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Friday, July 29, 2011

Spotify!

Follow me on Spotify
Guess who finally made the Magic Loop her BITCH!!!! One step closer to socks and such!

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

FOLLOW ME WEDNESDAY!

As always, I am looking for more followers! Please follow this blog, add your link to the list, and follow the othhers that post on the list.





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The Domino Project



oooooh where to begin!?!?!?!?!?!??!

Welllll.....As you all should know by now, I am a bzzagent (when I am not parenting, crocheting, knitting, or waxing philosophic!). I took this campaign awhile back, and so far, I am impressed, although I am playing catch up with the reading (SO many projects, SO little time!!). I receive a Kindle copy of each book published (and occassionally a hard copy of the book!!) in exchange for my continued opinion on the project. I am really enjoying this "no middle man" approach, and the bare bones style that ENGAGES me....and the books are INCREDIBLY inspiring to me  (so far) to be what I can be, and to know that I am the master of my own domain (YES, that is a reference to that Seinfeld episode, but get yer trashy mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about taking charge of my life ). I LOVE what he has written so far, but my absolute FAVORITE inclusion in this project (SO FAR) is Self Reliance , which is a redefining the classic essay. This modern edition of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous work, Self-Reliance, includes self-reflections from both historical and contemporary luminaries. With quotes from the likes of Henry Ford and Helen Keller to modern-day thought leaders like Jesse Dylan, Steve Pressfield, and Milton Glaser, we’re reminded of the relevance of Emerson’s powerful words today. Emerson’s words are timeless. Persuasive and convincing, he challenges readers to define their own sense of accomplishment and asks them to measure themselves against their own standards, not those of society.

This famous orator has utter faith in individualism and doesn’t invoke beyond what is humanly possible, he just believes deeply that each of us is capable of greatness. He asks us to define that greatness for ourselves and to be true to ourselves. At times harsh, at times comforting, Emerson’s words guide the reader to challenge their own beliefs and sense of self. This modern edition of Self-Reliance is ideal for graduates or those who are in the midst of a career or lifestyle change. Emerson’s sage guidance wrapped in modern-day reflections is a great reminder about the potential within us all and that life is what you make of it.  Ultimately, you really have to pull from within to realize that you are what you need most in this life....
Basic tenets of The Domino Project .

About The Domino Project

What happens when a publisher has a tight, direct connection with readers, is able to produce intellectual property that spreads, and can do both quickly and at low cost? A new kind of publishing, the brainchild of Seth Godin, and powered by Amazon.
The Domino Project is named after the domino effect—one powerful idea spreads down the line, pushing from person to person. The Project represents a fundamental shift in the way books (and digital media based on books) have always been published. Eventually consisting of a small cadre of stellar authors, this is a publishing house organized around a new distribution channel, one that wasn’t even a fantasy when most publishers began.
We are reinventing what it means to be a publisher, and along the way, spreading ideas that we’re proud to spread. Our core beliefs:
  • Exceptionally high quality ideas, created without regard for what bookstores and middlemen want.
  • Ideas packaged with cogency and urgency in mind, not a word wasted, no filler.
  • Permission at the heart of the model. Ideas for our readers, not more readers for our ideas.
  • Virality first. An idea that requires a direct sale won’t thrive in a world where the most powerful ideas spread from hand to hand. Create content that works best when spread, and then package it so it’s easy to spread.
  • Reward the sneezers who stand up and spread these ideas.
  • No patience for obsolete institutions. Bestseller lists are not worth compromising for.
  • Speed triumphs. Rapid time to market, rapid evolution, rapid response to reader feedback.
  • Format agnostic. Kindle, audiobook, paperback, collectible… all good.
  • Different products for different customers. A variety of price points and formats to match audience desires.

I HIGHLY recommend at LEAST

About.Me




I am a Bzzagent, and this has to be one of the most USEFUL Bzzagent Campaigns I have accepted. What a great concept!   On my profile,I Have consolidated my Etsy shop, Facebook profile, Twitter url, and Blogger URL into ONE spot with a little bio about me! SO easy!

If you want to sign up, they will give you free pack of business cards from MOO, but you will have to pay shipping on those. I have done business with MOO, and their products are good quality, so WORTH paying the shipping, dude!

