Monday, September 29, 2008

Bridal Photography Utah

There’s a beautiful little park up the canyon that we found one day (thanks to the iPhone) and we just had to do a photo session up there while the weather is still so nice. It was so secluded, except for the occasional bikers who would whistle at beautiful bride Catherine while biking up the canyon. Luckily Catherine doesn’t believe in bad luck in the groom seeing her in the dress before the wedding, because on the way to the bridal session he totally saw her getting into the car in her wedding gown! Well he’ll be a lucky guy! ;) Congrats Catherine you looked gorgeous!

Click images to enlarge
Bridal Photography Utah Provo Canyon
Bridal Photography Utah Provo Canyon
Bridal Photography Utah Provo Canyon
Bridal Photography Utah Provo Canyon
Bridal Photography Utah Provo Canyon
Bridal Photography Utah Provo Canyon
Bridal Photography Utah Provo Canyon

Engagement Photography in Utah

It was such a beautiful fall day up the Provo Canyon at the Sundance Resort. All the leaves have started to turn gorgeous colors and the weather was absolutely perfect, the couple wasn't bad either! ;) Courtney and Peter were all smiles for their engagement session, but I’m not so sure it was to do with the weather! ;) I LOVE the picture where the sky was the exact same color of Courtney’s dress. They were both so cute together we can’t wait for the wedding. Congrats to you two on your engagement!

Click images to enlarge
Engagement Photography in Utah
Engagement Photography in Utah
Engagement Photography in Utah

Engagement Photography in Utah
Engagement Photography in Utah
Engagement Photography in Utah
Engagement Photography in Utah
Engagement Photography in Utah
Engagement Photography in Utah

Sunday, September 28, 2008

fashbash updates!!!

too many of you sweet folks have emailed/messaged/called me to ask for specifics, and we are too busy here to individually reply your emails and text messages (sorry if i missed your call and didn't call back!!), so here goes!

What LOF goodies will be at this Wednesday's FashBash?

---> TONS of Sale/Discounted Stuff of Samples/Prototypes/Final-Rejects
(Looks + functions perfectly great! Just some tiny weeny things that you will most likely not see/care about --- I did an actual survey! So this is not bullshit! Ha! --- that the perfectionist me wasn't too happy with...) I have been hoarding them because the work that went into making each and every one of them do not justify the discounted prices AT ALL. Not a tiny bit. But no choice now! I've PLENTY to clear as our new 2009 Collection will be ready soon, and it's a BIG space crunch at my TEENY workshop!! Because starting from our 2009 Collection, I am doing a minimum of 12 piece designs per collection! Weeee! And that needs plenty of space!
Prices from SG$10-SG$50

---> PAST Seasons' Clearance!
Only this once, u will get our past seasons' to-be-discontinued designs/items/fabric combinations and leftover odd-sizes of our tank tops at such super prices! This will not happen again nor be repeated online or anywhere else!!
Prices from SG$10.

---> VERY LIMITED NEW Items & Designs!
I will be bringing less than 5 Pieces each, from our current new collection, and sneak peaks of our 2009 Collection that is not available anywhere yet, not even online. Only a couple are currently available exclusively at some of our stockists outside of Singapore! They are all OOAK (One-Of-A-Kind Pieces) and you will be the 1st in Singapore to be seen carrying it on the streets! And forget about waiting for them to be on sale. If you don't already know, our handmade exclusive bags hardly ever go on sale ;) And, remember our feature in Seventeen Mag (Singapore)? Less than 6 Pieces of our OOAK arty hairpieces will be launched there too! Together with our vintage fabric brooches! Exciting!!

back to work for us here! see ya cute folks there! xoxoxo~







ppssstttt...

our online shoppers, DO NOT FRET! i am working triply hard to launch the new collection and new combinations as soon as this event is done. and i promise you that they will be different from those that i'm bringing to this bazaar which you can't go to! so, that should be awesome news, yes?? i feel so terribly sorry reading all your one-liner sad emails....

