what's SOPA and how will it affect you

Never heard of it? Me either. It stands for Stop Online Piracy Act. A few major sights are having a black out today to raise awareness. Google has a black banner draped across it's name and Wikapedia only has this information on thier site today. I recommend to you, as a fellow blogger to read it so you can understand how it could affect you and why these huge internet companies are opposing it!

I copied this off of the blacked out Wikipedia sight:

SOPA and PIPA - Learn more

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

< Wikipedia:SOPA initiative

Why is Wikipedia blacked-out?

Wikipedia is protesting against SOPA and PIPA by blacking out the English Wikipedia for 24 hours, beginning at midnight January 18, Eastern Time. Readers who come to English Wikipedia during the blackout will not be able to read the encyclopedia. Instead, you will see messages intended to raise awareness about SOPA and PIPA, encouraging you to share your views with your representatives, and with each other on social media.

What are SOPA and PIPA?

SOPA and PIPA represent two bills in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate respectively. SOPA is short for the "Stop Online Piracy Act," and PIPA is an acronym for the "Protect IP Act." ("IP" stands for "intellectual property.") In short, these bills are efforts to stop copyright infringement committed by foreign web sites, but, in our opinion, they do so in a way that actually infringes free expression while harming the Internet. Detailed information about these bills can be found in the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act articles on Wikipedia, which are available during the blackout. GovTrack lets you follow both bills through the legislative process: SOPA on this page, and PIPA on this one. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the public interest in the digital realm, has summarized why these bills are simply unacceptable in a world that values an open, secure, and free Internet.

Why is the blackout happening?

Wikipedians have chosen to black out the English Wikipedia for the first time ever, because we are concerned that SOPA and PIPA will severely inhibit people's access to online information. This is not a problem that will solely affect people in the United States: it will affect everyone around the world.

Why? SOPA and PIPA are badly drafted legislation that won't be effective at their stated goal (to stop copyright infringement), and will cause serious damage to the free and open Internet. They put the burden on website owners to police user-contributed material and call for the unnecessary blocking of entire sites. Small sites won't have sufficient resources to defend themselves. Big media companies may seek to cut off funding sources for their foreign competitors, even if copyright isn't being infringed. Foreign sites will be blacklisted, which means they won't show up in major search engines. And, SOPA and PIPA build a framework for future restrictions and suppression.

Does this mean that Wikipedia itself is violating copyright laws, or hosting pirated content?

No, not at all. Some supporters of SOPA and PIPA characterize everyone who opposes them as cavalier about copyright, but that is not accurate. Wikipedians are knowledgeable about copyright and vigilant in protecting against violations: Wikipedians spend thousands of hours every week reviewing and removing infringing content. We are careful about it because our mission is to share knowledge freely. To that end, all Wikipedians release their contributions under a free license, and all the material we offer is freely licensed. Free licenses are incompatible with copyright infringement, and so infringement is not tolerated.

Isn't SOPA dead? Wasn't the bill shelved, and didn't the White House declare that it won't sign anything that resembles the current bill?

No, neither SOPA nor PIPA is dead. On January 17th, SOPA's sponsor said the bill will be discussed in early February. There are signs PIPA may be debated on the Senate floor next week. Moreover, SOPA and PIPA are just indicators of a much broader problem. In many jurisdictions around the world, we're seeing the development of legislation that prioritizes overly-broad copyright enforcement laws, laws promoted by power players, over the preservation of individual civil liberties.

How could SOPA and PIPA hurt Wikipedia?

SOPA and PIPA are a threat to Wikipedia in many ways. For example, in its current form, SOPA would require Wikipedia to actively monitor every site we link to, to ensure it doesn't host infringing content. Any link to an infringing site could put us in jeopardy of being forced offline.

I live in the United States. What's the best way for me to help?

The most effective action you can take is to call your representatives and tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and any similar legislation. Type your zipcode in the locator box to find your representatives' contact information. Text-based communication is okay, but phone calls have the most impact.

I don't live in the United States. How can I help?

Contact your local State Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or similar branch of government. Tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and any similar legislation. SOPA and PIPA will affect sites outside of the United States, and actions to sites inside the United States (like Wikipedia) will also affect non-American readers -- like you. Calling your own government will also let them know you don't want them to create their own bad anti-Internet legislation.

Is it still possible to access Wikipedia in any way?

