Incorporating ethnic traditions into your wedding can create a more intimate environment for you and your family.
While we most associate the color white with wedding in this country, the color red is the color of weddings in China. Red is the color of luck and joy, and it makes perfect sense that it is such an important color for weddings. You can incorporate the red color in a variety of ways such as the tablecloth, candles, napkins, and other decorations. You may change into a red dress during the wedding reception. You may choose red wedding flowers, or your bridesmaids may wear a red dress. You can create a Chinese feel without red by dressing in a tradition Chinese dress. White is not a color used in Chinese traditional weddings. White is used at funerals, so avoid white on your invitations, decorations or bridal clothing. Do not use red ink on white paper, because white implies death and is used at funerals. Gold on reddish paper or cream color paper works well.
Chinese couples honor their ancestors with a tea ceremony. It is not only a beautiful ceremony, but it could be very educational and entertaining for your guests.
Another Asian tradition, from India, is having the brides and groom’s hands and feet painted with henna. The tradition is normally performed by a henna professional. The hand and foot henna stains the skin for up to a few weeks.
Japanese weddings include a sake ritual. It is also know as the sake sharing tradition. This ritual represents building a strong bond between the families. The sake ritual can be part of the wedding ceremony or the wedding reception. Sake cups can make great wedding favors for a Japanese wedding ceremony.
There is no law that you have to have an ethnic wedding, but it may add sentiment to your big day.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Aries
Aries the Ram (March 21 to April 20) is called the first sign of the Zodiac. We think of the beginning of the year as January, because that’s the start of the new calendar year. But this is the Zodiac year, remember, and is governed by matters more celestial than mundane! March 21 is the Spring equinox, which signifies the beginning of the Zodiac year. And when you think about it, this makes sense. Spring is the time of renewal and rebirth.
If you are born under this sign, you can tend to have the same traits as a young ram. Enthusiastic, adventurous, forthright and energetic. You’re courageous and confident. You could be a little impulsive though, right. Maybe something of a daredevil. Where the world be though, without daredevils, willing to strike out and do something completely different. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous Aries ever born. Think of some other famous Arians, such as Thomas Jefferson, Booker T. Washington, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Goodall and Marlon Brando. None of them afraid to break new ground; all of them changed the world or their chosen fields in some way.
People born under the Aries sign are passionate lovers and intense friends. They risk driving people away with their intensity and need partners that can match them without fueling the fire and creating explosive situations.
Arians make good doctors, athletes and explorers. This isn’t to say that people born under the sign of the Ram are all action, though. They have a softer, lamb-like side as well and if you’re an Aries, make sure you draw on this side of yourself as well when dealing with other people. You may have difficulty in certain jobs, because you’re an idea person and the person to get things started rather than finish them up. Surround yourself with people who can supplement these traits and you’re sure to be a success.
If you are born under this sign, you can tend to have the same traits as a young ram. Enthusiastic, adventurous, forthright and energetic. You’re courageous and confident. You could be a little impulsive though, right. Maybe something of a daredevil. Where the world be though, without daredevils, willing to strike out and do something completely different. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous Aries ever born. Think of some other famous Arians, such as Thomas Jefferson, Booker T. Washington, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Goodall and Marlon Brando. None of them afraid to break new ground; all of them changed the world or their chosen fields in some way.
People born under the Aries sign are passionate lovers and intense friends. They risk driving people away with their intensity and need partners that can match them without fueling the fire and creating explosive situations.
Arians make good doctors, athletes and explorers. This isn’t to say that people born under the sign of the Ram are all action, though. They have a softer, lamb-like side as well and if you’re an Aries, make sure you draw on this side of yourself as well when dealing with other people. You may have difficulty in certain jobs, because you’re an idea person and the person to get things started rather than finish them up. Surround yourself with people who can supplement these traits and you’re sure to be a success.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Are You Wondering About Bridesmaid Gifts?
Any wedding day will be full of memories, especially for the bride and groom. They, of course, are the key players, whether it is a formal or informal wedding. With a formal wedding, the months of planning may build up a high level of anticipation in not just the bride and groom, but also others who will also play key roles on the big day. To bridesmaids in particular, the lead up to the wedding day may be an exciting time. The bride and groom will undoubtedly want to commemorate the day for them with bridesmaid's gifts.
For sure, bridesmaids will appreciate at least a token gift to help them remember the day. As with any gift, what you choose as a bridesmaid gift will depend on budget and age. If anything, "older" bridesmaids are easier to choose for, as personalized silver or crystal, for example, and other more adult products, are more likely to be appreciated.
Younger bridesmaids, though, may turn out to be easier than you thought, whatever your budget. It is a matter of thinking about their tastes and interests and finding something appropriate. While it is traditional to give all bridesmaids the same gift, that does not necessarily have to be the case. After all, they have probably been forced into a uniform dress for the occasion, and if you have several, or many, bridesmaids then no doubt one or more were not too happy with the colour or design, even if they are too polite to tell the bride.
Choosing the bridesmaid's gift may be a good time to redress the balance, and do something individual, a unique bridesmaid gift for each bridesmaid; unless, that is, you know the bridesmaids well enough to know that all will be happy with the same thing. At least by having the same gift, there is no danger of one bridesmaid being jealous of the other.
How, then, can you make each bridesmaid gift unique, without having to go out seeking an appropriate gift, the like of which you and your bridesmaids have never seen before? There are a couple of ways to add an individual and personal touch:
Engravable Gifts
Many items, including popular bridesmaid gift items such as jewellery, candles and candle holders, goblets, can either be engraved, embossed or have a medallion attached that can be engraved. Engraving gives you the opportunity to add an individual touch for each bridesmaid, thus acknowledging that each has played their own important part.
Bridesmaids of any age will appreciate something engraved with their name and those of the bride and groom, plus of course your personal message. If you have a wide variety of ages amongst your bridesmaids, then why not give each a different gift, appropriate for their age, but also engraved with their personal message.
If you have chosen jewellery, then you have a gift theme that can be applied to all ages, and be engraved at the same. Even young girls usually like jewellery, so you could be making your bridesmaids very happy, commemorating the occasion nicely, and making each gift choice unique.
Gift Baskets
Like jewellery, gift baskets can be made suitable for all ages of bridesmaid. If you choose an attractive and unusual basket, then even if the contents are consumable (such as chocolates) the girl will have the basket left as a memento of the wedding and her role as a bridesmaid.
With gift baskets, you can choose appropriate contents for each of your bridesmaids, whether they are 2 years old or 18; and you can even include an engraved gift inside to personalize it for her even more. So, baskets do really give a lot of scope for individuality and addressing the age problem. There are a good selection of customized gift baskets online for you to choose from.
Planning the wedding will be a big task that will preoccupy you if you are a bride or groom. But don’t forget to give a bit of thought to those bridesmaids for their part in your big day. They are sure to appreciate it.
For sure, bridesmaids will appreciate at least a token gift to help them remember the day. As with any gift, what you choose as a bridesmaid gift will depend on budget and age. If anything, "older" bridesmaids are easier to choose for, as personalized silver or crystal, for example, and other more adult products, are more likely to be appreciated.
Younger bridesmaids, though, may turn out to be easier than you thought, whatever your budget. It is a matter of thinking about their tastes and interests and finding something appropriate. While it is traditional to give all bridesmaids the same gift, that does not necessarily have to be the case. After all, they have probably been forced into a uniform dress for the occasion, and if you have several, or many, bridesmaids then no doubt one or more were not too happy with the colour or design, even if they are too polite to tell the bride.
Choosing the bridesmaid's gift may be a good time to redress the balance, and do something individual, a unique bridesmaid gift for each bridesmaid; unless, that is, you know the bridesmaids well enough to know that all will be happy with the same thing. At least by having the same gift, there is no danger of one bridesmaid being jealous of the other.
How, then, can you make each bridesmaid gift unique, without having to go out seeking an appropriate gift, the like of which you and your bridesmaids have never seen before? There are a couple of ways to add an individual and personal touch:
Engravable Gifts
Many items, including popular bridesmaid gift items such as jewellery, candles and candle holders, goblets, can either be engraved, embossed or have a medallion attached that can be engraved. Engraving gives you the opportunity to add an individual touch for each bridesmaid, thus acknowledging that each has played their own important part.
Bridesmaids of any age will appreciate something engraved with their name and those of the bride and groom, plus of course your personal message. If you have a wide variety of ages amongst your bridesmaids, then why not give each a different gift, appropriate for their age, but also engraved with their personal message.
If you have chosen jewellery, then you have a gift theme that can be applied to all ages, and be engraved at the same. Even young girls usually like jewellery, so you could be making your bridesmaids very happy, commemorating the occasion nicely, and making each gift choice unique.
Gift Baskets
Like jewellery, gift baskets can be made suitable for all ages of bridesmaid. If you choose an attractive and unusual basket, then even if the contents are consumable (such as chocolates) the girl will have the basket left as a memento of the wedding and her role as a bridesmaid.
With gift baskets, you can choose appropriate contents for each of your bridesmaids, whether they are 2 years old or 18; and you can even include an engraved gift inside to personalize it for her even more. So, baskets do really give a lot of scope for individuality and addressing the age problem. There are a good selection of customized gift baskets online for you to choose from.
Planning the wedding will be a big task that will preoccupy you if you are a bride or groom. But don’t forget to give a bit of thought to those bridesmaids for their part in your big day. They are sure to appreciate it.
Are You Still A Swiss Army Knife?
Do you still remember your scouting days? Do you remember how it made you morally upright and strong in body and spirit? Do you still bring with you the same principles that managed to invigorate your youth? Or are you yet another aging specimen with dying values and dignity? Are you another idle entity of society that is more like a parasitic insect than a brilliant higher being? Or are you the type who manages to make vital contributions to society despite of advancing age?
Lessons Learned
Do you still remember the many lessons you learned from scouting? You learned what it takes to live by ethical standards. You learned how it is to work as part of a greater whole, to be part of a community. You learned to become a leader. You learned to serve society and the, many entities it comprises (with your family and yourself included). Interestingly, you never had to leave your youth behind, for you were taught to have fun and to search for adventures while preserving the values of responsibility.
Trained to become a Swiss Army Knife
In other words, you were trained to become a Swiss Army Knife. Remember that handy multitool you carried around during your physically demanding scouting days? Do you remember how you could not do without it? Do you remember its usefulness? Its multifaceted functions? Little did you know, you were becoming that Swiss Army Knife yourself, you were becoming a useful citizen of your nation.
But are you still that same Swiss Army Knife? Your youthful vibrancy, your positive and spirited hopes of the future do not have to die with age. The body may grow old, even die, but the spirit never ages. So long as you continue to feed that spirit, you will never falter.
How do You Feed Your Spirit?
So how do you feed your spirit? It all starts with a goal. Without it, you will have difficulty propelling yourself to move, to dream. Without a preset goal, you will not have the energy to fuel your muscles, the drive.
Think back and reflect on yourself. Are you still the same person? Or have you changed? If you are still the same person, then you wasted years that you should have used to further improve upon yourself. If you have changed, did you change for the better or for worse? If it’s the former then your country is proud of you. If it’s the latter, then you better start sorting out your priorities.
Change
Do not be daunted by the idea of change. You can make positive changes slowly but surely so you won’t have to be daunted by drastic moves. Changes, though small and seemingly insignificant, can come a long way and leave a legacy.
Case in point, did you know that the name Swiss Army Knife was coined by American soldiers after the World War II. And did you know why? Because of the simple reason than they found it difficult to pronounce its original name — “Offiziersmesser”. Simple yet helpful in its small way, a change that has come along way. Swiss Army Knife has now grown to become a household name.
You can still go back to those grand old days when you were a “Swiss Army Knife!”
Lessons Learned
Do you still remember the many lessons you learned from scouting? You learned what it takes to live by ethical standards. You learned how it is to work as part of a greater whole, to be part of a community. You learned to become a leader. You learned to serve society and the, many entities it comprises (with your family and yourself included). Interestingly, you never had to leave your youth behind, for you were taught to have fun and to search for adventures while preserving the values of responsibility.