All of your online content and profiles can be accessible from your unique about.me splash page. Take a minute to create your personal splash page and be on your way to building a single online identity. Be it for personal use, or to create a professional on-line profile about.me will allow you to take all your scattered online profiles (like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and put them in one easy place.

It has been slow going to get people to my profile, but it is a relatively new concept that I think can REALLY take off! Come check me out!  Please? Pretty please?  And while you're there, make an account for yourself! We can be best buds!

Soda Stream



As a Bzzagent, I was given a Soda Stream to try and review in exchange for my honest opinion. LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I know the directions say to ONLY carbonate water, but I CAN'T STOP! Teas, lemonades, fruit drinks, juices--I even made a carbonated wine cooler with a mixture of wine and Koolaid! Hi brow stuff, I know, but, seeing as I'm not High Falootin', it worked!

Of course, the place with the MOST selection is their site (Soda Stream) , but locally, I have found items at Bed Bath and Beyond (where you can also get the CO2) as well as Best Buy (Who Knew!?!?!?!).

Making carbonated water and soft drinks is simple! Turn tap water into sparkling water in under 30 seconds, with no clean-up. Enjoy the freshness and convenience of homemade soda and protect the environment at the same time. No heavy bottles to carry, store at home or throw away. Fizz to your taste and add the flavor of your choice to make your favorite drink. Simple to clean and reuse. With a variety of colors and silhouettes, you'll be sure to find a soda maker to match with any decor.


25 cents per liter of sparkling water! 25 cents per (equivalent) can of soda! HUGE value.


No more flat, wasted soda (Alexander is CONSTANTLY sneaking in and shaking things up....don't know why, but he has made it his mission! 


Everyone in the family will enjoy their favorite flavor with SodaStream's great tasting sodamix — over 30 to choose from! Enjoy traditional favorites such as Cola, Lemon-Lime, Orange and Root Beer, or mixers, including Ginger Ale and Tonic in both regular and diet. Also, be sure to try one of our delicious fruit creations, including Orange Mango, Diet Pink Grapefruit or Cranberry-Raspberry.

How does SodaStream nutrition stack up against national brands?
With a SodaStream home soda maker and over 30 delicious regular, diet and caffeine-free sodamix flavors to choose from, you'll enjoy freshly made, great tasting soda that fits your health and diet. Regular flavors contain no high-fructose corn syrup, and diet flavors are sweetened with Splenda® brand sweetener, not aspartame.

 CaloriesCarbsSugarSodiumCaffeine

Pepsi®10027g27g25mg25mg
Coca-Cola®10027g27g35mg23mg
SodaStream Cola349g9g2mg15mg
      
7-UP®10026g26g50mg0mg
Sprite®10026g26g45mg0mg
SodaStream Lemon Lime369g9g25mg0mg
All SodaStream regular sodamix uses a mixture of Splenda® and sugar. Diet flavors are sugar-free,  sweetened with Splenda® brand sweetener. Comparison is based on 8 fl. oz. serving size (0.34 fl. oz. of SodaStream sodamix per 8 fl. oz. of water).

Seriously, what is NOT to like! I highly recommend it, and am looking forward to even MORE experimentation! Can't wait to order the stainless steel carbonating bottle , and am definitely going to increase my bottle stash, as there are different soda types in my house.


Also looking forward to trying the Sparkling Naturals line  to see if the Ginger Ale measures up to my favorite brand--and I am INTRIGUED by the Black Currant Pear flavor ...


EESH! So many flavors, so little time! 

Trend Micro Safe Synch.



This is another Buzz Campaign I received from Bzzagent  ( I received a year free in exchange for my honest opinion). I was initially thrilled to try this out, as it is WONDERFUL to have an "insurance" that you CAN recover your precious files (music and photos included!). VERY disgruntled at the amount of time it takes to initially copy just one type of file  to the cloud, but looking forward to a speedier delivery when the Fios comes on Aug 4th.