" only in Singapore? :( "
" only for Singapore? :( "
" you have forgotten about us who are not in Singapore, Lynda... "

i have not!! really! promise!! i will work hard to make it a good launch online, yah!!
*muacks!* holiday shopping! here we come! ( ^_____________^ )

ppssssstttttt......
new designs and restocks are now up in the shoppe!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Life After Fannie and Freddie

Be sure to read the "where they are now" at the end !!
Here is a quick look into 3 former Fannie Mae executives who have brought down Wall Street.
Franklin Raines was a Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Fannie Mae. Raines was forced to retire from his position with Fannie Mae when auditing discovered severe irregularities in Fannie Mae's accounting activities. At the time of his departure The Wall Street Journal noted, " Raines, who long defended the company's accounting despite mounting evidence that it wasn't proper, issued a statement late Tuesday conceding that "mistakes were made" and saying he would assume responsibility as he had earlier promised. News reports indicate the company was under growing pres sure from regulators to shake up its management in the wake of findings that the company's books ran afoul of generally accepted accounting principles for four years." Fannie Mae had to reduce its surplus by $9 billion.
Raines left with a "golden parachute valued at $240 Million in benefits. The Government filed suit against Raines when the depth of the accounting scandal became clear. http://housingdoom.com/2006/12/18/fannie-charges/ . The Government noted, "The 101 charges reveal how the individuals improperly manipulated earnings to maximize their bonuses, while knowingly neglecting accounting systems and internal controls, misapplying over twenty accounting principles and misleading the regulator and the public. The Notice explains how they submitted six years of misleading and inaccurate accounting statements and inaccurate capital reports that enabled them to grow Fannie Mae in an unsafe and unsou nd manner." These charges were made in 2006. The Court ordered Raines to return $50 Million Dollars he received in bonuses based on the miss-stated Fannie Mae profits.
Net windfall . . . $190 million!
Tim Howard - Was the Chief Financial Officer of Fannie Mae. Howard "was a strong internal proponent of using accounting strategies that would ensure a "stable pattern of earnings" at Fannie. In everyday English - he was cooking the books. The Government Investigation determined that, "Chief Financial Officer, Tim Howard, failed to provide adequate oversight to key control and reporting functions within Fannie Mae,"
On June 16, 2006, Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., asked the Justice Department to investigate his allegations that two former Fannie Mae executives lied to Congress in October 2004 when they denied manipulating the mortgage-finance giant's income statement to achieve management pay bonuses. Investigations by federal regulators and the company's board of directors since concluded that management did manipulate 1998 earnings to trigger bonuses. Raines and Howard resigned under pressure in late 2004.
Howard's Golden Parachute was estimated at $20 Million!
Jim Johnson - A former executive at Lehman Brothers and who was later forced from his position as Fannie Mae CEO. A look at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's May 2006 report on mismanagement and corruption inside Fannie Mae, and you'll see some interesting things about Johnson. Investigators found that Fannie Mae had hidden a substantial amount of Johnson's 1998 compensation from the public, reporting that it was between $6 million and $7 million when it fact it was $21 million." Johnson is currently under investigation for taking illegal loans from Countrywide while serving as CEO of Fannie Mae.
Johnson's Golden Parachute was estimated at $28 Million.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
FRANKLIN RAINES? Raines works for the Obama Campaign as Chief Economic Advisor
TIM HOWARD? Howard is also a Chief Economic Advisor to Obama
JIM JOHNSON? Johnson hired as a Senior Obama Finance Advisor and was selected to run Obama's Vice Presidential Search Committee
IF OBAMA PLANS ON CLEANING UP THE MESS - HIS ADVISORS HAVE THE EXPERTISE - THEY MADE THE MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE. Would you trust the men who tore Wall Street down to build the New Wall Street ?

Friday, September 26, 2008

Sandbeach Lake

Distance: 8.8 miles RT
Elevation: 8,312-10,283 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,146 ft (cumulative), 1,971 ft (net)


Sandbeach Lake just where the trail comes out


Sandbeach Lake is lovely fall hike that meanders through juvenile aspen groves and along a ridge overlooking the golden marshes of the St. Vrain Valley. Its destination, Sandbeach Lake, is also embraced by shrubbery along its banks that reflect the season in greens, golds, and reds.



Fall color in the St. Vrain Valley




Fall color on the trail. I purposely blurred the image a bit to evoke the mood.




