Ugly? Beautiful? or just Wonderful?

There are so many ways to look at the world, and the many things in it. I often fall on the side of "it's so ugly it's beautiful" rather than "a face so ugly only it's mother could love it." I have a few beautiful creatures to share, I hope you like them too.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Dingogirl66

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AdoptanAlien
http://www.etsy.com/shop/WooldeBeast

Out of sight but not out of mind

The tragedy in Haiti still goes on, even if it is no longer the main focus of the international press. The HeartsforHaiti shop continues to list and sell items and most importantly it continues to donate 100% of it's income to Doctors Without Borders. The following was copied (with permission) from a post on an Etsy forum and gives some sense of the wonderful work this group is helping Doctors Without Borders accomplish.

As of 10 pm EST 2/18/10 we have raised $30,435.36 (after fees) for Doctors Without Borders.

I was curious after your comment beberagz-so i did some looking on the Doctors Without Borders website. This comes from their general page of where your donation goes http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/donate/what.cfm

$35 Two high-energy meals a day to 200 children
$50 Vaccinations for 50 people against meningitis, measles, polio or other deadly epidemics
$70 Two basic suture kits to repair minor shrapnel wounds
$100 Infection-fighting antibiotics to treat nearly 40 wounded children
$250 A sterilization kit for syringes and needles used in mobile vaccination campaigns
$500 A medical kit containing basic drugs, supplies, equipment, and dressings to treat 1,500 patients for three months
$1000 Emergency medical supplies to aid 5,000 disaster victims for an entire month
$5500 An emergency health kit to care for 10,000 displaced people for three months.

Then I did some number crunching:
Taking $30,000 and hypothetically saying it would only go to help one of those items (just for the sake of visualization)-even though I am sure it gets split up into lots of places-this could translate into:
health kits to care for 50000 people for three months,
Or emergency medical supplies for 150000 people for a month,
Or medical kits with basic drugs and supplies to treat 90000 people for three months
Or 120 sterilization kits used in mobile vaccine campaigns
Or enough antibiotics to treat 12000 wounded children
Or vaccinations against meningitis, measles or polio for 30000 people
Or two meals a day for 171428 childrenPretty amazing results of how much 30000 can do!!
Written by the owner of: http://www.etsy.com/shop/FiveSparrows

Snow snow snow, nothing but snow

After years with almost no snowfall in the midAtlantic region we have been hit with more snow then anyone here has seen in one season. The storm in December dumped a couple of feet on us, but this past week that December storm seems like a distant memory of a snow squall. My kids have been home all week and thanks to the previously scheduled Presidents day holiday they will have a break almost as long as Winter Break, unfortunately we've been snowed in and unable to do much out side the house/neighborhood. Unless shoveling snow counts.
I'm loving my neighbor Mr Meck, he came by our end of town and not only plowed our street, but plowed out nearly all of the buried cars on my end of the block.
What is it about extreme weather conditions that brings out the best in some people? Neighbors that have never even made eye contact with me were all out with shovels and helping each other (and me) dig out cars and sidewalks.