text:
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
i don't love snow
1. Pink Snow, 2. Snow and Pink Frisbee, 3. Wisconsin Snow Cow, 4. I heart winter (365/349)
There is no snow where I live. Of course not. It's Carlsbad. I live here because of the good weather.
I don't want to live where it snows. Walking out into the freezing cold instantly puts me in a bad mood. My body tenses. My teeth hurt. It's not a pleasant sensation.
But I miss watching snow fall. I miss getting under a heavy quilt in a cold room and snuggling up to my big bear of a husband hoping that we would be snowed in the next day. I miss the quiet mornings after a storm.
Today I woke up to lawn mowers.
The grass is greener here in Carlsbad, but right now I'd take a day or two of white out.
Labels: cold weather, snow
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
happy it is to receive
I received an early Christmas gift in the post. My sister-in-law Julie, who knows what I will love even before I do, made and sent me the perfect pair of Noel earrings.
Aren't they absolutely divine?
Now I know Christmas is supposed to be about what you give. Yes, yes, giving makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. But sometimes, just sometimes, when a person receives a gift, a token if you will, of such thoughtful significance that it perfectly embodies the love that the giver has for the recipient, it is awfully nice to be the person that gets to unwrap such a treasure.
You can see more of Julie's jewelry in her shop.
Merry Christmas Eve!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
like a baby's butt
I wish the above picture was of me. I would kill for skin like that. I spent four years of my youth lifeguarding in the sun. I have now spent the last ten years trying to repair the damage I did.
Oh the stupid things you do as a teenager.
But I lucked out. One of my good friends decided to become an esthetician. We are slowly working on my skin to get it healthy and glowing.
Here's the part where you luck out. Shannon is offering Suaviloquy readers 25% off any service in January. Her prices are already very reasonable so this is a really good deal. Hopefully you live in the So. California area so you can get in on this.
I personally recommend the pumpkin peel. It smells scrumptious and your skin literally glows the day after. But she also offers chemical peels, waxing and body treatments. Before she became an esthetician, she was a make-up artist so she also offers that service along with spray tan and custom blended mineral make-up. She's literally a Jill of all trades when it comes to your face and skin. And a walking encyclopedia. The girl always gives me the rundown about the science behind the treatments. I'm just like, "Uh huh, uh huh, whatever, just keep massaging my face please. It feels soooo good."
So go see Shannon. She will make you glow.
To schedule an appointment you can email her at bellabaccia(at)gmail.com or call 619-995-4335.
Tell her April sent ya.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
dream a little dream
I have all kinds of ideas rattling around in my brain with no where to go. No time to do them. I'm writing them down but I have a feeling I might have lost the vision by the time I get around to them.
I wish I could freeze the world for three days. On the first day I would finish working on an illustration that must be done by the end of the month.
On the second day I would work on my best ideas for crafts and such.
On the third day I would go get a massage, spend some time wandering around the shops taking in the beautiful decor, stare at the sky for a while, then eat some sushi and paint my toe nails.
Then I would be ready to jump back into this crazy busy week.
I guess I always find time to day dream.
Monday, December 20, 2010
cookie day
source unknown
It's cookie day at our house today. On the check list: sugar cookies, cherry pinwheels, orange glaze and opera candy bar.
We have Pandora set to all Christmas music. The amaryllis are in full bloom and they make my kitchen seem extra festive. I studded oranges with whole cloves and the smell is intoxicating. The rain is coming down and the fire is crackling away. The children are suspiciously on good behavior. I've got good friends on their way to have lunch and do some baking.
It's going to be a good day. It's going to be a good week.
I may have had a little too much caffeine this morning.
I've been having fun at this site making my own snowflakes. Check it out.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
in the event your holiday sucks
I never blog on Sunday. I usually take the weekends off. But today's post is of a religious nature. Writing blog posts of a religious nature is another thing I seldom do because I hold my faith near and dear to my heart. I often find it difficult to talk about my beliefs with other people. I am a very private person in this way.
Nevertheless I do have something that I think I need to put out into the universe. It is something amazing that I learned this last week that might be of value to someone out there.
Last Sunday I was asked to teach a lesson in church. I was given the topic of The Sacrament. I was a little bummed because I thought it might be hard to make the lesson interesting and engaging. To this day I don't know if the lesson I gave was interesting to other people, but as is often the case, I learned a lot having taught the lesson.
To prepare, I researched what exactly happened the night of the last supper. I wanted to get a sense of what that event was truly like. One of the things I read that I never knew before was that during the last supper, the twelve disciples were fighting amongst themselves as to who would sit where. Where you sat at the table at a passover meal denoted your station in that particular group. So they were fighting over who was more important.
Do you remember this post I did a while ago? I really do build things up in my head to be way more elaborate than they could really ever be. I had began to build up this Christmas into a magical bacchanalia the likes of which our family has never seen. I pictured well groomed children gathered around the counter sweetly frosting sugar cookies. I wanted handmade cards and fun nights by the fire watching Christmas movies as a family.
Now make a huge leap with me to reality.
My kids start the day well groomed. By dinner time, they look like New York panhandlers. They whine and fight and fuss and make huge messes. I have hardly any free time so making my own cards was out the question. And those family nights by the fire? Oh we've tried to have them. They are nice until Birdie smacks Frankie with a block and gets in trouble. Then both babies are crying and Thom is screaming that he can't hear the show.
Good times.
So here's what I finally realized: Here's what God taught me: During Jesus's last supper here on Earth, a holiday meal, where he gathered with those that he loved, there was fighting. Like real contention and bickering. If even Jesus, son of God, isn't capable of having a Martha Stewart holiday, what makes me think I can?
How pompous I have been to think that I could somehow strong arm my family into conforming to my silly idea of an ideal holiday.
The bottom line is an ideal holiday is a myth. It doesn't exist. At least not when children are involved.
So this year I will go and make merry. Even when Frankie barfs all over my Christmas dinner outfit, which I know he will. Even when The Boy pesters Birdie till she screams like a pterodactyl. Even when my house is a mess.
And I will somehow capture a photo akin to Da Vinci's Last Supper when all looks calm and peaceful and maybe twenty years from now my memory will have faded enough for me to believe it was really true.
