Luke Judge

The Adelphi University Circle K Club hosted a Kiwanis One-Day clean Up of the East Meadow bird sanctuary last month and K-Family members in attendance included Adelphi Circle Kers, East Meadow and Levittown Kiwanians, Levittown Key Clubbers and Bowling Green K-Kids.

The K-Family members removed more than 40 large trash bags, rolls of chain link fencing, auto parts, plastic tubing and other scrap metal. Following the clean up, the group also planted three trees.

The bird sanctuary, originally a water discharge basin, is plagued by a continual influx of trash that flows down the drains of local streets and illegal dumping. the bird sanctuary is Nassau County-owed land adopted by the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations (CEMCO) and is now designated as a preserve.

Circle Ker Rickie Santer, who coordinated the cleanup with assistance from County Legislator and Kiwanian Norma Gonsalves, was pleased by the teamwork demonstrated by the Kiwanis family. “I think this was a great Kiwanis one-day event,” he said. “We had four K-family branches working side by side enjoying each other’s companionship. Age didn’t matter; only our shared dedication to making our community a better place.”

bowls Bags adelphi university, bird sanctuary, chain link fencing, companionship, drains, trash bags

15 year-old cartoonist Emma Capps produces “The Chapel Chronicles” webcomic each week

Emma Capps is a pretty typical webcartoonist except for one thing: she hasn’t graduated from high school yet. her series “The Chapel Chronicles” is an all-ages strip that tells of the adventures and fantastic imaginings of Chapel Smith, a Lady Gaga-obsessed 11 year-old with a fondness for elaborate headwear and a pet hedgehog named Rupert who tends to sit on top of her head. if drawing a weekly comic strip wasn’t ambitious enough, she also publishes it online in Spanish as well as English.

The weekly comic succeeds in part because of its sense of fun. whether sleep air guitaring, begging for a puppy, or engaging in board game competitions to the death, Chapel manages to feel very real and very over the top, often in the same panel. Emma Takes pain to mention that she is not Chapel, though the two share many of the same obsessions, from David Tennant’s Doctor who to Cardcaptor Sakura to Jane Austen. CBR News spoke with Emma about Chapel’s origins, Plato’s “Republic,” her upcoming projects and the MoCCA Festival.

CBR News: Where did character of Chapel come from?

Emma Capps: a couple years ago I was doodling late at night. it was just after I had reread Scott McCloud’s “Making Comics” trilogy. I was reading the section on expressions and I thought, “I’m going to see what character I can doodle that can make an expression with as few lines as possible.” I was doodling various characters and then suddenly I doodled someone who has the same design as Chapel. I thought she was really cute so I drew her a bunch more times. In the morning when I showed it to my mom, my mom said, I really like that character. For my mom’s birthday, when I couldn’t think of anything to give her, I said I’d make her something so I wrote her a poem and I illustrated each stanza with pictures of Chapel. it was such a big hit. Whenever people visited my mom would go, “Look, this is what my daughter made me for my birthday.” For Christmas I did the same thing only for both of my parents and some of my friends, too. And before I knew it, for every single holiday I would be making greeting cards and presents for my friends and family with drawings of Chapel on them. by then I had given her a name and some story. All the while I was also drawing comics of Chapel, just little cartoons on the side for my own enjoyment.

When it came time to determine my recital project — which is a year-long project my school, The Nueva School, has every eighth grader pursue — I chose to expand the greeting cards I had already made of Chapel into a whole line. I finished my project too early, so then I decided to work on doing a book of Chapel comics.

How did you decide to put “Chapel” online?

I wasn’t really that aware of webcomics before then but I began to start reading webcomics like “Gunnerkrigg Court,” “xkcd,” “Modest Medusa,” [and] “Girl Genius.” I was becoming more aware of webcomics. before that I didn’t really know much about them. I thought it might be fun to put them online. My dad is a computer programmer so it was very very easy for him to make a website to put my comics up there. I decided it would be a nice way to be able share them with people that I knew. I have friends and family who live very far away and it’s much easier to send them a web link than to mail them a book of comics. it was initially just a way for me to share them with people that I knew, but it started growing and now I have readers from other countries and other states who are constantly commenting on the site and I’m getting into discussions with them.

Why did you chose the four-panel strip for the comic?

I’m a big fan of old style newspaper comics such as “Mutts” by Patrick McDonnell and “Peanuts” by Charles Schulz. When I was doodling those little comics there would be any number of panels that I wanted. There were some that were fifteen panels, some that were nineteen. When I decided to do my book of comics, I drew the first thirty strips in an entire month. I wanted to challenge myself and draw one strip a day for a month. I thought that would be good to make myself do them so quickly and be able to really make the character consistent in a compressed time period.

I was looking at the comics that I had already made for myself and thinking, “How can I possibly do thirty strips in thirty days.” I thought, “Okay, they obviously have to be four panels.” Obviously I don’t do one every single day now. I do one a week but I really enjoy the four-panel format. I feel like it’s just long enough to be able to have a little glimpse into Chapel’s life. In terms of the writing it and trying to fit the joke into four panels I never have any problems with that. For me the writing and the coming up with ideas comes very naturally so fitting it into four panels has never seemed like a problem and I’m actually really glad that I chose to do it that way because for me I think it best suits Chapel.

How autobiographical is the comic?

A lot of people always seem to think that Chapel is me but simply with a different name and different hair style but she’s not. Obviously there are things taken from my own life. For example, there’s one comic strip where Chapel has difficulty wrapping up a cookie with plastic wrap because the plastic wrap keeps getting all bunched up before she actually wraps the cookie and that is something that happened to me. My rule of thumb is I only draw inspiration from my own life when I think it can universally appeal to anyone. For that strip tons of people have commented on the website saying, “That always happens to me.” I wouldn’t do a comic about the trials and tribulations of being a fourteen year-old cartoonist because that’s not something everyone can relate to and it’s not Chapel, that would be me. Chapel and I are two different people. She likes Lady Gaga and dressing up in ridiculous costumes, which is not something I would do.

