text:
of Hundreds of Items Click Here
of Hundreds of Items Click Here
Your Choice!
Borrow The Same Gorgeous
Jewelry & Accessories
That Hollywood Has
Been Using For Years!
Borrowing Memberships
as low as
Get a BUY ONLY Membership Without any Cost or
'Buy Only'
are FREE and enable you to
purchase any item you see for
the shown wholesale price.
Our Stones
All women want that dazzling look and feel of wearing impressive jewels, but unfortunately not everyone can afford it without breaking the bank until now! That's because gem-quality diamonds are now being grown in laboratories. The only main difference between our stones and genuine diamonds is that instead of the millions of years it takes to create natural diamonds, they're grown by man in a matter of days. Specialized laboratories can now recreate conditions that are similar to those which occur naturally, hundreds of miles below the Earth's surface. These stones sparkle and have the same amazing fire and brilliance that genuine jewels have. This effect can only be achieved by the specific manufacturing process where chemical components almost identical to those which are found in genuine diamonds are compressed under tremendous heat (approximately 3000 degrees Fahrenheit - the same temperature used to melt steel) and the result is a stone that has the same reflective index, dispersion of light and hardness as close to a naturally grown diamond as humanly possible. Therefore they are strong enough and hard enough to be cut with the same intricate facets as genuine stones. Facets are what make diamonds sparkle and reflect light. So this intricate cutting process makes the depth of the stone have that same crisp, clean appearance that naturally occurring diamonds have, where the light dances with life as it bounces off the stones. These lab-grown diamonds, high quality zirconites and Swarovski crystals are what make up all of our merchandise and why our items sparkle more than almost anything else out there!
How Can I Tell A Man-Made Diamond from a Naturally Grown One? The answer is you probably can't!
These synthetic diamonds have such slight differences from naturally grown diamonds that only a well-trained jeweler would be able to discern any difference at all. What they might see under a magnifying loop would be: A) Different growth patterns and B) A lack of inclusions inclusions are those bits of dark minerals that get trapped in a natural diamond as it's formed beneath the earth's surface. Because inclusions are regarded as flaws, a lack of inclusions is actually a good thing. However, our goal is not to pass off our stones as genuine mined diamonds from the Earth. We'll leave that to you!
Borrowed Bling holds the national trademark on "Television Jewels". Our gorgeous pieces are sought after by many of today's celebrities, television studios and hottest TV shows because of the amazing look, quality and price. Borrowed Bling has been written about in: Cosmo, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Newsweek, Flair, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, Utah This Week, MSN News, The Tucson Citizen, Green Bay Press Gazette, Florida Sun Sentinel, and The Houston Chronicle. They have also been featured on the Tyra Banks Show, E! Style News, E! Daily 10, KTLA News, Inside Edition and the Good Housekeeping TV special.
Our Settings
Our stones are set into designs and settings that you'd expect to see in the most impressive jewelry stores in the world. The result is an amazing piece of jewelry that you'd be able to wear side by side with real diamonds and no one would be able to tell them apart. 90% of our items are set in sterling silver, which is sealed in platinum-rhodium (which looks just like white gold), or sealed in 14 kt. yellow gold. The reason for the sealing process is to reduce the likelihood of tarnishing and to give the piece the same shine and finish that solid gold or platinum settings have. The other 10% of items on our site are set in non-tarnishing metals that are guaranteed never to darken or change color, while a few others are actually set into 14 kt. white or yellow gold. Read each item description to find out more about the item(s) you are interested in.
To care for all of our items we recommend taking them off before you do anything that would get them wet, such as swimming, showering, doing dishes, washing your hands frequently, etc. Water will tend to dull the shine of the setting over the course of time, as is the case with genuine gold and platinum settings as well. We also recommend cleaning our jewelry with a simple dab of ordinary toothpaste placed on an old toothbrush. Add a drop or two of water to the paste and scrub the stones gently clean on the top and underside of the stone. Rinse quickly in warm (not hot) water and dry thoroughly. The stones will shine like new again without any harsh chemicals to damage the settings. Never soak jewelry in chemical cleaning agents.
Fees & Billing
To become a member of our site is absolutely FREE! There are no monthly fees or obligations if you wish to sign up as a buying member, which enables you to purchase our items at the shown wholesale price.
If you wish to sign up as a renting member then there is a set monthly charge that will be billed to your credit card around the same day each month. There are 3 borrowing levels: The Countess Level at $29.95/mo, The Duchess Level at $49.95/mo, or The Movie Star Level at $99.95/mo. These flat monthly fees enable you to rent as much jewelry as you want for that month. As long as your previously rented items are returned to us, you can keep renting items over and over again all month long. There are no hidden or extra fees, no matter how long you keep the items. We do require a three - month minimum commitment for renting members because it takes a few months for you to really absorb how much fun our site can be and see enough jewelry items to know the kind of outstanding quality and variety we have. After your 3-month commitment is met, you can cancel your membership at any time, (with at least 14 days advance notice prior to your next billing cycle due date). There is a quick link on our site to cancel.
Also please note that we do have an "insurance policy / safety measure" in place to protect us from anyone who might continue to hold onto rented items during months that their credit card does not allow us to put their monthly membership fee through, or anyone who may simply fail to send the jewelry back to us. This policy includes taking a FULLY REFUNDABLE 50% deposit at the time of your rental order, to cover half the value of each piece you are renting. For example, if you wish to rent one of our $149 items and one of our $169 items (as a paid renting member), the cost to rent the items would be free (other than the $14.99 round trip shipping fee to get the items to you and then back to us again) but we would charge your credit card for HALF of the value of the jewelry. (So in this example it would be a $159 total amount taken as the security fee.) You could not dispute or file a chargeback on this charge for any reason, but you would get a 100% REFUND of this total $159 amount as soon as your rented items were safely returned back to us, (using our trackable return envelope that will be included for you with your rental delivery), and as long as you did not have any past-due membership fees. This security deposit is a ONE-TIME CHARGE, no matter how long you keep your rented items in your possession. By signing up as a renting member you are agreeing to allow us to charge your credit card for 50% of the value of your rented goods, at the time of placing your rental order, with the understanding that the full amount of this charge will be refunded back to you as soon as your rented items come back to us, and providing that you are not behind on your flat-rate monthly membership fee. The only situations in which we would retain the security deposit would be:
1) If you did not return the rented items back to us
2) If we had not been able to collect your flat-rate monthly membership fee successfully during any of the months that you remained an active member with us, in which case the security deposit would be kept to cover any past due fees.


text:
Royalty Free Video Backgrounds and Animated Backgrounds
Full motion animated video backgrounds.
Available to our Pro and Platinum members is our library of video backgrounds and animated backgrounds. These video backgrounds are perfect for video projects, Flash, presentations, including PowerPoint, DVDs and a variety of other projects and uses.
All of our video backgrounds are royalty free. With a Pro or Platinum membership you can download as many royalty free looping video backgrounds and use them as often as you like without paying anything. Start browsing animated backgrounds now and add a video background to your next video, presentation or web project.
Having trouble previewing the video? Download the latest Quicktime(Free)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Given our inherent pride in our brand, we have created these guidelines and general trademark license to make it as fun, easy, flexible, and accessible for our customers, partners, and fans to work with our brand, while preserving our corporate identity. If you need to use Cloudflare icons, logos, or other marks in ways that materially differ from these guidelines, you will need to contact Cloudflare for a written license. While you may use Cloudflare marks per these guidelines, it does not mean that you have any vested rights in Cloudflare Marks, logos, or in any other trademark, trade name, service mark, business name or goodwill of Cloudflare. We want to grant as much flexibility as possible; however, our lawyers have to earn their keep by protecting Cloudflare against any unauthorized use of any trademark, trade name, service mark, business name or goodwill of Cloudflare. Any unauthorized use automatically terminates the permission or license granted by Cloudflare and may incur legal liabilities for any damages.
So, please use all Cloudflare marks and logos in a form that adheres to the rules below, including capitalization, typeface, and style.
In order to make it easy to use Cloudflare logos and marks in your applications and promotion materials appropriately, we have created this web page containing downloadable digital artwork and instructions.
Cloudflare web badges are available to tell your visitors that your website is protected and accelerated by Cloudflare services. Not only do you let your visitors know your site is fast and safe, but you're scoring some serious karma by spreading the word about Cloudflare by adding a badge to your site. You can obtain Cloudflare web badges from this page. Please do not alter Cloudflare web badges in any way (e.g. stretched out, different colors, etc).
Here's how to use our name in written copy:
Our lawyers made us say this:
Some of our logos and marks are restricted to being used by Cloudflare and its partners. Third parties may not use the following marks without a written license from Cloudflare:
That's it. We hope that this has been informative and helpful. We look forward to growing the Cloudflare brand and community together. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments by emailing us.
Set up a domain in less than 5 minutes. Keep your hosting provider. No code changes required.
Everyone's Internet application can benefit from using Cloudflare.
Pick a plan that fits your needs.


text:
A Swedish policeman who helped investigate The Pirate Bay is now working for Warners Brothers, one of the big-name film companies that helped drive the investigation and is now a plaintiff in the pending court case against the swashbuckling P2P file sharing site.
As reported in Swedish by the Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan and in English by The Local, this policeman took his job with Warner several months after the preliminary Pirate Bay investigation was completed, but he's scheduled to appear as a witness when the case goes to trial.
"The question is how long this was under consideration. If it was under consideration at the time of the investigation then it is a scandal," said Peter Althin, a lawyer defending the four men behind The Pirate Bay, including Peter Althin.
"This is a judicial scandal," Sunde said. "Talk about a conflict of interests."
According to Althin, if it turns out the policeman discussed a job with Warner Brothers before the investigation played out, Warner and its fellow plaintiffs would have to ditch their court finding and start all over again. ®


text: Thanks Izzy I came home from work and switched them. I looked again and they are not marked and I checked the boxes again and they are not marked either. But for reference the cooling vanes are straight and not directional. But my OCD wouldn't allow me not to switch them


text:
Relationships with
Photo Credit: Photographic illustrations of Alan Thicke are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about Alan Thicke is derived from astrological interpretation of Alan Thicke's date, time, and place of birth.


