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Glacier National Park: Many Glacier Loop
Start from Many Glacier's Ptarmigan Tunnel trailhead. Ascend past waterfalls to the tunnel at 7,248-feet. Descend to Elizabeth Lake and pass 50-foot Dawn Mist Falls at mile 11.2. Continue to the wire-assisted crossing of Cosley Lake's outlet and camp at the lake.
The next day's 14.5-mile section passes Glenns Lake and enters a glacial runout en route to 6,908-foot Stoney Indian Pass at mile 23.1. Descend 600 feet in .8 mile to Stoney Indian Lake (with camping), then reach a T-junction at mile 26.3. Turn right toward Kootenai Lake, and camp along this grouping of reedy ponds with resident moose.
Head south to pick up the Highline Trail. Snake across mountainsides and under pine canopy to Fifty Mountain Pass at mile 35.7. Camp 1.3 miles later at the Fifty Mountain site.
The next day starts with .3 mile across tundra and climbs to 7,422 feet, just below the Continental Divide. Stay high, enjoying big views of the Livingston Range as you contour past Cattle Queen Creek and over Ahern Pass. Take a break at the historic Granite Park Chalet at mile 48.6. Continue up to 7,161-foot Swiftcurrent Pass. Descend through bighorn habitat, and bottom out at Swiftcurrent Creek. Then it's 3.9 lakeside miles back to Many Glacier.
Map Trails Illustrated Glacier/Waterton Lakes ($12, natgeomaps.com)
Permit $5/person per night; $30/trip for reservations
Season Ptarmigan Tunnel is typically open from mid-July through September. Late August is ideal.
Contact (406) 888-7857; nps.gov/glac
-Mapped by Casey Lyons
Trail Facts
- Distance: 89.4
Wpt 051
Location: 61.53748, -142.906577
Wpt 050
Location: 61.53748, -142.906577
Crampon up!
Wpt 049
Location: 61.53748, -142.906577
Turn left to glac
Wpt 048
Location: 61.53748, -142.906577
Camp 1
Wpt 047
Location: 61.513084, -142.892696
Rubbly mor x
Wpt 046
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Wpt 045
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Go strait to access better gl spot
Wpt 044
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Food lockr
Wpt 043
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Jumbo cr cross confusing
Wpt 042
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Cont lft hard to ree
Wpt 041
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Turn left at jumbo cr
Wpt 040
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Wpt 039
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Wpt 038
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Wpt 037
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Root glac th


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It all started a couple of years ago when two great high school friends, Mike and Dean, who wanted to quit smoking, found a better alternative in vaping. One day, Mike and Dean were hanging out and vaping when they had the idea of mixing and matching different e-juices to get a different flavor. After a full and eventful evening of successfully mixing flavors, the friends decided they could open a vape store centered around unique and awesome flavors. That's exactly what they did and Vapin' Cajuns was born.
Mike and Dean, basically brothers, went to the drawing board with recipes and really did their homework. They learned the ins and outs of vaping and e-juice flavoring and quickly became experts on developing different flavors. Through an extensive and detailed process that can take between three to five months, they began producing a number of quality flavored vape juices. Mike and Dean take this process seriously because they want nothing but the best flavor every time for their customers. They believe that the flavor they experience at the taste bar should be consistent every time they order that particular flavor, making Vapin' Cajuns their go-to vape shop.
Our store is located in Breaux Bridge, LA, but we serve the surrounding areas as well. Vapin' Cajuns offers discounts to any student, faculty or staff involved with any post-secondary school and also any and all first responders and military, as well as senior citizens.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you'd like to see my recent four+- and five-star YA recommendations, visit Robin ReadsnWrites.
* I didn't make it beyond the first 20 pages.
** I made it to the end, but I either skimmed or skipped large sections.
*** I might have skipped/skimmed, but I liked it and might read it again.
**** I read at least 95% of the book and it was good -- probably will be reread.
***** I read every word, and I loved it! A favorite and definite reread.
This year, I'm only going to list the stars and a brief recommendation for the type of readers I think will enjoy the book [(R) means it's a re-read; [] means it's an ARC].
The Living, by Matt de la Pena -- highly recommended for those who like natural disaster survival stories, those who like smart and original heroes, and those who like science fiction thrillers -- Delacorte, 11/13
Kalahari, by Jessica Khoury -- highly recommended for those who like science fiction thrillers, those who like Michael Crichton-type plots, and those who like vulnerable yet courageous heroines -- Razorbill, 2/15
The Clouded Sky, by Megan Crewe megancrewe -- recommended for those who enjoyed the first (Earth & Sky), those who like science fiction thrillers, and those who like strong heroines -- Skyscape, 5/15
After the Sunset, by Mary Calmes -- highly recommended for those who like male/male adult romance -- Dreamspinner Press, 8/11
Currently Reading: Infected
On Deck: more sequels...and probably some re-reads ;)


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Kilburn rapper Doc Brown opens new mental health unit in Westminster
PUBLISHED: 12:31 14 October 2016 | UPDATED: 12:31 14 October 2016
A rapper and actor from Kilburn broke down while talking about a close relative who had experienced a mental breakdown.
Doc Brown, who is also an author and stand-up comic, was speaking at the opening of a new building for the Westminster Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Westbourne Park on World Mental Health Day.
Addressing the audience the 39-year-old brother of author Zadie Smith, real name Ben Bailey Smith, said: "I've been trying to work through some things…" before pausing and turning away from the crowd.
He went on to talk about the importance of supporting children and young people through difficult times.
The former youth worker said that when he first started working with young people, "sometimes children would disclose things to you and you didn't know what to do."
It led to him studying for a BTEC qualification in youth work and later starting a charity to support unaccompanied refugee children coming into the UK.
Rhonda Alexander, a patient, said that the CAMHS service which includes talking therapies, made the difference for her and her three children when they experienced difficulties, and later when one of her sons had a depressive episode.
She said: "I don't know where my family would be without Westminster CAMHS. Their input was life changing and helped us to move forward,"
Doc Brown and Claire Murdoch, chief executive of the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) showed support for the national #IAMWHOLE anti-stigma mental health campaign, launched by the YMCA to reach out to young people.
Ms Murdoch said: "We're still on our journey as a society when it comes to challenging stigma."
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Brent & Kilburn Times. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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Jim Botsacos
Did you know?
Botsacos' career has spanned New York's finest restaurants, including seven years at The 21 Club, 1986-1993, working with some of the industry's most renowned chefs, including Alain Sailhac, Michael Lomanaco, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Daniel Bruce.
Jim's Featured Recipe
Jim Botsacos is the former chef/partner of acclaimed Molyvos restaurant (1997-2013), and Abboccato restaurant (2004 – 2013). Botsacos is known for creating a fresh, traditional and modern take on Greek cuisine this side of the Mediterranean, using high quality olive oil inspired by heritage. With his background of traditional Greek cooking, he has launched New Greek Cuisine, a smooth and rich olive oil to brighten any dish. He is also working on building his product line with Greek inspired foods such as spreads, frozen foods, and desserts.
Jim has been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, and Bon Appétite. He has appeared on television shows including: Martha Stewart Living, Today Show, The Early Show, PBS Holiday Table, and hosted 13 episodes for ESPN's Cold Pizza.
Born and raised in New York, Botsacos learned to cook at a very young age. He hails from Greek and Italian heritage, which includes a long line of chefs as well as restaurateurs. While his mother cooked the family's day-to-day meals, it was his father's innovative spirit and creativity in the kitchen that inspired him to experiment with food on his own, and also see food as a continually evolving journey.
Botsacos is the author of The New Greek Cuisine cookbook. He currently lives in New York with his wife, Maria, and their two children, Sofia and Dimitri.