How did you settle on your style for the strip?

The reason I use a cartoon-y approach for Chapel [is] that was initially the way I designed her. It’s going back to my love of old time newspaper comic strips. For me that is a style that naturally fits Chapel’s world. She’s a bit playful. She’s an eleven year-old girl, so to my eyes having a style that was realistic and developed wouldn’t really suit this strip. It’s meant to be a funny, slice of life comic from Chapel’s perspective so for me having a more playful style that was really vibrant and bursting with color actually fit the personality of both Chapel and the strip.

I know that you’re a manga fan. one of the great things about manga is how they approach character design and use an expressionistic manner to convey emotion. You don’t do that with characters, but you do use backgrounds.

Yeah, I like using backgrounds in my comics. I find that there are some examples of webcomics that don’t have a big emphasis on background and that’s fine. That’s their choice. But for me, I love showing all the details of Chapel’s world. You can get so much information on someone’s personality by just showing all the trinkets they have in their bedroom, for example. Maybe the posters from TV shows they love, whatever junk they might have on their bedside table. For me it’s a way to have all this subtle information about Chapel’s family and her life just in the background of the panels that’s why I always try to put so much detail into my backgrounds.

But more than that, you use the backgrounds to show emotion through your use of color.

I love how you picked up on that because that’s exactly what I try to do. I try to use all of those things to inform what’s going on in Chapel’s mind and her perspective and her mental state during whatever’s going on during the strip.

In the second season of the strip you tweaked a few things. Can you tell us more about that?

You mentioned backgrounds. I chose to bring out some more details to show more of the world of Chapel’s daily life. People have so far been really really enjoying it and I think it’s a good choice because you can tell a lot about someone’s personality just by showing some of the books they might have on their bookshelf or things like that.

In the second season of the strip, you’ve also been translating strip into Spanish. Why did you decide to do that and what kind of feedback have you received from Spanish speakers?

I always intended to translate the strips into Spanish. I’ve actually translated the ones from the first season as well, they’re just not up on the website quite yet. My greeting card line with Chapel I had translated into Spanish many months ago. When I researched the greeting card market I found out that good quality greeting cards for Spanish speakers are really underrepresented. I wanted to do the same thing in my Chapel comic because I find that a lot of webcomics, at least in the U.S., you don’t see much for people who speak Spanish, and certainly not that many all-ages webcomics for kids who speak Spanish.

I do it as part of my Spanish homework. Every week I translate the week’s strip and then Photoshop it into Spanish. It’s actually interesting that you just brought it up because today, just an hour ago, I was going over a bunch of translations with my Spanish teacher who will look through things and say, “Here’s an expression you could use to make it sound more natural.” For me it’s been very interesting. There hasn’t been that much feedback on the Spanish strips so far because I just started putting them up on the website, but I have had kids who speak Spanish in this country reading it.

Even though she hasn’t commented on the website because she’s too young, my Spanish teacher’s daughter reads the Chapel strips in Spanish and she loves them so much that for her sixth birthday — every year she has a big theme birthday party — she chose to have her birthday party theme after Chapel this year and went so far as to have her mother make her a Chapel-shaped cake and recreate a piñata that Chapel used in one of the greeting cards. I actually got to go and it was incredible. it was magical.

How long does it usually take you to draw a strip?

It depends. sometimes I use backgrounds that I’ve used previously and when I do that it takes maybe two hours if I’m lucky. Mostly, though, the strips take around four or five hours depending on how complex they are. sometimes they’ll have backgrounds with lots of detail or a big splash panel like in my recent Valentine’s Day panel with lots of color and decorations everywhere which takes a long time to draw. I’ve [been] meaning to a make a video on the strip at some point soon just so I can see how long it does take because I’ve never timed it completely, but it takes around four or five hours.

Do you have any plans to do something like the “Chapel in Wonderland” strip series that ended the first season of the comic again?

I would like to do some sort of series of strips to end Season Two that’s similar to “Chapel in Wonderland.” I’m not sure if it’ll be the same surrealist story, but I would like to do something to wrap up season two. I haven’t quite decided yet what I’m going to be doing but I’ve been thinking about it for the past few weeks.

A few weeks ago you drew the Unshelved Book Club weekly feature where you reviewed Plato’s “Republic.” How did that happen?

I love Unshelved. I sent them an email saying, “Hey, I’m a young cartoonist. I wondered if you might want to see some of my comics.” They liked them so much that they said, “Would you like to do a guest strip for us?” so around the same time I was reading Plato’s “Republic.” That’s an unconventional book to do a book review comic off of for Unshelved’s Book Club and I thought this’ll be something that will really surprise people. then I thought how can I tie this into what Chapel might be doing in her daily life. I think of it as an extended Chapel strip that just happens to feature a book in it. She does mention quite a bit of what actually happens in Plato’s “Republic.” it was really, really cool, and I was incredibly honored to be invited to do a guest strip for them.

In the fall you drew a great “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” strip and you wrote that you hadn’t watched every season but you asked your mother to ruin the other seasons so that you could write a better strip.

Well, I didn’t expressly ask her to ruin them. [Laughs] I’m currently only halfway through season two and I wanted to do a strip about “Buffy” and so I asked my mom, can you give me some plot points that I could use. She sent me an email which was approximately three pages long which was essentially an essay on the seasons of “Buffy” I had not yet seen. Once I had read it I couldn’t forget it. [Laughs] But I thought, I really need this to make a good strip, so I will sacrifice being surprised in order to have a strip that people will enjoy. hopefully I can try to forget some of the things but I don’t think so. I agonized over the wording of those jokes. It’s hard to forget that kind of things.

Chapel is obsessed with headwear. do you share that particular obsession or is it just something you enjoy drawing?

I really do enjoy hats, but I don’t have a large collection nor do I wear them frequently. I actually only own two hats which I hardly ever wear. Chapel has a lot of different hats just to have them and she does wear them all the time. Completely outlandish ones that I would never in a million years wear.

