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Getting the Most From a Beading Class
A design has caught your eye, and you've signed up for the class to make that beautiful piece of jewelry. How exciting! Now what? Over the years, I've had the good fortune to take classes from many of the top designers and I've also enjoyed teaching many, many classes. I'd like to share some tips I've picked up along the way, from both sides of the needle, to ensure your class is a fun and successful learning experience.
First and foremost, be prepared. Nothing sabotages your experience as a student more than not being prepared and/or being in over your head.
Review the stitches that will be used in the design and any prerequisite skills required for the class. If the stitches are being taught as part of the class – great. However, if you are expected to arrive at the class already knowing the stitches, learn them prior to the class if you aren't already proficient. There are many wonderful videos on line from which you can learn beading stitches, as well as step by step instructions in beading books, on websites, and in magazines. Review more than one source if time permits, and then practice so you are comfortable with the stitch(es) and any specified variations – i.e., increasing, decreasing, odd count, tubular, etc.
If you are purchasing a kit for the class, you can be assured the beads included will be appropriate for the design. Determine whether there are any additional items not included in the kit that you will need to bring to class. Thread and needles are not always supplied, and sometimes other pieces, like focal beads, may not be a part of the kit, to allow students the opportunity to personalize a design.
If you will be supplying your own beads, make sure you have all of the materials called for, and in the appropriate sizes and quantities specified. Often material lists state supplies to make a specific size or length of the design. If you need a larger or longer size, take that into consideration when purchasing your materials. If you choose to make substitutions rather than using exactly the materials called for, know that your resulting design might look different (and not necessarily in a good way). The instructor may not know with certainty if a particular substitution will work, so proceed with caution if substituting. Consider sticking with exact supplies for the class project, and then substituting on subsequent pieces only after you have become familiar with all aspects of the design. This applies to all materials, including needles and thread. If a particular type and size is recommended, that is likely because it will give a result consistent with the class sample. Using an alternate may cause difficulty, such as making multiple passes through small beads difficult or not providing enough structural support for the design.
In addition, if you will be picking out your own materials, please, please do it before the start of class. It is both distracting and inconsiderate to be running around the store, shopping and asking for opinions on materials choices after the class has started. And it takes away from the learning time you have paid for.
What to Bring To Class
Beyond the supplies needed for the design, there are some other items to bring to class to make your experience great. Here are a few of my essentials:
Work surface – some class venues supply beading surfaces to use in class, but some do not, so bring your preferred mat or tray if you are uncertain, or prefer having your own.
Scissors – please, never attend a beading class without bringing scissors!
Small beading lamp and extension cord – lighting at some class venues can be less than optimum.
Magnification – if you need it for beading at home, you will need it in class. Remember to bring the glasses you bead with, or an appropriately sized magnifier. Even the best instructors can't help you see the beads!
There are many other optional items that could come in handy. I've assembled a traveling tool kit in a zippered Mead pencil case that I take to all beading classes, both as a student and as an instructor. My case holds the following items:
Pen for making notes on instructions
Awl, tapered and with a sharp point for removing stitches or loosening unwanted knots
Thread zapper
Clip-on magnifiers
Bead scoop
Stopper clips
Ruler or measuring tape
Small ziplocks for rounding up beads cut from strands or hanks
A section of a drinking straw, slit along the length, to use as an adjustable armature for starting beaded tubes
A chunk of microcrystaline wax in a case from The Container Store
Tiny pliers to pull a needle through a tight spot, or for breaking beads (I know...don't judge!)
Extra packs of needles, including "sharps" - short, sharp needles helpful in burying tails or stitching in tight spaces with short threads
Additional comfort items to consider bringing to class include a sweater, a bottle of water, and a seat cushion.
The Day of Class
Be on time! Arrive at the venue early enough to check in, meet the instructor, settle into your spot, make a quick bathroom visit, and purchase any last minute materials. Be in your seat, ready to start at the appointed class time. It may seem obvious, but you and your fellow classmates are paying for this time so make the most of it. It's to your advantage to get as far into the design today, with the instructor present, as the time will allow, so use the time wisely.
Be considerate of fellow classmates. Set up your space so you can bead comfortably, but be mindful of your neighbors' space too. Put your personal belongings under your chair or far away from the table, rather than next to, or around your chair. During class the teacher will likely want to check on your progress, or you may want assistance. Give the teacher unobstructed access to stand beside you without straddling your lunch tote. Put your phone on silent, and if you must take a call during class leave the room. Go far enough away from the class that no one can hear your conversation. As you are waiting for class to begin, look through the instructions to familiarize yourself with the basic steps of the design, but it's a good idea to not start beading until the instructor opens the class. Sometimes you won't start at the beginning, and sometimes there are alterations to the written instructions.
During Class
Listen whenever the teacher addresses the class. You can be sure if she's talking to the whole class, you won't want to miss what she's saying – it could impact your results. Watch the demonstrations by the instructor. Even though you may be familiar with the technique, you may still learn something – a different way to hold the work, how to count rows, and many other tips are often shared during demonstration of steps. Don't offer your opinion to fellow classmates on how you would have made the design differently. I have seen this happen in many classes I have attended and I think it reflects poorly on the opinionated beader and doesn't enhance anyone's class experience. There are many ways to accomplish things and you didn't design this project, so let her teach it her way.
The End of the Class
Nearing the end of the class, if you will not be finishing the design in class, read through the instructions for any steps you haven't completed and be sure you understand them. If you have questions about finishing, now is the time to bring them up, unless the instructor has indicated otherwise. Be sure you have a clear understanding of how to complete the rest of the design on your own.
Often at the end of a class students want to take their own photos of the class samples. Instructors usually don't mind but it's best to ask if you are uncertain of the instructor's preference. This is also great time to exchange phone numbers or email addresses with your classmates (aka new beading friends), and possibly schedule an additional time to meet to finish the design together. And finally, instructors love constructive feedback. If there was something the instructor said or did that really resonated with you, tell them! It helps them to become even better at what they do.
Whether you are attending one of the national beading events this summer, a destination beading retreat, or simply a class at your local bead store, I hope some of the ideas above will help to enhance your class experience. Enjoy!


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Rebecca Toh (b. 1986) is a photographer working around the world. Influenced by the ability of a film to tell moving, layered stories, she works to inject emotion, story-telling and a sense of the cinematic into the images she creates for a diverse range of commercial, advertising and editorial clients across multiple industries and cities.
Based in Singapore, but always on the road.
Represented by Amanacliq.
(View my Amanacliq photographer's page.)
Other projects:
Creative People + Projects
rebeccatoh.co (writing)
Social media:
In both life & work I've been inspired by:
Jack Kerouac. Haruki Murakami. Anthony Bourdain.
Pico Iyer. Kyoichi Tsuzuki. Jonas Bendiksen.
Jonas Mekas. Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Fred Rogers. Anne Frank.
Ellen Loo. Chet Lam.
Parker J. Palmer.
"I simply looked at the world, not prepared for anything."
- Saul Leiter
A couple of emails a month. Honest, useful emails about the lessons I've learned as a creative and human being.
Here is the archive of my past newsletters.
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One of the earliest photographs I made with the first camera I ever owned, the Canon EOS88
Central Provident Fund Board Singapore
Conde Naste Traveler
DBS Bank
Health Promotion Board Singapore
J. Walter Thompson
Jetstar Australia
Lien Foundation
Ministry of Education Singapore
Pontiac Land Group
Procter & Gamble
Qantas Airways
Singapore International Film Festival
Singapore Tourism Board
The Lo & Behold Group
The New York Times
UOL Group Limited
Singapore Tatler Gen.T List - May 2018
The Mindful Company - Dec 2017
PMQ - March 2017
Brownie Magazine - 2016
Nookmag - 2015
Nope Fun - 2015
Freja Daily - 2014
Naiise - May 2014
VSCO Journal - April 2014
The Straits Times, Through the Lens - 2014
art4d.asia - October 2013
Good Sweat
What Do I Live For?
Encounters - Issue 1, October 2012 (1, 2, 3, 4)
SLO - Issue 02, September 2012 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Alter:SG - 2011


