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My Very Merry Christmas Board Book
In stock
Adorable forest animals prepare for a very merry Christmas for your child! This personalized board book for Christmas has a hard cover and sturdy board pages. Makes a cherished keepsake! Air shipping not available on this item.
This adorable personalized board book for Christmas has a hard cover and durable board pages. My Very Merry Christmas features charming illustrations of Goose, Chipmunk and other furry friends who deliver a note about your child to Santa. At the end of this delightful story, the animals circle the tree that they have adorned with your child's name spelled out on the ornaments.
As an added personal touch, this beautifully illustrated book includes a personalized cover and a printed dedication from the sender. Made in the USA, this storybook is written by award-winning author Jennifer Dewing and illustrated by Mati Rose McDonough.
When ordering, we will ask you whether the book is being given to the child for his or her first Christmas.
* If you answer "no," the title of your child's book will be "[Child's First Name's] Very Merry Christmas."
* If you answer "yes," we will add the word "First" into the title of the book so that it reads, "[Child's First Name's] Very Merry First Christmas." We will also change the text in the story to refer to the fact that it is the child's very first Christmas. Take a virtual tour of the book with "first" Christmas on the cover and throughout the book.
As an added personal touch, this beautifully illustrated book includes a personalized cover and a printed dedication from the sender. Made in the USA, this storybook is written by award-winning author Jennifer Dewing and illustrated by Mati Rose McDonough.
When ordering, we will ask you whether the book is being given to the child for his or her first Christmas.
* If you answer "no," the title of your child's book will be "[Child's First Name's] Very Merry Christmas."
* If you answer "yes," we will add the word "First" into the title of the book so that it reads, "[Child's First Name's] Very Merry First Christmas." We will also change the text in the story to refer to the fact that it is the child's very first Christmas. Take a virtual tour of the book with "first" Christmas on the cover and throughout the book.
|Gender and ages:
|Boys and girls ages 0-6
|6.5" x 6.5"
|Number of pages:
|Standard delivery:
|Receive 2 weeks after date of order
|Expedited delivery:
|Receive 7-8 business days after date of order
|Air delivery:
|Not available on this item
|Canada delivery:
|Arrives approximately 2 weeks after order date
|International delivery:
|Arrives approximately 2 weeks after order date
Customer Reviews
Beautiful Gift
- Review by TJ Purchased this book for my niece's first birthday - she and her momma love the book!
love it
- Review by grammama I was just a little surprised by the size of the book. I was expecting a bigger book for the money. It was very well constructed and will last for generations.
Great Informative Website
- Review by tydayTounda Hi! My name is Latoya Molinari and I live in Ogden,UT. I have read your blog post about My Very Merry Christmas Board Book | I See Me! and I want to say that I am quite impressed with your professionalism on the subject!
Great gift! High quality!
- Review by Katie C I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this book. I loved it and so did my new baby cousin! He will have it for a lifetime.
Perfect gift!
- Review by Happy in SC This is a wonderful gift and beautiful keepsake for any child! I have bought it for grandchildren and now for our great-niece for her first Christmas! The book is beautiful and being able to list other family makes it really special!
Beautifully made
- Review by Nonie A very special, personal gift to a new grand baby. Will certainly purchase more for the next occasion.
- Review by Ellen w I was very pleased with the book. I read it to my grandson. I will be looking forward to ordering in the future
My favorite gift
- Review by Nicole FL This is my first experience with I See Me and I can't say enough good things. It is a little pricy for a book but the value of the product is completely worth the cost. I ordered the Merry first Christmas book for my daughter and my niece and it was one of the best gifts they received because they were so personalized. Their name was not just in the title but in the entire story and in so many details(like spelled out in the garland that decorates the tree) that I didn't even notice the first time I read it. It is something that we can read to our girls each year and keep as a wonderful memory of their first Christmas. The book was good quality and the shipping was rather quick for a personalized gift. I would definitely recommend the product!
Cannot upload personal photograph
Review by Kim
Wonderful book. Would have been nice to have been able to upload a personal photograph, like many of the other books offered on the site.
Editor's Note: We are working on having this option to each title. We apologize it is not available at this time.
Love this book
- Review by Shanhale I like the size and construction of this book...my grandnephew,( 2 years old) can hold it himself and we don't have to worry about him tearing it up. Very professional looking!
Review by Big Momma
The books were amazing and I was very
pleased with the quality of them. They
were a big hit and everyone loved them!!!
Thanks so much
Perfect first Christmas book
- Review by Jamie I am so glad I ordered this book for my baby's first Christmas. The nook is very well made and is so cute and colorful. It will surely be a valued keepsake for him as he grows up!
Cute Story
- Review by Kenzi Smaller book than others and not as good of quality as other books on site, but a cute story. Cute pictures.
Great gift!
- Review by mscteacher I was so excited when this book arrived....it looks beautiful & I can't wait to give it to my nieces (ages 1.5 and newborn)! The story is adorable, the book is well-made, and it will be a great Christmas gift.
My First Christmas
- Review by Linda I absolutely love the book so cute and very well done. It will be a keepsake for Owen for sure. I intend to order more for grand nieces and nephews.
Perfect Gift for 1 Year Old Niece
- Review by Sarah Rose I have purchased several books from I See Me, but this was my first Board Book for a toddler. This purchase is for my fiance's little niece. She is very hard on books, and while this wasn't my first choice, I absolutely ADORE this book. This will be the first of many personalized books for this little one, as well as new family members, when they arrive!
SO CUTE! What a great gift!!!!!
- Review by Brittney OMG!!! This is by far the cutest gift ever! So personal, thoughtful and something they can have forever! I never write reviews, but I had to for this! I am so happy with the quality of the book. I can't get over how cute it is. I think I'm more excited about this than the parents of the child I'm giving it to will be! Makes a great gift! Wish I would have found this site awhile ago! Will order many more books! Love love love it!
1st christmas book
- Review by Heidi Excellent Christmas present for my grandson great quality and arrived on time thanks
My Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Lori This book was wonderful and the family just loved it. We had these books 30 years ago when my kids were little and my daughter still talks about being in the story 30 years later. The book is beautifully made and was well worth the money. I'll make sure to let the other Grandma's in on this wonderful gift.
thank you!
- Review by Jamie I bought this gift for my little nephew and he loved it! Thank you I was very pleased with the way the book turned out! I'll be using this site again for his birthday.
Great Christmas gift!
- Review by Emily This was so adorable, easy to make, and made a very special gift for family members!
- Review by Nina Such a lovely book for tots and all ages. The book was beautiful and how personalized it is, is truly priceless. Will order again!
What a keepsake!
- Review by Holly Aguilera This is such a beautiful book and of such high quality! I purchased this as a Christmas gift for our grandson and we couldn't be happier! It made me want to purchase more of this type of personalized books in the future! Love it!!!
What a keepsake!
- Review by Holly Aguilera This is such a beautiful book and of such high quality! I purchased this as a Christmas gift for our grandson and we couldn't be happier! It made me want to purchase more of this type of personalized books in the future! Love it!!!
Absolutely Adorable
- Review by Sheila S. This book was for a child's first Christmas and made a personalized special gift that will be treasured for years to come. I can't wait until he is old enough for me to read it to him with his own name included within the story. I ordered the book a little over a week before Christmas but it arrived in plenty of time.
- Review by Mary My God daughter was so excited when she saw her personalized book. Great quality. Worth every dollar spent.
- Review by Nylas mom Best gift I have ever given.
Fantastic Gift
- Review by Heidi D We purchased this for our granddaughter, Isabella's, first Christmas. What a beautifully done product! This is an actual book that is printed with the child's name in it - not one of those where it appears to be written in. This is a very special moment of that first Christmas and one they can read all year round! Love it and will be back for additional products!!
- Review by Susan J Anderson This is my first purchase from I See Me.I WILL be a future customer. Wonderful quality and story. Excited to give as a gift!
Baby's Very First Christmas
- Review by Suzan Love the book! At this time of 6 months, Sadie put everything into her mouth. But I love the personalization of the book and it will be one that will remain in her library and read to her year after year. Neat having her name on almost every page!!
Nana B
- Review by Belinda Love every page of the sweet book. It is colorful and very attractive.
Awesome book
- Review by Jessica Avila I just bought this book for my son's first Christmas and fell in love with it! It's so cute and cool for my son to hear a story that's all about him. Even the little details with his name on the tree, star, Santa's tag, etc. It's the perfect gift!!
- Review by Erin F. Bought this for my nephew's first Christmas - have a feeling it will hanging around for quite a few years. Drawings are fantastic and the book itself is VERY durable. Makes a great gift. Highly recommend.
- Review by Marilyn My niece will love this book for years to come. I got it for her first christmas. It is great quality. My daughter has another I seeme book and she gets very sentimental whenever I read it. It's a great book.
Merry Christmas Baby's First & Sisters Book
- Review by Janis potter Ordered these two books for my 8 month old granddaughter and her 2 year old sister! They are so cute!!! Well made and the kids love them! Very special books for years to come!!
The gift that lasts forever
- Review by Sue R This is the second personalized book I got for my nephews; each for their first Christmas. It really is touching for the parents to see this personalized gift that they will read to their children for many, many years, and then the child will have this as a keepsake, so they will always have something from their childhood...and better yet, it is personalized with our names in it too!
Christmas book
- Review by Carol R I called my nephew to see if he liked his new book for Christmas. He said it was the best. I loved the colors in it. This was the 3rd book for Christmas I had ordered this year. Thanks
Aunt of receipent
- Review by tk The parents of the baby that received this book were very impressed and loved the number of times their child's name appeared throughout the story. Made this aunt and the child's great aunt look good :)
Very Merry Christmas
Review by Phalan
This book is awesome! Very impressed once again with the quality of the product and how quickly it ships out. I will be a forever fan of I SEE ME! books
Thank you for the great memories
Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Michele It came out even better than I had imagined. I wanted "first Christmas" gifts and this was by far the best gift I found. Thank you!
