Tangible Tidbits 2012 #23: A Flurry of Activity!

Hey, everyone! Well, I’ve FINALLY finished my Bead Challenge project for BSNJ over the weekend. It’s not due until June 28, but I wanted to get it out of the way and not wait until the last minute. I changed the category from bracelet to necklace, as the cuff bracelet I was attempting to make was not coming together as well as I’d like. I still think it was a good idea, and I may revisit it at a later date. :)

I received my recommendation letter from my former professor at MSU the other day. He wrote a very nice letter, and specifically mentioned that I am “willing to take criticism,” which made me chuckle. I emailed him back and told him I thought the director of the Metalwork & Jewelry program at MSU might not agree. :)) I still have to take a couple more pictures this week before the deadline on Friday. I’m hoping my mother will either model pieces for me or be willing to take my picture. I have two necklaces I want to include as part of the application. Mom is not very technologically-inclined, so please wish both of luck! :-S

In addition to Wire-sculpture.com’s 2012 Druzy Contest -- which I had mentioned previously -- there are two more contests coming up that I may or may not enter. Beaded Impressions has a Beading Contest with a deadline of July 8. The categories include Whimsical or Romantic; Eclectic or Bohemian; and Traditional. I may enter my Bead Challenge project in the "Eclectic or Bohemian" category. Once you see a picture of it, you’ll see why. ;) I can’t post it or describe it before the June meeting because some of my BSNJ friends may read this or see my Facebook page. :-S I also received an email this morning about Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Swarovski Elements Jewelry-making Contest, with a September 30 deadline. I don’t really have anything existing that I’d like to enter, so I have to see if I am inspired over the summer to come up with something appropriate...I'm thinking maybe an elaborate pair of earrings. :-? I still haven’t decided if I am going to enter the Druzy Contest, but I will concentrate on a project for that now that I have completed the Bead Challenge piece. The deadline is June 30, which is part of why I wanted to finish the Bead Challenge project early. If I can’t figure something out in the next couple of weeks, I will just skip it. :|

I'm looking forward to attending a workshop in Tinton Falls on Saturday called "Jazz Up Your Bead Embroidery," being taught by my friend Meg Fillmore of Bead My Love. :)

On a personal note, I had another NAET treatment on Saturday...this one was to complete the areas that were only partially cleared in previous treatments -- namely corn, chocolate, and nut mix I, which includes peanuts. I had headaches off and on all day Saturday, so I didn’t accomplish much. :P Man, will I be glad when these are over! #-o

Our weather can’t quite decide what it wants to be these days. Lots of storms passing through the area lately and it seems to be humid one day; cool the next. Morris County got hit hard with a storm yesterday. A couple of towns there may be without power for 2-3 days! :-O

Two ladies at work requested earrings, which I have to work on tonight...and I have a bunch of recent projects that I have not priced out yet. I seem to put that off as long as possible. Since I am switching out pieces at the chiropractor’s office again tomorrow, the last minute is pretty much tonight! I guess it's a good thing I am more or less required to do it every two weeks. ;)

Take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #20: Taking the Bad With The Good...

Hey, everyone! Guess what? I heard back from my professor this weekend! :-bd He said I'd found his old address, but he stops by every few weeks to pick up mail. Do I have great timing, or what? ;) He's willing to write me a recommendation letter for the MJSA scholarship, and asked me to I send him pictures of my older and newer work, as well as my bio, future goals, and why I want this scholarship. :) I just finished sending him all of that information...hopefully, I sent him enough stuff. B-)

I decided to enter the seed & bugle bead cuff bracelet I mentioned last week in Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Seed Bead Jewelry-Making Contest, and want to also enter the pendant I just finished for BSNJ. I doubt either piece is elaborate enough to place, but you never know. :-S You can't win if you don't enter, right? :P