Trained to become a Swiss Army Knife
In other words, you were trained to become a Swiss Army Knife. Remember that handy multitool you carried around during your physically demanding scouting days? Do you remember how you could not do without it? Do you remember its usefulness? Its multifaceted functions? Little did you know, you were becoming that Swiss Army Knife yourself, you were becoming a useful citizen of your nation.
But are you still that same Swiss Army Knife? Your youthful vibrancy, your positive and spirited hopes of the future do not have to die with age. The body may grow old, even die, but the spirit never ages. So long as you continue to feed that spirit, you will never falter.
How do You Feed Your Spirit?
So how do you feed your spirit? It all starts with a goal. Without it, you will have difficulty propelling yourself to move, to dream. Without a preset goal, you will not have the energy to fuel your muscles, the drive.
Think back and reflect on yourself. Are you still the same person? Or have you changed? If you are still the same person, then you wasted years that you should have used to further improve upon yourself. If you have changed, did you change for the better or for worse? If it’s the former then your country is proud of you. If it’s the latter, then you better start sorting out your priorities.
Change
Do not be daunted by the idea of change. You can make positive changes slowly but surely so you won’t have to be daunted by drastic moves. Changes, though small and seemingly insignificant, can come a long way and leave a legacy.
Case in point, did you know that the name Swiss Army Knife was coined by American soldiers after the World War II. And did you know why? Because of the simple reason than they found it difficult to pronounce its original name — “Offiziersmesser”. Simple yet helpful in its small way, a change that has come along way. Swiss Army Knife has now grown to become a household name.
You can still go back to those grand old days when you were a “Swiss Army Knife!”
Are you searching for a Bridesmaid Cheap Dress?
Planning a wedding can be one of the most exciting, happy, and stressful times of the bride’s life. It is a time filled with high emotions, loss of sanity, and gleeful delight as she plans the most important party of her life. Part of the planning involves choosing bridesmaids, and then of course, the bridesmaid dresses. Just like wedding gowns, the bridesmaid dresses can range in price from a few hundred dollars to the thousands. If you are a bride on a budget, your bridesmaids may be as well, which is why it is important to find cheap bridesmaid dresses.
Once you have decided on your color palette for the wedding, you should have a good idea of what color your bridesmaids will be wearing. At that point, it is time to choose the bridesmaid dresses. Some women, when they think of a bridesmaid dress simply cringe, however with today’s new styles with charming ruffle trims, floral embellishments, flattering necklines, varied hemlines, and scope of fabric, there is no need to worry.
With all sorts of fashionable upgrades for bridesmaid dresses, you may be worried about an upgrade in price as well. Many fashion designers release bridesmaid lines that are completely affordable for any bridesmaid, no matter what her financial status is. Some of the higher level and couture designers, such also offer a ready-to-wear line, so that finding a cheap bridesmaid dress is even easier than expected. Many brides and their maids worry when looking for cheap bridesmaid dresses that inexpensive means poor quality, which is hardly the case. With so much competition out there, many design houses now are offering high quality and fashionable bridesmaid dresses at competitive prices.
One way to find cheap bridesmaid dresses is to shop around. There are many different wedding related websites and resources online that help brides and their maids find the perfect dress for the occasion. In fact, many of these resources offer discount codes, special offers, and tips on finding affordable bridal fashions. Also, many bridal salons will offer a discount when buying several dresses at a time, perfect for cheaper bridesmaid dresses.
When shopping around for bridesmaid dresses, one of the most popular tips is to check the bridal salons for bridesmaid dresses from the previous season. Many dresses from previous seasons are still just as fashionable, but are sold at discounted rates. Always be sure to check the sale sections of any bridal fashion websites and salons when on the prowl for cheap bridesmaid dresses, you may just find the perfect one.
Once you have decided on your color palette for the wedding, you should have a good idea of what color your bridesmaids will be wearing. At that point, it is time to choose the bridesmaid dresses. Some women, when they think of a bridesmaid dress simply cringe, however with today’s new styles with charming ruffle trims, floral embellishments, flattering necklines, varied hemlines, and scope of fabric, there is no need to worry.
With all sorts of fashionable upgrades for bridesmaid dresses, you may be worried about an upgrade in price as well. Many fashion designers release bridesmaid lines that are completely affordable for any bridesmaid, no matter what her financial status is. Some of the higher level and couture designers, such also offer a ready-to-wear line, so that finding a cheap bridesmaid dress is even easier than expected. Many brides and their maids worry when looking for cheap bridesmaid dresses that inexpensive means poor quality, which is hardly the case. With so much competition out there, many design houses now are offering high quality and fashionable bridesmaid dresses at competitive prices.
One way to find cheap bridesmaid dresses is to shop around. There are many different wedding related websites and resources online that help brides and their maids find the perfect dress for the occasion. In fact, many of these resources offer discount codes, special offers, and tips on finding affordable bridal fashions. Also, many bridal salons will offer a discount when buying several dresses at a time, perfect for cheaper bridesmaid dresses.
When shopping around for bridesmaid dresses, one of the most popular tips is to check the bridal salons for bridesmaid dresses from the previous season. Many dresses from previous seasons are still just as fashionable, but are sold at discounted rates. Always be sure to check the sale sections of any bridal fashion websites and salons when on the prowl for cheap bridesmaid dresses, you may just find the perfect one.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Are You Looking To Buy Medical Organizers For Your Changing Career?
When it comes to medical or healthcare industry, organization is an important aspect of the professionals’ life. Staying organized is not only professional; staying organized helps maintain your security and the security of your patients. The great news is that when you want to buy medical organizers there are a multitude of options available to you that will suit your lifestyle and your preferences.
One of the leading manufacturers of high-quality organizers is none other than Prestige medical equipment. Prestige has a reputation for offering only the best in medical equipment to the medical or healthcare professional. Not only does Prestige medical equipment offer professionalism and reliability, Prestige medical equipment also offers an affordability not to be matched.
Of course, you may also choose to use Prestige organizers as any time organizers. These organizers are so exceptionally well made that you can turn these professional organizers into the any time organizers usable around your home or your vehicle. These any time organizers tend to be more durable and reliable than other organizers. So yes, when it comes time to buy organizers for any purpose a person that knows and wants the best chooses the reliability offered by Prestige.
When you are ready to choose which Prestige organizers you want to purchase, you will find a large variety of choices. You will have Prestige nursing assistant clipboard's, Prestige portable desktop clipboard's, Prestige nylon organizers with small apron, Prestige nylon head caddies, Prestige belt loop nylon organizers, Prestige nylon organizers sets, Prestige compact equipment cases, Prestige nurses cargo bag, Prestige padded medical bags, and many other popular Prestige organizers perfect for your busy life whether at the workplace or at the home.
What makes Prestige organizers so special?
When it comes time to buy organizers, you will find a world of choices available to you. Not all of these choices offer the reliability and high-quality that Prestige does. You take your chances when purchasing a similar product at cheaper rates, however, Prestige organizers are extremely affordable with prices starting at below five dollars. For such a high quality product, you will not find a better deal anywhere.
As a medical professional, you depend on staying organized. Your secure and offering security when your notes and your possessions are kept safe and away from roaming eyes. Prestige organizers, or those any time organizers, fulfill that role and are quite attractive. In fact, there are some Prestige organizers that are decorated with favorite cartoon characters such as Betty BOOP and other popular designs.
That means when you want to buy organizers, Prestige organizers offer not only affordability and privacy, but also add a touch of class and fashion. No matter what type of Prestige organizers you purchase, you will find that you are pleasantly surprised by all that Prestige offers you with each purchase.
When you demand the best not only in your workplace but in your every day life, you will learn to appreciate the excellence offered by Prestige medical equipment.
One of the leading manufacturers of high-quality organizers is none other than Prestige medical equipment. Prestige has a reputation for offering only the best in medical equipment to the medical or healthcare professional. Not only does Prestige medical equipment offer professionalism and reliability, Prestige medical equipment also offers an affordability not to be matched.
Publish Post
Of course, you may also choose to use Prestige organizers as any time organizers. These organizers are so exceptionally well made that you can turn these professional organizers into the any time organizers usable around your home or your vehicle. These any time organizers tend to be more durable and reliable than other organizers. So yes, when it comes time to buy organizers for any purpose a person that knows and wants the best chooses the reliability offered by Prestige.
When you are ready to choose which Prestige organizers you want to purchase, you will find a large variety of choices. You will have Prestige nursing assistant clipboard's, Prestige portable desktop clipboard's, Prestige nylon organizers with small apron, Prestige nylon head caddies, Prestige belt loop nylon organizers, Prestige nylon organizers sets, Prestige compact equipment cases, Prestige nurses cargo bag, Prestige padded medical bags, and many other popular Prestige organizers perfect for your busy life whether at the workplace or at the home.
What makes Prestige organizers so special?
When it comes time to buy organizers, you will find a world of choices available to you. Not all of these choices offer the reliability and high-quality that Prestige does. You take your chances when purchasing a similar product at cheaper rates, however, Prestige organizers are extremely affordable with prices starting at below five dollars. For such a high quality product, you will not find a better deal anywhere.
As a medical professional, you depend on staying organized. Your secure and offering security when your notes and your possessions are kept safe and away from roaming eyes. Prestige organizers, or those any time organizers, fulfill that role and are quite attractive. In fact, there are some Prestige organizers that are decorated with favorite cartoon characters such as Betty BOOP and other popular designs.
That means when you want to buy organizers, Prestige organizers offer not only affordability and privacy, but also add a touch of class and fashion. No matter what type of Prestige organizers you purchase, you will find that you are pleasantly surprised by all that Prestige offers you with each purchase.
When you demand the best not only in your workplace but in your every day life, you will learn to appreciate the excellence offered by Prestige medical equipment.
Are We A Generation Of Do It Yourselfers (DIY)
Tired or fed up of paying contractors for doing jobs you can do yourself? At some time most of us will feel like that. Guess what, you really don't have to anymore. We seem to have a never ending access to all the information we need to do these jobs ourselves. Many hardware stores are now giving free instructional classes on the weekends, there are also all those instructional television shows plus countless CD sets that make doing it yourself seem really easy. Not only do we get to save money, in most cases a lot of money but we also get to take great pride in what we have done. Here are some suggestions and statistics about doing it yourself.
There has been a do-it-yourself boom in recent years. Statistics show that the age group that relies most on do-it-yourself activities are people between the ages of 30 and mid 40's, (they make up 41 percent of home improvement spending). DIY is now starting to attract more women, about one-fifth of home buyers in this past year were unmarried women, so it makes sense that women are getting more involved, there is a great website ( http://www.BeJane.com) dedicated to incorporating women to the do-it-yourself world.
Statistics also show that an average household invests just over $2,000 a year on home improvements. When starting a new home improvement project remember to start off on a small scale and always be prepared. You should estimate how long the project will take, double it and then add two days since you are doing it yourself. Buy extra parts, just in case you under estimated, you can always return the unused items after you're done. You probably should learn how to lay down tile before you replace your carpet with hardwood floor. Or try replacing a faucet before working on your plumbing, just for the record replacing a faucet by yourself can save you up to $400.
If you are still leaning towards having the work done by a contractor and want to save money, ask the contractor if there is work you can do on your own, like the demolition or the clean up. You could always start something then get the contractor to finish it. The one thing you should never forget to do is check if the work who wish to do requires a permit. Fines for not having a permit for work done can range between $100 to $25,000 so take the time to check first, a simple phone call is all it will take to stay out of trouble.
There has been a do-it-yourself boom in recent years. Statistics show that the age group that relies most on do-it-yourself activities are people between the ages of 30 and mid 40's, (they make up 41 percent of home improvement spending). DIY is now starting to attract more women, about one-fifth of home buyers in this past year were unmarried women, so it makes sense that women are getting more involved, there is a great website ( http://www.BeJane.com) dedicated to incorporating women to the do-it-yourself world.
Statistics also show that an average household invests just over $2,000 a year on home improvements. When starting a new home improvement project remember to start off on a small scale and always be prepared. You should estimate how long the project will take, double it and then add two days since you are doing it yourself. Buy extra parts, just in case you under estimated, you can always return the unused items after you're done. You probably should learn how to lay down tile before you replace your carpet with hardwood floor. Or try replacing a faucet before working on your plumbing, just for the record replacing a faucet by yourself can save you up to $400.