Yes. During the blackout, Wikipedia is accessible on mobile devices and smart phones. You can also view Wikipedia normally by disabling JavaScript in your browser, as explained on this Technical FAQ page. Our purpose here isn't to make it completely impossible for people to read Wikipedia, and it's okay for you to circumvent the blackout. We just want to make sure you see our message.

I keep hearing that this is a fight between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Is that true?

No. Some people are characterizing it that way, probably in an effort to imply all the participants are motivated by commercial self-interest. But it's obviously not that simple. The proof of that is Wikipedia's involvement. Wikipedia has no financial self-interest at play here: we do not benefit from copyright infringement, nor are we trying to monetize traffic or sell ads. We are protesting to raise awareness about SOPA and PIPA solely because we think they will hurt the Internet, and your ability to access information online. We are doing this for you, because we're on your side.

In carrying out this protest, is Wikipedia abandoning neutrality?

We hope you continue to trust Wikipedia to be a neutral information source. We are staging this blackout because (as Wikimedia Foundation Trustee Kat Walsh said recently), although Wikipedia’s articles are neutral, its existence is not. For over a decade, Wikipedians have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Wikipedia is a tremendously useful resource, and its existence depends upon a free, open and uncensored Internet. SOPA and PIPA (and other similar laws under discussion inside and outside the United States) will hurt you, because they will make it impossible for sites you enjoy, and benefit from, to continue to exist. That's why we're doing this.

I have a question that isn't answered here, or, I would like to send feedback to Wikipedia.

You can reach Wikipedia editors at info-en(at)wikimedia(dot)org. If you need a response, please be patient: we may have trouble keeping up with the mail.

What can I read to get more information?

Try these links:

• Wikipedia's articles on SOPA and PIPA
• Statement from Wikipedia editors announcing decision to black out
• Wikimedia Foundation press release
• Blog post from Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director Sue Gardner
• Electronic Frontier Foundation blog post on the problems with SOPA/PIPA

As of 6AM PT, January 18, Google has more than 4,600 articles about the blackout. Here are a few:

• Why is Wikipedia staging a blackout and what is SOPA?, from the National Post
• Wikipedia joins blackout protest at US anti-piracy moves, from the British Broadcasting Corporation
• Wikipedia blackout over US anti-piracy bills and FEATURE: Websites blackout over 'SOPA censorship', from Al Jazeera
• Wikipedia, Craigslist, other sites go black in SOPA protest, from the Los Angeles Times
• Google Rallies Opposition to Murdoch-Backed Anti-Piracy Bill, from BusinessWeek
• SOPA protest: The Net strikes back, from Politico
• Wikipedia blackout a 'gimmick', MPAA boss claims, from the Guardian
• Wikipedia 24-hour blackout: a reader and Why we're taking Wikipedia down for a day, from the New Statesman
• Internet-wide protests against SOPA/PIPA are kicking up a storm, by the Hindustan Times
• SOPA, PIPA: What you need to know, from CBS News
• Protest on Web Uses Shutdown to Take On Two Piracy Bills, from the New York Times
• Protesting SOPA: how to make your voice heard, from Ars Technica
• Why We've Censored Wired.com, from Wired

Calling all Curly Girls #2

For those of you who are new to the blog, you can read 2 the different posts that lead up to this one. The first one, Hair at last is an introduction to me as a hairstylist. It is the first post I wrote regarding my background as a hairstylist for the past 18 years. It gives you a little sense of who I am as a hair designer and where I have been. My next post about hair titled Calling all curly girls #1. It is an education on the composition of curly hair and why it is so hard to tame it.
Now I am going to share with you how to work with your curly hair and not against it. I touched on why you should not wash your curly/wavy hair  with over the counter shampoo's and why conditioning it with the right products is so important. Also what it means to give yourself a 'water shampoo'. Now I will share how you treat your hair once you step out of the shower is just as important. But wait. There is ONLY one time that you should comb your hair. In the shower. With conditioner in it. That's it! A wide tooth comb is best. And NEVER brush your hair, ever. Your hair cuticles will hate you for it. Most people with curly hair have flat curls on top and overly poofy curls on the sides and length. If this sounds like you, do not put conditioner on your scalp, it will only make it flatter. Remember in curly girls #1 when I touched on your hair having natural oils, and that when you use regular (full of sulfate, silicone's and waxes) shampoo it removes the 'good' oil that you can't see, but that keeps your hair very healthy. Just stay away from shampoo or if you must, use Deva Low-poo or No-poo.

