I’m not a magazine person, but I make an exception every 2 months each time there’s a new issue of frankie. I love the photography and the crafty/artist reviews, and they always seem to write about stuff I care about.

That’s how I know that I’m going to love their latest offering, the 2011 frankie diary! Pre-orders are being accepted now, and will be available in stores at the end of this month.

So much prettier than my boring old Collins Vanessa planner!

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Part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days project.

Item #83 on my list was to photograph a day in my life, from beginning to end. It was inspired by a livejournal community that I discovered a long time ago, and putting this together was pretty fun.

And you know what I learned? There is no “good angle” when it comes to that first early morning portrait.

I’m putting all my photos underneath a “more” tag, and I sincerely hope that it doesn’t mess up anyone’s RSS reader! Consider this a once-only, never to be repeated…

On with the show!

Continue Reading �

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Part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days project.

Yesterday Tim and I jumped in our little car, and went in pursuit of snow. It was the first time that Tim or I had seen snow since he moved here three years ago, so we marked the occasion with a funny looking snowman (and a few costume changes!).

Next year Tim is going to teach me to snowboard, which I am anticipating with equal measures of excitement and dread. I expect to be front-page news the next day so my plan is to ring around the hospitals and make sure I won’t have any trouble securing a bed. I have a year to figure that part out.

So I can tick “see the snow” off my list – and another one too! Yesterday I recorded my day in pictures from beginning to end, and tonight I’ll be putting together an “A Day in My Life” post so that you can laugh at my bedhair. There will be plenty more snow photos to come in my next post!

In the meantime, I can’t help but think of my icy little friend up on Lake Mountain. I hope he doesn’t get too much sun today, and that his nose wasn’t nibbled by creatures overnight!

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One of my 101 Things in 1001 Days tasks was to resurrect my old recipe blog. It began (and ended) in 2007, and it’s always bothered me that I abandoned it.

I should make one thing clear: I don’t have any aspirations of becoming a food blogger! I’m not that talented, nor do I have the required dedication. And besides, I prefer to eat when my food is hot rather than run to perfect lighting to compose a photo!

The idea behind my food blog is really simple – I just want to collect all of my favourite recipes in one place. Over time I hope to have a strong collection of food that I adore, and it’s an added bonus that I can share it with others at the same time. I have temporarily named it “cracked pepper” until I am blessed with an idea that’s more creative.

Updates will sometimes be infrequent, so throw it in your RSS reader and forget about it. Be assured that when I do blog over there it will be because it’s worth it!

I’m ticking three things off my 101 List this weekend – the clock is ticking!

ETA: Did anyone notice the part where I forgot to link to my awesome new recipe blog? Geez.

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Happy Friday!

The weekend is nearly here, and the thought of it makes my heart all smiley. We’re planning to jump in our car and drive until we find some snow. We’re going to take some photos, build a snowman and return with a happy & wet dog.

Can’t wait!

What have you got planned?

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I wish weeks came with satisfaction guarantees so that I could return this one, and request a refund! I have turned to this beautiful image more than once this week…

Prints are available from vol25′s beautiful etsy shop.

(Thank you Epheriell Designs for always finding such beautiful things, and blogging them!)

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So with less than six weeks to go in my 101 Things in 1001 Days project, it’s time to start crossing some items off my list! One of the items on my list is “Sell some photos”, so today I put a selection of my favourites together and made them available for purchase.

If you’ve been watching my journey and want to lend a hand maybe you’d like to buy a print?

Postcards start at about $2 (AUD), and there’s great discounts if you buy them in bulk. The best part of all is that you can choose postcards from any seller to get the discount, so it’s worth having a good look around the site! I recommend Natalie Perkins‘ gallery for some beautiful illustration.

If you’re more of a greeting card person, you can choose from two sizes at $2.52 or $3.79. Greeting cards come with matching envelopes, and discounts for multiple orders apply to these as well.

Or maybe you’re after something for your wall?

Matted prints begin at $30, and you can choose between white, off-white and black matting.

Of course, you would really make my day if you bought a framed print! However, at $95 I think this option is overpriced and you’d be better off doing it yourself.

I’ve spent some time adding work to my RedBubble store today, and will update it over time. These are the photographs currently available in my store.