What else are you working on at the moment?

Right now I’m finishing up Season Two. at the end of April I’ll be exhibiting at the MoCCA Festival in New York City again and in order to get the book version of season two printed in time I have to finish the art fairly early. I’m really excited to go back to MoCCA again because I had a great experience last year. it was simultaneously my first convention exhibiting and my first time ever going to a small press comic convention. it was so great because I met so many people I’ve admired for years and got to speak with them and then were so nice and accommodating to me. it was just amazing to have people double my age or older treating me as if I was an equal.

Besides “Chapel” I’m currently working on scripting a graphic novel that I’m working on which is in a much more realistic style. As we speak, I am staring at a drawing of some of the characters on my desk. that will be very different from “Chapel” because it’s more science fiction/fantasy with a humorous twist. I’ve now designed about ten out of the fourteen major characters and [am] working on the designs for others while plotting out, storyboarding and scripting that one. I’m hoping to start drawing actual pages this summer. I’m really excited to be able to do that in tandem with “Chapel.”

I have to ask. The Spock poster on Chapel’s wall… Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto?

[Laughs] Leonard Nimoy. Don’t worry.

Discuss this story in CBR’s Artist & Writer Showcase forum.  |  1 Comments

Tags:  the chapel chronicles, emma capps

Follow @cbr Tweet

dressing Tables emma, rupert, sakura, sense of fun

Stylish and modern, the Swarovski Elements Wallpaper created by British designer Karen Beauchamp promises to offer eleven original wallpaper styles adorned with crystallized Swarovski elements. Revamping interiors using any of the eleven different designs of the Swarovski Elements Wallpaper means giving into that need for luxuriously designed decorations that seem to always create fabulous interiors.

cupboards & Drawers beauchamp, elements, fabulous interiors, wallpaper

It’s been a good week to be in Japan. A little growth (if temporary) in the economy, a high pressure system hanging over Tokyo that’s kept the weather sunny and crisp, the start of the Christmas shopping season and a few days of rest have all added up to an almost enjoyable five days. The city seemed to be in a sparkly mood with festive lights being switched on and considerable attention being given to the state visit by the King of Bhutan and his fetching wife Jetsun.

A whole morning’s news programme was devoted to the Dragon Queen’s shopping expedition around Ginza. in typical Japanese TV fashion, the graphics department of one particular network had been kept busy with their glue and paints making graphic boards (for some reason Japanese TV presenters still like a bit of board and a pointer to get their message across) displaying the temperatures of Bhutan and relating them to the queen’s purchases.

I was able to decipher that she’d made a trip to Uniqlo to buy some thermal underwear and a down jacket. The channel’s meteorology department concluded that these were wise purchases for a monarch who lives at high altitude.

Uniqlo has served as a good example for others in Japan, that a retailer of fashion basics sold at affordable prices can not only establish itself in distant markets but also thrive, all without losing its Japanese-ness.

Armed with a strong yen, many Japanese companies have been on a spending spree, snatching up international brands across a range of sectors and now there are signs that more companies are willing to take their businesses abroad rather than relying on a shrinking domestic market of 120m fussy consumers.

While not the easiest concept to replicate overseas, many of the elements that define the Japanese ryokan (traditional country inn) are ripe for export. On Tuesday afternoon I ventured up to the Hoshinoya near Karuizawa (a little over an hour from Tokyo by rail) for a day of sleep, good food, excellent drinks and bathing.

Because of the position of the villa, there was the added bonus of poor mobile reception so it also turned out to be a BlackBerry-free day and night as well. It’s now become something of a late-autumn and early-spring ritual to venture off to various ryokans for a one-night stay and mental re-charge. It helps that Japan has the infrastructure (good rail and bus links) to make such escapes so easy but what’s more attractive is the lack of preparation involved for a visit and the lack of choice when you get there. I packed for my one-night trip, then found myself removing things from my tote as pretty much everything is provided at most good ryokans, right down to sleepwear and a toothbrush. All I needed to take was underwear, socks, a shirt and a couple of things to read.

On arrival there was a plan to go for a soak in one of the bathing houses but the futon on its raised platform was so tempting that it demanded I try it out for a proper, “take your clothes off, don’t set the alarm” three-hour nap.

There’s something quite decadent about a late-afternoon nap on a workday but to enjoy it without being tethered to WiFi or a mobile device is my definition of a luxurious experience.

One of the other small luxuries of ryokan life is the total lack of choice when it comes to dining. While I’m not always up for an elaborate 17 course kaiseki dinner, I’m nevertheless thrilled that someone’s done the thinking for me and I can just enjoy what’s set before me.

On this particular evening, however, we opted to leave the property for a quick dinner and I was happily tucked-up under the duvet two hours later. After eight hours in bed, it was off to one of the bathing pavilions for a morning’s scrub and then an hour soaking in various rooms – in total silence. After a hearty breakfast it was off to the station for the train back to Tokyo and 80 minutes later I was back where I started. in less than 22 hours I felt like I’d enjoyed the equivalent of a long weekend and was completely relaxed and ready for the final dash to the holidays.

I was about to hit the streets and soak up the wackiness of Japan’s take on Christmas when I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the lower right side of my abdomen.

For a moment I thought it was a cramp from running but when it didn’t go away after 30 minutes and became more acute I shuffled slowly to the bed and knew that I was about to embark on the ordeal of passing a kidney stone.

Having been through this several times before (yes, I should drink more water) I’ve established there’s a relationship between extreme states of relaxation and renal colic. Japan’s culture of fine innkeeping can work wonders in 24 hours; sadly it doesn’t offer a cure for its less comfortable side-effects.