text:
- Price: $50
- Posted: 26 July 13
- Expire: Recurring
- Age & Sex: M/F 18+
Title of project: Self-perceptions and the Future Self: Implications for Health and Well-being
Please read the following information about the study to be conducted.
I agree to participate voluntarily in a project being conducted by Fuschia M. Sirois, Ph.D. of the Department of Psychology at Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Quebec and funded by the Canada Research Chairs program.
The purpose of the study is to explore how and why certain self-perceptions may be linked to the amount of consideration you give to your future self, and how this consideration of your future self may be linked to outcomes related to health and well-being.
As a participant in this project, I will be asked to complete an online survey which includes questions about how I view my future self, my self-perceptions, wellness behaviours, and my health and well-being.
This survey takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete, although individual completion times may vary depending on your computer system. You may complete the survey at a location of your choice.
I am aware that at all times, I have the right to withdraw from the project without negative consequences. However, my responses will be anonymous and therefore I can only withdraw from this study up to the point that I click the "Submit Survey" button at the end of the survey.
Several steps will be taken to ensure the confidentiality of survey data you submit. All incoming surveys will be stored on a secure server and be accessible only by the researcher. The date and time of submission will be the only additional information attached to the surveys. Such information is used solely for the purpose of excluding duplicate submissions. Should you choose to enter the draw, the email address you provide will be used solely for the purpose of the draw and will be deleted after the draw is complete. However, your email address will not be linked to your survey responses.
All electronic data will be stored on a password protected computer in the researcher's lab to further ensure privacy. Only the researcher and the research assistants directly associated with this study will have access to this information for the purposes of analysis and conducting the study. Any reports of this study made available to participants or sent to a scientific journal for publication will contain information that reflects group results and not information about specific individuals. Following the guidelines of the Canadian and American Psychological Associations, data will be retained for a period of 5 years after publication in a secure place, after which time it will be disposed of in a secure manner (e.g. shredded or electronically deleted).
All data collected will be confidential and the property of the researcher, and will be used strictly for the above-mentioned project. However, this data may also be used by the researchers for subsequent studies upon receiving further clearance from the Research Ethics Board.
There are no risks anticipated from participating in this study.
The potential benefits resulting in my participation are that I may become more aware of my thoughts and feelings towards my future self.
The results from this study may advance knowledge regarding how attitudes towards the future self are linked to health and well-being.
Contact Information
I agree to participate in this project and I have made this decision based on the information I have received about it. I have read and understand the present consent form and I accept its stipulations.
I understand that by completing and submitting this electronic survey that I am giving my consent to participate in this study according to the terms outlined above.
It is recommended that you print out a copy of this letter of information for your records.
Pass it on: Feel free to send the link for this page to other people who you know who might be interested in participating.


text:
The Fitness Industry Technology Council, an idea that began two years ago to bring together health club and manufacturing companies to create a set of industry measurement standards, has new leadership.
Bryan O'Rourke, industry consultant and CEO of Integerus, is the president of what is now known as FIT-C. The council is comprised of organizations and professionals within the fitness industry who seek to develop standards around the measurement and transport of fitness performance data, such as calorie expenditure. The standards would apply to treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes, among other equipment.
The founding members of the new FIT-C, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, are Integerus, Intel, American Council on Exercise, Athletes' Performance, ClubCom, Club Performance, Dynastream Innovations, FitLinxx, Polar, Precor and True Fitness. O'Rourke expects more companies to join.
"We have been actively working and talking with club operators around the world," O'Rourke says. "This is a global organization. Everyone that's involved in the business is being touched by technology. If we're going to grow the pie, we all need to work together under a common set of standards so that the consumer is a beneficiary and it grows our business."
Three of FIT-C's founding members—Athletes' Performance, ClubCom and Intel—were on the original council. One difference with the new FIT-C is the arrival of management firm Virtual Inc., which has formed a partnership with the council.
"FIT-C is all about building a higher level of trust in the performance data that is reported out by the machines," Virtual's Greg Kohn said in a statement. "Once manufacturers begin to certify that their machines comply with the FIT-C standards, exercisers and the wellness providers that support them can be confident after a workout that they really burned the number of calories the machine said they did."
Kevin Steele, an industry consultant and principal at Communication Consultants WBS Inc., was the co-creator and co-chair of the original council, whose roots go back to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) show in 2010. The council held a meeting at Club Industry 2010 and conducted a panel session before attendees at the IHRSA show in 2011.
After that show, the council began to lose support. Only a handful of companies with the council met at Club Industry 2011.
Although Steele's term with the council expired in March 2011, he says he's been willing to offer advice, and that offer applies to the new FIT-C.
"I think Bryan is a very capable guy," Steele says. "He's definitely more knowledgeable about technology than me. He's relatively new to the industry, so he brings an outside perspective, which could be helpful. Over the last three or four years, he's developed a lot of pretty solid relationships in the industry. I think he'll do a good job as the president of the organization."
O'Rourke says Steele's spirit and ideas behind the formation of the original council will carry on in FIT-C.
"It's a natural extension of its foundation," O'Rourke says. "It's going through a process. It's going from conceptualization to actualization. It's starting to create some real-world standards that people can adopt. Now we're moving into the phase of, 'How do we get it done?'"
O'Rourke will moderate a roundtable discussion on technology that will take place on Friday, Oct. 12, at Club Industry 2012 in Las Vegas.


text:
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Giveaway Winner!!
Posted by Joanna at 8:27 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, August 19, 2013
My New Ring - AND - a GIVEAWAY!
Hey guys! I know it's been a few weeks since I've blogged. Sorry. It's been CRAZY busy this summer!
So, a lot's happened lately. I've been quilting up a storm, working on commissioned projects, projects of my own, and writing. I even published a book (my 2nd one comes out August 30th! For more about that, go here.)
I also was contacted by Diamond Candles to see if I would be willing to try their product, give my honest review, and host a giveaway.
Have you heard of Diamond Candles before? They have these awesome, all natural soy candles. And the best part? Each candle has a ring hidden inside the wax. Some of the rings aren't worth much, but there's always the chance your candle could have a ring worth up to $5000!!
So, I picked out the candle I wanted. My husband is really picky about candles (I know, weird, right?), and so I picked a scent that wasn't so much fruity or food-related. They have a lot of really good scents though. If I could have gotten the whole line, I totally would have! I ended up ordering Midnight Kiss.
I couldn't have been more surprised when it arrived. Guys, the candle is huge! Way bigger than I expected.
Posted by Joanna at 3:53 PM 5 comments Links to this post
Monday, August 5, 2013
Salem Days Quilt Retreat 2013
On Saturday, August 3rd we had our annual Salem Days Quilt Retreat. We had 48 people come, and it was amazing!
We had some great gift bags with patterns and Sprinkles donated by Izzy n Ivy Designs, and a fat quarter donated by Gracie Lou's. Sweetbriar Cove gave everyone a little purse with a chapstick and a piece of chocolate. And everyone got their very own bag of Chex mix to snack on during the retreat.
We had a ton of great prizes donated from local shops and people, too. Home Depot, Velcro, and HouseParty sponsored some of our gift bags, and donated the materials to make a darling little make up organizer out of PVC couplings, Velcro one-strap, and duct tape.
We also had a slew of patterns and quilt kits donated as door prizes. Even darling ceramic button coasters, so you don't have to worry about your drink sweating onto your fabric while you sew. "Sew" cute!
Vicki Peterson, organizer of the Quilt Retreat and owner of Sweetbriar Cove, started us all off by showing us how to make a darling notions jar. You can get the jars at the Dollar Store. Then, you use a piece of fabric and gather the edges, stuff it, stick in a piece of cardboard, and glue it to the lid.
Voila! You have a cute little pincushion on the top of your notions jar!
Then, tie some ribbon in a bow around the top edge.
It was darling!
And super easy! Seriously, with some scrap fabric from your stash, a roll of ribbon, and a jar from the dollar store, this is a cheap enough gift you can make them for all of your sewing/crafting friends for Christmas gifts!
(Great idea, right? I totally might have to do that!!)
See how darling they are? I'm still dying over how cute mine is. I think I'm going to fill mine with candies though, because chocolate is a necessity while you're quilting, sewing, or crafting. Right? Right.
Next up was Carrie Brown from Gracie Lou's Quilt Shoppe in Salem. She did a trunk show, showing off some of her favorite quilts they've made at the shop.
This is one of my favorites. The 18 inch square, sashed. Super easy, super quick, super awesome for using some of those large prints you don't want to cut up into little pieces. I made this one for my mom a few years ago, and it's so quick and easy to do.
After the trunk show, Carrie taught us how to make yo-yo's without using a yo-yo maker.
It's actually not that hard. Some people turned under the raw edge of the fabric, but I decided not to. I like the look of the unfinished edge. Then, we glued the yo-yo onto the front of the notions jar. Cute, right? SUPER CUTE!
I just signed up for August's mystery quilt, and I can't wait to see what it is. Rebecca designs all her patterns, and showed us how to do some fun and different things with fabric to add a little texture to our quilts.
This is one of my favorites that she showed us. In the center it's a Lone Star. And then she just added different borders until it was big enough for her liking. How adorable is it? I mean, seriously. LOVE this quilt.
After Rebecca spoke, we took a break for lunch. Oh my goodness it was so yummy! Thank you to Zupa's for catering such a spectacular lunch.
Each lunch box came with the Nuts About Berries salad, the turkey cranberry sandwich, and a chocolate dipped cookie. Oh my!
I did a little make & take demonstration on how to use washi tape to make a quick and easy card. I didn't take any pictures though, sorry. But let me just tell you, it was cute. I got the idea off of the Silhouette blog. You can find the project instructions here.
Angie Stewart did a great little redwork demo. We had a few samples of finished redwork quilts there, and then she gave us all this cute free pattern she found online. Go here to download your own copy of the pattern. So cute!
I didn't get much of mine done, but this is one I am definitely going to finish. Someday. I'm adding it to my pile. ;)
We had Lynda Hales come show us some of the fabulous quilts she's made. She loves to do embroidery, and it was really fun to see all of the different things she's made with embroidered blocks.
I love this one, because it's cute and bright, with simple patchwork. Someday I'll try to do an embroidered quilt top. I don't have the patience, really, but maybe that's why I'll do it. To train myself, yeah?
We also had Joyce Slye come show us some of her favorite quilts. She loves circles (and I love to quilt them for her!) This one that she showed was one of my favorites. If you want to see more detailed photos of the quilting, find them here.
Jana Nielson from Izzy n Ivy Designs did a fun make and take from a metal zipper. Who knew that if you cut up a zipper you could make a flower pin?
It was a little tricky at first to get the hang of working with the zipper pieces, but once everything was all glued/sewn together, it actually looked really cute. Mine is a little wonky, but you get the idea. I think I'm going to buy some zippers online and make a whole bunch. Jana showed us an example she had made of the zipper flowers all connected together into a necklace. Cute idea!
After Jana spoke, we had Keri Carter do a food demonstration. My favorite! She gave us the recipe and showed us how to make her orange dream cupcakes. She even had samples premade for us to taste. They were so flipping good!
After Keri did her demo, Shannon White came and showed us some of the quilts she's made. She is such a talented lady! She teaches classes over at the Corn Wagon in Springville. She has made some great quilts and is very talented!
After her trunk show, she handed out kits and taught us how to make a quick little pin cushion ring from felt. They were so cute and easy to make. One lesson I learned though, don't hot glue the ring while it's on your finger! OUCH!
Shannon also showed us some quilts from another lady who works at Corn Wagon. This woman dyes all of their wool, and does amazing, incredible things with wool. I'd love to try something like that, someday. Wool gives a great texture to quilts and looks really fun to work with.
We had a lot of fun at Quilt Retreat this year (but don't we every year, really?). This coming Saturday is the Salem Days Quilt Show in the trees. I can't wait to see all the fun quilts people bring to show off.
Posted by Joanna at 10:32 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: crafts, quilt retreat, quilts, Retreat, Salem Days, sewing
Thursday, May 9, 2013
What Puppies Love
Posted by Joanna at 4:48 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Monday, April 15, 2013
Pattern Review Monday: Addie Jo Skirt by Izzy & Ivy Designs
It is so quick and easy. The instructions are well written, and there are no pattern pieces to cut out before sewing. Everything is a rectangle, which is my kind of sewing!
This pattern is great for a variety of fabrics. I've got several for my daughter in a polyester blend fabric, and I've got several that are 100% cotton.
|Skirt w/underskirt
|Skirt w/ruffle
|Plain skirt
The pattern itself is well-written and the instructions are very clear and easy to understand.
There are 5 skirt views. I have made 3 of them. In fact, I made the 3 shown here on this post in under an hour. The green skirt I made first. Then, I made the other two simultaneously. As long as you keep the pieces in the right piles, you can quickly sew multiple skirts at the same time.
The only change I had to make to this pattern was the elastic measurement was too big. For a size 1 (which is what I made for my daughter) it called for 19 inches of elastic. I ended up cutting 17 inches of elastic and then overlapping the ends within the casing by almost an inch. So, my recommendation for a perfect fit would be to take the waist measurement, subtract an inch, and then overlap almost another inch.
If you are looking for a quick and easy skirt to make, this pattern is it! My daughter has multiples and wears them all the time. She loves skirts (I love how easy they are to get on and off her little 15 month old self), and these are simple yet girly enough for every day wear, not just as a Sunday outfit.
To see the other cute patterns Izzy and Ivy Designs have to offer, check them out here.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Postless Week
Sorry it's been a week without a post! Things have been a little busy over here and I haven't had a chance to schedule any posts for a while. Hopefully I'll have time to do that later this week, so stay tuned and keep checking back!
Also, if you haven't followed me on Facebook yet, I post photos on there, so check it out!
Oh, and I'm on Instagram! Username: bustylarue. Look me up. Feel free to follow. I usually follow you back, as long as you aren't a spammer! ;)
Posted by Joanna at 10:11 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, April 1, 2013
Cardboard Toy Box Tutorial
So last month the boy needed to have a cardboard box vehicle for the Kindy 500, which is a "tour" of some of America's monuments at the elementary school. I made him this fun red car. He had a blast!
His sister really likes to play in it, but it doesn't make a good storage box for her toys, so I knew I needed to figure something out.
I had just picked up a case of paper from Costco, and it was the perfect size for a toy box. And it had a lid!!
I've been playing with vinyl on my Silhouette Cameo, so I was itching to do something with vinyl and paint!
I bought a few motifs from the Silhouette store and played around with them in the software until I got the look I wanted.
Then I cut the shapes out on the vinyl and set them aside. It was now time to get the box ready.
I did one coat of primer on the box, laying the spray paint thicker on the printed areas. When that was dry I painted all the areas that would have vinyl applied pink. I used Rustoleum brand. It sprayed really evenly. Tip: it takes a little longer, but spray each side flat, not standing up. That way the paint won't drip and run.
I actually used two coats of pink paint, to make sure it was dark enough. Then I applied the vinyl. After you adhere the vinyl you will want to make sure that the edges are all pressed down firmly. Then I painted over the vinyl in pink to set the edges.
Let that dry, then paint over everything in your top color. I used kind of an aqua blue color. Depending on the color you use, you may needier than one coat for coverage. If you are doing a lighter color on top of a dark, I recommend using a primer in between layers. Since the aqua was darker than the pink I only needed one coat.
Let the paint dry. Then, using tweezers and a hook tool, remove the vinyl pieces. When you peel them off it will reveal the color underneath! It looks really cool.
If you want, you can use a clear coat to finish it off. :)
And there you have it! A personalized toy box for pretty cheap! If you don't have a box from a case of paper, any old box would do. You could cut the flaps off the top of an amazon or other shipping box, too if you want. I'd love to see what you come up with when you do this tutorial! Head on over to my Facebook page and post a photo of your finished personalized toy box!
Posted by Joanna at 6:08 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, March 29, 2013
I love Owls! And I love purple. And I love Chevrons. Which makes this quilt one of my favorites because it combines all three things!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wool Flowers
On this beautiful quilt with wool applique I quilted feathers (surprise, surprise!) and a lot of modern lines.


