Saturday, August 30, 2008

Photographers of Etsy Blog

I have had the honor of being a part of the Photographers of Etsy (POE) Team for quite awhile now. I was recently named an admin of th team and look forward to getting to know even more of the talented photographers on Etsy. The team has recently taken a new direction and is growing in leaps and bounds. The blog was started this week and is not only a great resources for all team members but also for anyone who loves photography.

My Etsy Shop

Friday, August 29, 2008

The Story of Stuff

"...Shortly after the World War 2, these guys were figuring out how to ramp up the [U.S.] economy. Retailing analyst Victor Lebow articulated the solution that has become the norm for the whole system. He said: “Our enormously productive economy . . . demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our
ego satisfaction, in consumption . . . we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate.” *Victor Lebow, Journal of Retailing, quoted in Durning, How Muchis Enough? (1992) As heard on "The Story of Stuff"

Thanks to Pam for directing me to the link to this video. This 20 minute online video examines how thing are made, used, and disposed of by looking at extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. It discusses things like planned obsolescence, perceived obsolescence, advertising, dioxins and toxins in general... so much info presented in an easy to understand way, I think kids could learn a lot from this as well as adults. The website lists many resources and I look forward to checking it all out.

Ottawa Where Magazine Feature


I was shocked and pleased to be approached by Where Magazine in Ottawa about my current show, Wanderlust at the D'OMMA Gallery. First I was contacted to have the show listed in their gallery listings online. Then, I was contacted to be featured in the two page spread of the current print issue under "Hot Art". NICE! The write up and photo turned out really well. Thanks, Where Magazine!


Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Awful, Wonderful Day

I was running behind this morning, as usual. To say my daughter and I aren't morning people is oh-so-truthful. I don't plan many things for the morning. On Monday, I was supposed to meet up with the coordinator of the Banff After School program, but my husband was home sick with a bug and my daughter was bit sluggish. In the end, she didn't get sick but we rescheduled our meeting for today, at 11 AM. No worries, right? Well, yes and no. We were ready to leave the house on time, but driving would probably have been a better idea than walking. Both in time factor and the fact that there were storm clouds brewing, something I only noticed once we were pretty far from home. I almost turned around but QQ wanted to "walk" (she was in the stroller)... so I pretty much ran, and I was pulling up to the Town Office pretty much on time. I started to gather all our bags and my child and then I noticed, MY PURSE WAS GONE!! It had been hanging off that thingy you hang your bags off of on a jogwger stroller. And now it was GONE. Of course, I am panicking, not sure if it fell off or, since I live in a densely populated tourist town this time of year, if it was stolen. I was completely frustrated that I was going to have to run and tell the person I was meeting that I needed to reschedule YET AGAIN. I ran in, put down my other bags, daughter on hip, not even able to remember the name of the person I needed to meet. There were about four people standing inside the door of the community services office and I blurted out, "I just lost my purse, I have to go." One woman, was like, "go,go!" and the person I was meeting who had at this point been identified, looked shocked. Then, I left. As I RAN back through all the steps I had taken I was feeling for the most part stupid. Stupid because I had been in such a rush, stupid because I had not taken the car (since I would have just throw my purse in), stupid because I know better than to hang my purse on the stroller when I can put it safely underneath the stroller, stupid because every time I try to do something work related lately I feel like I fail, stupid because maybe I was just an airhead and had left the purse in the house, or the garage, or on top of the car in the driveway, stupid because I had worn uncomfortable shoes with no socks and now my heels had blisters the size of quarters... I was huffing and puffing when I got home. No purse on the car or in the driveway, not in the front entry, upstairs, or the garage. Oh, I forgot to mention in between feeling stupid I was thinking, "oh no, my cell phone (which I had already replaced last fall because I put it on top of the car and drove away), my wallet, my $600 Leica Point and Shoot digicam that I bought myself for Christmas after wanting it for two years, my little notebooks with all my ideas, notes, designs.... gone, all gone! I hate owning things I can't do without but I guess to some extent that is inevitable. We need wallets, I am a photographer so I need a camera, and well, cell phones... No purse at home, at least I was not an airhead. I called my cell phone, no answer and more importantly I could not hear it ringing in the house. I called my husband to tell him the whole story. I called my credit card company and my US debit card to place blocks on the accounts. I called the woman who I still needed to meet with to reschedule and apologize. Andre, my husband, called the Town to find out where I should file a missing purse report, which conveniently happens to be at the Town Office, where I was now headed back to for my meeting. As I got in the car it dawned on me that I had ALMOST put my house and car keys in my purse but had handed them to my daughter instead, otherwise we would not have gotten into the house and could not now drive the car. A-ha, things COULD be worse. And my two year old had actually been really really extra good while I was making all of these phone calls, since she knew I was distraught. I drove to the Town Office, had a great meeting while QQ played on the floor in their box of toys. Good news is, I am going to be the local artist who comes in to teach the Recycled Art Project for the After School Program, one Monday a month, starting in Setember. Yippee! I am very excited about that! Ok, off to file a missing purse report, and then we went to the PO, Nester's Local Grocery, the Parks Administration Building, and the OH Canada Museum to see if anyone had turned my purse in. Nope. But, I did make 6 Polaroid Spectra double exposures for my October exhibit during the course of all this craziness. I figured why not since we were visiting all these local places, which are a big part of the subject matter of my exhibit. Are you starting to see the theme of my day, Awful, Wonderful? All day it was bitter sweet. Well, ok, not all day. It was exactly 2 1/2 hours from the time that I lost my purse to the time I returned home to hear Andre on our voice mail telling me he had found my purse by calling my cell phone every five minutes until someone picked up. It was at the coffee shop next to the post office and he was on his way to get it!!! OH, yeah! No more thoughts of applying for a replacement health card, driver's license, debit card, etc etc etc. I just had a feeling it was all still in my purse. And I was getting a warm fuzzy feeling about how I knew that someone would do the right thing (ok, I didn't know, I had my doubts, but I was hoping...) and how great that is! Andre came home, all was in my purse, and he told me that someone had turned it in and how nice the people who had it were and I felt like I am right to think the best of my fellow man. Breathe. Deep breath... get on with the rest of the day. Call and take the block off the cards, have lunch, get Etsy trade and client CD ready for the post office, drive to Canmore, go to thrift store, find house plant (yippee!) and some terracotta pots for after school program, as well as some chipped pottery destined for recycling to use for my kitchen back splash, QQ & I see chiropractor, pick up snapshots at photo lab from our Ottawa trip, go to post office, drive home, Q nap, edit client session, meet friends visiting on a whim from Vancouver for dinner, grab Starbucks, home, get friends settled for 4 day stay, have a glass of wine, package another Etsy order, sit and chat, put Q to bed, upload portrait client session to the web. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Interview on Typewriter

MaryAnn Hayatian, a writer from Montreal, was kind enough to feature an interview with me on her blog, Typewriter. Check it out if you are curious about how I got my start in art, what I do when I am not making art, and my advice to other artists.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Claudia's Choices Laundry Powder

I originally bought Claudia's Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder to wash my daughter's cloth diapers. That was months ago, and about one month ago I started using it for all of our laundry. One bucket contains enough for 125 full loads and I swear I still have half a bucket left! It cost $25 at Silver Spoon in Canmore (which is actually $4 cheaper than on the Claudia's Choices site) and it came with a $2 off coupon if I return the bucket so they can recycle it. I feel great about buying this product because of the fact that they do recycle their containers, it is non toxic, it is environmentally responsible, it is great for cloth diapers and all laundry in general, it works awesome in all temperatures, and it is a local company. I was pleasantly surprised to read that the couple who started the company started it because of the birth of their daughter and the thoughts they had about her future and the environment. They searched for all-in-one cloth diapers and found another local company, the same company our diapers are from, which I will explore in tomorrow's post. If you have a chance to use this laundry powder you will be pleased but if you can't find it locally try searching for nature or environmentally friendly washing powder. You can also make your own... stay tuned for another post....