A meadow along the way


The lake sits below Mt. Meeker, which dominates the skyline. Now I know how the ant feels when looking up at a lumbering Texas Longhorn. Sandbeach is aptly named because it is bordered on two sides by wide, sink your toes in, sand beaches. The sand is actually a remnant of Glacier that carved out the north side of Meeker and it covers much of the area. Local residents have to battle it when digging any sort of hole.



Standing on the shore and looking up at Mt. Meeker





The lake looking south





A close up of the Meeker Massive





Zooming in on the crags


The other unique thing about Sandbeach is that it exists in a broad sub-alpine valley, which is reminiscent of lakes in the Sierras. There is a sense of airiness you don’t get from most of Colorado’s starker alpine tarns. This is place you will want to linger, set up camp, open a bookstore, drink freshly picked Chamomile tea.



Pine cones by the lake


At over 2,000 ft elevation gain, this trail is not for couch potatoes, but for anyone used to hiking it will be fairly easy. There are steep, rocky sections but also frequent flat transects that enable the hiker to catch his breath.



Color on the way back


While in the trees most of the time, there are views of the St. Vrain Valley, interesting rock formations, boulder fields (again left over from the glacier), stream crossings, as well as intimate meadows and aspen groves. Given all its pleasures, and the serenity of its destination, I am surprised that it is one of the lesser-known hikes within Rocky Mountain National Park’s Wild Basin area. Not necessarily a bad thing for us locals who cringe at the teeming hordes that descends upon Bear Lake every summer.



Another view of the St. Vrain valley


So, fill your thermos with apple cider, pack up some pumpkin pie, and wallow in Autumn on the Sandbeach trail.



You can really see the steeping of the St. Vrain Canyon in the distance

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Mr. Smith (McCain) Goes to Washington

Senator John McCain on Wednesday, suspended his campaign as of Thursday morning so that he could return to Washington to do his job as Senator and try to help the Congress reach an agreement to save the country’s economy.

Naturally, the liberal media is portraying this as a political stunt to try to save a free-falling campaign. There is no thought that McCain considers this crisis to be real and that he’s one of 100 people that are supposed to deal with this crisis. This is understandable, since the press is in the pockets of Senator Barack Hussein Obama and he’s not going to follow suit and return to do his job.

I have one disagreement with McCain’s decision. I don’t think he should have suspended his campaign. I do agree with his decision to return to Washington, but I think he missed an opportunity here.

He could have said he’s returning to Washington to help with the “rescue package” but said that due to his having to honor his duties first, he is instead sending his VP choice (Sarah Palin) to the debates to stand in his place against Senator Obama. This would have shown a couple of things. 1. It would show that he takes the crisis seriously. 2. It would be a presidential move by sending his VP to fill in for him. When the President can’t fulfill his duties, the VP steps in. This would have been a very real example of how he would lead.

Had he done that, Obama would have had several decisions to make. As it is, he’s chosen to continue his campaign and claim that Presidents need to handle more than one thing at a time. Had he stuck by that decision even if Palin was sent to debate him, he’d have had to make another decision. Does he debate McCain’s stand in or does he then agree to postpone it? If he postpones it, he’d have looked like he was afraid of Palin. Had he agreed to show up for the debate, he’d have appeared weak because he was debating the second slot on his opponents ticket against someone that he claims has no experience but who in fact has more experience than Obama does.

If nothing else, this would have been fun to watch. The events that happen, or the debate if it was to take place. It would have been fun to watch the maneuvering.

I welcome your comments.

Brett

Furniture Cabinetry Photography in Utah

Interior furniture photography at Saratoga Springs Utah in a beautiful home. Among other projects I'll be photographing custom cabinetry for a business here in Utah. I edited a collection of images together to create this composition. Everything except the flooring was designed and crafted by Cabinetry Classics in Springville Utah.

Click image to enlarge

Custom Cabinetry Furniture Photography in Utah

shop like a mad lady.

littleoddforest will be making our second appearance at FashBash!

"FashBash is the first, best, and most-loved fashion bazaar where you can: 1. Buy pre-loved designer togs and accessories! 2. Snap up pieces from the latest collection, or discounted items from past seasons, and even grab stuff hot off the samples racks of local emergent and indie designer labels!"

