Let There Be Light!

I've been working on the studio for the past week and I need more light. Currently I have a floor lamp and a small desk lamp that don't give off nearly enough. I went over to IKEA (the web version since the closest store is 344 miles away) to view my favorite piece, the Knappa Pendant Lamp (seen below). I know some of you may find it hideous, but I think it's just lovely. I was a little miffed however when I found out that I couldn't order it online. *Sigh* Initially I wanted to purchase two along with IKEA's Kallt hang lights or something of the sort. How great would that be? The two lamps hanging over my work table and the hang lights on the wall in back. I'm scrapping the hang lights idea since I covered the back wall with cork, my ribbon rack and Ansel Adams prints. I'm open to storage ideas, so if anyone has any, pass 'em along :D

OctopusMe!

If I could find a way to seal my Nano, I'd get an octopus. They are simply amazing, beautiful creatures. OctopusMe has captured all of the detail in their exceptional jewelry. My two faves are the Tentacle Ring and the Unmatched Foursome Tentacle Earrings. Head over to their etsy store and see for yourself!

SkinIt!

Set yourself apart from the crowd with a Skinit Skin that reflects your tastes and passions. Choose from thousands of designs for thousands of devices, including professional sports leagues, entertainment, colleges, fashion, exclusive art and more. What's your Skin?
Skinit is the leader in on demand personalization manufacturing, powering programs for computer manufacturers, wireless carriers, retailers, OEMs and other companies. Your skin will perfectly fit over 1,500 different wireless handsets, PDAs, iPods, notebook computers, gaming consoles and other devices.
Skinit offers the highest quality and most durable product in the market place. The Scotchprint Graphics 3M logo assures photo quality imaging, residue free removal and air bubble free application. The Skinit R and D team is dedicated to developing the best products possible with feedback from our customers, manufacturers, OEMs and service providers.
Skinit Skins provide a thin, photo quality protective membrane, buffering your device from occasional nicks and scratches from every day use.
These are a few of my faves. Top to bottom: 8-bit Gatorain by George Oswaldo, Dripper by George Oswaldo, Ace of Spades by Alchemy, 505 Silhouettes by 505 Graffiti, Lockdown by Skin Industries and Urban Sprawl by Urban 2.0. All of these come from the Urban section.

Tanks, Tanks A Lot

I know, I know... har har har. I've been a member (ID: DVS) of saltwaterfish.com for as long as I can remember. When marine tanks were just an afterthought. Now that my tank isn't in danger of cycling anymore from the move, I'd like to add some more to it. Before the move I discovered a type of anemone that I believe is a Strawberry anemone. The picture below isn't one I've taken. I could only be so lucky if mine grouped together like that. No, mine prefer long distance relationships as they are spread out all across my tank. Some hiding under a rock, some wedged between the barnacles. They're gorgeous little beasts. Their long tentacles have an irredescence to them and they glow under my moon lights.

I'd like to get some Green Ricordea mushroom polyps.

Maybe a Hard Tube Coco Worm.

And I'd love to get a Lettuce Nudibranch.

Trunkt

Trunkt to me, is kinda like the Coach store. Angels sing as I walk past Coach, beckoning me to come closer. Trunkt does the same thing. Go check them out!

Shown above is the Crimson showcase curated by Artistasan:

(Top row, left to right)

Blue Painted Bird by Sonya Gallardo; Charlemagne & Cardinals by Candace Jean; Red Rose by Polaroids and Pinholes; Winter Red by Alicia Bock Photography; Put On Your Dancing Shoes by StarryBlueSky

(Middle row, left to right)

Delilah by Dangerous Mezzo; Ted by Cutesy But Not Cutesy; Tube Posts by Angela Gerhard Jewelry; Tray/Bowl Set by Papaver Vert; Dinner and Salad Plate by Little Flower Designs

(Bottom row, left to right)

Juicy Pomegranate by Alina Hayes Ceramics; Be Free Abstract Painting by Ingrid Padilla; Capricious - Red by Terry Graziano Hats; Red Mosaic by Eyeshoot; Leopard Pill Box by Topsy Turvy Design

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Mellowbeing has crafted these gorgeous fingerless olive green wristwarmers. They are made from 100% acrylic yarn, sure to keep your hands and wrists nice and toasty. She makes them in a variety of colors so they're sure to match pretty much anything you wear. These extend about 4" past the wrist. The perfect length! Hurry over to her etsy shop and pick a pair up, or two, today!

An Apple A Day...

I don't nearly eat my fair share of apples. I love them but just never get around to eating them. I take forever at the grocery store to make sure that the one's I will be consuming have no dents, scratches, marks or bruises. Sorry guys, I like my apples blemish free. And let me tell you, they're hard to find! Maybe the apples should start being shipped with apple sweaters. Yes, that's right. I said apple sweaters. Who knew such a thing existed?! Sure enough, some lovely peach of a gal came up a design for them and is selling them on etsy. You can find her shop, HandmaidenBC, on etsy. They have them in a ton of colors so if your apple isn't feeling like red today, you can always swap them out. Looks like I should be able to make my quota of one a day now!

I've Found Heaven

Maybe when you get to heaven, there is a big pile of Chocolate-dipped Peppermint Moravian cookies waiting for you with a large glass of ice cold milk. Mmmmm. Bakers at the Salem Baking Company create these extraordinary cookies using a 75-year-old recipe brought to America by immigrants from Moravia, now part of the Czech Republic. Flavored with natural peppermint, the whisper-thin cookies are dipped in velvety-smooth dark Guittard chocolate. You can find them this season at Williams Sonoma. The package contains about 34 cookies. Not nearly enough, in my opinion! Enjoy!

Pleo: Want vs. Need

I need one. Really. Need. Not want. I saw one up close and personal at the mall and can I just say 'NEED'. Come on, how can you not need one? Look at that face! And he follows you! He naps when he's tired! He reacts to light! And being touched! He plays tug-of-war! It's like your own little dino. You can't sit there and tell me that having a dino as a pet when you were 10 wasn't your biggest wish. Well it was mine anyways. He's a little on the expensive side for a 'pet' but I think he's worth it.

Ancestry.com

For the past few years, I've been researching my family history. Last December I purchased the Family Tree Maker 2008 and I was able to log 276 people, 81 surnames, 86 marriages and over 7 generations. With all this extra time on my hands, I've recently decided to start digging deeper.

Ancestry.com has over 7 million names added to family trees and over 150,000 photos uploaded. I've been able to find my great grandfathers World War I Draft Registration Card as well as the New York Passenger Lists from when he came over from Italy. If you plan on doing any research at all on your family, I urge you to check out Ancestry.com. Currently they are offering a two week free trial. They offer annual memberships: World Deluxe for $299.40 or US Deluxe for $155.40. They also have monthly subscriptions that start at $19.95.