Bloggers Getting Sued

I would read this if I were you. HERE.

Q:

What is the Huffington Post's Comment Policy?
A:

Huffington Post pre-moderates comments on our blog posts and post-moderates comments on news stories. We never censor comments based on political or ideological point of view. We only delete those comments that include the following transgressions:
• are abusive, off-topic, use excessive foul language• include ad hominem attacks including comments that celebrate the death or illness of any person, public figure or otherwise• contain racist, sexist, homophobic and other slurs• are solicitations and/or advertising for personal blogs and websites• thread spamming (you've posted this same comment elsewhere on the site• are posted with the explicit intention of provoking other commenters or the staff at Huffington Post.• contains content that may infringe the copyright or intellectual property rights of others or other applicable laws or regulations.

Spring Shoot Thornbury & Meaford

Yesterday. I indulged. I took myself on a sunny walk. All by myself. It was glorious and creative and inspiring and therapeutic. Well, I wasn't entirely alone. I had my camera. And, along the way I met some new friends who you will meet next week. I am so very happy it's Spring. LPxo

Passover Recipes

Here are some from the NYTimes.

Interesting selection of recipes here at The Jewish Daily Forward.

And Martha Stewart's amazing offerings.

Finally, Epicurious!

Talkin' 'Friday' On 'Monday'

Many people have asked me, 'Is Friday your real last name?'. Yes! It really is. (with a short story) Friday was my maiden name, but it was actually 'Frieday' with an 'e'. Some of my family members had it without the 'e' too. (spelling mistakes at the hospitals - ha!) It turns out that my German Grandparents changed their name from Freitag to Frieday. I have always used 'Friday' for all my creative work - the bank even knows me as Patti Friday. So, why the heck am I talking 'Friday' on 'Monday'? Because as some of you know, I have wanted to convert to Judaism for decades and every time Jewish holidays happen...I start to dig again. My parents believe our ancestors were actually Jewish; if my maternal Grandmothers were Jewish, then I would be Jewish now. But if is comes from my paternal side, then maybe not. Hmmm. Confusing. Interesting. Unsolved. I will settle for being 'Jewish By Choice'.

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from (respectively) Middle High German vritac and German Freitag ‘Friday’ (Old High German friatag, frijetag, a translation of Late Latin Veneris dies: Freya was the Germanic goddess of love, sometimes considered as equivalent to the Roman Venus). The German name may have denoted someone born on a Friday or who performed some feudal service then. However, Friday was considered unlucky throughout Christendom in the Middle Ages (because it was the day on which Christ was crucified), and it seems more likely that the name was given to a person considered ill-omened. It is found as a byname in this sense in Old High German. This is by far the commonest of the surnames drawn from the days of the week, followed by Sonntag ‘Sunday’, traditionally a day of good omen. Among Jews, it seems to have been one of the names that were distributed at random by government officials.

Handmade Heirloom: Anvil Wrought Iron Furniture

I met a new friend, Vitania, today via Facebook. The blogging, social media world continues to surprise and delight me. One moment uninspired with nothing left to say; the next - passionate, exhilarated and over-flowing with new words for new ideas and people. Vitania has an incredible story about her family business, Anvil Wrought Iron Furniture - a Canadian company that works with Designers and Retailers around the globe. When the company her father was working for started to fall apart, he led a group of men, all co-workers, to pool their resources and keep their business alive. (isn't that amazing!) With her father at the helm, they formed a company called Anvil Fireside Accessories Ltd. that supplied hearth products to pretty much everyone. Tool sets, wood holders, spark guards, andirons….you name it they made it! That was 30 years ago. Today, Anvil is completely family owned and operated, and Vitania, of course, has the pleasure of working and learning, with and from, her father. Over the last 3o years, the line has expanded dramatically to include beautifully crafted Iron Furnishings, as well as a fabulous collection of Outdoor furniture. They operate under the name Anvil Wrought Iron Furniture to include this expanded product offering. To die for people! To die for! All hand made! Located in Mississauga, Ontario, (just outside of Toronto) a small but talented team of people come together to make some of the most beautiful iron furniture today. Made using traditional methods, steel is cut, forged, hammered, shaped, polished and painted. As a custom manufacturer Anvil offers their clients the choice to design exactly what they want. Their products are designed to last a lifetime. The kitchen table and chairs you will sit at, eat, laugh and cry over. A bed your children will crawl into in the middle of the night, and you will long for when you are away from home. Pieces that are meant to be passed from one generation to another. Please take some time over the weekend to tour their website (and catalogue). You will be longing to purchase several of their pieces....either for yourself or a client(s)....or both!

