Hidden In France

French Halloween

My Halloween contribution, via Daily Motion.  The IUT of the city of Rouen in France pulled off this awesome lip-synched verison of Thriller. Well done.

Lip Dub IUT SRC Rouen 2008
envoyé par arcanes-prod

have a safe and fun halloween.

It's raining blogs

How do you deal with blog subscriptions?

I have categories:  Design, friends, fun, political, inspirational... It's hard to find time to read over 500 posts a day.  Impossible in fact. So lately I have created a new category I call 'expandable'.  Yes, expandable.  Don't worry, your blog's not in it! That sounds horrible, but really what else to do?  There are blogs I subscribe to but i'm really not into. The big design blogs, for example, end up in that category because it feels like reading the same blah page over and over, day after day, groundhog day style.  

They're competing with each other for quantity of posts, and everything goes in, especially blah beige stuff.  I'l call it Bleeeheige.  Sorry, no beige for me.  Also, i figure that if something really stands out, one of you will pick it up and talk about it, and I much rather link to you than to them.

Speaking of not beige:

the three images above from Marie Claire Maison,

And the following images I borrowed from Liberty Post, a blog that is neither beige nor blah. Check out her blog to find out who the designer is.

So how do you deal with blogs?  How many do you read?  How many do you scan through? How many do you give up on after a while?

Maybe for me it's not only about beige or no beige, it's about a certain connection.  If I cannot create a connection with the blogger, meaning if I am not made to care about the person behind it, then I stop reading after a while.  It does not mean that the blogger has to respond to my comments, only that that blogger has failed to engage me on a personal level.

I'd love to hear what you think.

Utopian me.

A lot of what has been going on in the last eight years has been an active campaign of disinformation aiming at dismissing all things  'green' as utopian and silly.  (The fruit of liberal, gay, socialist, hippy thinking if you know what I mean.)  

I'm optimistic that with a democratic president and congress, a lot of evil can be undone.  Finally we will be able to listen to what Europe has been trying to tell us, and embrace the new technologies, the innovations, designs, and thinking that have been deliberately suppressed for the last eight years because it did not benefit the powers that be.

You want to know what I think.  (You dont???!!)

Here is what I think:

Omaba will be elected.  

The world markets will bounce right back as a result.

Alternative energies will propel the United States back into a dynamic economy.  (buy alternative energy stocks now, they are cheap)

The world will follow our lead.

In 4 years Obama will be reelected.

In less than ten years fossil fuels will be something we scratch our head at in dismay.

Global pollution will be tackled, and the planet will be saved.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the United States to get on the right track.  We alone have the dynamic system to make things happen and happen fast.  It is our power and our responsibility.

Did you know the Empire States building was built on a single year?  

We can do it.  We absolutely can.

For those who still have doubts that technology to save the planet absolutely exist, just check out the possibilities on the Landscape and Urbanism blog.  Inspiring stuff. All the images on this post I borrowed from it.

I'm a mess

The Eagle has landed (aka my mother)  the next three weeks I have put aside for family so she and I can better assist my sister enjoy her newborn.

Is it related or not, I'm not sure, but external events have been weighing heavily on me.  From the terrible things happening to Jennifer Hudston's family, to Neo Nazi threats on innocents and my beloved Obama, to listening to the excellent book Terribly Loud and Incredibly Close by Johnathan Safran Foer in my car as as drive around town... well let's just say that I've cried a ridiculous amount in the last seven days.  In Terribly Loud, there was an account of the Hiroshma bombing that forced me to stop my car to the side of the road in order to weep more safely. 

Not all crying is bad.  I cried tears of joy too, because of my sister's new baby.  My sister has gone through so much, and to see her with her first born... loving him, having eyes only for him...I don't know, it just kills me.

Sometimes are like this, when we find ourselves temporarily stripped of our protective outer-shell.  You know, naked, vulnerable, powerless, weepy.  Oh the shell will grow back.  We know that.

