English mushrooms. Aside from the curds which I felt didn't actually taste of anything this was very good; in particular, the accompanying mushroom consommé was outstanding and really accentuated the flavours of the other components and again it was nice to see a humble cut like oxtail being used in a restaurant of this calibre.
No sooner had our bowls been cleared by the waiter then the next course of potted char, radish, fresh cream, dill and rye toast was presented to us. I was very impressed with how the suberbly restrained combination of five unembellished ingredients all worked so well together, the skill in executing such refined simplicity should not be underestimated.
Once more there was little pause before the next plate of food came out, this time a vegetarian dish of jerusalem artichokes, crosnes, fresh goats cheese and tarragon oil. If like I did you've no idea what a crosne is I've since found out it's another name for the Chinese artichoke. All the ingredients gave an incredibly earthy flavour (there was even an edible powder that looked like soil) and the tarragon oil provided an intense herby note which was actually a little overwhelming; I would imagine this austere combination could easily feature at somewhere like Noma but for me it was a bit much.
When the roasted cauliflower, baby squid and elderberry vinegar arrived about two minutes after we'd finished eating again I was starting to get worried because the food was just coming out far too quickly; there was no chance to savour what you'd just eaten and I was starting to feel a bit full. I looked at my watch and saw that we were already half way through the menu yet we'd only been sitting down for about thirty five minutes. Thankfully, it was the last time we felt rushed and everything slowed down to a more sensible pace for the rest of the night. I really enjoyed the squid but expected a bit more impact from the cauliflower seen as though it had been roasted; the elderberry vinegar was a lovely and unusual way of providing the acidity seafood has such an affinity for.
What came next was a mixture of simplicity and science resulting in probably the poshest egg and chips I'll ever eat! It featured an smoked yolk cooked in a water bath for three hours at 65°C and seaweed, crisp chicken skin and some chipped pink fir potatoes deep fried in chicken fat. When an egg yolk is cooked at low temperatures like this something strange happens to the texture and it becomes spreadable like butter and that's exactly how I used it on my chips; there was also supposed to be horseradish included but I couldn't taste it at all which is quite strange given how strong a flavour it is. No matter though because everything still worked perfectly well together even in its absence.
It was then back to a more elemental style for our halibut, cockles, scorzonera (a type of salsify) and broccoli shoots: another judiciously restrained combination of ingredients that allowed an absolutely beautiful piece of fish to really shine.
We were coming to the end of the savoury part of the menu and the main course of venison, chestnuts, pickled kohlrabi and mulled cider was one of the best of the whole meal. Obviously, it was a top quality piece of meat (and cooked sous vide, it couldn't be anything but perfectly done) but the real highlight was the cider sauce, a lovely combination of sweet and tangy but also very light it tied everything together exquisitely.
It was now time to move onto the puddings and first up was cream crowdie with Douglas Fir (yes, the tree, there was even a twig as a garnish) and rhubarb; decidedly nontraditional, the crowdie had been made into a crunchy powder while the rhubarb had been incorporated into crushed ice. It was actually quite disappointing overall, I couldn't discern any flavour from the fir and the other two parts didn't taste of very much either; the most interesting aspect was the texture which is not really much of a compliment.
This was followed by something much better though: a creamy sea buckthorn puree paired with malt that had been rolled in liquorice and blackberry powder to make it look like a Basset's liquorice allsort all sitting in small pools of Cumbrian dark beer. I'd never had sea buckthorn before but it was excellent, the massive hit of intense citrus was a tremendous counter to the sweet, earthy anise and malt.
The final dessert featured the most unusual combination of ingredients of the night: apple sorbet, thyme custard and beetroot. When I read it on the menu I'd a feeling this would go one of two ways, either it would be a great success or a complete disaster and the good news for us was that it was the former. The star of the dish was the custard which acted as the bridge between the thin slices of beetroot and the sorbet, not too sweet or overpowering and wonderfully unctuous it was a perfect foil for the other two gutsy flavours.
Although technically at the end of the meal there was still time for one last surprise when the waiter brought over two glasses of what transpired to be parsnip milkshake and grated nutmeg; it was really good, so much so that I asked the waitress how it was made but unfortunately she didn't know. The natural sweetness of the parsnips came to the fore first followed by an unexpectedly rich creaminess and I thought it was a great way to end things because of how surprisingly refreshing it was.
Because my wife is pregnant and can't drink I ordered wine by glass instead of getting a bottle, I think for a fourteen course tasting menu it doesn't make sense to do otherwise especially for only two people because there's no way you're going to be able to match such a diverse range of food to just one or two types of wine. Unfortunately I don't have any of their names but the first was a German Rielsing that paired excellently with the cod 'yolk' especially. I then had an outstanding South African sauvignon blanc (I wish I remembered what it was called so I could see if it was available in Ireland) which worked best with the squid, I thought. I moved onto red for the venison, a luscious Pinot Noir from Burgundy and finally a dessert wine from Australia that improbably as it seems managed to handle both the sea buckthorn and the beetroot equally well.
Service would probably be the main thing I'd have to mark down here, despite their reputation I've often found the staff at most Michelin star restaurants to be amiable and willing to have a bit of a joke and a chat but in L'Enclume it wasn't the case at all, everything was very efficient (and as I've pointed out earlier, a bit too efficient at times) but almost bordering on brusque. In saying so, once the maitre d' started looking after our table things improved as she was really nice and much more friendly. You may also have noticed when I was describing the wines I had that there was a big gap as I moved from white to red and it was because even though my glass was empty for three courses no one bothered to ask me if I wanted any more and the sommelier never came over to give another recommendation; at this level of dining and price there shouldn't be these sort of lapses.
