Go Cards!!!!!!!!!!

Wow..another busy weekend around the Sandvoss house! What's new!! Friday night we headed back to Lowe's and picked up the paint for the family room. Looked at some other neat stuff. We have a new Lowe's close to our house and wow..such a nice store.

Saturday got up and started on the painting. Much more work than painting the front room. Lots of detail painting going around bookcases and cabinets. Plus..the family room wall extends into the kitchen. So I enlisted Scott to help. I did the detail painting and edge work and he did the other. It took several hours to first coat but it looks good. Very different though. And right now everything look funny with all the window treatments down. I have to admit when I decided I wanted to repaint..I did not even think about all the windows. It's alot! A big bay window..72 inches across..two side windows next to that 36 inches. Then you move into the kitchen and the big slider onto the deck. That's another 80 inches and then the kitchen huge window. I am a bit boggled with all the window coverings and decisions about what to do. I did find some panels at Penny's I like. I want to go with a green. The walls are that soft Camel color shown here.

the paint is lighter than the swatch shows..but such a difference from the yellow venetian plaster we had. So here's one of the curtains I found that I'm going to check out..

then I need to figure out something for the patio/slider door. I'm looking at these bamboo panels..something like this..

I definitely was not thinking about everything when I decided to repaint. Alot of things to reconsider. Some will have to wait as it just isn't in the budget. But the paint already feels so much better. Funny though as I love everything in Pottery Barn and the last catalogs have had the yellow like my walls were and the green that my kitchen walls currently are! I guess I was ahead of the trend!LOL Although I now want the color in the accents and not the walls!LOL

I didn't get to any scrapping with all the painting. Although I did finish up my wall art project for the front room. And as soon as we hang them...9 12 b 12 canvasas that I covered in scrapbook papers, I will share a picture. I can't wait to see how it looks on the wall!

And for my movie followers..we watched Gone Baby Gone

with Casey Affleck and quite a good cast including Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris and his wife Amy Madigan. Directed and screenplay written by Ben Affleck. Good movie..suprise ending! I'll give it a B+. I liked the story, liked the characters and the ending really got me!

Last for today..a quick reminder about the Work in Progress kits on sale tomorrow! Here's another peek of a layout that showcases my guy having fun waterskiing!

Happy Monday to you..GO CARDS! Opening Day Game today!!!

Julia

Thinking about: Being the Change

My sister Suzie recently wrote a post about how she was able to honour her value of justice by dealing pro-actively with a variety of customer service situations. Go Suzie!

In the same context, I was able to take action on my values too. As I wrote last week, my deepest value is Life and by that I mean honouring life, loving life, celebrating life. And to me, honouring each other as beings is a part of that. It's deeply impactful to me because I believe that violence and acts of cruelty are only possible when we disconnect, when we turn off our empathy and don't see each other as living, breathing beings.

What does this have to do with customer service? I've been having intense technical difficulties. I have not been able to receive emails to any account associated with my openthedoor.ca domain since last Wednesday. As I run a business, this is particularly distressing. One of the first steps I took to resolve the situation was contacting my ISP (internet service provider). I was stressed, worried and trying to communicate about something I don't particularly understand. The CSR (customer service rep) helping me was aloof, cold and clipped. He was unable to resolve the situation but was able to determine that the problem was not at their end.

At the end of the call, he asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"It would have really made a difference if you had been friendly."

"But ma'am I went through all the steps with you. I ensured your situation was taken care of."

"Yes, you did, and I truly appreciate your help. But this is a stressful and difficult situation, and it would have been so nice if I could feel a smile on the other end of the line."

And amazingly, he softened and laughed and for a brief moment we had a human-to-human connection and the world was a better place, at least my world was. I hope his was too.

I'm not saying that every interaction has to be deeply personal. I live in an incredibly busy and crowded city. Sometimes we need to disconnect just to have some semblance of privacy. And I think sometimes people get zoned out and cold because their jobs weigh them down and they don't want to give away one more drop of energy. But when you connect, you get a chance to receive too. We can exchange our energy instead of just our information. On those occasions when our paths do cross, I hope that we can be human with each other. That's the change I want to be in the world.

Polymer clay and crochet

Polymer clay and crochet. Both are so versatile. I made these and then crocheted to make a necklace and a couple of bracelets.

