Lizette de Vries-Venter started her professional life as an engineer specialising in electromagnetic compatibility, then changed to another specialised field: explosion protection - intrinsic safety. Then she added consulting work to the portfolio of her business. The project management came about after she had to close down the business due to a downturn in the economy.
After ten years as a senior project manager, she returned to consulting work specialising in product safety certification. She also formalised her training skills and qualified as a life coach.
Life coaching made perfect sense since it embodies her passion for helping people realise their own goals. She decided to specialise in the things that experience taught her was required for the future: career development and retirement planning.
Lizette is a published author of fiction and non-fiction books (pen name: Linzé Brandon). She started the Pretoria Writers' Group in 2012. By the end of 2016, all the members of the group were published authors as a result of her guidance and leadership.
Since the start of the COVID19 pandemic, she teaches art skills online and plans to have her own art exhibition in the not too distant future.
Her hobbies include reading and cross-stitch embroidery.
She is also a student of Yang style t'ai chi, Stoic philosophy, and is a mindfulness meditation practitioner.
Lizette is married to Francois Venter and they live in Pretoria, South Africa.
You can read more about her personal musings, new book releases, and her creative endeavours on Butterfly on a Broomstick


Providing Music Lessons in
Balerno, Edinburgh and Beyond
Whatever Instrument or topic you are interested in, we have the expertise to arrange a lesson around your needs. Here at Balerno Music we are only interested in helping you achieve your goals. Whatever style of music you enjoy and whatever needs you might have, our enthusiastic teachers are capable of helping you.
Guitar Ukulele Music Theory
Duncan originally studied music at Durham College then moved to Edinburgh to further his studies in guitar and composition at Edinburgh Napier University. Since graduating, Duncan has worked in numerous youth and adult education tutor roles within Midlothian and Edinburgh Council. His specialties are guitar, ukulele, advanced music theory, arranging and composition.
Piano Music Theory
Katherine is originally from Balerno. She graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a first-class honours degree in classical music, and has since been working as an Edinburgh-based piano tutor. Her speciality is preparation for exams and advanced recitals. Although classically trained, she enjoys teaching a wide range of styles and genres.


Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
As I was working on this post, I realized that a lot of the books I read when I was little were classics. Here are my favorites!
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
3. Emma by Jane Austen
4. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
7. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
8. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (except The Horse and His Boy)
9. Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace
10. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare


Goals of the 'Professions of the Future' program:
• Introduce students to the concepts of coding and computer science.
• Develop practical coding skills through hands-on projects and tasks.
• Encourage creativity and artistic expression through programming and digital art.
• Provide students with the opportunity to explore various areas of technology and career paths.
• Understanding the fundamentals of programming and computer science.
• Acquiring skills in using online platforms and coding tools.
• Applying programming skills to create artistic and designer web pages.
• Proficiency in customizing website layouts and adding interactive elements.
• Developing skills in pixel animation, character design, and drawing techniques.
• Exploring the principles of 3D design and creating virtual architecture, characters, and landscapes.
• Learning film editing methods and enhancing visual flow in videos.
• Cultivating skills in 2D game development, including character design, animation, and obstacle creation.
• Studying the development of 3D games using Roblox Studio, and creating interactive virtual spaces.
• Gaining knowledge in the field of virtual robotics and programming virtual robots.
• Developing application development skills, including interactive quizzes, virtual pet apps, and language learning apps.


I'm a Research Assistant at the Department of Philosophy, Universität Konstanz.
My current research focuses on creativity in artificial intelligence and on the societal and cultural impact of generative AI systems.
Dr. Caterina Moruzzi
Research Assistant at the Department of Philosophy, University of Konstanz
Honorary Research Fellow, University of Nottingham
Moruzzi, Caterina. ‘Improvisation as Creative Performance’, in Bertinetto, A. and Ruta, M. (eds.) Handbook of Philosophy and Improvisation in the Arts, London: Routledge.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2021. 'On the Relevance of Understanding for Creativity’, Proceedings of AISB2021.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2021. ‘Everyone Can Change a Musical Work’, British Journal of Aesthetics. DOI: 10.1093/aesthj/ayab003.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2020. ‘Artificial Creativity and General Intelligence’, Journal of Science and Technology in the Arts 12(3): 84-99.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2020. ‘Learning Through Creativity: How Creativity Can Help Machine Learning Achieving Deeper Understanding’, Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio 14(2), doi: 10.4396/AISB201904.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2020. ‘Looking for Creativity: GANs as a Paradigm of Autonomy in Software for Music Composition’, in Be My GAN: Arte e Intelligenza Artificiale, ed. by Alice Barale (Milano: Jaca Book).
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2020. ‘Measuring Creativity: An Account of Natural and Artificial Creativity’, European Journal for Philosophy of Science 11 (1).
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2020. ‘The Assumptions Behind Musical Stage Theory: A Reply to Letts’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 78 (3): 362-366.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2020. ‘Should Human Artists Fear AI? A Report on the Perception of Creative AI’, Proceedings of xCoAx2020, pp. 170-185.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2020. ‘Can a Computer Create a Musical Work? Creativity and Autonomy of AI Software for Music Composition’, in Gouveia, Steven S. (ed.), The Age of Artificial Intelligence: An Exploration, Vernon Press.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2019. ‘An Ontological Justification for Contextual Authenticity’, British Journal of Aesthetics.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2018. ‘Every Performance is a Stage: Musical Stage Theory as a Novel Account for the Ontology of Musical Works’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 76 (3): 341-351.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2018. ‘Creative AI: Music Composition Programs as an Extension of the Composer’s Mind’, in Müller, Vincent C. (ed.), Philosophy and Theory of Artificial Intelligence 2017, Berlin: Springer.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2016. ‘An Alternative Account of the Ontology of Musical Works: Defending Musical Stage Theory’, Proceedings of the European Society for Aesthetics, vol. 8.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2016. Review of Musical Concerns: Essays in Philosophy of Music by Jerrold Levinson, ASAGE, vol. 8, n. 1.
Moruzzi, Caterina. 2015. Review of Disunified Aesthetics: Situated Textuality, Performativity, Collaboration, by Lynette Hunter, Liminalities, vol. 11, n. 2.
Work in Progress
Project ”Agency and Scientific Creativity“: survey and workshop on mutual influences between agency, creativity, understanding, and trust (supported by the Dr. August und Annelies Karst Stiftung, Universität Konstanz).
Research on robustness in decision-making processes, with the aim of understanding how humans can reason counterfactually and how can we teach machines to do the same.
Co-Lead organiser of TEDx Konstanz 2022: Infinitely Close-Infinitely Far
My research interests focus on the analysis of the concepts of agency and creativity in living beings and artificial systems. I integrate methods used in experimental philosophy in order to inform my research on the implications of state-of-the-art developments in AI on the attitudes of reception of creative processes. I have a background as philosopher of art and musician and my interdisciplinary approach aims to build a bridge between the study of paradigmatic features of the human brain and behaviour and the research on the development of human-level automated systems. This will be decisive to shed light on the controversial issue of creativity and, consequently, on pressing questions over matters of intellectual property and AI. It will also contribute to explain the role that intuitions play in our relation with artefacts produced by AI systems.
In my PhD project I defended and developed a new account for the ontology of musical works: Musical Stage Theory, the view that a musical work is a performance. I proposed this account as an alternative to mainstream and well accepted views on the nature of musical works with a specific intent, that of suggesting a way to analyse the identity of musical works which gives due relevance to musical practices and, at the same time, is grounded on a solid ontological basis. As a corollary to the main ontological thesis, Musical Stage Theory also allows for contextually dependent senses of authenticity of musical performances.
2021-2022 - University of Konstanz
What You See is (Not Always) What You Get: Nature and Knowledge of the Inside and the Outside World, Department of Philosophy
Cutting-Edge Debates on Artificial Intelligence, Departments of Philosophy and Linguistics
2020-2021 - University of Konstanz
Introduction to the Philosophy of Art, Department of Philosophy
Cutting-Edge Debates on Artificial Intelligence, Departments of Philosophy and Linguistics
Being True to Music: When Is A Musical Work Authentic?, Department of Philosophy
Thinking Fast and Slow: What Can Computers Learn From the Human Mind?, Department of Philosophy
Appearance & Reality
Mind and Consciousness
Self, Mind, and Body
Introduction to the Philosophy and Aesthetics of Music
History of Western Philosophy
Introduction to Ethics
17-19 June 2021. ‘Is Artistic Creativity Necessarily Human?’, XPhiEU2021 (virtual meeting)
8 April 2021. ‘On the Relevance of Understanding for Creativity’, AISB2021 (virtual meeting)
20 March 2021. ‘Everyone Can Change a Musical Work’, American Society for Aesthetics Pacific Meeting (virtual meeting)
18 February 2021. 'What’s the Point of Machine Art? Reflecting on AI Art and its Discontents’, Scottish Aesthetics Forum Talk, University of Edinburgh
8 January 2021. 'Disclosing Musical Works’ Meaning: A Comment on Dodd’s “Being True to Works of Music”’, American Philosophical Association Eastern Meeting 2021 (virtual meeting)
10 December 2020. ‘Creativity, Anthropomorphization, and Uncanny Valley’, Department of Philosophy, University of Konstanz, Fachbereich Kolloquium (virtual meeting)
8 July 2020. ‘Humans Don’t Like AI Art’, xCoAx Conference: 8th Conference on Computation, Communication, Aesthetics & X (virtual meeting)
12-13 June 2019. ‘Intentionality and Creativity in AI-generated Music’, Ernst Mach Workshop: Posthumanism, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague
16 April 2019. ‘AI-Generated Music: Creativity and Autonomy’, Philosophy After AI: Language, Imagination, and Creativity Symposium, AISB Convention 2019, Falmouth University
15 April 2019. ‘Generative Adversarial Networks as a Creative Model of Music Composition’, British Society of Aesthetics Connections conference 2019: Creativity Across the Arts and Sciences, Bristol
11 April 2019. ‘Generative Adversarial Networks as an Autonomous Model of Music Composition’, Algorithmic Music: Value, Creativity and Artificial Intelligence, King's College London
26-27 July 2018, 'Robo-Bach: Can Artificial Intelligence Be Musically Creative?', Creativity in the Arts, Science, and Mind conference, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge
4-6 April 2018, 'Authenticity in Practice: An Ontological Justification for Contextual Authenticity', ASA Pacific Meeting, Asilomar, California
5-7 December 2017, ‘Creative AI: Music Composition Programs as an Extension of the Composer's Mind’, International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Information, Faculty of Arts, University of Porto, Porto, Portuga
20 May 2017, ‘A Revisionary Account of Musical Improvisation and Authenticity within Musical Stage Theory’, Conference on Authenticity versus Improvisation in the Philosophy of Music, University of Bern, Switzerland
27 January 2017, 'Art, Intentionality, and AI', Art, Aesthetics, and Beyond, British Society of Aesthetics Postgraduate conference, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
3 December 2016, 'Musical Works as Stages: A Novel Account for the Ontology of Musical Works', Open Minds XII conference, University of Manchester, Manchester
15 October 2016, ‘A Defence of Musical Stage Theory’, Arché 9th Graduate Conference, University of St Andrews, Scotland
10 June 2016, ‘Every Performance is a Stage: Defending Musical Stage Theory’, European Society for Aesthetics Annual Conference, University of Barcelona
24 May 2016, ‘An Alternative Account for the Ontology of Musical Works: Musical Stage Theory’, McGill Philosophy Workshop, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
8 January 2016, ‘Every Performance is a Stage: Defending Musical Stage Theory’, BFE/RMA Research Students' Conference 2016, Bangor University, 6-8 January 2016
9 September 2015, ‘Does an Arranger Deserve Royalties? Luigi Dallapiccola’s Sonatina Canonica on Trial’, Ninth Biennial International Conference on Music Since 1900, University of Glasgow
Co-organiser of TEDx Konstanz 2022
Co-organiser of the Early Lunch Philosophy seminar at the University of Konstanz, Department of Philosophy
Lead organiser of the conference ‘Philosophy in Progress: Postgraduate Conference of Philosophy’, University of Nottingham, 10th-11th January 2018 (https://philosophyinprogressnottingham2018.weebly.com/)
Lead organiser of the workshop ‘Aesthetics of Computer Music: Changes in the Nature and Reception of Music’, University of Leeds, 7th November 2017 (https://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/events/event/4042/aesthetics_of_computer_music_changes_in_the_nature_and_reception_of_music)
Co-organiser of the joint Philosophy Postgraduate Conference Birmingham-Warwick-Nottingham, 15th June 2017
Co-organiser of the workshop ‘BOOOM! Making Research Memorable’, 4th July 2015, Birmingham City University (http://pgr-studio.co.uk/booom-making-research-memorable-by-ed-mckeon/)
Honorary Research Associate, Department of Music, University of Nottingham (2018-2021)
Co-editor of the volume on Machine Creativity and Digital Art of the journal 'Odradek - Studies in Philosophy of Literature, Aesthetics and New Media Theories', 2021.