Also, I ended up ordering a new printer directly from HP. Staples couldn't help me because the warranty I purchased for the old printer had already expired, so they referred me to HP. I spoke with someone there who offered me an upgraded printer for $100! It costs less to replace them than to fix them, it seems. Unfortunately, I didn't have the serial number from the old machine because it was still in the shop. When I called HP back the following week, the prices had changed. The person I spoke with actually admitted that the prices change at random! #-o So, I ended up with an even higher upgrade printer for $99, plus new ink cartridges and a three-year warranty. I ended up spending more than I wanted, but hopefully it will be worth the extra money. If anything goes wrong with this printer in the next three years, they will ship me a replacement for the next business day. Not a bad deal...except the printer I was planning to buy used the same ink cartridges I already have. The new printer does not, so I had to buy new ones and I will send the others back. I'm told I can send an email to someone at HP and request an even trade on the unused cartridges. I'll recycle the used and partially used ones; they sent me a prepaid envelope for them. I can also return the old printer with a prepaid label, so HP can recycle it. The new printer arrived at the end of last week, but I didn't have time to set it up over the weekend. That's on the top of my my To Do list for tomorrow. :)

As you know, I attended the Networking Charity Brunch Image Forum yesterday in Morris County, NJ. I sold one ring, and it was a cheap one at that. :( The other vendors I spoke with didn't do any better, so I don't feel as bad. Still, it was not worth the six hours of prep time I put in on Saturday and the six hours I spent there on Sunday, not to mention the time it took to schlep everything to and from the event. 8-| I actually ended up losing $28 for the gig...which is less than it could have been. Regardless, I will not be attending any more of these events in the future.

A coworker likes a pair of earrings another coworker wore last week that I had made, and she asked me if I could recreate them in other colors. I told her I would see what beads I have and get back to her. Earlier today, I found a few color combinations that may work, so I will bring them in to her tomorrow. I have no idea what colors she wants...but she may like some of the beads regardless of the color. I don't have much that are identical to the ones she liked, but hopefully I have some that will inspire her. ;)

I was supposed to have another NAET treatment this coming Saturday, but I forgot it was Memorial Day weekend when I made the appointment. #-o Since I was invited to a barbecue on Saturday afternoon, I changed the appointment to early June. :P Lately, I've been itching a lot more than I had been...I guess I still have to be more careful than I thought. I was hoping I could eat more of a variety of foods since I've cleared a number of food groups in the past few months. Apparently, I haven't cleared enough to stray too far from my usual. :(

One of my horoscopes yesterday said something about perseverance..."If you don't give up, you can never fail." Here's to not giving up! Take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #18: It's Always Something!

Hey, everyone! Well, I got some bad news for my wallet today. My all-in-one printer/scanner/copier hasn't been printing in color for maybe a month or so, and I finally took it in to a local repair shop last week. Unfortunately, it's not something he can fix. He suggested sending it back to the manufacturer. Can you imagine what it would cost to ship this thing anywhere?! Looking back at my paperwork, the manufacturer's warranty was for one year and the extended warranty I purchased with it at Staples in March 2010 was for two years...which means it expired two months ago! Big shock, right? 8-| I'll have to call Staples ASAP and beg for mercy. Wish me luck with that! :P

I also learned this week that the professor I wanted to write my recommendation letter for the MJSA Education Foundation Jewelry Scholarship left Montclair State University after the Fall 2011 semester. I've reached out to a former classmate who might possibly have a way to reach him, but she hasn't gotten back to me. I think I recall him saying in which town he lives, so I may be able to look him up on whitepages.com. Thankfully, I still have a month before the deadline...but if I can't find him, I may be S.O.L. (sh#t outta luck). :(

So, by now you've noticed the latest addition to the blog page...EMOTICONS! :-bd Sadly, they don't show up on the email version, sorry! :( Those of you who know me from my message board days know how much I loved my emoticons. ;) When we set up the blog back in 2009, the web designer struggled with adding them to the blog. I forget exactly why it didn't work, but I was resigned to have an emoticon-free blog. =(( She surprised me last week with the new emoticons, which were adapted from Yahoo! Messenger. B-) So, expect me to be more "emotive" in my posts from now on! :)) She also added icons for various social media sites directly to the bottom of each post on the blog page, so feel free to share! ;)

AAANNNNDDD...Firefox just crashed while I was writing my post! #-o Luckily, Blogger automatically saves regularly. #:-S

This week, I didn't work much on my Bead Challenge project, but I did make some headway on the project we started at the April BSNJ meeting. I saw some completed projects on Tuesday at the Board meeting, and I wanted to see if I can finish it by our May general meeting. :-? I also played around with seed and bugle beads over the weekend in an attempt to come up with a potential entry for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Seed Beads Jewelry-making Contest, with a deadline of May 31. I think I came up with a bracelet that might be "showy" enough to impress the judges, but I'm not sure. :-s I may enter it anyway, since you never know. Ironically, one of the criteria they claim to judge on is wear-ability [is that a word? :-/ ] I don't consider the majority of the winning pieces comfortably wearable, but I guess I'm in the minority. 8-|

