Support Our Online Community

I'm making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty and nice...oh, wait, wrong song! But I am thinking about the upcoming holidays and all the shopping that usually involves.

In an effort to stop the insanity of last minute scratching for gifts this year, I'm going to do the bulk of my shopping online. It's a great way to avoid the mad crush in the overpriced mall, but most of all, shopping with indie online artists & artisans is a great way to support our online community!

The gifts are unique, handcrafted, beautiful and many times, economical even when you include moderate shipping charges. You'll love browsing the art, photography, crafts, luxury items, specialized poetry, pet accessories, jewelry, toys and so much more.

I'll keep adding to and rerunning this resource list every so often, and in the meantime, please feel free to contribute your favorite links for cool cyber shops or blogs. And if you want to tweet this post and/or use the links for a post of your own, be my guest. {You can copy and paste the links to a Word doc or into an email to yourself for easy reference so you don't have to keep coming back here...not that I don't LOVE when you visit! LOL}

Kat Magendie is running her links simultaneously, so visit her also. If I've left off someone, let me know and I'll add ya in real quick.

Now, let the shopping begin...........

@@ Online Indie Artists/Artisans Resource List @@

http://moonwillowwhispers.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.riggscreations.org/ 

http://www.afiori.com/  http://afiori.etsy.com/ 

https://sites.google.com/site/robertomadeit/ 

http://beadedbadgelanyards.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5535950

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6641946

http://www.yeahthatsrandom.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6820529

http://www.theaccessorylady.com/

http://theaccessorylady.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.mommytyme.etsy.com/
http://www.mommytyme.org/  
http://fuzzb.com/MommyTyme  

http://ribbonsrosesandmore.com/

http://trusk4u.etsy.com/
http://trusk4u.winkelf.com/ 

http://www.artistryarts.com/shop.php?user_id=100006

http://themartinidiva.com/

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/3004962

http://michelle-colourmyworld.blogspot.com/

http://jeweledrabbit.blogspot.com/

http://twillypop.blogspot.com/
http://twillypop.etsy.com/  

http://www.pinkribbonshop.com 

http://scribblesbyglynis.blogspot.com

http://jarielyn.blogspot.com 

http://www.1000markets.com/users/gibsonwirecreations
http://www.artfire.com/users/GibsonWireCreations 

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=49783 

http://www.LittleStudioJewels.etsy.com

http://www.LittleStudioJewels.artfire.com
http://www.icraft.ca/littlestudiojewels
http://www.meglittlestudio.blogspot.com 

http://www.mairzydozy.etsy.com 

http://www.dogwalkers.net 

www.lionandsloth.com

LIST ADDITIONS:

From Kimmi (The Unbreakable Child): Shop Goodwill. You can buy/bid online from Goodwill stores around the nation, land a teasure and give back to the community all in one click HERE.

From Carrie Link: Here's another one for you, Angie. It's my cousin's website, great for those spiritual seekers: http://www.creatingquietspaces.com/

From Hilary of the awesome photographs: Gary over at the Pottery Blog has an etsy shop too at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5056727 and his blog address is http://grpottersblog3.blogspot.com/

Contributed by Kat from her blog: I just happen to have a studio full of my original oil paintings that make wonderful lifetime gifts. Also make handwritten poetry suitable for framing that is not quite as expensive as the paintings. Preview art works here:
http://www.paintingstudio.spaces.live.com/ and contact info here:
stephenrowepainter@msn.com
Thank you, and as ever be well, Stephen Craig Rowe

From jeweledrabbit: Fine Artist and Illustrator Thaneeya McArdle: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6757 , Polymer Clay Artist Pamela Fleming of The Magic Sleigh:  http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6290188 , Fine handcrafted leather purses at Valhalla Brooklyn: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5456402 , Soft Sculpture Artist, Art Accessory Rabbit Bag Maker, and Animal Activist, Annette F. Tait of Dragon House of Yuen: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5231837  

From Lady Glamis: Levenger Has the BEST Writing and Reading Stuff EVER http://levenger.com/

Sent from Twitterville: http://jillstreasures.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.jillstreasurechest.etsy.com/
http://www.hiddenridgeroad.net/

Boudreaux & Thibodaux at Tiger Stadium

Before we trot out those bad Cajun boys Boo & Thib, there's an opportunity afoot for you to win chocolate at a Season's of My Mind -- a new blogger's place HERE. All ya gotta do is leave a comment and become a follower. Good luck! Hope somebody I know wins that delicious 1-pound box of See's!