Here are the specs:


Protect, access and share your digital files anytime, anyplace

Life brings you many places: children's school events, neighborhood parties, and work conferences. At the same time, you are accumulating digital memories in the form of photos, videos, music, and documents. Trend Micro™ SafeSync connects these two aspects of your life, enabling you to store your files in a safe place you can access from anywhere.
That safe is place is "the cloud," a corner of the Internet that's only available to you and the people you choose to share it with. Because with SafeSync, your files are securely and automatically backed up within moments of you saving them. All you need to retrieve your special memories is a web-enabled device, whether it's a desktop computer, laptop, iPad, iPhone, or Android device.
SafeSync makes it easy to share your files with specified contacts, and post to Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. And you can be sure your information is secure, with virus scanning and file transfer encryption services built into the software. Now how's that for all around peace of mind?


Recover past file versions

SafeSync keeps a history of all your file changes, making it easy to recuperate previous versions of your pictures, videos, and documents. If you delete an item by accident, there's no need to worry. SafeSync has a recycling bin that allows you to retrieve this file.

REALLY looking forward to being able to access all my files even from my iphone with the app...stay tuned to see if I Have better luck with the Fios!

Apptivo!



I am a Bzzagent, and was given this WONDERFUL opportunity to try this cloud service in exchange for my opinion! Still wandering my way through it, but I see POTENTIAL! Maybe in a few months, I will be FINALLY able to set up my store!  Here are some points to consider, and please know,it is free to sign up and there are NO hidden fees!



Shopping Experience

Create customized shopping experience, right from electronics, jewelry and clothing stores to restaurant and pizza places.

Catalog Management

Customize the product catalog and upload unlimited images and videos to be displayed on the website.

Product Category listing

Group and organize products into categories or sub categories. Create cross sell and up sell relationships to sell more products to

Shopping Cart

Apptivo provides a fully functional and secure shopping cart. Real time integration with shipping partners is possible.

Checkout and Payment Gateways

Offer Google checkout, PayPal or an inbuilt secure checkout for capturing customer payments.

McAfee Certified Secure Website

All websites powered by Apptivo are McAfee certified and adhere to the highest standards of security.

Display Advertising

Utilize Apptivo’s integration with OpenX Ad server platform to serve third party ads.

Gift Card feature

Allow customers add a gift card and provide gift card text while purchasing products on the website.

Newsletter Signup

Run a regular email marketing program. Customers can sign up for newsletters and emails which can be sent through Apptivo

Customer Service

Utilize in-built Apptivo help desk features to automate customer service.

Store locator with Google Maps Integration

Provide information about store location using Google maps. Provide directions to your store.

Choice of Shipping

Choose existing Apptivo shipping partner UPS, or easily integrate other shipping providers.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

My almost done lengthwise knit scarf! I took the travel project apart to make this.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

This beautiful ombre yarn is a wool/acrylic blend that I decided to use for a project on this va ation to practice knitting. IN LOVE  with knitting now! Not hating purl anymore :). The scarf is in stockinette stitch.  Still loving the Velocity needles too! Can't wait to move on to socks
and sweaters for the kids! Also trying to whip out some washcloths  with some of that beautiful "Peace & Love" yarn too. Stay tuned!

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Saturday, July 9, 2011

Plowing Through!


Ok, well I found a lovely ball of Homespun in my stash and decided to make a garter stitch scarf (seeing as though it is the only thing I am comfortable doing!). Knitting is still so foreign to me though, and I am finding that my left ring finger goes numb! Probably because it's not used to being used so much! I'm SO dominantly right-handed that using two hands for something is really *work* for me LOL. Still plowing through, though! Hoping to finish this scarf by the end of the month, I really can't knit for *long* periods of time like I can with crochet due to the hand fatigue, but I'm sure in time I will. I also have several crochet projects to work on as well. Have to get Kimmie's framed crochet owl done for her birthday (pic in the future-can't spoil her surprise on the *off* chance she would actually read my blog...snicker...), and also making a couple sun hats, and want to finish another item for Sedona's birthday. WHEW! 

At any rate, still EXTREMELY happy with these needles, and loving that it goes MUCH smoother with them.  I think the one thing that I REALLY want to learn to knit are socks, but baby-steps...baby-steps...

Leaving for the beach on Sunday, WOOT! Very excited to be going back with the kids, and can't wait to take Kimmie. She loves Assateague, and she would love being at the beach with Alex and Sedona. 

Trying to decide what kind of project I will be taking with me to work on. Kimmie picked out some cotton with a 70's inspired colorway today and asked for some washcloths from it (Here is the colorway, it's by Bernat, and it's from the *Peace & Love* collection - called "Psychedelic")

I also want to make a giant Granny throw for the couch with some stash yarn. We'll see, just have to keep the hands busy on the trip, because Bruce likes to hog the driving on our trips ;).