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Our Translators
Simon John
Simon John was born in the United Kingdom. After graduating from Cambridge University, he stage-managed and produced touring theater productions for two years. A chance encounter with an unholy trinity on a quest for wine, women and goat's cheese led him to Paris, where he began working in film production and translation.
While his focus has been on translating and subtitling movies, such as Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or-winner Love or blockbusters Taken 1 & 2, Simon has also translated for Yasmina Réza, art magazine L'Officiel Art and gardening manuals. After 20 fertile years and 3,713 goat's cheese salads in Paris, he is now based in Berlin. The Bleiberg Project is the first novel he has translated.
Sally Pane
Sally Pane studied French at State University of New York Oswego and the Sorbonne before receiving her Masters Degree in French Literature from the University of Colorado where she wrote Camus and the Americas: A Thematic Analysis of Three Works Based on His Journaux de Voyage. Her career includes more than twenty years of translating and teaching French and Italian at Berlitz and at University of Colorado Boulder. She has worked in scientific, legal and literary translation; her literary translations include Operatic Arias; Singers Edition, and Reality and the Untheorizable by Clément Rosset, along with a number of titles in the Winemaker Detective series. She also served as the interpreter for the government cabinet of Rwanda and translated for Dian Fossey's Digit Fund. In addition to her passion for French, she has studied Italian at Colorado University, in Rome and in Siena. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband.
Julie Rose
Renowned French translator Julie Rose has translated over 30 books and plays in a career that has included teaching French language and literature and interpreting in Paris for top-level foreign delegations. She has worked in the print media as a writer and critic and in theatre and film as a dramaturg and script editor and brings an innate understanding of drama to her work as a translator of some of France's most highly-prized writers, both classical and contemporary: Racine, Molière, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas père, André Schwarz-Bart, the André Gorz of Letter to D. fame, cultural critic Paul Virilio, Jacques Rancière, Chantal Thomas, Hubert Damisch and many more. Critics point to the musicality of her work, its surgical precision and force.
Best-known these days for her critically acclaimed translation of Victor Hugo's masterpiece, Les Misérables, Rose has always been an avid reader of crime fiction. The Greenland Breach is her first thriller, unless you count Les Misérables, which Rose considers one of the first great detective novels of our time.
Find out more:
- Julie Rose on being a thriller addict and what that has to do with translation
- A translator's perspective: Julie Rose on translation, her career and The Greenland Breach at Mystery Writing is Murder
- Discover the challenges and joys of the translation in this interview with Julie Rose
Anne Trager
Anne Trager loves France so much she has lived there for 27 years and just can't seem to leave. What keeps her there is a uniquely French mix of pleasure seeking and creativity. Well, that and the wine. In 2011, she woke up one morning and said, "I just can't stand it anymore. There are way too many good books being written in France not reaching a broader audience." That's when she founded Le French Book to translate some of those books into English. The company's motto is "If we love it, we translate it," and Anne loves crime fiction, mysteries and detective novels.
Sophie Weiner
Sophie Weiner is a freelance translator and book publishing assistant from Baltimore, Maryland. After earning degrees in French from Bucknell University and New York University, Sophie went on to complete a master's in literary translation from the Sorbonne, where she focused her thesis on translating wordplay in works by Oulipo authors. She has translated and written for web-based companies dedicated to art, cinema, and fashion as well as for nonprofit organizations. Growing up with Babar, Madeline, and The Little Prince, Sophie was bitten by the Francophile bug at an early age, and is fortunate enough to have lived in Paris, Lille, and the Loire Valley.
Jeffrey Zuckerman
Jeffrey Zuckerman was born in the Midwest and lives in New York. He has worked as an editorial assistant, a lifeguard, and a psychology researcher. Now an editor for Music and Literature Magazine, he also freelances for several companies, ranging from the pharmaceutical industry to old-fashioned book publishing. He holds a degree in English with honors from Yale University, where he studied English literature, creative writing, and translation. He has translated several Francophone authors, from Jean-Philippe Toussaint and Antoine Volodine to Régis Jauffret and Marie Darrieussecq, and his writing and translations have appeared in the Yale Daily News Magazine, Best European Fiction, and The White Review. In his free time, he does not listen to music.


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Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES (TNS) — Jack Van Berg, who walked the barns of Southern California race tracks for more than 40 years and remained haunted by the Triple Crown he never won, died Wednesday in Little Rock, Ark., from complications of cancer. He was 81.
Van Berg, always adorned in a cowboy hat befitting his upbringing in rural Nebraska, is most known for being the trainer of Alysheba. The colt won the 1987 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and was one race — the Belmont Stakes — from Triple Crown immortality.
"It was obvious my horse could gallop faster than most of those horses could run," Van Berg told the Los Angeles Times' Bill Plaschke on the 10-year anniversary of the Belmont loss.
However, Bet Twice, a colt that Alysheba had beaten in the first two Triple Crown races, was the best that day and Alysheba's Triple Crown bid ended.
"Do I still think about that race? Sure I think about it," Van Berg told Plaschke. "So does my banker. He has nightmares."
Van Berg will be remembered for more than one horse. He was inducted into the hall of fame in 1985, before his Triple Crown run with Alysheba.
His horses ran 41,164 races, winning 6,523. His earnings totaled almost $87 million, mostly before the gigantic purses of today. His last race as a trainer was Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, when his horse Silver Turns Gold finished 11th.
He left Southern California and moved to Arkansas in 2013 after the closure of Hollywood Park.
"I just think it's a pathetic thing," he said then. "It's ridiculous to let something like this that so many people love and thrive on close. They did everything they could to kill racing. I've had enough. I don't like California racing anymore."
Van Berg was born John Charles Van Berg on June 7, 1936, in Columbus, Neb. His father, Marion, also a successful trainer, won more than 1,500 races.
Jack dominated racing at Ak-Sar-Ben — Nebraska spelled backward — in Omaha for almost 20 years, from 1959-1977, where he was the leading trainer. He was the first trainer to win 5,000 races, a milestone he reached at Chicago's Arlington Park.
Alysheba, who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 1988, was not his only Triple Crown race winner; he won the Preakness with Gate Dancer in 1984.
Van Berg was among the first trainers to have barns at various locations across the country, causing him to grouse about spending too much time on airplanes. In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, his primary barn was at Hollywood Park and he became a resident of the Airport Park View Hotel between the race track and the Forum until he left for Oaklawn in Arkansas after Hollywood Park closed.
Van Berg is survived by his son, Tom, a trainer, and daughters Tori, Tammy and Tracy. His other son Tim, also a trainer, died earlier this year.
(c)2017 Los Angeles Times
Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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Where physical and digital spaces meet
For his dissertation at the University of Toronto, Hampton studied an extraordinary early experiment in wired living. In the mid-1990s, a consortium that included IBM and Apple helped raise more than $100 million to turn a new suburban development in Newmarket, Ontario, a Toronto suburb, into the neighborhood of the future. As houses went up, more than half of them got high-speed Internet (this in the age of dial-up), advanced browser software for their computers, a tool for videoconferencing between houses and a Napster-like tool for music sharing. He treated the other homes as a control group. From October 1997 through August 1999, Hampton lived in a basement apartment in the new development, observing and interviewing his neighbors.
Hampton found that, rather than isolating people, technology made them more connected. "It turns out the wired folk — they recognized like three times as many of their neighbors when asked," Hampton said. Not only that, he said, they spoke with neighbors on the phone five times as often and attended more community events. Altogether, they were much more successful at addressing local problems, like speeding cars and a small spate of burglaries. They also used their Listserv to coordinate offline events, even sign-ups for a bowling league. Hampton was one of the first scholars to marshal evidence that the web might make people less atomized rather than more. Not only were people not opting out of bowling leagues — Robert Putnam's famous metric for community engagement — for more screen time; they were also using their computers to opt in.
Lots more here, all interesting. Of course, since that time the iPhone and smartphones in general descended on the world and pushed us even deeper across the membrane separating the physical world from the digital one, but it's good to see actual quantitative research into the effects of technology. The reflexive reaction is generally negative.
Based on visits to parks and plazas in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Minneapolis, Montreal and Venice, Whyte and his acolytes formulated conclusions that were, for their time, counterintuitive. For example, he discovered that city people don't actually like wide-open, uncluttered spaces. Despite the Modernist assumption that what harried urban people need are oases of nature in the city, if you bother to watch people, you see that they tend to prefer narrow streets, hustle and bustle, crowdedness. Build a high-rise with an acre of empty plaza around it, and the plaza may seem desolate, even dangerous. People will avoid it. If you want people to linger, he wrote, give them seating — but not just benches, which make it impossible for people to face one another. Movable chairs can be better. Also: Never cordon off a fountain. "It's not right to put water before people and then keep them away from it," Whyte wrote in his 1980 book, "The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces." People want to splash, dip their toes, throw coins. He believed that dense greenery can make places feel less safe, that people find the fishbowl effect of sunken plazas disconcerting and, presciently, that food trucks draw crowds. Whyte's insights were incorporated into 1975 revisions of New York's zoning code, and the Bryant Park Corporation — credited with turning around the once-squalid park — bases its work on many of his principles.
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces collects more of these fascinating observations on urban design from William Whyte. I browsed my friend's copy years ago and found a lot that was counter-intuitive to this armchair urban planner.
First off, mobile-phone use, which Hampton defined to include texting and using apps, was much lower than he expected. On the steps of the Met, only 3 percent of adults captured in all the samples were on their phones. It was highest at the northwest corner of Bryant Park, where the figure was 10 percent. More important, according to Hampton, was the fact that mobile-phone users tended to be alone, not in groups. People on the phone were not ignoring lunch partners or interrupting strolls with their lovers; rather, phone use seemed to be a way to pass the time while waiting to meet up with someone, or unwinding during a solo lunch break. Of course, there's still the psychic toll, which we all know, of feeling tethered to your phone — even while relaxing at the park. But that's a personal cost. From what Hampton could tell, the phones weren't nearly as hard on our relationships as many suspect.
When I met Hampton, he proved this point by gesturing around us, at our fellow diners at the Bryant Park Grill, where we were eating on a beautiful summer day, and at the hundreds of others beyond us in the park, enjoying the sun at tables, in chairs and on the lawn beyond us. "In the busiest public spaces, where there are a lot of groups, like this kind of public space, it's like 3 percent," he said. "Three percent. I can't even see someone on a cellphone right now, but yet how many times have you seen a story that says, 'People on cellphones in public spaces is rude, it's creating all sorts of problems, people are walking into traffic.' I mean, we really have a strong sense that it's everywhere."
Hampton's project offers an explanation for that misperception. It turns out that people like hanging out in public more than they used to, and those who most like hanging out are people using their phones. On the steps of the Met, "loiterers" — those present in at least two consecutive film samples, inhabiting the same area for 15 seconds or more — constituted 7 percent of the total (that is to say, the other 93 percent were just passing through). That was a 57 percent increase from 30 years earlier. And those using mobile phones there were five times as likely to "loiter" as other people. In other words, not that many people are talking, or reading, texting or playing Candy Crush on the phone, but those who do stick around longer.
It's commonly accepted that not only are smartphones are stealing people's attention from the real world, it's not socially healthy. Our attention spans are getting shorter, we are not paying attention to other people, our relationships are more shallow and transient when pulled through the narrow digital pipes of social networking services.
More omnipresent internet connectivity, smartphones, and the proliferation of Internet services that are never-ending firehoses of information of variable quality have turned the world into a giant information Skinner box, and I'm as guilty as anyone of succumbing to the temptation. Most of us spend more of our lives now retreating from the physical world into a world of information.
Is that inherently bad? Conventional wisdom has been a harsh judge, but for now I'm withholding judgment. I don't doubt there are some truly perverse downsides at the extremes on sociability, physical health, and perhaps even mental focus, but I'd love more in-depth discussion of the positives. For example, television, regarded in decades past as intellectually corrosive, has been proven to have significant positive social effects in countries where it becomes widespread.