  You will recall my explanation of why towels are bad for textured hair. The little nubs on them reek havoc to the cuticle and do not help in your quest for lushes locks!! Another great thing to use besides an old T-shirt is paper towels. WHAT? Yep, paper towels. You can hang them over the shower or tub when you are done and come back in a few hours put them away for next time. No rubbing of your hair. NONE. Only squeezing the excess moisture out. Now what to use on your hair to keep it tame and beautiful all day? Here are a few of my favorites.

  Set it Free

48 hour moisture lock spray, eliminates frizz, enhances curl and adds shine

NEW Spray Gel

Crunch free spray gel, alcohol free, curl definition and retention

NEW Frizz Free Volumizing Foam

alcohol free, humidity resistant, conditioning, long lasting, frizz free, soft curls

You can find a Deva Curl salon near you that sells the products by going to the Salon finder here.
I can explain the step by step of how to apply the products in your hair, but Deva has an amazing video that does it so much better than I ever could and you can go here to see it! If you have any questions still after watching the video, please leave a comment and I will answer you as soon as I get it. If you also go to the menu bar you will see Curly Lifestyles. There you can determine what curls you have, Q's & tips, as well as a gallery of before and afters, like this.

Amazing huh?!

I love the gallery because it is broken down into the 4 curl types and you can see people who have hair just like you and what a difference it can make.
  I know alot of people don't like to spend the money on salon products.
'They really aren't any better', 'They cost too much', I could go on and on. But I always tell my clients that if you want beautiful teeth, sometimes you have to pay the Dentist. Well it is true for salon products. In my first Curly hair #1 post I broke down the differences of over the counter shampoo's and conditioners vs salon products. If you have any further questions or disbelief, feel free to leave a comment or personally email me.
   I want to touch base on the importance of a good cut. I was trained at the Deva salon in New York and am a certified curly girl specialist. I do not use a comb when I cut your hair, I cut each individual curl to the desired shape. My curly haired clients can go much longer between hair cuts because the cut was customized to their particular hair type, length and desired shape. So it may cost you more, as they are usually in higher end salons, but you will pay the same or less over time than going to a less expensive salon in hopes of saving money.
   So in short, remember to not 'wash your hair' but cleanse with water or at the very least a Deva No-poo cleanser. Leave a wide tooth comb in the shower and only use to when combing thru a conditioner. Use an old T-shirt to gently squeeze out the moisture in your hair, not rub. Decide on at least one Deva product to try in your hair. Spend the extra money to get a good Curly cut and you and your curls will be bouncier than ever!!

 I was not paid for this post by Deva and all the opinions here are my own

   

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Morgan's Mydeco Bedroom moodboard

So one of my big projects on my 2012 Bucket list is my daughter Morgan's bedroom. Her room right now just does not reflect her personality. It was collected from here and there, which is a look I love, but I want it to have a little bit more of her personality reflected in it. I have been Pinning ideas for her room. Then I found Mydeco today, a website that allows you to make free moodboards! You simply install the 'clipper' (very much like the 'pin it' button) in your header, then if you see something you like, you just hit Mydeco clipper and again, just like @ Pinterest you will have an option to 'clip' as many things on the page as you wish. They will go into different files  you can create. You have the ability to drag and drop, rotate, shrink, enlarge, overlap any of your photos. You can have as many moodboards as you wish, I think I may make one for all of my bucket list!
 Here are the  2 moodboard I created for Morgan's bedroom.

The first one was a little busy, so I moved some of it to a second mood board. 

They both have some similarities, but the colors in the first one are a little brighter, a little more 'strawberry' if you will and the second one still has an emphasis on pink, but with a bit more personality than the pink in her room now. Both of the inspiration fabrics are from the Jane Sassaman Free Spirit Garden Diva's fabric line. Joanne's has them for $10 a yard.I am going to make a headboard and a duvet cover for her room. But I am going to make one a print and one a solid. I am leaning more towards the duvet being the print, but I think it will be more impactful if I do the headboard in a print. The only drawback of that is that I probably will want to keep the headboard forever, not necessarily the duvet though. In Morgan's room now she has an old chippy pink dresser with original paint finish on it (LOVE). She also has a yellow child's armoire from the late 60's that also has the original finish on it. I love both pieces, but neither of them is big enough to hold her clothes. I think I will get more space in the room if I get her a taller larger dresser. As far as her bed goes I am going to turn it sideways and push it back against the wall, like a day bed. I have an antique wrought iron headboard/footboard with brass knobs on top that I think I will use on the sides and then do a tufted headboard along the back wall. I am trying to give her little bit more floor space in there.  Here is an idea of what I want it to look like, but not necessarily the built ins on the side, but what a great idea!!

