may 14 2008
Do you know I love painted glassware?
I'm not only talking about christmas ornaments, but also about bowls, bottles, glasses, candle holders, plates and platters and even salt and pepper sets.
Many years ago I used to paint glasses myself.
It was fun to do, but it took a lot of time, because the preparation of the glass is as important as the paiting itself.
The cleaner the glass, the better the paint will stay on.
I still paint little glass bottles.
It's fun to fill them with bathsalt, herbs or gardenseeds and give them as a present.
More ideas can be found at Upside Living.
Using painted glass is a pleasure.
The playfull efects of the light shining through the glass adds luxury to each dinnertable.
Some time ago I was at a weddingdinner and we all got a different glass to take home.
I've made a shelf in front of the dinnerroom-window, like in the sixties, and I display my painted glasses there.
People love this little home-museum.
Upside Living offers 43 different designs.
I'm sure you can find one that fits your lifestyle and taste.
Or maybe you want each new glass you take a new surprise. Then you can mix the styles and designs.
Whether you like to have a single item, like a decanter, a cheese dome set, or whether you want to have a whole range of glasses and plates, Upside Living can provide what you like.
Each decor is unique.
Ofcourse they have other lovely products too: like windchimes, Italiand and Spanish Pottery, throws and pillows etc etc.
It's the best choice of luxury for you and those you love.
Upside Living, the luxury of handpainted glass
A vacation? No, an experience.
may 14 2008
We thought it would be a vacation.
So we booked some sightseeing tours, a nice little hotel, and when it was finally time we took our stuff and went.
Trusted Tours & Attractions, the travelorganisation was called.
It gave us a feeling of convidence that we would reach our goal.
Like some others from our group had Things to do in Boston, we had things to do in New York, and we were ready to win.
Right before the audition we were not feeling too well.
We were impressed by the huge building, the mass of people moving everywhere and the lack of familiar faces.
It was like the large city jumped right on us, at the very same moment when we were called in.
We wished each other well, and took our assigned places.
A tall woman with legs like sticks put the numbers on our backs, the pianist sat down, and 5 people came in.
They were going to decide whether we were good enough to dance in a choreography of a famous artist.
I was too concentrated to take much attention.
Already I moved my arms and took my body in a well controlled pliers.
While the interesting citylife of New York went on, time came to halt in that large balletstudio.
I just danced as I was told and enjoyed the wonderful sounds of the piano, echooing from the bare walls.
Only at the end I looked up.
A smiling face nodded at me, his eyebrows went up in a wordless greeting.
He was the guestdancer who had joined his group for the last 6 months.
Two hours later we sat down in a restaurant and had dinner with one of the most famous guys of the world.
He had shown us New York the way only a true New Yorker can.
We had a laugh about his comments when we were booking this "vacation". He then asked why we wanted to go to New York, because Trusted Tours & Attractions offers the best sightseeing tours in 23 cities across America, with large discounts.
All the way he had known.
Well, he didn't know what I'm going to tell you now.
When you sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter you can win a $150 itunes gift card. Just go, before May 31, 2008 to the newsletter sign-up page and sign up.
Let me know when you have won!
And don't forget to have a look around at the site.
Maybe you'll be the next one writing about a special experience in a far away city.
houses
may 13 2008
I started out looking for dollshouses and ended dreaming away at a site with Tuscany villa rentals.
Beacuse I have an MDF kit of a dollshouse, I first had a thourough look at the size of it.
My dolls and furniture are 1:12.
There was no scale at the kit of the house.
So I measured a door.
The doll was larger. Problem solved.
I need a dollshouse 1:12.
Extra alert I started to look around and found a lovely house with anex.
Perfect for my idea of a victorian house with a teaservice shop.
1:12 it said, bit the style looked like the house I have.
Measurements made it clear: it wasn't 1:12, but ptobably 1:24.
Now I can put my 1:12 dolls and furniture in boxes and start anew with 1:24, but I'm not seeing that happen at the moment, unless the big ship with money arrives.
So now I'm looking at tle lovely architecture of the Tuscany houses.
Maybe I have to design a house myself.