Could we be witnessing the rise of another iconic director/actor pairing in real time? Director Luca Guadagnino has worked with actress Dakota Johnson twice already with A Bigger Splash and this year’s Suspiria, and now the filmmaker wants Johnson to co-star in his planned sequel to the 2017 indie Call Me By Your Name.
Find out who Johnson would play in the Call Me By Your Name sequel below, and learn how CMBYN star Armie Hammer reacted to the news.
Scorsese and De Niro. Carpenter and Russell. Hitchcock and Stewart. Wright and Pegg. Will “Guadagnino and Johnson” eventually be added to that list?
The news about Guadagnino wanting Johnson to appear in Call Me By Your Name 2 comes from a New Yorker profile on the Italian director (via IndieWire), in which the interviewer was present for a conversation between Guadagnino and actor Armie Hammer, who played CMBYN‘s Oliver, an American exchange student who gets swept up in a deeply passionate summer romance with Timothee Chalamet‘s Elio. The director revealed that he wanted Johnson to play Oliver’s wife in the sequel.
“She has to be a New England kind of hoochie woman,” [Guadagnino] said, riffing merrily. “You have, maybe, five children.”
“Oh, great,” Hammer said.
“The only problem is the title,” Guadagnino reflected. “It cannot be Call Me by Your Name Two.”
That’s the extent of the profile’s info about the sequel, but it’s a nice tease for a project that many, including Chalamet and Hammer, hope comes to fruition. Both actors have previously expressed interest in returning to reprise their roles for a story that takes place years after the original movie – Chalamet recently referred to the sequel’s planned time jump as “the Boyhood style of storytelling.”
Like Kristen Stewart before her, Johnson has already proven that she’s not willing to be defined by the romance franchise that took her career to another level. Here’s hoping that she actually has some interesting layers to play in this story, assuming everything goes according to plan.
Earlier this year, Guadagnino revealed that he was already hard at work coming up with the story:
“I’m already conceiving the story with [Call Me By Your Name author] André Aciman, and it’s gonna happen five or six years afterwards, so almost in 1990. It’s gonna be a new movie, a different tone. You’ll see a lot of the East Coast of America – they’re going to go around the world.”
And if you’re already swooning over the idea of seeing Oliver and Elio reunite, get pumped, because Guadagnino might not stop at just one sequel: he could turn this into an ongoing film franchise:
“These characters are so fantastic, and I want to know what happens to them. The last 40 pages of the book tell you about 20 years in the life of Oliver and Elio. So I started to think about Michael Apted’s Up, and the cycle of films [Francois] Truffaut devoted to the character of Antoine Doinel. And I thought, maybe it’s not a question of sequel, it’s a question of chronicling everyone in this film. I think seeing these characters growing in the bodies of these actors will be quite fantastic.”
There’s no indication yet of when production on this movie will begin, but the filmmaker previously hinted that it might be ready as soon as 2020, which would align Chalamet’s real-life age with the age Elio is supposed to be in the sequel.
Source: Read Full Article


The Story of Blake Harper Candle Co.
Hello, I’m Rachel! I am so happy you’re here.
I created Blake Harper Candle Co. in memory of my daughter, Blake Harper. In 2017, Blake passed away one week before her due date. For years, I thought of ways I could honor Blake and keep her memory alive. I wanted to create something beautiful in her name. I fell into candle making as the perfect outlet for my grief and creativity.
I've always loved candles. Growing up, my mom lit candles every evening. There is something special about the way candles bring us comfort and calm. For over a year, I tested and experimented to create the perfect candles. I was determined to make something that was not only clean and natural, but beautiful and special.
Our candles are made with natural coconut soy wax and scented with unique and sophisticated fragrance oils. Our candles are vegan, toxin-free, phthalate-free, and cruelty free. We offer a range of vessels from copper tins to hand-blown glass. Each candle is hand-poured in small batches and finished with our signature butterfly on top.