However, it would be wrong to end the review on a bad note because L'Enclume is a magnificent restaurant serving brilliant food and it actually surprised me somewhat given the old reviews I had read; I certainly expected more Ferran Adria like deconstructions and Blumenthal style showmanship but aside from one or two flourishes this sort of trickery was very much the exception for our meal. Instead, a lot of dishes were beautifully pared back featuring just a handful of ingredients of impeccable provenance which were really allowed to speak for themselves. Of course, it's all quite current too given what Rene Redzepi has been doing for the past few years but it's still quite unusual and refreshing to see a lot of the typical fine dining tropes such as foams, heavy sauces, large amounts of dairy and foie gras being completely absent. From what Rogan has been saying in recent interviews he's really keen to develop his minimalist approach and I would thoroughly recommend the journey over to try it for yourself.


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Blue and Greens Fill this Summer Home
With Door County being a tourist driven community a lot of the homes we work on are second homes or summer cottages, allowing us to have a little fun with interior design and decor. Amy worked with this couple and replaced the flooring throughout the entire house with porcelain plank tile – a great product for a cottage or second home. Both bathrooms were remodeled, new custom furniture in the living room and dining room, and new window treatments.


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Fishing Tips & Resources
Hey Everyone,
Around daily I've been fishing and looking on W101 Wiki and found something!
I have to give thanks and credit to Wizard101 Wiki - You're amazing!!!!
Ultimate Guide
FishLocatorTable http://www.wizard101central.com/wiki/Basic:FishLocatorTable#ixzz3hgY2GXV
This is called a fish locator table. It tells you all the fish, the basics about it (rank, school, rarity, aquarium) and then where you can get it! Perfect guide for a deep sea pro always looking for something to catch.
Epic Fish
So as you scroll down on this list, look at all the epic fish. Those are what I'm going for; you should try too!
Starting off with rank 1...
Errol Fynn
This fish is super cool looking, kind of like the archer fish, :), Well, I mostly just <3 the name!
Harder... Rank 2
So here we go with the tougher fish. Keep on tryin', keep on trying ;)
This fish is incredible. :D (and absolutely the funniest fish I've seen) Perfect to put into a aquarium in your house kitchen! Ooh... that's on my to-do list!
Polar Bear Acuda
Get into the winter spirit with this cuddly guy! Super cute and great for yuletide aquariums!
Sturgeon General
This guy I caught at my fishing retreat today. That's the best place. :) Good luck on this one
Upper Fish! Rank 3
Purple Grunion
Awesome little fella here! I absolutely love grunion fish. Hard to get... be prepared!
Undead Spyre Eel
This guy is super awesome (undead fish, whatcha know!) . Hard, but cool.
There ya have it. Most of the epic fish. (Well at least my favorites) Enjoy!
~ Ali
Hey Everyone,
So recently the duels have came out. I love them; coolest prizes ever. And, what can you craft with them? Housing, tapestries, MOUNTS! :D Even though I haven't crafted one yet... anyways yeah enjoy!
The Rattle, (as I call it) being my favorite, is VERY easy to farm for. Don't waste those crowns - just read the chart! ;)
Dropped by: Rattlebones
Where: Unicorn Way (look on your map)
50 fight = 3-4 duels
Strategies to make it faster & easier to win
1. Buy a deck and call it (with the naming thing in the top left corner of the deck) "Wizard City Deck"
2. Add all your 1-5 pip spells. (4 pip everyone spells work nicely, so place max copies of those) No blades or traps - not needed (really, don't waste your time doing this)
3. If you enjoy overkilling, put some gargantuans in your treasure cards (this way you may win things a little quicker, like 40 = 4)
Good luck Rattle destroyers!
Krokopatra is easy as well but it takes a smidge longer to farm for... (but still better than using crowns)
Dropped by: Krokopatra
Where: Temple of Storms Dungeon (in Krokotopia, through the portal thing on the side)
Breeze through the dungeon!
1. Buy a deck and call it (with the naming thing in the top left corner of the deck) "Krokotopia Deck"
2. Add all your 3-6 pip spells. (4 pip everyone spells work nicely, so place max copies of those) Only a few blades or traps - not really needed (if you have high damage and critical, you don't need blades & traps)
3. If you enjoy overkilling, put some gargantuans in your treasure cards (this way you may win things a little quicker)
Doing the dungeon
Temple of Storms takes longer if you don't know the codes. So here's something; pull up my blog and there you have your answers to this dungeon simple and easy :)
Part 1: light up snake, bird, tree, and beetle
Part 2: have a friend turn off the suns, you turn on the moons (or if your by yourself just do it)
Part 3:
A: click x once on the braziers to change to storm
B: Sun, tree, snake, and beetle (HAS TO BE THAT ORDER) and then you'll see a portal
Now, look at my map and go here. Don't worry, the gates will open as you approach. There is Krokopatra. Go straight on to her. No need to do anything else :)
Good luck Temple of Storm travelers (I love making up these names!)
~ Ali <3
Hey everyone,
I'm gonna show you how to glitch your magic treehouse!
This is a housing from the Prehistoric bundle. There is a really cool glitch with it I made by accident! It works it like a teleporter! However, it only lasts 24 hours.
1. Place your magic treehouse where you'd like to start.
2. Have a friend go inside next to one of the eggs.
3. Now pick up your treehouse and put it in the destination. (Make sure your friend doesn't move!!!)
4. Pick up your treehouse and put it back to the starting point.
5. Check it out! Go inside your treehouse and you should be at the destination! It's a teleporter! Tada!
Remember every 24 hours to reset it!
Bye and enjoy,
Happy spellcasting & decorating,
Allison Dragongem
(Photos are on their way!)
Hi, I'm Ali, a Wizard101 player and blogger. I like to house glitch, quest, party, farm, and explore. Welcome to my blog, a place where ideas, tips, and friendship is shared.
