she who blogs

Do They Have a Fourth of July In England?

 

Yes, of course they do, silly!

It's neatly ensconced between the third of July and the fifth of July.  Quite convenient, is it not?

Oh.

You mean, do they celebrate American Independence Day?

Well.... wouldn't that be a little like Tina Turner sending red roses to Ike Turner on their anniversary?
Then again, maybe not. 

The British do not collectively do cocaine-- they let Pete Doherty take one for the team.   And as far as I know, the US is not an abused wife.

(and plus, there was no blow back in the 18th century, but don't tell LiLo that)

Oh wait!  You mean, do they have a day where they blow things up and have all manner of cool fireworks?  They do:  it's called Guy Fawkes night and I hear it's the sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.  Guy Fawkes and pals tried to blow up Parliament, you know.

I know huh?  Apparently crazy-assed bombers, assassins, conspirators and murderers are not solely in the realm of our kooky, violent, terrorist-mad world.  I bet you knew that, huh, Mr. Lincoln?

Happy fifth of July, everyone!  Have a nice one.

Visit Madame Meow

Yes, of course they do, silly!

It's neatly ensconced between the third of July and the fifth of July.  Quite convenient, is it not?

Oh.

You mean, do they celebrate American Independence Day?

Well.... wouldn't that be a little like Tina Turner sending red roses to Ike Turner on their anniversary?
Then again, maybe not. 

The British do not collectively do cocaine-- they let Pete Doherty take one for the team.   And as far as I know, the US is not an abused wife.

(and plus, there was no blow back in the 18th century, but don't tell LiLo that)

Oh wait!  You mean, do they have a day where they blow things up and have all manner of cool fireworks?  They do:  it's called Guy Fawkes night and I hear it's the sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.  Guy Fawkes and pals tried to blow up Parliament, you know.

I know huh?  Apparently crazy-assed bombers, assassins, conspirators and murderers are not solely in the realm of our kooky, violent, terrorist-mad world.  I bet you knew that, huh, Mr. Lincoln?

Happy fifth of July, everyone!  Have a nice one.

Visit Madame Meow

Helping My Friends Go Green

This “shoe” dominates my kitchen. It once lived served its purpose as a display rack at a department store. However, I found it languishing at the bottom of a pile in a junk store and recycled it as a spice rack. It’s only one of the weird pieces of decoration at my house that people envy. I kid you not, when folks see it, they are drawn across the room to it like flies to horse manure honey.

All of the furniture that I have is “old.” I have been single-handedly saving the landfills for more than thirty years! That’s not to say that my house is a “dump!” However, you can walk through every room in my house and see that nine out of every ten pieces of furniture is “recycled.” I like to call it “vintage furnishings,” because that sounds a heck of a lot better than “used junk.” I don’t think we have bought any furniture or decor that was new in more than six years.

You’ll have to believe me when I tell you that folks enjoy the look I have created in my home. Our friends say that our house is “amazingly eclectic,” and I hope by now you would expect that of me. Those folks aren’t just trying to find ways to be polite…they are jealous!

Some of them have offered to buy furniture we have — and when I refused they started looking for pieces like mine on Craigslist.org. They will have to look long and hard to find furnishings similar to mine. And, if they are all going to copy me, I guess I’m going to have to stop letting them in my house!

Although my living room will never look like a magazine spread, it is comfortable, it reflects our personalities, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I recycled without realizing I was even doing it.

 Some of my favorite finds have been in the trash! I won’t dive into a dumpster (usually), but I am not above raiding trash that is at curbside. In fact, I once “rassled ” a little old lady for this chair. It was in pieces on the curb. I had the main part of the chair, she found an arm of it — but I was bigger, and she was afraid of my red hair, so I got to bring it home.

