We would like to wish you a very happy & healthy Thanksgiving!  We have a lot to be thankful for at OpenSky, especially the 100+ dynamic and influential Shopkeepers.  Before you go and enjoy time with your family, be sure to check out the newest members of ours.

Please welcome…

Clara (Knitter’s Review)
Clara was Editor-at-Large of Intelligent Enterprise magazine, produced a major comparison-shopping Web site, and received a Society of American Travel Writers award for her profiles of San Francisco restaurants—all the while her true passion was knitting for the love of yarn. Her first book, The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, was named one of the Best Books of 2007 by the Library Journal. Her sequel, The Knitter’s Book of Wool, was released in October 2009 and has already been named the fourth best home and garden book of the year by the editors at Amazon.com.

Knitter’s Review is a weekly online magazine for fiber enthusiasts, established in September 2000.  Their mission is to provide quality product information to help knitters make informed purchasing decisions and, ultimately, have a more fulfilling lifelong knitting experience. Geared toward the serious fiber enthusiast, regardless of skill or experience level, Knitter’s Review features intelligent and in-depth yarn reviews, tips and how-tos, book reviews, tool profiles, event information, forums, and interactive polls.

Rachel (A Photography Blog)
Rachel came to New York in 2000 and found a job in production at Condé Nast. Although the pointy shoes and glamorous cafeteria were alluring, she decided to apply to graduate school. She received her MA in studio art two years later and spent several years helping to run the full-time programs at the International Center of Photography. She then moved into photo editing, working at Nerve.com, and Rolling Stone Online, among others.

Recently, Rachel has been writing about photography; she started off at Photoshelter’s Shoot! The Blog. She is also a photo columnist for The Daily Beast and The Faster Times, and writes a blog for Induro Tripods. Rachel has been making her own work slowly but surely throughout the years. It has been shown at Jen Bekman Gallery, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Wallspace Gallery and The New York Photo Festival, where she co-curated a show in May 2009.

Lynn & Corey (Celebrate Green & Green Halloween)
They’re a mother-daughter team whose passion is to help people green up their celebrations.  Through creativity, laughter and collaboration, they’re here to show that learning to be green during holidays and celebrations can be easy, affordable and fun for the whole family.  They created a national movement to make Halloween healthier and safer for children and for the environment.  In addition, they co-authored the book Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family.reating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family. If you’re seeking a fun-filled romp jammed with practical, inexpensive, joyful ways to celebrate in eco-friendly fashion, you’re in business with Celebrate Green!

Mel (Bouchon for Two)
Melody Fury is from Vancouver B.C, she is a certified teacher and a young entrepreneur. She is the creator of Bouchon for 2  where she enjoys sharing her everyday culinary misadventures and revelations. As a freelance food writer and photographer, Melody has been featured in foodbuzz, Serious Eats, and on the Food Network. When Melody isn’t busy blogging about food, she enjoys salsa dancing, drums and glassblowing.

Rachel (Fit Mom’s Blog)
Rachel is completely devoted to her family and staying fit.  Her motto is “Do what you can to stay fit, healthy, and sane.”  Her passions includes, yoga, trail running, cycling, cooking, and reading. Her site contains fun and healthy activities for mom’s and families.

Mary (Zuburbia)
Zuburbia is a state of vintage consciousness where looking good and doing good for our planet coexist peacefully. Mary Kincaid started Zuburbia because she believes that it’s not easy being green, but that it’s worth the effort. She is committed to doing all that she can to reduce, reuse and recycle while helping others to participate in the greening of Mother Earth. Mary is committed to spreading the word, that you don’t have to sacrifice one ounce of style to be a good green citizen.

Jeffrey (Jeffrey Morgenthaler)
Jeffrey has been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. Mixing drinks is his passion and he strives to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary. The writing he does in his blog is intended as a work in progress. His recipes are like his opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as he works them through my mind and my fingers.  He has been featured in The N.Y Times, Esquire, Playboy, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and Food & Wine.