So I'm sorry if I have not been able to comments on your blogs.  I'm not able to focus on much.  But it's okay. I'm okay.  I've had too much experiences with these types of ups and downs to panic when they happen. 

My plan is to take care of myself. Rent movies, eat comfort food, snuggle up with those i love, and wait patiently for Obama to save the world.  

Hugs XOXXOO

Blog censorship

I do not take my beautiful freedom of speech for granted.  

Pop in to see what is happening in Turkey, home of wondrous blog A Mad Tea Party with Alis.  Apparently the government has made a sweeping move to shut down all blogs because some had violated copyright laws. Which means that her blog had been shut down by court order.  The verdict is now being reconsidered, but the risk is great. I sure hope this is not going to happen, because her blog is wonderful, and has nothing but beauty and love in it.  

Surely governments can't be against beauty and love. There is nothing threatening about that.  Or is there?

Picture taken at Liberty of London she visisted

The famous Purl Bee display using Liberty of london fabirc

Pictures from skona hem .  I discovered skona hem via Alis's blog.

Thank you to the one and only Felicity for the heads up.

Political interlude

See, when you have teenagers, a whole new world of political possibilities opens up.

Both U tube videos are funny and not angry or mean, which is refreshing.

How did they do this: ??

Adsense sell out no more.

Weeeee....

I am a girl of principles who thinks that freedom of speech (mostly mine actually) is super important.  

Blogging is where the freedom is, right? No boss, no censorship, no lobbyist to appease, no one to own me. Right? Right?

Well, I'm not entirely free.  Beside the extremely annoying people in my life who read my blog so I can't vent about them, (okay, that was a joke... but not entirely)  I do feel a sense of loss of freedom because I generate a bit of income from adsense.  Nothing much, not enough to look like real money, but enough to give to charity so that blogging doesn't feel like an entirely self-indulgent pursuit.  

But I don't like having adsense on my blog one bit.  First it's fugly it offends my sense of esthetics. Also, it feels like a slippery slope (hence the bear up there.) I hate that under my posts are ugly ads that move about insurance and cars and things I neither believe in nor care about and I hate that I'm not strong enough to say no to the money.  So today I did some revamping and signed up for an affiliate program so that I can advertise for companies I actually like.  Maybe one day i could get rid of adsense entirely.

And lo and behold, today in Steve Pavlina's blog (if you don't know him he is a pretty inspiring guy) is a post about him saying good bye to over $100,000 in adsense revenues.  His reasons revolve around issues of conscience, principles, Karma.  Oh I loved reading this post.  It's beautiful, idealistic and heartening.  He actually talks about daring to do things and trusting, and being kind of excited to see how he will manage with the income loss.  To me, his post is a cool metaphor about core values, and moving away from greed.

Bear on ice image from TwitPic, via literary agent and clever blogger Janet Reid who also coined the 'weeee' ledgend.

And now let see what adsense has to say about this post:........?

deleted post

I've been spending a whole lot of time in Venice Beach staring at my brand nephew.  Oh my he is cute.  Just to be able to hold a newborn is heaven to me.  What can I say, I'm a baby person.

(Hello there.  I have removed all images on this post because the people I borrowed them from did not appreciate one bit the fact that I was promoting them without charging them. Lol.)

What the world thinks

Why is my post of yesterday featured on this awesomely smart blog about public diplomacy.  I've been accused of many things, but being diplomatic, never! :-D

Talking about diplomacy, I learned something from that blog. Not that 'real' American care what the rest of the world thinks or anything, but here is a poll in the Guardian showing how the world (except belgium?) has become hostile to the US since Bush and how it would favor an Obama win.

You know, as a a French native I still hear the song "the French hate Americans" quite often, and frankly I'm sick and tired of it.  

First of all, the French hate everybody equitably, without regard to race or religion (just kidding!)  