But who can help me with the MDF?
Life can be so easy when you don't have a hobby. LOL!
Give me your email so I can invite you to Buzzfuse.
And you can create your circle of readers too.
I vowed to go back to Brussels.
may 11 2008
It has been another beautiful day.
The girls went to wave out a friend who took a flight to Cyprus.
They love to be at the airport.We all joked that there was no need to go away, as the temperatures are about the same at the moment.
Oh, how I wish I could go somewhere cooler.
An online friend in Sweden invited me over. So sweet.
She even told me where to look for the best travelinformation: the site of DialaFlight at www.dialaflight.com.
She mailed me that I could hire a car at the airport and drive to her house without any problem.
That would be a miracle, as I don't have a driver's license.LOL!
At the site I indulged myself in phantasies about beach holidays, city breaks and spa weekends.
I suddenly remembered a business meeting I've had a long long time ago. It was at Brussels. I vowed to go back there.
Maybe now is the time.
A weekend break to Brussles would be a nice added extra for mother's day.
DialaFlight has a very nice offer for two, and I know just the perfect friend to go with me.
Do you know what I like about DialaFlight?
I can call one of the travelconsultants. They're nice and kind and have such a wonderful way of creating the best stay I can imagine.
One call enables me to book the flight, hotel and a car (my friend has a license).
What a great idea!!
Imagine me up there....
I was called by a former collegue
may 9 2008
Isn't interesting that at times the same subjects pop-up over and over again?
First I was called by a former collegue.
We used to work at a hospital, but that's half a lifetime ago.
It was nice to hear his voice.
Turned out a mutal friend mentioned a while ago that I'd adviced to refer one of his clients to a drug rehab in Malibu.
So he wanted to know which one.
We talked a bit about our children and plans to have a reunion, then it was time for him to leave for an appointment.
A few minutes later a mother called about her autistic son.
The psychiatrist finally decided to stop with Risperdal.
She was worried, because her son was having strange eye movements.
Risperdal isn't addictive, but one can say that the brain gets used to it and needs slow withdrawel to prevent withdrawel effects.
4 says (!!!) was clearly not slow enough for her son.
I was able to refer her to the clinic at the emergence hour, so her son could be checked.
I'm sure the subject of alcohol and drugwithdrawal will turn up the next days too.
More info about Buzzfuse: see under the topimage.
SocialSpark for me too?
may 6 2008
After the disastrous effects of the actions of Google against PayPerPost bloggers: lowering their PageRank to an absolute zero, and thus taking away their opportunities to earn a certain income, a new system needed to be developed.
So after the Izearanking, SocialSpark is born.
First we had to change our blogs in such a way that all links could be followed, now the system is back to what we wanted then: no-follow links.
It's what I suggested after Google took my income, and what was put aside as impossible.
Isn't life and sponsored blogging surprising?
I took the plunge and registered, welcomes in with the promise that SocialSpark wants 100% no-foloow, 100% transparancy, 100% disclosure and 100% real opinions.
I had to shut off the sound of the computer, because a spoken add with a very irritating music on the background tried to inform me how SocialSpark works and tried to imprint the name in my brain.
Well, I've set up my profile.
It's not completely finished yet, but I'll do that after submitting this post.
It's a pity I can't display all I want.
I've done three studies, to be precise, but there's only room for one.
I for myself think it's painful to have displayed that I'm a proud parent.
With 4 disabled children parenting, and the fighting I have to do on an almost daily basis, I can't consider myself a proud parent.
Call me an idealist, I'm OK. Call me a critical parent, I'm even more OK.
To me, sponsored blogging is a way to realise some extra income so I can give the children what they need and maybe realise a little or a bit larger dream along the way.
I don't think people need to know a lot about me to advertise at my blog.
It's my blog that counts.
So all the toodoo about friends is absolutely NOT necessary.
It makes me ask myself if I really need friends at SocialSpark.
How can I be a friend to someone else? Being a friend means more than a tiny avatar in my profilesection.
A friend is someone who cares for me as a person, not someone who has a certain page rank and a high clicking ability.
