Weekender

What a beauuuutiful Friday in Chicago: seventy-five degrees, impossibly sunny, and all of my classes are underneath the trees by Lake Michigan. There was an Asian tour group taking pictures of us earlier. My weekend will be spent enjoying the spring sun on Saturday while somehow writing my second French dissertation and outlining two more papers (but in English). I apologize for the shameful lack of posts this week; I've just finished midterms and they have not been pretty. Here are some links for your first May weekend!

- I've had baklava only once before, so this recipe seems especially enticing.

- These video shorts are so inspiring and make me want to go globetrotting.

- PICNIC weather?! (via A Cup of Jo)

- the best To Do list I've ever seen, and the source of today's photo.

- I've been hankering after a one-strap bikini, such as this gem.

Hope your weekend is as pretty and sunshine-filled as mine!

The Love List

I'm loving...

- these cookies

- this four-to booth birthday
- this wall-hanging tack
- this mix of patterns


- these drying racks

and this movie trailer



Happy Friday!

Finds At The Fair

I blame it on the mommy brain.

1. Remember our plans to go to the antique fair last weekend? 80km into our road trip I realized that I HAD THE WRONG WEEKEND. Oy.

2. Tara (you must visit her blog and see her lovely home!) had mentioned in the comments of my post that she frequents Southworks Antiques in Cambridge. Rather than turn around, we decided to keep driving and check it out. HandyMan, Chloe and I had visited Cambridge last summer after hearing about a great antique mall, but we couldn't find it. All we found was this outlet mall, filled with shoe stores, discount linen shops, and a place that sells socks and only socks. So we googled the place Tara mentioned (gotta love the iPhone) and ended up here: Yes, its the SAME PLACE we were at last summer. How we could miss the entrance and the 30,000 sq ft antique mall upstairs is beyond me!

But maybe things were supposed to turn out this way because we found a few little things, like these old yardsticks:

My plan is to stack them one atop the other and affix them to a wall somewhere, maybe in the new basement, and mark Chloe's height each year.

We also found this nice mail slot:

HandyMan will strip all the paint off of it, paint it black, and replace this ugly rusting thing:
I think this used to be the milk door, where fresh bottles of milk were dropped off. Its been boarded up on the outside and a mailslot added but on the inside, we still have a little door we open to access the mail. HandyMan will probably clean up the exterior while he's at it. Our poor mailman has suffered looking at this thing long enough.

Working Girl

I've been on a desperate hunt for clothes that can be categorized under the "professional" heading. I figure I can wear pencil skirts with embellished tanks and light jackets (for the love of God, no boxy blazers or bland cardigans). On the other hand, I know that it will be summer in New York City (sticky, concrete, and unpleasant), so I must keep an eye out for any light, flowing dresses. I have to admit, though, I'm more than excited to pick up blueberries from the streetside fruit vendors on my way to work, as I did every day last summer.
I considered buying armfuls of cheap dresses to fill the deficit of "appropriate" in my wardrobe; I then realized that a) I'll probably need "appropriate" clothing after graduation anyway and b) I don't like cheap clothes because there's a reason they're cheap (poor quality, usually). As a result, I've made it my duty to haunt all sample sales, which is how I found this gem:
I know. I KNOW. I wish the picture was clear enough for the detailing on the bodice to be more visible, because it really is exquisite. Unfortunately, Rue La La allows other shoppers to purchase pieces that are already in your shopping cart (Seriously? At least Gilt gives a ten minute period) and I missed it. Naturally, I entered a stage of severe self-loathing for slight procrastination before finding a very similar dress, though without the pleating on the bodice. Still, this particular dress is available here at full price. It is so unbelievably perfect for summer and marries fashionable with professional quite beautifully. For now, I will be roaming the sample sales to find some more pieces (while studying for my midterms, of course). If you have any suggestions as to how I can reassess my college wardrobe with an eye to professionalism, let me know! Hope your weeks are going splendidly!

Dictionary Contest Waivers

Dear Rich: Our company is going to have a contest in which we're going to ask people to submit possible entries that will be used in one of our dictionaries. Does every person who submits a term need to sign some sort of waiver that gives our company publishing rights for their submissions? You'll need some kind of permission but you can probably get by without written signed permission forms.