June 2017
Fansite Links
Gear Guides
High Level Outgoing Gear (90-120)
Energy Gear (50-60)
Death School Gear
120 Mirage Gear
120 PvP Gear
Baba Yaga Gear
Rasputin Gear
Level 60 Gear
Darkmoor Gear
Pet Guides
Crafting & Fishing Guides
Update Guides
Skeleton Key Bosses
Not yet completed! ^


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Jeffrey's Style Journal
My Simple Human Semi-Round Sensor Can
I am so excited to partner with simplehuman because I love all of their products! I recently decided that I wanted to upgrade my old simplehuman Step Can, and I found the perfect replacement with their new Semi-Round Sensor Can! It's the perfect size for my kitchen, and I am obsessed with the chic rose gold color!
The new simplehuman Semi-Round Sensor Can adapts to all my tasks! The sensor is so sensitive that when I'm using it, it doesn't close unexpectedly – unlike other automatic trash cans, this one is not on a timer, so it won't close on you while you're still using it! The Sensor Can also has an innovative 'liner pocket' in the back that stores and dispenses the liners for a faster change and hides the edges of the trash can, so it always looks sleek. Not only does this trash can not distract from my home's décor, it enhances it!
I mean, how gorgeous is this!?
I am especially obsessed with the motion sensor as the infrared fields can sense the area above and in front of the can so it opens automatically with the wave of your hand! It makes life so much easier - I know it might sound silly, but this is really one of those "once you try it, you'll never want to go back" situations! The planetary gear system transfers speed for smooth and consistent lid operation and its 50% quieter than other brands!
They've thought of everything! So, when are you upgrading?
Emily MenRead More
Papyrus at NYFW: The Shows Spring 2018!
Papyrus and NYFW: The Shows are the match made in heaven and its that time again when they bring all the magic to NYFW! At this point, I think it wouldn't feel like fashion week without Papyrus! As they enter the 12th season as the official greeting card sponsor of NYFW: The Shows- they brought even more of an experience this season to fashion week!
Papyrus exudes beauty, detail, self-expression, and love in everything they are do! This season their presence at fashion week was a fully-immersive experience with the return of the Café by Papyrus, fun activities, and collaborations with world-renowned designers. They inspire not only during fashion week, but EVERYDAY!
Papyrus always has the perfect set up to refuel with a new signature drink, recharge, and relax during this hectic time of the year! How perfect is the set up this year in Spring Studios? I love the vintage yet modern feel this season! Not to mention, It's also always the perfect time to check out and stock up on all your favorite Papyrus cards!
Papyrus has always been known for their premium handcrafted paper goods and for their attention to detail, and they have always had a connection to fashion and to the arts. How beautiful is this display?! So relaxing to just chill out in between shows and look at the beautiful cards- it's truly not just a card, but a piece of art.
But first, cofffe- right?! I'm always looking forward to the new signature drink and snacks to help you get through this crazy time of the year! My favorite this year was to get the Blush Latte. It was delicious and beautiful at the same time!
And what is a cup of coffee or tea without a sweet treat?! There was so much to offer from hazelnut & dark chocolate or earl grey & vanilla bean cram puffs, granola bars, to white chocolate passion fruit macarons! My favorite was the hazelnut & dark chocolate cream puff! Literally got 10 a day!
One of the most special and unique parts of The Café by Papyrus was haiku poet, Lisa Ann Markuson from the Haiku Guys + Gals group, who was at the café everyday to customize fashion week attendees with a special haiku written on the spot. How special is that? Only Papyrus would think of something so genius!
This haiku was personally written for me was so personal and touching. Every person that got a haiku written left with so much happiness, hope, and inspiration. This was truly one of my favorite activations in all 12 seasons!
We can never forget all the beautiful Papyrus cards handed out during the week! Papyrus' cards truly show so much attention to detail, innovative and cutting-edge treatments, premiere artist and world-renowned designer collaborations, and not just cards but new product categories like entertaining and desk accessories!
Everyday, there were 2 different cards being handed out by the Papyrus team and you can only imagine the look of sadness and frustration if they ran out of cards for the day! I always love how easy and fun Papyrus would make it to mail your loved ones (no matter where in the world they were) and spread the joy and beauty of Papyrus from their café at Spring Studios! I was sure to mail out all my Valentine's Day cards on time in between shows!
This year, Papyrus had one of the most powerful movements I've seen with a "Beautiful Statement Walk"! The brand partnered with noteworthy fashion designers Prabal Gurung, Jonathan Simkhai. These designers have all made an impact on the fashion industry in their own unique way, and together with Papyrus they created empowering and inspiring works of art called and installed them backstage at the shows! Take a look at each designer's twist on the concept!
Papyrus successfully collaborated with the designers to incorporate the designers' collections with the beautiful statement boards! They took the concept of walking directions and infused it with their usual creativity and beauty and really brought these words of CONFIDENCE to life! In the world today, with all the pressures to conform, this is such an important message to everyone.
Backstage at Jonathan Simkhai
Photographer: Kathryn Page
I loved how different all the designers collaborations were!
There was just so much fun going on! One of my favorite collaborations was Papyrus x Judith Leiber! You can only imagine how excited I was to hear about another collaboration between my favorite cards and my favorite accessories! I had so much fun attending the Papyrus x Judith Leiber Party that kicked off NYFW: The Shows!
Dee Ocleppo collaborated with Papyrus on this collection and she is having all the photobooth fun seeing the Judtih Leiber Bag translate to the gorgeous Papyrus card!
How gorgeous are the new Papyrus x Judith Leiber cards!!?! I am obsessed!!!! Per usual!