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Ocwen Reaches Out To Help Homeowners
Ocwen Financial Corporation, along with the Seattle King County NAACP, will host a Help & Hope for Homeowners borrower outreach event in Des Moines, Washington on September 10, 2016. The event will be held in Des Moines to attract borrowers from Seattle and Tacoma as well as the surrounding areas, where delinquency rates remain relatively high.
Featured Sponsors:
The event for Ocwen customers will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Highline College Student Union Center (Building 8) at 2400 S. 240th Street in Des Moines, Washington. The event will offer borrowers the opportunity to meet with Ocwen Home Retention Agents and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved financial counselors to explore loan modifications and other options, including principal reduction programs, to make their homes more affordable.
According to RealtyTrac, in King County – which includes Seattle – one in 2,353 homes is in foreclosure. In certain pockets of the city the foreclosure rate is much higher, such as in Seattle's Industrial District where the foreclosure rate is one in every 253 homes. In neighboring Pierce County – which encompasses Tacoma – the rate is one in every 1,022 homes. In Tacoma, one in 980 properties is in foreclosure. In Des Moines, one in 844 properties is in foreclosure.
Featured Sponsors:
"Like many metropolitan areas, families around Seattle are still at risk of losing their homes and need help now," commented Jill Showell, Senior Vice President of Government and Community Relations at Ocwen. "Our Help & Hope for Homeowners events offer real solutions and relief to distressed homeowners. The NAACP is a trusted resource in the Seattle and Tacoma area, and together we are committed to helping borrowers qualify for loan modification options so they can better afford their homes."
"The NAACP understands the significance of homeownership not only for individuals, but for the communities where they live and work," said Dr. Sheley Secrest, Economic Development Chair of the Seattle King County NAACP. "Owning a home gives families stability, pride, and a vehicle for building wealth. Our local Help & Hope for Homeowners event will give borrowers the opportunity to stay in their homes by working directly with Ocwen Home Retention Agents and HUD-approved financial counselors to find real solutions."
About The Author
Tony Garritano is chairman and founder at PROGRESS in Lending Association. As a speaker Tony has worked hard to inform executives about how technology should be a tool used to further business objectives. For over 10 years he has worked as a journalist, researcher and speaker in the mortgage technology space. Starting this association was the next step for someone like Tony, who has dedicated his career to providing mortgage executives with the information needed to make informed technology decisions. He can be reached via e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Each player receives an individualised programme to meet their specific needs. This is the same whether you are based at BACA or PACA campuses for your academic studies.
There are a range of components to the cricket programme which include technical, tactical, psychological, strength and conditioning, and coach education elements. The programme is designed to help maximise the potential of every player regardless of ability or playing aspirations.
Playing Programme
With the completion of the Sir Rod Aldridge Cricket Centre at BACA, which includes a premier league standard cricket square, a new pavilion and indoor cricket school, the Academy is superbly equipped to play excellent competitive fixtures against a wide range of schools and representative teams. This gives players opportunities to put into practise skills developed throughout the winter in top class indoor facilities.
You will also be involved in nurturing the younger talent in both academies as you assume the roles of leaders and coaches in the schools' Inter House competitions. There are also opportunities to extend your coaching skills further in the wider community by delivering coaching to feeder primary schools.
International Tours
The ACA is passionate about allowing players to experience the wider benefits of being part of a sport that is enjoyed around the world in a variety of countries and cultures. In February 2015, we undertook our first overseas tour to South Africa, which was followed by our second tour to Dubai in February 2017. You can read more about it here!
Training Programme
These are individually tailored to suit the needs of every cricketer. They are planned using periodisation principles to ensure that peak performance is achieved at the most important times.
The ACA programme aims to develop players who have potential to be successful at County level or even beyond as well as those who simply have a passion for cricket. Students joining this squad will be offered a special tailored programme whereby they will follow their academic studies in the morning and train/play cricket in the afternoon.
Find out more about your academic studies
Any questions? Contact us.


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Visiting an Apple Orchard is a must during the Fall Season!
Flannel & Beanie: Cotton On
Tee: Macys
Leggings: H&M
Boots: Lulu's
Boot Socks: TJ Maxx
Long Sleeve Tee: H&M
Beanie: Zara
Leggings: Old Navy
Boots: Gap (past season)
These are just the sweetest pictures!ReplyDelete
Great photos!!
The Style Storm
xo, Christina
I just love coming over to your blog! I think it is because I am a brunette with dark features and my daughter was born "all daddy." She is blonde and blue eyed and is only getting lighter. Certain faces she makes I can see in your daughter too. I love it! They are too cute for their own good. Anyways, just thought I would say hi and you inspired me to do a mini me look with my daughter for our pumpkin patch visit a little while ago :)
All the Best,
Christina McGuire
Gorgeous photos!
Katie x
Lindsey Marlor Photography© | Pillow Thought Instagram | Pillow Thought HOME Instagram


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Mercer's longevity solution ensures nest eggs can last for as long as we do:
Awarded most innovative by Chant West
Mercer was last night, awarded 'Best Fund: Innovation' at the 2015 Chant West Super Fund Awards, sealing their reputation as a leading innovator in retirement incomes. It is the second year in a row Mercer has won the award with their game-changing longevity solution, LifetimePlus, in 2015 and their lifecycle investment option, SmartPath, in 2014.
Mercer's LifetimePlus is a world-first longevity pooled investment fund within an account based pension. It combines an investment strategy focused on capital preservation with a unique longevity pool structure, which means members share the risk together and there are no third party shareholders or insurance premiums. It provides three key deliverables: investment returns, living bonus payments, and capital return payments; it is an income for life.
The Chant West Awards recognise funds striving to 'raise the bar' across the industry. Ben Walsh, Mercer's Managing Director and Pacific Market Leader, said, "LifetimePlus addresses longevity risk in a way that has never been offered in Australia before, this is definitely raising the bar in terms of providing Australians with more choice and more protection in retirement."
"We know 94% of retired Australians believe their super should provide an income for the rest of their life. With Mercer LifetimePlus you can keep your money in your super fund's account based pension, avoid changing your investment risk profile, and ensure an income until the day you die," he said.
"For years, the industry has grappled with how to offer members simple, affordable and flexible longevity risk protection. We're very proud to receive this award from Chant West and believe more innovation in superannuation must be encouraged, promoted and celebrated.
"We're proud to be recognised for our work in providing Australians with an accessible and affordable solution to longevity risk, helping to ensure they have enough savings for an adequate and comfortable retirement," said Mr Walsh.
The Chant West award for Mercer LifetimePlus comes following recognition with the CANSTAR Innovation Award this past March, where it was the only superannuation product to be awarded.
Mercer was also recognised as a finalist in other categories of the Chant West Super Fund Awards including Best Fund: Integrity, as well as Corporate Solutions Fund of the Year for the Mercer Super Trust.
About Mercer
Mercer is a global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement and investments. Mercer helps clients around the world advance the health, wealth and performance of their most vital asset – their people. Mercer's more than 20,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries and the firm operates in over 130 countries. Mercer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), a global professional services firm offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and people. With 57,000 employees worldwide and annual revenue exceeding $13 billion, Marsh & McLennan Companies is also the parent company of Marsh, a leader in insurance broking and risk management; Guy Carpenter, a leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary services; and Oliver Wyman, a leader in management consulting. For more information, visit www.mercer.com.au Follow Mercer on Twitter @MercerAu