Fabulous Thrift Finds

I want to start featuring some of the fun thrift store finds I acquire each week. For those of you who are into such things, enjoy! For those of you who don`t have a pack rat bone in your body (ie, my mother) you can just smile smuggly, roll you eyes, and be thankful that you are not compelled to collect `such junk`. LOL!



Oh YEAH!! Patience really does pay off! This week, I found a pasta maker for $10! No only do I strive to make homemade ravioli but I have been wanting to try one of Claudine Hellmuth`s transfer methods which involves a pasta maker... Yippee!! I also acquired this adorable Japanese fawn and a slew of chopsticks in my favorite colors black and orange!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

To my dearest friend, Martine, and her partner, Stephane, and their boys, Axel, and Eloi, who have all just welcomed a little girl into their amazing family!! I would have more details but Martine called and left me a message today and in my absolute sheerly joyous state I erased it. Yeah, and I was so euphoric that I didn't realize that until just now. I am pretty bummed since I am one of those people who saves sentimental messages on my voicemail for months, yes, months, and Martine's are always saved. Anyway, since she is not taking calls until tomorrow (I was so bummed to miss her call) I will have to go by memory. First of all, I didn't even get the day or time but I think it was early this morning. And she is 9 lbs 6 oz which is the same as Eloi, whose birth I attended. All three of Martine's children have been born safely and healthy at home. Yippee!! I wish so much I was there right now... oh, a little side note, I am NEVER right when I guess the sex of a baby in utero, in fact, if I think it is a boy it is most certainly a girl, but in this case I KNEW it was a girl! I myself could NEVER not at least try to find out the sex of my child but I really find it fun when other people decide to be surprised. It is so much fun. Hugs and kisses to the new babe and her lovely family. You are a lucky girl!!

UPDATE: The lovely babe's name is MAUDE :)

Update on Wanderlust at D'OMMA Gallery

RESPITE

Well, I guess I am a bit behind because while I had been posting each piece in my Wanderlust Series to my online Create A Day group, I was not posting them here. So, in an effort to blog a bit more about our recent visit to Ottawa, where I helped to hang the Wanderlust show at the D'OMMA Gallery I have decided to post the other eight pieces in the show. I was interviewed by Mitchell Caplan for the CHUO-FM89 show Click Here on Tuesday, which went really well. I am hoping I will be able to post the audio file here but am waiting to find that out. Anyway, please grab a cup of joe and enjoy my newest mixed media work. It is my hope that you will be able to view each piece and to travel to another place.

ROAD TRIP

SEE
I added some elements to this piece after I photographed it, including a miniature ace of heart playing card, and some stones.

FLY

GO FLY AWAY HOME

LONG DISTANCE ROMANCE

METAMORPHOSIS

NEWEST MEMBER
I added two antique silver dessert forks to the bottom lower left of this piece, one for an adult and one for a child.

I will be rephotographing some of these images when I get them back from the show.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Come on Discover Card....

So today I was home editing photo files and I had the TV on, which may have been a mistake in itself. It takes a lot for me to pay attention to commercials, but when they play over and over, I eventually clue in. Discover Card (which I should clarify for fellow Canadians is a credit card, like Visa or Mastercard, in the states, I used to have one...) is running a truly laughable add. I had to see it a few times to really get how pathetic it is. I may not have this word for word but the sentiment comes through the same:

"We are a nation of consumers, and there is nothing wrong with that. The trouble is, there is just too much cool stuff, and we get a little carried away. If only all credit cards companies were like Discover Card. What if they actually helped you spend smarter? Maybe then we could have a better quality of life and be in a better financial position to enjoy it."

