C Tann-Starr

This is our third Club Chaos Eye Candy event where we run parallel but dueling contests: ONE for PHOTOGRAPHY (APR-ECP04) and ONE for VIDEO (APR-ECV04). As previously stated, we are looking for your very best eye candy ladies and gentlemen and we want you to submit quality work worthy of a featured post.

Club Chaos will be hosting this Active Rain Contest with a little help from our friends, so please pay attention to what is mandatory and what is optional. As requested, we rotated some of the groups and have introduced Fraishe Aire and PAWS into the mix.

Each member has a choice of entering one or both contests. 200 points awarded per contest entry. If the work submitted is selected for placement, the 200 entry points will be rolled into the winning point spread. Contestants may only post one link for each selected media a candidate decides to work in (e.g. you can not posts two entries for photography or two for video, but you can post an AR Blog link for one contest category each.)

The panel consists of 5 judges: Debe Maxwell (NC), Melody Botting (TX), Amanda Hall (TX), Cindy Tsui (NY) and Carolyn Tann-Starr (NY).

Members choosing to participate must design and publish their original content specifically for Localism.com. "Members Only" posts are prohibited from entry. All entries must be PG-13 Rated.

Active Rain Channel: "Club Chaos Eye Candy" has been created for your entries.

CONTEST RULES:

Section 1. [A] Participants must join the Active Rain group "LOCAL HISTORY." [B] All contest banter must remain PG-13. Do not post inappropriate photographs in the comment sections. [C] We will only accept Localism.com blog links.

Section 2. [A] Participants must post contest submission(s) in the group "LOCAL HISTORY" and two of the following 5 other groups: (1) Fraiche Aire (public); (2) Diary of a Realtor (public); (3) Whacked (public); (4) Positive Attitude For The Weary Soul (public) and (5) Club Chaos (by invitation only: current members). You must post your contest submission links in the comment section of this official contest post in order for your post(s) to be judged and added to the blog post roll.

Section 3. You must post your contest submission(s) in Localism.com for failing to do so disqualifies you. This is a very important point so I will say it again: FAILING TO DO SO DISQUALIFIES YOU... The contest judges are prohibited from entering as panel members but may participate in other events they are not actively judging, including future CC Eye Candy contests.

Note: 1. Every entry must be original content created by the participant.

2. Submissions must be titled "Club Chaos Eye Candy" and tagged to separate the contest entries. Meta Tags: Club Chaos Eye Candy APRECP04 (Photography Eye Candy) Club Chaos Eye Candy APRECV04 (Video Eye Candy).

3. Failing to use the appropriate Meta Tags to identify your contest submissions will result in your contest points not being awarded. Failing to publish the appropriate AR-Localism links in the comment section of this OFFICIAL CONTEST post will result in your creation not being reviewed and no points will be awarded.

4. Minimum Post Requirements: 150 words and 5 Photographs and/or 150 words/narrative and one 1.5 minute video. (It would be nice if you would act like you were writing for a feature, but 150 words will do. It isn't the quantity, it's the quality!)

5. Do not combine two entries on one post. Do not exceed 5 minutes with your video submission. Do not include music unless (a) you own the copyright or (b) have written permission from the rights owner to use their music (I will spot check if you do). Do not include any television or radio transmissions or visuals in the background of your videos. Do not trespass on any property to complete your project.

2000 points for 1st Place in Photography, 2000 points for 1st Place in Video.

1500 points for 2ndPlace in Photography, 1500 points for 2nd Place in Video.

1000 points for 3rd Place in Photography, 1000 points for 3rd Place in Video.

500 points for 4th Place in Photography, 500 points for 4th Place in Video.

Each contest entry: 200 points. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON 05/05/2009

Sat May 2nd UPDATE: LOCALSIM.com went down Saturday night and I have received several e-mails that candidates can't post their links or their work is missing (e.g. error page about the page being moved). We're extending the contest date to Midnight Sunday, May 3, 2009. We do not penalize people for technical difficulties and will not entertain a single complaint regarding this extension. If you post the Localism.com contest link by midnight tomorrow (AR clock controlling) the contest entry will be accepted.

Photography

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman

William James Walton Sr

Robert Hammerstein

Liz Moras

Gary Woltal

Jeff Dowler

Donna Bigda

Heather Chavez

John Novak

JaneAnne

Connie Harvey

Laura Giannotta

Silvia Dukes

Frank & Sharon Alters

Lisa Hill

Richard Weisser

Kari A. Battaglia

Linda Bourgault

Erik Hitzelberger

Video

William James Walton Sr

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman

Sally Dunbar

Richard Weisser

Donna Bigda

THE WINNERS ARE:

2000 points for 1st Place in Photography: JOHN NOVAK

2000 points for 1st Place in Video: SALLY DUNBAR

1500 points for 2nd Place in Photography: FRANK & SHARON ALTERS

1500 points for 2nd Place in Video: DONNA BIGDA

1000 points for 3rd Place in Photography: JEFF DOWLER

1000 points for 3rd Place in Video: CELESTE SALLY CHEESEMAN

500 points for 4th Place in Photography: (WE HAVE A TIE) HEATHER CHAVEZ and CELESTE SALLY CHEESEMAN

500 points for 4th Place in Video: RICHARD WEISSER

They only look innocent. Don't be fooled...

