text:
Aether Cone, a Thinking Music Player
I'm sure every family is the same, but we love a bit of a swing in ours. Very often, after breakfast or dinner, we turn up the volume and dance in our living room. It's crazy! We all join in, and it's just so much fun. And very often, we end up with a big fat group hug in the end.
Also, sometimes when I've had a busy and difficult day, and I feel stressed and tired and my patience is low, it helps to get up and move, to be crazy, and sing along. Music surely is medication for the soul.
It has recently become much easier for our children to initiate their own dancing because the awesome Aether Cone entered our house. The Aether Cone is not only a striking music player (in fact the most beautiful looking one I've ever seen), it's also incredibly easy to understand and to work. Not only easy for me (too many buttons and screens put me off completely), but really handy for the kids as well! The only thing they need to do, is press the center button and ask out loud for any artist, song, or radio. Within seconds, the Cone will be playing their choice and our family will be in full swing!
And last weekend, my dad was here, and he just had the best of times with the Cone as well. He kept thinking of song and artists from his childhood (the early sixties), and voila — the Cone followed his commands without fail. Just to indicate how simple and fun it is to work with!
I've also understood that the more we use the Cone, the better it will get at playing the songs we love. I'm currently writing this with some lovely random background music in the background — I just took the Cone into my office (it's portable with an 8-hour rechargeable battery). On the associated app on my phone I read that right now I'm listening to Isobel Campbell, a Scottish singer-songwriter. Nice suggestion, I must say!
xxx Esther
PS This post is sponored by Aether, a company we respect for making beautifully crafted products that use powerful technology and simple, natural controls to make everyday moments nicer.
Organ donation and one mum's incredible story
Last month at our ShopUp event, I had the pleasure of meeting fellow London mum, Louise Hannon. We started talking about children and life in London, and she told me her incredible story about her son's illness, his life-threatening surgeries at Great Ormond Street Hospital and his heart transplant through organ donation. We spoke about organ donation and how important it is to spread the word about it. Did you know that, according to statistics, more than 90% of us would consider donating our organs and yet, here in the UK, only about 30% of us are registered? It all comes down to spreading awareness.
Here in the UK, more than 10,000 people need a transplant and three people die every single day waiting for one. In the US, there are more than 120,000 needing a transplant and 17 people die each day waiting for an organ. Also, one organ donor can save up to eight lives!
I was so moved by Louise's story, we asked her to share her story with us and she very kindly agreed. Here is her story, a rather brief re-cap of a very tumultuous past 18 months:
On 28th January 2014, my six-year-old son Joe had a life saving heart transplant at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. This was due to the amazing generosity of a lady who, through organ donation, chose to save other's lives in the event of her death.
Up until summer 2013 he had been a non–stop little boy, full of energy, who loved being outdoors, playing football and climbing trees. We had just moved to South Australia when he suddenly became unwell, and Joe received a diagnosis of 'Dilated Cardiomyopathy' – serious heart failure that would most likely require transplant in order for him to survive. We were utterly devastated and struggled to deal with the news especially being on the other side of the world away from friends and family. Calling our parents back in the UK to tell them the news was incredibly hard and the first of many difficult phone calls we had to make to them over the following months.
After a month in Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital Joe was repatriated back to London in a medical jet in the hope that he would receive a heart transplant more quickly in the UK. However, Joe's heart transplant did not come as quickly as we had all hoped and he continued to decline despite the maximum IV drugs he was on. It was frightening to see how quickly his heart was giving up and the effect this had on him as he lost huge amounts of weight and would lie listlessly on the bed unable to really talk to us. We were desperate to get the phone call each day to say a heart was available. We were also aware though that when a heart did come that meant a family somewhere else would be experiencing tragedy and this was such a difficult process to reconcile ourselves with.
We were told his only option now was to undergo open heart surgery for a 'Berlin heart machine' to be fitted to keep him alive until transplant. He had a number of serious complications whilst on the machine requiring further surgery including pneumonia and bleeding into his lungs. There was a huge amount of uncertainty as to whether he would pull through and we literally held our breath for weeks willing him to fight and get better. Our four months in intensive care was an awful experience of watching him suffer horribly. I naively hoped that, though unconscious, he wouldn't suffer pain. I hoped that it was only us suffering as we watched and waited to see if he would recover. The reality was that he was often conscious and very distressed, unable to speak or swallow due to the breathing tube in his throat. We would watch him cry and feel completely helpless. This was the hardest part of the entire ordeal.
His biggest complication arising from the Berlin heart machine was the severe stroke he suffered on Boxing Day, 2013, which is one of the most significant risks associated with the Berlin Heart machine. After the first brain surgery to relieve the bleed in his brain we were told he would not survive and we asked my parents to bring our three year old daughter up to the hospital to say goodbye. They operated for a second time as a last ditch attempt and he miraculously survived, but was left paralysed down his left side. A heart finally became available a month later and Joe had his long awaited transplant. We then began the arduous road to recovery, involving rehab to help him learn to walk again and use his left arm. Joe spent a total of six and a half months in hospital, enduring thirteen operations and a further six weeks in a children's neurodisability rehab centre.
He is truly a living miracle and we are hugely proud of all that he has battled through at such a young age. We are slowly coming to terms with what has happened to our family in the last eighteen months and the far reaching effect this has had on all our lives. We never thought something like this would happen to us. We had coasted along in life ticking off our plans for career, children, and travelling, believing we were in control of our lives and future. As Christians, this experience has taught us we need to rely on God who is the only one who has ultimate control and it has been a hard test of our faith.
Joe takes lots of medicines every day and will do so for the rest of his life. He can now walk short distances and has returned to his old school part time. Day to day life holds lots of challenges for him that can leave him angry and depressed. He is much more volatile as a result of his stroke and tires easily. We also live each day knowing that a heart transplant is a palliative option, not a cure, with the average life expectancy being ten years. As we near the first anniversary of our son's transplant we think about the woman who donated her heart to him and the family she left behind. To see our son in the garden kicking a football around again or playing with his sister reminds us of the incredible gift she gave us. (Below are some photos of Joe since coming home from the hospital.)
Please consider signing up online for organ donation, for yourself and your children that in the unfortunate event of an untimely death, a second chance at life for others can be brought out of tragedy. Signing up for organ donation costs nothing but could mean everything to another family facing their worst nightmare.
To read more about organ donation and to sign up in the UK, click here. To sign up for organ donation in the US, you can click here. For international registry, click here.
Louise, thank you so much for sharing your story with us, and we wish you all the best with your two beautiful children.
Marlow is two! A birthday photoshoot with Little Kin Photography
My baby turned two a couple weeks ago and like a good mother I had organised a photoshoot with Polly Geal from Little Kin Photography for the day of her birthday. Actually, the honest truth is that I booked the photoshoot for November 12th because it was the only empty day in my diary… and coincidentally it turned out to be her birthday. (She's my fourth child, after all. Tell me I'm not the only parent who forgets these things!)
