Another Channeled Asym

Photos lifted from the very excellent Board Collector blog. It's an early 80's Allan Byrne shape, his trademark channels on a beautiful looking asym- tidy stuff indeed.

2013 season beginning soon

We hope everyone is well rested and ready to hit the field! The 2013 coastal waterbird season is just around the corner and the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds is working hard to prepare each and every day. Our friends at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection along with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are readying themselves as well. Take this blog post as a reminder to keep your eyes open for news and information that will be coming to you shortly. We will have a lot to pass along to you via email (ctwaterbirds@gmail.com), this blog, and our Facebook page which is located here in February and March, the month our field season begins.

This is the time to let your friends know about how valuable becoming a volunteer monitor is! Whether they are birds lovers, eager to become stewards, are looking to learn more about waterbirds, or simply enjoy roaming the beach looking at nature's wonders, we have a place for them. Please contact us if you would like to be involved at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible. We may be updating some of them, but remember to take a look at the right-hand column under "Important Documents" for more information on specific topics and to get a feel for what we do to help Connecticut's coastal waterbird populations.

Talk to you soon!


Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.

"When testing a new board.....

...I like to push it as hard as I can off the bottom to see where it will give and spin out" Classic- Kidman mug designed and made by Gerry Wedd courtesy of Paul Whibley. Scholars and Gentlemen, the pair of them. There was a great thundercloud photo of Paul's in the box too, so I'm extra stoked. It's made up for missing the one decent day of surf before the rain set in.

Half Men

Those spoons in the last post got me thinking about kneeboards, and here's more. Those boys are just killing it, really lovely surfing. LA Residents/visitors: go check this out.

It's in a very small and cool East LA gallery/retail space which is well worth your time to visit should you be in this fine city.

It's Never Too Early To Investigate Your Own Career

As seniors are watching their college decisions roll in, juniors are beginning the college search process, and underclassmen are beginning to think about life after high school, there is one topic that has likely crossed all of their minds. That topic is their life and what they see themselves doing for a career. There is no set schedule for when individuals should know what type of career would be best for them, as some know when they are 10 years old and others don’t know until they are 40 years old. As high school students it is completely normal not to have a solid grasp of a type of job or field you see yourself in, and contemplating about what you would like to do for the next 40+ years is not the easiest concept to wrap your head around, but it is definitely something all high school students should be thinking about. As jobs are becoming more competitive and specialized, it would greatly benefit any individual to choose the right major for themselves in college and getting started early on the right track for their desired career.  A career does not just happen and this is something students need to be aware of. A career is something a person will have for the majority of his or her life, so it makes sense that it should be something in which the person enjoys and fits his or her personality.

Students coming into high school should learn about themselves, including their values, interests, beliefs, and skills, and then begin to prepare for the next stage. Along with this, 9^th and 10^th grade students should be encouraged to explore, and should not worry about making career decisions. As students enter their junior and senior year of high school, they should be much more focused on decision making, and integrating what they have learned about themselves in previous years to growth and change towards their future career development. Once students have explored who they are, they must be allowed to access information on all types of careers and what needs to be done to obtain these careers. Goals need to be set and students must work with their counselor on reaching these goals.

During your junior year, you will be able to use the Career Finder tool on Naviance. This allows you to answer hundreds of questions about your personality, abilities, likes and dislikes. The program will then provide you with a multitude of careers that may fit you best and where you will be the happiest. Each career option will provide information on what the careers involve, average earnings, and how to best get to that career, including college majors.

It also is never too soon to think about which careers may be vibrant and which ones may not even exist in the future. A great site to visit is the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is part of the United States Department of Labor. This website gives everyone access to much of the information available on careers. A very useful tool on this site is to see projections of careers, including which careers will be booming in 10 years and which careers are on the decline. Click on the link, and you will be directed to the New Jersey part of the site giving a multitude of information on careers in our state.  

So some simple advice for all high school students…although your plans may change, it is never too early to start thinking about what you may want to do. Use the resources available to you and start trying to connect your personality and needs to certain jobs and careers that exist. And parents…engage with your child about careers and opportunities that may arise. Have conversations with them about your own experiences and support them when they start coming to terms with a career they see themselves attracted to. Also, encourage them to go after internship opportunities or summer jobs that become available. Although an individual most likely will change careers at least once during a lifetime, it’s important to get off to a good start. So make thinking about a career a part of your life right now, as it will always be an important part of your entire life.

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

Michael Mackie

A few from Ulladulla: another shot of Mackie's hybrid board- there's a lot of design finesse gone into this one, the bottom has a bit of MacTavish hull style in the nose and a decent concave running into V to set up some trim, and rails are pinched down in the nose and tail. Mick is very happy with it and seems keen to put it into some solid surf. Tidy little fish, and a couple of nice looking spoons made by one Neil Cameron of Byron Bay, who is one of those low key Aussie legends- he charges on McCoys and kneeboards and apparently shapes very well indeed.

a seaside inspired Winter dinner

We had a little dinner party this weekend and here is a peek at the table, inspired by my new seashell place card holders and the "Debutante" camellias from my garden.