If you are still leaning towards having the work done by a contractor and want to save money, ask the contractor if there is work you can do on your own, like the demolition or the clean up. You could always start something then get the contractor to finish it. The one thing you should never forget to do is check if the work who wish to do requires a permit. Fines for not having a permit for work done can range between $100 to $25,000 so take the time to check first, a simple phone call is all it will take to stay out of trouble.
Are Titanium and Tungsten wedding rings for life?
When faced with the once-a-life-time decision of choosing a wedding band ring, everyone should do their own research in order to make sure they get the piece that can symbolize the eternality of marriage. For those who are seriously considering of buying the modern metals (titanium or tungsten) as wedding rings, here are some thoughts that are worth considering.
Will they be scratched?
Although titanium wedding bands are very strong and durable, the surface of the rings can actually be scratched. It takes another extremely hard object such as diamond to cut into the metal; however, it does not get damaged during normal daily use. For titanium rings with gold, silver or platinum inlay, the inlay part of the ring is as vulnerable as a ring that is made of the precious metal itself. In the case of minor a blemish, a titanium ring can be re-polished or refinished to restore the original appearance. On the other hand, tungsten rings are totally resistant to abrasions. Since tungsten carbide, the most common grade of tungsten alloy offered in the market, is extremely hard, it will NEVER get scratched.
Will they be bent out of shape?
Both titanium and tungsten have extremely high ductile strength. However, under extremely circumstances, titanium rings could bend out of round but a tungsten ring could not. If a high pressure is applied on a titanium ring, which could happen when being hit by a car door, the ring would bend when the force is strong enough. On the other hand, a tungsten ring stands a better chance of remaining intact, because tungsten in general is harder than titanium. However, once the force goes beyond the threshold, the tungsten ring will be fractured into several pieces instead of bend out of round. This characteristic, which we refer to as being brittle, is similar to that of diamonds whereas it is extremely hard but not ductile at all.
Will the color turn?
Neither of the metals will turn color. Titanium and tungsten alloy are biological inert and do not turn color with normal usage such as being exposed to the sun, in contact with sea water or cosmetic products.
Can they be resized?
The possibility of getting resized might be important since we gain or lose weight in the future. Due to the extraordinary high melting points of titanium and tungsten alloys, they cannot be cut and welded like traditional precious metals. Hence, resizing is more difficult, if not possible. Titanium wedding rings can be compressed or stretched up to one size, if there are no stones or inlay on the rings, with the help of special equipment. However, tungsten carbide wedding rings can not be resized at all. Therefore, one must measure the ring size carefully, possibility averaging the finger sizes at different times of the day, in order to avoid any sizing problem after the titanium or tungsten wedding band rings.
Will they be scratched?
Although titanium wedding bands are very strong and durable, the surface of the rings can actually be scratched. It takes another extremely hard object such as diamond to cut into the metal; however, it does not get damaged during normal daily use. For titanium rings with gold, silver or platinum inlay, the inlay part of the ring is as vulnerable as a ring that is made of the precious metal itself. In the case of minor a blemish, a titanium ring can be re-polished or refinished to restore the original appearance. On the other hand, tungsten rings are totally resistant to abrasions. Since tungsten carbide, the most common grade of tungsten alloy offered in the market, is extremely hard, it will NEVER get scratched.
Will they be bent out of shape?
Both titanium and tungsten have extremely high ductile strength. However, under extremely circumstances, titanium rings could bend out of round but a tungsten ring could not. If a high pressure is applied on a titanium ring, which could happen when being hit by a car door, the ring would bend when the force is strong enough. On the other hand, a tungsten ring stands a better chance of remaining intact, because tungsten in general is harder than titanium. However, once the force goes beyond the threshold, the tungsten ring will be fractured into several pieces instead of bend out of round. This characteristic, which we refer to as being brittle, is similar to that of diamonds whereas it is extremely hard but not ductile at all.
Will the color turn?
Neither of the metals will turn color. Titanium and tungsten alloy are biological inert and do not turn color with normal usage such as being exposed to the sun, in contact with sea water or cosmetic products.
Can they be resized?
The possibility of getting resized might be important since we gain or lose weight in the future. Due to the extraordinary high melting points of titanium and tungsten alloys, they cannot be cut and welded like traditional precious metals. Hence, resizing is more difficult, if not possible. Titanium wedding rings can be compressed or stretched up to one size, if there are no stones or inlay on the rings, with the help of special equipment. However, tungsten carbide wedding rings can not be resized at all. Therefore, one must measure the ring size carefully, possibility averaging the finger sizes at different times of the day, in order to avoid any sizing problem after the titanium or tungsten wedding band rings.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Aquarius
Were you born under the sign of Aquarius. What a compassionate and generous person you are. And did you know that there really is an Age of Aquarius. It wasn’t just a songwriter’s concept in the musical, Hair. Just as there are individual zodiac signs, so are the eras of human history divided into 2000-year segments of what’s called the Great Year. We just left the age of Pisces, which began at the beginning of the Christian era until the year 2000. It was a time marked by fluid changes in politics and governments. Pisces, of course, is the sign of the Fish, the symbol of Christianity.
We are now in the age of Aquarius, but only just in the dawn of it, like the song said. All the wonderful, generous characteristics of the Water Bearer are not yet symbolic of humanity as a whole yet, as evidenced by the current turmoil in the Middle East. But there are signs. Remember the Random Acts of Kindness. Perhaps those were a harbinger of the Age of Aquarius.
If YOU are an Aquarian, then you were born between January 20 and February 18. You are a humanitarian and more intelligent than most and given to thoughts of how to make the world a better place. You can be inventive and original, and you’re freedom-loving. You’re generous with your thoughts, whether people are interested or not! You can be eccentric and idiosyncratic, and need a lot of space, but your heart is nearly always in the right place.
Who’s the right partner for the highly intelligent and quirky Aquarian. Someone who can appreciate their generous qualities and share their beliefs. Someone who is willing to explore and grow with them. An Aquarian will be happiest with someone who is open-minded, who is warm and understanding and willing to be a helpmate. While that may be the ideal for just about anyone, it’s especially important for an Aquarian to be able to have a partner who will share their passion for creating a better world and their generous nature.
We are now in the age of Aquarius, but only just in the dawn of it, like the song said. All the wonderful, generous characteristics of the Water Bearer are not yet symbolic of humanity as a whole yet, as evidenced by the current turmoil in the Middle East. But there are signs. Remember the Random Acts of Kindness. Perhaps those were a harbinger of the Age of Aquarius.
If YOU are an Aquarian, then you were born between January 20 and February 18. You are a humanitarian and more intelligent than most and given to thoughts of how to make the world a better place. You can be inventive and original, and you’re freedom-loving. You’re generous with your thoughts, whether people are interested or not! You can be eccentric and idiosyncratic, and need a lot of space, but your heart is nearly always in the right place.
Who’s the right partner for the highly intelligent and quirky Aquarian. Someone who can appreciate their generous qualities and share their beliefs. Someone who is willing to explore and grow with them. An Aquarian will be happiest with someone who is open-minded, who is warm and understanding and willing to be a helpmate. While that may be the ideal for just about anyone, it’s especially important for an Aquarian to be able to have a partner who will share their passion for creating a better world and their generous nature.
An Open Letter To All Historic Buildings Nearing Retirement Age
If you're a historic building looking for a nice place to spend your golden years, Miami might not be it. Quite apart from the subtropical sun beating down your finish to a dull suggestion of what you once looked like, you'll be subjected to a vicious cycle of heat, humidity, rain and (sometimes very big) wind that will leave you old before your time.
And, if you survive all that, good luck surviving developer's fever. No, it's not a disease you can catch, but it can kill you just the same. As soon as the dirt under your footers becomes valuable enough, they'll start fitting you for the wrecking ball, and you won't be getting a corsage. Sure, you'll still get some visitors who think you deserve to be left alone, but very few of them will have enough influence (or money) to save you. Those that do will probably form their own buyer's group to sell the city fathers (and mothers) a slightly less destructive plan. When the dust settles, your old friends will be greeted by a nice plaque, maybe even a scale model, when they visit your grave.
I know you've been around. You should know all this by now. If you don't, my novel "Landmark Status" offers a short, sharp lesson. In it, third-generation barkeep Walter Marsh calls on lawyer Benjy Bluestone to help him sell the Century Club, a once-legendary nightspot awakened from decades of slumbering decay along Biscayne Bay by a local building boom. An obscure civic group has sued to enjoin Walter's planned sale to out-of-towners, claiming the Club is historic and shouldn't be altered, much less bulldozed. They might not mean it, and might be shills for developer Chuck Steinberg and his frontman, politician Oscar Torres, who'd love to screw things up just long enough to drive away other buyers.
Beating them won't be easy, and neither will getting paid, but Benjy's motivation includes the chance to get next to Oscar's niece, beautiful broker Delia Torres. She's been promised a huge commission by Steinberg but decides to get on Walter's side of the deal, so she'll get paid no matter who buys the Club. Winning an initial skirmish in court, Benjy holds off the injunction pending resolution of petitions for historic designation. Afterward, he shows Delia what made the Century Club famous:
To get to the Everglades Room, Delia and Benjy followed the path between the end of the street and the railroad tracks by the water. In the old days, they'd have crossed the street on a covered footbridge between the second floor of the Club and the small hotel attached to the Everglades Room. But the footbridge was too low for the modern world, and it was demolished after it sheared the sleeper off a moving van some years back.
"Let me carry that for you," Benjy said, reaching for Delia's drink.
"That's okay," said Delia, pulling it away from him. "You have a tendency to fall down around me." She was thinking about how to get Benjy to help her convince Walter he needed an agent — her. She smiled slightly, unexpectedly tickled as one obvious method came to mind. Benjy smiled back, as they reached what looked like a huge Miccosukee chickie hut, walled in with weathered planks of Dade County pine framing wide windows.
They unlocked the door and went inside. The afternoon sun filled the room with crisscrossing arrows of light that flared out across pictures on every wall. Delia put down her drink and stopped, arms at her sides, a shaft of sunshine picking her out, lighting her up like a model at the end of the runway. She stood still and looked around, surrounded by hundreds of glamorous women and sharply dressed men in fading photographs, most with fading autographs. With a light touch on her elbow, Benjy steered her past a long bar toward one of the oaken captain's chairs gathered around a dozen tables. They sat down.
"Once upon a time," Benjy said, "this was a retreat for the swells, the mavens, the beautiful people before they were called that. They came here to get away from the crowd."
"It looks like they stayed, like this is some kind of weird shrine," Delia said, surveying the walls of photos. "Kind of creepy, if you ask me."
Benjy stood up. "Come here for a second," he said, and walked over to a wall of pictures. Delia followed, and the two of them read Miami's young history in the pictures of its celebrities, famous, infamous and obscure, all united by the time they'd spent in this place. There were gangsters, movie stars, writers, crooners, comedians, politicians and, of course, developers. Al Capone was there. So were Rita Hayworth and Damon Runyon, Perry Como and Jackie Gleason, Harry Truman and Carl Fisher, creator of Miami Beach.
Like their namesakes many years ago, the pictures of the truly famous were sitting next to pictures of locals most people never heard of. Delia walked by an autographed picture of Eddie Arcaro on a winning colt at Gulfstream, also autographed by the two smiling men holding the colt's bridle, Moe and Izzy Fine. She stopped to look at a picture of nameless workmen, sledgehammers and shovels at their sides, smiling for the camera as they took a break from building the railroad, the posh hotels and the places where plain folks lived, all come to find their place in the South Florida sun. Like her.
"This was the room where Miami was divvied up for decades," Benjy said, "where the pea patches were replaced with gleaming piles of rubble to be."
"And now it has to make way for the next gleaming pile," Delia said, smiling and getting to the point.
"You're learning fast."
"I was always a quick study."