Tyler Brûlé is editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine

More columns at ft.com/brule

beds decipher, dragon queen, paints, thermal underwear

Designer Parfums appoints in-house perfumer Thomas Fontaine

Published: 17/11/11

Source: ?The Moodie Report

• Print
• Email

Thomas Fontaine joins the Designer Parfums teamDesigner Parfums has appointed its first in-house perfumer to work across its portfolio of brands and new fragrance creations. Paris-based nose Thomas Fontaine boasts an international client list and an extensive track record in creating fragrances for bespoke houses such as Lubin, Gr?s and JC Brosseau, as well as major brand owners such as P&G Prestige. He studied perfumery at the Ipsica Fragrance Academy at Versailles under the patronage of the House of Jean Patou. Today Fontaine is recognised as a leading specialist in recasting vintage formulas for modern times. Designer Parfums Managing Director Dilesh Mehta commented: ?Thomas has a wonderful understanding of the history of perfume and also knows how to create beautiful fragrances for the modern international marketplace. I am sure that by working closely with him we will benefit greatly from his knowledge, experience and passion.? Fontaine will work alongside Designer Parfums? existing team on new launches and will have a specific responsibility overseeing the fragrance development for its heritage brands, Worth, Jean Louis Scherrer and Jean Patou. ?I am very excited about this collaboration with Designer Parfums,? noted Fontaine. ?My role within the company is pretty simple: to create fragrances! In the case of an iconic name such as Jean Patou I shall be looking to reinstate the original spirit of this wonderful brand and re-enforce its position as one of the world?s leading luxury fragrance houses.? Note: Designer Parfums is a company within the Shaneel Enterprises Group which specialises in the creation and development of luxury fragrances. Brands currently owned by or licensed to the group include Agent Provocateur, Jean Louis Scherrer, Aigner Parfums, Monsoon fragrances, Jean Patou and Worth.

home Fragrances brosseau, fontaine, jean louis scherrer, jean patou, patronage, perfume

KSS Architects recently completed two projects that have strengthened the images of two renowned colleges at Cornell University: the School of Hotel Administration, where KSS converted a former theater fly tower into a multidisciplinary research and entrepreneurship center, and Cornell Law School, where KSS integrated advanced technology into a 1930s Collegiate Gothic moot courtroom. Completed in spring 2010, the renovated and expanded Statler Hall Tower houses the School of Hotel Administration?s new Center for Hospitality Research, the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship and the Center for Real Estate Finance. The Tower was KSS Architects? second major project at SHA. The award-winning Beck Center, which opened in 2004, created a prominent and engaging educational and event space in Statler Hall. The 14,000 sf Tower renovation, considered by the university to represent the true completion of the Beck Center, won a Design Merit Award from the New Jersey chapter of The American Institute of Architects. to create usable space in Statler Tower, whose existing 48-feet vertical clear space formerly stored theater sets, KSS raised the height of the structure and created five floor plates. given the tower?s tight footprint, KSS also cantilevered several floors to gain more usable space and accommodate SHA?s ambitious program. The solid stone exterior wall of the Tower was previously the first thing campus visitors saw upon entering Cornell University from the south. Continuing the architectural language of the adjacent Beck Center, KSS increased SHA?s connection to the entire campus through a dramatic three-story glass curtain wall that opened the facade and merged indoor and outdoor activities. at the top of the tower, KSS designed a multipurpose gathering space completed with an outdoor balcony that provides one of the best views of Cornell?s picturesque campus. Like the adjoining Beck Center, the Statler Tower has become an engaging and coveted center for research, education and events. KSS Architects (kssarchitects.com) also recently completed the renovation of Cornell Law School?s MacDonald Moot Court Room, which won an Award of Excellence from the Architectural Woodwork Institute. The courtroom is located in Myron Taylor Hall, a historic Gothic building constructed in the 1930s. Despite several prior renovations, the 3,000 square feet courtroom still lacked quality lighting and acoustics, accessibility and an audiovisual system. For presentations, students had to roll a projector or chalkboard to the front of the courtroom. The lack of modern systems contrasted sharply with the renowned guest speakers and dignitaries the courtroom frequently featured. The renovation preserved the courtroom?s gothic architectural features while integrating accessibility and state-of-the art audiovisual technology, mechanical and lighting systems. The new plan included tiered seating for 100 students, a judges? bench, a jury box and petitioner and respondent tables. Multiple projection screens and LCD monitors allow the judges, jurors and the audience to view evidence and presentations. All seating areas have microphones. The courtroom?s AV equipment capabilities blend subtly into the original architecture. New acoustical and lighting systems integrate into the grand barrel vault ceiling. Custom white oak finishes by Genbrook Millwork, Inc., were used in the seating areas, lecterns, molding and wall panels that hide two large projection screens when not in use. upon their completion, the Statler Tower and the MacDonald Moot Court Room quickly became popular and successful learning environments for Cornell University.

screens Room Dividers architectural language, cornell law school

What a better way to really enjoy life than to get some rest and relaxation in an awe-inspiring Moroccan Bed.  Check them out… 

This Moroccan carved metal bed gives you the feeling that you are sleeping at a resort!  It is hand made of solid cedar and will last for a long, long time.  Ahhh, I could sleep for hours. 

Don’t get blown away when you go to bed at night!  this is a whimsical wrought iron bed with a great concept for any master suite.  The design is special and unique!

This bed, also made of hand-carved cedar, has awesome larger than life posts.  that makes the bed a natural focal point when you walk into the master bedroom! 

True organic detail makes this bed look like it was grown from the ground up.  Mother Nature may have made it herself!  Can you see the subtle heart shapes?

Want some rest and relaxation?

Let Luxury for the Home and its designers find a Moroccan inspired bed for you!

Call for an appointment 281-701-2461. 

double Futon Beds long long time, moroccan, natural focal point

HIGH ST BISTRO, 197 High St, Willoughby. Phone: 9958 1110. Web: highstbistro.com.au. Food: Contemporary. Bookings: Yes. Service: Nice, if sometimes distracted. Vibe: Country club in the 'burbs. Value: be prepared to pay city prices.

IF SYDNEY is a city of boroughs, then perhaps one way to tell the kind of borough you live in is by the bistros found there.