Papyrus cards truly elevate everyday moments into the most magical events, and as everyone knows by now, I only get my cards from Papyrus! They truly make every moment you are celebrating that much more special, and even with an already amazing event like NYFW- it gets taken on a whole new level by Papyrus every season! I can't wait to see what magic they come up with next season!
Emily Men.
In partnership with Papyrus! All opinions are my own.Read More
Papyrus at New York Fashion Week: The Shows!
I'm always super excited for New York Fashion Week, and I love that Papyrus is a part of it too! I always look forward to seeing the beautiful cards they have on display (I always stock up)! This September, Papyrus celebrated their 11th consecutive season at NYFW: The Shows! Every season with Papyrus is better then the last!
Papyrus' week long activation had so many fun things to check out at the center of Skylight Clarkson, specialty drinks, complimentary cards (so gorgeous!), and so much more!
Everyone was enjoying the Papyrus Café at Skylight! It was the perfect place to relax, refresh, and check out at all of their beautiful cards and fun activations between shows! Papyrus has always been known for their premium handcrafted paper goods and for their attention to detail, and they have always had a connection to fashion and to the arts. Papyrus has had so many beautiful collaborations with premiere artists and world known designers.
How gorgeous is this display?! I can spot two of my favorite designer collaborations - Judith Leiber Couture and Lela Rose! These cards make such a statement - I even framed some of them as artwork in my home!
Everyday, there were 2 different cards being handed out by the Papyrus team. To make things even more fun, you are able to send them to your loved ones and spread the joy and beauty of Papyrus straight from their café at Skylight Clarkson!
New York Fashion Week is always exhausting and show goers need a place to refresh and recharge! I loved how the café was so much more interactive this year! The beautiful display in the back with the cards and coffee books were such a beautiful touch and there were fun custom compliment cards to hand out for fun! The drinks were delicious and I loved all the specialty drinks they had – depending on how my day was going, I would grab a coffee, tea or LifeWater!
I was just obsessed with these displays showing different elements from their cards. The attention to detail that every Papyrus card has is amazing, and I love how handmade and unqiue each card truly is. They are just so special!
So many goodies! These were my favorite drinks! The lavender latte was a huge hit with everyone, and I love everything lavender! And I couldn't stop drinking the Vietnamese coffee! I just love sweets, so the adorable macarons with the signature Papyrus hummingbird was a great way to start fashion week!
One of the most special and unique parts of The Café by Papyrus was a hand-lettering artist, Angie Durbin, who was at the café everyday to customize fashion week inspired illustrations and select Papyrus cards! I mean, how beautiful is her lettering!? Can you guess which phrase I picked?
I also loved the beautiful and on-trend design of the stationary! I picked the Central Park stationary for myself and the New York skyline stationary for my brother!
How perfect did this turn out?! This a super cool photo-ready art illustration by artist Deanna First It was so fun to be able to take such a special piece back with me from fashion week! Papyrus just thinks of everything!
There's nothing I love more than a beautiful card, and as everyone knows by now, I only get my cards from Papyrus! They truly make every moment you are celebrating so special, and even with an already amazing event like NYFW gets taken on a whole new level by Papyrus every season! I can't wait to see what they come up with next season!
Always the most fun when Papyrus is involved!
Emily Men.
In partnership with Papyrus! All opinions are my own.Read More
Wedding Season Ready with Papyrus!
Wedding season is upon us, and Papyrus has got me covered! Whether you are a wedding guest or a bride/groom to be, you will find everything you need at Papyrus! A wedding is one of the most special moments in someone's life, and there is no better way to elevate and celebrate it than with the joy of a beyond beautiful Papyrus moment!
As everyone knows by now, I'm obsessed with Papyrus! I love how unique and innovative all their cards are, and amount of thought and love brought into the design and details of every single card and product they come out with really makes all the difference. I am especially in love with their new product categories like entertaining and desk accessories – you'll see later how I used the entertainment pieces to decorate my sister's bachelorette party!
Everyone knows that Papyrus has the most luxurious and stylish cards and gift wrap products around, and it is the same when it comes to their wedding collection. They make cards and giftwrap that are just as beautifully detailed as the wedding itself! To me, a card is always the most important and special part of the gift because it is a visual expression of how you feel in your heart.
Shop the photo!:
- Laser-Cut Cake on Lavender Glitter, buy here.
- Vintage Lace Medium Gift Bag, buy here.
- Graceful Bloom Small Bag, buy here.
- Graceful Bloom Medium Gift Bag, buy here.
- Forevermore Tissue Paper, buy here.
- Graceful Bloom Tissue Paper, buy here.
- Printed Foil Gold Heart Tissue Paper, buy here.
The wedding dress is one of the most important and memorable parts of a wedding, and I love that Papyrus highlights this special moment in their cards too. They really do think of everything!
Shop similar wedding gown cards!:
I always love the handmade feels of every single card – there really is a card for every type of bride! Loving this one for the more rustic bride!
Shop the photo!:
- Bride & Groom Chalkboard, buy here.
For those who can't wait to be called Mr. and Mrs.! There are so many gorgeous cards and entertaining pieces for this theme! How adorable!!
Shop the photo!:
This is probably my absolute favorite card from the collection. It is from the Judith Leiber Couture collection (which is the newest of Papyrus' collaboration series), and I cannot believe how gorgeous this card is!! The entire collection of gem-encrusted wedding cards are modeled after some of Judith Leiber's most iconic wedding handbag designs! I am so obsessed with this card!!! I've already chosen it as the one I will give to my sister for her special day coming up – it is so beautifully embellished and perfect for the super glamorous or over-the-top bride!!
Shop the photo!:
- Pink Pearl Wedding Cake Card, buy here.
How fun are these beautiful top hats from the Judith Leiber Couture Collection?? Love this card for a more modern bride (or grooms)! Also, how cute are the heart gift toppers?