But what a lucky coincidence! I'm so happy to have these photos of my birthday girl and our happy morning together. There was a notable excitement in the air that morning and Marlow was full of extra cheek and enthusiasm knowing it was her special day. It was really the perfect opportunity to capture her spunky little spirit on camera, and I think Polly did such a wonderful job (I'm so impressed any of these photos are in focus as Marlow did not stop moving the entire morning! A true testament of her photography skills!). Here are some of my favourite photos from the selection she sent over:
I love that Polly captured the excitement in the air but also managed to snap some real everyday moments: Marlow closing the shutters even though we asked her to keep them open (cheeky girl!), me trying unsuccessfully to get Marlow to sit on my lap on my bed, putting Marlow's tights back on after a trip to the potty, Marlow running around the kitchen refusing to stand still, etc. Ordinary moments on a not-so ordinary day. Just looking at these photos makes me want to smooch her sweet, smooshy face. Like this:
Thank you so much, Polly, for spending Marlow's birthday morning with us and for capturing these sweet moments. I'm thinking I might organise photo shoots for future birthdays! Clever idea that was. ; )
Courtney xx
Blurb photo books
I have a love/hate relationship with Instagram. Most of the time I love it and find the community there so wonderful and supportive and inspiring, but you know… there are days… ! : )
One of the biggest reasons why I do love it is how easy it is to make Instagram books over at Blurb. You literally just sign in with your Instagram account and the photos in your feed will be automatically uploaded, making it super easy to pick and choose your photos for your book. Unlike some of the more complex systems where you have to download the book-making software to your computer, these little Instagram photo books can be made in less than five minutes! Nothing intimidating about it.
We have a little collection of Instagram books from the past couple years and I'm currently in the process of creating one from our recent trip to Venice. It's such a great way of documenting your travels or a special occasion and so fun to look at them and remember those happy family moments. My boys took the books to bed with them the other night and I found them scattered around inside their bed the next morning!
Last month I created a 'Summer 2014′ photo book and it makes me so happy to look at those sunny summery photos! (Fast-forward to next summer, please!) I'm not sure if it's a new feature, but I realised when I made this one that you can even add extra pages, so this book is a bit thicker than our others, and definitely one of our favourites.
Blurb doesn't just do Instagram books — they offer all sorts of wonderful book-making tools and different types of photo book options. You can even create your own magazine. How cool is that?! And I love their suggestion of making baby photo books and adding captions and comments to create a special book all about your baby. The possibilities are endless!
Courtney x
p.s. This post was sponsored by Blurb, a company I've used and trusted for a long time, and a new member of our shopping portal.
Happy Holidays shoot by Maud Fontein (again at the ShopUp!)
Here are my four babies photographed by Maud Fontein for this year's Happy Holidays shoot. They've grown a bit since last year, haven't they? I'm always impressed by how Maud can take such sweet photos of all my kids — she is so wonderful, makes children so quickly at ease. My kids actually look forward to going over to Maud's — they know they'll be in for a laugh (which does have to do with the fact that Maud lets me sit on a whoopee cushion!).
Maud also (very quickly!) took some portraits of the kids individually. So sweet. I love how their personalities show so well, Sara already getting so big…
Maud will be joining us this year again for the ShopUp, and she's already taking bookings for her happy holidays shoots. I love this year's theme! So if you're in London on December 3rd or 4th, you can have your babies photographed this way as well. : )
Also — Maud will again be bringing these great Christmas Cards Toolkits (designed by Vivian from de Liefdesfabriek) to London. Filled with 20 cards, black envelopes, masking tape, stickers and a white pen — everything you need to turn your photos into a beautiful holiday card. As you can see, I already started mine!
xxx Esther
Your house on Kid&Coe!
Founded by Zoie Kingsbery Coe a few years ago, Kid&Coe is a booking service that lets families rent out their house when they are away, so that other families can have the convenience of traveling to interesting places while staying in a local family home. Instead of going though the trouble of booking an expensive hotel room, or (if you have several children) facing the difficulty of finding hotel rooms with connecting doors, Kid&Coe offers you the opportunity to stay in a family house with children's beds, toys, books, a kitchen filled with everything a family needs, highchairs, washing machines, etc. It's SO much more fun to stay in a family house than in an impersonal hotel room, and it is SO much more practical as well!
We've written about Kid&Coe before here at Babyccino Kids, but I wanted to tell you how great it is to list your house there too. Our previous home was listed on the Kid&Coe website, and last May we had an inquiry from a family from Singapore who came to visit Amsterdam and was interested in renting our house during the spring break. We decided to rent out our house and make a little trip to Germany for those days, to visit our friends from Macarons and some other cool destinations along the way. It was a really great trip and we discovered so many wonderful places. And… the best thing — the money we made from renting out our house paid for our little holiday! When we came back, it was so nice to find a sweet letter from the family who stayed in our house, telling us how much they had enjoyed our house and how their little girl had loved playing with Ava's toys.
Listing your property on the Kid&Coe website is super easy to do. The application process is straight forward, and the Kid&Coe team is so great to work with. They write great things about your house, and make sure the photos look fantastic.
Because we just moved house our current place is not listed on the website, but this is the flat we always visit in Antwerp when we go there for a very important work weekend ; ). I really recommend listing your house with Kid&Coe — it's so easy to do, and so worth it!
xxx Esther
PS The first five people to list their property on the Kid&Coe website though Babyccino Kids will get FREE professional photography!!
PPS We're excited for Kid&Coe to be the main sponsor of our ShopUp event in London this December — we look forward to seeing you there and if you have any questions about listing your property on the Kid&Coe website, their team will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Custom watercolour portraits from Sophie & Lili
Artist Jennifer Vallez from Sophie & Lili recently sent over these sweet watercolour portraits of my little family, and I love them so much. I love that she captured my children's personalities so well, and all of it based on a couple Instagram photos I have recently posted. My kids are especially fond of them — Ivy has already asked to frame them and put them up in her room. So sweet.
Sophie & Lili offer a custom watercolour portrait service so if you would like her to paint your family, she's your girl. I just love that she managed to capture my family at this special time when all my babies are still babies. What a wonderful keepsake!
Courtney x
p.s. Photos above are taken from the Sophie & Lili Instagram feed.
The Little Square Gallery — sweet snapshots in a cool frame
I'm not very organised when it comes to using my digital photos — I just take a photo, post it to Instagram, and then it disappears in a virtual cloud somewhere. Actually, it wasn't very different back when I took analog photos — instead of a virtual cloud, photos would disappear in a dusty box, waiting to be organised and glued into albums…
Friends of my parents, whose house I visited often when I was little, used to frame a selection of their photos in big collages once every year. They would choose photos of birthdays, vacations, and life in general, photos of their family, mixed with dear friends. They cut out parts of photos, circles, triangles — whatever worked — and glued them without any order or organisation. But the collages looked so cool and I loved looking at them (and finding myself in the sea of faces)!