The eastern suburbs has posh, expensive bistros with celebrity chefs at the helm (Manu Feildel at L’etoile, for instance). The inner-west has more grungy and earnest bistros, like Pickwick’s at Enmore. And now the north shore has High St Bistro, which might be described as very polite, rather nice and ever-so-slightly daggy. just like the north shore itself, you might say.

High St has taken over the spot formerly occupied by Maitre Karl. Occupying a corner block, the restaurant spills from a crowded dining room to an even more crowded glassed-in verandah. The place has considerable bustle, although it’s hard to avoid the impression that too many tables have been jammed in to too small a space.

You feel as though you should have gone on a diet to squeeze in.

That’s all right, though, because most of the clientele are sprightly retiree types who look as though they’ve just come in off the golf course, with nary an extra kilo on them. just as well.

In the kitchen, chef Jeff Turnbull is branching out on his own after years as head chef of the Aqua Dining group. Anybody who’s eaten at Aqua Dining or the Ripples restaurants would be familiar with Turnbull’s style. Usually French-accented, his dishes are about generosity on the plate, with a few tricks and often an emphasis on seafood.

There are plenty of tricks on show at High St. Here, Turnbull has decided to inject quite a few contrivances (foam!) into dishes and plump for high-end sounding ingredients (truffle honey, pomegranate).

At a time when many chefs are simplifying what they put on the plate, Turnbull seems determined to go against the grain by complicating matters. That’s OK, although it feels slightly old-fashioned.

The menu takes a mostly old-fashioned format, too, sticking to the classic entrees, mains and desserts formula, with a small concession to trends by having three starters to share (oysters, sardines on toast and salmon brandade).

Entrees feature a plethora of ingredients and techniques. Pancetta-wrapped scallops with black pudding and horseradish broth ($19) is a high-concept affair involving the wrapped scallops sprinkled with tiny pieces of black pudding served with an unnecessarily OTT broth/foam. The scallops are lovely but the dish is more high-end than suburban bistro.

Pan-fried Yamba king prawns with haloumi and green olive salsa ($21) has too many elements on the plate, too. The three prawns are plump, fresh and bouncy and the salty little salsa works a treat, but char-grilled haloumi? It gives the dish a 1980s cafe feel and, really, why go there?

The mains are generous to a fault. Duck confit with frisee salad, lardons and mustard dressing ($28) involves a mountain of duck leg and breast, a heap of leaves in the tangy mustard dressing and plentiful fried pork. The duck is very salty but it’s an otherwise appealing bistro classic, done well.

Lamb backstrap with pomegranate, hazelnut, watercress and goats cheese ($29) is, again, overly generous, with meat enough for two plates and a pile of cress salad. The pomegranate lends an exotic reference that works, but the cheese is an ingredient too many.

Happily, there are simpler dishes. Grass-fed NZ scotch fillet with bearnaise sauce and chips ($32) is less fussy, while some of the desserts are beautifully simple. Blancmange with strawberry coulis ($12) is lovely.

Other elements also strike the right chord. The wine list is well-priced and thoughtful, with some good wines by the glass. The service is pleasant, if occasionally distracted.

It all adds up to a nice experience, although I wonder if Turnbull has aimed a little too high at times. Local bistros needn’t aim to put special occasional meals on the table at every turn. But perhaps that’s just the way it’s done on the north shore.

* all meals are paid for and visits are unannounced

dressing Tables clientele, diet, Dining Room, etoile, pickwick, sydney

The University of Michigan women’s gymnastics program is ranked ninth in the GymInfo Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 696 points from voters. Four big Ten programs earned spots in the top 25 with the Wolverines ranking ahead of No. 14 Penn State, No. 17 Illinois and No. 23 Minnesota. Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa received votes in the poll. Michigan returns eight letterwinners and five All-Americans from a 2010 squad that won the big Ten title and finished the season 10th in the nation. The Wolverines have won 17 of the last 19 big Ten titles and 18 gymnastics trophies in all — the most of any big Ten women’s program in any sport — while advancing to 19 consecutive NCAA Regional Championships and 18 of the last 19 NCAA Championships. Defending national champion UCLA was picked to finish first in the preseason poll with 32 first-place votes, with Alabama, Florida Oklahoma and Utah rounding out the top five. Michigan faces eight preseason top-20 programs in the regular season, hosting No. 2 Alabama (March 4), No. 4 Oklahoma (Feb. 26), No. 6 Stanford (Feb. 13), No. 10 Nebraska (Feb. 13), No. 14 Penn State (Jan. 14) and No. 17 Illinois (Jan. 14). The Wolverines also visit No. 5 Utah (Feb. 18) and No. 7 Georgia (March 12).

bowls Trophies gymnastics program, national champion ucla, ohio state, stanford

Grandrich Table Lamp in Satin Steel with White Paper ShadeGrandrich Table Lamp in Satin Steel with White Paper Shade…GCH1166Representing some of the finest transitionally styled lighting that you could find, this tripod floor lamp will make a truly spectacular addition to your decor.the satin steel finish is a true sight for sore eyes while the white fabric shade provides for a clear and serene illumination that will leave you enchanted.

bedside Tables illumination, satin steel, sore eyes, spectacular addition, tripod

This policy is valid from 05 September 2010

this blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. for questions about this blog, please contact me on email in side bar.

I write for my own purposes. However, I may be influenced by my background, occupation, religion, political affiliation or experience.

Where there are “Guest Post” the opnions expressed there, are of their own, and not by me.

I will never receive compensation in any way from this blog.

I am not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. the views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely by me. If I claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, I will only endorse products or services that I believe, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

this blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

Any external links off my blog, although I make every effort to keep them up to date, I cannot take responsibility for pages maintained by external providers. You use at your own risk, and views expressed on those sites, are not necessarily those of myself.

To get your own policy, go to disclosurepolicy.org

racks Stands Hooks conflict, endorsement, political affiliation, religion, statistic

Let everyone who comes to your door know a little bit about you with a personalized door mat. Your design options are numerous, including several lines of text, brightly colored logos or just the family name. Cheer not just a front door but also a bedroom door or the entrance to a pet room.