@@@

Thibodaux had 50-yard line tickets for dat #4 El-Ess-Shoe (LSU) vs. #1 Florida football game at Tiger Stadium last night. He sits down in his seat, and a man comes down and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him.

Thib quits waving his big purple and gold foam hand and Tiger Bait banner long enough to say, "'Mais, no. Dat seat be empty, yeah. Dat is, unless you one'a dem Florida fans!" He laughs at his own joke and slaps the man on the back.

"This is incredible," the man says. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for a game this big, with these mighty SEC teams playing each other, and then not use it? I mean, the tickets to this game are going for huge amounts!"

Thibodaux smiles a little sadly and says, "Oh, dat seat belong to me, yah. I was comin' wit mah wife Marie, but she done passed on. Dis is da first LSU football game we didn't came wit each udder since we got married way back a long time ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," the man says. "That's terrible. But you couldn't find anybody else -- a friend or relative or neighbor -- to take the seat and come enjoy the game with you?"

Thibodaux shakes his head sadly. Right then, the Tigers run about 80 yards for a score, and Thib goes wild with the rest of the crowd in Death Valley {nickname of Tiger Stadium} screaming and celebrating.

Then he remembers the man's question and says, "Well, I guess I coulda got me one of dem peoples to come to dis game, yeah...but dey all at da funeral!"

Photo from sportsillustrated.com

The Importance of Angles

Amazing photos below. They remind me of the importance of the narrator's perspective in poetry and prose. And besides that, they're just fun to look at.

Have you ever accidentally or on purpose captured a picture like one of these? Which is your favorite?

Friday Foibles ~~ Marital Mahem

Hope you're enjoying these little TGIF fun-starters. Ah, the human condition, with all its warts and zits, hunh?

Today's entry comes from my own shameful personal case files.

Really, I'm a low maintenance, non-diva, decidedly un-fishwiferly type spouse. Very little is required to make me happy; common courtesy and consideration, honesty and equitable arrangements. Now, is that too much to ask, I ask you?

Things that bother my married women friends -- dirty shoes in the house, long spousal working hours (or God forbid, a job that entails  lots o' travel), loud personally offensive bodily noises, bad table manners, neglectful parenting practices, refusal to share household chores, sports addictions...you get the picture. Those things flow like so much murky water under my marital bridge.

But what does bother me (or, "get my goat," as is the popular old regional saying goes), is something I've fought valiantly, but without any success, to correct lo these 25 years now......



......I mean........REALLY?.......

And what's your relationship pet peeve?

For Me & You, It's Like This...{+ a cool writerly contest}

...we love helping each other any way we can...

...we uplift each other when life get us down...

...we love nothing better than sharing a few grins and laughs...

...oh, and how we do love hanging out in Blogland together!...

...friends, connections, blog buds...whatever you call it...

it's one great big wonderful relationship!

LOVE TO ALL MY FRIENDS! :D

{And a special thanks to Patricia for emailing me the pictures!}

@@@

The contest information from friend Harvey Stanbrough (with prizes I'd love to win!):  

As many of you know, I publish a new post once a week on Wednesday to my blog. My intention is for every post to be something of importance to writers, poets, essayists, memoirists or any of the other literary genre.

Do you have a particular pet peeve or question about writing that you'd like answered? Has some writing instructor somewhere given you a "one size fits all" rule that he recommends you apply to your writing? Is there anything you're confused about, or anything about which you'd like to get the straight scoop?

Email your ideas to me at h_stanbrough@yahoo.com. If I'm able to use your suggestion to write a blog post, you will have your choice of the prizes listed below:

• 
  
  Punctuation for Writers (electronic edition)
  
• Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction
  
• Beyond the Masks (signed poetry collection)
• Free edit of up to 20 pages of your novel or other prose (must be able to send it to me via email as an attachment in Microsoft Word 2003 or earlier)
• Free critique of up to 10 pages of poetry (must be able to send it to me via email as an attachment in Microsoft Word 2003 or earlier)

Happy writing!

Harvey

And the Envelope Please...

Thanks to the almost 100 of you who entered the Book Title contest! I couldn't believe the amount of entries or the quality of titles to go with photographs submitted. GREAT JOB, y'all!

If you missed the original post, read it and the cool title entries here.

