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The Story of My Header

by Mel

This is the story of the stone soup header…

For 2 1/2 years, I didn’t really care what my blog looked like. It’s sort of like our house. I like it neat and clean, but I don’t need it decorated. Our furniture doesn’t exactly match. And by “exactly” I mean not at all. The best we have going is an overall theme of the same fake wood colour from Ikea (it’s birch! Except it’s not!). But suddenly, one day, I CARED. I cared so much that I wanted to tear down the whole blog until I could figure out how to make a header and clean everything up. Luckily, I didn’t because I seem to be frightfully bad with understanding how to make a header.

Calliope created it for me (and she’ll create one for you too if you wish). We emailed ideas back and forth for a few days and tossed out several tries before we fell in love with this one. The thing is that I have been reading Calliope for years, from her old blog to her current one, and our lives have crossed so many times. I had no idea when I first started reading her blog that she would one day redesign mine.

The picture comes from Vee. I first saw it on her illustration site. Vee and her husband, Max, are both artists and I started reading their blogs at the same time back in the summer of 2006. Again, back in 2006, I had no idea how things would unfold, but I am touched beyond belief and honoured beyond words that she let me use this image on the blog. Not just because of how perfect it is to me but because it comes from her–one of the longest read blogs in my Reader.

This picture is how I imagine the Land of If–the world of infertility. There is a quiet honesty that comes out at night. It is a time when people are still and reflective. When people pause from movement to listen. I love the thin houses, the mountains in the background. Doesn’t the space look insurmountable, but cozy? A space unto itself, but part of something larger? I have loved that picture for so long and I was so grateful when she told me I could use it.

Two extremely creative and talented women, one grateful blog owner, and a header.

June 20, 2006   Comments Off on The Story of My Header

Past Book Tours

by Mel

It seemed like a good idea to compile all the old book tour posts into a single post so that people could find the lists and questions and participants of all the old book tours in one place. I’ve also added upcoming tour information as well as online author chats. Interested in the current tour? Want to join along? There is always a link to the current book under The Bookshelf on the right sidebar).

Barren Bitches Book Brigade (*with author participation)

Tour 19: Navigating the Land of If by Melissa Ford*

  • Start Date: May 26
  • Questions Due: June 24
  • Post Date: June 29

Past Tours and Online Chats

Past Winners of the Book Slogger Award

2006-2007: Beaten But Not Bowed (Drowned Girl) and Southern Infertility (Samantha)

June 20, 2006   2 Comments

Shop Mom or Pop

by Mel

Shop Thoughtfully…

Parenting a child is an expensive endeavour. But having to pay just to get to the starting line is salt on the wound of infertility. The exorbitant cost of treatments or adoption can put having a child out of reach for the average person.

The people below are using their creativity to fund their treatments or adoption. When you shop at any of the following online stores, you are not only getting a fantastic gift for yourself or another person, but you are supporting someone in their quest to become a parent.

Please spread the word by linking to this post or sending out the url for others to use over the holidays or whenever they’re in need of a gift. If you are undergoing treatments or adopting and would like your business to be added to the list below, contact me at thetowncriers@gmail.com (exceptions to these guidelines are at my discretion for others within the community). Do not feel confined by the categories listed below; I am adding new types of businesses all the time.

Blog/Web Design

  • Fairy Blogmother Design (blog): custom blog designs. Customers must provide graphics though we will provide sites where graphics are either free or purchased. Current offer for those coming from Shop Mom or Pop: Anyone who finds her through Shop Mom or Pop will get a custom design for $15.

Ceramics

Jewelry

  • Mei Designs (Vanilla Dreams–password protected blog): Handmade jewelry featuring sterling silver, hand-antiqued natural brass, and gemstones/glass. Also, Chinese Brush & Ink Paintings/Art Prints (plus more to come…) Current offer for those coming from Shop Mom or Pop: 10% off any purchase for all IF bloggers — all she asks is that you send her the link to your blog (email address is on the store’s homepage), and she will send an adjusted invoice.
  • Tuxedo Junction (blog): gorgeous, handmade earrings. More jewelry using handmade clay beads coming soon. Also see ceramics.
  • Tarah’s Creative Edge (blog): personally designed jewelry of all types: bracelets, necklaces and earrings. They also take “custom” orders. Just send an email and let them know what you want, and they will price it and create it. Current offer for those coming from Shop Mom or Pop: At this time I can offer Free Shipping. Shipping with insurance on the item is $6.30. Just send me an email at tarahville@cox.net and let me know that you found me from Mom & Pop and I’ll send you an invoice for the item you want without shipping.

Music

  • You, Me and a Ch.ristmas Tree (blog): a Christmas CD of original recordings of holiday classics with beautiful instrumentals and JJ’s vocals (there is a very special guest-artist appearance on one of the tracks!). Order now!

Paintings and Painted Gifts

  • Starfish 15 (blog): hand-painted gift boxes, often with adoption themes. Also see textiles.