text:
Ergonomic baby bouncer with natural rocking – our latest design.
Free ground shipping on orders over $35.00
Ships within 1-2 business days
It is so simple, but that is really what makes it wonderful. My baby is so happy to bounce in here, it is a great place for him when he starts to get fussy (or if I need to make a cup of coffee in the morning).By Kyle S. from Jersey City, NJ
This bouncer takes up minimal room which is a huge bonus for us. But most importantly our 8 week old loves to sit in it and can watch the world! This is great for freeing up my hands to do other jobs! The cover is soft and easy to remove.By CEA from York
I love this bouncer. My baby will happily sit in it for meals and play.By Rachel from Cairns Australia
Features and benefits
- 0 - 2 years
- 8 lbs - to 29 lbs
- From 21 in
Ergonomic baby bouncer with natural rocking – our latest design
New Bouncer Bliss is a cozy place for your baby to play or rest beside you while you take a shower or prepare a meal. The baby bouncer rocks gently when babies kick their legs or wave their arms. No batteries needed – the baby bouncer runs on pure fun! Playing in the baby bouncer also helps your baby develop motor skills and balance. Bouncer Bliss can be used for newborns and up to the age of two.
Natural rocking stimulates your child's development
The baby bouncer is gently rocked by you or your baby's movements. No batteries required. The rocking helps your baby train and develop balance and motor skills.
Long period of use
The baby bouncer can be used for newborns (minimum weight 8 lbs/3.5 kg) and up to the age of two. When your child has learned to sit without help, you simply turn the fabric seat around and use the bouncer as a comfy children's chair.
Ergonomic design
The baby bouncer gives good support to your baby's back, neck and head. The fitted fabric seat distributes your baby's weight evenly, which is particularly important for newborn babies.
Happy baby, happy parents
Your baby can play and rest in the baby bouncer next to you while you get a chance to take a shower or enjoy a cup of coffee.
Three positions + transport mode
Three different positions for play and rest, plus a practical transport mode.
Child-friendly material
The baby bouncer is available in three soft materials: supersoft 3D jersey, comfy, quilted cotton and airy, quick-drying mesh. It is free from harmful substances and approved according to OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Class 1 for baby products.
Easy to clean
The fabric seat is easy to remove. Machine wash warm (40˚C).
Award-winning baby bouncer in a new design
A gray base and frame give a soft look. The single-color mesh fabric creates a luxurious feeling and makes an attractive addition to your home.
Folds flat and convenient to carry
The baby bouncer is easy to fold up and takes up very little space when folded.
Extra Fabric Seat for Bouncer Bliss
Toy for Bouncer – Flying Friends
Toy for Bouncer – Soft Friends
User manualBaby Bouncer (pdf)
Product facts
Age and weight
From birth to approx. two years (min. 8 lbs/3.5 kg, max. 29 lbs/13 kg).
- Bouncer (max 20 lbs/9 kg)
Always use the restraint system. Make sure that both buttons are locked. You can adjust between two positions. Stop using the product as a bouncer once your child can sit up without help.
- Chair (max 29 lbs/13 kg)
Use as chair when your child can walk and sit on his or her own. In order to convert the product into a chair, all you have to do is turn the fabric around.
Bouncer Bliss is available in three soft materials:
- 3 D Jersey
Front jersey material: 80% polyester, 16% cotton, 4% elastane. Back cotton material: 100% cotton
- Cotton
100% cotton (quilted)
- Mesh
100% polyester
Tested and safe
All materials meet the criteria for OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Class 1 for baby products. This means that they are kind to your baby's skin and safe to taste.
Bouncer Bliss complies with the US ASTM F2167 and the EN12790:2009 safety standard.
Washing instructions
Machine wash warm (40°C). Wash separately. Use an eco-friendly, mild and bleach-free detergent. Do not tumble dry.
The owner's manual for Bouncer Bliss is available here
Weight and dimensions
Weight: 4.6 lbs/2.1 kg
Highest position: 22 x 31 x 15.5 in/56 x 79 x 39 cm
Transport dimensions: 4.5 x 35 x 15.5 in/11 x 89 x 39 cm
Buying a baby bouncer from BABYBJÖRN
Baby bouncers from BABYBJÖRN are easy to use, have a natural rocking motion, and give good support to a baby's back, neck and head. We develop all our baby bouncers in close cooperation with medical specialists, such as pediatric orthopedists and neonatal doctors. Everything to ensure you feel complete peace of mind when your baby plays or rests in a BABYBJÖRN Baby Bouncer!
Video Tutorials
How do I use Bouncer Bliss?
Watch our short instruction videos to learn how to switch from one position to another, put on/take off the fabric seat and turn the bouncer into a comfy children's chair.
What distinguishes the Bouncer Bliss from the previous model BABYBJÖRN Bouncer Balance Soft?
The Bouncer Bliss makes a great fit for modern homes, with its sleek design and soft lines. The metal frame has a matching soft color tone. One difference is that the Bouncer Bliss comes in a cozy, quilted cotton fabric. It also comes in a soft and airy mesh fabric, with stitching that has been added so that it won't chafe against your baby's sensitive skin. Otherwise, all bouncers from BABYBJÖRN have the same basic design with a natural rocking motion, three different positions, and a tailored ergonomic fabric seat. They are all foldable, have removable fabric that is machine washable, and have a long period of use (0-2 years).
Real-life moments with Bouncer Bliss
Tag your photo with @babybjorn and get the chance to be featured on our website. Read more.