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Using the Full Databases
By Gwendolyn Midlo Hall
While the search engine supplied here is a good way to get started, the creation, application and utility of these databases is a big subject and requires detailed explanations.
These databases and supporting documentation, calculations and images were first published in Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, ed., Databases for the Study of Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy 1699-1860 Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2000). This was a compact disk publication that also included census databases and spreadsheets by Paul LaChance and by Jeffrey and Virginia Gould. Final design, manufacture, and packaging of this compact disk publication was very ably overseen by Joel Williams and carried out by Tod Love and others at the Computer Services Center of Louisiana State University. Maureen Hewitt, Associate Director and Editor-in-Chief of Louisiana State University Press, threw herself into this project with as much enthusiasm and dedication as I did, carefully, skillfully, and tactfully sponsoring and editing the final product.
The creation of these databases began in 1984 after I discovered an impressive number of notarial documents in the courthouse at New Roads, Pointe Coupee Parish, which indicated the African ethnicity of the slaves. Robert A. Rosenberg, Director of the Edison Papers at Rutgers University, helped, encouraged, and taught me how to use databases. Results and calculations for Pointe Coupee during the Spanish period went into my book, Africans in Colonial Louisiana: The Development of Afro-Creole Culture in the Eighteenth Century (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1992).
These databases were made possible because of the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities and other funding agencies supplying matching funds and other funding. In 1991, the National Endowment for the Humanities funded a contract mainly to expand the databases that I began in 1984 in space and time. All matching funds allocated by the National Endowment for the Humanities were met by contributions from the Cultural Affairs Office of France, the Program for Cultural Cooperation between the Spanish Ministry of Culture and United States Universities, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Historic New Orleans Collection, and the University of New Orleans, with in-kind support from Northeastern University. Aside from administering the grant, Rutgers University did not collect overhead costs during the first two years of the project and provided very generous released time for me in return for a very modest compensation from the NEH contract.
The project finally included all the geographic areas now constituting the State of Louisiana through 1820 and also included some documents originating in or involving parts of what are now Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The vast majority of the documents used are housed in Louisiana, but a few were consulted in archives in France and Spain and at the University of Texas in Austin. The project stopped with 1820 when descriptions of the African ethnicities of slaves became sparse in Louisiana at the same time as the volume of documents escalated.
I was project director and co-principal investigator with Patrick Manning. We were very fortunate that database and statistical software had greatly improved since my original databases were created, so that by 1991 we were able to define many more fields and input many more records than was possible when my project began in 1984. Patrick Manning contributed to the expansion of the database definitions and the creation of code sheets when our project began in 1991. It is hard to overestimate his role in avoiding mistakes that would have haunted us ever after. Thereafter Manning devoted most of his research time funded under this project to developing and researching his Louisiana Sacramental Records Spreadsheets which will be published in the future. Just as the project neared completion, compact disk writers became available for home computers and made it possible for me to do just about all of the technical work myself.
The choice of dBASE V for DOS as the software package for the expansion of my original databases was a good one. The data are entirely portable and can be uploaded into new database and statistical software packages for Windows or Apple and beyond as this technology rapidly advances. The data can be uploaded into good database or spreadsheet software, recoded, queried, reorganized, and/or uploaded into SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) or other statistical software to allow for easy recoding, complex calculations, and for making graphs. In the process, the data can be reorganized or redefined to suit the user. Complex computer programming has been avoided, keeping costs down and flexibility up. My philosophy is that the conceptualization and design of historical databases are the work of historians, not technicians. Compact disk writers for desktop computers appeared on the market just as publication and manufacturing of the databases began. As a result, much time, money, and aggravation were saved and we were able to keep the price of the compact disk published by Louisiana State University Press in 2000 at only $45. I am happy to see that my complete databases as well as the software to use them are now available through ibiblio.org free of charge.
Database design cannot be divorced from the process of research. Early database design does not produce a finished product. It evolves as the historian becomes more familiar with the documents, with the data, and with new questions as they arise. Answers, tentative answers, and partial answers lead to new questions. Additional fields are entered and recoded during and after the data entry process has been completed. Maintaining flexibility to make changes in database design and to make corrections in data entry is essential. Once we largely completed the data entry process, many details had to be ironed out--always a slow, tedious process on a large database. Checking for duplications of identical documents found in more than one archive and deleting the duplications was a major chore. We did not delete the same slaves duplicated over time because, aside from the difficulties and uncertainty of such an undertaking, it would have eliminated much data, which demonstrated changing patterns and made it impossible to trace particular slaves in time depth. When estates were inventoried and then sold immediately afterwards, we recorded slaves only once, indicating the date of the inventory and the date of the sale and both the inventory and the sale price. In cases where months and, at times, years elapsed between inventory and sale of estates, we recorded slaves separately in order to be able to calculate changes over time in the same estate.
Patrick Manning played a major in expanding the identification of African ethnicities and their African regions of origin at the early stages of the NEH project. Beginning in 1996, members of the international community of scholars generously contributed their expertise in identifying still unidentified African ethnicities over H-Africa.net and through email. The input of Adam Jones, Owen Kalinga, Martin Klein, Robin Law, Michael Levin, Paul Lovejoy, Joseph C. Miller, Bruce Mouser, Mikael Parkvall, and Stephen Rockel is gratefully acknowledged. Dr. Ibrahima Seck, an outstanding historian living in Senegal who is of mixed Wolof and Fulbe ancestry and has a strong feeling for language, helped identify many of the African names (Code 4 in NAMETYPE fieldabout 10,366 names), names which were possibly African or European (Code 8 in NAMETYPE field-about 8,743 names), and Islamic names (about 1,017 names). He also included explanations of some of these names in the NAMEXPLAIN field where his input is initialed IS.
Pinpointing and identifying some of the African "nations" (ethnicities) found in the documents was more difficult than one might expect. Much information was initially taken from Philip D. Curtin's The Atlantic Slave Trade: A Census. But an amazing array of varieties of "nations" was found in the documents. There are about 9,000 records that contain specific African ethnicity information. These involve 217 different ethnicities among which 96 have been identified and 121 (consisting of only 152 individuals) whose "nation" was given but remains unidentified. All of these unidentified ethnicities are represented by very few individuals. Among the 8,840 Africans of identified ethnicities, 8,508 (96.2%) were clustered among 18 ethnicities who have been recoded in SPSS as AFREQ. This recoded field ranges between a low of 68 records for the Edo of the Bight of Benin to a high of 3,035 for the Congo of West Central Africa. Although Africans represented by very few ethnicities are of interest to specialists in African history, they are too few in number to use for studies of distribution of ethnicities in Louisiana.
A number of people assisted with the data entry carried out in courthouses and archives throughout Louisiana between July 1, 1991 and August 31, 1996. Ulysses S. Ricard, Jr., Chief Archivist of the Amistad Research Center, received released time to work full time as associate researcher on the project during its first year. Unfortunately, he became quite ill at the outset of the project, emerged from the hospital nearly blind, and died two years later. Ricard's enthusiasm for the work and his skills in the paleography of Louisiana French and Spanish colonial documents were an inspiration to all of us. He is sorely missed. This publication is dedicated to his memory. Philip S. MacLeod, then a student in Tulane University's Latin American Studies Ph. D. program, filled in when Ricard got sick and worked full time on the project during the first year, continued to work at least part time throughout the entire project and devoted much time and care to the final checking, translation into English of skills and illnesses, and cleaning of the databases before publication. His diligence, skill, modesty, dedication, open-mindedness, cares, and attention to details in research and data entry was invaluable. Despite the years he devoted to this project, he was able to complete a fine Ph. D. thesis about colonial Costa Rica. He was one of the last Richard L. Greenleaf student to complete his Ph. D. He is now Archivist for Manuscripts and Archives Sterling Memorial Library Yale University. Gregory Osborne moved to New Orleans from Los Angeles to work full time on the project during academic year 1991-92. He now works in the Louisiana Room of the New Orleans Public Library and devotes much of his time and attention to Afro-Louisiana genealogy. Mabel Macias devoted careful time and attention to research and data entry for about a year. Peter Caron and Osvaldo Ortega each entered data for a few weeks. Liliane Chauleau, Director of the Archives of Martinique, now retired, made several trips to New Orleans and then consulted the microfilms of the Louisiana Superior Council Records, assisting with some of the especially thorny problems of paleography of eighteenth century French documents. Mabel Robinson Williams helped me reorganize some of the fields and checked for typos in the name fields in preparation for publication. Inevitably, there are still some errors on such a huge database, but I hope they are minimal.
This project owes a deep debt to Paul Lachance who spent a full week showing me how to use SPSS for Windows during the summer of 1996 and created the initial SPSS syntax file for the Louisiana Slave Database. This has allowed me to make calculations and graphs on my databases without assistance from others. His help is gratefully acknowledged. SPSS.syn (syntax) and SPSS.sav (data) as well as sample graphs calculated from these files are included on these pages. The SPSS syntax files allow the user to customize the databases in accordance with the user's opinions and needs. The SPSS syntax files provided on this disk contain value labels for each field, which translate digits into words. JNLSLAVE.syn recodes birthplaces of Africans by coastal region under the field AFREGION. The recoded field AFETH disaggregates Africans assigned to various coastal regions based upon "nation" descriptions in the documents from those identified by coastal regions only. Slaves described as "Guinea" or from the "Coast of Guinea" were placed under the Sierra Leone coastal region based upon the author's study of the context in which these terms were used. They can be easily moved to the Africans of unknown origin category by changing one digit on the syntax file if the researcher so wishes.
These databases were created almost entirely from original, manuscript documents located in courthouses and historical archives throughout the State of Louisiana. The project lasted 15 years but was funded only between 1991 and 1996. I retired from Rutgers University in 1996 in order to complete the project, which had expanded beyond my wildest expectations because of the extraordinary quantity and quality of documents found. All sources and repositories where these documents were found are fully cited in the DEPOT field. There is complete document retrieval information for every record (individual slave) contained in these databases. Some records were entered from original manuscript documents housed in archives in France, in Spain, in Cuba and at the University of Texas in Austin. A few were entered from transcriptions of original documents published in books and journals. Some were supplied by Emily Clark from her research in the archives of the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans. I entered records from French Atlantic Slave Trade Voyages from original manuscript sources in France and in Louisiana. Records for British Atlantic slave trade voyages to Louisiana were entered from a pre-publication version of David Eltis, David Richardson, Stephen Behrendt, and Herbert S. Klein editors, The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Database on CD-ROM (Cambridge, 1999).
In databases created from original manuscript documents, fields are defined which can answer the questions their creators wish to pose. Definition of fields is a long process requiring a thorough knowledge of the documents used. As the researcher becomes more familiar with the documents, fields are added as regular significant information appears in the documents. There is a COMMENTS field in these Louisiana databases where important information for which there were no defined fields were placed and from which new fields were created. Complete descriptions and explanations of the fields of each database are contained in the files SLAVECODE and FREECODE.