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Introducing a Theology of the Cross
The word "theology" brings up strong feelings in some and is virtually unknown to others. The word has its origin in Greek: theos – meaning "god" and ology – meaning "study of."
The ancient people understood that the study of God was more than just theorizing about some deity we can't see. They were talking about the ultimate character of the universe that humans inhabit. They realized that human cultures both shaped and were shaped by their stories of God or gods. When that god is an authoritarian warrior who violently captures more and more territory, it is likely that the leaders of that culture will do the same. God-language for most of the ancient world described the universe, how human beings are to relate to each other, what kind of society to build, and how humans understand their role and purpose in that society. Whoever controls the narrative about God, then, has an enormous sway over that population to tilt people's behavior toward their favor.
The Jewish tradition, according to many historians, was the first time that the idea of "god" was used not to maintain the status quo, but to overthrow it. In Exodus Chapter 3, God speaks to Moses and sends him to free the people from slavery to the Egyptians. The conflict that follows is not a conflict between God the creator and Pharaoh. It is a conflict between two theologies, as Pharaoh was understood to be part-god. For the People of Israel, God is a "revolutionary God." God takes every status quo and seeks to transform it to be more just and deeply peaceful.
The theology of the People of Israel was not, therefore, about a static God who blessed the way things are, but a God who led toward a better way to be human and to be human community. God is a revolutionary God.
In the time of Jesus, Augustus Caesar was understood to be the son of the god Apollo. This expressed their claim that the Roman occupation of other lands was not only due to the military power of Rome, but was also the will of the gods. You can't fight city hall and the throne room of the universe!
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is claimed to be the Son of God. Born to a lower class family, this claim was meant to create a stark contrast between the ways of the God of Israel and the gods of the Romans: God works through the weak and powerless to overturn the way things are to create a new way for human beings to live, and live together.
At its root both Jewish and Christian theology is rooted in the practice of critiquing the current worldviews and cultural expressions and advocating for change. Just as our tradition understands that baptism means a life so deeply rooted in God's love that we can go through a continual process of change, so our tradition advocates our participation in God's healing and creating of the world.
Here is how we express this in TCC:
Theology is the practice of the critique of worldviews and how they form and deform human beings: we practice theology from the perspectives of the Jewish and Christian tradition.
Theology of the Cross:
First let's talk about what we don't mean by this: we do not mean some kind of atonement theory where God has to punish Jesus to be able to forgive us. (We do believe that we experience reconciliation with God in and through Jesus. But we don't believe that God is a child abuser who needs or benefits from violence.)
In the Lutheran tradition, we understand a theology of the cross to mean something like this: that God heals and creates the world not by brute force or power over people but by joining humans and human community in its darkness and pain and bringing new life precisely there.
We understand that Jesus' life, death and resurrection is not simply a one-time event, but rather expresses what God always does.
God seeks to honor the dignity of creation and the dignity and mystery of human beings by joining with us in our own vulnerability and in our own pain and darkness so that God can bring new life to us and to all creation.
Here is how we express our understanding of a theology of the cross
Because the earth is beautiful with its species, people and cultures yet broken with injustice and violence, God suffers with and brings new life and new ways of living together as revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.


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"Claire Rose" is one of our 2017 Fall Collection honorees! Claire chose a beautiful dusty rose kolor and appropriately named it, "Claire Rose."
Claire's Story:
Claire Rose was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma on May 22, 2014 at four years old. Her tumor was between her 7th & 8th ribs near her spine. She endured 17 grueling rounds of chemotherapy, and multiple surgeries over the course of a year. She had 4 ribs removed, and a spinal fusion. We are blessed to say she has been considered in remission since May 14, 2015. She is now 7 years old, and a gifted competitive dancer.
She has a special place in her heart for other kids fighting cancer, and visits Johns Hopkins where she was treated every Friday night, to spend time with kids currently fighting cancer.
Claire has been diagnosed with beginning stage kidney disease caused by the chemotherapy she received. She has also been diagnosed with "failure to thrive," as she is just 41lbs at 7 1/2 years old.
We can't express how blessed we feel to have her here with us. We know she is destined for big things, as "though she be but little, she is fierce."
Made in the U.S.A. and free of Toluene, Formaldehyde, DBP, and Camphor. All polishes are .47 fl oz. For external use only.
All net proceeds go to Claire and her family. Therefore, we appreciate your understanding that we are unable to provide refunds or exchanges.


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Synopsis for Make Me:
What happens to child movie stars after they crash their cars, burn through their money, and land in rehab? This is the story of Anya, a former TV actor, who is determined to claw her way back into the spotlight, and Rhiannon, a friend who is willing to help her. Together they create a website that allows users to vote on ways to give Anya's life a complete makeover. Fans not only voted on how to change her appearance, they also make other decisions for her, like where she should live and whether to dump her boyfriend. The catch—Anya must do the makeover that wins the most votes or the project will be shut down. The gimmick works, the site goes viral, but the fans aren't predictable and the makeovers aren't always easy. Read this behind-the-scenes account of how two eighteen-year-old girls become adults and one of them risks everything to become an icon
My Review:
Let me just start by saying, I loved this book!
It centers around Anya a former television star that is trying to get her career back up and running. It's told by her friends point of view as they decide to start this crazy makeover website to boost her fame again. It makes them do some insane stuff in order to gain popularity and fans. Let me tell you things get pretty C-R-A-Z-Y!
I think it's a really original idea that shows the bad side of fame and the crazy lengths people will go through to obtain it.
P.S- they also have an actual website makemeover.us that you can virtually see what they are talking about! I know, Super cool right?


text: Ashley+Derek / Sneak Peek They readied at the Marlton, married at the Church of Ascension + partied the night away at Tribeca Rooftop. Amazing!!I'm still digging through the box of jewels that are their wedding pics, but I just had to share a few! sneak peek, weddingsHeather Phelps-LiptonDecember 7, 2016Washington Square, NYC, New York CIty, Weddings, Sneak Peek, the Marlton, Tribeca Rooftop, October Wedding, Fall Wedding Facebook0 Twitter Tumblr 0 Likes


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Join others in an informal study group exploring the relationship of Bowen theory and evolutionary theory. The current structure is one in which members have the opportunity to discuss areas of current interest and/or to learn about how evolution operates and its relevance to Bowen theory. Prior knowledge about evolutionary theory is not required and if desired a syllabus can be developed to increase knowledge of it.
The dates and times are to be decided. Local, national an international attendance may be by Zoom with prior arrangement. If you have questions or are interested please contact Celeste Compomizzi at 412-251-6070 or Jim Smith at 412-370-3880 or at [email protected].


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Perham's defense forced 30 turnovers and held Park Rapids to only nine field goals in a 74-24 boys basketball victory at the Area High School gym Monday night.
The Yellowjackets jumped out to an 11-0 lead en route to a 32-9 lead at the half. Taylor Kimball hit a 3-pointer with 14:45 to play in the first half to end Perham's game-opening run.
Perham followed with a 9-0 run before Paul Dirks' layup made it 21-5 with 7:21 to go in the first half. Two free throws by Kimball with 3:22 left and another layup by Dirks with 1:43 remaining accounted for the Panthers' other points.
Another 9-0 run to open the second half gave Perham a 41-9 lead with 16:15 to play. After a layup by Mitch Long at the 16:03 mark, the Yellowjackets went on a 14-0 run to build a 55-11 lead with 13:54 remaining. Dillon Theis' layup with 13:36 left ended that streak.
Theis hit two free throws and a pair of layups as the Panthers trailed 61-19 with 11:34 to go. Perham led 70-19 with 7:49 to play before layups by Kyle Goplerud and Chris Goplerud and a free throw by Tyler Ridlon in the final 6:08 ended Park Rapids' scoring.
Ben Bucholz (21), Zach Gabbard (15) and Sam Stratton (12) hit double figures for Perham, which improved to 10-3 on the season. The Yellowjackets were ranked No. 10 in this week's state Class AA poll.
Theis (8), Kimball (5) and Dirks (4) combined for 17 points to lead the Panthers, who fell to 0-11 on the season.
The Panthers, who played at Nevis Thursday night and hosted Detroit Lakes in a Mid-State Conference game Friday night, will host Crosby-Ironton in another conference game Tuesday night.


text: Hello, Palm Springs! Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to speak on a panel at the Create & Cultivate Desert Pop-Up. The event drew a massive crowd of women entrepreneurs, creatives, and aspiring self-starters who gathered to share ideas, network, and grow. It was empowering to hear so many other women's stories of success and forging their own career path.Read More


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RHoliday Inn Resort Montego Bay offers a wide array of live entertainment.
You can make your Montego Bay getaway so very special by staying at our resort. Along with offering stunning scenery and an incredibly romantic location for say, a honeymoon, or just some well deserved time off, we also are proud to present exciting performances by the pool side, which include musical acts on stage at several times during the day in the evenings. The fun is for all ages!
Phone: Call: 1-876-953-2485
Toll Free: 1-888-288-6006


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Anywhere, everywhere: discover the Twingo advertising campaign by Kuntzel+Deygas
Nothing is impossible for Twingo. It can ride on an elephant, zigzag through a row of handbags or get into a pair of shoes…. Or at least it can in the fantastic world created by visual artists Kuntzel and Deygas for its latest advertising campaign.