text:
I'm not always up-to-date on the latest men's fashions, but I do know where to draw the line: Kanye West's skirt.
Yes, a skirt.
During last week's 12-12-12 concert at Madison Square Garden benefiting Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, West, 35, performed wearing a black leather skirt and leggings.
I realize that some artists are a bit eccentric and are often over-the-top, but West, dressing like a lady, just looked ridiculous, outrageous and silly.
Perhaps it was actually trendy and I just overlooked his brilliance. But I don't think so.
What's next: A tutu?
West's outfit certainly got loads of reaction, mostly in the form of jokes, especially since West is dating the highly over-exposed Kim Kardashian.
"Maybe a new item from the Kardashian collection?" one Twitter user joked.
"Kanye must have swapped suitcases with Kim Kardashian," another person commented.
Here are a few more wisecracks posted on USA Today's website:
– "Kanye must have swapped suitcases with Kim Kardashian."
– "'Wear this black trash bag as a skirt. Then, just kinda run around the stage scaring white people' – Kanye West's manager before the show"
– "Kanye West looks like the episode when Steve Urkel became a cheerleader!!!!"
This wasn't the first time that West has performed in clothing that looked like it was designed for women. He once appeared on stage wearing a paisley silk blouse.
C'mon West. Really?
I agree with President Barack Obama's assessment of West.
"He is a jackass," Obama said in a magazine article this summer. "But he's talented."
For young black boys who are easily blinded by bling, West is the worst kind of role model.
Yes, he is a talented musical artist, but that's not enough. He doesn't use his celebrity status to uplift black boys who have lost their way. He never talks about the significance of a college education. He rarely speaks out about black-on-black crime since the leading cause of death for young black men in homicide.
In Chicago, for example, in the first half of this year, 201 of the 259 homicide victims were African American. While blacks make up about 33 percent of the city's population, they accounted for nearly 78 percent of the homicide victims through the first six months of 2012.
And I've never heard West talk about how young black men should treat women with more respect.
Maybe I'm asking too much from West. After all, this is the same guy who removed his lower row of teeth and replaced them with pressurized carbon diamonds.
"I just like diamond teeth and I didn't feel like having to take them out all the time," West said in a Vanity Fair article.
"I just thought that diamonds were cooler," West told Ellen Degeneres. "It's just something that rock stars are supposed to do."
Let me get this right: So now West is a rock star? And what rock stars have replaced their teeth with diamonds? Mick Jagger? Bon Jovi? Bruce Springstein? Santana? None of the above.
West is a mess. His thinking is irrational. His clothing is questionable. His outbursts on stage are peculiar.
And his new diamond-bling smile seems like a desperate cry for attention.
It's time for West to drop the dresses and man-up.


text:
Football has fierce competition both off and on the pitch. Manage Your Football Club is part fantasy football simulator, part resource manager and part hooligan. You can get your hands dirty in any of the English football leagues from League two all the way to the top with the Premier league. If you don't have time to read 15 pages of praise, then leave this review with the following: Manage Your Football Club is a triumph of immense proportions. It is thick with strategy, depth of play and excellent game mechanics. I am Grabbing it before I even start my proper review.
Before I get too far, I will have to apologise. Sports Director Ltd. have created a deep game – too deep to be properly covered in one review unless I were to write a full book. To explain every feature and even shallowly discuss strategies would careen this website off the server!
Sports Director Ltd, Manage Your Football Club, 5.99$, 2.7 MB


text:
|Master Duellist Badge
|Object information
The Master Duellist Badge was an award given by the Duelling Club to students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1996–1997 school year, regardless of their house. To receive the badge, students had to become champion of the Duelling Clubs of all four Hogwarts Houses.[1] To become champion, students had to defeat the current champion in a duel. The badge was a Duelling Gold Badge.
Notes and referencesEdit
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
So the guv is going to start showing up at UC and CSU board meetings, where he will be able to sit next to his pal Gavin Newsom. And he's going to tell the administrators that they have to start getting serious about cost-cutting — as if they haven't whacked billions out of their budgets in the past few years.
I'm with Jerry on one thing: The Number One, absolute, top priority of the institutions of higher education in this state has to be avoiding hikes in tuition and fees. In fact, I'd put a five-year moratorium on anything that would increase costs for students. It's already too expensive to go to a state school, middle-class parents are getting priced out, and kids are graduating with so much debt that they're financially paralyzed for years.
The promise of an affordable, quality college education that Jerry's dad created in this state is gone, and it's not coming back until the price of a four-year degree comes back into synch with what Californians can pay. (Yes: UC is still a huge bargain compared to private schools. But you can go to college in Canada for half the price of UC, even if you're an American. If you're a Canadian citizen, you can go to really great colleges for almost nothing. That's the way California used to be.
And no question: There's bloat at UC. Administrators make too much money. I refuse to believe that you have to pay such giant salaries to attract people who can run the schools.
But that's a small part of the overall UC and CSU budget. And Brown has to understand that higher education isn't like most businesses. The productivity increases that corporate America (and that many other parts of state government) have seen in the digital era don't translate directly to colleges. A company can lay off lots of staff that did things like answer phones and replace them with (annoying) voice-mail robots, and accountants can work faster and machines can make cars better than (expensive) labor forces did. But it still takes one full human being to teach English Lit, and he or she can still only teach a certain number of students, and grade a certain number of papers. And if all the smartest physicists and electrical engineers want to go to work for Oracle or Google, you have to pay more to get them to get a few to pursue careers in academia.
Brown's proposal seems to be online classes, which would allow one prof to reach thousands of students, without anyone showing up in a classroom. Nice idea, but teaching isn't just giving a lecture. Sure, some classes work fine on the web, but a lot don't and never will.
Seriously, guv: Would you rather have this bloody fight that could damage your dad's enduring legacy, or go along with an oil severance tax?


text:
There are no Upcoming Shows listed for this comedian.
J Anthony Brown
For those in the know, "WatchOutDehNow" is more than a heed to action, it's the trademark catcall for funnyman J. Anthony Brown.
As a forerunner to today's hot Black comedy scene, and one of the foremost kings of that comedy, J. Anthony Brown is finally receiving the accolades he so justly deserves. A staple on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show for over nine years now, he is one of the voices that wake up millions of radio listeners in over 195 markets.
J. Anthony Brown is a titanic comedic force! His sidesplitting antics and sensibilities have set a precedent that many now follow. Whether he is murdering the hits with his off key version of the latest song, or donning a pink pimp suit to evoke a laugh, Brown will get to your funny bone. His penchant for alligator shoes and rainbow colored suits convey his "party time" approach for fun.
BET recognized the power of his comedic drive and therefore had him host two consecutive seasons of their top rated network show, "Comic View", Revamped as "Club Comic View." As testimony to the comedian's draw power, his season had some of the comedy world's biggest names grace the stage.
But it was Brown's role as Pop on the WB Network's Like Family, starring Holly Robinson Pete, which initially garnered the funny man his widest mainstream audience … he was catapulted to the forefront of America's viewing plate.
The South Carolina native began his career by chance in 1972 after relocating to Atlanta. He was originally pursuing a career as a clothing designer when $316 short of tuition money, he visited a local club and entered a gong show contest. The one time tailor was asked back to the venue, and later transformed it into a city hot spot as word of his natural wit traveled quickly.
Brown later left Atlanta for Hollywood, landing a job as head staff writer for the Arsenio Hall Show. An industry staple since, his impressive list of credits include hosting two consecutive seasons of Comic View, performances on Def Jam, It's Showtime at the Apollo and Evening at the Improv. Writing credits include Tom Joyner TV Show, Steve Harvey's Big Time, Me and The Boys, The Parent 'Hood and the Arsenio Hall Show. Movie credits include Tripple X -State of the Union, Mr. 3000, Drumline & How to Be a Player. Television credits include Tom Joyner TV Show on ABC, Tom Joyner Sky Show on TV-One, Dlife-Diabetes Talk Show on CNBC, EVE, Steve Harvey's Big Time, Like Family, The Parkers, Livin' Single, The Parent 'Hood, Martin, Moesha, The Hugley's, Sparks, and even Oprah.
An innovative businessman as well as comedian, Brown has his own line of products that carry his name, including his own clothing line, "The J. Anthony Brown Collection," gourmet and multimedia products. A creative artist and talented visionary, the comedian's artwork has been featured along side Annie Lee in an art exhibit in Washington, DC in November 2005.
J Anthony Brown's Upcoming Shows
J Anthony Brown is Known For


text:
Sale'47 L/S COLLEGE T-SHIRTWas £45.00 Now £20.00
Due to the latest government advice, The Foxes Fanstore will be closed until further notice. This also means that our Click & Collect service is also currently unavailable. If you have an outstanding Click & Collect order and would like it posting out, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
Shop.LCFC.com remains operational 24/7 for all other online orders.
Europe (1-2 working days) - £10.95
Rest of the world (2-4 working days) - £15.95
All of our parcels are shipped with DHL EXPRESS, which requires a signature on arrival.
Once your order is processed and despatched, DHL EXPRESS will notify you by email and SMS on your shipment's progress along with a tracking number and estimated delivery date.
If this doesn't fit your schedule, you can customise your delivery via DHL ODD and decide how, where and when the delivery takes place at the time and location that suits you best.
Our policy is to ship DDU terms (delivery duty unpaid).
As the official Leicester City Football Club online store, you can of course shop with complete confidence in the authenticity of the products on-sale.


text:
Below is our comprehensive list of golf courses in the Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania area. We list them by proximity to Wilkes Barre, including courses in neighboring cities. Award-winning golf courses are noted. Click on the course name to view more information on the course, including reviews and tournaments. For more golf courses in this region of Pennsylvania, choose a city from the list to the right. For places to stay, check out Wilkes Barre, PA resorts & hotels.
Hide this record?
Make visible this record?