Data were almost always entered directly from the original manuscript documents into dBASE V for DOS using laptop computers. I entered data alongside the other researchers while training and supervising them until I was confident of their competence and then carefully reviewed their work, correcting detectable errors and maintained the central databases into which new data were downloaded as they were collected. These databases contain at least 1,000,000 entries of often-complex information. Standardized spellings did not exist in these documents. Names were entered the way they were spelled, and spellings of the same names varied among documents. They were written in three languages: French (60,914 or 60.5%), Spanish (17,848 or 17.7%), and English (21,878 or 21.7%). We had to identify and translate words for skills and illnesses some of which are no longer used in any language. In the process of translation, we made every attempt to include the original words and spellings in the original languages in all fields as well as in phrases and sentences in the COMMENTS field. There is a LINGUISTICS field that flags records relevant to linguists. Most of the documents were located in Orleans Parish (58,058 or 57.7%), the rest (42,582 or 42.3%) in rural Louisiana. In rural Louisiana throughout the Spanish period, almost all documents were in French. By 1804, after the United States took over Louisiana, the rural documents became heavily English while the New Orleans documents, which had been almost entirely in Spanish during the Spanish period (1770-1803) reverted largely to French with substantial numbers in English as well.
Each record in these databases describes an individual slave. Throughout the Americas, slaves were listed as property and therefore described and inventoried after the master died, when slaves were bought and sold, when they were reported as runaways, when slaves testified in court cases including interrogations about running away, conspiracies and uprisings against slavery, and in several other types of documents including wills, marriage contracts, leases, seizures for debt or for the criminal activities of the master, mortgages of slaves, and reports of death. The Louisiana Slave Database also includes all clearly documented voyages that brought enslaved Africans from various African coasts to Louisiana. It contains well over 100,000 records (individual slaves) and 114 fields (bits of comparable information). Complete document retrieval information is included in each record. Type of document, name, birthplace, numeric age or age category, gender, racial designation, if the slave was involved in running away/and or in conspiracies and revolts against slavery, family relationships from which child/woman ratios and age of mother at the birth of her first surviving child and age specific marriage patterns can be calculated. Skills, illnesses, character, African language group, language of document, and linguistics are some of the fields. The VIA and the WENT fields record where the sellers came from and where the slaves were sold to when this information was given, regardless of the slave's birthplace. Two fields FREE and ESTATEFREE indicate if there was someone described as at least partially of African descent involved in any of these transactions as buyer, seller, or the deceased. I collected documents recording the same price in different currencies over many years. Robert A. Rosenberg, Director of the Edison Papers Project at Rutgers University, helped me develop the price calculation formulas in 1988 using comparable price data collected from the Pointe Coupee Post during the Spanish period. The original formula has held up remarkably well as comparable prices continued to be collected for the entire range of times and places represented in these two databases and the original price conversion formula was used. Both inventory and sale prices indicated the currency used as well as the amount paid in this currency. Two fields, INVVALP and SALEVALP convert both prices into common denominator prices. A few changes were made in price fields record by record all of which are indicated in the comments field. Subtleties still need to be ironed out, but the price data are abundant and largely reliable after 1769. Earlier prices, especially between 1735 and 1769, were quite unstable due to price inflation. The GROUP field indicates if the price or prices is of an individual, of a group, or if no price information exists at all. Only individual prices must be chosen for price calculations at this time, but group prices can eventually be recoded to allow for calculations.
The Louisiana Free Database (currently available in the downloads section of this site only) contains 4,068 records and 62 fields involving manumissions of slaves. The fields include MEANS, the means of manumission, FREEREL, relationship of freer to freed when a third party purchased the slave in order to manumit, REASONS given for manumission, GRATUITOUS, if no payment was made, CONDITIONS imposed, for example, additional time of service required, SALEVALP, the price paid in case of a purchase or self-purchase, FREER, the name of a third party involved in the manumission, and FREED, the likelihood that the slave was actually manumitted. This database contains family relationships among the manumitted including names, racial categories, ages, and birthplaces of mothers of slaves involved in manumissions. WHITEDAD indicates if the manumitted was certainly, probably or possibly freed by a white father. There are first and last names, gender, racial designations, and birthplaces of the deceased, the masters, sellers, buyers, and freers in these two databases.
These databases will be very useful to genealogists. It is likely that most people and/or families who lived in Louisiana through the year 1820 regardless of racial designation or status can be found in these databases by name. Many people owned slaves in early Louisiana. Aside from large slaveholders, many whites and free people of African descent owned at least one or two slaves. They were sometimes domestic slaves and some of them were blood relatives of their owners. Thus, a very broad range of people who lived in Louisiana through 1820 is recorded in these databases. The names of the slaves can be linked to the names of the masters as well as their own family members over time. Precise information recorded in every record includes the exact date, location and the document number when one exists, and the name of the notary when relevant. This information will allow the genealogist or scholar to easily find and copy the original document.
Those searching for names must use their imagination about how names could have been spelled. Both SOUNDSLIKE and name indexes should be used and various spellings tried. While the search engine allows for a SOUNDSLIKE search, there are some names written in different languages which will not be picked up: for example, Santiago in Spanish would be written Jacques in French. The best way to search for all possible spellings of names would be to create an alphabetical index of the relevant name field and search for every conceivable spelling.
Correction of typos found among hundreds of thousands of names and recoding and reorganization of some fields for ease in calculations and the creation of graphs took place in the final stages of database preparation. Errors had to be checked and corrected. Corrections were made with maximum respect for the data since standardized spelling was not the norm and names spelled differently could have been distinct names.
Some of these data have been entered into the fields in the form of digits. Because digits are more precise than words, they generally improve the accuracy and uniformity of the data and facilitate complex, statistical calculations. An explanation of what each digit represents for each field is contained in the files SLAVECODE the code sheet for the Louisiana Slave Database and FREECODE, the code sheet for the Louisiana Free Database, but it is rarely necessary to consult them. Genealogists searching for ancestors using database software alone have very few digits to deal with. The name fields are not digitalized. The genealogist can do a name search, preferably by using the alphabetized index of their software and locating a particular early Louisiana person or family, pinpointing where and when they lived or died, and obtain precise information about where these documents listing their names are housed so they can be easily located and copied if desired. It is sometimes possible to identify the ethnicities or "nations" of the African ancestors of individuals who have ancestors in Louisiana by making links between information contained in the Sacramental Records of the various Archdioceses of the Catholic Church of Louisiana and these databases. The vast majority (74.4%) of ages are recorded in the Louisiana Slave Database in numeric form. A much smaller percent (15.3%) give age categories, which are digitalized. Skills, illnesses, character as described by the master or appraiser, family relationships, are all described first in plain English and then digitalized. The COMMENTS fields have been translated into English. The various currencies in circulation were converted into common denominator prices. Parish names are abbreviated in English in the PARISH field and should be clear to the user without consulting the digitalized LOCATION field. Many of the African birthplaces (meaning ethnicities) as well as other birthplaces are written out in the SPELL fields and record the exact way the "nation" was spelled in the document, but the codes for the BIRTHPL fields will sometimes have to be looked up in the Codesheet files by researchers who do not use SPSS or other statistical software which automatically converts the digits into words.
For researchers making complex calculations on SPSS Version 9 or higher, the SPSS.sav files supplied on this site for download automatically translate all digits into words. When the researcher needs to know what these digits represent in order to select data for calculations, the researcher simply clicks on the icon for codes which looks like a vertical ruler on the menu line and then clicks on the relevant field and the SPSS package displays value labels for each digit of the field. SPSS syntax files are supplied for both databases. These syntax files can be altered to recode and reorganize the data in any way the researcher wishes. (To learn more about this excellent software, visit the SPSS website.)
These remarkable Louisiana documents pay particular attention to recording the birthplace of the slaves described, including their African "nations." The richness of this information is certainly unique for any documents that describe slaves who became part of the population of the United States. The vast majority of slaves whose birthplaces were identified were Africans. Among 38,019 slaves whose birthplaces were recorded, 24,349 (64.0%) were of African birth. Among these, 8,994 (36.9%) indicate specific "nations" (ethnicities), 9,382 (38.5%) indicate their African coastal origins only. The vast majority of the latter involve Atlantic slave trade voyages (which can be excluded from calculations in queries by selecting doctype<25). Some 5,973 records (25.3%) simply indicate that they were Africans with no other information about their origins. Information about the maritime slave trade is rich: 11,139 records contain information about the voyage individual slaves arrived on, among whom 8,655 arrived on Atlantic slave trade voyages and 2,484 on transshipment voyages from the Caribbean and from East Coast ports of the United States. The vast majority of slaves of identified origins transshipped from the Caribbean were newly arriving Africans (listed as brut in French or bozal in Spanish) purchased from Atlantic slave trade ships. There is a particularly high percentage of identified birthplaces, especially many African "nations" of slaves, recorded in documents dating between 1770 and 1820 in lower Mississippi Valley parishes: St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, Pointe Coupee, and to a lesser extent Orleans. This remarkably full information allows us to make accurate estimates of the proportions of Creoles, Africans of various "nations," Caribbean, English-speaking, and Indian slaves over time. There are 1,069 records involving runaway slaves (select maroon=1) and 589 records which indicate and record some testimony by slaves (select doctype=24). To access all records describing slaves involved conspiracies and revolts against slavery, select revolts=1. There are 22,274 records (22.4%) which show family relationships among slaves. At least one character trait is shown for 855, at least one skill for 8,745, and at least one illness for 2,392 slaves. Complete inventories for 2,904 individual estates are recorded with estate numbers that show, in addition to a unique number, the parish, the number of slaves on the estate, and the year.
In short, the Louisiana Slave and the Louisiana Free Database are unique tools for studying the slave as well as the free population of Louisiana through 1820. They contain a vast amount of rich and unusual, hitherto unexplored and unrecorded data and organize them to ask and to quickly and easily answer many complex, previously asked and unasked questions. They should be helpful to scholars making comparisons of patterns of slavery in other places in the Americas. They should help clarify patterns of the slave trade in Africa as well, pinpointing which ethnicities had entered the Atlantic slave trade by a certain time, their gender, the changing proportions among ethnicities taken from various African coasts over time, their marriage and parenting patterns, their resistance to slavery, and their age patterns. They will certainly be very useful to anyone searching for a Louisiana ancestor.
I demonstrate the usefulness of these databases for historical research and interpretation in several recently published and forthcoming articles: "In search of the Invisible Senegambians : the Louisiana Slave Database (1723-1820)", in Saint-Louis et l'Esclavage, Actes du symposium international sur la traite négrière à Saint-Louis du Sénégal et dans son arrière-pays, Saint-Louis, 18, 19 et 20 décembre 1998, Djibril Samb Editor, IFAN (Institut Fondamental dAfrique Noir, Dakar, Senegal) , Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Initiations et Etudes Africaines N° 39; "The Meanings of Mina," in Paul Lovejoy and David Trotman, editors, Trans-Atlantic Dimensions of Ethnicity in the African Diaspora (London and New York: Continuum Press, forthcoming June 2002); in a book I am writing tentatively entitled The African Diaspora in the Americas: Regions, Ethnicities, and Cultures; and in another book, Ethnicity and Race, Slavery and Freedom: a Comparison of French, Spanish, and Early American Louisiana (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, forthcoming) . The Louisiana Slave Database has been used to help solve a thorny problem in creole linguistics in Thomas A. Klingler, "Louisiana Creole: The Multiple-Geneses Hypothesis Reconsidered," Journal of Pidgin and Creole Linguistics, summer 2000. The Louisiana Slave Database has turned out to be of keen interest to geneticists as well.
It is my hope that these databases will help other scholars and genealogists in their fascinating and absorbing work. Best of luck to all of you.


