Member of OSI Rock Stars! Handmade Doll and Bear Clothes - over 50 designs available!! http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/katiyana Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:27:38 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2012 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future or past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2012 tournament: Selection Sunday: March 11, 2012 Opening Round Games: March 13 & 14, 2012 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: First Four (Round 1) - All Sessions Tickets 2012-03-13 Dayton, OH, University Of Dayton Arena First Round: March 15 & 16, 2012 Second Round: March 17 & 18, 2012 Third Round: March 22 & 23, 2012 Fourth Round: March 24 & 25, 2012 Final Four: March 31 & April 2, 2012 in New Orleans, LA at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (Formerly known as the Louisiana Superdome) NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - All Session Strip Tickets NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - Championship Tickets NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - Semifinals Tickets Please see the list below for the host venues for the first four rounds. After Selection Sunday, I'll update the lens with the brackets! sports-and-recreation Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:01:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pooh If you've visited my lenses before, you'll know that I love teddy bears. Among my favorite of the teddy bears of the world is the ever-endearing Winnie the Pooh.  Pooh was actually "The" bear that my younger sister attached herself too.  She had a plush bear that she carried around for years, missing eyes and clothes she didn't care, it was her Pooh.  She had a large Pooh Pillow chair she used to sit on to watch TV or read a book.  I haven't outgrown Pooh myself - the picture down below is of a latch hook kit I recently completed, and which is hanging in my bedroom. Disney Pooh Latch Hook Kits -- Many Styles! Pooh started as a simple story book - but has grown into a mass production product line as wide and varied as any of the major children literary characters ever created.  That he was created in the 1920's doesn't make him any less special, wonderful, or RIGHT in the 21st century. Pooh lives in a tree in the Hundred Acre Woods along with several of his neighbors:  Rabbit, Owl, Piglet, Tigger, Kanga and her son Roo, and his boy, Christopher Robin.  Pooh's many hobbies include honey eating, honey finding, dressing up as a storm cloud for the purposes of getting more honey, and thinking.  The music written for the early Pooh cartoons still reside in my memories, do you remember them too? "The wonderful thing about Tiggers...." just the opening phrase brings the imagery of that bouncing tiger to mind for me, does it do the same for you?   Over the years, Pooh has changed a lot from the way he was drawn in the original books to the Pooh that appears in the modern cartoons. If you'd like to see the original Pooh, check out the results of this auction for an original Pooh sketch by E.H. Shephard.   Which do you prefer?  Vote in my poll, then continue scrolling down to learn more about this fluff of a bear whose catch phrase is to say "Oh Bother" when something goes wrong - and it usually does. hobbies-games-toys Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:53:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/write-a-check My father wrote his first check when he was checking my mother out of the hospital after having me - and she had to tell him how to do it! For those of us who attended middle school or high school starting in the 1980's, we probably had the chance to take a Personal Finance course, which taught us how to write checks, balance our checkbook, and manage our personal finances. Forgetting to do simple things like writing down ATM withdrawals or direct deposits can totally mess up your finances, and if you bounce a check, the bank fees are MUCH higher nowadays. There are some basic rules to writing a check that are good Best Practices to put in place. Here is an example of a lesson plan for teaching students how to properly write a check. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:11:27 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanashandmadecollectibles I sell handmade doll clothes and handmade teddy bear clothes custom made for American Girl, Bitty Baby, Cabbage Patch Kid Dolls (including Koosas and Newborns), and Build a Bear and Build A Bear Cubs - and even more sizes are coming soon!  I have accessory items like pants, skirts, hats, or booties that can be added to make outfits. I have expanded to three websites now - the first one only accepts Paypal, and is located at http://www.katiyana.com. In addition to the sizes listed above, my original store also has clothing for Hopscotch Hill, MSD Dollfie, Baby Face, as well as handmade Halloween and Christmas Decorations.  My second website uses a different shopping cart, has a lot more payment options available, and is focused on the sizes that sell the most often. For these departments, this also includes my full catalog of designs.  It is located at http://www.katiyanascollectibles.com. I hope you'll come check them out! Payments at my second website are accepted online via Paypal or Google Checkout, or via check/money order if you'd prefer to mail your order.  Information on placing orders is on my website.  You can also email me at sales@katiyanascollectibles.com with any questions you may have about my products. My third and newest website is located at http://www.katiyanashandmadecollectibles.com - and takes credit card payments, Paypal, check or money order. Over time I will be expanding this newest website to encompass all of my sizes and designs - so it will be the one-stop shopping hub I've been working towards all these years! All of my handmade doll clothes are made to order, and the pages on my websites are catalog pages with drop down menus where you select colors, neck styles, and other customization options as appropriate.  If you don't see a design you'd like on your sweater, not a problem!  As I custom make these sweaters, if I can draw the design on a grid, I can knit it into a sweater for you! My new website is a Prostore, if you're looking to build a website of your own, I would recommend taking a look at this option. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:09:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/redheartyarn I've taken a picture that I'll show you in case you don't believe me, but I have a wardrobe cabinet filled with skeins of yarn in a variety of colors, that I use for my business of making handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes.I have a couple of Squidoo lenses dealing with my passion for knitting:  Instarsia Knitting and Knitting for Knit Wits. My preferred yarn to work with is Red Heart Super Saver brand yarn.  It is a worsted weight yarn that comes in a large variety of colors, and keeps it color VERY well with wear.  I have sold several sweaters used for dogs, and they get washed frequently, and the dog owners have reported to me how surprised they were to have the colors remain as vibrant as the day they bought the sweater. Red Heart yarn is produced by Coats & Clark.  It comes in a variety of lines of various textures, thicknesses, and softness levels.  I usually buy yarn locally from Wal Mart or Hobby Lobby as I need a particular color.  Occassionally I will check out eBay for lots of common colors as even with shipping, I can sometimes get a better price per skein that way.  I've included a link to current listings available on eBay - its a great way to shop for yarn, especially if you don't have a craft store available locally, or the ones that you do have charge a lot per skein. I've done very limited work with more speciality  yarns, I really like working with this brand of yarn because its durable, vibrant, and gives me a great color pallatte to work with for my buyers. One great place to purchase your yarn is Joann.com - they are a broad selection of yarn brands, including Red Heart. You can visit their website by clicking one of the logos below, and check out their current promotions and sale items hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:25:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bookkeepingbasics One of the areas that most beginning online sellers know little or nothing about is how to keep the books for their new online sales venture.  Uncle Sam wants his portion of your profits, and it is probably most common for sellers to file a Schedule C and SE along with their annual 1040 tax return with the IRS.  Some people find it easier to hire an accountant to handle these things for them - they put the receipts and printouts in a shoebox and hand it off to them each January to turn into a meaningful report about if you made money or lost money.  But don't you really want to know if you're making money during the year, so if you're NOT, you can work on changing that? For small sellers just starting out, you can probably do this yourself and save a little bit of money if you have just a few simple guidelines in mind.  If you took a bookkeeping or accounting course in high school or college, you're ahead of the game, but just in case, I'm going to discuss a few basic accounting concepts to give us a framework for my lens. I'm not a tax accountant, but I have been an accountant at a non-profit firm since 1999, and earned my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting, so I've got the background to help you get started. If you have Microsoft Excel, you can use spreadsheets to keep track of your records and help prevent mathmatical errors.  If you don't have Microsoft Excel or another kind of spreadsheet program available, you can purchase ledger books at most office supply stores to record your entries in.  You would want two-column and three-column ledger books.  These have columns for Date, Description, and then two columns usually on the right side of the page, one for Debits and one for Credits.  You would use one sheet of the two-column ledger pages to create Journal Entries, and then have a separate page using the three-column ledger pages for each Account, where you post the Journal Entries - first column for debits, second column for credits, third column for the running balance. I am a proud member of the OSI Rock Stars! OSI Rock Stars is an educational gold mine for online entrepreneurs who "Choose Success", as RockStar Founder Janelle Elms would say.  Through OSI Rock Stars, we have the opportunity to participate in podcasts and webinars covering a broad range of topics that all online sellers would learn from:  accounting, taxes, product procurement, search engine optimization, even Squidoo!  Janelle puts out a daily newsletter filled with kudos for the success that we have built, sharing questions she has received and gathering input from the newsletter subscribers to help answer the question.  The OSI Rock Stars brings together a broad range of people, whose group knowledge is available to all to learn from.  If you would like to get more information, click on the logo below. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:04:42 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-egypt-game Not only because I thought Egypt was fascinating, but I liked adventerous stories.  This one follows the adventures of April and Melanie.  What I think is interesting is April is white, and Melanie is black, and when the book was first published in 1967, when race relations would still have been a VERY hot topic.  She continued by introducing an Asian character into the story too - so you end up with a mix of all of the major races in this country represented. I think the book would still be enjoyable for kids today, and am happy to see that it's been re-released in 2007 for a new generation to enjoy. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:30:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/poolofradiance I first encountered it as the Gold Box computer game for my Commodore 64 computer.  It was my introduction to role playing games and Dungeons and Dragons.  I had no idea what the difference was between a fighter and a thief back then.  My first few attempts to play weren't very successful, but after a lot of practice, I began to make progress, and eventually won the game.  Pool of Radiance was one of the first role playing computer games, and was the first in a series of Gold Box games produced by SSI working with TSR.  Sequels include "Curse of the Azure Bonds", "Secret of the Silver Blades", and "Pools of Darkness".  The Gold Box series was so successful it launched other D&D software series like "Gateway to the Savage Frontier" and "Treasures of the Savage Frontier". Pool of Radiance was also a novel written by James Ward and released in 1989.  I have that as part of my Dungeons and Dragons collection as well. When I upgraded from my Commodore 64 to a "real" computer, one of my earliest purchases was the Gold Box D&D games so I could keep playing them as I enjoyed them so much!  I have completed the original Pool of Radiance several times through - I even have all of my maps and notes in a notebook still!  I have the revised version that was released with a new game engine and more modern graphics, but haven't found the time to finish playing it yet. My lens is about the three incarnations of "Pool of Radiance". hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:25:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2010 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future or past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2010 tournament: Selection Sunday: March 14, 2010 Opening Round Game: March 16, 2010 First Round: March 18-19, 2010 Second Round: March 20-21, 2010 Third Round: March 25-26, 2010 Fourth Round: March 27-28, 2010 Final Four: April 3 & 5, 2010 at Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana. Looking for tickets? NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - All Sessions Strip Tickets 2010-04-03 Indianapolis, IN, Lucas Oil Stadium NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - Session 1- Semifinals Tickets 2010-04-03 Indianapolis, IN, Lucas Oil Stadium NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - Session 2 - Championship Game Tickets 2010-04-05 Indianapolis, IN, Lucas Oil Stadium Please scroll down to see the host venues for the first four rounds. Will this year's tournament add to the list of greatest memories of tournaments past? March Madness: The Greatest Moments of the NCAA Tournament sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:19:31 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/guardians-of-the-flame-series Have you ever played the game Dungeons and Dragons?  If you did, did you ever have a favorite character that you would dream about becoming, and living their life in the gaming world they live in? What would you do if that really happened to you? That is the amazing start of "The Sleeping Dragon", which came out in 1983.  It began a 20 year saga of the adventures of a group of college students who find themselves magically transported into another world, and magically transformed into the gaming characters they had created.  At first they are just trying to survive, but later find themself trying to create a new life for themselves in this strange world. I have the first 7 books of the series, and have read them many times.  Personally I think the first book is the best one of the first 7 - but the story continues to build and grow over the coarse of the series.  I didn't realize that three more books had been added to the series - so I'll be heading to the bookstore ASAP, that's for sure! books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:30:24 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmadebuildabearclothes My 17-18 inch handmade Build A Bear Workshop Clothes are available for sale at the Ecrater site.  My catalog of available products are displayed down below, with pictures and Buy It Now buttons that will take you to the Ecrater site to continue shopping, and to check out.  It's just that easy! This lens showcases my 17-18 inch Build A Bear Workshop sized bear clothes, and combined shipping & handling is available.  Why shop from me at Ecrater?  Because there are no listing fees, no final value fees, and no subscription fees, I pass that savings on to my buyers, and my items are available at discounted rates compared to my eBay store, for example. I also have clothing especially designed for the smaller 14 inch Build A Bear Cubs.  The official Build A Bear Workshop clothing says its one size fits all - but we know they dont' REALLY fit that great on the smaller sizes of animals.  Mine do! Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them.  I accept payment via Google Checkout, Paypal, check or money order. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself, or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailing back to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:08:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/design-on-a-dime Transform a room from blah to bling in under $1000.  They do it every episode of "Design on a Dime".  This usually is done by shopping in thrift stores, remnant shops, garage sales, and large warehouse types stores to get the best items for the best price they can.  A lot of the magic of the transformation is done by the 3-man team, mixing skills as carpenters, furniture restorers, sewers, and interior designers.  They've done a wide variety of rooms from kitchens and bedrooms, kid's playroom and offices.  Sometimes it's amazing the way they reuse and recycle things for new purposes (who would have thought of creating an overhead light fixture out of hubcaps, or a copper pot?).  The result is always a top-notch room, and for under $1000 which is just amazing.  There have been two books produced based on the show, showing the transformations, and explaining the various techniques used.  I have purchased the books, and enjoyed them very much!  They are both available from Amazon at the links below, and if you'd like to transform a room in your house yourself, they'd be great resources. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:04:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanashamrocks One of the popular holidays that I have created designs for is St. Patrick's Day.  I have 3 designs in this collection, two involving shamrocks and one involving a pot of gold under a multicolored rainbow.  I also have a St. Patrick's Day outfit for 18 inch American Girl dolls.  You can scroll down to take a look, or come visit my website! Combined shipping and handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-address stamped envelope for returning it to me. See what amazing varieties of products other sellers have available for St. Patrick's Day! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:12 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bamboletta-dolls 'Bamboletta' means 'little doll' in Italian and is a term of endearment that parents use for their children. It was the nickname of a young girl in Canada from her father, and became the name of her business, Bamboletta Dolls. You can visit their website to learn more about the history of the business, and shop from their Etsy store. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:00:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2014 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future or past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2014 tournament: Selection Sunday: 2014 Opening Round Game: 2014 First Round: 2014 Second Round: 2014 Third Round: 2014 Fourth Round: 2014 Final Four: April 5 & 7, 2014 at Cowboys Stadium in North Texas (Arlington/Dallas/Forth Worth), Texas. Please see the list below for the host venues for the first four rounds. After Selection Sunday, I'll update the lens with the brackets! sports-and-recreation Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:50:31 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanajewelry You can visit by clicking here and see the necklaces and bracelets designed by my daughter.  They are sized for 18 inch American Girl dolls.  There are even a couple of doll/child matching pieces.  I've also listed links to her items down below.  There are a few themes she's used in making her jewelry, among them hearts and flowers.  She's really enjoyed creating these items, and learning to do beadwork. If you aren't already an eBay member, you can sign up by clicking here. If you purchase a piece of doll jewelry along with one of my doll or bear sweaters, you will pay no additional S/H charges for the jewelry items!  Great savings for you!! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:08:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-basketball-tournament Each year, I sit in front of the television ON Selection Sunday with brackets ready to fill out as the teams are announced. I fill out brackets in pools on sites like CBSSports.com and ESPN.com for fun, and take the first Thursday and Friday off from work to stay home and watch basketball all day long. Being such a big fan of college basketball and Squidoo, I've combined these two in creating a series of March Madness lenses, one for each year's tournament where I track the teams leading up to the Tournament, and each rounds' results through the Championship game. My first lens was for the 2008 tournament won by the Kansas Jayhawks, and it will now be a part of my annual enjoyment of the March Madness experience. sports-and-recreation Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:46:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/intarsiaknitting Intarsia is a term from woodworking for inlaying different types of wood into a piece to form a design.  Instarsia knitting is a multi-colored knitting technique where you have multiple "live" strands of yarn active as you work.  The yarn is usually wound on small bobbins and hang from the back of the work as you go along.  The key to getting a good look to your knitting is to wrap the strands of yarn around each other as you change colors, this prevents holes from forming. I use the Intarsia knitting technique to create the picture designs I use in my handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes that I sell at my website.  I use the Fair Isle technique when putting names on sweaters, as I find its easier than running mutiple threads at once. You can see three of examples of my work in my logo.  All of my intarsia knitting is done by hand, but there are knitting machines that are designed for intarsia knitting in mind.  It can be a much faster and easier way to create multicolored designs, if you can master it. You can learn more about Knitting Essentials by purchasing tutorials like this one. One of the things you'll need if you're going to learn either one of these techniques is yarn. I prefer to use Red Heart, and one place you can find it is Joann.com. You can visit their website by clicking one of the logos below, and check out their current promotions and sale items: hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:12:48 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2011 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future or past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2011 tournament: Selection Sunday: March 13, 2011 First Four (Formerly Opening Round Game): March 15-16, 2011 Second Round: March 17-18, 2011 Third Round: March 19-20, 2011 Fourth Round: March 24-25, 2011 Fifth Round: March 26-27, 2011 Final Four: April 2 & 4, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - All Sessions Strip Tickets NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - Semifinals Tickets NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament: Final Four - Championship Tickets 2011-04-04 Houston, TX, Reliant Stadium Please see the list below for the host venues for the first four rounds. After Selection Sunday, I'll update the lens with the brackets! sports-and-recreation Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:07:12 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/wendy-the-good-little-witch I was introduced to her in comic books that my grandfather used to keep at his house for when the grandkids came over. Every time I read all of the various comics from cover to cover. One of them was Wendy the Good Little Witch. I had no idea she was a character created back in the 1950's! I hope you'll be able to learn more about this great Halloween character from my lens. I really like witches, I have a witch hat that I have as part of my Halloween themed doll and bear sweater collection.  