Your choice of product might supply a sturdy place to wipe muddy feet, but it is also the first impression visitors will get. Obtain a goofy slogan, doves or peace signs. Select a favorite poem or advertise a business. choose your language too and see high quality digital images and words transferred from the idea in your head to a finished piece made from any number of materials.

Look for a personalized door mat which will not fade or shed. Sturdy materials to choose from include wood, nylon, carpet and metal. Even design a mixture of coir plus aluminum insert. Replacement plates are available to go in the centre of your mat should circumstances change, such as getting married or the changing seasons. Arrange for the background color and embroidery thread with on-line companies.

This is where you are most likely to find your ideal product. take into consideration shipping costs and where the firm is located. They will also advertise likely duration before you get your mat, so think ahead if this is a gift. Better yet, give a gift certificate and let your recipients come up with their own greeting and design. Company websites sometimes provide customer reviews to help you make your choice.

Choosing metal, nylon or other materials comes down to both look and where you plan to place your mat, indoors or outdoors. Wood with slats can be treated so as not to decay or smell and to hide dirt. others give you an easy-cleaning surface. Look for safety too with rubber backing. This should resist cracking and curling for no-slip reassurance. Environmentally conscious customers take note: mats can now be made from post-consumer plastic bottles and car tires.

Aluminum, French bronze and pewter silver make up some of your options in metal. Research for a no-rust guarantee. Decorative features include filigree and fruity images.

Design your personalized door mat with or without framing borders. Shapes include circular, semi-circular; square or rectangle. Figure out sizing, also a customer option. make your house look and feel like home, ready for you to turn the key in your lock after work every day.

About the Author

What you Need To Know about the Personalized Door Mat And also Quick Healthy Recipes.

Additional resources

Personalized Door Mats Custom personalized doormats department welcome guests with personalized door mats. Door mats are personalized with names, monograms or photos!

Welcome Guests with a Let everyone who comes to your door know a little bit about you with a personalized door mat. Your design options are numerous, including several lines of text, brightly colored …

Personalized welcome Door Mat make your guests feel welcome with this door mat. the Personalized Snowman and Cardinal “Welcome” Door Mat is sure to add a touch of charm to any home.

Personalized Doormats Finally, you can have a personalized doormat that will last forever, that says ‘WELCOME’ to your guests, or personalize your doormat with your family name or favorite greeting.

Welcome Guests with A Let everyone who comes to your door know a little bit about you with a personalized door mat. Your design options are numerous, including several lines of text, brightly colored …

Door Mats – Personalized, Doormat Store has personalized, rubber, cast aluminum, outdoor welcome mats. … your guests to wipe your feet before you step in the house! A personalized doormat is …

Welcome Doormat – Fine welcome Doormats in a variety of mat designs … welcome your guests with a fine Doormat … Design your own custom coir door mat with your logo design or name personalized …

Personalized welcome Mat – … like the Personalized Doormats, Personalized welcome Door Mat … Personalized Failte Doormat – Personalized Irish welcome Doormat Failte means welcome. welcome all of your guests to your …

Personalized welcome Mat on 1. Personalized Pinecone Doormat …commands attention on this handsome doormat. Welcoming guests to home or cabin in natural style, it protects floors from mud …

Door Mat Personalized Welcome welcome your guests with a personalized Chihuahua door mat! Personalized “in Dogs We Trust” door mat Indoor/outdoor use can be personalized with a family name^ up to 12 characters …

carpets Mats & Rugs muddy feet, pet room, replacement plates

Lots of children from all over the world dream to have a pet. The variants for them are quite different but the overwhelming majority of kids dream about the cute puppies. The puppies are the common pets for many families. they are not that easy to take care of but it is the normal situation. actually, it depends on the breed. If you are going to buy the puppy of the dangerous breed or the one which requires the special treatment, you should know everything about it. The breed determines lots of properties of the puppy starting from his appearance and ending up with his character. There are many things to learn in case you want him to become the real member of your family. When choosing the dog pay attention to all factors. in this case your children will be satisfied with the pet as well as the grown-up members of the family.

The character of the most puppies is often the same. The puppies are merry and friendly even if the breed is not that easy to deal with in general. thus, the kids will be happy to entertain with the puppy. However, living with the pet is not only entertainment but also the set of duties. you have to feed him, take out for walks, regularly visit the veterinary clinic with him, and so on. it is up to you to take care about the health of the puppy. The proper help should be timely and certainly, the veterinary care guarantees that everyone who treats the puppy won’t get ill because of him. Therefore, it is essential to find the good specialist in this sphere and take the puppy to him on the regular basis. The healthy food is also the important part and you should find the good pet-shop to buy the products you need. The different breeds require different food. it is important for you to pay attention to the puppy’s food.

Taking care for a walk should be regular as well. you can ask your children to help with it. Depending on their age they may do it in the neighborhood or take the dog to the city suburbs, for example. Some of the puppies need to spend some time outdoors and run there and back so that their muscles were in the active state. it would be good to take your kids and the dog somewhere away from the city. Take your car and do it at least on the weekends. Spending time with the puppy in the forest might be very interesting. This is the new experience both for your members of the family and for the animal if he is still a little puppy.