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Paramount Home Entertainment have announced that they will be releasing the romantic comedy No Strings Attached to DVD and Blu-ray on May 10, 2011. The movie will come in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack as well as have a standard DVD edition.
Yet another film I'll watch purely because of Natalie P even though it's a romcom (bleh). Kutcher I don't much care for ever since That 70's show ended.
Extremely low expectations for this one. Like "Killers" expectations.
Yeah that low.
I dont understand why movies like this are getting an R rating now. Studios used to avoid it like the plague, but this Due Date and Paul all got R ratings when their target audience is in the teens. It doesnt make sense. They would of made a lot more money with a PG 13 rating....but no one seems to care anymore.
Natalie Portman...my sole reason for watching a few movies. Seriously, she just makes everything better. I'll more than likely wait until it's on Netflix though. Even Portman isn't enough to justify actually buying the movie.


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It is human nature to have a strong desire to save money wherever possible; however, it is not a good idea to start sacrificing product quality for price. There are a few cheap belt buckles and straps that can be purchased for a relatively discounted price, while still maintaining the product quality of some of the more expensive belts. The only downside to this is that these cheap belt buckles and straps are quite hard to come across, and you must ensure that they are genuine when you do find them. However, the payoff for doing this effectively is absolutely great because you can easily have an amazing belt that you bought at a cheap price for well over 10 years, provided that you take care of it properly.
You May Be Able To Find A Cheap Belt By A Designer Brand
The reason that some of the designer brands have maintained their status' of being some of the top notch patterns is because they literally never offer discounts in their official stores. However, they will usually offer their previous models to wholesalers are substantially discounted prices. Those wholesalers can then pass those savings on to you! This is the only way that I would recommend buying a cheap belt by a designer brand because it is nearly guaranteeing you that it will be the genuine product as opposed to being a faux.
Women Would Look Great In Any Double Wrap Cheap Belt
Although some people believe that double wrapped fashion accessories are things of the past, they can be worn in our current society and still look amazing. The only catch is that they must be paired with the correct associated clothes in order to look great. For instance, you could go to the store and purchase a double wrap cheap belt for a significantly discounted price, and immediately wear it with formal skirt to work; however, this would definitely not look visually appealing. For the most positive results, choose to wear this type of fashion accessory with a more casual pair of jeans or pants.
A Cheap Belt Buckle For Men May Not Be Noticeably Inexpensive
Men's fashion accessories tend to have less sub-accessories as women's. For instance, the average men's belt will have a basic pattern and large buckle; they will not have any rhinestones or studs throughout the straps. This makes relatively hard to notice whether they have purchased a cheap belt buckle for men or the most expensive one in the store. After all, the only difference may be the quality of the leather, which can only be told when touching, smelling, or looking closely at it.
A Cheap Belt Buckle For Women Should Be Avoided Because It Will Be Noticeably Inexpensive
I would definitely not recommend going into a store to purchase the most inexpensive belt to women. This is because the majority of women's fashion accessories have a ton of sub-accessories on them; moreover, the more objects that are on the actual belt, the more things that there are to tell another individual roughly how much it cost them. With that being said, women do not necessarily have to go out and purchase the most expensive one that they see, they should simply avoid the purchase of an overly cheap belt that they may find.
Be Wary When Somebody Offers You A Cheap Belt By A Designer Brand Such As D&G, Gucci, Or Versace
Unfortunately, in this world there are a ton of dishonest people that would love to cheat others for every dollar that they own. These are the types of individuals that you will find in stores selling faux designer fashion accessories for discounted prices, trying to convince the customers that those belts, earrings, and jewellery are authentic. Since there is not much effort or material that goes into making a designer belt, they can be relatively easy to create replicas of. Moreover, replicated designer clothes form a very large portion of the overall fashion market. One suggestion is to be very wary of a cheap belt that was supposedly created by a designer brand. This definitely does not mean that there are no discounted designer belts available on the market, it is just suggesting being safe. I would definitely take a look throughout the internet for the giveaway features of a product being fake before purchasing anything!
With all that was said throughout this article, there are obviously positive and negative factors to buying a cheap belt that you may find in the store. Whether you simply like the look of that belt or are looking to save some money on your next fashion accessory, you should take these facts into consideration. Use this information effectively, and you will surely get your hands on a cheap belt that you will be wearing for years to come!