I recently commissioned Natalie from The Little Square Gallery to print a selection of my Instagram photos. To create a moment in time, six months of snapshots, as a visual reminder of the things that happened and made us happy. The frame arrived a little while ago, and it is sitting on our new landing waiting for it's final spot. And we love it! I see it many times a day, and am reminded of those sweet moments. The children love looking at it as well. Casper is especially intrigued — every day he studies the photos and calls out all of the names of his siblings… sweet boy!
Working with Natalie was such a pleasure. She helped me pick the best photos, worked on them to make them perfect in colour, balancing light and contrast, and created a truly wonderful collage, framed beautifully in a solid wood frame. The photos are giclée printed on thick, cotton-rag fine art paper, creating a really cool floating effect that sets this collage apart! I will definitely work with Natalie again, creating more of these compilations — because I definitely like these moments in time much better in a frame, than in a virtual cloud!
xxx Esther
Five great European holiday destinations from Kid & Coe
Kid & Coe is a holiday rental site specifically for families. It was launched last Autumn and it's been great watching their site and inventory of properties grow. They offer family-friendly destinations all over the world — from beach houses in Brazil to city apartments in New York, or stylish flats in London to countryside retreats in Tuscany. Most of the properties are personally owned by families, so they often come equipped with children's toys, children's beds, highchairs and other items to make your stay more comfortable and enjoyable.
With summer holidays so near, I thought it would be a great idea to ask the team at Kid & Coe to round up five of their favourite European destinations for summer. Here are their picks and a brief description of each place:
1. The Vejer Residence, Spain
This whitewashed hippy-deluxe residence with plunge pool is in one of Andalucia's lesser visited characterful white towns, Vejer de la Frontera, near Cadiz, and sleeps up to 6 adults and 1 child in 4 bedrooms. It's full of rustic, romantic character, from the cobbled stone floors to the studded front door.
From £122 per night.
2. The Gumpendorfer Residence, Vienna
A city in summer? Well, if you like art, culture and even beaches along the Danube, Vienna is a great choice. There's even a floating boat with a pool in it nearby if you need to cool off. We love this central apartment which sleeps up to 2 adults and 2 children and is well equipped for small children.
From €90 per night.
3. The Heerlijkheid Van Marrem Residence, Belgium
Don't let anyone tell you that Belgium's boring. This stunning and unique renovated carriage shed has been lovingly turned into rustic chic lodgings sleeping up to 23, and is perfect for a deluxe family celebration. Play in the flower-filled fields or day trip to Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Brussels. It's ideal for a break with friends, too.
From €675 per night.
4. The Karl Kunger Residence, Berlin
Another great city and another great city pad: this loft apartment set in a former factory building sleeps up to 4 adults and 1 child and combines a sleek, modern interior with serious comfort. It's close to a large park for sunny picnics, 10 minutes by S-Bahn from the city centre and near to the famous Badeschiff for yoga and days spent playing in the water.
Price on application.
5. The Agrari Residence, Greece
This stunning family villa with a pool, sleeping up to 14, is set on a hillside in the quiet south of Mykonos overlooking the Aegean Sea and Agrari beach. It's a heavenly retreat for a family or two, with a main villa plus three separate guest studios. Grab some friends, pack the suncream and bring the kids!
Price on application.
Don't they all look amazing? I'll be spending the summer with family in the US, but I'm definitely taking note of these destinations for school holidays in the Autumn. I'm thinking the Heerlijkheid Van Marrem residence in Belgium would be so fun to book for a holiday with friends! Esther, Emilie are you in?!
xx Courtney
Emily Ulmer photography
Our friend and talented photographer, Emily Ulmer, is in town from Los Angeles and came over on Sunday for a little visit and impromptu photoshoot. We walked over to the park and she snapped some photos of my crazy brood running wild and climbing trees. I never would have thoughts she would have gotten good photos of them — Marlow had just woken from a much-too-short nap and was cranky and tired, and the others would not sit still for a single second.
But…. she got some really cute ones!! I think it's a testament to her photo-taking skills that she managed to get these shots, and I thought I would share some of my favourites with you…
Aren't they fun?! I love that she managed to get a photo of all of my kids up in a tree!
Emily will be spending the summer in Europe, mostly in London and Paris (but happy to travel for jobs!). If you're interested in booking her for your own family photoshoot, please email her to make an appointment. I think she takes such beautiful, natural photos.
x Courtney
Hucklebones and the Secret Garden
Photographer and stylist, Emma Donnelly, sent over some photos from her recent photoshoot with Hucklebones and I think they perfectly capture how pretty the spring has been here in England with all the beautiful cherry blossoms, budding tulips and little girls in pretty dresses and bare legs!! Such gorgeous photos!
Of course you can't go wrong when photographing Hucklebones clothing. It is just such a beautiful, timeless brand. And goodness, how cute is that little chambray romper?! There is something about Hucklebones that reminds me of springtime (and especially Easter!), and I think these photos capture both so perfectly.
x Courtney
Birdie London Photo Studio
I was invited to try out the new Birdie London pop-up photo booth at Liberty last weekend, so the girls and I went over to check it out. We spent an hour in a pretty little private room in Liberty, playing dress up while they snapped some photos. It was such a fun time, and even Ivy (who hates having her photo taken) enjoyed it! I just got the photos back, and I LOVE them! I hope you don't mind me sharing some with you? My favourite is the one where Marlow is crying! Such a perfect, imperfect photo! : )
Birdie London will be running pop-up photo booths in Liberty throughout the year, so it's definitely worth checking their site and signing up for news on future dates. They offer one-hour photo sessions for £300, and then after the session they email you all the photos (for free) and you get to keep them, print them and use the files as you wish.
I'm definitely going to print some of these photos and hang them up in our house. And I'm already looking forward to the next session so I can get some photos with all my children!
xx Courtney
p.s. Marlow is wearing this super cute outfit from La Coqueta. Ivy is wearing this pretty coral dress from Marie Puce or this Liberty London floral dress which she borrowed for the shoot.
Maud Fontein's Happy Holiday Shoot — at the ShopUp!
Last week I took my four kids over to Maud Fontein to get them photographed at her newest creative idea, the Happy Holidays Shoot. With just a sledge and a black and white background (Elizabeth Dunker's wonderful Spruce wallpaper for Photowall!), she created a wonderfully festive and modern setting for her shoot. And she managed to take a few really cute photos of my troops in no longer than ten minutes time! (Chapeau!)
I also picked up a box of the gorgeous cards that Vivian Dony from Donydesign designed in cooperation with Maud Fontein to house the photos of the Happy Holidays Shoot. Each box contains 20 very pretty cards, black envelopes and matching envelope seal stickers, cool masking tape and a white pen. Everything to make it super easy to create our own, personalised holiday cards with the contents of the box and the prints from Maud's shoot. And I'm super pleased with the results! The cards look so cool and crafty and original.
