text:
In the Beginning
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
When the alarm sounded this morning it was still very dark and it was warm and comfortable under the covers. I almost didn't get up, especially since I was going to have to go by myself. I am so glad that I did make that effort. I began my day with a sunrise at one of my favorite sunrise spots. The clouds made the sunrise one of the most unusual ones that I have seen. I spent the rest of the day going to many of my favorite places and took lots of images. With each place I stopped, I was more overwhelmed by the beauty of the heavens and earth God created. It was a special time of worship as each place became a sanctuary, a sacred place.
Great Creator God
I bow before you in awe at your creation for your beauty was everywhere I looked today. Teach me to treasure each day and relish each sunrise.
Deep and Wide
Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
One thing that all waterfalls have in common is that they are gradually changing the surface of the earth. The constant wearing of the water on rock gradually deepens and widens the river, sometimes making great canyons. Like waterfalls deepen and widen the river, love deepens and widens our hearts. We begin life knowing only about love through being fed and protected by our parents. As we grow and learn to love others, love deepens and widens our hearts, sometimes gradually sometimes instantly. My children and now grandchildren have deepened my heart and opened it wide. And as deep as my love is for my children and grandchildren, how much more is my Father's love for me and them. Truly he has given me good things. This Sunday I experienced one of these good things when I watched my fourth grandchild be baptized and heard my daughter and her husband promise, with the members of their church, to lead her to know Jesus.
Loving Father,
For all good gifts we thank you, especially for the gift of watching our children follow you. Deepen and widen our hearts as we seek to share your love with others.
Step of Faith
When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
You don't really know what is in the other room through the door. The only way you can find out is to step through the door. Since you know that this door is in a cabin in a national park, it is very likely safe. It doesn't take a lot of faith to step through the door. Unlike this simple action, there are times in our lives when taking the next step through an open door will take great faith. The man in this story came to Jesus desperate for Jesus to heal his son. He had a choice to believe Jesus and go or turn the other way, defeated and dejected. He chose to go and found his son healed when he returned home. We also have a choice each day - to believe and step through the door open for us or to turn away. Today make a step of faith towards Jesus, even if it only a small step. You will find what you truly seek.
Strengthen our faith today. Give us courage to take a step of faith through the door that you open for us today.
Taste and See
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Tasting is an action. You must open your mouth if you are going to taste something. To experience God we must open our hearts to God, like this rose whose petals have unwrapped around its heart. To the degree to which we do open our hearts to God, we will experience God. When we do open our hearts and taste God, experience God with our whole being, we find blessings in the way he cradles and protects our open hearts.
Good Lord and Master,
Give us the courage to open our hearts to you, to taste your goodness.
Seeing God in a New Way
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
It is hard to explain how different the rivers and waterfalls of Minnesota and Wisconsin are from the waterfalls that I see in the mountains where I live. There seemed to be no way to get to a position where I could capture the flow of water over the massive rocks in one image. While my images may help you to get an idea of their power and beauty, you can never fully know what they are like unless you experience them yourself.
Like these waterfalls, we can hear of God from others but we will only see God in a transforming way when we experience God for ourselves. The book of Job tells how Job learned of God through experiencing him. Job was a man who suffered greatly. He questioned God about the cause of his suffering. He refutes the answers to his dilemma offered by his friends. In the end, God doesn't give Job the reasons for his suffering, but after experiencing God in the whirlwind he no longer seeks an answer. He experiences God in a new way and bows in humility to a sovereign God. Like Job, it is when we honestly seek God, question God, cry out in anger to God, that we experience God.
Great God
Honestly seeking you isn't easy. It means we must lay open our hearts with all our questions, fears, and anger. Speak to our hearts and transform us so we see you in new ways.
In a Fog
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."
I live in the mountains far away from any lighthouse, so on our recent trip to the Great Lakes I was looking forward to photographing one especially beautiful one, Split Rock Lighthouse on the north shore of Lake Superior. The day we had scheduled to visit started out very foggy. I hoped that the fog would soon blow off, but it never did that whole day and even into the night. The images I had in my mind of this colorful lighthouse against a clear, blue sky or the light of the golden hour was not going to happen.
The kingdom that James and John pictured was not the kingdom that Christ was teaching. Even though in the preceding verses from Mark, that Jesus had been trying to get the disciples to understand what was going to happen to him. They were just in a fog of their own making. We read also in these verses that some who followed Jesus were afraid. It is easy to look at this request of James and John as arrogant and presumptuous. Another way to look at the reply of Jesus is described by Dr. Charles Campbell in Feasting on the Word Year B Commentary:
However, in the larger context of the story, Jesus' words may also be read as an extraordinary promise: "You will not always be driven by your fears and your need of security. Rather, you will be empowered to take up your cross and follow me. You will be faithful disciples to the end."
After I thought about the images that I did take of Split Rock lighthouse, I realized that the fog was the reason the lighthouse was built. Look to Jesus' words even when we find them hard to understand and afraid to follow. Trust his promise that we will not always be driven by our fears and he will lead you out of the fog. As we daily seek to walk with him, we will become more like him, even to the point of drinking the cup that he drank for us.
Jesus, Lord and Savior
Shine your light of understanding on us. Calm our fears as we walk in your light.
Clear Focus
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
One of the things that I have learned about photography is that to make a good photograph the first thing to think about is your subject. What are you really trying to capture in your images, what message do you want your image to tell? Before you take your image you need to think about where the subject is in the frame and what things do you need to include and what needs to be left out. I think that one of the reasons that I like this image so much and other people have liked it also is that it has a clear subject, the water lily. Where I put it in the frame makes it looks like it is glowing from the inside.
The same idea about composing a good photograph applies to our relationship with Christ. To really know Jesus you must make him your single focus and remove the things in your life that detract from him. When you make Jesus the single focus of your life, his love will light up your life from the inside like the light on my lily. Your life will then send a clear message to all those who see that your life has a clear focus.
Lord Jesus
Sharpen my focus on you each day.
Sing Praise
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
As a landscape photographer you are told that your best images won't come in the middle of the day. It is only in the golden light of early morning and late evening when you will make an image worth keeping. While I love the golden light when the sun is low in the sky, there are times when I find such joy in a clear, blue sky with white fluffy clouds in the the middle of the day. Sometimes we need to just ignore man's rules, rejoice in God's beautiful world, and go out and take a picture in the middle of the day. And, even when it is hard, when the clouds cover the blue sky and rivers rush with the power of a flash flood, I will remember the blue sky days and sing praise as long I have being.
Great Creator God,
We sing your praise and stand in awe of your world and your love for us.
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Work is an important part of life. From the very beginning of the Bible we see that God worked and he was pleased with his work. Since we are made in his image I believe we are made to work, to create. There is a special joy when we work hard to create something, even if the thing we created never wins fame or is even noticed by people. While walking on the trails that surround St. John University we came upon this beautiful little covered bridge. There was really no need for a covered bridge at this place, a couple of raised boards would have been sufficient to keep the water off the trail. Indeed this day there wasn't even any water under the bridge. Still here it was, the result of hard work on someone's part. You can see the craftsmanship in all the woodwork. It brought joy to me to see the beautiful little bridge as it brought joy to the two friends sitting on the bridge we passed on the way back that were engrossed in conversation. We may never know if our work brings joy to others, but if we work for God and not ourselves, for his eye and his honor, then we know God will use our work to draw people to him. And if we work only for his eye we are more likely to keep work in balance with other parts of our daily life.
Creator God,
Teach us to keep the right perspective on work - to not overwork or underwork. Teach us to work for you and bless the work of our hands.
Looking Back Looking Forward
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
My husband and I have just entered a new day and time in our lives as we are now retired after many years of teaching. It is this retirement time that have allowed us to have adventures and do things that we never could while we are working. It is a new day for us.
In his latest album Ken Medema captured exactly where I find myself right now. Since his words say them so much better than I can, here are the words from his song, Ocean Beach, on his album, Nothing Like the Rain. (You should go to his website or purchase the album from iTunes.)
Ocean Beach
I stand by the ocean, looking back at the land
I remember my childhood when I played in the sand
Heedless of danger, I ran to the sea to leap in the whitecaps that set my soul free
Now I am older and cautious in so many ways
But I know there are beaches and whitecaps and journeys for these my best days
This is my choice I want to leap into this strange new day
To taste and to turn, to love and to learn what I could not know yesterday
No turning back, yesterday's gone
I'll relish this day, I'll treasure this dawn
What a romance taking the chance of life
I walk in the city, down the streets I have known
I remember my young days when these streets were my own
I knew I was called here, this place held my heart
And now when I walk here I feel like a stranger, it tears me apart
I will not return here, that die is cast
But I'll run to the present and love it as much as I treasure the past
I will run with a stranger and I will walk with a friend
I will dance til I stumble and I'll get up again
I will not run for shelter when the path is unknown
For I am surrounded by friends and companions, I am not alone
I want to love the night, I want to seize the day
I want to run the race, don't want to dream my live away
This is my choice I want to leap into this brand new day
To taste and to turn, to love and to learn what I could not know yesterday
No turning back, yesterday's gone
I'll relish this day, I'll treasure this dawn
What a romance taking the chance of life
I stand at the ocean, I look back at the land
Lord of Sunrises and New Days
Thank you for the beauty of a sunrise on a new day. Give us courage to treasure each day as we walk into new adventures you have prepared for us.
