Once we found a new server, we started the move only to discover that the increase in trafic had attracted the interest of hackers who had unleashed a horrible nightmare onto the Firepedia team. 1200 files had embedded hack codes that re-directed readers to other sites. Luckily we were able to avoid compromising anyone’s account (unfortunately we had to delete them to do this). After that the stressful and delicate surgery of getting our site back up and moved to our more robust and secure server we are now working on recovering a few lost articles.

Thank you for your patients and understanding durring all this. And welcome to all the new readers.

[UPDATE]

Shortly after publishing this article and getting a good night sleep for the first time in days a vulnerability in the new server we had moved to was exploited by the same hackers and we lost everything for a 2nd time. It was heart breaking and the technical support was unsympathetic and very unhelpful.

Based on the recommendation of web-developers much smarter than us, we purchased server space on a much more secure service from another company and started rebuilding yet again. I really hope this is the last catastrophe for a while and we can go back to producing content for you guys.

Thank you again for your patients and all the emails and messages of support. You have been wonderful durring all this. Thank you

The weirdest thing happened, the internet noticed something I did! This images taken by photographer Derek Orr was shared on Facebook like crazy after being initially popularized by this Reddit post by user PeteDarwin.

I have read all of the comment, yes even the weird ones, and found that lots of folks wanted a wallpaper version. Well here she is.

Right click to Download the Widescreen Wallpaper.

And here is a high rez version of the original.

I’ll be more excited when he loses the goatee.

Convert any pair of headphones into bluetooth wireless ones. I got one for my-self and I love it. Perfect to listening to music around the house from your laptop with out needing to blast it through out all floors. At 16$ it’s a steal.

Tmart.com

2. FitBit – Fitness Tracker

This incredibly lightweight, easy to use little step counter is one surprisingly impressive piece of technology.

The clever size and shape makes it comfortable to wear, in fact you completely forget you have it.

With the push of a single button it displays steps taken, stairs climbed, distance traveled, calories burnt, or even an image of a flower that grows depending on your recent activity level. When the day is over the Fitbit is still working away, tracking your sleep patterns durring the night.

When you have the base station connected to a computer, it will auto-synch as soon as you’re within fifteen feet. Once the data is on your computer the software allows you to get an in-depth look at your overall fitness level.

The online community connected to the Fitbit turns staying healthy into an online game or a team sport. You can sign up to the site, join a group, compete and encourage other and follow each other’s progress.

It’s the perfect gift for the finess oriented gadget lover who has it all, since the $99 price point makes it something they won’t likely buy for themselves. After playing with one for just a few hours I desperately want one myself.

Website >> fitbit.com

3. Rocksmith – The Guitar Game, that teaches guitar

This videogame to allow you to plug an actual stringed instrument into your Xbox 360 or PS3 and is devoted to teaching you how to play guitar,

Well I have yet to play it myself but the views and demo videos are amazing, it gives you incredible controle over the way you learn and the pacing.

Learn to play a variety of song and styles, play with different peddles and effects to change the sound of your guitar and, best of all, play a game that leves you with a real world skill.

With the $60 price point this is an amazing value. The perfect gift for any musically inclined gamer in your life.

Website >> rocksmith.ubi.com

4. Olloclip iPhone 4 Lens System

Interchangeable lenses for you iphone including Fisheye, Wide-Angle, Macro. Great for the amateur photographer. $69 a set for this clever little gadget anyone would love to play with.

olloclip.com

5. Netflixs

You can watch unlimited movies & TV episodes instantly right on your TV using a Wii™, PS3™, Xbox 360 or any other device that streams instantly from Netflix.
You can even watch on your computer, your iPhone or iPad. We gave it to my Grandparents for their anniversary and they barely watch cable now, at 8$ a month it’s a very affordable gift that keeps on giving.

netflix.com

The following are shots of my organized purse and toiletry items the night before hoping a plane to Montreal.

Toiletry Items

Carry On Items

Prop Love

Ok, admittedly this one is more like “Neatly Photoshop”.

Since adopting my mobile lifestyle I have left many friends, family members, clients and event planners wondering where the hell I am and when I’ll be back in their neck of the woods. This pubic calendar is an attempt to make everyone’s life a little easier while making myself rather easy to stalk. It’s worth the trade off.

If you’re looking to book me for an event or class, feel free to email me at info@carisahendix.com.

#1 “Let’s Go” posted Jul 25, 2009

#2 “Meeka Gets a Bath” posted Jul 26, 2009

#3 “Magic Lemonade” posted Jul 27, 2009

#4 “How we Met” posted Jul 27, 2009

#5 “I’m like a Bug” posted Jul 29, 2009

#6 “No Rules” posted Jul 30, 2009

#7 “3D Tetris” posted Jul 31, 2009

#8 “WTF Juice” posted Aug 1, 2009

#9 “Too Many Pancakes!” posted Aug 2, 2009

Us on SXE Phil time code 0:27

It has been more satisfying, and easier to manage since there are no new things to keep track of or add to my list and now that my stuff is in tip top shape, I feel less distracted that nagging feeling that something was not quite right. And here’s another interesting paradox. Although I own even fewer things than before, I feel as if I have everything I need. Each item is now better suited to it’s job, works just right or fits perfectly.

I better appreciate each shirt and every gadget and with fewer items I’m even finding it easier to make everyday decisions. It reminds me a conversation I had at a dinner party once. I was chatting with an ex-Mormon (or No-Mo-Mo), eventually I couldn’t resist my urge to ask if she ever missed any part of the mormon faith. She said “the only thing I miss is always knowing what to do, fewer options made my chooses feel easy and correct. I almost never know if I made the right choice anymore.” That statement really stuck with me and now I feel I understand what she meant. It’s like the common belief that Einstein wore the same thing every day and had a closet full of the exact same suits, shirts, ties, and shoes. He didn’t want to take time or focus away from his work to spend on the repetitive task of decide what to wear. It would seem that having a few good choices is far better than having many mediocre ones.

If you learn from a mistake then nothing was really lost. My previous 100 thing failure has become, as one particularly insightful friend would call it, a teachable moment.

My Very Few Items

Clothing

• Shirt – White Tank Top
• Shirt – Spaghetti Strap Top Black Lace
• Shirt – Spaghetti Strap Top Orange
• Shirt – Long Sleeve Knit Top, Horizontal Striped
• Shirt – Solid Red Fitted T-shirt
• Shirt – Patterned Yellow Fitted T-shirt
• Shirt – Patterned Black & White T-shirt
• Shirt – White Buttoned Down Top
• Shirt – Work Out
• Shirt – T-shirt for Lounging at Home
• Sweater – Gray Wrap
• Shall – White Lace
• Shrug – Black Ballet
• Pants – Fitted Dark Jeans
• Pants – Black & Orange
• Pants – Black & Blue
• Pants – Charcoal Coloured Dress Pants
• Pants – Work Out Shorts
• Pants – Stretchy Yoga Pants for Lounging at Home
• Skirt – Long / Black
• Skirt – Short / Red Striped
• Skirt – Mid Length / Grey
• Dress – Pink and White Sun Dress
• Dress – Little Black Dress
• House Coat – Kimono
• Socks – 10 Pair
• Underwear – 10 pairs / 2 Bras
• Bathing Suit – Polka dot one piece
• Bathing Suit – Bikini
• Shoes – Blown Moccasin Stye Winter Boots
• Shoes – Black Exercise Shoes
• Shoes – Grey Ballet Flats
• Shoes – Heeled Boots
• Long Warm Coat
• Sun Glasses
• Hat – Warm Tuque
• Gloves – Warm Brown
• Belt – Wide and Black
• Hip Sack – Blue

Grooming

1. Jewelry Pieces (3 items)
2. Make Up Palette – Mac Palette
3. Make Up Brush / Grooming Kit
4. Hair Straightener
5. Hair Brush
6. Hair Comb
7. Hair Clips
8. Toothbrush – OHSO Pocket Toothbrush
9. Diva Cup
10. First Aid & Repair Kit

Office and Electronics

1. Laptop – Macbook with Second Skin Folder
2. Video Camera – Flip
3. Camera – Point and Shoot / Olympus Water Proof Digital
4. Phone – iPhone & iPhone Mobile Tail
5. Hard Drive – 500 GB
6. Hard Drive – 100 GB
7. Thumb Drive – 10 GB
8. Headphone – Wrap Around
9. Headphone – Ear Buds
10. Podcast Microphone
11. Battery Charger
12. Solar Powered Battery Charger
13. Label Maker
14. Notebook – Mole Skin
15. File Folder

Items Just For Fun

1. Book – Non-fiction
2. Bike – Hampton Cruiser
3. Art Collection

Every Day Items

1. Keys
2. Money Clip
3. Business Card Holder
4. Messanger Bag – ChicoBag
5. Portable Purse Hanger
6. Water Bottle – Nalegeen
7. Aeropress Coffee Maker

Travel

1. Suit Case – Carry On
2. Suit Case – Blue, Air Canada, Medium Sized
3. Hanging Toiletry Kit – Victorinox

Resources for this article:

Dave’s original post that inspired his later book

The Times’ Article About the 100 Thing Challenge

The Zen Habits’ blog article

Like many people, I’ve always wanted to pull off that casual, sleek and pulled together look. Glamorous friends have offered advice on creating looks or proper accessorizing, but I could never will myself to do the work. My overstuffed closet felt oppressive; too many choices and possible combinations. It was much easier to fall back on the same reliable comfy yoga pants and plain black tank tops.

During one lazy afternoon of web surfing I came across the 333 challenge and a light went off in my mind. It played to my affinity for minimalism, my love of challenges, and my desire to improve my fashion sense or, at the very least, finally face my closet full of bad purchases.

I marked the start date on the calendar and started to work on my game plan.

I began preparing for this project 3 months in advance knowing it would take some effort  and looked for a few simple steps that would make the my 333 Challenge easier to handle.

After some over thinking a came to 5 reasonable steps to do it right; Minimize, Set your wardrobe staples, Choose a few flattering and versatile feature pieces, Play dress up, Fill in the gaps.

Minimize – Clean out your closet and drawers

Going through a massive closet of clothing and picking only 33 items to be faithful to for 3 months is overwhelming. That’s why I decided it would be best to minimize first. I figured it would put me in the right mind set, clear away the distracting visual and mental clutter and give me a better sense of what I had to work with.

I was further convinced of the minimize step by Gretchen Rubin’s book, the Happiness Project, in which she mentions a paradox. Although she had fewer actual items after cleaning out her closest, and giving away 3 giant bags of clothing, it felt as if she had more since all the remaining items were things she would actually wear.

Here’s how to do it
Get 2 bags and a couple boxes. One bag will be for throw aways and one for give aways. The boxes are for things you want to keep but won’t wear, for example, seasonal items or things kept for sentimental value alone. Give yourself a good day to go over every sweater and gown, then go over it again.

There are lots of hanging organizers and other tools created to help you clean your closet, but I found that good music and a good mood were the most useful.

Tip: Don’t know were to start? Try taking out all the frayed, ripped or otherwise worn out items and toss them first, or if they hold sentimental value put them in storage. Items with their original tags or rarely worn are next up for scrutiny, if you’ve never worn it you probably never will. By this point you should be on a roll, just keep up the momentum and you’ll be done in no time.

Staples – Get set up with the fashion basics

Fashion staples are the items you build you wardrobe around. Although these items will be slightly different for everyone (for example, I work from home so I don’t need much in the way of office clothes) there are a few pieces most expert recommend.

From my research combing over fashion magazine, style guides and the advice of well dressed friends, the following are the most recommended fashion staples.

• Cashmere / knit sweater
• White button-up
• Black / white camisole
• Fitted T-shirt
• A-line skirt
• Black knee high day-to-night skirt
• Fitting jeans
• Versatile black dress pants
• Black leggings – not to be worn as pants but under dresses and skirts
• Sophisticated belt
• Wide belt
• Pashmina
• Versatile fitted blazer
• LBD – little back dress
• Sun dress
• Boots
• Flats
• Heels

Keep in mind that these items should fit your body shape, be comfortable and well built. They will get the most wear so don’t skimp on quality.

Tip: Try to identifying what activities you will be doing in your clothes. This will make it much easier to identify which staples fit best for you. Whether it’s business lunches or art galas your lifestyle should impact your clothing choices.

Choose a few feature pieces – Setting your style

The staples only make up the base of your wardrobe, you’ll still need to choose some feature pieces to the add personality and flare that makes fashion fun. These can be accessories, scarves, apparel, anything you like.

Choosing more versatile, flattering pieces will serve better for this project. I combed through my wardrobe and found a few items that reflected my personality and fit really well and make a mental note of these before staring on the next step.

Play dress up – Creating different look

I recommend you employ the help of an honest fashion wise friend who will tell you which things don’t fit right or should return to their proper era. If you decide to do this step on your own try to be honest with yourself; either way you will need a full length mirror and a good sense of humor.

Put on an outfit as if you are on your way out the door then ask yourself “is this the look I’m after?” Consider the colors, do they match? Consider the pattern, are there to many? Try swapping out items, adding accessories and, most importantly, have fun with it.

Here are some hard and fast rules I used to get started:

• White and black go with everything, except to much of themselves, for example, black sweater, black leggings, black shoes, back belt is too much black, but make the leggings and belt another color and it’s classy.
• Patterned items are best worn with solid ones and vis versa, for example, try wearing a patterned skirt with a solid colored shirt, preferably a color present in the pattern.
• Tight items are best worn with lose ones and vis versa, for example, what looks better? A tight tee and leggings? or a tight tee and an a-line skirt?
• Trying to match colors that are a bit off is no good, for example, a bright red and a slightly more washed our red or a slightly yellowish green and a slightly bluish green. Fashion should look deliberate, either the colors are exactly the same or they are different and complimentary.
• Avoid visible panty line by wearing boy short underwear or a thong under tighter bottoms.
• Silver or Gold, avoid mixing. There are ways to mix silver and gold jewelry in one look, but it required a far better eye than I have so I decided to stick to silver for the 33 challenge. How should you decide? In a nut shell, gold works better with warm colors, silver with cold or brighter colors.

Working out these different combinations now will help you get a good idea of the types of “looks” you can build out of your wardrobe which will save you the 30 minutes of trying different things everyday that makes most of us decide not bother at all. You’ll know what works and you’ll be able to spot any holes in you wardrobe for the next step.

Fill in the Gaps

After all these steps you might notice there are a few missing things, for example, when I finished the final outfits and had decided to keep my favorite patterned pants in circulation, I thought it would be nice to have an orange shirt to wear with it to bring out the orange in the pattern.

Make of list of the remaining items you need and remember to stay focused. It’s easy to get distracted and end up seduced into buying a dress and 2 shirt that won’t fit into your 33 items and will go unworn for the next 3 months.

In the three months it took me to get ready for this challenge I went through each of these steps a few times. Now when I look into my single drawer of expertly folded clothes I feel proud and excited, more organized and even a little more successful.

My 333 List

1. Shirt – Spaghetti Strap Top, Black
2. Shirt – Spaghetti Strap Top, Orange
3. Shirt – Tank Top, White
4. Shirt – Long Sleeve Knit Top, Horizontal Striped Black and Grey
5. Shirt – Solid Red Fitted T-shirt
6. Shirt – Patterned Yellow Fitted T-shirt
7. Shirt – Patterned Black & White T-shirt
8. Shirt – White Buttoned Down Top
9. Pants – Fitted Dark Jeans
10. Pants – Black Dress Pants
11. Pants – Black & Orange Flare Bottom
12. Pants – Black and Blue Flare Bottom
13. Skirt – Long, Black
14. Skirt – Short, Red Striped
15. Skirt – Medium length A-line, Grey
16. Dress – Pink and White Sun
17. Dress – Little, Black
18. Shoes – Blown Moccasin Stye Winter Boots
19. Shoes – Walking Shoes, Grey
20. Shoes – Heeled Boots
21. Long Brown Coat
22. Gray Wrap Sweater
23. Sun Glasses
24. Belt –  Wide, Black
25. Hip Sack – Blue
26. Bag – Messenger Style, Orange
27. Shall – White Lace
28. Shrug – Ballet Style, Black
29. Gloves
30. Knit Hat
31. Jewelry – Ear Rings Dangling & Feathered
32. Jewelry – Red Circle Necklace
33. Jewelry – Amber Pendant Necklace