Friday, December 17, 2010
the thing about december
December is a funny month. When you are a kid, it lasts forever. When you are a adult it is gone in the blink of an eye. It sneaks up on you like a cat that brushes your leg. Before you can look down to see what happened it is already gone. Just a tail disappearing behind a door.
December is quiet snowfall and hustle and bustle and honking horns. It is kind words and merry gifts and dead lines and stress. It is a time to enjoy your friends and family and yet it reminds you of those you have lost.
It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.
This is how it goes.
I hope your holiday season isn't too stressful. I hope you aren't lonely. I hope you find time to be still and reflect.
Here are some simple gift tags you can print off if need them. If it saves you a trip to the store then I'm a happy girl.
They look best on white card stock. And you know, a little glitter makes everything fabulous.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
12 days
Let me make one thing clear. I'm not a scrapbooker. I have many uber talented friends in the scrapbook world. They are designers and artists and trendsetters and I love the things they do. But I'm not a scrapbooker.
The Boy's baby book has yet to be put together. The Bird and Frankie have little to no hope of having their books ever even started.
Ey. It's a sad state of affairs.
But over the Thanksgiving holiday I spent a day with one of my most favorite people in the world who also happens to be a maven in the scrapbook world.
You've heard me talk about Margie before. She has several lines of paper and embellishments on the market. She teaches all over the world. And she's freakin' hilarious.
We spent the afternoon together in her cottage crafting and she let me loose on all her scrapbooking supplies. And let me tell ya, that's some good times.
We made The 12 days of Christmas memory books.
Now that my book is finished, I am so happy she motivated me to do this. It is going to be a special year for our family. We have all of our children here. We will celebrate Christmas as a complete family.
I want to remember this year. The year I bought my daughter a baby doll and my son a Lego set. The year we have two babies to play in the wrapping paper. My life is hectic, but I realize that my children will be grown before I know it. I want to remember them exactly as they are this year.
I gave each child their own page in our memory book. I'm going to write what I love about them this Christmas around their photo.
Thanks Margie for inspiring me. I know I'm a beginner, but you always make me feel like I'm just as good as you.
As if.
I'm dying to get the photos taken and into my book. I know it will be a treasure when my kids are grumpy teenagers that just want money for Christmas.
I also want to wish a very happy birthday to the most wonderful person ever born. My husband.
I could go on and on about how much I love you and why you are the perfect person for me, but I know you. And I know what you really want to hear is that I think you are one sexy specimen of a man and I will ravish you when you get home. So there you have it. So let it be written, so let it be done.
Come home early.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Bet you didn't know Cindy Lou Who is a real person.
She is. She lives with me, and let me tell you, she's not the babe in the woods that the movie portrays her to be. She's more like a naughty little elf that works tirelessly to systematically dismantle our house.
But she's a cute little imp all the same.
I snapped the above photo with my iPhone and posted it to Instagram. Do you have the Instagram app for your phone? If Twitter is like Facebook on speed, then Instagram is Twitter pimped out with pictures.
See how it just keeps getting better, faster and more interesting? Pretty soon I won't need to live in the real world at all. I can stay in my bedroom, in my pajamas and live my life through my Mac and my iPhone. Oh I like the sound of that. But one must think about the children. They need to be feed everyday.
Instagram is free and really quite addictive. If you decide to join you can find me by searching for secondsister.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The above photo has nothing to do with this post. It's simply a gratuitous photo of my gorgeous little girl. I like to throw in a photo of her every now and then to remind everyone how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful she really is. Again, adopted. I am allowed to brag like this.
Now I would like to discuss the price of grapefruit.
Grapefruit is currently a dollar a piece. A piece. Just what is going on here? I'm thinking the government needs to look into price fixing. Just when I was getting used to paying a dollar a piece for avocados, when I only live a stone's throw from the avocado growing capital of the world mind you, they lay this on me.
Just how am I supposed to have Christmas without grapefruit? It's like the old stories where the orphans only get an orange for Christmas. Maybe I will buy all my kids a grapefruit for their stocking. That's how we will afford to have it for breakfast.
matthew lowery
You probably already know this, but the absolute best way to have grapefruit, especially on Christmas morning, is to cut it in half, sprinkle it with brown sugar and put it under the broiler until the sugar caramelizes. Oh yeah baby. That's some citrus heaven.
If you can afford it.
P.S. I'm finding it very odd that I just wrote a blog post entirely on grapefruit but I'm gunna go with it. It's a good way to start your week and you never know, I might start a movement that ends in an expose' of the criminal workings of citrus growers.
Labels: grapefruit
Friday, December 10, 2010
freak. it's friday already?
I love old children's book illustration and I particularly like this one. It's been on my computer for years now. But I realized the other day that there is something terribly wrong with this picture.
Do you know what it is? If you do, then you have a husband similar to my own.
If you don't know then you should click away now, happy in your ignorance of the fact that some husbands don't smile cheerfully when asked to place the star on the top of the tree, or help deck the halls in the slightest fashion. Some husbands have no intention at all of putting up twinkle lights on the eaves so that the house looks festive. Some husbands will have no idea what Santa has brought the children until they unwrap it.
However, these types of men aren't all grinch and no love. No, no. If you are lucky, you will get one that loves to cook almost the entire gourmet Christmas dinner. He will also help you make your traditional Opera bar candy and work very hard everyday so that the children might have gifts under the tree.
You are also one of the lucky ones if your husband has no desire whatsoever to smoke tobacco in any form. Even if a pipe does have certain charm.
But you are really super duper lucky if you have a clock like the one in the picture. I'd like to buy it from you if you are so inclined.
Labels: Christmas, decorating, husbands
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Pantone colors for Spring 2011
I'm not gunna lie. I think I have an eye for good design. It's the consolation prize God gave me after he realized I had no talent whatsoever in the performing arts department or the math department or any other department for that matter. He dug out the wand for design and dinged me on the head and said, "Go forth and beautify the World my child." I'm pretty sure that's how it went.
Pantone will announce the official color of 2011 later today. I guess they have all kinds of smarty pants analysts working around the clock to figure out what the hot designers are using. Turns out it's "Honeysuckle" pink. That's #e76589 for all you fellow designers and hot pink for all you non-designer types.