Shop the photo!:
Papyrus just has so many different designs and styles to choose from. This card is another one of my favorites, it is just so delicate and beautiful! This is a great example of a card that is simple in concept but stunning in execution – the colors and glitter and ribbon details are just enough to make everything pop!
Shop the photo!:
- Lavender Wedding Blossoms Card, buy here.
I recently attended a friend's wedding and opted for this gift bag to match the card from above! It was the perfect set and really complemented the wedding theme!
Shop the photo!:
Papyrus has what you need for every occasion! I recently planned my sister's bachelorette party in Palm Springs, and incorporated several pieces from Papyrus' event decoration collection for the occasion! How adorable is the set up!? I love the "celebrate" banner because it really brightens up the whole room in a stylish way, without being too theme-y or cheesy! It's the perfect way to celebrate!
Shop the photo!:
- Jardin Banner, buy here.
- Happily Ever After Dinner Plates, buy here.
- Happily Ever After Lunch Napkins, buy here.
- Happily Ever After Party Picks, buy here.
I love cupcakes and dessert, so of course I had to incorporate some sweets into the celebration! The Papyrus plates and napkins were the perfect complement!
Shop the photo!:
- Happily Ever After Dinner Plates, buy here.
- Happily Ever After Lunch Napkins, buy here.
- Happily Ever After Party Picks, buy here.
I added even more color and fun to the cupcakes with the party picks!
Shop the photo:
- Happily Ever After Party Picks, buy here.
I made goodie bags for all the girls, and had to include my favorite Papyrus card for the occasion! This card was especially perfect for the weekend because all of the girls celebrated with rosé! I also added the puffy silver heart gift topper to decorate and elevate every gift bag!
Shop the photo!:
Don't you think the gift toppers add a great "something special" to each bag?? Shop more Bridal Party themed here!
Weddings are one of the most special occasions of your or your loved one's life, and I think that attention to detail really makes it more memorable. The Papyrus wedding collection is the perfect one-stop shop to get everything you need to make the occasion perfect. And if you need more inspiration for the big day, you can get it here and all things wedding here!
Shop more of my favorites from the wedding collection below! Celebrate with Papyrus! Xoxo.
- Couture Love Wedding Lace Card, buy here.
- The Couture line has the most elevated and exquisitely designed cards in the whole wedding line! It takes the art of the card to a whole new level- I just love them!
- Beach Wedding Scene Card, buy here.
- Cake on Floral Wedding Card, buy here.
- Two Grooms Silhouette Card, buy here.
- Mrs. & Mrs. Bridal Veils Card, buy here.
- Wedding Vintage Lace Correspondence Cards, buy here.
- Handmade Wedding Dress Thank You Boxed Notes, buy here.
- Elegant Floral & Scroll Roll Wrap, buy here.
- Chevron Text Roll Wrap, buy here.
- Forever Love Medium Gift Bag, buy here.
- Rainbow Reflections Tissue Paper, buy here.
- Silver Fiber Tissue Paper, buy here.
Décor, Tableware, and Serving:
- Happily Ever After Banner, buy here.
- Happily Ever After Dessert Plates, buy here.
- Vintage Lace Beverage Napkins, buy here.
In partnership with Papyrus!Read More
The Andy Warhol at Christie's Exhibition with Papyrus at NYFW: The Shows Celebration!
As regular readers know by now, I'm obsessed with Papyrus. One of my favorite stops during NYFW is the Papyrus exhibit – you may not know, but they've been a part of NYFW for the past 10 seasons! I love checking out all of the fun and fashionable Papyrus cards on display. Every card is so beautiful and unique.
This season I was so excited to celebrate Papyrus, fashion, art, and creativity through their partnership with Christie's, the famed auction house, for a special celebration to kick off NYFW: The Shows! hosted by the fabulous and multitalented Zanna Rassi!
Fashion week is such a hectic and busy time – I'm always running around from show to show, so to save time I wore this look all day ;)! I love the retro feeling of this outfit, which felt very appropriate and in line with Andy Warhol's pop art!
As soon as I arrived, I was greeted with a beautiful and super fun Papyrus card and a tray of champagne – who doesn't love that? The entrance was absolutely beautiful and framed with so many flowers!
There were so many displays of Papyrus cards all over the room, and I had so much fun looking at all of the different designs during the event. The cards are just so gorgeous, and like fashion, always make a statement!
The party had so many creative and fun events going on all night, and one of my favorites featured the amazing illustrators that were on hand: Deanna First and Veronica Collignon. These talented ladies were drawing live illustrations of guests! How great are these illustrations Veronica Collignon drew of my brother and I?!
The bar was beautiful and there was even a specialty custom pink cocktail created for the event, which was delicious!!!! I may have had one or two (or three!)!
Every element of this part was thought out – even the hor d'oeuvres matched the cards!!
Here's a picture of the yummy cake that was served – the perfect sweet bite!
And here's one more! This was one of my favorite cards of the night. It's so feminine and the colors are beautiful, with just the right amount of sparkle!
A special part of the night for me was my interview with Zanna Rassi, the lovely and extremely talented host of the event! Zanna shares the same passion I have for Papyrus because they have the perfect cards for any and every occasion! Some other fun tidbits she shared with me included which fashion trend she wants to see more of (60s and 70s inspired looks) and which trend she wants to see fizzle out (high-waisted jeans)! She was so much fun to talk to and a fabulous host!
Because this was an Andy Warhol party, there were several Andy Warhol originals displayed, and Zanna drew out one lucky winner got to take home an original Andy Warhol Polaroid! Sadly, my brother and I did not win, but what an amazing prize!!
The overall décor was just gorgeous, and everyone was having an amazing time starting off fashion week with Papyrus!