In an era where pets are not just animals but cherished members of the family, the demand for unique and personalized accessories has seen a significant surge. One such gadget that has gained popularity is the DIY approach to pet tags using an instant printer. Instant photo printers like Liene’s, equipped with thermal-dye sublimation technology and versatile connectivity options like built-in Wi-Fi and USB-C, have paved the way for pet owners to add a personal touch to their furry friends' accessories.
The DIY Trend
DIY (Do It Yourself) has become more than just a trend; it's a way for pet owners to express their love and creativity in customizing accessories for their pets. Instant photo printing has become a game-changer in this realm, allowing pet owners to design and print unique pet tags with ease.
Why Choose Instant Photo Printing?
Instant photo printers use thermal-dye sublimation technology, ensuring that the prints are vibrant and full of life. This technology allows for a wide range of colors and sharp details, making it ideal for capturing the unique personality of your pet on a small tag.
With built-in Wi-Fi and USB-C connectivity options, instant photo printers offer a hassle-free experience. Pet owners can effortlessly transfer their favorite pet photos from their smartphones or cameras to the printer, ensuring that the printing process is quick and convenient.
Compact and Convenient
The compact design of instant photo printers makes them a convenient choice for DIY projects. Whether you're creating pet tags at home or on the go, these devices are easy to carry and set up, making the entire process enjoyable and stress-free.
Personalizing Pet Accessories
Pet tags are more than just identification; they are a reflection of your pet's unique personality. Instant photo printing allows you to capture memorable moments of your pet's life, from playful antics to serene moments, and immortalize them on a small tag that goes wherever your pet does.
Express Your Style
DIY pet tags offer an excellent opportunity to express your style and the unique bond you share with your pet. Whether you prefer a sleek and modern design or a more whimsical and colorful approach, instant photo printing allows you to bring your vision to life.
Celebrate Special Occasions
From birthdays to adoption anniversaries, pet owners can use instant photo printing to create special tags that commemorate important occasions in their pet's life. Adding a date or a short message makes the tag not only a form of identification but also a cherished keepsake.
Benefits Beyond Aesthetics
Instant photo printers use high-quality printing technology, ensuring that the pet tags are durable and long-lasting. This is crucial for accessories that are constantly exposed to the elements and the playful activities of pets.
DIY pet tags using instant photo printing can be a cost-effective solution compared to purchasing pre-designed tags. This is especially true for pet owners with multiple pets or those who enjoy changing their pet's accessories regularly.
The rise of instant photo printing technology has empowered pet owners to take customization to a new level, turning pet accessories into unique expressions of love and individuality. DIY pet tags are not just identification; they are a creative canvas for pet owners to capture and celebrate the essence of their furry companions.
As the market for instant photo printers continues to expand, the possibilities for personalizing pet accessories become limitless. So, go ahead, unleash your creativity, and let your pet's accessories tell a unique story that mirrors the extraordinary bond you share.


KindTyme is a creative Cannabis Marketing, Media, and Design Agency based in Portland, Oregon. Their mission is to design and produce unique digital experiences that support all aspects of your cannabis business.
The creative team at KindTyme can grow your cannabusiness with a custom approach to marijuana design, digital media, and marketing strategy. They believe that your culture is your brand. Their team will help you discover your culture, find your voice, figure out who you are and make it all look amazing. With marijuana marketing, only the right combination of creative drive and “out-of-the-box” strategies work. The KindTyme team is award-winning for doing just that. They design unforgettable brand experiences so that you can focus on creating unforgettable cannabis products. They work exclusively with the cannabis industry, building smart designs based on industry research, competitor analysis, and market psychology.
What makes the KindTyme team even more unique? They are friends first. Designers, marketers, artists, and big-thinkers second. They are a 100% in-house, small, employee-owned agency. When you work with KindTyme, you work with their entire team. Their collaborative style, both in and out of the office, also helps team members build a relationship with your brand. They offer more than just branding, packaging, website, social media, SEO, and photography services. The KindTyme team offers quality in all aspects of their work.
KindTyme is working to improve marijuana’s image one project at a time. Join them and improve your brand’s image today.


Finding great coloring books for kids in middle school is a bit of a challenge. On the one hand, they’re a little too old for the kiddie books out there. On the other hand, they may be too young to really get into some of the adult coloring books with complex designs and mature themes. The key is to find a balance between the two! I think these 10 below do a pretty good job!
Read on for my top 10 picks for the best coloring books for middle graders!
Coloring Books for Kids in Middle School
Affiliate links included below. If you make a purchase through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra charge to you.
1. Harry Potter Coloring Books
There are quite a few Harry Potter coloring books put out by Scholastic, each with different characters and themes. My favorite right now is the Harry Potter Magical Places & Characters coloring book. It has 96 pages featuring places from the Great Wall Hogwarts to the Dursley’s living room, as well as just about all your tween’s favorite characters.
Check out a few more of my favorite Harry Potter coloring books!
2. Percy Jackson Coloring Book
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is on of my most recommended books for middle graders to read, so it makes sense that a Percy Jackson coloring book would make this list! It includes 96 pages of hilarious portraits & dramatic scenes.
3. Minecraft Coloring Books
If your tween is into the world’s most popular blocky building game, then grab this unofficial Minecraft coloring book! It features 62 pages of everything you find in a Minecraft world, from creepers and other ghastly creatures to jungles and deserts! If your middle grader loves this book, check out a few other fabulous Minecraft activity books!
4. Eragon Coloring Book
Another coloring book based on stories on my Top 10 list, the Official Eragon Coloring Book comes with 96 pages inspired by Christopher Paolini’s land of Alagaësia. It also includes a special note from the author, along with one of his own pieces of artwork to color.
5. Avatar: The Last Airbender Coloring Book
I’ll admit that I really don’t know a lot about Avatar: The Last Airbender because my son didn’t really get into this series. I do know that it was incredibly popular with a lot of his classmates, though. The Avatar: The Last Airbender coloring book is put out by Nickelodeon and includes 45 black-and-white images by artist Jed Henry.
6. Copycat Coloring
For tweens who feel overwhelmed by a colorless image, the Copycat Coloring book series is a great way to get their creative juices flowing. Each image has two pages: one that’s already done, and one blank coloring page. Tweens can either try to copy the one that’s done, come up with their own design, or do a little of both using the completed image as inspiration. They’re made by Barrons, a leader in educational activity books for kids.
7. Chronicles of Narnia Coloring Book
The Chronicles of Narnia Coloring Book features 96 stunning pages of quotes and art from all seven books in C. S. Lewis’s classic series. It also has some pretty cool detailed maps that your tweens can color and hang on their walls.
8. Little House on the Prairie Coloring Book
Okay, I’m buying the Little House coloring book for myself! I’ve been such a fan of the show since I was in middle school. I used to come home every day and watch it on PBS. I SO wish that one of the major streaming services would pick up the series so I can watch it again. This coloring book is a fun way to introduce your kids to the classic books and TV series.
9. Emoji Coloring Books
I will never understand the fascination with emojis, but even I can’t deny that tweens are crazy about them. My son has a huge collection of emoji pillows and key chains. Poop is his favorite, because of course. While there are a bunch of different Emoji coloring books, I prefer this one because it’s not specifically for girls or boys. It includes 50 pictures to color plus access to a digital version so you can print out the pages again and again. The digital edition is mobile app friendly, allowing you to important the pictures into your favorite coloring app.
10. Inspirational Coloring Books for Tweens
There are quite a few inspirational coloring books for girls, including my favorite: I am Confident, Brave, & Beautiful. It’s filled with uplifting messages that all girls need to hear. I’m really kind of sad that they don’t make any for boys. I searched, and even when I put in “inspirational coloring books for boys,” the majority of the results were specifically for girls. They even have a Proud to be a Girl coloring book, but no Proud to be a Boy. The closest thing inspirational coloring book I could find that’s more or less gender-neutral was a Quotes and Sayings coloring book from Ooly.
These are just some of my favorite coloring books for kids in middle school! Coloring is such a great way for tweens and teens to unwind after a long day at school! It’s almost as (if not more) relaxing than meditating, something that my son just can’t seem to do. I think he gets it from me because my mind never quiets down enough to find my zen, either.
Do you recommend any other coloring books for tweens and teens? Tell me your favorites!