As I sit here with my sketchbook working on a new series of panels for Life With Wee People, I find myself wondering just how much artistic mayhem and running amuck I'm capable of. After all, my kids are very self directed. They create a lot of material for me to work with on a daily basis. Flashlight dancing, floating items in toilets, having an electronic love affair with my toaster. It never ends... I wonder if my pen can keep up (hehehe). We shall see... I always did love a good challenge. ;-)

Welcome to the ActiveRain Cartoon Network. Brought to you by the ActiveRain Group Club Chaos (LOL). :-)

I was playing with my Sorority peeps on Facebook and we started trading vacation pictures. Living in NYC means I get to vacation all the time in my own backyard . I also like to run amuck in neighboring states so one just never knows what one may get until I decide to post it. I am invading CT next :-). Donna B will be the first to know when I'm coming to collect some eye candy. I promised I wouldn't pass through a state without giving a few people a heads up and possibly high-jacking a victim an Active Rain Club Chaos guide to get opinions for where I should be exploring eye candy for my virtual tours. I'm looking forward to it. Already picked the hotel, I just need a date... ;-)

Seems a few of my new gal pals in the UK wanted to see some hyper-local sights. I sent them a few pictures. They were kind enough to return the favor and send me some back. Oh my word... be careful what you ask for when you start trading virtual spaces (LOL). FB peeps sometimes go to some of the most off-the-beaten-path kind of places. I may have to return the favor and show off a few gems. They also wear some interesting things while on vacation. Notice the phrase "things" instead of "clothing." Yup. I'm sitting here with a smile. One lovely wore paint and may I say it was very tastefully done. (Don't ask. You can not see my e-mail pictures - LOL) Gives a whole new meaning to body art... I like models. They are quite daring individuals.

Some of my new pen pals are very artistic. That will be another blog post in and of itself. I happen to love painting and may be trading a few images with the girls. I have created some very interesting works they may enjoy and I certainly know I enjoyed their sculptures, sketches, inks and oils. I have canvass in my closet that has yet to be seen on a gallery wall (LOL). I'm working on some new stuff for my next show. Looking forward to a lovely vacation. :-)

If you are not carefully picking and choosing your friends you may be missing out on some stellar relationships. Yes indeedy, some of those shots were veeerrrry interesting... I have soooooo got to cross the Big Pond and play in England. I like English Galleries. I may be working on a group show because I like my new Euro-artist gal pals. BTW, they do not think like we do in the States. Very interesting. I may need more than a week there to figure 'em out. Yes, I am planning my vacation (LOL).

Did I mention they were VERY interesting peeps? Seriously... I think I did... Stunningly so. I may actually be begging two of them to let me paint them for my next gallery show we are currently planning in New York. I've high-jacked several friends for that bit of canvass eye candy. Still collecting models so we wont know what the theme is until my faces are all in order. My brick and mortar friends are adorable and work for food. Some of my new FB friends are cool too. The camera loves some of them. Their friends and family love them. I like what I am learning about them. I could grow to love them too. We shall see. This may take a while. I never rush business or personal relationships of any kind. I will admit that the Skype par-tays are lovely! Love, love, love the accents. :-)

Here is a sneak peek of the night run around Flushing Meadows:

Will be posting details to the next Gigglefest as well. Third Sundays of the month is our Club Chaos day to go live, share food and play in the brick and mortar portion of the Rain. I'm thinking I may want to go back to NJ. I have to call Josef and Sheldon. :-)

I hope you are enjoying your day as much as I am enjoying mine... ;-)

The fun thing about the Internet is that it crosses every time zone. On a good day, if you pace yourself just right, it may appear that you seem to be everywhere at once. Did I mention I work in 20 minute intervals? I do you know. That works for me. I have very self directed little people, so I have to stay on my toes and trade places with the hubby chasing the wee ones around a very small apartment. They can do a lot of damage in a small space (LOL). Can't take your eyes off of them for any significant length of time. Things get hammered, tossed, toasted or may be found floating in the toilet in the blink of an eye the if you do (LOL).

