Holidays in Europe

Have you ever considered taking a holiday in Europe? Europe has all the makings of an unbelievable holiday spot. The culture is second to none, the history is breathtaking and the sites and sound will have you in awe. Europe is steps back in time were simple activities made sense. Europe is a highly traveled destination for history buffs and adventure seekers alike. For the history buffs there are plenty of ancient buildings just waiting to be explored. Here are a few landmarks that should not be missed.

European Landmarks You Must Visit

Eiffel Tower one of Europe's most recognized landmarks stands as an icon of French society. The Eiffel Tower build by its namesake Gustave Eiffel has been a landmark since late 1889. Construction took two years for it to be completed, when finished the tower stood 986 feet high. At the time of completion it stood as the world's tallest tower. It retained this title till 1930 when a little known building called the Chrysler Building snatched it title. The Chrysler Building measured a whopping 1,047 ft tall beating the Eiffel tower by 61 feet. Being so tall the Eiffel tower became very popular with tourist and native Europeans. Today, the Eiffel Tower is just as popular. To date is has had more than 200,000,000 visitors since its construction.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral is another great landmark that should not get passed up. Located on the Île de la Cité in Paris, the Cathedral has stood since 1250. The church was built on the site of the first Christian Church of Paris, Saint Etienne basilica. In 1960 Bishop Maurice de Sully deemed the first church unworthy of it lofty roll as the "parish church of the kings of Europe" and had it demolished. Construction of the new church began in 1163 and was completed in successive parts. The foundation of the church which was laid in 1163 was commissioned by during the reign of Louis VII. Construction of the magnificent west front with the distinctive two front towers began around 1200. During this time many architects were involved in construction of the Cathedral. It is evident by the different architectural styles of the two towers as higher heights were reached. Check out the architectural highlights inside the Cathedral, they will be breathtaking.

Towers of London

The Towers of London is her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress. It is located on the north bank of the River of Thames within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is the original fortress build by William the Conqueror in 1078. The fortress is surrounded by a moat with a complex of several building set within a ring to provide protection for the King and Queen. The primary purpose of the Fortress has been for a royal palace, a prison, a place for execution and torture, a Zoo, a public records office, a mint and a treasury. This is a massive complex with many corridors and halls. Tours of the Towers are done daily, but it is recommended to plan in advance to get tickets.

These are just a portion of the many sites that are available in Europe. There are also beaches, castles, bridges and museum with a large selection of ancient artifacts from an era that has since past.

Be Happy Today

There is a saying that life is what happens to you on the way to your goal. If you only focus on being happy when a certain set of circumstances occur, then you are missing so much joy.

Be happy today and live every moment of your life as if it were your last. Squeeze every drop of enjoyment from every second of every day. Focus on how great you feel now. Don't wait until some set of conditions happen.

Look around you now for pleasure. Is the sun shining? Is a great song playing? Find something right now that you enjoy. Be grateful for having friends and loved ones with you. Be grateful for things you take for granted, like clean water, electricity, a roof over your head. Many people don't have the things that we take for granted. Be grateful for the meal you are about to eat and your job.

You can find something good about everything you do during the day. You can find something good about everyone you meet. Try it, its fun, especially when you meet someone who tries to hide the good in themselves. I look at these people as a challenge. It makes life fun to crack those nuts.

Another way to make you feel great is to help others. Find ways to do little things for others. Don't expect anything for it, except a warm fuzzy feeling. You'll be surprised at the little rewards you will receive, unexpectedly. This helps you feel good and it spreads like a virus. You do something nice for someone; they feel good and do something nice for someone, and so on.

Someone once told me, if you don't like doing something, don't do it. You can always find a way to get someone else to do something for you, if you think hard enough. The funny thing is everyone has different likes and dislikes, so you can find someone who likes what you don't and do something for them that they don't enjoy. There is no need to do anything you don't enjoy.

The best way to be happy today is to do things you enjoy. Look around and love where you are, love the people you are with and love yourself. If you don't it's up to you to change things. Don't wait, do it now. Be happy today.

The Perfect Gifts For The Dog Lover

If you love your pup then treat him in a special way. For the dog lover, there are many dog gifts that you can give to your pup to make him feel good and love you just a little bit more. Dogs are not hard to please whether you have a Maltese, Shih Tzu, Rottweiler, cocker spaniel or a golden retriever, every type of dog breed will fall in love with these types of doggie lover dog gifts. You will find gifts for a variety of price ranges.

For the dog lover, you have many selections to choose from when it comes to dog gifts. There are even specially made dog gifts for the dog lover such as yourself. Many doggies love the smell of a new treat. There are a variety of flavored dog treats that you can purchase for your dog as a dog gift. Dog owners know how much their pride and joy will love to nibble on these treats. Some treats come in the following variety of flavors: chicken, bacon, duck and cow ears.

There are many types of gifts that the dog lover can purchase for his pup. These gifts can include dog beds, dog clothes, dog toys and chews, dog grooming kits and much more. These items come in large and small sizes. They can also be gifted to your dog whenever you deem it right to give him a special treat for the day. Sometimes you don't even need a special occasion to find a doggie gift.

Nevertheless, sometimes for all of the hard work that owners put in to taking care of their dog, there are specific gifts just for dog lovers. If you have a friend or relative that loves dogs and you are looking for a gift, purchase a gift just for dog lovers. One of the most popular gifts is a t shirt with the dog owner's dog of choice on it with a cute logo such as "Got Dalmatians" or I Heart Shih Tzu's. These are one of the most popular types of gifts specifically for people that real love dogs.

Such brands that are available for these comfortable and special t shirts include the following dog breeds: Dalmatians, Airedale Terrier, Cane Corso, Pit Bull, Poodle, Corgi, Pomeranian, Basset Hound, Australian Sheppard, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Great Dane, Rottweiler, Greyhound, cocker spaniel, Boxer, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, golden retriever, Saint Bernard, Scottish Terrier, Mastiff, Old English Sheepdog, Yorkshire Terrier, Sussex Spaniel and many, many more.