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Circular Needles!

So when I embarked on this endeavor of trying to learn how to knit, I used what I have always used every time I try. Regular long knitting needles. And as of yesterday, I was still experiencing the same frustration. WELL...I had an idea while I was watching a tutorial--Why not try using circular needles? It seems that most tutorials I find lately on the basics have the circular needles in use, even for flat work. So, I headed out to AC Moore with m handy 40% coupon in hand, and started my search for a decent circular needle.

I am really flying blind at this point. I don't have anyone in my local circle of friends that knits, so I am just finding things out as I go. I stood there for a looooooooooooooong time debating--What size should I get? Should I get plastic? Should I get Aluminum,? Do I spring for Bamboo? GAHH!!!! Then I spied the Susan Bates Velocity Circular Needles! On the package, it says "Super Charge Your Knitting!" WOOT! SO I decided to get a size 11 (US) because the smaller needles frustrate me at this point, so I thought I would prefer a larger needle and work on some project where gauge doesn't matter.

WOW what a difference! The package said that the knitting would move a long alot faster and smoother, and they weren't kidding! I actually got a decent washcloth! Sure, it was all in garter stitch, but hey, that is all I am comfortable knitting at the moment. I am going to edge it with a crocheted edge and post a pic later. I REALLY like these needles, and certainly feel less frustrated than I did a couple days ago ;).

Stay tuned!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Just DO IT, July!!



I have dubbed this month "Just DO IT July!". I am challenging you all to just DO something that you may have been talking or thinking about doing "forever", but for whatever reason, have put it on the back burner.

For me, my "IT" is learning how to knit. I have wanted to for years, but have always found it to be outside of my comfort zone. After over 3 decades of crochet, I sure feel like a fish out of water when I pick up those needles! I love being an advanced crocheter--but man, it sure is different to be a beginner at knitting, but we all have to start somewhere, right??

I already had PLENTY of yarn in my stash to start off with, and even have a couple set of knitting needles, so all I had to do was find a tutorial to teach me how to cast on the needle. I found a GREAT casting-on tutorial HERE and I was then off and running! Next, I decided that since I have learned how to cast on, I should start with making "learning swatches" of the stitches (knitting a swatch in a certain stitch until I have the stitch down pat). I decided to start with the knit stitch. I found another great tutorial HEREand learned that when you do every row in the knit stitch, it is a garter stitch (woot! Getting the terminology down! YAY me!). Just watched how to bind off too!

So, I have finished my longish swatch. Don't quite know what I'm going to do with it, but it seems such a waste to just not do anything with it. Maybe I'll make a cute little knit cuff with a button closure, who knows.

Tonight, I'm going to make a basic knitted dishcloth or bath cloth that may have a crocheted edge. I don't know. Whatever I can make that is made totally with a garter stitch  LOL.

Biggest thing I learned so far! Going to get some circular needles. SO HARD for me to be comfortable with these long needles, and I think the circulars would make for an easier transition  to knitting. Picking some up tomorrow!
                        
Anyhoo....stay tuned! If anyone has any helpful hints for a beginning knitter who is a seasoned crocheter, please share!

Stay Tuned!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Handmade Gift Exchange Summer 2011-Magic Cloth


This is the "Magic Cloth" I sent to my partner, Kristin. It's made with 100% acrylic, and that combined with the stitch gives it a slightly abrasive nature. When this is used with a baking soda/water solution (1 tsp soda per 1 Cup of water), it works very similarly to a magic eraser on walls--hope she likes it! I compared the use of one of these to a magic eraser on my wall, and it only took just a hair more elbow grease, but it DID take the scuffs and crayon off the wall!.




Handmade Gift Exchange Summer 2011-Towel/Dishcloth Set




The Kitchen Towel/Dishcloth set I sent my partner, Kristin. The colors are pale pink and the darker pink, but for some reason, the pale pink doesn't come across too well on the pic. Hope she likes it! The cotton combined with the stitch makes them super absorbent!


Handmade Gift Exchange Summer 2011-Owl






This is the Owl I sent my partner, Kristin, for her daughter. I hope they like it as much as I liked making it!