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The forklift in simple terms can be described as a device that can lift hundreds of kilograms. They are usually made of steel and depending on their capacity can support up to a few tons. They are mostly powered by gasoline, propane or electricity. Forklifts are used in ware houses mostly. By using forklifts, a person can move large amount of weight at once.
The project at hand "Remote Operated Fork Lift Btech BE Mechanical Final Report", the forklift is designed with the latest technology and a prototype model is designed here. This project is connected by remote technology with the operator in a position to walk along the forklift improving his visibility and the container is placed accurately. This kind of forklift greatly improves the safety of the operator.
This project Remote operated forklift aims to create mechanical movements in a forklift as per command signals produced and passed through RF module designed remote. The controller chip generates the data code and transmitted as a modulated signal. The receiver on receiving the signal demodulates it and the output is given to a microcontroller unit assembled over the forklift. The controller controls the motors via the H-bridge as programmed.
The forklift designed in this project can move in all directions including reverse direction. In this project, a communication is set up between two points in space. The waves that are transmitted and received are radio waves.
Btech BE Mechanical Final Report Conclusion:
By implementing this project, the vehicle can move in any direction enabling rotational movement too. Also human errors can be eliminated. Since it is a machine it can carry heavy loads. This means more amount of cargo can be transported at a very small amount of time. This factor is hugely responsible in increasing the productivity. The project here can be implemented in warehouses and reduce the pressure on manpower resources.
Download Remote Operated Fork Lift Btech BE Mechanical Final Year Project Report


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Dreamfields Pasta is ready to take on 2018 with #HealthyHacks to help you eat healthier, move more, stay balanced and create the life you want. With a little effort and a lot of fun, you can make 2018 the Year of YOU!
Tune in every day for easy hacks from our trio of experts, delicious recipes that come together in a snap, and new chances to win phenomenal prizes!
We all can use a little jumpstart to our wellness regime, and Dreamfields is here to help. Just fill out the entry below for a chance to win one of our three fantastic prizes! You can enter more than once, but only one entry per day.
First Runner Up
Apple Watch Series 3 + a family pack of Dreamfields Pasta!
Grand Prize
$1,000 Visa Gift Card plus a year's supply of Dreamfields Healthy Pasta. With all that money and delicious pasta, you can join that healthy club, take those yoga classes, buy a new bicycle - whatever you need to help you achieve a a sense of wellness inside and out!
Second Runner Up
$200 Spafinder.com gift card + a family pack of Dreamfields Pasta!
Thank you for visiting but the Healthy Hacks sweepstakes is over. Please click below to re-visit each week of this year's #HealthyHacks.
Kim Demmon will help us hack our way through #HealthyHacks with motivational materials that keep us inspired all year long. Her website, TodaysCreativeLife.com, is chock full of healthy recipes, tips and projects that will help you stay focused on your goals.
"It's not about having time, but MAKING TIME! Organizing your day and tracking your progress will keep you inspired and motivated. Change your future by what you do today!"Download Materials
Take the leap into wellness with easy, healthy pasta recipes.
Come back for more next week.
Every week during #HealthyHacks, Dreamfields will be offering a NEW coupon! Grab this week's coupon and come back next week for our new one.Claim Coupon


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Gray, Reality, Context
Dualistic Thinking: Stinkin' Thinkin'
by Richard Rohr
Center for Action and Contemplation
Take a minute to notice your thoughts. Do you automatically categorize things as right or wrong, black or white, good or bad? In this meditation, Rohr invites us to challenge this dualistic thinking by offering "the seven C's of delusion". He explains how "Our violence—and almost all of our unhappiness—emerges from our judging, dualistic mind—which itself comes from deeply rooted fear." How might you immerse more fully in contemplative, non-dual thinking?
Indie Spiritualist: A No Bullshit Exploration of Spirituality
by Alice Peck
Rewire Me
What is an indie spiritualist? Peck's critical eye has found something different and, for her, a bit refreshing in both the definition and literary content: "Chris Grosso's new book struck a chord with me because it's not so much spiritual-but-not-religious as spiritual-but-not-dogmatic." Offering an excerpt from the book in this review, she highlights the authentic voice with which he shares his journey of skepticism and faith along with some lessons and practices discovered along the way.
Loneliness and the Sacred Web of Life
by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
The Huffington Post
What causes you to feel isolated? How do you find comfort in those moments? In this article, Vaughan-Lee reminds us "We are not here on Earth to be alone, but to be part of a living community, a web of life in which all is sacred." How might you seek a deeper awareness of connection with the world around you?


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The love letters that expose the romantic side of a young Syd Barrett
A new exhibition shows the softer qualities of the Pink Floyd wildboy
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Syd Barrett in 1970 after leaving Pink Floyd. His love letters to Libby Chisden, plus paintings he gave her will go on show in London next month
young man who was nothing like the erratic
The missives, seen exclusively by The Independent on Sunday, are to go on display at a new exhibition about his life in London next month. Written between the ages of 15 and 18 to Libby Chisden, his girlfriend at the time, they show a tender side to the star, who died five years ago, aged 60, from pancreatic cancer.
Speaking from her home in West Sussex this weekend, Ms Chisden, 65, recalled the time she first met Barrett, whose real name was Roger, when they were both 15.
"We met outside a swimming pool in Cambridge. I was with Dave Gilmour [also of Pink Floyd] and some friends. I was in the Girl Guides at the time and he became my first boyfriend. He was very handsome.
"If I close my eyes and imagine Syd Barrett before all his trials and tribulations, I see him doubled up laughing because he found everything funny," she said.
The image is at odds with the public's perception of him. Despite forming Pink Floyd, he recorded only two albums with the group in the late 1960s. The band later ousted him because of his increasingly unpredictable, madcap behaviour.
Pink Floyd would later become one of the most famous bands on the planet, selling more than 200 million albums worldwide. Their seminal 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, remained in the US Billboard Charts for an unprecedented 741 weeks. Such success was not shared with Barrett because mental illness had forced him into obscurity.
But the love letters to Ms Chisden show a funny side, a glimpse into Barrett's life before illness took hold. One of them, written on a school trip, begins: "This morning I engraved your name in my leg, as I went crazy for you – a mad craving lust which did me no good as I tripped over a guy and fell flat on my face."
Another reads: "Before I met you, darling, I didn't realise just how nice a girl can be, but now every other girl can go to hell because you're the cutest, most gorgeous, most attractive girl ever made."
Ms Chisden said she kept the letters in a black bin liner before she was told they were highly valuable. The collection of more than 60 letters is said to worth somewhere in the region of £100,000.
"Strangely enough, I haven't read a lot of the letters, because unless he was writing 'I love you' I wasn't interested. I used to skip over them – 'Oh what's he writing about a boat for?', I would think to myself."
Ms Chisden described the dramatic effect the powerful psychedelic drugs of the late-1960s rock scene had on Barrett. "There was a thing between us – I think because we both laughed and found everything very funny and loved the same sort of films. But then the drugs started. He loved them. He did enjoy it. It wasn't like he went into a depression and started taking drugs. He adored a joint and LSD. He did have a nice time with them."
After a series of modestly successful solo post-Pink Floyd albums in the early 1970s, Barrett spent the remainder of his life living in obscurity with his mother in Cambridge.
He is said to have suffered from mental health problems – although exactly what was wrong is still unknown. Many believe it was schizophrenia, others say a bipolar disorder. He spent his days gardening and painting. But his legacy and myth endured. Fans and journalists from all over the world would often try to sneak into his back garden to steal memorabilia.
"By the time I had got married to someone else in 1970, he was already very strange," Ms Chisden said.
"He was very druggy. He was... different. By the time I met him in the early 1980s, he knew who I was still. I do believe it was the drugs that affected his mental health. If you'd known him beforehand, he was just a lovely guy who was full of life."
Read more at www.independent.co.uk
'Syd Barrett: Art and Letters' runs from 18 March-10 April at Idea Generation Gallery, Bethnal Green, London


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The NFL in LA? This time it seems a bit more likely than previous years. Jay Busbee from Yahoo Sports joins up to talk about Stan Kroenke's threats to move the Rams to LA. Is it legit or is it a powerplay with the city of St Louis? We'll also talk about what current NFL head coach opening is the most and least attractive. And in a special bonus, we look back at Guns N Roses Use Your Illusions. Does it still hold up all these years later?
Please feel free to leave a review on the iTunes page. You can also enter your email address below to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new episodes by email.


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Here's the April edition of the Young Influencers List. You can see past editions here. 1. Michael Jr.- great comedian in LA. Appears frequently on Tonight Show. Releasing a documentary called The Road Less Traveled, about doing comedy in places not usually filled with laughter.
2. Hannah Song- Exec. Director of Link Global, which aims to raise awareness regarding humanitarian issues in North Korea.
3. Kyle Wiens- founder of iFixit, an innovative new group seeking to create a free online fixit manual that you can edit and add to from anywhere in the world. A wikipedia for gadgets.
4. Brian Wurzell- pastor, worship leader, blogger extraordinaire, creative guru and host. On staff with Cornerstone Church in Chandler, AZ.
5. Mariah McManus- amazing singer/songwriter, and daughter of Erwin. She's really, really good.