Simply beautiful!
And as the celebration sadly was coming to a close - everyone got to leave with some surprises! This was definitely one of the chicer goodie bags I've received! I can't wait to use all of the cards I got. One special guest received a Papyrus goodie bag that included a bonus giftcard! Lucky!
After the kickoff party, the fun continued at the Café by Papyrus during NYFW. The Café was based in the center of Skylight Clarkson, where many of the shows are, and continued to display the Christie's Andy Warhol collection! It was so nice being able to stop by the Papyrus Café between shows to grab a coffee, tea or LifeWater refreshment and mail out a gorgeous Papyrus card to a loved one! So convenient and fun. The Café also featured sweet treats like Maria Sharapova's Sugarpova candies and a special Valentine's Day themed experience! I loved popping in all week long!
Here's a look at my favorite Papyrus cards from the goodie bag! I love all the special touches every card has!
Shop the cards pictured above and just a couple of my favorite Papyrus cards below! There are too many favorites, honestly!
- Celebrate Your Existence Birthday Card, buy here.
- Frosted Accessories Birthday Card, buy here.
- Leather Cake Birthday Card, buy here.
- Honeycomb Engagement Ring Card, buy here.
- Bashful Lotus Gal Blank Card, buy here.
- Bejeweled Tiara Pattern Blank Card, buy here.
- Laser-Cut Japanese Garden Blank Card, buy here.
- Tray of Champagne Congratulations Card, buy here.
- Beach Wedding Scene Card, buy here.
- Sushi Roll Trio Friendship Card, buy here.
Each Papyrus card has a special and unique design that speaks to individual style and the beautiful connections that are shared with loved ones just like each individual designer that shows at NYFW: The Shows! There is nothing more personal and touching then sending a handpicked card from Papyrus to your loved ones!
Emily Men
In Partnership with Papyrus.Read More
Valentine's and Galentine's Day with Papyrus!
Valentine's Day is not only for your significant other! Now you can celebrate with your bests for Galentine's Day! And as always, the only place I get my cards and wrapping is from my all time favorite, Papyrus!!!
There is no secret Papyrus is my favorite and only place that I get cards for every occasion, but I definitely love their special occasion cards! Of course who doesn't love flowers and hearts, but that's not all Valentine's Day is about. Papyrus gives an opportunity to truly embrace and appreciate real gestures of love through the thoughtfulness of a beautiful and unique message written from your heart!!
It's crazy to think that there are 180 million Valentine's Day cards sent annually as it's the second largest card sending holiday!! There are 173 cards in the Valentine's Day collection this year, and over 30 new designs! These are some of my absolute favorites from the collection!!
The details that Papyrus employs in their cards are just amazing. They add so much through these unique designs and meticulous details in every card. How cute is the sushi card? I'm just obsessed with them all!
Apart from cards, Papyrus also has the perfect giftwrap products. They use the same kid of details with all their products so it carries over to their gift bags, tissue paper, bows, and ribbons!
I just love sweet treats, so these were the perfect Valentine's Day small goodie bags to put some candy in for my friends! I love to make each gift a little different, so I love alternating different tissue paper to personalize each one!
Special moments with your special people! Just so many beautiful designs to choose from!!! I always spend hours picking out cards for my loved ones!
Shop the amazing items I used and more below!
Valentine's Day Cards here!
Valentine's Day Wrap and Bags here!
This is probably my favorite card. And just really shows how special their cards are. Papyrus puts so much thought into each card – you can't find these kinds of designs anywhere else! Cards are always my favorite part of the gift because of the keepsake quality of it. You know that each card was specifically picked for the person. There's nothing I love more then a gift topped with the perfect Papyrus card!
Cheers! Happy Valentine's and Galentine's Day to you all! Hope you all have the most special day!
Emily Men
In partnership with Papyrus.Read More
Holiday Entertaining with Papyrus!
Everyone knows Papyrus is the only place I buy cards, so imagine my excitement when I heard that Papyrus was launching an entertainment collection just in time for the holidays! I've always loved Papyrus's cards because of the unique designs and meticulous craftsmanship in each and every design, and I was thrilled to see that the Papyrus Entertainment Collection is no different.
I recently held a small get together at my apartment for the holidays, and the decorations I got from the Papyrus Entertainment Collection were the perfect details to highlight my snacks and gifts! Take a peek at how I entertained with Papyrus!
I was beyond happy with how everything turned out! It was so easy to create a fun and festive atmosphere when you start out with great decorations. I was so impressed with all of the handmade details that Papyrus is known for in all of the decorations. The details are what got me obsessed with the cards in the first place, and now I'm just as obsessed with their entertainment collection!
I just love the pom pom banner – it was so easy to decorate and transform my bar cart (I just taped it!).
Who doesn't love presents? The perfect present deserves the perfect wrapping, and these bags and tags are so perfect for the gifts I plan on giving to my friends and family this year!
The food is everyone's favorite part of the holidays, and I accented everything with these adorable plates and napkins, which add the perfect festive touch to my desserts! The pom pom banner was also a great decoration piece for the table!
I mean! I'm just obsessed with these party picks!!!! The penguin is my favorite!
And how cute are these candy cane party picks I used to decorate my cupcakes?
And of course, the holidays wouldn't be complete without Papyrus's beautiful cards. I always spend hours in the store looking for the perfect cards for everyone on my list. There is nothing I love more then a card from my friends and family, so I hope they feel the same when I write a card for them! And if you are anything like me, I'm always last minute so hurry and get your decorations, giftwrap, and cards!! They are all on sale for 50% off right now!!
Shop the items I used below! I added in some of my other favorites too!
- "Ho Ho Ho" Decorative Holiday Banner, buy here.