I personally endorse this decision. We could all use a little more honeysuckle in our life.
Now let us look at the Christmas cards I will be sending out this year. The very cards I ordered just days before Pantone leaked their color choice.
ruby pressExactly.
Sometimes I tickle myself pink with my design prowess.
Now we'll see if I can get my smug self to actually get said cards in the mail in a timely manner. God didn't ding me with the organization wand.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
crafting christmas
One of the things I'm doing this year is using my handcarved stamps to make custom wrapping paper. I bought a roll of craft paper because I love the way ink looks stamped on it's smooth brown surface.
I carved a snowflake stamp made up of my initials. I thought I was being so clever and then the thought occurred to me that if it is going on a gift, it should probably be their initials. Oh well, they probably won't catch the whole initial thing anyway.
Your stamps need not be perfect. Remember my motto: There is charm in everything imperfect.
Keep in mind that, although I drew and carved my stamps, you can always use ones you buy. But if you are feeling adventurous and you'd like to try your hand at carving, you can watch the tutorial video in the side bar.
Happy crafting!
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
ye ol' mantle
click photo to see full size
Well I'm off the couch. I even did a little laundry and attempted to pick up the house. I finished decorating the mantle and that made me feel very accomplished. After that I was exhausted so I sat back down and drank a soda and ate a chocolate.
But I'm up! I'm fighting! I will conquer this holiday season!
My theme for the mantle this year was vintage ice skating. I actually ordered some old ice skates from a seller on Ebay but he lost them, so he couldn't send them. Weirdo.
Anywho, I also bought some old photos on Ebay for this project. I can't tell you how I wish these were actually my relatives but I am not heir to any great ice skating pictures of my ancestors. So they are strangers, but I love them all the same.
I took my favorite photo and photocopied it really large to make my focal piece. Then I glittered it all up, because, please, glitter makes everything just a little more festive.
The other photos I used to make a simple bunting. I was tempted to get fancy with it, but I already have some much going on that I decided to keep it simple.
Aren't the photos the most charming thing you've ever seen? I mean look at that baby learning to skate. I die.
It was simply a Christmas miracle that I found this old school banner that says "Merry Christmas" in twenty different languages. It's handmade and exactly the length of my dining room table.
Obviously it was put in my path for a reason. I mean, I can barely ever find runners long enough for my table. And then this little gem comes along.
It's really starting to come together around here. Now to the shopping and the baking and the cards and the parties and...
You get the idea.
Monday, December 06, 2010
dance of the sugar plum fairy
Christmas has a way of making you feel better than your usual self. Have you noticed this? It makes me feel like a nicer person than I really am. If I wasn't sick you know I'd be out spreading the holiday cheer. I still need to pass along leisure suit lady's good deed. But I'm stuck inside, on the couch, spreading my germs.
All the Christmas activities make my children look at me with adoring eyes. As if I, personally, have created this whole elaborate celebration just for them. If a person is told something often enough, they tend to live up to it. Good or bad. I hope I can live up to the person they think I am. I'm determined to become the Sugar Plum Fairy and bring some magic into our home this season.
Right after I get off the couch.
P.S. Not only does the Nutcracker make me feel smart it makes me feel like prancing around the room as if I weighed but a few pounds. Now that's some real Christmas magic.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
just some complaining
I've been sick for like a billion days. I don't think I'll ever breath through my right nostril again. My head might just split open and spill out all my good ideas that I will never be able to do because I will never be well ever again. Ever.
In other news, I've been quite productive with my computer as I lay here on my death bed. I did a blog design. I organized all my folders. I made myself a new wallpaper for my iPhone. I did not: do the laundry, pick up the house, comb my hair or put on deodorant.
And there is this glimmer of holiday cheer: the doctor prescribed me cough syrup with codeine. Codeine. I know I shouldn't be as happy about this as I am. But it brings me visions of sugar plumbs when I sleep.
Sleep is a rare commodity around here.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
on the first day of christmas...
Yesterday morning was fairly miserable. Frankie Valentine had to visit the pediatrician for a nasty cough. I thought I had said good bye to my cold but it was back in full force. I schlepped both babies to the doctor's office in a daze, head pounding.
Some lady in a Jaguar honked at me when I didn't realize the light had turned green. Then she gave me a scuz as she drove by. Isn't it funny how the birth of our Savior brings out the impatience and nastiness in some people?
I didn't want to go, but the craft store is right next to the doctor's office and I really needed some supplies. The Bird wouldn't sit down in the cart. Frankie started crying. The line snaked to the back of the store.
I just wanted to curl up and die right there next to the yarn isle when I heard a voice. "You need to change places with me." She was loud. She got everyone's attention. Was she talking to me? "You need to come up here and trade me places." She was talking to me.
"Oh that's okay. Ha ha." I said because that's what I do, and quite frankly everyone was watching and I was embarrassed.
"No. You need to come up here. Everyone, I'm trading her places." She came back to me. She was small and old and delightfully spry. She had on a pink leisure suit. She touched Frankie's fuzz head. "Honey, I've been in your shoes. Go check out."
And that is how I was rocketed to the front of the impossibly long line on a Tuesday afternoon in Michael's craft store. That is how a little Christmas spirit was rubbed off onto me.
It is my first Christmas gift of the season. I plan to pass it on.
Labels: Christmas, kindness, motherhood
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
tidings on this december morn
(Written on November 30th at 8pm.)
It's the most wonderful time of the day. The children are nestled all snug in their beds. The halls are decked. The laundry is done. Peace on Earth.
I went to the grocery store earlier today. There were five different kinds of eggnog. I don't actually know anyone who likes eggnog. Who is buying all this eggnog? These are the things that I think about.
The halls are decked, but the mantle isn't quite finished. Big project this year folks. Ha! I say "this year" like all the other years have been simple. Sometimes I'm really in denial about my extreme craftiness obsessiveness. E.C.O. It should be added to Wikipedia. You might have it too.
If you have ever fallen asleep and woken up with one side of your face glittered, you may have E.C.O..