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Oven Repairs
In home oven repairs on the central coast...
Another key appliance to any modern kitchen, an oven is known as "heavy-draw" appliance, which means they use quite a lot of power and if they aren't working correctly it could be a lot more. John Hull Electrics can perform in home repairs to built in under bench and wall ovens as well as freestanding ovens.
Our technicians carry replacement parts for both gas and electric ovens, combined with over 30 years experience there is a high chance your oven will be repaired on our first visit.
We carry out in home oven repairs to all brands such as
- Miele
- Bosch
- Electrolux
- Fisher & Paykel
- Omega
- Smeg
- Blanco
- Westinghouse
- Chef
- Simpson
- Euromaid
- Omega
- & More
COMMON Oven REPAIRS
- Temperature irregularities
- Damaged glazing
- Gas & Electric hob repairs
- Uneven heat and cooking
- faulty ignition switches
- Faulty thermostat
- Faulty fan or motor
- and more
John Hull Electrics can also supply, deliver and install new and factory second ovens, we will provide you with independent advice based on quality, energy usage and size to best suit your families requirements.


text: Wolf Creek Cyberattack Targeting Kansas Nuclear Facility Highlights Bigger Cybersecurity Threats By Lisa Rodriguez • Jul 7, 2017 Nuclear Regulatory Commission / Flickr - CC Hackers have been infiltrating the networks of companies that run nuclear plants in the United States, including in Kansas, since May. The New York Times reports that U.S. officials suspect foreign governments, including Russia, are behind the attacks. Air Conditioning Failures Plague Kansas Nuclear Plant By Bryan Thompson • Sep 13, 2013 NRCgov / Flickr--CC The Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station, the only nuclear power plant in Kansas, remains shut down due to problems with an air conditioning compressor. The unit is needed to cool safety-related equipment. Operators shut down the reactor late Wednesday afternoon, when they noticed abnormal vibration in the compressor while doing maintenance work. Kan. Nuclear Plant Off 'Watch List', But New Problems Surface By Bryan Thompson • Sep 10, 2013 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has taken the only nuclear power plant in Kansas off of its special "watch list" for plants with problems needing closer scrutiny, but some new issues have arisen. The NRC has listed Wolf Creek in the "degraded performance" category for more than a year. That's the next-to-the-lowest of four ratings. Those problems have been resolved, and the plant has been upgraded to normal status. Wolf Creek 'Degraded' But Making Progress By Bryan Thompson • Apr 19, 2013 Bryan Thompson / Kansas Public Radio After a series of problems, the operators of the only nuclear power plant in Kansas say they're making progress toward satisfying the concerns of federal regulators. Top Of The Morning News: Tuesday, March 6, 2012 By Maria Carter • Mar 6, 2012 Rush Limbaugh To Enter Hall of Famous Missourians, Nuclear Officials To Hold Meeting Near Wolf Creek Plant & more: A daily digest of headlines from KCUR. Top Of The Morning News: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 By Maria Carter • Feb 28, 2012 Missouri Supreme Court Hears House Redistricting Suit, Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant Remains Offline & more: A daily digest of headlines from KCUR.


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The national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, on Monday revealed he is a Manchester United fan with a soft spot for Chelsea when Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi paid him a visit at his Bourdillon, Ikoyi home in Lagos.
Mikel, who plays in the Chinese Super League, had visited Tinubu to seek his support for Africa's Next Football Superstar, a talent hunt programme initiated by the Mikel Obi Foundation.
But the ex-Chelsea midfielder was left stunned when Tinubu displayed his huge knowledge of the beautiful game.
"I'm very proud and honoured to receive you (Mikel). I'm a great fan of football even though not much of a fan of your former club (Chelsea). I sincerely tried to watch Chelsea all the time you were there because you are a great talent," Tinubu stated while receiving Mikel.
"Chelsea is not my club but he (Mikel) is my club and we will support his project. I'm a Man United fan to the core," the former Governor of Lagos State said.
"Last weekend, I watched the Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea game with one eye because I'm always envious of Chelsea. I always wish we (Manchester United) beat them. I sympathise with him (Mikel), his former club had to take a hit from Tottenham.
Though he may not support Chelsea, Tinubu admitted his love for Mikel has seen him visit Stamford Bridge to watch the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner in action for the Blues, Punch writes.
"I've been to Chelsea to watch their games because of him (Mikel). I always want him to win, he's a great midfielder. He's helped the club a lot, he's brought the name of the club up, he has the team spirit and camaradene, which made Chelsea proud."
But when asked about the dwindling fortunes of Manchester United under current manager Jose Mourinho, Tunubu replied, "Are we discussing only football today (Monday)? Right now I'm going to play my own game, politics. Whatever is happening to Man United, no one club can stay up forever. They've set a great record already and we would be back on top. I think we are around number seven in the English Premier League table now. It's too early in the season to write us off, we will never say die."
Thereafter, the colourful politician walked briskly towards his Range Rover Sport as his retinue of aides tried to outdo each other in opening the door for him.
The post âAs a Man United Fan, Iâm Envious of Chelseaâ â Tinubu .


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Does Short Stop Chem-Dry offer coupons, specials or promo codes for carpet cleaning?
Yes, we do frequently offer monthly coupons and special promotions for many of our services, not just carpet cleaning. You can find our current coupons on the Coupons page on our site. You should also follow us on Facebook, Google+ & Twitter to get the latest coupons and be notified of promotions as soon as they are happening.
Are Chem-Dry products safe for my kids and pets?
All of the ingredients in Chem-Dry's primary cleaner, The Natural, are on the F.D.A.'s G.R.A.S. (Generally Recognized as Safe) list and are safe for your carpets, home, family, and the environment. The Natural is free from harsh chemicals and concentrated soaps.
Is Short Stop Chem-Dry a steam cleaning service?
No, Short Stop Chem-Dry is not a steam cleaner. We use carbonation to lift up dirt and grime from your carpets so we do not need to use the gallons of water that typical steam cleaners use. Continue on to the next question below to see how Chem-Dry compares to steam cleaning.
How does Chem-Dry compare to steam cleaning?
Traditional steam cleaning saturates your carpet with an excessive amount of water filled with soaps and detergents. So you're left with wet carpets for 1-2 days, which creates a breeding ground for mold, mildew and bacteria. Plus the soapy residue left behind attracts dirt and causes your carpets to get dirty much faster.
Short Stop Chem-Dry's process is very different. We employ millions of microscopic bubbles to explode dirt from deep in your carpet fibers, which is why we only need to use a fraction of the water that typical steam cleaners uses. After the carbonation releases and lifts the dirt, our high powered equipment extracts the dirt and moisture from the carpet. Our carbonated cleaning services is safe, yet powerful, and uses less moisture than other cleaning methods, making it perfect for the environmentally-conscious consumer.
Take a look at a detailed comparison of Chem-Dry vs steam cleaning.
What is the best carpet cleaning method?
The Short Stop Chem-Dry cleaning process is better and healthier than other methods for your carpet and upholstery cleaning. Chem-Dry's unique hot carbonating extraction carpet cleaning method uses the power of carbonation to extract more dirt and grime from your carpets, giving them a deeper and longer lasting clean. Our carbonated cleaning solution only requires us to use a fraction of the moisture other methods require. This allows your carpets to dry faster, typically in 1-2 hours rather than 1-2 days, and helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew under your carpet. Chem-Dry's signature cleaning solution, The Natural®, is a cleaning mixture that—through the power of carbonation—lifts dirt to the surface where it is whisked away. The Natural is non-toxic and ideal for homes with kids and pets, and has received the Green Certification.
Why do I need protectant on my carpets?
Most new carpets come with a factory-applied protectant but this wears off over time. Reapplying a protectant on your carpets can help resist stains and soiling, so your carpets will stay cleaner longer. Another reason protectant is a smart investment is that it slows the aging and wearing process and can extend the life of your carpets.
How do you remove pet urine odor from carpets?
Pet odors can linger for months if not treated properly. As urine dries in the carpet and padding, what's left are millions of concentrated urine crystals that become even more pungent. Many companies just mask this odor. Chem-Dry uses a patented system, P.U.R.T.® (Pet Urine Removal Treatment), to explode the urine crystals and break down the enzymes which gets rid of the pet urine odor forever.
Will my carpets re-soil quickly after the cleaning is finished?
Not with Short Stop Chem-Dry. Many carpet cleaners including steam cleaners use soaps and detergents in their process. This often leaves behind a sticky residue on your carpets that attracts dirt, leads to carpets re-soiling quickly after being cleaned and often requires more frequent professional cleanings. At Short Stop Chem-Dry, we use an all-natural, biodegradable carpet and upholstery cleaning solution that doesn't contain any soaps, detergents or harsh chemicals, so it won't leave any sticky or dirt-attracting residue.
How long will it take for my carpet to dry completely?
Drying time depends on humidity levels, airflow to the room(s) cleaned, and the type of carpet. In general, turning on your air conditioning or fans will help accelerate dry times. After a professional cleaning, it typically takes 1-2 hours for the carpet to dry. Sometimes carpets can take longer to dry for various reasons.
How often should I have my carpets cleaned?
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) suggests that homeowners clean their carpets every 3-6 months. If you have kids, pets or if someone in your home has asthmas or allergies, it's advisable to do it even more frequently. Regular cleaning will not only improve your home's appearance, but it will eliminate germs and allergens, improve your home's indoor air quality and extend the life of your carpeting.
Should I vacuum before you arrive?
Vacuuming before we arrive is not necessary. Our Short Stop Chem-Dry professionally trained technicians will vacuum your carpets with our commercial, HEPA-filtered vacuum when they arrive as a standard part of our service.
What type of chemicals does Chem-Dry use?
Chem-Dry uses an all-natural, Green-Certified cleaning product called The Natural as our primary cleaner. The Natural, doesn't contain any soaps or phosphates and is safe, non-toxic and hypo-allergenic. By contrast, most steam cleaners use soaps, detergents and harsh chemicals in their process.
If you don't use any chemicals, then what's with the "Chem" in Chem-Dry?
A common misconception is that Chem-Dry® uses chemicals to clean carpets. This is not true! We use all natural cleaning solutions that are 100% safe for your home, family, pets and the environment. So, where does the "Chem" in Chem-Dry come from? The "Chem" portion of our name stands for "Chemistry," paying homage to the fact that our solutions and processes were originally the result of the innovative chemistry that lead to the use of carbonation as our core cleaner. Our industry-leading cleaning products and services are the result of science. We use less water and carpets dry faster than traditional carpet cleaning methods.
Why does Chem-Dry not use as much water to clean my carpets as steam cleaning does?
Short Stop Chem-Dry uses up to 80% less water than typical steam cleaning because its carbonated cleaner, The Natural, relies on millions of microscopic bubbles to release dirt and grime from the fibers of your carpet and raise it to the surface where it can easily be suctioned away. This low water, low pressure approach is healthier for your carpets, allows your carpets to dry in only 1-2 hours and is also more environmentally friendly.
Can other carpet cleaning methods actually hurt my carpets?
Yes. Steam cleaning uses a process of dumping large amounts of soapy water into your carpets and then trying to suck it all back out. Because the heavy amount of water results in an extended drying time, usually 1-2 days, this method can actually cause carpets to grow mold, mildew and bacteria beneath the surface.
What is considered a room according to your size requirements?
Our room sizes are based on 150 sq ft. If any of your rooms are over 150 sq ft, there may be an additional area charge. Hallways and stairs are considered to be separate from a room.
How long does it take for furniture to dry?
In most cases, the furniture dries within just a couple of hours, but in some cases it may take overnight to fully dry depending on the upholstery's fabric and how deeply it was cleaned – i.e. heavily stained areas will take longer to dry.
Do you offer protectant or stain guard for upholstery?
Yes, after the upholstery cleaning, you can have the furniture stain guarded with Chem-Dry's Protectant.
How does Chem-Dry clean upholstery?
We use our proprietary hot carbonating extraction cleaning method, featuring our core cleaner The Natural. The carbonated cleaning bubbles release dirt, soil, airborne allergens and spots from the upholstery fibers. Then, we use our extraction equipment to remove the cleaning solution, dirt, soil and airborne contaminants from your furniture, leaving it with a deeper, healthier clean than other alternatives.
How often do upholstery manufacturers recommend that you clean your furniture?
Manufacturers recommend professional upholstery cleanings every 24-48 months. As with carpets, the presence of kids, pets, allergies and asthma in the home necessitates more frequent cleanings to improve air quality and the overall healthiness of the home. If furniture is stained, saturated or has unwanted odor then it is ready for a cleaning.
Why should I have my upholstered furniture professionally cleaned?
In homes that have carpet, up to 80% of the dust and dirt brought into the home can end up in your furniture and upholstered fabrics. Without professional cleaning, this dust and dirt will remain in your carpets and furniture and can become very unhealthy.
Macomb County & Wayne County, Michigan. Including: Clinton Township, Shelby Township, Utica, Macomb, Harrison Township, Chesterfield, New Baltimore, Warren, St Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms, Harper Woods & Detroit.
Macomb County: (586) 612-1830
Wayne County: (313) 622-1693
24378 Crocker Blvd
Clinton Township, MI 48036-2336
Mon-Sat: 7am-8pm; Sun: 8am-6pm