If you're coming to our ShopUp event in London this Sunday or Monday (we hope so!), do bring your kids! Maud will be there with her Happy Holidays setup, and Vivian will be selling the cool boxed card sets as well. The perfect opportunity to get cute family photos, and everything you need to make these cool holiday cards!! (And in case you're not interested in specific holiday photos, Maud will also bring a more generic background, like the one you can see here.) It will be such fun!
xxx Esther
Vanessa Berberian, London photographer
Remember last week when I told you about our little family photo session in the park with Vanessa Berberian? And how I was so worried she wouldn't get any cute photos because my children wouldn't cooperate/sit still/smile/behave… etc. Well, she just sent over the photos and I'm so so impressed with her! She managed to do it! And she also snuck in some really cute candid photos when we weren't paying attention. My heart literally bursts when I see the photos of Marlow giving me kisses! Oh, I could just eat her up. I'm so happy to have this sweet phase of hers captured. And I love the photos of my husband with the children. And… she even managed to get a photo of all six of us looking at the camera, all mostly smiling! Miracle I'm telling you.
Vanessa is a super experienced photographer who has worked in all areas of photography, from environmental portraiture to travel and food. She is now focusing her work on intimate documentary portraiture and family photography in and around the London area. (You can read more about her here.) If you're also looking for family portraits or photos of your children, I highly recommend getting in touch with her. Her website is also super easy to use — she will upload your photos onto a gallery on her site and you'll be able to download them easily onto your computer to use and to print. So handy!
Thank you Vanessa for taking these sweet photos!
xx Courtney
ShopUp tote bags!
The ShopUp is now less than 3 weeks away and we're in the final countdown. Esther came to London last week and we spent two days ironing out all the details and making final preparations. We spent nearly an entire day at the venue going over all the logistics and getting super excited as we planned everything out. It's really going to be a great event — we can't wait to fill that space with all of our amazing shops, and of course all of our wonderful visitors!!
The tote bags have also arrived! What do you think? Aren't they cool? We'll be handing one out for every visitor who attends the event. So come and get yours on December 1st and 2nd!
x Courtney
p.s. We ordered the totes from BIDBI and they have been really great to work with, and we're really pleased with the final result. BIDBI offers eco-friendly, fairly traded cotton and canvas bags. We got the Deluxe Canvas Bags and they're nice and thick with long straps, and they're spacious enough to fill with lots of great gifts and goodies. (We can't wait to fill our own totes!)
The ShopUp… is shaping up!
Whoop whoop!! We're SO excited about all of these fabulous shops and brands that are joining us at the ShopUp! (For those of you who missed the announcement — we're organising our first ever live shopping event in London at the beginning of December!) In addition to the great shopping, we'll have superb entertainment to keep the little ones busy… mini family photo-shoots… little bits to eat and drink… and there's a raffle with a fantastic prize! It will be a such a fun day out, and such a perfectly easy way to buy sweet presents for all of the little lovelies in your life!
We can't wait to go shopping at the ShopUp ourselves!! So… mark your diaries, tell your friends, invite your family, and we look forward to seeing you all there!!
xxx Courtney and Esther
Kid & Coe, a vacation rental website for families!
I am really, super excited about the recent launch of Kid & Coe, a vacation rental website featuring stylish family homes all over the world. Imagine travelling to New York, Paris, San Francisco, Copenhagen… Mexico even (!) and being able to stay in a family home, complete with child-sized beds, toys for your kids, a proper kitchen to cook meals, and other family-friendly features to really make you feel at home wherever you go.
Each Kid & Coe listing offers a great description of the property as well as a 'good to know' section of family-friendly considerations (closest parks, baby proof safety measures, dishwasher and washing machines, etc.). You can also read a description of the neighbourhood and surrounding area, and of course view loads of great photos of each property (truthfully, it's like viewing the pages of Elle Decor – some of these homes are so beautiful and inspiring – it's worth travelling just for the chance to stay in them!).
Not only is it a great place to find stylish family rentals, but you can also list your home with Kid & Coe if you're interested in renting it out while you're away. Registering your home is really easy, and the team at Kid & Coe is extremely helpful. It's easy to enter the dates you'll be away and manage your property listing and information. I know because I recently signed us up our home and it was really a piece of cake. I'm excited to see the process of booking and renting out our home… and I'm even more excited to stay in some of the other amazing homes around the world. I definitely have the travel bug just looking at this site!
xx Courtney
p.s. Here's the link for the beautiful London-based home featured in these photos. (Don't you just want to move straight in?!!)
Mark your diaries: Presenting The ShopUp!
We are really, really excited to announce some BIG news: we are organising our first ever LIVE shopping event!! The ShopUp will be held in London this coming December and will bring together a selection of the finest shops and brands all under one roof! We're thrilled to offer the chance to shop the good 'old-fashioned' way — to see and feel the products in person and fill up your shopping bag with wonderful gifts and goodies!
The ShopUp will take place on Sunday the 1st and Monday the 2nd of December, just in time for the holidays! The event will be held at the Cecil Sharp House in the trendy, family-friendly neighbourhood of Primrose Hill (a very short walk from the park, the London Zoo and the buzzing high street) — the perfect setting for a fun, family day out! We are especially excited about the wonderful shops we've lined up so far! (You can see a list of the participating shops here.) We just can't wait to go shopping ourselves!
We will also be offering a whole host of fun activities for children, and there is also a charming café located downstairs with a selection of hot drinks, snacks and nibbles. Shops will be offering discounts, prizes will be available to win, and canvas tote bags will be handed out to all visitors. So come shopping with us — we can't wait to see you there!
ColorQuarry — original letterpress announcements
Sending birth announcements is a wonderful tradition. Here in the Netherlands, one of the first things we do after a baby is born is to let the printer know what the name, weight and time of birth of the baby is so that the birth announcement can be printed and sent out as soon as possible. I love receiving them from my friends and family!
Aren't these custom designed birth announcements by ColorQuarry just gorgeous? Amanda McCorkle started designing them from scratch for clients around the time her little girl Ada was born in 2010. I think they are so, so lovely — there is so much detail and originality in each and every one of them.
Amanda designs beautiful wedding announcements too. Do take a look at her Etsy shop!
xxx Esther
Ten Seaside Escapes
We've teamed up with the fabulous travel site i-escape which offers a well curated selection of stylish travel destinations along with an easy-to-use booking service. They've kindly agreed to scour their collection of chic family friendly hotels, villas & apartments to narrow down 10 of their favourite stylish seaside escapes. Perfect for summer holiday planning! Both Esther and I have previously booked holidays with i-escape and they were some of our favourite family vacations, so we are especially excited to discover their suggestions. Take a look at these ten great seaside escapes all hand-picked from their dedicated Kids Collection:
1.) Almyra, Paphos, Cyprus
Stressed-out parents can fully recharge their batteries on the beach, by the pool or in the spa, safe in the knowledge that the little ones are having the time of their life! This unpretentious design hotel's superb kids' club caters for all ages up to 17, with activities ranging from t-shirt painting, treasure hunts and tennis lessons, to banana-boating excursions and snorkelling for teens. Added to that, the staff are super-friendly and the sun shines here over 300 days a year!