Cayenne Mashed With A Side of Rings

Part of an ongoing culinary art project dedicated to my friends, Artist, Sarah Ashley Longshore and Jewelry Designer, Amanda Jaron - to whom my wildest, food fantasies begin and end with my proud membership of 'The Big Gaudy Ring Hoarders Society' (TBGRHS).

Cayenne Mashed Recipe:

Fill a big pot with lots of cold, fresh water

Salt

Bring to boil

Fill till overflowing with peeled white potatoes

Boil until tender

Mash with hand-masher

Add plenty of salt and cracked black pepper

Butter

and gunk gunk gunk of milk

Heat skillet with more butter

Fry up the mashed potatoes with a generous amount of cayenne pepper.

Top with another pat of butter

(be sure to wear your 'big gaudy rings' while eating this....tastes better that way...and you'll look sterling too)

-Patti Friday

My NEW Book !!!

Fresh Water by Patti Friday | BOOK INFO

Breaking Design News

Anna Spiro of Black and Spiro and my Blogging friend (Absolutely Beautiful Things) will be featured in the May 2010 issue of Canadian House and Home Magazine! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. It will be so wonderful to read about someone we have all come to know and love over the last few years. (In other Design/Packaging news.....Wasaga Beach Coffee, the certified organic & fair-trade coffee that I branded is a hit here in The Beach!) Tastes delish too. LPxo

The Friendliness of Canadians

Just a few quotes sent to me by my friend, Angela Ritchie (Thanks!):

“Thank you, Canada. For being such good hosts. For your unfailing courtesy… For reminding some of us we used to be a more civilized society. Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.” – Brian Williams, NBC News

“Along the way, there was plenty to like in Vancouver, if not always the weather. The people were generous and spirited, the volunteers cheery. Once, I saw a guy fail to smile; I think he was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor .” – Boston.com

“Before the closing ceremony begins, let me just take the time to thank the people of Vancouver for a wonderful 19 days. The people here couldn’t be nicer, from the volunteers who make sure the buses run on time, to the citizens walking the streets, to the athletes and people from around the world who were here.” – The LA Times

“The Olympics went into overtime Sunday. It was perfect. No one wanted the Warmest Games to end. Warmest weather. Warmest hosts .” – The Miami Herald

“Make no mistake, Canada’s people were the stars of these Games. They jammed the streets of Vancouver, cheered the most obscure sports as long as a Canadian was competing and all but drowned themselves in a sea of red. These are not folks normally given to outbursts of patriotism, but they found their voice here .” – Chicago Sun Times

“Why can’t we be more like Canada? They host the Olympics like they mean it. They smile … and they have the Canadian Mounties. But most of all what they have is a kick-ass national anthem, a tune that says everything about who they are – and about what we, as Americans, are not.” – The Huffington Post

“Graciousness is their default mode here. For the last two weeks, beaming has been a way of life. In a nod to the local vernacular, let me just say this is the nicest city I’ve ever been in.” – The Los Angeles Times

“No question the biggest winners of the 2010 Winter Olympics were the Canadian people, who were unfailingly polite, passionately patriotic, and self-deprecating enough to poke fun at themselves in the Closing Ceremonies.” – The Miami Herald.com

Antique Bird Cage & Garden-Inspired Accessories

I am selling this lovely 'story' - grouping of items. Glistening Green Paperweight, White Lacquer Ceramic Peacocks, Speckled Dish Garden Container (perfect for succulents!), Large Green Beer Bottle (looks fabulous in the sunlight on a porch) and Antique Bird Cage (with old and odd little fake bird and original brass food and water dishes). Let me know if you are interested and what you would like to offer. LP xo

UPDATE: March 23, 2010 - Birdcage is SOLD

(the rest is still available)

They Got ENGAGED !!! On MT. KILIMANJARO !!!

And Phil got down on one knee and proposed....at the bottom of the mountain...as he said the climb was going to be symbolic of a marriage...some good, some bad, some happy, some sad, some easy, some hard....but love triumphing over anything. And the ring...is a simple, chic, classic silver band with 'HEA' engraved inside = 'Happily Ever After' !!!! So romantic! (tear) Read more soon (they are pooped) on their blog: http://www.thepearlcurriculum.blogspot.com. LPxo