On Saturday, I had another NAET treatment...this time for the vegetable mix, nightshade vegetable mix, melon mix (which includes pumpkin for some odd reason), and nut mix #1 again, which was about 50% cleared previously. Since I mostly had to avoid melons -- which I don't like anyway, but I get a bad reaction to pumpkin -- and vegetables, this was a pretty easy weekend. It's a lot harder when you have to avoid certain kinds of protein, starches, and beverages, particularly water. I'm making slow-but-sure progress. With a little luck, I may be finished with these treatments by the end of the year. :-bd

That's all I've got for now. Take care and have a great week! :-*

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #14: There's One More Angel In Heaven...

Happy Easter, Passover, or Spring...take your pick! ;)

I was saddened to receive an email today about one of our readers who passed away at the end of February. She was one of my Internet friends from way back in 2001, and we even roomed together at one of the early trips I took to Montréal, Canada for a series of annual charity events. She was 84 and lived a long life, although not without its difficulties. She was one of my biggest "fans" from that time in my life, and I will miss her very much. <3 <3 <3 On a more upbeat note, I survived another NAET treatment this weekend. The last one was 75 percent successful; I am only partially cleared of allergic reactions to certain kinds of nuts, so I will have to repeat that treatment at a later date. However, I am fully cleared for a second nut mix, as well as both spice mixes we treated. YAY! We also reviewed some of my previous treatments, and I am fully cleared of reactions to yeast, sugar, eggs, and milk. This weekend, I was treated for bacteria, certain corn products, wheat products, and chocolate. I only recently learned that chocolate gives me headaches, so I decided to deal with that ASAP! ;) We had attempted to clear me using a grain mix before, but that didn't fully take. I'm hoping that by addressing the corn and wheat mixes directly, we will alleviate that issue. Believe it or not, staying away from chocolate, wheat, and corn were not that difficult, since I pretty much avoid them anyway. The bacteria was harder, as I could not use water unless it was distilled or boiled and cooled -- which also ruled out drinking carbonated drinks, milk, and fruit juice -- and I had to avoid toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, and mouthwash for 25 hours. I prefer to have the treatments as early on Saturday morning as possible, so that by the time I wake up on Sunday it's all over. :p My next appointment is May 5, and I think I will attempt to complete the nuts treatment (again), as well as a treatment for vegetables. I will most likely have to repeat the bacteria test, as it only cleared 50 percent before I left her office. That usually means it won't get much better than that. :\ Hopefully, I will only need a few more treatments...I still have to address berries and then retry the original six calcium-related items, including oxalic acid. Since my overall issue is with calcium oxalates, we attempted that test three times, but never fully cleared them all. I'm hoping that by addressing other groups first and clearing those, that by the time we get back to the calcium groups, the problem will be significantly diminished and potentially curable. Fingers crossed! ;) My accountant called me this week about my income taxes. He was concerned that my reported losses might send up a red flag to the IRS that my business is really a hobby, and hobby losses are not deductible. He wanted to warn me that they could audit me if they become suspicious that I am masking a hobby as a business. I told him that my business was only two years old in October 2011, so losses -- especially in this economy -- shouldn't be a surprise. I am also only working part-time...if I were working full-time and trying to maintain my business, I could see them viewing it as a hobby. I do realize that the IRS may not think logically, so I still may have to face an audit. The good news is that I cut my expenses by almost a third in 2011, so in that regard I did well! LOL And I finally learned the difference between the State of New Jersey and Federal income taxes -- the State of New Jersey does not deduct losses against income, so any losses my company incurred last year don't count! The accountant said they have been trying to address the issue with legislation to make things easier for small businesses for years, but I won't hold my breath. I wonder what the rules for income taxes in California are? That may be another reason to relocate to San Diego. ;) A coworker is interested in having me make a necklace for her this week, and wants to show three necklaces I made previously to her daughters. Another coworker liked a pair of earrings I wore last week, and will buy them this week. :) Things are coming along, slowly but surely. I've decided to register as a vendor for a Networking Charity Brunch Image Forum in Denville, NJ that is hosted by a local plastic surgeon's office. I was invited to the event she held in February, but I was leery because I didn't know what kind of turnout she has or what the vending competition is like. I had thought about attending as a visitor to scope it out first, but something else came up that day and I never got there. I bit the bullet and wrote a check yesterday for a table. It's only $39, and I figure the clientele of a plastic surgeon in Morris County probably has more discretionary income than my usual customers. If it doesn't work out, at least I tried. I just hope I can sell enough inventory to make it worth my while to reprice, package, and schlep everything to and from the event. :o Once I get officially accepted, I'll post more information about it. :) Oh, yeah! I've moved back up to the #1 jewelry-making expert position on Knoji (formerly known as Factoidz), thanks to some recommendations from a group of Facebook friends! I was briefly the #1 expert the first year I joined, then quickly went back down to the #2 spot. I think I briefly went down to #3, but that didn't last long. Apparently, there are 17 of us writing in that category. I posted a new article this week, by the way: How To Create A Beaded Netting Fringe. It was adapted from one of my Focal Piece of the Month items from the end of last year...I'd previously updated the draft, but forgot all about it! :o Speaking of Focal Piece articles, the new one for this month is up. ;) And I've already completed the piece for next month! I just have to draft the story, so I'm a little bit ahead of the game right now. :)

