abode and self

Collecting PEZ Dispensers

PEZ was originally a German mint made for adults in the 1930s.  Reinvented with colorful character heads atop candy dispensers in the 1950s they were reflavored and marketed to kids, going on to become one of the strangest and most collected pop...

My Dream House

So I've got this idea that I'm going to build a house someday, and it's going to be a round house.  I've been investigating dome houses, EarthShips, yurts and tipis as part of my research, and thought I'd share it with you. Please let me know wha...

The Illustrious Rachel Schwarz

Welcome to the lens about Rachel Schwarz, writer-artist, eclectic human, dress-up maven and Squidoo Lensmastress. On April 10, 2006 Rachel Schwarz was reading the New York Times online when she came across an article about a new site called Squidoo th...

My Dream Office

So, inside my dream house, along with my dream kitchen, here are some ideas for my home office.  I did a lot of textile design in my grad school years and love to do "wet work" (dyeing) but this space is about my "dry" work,...

The Art of Alchemy

Alchemy is the study of transformation, and this discipline overlaps the worlds of art, science, philosophy, medicine and spirituality.  Practitioners of the alchemical arts were located in ancient India, Arabia, China, Egypt, with later adepts...

latest updates

Tattoos In The Movies, Corsetry, Tight-Lacing and Waist-Training, Moss Farming, Mask-Making Made Easy, Dragon Tattoos

avocations and diversions

The Apiary: Bees & Beekeeping

An "apiary" is a place where bees and hives are kept, especially when it is for the production of honey. I don't keep bees presently, but it is an ambition of mine.  I started this lens so I would have a place for me to put all the info...

Using Pendulums

A pendulum is a method of divination or dowsing that produces a yes or no answer in response to a question.  Pendulums have been used in various cultures for thousands of years and can be made from very simple materials. 

Moss Farming

Moss can be a filler on top of a potted plant, it can be a little accent in a garden, or a lush, full-fledged replacement for a lawn. This is my first year moss farming notebook and diary complete with pictures along the way.  It's got a lot of...

UpDos For Proms, Weddings Or Just Everyday

The term "updo" is sort of modern verbal shorthand for "doing a hairdo that's up." For some, updos are quick and easy.  For others they are battles waged with hairpins and spray. This lens will help you find and do your own up...

The Fun of Balloon Hats

Balloon hats are made by twisting long, skinny balloons into joined sections so that they hold their shape and fit onto the head. After that, almost anything goes! I recently did a project that left me with a lot of twister balloons, and I decided t...

edibles

In addition to having some food lenses of my own, I also moderate/edit Chez*Squid, the BEST food resources on Squidoo and Enjoy A Refreshing Beverage, the Squidoo drink group.

The Cheese Shop

Sliced, cubed, shredded, melted, grated, or spread, we entreat you to sit down and sample a bit from our selection of cheese history and information on how to choose, store, serve or even make your own cheese. Bon Appétit! 

No-Knead Bread (no kidding!)

You CAN make fresh homemade bread easily...  What I'm about to tell you does NOT involve a bread machine, and there's NO laborious kneading either! This lens will tell you how you can bake fresh, flavorful, healthy bread with an awesome crust, a...

Blintzes

A blintz [BLIHNTS] is as a crepe-like pancake that is folded around a filling, most often cheese-based. Blintzes are associated with Eastern European and Jewish cooking, and can be made either sweet or savory. In the US, they are often served as a b...

What does Rae want to read next?

Part of what fuels the creation of all these lenses is that I have a wide range of interests and love to read. Here're some titles I'm hoping to read before the end of the year.

1

Vote Up

Vote Down

Growing Great Garlic: The Definitive Guide for Organic Gardeners and Small Farmers by Ron L. Engeland

The first garlic book written specifically for org more...0 points

The first garlic book written specifically for organic gardeners and small-scale farmersGrowing Great Garlic is the definitive grower's guide written by a small scale farmer who makes his living growing over 200 strains of garlic. Commercial growers will want to consult this book regularly.The author tells us:which strains to plantwhen to fertilizewhen to plantwhen to prune flower stalkshow to plantwhen to harvestPlus, how to store, market, and process the crop.Growing Great Garlic makes a genui...0 points