- Review by Elizabeth T. just a Grandmother This is now the second book I've purchased for my Grandson and I couldn't be happier. The story is cute and I'm delighted when my grandson reaches out to turn each page! Your personalized books are a thoughtful gift to give and it is a gift that keeps bringing joy to my grandson every time it's read it to him.
Lucia's Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Colleen Bought this {my third book} for my granddaughter Lucia Can't wait til Christmas The personalization is terrific and the children really feel like they are part of the story Good quality, fast shipping I just LOVE these books. The books are BEAUTIFUL COLORFUL and a JOY to Give & RECEIVE
Lucia's Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Colleen Bought this {my third book} for my granddaughter Lucia Can't wait til Christmas The personalization is terrific and the children really feel like they are part of the story Good quality, fast shipping I just LOVE these books. The books are BEAUTIFUL COLORFUL and a JOY to Give & RECEIVE
A treasure!
- Review by Jenni B I love all of the I See Me products. I knew I had to get one of these first Christmas books for my newest niece. Her Mom was reduced to tears. I'd say it was a hit. The quality is outstanding
My Very Merry Christmas
- Review by B This is a really well done book. The text and the illustrations are great fun for adults as well as children. A definite thumbs WAAAY up!!!
- Review by Vicki M. Love these books! The children really enjoy hearing their names being read in their very own stories!
Great, unique idea
- Review by Amanda I purchased a book for Christmas for my daughter's second Christmas. The book is a board book and is of great quality. Very bright and colorful. I plan to purchase more for gifts, too.
- Review by Loretta P. Bought for my grandson. His mom, my daughter, had a book similar to this as a child and still remembers it with fond memories. This story is better in this one and come December first I will be reading it as often as possible to him before sending it to his house. As a former teacher I know children love stories with their name and it goes a long way to helping them learn to love reading, the basis of all learning
Great gift! (I've purchased 5 great books from this company!)
- Review by Aunt L. I bought this board book for my nephew's first Christmas. I also bought the "A Christmas Bear for Me" book for my niece, which comes with a tiny teddy bear for a small fee. I wish I could have purchased another tiny teddy bear to match my nephew's gift; however, there was not an option to purchase more than one teddy with my niece's order. There is not an option to purchase a tiny stuffed animal of any type with this book; I would have certainly purchased another had the option been available. Still a great, quality gift!
Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Debbie H. I was so excited when this book came in the mail. I felt like a kid opening a Christmas gift! Love it! My granddaughter is only 13 months old, but I know down the road, it will be fun for her to see and read her own name in her very own storybook. A great memory from Grandma and Grandpa!
Keepsakes of Love
- Review by Nana I ordered one of these books for each of my three little grandsons. When they arrived they were beautiful. I was so pleased with the wonderful quality. This is something that each of them can keep forever and remember how much their Nana loves them. Highly recommend this book.
My Very First Christmas
- Review by Stacy This is the 4th time I'm giving this book as a gift. Truly wonderful and special. My god daughter who's 8 years old, STILL says it's one of her favorite books, including My Very Own Name Book from your company! Thank you for creating keepsake items that can be treasured, always :)
- Review by Jen It was exactly what I expected...the kids will love seeing their name throughout the story!
- Review by Ryann Taylor Amazing..got it for my daughter...so cute!
Absolutely love it
- Review by Stormy D I love this book! It is so precious and cannot wait for his parents to open and read it! Great story and illustrations! Hope to order more at a later date.
Great Book
- Review by Stormy D I love this book! It is so precious and cannot wait for his parents to open and read it! Great story and illustrations! Hope to order more at a later date.
VERY Disappointed
Review by Catherine Briggs
I was so excited to receive this book, but when I did I could not have been more disappointed. The child that I ordered the book for has a last name that ends in an "S." Everywhere that the name appeared it had only an apostrophe and not an "'s." This is grammatically incorrect and the company refuses to fix the book for me. Do not order this if your child's name ends in an S.
*I See Me Editor's Note: We are sorry to hear about your disappointment with the book. The grammatical rule we follow is a part of the I See Me style guide and is not editable at this time. You can view a preview of your book on the order page if you would like to preview your book before you order.
Baby's Very First Christmas
- Review by Suzan Love the book! At this time of 6 months, Sadie put everything into her mouth. But I love the personalization of the book and it will be one that will remain in her library and read to her year after year. Neat having her name on almost every page!!
1st Christmas Book
- Review by Diana We were very pleased with the book and the story. Even my husband really liked it!! Am glad that I got it with a Groupon...too small to be worth the full price. Will order other books as gifts in the future.
My Very Merry Christmas Board Book
- Review by carol kolb Thought the book would be a bit larger but enjoyed the content and illustrations.
- Review by SMK SUCH a great book! I was so happily surprised by it - thought it was going to be cheesy, but it was such a sweet story that incorporated my son's name effortlessly!
Great Story
- Review by Elizabeth I was very disappointed that I missed the Groupon, but loved it so much I begrudgingly paid full price. The book was personalized for my baby's first Christmas. My family enjoyed the story and we are anxious to read it with her next year and see how her appreciation for it grows. Will be ordering the birthday book when it's time!
Tiago's very Merry Christmas
- Review by Ruth Beautiful book, besides it's smaller than what I thought it would be. Really special and unique.
- Review by Megan Woodrow Great product! Very happy - will definitely be ordering more!
Great book
- Review by Lisa I ordered this book for my daughter's first Christmas. Being that she is only 9 months old, she didn't quite appreciate her name in the book---but I sure did! I know she will love it in years to come. Great quality book..not flimsy at all! It will definitely withstand drooly babies! Enjoy!
- Review by Amanda This was such an adorable little book. My son LOVED it, and I loved it so much, I just ordered "Who Loves Me." I'm looking forward to its arrival.
Splendid Gift Idea
- Review by Ruaa M. Highly recommend it for your little ones. My family awarded it the most creative gift given that year. His parents were very impressed with the quality of the book, and nothing topped the joy of my nephew.
My very first merry christmas
- Review by ksr Mom& Dad loved the book. Grandparents and great aunts wanted to know where to get more.....great product
I See The Perfect Gift!
Review by Susan Corkery
Hello, I've ordered three personalized books as gifts and have been more than pleased with all of them. The recipients were delighted with the books as well. I will certainly be placing more orders in the future for friends and family. Thank you so much for your wonderful products.
Trevor's First Christmas
- Review by Loretta Harvey I ordered for my Grandson and I am very pleased with the book. He really seems to enjoy my reading it to him.
Mommy of one
- Review by Tara I ordered 2 of these books, one for my son and one for his cousin. I was very impressed with the quality of each. They were very sturdy board books and the pages were very vibrant with color and just looked amazing.
Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Kathy I will be giving this book to my granddaughter for Christmas 2013. I like it a lot. I think personalized books great. It will be fun to watch my 3 and 1/2 year old granddaughter's reaction to me reading this book to her.
- Review by Julie I am very excited to give this book to my child for Christmas. I feel that this is a great way to celebrate your child. I am sure that she will enjoy this book for years to come.
Very Merry Christmas (First Christmas)
Review by Kathryn
Very poor! I ordered the book over a month before Christmas for my baby's first Christmas and it still has not arrived and it's New Year's Eve. I would not have ordered it had I known this. If I don't receive it in the next few days I will request a refund.
* I See Me Editor's Note: We are very sorry to hear about your experience. We have located your order number and will contact you soon. We have a 100% Customer Guarantee and we will work to resolve your issue.
A Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Nicole P. The book was great! It actually got lost in the mail and I had to talk with Customer Services...they were also great. It's so nice to know there are helpful people out there :)
- Review by Nancy Wonderful gift from grandparents! Unfortunately, delivery took longer than promised and did not arrive on time.
Absolutely Perfect!
- Review by Uriia H My nephew just turned 5 months, and this book came just in time for Christmas. It came out better than I imagined. His parents thought this was his best gift. He can't read it just yet, but this is a gift that will last forever!
Stay at home Mom
- Review by Heather We ordered the Birthday book and I was so impressed, Santa ordered the Christmas book as well! The quality is unbelievable and 2 of my friends had Santa bring ISeeMe goodies for their babies as well! My order arrived 1 day before promised on both books. We brag about our books everywhere we go!
Executive Assistant to Barbara Corcoran
- Review by Gail Abrahamsen The book was absolutely fabulous and I loved each and every page!
A Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Krista I ordered four books in total - each one of them as cute as can be! They arrived on time, with no spelling errors and no problems with the order. Three out of the four names I submitted were unusual so I was pleased to be able to get gifts that were personalized. The books are very well made and not cheesy like some of the other "insert child's name here" books. A great gift!
- Review by Nancy Wonderful gift from grandparents! Unfortunately, delivery took longer than promised and did not arrive on time.
Simple Pleasure
- Review by Aurea Great gift since the moment I received my own. These books have been life savers for gifts.
Great Purchase!
- Review by Jessica P. I was very pleased with everything about the process of ordering my niece a Very Merry First Christmas book! The quality was awesome and it was personalized perfectly! I also received it very quickly in the mail with no worry and received excellent and quick personal customer service with a change I wanted to make. I definitely recommend!!
- Review by Walt Spencer We ordered two books for our 2 Grandchildren at Christmas and a Coloring book for our niece. These books were a huge success with everyone that saw them. The kids were excited and so were their parents. I highly recommend these books as gifts for loved ones. We could not be happier with our purchases.