I've got a busy week coming up, so I'd better start getting ready for it! Take care and have a great week! :D

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #11: Progressing In Some Areas...Stalled In Others

Good afternoon, all! I had another NAET (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique) treatment yesterday...my first since last June. I've been wanting to go back for a long time, but financial considerations had me put it off. As it stands, the treatments are considered out-of-network for my health insurance, so I have to pay out-of-pocket until I reach my deductible of $3,000. :o I sincerely doubt I will need THAT many treatments, but it is covered by the flexible spending allowance (FSA) plan we have at work, so I can pay for them that way. :p Yesterday's treatment was to eliminate reactions to nuts and spices. When I left the doctor's office yesterday, the reactions had been completely cleared...I just had to stay away from those items for 25 hours to hopefully make it stick. The "fasting period" ended around 1-1/2 hours ago. It's really harder than it seems because things you wouldn't ordinarily associate with nuts or spices may have them in their ingredients. For example, I found out that Cheez-Its have paprika in them! Also, there are spices in many fragrances and aromatherapy oils, as well as mint in chewing gum, toothpaste, lip balm, and mouthwash. To be on the ultra safe side, I tend to avoid anything that MIGHT have the ingredients I'm trying to avoid in them, which makes for a very long 25 hours. I usually get headaches and just spend most of the time in bed. :p My next appointment is in three weeks, so I'll find out then how successful I was. Wish me luck! :)

As you know, I took the week off to do my income taxes. Well, I still haven't finished them. I printed out reams and reams of paper this week in preparation, though. Statements from my business and personal credit cards and checking accounts -- do you believe Bank of America (BoA) doesn't offer year-end summaries for business checking accounts? I get one for my Cash Management Account at Merrill Lynch, which is affiliated with BoA, as well as most of my credit cards. Particularly for business accounts, you'd think that would be a value-added service they'd offer! Instead, I have to go through statements for all 12 months of last year. Needless to say, that's part of the reason I haven't finished yet. I've pretty much decided to take one figure at a time and work on it piecemeal. I have a worksheet from the accountant to fill in with last year's figures included for reference, so I will just work on the categories (personal medical & health expenses or business education expenses, for example) one by one. Thankfully, I've left myself enough time that I should get them done by the end of March. Fingers crossed! :p

Speaking of education expenses, I found out that the registration and transcript holds on my records at Montclair State are because I owe them $415 and change from the Spring 2011 semester. Their policy, apparently, is that students are required to keep on top of their financial obligations themselves, which is why the school never notified me that there was a balance due. Although I was told where to find the information on the MSU system online, I could not find dollar amounts anywhere. Since they obviously were not anxiously looking for the funds -- and I have no plans to register for another class in the immediate future -- they will have to wait for the money, as I just got my car insurance bill for the next six months. Being that I leased a new car last year, the premiums are almost double what I was paying for the older car! Does it ever end???