Wendy's hat would be red, of course. Also, I didn't realize that Hilary Duff played her in the movie! holidays-and-celebrations Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:02:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/eliminate-chaos I recognize that I have too much stuff, a portion of it belonging to my late husband and I'm just clueless what to do with it. Being a single parent with a full-time job and running my own business, there isn't enough time in the day to accomplish everything on the wish list. But I recognize that I can't keep going on like I have been much longer, so I have purchased a book that I think will help me to conquer the clutter in my house & my life. home-and-garden Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:39:05 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/cutest-doll-sweaters-ever My handmade doll sweaters are all handmade to order, and available in over 50 designs covering a wide variety of holidays and themes.  Among these are Christmas, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Hanukkah, Thanskgiving, birthdays, animals, and sports.  You can visit Katiyana's Handmade Collectibles to see all of the designs I currently have as part of my collection. My handmade doll sweaters are hand knit with 100% acryllic yarn that is Made in the USA, is non-allergenic, and comes in a diverse variety of colors, giving me the flexibility to create any sweater is almost any color combination requested.  My handmade doll sweaters are designed to fit a number of different sizes of dolls including:  18 inch American Girl Dolls, 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid Dolls, 15 inch Bitty Baby Dolls, and 14 inch Cabbage Patch Kid Newborn Dolls. Below I have created three slideshows to showcase my doll sweaters, I hope you enjoy the show, and believe you'll agree that these are the cutest doll sweaters you've ever seen. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:05:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2009 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future or past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2009 tournament: Selection Sunday: March 15, 2009 Opening Round Game: March 17, 2009 First Round: March 19-20, 2009 Second Round: March 21-22, 2009 Third Round: March 26-27, 2009 Fourth Round: March 28-29, 2009 Final Four: April 4 & 6, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Please see the list below for the host venues for the first four rounds (including links for purchasing tickets to games at all venues). After Selection Sunday, I'll update the lens with the brackets! Catch the latest NCAA Men's Basketball news on ESPN: sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:18:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemontcg Pokemon is a phenomenon out of Japan that began to take the world by storm in the late 90's, and includes products ranging from video games, movies and hit television shows, plush toys, and the incredibly fun Pokemon Trading Card Game. Examples of Pokemon merchandise available on Amazon are shown below - just scroll down. Pokemon or "Pocket Monsters" are creatures that live among humans, and have different natures and abilities that vary based on their natures. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:56 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/lincoln-nebraska and as someone who was born and raised here, I'd have to agree, as I'd never want to live anywhere else but here. We still have some of that small-town America feel, while being a modern American city. While we don't have any major professional teams, we have the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to provide us with lots of athletic excitement as well as two semi-pro teams in the Lincoln Stars (hockey) and Lincoln Saltdogs (baseball). Links to both of these great teams are located below. We're more than just sports though - we have incredible museums, awesome restaurants including the unique Runza experience that people who move away come back just to eat one, and a great public school system. We are a unique state for a couple of reasons. First of all, we are the only state in the Union with a Unicameral for a Legislature (meaning we have a one-house Legislature instead of a two-house legislature). Second, we are the only wholly Public Power State - which means we have no Investor-Owned electricity suppliers, but municipally-owned systems. travel-and-places Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:18:27 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/trainer-jillian-michaels In Seasons 1 and 2, she trained the Red Team against Bob Harper's Blue team.  In Season 3, she left the show and was replaced by Kim.  In Season 4 , she returned - with a Black Team competing against the Red and Blue Squads. Going forward, we return to the 2 trainer approach with Jillian and Bob. Her approach is military style workouts, and includes the unconventional user of things besides the gym to give you a variety of approaches to working out.  So far she has been very successful as her Black Team is still 6 people strong.  We'll see if that keeps up as the show continues. And it did - with the final 4 all being from the Black Team. In Biggest Losers: Couples, Bob and Jillian worked together as a team of trainers to help all of the teams succeed. Without that competition against each other, they seem to be doing better than ever! Jillian's birthday is February 24, 1974 - which makes her younger than me - no wonder she has so much energy! Season 11 will be Jillian's last on the show, saying she wants to explore other things like parenthood. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:13:14 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/crickets-in-pop-culture That's one of the running jokes we have going over at the Captain Squid Squidoo Chat Room - if you show up and no one is talking, you make a post about the crickets.  So, on a dare, I'm making a lens about famous crickets in American Pop Culture.  This one is for you, Gypsy. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:03:20 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/rare-pokemon-trading-cards All Pokemon cards have their rarity printed in the lower right hand corner of the cards, next to the card # and the number of cards in each set and next to the symbol for that set of cards. This small symbol tells what what the rarity of that card is. The table below shows the Symbols and their rarity. not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey Find Rare Pokemon Cards at PokeOrder.com! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:25:30 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-good-earth Written by Pearl S. Buck, it was published in 1931 and is the first book in a trilogy.  I haven't read the other two books in the series, but plan on doing so as I didn't know they existed until I started writing this lens!  You learn something every day, especially when Squidooing!  So I'll be checking into Sons and A House Divided in the near future. The story centers around a Chinese peasant, Wang Lung, and his dream of making a better life for himself.  This starts with taking a wife, which he does by getting a slave girl O-Lan from the House of Hwang (which controls the majority of the land in the village in which he lives).  As he and his wife prosper, he uses the money they earn to buy more land, making them more wealthy. When drought and famine come to their village, they eventually gather their family and move to the city, but find life no better there.  During a riot in the town, O-Lan finds herself getting a fortune for her family by looting jewels from a rich house in the city during a riot.  They return home with their new wealth and start again, and replace the House of Hwang as the family of power in the village.  This doesn't erase all of Wang Lung's problems, though, it just gives him a new set of problems to deal with, like his sons, and his daughter who suffered brain damage from the period of starvation she experienced as a child, and is referred to as "The Poor Fool". I would recommend this book because it tells an incredible story of another culture that many of us know little about, and the Chinese culture is a fascinating one to learn about.  So many of the life lessons that Wang Lung and O-Lan learn through their lives, apply to us today. The book was adapted into a play, and the play became the basis for the 1937 movie produced by MGM. You can find MGM Gear at the MGM Store. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:30:18 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/tastiest-pizza-ever It's got tons of Pepperoni on it - and I absolutely love pepperoni. I also think Pizza Hut's pizza sauce is the best I've ever had! food-and-cooking Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:22:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/iloveteddybears I love teddy bears.  I have probably over a hundred different bears in my collection - mostly stuffed teddy bears, but also cross stitch kits featuring bears, ceramic bears, and a couple of latch hooks sitting my closet waiting for me to do. My love of bears began when I was a child, I always had stuffed animals in my room, and like many children had my favorites that I slept with.  As I got older, I never outgrew my love of teddy bears. I even married a teddy bear of a man, Dave, who had a collection of his own - so we brought together quite the group of bears into our home.  One of the cutest sets of Teddy Bears is the Care Bears - I have several Care Bears as part of my collection as well. I purchased a pattern book from Herrschners allowing me to crochet my own Care Bears, along with kits that gives me the yarn and accessories to make them. Here is the Funshine Bear that I made for my daughter, I also have a Bedtime Bear kit waiting to be done for myself. Another collection of very good teddy bears come from the Build A Bear Workshop.  I have two bears of my own, and have been selling clothes designed for the 17-18 bears as well as the 14-inch cubs.  I have both of these sizes available for sale at my website. So I thought I'd create a lens about the history of teddy bears, and my collection, and help you create a collection of your own by showing you some bears you could adopt. This is the newest addition to my collection "Nora Knittinnothing.. Cheap Therapy". hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:28:56 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-is-scoliosis Scoliosis is a condition of the spine, where your spine begins to curve where it shouldn't.  I was diagnosed when I was 30, after I began to suffer from debiliating headaches on a regular basis.  I was in chronic pain and finally went to the doctor and was diagnosed.  Since then I've been going to a chiropractor on a regular basis to try and minimize the impact on my life.  I'm doing much better than I was before, headaches still being a problem but not as chronic or as constant a factor in my life. My youngest sister also has this condition.  She was diagnosed as a teenager and was monitored regularly for several years (she was within a couple degrees from being put in a back brace, but it didn't get any more crooked).  When I was diagnosed, the only knowledge I had of scoliosis was from the Judy Blume book "Deenie" - I hope this lens will provide more information and resources to those who find themselves, or a friend or family member having to deal with it. healthy-living Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:36:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanahalloween Katiyana's Collectibles makes handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes.  One of the holidays that I have designs made up for is Halloween.  This lens is dedicated to the Halloween themed designs I have created.  All of these items are available for purchase at my website.  I currently have four motifs available in 6 different sizes.  My current selection of Halloween motifs are a Jack O Lantern, a pumpkin, a ghost, and a witch's hat.  You can see pictures of each of these down below. The six sizes of sweater currently available at my website include 18 inch American Girl dolls, 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, 15 inch Bitty Baby dolls, 17-18 inch Build A Bear Workshop animals, 14 inch Build A Bear Cubs, and 14 inch Cabbage Patch Kid Newborn dolls. Combined shipping & handling are available if you purchase more than 1 item, plus all of my items are custom made, so you can pick the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!   You can redeem it yourself, or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailing back to me. For extra savings - spend $100 on merchandise at my new website and receive FREE SHIPPING! Halloween is one of my major holidays for my business, it doesn't leave me a lot of time to celebrate it myself.  Is that way for you too?  Would you like to learn more about Pumpkin Painting?  Here is a guide you can buy to help you with ideas and learning to skills to decorate your pumpkins in a new, creative way that doesn't involve messy carving. holidays-and-celebrations Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:00:01 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/wickedvideoshowcase It is based on the book of the same name by Gregory Maguire which tells a prequel story of "The Wizard of Oz" by Frank L. Baum. It tells the story of Elphaba (who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (who becomes Glinda, the Good Witch of the North) - how they grew up, and came to be roomates at Shiz University, and later friends along with other characters including Elphaba's younger sister Nessa (Who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East). She doesn't play a part the the musical, however, as it focuses on the early part of the story of the two young witches forming their friendship, and then being torn apart after an argument with the Wizard. The book tells a different story than the musical, so I would recommend reading it. There is a sequel to this book called "A Son of a Witch", which tells the story of the aftermath of one character from "Wicked" after the witch's death. There is a 3rd book in the works. I didn't enjoy the 2nd book as much as the first. I would also recommend the musical as its very entertaining and the music by Stephen Schwartz does a good job of telling the story. The musical featured two talented young actresses in the lead roles when it hit Broadway in 2003: Kristin Chenoweth was Glinda, and Idina Menzel was Elphaba. Some of the videos shown below feature them in their roles from the show. While it failed to win the Tony for Best Musical that year, Idina Menzel did win the Best Actress in a Musical. See if there is a production available near you by checking out this Wicked Tickets catalog: Wicked Tickets holidays-and-celebrations Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:06:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bob-harper This is a fanzine about Bob Harper from "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. If you are one of the thousands of Americans fighting a losing battle against being overweight, chances are you have heard of or watched an episode of "The Biggest Loser" on NBC.  The Blue Trainer is Bob Harper, and I find him to be a most amazing person! He has many years of experience as a personal trainer, and works his team hard, but is a very compassionate person, even comforting a member of the other team when they needed a pick me up in a recent episode of the 2007 edition of the show.  He trains his team with his heart, as well as his body - and is very inspiring.  I've got the first The Biggest Loser book, and Bob's latest Book, Are You Ready, and even though I'm not losing the battle of the bulge as much as contestants on the show, I need to lose some weight to improve my health. If you're the same boat as me, maybe Bob Harper can help you achieve your goals too. He has recently established a new website to help us all meet our goals - check out MyTrainerBob. He is a Leo (same as me!) and was born in 1965. The new season : The Biggest Loser - Second Chances premiered September 15th!! Read the recaps! entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:00:29 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/grouchiest-muppet-ever Why is he the grouchiest Muppet ever? Well, because he is a grouch, and even though all grouches are grouchy by nature, but he is the grouchiest of them all! Oscar was one of my favorite characters from the classic Sesame Street television series growing up, because he was so contrary to everyone else on Sesame Street, and yet fit in.  Sometimes I felt like a misfit and alone when I was a kid, so I could sympathize with him sometimes. But at the same time, even being so grouchy, something he shows that he does have a heart, and it's in the right place. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:21:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-secret-garden The original book written by Frances Hodgson Burnett was published in 1909.  It's the emotional story of a girl named Mary Lennox, who is orphaned in India when her British parents are killed in a cholera epidemic, and she is returned to a relative's home.  Left alone and without any friends, her life seems miserable.  Until she discovered a Secret Garden, and a way into that garden, and bringing it to life again becomes her mission, along with her cousin, Colin, who is as sickly as the untended garden.  Together with the younger brother of a maid, the three children form a friendship that crosses class lines, and work to restore the garden to the beauty it used to have when it was under the care of Colin's mother, who passed away several years before. It's a lovely children's story, and one that still resounds today almost 100 years after it was written. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:31:38 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/knitwits It is someone who loves to knit, of course!  I've been knitting since I was 13 years old.  I started with two old watercolor paint brushes and some scrap yarn, and followed the pictures in a How-To-Knit book I got from the school library.  My aunt, who knew how to knit, and worked in a craft store for awhile, took pity on me, showed me a few tips, and sent home a gift package of basic supplies and patterns.  I still have them all and use them regularly in my daily knitting! I have an online business selling handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes that I knit on a made-to-order basis - which keeps me very busy from Labor Day up until Christmas, which is my busy season.  The majority of my sweaters are created using Intarsia Knitting, which is a special form of knitting with multiple colors at the same time.  I have created a lens where you can get more information about Instarsia Knitting. Over the years I've made sweaters, sweater vests, afghans, gloves, hats, and slippers.   I get the most pleasure from doing my doll and bear sweaters, with over 50 different picture designs, I get the most wonderful compliments from my satisfied buyers.   Please come visit my store and see what I can do. You can learn more about Knitting Essentials by purchasing tutorials like this one. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:17:53 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/mission-organization Home and Garden Television - it has a lot of shows about things to do with obviously your home and garden.  I am a pack rat and a bit of a clutter-bug, so watching shows like this one helps give me ideas how to de-clutter my world.  I could do a lot better - I'm a container-izer, not an organizer, so I've been told.  I love to buy baskets, plastic tubs, rolling plastic drawers, shelves, you name it, I probably have one of them around here somewhere.  But I never know how to use them.  That's why I'm a containerizer.  They even put out a Mission:  Organization book in 2004 with tips and how-to's.  I've GOT to get me a copy of that! If your office looks like this poor guy's, I bet you need it too! My copy of the "Mission:  Organization" book arrived in the mail at least - so I'm ready to start learning how to get organized, and putting those tips into practice in my house! Maybe you would like to talk to a professional organizer to help you get started with organizing the chaos in your life?  I know of one who does free consultations - you can visit her website at http://www.tamethechaos.com/ to learn more about her!  Here is the website of another one, who is a professional organizer who is also a Squidoo'er:  http://www.organizeclutterbugs.com/index.html Laura Leist has a website that goes with her book - Eliminate Chaos. home-and-garden Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:20:35 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/robindowens I tend to wander around in the Science Fiction area of Barnes and Noble and during one of those trips, "Sorceress of Faith" caught my eye.  Once something catches my eye, and the blurb on the back catches my attention I must buy!  I purchased the first two books, "Guardian of Honor" and "Sorceress of Faith" of the Summoning series, and just finished reading them when "Protector of the Flight" was released.  So I purchased "Keepers of the Flame" as soon as it was released, and I'm watching for the 5th book to come in the mail in January 2009! The Summoning series involves a world called Lladrana where the magicians/priests of the world are able to summon people from Earth, and transport them into Lladrana.  Their world is in danger from a dark and evil force, and they are sure that their only hope is to bring heroes from Earth.  However, instead of great warriors, they've over the first 4 books of the series brought an interesting mixture of women. Guardians of Honor:  Alexa Fitzwalter, an attorney from Colorado Sorceress of Faith:  Marian Harasta, professional student, amateur sorceress from Colorado Protector of the Flight:  Calli Torcher, a crippled, self-doubting ex-rodeo rider and horse trainer from Colorado (do you a sense a theme here?) Keepers of the Flame:  Brigid and Elizabeth Drystan, twins with the power to heal - do you think they're from Colorado too? Echoes In The Dark: COMING JANUARY 2009 - Jikata The Heartmates series is just as wonderful! Her birthday is November 8th. The finale "Echoes of the Dark" is coming in January 2009!! books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:26:27 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmade-american-girl-doll-clothes-showcase I sell handmade 18 inch American Girl Doll Clothes custom made to order - over 50 designs covering all major holidays.  I also have custom designs also available, which allow you to create your own designs. Combined shipping & handling is available, and I sell both through my eBay store and my own website.  Payment options available include Paypal, Visa/Mastercard, check, or money order. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/fruits-basket Fruits Basket is a manga series (Manga are sort of like the Japanese equivalent of our comic books, where the story is told through images) about a young girl named Tohru Honda who is orphaned, and finds herself through an unusual series of circumstances living with a couple of members of the Soma Family, Yuki and Kyo are two of them.  The Soma family is fairly well-to-do, and quite large.  Over the course of the story, Tohru meets several cousins and other relatives. The Soma family is keeping a secret - which Tohru learns - each one turns into an animal of the Chinese Zodiac when hugged by a member of the opposite sex!  How embarrassing!!  As the story evolves, we learn there is a story of the Chinese Zodiac about the cat (which is NOT one of the animals of the zodiac, however it is the animal that Kyo turns into.  Why this curse afflicts them isn't made entirely clear in the anime, but my understand is tha the manga tells the story much better and expands many themes that were glossed over or omitted in the anime, probably due to time constraints. This is one of my favorite anime series, because its so funny to see Tohru coping with the eccentric members of the Soma family, and helping Kyo deal with his anger at being the outcast (because he is the Cat).  The anime concludes with an emotional transformation and yet still leaves many questions unanswered. I have the complete 4-disc DVD set, and my daughter has some of the Manga.  One of these days when I have the time (how many time have I said THAT, I know) I want to read the Manga series to see how the story really ends. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:07:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemoncrystalguardians This expansion set of Pokemon cards was released by Nintendo in 2006.  The complete checklist is below.  