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Shipping For Virtual Reality Headsets & VR Bundles
All shipping for our VR bundles and hard drives is free of charge and is shipped via USPS or Fed-Ex. Delivery time will be updated when you place your order and a tracking number will be emailed to you as soon as your item ships.
We expect to deliver most units within 2 days so it is similar to Amazon Prime's shipping service, however, for early thru mid-2016, due to delays with Rift and Vive production, there might be slight delays in shipping orders as we wait for new units to arrive, in those cases, we will ship your VR-ready PCs and hard drives and include a free Google Cardboard you can use while waiting for your Rift or Vive to arrive, along with an estimated shipping date.
Also, if you apply for financing at checkout, your order might not ship until the financing company clears the funds with us, which can take a day to a week in some cases. We will provide email updates if you finance your order on the status updates the bank sends us regarding the financing. If you are using Global Financial or Zibby through GetFinancing, we highly recommend making the first payment using your card to avoid having to fill out additional paperwork at the start, as they are more likely to release the funds right away when you make the first payment as a method of identity verification.
Shipping Time For Furniture
Shipping furniture is no easy task! We have to use special carriers to deliver heavy items to prevent injury and avoid damage while its on the way.
All orders are shipped via ground freight carriers. All in-stock Items ship within 3-5 days, unless otherwise noted (e.g., special order items).
Deliveries can take a week or two after the shipping date, depending on the destination. In some cases, due to weather, holidays, and where the destination is over a thousand miles from the warehouse, shipping can take up to a month or more but in most cases, the freight company is able to deliver within a week from when it leaves the warehouse.
The freight carrier will contact you in advance to set up a delivery time frame with you. We offer free shipping in the continental United States on most of our products. Alaska & Hawaii excluded. Please refer to our delivery acceptance instruction for further details.
Picture versus Reality
Color, texture, and graining variations can occur in natural products like leather, wood and stone. These are not normally considered imperfections. For leather products all colors are bound to have variations in every production line. Color representations on computer terminals and screens can be different based on settings and various display technologies. To optimize website performance, product pictures have been scaled down in detail to help make web pages load faster. As a direct result, in some small cases fine detail in the pictures of furniture may have been sacrificed for the websites performance. It is the customer's responsibility to request additional high resolution pictures so that they may see exactly what they are getting before purchasing. Customer also agrees that they may not dispute the finish, or color or texture or any other physical attribute after taking delivery of a product.
We accept payments from PayPal, and the following major credit cards can be used through Paypal: Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover.
We also have partnered with a company Get Financing to provide financing on all orders.
Get Financing can be applied for online, just checkout and select "apply for financing" and you can get an instant decision, and immediate financing, right away!
Order Confirmation
After your order is completed, you will automatically be sent within 24 Hours an "Order Confirmation" email to the email address you entered during checkout. This email is your receipt – so don't delete it! We encourage you to review the order and advise us of any spelling or numerical mistakes so that we can quickly make any necessary changes.
Price Match Guarantee
We will match any competitor's price for new items.
Shipping furniture is no easy task. Most of our products are not shipped using your traditional package delivery services like UPS or Fedex, instead, they are palletized and shipped via ground freight using companies that you may or may not be familiar with. Overall, we offer the following delivery services for our furniture:
Small Parcel
Whenever possible we will ship smaller, lighter items via UPS, FEDEX, DHL or USPS. These companies provide the fastest and most reliable method of shipping available for many items we sell. Depending on how close you are to the shipping warehouse, your item will arrive between 1 and 6 business days (1 to 10 business days for USPS) after it leaves the warehouse. We do not require a signature for deliveries, but please note that the decision to leave your package without a signature is at the discretion of the delivery person. If you want an item left at your doorstep, the best thing to do is leave a note on your door asking the driver to leave your package with "No Signature Required." Be sure to include your name and tracking number on the note.
Curb Side Delivery
Available for selected items unless otherwise noted. Curbside delivery by definition means the trucking service will park in front of your delivery address and you will need to receive the product outside. Geil & Mehr assumes no responsibility or liability to damage of the product, personal injury to someone or any other issue that can arise due to handling the product from the curbside to the inside space. If the service requested prior to arranging a delivery time is curb side, the customer may not modify this request to a white glove delivery for any reason.
All delivery dates contained on GeilAndMehr.com are estimates only.
An exact delivery date can change due to production time frame, freight loading plans, and freight shipment logistics.
Items prior to being shipped out are thoroughly inspected by quality control. Because of this, furniture deliveries are received in good condition UNLESS damaged in transit.
You have both a right AND a responsibility to inspect all items carefully during the delivery.
Customers who sign for delivery and do not notate "Damage upon delivery" assume responsibility if merchandise is damaged. If the product itself appears severely damaged or it's the wrong item you must take pictures of the packaging when being unloaded or while in the truck, you should submit the pictures and you may refuse the delivery. Please notify Geil & Mehr of refusal so we can anticipate the return and send out a new item.
Please make arrangements to prepare yourself and have help upon delivery of your merchandise as most deliveries consist of large and heavy items. At the time of delivery, open the items out of the packaging to check for damages in presence of the driver. If the truck driver is not willing to wait for you to inspect the actual item, you MUST write: "TRUCK DRIVER REFUSED TO WAIT" and "DAMAGED UPON ARRIVAL" on the delivery receipt.
If the packaging or product has any damage, or if there is any reason you are concerned with the delivery:
If it is damaged, you MUST write "Product Damaged" on the tracking company's receipt called proof of delivery or the Bill Of Lading (BOL) prior to signing off.
If anything is missing, you MUST list the missing items on the delivery receipt.
You MUST retain applicable packaging materials, and notify us immediately.
Take pictures of the damaged items immediately.
File a claim within 48 hours.
In the event that damage is not noted on the waybill when signed "received in good condition", on the delivery receipt or the applicable packaging materials are not retained, would make it impossible to file a claim with the tracking company. In this case, it will be impossible for us to help out with any claim filed.
Unavailability or Refusing delivery
Once a customer rep notifies you about your order ready to ship, you must make yourself available within 1-3 weeks to accept delivery. The trucking company will call you to schedule the exact date and time frame for delivery. If you are not available or unable to take a scheduled delivery, the tracking company allows up to 3 days to reschedule. After 3 days, a storage fee will be charged and redelivery fees may apply.
If you refuse delivery of an item that is in good condition and neither damaged nor defective, you will be responsible for the ACTUAL freight charges for both ways and a restocking fee.
If by some reason you are not available or you refuse delivery of the merchandise you will be liable for daily storage fees assigned by the carrier.
Return & Exchange Policy
You may return the eligible product back at within 7 days of receipt. A Return Authorization number and a valid Invoice are required for all returns, exchanges or refunds. Merchandise must be in new condition and in original package, all the parts and packaging materials should be included. The original shipping or delivery charges are non-refundable and amount to $399 for each way or $798 total for any large item returned.
All refunds are subject to 20% restocking fee.
Customer takes full responsibility to measure their space and make sure that the furniture will fit and will clear all doorways, stairways or elevator. Customer takes full responsibility for ordering the correct configuration, size, material and color.
Shade, texture and grain variations can occur in natural products, such as leather, stone and wood. Color representations may be vary based on computer settings and display technologies and cannot be disputed by the customer.
Return Process
Requesting a Return Authorization number:
To begin the return process, please email firstname.lastname@example.com
We will email you a Return Authorization (RA) number within 72 hours with return instructions on how to return the product.
Shipping the product back to warehouse:
Please repack the products for return in the original box with original packaging material and additional tags attached to merchandise. Do not mark the original box, improper labeling may result in the denial of return.
Ship the product to the warehouse address provided on RA using a carrier that will provide both a tracking number as well as a signature that the item was confirmed delivered. If we are unable to confirm delivery of your item, this may result in the denial of a refund. The package should be fully insured. We will not accept any uninsured packages.
We require that returns are shipped via a carrier that will provide you with a return tracking number. If a return is shipped without a tracking number the customer will be liable if the item is lost by the carrier and no refund will be issued. Providing a tracking number will also accelerate your return process. Retain your tracking number and email it to us at email@example.com so that we can check on the progress of your return.
In the event that a return becomes damaged on its way back to the return destination, Geil & Mehr will inform the customer via email that the item was received damaged and will hold the product for up to 30 days. It is the customer's responsibility to file a claim with the shipping carrier and instruct Geil & Mehr concerning what to do with the damaged product. If Geil & Mehr has not received notification or response from the customer within 30 days, the item will be moved out from warehouse and donated.
All returns are subject to 20% restocking fee. The cost of shipping or delivery and return fees will be deducted from your refund.
Once the returned item has been received, verified and also confirmed to be free of damage, modification or wear, the refund will be processed.
The refund will be given in the original form of payment. Cash and check payments will be refunded via company check and will only be issued regular postal service.
Items returned without the proper RA# may delay the refund process. Please read your return instructions carefully to avoid delays and unnecessary expenses.
Please be patient during this period as it may be a lengthy process, due to transportation management and circumstances that are out of the reach of both parties. Please refrain from submitting a charge-back with your card company as this will affect the refund process due to possibly taking up to 180 days to complete meditation.
Non-Returnable Items
Special purchases, including: special orders, specials of the week, clearance items, closeout items, floor models, etc.
Any item that has been modified or used in any way, or that has been assembled or installed.
Any item that is not in resalable condition.
Any personal use products, such as mattresses, pillows and bedding.
Any item not accompanied by a Return Authorization Number issued by Geil & Mehr.
Any item that has been altered, painted or fixed
Any item that is not in the original box with sufficient packaging materials.
Please note that returned items found to be in working condition or shipped as ordered may not be eligible for a full refund and return shipping will be deducted from the refunded amount.
Cancellation Request
If you would like to cancel an order that is not in production or has not shipped, you may do so within 48 hours without cancellation fees. Please allow up to 72 hours for confirmation of cancellation.
Once an order has already shipped, it cannot be cancelled, rerouted or redirected. If you would like to return the item, you will need to follow the "Standard Return Policy." Please do not refuse the delivery of non-damaged goods. A delivery refusal may complicate the return and refund process.
Special Orders
Special Orders are not returnable, no exceptions. If the Special Order is cancelled by the customer during the production or transportation – the customer's deposit of such order may be forfeited.
Back Orders
If you are canceling an order due to back order or special order, we recommend you first call our Customer Service department to verify the accuracy of the date before making your final decision, if the item is truly unavailable for an extended period, we sincerely apologize for the delay.
Special Order and Backorder Delays
Delays in production and shipping may occur. If a delay occurs, don't panic. We will work hard to get your purchase to you, but please keep in mind that we work with high-ticket and large items, which come from all over the world. We will make all efforts to quote accurate lead times and notify all our customers promptly. Please note that we are not responsible for product delays from the manufacturer. Due to increased security by governments, customs delay may also occur, which is beyond our control. In most cases, delays occur during busy seasons, holidays, production delays, port congestions or other factors not in our control. Geil and Mehr is not responsible for delays in stock replenishment, orders may not be cancelled or be eligible for a refund or rebate based on late merchandise arrival.
If the customer has any claims other than what was noted on the delivery receipt, It is upon the discretion of Geil & Mehr to resolve the matter. If the customer has failed to follow our terms and conditions as per agreement to purchase from Geil & Mehr, we would not be responsible for any damages, shortages or any other claims.
All claims will be resolved and authorized only by the Claims Department Manager of Geil & Mehr. (not by the sales representative or the delivery team.) Each and every claim must be properly filed within 48 hours, in order to be considered. Customers must file a claim at the claims form with all required information including a few images of the damage. All properly submitted claims would have a resolution after 3-5 business days reviewing time.
It is the responsibility of the customer to file a claim and to call us to make sure that we received the claim and all needed information. If items are damaged or suspected to be damaged, it must be documented "Damaged upon arrival" where you sign for the items. The delivery driver must wait while you inspect. If the driver does not agree to wait, note "TRUCK DRIVER REFUSED TO WAIT" on the bill of delivery and refuse the shipment.
It is important to be as detailed and descriptive as possible on the delivery slip before you sign for your items. A signature indicates acceptance; without inspecting the boxes, you are accepting the shipment "as is" and will be fully responsible for any replacements (including freight) or repair costs if transit related.
Geil & Mehr is not responsible to resolve any claims if the customer has signed the delivery receipt without any notation of missing parts or damages as all sales are final.
Hours of Operations
Our hours of operation are 9 am CST to 7 pm CST, our live chat service may however be able to address questions after hours.
We strongly encourage customers to use email to firstname.lastname@example.com to avoid issues with your order.
There is a One-Year limited Warranty for Manufacturer Defects.
International Shipping with Bongo (not to be confused with Zongo)
We have partnered with Bongo International to service our customers Worldwide!
Bongo International provides our customers with their very own US address. Once you have a US address, you will be able to make purchases with us as well as other US based online retailers.
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Stop Guessing! Start Debugging With FullStory and Session Replay
Reproduce Software Bugs On Demand and Solve Coding Errors Faster Than Ever Before
Reproducing, troubleshooting, and eliminating software bugs is a frustrating and expensive part of software development. These tasks take up a whopping 21 to 50 percent[1] of software developers' time. Run the numbers and this is costing as much as $65 billion on debugging each year[2].
You became a developer to build, so why is half your time spent deciphering bug reports, deconstructing code, and replicating bugs?
What if that time and money could be spent building new features and innovating on new products, rather than patching up what's already been shipped?
Software Bugs Thrive in the Dark—You Can't Fight What You Can't See
You launch your bug tracking tool, navigate to the most urgent issue, and begin attempting to reproduce the bug so you can figure out what's breaking.
But you're faced with two big problems.
First, your information is incomplete, inaccurate, or unclear, so your debugging process is filled with trial and error—often merely guessing. Frustrated after many lost hours of productivity, you often have no choice but to close the ticket:
Second, this isn't your first codeo. You know how difficult it will be to reproduce the issue, and as much as you like a challenge, it's hard to summon the motivation for a task with such a large time commitment and low percentage of success.
Might there be a better way?
Less Tracking, More Debugging With FullStory
With FullStory, you no longer have to waste time hunting for the beetle in the haystack. No longer are you or your developers stuck trying to re-create the conditions that led to an error.
Now, when your users encounter a glitch, you can replay the session to reproduce the exact chain of events that led to the bug. You see exactly what your user saw—when and where the bug occurred.
No more guesswork. No more asking for screenshots. No more headaches. It's as simple as pressing play.
See the JavaScript console log: In addition to the events the user saw on their screen, FullStory shows you the back-end Javascript console messages that accompany the sequence in question. Console messages stay in sync with user actions so that you can watch both simultaneously.
Get all the details you need: FullStory captures and provides you with all the additional clues you need to crack the case: UserAgent data, time of incident, IP address, screen resolution, browser type and version, OS, and more.
Find every instance of the bug: Using FullStory's powerful search functionality, you can find all instances of the bug and use that data to prioritize a fix.
Muster maximum motivation: And here's where things get fun. Armed with the complete, accurate information needed to squash the bug, and buoyed by feeling the pain of the user who experienced it, you suddenly find that you're eager to go bug stomping.
The pain of debugging is replaced by the euphoria of making a real difference.
New Dev Tools Help You Solve Slow-Loading Pages Fast
Few things annoy customers faster than web pages that take forever—i.e., more than 3 seconds in Internet terms—to load. Don't let these speed bumps put the brakes on your conversions. New FullStory Dev Tools, including Page Speed Metrics and Network View, show you exactly what's causing a page to load slowly, how widespread the problem is, and how it disrupts sales.
Learn more about Dev Tools and how they can help you green-light the smoothest customer experience possible.
Bug Solving Success Stories
Moosejaw, an outdoor retailer acquired by Walmart in 2017, found that FullStory helps add certainty to the bug replicating process when before there was none:
Before FullStory, we had no idea how long it might take to locate an issue. Now, we know it will only take as long as the customer's session took. Jerry Hoopfer
Project Manager, Moosejaw
For boutique e-commerce site thredUP, FullStory has helped solve perplexing mysteries, such as why some customers were entering discount codes that shouldn't have existed. Like CSI for your website, replay helped solve the mystery:
Through watching session replays we were able to move quickly and fix it. We might have been pulling our hair out for weeks had we not thought to use FullStory. Dan DeMeyere
VP Engineering, thredUP
Travel Syndication Technology shared how FullStory has improved engineer happiness and day-to-day operations:
Going from a screenshot and a brief description to a FullStory playback session has made our engineers and QA life much happier. FullStory has quickly become an indispensable tool. David Gili Casals
Travel Syndication Technology
Report Bugs: Integrate FullStory With Your Stack
Integrations for Debugging
FullStory is most powerful when it's integrated into your software development lifecycle stack. Below are some popular integrations we offer for issue and bug tracking. Learn more about integrations.
FullStory's bug fixing power is extended by integrating session replay with your bug tracking, help desk, and project management software. BugSnag, JIRA, Trello, and Zendesk.
Now each bug report, project card, or support ticket will automatically link to the customer's session recording, showing you the error in question giving you all the bug-banishing info you need.
What more, even without integration, sharing session metadata—things like UserAgent data, browser, page URL, Viewport, and more—is as easy as copy and paste:


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This week on the podcast, the gang wraps up the year that was 2015. What were the most important stories of the year? And what's the big story we'll all be talking about in 2016?
GOP presidential candidates debate foreign policy and dare each other to carpet bomb the hell out of the Islamic State. And are the Saudis finally ready to get serious and take on ISIS? Special guest Will McCants joins the podcast this week.
Barack Obama tries to reassure the nation that ISIS is not winning. Donald Trump has a different plan to keep America safe. And John Kerry is so over the Middle East peace process.
President Obama is sending 200 more special operations forces to Iraq to combat ISIS. China seems to be hacking the U.S. less. And a Taliban ally is holding an American man hostage.
Turkey shoots down a Russian jet after it allegedly violated Turkish airspace. Brussels goes on lockdown, raising the question of how long it's rational to shut down a major city to preempt a terrorist attack. And thoughts on the "forever war" by a commander who served in it. Plus, a special Thanksgiving edition of Object Lessons. Lawfare's new managing editor Susan Hennessey joins the gang this week.
What do the ISIS attacks in Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and now France tell us about the group's evolution and whether it's changing strategy? The Paris attacks are breathing new life into the crypto wars. And U.S governors say they don't want Syrian refugees in their states.
Two weeks after a Russian airliner fell from the sky in Egypt, will we ever know how the plane crashed? GOP presidential candidates are all over the map with their foreign policy plans. Plus, a modest proposal for closing Guantanamo.
President Obama is sending 50 Special Forces members into Syria. A new book marks the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. And a new Twitter war erupts over drone strikes, and it doesn't involve Ben!
The European Court of Justice may have just knocked the surveillance state back on its heels. Is Russia a resurgent power in the Middle East? And one think tank fellow/podcaster has a bone to pick with Vladimir Putin.
Quinta Jurecic joins Shane and Ben for the podcast. This week: A new leak shows us more about the inner workings of drones strikes. FBI Director Jim Comey concedes defeat in the encryption wars. And Obama's moral muse.
Has the Obama administration outplayed China on cyber spying? The Taliban is on the march in Afghanistan. What does this mean for the future of U.S. troops in that country? And the new movie Sicario is one of the sharpest criticisms yet of the war on drugs.
Plus, in Object Lessons—GODZILLA!
Russia launches airstrikes in Syria, changing the political calculus in the Middle East. U.S.-backed rebels in Syria are also coming under attack. Is the U.S. abandoning them? And Edward Snowden is tweeting and Edward Scissorhands is trending.
Russia is about to intervene in Syria. Good luck with that. The U.S. and China are contemplating a "cyber arms treaty." And the New York Times editorial board has a plan for closing Guantanamo. Plus, in Object Lessons, Edward Snowden has a new look.
Is the Obama administration's hand-wringing over Chinese cyber spying making the U.S. look like chumps? Two new books chart the meteoric rise of ISIS. And a former U.S. ambassador highlights the importance of international partnerships to U.S. counterterrorism.
Plus, in Object Lessons, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson wants you to chill out!
Donald Trump reveals that he doesn't know the names of the heads of the world's biggest terrorist organizations. Does that disqualify him to be commander-in-chief? Turns out killing Anwar Al-Alawki was an "easy" decision for President Obama. And can the House sue the president over the Iran deal?
Plus, in Object Lessons, how our lives would be different had 9/11 never happened.
Gen. David Petraeus has a new plan for fighting ISIS. Is it smart or utterly nuts? A new article takes us deep inside the mind and menace of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared "caliph" of the Islamic State. And a new book takes us deep inside the operation to kill an American Al Qaeda fighter. Plus, in Object Lessons, ancient art and modern icons.
This week on the podcast: How could China's economic free fall affect U.S. national security? What does international law have to say about Russia's invasion of Ukraine? And the Secret Service gets upset when a drone flies near President Obama while he's playing golf.
Plus, in Object Lessons, countering violent extremism...with BBQ.
The top ISIS fighter in U.S. custody is being transferred to Iraq. What's it mean for the U.S. justice system and the future of detainee policy in the war with ISIS? Two years after the first Snowden leaks, are we over the idea of the idealistic whistleblower? And a photo essay on strategic Jerusalem. Plus, in Object Lessons, drones, shades, and summer reading.
Shane goes on vacation, abandoning the gang to its fate. Brookings scholar Dan Byman steps in and brings a National Counterterrorism Center Calendar, which sparks a discussion of how to categorize terrorist acts that take place within warfare. Ben talks about a recent U.S. court decision that found the war in Afghanistan isn't really over—no matter what the president says. And Tamara talks about the president's Iran speech. In our Object Lessons segment, Dan shows off a large Yemeni dagger. Tamara brings a picture of Egypt's General Sisi sailing down the new Suez canal. And Ben brings an online course we all should sign up to take.
Is notorious Taliban leader Mullah Omar dead—again? And then, Tamara and her very important friends at the Aspen Security Forum were discussing the threat of ISIS and the real truth about encryption. Plus in Object Lessons, Shane is heading off to paradise, and Tamara brought back some primo swag.
This week, Ben and Shane are joined by special guests Wells Bennett of Lawfare and Quinta Jurecic, national security intern at Brookings. On the agenda: Obama has a plan to close Guantanamo, and it may be dead or alive. An Iraqi businessman wants to mount a private Sunni army to fight ISIS. And someone near and dear to us has a new plan to fix the encryption problem. Plus, in our Object Lessons, Ben is going to cut someone, and we'll explain the title of this week's show.
The Iran deal is finally here. This week on the podcast, Shane, Tamara, and special guest Wells Bennett look at what's in the deal, what it does, and what it doesn't do. Also, a closer look at which sanctions are being relieved and whom that will help. Plus, do we need an AUMF for...Russia? And in our Object Lesson, sideburns and Peanut Brigaders.
This week on the podcast: FBI Director James Comey goes to the Hill to talk about "going dark." Former officials are expressing concern about the Iran deal. And the Office of Personnel Management put people who had no experience in computer security in charge of...computer security! Plus, in Object Lessons, Ben and Tamara survive a shipwreck.
This week on the show: Senators call for hearings on domestic terrorism in the wake of the Charleston shootings. Do we need a new National Commission on the War on Terrorism? And a cat fight between the FISA court and the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Plus, in Object Lessons, are you "e-QIPped?" The Chinese are.
This week on the podcast, Kori Schake joins the gang to discuss the week's big stories. Was the shooting of nine people in Charleston, SC, an act of terrorism? Chinese spies now know the secret sex lives of U.S. government employees. And the U.N. has a new report on Gaza. Plus, in our object lessons, bitter memoirs and piggy banks.