Fighting the battle of the Century Club in historic buildings like the Dade County Courthouse and Biltmore Hotel, Benjy's and Oscar's crews careen through historic neighborhoods like Coral Gables and Opa-Locka, marking the handiwork of famous developers like George Merrick and Glen Curtiss. Their antics celebrate Miami's principal industry, the sale and resale of the same dirt to next wave of newcomers, sometimes called the great Florida Ponzi scheme. They embrace this unifying tradition of a new city where everyone came from somewhere else, even the Native Americans, long after the Spaniards stole the land from (and slaughtered) its first developers, the Tequesta, builders of the mysterious Miami Circle. Rolling north on Collins Avenue, Benjy and Delia take a somewhat shorter trip back in time:
After a stretch of dunes and public beach, they passed through Sunny Isles. It once was known for low-rise motels from the fifties with names stolen from Vegas hotels of that era, like the Sahara, Thunderbird and Desert Inn. The motels were all gone or going now, and the few that were left looked like radioactive waste, glowing orange as the sun started to set.
"By the way," Delia asked, "where are we going?"
"Just a little further," said Benjy. "I promise you it's worth the drive."
"I'll be the judge of that," Delia said with a smile. So they kept going, through canyons of high-rises, until they came to a toy town of tiny motels and apartments on the beach. They were in Hollywood, another place with a purloined name.
"Now that's more like it," Benjy said.
"Like what?" Delia asked.
"Something more peaceful, on a more human scale. There's still lots of places in Florida that look like this, just not down here. And the best is yet to come."
"And when will that be?"
"You'll know it when you see it."
She did. A few blocks north, the strip of land between the Intracoastal and the ocean was too narrow for more than a couple of restaurants, along with a day-cruise gambling boat berthed in the mangroves. The sunset was getting more dramatic, splashing vivid red streaks across the horizon. It lit up everything with a rich russet glow. They could have been hundreds of miles north, driving along a beach that was largely being left alone to live in peace.
"Let's stop for a minute," Benjy suggested.
Delia turned into a wooded parking lot next to the ocean. "I haven't been here before," she said.
"This place is special," said Benjy. "Come take a look."
They walked toward the water on a path bathed in purplish light and shadow, as the sunset played on rows of slender palm trees in the sand.
"What are all these trees doing here?" Delia asked, leaning up against one and taking off her heels.
"Why, they're going to the beach, of course," Benjy said. "Here, let me give you a hand," he said, reaching for hers and holding it unselfconsciously as they walked on.
Delia looked down at Benjy's hand holding hers, wondering whether to pull it away. She decided not to. "I guess the trees strolled over from their tree motel, right?"
"Not exactly," Benjy said, as they walked closer to the water. "They're different from us in many ways. And they only get to choose where they want to be once." He stopped and turned to face her.
"What if they make a mistake?" Delia asked, looking back at him.
"They don't. Trees aren't filled with longing for what they don't have." With a light touch, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, softly, as if asking a question. He thought he felt Delia answer, as she let go of her guarded caution for an instant and kissed him back. But she pulled away quickly. "Don't get any ideas," she said with a half smile.
"Who, me?" he asked, as they turned to walk back from the beach, under a darkening sky filling up with stars.
Like Benjy's beachgoing trees, I hope you and other historic buildings aren't filled with longing for what you don't have, because pinning your hopes on a quiet retirement in Miami is very risky. Like the Century Club, you'll need to choose your friends (and owners) wisely. You'll also need more than a little luck. Otherwise, you'll end up like the Americana, grandest of renowned architect Morris Lapidus' Miami Beach hotels, recently blown up at the age of fifty-one to make way for a spiffy new condo/hotel/resort/spa wonder palace. There's no reason to be confident its older siblings, including the Eden Roc and the Fontainebleau, will make it to seventy-five. My advice is to tune out those chattering snowbirds going in and out your door when the weather turns cold. You're better off staying where you are.
And, if you survive all that, good luck surviving developer's fever. No, it's not a disease you can catch, but it can kill you just the same. As soon as the dirt under your footers becomes valuable enough, they'll start fitting you for the wrecking ball, and you won't be getting a corsage. Sure, you'll still get some visitors who think you deserve to be left alone, but very few of them will have enough influence (or money) to save you. Those that do will probably form their own buyer's group to sell the city fathers (and mothers) a slightly less destructive plan. When the dust settles, your old friends will be greeted by a nice plaque, maybe even a scale model, when they visit your grave.
I know you've been around. You should know all this by now. If you don't, my novel "Landmark Status" offers a short, sharp lesson. In it, third-generation barkeep Walter Marsh calls on lawyer Benjy Bluestone to help him sell the Century Club, a once-legendary nightspot awakened from decades of slumbering decay along Biscayne Bay by a local building boom. An obscure civic group has sued to enjoin Walter's planned sale to out-of-towners, claiming the Club is historic and shouldn't be altered, much less bulldozed. They might not mean it, and might be shills for developer Chuck Steinberg and his frontman, politician Oscar Torres, who'd love to screw things up just long enough to drive away other buyers.
Beating them won't be easy, and neither will getting paid, but Benjy's motivation includes the chance to get next to Oscar's niece, beautiful broker Delia Torres. She's been promised a huge commission by Steinberg but decides to get on Walter's side of the deal, so she'll get paid no matter who buys the Club. Winning an initial skirmish in court, Benjy holds off the injunction pending resolution of petitions for historic designation. Afterward, he shows Delia what made the Century Club famous:
To get to the Everglades Room, Delia and Benjy followed the path between the end of the street and the railroad tracks by the water. In the old days, they'd have crossed the street on a covered footbridge between the second floor of the Club and the small hotel attached to the Everglades Room. But the footbridge was too low for the modern world, and it was demolished after it sheared the sleeper off a moving van some years back.
"Let me carry that for you," Benjy said, reaching for Delia's drink.
"That's okay," said Delia, pulling it away from him. "You have a tendency to fall down around me." She was thinking about how to get Benjy to help her convince Walter he needed an agent — her. She smiled slightly, unexpectedly tickled as one obvious method came to mind. Benjy smiled back, as they reached what looked like a huge Miccosukee chickie hut, walled in with weathered planks of Dade County pine framing wide windows.
They unlocked the door and went inside. The afternoon sun filled the room with crisscrossing arrows of light that flared out across pictures on every wall. Delia put down her drink and stopped, arms at her sides, a shaft of sunshine picking her out, lighting her up like a model at the end of the runway. She stood still and looked around, surrounded by hundreds of glamorous women and sharply dressed men in fading photographs, most with fading autographs. With a light touch on her elbow, Benjy steered her past a long bar toward one of the oaken captain's chairs gathered around a dozen tables. They sat down.
"Once upon a time," Benjy said, "this was a retreat for the swells, the mavens, the beautiful people before they were called that. They came here to get away from the crowd."
"It looks like they stayed, like this is some kind of weird shrine," Delia said, surveying the walls of photos. "Kind of creepy, if you ask me."
Benjy stood up. "Come here for a second," he said, and walked over to a wall of pictures. Delia followed, and the two of them read Miami's young history in the pictures of its celebrities, famous, infamous and obscure, all united by the time they'd spent in this place. There were gangsters, movie stars, writers, crooners, comedians, politicians and, of course, developers. Al Capone was there. So were Rita Hayworth and Damon Runyon, Perry Como and Jackie Gleason, Harry Truman and Carl Fisher, creator of Miami Beach.
Like their namesakes many years ago, the pictures of the truly famous were sitting next to pictures of locals most people never heard of. Delia walked by an autographed picture of Eddie Arcaro on a winning colt at Gulfstream, also autographed by the two smiling men holding the colt's bridle, Moe and Izzy Fine. She stopped to look at a picture of nameless workmen, sledgehammers and shovels at their sides, smiling for the camera as they took a break from building the railroad, the posh hotels and the places where plain folks lived, all come to find their place in the South Florida sun. Like her.
"This was the room where Miami was divvied up for decades," Benjy said, "where the pea patches were replaced with gleaming piles of rubble to be."
"And now it has to make way for the next gleaming pile," Delia said, smiling and getting to the point.
"You're learning fast."
"I was always a quick study."
Fighting the battle of the Century Club in historic buildings like the Dade County Courthouse and Biltmore Hotel, Benjy's and Oscar's crews careen through historic neighborhoods like Coral Gables and Opa-Locka, marking the handiwork of famous developers like George Merrick and Glen Curtiss. Their antics celebrate Miami's principal industry, the sale and resale of the same dirt to next wave of newcomers, sometimes called the great Florida Ponzi scheme. They embrace this unifying tradition of a new city where everyone came from somewhere else, even the Native Americans, long after the Spaniards stole the land from (and slaughtered) its first developers, the Tequesta, builders of the mysterious Miami Circle. Rolling north on Collins Avenue, Benjy and Delia take a somewhat shorter trip back in time:
After a stretch of dunes and public beach, they passed through Sunny Isles. It once was known for low-rise motels from the fifties with names stolen from Vegas hotels of that era, like the Sahara, Thunderbird and Desert Inn. The motels were all gone or going now, and the few that were left looked like radioactive waste, glowing orange as the sun started to set.
"By the way," Delia asked, "where are we going?"
"Just a little further," said Benjy. "I promise you it's worth the drive."
"I'll be the judge of that," Delia said with a smile. So they kept going, through canyons of high-rises, until they came to a toy town of tiny motels and apartments on the beach. They were in Hollywood, another place with a purloined name.
"Now that's more like it," Benjy said.
"Like what?" Delia asked.
"Something more peaceful, on a more human scale. There's still lots of places in Florida that look like this, just not down here. And the best is yet to come."
"And when will that be?"
"You'll know it when you see it."
She did. A few blocks north, the strip of land between the Intracoastal and the ocean was too narrow for more than a couple of restaurants, along with a day-cruise gambling boat berthed in the mangroves. The sunset was getting more dramatic, splashing vivid red streaks across the horizon. It lit up everything with a rich russet glow. They could have been hundreds of miles north, driving along a beach that was largely being left alone to live in peace.
"Let's stop for a minute," Benjy suggested.
Delia turned into a wooded parking lot next to the ocean. "I haven't been here before," she said.
"This place is special," said Benjy. "Come take a look."
They walked toward the water on a path bathed in purplish light and shadow, as the sunset played on rows of slender palm trees in the sand.
"What are all these trees doing here?" Delia asked, leaning up against one and taking off her heels.
"Why, they're going to the beach, of course," Benjy said. "Here, let me give you a hand," he said, reaching for hers and holding it unselfconsciously as they walked on.
Delia looked down at Benjy's hand holding hers, wondering whether to pull it away. She decided not to. "I guess the trees strolled over from their tree motel, right?"
"Not exactly," Benjy said, as they walked closer to the water. "They're different from us in many ways. And they only get to choose where they want to be once." He stopped and turned to face her.
"What if they make a mistake?" Delia asked, looking back at him.
"They don't. Trees aren't filled with longing for what they don't have." With a light touch, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, softly, as if asking a question. He thought he felt Delia answer, as she let go of her guarded caution for an instant and kissed him back. But she pulled away quickly. "Don't get any ideas," she said with a half smile.
"Who, me?" he asked, as they turned to walk back from the beach, under a darkening sky filling up with stars.
Like Benjy's beachgoing trees, I hope you and other historic buildings aren't filled with longing for what you don't have, because pinning your hopes on a quiet retirement in Miami is very risky. Like the Century Club, you'll need to choose your friends (and owners) wisely. You'll also need more than a little luck. Otherwise, you'll end up like the Americana, grandest of renowned architect Morris Lapidus' Miami Beach hotels, recently blown up at the age of fifty-one to make way for a spiffy new condo/hotel/resort/spa wonder palace. There's no reason to be confident its older siblings, including the Eden Roc and the Fontainebleau, will make it to seventy-five. My advice is to tune out those chattering snowbirds going in and out your door when the weather turns cold. You're better off staying where you are.
An Introduction To Wedding Cakes
A wedding is one of the sweetest moments in one’s life, and to compliment the great occasion, it is only natural to serve sweets. Cakes, like sweets, are an integral part of a Western wedding.
