We love you!
30.11.11
29.11.11
KickStarter - Nolna
Have you heard of KickStarter?
Kickstarter is non-profit, web-based community that allows people (currently only those within the US) to advertise a project that they are hoping to start up. These projects range from games, art, small business ventures, film, photography, etc.
To get started you need a project, a profile, video, budget and rewards. People are able browse through current projects and then donate money to those they like. Money is not taken from your account until the project have been funded 100%. So minimal risk. So if you are needing $1000 for a project and only $900 is donated then it is a no go. So minimal risk. You can donate a little or a lot depending on how your personal budget is looking and your enthusiasm for the project.
Pretty cool.
KickStarter allows people from all of the world (you can donate from any country) to help people with a project that would otherwise struggle to find funding. When you donate you are usually rewarded with a small or large something. Sometimes it is a print of the artwork, a sample of music, food, and much more. Everyone ends up with something if the project is backed 100%. Some projects even go beyond their goal. I was reading about one project that made over 3,000% of their budget. Awesome.
So now I will shamelessly plug my sister, Shannon, and her husband's (Josh) small business venture on KickStarter. It is called Nolna.
Below is the video they made for their KickStarter project. And here is where you can go to see their profile, budget, and rewards.
Note - To find the play button for the video, scroll down within the small box below.
Kickstarter is non-profit, web-based community that allows people (currently only those within the US) to advertise a project that they are hoping to start up. These projects range from games, art, small business ventures, film, photography, etc.
To get started you need a project, a profile, video, budget and rewards. People are able browse through current projects and then donate money to those they like. Money is not taken from your account until the project have been funded 100%. So minimal risk. So if you are needing $1000 for a project and only $900 is donated then it is a no go. So minimal risk. You can donate a little or a lot depending on how your personal budget is looking and your enthusiasm for the project.
Pretty cool.
KickStarter allows people from all of the world (you can donate from any country) to help people with a project that would otherwise struggle to find funding. When you donate you are usually rewarded with a small or large something. Sometimes it is a print of the artwork, a sample of music, food, and much more. Everyone ends up with something if the project is backed 100%. Some projects even go beyond their goal. I was reading about one project that made over 3,000% of their budget. Awesome.
So now I will shamelessly plug my sister, Shannon, and her husband's (Josh) small business venture on KickStarter. It is called Nolna.
Below is the video they made for their KickStarter project. And here is where you can go to see their profile, budget, and rewards.
Note - To find the play button for the video, scroll down within the small box below.
27.11.11
Won't you be my neighbor?
We have been talking about being missional neighbors quite a bit recently. Maybe due in part to the fact that we are helping with a church re-plant.
Either through our pastor or others, we have come across some helpful material focusing on hospitality and becoming missional neighbors. Instead of restating what others have said, in a more grammatically correct form at that, I will point you to the sources.
1. A few ideas on how to interact with your neighbors from the Missional Church Network.
2. A blog post by a husband and wife covering the topic of hospitality.
3. The book "A Meal with Jesus - Discovering Grace, Community, & Mission around the Table" by Tim Chester. See here for a better and complete review of the book.
I haven't finished the above book but I would highly recommend it for reading. I would also recommend including it in every wedding gift you give. Young married couples should start building a hospitality vision from the get-go. This book will certainly help point the way.
This book challenges Christians to not think "if" but "when" concerning hospitality. It is something we should all be doing.
I like what Chester says at the end of the introduction.
And to finish some good old stats from Chester's (quoting someone else) book.
- There has been a 33% decrease in families eating together over the last three decades. And more than half of those families are watching television as they eat together.
- Over the same period there's been a 45% decline in entertaining friends.
- In the typical American household, the average number of dinners eaten together is three per week, with the average length of dinner being 20 minutes.
"Sharing a meal is not the only way to build relationships, but it is number one on the list."
Tomorrow I'll mention our recent attempts to share meals with neighbors, a Red Snapper dinner and thoughts for future meals.
Either through our pastor or others, we have come across some helpful material focusing on hospitality and becoming missional neighbors. Instead of restating what others have said, in a more grammatically correct form at that, I will point you to the sources.
1. A few ideas on how to interact with your neighbors from the Missional Church Network.
2. A blog post by a husband and wife covering the topic of hospitality.
3. The book "A Meal with Jesus - Discovering Grace, Community, & Mission around the Table" by Tim Chester. See here for a better and complete review of the book.
I haven't finished the above book but I would highly recommend it for reading. I would also recommend including it in every wedding gift you give. Young married couples should start building a hospitality vision from the get-go. This book will certainly help point the way.