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Welcome to Maghoney Photography!
I'm psyched you found me and I'm excited to get started!
I'm not looking to meet your expectations. Nor do I want to exceed them.
I want to BLOW you away.
So talk to me. After giving me all the basic information about yourself and the event, let me know what everything you want (like a wish list). Crazy about a photo you saw on Pinterest? Send the link to me and we'll not just recreate them, we'll make an even better version of it. Conscious about something? Tell me what you don't feel so hot about. Do you like your right angle more than your left? Then tell me what you are 200% comfortable in flaunting. High cheekbones? A winning smile? I'll make sure to highlight these. Have a photo of your dress? Send it to me (firstname.lastname@example.com), it always kickstarts inspiration for the shoot. Tell me your love story...how you met and what sealed the deal.
Have fun browsing this site. You'll find full galleries at www.margemaghoney.com.
Check out previous posts on the blog. There's a bunch of wedding tips there.
Looking forward to reading your first email and getting this party started!
About Moi
It started with taking photos for leisure and sanity. Documenting moments of my life with friends and family. Enthusiasm turned to passion and passion led to a discovery of what truly makes me happy...and also makes me money (how 'bout that?). I'm a purple cow. Or at least try to be. With every signle shoot. A purple what? In a pasture, a purple cow would stand out from the rest, you would immediately notice it. A purple cow garners attention. The term was popularized by author Seth Godin in his book, Purple Cow, that "lists ideas on presenting yourself to clients in a more remarkable way, thus grabbing their attention and separating yourself from others in your field." I take pride in being chosen by my clients for quality and quantity plus a price range that spells out V-A-L-U-E. That and they say I'm fun and easy to work with. I think when you've been doing something you love for so long, that comes naturally. It now comes easy for me to make you feel comfortable even if you feel you're at your dorkiest in front of a camera. Make you work it without looking like you're trying to. How? I guess it's just by being myself. And having done this a bajillion times. I always find myself ridiculously focused on making you look your best on your photos and seeing it a fun challenge to make each event tighter than the last. And isn't that what you want? When we're on the same page, we make the shoot an enjoyable and easygoing experience and when you're having fun, that's when you look your best.
Back to value. For less than $5K, you get:
- A complimentary 1-hour engagement session.
- A flashdrive that includes all original photos, edited images in color and black & white and a 3-4 minute photo slideshow with music.
- An online gallery for viewing and purchasing prints (customizable in color, B&W or sepia).
- Your personal online store with an assortment of items with your wedding images.
- Shared rights to photos.
- Posting of your best images on the Marge Maghoney Photography Facebook fan page for easy sharing and tagging. (optional)
- An 8" x 11" 60-page leather cover photo book.
- A Matcha Skin or Happee Body bridal gift box.
- A 24" x 18" photo canvas.
- Two 5" x 7" 40-page softcover photo book for both sets of parents.
- Custom calendar for the next 12 months with your best wedding images for each month.
- 50% discount for a 1-hour maternity or couple/family holiday photo shoot.
All this?! Seriously? Yes, sweetheart. And the icing on the cake? Payment plans. Chop it up into 3 installments and you won't even notice everything's been paid for by the time you're done. That's the super package for a full day wedding. But not all weddings (and budgets) are created equal so everything is customizable. If you just need me for a few hours without the bells and whistles, that's absolutely doable.
My point of view is this. If I was the bride, or the birthday celebrant, or the excited recently engaged or the proud mom of a graduate looking for a photographer to capture my special day or my special someone's day, being good is, well, not good enough. I want someone extraordinary who is willing to work with me with what I am willing to spend.
I still get super excited with every new event I'm working with. I get pumped up brainstorming with my brides (and on a few occasions, grooms) on how we can make their day totally awesome. I treat you not as a business contact but as a friend. I am constantly thankful for you allowing me, someone you've never met before, to be part of your special day. Not just a guest, but to be there to document an event you and your family will look back to in the years to come. That's an awesome honor.
So I tailor packages in such a way that is all-inclusive and Cirque du Soleil flexible. Check them out, compare them with what the other photographer you were planning on calling has to offer and you'll find that there is nothing close to it out there. If, in the rare chance that there is, it would cost at least three times more expensive than what I offer. And just between you and me, that's a bunch of baloney. Sure, talent has a price. But $7,000 for a day's coverage? I don't think so honey. You can get an excellent photographer, a videographer, a day of coordinator and a make-up artist for that amount. Shoot, you can buy yourself (and the rest of your family) five freakin' Macbooks for that price.
Seth Godin (in his book,"Tribes"), wrote:
"We have an obligation to change the rules, to raise the bar, to play a different game, and to play it better than anyone has the right to believe is possible."
It is not just about changing the game. It is about being the best in the field because the best makes her clients happy and would not be happy herself by settling for less. Don't you agree?
It all boils down to this. I absolutely LOVE what I do! From my first email exchange with you, to brainstorming for new ideas, preparing my gear, discovering your best angle, finding the moments in-between, seeing the look on your fiance's face as he sees you for the first time, the interesting conversations I have with you and your family, the atmosphere of celebration, updating the website with new photos, editing, laying out photo books, reading kind words you left on Yelp (to this day this makes my heart do back flips) to personally writing thank you cards and seeing photos of your first born on Facebook. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to make a living out of what I enjoy so much and I feel it automatically translates to passing on that gift to you.
I won't bore you with a lengthy description of my 'style of photography.' Photos are meant to be seen and experienced. That is what the online portfolios are for. Craving for more? Head over to www.margemaghoney.com for full wedding albums.
Enjoy! Can't wait to meet you!
Here's some of my favorites...
Ready to Get the Party Started?
Send me your event date, time & location at firstname.lastname@example.com prior to booking to ensure availability. You'll receive a prompt response and once availability is confirmed, you can go ahead and book any of the packages below. Once you're booked, you do the happy dance while I do The Robot.
San Francisco City Hall Weddings
This. is LITERALLY. my jammest of the jam.
To cover the basics...
- For marriage license FAQ's, click here.
- For civil ceremony online reservations,click here.
- For civil ceremony FAQ's, click here.
Instructions on Getting Married at City Hall:
1. Ceremonies are available Monday-Friday at 10:00 a.m through 3:30 p.m. every half hour. There are three reservation slots available during each time period.
2. Reservations require a payment of $72 at the time of booking. Appointments may be made:
Online - Reservations can be made Online Civil Ceremony Reservations with a
Visa or MasterCard. ONLY. A $5.00 convenience fee will be added.
In person - Reservations may be made by one of the parties to the marriage or
a third party. The person making the reservation must be able to pay at the
time of making the appointment. Cash, money order, and debit card will be the
ONLY method of payment accepted when making the reservation in person.
3. Absolutely no changes can be made, and no refunds or credits will be given for any reason(s) including but not limited to cancellation, error, failure to show up, or any unforeseen circumstances.
4. For Ceremonies...
The ceremony will NOT be performed unless you present a VALID marriage license to the commissioner at the time of your ceremony. If you are unable to do so, you will be required to make another ceremony reservation and pay the ceremony fee again. If the marriage license was not purchased in San Francisco, it must be a PUBLIC marriage license for it to be valid in San Francisco.
5. Marriage licenses are issued by prepaid confirmed marriage license reservation only.
If a marriage license has already been purchased, check the expiration date of your marriage license prior to making the ceremony reservation. The marriage license is valid for 90 days from the marriage license issuance.
If you plan to purchase your marriage license on the same day as your ceremony reservation, you must make and pay for a marriage license reservation for the same day at least 30 minutes earlier than your ceremony reservation time. For example, if your ceremony reservation is 10:00 a.m., your marriage license reservation should be scheduled no later than 9:30 a.m.
6. Both parties to the marriage must be able to speak and understand English. If the commissioner feels that either party does not speak English, he/she may refuse to perform the ceremony unless you provide your own third-party interpreter. Couples requiring a ceremony performed in sign language or any other language, do not book the appointment online and you must call the County Clerk's Office, come to the office directly to make such arrangements or email a request to email@example.com. Please allow a minimum of two week advance notice for all sign language bookings.
7. The couple and no more than 2 witnesses should arrive at the INFORMATION DESK at City Hall, Room 168 for CHECK-IN 10 minutes before your appointment time (other witnesses shall wait in outside area.)
8. Each couple must bring:
Valid marriage license
Legal photo identification
At least 1 witness (NOT provided to you. Applies only to couples with a
PUBLIC marriage license)
No more than 6 guests total (includes witnesses, children, photographer)
9. Ceremonies are performed in a location determined by the commissioner (usually ourprivate ceremony room or the rotunda, if available.) Specific requests for the rotunda or any other area will not be accepted as we cannot guarantee availability.
10. A certified copy of your marriage record will not be available for purchase ($14) until 2 weeks after your ceremony. Same day and expedited services for certified copies are not available. Please plan accordingly.
11. No form of litter is permitted to be thrown anywhere inside or outside the building (includes outside steps). Helium balloons, alcohol, and knives are not allowed into the building.
12. Camcorders and cameras are permitted.
Tip: Click HERE to read "The Ultimate Guide to Rockin' Your San Francisco City Wedding."