I’ve found a fountain for my garden, wooden apple boxes with the logos intact (they are perfect to hold a stack of books), and much more that I gleaned from the curbside. Our own neighbor decided to re-do her dining room and hauled a set of six Queen Anne dining chairs to the curb. The seats needed to be re-covered, there were some nicks in the wood on the legs (which gave them character), but they were in darned good condition. Did we haul them off to our own garage before the trash truck came? You betcha.

I also scour garage sales, flea markets, thrift shops, and antique stores. They often contain wonderful discoveries. In fact, you can get nearly anything you need “used,” if you have the patience to look for it.

Why am I bragging about all of this? Because every piece of used furniture that we bring home to “adopt” is one less item in a landfill. I get the thrill of buying something that doesn’t cost much — and then giving it a good home. Then, I just sit back and watch my friends go green with envy.

Related posts:

1. Strap It On
2. You’ve Got Mail. Junk Mail, of Course
3. Re-thinking Recyling
4. My Heavy Foot Leaves A Big Carbon Footprint
5. Creative Recycling? Or, Has Their Taste Gone Down The Drain?

Visit Shelly at This Eclectic Life

My Cousin the Saint in Paperback–With My Blurb!

Remember when I reviewed My Cousin the Saint by Justin Catanoso?

Well the paperback version comes out in a couple of days, and my review is quoted in the blurbs in the front of the book! How exciting!

Yes, if you follow me @michellefabio on Twitter or are my friend on Facebook, you already know this–and if you’re not following or friending yet, come on over! Did you know I was also recently named one of 20 Interesting Expats to Follow on Twitter by Matador? I’m so honored!

Anyway, I *still* highly recommend Justin’s book–this is a fabulous gift for an Italian, especially a Calabrian–so if you need a regalo, haven’t gotten your copy yet, or were simply waiting for paperback, the release date is June 16, 2009; you can pre-order My Cousin the Saint: A Story of Love, Miracles, and an Italian Family Reunited here.

Don’t you just love the new cover art?!

Buona domenica!

dish buzz - dell'anima

Skirt Steak - Dell'Anima
Originally uploaded by district.belle

My friend recommended we go to Dell’Anima to check out their aperitivo offering, which runs from 4-6pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in the bar area. It’s based on the Italian tradition whereby so long as you are partaking in their drinks, you are welcome to partake in some of the appetizer offerings they have available. We went on a Friday around 4:40pm. The bar was full, but not packed with patrons behind the occupied seats. I was a little disappointed that there was not more available this particular day. There was a dish filled with various types of olives and another with various grilled vegetables. Most of the glasses of wine were in the $11-15 range, with the specialty cocktails costing $12.

Click here to read the rest of my column over on Neighborbee.

Click here to visit her blog grits in the city

book review: i'll have who she's having

 

Remember when Lisa Steinke and Liz Fenton, authors of I’ll Have Who She’s Having, guest posted here a while back? Well here is my review of their book:

I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke is fun, fast-moving read about two sisters who are struggling to find happiness—but looking in all the wrong places.

One is single and the other married, but the big thing they have in common is that neither is feeling particularly fulfilled; their searches lead them both to Tim, a hunky volleyball coach in whom they both see salvation.

As Scooby Doo would say, “Ruh roh!”

I really, truly enjoyed this book. The story is told from several perspectives, which I almost always love and certainly did here; the writing throughout is witty, snappy, and just plain fun to read.

I especially loved all the pop culture references sprinkled brilliantly throughout the book—describing someone as Jack of “Will and Grace” says so much in so few words. Yes, it places the book firmly in the time in which it was written, but it works, especially as those references made me feel like I was hearing the story from a girlfriend over the phone. And I love that in a book.

Great for the beach or a long cold night, this book had me furiously turning pages, deeply involved in the lives of Kate, Kelly, and the gang after only a couple chapters. In fact, I’m kind of hoping for a sequel. Hint hint….

I give it four espresso cups out of five—because I’m trying to convince the authors to fill that fifth espresso cup in a new book. Sequel! Sequel!