The list is formated as follows:  card number, card name, and rarity.  The Legend for the Rarity cards is below the list.  I've also provided links to matching items on eBay for you.  Hopefully this will help you catch 'em all! Be sure to check out my other Pokemon Checklist lenses, and watch for new lenses to be created for each new release! You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:23:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-q-and-a I am creating this lens for my first Squidoo Webinar, to be held on November 19th.  I wanted to give all of the participants an easy way to ask detailed questions, and a place for their questions and answers to be easily viewed by others so we can all learn together.  There is lots of great resources available at SquidU as well.   I am a proud member of the OSI Rock Stars! OSI Rock Stars is an educational gold mine for online entrepreneurs who "Choose Success", as RockStar Founder Janelle Elms would say.  Through OSI Rock Stars, we have the opportunity to participate in podcasts and webinars covering a broad range of topics that all online sellers would learn from:  accounting, taxes, product procurement, search engine optimization, even Squidoo!  Janelle puts out a daily newsletter filled with kudos for the success that we have built, sharing questions she has received and gathering input from the newsletter subscribers to help answer the question.  The OSI Rock Stars brings together a broad range of people, whose group knowledge is available to all to learn from.  If you would like to get more information, click on the logo below. squidoo-community Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:28:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemonlegendmaker This lens is about the Pokemon expansion set released by Nintendo in 2006.  Below is a complete checklist of the cards included in the set, the list shows the card number, card name, and rarity.  A legend for the rarity abbreviations is located below the checklist.  I've also included links to Pokemon ex Legend Maker items currently available on eBay. Hopefully this will be helpful for you to catch 'em all!  Keep watching for new Checklist lenses for each new release! You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:53 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanaetsy Etsy is an online sales venue dedicated to supporting sellers who sell handmade items that they have created.  This ranges from artists who paint and create sculpture, to jewelry makers, beadmakers, knitters and crocheters.  Not only is an affordable sales venue for sellers, but it also is a great resource for buying supplies that sellers use to create their art. Even though it is reasonably priced, I keep only a part of my collection of handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes listed at Etsy, along with a couple of listings of trading card supplies which ACEO/ATC artists use for protecting their minature works of art during shipment. Anything and everything handmade can be found on Etsy, and the community has been building momentum.  Their headquarters is located in New York City where Etsy Labs can be found.  For more information come visit Etsy! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:14:47 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/casper-the-friendly-ghost I was introduced to him in comic books that my grandfather used to keep at his house for when the grandkids came over. Every time I read all of the various comics from cover to cover. One of them was Casper the Friendly Ghost. I had no idea he was a character created back in the 1940's! I hope you'll be able to learn more about this great Halloween character from my lens. I really like ghosts, I have one that I named Jangaboo that I have as part of my Halloween themed doll and bear sweater collection. holidays-and-celebrations Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:04:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/i-love-to-cross-stitch My online business involves a lot of knitting, but I discovered a love for cross stitching after visiting the Betsy Ross house in Philadelphia and I bought a cross stitch sampler to do.  Its so neat to watch the picture come together.  The picture shown is one of several Christmas Tree ornaments I've done. The easiest way to do cross stitch is to purchase a kit which comes with everything you need - fabric, floss, a needle, and a pattern.  You can buy all of these separate as well, or even create your own designs if you'd like. You can find supplies to start from scratch, or kits at many online craft stores like Joann.com or The Stitchery You can visit their websites by clicking one of the logos below, and check out their current promotions and sale items: hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:03:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanasamericangirlpage Katiyana's Collectibles has created a collection of over 45 different picture motifs that fit 18" dolls like American Girl and Our Generation dolls.  All of my sweaters are custom made to order, allowing you to customize them through color choice or even create a custom sweater with a name or initials.  I'm also more than open to suggestions for new pictures to put on a sweater - new designs will be added to my store for others to enjoy. My designs tend to be focused around specific holidays.  Please scroll down to see some examples of the holidays for which I have created designs. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. In the table below are a few of my non-holiday themed designs as well.  You can click on the picture to visit that listing within my store.   You must be an ebay member to purchase from my ebay Store.  Not an eBay member yet?  Not a problem - to sign up, you can click here.     hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:07:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemondiamondpearl This set of Pokemon cards was released by Nintendo in mid 2007.  The checklist below has the card #, card name, and rarity.  The legend for the rarity abbreviations is below. Check out my other Pokemon Checklist lenses to get more information about the past releases, and watch for checklists of future releases as they occur. You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:23:13 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/author-debbie-macomber She tells an amazing story, and creates such realistic characters that you find yourself caring about what happens to them, how they'll cope with the obstacles in their path, mourn for their losses, and celebrate the joys in their lives. You'll find yourself symapathizing with characters whose experiences mirror our own - someone who lost a spouse, or is divorced, or is a teenager struggling to fit into the world. What I especially enjoy about her writing are the multiple book series that she has written - I love a story that continues to be told, and being able to see the epilogues for characters from prior stories, to see what the next chapter of their lives has in store for them. Below, I have showcased several of her multi-book series that I have enjoyed (or look forward to enjoying!), and that I would like to share with you. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:04:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/kitt-and-knight-rider K.I.T.T. - the talking car that could drive itself, the personality, sarcasm, and affection put forth from a sleek black sports car just captured your attention. Knight Rider was created by Glen A. Larsen, and starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a former police officer turned into a private crimefighter who after plastic surgery was given a new face, and a new name, and the car, KITT as his partner. William Daniels provided the voice for Kitt, and Knight Industries was presented by Devon Miles (played by Edward Mulhare) and Bonnie Barstow (played by Patricia McPherson) who traveled around the country in a black semi that provided a mobile base for Michael and Kitt. After the series ended, there were a couple of made for TV movies re-visiting Knight Rider, centering on KITT, called "Knight Rider 2000" and "Knight Rider 2010" in the early 1990's. There was also another TV series called "Team Knight Rider" in the late 1990's. The newest incarnation is "Knight Rider", a two-hour movie event appearing on NBC starting on February 17, 2008. I'll be watching it - will you? entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:17:47 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/george-strait George Strait is my favorite male country music artist.  I've lost track of the number of times I've watched his movie, "Pure Country".  My favorite song is "Cross My Heart".  My husband and I chose that to be our first dance at our wedding.  Of course, when it was time to start the dancing, the DJ got the computer up and running (because we had our music done on computer) - and that song was missing.  SO my husband left our wedding reception for 2 hours to go shopping for a CD with the song on it so we could have our first dance as planned. Yes, I was really left alone at my own wedding reception.  Go figure.  Just another one of those funny memories I have from our time together.  I played it again at his funeral, and sang it softly to him one last time. Many of George Strait's songs will touch your heart and reach out to you, and that makes it easy to relate to them in some form.  I love music that does that to you. His birthday is May 18, 1952. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:07:27 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/hobbiesintobusinesses I learned how to knit when I was 13 on a couple of old watercolor paintbrushes, using scrap yarn, and following the pictures in a how to knit book.  I had decided I wanted a hobby, and knitting was going to be it.  As I got older, I made lots of afghans, sweaters, vests, mittens, and slippers.  It's something that I find very relaxing and fun to do.  Back in 2002, as I was cleaning out some storage, I found some doll clothes I had made for my Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, and put them up on eBay.  They sold, and one of the buyers told me they loved it, but would have liked it in a different color.  That's when the light bulb went off in my head - that I could knit doll clothes made-to-order so the buyer COULD get the sweater in the color they wanted.  That's how Katiyana's Collectibles expanded into the handmade doll clothes, and later bear clothes, business.  What started off as just cleaning out a closet, has turned into a business that crosses multiple sales venues including eBay, Etsy, Bows-End, as well as 3 websites that I've created.  They are http://www.katiyana.com, http://www.katiyanascollectibles.com, and http://www.katiyanashandmadecollectibles.com. Would you like to start your own craft business?  You can click here to purchase a comprehensive guide on how to start, run, and operate a craft business.  So - how do you go from turning a hobby into a business?  Let me share how I got there, and hopefully I'll be able to give you some ideas and insight to help you get there too. This Lens Is Proudly Featured On Shakadoo.com! 11/15/07 business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:34:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanaecrater I collect sales venues like most people collect books or shoes.  One of my sales venues where I list at is Ecrater, which is a totally free sales venue - ideal for sellers of lower dollar value items.  It feeds listings into Google Base, and the RSS feeds that I use here on Squidoo are AWESOME (scroll down to take a look). Because Ecrater doesn't have listing fees, final value fees, or subscription fees, I can offer my handmade merchandise at discounted prices through my Ecrater store.  I also am able to offer Google Checkout as a payment method in addition to Paypal - making it easy to make a Credit Card payment for your purchases.  I also take checks and money orders. I have stuck with listing my handmade doll sweaters and bear clothes.  Its very easy to list on Ecrater, either individually, or with the bulk loader.  You have to have a minimum of 100 items to use the bulk loader, but if you sell a lot of similar items and are familiar with Excel, creating your data file is fairly straightforward. I love sites that use Excel/Text file bulk uploaders, because I can use the same data over and over again by just copy/pasting the information into the template needed for each site.  This has allowed me to have my handmade sweaters in a lot of venues without a lot of extra work. To assist you in marketing your Ecrater store, you might want to purchase marketing materials such as business cards, flyers, postcards, or brochures. I use Vistaprint for my marketing needs, as they have quality products that are customizable, and reasonably priced. If you'd like to check them out, you can click the link below. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:14:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-phantom-tollbooth I love the story of "The Phantom Tollbooth".  This is a book that I checked out from the library every summer to read again, and as an adult, I was thrilled to find the movie on DVD, and it does a WONDERFUL job of telling the story, and features the voice talent of Mel Blanc. The general storyline is about a boy named Milo who is bored in school, and doesn't understand why he has to bother learning all of these useless things.  One day, when he comes home, he finds a large box in his apartment addressed to him.  It is a model tollbooth, with a small red toy car.  Having nothing better to do, he decides to take a trip, and goes through the tollbooth.  He finds himself transported into another world, following a road driving his car.  The movie does a GREAT job of this transformation, as Milo in the real world is an actor, and when he moves to the fantasy world, he and the world around him becomes a cartoon. Along the way he runs into some interesting places and people, like a watchdog named Tock (a dog with a pocketwatch in his body), and a Whetherman (who asks lots of questions).  He visits the lands of Dictionopolis, where words are more important than numbers, and Digitopolis, where numbers are more important than words.  Milo learns that the Princesses of Rhyme and Reason have been trapped in the Castle in the Air.  Milo undertakes this quest along with Tock the Watchdog, and the Humbug.  They encounter more interesting characters along the way.  I don't want to give away the total story, because you'll want to experience it for yourself. I think this is a great book, because it helps to show young children in an entertaining way the value of education.  I think adults would enjoy it as well, it'd be a great book for parents and children to share together. The movie is even more entertaining, because they do a great job of telling the story using animation that makes the story really come to life. Milo is played by Butch Patrick, best known as Eddie Munster from "The Munsters". Many of the voices are provided by Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny. The animation is the work of the legendary Chuck Jones, who was the chief animator on so many of the Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other Warner Brother cartoons. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:31:24 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-julie She is a child of the 1970's, with her story taking place in 1974.  She's a girl facing many different problems than her historical counterparts, including dealing with the aftereffects of the divorce of her parents.  She is one of four historical American Girl dolls that has a best friend, Ivy Ling, who is the only Asian American Girl doll. As the most modern of the historical American Girl dolls, I think many young girls will relate well to Julie and her stories, and she's sure to be a big hit! She even has her own Nintendo DS game available! Check it out below: American Girl: Julie Finds a Way Nintendo DS Game THQ $27.99 hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:13:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/cutest-pig-ever He cares about the others in the barnyard so much, even facing his own death. With the support and love of his best friend, Charlotte, he is able to persevere and rise the challenge needed to survive. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:36:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pinky-and-the-brain Two Lab Mice - one turned into a genius, one turned into a cream puff, constantly planning ways to take over the world. The DVDs for the 3 seasons are all available and will give you hours of laughs at their antics. Some of the re-occurring verbal gags are the best - such as Pinky's various answers to The Brain asking him, "Are you pondering what I'm Pondering?" entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:28:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/home-recycling It is a way for us to easily organize our recycling and make it easier to transport it from our house to the drop-off locations we use. Our recycling center is made up of 4 large plastic garbage cans with well-fitting lids.  As they are located outside, we don't want water getting inside and making a mess of the contents.  Each one has a garbage bag in it that can be pulled out and used to transport the contents to the drop-off center. The four categories that we recycle are glass, cardboard, aluminum, and plastics.  Mounted to one of the deck beams above the can that we use for aluminum cans is a can crusher.  You put 6 cans into it, and crush them, and they fall directly into the garbage can so you only handle them once.  You get a good workout while crushing the cans to get as many as possible into the garbage bags. Our recycling process starts within the house, as we have two garbage cans in the kitchen where we put the recyclables.  One can is for the aluminum cans, and the other is for the glass, cardboard, and plastics.  When the cans are full, it is my daughter's responsibility to take them outside onto the deck, and sort them into the proper containers.  When one can is full, she pulls out the garbage bag, ties it up, and we put it into the shed or garage until we have enough to make a trip to the drop-off center, putting a fresh garbage bag in the can. In addition to crushing the aluminum cans, we flatten all of the cardboard to fit as much as possible into one bag.  Once we have enough bags, we fill up the truck & back seats of the car, and off to the drop-off center.  There is one not too far from our house, with large green bins for the various items.  Recycling can be a great project to get your kids involved with from the household chores.  When we take the aluminum cans into the company that purchases them, my daughter gets to keep the money made.  If you don't have room to put together a major recycling center like we have out on a deck or patio, see if you can fit garbage cans into the garage or a shed - these might be even better options, to keep the cans out of the elements. With the aluminum, plastic, and glass items, its important to wash or rinse them before taking them outside.  Even with secure lids, they can attact bugs. We will be expanding our recycling efforts to include newspaper and scrap paper in the near future.  I'm hoping to include a designated area in my office (which generates most of this scrap paper) to be the collection area for the house. healthy-living Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:09:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmadecabbagepatchkiddollclothes My 16 inch handmade Cabbage Patch Kid Doll Clothes are available for sale at the Ecrater site.  My catalog of available products are displayed down below, with pictures and Buy It Now buttons that will take you to the Ecrater site to continue shopping, and to check out.  It's just that easy! This lens showcases my 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid sized doll clothes, and combined shipping and handling is available.  Why shop from me at Ecrater?  Because there are no listing fees, no final value fees, and no subscription fees, I pass that savings on to my buyers, and my items are available at discounted rates compared to my eBay store, for example. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them.  I accept payment via Google Checkout, Paypal, check or money order. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself, or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailing back to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:08:58 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/davedaugherty Dave Daugherty was my husband for just over five years, but my friend since 1989 when he moved to Lincoln.  He was a former radio DJ at a number of radio stations in Nebraska, using the handle "Dave Matthews". He left the radio business and got a "real job" as a computer operator, but couldn't leave Radio completely.  So he began the Nebraska Radio Website which grew to include the Hall of Fame. He passed away on July 13th, 2006 of a ruptured aortic aneursym.  It was very sudden and unexpected.  Since his passing, I've taken over keeping his websites up and running, as well as taking over the IT responsibilities for my own online business.  After the server that hosted everything crashed, I had to find another site to host his sites.  I'm learning a lot about computers trying to fill his big shoes.  culture-and-society Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:03:48 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/sarah-brightman but Sarah Brightman's career has been so much more than just that one role. She is a Leo like me, whose birthday is August 14, 1960. Sarah performed as part of the finale of the Beijing 2008 Olympics opening ceremony, performing the song "You and Me" with Liu Huan. This song is the offical anthem of the 2008 Beijing Games. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:27:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemondeoxys This is a set released in 2005 by Nintendo as another Pokemon expansion set.  The checklist below shows the card number, card name, and rarity.  The legend of the rarity abbreviations is below the list.  I'm also including links to Pokemon ex Deoxys listings on eBay. Hopefully this will help you to catch 'em all!  Keep watching for new Checklist lenses when new releases come out! You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-accounting-software-ever This software package comes with a very friendly user manual, with step-by-step instructions for getting started. For an online entrepreneur who wants to keep their own books, the system gives the flexibility for a very simple accounting system, or a far more detailed one. I've been using it for 2 years now, and it was the best purchase I made for my business. You can purchase a copy yourself from the link below. Sage software Peachtree First Accounting 2008 $59.99 business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:21:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/michael-crawford His unique voice brought the character to life in a way that no one else could - he was rewarded for his performance with a Tony Award.  However, Michael Crawford has done many more things than just the Phantom.  Hopefully this lens will give you a glimpse into the many talents of Michael Crawford, and highlights of some of the many wonderful performances he has had over the years. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:20:25 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmadebuildabearcubclothes My 14 inch handmade Build A Bear Workshop Cub Clothes are available for sale at the Ecrater site.  My catalog of available products are displayed down below, with pictures and Buy It Now buttons that will take you to the Ecrater site to continue shopping, and to check out.  It's just that easy! This lens showcases my 14 inch Build A Bear Workshop Cub sized bear clothes, and combined shipping & handling is available.  Why shop from me at Ecrater?  Because there are no listing fees, no final value fees, and no subscription fees, I pass that savings on to my buyers, and my items are available at discounted rates compared to my eBay store, for example. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them.  I accept payment via Google Checkout, Paypal, check or money order.  You can redeem it yourself, or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailing back to me. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:08:49 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/nicest-website-ever Squidoo is the nicest website ever because it provides an incredible amount of flexibility for its lensmasters to create lens on virtually any topic, for virtually any purpose.  