I saw a flyer for a school talent show in PSP’s back pack one day. It listed the dates of the talent show and try-outs. I calmly and with-no-big-expectations-here asked her, So are you going to try out for the talent show? Her response? A quick no. OK. Done and done. Then a couple...
Hey guys! So here’s the deal, I need some people to spotlight! If you or anyone you know would like to be featured in the spotlight series please email me or have them email me directly. Please don’t send me an email telling me to contact your friend… it’s a lot more work and it...
I look forward to reading these spotlights each week. Thank you for writing these and highlighting these wonderful people and their beautiful and inspiring stories!
I had the opportunity to be part of a science competition that asked middle and high school kids to design a prosthetic arm. In years past the competition has been to design windmills and other science technology that is certainly valuable and helps society, but doesn't touch individual lives the way this one did. I am so moved by the impact this work had on our kids. I have referred many of these students to your blog so they can read these stories.
Miggy, here is a link to an article in our local newspaper, Coloradoan, about 3-d printing done by engineers at Colorado State University.
Sounds like they are looking to produce people's ideas.
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013303290029ReplyCancel
It’s been a couple years, but I remember it clearly. A 3 piece (out of 4) set of the perfect aqua pyrex bowels at an Antique Fair. I decided we’d look around and come back later. When we did come back, they were gone. A fatal shopping regret I’ve thought of numerous times over the...
Jenna–the Duck Creek Antique Mall was one of our favorites. There were only a couple of booths that specialized in MCM, but it was a cool place. They are also right next door to an exclusive MCM second hand shop. I can't remember the name, and it's pricey, but the guy knows his stuff and it's legit. Also, at the antique mall they have maps and lists of other places around the area. ReplyCancel
That turquoise/blue color is my absolute favorite. Only, I didn't know that for quite a few years. It was only after I stepped back and realized my coat, laptop case, glasses and other random objects in my life were all that color that I had an attachment. Your Pyrex bowls are beautiful! ReplyCancel
This little device. This interesting, odd, little device. My husband was being rather secretive as he worked in the shop on Saturday. I was out working in the backyard and would pop in and out of the garage to grab a shovel or switch the laundry… I didn’t want to look at the work table...
That's awesome! My daughter is a congenital quad amputee and we are always experimenting with things over here too. Just this week, my husband blackened my daughter's spoon trying to heat it to bend it.
I'm guessing you've already tried a U-cuff with a bent spoon/fork? That works really well for us, and it's good b/c you can swap out the fork or spoon.
I'm at http://www.limbdifferent.com. I have a few more things we've tried under Daily Living. Much success in your creations!
Thank you so much for sharing with us! Your family is just precious!
[email protected]ReplyCancel
Wow. Just wow. That is amazing! The angle is just right so that she brings it to her mouth perfectly! Wow! I think your hubby needs to think about continuing development for items like that and getting them patented.
For exchanging silverware, what about velcro straps?
Seriously, I know someone in San Antonio who made a fortune developing ENT surgical tools for pediatric patients. If you want to know more about him and his company, reply and I'll email you back.
Venice was beautiful, vibrant, and mysterious. Venice was the city we flew into and therefore the first city in Italy–Europe!–I saw. I did OK for a few hours, then serious jet lag set in. Luckily we also spent our last day there. The weather was over 60% chance of rain, but somehow we didn’t get...
I don't know anything about Venice except that we just read The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. It's set in Venice.
But Miggy, you live in San Antonio now. You know the River Walk. Here's my question: how does everyone's every.single.toddler NOT drown in Venice? I went crazy keeping my kids away from the river on the River Walk. If my front DOOR opened onto water as in Venice, HUH??? Where's mah baybee? I just can't comprehend!
We moved from San Antonio to Oahu and my boys still wear life vests every time we go to the beach, so it may be ME who has a problem. But still? Water instead of a front lawn or sidewalk???? Can you explain?ReplyCancel
It’s been a busy week. I haven’t been here as much as I’d like. But that also means I’ve been doing other worthwhile things in my life, so that’s good too. No spotlight today, but hopefully soon! I know I’ve got emails to respond to, but as always if you’d like to be a part...