Little Things of Great Value
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
While visiting the Chicago Botanical Gardens I learned that there were some cacti that only bloom one day a year and that day was projected to be the next day. So the first place I went the next morning was the desert greenhouse and there, along with a good number of other visitors, I saw the showy blooms. But while everyone else was looking at the big blooms I happened to notice a little ways away this small little cactus, only about 6 inches high, with the smallest little bloom. I thought it was so striking, the pink flower against the white and green of the plant. Sometimes we see our self as this little plant, unnoticed, unimportant and of little value. But like this little plant you have made us beautiful. No matter how small you may feel sometimes remember that you are of great value to our loving father.
Loving Father
Remind us that you see us as valuable and love us so much even when we feel of little value. Help us to see the beauty in all those around us, especially those the world considers unimportant. Make our actions reflect the love you have for us for those who need to know how much you love and value them.
Where Else?
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
It was getting a little late in the day and we only had time for one more hike at Tettegouche State Park in Minnesota. We decided to take the hike to Cascade Falls. We had a little trouble getting started because the signs in the parking lot were confusing. We finally figured out which trail to take. The trail followed the river so there were lots of little side paths that went to down to the edge. After we got to one of them a couple coming the opposite direction asked if these were the falls. They had been walking for a while and they said that they didn't see any sign of a waterfall so they had decided to turn back. We were pretty sure that we had not been hiking for 1.2 miles, the distance to the waterfalls, but there were fewer and fewer people on the trail. So we kept going, the trail got harder until it just seemed to stop at this large rock. We were on the shore of the river and could hear waterfalls but now no trail. We climbed over this large rock which took some maneuvering, and there they were, what we had come to see. We knew that we might not ever come this way again so we kept going and in the end were rewarded with these beautiful falls on this clear blue-sky day.
In these verses from John we learn that after hearing these words of Jesus many disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. Many times we think only of the twelve disciples and forget that there were others who followed him in the beginning. The twelve were the ones who kept following him. Peter knew Jesus teachings were hard and he didn't always immediately understand them. So like us on our hike that day, Peter knew that there was no where else to go but to keep following the difficult path walking with Jesus. Peter knew these hard words of Jesus were the words of eternal life and there was no where else where he would find them. Like Peter and the other disciples, walk on when the path seems hard knowing that the only place where we will find life is walking with Jesus.
When the way is difficult and we find your Word hard to understand, give us the insight and courage to keep going, to keep following you. Speak your words, even when they are hard, into our lives.
My Story, Your Story, Our Story
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
You can't see the garden without stepping through the open gate. The open gate invites all into the garden. These beginning verses of Luke are like this open gate written for Theophilus. It is a story of who Jesus is. It is a story that we are a part of and it is a story that we are to tell to others. So many times I have just skipped over these verses - it is just the beginning, not that important, but when I read this commentary written by James R. Luck from "Feasting on the Gospels--Luke, Volume 1: A Feasting on the Word Commentary" it made me think about these verses in a different way. I give you his words:
Even in the rites of baptism, whether young or old, whether sprinkled or immersed, we are doing nothing less than weaving the story of an individual into the fabric of all those who have gone before us. It is a story of adoption and naming and grace and love. This is our story. Our responsibility as congregational leaders is as simple as it is daunting: we are to help others live into our Christian stories, so that they might become part of the story; so that they might become a living, breathing sacrament of God's grace.
Maybe these words spoke to me so strongly because I have now watched three of my grandchildren be baptized and will watch another one be baptized very soon. Truly I have seen the story of grace of Jesus woven in my life and now to see it woven into the lives of my of children is blessing beyond blessing.
Author of All Stories
Help me weave the story of your love into not only my children and grandchildren but to all who need to "become a living, breathing sacrament of God's grace."
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Roses have thorns - something beautiful on top of something painful. God's word is like this. It is both painful and beautiful. When we really study God's word, it pierces our soul. It is difficult to truly look at your life laid bare. The beauty comes because we have opened our hearts to God's word. We see our sin but we also see the great sacrifice of Jesus. Only when we see our sin do we see the need for Christ. Open your heart to the piercing of God's word and then look to Jesus and see yourself through his eyes of forgiveness, grace, and love.
Great High Priest
Use your word that is living and active and that pierces our souls and lays bare our hearts before you. Thank you for your gift of grace.
God Revealed
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
The attributes of God are revealed in the world God created. Take time to stop and think about what that means for our understanding of God.
The more I study and photograph nature the more I learn about God. Sure we are overcome with wonder when we see a grand vista, but there is so much more to learn about God in nature than just wonder. I have learned many things about God from waterfalls. Waterfalls show us the result of the power of water to wear away even the strongest rock. God's powerful love can open even the hardest heart. Waterfalls change with the seasons, sometimes filled with water and sometimes only a trickle. God wields power the way we need it, sometimes in great bursts and sometimes in a slow and steady flow. We experience waterfalls with our senses, we see them, we hear them, we smell the fresh air they create. We experience God with our senses. Truly we have so much to learn about God from the world he created.
Great and Powerful God,
Open our eyes to your invisible attributes in the world you created. Teach us the deep attributes of your nature in the world you have created.
Gentle and Strong
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
I love willow trees mostly for their contradiction. They grow strong and tall but their leaves are small and move so easily with just the slightest wind. From afar they look so fragile and wispy and soft but up close the trunk and branches are strong. In one of my new favorite songs by Ken Medema, "Have a Blessed Day," a song about the Beatitudes from Jesus' teachings, he defines the word meek as gentle and strong. He sings, "blessed are the gentle and strong for the earth shall be their happy place." Ken's song made me think about this verse in a new way about being gentle and strong.
When you are gentle and strong you see a beauty and find a joy in God's world that you don't see when you are only strong or only gentle. When you are only strong you focus on taking action and getting the job done and don't take time needed to see beauty. When you are only gentle you don't see the complexity of God's world and see only the few things on the surface. But when you are gentle and strong you see past the surface to the deeper things and then take the time to intently gaze at God's beauty. God's world becomes a place where you have the strength and gentleness to see beauty and joy in the place where you live.
Strong and Gentle Master
Teach us to be both strong and gentle and to see beauty and joy in the world you have created.
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Storms fill most everyone with just a little bit of fear. Sometimes you can see the storm coming or sometimes they come out of a blue sky. While the storm in this story brought fear to experienced sailors, the greatest fear came after Jesus calmed the storm. It was the storm that brought them face to face with the idea that Jesus was no ordinary teacher. Now they must decide who Jesus was and if they were going to follow him. We also must decide who Jesus is. Will we accept him as a good teacher or the Powerful Son of God? Will we awaken him, call on him, and let him calm the storms in our lives?
Jesus, Controller of Storms
We bow in amazement at your power and accept you as Lord. Strengthen our little faith. Calm the storms in our life and bring us the peace that comes from trusting you.
Wait In Silence
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
An important part of our recent road trip north was time spent in the Chicago Botanical Garden. Here I experienced the beauty of a garden in a new way. Every plant, every walkway, every statue, and every bench is in its place for a purpose. It is easy to find silent places in a garden, especially a large garden early in the morning, to just sit and wait on God.
While I don't have a garden as beautiful as the Chicago Garden to go to every day, I do need to learn to sit in silence and wait on God. I think I do hear him in a special way when I can sit in a garden, for it was in a garden where God first put man. It is in the silence of his presence that I find hope and strength to move through the noisy world. Take time today to sit in silence and view God's world if only through a window. Open your heart to him and find hope.
Creator of Gardens
Thank you for the beauty and lessons I find in gardens. Teach me to wait in silence each day for you. My whole being rests in only you, my refuge from the noisy world.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
As we entered this state park it was like driving through a tunnel, not a tunnel made of stone but one made of beautiful, old, tall, strong trees. (The stone wall on the left side of the road was up to my shoulders to give you an idea of scale.) These trees that have endured many seasons of storms still tower above the road. It is hard to describe the immediate feeling of peace that came over me on that road, enveloped by such beauty and quietness.
In my life I have been surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses like I was surrounded by those trees. I remember so many beautiful family and friends who have run and are still running the race set before them. They have supported and encouraged me. So now I desire to run with the endurance the race set before me, the endurance that I can only find when I look to Jesus. I want to follow the roads that will lead me to Christ. I want to be like those trees that surrounded me that day and surround all those in my life with support and encouragement to always look to Jesus.
Jesus, Who Endured All For Us,
Thank you for all the strong witnesses that have surrounded me in my life. Forgive the sins I sometimes cling to and help me to lay them aside so that I can run with endurance the race you have set before me.
In the Morning
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
I do really love mornings. The sky is more beautiful, even on cloudy days. The light is so much softer and it is so quiet before the noise of the day begins. In the summer it is cooler and in the other seasons the air is crisp and clean. A beautiful sunrise makes morning even more special. When I get to somewhere special to photograph a sunrise there is time to wait and think and pray. There is a joy I can't explain when after waiting in the dark, you see the sun come over the horizon and fill the sky with color.
Lord of the Morning
Thank you for the blessing of waiting on the sun to rise. Thank you for hearing me when I pray in the morning. Make each morning a time for me to open my heart to you and give you my day. Give me patience to watch your working and your timing and to wait on you during my busy day.
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May 2020