Watch as Mike creates a mermaid for Campo Sirena in Bahia Asuncion, Baja California.
OK folks, one last video from Baja California before I start editing the DVD of my travels there. Here are some shots of my favorite places.
This is a compliation of shots taken off the beaten path in Baja California with Jeanette “Spaghetti” Grittani singing the Baja Beach Bum’s Lament. Written by Don Carlson and based on Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Night Riders Lament.”
I am currently in the final stages of shooting Baja California with only Bahia de Concepcion and a few smaller locations left to film. To date I have footage from San Felipe, Gonzaga Bay, the North Pacific Coast, San Quintin, La Lobera, Bahia de Asuncion, Los Barilles, Cabo Pulmo, the southern East and West Capes as well as hot springs and other points of interest around Southern Baja. The DVD, when complete, should run roughly 1.5 to 2 hours and will cover pretty much all of Baja from the north to the south.
The concept of the project is to show people off the beaten path Baja and places that haven’t been touched by the long arm of tourism and resorts. In doing this I’m hoping to help people find comfortable and safe locations for their vacations where they can experience authentic Mexican culture, food and music while spending less money than they would at an all inclusive resort. The upside of this is that more money would stay within the local economy and, on some small scale, help smaller communities survive the hardships endured through the recent financial crisis and the fear mongering brought on by foreign governments about the safety of travel in Mexico.
Please visit www.wanderglobe.com to view some of the short videos of the project and to make a donation in exchange for a gift and/or credit. Gift levels are as follows:
- $25 – A Free DVD when the project is complete.
- $50 – A Free DVD as well as your name in the credits. I do all of the editing myself so you can be anything from camera assistant to animation director.
- $100 – A Free DVD as well as your name listed at the top of the credits as an Associate Producer. How fun is that? I will also send you postcards as I travel through Latin America for being such a good sport.
Any and all help in completing this project is great appreciated. I am 100% self funded and not connected with any studios or agencies.
Happy and Safe Travels
My friend Colin and I just spent 4 days at Cabo Pulmo National Park on the East Cape of Southern Baja. These beaches are about a 2 hour drive from Cabo San Lucas and without the crowds. A short walk from the picnic area and you couldn’t see another person. Check out the gallery of this gorgeous location.
Here’s a short video of the fun we had swimming with sea lions in Bahia de Asuncion, Baja California.


Chinchero, Peru, sits on a broad plateau against a backdrop of snowcapped peaks—a postcard-perfect village of pre-Columbian walls, red-tile roofs and a colonial church, surrounded by gently terraced fields. It is a stopover for many tourists traveling from Cusco to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Believed by the ancients to be the birthplace of the rainbow, Chinchero nowadays produces a full palette of hand-dyed fibers, woven into designs that have been passed down through generations.
For more than 30 years, Nilda Callañaupa has made it her mission to revitalize the area’s rich textile tradition. Today, she heads the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC), a nonprofit organization that provides a modest but dependable income for close to 700 weavers in 10 communities. A recipient of IAF grants for two multi-year periods, CTTC has spurred an outpouring of creativity and helped raise the quality of local textiles to new levels. From Andean hats and ponchos to table runners and shawls, cusqueño weavings are still produced on backstrap or four-stake looms, in a complex, labor-intensive process that dates to pre-Inca times. Most CTTC textiles feature the design on both sides, and they incorporate iconography and patterns distinctive to each community. All are made from natural fibers—alpaca, llama or sheep—and use natural dyes made from insects, seeds, flowers, leaves, roots or minerals. “I have learned that each and every piece of cloth embodies the spirit, skill, and personal history of an individual weaver,” Callañaupa wrote in her book Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands: Dreaming Patterns, Weaving Memories. “Weaving is a living art, an expression of culture, geography, and history. It ties together with an endless thread the emotional life of my people.”
It also presents practical challenges. The economics of producing handwoven textiles from handspun fiber are “formidable,” said Ann P. Rowe, research associate of Western Hemisphere textiles at The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. “Outsiders are not usually willing to pay what the amount of labor involved is worth, in part because they simply cannot comprehend the enormous amount of time that the handwork takes,” she said. “There is a reason that the industrial revolution began with textile technology.” According to Rowe, who first met Callañaupa in 1990 when she gave a demonstration at the museum, individuals attempting to market indigenous textiles may not themselves fully understand the economics of the effort that goes into them or the value of preserving an aesthetic. “CTTC stands out as an organization actually run by an indigenous weaver who knows perfectly well about the labor involved but who also really cares about the quality of the work,” she said.
Born in 1960, Nilda Callañaupa started spinning wool at age 6 and within a year was weaving alongside her mother, Guadalupe Álvarez, now in her mid-80s, who had learned the craft from her own mother, the renowned artisan Cipriana Valenzuela. But for Nilda’s age group, it was no longer a given that such skills would be passed on. Elders were still weaving, but for most young people this was no way to make a living. Meanwhile, the use of synthetic fibers and dyes was undermining the quality of locally produced textiles. Callañaupa, a university graduate who had some background in business, put together an informal cooperative with the goal of reintroducing and documenting traditional textile designs and uses, expanding the community of weavers and reviving a high level of quality. The explosion of tourism to Machu Picchu and Cusco brought buyers for the kind of painstakingly handmade textiles her ancestors had produced. Over the years, the cooperative became well-known in Cusco and beyond, garnering support from anthropologists, collectors, foundations and nonprofit organizations. CTTC was formally created in 1996 with help from the Boston-based Cultural Survival.
The IAF began to work with CTTC in 2004; the second of its two grants was amended with additional funds in 2011. “We were convinced that CTTC could, working with the communities, revitalize weaving as a viable economic activity. And they’ve been able to do it,” said Wilbur Wright, who recently retired from the IAF as its regional director for South America and the Caribbean. Wright had been impressed by CTTC’s Cusco staff, which includes several young professionals, and by the enthusiasm for weaving that he had witnessed in the participating communities, along with a steady improvement in the quality and variety of their output. Because weaving is an activity that requires many steps, from shearing to marketing, it can involve different members of the family and yield income without selling a farm animal. “It’s a source that complements the economics of the household,” Callañaupa explained. The income a CTTC weaver can earn might not seem like much—between $3 and $13 day—but it makes a huge difference in the life of the artisan, she said, and the weavers are able to stay on their communal lands, with their families, speak their indigenous language and maintain their cultural traditions.
CTTC has worked for several years in nine Quechua-speaking communities: Accha Alta, Acopia, Chahuaytire, Chinchero, Chumbivilcas, Mahuaypampa, Patabamba, Pitumarca and Santa Cruz de Sallac. Recently it added another, Huacatinco, a remote village with a strong knitting tradition. Most, but not all, of CTTC’s weavers are women. Although they work with traditional designs, they make artistic decisions related to color, style and technique. Every piece carries a tag with the weaver’s photo, name, age and community. Each CTTC community has an autonomous entity, similar to a weavers’ guild, with its own elected board. Communities set their own standards for quality and prices, establishing different categories and devising formulas to determine how much the weaver will be paid per square centimeter produced. CTTC buys a minimum number of pieces from each community every month, then works to sell the items.
The economic model is clearly not perfect. From a supply and demand perspective, Wright said, one complication is the commitment CTTC has made to the weavers: “Improve your quality, do good work, and we’ll buy and sell your product.” When the economy is weak and sales drop, inventory increases. Although CTTC sold some 19,000 items last year, it still has a few thousand pieces stored—and, per its commitments, it continues to buy more stock every month. In recent years, CTTC has sought to broaden its appeal to contemporary consumers by adding such products as placemats, cushion covers and handbags of all sizes. The balancing act, according to Callañaupa, is to adapt to the marketplace without altering the organization’s central aim. “We have to be very careful. Otherwise we could lose our plan, which is to keep traditional textiles alive,” she said.
Retail prices vary considerably; a woven bag may cost between $20 and $100, depending on its size, quality and complexity. A large piece, such as a bedspread, could sell for more than $1,000.
A constant goal is to get as much money as possible into the hands of the weavers while keeping up with taxes and expenses and handling competition. One source of competition is old textiles that can still be found for sale in the area; another is new pieces made by non-CTTC weavers. With overstock already a problem, CTTC cannot enter into commitments with every community in the area, and some have started their own ventures. While the entry of more weavers into the market means more people can benefit, it also puts downward pressure on the price of all textiles. As CTTC must make good on agreements entered into with weavers, it can’t lower its prices. That means its solvency depends on buyers who recognize top quality and are willing to pay for it.
One client impressed with the consistent high quality is Annie Hurlbut, chief executive officer of Peruvian Connection
. In the last five years, the U.S.-based retail chain has carried several CTTC items, mostly cushion covers and bags of various sizes, in its stores and catalogs. Hurlbut, who has been collecting antique textiles from the Andes for more than 30 years, said the older pieces have a finer feel—which she attributes to different spinning techniques—but that CTTC produces a very comparable look. “The skill level required for Andean textiles is just amazing,” she said, noting that the region’s characteristic “warp-faced” style, in which the pattern emerges from the lengthwise threads, requires expertise and meticulous planning. Hurlbut calls CTTC “an amazing feat of organization and love and skill.”
CTTC sells through a number of other U.S. venues, including museum shops and the annual Santa Fe International Folk Art Market in New Mexico. But most buyers are tourists who visit the Cusco headquarters or one of the communities and observe the artisans at work, dressed in the costumes distinctive to their villages. “For us, the local market is much more profitable and easier to manage,” Callañaupa said. CTTC regularly schedules weaving classes and demonstrations, and offers room and board on site for groups of village artisans who rotate through headquarters for a week at a time. Each community also has its own center, with the largest in Chinchero.
CTTC items are also sold in retail outlets in Cusco and are displayed in several local hotels as a way of publicizing the center. CTTC’s Web site, www.textilescusco.org, features some items for sale, but a full catalog is not practicable because most pieces are one-of-a-kind. Placemats are an exception, as each set is cut from a single large weaving. According to Elizabeth Catunta, who manages the CTTC’s educational efforts and its inventory, in the eight years since she started working at the center in Cusco, she’s seen the development of a greater public appreciation for weaving. More education is needed, she added, so that more people recognize its value and gravitate to high quality, not just low prices. If tourism is the center’s lifeline, it can also have a downside. Plans are underway to build an international airport just outside Chinchero, which would benefit the local economy but could permanently and negatively alter the communal way of life and its tradition of respect for Mother Earth.
Callañaupa dreams about someday building a major museum in Cusco to showcase the richness of textiles from the region and beyond, but even she questions the feasibility of such an enormous project. Meanwhile, she participates in museum exhibitions, lectures on weaving and is working on a series of books to document the designs of each CTTC community. In 2010, with IAF assistance, CTTC hosted a conference that brought together 400 weavers from nine countries in the Americas to compare experiences and talk about issues such as quality and marketing. As the person who started all this because of her love for her craft, Callañaupa regrets that her many responsibilities limit her time at a loom. “It’s what I miss now, that I don’t have much time to weave.”
Janelle Conaway is a freelance writer, editor and translator based in New Mexico.


