• Mon, 12:02: I spent the last four days making a metric crapload of lip balm... http://t.co/pe51nrrF

1. "Even Nuttier" Flavored lip balm, in regular and vegan. Nut oil base includes Sweet almond oil, hazelnut, walnut, and macadamia nut oils, as well as coconut oil and cocoa butter. Flavored with Almond and Hazelnut and a touch of sweetness. As with 99% of our lip balms, also includes Vitamin E.
2. "Nuts & Berries" Flavored lip balm (Almond, Hazelnut, Blackberry, Raspberry, in a fruit-butter and nut-oil base) in regular, vegan, and regular & vegan SPF
3. "Berry Basket" Flavored lip balm (Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, in a fruity base of grapeseed oil, avocado and aloe oils, and mango butter)
4. Five Nut-oil based Flavored Lip Balms (regular and vegan): Almond, Chocolate Almond, Hazelnut, Chocolate Hazelnut, and "Aw Nuts!" (Almond, Hazelnut, & Amaretto)
5. New flavors* of our current flavored lip balm base: Amaretto, Amaretto Gingerbread, Coconut, Chocolate Coconut, Cherry Cordial (chocolate and black cherry), Chocolate Buttercream (not avail. in vegan), Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Orange, Coconut Almond Candybar (coconut, almond, chocolate), Eggnog (nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon), Gingerbread, Sweet Holiday Spice (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg), Sweet and Spicy (clove and cinnamon with sweetener), Vanilla, Wassail (clove, orange, cinnamon). 
6. Vegan versions of all flavors will be out by the end of the week (currently several of our flavors are available only in regular. The vegan versions are already made, as mentioned above, they just need to be labeled, photographed, and added to the site.)

• Wed, 12:54: Beatboxin' Google! http://t.co/bOVa3vI1
• Thu, 11:55: 40-year "no accident" streak broken this morning :( http://t.co/PuZzenWg

So this morning I was leaving for work and go to the top of my steep, curving driveway, from where I turn left onto my street to go to work. The mailbox is to my left and there are bushes there which have overgrown and block visibility of oncoming traffic. My landlord is supposed to maintain the yard/landscaping--it's in our lease that the only stuff we have to do is mow the lawn--and the wide-angle round mirror mounted on the tree across the street facing the driveway is nearly useless. It's streaked in grime (salt?) and besides that, it was raining so there was water running down it further obscuring it. 

I didn't see anything that looked like a car or like it was moving in the mirror, couldn't see anything in the street in either direction (though with the bushes, I wouldn't have anyway) so I pulled out. And there was a big, black SUV right there, coming from the left. He slammed on his brakes and swerved left. I slammed on my brakes, too, but there wasn't enough time or space and I hit him. It was enough of an impact that it turned my car so that it angled right instead of left, but other than that was really quite light.

I backed up back into my driveway so I wasn't blocking traffic, and he stopped his SUV. I got out and saw my license plate and frame in the road; the frame was broken into a few pieces and the plate itself was crumpled on one side. I went over to look at his SUV.

It turns out I hit him in the tire, which was probably the best possible outcome, because I didn't dent or break anything on the body of the vehicle. One 3-4" piece of my license plate frame was wedged between the tire and the rim; we needed to use pliers to get it out. The only actual damage to his vehicle was a little bit of paint scuffed right before and right after the tire. On my car, the damage was pretty much limited to a little scuff mark on the bumper and the license plate being torn off. 

We exchanged contact info, insurance & registration info, and both took photos of both cars. He called the police to report it, but they said if it was minor and there were no injuries that we could handle it ourselves and they didn't need to send someone out. I called my insurance company to report the accident.

On my way to work (which I was now running late for) I stopped at this little "Express" RMV office that is at a rest stop off the Mass Pike right on my way to work. I just popped in quickly with my license plate--I was worried that I could get ticketed for not having it on the car. They ordered me a new one (charged me $10 for it) and gave me a paper to put in my glove box to show the cops if I got pulled over, so I wouldn't get a ticket. That whole process took maybe 5 minutes. 

I got to work late, but fortunately it isn't a busy day, so it wasn't a big deal. I called my boss and a coworker while I was driving in to let them know I'd been in a minor accident and would be late.

So anyway, the insurance people said they'd call by the end of the day and arrange to have someone come look at my car. I guess they'll want to look at his SUV, too? Don't know how that works because I've never been [the driver] in an accident before. Hopefully my rates won't go up.

Anyway, that's my exciting morning.

So this was posted on Facebook by geobabe1and I reposted it on FB and Google+, but I liked it so much that I'm making an LJ post about it, too. So there. Sorry if this means you had to see it a bunch of times.