We put a chair rail in the room when we switched it from a guest room to her room. I am not sure if I want to do something like bead board wall paper on the bottom then a soft grey on top.  I am sure I will come up with a third moodboard for her room before ling, Mydeco makes it so fun and easy!!I would love your feedback if you have any ideas that would work as well.

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My new baby...

So my hubby bought me a camera for Christmas. It is a Nikon D3000. I have an SLR and a digital Canon, but never a DSLR. I have only used it a little because the learning curve on it is huge for me. I have reread the manual 4 times, bought a field guide on it, signed up for a class and this weekend I was brave enough to use it while I was out in the country.

I also am using Picasa and Picnik for the first time, and other huge learning curve there!!

I took 193 pictures. I did everything I could think of with this camera and tried different settings, lots of different subject matters. Here are a few photos I am sharing, as I am still editing.

 my Morgan

my boys

Grandma's field 

wood pile

I did a tad bit of editing on these photos, at this point I am doing what looks right. Not sure that is the best way to go about it, but I do LOVE my new camera. It snowed last night in St. Louis and this morning on my way out the door I saw a big fat Male Cardinal sitting at the edge of our woods near the bird feeder. I hope he is there tomorrow so I can capture him in all his Cardinal red glory!!

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How to see Pinterest activity re: your repins

Are you interested in seeing how much of your blog posts are being repined by others on Pinterest? Well here is a simple way to see all that activity.
Log into your Pinterst account and go to one of your boards and find a Pin that you know came directly from your blog. Here is an example.
I have a board that is titled 'a wee Meenit blog' and it has all of my posts pinned on it by me. I also from time to time, place them in an more specific board like 'pillows', 'hair', etc. Click on one of your pins. So now you only see that one Project you Pinned. In this case it is an Antler Wreath I pinned in December. To the left of that it will show a thumb nail of the board. Below that it has a spot that will say
also from aweemeenit.blogspot.com.
It will show 3 of your recent pins. If you click on one it will now show ALL of your Pins that have been REpinned by others.

I am able to see that this Pin of mine, from my blog post has: 1 Like and 20 repins. It shows me ALL of the repins. It is pretty cool to see how much people have repined your stuff. 

If you go here, to my Pinterst board for a wee meenit blog you can see it for  your self. 

You can also do it for others if you find something you really like, you can see what else that blog or website has on Pinterst.

Happy Pinning!!!

how to place a Pin it button at the end of your posts

So I am addicted to Pinterest like you all are, I think these boards below say it all!

via

via

via

Oh, sorry, I got stuck on Pinterest searching for these boards!!

                                                                           

Here is the HTML code to add to the bottom of your posts. I have not figured out how to get it to automatically show up, I sent that question to my blog designer. I will share when I get it. Here is the HTML text you can add to the bottom of your post so people can pin it easily!

<div><a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.clickinmoms.com/cmprodaily/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/pinit.jpg" alt="Pin It" /></a></div>

Happy Pinning!!!

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Calling all curly girls #1

I have had a lot of questions about curly hair since writing my Hair at last post, and my good friend Amy from The Salvage Collection inspired me to write this post. Here is her blog banner, which I love, love, love and in it, she has great curly hair!!

(if you have not checked out Amy's blog, you HAVE to go see her red dresser, using ASCP in 

Emperor's silk, it is hands down my favorite piece of upcycled furniture in blog land!!go here to see it)

So lets start with a quick hair anatomy lesson.

This shows the difference that straight, wavy and curly hair have. You can see why the curly or even wavy hair comes out of the scalp the way it does to form the curls or waves. It is just very different from straight hair.

Also, the outside of each strand of all hair looks like fish scales or shingles on a house. If your hair is healthy and shiny and in good conditions, your cuticle will look like the above picture. 

This is hair is damaged, by either chemicals, heat, or a medical condition.

So now you know a little bit about what your hair should look like under a microscope as well as what it looks like coming out of your scalp. 