It’s that time again for the start of our 2022 concert season. Rehearsals have begun. We are still looking for some awesome musicians that would like to join the band and have some fun.
All are welcome to join the band. We have ages 12-retiree. You must have your own instrument, music stand and access to the internet and Google Drive is a plus.
We are currently in most need of low brass including trombones, baritones/euphoniums, French/Eb horns. There are also openings in all other sections as well. Baritone Sax and Bassoon especially. Only sections we are not in need of help are currently trumpet and percussion.
Rehearsals are scattered through June and you can find the schedule on our events page. After July 4th our rehearsals are weekly in preparation of our official concert season.
For more information please contact us via email using the contact form or message the director Melissa Zimmerman at firstname.lastname@example.org 443-708-6062.
You can still follow our latest happenings at https://facebook.com/benfieldpops


“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)
The Resurrection holiday commemorates the most unparalleled and powerful intervention ever in life. Just the thought brings to my mind so many things to be thankful for. Among them, I appreciate most the opportunity to have a relationship with my Savior. Words always seem to fail me here…when it comes to expressing how I feel, they just don’t cut it. But if I could sum up my experience w/Him in a few words, it would look like this: Where I’ve overcrowded the canvas of my life with the illegible scribbles and scratches of my sin, God washed it clean with the shedding of His precious blood. Then as I surrendered my slate to Him, He began to unlock His will for my life in the form of a beautiful masterpiece. Even as His work of art has already been completed, He promised to ALWAYS be with me. Uninterrupted connection…unlimited access. That’s what His blood did for me. His amazing-ness is mind-blowing ß And that’s an understatement. I don’t just love God…I love the WAY He loved and continues to love me. He took my place, conquered death and forever closed the gap between us…No greater LOVE, indeed. #humbled
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Phil Schaap, who explored the intricacy and history of jazz in radio programs that he hosted, Grammy-winning liner notes that he wrote, music series that he programmed and classes that he taught, died on Tuesday in Manhattan. He was 70.
His partner of 17 years, Susan Shaffer, said the cause was cancer, which he had had for four years.
Mr. Schaap was host of an assortment of jazz radio programs over the years, but he was perhaps best known as a fixture on WKCR-FM, the student-run radio station of Columbia University, where his delightfully (some would say infuriatingly) obsessive daily program about the saxophonist Charlie Parker, “Bird Flight,” was an anchor of the morning schedule for decades.
On that show, he would parse Parker recordings and minutiae endlessly. In a 2008 article about Mr. Schaap in The New Yorker, David Remnick described one such discourse in detail, relating Mr. Schaap’s aside about the Parker track “Okiedoke,” which veered into a tangent about the pronunciation and meaning of the title and its possible relation to Hopalong Cassidy movies.
“Perhaps it was at this point,” Mr. Remnick wrote, “that listeners all over the metropolitan area, what few remained, either shut off their radios, grew weirdly fascinated, or called an ambulance on Schaap’s behalf.”
But if jazz was an obsession for Mr. Schaap, it was one built on knowledge. Since childhood he had absorbed everything there was to know about Parker and countless other jazz players, singers, records and subgenres. He won three Grammys for album liner notes — for a Charlie Parker boxed set, not surprisingly (“Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve,” 1989), but also for “The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve, 1945-1959” (1993) and “Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings” (1996).
He did more than write and talk about jazz; he also knew his way around a studio and was especially adept at unearthing and remastering the works of jazz greats of the past. He shared the best historical album Grammy as a producer on the Holiday and Davis-Evans recordings, as well as on “Louis Armstrong: The Complete Hot Five & Hot Seven Recordings” (2000).
Over the years he imparted his vast knowledge of jazz to countless students, teaching courses at Columbia, Princeton, the Manhattan School of Music, the Juilliard School, Rutgers University, Jazz at Lincoln Center and elsewhere.
“They say I’m a history teacher,” he said in a video interview for the National Endowment for the Arts, which this year named him a Jazz Master, the country’s highest official honor for a living jazz figure, but he viewed his role differently.
“I teach listening,” he said.
He had what one newspaper article called “a flypaper memory” for jazz history, so much so that musicians would sometimes rely on him to fill in their own spotty memories about play dates and such.
“He knows more about us than we know about ourselves,” the great drummer Max Roach told The New York Times in 2001.
Mr. Remnick put it simply in the New Yorker article.
“In the capital of jazz,” he wrote, “he is its most passionate and voluble fan.”
Philip Van Noorden Schaap was born on April 8, 1951, in Queens.
His mother, Marjorie Wood Schaap, was a librarian and a classically trained pianist, and his father, Walter, was a jazz scholar and vice president of a company that made educational filmstrips.
He grew up in the Hollis section of Queens, which had become a magnet for jazz musicians. The trumpeter Roy Eldridge lived nearby. He would see the saxophonist Budd Johnson every day at the bus stop.
“Everywhere you turned, it seemed, there was a giant walking down the street,” Mr. Schaap told Newsday in 1995.
By 6 he was collecting records. Jo Jones, who had been the drummer for Count Basie’s big band for many years, would sometimes babysit for him; they’d play records and Mr. Jones would elaborate on what they were hearing.
Seeing the 1959 movie “The Gene Krupa Story,” about the famed jazz drummer, fueled his interest even more, and by the time he was at Jamaica High School in Queens he was talking jazz to classmates constantly.
“As much as they gave me a hard time and isolated me as a weirdo,” he told Newsday, “they knew what I was talking about. My peers may have laughed at me, but they knew who Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong were.”
In 1970, as a freshman at Columbia, where he was a history major, Mr. Schaap became a D.J. at WKCR and set about on a lifelong mission to keep the genre’s past alive.
“One thing I wanted to impart,” he told the radio program “Jazz Night in America” this year, “was that the music hadn’t started with John Coltrane.”
He graduated from Columbia in 1974, but he was still broadcasting on WKCR half a century later. He started “Bird Flight” in 1981 and — as the “Jazz Night in America” host, the bassist Christian McBride, noted during the recent episode devoted to Mr. Schaap — he kept the show going for some 40 years, longer than Parker, who died at 34, was alive. He also hosted an assortment of other jazz programs at WKCR and other stations over the years, including WNYC in New York and WBGO in Newark, N.J.
In 1973 he started programming jazz at the West End, a bar near Columbia, and he continued to do so into the 1990s. He particularly liked to bring in older musicians from the swing era, providing them — as he put it in a 2017 interview with The West Side Spirit — “with a nice last chapter of their lives.”
In the “Jazz Night in America” interview, he said the West End series was among his proudest accomplishments.
“A lot of them were not even performing anymore,” he said of the saxophonist Earle Warren, the trombonist Dicky Wells and the many other musicians he put onstage there.
“They were my friends,” he added. “They were my teachers. They were geniuses.”
Mr. Schaap, who lived in Queens and Manhattan, also did a bit of managing — including of the Countsmen, a group whose members included Mr. Wells and Mr. Warren — and curated Jazz at Lincoln Center for a time.
As an educator, broadcaster and archivist, he could zero in on details that would escape a casual listener. He’d compare Armstrong and Holiday recordings to show how Armstrong influenced Holiday’s vocal style. He’d demand that students be able to hear the difference between a solo by Armstrong solo and one by the cornetist Bix Beiderbecke.
Mr. Schaap’s marriage to Ellen LaFurn in 1997 was brief. Ms. Shaffer survives him.
His National Endowment for the Arts honor this year was the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy, presented to “an individual who has made major contributions to the appreciation, knowledge and advancement of the American jazz art form.”
In a 1984 interview with The Times, Mr. Schaap spoke of his motivation for his radio shows and other efforts to spread the gospel of jazz.
“I was a public-school music student for 12 years and never heard the name Duke Ellington,” he said. “Now I can correct such wrongs. I can be a Johnny Appleseed through the transmitter.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nytimes.com