Second, the entire world is down on us now.  It's Bush beautiful legacy, and only my man Obama can return deserved dignity and pride to the United States.  I think the world is counting on us.  No one really wants to see the decline of the American Empire.  Because if we fail, wether it be financially, diplomatically, ecologically or ideologically, then there is no hope for anyone.

Propaganda

My sister is happily settling with her beautiful baby, and in less than a week, the woman who gave birth to us is coming to stay in Los Angeles for three weeks.  I wish I could write about that, but self-censorship forbids me to.

I'll tell you this much: I was trying to find an fitting image and it came via  Simplemente Maravillosa.  She posted images of Chinese propaganda posters produced by the Chinese Communist party.  They are unsettling, depicting idyllic settings,perfect little colorful worlds filled with well-fed cherubs, and smiles, lots of smiles, all to convey happiness and abundance during years of regime that had little to offer beside poverty, terror and despair. 

You know; they were telling the people of China that things were a certain way, that there was an official reality.  Only one acceptable reality.  That official reality stated that peaches could grow bigger than your head and you could ride a koi fish. For example.

They were telling the people of China that everything was just dandy, and the vaguest suggestion that you might be experiencing a different reality, or that you wanted to question that reality was pretty much a death sentence.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I might be entering a short phase of heavy duty regression which will last until mid November, followed by depression, which should carry me nicely through the holidays.

Maybe not.  Maybe I will be more myself this time around.  

Yeah, and some peaches can grow bigger than your head.

More images and information about Chinese propaganda posters here.

 

Meet Jacques

My sister had her baby!  She had her first contraction at 9 am, arrived at the hospital at 12, gave birth at 12:45. 

Both of my labors lasted over 24 hours! ( but I will continue to love her anyway.)

And now I also get to love HIM!!!!!!

Look: very little time spent stuck inside the birth canal sure makes for a gorgeous baby.

How long were your labors.  In other words, is my little sister a freak of nature?

Mystery photographer

I saved these images but can't remember the photographer.  Who can help?  I think she is French, or has a French name, and I'm pretty sure I posted some of her work before.  My mind is drawing a complete blank and it's driving me nuts.  

The winner gets.... all the glory.

Hadley Hutton sale

I received a note by Hadley Hutton telling me that she is having a sale.  

I can't get enough of her birdies and flowers.

Even the original 8x10s on wood (she layers painting, archival drawings, pastel and encaustic wax) are under $150.  The prints are much less.

Thank you!

Blog action Day results for me: I counted 47 comments in the last three posts, so 47 dollars I will give to Kiva to fight poverty just a little. 

Some of you were onto me, you tricksters you, and commented more than once, and just like in the elections, every vote counted.

And I will not hold anyone to their offer to match this amount.  If you do though, I can send you a Paypal bill, or better yet, you can give to Kiva or the place of your choice directly.

The best news is, I'm off my soap box for a while.  Am I sensing relief?

I might even stop talking about the elections for a while.  I mean there needs to be a truce at least as long as this pictures is circling the www !  :-D

It's Action day!

Blog Action Day 08 is going to be unbelievably successful.  Let show the world that blogging is not (only) an indulgence!

  Catherine (Domino decorating contest winner who still doesn't have a blog and what a shame hat is) has pledged to match my donations up to $50!!!!

My Noting Hill has also pledged to match my donations up to $50.  So comment away!

I'm interested in all sorts of religions, as long as I don't have to make them mine.  What I'm interested in is soaking up the wisdom, trying to get some to rub off on me, maybe even stick.

I'm reading The Way, a book about Kabbalistic principles I picked up about a year ago but did not read until recently.

With giving on my mind, I happen to be reading this around two this morning:

" Without question, we should enjoy the good things in our lives.  At the same time, we must always be aware that other's lives are less fulfilled than our own, and we must never cease trying to rectify that fact.  We must never forget that all humanity is in the same boat.  If some of us are sinking, all of us are sinking."

Okay.  I don't want any of us sinking.