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This week's Project 52 theme is 'After Dark'. Make sure you clearly mark your entries by putting Project 52 in the image title and tag them into the correct category. The winners will be announced on the iWitness24 Facebook on Friday 15th November. Picture: Kelly Mitchell.
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Posts Tagged happiness
Posted by David Kitching in Musings and prose, Non-fictional on April 1, 2016
It's all too complicated. I'm tired of complicated.
I want to get up in the morning, attend to those things I need to do in order to exist, with respectful regard to whatever it is that provides those means, and then to go to sleep again.
I want space and time within this simple process that allows me to reflect on its beauty or its ugliness, and to express my responses to those in words and images. To have my quiet say.
And I want to know my place amongst others, and the world around me, and not to have to worry about whether I deserve that place or whether I understand it.
I want my process of existence to contribute to my context simply by virtue of its being.
For my love not to be considered but naturally emergent, and for other's love to be naturally received, without thinking.
I want to be, and to understand naturally, so that I may move on with greater understanding.
If minions could see
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on January 23, 2016
Ahead lay the divide that ran from top to bottom of their lives,
Defining the move between their doom and their fortune.
So millions of people lived their paths,
Not knowing that far above,
White winged Josef and the raven winged woman
Flew towards the light.
If only the minions also had that sight.
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on January 3, 2015
I think I'll go for a walkie-poo.
Actually it's something I really must do.
And as I do my walkie-poo,
I'll do a dance, just for you.
In the spangled sunshine.
Under the tree
With spread-eagled fingers.
I'll kick the golden leaves
And see the flighty clouds spin overhead.
Guided flow
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on August 2, 2014
So complex you make
Your life and its words to be.
Guided though it flows.
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on June 29, 2014
My life this side of the great divide
Feels good.
But to my left we have
A dark place.
To my right we have
A place that dazzles.
And in front we have
The great divide.
Shapes whose lines break
To jagged edges,
And faces turned to see me
But are blurred
And incoherent.
Like watching the world
Through a bathroom window.
My side makes sense to me.
Not so that other.
But it does echo so here.
Good morning
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on June 13, 2014
Bright sun life today.
Dark cloud news arrived by post.
Bright star died by noon.
True view
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on November 10, 2013
The river runs fast.
Faster than your perceptions,
And you start to drown.
Rise up above it.
Now look down and see it whole.
Your start and your end.
The bit in between
Is bound by landscape
And flows as it must.
Don't cry and don't laugh.
Accommodate placidly.
Wait for the true view.
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on October 24, 2013
Watching you across a red checked table
In a coffee bar.
Two cold coffees sit between us with
Scum hanging down the insides like fungus.
Grey wisp cigarette smoke rises slowly
From a black plastic ashtray in the middle of everything.
You rest your chin on your hand,
Slender fingers splayed prettily across your lips,
And you watch me closely with ocean deep
Blue eyes peering into the depths of my mind.
You smile and the world congeals.
All through that night,
As the curtains billowed inward on warm wind,
My fragrant love lay draped
Across stiff linen sheets
And sighed as she turned.
Through the open window I saw
An owl fly across the mellow yellow moon.
Our identity
Is not what we've been made from.
It's our view forward.
Who you are is right.
All that is knows that of you.
That you're meant to be.
Cloud heart
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on July 25, 2013
So flying was I past blossoming white clouds
As I soared and soared and soared
Through blue space,
Through my life clear
And upwards
To darkening blue as stars began to shine.
Then my breath grew thin
And the world turned self contained
Far beneath me.
An eye in a dispassionate face.
It was then that I'd seen too much.
The place of my world in the void.
The size of everything.
And my heart left me and stayed there,
Glorying in the glory of it all,
Whilst my mind started to fall.
And as the eye came nearer
I saw myself reflected in its blue.
An aberration in an otherwise flawless hue.
A spec in the eye of what's true.
I came to land in a field of flowers
With solemn trees all about,
And on my back I looked back up
To a flat blue sky that had my heart
Hanging there,
Like a cloud.
Too aware
Of the dissonance.
Of the distance
Between its place
And mine.
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on July 23, 2013
I do try to play the game.
I really do.
I apply for jobs and earnestly await replies.
I truly try to be enthusiastic about new product lines
And marketing and corporate social responsibility.
But then one night I take the trouble to stand on my doorstep
And watch the silent scudding clouds,
A passing gap silvered with shining moonlight,
And I listen to distant owls
And feel the stillness of the air.
And I'm sorry,
But the truth is that I don't care
About your world or your profits
Or your corporate goals.
I'd rather lie back and sigh
And watch the world unfold.
It's so beautiful
And so powerful
And is so much more
Than you or what I'm supposed to work for.
Now happy
Posted by David Kitching in Recent poetry on March 31, 2013
All seems to be sad.
My thoughts dwell on myths and dreams.
But now I'm happy.
Natural fate
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on March 29, 2013
One day there'll be a world
Where people understand the commonality
Of their experience
And recognise the interdependence
Of their lives
With all others and
The contiguous nature of nature
That ensures a similar fate
For all despite
Any mad conception
Of difference from each other.
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on March 22, 2013
Fog hangs over me
And then children's laughter shines
And I see what's true.
Posted by David Kitching in Fictional, Musings and prose, Recent musings on March 6, 2013
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
I'm not sure whether I was more taken aback by the question, or by the character who presented himself before me. Dressed in suede boots, black tights, a sequined T-shirt and some sort of translucent cloak, he'd interrupted my meandering path from late closing nightclub to home by suddenly jumping out of a dark alleyway.
I stopped. I didn't have much choice. Swaying slightly, I looked at this person before me, stood there in falling drizzle, with laughter and the shouting voices of other revellers falling away behind me into some distance that hadn't been there a moment before.
"Well who the hell do you think you are?" Spoken with more bravado than I felt. I was swaying back and forth. Not a good state to be in when challenging anyone, let alone some ranting pervert in a super hero costume.
He didn't answer, and I started to feel really uneasy. One of the orange street lights was flickering, and the alleyway from whence this apparition had silently emerged kept alternating between sheer black, and ancient brickwork that ran with old water and rusty drainpipes.
Suddenly there were three parts to the world. There was my drunken perspective. There was the world of other people, laughing and shouting and calling to each other and going home together. And then there was this thing in front of me that clearly belonged to a different universe. He, or whatever it was, stood stock still and stared at me with an unmoving stillness. Irrefutable, irresistible. Not available for comment.
And his question hung there in the space between us, easily defeating my hastily muttered response. Because even I knew that his question was bigger than mine.
I was going to say that time stood still. But that sounds like such a cliche. That is what it was like though. I became aware. There, alone, I saw the orange of the heavy bellied cloud passing curious over the city. I saw the glossy windows of shops and offices that lined the road that made my direction, frozen and waiting for an answer to the question. I heard those people behind me, in a disconnected and staccato way that made no sense – they became mere sounds without language, distant and meaningless. And this apparition stood there before me, completely still and staring and waiting for an answer.
The only thing that had clarity, and was comprehensible, was the question.
And then the people behind me caught up and passed me, arm in arm and laughing and joshing and singing and ignoring me standing in their midst as they poured past me, like water flowing past a rock in midstream. There was me, and him, and them. And then they passed on, seemingly without noticing me standing there.
And the last person to walk past was Julie. Arm linked with some bloke. Teetering slightly, and leaning her head towards his shoulder. Neither said anything. They just followed the crowd. He walking stiffly, she languid and seeking comfort. They walked in silence. A crystal termination to the the crowd that preceded them. A silent and reflective backstop. A full stop.
I watched all of this as though I wasn't really there. As though I was invisible. Stood there swaying faintly, hair drizzle damped and a drop of water forming on the end of my nose. Julie receded and finally disappeared round the corner, still hanging on to her upright man in needing quiet, saying nothing and being led.
I'd been well intentioned. Friday night. Single man. Pub with friends. Club afterwards. But the friends had melded away somehow, and I'd ended up sitting watching everything alone. Detached. Unhappy but unable to admit why I felt so bleak amongst people so apparently happy.
I'd turned towards the bar and accidentally bumped Julie, who was waiting to be served. And for a very brief instant as our eyes each registered the other's in passing, some recognition of loneliness occurred. Just for an instant. And in that instant my otherwise serene sea surged and blistered and boiled with suppressed emotion and, just for an instant, my eyes watered. Just for an instant. And then the de facto social behaviour kicked back in, and I looked at her more coldly. As one stranger does to another. I'd seen that instant in her too, but the protocol insisted that it be ignored.
She was beautiful. Just utterly, stunningly beautiful. In all sorts of different ways, glimpsed in a flash over a single second and then cast to one side. And I watched the barman instead. Then, in some slow time way, I turned to meet her eyes again and she did too, and there was a small smile. But the heave and chaos of everything around us pushed in and our communication was drowned out, and we looked away again.
Flashing neon light flickered and soaked the air about me and everyone and everything was moving. The barman was so fast, and everyone called out to everyone else, and laughed and joked, and sound lay like a blanket of writhing worms over the entire pulsating place. Except for Julie and me. We stood free from it for a moment, aware of each other and nothing else. Quiet and detached awareness in a single moment. A flash of understanding. Incongruent state. Smooth water in a roiling sea.
Then the sound ocean came flooding back like a tsunami, washing anything genuine away, and leaving only the broken stumps of something that could have been said.
She bought her drink, and I bought mine.
"I know you don't I?" God could I not come up with something more original?
And she turned and smiled such a smile that outshone the universe, reducing everything to grey light and everyone around me receded and became silent as I waited for her reply. In that moment I knew how utterly unhappy I was. How my life comprised mere existence. A sun with no horizon to rise above. In just a few seconds life quickened and compressed and simplified and reduced and I knew far more than I'd ever known before. I realised so much more than I needed to know. The glistening white mountain peak that was my supposed life turned into a tumbling avalanche sweeping all illusion before it and landing collapsed in a heap at the bottom of a slope I thought I'd conquered.
This all happened in an instant. Nothing more. Just a chance meeting of eyes. A glance and smile.
"I don't think so." she said. "My name's Julie." And then she turned to pay the barman. I watched him. I'm a man. I know men. I saw his eyes. Perhaps he also saw himself in that moment. Perhaps he was also forced to face himself.
All of this came flooding back to me as I stood there, damp and drizzled on and ignored and standing there still in the middle of the street. Once Julie and her partner has disappeared round the corner, there was me and the soft drizzling rain, and the silently flashing neon lights, and nothing else. The weird super hero had gone.
I woke and the real world rushed back again, quieter this time.
I carried on walking, deep in thought but seeing myself walking, from above. I rounded the corner. There stood Julie, all alone in the wide road, vapid commercial lights around her pulsating blurred through the falling rain. She was still and bowed and sad and longing. Everyone else had long since moved on, and she stood there in silence. She'd seen me and she'd waited for me.
I didn't stop. I carried on walking towards her and as I approached, her eyes lifted and met mine and I reached out and gently took her in my arms and wrapped myself around her and we both stood there still, in the flickering lights of vainglorious butterfly shop windows and held each other very quietly. Nothing needed to be said, and for the first time in my life, I knew what it meant to be happy.
Snow and yellow
Posted by David Kitching in Poetry, Recent poetry on February 16, 2013
Today the sky was blue.
And the snow that lay round about seemed so too.
Yet my mood was warm yellow.
Like a daffodil poking through.
There's joy
Posted by David Kitching in Further back, Poetry on October 27, 2012
There's joy in each new day
That greets us new and laughs with
Bright abandoned gaiety and shouts loud
Of all those new things that it's brought us.
Just for us these gifts.
But then we turn away
And cry into our pillows.
How rude.
That we should be so honoured
By warm sun or roiling raincloud
And should still turn and say
That this is not enough for us.
As warm light spills across our poor dreams,
We still can't see how lucky we are
To taste things so rich
Beyond our wildest dreams,
Never mind
Those we imagine to be our fantasy.
Make yourself
Posted by David Kitching in Further back, Poetry on September 30, 2012
That still and stagnant puddle you call your life,
that you sit and stare at watching reflections
that wobble and shake.
Isn't your bum sore sitting there?
Just throw some causal random into that mirror
and make waves and see what happens.
See your slime smeared emotional vehicle
that drags itself oh so slowly through the mud of life.
It could be a soaring plane that dips and dives
through a sparkling sky of alternatives.
One small move is just enough to break the scum
and show the clear water beneath.
I know this is true. I've done it.
Laugh at despondency. It's all illusion.
Shape your own vision of the universe.
It's yours. You are it.
Howl back at the demigods and half dead.
Don't take excuses or make them.
Grab the damn thing by the balls
And scream your own opera.
The edge
In some boiling pot somewhere lies
Some bubbling guts and bursting eyes.
Remnants of some life spent
In malcontent.
I defy you to tell me
I'm destined to be down there.
I stand in some smooth green perfection,
Some field so green
And smooth
And punctuated by trees
And birdsong so sweet.
Yet there. Just over there.
Is that thin, dark line of cutting precision
That divides me from there.
So close. Where's my way?
I tell you that line is a small thing.
It just needs acknowledging.
And you can stay green and free
And dance the wind with me
By seeing how close the edge is.
Open space
Open space sense
Washed my weary mind
Of city crowd dust.
Focus flew to join the clouds
And drift soar
Over endless blue.
Sweet song of nature
Flowed through to
Calm and quiet and sooth.
This real is now.
Vague future no more
Lost to some hazy horizon.
There's reason to be glad
I woke this morning as the white milky light
Was turning to butter
And the air was thick with birdsong.
That buttery birdsong drifted over my quilt
And soothed and refreshed me
With sweet air I could taste.
I was drawn into the world
From dreams disturbed
And was calmed when I saw this truth:
That the world carries on and is beautiful too
What ever my mind does become
In the depths of the night, with fretting and fright,
The sun and the air, the beauty everywhere
Can chase those ghosts away.
We're all so lucky to be able to wake
And see this natural way.
That nature renews our life each day,
And that nothing is sure as we plan our way
With so many assumptions about each day
That ignore nature's nature
To give us a new chance
To start things right again.
Every day.
If we'd see that each day is brand new.
She was just a passing storm
Posted by David Kitching in Further back, Poetry on September 12, 2012
She was just a passing storm
That's remembered but nothing more.
Some scudding cloud that dropped its rain
And blew it's wind
And ruffled my life
And is gone now.
Smooth shiny waters now sparkle
At my bow and I know
That all things come and go.
And I'm calm,
And in being so,
Make my sea so.