Artist Michael Richards, who lost his life in the World Trade Center terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, had a special connection to South Florida.
It was where he debuted his largest solo exhibition at the now-defunct Ambrosino Gallery, just across the street from the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA). It’s fitting then that MOCA, at 770 NE 125th St., is the site of a new exhibit featuring the late artist's artwork.
“This is a homecoming of sorts,” says Alex Fialho, co-curator of the exhibit. “This is a major opportunity to see all of the work that Michael created in his lifetime in one exhibition, including at least four newly conserved large-scale sculptures.”
The exhibit, available through Oct. 10, will mark the first time that many of Richards’ pieces will be on display since his untimely passing. The museum has planned free online programming as well, including children’s events, conversations with the curators, and virtual tours.
“Michael Richards: Are You Down?” (named after one of his pieces) was a labor of love for its co-curators, Fialho and Melissa Levin, who discovered the artist after writing an essay about him for an unrelated project.
“It piqued our interest … so, at the end of 2015, we embarked on a journey of trying to curate an exhibition dedicated to his work,” Levin says.
Their research included speaking with those who knew him best.
“Every conversation was a revelation,” she says. “Some were lighter than others, and some were really emotional. As you can imagine, for some people, it really was the first time that they were opening up about Michael since his passing.”
Eventually their efforts led them to Dawn Dale, Richards’ cousin and the steward of his estate. There, in her garage, they discovered a treasure trove of items, some of which had never been on display.
“It turned out that Dawn had been holding on to unopened boxes containing Michael’s artwork and other ephemera since his passing in 2001,” Levin says.
Their visit caught Dale by surprise: “It was unexpected, but it was nice that somebody cared about him and his art.”
Though she admits that she’d had a limited interest in her cousin’s artwork while he was alive, she has become the standard-bearer for his legacy after his death.
Richards was an artist-in-residence at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Center in the Twin Towers, working on one of his projects when the planes hit.
Dale said she’d had no idea that he was there, thinking he was in Harlem instead. “I was devastated,” she says.
Dale pushed through her grief and immediately went to work retrieving his artwork and gathered them in a centralized location. When one of his sculptures was in danger of being thrown away, she says she sprang into action and saved it.
“That’s my favorite,” Dale says. “That’s the one with the planes flying into him.
“You look at it and you see Michael.”
Entitled “Tar Baby vs St. Sebastian,” the piece is particularly poignant, especially when viewed through the lens of the Sept. 11 attacks. The life-sized likeness of Richards depicts a uniformed Tuskegee airman impaled by miniature US P-51 Mustang planes.
“I think that is one of the most important contemporary artworks of the last 50 years, ” says Dennis Scholl, president and chief executive officer of Oolite Arts.
The Miami Beach-based organization, which offers a $75,000 annual award in his name, produced the film “Are You Down?” to be shown at the exhibit.
Oolite’s relationship with Richards dates back to 1997, when he started there as an artist-in-residence. He produced the “Tar Baby” piece at Oolite Arts, as part of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts program.
Scholl says the sculpture is just one example of how Richards’ artwork has sparked conversations on topics that continue to affect us today.
“Michael was so far ahead [of his time] and so dialed in to the kinds of issues that now we are all talking about,” he says.
While exploring the effects of social inequity and racial injustice is paramount, the curators also hope that the exhibit is seen as an opportunity to learn more about the artist.
“We want people to know who he was, and we want people to know about his incredible body of work,” Levin says.
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit source of theater, dance, visual arts, music and performing arts news.


From the moment a couple makes an enquiry with me, that’s when it all begins. It’s wonderful to share in the journey leading up to that Big Day, and I feel so delighted to be able to do that with every couple. I have met so many different people, from so many backgrounds and cultures, and that is the part of my job I enjoy the most.
I never know who is going to turn up on my doorstep at that very first meeting, but I love inviting each couple into my home and listening to their life journey, and of course hearing the story of their romance!
I am a vibrant, thoughtful, professional and experienced Celebrant. With a background in Drama teaching, and having married over 200 couples, I will bring a mixture of warmth, sincerity, clarity, dramatic flair and, of course, a splash of fun, to your marriage ceremony. I myself am married, with three beautiful sons, so I understand the importance of your special day; I will ensure that your ceremony is meaningful, unique, and not in any way "run-of-the-mill".
I’ll meet with you to chat about your ceremony, I’ll take care of all of the paperwork, and on the day I’ll guide you through the ceremony, so that you can relax and enjoy every moment of your wedding day. I’ll ensure that both you and your guests have lasting, beautiful memories of a wonderful ceremony.
To stand beside two people who are sealing their bond; to feel the connection; to see the delight and support from family and friends; to draw the guests into the moment…I just love it.


The Palace Theatre announced it received a $15,000 donation from MembersFirst Credit Union of N.H. located in Manchester, NH toward its Second Century Campaign designed to fund its capital campaign. The fund will be used for much needed theatre improvements and safety upgrades.
“The Palace Theatre is grateful for the generosity of MembersFirst Credit Union, a consistent, long-time supporter of the Palace Theatre. MembersFirst Credit Union’s commitment assists the Palace Theatre Trust in maintaining a community-oriented center for the exploration and presentation of theatre, music, and dance,” stated Peter Ramsey, Palace Theatre President.
In a dedication ceremony held on April 4, a plaque commemorating MembersFirst Credit Union’s donation was attached to the left alcove of the theatre.
Built in 1914, the Palace Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Palace Theatre is a nonprofit performing arts center that hosts its own professional company, youth and teen program and presenting acts. It is committed to achieving its mission through preserving the historic facilities of the theatre, responding creatively to the cultural and entertainment needs of the community and governing in a fiscally responsible and strategic manner.
Posted by Super Administrator on 04/10 at 11:55 AM


I love listening to music while I work, and free music is awesome. NPR has a series of full live concerts that you can listen to online or download for free from their series All Songs Considered podcast
These are great, because you can just push play and have an hour or two of great music to work to. You can also download the MP3's from their podcast (link).
My favorites include:
They also have the complete lineup of festivals like SXSW and the Newport Folk Festival for download, so you can re-live the experience there. I find googling an artist with NPR to see what they have for that artist. For example, if i wanted to find a couple Bon Iver concerts they have, I'd just google "NPR Bon Iver"
Happy Listening! let me know which ones you enjoy


12" x 12" Acrylic on Canvas
Entry #2 for Square Foot 2009 at the AWOL Gallery. Since I was informed that a lot of artists take the annual Square Foot Show as an opportunity to try something different from their usual style, I decided to enter some pieces that are a little more "relaxed" and abstract.I almost always find myself instinctively painting the image of a graceful willow whenever I feel like painting trees. Often found growing near water and long associated with magic and the underworld in many legends such as that of the Greek goddess Hecate of witchcraft, the tree is veiled with the mysteries of stories long told. Once they were believed to be able to uproot themselves and follow travellers. Some cultures believed they housed kind forest spirits who offered guidance. On a scientific note, the willow also has medicinal properties and were used by the ancient Greeks and Native Americans for common ailments and fevers.


10pcs Legend of Zelda Makeup Brush Set
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Purchased a set of LoZ. And Pokemon (eevolutions) brush sets as a gift for my fiancee and they are so detailed and nice that she can't bring herself to actually use them, instead she decided to have me make a display stand for them! And as a bonus gift we were sent a set of fantasy weapon brushes (half D&D half LOTR) which just so happen to be another of her favorite things. The quality is outstanding, each brush came individually wrapped and each set was in a cute felt bag , the order was prompt really we could not be happier with the purchase. Absolutely 5 stars.