2.) Fiskardo Cottages, Kefalonia, Greece
Set in a gloriously peaceful location, within walking distance of 2 unspoilt beaches, these charming whitewashed cottages (sleeping 2-6) are the perfect rural retreat and great for older kids. Head for the hills and hike through dramatic scenery, sail, snorkel, scuba dive or just play in the shared pool. The slick modern kitchens mean self-catering is a pleasure or you can walk to the nearby village tavernas for delicious local dishes and fresh seafood.
3.) The Rosevine, Cornwall, UK
This chic apartment-hotel has a wonderfully casual vibe making it a haven for families. Designed with kids in mind, they have heaps of baby paraphernalia to borrow (less to pack!) and kids will be kept well-entertained by a toy-laden playroom, indoor pool and playground in the garden. The restaurant has a kids' menu, and at night its candlelit – pack your baby monitor and 'dine out'. But the best bit? It's a just a short stroll from wide, sandy Porthcurnick beach and the hotel has buckets, spades and fishing nets to borrow for rock-pooling.
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If you're after beachside bliss on a budget, Azur Hotel's simple wooden cabins are the ones for you. Despite having no formal crèche, it's a great place for kids with safe lawned gardens and hidden hammocks, a child-friendly pool, lovely staff who know each child by name and boat and jeep trips for adventurous day trips. Nearby Cirali beach, one of Europe's loveliest, has wonderfully clear blue waters for swimming and snorkelling.
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Laid-back beach sophistication and a dreamy Zen style are the order of the day at Jashita. Uniquely secluded, it's the only hotel on this pristine beach with shallow aquamarine waters that's sheltered by its own coral reef. Families will love Villa Jasmine, a beach house for 10 that offers independence and the opportunity to self-cater, along with the use of the hotel's facilities and restaurant. Kids will love the beach and boat trips and there are adventure parks nearby.
8.) Onar, Andros, Greece
Walking through the river from this collection of simple stone cottages (sleeping 2-7) to the beach is the sort of thing fantastic family memories are made of. The atmosphere here is secluded but the communal meals and effervescent host ensure that you'll never feel lonely. Kids will love the natural swimming pool nearby and the small playground, while sun, sea, delicious fresh food and stylishly simple décor will reinvigorate even the most jaded workaholics.
9.) Esplendido, Puerto Soller, Mallorca
One of our most popular hotels for families in Spain, there will be lots of new friends for your kids to play with at this hip hotel in picturesque Puerto Soller. Occupying the top position in the middle of the bay, the proximity of the beach is a godsend with energetic youngsters, and means you can hear the waves lapping below from the sea view terraces. And don't underestimate the excitement provided by the many ice-cream shops and the tram to Soller!
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Within a whisper of the sea on a white-sand beach, these boutique villas (sleeping 2-6) are great for families as they combine the privacy of a villa with room service and a private chef. Each villa offers a secluded haven (your own living space, your own garden, some with a pool) with all the luxuries of a larger resort, but they are closer to nature, more intimate and better value. There's plenty of kit for kids (toys, books, inflatable toys, cricket kits) and babies (pushchair, backpack, car seat, sunshades), so you can pack light(er!).
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Dirt,street,its all good.
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Western Oregon
Oddometer: 250
A Rally Twin of my own
I learned of the Weber Rally Twin via this thread around 4 years ago. It was stunning how much those bike were exactly what I thought I wanted. Since then, I've acquired lots of parts - to be explained later - and even started an actual build in the spring of 2012, which was taken apart and put back in the shed - also to be explained later.
However, the dream has never died, but has continued to burn ever hotter within my enfeebled brain. And finally, the project's time has finally come. With the help of an actual fabricator this time, the frame is coming together. This is where things stand as of last night:
Dirt,street,its all good.
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Western Oregon
Oddometer: 250
By August 2010 I had tracked down two EX500's, one wrecked, the other, well, neglected. Plus I had two YZ426 frames, one with forks and rear suspension, and lots of other WR400/426 pieces from when I had those bikes (plated!) Then, in August 2010, I had an accident that slowed me down a lot, but gave me a lot of time to figure out how to make the project happen. To make this build happen, everything had to start out on the cheap - I don't have a huge reserve of funds.
First was the jig. The difference in wheelbase between a YZ426 and the RallyTwin is 4 inches, so I had to figure out a cheap way to accurately spread the frame 4 inches while retaining alignment and headtube angle. I tracked down a 4x4 plate of 1/2 steel (free!) for the table to build the jig on. I came across some strut channel to use as my "tracks" to run my trolleys on.
This is was to be the donor/reference frame from the EX500
Here's the YZ426 frame aligned on my jig, ready to add the braces that will allow me to cut the frame up, separate the halves, add 4 inches to the wheelbase, and retain the headtube angle
This is the trolley
There's one for the front, one for the back. You can see the tracks. They're bolted down and as exactly parallel as they can possibly be. The trolleys fit real snugly with no twist, and slide front to back requiring moderate pressure to do so. I spent many hours getting the table and tracks and trolleys super-level so I could reference plumb and perpendicular off the table and tracks and trolleys in a repeatable fashion.
I spent lots of hours finally getting the frame exactly centered on the jig and plumb as well. The way I approached part of that was by attaching some legs in the form of 3/8 bolts to the bottom of the frame so I could turn them in and out and affect tilt fore and aft and side to side.
The edge of my drywall t-square plus two more framing squares was what I set up to reference off of for centerline
I set up a plumb-bob that dropped out of the steer tube of the forks
The rear axle was centered by measuring equidistant between the ends of the swingarm to the centerline edge of the jig
Finally, it was all perfect and I started welding pieces of scrap tubing (I'd scrounged for free) to brace up the frame.
To the headtube I tacked vertically a 1-1/2 piece of boxtube with one side cut out. Then, I tacked a 2x2 piece horizontally to that. That's what the struts were welded to, in addition to the front trolley
Here's the front end jigged up without the forks in it anymore
The rear section of the YZ426 frame that the suspension and footpegs attach to is all that's getting reused from that frame. I tacked struts from the rear trolley to it, top and bottom.
Dirt,street,its all good.
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Western Oregon
Oddometer: 250
The pics I'm showing here are all from the aborted build from the spring of 2012. My motivation for that build was to have another dualsport machine (in addition to my plated XR650R) for a 10-day trip in SE Oregon and Northern Nevada I had planned for June 2012 with an old riding buddy, plus the guy who's doing the actual fab work for me on the newly resurrected build. I had the time to make it happen, plus the $. But apparently not the know-how. You'll see that later on.
In the meantime, I think its worthwhile to show all the steps that have gotten the build to where the pic on the first post describes.
I had cut the downtubes out of the EX500 frame, and the top tube and down tubes out of the YZ426 frame. I took the frames outside to cut them all apart and keep the metal mess outside. I used nothing fancier than a sawzall and a hacksaw.