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Personal health is one our most important personal assets, so it's not surprising that there are so many health insurance products available on the market. With rapidly rising healthcare costs, and the challenges within South Africa's public healthcare sector, many different insurance options have emerged that cater to a range of budgets. They also provide varying levels of cover against the costs of healthcare.
According to statistics from the Council for Medical Schemes roughly 17% of South African adults belong to a medical aid. With a large percentage of the population not covered under medical aid, hospital cash plans have emerged as affordable financial protection for those who require financial peace of mind when dealing with their health.
O'Keeffe & Swartz, a leading outsourced call centre specialising in the outbound sales of simple insurance products, offers some guidelines on hospital cash plans based on questions they receive most often from consumers.
"There are various insurance products on the market that provide financial protection against the cost of healthcare, but they do so in very different ways. If you can afford it, medical aid should be a priority, but if not, then a hospital cash plan can help to protect you and your family against the financial loss of being hospitalised. Remember that they in no way replace each other. A stay in a private hospital can easily amount to thousands of Rands, and while a hospital cash plan usually pays out to a maximum of R5 000 per day spent in hospital, it is evident that a hospital cash plan and a medical aid serve very different purposes," explains Albert Theyse, Head of Sales at O'Keeffe & Swartz.
"In such a disparate socio-economic environment, the need for simple insurance solutions for lower income groups is more important than ever. Affordable insurance solutions are an essential bridge towards South Africans carving out more financially secure lives for themselves and their families. We see millions of South Africans who are positively impacted by the simply insurance products we sell on a daily basis, including hospital cash plans. Being able to manage the risks which so many of us are likely to experience at some stage of our lives, while keeping it affordable and accessible, is pivotal in us achieving a financially inclusive society," concludes Albert.
Disclaimer: The information provided is intended as factual content, and does not constitute advice.
"Pure performance - you can't get another company out there who hits the targets like they do." - Bank
"They are specialists in the accident and health field and share how it works across the banks, list owners, campaigns etc. ...the knowledge that they gain across businesses they openly share with anyone." - Bank
"It is a partnership. We look for value add and get it - sharing of ideas, sharing of products, feedback on ideas and assessing what has and has not worked." - Bank
""It is refreshing to work with a team who is eager to share their extensive industry experience for the betterment of their clients' results. As such, our engagements with the OKS team have advanced our business considerably as they are founded on the principles of a partnership." - Frank Terblanche, Divisional Director: Bancassurance (Liberty Life)
"Their sales guys are really, really well trained in selling compared to some other companies that we deal with on other products." - Insurer
"OKS is an expert in the outbound call centre environment. I don't need to manage them whereas in the past I have had to deal with other outsourced service providers where I had to manage performance, leads and quality." - Insurer
"A lot of analytics, reporting and management oversight of the operational areas. Very strong when compared to other outbound call centers we have tried in the past." - Insurer
"With 20 odd years of experience they certainly bring an understanding of utilising leads and customer and knowledge of the products we sell." - Insurer
"They are good at what they do - they return metrics that we have not been able to replicate anywhere else." - Insurer


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North Carolina Mountain Activities
Fly-Fishing with the WhiteWater Group is the Best Way to Fly-fish in Western North Carolina
North Carolina Fly Fishing...Looking to catch the "big one?"
Rainbow, native and brown trout are some of the fish that are found in the streams that flow through the Southern Appalachian Mountains. If you're a beginner, you'll be happy to know that guides are available to offer you on-hand instructions. You'll learn about fly-fishing equipment, how to cast, stream tactics, and how to catch-and-release. If you're fishing at Hemlock Pond, you won't need a fishing license, and WhiteWater Fly Fishing provides all the necessary equipment and instructions you'll need. They also offer full and half-day adventures, and these do require a license.
Interested in obtaining a fishing license for North Carolina or South Carolina? Make it easy and click here a member of the WhiteWater Group will be happy to get you started right away.
Disclaimer: We love suggesting activities that you may enjoy. But please note all activities are at your own risk and NCMountainLife.com and any of its representatives are not responsible should you partake and injuries result from any activities that are seen or discussed on our website. All activities have some risk, so always be careful. Wet rocks can be very slippery so proceed with extra caution by any waterfall or stream. Do NOT get too close to the edge on waterfalls. Deaths have occurred where people take one step too far. Mother Nature has blessed us with some of her best landscapes. Enjoy them.


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I am so excited that voters in Humboldt County have a choice, for the first time in 12 years, to elect a new representative to Congress. The finest among them is Susan Adams.
She has political experience, the temperament and the aptitude to work with her colleagues in the House — to get things done for us on the North Coast.
Of the serious contenders, Susan Adams also has the closest ties to our community. She's a fourth-generation descendant of a ranching family from
Boonville in Mendocino (her cousins still work that ranch to this day) and she spends her holidays in Humboldt with her brother's family in Carlotta.
Susan chose to spend her life working to help people — right from the start (unlike some other candidates), when she became a nurse 33 years ago. She later went back to school as a single mother, got her Ph.D. and then became a professor of nursing.
So she sees the world through the eyes of an educator and a health care worker, as well as a mother and now a grandmother. This is a perspective
sorely lacking in Washington, D.C., where less than 17 percent of lawmakers are women.
I hope you will take the time learn more about Susan. Go to her website or better yet come out and meet her on May 7 at 5 p.m. at a fundraising
dinner at the Wharfinger Building ($25). You can get more information SusanAdamsForCongress.com
Kenzie Mullen


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Let the industry experts at Vertex host and manage your CIS.
Is the challenge of maintaining outdated technology limiting your ability to serve your customers? Now there's a smarter solution. Vertex can host and manage your CIS for you, giving you more time to prepare for a future upgrade.
For over 20 years, we've been helping utilities with day-to-day CIS management on all kinds of systems, including Banner, eCIS and SAP. Vertex has the expertise and capabilities you can count on for guaranteed system reliability and performance, and happier customers.
Experience You Can Trust
Our support team has the expertise you need to keep your current CIS solutions up and running.
- 18 years' experience implementing, hosting and managing Banner/Enlogix
- 3.5 million end-use customers
- 60 FTEs with an average of 12 years experience
- The leader in hosting and managing the Banner customer suite application
- 20 years' experience implementing, hosting and managing eCIS
- Over 2.4 million end-use customers
- 60 FTEs with an average of 14 years experience
SAP Customer Relationship Management & Billing Solution for Utilities
- Team members average 13 years of CIS SAP experience
- The leader in hosting and managing SAP CRM&B on HANA
- Performed the first implementation of SAP CRM&B on HANA in North America
- Experience implementing and supporting SAP across more than 35 utilities
Proven Capabilities
Utility Application Management
- End User Support
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CIS and Utility Software Hosting
- Servers
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Take the Next Step
See how Vertex helps one Florida utility say, "We would never host our own CIS again." Read case study
Lee County Utilities opted for a cloud-based CIS to meet its customers' changing needs and expectations. Read more
Learn about the experts at Vertex who support our Banner &


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"There are three types of relationships one can have with work: a job, a career or a calling. People want to work for a purpose, not just a living" – Chip Conley, CEO and Author
What would happen to your company if one or more of your top leaders quit today? Or a whole team of top performers? Would it devastate your company?
Talent Retention
We help you develop plans and programs to keep talent engaged. Our Talent Retention process includes the following steps:
1. Review current talent retention practices and policies.
2. Conduct an employee engagement survey.
3. Create a plan to maximize engagement.
4. Adjust policies and processes to facilitate the engagement plan.
5. Communicate results, develop metrics and follow-up schedules.
Contact us today to help you keep your best and brightest!