Not Just Dick and Jane
- Review by Helen T I first heard about "I See Me" from my walking partner in the morning when I had my first grandchild. After my second grandchild was born in August,I finally ordered the Christmas books for both children. I am from a generation where anything that was so personalized would have not been available unless your name was Dick or Jane. These books came so fast, and were so well done,and they are such keepsakes for my grandchildren. My daughters were very impressed that grandma had the ability to order online something so special.
Great gift
- Review by Nicole I bought this gift for my nephew's first Christmas. Since he is so young and doesn't quite understand gifts, I wanted to get him something he could cherish over the years. I know he will read this with his parents for years to come. One disappointment - the book is a lot smaller than I pictured it would be before purchasing.
A Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Jean Raymond It was awesome. I had it made for my adoptive granddaughter whose name is Hadlie, which means Hope And Dreams Live In Everyone. I couldn't have been happier and will probably do more in the future.
jonathans first christmas
- Review by y-von j. I received a call from my godson's mother and she was so excited and told me that she read the book to the entire family who were in awe of it!!! I now plan to make personalization my thing for every holiday for JJ. I really loved it and will tell all of my friends about this website!!!
Perfect for small children
- Review by Mary My 2 year old nephew LOVED this book. It's just the right size for him and he loved the pictures. This is a perfect book for children who want to hold the book themselves and carry it around!
Very Happy
- Review by Jayne My granddaughter loves hearing her own name over and over in the book. Great gift, she loves it.
Outstanding Quality!
- Review by Erika B I ordered this book as a Christmas gift for my 2 year old niece. When my order arrived I was happily surprised by the really fantastic quality of this book! It is very professional and looks like a book you would find in a bookstore - with the addition of the personalization. The cover is shiny and beautiful. The pages are thick thank goodness because the first thing my niece did was try to bend a page in a ripping way. The page survived :). The book will last many, many years. Love it! Would definitely order again.
A Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Patti G This was a Christmas gift for our grandchild's first Christmas. The story is delightful. The personalized touches are a bonus. Both parents are elementary teachers and were very pleased with the book. I will definitely be ordering more books in the future.
Merry Christmas Books
- Review by Leilani Grossbauer A hit for the little ones! Unique story and nice tie in of child name!
Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Martha This is an absolutely wonderful book for any child in your life!!
- Review by Amy We gave this adorable book to a little girl that is just learning to read and was so excited to see her name written throughout the book! When she opened it she was so excited to be able to bring it to the Christmas party she was going to that night. We loved the illustraions and also the quality was good. Highly recommended!
- Review by CP Loved the book, loved the original artwork (didn't look too cliched or cheezy), loved the turnaround, loved the fun, conversational-style e-mail communication. GREAT product and the recipients also LOVED it!! Thanks for all you do. :)
My First Christmas
- Review by Barbie My daughter loved this book that I got my first grandson. Plan to purchase many more!
- Review by Kathy M The Merry Christmas personalized board book is a cherished book in our 1st grandson's beginning library. We would love to see additional titles offered in board books and another Christmas book so as not to duplicate titles for other siblings.
A Cherished 1st Book
- Review by Kathy M The Merry Christmas personalized board book is a cherished book in our 1st grandson's beginning library. We would love to see additional titles offered in board books and another Christmas book so as not to duplicate titles for other siblings.
Office Administrator
- Review by Pauline Brown Excellent. I purchased this book for my granddaugher in 2011. I could not think of a better gift my my grandchildren.Very, very, pleased.
Just perfect!!
- Review by Jessica S. Perfect gift for my best friend's baby's first Christmas! Can't wait for her to read it as she grows up. Definetely recommend and will order the other books!!
To be Treasured
- Review by Heather We got this for our daughters very first Christmas. Unlike the other personalized books her character wasn't running around town, building things, etc which was great since she can't even sit up yet. I love that her name is on multiple pages and the pictures are adorable. This was a perfect personalized book for a baby that hasn't done much in life yet. We hope she will treasure it for years to come.
Super Cute & Personal!
- Review by Stephanie The other reviewers pretty much covered how great this personalized little book is. It's a little smaller than I expected, but perfect for an infant. I got it as a gift for my girlfriend who had her first child 9 days before Christmas and she loved it! The story is cute, the quality is great, and the personalization of using your child's full name and also including a little note on the first page from the givers of this sweet book make this the perfect gift for anyone with a newborn!
Quality is amazing
- Review by S Duke This was a perfect gift for our daughter's first Christmas and will be a keepsake forever. The quality is impressive. We will definitely order again in the future.
Great idea!
- Review by Stephanie H Excellent gift for my goddaughters first Christmas
Review by Jason
We received our personalized Very Merry First Christmas book earlier than expected. The book looked as if it were specially made for our son. We were all amazed on the quality and price! We will be back for more!
Thank you!!
Loved, loved, loved it!
- Review by Rachel D. Loved, loved, loved this book! It was our daughter's first Christmas and what a great keepsake! The creative and story is fantastic and adorable. A great purchase- we'll definitely be buying more!
Reece's Christmas book
- Review by Kate This was wonderful! I was expecting much lower quality because the price was so low, but I'm extremely impressed with the book! It's almost tooooo adorable! Thanks!
Personalized Book - A Christmas Bear for Me
- Review by Herman Ordoyne This was by first booked fro here. Gavin my 1 1/2 y.o nefew loves it. Will order again. Great job.
the best gifts!
- Review by Anita We loved the two books that I ordered for our little grandchildren. They will always be special keepsakes and provide for fun reading!
Skip The High Tech
- Review by Christina In this day and time with all the electronic noise, it's so nice to sit down, read a book and bond with your child and what better way to do that than with a personalized copy just for them!
First Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Monica Someone gave me a gift like this when I was young and knew that when I had kids that I would give them the same type of gift. It was perfect. I would recommend this gift to anyone that wants to add that personal touch to a gift.
- Review by Carol So so so impressed! The idea alone was amazing but when the book arrived I was ecstatic and so was my daughter. Great product and I have already recommended. Thank you so much!
Personalized Book - My Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Ann Golla I was totally pleased when I received the book. Good quality and completed exactly as I ordered. My grandson and all the family just loved it.
Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Karen What a great gift!
- Review by Joyce I gave a book to each of my 3 grandchildren. They were all very thrilled to have a book about them. It was a special moment to see the look on their faces when they realized they were the stars of the story.
Christmas Gift
- Review by Lindsey Not only is this a high quality book, the child I gave it to absolutely loved it! She thought it came directly from Santa and insisted on reading it immediately. Would definitely order again and again!
Very Special & Unique Gift
- Review by Barb M Love this book! it was very well made, story was great and what a special touch to have their names in the book.
Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Gayle Geraths As greandparents gave this for our granddaughter who's birthday is in November and received lots of toys. So for Christmas this book was perfect! Mom and Dad loved this book. The final product was of highest quality. Thanks.
A Very Merry 1st Christmas indeed
Review by Shan
The quality of the book exceeded my expectations. The book is gorgeous and you can tell its high quality. I'm very happy with this purchase!
I did give it a 4 due to pricing. Although its a beautiful book, the price including the shipping makes it so I wouldn't buy these frequently for the children I know.
Love love love!
- Review by Diana Got a Christmas book for my 16 month old niece and she absolutely loved it! I was extremely satisfied!
Always Satisfied!!
- Review by Sabrina I See Me..NEVER let's me down! After receiving the "My Very Own Name" book as a gift to my son back in 2008, I literally cried when I opened up the book and saw the beautiful illustrations, not to mention my son's name! The sentiment that comes along with such a heartwarming gift is why I make it a point to give ALL of the children that I know these books as keepsakes. The quality of the items and the SPEEDY shipping..even when it's not express is PRICELESS! Every parent that has received one from me has had the same overwhelmed reaction! Keep up the GREAT work! This is definitely a refreshing change in a tech-heavy world!!!
Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Shirley B. Darling book and pleasantly surprised with quality. My first experience with I See Me and very glad Groupon coupon brought them to my attention. Believe this will be a cherished treasure for her lifetime.
Great buy!
- Review by Michele W. Love this book! Bought a groupon, got a discount, book is very cute and adorable. Love the personalization! Will purchase another book soon!!
- Review by Joseph Aragon was a great purchase, the quality of the product was outstanding. I would definitely recomend this product to others and will be purchasing in the future!!!
Personalized Christmas Book
Review by Mary Keaton
WOW - exceeded my expectations, what an amazing book for my great niece - she LOVED it.
Thank you for having such an excellent product. We are telling everyone about your company !!!
Excellent Personalized Book
- Review by Kristin A. This book is great! My 18 month old daughter loved looking at all the illustrations and hearing the story about herself.
Merry first Christmas
- Review by Herborg Cuoco Excellent!! Beautiful illustration and rhymes! Wonderful sentimental gift to give my grandson.
Griffin's First Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Barb C Best Gift Ever! What a great keepsake. Wish I knew about this sooner for my other grandkids.
A Very Merry Christmas for Faurice
- Review by Faurice Not only did my 4 yr old grandson, Faurice enjoyed it but I as a 51 yr old did as well.
A Christmas Bear for Faurice
- Review by Faurice Not only did my 4 yr old grandson, Faurice enjoyed it but I as a 51 yr old did as well.
Personalized Christmas Book
- Review by S Duke This was a perfect gift for our daughter's first Christmas and will be a keepsake forever. The quality is impressive. We will definitely order again in the future.
- Review by B. Pino Great quality. We love the book. Would buy from them again.
- Review by LUANN SNYDER I ordered this book for my 3 grandchildren and they loved them! A very nice keepsake.