This one shows the EX frame tubes adjacent to the YZ frame before the YZ got cut up. The YZ is supposed to be 4" longer when its stretched to accomodate the EX engine.
YZ frame cut out.
YZ frame headtube and rear section back on the table and bolted down. I had noted the distance between the trolleys prior to removing them from the jig, in preparation for separating them an additional 4" to match the Weber Rally Twin wheelbase specs.
And with the rear section slid back another 4", and the EX downtubes set within to get an idea of whether my idea of marrying these 3 pieces will work
That pic sure made it seem like this wasn't going to be too tough. At that point, I was still ignorant (as I usually am) to the actual fitment issues that were to come - and seriously derail the project.
oregonlmd screwed with this post 03-23-2014 at 02:35 PM
Lampin' it
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Turning expensive metal into scrap
Oddometer: 5,814
Cool start, keep it rolling and don't stop and lose momentum
We're not out here to rough it. We're here to smooth it. Things are rough enough in town.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Dec 2009
Location: Cape Town
Oddometer: 326
Very interesting, will follow along as you progress with this project.
1998 KLR 680C; to many mods to list.
Team AARP
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: South Salem, NY
Oddometer: 2,616
Very cool!!!
Dirt,street,its all good.
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Western Oregon
Oddometer: 250
Now its time to show everyone how it was so nice to make progress, only to fall flat upon my face.
Remember, this is from two years ago...
I finally had the engine sitting roughly where it belongs. Its around 1/8 to 3/16 high, left to right is pretty close, front-to-back still needs lots of tweaking.
There's a length of welding wire in place to indicate the bottom of the 2" box tube top tube I'll be using.
This shows the space I've got to work with to build a plenum, or whatever its called, between the YZ airbox and the EX carbs. Ironically, the YZ airhorn fits the EX carbs exactly. I've decided to not run pod filters because they just end up getting too damned plugged up in dusty conditions. The Webers made some sort of airbox in their totally custom frame that, apparently, did not have this problem.
A major hitch in the plan finally showed itself, and I should have realized it was going to be a problem well before I got to this point.
I had a 6.6 gallon KTM RFS tank, and had intended to use it, but I discovered that it would not fit around the engine. I tried my super-tanker XR650R tank also, and same problem. They're both too narrow at the mid -points back to fit down over the wide EX500 engine's head. What an obvious problem!
I wanted to avoid using the KLR tank like the Webers did. But, I want the 6.1 gallons it carries, and frankly, I don't think there's likely a different 6+ gallon tank made for any bike, plastic or steel, that would fit down over the width of the EX500 engine. IMS KLR650 6.6 gallon tank it will be.
Its apparent why the Webers' frame ended up being the way it is. I shouldn't have doubted them.
Dirt,street,its all good.
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Western Oregon
Oddometer: 250
Three weeks later, I finally had made some real progress again.
It was very difficult to get the engine aligned with the swingarm pivot, which is what I'm referencing to ensure the countershaft sprocket is in the same plane as the rear sprocket. That is what really took all the time on this project since the last batch of pics. I hadn't been working on it continuously, but I'm sure I had dozens of hours into just the rear engine mounts. Astute observers will see why it all had to come apart.
Here's what I had done:
Rear engine mounts
Left side
Right side
Top view
After getting that done (well, mostly, there was some touch up work to do) it was time to figure out how to get the downtubes and bottom tubes connected to the headtube. That's when I realized that there was going to be some major interference between the radiator and fender. By around 2-1/2 inches. Its pretty stupid that I had JUST THEN realized that. I was in a pretty big funk as I couldn't see how I was going to solve it. After a lunch break, the solution occurred to me: Cut things apart.
Here's a side view with the rad somewhat mocked into place
I chopped the downtubes off right below the rad mounts. Elevated them about 3 inches. Moved them back about 2-1/2 inches. And now, the rad clears the fender. By about 1/4 inch
Here's the cut I made, and more or less where the frame will continue down to the bottom tubes, through the left side engine mount.
The additional tube tacked in there is just to help me mock up the position.
Also, the right side won't be so easy. There's engine in the way, so there would have to be a go-around created (didn't take pic, but I recall the problem).
Here's the top tube, viewed from the back of the bike
This pic shows a wire where the bottom of the headtube "brace" will go in, and the downtubes will attach
Looking at the Weber's frame, you can see how the downtube is set back a bit from the bottom of the headtube. Noticing that is what gave me the solution to my rad clearance problem
Here's a front view with the rad mocked into place
Dirt,street,its all good.
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Western Oregon
Oddometer: 250
And then it hit me. I had not accounted for the upward movement of the chain. This pic shows the complete interference quite well.
By now I had made 3 serious design errors.
1. Tank interference.
2. Rear engine mount design, interferes with the chain.
3. The radiator. I had not considered that it actually needed room in there somewhere...
I was, and am, highly embarrassed about all that. I decided then and there that the whole project needed more thought, and time than I had available to have the bike finished and dependable for my buddy to ride on our planned 10-day trip in SE Oregon and Northern Nevada.
So, I cut all but the bottom right engine mount tab off (would need that in the future, for it was absolutely correct for placement of the engine left-right and up-down), then stuck the whole mess in the shed.
I used the next 1.5 months to acquire another XR650R (got it from another inmate, who lives near me) and set it up like the one I already had. After that trip, I sold it off and recouped my investment.
And now, the project is as depicted in the first pic.
Dirt,street,its all good.
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Western Oregon
Oddometer: 250
It will be another 2 weeks before I can make more progress on it. The fabricator is a busy guy and he's fitting this in where he has a hole in his schedule. He will get the main part of the frame welded together, as he and I design solutions to fitment issues. His experience and skill will shortcut the stupid mistakes I made previously.
Here's the framework for the design:
IMS 6.6 gallon Natural KLR650 tank.
08+ KLR650 seat, subframe, airbox, rear fender and inner fender, sidepanels. All that is done, all I have to do is source from wrecking yards via ebay.
Custom plenum (or whatever its called) between the airhorn from the airbox and the carbs.
Exhaust will be a 2-into-1, using stock headpipes, collected behind the right rear of the oil pan, then sweeping up behind the frame and rear brake master, aside the swingarm, then back, with the muffler mounted in the stock KLR location. I'll be using a 2006 KTM525EXC muffler to start with.
Lights will be just the same sort of stuff I had on my XR650R. Basic basic basic. I'd like to add the 08+ KLR fairing for street trips, but that's budget $$ down the road.
Wheels are the stock 21/18 that came on the WR/YZ, though with black excel rims, HD spokes, and a Talon rear hub. Front brake will be upgraded to an oversize rotor, to deal with the additional 100 pounds this thing will be over what a WR426 weighed. Again, when future $$ become available, I'll get a set of SUMO wheels for street tours.
I will have the suspension re-valved to deal with the new-found weight, plus add in obviously much heavier springs to get the sag correct. I weigh 180 in street clothes. I think that if the bike is valved to deal with a 300lb rider in dirt-riding gear, it'll be about right for dual sport duty. I'd like it to be slightly on the soft side, but with excellent control over bottoming.