Finding the perfect interior design style can be a delightful journey of discovery. Amidst the plethora of styles out there, there's one (or a blend of a few) that resonates with your personal tastes and lifestyle. This guide offers a roadmap to understanding and selecting a style that you'll cherish and feel at home with.
Self-Assessment: Start with You
Begin with introspection. What colors, textures, or objects resonate with you? Think about places you've visited, homes you've admired, or moments in nature you cherish. Your style should resonate with your personality, creating a space that feels authentic to you.
Understand the Basics
Get acquainted with different styles. From minimalist and bohemian to mid-century modern and coastal, understanding the key elements of each will help you gravitate towards what appeals to you.
Evaluate Your Space
The architectural elements of your home can hint at a particular style. For instance, exposed beams might lend themselves to a rustic or industrial style, while large windows overlooking greenery might complement a Scandinavian design.
Functional Needs Come First
Your living space must be practical. If you have young children or pets, a luxurious, delicate, and high-maintenance decor might not be the best choice. Functionality should guide your style decisions.
Be Mindful of Your Budget
While you might adore the opulent features of the Art Deco style, your budget might not align. It's crucial to choose a style that doesn't break the bank. Remember, with creativity and the right resources, any style can be achieved on a budget.
Platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and interior design magazines are treasure troves of inspiration. Create mood boards, save images, and note what elements you're drawn to.
Consult an Expert
If you're struggling to pin down a style, consider consulting an interior designer. Their expertise can guide you, ensuring that your chosen style aligns with your space and functional needs.
Blend and Personalize
Don't feel confined to one style. Sometimes, the most captivating interiors are those that blend elements from various styles. It's your space; make it unique to you.
Trust Your Instincts
Lastly, always trust your gut feeling. If you're torn between styles, take a step back and reflect on which one makes you feel more 'at home'. That emotional connection is often the best indicator.


Lessons via Skype!
Private Lessons In-Person or via Skype across the Globe!
Do you want to walk into a gig–and own it?
Join the growing corps of drummers (now hailing from four continents) who are taking their careers “to the next level” under Daniel’s one-of-a-kind, high-intensity guidance. In every session, Daniel combines in-depth technique with broad historical overview and large amounts of inspiration and motivation. Each lesson is guaranteed to incorporate a healthy dose of drum wisdom as imparted by Freddie Gruber, Daniel’s teacher and mentor of many years.
Daniel says, “I’m a serious, passionate teacher, and my goal is to pass that enthusiasm on to my students. Regardless of the material we may be studying, I always emphasize practicalities, goal setting and creating your own vision. I’m interested in giving you the ability to walk into any gig and own it.”
Daniel is a proud member of the Vic Firth Education Team and the Professional Drum Teachers Guild (PDTG). He teaches musicians of all ages, styles, and abilities.
Career Guidance for Drummers!
Looking for some guidance in jump starting the business side of your music career? Feeling the need to adjust your attitude from hopelessness and doubt to confidence and positivity? Seeking a shot of inspiration that will motivate you to follow your dreams to the next level? Now you can tap into Daniel’s 25 years of experience in the percussion and music industry through a personal Skype consultation.


Bryan Beller has maintained a frenetic, multi-faceted career as a bassist, composer, writer and clinician for nearly twenty years. On his own, Beller released his debut rock/jazz fusion solo album View in late 2003 to widespread acclaim, earning the monthly feature in Bass Player Magazine (“…it’s a thrill to witness an artist like Beller find his voice with such a self-assured debut…”). His second album Thanks In Advance (2008), a definitive compositional statement about breaking through anger and finding gratitude, garnered even more critical praise (“…a bona fide entry for bass album of the year” – Chris Jisi, Bass Player Magazine). Beller’s first live album Wednesday Night Live – a raw, powerful, intimate document of his 2010 touring lineup playing the world-famous Baked Potato in Los Angeles – was released in 2011 on both CD and DVD. His first instructional DVD, Mastering Tone And Versatility, was released by Alfred Publishing in early 2012.
As a sideman, he’s earned a reputation as a uniquely talented yet supremely tasteful hired gun bassist for adventurous rock guitarists and singer/songwriters alike. He was Steve Vai’s choice on bass for the live CD/DVD Sound Theories – a collaboration with Holland’s renowned Metropol Orchestra – and toured worldwide with Vai throughout 2007, resulting in the 2009 live CD/DVD Where The Wild Things Are. His new band The Aristocrats (with guitar phenom Guthrie Govan and drummer Marco Minnemann) is one of the hottest new acts in rock/fusion today, with worldwide touring planned for 2012. Showing his range, Beller’s also in the live “band” Dethklok, a tongue-in-cheek extreme metal band borne of the hit Cartoon Network “Adult Swim” show Metalocalypse; work with Dethklok includes a track on The Dethalbum II and three nationwide tours (one co-headlining with Mastodon). He’s also been a musical partner of freak/genius guitarist/composer Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa) for fifteen years, eleven albums, countless tours, and millions of notes. Other sideman experience includes tours with Wayne Kramer (MC5) and Dweezil Zappa, as well as more intimate duo performances with Keneally and, more recently, his wife, Nashville-based R&B/soul singer/songwriter Kira Small, with whom he’s played house concerts and listening room venues in 33 states in just 18 months.
Beller’s work as a freelance writer includes cover stories on bass luminaries such as Justin Chancellor (Tool), Christian McBride, and Chris Wolstenholme (Muse), as well as a landmark cover feature on the state of heavy metal bass involving ten different interviews. In 2010, Beller interviewed former Governor of Arkansas and 2008 Republican Presidential candidate (and part-time bassist) Mike Huckabee for Bass Player Magazine. He has also interviewed a veritable who’s who of the modern bass world: Jonas Hellborg, Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, Lee Sklar, Neil Stubenhaus, Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Nine Inch Nails), Bill Laswell, Jimmy Haslip, Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band), Matt Garrison, Adam Nitti, Oteil Burbridge, Dave LaRue, Miroslav Vitous, Billy Sheehan, Emmy award winning television scorer W.G. “Snuffy” Walden (The West Wing), and myriad others.
As a pure player, a master class clinician (sponsored by Mike Lull Custom Basses, Gallien-Krueger amplification and D’addario Strings), a contributing editor for Bass Player Magazine, and a former Vice-President of SWR Sound Corporation, Beller brings a global perspective to the world of bass, and sits at the intersection of many of its current pathways. After thirteen years in Los Angeles, he now lives in Nashville with his wife Kira (and their cat Lucian), and continues to travel often.


The sap of the lacquer tree has been used as a material for preservation and as an aesthetic design medium in China since pre-Christian times. Archeological findings from the fifth and fourth millennia BC prove that knowledge about the protective and at the same time decorative features of the sap existed and indicate that the craft of lacquering was wide-spread and practiced in specialized workshops as far back as the Chinese Neolithic period.
The museum’s collection of Chinese lacquer art displays a representative selection of the multi-faceted range of Chinese techniques for decorating lacquer. Besides examples of lacquer painting, which is the oldest and simplest method, visitors can see exhibits that were decorated using the complex method of carved lacquer. The ornamental or representational décors on these characteristic works from the 14th to the 19th centuries were artistically cut into a structure consisting of many layers of lacquer, one on top of the other – an extremely costly and time-consuming method. Other works of the Chinese collection were created using filling and engraving techniques as well as a technique that involves inlays of mother of pearl in the lacquer.
Particularly the art of mother of pearl inlays in lacquer was further developed on the Korean peninsula and perfected over time. The objects from the museum’s collection that are richly decorated with mother of pearl bear witness to the unmistakable aesthetic and the sophisticated techniques of Korean lacquer art.
Over the centuries, the craft of lacquering has found its expression in differing varieties and variants in China and Korea and enjoys a high degree of appreciation all over the world.
Impressions from the collection


|From the Vault: Annihilation Sealed
The set contains 15 board sweepers, all of which are printed using the Magic 2015 style card frame. Each card has been printed using a foil process unique to the From the Vault series. Six of the cards feature new art. The set also includes an exclusive spindown life counter and a collector's guide.
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The Zippo range is constantly evolving showcasing designs from American Hardcore artists, traditional designs, movie legends, animals, music and the elegance of brass and chrome.
Every Zippo is guaranteed by the famous Zippo guarantee. Any genuine Zippo returned to the Zippo factory will be repaired by Zippo free of charge regardless of the age or condition of the Zippo. The finish of the Zippo, however, is not guaranteed.
Please select your Zippo purchase, payment via paypal or you may contact us by phone or email to discuss your Zippo purchasing.
We aim to have your Zippo on its way to you within 48 hours (subject to stock levels).