- Review by Connie Love the personalized book I ordered!! Very good quality and the service was excellent and in time for Christmas....I will again order from this company......Thank you!!!!
- Review by AZKaters This is the 4th book I have ordered from I See Me and is by far my favorite!!! I love the others that I bought for my friends, but I love the story, pictures, and the quality of the book- we got it for my son's first Christmas, but know it will be used for many years to come!!!
- Review by Danielle The book is adorable. I love the rhyming text and colorful pictures. The child's name is incorporated throughout. The book is well-made. I would definitely order from this company again.
Review of Christmas book
- Review by Melanie The book was adorable, although MUCH smaller that I had anticipated. Not sure its worth $30.
Love the book
- Review by Diana Brink Bought for my first granson and I know he will cherish his entire life.
Alexandra's Very Merry First Christmas
- Review by Jessica G. This book was absolutely perfect! The illustrations were stunning and the storyline was adorable. I cannot wait to give this book to my goddaughter for her first Christmas. The book couldn't have been better :)
Best Gift Ever!!!!
- Review by Heidi I have purchased maybe 20 books from you, and love everyone!!!! I have given your web site to many friends. Such a perfect gift to be treasured forever!!!
- Review by Erin It's very sturdy and turned out very cute.
Great gift for 3 and under :)
- Review by Lisa I am so happy with the book and its quality. It is a "board" book and will be perfect for my 2 year old nephew! I would recommend this book for little ones 3 and under :)
Eden's Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Colleen G. The quality of the board book is very good--it is a gentle story, featuring our granddaughter, and has the forest animals preparing for her Christmas. Eden is 2 and loves to "read," and I'm sure she will love it!
Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Elisa Bauer I loved the story & how personalized the book was. bought one for my grandson and one for a special friend's daughter Ava. Both John Thomas & Ava were born in 2012 and will now have their first Christmas books to always read.. The quality & story is personalized to each child. Job well done!
Very Special & Unique Gift
- Review by Barb M Love this book! it was very well made, story was great and what a special touch to have their names in the book.
Will want to read over and over
- Review by Lynette A personalized Christmas book is something kids will like to read over and over and love seeing and hearing their name - over and over.
Start a tradition
- Review by Christine S. This Christmas consider giving the Very Merry Christmas to a special child this holiday season. Reading your child's personalized Christmas story can be a tradition in your family that will last a lifetime.
A Wonderful Personalized Gift
- Review by Joanna L I bought this for my 7 month old son as a first Christmas present. I was hoping it would make a great keepsake. After receiving this book, I was thrilled with the quality. The pages are thick, finished in high-gloss and seem durable. I am so pleased with this purchase!
Make reading fun for all ages!
- Review by Kat I love how colorful his book is. I know that he is only 2 and cannot read but he got excited every time I said his name while I was reading it out loud to him.
Beautifully designed
- Review by AZ Family I See Me! books are beautifully designed, high-quality and durable, meaning they can withstand time and countless readings from even the littlest of hands. I love this gift idea and reading with your child is crucial for educational and bonding reasons!
- Review by Michelle B. I like that there is an option to say if this is the child's first Christmas or not because it makes the book that much more personable and special.
This is the sweetest book!!
- Review by Connie G. This is the perfect book for the little ones!! Board books are always better for the little guys but these books are sturdy without being bulky!
- Review by Sam B. I am so incredibly impressed with the quality and beauty of the book! It's a board book, so the pages are thick and sturdy enough for Jace to paw through without tearing. Color in this book is bright and vibrant, which catches Jace's attention easily (and keeps it!) I absolutely love that his name is used throughout the story inside, on the cover, and even on the spine of the book. You can tell that the book is made especially for your child, not premade with blank spaces left to print-in your kiddos name.
I am so impressed with the quality of this book.
- Review by Stacey A. I've never seen a board book that could be personalized before and it was nice to be able to give Rowan a book that she can look at all by herself since the pages are so sturdy. Another big plus is that the story and illustrations are appropriate for babies through to at least preschoolers (my 3.5 year old has really enjoyed looking at the pictures and "reading" to her little sister); this is a book that will last for more than one year!
First Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Regina Such a cute book, great quality...sturdy board book. Thank you I See Me and Merry Christmas!
First Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Nancy J. Absolutely delightful book...my grandson is only 4 months old but I know he will take great delight in it as he grows. Excellent quality...I will be ordering more books for him. Thank you for your excellent product.
First Very Merry Christmas
- Review by Nancy J. Absolutely delightful book...my grandson is only 4 months old but I know he will take great delight in it as he grows. Excellent quality...I will be ordering more books for him. Thank you for your excellent product.
Best Personalized Book Ever
- Review by Lauren H. I have ordered several personalized books in the past, and nothing has come close to matching the quality of this one. The verses are lyrical, well-written, and thoughtful; the pages are thick and sturdy; the pictures are vibrant and colorful. The quality of the book, as a whole, is extremely high. I can't imagine finding a better personalized Christmas book. I'm shopping on the site for more books to add to my son's collection!
Love it
- Review by Rachel D. I love how personalize the book was!
- Review by B. Pino Great quality. We love the book. Would buy from them again.
Two Thumbs up!
- Review by Nicole A. The book is a board book and is the perfect size for little ones. It's really durable too and the pages are glossy. I love that they have a glossy coating because lets face it, a 2 year old is very likely to get something on the pages. This allows you to just wipe off the pages without any damage if that little problem arises. And of course, I always love any book that rhymes! This is one of my favorite personalized books that any of my kids have. I love the way that the personalizations are inserted into the book. In my opinion, I think I See Me! Personalized Children's Books does a great job with them! This mom and dad give this book a big two thumbs up! This would also make a perfect Christmas gift for any children in your life this Christmas!
Top Notch
- Review by Whitney B. When I opened the package and found this book inside, I was seriously in awe. It is beyond cute and made really well. It's top-notch quality and because it is a board book, it's durable and will stand up to a baby and a toddler. The illustrations are colorful and sweet. Not only is the cover personalized, but you'll find your child's name all throughout the book. We own several personalized children's books, but this one is, without a doubt, my favorite.
VERY Impressed!
- Review by Nicole H. I was VERY impressed with the quality of our personalized board book from I See Me. We have a few personalized books that really standout on our sons bookshelf (in a BAD way!). You can look at the spines, covers, or pages and tell that the quality is horrible and the publisher/company does not care about the quality of their product.
- Review by Dena G. I was really impressed with the quality. The illustrations are just adorable. The illustrations are so crucial to hold kids attention and with this it does.
Nice Story
- Review by Tomi C. Unlike some other personalized books on the market which only mention your child's name a few times, I See Me! books have the child's name on nearly every page. I was also well pleased with the story itself. It didn't ramble, it was an actual story with a beginning and an ending.
Light up their faces!
- Review by Amber B. If you are looking for a great personalized Christmas Gift for the grandkids, the newest addition in your famiily or a sure fire way to light up the faces of the precious little children in your life- My Very Merry Christmas by I See Me! would be a great gift idea!
Make a Memory
- Review by Julie M. I See Me Personalized Children's Books are a fantastic and creative way to make a memory for your kids.
Put a lot of thought into a present
- Review by Susan H. Personalized gifts are a wonderful way of showing your recipients that you really put a lot of thought into their present, and I have the perfect suggestion for doing this with the little ones in your life. I See Me recently came out with a brand-new personalized children's book called My Very Merry Christmas!
Appears to be written just for the child
- Review by Emily S. Children love to see their name imprinted on items. Imagine giving your child a book that appears to have been written just for them. That is what I See Me! personalized children's books can offer you!
Best personalized book on the market!
- Review by Shanon M. In the past with other companies, I have received cheap, flimsy, light text printed books. I See Me's book that I received was first class. It was a hard cover, bright pungent colors, an adorable story inside and Preslee's name scattered throughout. Hands down best personalized book on the market that I have found.
- Review by Emily K. The I SEE ME books are amazing. They are unique and extremely special to your child. Not only do they help develop a love of reading, they help your child learn their own name. my son LOVES saying his name every time I point to it in the story.
Holiday Tradition
- Review by Candace O. This book will become a Holiday Tradition and your child will remember that part of their childhood!
Fabulous Book
- Review by Lani M. Whether it is your child's first Christmas or fourth, I See Me has two fabulous personalized books that we think would make a great gift! We love their new A Very Merry Christmas Book! The illustrations are beautiful and the story makes us smile.
- Review by Kim Let me start by saying this is the nicest, cutest book I may ever have been sent. Ordering the book was super quick and easy. I got to choose the theme, who it was for and any special writing I wanted for the gifting of it. After seeing the book for myself i am not surprised that the company has won so many book awards. I See ME! Personalized children's books make great gifts anytime of the year. There are many themes to choose from, from adventure, to animals, to special holidays. In just case you are concerned, there is a 100% satisfaction guarantee. You have nothing to lose and much happiness to gain.
Memory she can have for a long
- Review by Lynette My oldest is just now beginning to "get" Christmas and this book is very cute, can take the rough and tumble things she puts it through and will be a memory she can have for a long time. She has "read" this book to herself and her dolls and carried it around just about everywhere - so that pretty much tells me she likes it.
Highly Recommend
- Review by Lee S. If you are looking for a special present for you child.. then I could not recommend this more highly as it is a book that is as wonderful to hold as it is to read. There is so much tat around for kids these days it is refreshing to see that quality and educational gifts are still available.
- Review by Jackie R. To see Teagan's face light up when I read the title of the book was absolutely priceless. The colors and graphics throughout the entire book are eye-popping! This book is truly awork of art and something I hope my daughter can cherish in the years to come. I look forward to ordering additional products through this company because they took the time to make sure everything was perfect. Teagan's name is incorporated on almost every page and the story is centered around her, she loved every minute of it.