I have an online portfolio at Scarlet Arts with more of my work, so if there’s something over there that you’d like me to list for sale just let me know.

I’d also love to hear from anybody else with an online store for their art; I love discovering new artists, and it would be fantastic if I could return the favour somehow!

Thanks for reading – spread the word!

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No doubt there’s a similar graphic about Julia Gillard doing the rounds, God knows she’s not perfect. But it doesn’t make this anti-Abbott poster any less true.

The fear tactics used by the Liberal party in this election campaign have been revolting. To prejudice a nation against “boat people” is utterly criminal – why don’t more people understand that it is against the law to turn away legitimate asylum seekers? Why don’t we bother to learn that 90% of refugees arrive by plane? Don’t fall for the catchphrases or his mythical “boatphone”. Such an invention wouldn’t work reliably under his broadband plan anyway.

The average Australian seems to think that we are being inundated with “queue jumpers” and that is entirely the fault of politicians like Tony Abbott, and to a lesser extent the other political leaders who are failing to correct him. I can’t help but notice that Julia Gillard is cashing in on this fear because it’s easier than correcting 22 million people who have been subjected to the rhetoric.

Whoever you vote for this Saturday, don’t base your decision on fear. Refugees are not terrorists. Our national debt is within entirely manageable levels. “The gays” are not destroying the Australian way of life, and the National Broadband Network isn’t being built to improve your Facebook experience. Both major parties have trivialised some of the really important issues at stake because they know that most of us have a short attention span. It’s worth knowing what a vote for these parties will really mean in the future.

Abbott has an election to win, at any cost, but liars make me angry. Don’t reward him for treating you like an idiot who won’t bother to learn the facts.

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Yikes, there’s only 6 weeks to go until my 1001 Days are up!

I’ve lost some of my momentum in the past couple of months, so it’s now become pretty obvious that I won’t complete all 101 Things on my list. But that’s okay, I still have time to complete a bunch more items before time runs out on 28 September.

My little grid tells me that I’ve been working pretty hard over the past 2.75 years, but there is plenty more to do. Here are the tasks I plan to complete in the time remaining:

		001. Weight loss goal #1 I don’t have time to complete all three weight-related goals, but this first one is definitely achievable during the next 6 weeks.
		008. Learn to cook a recipe from 30 different countries (22/30) Only 8 recipes to go! You can see what I’ve been cooking over here.
		011. Walk my dog 3 days/week for 1 month (0/12) We nearly crossed this off a while ago, but then he injured his little legs. We’re going to try this again this week.
		012. Go for three 2-hour bike rides (2/3) I just need to do one more! First, to put some air back in my tires. In my house, this sort of task is referred to as a "boy job".
		020. See 25 movies of Tim’s choosing (23/25) Two to go! This has been fun, and now that we have just bought a spiffy new surround sound system I’m looking forward to the next two.
		023. Build a time capsule This is mostly done – just need to add a letter of my own and seal the box!
		024. Read the dictionary from beginning to end (Now Reading: "M") I’m about halfway through. A few solid hours will put a big dent in this.
		027. Learn the names of every country, and identify them on a map Oh, Africa. You’re killing me.
		030. Learn 5 constellations (3/5) Waiting for a clear night to finish this one, although I have been loving our rainy nights.
		035. Go to Philip Island; and 035. See the snow We’re going to do both these things in early September.
		038. Visit 10 art galleries (4/10) I’ve made my list, a couple of them are interstate.
		040. Read 10 novels by local authors (9/10) Nearly finished my final book, hurrah!
		055. Visit Tasmania Tim and I are spending 5 days in and around Hobart next month, so I’ll be able to tick this off soon. Hooray!
		058. Do an anonymous favour I’m going to tick this off this week. Look out, it might be you! But probably not. Sorry.
		074. Revive my online recipe book I’ve been thinking of setting up a new blog on a free service. If so, this would be easily done in an afternoon.
		077. Make a will I suppose the time has come to take the plastic wrapper off my Will Kit! Geez, dying is a lot of work.
		079. Have the pickup in my guitar repaired I’ve chosen Betty’s transplant surgeon, now I just need to book her in.
		81. Sell some photos I’m part-way through setting up a RedBubble store to list some of my work. You should totally buy something.
		083. Photograph a day in my life, and blog it This might be fun to do when we go to the snow. Yep, that’s a plan.
		084. Participate in 100 Snapshots (82/100) I only need to take another 18 photographs to finish this one off! Naturally I’ve left the more difficult ones until last. Damn. You should check out my progress so far!
		087. Make a photography book My original plan was to create an elaborate portfolio-style book from my best photographs. However, I’ve been tinkering with it for over a year and the perfectionist in me won’t let me wrap it up. So last night I sat down and turned my 100 Snapshots project into a little coffee table book. It’s ready to submit to Blurb just as soon as I take those last 18 photos!
		089. Draw 5 hands (0/5); and 090. Draw 10 people (7/10) I think I need to set aside a few hours and tackle these in a single session. See previous notes regarding perfectionistic tendencies.