It also has some very talented people behind the scenes who work so hard to make it the best it can be for all of us - and without whom none of this would be possible! It's a website that pays you to use it - it doesn't get any nicer than that! squidoo-community Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:28:18 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-amazing-race I love it because not only is it an amazing competition that involves both physical and mental abilities, but it also gives all of the viewers a chance to travel around the world through their televisions.  It has its good guys and bad guys, just like on Survivor, but teams are eliminated normally because of their own inability to complete a task quickly enough, or figure out a clue on their own.  Sometimes teams have been eliminated because they can't catch a flight, or a train, and its that outside of their control influence on the Race that makes it so exciting. My favorite team of all time would have to be the Hippies, followed closely by Rob & Amber (Or Romber as they're known) from Survivor.  There have been two instances of cross-overs between CBS' other major reality show.  A player from Big Brother brought her boyfriend on the Race, and was just as annoying in the Race as she was in the house (where she was the runner up).  Rob & Amber both played on their own edition of Survivor, then competed together in Survivor:  All-Stars where they not only finished first and second, but also fell in love.  They got married and their wedding even became reality TV! Anyway, The Amazing Race is a multi-Emmy winning television show on CBS.  The premise of the show is a race around the world, with Pit Stops scattered along the route.  Each team follows a series of clues that leads them along the race course, and they have to complete various challenges or tasks, usually based on the culture of the country they are currently in.  The last team to arrive at the mat of the Pit Stop is eliminated from the race - UNLESS its a Non-Elimination Leg.  Then they remain in the game with some sort of penalty. The winning team wins ONE MILLION DOLLARS! Amazing Race Logo T-shirt The Amazing Race 'Around the Globe' T-Shirt - Royal Blue Amazing Race USB Drive Shop now! entertainment Mon, 02 May 2011 20:27:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyana I sell custom made handmade doll clothes for American Girl dolls, Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, and Bitty Baby dolls, as well has handmade bear clothes for Build A Bear Workshop animals and Build A Bear Cubs.  In addition to my handmade items, I also sell trading card supplies and Pokemon trading cards.  There is lots of more information about my eBay store down below - so welcome to my lens! hobbies-games-toys Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:46:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2013 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future or past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2013 tournament: Selection Sunday: 2013 Opening Round Game: 2013 First Round: 2013 Second Round: 2013 Third Round: 2013 Fourth Round: 2013 Final Four: April 6 & 8, 2013 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. Please see the list below for the host venues for the first four rounds. After Selection Sunday, I'll update the lens with the brackets! sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:19:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-molly I have been making American Girl clothes for a number of years, but I had an Our Generation doll to use as a model.  For Valentine's Day 2006, my husband got me my very first real American Girl doll - and it was Molly.  Molly is the World War II era girl, dealing with having her father away fighting the war (he is a doctor), and dealing with the rationing and other stresses of being on the homefront when a loved one is off at war, and your mother is off working a job for the first time ever.  The picture is of my Molly doll as displayed in my house, along with her best friend Emily Bennett who is a refugee from England.  I purchased Emily for myself as a birthday present.  Molly is one of four historical dolls that have a best friend doll. In May 2006, my husband and I went to Chicago for our anniversary, and got to spend an hour at the American Girl Place there - it is the most AMAZING experience, and anyone with a daughter who loves American Girl dolls should make an effort to visit one of the stores.  I bought myself a Bitty Baby doll as well as several of Molly's accessories.  Fortunately for those of us who don't have one close by, there is always the internet. She is one of the three original American Girl historical dolls, along with Kirsten and Samantha. You can find Molly and all of her accessories at the American Girl website. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:20:42 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-addy It's very appropriate that the only African-American historical American Girl doll (Addy Walker) comes from the Civil War era.  A slave on a plantation in the south, after her father and brother are sold away, her mother makes a heart-wrenching decision to run away to Philadelphia with Addy, leaving her baby sister behind. It opened up a new world for Addy, but touched her life with so much heartache for loved ones missing from her life.  As the Civil War is also one of the historical eras that I enjoy learning about, I believe Addy may be the next American Girl doll that I add to my collection. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:59:45 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-ebay-challenge UPDATE! THE CONTEST IS OVER! Congrats to our 2 incredible winners. Yep, count 'em, one and two. Want to learn what SquidBids is all about? Check this out. Not to worry - keep watching SquidU for more challenges and contests and keep buildling up your lens count. Make it to 50 - and you could become a Giant Squid like these fine folks! I'm Katiyana, a Giant Squid with 200 lenses under my belt, and an eBayer since 1999. There is a lot of synergy to be found between the world of eBay and the world of Squidoo. And this is your chance to take advantage of that, leading up to the eBay Live 2008 convention (in Chicago, June 19-21). So here's the challenge, in a nutshell: Make 1 lens a day, spotlighting just 1 item or theme of items you have for sale, for 10 days. Winner (ie, the person with the best eBay lens as voted on by our judges) gets a free iPod, and way better: Lens of the Day and a reference in Seth Godin's presentation at eBay Live. Not to mention 10 great pages pointing to the stuff you sell... The Challenge starts Wednesday June 4th 2008, and ends on Tuesday June 17th at 10PM EST. (Hey, we'll give you weekends off). Read on for more details! squidoo-community Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:29:29 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/kenburns Ken Burns is one of this generation's greatest filmmakers - yet many people are probably not familiar with his work because he doesn't make Hollywood blockbusters like George Lucas or Steven Spielburg does.  Ken Burns makes movies about History - specifically American History, and does so in a unique way that draws you in the personal stories of the topic he's covering and releases his documentaries on Public Television. My favorite Ken Burns documentary is "The Civil War", pictured above, which came out in 1990.  The Civil War is a period of American History that I find fascinating to study, and Burns used extensive interviews with historians, pictures, film, and narratives from the era read by famous actors and actresses.  The film covers the events leading up to the Civil War, and the events immediately afterwards, and discusses many of the major battles.  What makes this version so fascinating to me is the focus on the individuals who were affected by the war.  The last portion of the last episode is sort of an epilogue telling you how the survivors fared after the war.  His latest project is "The War:  In Extraordinary Times, There Are No Ordinary Lives 1941 - 1945" and will be a documentary focusing on World War II.  What makes this project so different from the Civil War is that we having living participants here to tell the story - so there aren't the historians telling us what happened, we have the people who lived it, experienced, and remember it telling us what happened.  From what I've heard, it focuses on the people of four towns in America and their experiences during the war.  I pre-ordered my copy of the DVD and the soundtrack (with music by Wynton Marsalis) this week from PBS.  Like previous Ken Burns projects, The War will be debuting on PBS stations around the country.  Mr. Burns is a big fan of public television.   I could have gotten it cheaper on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, but I feel good about supporting Public Television, so they will continue to support filmmakers like Ken Burns in creating these incredible projects. His way of telling a story has become known as the "Ken Burns approach", and involves still photographs, home movies & period film, as well as limited recreations, along with narratives read by talented actors and actresses that come from letters, diaries, and books from the period. The music also helps to tell the story, a combination of newly created music, and the period music of the time.  entertainment Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:32:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/spamalotvideoshowcase For my 5th wedding anniversary, the finale of our trip was seeing Spamalot on the Little Broadway they have there. Front row of the upper section - and it was a totally amazing show. If you'd like to see it in person too, check out this ticket catalog to see if there is a production nearby: Monty Pythons Spamalot Tickets music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:27:45 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemon-jungle It was produced by Wizards of the Coast under license from Nintendo, and was the first after the "Base Set" that started the whole Pokemon craze.You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemondragonfrontiers This is another Pokemon expansion set released by Nintendo in 2006.  The checklist for the set is below.  The format of the checklist is card number, card name, and rarity type.  The legend for the rarity types is below the list.  I've also provided links to items from this set currently available on eBay.  Hopefully this will help you catch 'em all! Check out my other Pokemon Checklist lenses!   You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/nathaniel-greene One of my aunt's on my mother's side of the family has been into geneology for years and has put together our family tree. The most notable name on the list is Nathaniel Greene, who was a Revolutionary War hero who few people have heard about. culture-and-society Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:20:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/ebay-live-2008 eBay Live is the annual convention of eBay users of all shapes and sizes - little buyers, big buyers, little sellers, big sellers, mega-powersellers.  It gives the community a chance to interact with eBay staffers in a way that most people don't get to.  There is a huge Solutions Floor with booths manned by several eBay Teams such as the eBay Stores Team, the Finding Team, Buyer Central, and Seller Central.  There are also numerous Vendor booths for companies that provide products, tools, and other services to eBay users - USPS is there, Andale, Vendio, and other auction management companies, and last year, Squidoo made an appearance too!  The picture is of Megan Casey from Squidoo and myself in their booth at eBay Live 2007 in Boston. In addition to the Solutions Floor, there are numerous classes on a number of topics appealing to both buyers and sellers.  The other major events are the Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremonies (the evening of the first night, sort of a State of the Site report where Lorrie Norrington and John Donahoe will discuss changes to the site, and upcoming specials or changes) and the Closing Gala (a great big party with a special musical guest).  At the closing gala, the new inductees for the Community Hall of Fame are announced. This lens is about eBay Live 2008.  I will provide more information about it as the dates approach, and afterwards I will share my own photos and other people's photos from the event.  eBay Live 2007 Boston was my first experience at an eBay Live, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world, and I'm already looking forward to another fun time in Chicago. If you missed attending eBay Live 2008, the educational content is available for download on the eBay site. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:05:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/i-love-chobits but when he failed to qualify, he had to attend Prep School.  So he moved to the big city, found an apartment and started attending school.  In the world of Chobits, there are life-like robots called persocoms that function as a personal computer, MP3 player, telephone, and personal assistant.  But of course they're very expensive.  He wants one - but can't afford one.  Then one night as he's walking home, he glances into the garbage pile - and finds a persocom wrapped up in bandages.  Once he figures out how to turn it on (pun intended) - all it can say is "Chi", so he decides to call her Chi.  But it soon becomes obvious that Chi is not your ordinary persocom.  With his neighbor, Hiromu Shinbo, and a friend, Minoru Kokubunji, he begins to unwind the mystery of Chobits and Chi.  Even the Apartment Manager Chitose Hibiya appears to figure into the mystery.  Along with some funny and exciting mis-adventures along the way, Chobits is an entertaining anime and manga series.  There are some video clips below to give you a taste of the series.  You can see a list of the cast of characters from the anime in this article from Wikipedia. I don't want to give away too much of the plotline and ruin your chance to enjoy it for yourself, but I will say this is one of the first anime series that I purchased, after watching the first few episodes on Anime in Demand.  Its cute, funny, a little naughty at times, but an overall good time. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:01:24 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/big12 It was formed in 1994 by combining the 8 schools of the Big 8 with 4 schools from the Southwest Conference.  They began competing as the Big 12 Conference in 1996.  The 12 teams are divided into North and South divisions.  For football, the champions of the two divisions play each other in the Big 12 Championship game, and earns a berth into the Bowl Championship Series.  The Big 12 Conference is considered to be one of the "Power Conferences" in college athletics. When my school (University of Nebraska) isn't doing well, I will always cheer on the other Big 12 Conference schools.  It's quite amazing to have 3 out of the Top 5 BCS teams right now (Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma). sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:00:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2008 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future and past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2008 tournament: Selection Sunday:  March 16, 2008 Opening Round Game:  March 18, 2008 First Round:  March 20-21, 2008 Second Round:  March 22-23, 2008 Third Round:  March 27-28, 2008 Fourth Round:  March 29-30, 2008 Final Four:  April 5 & 7, 2008 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. Please scroll down to see the host venues for the first four rounds. After Selection Sunday, I updated the lens with the brackets! Do you want to relive the tournament again? 2008 NCAA Championship DVD - Get it now from CBSstore.com! Congrats Jayhawks! Get the official 2008 Championship DVD at CBSstore.com. sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:18:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/battle-of-gettysburg Not just because of the number of men who died, not only for the bravery displayed by soldiers of both side, but because it was the climactic point of the conflict.  If General Robert E. Lee had successfully won the battle, he would have had a clear road into Washington D.C., and ended the war in favor of the South.  The bravery of a few good men such as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine prevented this from occuring. If General Burnside had chased down the Army of Northern Virginia as it left the field, he might have defeated Lee and ended the war two years earlier.  There are many "What if..." questions surrounding this battle.  The battle took place over 3 days in early July 1863.  Imagine what President Lincoln must have thought as he learned of this great battle taking place, and could he have known how much rested on the outcome of this single battle. I had the honor and pleasure of visiting the Gettysburg National Park with my family during a family vacation to the East Coast.  You can buy CDs from stores in the city and take a driving tour of the battlefield and visit the famous places like Little Round Top, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard.  I got to stand at the place where General Armistead fell during Picket's Charge, and it sent shivers up my spine to actually be where these events took place.  If you have never been, I would encourage you to do so.  Also, a visit to the National Cemetery, where the Gettysburg Address was given, should not be missed. culture-and-society Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:29:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-samantha She is one of four of the historical dolls with a best friend, whose name is Nellie O'Malley and who is actually a servant in her house.  Samantha's family is upper class, and Nellie's is lower class, but that doesn't stop these two girls from becoming fast friends.  Samantha is an orphan being raised by her grandmother to be a "proper young lady", as defined in the early 20th century.  Despite their differences in class, Samantha is determined to be true to her friendship with Nellie, even though it causes some conflicts with others. She is one of the three original American Girl historical dolls, along with Molly and Kirsten. Samantha has had one of her stories told in the form of a movie, named "Samantha - An American Girl Holiday", and is sure to be a Christmas classic. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:26:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-josefina She represents a girl living in New Mexico in 1824 on the family's ranch.  After the death of her mother, her aunt comes to live with the family, and brings with her a lot of new ideas.  The stories show how Josefina manages to juggle learning the new things of the modern world, while hanging on to the traditional ways of her family and her people. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:13:20 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-felicity She is one of four dolls from the historical collection which has a best friend doll, a girl named Elizabeth. Felicity believes that the American colonies should be free, independent from the English crown, but her best friend Elizabeth Cole is a Loyalist who believes that the colonies must follow their king, even though he is far away.  They live in 1774 Williamsburg. Will this conflict tear the friends apart, or bring them closer together?  That is one of the questions that is dealt with in the series of books featuring Felicity. Felicity has had one of her stories made into a movie, called "Felicity - An American Girl Adventure". hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:07:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanascollectibles Hello there!  My name is Stephanie from Lincoln, Nebraska (born and bred!).  I sell Pokemon Trading Cards, Trading Card Supplies, and handmade doll and bear clothes that I custom knit on a made-to-order basis for my buyers.  I have over 45 different designs and multiple sizes ranging from 14" Build A Bear Workshop Cubs, to 16" Cabbage Patch Kids, and going up to 18" American Girl Dolls and 17-18" Build A Bear Workshop animals.  My handmade American Girl doll clothes will also fit other 18" dolls like Our Generation dolls.  My handmade Bitty Baby doll clothes will also fit other 15" dolls like Baby Born dolls. My most popular designs are always in-stock in my eBay store, however my full collection of designs is available through my website.  Combined shipping & handling is also available when purchasing through my website, and eBay purchases can be combined with website purchases through my checkout system. My eBay store is called Katiyana's Collectibles, and I opened it very soon after eBay introduced stores to the site.  eBay Stores as a product has grown along with my business and is a much more robust selling option than those early days.  You can visit my store here, and if you'd like more information about eBay Stores, visit the Stores Hub or the eBay Stores Discussion Board. Not an eBay member yet?  Not a problem!  You can sign up here. I used to carry the most current Pokemon cards produced by Nintendo in my store.  After Mysterious Treasures, I've gotten out of the Pokemon business, but I'll keep you updated about upcoming releases. All of the latest Pokemon news will be posted on my Pokemon:  The Trading Card Game lens. I'm a proud member of the Eclectic Avenue Mall, the Seller Resource Group (SRG), and Doors2Stores.   Click here to learn about eBay Stores and the top quality stores proudly participating in Doors2Stores I am also a proud member of the OSI Rock Stars! OSI Rock Stars is an educational gold mine for online entrepreneurs who "Choose Success", as RockStar Founder Janelle Elms would say.  Through OSI Rock Stars, we have the opportunity to participate in podcasts and webinars covering a broad range of topics that all online sellers would learn from:  accounting, taxes, product procurement, search engine optimization, even Squidoo!  Janelle puts out a daily newsletter filled with kudos for the success that we have built, sharing questions she has received and gathering input from the newsletter subscribers to help answer the question.  The OSI Rock Stars brings together a broad range of people, whose group knowledge is available to all to learn from.  If you would like to get more information, click on the logo below. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:05 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/financial-statements There are three main reports under the heading of "financial statements" - there can be variations or more detailed versions of each of these for any particular business, and the exact format may vary by individual or by industry.  The terminology used in this lens is definied in my Bookkeeping Basics lens - so if you don't understand something, please refer back to it. Balance Sheet:  The Balance Sheet is a summary of the companies assets, liabilities, and owner's equity.  For a Balance Sheet to be in balance, the total assets will equal the total liabilities plus the owner's equity. Income Statement:  The Income Statement is a summary of the companies revenues and expenses for a given period of time - usually prepared monthly, you can also have quarterly and year-to-date versions.  On the Income Statement, total revenues minus total expenses equals your net income or net loss.  This figure carries forward to the balance sheet as a component of owner's equity. Cash Flow Statement:  The Cash Flow Statement is a summary of the cash activity that takes place within your business.  It allows you to see how much money is coming in and going out in a given month.  This can be very useful for forecasting, and projecting future cash needs.  For example, if you know that you're going to have increased sales fees during the fourth quarter of each year, but sometimes those sales dollars aren't collected until later, you may need to pull money out of investments, or take out a loan to cover the cash flow if cash on hand is not sufficient.  Another example, if you can see that your monthly inflows are covering outflows with something left over, you can choose to put more money into an investment mechanism like a CD to earn higher interest rates, rather that sitting highly liquid in a check or savings account that doesn't pay as much. This lens will go into more detail about these three financial statements, how to prepare them, and how to analyze them. The financial statements are easy to prepare if you're using any form of accounting software, as most of them will have the basic financial statements already set up for you.  