Blown Away!
- Review by Kecia H. When filling out the order information, I was a bit surprised at the number of personal effects that would be added to the book. When I received the book, I was even more blown away! It was as if the book was written personally for Sawyer. The cover features his name in the title and again in the ornaments on the tree. The inside cover features his name on a gift tag, and a personalized message from me and James. His name is also featured a ton throughout the story. Speaking of the story, it is very cute and festive. This is definitely a book that we will be bringing out at the holiday season for many years to come.
Will be cherished
- Review by Melissa R. This book is so gorgeous, and I know that it will be something that our daughter will cherish for many years to come. I would highly suggest personalizing a book for the children in your life!
A Treasure
- Review by Maureen R. It is always a special moment to watch any of my children beaming with pride when they are the center of attention in a favorite book. This book is a treasure that is also made to be very durable so it is sure to be enjoyed for many more Christmas seasons to come.
Great Gifts!
- Review by Melissa R. I love these books!! They are super cute and great gifts!! My little just loves seeing her name all throughout the book! This will be a new Christmas tradition book for us! We definitley reccomend the I See Me line of personalized books!! They are fun, unique, and made with great quality!
Highly Recommend
Review by Shannon M.
Not all personalized books are created equal. And this I can talk from personal experience. I have ordered personalized books for my kids in the past, but now I only talk about ONE company. They are the best from what I have found in my research.
I See Me is the company name and I highly recommend them. I had a book made for our little Preslee and when it arrived I just sat down and read the whole thing thinking to myself how NICE this book is.
Thrilled with the quality
Review by Teri H.
This is our second experience with I See Me personalized children's books and I am proud to say that I am thrilled by their quality once again. We selected to personalize the My Very Merry Christmas book for our youngest son Elliot whom is just 19 months. I thought it would be a wonderful item for us to save over the years and him to take with him as a grown adult to share memories of his childhood with his family one day.
My Very Merry Christmas is a top quality, board book. Each page is thick and perfect for young hands. Easy to turn pages and viberant colors will keep my child entertained from start to finish. This will make a wonderful gift idea, even for a baby's first Christmas.
Write Your Own Review
|Author: Jennifer Dewing
Author Jennifer Dewing has always been a kid at heart. She started her career in the Toy Industry in 1995, developing children's products ranging from Matchbox cars to Madeline dolls. In 2006 Jennifer became a member of the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her personalized picture books "Who Loves Me?" and "A Christmas Bear for Me" have won Mom's Choice Gold awards and Creative Child awards. She is currently working on more personalized titles for I See Me! and enjoys reading her work to her own "focus group" of three kids at home!
|Illustrator: Mati Rose McDonough
Mati Rose McDonough went back to art school at the California College of the Arts when she was just shy of 30 years old, after taking a children's book illustrating class for fun while working at law firm! There she found her inner yearning to create stories from collage and paint for children. Mati made art from the time she was very little growing up in Maine, but it wasn't until her early 30's living in San Francisco that she embraced her career as a professional artist. Now in her mid-30's, Mati has had over a dozen art shows, taught painting classes internationally and has illustrated Patagonia shirts, Flip cameras, a huge Pier 1 Elephant sign in NYC and her first children's book with I See Me!


text:
Alessar wrote:Thanks for the JCP info! I don't play non-adults too often but it'll be nice to have some extra clothes for teens.
JustStoppingBy wrote:Really good job. And if it keeps getting updated, then this'll be the best free item list.
Question, is the tmobile thing still happening?
JustStoppingBy wrote:Ok, I might have everything already, but not sure.
So it's up to date currently?
svlyn wrote:Omg really great work here, your amasing for doing this. I mean i thought i had all the free content but i was so wrong. Your such a LOVE for this.
TenderWolf wrote:Thank you so much for this very helpful thread! I'm trying to get the Sims Social pack but it keeps saying Service Unavailable. Geez, does anything work properly on this site anymore? Adding this to bookmarks!
yoda65 wrote:I love your free item list with pics!
Sapphire96 wrote:This is a great thread! I appreciate the effort you have put into the pictures and links - it looks really professional! Bookmarked
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
excuse my total ignorance, but does anyone know if it might be possible to convert Photoshop's .CSH files (Custom Shape Format) to standard .SVG or .EPS files? They're both Vector shapes, so it seems a little annoying that the information is stored in such a weird format.
I'm guessing the answer is probably "not a chance", but I thought I'd ask :)
Thanks for any help.


text:
Go Home
By Alicia Chesser
Copyright 2006 Alicia Chesser
TULSA --- The 50th anniversary season of Tulsa Ballet opened on September 22 with a program that showcased all the company's strengths. Its reverence for its ballet heritage was acknowledged with a gracious rendering of Balanchine's "Serenade." Its hope and passion for ballet's future appeared in the form of a new "Carmina Burana" choreographed by principal dancer Ma Cong. Its determination to work together with other arts organizations to revitalize the artistic life of the city was powerfully manifest in the presence of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, the 150-voice Tulsa Oratorio Chorus, and a 60-voice children's chorus, whose performance in the Carl Orff "Carmina" was extremely strong. And the company's energetic, enthusiastic outreach to the people of Tulsa was clearly evident in the jam-packed Performing Arts Center (packed not just with lawyers and jewel-encrusted matrons, but with high school girls and boys and moms with little kids).
The diversity of the program -- the lush, poignant "Serenade" (made in
1934) paired with the new, tumultuous "Carmina" -- is typical of the
approach of Marcello Angelini, who in 12 years as the company's
director has emphasized both its classical heritage and its
contemporary possibilities. These two ballets, different as they are,
are particularly apt together because they both represent new
beginnings: "Serenade" was Balanchine's first ballet created in
America, and "Carmina Burana" is a world premiere by a Chinese dancer
who has begun a choreographic career here in his adopted city. Tulsa Ballet has been thinking a great deal about new beginnings lately, not just in commemoration of this anniversary, but also in its "Exceeding Expectations" campaign, which has raised more than $10 million, inspiring it to up the goal to $12.5 million. The money will pay for capital, endowment, community outreach, and the creation of three new works per year in the company's new 250-seat theater. It's a long way from the little old Tulsa Civic Ballet that was the start of it all back in 1956 when Moscelyne Larkin and Roman Jasinski settled here after touring the world with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. But it's the same pioneering spirit.
The money is here; the passion is here. Now what about the ballets? I
am terribly, terribly spoiled for "Serenade" by seeing it not only at
New York City Ballet almost every time it was performed during the five
years I lived in New York, but also countless times on a very
well-loved (and literally almost worn out) VHS tape of a performance
broadcast on PBS in 1989, starring Darci Kistler, Kyra Nichols, and
Maria Calegari. It was that broadcast of this ballet that made me fall in love with Balanchine's choreographic mind. "Serenade" has always been for me one of the most perfect examples of what ballet is about, what it's capable of in its relation to music, what it can do to your heart.
It's also one of those ballets in which you can see something new every
time. In this performance by Tulsa Ballet the new thing I saw was truly revelatory. The performance started a little stiffly, a little sluggishly; the tempo from the pit in the Tchaikovsky score was slow, and the energy on stage (especially the energy of bodies at rest, so critical to the ballet's opening moments) was just a smidge delayed. But as the dancers
got into the swing of things, in the second movement, they began to
show something new (to me) about this choreography: namely, that the
movement is simply the movement of life. It's walking, bowing, skipping, running, falling, spinning around. Far from being a hard-to-identify-with "art thing," this ballet is made up of the ways of moving that are most completely natural to a human body. This choreography is lifelike human action tossed like a little match into a centuries-old tradition of movement, with a keenly felt musical masterpiece for kindling -- thus all those things (movement, tradition, and music) are illuminated and made meaningful in a new way.
It takes guts, to put it bluntly, to dance a Balanchine ballet, and the
Tulsa Ballet dancers have guts galore. They are comfortable in so many
genres, from "Sleeping Beauty" to Stanton Welch, but this ballet made
them patently uncomfortable -- in a good way. They clearly felt rushed
and exhausted in the nonstop action of the first two movements, but
their dancing was never sloppy or two-dimensional. Feet were always
pointed; arms were always stretched; turns were always completed; faces
were always engaged. I've rarely seen these dancers push themselves so
hard as they did in this "Serenade." By the time the big manege of piqué turns came, they were in full gear -- and there was not one hesitation for the rest of the ballet.
Alexandra Bergman was there as the "Russian Girl," all ease and
surprising facility as usual. The young Karina Gonzalez was both
dynamic and luxuriant in the "Waltz Girl" role, with its many leaps and
hops on pointe. As for Ashley Blade.... What a delicious dancer. She
bears a striking resemblance to Calegari, whose "Dark Angel" part she took
here, and has a truly magical style: delicate, regal, cat-like, and
totally committed to her performance. Of all the principals in this
ballet, it was Blade who best understood the Balanchine style: she was
quick and smooth, supremely musical, a bit remote yet full of passion.
The men in "Serenade" often get overlooked, but there was no overlooking Alfonso Martin and Wang Yi. These are two truly superb dancers who performed to perfection in this ballet. Martin, who was lured away from Tulsa to Boston Ballet last year, has now returned for good to the great joy of Tulsans (and Angelini). Yi arrived here this season from Zurich Ballet; prior to that he danced with South Korea's Universal Ballet and received high honors in ballet competitions in China, Paris, and Helsinki. He is very tall, very long-legged, very handsome, and very, very gifted -- a really excellent addition (among several others this season) to the roster.