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Online Marketplace Lists Digital Content, Services Purchasable with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Omnicoin
Tags :MarketplaceRetail
Bitcoin friendly online marketplace PayIvy allows users to buy and sell digital content.
Sellers can list items such as e-books, music, software, codes and online services for free with no further obligations, and no monthly fee, while enjoying 100% of the revenue.
PayIvy also offers multiple payment options like PayPal, Bitcoin, Litecoin and OmniCoin. Omnicoin is the adopted crypto currency of one of the most popular internet forums.
By signing up for a free account sellers can list items like videos, music and e-books. Programmers and coders can also earn revenue by using PayIvy to sell software licensing.
The company says that setup is instantaneous and no website is required, and sellers can point customers to their PayIvy item link.


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At the IPPA Sales and Marketing Workshop last month, I attended an inspiring session on building and maintaining a great sales team. Everyone knows that the key to building a successful company is to start with a successful sales team, but there is one sin many of us seem to keep committing. We find a person from one of the big boys in the industry and we get very excited and hire them, or we specifically recruit people that have worked for one or both of those companies. I have heard people warn against recycling people over and over again, but I had never heard the argument put so poignantly that it made me want to reconsider my recruiting. Those companies (you know the two I'm talking about), are two of the most successfully selling organizations in the world, regardless of what industry we're talking about. They have world-class training programs, marketing budgets larger than some national economies, and brand recognition to-boot. If you have come across a sales person who can't make the kind of money they want in one of those organizations, there's something definitely wrong.
I have always convinced myself that I don't have time to train someone on the intricacies of payroll and payroll taxes, so I "need" to hire from within the industry. I have worked in the industry for over 15 years, and have been either mentoring or training for 14 of those years, so I definitely can train people on payroll and payroll taxes. What I cannot train is drive, motivation, competitiveness; all those traits that make the best sales people. I am blessed with a great sales team who were instrumental in growing PTM's client base by over 50% last year, so I have been fortunate. My future recruiting efforts though, will include casting a wider net and looking to find driven sales professionals who can learn Payroll 101. If you're a driven sales professional, I'd love to hear from you.