People who love their dogs want to express their appreciation for their pet. Therefore, they use every chance they can to express it. You will notice great gifts include jewelry. Such jewelry pieces that you can find include bracelets, necklaces, earrings, belt buckles, broaches, pins, pendants, rings, hair clips and much more. They also adorn your favorite dog.

Another great gift that dog lover's love are garden statues and figurines of their favorite furry friend. Some of these statues are very life like and are used as indoor statures. They are made of porcelain and painted exquisitely to look life like. They are then finished in a shiny finish. Others for the garden are made of stone which can resist the harsh weather much better.

If you love dogs or you are looking for gifts for someone who does the choices are endless. Such examples include aprons, calendars, clocks, towels, coasters, key chains, stationary, flags, picture frames, cosmetic bags, candles, pillows, playing cards, pajamas, and cookie jars. They also have a variety of prices so you can find one that fits your budget and you can pick up these gifts online or at pet stores.

Embracing Color,Embracing Life

Would you like to be the kind of person who embraces life and has a home that shows it? Perhaps you already are that kind of person and you want some ideas to bring the excitement you feel for life into your home. Adding great color may be just the decor choice you are looking for. Decorating with color is easy and brightens any home. Some basic color tips are all you need to give your home the lively look you dream of.

Color concentration or knowing how much to use of which color to use. Select three colors to use a background color and two accent colors. Your background color will be used in about sixty percent of your room. It will not only cover the walls, but it will also be a background for many of your accessories. Accent colors will be used for base boards, crown molding, and accessories as well. Draw your ideas for these colors from fabric or items you love. After you have selected a color scheme it will be very easy to select other pieces of décor. Some items that you should consider are art, throw pillows, and area rugs.

Employing good art is an excellent way to add life. Select pieces that speak to your personality. If you can relate to a particular piece then you will be satisfied with it as a long term choice. Also this artistic display will add a touch of your personality, while creating a flow of color through the room. All of your accessories should be creative color accessories which help you accomplish this goal.

Another example of creative color accessories are throw pillows. Throw pillows help your color scheme to be prominent and blend well. These items can add excitement through patterns and shapes. They will provide comfort and establish a prominent theme throughout the room. Area rugs can help to do all of these things on a much larger scale.

Area rugs do not simply provide color or design to a room, but they blend all of the existing features to give a perfect finish. Area rugs can be found for any color scheme. They are made in many various shapes and sizes so that they can match any theme and will fit in any size room. When you add an area rug to your design you draw all aspects in the room to finalization, much like topping a gift with a bow. Area rugs may even be used as art. Often an area rug may be suitable to use as a tapestry rather than just a rug. This looks fabulous and can create the same finished feeling.

Giving your home the look of life embraced is simple and inexpensive. Do not spend another day in a boring home. Add color to your life with these simple tips. The result will be an impressive room with a pleasing burst of personality. You will welcome both friends and family to join you in your embrace of color and life.

Moving to Different Place

Moving from one place to another is a tedious task. However, sometimes it becomes mandatory when you get transfer in your job from one place to another. Some people need to relocate themselves in order to have better job and business prospects. Whatever is the reason, people always hate the chaos caused by moving to a different place.

Well, it is true that relocating yourself as well as all your home stuff is a very tough task and you need to do a lot of labour and arrangements in order to manage it. One simple solution can be hiring a professional Packers and Movers. It will keep you out of any trouble related to moving your home and belongings. However, if you do not want to hire any professional packers and movers, you can choose to do the task of your own.

Packing and Moving without Professional Packers and Movers

To perform all packing and moving task you need some essential inputs like Moving Kits, Moving Boxes, and other Supplies for Moving. You have different type of stuffs at your home, and you need to ensure their protection from any kind of breakage or scratches during the moving process.

According to the type and size of stuff at your home, you need different kind of boxes to pack them properly. Thanks to the experienced manufacturers of supplies meant for moving, they make moving boxes in varying shape and sizes. You can easily find boxes of all sizes matching large as well as small stuff of your home.

Handling of Fragile Objects while Moving

Everyone has some fragile objects in their homes that need special attention and care while moving. These objects include glassware, large picture frames, showpieces, as well as handmade objects like paintings. Apart from that, electronic items like Television, Microwave, Music Systems, DVD and CD players, Computers, and all other electronic stuffs need to be protected from jerk or fall. In order to reduce possible damages one needs Bubble & Stretch Wraps before packing them into their respective boxes.

You can also think of buying specialized moving Kits that consists moving boxes in all shapes and sizes, different kinds of bubble wraps, stretch wraps, tapes and dispenser, as well as box markers. These comprehensive moving kits are enough to complete your packing process. You can find these complete kits according to the size of your home. These moving kits come according to number of rooms.

So when next time you need to move from one place to another you can save some money by doing packing and moving without any external help by professional packers and movers. Order for required supplies for moving and start packing your stuff. It's really fun.

Decorative Painting

It's amazing to find decorative painting dominated by women. Julia, Karen, Dee, Marcia - all women, only four of dozens of others, each proudly showing off incredibly beautiful work samples. Why decorative painting should be the exclusive turf of women (relegating men to being merely house painters) stupefies. If it's any consolation, at least the Great Masters have all been male.

Decorative painting is of interest to every DIY decorator for the many exciting possibilities it opens for decorators looking for an inexpensive way to perk up their homes. In a sense, decorative painting artists are pushing the envelope on home decorating. Faux finishes from onyx to alabaster, from serpentine to breccia are now available to the DIY decorator, very handy in raising the glam factor of any home decor, or in tying together the decor style dictated by one's acquisition of magnificent wall grilles and other metal art. Wrought iron wall grilles, stuccoed walls, terra-cotta and plaster pots with relief designs in faux verdigris, Corinthian-capital base of a glass-top table in faux granite-- what more can a Mediterranean style fan want?