Wouldn't that be great?!

Come on!! Are you kidding me? Are people really so stupid to believe this? That they need more stuff? That there is nothing wrong with be a thing driven culture? That is it out of our control and we have no power to stop it because "there is just too much cool stuff"?! It is so patronizing, I can almost feel them patting me on the head... "poor, Tiffany, I know you can't stop yourself from spending, it's ok, just get a Discover Card, and everything will be ok...". It doesn't even tell you in the commercial why you are being financially responsible by choosing Discover. I would image it has something to do with a lower interest rate and the fact that they give you 1% of your purchases back in cash. Hmmmm, in order to get a lot of money back you need to spend a lot. Sheesh. Am I the only person who gets worked up about this stuff? Truly, when I bring this sort of thing up to most people they look at me like I am crazy. Is all of North America in denial?

Tories Slashing Arts Funding

My friend and fellow artists, Hedda Zahner, sent this to me and I asked her permission to post it here.

globeandmail.com: Tories slashing $44.8-million in arts spending
Source: www.theglobeandmail....

The Tories are committed to cutting $44.8-million in spending on arts and culture by April of 2010, The Globe and Mail has learned.

If you feel so inclined, e-mail Stephen Harper: pm@pm.gc.ca

Be polite, and be brief. It's his job to listen to you.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080820.warts20/BNStory/Entertainment/

You also go here for Canadian Arts Information.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Little Seed

I have been meaning to blog about this delightful online shop since Alana McGregor over at Parks Radio (congrats on you engagement by the way!!) told me about it. Do you remember Punky Brewster? Well, she, Soleil Moon Frye, is all grown up with two lovely little girls of her own, and she has opened The Little Seed, where "We are bringing together the world of furniture, fashion, products, and toys with an environmental twist. Our goal is to help make our planet a little greener, and our children’s lives a little healthier." I have really been enjoying reading their seedling blog. I am impressed by the number of amazing products that are all on one site. That was one of the things that motivated Moon Frye and her business partner, Paige Goldberg Tolmach, to open their shop. They had spent months online looking for everything from lotion to bedding that was also healthy for their babies and the environment. Check it out if you have a chance it is really well done!

FRUIT JUICE GUMMIES!!!!



Ok, I must have died and gone to heaven! I always search any health food store for a new fruit juice gummy and I NEVER even thought about making them (which is NOT like me!!). I was THRILLED to find this recipe featured in the daily CRAFT newsletter. As it mentions, even vegetarians could make these by replacing the gelatin with agar agar. I truly can't wait to make these and now must scour the local thrift store for some tartlet molds... Thanks CRAFT and Epicurious! Oh, and rockin' Cookie Magazine where this recipe originally appeared.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I Found a Local FreeCycle!!

Yippee! I found it when I was about to apply to FreeCycle to start one! I am a member of the Calgary FreeCycle but I find it a little ridiculous, environmentally speaking, to want to give my stuff to someone who has to drive so far and vice versa. There is a Bow Valley FreeCycle and I am really not sure how I missed that. In fact, I am willing to bet that someone started the Bow Valley one in the last month or so, since when I applied to the Calgary one I asked if there was one closer to me and was told no... since then I had been planning to start one but life got in the way. And really, do I need ANOTHER project? No. So, I have happily applied to be a member of the Bow Valley FreeCycle and I will be an active member!

Eco Cab

Twice today, once in Banff, and once in Canmore, I saw a light green car with "Eco Cab" written on the side. Turns out, I saw both cars in the two car fleet of environmentally friendly taxis owned by Marcus Groton of Canmore. Groton has a degree in sustainable design and experience in the taxi business. His hybrid taxis, one a Toyota Prius, the other a Camry, are on the road for 100,000 KM a year. These Eco Cabs have been around since last year and they use half the gas of normal taxis, while producing less than half of the pollutants. Groton also prints his promotional materials on recycled paper and uses green chemicals. If I have reason not to walk home I will definitely call the Eco Cab!