And another thing: If loving Pink is wrong, then I don't wanna be right. She makes my head bob and my legs bounce. She makes me want to go running. And that, my friends, is just what I need these days.
Happy December friends! Come back. It's gunna be a good month.
Monday, November 29, 2010
as we are
We took a bunch of photos last Saturday. I thought maybe we'd be able to get one to use for our Christmas cards.
There wasn't one single photo where everyone is looking at the camera smiling.
But this photo here. Well, it is probably the one I should send. It captures us as we really are. Fuzz head Frankie is happy, doing just what he is supposed to be doing for all his eight months of life. Birdie is throwing a temper tantrum. The boy is off in Never Neverland. I have plastered on a fake smile, but the strain shows through my eyes and the grit of my teeth. And the Sugar Daddy. Well, he's rolling with the punches, a little less bothered by the chaos. Trying to keep us all happy.
We're a rag tag bunch of hooligans.
This is us as we are today. Tomorrow might bring big changes. I like to say: you never know what's around the corner. My children could turn into perfect angels.
It could happen.
Please say it could happen.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
turkey with the rooster
Every other year my family gets together for Thanksgiving. We rotate hosting between the siblings. So six years ago we went to Oregon to Heidi's house. Two years later, I hosted at my house. In 2008 we all went to Hawaii because that 's what Amy wanted to do on her year and please, Hawaii? We say yes to that.
This year is The Rooster's year.
The Rooster is a bachelor. Not a Nate Burkus variety bachelor. He's a bachelor, bachelor. He made food assignments on Tuesday night. He bought disposable plates.
Two weeks ago my mother called him up to urge him to start planning. She asked coyly if he had thought about where he might want to set up tables. He told her he thought we'd have Thanksgiving dinner in his garage.
This information was meet with silence. Finally my brother said, "You think I'm going to make Thanksgiving shitty aren't you?"
My mom replied, "Well... yes."
The reality is that for us girls, a large part of Thanksgiving is in the table setting and the perfect ruffled pie crust. We spend hours making place cards and centerpieces. It's tradition that has been passed down for generations of Campbell women.
But I'm going to admit something here. And this is a big gesture on my part. The Rooster's Thanksgiving has been a nice change of pace.
If you strip away all the ornamentation and fancy food, you are left with one thing. Family.
And like most people, that's what I'm most thankful for this Thanksgiving.
And every day of my life.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
the dealer
The children love being at Grandma's house. Everyone one is so cheerful. I've wondered if the spirit of Thanksgiving has seeped it's way into their hearts. But I thinks it's more likely attributed to the candy that Grandma is slipping them on the sly when she thinks I can't see.
She should know that I can sniff out chocolate like a blood hound. It's a gift I have. And chocolate on my babies breath? Well, that's never going to go undetected.
It is curious to me that this woman, who raised me with strict household rules and regulations, has all of a sudden joined the kid's team and is trying to put one past me all the time.
When did she start running a covert candy operation anyway? I've decided that since everyone seems very happy about the situation except for me, I will let it slide. In the spirit of holiday benevolence, I will turn a blind eye to this bad behavior for now.
Eat up me hearties! Because when
The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy. - Sam Levenson
Monday, November 22, 2010
over the river and through hell
photo by doe-c-doe
Well, we went over the river and through hell and we arrived at Grandmas's house in a snow storm.
It feels so very holidayish here in Utah. There is snow softly coating the boughs of each pine tree. It is trimming the fences and topping the mailboxes. Bright yellow leafs poke out here and there. It's really quite a sight to see.
We had a pie preview night last night. It's a Campbell tradition. One that I highly recommend. A person can't truly enjoy all that pie has to offer if they are already stuffed with turkey.
All the extended family gathered together at my Aunt Carol's. We sat around, sampled pie, got caught up on each other's lives and watched all the babies play on the floor.
As hard as it is too travel with my kids, I know this is the good stuff. The stuff they will remember.
My mother did it for me. I will do it for them.
Friday, November 19, 2010
talk a lot, peck a little more
Amy's first egg
Both my sisters have chickens. I'm generally not a very jealous person but those chickens really bring it out in me. I would love to have chickens but I live in a neighborhood with a homeowner's association and some real persnickety people that would tattle on me for sure if I had chickens pecking around in my backyard. That, and I really don't want the responsibility of feeding one more living thing.
But someday. Someday I will have a cute little troop, or I should say, brood of hens to lay me brown eggs for breakfast. I will have a darling hen house painted robin egg blue. And I will go out each morning with a basket to collect the eggs.
My older sister, Heidi, has yet to get an egg out of her chickens. Her first four chickens were sent back to the farm from wence they came to become Sunday dinner because they didn't lay. Her second batch have yet to prove themselves. Pray for them my friends. Their names are Henrietta and Penny.
Last spring my little sister Amy got four Rhode Island Red laying hens. She named them Mae, Murdle, Marge and Helen. This left me the only sister without chickens. Chickenless. And green with envy.
Yesterday she got her first egg. That's it up there in the photo. She's very proud of it.
And this is her daughter Charley. Charley loves the chickens and helps care for them. I think Amy's pretty proud of her too.
photo by chelsea
If I can't have chickens, then by damn, I'm gonna taunt my sisters with thoughts of what might happen to theirs should they be less than vigilant.
Childish? I guess there are some things you never grow out of.
"The Opportunist" by Secondsister
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Izakey closed pull request #6: Revert "Document the Identity API" URL: https://github.com/apache/fineract-cn-identity/pull/6
---------------------------------------------------------------- This is an automated message from the Apache Git Service. To respond to the message, please log on GitHub and use the URL above to go to the specific comment. For queries about this service, please contact Infrastructure at: us...@infra.apache.org With regards, Apache Git Services

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This weeks challenge is a real goodie.....
Just use your favourite colour. I bet we will have a few entries this fornight with this challenge.lol And if the theme doesn't get you the sponsors will. Check them out down below but don't for get to check out the rules first. You can find them above this post.
Our sponsors this week are.....
International Sponsor
The very genorous and fabulous Zoe from Make it Crafty is sponsoring our international entries this challenge with a "little ripper" of a prize....
Make it Crafty - Think it. Make it. Love it!