text:
Jul 26 @ 1:00 pm
If you go down in the woods today You're sure of a big surprise If you go down in the woods today You'd better go in disguise! For every bear that ever there was Will gather there for certain Because today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic! Children and their teddy bear friends (or any stuffed companion!) are invited to an afternoon of forest play. Meet us at the Nature Play Area for teddy games, then we'll go on a short "hike" with our bears and end at the Pavilion for some picnic snacks! Registration required.
Categories: Arts & Culture Attractions Entertainment Outdoor Activities Things To Do Tags: Brenton Arboretum Spring
Subscribe to filtered calendar
- Categories
4th of July 5K 80/35 Festival ACT Prep Adapted Basketball Adel Adel Sweet Corn Festival Adventureland Air Lanes Airshow All-State Barn Tour in Iowa Altoona Altoona Aquatics Center Altoona Farmers' Market Altoona Public Library AMC Theatres Ames Amusement Park Animal Rescue League of Iowa Animal Rescure League Animals Anime Ankeny Ankeny Art Center Ankeny Community Theatre Ankeny Huntington Learning Center Ankeny Parks & Recreation Ankeny Parks and Recreation Ankeny Public Library Antiques Apex Athletics Apple Festival Apples Aquatic Centers Arbor Day Archery Area 515 Des Moines Maker Space Art Art Happy Art on the Prairie Art Spectrums Artful! ARtfull Arts & Crafts Arts & Crafts Fair Arts and Crafts Ashton Observatory Ashworth Road Baptist Church Ashworth Swimming Pool Audition Autism Aviation Aviation Technology Academy Baby Baby and Me Yoga Babysitting Back To School Backyard Adventures of Iowa Bald Eagle Watch Bald Eagles Ballet Bar B Que Barnes & Noble Baseball Basketball Bass Pro Shops Bass Pros Shops Beaverdale Beaverdale Beaverdash Beaverdale Farmer's Market Beggar's Night Bike Bike Month Bike Ride Bike World Biking Birdland Pool Black Friday Blank Park Zoo Blank Park Zoo Monarch Festival Bluebird Integrative Pediatrics Bondurant Farmers Market Book Club Book Warehouse Des Moines Books Bookwalk Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad Bounce House Bowling Bravo Breakfast with Santa Brenton Arboretum Brenton Skating Plaza Bricks 4 Kidz Brown's Woods Bull Riding Bulldog Ceramics Camp Brainiac Camp Fire of Iowa Camping Camps & Classes Canoeing Canoyer Garden Center Canvas Painting Capital Pursuit Capitol Complex Farmers' Market Car Show Carnival Carousel Theatre of Indianola Cascade Falls Aquatic Center Celebrasion Celebrate Waukee Center Grove Orchard Central Iowa Figure Skating Club Central Iowa Wind Ensemble Central Library Charity Cheerleading Chess Children & Families of Iowa Childserve Chili Christkindlmarket Des Moines Christmas Christmas & Holiday Christmas Lights Cinco De Mayo Cinemark Cinemark Theatres Summer Movie Clubhouse Circus Civic Center Civic Music Association Class Act Productions Clifford Climb Iowa Clive Clive Aquatic Center Clive Fest Clive Parks & Recreation CLive Parks and Recreation Clive Public Library Clothes Clover Dash Code Ninjas Coding Coffee Comedy Community Youth Concept Community Youth Concepts Compass Financial Services Concert Conference Consignment Sale Cooking Cooking Class Corn Maze Courage League Sports Cowles Commons Crafts Craftshow Creekside Church Creme Cupcake Cross Country Skiing Cruisin' 4 Carter 5k Race and Kids Run Cupcake Addict Cupcake Decorating CY Stephens Cycle Daddy Daughter Dance Dallas Center Dallas County Conservation Dallas County Fair Dallas County Toddler Fest Dance Day of the Dead Deals & Steals Des Moines Des Moines Art Center Des Moines Arts Festival Des Moines Ballet Des Moines Bike Collective Des Moines Boat & Sport Show Des Moines Buccaneers Des Moines Children's Museum Des Moines Diva Dash 5K & Lil' Princess Girls Run Des Moines Home + Outdoor Living Show Des Moines Marathon Des Moines Menace Des Moines Metro Opera Des Moines Mini Maker Faire Des Moines Parks & Recreation Des Moines Parks and Rec Des Moines Performing Arts Des Moines Playhouse Des Moines Public Library Des Moines Register All Iowa Auto Show; Spring Break Des Moines Renaissance Faire Des Moines Riverwalk Des Moines Social Club Des Moines Symphony Des Moines Triathalon Des Moines Young Artist's Theatre Dia de los Muertos Dia de Muertos Dimond Bikes Disney Disney on Ice Dogs Dolly! Donate Donuts Downtown Farmers' Market Dr. Seuss Drake Drake Municipal Observatory Drake Neighborhood Farmers' Market Drake Relays Drake Stadium Drive In Movie DSM First Early Outs Earth Day East Side Library East Village Easter Easter Bunny Easter Egg Easter Egg Hunt Eastview Community Center Education Enabling Gardens Equinox Escape Room Event Events Evetns Exhibit Fairs & Festivals Fairs and Festivals Fall Family Family Night Farmer's Market Farms & Orchards Father Daughter Dance Father's Day Festival of Trees and Lights Figure Skating Financial Education Fireworks Fisher Theater Fishing Fishing Derby Five Monkeys Inc. Flag Football Flix Brewhouse Food Distribution Food Trucks Football Forest Avenue Library Foy School of Dance Foy School of Irish Dance Franklin Avenue Library FREE FREE Admission Free Fishing Days FREE Trial FREE Winter Merchant Movies Fridley Theatres Fun Run Fundraiser Fundraising Fundriaiser Garage Sale Gardening Gardens Gear Geisler Farms geocache Geocaching Get Air Des Moines Get Your Rear in Gear Gifts GiGi's Playhouse 5K Fun Run & 1 Mile Inspirational Walk Girl Scouts Girls in Science Glazed Expressions Glow Wild Go Karting Goldfish Swim School Golf Goodguys Heartland Nationals GPS Grand Blue Mile Grandparents Day Grays Lake Great Amazing Race Iowa Great Escape Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Green Days Grimes Grimes Farmers Market Grimes Governor's Days Grimes Parks & Recreation Grimes Public Library GuideOne ImaginEve Gymnastics Hair & Make Up Halloween Harlem Globetrotters Harry Potter Haunted House Have a Heart 5K Health & Fitness Expo Heartlad Youth Choir Heartland Youth Choir Hello Herfst Feest {Harvest Fest} Heritage Carousel Hike Hikes Hiking Hinterland Hockey Holiday Holiday Lights Holiday Market Holiday Park Aquatic Center Holidays Home Depot Home School Homemakers Homeschool Hop-A-Lot Indoors Hope For Healing 5K Glow Run Horse Back Riding Horse Rides Horses Horseshoes Howell's Howell's Pumpkin Patch Hoyt Sherman Hoyt Sherman Place Hunting Huntng Hy-Vee Hy-Vee Hall Hy-Vee KidsFit Club Hy-Vee Pinky Swear Kids Triathlon I-Cubs Ice Cream Ice Fishing Ice Skating Illumifest Independence Day Indianola Indianola Farmers' Market Indianola Parks and Recreation Indianola Public Library Indoor Play Ingersoll Live Iowa Barnstormers Iowa Bike Expo Iowa Caucus Iowa Christian Academy Iowa Cubs Iowa Dance Theatre Iowa Deer Classic Iowa DNR Iowa Events Center Iowa Gold Star Military Museum Iowa Historical Museum Iowa Home Show Iowa Latino Heritage Festival Iowa Orchard Iowa Stage Theatre Co. Iowa Stage Theatre Company Iowa State Fair Iowa State Fairgrounds Iowa State University Iowa Wild Hockey Iowa Wolves IPTV ISU Extension Italian-American Heritage Festival Of Iowa Jasper County Conservation Jay's CDs Jazz in July Jester Park Equestrian Center Jester Park Nature Center Jett and Monkey's Johnston Johnston Farmer's Market Johnston Parks & Recreation Johnston Public Library Jordan Creek Town Center Jordan House Jr. Cyclone Club Juneteenth Junior Menace Jurassic Quest Kayak Kayaking Kids Gardening Class Wright Outdoor Solutions Garden Center Kids Night Out Kidsfest Kindergarten Kindergarten Readiness Kirkenall Public Library Kirkendall Public Library Kitchen Collage Kite Making Workshop Kites on the Green Kona Ice Kuehn Conservation Area Labor Day Labor Day Weekend LGBTQ Library Little Princess Parties Live Healthy Iowa Live Music Live Peformance Live Performance Living History Farms LLC Log Cabin Days Festival Louw Stables LSI Global Greens Farmers' Market Lunch Lutheran Church of Hope Maching Shed Madison County Covered Bridge Festival Magic Mainframe Studios Make-A-Wish Foundation Of Iowa Jolly Holiday Lights Managerie Stables May Day Mayor's Bike Ride Mayor's Tree Lighting and Holiday Lights Maze Meals from the Hearland Memorial Day Mental Health Merle Hay Merle Hay Lanes Merle Hay Mall Metro Ice Sports Michaels Mid Iowa Gymnastics MLK Day Molly's Cupcake Monarch Butterflies Monarch Tagging Monkey Joe's Monster Jam Mother's Day Mother/Son Activity Mount Olive Lutheran Church and School Movie Movie in the Park Movies Movies in the Park Muddy Boots Forest Camp Music Music in the Park Music Under the Stars Musical Nahas Aquatic Center National Balloon Classic National Bike Month National Geographic Live National Night Out National Parks and Recreation Month Nativity NCAA Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge New Horizon Academy New Year's New Year's Eve Nitefall on the River Noon Year's Eve North River Adventures North Side Library Northwest Aquatic Center Norwalk October Olympics Open Jump Open Swim Opera Opportunity on Deck Oudoor Movie Outdoor Concert Outdoor Movie Outdoor Movies Outlets of Des Moines Overnight Paddle Board Paint Painting with a Twist Pappajohn Sculpture Park Parade Parenting Parenting Class Parents Day Out Parents Night Parents Night Out Pella Penoach Winery Perry Pets Photography Picket Fence Creamery Pickleball Pictures with the Easter Bunny! hosted by Schneib Real Estate Team Pinot's Palette Pint Size Science Plants Play Groups Play Sets Playground for Kids Pleasant Hill Pleasant Hill Farmers Market Pleasant Hill Parks and Recreation Pleasant Hill Public Library Pleasant Hills Parks & Recreation Plot Twist Book Store Pok County Conservation Polar Plunge Pole Position Raceway Polk City Polk County Conservation Polk County Fair Polk County Master Gardener Garden Tour Postpartum Pottery Studio Prairie Meadows Prairie Ridge Aquatic Center Prairie Trail Pre-K Preschool Preschoolers Preschools Pride Month Primrose School of Ankeny Princess Princess Party Princesses Public Safety Day Pufferbilly Days Pump it Up Pumpkin & Cornmaze Pumpkins Raccoon River Park Rainbow Play Systems of Iowa Read Across America Day Reading Real Food 4 Kids Recreation REI Reiman Gardens Rendevous on the Riverview Repertory Theater Of Iowa Revision Church Revive Church Rock Climbing Rodeo Roller Skate Run Running RV Show Salisbury House Santa Santa Express Sapphire Gymnastics School Supplies Science Center of Iowa Self Defense Sensory Friendly Sensory Friendly Films at B & B Theatre Ankeny 12 w/ B-Roll Bowling Sesame Street Shakespeare on the Lawn Shear Madness Sherman Hill Shopping Shops at Roosevelt Singing Skate North Incrediroll Skate South Skate West Skateboard Skateland Sky Zone Sleepy Hollow Sports Park Small Business Saturday Smash Park Snowshoe Snus Hill Winery Soccer Soul Food Festival South Des Moines Sculpture Park South Side Library Southridge Mall Southridge Mall Farmers Market Southside Library Spa Special Needs Special Olympics Iowa Sping Spirng Spitng Splash Pools Spring Spring Break Srping Break St. Patrick's Day Stage Coach Stables Stand Up Paddleboarding Star Party Star Wars Stargazing State Historical Museum of Iowa STEM Stoner Theater Story Time Storytime Storywalk Strawberries Summer Summer Breeze 5K Summer Camp Summer Movies Summer Reading Program Summer4 SummerFest Summerset Winery Summit Pool Superbowl Superheroes Sweetheart Dance Swim Lessons Swimming Swimming Pools Take a Slice Out of Hunger Tallgrass Theatre Company Taste of Hope 5K Race / Fun Run / Walk Taste of the Junction TC Dental Partners Tea Teachout Aquatics Center Ted Lare Garden Center Teen Teens Temple Theater Terrace Hill Thanksgiving The Color Run The Dental Loft The Des Moines Jazz Festival The District The Heritage Carousel The Jordan House The Octagon Art Festival The Pumpkin Ranch The Tea Room The Vineyard Church Theater Theatre Tinkergarten Toddler Time Toddler Yoga Toddlers Toys Track & Field Trains Trees Triad Gymnastics Triathalon Triathlon Trick or Treat Trunk or Treat Tulip Time Turkey Trot Tutor Tween & Teen Tweens UCAN Union Park United Methodist Church Uptown Ankeny Urbandale Urbandale Community Theatre Urbandale Dash Urbandale Parks & REcrea Urbandale Parks & Recreation Urbandale Pool Urbandale Public Library Urbandale Public Pool Vacation Bible School Valentine's Valentine's Dance Valentine's Day Valley Community Center Valley Junction Valley View Aquatic Center Valley West Mall Vaudeville Mews Veteran's Memorial Aquatic Center Veterans Day Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center Vintage and Made Fair Volunteer Wading Pools Wagon Ride Wagon Rides Wakonda Preschool WALK Wallace Centers Warren County Warren County Conservation Warren County Conservation Board Warren County Farm Tour Warrior Lanes Waukee Waukee Family YMCA Waukee FamilyFest Waukee Farmers Market Waukee Hy-Vee Waukee Parks & Recreation Waukee Parks and Recreation Waukee Public Library Waukee YMCA Wells Fargo Arena Wesley Woods West Des Moines West Des Moines Christian Church West Des Moines Library West Des Moines Parks & Recreation West Des Moines Public Library West Glen Towncenter White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow Whiterock Conservancy Whole Foods Kids Club Williams Sonoma Wills Family Orchard Windsor Heights Winter Winter Break Winter Jam Winterset Wizard World Comic Con World Food & Music Festival World Food Prize World Labyrinth Day Wrestling Wright Outdoor Solutions Garden Center WWE Raw YESS Yoga Youth Emergency Shelter Services Za-Ga-Zig Shrine Circus ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk
Jul 26 @ 1:00 pm
If you go down in the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise
If you go down in the woods today
You'd better go in disguise!
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain
Because today's the day the
Teddy Bears have their picnic!
Children and their teddy bear friends (or any stuffed companion!) are invited to an afternoon of forest play. Meet us at the Nature Play Area for teddy games, then we'll go on a short "hike" with our bears and end at the Pavilion for some picnic snacks!
Registration required.
Categories: Arts & Culture Attractions Entertainment Outdoor Activities Things To Do Tags: Brenton Arboretum Spring
Subscribe to filtered calendar