What to expect from LOF?
1) sample sales
(samples and prototypes up to 50% off)
2) discounted items from past seasons
(up to 30% off)
3) new bag designs launch
(very very limited pieces. we cannot emphasize the word "limited" enough)
4) brand new fabrics/colors/combinations of our hottest sellers
(not available at our website or any of our stockists)
5) new product launch
(all OOAK handmade fabric hair pieces, brooches and rings made from various vintage fabrics)
6) tanktops, bags, pouches, accessories, and maybe even our home decor items and huggable plush!
(you can now see them in person, try out that size, whatever you need to do to make your buying decision. just try your best to refrain from shopping like an auntie at the fish market... and poke poke poke...)

----------------------------------------------------
NOTE THIS DOWN!
----------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
11am - 6pm
Glass Hall, Singapore Art Museum
----> STALL NO. RP3 <----
Right smack in front the minute you enter. You won't miss us. Unless... ahem.
MRT: Dhoby Ghaut/ City Hall
http://www.map.gov.sg
Bus: Plenty plenty plentiful
http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/
Drive: Free Parking at SAM, plenty of other nearby carparks, easily accessible
http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/carpark_index.php

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Taken from the official FashBash facebook invite -
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FashBash will next be held on Oct 1 (Wednesday, Hari Raya public holiday), at the Glass Hall in Singapore Art Museum.

That's the ole SJI. You know, the white building with Dome, opposite SMU, near Raffles City, near the big-ass Kopitiam.

Tis a nice glass-walled room, there'll be over 30 vendors selling all manner of local designer fashionwear and shoes and accessories and bags and... *we run out of breath* And samples, and current trends, and pre-loved luxury labels, and loads of fabulous quirky stuff!

Plus, in conjunction, a fashion workshop on making this season's trends work for you, organised by official magazine Seventeen! That's at 1pm, at The Cube in Singapore Art Museum.

DO COME AND SHOP, HANG OUT, HAVE FUN!

It's gonna be a huge shopping party, and you're invited. Tell your friends, and save the date!

*** 200 SWAG BAGS FOR EARLY BIRDS ***
Includes Paul Mitchell hair products, $20 The Cathay store vouchers, hair vouchers, special items from LittleOddForest, and lots more! Not to mention copies of Seventeen magazine, the official magazine for FashBash 01.10.08!!

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Please RSVP Below!
http://www.new.facebook.com/s.php?sid=6abb586269728c53c5806d21a6df5eb3&refurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.new.facebook.com%2Fs.php%3Fsid%3D6abb586269728c53c5806d21a6df5eb3%26k%3D100000004%26id%3D27035239929%26gr%3D4%26act%3D2421953394%26sf%3Dp%26s%3D50&k=100000004&id=27035239929&gr=4&act=2421953394&hash=4eec7455ef55a293197b9816d05a79d2&sf=p&s=60#/event.php?eid=27035239929

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if you love fashion bazaars, you will love this. shopping madness, crazy banter, endless chatter, infectious laughter. only 1 day, miss it, and well, what can we say?

ciao, bellas! gotta go sew up a storm! XOXOXO!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Order shipment updates

Dearest LOF customers,

All order shipment updates since this past Monday will be updated latest by tomorrow afternoon, Friday 26 Sept. There has been no delay in shipment of orders, no worries. Only a delay in updating order status and shipment tracking numbers. Thank you for your kind patience!

Yours Sincerely,
Yvette and Bianca

Leafs are changing up Provo Canyon

Panoramic photo by Conrad Ranch Provo Canyon fall 2008.

Click image to enlarge
Fall Leafs Provo Canyon Utah

Sunset at the Westminster Dog Park


1.5 miles into the park looking at the front range.

Dusk has become my favorite time to take the dogs to the Westminster off-leash Dog Park on Simms. This 420 acre open space has fantastic views of the Boulder Flatirons and Stanley Lake. Without a tree in sight, it is big-sky expansive. There are still seven species of flowers blooming despite the September chill.



The sun sinks lower as I head back



My only flow picture that turned out



Completion of the walk and a glorious sunset taken from the parking lot.

