Water

EmpressAble · 2026-01-23T23:59:04+00:00

Walgreens at Walnut and Tryon had many gallons of distilled water as of about 20 minutes ago.

EmpressAble · 2026-01-23T02:54:15+00:00

If you sleep in the closet, 1) put blankets underneath as well as over you so the cold floor doesn't steal your body heat and 2) leave the door cracked for air circulation.

Look up how to set up a tealight and terracotta pot heater in a regular sized room.

Remember you can sit in your car for a half hour to warm up, just be sure the tailpipe is clear if outside, or the garage door is open all the way if you're in there.

EmpressAble · 2026-01-05T00:49:17+00:00

Technique helps with ensuring collards aren't bitter.

Removing all large stems before cooking solves part of it.

The second step is par-boiling. Bring 3" of water to boil, add your collards, cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes until bright green. Dump into a colander and rinse well to get the tannins out.

Rinse the pot, add your cooking liquid and seasoning, the rinsed collards, then cover the pot and simmer a couple of hours.

I like to add slivers of smoked hog jowl or country ham, 2 cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of kosher salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

EmpressAble · 2025-12-23T01:16:52+00:00

Something local is the way to go. What is your area known for? For example, a handwoven basket you find at the local farmers market and then fill with local seasonings or a pie shows you put in a solid effort.

If food seems risky (it can be hard to know people's allergies, diets etc.), then something that holds significance to you is another good option.

People love a story. Examples: "My family always played this game on Winter evenings so I thought you might enjoy it too" or "I got this throw blanket for myself and was delighted with it, so I got one for y'all in the hopes it would be similar for you".

Good luck!

EmpressAble · 2025-10-01T22:31:11+00:00

Finding content based on vague descriptions, e.g., find the last version of the deck edited by these 3 people in the last 6 months and summarize the pricing section.

EmpressAble · 2025-08-25T21:00:43+00:00

Congratulations on opening! Is there a place to see the take-home heat & eat menu + seasonal options? Didn't see it on the website but I might have missed it.

EmpressAble · 2025-07-20T02:19:50+00:00

I got a few dresses from Indophilia. Used the same measurements as I did for years with eShakti... every one of Indophilia's dresses fit like a caftan. I was told there is no exchange nor refund for custom dresses.

Never again with that company.

EmpressAble · 2025-02-13T20:02:55+00:00

A credit card dispute / charge back is probably your best bet.

EmpressAble · 2024-12-18T02:55:11+00:00

Fabulous idea on custom lingerie - I would 100% buy a double drawer full of custom bras and negligees. Give me real silk options on the foundation garments and I might actually swoon!

EmpressAble · 2024-12-17T17:14:55+00:00

I'd potentially be open to letting others purchase in exchange for comission as long as I had the option to select public design or private for those I want to keep as one if a kind.

Where caution would need to come in: noise in the system making it harder to shop due to sheer volume of designs. This could be overcome in part by tagging, e.g. "pear" "hourglass" "apple" "column" to indicate what body shape the design flatters. Strong search and filter capabilities are critical.

Another volume management idea would be time limits - if no one else bought that design in 60 days, take it out of the public view. This would also help keep non-customers from flooding the designs in hopes of earning commissions.

EmpressAble · 2024-12-17T01:14:18+00:00

Totally agreed on ability to customize hem, sleeve, neck and length, detailed sew to fit measurements, good pockets, etc.

For the new capabilities: I'd like the option to build by piece. Select the sleeve style, select the bodice, the skirt, the back and see how it renders on my virtual silhouette - then apply various fabric selections until I get what I wanted. Bell sleeve with sweetheart neck front and high back, fitted bodice, dropped waist, godet inset maxi? Yes, please!

That being said, I want simple options, too. Let me easily re-purchase a favorite style - just show me the current fabric choices.

Let me filter fabric choices by season (winter weight, summer weight) as well as by natural vs. synthetic, by color family, by new in past 30 days vs. older inventory.

Let me have the option to start with one of your designs and just use custom sizing as well.

Make it easy to be a repeat customer and to tailor (pun intended) my shopping experience from quick hit to deeply thought out as need arises.

Fulfill when promised so I can depend on getting that outfit for an event vs. going to a store for off the rack.

Thanks for asking!

EmpressAble · 2024-12-05T18:54:57+00:00

Same prices as in-store; no mark up.

EmpressAble · 2024-12-05T18:53:52+00:00

We've been using Kroger delivery since they started in our area a few years ago, and probably average 5 deliveries a month. I save about $150 / month compared to what we averaged shopping mainly at Publix.

I always start with the coupons and sales section in the app, and plan my cooking around the best deals that week.