Google gets its groove on! Go to the link below, choose 'German' as the "From" language, and paste in this text, then click the little speaker button in the bottom of the GERMAN window (*not* the Translated window):

pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk

• Sat, 20:27: I'm at Davis Square (Somerville, MA) w/ 4 others http://t.co/SZlPcCwG
• Sat, 20:27: Angela's fashion show (@ Davis Square Theater w/ @hnybny) http://t.co/h1KEucPT
• Sat, 23:40: I just checked in to Draw Something Free! http://t.co/6GWu1wmR (via @heyzap)

• Fri, 12:18: I'm at Dunkin' Donuts (Ashland, MA) http://t.co/vjjUxRxO

• Thu, 19:24: Oil Painters of America contest. I entered this painting of Pixie... click if you want to vote. :) http://t.co/S0VgiaZC

• Tue, 14:32: I've added 8 new flavors to my lip balm store! http://t.co/IlOuh1Fg
• Tue, 22:42: Another contest on books and reading... I entered this painting, if you want to vote for it: http://t.co/8XtpzmqI

As you may or may not know, I've opened an online store selling homemade lip balm (OpalEssenceShop.com). Today I added the following new flavors:

• Chocolate Cream
• Sweet Vanilla Latte
• Tropical Mango
• Orange Creamsicle
• Strawberry
• Earl Grey Tea
• Earl Grey Tea & Honey
• Ice Cream Sundae

Use this coupon code to get 20% off when you buy 2 or more lip balms: GROPEN20. If you buy a lip balm, don't forget to come back to the store and rate it (1-5 stars) and write a quick review (even just a sentence is fine). If you write a review before May 15 you can enter the contest to win a $10 gift certificate. See the site for details.

The Monochromatic contest voting ends in just a couple of hours (3pm EST), if you want to help me out by voting for my piece. Rundown of contests I'm in is here, with links to vote:

Public-Voting Art Contests I'm Entered In

These are just for fun; there are no prizes or anything, however they do get more exposure for my art. There are two contest that you can vote in right now, and three more coming up in the next several days. If you want to support my art, please visit that page and click on the links to vote for my entries. Thanks!

• Fri, 18:11: I made a page for the FAA just-for-fun contests that I enter from time to time. When I'm in one (or more) I'll... http://t.co/sdj5C2tt

• Wed, 15:17: Vegan Honey Flavored Lip Balm 15oz tube by OpalEssenceShop http://t.co/rI5I3v5l via @Etsy

My lip balm online store is finally officially OPEN! As an enticement to get you to visit, here's a coupon for the Grand Opening: GROPEN20 -- buy any 2 (or more) lip balms and take 20% off!

• Sun, 19:12: Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! http://t.co/wJAiwFuI
• Sun, 20:29: Happy Easter, apparently! http://t.co/5CjmygoX
• Sun, 23:22: Online Art Contests for fun... http://t.co/41shLWzV
• Sun, 23:44: Win a free signed print (with free shipping) by joining my low-volume art mailing list by May 15! http://t.co/9HC9STkF
• Mon, 09:31: Identify this Decorative Item! http://t.co/pVSlqZyi

I've had this decorative item for ages, but never knew what the hell it was. I'm finally trying to get rid of it* but does anyone know what it is? Look at the pictures and see if you can tell me. It's about 5" across and 4" high. It's made of some sort of ceramic, and if you turn it over you can see that it's hollow. I don't remember where I got it.



If you have any ideas as to what it might be, please leave them in the comment section, or mcontact me by email.

(my get-rid-of path goes Ebay first, then Craigslist, then give away to friends/family, then donate.)

So the voting is on in a few online art contests that I've entered. Most of these are restricted to votes by members of the FineArtAmerica.com website, but some are public. Here are some public contests I'm in; you can vote for my work if you want, or look around and vote for someone else. Or don't vote at all! It's a free country! ;)

My two-piece 3-d painting(s) of a violin an dancers are entered into the contest "Photos or paintings of musical instruments"... click the image below to see my entry and vote if you want to:


My painting "Pixie's Itch" is in the "Cats" contest:


I entered "Leaving Chinatown" in the "Silhouettes" contest, but voting doesn't start for another 14 hours:


I also have a couple of sculptures in the "wild and crazy animals" contest:
this one and this one

I totally didn't see Easter coming this year. We don't really "celebrate" Easter at our house. When Dominic was really little we did the whole Easter basket thing, and all that, but these days... well, it's just too much effort and it seems like no point. There's some good candy on sale right after, so there's that, but Easter itself? Meh.

Poor Dan is sick; and he's on call, which makes it that much worse. He spent most of today in bed resting, poor guy. He doesn't let me do much taking care of him when he's sick. I feel so helpless. I want to do something to make him more comfortable, but there apparently isn't anything I can do.

I think tomorrow when I go to the grocery store I'll see if they've got any Cadbury Creme Eggs--preferably on sale--because they're only available this time of year, and I love them. I have no idea what the fuck they're made of... some sort of goo... but damn the goo is tasty!

• Sat, 13:49: Goth/Steampunk chainmail purse--ebay listing ends in 6 hours--also an introduction http://t.co/b7bbkre9
• Sat, 17:11: Selling on Ebay... http://t.co/nKZojjCL

Things I'm selling on Ebay... mostly vintage items or decorative items that I no longer have space for...


( see more )

Meissen Porcelain "Blue Onion" Shell Dish ~ 1930s? Rare

2 Vintage gilded leaf dishes signed D.C.Weller on back; padded storage bag incl.

Antique hand-crank coffee grinder; wood and metal