Make it Crafty is a dream come true for Zoe who has loved making projects from paper from a young child. Whether it be drawing, making cards, colouring, or her absolute favourite 3D mechanical projects; Zoe is always trying to think about new ideas to play with!
For a number of years Zoe has wanted to share her ideas and love for craft products with you and so Make it Crafty was finally born where she sells some of her favourite products as well as special scene digital stamps designed for the characters you already own!
Zoe only sells products she uses personally so she is always ready to help you where she can. You may also like to stop by the Make it Crafty Blog to see the latest projects, news and tips!
NZ/Australia Sponsor
The Scrapbook Outlet NZ is your one stop shop for all your Scrapbooking and Rubber Stamping Supplies. We pride ourselves on providing top quality customer service and products at very competitive prices.
We offer a broad range of products and are committed to bringing you a large array of new and exciting products. The desire to have the latest and greatest products available (and have them all) has led to the opening of our online store.
The Scrapbook Outlet have supplied us with an awesome Scrapbooking Kit for one lucky entrant.
And now to our fantastic samples from the DT Lovelies....


text:
Disappearing ink
NORTH LIBERTY– Although this newspaper has a website with recent articles archived, you're probably reading this on paper. You're probably still reading your books by turning physical pages made of paper, hardcover or paperback, bought or borrowed, fiction or non-fiction.
You'll return these books to the library or loan them to a friend or family member, maybe keep them in your own library. You might annotate or highlight or underline passages, fold the corners down on favorite pages, press leaves between the pages of large books. Some people buy children's books for the illustrations, others look for their favorite classics at used bookstores.
Not too long ago, when electronic books were introduced, many gripped their bindings and hollered that the end of literature was near and as digital reading device prices drop, more people are reading electronic ink.
Online retailer Amazon.com recently announced it now sells twice as many e-books as printed books.
Electronic versions make some sense; publishers often remainder half of their initial editions of books and how many copies of this year's pulp fiction (paperbacks, not movies) do we need?
The book market, though, still belongs to paper copies, as a handful of major publishers churn out best-selling page-turners.
Books made of paper will likely never leave us. Their impact has left an indelible mark on us since the printing press was first used over 500 years ago. But the new way to read is starting to catch up with traditional print.
Since their introduction just a few years ago, e-readers, tablets, even devices like the Android have helped fuel the rise of virtual books.
Last year, electronic books accounted for about 20 percent of the entire book market, three times more than in 2010.
Amazon owns much of the e-book market after the debut of its Kindle devices in 2007. The e-readers initially ran around $400. Since then, a simple black and white e-reader has dropped below $100, and competes with Barnes and Nobles' Nook and other e-reading devices. Amazon's Kindle is also an app (short for computer application) that allows you to read on your home computer.
Amazon, you may have guessed, is the world's largest e-tailer (online retailer), engaged in a global media competition with digital giants Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft. Each company has carved a unique slice of the digital media and advertising markets, with some also entering the e-book arena.
The battle is ongoing and earlier this year several of the biggest publishers, along with Apple, settled out of court after the Department of Justice accused them of price-fixing e-books. Two remaining publishers, Macmillan and Penguin, will stay on to fight the DOJ lawsuit.
The effect on consumers will likely mean lower prices for many e-books at Amazon while Apple's iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, and others fight to keep pace with Amazon's sharp discounts.
The three-book set of the best-selling trilogy "The Hunger Games," offered through Amazon, is just under $30 in hardcover, about $27 for a collection of the paperback version and under $20 for the Kindle version, which you can download and start reading in under a minute, according to their website.
The Kindle device, among others, has a wireless function that enables users to find titles and instantly buy them. The company, based in Seattle, does about 60 percent of the e-book business through its Kindle device today.
They enjoyed a near-monopoly on e-books in 2010 when they were snapping up about 90 percent of the market by selling many electronic titles at a loss. The undercut pricing strategy is what prompted Apple and the publishers' drastic actions to retain control over pricing.
Today Apple does about 10 percent of the e-book market and Barnes & Noble sells about 25 percent.
Two of the most common types of devices offered are the black and white e-readers, which most closely resemble the printed page, and the color tablets. Both come in many different sizes.
Laptops and smartphones can also be used to download and read digital books and magazines.
E-books are also available for free from your local library, but for popular titles like "The Hunger Games," you might have to wait.
The public libraries in Solon and North Liberty pay a fee to a consortium called NEIBORS (North Eastern Iowa Bridge to Online Resource Sharing) for access to thousands of e-book titles and downloadable audio books. The consortium also lets patrons download audio books.
The annual fee for the service is a fraction of library's annual book budgets.
At the North Liberty Community Library (NLCL), Director Dee Crowner said her library will likely go outside NEIBORS to purchase its own copies of e-books in the future. (An NLCL building expansion project, to be completed next year, may impact their book budget.)
Just like regular books, the library loans digitals for two weeks and the files can be downloaded from home.
Libraries prefer that patrons return the digital copies early instead of letting the time just run out.
Although making a digital copy costs about 20 percent less than traditional bound books, e-book publishing isn't without its costs. All the media must be ready for customers from computer servers; each digital copy must be secured so they can't be shared between users; and each book must be digitized and designed.
Most libraries only buy the rights for one version and patrons must wait their turn to download the file.
For school libraries, unlimited use licenses are used so every student in a grade can have the same text.
Solon schools' district librarian Kathy Kaldenberg said that buying a book for every student in a grade can be cost prohibitive. She called the unlimited license for e-books a cost-effective way to distribute texts.
"The down side is that not all book titles are available (through multiple-user licensing)," she said.
In the Solon public schools, e-books are at each of the three buildings.
At the high school media center students can check out one of the three Nooks, purchased by the Solon Education Fund, that are loaded with titles. Kaldenberg said the e-readers were a big hit and more titles will be added to the devices next year.
At the Middle School, 50 e-books were made available as a pilot project at the end of the school year, and Lakeview Elementary has one Nook loaded with children's classic titles and Iowa Children's Choice Award titles.
Public libraries don't have unlimited use licenses for books and that can make for some long waiting lists. Over 150 libraries are members of NEIBORS and the numbers are growing, pinching the resources offered, but often titles are available through NEIBORS that aren't available locally.