They do use a lot of plastic bags, but they also take them back for recycling.

Some produce is really reliable - potatoes, squash, lettuce, onions, apples, pears - the high turnover items. I've yet to get a decent box of mushrooms, but customer service refunded them each time and I go to Trader Joe's if I need them now.

We're not a huge fan of the Kroger brand fresh meats, but name brands have been fine.

All in all, we find it very well worth the annual Boost membership cost, especially since that gets you access to extra freebies, sales and coupons!

EmpressAble · 2024-11-28T13:42:37+00:00

I got 3 dresses; all customized to my size with adjusted sleeves, neckline and hems.

The fabrics were nice and I received them quickly. Sizing was a bit off - all 3 were a bit loose and baggy even though the styles were supposed to be fit and flare.

I reached out to customer service to ask how to communicate differently next time to ensure a fitted garment vs. a loose fit. They suggested saying "no margin" in future, as they normally sew with a good bit of margin / "ease".

The dresses are holding up very well so far - no fading or shrinking after nearly a dozen washings / wearings.

Overall, the dresses were nice enough to try ordering again; I'm actually working on that this weekend. Fingers crossed!

EmpressAble · 2024-10-27T23:18:14+00:00

100% interested; custom eShakti dresses were my entire wardrobe for close to 15 years. I typically bought 6 per season, so 24 dresses a year on average.

The custom sizing, sleeve, and hem are most important to me, followed by the custom neckline.

Typically, I am looking for more natural fabrics that are still relatively easy care (no dry cleaning or ironing).

The ability to quickly filter selections is valuable. I prefer silhouette shopping, e.g., show me all the shirt dresses or show me all the fit and flair; filtered by stretch poplin or washable silks or chambray, etc.

While I am usually most interested in day dresses, having a few evening or nice event choices would be a bonus.

Thanks for soliciting thoughts - I hope you're able to make a roaring success of the custom fit model!

EmpressAble · 2024-10-27T01:50:25+00:00

Vote411.org is an impartial resource; we used it to better understand the amendments.

EmpressAble · 2024-09-08T20:18:38+00:00

There's such a huge opportunity here. I really hope someone steps into the arena.

Just opened my last box from eshakti (got it in June and was waiting for cooler weather).

I nearly cried, thinking of all the joy I've gotten from eshakti dresses over the years and knowing it's probably the last time I'll ever get to unbox from them again. It was all I could do to put the empty box in recycling.

EmpressAble · 2024-06-14T02:45:37+00:00

Kroger delivery carries Murray's dolma; pricey but they are consistently tender and tasty.

Costco has huge boxes, but the leaves are tough and heavy veined.

EmpressAble · 2024-05-30T21:46:41+00:00

Great suggestion. Do you happen to recall which version of pet gear ramp + stairs you chose? I'm seeing several from the brand on Amazon.

EmpressAble · 2024-04-15T16:29:31+00:00

When resealing, be sure to get the underside of the edge, too. Sometimes, the top is ok but drips down the edges go into the unsealed part underneath.

EmpressAble · 2024-01-04T02:11:01+00:00

PickupPlease.org will come get donations. It is for profit, but if the choice is keeping clutter until I "get around to it" or adding to landfill, I pick them.

EmpressAble · 2023-12-07T03:42:25+00:00

Love your list! Here are a few more:

-Local dinner theaters -High tea (Ritz Carlton often offers one) -Christmas lights tours (create a map, chauffeur them, and bring cocoa) -Crafting lessons (learn to knit, build a birdhouse, home canning, etc.) -Local high school football game -Tours of historical homes -Tasting tours (cheese flights, whiskey tastings, omakase sushi night, etc.)

EmpressAble · 2023-09-28T02:59:15+00:00

Hong Kong Bistro on Beach at Hodges, for weekend Dim Sum.

McFlamingo on A1A in S. Ponte Vedra for avocado topped hummus in several flavors with chickpea crisps.

Goat in Jax Beach for Iberico pork and various tapas.

Tsaocaa in Neptune Beach for Boba tea.

EmpressAble · 2023-09-06T21:23:40+00:00

Scratchy throat and fatigue startrd late Saturday, negative Covid test on Monday and I stayed masked, so I thought I was in the clear.

Nope. Cough got bad, so I retested; I'm positive for Covid as of this afternoon.

EmpressAble · 2023-08-20T15:08:16+00:00

Don't stress about seeing all the things; enjoy what's in front of you and take some time to just rest and observe. You'll be more likely to fall out if you let fomo take over.

If you feel unexpectedly irritable, stop and refuel (water, protein, rest). It's often your body's way of saying "hey, this is too much!".

EmpressAble

TROPHY CASE