Monster Art Rally

MONSTER ART RALLY
if you're going to be in san francisco anytime from 10 oct - 1 nov, be sure to go see the monster art rally! 5 one-of-a-kind monster plushies by littleoddforest will be there, along with our personal favorites by 12punt3 (marianne's original oneyes!), heidi kenney (mypapercrane!) and little dear! weeee!
i did a little story thingie about a giant stomping through the littleoddforest one unusual afternoon that connects all 5 pieces together (hopefully!)
and i'm keeping my fingers crossed my terrible 3am sewing will not show too much... :S
http://g1988.blogspot.com/
http://www.nineteeneightyeight.com/
a very eventful and super crazy month so far.... and still more exciting news to come! some sneaks below... later, cute peeps!



Tuesday, September 23, 2008

yes, mister mushnik

i just received the most wonderful heartfelt gift from a long-time friend who decided to fly 30 hours to have a rendezvous with me. well, ok fine. he was on his way to his overseas job posting, but still..... :p
remember how we used to give each other mixed tapes? well, i got a set of mixed dvds.. of all my favorite childhood/teen years cartoons, sitcoms and movies, and my favorite openings... this has to be one of the bestest gifts i've received this year!? yeah!... all the time and effort that went into making them! i was so touched that i almost teared up, and i rarely/almost never do.. i think i must have missed him a lot. still do! we hung out only for 1 whole day before i had to leave... :( i really really miss being around good ol' friends who know my life stories and the real me, and vice versa... not acquaintances.. not "fake" friends... not "go out and have fun" friends.. not "let's meet for dinner and talk crap, but really, i hardly know you" friends, but real real normal and special friends who really care and share...

this is one of my favorite songs, i used to love banging out this tune (my mum calls it banging, because she says i put in too much passion/strength/agility, but i think this songs requires that..) on the piano whenever i felt melancholic


and to end off on a chirpier note...

i went to dance class as a kid, and we pranced around to this fab tune all the time! :D love it love it miss it... you must play this song out loud and do the booty dance!!!

and i can't wait for my belated 6 years anniversary gift from b.. :DD time flies by just like that..

Monday, September 22, 2008

Business Website Design in Utah

My apologies for the lack of posting.

I have been assign to do a business website redesign for a Card Access, CCTV, and Security retail company in Sandy, Utah. The website still under redesign. Visit their website by clicking the image or link below.

Pro Data Key

President Bush: Right Man at the Right Place at the Right Time

We very nearly suffered through a meltdown that could have made the Depression look like prosperous times. Through a week of bailouts, high CEO payout stories and the dire prediction of the meltdown, something needed to be done. President Bush stepped up.

On Thursday, President Bush called a meeting with SEC Chair Christopher Cox, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, and Fed Chair Ben Bernanke. They came up with a plan to attempt to stop this country from falling into a precarious financial situation. They developed a plan to stop that in its’ tracks.

While the two Presidential candidates jockeyed for position that would make them look better to voters, the President stood up and grabbed the bull by the horns. If it succeeds, he will be a hero. If it fails, he will be a goat. The success or failure of his efforts now lay in the hands of Congress.

Congress has failed for years. This trouble goes all the way back to the Jimmy Carter Presidency. They’ve put in laws that forced lending institutions to loan money to those that would not otherwise be eligible for loans. They’ve not done the proper oversight as is their charge.

In 2003 President Bush tried to end some of these tactics and laws that would bring about the very situation that we just ran into last week. Congress wouldn’t act. Last Thursday, President Bush had a choice. Call in his people to try to solve the problem or let the problem work itself out.

The President has just four months left in office. He could have put it off to the next President. If you watch the news, he’s already considered a failed administration by the liberal media. He could have done nothing and let it play out. It may have played out and worked itself out. Instead, President Bush didn’t take the chance of the country going down the economic drain. He put the country first and acted. I don't know that the solution is the correct one. I tend to think that it's not. Nationalizing the markets doesn't seem to be a correct answer. That's not the point of this however. The point is that the situation called for someone to stand up and present a plan and President Bush did so.