text:
Top Items:
Joe Holley / Houston Chronicle:
Cornyn: Congress will not allow default — Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Republican whip, said in Houston Thursday that Congress will not allow an impasse over raising the debt ceiling to result in the federal government defaulting on its spending obligations. — "We will raise the debt ceiling.
Katie Glueck / Politico: John Cornyn: 'We will raise the debt ceiling'
Brett LoGiurato / Business Insider: REPUBLICANS: We'll Raise The Debt Ceiling If The Senate Democrats Pass A Budget
Robert Schroeder / Political Watch: Most say not raising debt limit would mean crisis: poll
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Cornyn: We're going to raise the debt ceiling; Update: House to push debt limit to ... April 15?
Jed Lewison / Daily Kos: Paul Ryan says House Republicans are considering a short-term debt limit hike
Rachel Weiner / Post Politics: Sen. John Cornyn: 'We will raise the debt ceiling'
Ashley Parker / The Caucus: At Republican Retreat, Ryan Urges Unity on Fiscal Issues
John Parkinson / ABCNEWS: Paul Ryan: GOP Mulling Short-Term Debt Limit Hike
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
A new strategy for the GOP — It has become conventional wisdom that Republicans are suffering an internal split that President Obama is successfully exploiting to neuter the Republican House. It is not true, however, that the Republican split is philosophical and fundamental.
Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo: GOP De-Escalates Debt Limit Fight
Brett LoGiurato / Business Insider: REPUBLICAN SENATOR: 'We Will Raise The Debt Ceiling'
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn: Political reality and GOP survival in Obama's second term
Meenal Vamburkar / Mediaite: Charles Krauthammer Advises GOP: 'Don't Force The Issue When You Don't Have The Power'
Keith Hennessey / Wall Street Journal: How to Wage the Debt-Ceiling Fight
Betsy Newmark / Betsy's Page: Cruising the Web — Look for an important ruling from the D …
JBorowski / FreedomWorks blogs: End the Debt Ceiling Shenanigans
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line: An easy way out for the GOP: Accept the inevitable
Washington Post:
House Republicans using retreat as chance for self-reflection
House Republicans using retreat as chance for self-reflection
Discussion: Right Turn and Taegan Goddard's …
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn: Ten seminars for the GOP retreat
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Rank and file tell GOP leaders to keep sequester, shutdown 'on the table'
Rank and file tell GOP leaders to keep sequester, shutdown 'on the table'
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: House Republicans: Keep the sequester in place
Up next for Obama: A looming Democratic divide — As President Barack Obama approaches his second inaugural on Monday, he presides over a party that has largely papered over its divisions for the past four years thanks to the president's commanding popularity.
Discussion: Firedoglake, The Week, Capital New York, msnbc.com, First Read and Lynn Sweet
Azi Paybarah / Capital New York: Now, Andrew Cuomo wants a unified Democratic Party
The Hardball / msnbc.com: Let Me Start: Democratic Divide
First Read:
First Thoughts: Different attitude greeting Obama's upcoming inaugural
First Thoughts: Different attitude greeting Obama's upcoming inaugural
Discussion: Associated Press, Outside the Beltway, Taegan Goddard's … and Business Insider
Ken Thomas / Associated Press: Organizing For Action: Obama Campaign Relaunching As Nonprofit To Support Second Term Agenda
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: GOP, Tea Party Hit New Lows In New Poll
Mark Murray / First Read:
NBC/WSJ poll: Public lowers expectations heading into Obama's 2nd term
NBC/WSJ poll: Public lowers expectations heading into Obama's 2nd term
Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daniel W. Drezner, msnbc.com, Reuters, Washington Examiner, Business Insider and The Other McCain
The Cycle / msnbc.com: 3 days until Inauguration Day
Joe Weisenthal / Business Insider: The Debt Ceiling Poll Question That Will Make Republicans Extremely Depressed
Mark Murray / First Read:
NBC/WSJ poll: NRA more popular than entertainment industry
NBC/WSJ poll: NRA more popular than entertainment industry
Discussion: The Fix, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, Post Politics, The Daily Caller and Daily Kos
Erika Johnsen / Hot Air: Cutter: Team O will activate the campaign apparatus to take on the gun lobby
Steve M. / No More Mister Nice Blog: DOES WAYNE LaPIERRE HAVE TO STRANGLE A PUPPY ON LIVE TV TO TRULY DISCREDIT THE NRA?
Felicia Sonmez / Post Politics: Chris Christie condemns NRA ad
Taylor Bigler / The Daily Caller: Poll: NRA more popular than Hollywood
Hayes Brown / ThinkProgress:
New Study Highlights Threat From Far Right-Wing Groups In U.S. — A new study from a think tank connected to the West Point Military Academy highlights the threat of violent far-right movements in the United States, leading to the conclusion that, while diverse in in their causes …
Discussion: Alan Colmes' and Booman Tribune
Rowan Scarborough / Washington Times:
West Point center cites dangers of 'far right' in U.S. — A West Point think tank has issued a paper warning America about "far right" groups such as the "anti-federalist" movement, which supports "civil activism, individual freedoms and self-government." — The report issued this week …
Discussion: National Review and Weasel Zippers
Obama unveils 'Organizing for Action' — President Barack Obama on Friday announced the relaunch of his remaining campaign apparatus as a new tax-exempt group called Organizing for Action that will "play an active role" in "mobilizing around and speaking out in support of important legislation" during his second term.
Discussion: CNN, The Plum Line and The PJ Tatler
Paul Steinhauser / CNN: 'Obama for America' to morph into 'Organizing for Action'
Jamelle Bouie / The Plum Line: Can the new, relaunched OFA help Dems in 2014?
Bryan Preston / The PJ Tatler: Obama's Jobs Council Hasn't Met in a Full Year
Matea Gold / Los Angeles Times:
Seeking to harness Obama's campaign resources for a second term
Seeking to harness Obama's campaign resources for a second term
Discussion: Ballot Box, TechPresident, BuzzFeed, The Hill, Politico and Prairie Weather
Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box: Bill Burton heads to Global Strategy Group
Miranda Neubauer / TechPresident: First POST: OFA 4.0 … WEGOV — TIMELINE — ONLINE ORGANIZING
Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed: Obama Campaign To Reorganize Like Karl Rove Group
Ken Thomas / Associated Press:
AP Sources: Obama Team to Form Agenda Group
AP Sources: Obama Team to Form Agenda Group
Discussion: CNN and Washington Free Beacon
White House releases new presidential portrait — (CNN) - The White House released a new portrait of President Barack Obama on Friday, just ahead of the inauguration of his second term. — The photo was taken by White House photographer Pete Souza on December 6, 2012.
Steve Holland / Reuters:
Departing aide expects more assertive Obama in second term
Departing aide expects more assertive Obama in second term
Kevin Cirilli / Politico: Obama second term: 'More assertive'
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
White House Posts Videos of Children Asking Obama to Address Gun Violence
White House Posts Videos of Children Asking Obama to Address Gun Violence
Discussion: Post Politics, Mediaite and The Raw Story
Felicia Sonmez / Post Politics: White House releases videos of children reading letters on gun violence
Tommy Christopher / Mediaite: Obama For America Activate! OFA Joins President To Fight For Gun Proposals
Stephen C. Webster / The Raw Story: Parody: NRA urges members to 'live in fear'
Brent Schrotenboer / Associated Press:
Lance Armstrong to Oprah: Story was 'one big lie' … Saying his "mythic, perfect story" was "one big lie," Lance Armstrong admitted that he cheated during most of his famed cycling career and that he bullied people who dared to tell the truth about it. — After denying doping allegations …
Discussion: The Heritage Foundation, msnbc.com, Infowars and Taylor Marsh
Robert Gifford / msnbc.com: NOW Today: Belief to betrayal
Juliet Macur / New York Times:
Analysis: Lance Armstrong Confesses to Using Drugs but Without Details
Analysis: Lance Armstrong Confesses to Using Drugs but Without Details
Discussion: OpenSecrets.org, Media Decoder, DealBook and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »
Russ Choma / OpenSecrets.org: Capital Eye Opener, Jan. 18: Lobbystrong, Boeing's Friends in High Places and More
William Alden / DealBook: Morgan Stanley's Profit Beats Estimates
Ann Althouse / Althouse: "Armstrong did not delve into the details of his doping, and Winfrey never asked."
Hugo Martin / Los Angeles Times:
TSA ends contract with Rapiscan, maker of full-body scanner — A TSA agent demonstrates the full-body scanner at Los Angeles International Airport. (Los Angeles Times) — The Transportation Security Administration has ended a contract with the Hawthorne-based manufacturer …
Discussion: The Atlantic Online and Eschaton
Jeff Plungis / Bloomberg:
Naked-Image Scanners to Be Removed From U.S. Airports
Naked-Image Scanners to Be Removed From U.S. Airports
Discussion: Hot Air and The Raw Story
Mary Katharine Ham / Hot Air: TSA to remove nudie scanners from airports because they couldn't make them less nekkid
David Ferguson / The Raw Story: Naked-image full-body scanners to be taken out of U.S. airports
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
I Have No Words — I'm not going to characterize this or say anything about it. But I had to share it with you. From TPM Reader PH ...
Discussion: Eschaton and CANNONFIRE
Charles C. Johnson / The Daily Caller:
In England, Piers Morgan joked about shooting rivals, said homeowners who kill burglars should not be prosecuted — CNN host and outspoken gun-control advocate Piers Morgan once joked about shooting professional enemies and separately wrote that he was a "rabid fascist" who wanted burglars tortured after a …
Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications
Dylan Byers / Politico:
POLITICO interview: Piers Morgan
POLITICO interview: Piers Morgan
Discussion: The Daily Dish, Capital New York and Moonbattery, more at Mediagazer »
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish: Piers Morgan Quote For The Day
Joe Pompeo / Capital New York: Piers Morgan makes his case; plus a special Manti Te'o girlfriend-hoax media-wag round-up
Dave Blount / Moonbattery: A Small Man's Sad Delusions of Grandeur
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Americans Call for Term Limits, End to Electoral College — Virtually no partisan disagreement on these long-discussed constitutional reforms — PRINCETON, NJ — Even after the 2012 election in which Americans re-elected most of the sitting members of the U.S. House and Senate …
Peter Schroeder / The Hill: Poll: Voters pessimistic as Obama prepares for second inauguration
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Shocker: Americans want term limits and end to Electoral College after re-electing a bunch of incumbents
Ashley Killough / CNN: Poll: Three-quarters support term limits
Katie Glueck / Politico: Poll: 75 percent want Hill term limits
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Dwindling Deficit — It's hard to turn on your TV or read an editorial page these days without encountering someone declaring, with an air of great seriousness, that excessive spending and the resulting budget deficit is our biggest problem. Such declarations are rarely accompanied …
Discussion: Hot Air, Paul Krugman and Hullabaloo
John J. Monahan / Worcester Telegram & Gazette:
Murray will not run for governor — WORCESTER — Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray will not run for governor in 2014, citing the demands of campaigning, serving in elected office and his desire to spend more time with his wife and two young daughters. — "I've decided that I am not going to run for governor …
Discussion: Post Politics
Aaron Blake / Post Politics: Mass. Lt. Gov. Tim Murray won't run for governor
John Avlon / CNN:
GOP's surprising edge on diversity — Editor's note: John Avlon is a CNN contributor and senior political columnist for Newsweek and The Daily Beast. He is co-editor of the book "Deadline Artists: America's Greatest Newspaper Columns." He is a regular contributor to "Erin Burnett OutFront" …
Discussion: Prairie Weather
Gin and Tacos:
FOR WANT OF A NAIL — (January 16, 2033. A fire-lit cabin in the hills of Brezhnev City, Stalinton - formerly Boise, Idaho. A man sitting on a shattered milk crate looks older than his 53 years. His rumpled, malnourished grandson sits at his feet.) — "Grandpa?
Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:
HOLDER BEGS COURT TO STOP DOCUMENT RELEASE ON FAST AND FURIOUS — Attorney General Eric Holder and his Department of Justice have asked a federal court to indefinitely delay a lawsuit brought by watchdog group Judicial Watch. The lawsuit seeks the enforcement of open records requests relating …
Erika Johnsen / Hot Air: Holder: If we could maybe just stay those F&F docs indefinitely, that'd be great
Stable Hand / The Jawa Report:
Holder Begs Court to Stop Document Release on #FastandFurious
Holder Begs Court to Stop Document Release on #FastandFurious
Discussion: protein wisdom
Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:
Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories Edge Toward The Mainstream — "By far the hottest topic of the moment." Ignore it and it won't go away. — There are two kinds of conspiracy theories: The ones, about the Illuminati and about mysterious "chemtrails," that lurk forever in the online twilight zone …
Discussion: snopes.com and Glenn Beck
Melissa Hayes / The Political State:
Christie calls NRA ad criticizing Obama daughters' security 'reprehensible' — Governor Christie called the National Rifle Association's ad criticizing President Obama's daughters' security detail "reprehensible." — "I think any of us who are public figures, you see that kind of ad and you cringe," he said.
Discussion: Mediaite, Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway, Politico, Weasel Zippers and The Hinterland Gazette
Meenal Vamburkar / Mediaite: S.E. Cupp Spars On Morning Joe: Christie 'Cheapened' Debate By Deeming NRA Ad 'Reprehensible'
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: Chris Christie: NRA Ad 'Reprehensible'
Maggie Haberman / Politico: Christie hits NRA on Obama family
ZIP / Weasel Zippers: RINO Chris Christie Slams "Reprehensible" NRA For "Dragging People's Children" Into Gun Control Debate...
Noah Rothman / Mediaite:
Chris Christie Slams 'Reprehensible' NRA For 'Dragging People's Children' Into Gun Control Debate
Chris Christie Slams 'Reprehensible' NRA For 'Dragging People's Children' Into Gun Control Debate
Jgalloway / Atlanta Journal-Constitution: With a little selective editing, John Barrow becomes poster child for anti-gun group
Allahpundit / Hot Air: New gun control ad: This congressman kinda sorta killed those children in Newtown
Evan McMorris-Santoro / Talking Points Memo: Chris Christie: NRA Ad Mentioning Obama's Daughters 'Reprehensible' (VIDEO)
Michael Linhorst / The Political State: Christie announces task force on violence; state adds 30,000 jobs in December
Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit: Awful... Chris Christie Slams NRA: "Reprehensible" For "Dragging People's Children" Into Gun Debate (Video)