I use Peachtree Accounting, which automatically updates my financial statements for new accounts as I grow my chart of accounts, and makes it very easy to produce these statements monthly.  It also has a report writer capability so you can create your own custom reports as well, such as an income statement that has sales & fee activity sorted by Venue instead of by Revenues & Expenses. Another software package that many find useful is Quickbooks by Intuit. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:34:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/trading-card-sleeves To help protect trading cards, there are products like trading card sleeves to protect them. Soft sleeves such as you see below are very flexible, so do not protect against bending, but would protect a card from scratching. I've been carrying trading card supplies from Cardboard Gold Inc. in my eBay store for a number of years, both the soft trading card sleeves and the harder top loaders, and they've been a big hit with all of my buyers. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:33:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/tornado-safety-tips But there are several steps you can take to try and protect yourself should the unthinkable happen to you and your family. When you live in Tornado Alley like I do, you learn to be prepared, and to keep an eye on the weather during Tornado Season, as they can form and strike so quickly, you don't have a lot of preparation time in advance of a storm like a hurricane. These tips are provided by the Storm Prediction Center, and hopefully this will help you better protect yourself if needed. If you would like to learn more about tornadoes, I suggest you go to the Storm Prediction Center's website about tornadoes. This lens supports the SquidAid project.  The purpose of SquidAid is to use the Internet and move quickly to mobilize the virtual Squidoo Community to generate a pool of royalty resources to aid survivors of current and future disasters.  100% of the proceeds of this lens will go to the Squidoo Charity Fund - and be available for SquidAid projects in response to natural disasters taking place in the future. culture-and-society Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:33:19 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/timgunn One of them dealing with fashion, which I know absolutely NOTHING about, is Project Runway.  It's hosts are model Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, whose catch phrases of "Make It Work" and "Carry On" are always encouraging the designers to do their best, and sometimes that means making the best of a bad decision they've made.  He supervises the work room, and oversees the competition.  Heidi gives the challenge to the designers, leads the judges panel, and announces the results at the end of each challenge. The idea of the competition is a group of wanna-be fashion designers compete in competitions designing clothes for a group of models.  The models are also participating in the competition, as the designer who wins means a win for their model as well. In addition to Project Runway, he also has his own TV show on Bravo called "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" which debuted in September 2007. Here is a recent interview with Tim Gunn about his Project Runway and Guide to Style Experiences. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:32:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/thephantomoftheoperavideoshowcase It was my first and only trip to New York as part of a family vacation.  My husband, Dave, knew about the discount tickets sold in the center of Times Square, but kept it a secret from me that he was going to try and get us tickets.  He pulled it off - and we went to a matinee show that very day.  The music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the incredible sets, and the amazing story come together in one of the most amazing musical productions I've ever seen.  It is still one of my favorite musicals of all time. The original Broadway show had a blockbuster cast of Michael Crawford as the Phantom, Sarah Brightman as Christine, and Steve Barton as Raoul. It took a number of years for Andrew to be ready to bring the show to the screen as a movie - but in 2004 it finally was, along with a new song (Andrew created a new song as well when Evita was made into a movie). Below you will find some video clips from the Broadway production, the movie, and of course the spoofs that people make of things that are successful (but it's Will Farrell so you know it'll be funny). A quick summary of the story for those of you who aren't familiar with it. The story revolves around a young ingenue in the Opera Populaire in Paris, Christine Daae. She is the orphaned daughter of a famous violinist, and working in the chorus. She has been secretly receiving voice training from an "Angel of Music" who she never sees, but speaks to her from out of nowhere. This is Erik, a deformed man who has lived in the bowels of the theatre for most of his life, a genius in many things including music, who is knows as the Opera Ghost, or The Phantom of the Opera. When new owners take over the theatre, the Diva storms out, and Christine is thrust into the staring role and becomes an instant sensation. The Patron of the new owners is Raoul, a young man she spent time with as a child. Erik is jealous of Raoul, and this three-way love story continues throughout the show ending in a dramatic climax where Christine must choose between the two men. If you have not read the book by Gaston Leroux, you will enjoy it as well, but the emotion is pulled out of every scene with the words and music of the show. The Phantom of the Opera Tickets music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:31:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-king-and-i It's one of my favorites, for sure.  Starring Deborah Kerr as Anna, Yul Brynner as the King of Siam, and Rita Moreno as Tuptim, it tells the story of an English widow who is hired to be a tutor/live-in governess to the many children of the King of Siam during the 1860's, and the classes between English and Siamese customs of the time. The music of Rodgers & Hammerstein help to tell this glorious story with unforgettable songs like "Shall We Dance?" and "Getting to Know You". Deborah Kerr passed away on October 16, 2007. The story has been told in other movies such as "Anna and the King" and "Anna and the King of Siam", but nothing compares with the 1956 production (except for perhaps a stage production). entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:30:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/stephanie-daugherty My name is Stephanie Daugherty, although I'm better known by my online handle of Katiyana.  I'm a Leo, and was born in 1970 in Lincoln, Nebraska.  I've spent my whole life here, and would never dream of living anyplace else, because there is no place like Nebraska. I've been married twice, divorced once and widowed once, and am currently single once again.  I have one daughter, currently a sophomore in High School, who is my pride and joy, as well as my rock of strength in dealing with the sudden death of my husband in 2006.   I've written a Squidoo lens dedicated to his memory.  The picture is on my wedding day, and that's my daughter serving as flower girl and stealing the shot.  It's hard to believe she's in high school and learning to drive now. EDUCATION: I attend Ruth Hill Elementary School, Irving Junior High School, and Lincoln Southeast High School, graduating in 1988.  I then went on to attend the University of Nebraska on a Regent's Four Year Scholarship.  I attended school for two years, and then left when I became pregnant with my daughter.  After my divorce, and my employment situation became more stable, I went back to school and completed my degree.  I graduated with High Distinction from the University of Nebraska in December 1998 with my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Accounting. EMPLOYMENT: I got my first real job after my first marriage broke up, and I was a part-time receptionist in the Lancaster County Public Defender's Office.  That lasted for 9 months, until my position was cut from the office budget.  From there, I moved on to work in the Payment Processing department of UNIPAC (now known as Nelnet), a student loan servicing company.  I processed the Exception items, or payments that couldn't be processed electronically.  I was there for 3 years, near the end of my time there, they were trying to re-structure and re-organize the company, and my job functions were supposed to be moved to St. Paul, MN.  Fortunately my graduation from college made it possible for me to start searching for a better job before my position was eliminated yet again.  I got my current job in 1999 - I'm the accountant for a not-for-profit utility company here in Lincoln that provides electricity, natural gas, and related services to municipalities across the Midwest.  It's a wonderful job, and the people here are the best.  They've been a second family to me following the death of my husband, and very supportive when I've needed time off to do things with my daughter or work on my online job. The same year that I started my accountant job, I was introduced to Pokemon trading cards and online shopping, specifically eBay.  I started as a buyer, and then became a seller.  I now have an eBay store dedicated to selling not only Pokemon trading cards, but also trading card supplies and handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes.  I'm currently in the process of phasing out my Pokemon business, and will be focusing more of my efforts on my handmade doll and bear clothes. I am a proud member of the OSI Rock Stars! OSI Rock Stars is an educational gold mine for online entrepreneurs who "Choose Success", as RockStar Founder Janelle Elms would say.  Through OSI Rock Stars, we have the opportunity to participate in podcasts and webinars covering a broad range of topics that all online sellers would learn from:  accounting, taxes, product procurement, search engine optimization, even Squidoo!  Janelle puts out a daily newsletter filled with kudos for the success that we have built, sharing questions she has received and gathering input from the newsletter subscribers to help answer the question.  The OSI Rock Stars brings together a broad range of people, whose group knowledge is available to all to learn from.  If you would like to get more information, click on the logo below. Would you like to see my designs?  I've put lots of pictures down below - why don't you check them out, and then I'll continue my biography. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:28:29 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemonpowerkeepers This lens is about the Power Keepers expansion set of Pokemon trading cards released by Nintendo.  The list below shows the card number, card name, and its rarity.  A legend of the Rarity Abbreviations are located below.  I've also provided links to related items on eBay you might be interested in.You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:54 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemon-secret-wonders This new set from Nintendo was released November 7, 2007.  This lens is a checklist of all the cards in the set.  Make your opponents wonder what your secret power is.  In the new Pokemon Trading Card Game: Diamond & Pearl Secret Wonders, you'll discover new Pokemon that will give your battles a powerful twist. Plus, with more exciting Pokemon LV.X, more strategy changing Poke-Powers and Poke-Bodies, and brand new Trainer cards, your best-kept secret will be a surprise.  Secret Wonders features over 130 cards and remains compatible with previous releases. Official number of cards is #132 based on the pictures below - but there could be #133/#132 or more - so we'll see!! Checkout a preview of some of the cards from this set! You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:23:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2016 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future or past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2016 tournament: Selection Sunday: 2016 Opening Round Game: 2016 First Round: 2016 Second Round: 2016 Third Round: 2016 Fourth Round: 2016 Final Four: April 2 & 4, 2016 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Please see the list below for the host venues for the first four rounds. After Selection Sunday, I'll update the lens with the brackets! sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:19:35 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanahanukkah This section of my business again began as a customer request for a Dreidel design.  I had to so some research, as I was familar with what a dreidel was and sort of looked like, but needed more details.  I've since added a couple more Jewish themed items to develop a Hanukkah department at my website. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:14:59 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanaeaster Easter is another holiday that I have created multiple sweater designs for as part of my collection. Each one is showcased down below, and are available for purchase in one of 5 sizes from my website.  The available sizes are 18 inch American Girl, 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid, 14 inch Cabbage Patch Kid Newborns, 15 inch Bitty Baby, 17-18 inch Build A Bear Workshop animals, and 14 inch Build A Bear Workshop Cubs. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-address stamped envelope for returning it to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:14:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/diversificationhowtos "Don't keep all of your eggs in one basket."  It's an old adage we've heard many times before.  If you keep all of your eggs in one basket, and drop the basket, breaking your eggs, you have no eggs left.  This axiom also applies to your online business in two different ways.  First of all, just as you would lose all of your eggs if you dropped your basket, your business would disappear if something happened to your only online sales venue.  For example, if you sell only on eBay and your eBay account is suspended, your entire business comes to a screeching halt.  If 100% of your online sales comes from eBay - you're left with nothing to sustain you until the situation is resolved. Second of all, by keeping your eggs in multiple baskets, it gives you multiple opportunities for buyers to find your eggs.  By using a mixture of multiple sales venues for listing your products or services, you are creating multiple pages on the web for search engines to pick up upon, and multiple ways for buyers looking for your items to find you. I have been a long time believer in diversification of venue, but I have come to understand that not only is diversifcation of venue important, but so is diversification in your overall online presence.  Squidoo has been a key tool in showing me how that can work.  My Squidoo lenses have been excellent traffic generating resources to several of the venues where I list my products.  Some sellers find the prospect of diversification intimidating - but it doesn't need to be.  All you need to do is create a plan of action for how to handle your product listings across multiple venues.  Additionally, you should explore non-sales oriented venues that can be useful tools for creating and building your online brand presence.  These are the areas I will discuss in my lens. I am a proud member of the OSI Rock Stars! OSI Rock Stars is an educational gold mine for online entrepreneurs who "Choose Success", as RockStar Founder Janelle Elms would say.  Through OSI Rock Stars, we have the opportunity to participate in podcasts and webinars covering a broad range of topics that all online sellers would learn from:  accounting, taxes, product procurement, search engine optimization, even Squidoo!  We can learn more about how to diversify our businesses, as well as how to make the most out of the components we already have in place using the great information available at OSI Rock Stars.  Janelle puts out a daily newsletter filled with kudos for the success that we have built, sharing questions she has received and gathering input from the newsletter subscribers to help answer the question.  The OSI Rock Stars brings together a broad range of people, whose group knowledge is available to all to learn from.  If you would like to get more information, click on the logo below. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:04:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/clean-sweep "Clean Sweep" broke the complex job of turn a room from clutter to clean into small, bite-sized steps, which over the course of just two days, would make incredible transformations. Here's how it worked:  The homeowners would pick 2 rooms that usually were so filled up with stuff you couldn't walk or see the floor.  The "Clean Sweep" team comes in and empties the rooms COMPLETELY - out onto the lawn of the house.  You really get a feel for how much stuff you have when everything is sitting on a tarp outside! The host would then do a quick sort of all the stuff, dividing it into 3 categories:  Keep, Sell, and Toss - in just 30 minutes. After that, the professional organizer would work with the homeowners and work through the Keep pile a 2nd time, usually reducing it by a signficant amount.  While all of this is going on, the designer, carpenter and the rest of the Clean Sweep crew are working in the rooms.  Usually this means new paint, new window treatments, some custom furniture, and the rooms are transformed into more functional places to work and live. After all the sorting is done, the "Sell" pile is sorted out for a garage sale on Day 2.  There is a contest between the two homeowners - whoever makes the most money selling the stuff in the garage sale gets to keep their item.  You see, the host picks one item out of the keep pile that means a lot to each person, that the other person doesn't like.  If you lose, your item, along with all of the unsold items, are carted off and donated to charity. Then the homeowners are shown their two new rooms by the host. I learned a lot of great organizational tips from watching this show - like creating vertical storage when possible, and how to use baskets and boxes effectively to organize things.  While the show has been re-edited for its 30 minute time slot, the original show lasted one hour and was very entertaining to watch. Afterwards, I look around and realize my house doesn't look quite as bad as I thought *grin*. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:02:19 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/budgeting101 A budget is an aspect of running an online business that many people ignore, but can be just as valuable as your business plan.  What a budget does is answer the question "What is my business going to do next year?". Now, when you're dealing with an online business (especially if it includes eBay), that can be a really tough question to answer.  Will fees go up?  What direction will my sales go?  Will my suppliers change their prices?  Is USPS scheduled for another rate increase?  Some of these you have no idea about, some of them you can estimate, and some of them you can predict with some possible chance of accuracy. The #1 rule of putting a budget together is to remember - its just a projection, a goal, a target.  You're trying to predict what can sometimes be unpredicatble. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:09:42 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/ebay-store-referral-credits I can't do much to reduce my USPS charges or get my items any cheaper, but there is a way I can help reduce my eBay fees, and that is to take full advantage of the eBay Store Referral Code program.  Many eBay sellers may not be aware of this simple yet powerful tool which can help you to save 75% off of your Final Value Fees on your ebay Store Inventory transactions.  Yep, you heard me right - 75%! There is an FAQ on the eBay site explaining how it works, but I thought I would create a lens to translate the eBay-speak into plain English so more people can take advantage of this program.  business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:05:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/about-paypal Long time users of Paypal who have frequented the OAI message boards will remember Damon was one of the customer service representatives of Paypal who surfed the web, helping to answer questions and escalate problems.  It hasn't been quite the same without Damon, but there are reps like Amanda and Eric trying to fill his shoes on the Paypal Discussion Board. Paypal started as an independent payment service, and was acquired by eBay after it dominated the eBay marketplace even over eBay's Billpoint service, which had all the advantages in the world.  If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em.  If you want to learn more about the early days of Paypal, read "The Paypal Wars" book for the story from the perspective of an insider. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:21:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemon-diamond-pearl-stormfront It was released November 5, 2008, and is called Diamond & Pearl - Stormfront: * More powerful new Pokemon LV.X including Gripper Pokemon Dusknoir and SuperPower Pokemon Machamp * New strategies like Trainer Cards that can be played in pairs * 2 Theme Decks built around the popular Gyarados and Tyranitar * Holographic parallel set!!!! Over 100 cards in all!!!!! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:23:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmade-bitty-baby-doll-clothes-showcase I sell handmade 15 inch Bitty Baby Doll Clothes custom made to order - over 50 designs covering all major holidays.  I also have custom designs also available, which allow you to create your own designs. Combined shipping & handling is available, and I sell both through my eBay store and my own website.  Payment options available include Paypal, Visa/Mastercard, check, or money order. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/we-love-rent-the-musical This movie adaptation from 2005 tells the powerful story first brought to us in 1996 in the Broadway show created by Jonathan Larson, who regretfully died before seeing his show come to life. It tells the story of a group of Bohemians living in New York's East Village during one year of their lives. It covers a broad range of topics from true love, broken hearts, HIV/Aids, drug addiction, death, and of course.... paying the rent. Two of the notable actors featured in this film adaptation are Jesse L. Martin, who appeared in Law and Order, and Idina Menzel, the Tony award winning actress from the Broadway musical "Wicked". If you haven't seen the show, see if there is a production in your area and get a hold of some Rent Tickets music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:35:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-shop-on-blossom-street This is the first book in an amazing series that combines two of my favorite things: Romance and Knitting. The story revolves around four women whose paths cross in a little yarn shop in Seattle, Washington. It is run by Lydia Hoffman, a cancer survivor who has dreamed of owning a yarn shop. To bring in business, she starts offering knitting classes and three very diverse women join the first class: Jacqueline Donovan - who wants to make something for her grandchild as a gesture of reconciliation with her daughter-in law Carol Girard - who wants to make a baby blanket as a message of hope as she tries to conceive Alix Townsend - a troubled youth making a blanket as part of a court-ordered community service project. These four women come together and support each other through highs and lows, happy times and sad times. Their stories will continue through the other books of The Knitting Book series. Each book includes the knitting patterns for the items being created during the book - so knitters get a bonus! books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:31:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/tom-osborne who retired from coaching at the height of his career after winning his third national championship after beating Peyton Manning's Tennessee Volunteers in the Orange Bowl to end the 1997 season.  It will be an eternal "What if..." debate that year as both the Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers finished the year undefeated, and never got the chance to play each other, so they split the title.  