If the DIY possibilities excite you well enough to want to try your hand at decorative painting, here's what you need to know about the different types of paints. Green concerns make water-based paints popular. Of interest to you are latex paint, aerosol acrylic paints, craft acrylic paint, ceramic paints, and fabric paints.

Latex paint
Latex paints use acrylic resins, vinyl resins, or both. You'd want to choose latex paints of acrylic resins because they provide an even and complete finish and wear longer, but you might settle for acrylic-vinyl mixes, or all-vinyl depending on your budget. Latex dries fast, wears well, and can be custom-mixed to your precise color. It's available flat for a matte appearance or high-gloss for a more durable finish.

Craft acrylic paint
This is 100 percent acrylic-resin paint which should not be confused with the ones used for canvas painting. Sold in 2-oz, 4-oz, and 8-oz bottles, they come in various colors and in fluorescent, iridescent, and metallic versions. If a thinner consistency is needed, they can be diluted with water, latex paint conditioner, or acrylic extender.

Fabric paints
Although acrylic paints can be used to paint on fabrics, there's a paint that's manufactured exclusively for fabrics: fabric paint. To avoid unnecessary stiffness, remember to apply lightly. You know you're doing it right when you can see the fabric's texture. The painted fabric can be machine-washed or dry-cleaned once heat-set.

Ceramic paints
These are paints specially formulated for ceramic surfaces, although you can use acrylic or latex paints on a previously-primed surface. Subjecting the finished product to hardening in low temperature improves the paint's adhesion, durability, and water resistance.

Aerosol acrylic paints
This type dries quickly and covers well. Extremely handy, they can be applied quickly, and are best-suited for painting irregular surfaces. To be on the safe side of green concerns, use only the type that's free of fluorocarbons and methylene chloride.

Container Homes Are Ecological & Sustainable

Have you ever considered looking into shipping container homes? If the answer is yes, then you are in for a real surprise. For starters, shipping container homes are the most environmentally stable and sound form of home development on the market today.

Using only a tiny percentage of the typical materials to build most standard homes, costs and labor to actually create one of these is astounding compared to constant price increases of your average house today.

The overall structural strength of a shipping container allows the builder to develop multi-story dwellings, offering a larger living space without expanding its footprint. The heavy corrugated steel framing allows the unit to withstand 65,000 lbs of stacked weight.

It has been estimated that 86% of the materials used to build a shipping container home have been recycled. Also, the main foundation design is not as expensive and uses a fraction of material which is much quicker to assemble.

If you are concerned about the transportation infrastructure of these containers, no need to worry because it already exists, so the container homes can be easily moved by train, ship or truck, thus reducing major transport time.

Everything needed to complete the final product is delivered in one trip. An investment is already made by not having to pay extra money for several deliveries and separate construction materials.

Many people today have explored the possibility of getting a shipping container home. With a little research on the internet, you will be amazed at what is available today. The cost of regular constructed houses are sky rocketing as we speak. Even the materials being used are getting cheaper and seem to not last as long as they once did in the past. With the money you can save by investing into a container home, a bright future is in store for you.

Feng Shui Living Room

Your feng shui living room needs to be a warm, welcoming and happy place in which to entertain and for your family to gather together. Whatever style of Feng Shui décor you choose, whether it be formal, casual, traditional or contemporary, your living room affects your friendships, family relationships and your success.

The feng shui living room is the most public part of your home, It is the liveliest room so the qi needs to flow in a lively fashion. It is a yang room so take care to add touches of yin softness such as scatter cushions, and also coolness, like leafy, green plants.

The best orientation is the one that captures the most sun. It should face towards the south (In the southern hemisphere it should be face north), For an early rising family it should have a easterly aspect and a westerly aspect for one that likes to stay up late.

If your living room doesn't have the ideal orientation, you can adjust the feng shui by other means. Bright, cheerful colors will make it livelier. A tropical fish tank will add a restful focal point while the movement of the colorful fish will help to stimulate qi.

The shape and size of the furniture in your feng shui living room should reflect the dimensions and the shape of the room. If your pieces of furniture are too large the flow of qi will be disrupted causing you to feel uncomfortable. If you have a square shaped room, use a square, round or octagonal table. If the room is rectangular use a rectangular table.

How you place your furniture will have a huge affect on how well on how well your feng shui living room works. Where possible, place furniture against the four walls. Avoid placing chairs in a position that puts the persons back to a full-length window or door as it gives the feeling of insecurity. Chairs should be placed to encourage a free flow of movement for people and qi, as well as for conversation. Take care not to place chairs between two opposite openings. The qi generated by members of your family passing through will interfere with your conversation and you will lose concentration and probably your temper. You can put them to the side of the qi channel, encouraging a flow of qi rather than disrupting it.

Sitting face to face can be confronting so place the chairs at a slight angle. A shared table between the chairs helps to break down the barriers between people.

Don't place chairs under exposed beams because anyone seated beneath will find it oppressive. If it is unavoidable, hang a pair of bamboo flutes or the like from the beam.

Apply these simple feng shui principles and you can ensure that you will live the tranquil, serene life in your feng shui living room.

Healthy Living is Good Nutrition,Exercise,And Vitamins

If your like me; it's hard to maintain good health. What I mean by good health is eating nutritious foods like fruits, nuts, vegetables, salads, poultry, and meats. There is a secret to eating right. It's not so much in what you eat, but how much and how fast you eat it; that is what can make the difference. Always use moderation - excessive eating and drinking is not good for your body.

Then getting in some exercise every day, like walking, (go for a nice even paced walk after dinner). Try jogging early in the morning before it gets too hot, or running after work to help you wind down from your day. Sign up to a fitness gym and workout two or three times a week. These are a few of the things that work together to keep us healthy.

Unfortunately:

There are just way too many temptations out there to throw us off track. It seems like almost every other corner there is a fast food stop or a coffee shop with sweets in it. If your not into sweets (although I cant' imagine anyone not liking them) there is a ton of processed stuff that they call goodies, that you can munch on (But only a few; remember moderation). Then there are so many vehicles now that it is easier to drive or ride to your destination than walk or peddle a bicycle. These temptations can seriously impede our striving for good healthy living.