Once the wedding ceremony is over, the traditional wedding cake is served to the guests. For this, even the knife, the container, and the table are decorated beautifully.
The wedding cake should go well with the wedding. The taste and style of the couple is clearly reflected in the design, shape, and decoration of the wedding cake. There are some prerequisites to choosing the most suitable wedding cake. The proposed budget is the prime factor. After deciding the budget, a good baker, caterer, or expert chef should be selected. The correct selection of the wedding cake remains a stiff challenge due to the wide range of options available regarding flavors, colors and decorations for the cake.
Usually, the wedding cake is massive in size, and multi-layered or tiered. It should complement the wedding dress, the place of reception, the weather conditions, etc.
Tradition demands that the bride and the groom share the first piece of the cake, after which other guests partake of it. Sometimes, a portion is preserved so that the couple can share it either on their first wedding anniversary or on the birth of their first child.
The wedding cake can be made in various flavors and colors. Some opt for the traditional ones, while others prefer new designs and tastes too. A single flavor can be used. But it would be nice if it could cater to the different tastes of the guests. To achieve this, each layer can have a different flavor. The topping or the icing can also be done in many ways, the traditional being the white cream icing. Even the shape is undergoing changes, and miniature cakes are becoming a common sight.
Some of the preferred flavors are cheesecakes, mousse-filled cakes, chocolate, orange mud, and fruitcakes. Fillings can be picked from the list of chocolate, coconut, custard, almond, vanilla, etc. At the top of the cake, the figures of the bride and the groom can be seen. The cake can be decorated using many colors or design themes.
The basic idea or tradition of the wedding cake is to make the occasion memorable, to be cherished by the couple as well as their friends and loved ones.
The tradition of serving cakes is laudable, as it symbolizes the sweetness, prosperity, fertility, and love fostered through marriage.
Once the wedding ceremony is over, the traditional wedding cake is served to the guests. For this, even the knife, the container, and the table are decorated beautifully.
The wedding cake should go well with the wedding. The taste and style of the couple is clearly reflected in the design, shape, and decoration of the wedding cake. There are some prerequisites to choosing the most suitable wedding cake. The proposed budget is the prime factor. After deciding the budget, a good baker, caterer, or expert chef should be selected. The correct selection of the wedding cake remains a stiff challenge due to the wide range of options available regarding flavors, colors and decorations for the cake.
Usually, the wedding cake is massive in size, and multi-layered or tiered. It should complement the wedding dress, the place of reception, the weather conditions, etc.
Tradition demands that the bride and the groom share the first piece of the cake, after which other guests partake of it. Sometimes, a portion is preserved so that the couple can share it either on their first wedding anniversary or on the birth of their first child.
The wedding cake can be made in various flavors and colors. Some opt for the traditional ones, while others prefer new designs and tastes too. A single flavor can be used. But it would be nice if it could cater to the different tastes of the guests. To achieve this, each layer can have a different flavor. The topping or the icing can also be done in many ways, the traditional being the white cream icing. Even the shape is undergoing changes, and miniature cakes are becoming a common sight.
Some of the preferred flavors are cheesecakes, mousse-filled cakes, chocolate, orange mud, and fruitcakes. Fillings can be picked from the list of chocolate, coconut, custard, almond, vanilla, etc. At the top of the cake, the figures of the bride and the groom can be seen. The cake can be decorated using many colors or design themes.
The basic idea or tradition of the wedding cake is to make the occasion memorable, to be cherished by the couple as well as their friends and loved ones.
The tradition of serving cakes is laudable, as it symbolizes the sweetness, prosperity, fertility, and love fostered through marriage.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
An Easier Learning Curve Through Social Marketing Networks
Most people who have succeeded in business can probably tell you something about the importance of having a mentor who will be able to teach you the ropes in starting your own business. This is because the experience that these successful businessmen can impart is a very important factor in shortening your learning curve and in helping you avoid the mistakes start-up entrepreneurs usually make.
Consider the fact that 90 percent of all start-up businesses fail within five years as opposed to 90 percent of franchised businesses succeeding within the same time span and you’ll begin to appreciate the benefits of not having to reinvent the wheel to make your business work.
Social Marketing Networks
Online social marketing networks have served the purpose of educating new entrepreneurs as well as honing the skills of experienced entrepreneurs. This is because in an online social marketing network, you can ask for a business advice by posting your questions in a new forum and reading the answers given by some successful members. An article about the most common mistakes a newbie makes in any line of business alone can save you from making the same costly mistake. Furthermore, your learning curve will be much shorter as the other members in the network can help you find information, contacts and procedures that you need to start or manage your business.
Conversely, these successful businessmen can also generate leads and business opportunities through these online social marketing networks by providing the new entrepreneurs the tools they need to successfully jump start their business. All in all, social marketing networks benefit every member by making available information, means of sharing ideas, and ways of gathering information otherwise unavailable through other means.
Criteria in Choosing your Online Social Marketing Network
Of course, not all social marketing networks are the same so you must choose wisely. The best online social marketing network for you will obviously be the ones you will benefit from the most. For this reason, if you are a new entrepreneur, choosing the social marketing network with the most active and most numerous successful members will be the best choice. This is because the advice that they will be able to impart regarding your concerns will be ones based on something they have encountered before that has worked and not something they have only theorized about.
Of course, surrounding yourself with successful people in your field of business will also give you the right frame of mind and outlook in overcoming the challenges that will come your way. These people will tend to be supportive and not pessimistic because they themselves have learned to overcome these problems when they were starting out on their own.
Make sure to also choose a group that is well lead and structured as this will prove to be very important in making the transactions and conversations easier to participate in and more beneficial for the members. Beware of some social networks having very lax leadership; this defeats the purpose of creating the group in the first place with some members filling the forums with spams, advertisements, viruses etc. With social marketing networks, learn more, share more and profit more.
Consider the fact that 90 percent of all start-up businesses fail within five years as opposed to 90 percent of franchised businesses succeeding within the same time span and you’ll begin to appreciate the benefits of not having to reinvent the wheel to make your business work.
Social Marketing Networks
Online social marketing networks have served the purpose of educating new entrepreneurs as well as honing the skills of experienced entrepreneurs. This is because in an online social marketing network, you can ask for a business advice by posting your questions in a new forum and reading the answers given by some successful members. An article about the most common mistakes a newbie makes in any line of business alone can save you from making the same costly mistake. Furthermore, your learning curve will be much shorter as the other members in the network can help you find information, contacts and procedures that you need to start or manage your business.
Conversely, these successful businessmen can also generate leads and business opportunities through these online social marketing networks by providing the new entrepreneurs the tools they need to successfully jump start their business. All in all, social marketing networks benefit every member by making available information, means of sharing ideas, and ways of gathering information otherwise unavailable through other means.
Criteria in Choosing your Online Social Marketing Network
Of course, not all social marketing networks are the same so you must choose wisely. The best online social marketing network for you will obviously be the ones you will benefit from the most. For this reason, if you are a new entrepreneur, choosing the social marketing network with the most active and most numerous successful members will be the best choice. This is because the advice that they will be able to impart regarding your concerns will be ones based on something they have encountered before that has worked and not something they have only theorized about.
Of course, surrounding yourself with successful people in your field of business will also give you the right frame of mind and outlook in overcoming the challenges that will come your way. These people will tend to be supportive and not pessimistic because they themselves have learned to overcome these problems when they were starting out on their own.
Make sure to also choose a group that is well lead and structured as this will prove to be very important in making the transactions and conversations easier to participate in and more beneficial for the members. Beware of some social networks having very lax leadership; this defeats the purpose of creating the group in the first place with some members filling the forums with spams, advertisements, viruses etc. With social marketing networks, learn more, share more and profit more.
Anniversary Invitations: Celebrating a Milestone
For every anniversary there is a different theme. If you are choosing to throw a party to celebrate your anniversary, choosing the right invitation can be a very important step in party planning.
If it is your first year anniversary, the theme is paper, 25th is silver and 50th is gold. For a full list of anniversary gifts by year pick up any wedding etiquette book. It is full of useful information for after the big day. There are many beautiful gold and silver invitations that will help you to commemorate this special time.
If someone besides the couple is hosting an anniversary party it is easy to select a lovely anniversary invitation. Keep in mind the anniversary year and the style of the couple who is celebrating. With this information, the host can select the invitation that best matches the couples anniversary and interests.
There are so many varying styles of anniversary invitations. There are cards, tri-fold invitations, and invitations with matching RSVP cards. Depending on how formal the event will be, invitations can range from very simple to very ornate. Again, it is up to the couple or the host to which type of invitation will be selected.
Anniversaries are a very special time, and a very proud time for a couple who wishes to celebrate their love. Whether it is the first year of marriage or the fiftieth, all celebrations begin the moment guests receive their anniversary invitations. Set the mood and choose the perfect invitations.
If it is your first year anniversary, the theme is paper, 25th is silver and 50th is gold. For a full list of anniversary gifts by year pick up any wedding etiquette book. It is full of useful information for after the big day. There are many beautiful gold and silver invitations that will help you to commemorate this special time.
If someone besides the couple is hosting an anniversary party it is easy to select a lovely anniversary invitation. Keep in mind the anniversary year and the style of the couple who is celebrating. With this information, the host can select the invitation that best matches the couples anniversary and interests.
There are so many varying styles of anniversary invitations. There are cards, tri-fold invitations, and invitations with matching RSVP cards. Depending on how formal the event will be, invitations can range from very simple to very ornate. Again, it is up to the couple or the host to which type of invitation will be selected.
Anniversaries are a very special time, and a very proud time for a couple who wishes to celebrate their love. Whether it is the first year of marriage or the fiftieth, all celebrations begin the moment guests receive their anniversary invitations. Set the mood and choose the perfect invitations.
Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System
The Special Edition Brewing System is our mid-luxury home brewing system that offers a blend of styling and convenient features. The Special Edition features chrome accents, a blue, back lit LCD display and three brew size options. Programmable features include a Digital Clock, Adjustable Temperature and Auto On/Off. The 48-ounce removable water reservoir holds up to eight cups before refilling and for the removable drip tray allows for easy cleaning and the use of travel mugs.At initial set up, once the machine is filled with water, it will take approximately 4-minutes for the water will be heated. During the heating period the red light next to 'HEATING' on the LED Control Center will become illuminated. Once the water is heated, the red light will turn off and the Small Mug Button will flash. Press the Small Mug Button to start a cleansing brew. Pour the hot water into the sink. The Brewer may take 15 seconds to reheat water between brews during which time the red light next to 'HEATING' on the LED Control Center may be illuminated. When the water has heated, the red light will turn off. The one-time set-up process is now complete and you are ready to brew!Price: $149.99
Anniversary Favor Ideas
Anniversary favor ideas are many. Whether it is the 25th anniversary and you need silver anniversary favors, or the 50th anniversary and you need gold anniversary favors, you have a wealth of possibilities.
Silver Anniversary Favor Ideas
Silver anniversary favors are the more popular of the two, especially since divorce so frequently enters in before the 50th anniversary is reached. Even a 25th anniversary is less common than it once was.
Still, silver anniversaries are celebrated often, and anniversary favor ideas are needed for each one.
When you begin looking for silver anniversary favor ideas, you will find many, such as the following.
1. Elegant Silver Wedding Frame Anniversary Favors: Wedding frame favors have a long tradition behind them. They also come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and prices. If your reception will host 100 or more guests, silver wedding frame favors at less than $1 each would be an affordable anniversary favor idea.
2. Silver Coaster Anniversary Favors: Silver coasters are another good anniversary favor idea for the 25th anniversary reception. Any engraved anniversary favor is special. Coasters are both practical and special.
3. Silver Candle Holder Anniversary Favors: Carry the silver anniversary theme with candle holders for each guest. Mini candle holders can echo the beauty of large candle holders used in a centerpiece. These anniversary favors may hold tea lights, votive candles, or tapers.
4. Silver Mint Tin Anniversary Favors: Among my favorite anniversary favor ideas are small silver mint tins. These are practical anniversary favors that your guests can carry in a pocket or handbag. Fill them with small mints for your reception. They may be left plain or engraved with the couples names and anniversary date.