- Holiday Pom Pom Banner, buy here.
- Angel with Gifts Ornament, buy here.
- Green Sparkly Pig Ornament, buy here.
Tableware & Serving:
- Peppermint Dinner Plate, buy here.
- Santa Suit Dessert Plates, buy here.
- Elegant Floral Dinner Plates, buy here
- Santa Suit Holiday Beverage Napkins, buy here.
- Peppermint Holiday Beverage Napkins, buy here.
- Blue Snowflake Beverage Napkins, buy here.
- Peppermint Party Picks, buy here.
- Honeycomb Holiday Critters Party Picks, buy here.
- Holiday Bloom Small Gift Bag, buy here.
- Jingle Bell Ornament Medium Gift Bag, buy here.
- Pattern with Tree Shakey Medium Bag, buy here.
- Treat Gift Bag, similar here or here.
- Felt Snowman Holiday Bottle Gift Bag, buy here.
- Plaid Tissue Paper, buy here.
- Red & Gold Metallic Duo Tissue Paper, buy here.
- Gold Foil Snowflakes Holiday Roll Wrap, buy here.
- Eco-Friendly Candy Cane Bow, buy here.
- Patterned Luggage Holiday Gift Tags, buy here.
- Red with White Pom Pom Ribbon, buy here.
- Handmade Geometric Neon Trees Boxed Holiday Cards, buy here.
- Geometric Garland Tree Boxed Holiday Cards, buy here.
- Reindeer with Wreath Boxed Holiday Cards, buy here.
- Handmade Shadow Box Scene Boxed Holiday Cards, buy here.
- Handmade Tacky Christmas Sweater Holiday Boxed Cards, buy here.
- Handmade Dog with Scarf Boxed Holiday Cards, buy here.
- Handmade Laser-Cut Happy Holidays Boxed Cards, buy here.
- Beaded Sequin Tree Christmas Card, buy here.
- Iridescent Ornaments Christmas Card, buy here.
Hope you enjoyed a sneak peek into how I celebrate the holiday season. Happy Holidays to you all!!!
Emily Men
In partnership with Papyrus.
Hem Tassels
Top: Asos, buy here
Leather Pant: J Brand, buy here
Espadrilles: Christian Louboutin, buy similar here
Bracelets: Double High Five BK, buy here
Watch: RolexRead More
Vacation in Paris
Polo: Missoni, buy similar here
Pant: Maison Martin Margiela, buy similar here
Sneaker: Lanvin, buy here
Sunglasses: Tom Ford, buy here
Watch: RolexRead More


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Save the Onaqui wild horses!
This petition had 10,238 supporters
This month the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposed a significant round-up and removal of 72% of the wild horses of the Onaqui Mountain Herd in Utah. It calls for the removal of "over 325" horses from a herd estimated at 450 horses (not counting the 2017 foals), with the goal of leaving only 121 horses on a range of over 240,000 acres.
Wild Horses of America Foundation works with the BLM to treat these horses with contraception and we spend a significant amount of time on the range. These horses mean a lot to us, as well as to the many photographers, tourists and observers who enjoy seeing them in the wild.
Removing over 325 horses would be a devastating blow to this iconic herd.
You can learn more about this proposal by accessing links on our website: http://wildhorses.org
The BLM's plan is not set in stone, and we want to modify it. The deadline for public input is October 31st, 2017 (4pm MST).
How you can help:
- Please sign this petition. We will deliver it to the BLM before the October 31st deadline.
- Consider submitting your written comments to the BLM: email@example.com
For your email, be sure to use this subject: Population Control, Gather, and Research for the Onaqui Mountain Wild Horse Herd Management Area Project
Please accept the following comments and concerns in regard to the Public Scoping Notice relating to Population Control, Gather, and Research for the Onaqui Mountain Wild Horse Herd Management Area Project:
- We recommend that the BLM not remove any horses from the Onaqui range, and instead increases the number of contraception doses to control herd growth.
- We are very concerned about removing any horses from any range right now due to the uncertainty of whether Congress will approve "euthanasia" as a solution to the approximately 45,000 horses that have already been removed from the range. We do not want to add to this number.
- We recommend that the BLM reevaluate the established Appropriate Management Level (AML), which is currently 121 to 210 horses. We feel that the range provides enough feed and water to increase the AML.
- We believe that a large reduction in herd size, particularly considering that the herd is spread out in segregated groups, would put the horses at risk of inbreeding, which may cause genetic problems.
- We think that this herd is very important to the American public. It provides incredible value to the many tourists, photographers and observers who enjoy seeing this herd in its natural environment. It also provides enjoyment to the thousands of people who follow it through numerous online sources where pictures of the herd are posted. Further, this herd is increasingly driving dollars to the local community (Tooele County, Utah) as tourists travel to visit the horses.
- We believe that any impacts to sage grouse habitat, wildfire restoration areas and resource impacts can be successfully mitigated/managed without removing 72% of the herd.
- We strongly suggest if a removal occurs that: vastly fewer than 325 horses are removed, bait and water traps are used in place of helicopters, emphasis be placed on those horses that inhabit areas of the range that impact sage grouse habitat, emphasis be placed on removing horses only from areas where the public is not as likely to find and see wild horses, younger and more adoptable horses (sub 5 years old) are removed while leaving older horses on the range, that the BLM works with local advocates to place the horses in good adoptive homes, and horses are only removed from the range at a rate at which adoption can keep up.
Thank you for your consideration.
Trending petitions
Today: Wild Horses of America Foundation is counting on you
Wild Horses of America Foundation needs your help with "Bureau of Land Management: Save the Onaqui wild horses". Join Wild Horses of America Foundation and 10,237 supporters today.