ALSO:

Many of us take some type of daily vitamins and supplements to strengthen our immune system, but that alone is not enough. Physical checkups by a doctor at least twice a year is a good way to keep tabs on how well you are, and what more you need to do.

Home Improvement Ideas To Consider

Home improvement is a very widespread field, with many ideas from which to choose. During the summertime, countless people think about remodeling their homes, making improvements to certain rooms of the house, but are often not sure which improvements to do. Low-cost home improvements that not only improve your home's appearance, but also help you save money in the long run, are the hottest plans currently. I'm writing this to list these ideas and hopefully, help spark your imagination. These are the top 5 home improvement ideas for 2009:

1.) Installing "Green" Technology - Due to the need of almost everyone to save money right now, and because of the increased awareness of the need to save our environment, the top home improvement plan right now is the installing of "green" technology, also known as "going green." This could include such installments as solar panels, power-generating windmills, environmentally-friendly cleaners, energy efficient heating and cooling system, and energy-saving light bulbs. Solar panels may be costly at first, but they will save a huge amount of money in the long run by generating your own electricity. The same goes for the energy efficient heating and cooling system - it will help you save money on your electric bills. Windmills can not only help you generate your own electricity, but they can be made with parts from the junkyard. You can't get much cheaper than that! Also, many of these "going green" improvements will help you qualify for a tax break and help out the environment. It's a win-win situation.

2.) Install a programmable thermostat - This may be a very simple improvement, but don't underestimate it. Installing a programmable thermostat will help save money on your electric bills. How does it do this? Instead of having the air conditioning or the heater running all day, the pre-programmed thermostat only turns on the AC or the heat when the temperature of the house gets too hot or too cold. This keeps the central heating and cooling system from running unnecessarily and, in turn, saves you money.

3.) Re-insulate your home - Making sure your home is well insulated will also help save you money on electric bills. That is because a well-insulated home will not let out cool air in the summer, and it will not let out warm air in the winter. That also keeps hot or cold air from drafting into the house.

4.) Paint or re-decorate your living space - This may seem like a very simple improvement to your home, but it is effective. Painting your rooms and re-decorating in soothing colors and accents will help you relax and want to spend more time in your newly decorated home. Pamper yourself along with the new designs and you will feel like you are at a spa getaway.

5.) Put in a patio - This is probably the most expensive option (unless you have close friends or family who are carpenters) but it is worth the splurge. A patio or a sun deck will allow you to relax and soak up some rays in your own back yard. You can grill out with family and friends, sun bathe on a chaisse lounge, or watch the stars from your patio. The good thing about putting in a patio is that it is actually less expensive than adding a room onto your house. A patio may be a small addition, but it will more than pay for itself with all the hours of relaxation it will afford.

No matter which home improvement idea you decide to choose, the payoff will be well worth it. Even if these ideas aren't what you are looking for, there are many other low-cost home improvement ideas. This year, less is more is the approach to home improvement, and saving money is the best thing.

Still Life Pencil Drawings

Still Life is an art term, that refers to a special kind of picture. It represents an arrange of inanimate objects (hence the name) such as a bowl, a cup or fruits. Usually the arrangement is made according to the artist's purpose. A Still life pencil drawing can be symbolic, with an underlying meaning, or aesthetic, in which case the purpose is to communicate beauty.

About Still Life Pencil Drawings

A still life work can have many purposes. If we work in color it can help us understand how color acts in real life, how the light bounces, and how an arrangement of colors can bring a special mood to the painting. Using colored pencils we can begin studies about color, and work in the finest details. But in the case of black and white pencil drawings, the purpose of the still life pencil drawing is different. A still life pencil drawing can help us study shapes and see how they interact on our eyes, we learn how to measure correct proportions and how they can make the difference betwen a good drawing and a remarkable drawing.

When we get into shading, we then study tonal values. There are no colors here so we must learn how to see things in black and white mode, and correctly define which are going to be the dark and light areas on our still life pencil drawing.

Still lifes are the most available subjects in the world, and while some people may consider still life drawing boring, the fact is they teach us a lot. When you have no idea of what to draw, just make an arrangement of things you have at your house and start your still life pencil drawing. Don't take just as bring cups and fruits, but instead focus on what you can learn from this. If you keep practicing on drawing still life scenes you will find out that you have a much better understanding on how light works, and how objects relate to each other within a composition and color scheme.

The Revolution Of Modern Art In TheTimeline Of Art History

The excellency of every art is its intensity, capable of making all disagreeable evaporate."- John Keats

A true art is one which is centered on a timeline of events of the world. New art styles have appeared and vanished, with the beginning of the industrial revolution and have meanwhile reflected the gradual changes that have taken place in art in our society. The 19th century painters considered art to be a representation of images that reflects moral values, Christian sentiments, righteous conducts, virtuous behaviors and noble sacrifices. The history of modern art starts with impressionism in Paris - a movement against the rigid painting done inside academy. The usage of light and strong colors was paramount for the impressionist art movement. Different movements fauvism, expressionism, cubism, surrealism and many other paved the pathway of the artist and the modern artist belief in the freedom of expression. They brush their thoughts and ideas into strokes of their art.

With the progress of the century this artistic freedom has become fundamental to progressive modernism. The artists seek freedom not just only from the rules of academic art, but from the demands of the public. And finally they have claimed that art should be produced not for the public's sake, but for art's sake. Art for art's sake is a release from the age old tyranny, rules and purpose; it is an excercise of freedom. 'Art for art's sake'- A phrase coined by Francis Schaeffer in his little treatise, Art and the Bible: "A work of art has value in itself." He said "Art is not something we merely analyze or value for its intellectual content. It is something to be enjoyed." But what about the works of art that are without beauty? Without the precious stone of beauty a piece of art whatever modern may be it is will become a pillar of caricature, without any innate value. We all know the famous poet Keats remark on art: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness."