5. Unique Silver Anniversary Favor Ideas: If you are creative, you can craft unique anniversary favors for the occasion. A mini silver anniversary CD will be different from any other couple's anniversary favor. So will iris bulbs, with a note reminding guests that the iris is the flower of the 25th anniversary.
Golden Anniversary Favor Ideas
Golden anniversary favors are becoming a rarity in the U.S., although golden anniversaries themselves were once more common. Now, people marvel at those who attain a milestone of 50 years together.
If you are looking for golden anniversary favor ideas, choices will be more limited, but you still have a number of anniversary favor ideas from which to choose. You can use regular wedding favors if they can be printed, etched, or engraved in gold. These examples may help.
1. Glass Candle Holder Anniversary Favors: Clear or frosted glass votive candle holders can be printed with a design such as gold bells or hearts, and 2 or 3 lines of text in gold. Print the names, wedding date, and anniversary date. Add a white votive candle.
2. Coaster Anniversary Favors: Of all the anniversary favor ideas for a golden anniversary, these may be most popular. Inexpensive paper coasters can be printed in gold lettering. Gold tone coasters can be purchased inexpensively. Glass coasters can be printed in gold.
3. Pillar Candle Anniversary Favors: A beautiful white pillar candle can be tied with a gold foil ribbon for a simple, but elegant golden anniversary favor.
4. Personalized Wedding Favor Boxes: Simple anniversary favors can be made by purchasing a supply of wedding favor boxes or mini bags. These can be gold tone boxes, or white boxes imprinted in gold. Fill with candy or a treat.
5. Unique Golden Anniversary Favor Ideas: As with the silver anniversary favors, a creative person can craft unique anniversary favors for the golden wedding anniversary. A mini anniversary CD burned on a gold tone disc will be unique. Burn photos of a lifetime, or music of the wedding era. Packets of flower seed are nice, especially if the plants will bloom in shades of gold. You might also give packets of violet seeds, or a miniature African violet, with a note telling guests that the flower for the golden anniversary is a violet.
The best anniversary favor ideas are those that express the love of the specific couple for whom the reception is being held. Think about them. Think about their life together. If something stands out, use the idea for anniversary favors.
Silver Anniversary Favor Ideas
Silver anniversary favors are the more popular of the two, especially since divorce so frequently enters in before the 50th anniversary is reached. Even a 25th anniversary is less common than it once was.
Still, silver anniversaries are celebrated often, and anniversary favor ideas are needed for each one.
When you begin looking for silver anniversary favor ideas, you will find many, such as the following.
1. Elegant Silver Wedding Frame Anniversary Favors: Wedding frame favors have a long tradition behind them. They also come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and prices. If your reception will host 100 or more guests, silver wedding frame favors at less than $1 each would be an affordable anniversary favor idea.
2. Silver Coaster Anniversary Favors: Silver coasters are another good anniversary favor idea for the 25th anniversary reception. Any engraved anniversary favor is special. Coasters are both practical and special.
3. Silver Candle Holder Anniversary Favors: Carry the silver anniversary theme with candle holders for each guest. Mini candle holders can echo the beauty of large candle holders used in a centerpiece. These anniversary favors may hold tea lights, votive candles, or tapers.
4. Silver Mint Tin Anniversary Favors: Among my favorite anniversary favor ideas are small silver mint tins. These are practical anniversary favors that your guests can carry in a pocket or handbag. Fill them with small mints for your reception. They may be left plain or engraved with the couples names and anniversary date.
5. Unique Silver Anniversary Favor Ideas: If you are creative, you can craft unique anniversary favors for the occasion. A mini silver anniversary CD will be different from any other couple's anniversary favor. So will iris bulbs, with a note reminding guests that the iris is the flower of the 25th anniversary.
Golden Anniversary Favor Ideas
Golden anniversary favors are becoming a rarity in the U.S., although golden anniversaries themselves were once more common. Now, people marvel at those who attain a milestone of 50 years together.
If you are looking for golden anniversary favor ideas, choices will be more limited, but you still have a number of anniversary favor ideas from which to choose. You can use regular wedding favors if they can be printed, etched, or engraved in gold. These examples may help.
1. Glass Candle Holder Anniversary Favors: Clear or frosted glass votive candle holders can be printed with a design such as gold bells or hearts, and 2 or 3 lines of text in gold. Print the names, wedding date, and anniversary date. Add a white votive candle.
2. Coaster Anniversary Favors: Of all the anniversary favor ideas for a golden anniversary, these may be most popular. Inexpensive paper coasters can be printed in gold lettering. Gold tone coasters can be purchased inexpensively. Glass coasters can be printed in gold.
3. Pillar Candle Anniversary Favors: A beautiful white pillar candle can be tied with a gold foil ribbon for a simple, but elegant golden anniversary favor.
4. Personalized Wedding Favor Boxes: Simple anniversary favors can be made by purchasing a supply of wedding favor boxes or mini bags. These can be gold tone boxes, or white boxes imprinted in gold. Fill with candy or a treat.
5. Unique Golden Anniversary Favor Ideas: As with the silver anniversary favors, a creative person can craft unique anniversary favors for the golden wedding anniversary. A mini anniversary CD burned on a gold tone disc will be unique. Burn photos of a lifetime, or music of the wedding era. Packets of flower seed are nice, especially if the plants will bloom in shades of gold. You might also give packets of violet seeds, or a miniature African violet, with a note telling guests that the flower for the golden anniversary is a violet.
The best anniversary favor ideas are those that express the love of the specific couple for whom the reception is being held. Think about them. Think about their life together. If something stands out, use the idea for anniversary favors.
Wilton Decorating Basics Lesson Plan
WILTON-Decorating Basics Lesson Plan. This book is a great introduction to creating beautifully decorated cakes at home! This lesson plan is made to coordinate with the Wilton Decorating Basics Student Kit (not included) and is full of great ideas for the beginner cake decorator. This book features basic decorating principles; preparation; and detailed instructions for constructing stars; drop flowers; rosettes; shells; leaves and more out of icing! Softcover: 48 pages. Made in USA.Price: $4.99
Click here to buy from Amazon
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Anniversary Favors – Coffee Or Tea
You decided to throw an anniversary party for the lucky couple – a 25th or a 50th. You will offer both coffee and tea at the party, so why not take your cue for anniversary favors from the beverages. "Would you like coffee or tea?"
Anniversary favors of coffee or tea are easy to find, and make a cute commentary on the couple's long marriage.
Theme Your Party
Theme your party around "Tea for Two" or "The Perfect Blend" and either tea or coffee favors will work well. Here are some ideas for both.
1. "The Perfect Blend" coffee cups holding a tea light candle. These charming white coffee cups hold coffee colored tea light candles, scented to resemble java. When lit, the candles glow with a soft early-morning light. A hang tag on the anniversary favor gift box proclaims "A Perfect Blend" and could be personalized with the anniversary couple's names and wedding date.
2. "Tea for Two" teacups are also available, each holding a white tea light candle. The beautiful silver pattern on the tea cups, as well as the silver band around the saucer and cup top, make these marvelous anniversary favors for a 25th wedding anniversary. The cup is attached to the saucer, and is a perfect size for a single tea light candle.
3. "The Perfect Blend" anniversary favors can be 6.5 inch tall bags of ground coffee with a silver-chrome, heart-shaped coffee spoon attached to each bag. These elegant favors come in black and white packets, illustrated as a groom or bride. Each has a matching personalized tag on which you can commemorate the wedding anniversary. These anniversary favors also are good for a 25th wedding anniversary.
4. "Tea for Two" anniversary favors for a golden wedding anniversary could be tea sachets in a gold-decorated tin. The elegant tea sachets will please, and each tin can be personalized with wedding anniversary information.
5. "The Perfect Blend" anniversary favors can be as simple as a silver or gold foil bag of ground coffee personalized with the anniversary couple's name and wedding date on each pack.
6. "Tea for Two" anniversary favors are available in boxes of 6 teabags in flavors such as lemon or apple cinnamon. Each box features a 3D pop-out tea cup as part of the box.
7. A perfect wedding anniversary favor for a silver wedding anniversary would be an elegant silver teapot placecard holder. It's a beautiful memento that guests can keep to remind them of your long-lasting love.
Many countries have long valued a hot cup of tea when spending a relaxing hour or two with friends. Now tea drinking is becoming popular in the U.S. as well. In fact, tea parties are the new trend in birthdays, bridal showers, and corporate events.
Unique Anniversary Favors
A lovely, unique anniversary favor for either silver or golden wedding anniversary is a heart-shaped tea infuser spoon. This anniversary favor will show your appreciation to guests for attending the event.
Another unique anniversary favor we found comes from Japan. Heart-shaped drop tea tablets are packed in a clear glass tube. A matching clear glass tube holds heart-shaped sugar. Drop a couple of each into a cup of hot water, and "love is brewing."
Mini tea sets, which can also be used as espresso cups, also fall into the category of unique anniversary favors. They are harder to find than some favors, but worth looking.
Coffee House Anniversary Favors
Create your own anniversary favors by visiting a local coffee house for ideas. Look at the various types of coffee and tea. Then purchase small air-tight containers that will hold 2 ounces. Fill each with coffee or tea of your choice, and tuck into a silver or gold organza bag for a quick anniversary favor.
Anniversary favors of coffee or tea are easy to find, and make a cute commentary on the couple's long marriage.
Theme Your Party
Theme your party around "Tea for Two" or "The Perfect Blend" and either tea or coffee favors will work well. Here are some ideas for both.
1. "The Perfect Blend" coffee cups holding a tea light candle. These charming white coffee cups hold coffee colored tea light candles, scented to resemble java. When lit, the candles glow with a soft early-morning light. A hang tag on the anniversary favor gift box proclaims "A Perfect Blend" and could be personalized with the anniversary couple's names and wedding date.
2. "Tea for Two" teacups are also available, each holding a white tea light candle. The beautiful silver pattern on the tea cups, as well as the silver band around the saucer and cup top, make these marvelous anniversary favors for a 25th wedding anniversary. The cup is attached to the saucer, and is a perfect size for a single tea light candle.
3. "The Perfect Blend" anniversary favors can be 6.5 inch tall bags of ground coffee with a silver-chrome, heart-shaped coffee spoon attached to each bag. These elegant favors come in black and white packets, illustrated as a groom or bride. Each has a matching personalized tag on which you can commemorate the wedding anniversary. These anniversary favors also are good for a 25th wedding anniversary.
4. "Tea for Two" anniversary favors for a golden wedding anniversary could be tea sachets in a gold-decorated tin. The elegant tea sachets will please, and each tin can be personalized with wedding anniversary information.
5. "The Perfect Blend" anniversary favors can be as simple as a silver or gold foil bag of ground coffee personalized with the anniversary couple's name and wedding date on each pack.
6. "Tea for Two" anniversary favors are available in boxes of 6 teabags in flavors such as lemon or apple cinnamon. Each box features a 3D pop-out tea cup as part of the box.
7. A perfect wedding anniversary favor for a silver wedding anniversary would be an elegant silver teapot placecard holder. It's a beautiful memento that guests can keep to remind them of your long-lasting love.
Many countries have long valued a hot cup of tea when spending a relaxing hour or two with friends. Now tea drinking is becoming popular in the U.S. as well. In fact, tea parties are the new trend in birthdays, bridal showers, and corporate events.
Unique Anniversary Favors
A lovely, unique anniversary favor for either silver or golden wedding anniversary is a heart-shaped tea infuser spoon. This anniversary favor will show your appreciation to guests for attending the event.
Another unique anniversary favor we found comes from Japan. Heart-shaped drop tea tablets are packed in a clear glass tube. A matching clear glass tube holds heart-shaped sugar. Drop a couple of each into a cup of hot water, and "love is brewing."
Mini tea sets, which can also be used as espresso cups, also fall into the category of unique anniversary favors. They are harder to find than some favors, but worth looking.
Coffee House Anniversary Favors
Create your own anniversary favors by visiting a local coffee house for ideas. Look at the various types of coffee and tea. Then purchase small air-tight containers that will hold 2 ounces. Fill each with coffee or tea of your choice, and tuck into a silver or gold organza bag for a quick anniversary favor.