Sarah (Org Junkie)
Sarah is exactly what the OpenSky office needs, she is a self-proclaimed “organizing junkie.” What she loves most about organizing is the “high” she gets from it so she is always looking for next “fix”. This blog is dedicated to her love of all things to do with organizing especially containers! Join Sarah as she chronicles the life of an organizing junkie and attempt to get others “hooked.” She is especially addicted to containers of any shape or size.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and OpenSky is proud to highlight a few of our newest additions to the community!

We’ve got some incredible products for the holiday season, so take a look around and get something special for your special someone.  (I know I will!)

Amie Valpone (The Healthy Apple)

Amie is a Manhattan based Culinary Nutritionist with a passion for cooking, baking, and healthy living in the Big Apple of NYC.

She has a brand new OpenSky shop with some really great products.

Check out the Joyce Chen Saladacco Spiralizer!

Elizabeth & Emuna (Gourmet Kosher Cooking)

Launched in May, 2009, by Emuna Braverman and Elizabeth Kurtz, Gourmet Kosher Cooking is the premier place for kosher recipes, products, tabletop decor, wine, travel and so much more.

Take a look at this great Non-Stick Challah Pan!

Jane and Tarzan (His Boys Can Swim)

Jane & Tarzan are creators of HisBoysCanSwim, an award winning baby blog where they secretly documented their journey into parenthood and beyond. They’ve been through the ups and downs of pregnancy and baby life and share all the details with their readers.

Take a peak at this stylish Hot Mama Maternity Gown!

Have an amazing weekend and enjoy a new way to shop @ OpenSky!

-The OpenSky Team

I can’t help but smile today.  Not only has it has been an amazing week at OpenSky, but the holidays are just around the corner.  And it seems that many Shopkeepers are feeling the same way!

Just in time for the holidays, Design2Share and MakeOverMomma have each launched collaborative features to help their audiences prepare for the season.

Design2Share’s Holiday Gift Guide

Ever wanted a personal shopper to help you pick out just the right gifts? Well, that’s the whole idea behind the The OpenSky Project, a unique boutique of dozens of online specialty shops run by expert bloggers who pick only items they really-really love and recommend.

Check out selections they love from their fellow shopkeeper/bloggers in the Design2Share’s Holiday Home Gift Guide.

MakeOverMomma’s Top Food Bloggers Favorite Holiday Treats

It’s that time of year again (the time of year where huge meals, tasty splurges and highly caloric food items seem to wait around every bend)…and you want to indulge. It’s ok! It’s all about moderation.

MakeOverMomma asked OpenSky food bloggers what their favorite “worthwhile treats” will be this year, and here’s what they said…

It’s a very special OpenSky Welcome Wednesday today as we have officially broken the century mark, 100 Shopkeepers and counting!

I want to take a second to reflect on how truly amazing of a milestone this is.  Seven months ago when John, Alan and I sat around the dining room table in my apartment dreaming up OpenSky, we could never have imagined quite how impressive, passionate and intelligent of a Shopkeeper community would ultimately come together. But come together they have, 100 strong!

We are quickly becoming a vibrant community of industry leaders among their trade (such as Michael Laiskonis, the executive pastry chef at famed restaurant Le Bernardin), television personalities (such as Vickie Howell, host of HGTV’s Knitty Gritty), well-known authors (such as Michael Ruhlman, author of The Elements of Cooking) and top online personalities (such as Kath Younger, creator of the hugely popular healthy living site KathEats.com).

So what is OpenSky today?

A collection of experts full of passion and knowledge.  A community coming together to change the way people shop, for the better.  People who care about those who trust them. THIS is OpenSky.

On to Welcome Wednesdays at OpenSky!

Please welcome…

Cathie (Cathie Filian)
D.I.Y. Guru, Cathie Filian, brings a fresh approach to creative living with her “outside the box ideas” for crafts, recipes and home décor. She is a little bit country, a little bit Rock-n-Roll and all Original.

Cathie created, produces and co-hosts the popular lifestyle shows Creative Juice and Witch Crafts on HGTV and DIY Network. She was Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Host for her work on Creative Juice and she was Nominated for her Second Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Program for her work on Witch Crafts.