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AOL's slick new platform for freelancers, Seed.com, looks great, but how are the freelancers themselves taking to it?
To find out, we checked out the forums of the platform's nearest competitor, Associated Content.
We figured that was the best place to look because CEO Tim Armstrong wanted to acquire Associated Content because he worried Seed.com's backend was under-developed.
In a seven page thread titled "Seed.com: What do you think?," we found Associated Content freelancers discussing the following pros and cons of AOL's new platform:
CON: Seed's confusing guidelines. After one writer wrote: "Does anyone know if we are to cite our sources at the end of our SEED articles??" another wrote "I couldn't figure this out either. I tried the FAQ and guidelines, but there really isn't much about how they want things written."
CON: Seed's slow response time. A writer wrote "As of today my content has sat 9 days without a response. I think while they're still in beta we can expect a lot of this. :/" A second responded, "Yep, mine have all been sitting for 13 days with no response. I feel like I submitted the articles into a black hole, lol."
PRO/CON: Seed actually demands real reporting. Freelancers used to pumping out content for Associated Content will find that AOL work could be more time consuming. One freelancer wrote, "They do expect you to interview experts. Not sure if you could write an article in an hour when you need to contact several outside sources. Just sayin'."
PRO: Seed.com makes it easy to find photos. Writes one commenter: "It's really easy. They seem to have photos for just about everything."
PRO: Seed.com's upfront pay is very enticing. One commenter writes, "I like Seed not only for the amount they offer but because they are easy to write for. They offered $15 for 100 words, for example. One hundred words? LOL That's nothing."
CON: Seed might not payout that upront price, and only accept articles on a rev-share basis. One AC freelancer writes, "many of us may be willing to sell them an exclusive license for their stated assignment amount but definitely not for revenue share. If they don't want the article for the assignment, they'll keep it and share a few pennies with the writer. Not a win-win agreement."
Interested in trying Seed.com out? AOL's Robot Editors Want You To Write These Stories


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The highlight of our summer was our 40th wedding anniversary! Sharing life with my best friend is one of life's greatest blessings. We thank the Lord for his goodness in giving us each other and 40 great years together!
The summer has gone by so fast! In May right after Steph and Trevor's wedding, we went to Fort Myers, Florida for our brother-in-law's memorial service. The service was a celebration of Ted's life and rejoicing in his homegoing to heaven. We were so pleased Jeff and Rachel also came and we are grateful for the family time we had with all the Collins.
In early August we visited Trevor and Steph in Summit County, Colorado. It's beautiful! They live in a very small studio apartment, but they were asked to housesit the same time we were going to be there. It was great that we could all stay in the same place. We enjoyed Steph's good cooking and it was fun just hanging out with them. Dick was thrilled he and Trevor got to go fishing!
The summer break was really good for us and now the fall semester is upon us! Dick has been working on his classes and Kathy helped by doing some of the computer work for him — team work! All class notes and syllabi are printed and ready for classes. We are excited for the students to return and the school year to begin!
Thanks so much for your care, prayers, and support.


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Previous Story
Print Your Own Photos From Iphone – No Inkt Needed
Posted On 05 May 2016
No inkt needed and ever wondered how this works? This company really sets the photo standards on a higer level. Get your photos instantly.
Charge your print device, connect your phone with the case and download the app.
The package includes: Zink sticker paper and micro-usb cable. It can make 10 photos, the battery life is 20 prints and the print time is 30 seconds.
It's made for Iphone 6s/6/5c/5, Samsung Galaxy 5'5 and 5'4.
Prynt iPhone Case – http://amzn.to/1rwumfJ


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Frequently Asked Questions
What is child abuse?
The definition of child abuse varies slightly from state to state. Generally speaking, a child is abused when they are mistreated in some way that either resulted in the child being harmed or injured, or if the mistreatment could result in the child being harmed or injured. In Wisconsin, child abuse is generally divided into categories of physical, sexual, emotional, or neglect.
Who does Willow Tree serve?
Any child who is a suspected victim of abuse or neglect can be served by Willow Tree Child Advocacy Center in collaboration with our local law enforcement and/or Child Protective Services.
What are the ages of the children served by Willow Tree?
We see children of all ages, many ethnic backgrounds, both girls and boys. The average age of a child abuse victim served by Willow Tree is 8 years old.
What is Willow Tree's relationship with Child Protective Services?
Willow Tree has a collaborative relationship with Brown County Child Protective Services and many of our neighboring counties. While our staff are specially trained to provide the child forensic interview, medical evaluations, and counseling services, Child Protective Workers work with the family to develop a safety plan and ensure that the family's basic needs are being met.
Do children live at the Child Advocacy Center?
No, children do not live at Willow Tree. They come to the Child Advocacy Center for forensic interviews, a medical exam or evaluation and/or counseling, but no one actually resides in the facility.
How is Willow Tree Child Advocacy Center funded?
Willow Tree is funded primarily through private donations, with supplemental support from the state and county. We partner with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin for medical services which bills insurance, Medical Assistance, or the client. Therapy services bill insurance or Medical Assistance, with a sliding fee scale available. The forensic interview, advocacy and prevention education services are provided to families free of charge.
How can I tell if a child is being abused?
It's important to remember that warning signs are just that – warning signs. The presence of warning signs doesn't necessarily mean that a child is being abused. The children who do display warning signs will vary greatly from one another; some children may display multiple signs while others may display no warning signs at all. Some common warning signs include:
Physical Abuse
Wears inappropriate clothing to cover up injuries, such as long-sleeved shirts on hot days.
Injuries appear to have a pattern such as marks from a hand or belt.
Frequent injuries or unexplained bruises, welts, or cuts.
Is always watchful and "on alert" as if waiting for something bad to happen.
Shies away from touch, flinches at sudden movements, or seems afraid to go home.
Is frequently late or missing from school.
Untreated illnesses and physical injuries.
Clothes are ill-fitting, filthy, or inappropriate for weather, and caregiver has access to resources to remedy the situation but chooses not to utilize resources.
Hygiene is consistently bad (unbathed, matted and unwashed hair, noticeable body odor).
Is frequently unsupervised or left alone or allowed to play in unsafe situations and environments.
Sexual Abuse
An STD or pregnancy.
Makes strong efforts to avoid a specific person, without an obvious reason.
Trouble walking or sitting.
Displays knowledge or interest in sexual acts inappropriate to his or her age, or even seductive behavior.
Doesn't want to change clothes in front of others or participate in physical activities.
Runs away from home.
How do I make a report of suspected abuse?
Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect should be made to the county where the child or the child's family resides. In Brown County, call the Department of Human Services at 920-448-6000. (Click here for a map of other Wisconsin counties.) Reports can also be made to your local law enforcement office.
What if I'm not sure a child is being abused?
You should report any reasonable suspicion of abuse; you do not have to prove it. If you suspect a child has been abused, phone your local Child Protective Services office to discuss your concerns.
How do I protect my child from being abused?
As parents and community members, everyone plays a role in protecting children from all forms of abuse. The following steps can help you protect your child and lower the risks for child abuse.
Minimize Opportunity
Limit one-adult/one-child situations. For example, if your child has music lessons, try to limit the one-on-one lessons or if they do take place, make sure the room has windows, an open door, or you are allowed the opportunity to stop in unexpectedly. There are certain one-adult/one-child situations that may not be avoidable. In that case, speak openly to the adult and child about the events that took place.
Contact with Youth. Monitor any situations where younger children are alone with older children without adult supervision. Older youth, including family members, can be perpetrators of abuse.
Do background checks and ask for multiple references for adults who supervise your children in any capacity.
Talk About It!
Talk about the body. Talk openly with children about the proper names for their anatomy and why those parts of their body are private. Empower your child that their body is theirs and they have the right to tell someone "no" or "stop" if they are being hurt or feel uncomfortable with any touch.
Talk often. Have age-appropriate, ongoing conversations with your child about their body as they age. Encourage them to tell you of any unwanted touches. Reinforce that you will not be mad at them but you will believe them, support them and get help to make any unwanted touches stop.
The Healthy and Clean Rule. It is important to teach children that it is not okay for someone (including adults and children) to touch, look at, or take pictures of the private parts of their body. Provide examples to children of exceptions- for example, if someone is trying to keep them healthy (a doctor) or clean (a parent bathing a child).
Make a list together of trusted adults your child could talk to if they were having a problem.
Stay Alert
Watch for Warning Signs. Some children may have no warning signs so it is important to have continued open communication with your child.
Act on suspicions. If you believe a child is being abused, reach out to your community for help. By acting on your suspicions not only may you save one child from enduring further abuse, but you may also save countless others.
For more information or to discuss any of the topics addressed above, please call us at 920-436-8881.