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It's been a few days of computer hell. While trying to clean up my website, uploading the changes wiped out the website - twice! My hostmonster server recommended a new, free software which I will download after breakfast. They were able to re-load my site from a few days before; but of course, all the changes I worked on for two days were gone.
Then Verizon emailed saying I had two days to transfer all email to Frontier since they would no longer be forwarding any of the Verizon mail. So, I spent most of yesterday's free time taking care of that chore. At least I'll be starting the New Year with a lot those piddling little jobs out of the way so I can concentrate on getting back to work.
This morning I'll be baking bread after breakfast and then back on the computer loading that new web creation software and seeing if I can finish the most basic web page tidying.
I'm so itching to get back into the studio but the tip of my sliced thumb, although healing, is still tender still very tender, so throwing has been out of the question; but hopefully by Monday I'll be back in the studio and if I can't throw, there will be plenty of other things to do. I have a couple of B-mix clone formulas I came up with that I'd like to batch if I have the right ball clay on hand and there are more glaze tests to weigh and mix and always some paper work to deal with.
Hope everyone has a fun filled and safe New Year's Celebration! We're opting for an early dinner with someone else doing the cooking, and knowing us, we probably won't be awake to ring in the famous New York ball ringing in the New Year; but will catch the taped celebrations on the news tomorrow morning. Life is good and certainly, never boring.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Our White Christmas
Christmas was wonderful and now we're enjoying the leftovers and staying cozy while watching more snow falling. We're expecting another 1-3" today with strong winds this afternoon, which will probably remove the lovely white snow blanketing the tree branches.
I made a few changes on my web site this morning - added my Etsy link and finally got around to entering my new email, at least on the front page. Today will be spent making a few minor changes on the other pages, if I can access them. After that I'd like to hit the books and try to start on a whole new design for the page - new color, new format,etc. It's a good, time consuming job until I can get back to making pots, once this thumb heals.
Hope all who have to travel today have a safe journey home!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
White Christmas on the way
Woke up with chills and general cold/flu symptoms and hope I can muster up the energy to do all my Christmas cooking. Following family tradition I'm making a big Polish breakfast (ham, kielbasa, hard boiled eggs with horseradish and sweet bread. Dinner will be a white wine basted roast duck, asparagus and au gratin potatoes (a menu change over the rice originally planned). Jim loved last nights au gratin potatoes and there's plenty leftover for tonight. He's picked a lovely Frank Family Pinot Noir for dinner - a very good choice for the duck.
Yesterday I took a small chunk out of the tip of my right thumb while slicing the dinner potatoes, so between that and this bug, it doesn't look like I'll be able to do get my hands on clay for while. Instead, I'll shift gears and continue this computer clean up and just maybe, finally have the time to tackle my out of date web site.
Friday, December 24, 2010
We made merry last night with dear friends at the Knife in Fork in Spruce Pine. The place was packed which is well deserved! Chef Nate smokes his own trout and his delicious smoked trout appetizer is a meal in itself. That was followed by pork belly, mashed potatoes and squash with a cinnamon bread pudding and vanilla ice cream dessert which I shared with everyone at the table. Great meal.
Today I'll watch some Christmas movies, maybe tidy some bits on my out of date web page until I can get around to working on the new one, and continue with this Nikon D100 re-education. I'm still not getting the focus right, even on manual. Yesterday I intended to spend more time with it, but I made a couple more Etsy sales, so I had to get those pots packed up and ready to ship. A bit of a cold is slowing me down as well; but I did manage to take a few more photos but still can't seem to stabilize the head on the tripod. Next time I'm going down there with a little level so that some of my photos won't look like the pot is sitting on a tilting, sinking ship!
Tonight I'm making a simple ham steak dinner with scalloped potatoes.. My big cooking day will be tomorrow, starting with a big Polish breakfast, and a dinner of white wine basted roasted duck, asparagus, wild and white rice with sauteed mushrooms, currants and slivered almonds, and friend Betty's cookies for dessert.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Our under the tree village
Now that I've made some Etsy shipping charge changes, after finding that actual shipping was more than I thought, and figured out the focus and F stops on the Nikon D100 (with the generous help my computer friends), it's time to try to figure out how to stabilize this camera on the tripod. If it works, I'll try to redo some of those blurry photos on Etsy.
I've decided that Etsy is way too time consuming when you weigh the monetary profit against the amount of time and effort of photographing, measuring size and volume of each piece, getting each entry listed with all the descriptions, pricing, shipping and other information, then packing and shipping. You can't write off the time you spend, against the profit, doing all those things either. The profit from a mug, for instance, is cut in half when you consider the hour plus time it takes to get all those things done to list a single piece, and the time and cost of getting it shipped to the customer. So for now, I'll leave up the current pots, maybe post a few more since it will be quiet after Christmas any way; and unless I can find a reason to change my mind, that will be it for my Etsy experiment.
If Jim could work a computer, cook or garden, maybe I'd be happy to give it that time; but since I take care of all those areas and more, as well as making pots, I'd rather use that time making the pots and spend non studio time in the kitchen and garden.
My winter project, when not making pots, is going to be a total redo of my website which is pretty pathetic and long overdue. Once that's done, I can set up a for sale section on my website if I want, since I now have a Paypal business account.
Jim did the last of the Christmas food shopping yesterday and friend Betty showed up with a big plate of home made cookies this morning, so my plan to bake cookies today has shifted to other pursuits - mainly taking those photos if I can correct the wobbly tripod head.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Almost totally useless day yesterday
I don't know why I try to do anything during Mercury retrograde! The day started with good intent to photograph pots with the Nikon D100, which seems to be something of a dinosaur after only 6 years. After spending some time with the manual to refresh my memory, I reset the camera to it's original settings and started to view and delete some photos; but almost immediately, the battery needed recharging, so that job had to wait. Recharging seemed to take forever. So while I waited I ordered another battery, did a lot of computer filing, got the current email read, and then after checking the Nikon site to check for any current changes on memory cards that might be compatible with this Nikon, spent hours trying to find a higher capacity memory card. What a futile, frustrating few hours that was. Messages like "no longer available", and "this item has been discontinued", etc. kept coming up. I finally had to settle on a Scandisk 256MB capacity that I found on Amazon, when I was hoping to find the Lexar 1 gig. The only other one I was able to find that was compatible with this Nikon D100, and available, was an IBM 2GB one in the $200 range and I didn't want such a high capacity.
Jim had better luck with his early car shopping. He came home very excited with the Subaru brochures. Seems we both like the Forrester better than the Outback which means less money, better mileage and best yet, I don't have to dismantle and rebuild my whole kiln since the Forester is shorter than our current Highlander.We even agree on the color!
Getting the Forrester, means that my kiln won't have to be totally rebuilt. I'll just have to buy some new, more powerful burners and Shane will tweek the burner ports and bag wall.
After a comforting and easy linguine and clam sauce dinner, I faded fast and never made it to the lunar eclipse. Tonight is pizza and margaritas and if this camera battery can hold a charge, I'll try to re-take some of those pottery pictures after breakfast, start my pizza dough after that and do some kitchen cupboard reorganization this afternoon.
Some spice and Indian food orders arrived this week and there's no room in the cupboard I use for my international foods and spices. Some of the least used items will have to be moved down to the basement pantry.
My aim this week is to complete these little household projects and get the rest of the studio items ordered before the New Year and before I start another throwing cycle.
Jim had better luck with his early car shopping. He came home very excited with the Subaru brochures. Seems we both like the Forrester better than the Outback which means less money, better mileage and best yet, I don't have to dismantle and rebuild my whole kiln since the Forester is shorter than our current Highlander.We even agree on the color!
Getting the Forrester, means that my kiln won't have to be totally rebuilt. I'll just have to buy some new, more powerful burners and Shane will tweek the burner ports and bag wall.
After a comforting and easy linguine and clam sauce dinner, I faded fast and never made it to the lunar eclipse. Tonight is pizza and margaritas and if this camera battery can hold a charge, I'll try to re-take some of those pottery pictures after breakfast, start my pizza dough after that and do some kitchen cupboard reorganization this afternoon.
Some spice and Indian food orders arrived this week and there's no room in the cupboard I use for my international foods and spices. Some of the least used items will have to be moved down to the basement pantry.
My aim this week is to complete these little household projects and get the rest of the studio items ordered before the New Year and before I start another throwing cycle.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Going back in time
Around 4am this morning (I had been up since 1 am not able to sleep), after I got my emails down below 800, I decided to change my facebook photo to this ancient one, taken around 1982. Where did all that time go! I want to get a pair of those overalls again. They were great for the studio.
Yesterday was filled with birthday cheer, family all calling, friends stopping by with a bottle of nouveau beaujolais and Chritmas cookies. Needless to say I never did get to take the photos I intended. To get better clarity on the pictures I'm going to switch to my Nikon D100 instead of using the Powershot. It's been so long since I used the Nikon, that I'm going to have to tackle the manual to refresh myself on the basics. That will probably be the chore of the day, then an easy linguine and clam sauce dinner.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Etsy avatar
Here's the new photo I uploaded as my Etsy avatar. Someone suggested I put a picture of the kiln, but the avator space is so tiny, the kiln didn't show well.
Yesterday I announced it was my birthday,instead of today. Guess I should have looked at the calendar. On one hand, I love that my life is such, that most of the time I can ignore calendars! In fact, I don't even keep one. Jim has one on his desk and if I need to be forewarned about a date, I have him note it in his calendar.
Yesterday was a busy day starting with getting the new table down to the basement and redoing my photo setup, then kiln meeting with Shane, followed by getting antivirus setup on all three computers which took quite a while and other computer work, recipe filing, and cooking a lovely Chicken Normandy for dinner.