Stolen Art Watch, Art Loss Register, Solutions Better than Lip Service !!

'Due Diligence' is just a "ruse"

http://tom-flynn.blogspot.com/2008/03/due-diligence-pull-other-one_27.html

How can we trust a 'Due Diligence' database company that dissembles when approached by a client to check the provenance of a work of art?

The UK-based antiques trade newspaper, Antiques Trade Gazette (ATG), recently reported the case of art dealer Michael Marks, who has been ordered by a judge to return to their rightful owner two paintings by the late Indian modernist Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), stolen some years ago and which Mr Marks believed he had subsequently bought in good faith through trade sources.

High Court judge Mr Justice Tugenhadt ruled that Mr Marks had failed to keep a reliable audit trail for the works Head Of A Portuguese Navigator and Chalice With Host by Souza and ruled that they should therefore be returned to Dubai-based collector Aziz Kurtha from whom they were originally stolen.

Having bought the works, and intending to sell them on at a tidy profit, Mr Marks checked with the Art Loss Register to ensure that the works were not listed as stolen. This process is known as 'Due Diligence', although what subsequently occurred explains why that term has become something of a laughable concept in the art trade and beyond. According to the ATG, Mr Marks paid a search fee to the Art Loss Register in order to check the title of the works and "was told there was no problem." The ATG article continues:

"But the High Court revealed that the ALR knew the works to be the subject of a claim by Dr Kurtha and deliberately misled Mr Marks. ALR chairman Julian Radcliffe explained to Antiques Trade Gazette that this was part of a ruse to keep lines of communication open with Mr Marks. The judgment stated that Mr Radcliffe went as far as telling Mr Marks that he had a client who would be interested in buying the paintings from him. Mr Radcliffe further explained that this was all part of bid to recover the works by persuading Mr Marks to bring them into the ALR offices."

A "ruse"? Is this, perhaps, a variation of the ruse that brought the stolen Bakwin Cézanne Bouilloire et fruits (above left) to market in 1999 (US$29.3m/£18.1m at Sotheby's, of which the ALR took a not insignificant percentage)?

On successful recovery of a work, the ALR charges a fee based on the current value of the items at the time of recovery — 20% plus VAT for items worth less than £50,000 ($100,000), and 15% plus VAT for items in excess of £50,000 ($100,000). Souza's record price at auction (at India's Saffronart in 2005) is $1.4m, (or around £700,000) for Lovers (above right), with two further works having sold at Christie's and Sotheby's New York in 2006 for $1.3m.

Am I missing something here, or is there not a conflict of interest where a company offering 'Due Diligence' checks also stands to profit when the recovered item comes back to market (which is the most efficient method of price discovery, as the 1999 sale of the Cézanne made clear.) The fact that Mr Justice Tugenhadt admonished the ALR for being economical with the actualité, perhaps confirms that all is not right with this process.

Isn't it time the auction houses and insurance companies that support such dubious instruments of 'art recovery' woke up to the fact that "ruses" of this kind do nothing to improve the public relations profile of the art trade? With prices in the art market at stratospheric levels and antiquities looting having a catastrophic effect on the future of archaeology, the need for integrity among trade-funded Due Diligence organisations is more critical than ever.

If a dealer cannot lodge a bona fide inquiry with the leading provenance-checking database (for a fee!) without running the risk of having the wool pulled over his eyes, what future for the already endangered concept of Due Diligence? But then with everyone, including the art recovery companies standing to profit from art theft in some way when stolen works finally make it to market, such revelations are perhaps hardly surprising.

Art Hostage comments:

Whilst it would be easy to just follow suit and condemn the Art Loss Register for its shortcomings, I do think we can move on from that premise and try and offer solutions that can improve the tracing of stolen art without the need for bodies like the Art Loss Register to charge fee's.

If we are going to demand the stolen art databases are used free then funding has to come from a central body.

It is all very well for the major auction houses to be shareholders in the Art Loss Register, but it does nothing to address the long term problem of funding the Art Los Register.

Art Hostage has a question for Julian Radcliffe and the Art Loss register:

"How much would it cost per year to run the Art Loss Register without having to charge victims a fee ??"