After the meditative subtleties of "Serenade," it was fun to have such
a dramatic change of pace with "Carmina Burana." There's nothing subtle
about it, but unsubtle things bring pleasures of their own. The music, of course, is full of extremes -- it's loud and whispery, dark and bright, delicate and raucous -- and all about the pleasures of the flesh and the passions of the heart. Ma Cong, whose "Folia" and "Samsara" I have covered previously on the DI, is an ambitious and confident choreographer who is quite seriously working out his ideas about dance. He always seems determined to find the core of the music he chooses, to focus on rhythm and movement rather than storytelling or flashy sets or the like. In fact, his stage was positively bare in this ballet -- just some cleverly-used fabric and Les Dickert's vivid lights (including a mosaic cross which appears at the beginning and the end).
So focused is Cong on working out his dance response to a given score
that some of his choreography still seems like a private idea. One is
not sure, for instance, what he is getting at with the manifold little
upper-body fillips he scatters everywhere throughout his dances. Some
look like delicate karate: two arms scissoring very fast across each
other, two hands fluttering like a trapped bird. Others are more
conventional: arms raised with hands clasped above the head to indicate
strength and passion (it seems). I am intrigued by these little
movements, but Cong seems to get a bit caught up in them, so much so
that they often muddy the larger movement ideas he has introduced.
And those ideas are worth pursuing. Cong likes to work with medium-sized groups -- fours and eights -- and likes to have them come onstage one after another, in a rush, so there's a feeling of constant motion and shifting dynamics as each group entertains a new passage of music. The ballet opens with the whole cast onstage for "O Fortuna," swathed in Benedictine black, looking very much like the cast of a Martha Graham ballet. Then comes "Spring" and a group of men in wide khaki gauchos.... Then two swirling duets at once (Martin and Bergman, Yi and Rene Olivier).... Then four men in a powerhouse passage, in which Bergman joins them later.... Then a bevy of girls in lavender leotards with pink flowers in their teeth.... Orff's music shifts direction so much that it's a bit dizzying, but Cong keeps his focus and meets the music head-on in each episode.
He has clearly attended carefully to the words of Orff's score -- so much so that it would have been very useful to have the lyrics printed in the program! One lovely example of this is the "Swaz hie gat umbe" passage (translated: "Those who go round and round are maidens / they want to do without a man / all summer long / Come, come, my love, I long for you / Sweet rose-red lips / Come and make me better"). In this passage Cong has Yi dance a big bold solo with four men, then a very intimate duet with Olivier ... and then the same solo again for Olivier, who's blushing at the corner of the stage. Very nicely done.
Toward the middle of the ballet, for the "In Taverna" and "Court of Love" sections, after all these groups have come and gone, Cong's attention turns to his four main dancers (Martin, Bergman, Yi, and Olivier) and the stage picture is simplified and intensified. (It moves indoors, as it were, to the tavern and the bedroom.) The Tulsa Oratorio Chorus soloists --
Jenni Olson (soprano), Andrew Skoog (tenor), and the extraordinary Gerald Dolter (baritone) -- lead the chorus and dancers through these most extreme and most emotionally delicate parts of Orff's score, filled with intoxication of myriad sorts. The chorus stands on angled bleachers on either side of the proscenium (men stage left, women stage right), so that, visually, the music frames the dance. During the vocal solos, the singer walks out onto the corner of the stage so that he or she actually appears to be participating in the stage action.
It's a clever arrangement which, in the "Ego sum abbas" section in particular, makes for an extremely dramatic effect. This passage brings again something seen at the center of every Ma Cong ballet thus far: a blow-the-roof-off masterpiece of a male solo. While Dolter sings his crazed, punchy, wildly drunken song, Yi -- dancing just behind the baritone (who's dancing too, in his way) -- leaps halfway up to the catwalk, does tours en l'air like a tornado,
and whirls and thrusts his body into space like a man possessed. Cong is able to make his very best dance ideas come alive in these solos; they're becoming more evident in his group choreography, and especially in his duets, but I would still love to see more of them through more of the ballet. In any case, this solo for Yi is a blockbuster, and the synergy between him and Dolter is truly electric.
The "In taverna" passage (you may remember the hilariously staccato choral music: "Bibit hera, bibit herus, bibit miles, bibit clerus," translated "The mistress drinks, the master drinks, the soldier drinks, the priest drinks," and so on) extends the energy of Yi's solo to a group of 16 dynamic dancers. The energy is calmed somewhat in the sections that follow, in which a long and gorgeously sensual double duet for the principals is interspersed with more group dances. It's a sumptuous melange, and I found myself happy to let my eye wander from chorus (with the children now standing far upstage) to dancers to vocal soloists and back again.
Jo Wimer's costumes -- and there are many! -- are simply luscious,
featuring long flowing skirts in warm peach and yellow and what looks
like chocolate-streaked silk, as well as bare-backed, subtly sexy bodysuits, leather vests, and a red-hot dress for Olivier. And the black robes the dancers wear to open the ballet reappear at the end, but with a twist: in a brilliantly surprising moment, the dancers rip off the
robes to reveal their sunset-colored costumes once again, and the robes
become their partners in the reprise of "O Fortuna." They're flung to
the ground and wrapped around arms and legs and finally thrown aside
altogether in favor of a shimmering swath of gold silk which the dancers pull from an opening at the lip of the stage to cover themselves as they run to the back. It's a stunning finale to this very rich theater piece, in which all three artistic elements -- music, dance, and mise en scene -- work together brilliantly to illuminate the vast range of human passion.
Tulsa Ballet's next program, which opens November 10, will celebrate
Oklahoma's centennial with Agnes de Mille's "Rodeo," Daniel Pelzig's
"Nine Lives," and a world premiere suite from the musical "Oklahoma!" International as it is under Angelini's direction, both in make-up and
in scope, Tulsa Ballet is still Tulsa, Oklahoma's very own company,
after all. Angelini not only acknowledges that, he honors and
encourages it in his programming, his outreach, and his education
initiatives. His company is quite simply making ballet part of life
once more in this city, and it's a beautiful thing.
Flash Reviews
Go Home


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Laurie's News & Views
July 30, 1996 - Issue #9
This is the perfect time to catch up on some outstanding issues, so this semi-scattered column is my attempt to do so. Among the topics to be discussed: Are our firsts our favorites?; and a closer look at reader's opinions of publishers. Also included is a new subject - glomming (to read a description, you'll just have to be patient).
This question, and get your minds out of the gutter ;), was brought to my attention by a Prodigy pal. Gretchen was struck by the fact that, although so many of us are such fans of Julie Garwood, most of us cannot agree on which of her books is best. For instance, Gretchen likes The Bride best. I like Castles best. It turns out that she read The Bride first. I read Castles first. Were we on to something? Could we say that readers tend to prefer the first book they read by a beloved author? As it turns out, yes .
. . and no. Here is what some of you had to say, beginning with Gretchen:
"I have been a bit befuddled over the fact that everyone seems to have a different favorite. Everyone that I know loves her books. So, why is it that few of us could agree upon which one was the best?
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After thinking about it for awhile, I asked a BB pal if her favorite Garwood was the first she had read. The other BB'er said that, yes, her favorite *was* the first she had read.
"Does this hold true for all authors and readers or just the Garwood group? The friends I talked to couldn't decide. I can honestly say that it depends on the author for me. If the author is someone who tends to write better in one time period than another, or if the author has a few bad apples in the bunch, then perhaps I'm a little more open-minded and it's not always their first book that's my favorite. However, if the author is
someone who only writes 'gems' and they are all standing on my keeper shelves, then my tendency is to like the first one I read best. Maybe it's because that book turned me on to the author and therefore has a special place in my heart, maybe not. I
don't really know the answer to that one."
"Does this hold true for all authors and readers or just the Garwood group? The friends I talked to couldn't decide. I can honestly say that it depends on the author for me. If the author is someone who tends to write better in one time period than another, or if the author has a few bad apples in the bunch, then perhaps I'm a little more open-minded and it's not always their first book that's my favorite. However, if the author is
someone who only writes 'gems' and they are all standing on my keeper shelves, then my tendency is to like the first one I read best. Maybe it's because that book turned me on to the author and therefore has a special place in my heart, maybe not. I
don't really know the answer to that one."
When I looked through my library database, I discovered that my firsts are usually my favorites. It has held true for Julie Garwood, Johanna Lindsey, Catherine Coulter, Rexanne Becnel, Teresa Medeiros, Judith McNaught, Lisa Kleypas, and Kathryn Lynn Davis. But it is not always the case -- my favorites by Ruth Langan, Amanda Quick, Deborah Simmons, Elizabeth Elliott, Linda Lael Miller, and Katherine Sutcliffe were not the first books I read.
Author Kimberly Cates weighed in with this response:
"With some authors I have what I call the 'Indiana Jones' syndrome -- remember the first Indy movie, it was a complete surprise, our first intro to his character. The second film couldn't match it, though the third was also great. Sometimes that's how it is with authors. That first wow of discovery that is never quite matched, often because the element of surprise is gone.
"On the other hand, I've read lots of authors over and over, watching them grow and change, and some of their best work is a more recent book that shows that growth/mastery. It just all depends on the author, on the book, on my mood, whether I have PMS, etc."
"On the other hand, I've read lots of authors over and over, watching them grow and change, and some of their best work is a more recent book that shows that growth/mastery. It just all depends on the author, on the book, on my mood, whether I have PMS, etc."
Here's what Jan had to say, "I find that if I read a new author and it clicks, then I want to read other things they've written. Most of the time I like their other stories just as well. For me, the initial book is a make-or-break deal. If I really don't like a book, then it becomes more unlikely that I'll try that author again. But if a favorite author disappoints me, then, as with good friends, I give them the benefit of the doubt and try again." Well said, Jan.