2

Vote Up

Vote Down

A History of Japanese Body Suit Tattooing by Mark Poysden, Marco Bratt

* Traces the history of the practice and artistry more...0 points

* Traces the history of the practice and artistry of body suit tattooing in Japan. * Highly illustrated: color and b/w photos and illus throughoutTattooing has had a long and sometimes dark life, particularly in Japan. The practice of punitive tattooing has existed for at least two thousand years globally. Japan was the last country to abolish it, in 1870. As elsewhere, the Japanese covered these marks of shame with decorative tattoos. The decorative designs became more elaborate as their popula...0 points

3

Vote Up

Vote Down

Alchemical Symbols: Tables of Alchemical Symbols and Gematria with a Glossary of Latin Terms by Philip Wheeler

This is an essential reference for all students of more...0 points

This is an essential reference for all students of alchemy.0 points

body arts

my interests in body art go back to my childhood. I've been reading about and experiencing various body art practices for over 20 years now.

for even more great body art lenses, check out INK CITY, Squidoo's total body art community.

The Ins and Outs of Body Piercing

Knowing as much as you can about the procedures used in body piercing, about healing and aftercare, or potential legal limits before you get anything done to your body can help ensure you have a better and more successful piercing experience in the l...

Corsetry, Tight-Lacing and Waist-Training

Corsetry, also called tight-lacing or waist-training, refers to the practice of wearing a boned garment that laces tightly around the body, thus reducing the waist measurement.  Corseting can be done occasionally for fashion purposes or pursued...

Nose Rings and Piercings

It's only been in the last two decades that nose piercing has gained a mainstream popularity in Western culture.  Presently, it is the second most-popular body piercing desired by teens and young adults. This lens will tell you about nose piercin...

Celebrity Tattoos

For a celebrity, getting a tattoo can become a media circus with future employment ramifications.  Tattoo designs that were crafted with personal intention can suddenly become the latest must-have copycat item for hundreds of fans worldwide or b...

Find A Great Temporary Tattoo

Take a look at what's available in TEMPORARY TATTOOS! These aren't the smeared and blurry Cracker Jack stick-ons from your childhood! Get professional quality and real-looking temporary skin art.

sojourns

The Greenwood Neighborhood - Seattle, WA 98117

Located in the northwest section of Seattle, the Greenwood neighborhood is a great place to live! Homes are still decently-priced, and frequently have yards and trees. The area has lots of shops and businesses, and good sidewalks, making it easy to w...

Battle Born: Nevada Road-Tripping

These Nevada travel stories and recommendations are drawn from the experiences of two best friends/fellow geeks/quirky goddesses, who decided after 15 years of friendship that going car camping together was a brilliant idea. ...And then it really did...

Emerald City: Seattle City Guide

Seattle sits at the edge of Puget Sound, with Lake Washington nestled on the other side.  It's a city of bridges and islands, where the high-tech sector regularly has a morning latte with environmental engineers and Burner artists. The joke is,...

Sin City: The Las Vegas Guide

Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in North America, and one of the most popular travel destinations. Here are some tips to guide you through the wide range of casino, hotel, resort, golf and other entertainment attractions offered for the whole f...

The Big Apple: The NY City Guide

When most people say "New York City" they are really referring to the island of Manhattan, a borough of NYC.  When most people visit New York, this is where they go.  The area is small compared to the State, but the history is a r...

art & media

The X-Files: The Truth Is Out There

THE X-FILES ran from 1993-2002 and was a present-day show that followed FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigated paranormal cases and attempted to uncover a vast government conspiracy to hide definitive evidence of extraterrestrial...

Roger Dean

Roger Dean is a British illustrator and architect best known for the distinctive album cover designs he created for rock bands such as YES, Uriah Heep and Asia.  After creating some of the most-popular fantasy art of the 70s and 80s, spread inte...

Viggo Mortensen

Although he is known primarily as an actor, Viggo Mortensen is also a photographer, poet, spoken word artist, painter, occasional musician and is fluent in several languages. If you didn't catch his fall 2008 release, APPALOOSA, a Western directed by...

Orlando Bloom

Orlando Bloom was picked to portray the elf Legolas in the LORD OF THE RINGS movie trilogy right out of drama school.  For the first two or three years of his career, most of his fans didn't realize he wasn't blond-haired and blue-eyed. He recent...

DEVO

The Devolutionary Oath: 1. Be like your ancestors or be different. It doesn't matter. 2. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. 3. Wear gaudy colors or avoid display. It's all the same. 4. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. 5. We Mu...

Say "Hi!" or Ask a Question

If you'd like to leave a message for Rae, here's the spot! She'll get notified when a comment is left, so if you have a question, you can ask it and then come back later and read the answer.