Many people are fond of pets, especially dogs. but it is quite difficult to groom a puppy and you need to know many things like yorkie diets. Luckily online network today gives us a fantastic opportunity to find anything we need. for example check out this yorkie grooming site – this is a very place on the web where one learn volumes of details about grooming yorkie puppies including how to potty train my yorkie.

sprays cute puppies, members of the family

Photo by Amy Paterson/New Jersey Herald Judi Earl, owner of Cottage Charm, showcases some of the items she has on display in her Lafayette store. Click here to view the Photo Gallery by LYNDSAY CAYETANA —the soft hue of the sage-colored walls and pastel painted furnishings invite customers into the new antique shop that recently opened in Lafayette. the shoppers view Jadite plates paired with Depression glassware, an array of vintage jewelry, a cigar press from the 1940s and a small collection of delicate baby dresses from the 1950s.Each room explored reflects a room that can be found in any cottage, a kitchen — drawers filled with antique salt and pepper shakers, silver platters and picnicware — a bedroom accented with a cottage lake style bedroom set and wicker vanities, and living room space with one hundred little collectibles nestled into their place, perfectly displayed behind glass.the home and garden vintage shop, Cottage Charm, opened for business March 3 near the Lafayette mill Antique Center on State Route 15 in Lafayette.Owner, 56-year-old Judi Earl, said she has been collecting antiques and vintage goods for more than 30 years, dealing antiques to area shops and buyers more than a decade ago.“I’ve always loved garage sales and treasure hunting and I’ve always had an interest in decorating,” Earl said.Earl, a Frankford resident, said collecting began as a hobby, fueled by her huband’s grandparents and her mother-in-law’s interest in antiques. she said the look of “cottage chic” vintage collectibles that could be found in her grandmother’s house has always appealed to her: Distressed furniture, delicate fabrics, unique textures.When Earl retired from the Sparta school system as an elementary physical education teacher three years ago, thoughts of turning her hobby into a business began to dance in her head. In December, Earl chose a location for Cottage Charm and began moving into the quaint space in Lafayette. after three months of meticulous decorating and hand-selecting items to be showcased in her vintage shop, Cottage Charm opened in March.the collector said her shop has something for everyone, from “the hard-core collectors (to) those who (come in) and think ‘oh, that’s pretty’”. Earl said Cottage Charm also has a balance of collectibles for both genders, garnering items she referred to as “mantiques”: Vintage sporting pieces — golf clubs, fishing nets, creels and a 1920s duck caller — automotive goods and durable tools.“I like the idea of repurposing things,” she said.the collector said the picnic basket tins she sells could be used as an emergency car kit or her iron flower stands could be used to display tea cups or placed on a patio that holds burning candles.“When I’m out shopping for vintage things, I tend to look at things from their decorative standpoint,” she said.Earl also plans to stock Cottage Charm with a variety of goods based on the season —airy cottage beach themes in the summer, rustic mountain, lake themes in the fall. To accomplish this goal, she and her friends and other collectors go treasure hunting in several ways.“We go to auctions,” Earl said. “We scour flea markets, go to church thrift shops and rummage sales.”other times she visits estate sales, other times customers donate items or sell them to her.“I’ve been known to dumpster dive,” she proudly stated. “Like when there’s a town clean up, I knock on the door and ask if I can have (what they are throwing away. there are a lot of people who just don’t care, they just want it gone.”the collector said she always likes to “pass on the good deal”. If she finds a unique item at a good price, she won’t mark it up to its full value, instead, she offers it at a reasonable price so others can experience a good buy.with doors to Cottage Charm open to anyone on an antique hunt or those just curious enough to enter, Earl is eager to offer her carefully selected finds from three decades of treasure hunting. but, for her customers, the 30-year search  has been narrowed down to one cozy little shop in Lafayette. Created: 3/14/2011 | Updated: 3/14/2011

childrens Bedroom Furniture colored walls, picnicware, salt and pepper, vintage shop

Earlier this week I was reflecting about how our life I calming down a bit and I was running out of things to blog about.  Kids were doing OK in school, the various therapies and schedules are old hat now.  we were reveling in the joy of same old/same old.   Apparently that was all the universe needed to give me a big old blog worthy day.  Ready?  It’s a good one. 

My son has recently started with some medication that help him control his most problematic behavoiors and allow him to focus at school.  On Monday morning I got a note from his teacher telling me what a wonderful day he had been having.  he was sharing and listening and doing his work.  he was kind and gentle, self motivated and a total joy to have around.  after I read the note and finished crying (because no one has EVER, EVER, EVER written a note like that to me before about this child.  EVER).  I sent it to everyone I know; friends, former teachers and therapists, grandparents, etc.  I was a proud, proud momma.  he hopped off the bus from school in a mood.  and I don’t mean a good mood.  within seconds of walking into the door he was tantruming;  lunch was wrong, his sister used too much tape, he hated his Valentines. the list went on and on.   within 10 minutes he was in a full on rage.  Watching him rage is scary (I am used to it by now) and it usually makes everyone in the house cry.  he throws things, he tries to hurt himself and others, he basically  needs to be put in a safe place where we just wait it out.  When he is in this place, he is not teachable. he is not able to reason out his behavior.  he is acting from the most basic of instinct.  he feels unsafe and worried so he is going to lash out and try to protect himself.    the other kids in the family get really worried when they see him so upset.  a rage day throws off the dynamic of the entire household in a major way.  There have been many times over the years during his rages where aren’t sure if we can keep him safe.  There have been times when we have debated if we need to take him to an emergency room and have him 5150′d.  in layman’sterms, checked into a hospital and sedated until he is calm again.    I have many problems with this option. first of all, I no longer have “custody” of him. I have no say in his care until he is checked out of the hospital (which can take up to two weeks).  Second, I am not allowed to see him outside of visiting hours (about an hour a day).  When you have a child (remember, he is 6) who has attachment issues and never feels like he can trust his parents and is unworthy of love–taking him to strangers and leaving him there and disappearing for days at a time is a TERRIBLE idea.  so, considering this option means it is really, really a dozyof an episode. It was.  Don’t get me started on the lack of care for mental health patients outside of crisis situations.  Really. Don’t get me started.  we took a trip to the ER, but ultimately decided to weather the storm at home.  

My wonderful nanny and I took turns keeping him safe while the other tried to keep the other kids calm.  Like I said, it is scary when this happens (most of all it is scary for my boy. in between his rages he would cry out to me “mom, why do I feel this way? Please make it stop”).   by the time we got him to bed, he was reasonably calm and safe.  he was exhausted and fell asleep pretty quickly.  I finally managed to throw together some sort of Valentines dinner for the other kids and we got everyone to bed.   Victory. 