Jan's comments were echoed by Angela, who said, "It has been my experience that if the first book that I read by an author doesn't grab me, it is unlikely that additional titles will be read. If the first book that I read turns out to be my favorite, it is either sheer luck that I happened to pick that particular book or because of good recommendations. It is not an automatic situation of 'first is best' and in many cases, I prefer the later works by an author that I have followed. An example is Nora Roberts, who, I feel only gets better and better with each book."
Theresa goes along for the ride, saying, "I find that I like the first book I read by an author best, too! I guess the first one sets up a certain level of expectations that you use to judge the others. There are exceptions, of course, and it also works in the negative -- I find it difficult to try another book when I've disliked the first one I've read. The only thing that has changed my mind about those authors are lots of personal recommendations."
I agree with Theresa on this as well. I read the first in Leigh Greenwood's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers series, thought it was, at best, an average read, and traded the rest of them in the next day. The only reason I read Laura Kinsale's Midsummer Moon after disliking so intensely Dream Hunter was because I was assigned it to read by this web site. Other authors I've only given one chance to? Marlene Suson, Elaine Barbieri, Meg Davidson, Pamela Morsi (I know I'll be tarred and feathered for that one), and Connie Mason.
I am loyal to other authors, to an extent. I've stayed with Rexanne Becnel, Catherine Coulter, Linda Lael Miller, Katherine Sutcliffe, and Teresa Medeiros even though they've written some clinkers. In some cases, though I have to qualify what I will or will not buy. For instance, no more Linda Lael Miller medievals, no more Catherine Coulter medievals, and no more Judith McNaught contemporaries.
From RReader contributor Meredith Moore, "Do I tend to like an author's first book? Almost always yes. In other novel genres, the first book is usually the least accomplished. It takes time to develop technique and artistry. However, in the romance genre, the first can be the best. An author will prove herself, then is lashed to the contractual treadmill, thereafter forced to crank out (at least) one book a year. The result can be dreadful." Judging from the e-mails I receive every day from readers
wondering why the latest book by their favorite author is such a dud, Meredith may have a point!
From Diane, "Normally the first book I read determines whether I read more of the author's works. Rarely do I go back to that author if I don't like the first book. Exceptions? Jayne Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts, and Jane Feather. The first books by them that I read just did not grab me as they had many other readers. I am very glad that I did go on to read others by these authors since they have become favorites of mine.
"I have found that lately, books by some of my favorites just have not been up to par with their past works. I had thought it was just me, but maybe not. In most cases, though, the first book that I read by an author remains the favorite. The biggest exception that comes to mind is Nora Roberts' Hidden Riches."
Here is what Ita has to say, "I do think the first book I read by an author tends to be a favorite. Let's face it, authors have a certain style and tend to write about the same general type of hero and heroine. The first time you encounter it and it clicks, it makes a special impression by an author."
Perhaps Rachel says it best in her comments, "I would say in my case that the first book by an author isn't always my favorite, but it's a sentimental favorite for being the first. . . Perhaps we remember these books more clearly because they were the introduction to some of our now favorite authors, and thus we deem them our favorites by those authors."
Lori echoes Rachel's comments with this well-thought statement, "I think that if the author has a very special magic for you, then the first time you experience it is probably going to be the best. That magic is what allows fans to enjoy books by a favorite author even when it's not her best, and probably throws some of us off. We hear about an author, and try a book that several people enjoyed. But it might not be the best introduction to
that author, because it is only a pale echo of her usual magic. Her fans can still recognize that magic." By Jove, I think she's got it!
Finally, this comes from an anonymous lurker. Afraid of starting a flame war, she echoed many of the comments made above, and leads us to a new topic - glomming. "If the first book I've read by an author is a good read then I track down more by that author. Are they always my favorite? No, and yes!"
What, may you ask, is "glomming"?
Glomming is that particular affliction that affects romance readers and sends us looking all over the place for an author's backlist.
I want to hear from all you glommers out there -- time to 'fess up! Do you glom? Do you glom authors you've never even read? What do you do when you discover you've made a mistake (I've finally decided to start trading in my errors in judgment)? Please e-mail me here.
Attending the national RWA conference reminded me that publishing as a whole is a very interesting business about which I have little knowledge. Another reason why I am so intrigued by publishers these days, is as a result of a computer error. After noodling around with my library database one day, I mistakenly sorted my data by publisher. I discovered that there was some fairly clear delineation between publishing companies and my
personal likes/dislikes of books. I saw that I tend to buy books published by certain companies, choose books from my library to read by certain companies, and tend to like/dislike books by certain companies.
Another reason I wanted to pursue this arena was a conversation I had with author Kathryn Lynn Davis. Her friend, author Jillian Hunter, had alerted her to a guest column I wrote last year for Romantic Times wherein I stated my two favorite books were written by Kathryn and Julie Garwood. Because their writing styles are so different, Kathryn was rather amazed by this,
especially since she and Julie share the same editor at Pocket Books, Linda Marrow.
Once Kathryn and I began to talk in preparation for a profile I am writing about her, we began to delve more deeply into talk of editors and publishers in general. Obviously she believes Pocket is the best publisher around. Certainly, Pocket's list of romance authors is quite impressive. I then began to contact some of the other authors I had interviewed in the past;
while each believed their publisher was great, a consensus was building around Pocket, Avon, and Bantam, Doubleday, Dell (BDD) as the "best" publishers.
I decided to do a little bit of statistical analysis to see if perceptions were the same as reality. I checked out my personal library database and that of the Romance Reader and posted notes around the Internet to determine whether or not my tastes, the tastes of the Romance Reader, and the authors I'd talked to were consistent. What did I find? Mostly that there is, again, not a definitive answer to be found:
THE ROMANCE READER: A large majority of the books reviewed were published by just four companies - Pocket, Avon, BDD (including Loveswept), and Putnam (which includes Berkley, Jove, and Diamond).
My first major surprise was how Pocket titles faired - more than half received low ratings of 1 or 2 hearts. Just over 15% received high ratings of 4 or 5 hearts. These results were markedly different from my personal ratings. The results regarding Avon titles were more uniform, but again, were quite different than my personal ones. Only 40% of Avon's titles received high ratings.
Another surprising result were the ratings of BDD titles - less than half received high ratings. Again, these results differed from my experience. Ratings for Putnam, on the other hand, were more comparable to mine -- more than half received high ratings.
The other publishers are not discussed here because they represent too statistically insignificant a bearing on the total results. Harlequin (which includes Silhouette and Mira) accounted for only 6% of books reviewed. Kensington, Penguin, and Harper Monogram accounted for only 5% of books reviewed respectively. The other publishers had an even smaller share
of the statistical pie.
MY PERSONAL LIBRARY: I tend to buy books published by Pocket, Avon, BDD, and Kensington more than the other publishers. Of the books I've bought and read (I have a tremendous reserve of books tbr), Pocket, Avon, Harlequin,
Penguin, and BDD account for nearly three-quarters of the books I've read.
Overall, I've read nearly half of the Harlequins in my library, nearly 40% of the Pockets, and more than one-third of the Penguins. At the other end of the spectrum are those published by Leisure/Love Spell and Kensington. I've only read 10% of the Leisure/Love Spell books I own and only 14% of the
Kensingtons. (I'm sure there's a reason for this as well, but that's for another column.)
There is some skewing in my personal results because, generally, when I like an author very much, I not only buy her backlist, (there's that glomming again!) but I read them in a grouping. So, of Julie Garwood's 14 books published by Pocket, I've read 13 and gave them all fairly high ratings. I've read a number of Deborah Simmons' books; they account for nearly
one-quarter of books I've read by Harlequin. They also have mostly received fairly high ratings. The same can be said for Amanda Quick and her books for BDD.
The converse is true as well. For example, because of the reputation of Bertrice Small, I hunted down her backlist and now have a number of her books (again, the glomming thing). I have read just one and am not in a hurry to read the others. The only books I own by Ballantine are hers. So that rating is skewed.
When I compared my ratings to those on The Romance Reader I was more than a bit surprised (although given the reader response to many of my reviews, perhaps I shouldn't have been) because there are many major differences. I've rated 70% of my Pocket books highly. The same goes for Avon. BDD received high ratings on more than two-thirds of its books in my library. While Harlequin is no more than a crumb of the RReader pie, it represents a sizable amount of my library. I've rated two-thirds of my Harlequins (mostly historicals) highly. Penguin books, another crumb of the RReader pie, is a larger segment of my library. I've rated more than one-half of my Penguins highly.
Kensington and St. Martin's Press have not faired well in my ratings. One-half of the Kensington books I've read received low ratings. My Kensington results, once I checked with other readers, were not surprising, although recent improvements may change the outlook for them.
Here is a sampling of what readers have had to say, starting with those who may not agree about any other publisher, but with a very strong opinion about Kensington (Zebra):
"I always thought I was alone in this. I consistently discard books by Zebra. . . As soon as I see the "Z" I put my hand in my pocket." -- Andrea
"My collection is made up of mostly Avon and Pocket. . . I do have several Zebra though and have enjoyed many, but they certainly don't rank up there with the others. No basis for this opinion, but I always think of Zebra as home to "rookies" or undergrads. -- Kathy
"I have mostly Pocket and Avon as keepers. I also have Bantam. The fewest are Topaz and Zebra." - Joanne
"I have been reading romances for 20-plus years and Avon and Pocket were and are the best. . . I very seldom buy a Zebra or Leisure book. . . Harlequin, of course, has been around for a long time and is now doing very well in the longer books. It wasn't always like that." --Sharon
"Hi, my name is Holly, and I've. . . noticed that I've never kept anything by Zebra."
