What an incredible few weeks here at OpenSky! The Shopkeeper community has welcomed 18 new Shopkeepers–each a passionate expert with a loyal following combined with a natural storytelling gift–in topics ranging from crafting to bouldering, parenting to living the bachelor life. We are fortunate and excited to have this amazing group of talented authors, bloggers/site-owners and television personalities.
Everyone please welcome…
Vickie (Craft.Rock.Love)
Vickie is a crafting visionary and can be seen on the HGTV (DIY Do-it-Yourself Network) as the host of the successful knitting series, Knitty Gritty. A celebrity in crafting, Vickie has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Today Show, and her projects have been featured in many leading newspapers, books and magazines. A well known author herself, Vickie has written four books, with two more on the way, and has been nominated for a Craft Trends Magazine Award of Excellence.
Jane and Tarzan (His Boys Can Swim)
His Boys Can Swim is a great place to document their thoughts, feelings, and journey to parenthood and beyond, in hopes that other soon-to-be parents will learn a few things from their journey. Clearly other parents are listening with over 25,000 twitter followers!
Camilla (Camilla Cooks)
Camilla is a freelance food writer, recipe developer, and cooking instructor. She is currently run Camilla Cooks, is the author of Enlightened Cooking as well as ten cookbooks, and the brand ambassador for Pepperidge Farm. Camilla has made multiple appearances on the Food Network, has been featured in the New York Times, made appearances on Today and QVC, and is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Her work has appeared in such magazines as Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Light, Woman’s Day, Cosmo Girl, Quick & Simple, Country Woman, Sunset, Cook’s Country, and Vegetarian Times.
Eric (The Bachelor Guy)
An immensely popular site, The Bachelor Guy provides entertaining and fresh information on food, drink, style, entertainment, and lifestyle. They define a bachelor guy as “not necessarily single, they are the men who know how to take care of themselves – and the women in their lives.”
Jay & Irwin (Design2Share)
D2S, a hot online home interior design site and community, offers decorating and style tips and resources, including Q&A design videos, luxury home tours, design diaries, ideas to help homeowners tackle their next project, and much more. Founded in 2006 by noted New York interior designer Irwin Weiner (“one of Gotham Magazine’s top 100 designers”) and publishing executive Jay Johnson, D2S offers expert advice and an industry showcase for high-end designers and residential resources.
Dana & Sarah (BabyLuxe)
BabyLuxe {daily} is the top resource to help new parents, parents-to-be, and gift-givers alike, discover the greatness beyond mainstream baby retailers that seemed to be popping up from coast to coast. They have found it incredibly essential to have a little fun with the amazing selection of private label luxuries, and that is what they are here for; to bring you only the very best from that category.
Justin (Justin Guitar)
Justin is a London based guitarist, songwriter, performer, producer and educator who runs the vastly popular JustinGuitar.com and the Justin Sandercoe Youtube page (with over 35 million views!). In addition, Justin has just finished recording his first album, Small Town Eyes, which will be officially released January 11, 2010.
Lisa (Behind The Knife)
The purpose of BehindTheKnife.com is twofold: First, to reveal the tools in a chef’s arsenal, sometimes common, sometimes not. The toolbox itself can be a standard-issue carpenter-style toolbox, a simple knife roll, or a Snap-on-Tools Hummer on wheels with a Kryptonite lock and remote alarm system. The second part is figuring out what a toolbox and its contents — as well as the stories behind particular tools — can reveal about the chef behind them.
Shannon & Toni (Happy Hour Mom)
Happy Hour Mom is a one-stop-shop of resources to provide insight to the latest products and tips for all things mom. Whether it be the hottest new trends for maternity, mom and baby, the best new toys and books on the market, going green with the hottest new products, or tips on ways to save, they have it all. Check out their weekly tv show live, every Friday at 11 am PST on http://www.centralvalleytalk.com.
Chef John (Food Wishes)
A culinary teacher first, you will find Chef John’s videos entertaining, humorous and instructional. In fact, just yesterday Chef John’s site was nominated for “Best Video Blog” by the 2009 Foodbuzz Blog Awards (you can vote here). Be sure be one of over 25,000 people to subscribe to his YouTube channel.
Tina (Carrots N Cake)
Carrots N Cake is a very well known healthy living blog in which Tina posts about how she lives her life one healthy meal at a time. Her motto is that even “bad” foods can be a good part of a healthy diet if taken in moderation. Tina is so popular that her site recently joined another OpenSky Shopkeeper, Kath of Kath Eats, as a nominee for top Healthy Living Blogs by Food Buzz (vote here!).
Nicki (FutureDerm)
Nicki at FutureDerm helps consumers know exactly what is in all those skin creams you use and, more importantly, which ones really help. FutureDerm was selected as a top beauty blog by Health magazine and was a finalist for the Redken Fashion Week Blogging Contest.
Cyndi (Grill Girl)
Cyndi writes Yes! You Can Grill and Barbeque Master, is a featured BBQ and Southern Cuisine writer for Suite 101, and wrote the “Best Grills 2009” edition for Consumers Digest Magazine. Look for her to feature amazing and unique grills, accessories, sauces, and of course BBQ tips and recipes.
Jamie (B3 Bouldering)
Jamie has dedicated much of his life to the pursuit of climbing. He shares his impressive passion, enthusiasm, and expertise through his site B3 Bouldering. He has traveled the world searching for and climbing the unthinkable. Check out some of his amazing videos to really get a sense of what it is to boulder.
Prescott & Jessica (Imperfect Parent)
Jessica and Prescott, devoted parents and admitted internet junkies, realized after spending countless hours going from parenting site to parenting site that they all seemed to be derivative of one another. Same after same dry articles, community forums with “unobjectionable” topics, some with moderators so heavy-handed and politically correct that it made active debate fruitless. There needed to be a place where parents could exercise their minds, and get together to discuss and debate the topics that affect our lives. Hence, the Imperfect Parent was born.
Melisa & Pam (Project Nursery)
Project Nursery is a children’s interior design blog showcasing baby’s first room and beyond. Featuring inspirational photo galleries submitted by our readers, convenient shopping links, “Real Rooms and Real Parties” segments, hip finds for the family home, DIY design tips, inspirational design boards and fabulous weekly giveaways!
Stephen (Balanced Existence)
Stephen runs Balanced Existence and is dedicated to the fundamentals of well-being. Stephen writes about problematic societal norms and how to overcome them through physical, mental and emotional fitness. From motivation, meditation, fitness and personal development Stephen is the expert on all areas of wellness.
Linda (SheSez)
SheSez is an on-line women’s magazine dedicated to sharing the unique, interesting and cutting edge things California women are doing. It’s mission is to inform, inspire and entertain. Women all over the world look to America’s west coast for ideas and inspiration from beauty to health to style.
- kevin