Now our fate is in the hands of Congress. Congress, who always adds their pet projects to bills that have nothing to do with the bill, are now being asked to deal with this situation and not politicize it with those pet projects. Already it’s begun. Congressman Barney Frank has called for a surtax on the rich blaming them for the situation we’re in.

President Bush had a moment that is similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were on the brink of a disaster and he stepped up to the plate and got the job done. Now it’s in the hands of Congress. Congress holds the purse strings. Not the President. Yet, President Bush stepped up and did Congress’ job which they’ve neglected for years, and now we’re back to hoping that Congress can step up and do as the President has done.

Can they do it? With the likes of Christopher Dodd, Kent Conrad, and Barney Frank who have received deals on their mortgages and are directly and indirectly responsible for this situation, it’s a scary thought. Congressman Rangel, who writes tax law, but didn’t realize he owed taxes on property. Again I ask. Can they do it?

Senator Harry Reid, the Majority Leader in the Senate who said that they didn’t know what to do so they left on Friday. It doesn’t look promising.

I hope that the people of each district take a very close look at their Representatives and Senators and ask themselves if they really trust the person in office and vote for the proper the person, not based on party, but based on whether they have the wherewithal to do what’s necessary when called upon.

I suspect that this will get taken care of, but then we’ll be subjected to the return to the blame game. The blame lies with Congress. Democrats and Republicans. Some are no longer in Congress. Some have been entrenched there for 20 years or longer. What is needed is a plan to get this money back to the people of this country that are bailing out this problem. The real problem with Congress will be their propensity to create new laws that will make things worse once they have this problem resolved. Assuming that they can put aside their hatred for each other and get this legislation done cleanly.

President Bush stepped up when needed as needed. Now we have to hope that Congress, contrary to their history, can do the same thing.

President Bush was the right man, at the right place as he was on September 11, 2001. Imagine if we had Al Gore as President on September 11, 2001. Now imagine if Barack Hussein Obama was President last Thursday. President Bush was the man to have there in both instances.

I welcome your comments.

Brett

Ironing - Saving Energy with (or without) Ironing

Ironing consumes considerable ammount of energy and time. A normal iron uses at least 10-times as much energy as 10 100-watt lightbulbs together. Some estimate this to be much more (it depends on the model).

Me and my wife mostly do not iron our clothes at all and if this is possible in your case (it depends on the lifestyle, job which you have etc.), I really recomend abandonment of ironing. You won't miss it at all (after a while anyway)! In any case, it makes sense to cut down on ironing or do it in an efficient way.

Some people on the internet forums have put together useful tips on how to save money and energy and time adn become greener with your ironing. I have shortened such lists of tips into even shorter one:

- iron only the clothes you really need to iron. Underware, handkerchiefs, and several other things do not need ironing at all.

- buy clothes from "iron-free" or "wrinkle-free" materials. There are loads of clothes which are available "wrinkle-free" and it removes your need to iron.

- don't let your clothes sit in the dryer. Hang them properly quickly after washing and most of the times there will be no need to iron them.

- ORGANIZE your ironing. Do all of your ironing in one session, do the low temperature ironing first, and then the higher temperature, do not plan to do the ironing when you know you will be distracted in the middle of the job.

- if you do need to go somewhere or are distracted by something important, even for two minutes, switch off the iron.

- buy better model irons. They are usually more efficient and will last you longer.

These six easy tips can save you energy and make you more eco friendly at the same time.

If you have enough money and you really need to iron your clothes regularily for your business meetings or similar, there is an interesting new option out there: New washing-ironing-drying machine! It is very efficient, it uses steam to iron your clothes, and it does it in one session all together with washing and drying. And it seems it really works well, even with longsleeved shirts. It has been on the market for some time already, so if anybody has one of these at home, I would appreciate if you share your experience.

Some have expressed the opinion that manual ironing will be a matter of the past some day soon and we will refer to the time we used to iron that way as the "modern iron age". Well, we know some people on the planet still live in a proper stone age today. I have no big faith that manual ironing will become a relic any time soon.

Ironing - Saving Energy with (or without) Ironing

Ironing consumes considerable ammount of energy and time. A normal iron uses at least 10-times as much energy as 10 100-watt lightbulbs together. Some estimate this to be much more (it depends on the model).