Cathie’s first book, Creative Juice – 45 Re-Crafting Projects, is filled with fun and funky recycling craft ideas that can be made for pennies. Her second book, Bow Wow WOW! – fetching costumes for your fabulous dog, is filled with patterns and ideas for creating pet fashions. Her latest book, 101 Snappy Fashions features ideas for altering baby onesies.

Cathie writes Home Hobbies, a syndicated newspaper column for United Features and a Lifestyle Blog. She also contributes to national shelter publications such as Life Magazine, Real Simple, Redbook and many others.

Melissa (Melissa Schweiger)
Melissa began her writing career in the first grade, when her story about a princess and her pet skunk got rave reviews from her mother. She decided to parlay her skills into a career after graduating from New York University with a B.A. in journalism. Her first professional editorial gig was as an Associate Editor at Hamptons magazine, where she wrote about style, food, and the lifestyles of the famous and infamous for the pages of the weekly glossy.

After Hamptons, Melissa entered into the world of women’s magazines and joined Cosmopolitan as a freelance Beauty Editor. She was then swept into dotcom mania and became a Beauty Editor at Eve.com. Later she joined Seventeen magazine as their Fashion Writer. Her first book, Sephora: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup, Skin, and Hair from the Beauty Authority, was published in April 2008 by HarperCollins.

Jessica (Jessica Harlow)
Jessica Harlow is a self-proclaimed glamour addict best known for her beauty tutorials, or as she likes to call them, “Glamour Presentations”, on YouTube. Not your typical YouTube guru, Miss Harlow aims to not only to share tips and tricks on how to apply makeup but also on how to help you feel your best.

Jim (Jim’s Chocolate Mission)
Jim is a chocolate lover from the South East of England. Unfortunately eating chocolate and writing about it isn’t his day job (OpenSky hopes to change that) – he has recently started working for one of the top global FMCG companies in marketing and works with prestigious brands both in the UK and worldwide. When it comes to his favorite chocolate, he likes to keep an open mind; but he admits that he has a soft spot for peanuts and caramel.

Lauren (Pure Style Home)
With an eye for color and texture, Lauren began decorating homes for friends and family members as a hobby.  As her hobby grew, Lauren realized that it was something more, enrolled in & graduated from the Sheffield School of Interior Design, and opened Pure Style LLC in 2007.

Lauren’s reputation for being a young, fresh, and intuitive designer has grown quickly.  She writes the blog,  Pure Style Home, which has been featured several times in the Washington Post and is an inspiration & ideas blog for design-lovers.

Stacy (Barefoot and Pregnant)
From maternity spas to an online community, Barefoot & Pregnant has one priority — to give expecting parents a place to go that’s dedicated specifically to their needs. Connecting, nurturing, informing and entertaining, Barefoot & Pregnant is the preeminent maternity community and resource.

Barefoot & Pregnant is the only social community designed specifically for those who are trying to conceive or expecting. They feature columns from our experts but our real voice is yours. They feature articles, essays and musings from members who are experiencing the many stages of conception, pregnancy, adoption and parenting, and can offer first-hand advice and knowledge.

Linda (Restyled Home)
Linda’s style philosophy is to have fun with decorating your home – not take it all too seriously – and to inject your own personal style into your home.  She believes: If you are unsure of colors, look to your wardrobe; chances are, if you enjoy wearing a particular color, you will also enjoy it in your home. If you feel your home is beginning to look like everyone else’s, or like you copied the look exactly from a magazine, throw something unexpected into the mix. Showcase your collections in a way that honors them, and use a favorite piece as a jump-off point for the space. She started Restyled Home, in May 2006 and is beginning to live her creative dream.

Brittany (Clumps of Mascara)
At Clumps of Mascara, they love to celebrate mistakes. While some may equate beauty with sheer perfection and fool-proof images, they have another definition. Their motto “Because everybody ain’t there yet” reminds them that it is okay to not be knowledgeable in all areas of beauty. To prove this,  they feature articles and pictures that display less than perfect images. They talk about easy applications, indulge in cheaper brand items (but don’t mind a splurge every now and then) and enjoy learning the simple techniques.  She loves to not only bash stereotypes but also to learn along with her readers in hopes of educating those that “just didn’t know” when it comes to beauty.