Shane is going to get two new burners for the kiln, and make some other minor modifications on the burner ports and bag wall and we're going to make pots and aim for a February firing and see if the modifications will make it fire a little more evenly. If it works, I won't have to take the extreme measure of taking the whole arch down and starting from scratch.
The Emeril Lagasse Chicken Normandy recipe is divine. It's not an every day dish with all that cream, butter, and bacon; but it was delicious and the two chicken breasts I bought were large enough that we have leftovers tonight. My friend Betty made me a lovely birthday pumpkin roll cake with a cream cheese filling - really delicious! It went great with the Bremer chardonnay Jim picked for dinner.
I didn't have time to redo some of those Etsy photos so I'll try to do that this afternoon. Later, dear friends are coming over to share some of the special cheeses I ordered from Murray's in New York. It was an indulgence; but those cheeses are sublime and not available locally or in Asheville. Today is going to be a nicely balanced day of non strenuous productive activity, and relaxing time with dear friends. What could be better!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Made my first Etsy sale
When we arrived home after food shopping and dinner out, I found that I had made my first Etsy sale. It's a start!
Yesterday was a busy day. At home, I was mostly on the computer - spent quite a bit of time reading about Etsy and modifying my listings accordingly. I had planned to re-take some of the photos, but realized that the table I was using needed to be replaced. Because of a bow in the middle it was making some pots look cockeyed. So we headed for Walmart and I got a smaller, 4 foot long, solid table which is going to work much better.
My antivirus software expired yesterday, so that was another long session trying to download it and get it installed, after several error messages. Tonight I need to get it downloaded to my other computers. Hoping those installations will go smoother than the first one!
This morning I have a meeting with friend and super kiln builder Shane Mickey about the possibility of doing some modifications on my kilns size. After that I need to get the new table down to the basement,redo my photo set up and retake some of those Etsy photos.
Today is my 71st birthday and plans for dinner in Asheville have been put off because of the expected snow, so I'll be cooking Chicken Normandy for us and Jim will probably open one of our special chardonnays to go with it.
It's amazing how quickly the days fill up!
Friday, December 17, 2010
The world of Etsy
Here's one of the pots I put up for sale on Etsy yesterday, along with a couple of other new ones. There are now 20 on the site and maybe more to come. Some disappeared after posting and it took a bit of digging to find out where Etsy put them. I think it's wise to not put all the work up at once so that your pieces show up on the first page whenever someone does a search for your category. Etsy charges $7 to be showcased, and I think that just spacing your listings will serve a similar purpose; but I need to do some more reading on this Etsy marketing tool.
My photos looked fine when I downloaded them from my camera,but looked fuzzy when uploaded to Etsy, so I need to re-take some of them. After reading some Etsy hints, I'm going to follow the recommendations and take multiple views of the pots.
The other thing I found is that shipping to places like Australia can be higher than the $30 price I put up, which I had seen on other potters Etsy sites. Someone on another clay group said a single pot cost her $56 to ship to Australia. After hearing that, I immediately went back to my Etsy site and removed all shipping location fees but US and Canada. All the pots I posted on Etsy are $75 and less, so I can't imagine someone wanting to spend $56 to receive a $30 mug Another bit of shipping information she share was that shipping a mug, using USPS priority mail with the free boxes was a bit over $8, which was cheaper than packing her own box.
What I'm finding is that even with great feedback on my work, I haven't sold a pot. That affirms my idea that people are more prone to buy a pot from you on line if they've already seen, held or purchased your work. Having a large mailing list or a national reputation is definitely a benefit.
Unfortunately, I've never put in the time to develop that kind of mailing list and at my age, I'm not going to attempt to become a marketing expert; but I will ask studio visitors in the future, to put their email addresses in the guest book.
One of the other things I absolutely need to do, and soon, is to revamp my web site which is in bad need of updating. Now that I have a Paypal sellers account I will be able to set up a shopping cart on my web site eventually. I loaded up my software yesterday and realized after some glitches that I need to relearn it. It may be easier at this point to just trash the old site and start from scratch.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Etsy shop is up
I just finished uploading the last of 16 pots I've put up for sale on my new Etsy shop. You can copy and paste the link because, for the life of me I can't figure out how to make it open by just clicking on it. Anyone know how to do this? Or, you can just scroll down below the Etsy bar on the right and click on my name and that will take you to my Etsy shop.
My Etsy shop
I tried to post a good variety of shapes, sizes and colors, but kept it to the more affordable pots for the most part. You'll see that I've only put shipping costs of US and Canada. I did that after reading another Etsy poster who mistakenly posted what she thought was a reasonable fee for shipping a pot to Australia, only to find it cost her $56 to ship the item. Yikes! So if anyone wants something shipped Australia, Europe, the far east, S.America, I'll have to find out just how much that would cost.
At this point I don't know if this will work as a sales venue for me. It's a lot of work and I'm not sure it's not better to just use retail outlets who do all the work, leaving me time to make more pots. We'll see.
On one hand, I thought "what if I don't sell a single pot (it's possible!); and on the other hand, I thought "what if I sold a lot of these pots and have to pack and ship them all. Do I have enough packing material". Ah, the dilemma.
My Etsy shop
I tried to post a good variety of shapes, sizes and colors, but kept it to the more affordable pots for the most part. You'll see that I've only put shipping costs of US and Canada. I did that after reading another Etsy poster who mistakenly posted what she thought was a reasonable fee for shipping a pot to Australia, only to find it cost her $56 to ship the item. Yikes! So if anyone wants something shipped Australia, Europe, the far east, S.America, I'll have to find out just how much that would cost.
At this point I don't know if this will work as a sales venue for me. It's a lot of work and I'm not sure it's not better to just use retail outlets who do all the work, leaving me time to make more pots. We'll see.
On one hand, I thought "what if I don't sell a single pot (it's possible!); and on the other hand, I thought "what if I sold a lot of these pots and have to pack and ship them all. Do I have enough packing material". Ah, the dilemma.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Etsy shop a work in progress
It's been a few frustrating days trying to figure out Paint Shop Pro enough to get my Etsy banner created. It's not what I want; but I still need to figure out how to get a more complex banner.
Here's the link to my new Etsy site, which is still in progress. There's no work for sale yet; but hopefully will be by next week, or sooner.
Suggestions and feedback are very welcome. I could use some Etsy hints, for sure!
It was 2degrees F here this morning - good weather for just staying inside cooking, and working on this Etsy and other computer projects.
I'm heading to the studio and gallery this afternoon, only to get my laptop and to select a small group of pots to list on Etsy.
It's been a few frustrating days trying to figure out Paint Shop Pro enough to get my Etsy banner created. It's not what I want; but I still need to figure out how to get a more complex banner.
Here's the link to my new Etsy site, which is still in progress. There's no work for sale yet; but hopefully will be by next week, or sooner.
Suggestions and feedback are very welcome. I could use some Etsy hints, for sure!
It was 2degrees F here this morning - good weather for just staying inside cooking, and working on this Etsy and other computer projects.
I'm heading to the studio and gallery this afternoon, only to get my laptop and to select a small group of pots to list on Etsy.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Keeping warm by the fire
It's a balmy 6 degrees F out there this morning. Guess it's going to be another couch potato day working on the computer and trying to learn to make sense of some software.
Yesterday I registered for an Etsy account and now I have to find out how to set up a page. Since we can't get out of our driveway at the moment, due to snow and ice, it would be pointless to try to sell anything (I am optimistic), since it's questionable about when I'd be able to get to the post office to mail anything. In any case, just getting registered is a start.
This morning I'll spend time again trying to get 3 or 4 photos side by side and save it as a single photo file that I can use as a header on my Etsy site, using Paint Shop pro. The first step was to pick a few photos and crop them. That went fine, to a point. I made all the photos the same size, but when I brought them back up on the screen, some appeared larger even though they're saying they're the same size. Why???? Another problem to solve.
After frying my brain reading my two help books, it seems I have to use layering to make a montage; but can't find explicit, step by step instructions that make any sense. Even the "Paint Shop Pro for Dummies" book is confusing to this brain; but I am determined, so I'll forge ahead. The problem with these books, is they don't focus on the job at hand; but go off in all sorts of tangents of information not needed for the job at hand.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Yesterdays breads
These are the whole wheat and light rye breads I baked yesterday - perfect, snowy, cold, windy day chore.
With more of the same weather today, we're looking forward to tonight's Polish pork stew over egg noodles dinner. In between cooking I'll be continuing this computer cleanup. There are still over 800 emails that have to be read, filed, etc.This is going to be a winter project as it's taking a long while to get these read, sorted and filed. My aim today is to get the number under 800.
I'm not venturing out in this blizzard, so the studio "to do list" will have to wait till tomorrow.
Friday, December 10, 2010
I've gotta make me one of these
I saw this video this morning and thought it was a great idea. Today was an in town day - osteo appointments, food shopping etc. Since I was out and about any way, I stopped by the auto supply store in Burnsville and ordered a couple of the foam sponges shown in the video so I can make a couple of these trimming sponges for myself.
I've had a few days after the tour to catch up with the house paper work, household and outside chores and the last of Christmas chores - i.e, sending grand kids cards and presents sent, etc. My menu for next week is planned and the larder is stocked, so I'll be able to get in the studio by Sunday to finish some post TRAC organizing before I start a new throwing/making cycle next week.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Wonderful slide show of pottery from the 4 corners region
This is a spectacular collection of Native American pottery or the Four Corners region.
It's another very cold, snowy morning - perfect for staying indoors and catching up with computer and paper work again. Got both old hard drive working and am finished retrieving a lot of the data from one drive and half finished with the other one. I didn't get it finished in time to tackle the wireless router/modem which I might try today.
Yesterday, the only studio time I got was clearing my slab roller which doubled both as my sales/wrapping area and hospitality table. A deep gash on my thumb, testing some new knives two days ago, is keeping me away from clay for a few days; but once I clear the paper pile here in the living room, I might head back to the studio to deal with the paper pile on the studio desk. There may even be time to watch one of the two Netflix movies that have been sitting here for well over a week.