"The majority of keepers are Pocket Books. Another favorite is Warner Books. . . I have no Zebra keepers and don't like to buy them unless they are used because they are so 'iffy'" -- Sherri
"It's been a couple of years, but I won't pick up a Zebra book anymore because every time I did I find myself beating my head against the wall. Maybe they've changed, but I don't want to spend the money to find out. I've always found Bantam to be a good source." -- Kathi
"Out of my keepers the breakdown was as follows: BDD/Lovespell - 63, Putnam - 38, Pocket - 38, Avon - 35, Penguin - 26, Harper - 16. . . I stopped buying Zebra (if I ever did) a long time ago." - Another Andrea
"I will not buy Zebras as a general rule. I used to like Avon, but find their quality comes and goes -- their books are so predictable. Most of my keepers come from Bantam. Their books seem to be more sensual and they take more chances." -- Leslie
Some readers who used to be adamant about their dislike of Kensington have slowly been coming around and now view it differently, as evidenced by the following statements:
"Back in the 80's I swore off reading any books published by Zebra. I thought the quality sucked. During that same time, I bought a lot of Avon books. I am still leery of Zebra, but I have bought Jo Beverley's books and have been pleased. In addition, Stella Cameron now writes (contemporaries) for Zebra. Maybe they are improving." -- Lyn
"Zebra used to be the worst, with Leisure/Lovespell very close - actually I think L/L is worse now. And Zebra Heartfire was the absolute worst. I believe Zebra has some new editors now and recently they have improved. . . But I sometimes have to tell my customers, 'No, really, they *are* good' when they see books published by Zebra. . . I believe Bantam is the best and
Pocket and Avon follow" - From an anonymous bookstore manager
"95% of the books I buy are from the Arabesque line of Kensington" - Ywanda
In general, Pocket and Avon were considered by most readers to be the best of the publishers, as evidenced by these comments:
"My favorites are mostly published by Pocket, Avon, Bantam, Topaz (part of Penguin), and Jove. . . I don't buy Leisures anymore or Love Spells." -- Yet another Andrea
"Loveswept (part of BDD) is my favorite publisher, very few of those get traded. . . My keeper file is main filled with Harlequin/Silhouettes, BDD/Loveswept, Avon, and Pocket. . . I only have 6 keepers for Harper, 6 for Kensington, and 2 for Warner." -- Monica
"Avon is the definite favorite and Topaz the least favorite. Avon, I think, has by far the best writers." -- Rebecca
"80% of the books on my keeper shelves are Pocket books. This includes non-romance authors as well." -- Angela
"I haven't read a Leisure/Love Spell yet which was worth the cost in dead trees. Yecch. Avon, Pocket, Berkley, Signet, and Bantam all have good stuff out there." -- Cathy
"Most of my keepers are published by Pocket and Avon." -- Sharen
Do you agree or disagree or just don't plain care about various publishers? Have you checked your library? I always remember that every publisher has some fine authors - personally, I think Lisa Ann Verge, Sylvia Halliday, and Anne Stuart are quite talented, and they all write for Kensington.
Please e-mail me here.
As is often the case in these columns, I can ask a question of five readers and get five different responses. I think that is proven in the two topics discussed in this column. I'd really like to hear from all of you on the "glomming" issue. Also, because we've had such success with our heroes list (as printed in issue 8), I'd like to start a heroines list. Please e-mail me here the most special heroines you've read, and why they are near and dear to your hearts.
I am still collecting titles for our Road Romance list, and have added new titles to the Favorite Funnies, Two-Hanky Reads, and Luscious Love Stories lists. Our purple prose section has been growing as well. If you are interested in contributing to any of these lists, or receiving any of them via e-mail, please e-mail me here. And, as usual, if you'd like back issues of this column. Just e-mail me here.
As for those of you who have sent in lists for our Desert Isle page, that page has been updated. What's pending? RT ratings, the Gilligan's Island Syndrome, and a look at the mid-list -- is there a crisis?
(AAR uses BYRON for its romance reference needs)
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This year is different at Whitney Young Gifted and Talented Leadership Academy. For the first time, the East Side school will play varsity football.
Sure, it may not seem all that significant when you learn Whitney Young was established in 1971 and only added high school in 2003. But the idea for a football program had been in the works for years. With only 402 kids in grades two through 12, it had always been a struggle to get enough players. Last season, though, the Warriors fielded a 25-player junior varsity squad.
"We're the first team to actually step on the field as a varsity team," says Michael Wilkins, a senior running back, cornerback and kick returner. "We're always going to be remembered. It's an honor."
Vincent Hunt, the team's first-year head coach, recognizes that more is at stake than wins and losses. One hundred percent of Whitney Young's seniors have graduated in the last four years, and the team will allow students to "stay home" instead of playing for another Cleveland Metropolitan School District school. "A lot of great athletes went somewhere else to showcase their talents," Hunt says.
An intervention specialist and special education teacher, Hunt moved to Whitney Young from John Adams High School to be closer to his players. "Your boys need to see you," he says. "Athletics is cool, but at the same time, it's about mentoring these men, making sure they achieve academically. ... We're trying to teach all aspects of life in preparation to be successful."
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- Global Education
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The first step in the application process is becoming informed about the academic programs at CSU San Marcos. Before you apply, please use our website to explore the options available to you. In particular, read the sections on Undergraduate Admission Requirements, Bachelor's Degree Programs and Estimated Expenses.
The mailing address of the International Admissions Office is:
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Inquiries can also be made by e-mail to: firstname.lastname@example.com
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All transcripts, financial statements, and test scores must be received by close dates.
Evaluations and admissions decisions are made on a continuing basis upon receipt of all application forms and records.
Admission Steps
- Go to CSUMentor and complete the online application for CSU San Marcos. If you cannot apply online, please download an application.
- Complete the Financial Affidavit section of the application. Be sure to obtain the required "Bank Certification" to cover your estimated expenses for an academic year.
- Request that all official sealed academic transcripts (with English translation) be sent to the International Admissions Office.
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- Notify the International Admissions Office that you will be attending CSU San Marcos.


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Miami Dolphins sign guard Ray Feinga to 53-man roster
According to a source, the Miami Dolphins have signed second-year offensive guard Ray Feinga to their 53-man roster.
A former Brigham Young University standout, Feinga enters the mix with an offensive line that has been in a state of flux. Journeyman Pat McQuistan replaced rookie third-round draft pick John Jerry as the starter at right guard in Sunday's loss to the Browns, and right tackle Vernon Carey (knee) gave way to second-year man Lydon Murtha late in the second quarter.
You knew the Dolphins had plans for Feinga by their actions over the past 4 1/2 months.
Feinga takes the place of veteran cornerback Al Harris, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday, his 36th birthday. Harris had a setback in his return from major knee and hamstring surgery after playing in just three games for the Dolphins.
They showed that much by sticking with the second-year offensive guard through a concussion that wrecked his training camp after a one-car accident in late July, by keeping him around after he required surgery on his right middle finger after a nasty injury during the preseason and by bringing him back in November after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, even those more associated with weight loss.
Feinga's bird finger – as former tennis great Ilie Nastase might refer to it — was broken in 15 places and now contains seven surgical screws.
In other news, former Louisville WR Patrick Carter, most recently with the UFL's Hartford Colonials, has been signed to the practice squad. That could mean a pending callup for Julius Pruitt, depending on the chances Brian Hartline can make it back this season from finger surgery.
Carter no doubt came well recommended by Tony Sparano Jr., an assistant defensive coach with the Colonials, and Colonials head coach Chris Palmer, who gave Tony Sparano Sr. his start in the NFL 11 years ago with the Browns.


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In the previous article, we discussed spring romance, memorable movie lines and advice. We looked at a scene from the film Sixteen Candles with the geek (Anthony Michael Hall) and Samantha (Molly Ringwald). It is also important to remember to be persistent and follow the old adage "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." The geek did not succeed at his first attempt of picking up Samantha on the bus, but he still believes he has a chance. In fact he is so sure of himself that he makes a bet with his friends that he will score with her.
The night of their high school dance he changes his approach. He pulls out all the stops. Although he startles her at first, he uses a sexy, seductive voice when he speaks to her and gently licks his lips. He even follows some of the rules from Damone's 5 point plan (see article 1 of the series), such as acting like "wherever you are that's the place to be." The geek is dancing with Samantha and he euthusiastically shouts "this night is happening." He makes it seem as if the dance is the most exciting place to be. Although she seems rather upset about something he continues to try to woo her (Check out the clip).
Well, as they say everybody plays the fool at sometime or another. The main problem is that he does not realize she is about to cry and he believes she ran off because she cannot dance. He does not learn until later that she has a crush on someone else. Unless, you can read minds that type of information is only privy to those who actually engage in a conversation. Perhaps his technique is a bit aggressive, but it is better to take a gamble then to simply be afraid of the approach. This is a great film with many awkward pick up scenes, it definitely worth checking out.
Where to find these films locally: Video 1


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Student Affairs
The on-line magazine abouttechnology and Student Affairs
Stuart Brown - StudentAffairs.com
Executive Editor
All Rights Reserved
I really enjoy the articles about how to incorporate student affairs in an online environment. I work at a College of Nursing at an Academic Health Science Center.
I really enjoy reading about examples of how other schools are working in good student/faculty contact in an online environment. Keep up the great work.
Stephanie Auwaerter
MUSC College of Nursing
Technology Information Resources Manager
Finally, Brian Cremmins offers a glimpse into the world of on-line comics in Faster Than a Speeding Bullet! More Powerful Than a Locomotive! The World of Online Comic Strips, Part 1.


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