The next day (yesterday) was one of the most anticipated days of the year in our house,as far as my kids are concerned.  It was dentist day!! and I am not kidding–they love going to Dr. Quo.  they actually say “yay, the dentist”.  he gets all 4 of them done in 30 minutes (they do them all at the same time) and he works with special needs kids.  Cubby was so happy. It was all he could do to get to school so dentist time would come sooner.  As he hopped off the bus, he was still excited.  I loaded him and tiny in the car and we were about to leave in my trusty (if totally filthy) minivan.  At the last minute,  I was reminded that a trip to the toy store was in order when they kids got a cavity free check up.  I left my wallet in the house so I ran to go get it.  I opened the door, hopped out of the car and headed for the front door.  except I forgot to take the car out of reverse (I hadn’t started it yet…stupid, stupid, stupid).  my life flashed before my eyes as I watched the car back slowly down the driveway.   I raced back to the car to jump in and hit the brakes,  but not before the open door caught on a concrete wall by our driveway. As the car continued down our driveway, the door got stretched open wider and wider. 

And then if fell off.  

 One little piece of hinge was holding it together.   I broke the car.  The kids at this point are totally freaked out AND  sad because they were going to miss the dentist.  They were actually crying because they didn’t want to miss the dentist.  Chaos ensues.  I race inside again (but I did put the car in gear this time) and beg my nanny to borrow her car. I  throw the kids in Maria’s car and head down to Palo Alto.  As we get closer and closer to the dentists office, my son starts telling me his tummy hurts.  This is common for him. I hear it multiple times a day.  This kid is a ball of anxiety, dipped in stress and rolled in a candy coating of angst.  I would worry if he DIDN”T tell me his tummy hurt.  we pulled into the parking lot (only 10 minutes late, wheeeeee) and just as we are walking in the door I hear an unmistakable sound.  Most mothers know this sound. It is the one that comes nanoseconds before your kid empties the contents of his stomach.  Young Cubby projectile vomited (ralphed, yaked, hurled) ALL OVER the place.  I turned away from the horrified receptionist,  scooped him up and raced him to the car.  I left him on the front seat and went back inside with tiny.  I literally launched her at the waiting  hygienist and returned to the car; where I discover that Cubby had wasted no time covering all surfaces with more vomit.  So, so much vomit.  On some level I’ve got to admire a kid that doesn’t do things half way. So, one kid is crying in the dentist chair because she wants mommy there, one kid is crying in the vomit covered car (the borrowed car) and can’t stop fixating on the fact that he has thrown up all over his socks. Heaven forbid we get his socks dirty.  he somehow blocked the vomit that covered the rest of him (even his hair) and every other possible surface.   I am thirty minutes from home and to top it all off, I discover I still don’t have my wallet.  

Leaving before tiny gets her appointment finished is out (because honestly, I am one car accident and one vomit car into this, SOMEONE is getting their teeth cleaned).  Driving to get some new clothes is out (no money).  I did what any self respecting mother would do.  I stripped him naked, threw his clothes away, borrowed the disposable dental office clothing covers and mopped up the mess as best as I could.  I collected a still sobbing tiny from the dentist (no cavities, HURRAH) and put her in the car (“MOM!!! It smells SO BAD IN HERE!!”)  and there was crying.  Then I had to break it to her that we weren’t making a stop at the toy store just yet. more crying.   the good news is that at this point, I wasn’t crying yet.   Pretty good huh? I’m not finished yet. 

 I arrived home and had to face my freakishly clean and organized (and clean) nanny.  she doesn’t even let my kids wear shoes in her car.  I might have destroyed a piece of her soul when she saw what we had done to her beloved car.  Before I could get her car detailed, I was determined to get my car to the body shop to see what could be done about the door.  Time was running out. I couldn’t actually close the door, nor could I drive without it dragging on the ground (and that can’t be good) so I got all MacGyver for the second time that day.  I found a pair of childrens sweat pants and tied the door back to the car frame. I reinforced it with several garbage bags that I threaded through the windows and attached to the seat belt.  Super safe.  Cubby was not in any position to be left alone (and by that I mean, he refused to leave my side–also common for him after a rage). I didn’t feel like dealing with another rage at the moment so I just used my back up package of wipes to get the worst of the chunks off of him, wrapped him in a towel and handed him a garbage bag to puke into.  I was going to get to that body shop before if closed if it killed me.  

It turns out that if you get pulled over on your way to the shop because your car door is tied on with a garbage bag and you have half naked kid in the back of your car who is vomiting into a garbage bag and you are also covered in vomit and have a certain crazy look in your eye that says “JUST TRY ME OFFICER, I am SO going to fight this ticket in court and not a judge in the world will be on your side”, that officer will not give you a ticket.  Lucky for me, I got pulled over right in front of the shop (stupid left turns) and they saw the whole thing.  When they saw me pull in (and be honest, they smelled me pull in), they fixed my car right then and there. For free.  they replaced the hinge that I broke off the door, punded out the dents and sent me on my way in about 15 minutes.  I’d like to think it is because I deserved a break, but mostly I think it because they didn’t want our vomit anywhere near their office.  I might have scared them a little bit (but I was still not crying–VICTORY).   we made it home in time to shove a handful of bills at my nanny and send her home early to get her car taken care of (or “de-ralphed”). 

So, to recap the 24 hours.  Raging, forgetting, car door ripping, puking, speeding, teeth cleaning, crying, puking, police interacting, car door fixing, crying, puking, laundry, car detailing and crying.  Try not to be jealous of how glamorous and easy my life as a stay at home mom is.  I also wish that I could say that this is one of the worst (and wierdest) day of my life, but it isn’t even in the top 10.  Much of the time I think I am secretly on an episode of a reality show called something like “Really?…..REALLY?”.  

All is well that ends well.    I am ready for a Diet Coke and an episode of top Chef.   How was YOUR Valentines Day?

door Stops blog, monday morning