We'll stay put today, grateful for the freezer full of food that frees us from driving for groceries in this snowy, icy weather. The wind/chill factor is well below -5 today.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
The snow is snowing, the wind is blowing but I can weather the storm.
I think that only the most hardy will venture out in this weather today. It's been snowing lightly for hours and there's a lovely coating on everything; but Jim says that it's icy under the snow which may make our 400+ foot long driveway a bit tricky. The fridge and freezer are usually full so we're fine and can just sit tight if necessary.
This morning, when walking Bodhi, Jim found a dead hawk and a dead morning dove right next to him. We think the hawk must have been hunting in the low snow visibility this morning, caught the dove, and then hit the side of the house - very sad.
I'm using this quiet time to make my studio "to do" list for next week and I think I'll tackle the paper pile. I might even read the instructions on the new wireless modem and router and see if I can set it up without outside help. I couldn't get a modem to work in the studio and friend Jim, who's an electrical contractor, said it may be because it need heavier wire.
After that I can get the old, dead hard drive from my studio desktop into the case I bought last week and see if anything is retrievable. There's always something to do!
Friday, December 03, 2010
Gallery photo
Here's my main gallery. It's was a cute, gambrel roofed, tool shed that came with the house. I had it insulated, covered with bead board, electrified and carpeted with indoor/outdoor carpeting; and installed shelving. It works really well. If it weren't here already, I would have picked a slightly wider size so I could more work on pedestals for more of a gallery presentation; but I've solved that by creating the annex gallery in the studio (see yesterdays blog for photos).
Since a TRAC error kept me off the map, look for my Shambhala Pottery and TRAC tour signs which will be posted on Cane creek road and in front of our mail box just off Cane Creek road. I'm 3 miles out of town, past Gay Smith's pottery and before Shane Mickey's. The TRAC gallery has a little map next to my pots at the preview opening tonight.
I've been up since 4am getting my "to do" and other lists made and catching up on emails. Now it's time to shower, get some food made for for the tour and doing all the last minute things before noon. The morning is going by super fast!
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Annex gallery photos
My little gallery was too full so I created a little annex gallery in the studio. Here are a couple of shots of it.
We stopped in to the TRAC gallery right before it closed and got a quick preview of some of the of work that will on the tour. We'll be able to spend more time tomorrow, at the official preview; but even with a quick peek, we could see just how wonderful the work is. We are so lucky in this area to have some of the finest artists/crafts people in the country.
The people at TRAC put a little note on my pot display about my not being in the tour pamphlet and they put a little map on the pedestal showing my location. Jim and I were very touched to see how well and generously they handled the error of an ex employee which resulted in the mess up of my tour application getting misfiled and not processed.
Jim dropped off some cards at my friend Lisa Clague's studio. Lisa is an amazing sculptor who is doing the tour this year and typical of her generous spirit, when she heard of the TRAC mixup/losss of my tour application, she wrote and offered to have me bring some cards to her studio so she could send people my way. Joe Comeau, another potter friend also offered to put some of my cards on his stores counter. With all this generosity, I may actually get a few tour goers. Life is very good!
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Soda salt fired cruet and stand
Here's a cruet and stand from this firing, which will be for sale during the tour. I usually make them without a knob on the lid, but this time decided to try a little flag like knob, which I think works well with the form.
This morning I finished painting the other sides of the last two shelves and got the A frame display unit set up with the shelves that were already dry. That was followed by seven hours of studio tidying and cleanup. My desk will need tidying but the rest of the studio is good. I'll run the wet dry vacuum over the floor in the morning, because today's mopping left streaks, which is the norm in a pottery studio.
With just 2 days to go, I'm more ahead than usual. The gallery is in good shape and the only job I'll need to do is arrange some pots in the annex gallery I'm setting up in the studio and get the hospitality and wrapping table set up.
I'm not expecting a lot of visitors due to the TRAC mess up that kept me from being listed in the tour pamphlet. Also, there's possible snow in the forecast for Sunday which may also impact the tour turn out. On the bright side, I have a clean and tidy studio, ready for the next cycle of work. It's all good.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Christmas tree
Yesterday was a day to return a bunch of stuff at Best Buy in Tennessee, stops at Home Depot for some painting items, a Michaels stop for dye for reed/cane for handles and a few other stops including lunch at Red Lobster. After 4 days of turkey we were ready for seafood.
That Johnon City trip took all day, so by the time we got home, there was no time or energy for painting, so I'll be heading to the studio in a few minutes to continue that job.
I've been working this morning on getting the hard drive that I removed from the old, dead, laptop set up with in
new enclosure drive. The good news is that it wasn't the hard drive that died, so I'm able to retrieve all those files I thought were lost. I hope I have the same luck with the hard drive from the dead studio desktop.
Took some escarole,bean,sausage soup out of the freezer, so dinner will be easy, allowing me to get a full day to finish most of the painting and get some studio cleanup started.
Monday, November 29, 2010
soda salt tumbler
Started at 7am in the studio checking the painting I did yesterday and got the last two shelves of the A frame display unit sanded. There's painting to finish this afternoon after getting back from chores in Johnson City.
Just four days till TRAC tour to get everything done; but right now I need to head up to my office and see if I can extricate the hard drive my a dead desktop computer.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Early Christmas decor
Since I ran out of paint yesterday (used all 3 cans of flat black to cover 8 sides of 2 display boxes), and couldn't finish the project, I called it a day and decorated the Christmas tree instead. Now Jim has to do his village scene under the tree and it will be done. He's off to Wally world to get me a few quarts of paint for the A frame display unit which I'll paint this afternoon.
While stored in the basement, some worker spilled dry wall mudding, and varnish or shellac on a few shelves which I was able to get off with remover yesterday; but some thick orange gook on one shelf wouldn't budge with the remover, so I need to try regular, heavy duty, paint remover on that one and then sand all the shelves and frame. If the remover won't work, I'll try to scrape it off somehow or use very coarse sandpaper, or just give up and flip the shelf and buy a new one when the tour is over.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Soda salt fired bowl
Here's a bowl from this last firing. I think it would make a nice centerpiece, fruit or salad bowl.
After an early dinner I resumed the pot pricing but stopped at 7:30 when my back gave out. At that point a glass of wine with some pumpkin pie seemed like a better choice.
This morning I'll finish up that job. There's just one more shelf of pots to price and then on to the next job which will be spraying a couple of display boxes and my old A frame display unit which Jim will be retrieving from the basement.
I have too many pots for the gallery so I'm going to set up a little display in the studio once I move a few things around in there and give the floor a good cleaning.
I've been wanting to get those display boxes and A frame display unit done for a while because my gallery shelves are narrow and aren't suitable for platters and some larger bowls and other pieces.
Jim got all the Christmas boxes out of storage and into the living room, so I may be starting on the tree tonight if I get the studio jobs done before dinner - always much to do this time of year.
Friday, November 26, 2010
It's a rainy day - good day to finish pricing pots.The reason it's taking so long is that I'm re-pricing all the pots in the gallery as well as the ones from the latest firing; and I've had to do it in between garden chores and all the holiday prepping. It's been five years since I've changed prices and it's time.
With all the Thanksgiving leftovers, I don't have to cook tonight, so I should be able to finish the pot pricing and maybe get a couple of other chores out of the way. I also have a couple boxes that I got at the UPS store to spray paint, as well as my old A frame display which is definitely showing its age.
Jim finished getting the Christmas lights, wreaths and other decorations up around the studio, house and gallery; and turned them on right after dinner . He was adamant about not turning on Christmas lights till Thanksgiving was over, which for him, was when dinner was finished. Once I'm done with the major studio cleanup which hopefully will be done before Thursday, I may even get the Christmas tree and living room decorated before the tour.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone
Wishing you all a most Happy Thanksgiving. It's a day to reflect on gratitude and enjoy the company of loved ones and friends and partake of an abundance of comfort foods. Enjoy!
I got most of my food prep done yesterday, so today will be an easier cooking day. Turkey will be in the oven before noon and I just have to finish off the gravy, add the warmed milk to the stuffing, candy the sweet potatoes and cook the other veggies which are all prepped and ready to go.
Continuing with tradition, I'll try to sneak in some time watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade in between kitchen duty. And, I may even find time to price more pots, if I'm not too stuffed to move after an early dinner.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Soda salt fired platter
Here's one of the pots I just photographed. I like the simple design on this one. There's a bit of depth to it which would make it a great pasta serving dish.
Everything seems to be going slowly, probably because there's so much to do between now and the TRAC tour. Yesterday was an all day shopping trip to Tennessee for a bunch of computer stuff, grocery and other shopping and lunch at the Indian buffet. Unfortunately all the computer things have to be returned after Thanksgiving unless I can talk Jim into driving back there this afternoon. The hard drive cases I bought don't fit the drives I have and I bought a non wireless modem which was in the section with the wireless one. Next time I'll read the box.
This morning I'll be starting prepping veggies for Thanksgiving dinner and if I can get it all done early, I'll be back finishing sanding and pricing pots unless Jim thinks driving to Tennessee two days in a row is a fun idea.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Soda fired jar
Here's another pot from the last firing. At the Spruce Pine Potters market I heard this woman asking at a couple of booths for a jar for her kitchen utensils; and she was bemoaning the fact that she's had a hard time finding one. So I made this one, thinking it was for myself, but it was grabbed up the day I unloaded the kiln. I'll make sure I have a couple in the next firing.
This morning I'll continue sanding and pricing pots. I got about 2/3 of them done yesterday, before I had to call it a day. Cleaning and pricing these soda/salt/wood fired pots always takes me longer than I plan. I had to stop work earlier than scheduled, because on second look, that crab stuffed shrimp recipe was a lot more time consuming than I first thought. PS: The recipe wasn't worth all that prep time.
Jim will be getting the small propane tanks filled for me this morning but I'm thinking about skipping the firing of the small gas kiln. Some of the pots, particularly the larger plates and largest serving and couple of other bowls, I thought may need re-firing, looked fine after sanding.