Latest Little Minion Update: They've taken to climbing the furniture. I used to yell at them all the time about it. Now I casually mention they should get down as I'm passing through from room to room. I've discovered if you get too excited about something it gives them incentive to make you really crazy (LOL). Boys will be boys, eh? (I bet you'll never truly understand what that means until you get a pair of your own. I know I didn't - OMG! Why didn't you people warn me? LOL) Oh well... What is a Work At Home Mom (WAHM) to do? Five minutes of playing On-Top-Of-The-Mountain never hurt anyone. Just the finish on the wood (LOL).

When I am not chasing wee people I am on-line building my buyer's brokerage business. My current business model ratio is 70% buyer's brokerage, 15% rental and 15% listing agent. I have a thing for running the streets. I like to collect eye candy. I like to be mobile with the kids (who happen to love open houses and all things pertaining to construction trucks - LOL). We're getting ready to have another open house today, then we have appraisals to get completed. I shall be in all five boroughs of the City of New York and the tip of Long Island. Lots of footage to collect. Gonna get some serious eye candy for you today.

BTW, we are about to do our next Club Chaos eye candy contest (LOL). Photography is never an issue, but video... well... um... I want my video people!!! Seriously! Stand in the middle of the intersection and spin in a circle if you have to. Bring me something hyper-local to talk about. Yeah, it's true, video is an issue with my peeps. I have to work on 'em about that. (LOL)

The subject is Landmarks. Will be posting the rules shortly and updating you on our next Gigglefest Social Media 2.0

New contest, eh? Yup. It's true. We do a lot at Club Chaos. I am a very busy gal, so are my friends, but we are never too busy to take a referral or find a home that fits your family's needs. Sleep? Who needs sleep? We don't need no stinkin' sleep... We're Social Media Realtors. We nap quite nicely, thank you. ;-)

Will post the furniture climbing video later... They always climb the furniture. Shouldn't be to hard to get some footage, eh? (LOL)

VideoAd by Mixpo

The fun thing about taking your kids to work with you is they have a way of bringing a new perspective to what might otherwise be a routine day. My little Realtors-in-training are both coping with learning disabilities so I try to include them in as many life activities as possible to give them real world perspective. I guess all kids can do strange things.

Remember the Blur Minion's attempt at toasting our cell phones? Boys being boys, Hubby has been hooking them up with some interesting Manly-man projects to keep them busy. Now it seems that my kids aren't happy unless I pop the hood so they can "fix the car" before we leave for school in the mornings (LOL). The popping of the hood usually is requested after the weekend. Noah always starts by announcing with great authority that, "the car is broken. Fix it Mommy?" :-)

The men have also been cooking together. Chef of the future stuff in infrared. Remember our first "members only" infrared moment? (It really is a members only post. Sorry for the restricted link, my dear public.) Sometimes I get an excellent meal. Other times the resulting eye candy has me wondering if there's a hot wheel car hidden somewhere in that lumpy mass that appears to be meatloaf. That, in itself, is a whole other blog post. I shall make that one public so my readers can partake of the virtual meal (LOL). Alas, I digress... back to the Spring Fresh Tour. :-)

The cool thing about our quirky, talented children is that they are very hands on, self-directed and curious little people. When they are as young as my pookies and you want to keep them with you, you have to figure out how to make "work" a game. I have collected all types of parenting tricks to keep them interested in taking a road trip and enjoying the industry. Snackage is a must have. Getting them "hooked on photography" is a plus. (You can thank "Hooked on Phonics" for that idea - LOL. What a catchy little phrase, eh? Very useful, indeed.) Teaching them to love the details and adventure of a renovation works wonders as well. Letting them paint a door or nail the crap out of a piece of wood makes them feel very strong, self sufficient and important. Real tools will do that. Can you say Jelly Telly, Handy Manny and Bob The Builder? Gets them working every single time with big cool aid grins. :-)

Turns out they both are predominately visual rather than audio learners, so when I started handing over my Sony and Nikon, I wasn't sure what I'd get. You can get a lot from little kids if you put the cameras on a tripod an let them take aim, then push a button. They catch on very quickly if you turn it into a game. Stephen currently works for M&Ms (must have peanuts), however, Noah has negotiated a raise: miniature toys replicating animals from The Lion King and dinosaurs (LOL).

Working for food and toys seems to agree with everyone. It lends itself to another life lesson: how to shop. Can you say, "Minion Happy Dance?" They love to work. Trust me. Incentive is leverage (LOL) Don't get huffy. It's not like my pookies are working hard. After all, auto-focus makes their life very easy and going completely digital means there's no film to waste. As a result, I have a lot of quirky pics and funky, funny video to share (and toys everywhere). We can take our time playing on location because we control our schedule and the two year old is the boss (LOL). Sometimes, I get a real gem of a shot and people refuse to believe that my learning disabled kids are capable of pulling it off. Fact of the matter is, they do. A lot. Did I mention AUTO-FOCUS? (LMAO) I think I did, but I may need to remind a few of you that means that a two year old can pretend to be A Adams if he wants to. We can also crop what we don't want out - like a finger along the bottom (LMAO).