After all the changes that follow each other one after another, I think we need some peace and quiet to do our job: write a blog that is original, entertaining and a good place to be.
It's also reaching a diverse audience, and for the advertisers it means an audience that's willing to buy and use services.
I still think that quality posts with a few readers can have a larger impact than a post with lots of bloghoppers.
I'd rather write towaqrds that one woman, who visits her friends at coffeetime, who goes quilting in the afternoon, talks about my blog at the choir. Through her, I can reach far more people who are willing to try a product.
Am I old fashioned? Or am I right again?
We'll see.
Tomorrow I'll take a bit more time to get used to SocialSpark.
Maybe I can finally blog for something special again.
We need a new floor downstairs... I want to visit my online friends.. and I want to start new autism friendly initiatives.
I've been told that when you opt for an opportunity you have to wait a rather long time.
Well, I can't live waiting.
I like PPP, because when you take a task, you know straightaway if you can have it or not, and you can work straightaway.
With my lifestyle, I can't wait, because there's always something happening in my dynamic life.
So a dynamic lifestyle doesn't fit SocialSpark.
I've also heard that when you opt for an opportunity with a certain payment, you can receive far less.
I'm not sure if we're dealing with a legal system here.
How would the team of Izea like it when they expect they monthly paycheck and find out they can't even pay the rent, because they receive only half?
I hope that the system at least offers us, writers, a feature that enables us to see if an advertisers pays what he promises, how much chance there is to be paid less.
Some subjects need quite some research before a good post can be written.
When I'm told I can expect 10 dollar for a post, I don't like to get only half, because I put a 10 dollar effort in.
I hope bloggers are able to withdraw their posts when they find out payment is less than offered in the first place.
Well, let's see what happens.
Want to be my friend at SocialSpark?
Save on your phone cards
april 6 2008
With so many kids going the route of proper puberty, phone cards are a regular item of dispute.
We have the rule that with proper use we pay half, with improper use we pay nothing.
They all can get one card a month, because we have no normal family telephone anymore.
That's far cheaper than kids hanging on the phone all evening and dad paying the bill.
Today it was the day to renew the cards.
I don't know how we landed on the subject, but suddenly we were reviewing our options, and decided to skip the normal route of the local store, buying the cards and handing them out.
We went on internet and found Phone Cards Avenue, offering huge savings on calls over regular providers like AT&T.
They offer phone cards and calling cards for phonecalls all over the world, saving up to 80% on normal cards.
Ofcourse we had to explain a bit when we handed the cards out, but saving on calls means making far more calls for the same amount of money, and now two boys have a girl they want to call all day and night...LOL!
When I told a friend about it she said she already know this service, because her family in Indonesia uses the same phone cards for international calls.
Not only do they save a tremendous amount of money, but they often say that the sound quality of the calls is far better than they experience from normal providers.
At the site you can find a list with countries, country codes and the rate per minute. You have to add the amount of money some countries charge to make the connection, but you'll save a lot of money using the international cards of Phone Cards Avenue.
In case you have questions or in case you encounter a problem, you can always call customers service. Very friendly assistants are ready to help you out, without making you feel stupid. Life support like this is an added axtra that should be valued highly.
Buying a phonecard online is easy and fast.
The system guides you through the proces without any problem, and when I can do it, anyone can!
The trophies
may 2 2008
Another terrible morning, dealing with autism in the raw way.
Since my son is taking his meds in the evening, life is crap for all of us.
So I mailed his psych he'll take his meds in the morning again.
With a firm headache the afternoon started.
The sun, the laundry, the groceries, the vacuuming... nothing helped.
Then a little boy came at the door.
He wanted to speak with me.
With me!!!
He made me feel the queen... so lovely.
His mom had written a letter which he handed to me with a big smile.
"Please praise him into heaven for his baseball trophies,
and please don't send him home too soon.
Maybe the girls want to play with him."
I had a chuckle, seeing two limonade mugs with his name written on it.
He held them high.
"See?"
So the round stickers were supposed to be baseballs? Hmmm...
"These are your trophies?"
"Yes, my father lost. I won."