The old click to agree,  If people submit entries online, for example, at your website or at a third-party site, you can have a button tied to a statement that says something to the effect of: "By submitting your entry you agree to give ________ the right to republish this material in all formats and editions of ____ Dictionary." You can be more detailed and explain additional uses you wish to make for the material. Generally, any assent you can get as a condition of the submission will be fine. If it seems a little tricky to set that up at your website, it's pretty easy to set it up at a site like SurveyMonkey.com. Just direct your entrants to a survey you create there and include the statement by the final "Submit" button. (It probably shouldn't be an issue for a dictionary, but some companies also ask the entrants to agree to the fact that submission is original to them.)

Contest Rules. The Dear Rich Staff also suggests that you can shore up your position by listing your "contest rules" at your website -- for example, by including a similar permission statement in your rules webpage. You will also need permission if you are posting the name, photo or any other personal information about the contest winners. And finally, if there is some kind of remuneration for winners - whether gifts or money - you should take a look at national contest laws (for example, any contest worth more than $500 is probably invalid in Rhode Island). Wow, this is starting to get as boring as a bunch of contest rules. We'll stop now.

Add It To The List

What's this? We want to renovate the basement?? Oh boy.

Respecting Hockey, LCCs and Trademarks

Dear Rich: I am starting a new website called respecthockey.com. I was planning on doing an online radio show, a blog, and possibly a video blog live as well. I have seen many similar sites have a 'inc.' , or 'llc' on the bottom of it, and then the name of the site is a trademark. I am not looking to make money. I just want to promote the game and I was a journalism major. What do you recommend? I was thinking 'kd products llc,' and then 'respect hockey' or 'respect hockey talk radio' as the trademark. We had to change the wording in your question because we have a reader who is rightfully displeased to see 'trademark' used as a verb. (We wish we could include him in our blog links but alas, the people who maintain this blog operate with the speed of hibernating marmots.) 

Right, you had a question. Just in case you're not aware, the LLC and "Inc" suffixes are not alphabetic accessories that you can simply add on to the name of your company. You must file papers and pay fees in order to qualify as a corporation (Inc.) or Limited Liability Company (LLC). Both types of entities can shield the owners from liability but they have different tax implications and legal requirements. The thing of it is, there's no sense forming either one if you're not looking to make money (unless you intend to operate as a nonprofit which is a whole other set of rules and procedures). By the way, these entities can be expensive to maintain. For example, the minimum annual LLC fees in California are $800 a year.

As for your choice of trademark ...  We're not sure you have a clear concept of how trademarks work. Currently nobody has registered "RESPECT HOCKEY" with the USPTO for any purposes. But in case you're unaware, a trademark is intended for use in commerce which means you're operating as a business ... so again we're back to the part of you not wanting to make any money.

Hobby or Business. If this is strictly a hobby, we would also note that decision also affects your taxes as the IRS treats hobbies in a less advantageous manner than a business. The Dear Rich Staff thinks you need a mini-primer in maintaining a small business and if we weren't so concerned about the implications of FTC disclaimer rules, we'd recommend some of our own books on the subject.

Monday Morning

This morning is all bright skies and fresh winds, and I just couldn't resist throwing in a shot of the Chicago skyline that is so iconic of Northwestern's campus. My weekend was delightful but completely unproductive, which is especially unfortunate as this is midterm week. I went downtown with some friends to Cusp, one of my new favorite stores and an offshoot of Neiman Marcus, and Kamehachi, which offered delicious sushi. Yesterday, I ventured into Little Vietnam (which is actually Little Asia) and bought enough dim sum to feed five people - for $12. Whenever I find myself in a Chinese bakery surrounded by other Asians, I try far too hard to put on a good Cantonese accent and instead, mark myself as the half-Asian wannabe. Fine. Guilty as charged.