Ciao! Fabiana

Help the McKinney NWR recover from damage by contacting your US Representative today

Please see below for an important alert from the National Wildlife Refuge Association about legislation that relates specifically to the Stewart B. McKinney NWR. The Refuge and its habitats were significantly impacted by Hurricane Sandy and now there is a resolution to strip funding for “uninhabited islands” from any relief package. Please take action today and let your elected representative that bird habitat is important to you. Falkner Island was especially hard hit, with perhaps as much as ½ of the nesting habitat for Roseate Terns eroded by the storm and this amendment would strip any funding for habitat restoration there from the relief package. Just because no one lives there doesn’t mean that this island isn’t critically important! At the bottom is a link that will allow you to contact your US Representative. You will have to sign up to be able to use the system, or you can find a template letter that could be copied in pasted into a message you craft yourself. You can find the contact information for your representative here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/#state_ca

Contact your Representative today – Refuges on the East Coast sustained $78 million indamages from Hurricane Sandy and desperately need help to rebuild. Unfortunately, some in Congress don't agree. Please also remember to thank our Representatives who are working hard to protect our NWR.
 
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The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote as early as today on additional Hurricane Sandy funding that will affect refuges. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) will be offering a substitute amendment to H.R. 152, the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, that restores $78 million in funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) – funding that will aid refuges with ongoing clean up efforts and habitat restoration. The amendment also provides $360 million to Department of the Interior for mitigation efforts to strengthen resiliency of natural ecosystems by working directly with refuges, other public lands, state agencies and local communities.

The damage to refuges from Sandy is the equivalent of 16% of the System’s annual budget. Without this supplemental funding damages by Sandy will just become part of the backlog of unmet operations and maintenance needs and all refuges will suffer.

But some in Congress, who reside outside the affected area, are offering amendments to remove funding from refuges like the Stewart B. McKinney NWR in CT and prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from acquiring lands to offset habitat loss as the result of saltwater intrusion and other damage.

Please call or send your Representative a message today and urge him or her to:
1. Vote YES in support of the Frelinghuysen substitute amendment;
2. Oppose amendment #15 by Rob Bishop (UT) that would prohibit any funds to be used for land acquisition;
3. Oppose amendment # 49 by John Fleming (LA) that cuts funding for the FWS.

See more here: http://refugeassociation.org/action/?tdburl=http%3A%2F%2Frefugenet.e-actionmax.com%2Feditalert-ckbox.asp%3Faaid%3D6820

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Thank you!


Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.

beachy tablescape

I stopped by to visit to my friend Meredith at her adorable little beach-inspired boutique  MerMade Designs yesterday and  came home with a few little goodies to spruce up our dinner table.     

I fell in love with the seashell place card holders that she makes.  They are so fun on the table and can even be useful holding photos or recipe cards.  She also has the cutest napkin rings, and I chose this one with all the hanging little seashells that remind me of a charm bracelet.  I also couldn't resist the linen napkins with seahorses and sand dollars softly painted on them.  What do you think of the table? 

 

The dishes and other tableware I have owned for a while, but the round woven place mat is from Cost Plus.  I also love my sea horse dish that I got at the Hotel del Coronado.   

Ciao! Fabiana
sharing with:    the style sisters

inside Yolanda Foster's closet and home

Inside the newest BH Housewife Yolanda's ginormous walk-in closet

I love the built-in mirrors

a few of many designer handbags

the neutral toned shoes

glass doors keep clothing clean and fade resistant

a little dinner party setting

a simple table set with rose petals, flowers, lemons and candles

a pretty succulent arrangement

here is the infamous custom-made glass refrigerator  

an infinity pool with views of Malibu 

a lounging area

the large fire pit and comfortable seating

a huge and decorative picnic table

more cozy seating and a lovely California suset

via

ciao! 

Fabiana

Mary McDonald's Home on Million Dollar Decorators

This week on the season finale of Million Dollar Decorators,  Mary showed off her newly revamped house.  The adjectives thrown around to describe the update were cool "grandma-ish", "Palm Beach", "Palm Springs", and "1970's" all with a modern twist that only Mary can pull off.  She chose a pretty green and white Quadrille wallpaper and matching fabric for her kitchen nook area.

a work in progress

checking out the finished kitchen with BFF Nathan

I love the velvet chairs and modern light fixture

detail of Quadrille wall covering and fabric

pretty details too

  In her bedroom, Mary centered the design on a beautiful hand-painted Gracie wall paper that is ultra-feminine and very traditional, even if it meant carpeting over a graphic floor she just had painted.  The end product is stunning.  I love the subtle soft pink accessories scattered about.

Mary's mantel

Jeffrey paying a visit to a frenzied Mary

Gorgeous sitting area

bedroom vignette with lots of layers of whites, creams and soft grays

a great mix of modern touches

a little soft pink is perfect

Mary's living room was described by Kathryn as "very grown-up", even though there was a funny smell in there, haha!  Beautiful shades of green fabrics with white walls dominate this design. Personal touches in the form of accessories that she has collected over the years, add personality to the room.   

Simple and grown-up

beautiful symmetry

and gorgeous details

Check out last week's Million Dollar Decorators here.

ciao! Fabiana