Dark Knight

Andre and I went to see "Dark Knight" the newest Batman movie last night and all I can say is that maybe Heath Ledger went mad while making that movie. He is so good, so diabolical... how do actors keep themselves from getting to close to the character they are portraying? The mind is a crazy thing... Anyway, I had thought that maybe all the hype about Ledger giving an award winning performance as just that, hype, but it is not. I am going to have nightmares about the Joker... RIP Heath.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Click Here Radio Program TOMORROW

I just got off the phone with Mitchell Caplan, the host of Click Here, an interview based radio show on CHUO-FM89, that focuses on the arts and community issues in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He has a spot on his program tomorrow, and he would like me be his guest. We will talk about Wanderlust, the show I currently have up at D'OMMA Gallery. I have been on his program before, I think it was back in 2005, for the Red Salon Artists first show. Mitchell has a great voice and is very good at what he does. I am excited to speak with him again. I didn't ask him how he heard about the show. I have not had time to do much PR but I did send an announcement to Art Engine in Ottawa yesterday, I am glad I did. I will be on starting at 3:20 PM Calgary time or 5:20 PM Ottawa time, tomorrow, Wednesday, August 20th. To have a listen go here and click on Listen Live or Listen Now.

Wanna Make Biodiesel?

Well, surprise, surprise (and I was a bit surprised to find this in my inbox), you can! MAKE, the amazing publication that is a brother to CRAFT, has a newsletter, and today it contained a link to a video on how to make biodiesel. I have to admit, since MAKE is more for the type of person who wants to work with power tools, electronics, engines, etc, I don't usually read all the newsletters but this one peaked my interest. Check it out if you are keen...

Here is a little bit o history:
Where it did come from?
"On August 31, 1937, G. Chavanne of the University of Brussels (Belgium) was granted a patent for a 'Procedure for the transformation of vegetable oils for their uses as fuels' (fr. 'Procédé de Transformation d’Huiles Végétales en Vue de Leur Utilisation comme Carburants') Belgian Patent 422,877. This patent described the alcoholysis (often referred to as transesterification) of vegetable oils using ethanol (and mentions methanol) in order to separate the fatty acids from the glycerol by replacing the glycerol with short linear alcohols. This appears to be the first account of the production of what is known as 'biodiesel' today."
Source: Wikipedia

Monday, August 18, 2008

Back from Ottawa...

...and a side trip to Maine. It was an awesome trip! I didn't do a whole lot of relaxing, not that I even know how. I had 16 photo sessions with past clients. It was really nice to see everyone and I even had one new client thanks to word of mouth from a couple clients. Nothing beats word of mouth. Thanks guys! It rained a part of every day that we were in Ottawa. It has been that kind of summer. I only had to reschedule one session on account of rain, which is amazing.

Quin and Andre got to spend lots of quality time with family while I was off working and seeing friends, and I did get to see family, too. They were quite understanding about my absences, what with the new house and new carpet, paint, etc to pay for.


I hope to have a chance in coming days to post about the highlights of the trip. I will start with a trip to my good friend, Karina Bergman's studio.





I was lucky to see Karina twice on the trip, which was not enough, but I am happy to see her new space to create. I guess I should say new to me, since she has been there for over a year now. Karina works mainly in fiber and performance art.



She also does some great sidewalk drawings at festivals and such. She is a great friend and truly understands where I am coming from when it comes to art issues. Actually, I am thankful to be surrounded by many talented artist friends. Here are some images from Karina's studio. Thanks for the visits, Karina, I miss ya!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Greener Footprints...