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Introduction: Needle-felted Light Up Prince of All Cosmos
This needle felted figure of the Prince of All Cosmos has an embedded soft circuit - squeeze his tummy, and the red LED at the tip of his antenna lights up. He goes together quickly, and is a great way to dip your toes into the world of eTextiles.
Oh, and if you like needle felting and Katamari Damacy, you should check out the book I Felt Awesome by Moxie - she has instructions for a fantastic felted magnetic Katamari game.
Step 1: Materials
- Felting Needles - 1 coarse, 1 fine. Lots of yarn shops carry felting supplies, and of course they are also available online.
- Scissors
- Sewing needle - conductive thread is relatively coarse, so a larger-eyed needle is a good idea.
- Foam block for felting - this is antistatic foam, but a block of styrofoam works too. I think the antistatic foam lasts better, and I think it makes sense when electronics are involved, but felting blocks can also be a great way to get some reuse out of packaging styrofoam if you have some around.
- Awl, skewer, or tapestry needle (not pictured) - just something to help enlarge holes... even an unbent wire hanger could work
- Needle-nosed pliers (not pictured)
- Small 3v coin cell battery - this is a CR1216
- 3mm Red LED
- Conductive thread - 1 foot
- Conductive fabric/tape - I use a conductive fabric tape from lessemf.com, but conductive fabric such as you can purchase form sparkfun or aniomagic would also work well. You can make this without the conductive fabric, but the battery holder is likely to end up more finicky if you do.
- Apple green wool roving, 1 oz - you may only need 1/2 oz, but I prefer to have extra just in case
- Small amounts of wool roving in lilac, gold, red, black, ivory, lime green, kelly green, forest green (not pictured)
- 2 pipe cleaners
Step 2: Body
Start by pulling off a large tuft of the apple green roving. Use your hands to fluff and separate the fibers into a loose mass, then gently roll the mass between your hands to form a ball.
Place the ball of fiber onto your felting mat, and start poking it with the coarse felting needle. As you jab the needle into the fiber and pull it back out , the barbs on the needle lock the fibers together to create the felt.
Continue to poke at the ball, moving and flipping it frequently to keep the fibers from locking it down to the mat. By varying the angle, depth, and frequency of pokes in various parts of the ball, you can adjust the shape - start to form the ball into the sort of flattened bell or canned ham shape of the Prince's body.
Don't be afraid to fold the fibers or pull them from one location to another to help adjust the shape, or of poking it too much - if if ends up too small or an area has a dent, just grab another small tuft of fiber and fluff it up, then add it onto the body where needed and felt it into place.
Once the rough shape is forming, switch to the finer felting needle for better control and a more finished surface texture, and continue to shape the body.
Poking directly into the bottom of the body shape can help you create a nice flat surface.
Step 3: Battery Indentation
Once you've got a good body form, pick a side to be the back, and use concentrated straight-up-and-down pokes to create an indentation for the battery. Start with the coarse felting needle to anchor the indentation down, then switch to the finer needle to fine tune.
For a CR1216 battery, which is 12mm across, create a square indentation 17-20mm to a side.
Once the indentation is done, clean up any stray fibers that made their way through the front of the body. If necessary, felt on additional tufts of fiber to touch up the shape or surface finish.
Step 4: Trim the Body
The Prince has a dark green band at the base of his bell-shaped body, and a violet sliver where his legs attach. Felt on a tuft of forest green wool at the base of the body to create the green stripe.
Felt a tuft of violet wool below the dark green, forming it into a slight dome shape that doesn't extend all the way to the edge of the body.
Step 5: Arms
The Prince has spindly appendages, so you'll form them around pipe cleaners for support.
For the arms, use a thin layer of lime green roving and wrap it diagonally around the pipe cleaner, then use the fine felting needle to carefully felt around the pipe cleaner wire. Take it slow and try to avoid bringing the needle down on the wire, as that can easily break your needle.
Use angled pokes and roll the arm along the foam block to create an even shape.
Each arm should be around 2.5 in long. Add some extra roving at the end of the arm to form a bulbous hand, then use the other end of the pipe cleaner to make the second arm.
Step 6: Legs
Use the same process with lilac roving to create legs 3 to 3.5 in long.
Bend the end of the leg back in a tight hook, then bend the hook so that it forms a right angle with the leg. Wrap the hook with lilac roving and carefully felt it into place to form a foot.
Step 7: Add the Appendages
Cut the arms and legs apart, leaving a short end of bare pipe cleaner on each.
Use the coarse felting needle to poke starter holes through the body up from the points where you want to attach the legs.
Poke into each hole again with an awl, tapestry needle, skewer, or similar object to slightly enlarge the first 1-2 cm of each hole.
Insert the pipe cleaner ends of the legs into the body, orienting the feet to point forward. Add small amounts of lilac roving at connection points, felting them to both the body and tops of the legs to strengthen the joints.
Use the coarse felting needle to poke a hole through the top of the body, then enlarge the hole with skewer or similar.
Insert pipe cleaner ends of arms into side holes, and strengthen joints with small amounts of apple green roving.
Step 8: Battery Pocket Face
Take a small tuft of apple green roving and felt it into a flat piece 3-3.5cm wide and around 2.5cm tall. Leave three edges a bit wispy to aid in attachment later, but clean up the fourth.
Step 9: Head
Pull off another tuft of the apple green wool, loosen and fluff the fibers, and form them in your hands into a cylindrical shape. Begin felting the head shape with the coarse needle. You can roll the cylinder as you go to help keep the form felting evenly and prevent it attaching to the foam block.
Once the rough shape is taking form, switch to the finer felting needle. You want an oblong form about as long as the body is tall... to shorten your shape, hold it on end and felt vertically on the top to compress the length, then do the same to the other side. To lengthen or add dimension to the shape, just felt on more tufts of fiber until you have a good form.
Step 10: Add a Face
Cut a square 2cm across from a piece of thick scrap paper or junk mail, then wrap it around the head and tape ends together. This will serve as a template for the Prince's face.
Felt a small tuft of ivory roving into the square with the fine felting needle. Add additional fiber as needed to fully and evenly fill the square.
Step 11: Facial Features
Use your fine felting needle to add tiny tufts of fiber to create the Prince's red rectangular mouth, yellow triangular nose, and black eyes.
Take some yellow roving and pull it into a long and fairly narrow strand. Felt the strand into place as an outline around the square face.
Step 12: Stripeyhead
Take a narrow section of lime green roving and felt it in a band around the Prince's head with the fine felting needle. Add more fiber as necessary for good color coverage. Keep the line closes to the face neat, but don't worry as much about the other side.
Add a mirror stripe on the other side of the Prince's head.
Add a tuft of kelly green roving to the end of the Prince's head, with a clean line on the side closest to his face. Mirror this strip on the other side.
Felt a final tuft of Forest green roving to each end of the Prince's head.
Step 13: Antenna
Take a small tuft of gold roving and twist one end between your fingers to create a teardrop shape.
Use the fine felting needle and continue rolling the antenna form as you shape it into a cone. You can turn the cone on end and felt vertically to help stabilize the shape.
Step 14: Antenna LED
Use your felting needle to poke two vertical holes through the antenna cone, spaced approx 3mm apart.
Insert the LED leads through the holes, and use needle-nosed pliers to form the ends of the leads into small loops.
Step 15: Attach Antenna to Head
Cut a 6" length of conductive thread and tie one end securely to one lead of the LED. Use a dot of fray-check or fabric glue to secure the knot if you wish, and clip end near knot. Cut another 6" length of conductive thread and attach in same fashion to other lead of LED.
Use coarse felting needle to poke two starter holes vertically through head - center holes slightly above face, approx 3mm apart.
Thread conductive thread attached to LED through a needle and run thread through starter hole in head. Do same with thread attached to other lead and other starter hole, then pull thread lengths taut. Loops at ends of LED leads should disappear into head - adjust loop size with needle-nosed pliers if they don't fit.
Use vertical and angled strokes with fine felting needle to firmly connect antenna to head.
Step 16: First Battery Connection
Insert the needle and conductive thread attached to one side of the LED at the top of the body/neck, bringing the needle out through the center of the back indentation.
Thread the other conductive thread on the needle and insert it through the top of the body, bringing the needle out to one side of the back indentation, making sure that the Prince's face is pointing forward. Be careful that the two pieces of conductive thread are not made to touch or cross paths (temporary touching while sewing is fine, as long as they don't touch by the time a battery is involved).
Cut small squares of conductive fabric/tape. If you don't want to use conductive fabric, you can just make large knots on either side of the pocket to serve as battery terminals, but you're more likely to end up with glitches in the switch operation that way.
Attach the conductive fabric close to the Prince's body in the battery indentation with a few stitches, then tie and clip thread end behind the fabric. If not using a tape, you could secure the conductive fabric into the indentation with a small amount of fabric glue.
Use the fine felting needle to tack the corners of the fabric to the Prince's body. Take small wisps of apple green roving and felt into a thin frame covering the edge of the conductive fabric - this helps both secure the fabric and prevent shorts.
Step 17: Battery Flap
Sew the thread attached to the other LED lead through the battery flap, entering towards one side and exiting in the center of the same side.
Slide the flap down close to the body and stitch on the conductive fabric/tape. Use small wisps of apple green roving to felt a frame securing and protecting the edge of the conductive fabric.
Use the fine felting needle to secure the bottom and sides of the flap over the battery indentation, leaving enough slack in the pocket to allow a finger to reach in to remove a battery. Felt additional apple-green roving over back to blend pieces and strengthen connections.
Step 18: Time to Glow
Slip the battery into the Prince's back pocket, and squeeze!
If the LED doesn't light up, try turning the battery around. LEDs only allow current through in one direction, so the battery will only work in one orientation - once you've determined which way it goes, you may want to mark the + side.
If you've flipped the battery and still aren't getting light, check for shorts... if the wires or conductive thread traces touch, or if the conductive material on either side of the battery holder makes contact with the opposite terminal, that will keep your circuit from working.
If the LED won't turn off, it's because the battery holder is snug enough that both sides always make contact with the battery - stretch the pocket open a bit further to break the connection.
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Amazing and perfectly executed!
I ♥ Katamari!
That looks awesome, and your directions are great! I really need to learn needle felting so I can learn this!
I absolutely LOVE this!
WE LOVE KATAMARI!!!! :D it's true, we do!!!
Adorable! I've never played the game before but this looks like an awesome project!
nice work!


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Fun, frugal things to do and family-friendly deals in Montgomery, Prattville, Wetumpka and the entire river region. Notice: "This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and analyze traffic. Your IP address and user-agent are shared with Google along with performance and security metrics to ensure quality of service, generate usage statistics, and to detect and address abuse." Your use of this blog constitutes your consent to this.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Prattville- July 4th Fun
Looks like Prattville knows how to have a good time. Start your day with a parade at 9 am. Bring your family and lawn chairs. Set up early for a good spot along the parade route. The 1 mile long parade runs through downtown and ends at Pratt Park. Then watch the Carboard Boat Races at 10 am. FREE
After the parade, join the fun at Pratt Park for the annual Lion's Club BBQ and camp stew sale. There will be music, patriotic program, a children's fun area and arts and crafts. Admission is FREE.
While you're there don't forget to "Check-In" and vote for Pratt Park to win $100,000 from Coca-cola. (If you don't know what I am talking about, head over the the Prattville Facebook page and they will be glad to help you out.)
Get ready for a lot of "oohs and "aahs" as the spectacular fireworks display begins at dark at Stanley-Jensen Stadium. Come early and get a great seat or bring your own lawn chair. No pets, alcoholic beverages or glass containers allowed. Gates open at 6:00 pm. Enjoy food and beverage vendors and a live patriotic program by the Prattville Pops and the Community Chorus. Admission is FREE.
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At last! KnightModels is releasing its Star Wars line shortly. They have presented the first 4 figures and I have to say they are amazing!! 70 mm scale, too big for me, but I'm seriously thinking on painting them. They have also announced they will be releasing a 30 mm scale line for Star Wars in Christmas. Great!!!
Here I post you figures of these first four figures, they are painted by José Manuel Palomares (JMPN; Anakin and Darth Maul are his), J.J.Flashman (he doesn't want to reveal his true identity; Luke and Yoda are his) and Alfonso Giraldes (Banshee; Han Solo is his). The sculptors are Alfonso Gozalo (Han Solo) and Jerome Renaud (the other three).
I also leave you a photo from their last Marvel release. Simply awesome!!