Crowner said that using NEIBORS is much cheaper than sending inter-library loans between the state's public libraries.
Jacque Deaton, who helped set up NEIBORS for Solon's library, said that without the consortium service of the state library, Solon would not be able to afford something like it on their own. WILBUR (West/Central Iowa Libraries Building Online) is the other consortium in Iowa.
The Solon Public Library currently pays just $300 plus a per capita annually for its NEIBORS contract, a tiny fraction of their $26,000 budget for printed books for all ages: hardcover, paperback, and children's books. The fee will increase next year.
Solon spends about $4,000 for audio books on compact disc each year.
Deaton said that in Solon, downloadable audio books, which many users install on mp3 players, have had fewer checkouts as more e-books have become available and more library users purchase tablets and other e-readers.
At the North Liberty Community Library, audio book titles were as popular as their print versions.
What's the e-book impact on small publishers?
Local publisher Steve Semken, who runs Ice Cube Press from North Liberty, said he's not certain about the future of e-books. He doesn't like their design but does release his titles in digital form.
"I'm not sure if they are a fad or what," he said.
Semken has written about e-books on his publisher's blog where he's even called the future of book publishing bright. But he doesn't believe that the future of publishing is really even about digital books.
"At some point e-books may be real books," he wrote, "but the future of publishing is really about telling stories and sharing information."
He said he has yet to publish an audio book but, "more and more people ask me about them, so I'm sure I'll adapt and try this out too.
"Who am I to determine how a person likes to read?" he asked.
Ice Cube Press books are available through Semken's website at www.icecubepress.com; the Solon library site is at www.solon.lib.ia.us and North Liberty Community Library can be found at www.northlibertylibrary.org.


text:
Our complete multivitamin and mineral formula contains over 50 ingredients including antioxidants and Amino Acids, which perform a variety of functions necessary for health and wellness. Vita-Min™ is the easy way for adults of any age to get that "extra measure" of daily nutritional protection. Coated tablets for ease of swallowing; in a natural base of watercress, parsley, kelp and soy lecithin.
No Artificial Color or Flavor, No Preservatives, No Sugar, No Milk, No Lactose.


text:
Signature Dark Energy
Dark Energy Ride Mark II
Sizes: 20" 21" 22"
Weight: medium
Volume: soft to loud
Stick Sound: pronounced, crisp
Intensity: lively and extremely controllable
Sustain: medium
Bell Character: integrated, dark, full
Sound Character: A fusion of darkness, energy, projection and brilliance. Very wide range, complex, musical mix. Responsive feel, extremely controllable. Woody, silvery, spanky ping over crunchy, thriving wash. Extremely versatile, flexible ride for wide ranging application in modern blended music styles. Mark II: Tends to be a bit livelier and brighter. This manifests itself in the overall sound character and in particular in the bell and ping sound. Mark II also has a bit more volume potential due to its more open character.
|Artists playing this Cymbal !
Sound Room:
Click the icons below to hear them.
Download MP3 Sound Files Signature Dark Energy
Click the icons below to hear them.
Download MP3 Sound Files Signature Dark Energy
Home > Products > Cymbals > Signature Dark Energy > Rides > Dark Energy Ride Mark I | Dark Energy Ride Mark II |


text:
This Week in Monster Energy Supercross
Feld Motorsports PR
AURORA, Ill. (March 15, 2013) – Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Ryan Villopoto's 450SX Class-leading fifth win of the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, also signified a big night in the point standings for the reigning back-to-back title holder. As the season makes its return to the Midwest and Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium tomorrow night, Villopoto brings in a slim two-point lead over Rockstar Energy Racing's Davi Millsaps to the 11th race of the championship. Broadcast coverage of the 450SX Class and 250SX Class will air live on SPEED, tomorrow night, March 16, beginning at 7:30 p.m. SupercrossLIVE!® will stream three hours of practice and qualifying at www.SupercrossOnline.com beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
Villopoto was dominant last weekend in Daytona Beach, Fla., grabbing the early lead in the Main Event and overcoming an early mistake that dropped him to third to reclaim the top spot on Lap 3 and pull away for the win. Over the last four weeks of competition, Villopoto has claimed three wins and a runner-up effort. Additionally, he's moved from third to first in the 450SX Class standings, making up a 24-point deficit along the way. Tomorrow, Villopoto returns to arguably his most dominant venue at Indy, where he has stood atop the podium for three consecutive seasons.
"We're in the best position we've been all season," said Villopoto. "I didn't expect to be in the points lead this early after how far back we were, but we've been consistent and made it back to the top. The dirt is usually pretty good in Indy, but it depends on how the weather has been up there. I'm excited to have the red [number] plate back."
Fellow Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Jake Weimer is still working his way back from injury. While each week is a progressive step towards getting to the level he was at early in the season, Weimer is still in search of better results. Following a 13th-place effort in Daytona, Weimer is eager to bounce back in Indy.
"Indy should be a good weekend," said Weimer. "The past few weeks haven't gone my way, but we had fun this week so it should be good. I showed I had the speed to battle up front at the beginning of the season and I feel like that is back."
Millsaps had controlled the 450SX Class standings since capturing the win at the opening race of the season in Anaheim. Through the first eight races of the championship, Millsaps captured two victories and finished off the podium just once, in fourth. However, in back-to-back weeks he's had season-worst results of sixth and 10th in St. Louis and Daytona, respectively. Despite losing control of the championship, Millsaps still boasts the best average finish of any rider in the class this season and will look to bounce back inside a venue he finished third in one year ago.
"Well, Daytona was the worst race of the season so far, so I got that out of my way," said Millsaps. "Now it's time to climb my way back up to the top. It's Supercross, and it's going to happen. Other guys had bad races and now I just got rid of mine."
Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey captured his first podium finish in two races at Daytona, putting forth one of his most impressive efforts of the season. Dungey overcame a mid-pack start in the Main Event to eventually battle his way into third place and then catch second place just a few laps later. By virtue of his first runner-up finish of the season, Dungey minimized the points he lost to Villopoto and enters Indy 14 points out of the lead in third. Dungey shares the same finishing average as Villopoto through this point in the season.