All of the above tasks are achievable during the next 6 weeks, and if I manage to cross them all off I will have completed 93 tasks out of 101.

It feels really good to know that I can still kick butt at this thing if I try my hardest over the next six weeks. I’m a little disappointed that all 101 tasks aren’t achievable in the time remaining, but have given myself a stern talking-to about letting go. I mean, when I wrote this list almost 3 years ago I didn’t know that I would be changing jobs, moving house, travelling interstate 600 times for family reasons, and paying big vet bills. I didn’t know that I would buy Tim 30 presents for his 30th birthday or that we might host about a million visitors during that time.

So I’m giving myself a break and recognising my achievements for what they are – whether I stop at 69 completed tasks or make it all the way to 93. Either way, that list is filled with stuff that I’d never have bothered to tackle if I hadn’t slapped a time-limit on them. So hooray for me!

Got any tips for getting through the next 6 weeks? Useful strategies? Irrelevant stories about Auntie Mabel’s pet Chihuahua? I’m all ears!

• 101 in 1001 , Life
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Borrowed from Epheriell Designs

I’m worried that I might be losing my blogging mojo.

Real life has been difficult to write about lately. Nothing terrible has happened, and there has been no earth-shattering news. Things are ticking along quite well in most areas of my life and for the most part life is good.

So why can’t I write?

I have some theories.

Once upon a time I used to write candidly (and regularly) on a fairly private blog. I had a strong readership of ‘trusted strangers’ who used to follow my little adventures and offer their thoughts. Over time a lot of real-life people started to read along, and I began to fear that damage might be done with thoughtless words. I’ve never been big on speaking to real-life people through my blog, so I think I began to choose my words more carefully.

But, real life happens and it doesn’t make sense to keep a personal blog without acknowledging the things that go on. Otherwise it would just become a catalogue of links and other peoples’ pictures. Yawn.

There’s an awful lot of unwritten Real Life from the past couple of years that I wish I could talk about now. A couple of friendships have been let go, and wasted energy restored. It would serve no purpose to re-hash it all here, but these were big decisions that have helped to shape the person I’m becoming.

I like this person way better than the old one, for what it’s worth. But that doesn’t mean that these changes haven’t left a dent or two.

So, I’ll continue to mull over these ideas and figure out some balance that will keep me blogging and engaged with you guys again. I miss this place a lot lately.

How are things with you?

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How cute are these made-to-order iPhone/iPod cases? They’re made by Etsy shop owner EvelynX, who seems to have a thing for owls like I do.

This little guy is my favourite…

EvelynX also makes cute little owl plushies, and screenprinted moleskine journal covers. Find more at her Etsy shop.

(Come on, payday – I have cute things in my etsy cart!)

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When I stumbled upon the portfolio of NY based artist Lauren DiCioccio, I was astounded by the intricate detail and skill involved in these little 35mm embroidered slides.  It wasn’t until I read her artist statement that I truly understood what drove her to create these beautiful little pieces, so I can’t post the pictures without the explanation.

My work investigates the physical/tangible beauty of commonplace mass-produced media-objects, most recently: the newspaper, magazines, office papers and writing pads, plastic bags, 35 mm slides. These media are becoming obsolete, replaced by the invisible efficiency of various technologies. In some cases, this transition is a good thing- faster transmission and distribution of information, streamlined systems, openness to user input, less waste. But a hole is left behind by the disappearance of these everyday objects. What will happen when we no longer touch information? When newsprint does not rub off onto our fingertips? When we no longer write longhand?
The tedious handiwork and obsessive care I employ to create my work aims to remind the viewer of these simple but intimate pieces of everyday life and to provoke a pang of nostalgia for the familiar physicality of these objects.