$1 million, $2 million, if so then surely this can be obtained from insurers, auction houses and Law Enforcement, without the distasteful approaches to victims.

Another distasteful act that is a by-product of the ALR fees, is the forcing of victims to sell the recovered stolen artworks to pay these fee's, thereby making auction houses huge fees for the auction sale.

One could argue the major auction houses have a vested interest in forcing victims to sell their recovered stolen artworks, therefore the shareholding in the ALR is window dressing and the denial of regular funding is in the interests of the Major Auction houses, not the victims.

Art Hostage can only think of one answer, funding comes from law enforcement and insurance companies into a central pot that funds a global stolen art database like the ALR.

I know this would be open to abuse, but far better for the ALR to fund junkets and high wage bills from govts than the victims.

Finally, it is easy to pay lip service, Art Hostage is guilty as others, to the wrongs of the ALR and the whole stolen art recovery business, far better to offer solutions.

Thoughts please !!!!!!!!!!!

Project 365 ~ Week 13

Project 365 is my attempt to capture a year in my life through a photograph a day. On Saturday's I'll post the week's pics. At the end of the year, I'll create a video of all these precious moments. Feel free to participate at any time. Yours can be Project 347 or Project 292. It's up to you.

Psst: I snuck in an additional photo because it was so cool to see the intense 1-shot competition at Rock, Paper, Scissors: The Way of the Tosser. And Shannon's got an awesome video clip of the pre-show treat. Check it out at Movie Moxie.

And then a disconnect...

If you've been trying to email me in the past couple of days, please know that I'm having trouble with my service. We've been in intense tech conversations trying to resolve the issue. Hopefully I'll be up and running soon. Thank you for your patience.

RAK Winner & Work In Progress Kits

Hi and thanks to everyone who stopped by and to those who did take the time to leave a note! I asked my cutie Parker to give me a number and he said "4". Danielle..that you!! I'll send you an IM over at Create My Keepsake to get your information. Thanks again!


I was asked if I could share some info on the articles in the magazine and also a further peek at my recipe book. Here's the recipe book..



I used a Bo Bunny 6 by 6 Bare Naked Binder. I wrapped the chipboard cover with the Bo Bunny Pep Rally paper inside and out. And when I say wrap..yes..I literally folded the paper around it like you would a present. Then I cut another paper on the inside to cover up the folds. Please ingore the back cover. I snapped this pic before the back was covered as well. But they are both wrapped the same.

I actually included two recipes..so if you'd like to see that page(as it is not shown in the magazine) leave me a comment and I'll get a pic of it posted too.

As far as artciels..this is not that type of magazine. It's a beautiful idea filled magazine. It offers party ideas for everything imaginable with recipes and things such as that. So no articles on what trimmers are best, what new products are out. It's almost to me a coffee table idea book for parties..only in a magazine. Make sense?

On a different topic..I am excited ...really excited to say I was asked to Guest Design for the Work in Progress monthly kit club! http://www.workinprogresskits.com/

Thank you again Trish! And I'll be sharing my work for their April Kit! Which you must see..it's filled with my favorite..Scenic Route! Trish posted a peek of the kits on her blog...check the March 14th post..
http://wipkits.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-03-17T18%3A18%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

Here's a pic of the April Project Kit I worked with..which was an amazing kit!

and also a little sneak of one of my projects..

If you check back on April 1st..I'll show all the projects I made! Do check into getting a kit as it was seriously one of the best I have worked with!

That's it for today..congrats again to Danielle!!

Julia

Happy Easter

Happy Belated Easter!


Hope everyone had a good day with family. Despite snow and very cold weather ours was very nice. I think the kids had a good one despite the cold temps. Sadly the weather just seemed to cause brain freeze for me and I didn't take nearly the number of pictures I normally would. And the ones I did take..well..they weren't spectacular by any means!

Here's a cute on of Haley and her cousin Summer..



one of Connor..yes he got a MAJOR haircut and my Mom


one of Parker hunting for eggs..

and one of Scott and I..nice and cold wishing for much warmer weather..