On a more positive note, I was invited to join a Facebook group called "We Support Other Businesses" this week. The basic idea is to promote Facebook page traffic on each others' pages in a non-spammy way. They seem like a fun group of people, and very supportive (as you'd expect! LOL). One of the things I promoted there is Factoidz, since these professionals could benefit from the exposure as authors in their areas of expertise. Factoidz happens to be hosting a promotion now to increase awareness, and someone can win a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate. Since I was promoting it anyway, I figured I might as well submit the link. ;) I really have to write another article soon..it's been quite a while. :o

I also (finally!) tackled one other "major" project this week...I cleaned up my office/studio work area! It's 98 percent cleaned up...I still have a small pile of stuff to be sorted out and put away, but it is 1,000 times better than it was! :) I heard or read somewhere that "a cluttered environment is the sign of a cluttered mind." Maybe now I can approach the taxes with a clear mind!? LOL

Well, I've taken up enough of your time on this sunny Sunday afternoon (at least it's sunny here!). I hope you all enjoy what's left of your weekend and have a great week! :)

Tangible Tidbits 2011 # 26: Half-way Through 2011 Already!

Hi, everyone! This being the 26th weekly edition of my blog, that puts us at half-way through the year already! :o

I posted some more items on eBay this week, both on the company account and my personal one. I sold a broken soldering tool for $10 and a saw frame for $15! Taking out the listing fees, charitable donations, and -- in one case, shipping costs -- I'm not making out all that well. At least I am getting these things out of my house and into the hands of someone who will use them! :)

After a three-month hiatus, I published a new Factoid this week! I have to say, I'm pretty proud of this one: Ten Life Lessons I Have Learned From Making Jewelry. Coincidentally, this is my 10th contribution to Factoidz. :) I actually have a bunch of ideas for articles running through my head...I just haven't taken the time to write them out. I received an email earlier this week touting Microsoft OneNote for putting all of your lists and sticky notes in an electronic format. I'm thinking about doing that, so I can toss all of the piles of scribbled notes on my desk and book case. Hopefully, that will help me get more organized. I can then type my preliminary story ideas in OneNote and flesh out the articles later. Not to mention making sense out of all of my reminders and To-Do lists! :p

The article was also submitted to BSNJ for their newsletter. The editor said she may use it as soon as the August issue! :) I had sent her a bunch of other stuff, so I wasn't sure if she'd want to use an older one first. In any case, it seems I will be a "regular" (maybe semi-regular?) writer in that publication for a while! :D

I received an email today from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads regarding their Pearls, Organic Beads & Molding Clay Jewelry-Making Contest. The deadline is July 11, so I entered a couple of my pieces online this morning. For pearls, I entered my Cascade of Pearls pin. Had it won the Rings & Things contest I created it for last year, I could not enter it in this contest. For molding clay, I entered my Ferido™ resin pendant with Cowrie Shells, Turquoise chips and Freshwater Pearls on turquoise Greek leather necklace. I had to name the piece for the contest, so I came up with Summer Beach Party Necklace. It would probably have made more sense if the resin was sand-colored, but I came up with it on the spur-of-the-moment. :\

I'm caught up with posting product photos to Facebook, but I still have to update the listings on the website. I was adding data to my database today to price some of the newer pieces...I have to finish that before dealing with the website store updates. :o

Speaking of website updates, look for the new Focal Piece of the Month coming up later this week. This one consists of a bit more "storytelling" than many of the ones in the past. I think I may have to take that into consideration when selecting items for future spotlights if it is well-received. Let me know what you think when you read it! :D

One other "new" thing I did this week -- I cracked open a crystal geode! I ordered a set of three a while back, but was surprised when they looked like ordinary rocks when they arrived. I found a video online this week that explained I had to crack it open to see the crystals inside! DOH! I had already started experimenting with creating a beaded netting for one to make a paperweight, so I had to take the beads off to crack it open. Luckily, they still fit after! I ended up with two additional small pieces -- it did not crack in half -- that I will eventually wire-wrap as pendants. Always thinking ahead! :D

I had another NAET treatment yesterday -- it seems to be endless -- but I won't know how well it worked for another week or so. I will let you know my progress in next week's blog. :)

Gotta run...I still have a few chores to get done before bed. Later, all! ;)

Tangible Tidbits 2011 # 24: Back To The Daily Grind...