In the 19th century, art was discussed by critics and historians largely in formal terms which effectively removed the question of meaning and purpose from consideration. But modern art was to be discussed in terms of one great thread that is style - color, line, shape, space, composition -- conveniently ignoring or playing down whatever social, political, or progressive statements the artist had hoped to make in his or her work. Eventually it emerged that modern art is practiced within a closed formalist sphere separated from and not to be contaminated by the real world. Modern art should act like an effective instrument of social betterment, understandable by common man. Art should have its own intrinsic value regardless of everything. But it is not mere an articulation of images, rather the "true" art behind the image that was deemed important. We all know: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,- that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

Painting Composition Says It All

In painting, painting composition is very important. Another way to explain painting composition is to say the arrangement of the painting. How the artist arranges the subject and other elements is what decides on whether or not the painting is pleasing. An artist should put some thought into how his or her painting is going to look. It would be completely wrong to stick the subject in the middle of the painting if it would look right to one side. The artist must see the painting in his or her mind's eye. Painting composition is all about balance. If it doesn't have the proper balance it will look clumsy. A painting is the expression and creation of the artist but it is also to be appreciated by others.

When it comes to painting composition it is true that some people just do have a good sense of what works. However, most of us have to practice and experiment before we get it right. There are also painters who make a sketch before they paint. The first thing to plan is the focal point. This is your main subject. All other elements in the painting should coax the eye to the focal point. This could be achieved by an obvious means like a pathway or in an inconspicuous way like a color that is recurring.

There are some basic rules to follow when it comes to painting composition. It is best to have elements that make up an odd rather than an even number. Neither should your elements be neat and orderly. When portrait or landscape painting, if you compare a cultivated hedge with a wild bush it becomes obvious. The cultivated and clipped hedge is very neat and precise and very boring. The wild bush has varying lengths of foliage and an unusual shape. The wild bush looks a lot more interesting than the cultivated hedge. You want your portrait and landscape paintings to look and be interesting.

If you discover that you do a specific subject well and it's well received do not keep on using it. You and everyone else will get tired of it. When it comes to painting there should be variety. Others do not want to look at your paintings and immediately figure out your plan. They don't want to feel they are being manipulated. Your painting must always appear to be spontaneous. A painting should never look rigid. It should draw the viewer in naturally. This should happen even if you spent a great deal of time planning your painting.

Lastly, another word on painting composition. Keep the elements in your painting away from each other. You must not allow the elements to overlap. Overlapping stops the viewer from taking in the painting as a whole. The eye gets sidetracked from the complete picture. This is exactly what you don't want. It is the complete painting composition that speaks to the viewer. It is possible for the viewer to get a completely different meaning to what you intended. This happens less frequently in portrait and landscape paintings and more frequently if you do an abstract painting. However, there are paintings that are easily recognized such as flowers or animals. The more you paint the more quickly you will be able to decide and implement

In painting, painting composition is very important. Another way to explain painting composition is to say the arrangement of the painting. How the artist arranges the subject and other elements is what decides on whether or not the painting is pleasing. An artist should put some thought into how his or her painting is going to look. It would be completely wrong to stick the subject in the middle of the painting if it would look right to one side. The artist must see the painting in his or her mind's eye. Painting composition is all about balance. If it doesn't have the proper balance it will look clumsy. A painting is the expression and creation of the artist but it is also to be appreciated by others.

When it comes to painting composition it is true that some people just do have a good sense of what works. However, most of us have to practice and experiment before we get it right. There are also painters who make a sketch before they paint. The first thing to plan is the focal point. This is your main subject. All other elements in the painting should coax the eye to the focal point. This could be achieved by an obvious means like a pathway or in an inconspicuous way like a color that is recurring.

There are some basic rules to follow when it comes to painting composition. It is best to have elements that make up an odd rather than an even number. Neither should your elements be neat and orderly. When portrait or landscape painting, if you compare a cultivated hedge with a wild bush it becomes obvious. The cultivated and clipped hedge is very neat and precise and very boring. The wild bush has varying lengths of foliage and an unusual shape. The wild bush looks a lot more interesting than the cultivated hedge. You want your portrait and landscape paintings to look and be interesting.

If you discover that you do a specific subject well and it's well received do not keep on using it. You and everyone else will get tired of it. When it comes to painting there should be variety. Others do not want to look at your paintings and immediately figure out your plan. They don't want to feel they are being manipulated. Your painting must always appear to be spontaneous. A painting should never look rigid. It should draw the viewer in naturally. This should happen even if you spent a great deal of time planning your painting.

Lastly, another word on painting composition. Keep the elements in your painting away from each other. You must not allow the elements to overlap. Overlapping stops the viewer from taking in the painting as a whole. The eye gets sidetracked from the complete picture. This is exactly what you don't want. It is the complete painting composition that speaks to the viewer. It is possible for the viewer to get a completely different meaning to what you intended. This happens less frequently in portrait and landscape paintings and more frequently if you do an abstract painting. However, there are paintings that are easily recognized such as flowers or animals. The more you paint the more quickly you will be able to decide and implement

Extreme Black - Personal disorder and 8 signs to look for

Relationships have their challenges even when the dynamic is healthy and the partners are mentally balanced. However, these challenges become nearly insurmountable when one of the partners suffers from a personality disorder. These disorders, among them narcissism, sociopathy, and psychopathy, are fundamental differences in the hard wiring of the brain or personality. Thus, they are virtually untreatable and cause enormous amounts of destruction in a relationship. If you are bewildered, confused, and hurt by the destructive actions of your partner, it is possible that their incomprehensible behavior may stem from a personality disorder. While only a licensed mental health professional can diagnose a personality disorder, here are 8 signs to look for:

1. Lack of remorse. A person with a personality disorder such as sociopathy and psychopathy lacks the conscience most of us possess. They will not experience guilt as we do. They may mimic the emotion, or be upset to be caught, but true remorse is absent. They may even believe the victim "deserved" to be exploited or hurt because they were weak or dumb enough to be taken in.