On this Kiva page you can see that there are teams that can be joined.  It's like a catalogue featuring all the goodness in the world.   Boy do we need goodness. I'm not sure which cause to contribute your comments money yet.  I'll let you know.  Keep the comments coming on this post, and I'll give Kiva a dollar per comment.

Bohemian doll house

Still collecting commentsfor Kiva for Blog Action Day.

 

Leave a comment on this post and I will donate a dollar per comment.   My Notting Hill says she will match it up to $50!!  So now your comment is worth two dollars.  Your seconds are worth just a bit more until tomorrow.

(Hello there, sorry I had to remove all pretty images because the people I borrowed them from hated free advertisement. )

Poverty (mine)

I haven't known poverty a day in my life, yet I have always feared it.  It's a primal fear of mine.  Well, one of many.  

Today is blog action day, and we're talking poverty.  Or the end of it.  Why the heck not, let's dream big.

How about you donate a dollar to Kiva, an amazing organization that provides micro loans to women in impoverished countries.  Wait don't stop reading yet.  It won't cost you anything.  Leave a comment on this post and I will donate a dollar for each comment.  How about that?  Offer ends Wednesday.  (I won't hide the fact that I'm a little bit terrified to get more than the usual two and a half comments.)

No, kidding.  Let's see what we can do.  If it breaks the bank I'll give as much as I can, or else I'll be the one asking you for a micro (or macro) loan very soon.

laughing about hate

I'm laughing out loud.  The reps are showing up with signs at rallies that say "Obama bin Lyin."   I think it's hilarious.  But FALSE!!! of course, and wrong and bad. but.. well.. funny to me.

I laughed just as hard at Obama-nation.  Puerile, I know.

Designers Guild cure

Here in L.A. the sky is ominously darkened by the smoke of a distant fire and the air smells of judgement day.  The wind, cold and mean slithers under your skin. Palin and McCain are sounding increasingly like friends of the KKK, and the stock market is doing its mad Jekyll and Hyde thing.

I know only one recipe for me:  Designers Guild.  Works every time.  It's amazing how visual people can get a boost simply by looking at beauty.  Tell me if it works for you. 

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Swedish Fabric

This found yesterday via the beeeeoatiful blog Keltainen Tallo Rannalla  (I'm such a fan) the online brochure of Swedish textile company Gudrun Sjödèn.

Here are my picks.

There are many more images here, on a post titled 'väriää elämään'  I don't know what that means but I've never seen words sparkle so much ;-)

Worlds of thanks.

I'm happy this morning.  Why?  No reason really.  It must be the coffee I just ingested. There is really no reason to be happy at all.  And there is every reason to be.

Thank you to all of you who played with us and gave Catherine suggestions (while knowing full well she did not need any) on what touches to add to her new bathroom.

Thank you to those of you who sent money to help women of Rwanda.  I'm still collecting and getting ready to send it to Maryam.

Thank you in advance to those of you who will rally up against poverty on Blog Action Day as reminded by Pia .  That's October 15, or next wednesday.  It is also my husband's birthday and my sister's due date. It's gonna be Bee-zee!  More on that later.

Oh and I added a little gizmo to the left hand column prompting new visitors to subscribe to Hidden In France.  It's not fitting very well in he space is it?  But I'm always thrilled with myself when I figure out something of the technological order.  It makes me feel like a frigging genius.

Cheerios!

The bathroom lucky money bought

All this rambling about luck was not entirely innocent, you know I always have an agenda. Do you remember Catherine from Mill Valley, the lucky winner of the Domino decorating contest?  You think I'm obsessed with her don't you?  Mmmm you're right.

She and I have kept in touch.  I never thought of her as lucky for winning. Her win was no Vegas slot machine deal. She had a vision, she made it happen, and she made it happen by doing most of the work herself with great ingenuity and playfulness.  And no this is not a dilettante with too much money and time on her hands. She is someone like us, with a budget and a job.  She did not hire a decorating pro either.