In Canada, 17,000 plastic shopping bags are being used per minute! I have previously written about an acquaintance of mine, who has become a friend and my employer, and her quest to ban plastic bags in Canmore, Alberta. Pam Currie, owner of Silver Spoon Children's Boutique in Canmore, has been talking the talk AND walking the walk when it comes to getting rid of plastic bags in this beautiful town in the Rocky Mountains. In her shop, where I work twice a week, Pam doesn't have the option of plastic, just cloth bags for $1 or no bags. The plastic bag issue can be confusing at best and I want to look at it more closely in coming entries. For now, I will direct you to the site of the company that Pam gets her cloth bags from, Greener Footprints. They have an excellent page on Plastic Bag Facts. If you have not done so already please do your best to stock up on cloth bags and then really use them. They say it takes about three weeks to make something a habit, so don't be too hard on yourself if you forget them in your home, garage, trunk, etc. Just try, try again :)

Saturday, August 16, 2008

We are back...

...from our travels out East. It is good to be home. We recently purchased a home of our own so it is time to let the unpacking and getting settled begin. Yippee! Our recent travels were awesome but I am happy to get back to home sweet home. Before we left I read an article in our local paper about a couple who will spend part of each year, for the next four years, calling their canoe home. Pam, Geoff, and Taq, their dog, plan to paddle across Canada. They started their amazing journey in March of last year in Victoria, BC. The threesome anticipates making it to Ontario by fall, then they will take a break over the winter, when they will plan their next route. I really admire these people, as I was an avid canoeist and I also have a spirit of wanderlust. I wish them the best of luck, wicked adventures, and I pat them on the back for not only their passion for the outdoors but for their commitment to our environment. Check out the Canoe Across Canada website...

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Natural Silver Polish

Wow, I am THRILLED this worked! I bought two real silver vintage dessert forks at the thrift store for a mixed media piece I am working on. They were tarnished and I wanted to polish them. I wanted to do it gently so the silver glowed more than shined. I have a bottle of Tarnex, which I am not really sure why I bought it. It was expensive and it is a dangerous chemical. I looked up a natural way to polish silver. I took an aluminum cup that I found years ago, which is holding pens, and filled it with warm water and a couple tablespoons of salt. I put the silverware in it and left it for about a half an hour. When I came back, I rinsed it off and buffed it with a dish towel. It looks beautiful! And no elbow grease. I am going to return the nasty tarnex!

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Natural Makeup - Dr. Hauschka

I have been wanting to switch over to natural makeup for some time. I have been using loose mineral foundation for awhile but have not settled on one in particular to stick with. I was buying from a single mom on Etsy who was selling make up and some items made by her autistic son but she is no longer running her shop.

I had heard that mascara is one of the hardest items to find made naturally. I went to my local health store, Weeds and Seeds, and Dr. Hauschka products were recommended. I decide to try one of the mascaras that was on sale, and I think it was about $25. I held onto it until my usual brand was gone, and have now been using Dr. Hauschka's for several weeks. I love it. I have never used mascara that I need to use makeup remover to get off. I want to be able to wash my face and to have the mascara come off. The old unnatural brand I have used for 15 years required soap and water to remove it, which is better than a whole other makeup remover, but is drying to the skin around my eyes. Dr. Hauschka's washes off completely with water which is awesome. It doesn't flake off during the day but I do find it kind of fades. It could stand to be reapplied. And in the heat and humidity I am in while visiting friends and family in Eastern Canada, it does run a bit, but where I live in Western Canada it stays put.

Here is a bit more info on Mascara Intermezzo:

- Available in black, brown and blue
- Thickens and enhances lashes. Imparts a silky, lush and vital color as it helps to strengthen lashes over time.
- Opthalmologically tested
- Neem leaf extract strengthens keratin to encourage strong, full growth
- Antioxidant-rich eyebright and black tea extracts soothe the sensitive eye area
- Gentle and soothing to the allergy-prone eye area

Here is the mission statement of the company which is another reason why I want to buy from them:
"Dr.Hauschka Skin Care is a different kind of company. Inspired by our vision of a culture of care, we've created a company not driven by greed but powered by compassion. All we do is in the interest of fostering well-being in the world, from our ecologically sound methods of growing and sourcing ingredients to our one-of-a-kind manufacturing processes and international fair trade initiatives.