It's always amazing to see ones perspective on the work the day you unload and a week or so later. That's why it's good to keep pots around for a while. We always seem to have expectations with each firing and when expectations aren't met, it often takes a bit of time to look at the pots with new eyes a few days or even weeks later.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Soda Salt fired jar
Here's a sweet little soda/salt fired jar with blue glazed impressed areas, over a yellow slip. I think I'll be using this technique with other glaze colors and flashing slips on more pieces in the next firing. I've been collecting old Indian wooden dye stamps for years and have recently made and bisque fired some impressed sections of some of them to use for this purpose.
The plan yesterday was to load the little gas kiln and do some soda re-fires today. So I loaded the empty tanks in the car and when Jim got to the local propane supplier, he found that they close at noon on Saturdays. With the change of plan, I spent the afternoon making out a new, extensive price list. It took till this morning to finish it. Next job is making labels and pricing the pots - a nice, easy job for Sunday.
Dinner is going to be crab stuffed shrimp with a side of yesterday's leftover Fettucine Alfredo which is easy, so I may get a bit more time in the studio doing a bit more tidying, and take some more pot photos. The big studio cleanup will have to wait until after Thanksgiving.
After dinner I'll try to take a few more pot photos.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Kiln has wheels
Got the small Olympic gas kiln burner frame over to Mitchell welding yesterday. The newer Olympic models come with wheels but my older one needs a couple of steel plates cut and welded on, so that wheels could be attached. This morning I got a call saying it was ready, after they said it wouldn't be ready till next week. So, we headed to Spruce Pine after breakfast to pick it up. Big yeah and kudos to Mitchell welding! Now I can get a few of those soda pot re-fired this weekend.
Since we were already in town I decided to do most of my Thanksgiving food shopping. Then there was just one more mail pick up stop and home.
The studio time I had planned for today went by the wayside with having to get to Spruce Pine, so I'll take care of some computer work and get some phone ordering done before I have to start on dinner.
I had a peek at the contents of the saved files from the dead desktop early this morning and at first look, it seems like they didn't transfer any files from my photo or music folders, which is what I really wanted to save off that old computer, so I need to search every folder to make sure. If as I suspect, they're not there, I'll need to find out how I can get them off the hard drive in the non working computer, without paying another $50 to the computer store. Hopefully, I can find some info on Google; or maybe some computer wizard reading this blog can tell me how to do that.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Couple of mugs from this firing
Yesterday was bread making day. I wound up making 2 loaves of my standard oatmeal bread in the bread machine. Evidently the Lily bread flour did not work as well as the King Arthur flour, so I'm dumping it. Both loaves were pretty sad looking - not risen enough, and rose unevenly. The bread tasted OK; but I will definitely go back to the King Arthur flour. I'm guessing the King Arthur may have a higher gluten content which made higher loaves.
This morning I'm going to make a loaf of plain white bread, using the King Arthur flour, as a test to make sure it was the flour and not something amiss with the machine.
This afternoon is a running around, doing chores day. I need to clean up the burner frame from the small Olympic kiln, get it in the car and hope I can find someone who can cut and weld some plates to the legs and then weld the wheels on it. There was no one at the forge in town yesterday. Hopefully they'll be in today. If not I'll try a place in Spruce Pine. They were able to save the information on my dead, studio, desktop so I need to pick that up as well.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Soda salt fired jar
I'm cooking all day for tonight's dinner party. The pate is already made, most veggies are prepped and the pecan caramel sauce for the ice cream is done. I just have to cook the braised lamb shanks this afternoon.
Jim, the house wine steward has picked out two lovely red wines for dinner - one of which is a very special Frank Family Cab. Needless to say, there's no time for the studio today other than taking some of the pots I shot back to the studio for pricing tomorrow.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Soda salt fired bottle from latest firing
Here's another pot from my latest soda/salt firing. Yesterday I found some time to take a few more photos, make pate and get the two pots priced and packed for Jim to deliver to
TRAC for the tour gallery preview.
TRAC finally found my lost tour application in Burnsville. Seems one of the ex employees at the Burnsville office put it in a folder and never processed it. The outcome is, that I'm not in the tour booklet; but they've told me to bring pots in for the preview and put up my tour signs. I don't know how many, if any, people will stop by, but it will be a good opportunity to get a good studio tidying and cleaning done next week, which is in order any way.
Jim and a friend took the Olympic gas kiln apart, so now I can get the frame to a metal shop to get some wheels attached which will make it easy for me to get it out of the studio and on to the driveway for firing. I need to do a soda re-firing of some of the drier pots from last weeks firing in that little gas kiln. Last time I fired it, I wheeled it out on a cart, but that cart, which is much wider than the kiln, made it more difficult to protect it enough from the wind even with the metal roofing pieces I had cut as a wind shield. And last time I fired it, a light wind shut it down a couple of times - not fun!
Jim is going to take advantage of this beautiful weather today to put up some new Christmas lights and I've got to do some house tidying and some food prep to do for tomorrow. Hopefully I can find some time and energy to price and get more pots into the gallery.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Art Fair Neighbors - new video
Here's a followup video - this time it's about some of the interesting fair neighbors we've all seen. Those memories still give me the shivers!
Ken Matsuzaki exhibition slide show
There's some incredible work on this You Tube slide show of a 2009 Kent Matsuzaki exhibition. Enjoy!
It's going to be one of those smorgasbord activity days. We need to get to the computer repair shop to pick up the newly purchased, stand alone hard drive that they needed to store all the info off the hard drive from my dead, studio, desktop. Then there are more pot photos to shoot, pots to price and get in the gallery and always paper work on the list.
A friend is coming over at noon to see if he can set up one of my laptops to the TV so we can watch some of those instant Netfix movies on the big screen. Seems the new can't use the same plugs as the older one.
Jim and I got out yesterday afternoon and got all the tomato and other garden cages and poles up and put away and got the wood shed organized as well as doing a lot of garden cleanup. There's a lot more to do but I think we'll leave that for another day.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Svend Bayer video part 2
Here's the second part of this lovely Svend Bayer video.Enjoy
Svend Bayer video
When visiting Michael Cardew's pottery in the early 80's if memory serves, he spoke very well of the young Svend Bayer who had worked at his studio. Later in the trip I purchased one of Svend's pots in the town of Penzance, on England's west coast. Years later, when thinning out my collection I sold that jar; but still remember the lovely transparent honey glaze over sgrafitto.
I'm planning a lazy morning for a change after a wonderful dinner with friends at an Italian restaurant in Asheville, celebrating Jim's birthday. The four of us finished off 3 bottles of wine, and ate some lovely food and I'm feeling it a bit this morning which is why I'm planning on a slow morning.
There are some pottery related things to order this morning and garden cleanup this afternoon. I also want to tackle the digital camera manuals and see if I can figure out how to deal with some of the settings, particularly the white balance on my Nikon D100. These cameras are great but so complex and difficult to understand (for me anyway);and the manuals are perplexing and confusing to say the least!
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Couple of pots from this firing
My morning started with making Jim a special birthday breakfast of Eggs Benedict. That dish is way too rich for my blood, so he wound up eating his and half of mine!
After breakfast and dishes, I got the electric kiln emptied. The re-firing lightened up the soda/salt fired pots as hoped, and did a good job on some glaze touch ups. Some pots from this firing and a wood firing which are were too dry from not enough soda, will need re-firing next week in the small Olympic gas kiln which has been converted to use as soda kiln.
Next on the agenda was writing Skutt to see if I could get a replacement bar to hold up the lid which got lost in the move, and ordered another Green gorilla battery operated sprayer for soda firing. For five years I've had to struggle with that Skutt lid and have no idea why it's taken me this long to see if they'll sell me a replacement!
The next chore of the day was to take some pot photos from last Sunday's firing. It's been a while and I think I've forgotten everything about these digital cameras and lighting setup, so I'm going to have to spend some time reading the manuals again. My white balance card has gone missing which didn't help either.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Kiln photos
Here are the shots from this weeks soda firing. In this experimental firing (which didn't work!), I lostt most of the plates and a couple of bowls to warping. A friend had the same plate warping problem in this same crossdraft design, but I had pretty good success with mine in other firings, so I suspect the difference is and will be the bag wall arrangment.. Next firing I'm going back to the original bag wall and flue size.. I'm also not going to augment with wood. It's just putting too many little unwanted pieces of crud in and on some of the pots and I don't think it's necessary for the look and surfaces I want.
I got an early, 6am, studio start to turn on the electric kiln (doing some refires), and soak some reed for handles. The rest of the day I'll be baking bread, taking apart an old computer to remove the hard drive and ram chips and get a bit more studio time until the kiln makes it too hot for comfort.
I have a simple and easy dinner planned - ham steak, garden squash and garlic,rosemary roasted potatoes. After dinner the studio will be too hot , so I'll call it a day and watch some TV and continue clearing some of these paper piles.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Kyle Carpenter opening tonight at Crimson Laurel Gallery
Hope some of you will be able to attend the Kyle Carpenter opening tonight at the Crimson Laurel gallery, here in Bakersville, NC to view these elegant, exquisite, salt fired pots in person.
I'm moving slowly after a good night of partying last night - lots of good wine, pate, shrimp, cheese fondue, pecan pie and the company of great friends who not only brought some of the goodies but also bought 3 pots from this weeks firing. Life is soooo good!
Friday, November 05, 2010
Rose and other flowers still blooming in November
The forecast today is for snow showers which seems a bit strange particularly since these roses and some other flowers are still blooming. I took these photos two days ago!
I took a few pictures as I unloaded the kiln yesterday afternoon and will post the pictures later today or tomorrow. Right now it's time for breakfast, followed by some food prep for tonight's Friday night indoor porch sitting with friends.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Unloading day
I think we've all had these show experiences. The blue glaze request reminded me of a customer years ago, who brought in her blue wallpaper and wanted me to make a glaze to match it.