I told her I call her style modern Marie Antoinette, (mostly since seeing the Sofia Coppola movie ) but her style is much more than that, and not so easy to define.  One thing is for sure, it is not like anyone else's.

 With the prize money, she transformed a room into a lovely bathroom that is so her. Here are the pictures , and because it's always fun, she has also sent me the before pictures and her notes.  Read to the end:  this is still a work in progress and she asking for your opinion.

Catherine says: "There was no question when I won the Domino contest that I would FINALLY get my claw foot tub and redeo my most disgusting hall bath! The vision, for years, was to install a large casement window with the tub right underneath so I could look outside to the garden/trees/sky when bathing in deep water for my middle age aching body. (UGH). Everyone asks why the hall bath instead of the master bath which is as disgusting. Simple answer: I could not afford to move all the plumbing to get the tub under window and the hall bath is also the one guests use so why not make it my bath also.

I researched and purchased everything myself and then had the white laminate floors installed and a large window installed in the 12 inch thick concrete wall. This was the biggest cost.  

My vision included silvery vines and leaves on the ceiling and draping down the walls here and there.  And a small beautiful crystal chandelier for above the tub.

I knew I wanted a "furniture" piece for the vanity. Fortunately I found the perfect french looking piece and a small lovely sink that was set into the top. New low flush toilet and nice hardware.

I have done all the painting and just had to paint/stencil the tub.

(Corine's note: Okay, now the before pictures, hang on to your desktops.)

"I had demoed out a small corner shower two years ago and set an armoire against the wall for storage. There was an ancient vanity, tiny avocado green mosaics on the floor, part of the ceiling was gone from a leaking roof and the walls were an orange peal texture. It was gross. 

Aqua blue and just a splash of coral red were the colors. No plastics bottles! I put the shampoo and conditioner in a silver vintage curette set and the teacups hold soaps etc. 

HOWEVER, I came to a halt in the decor process. It all felt sort of cold, too much white, something off. So it really is a work in progress and any ideas would be appreciated! Or I may continue....What would you do? 

Thanks for all comments!"

Catherine.

Well, Catherine, I would personally not change a thing, but you remember this link you sent me?  What about a nice funny/subversive piece of art on the wall by Artist Tracey Emin:  like this one:

Who else has ideas?

Luck versus effort; who wins?

This morning, Seth Godin (the man I would marry if i wasn't married already.  Well, him or Obama ) wrote another brilliant post asking "is effort is a myth?"  The post reminds me of one of my pet peeves; magical thinking.  You know, that whole 'secret' thing.  I do believe that thinking in negative terms is ultimately self-defeating, but i worry that some will just think up good stuff as opposed to try hard and make good stuff happen.  I mean, we know what's good for us.  We absolutely know.  Lighting a candle and writing down affirmation will never be enough.

Seth Godin demystifies luck by reminding us that most of the people who succeed aren't the lucky ones, but the prerseverant, hard working ones, and he goes on to make a concise, powerful case for simply taking action everyday.  Read his post and you will need to buy a self-help book again.

Here is bit of the post, read the whole thing here.

"1. Delete 120 minutes a day of 'spare time' from your life. This can include TV, reading the newspaper, commuting, wasting time in social networks and meetings. Up to you.

2. Spend the 120 minutes doing this instead:

• Exercise for thirty minutes.
• Read relevant non-fiction (trade magazines, journals, business books, blogs, etc.)
• Send three thank you notes.
• Learn new digital techniques (spreadsheet macros, Firefox shortcuts, productivity tools, graphic design, html coding)
• Volunteer.
• Blog for five minutes about something you learned.
• Give a speech once a month about something you don't currently know a lot about.

3. Spend at least one weekend day doing absolutely nothing but being with people you love.

4. Only spend money, for one year, on things you absolutely need to get by. Save the rest, relentlessly.

If you somehow pulled this off, then six months from now, you would be the fittest, best rested, most intelligent, best funded and motivated person in your office or your field. You would know how to do things other people don't, you'd have a wider network and you'd be more focused.

