Saturday, March 29, 2014

Palm Tree Row

Donya Jackson reached out to us via our Twitter account to tell us about her blog "Palm Tree Row". 

http://palmtreerow.wordpress.com

Palm Tree Row is a lifestyle blog all about the Caribbean islands.  Donya moved to Scranton, PA recently and uses the blog to share the culture of the tropics with the world.

From the About:

Palm Tree Row is a lifestyle blog with a very distinct theme. We are all about the islands. Tropical and nautical fashion, home decor and entertaining ideas. Whenever possible, posts will be inspired by travel that we’ve done ourselves.

By Spring of 2014, our goal is to incorporate shopping capabilities so that our followers can purchase some of these great finds right here. We are already working with Tia for PTR on our first line of Island Vibe accessories.

Palm Tree Row was founded by Donya Jackson in June, 2013. An islander by birth, Donya couldn’t let go of the tropics and decided to bring it to readers year round. Feature bloggers will be published as often as possible so that we keep the travel vibe as true and as culturally honest as possible.

You can also follow Palm Tree Row on twitter: @PalmTreeRow and on Instagram.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

About the header image: March 26, 2014


March, they say, comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, or comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion. Or, as John Belushi once pointed out on Saturday Night Live, comes in like a lion and goes out like a different lion. One thing's for sure: March is a turbulent month, full of wild temperature swings and highly variable weather. Sometimes the weather produces effects like this "curdled sky" I photographed over Nanticoke back in 2012.

An uncropped version of the header image.
It looks ominous, but it didn't amount to anything,
  if I recall correctly. Click to enlarge.
Is Spring truly here? Or is Winter going to hold onto NEPA for another month or two? Send your photos showing the signs of Spring's arrival (or failure to arrive) to nepablogs@gmail.com, and we'll use them as the NEPA Blogs header image!


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Dos Veganos

NEPA Blogs will be presenting the "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.



Watch this episode on the PA Live! website:
http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/blog-of-the-week-dos-veganos/32508/FfgFhsbEXE6q1oONNkv6KQ

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Dos Veganos (http://dosveganos.wordpress.com/).

For omnivores, sometimes it's difficult to understand the distinction between Vegan and Vegetarian diets and lifestyles. For Vegans, sometimes it's difficult to get by in a world that caters primarily to omnivores, grudgingly makes concessions to vegetarianism, and routinely misunderstands Veganism. Dos Veganos is all about Vegan food, where to find it, and how to make it, all brought to you by R.J. de Rossi and Chantal since September 2011. It also discusses such topics as raw food, kale, blueberry banana waffles, and vegan gourmet chocolate. Dos Veganos makes Veganism accessible to the non-Vegan, provides information and support for Vegans, and makes it all look absolutely delicious! Whether you're a practicing Vegan, someone who is curious about Veganism, or simply would like to add some delicious recipes to your recipe file, Dos Veganos  is a blog you should definitely check out!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

About the header image: March 19, 2014


It's been a heck of a Winter: brutal, sustained cold, record-breaking snowfall totals, and snowfall after snowfall with no thaws - or even melting - in between. With Winter drawing to a close this week, dare we begin to turn our thoughts to Spring? The little crocus is one of the first blooms to emerge in the Spring, and this crop of crocuses was photographed at St. Mary's Cemetery on Middle Road in Hanover Township back in late March of 2007. When will the crocuses emerge this year? And how long until they are followed by daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, forsythia, and all the other early blooms of Spring?


If you have a photo that captures some aspect of life in NEPA, we'd like to feature it as the NEPA Blogs header! Submit it to nepablogs@gmail.com!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Steel City Retro


NEPA Blogs will be presenting the "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.


Watch this episode on the PA Live! website:
http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/blog-of-the-week-steel-city-retro/59334/6fBaVQcQr0KGrWbyKTUonQ

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is April Piazza's Steel City Retro (http://www.scretro.com/)

Steel City Retro is a blog that celebrates vintage fashions, burlesque, and retro photography, using appropriately antiquated locations from from all over Pennsylvania as settings. April Piazza has been bringing the retro-sexy back since May 2012. Steel City Retro was originally based in the Lehigh Valley but recently relocated to the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton area. While it has been on hiatus since last Summer, there are still plenty of entries on the site for your enjoyment!