The goal is to be able to ride this thing by mid summer. We'll see how that plays out...
Lampin' it
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Turning expensive metal into scrap
Oddometer: 5,814
Couple notes as we have run into many of the same issues. Try to get the pivot points for the swingarm and countershaft as close as possible on the side view. Too far apart and you will get lots of chain droop, which I am working through now.
I had some radiator clearance before and i just made some spacers for the back bolts to pull it away from the rad. Easy.
My last bit of advice is resist the urge to use the parts you have, especially if you have to force them to fit, in order to sve money. I can't tell you the number of times I designed a component to utilize parts I had laying around when it was obvious it wasn't going to work well. But being frugal and stubborn I would spend hours forcing the part to work only to discover down the road that it was a huge mistake. That's jumping over dollars to pick up dimes.
Great choice on not going pod filters, I have them on my fz1 and the fueling sucks at cruise when it's windy out. My ninja I have as much stock as possible relating to the engine and it's a happy camper.
Def go bigger brake on the front and you might want to look into a super moto setup. I have one on mine and my bike stops great with a single rotor. The stock master cylinder might not be up to the task of hauling that bike down from sped. All depends on how and where you ride I guess.
We're not out here to rough it. We're here to smooth it. Things are rough enough in town.
Purveyor of Light
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Mountains of Central Florida:)
Oddometer: 5,362
Looks interesting!
ADVmonster...BLOG....Dirt Ninja Build...TAT 08
Joined: Dec 2012
Location: North Georgia
Oddometer: 220
This will be nice when finished. Keep the regular reports coming.
Scubawerx--Underwater Search Salvage and Recovery
Like margarine?
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Denver
Oddometer: 492
I love it, I cannot wait to see how this progresses!!!!
Keep in mind Wes and Wayne spent years working on their masterpieces, 1,000's and 1,000's of hours and many more dollars than that. I think Wes said there are around 750 individually designed and cut pieces welded together in just their alloy frame alone. By the time they designed all the brackets and mounts.
For every problem solved, two more will pop up. You have nothing to be ashamed of as far as not foreseeing problems, that has just begun.
Sailah has some great wisdom; keep up the momentum. It is just like eating an elephant, there is only one way to do it; one bite at a time. Keep thinking about the symphony, but focus on one thing, one bite at a time. And if you get stumped, move on to something else and come back. There is also a lot of wisdom in just getting the right components to start with. I wasted quite a bit of time, effort, and money trying to save a few bucks, and costing myself in the end.
Can't wait to see this move along, one bite at a time!
P.S. - I have a KLR side-cover that I haven't gotten around to trying to sell yet. PM me if your are interested.
Go to COHVCO.ORG to purchase an SOS sticker and become a FRIEND OF COHVCO
Then post a picture of the sticker on your OHV and post it on COHVCO's Facebook page to show your support,
Z_HARSH screwed with this post 03-26-2014 at 11:34 AM
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: South Africa
Oddometer: 6
Very interesting and challenging build.
With the drive sprocket aligned with the rear does the engine sit central to the frame or a little to the right?
2007 990 Adventure
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Description RYGERFJORD HOTEL & HOSTEL
RYGERFJORD HOTEL & HOSTEL -unique living on a ship in the very central of Stockholm!M/S RYGERFJORD was built in Bergen, Norway in 1950. For many years she was sailing on the coast of Norway. Since 1995 she has been permanently moored in Stockholm giving service as HOTEL & HOSTEL and RESTAURANT. There is an outspoken ambition to carefully renovate the ship and safe-guard the genuine ambiance.Rygerfjord hotel & hostel is located at Södermälarstrand in the centre of Stockholm close to almost everything. With walking distance to Stockholms centre, Gamla Stan (Old Town), Långholmen, Söder etc. Close to all public transport such as busses, subway (T-bana), local trains and easily accessible by car.Car park directly outside the entrance.FREE INTERNET ACCESS with both desk-top computers and wireless WLAN.The Restaurant is open from 8.00 to 23.00 with Breakfast Buffet served until 10.00.We can serve you lunch and a'la carte and for groups over 15 persons different buffés.Our bar is open until 23:00 and can serve you different types of beverages.The genuine ambiance and the friendly crew will give you a memorable stay in Stockholm.The ambition is to give you good value for little money.You can choose either Hotel- or Hostel standard.Our hotel prices includes everything except breakfast.Our hostel prices do not include breakfast or sheets/towels.Breakfast is not included in any of our hotel or hostel prices!.PLEASE OBSERVE Due to that the hotel and Hostel is on a ship we may not offer a guest kitchen or any possibility to cook for guests because of hasard of fire. It is not allowed to bring own food or bevarage to public areas on board. Sleeping bags are not allowed. Due to security reasons we do not allow children under 12 years old.RYGERFJORD HOTEL & HOSTEL Conference facilities available from 5 to up to 150 persons. We organize all kinds of Receptions or Dinner parties.For groups we make special arrangements. * Breakfast Buffet/ Not Included * Internet Access free of charge * Web Access in Lobby * WiFi in Lobby * Fax Service * Postal Service * Card Phones * Bicycle Hire * Cable TV * DVD`s * Common Room * Outdoor Terraced Area * 24 Hour Security * Towels Hire * Hairdryer for Hire * Bar * Café * Restaurant * Iron/Ironing Board * Tours Desk * Luggage Storage * Parking * On Street Parking * 24 Hour Reception


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Banks Paid Out Over $100 Billion for 'Mistakes'
The banks responsible for the 2007 financial crisis have paid out over $100 billion in fines, according to a new report in the Financial Times. The fines were paid out for a variety of pre-crisis "mistakes" ranging from issuing bad loans to borrowers unable to repay them to manipulating interbank borrowing rates such as Libor.
Recent payments include an $885 million fine paid by Credit Suisse to American regulatory agency the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The payment results in a staggering $99.5 billion paid out by financial institutions since the financial crisis occurred in 2007 and 2008.
More than half of the financial services industry fines were paid in 2013, with a total of $52 billion paid to the United States treasury throughout the year. $32 billion was paid by leading financial institutions to the Treasury during 2012, up from less than five billion dollar a year earlier.
Not all banks were subject to equal fines. JP Morgan, considered the 'ringleader' of several irresponsible lending and investment programmes, was fined a staggering $13 billion. Other banks to be heavily fined by US regulators included Citigroup and Bank of America.
While critics of the banks welcomed the heavy fines, others worried that fines alone were not enough to influence large institutions with such incredible assets. Stanford University professional Anat Admati believes that many of the banks targeted by the regulators will view the fines as a "cost of doing business".
Economists believe that banks could face further fines as investigations into pre and post-crisis lending activity continues. Many of the penalties and investigations were launched by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Political commentators believe they represent a change in regulatory attitudes towards the main US banks and the beginning of "punishment" for the banks' role in the financial crisis.Read more
JP Morgan Faces $13 Billion Fine for 2007 Activity
US investment bank JP Morgan could be forced to pay the largest fine in corporate banking history. The American financial services firm is facing up to $13 billion in fines for its involvement in selling misleading mortgage bonds to investors.