Lauren has tackled newspaper pages and found books with a similar technique, and recreated everyday food packaging with organza, fabric and embroidery.

It doesn’t feel right to post any more of her work here, but there is so much more to see at her website. See for yourself, and drink it all in!

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I just saw this beautiful little mobile over at Tipsy Society, and wanted to share it with the rest of the world. Isn’t it the sweetest?

Handmade bird mobile, by aet2002

Nobody freak out, I’m not in baby mode. My plan is still to adopt 16-year-olds (so that they’re old enough to clean the pool) and then buy them a tent when they’re 19.

I know, I know. I’m going to be such an excellent parent some day! At least their rooms will be full of awesome etsy finds…

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I loved the finale, but then I never expected it to give me the answers to all the questions it created in six long, brilliant years.

My new favourite hobby is watching nerds get really mad about that.

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This will be the longest post I’ve written in a while…

It’s been a long time since I’ve written an update on my list of 101 Things in 1001 Days and I desperately need to get cracking on some of the remaining items.  My finishing date is 28 September this year and I have so much to do!

I have made peace with the fact that I will most likely not cross off every single item on my list, for various reasons.  The old me would have been a bit OCD about it all (I’m a liiiiitle bit of a perfectionist) and so I’m actually kind of proud of myself that I’m acknowledging it out loud!  There are just a few items that I can’t possibly complete by September, so I’ve spent some time shifting the goal posts and working out what is achievable in the remaining time.

I figure it’s better to make something from my original goals, rather than write them off altogether.

So here is my remaining to-do list…

011 – Walk my dog 5 days/week for 1 month (0/20)
Changed to: Walk my dog 3 days/week for 1 month (0/12)
We’ve begun this task a few times lately, but my pup has two weak back legs that seem to suffer when we hit the pavement.  He doesn’t seem to have any control over his energy and excitement when we go out and only feels the pain later on.  So, I’ve decided to alter this task to protect his silly little stems.

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033 – Go to Philip Island
We haven’t picked a date for this, but luckily it’s just a day trip!

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035 – See the snow
We’re just approaching snow season, so this will happen soon!  I really want to take my dog to see the snow, so we’ll need to make sure his little legs are up to the challenge!

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055 – Have the pickup in my guitar repaired
There’s a great little guitar workshop near my house, so I can say that I’ve chosen her transplant surgeon.

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058 – Do an anonymous favour
I’m sure I could cross this off if I thought back, but I haven’t actively sought out an opportunity to do an anonymous favour for somebody.

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074 – Revive my online recipe book
I could do this in an afternoon (so why haven’t I?!)

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081 – Sell some photos
Hey, do you want to buy some photos so that I can cross this off?  Make me your best offer!

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083 – Photograph a day in my life, and blog it
I’m waiting for a day worthy enough of being recorded!  Actually, that’s just a cop-out.

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099 – Participate in mailart.org
Hey, where did mailart.org disappear to?  Can anyone suggest a similar arty challenge to replace this one?

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101 – Plan and execute an online crafty collaboration, swap or competition
I had great big plans for this one, but it all seems a bit overwhelming right now.  Time for a new (simpler) idea.

001 – Weight loss goal #1 (50%)
002 – Weight loss goal #2 (75%)
003 – Weight loss goal #3 (100%)
I’ll  be honest here – my weight has been up and down during the “101 Things” mission and so it’s hard to know where I stand with this task.  I have decided to assign new weight goals to these three tasks which are achievable over the next four months.  I have given things a good kick-start by joining a gym and arranging for some personal training sessions, plus Tim has decided to join me.  Or, in other words, I’m now accountable to two people!

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005 – Learn 15 new vegetarian recipes (13/15)
Only two more to go! I’m sure I’ve actually completed this task without realising it, but I haven’t actively set out to cook vegetarian meals in a while.

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008 – Learn to cook a recipe from 30 different countries (12/30)
It’s been a loooong time since I’ve actively looked at this task.  I have some friends who want to help inspire me again with this task, so it’s back on my radar.

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012 – Go for three 2-hour bike rides (2/3)
Only one to go!  I plan to spend this last ride getting to know my new neighbourhood a bit better.