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To look up your address as it is registered with the US Postal System, click here.
If you believe your address is correct, click the Next > button and approve the order.


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It is very awkward when you do not finish a beer. This was not accidental; it was intentional. Breweries always produce quality beers that everyone will enjoy, right? If the beer tastes bad, it is my palate that's flawed. I tried a beer yesterday that I thought was pretty good, but others - whose opinions I value - didn't like it. Today I tried the new Phillips Double Dragon and didn't like it at all. Yet others in the blogosphere thought it was alright. So what do I think about these differences of opinions and questioning of my palate choices: GREAT, bring it on! Being a beer geek is all about exploring and trying new styles. You can like or dislike whatever you choose, but you must give a reason. Here is mine.
Double Dragon 2011 (Phillips) = -3/10
It all started great with a faint nose of slight citrus and watery caramel. Things started to go bad when the medium-full mouthfeel delivered too much alcohol burn. It all fell apart; the dirty caramel became overwhelmed by this unfocused hop bitterness. It was all over the place: mineral, grapefruit pith, herbal and medicinal. There was no focus. Then the aftertaste of soapy bitterness and dry herbal made me question my desire to have another sip. I tried again after it warmed up. It didn't help. My wife came through with the voice of reason,"if you really don't enjoy it, don't finish it." The remaining bottle was deposited in the sink.
Taste -2
Aftertaste -1
Alcohol Content +1 8.2%
Value -1
Appearance +1 (This is my favourite label by Phillips)
I liked the Dragon last year.


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I LOVE pumpkin. It's such a fun color, has this great earthy sweet taste, and is great for baking. I had some leftover pumpkin from my bundt cake and so decided to make some pumpkin crunch bars.
In Hawaii, Starbucks has a bakery that makes food exclusively for them. One of my favorite items was the pumpkin crunch cake. I remember a crunchy crumbly bottom, a smooth creamy and cheesy pumpkin layer, and a whip cream/cream cheese layer. I decided since I'm not the most experienced baker, first I'd try following a recipe that sounds similar.
All in all, I was really happy with the bars (so was Eric). It's great with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon (not a dumping like in my picture below!) Can you tell I'm loving my new camera?
Pumpkin Crunch Bars
serves 10
3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 stick cold butter
1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/4 cup chopped Pecans (I crushed mine instead of chopping)
1/2 cup Cream Cheese, softened
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
HEAT oven to 350°F. Line loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil. Mix flour, half the granulated sugar and all the brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts.
RESERVE half of oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, pumpkin and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
BAKE 30 min.; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.
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Nutritional and cost information is for estimating purposes only, and subject to variations due to region, seasonality, and product availability.


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Fire Trucks
Tanker Trucks
Our custom fire tankers are designed to carry enough water to control most rural fires. All tanks are lined with an interior protective coating that prevents corrosion and extends the tank's life. Water can be added to the tanks through a top opening or through a hose connected to a hydrant or reservoir. Water is then dispersed when needed through multiple spray heads located at the front, side, and rear. Other available features include lighting packages for night and emergency use, a top-mounted remote control water monitor, hose or portable tank storage, and hose reels. Ledwell builds water tank fire trucks with the baffle setup required under NFPA 701 Tank Construction standards.
Product Types
Brush Truck
For those who need a responder vehicle for rural terrain, we also offer a brush truck with a 200 to 400 gallon water haul capacity. Brush trucks are available in two-wheel or four-wheel drive, and optional features include electric hose reels, foam tanks, water cannons, and truck-mounted winches. If your department has been in search of new fire trucks for sale, turn to Ledwell.


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Volunteers Honored at Maggiano's Appreciation Dinner
Special Olympics Illinois honored several distinguished volunteers and businesses at their annual Special Olympics Illinois Maggiano's Appreciation Dinner and Hero Awards on November 29.
The event coincided with "Giving Tuesday" – a holiday geared towards generosity and goodwill – and celebrated those whose support has benefited literally thousands of children and adults and their families.
Comcast Sportsnet's Siera Santos served as the evening's emcee.
After a delicious dinner and a few remarks from staff members, Special Olympics Illinois athlete and Global Messenger Allie Reninger gave an inspiring speech to the guests, then it was on to the award presentation.
The first award of the evening went to Trinity High School in River Forest. Their student body gives an average of over 16,000 hours of community service to the community. Trinity High School has designated the Special Olympics District Bocce tournament hosted by Area 5 as their Senior Class Service Project, and for the last 11 years the entire senior class of Trinity High School has volunteered their time at the District Bocce Tournament – rain or shine. Some year's bocce has been the day after their Homecoming dance, and the entire senior class still comes out to volunteer. This District Bocce tournament has continued to grow because of the hard work and enthusiasm these high school girls have put into the event.
Rick and Sharon Hernandez and their General Mills crew also received a Hero Award. General Mills started working with Special Olympics in Area 2 in the early 1990's through the efforts of a General Mills employee Jim Birkner, who was the parent of a Special Olympics athlete. The company provided volunteers and several years of generous grant support funding. Rick first got involved in 1992 and later took charge of the General Mills crew. He created a group that has a great time while keeping focus on the athlete experience. Though the doors are closing on the West Chicago General Mills plant this year, Area 2 is confident Rick will make sure Softball Throw Area C carries on for the Spring Games athletes.
Dr. Sandra Block, Dr. Melissa Sigler and Dr. Christine Allison with the Illinois College of Optometry were awarded a Hero Award for their work with the "Opening Eyes" Healthy Athlete Initiative. These women have volunteered their time and efforts to Special Olympics Illinois for the past 16 years. They have participated in the Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games competition since 2000 and in the Chicago MedFest program since 2001. They offer screenings at the Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games and the Chicago MedFest held at the United Center to an average of 500 athletes annually. They also work with Safilo and Essilor to distribute dozens of pairs of Rx eyeglasses and sports goggles to Special Olympics children and adults free of charge. They have also worked with Special Olympics programs throughout the country to make the Opening Eyes program a reality for them.
Additional recipients of a 2016 Maggiano's Hero Award included:
- Two Men and a Truck
- Dr. Audrey Haugan from Maine West High School
- Six Flags America
- McHenry West High School and student Emma Theel
- John Slater, Vice President Chicago HUB and United Airlines
- Ken Styler
- Bill Wilson
Thank you to Maggiano's Schaumburg for hosting this event each year. Congratulations to all the award winners.


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Happy Friday! Last night I finally finished my Magnolia book (by Chip and Joanna Gaines) and how fortuitous because today they filmed the last episode of Fixer Upper EVER! *sniff sniff* On a positive note, their line for Target launches ON SUNDAY!!! Get excited and prepare for me to have the entire collection as my "favorites." If you want to see the entire collection complete with styling tips from Jo- check it all out here. Also, in a hilarious effort to help raise money for St. Jude, Chip has said that the more money donated by viewers to the hospital will correlate to how short he cuts his hair. Lots of money = buzz cut. LOL. Brilliant, and I hate his hair long, and also love St. Jude, so it's a win all the way around!!
Halloween was super fun for my family earlier this week! Alexander and Ian went at Maverick and Goose from Top Gun- with Ian fully committing to his costume and shaving his beard down to a mustache. Y'all, I couldn't take him seriously. I made him shave it off that night when we got home! Haha! I was going to be Kelly McGillis from the film, but it was so cold and I just decided to go as a French lady.
I was actually pretty warm with the hat and scarf on! Those French women know what they're doing! Something I noticed when I was in France- unless it's bitter cold, the women would just wear a heavier scarf in lieu of a coat. So interesting. I mentioned that to my aunt who lived there and she echoed my observations and just said it's a French thing. Who knew? Legitimately, if you're cold, wear a heavy scarf. You'll be surprised how toasty warm you get!
Ok, now I have a serious question for you all. Do you want Christmas gift guides BEFORE Thanksgiving so you can shop over Black Friday weekend? Or hold all gift ideas until AFTER the holiday? I personally like to shop early or at least have a game plan for what I'm going to get everyone. If that's offensive, haha, I won't post them early, but I'm feeling motivated to get things done earlier this year!
On that same note, I'm going to start decorating for Christmas early (as you do when you have photoshoots, lol. So if you want any decor ideas or just want a list of where I find stuff- I can always help you out! For example, I wanted really pretty White Birch logs for our fireplace for display and I found some online here! They look lovely in our fireplace at the rental and then they'll go on the front porch for decorations at the new house in January!
The last favorite is this lip stain/lip gloss duo from Target. Super cute. The stain isn't super dark, and I love the overall berry color my lips have after I've applied both products. You get both the lip stain and gloss for $12 in a set. Totally worth it and I just leave it in my purse because it's my go-to if I need something more than lip balm.
Ok, this is a rest and recoup weekend for me, so I'm going to try to be fairly low key. We'll see how that goes. 😉 Nephew birthday party tonight, other nephew soccer game Saturday morning, and Thor on Sunday. I'll be in bed all the rest of the time! Have a great weekend everyone!