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I'm Hungry For Cookies...by Joanne Hillestad on 12/06/18
Comments (1)
1. Kari Schell said on 12/7/18 - 05:51PM I have the exact same Woldorf cake recipe from my mother. She made it every year for Christmas. I remember loving the frosting. However I was a little concerned about the bottle of red die that goes into the Chocolate cake. Is that even safe?


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Hasbro's brand new wave of Star Wars Black Series 6" action figures has been found on store shelves. The wave includes 6" figures of Vice Admiral Holdo, Dryden Voss, Han Solo (Mudtrooper), Battle Droid, Mace Windu and Padme Amidala from Episode II. Read on for more!
In this week's Toy Run - The Star Wars Action Figure Cast - we celebrate all things SOLO: A Star Wars Story! Every Force Link, Black Series, Vintage Collection, 12", Big Fig, etc. dedicated to SOLO is covered in this episode! The hosts Criz Bee and Jake Stevens undertake a massive 500-mile toy run with the legendary Tom Berges from IGrewUpStarWars.com and share their thoughts Portland's Rose City Comic Con, the creepy Yardbirds mall, Billy Galaxy's toy shop the amazing StarWarStore! Throw in talk of the Noris Force Con exclusive, poorly made t-shirts, the Toy Rundown of the News and a check on the TR Nation and you have Episode 125! Please make sure to tune-in, subscribe, and if so moved, leave a review on iTunes and most importantly enjoy almost two hours of Star Wars action figure coverage!
You can stream episode #125 here on the website or subscribe on iTunes!
Toy Run - The Star Wars Action Figure Cast Episode 116 is now available! You can stream every episode for free here on the website, iTunes, Google Play etc...
On today's episode of Toy Run Criz Bee and Jake Stevens review every Hasbro San Diego Comic Con 2018 exclusive figure which includes an in-depth look at the Forces Of Destiny Chewbacca with Porg family, the Black Series Centerpiece with Rey (Starkiller Base) and Kylo Ren, the Black Series Han Solo Exogorth Escape set and the Vintage Collection Dr. Aphra 3-Pack. What figures are re-packs? What's the differences between the single boxed Centerpiece Rey and the SDCC version? What's new about the Kylo Ren figure packed-in with Rey? Is The Vintage Collection Dr. Aphra's flight cap removable? Can you remove Bespin Han from the packaging without breaking it? How many Death Stars will the hosts give each set? All those questions will be answered by your favorite Star Wars collecting podcast! Listen and subscribe now!
Check out the full archive of the Toy Run Podcast!
Did you know that we've been producing a podcast weekly for over two years where we talk about Star Wars action figure news, review figures and interview collectors? Episode 112 is now available. You can subscribe to the podcast for free through your podcast app (iTunes/Google Play/Podbean/Stitcher etc...). You can also stream every episode here on the website:
This week on TOY RUN, the hosts continue their coverage of Han Solo figures and toys that are set to drop on Solo Friday! New reveals from Jakks Pacific, Hasbro, Bandai and even some hints from Disney are covered in the show. Plus thoughts on the latests official trailer, posters and advertisements from Solo's promotional partners and lots of TR Nation happenings, the Toy Roundown of the News and what Jake and Criz Bee have found this week on their toy runs round out Episode 105 of TOY RUN, your weekly action figure and Star Wars news podcast! Listen now and subscribe!
Here is a new episode of your favorite Star Wars collecting podcast! Listen to Toy Run for free every week, either stream it here or download it on your favorite podcasting app such as iTunes, Stitcher, etc...
Listen now to episode 104 which is all about up-coming Solo toys!
This week on TOY RUN, Criz Bee and Jake Stevens pay tribute to Toys'R'Us.com with a moment of silence and they review the first wave of The Vintage Collection figures. Jabba's Sail Barge continues to stay in the news as it enters its last few days of its HasLab campaign and the hosts discuss new information which was revealed through a JediBusiness.com google hangout with the Star Wars brand team. In addition Jake and Criz Bee talk about the new BluRay Star Wars action figure covers and they share some thoughts about FigureShield, the premium way to protect carded Vintage Collection figures. Toy Run listeners will get the chance to save some money on FigureShield clamshells with an exclusive promo code given out during the show and listeners can win a digital download code for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. All of this, plus the Toy Rundown of the News, TR Nation on Facebook coverage and what was found on this week's toy runs and tons more figure talk on Episode #103 of TOY RUN: The Star Wars Action Figure Cast! Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe and please leave a 5 star review on iTunes!
While on a Toy Run yesterday we took some pictures of a local Toys'R'Us store in the Seattle, WA area. There was a ton of old stock still sitting on the shelves, including the Force Awakens Millennium Falcon, Tie Fighters from The Force Awakens and TFA basic assortment figures. There were still lots of Black Series 6" Constable Zuvios, Finns, Guavian Enforcers, Jyn Ersos and Cassian Endors (Eadu) figures, but at least they were 40% off. The 40th Anniversary figures were nowhere to be found with the exception of the Legacy Vader pack. The AT-ACT vehicle from the Rogue One toy line was marked as "clearance", but still cost $249.99.
What do the shelves look like in your area?


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On February 28 famous model Natalia Vodianova turned 35 years old. On this occasion, her husband, the billionaire heir to LVMH empire, Antoine Arnault (39), threw a noisy party in a Parisian Manko cabaret.
"Antoine surprised me, gathering closest friends from all over the world. Thanks to all those who assisted him in the preparation of this memorable evening for me "- wrote Vodianova on Instagram.
Among the guests, who really came from around the world, were spotted Ksenia Sobchak (35), Anna Wintour (67), Elena Perminova (30), Mario Testino (62) and other eminent friends of the model.
Dress code #RedLove, caviar – Antoine has clearly decided to stylize a party in the spirit of fun Russian festivals.
"My angel, my love, my baby, my hero, my reflection, my main support, my happiness and the sexiest man in the world" – thanked the beloved Natasha.
Natalia Vodianova
Natalia Vodianova and Antoine Arnault
Recall, the couple, together since 2011 (they have two sons, Maxim Arnault (2) and Roman Arnault (1)). Vodianova has five children – older (Lucas (15), Neva (10) and Victor (9)), from her marriage with Justin Portman.
Birthday Celebration held at Manko cabaret, which is especially popular among the stars during the fashion week (the day before Balmain afterparty show was held there). Sea incendiary music, uninhibited dance, cuddle, congratulations and gifts: girlfriends of Natalia Vodianova carefully recorded on their phones and shared "insider" details of what was happening on Instagram.
Natalia Vodianova
Party of Natalia Vodianova in Manko cabaret
Natalia Vodianova Yana Rudkovskaya and Natalia Yakimchik
Natalia Vodianova and Suzy Menkes
Antoine Arnault with sister
Nastya Sten and Sasha Luss
Natalia Vodianova


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Your verification code is a string of alphanumeric characters which identifies your specific reservation.
Example: 2CSJ598F6ZPPVHMPTL-01
You'll need this code to use the auto-Reschedule tool or if you need to contact
customer service. Verification codes can be found in the confirmation email you received when you first made your reservation.
If you've misplaced your confirmation email, not to worry! You can use our Resend Confirmation tool to send yourself a new copy.
If you are still having trouble, please contact Customer Service at email@example.com and we'll do some digging. Please include the name(s) and email address(es) you used when you signed up—that way we can grab the codes you need and send them your way ASAP.
You don't need to bring your verification code with you when you check in at your event. Your name is on the list so no proof of purchase is required. All you need to bring with you is your ID if you plan on indulging in a drink or two. In fact, depending on the venue, you may need ID to get in.


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Speed of Results6
Quality of Ingredient7
Customer Service8
Customer Feedback6
This Insta Natural Phytoceramides review examines what the manufacturer has to offer the consumer. The manufacturer claims that this product will protect the skin against harmful elements that may increase the signs of aging. This product is also said to aid the skin against crow's feet, fine lines, and wrinkles. As this product contains Phytoceramides, it helps to hydrate and nourish the skin from within, the skin may also become smoother, softer and more radiant.
Main Ingredients:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Phytoceramides
Vitamins are essential as they are a source of antioxidants that protect the skin cells against free radicals that cause premature aging. Vitamin D contributes to skin cell repair, growth, and metabolism. The Phytoceramides in this formula has been derived from wheat. Ceramides are naturally formed within our bodies, however, over time production decreases and therefore we supplement with Phytoceramides to help lock in moisture and create a more plump, supple looking complexion.
One capsule is to be taken daily with a meal. We find these instructions are not very clear as to the time of day when it should be taken. The manufacturer gives a warning to a pregnant woman, nursing mothers, and those below the age of 18 to first consult with a healthcare professional before taking this product.
This product is sold in 30-capsule bottles. Unfortunately, after thorough research, we were unable to find the exact cost. The product is out of stock, and the third party retailer cannot give the consumer any certainty as to when there will be stock available.
Guarantee & Feedback
The manufacturer gives the consumer a lifetime money-back guarantee, should the consumer be dissatisfied the manufacturer may be contacted for a full refund. This guarantee applies even if this product has been bought from third-party retailers. The consumer reviews of this product testify of some good results.
Our Conclusive Review About Insta Natural Phytoceramides
This product is backed by a lifetime money-back guarantee and seems promising as a beauty supplement, however, there are some concerns that we have. The dosage instructions are not very clear which may affect the consumer's optimal health. The product has been out of stock for more than eight months and there is no indication as to when there will be stock available. after our findings, we recommend that consumers look for alternative brands that are readily available and easy to purchase.