Today: Wild Horses of America Foundation is counting on you
Wild Horses of America Foundation needs your help with "Bureau of Land Management: Save the Onaqui wild horses". Join Wild Horses of America Foundation and 10,237 supporters today.


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Price: $11.95
Quantity: 1 available
More Description
For students whose first language is not English and who wish to study at a university with an English-based curriculum, no admittance test is more important than the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). "400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL "helps you score well by arming you with the most important English vocabulary words commonly found on this crucial exam. This timely guide also encompasses the recent changes made to the test, including the emphasis on conversation and spontaneous communication to mirror the interactive nature of the classroom. "400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL" also includes: Activities such as paraphrasing, synonym and antonym exercises, and identifying prefixes and suffixes Strategies on how to incorporate new words into everyday vocabulary Chapters on identifying synonyms and paraphrasing sentences, roots, prefixes, and suffixes
Title: 400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL
Categories: TOEFL,
Publisher: United States, McGraw-Hill Education - Europe: 24/Mar/2005
ISBN Number: 0071443282
ISBN Number 13: 9780071443289
Binding: Paperback
Weight: 1.00 Item
Seller ID: 7503
Description: 152 x 228 208 Quickly build the vocabulary and English language skills you need to score high on the TOEFL exam. You have good grades, good board scores, and great recommendations from your teachers. Now the only obstacle separating you from your goal of getting into an American university is the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Don't take any chances: let this book help you get the TOEFL scores you need to realize your goal."400 Must-Have Words for TOEFL" is specially designed to help you master the core vocabulary and basic written and spoken language skills required to do well on the TOEFL and pursue a course of study at a North American school, or a school with an English-language curriculum. Based on the authors' years of experience as ESL teachers and their rigorous review of past exams, this book offers proven vocabulary-building activities and exercises.
Appropriate for students pursuing all academic disciplines, it features: 400 words in key categories, including food, computers, society, history, finance, politics, friendship, science, the arts, and more; many skill-building activities and exercises, including paraphrasing, synonym and antonym matching, and prefix and suffix identification; proven strategies for incorporating new words into everyday vocabulary; and, special sections on synonyms, roots, prefixes and suffixes, and sentence structure. (ISBN: 9780071443289 - When referring to this item please quote our stock ID: 7503)
Keywords: Learning English,


text:
This article has been deprecated as part of Sysdig's documentation migration.
To integrate kube-state-metrics, edit the appropriate agent config file to uncomment the line:
new_k8s: true
This allows kube-state-metrics to be automatically detected, monitored, and displayed in Sysdig Monitor.
See the Agent Install: Kubernetes | GKE | OpenShift document for more detail.


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Effective UX Communication With XXUX
Jan 19, 2017 • Dheyvi Velagapudi
We kicked off 2017 design events here at Substantial last week with a session on "Effective UX Communication" for XXUX Seattle. Even though the weather and traffic were rotten (ie. it was pouring buckets and streets got backed up), we saw a great turnout of new faces, existing XXUX members, and Substantialites. For this event, it was important to Substantial and XXUX to come up with a session format that helped both connect and educate our design community in actionable ways. So, we hosted the night through a combination of mingling, presenting, and workshopping activities.
The Presentation
The focus of our night was to share ways to stop wasting time and energy through more effective UX communication with any audience. Coming from our background in client services, we've seen immense value in this for our clients and internal teams to avoid frustration, confusion, and repetition for everyone involved. We believe the key to effective communication lies beyond just considering the format of the deliverable or artifact you're sharing – it's about meeting the needs of your audience and walking away with actionable results. That means considering why you're communicating your work, what information is important, and how valuable the format and fidelity of crafting the communication is.
While it's not an exact science to determine these things, our presentation shared a simple framework to help guide these decisions – an acronym of "D.E.T." Pronounced like "debt", this acronym stands for "Desired Outcome. Environment. Toolkit." It not only reminds us to remove our ego from the deliverables and artifacts we're producing, but also helps us determine the type of context we need to set based on our desired outcome, correlates the types of details necessary to share for different personalities, relates fidelity of production to the time and relevance of your work, and explains how audience expectations can impact the selection of deliverable or artifact formats. In short, remembering the acronym of "D.E.T" can help us improve the efficacy of communicating our UX and design thinking work by reframing it to meet the needs of our audience with the least amount of effort.
For more details on this process and a deeper look at the presentation, check out our link at the bottom of this post.
The Workshop
In the second half of our night, we switched to small group workshopping. We encouraged networking in this activity by grouping attendees randomly through pre-assigned animal names on their name tags. Tables were set up with these animal names at the beginning of the presentation so attendees could find their groups and more easily transition straight into workshopping.
Ranging from four to six individuals, each group was given one of four random prompts with challenge and scenario (see image below) that aimed to get them to figure out an effective communication plan based on the framework we just discussed. We started off with introductions at each table (to let folks get to know each other), then dove into individual problem solving, followed by sharing within the teams.
At the end, we asked for volunteers to share their experiences with the exercise and some of the communication plans they had created. Some of the general trends that came out were to think of the desired outcome first, and work back through the framework of "D.E.T." to select formats for deliverables / artifacts and details that would be shared in the communication plans.
Parting Thoughts
In the Substantial spirit of continuous improvement, we asked attendees to share feedback with us at the end of our session about the format, facilities, and content. We got some great positive impressions and really useful suggestions that we hope to take forward to future sessions. Overall, we're really glad to have shared our space and provided some value, and shared actionable education with our community of fellow designers. We hope to continue doing so as we move forward this year!
Special thanks to Kristine Kohlhepp, Chelsey Glasson, and Jada Williams of XXUX for helping us organize and host the event!
Unable to have attended, looking for a refresher, or hoping to hear our session again? Feel free to download a PDF of our presentation or get in touch with us.