  Well curly hair lacks moisture because of the way it is formed, it can't hold it in as well as say someone with straight (round hair shaft) hair, because of the oval shape of curly or wavy hair. Therefore it has a less likely chance of the cuticles laying down smooth. So curly hair gets frizzy. It also is further helped along with the frizzy's because  curly hair is like a bunch of arms, trying to grab all the moisture from the air it can get. If you live in a humid climate, you find your hair is non stop trying to grab the moisture out of theair which equals big frizzy hair. 

See, we were not meant to wash our hair all the time, and curly girls should never wash their hair!! WHAT?? Not wash my hair, that is gross!! NOoooo, dirt, sweat, smoke and hair products, are all water soluble. What does that mean for your curly hair?? That by not using a shampoo you  leave your natural oils where they should be. I am not talking about the oils that make your hair greasy, but the oil you can not see. Also think of the hair closest to your scalp as being like a newborn, all healthy and new. As you go further down the hair, it starts to age, and if you have long hair consider it to be like an older relative. Maybe frail and brittle, something you have to be delicate with. 

There is a book I used to sell when I owned my salon called the Curly Girl Handbook.

                                        

I HIGHLY recommend it! It is a must for curly hair!

It breaks down and educates you on just why exactly do you have curly hair, why it gets frizzy and how you can have the most gorgeous hair ever!!It will give you step by step instructions on how to take care of curly hair.

  Below are some examples with curly or wavy hair that does not have enough moisture: 

Now look at healthy moisture filled curly or wavy hair: 



See the difference?
So now what??
First you should stop washing your hair with shampoo.
Give yourself what I call a 'water shampoo'. See, our shampoo's contain surfactants, which are also in laundry soap, hand soap and dish washing liquid, among other things. What are surfactants? It is basically what gives your the bubbles. I know that people judge shampoo by how much and how easy it suds up. But if you have damaged or curly/wavy hair this is the worst thing you can do for your hair.
That's when the 'water shampoo' comes in. Just pretend there are big fat suds in your hands and just scrub your head and rinse well. Yep, that's it. I know you will hate it at first, but give yourself a month and you will LOVE the results on your hair!
Conditioners. These contain a lot of silicone. Yep, it feels awesome on your hair, but it is doing nothing to give you moisture. It is like putting a wax on your car. But not really protecting it like car wax does.
I believe in salon products and I am gonna tell you why.
First off, salon products are concentrated. They may be more expensive, but you get more out of a 12oz bottle of salon shampoo/conditioner than you do out of a store bought bottle that is 16oz. The store bought bottle contains more water, so you have to use more. Also another little known fact about products you buy on the supermarket/ drug store shelf. They have to have a shelf like of 10 years. Meaning, come back in ten years and they will still be the same. In order for this to happen, they have to add a lot of waxy stabilizers.
I tell my clients this: it's like owning a cashmere sweater and washing it in the dishwasher.

So, what should you use on your hair instead?

I have been trained at the Devachansalon in New York City. This salon is owned by Lorainne Massey who wrote the curly girl handbook and is considered the best in the industry for curly hair. Stylist from all over the world come to her salon for training. Including this Midwestern girl. 

Lorainne Massey, her hair is amazing!!

If you were to only invest in one product to purchase, I would highly recommend the One Condition. 

Buy the liter, it is more economical. There is a place on her website to search for salons in your area that sell Deva Curl products. If yo absolutely can not go with out washing your hair, they do have 2 different cleansers.

No-Poo and Low-Poo. They either have no suds or very low suds.

I am a Certified Curly hair Specialist. Meaning I give curly girl hair cuts. How are these different than someone 'cutting curly hair'? I start with dry hair. You need to see the hair in it's natural state so you can see where the weight is. I also do not use a comb, but cut each individual curl. Yes, if you go to a curly girl specialist you probably will pay more. But my clients can go fro 2-6 months between cuts. That is how important a great cut is to curly hair!! You can also search her sight for a stylist near you who is certified.

And lastly a great bit of info you will also find in more detail in the Curly Girl Handbook:

Do not use a towel to dry your hair. See all the little nubbies that help grab moisture? 

Yep, they make your hair frizzy!

                                 

Instead, use an old T-shirt. Your hair will love you for it!! 

I did a follow up post on how to apply products to curly hair that you can see here. If you have any questions about curly hair or any hair for that matter, just message me to my email or leave a comment below!!

 I was not paid for this post by Deva and all the opinions here are my own.

       

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