(UPDATE: Good news! As April notes in the comments, the hiatus is over! So be sure to check out Steel City Retro!)

If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

World of Lizzie Tish

At a blogging event a few months ago, a local political gadfly and avowed non-blogger approached me and said "Wow, non-political bloggers are really flexing their muscles lately."

I have no idea what he meant then, and I still don't. Some folks tend to think of blogging as strictly a political activity, and dismiss any non-political blogs as ephemeral and irrelevant. The truth is nearly exactly the opposite: The vast majority of blogs are not focused primarily on politics, and most political blogs exist only during the months leading up to an election, and vanish soon afterwards. (The rare exceptions of long-running political blogs that operate year-round are often informative and interesting, and occasionally obsessive and extremely disturbing.)

World of Lizzie Tish is a non-political blog. Its writer has a rich and complex background, but ultimately she has one goal in writing this blog:

I started this blog as a means to vent my ever growing list of ailments and illnesses, due to my inherited Auto Immune genes. I just needed an outlet to lift the weight off my shoulders, that fear of the unknown that haunts me from day to day.

She reiterates this in the blog header:

Random collection of thoughts, rants about my Auto Immune related issues, and living life on life's term as a recovering addict/alcoholic

Blogs come in all types. There are political blogs, photo blogs, sports blogs, personal blogs - or, in this case, very personal blogs.  Check out World of Lizzie Tish to see just how personal a blog can get.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

About the header image: March 12, 2014


While meeting with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective at the Vintage in Scranton this past Saturday, I noticed a mask mounted on a post outside the window I was facing. I excused myself, ran out to grab my camera from my car, and came back to snap some pictures. It's not every day that the universe hands you a photo op like that. From the colors I assumed this was a leftover Mardi Gras decoration, but the other members of the group (who had noticed it before me) informed me that Conor, proprietor of the Vintage, had told them that it has been hanging outside for many months. Yet somehow I had managed to not notice until now!

It is, how you say, "Creepy," no?
Like anywhere else, NEPA is full of little details easy to overlook but waiting to surprise you. Keep your eyes open, and who knows what you might see!

Have you spotted some detail of NEPA, creepy or otherwise, that you'd like to share? Send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com and we'll use it as the header image some week!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Public Relations and Pretty Things!


NEPA Blogs will be presenting the "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.


Watch this episode on the PA Live! website:
http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/blog-of-the-week-public-relations-and-pretty-inter/26865/mJXcGf3-5kaATUeOmtwXNg


Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Public Relations and Pretty Things! (http://paradicejackson.com/) by Para-Dice Jackson.

Public Relations and Pretty Things! is a food, fashion, and public relations-focused blog by Para-Dice Jackson, born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, now a Scranton-based mother of two boys and a student at Marywood getting simultaneous bachelor's and master's degrees in Advertising and Public Relations. Since January 2012 she has been sharing information about public relations, delicious recipes, and her favorite fashions.  Para-Dice Jackson was one of the attendees at the first-ever NEPA BlogCon in September 2012, and since then has expanded and beautified her blog into what it is today. If you've ever been curious about the almost-but-not-quite invisible and secret world of public relations, or if you'd like to get in on some delicious recipes, or if maybe you'd like to pick up some pointers from a driven, enterprising young woman as she finds her path to success, be sure to check out Para-Dice Jackson's Public Relations and Pretty Things!
If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Monday, March 10, 2014

Save the Date: NEPA Blogfest 2014 Spring Edition






The Northeastern Pennsylvania Bloggers will be hosting the 8th semi-annual Blogfest on April 25th at The Red Mill, 340 S. Main St., Pittston, PA 18640 starting at 6PM. This is an informal gathering of bloggers, candidates for office, elected officials and anyone interested in politics or blogging. There is no charge for admission.


Since its inception 4 years ago Blogfest has been described as the best political event of the season. No speeches are allowed and the rule is agree to disagree but don't be disagreeable. Many local and statewide candidates will be attending.  




Saturday, March 08, 2014

Family Service Association of Northeastern PA

I received an email from Jessica at the Family Service Association of NEPA yesterday asking to add their new blog to our blog roll.  The blog's address is http://fsanepa.tumblr.com.

FSANEPA is a non-profit organization providing counseling, case management, crisis/referral services, and other services to individuals, children, teens, couples, seniors, and families, located in Wilkes-Barre PA but serving several counties.  Their mission is Building Stronger Communities through Stronger Families.