Remember you can still enter to win a copy of Too Much Tuscan Wine by Dario Castagno until tomorrow (May 31). The winner will be announced on Tuesday…along with another book giveaway!

VISIT BLEEDING ESPRESSO

Rainy Day at the Park

At Battery Park, NY (top photo) At the Robert E. Wagner Jr. Park, NY (middle and bottom photos)

Visit Lissa at Just Writing Words

HUSH

a mirage of joy
simple, foolish
trickling upward

a languid breeze
encircling
tiny sliced rhapsodies
beating inside words

a quiet heart pushes out
arrows flutter into the gentle grey
turning everything violet & pink

spilling out from two lips
the sweetest sorrows
swift, endearing
a song for the moving pedestrian
hushed inside
these ears

Visit Lissa at Just Writing Words

Freelance Writing Week II: How to Tell Whether Freelance Writing Job Offers Are Legitimate

Welcome to the final day of Freelance Writing Week II!

So far we’ve covered:

• How Much Do Freelance Writers Make?
• Should Freelance Writers Ever Write for Free?
• The “Right” Pay for Freelance Writing Jobs
• How Do Freelance Writers Get Paid?
  

Now finally to one of the most important freelance writing topics out there:

How can you tell whether freelance writing job offers are legitimate?

One of the hardest parts about being freelance writer searching for work on the Internet is deciphering when a job offer is legitimate and when someone just wants to get something for free–or worse.

Here are some tips from separating the wheat from the chaff, as Willym said:

• Don’t answer blind advertisements.

I rarely, if ever, answer blind advertisements, i.e., those that don’t offer the name of the client seeking writers; I can’t imagine many situations in which a potential client should have to be a secret. If you had a solid name and reputation, wouldn’t you want to put it out there so potential writers knew they could trust you?

But if you think you’ve found the perfect job and simply must respond to a blind ad, pay special attention to their return email address, so you can….

• Google!

Check out any websites or names attached to the job offer. Most legitimate freelance writing job offers will come from people who already have *some* sort of online presence, so if nothing at all turns up, I’d probably start to be suspicious.

With so much social media out there these days, it’s highly unlikely that reputable clients have no online presence whatsoever.

• Ask writer friends.

One of the best ways to find out whether something is too good to be true is to ask around and see if others know anything about the client. If you don’t have writer friends you feel comfortable asking, scour writer message boards and forums.

Included here is my recommendation to keep up with “Whispers and Warnings” in Angela Hoy’s Writers Weekly newsletter, which names clients who haven’t paid writers or are otherwise being difficult regarding payment.

• Trust your instincts.

If something sounds fishy, and you just have a feeling you’re never going to get paid, don’t think twice about turning down the job offer.

Now believe me, I *know* how hard it is to turn down job offers particularly when you’re first starting out, but if something feels off to you, it probably is—and you’ll be saving yourself a lot of hassle by avoiding the situation entirely.

And this concludes Freelance Writing Week II. Thanks so much for reading, and as always if you have more questions you’d like me to address, leave them in the comments!

Do you have more advice on how to spot legitimate freelance writing jobs?

Freelance Writing Week II: How Do Freelance Writers Get Paid?

Welcome to Day 4 of Freelance Writing Week II!

So far we’ve covered:

• How Much Do Freelance Writers Make?
• Should Freelance Writers Ever Write for Free?
• The “Right” Pay for Freelance Writing Jobs

Next up is some information about how and when freelance writers can expect to be paid.

How do freelance writers get paid?

Freelance writers usually get paid in one of three ways:

• Check: The client sends you a check and you have to cash or deposit it.

• Direct Deposit: Funds are deposited by the client directly into your bank account; usually only an option if you work a lot with a client and under contract.

• Paypal: Hands down the most popular method of payment for online writing gigs. Fee for accepting money but you can transfer it to your bank account without paying a fee.