The hard part was choosing just two winners. I finally put the top 10 entires (written out on sticky notes) in front of me and asked myself, "Self, which books would you take from the bookstore shelf and buy just by virtue of the cover art and title?" Having the help of several extra sets of reader eyeballs helped too.

So without further ado, the winners are:

The Writer's Package -- Tere Kirkland of The Lesser Key. What a wonderful title she crafted for picture #4. It actually made me laugh. I know I'd want to buy this book and take it home to devour: "Mary J. Freed's Summer of Stupidity" - Women's Fiction.

The Cajun Goody Package -- B.J. Anderson's entry for photo #7: "Blending In: & Other Essentials for Staying Alive in High School" - Young Adult. B.J.'s book does sound like essential school equipment!

{***I'll need your mailing addresses ladies!}

And the close runners-up were:

Mandy at Mandy's Life After 30 for photo #3 - "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It: A Healthy Guide To Cajun Marriage" - Non-fiction/Self-help.

Regina Green at Red Bird Chronicles (a wonderful poet herself) for #9 - "the color of north" - Poetry.

Sandra Leigh's "Touching Gauguin" - Romance - from photo #1.

Chromiumman for #8 - "Turn, Turn, Turn: My Summer as a Carnie" -Autobiography.


@@@


I'll be running another fun contest soon, and in the meantime, don't forget to continue leaving links to your favorite online indie artists/artisan's "shops" so I can compile them into Shoppers' Resource Guide for the holidays. Thanks!

Southern Fried Chicken (+ Side Dishes)

Image from RegrettableMusic.com (LOL)

Good morning all you foodies and food lovers! I learned something new today in researching Colonel Sanders for an image: the most famous fast food chicken man also recorded an album titled Tijuana Picnic. Who knew?

Today's Tasty Tuesday recipe is a Southern favorite -- friiiiiiiied chicken. {Yes, you have to say it that way with the long "i" all drawn out. It helps the taste buds start sweating in anticipation.}

I realized the other day I hadn't fried anything in over a year, so it was high time I got out the big pot and Canola oil and got to work. I'm posting some pics of the golden delicious results, and a few of the side dishes I served with the chicken. Ca c'est bon! Hope you enjoy:

Southern Fried Chicken

8 large chicken thighs

4 eggs (beaten) in small bowl

6 cups flour in larger bowl

Seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, Tony's or cayenne pepper, lots of garlic powder)

Canola oil

Season both sides of chicken. Coat well in egg, then dredge thoroughly through seasoned flour while oil heats on medium high temperature in large frying pan. (Use one that has a cover. This makes outside crispy and inside tender.)

Fry with lid on for about 10 minutes on each side. If chicken seems to be cooking too quickly, turn the heat down. Cut to bone and make sure no red appears. Cook until golden brown.

Drain chicken at a slant on paper towel. Serve, eat, watch the smiles appear. Yum!

Broccoli & Cheese

1 Bag frozen cut broccoli

2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt & pepper

Boil broccoli according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. Season, mix and add cheese. Put lid back on pot until ready to serve.

Sensation Salad

Romaine lettuce (wash and chopped)

Baby greens

**Fresh garden tomatoes

  1 Can black olives (sliced)

  1 Jar marinated artichoke hearts (chopped)

Sensation Salad Dressing

8 oz. Grated Peccorinno Romano cheese

1/2 Cup Parmessan cheese

1 Cup Olive oil

1 Cup Canola oil

3 lemons (juiced)

4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

6 cloves garlic (minced)

salt & pepper

Mix ingredients together and pour into a jar or recycled dressing bottle using a large funnel. Mmmmmmm!

[**Non-traditional additions.]

Ho-Ho-Ho and Holy Guacamole!

What's up with me rushing the holiday season by doing a Santa shout-out and posting an elfin photo of my parents I made a few years ago on Jibjab, you ask? (Aren't they precious?)

Well, I want to do some Christmas shopping this year from online folks...support the arts and artisans, ya know? And since I've been known to go to hardware stores on Christmas Eve to do a last minute gift-grab, I thought I'd do it a better, more efficient way for a change. (Hey, don't laugh; hardware stores NEVER have crowds and they carry such nifty items for everyone on your list!)

Here's where you come in. If you have friends, family or bloggy pals who sell artsy items, I'd be ever so grateful if you'd leave me a link or info. in a comment! Kathryn Magendie is also looking around for online sellers, so hope over to her blog and give her the 411 too, if you would. Thanks in advance!

If I get enough resource links, I'll compile them and post them in a few days so you can help support our online community too.