FSANEPA is also on Facebook and Twitter - @FSANEPA.


Thursday, March 06, 2014

From the Mailbag: My Invisible Camera

We received this email a few months ago and I accidentally misplaced it! My apologies to Tanya for the delay in writing about her blog. 




My name is Tanya King and my blog is www.myinvisiblecamera.com. I joined the NEPAblogs Facebook group a few weeks ago and have been very happy with the sense of community. I only just looked at the website and was wondering if I could have my blog linked here as well? Thank you very much for all your efforts. It's really nice to see a healthy community of bloggers growing strong in NEPA.

Thanks again,
Tanya


From Tanya's words:  "My invisible camera is a personal evolution of how I capture moments. When I first began this blog I was a photographer first and foremost. After being diagnosed with lupus I began to explore different ways to ‘save’ moments. I equate this blog to being ‘my invisible camera’–a way for me to take a snapshot of something amazing/brilliant/dear to me, whether with photographs or words, preserve it in all its glory, and share it here."  Tanya really does have some beautiful photos of her family on the blog and her Instagram. You can read more on her about page, or follow her on Twitter.

You too can join our NEPA Bloggers group on Facebook to network with others from the local blogosphere.


Speaking of networking....do you have cabin fever? Restless for Friday?

Why not head out to the Vintage Happy Hour happening tonight from 5-8pm at Trax Platform Lounge?  For more details and to RSVP, check out the Facebook event page.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

About the header image: March 5, 2014


This week's header image comes to us from NEPA Blogs co-administrator Michelle Hryvnak Davies. It's a four-wheel-drive vehicle - a Jeep - stuck in the snow in a driveway in Sweet Valley. Like the Jeep, it feels like we are all stuck in the snow. WE ARE ALL STUCK IN THE SNOW BECAUSE THIS WINTER WILL NEVER END AND IT'S HORRIBLE JUST HORRIBLE AND IT WILL NEVER END AND...

Sorry. I'm OK. Really. I...I just need a moment here.


Submit your header images to nepablogs@gmail.com.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

PA Live! Blog of the Week: FunFitFashionable

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.


Watch this episode on the PA Live! website:
http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/blog-of-the-week-funfitfashionable/18928/Hi1_jK0w3U6R_czAciqZTg

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is FunFitFashionable (http://www.funfitfash.com/).

FunFitFashionable is a blog by NEPA freelance writer Alyssa about getting fit, doing it in style, and having fun! She's been blogging about living a balanced lifestyle since August 2011. Most recently she's become a certified personal trainer and has actually started a new blog to take things to the next level! There's still plenty to be gleaned from FunFitFashionable, especially if you're just getting started on the road to fitness. But when you are ready to take things further, be sure to follow Alyssa at her new site, too!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!


Sunday, March 02, 2014

Anthracite Curling Club

Decades ago the Beatles movie "Help!" was regularly shown on TV, including on the local version of the afternoon movie show Dialing For Dollars. This was where I saw the sport of curling for the first time ever, and thought it was some sort of joke that had been made up for the movie. Scrubbing the ice with tiny brooms as a vaguely duck-shaped stone slowly slid across the ice - that surely couldn't be a real thing...could it? It had to be a joke, like the coin-operated car, right?

Subsequent viewings of the Winter Olympics proved that, yes, curling was indeed a real thing, though it seemed as strange and silly in real life as it had in the Beatles' romp. What was the point? What was it all about? And how the heck did someone come up with something like this?

Well, decades later, I still don't know the answers to these questions, but I do know some folks who might.

Anthracite Curling Club
http://anthracitecurling.com/

NEPA is always full of surprises, and the Anthracite Curling Club is another one. Who knew that this region had its own curling club? Well, I did. For years. But I didn't realize that they had a blog! Yes, their official website is actually presented in blog form, the most effective way of communicating news and information to members and the general populace. If you've got any level of interest in curling and don't want to wait for the next Olympics (or for "Help!" to start appearing on TV again) to see it in action, check out their blog - and maybe even consider joining in the fun at their open house at the Toyota SpotsPlex (formerly the Ice Rink at Coal Street Park) in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, March 8, 2014! Grab your tiny brooms and start scrubbing!