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ad nauseam
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia.
ad nauseam
Continuously and to excess. The phrase is Latin for "to nausea" (to the point that one becomes ill). I couldn't help but check my watch as Beth talked ad nauseam about her boyfriend's accomplishments.
ad nauseam
To ridiculous excess, to a sickening degree. For example, I wish he'd drop the subject; we have heard about budget cuts ad nauseam. The term, Latin for "to [the point of] nausea," has been used in English since the early 1600s.
ˌad ˈnauseam(from Latin) if a person says or does something ad nauseam, they say or do it again and again so that it becomes boring or annoying: Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam.
The meaning of the Latin phrase is 'to sickness'.


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Vanity Fair has a great new oral history out today of the Comedy Cellar, and it's full of fun looks back on the legendary New York comedy club from Jon Stewart, Sarah Silverman, Colin Quinn, Judy Gold, Judd Apatow, Darrell Hammond, and plenty more. Here's Jon Stewart on his first set at the club:
I don't remember my first set. And you know why? Because it wasn't a milestone. I was really excited to get onstage there, but there was no hint of what was to come in any of it. This was a shitty comic who worked at a Mexican restaurant up the block. It wasn't Dylan unplugging.
Sarah Silverman on Comedy Cellar booker Estee Adoram:
I remember the terror of bombing in front of Estee. She doesn't give a shit about anyone's credits or what TV shows they've been on. She just likes who she likes and that's that. To this day if she comes downstairs and checks out my set, I get nervous.
Jim Norton on watching Robin Williams do standup at the Cellar:
I think it was 1998 when Robin Williams came in. It was my first time ever being in the same room with him. Colin and I went downstairs to watch/criticize his performance. Robin was topical and brilliant. We both stood in the doorway and just enjoyed it like everyone else, instead of being the cynical asses we had planned on being. As he finished, Colin said, "The son of a bitch really does have a genius streak," and we went back upstairs dejected.
Read the rest over at Vanity Fair.


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Preparing food at home is going to create a lot of waste. You're peeling potatoes, making coffee, cracking eggs – it all ends up in the garbage can. Instead of throwing these things away, consider using them as compost!
By using a product like the Indoor Kitchen Stainless Steel Compost Bin, you'll be able to create compost for your houseplants or small garden, but you're also going to reduce the amount of garbage you throw away.
In this review, we are going to talk a little more about the features of the Indoor Kitchen Stainless Steel Compost Bin, but we are also going to give you an overview of what people who have purchased the compost bin had to say about their overall experience with it.
Then, we're going to give you our recommendation on whether or not this stainless steel compost bin is something you should consider purchasing to help cut down the amount of your kitchen waste!
The Indoor Kitchen Stainless Steel Compost Bin is designed to be as functional as it is stylish. The elegant design of this compost bin gives you the option of storing it right on the countertop without taking up much space, or you can store it under the sink.
Notable features of the Indoor Kitchen Stainless Steel Compost Bin include:
The white base and stainless steel lid is an ideal option for modern, farmhouse, and even contemporary kitchens. The lid has a convenient knob on top so you can easily lift the lid to toss away your kitchen scraps or empty the bin when it is full. Under the lid, you will be able to place an activated carbon filter (two filters are included with this compost bin) to absorb odors from the decomposing food.
The compost bin is large enough to fit 1.5 gallons of scraps; because it is a decent size, you can fit more than just vegetable peels, egg shells, and coffee grounds. You can toss in flowers, tea leaves, shredded newspapers, plant clippings and more.
When looking at what people had to say about the Indoor Kitchen Stainless Steel Compost Bin, there were many positive reviews for the unit. Customers reported that the bin didn't take up too much space, which they appreciated, but they also liked that it was sleek and looked quite nice on their countertops.
Several people commented that they found the holding capacity to meet their needs very well. Some mentioned that they were able to cook and clean out the refrigerator and still had some room for more scraps.
People also commented on the overall construction of the compost bin. They said that the metal was thick and didn't feel cheap at all. They went on to say that the handle was very sturdy and they were able to carry a full bin to the compost pile without worrying about the handle breaking.
Many customers reported that the charcoal filters that come with the bin are very effective at absorbing odors. One person said they put onion peels in the bin and they didn't notice any oniony smells coming from the bin.
Though many of the customers had great things to say about this compost bin, there were several people who were not impressed. Of the critical reviews, people mentioned they had problems with the hardware. One said the knob on the lid came loose and they couldn't tighten it. Others said that the side knobs were loose as well, which made the handle almost impossible to use.
One customer commented that there was a hole in the bottom of their compost bin. They did go on to say that they were able to get a refund as indicated by the 100% quality and satisfactory guarantee. Some people mentioned the holes on top of the bin allowed for fruit flies to enter the bin and breed.
Others commented on the effectiveness of the activated charcoal filters. They felt the filters were ineffective at keeping odors contained in the bin. This lead to their kitchen smelling like decomposing vegetation – even with only a few scraps.
Until NASA finds another planet that we can migrate to, it us up to us to take care of the Earth. Composting your kitchen scraps is just a tiny step you can take to help improve the environment. A compost bin like the Indoor Kitchen Stainless Steel Compost Bin gives you the ability to take all the kitchen scraps and turn it into nutrient-dense compost for houseplants and the garden.
This particular compost bin is made from durable stainless steel. This means you can put damp vegetation in the bin without worrying about the inside becoming rusted. The white base and stainless steel lid will be a lovely addition to any kitchen. Not only will it look nice on the countertop, it isn't so large that it'll take up a lot of space.
When the bin is full, you can use the convenient handle to carry the bin outdoors to your compost pile. You needn't worry about foul odors emanating from the bin. The activated charcoal filters will prevent odors from escaping the bin.
If you're looking for a compost bin that you can keep on the countertop, we feel that this is an excellent option. It is capable of holding 1.5 gallons of waste before you have to dump it. It isn't too large that it takes up too much space on your counter, but you can also put it under the counter if you so wish. Plus, there's always that 100% satisfaction and quality guarantee that makes it worth the purchase.
Our Rating


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VIDEO: Students split on renaming Columbus Day, despite growing push to do so
- Campus Reform's Eduardo Neret traveled to Florida International University in Miami to ask students their thoughts on Columbus Day.
- In recent years, there has been a push to rename the federal holiday "Indigenous People's Day."
More colleges, and even some states, have renamed Columbus Day "Indigenous Peoples' Day," as Campus Reform has documented.
Wanting to know what students had to say about the topic, Campus Reform's Eduardo Neret went to Florida International University in Miami just days before the U.S. holiday this year. Despite the nationwide effort to rename the holiday, effort, students' responses were mixed.


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Brand 'Trump' a marketing #fail
The US election has become a cynical and excruciatingly tiresome exercise in narcissism, rants and conspiracy theories. And that's just on the Republican side. The Democrats have the least popular candidate in many years, but that won't stop Clinton from winning given the even lower popularity of her opponent.
The interesting aspect of this election – from a marketer's point of view – is that Donald Trump is not a politician, he's a 'brand'. For the past 40 years he has built a personal reputation as a super-salesman, fusing his name onto innumerable products, buildings and events. Now that he's a politician – and staking his candidacy on the fact he's the anti-politician – his 'brand' is coming under fire from those who oppose his policies (Democrats and Republicans!) and his behaviour (the general public).
The release of the 'Access Hollywood' video that revealed Trump's "locker room talk" was the tipping point. The end of his serious run for the White House.
However, it did start a movement to boycott his 'brand' wherever it was for sale. There are many reports like this one that indicate how toxic his 'brand' has become.
Online activists, using the hashtag #GrabYourWallet (a clever trope to Trump's sexist, misogynist claim "grab them by the pussy") have started a campaign to encourage anti-Trumpsters (is that even a term??) to tell retailers stocking Donald and Ivanka's products that they are boycotting unless the store drops the Trump lines.The hashtag has earned an estimated 1m impressions on Twitter.
Here's a sample of some recent tweets (checkout this Twitter search for more).
There are some very big retailers on the list: Amazon, Nordstrom, Macy's and Zappos. How will they react? It's too early to tell but you can be sure they are closely monitoring daily sales to see if they indicate any decline as a result of the campaign (assuming they can link a decline to the activist campaign).
What is the lesson for marketers? Of course there's no direct parallel to running for President of the USA with a deeply flawed 'brand'. This campaign may end up being regarded as one marketing's biggest fails; in the sense that the brand owner decided it was good idea to move into a new category where reputation is critical to success and consumers won't buy unless the brand is 'fit for purpose'. Clearly Trump fell short on both criteria.
UPDATE 22 Oct: Guardian article on the Trump branded goods boycott.
UPDATE 3 Nov: Open letter to Nordstrom. This campaign is picking up steam.
UPDATE 15 Nov: NY Mag article on the campaign, including first store to dump Trump-branded products.
UPDATE 18 NOV: Daily Mail article about retailers that are removing Trump-branded products from their shelves.