We stand proudly by the products we sell, knowing that their purity and efficacy are helping people to nurture their own health and beauty and inspiring them to recognize and foster beauty and well-being in others. We're active in our local communities and engage in projects the world over that help transform disadvantage into self-reliance and economic sustainability.

We're thankful that our company continues to grow, and that Dr.Hauschka Skin Care is gaining new devotees every day. The more we connect with others, the better we're able to effect positive change. Ultimately, we gauge our success by the difference we're able to make for individuals, communities and the world we share."

On the Road Again

We are busy visiting friends and family, eating delicious foods, and gaining inspiration for new works of art while making photographs. I will do my best to post while on holidays so please keep coming back for more...

Friday, August 1, 2008

Ax to Grind

This is a previous post from another blog I have...

Does anyone else have an issue with the Dixie ads currently running on TV? Their slogan is Make it a Dixie Day. Now, some days truly need to be a paper plate sort of day, like company picnics, family reunions, large gatherings in places where there are no dish room facilities. And I guess if you need a drink of water at the Dr or dentist's office, it is good to have little paper cups. But, even so, it would be better to have a biodegradable option... which brings me back to Dixie. Sure, I am sure they are hurting, being disposable in a world that is starting to wise up to this kind of waste. I am no CEO but I know that when a business doesn't change with the times it dies. So, why then, instead of coming up with a better, more timely, and environmentally friendly option in disposable dishes, does Dixie instead resort to their latest ads, which frankly make me sick?

Ad #1
Little kids, talking about germs, saying no one likes germs, we should not share germs, the something about say good bye to bad germs as a child throws a dixie cup away in their own bathroom! Why would anyone need Dixie Cups in their own bathroom? That is what a bathroom cup is for! I have drank from a bathroom cup, sometimes a communal cup, MY WHOLE BLEEDING LIFE and ask anyone, I am one of the healthiest people I know. My daughter, who drinks from a communal bathroom cup, and who also eats her vitamin after it has fallen on the floor, is the healthiest child I know (and she is not immunized, but that is probably an explosive topic to reserve for another time). Come on, Dixie, people get sick because the world is too damn clean. I can't believe we are teaching little kids to be wasteful. What year is it?

Ad #2
Families sitting down to eat in their own homes, using Dixie brand paper plates and justifying it by saying their family time is more important than taking the time to do the dishes. WHAT?! Do people, aside from the occasional paper plate inside, actually do this? No one I know does this. And no one I know would admit it if they did. And they certainly would not make some lame excuse about family time. Do the dishes TOGETHER! That is what Andre's parents do, and it is down right romantic and probably has been a little ritual that has been awesome for their marriage. Oh man, I can't believe this commercial. It is like, all I care about is my family, screw the earth, other families, and future generations, I want 15 more minutes to watch Dixie ads on TV, THANK YOU FOR CARING ABOUT US, Dixie!

Their website, has catch phrases like "promoting wellness" and "germ pervention". They even have a page called, "When to Use Your Dixie Cup"...

"Your kid's teeth and hygiene are important to maintaining a beautiful smile for life. Keep them healthy and strong by following these simple steps:

- Rinsing after brushing makes mouths healthier and happier.
- Sharing can mean sharing germs. So, get your own Dixie® cup.
- Use a Dixie cup once, then throw it away. (THIS ONE IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE, YOU CAN BE WASTEFUL AND SPEND MORE MONEY ON MORE CUPS...)
- A fun little Dixie cup helps the medicine go down.
- Use a Dixie cup to wash down vitamins.

Come on, Dixie, you should be ashamed...