This book challenges Christians to not think "if" but "when" concerning hospitality. It is something we should all be doing.
I like what Chester says at the end of the introduction.
"True, it's not always easy - it involves people invading your space or going to places where you don't fee comfortable. But it's not complicated. If you share a meal three or four times a week and you have a passion for Jesus, then you will be building up the Christian community and reaching out in mission."Here are two quotes that I found helpful, especially when we are with the Prison Fellowship families.
"Involvement with people, especially the marginalized, begins with a profound grasp of God's grace. Often our instincts are to keep our distance. But the Son of God ate with them. He's not embarrassed by them. He lets them kiss his feet. He's the friend of riffraff, traitors, the unrespectable drunks, druggies, prostitutes, the mentally ill, the broken, and the needy (homosexuals should be here as well) - people whose lives are a mess."And in case we are sitting on that lovely pedestal...
"Involvement with people, especially the marginalized, must begin with a sense of God's grace. But not just God's grace to them, but his grace to me. I need to be melted and broken by grace."We (I) need to remember that we have been rescued out of the very same mess all the above are still in.
And to finish some good old stats from Chester's (quoting someone else) book.
- There has been a 33% decrease in families eating together over the last three decades. And more than half of those families are watching television as they eat together.
- Over the same period there's been a 45% decline in entertaining friends.
- In the typical American household, the average number of dinners eaten together is three per week, with the average length of dinner being 20 minutes.
"Sharing a meal is not the only way to build relationships, but it is number one on the list."
Tomorrow I'll mention our recent attempts to share meals with neighbors, a Red Snapper dinner and thoughts for future meals.
25.11.11
Update on Horsee, Bike riding, and CATC (a maybe)
UPDATE
Horsee has been found! Actually he was found the next day. Gids climbed into bed with us around 4am and whimpered for Horsee until 7am. I kicked the girls outside and told them to search very hard for the lost friend. Thankfully J had her eagle eyes on and spotted Horsee's head poking out from underneath the plastic pool. J was the favorite child for the day :-)
BIKE RIDING
Brandon rides almost 40 Ks to and from work most days. So he is involved in the cycling scene a bit. We are trying to teach Jolene to ride a two-wheeler but she doesn't have a great desire. So until she musters the courage we came up with another solution so that the entire family can go bike riding. See below. Tonight we biked to the mall to pick up a smaller helmet and a three-wheeled scooter for G. He will probably ride a two-wheeler before Jolene does. He loves all things with wheels.
CATC
Brandon and I went to the grand opening of CATC, a new design college in Melbourne. The college is about a block from the big train station (Southern Cross) in Melbourne which is awesome. I wanted to go because I am interested in their part time study option. They have a two year study program that meets just two nights a week for 6 hours total. This coming Wednesday I am taking in a portfolio of work so that they can have a look and see if I might fit in with their graphic design course. I am wrestling with whether it is a good time to do something like this. I have always wanted to go back to school but I am not sure 2013 will be the best option. There is a lot to think about. So for now we will be praying and slowly investigating.
At the opening we meet an elderly man who runs the Melbourne Museum of Printing. It was great talking to him. He started working with type when he was 9 and has never looked back. I can only imagine the vast amount of wealth that is stored in his brain. I am looking into taking some printing classes from there as option B. They offer classes in letterpress which would be right down my alley. The only problem is the cost. It can add up pretty quickly. We will see.
Horsee has been found! Actually he was found the next day. Gids climbed into bed with us around 4am and whimpered for Horsee until 7am. I kicked the girls outside and told them to search very hard for the lost friend. Thankfully J had her eagle eyes on and spotted Horsee's head poking out from underneath the plastic pool. J was the favorite child for the day :-)
BIKE RIDING
Brandon rides almost 40 Ks to and from work most days. So he is involved in the cycling scene a bit. We are trying to teach Jolene to ride a two-wheeler but she doesn't have a great desire. So until she musters the courage we came up with another solution so that the entire family can go bike riding. See below. Tonight we biked to the mall to pick up a smaller helmet and a three-wheeled scooter for G. He will probably ride a two-wheeler before Jolene does. He loves all things with wheels.
 |
| The crew. |
 |
| Helmets. G sporting the one we just bought at the mall. |
 |
| B's work bike plus trailer. A & G ride in the trailer. |
 |
| B's mountain bike that I ride with J on the back. |
Brandon and I went to the grand opening of CATC, a new design college in Melbourne. The college is about a block from the big train station (Southern Cross) in Melbourne which is awesome. I wanted to go because I am interested in their part time study option. They have a two year study program that meets just two nights a week for 6 hours total. This coming Wednesday I am taking in a portfolio of work so that they can have a look and see if I might fit in with their graphic design course. I am wrestling with whether it is a good time to do something like this. I have always wanted to go back to school but I am not sure 2013 will be the best option. There is a lot to think about. So for now we will be praying and slowly investigating.