@@@

Now, for the holy guacamole part: I've got close to one hundred (100) entries in the book title contest, and couldn't be happier! I'll be hosting this contest again real soon as it was the most popular post ever!

So, all you kind contestants and those of you who are just waiting with bated breath to find out the winners (yeah, I'm picking two -- one for the Cajun goodie package and one for the writer's delight package), you'll have to hang on til Wednesday to get the news. Sorry, but there are just too many great entries to go through. I've already got them divided up into different levels, but I want to read them a few more times.

The book title suggestions corresponding to the photos are REALLY fun to read, so if you have time in your blog hopping today, take a gander at all these interesting titles HERE!

Back tomorrow with a new Tuesday Recipe. Hope you had a fantabulous weekend, and everything is going smooth as buttuh in your world.

*Graphic from Triple F tees.

Politically Incorrect - Blonde Emergency

Before we unfurl the Sunday Funnies, don't forget that the Book Title contest ends at midnight tonight, Central Time. There's already @ 70 entries, but don't let that dampen your enthusiasm if you wanna give it a whirl. Even if you're not entering, it's fun and interesting to read the entries so far! If you DO wanna throw your title suggestion into the ring, see the original post, rules and prizes HERE. And bon chance (good luck), y'all!

@@@

Seems as how those crazy Cajuns Boudreaux and Thibodaux had a bit too good a time last night at the LSU vs. Georgia game, shouting them on to a last minute victory. Da boys is a bit too under da weather today to spread some Boo & Thib humor.

Not to worry; there are always politically incorrect jokes in abundance! Here's one featuring a woman of the blonde persuasion. Enjoy.

@@@

A blonde has a flat tire on the interstate, so she eases her car over to the road's shoulder, then carefully gets out of her car and opens the trunk. She takes out two cardboard men, unfolds them, and stands them at the rear of her car facing oncoming traffic.

They look so life like you wouldn't believe it! They're wearing trenchcoats and are exposing their nude bodies to the approaching drivers.

To the blonde's surprise, cars start slowing down to look at the life-like men which she thinks make it safer for her to work on the side of the road. Naturally, traffic starts to back up. Everyone is tooting their horns and waving like crazy.

It's not long before a state trooper pulls up behind her, gets out of his cruiser, and walks toward her. The blonde can tell he's not a happy camper!

"What's going on here?" he barks.

The blonde says calmly, "My car has a flat tire." 

"'Well, what the are those obscene cardboard men doing here by the road?"

The blonde can't believe he doesn't know. She tells him, "Helloooooo, those are my..............

Emergency Flashers!" 

A Very Important Autumnal Message

Ah, a certain something is in the air, or rather, it's not quite as sweltering as it normally is here in the deep south. I do believe I actually felt a slight breeze the other day too. Since LSU football is in full swing [Geaux Tigers!], that must mean it's...fall.
That being the case, and because I love you all so very much, I want to pass along an important public service announcement since my friend Jamie was kind enough to send me the info. Hopefully it will help you be prepared for the unpleasant event on the horizon, and maybe even enable you to warn your friends in advance of the catastrophe.

No use beating around the bush about it...


because it's almost here...



FULL MOON ON OCTOBER 4th~~~~~~~~~~~







fall leaf photograph by Dominic's pics

Friday Foibles ~~ Newspaper No-no

Don't be tardy for the party -- oh, wait, that's the theme song of late for the Housewives of Atlanta that has turned into an earworm which won't get out of my head!

Anywayyyyyy, thanks to friend Marion for sending this to me. Hope it helps gets your weekend started off the right way. No matter which side of the animal rights equation you count yourself, I hope you'll enjoy this installment of Friday Foibles...

...uh, yeah, and I'm gonna run out to my chip tree and pick me a bag of Doritos to go with my TGIF beverage...

Running Behind Again

Photo by JDAC

I've been AWOL from Bloggerville lately, and didn't have time to post yesterday, so you know things are crazy in my world with family stuff, getting the fall issue of Rose & Thorn ready, school meetings, house cleaning, cooking, blah blah blah. I think yesterday was the first time in a year and three weeks I've missed posting daily!

I'm remedying that today by doing some blog hopping to catch up on what's been going on with y'all. If you haven't entered the new book title contest, check out Monday's post and give it a whirl. There are some great entries already (50+ of 'em!), and they're fun to read even if you don't want to enter one of your own.

So...what's been sucking up all your free time of late?