Lindsay (Living With Lindsay)
Lindsay is a full-time wife, mother, and crafty-gal-turned-home-décor-obsessed blogger. Living With Lindsay chronicles her adventures in decorating our home. With her trusty glue gun at her side, she guides you through the pleasures and pitfalls of turning your home into a space you’ll love without breaking the bank.

Lisa (Restaurant Widow)
Lisa is a veteran restaurant worker, a baker, and a general bon vivant. She’s been a food enthusiast her entire life and lives in Columbus, Ohio with her wine enthusaist husband and their many cats.  Be sure to check out her shop for incredibly unique and interesting home cooking supplies.

Candace Stupek is all about commitment. She is a mother, trainer, and blogger. Her typical workday begins at 7:30 am when she takes her three kids to school; she has two boys and a girl ages 8-13. After dropping them off she starts her workout, “I truly believe that I cannot be a good mother and trainer without training myself first” she says. Directly after her workout she begins training her clients and continues until she picks up her kids from school. “Then I help them with homework and take them to practice; I sometimes see other clients in the evenings,” Candace says.

Candace was not always interested in fitness and personal health. Her passion was ignited after the birth of her third child. She saw a picture of herself from Thanksgiving; “I was in disbelief when I saw myself, because I didn’t feel fat inside.” Candace immediately joined a gym and “felt empowered and strong. The weights made me feel stronger,” she states. Candace said that it was more about how she felt than what she saw in the mirror. She got a personal trainer and learned how to eat properly and things evolved, “I was amazed at how I could change my body.”

Despite the instant connection she had with fitness, Candace admits that it is not easy for her, “I have to make a daily commitment; I want people to know that I have to work really hard.” Similar to her children, whom love competition and sports, Candace is also a natural competitor. “That is why I do what I do, because I am committed and I want to be an example,” she says.

Candace got into blogging because she wanted a tool to communicate with her clients. She says that she wants her readers to know that she is “an open book. I know what has worked for me and I want to reach out to as many people as I can.” Candace says her OpenSky shop will help her with reaching out to people. “So many of my clients are mothers like me and these products can help them achieve a healthy lifestyle without breaking the bank,” she argues.

When Candace isn’t training herself and others, she is spending time with her family in her childhood home, where she grew up with three older sisters, outside of Atlanta. “I’ve had the same phone number my whole life. It’s just perfect.” Candace also frequents Destin, Florida, where her Dad lives, because she is “a sun and water girl. My perfect day is watching my kids play frisbee while reading a book under and umbrella.” Right now, though, Candace says “my life consists of nights at the ballpark watching my kids play; it is who I am and I love it.”

Candace wants her OpenSky shop to be about evolving. “Just when I think I have figured something out about a fitness technique, something comes along and shows me that I haven’t. It’s what I love about fitness…I want it to be a one-stop-shop,” says Candace. “I will only put products in my OpenSky shop that I swear by. There are so many fitness items out there and because of that it is hard to know what ones work and what ones don’t. I will only provide the ones that work and I know they do.”

Candace currently offers a wide array of fitness and health products that she swears by in her OpenSky shop; visit her at The Candace Stupek Shop.

Saturday, one day before his 101st birthday, my wife’s grandfather passed away. I really loved him. He lived fully, independently and passionately for 100.5 years.

Every Sunday for at least the last five years, we’ve spent half the day with him. Our kids, jill’s mom, all together having breakfast or lunch, listening to opera, playing hullabaloo, reading or building towers on the floor or just swapping stories.

Those Sunday mornings were everything. For me, they were a beautiful reminder that what really matters the most are relationships.

OpenSky is just at the beginning of changing the world by connecting people to one another. We’re working harder and doing more than any of us imagined. But forever, Sunday mornings will always be for family.