Paper (Stationary and Cards)

  • Bohtieque Design (blog): Get perfect photo cards for any special day! One-of-a-kind custom and template designs are available; all you need to provide are the photos. Bohtieque takes care of the design, allowing you to take the file to your favorite photo lab.
  • Blurbit Barn (blog): The Blurbit Barn is all about providing unique products that are hard to find elsewhere – infertility products that deal with what infertility is really like. While we’re starting off with cards focused on what it’s like to suffer through infertility or be pregnant after infertility, we’ll see where this takes us. 10% of all net profits will go to the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada.
Scrapbooking Services

  • Picture It… Custom Scrapbooks by Rian (blog): I take your memories and turn them into something you will cherish for a lifetime. Picture It Scrapbooks are perfect for those who are too busy or don’t have the skills to do it themselves. Current offer for those coming from Shop Mom or Pop: 2 free pages! (be sure to mention that you saw this offer here)

Soap and Bath Supplies

  • Backyard Soaps and More (blog): We are an all-women owned business (me, my mom, my sister and cousin) based in Port Huron, Michigan. We make glycerin soap, sugar scrubs, body butter, lotion, body wash, hand soap, lip balm, candles and much more! Adorable holiday designs. Current offer for those coming from Shop Mom or Pop: receive 15% off your order when you use the redeem code “hope” when you check out on your Web order.
Textiles
  • Girlband (blog): Girlband originated sometime during the winter of 2005. Four women with a common sweet tooth began me
    eting for cheese fries and ice cream after their weekly Community Band rehearsal. These special meetings came to be known as Girlband nights. Soon it was discovered that the women not only had a fondness for edible goodies, but yarn and fabric as well. Girlband nights started to include crafting and creating. Although we are four different personalities with four different styles of craft, we’d like to share with you what can happen when friends meet for good times and good food.
  • Starfish 15 (blog): I sell gorgeous hand-painted and hand-knit items. My gifts are geared towards children and would make excellent baby gifts. Several items contain adoption themes. Also see painting and painted gifts.
  • Shop Stirrup Queens (blog): A cafepress store featuring many of the icons found on my blog including Infertility’s Common Thread.
  • Shelby B’s Designs (blog): I sell mainly handpainted yarn for knitting or crochet. They are all painted with acid dyes, and are wash and light fast. Most of them are inspired by places and characters in the magical world described in the Harry Potter books. I also make some beaded stitch markers and jewelry. Current offer for those coming from Shop Mom or Pop: If you find my shop through Shop Mom or Pop, simply type that in the “notes to seller” section, and I will take 10% off of your purchase. If you pay with Paypal, do not pay until I send you an adjusted invoice. I will also be coming up with a new colorway- based on the Pomegranate Infertility’s Common Thread. 20% from the purchase of this yarn will go to Resolve or another IF-er who is in need of some assistance.

Textiles (Baby or Maternity)

Little Ladybugs Closet (blog): Children’s clothing, maternity wear and toys: including brand names such as Gymboree, Old Navy, Gap, Lilly Pulitzer, Baby LULU, and Hanna Anderson. Current offer for those coming from Shop Mom or Pop: if you mention that you came from Shop Mom or Pop, she will give you a shipping discount.

More categories coming soon

Disclaimer: I am only the messenger and I am not personally tied to any store above (except my own). Therefore, I am not responsible for your experience with the store nor can I do anything about missing or defective products. I do encourage you to send me an email if you have a problem with a store keeper so I may address it with them and possibly remove their business from this list.

June 20, 2006   3 Comments

Happy Lists and Community Projects

by Mel

The sidebar was just getting too unruly for words, so I’ve compiled all of the happy lists and community projects–both complete and on-going–onto this one page. Have a good time exploring. Click on any of the links to see the original posts or learn more about the project.

The Creme de La Creme happens every year from December to January. Instead of awarding one blog the “best” blog in the IF/pg loss blogosphere, every blogger submits their favourite post of the year.

Putting Together the First Creme de la Creme
More on the Creme de la Creme’s History

The Creme de la Creme of 2006 List
The Creme de la Creme of 2007 List (check back in January 2008)

Similar to the Creme de la Creme project, the Friday Blog Roundup Extravaganza occurs every July. Unlike the Creme de la Creme where a bloggers chooses their own favourite post, for the Friday Blog Roundup Extravaganza, participants were given another blog to read and had to pick their favourite from July to July. Each blogger then wrote a few sentences on why they loved that particular post. The list is compiled secretly and no one knows who reviewed their blog.

The Friday Blog Roundup Extravaganza of 2007
The Friday Blog Roundup Extravaganza of 2008 (check back in July of 2008)

To mark my blogoversary, we started three projects. The Commentathon is held twice a year in the summer and winter. Secret Ode Days pop up on the calendar at irregular intervals when one least expects it. The Great Cake Day takes place every year on June 25th.

Read about all three projects as well as seeing old Commentathon lists or Secret Ode Day write ups by clicking here.

The Blilt Project is an ongoing creation of virtual blog quilts (or blilts). These blilts are constructed by people giving a quote on a certain topic and then the squares are made and placed together, with a link going back to the author’s blog. You can see both the current blilt as well as all older blilts by clicking below.

How to Make an International Blilt

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when you’re feeling sad because you just got back a negative beta, go over and see what is currently making other people happy. We compile this list of from time to time, with everyone adding their favourite things.

Favourite Things One
Favourite Things Two

Come On Get Happy is an ongoing discussion and activity for the fall/winter of 2007. Participate by jumping into the discussion or joining one of the Happiness Challenges. The point? To join the happiness revolution and gain peace while navigating the choppy waters of infertility.

Come On Get Happy Compilation

First Happiness Challenge

Second Happiness Challenge

June 20, 2006   Comments Off on Happy Lists and Community Projects

Phrecipe Directory

by Mel

Phrecipes are photo-supported recipes. Think of it as you would My First Picture Dictionary–the images explain the words. The majority of these phrecipes are baking recipes because that is my stress reliever from infertility. Sometimes you just need to pound some dough. The minority of these recipes are cake decorating and candy recipes (my other IF stress-reliever. I even got a cake decorating degree while going through treatments the first time). If you have phrecipes you’d like me to cover, I take requests. Email me at thetowncriers@gmail.com. If you end up trying any of these recipes, please blog about it and then send me a link so I can add it to the end of the recipe. Sort of the equivalent of the opinion section of Epicurious or Food Network.

Past Phrecipes

June 20, 2006   Comments Off on Phrecipe Directory

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