American Wedding Practices
Living in the US makes one feel free - free to do anything, free to live, free to love, free from traditions. While this is true, there are still many practices done during wedding that renders this memorable event with a distinct American touch. Here are some:
Starting from the engagement, Americans can think of unique ways to personalize their wedding. As there really isn't any engagement tradition, the more unique the marriage proposal is done, the better.
For most wedding preparations, the engaged couple visits their parents to inform them of their recent engagement.
At times, the engaged couple hosts an engagement party. The engagement party costs less than a wedding reception since most of the time, the menu will only include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Therefore, if the couple is on a tight budget, they can just invite more guests to the engagement party if they plan to limit the number of guests during the wedding.
Most wedding preparations have a bridal shower given by the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. The groom may also have a bachelor party the night before the wedding but he has to be careful not to drink too much.
Wedding invitations should include response cards to quickly inform the couple whether the person has accepted or declined the invitation. The wedding invitations should also be sent within four to six weeks before the event.
Usually, there is a rehearsal dinner in which the wedding party and guests came from far places to be present at the wedding attend. It was practiced that the groom's parents pay for this dinner.
A bridal luncheon may be hosted for the bride's attendants during the wedding day. However, time constraints may not permit this to be part of the schedule for the wedding day. Likewise, the groom may also host a groom's dinner for his groomsmen.
Interestingly, even if the couple is not very religious, they still prefer a religious ceremony. However, this may pose a problem since in America people of different faiths and religious backgrounds get married.
Even if there are few people who believe in bad luck, some couples still make sure that the groom does not see his bride until she starts waking on the aisle.
It is still practiced that the groom and his groomsmen enter the church through a side door. The bride will then walk down the aisle with her father. In some cases when both her father and stepfather brought up the bride, she may ask them both to escort her.
During a formal reception, there is usually a bridal table where the couple and the attendants sit. Also, food and drinks should be served as the guests appear at the reception.
Before, gift giving used to depend on what the guest will feel useful for the couple. Now, it is better to register for gifts so the guests will know what to bring that the couple will need.
Upon receiving an engagement or wedding gift, it is better to send a thank you note apart from saying "thank you" to the giver. This should be sent within two weeks upon receipt of the gift. Make a personalized thank you note, instead of using an impersonal generic thank you note.
These are just some American practices during weddings. Whether one chooses to this or prefers to have a very different wedding, what's more important is that American's still believe in the wedding vow, "For better or worse, 'til death do us part."
Starting from the engagement, Americans can think of unique ways to personalize their wedding. As there really isn't any engagement tradition, the more unique the marriage proposal is done, the better.
For most wedding preparations, the engaged couple visits their parents to inform them of their recent engagement.
At times, the engaged couple hosts an engagement party. The engagement party costs less than a wedding reception since most of the time, the menu will only include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Therefore, if the couple is on a tight budget, they can just invite more guests to the engagement party if they plan to limit the number of guests during the wedding.
Most wedding preparations have a bridal shower given by the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. The groom may also have a bachelor party the night before the wedding but he has to be careful not to drink too much.
Wedding invitations should include response cards to quickly inform the couple whether the person has accepted or declined the invitation. The wedding invitations should also be sent within four to six weeks before the event.
Usually, there is a rehearsal dinner in which the wedding party and guests came from far places to be present at the wedding attend. It was practiced that the groom's parents pay for this dinner.
A bridal luncheon may be hosted for the bride's attendants during the wedding day. However, time constraints may not permit this to be part of the schedule for the wedding day. Likewise, the groom may also host a groom's dinner for his groomsmen.
Interestingly, even if the couple is not very religious, they still prefer a religious ceremony. However, this may pose a problem since in America people of different faiths and religious backgrounds get married.
Even if there are few people who believe in bad luck, some couples still make sure that the groom does not see his bride until she starts waking on the aisle.
It is still practiced that the groom and his groomsmen enter the church through a side door. The bride will then walk down the aisle with her father. In some cases when both her father and stepfather brought up the bride, she may ask them both to escort her.
During a formal reception, there is usually a bridal table where the couple and the attendants sit. Also, food and drinks should be served as the guests appear at the reception.
Before, gift giving used to depend on what the guest will feel useful for the couple. Now, it is better to register for gifts so the guests will know what to bring that the couple will need.
Upon receiving an engagement or wedding gift, it is better to send a thank you note apart from saying "thank you" to the giver. This should be sent within two weeks upon receipt of the gift. Make a personalized thank you note, instead of using an impersonal generic thank you note.
These are just some American practices during weddings. Whether one chooses to this or prefers to have a very different wedding, what's more important is that American's still believe in the wedding vow, "For better or worse, 'til death do us part."
Americans Are Ranked 41st In Lifespans
In America, we take understandable pride in being Number One. We are, after all, the richest people on Earth. We have the largest military. We’re still the only country to have put a man on the moon. Why, then, are we only the 41st (yes, you read that right) longest living people on the planet?
According to the latest report by the U.S. Census Bureau, an American baby born in 2004 can expect to live 77.9 years. That’s over 4 years less than a Japanese baby, who can expect to live a full 82 years."
"Something's wrong here when one of the richest countries in the world, the one that spends the most on health care, is not able to keep up with other countries," said Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, in an article reported by the Associated Press. Americans rank behind countries like France (80.4), Sweden (80.3) and Canada (80.0). In fact we rank behind most of Europe, and even one Middle Eastern country (Jordan).
What’s going on? Some of the difference – a tiny bit –is attributable to racial disparities in life spans. White Americans actually live about 78.3 years according to the CDC---still about 4 years shorter than the Japanese or six years shorter than some Europeans---while African Americans can expect to live 73.3 years. Researchers explain the alarming gap in life spans to a combination of inadequate health insurance, obesity and lifestyle factors such as stress. Countries such as England, Canada and France have national health coverage which may explain some of the gap.People with health coverage are more likely to seek medical attention immediately when they need it, rather than wait until the problem gets worse and their health deteriorates.
This problem of non-existent health coverage plagues about 47 million of us. And the remaining 253 million of us with health insurance often encounter a health care system that seems more intent on denying us coverage than ensuring our access to health care. In fact, many life-or-death health decisions are no longer made solely by you and your doctor. Instead, these decisions are ultimately made by HMOs. If you are denied coverage by some person – who may no even be a medical doctor – in some cubicle at an HMO, you do have a right to appeal. If you survive long enough to win the appeal, then you may be able to finally get the coverage you have paid premiums to get. Of course, if you win your appeal, you better not get sick again.
Most HMOs have many loopholes which give them the right to not renew your insurance contract in the next renewal period. That’s not right or fair –but then again it was probably not fair to deny you coverage in the first place. Of course, you can appeal the non-renewal to some court and spend the remainder of your shortened lives fighting HMOs, right? A lot of Americans caught up in this crazy maze have started heading for the EXIT sign.
You may have heard about the new growing trend of “medical vacations”. BBC News (owned by The British Broadcasting Company) ran a report on September 14, 2007, about India’s attempts to become a medical tourism destination. In the report, a woman from Oregon explained that she had traveled from Oregon to Mumbai, India for a hip replacement. The woman explained that her health insurance would have required her to pay 20% of the cost. Apparently, even after factoring in the cost of a plane ticket for a 5000 mile trip and the costs for a hotel and food, it was still cheaper to have the operation in Mumbai than in Oregon.
Which leaves lifestyle factors ---- stress, obesity? We Americans are, to put it impolitely, fat. The latest research reports put the number of overweight or obese Americans at 67%. That's two out of three of us. Americans under 30 may be the first generation which will die at an earlier age than their parents. As for stress, that factor is hard to pin down. We Americans work longer hours for many more years than any other people in the industrialized world. We take an average of less than a week of vacation per year. Europeans average total vacation time of 6 to 8 weeks. A recent survey by KFC reported that 62% of us believe that the one hour lunch is “the biggest myth of working life”. MSNBC reported that many of us take only a half hour for lunch and plenty of us eat at our desks. Job security has all but vanished for the current generation of us working. And because older Americans – our parents — are on average sicker than, say, Europeans and Japanese and Canadians for longer periods of their mature years, working Americans often find ourselves sandwiched between the need to care for aging parents and kids.
So, while it’s hard to pin down exactly what kind of stress may be killing us off sooner than the rest of the industrialized world, we have plenty of candidate stressors which may be to blame.How do we close the gap? Much of it is beyond our fixing immediately. But surely, we can work on the problem of obesity. Doctors say losing even a few pounds, especially around the middle, can add years of healthy living.
According to the latest report by the U.S. Census Bureau, an American baby born in 2004 can expect to live 77.9 years. That’s over 4 years less than a Japanese baby, who can expect to live a full 82 years."
"Something's wrong here when one of the richest countries in the world, the one that spends the most on health care, is not able to keep up with other countries," said Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, in an article reported by the Associated Press. Americans rank behind countries like France (80.4), Sweden (80.3) and Canada (80.0). In fact we rank behind most of Europe, and even one Middle Eastern country (Jordan).
What’s going on? Some of the difference – a tiny bit –is attributable to racial disparities in life spans. White Americans actually live about 78.3 years according to the CDC---still about 4 years shorter than the Japanese or six years shorter than some Europeans---while African Americans can expect to live 73.3 years. Researchers explain the alarming gap in life spans to a combination of inadequate health insurance, obesity and lifestyle factors such as stress. Countries such as England, Canada and France have national health coverage which may explain some of the gap.People with health coverage are more likely to seek medical attention immediately when they need it, rather than wait until the problem gets worse and their health deteriorates.
This problem of non-existent health coverage plagues about 47 million of us. And the remaining 253 million of us with health insurance often encounter a health care system that seems more intent on denying us coverage than ensuring our access to health care. In fact, many life-or-death health decisions are no longer made solely by you and your doctor. Instead, these decisions are ultimately made by HMOs. If you are denied coverage by some person – who may no even be a medical doctor – in some cubicle at an HMO, you do have a right to appeal. If you survive long enough to win the appeal, then you may be able to finally get the coverage you have paid premiums to get. Of course, if you win your appeal, you better not get sick again.
Most HMOs have many loopholes which give them the right to not renew your insurance contract in the next renewal period. That’s not right or fair –but then again it was probably not fair to deny you coverage in the first place. Of course, you can appeal the non-renewal to some court and spend the remainder of your shortened lives fighting HMOs, right? A lot of Americans caught up in this crazy maze have started heading for the EXIT sign.
You may have heard about the new growing trend of “medical vacations”. BBC News (owned by The British Broadcasting Company) ran a report on September 14, 2007, about India’s attempts to become a medical tourism destination. In the report, a woman from Oregon explained that she had traveled from Oregon to Mumbai, India for a hip replacement. The woman explained that her health insurance would have required her to pay 20% of the cost. Apparently, even after factoring in the cost of a plane ticket for a 5000 mile trip and the costs for a hotel and food, it was still cheaper to have the operation in Mumbai than in Oregon.
Which leaves lifestyle factors ---- stress, obesity? We Americans are, to put it impolitely, fat. The latest research reports put the number of overweight or obese Americans at 67%. That's two out of three of us. Americans under 30 may be the first generation which will die at an earlier age than their parents. As for stress, that factor is hard to pin down. We Americans work longer hours for many more years than any other people in the industrialized world. We take an average of less than a week of vacation per year. Europeans average total vacation time of 6 to 8 weeks. A recent survey by KFC reported that 62% of us believe that the one hour lunch is “the biggest myth of working life”. MSNBC reported that many of us take only a half hour for lunch and plenty of us eat at our desks. Job security has all but vanished for the current generation of us working. And because older Americans – our parents — are on average sicker than, say, Europeans and Japanese and Canadians for longer periods of their mature years, working Americans often find ourselves sandwiched between the need to care for aging parents and kids.
So, while it’s hard to pin down exactly what kind of stress may be killing us off sooner than the rest of the industrialized world, we have plenty of candidate stressors which may be to blame.How do we close the gap? Much of it is beyond our fixing immediately. But surely, we can work on the problem of obesity. Doctors say losing even a few pounds, especially around the middle, can add years of healthy living.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
All You Need To Know About Chinese Zodiac Symbols.
