Rock the Vote | Take Part in Democracy . . .

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

We are almost there. Don't forget to vote!

Free Coffee for Voters at Starbucks 11/4 and More . . .

Tuesday (11/4) is a big day for our nation. We all have the chance to make a difference by choosing to take advantage of our democratic right to vote and now Starbucks has joined the slew of businesses offering up freebies for the election-conscious. Tell your barista that you voted and they'll serve you up a tall cup of brewed coffee on the house.

FREE ICE CREAM!
Ben & Jerry's is celebrating YOU, the voting population of the good 'ol USA for taking part in the election process. Stop by your nearest participating Ben & Jerry's between 5-8pm for a free scoop!

FREE DOUGHNUTS!
Not to be outdone Krispy Kreme is also showing some love for anyone with an "I voted" sticker. Stop by your nearest doughnut shop for a special star-shaped patriotic treat complete with red, white, and blue sprinkles.

Don't forget to get your "I Voted" sticker after you vote.

Thanks to: Daily Dose of Freebies

Vote True 2008 | Message from a 4 year old boy . . .

Simply wonderful advice from Truett.

Vote for Hope. Only one more day!

It's Crunch Time! . . .

"Raising the Bar" new TV series on TNT . . .

Important heads up about the first season of RAISING THE BAR ~ the new cable series on TNT from Emmy winning producer Steven Bochco. Here is your chance to record the whole first season all at once. The season finale is Monday 11/3 at 10pm EST. Check your local listings. TNT is having a marathon this afternoon (11/3) starting at 1PM of all the episodes from the beginning; ending with the final episode. Set your DVR so you can watch the entire first season from beginning to end. Don't have cable? No problem...you can watch the show on-line. Check out the website ~ it's great. I can recommend this with authority since I have watched every episode so far. I promise you will like it. It is smart and exciting with an attractive cast of young lawyers.

Jane Kaczmarek plays Judge Trudy Kessler. She's tough and she plays her character wonderfully.

Enjoy. You can thank me later.

Alfred E. Newman for President ~ Hopeless . . .

Thanks to: Mad History

Hardworking Party Shoes . . .

The Digital Journalist Callie Shell took this picture. She pointed out to Barack Obama that he had holes in his shoes. He said he knew; they had already been resoled at least once. He has been pounding the pavement for you and for me so please VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4th.

Party Shoes . . .

These are great. I only wish I had discovered them sooner. Other styles are available including one pair with the elephant too for the undecided voter. They are $45.00 and the company Toms Shoes has a fabulous company policy. For every pair purchased (in any style) Toms will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. Go to their website and watch a short film before you start shopping for the many styles available for men, women, and children. Surely you will consider purchasing from such socially conscious entrepreneurs. The holidays are coming...so think gifts.

The Peaceable Kingdom . . .

This is a wonderful theorem watercolor I picked up at a tag sale recently. I have the perfect antique frame for it. My mother is going to love this Christmas present! It is based on The Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks (very fitting since this is our family name).

Peaceable Kingdom, ca. 1830–32
Edward Hicks (American, 1780–1849)
Oil on canvas; 17 7/8 x 23 7/8 in.

Edward Hicks, a Quaker preacher and sign painter, painted approximately sixty versions of the Peaceable Kingdom. The painting represents the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 11:6: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." The presence of additional animals and children on the left is due to Hicks' inclusion of the seventh and eighth verses. Hicks derived the composition, a popular nineteenth-century Bible illustration, from an engraving after a drawing by the English artist Richard Westall. The theme of a peaceable community of animals was one often used as a political metaphor, and was adapted by Hicks himself. The artist sometimes included scenes of Penn's treaty with the Indians, intending Penn's flock to stand as a sort of partial fulfillment of the biblical prophecy. Image: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Abraham Lincoln ~ Inexperienced Senator from Illinois . . .

Only two more days. Please make your vote count.

Best Baby Halloween Costume (hilarious) . . .

A baby dressed as a ventriloquist's dummy. Clever, quirky, and hilarious.
Found @ A Cup of Jo

2009 Job Market | Executives as Day Laborers . . .

This YouTube Video has a very unexpected twist! What a role reversal.

You didn't see that one coming, did you?

Wes Craven | Halloween 2008 Video endorsing Obama . . .

Wes Craven, the master of the horror film trilogy Nightmare on Elm Street starring the iconic Freddy Krueger has produced a YouTube film for Halloween 2008. There is no fright here but an episode urging everyone to vote.
http://www.youtube.com/user/wescraven

How nice of such a busy man to take the time to urge people to do their civic duty and vote. Watch closely; he appears to favor Obama.

Jack 'O Lantern Grilled Cheese Halloween Snack . . .

Isn't this the cleverest open-faced grilled cheese you've ever seen?

Let your goblins cut the shape of a Jack 'O Lantern face out of a slice of cheddar cheese. Place it on a toasted English muffin and smear it with a smidge of barbecue sauce. Broil until cheese is melted and add a little green onion stem.

This would be good for a quick dinner for excited trick or treaters who won't/can't sit still for a complete meal. They are just going to be sick later anyway after eating all that candy.
Found @ Prudence Pennywise

Make the BEST HALLOWEEN MASK EVER (free download) . . .

I love this DIY paper craft (with tutorial) so much. You will be the hit of any Halloween Party holding this up to your face!

Say goodbye to uncomfortable plastic masks or sweaty (and ill-smelling) latex hoods. Put a little craft into your costume this year and have a ghoulishly good time doing it.

Full instructions.

Download template.

Photo: Jeff Rudell

Wishing you an Old-Fashioned Hallowe'en

Here's hoping you survive the vampires, ghosts and goblins, and that your treat bags are filled to the top.

I scanned this image from a 2001 Martha Stewart Living. It's simply BOOOtiful, isn't it?




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Halloween from a Pumpkin's viewpoint . . .

The Life and Death of a Pumpkin.
A very creative video. You'll never carve a jack-o-lantern again without feeling its pain!

Wash Tubs Painted for Halloween . . .

What a cute idea. Paint the bottoms of your wash tubs and hang them up for Halloween!

Candidates' Communication Tools . . .

Thanks, fubiz.

Halloween Gingerbread Skeleton Cookies . . .

HAPPY HALLOWEEN...Make some of these cookies for Friday's big holiday if you have time. These are cut with a standard Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter and iced like skeletons. Aren't they wonderful?

One of my readers (Gal Friday) was inspired by this post and she made a whole batch of skeletons and one ghost. See her cookies here.

Guaranteed to please the most discriminating trick or treater. Get recipe. Found @ Heidi Kenney via Living Small