The bank was one of several major US banks to be involved in the large-scale selling of low quality mortgage bonds that resulted in the 2008 financial crisis. Other banks to have participated in the 2005-2008 mortgage controversy include Fannie May – a target of the SEC for securities fraud – and Freddie Mac.
Wall Street experts believe that the incredible $13 billion fine could lead to serious repercussions for the industry. Numerous financial commentators have weighed in on the fine, claiming that it could lead to further fines not just for JP Morgan's main competitors, but for the bank itself as it owns up to further wrongdoing.
Banking analyst Nancy Bush, who works for NAB Research, claimed that the fine has 'opened up the piggy bank' for prosecutors and government agencies interested in a side of the financial industry that many outsiders feel has avoided prosecution. 'This $13 billion … will embolden the DOJ and pretty much everyone else."
Analysts believe that the primary reason for JP Morgan's massive fine was the level of misrepresentation used by its mortgage-backed securities sales team during the years leading up to the crisis. Toxic mortgage-backed securities were sold to many investors as 'nearly risk-free' when they were in fact close to worthless.
Legal experts believe that the JP Morgan case will serve as a test for the Department of Justice, which, under the leadership of Eric Holder, is setting out to target many of the people most responsible for the 2008 financial meltdown. Many people believe that civil lawsuits filed by investors could follow the massive government fine.Read more


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Teen Entrepreneurs Partner Empower Women with Women's Network
Los Angeles-based teen entrepreneurs Emily Matson and JuliAnne Goldmark, the duo behind Emi-Jay, Inc., announced their 2013 partnership with Step Up Women's Network. Founded in 2008, the luxe hair accessory company partners with Step Up Women's Network to encourage girls across the nation to fulfill their goals and unlock their ultimate career potential.
Step Up is a nonprofit organization of professional women igniting girls to fulfill their potential by creating and implementing impactful after-school and weekend programs that empower teen girls from under-resourced communities to be confident, college-bound, and career-ready. Currently seniors in high school and running Emi-Jay Inc., with their mothers, Matson and Goldmark have chosen to sponsor the Step Up Women's Network Young Luminaries program, which focuses on college and career readiness for high school seniors.
Matson and Goldmark will continue Emi-Jay's dedication to social philanthropy by serving as mentors to the Step Up Young Luminaries, sharing learnings from running a successful company while navigating the everyday pressures of high school. Through the nine-month program's mentoring workshops, the teens work on college applications, discuss the transition to college life, hone in on their career aspirations and prepare for a paid summer internship.
"We have the unique experience of working with our mother's. We look up to them not just a daughter to a mother, but as successful businesswomen who always placed an emphasis on giving back. We see the Step Up Women's Network partnership as a platform to not only give back but as an opportunity to learn from other young, driven girls," says Matson and Goldmark.
About Author
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OTIP Bidding Deadline Extended!
Because there have been a number of late additions of employers to the OTIP programs, the bidding deadline has been extended to Monday, July 1 at 5:00 p.m. Even if you have already placed bids for any of these programs, we encourage you to log back into the system to see if additional firms have been added to the cities in which you are interested. If you have questions about any of the OTIP programs, please contact OCS at 202-662-9300.
Posted by Jennifer Van Buren at 4:45 PM - Categories: 2L/3E | 3L/4E | Law Firms | OCS / OPICS News


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2012 Cookie Contest: Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Bars
Category: Bar cookie
Cook/prep time: 30 Minutes
Number of cookies: 48 bars
Difficulty: Easy
For the Pumpkin Bars:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 (3-ounce each) packages cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Pumpkin Bars:
1 Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and sugar. Stir in beaten eggs, oil, and canned pumpkin until thoroughly combined. Stir in chopped walnuts. Spread batter into an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan.
2 Bake in a 325 degrees oven for 30 minutes. Cool and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting, if desired. Cut into bars.
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 Combine frosting ingredients in a small bowl; mix until well blended.
Makes 48 bars.
Serving suggestions: Slice into squares and serve on a beautiful platter.
Tell us about yourself: I am a mother of two beautiful girls and we love to bake all the time.
Recipe submitted by Rebecca Hinrichsen
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Stanford University announced Tuesday that it would divest its $18.7 billion endowment of stock in coal-mining companies, becoming the first major university to lend support to a nationwide campaign to purge endowments and pension funds of fossil-fuel investments.
The university said it acted in accordance with internal guidelines that allow its trustees to consider whether "corporate policies or practices create substantial social injury" when choosing investments. Coal's status as a major source of carbon pollution linked to climate change persuaded the trustees to remove companies "whose principal business is coal" from their investment portfolio, the university said.
Stanford's associate vice president for communications, Lisa Lapin, said the decision covers about 100 companies worldwide that derive the majority of their revenue from coal extraction. Overall, Stanford's coal holdings are a small fraction of its endowment.
"But a small percentage is still a substantial amount of money," she added.
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The decision carries more symbolic than financial weight, but it is a big victory for a rapidly growing student-led divestment movement that is now active at roughly 300 universities.


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Jon Batiste & Stay Human: Blues-Jazz Boogie Band
Full Price
Our Price
Jazz-blues pianist Jonathan Batiste and his band Stay Human are all about creating exciting and audience-engaging live performances. In fact, they've been known to just hit the streets and start playing, leading to the release of their 2011 disc MY NY, recorded at a bunch of impromptu subway gigs. Noted for his "outgoing humor and eccentric showmanship" by The New York Times, the charismatic Batiste -- also famed for his moves on the wind-based melodica keyboard -- comes from a long line of talented Louisiana musicians, and he's recorded and appeared with a bevy of stars, including Cassandra Wilson, Prince, Harry Connick Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Wynton Marsalis and more.
There are currently no offers for Jon Batiste & The Stay Human Band.
Currently at Irvine Barclay Theatre
Ralph Fiennes in National Theatre Live Screening of Man and Superman
- Full Price:
- $22.00
- Our Price:
- $17.00
Two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Schindler's List) stars in this HD… More
Venue Details
The whole thing is only an hour so park across the street and not in the parking structure, where you have to pay $10..star this tip starred
The weather was cool. I wore jeans and a nice top. It was very warm inside the theater, almost too hot in the balcony section..star this tip starred
More Information
Performances may not be appropriate for children under age 6. Parents are advised to use discretion.


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The following article caught my eye the other day: AIA Perspective: Capital Shares: Social media is important, but let's remember the importance of personal interaction. American Institute of Architects President …Read more→
Something I saw on Dancing with the Stars this week has struck me deeper than usual and I have given some thought to why. I regularly watch DWTS for three …Read more→
I was stopped at a red light on State Street when my son asked me, "Mom, why does that building have a lion and a unicorn on it?" My profession …Read more→