Me and my wife mostly do not iron our clothes at all and if this is possible in your case (it depends on the lifestyle, job which you have etc.), I really recomend abandonment of ironing. You won't miss it at all (after a while anyway)! In any case, it makes sense to cut down on ironing or do it in an efficient way.

Some people on the internet forums have put together useful tips on how to save money and energy and time adn become greener with your ironing. I have shortened such lists of tips into even shorter one:

- iron only the clothes you really need to iron. Underware, handkerchiefs, and several other things do not need ironing at all.

- buy clothes from "iron-free" or "wrinkle-free" materials. There are loads of clothes which are available "wrinkle-free" and it removes your need to iron.

- don't let your clothes sit in the dryer. Hang them properly quickly after washing and most of the times there will be no need to iron them.

- ORGANIZE your ironing. Do all of your ironing in one session, do the low temperature ironing first, and then the higher temperature, do not plan to do the ironing when you know you will be distracted in the middle of the job.

- if you do need to go somewhere or are distracted by something important, even for two minutes, switch off the iron.

- buy better model irons. They are usually more efficient and will last you longer.

These six easy tips can save you energy and make you more eco friendly at the same time.

If you have enough money and you really need to iron your clothes regularily for your business meetings or similar, there is an interesting new option out there: New washing-ironing-drying machine! It is very efficient, it uses steam to iron your clothes, and it does it in one session all together with washing and drying. And it seems it really works well, even with longsleeved shirts. It has been on the market for some time already, so if anybody has one of these at home, I would appreciate if you share your experience.

Some have expressed the opinion that manual ironing will be a matter of the past some day soon and we will refer to the time we used to iron that way as the "modern iron age". Well, we know some people on the planet still live in a proper stone age today. I have no big faith that manual ironing will become a relic any time soon.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Ireland: Knowth and Newgrange passage tombs

Knowth and Newgrange rival Stonehenge in their mythical aura of otherworldliness. It is partly their age, which at over 5000 years to hard to grasp for us history deprived Americans but it is also the stability and intricacy of their construction. Their stone carvings, which demonstrate a profoundly advanced knowledge of the lunar cycles, are humbling considering that the average man on the street probably still believes the moon is made of cheese. You can’t help but stand before these structures and not feel awed by the accomplishments of man before the cell phone, before the working of iron, and before the advent of Microsoft Project.

These tombs are an easy bus ride north from Dublin and should be on everyone’s must do list. The visitor’s center at Bru na boinne is world class and comes with a nice cafeteria for the inevitable hunger attack. Since it was positively freezing the day I went, access to warmth and tea was a lifesaver.

Knowth

Kerbed stone. I accentuated the contrast and exposure to bring out the carvings.

Knowth consists of a large mound surrounded by 18 smaller mounds. The large mound’s base is surrounded by large carved kerbed stones while their top is verdant grass that hangs down the mushroom shaped mound like thatch in a Tolkien fantasy. The top of the mound has hosted a church, a village, and even a small fortification, as it lay buried through the ages. It was just a high point on an otherwise flat plane. There are two passages into the tomb, one from either end.

My father looking at a Kerbed stone


Newgrange is architecturally more impressive than Knowth, but a lot that is due to a modern reconstruction effort. You cannot wander at your leisure but must be led into the center of the mound by a guide. Photography is prohibited. The mound itself covers an entire acre and the front contains a dramatic white quartz façade that must have been visible for several miles. On the winter solstice, the sun enters the large rock chamber illuminating the megalithic stone and carvings for just 17 minutes. Standing in that chamber is almost frightening. The weight of stone surrounding you is oppressive and yet it has stood since its construction in 3200 BC. I would like to transport a few of their quality engineers to the future. It may have taken at least 300 people over 20 years to complete the mound. The entrance stone with its circular carvings is also impressive. You don’t pick up a stone that size and toss it in your wagon (if they even had wagons during that era).

Newgrange from the side


If you are on a trip to Dublin, be sure to add Knowth and Newgrange to your list. Its profound antiquity will hammer home the insignificance of the human life while elevating the meaning of humanity.

The front of Newgrange


Other posts from my trip to Ireland: