I was reminded of this video from another blog I read fairly regularly, and there is so much nostalgia packed into 4 1/2 minutes here that I almost can’t stand it:
I’d really love to write something deep and heartfelt, but I find my turkey/wine coma prevents me. So enjoy, and Merry Christmas.
There are a few things in life I’d really like to learn, but am starting to feel like it might never happen. One of those things is to learn to play the guitar.
I’ve taken lessons. The problem is that you actually have to practice–a lot–in order to learn to play the guitar. The lessons, therefore, didn’t quite take. I therefore decided to channel my desire to play the guitar into a necklace:
I’m actually quite a musical person. I played the flute from ages 10-18 and sang in all manners of choirs during my teenage and college years. Not the least of which was Loyola Marymount University’s choir, which at the time was led by Paul Salamunovich, one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever had. He was a bit of a meanie sometimes, and not above punishing by public humiliation, but only because he had such high regard for the music. Depending on what kind of mood he was in, if he heard a wrong note, he’d stop everything and demand to know who was singing it. It only happened to me once and thankfully, everyone around me kept their mouths shut, as did I. In recent years, my singing voice has somehow left the building, so I don’t do much of that anymore. I still do a mean version of Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” in karaoke though.
Over the years then I guess I’ve traded my musical creativity for manual (for lack of a better word). I guess I’m okay with that.
So, back to the necklace. It’s sterling silver polished with a matte finish and the chain hangs asymmetrically. I actually made three of these: one for myself to keep because I like it so much and two more to sell.
I guess I’ve been a bad girl lately. But I have a good excuse! We were at our Oregon house for the month of November and even though I have internet access there it was kind of a pain to update the blog so I decided to take a hiatus.
All right, so maybe that’s not such a good excuse. It’s all I’ve got.
Since this blog is all about creating, however, I did (kind of) participate in the ultimate in creating. My cousin Ashley had a baby on November 9 and asked me to video tape it. Knowing it would probably be the closest I’d ever get to having a baby of my own, I enthusiastically agreed.
Introducing Madison Ryleigh:
Obviously, I didn’t contribute to the actual creation of this charming creature, however, I did spend a good deal of time editing a video of the birth, adding music and what-not. It’s lots of fun to make videos–I need to do more and perhaps post one. I told Mick, “I was born to do this…” ’cause I fancy myself quite a good little film maker.
Speaking of filmmaking, if you require a laugh, jump on over to kateharding.net and take a look at this video:
http://kateharding.net/2007/12/08/weekend-fluff-man-cold/
I have been giggling about it all day long.
I have LOTS more stuff to post, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.
Note from Holly: In a past life I was a foreign credentials evaluator for a company called the International Education Research Foundation. I left the field shortly after I got married in 1998 but wrote this article for About.com based on my experience. The article is about six or seven years old, but the information still holds true.
Introduction
Many people, both in the U.S. and abroad, have never heard of foreign credential evaluation. During my ten years as an evaluator, I can’t tell you how many times I’d get a blank stare when I told people what I did for a living. My well-practiced response: “I evaluate foreign educational credentials in terms of U.S. educational equivalence for the purpose of immigration, licensing, further education, etc.” Simple and to the point, right? Not exactly.
Despite it being a relatively unusual field to be involved in, the field of foreign credential evaluation is growing rapidly, and it has evolved a great deal over the past thirty years. In the beginning, educational equivalencies in the U.S. were generally determined by counting the number of years a person had studied in a foreign country and then comparing it to the level of education a student would have completed in the same number of years in the U.S. Little consideration was given to the quality of education received or to the fundamental philosophical differences that exist in the educational systems of different countries. Evaluation standards and methodology have become more sophisticated over the years, however, and what was once a fairly black and white field has become colored in shades of gray.
A Brief History
Originally, the task of foreign credential evaluation was left up to the U.S. Department of Education through the Foreign Credential Evaluation Service (FCES). Between 1966-69, however, the FCES was curtailed, and finally terminated in 1970. Unlike many foreign countries, there are no national government standards for assessing foreign educational credentials in the U.S. Since 1970, the evaluation of foreign credentials has largely been done by private credential evaluation services or through the admissions offices of colleges and universities. National guidelines for assessing foreign educational credentials have come primarily from placement recommendations developed by the National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials (the Council), but this is not a government agency and their recommendations are non-binding. It should be noted, however, that the Council has existed since 1955 and their guidelines generally hold a good deal of weight with many institutions and agencies in the U.S. Individual evaluation agencies, colleges, and universities also develop their own evaluation policies, many of which are at least loosely based upon the guidelines recommended by the Council.
Complications & Confusion
If all of this sounds rather confusing so far, you’re right. Since there is no government agency that oversees the evaluation of foreign credentials in the U.S., not all services operate in the same way. In addition, not all services use the same criteria for evaluating credentials. That is, you might get different educational equivalencies for the same credential, depending upon which credential evaluation service you decide to submit your documents to. Furthermore, many colleges and universities in the United States perform their own credential evaluations, and the criteria for admission to one institution might be vastly different than that of another.
Example:
My husband has a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university in the UK, while his business partner completed a Higher National Diploma (HND) program in the UK. Both were recruited to come to the U.S. to work in the computer games industry, and in order to obtain their Visas (H1-B and J-1), both needed a foreign credential evaluation. The same evaluation service completed both evaluations, and both received U.S. bachelor’s degree equivalencies.
This is all well and good, except for two things. The first is that in the UK, the HND is not considered to be at the same level as a bachelor’s degree. If a person who completed an HND wants to transfer to a university level program in the UK, they will generally be admitted to the second year of a bachelor’s degree program at a UK university. Based on this information, is it really proper to equate these two credentials to the same thing in the U.S.?
The second problem is that there really isn’t an academic program in the U.S. that is comparable to the HND. For this reason, evaluators will often interpret it differently, depending upon the policies of the individual office. The credential evaluation service that completed these evaluations equated the HND to a U.S. bachelor’s degree, however, the evaluation service I worked for would have equated it to completion of three years of university level coursework in the U.S. Is one service right and the other wrong? No, not necessarily. Each service took the information available about the HND and interpreted it in a different way, but neither is more correct than the other.
To complicate the situation further, let’s say that my husband’s partner decides he wants to further his education in the U.S., so he applies for a master’s degree program. Don’t forget that he has already worked in the U.S. for almost 10 years as a “bachelor’s degree equivalent,” which should mean that he has, at least on a basic level, fulfilled the requirements for admission into a master’s degree program in the U.S. As part of the application process, the admissions office at the university completes an evaluation of his HND and determines that he does not have the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree and that he will have to transfer into a U.S. bachelor’s degree program, requiring at least two years of additional requirements (what with general university program requirements and courses specific to the field of study).
This situation is not at all uncommon, and in my career as an evaluator, I had to explain the reasons for it to angry clients more often than I care to remember. Welcome to the world of foreign credential evaluation!
Types/Purposes of Credential Evaluation
Typical reasons for which a foreign credential evaluation is required:
Each of these situations require different types of evaluations. For example, evaluations required by the – INS for H1-B Visas are relatively simple in that they only require a simple equivalency statement along with some brief information about the institution where studies were completed, qualification of the evaluator, etc. Evaluations for further education and professional licensing tend to be more complicated, and often require a list of courses completed and grades in addition to the equivalency statement.
The Application Process
While some of the requirements and guidelines for specific evaluation services may differ, the application process is generally very similar from service to service. You will probably be required to submit some or all of the following:
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Once your application and fee is received, the evaluation service will review your paperwork to make sure all required documents are included. If something is missing, they will contact you by mail or phone. Your file will not be considered “active” until all required documentation is received to the satisfaction of the evaluation service.
Turn-Around Time
The time it takes for your evaluation request to be processed will vary. Some services take as little as ten working days, while others take twenty days or more to complete an evaluation. Most evaluation services offer “rush” services which can take as little as 24 hours to complete an evaluation. You can expect to pay a significant additional fee for rush services, and personal checks may not be accepted as payment for this type of evaluation.
Even though there is usually an additional fee required for rush service, I recommend you ask for it anyway. Most services offer 3- 5 day rush services for which the additional fee ranges from $25 to $50. Paying this additional fee means that your file will be given priority and that there is much less chance that you will miss any deadlines.
A Word About Altered/Irregular Documents
Most of the credential evaluation services and other agencies in the United States have been operating for years and have a vast collection of sample credentials, not to mention staffs of experienced evaluators who have seen thousands of educational documents from countries all over the world. Furthermore, as international communication becomes faster and easier through the use of the Internet, email, and facsimile machines, verification of credentials has become increasingly simple. Most evaluators will not hesitate to seek verification on any credential that looks even remotely suspicious. Policies on how to deal with altered and/or irregular documents differ from agency to agency, however, most will cancel your application request with no refund, retain all documents submitted, and report the information to the appropriate authorities.
Helpful Hints
The following suggestions are meant to help you have the best possible experience with the evaluation service you choose:
What Happens if You Don’t Agree With the Evaluation
While customer satisfaction is a number one priority of most evaluation services, there is no guarantee that you will agree with the results of your evaluation. This might seem unfair, but consider the fact that foreign credential evaluation can be a very subjective process. You (the applicant) have certain goals that you want to accomplish with the evaluation, and if for whatever reason the evaluation report does not facilitate these goals, it’s natural to assume that you will want retribution (whether that be a refund of fees paid or a change in the evaluation). However, if an evaluation service issued refunds to every applicant who was disappointed with the results of their evaluation, they would be bankrupt. This is not because the quality of the work is substandard. The reasons for dissatisfaction vary, but often it’s because of misunderstandings about the methodology of foreign credential evaluation, unrealistic expectations, or simply a difference of opinion of the level of education.
Refunds are rarely given for dissatisfaction. In cases where a rush fee is paid and the evaluation is not completed on time, a refund may be issued. However, refunds are almost never given in situations where an applicant does not agree with the results of the evaluation, and most evaluation services clearly state this in their terms and conditions of service.
If you believe that your evaluation report is in error, all complaints must usually be put into writing. When writing to the service, be as specific as possible and if necessary, give facts to back up your claims. Ask questions about anything you find confusing or incorrect, and ask for a detailed explanation in return. Contact the service within five days of sending your inquiry and ask when you can expect a reply.
Be prepared: Evaluations are generally not retracted or changed except in the case of error. However, you have the right to an explanation of evaluation policy and in extreme cases, policies are changed when an applicant challenges a specific issue.
Yesterday was Pet Art 9. This is an event I generally look forward to every year, but I have to admit I wasn’t feeling it yesterday. I almost told Mick we weren’t going to go. I’m glad we did, though.
I always feel a little, I don’t know, dirty after Pet Art. I go into it with the best of intentions thinking I will only bid on one or two pieces, then the wine starts flowing and my credit card is out. This year was no exception, but as the auctioneer said, think of this as a donation–the art is free. So I got two great pieces of free art and made a modest donation of (ahem) to a great cause.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The first thing I did when we got there was check out my own painting:
I was pretty happy with the location, but not quite as happy with the frame. Next time I will have the art framed myself before donating it, because I do feel this makes a difference for bidders.
Next, I checked in with my friend John, who used to be the volunteer coordinator at PAWS/LA. Now he just volunteers.
John is on the cusp of a really big deal to produce a script he wrote. So everyone, cross your fingers that it goes through.
The next thing I did was look at all the art. Overall, I thought the art this year was really good. Going in, there were two pieces I was seriously interested in buying:
The other was an original piece by Gary Baseman, which unfortunately I don’t have a photo of. I knew it was unlikely I’d get that one though and I was right–it was insanely popular.
The main reason I didn’t get either of the pieces I intended on getting is because I ended up bidding on (and winning) two pieces in the live auction. I can never help myself in the live auction–I am an attention whore and I love raising my bidder number. So, without further ado, here are the pieces I got:
Another Morbid Cat, Shag, acrylic on canvas
I put this in my guest/workroom because it’s fun, and Shag inspires me. I love his work and I’m very happy to get an original piece, even if it’s small.
Dancers, Roger Herman, lithograph and watercolor
I love this piece! Even though I didn’t go to the auction intending to bid on it, when I saw it in person I knew I wanted it.
My own piece ended up selling for (I think) $80, which was the last bid I saw before we left. Here is the bid sheet–I blocked out the bidder’s info for privacy. I was glad it got multiple bids, even though I wish it would’ve sold for more.
Overall, it was a successful event and I hope PAWS/LA made loads of money. At least I know I did my part to help!
My new guest/work room has been done for a week now but I haven’t had a chance to post the photos until today. I am so pleased with the way it turned out. I love being in that room now.
Here is the area where my workbench is. As a reminder, I’m including the “Before” pics I used in this post.
Before:
It’s kind of an awkward sized nook, but it fits my workbench perfectly and allows me to hang a curtain to hide it when guests are here. In this photo, the curtain is pulled back.
After:
And here the curtain is closed:
One of the things I bought for the new room was a small desk, shown above. It is the perfect size to hold my lap top, and I can use the additional surface space when I’m working on jewelry.
The most important purchase for the new room was the bed. Previously, we had a sofa bed which was completely impractical. The arms were huge and took up way too much space, and the bed itself was just a single, leaving any couples who visit us kind of out of luck in the bed department.
Before:
After:
I bought a simple bed frame and pop-up trundle from HumbleAbode.com. Here is a photo of trundle set up to make a king-sized bed:
Here is the closet area, which stayed more or less the same. I did purge quite a bit of stuff though, which left me with a lot more room:
Before:
After:
Here, the curtain is closed:
I truly couldn’t be happier with this new room. It is pretty, functional, and comfortable, both for me to work in and for my guests to stay in!
This is a George Costanza quote. I like to quote Seinfeld characters whenever possible.
The room re-do is almost 100% complete so pictures will come tomorrow or the next day. In the mean time, I spent the weekend fine-tuning my hollywest.com website and she is finished!
I suppose I should explain myself a little here. For the longest time, I envisioned the “new” hollywest.com as being a second place (or actually the first place) I’d be selling my jewelry. I’ve had that website since 1998, it’s well indexed, and I already had all of the “back end” I needed, as in shopping cart, authorization gateway, etc. Over the years I’ve sold a lot of jewelry on hollywest.com and it never occurred to me not to use it as my main web store.
Then came Etsy. My intent was to use my etsy store to promote my main website, which was to be hollywest.com. But after a couple of months on etsy, I’ve realized that for the size of my business, it is the perfect, and least expensive, way to sell my jewelry to a huge audience. Of course, Mick had already put in a lot of hours programming my website and I felt a bit bad about that, but he told me programmers have to deal with that all time–working on stuff that never sees the light of day. Last night, Mick moved hollywest.com to our own server and I canceled my merchant account with verio. This will save more than $100 a month in web hosting fees that I’ve basically been flushing down the toilet this past year while I tried to decide which direction to take my business in.
As you will see, hollywest.com has become a portal to my etsy shop. It’s so much easier to tell people my URL is hollywest.com, and of course my business cards and packaging materials already say hollywest.com, so I’d never get rid of it. With all of this in place, maybe Holly West Jewelry Design will break even one of these days? This will be my goal for 2008.
PAWS/LA’s annual fundraiser, Pet Art, is on November 4. It is such a fun event, and moi is a participating artist.
The work/guest room re-do is well under way and I love it. It’s amazing how much you can get done when you put your mind to it. The only thing left to do is some furniture set up and some jewelry supply organizing, so photos will be coming soon.
Last night, we could see the fires in Malibu burning from our balcony:
Here is my current challenge: re-do my work/guest room so that it is both a functional workspace and a comfortable place for guests.
As daunting as this is for me (and it is daunting–this room has been a headache for me since we moved in seven years ago), I’m excited. Because nothing floats my boat more than a good room re-do–I’m getting a little tingly just thinking about it.
This room has a history. When we first moved in, I decorated it solely with guests in mind and it was fairly comfortable. When I started making jewelry, however, I needed a space where I could work and it didn’t make sense to devote a whole room to a purpose (guests) that was really only used maybe 6 weeks of the entire year. I should add that when I have guests they usually stay for a week or more since Mick’s relatives travel from England. It’s important to me that they have a comfortable space that will suit them for more than a weekend visit.
Mick has been doing some work with the lighting/wiring in the room so I have to warn you–while it’s usually pretty messy, it’s not usually this messy. That said, let’s start with a few photos of the space in it’s current state:
This is the corner of the room that houses my jeweler’s bench. It’s a little nook that fits the bench perfectly, and it’s easily hidden with a curtain (which is not shown).
This small sofa has a pull out bed, which is only semi-convenient. It’s fine for singles, but when couples come we have to pull out the aero-bed, which I hate. And by hate, I mean I hate sleeping on them, and I feel bad making my guests do it.
This is the closet. About a year ago, I ordered custom cabinetry which has helped to cut down clutter in the rest of the space, but has become completely disorganized and full of things I never use.
Now for a Little Inspiration
I’m pretty sure what color scheme I’m going to use in the room. I’m thinking a variation of this:
(photo credit: HGTV.com, Designer: Ammie Kim)
My thought is to paint the wall that the bed sits against a very saturated blue/teal color. It’s also a jewelry studio, after all, and I loves me some jewel tones.
That said, these three color schemes are also appealing:
(photo credit: HGTV.com, Designer: Nicole Sassaman)
(photo credit: HGTV.com, Designer: Ammie Kim)
(photo credit: HGTV.com, Designer: Andreas Charalambous)
Feel free to post your preferences in the comments section–who knows, you might be a guest at my house one of these days and you’ll have to stay in this room!
I am a geek, for sure. A few of the things I am geeky about: the Bee Gees, celebrity sightings, dogs, genealogy, Judy Blume books… the list goes on.
So it should come as no surprise that I’m also a knitting geek and had to purchase custom labels to sew into my finished projects:
These were cheap: about $27 for 100 labels from Sterling Name Tape. It took about 4 weeks for the order to arrive, but I’m very happy with them. The only thing I wish is that I’d ordered them with dark gray lettering rather than the red. I was going for a look similar to my hollywest logo, which is why I chose the red. They’re cheap enough where I could order another set, I guess.
Another thing I’m very recently geeky about is the Treasury on Etsy.com. I’ve gotten a few of them now and it usually takes me at least an hour (and by hour, I mean 3) to do one because I try so hard to make it just so. My most recent treasury is called Hooray for Hollywood (note: this link will expire around 2pm on October 16) and has a vintage Hollywood theme. So far it’s getting good feedback but I have yet to be featured on the etsy home page. The geek in me will keep trying!
Note: I now have another treasury which expires on October 19.