At the opening we meet an elderly man who runs the Melbourne Museum of Printing. It was great talking to him. He started working with type when he was 9 and has never looked back. I can only imagine the vast amount of wealth that is stored in his brain. I am looking into taking some printing classes from there as option B. They offer classes in letterpress which would be right down my alley. The only problem is the cost. It can add up pretty quickly. We will see.
21.11.11
Sad
Today Gids lost his "horsee". The little plush horse has followed him everywhere and enjoyed many cuddles.
Gids accidentally left it out in the backyard and I do believe a visiting neighborhood dog snatched Horsee and carried him off.
Funny how inanimate objects can begin to feel like they are people or beings after time. I kept thinking how sad Horsee must be not snuggling in bed with Gids tonight. Then I would think "well, that's a completely ridiculous thought."
I do believe I am more sad than Gids. Possibly because Gids didn't really cry, maybe tomorrow he will but not tonight. Instead he grabbed a stuffed monster I made, a squid to be precise, named the squid "Bubbly" and merrily hopped off to bed. I was sad. I wanted to say "how can you accept another animal so quickly! You haven't had any time to grieve!" I think I was also sad because Gids isn't a little baby anymore. Tonight is just another indicator that he is growing up. He can get over loosing his snugly toy. I don't want him to grow up just yet.
*sigh*
I need to find another Horsee so that Gid's growing up slows down just a little bit...for the time being anyway.
Gids accidentally left it out in the backyard and I do believe a visiting neighborhood dog snatched Horsee and carried him off.
Funny how inanimate objects can begin to feel like they are people or beings after time. I kept thinking how sad Horsee must be not snuggling in bed with Gids tonight. Then I would think "well, that's a completely ridiculous thought."
I do believe I am more sad than Gids. Possibly because Gids didn't really cry, maybe tomorrow he will but not tonight. Instead he grabbed a stuffed monster I made, a squid to be precise, named the squid "Bubbly" and merrily hopped off to bed. I was sad. I wanted to say "how can you accept another animal so quickly! You haven't had any time to grieve!" I think I was also sad because Gids isn't a little baby anymore. Tonight is just another indicator that he is growing up. He can get over loosing his snugly toy. I don't want him to grow up just yet.
I need to find another Horsee so that Gid's growing up slows down just a little bit...for the time being anyway.
15.11.11
Unusual Suspects
Drawings by Jolene and Adele that I turned into plush toys. They came up with most of the designs. I came up with the squid. They are all made out of old clothes that were in too poor shape for the op shop but too useful to be thrown away. More to be made in the near future, hopefully.
14.11.11
our little etsy shop
is now up and running.
Click here to visit. The shop is a collaboration between Sarah McEwen and myself. I'm sure the shop name makes sense now.
Who knows how it will go but I am always up for something new. I am not really worried about it. If God wants something to happen it will, so slow and steady we go.
The market that I mentioned a few posts ago wasn't all that great. Too many other things going on that were distracting our buyers. That's ok. We learned another lesson. I am happy that I came out in the green after paying for the stall fee and petrol. As long as that continues to happen I don't mind going.
It is always enjoyable to show people what you have been thinking up in your own head. It is even better when they enjoy it!
8.11.11
Those awkward moments
Awkward #1
Grabbing the Aldi checkout person's hand over and over again.
So you're shopping at Aldi, as many people do. You throw all your stuff onto the belt, get the kids somewhere safe, and then line up at the end of the belt like a backstop during a baseball game.
The checkout people begin to fling food at you faster than an one-year old tosses their lunch off the highchair. You make some attempt to organize your food as it is flying at you. Don't squash the bread with all the cans! Then it happens you grab their hand. It happens again, you go for some item before they have let go and you end up holding their hand.
I kid you not I grabbed one Aldi checkout guy's hand three times! Awkward with a capital A.
Does this happen to anyone else? I asked Brandon about it and he said "he never does that."
Maybe I am over zealous at keeping up with the checkout person, actually I am probably over competitive. I see it as a competition that I will always lose. Who cares! I can still try to beat the checkout person!