Tom Osborne is an icon in this state, and forever changed all of college football. He took over the program from another coaching icon, Bob Devaney, in 1973, and upon his retirement in 1997 after the Orange Bowl game against Tennessee, he handed the reins over to his chosen successor, Frank Solich.  Solich played for a National Championship in 2001, but after a 7-7 year in 2002 and a 9-3 year in 2003, between the end of the season and the bowl game, he was fired.  Steve Pedersen, the current Athletic Director, brought in Bill Callahan, who has changed Nebraska from the Option team recognized for so long, to a West Coast style offense.  We haven't forgotten how to run the ball though - putting up over 400 rushing yards against Nevada in 2007.  I think Tom would be proud, even though we haven't returned to the national status we had while he was coaching, we're heading in the right direction. Many feel that the greatest team he fielded during his career would be the 1995 team featuring Tommie Frazier, Lawrence Phillips (off-the-field issues and all), and a freshman running back Ahman Green, who went on to play in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and currently plays for the Houston Texans. After leaving coaching, he went on with his wife to form "Teammates", a mentoring program for young kids to help give them a better start in school and in life.  He then ran for the US House of Representatives and won the seat for the 3rd District in Nebraska (which covers the panhandle and central part of the state).  He failed in an attempt to run for Governor in Nebraska in 2006. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. October 15, 2007:  Coach Osborne returns to the University of Nebraska as Interim Athletic Director, following the firing of A.D. Steve Pedersen. His first major hire was our new Head Coach, Bo Pelini. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:26:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemon-ex-emerald This set was released in 2005 by Nintendo as one of their Pokemon expansion sets.  The checklist below has the card number, card name, and rarity.  The legend of the rarity cards appears below the list.  I've also included links to current eBay listings for Pokemon ex Emerald items. Hopefully this will be helpful for you to catch 'em all!  Keep watching for more Checklist lenses as new releases come out! You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemon-ex-delta-species This set was released by Nintendo in 2005 as an expansion set to the Pokemon Trading Card Game.  The checklist below shows the card number, card name, and rarity.  The legend of the rarity abbreviations appears below the checklist.  I've also provided links to current eBay listings for Pokemon ex Delta Species items. Hopefully this will help you catch 'em all!  Keep watching for new checklist lenses as new releases come out! You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:23:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemon-great-encounters This set was released 2/13/08.  The complete checklist is located below. If you're looking to buy cards from the Great Encounters expansion set, check out PokeOrder.com! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:23:19 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/playing-the-clarinet Each one has its own range and place in a band, and share their names with different singing voice levels - there is the alto, the soprano, and the bass clarinet, there are also variations within each of these classes.  I played the B flat soprano (which is sort of what I think of as your "normal" clarinet) from fifth grade through high school, and my daughter is now playing my old instrument in her high school marching band.  The alto clarinet looks like a clarinet/saxaphone hybrid, and sounds kind of like an oboe with a very high pitched tone.  The bass clarinet is very deep sounding like a bassoon.  The soprano is sort of in the middle, but has a very wide range that lets it play low notes as well as very high notes. My best memory of playing my clarinet happened when I was in the High School band.  It was my Junior Year when we went down to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City for a symphonic band competition.  We were the very last band to perform on a Saturday night, and the legendary composer Aaron Copland was one of the judges.  It was just a coincidence, but that year our City Band Competition used a selection of Aaron Copland music for the All-City Band Competition (meaning all of the bands performed the song at the contest, as a way to compare the bands playing the same music).   The main piece of our performance was an arrangement of a work by Gustav Holst called "The Planets"  It was a VERY complex piece of music for a high school band, and challenged our abilities to the limit.  We enjoyed the energy of the piece, and there many times that the band director would have to reign us in because we would speed up with the energy of the music. So we performed in front of Aaron Copland at this contest, as the very last band.  After our performance, we headed out to our buses in the parking lot to put away our instruments and change out of our uniforms and get read for the 4 hours bus ride back to Lincoln, Nebraska.  Our band director came to each bus to tell us what a good job we had done, and how proud he was.  He was speaking to my bus, when there was a voice calling to him from outside the bus.  It was Mr. Copland.  He came down to the parking lot, to tell our director personally how pleased he was to have heard our performance that night, that he had heard professional bands not perform as well as we did, and that he was thrilled to tell us that we had earned perfect marks and won the Grand Champions trophy.  Needless to say, we were shocked and thrilled (imagine lots of high school students screaming, jumping up and down, etc, in a school bus).  I did the same, but then watched as this little old man walked away from the bus.  We knew of him as a composer, and had enjoyed playing his music, but to get to see him in person was such a thrill.  This was in 1987.  He passed away just 3 years later.  To have had the opportunity to perform before someone like Aaron Copland was the highlight of my life as a clarinettist.  I have other good memories of being in the marching band and the pep band at major sporting achievements like winning state championships in Girls Basketball twice - but musically, that was the highlight. When I went on to college, there wasn't time to continue my music, so my clarinet was put away, brought out on occassion for fun, but not really played again until my daughter was getting ready for fifth grade.  I took it into the shop for a good cleaning, repair job, replacement of the pads and cork, and anything that needed to be done for her to start playing it.  She received compliments right away about the incredible tone of her instrument.  It has aged very well.  Now she's following my footsteps in the marching band.  Who knows, perhaps she'll have a chance to play in front a famous composer before her musical time has ended. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:22:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/padmalakshmi 1)  Being the host of Top Chef on Bravo TV 2)  Being married to Salman Rushdie, the controversial author, until their divorce in 2007. But there is a lot more to this lady than just a pretty face!  Keep reading to learn more about her busy career that includes writing cookbooks, and being an Ambassador for a United Nations Program... Congrats to Padma, who is expecting her first child despite a lifelong battle against endometriosis. You can read about it here. She is the co-founder of a group researching this condition. You can learn more about her foundation here. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:21:35 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/nebraskacornhuskersfans so the song goes.  It is certainly true from the point of view of this lifelong Husker fan.  I was born here in Lincoln, attended the University of Nebraska and graduated in 1998.  My father had all daughters, so I became the surrogate boy and watched sports with him a lot growing up.  So I ended up becoming a huge sports fan in general, but especially a very loyal Nebraska Cornhusker Fan.  Football is my favorite sport, with basketball a close second.  Every year I fill in my brackets for the NCAA tournament and camp out for 4 days of almost non-stop basketball excitement.  I'm also learning to be a Volleyball fan after our Women's Volleyball team has had some amazing years recently, including winning the National Championship in 2006! It doesn't hurt to have the College World Series just up the road in Omaha either, for our Baseball team has been fairly competitive in recent years.  This lens is going to focus on the upcoming sports schedules, and I'll do my best to keep them updated with wins and losses.  I'll also include some other modules with Cornhusker related information and merchandise. For example, check out Fathead's wall art with the Nebraska Cornhusker Football helmet! Nebraska Cornhuskers Helmet sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:21:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/meg-whitman I actually got to meet her, and get her autograph on a couple of items during the eBay Live 2007 convention in June 2007.  I didn't get to meet Bill Cobb.  I also got to meet Uncle Griff and get my picture taken with him as well.  He's a big teddy bear who gives squishy bear hugs, and was eBay's first Customer Service Rep.   entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:20:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/Lea-Salonga-Chien She has played the role across the world.  She also made her mark as Eponine in Les Miserables.  She returned to the show, this time playing the role of Fantine, in 2007. In addition to her work on Broadway, she has been the singing voice for two Disney characters : Jasmine in Aladdin and Fu Mulan in Mulan. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:18:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/janelle-elms-rocks Janelle Elms is a leading eBay educator, helping people learn how to sell on eBay, how to build their eBay stores the right way, and how to make their business everything they dream it to be.  It's a lot of hard work, and she had dedicated herself to helping those willing to do the work and bringing resources to people who want them.   She runs classes, attends workshops and conventions, and is also a prolific author.  You can see some of her books down below. She has multiple websites across the internet, including an eBay store.  Her Online Success Institute provides a place to sign up for her newsletter, which has lots of great information as well as links to upcoming podcasts and webinars.  If you miss the live event, you can sign up to her OSI Rock Stars website and listen to them from archives. This lens is a fan-site about Janelle, as I am a new member of the OSI Rock Stars group, and am hoping to learn a lot of great information there that I can use in my eBay business. I am a proud member of the OSI Rock Stars! OSI Rock Stars is an educational gold mine for online entrepreneurs who "Choose Success", as RockStar Founder Janelle Elms would say.  Through OSI Rock Stars, we have the opportunity to participate in podcasts and webinars covering a broad range of topics that all online sellers would learn from:  accounting, taxes, product procurement, search engine optimization, even Squidoo!  Janelle puts out a daily newsletter filled with kudos for the success that we have built, sharing questions she has received and gathering input from the newsletter subscribers to help answer the question.  The OSI Rock Stars brings together a broad range of people, whose group knowledge is available to all to learn from.  If you would like to get more information, click on the logo below. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:12:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/thewestinggame This was one of my favorite books as a child, and one that I bought a copy of as an adult so I could re-read it whenever I was feeling nostalgic for those more laid back days.  I think adults would enjoy this book too - its only 192 pages and is geared towards children ages 9 through 12. The premise of the book is a mysterious figure named Samuel Westing who dies, and brings 16 people together for the reading of the will.  These people are strangers to each other, although some of them are families, but have all been named as beneficiaries in the will.  But the will turns out to be a contest - a contest to figure out which of the 16 people is Mr. Westing's murderer! This is an award winning book, winning the Newberry Medal and the Boston Globe/Horn Book award.  It was originally published in 1978 - but I think its just as enjoyable now as I did when I first discovered it as a child.  This was the last book written by Ellen Raskin, who was also an accomplished artist of book jackets. I don't want to give away too much of the plot of "The Westing Game" and DEFINITELY don't want to spoil the ending, but if you can get a hold of a copy of this book for your child and yourself, I'd definitely recommend it! books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:31:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/tastiest-soda-ever I like the variety of flavors available from Pepsi, especially the Jazz series of Diet Pepsi they've added to the line. They are Black Cherry/French Vanilla, Strawberries & Cream, and Caramel Cream. They've also added Diet Pepsi Max which is invigorated with ginseng and extra caffeine! food-and-cooking Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:22:25 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-kit Her family loses their primary source of income (her father's business) and together struggles to keep food on the table, and a roof over the heads.  There are many stories of the hardships of the Great Depression, but somehow hearing the story being told from one little girl's point of view drives home how difficult it must have been. Kit escapes the challenges of her life in front of a typewriter and dreams of being a writer. Kit Ketteridge:  An American Girl The Movie comes to theatures July 2, 2008!  You can watch the trailer at the American Girl website or down below! Kit's best friend, Ruthie, is now available for purchase from the American Girl website! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:17:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-kirsten Her family immigrated to America from Sweden, and settled in Minnesota in 1854.  In addition to having to learn a new language, she has to deal with new traditions and the uncertainty of living out on the frontier of the young country.  She is one of the three original American Girl historical dolls, along with Molly and Samantha. She is being retired to the American Girl Archives to make room for new dolls in the future, so you should get her while you can! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:17:30 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/american-girl-kaya She is a member of the Nez Pierce tribe, and lives in the year 1764.  She represents the oldest historical time period of the collection of historical American Girl dolls.  Her challenges include finding her place in her tribe, while still trying to be the independent person she is who likes to race horses. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:17:30 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanas-handmade-collectibles-doll-clothes Here you'll find a few of my latest items for sale over in my ProStore called Katiyana's Handmade Collectibles. Check them out, and if you like my stuff please leave a blurb for me. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:04:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/aaron-copland He was one of the judges at the Worlds of Fan Symphonic Band competition that my high school band was performing at that year (it was the highlight competition of our year, and the big band trip to go down to Kansas City from Lincoln, Nebraska). After our performance, he came down to the parking lot, where we were putting our instruments away and changing out of our uniforms, to congratulate us on our performance.  He said we sounded like a professional band not a high school band, and he was thrilled to tell us that we had received perfect marks and been awarded the Grand Champion trophy for the competition. We were so excited to win - but I was so touched that he took the time to make that personal gesture.  It was a strange bit of irony that he was one of the judges that year, because for our All-City Band contest, we had performed a piece of selections of Aaron Copland's music.  Sadly, he passed away three years after that event - but its always been one of the highlights of my time as a musician, and a favorite memory of mine.  So I thought I would create a lens to honor the music of the man who played such a key role in one of my best high school memories. His music carried over into the films and television too - so you may have heard a piece of his music, and never realized it.  For example, his piece "Hoe-Down" was used in the 1998 movie "He Got Game" by Spike Lee. He is considered to be an "American Master" of music. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:59:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-I-use-squidoo I believe I first heard about Squidoo on the eBay Stores Discussion Board on eBay, where I am somewhat of a regular poster.  Always looking for new ways to generate traffic to my eBay store, I created my first lens on August 14, 2006.   I don't remember too much about those early days of my first lens building project, because my husband, Dave had passed away just one month before.  I was struggling to find my "new normal" after his passing.  Being able to work on my business became a kind of therapy for me, especially as 2006 continued, because sales of my handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes peak from Labor Day to just before Christmas. Once I got through that holiday rush, my good eBay friend Marty/OnceUponABid, who had also found out about Squidoo, started posting about seeing upticks in the amount of traffic that his Squidoo lens was bringing into his store.  In March of 2007, he and I both began to really "work" our lenses to maximize the benefit we were getting from them.   We also began to suggest it to other eBay store owners as we began to see more and more results from our efforts.  The amount of traffic coming into our stores was increasing, and the number of eBay store owners building lenses also started increasing.  It was a movement that gained momentum, and gained the attention of Squidoo HQ *Waving Hello to Megan, Seth, and Gil*.  Prior to eBay Live 2007 in Boston, Megan sent an email out to a number of the eBay users who had build Squidoo Lenses seeking feedback, comments, and input for marketing purposes.  Squidoo was going to have a booth on the Solutions Floor at eBay Live and wanted to put together an E Book of testimonials from other eBay users, and put together a postcard with the URL to the free E book and quotes from other Squidooers.  I was fortunate to be one of those picked to have a quote on that postcard, and a section in the E Book.  You can find a link to the E book and some of the testimonials on the eBayers on Squidoo HQ page.  Just before eBay Live, Squidoo had become the #6 traffic source for my eBay store - and the majority of that movement up the traffic chart came in early 2007.  For August 2007, it was tied for 4th, so its still moving up the charts to be a major traffic generator for me.  For September 2007 - it was #2.  Only eBay brought in more traffic, making SQUIDOO my top traffic source off-eBay.  All of that occurred in just 1 years time - how amazing is that! The picture is of me and Megan at the Squidoo booth on Day 2 - and I'm wearing my Squidoo shirt for their big promotion they had during eBay Live (larger version of the picture & explanation of their promotion is down below).  Seth also gave a presentation, but I didn't get a chance to attend that *SHUCKS*.   He also gave a pre eBay Live interview with Auctionbytes - here is the Podcast. I've also expanded beyond promoting my eBay store to promote my websites, my Ecrater store, my Blujay store, my Etsy listings, and I've used the new SquidWho tool to create lenses on some of my favorite people (both modern and historical).  I even created a Nebraska Cornhuskers lens because I'm such a huge fan (it's in my blood, I was born and raised in Lincoln).  I can't stop building lenses because they're so much fun - I even started a lens for fellow Squidaholics Anonymous lensmasters like me. squidoo-community Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:09:24 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/greatest-football-team-ever They completed an undefeated season by beating Florida, the #2 team in the country, in convincing fashion in the Fiesta Bowl to win their 2nd straight national championship. Nebraska completed a season filled with off-the-field issues that never compromised their on-the-field performance. You can show your love of the Huskers in a number of ways, maybe you'd like a piece of wall art from Fathead featuring a Nebraska Cornhuskers Helmet sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:59:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmade-build-a-bear-workshop-clothes-showcase I sell handmade Build A Bear Workshop Clothes custom made to order - over 50 designs covering all major holidays.  I also have custom designs also available, which allow you to create your own designs.  I have clothes designed for two sizes:  the 17-18 inch larger Build A Bear Workshop animals and the 14 inch Build A Bear Cubs. Combined shipping & handling is available, and I sell both through my eBay store and my own website.  Payment options available include Paypal, Visa/Mastercard, check, or money order. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/temeraire-the-dragon To learn more about the world of Temeraire - visit the official homepage! Pictured to the left is book #5 in the series, Victory of Eagles, just released in July 2008! I just finished reading it, and it is as amazing as the first four books in the series. This series of books has been optioned by Peter Jackson, director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "King Kong". books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:29:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/robertgoulet I love the legends of King Arthur, so any storyline about Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table will catch my attention.  It is with a sad heart that I heard today of the passing yesterday of Robert Goulet, a great singer and actor, which a touch of comedian thrown in, who brought the role of Lancelot alive on stage across from Richard Burton. Remember those Emerald Nuts commercials - they premiered during the Super Bowl I think.  It was the ads where they recommended you eat their nuts to keep you awake in the afternoons, because if you fell asleep, Robert Goulet would appear and cause trouble in the office?  A great sense of humor he had, on top of that amazing singing voice. He was in the hospital waiting for a lung transplant when he passed away - just another sign that organ donations are in short supply in this country.  It's so sad, but he had an amazing career, and got to meet a lot of amazing people.  Scroll down, and learn more about this "American Singer from Canada", as he was called. 100% of the proceeds from this lens will go to the Squidoo Charity Fund, in his memory. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:26:15 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemon-unseen-forces This lens is dedicated to the Unseen Forces expansion set released by Nintendo in 2005.  The checklist includes the card number, card name, and rarity.  The legend of the rarity codes appears below the list.  I've also included links to current eBay listings for Pokemon ex Unseen Forces cards and other items. Hopefully this will help you to catch 'em all!  Keep watching for new Checklist lenses when new Pokemon releases come out! You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemonholonphantoms This expansion set was released by Nintendo in 2006.  The complete checklist of cards is located below, and includes the card number, card name, and rarity.  A legend of the rarity abbreviations used is located below the checklist.  I have also provided links to related items on eBay for you.  I know you've gotta catch 'em all!  