Sometimes, you can't tell where we, the adults, left off and Noah, our seven year old, picks up. When it comes to video, everyone knows where Stephen starts. He always turns the camera around to look at himself (LOL). At least he's smart enough to check and see if it's on (LOL). Makes us all very proud and gives us a goal to keep trying to improve the family's multimedia craft. The baby likes to sit in my lap while I blog.:-)

We take the kids out with us a lot and I treat them like partners. My boys are each a member of my road crew and I ask a lot of questions that never get answered but they give me very interesting looks, so I keep talking about what we are doing, where we are going and what's about to happen next.

The first time we let them run amuck was with some of the Shea Stadium footage. I drove around in figure eights and let the kids shoot through the car windows. Sometimes, we'd walk up to a fence and take pictures through it. Other times, I'd just let 'em run loose and see what we'd get. Although we haven't posted them all yet, we have a lot of footage and photographs to share. The kids have been going hyper-local with their Mama for quite a while.

Some days, editing with an Autistic and a PDD-NOS partner can make one fantasize about wanting to take a Valium. I've never had one, but I hear they can be a blessing when someone really needs to calm down. Other days, I laugh until I can't breathe and wonder if I should or shouldn't post the footage. Did I mention that my kids are crazy? Love 'em, but they're very unique and brilliantly peculiar, each in their own specific way (LOL). I think that makes my entire family a little crazy. We all seem to fall under that particular definition in various degrees, but I digress...

Stephen, the Minion Blur is prone to clicking on all of the delete buttons at least once. It appears he likes stuff marked in red so I have to make a dupe file so he can destroy actively participate. Other days, it's a real pleasure to have them on board because they can get very serious about which pictures they do and don't like. The cutest thing is when Noah repeatedly asks Stephen if he wants a particular item and the wee one says, "no" 99 times, only to say,"yes" once, making his big brother's day. Of course, insanity is repeating the process so we can get around to adding another photograph into the line-up. :-) Yes, this process can go on for days... The things we do for our children (LOL).

That bit of insanity that I previously mentioned usually means I have to sit in the same spot for over an hour per photograph watching them click, drag and drop files all over the electronic editing decks. When my eyes start rolling up into my head I sometimes turn on iTunes and sing along to Hillsong United or practice my language lessons.

It's Spring, so I figured we do a new thing. We'd take a ride and ask Stephen where he wants to go today (instead of me picking the spot and selecting the eye candy). Dude likes pointing, so we put Mr. Non-Verbal to work by shutting off the navigational system and pulling over near the major intersections to ask him, "which way?" Dude never misses a chance to say, "that way?" He will wake you up in the middle of the night to navigate your bleary eyed self into the kitchen for a snack. Mind you now, it's a very small apartment, but little man will insist that you have to pick him up so he can point you in the direction he wants you to carry him. He also likes to drag you along by the hand. Assertive or bossy? I don't know. Cute? Hell yeah! ;-)

We couldn't wait to see where Stephen would take us. Turns out my soon to be three year old has excellent taste. I think he was trying to find the park. We came close a couple of times, but he sent us in the wrong direction (LOL).

Here's where we wandered off to in Queens County, New York for the last couple of days. The boys were my virtual supervisors for the tour of home joy rides and I am happy to report we collected some very nice eye candy for you. I hope you enjoy the Little Minions Spring Fresh Tour of Homes. We strolled, skipped, ran and rode from Fresh Meadows to Jamaica Estates (LOL).

The tone is a little gray because it has been cloudy and raining off and on. I wonder where we'll turn up tomorrow and what type of lighting effects we'll have to work with. I hear it's going to rain again. It's raining now. Stephen is in his fave window checking out the weather with glee. Ya' think my kids would be sleeping, but noooooooooo. Spring is in the air. "April showers bring May flowers..." Did I mention they were minions? Yup. They are (LOL). I enjoy the wee companionship and the curiosity in their make up... but late nights with the Blur Minion can be a bit much (LOL). Shorty is very demanding and affectionate. He enjoys community walks and loves dancing in the Spring rain. Puddle stumping is mad fun to both of my minions (and their daddy). I'm looking forward to seeing my family play in the rain... Wonder what kind of eye candy we'll get tomorrow. :-)

Stephen, The Minion Blur replaced my TomTom today. I loved every minute of it.

Noah has the Captain Seat tomorrow.

Might be doing a part two...

See ya' in cyberspace. :-)