After several weeks of tough outings, Team Honda Muscle Milk's Trey Canard showed the speed he had earlier in the season in Daytona. The Honda rider battled in the front portion of the field for most of the Main Event and ultimately settled for a solid sixth-place result, one of his best finishes of the past six races. He now sits in a tie for fourth in the championship heading into Indy.
"It has been a rough couple of weeks for me," stated Canard. "I gave all my effort [in Daytona], but I know that I have some things I need to work on. I'm happy to be healthy and moving onto the next race."
Fellow Team Honda Muscle Milk rider Justin Barcia was in the thick of the battle for the lead early in the Daytona Main Event, his first as a 450SX Class rider. After being passed by Villopoto, Barcia settled into second place but ultimately gave up the position to Dungey. Nevertheless, given the difficult conditions riders are faced with at Daytona, Barcia performed well in his big bike debut and is looking forward to Indy, where he can continue to close the gap on fourth in the championship.
"I am happy with how Daytona went and love being up on the podium," stated Barcia. "I want to win, but both Ryan's were riding really good so I was happy just to be up [on the podium] with them. The track was brutal and felt like an outdoor race for me. I rode the best I could and had a lot of fun."
TwoTwo Motorsports Honda rider Chad Reed was excited about his return to Daytona, where he is a three-time winner. Reed was fast aboard his Honda and looked like he could contend for a win, but after mid-pack starts in his Heat Race and the Main Event, combined with crashes in each, Reed was forced to battle his way through the field the entire evening. Nevertheless, he made the most of his misfortune and in the end managed to finish fifth, which helped him move into a tie for fourth in the championship with Canard. Reed is one of only two riders to ever win inside Lucas Oil Stadium, joining Villopoto in this elite group.
"On paper that was not the result I was hoping for, but there were still plenty of positives," Reed said. "The bike was fast and it felt good to be able to get back up, race hard and move up through the order in both my Heat and the Main. It was crazy out there, the track was gnarly and the ruts just got deeper, every lap there was someone off. Overall I felt good and I was competitive. We took a lot out of [Daytona]."
After turning things around in recent weeks and now consistently challenging for wins, Team Yohsimura Suzuki's James Stewart hoped to keep the momentum going in Daytona. After an impressive effort in his Heat Race, Stewart looked to duplicate that effort in the Main Event, but after a mid-pack start and an early fall, he settled into a spot inside the top 10 and brought home an eighth-place finish. He'll refocus his efforts on a second win this season at Indy.
"All day long [in Daytona], I felt pretty good," said Stewart. "I qualified second in practice and I was happy about how I rode in my Heat Race. But then I made a pretty significant change with the tire between the Heat Race and the Main Event and I completely went the wrong way. In the start of the Main Event, I got kind of cross-rutted coming out of the gate, but I was able to sneak around the inside and came out fourth or fifth. But, I struggled from Lap 1 to Lap 20. The Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 worked great, I just picked the wrong tire and that was that. We'll be back. I want to thank the Yoshimura Suzuki team, the last four races have been really good for us and I hate it that we got these results because of a decision that I made. I felt great going into the race and my endurance was good. But we'll be back, there's still a lot to fight for this year and we'll get 'em at Indy."
In three races aboard the BTO Sports KTM machine, Andrew Short is still in search of the consistency that helped him capture almost weekly top-10 finishes early in the season. Since joining the team in Atlanta, Short has just a best result of 10th and will continue to dial in the bike as the season heads to Indy tomorrow night. Despite the up-and-down results of late, Short still maintains control of eighth in the championship.
GEICO Honda rider Eli Tomac, the current Western Regional 250SX Class points leader, competed in his third race during a guest appearance in the 450SX Class this season. After mixed results the two weeks prior, Tomac experienced his best effort aboard the big bike in Daytona, almost battling his way to a spot on the podium. The fourth-place finish gave Tomac confidence aboard the 450cc Honda and he will look to possibly make another surprise run at the podium inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
"I finally rode like I know how to and felt really comfortable on the bike," said Tomac. "I didn't get the best start, but I was able to relax and make the passes I needed. I'm learning a lot this time on the 450 and definitely feel like I know what it takes to ride at this level."
Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's Justin Brayton had a tough outing in Daytona, encountering misfortune en route to a 20th-place finish in the Main Event. Despite that, Brayton still sits ninth in the standings and will look to rebound tomorrow night at a venue where he grabbed a runner-up finish one year ago.
In four races of Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship competition, three different riders have stood atop the podium. Through it all, GEICO Honda's Wil Hahn has emerged as the rider to beat, claiming two wins and finishing on the podium in each race, the only rider to do so. Hahn brings in a five-point lead into Indy as the championship leader and will look to keep his stellar start to the season going.
"I was satisfied with a second last weekend," Hahn said. "The Heat win really helped my confidence heading into the night, so that was cool. I got a fourth-place start in the Main and just tried to stay consistent and capitalize on any mistakes that were made in front of me. I wanted to win, but by the time I got into second, Marvin (Musquin) was gone."
Hahn's GEICO Honda teammate Zach Bell is still learning what it takes to be consistent in the pro ranks. The rookie rider has arguably the most raw speed of any rider in the class, but has yet to find the consistency to make him a consistent threat.
"I had a really good Heat Race finishing second behind Wil (Hahn), so I wanted to work off that," said Bell. "But the Main didn't go as well as I had hoped. I got a great start but came together with Dean (Wilson) and fell down. I made my way back up to eighth, but towards the end I fell again and finished 18th."
Many expected Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson to be the rider to beat in the Eastern Regional Championship, but since grabbing the win at the opening race, he's yet to claim another checkered flag. Wilson suffered from his worst outing of the young season in Daytona, finishing off the podium for the first time, and now facing a five-point deficit in the championship this weekend in Indy, he's looking for nothing less than a win.
"We are still very much in this championship," said Wilson. "We're only five points back with five rounds remaining. I have everything I need to win races and plan to do so."
Fellow Pro Circuit rider Justin Hill continues to improve each week. The rookie rider endured his toughest test of the season in Daytona to finish with a solid sixth-place result and will look to keep it going tomorrow night. He currently sits sixth in the championship standings.
