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The bill is more popularly called the "Waxman Markey Bill" or the Cap and Trade (or as known on blogs, crap and trade). It wants companies to purchase carbon offsets equivalent to all the carbon they emit. The problem is that the costs of purchasing carbon offsets are going to be passed along to the consumer in higher energy prices, a la the "tax increase" that is being talked about. There is a vote pending on the bill today in the House. Discussions in the House of Representatives are being quelled and limited, as the House is trying to get this bill passed today. This is a hotly contested political issue that I have been following closely. I could go on and on and on, but I don't want to get too political or opinionated here. Instead, if you really want to read more, google Cap and Trade or Waxman Markey or visit your favorite political blog/website and you'll find the info you're looking for.

In regards to the census, the 2010 census is going to be controlled by ACORN and the Government instead of a neutral agency, and may not be fair (Depending on who you ask). However, here is an article where a Senator refuses to fill out the census and she explains why: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/18/po...ry5095844.shtml It's an interesting article. When I get our census, I'll be taking the same stance. Note that it is illegal and a felony if you lie on the census, but there is no requirement that you must answer all the questions.

If someone offered me 85k for ALL My miniatures/dollhouses? I'd take it and run! While I love my dollhouses, and minis, they are just items and they are replaceable. If I made them once, I'll make them again. If I found them once, I'll find them again (or something better!) However, 85k can go a LONG long way towards a LOT of things (minis and non minis). If I had 85k to buy a dollhouse, this is hard. I would want to spread the money around to get a victorian (similar to a BH), Beaumont/Southern Plantation style and maybe a foxhall manor style.

I saw a few people mention that Greenleaf and Tracy should write their own books. Greenleaf DOES have their own books! Dollhouses to Dreamhouses Books 1-3!! While they're out of print, I think HBS has the first one (With the Beacon Hill on the cover) and you can occasionally find books 2 & 3 on ebay or Amazon. THOSE books are the BEST! Not only do they showcase Greenleaf's style perfectly, they also show how bashable and creative you can get with a GL house. It was the first book that gave me the inspiration for my Arthur Dollhouse Store and the third book that gave me inspriation for turning a Brimbles into something different (top secret project). I can easily see Tracy and Dean updating those books using Tracy's methods of paper clay, Deb's methods of decorating, and the new Laser Cut methods. Sooooo how about it? I have room on my bookshelf

I usually leave the interior of my 1:144 houses unfinished. However, I have done micro wallpaper on the gothic mansion and the stain pen for the floors. You could scribe lines like with a 1:12 house, or print paper flooring, or anything you can imagine! For the exterior paint, I use whatever latex house paint I have laying around but I thin it with some water. At that scale the latex paint is thicker and when it dries, it will take away some of the detail. Thinning it with water does the trick and if necessary, I use 2 coats. You have to be careful of warping with these pieces, but it's nothing that some wax paper and a heavy book (or quart size paint can) won't fix. Good luck! I love the micro houses for their "quick" assembly and finishing.

It's gorgeous! I love the aged roof! Isn't the 1/144 scale just a lot of fun to work in! I made one when I made my Dollhouse Store and have another micro BH in the works. It's sitting on my desk patiently waiting to be finished, right next to my finished 1/144 Garfield.

I was going to do a barn, but I figured that would be a popular theme so I thought of another idea. It was an observatory! I was going to make the telescope out of the tall containers from the crystal light, and a small telescope. I looked in the gallery today and viola! Selkie did an observatory/planatarium. I was going to make the first floor an office and the second floor a balcony where the telescope came through the roof. Selkie's came out really good, as did everyone elses!! I'm sorry I didn't have the time to enter this year, but I may still build the two kits I have and fulfill my ideas...if time allows.

My poor spring fling is sitting all abandoned on the end of my dining room table. I had such great ideas for it and even bought the supplies, glued it together, and that's it. I lost all inspiration and desire to work on it. The past month has literally been kicking my butt with busyiness - between work, more work, my parent's 50th anniversary party yesterday, the gift I was making for them (a scrapbook) that I didn't finish until the morning of their party, and just "life" I haven't had the time to work on it. Now there's a week left, I have "some" time but all the deisre left me - it brings tears to my eyes. On the upside, I am looking forward to everyone's entries and rooting for the winners!