This is beautiful. I too was conflicted by the Dove campaign, seeing it through different eyes than many of my fb friends that were giving it praises. I read this article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-fridkis/tproblem-with-dove-real-beauty-sketches-campaign_b_3104450.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
pretty much agreeing with it. But you opened my eyes wider than my 'bubble' to humanity and women as a collective. Have you ever been around someone who, on societies terms, is not attractive, but after being with them, hearing their stories, knowing who they are, they become the most beautiful person? Actually physcially, not just on the inside? I find that so amazing when that happens.ReplyCancel
BMarie–Yes! I have had that experience, people who are beautiful on the inside become even more beautiful–physically beautiful–on the outside as you get to know them. And Ive also seen this work in reverse–someone who is beautiful on the outside has become really ugly to me when they have shown their inside to be manipulative, deceitful and dishonest. ReplyCancel
Love Penny, love the little drops article, and love your post!
But for anyone looking for a lighter spin on things, this take on the Dove Campaign is pretty darn funny (watch to the end, it's so good!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Jiwo3u6VoReplyCancel
This really spoke to me as well! The video was being lauded all over my facebook and it didn't sit right with me. My issue comes from the fact that Dove is a company owned by Unilever, which also owns Axe (bodyspray etc). Axe commercials are typically misogynist and feature stick-skinny "beautiful" women behaving like sex-crazed maniacs and throwing themselves at men because they use their body spray. I can't get on board with pitching "real beauty" to sell products to women and sexist images to sell products to men.ReplyCancel
Rachel,
I know. In the end Dove is a company and what they really want is our money. I DO think they are trying to do something positive here, but yes it makes it a little harder to swallow knowing they are owned by a parent company that doesn't seem to share the values Dove is striving to embrace. Again, I don't think Dove is all wrong, I do appreciate a lot of their efforts–even if they are a large corporation whose bottom line will always come down to the bottom line.
ReplyCancel
Thank you so much for sharing Penny's story! This was the perfect lunchtime pick-me-up … inspiration for the rest of my day! I was also less than impressed by the Dove spots, and I'm so glad others are speaking out against the idea that it matters how much physical beauty we do or don't perceive in ourselves.
Blessings,
Jennifer
http://www.fromhouse2home.usReplyCancel
Thanks for sharing! I didn't know the ad (not seen this version here). At least it has the merits of showing women who are not amazingly slim or amazingly young, and the 'you are more beautiful than you think' is great. But the women shown are still in the classic beauty range, and that quote about how beauty affects so many things in our lives is indeed unsettling. Although it speaks about 'natural beauty' so it might again refer more to that inner beauty, the beauty others see and we fail to see because we focus on our physical defects. So I guess I have mixed feelings about the ad, like you. Thanks for sharing about Penny, I've read the article and was shaken as I am always when I read about how human beings can be mean to others. That people can be abused or insulted or avoided because of their looks makes me sad and angry. But people brave and good-hearted like Penny have a beauty that shines through and this beauty never fades with age. Penny is smart and doesn't give in. She values friendship and she has love to give. It is this natural beauty that radiates because it comes from the inside. Again, thanks for sharing!ReplyCancel
I have two sons. I work very hard to teach them about viewing women for WHO they are, not WHAT they look like. My 13 year old son had a dance class at the end of school today that included 7th-12th graders. The teachers focused on proper dancing etiquette. My son told me how he went up to this special young lady that had been born with cleft lip/palate. (She was adopted when she was older so she only recently has been having surgeries to fix this issue.) When he asked her to dance, she asked him if he was kidding her! (This really broke my heart for her.) He told her no and asked her again if she would dance with him. He said her face lit up and she giggled. He told me how he spun her around, literally, and how much she laughed and enjoyed herself on that dance floor. I couldn't be more proud of him! ReplyCancel
I think I must have been one of the few women actually moved by the Dove Beauty Sketches video. I related to it on a personal level, both as a woman who has struggled in the past not to be so hard on myself, and as a therapist who works with young women everyday struggling to accept themselves and see the beautiful person they really are.
I didn't take the final comment on the video as her saying that it's how beautiful we are that affects everything. The message I got was that it's our own PERCEPTION of our beauty and our (in)ability to see the beauty in ourselves that affects us and our lives so profoundly. I do agree that they could have expanded on the women they chose to participate and it would be great to see that in the future, but the message that we are too critical of ourselves came across in a very real way to me.