- john caplan

Another amazing week here at OpenSky…

Winter is creeping in at New York HQ, but our new OpenSky Shopkeepers are heating up!

We’re proud to highlight a few of our newest Shops!

Makeover Momma (Bailey Vincent Clark)

Makeover Momma writes on all things fitness, health and beauty.  The proud mother of two girls, Bailey knows how to help any mom be Fit, Fashionable and Fabulous after Kids!

Check out Perricone MD Age Prevent Nutrient Fortifier from Makeover Momma!

Sarah Herman (SJ Gourmet)

SJ Gourmet is about creating simple and elegant dishes using expert techniques, while still having fun with friends and family.

The Global 8-inch Chef’s Knife is Sarah’s favorite kitchen tool!

Carlene Coulter (Beauty and Fashion Tech)

Carlene created Beauty and Fashion Tech after success as an attorney and writer.  She provides news and reviews of cosmetics, skin care and beauty products as well as information about fashion accessories.

Check out this modern classic from Carlene’s Shop: The Braun Epilator!

Kelly Tirman (Kelly Tirman)

Kelly is a chic, urban, gadget obsessed, food lovin’ shopaholic momma!

She’s passionate about products and loves sharing her knowledge.

Take a look at one of Kelly’s must haves: Organic Essence Lotion To Go!

Have an amazing weekend and enjoy shopping @ OpenSky!

It wasn’t long ago that Shane Shirley-Smith of Environmental Booty was fated to enter the annals of OpenSky as the Rat Lady.

That day was yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon, our plucky heroine made a panicked phone call to OpenSky headquarters after discovering that her store had gone live with ant bait, ant killer, and mouse repellant. And while in college she had a pet rat named Alphie, she wasn’t keen on her newfound niche. Anything–anything else, Shane pleaded, would be better than have three extermination products in her brand new store.

Sympathetic to her plight, we held a quick staff meeting post-call at the office to see what we could do for Shane before the weekend. Bringing together the forces of sourcing and product management, we were able to add a fourth product to Shane’s store, thereby salvaging her from a most unfortunate misnomer.

Shane patiently waited for us to make changes overnight from our end so that by this morning, she could more appropriately promote her OpenSky store. And around noon today, we were so delightfully surprised today when a delivery of baked goods arrived in the mail – a gesture of her gratitude!

This is a deliciously sweet example of the ways in which OpenSky as a team, comprised of ourselves here in New York and Shopkeepers around the country, is working together to build out the vision for this company. We need Stephen to point out shopping cart malfunctions; we need Toni and Shannon to suggest using Twitter hashtags; we need Kelly to point out the disappearance of an image.

So any time and every time you see something you’re not completely satisfied with our site, please let us know so we can work together and resolve the issue as soon as possible!

Have a wonderful weekend!

-mary

It’s my favorite time of the week: WELCOME WEDNESDAYS!!!

We have 9 amazing people joining the OpenSky community this week, and we couldn’t be more excited.  Covering a broad range of passion and expertise, these new Shopkeepers include the leaders in all things geek, beauty, green living, dinner parties, parenting, sex and, of course, soap.

Please welcome…

Reis (Geek Orthodox)
Reis is a graphic designer, illustrator and Action Figure Collecting Guide for About.com that possesses an insatiable lust for all things geeky. From D&D, to Star Wars, to comics to action figures. He designed the blog so he can rant about whatever geeky thing is on his brain at the moment. His current favorite personal collection is his vast display of Batman figures through the ages.