text:
Check out the latest RPG news | Podcasts | Twitch Streams
You remembered correctly in that Feena is very forward and a strong character in the ghost ship, but I can't stand Grandia's ghost ship in general. It was actually one of the ships I was thinking of when I made that comment. The problem with ghost ships is that they're almost always filler, and I can only think of a handful of plot related ones. Legend of Dragoon comes to mind, being very important in the grand scheme of the plot, but you don't realize it until later. It still falls under my banner of ghost ships being annoying because both the encounters and the boss are horrible.I suppose I do like Breath of Fire 3's, but it's not a ghost ship in a traditional sense.As for the damsel in distress bit, I wouldn't say Feena is a damsel in distress throughout the entire game, simply that her outspoken attitude from the ghost ship is downplayed more as the story progresses. She's never quite "weak" or "helpless," but there are a few times where she needs rescuing.
Riviera was a great idea on paper, but in practice it divided the game into two completely separate play styles. You either knew what you were doing and constantly walked over the game, or you didn't and got your ass constantly handed to you.
It kinda leads me to my beef with the Grandia series on the whole. None of the games have a decent cast. Its basically the main hero, the chick who turns out to be a walking plot macguffin magical girl, the buddy, the twerp, the older guy/sudo mentor, the android chick found in some ruins, and maybe another chick who's both the least dislikable and only shows up for a dungeon or two then gets ditched/bails. Also the settings file themselves right into the same bad writing category as FFVIII's setting (i.e. they disintegrate into a goofy ball of cobbled together analogues, metaphors, cliches, and elemental based gimmick dungeons, the very moment Mr. Scrutiny violates his restraining order to stay at least 50ft away from the writing).


text:
Seahawks sign Shaun Alexander for $62 million
8-year deal is largest ever for running back
Recommended Video:
Shaun Alexander returned to the Seattle area Sunday night, and he's not headed anywhere else for the foreseeable future.
At least not in terms of his football future.
Alexander has agreed to re-sign with the Seattle Seahawks, agreeing to an eight-year contract worth $62 million. In terms of total money in the contract, it is the largest ever signed by a running back; $15 million is to be paid in the first year.
Agent Jim Steiner gave the contract terms to The Associated Press. Sources close to the situation confirmed Alexander's decision to re-sign. The Seahawks had no comment, as the contract had not been completed. A news conference announcing Alexander's return likely will be today at the team's headquarters in Kirkland.
Alexander returned to Seattle on Sunday after attending banquets on the East Coast and Kansas City. He left his cell-phone charger on the East Coast, leaving his phone out of juice.
He could not be reached Sunday evening, but the electricity of his decision was reverberating around the Puget Sound area, as Alexander is returning to the team he helped reach its first Super Bowl last season.
Sunday began with Alexander just hours away from becoming a free agent. Never mind that the start to free agency was eventually delayed as the league's owners and players union continued negotiating an extension to the collective-bargaining agreement. The whole question of free agency is irrelevant when it comes to Alexander.
After a year in which Alexander was asked about his free-agent future at least once a week, he never ended up getting there. It was about the only destination that Alexander didn't reach in a season when he set the league's single-season record for touchdowns, was named NFL MVP and became the franchise's career-leading rusher.
He has 7,817 yards in six years as a Seahawk, a total to which he can now add.
In those six seasons, Alexander has never missed a game, and he has rushed for more than 1,150 yards in each of the five seasons since he supplanted Ricky Watters as the team's starting running back.
In 2004, he finished second in the league in rushing. This season, he won the rushing title with 1,880 yards. He scored 28 touchdowns, breaking Priest Holmes' single-season league record.
Alexander's future was a source of scrutiny since February 2005, when Matt Hasselbeck and Walter Jones signed long-term deals. Alexander got a one-year deal worth $6.32 million as the team's franchise player. Hardly chump change, but security in the NFL is written by long-term contracts -- the kind Alexander will sign this week.
Hasselbeck and Jones remain the highest-paid Seahawks, but in terms of mechanics, the total sum of Alexander's contract surpasses the $60 million deal that LaDainian Tomlinson signed with the San Diego Chargers. However, about $20 million of Tomlinson's deal was guaranteed.
Alexander signed the one-year contract in July, days before training camp, but only after being guaranteed he would be an unrestricted free agent if he didn't work out a contract extension with the Seahawks.
After signing the contract, Alexander was unfailingly optimistic a deal would be worked out, and he never wavered from the expectation he would stay a Seahawk throughout a season in which the contract discussions could be described as polite, but not overwhelmingly productive.
As with so many negotiations, it took a deadline to produce a deal, and Sunday, Alexander took a last look at the possibility of a free-agent future before agreeing to return to Seattle.