It's entirely possible that this won't be sufficient, and you will continue to need better luck. But it's a lot more likely you'll get lucky, I bet."

Next I am bringing you a post about a 'lucky" person i know.

I'm not hungry anymore.

Martha, Martha, Martha..!  

Martha, you know I love yah, But this, frankly, I find disturbing:

via the Make blog.

Just pretty things to soothe me.

Rather than giving you a lengthy and discombobulated post about the state of my in box (full) , my laundry basket (overflowing) and my nervous system (maxed-out).  I'll post a few images that give me joy and peace as well as the blogs that introduced me to them. 

My Notting Hill posted the image above found on Bolig and I loved that room instantly.  This is probably the most inspirational room to me at the moment.  That singe purple cabinet is so playful and original.

With my sister just about ready to give birth, (i can't wait!!) I've been looking at toys, and I remembered this post about Mia Wood  via british blog diva extraordinaire Di of Designers Block   (Who incidently made me laugh so hard with this post on How To Give Your Hair Body.)

Via now retired Smoke and Ochre (Browning is not gone thank goodness, she's here now on the blog FashionAbility.) i discovered the beautiful line of Kenzo Maison. 

If everything goes well for my beloved Omaba tonight, (if not I'll be too depressed to get out of bed.) I will show you what Catherine ended up doing with her well deserved prize money for winning the Domino magazine decorating contest.

You remember Catherine?  She did this:

and this:

mmm... I wonder what it will be.  

ciao for now.

A Nobel prize in silliness

Update:  he, he, the laugh is on me.  I am so naiiiive! This is not the real nobel prize as noted by one astute reader named Joann, but the lg nobel prize, which rewards oddball science. 

The good news is that none of you count on me for actual fact.  Here is the original post

I never thought I would get a nobel prize before, but now it seems entirely within my reach.  And yours.  I'm baffled by what gets you a noble prize these days.  Seriously.  Apparently all one must do is think up a crazy idea no one gives a rat's ass about, and then devise a method to prove that one is right. 

Look at this article in the L.A. Times.  Prove that coca cola is a spermicide, bang, you're a nobel prize winner. In the old days such discovery would have gotten you an A at the science fair.  Another prize winner proved that women at their most fertile time of the month are more attractive to men by counting the tips of exotic dancers.  I kid you not. (Then they disinfected the bills with coke.  Just kidding)

Here is an excerpt of the article describing what was Nobel Prize worthy this year:

"Archaeology: Astolfo Gomes de Mello Araujo and Jose Carlos Marcelino of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil for showing that armadillos can scramble the contents of an archaeological dig.

Biology: Marie-Christine Cadiergues, Christel Joubert and Michel Franc of the National Veterinary College of Toulouse in France for discovering that fleas that live on a dog can jump higher than fleas that live on a cat.

Cognitive science: Toshiyuki Nakagaki of Hokkaido University in Japan and colleagues for discovering that slime molds can solve puzzles.

Medicine: Dan Ariely of Duke University for demonstrating that expensive fake medicine is more effective than cheap fake medicine.

Peace: The Swiss Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology and the citizens of Switzerland for adopting the legal principle that plants have dignity.

Physics: Dorian Raymer of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego and Douglas Smith of UC San Diego for proving that heaps of string or hair inevitably tangle."

Okay, that's it.  I am convinced. I'm setting to work on my Nobel prize TODAY.  I will try to scientifically prove that the laundry hamper WILL ACTUALLY overflow when you omit to do your washing for an entire week-end.

Insane in the Mcain.

Nice rhyme, he?  You know that song?  "Insane in the Mccain, Insane, in the brain!"  No, I'm just kidding.  he's not insane (though choosing Palin you have to wonder,) but he does seem pissed all the time.  I mean who needs a negative, disgruntled and wore out president. Not i.  Nobody likes a bitchy princess.

I discovered this article published originally in the Christian Science Monitor, written by Courtney E. Martin.  I found this beautifully written article to brilliantly expresses that shining light of hope Barack Obama represents for me.  