Be watching for new Pokemon Checklist lenses with each new release! You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:24:53 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemonmysterioustreasures This Pokemon expansion set is on the streets, and there are lots of awesome cards included in this set.  The complete checklist is located below. In the new Pokémon Trading Card Game:  Diamond & Pearl — Mysterious Treasures expansion, players will catch the next wave of brand-new Pokémon that no Trainer has ever caught before.  In addition to some great new gameplay options like Pokémon with Berries, new Fossils, and more powerful Pokémon LV.X, Mysterious Treasures includes a parallel set with a brand-new holographic treatment!  Pokémon TCG:Diamond & Pearl — Mysterious Treasures features over 120 cards and remains compatible with previous releases. The legend for the rarity abbreviations I used is located below the last segment of the checklist. You can show you're a real Pokemon fan with Pokemon T-shirts like this one: not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:23:01 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-real-nancy-drew I have #1 through #56 in the yellow binding hardbacks.  I can remember my parents eating cereal and saving box-tops to mail in and get me books to add to my collection, and eagerly opening the box and reading each book right away when it arrived.  I thought Nancy was the coolest teenager I'd ever heard of, and wanted to be just like her when I got older.  That's probably how a lot of us reading it felt.  I really never knew, at the time, that Nancy's history goes back a lot farther than the 1970's when I discovered her, and the true story about who the real Nancy Drew was.  My first hint was when I looked at my very first book, and realized the copyright was the 1940's. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:20:49 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanablujay Visit my store http://katiyana.blujay.com   In my Blujay store, I currently have my American Girl Doll Clothes, Bitty Baby Doll Clothes, Cabbage Patch Kid Doll Clothes, and Our Generation Doll Clothes available for sale.  I also have my trading card supplies listed, and will be added the Build A Bear listings in the near future. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:14:15 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmadebittybabydollclothes My 15 inch handmade Bitty Baby Doll Clothes are available for sale at the Ecrater site.  My catalog of available products are displayed down below, with pictures and Buy It Now buttons that will take you to the Ecrater site to continue shopping, and to check out.  It's just that easy! This lens showcases my 15 inch Bitty Baby sized doll clothes, and combined shipping and handling is available.  Why shop from me at Ecrater?  Because there are no listing fees, no final value fees, and no subscription fees, I pass that savings on to my buyers, and my items are available at discounted rates compared to my eBay store, for example. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them.  I accept payment via Google Checkout, Paypal, check or money order. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-address stamped envelope for returning it to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:08:19 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmadebabyborndollclothes My 15 inch handmade Baby Born Doll Clothes are available for sale at the Ecrater site.  My catalog of available products are displayed down below, with pictures and Buy It Now buttons that will take you to the Ecrater site to continue shopping, and to check out.  It's just that easy! This lens showcases my 15 inch Baby Born sized doll clothes, and combined shipping & handling is available.  Why shop from me at Ecrater?  Because there are no listing fees, no final value fees, and no subscription fees, I pass that savings on to my buyers, and my items are available at discounted rates compared to my eBay store, for example. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them.  I accept payment via Google Checkout, Paypal, check or money order. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-address stamped envelope for returning it to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:08:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/celticwomanvideoshowcase Celtic Woman is actually a group of several women who sing and play musical instruments and that have a most incredible sound. There are several videos down below, so you can hear some of their performances. I've been collecting the CDs as they come out - I find them to be very relaxing and wonderful to listen to. I would recommend them to anyone would likes emotionally charged music. They currently have 4 albums out: Celtic Woman (2005), Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration (2006), Celtic Woman: A New Journey (2007), and Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey: Essential Collection (2008), which includes some tracks previously released on CD and some brand new material. There is also a DVD of The Greatest Journey Available! Over the past few years there have been people added to the group, and who have left the group during a pregnancy or to work on solo projects. The original women who started Celtic Woman are: Chloë Agnew, Órla Fallon, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Máiréad Nesbitt, and Lisa Kelly. If you would like to see them in concert, check out this catalog of Celtic Woman Tickets music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:01:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/presidentlincoln He was assassinated on Good Friday, April 14, 1865.  But he changed this country forever during his time in office. culture-and-society Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:59:45 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/building-a-lensography A lensography is very simply defined as a lens created by a Squidoo Lensmaster about their lenses. Now, if you are new to Squidoo, the logic behind creating such a lens may not be obvious to you. But if you've been using Squidoo long enough to become addicted to building lenses, have become a member of the Giant Squid Squad, and especially if you are a member of Squidaholics Anonymous, then the necessity for one will become quite clear. As a Giant Squid with close to 200 lenses so far, I found the lens list provided on our Profile Page to be less than ideal, and I wanted more. I wanted a way for viewers to more easily browse my collection of lenses, and a way to easily invite them to visit, and so I built my own Lensography. To help those of you are new to Squidoo and just starting to build lenses, I'm creating this lens to provide you some guidelines for creating your own lensographies. I'll also provide some good Best Practices you can use during the creation process, based on my own experiences. When your lensography is completed, I have a Links Plexo module just for you to add a link to your lensography, so you can share your lenses with everyone else! squidoo-community Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:18:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/lenses-by-katiyana I'm Stephanie, owner of Katiyana's Collectibles.  I've been a Squidoo-er since August 2006, became a Citizen Squid in June 2007 at eBay Live 2007 in Boston, and a Giant Squid in September 2007. As my number of lenses continues to grow, because lens creation is so addicting once you get started, it's harder for people to see what I've got going.  So I'm going to organize my lenses based on various topics.  If you have favorites, feel free to vote for them! I issued a challenge to myself and my fellow Squids and Squidettes to build up to 100 Lenses For Halloween 2007.  I successfully made it to 105 by 10/31/07. Current number of lenses on ID #1 as of 12/22/08:  198 and counting! Current number of lenses on ID #2 as of 12/22/08:  12 and counting! Current number of lenses on ID #3 as of 12/22/08:  10 and counting! Check out the different categories of lenses I have available: Lenses to promote my business My hobbies & interests Books, Authors, and Literary Characters TV Shows, actors, and characters Business Tips and Tricks The Sounds of Music Sports Themed Lenses Historical Lenses Miscellaneous Personal Lenses I host several Squidoo Groups too! squidoo-community Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:16:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyana-thanksgiving Katiyana's Collectibles makes handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes.  One of the holidays that I have designs made up for is Thanksgiving - these are both new designs added to my collection for 2007.  This lens is dedicated to the Thanksgiving themed designs I have created.  All of these items are available for purchase at my website.  I currently have two motifs available in 6 different sizes.  My current selection of Thanksgiving motifs are a turkey and a pilgrim's hat.  You can see pictures of each of these down below.  If you have ideas for other Thanksgiving themed designs, please email me - I find my buyers come up with some of the best design ideas! The six sizes of sweater currently available at my website include 18 inch American Girl dolls, 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, 15 inch Bitty Baby dolls, 17-18 inch Build A Bear Workshop animals, 14 inch Build A Bear Cubs, and 14 inch Cabbage Patch Kid Newborn dolls. Combined shipping & handling are available if you purchase more than 1 item, plus all of my items are custom made, so you can pick the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!   You can redeem it yourself, or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailing back to me. For extra savings - spend $100 on merchandise at my new website and receive FREE SHIPPING! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:20 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-monkees Hey Hey they're the Monkees!  This made-for-tv band was a hit in the late 1960's, but their music continues to be popular.  I discovered them on Nickelodeon after my family got Cable TV, and they were so funny.  When I found out they actually had made albums, I went hunting for them on CD and I have several. The band is made up of four young men thrown together to form a band:  Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork.  Davy Jones headlined an eBay Live gala. In additional to their TV show and albums, they also produced a movie called "Head" which a series of skits like you'd see on the TV show.  I enjoyed it a lot, it's very funny in a campy sort of way. There have been TV reunions of the band as well - they're one of those icons of the late 1960's that have stuck around. Over their careers, they had a number of hit songs including "Daydream Believer", which was written by John Stewart, who passed away on January 19, 2008. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:30:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/hundred-lenses-for-Halloween First, a little bit of background.  Back in August, the Squidoo HQ put out a challenge to lensmasters to build enough lenses to qualify for "Giant Squid" Status.  When the challenge began it was 100 lenses.  Now a lot of people found that VERY daunting, and impossible to imagine.  After a little consideration, Squidoo HQ revised the goal down to 50 lenses (but they had to be GOOD lenses, not spamming stuff).  So we're all building and editing and tweaking like crazy during August. In early September the email went out announcing who had earned Giant Squid status.  I was one of the lucky ones who made it!  But I didn't want to give up on the goal of having 100 lenses, so I decided on September 20th to start a 100 for Halloween challenge in the eBay Users forum over in Squidu. I'm creating this lens to showcase the hard work of all of our winners for the Hundred for Halloween challenge.  Each successful Lensmaster will have a section dedicated to them, and their Lensographies (either Bio Page or Lensography lens if they have one) will be added to the Link List.  Hopefully we'll have a lot of Lensmasters to showcase for you here. Setting goals like this in your Squidooing gives you a target to aim for, a way to pace yourself, and a fun way to learn a lot about your fellow lensmasters! Why don't you organize your own Lensbuilding Challenge? holidays-and-celebrations Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:11:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-night-before-christmas Who doesn't love this classic Christmas story? How many families around the world have made the reading of the classic tale of "The Night Before Christmas" one of their traditions? This latest reprinting hit the New York Times Best Seller list, a sure sign that the story is just as treasured today as ever. 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winter's nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night." books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:31:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/trading-card-supplies One of my product lines are trading Card supplies for collectors and ACEO/ATC artists.  I carry both the soft sleeves and hard plastic top loaders to protect your trading cards or works of art. These soft sleeves are great for protecting sports cards, as well as non-sports cards like Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, or Yugioh cards, from scratching.  To prevent bending, the hard plastic top loaders would be used. You can find all of these supplies available for sale in my eBay store.  Combined shipping & handling is available. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:17:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/eBay-Stores-Discussion-Board The eBay Stores Discussion Board is one of a number of discussion boards hosted by eBay on their site, as a place for eBay users to congregate and ask & answer questions about a variety of topics.  This particular board is dedicated to the eBay Stores product. I've had an eBay Store, called Katiyana's Collectibles, almost since the product was introduced to the site.  Over the years, I've found the eBay Stores Discussion Board to be a valuable resource for answering questions, and keeping up to date on system glitches.  I have found that my fellow eBayers are better at finding eBay glitches than eBay is at times - or at least the glitches rarely make it to the Announcement Board. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:05:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/atonement-by-ian-mcewan This book is the source for the emotional movie of the same name books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:59:48 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/20th-maine My favorite battle is the Battle of Gettysburg, and one of the Regiments that fought that day was the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.  The story of the events that day, from the perspective of the 20th Maine is depicted in the movie, Gettysburg. Having visited the battlefield myself, I spent the previous night in the same town the 20th Maine did the night before the battle.  At the battlefield itself, I was at Little Round Top, and stood on the same ground that Chamberlain and his men defended to the last, protecting the far left flank of the entire Union Army at Gettysburg. The dramatic battle ended when Chamberlain ordered a bayonette charge (as his men were rapidly running out of ammunition).  Charging down the hill, the Confederates, who were exhausted after a long morning's march before the fight, surrendered in large numbers.  If not for the valiant efforts of the 20th Maine, the Union Army may well have been flanked at Little Round Top, and the tide of the entire Civil War might have swung to the Confederate's side and changed the course of the war. Gettysburg is not the only engagement that the 20th Maine participated in - in fact they were present at a number of major engagements and events during the Civil War, including the Battle of Fredericksburg and at Appomattox, where Lee surrendered to Grant, and eventually led to the end of the conflict. culture-and-society Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:59:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmadeamericangirldollclotheskatiyana My 18 inch handmade American Girl Doll Clothes are available for sale at the Ecrater site.  My catalog of available products are displayed down below, with pictures and Buy It Now buttons that will take you to the Ecrater site to continue shopping, and to check out.  It's just that easy! This lens showcases my 18 inch American Girl sized doll clothes, and combined shipping & handling is available.  Why shop from me at Ecrater?  Because there are no listing fees, no final value fees, and no subscription fees, I pass that savings on to my buyers, and my items are available at discounted rates compared to my eBay store, for example. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them.  I accept payment via Google Checkout, Paypal, check or money order. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:07:48 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/coolest-ebayer-ever Marty is one of the most enthusiastic eBay sellers I've ever met. His positive attitude, emotional support, and belief in the eBay seller community constantly displays itself in a variety of ways. He is an active participant in the eBay Store Discussion Board, and a moderator of the Seller Resource Group, and eBay Group of 300 sellers looking for advice and support as we grow our eBay businesses. He was recognized for his work on behalf of the eBay Community in 2007 when he was inducted in the eBay Community Hall of Fame at eBay Live 2007 in Boston. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:02:20 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanachristmas Katiyana's Collectibles has an extensive collection of Christmas themed doll and bear sweaters as part of my collection.  This lens is dedicated to showing off those designs.  All of these handmade doll clothes and bear clothes are available for purchase at my website.  These items are all knit by myself on a made-to-order basis, allowing to pick the colors used to make it, and select customization options (which vary by design). Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-address stamped envelope for returning it to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:14:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/march-madness-2015 Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Looking for information on future or past NCAA Tournaments? Here are the important dates for the 2015 tournament: Selection Sunday: 2015 Opening Round Game: 2015 First Round: 2015 Second Round: 2015 Third Round: 2015 Fourth Round: 2015 Final Four: April 4 & 6, 2015 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. Please see the list below for the host venues for the first four rounds. After Selection Sunday, I'll update the lens with the brackets! sports-and-recreation Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:50:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/twelvegirlsbandvideoshowcase They are a group of young Chinese women performing classic and modern music on classical Chinese instruments.  They were formed back in 2001 after a huge audition process - and only 12 were selected, as 12 is the symbolic number of womanhood in Chinese numerology.  They were organized by Wang Xiao-Jing.  Their first album was a huge hit in Japan, and eventually made it over to the United States, where it was also extremely successful, thanks in part of a TV campaign introducing them.  They have done a series of tours performing their wide variety of music using these incredible instruments. The instruments used include : erhu (Chinese fiddle), pipa (pear-shaped lute), guzheng (zither), yangqin (hammered dulcimer), dizi (transverse flute), and xiao (vertical flute). There are some occassions where the duxianqin (single-stringed zither) and hulusi (three-piped gourd flute) are employed.  The music speaks for itself, so please listen to some of the videos down below, and be enchanted by their talents. I have the "Eastern Energy" CD and it's a very relaxing CD to listen to when I'm getting ready to sleep. If you'd like to see them in concert, check this out to see if there available some Twelve Girls Band Tickets. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:34:38 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/topchefvideoshowcase It's purpose is to find the next hot chef, and give them the funds to start their own restaurant.  This is done through a series of challenges (sometimes as individuals and sometimes as teams), to prove their capabilities as a chefs, in both the ability to create tasty foods with pretty presentations, to working well with others, to being creative and quick on their feet. The 3rd season recently wrapped up in Miami - you can read more about this show on the Bravo TV website. The 4th Season set in Chicago has just concluded, and the show had it's first female winner, Stephanie Izard. The 5th Season set in New York premieres November 12, 2008.The current host is Padma Lakshmi. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:32:21 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-handmaids-tale a tragic tale of a world turned upside for a woman forced to give up the life and family she had to serve the new society formed after pollution and war devastate the United States.   "Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead.  She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read.  She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge.  But all of that is gone now... everything has changed."  books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:30:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-avengers It often aired late night on CBS after their nightly movie or syndicated programming, and I can remember several times sneaking downstairs to watch an episode with the volume turned down as low as I could while still being able to hear it. My favorite episodes were sometimes the oddest ones, like the one about making nightmares come true, or the evil nanny. I definitely enjoyed the Emma Peel episodes the best of all of them that I've seen. Below are some video snippets from "The Avengers" you might enjoy. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:29:42 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/greatest-album-cover-ever It is by far one of the most creative, and innovative covers for any record album. The creativity of the album cover carries through to the music contained within. It's also so bright and colorful, and it's quite the challenge to identify all of the people included in the cover (it's a great party game!) This album along with the movie, "Yellow Submarine" are my favorite two Beatles projects. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:27:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/san-francisco-49ers-video-showcase During their glory years of multiple Super Bowl wins, with players like Roger Craig (from Nebraska) and Tom Rathman (also from Nebraska) backing up Joe Montana and making some of the greatest Super Bowl memories ever.  Their star has faded a bit from that time, but its good to remember those glory days. sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:26:43 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/robin-hobb I discovered the works of Robin Hobb by accident while searching the Science Fiction section at Barnes and Noble back in January.  I am a regular in that section of the store, and usually just walk down the shelves looking for something that catches my eye.  "Mad Ship" caught my eye, and then I saw the other series she's written alongside it.  I always try to buy all of the books in a series when I can, so that I can read a story in its entirety without waiting for a new novel to come out. All three of these trilogies take place in the same fantasy world, but in different geographical regions of it. The first triology I read was "The Liveship Traders" series.  This is a fascinating world of merchants, magic, and politics involving living ships and dragons mixed in.  The three books in this series are "Ship of Magic", "Mad Ship", and "Ship of Destiny". I just finished reading the The Farseer series, and am enjoying it just as much as I did "The Liveship Traders" series.  The three books in this series are "Assassin's Apprentice", "Royal Assassin", and "Assassin's Quest". I've now moved on to the three books of The Tawny Man series, which is a sequel series to The Farseer series.   The three books in this trilogy are "Fool's Errand", "Golden Fool", and "Fool's Fate".  I'm found in book #1 two of the characters did visit a place key to the storyline of the Liveship Trilogy.  