text:
I found it funny/sad that today was the first time this season the Seahawks even had a lead in a game.
What a game glad we won,but we have a lot of work to do before next week against the texans..Like umm id love for mendenhall to show up!!
In truth you're right Moondog. We may be 2-1 right now and it looks like our schedule is fairly easy this year. But this is not playoff caliber football right now and we have got to get better.
JD from Utah
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
Following is Jerry's Thomas's recipe for the punch from How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon Vivant's Companion. "What's interesting is the reference to "mixture," says cocktail historian Ted Haigh. "In accounts of the proceedings of the Schuylkill Fishing Company, there were citations relating to Fish House Punch that mentioned 'mixture,' and I'm inclined to accept this recipe as the real deal (the Fish House members aren't telling.)."
1/3 pint lemon juice
3/4 lb. white sugar
1 pint of spirits mixture: 1/4 pint peach brandy, 1/2 pint Cognac and 1/4 pint Jamaica rum
2 1/2 pints cold water
Stir ingredients together in a large pot, and when ready, pour over ice.


text:
Mod squad: Designers, PHA go modular
Just before Thanksgiving, three houses built in a factory in just seven days were driven to a lot near the intersection of 10th and Page Streets. Then the three 1,200 square-foot modular houses– the last of 30 the Piedmont Housing Alliance has developed in the troubled 10th and Page neighborhood– were lifted into place by cranes in less than two days. If all goes according the schedule, the houses will be finished by mid-January. Can this project reshape the modular industry as it reshapes a neighborhood?
According to Peter Loach, Deputy Director of Operations for the PHA, the modular homes are a symbol of the evolution of the design approach to affordable housing. "Modular takes what we've been trying to do to a whole new level," Loach says.
The PHA has been trying to improve life in one of Charlottesville's poorest neighborhoods by encouraging homeownership. The idea is pretty simple: if people have a financial stake in their homes instead of just renting, they will care enough to improve the neighborhood.
Using a combination of community outreach, innovative construction techniques, grants for downpayment assistance, and low-interest loan packages, the PHA has managed to help 23 lower-income clients with median incomes of less than $35,000 a year purchase homes in the 10th and Page neighborhood, all without lowering property values.
Of course, PHA's financial assistance is key to the program. To preserve property values in the neighborhood, the PHA sells its houses at market value.
"If we sold the houses below market value," Loach explains, "the value of the houses in the neighborhood would go down, and that would undermine our goal to create wealth in the neighborhood."
For example, the new modular houses will sell for about $220,000 to $250,000, which is reasonable by Charlottesville standards, but hardly qualifies as affordable housing. The trick then is convincing a low-income buyer that ownership is possible with the right financing package and some down payment assistance. A buyer could purchase one of these modular houses with PHA assistance and have to carry the equivalent of only a $130,000 or $150,000 mortgage, while the value of the property keeps pace with the market.
The trick is avoiding full-scale gentrification. Conditions in the sales contract encourage buyers to commit themselves to the neighborhood. According to Loach, if a client sells early, the PHA gets back the money they funded, plus one-fifth of the capital gains. If the client stays, that obligation is forgiven over time.
Still, the strategy has a few unknowns. For example, because of fair housing laws, the PHA can't control who buys these houses, although they can turn away investors. As Loach points out, "It's a free country, after all. But we can offer incentives to people in the neighborhood and other low-income buyers."
Of the 30 houses the PHA has developed in the 10th Street neighborhood, only seven were sold on the open market. According to one Page Street resident, the neighborhood has remained remarkably diverse despite the development, although he points out that it has a lot to do with the many rental properties in the area.
And, the resident says, many of the very poorest people in the neighborhood– renters who are unable even to take advantage of PHA assistance– are still in danger of being forced out by rising property values. The resident claims, for instance, that one neighbor recently had to relocate to the housing project on the other side of 10th Street.
"Design is not serving just the homeowner," says Katie Swenson, director of the Charlottesville Community Design Center, which worked in collaboration with the PHA to develop the 10th Street neighborhood.
"And not even just the neighborhood," she adds, "though it must do both. But it begins by asking the larger question and formulating a response to the need."
Although financial assistance is key to the PHA's strategy, design has created new possibilities for affordable housing in Charlottesville. The three modular homes, as well as the other homes the PHA has developed in the neighborhood, are all Energy Star certified and created with three specific things in mind: affordability, durability, and energy efficiency.
It's also worth noting that the houses are artfully designed, with lots of windows, and floor plans that make them seem much larger than they are.
"Just having the house affordable up front isn't enough," says Mark Watson, Project Director for the PHA. "It has to be sustainable, it has to last and be energy efficient so that people can afford to own the house. We're trying to lead the way with better methods of construction."
According to Watson, utility bills on the occupied Energy Star houses are running as little as $60 per month. The new modular homes will be just as energy-efficient, but they will also serve as a design experiment. Both the Center and the PHA view the project as a chance to influence the modular industry.
"We're pushing the already innovative modular factories to consider greater innovations," says the Center's Swenson. "For example, a different type of insulation will be used in each modular house so that we can analyze their efficiency."
In this case, the Center worked with the PHA to determine if modular construction might be an affordable housing solution. Design teams at the Center studied modular construction, interviewed companies, and finally came up with plans for the PHA to implement.
Obviously, modular houses can be built and raised much faster than stick-built houses, reducing construction costs. In addition, as the modular housing industry adopts more energy-efficiency standards and construction techniques like the ones the Center advocates, the quality and sustainability of modular houses will make them more attractive to buyers.
If the three modular houses on 10th Street are successful, says Watson, it could lead to the "whole new level" that Loach mentioned. The PHA owns over 80 acres in Nelson County and Crozet. Watson says it's possible that 30 or more modular houses could be built in those areas. "We're hoping to do this on a much larger scale, " he says.
"We build, in the end, because we believe in a future," writes architecture critic Paul Goldberger. "Nothing shows commitment to the future like architecture."
Of course, Goldberger is talking about the high art of architecture, about buildings like Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, which change the way we think about architecture in the same way that Picasso and Pollock changed the way we think about painting. But Goldberger's observation applies just as well to the more practical transformation of the 10th and Page neighborhood.
Sure, it may not be a perfect solution, and only time will tell if the neighborhood can resist gentrification. But the effort clearly has the future in mind.
These modular houses on 10th street took just seven days to build and two days to raise.


text:
Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is the leaking or backflow of
blood through the valve between the upper left heart chamber (atrium) and the lower left heart chamber (ventricle). If serious, this condition can lead to a
backup of blood in the left atrium and the lungs, cause enlargement of and
damage to the left ventricle, and lead to heart failure.
valve regurgitation can either be ongoing (chronic) or sudden (acute). Chronic
MR develops slowly, possibly over decades, and symptoms, such as shortness of
breath, fatigue, and swelling in the feet and ankles, may never appear. Acute
MR is a medical emergency that requires urgent treatment to repair or replace
the mitral valve.
Treatment for MR includes medicines for symptoms
and eventually surgery to repair or replace the valve.
People who
have mitral valve regurgitation may be at higher risk of heart valve infection
(endocarditis) especially if they have an artificial heart valve.
Last Revised:
November 29, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & John A. McPherson, MD, FACC, FSCAI - Cardiology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
prep time
Cook Time
Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat 1 of the eggs and water in small bowl. Set aside. Mix remaining egg, sausage, apple, bread crumbs, cranberries, onion, rosemary and cinnamon in large bowl until well blended
Unfold puff pastry on lightly floured surface. Cut lengthwise into 2 rectangles. Cut strips 1 inch apart and 1 1/2 inches across down long sides of each pastry rectangle. Spoon 1/2 of the sausage mixture down center of each pastry rectangle. Fold over 1 pastry strip at a time, alternating sides, to enclose sausage mixture. Place pastry on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture
Bake 35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and sausage is cooked through. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Cut each pastry into 6 pieces to serve


text:
Hindering Me
A confrontation between Gibbs and Hector Barbossa. Barbossa feels that Gibbs is hindering him in the quest to rid of Sparrow. He has tied Gibbs to a wooden pole. Their faces are illuminated by the flames of the fire.
"I'm inclined to kill you now, Gibbs, without so much as a word," Hector Barbossa stares unkindly to Gibbs, his face menacing.
Gibbs stares back at Barbossa, his face bewildered. "What's in it for ya? Ye will gain nothing by doing so."
"Aye, 'cept for the pleasure of getting rid of a cockroach." Barboss smirks, ponting the gun at the Gibbs.
Gibbs' expression does not falter. "Jack will come to get ye, mark my word."
A deafening gunshot is heard, ringing through the dead of the night.
@JozzTheJoker is killed by Hector Barbossa. She was Joshamee Gibbs!
Joshamee Gibbs:
[Captain Sparrow's right hand-man]: With his intelligence and quick wit, he can check whether a player is innocent or not every other night phase.
[Logical]: He may reveal [???] hidden post up to 3 times.


text:
Balancing moisturising cream gel for oily and combination skin (40ml). A moisturising cream-gel based on vegetable emulsifiers, which are fully compatible with the epidermis. Carob tree and provitamin B5 combine an immediate moisturising effect with long-term hydration balancing activity. Pomegranate extract, rich in tannins, tightens the pores and tones the skin. Vitamins C and E, in combination with Avocado extract, provide essential antioxidant protection.
(including VAT 23%)


text:
Enroll with the ultimate Young Living product and business experience! An extraordinary value that offers a comprehensive introduction to the power of essential oils, the Premium Starter Kit is the perfect option for those who are serious about transforming their lives.
This incredible starter kit is exclusively available to Young Living members; become a member today to get yours!
The Premium Starter Kit with Desert Mist includes:


text:
The Sacred Gateway
>> Saturday, July 26, 2008
In our busy lives, we sometimes fail to stop and pause for a while to pray. I have found this perfect site, SacredGateway, where one can pray in front of the computer. It explains that one need not pray only in the premises of a church or in the privacy of your room because God is everywhere and He is present among us. Do not be ashamed. Even when in the office, you can create your own sacred space for just 10 minutes online. A prayer is just what you need to kickstart your day. With God present in your life, what could go wrong?