Lexy (Alexandra Zissu)
Lexy is an established and leading writer, editor, speaker, and greenproofer.  She’s the co-author of The Complete Organic Pregnancy (Collins, 2006), a contributing writer at New York Magazine, and has worked for The New York Times Style Magazine, Lifetime and Details magazines, The New York Observer and Women’s Wear Daily. Her focus is environmental health, which she covers in “Ask An Organic Mom” on TheDailyGreen.com, as The Green Guide’s parenting columnist, and as a “Green Mum” for Cookiemag.com. She speaks often about eco-friendly living at private firms, mothers’ groups, and industry expos. Her next book, a complete guide to green and sustainable kitchens, is due out from Clarkson Potter in spring 2010. She also greenproofs (in-home one-on-one eco-consulting). Her articles have appeared in many publications over the past decade-plus, including Plenty, Health, Organic Style, The New York Times, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Bon Appetit, Child, Cookie, Allure, The Huffington Post, Self, Time Out New York, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Mariela (Green Design Girl)
In 2002 Mariela took the plunge from working as a Disc Jockey + Music Publicist into the world of interior design. Seeking a truly creative career, she moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. Her keen interest is in green and sustainable design.  Her design work has appeared on HGTV Canada and The Learning Channel [Canada/U.S.]. Recently, Mariela was thrilled to make the final cut of 10 finalists, chosen from hundreds of applicants, as a contestant in HGTV Canada’s Designer Superstar Challenge.

Tamara (Glamamara)
As a make-up artist, Tamara Delbridge, infuses individuality and style when creating unforgettable looks on some of today’s cutting edge celebrities including Angie Stone, R&B singer Sharissa, radio personality Wendy Williams, television personality Melyssa Ford and many others. In 2006 Tamara was appointed beauty editor of JEWEL magazine. She is now focusing on beauty blogging. Her projection is to produce a lifestyle show for women of color, and expanding her client roster.  Until then, she plans to keep it real by to approaching every situation with morality and professionalism. Add her talent to the mix and you have a combination that can’t lose!

Lena (The Chicktionary) & (Sex and The Ivy)
Lena is a Boston-based freelance writer. Currently completing a sociology degree at Harvard University, she writes about sex, dating, lifestyle, and food for a variety of online and print publications, including The Boston Globe Magazine, Hustler, Beauty Launchpad, CollegeHumor, and luxury e-zine Juli B. Lena has been featured in local and national media outlets, includingThe New York Times, Newsweek, and Salon.  This fall, she pens a regular column in Fifteen Minutes, The Harvard Crimson’s weekend magazine, blogs for Sex Really, a project of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy, and co-authors an educational series about sex products in The Harvard Voice with MIT sex columnist Christine Yu.

Joanna & Bradford (The Soap Bar)
Joanna and Bradford are the first to be OpenSky shopkeepers AND suppliers.  Their blog focuses on the wide world of soap & bath products.  Joanna has drawn in a loyal audience within the soap community for her unique and fresh perspective.  They also manufacture their own line of soap products which are 100% All-Natural and handmade.  Look for their products to be featured in their shop as well as other OpenSky shopkeepers shops.

Erin (Erin Vey)
Erin is a dog lover first, and a photographer second. She admits that by some random chance of fate, that she was able to combine the two loves into the coolest job ever, a dog photographer. After a short stint doing portrait work, Erin realized her true calling is capturing the essence and personality of dogs. Erin and her husband are owned by the fabulous Miss Gracie, a 5 year old Great Dane, and a complete Diva, who brings energy and life into their house.

Sarah (Sj Gourmet)
Sarah moved from Seattle to a smaller town in Iowa 9 years ago. Knowing no one and having small children at the time she decided to make friends by knocking on doors inviting neighbors to holiday parties.  The parties grew larger and more frequent… She started Sj Gourmet as way to share and educate others on throwing dinner parties for friends and family.

Sondra (Happy Healthy Hip Parenting)
Sondra founded Happy Healthy Hip Parenting in 2007. Ms. LaBrie is a Certified Parent Educator through the International Network for Children and Families as well as a Life Coach through the Y.O.U. Consulting Group. 
 
Within the Practical Parenting Program, Ms. LaBrie’s focus is on co-parenting relationships and single parenting. She works one-on-one with parents, teaches one-hour parenting workshops, as well as the 5-week course on Redirecting Children’s Behavior. Sondra resides in San Diego with her 5-year-old son, writes on-line as The San Diego Parenting Examiner and blogs at Happy Healthy Hip Parenting, and she was included in the 2009 Nielsen’s list of the Top 50 Power Moms.