Kiln should be cool enough to unload later this morning - a good rainy day job. The nice thing about a 3 day cooling is that it gives me time to catch up with paper piles. Poor Jim is going to risk a hernia hauling all these old magazines and papers to the dump! There is still a years worth (no kidding) of Smithsonian magazines to go through but going through them and reading what I want, will probably take me all winter.
Got a call from the gals at TRAC yesterday who told me to put up the TRAC sign and bring in some pots for the tour preview. Since my application was lost and never processed, I'm not in the tour map, so I don't know how many people might stop by with this fix, but I'll do my normal pre tour cleanup and put out some cookies and cider and skip making any hot dips, and hope for the best.
If and when the rain clears today I want to harvest the last of the cherry tomatoes before the expected freeze. I can't believe that we're still eating fresh tomatoes in November.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Kiln cooling
The kiln was below 400F early this morning, so I opened the dampers a couple of inches, but left the ports closed for a few more hours and I just went out and opened one port in the front and one in the back. I got a very good peek and the slipped pots don't look as dark as they appeared yesterday, and it looks like I got enough reduction for the celadon liner but not enough to turn some of the oribe pots red. I saw some red at the top of one bud vase, but the few oribe yunomis, from what I could see, look fine. It's also a juggling act trying to get the right amount of reduction and not being able to use an oxyprobe in soda/salt firings makes it a bit trickier.
I'm spending this kiln cooling time to rest and go through months worth of cooking, ceramics and other magazines and other paper work and have made great progressive in two days.
Yesterday I found out that I'm not included in the TRAC tour. Jim and I hand delivered my application and cd with a photo of my work for the booklet a few days before the deadline and I don't know who screwed up, but somehow that application never got processed. They've never gotten my location correct on the map even though I've gone in there twice to hand mark the map and now this.
Deciding to use the experience to find the pony in the manure pile- I realized I can relax and enjoy Thanksgiving, get my Christmas decorations up early and not have to do a major studio cleanup which I always do before each tour, and also start working on the next throwing/making cycle as soon as I get these pots sanded and priced.
I'm spending this kiln cooling time to rest and go through months worth of cooking, ceramics and other magazines and other paper work and have made great progressive in two days.
Yesterday I found out that I'm not included in the TRAC tour. Jim and I hand delivered my application and cd with a photo of my work for the booklet a few days before the deadline and I don't know who screwed up, but somehow that application never got processed. They've never gotten my location correct on the map even though I've gone in there twice to hand mark the map and now this.
Deciding to use the experience to find the pony in the manure pile- I realized I can relax and enjoy Thanksgiving, get my Christmas decorations up early and not have to do a major studio cleanup which I always do before each tour, and also start working on the next throwing/making cycle as soon as I get these pots sanded and priced.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Crashing after a long day of firing
It's been a day of trying to recharge my battery after an 18 hour day firing the soda kiln. It was a struggle to get it to fire evenly with the the new T shaped bag wall and smaller flues. I know this works well with normal downdrafts; but it definitely did not work well with the hard brick cross draft. The early part of the firing went fine, pretty even for a cross draft; but once I had to up the power I could not get the top hot enough no matter what I did - burner adjustment, active and passive damper adjustments, etc.etc. Even turning off the front burner and upping the others only made the bottom hotter. It did give me one top hot spot on one side at the back of the kiln. Then one of the thermocouples on my double fluke digital pyrometer stopped working - for hours, so I had to dig through cabinets to find a possible replacement and get it hooked up . Needless to stay it was a bit of a frustrating day, ending with me stepping on and breaking the wand on my best sprayers (the one with the power pack that you don't have to manually pump).
Because of the bag wall and flue changes, I put a lot more cones throughout the kiln. It's going to be an interesting unloading!
At one point I seriously considered aborting the firing but the thought of un-bricking and emptying the kiln, re-doing the bag wall, opening the flues,reloading and re-firing was a more dismal prospect than trying to baby this it with the hope of getting it hot enough in some areas without getting too hot in others to save the firing. I know I reached cone 12 in a couple of spots, cone 10 in others and cone 9 only starting in at least one spot - crazy.
I turned the kiln off at 11 o'clock after only doing a couple of rounds of spraying and throwing in about a pound and a half of salt burritos. Between the glitches, a bad headache, strained back, and rushing the time between spraying to end my misery, I'm hoping for the best. My liner glazes have a pretty wide firing range, so I'm hoping for the best. The draw rings showed some gloss which should be fine since I don't aim for heavy salting; and adding 1/2 lb more salt than my usual one pound addition was my frantic attempt to just get the firing over with without straining my back any further.
It's time to start seriously looking at cone 6 soda in these twilight years as well as scaling down this kiln a bit which should make for more even firing.
Because of the bag wall and flue changes, I put a lot more cones throughout the kiln. It's going to be an interesting unloading!
At one point I seriously considered aborting the firing but the thought of un-bricking and emptying the kiln, re-doing the bag wall, opening the flues,reloading and re-firing was a more dismal prospect than trying to baby this it with the hope of getting it hot enough in some areas without getting too hot in others to save the firing. I know I reached cone 12 in a couple of spots, cone 10 in others and cone 9 only starting in at least one spot - crazy.
I turned the kiln off at 11 o'clock after only doing a couple of rounds of spraying and throwing in about a pound and a half of salt burritos. Between the glitches, a bad headache, strained back, and rushing the time between spraying to end my misery, I'm hoping for the best. My liner glazes have a pretty wide firing range, so I'm hoping for the best. The draw rings showed some gloss which should be fine since I don't aim for heavy salting; and adding 1/2 lb more salt than my usual one pound addition was my frantic attempt to just get the firing over with without straining my back any further.
It's time to start seriously looking at cone 6 soda in these twilight years as well as scaling down this kiln a bit which should make for more even firing.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Video on how to push in electric kiln elements good information
Firing was aborted early on with the kiln shutting off. Fortunately, this time the kiln was only 300 degrees. It looks like the thermocouple on the pilot burner needs replacing after only two firings. I took yesterday off since I didn't have the part and neither did friend Shane, nor was he available then anyway; and was too sore and tired after an all day loading the kiln the day before. It was a beautiful day and Jim suggested we drive up to the Mast General store to pick up some often used items before winter arrives.
On the way home I stopped at the plumbing supply place and picked up a couple of thermocouples. I hope they fit the burner so I can fire tomorrow. Having that imposed day of rest was probably a good thing.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Firing day
I'm trying Mel Jacobsen's T shaped bag wall, modified with an extra 1/2 brick on the vertical part of the T. I closed the flues up a bit for a total of 45 sq inches, which is a few inches more than the last firing. The bottom still seems to be running much hotter at this stage of the firing, so I'll know more as the firing progresses.
Initially this kiln fired too cold at the bottom and last firing, and seemingly now, after raising the chimney a bit, closing the flues a bit, the bottom is now hotter. I suspect it's going to take a few more firings to get this where I want it.
I barely had enough pots for the load because I decided in the end not to include the re-fires from the wood pallet kiln at the Energy Exchange. I even loaded in a pot that mysteriously got a broken rim on the way to the kiln, just to fill the shelf.
Time to turn up the kiln.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Enjoying a quiet, foggy,rainy, mountain morning
The ware cart if full of wadded pots waiting to be loaded but that won't happen till tomorrow. Afternoon appointments will be filling up the most of the day and I doubt I'd want to start loading after dinner, especially after an osteo treatment.
Got the propane tank topped off yesterday, so we're ready to roll. I have a bit of a dilemma with my celadon liner glaze which I made too thin; and I'm now wondering if I should try to reline some of those pots now that I've poured off the excess water. I've always had my celadon liner fairly but not overly thick. Why the heck didn't I wait a day and let it settle out. I know better; but figured I'd just leave the glaze in the pots longer; but it still looks a bit thin. What to do????
Monday, October 25, 2010
Wadding away and last of the fall colors
Here are a couple of photos of the last of the splendid fall colors. I took them from inside the car; but you can get an idea of the spectacular colors we experience here in the mountains of western North Carolina.
Spent the morning working on more tests tiles. I remixed some of my other big buckets of flashing slips because I realized I had tested and used them in straight soda firings; but I'm now adding a pound of salt to the mix which is darkening and brightening my main flashing slip, Randy's, so this is a good time to see how that little bit of salt will affect the other flashing slips. By one o'clock, all the tests were weighed out, mixed, sieved and put on test tiles, and I went on to wadding pots. That lasted till 5:30 till it was time to come in for dinner. I only got about half the pots wadded, so I'll continue in the morning. Silly me thought I might be able to finish today - yeah, if I stayed up till 1 am! :-( Instead I'm opting for a second glass of wine, relaxation and some paper work and maybe some brainless TV watching in the background.
Looks like I won't be loading till Wednesday since I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and firing Thursday.I know I must sound like a broken record, but where the heck does the time go lately! I'm just glad I allowed myself this extra time before the December TRAC tour.
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This past Saturday Affinity had two riders competing at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center (T-town) in the Masters category, Cameron Reider competing in his first masters race, and Jon Chambers.
First up was a 2k scratch race, After a quick pre race discussion it was decided that Cam would ride at the front of the field to control attacks and and Jon would setup for the sprint. As soon as the gun fired Cam took the front and pressed the pace just enough so no one wanted to attack, finally at 2 laps to go a rider tried to make a move, but Cam just picked up the pace and kept him close until 500 meters to go when Jon jumped and sprinted for the win.
Next up was the 15 Lap Points Race. Cam was able to get in the break after the first sprint and Jon rode tempo on the front to hold up the field. Cam stayed away and took two 3rd place sprints for a 4th place.
Last race was an unknown distance, Cam worked hard attacking twice unfortunately the bell wasn't rung until he was brought back in the the second time (we really wanted him to pull off a win). Luckily Jon was able to sprint for the win, which also earned Jon the overall omnium win, not a bad day of racing for Affinity!