Hi, all! I had a pretty productive "staycation" this week. That's the first time I've ever done that; I will definitely do it again! :D As the saying goes, though..."all good things must come to an end." Back to the office job tomorrow! :\

I've just finished putting up two items on eBay. I have a bunch more, but since it takes me forever to write the listings, I think I will quit for the night. ;) I posted a hot glue gun and all-purpose glue sticks, if anyone is interested. I was going to list them together, but it seems more advantageous to list them separately so that's what I did. I also posted them on my Facebook profile and two company pages, since a percentage of the sales is going to charity. :) I tried to list a soldering tripod, but there is a $20 insertion fee for metalworking equipment! :o I may have to rethink some of these items...or list them in a different category to avoid that fee. I will try a few other items later in the week and see what I can do. :p

A major task on my To-Do list this week was to organize my studio/office. I'm about 90 percent there, and I will try to get to the last 10 percent this week. Once I'm finished, I think I will film a quick video to show it off, and for posterity since it may not last long! LOL

I also started working on some minor repairs and unfinished projects that have been sitting around here. I would like to keep up with that as well, so I can finally get to a "clean slate." I'm maybe one-third of the way done with those. One thing I am trying to do is secure/reinforce some of my clasps...particularly toggle clasps. I decided to "enhance" the bar side with wire-wrapping, which will make it bulkier and therefore less likely to slip through the loop and open. I think there may be a Factoid on that subject to be written soon! LOL

One of the projects I completed is a second Bottle of Hope for the Bead Society to donate to cancer patients. This one is dark blue, in memory of two friends who had colon cancer. Here's the first one, in case you missed it. That one is purple and lavender for general cancer and pancreatic cancer (Grandma). I have one more kit to do. Since I don't have periwinkle beads for stomach cancer (Dad), I think I will do teal and white for cervical cancer. I will have to track down some periwinkle beads for the next go-round! ;)

Our final Bead Society meeting is this Thursday. We will break for the summer and resume in September. This week is the Bead Challenge, so people who participated will submit their projects anonymously in brown paper bags. All entries will be displayed and the members will vote in six categories. Mine is in the Wearable Objects category. Wish me luck! :) I asked the BSNJ President if I could bring my video camera and record the results in my category -- I thought that would make a fun and interesting blog post -- and I offered to submit it to the Society's Yahoo group and website. Unfortunately, she is afraid other members will get upset if their pieces -- or themselves in background shots for that matter -- end up on the internet. I plan to bring it up at the next Board meeting, as she suggested we get their feedback for future events. ;)

I had a follow-up NAET treatment for sugar and yeast yesterday. That was by far the easiest one to date, as I did not have to avoid water! Of the six calcium oxalate-related treatments we did a few weeks ago, four are all clear. I'm going back for the other two (calcium oxinate and oxalic acid) again on June 25. If this doesn't alleviate the itching problem, I will have to have treatments for vegetables, nuts, fruits, and spices, etc. individually. I'm really hoping it doesn't come to that! :o

That's more than enough for now. Have a great week! :)

Tangible Tidbits 2011 # 21: A Bit of Business & the Schwarzenegger Ordeal

Hey, everyone! Sorry I'm a day late, but I felt sick most of yesterday and I didn't come online at all. I'm not sure if that was the result of Saturday's NAET treatment for six calcium-related additives in an attempt to relieve my issues with calcium oxalates...but I never had that reaction before, so it may be a coincidence. It may take a week to see any improvement, but I have a feeling based on the results on Saturday that I will have to repeat at least two of them. I already have to repeat the treatments for yeast and sugar in three weeks, since I am still approximately 40 percent "allergic" to them. I just have to keep plugging along...

I got an A- in my Metalwork & Jewelry class! I'm really happy about that, given the teacher is one I respect a lot. :)

Our new "Links We Like" page for link exchanges is up and running. The idea is posting reciprocal links on sites that are willing to host my link in an effort to increase search engine optimization (SEO).