 Here is a taste of it: 

"Now I watch Obama, a leader who articulates my own ideas and intuitions with the most eloquent grace, on the brink of a presidential miracle. His words about the critical nature of cohesive community, about injustice, about personal responsibility ring so true in my ears. But I'm scared to believe.

I don't think that Obama is a "messiah." I know that he has flaws, that he will fail in many ways, that the space between his ideals and his actions will often gape with a discomfiting hypocrisy, or at the very least, inefficiency.

But I am almost certain that he is good deep down, that he believes, as I do, that we could do better, that we could be better, that we are – when stripped of bureaucracy and alienation and skepticism – already better."

Please read the rest of the article here.

My favorite house. Hint: it's not Oprah's

You know what it is I need right now.  Color man!  This is no time for that subdued beige and that tasteful gray, times are bleak enough thank you very much.  The economy is not looking very sunny at the moment, so for some of us design junkies, it might be time to put aside names such as Eames, Derian, Stark or Jacobsen for names like...  Benjamin Moore.

How does the saying go?  If you can't have what you love, learn to love what you have?  I think I'm going to be looking at my old furniture funny from now on. I'm inspired by the  house in Portugal of Atelier XT's owner Graça Paz. You already know I'm a fan of Graça Paz.

Same but different:

This is it my friends: happiness in a can.  Ingenuity, enthusiasm, freedom: it's all here.  I'm realizing that things don't have to remain static because I'm broke. 

Shuffle things around, add color, voila!

For us design lovers, dreaming up our house is a creative outlet like music or art is to someone else. Maybe this creativty can be explored better by making stuff, salvaging stuff, giving new life to boring old stuff.  Not just acquiring new stuff.

Oh, and no need to spend thousands on new kitchen cabinets; look:

Kitchen cupboard?

or Kitchen cupboard?

And look at your chairs.  Now look at your chairs again.

Chair+ ingenuity = love

And now Graça paz's signature painted cabinets:

Did I blind you yet?  What, you're asking for more?

Now if course, living steps away from the ocean: priceless.

Wow...

Thank you sooo much for the e-mails and the donations towards the women of Rwanda, Yikes!  The power of blogging!  I had not realized!  I will be contacting all of you soon to get that mulah flowing.  

The influx of e-mails of support as well as those volunteering donations coincides I think with the fact that karey m. of the seriously awesome mackin inc. talked about this post on Kirsty and that friends of All Things Bright and Beautiful are flocking in to read this post, and this one. 

Thank you Maryam, and thank you Karey m.  And thank to all of you friends of ATBB (should we create a support group, you know ATBB anonymous?) and thank you to all of you who are opening your wallets, even though money is tight everywhere, beleeeeve me I know.

Rwanda genocide: they have lost everything, please give money

This is when he word genocide ceased to be a concept and you suddenly glimpse at the reality, at the  horror. It's impossible to comprehend man becoming a gleeful sadist towards man, and this at the scale of an entire nation.  No, you want to hope than man is better than that.  Maryam's account will give you nightmares, but what are nightmares in comparison to what the people of Rwanda have endured while we worried about the price of gas and wether or not we should reupholster that couch.  Not to guilt trip you or anything.

Maryam's account of Vestine's story  is unbearable, and I almost stopped reading before got to the end. 

Maryam is there, right now In Rwanda, seeing all the horror with her own eyes, hearing the evil with her own ears, and writing to us from her own heart.

I feel guilty, guilty, guilty.  I was a coward to close my eyes, in the hope that it would go away.  But I won't close my wallet.

I don't know how much you can give, but I pledge $100.  

 Here is how I will collect money: Please send me an e-mail or leave a message below with the amount you would like to contribute, and I will send you a paypal bill, which you will be able to use as a receipt for tax purposes.  How much can you give?  You're not sure?  Read Vestine's story (and it's only one of many) and get back to me.