Plus it turns out that a character from the Farseer trilogy DID appear in the Liveship trilogy (and the events of that series takes place during the 15 year gap between Farseer and Tawny Man).  I am SO enjoying the series and the new plot twists!!!  I finished reading the series and it was just totally cool how things ended up fitting together.  It ended up being like a 9-book series instead of 3 separate triologies - although you can enjoy each one on its own as well. I'd definitely recommend any of these books if you like fantasy genre novels. There is also another series called the Soldier Son Series which I've just gotten the first book of.  I'm waiting for book #2 to be released in Paperback, and book #3 is still coming!  I don't know if these take place in the same world too or not (I hope they do!). books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:26:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/reba-mcentire-music-videos-showcase I just love her music so much, I thought I'd take advantage of the new SquidVids tool to make a second lens about her music, specifically focused on her very cool music videos.  You can visit my Reba SquidWho lens too if you'd like. Reba does the most amazing job of translating the stories of her songs into video.  My favorites include "Fancy", "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", "Does He Love You", and the newest one, "Because of You" from her new Duets CD, which she performs with American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. Another amazing thing about Reba McEntire is how much she chooses to give back.  She has raised awareness about literacy by encouraging people to donate books, and she had a series of special concerts in Las Vegas in 2006 to raise money for Habitat for Humanity (which is one of the subjects of another song on her new Duets CD, "Everyday People"). music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:25:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pokemon-majestic-dawn Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Majestic Dawn was released May 28, 2008. This lens is a checklist of the cards in the set, and provide you links to purchase your own cards. The fifth expansion in the popular Diamond & Pearl Series will feature exciting Pokemon like Leafeon, Glaceon, and Garchomp LV.X, and more brandnew Diamond & Pearl Pokemon like the mysterious Water Pokemon Phione. And with more of the powerful Pokemon LV. not a game, dammit. Baseball Jersey hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:23:25 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/matthew-sweet Matthew is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and went to the same High School I did, and burst onto the national music scene with his song & CD, "Girlfriend". You can check out his My Space page to see what he's up to now!  He's also an anime fan, like me, and has used anime clips in several of his music videos.  You can check some of them out down below!   music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:19:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-villain-ever He comes back from the brink of death, kills everyone in his way, and makes it to the brink of success, before ultimately being defeated by the powers of Good. His snake-like appearance when he returns from the brink of death is almost the definition of evil, and living as a parasite on the back of Professor Quirrel's head in the first one shows how desperate to live he was, and how little he cared about his followers. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:18:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/kushiel Travel to the world of Terre D'Ange through the magical books of the Kushiel's Legacy series.  The saga has been written in two sets of three books.  The first trilogy is: Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Avatar, and Kushiel's Chosen, and the primary character is Phedre no Delaunay. The second trilogy is:  Kushiel's Scion, Kushiel's Justice, and Kushiel's Mercy (publication upcoming in 2008), and the primary character is Imriel de la Courcel, the foster son of Phaedre.  Ms. Carey is working on a third trilogy taking place in the world of Terre D'Ange, but taking place in the future with a new set of characters. The first book, "Naamah's Kiss" comes out in June 2009. The map of Terre D'Ange is France within Europe, and there are many medieval/early Renaissance characteristics in her books, and a lot of mature content.  Terre D'Ange is a land where Love rules, in all of it's forms, in the worship of Elua and his Companions.  "Love as thou wilt."  This is definitely not a series of books for the under 18 crowd, but the sexual content only serves to enrich an incredible storyline and amazing character development.  Be aware there is S&M, homosexual, and other sexually related themes occurring in these books. These are the kind of books that you won't want to put down once you start reading, and each cliff-hanger will have you on the edge of your chair. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:18:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanas-collectibles First, who is Katiyana?  Well, Katiyana Swiftarrow was a Dungeons and Dragons character of mine back when I used to play in college.  She was a battle mage archer who shot first, and asked questions later..... if you survived.  A woman with attitude, confidence, and her own island called Provencia!  She was by far my favorite character from my playing days.  When I started going online, I decided to use Katiyana as my handle.  I had originally made up the name by combining syllables of other names like Katya and Christiana.  I found out later - its apparently an Eskimo word for snow, and has been used by other people for some fantasy writing.  Who knew?  :)  I joined eBay in 1999, and of course chose the handle of katiyana.  I started as a buyer, and then started selling Pokemon trading card singles.  When eBay introduced the concept of eBay Stores to the site, I knew it would be a good fit for my business.  Katiyana's Collectibles was the name I chose for my eBay store when I opened it back in 2002 or 2003 (it's been so long, I don't remember any more!).   As I expanded to other sales venues and my own websites, I continued to use the name (or variations of it like Katiyana's Handmade Collectibles).  I currently have listings up on Etsy, Ecrater, and Blujay in addition to eBay.  I wanted to build my brand around the name - katiyana - which is very memorable, although I've found that few people know how to pronounce it.  I pronounce it as either cot-e-yaa-naa or cat-e-yaa-naa.  Either one works.  While I was at eBay Live 2007 this year, I was answering both to my eBay handle and my given name - because more people know me as Katiyana than Stephanie.  :) I am a proud member of the OSI Rock Stars! OSI Rock Stars is an educational gold mine for online entrepreneurs who "Choose Success", as RockStar Founder Janelle Elms would say.  Through OSI Rock Stars, we have the opportunity to participate in podcasts and webinars covering a broad range of topics that all online sellers would learn from:  accounting, taxes, product procurement, search engine optimization, even Squidoo!  Janelle puts out a daily newsletter filled with kudos for the success that we have built, sharing questions she has received and gathering input from the newsletter subscribers to help answer the question.  The OSI Rock Stars brings together a broad range of people, whose group knowledge is available to all to learn from.  If you would like to get more information, click on the logo below. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:17:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmade-cabbage-patch-kid-doll-clothes-showcase I sell handmade 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid Doll Clothes custom made to order - over 50 designs covering all major holidays.  I also have custom designs also available, which allow you to create your own designs. Combined shipping & handling is available, and I sell both through my eBay store and my own website.  Payment options available include Paypal, Visa/Mastercard, check, or money order. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:56 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanabacktoschool One of my newer themes for my doll and bear sweaters are back to school motifs.  I only recently added one of these designs to my collection, and I never start a new category until I have at least 2 designs in it.  This lens is dedicated to the Back To School themed designs in my website. I have these designs available in the following sizes:  18 inch American Girl dolls, 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, 15 inch Bitty Baby dolls, 17-18 inch Build A Bear Workshop animals, 14 inch Build A Bear Workshop cubs, and 14 inch Cabbage Patch Kid Newborns. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-address stamped envelope for returning it to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:14:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanasports Due to buyer requests, I also have a couple of sports themed designs available.  Before you ask, the football one is in the works, just hasn't made it to the design stage yet.  :)  These sweaters are available in five sizes:  18 inch American Girl dolls, 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, 15 inch Bitty Baby dolls, 17-18 inch Build A Bear Workshop animals, and 14 inch Build A Bear Cubs.  I have them available for sale in my website. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself, or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailing back to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:14:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanaanimals One of my popular themes for my doll and bear sweaters are animal motifs.  I have several that overlap with my holiday themes, and several more besides.  This lens is dedicated to the animal themed designs in my website. These designs are available in 6 different sizes:  18 inch American Girl dolls, 16 inch Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, 15 inch Bitty Baby dolls, 17-18 inch Build A Bear Workshop animals, 14 inch Build A Bear Cubs, and 14 inch Cabbage Patch Kid Newborn dolls. Combined shipping and handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater! hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:13:54 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/joshua-lawrence-chamberlain I have been a student of history for a number of years, and find The Civil War to be one of the most interesting in American History.  From 1861 to 1865, our country was torn around, brother turned against brother, in the only Civil War to occur on American soil.  One of the greatest battles was the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.  One of the greatest leaders to emerge from that battle was Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain from the 20th Maine regiment. culture-and-society Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:13:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/handmadeourgenerationdollclothes My 18 inch handmade Our Generation Doll Clothes are available for sale at the Ecrater site.  My catalog of available products are displayed down below, with pictures and Buy It Now buttons that will take you to the Ecrater site to continue shopping, and to check out.  How easy is that? This lens showcases my 18 inch Our Generation sized doll clothes, and combined shipping & handling is available.  Why shop from me at Ecrater?  Because there are no listing fees, no final value fees, and no subscription fees, I pass that savings on to my buyers, and my items are available at discounted rates compared to my eBay store, for example. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them.  I accept payment via Google Checkout, Paypal, check or money order. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself, or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailing back to me. All of these Our Generation doll clothes are knit on a made-to-order basis, meaning you'll get to pick the colors used in the design, plus any additional customization options available (will vary by design). hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:09:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/george-strait-music-videos-showcase I already have a lens about him, but I decided to make a second lens focused on his music videos using the new SquidVids system.  You can check out my George Strait SquidWho lens if you'd like to see more. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:07:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/eliminate-chaos-teenager-bedroom and my daughter hasn't fallen far from the tree. There are few things as messy as a teenager's bedroom : the local landfill or a pigpen come to mind. BUT we are using the tools provided by Laura Leist in her book, "Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home and Life" to turn that around for her as well as myself. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:06:38 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/eliminate-chaos-the-office I recognize that I have too much stuff, a portion of it belonging to my late husband and I'm just clueless what to do with it. Being a single parent with a full-time job and running my own business, there isn't enough time in the day to accomplish everything on the wish list. But I recognize that I can't keep going on like I have been much longer, so I have purchased a book that I think will help me to conquer the clutter in my house & my life. books-poetry-writing Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:06:31 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/ebay-tips-from-the-top Or perhaps you already sell on eBay and want to do better? Then you need education, and one of the best sources of eBay Education is Marlene, the-savvy-seller, who hosts her own podcast show called "Tips From The Top". business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:06:14 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/andrew-lloyd-webber He is the George M Cohan of the late 20th Century (although he doesn't perform in the works he creates).  He also had lyricists to put the words to his incredible music.  Maybe more of a Gilbert & Sullivan - But no one has done more to change the modern musical theater experience than Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.  His list of magical shows is incredible, and it's almost hard to believe one person could create so many successful hits:  Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sunset Boulevard, Starlight Express, Song and Dance, Aspects of Love, the list goes on and on.  I had the extreme pleasure of seeing "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway during a family vacation to New York, and while I love the movie they later made, NOTHING beats the stage version.  Even though the stars who originally played the main parts were no longer in the show, it was still an extremely moving experience.  I've also seen travelling productions of other shows, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Song and Dance".  "Song and Dance" is very cool, with a small jazz band providing the music, it blew my mind away.  It was an emotional show to watch, because I lived through some of the experiences the main character is facing.  His birthday is March 22, 1948. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:59:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/why-join-OSI-Rock-Stars I am a proud member of the OSI Rock Stars! OSI Rock Stars is an educational gold mine for online entrepreneurs who "Choose Success", as RockStar Founder Janelle Elms would say.  Through OSI Rock Stars, we have the opportunity to participate in podcasts and webinars covering a broad range of topics that all online sellers would learn from:  accounting, taxes, product procurement, search engine optimization, even Squidoo!  We can learn more about how to diversify our businesses, as well as how to make the most out of the components we already have in place using the great information available at OSI Rock Stars.  Janelle puts out a daily newsletter filled with kudos for the success that we have built, sharing questions she has received and gathering input from the newsletter subscribers to help answer the question.  The OSI Rock Stars brings together a broad range of people, whose group knowledge is available to all to learn from.  If you would like to get more information, click on the logo below. Janelle has gathered a group of several experts on various topics to hold webinars and conference calls to share information with the OSI Rock Stars community. I have become sort of a Squidoo Guru among the Rock Stars, and have enjoyed not only being interviewed as an eBay Powerseller, but teaching an Advanced Squidooing class as well as a class on Alternative Selling Venues. I'll be having my second Squidooing class in February to provide additional education on ways to use Squidoo for your business. I joined OSI Rock Stars to help me learn new ways to market my eBay Store, Katiyana's Collectibles, where I sell handmade doll clothes and handmade bear clothes which are made to order for my buyers. These make excellent gifts and have almost 50 different designs fitting several holidays and seasonal themes. business-and-work Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:36:15 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/squidaholics-anonymous It's the newest addiction to hit the streets. It starts with just one.. then you build a second, and a third, and before you know it you have a dozen. Then two dozen... then 50!  You know what I mean, don't you?  Because you're probably a member of Squidaholics Anonymous - lensmasters who can't stop building new lenses! When we're not creating new lenses, we're editing our existing ones, adding new content, deleting old parts we don't like as much as we did before, adding new modules that we didn't realize fit PERFECTLY in our lens. The infectious nature of Squidooing comes in part from passion of the staff behind it - I got the chance to meet Megan in person at eBay Live 2007 in Boston (she's on the left in the picture), and hear her explaining Squidoo to people who stopped by the booth.  You can tell she's passionate about Squidoo - just as we're passionate about our lenses! You can learn more about Squidoo Addiction from this lens. Do you want to talk to fellow Squidoo Addicts?  Check out the new Squidoo Chat function over on Captain Squid! Squidaholics are even building their own city on the web! Come check it out at My Mini City. Once you're hooked, just keep buildling up your lens count. Make it to 50 - and you could become a Giant Squid like these fine folks! squidoo-community Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:28:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/go-big-red I was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska so being a Husker football fan shouldn't be a surprise. I'm the oldest of three daughters, so my dad used to let me watch or listen to the games with him as I was growing up.  I don't remember a time when I wasn't a Husker fan. I can remember the 1983 Orange Bowl game where our two-point conversion attempt was no good, and we lost the national championship to Miami - I cried. I can remember the 1995 Orange Bowl game where we scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat Miami, and earn Tom Osborne his first national championship.  I cried then too - but those were good tears.  It was the same day I found out my husband was filing for divorce - so it sticks in my head for several reasons. If you're a fan too, you might want to show off how much you love our team with some amazing wall art from Fathead featuring a Nebraska Cornhuskers Helmet. Anyway, here is a video collection showcasing some highlights of my favorite team's history. sports-and-recreation Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:21:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/katiyanavalentine One of the holidays that helped launch my doll clothes and bear clothes business is Valentine's Day.  I have two heart themed sweaters you can see down below, as well as a Valentine's Day Outfit for 18 inch dolls like American Girl or Our Generation.  All of these are available for purchase at my website or my eBay Store. Combined shipping & handling is available if you purchase multiple items.  Additionally, because my items are all made to order, you can select the colors used to make them. I also have a Super Shopper Reward Program available - for every $40 in merchandise purchased, you earn a gift certificate redeemable for a free sweater!  You can redeem it yourself, or give it as a gift, it comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailing back to me. hobbies-games-toys Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/artist-weird-al-yankovic Although he has one part easier than most - the music is written for him some of the time.  He creates his own sets of lyrics to go with the song - and they are usually extremely funny. Some of my favorites include the eBay song (of course, being an avid eBayer), Amish Paradise, Like a Surgeon, I Lost on Jeopardy, I Love Rocky Road, I Think I'm A Clone Now, and A Complicated Song. He has also created some original music, and that's just as funny and odd :  Christmas at Ground Zero (came out in 1986, well before the Ground Zero name became associated with 9/11), Hardware Store, Melanie, and Bob (my husband's favorite). One of his repeated techniques is to take a group of modern music songs, and adapt them to a Polka song (he is a talented Accordian player, and his father was a well known Polka musician).  It is SO funny to hear the words from a rap song being sung to Polka music!! He even has a MySpace Page! He actually blogs there on occassion, and sells merchandise and shows videos. It's so cool! I'm excited to have him on my Friends list on MySpace!  He has over 614,000 friends, so I get lost among the many fans there.  He also has his own website at (of course)  http://www.weirdal.com. music Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:35:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/london-in-2010 In recent years, marching bands from some of the high schools in Lincoln, Nebraska have been invited to participate.  In the 2009-2010 school year, Lincoln Southwest High School is anticipating that they'll be participating in the parade (at least that's what I've been told by the band director).  That is my daughter's senior year, which means she will be traveling to London, England.  Needless to say, its expensive to send an entire marching band, their instruments, and their parents on such a trip.  Fortunately, we had an idea that she might be going on such a trip as the Lincoln Southwest Band went during her 8th grade year, and the schools tend to go every 4 years (so each student gets a chance to go once). The picture is of this year's marching band taking the field before a performance, and she is a sophomore.  So I have about 2 years to save up the funds needed for the trip - and hopefully have enough so I can go with her. So we're saving up the money early for this big trip.  I know that for the school from Lincoln going this year, the cost is about $2400 per person.  It'll be going up in two years I'd guess.  So, I'm starting this lens to talk about the Lincoln Southwest marching band attending the London New Years Day Parade, and London in general as a way to help provide some extra funds. ALL REVENUES GENERATED BY THIS LENS will be deposited into my daughter's High School Trip savings account.  She's saving the money by putting aside a portion of her monthly allowance, and I put in a deposit based on her grades each term.  I'm not sure that will be enough - so I thought I'd try some alternative fund raising options available to me, like this lens. travel-and-places Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:34:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/projectrunwayvideoshowcase Project Runway is a reality TV show on Bravo looking for the newest, most creative fashion designers the world has to offer.  This is determined through a competition of a series of challenges where designers have a limited time period to design, purchase supplies, and create a gown, an outfit, or whatever the challenge requires. If you'd like to see how Season 4 is going - you can visit Bravo TV's website. The series is hosted by model Heidi Klum and fashion expert Tim Gunn. Check out these Memorable Moments from Project Runway's past seasons. entertainment Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:25:21 -0600