subset: commoncrawl


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Michigan's spring game is less than a month away, so we're going to try our best to look into the future and make five predictions for the next few weeks and what we might or might not see in the scrimmage.
Prediction No. 3: The linebackers will be the strongest position group by far -- offense and defense -- in the spring game.
It was the deepest position group in the 2013 season and everyone returns, so this prediction isn't far-fetched. But with position shifts happening, each player is going to need to learn the nuances and how they fit into the group.
With any position group, it would be hard to say that you could shake up the positions and still have them come out, guns blazing, ready to lead a team. However, behind two-year captain Jake Ryan, this will be the group making the most ridiculous plays (again, offensively and defensively) for the Wolverines this spring game, and likely next fall.
By putting Ryan in the middle of the field, the coaches are allowing him better access to whatever play is unfolding on the other side of the field. And with the relationship between Ryan and Greg Mattison, the rising senior likely will be given a lot of freedom to make whatever kind of calls he believes are best for the defense, the linebackers and himself.
Looking forward to the fall, it wouldn't be shocking if at least half of the top plays at the end of the season come from the linebackers. Desmond Morgan and James Ross III have enough experience that they should be able to adapt just as quickly with Ryan.
Plus, all these guys are going to be with Mattison day in and day out. They'll be in his meeting room and watching film with him. Mattison switched which position group he coaches so that he can direct the defense from the middle of the field. It would be shocking if these players don't back up that decision with highlight-reel plays, starting with this spring game.
Other predictions:


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A Glimpse Into the Short Life of Frédéric Bazille
Bazille's Studio, 1870. From left to right: Pierre-Auguste Renoir sitting, Emile Zola (standing on the stairs), Eduard Manet and Claude Monet (with the hat) – next to Bazille, talking about one of his paintings.
As the son of a upper-middle-class Protestant, Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870), from Montpellier in southern France, was slated to go into medicine. Instead, he became a renowned French Impressionist painter after being inspired by the early Impressionist works of Eugène Delacroix. Bazille traveled to Paris in 1862, where he met Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and avant-garde painters like Henri Matisse and writer Emile Zola. Unfortunately, Bazille's career was cut short when he served in the Franco-Prussian War, in which he was killed.
Frédéric Bazille Comes to America
The family reunion, 1867
Bazille never rose to the height of popularity achieved by his Impressionist friends. Since he led a tragically short life, Bazille's body of work is limited, and he has flown under the radar of art appreciators for almost 150 years. However, The National Gallery of Art currently plays home to a temporary exhibit that showcases a whopping 74 paintings in addition to two of Bazille's workbooks.
Inside the gallery, Bazille's paintings can be seen alongside those of the predecessors who inspired him and the contemporaries he knew from his inner circle.
Bazille's Works
La Toilette, 1870
Bazille excelled at depicting the variety of Parisian life in the mid-19th century. His final painting, La Toilette (1870), brings to mind Édouard Manet's 1963 painting, Olympia, which is reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance master Titian's Venus of Urbino (1538). Bazille, however, adds a highly modernized style to his paintings, including his takes on classical nudes, as can be seen in Fisherman with a Net (1868).
In all of Bazille's works, there is a vibrancy that comes through in his color palette and subject matter. His scenes range from realistic landscapes to still-life, and he painted a few portraits, such as those of Renoir and the poet Paul Verlaine. Had he lived longer, who knows what masterpieces Bazille would've produced?
The Paintings Today
Frédéric Bazille, Self-portrait, 1865–1866
Technology has come a long way from the time of Bazille's death in 1870, and it now helps 21st-century art lovers understand and appreciate the painstaking methodologies of artists like Bazille. Before being put on display in The National Gallery of Art, about half of Bazille's works were x-rayed. These x-rays revealed a dozen other compositions hidden beneath the topmost layers of paint. Quite miraculously, Bazille's first Salon submission, Young Woman at the Piano, was found among these compositions. It had been presumed lost for many years. Thanks to the collective effort made by the National Gallery of Art, the Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France, and several other museums, we now see the extent of Bazille's talent.
Exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C until July 9th, 2017
Aigues-Mortes, 1867
Organization: The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington; the Musée Fabre, Montpellier; and the Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Passes: Admission is always free and passes are not required.
Where: East Building, Concourse 1, 6th & Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC
Hours: Every day 10 AM – 5 PM Except Sunday 11 AM – 6 PM
The South of France is Calling You!
The South of France is a wonderful travel destination. From the beautiful white beaches to world-renowned museums, this area has something for every kind of traveler. The restaurants and local culture are second to none. If you want to experience the tiny medieval towns and seaside resorts like a local, consider embarking on a small group tour. Trip USA France offers tours given by local tour guides, providing visitors with an inside look at this beloved travel destination. We'll help transform your trip into the visit of a lifetime.
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Tour de France news round-up: stage 11
Renshaw pays price; Petacchi gets green; Contador survives
Renshaw pays price for headbutts on Dean
Australian Mark Renshaw paid the price for his team's win-at-all-costs approach to the Tour de France 11th stage on Thursday when he was excluded from the race for headbutting.
Renshaw, the lead-out man for HTC-Columbia team-mate Mark Cavendish, played a crucial role in Cavendish's six stage wins on the race last year. But in the final 500 metres of the 184.5km stage from Sisteron, the normally affable Australian lost his head when he tried to headbutt Garmin-Transitions' Kiwi lead-out man Julian Dean three times.
Cavendish eventually raced on towards his third stage win of the race, and 13th of his career, as Renshaw then produced another blatant blunder by trying to block Dean's sprinter, Tyler Farrar, as the American tried to come up the inside of the barriers.
Top race official Jean-Francois Pescheux said they only needed to look at the television pictures once to make their decision.
"Renshaw was declassified immediately but we have decided to also throw him off the race," said Pescheux. "We've only seen the pictures once, but his actions are plain for all to see. They were blatant. This is a bike race, not a gladiator's arena."
Television pictures show Dean getting very close to Renshaw as he tried to bring Farrar into position, although elbows and shoulders are certainly not unknown to clash in the hotly-contested bunch sprints.
For Dean, a former team-mate of Renshaw's at Credit Agricole, Renshaw's actions were simply uncalled for. However, the Kiwi suggested it was Renshaw's second error, closing the door on Farrar, that was most dangerous.
"All the other (HTC-Columbia) guys were fine, it was just Renshaw's behaviour that was inappropriate," said Dean. "I jumped my front wheel in Cav's wheel. I went past Renshaw and tried to keep the speed high and while I was coming out of Renshaw, he didn't seem to like it too much.
"I didn't make any movement at all. Next thing I felt like he was leaning on me and hitting me with his head."
He added: "And then he carried on afterwards and came across on Tyler's line and stopped Tyler from possibly winning the stage. He shouldn't have done that. It's not appropriate. It's dangerous behaviour and if there had been a crash there it would have caused some guys some serious damage.
"What we do is very dangerous and we don't need behaviour like that to make it even more dangerous."
Speaking before being informed of the decision, Renshaw claimed he had been in danger of being put into the barriers by Dean; a claim that television pictures did not appear to corroborate.
"The guy (Dean) came across from me… either he keeps turning left, puts me in the barrier and I crash, or I try to lean against him," he said. "I didn't have another option. It's all about sprinting straight."
Although saddened by the decision, Cavendish laid some of the blame on Dean, claiming the Kiwi "hooked his elbow over Mark's right elbow".
"Mark used his head to try and get away. There's a risk when the elbows are that close (that) the handlebars are going to tangle," said Cavendish.
"That puts everyone behind in danger. Mark (Renshaw) gave us a bit of space that kept us upright."
He added: "I'm very happy to win. The team did a great job."
Petacchi throws green jersey challenge to Hushovd
Alessandro Petacchi is now in the green jersey
Italian veteran Alessandro Petacchi called out sprint rival Thor Hushovd after taking possession of the Tour de France green jersey for the points competition on Thursday.
Lampre rider Petacchi, the winner of two stages so far, started the 184.5km 11th stage from Sisteron to Bourg-lès-Valence with a seven-point deficit to Cervelo fast man Hushovd.
After finishing runner-up to Britain's Mark Cavendish as the HTC-Columbia man grabbed a third, albeit controversial, win of the race, the Italian added 30 points to his tally and now holds a four-point lead.
Two-time green jersey winner Hushovd took only 19 points for his seventh-place finish, ending the hopes of team director Jean-Paul van Poppel for the day.
"We calculated that we could lose points today. We did the best we could. We tried to keep it, but it was not possible," said the Dutchman.
Hushovd later admitted he has lacked power for the bunch sprints since breaking his collarbone in May.
"I know I am not as fast as last year in the sprint. My injury slowed down my preparations for the Tour," said the Norwegian. "But I feel like I am getting stronger day by day."
Petacchi came into the race primarily looking to boost his unremarkable season thus far with stage wins, and has already succeeded after winning the first and fourth stages. But the Italian now believes he can actually challenge Hushovd all the way to Paris for a prize whose points can be won at the finish line of the flatter stages as well as at intermediate sprints on all stages.
After admitting he could not overtake Cavendish in the final 80 metres, "because by then I was starting to reach a plateau", Petacchi has now turned his attention to a more unlikely achievement.
"I'd love to arrive in Paris with the green jersey. It's now a huge motivation for me on this race. And, I'm in good condition," said Petacchi.
Yet the Italian faces a battle.
Hushovd's determination to beat Cavendish to the prize last year left him going off on audacious solo raids into the mountains in a bid to gobble up the intermediate sprint points.
And the Norwegian suggested that more of the same could be on the menu.
"I will keep fighting. Let's see how we get over the mountains," he said.
Van Poppel, meanwhile, believes the duel could even be decided on the final finish line on the Champs Elysees in Paris.
"The fight for the green jersey will be very hard. We expect it to come down to the final sprint on Paris. Thor has the advantage that he can climb and I believe he is becoming stronger. It won't be easy."
Contador survives Saxo Bank skirmish
Alberto Contador survived Saxo Bank's attempt to drop him late in stage 11
Alberto Contador admitted to experiencing a tense end to the 11th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday as he fought off an attempt to drop him by yellow jersey rival Andy Schleck.
Contador started the 184.5km 11th stage from Sisteron with a 41sec deficit on Schleck, and with no apparent reason to worry. But with 19km remaining Schleck's Saxo Bank team pulled to the front of the peloton in ominous fashion.
The Danish outfit upped the pace and, in an area with little protection from the strong crosswinds, they soon had the peloton strung out and many riders in trouble.
Gaps began to appear, and while three of Contador's climbing specialist team-mates were left behind in a smaller group, Spain's reigning yellow jersey champion looked to be briefly in trouble.
Contador was eventually brought back into the safety of the peloton by team-mate Alexandre Vinokourov and took his place close to the yellow jersey of Schleck.
"It seemed pretty calm, but it turned out there was a lot of wind – but we got through it okay," said Contador, who rides for Astana. "But the tension was there."
Although the Schleck v Contador duel is likely to move up a gear once the race hits the Pyrenees for four stages beginning on Sunday, Saxo Bank's bid to drop Contador was not a total surprise.
A similar move by the HTC-Columbia team on last year's race caused mayhem. Their turn of pace amid strong crosswinds on stage three to La Grande Motte split the race in two, leaving a 28-man group, which included Lance Armstrong but not his then team-mate Contador, to go it alone.
Among the main contenders to lose time that day were Schleck, Contador, Cadel Evans and Denis Menchov.
That stage also confirmed that Armstrong, who started the 2009 race pledging to help Contador, had personal ambitions of his own.
Contador meanwhile has played down his chances of taking time off Schleck at the end of Friday's 210.5km stage to Mende, which ends with a steep 3km ascension of the 'Jalabert' climb.
He took time off Schleck there at the Paris-Nice stage race in March, but said: "It will be a totally different climb, first of all because we've already raced a lot of hard days on the Tour.
"First we have to see how we are and then what we can do."