"I had a strong week leading into Indy," said Hill. "I've been working hard on pushing myself and maintaining my pace throughout the full 15 laps [of the Main Event]. We'll be ready in Indy."
Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin has been chasing his first career Monster Energy Supercross victory for over a year. The French rider has incredible speed and the ability to challenge for the win, but he had yet to put it all together until last weekend in Daytona. After a perfectly-timed start out of the gate in the Main Event, Musquin held off an early charge from Wilson to eventually pull away from the field and claim that maiden victory on U.S. soil. The triumphant effort also moved him to third in the championship, 14 points out of the lead.
Rockstar Energy Racing's Blake Wharton had to overcome a tough start in Daytona, but the veteran rider did well to battle his way through the field and ultimately finish fifth. While he lost third in the championship to Musquin, Wharton is two points from reclaiming the position. He will defend his Indy victory from one year ago tomorrow night.
"[Daytona] was a gnarly track," said Wharton. "It is always gnarly; technical, dark, shadowy with deep sand. It definitely wasn't my best night. I was off for sure. If this can be my worst night and still be at least in the top five, that's alright. It was just an average night for me. I didn't get the starts I would have liked either. Next weekend is Indy and I won that last year, so that's always good."


text:
News & Notes: Game 46
Monday, May 23, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
TV: SNY (SportsNet New York), Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com
Buffalo Bisons (19-26, 5th(-9.0), North)
RHP Dylan Owen (1-2, 5.75)
Charlotte Knights (20-22, 3rd(-3.5), South)
RHP Gaby Hernandez (2-4, 3.31)
TODAY'S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Charlotte Knights in the third game of a four-game series from Coca-Cola Field (7:05 p.m.). The series is tied 1-1 after the Knights won 6-3 on Saturday and the Herd collected a 7-5 victory yesterday afternoon. Buffalo is now an even 12-12 in 24 games at home this season. After Wednesday's league-wide off day, the Bisons will welcome the Gwinnett Braves for a four-game series.
VS. THE KNIGHTS: The Bisons and Knights have split the first two games of their eight-game season series. Charlotte is one of only two teams in the International League that the Bisons have a losing record to since the Herd rejoined the IL. Buffalo is 50-56 against the Knights for a .471 winning percentage. Buffalo is also 27-29 against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
TODAY'S STARTER: RHP DYLAN OWEN is making his fourth start and seventh appearance of the year tonight. The righty has worked in the bullpen since rejoining the team on May 12. In his last start, April 25 vs. Lehigh Valley, Owen allowed just three hits in six shutout innings to beat the IronPigs. He struck out six and walked none in that outing. At Coca-Cola Field this season, Owen is 1-1 with a 2.92ERA in three appearances.
BIG INNING: The Bisons scored a season-best five runs in the third inning of yesterday's game. Five consecutive Herd batters plated runs, including the final four with two outs. After OF JASON BOTTS drove in a run on a groundout, OF BUBBA BELL, OF JESUS FELICIANO, INF CHIN-LUNG HU and C RAUL CHAVEZ all singled home runs in a five-pitch span. The inning was the fourth time the Bisons had batted around this season.
BISONS BITS: The Bisons are the only team in the International League that has yet to allow a passed ball…OF KIRK NIEUWENHUIS is the only player in the International League who has played 45 games…LHP JUSTIN HAMPSON has retired the first batter he has faced in 14 of his 15 outings with the Bisons (93% success rate)…INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI homered yesterday and is hitting .310 with three homers and 17RBI in May…Before yesterday's game, INF JONATHAN MALO was transferred to Double-A Binghamton.
METS UPDATE: The Mets (22-24) lost to the Yankees yesterday, 9-3, at Yankee Stadium. Former Bison OF FERNANDO MARTINEZ had a pair of hits and a run scored. RHP MIKE PELFREY allowed five runs in six innings to fall to 3-4 on the season. New York is off tonight and will face the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.


text:
Welcome to redesigned version of Strip Poker with Eva Angelina. Lots of new pictures have been added so we are hoping you'll be enjoying this one!
Forget Angry Birds, Doodle Jump and other Android games. Eva is here to sharpen up your poker skills and help you spend couple enjoyable hours unlocking pictures. Rules are simple - amass $201 or more and our gorgeous dealer will start stripping.
Eva Angelina rightfully has so many fans, and if you already haven't, you'll probably join that army when you start unlocking pictures in this game. Especially when you see some of the sets when Eva brings friends, like Tori Black. Once unlocked, use pictures for wallpaper or send them to your friends - we promise they'll dig the picture if there is Eva on it ;)
Difficulty setting is, of course, in this game also - to help you unlock pictures more easily if game proves to be too challenging.
Installs to SD Card by default; if you have problems with starting the game or progress saving - make sure SD card is available, or move game back to main Phone memory!!
We share data with a service provider, AppLovin Corporation. The use of your data by AppLovin is subject to AppLovin's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Both policies are available at www.applovin.com


text:
| 12.7°C Belfast
Tom Hardy has revealed that he likes to use the belongings of people he plays - so he has borrowed some "kit" from Sir Elton John for the film Rocketman.
Locke star Tom is due to play the bespectacled singer in a biopic that will begin filming in the autumn and told the Daily Mail how he was preparing for the role.
He said: "When I play a real person, I like to have bits of them. Since I can't take physical body parts and sever those, I try and grab as much 'kit' off them as possible."
Tom joked: "Then you can sell it on eBay."
Recently, the Inception star told the Wall Street Journal he had some nerves over his singing ability: "I can't hold a tune to save my life. God knows how I'm going to do that.
"But then I couldn't cage fight before I'd gotten in with Warrior. And I still can't. I'm not supposed to be a cage fighter. I'm only playing one."
Tom also explained what it was that made him choose roles: "It comes back to a very basic principle of story. Is it interesting? Do I want to be a part of it? Yes. How does it work? That's when you get back to a pragmatic sense of 'What's the practical next step?'
"I don't get up in the morning and go, 'I have to find a piece where I can look into someone's eyes'."