Thank you for sharing the link to Penny's story. How inspiring it is to see her not allow her loveliness to be tainted by the cruelty of others. ReplyCancel
Audriana,
Yes, I think that message that we are too critical came across well, but as you already know…the rest just didn't sit well. That being said, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm glad it was positive for you! And of course I'm glad you liked Penny's story as well. Her undeniable beauty was the point I was trying to drive home. Thanks!
ReplyCancel
"I didn't take the final comment on the video as her saying that it's how beautiful we are that affects everything. The message I got was that it's our own PERCEPTION of our beauty and our (in)ability to see the beauty in ourselves that affects us and our lives so profoundly. I do agree that they could have expanded on the women they chose to participate and it would be great to see that in the future, but the message that we are too critical of ourselves came across in a very real way to me." -Audriana
Thank you Audriana for pointing this fact out. Miggy and possibly some others have taken that quote the wrong way and can be harmful when it was meant to help. I, too, was moved by this commercial and hate to see it criticized. ReplyCancel
Elaine,
I don't think it's a "I'm right, you're wrong" sort of thing. I don't think I took it the wrong way, per se, I think my point of view is valid. I just wasn't moved by this video. And clearly I'm not the only one. That being said I think your point of view is valid. I'm glad you and Audriana (and many others I'm sure) enjoyed the video and were touched by it's message. And I thought aspects of it were good as stated above.
But my real point in all of this was that when watching this video all I could think about was Penny. I kept thinking about her struggles–struggles that would crush the spirit of so many people, yet she still radiants a kindness and joy that is visible. Many people might give her license to be a bitter person and say they wouldn't blame her for being unhappy after all she's been through–especially being given a disfigured face–but regardless of the life-long struggles she has endured, and will continue to endure, she chooses happiness. For me, her story was leaps and bounds more inspiring and did a much better job at capturing real beauty than the Dove video. ReplyCancel
What is it about a beautiful, eye-catching door? My friend and travel companion, Caroline, immediately became fascinated with the doors in Italy. In Cinque Terra many of front doors were 2 small doors with handles in the middle. I wasn’t as immediately fascinated, but quickly caught on! Especially in Venice. The way the water wore...
Now you are talking. I love doors! We live in Saudi Arabia and boy do they have doors. I have several wardrobes made out of doors, Beautiful craftsmanship here. You can buy non restored doors and have them made into things using your own design. Wardrobes, benches, tables etc, all using doors. I also have a huge door that has been restored that I have just for decoration sitting up against a wall in my living room. Actually having a door restored with a drop down table/desk, my own design and I can't wait till it's finished. I keep telling my husband I have to buy it all before we go back to the states to live. Wish I could post pictures, that is beyond my computer skills, too busy designing my next door project. By the way, so glad you enjoyed your fabulous trip.ReplyCancel
Hey, I'm Amy!
I'm an author, artist, and disability advocate. I live with my handsome husband and three beautiful daughters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
categories
purchase when charley met emma
Let's be friends!
© 2025 This Little Miggy|ProPhoto theme|Designed by Hirschi Creative
Nothing wrong with a "mud bath" spa day! And you can never have enough poster board! I used to run out at all hours of the night to get another sheet! Your girls are just the cutest!
[email protected]
We had the same talent show convo last week. The big boys come to me saying they want to be in it. "What are you going to do?"
"Magic tricks"
"Cool, sounds good"
"Mom, will you tell us some magic tricks"
(I flatter myself, that maybe, just maybe they think I just know everything)
"Sorry boys, I don't know any, you'll have to come up with them yourselves"
(insert weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, sort of)
(Next day after school)
"Mom! We made the talent show!"
"So you came up with some magic tricks? Great job!"
"No, we're telling jokes"
Mega points! Great job. Pat, pat!!!
The spoon for Lamp is oh-so sweet & smart. What an angel that darling is! I love how you capture her spunky, pure aura in pics/video.
And wow, ITALY! How wonderful!
Love, Bree
I love this….you totally made my day. The mud, the choreography, the last minute baking, etc – it is all fabulous. You have my applause and admiration.
Hugs,
Miss Rebecca
Love love love this post! The mud pics are the best. I'm glad I'm not the only mom who would rather have her kids outside playing in the mud and getting filthy instead of inside watching TV. Sounds like you were a superstar with the whole talent show extravaganza 🙂