Unleash Your Creativity
Step into a world where beauty meets innovation. Our extensive selection of beauty accessories invites you to redefine your style and express your unique vision. From the precision of professional tools to the glamour of nail art and beyond, discover everything you need to elevate your beauty routine.
Your Ultimate Beauty Arsenal
Nail Art Essentials
Dive into endless possibilities with our nail art collection, featuring everything from vibrant polishes to dazzling rhinestones and intricate stickers. Unleash your creativity and personalize every detail to perfection.
High-Quality Tools & Decorative Extras
Enhance your beauty routine with our high-quality selection, featuring everything from precise brushes and files to our standout UV LED lamp. Complemented by creative decorative accessories like clips and foils, each product is crafted for superior performance and ease. Ideal for all beauty enthusiasts, our range supports refined elegance or bold statements, catering to every style.
Enhancements and Extensions
Elevate your appearance with our high-quality eyelashes and false nails. Crafted for comfort and impact, they offer an instant beauty boost, perfect for any occasion or mood.
A World of Color and Texture
Our accessories come in a myriad of colors, textures, and designs, enabling you to unleash your creativity and personalize your beauty routine.
Versatile Beauty Options
Our range offers a diverse selection of beauty accessories, providing you with versatile options to express your unique style. Whether you’re looking for vibrant colors, various textures, or intricate designs, our accessories empower you to explore endless beauty possibilities.
Easy to Use
Each product is designed with user-friendliness in mind, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience, whether at home or in a professional setting.
More Than Just Accessories At Wild&Mild, we believe that beauty accessories are the cornerstone of personal expression. Our carefully curated collection not only enhances your beauty routine but also invites you to experiment, innovate, and redefine what beauty means to you. Embrace the full spectrum of your creativity with tools and accessories designed to inspire. With Wild&Mild, every detail is an opportunity for beauty.


Ginger Gehres - Visual Bard
Telling stories with art lets you see with your soul. Take a look and see what my offerings say to you...
In the days of Olde, before a written language was established, a Bard was one who was charged with the essential task of passing on the stories, history and traditions of their peoples through creative forms of storytelling and music.
Honoring the traditions of my European ancestors, I've picked up the torch and am continuing the role with a little bit of a contemporary twist. I capture a piece of our world, as I see it, and let the observer interpret it in their own fashion. My works often demand closer inspection in order to understand where the narrative begins.
- "Master Scratchboard Artist" awarded in ISSA (International Society of Scratchboard Artists), March 2015.
- "Associate Member" of AWA (American Women Artists) since 2014.
- "Signature Scratchboard Artist" awarded in ISSA (International Society of Scratchboard Artists), March 2013.
- Commercial graphic artist with experience in newspaper, ad agency, television, GUI (general user interface) and web design.
- One of a multi-generational family of artists and artisans .
- Fine art studies under both National and Internationally acclaimed artists.
- Hands-on and classroom training in advertising promotion, cross-platform computer graphics, typography, web design and interior design.
- Mediums of choice: Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, acrylic, oil and scratchboard art.
- Multiple award winner and gallery placements.
- Published artist, art historian, teacher and story teller.
- Art is my physical, mental and spiritual therapy.
Life has a way of throwing all of us some curve balls. I'm no different. Challenges are what lets us know we are alive. Some days, we are more aware of that fact than others. Let's travel this road together!
-Ginger Gehres, MSA
If you like the work, please let me know. If you did not buy it, make it or ask for permission to use it, please don't copy from this site.


In celebration of libraries, and the interlibrary loan:
“We were nobodies, two young Lit students chatting away in a rickety old house in a small town at the edge of the world, a place where nothing of any significance had ever happened and presumably never would, we had barely started out on our lives and knew nothing about anything, but what we read was not nothing, it concerned matters of the utmost significance and was written by the greatest thinkers and writers in Western culture, and that was basically a miracle, all you had to do was fill in a library lending slip and you had access to what Plato, Sappho, or Aristophanes had written in the incomprehensibly distant mists of time, or Homer, Sophocles, Ovid, Lucullus, Lucretius or Dante, Vasari, da Vinci, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Cervantes or Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Lukics, Arendt, or those who wrote in the modern day, Foucault, Barthes, Levi-Strauss, Deleuze, Serres. Not to mention the millions of novels, plays, and collections of poetry which were available. All one lending slip and a few days away. We didn’t read any of these to be able to summarize the contents, as we did with the literature on the syllabus, but because they could give us something.
“What was this ‘something’? For my part, it was something being opened up.”
—Karl Ove Knausgård, My Struggle, Book 5, p. 310.


WELCOME TO LAGUNA BEACH
Nestled on the coast of Southern California, Laguna Beach is a picturesque and luxurious community known around the world for its stunning ocean views and high-end amenities. The residential homes in this area are some of the most desirable in the region, with many sprawling estates located in private, gated communities that offer residents a sense of tranquility and exclusivity. Families, professionals, celebrities, and artists alike are drawn to this idyllic town, where the sun-kissed beaches and lush greenery provide the perfect backdrop for a relaxed and refined lifestyle.
There is no shortage of attractions to enjoy in Laguna Beach, from award-winning restaurants to upscale boutiques to world-class galleries and live entertainment. With its reputation as one of the most luxurious coastal communities in the world, Laguna Beach is a fantastic place to call home.
WHAT TO LOVE
- Stunning ocean views and pristine beaches
- Luxurious residential neighborhoods in a serene atmosphere
- World-renowned shopping and dining
- Art galleries and live entertainment venues
- Beautiful outdoor spaces with picturesque trails and parks
Residents of Laguna Beach enjoy a laid-back yet sophisticated lifestyle. The town offers everything one could possibly need for entertainment and leisure, from designer boutiques and high-end restaurants to art galleries and cultural events. The atmosphere is upscale and refined, with a relaxed vibe that reflects the town's beachside location. Those who call Laguna Beach home enjoy a high quality of life, with access to top-notch amenities and a strong sense of community.
DINING, ENTERTAINMENT & SHOPPING
Laguna Beach boasts a wide variety of dining and entertainment options for residents to enjoy. The restaurant scene is exceptional, featuring a range of cuisines in impeccably designed eateries. For a quick breakfast or coffee, Zinc Cafe is a local favorite, with its charming outdoor patio and delicious menu of baked goods, sandwiches, and coffee drinks. For a more upscale dining experience, Driftwood Kitchen offers fresh seafood and Californian cuisine with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
Shopping in Laguna Beach is a world-class experience, with high-end boutiques and designer stores lining the streets. The town is particularly well-known for its art galleries, which showcase a wide range of works from local and international artists. The Laguna Art Museum is a must-visit destination for art lovers, featuring exhibitions and events that celebrate the rich artistic history of the town.
THINGS TO DO
Residents of Laguna Beach can take advantage of the town's year-round sunshine by spending time outdoors. The beaches in Laguna are some of the most beautiful in the world, with crystal-clear waters and soft sandy shores. The town is also home to numerous parks and nature preserves, where residents can hike, bike, and explore the natural beauty of the region.
For those interested in the arts, Laguna Beach offers a wealth of cultural activities, from live music and theater to film festivals and art walks. The town is also home to several historic landmarks, including the iconic Laguna Beach Lifeguard Tower, which has become a symbol of the town's coastal charm.
Laguna Beach is served by the Laguna Beach Unified School District, which is consistently ranked among the top districts in California. The district offers a range of public schools, including Laguna Beach High School, which is known for its rigorous academic programs and strong athletic teams. Private schools in the area include St. Catherine of Siena Parish School and Anneliese Schools, both of which offer exceptional educational opportunities for students.


Buy / Sell Pieces
INFORMATION AND POTTERY WANTED
I am constantly looking for:
1) Unpublished reference materials on J.B. Owens and the successor companies,
2) Unusual pieces of Owens Pottery,
3) Pieces that look like they might have been made by Owens but their origin cannot be determined.
I am also looking for Owens shapes made by other companies to determine the fate of the original J.B. Owens pottery molds. For example Brush Pottery purchased the older J.B. Owens Pottery factory. However, the late Mrs. Clare Barnett (daughter of George Brush) indicate only a handful of Owens molds were left in the building when her father purchased the building. Most molds were likely purchased by Owens when he bought the personnel property of the factory in 1909. The fate of the rest is unknown. Given the value of the molds, it is likely they were sold to another company.
If you are interested in Buying, Selling, or Trading J.B. Owens Pottery, please visit my contact page.