I FINALLY started posting product photos on the Facebook page again this week! There are still quite a few to go, but at least I'm making progress! ;)

Also, I received a kewl email this week, informing me that I won a $100 gift card for See's Candies as the First Place winner in the See's Easter Promotion Contest! I sent links to the Virtual Mall website page, Facebook page, Twitter and Google Buzz messages. The irony is that I don't think the links generated any sales for See's. LOL :o Anyway, $100 buys a lot of chocolate, so my mother has enlisted my nieces to help me spend the money. :p

And now for something completely different! ;) "Showbiz Tonight" reported that Hollywood is appalled (I'm paraphrasing because I can't find the original clip) over Arnold Schwarzenegger's actions that led to the break-up of his marriage to Maria Shriver. I have to say, I'm surprised by this reaction. Hollywood has always tolerated "indiscretions" by celebrities...to the point of studios covering them up so as not to damage the reputations of their stars back in the day. Frankly, I hope Hollywood IS appalled, as well as the public. One of the reasons celebrities act the way they do is because there are no real repercussions for their negative behavior. Charlie Sheen has a nasty, inappropriate public meltdown, yet his "Violent Torpedo of Truth" shows are selling out in some cities. WTF? I can't tell you how many celebrities I used to respect have "fallen from grace" over the years. It's really sad that positive role models seem to be nearing extinction. The fact is, people who choose a career in the public eye -- actors, sports figures, politicians, musicians, etc. -- are held up as societal role models whether they like it or not (and many don't). Is it a coincidence we have a generation of children who are growing up to be self-involved, bratty adults? I don't think so. How can children learn how to act appropriately when they see celebrities acting like spoiled brats...and getting away with it? Maybe if we start holding celebrities accountable for their bad behavior -- hit them where it hurts...in their wallets -- we can start to change the cycle. It's long past time, IMHO.

Have a great week!

Tangible Tidbits 2011 #14: NAET, Social Media & My Latest Video!

Hi, everyone! What's new?

On the personal side of things, I've been undergoing allergy treatments to help stop my reaction to calcium oxalates. Yesterday, I had my second session of Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET), which incorporate acupuncture and avoidance of certain "food energies" for 25 hours following the treatment. Two weeks ago, I had the treatment for calcium and eggs. The egg one worked, but the calcium only relieved 50 percent of the problem. I'd inadvertently put my hand under tap water that afternoon, and tap water contains a certain amount of calcium in it. I will have to repeat that one at a later time. This week, we did grains, yeast, and sugar. Let me tell you...it is REALLY HARD to avoid these items for 25 hours! I spent most of the day in bed with a major headache. I also had to avoid tap water again, since it was not listed on the "okay to consume" list for sugar or yeast (I forget which one). The last time was just as bad because I had to avoid anything related to eggs, including fowl and anything with feathers in it such as down comforters and pillows. Calcium is in many vegetables, toothpaste, and a lot of other things you wouldn't necessarily associate with calcium. I also spent most of that weekend in bed with a headache. The doctor is inquiring about getting a calcium oxalate sample, so we can treat me directly for that. The way we are going about it now, we're not entirely sure what will alleviate the itching and what won't. :\ Hopefully, I will get through these soon, as I can't take too many more "fasting" weekends! :p

A quick update on the projects I told you about last week: I received the aluminum sheet metal for the Chinese box project for school. I also went to Staples and made 11" x 17" copies of the template I found on the internet, so I'm ready to rock on that this coming week in class. I made the chopsticks last week...I even broke the second one while trying to whittle it down to a tapered end! Luckily, super glue and a vice worked a minor miracle, and I can't even tell which one was split! I had already sanded them both down to make them smooth, and I applied one coat of Tung Oil yesterday. I'll probably apply at least one more coat, maybe two. A classmate also suggested I reinforce the ends with metal...it will not only help make the broken one stronger, but also embellish the chopsticks and make them totally unique! I will try to get to that this week or next. :) I also finished the enamel-covered metal white hoop earrings I mentioned. In fact, I made two pairs...one with large filigree hoops and a second smaller pair with wire donut spacers that have spokes going around them like bicycle wheels. Both turned out really nice! Hopefully, my coworker will like at least one pair. :)

In social media news, the Twitter page for the Virtual Mall seems to be drawing attention from somewhere, but I'm not quite sure where. I've been adding followers pretty regularly without much effort on my part. I think the page added 15 today alone! :o Between that page and the Facebook Page, we have close to 800 followers now! :D I also added a Company page for Something Tangible on LinkedIn. I was doing something over there and the option popped up, so I took it! :)

Lastly, I finally finished my fourth San Diego video and posted it to YouTube. I think it turned out pretty well! ;)



Have a great week! :D