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016 – Write a budget; and
017 – Set a savings target, meet it, and maintain it for 6 months.
Tim and I sat down at the beginning of the year and looked at this pretty seriously.  Then we moved house and our expenses changed a lot.  We need to adjust some figures based on our first sets of bills.

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020 – See 25 movies of Tim’s choosing (20/25)
I’ve been very careful to only list movies that truly came from Tim, so this task has crawled along over time.  He’s really looking forward to a few upcoming movies, so the last 5 will be knocked over very easily.

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023 – Build a time capsule
Some of my friends have been good enough to write me a letter for my time capsule, and I have a couple more to add shortly (including one from my Mum).  I’ve put together a box of keepsakes that I intend to seal up as soon as I complete an art journal that I’m making, and then I just need to decide on a grand opening date!

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024 – Read the dictionary from beginning to end (Now Reading: “M”)
I stopped reading a while ago because it was getting a bit dry! (I know, right?)  Time to break out the old lexicon again so that I can cross this off.

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027 – Learn the names of every country, and identify them on a map
I can totally p0int to Australia on a map.  Also, Kiribati.  I am so great.

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030 – Learn to identify 5 constellations (3/5)
I’ve recently discovered a great iPhone app that will help me finish this one!  These clear Winter skies will make it nice and easy.

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031 – Travel to New England (or at least have the trip planned)
We don’t have anything booked yet, but we have decided to take our trip in September 2011.  I’ll happily cross this one off when we have specific dates in mind, and a puppy-sitter.

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034 – Spend a day or two on the Great Ocean Road
Only 3 weeks to go!  Tim and I are taking three of our good friends to an awesome villa in Apollo Bay over the June long weekend.  We’re packing lots of great food and wine (and the dog!) and will hit up the 12 Apostles at some stage.  I can’t wait to photograph them.

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038 – Visit 10 local art galleries (4/10)
Can you believe I haven’t done this yet?  I seem to find myself at the NGV regularly but really need to expand my horizons.

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040 – Read 10 novels by Melbourne authors (9.5/10)
Only one to go!  I’m halfway through my final book – hooray!

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043 – Go on a ghost tour
We’re all booked, and ready to roll at The Old Melbourne Gaol.

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047 – Go on the Neighbours tour
I can report, with a healthy dose of embarrassment, that I have booked and paid for this tour.  Sally is joining me.  She is either really lame (unlikely) or somebody that I could call on to help me hide a body if circumstances required it.

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057 – Read the last Harry Potter book
Does buying a copy of the book count as progress?  I can’t even remember what happened in the last book…

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077 – Make a Will
You might remember that my friend Sally bought me a Will Kit for my 30th birthday.  Cold, hey?  But at least it means I can count this one as “in progress”!  Next, to remove the shrink wrapping.  Baby steps.

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079 – Secret Task
Shhhhhh.

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084 – Participate in 100 Snapshots (79/100)
I said from the start that completing this wasn’t necessarily my goal.  However, I have enjoyed it so much that I really want to try and take all 100 photos!  I’m making great progress with this one, and have solid ideas for the remaining shots.

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087 – Make a photography book
I’m halfway through making a little book of photos through Blurb.

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089 – Draw 5 hands (3/5); and
090 – Draw 10 people (7/10)
I haven’t drawn anything in a long time!  I just need to set aside a couple of hours to complete these two.

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092 – Keep a paper journal for a year
Changed to: Complete a class in art journaling
I  have kept a haphazard journal during my 101 Things challenge, but can’t say that I have kept a year’s worth of journaling with a clear conscience.  So, I have decided to replace this task with one I can achieve by September.  I am halfway through a 6-week art journaling class, and I’m religiously completing all the assignments.  The finished product will be going into my time capsule.

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096 – Release 20 books via BookCrossing (0/20)
I’ve set aside some books for this task, but am yet to “drop” them.

So, there we have it.  It’s still a mighty big list, but when I set it out this way at least it will help me break it down into achievable bites.  I’d still be pretty proud of myself if I stopped right now, but I’m really eager to find out what I can accomplish in four short months.

If you have expertise or enthusiasm for any of the items on my list, and you think you can give me a helping hand… now would be a great time to say hi!

• 101 in 1001
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