So he got some sweets, played with the girls for a couple of hours and was sent back to his mom.
Wish I could send all my kids over to her tomorrow morning! LOL!
Alcohol rehab
april 25 2008
This evening I saw an interesting program about an alcohol rehab.
They were supposed to give group therapy, but in fact it was a combination of individual and group therapy and unsupervised time.
I've worked a while at an alcohol rehab facility and I was amazed by the way these people were treated, and by the fact that there was no one at the facility to deal with the people for long times on end.
The program gave me the idea that the therapist thought himself to be more important than his client. And I certainly didn't like the game he was playing.
Making a client dependent and handing out compliments when this dependence is the center of the talk is certainly not my way of dealing with clients. Ugh!
At Cliffside Malibu they also have an alcohol rehab.
I think that should be brought on TV. I guess it won't, because they respect the privacy of their clients far too much.
They offer a program that is thought through well, based on scientific research and experience, and puts the client in the centre of attention.
Well worth to look into when you need assistance and support for any addiction.
Spring! Time to revise your labels.
april 21 2008
It's spring!
Time to leave the winter and old looks in the past and move forwards fresh and strong.
It's time to give your products a boost into the season with a new Custom Label.
There are so many new brands and products invading the market that it's important to appeal to the taste of the consumer. So adjust the look of your products to the present fashion, without changing too much of the namerecognition, without loosing the goodwill you have already built.
Label World USA can assist you in the process. Not only art and design, but also print on demand solutions are part of the service.
Label World USA has won several awards for excellent industry service and production work. They offer their services to large industries in different areas; like health, food, wine, promotion and other commercial areas.
I'm collecting magnifiers now
april 20 2008
A couple of years ago I helped a friend built her collection of magnifiers.
She's living in another country now.
She's not forgotten, but her collection was.
Untill I had a short talk with the doctor's wife last week and the subject popped up.
And since then it hasn't left my mind.
I have a magnifier beside the computer. Nothing special, just a very large one.
"But I can do with a little one", I thought yesterday.
That way I can leave my reading glasses at home.
Ofcourse I can buy those glasses with normal and reading options in one. But I don't like them at all. I need a wide field of vision without a disturbance.
A long time ago I'd seen a magnifier with a chain, so I thought it to be a good idea to look for one at one of those second hand sites.
Lucky me found a fancy one, with strass stones at the outer rim... for almost nothing.
I mailed the woman, and she didn't want to wait for higher bidders, so it's send to me.
I feel so very lucky!!
I know there are many special magnifiers.
I'm sure I'll be needing one of those table items in the future.
But right now I'm looking around for little pieces of art.
This collection fits in nicely with my fountainpen collection.
So when you have something at the attick and you're ready to throw it away. DON'T!
Give it another life.
April is autism awareness month.
This month all my earning
will go to support of autistic children and their parents.
So help me win a buzzfuse reward
and rate this article with a free click.
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you can subscribe free.
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budgeting software
april 20 2008
I've had such a strange evening.
A friend asked me for help.
She's starting at a new location of the firm and they have different budgeting software.
So I went there and looked over her shoulder, trying to find out where she and the software parted the same path and each went their own way.
It took about 20 minutes and then suddenly I saw what she overlooked.
Problem solved.
We customised her user interface, so she couldn't forget the same over and over again, we stored some historical data in the system, and we made a plan for monday and tuesday to gather the data she needs to get the most out of the program.
It was great to be concentrated and work together.
I've been watching...
april 16 2008
This evening the BBC has a very nice edition of Holby City.
They featured a boy with Asperger syndrome, and much to the delight of the boys, it was made very clear how disturbing changes of routine and missed appointments are.
One way or another this made them feel very relaxed, because all went to bed exactly on time, something which almost never happens.
I took the time to watch a program about people moving to another country and building a house there.
A couple made a huge house, with a very impressive pool.
I thought I'd seen one at the site of North Padre Island rentals, and yes, I was right.
Programs like these always make me dream.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to live like the wealthy?
The Orlando Vista hotel and the American Urological Association Annual Meeting
april 7 2008
It's time now to register and submit abstracts for the 2008 American Urological Association Annual Meeting, which will be held from 17 to 22 May in Orlando, Florida USA.
Orlando is a wonderful place, not only for a Meeting with collegues, but also the perfect place to book an extended stay at one of the American Urological Association hotels.
During the convention the Orlando Vista hotel in Lake Buena Vista is a quiet home from home, a place to relax, enjoy fitness, or swim in the outdoor heated pool.
Special services like the guest laundry and 24-hour valet service, and free coffee will enable you to be at the meetings in perfect form.
I know from my own experience how good it feels to be within a short distance of the meeting, so no time is lost.
It's important to have restaurants nearby, so it's easy to meet other scientists in another setting.
The hotel is close to Pleasure Island, House of Blues & City Walk which enables to make the best of your stay.
The Lake Buena
Vista Hotels are perfect to stay for conventions and for a family vacation.
I've heard from many scientists that they had their family arrive the last day of the convention to enjoy a great time together.
This isn't a problem, with Walt Disney World Resort® , SeaWorld®, Universal Studios®, and the Florida Mall nearby.
Don't forget to ask for the special packages and the promocodes to get a huge discount.
Enjoy your stay!!
Buzzfuse rewards toprated posts.
April is autism awareness month.
This month all my earning
will go to support of autistic children and their parents.
So help me win a buzzfuse reward
and rate this article with a free click.
To be completely sure your rating is counted
you can subscribe free.
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lazy saturday
april 5 2008
Finally, finally, finally.... I had a lazy saturday!!!
I didn't sleep in.... the kids were too bussy having fun, but I listened to the radio, untill a political program started.
Not today!
A short shower... have to keep an eye on the kids, a dive in my clothes ... have to be presentable, and I went downstairs, made some coffee and took a slice of peperkoek (I'll look up the recipe), and nested myself on the couch.
I even had ten minutes before the phone rang.
What a disturbance!
A friend called, asking if I was really sure I didn't want to come with her to a beauty salon. No way!
She's 10 years older than I and has patches of discoloration and hyperpigmentation. Every once in a while she has a treatment of skin lightening.
Well, as my skin doesn't see much sun, it doesn't lightening, so I told her to show herself of this week and enjoy herself.
With a new cup of coffee I took a look at the paper.
It has been ages ago I read the paper at the same day it reached our house.
Ofcourse the complete amount of children filled the house, ofcourse they had their arguments, ofcourse dad pushed loads of groceries in the kitchen, and ofcourse the laundry machine turned and turned and turned.
But the weather was so gray, and the sound of hail and rain kept on going, that all sounds seemed to be confined to other lifes.
After lunch a patch of sun invited the girls to visit friends, one of my sons went with his dad to town, another one went to work, one fell asleep, and I didn't care if I has them all accounted for.
I watched a movie, designed a site for a friend, and took the time to bagpipe and sing a bit.
What a life!
Some people have days like these all the time and don't value them.
Well, I do!!
So I decided not to cook and fill them all with frites and some fresh vegetables someone else has to clean and slice.
What a day!!
April is autism awareness month.
This month all my earning
will go to support of autistic children and their parents.
So help me win a buzzfuse reward
and rate this article with a free click.
To be completely sure your rating is counted
you can subscribe free.
(And unsubscribe if you feel you want to.)
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CAT 6 products
april 4 2008
These last weeks the internetconnection is like a flashing light.
It's infuriating when I have to look up things, because in the middle of the search everything stops.
So I write my entries offline and paste them in my blog, hoping the connection won't be gone before everything is uploaded.
Ofcourse I started to ask around.
First I got all sorts of interesting advise.
I needed a new modem, I'd better renew the CAT6 products, I'd better install a new keyboard, etc etc.
Some things mentioned didn't have anything to do with the internetconnection.
As everyone in the house here has the same problems I asked a neighbour.
He had the same problem.
And then my son mentioned friends at the other side of town having the same problems.
So I knew it wasn't our problem.
I couldn't complain to the provider...not by email.
But I found an emailadress from a communications manager.
The computer at the library worked perfect.
So did the mail.... even before I was home the connection was a lot better!
Yes!!!!
Trusted Tours & Attractions realising a dream
april 1 2008
We were looking for family vacation ideas, but when the children wanted to go on camp, we decided to go on vacation with Trusted Tours & Attractions.
They have so many trips to interesting cities on their site.
We looked for things to do in New York and decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About a week before our depart we saw a wonderful movie on TV about Gerti Bierenbroodspot, a Dutch painter who's able to express the magic of the dessert in her paintings if ancient buildings.
She is famous for her paintings of the wonderful city of Petra. The way she uses colours and light is almost as impressive as Rembrandt.
Well, I think she's better.
So when the program ended I sighed and said that I would love to meet her.
Ofcourse this was forgotten when we strolled the New York streets.
We were on our way to the Metropolitan and wanted something to eat before going there.
It was a small shop where we found a place to sit and enjoy the passing people.
Suddenly I heard just a little bit of our national accent and something familiar in the voice.
Without thinking I turned and got a broad smile from a woman.
"You're Dutch too?", she said.
For hours we sat talking about art and life, untill it was too late to go to the Metropolitan.
We went the next day, with a mysterious smile on her face.
She was waiting for us, and showed us art only the way real artists do.
I'm sure you want to have an encounter like this too.
Well, maybe there's a surprise hidden in your next vacation.
Don't hesitate to go to the site of Trusted Tours & Attractions.
Last month they had an interesting contest: one of those who signed up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter won an IPOD Nano! It ended march 31.
But soon a new contest will follow.
So go to the newsletter sign-up page and subscribe too.
Your dreams might come true during a trip to one of the interesting cities.
There's nothing wrong about preparing well for a vacation and dream about it, like me.
medical ID jewelry
march 26 2008
For Margreth who asked me about Medical ID bracelets, pendants and such.
Your URL isn't connecting, so I'll post the information here.
You can find medical id jewelry at Jewel Elegance.
There are bracelets available in gold and other materials, like silver and stainless steel. But also pendants, watches, moneyclips,plates, etc.
For a child I'd probably choose an item with a red printed logo on it, so it attracts attention.
All medical ID jewelry is on sale at the moment, with free shipping on items over $75.
You can choose to engrave the item, so when it arrives it can be used immediately.
I've looked around at the site amd I've found some wonderful other jewelry. Lovely celtic items for instance.
When you need to know more, please contact me with the right url.
Greetings!
Work Boots
One of my sons has a good job. But the work is hard.
I told him he needed good work boots, but untill today he refused to buy them.
"So what happened today", you might ask.
One of his coworkers dropped some very heavy items on his feet and broke three toes.
Ofcourse I didn't say anything.
I'm not the kind of "I told you that" kind of mother.
I just sat down and waited.
After about half an hour he asked me where he could buy work boots.
"But they have to look good."
Well, I only know a place where they look better and best: Work Boots USA.
For those who don't know the site:
Work Boots USA sells boots and high shoes to protect your feet.
Brands like CAT, Converse Duty Footwear, Corcoran,Belleville Boots, Matterhorn Footwear, Bates Boots, Rocky Footwear, Magnum Hi-Tech Footwear and Wolverine Footwear are all available.
The site is easy to navigate. You can shop by brand, by stylem or you can have a look at the latest additions, the best sellers, featured brands or you can choose to sorf only the hot items.
There's a special section for Military & Government Customers.
In case you want to stay updated, subscribe to the newsletter.
We've found a great pair of boots, and you?
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popcorn machines
march 24 2008
A friend went with her children to a museum where they had a large exposition about popcorn machines.
A while ago I blogged about Stargate Cinema where they sold theatre chairs and other theatre items, so I thought to go and have a look there to see if popcorn machines were sold there.
Yes!
I had a good look through the items and I have to say, it´s really interesting to see all the different machines.
So when my friend came back I had a close look at the museum leaflets... It feels like they have seen the same variety Stargate Cinema has on offer... Oops!
Ofcourse I didn´t say anything.
After eating a lot of chocolates they all went home.
I hope I haven´t given them the flue.