2. Lack of empathy. This is a common traits of narcissists. They are unable to put themselves in someone else's shoes. As a result, they may appear to be callous and self absorbed.

3. Lack of impulse control. Instant gratification is important for those with personality disorder. This can lead to destructive compulsive behaviors in the realm of drugs, alcohol, and sex.

4. Grandiose sense of self. Your partner may exaggerate accomplishments, behave in a haughty manner, look at others with disdain, expect preferential treatment, and expect to associate with "special" people or institutions.

5. Manipulation, conning, and compulsive lying. Your partner may be exploitative, taking advantage of you and others. They may live a parasitic lifestyle, taking all they can. In addition, they may lie constantly about everything and anything.

6. Consistent irresponsibility. Your partner may have difficulty holding down a job, paying bills on time, or meeting other commitments.

7. Propensity for violence. Your partner may have angry outbursts, and have a tendency toward violence, though not all psychopaths or sociopaths are violent.

8. Extreme black and white thinking. Your partner may be preoccupied with thoughts of ideal love, beauty, or power. They may also view you either as perfect and amazing, or worthless and terrible, with little in between.

Free of Stress,Put yourself around people who will make you laugh

When stress gets built up, it just isn't somewhere you want to be. I bet your wishing that you could find a way to be stress free. There is no way to become completely stress free but you can do things that will make you come close. Some stress can be good but if you get to much of it, it will take you downhill.

If your starting to feel very stressed out, remember to tell yourself to relax. We need to take a few minutes a day to relax. However you like to relax, by laying on the couch letting your mind drift off or maybe simply by listening to music that is easy to listen to.

We can be so busy with our lives sometimes but you must find time to do what you want to do each day. If it is only a half an hour, take it. You need time for yourself, maybe you like to go fishing or play golf, whatever you like to do you must do it. If you can't have a little bit of fun, your life will build up stress.

Put yourself around people who will make you laugh. By laughing more throughout the day, this will make you less stressful and will make you happier. Did you know laughing a lot can even burn calories? That is pretty neat if you think about it!

Take time and put some exercise into your day. Exercising releases a hormone which will make you happy, taking the stress away. It will also make you healthier to exercise each day. By living a healthy lifestyle, it will put you closer to becoming stress free.

By doing these little things to help relieve stress, it will put you on the road to becoming stress free. Next time you feel stressed out, tell yourself to relax and chill out!

Artists

Artists everywhere must be cautious. The enemy is all around you. It lurks in the halls of the Universities. It hovers in Art Galleries and rears its ugly head on discussion forums, chat rooms and blogs. It tries to crush the newcomer, attack the weak and undermine the individualism of the artist. This enemy is a bully of the highest order and is insidious in its infiltration of the artist's mind. An artist may awake one day only to discover that his friends have become possessed by it. It can be frightening and confusing. A possessed friend becomes a stranger. He displays strange behavior and words. The attitude becomes cynical, the words, elitist and the criticism, stinging. A weak artist, may easily succumb to the possession and meekly follow the dictates of the leader. A strong artist will stiffen his spine and walk to the beat of another drum. And the enemy will be merciless in its pursuit and condemnation of this category of artist.

Good grief! Just what or who is this evil entity that threatens the individualism and artistic freedom of Artists of the World? Is there a group who even has the power to keep an artist from creating his art in any form or any style? Sure there is. And it's called the Art Community. It's an interesting community as there is no membership fee or actual location. The members are located everywhere, even in your own art groups. To be a member you must have certain requirements:

• Dislike any art that the public likes
• Be able to trash Barney and Thomas Kincaid in the same breath
• Be able to sniff disdainfully
• Profess verbally and eloquently what you feel "real art" is
• think that only Galleries can sell art
• forgive and humor the famous illustrators for creating realistic art
• be able to verbally attack any new artist's efforts or comments on art
• be able to gag when the names Bill Alexander and Bob Ross come up in conversation

Double Good Grief!. The membership can be anywhere! Members of this group have been known to spit in fury, stamp their feet, write scathing critiques and are particularly good at looking down their noses at anyone who does not agree with the elitist beliefs of the membership. The ultimate bullying machines, they delight in attacking lurkers on forums, meek artists in critiques, seniors learning to paint and even children learning to draw. They show no mercy in their campaign to spread their perceived art truths among the public and any artist who attempts to market their art draws particular venom. It can be funny to watch and observe.

It takes a strong artist to laugh at the enemy. Nothing makes them angrier! The only way to overcome the aggression campaign of the Art Community......is to laugh in their face and then ignore them!

So Artists of the World, paint what you like. Love who you like. Make money with your art (that really annoys them) and remember, if the Art Community quests were so lofty and spiritual, why are they all so unhappy and angry?

Create and enjoy!

Star

The web has enormous selections of shooting star tattoo designs. Somethings fishy, though. Why is everybody (around 90%) getting led to the awful, generic laced collections, instead of the places that put up real, high quality artwork? If this sounds like what you're going through, listen to the following steps, because it can make a huge difference in the kind of shooting star tattoo designs you find.

Just two very short steps. That's all it takes to drastically change the quality and originality of the artwork you get to pick from. There's one very straight forward reason why most people end up clicking through mounds of cookie cutter tattoos. It's because of the rampant use of search engines, by an overwhelming portion of the population. It might be the easiest way to find shooting star tattoo designs, but none of that matters, because it's the same generic junk over and over again.

This is the only kind of artwork website that search engines include in their results. It stinks. All of the better and bigger galleries get completely left out, for only a small percentage of people to find. If you want to pick from crisp, crystal clear tattoos, now is the time to switch over to large forums. It's going to be your fast and furious way to uncover so many of the hidden galleries, which have shooting star tattoo designs that are fresh and high quality.

The only thing you need from a big forum is the archive section and their topic search tool. The rest is a piece of cake. Using that search tool, you'll be able to bring up tons of topics about tattoos. You are free to browse and read through has many as you want. Doing this will lead you to so much great information, because many of those topics end up being a place where people help each other out, by giving links and names of the awesome artwork sites they've managed to find. Such a simple trick leads you to tons of quality shooting star tattoo deigns and new websites to look through. It's as simple as it gets.