I completely forgot to take a picture of the kids and the five of us. Ironic after making sure we all coordinated and all that good stuff. Although really with the kids wearing the coats for the egg hunt..what good would that have done!LOL I am sad about not getting the three together..we might have to redress them up and snap a shot or two on a nice weather day!LOL



My Mom suprised me with a copy of Home & Heart that she had bought at Michael's. She loved the magazine and was kind enough to give up her copy so that I can offer up one to you...my blog readers. So if you would like a copy of this great magazine..



and to see the full look at the Bo Bunny Reunion set I have in it...here's a little sneak of it..


...please drop me a comment..it can be a hi, what you loved about Easter, your new favorite scrapbook product on the market..you name it. Just leave a comment and come Wednesday..let's say around 5pm CST..I'll pick a name to win the copy of the Home & Heart magazine and maybe some other goodies too!

Happy Monday!

Julia

Reconnecting

I've been a bit absent lately. Since Bascha's passing, my energy has been a bit low and my schedule has been really demanding. I'm slowly but surely starting to plug back in to the things that are important to me and that includes blogging.

I'm being very motivated by a book called The Power of Full Engagement. It's about focusing on managing your energy instead of your time. It focuses on 4 different aspects of your life: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. Interestingly, the authors define spiritual as living in line with your values.

I've recently been doing a fair amount of values work. I've written about values before. Getting clear on your values can provide a powerful guidance system for creating a life you love. I've seen the impact for my clients, in Circe's Circle and also personally. By values, I literally mean the things that you value in life, the things that are important to you.

In The Power of Full Engagement, they suggest turning your values into virtues by getting into action on them. They suggest that for every value, you start looking at what you can actually do to honour them. I've started this process and was amazed at how certain actions honoured many of my values and had lots of bang for the buck. For example, a self-care activity like going to the spa honours my values of life, love, beauty and pleasure. That's a whole lot of value! Cleaning actually honours my values of home and of beauty. In some ways it can also honour my value of love, celebration and magic.

I've got a lot more work to do but thought I'd share the start I've made in looking at actions I can take towards honouring my #1 value. I start off with some general ideas but am working on getting more and more specific.

I can honour my value of LIFE (enjoying it, living the sacredness of it, connecting to it, being sensitive to its rhythms) by:

• self-care
• healthcare
• fitness
• cultivating self-awareness
• honouring my relationship with the Universe
• experiencing life
• respecting and valuing others
• eating nourishing food
• getting enough sleep
• expressing gratitude
• getting outside
• celebrating the turns of the season and holidays
• celebrating birthdays
• not wasting energy on things that don't matter
• recycling
• gardening
• following the energy
• taking care of my cat, Jinx
• participating in activities that bring me joy
• photographing life
• chatting with the Universe
• throwing parties
• dancing

What are your values and how might you honour them?

Project 365 - Week 12

Project 365 is my attempt to capture a year in my life through a photograph a day. On Saturday's I'll post the week's pics. At the end of the year, I'll create a video of all these precious moments. Feel free to participate at any time. Yours can be Project 347 or Project 292. It's up to you.

Some more goodies on Etsy

There are some great sellers on Etsy and really nice people.

I got this cuff from a seller in Alaska and really like it. She does some great hand dyed clothing and has a wide variety of cuffs in her shop

Check out her shop here AkHotDoggies

And how about a free crochet bracelet made to order check out digitalteacup and just convo her with what you would like. I got mine today. And while you are there check out her wonderful crochet items

I am working on some new goodies that I hope to get posted real soon so keep checking.

Want to play some games. My son has a great game site for you to check out. http://www.enigmadness.com/ There are ton's of games on his site.

Good Friday

It's Good Friday and to me in more than one way as I am off work today. It's a holiday for me. I chose to take it today instead of Monday. The week was long with working while the kids were home. It always makes it harder to do my job. Hoping to get the kids out today and go see Horton Hears a Who.

I've found the kids laughing and repeating lines that have been shown on the commercials for it. So I think it will be a good one. I wouldn't mind seeing the Spiderwick Chronicles too.

I've gotten a few scrapbook items made for ScrapJazz/Bo Bunny. I used the new Bo Bunny Organic line

..which I have to say given the colors and patterns..I really like! I also used the new Elements acrylic stamps Bo Bunny released. Yes stamps!