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Parents' Pages
For access to on-line payments for school meals, trips, milk money etc., please visit the Tucasi website:
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Emotional School School Avoidance
Please have a read through this useful document: Emotionally Based School Avoidance
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Stikins Name Labels
Click here to order stikins name labels and help raise funds for Luston School
If ordering by phone, please quote our fundraising number 12599, if you use this link, it will automatically be applied.
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Please have a look at this useful guide to E-Safety: A-Z-of-E-Safety
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2019 National Curriculum Tests for Key Stages 1 and 2: Information for Parents
Please click on the link below to find out more about the National Curriculum tests (SATS) for children in Years 2 and 6:
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After School Clubs
If your child wishes to sign up for a club for the Summer Term, you will need to complete and sign the new Clubs Letter: Clubs booking form summer 2017
Privacy Notice
You can read our Privacy Notice here: Privacy notice May 2017
National Curriculum Tests
2016 sees an overhaul of the national curriculum tests (commonly referred to as SATs) for both Year 2 and Year 6 children to match the newly updated national curriculum. These guides provide information on what parents/carers can expect and how they can support their children in the run-up to the tests.
Achieve KS1 Parent Guide final
Achieve KS2 Parent Guide final
The following information summarises how we assess pupil's achievement and measure attainment and progress of the new National Curriculum.
The system was created by a small working party of local schools in Herefordshire with external input and advice from an independent advisor who works for the DFE.
Assessment System Summary statement
School Uniform Suppliers
School uniform is available to purchase from Clubsport in Leominster, or can be purchased on-line from Tesco.
To purchase school uniform from Tesco, please click here:
Tesco Uniform
The document below gives details of Luston School's Mission Statement and School Development Plan, explaining how we encourage everyone to participate, excel and be proud of their achievements. Key development priorities for the school are also explained:
Grammar Tips's'Tricks
Growth Mindset
Why are we learning about Growth Mindsets at Luston
Parents Booklet for Written Calculations
New Maths Vocabulary for Years 1 to 6
The Parent Toolkit is a website full of ideas to help parents/carers and children aged up to 13 enjoy maths together:
British Values
School are required to share a Statement on British Values on their websites. Please click the following link to read our statement:
Statement on British Values
Books / Literacy
Here is a link to a useful website to find out about different books for children of all ages:
or why not find out about our local libraries and what they have to offer:


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Advent Resources for You
As we enter the Advent season, you can find additional Advent resources for everyone in the family. There are storybooks for the young as well as family devotions and activities that will enhance your Advent experience. Look for the library book cart in the Gathering Place.


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Gothic Long Fishtail Skirt
Picture perfect to wear with any of our steel boned corsets for a dramatic look for an unforgettable night. This gorgeous skirt hugs the hip at the thighs, it flares out at knee length, with high quality black satin ribbon to pull the skirt tighter around your hip if you like. Plus size approx. length: 42.72 inches. Special order is available on this skirt. Available in black to order in sizes 6 up to size 28. Available in red from sizes 6 up to 16 only.


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We had a great time visiting with our family over Easter. It was snowy in Utah, but no matter, it was WONDERFUL to be together. (Other than a trip to the ER with our oldest g-girl, who lost the tip of her pinky finger in a window blind cord accident!! She was so brave, and is doing well. I'll spare you the details... and we know it could have been much worse...But a reminder to everyone, blind cords are DANGEROUS!!!)
Make it a wonderful (and safe!) day!!


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Quiz01 Submissions are due by 7:59pm on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019.
Read and follow the Quiz question submission guidelines here.
Quiz01 topic can include anything I have explained or presented in class including code examples, anything from assigned reading such as Essential C, my supplied notes on the class website, any questions that have come up on Piazza. Raspberry Pi setup questions are also possible.
Quizzes >


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More and more women are getting pregnant in their late 30s and 40s, which means their friends—i.e. the folks you would invite to their baby shower—are probably also around that age. And that means they've seen a baby shower or two (or 25) in their lives. And let's face it, many of us will try any credible excuse to lay on the couch and watch The Good Wife instead of attending our 26th shower. So when I volunteered to plan my friend Jen's shower, those possibilities were top of mind. I wanted everyone celebrate a new little person (a girl woo!) coming into the world without being forced into uncomfortable situations.
Oh the other thing about this party? The co-founder of one of the best restaurants in the country was one of my guests. Have you been to State Bird? It's the most creative, delicious food I've eaten in my entire life, and there was no way I was going to cook for that esteemed establishment's co-creator. So I did a brunch where other people cooked almost everything: Bagels from the bagel shop (we made a special trip into the city for the good ones) with all the fixings, Kourosh made egg salad (not afraid!), we had jams made by his mom, and I picked up cupcakes from Pacificakes right down the road, which were delicious. I did bellinis for drinks and called it a day.
I also wanted to keep the activities short and sweet, so folks could feel free to leave after an hour or two, but could lounge around for longer if they so wished. I planned two games: 1. Bring a baby photo and we'll all guess who it is. Whoever gets the most correct wins a prize! 2. Decorate baby onesies. I figured people could do it or not, but these ladies dove in without even a prompt from me (well except for that sign asking them to decorate onesies). So that seemed successful. Oh and the party favors were inexpensive and easy: " title="Baby Lips" target="_blank">Baby Lips by Maybelline.
I think it's also a good idea to eliminate the gift opening or keep it to a minimum. Jen's mom, sisters and aunt couldn't make it to the shower, so we wanted to document her opening their gifts. And there was not mountain of gifts like there sometimes can be, so the opening of them was fun rather than energy-sucking and tedious.
I'm pretty sure no one was too annoyed. And really what more can you ask for from a baby shower?


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Give us a call on 020 7078 7270
Had your fair share of vapid, mass-produced commercials? You need crisp, clear TV advertising that speaks directly to your audience. At Hightower, our style is revolutionary. We don't just make a video, we sell your product. Working with creatives and analytic experts, we will promote your business' values.
A unique story that breaks the mould. For 10 years, we have produced high-definition videos for small and big companies in Fitzrovia looking to connect with their customers. Advertising on TV is always a great way to reach your prospective customer base; don't miss the opportunity to nail it.
To make your television advertising stand out, you need a professional video company. Our business spans the entire process, from scripting to production, live video, animation, rendering and publishing. Does government ad censorship bother you? Don't fret, our video ads are known to pass the Clear cast test without compromising the message. Regardless of the type of video; product launch or promotional, our expert video team can send the message across.
TV advertising allows you to build a brand your customers can endear themselves to. The first step to selling is having a brand people will like or admire. Convincing potential customers to buy is easier when you have a friendly brand. At Hightower, our entertaining video ads will make your brand likable. We partner with notable creatives, ad planners, media buyers and expert producers. We specialise in producing video adverts from conception to air date. Here is short description of our production technique:
If you have a brief or idea for video communication, you may submit it to us via email or call our direct line. A creative director will be assigned to work on the production of your video. The art director (AD) will formulate a creative concept from your video brief. Every concept is created to feed into the main objectives of the ad. Together with a scriptwriter, the CD will produce some scripts for your TV video, You will be asked to choose from the scripts, the most fitting message for your business. Having selected a script, a storyboard artist will draw the plot on a visual board. Drawing the idea first makes video production easier. Next, the producer will proceed with scheduling and budget planning for the video production.
We may decide to shoot in a studio, or a location or both, depending on project terms. For videos as short as 30 or 60 seconds, filming may take days or weeks, because of complications that may arise. However, we guarantee that your video will always be ready on schedule.
After completion, the rushes will be issued to the post-production unit. The raw footage will be used by an editor to build a suitable narrative. It is also their job to make sure the video comes out high-quality and clearly rendered. The next stage "finessing" is then completed by the graphics and animation unit. The budget size, brand and nature of the product will influence the range and scale of graphics to be used. As for music, we have a rich repertoire of songs at Hightower. Our sound engineer will purchase legitimate music that suits your video. However, we can also compose an original score, depending on your preference. Finally, we will get an amazing voice-over talent to narrate your ad in a manner fitting of your brand. For your crisp quality video productions, look no further than Hightower; we produce differently from other services in Fitzrovia. Plus, our videos guarantee good return on investment, in sales. Want a TV advert that will keep your phone ringing all day? Send us a message today.
Most people like to know more about our video production technique. We have compiled some of the most common ones below:
Yes, not too long ago, TV ads were costly, but things are different now. With more channels on satellite and even terrestrial TV, your bargaining options as better when booking a media slot today. Additionally, we have flexible options that allow you to choose quality videos for any budget size you have.
We welcome suggestions. Creatives at Hightower are always willing to brainstorm ideas with clients. But bringing an idea is only a fraction of the actual production. Aspects of production such as scripting, storyboarding, project management, acting, and editing make add to the pricing.
Sure, as long as your budget is sufficient. However, it is worth noting that the right celebrity fit for the message is necessary for a successful video. Celebrities often make good ambassadors, but not they don't make automatic fits for any type of brands. You can save money by using a non-celebrity actor and boost the video quality.
We offer a perfect combination of creativity and production, with in-house resources. This means we don't hire third-party contractors. By managing the video project from conception to finish, we make it more economical for you. Our reputation for excellent quality videos and television commercials in Fitzrovia precedes us in the industry. Our client lists include Tesco, Aecom, Hitachi, Santander, Maxell, SanDisk and more. Visit our work tab to see some prize-winning television adverts.
Let us produce TV ads that compel your customers to buy, Contact us today 020 7078 7270.