Nobody can make you settle on generic shooting star tattoo deigns besides yourself.

Great Way To Stay Young And Beautiful

According to researchers social dancing provides the body with many health benefits. It may help reduce stress, increase energy, and improve strength, muscle tone, and co-ordination. Dancing can also burn as many calories as walking or riding a bike. One factor that determines how many calories you will use is the distance you travel while grooving to the beat. In one study, researchers found that square dancers covered five miles in a single evening.

Other aspects of dance that contribute to your cardiovascular conditioning depend on how long, how often, and how intensely or vigorously you dance. Experts recognise the benefits of dance in lowering coronary heart disease risk, decreasing blood pressure, and managing weight. Another plus of dancing is that the weight bearing movements of your steps can strengthen the bones of your legs and hips, important for maintaining bone health as you age.

While we may not all be leaping around into our nineties, dancing is one activity we can (hopefully) do for the rest of our lives... and the social aspects are all part of its allure. It's a great way to make new friends, be creative and expressive, and just plain old enjoy life. And, the best part of dancing is the fun you can have while you're doing something great for your body because your heart and bones don't know whether you are jogging, in the gym or dancing!

Success Quotation

If you Google "success", you'll come up with some 400,000,000 hits. Google "success quotations" and you'll fine 11,400. "Success in life", and you'll have 1,100,000 options from which to choose.

Folks love success quotes. So, here's a few and perhaps you might be curious about what they have in common:

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do." Bob Dylan

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives." Albert Einstein

"Just as the tumultuous chaos of a thunderstorm brings a nurturing rain that allows life to flourish, so too in human affairs times of advancement are preceded by times of disorder. Success comes to those who can weather the storm." I Ching No. 3

"The successful man is the average man, focused." Anonymous

"Getting what you go after is success; but liking it while you are getting it is happiness." Anonymous

So, what do they have in common?

What these quotes have in common is that they're all someone's else's quotes, someone else's notion of success.

What I often find in my work are many who walk around with someone else's neat, cool, pithy success definition swimming around in their mind, but have never personalized it - so it's a "nice idea" but at 9:00 Monday morning they're mired in their own mis-alignment, confusion, self-doubt and mis-direction as they're attempting to gain "success" by mimicking another's dream or another's (idea of) success.

For me, the most important tool for success is reflection, deep reflection which many cannot or will not undertake. Thus, they live a life of indecision and dis-harmony as there's little to no alignment between what they say, feel, think and do.

On the other hand, many of these folks define success as "results". But getting results without learning something about one's self often leads to an incomplete and often "un-success-ful" life in the short or long term. Do-ing alone (i.e., results) without be-ing is not a solid formula for success. Perhaps the "successful" Bernie Ebbers of Enron and others who ended up in ignominy and infamy and testaments to this.

Many folks accomplish results ("success?") but without personal growth - and often wonder why they don't feel better, alive, fulfilled - often admitting they don't experience good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind, albeit they say they are "successful".

For me, the idea many have of success, can be quickly obliterated just as if they had written the word "success" in the sand on the beach - ephemeral - wiped out in a moment by a wave (of uncertainly, a hurricane, health issue, job loss, divorce, accident, old age, bank failure, etc.). Or, can it? It depends.

For some folks success can be gone in an instant; for others, not so, regardless of the circumstances. True success is perhaps discerning the difference.

So, I guess there's "success" and there's "success". Are the rich successful? The starving artist? The person in the corner office on the 52nd floor? The person in the mail room in the basement? You? Me?

Being successful requires a conscious exploration of what success means to you - creating your own quote. Until and unless you take the time to define success for yourself, there's a good chance someone else is defining success for you. Is that OK?.

So, if you lack you own success quotation, perhaps today is the ideal time to begin to create one.

So, some questions for self-reflection are:

Do you consider yourself successful? If so, using what criteria?
Are you ever jealous or envious of others' success?
Do you ever feel empty, unhappy, or unfulfilled even though you are a success? If so, why do you think that's so?
How do you define "rich"?
Is your self-worth defined by your net worth?
How much of your life is spent doing what you think you "should do" as opposed to doing what you "want to do"?
Do you find meaning, fulfillment and happiness in your life at work, at home, at play and in relationship?
Do you plan your vacations with more care, attention and detail than you plan your life?
Do you ever fear success?
Do you have true and real fun in your life? If not, why not?
Do you learn from your mistakes?
How did you come to be a "success?" How are you coming to be successful?

"Even the most daring and accomplished people have undergone tremendous difficulty. In fact, the more successful they became, the more they attributed their success to the lessons learned during their most difficult times. Adversity is our teacher. When we view adversity as a guide towards greater inner growth, we will then learn to accept the wisdom our soul came into this life to learn."

Love

We lose ourselves in the euphoria of a romantic relationship when we fall in love. Love is glorious. So is Life! We are happier than ever before. This relationship is different from any other. You never felt this way about anybody before. He truly is different from anyone else.

He is perfect. He hangs on your every word and laughs at all your jokes. You talk on the phone several times a day and text each other in between. You talk about him to your girlfriends, to your family, even to strangers in line at the grocery store.

He thinks you are perfect, too. You share all your secrets, your fears, your hopes. You feel like you have known each other forever. It is so wonderful.

You only want to be with him. He only wants to be with you. You feel so confident and secure. Nothing can shatter the joy and excitement you feel when you are together.

Months go by and you decide to commit only to each other. You dream and make plans for the future. He even starts talking of marriage. You are unbelievably happy.

Unfortunately, this euphoria does not last.

Love is glorious until it is not. He does not call as much. He makes excuses and break dates. He is not as attentive as he was. You think you must have done something wrong so you do everything you can to cling to him. He starts moving away from you. Then he breaks up with you.

You are devastated; plunged into the depths of despair! What happened?