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The Holidays/
It is only a few days after Halloween, but already stores are full of every Christmas gift and decoration imaginable. As a general rule I try to make as many Christmas gifts as possible, rather than buying them, but this year will be different. I have two kids, the oldest just turned two, and as a result, I have almost no time to make thoughtful Christmas presents. This year I have only two Christmas presents on the needles. I think I have a good chance of finishing both before Christmas without pulling my hair out.
I am making Debbie Bliss's "Baby Shrug" from Simply Baby and a bag for my sister that shall go unnamed on the off chance that she is reading this blog. So far I am enjoying the process of making both at a leisurely (for Christmas time) pace.
Why would I suddenly forgo attempting to make hand knits for everyone on my Christmas list? The reasons are as follows;
1) I don't have time, 2) I would like to enjoy Christmas this year, rather than feeling the weight of unfinished knits bearing down on my shoulders guilting me into knitting every spare second of the day instead of relaxing by the fire and drinking hot cocoa while reading a good book, and 3) Very few people understand the time and effort that goes into hand knits, and therefore do not fully appreciate the gift. Hand knits require weeks, sometimes months of planning and work. Store bought knits require a last minute dash to TJ Maxx. Those that give the same respect to hand knits as store bought knits do not deserve hand knits.
The look on the person's face when they open the box with my FO in it can make it or break it for me. I have at that point spent hours picking/designing a pattern, picking a yarn, and knitting the piece. Will all my work be worth it? Will they love it as much as I think they will? Perhaps not. But someone who appreciates hand knits will know that I would not have put that much time and effort into the gift if I didn't love them, and will love the effort I put into it, even if they don't love the color or pattern, or even my knitting ability. On the other hand, a person who does not appreciate hand knits will not understand the amount of effort put into the gift. They may even say the dreaded, "You didn't have to make me something. I would have liked something you bought just as much."
No more will I waste my time on the unenlightened! I will knit only for those that appreciate my craft! And those that I gave birth to, even if they will drag their hand knit sweater through the mud, or spit up on their hand knit teddy bear.


text: Through discussion and pictures, Paula Napper will discover what style suits you. A visit to your home will help to reveal your personal taste and the design of the exterior should reflect this. Whether a courtyard or several acres, Paula can help to create a garden that you can enjoy and share with friends and family.


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During the morning, I happily spent my time making a schedule for the day. I saw an idol on a game show made these on days in which she has important events planned. I thought the idea was adorable so I made one! ♥
The front says Hinamatsuri/Birthday along with the day and time.
The middle has the schedule on the left and a 'to bring' items along with the shops I planned to visit and a Memo and gift section on the right.
On the back I doodled a picture that resembled a hinamatsuri cake I saw online along with the date.
I need to take a better picture of the inside section. :/
That night after dinner, my fiance took me to a few stores to search for hinamasturi items. Sadly, there were none. So my he took me back to the house. And he secretly set up a few items for me calling them hinamatsuri items, multicolored mochi and strawberry ramune. After a good laugh I took some pictures and he scurried off again to bring out a birthday cheesecake.
After a nice birthday I had a horrible weekend. On Friday I had a horrible fever so I stayed in bed. Saturday I felt slightly better and went to work, but by 4:00pm the fever returned with a vengeance! On Sunday I had to call off. My fever was still raging and my throat was on strike. By Monday I went to the doctor who claimed I had strep throat. I have to continue to take antibiotics until next Tuesday, but I certainly feel much better now.


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Our Approach
At Atech it's all about you. We'll work hard to understand your business goals, then deliver and support the IT systems to get you there. We're not tied to any particular vendor or methodology; we're just here to help you get the technology you need...Learn More About Our Approach


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The Significant Other, upon hearing of the minion of magis manifesto, expressed his support but also posed a challenge. He said that I had to be louder than my usual self. Handa na daw ba ako? I knew what he meant. If I want to move up, I have to speak up. I think I can do that. I will not transform into Ms. Energetic Extrovert, certainly, but I can definitely be a "louder" version of my soft-spoken self.
(This reminds me of Theodore Roosevelt's "Speak softly and carry a big stick" adage.)
The loudness will be in the form of substantial presence, and not merely in decibels of my speaking voice.
In any case, I am turning up the volume of me. :)


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Orlando International Airport Unveils First in Series of Vibrant "Welcome Mats"
ORLANDO, FL — The welcome mat concept has been taken to a grand level at Orlando International Airport. This morning, members of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority board, staff and construction team unveiled the first of four specialty flooring sections that will serve as "welcome mats" to the Main Terminal. The 28' x 32' piece of original artwork is entitled "Wellness Garden" and evokes images of beauty and rhythm and celebrates the region's rich agricultural history. Fabricated from epoxy terrazzo, the colorful and intricate design is the creation of artist Scott Parsons as part of his "garden"-themed series to highlight the economic resources of Central Florida.
"Our art collection from ceiling to floor has been recognized locally and nationally," said Frank Kruppenbacher, Chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. "We have always said that this airport is more than an airport, it is a reflection of the experiences of Central Florida."
"Art has always been valued in our community. I'd like to commend the art committee and the Board for their vision in creating this unique addition to the airport's collection," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. "These welcome mats will be a permanent reminder of the assets we have in Central Florida."
A component of the ticket lobby renovation project, "Wellness Garden" is located at the west end of the A Side of the Main Terminal. Subsequent art flooring pieces will showcase the region's technical corridor, attractions and space.
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is committed to a model program of art in public places. The acquisition of new works is an ongoing process and is part of the overall plan for art to be distributed throughout the airport's terminal complexes.
Art continues to be an integral part of the overall design concept at Orlando International Airport. Used for both aesthetic enjoyment and wayfinding elements, the airport collection introduces millions of national and international passengers and residents to the community's appreciation and focus on the arts.
When completed, Parsons' quartet of "gardens" will provide an enduring impression of our region's cultural offerings.
Artist Scott Parsons has worked in the field of public art for 20 years with numerous commissions across the United States and Canada. His primary artistic media includes terrazzo, artistic glass and mosaic, with more than 30 national and international awards to his credit. Recent recognition includes the 2014 Honor Award from the National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association and the 2017 Faith and Form Award from the American Institute of Architects.
Basic MCO information:
Ranked by J.D. Power "Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Mega Airports" in 2017. With more than 44 million annual passengers, MCO is the 13th busiest airport in the U.S. The airport is centrally located and within a two hour drive for 60 percent of the state's residents. MCO has 18,000 employees and generates $31 billion in revenue for the regional economy. Orlando International Airport strives to value and delight its customers through an airport-wide design concept known as The Orlando Experience®.