At Cusp, I picked up two very cute tops that I insisted to my mother were "work appropriate," a statement which may be up for debate. Yet I also spotted a beautiful dress that was out of my current spending limit but perfect for the editorial internship I snagged for the summer:
The neckline is what caught my eye, with the uber-flattering pleating coming in a close second. The cap sleeves are so sweet and the higher neckline is demure but alluring (bad personal pun - the internship is with Allure magazine). I can see it transitioning smoothly from day to night with a pair of strappy nude heels and a sweet clutch. A lot of Black Halo's Resort 2009 line is work appropriate with an edge, and you can find the Pick of the Week here, as well as countless other adorable dresses.

[photo cred to Gerald Oh]

Wasn't That A Party!

Chloe's party was great fun last weekend. I think the adults enjoyed all the pretty food and the kids liked the dress up booth. Here's some eye candy for you all (be warned - these pics are sweet sweet sweet!).

The food was fit for our tea party... tea sandwiches, blueberry scones, light-as-air macarons, quiches & salads & wraps, bakerella cake pops, my fave Mariage Freres tea, and of course cupcakes!


Pink & green was the decor theme. I used some Martha Stewart paper (and Chloe's silhouette) to make cupcake toppers, some no-sew flag bunting, and a birthday sign. I also took some of those vintage doilies from Mama HandyMan and dyed them pink.


And what's a party without fun for the kiddies? They had their own little buffet complete with mini treats and a mini tea cups! They played games like Pin The Lid On The Teapot and had fun with the dress-up booth (everyone wanted to sit on the little throne).


And when all was said and done, we were left with full tummies, happy parents, and one tired little girl. Happy 1st Birthday Chloe!

and when the sun collides with water... im ecstatic!

one thing i can never give up, even when i have tooons of deadlines, is saltwater and sunshine!






i never thought i'll be able to hit the beach with my busy schedule, but thank God time permits :) xoxo

student mode fever

10 months done, and still going... whew!

Copyright on typed transcripts

Dear Rich: I saw your post on trial transcripts. If I order a transcript and pay a lot for it, can I then post it on the Web? The content is public domain, but I wonder if the reporter gets copyright protection for typing it all up. (If so, then I could freely retype the transcript, I suppose, and then post it?) Copyright is not awarded simply for typing the work (and it's also not affected by how much you pay for the transcript). Copyright is typically awarded to the party who first fixes the work. Technically, that would be the court reporter, but we previously noted, at least one case has held that court reporters are not authors of courtroom testimony because the mechanical process of transcribing does not demonstrate sufficient originality.

What kinds of problems can you get into by posting the transcript on the web? The Dear Rich Staff doubts whether you'll get hassled over copyright infringement if you post the transcript. You may run into other issues, however. Did your purchase agreement for the transcript include any sort of license requirements? Read it before posting to be sure you're not violating that. You may also want to review the contents of the transcript to be sure you're not violating anyone's privacy -- for example, the publication of a crime victim's address or phone number. Similarly, we imagine it's possible the transcript may include libelous material -- for example, if a witness perjures himself and makes an untrue statement about one of the parties. The republication of that outside of court by a third-party may trigger a claim of defamation.

Weekender

The weekend seems like it will be a good one despite all of the rain that Chicago has in store. Apart from mounds of homework, I'm going downtown to shop with some friends and have plans to stuff myself full of delicious dim sum. My picks out of the several million that are offered on carts? Definitely cha siu bow (steamed pork buns - though baked is good, too), dhan ta (egg custard tarts), and ha fun (shrimp wrapped in fun rolls). Mmm, I might be salivating just thinking about it. Here are some links to brighten your weekend:

- my obsession with Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution + Earth Day = a guide for eating well and keeping green all day, every day.

-speaking of green, too bad I don't have enough to spend on these sweet wedges.

- if you have spare time, spare chocolate, and spare marshmallows, I highly suggest that you donate it all to a batch of these.

- my favorite character in Alice in Wonderland is the Dormouse, so naturally, I adore these invitations that pay homage to him.

- a wonderful, supersize collection of photographs from one of my go-to blogs.

A note: my wonderful boyfriend sent me some cupcakes for our anniversary from Saint Cupcake. Have I eaten all of them? Maybe. They're all delicious, but the best are anything with the buttercream frosting.