Some clients give you the choice of how you’d like to be paid, but many only pay one particular way; be sure to know how they intend to pay you before accepting work in case you cannot accept their payment method.

Special Payment Considerations for Expat Freelance Writers

For those of you who are expat freelance writers, PayPal is probably going to be the easiest way to get paid as you can then transfer the money to your bank account (unless you can get someone to deposit checks for you in the United States).

But if you open an account at PayPal.com, your bank account *must* originate from the United States. There are different PayPal sites for other countries, though, and by using them, you can link your foreign bank accounts (but not your U.S. bank account!) to your foreign PayPal account. See the list of countries for which this service is available at PayPal Worldwide.

For instance, I have a PayPal account with PayPal.it (Italian site) hooked up to my Italian bank account so I can transfer money between them. And for those of you in Italy who aren’t so sure of your Italian, you can also select English as your language of choice at PayPal.it.

When can I expect to be paid?

One of the biggest stresses of freelance writing life is clients who don’t pay or those who take a long time to pay.

Some writing contracts will provide that you will be paid within a certain amount of time (often between 30 and 45 days from the date of invoice), but generally clients should absolutely pay you within 60 days; if they’re paying you through PayPal, you will likely get paid much faster than that.

If the timing of payment is not specified in a contract, be sure to discuss this with the client *before* you start working. This way there can be no dispute later as to when you or the client thought you were supposed to be paid.

And don’t be afraid to send reminder e-mails to clients who are delinquent in paying—you did the work and you deserve prompt payment. Period.

If you do have trouble collecting payment, one of the best writers’ resources out there is Angela Hoy of Writers Weekly. Hoy personally fights for writers who have been stiffed and nearly always (if not always!) gets great results.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for
“How to Know Whether Freelance Writing Jobs are Legitimate!”

Freelance Writing Week II: The Right Pay for Freelance Writing Jobs

Welcome to Day 3 of Freelance Writing Week II!

So far we’ve covered:

• How Much Do Freelance Writers Make?
• Should Freelance Writers Ever Write for Free?

Now, let’s move on to:

What is the “right” pay for freelance writing jobs?

In my best lawyerly voice, I respond with a straight face: “It depends.”

Basically this is something you’re going to have to decide for yourself, i.e., whether you’re comfortable with the amount being offered or want to negotiate. Rates are all over the place, so your best bet is to do lots of research before committing to a price.

One thing that is absolutely certain, though:

Be sure you know what you will be paid for an assignment *before* you even start.

To be clear, pay is usually offered in two ways: by the word or by the blog post/article. Print publications often have set rates that aren’t *too* negotiable (although it doesn’t hurt to ask), but you’ll probably have more wiggle room with online venues.

As stated above, rates vary widely, but it doesn’t hurt to look around to similar publications or blogs and make sure the rate you’re being offered is competitive.

Sometimes pay is also offered by the hour, so you should be prepared with a number for that as well.

How do I set freelance writing rates?

Many factors should be considered when deciding how much you should get paid for a freelance writing assignment, including but not limited to:

• Your experience
• Your expertise on the subject matter
• Length of the finished piece
• Amount of research required
• Writing time required

For more specific details on this, I’m directing you to Anne Wayman at About Freelance Writing, who recently posted:

Setting Freelance Rates

Final note about freelance writing rates

If you’ve been writing for a publication or organization for a year or more and your rate has stayed the same, don’t be afraid to ask for a raise.

I did this with one of my regular clients and now make four times more per piece than when I started–and have a much smaller required word count as well. It never hurts to ask!

Also, on the subject of earning money as a freelance writer, check out:

Not Earning Enough as a Freelance Writer? You Have Only Yourself to Blame by Jennifer Mattern at All Freelance Writing. Jennifer gives *excellent* advice that is sure to get you motivated to find well-paying freelance writing gigs.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for
“How and When to Expect Freelance Writing Payments!”