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Sign up to Dryathlon this October
Go booze-free for a month and raise money for Cancer Research UK.
No alcohol. This October. For Cancer Research UK.
Take on the ultimate test of willpower by going booze-free this October and raise vital funds to help beat cancer.
Not only will you be raising money for our life-saving research but you'll also have an entirely hangover free month!


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|Monthly Meeting: Tuesday, September 10th, 7:30PM at the Kerby Centre downtown. Dr. Desmond Pink on Ground-Breaking Cancer Discovery
Alberta all-party cancer caucus
Establishment of an all-party cancer caucus in Alberta
The objectives of the Alberta All-Party Cancer Caucus will be to:
Overall outcomes of working with an All-Party Cancer Caucus will include:
|Become a PROSTAID Calgary Member Today!
hits since 02.27.2008
Maybe you can live without a PSA test...but why take the chance?
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Site Designed & Maintained by Rhettoric Media.


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Dry Body Brushing Ritual
The skin is the largest organ of the body and one of its many roles is to help excrete toxins from the body through sweat. Another great way to detoxify the body is dry body brushing. This method assists by improving circulation and stimulates the lymphatic system. Skin brushing also gently exfoliates the skin by removing a build up of dead skin cells.
Dry brushing is also great to assist with cellulite. Since my daughter was born, I've noticed more cellulite around my bottom, thighs and stomach, so I pay more attention to these particular areas or concern.
If new to this brushing ritual, start off three times a week and eventually build up to once a day, every day. I always like to dry brush before bathing.
From feet up, towards the heart and all over the body, except the face, apply swift gentle movements.
After a great brushing session my skin is pink and has a slight tingling sensation. Remember to go easy, and apply light pressure. If you press too hard it wont be beneficial and you'll end up with red and irritated skin. Lastly, be careful around sensitive areas!
Look for a brush that is made from plant bristles and do not share your brush with anyone. Store your brush in the sunlight and every so often tap the back of your brush to remove a build up of dead skin cells.
To clean, use a natural shampoo and leave in the sun to dry out. You can also add a few drops of purifying essential oils such as Eucalyptus and Lavender oil.


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In honor of National Coming Out Month, Summit will have 2 exciting ways to get involved. All meetings and events will be held at Summit on 16th!
National Coming Out Month Film Series
Join us for a film series on Wednesday evenings from 6-8pm all month long. The first one on October 2nd at 6pm was well attended here at Summit. The focus will be on the African American experience of coming out. Topics will include self-acceptance, public displays of affection, relationships, religion, health, and more. Check out the FACEBOOK event for more info. Email Monty for more info: firstname.lastname@example.com
Come Out Come Out, Whoever You Are!
Friday, October 25th - 6:30pm
Join us for Summit's annual celebration of National Coming Out month. This year we'll have live performers, prayer stations and more. Jason & deMarco will begin the night with a concert. For those of you still energized -- stay to praise, shout and dance with members of HiT'M ENT, as they round out the evening. Event is free and open to the public!


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Sample Sales, Trunk Shows & Special Events - Oh MY!
As always, we have a busy summer here at Little White Dress Bridal Shop, and the next few weeks are no exception! Here, a little sampling of what's to come: July 1 - 31: Sample Sale! 30-60% off on designer gowns, jewelry, veils and more!
July 11 - 24: Justina McCaffrey Trunk Show. Meet the designer herself on July 23 and 24!
We look forward to seeing you at one - or all - of our fabulous upcoming events! Please call us if you have any questions and to make your appointment! 303.814.8972


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Dartington Crystal
Dartington Crystal have a record of fine British craft, using the finest materials to create things of beauty. Since 1967 Dartington's skilled glass makers have been practicing their craft in rural North Devon and today Dartington is the only remaining factory-scale producer of hand-made crystal and glass in the UK. With a unique capability in developing exclusive designs and bespoke products, Dartington Crystal is found in some of the world's most exclusive and luxurious interiors. With a reputation for the highest quality and finish, any piece of Dartington Crystal reflects a discerning choice.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation 1x14.
Angel One—a lovely, peaceful planet. At least it was until four off-worlder men landed there and started thinking that men and women should be treated as equals. Not a popular idea on this matriarchal planet. Good thing the Enterprise is here to take the men away. Now if only they were willing to go. Can the men evade the death sentence suddenly imposed? Find out when we put "Angel One" in the Mission Log.
Running Time: 1 hour 10 minutes 28 seconds
John Champion and Ken Ray
Ken Ray
Executive Producers
Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry and Trevor Roth
Discovered Documents
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm


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Johannesburg, South AfricaWEBSITE
Johannesburg, South AfricaWEBSITE
The mission of Free Market Foundation is to promote and foster an open society, the rule of law, personal liberty, and economic and press freedom as fundamental components of its advocacy of human rights and democracy based on classical liberal principles.
Major programs for this organization include: Property Titling Project; Constitutional Labour Law Challenge; Civil Liberties Programme
Today is #GivingTuesday. Will you join a global freedom movement
making the world a freer place to live - for everyone?


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The war over women between President Obama and Mitt Romney just went thermonuclear.
Romney—who has been polling poorly among female voters—arguably started the fight, claiming that 93 percent of jobs lost during Obama's presidency belonged to women.
Obama's campaign hit back, pointing to the Lilly Ledbetter bill that ensures against gender discrimination in payment practices. And in a press call this week, Romney's camp fumbled on a question about whether or not the former Massachusetts governor supported the bill.
But things got really heated when democratic operative Hilary Rosen made the comment that Ann Romney "actually never worked a day in her life." The resulting firestorm has seen Mrs. Romney join Twitter and go on Fox News to defend her status as a stay-at-home mother.
The good news for Obama is that Rosen doesn't work for his camp. The good news for Romney? His wife may be a real mama grizzly.


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Copper Linen V-neck Dress
A versatile dress that can be worn any time of year - with sandals in summer and layered over jeans in the winter. The small details of this timeless dress will make it a wardrobe favourite: v-neck neck with centre front seam double topstitched, side seam pockets and three-quarter length sleeves. Made with 100% linen fabric, that has been pre-washed and dried before cutting and sewing.
Fabric 100% Linen
Colour Copper
Care Machine wash gentle cycle, cold water, hang to dry. The fabric will get softer with every wash.
Size One size. See flat measurements.
designed and handmade in Victoria, BC.
Flat Measurements:
Bust: 44.5"
Length from shoulder to hem: 36.5"
Hip: 45"
Neckline shoulder to sleeve hem: 19"
Model's measurements: 32.5" Bust, 27" Waist, 36.5" Hip and 5' 8" tall.


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Contact us for immediate assistance
You can make your DMP payment safely and securely by using the Apprisen AutoPay program. Your payment will be automatically withdrawn from your bank account on the day or days you choose. You will receive the following benefits by using the AutoPay program:
You will not be charged a service fee regardless of how many withdrawal dates you select. There's no need to purchase and mail money orders or cashier's checks every month.
We offer payment schedule options designed to fit your needs.
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More than 75% of our current clients already use AutoPay. If you would like to start the program today, call our Client Response Coordinators at 800.355.2227 or email us. A Client Response Coordinator will complete the AutoPay forms on your behalf and send them to you for your signature and bank information.
Call Today: 800.355.2227


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If you want to celebrate your baby shower in style, Kate Aspen has the perfect accents for your party straws. The personalized flags will dress up party straws by adding a lovely touch to your baby shower decor!
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* Offers can not be combined and are not valid on previous purchases.
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* Sale excludes Clearance items.


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One of the the training exercises I've been trying to focus on in the last two weeks is mind muscle connection. Mind muscle connection is when the mind meets the body. According to Bodybuilding.com, it happens during "neuromuscular junction", it is when the brain releases a chemical neurotransmitter that communicates with the muscles.
Here are 5 of my simple tips on how to get your mind communicating with your muscles.
1. Set the tone of your workouts. Before any workout, I try my best to set the tone by leaving all worries behind. For me this happens during my drive to the gym. I put on my hype song or the soundtrack of my day. Sometimes for me this music is calm, sometimes its trap, other times it can be island reggae. Putting on music that helps me get into the zone allows my mind to take itself to the calm place where I can leave all worries behind and truly free my thoughts.
2. Visualize your end results. You may not be able to see the end goals to your fitness journey, but you can see the end results of your workout. Before I start working out I look at the workout "tasks" on what I have to do. I know the amount of sets I have to accomplish. In my head I begin to visualize what I will feel and look like at the end of that workout.
3. Concentrate on muscle movements. When I'm working out I'm in the zone. I'm focused and in that I try to concentrate on the individual muscle movements that I feel. I hone in on the fibers in my body moving and connect that with the rhythm of music playing through my headphones.
4. Focus on form. During my off season I was more focused on lifting heavy to gain more muscle mass, as I start easing into competition prep I've been working on lighting a little lighter but really working on correcting my form in each movement. For example, I roll down my shoulders out of my shoulder socket while performing any shoulder or upper back exercises to concentrate on the muscle movement. While squatting, I keep in mind my body alignment with my knees, toes, and lower back to prevent any injury and I go nice and slow so that I can go back to Tip #3 and concentrate on feeling the muscle fibers moving.
5. Practice practice practice. It's important to make a conscious effort of practicing listening to your body and each of the movements and motions that you put it through. Once you feel more connected your mind begins to tell your body to move. Your body will slowly listen to your mind and you become and an unstoppable force.
Remember that you can use these techniques in any type of exercise not just bodybuilding, but in Yoga, Pilates, Running, Cycling, anything that is required for you to put your body in motion.
Enjoy Fitfam!