Life happened!

As long as we remain human, we will undergo some suffering and sadness in our romantic relationships. If we are not aware of this, and do not accept it, we grow disillusioned and miserable.

You are obsessed with getting him back. You feel your life is over since you don't have him. You think only his love will make you happy. Wrong!

You can not be truly happy if you depend solely on someone else to make you so. Until you change your attitude about yourself and your worth, you will remain joyless. Once you become strong in your pride in yourself, you no longer have to be a victim. You will find the love you need.

Friend

Who can know how valuable a friend is, with the exception of the one who considers the friend? Having someone we share our deepest thoughts and aspirations with, can bring hope into an otherwise empty life.

A friend may be a member of our family we grew up with, or it may be someone we have only recently met. People make friends in many different ways.

When your best friend is a someone you grew up with, you continue to hold dear many of those childhood experiences you shared, throughout life, they tend to keep you close.

Unlike the childhood friendship, a new friendship takes nurturing, sharing, much conversation and investment of time. The rewards of any friendship are far greater than the effort it takes to grow a relationship.

Though most people have a list of, "friends" they can name to you, most will honestly tell you there are only one or two truly best friends in their lives. Every good friendship requires time to develop!

A good friend is to be cherished above the possession of gold! When you experience friendship, you experience unity of spirit. To the degree you have mutual interests, you will feel spiritual bonding.

You cannot buy a true friend, a friend loves at all times, they do not hold grudges and they forgive you before you even have to ask.
Money cannot bring about this sort of relationship, only by free choice, can you find someone who will be this type of true friend.

When you have a friend of this quality, you will want to let them know how special they are to your life, don't pass up the moment! Do it now, call, write, or just sit down and list off to them the qualities you appreciate in them and what those qualities mean to your life. We must not overlook the value we gain from friendship.

Many people marry their best friends, only to let that friendship be squandered away due to lack of involvement and investment, don't let this happen to you. As you realize the good qualities in your friends, realize how their good qualities better your life, give thanks, give thanks, give thanks! Be grateful, thankful and happy, because you have the opportunity of returning this wonderful gift of friendship, as no one else in this life, can do!

Be a friend!

Life

Passion

To have a dream is one thing. To live a life that you feel passionately about is a dream come true. You can have that life. Yes, you can!

What is your passion? What would you like to do more than anything else on earth? If you asked 10 people what their passion is, 8 out of 10 would tell you that they do not know. Ladies and gentlemen we need to stop living to work and start working to live. We all need to find our passion and start living our dreams. If you are not living your dream who's dream are you living. Working towards this goal starts with you. Today is now and you have no more time to waste. I am not saying quit your job tomorrow. I am simply asking you to think about what you want out of life for a minute. I am asking you to start taking positive steps toward your passion. Napoleon Hill, (author of How to win friends and influences people) a motivational speaker once said, "I would rather fail at what I love then do what I hate."

The times that our parents grown up in is passed. Things have changed as the world has changed. The left-brain world is slowly disappearing. Today you have to be more open minded and creative. Flexibly is a skill and if you can adaptable to this ever changing world you can be a great asset. The right brain world is coming back and it is coming back strong. To succeed in this ever-changing world know that those who are creative are having a easier time recreating themselves. The people that are willing to make regular adjustments in their lives are the people who are recreating themselves. Lets face it in the circle of life things are forever changing. If we do not change with it, we find that we have been left behind. We also need to get back to family and basic values. As Stephen Covey (author of the 7 habits) says, we need to work on the Philosophy of Family, The Synergy of Sincerity and Develop your family mission statement.

Create a Dream Board write down your goals and work to make them come true for you and the ones your care for in your life and world.

If we work on marble, it will perish. If we work upon brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble into the dust, but if we work upon immortal minds, and instill into them just principles, we are then engraving upon that table that no time will efface, but will brighten and brighten to all eternity. Author no-known

This starts with you first.

To have a dream is one thing. To live a life that you feel passionately about is a dream come true. You can have that life. Yes, you can!

New art

Impasto is a painting technique in which the artists preferred pigment, which is most often oil painting, is applied so thickly to the canvas that the brush strokes or palette tool marks are clearly visible to the viewer. Only a very small number of artists ever attempt to take this type of technique to the extreme of using only the palette knife, and not the paint brush, to apply their paints to the canvas. It is an even rarer few who master this type of expert technique. It can take an artist of even advanced expertise many years to become proficient using this technique in this way.

Palette knife painting can be accomplished using acrylic paint pigments but oil painting with this type of tool really takes the technique to the highest level. Because of the longer drying time associated with this style of painting the artist is able to go back into the piece and rework sections and add deepening layers of pigment and detail to the fine art piece. Oil painting using the palette knife offers a unique way to add in both varying textures and colorful layers of paint rich in pigment and color while still expressing a rare energy. Fine art painting, because of the freedom it offers the artist, creates dramatic works of art that recreate movement and light in a way that few other painting techniques can hope to match.

Utilizing the palette knife in this unique way when oil painting offers the artist a freedom few can achieve when using the more conventional painting techniques. It frees the hand, as well as the mind, opening the painter's ability to express themselves and allowing them to tap directly into their subconscious. Using the technique in painting for the past forty years, since being a student at the world renowned Vitebsk Art School, and credits palette knife painting with making it possible for the artist to capture his personal optimism and positive life perspective in his fine art landscape paintings, flower paintings, cityscapes, and music paintings which are all available in worldwide art gallery settings, at art auction, and as limited edition art prints. He has become such a well known master of the palette knife oil painting technique that his work is instantly recognizable and never imitable. It is impossible to mistake an palette knife oil painting for anything else.

Today Leonid Afremov has over 4,000 paintings, in 60 galleries all over the world in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Israel and the U.S. Afremov moved to the U.S. because of his art and his extraordinary ability as a person to help enrich the American Art Culture. The Afremovs launched a new art auction website in October 2008 where visitors can purchase his paintings directly from the artist starting at $1.