They were a little more "jelly" like than I had expected. But I have now stamped with this set on many items and they stamped very well! Here's a new layout I used them on..

and a card too..this one is based on the Sketch This Cards #44


I also wanted to remind everyone that the new issue of Home & Heart

has officially gone on sale! I'm hoping everyone will pick up a copy! I've been told that the sales of this issue will determine whether CK Media will continue with this publication! This news really fustrates me! I feel like they've not given it a chance to build a reader base with only one prior issue out. So would you please pick up a copy..and be sure to pop into the creator/head designer's blog...Stephanie Ackerman...and let her know just how much you like it! Maybe even a note to CK as well!!

http://homegrownhospitality.typepad.com/homegrown_hospitality/

That's it for today..off to enjoy the day. Hopefully take in a movie, pop in a store to see if the magazine is out and get ready to do some Easter baking! Happy Friday to you!

Julia

Stolen Art Watch,Fighting Art Crime, Like Hitting Corks in a Barrel !!

£29,000 antiques stolen from house

http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.2136320.0.29_000_antiques_stoeln_from_house.php

By Matt Wilkinson

Burglars escaped with £29,000 of antiques from a house after getting in through a rear window.

Police are appealing for information after the break-in at Kingston Hill, in Kingston Blount, near Chinnor, overnight between Sunday, March 10, and Monday March 11.

Among the stolen goods are an 18th Century George III sideboard valued at £4,500, a silver fruit bowl engraved "Kingston Blount" worth £2,000 and various items of silver tableware, some of which has a Hanoverian pattern.

The house was occupied at the time of the burglary and detectives believe the thieves escaped through the rear garden.

Pc Dave Edwards, of Didcot police, said: "I'm keen to speak to anyone who saw any suspicious activity taking place in or around Kingston Hill on the night in question. Kingston Blount is a small village, but very close to junction six of the M40.

"I would also like to appeal to any antique dealers who come into contact with anything they find suspicious, or any antiques with the distinctive Hanoverian markings to contact us."

Anyone with information should all Pc Edwards on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Art Hostage comments:

While the Cats away the Mice will become unruly, and play !!

All will become apparent in due course !!

Enough With The Rain!

Gesh..enough with the rain already! We've been hit by a huge storm system that has truly caused areas to flood and sadly some areas around St.Louis had to evacuate due to rivers rising. Crazy weather! I heard the words "El Nino" effects mentioned on the nation news. Well El Nino can hit the road. I can only imagine how lovely the ground will be for Easter. Let's hope for some sunny days to help absorb it a bit. Or the poor kids will be in a mud egg hunt!




With Easter this weekend..hard to believe..trying to get my act together for the kids baskets(shhh) and of course get all the supplies to make the desserts to take to my Grandma's house. Can I just say how thankful I am to not be having it this year. I am just not up for a house crowd of people here and then to work the next day. It's alot! So it will be nice this year not to host..but to just bring! We're bringing my famous Poppyseed Bread and cupcakes for the kids. But really..I'll be having a cupcake. They're my favorites too. More so then cake!






And I know I am certainly not alone with the cupcake thing. Cupcakes have now become quite the rage with now sweet stores dedicated to only cupcakes in cities like Chicago. I hope St.Louis jumps on this!

I've been busy scrapping. The creative bug has bitten so I'm taking full advantage of it and trying to get some new things created. One item I made is a decorated bucket. I've been making these for a while for friends. They've hired me to do Princess ones, Sports, Fairies...this latest one is for a friend of a friend. She decided to go with bright, fun colors and I think it's my favorite one I've made to date. They're used from everything from trashcans to fun ways to carry around dolls and barbies. And yes..I am available for hire.





And last for today we got to see another movie..this one the big Academy Award winner. No Country For Old Men...starring Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardeem and suprisingly..Woody Harrelson has a part.



It was a good movie..although honestly nothing sensational. I questioned why it was the big winner. At times..a bit gross..gross when I know even Scott is cringing and I am covering my eyes saying..tell me when it's done. This is of course from shootings..bullet wounds. The story revolves around a drug exchange gone bad. And an innocent man seeing his chance at grabbing some money and making a stupid mistake that causes his life to unravel. I'd give it a B. I think often this style movie can get repetitive..however I liked the cast and the pace of the movie.

So that's it for today..thankfully as I am writing this the rain has ended!

Julia