This is the first time in about a week that I've posted here and it feels good! I miss everyone and just wanted to let you know it. :groucho: I ordered the Spring Fling with the hopes of entering the contest. I'm still holding out hope that I"ll be able to work on it. I even shopped and got all the supplies and have the idea and notes and pictures and everything planned! It's just "doing it". So far, my spring fling is assembled and glued and that's it. I've been soooo busy with life that I forgot what "mini's" look like. Fortunately, it's been a good busy but it's stressing me out something awful. Two weeks ago I took the first of 4 parts of the CPA exam...now I'm driving myself and my husband crazy waiting for the results. The end of May (the due date for the Spring Fling) I'm taking the 2nd of 4 parts. I haven't even opened the book yet to begin studying. Meanwhile, my husband made ME the general contractor for having my mother in law's house built. Like "I" need this?! It's HIS Mother!! I love her dearly and all but sheesh, just becuase I build "dollhouses" doesn't mean I can do a "real" house (or so he says). So, I've been busy with the county depts. getting all the permits, drawing up site plans, having the health dept come to tell me we have to install a new septic line becuase the one we have now is not big enough for 3 adults (what?! It is a 1 thousand gallon tank and supported FIVE adults)...she mumbled something about it being old and not up to code. Bleh, thank goodness we don't have to worry about "codes" when buildling dollhouses. Meanwhile, the building dept. said we can put the house on our property as long as it's smaller then 600 sq. ft. Fortunately my MIL doesn't want a big house... Now I get the joy of starting to get bids for cement work, plumbing and electrical. Fun fun...NOT As if that's NOT enough, I was fortunate enough to land some part-time teaching jobs (I already had one little one with one school) but all those resumes I sent out eons ago finally got noticed and now I'm with four different schools woo hoo! The good thing is I love it and it helps pays the bills, the bad thing is it's close to a full-time job which means less time for mini-ing, cleaning the house and hanging out here. This has been more of a venting then anything else...if you're still reading, thank you I hope to be back here regularly soon!

I have to agree about the educational part of it all. This weekend I was doing research for my Spring Fling and got carried away looking at the websites and all the interesting information about ___________________. My Spring Fling is all assembled and glued but that's it. I am trying to finish up the Orchid I'm working on then go to the Spring Fling. I have everything all planned out and even did some shopping for the stuff I need over the weekend. I'm so excited since this will be my first contest I'm entering.

I could not believe my eyes...a computer in a dollhouse, and it really works! http://dexterbiilt-creative-technologies.com/default.aspx

Wolfie, I love it! It looks so beautiful and "Edna" looks perfect for the house. Great job!

I use a binder with looseleaf paper and 3-holed pockets. When I get a new "big" idea that is going to be a project I"m starting in the near future, I make a tab for it and put my notes in that tab and pictures, printies, printed pictures, etc., in the folder. Then any other "someday" ideas go into a tab called "future projects". In each tab on the looseleaf paper I jot down notes, ideas, color schemes, solutions to solve construction problems, materials to get, etc. I like the looseleaf paper/folder system so I can take only the page or two I need to the store if I'm buying supplies, etc.

It looks gorgeous Gina! Great work on your first bash!

My opinion may be a bit different then everyone elses, but from experience I found it works. Is there a compelling reason you have to tell her? I mean, I'm sure she will eventually see the Jeep, but unless she's a neighbor or someone who will see you drive home the car when you get it, why not just wait until she sees it on her own. Then let her ask about it and casually brush it off and say "oh yeah, someone Fred knew gave him the Jeep" and leave it at that, without details and without making a big deal of it. If she probes or asks I would be cool and casual about it and try not to discuss it much in an attempt to protect her feelings. Regardless, it's a sticky situation but I think the less you talk about it and the less of an issue you make, the better it is. I have a similar problem with my husband from time to time. He is extremely unlucky (or so he says he is, I believe it's his karma) and has a difficult time dealing with people, getting them to get things done or favors, etc. I, on the other hand am quite lucky and have no problem dealing with people and as a result, get a lot of favors, freebies, and I always get what I want (with some hard work of course and a little help from God). My husband gets jealous when I get nice things either in exchange for someone else or win things or good things go my way or I get what I want. I play it down with him and tell him it's all about personality, karma, how you interact with people and a LOT of hard work and perserverance. Things may not pay off today or tomorrow or even next week, but in time, they DO pay off. If you really feel you should tell your friend about the Jeep up front, then I would suggest instead of "hoping" something good happens to her, that she go out and make connections, work hard, network, be super nice to all her friends and give a little good-will and karma (which is always free) and put her faith in her higher power and be grateful for what she has. Perhaps you can tell your friend that if she has faith and perserverance she will get what she needs? To break the good news to someone who hasn't had any in a good time, I personally wouldn't. To me, as I said at the beginning, unless there is some compelling reason to do so, I feel it would risk hurting their feelings. I would instead focus on the positive things your friend has that so many people don't have in today's situation (i.e, a job, a place to live, etc). Just my thoughts...