So what is more awkward, grabbing a checkout guy's hand or a checkout girl's hand?
This was my great ponder on the way home from Aldi the other day.
Awkward #2
When you are walking down a street and happen to follow someone for a block or two. The awkward part is when they start to glance around, wondering why they are being followed.
This happened to me the other day. I end up following someone and they glance around. I now have two options; One, slow down so that their personal walking space is no longer being invaded. Two, walk really fast and then cut in front of them hoping that you don't cut them off as you both enter the same store.
That happened to me too. I sped up and maneuvered around the person just in time to get to my shop. Only I ended up cutting them off because they were entering the same store. Opps!
Grabbing the Aldi checkout person's hand over and over again.
So you're shopping at Aldi, as many people do. You throw all your stuff onto the belt, get the kids somewhere safe, and then line up at the end of the belt like a backstop during a baseball game.
The checkout people begin to fling food at you faster than an one-year old tosses their lunch off the highchair. You make some attempt to organize your food as it is flying at you. Don't squash the bread with all the cans! Then it happens you grab their hand. It happens again, you go for some item before they have let go and you end up holding their hand.
I kid you not I grabbed one Aldi checkout guy's hand three times! Awkward with a capital A.
Does this happen to anyone else? I asked Brandon about it and he said "he never does that."
Maybe I am over zealous at keeping up with the checkout person, actually I am probably over competitive. I see it as a competition that I will always lose. Who cares! I can still try to beat the checkout person!
So what is more awkward, grabbing a checkout guy's hand or a checkout girl's hand?
This was my great ponder on the way home from Aldi the other day.
Awkward #2
When you are walking down a street and happen to follow someone for a block or two. The awkward part is when they start to glance around, wondering why they are being followed.
This happened to me the other day. I end up following someone and they glance around. I now have two options; One, slow down so that their personal walking space is no longer being invaded. Two, walk really fast and then cut in front of them hoping that you don't cut them off as you both enter the same store.
That happened to me too. I sped up and maneuvered around the person just in time to get to my shop. Only I ended up cutting them off because they were entering the same store. Opps!
2.11.11
Humble Pie
This weekend I will be attending another art & craft market.
If you ever want a dose of humble pie try selling some of your homemade crafts and art pieces.
You may spend hours creating a piece. This color or that? What watercolor paper to paint on? What fabric should this project use? The list of possibilities are endless. In the end it comes down to your personal taste. You like a certain group of colors, a specific fabric, a certain style of painting.
After hours of time trying to create what only you can see in your head you're finished.
Then you take it to a market and try to sell it.
Hours go by and people look, touch and contemplate. In the end they may or may not buy your creation. It all comes down to whether your creation works for them. Are the colors what they like? Is that the type of piece they were searching for? Do they have the cash on hand?
You think your work is great and would hang it anywhere. Others don't. Humble Pie.
Below are a few ink, watercolor and paper creations I have made that will be going to market on Saturday. Pie may ensue.
I am hoping to save some money for a trip to China to visit my sister and brother-in-law. I may have to offer to mow the neighbors' lawns a few times (like 100) if Saturday doesn't go well :-)
The below are called the Superbly Wordy Fairy Wrens. Inspiration was gathered from visits to Dixons Creek where the Superb Blue Fairy Wren flits around the surrounding fields. They are lovely little blue and black puff balls.
If you ever want a dose of humble pie try selling some of your homemade crafts and art pieces.
You may spend hours creating a piece. This color or that? What watercolor paper to paint on? What fabric should this project use? The list of possibilities are endless. In the end it comes down to your personal taste. You like a certain group of colors, a specific fabric, a certain style of painting.
After hours of time trying to create what only you can see in your head you're finished.
Then you take it to a market and try to sell it.
Hours go by and people look, touch and contemplate. In the end they may or may not buy your creation. It all comes down to whether your creation works for them. Are the colors what they like? Is that the type of piece they were searching for? Do they have the cash on hand?
You think your work is great and would hang it anywhere. Others don't. Humble Pie.
Below are a few ink, watercolor and paper creations I have made that will be going to market on Saturday. Pie may ensue.
I am hoping to save some money for a trip to China to visit my sister and brother-in-law. I may have to offer to mow the neighbors' lawns a few times (like 100) if Saturday doesn't go well :-)
The below are called the Superbly Wordy Fairy Wrens. Inspiration was gathered from visits to Dixons Creek where the Superb Blue Fairy Wren flits around the surrounding fields. They are lovely little blue and black puff balls.
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