Have a bright and beautiful weekend!

[photo cred to Robert Lio]

Let's Go To The Fair!

The Antique fair, that is. Its that time of the year when we pack up the kid and head out on a road trip to a small town in southern Ontario in search of vintage treasure. This weekend we're going to be a bit ambitious and try and visit Artefacts, of our favourite architectural salvage stores, and then head to the spring opening of the Aberfoyle Antique Market. We're on the lookout for a few things, bits of trim and filagree to dress up the antique doll bed and dresser Mama HandyMan gave us, a door plate for our old-style doorbell, and maybe a throw for the end of the bed. Even if we come home empty-handed, the hunt will be fun.

Anyone else headed to the fair this weekend?

Photo from Sarah's House 3; photo by Stacy Brandford

Using Poe, Shakespeare, Shaw and Mona Lisa in Video

Dear Rich: I am creating two to five minute video sequences of my art montages for iPod and iPhones and would like to use quotations at the beginning and end by Poe and Shakespeare and Shaw. (1) If all quotations come from some published source do I need to get permission from someone? (2) If I have used an image in my montage sequence that shows for say 10 seconds a painting in a museum, say the Mona Lisa from the Louvre and I altered a picture that I took of that image to look like a pop art Warhol do I need to get a license from the Louvre for the usage? The Dear Rich Staff will save you the trouble of reading a long answer: (1) No, you don't need permission for the quotes*; and (2) No, you don't need a license for your Warholization of the Mona Lisa (unless of course, you're copying Warhol's version.

* You would need permission from Shaw's estate for substantial quotes from works (more than two or three lines) if the work was published after 1922. 

Ooh La La

So maybe I've had a bit of a frisson with the French for a very long time. There has to be a reason for my slugging through piles and piles of French literature with no academic requirement forcing me to do so. Somehow, though, French brand Ba&sh's line has managed to intensify this crush. The pieces err towards classic but always have an edge, whether it be a bold shot of color or detailing in the seams and folds. They're the designs that you throw on, perhaps adding a pair of shoes in the process, and run out of the house still looking effortlessly cool. There are some girls who feel they need to add a belt or a pair of heels to look "complete," and this line takes that idea, sits on it, and drinks some espresso very calmly. Additionally, the line of handbags? Amazing. They'll put a big dent in your wallet but are unique and add a tough angle to the clothes. My personal favorite? Le Sac Jula:

The catch? The online boutique is entirely in French. On the bright side, at least I'm putting three years that won't even amount to a French minor to good use! Also, keep an eye out for the Euro to dollar conversion, because you don't want to overdraw on your checking account and have your bank forget to tell you while they charge you a ridiculous daily fee.

Last note: do you know what should be illegal? Ordering a pair of beautiful Calvin Klein heels from Gilt Groupe and receiving an email, three weeks later, stating that your order cannot be fulfilled due to an inventory error. It hurts. It hurts a lot.

Legal rights for Batman app

Dear Rich: I'm creating an application for the iPhone and was planning to place it in the appstore. Its a 'video ringer'. Instead of only hearing a dull sound when someone receives a call, I replaced it with a video. The thing is that, I made a 'Batwave' sort of video. Do you think I will have a problem? Yes, we think you may have a problem. If DC Comics learns that you're using the logo they may request that Apple remove the app. That's what the owners of Tetris did with an application called TRIS back in 2008. As we mentioned last week, DC Comics, the owner of rights, broadly asserts its Bat-rights. Obviously, the company has the right to make a similar app and your unauthorized use would compete and create confusion. So, initially, you may be able to get it past the AppStore gatekeepers but the Dear Rich Staff advises that if your app becomes popular (and your app store screenshots will likely attract some unwanted attention), you'll eventually find yourself in some deep Bat guano.

Black & White

Slowly, we've been spraypainting all the brass door knobs and hinges in the house a matte black (Krylon Satin Black). I like how it gives the white doors a little bit of pop.


I've just noticed that we have hits of black & white going on in our decor. Little black and white decals and signs here and there...


Its an old designer's trick, adding a bit of black in every room to ground a space and finish it off. Do you have bits of black in your home?