It is so wonderful to have a balance of Chinese zodiac symbols to use with the western astrological signs. It is interesting to study the different horoscopes with respect to birthdates (and times) and find that each of the Chinese zodiac symbols is as close to being correct personality indicators as the western symbols/signs are. It is also interesting to consider how the symbols extend to being used in something other than telling one’s future/luck/personality.
My favorite delight with Chinese zodiac symbols, for instance, is playing a game called Mahjong Garden, at http://Pogo.com. Each set won (or completed) yields a reward of one of the Chinese zodiac symbols anthropomorphized and spiritualized. Alright, let me make one thing clear: There are twelve individual tile arrangements that you play. Each arrangement is in the design of one of the Chinese zodiac symbols. At the successful matching of all tiles on the board, an animated scroll appears, opens, and reveals one of the animals, holding an object that represents a phenomenon or human spiritual characteristic. Here are the Chinese zodiac symbols and their gift, as they appear on Pogo:
1st game—rat is the design and the rat brings the gift of charm or jade, representing perfection
2nd game—ox is the design and the ox brings the gift of optimism or apples, representing education
3rd game—tiger is the design and the tiger brings the gift of understanding
4th game—rabbit is the design and the rabbit brings the gift of humility or oranges, representing good fortune
5th game—dragon is the design and the dragon brings the gift of energy or a green box, symbolizing harmony
6th game—snake is the design and the snake brings the gift of intellect
7th game—horse is the design and the horse brings the gift of popularity or cheer.
8th game—ram is the design and the ram brings the gift of love or the arts
9th game—monkey is the design and the monkey brings the gift of energy
10th game—poultry is the design and the rooster brings the gift of pride or a gold box, representing strength
11th game—dog is the design, and the dog brings the gift of noodles, representing long life
12th game—boar is the design and the boar brings the gift of sincerity.
And with that completed set, you get a whole scroll opening across the screen, that has all of the Chinese zodiac symbols—all the animals. Now if we could only embody all of the characteristics of the Chinese zodiac
My favorite delight with Chinese zodiac symbols, for instance, is playing a game called Mahjong Garden, at http://Pogo.com. Each set won (or completed) yields a reward of one of the Chinese zodiac symbols anthropomorphized and spiritualized. Alright, let me make one thing clear: There are twelve individual tile arrangements that you play. Each arrangement is in the design of one of the Chinese zodiac symbols. At the successful matching of all tiles on the board, an animated scroll appears, opens, and reveals one of the animals, holding an object that represents a phenomenon or human spiritual characteristic. Here are the Chinese zodiac symbols and their gift, as they appear on Pogo:
1st game—rat is the design and the rat brings the gift of charm or jade, representing perfection
2nd game—ox is the design and the ox brings the gift of optimism or apples, representing education
3rd game—tiger is the design and the tiger brings the gift of understanding
4th game—rabbit is the design and the rabbit brings the gift of humility or oranges, representing good fortune
5th game—dragon is the design and the dragon brings the gift of energy or a green box, symbolizing harmony
6th game—snake is the design and the snake brings the gift of intellect
7th game—horse is the design and the horse brings the gift of popularity or cheer.
8th game—ram is the design and the ram brings the gift of love or the arts
9th game—monkey is the design and the monkey brings the gift of energy
10th game—poultry is the design and the rooster brings the gift of pride or a gold box, representing strength
11th game—dog is the design, and the dog brings the gift of noodles, representing long life
12th game—boar is the design and the boar brings the gift of sincerity.
And with that completed set, you get a whole scroll opening across the screen, that has all of the Chinese zodiac symbols—all the animals. Now if we could only embody all of the characteristics of the Chinese zodiac
All About Wedding Rings
You get to the alter and you say your I do’s and it's time for the best man to present the wedding rings, he pats his top pockets then his bottom pockets and you stare at him getting worried that may be he has forgotten or lost the most important part of your wedding, the rings! But there they are in his inside pocket and he passes them over to you and a look of relief washes over your face!
Wedding rings are the be all and end all to any wedding, they are usually just plain gold bands and it is the engagement ring that has the diamonds. But some men like to spoil a woman and get her a wedding ring encrusted with diamonds. Like they say diamonds are a girl's best friend! The wedding rings are usually put on the fingers at the end of the vows and then there is the famous “kiss the bride” moment.
The wedding bands symbolize unity and a constant circle, they are you and your partner together through everything, thick and thin, sickness and health and everything else that a married couple in love will go through together but it means that although there may be rocky or bubbly parts you will still be together to the end and the circle will continue! Some mothers pass their wedding rings down to their daughters as a symbol of love and friendship, not when they are married of course, but when their husband passes away and they are left widowed.
Wedding rings are usually bought from a jeweller but they can be purchased second hand or even on the internet, yes the internet does sell everything these days! The most important part of the wedding is saying "I do" then slipping that ring onto the person that you love finger knowing that you will spend the rest of your life loving them and cherishing them, no day is more special than your wedding day!
Wedding rings are the be all and end all to any wedding, they are usually just plain gold bands and it is the engagement ring that has the diamonds. But some men like to spoil a woman and get her a wedding ring encrusted with diamonds. Like they say diamonds are a girl's best friend! The wedding rings are usually put on the fingers at the end of the vows and then there is the famous “kiss the bride” moment.
The wedding bands symbolize unity and a constant circle, they are you and your partner together through everything, thick and thin, sickness and health and everything else that a married couple in love will go through together but it means that although there may be rocky or bubbly parts you will still be together to the end and the circle will continue! Some mothers pass their wedding rings down to their daughters as a symbol of love and friendship, not when they are married of course, but when their husband passes away and they are left widowed.
Wedding rings are usually bought from a jeweller but they can be purchased second hand or even on the internet, yes the internet does sell everything these days! The most important part of the wedding is saying "I do" then slipping that ring onto the person that you love finger knowing that you will spend the rest of your life loving them and cherishing them, no day is more special than your wedding day!
Alchemical And Later Discoveries And Uses Of Alum (Mineral)
Discovered and alchemical and posterior uses the presence of potassium the sulphuric alum acid was known to the alchemists. J.H. Pott and A.S. Marggraf showed that alumina was another constituent. Pott in its Lithogeognosia proved that the precipitate obtained when an alkali is versed in an alum solution is completely different from lime and chalk, with which it had been confused by G.E. Stahl. Marggraf proved that alumina is one of the components of alum, but that this ground has the particular properties, and is one of the clay commun run ingredients.
It also proved that crystals of alum cannot be obtained by dissolving alumina in sulphuric acid and evaporating the solutions, but when an ammonia or potash solution is released in this liquid, it immediately deposits the perfect crystals of alum. Torbern Bergman also observed that the addition of potash or made ammonia the solution of alumina in sulphuric acid crystallizes, but that the same effect was not produced by the addition of soda or lime, and that potassium sulphate is frequently found out of alum.
Short-term uses in industry the alum was imported in England mainly of the Middle East, and, as from late the 15th century, the papal states for hundreds of years. Its use there was as a dye-fixer (corrosive) for the wool (which was one of primary industries of England), the value of which appreciably increased if dyed. These sources were dubious, however, and there was a push to develop a source in England. With the financing of state, attempts were made throughout the 16th century, but without success until as of the access inside at the 17th century. An industry was founded in Yorkshire to treat the schist which contained the principal ingredient, sulphates aluminium, and contributed an important share to the industrial revolution. The alum (known under the name of turti in local Indian languages) was also employed for the treatment water by Indians for hundreds of years.
After M.H. Klaproth discovered the presence of potassium in leucite and lepidolite, it occurred with L.N. Vauquelin that it was probably an of the same ingredient in much of other ores. Knowing that the alum cannot be obtained out of crystals without addition of potash, it started with suspecter that this alkali constituted an essential ingredient in salt, and in 1797 it published an essay showing that the alum is a double salt, composed of sulphuric acid, alumina, and potash.
A little later J.A. Chaptal published the analysis of four kinds different of alum, namely, Roman alum, alum of Raising, British alum and alum built all alone. This analysis led to the same result as Vauquelin.
It also proved that crystals of alum cannot be obtained by dissolving alumina in sulphuric acid and evaporating the solutions, but when an ammonia or potash solution is released in this liquid, it immediately deposits the perfect crystals of alum. Torbern Bergman also observed that the addition of potash or made ammonia the solution of alumina in sulphuric acid crystallizes, but that the same effect was not produced by the addition of soda or lime, and that potassium sulphate is frequently found out of alum.
Short-term uses in industry the alum was imported in England mainly of the Middle East, and, as from late the 15th century, the papal states for hundreds of years. Its use there was as a dye-fixer (corrosive) for the wool (which was one of primary industries of England), the value of which appreciably increased if dyed. These sources were dubious, however, and there was a push to develop a source in England. With the financing of state, attempts were made throughout the 16th century, but without success until as of the access inside at the 17th century. An industry was founded in Yorkshire to treat the schist which contained the principal ingredient, sulphates aluminium, and contributed an important share to the industrial revolution. The alum (known under the name of turti in local Indian languages) was also employed for the treatment water by Indians for hundreds of years.
After M.H. Klaproth discovered the presence of potassium in leucite and lepidolite, it occurred with L.N. Vauquelin that it was probably an of the same ingredient in much of other ores. Knowing that the alum cannot be obtained out of crystals without addition of potash, it started with suspecter that this alkali constituted an essential ingredient in salt, and in 1797 it published an essay showing that the alum is a double salt, composed of sulphuric acid, alumina, and potash.
A little later J.A. Chaptal published the analysis of four kinds different of alum, namely, Roman alum, alum of Raising, British alum and alum built all alone. This analysis led to the same result as Vauquelin.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 87 )
Closely connected with these ideas is the doctrine -- which was universal before the Europeans mutilated it -- the doctrine of reincarnation. Some of you may have heard of and ignored it. This idea of reincarnation runs parallel with the other doctrine of the eternity of the human soul. Nothing which ends at one point can be without a beginning and nothing that begins at one point can be without an end. We cannot believe in such a monstrous impossibility as the beginning of the human soul. The doctrine of reincarnation asserts the freedom of the soul. Suppose there was an absolute beginning.
Then the whole burden of this impurity in man falls upon God. The all- merciful Father responsible for the sins of the world! If sin comes in this way, why should one suffer more than another? Why such partiality, if it comes from an all-merciful God? Why are millions trampled underfoot? Why do people starve who never did anything to cause it? Who is responsible? If they had no hand in it, surely, God would be responsible. Therefore the better explanation is that one is responsible for the miseries one suffers. If I set the wheel in motion, I am responsible for the result. And if I can bring misery,I can also stop it. It necessarily follows that we are free. There is no such thing as fate. There is nothing to compel us. What we have done, that we can undo.
To one argument in connection with this doctrine I will ask your patient attention, as it is a little intricate. We gain all our knowledge through experience; that is the only way.What we call experiences are on the plane of consciousness. For illustration: A man plays a tune on a piano, he places each finger on each key consciously. He repeats this process till the movement of the fingers becomes a habit. He then plays a tune without having to pay special attention to each particular key.
Then the whole burden of this impurity in man falls upon God. The all- merciful Father responsible for the sins of the world! If sin comes in this way, why should one suffer more than another? Why such partiality, if it comes from an all-merciful God? Why are millions trampled underfoot? Why do people starve who never did anything to cause it? Who is responsible? If they had no hand in it, surely, God would be responsible. Therefore the better explanation is that one is responsible for the miseries one suffers. If I set the wheel in motion, I am responsible for the result. And if I can bring misery,I can also stop it. It necessarily follows that we are free. There is no such thing as fate. There is nothing to compel us. What we have done, that we can undo.
To one argument in connection with this doctrine I will ask your patient attention, as it is a little intricate. We gain all our knowledge through experience; that is the only way.What we call experiences are on the plane of consciousness. For illustration: A man plays a tune on a piano, he places each finger on each key consciously. He repeats this process till the movement of the fingers becomes a habit. He then plays a tune without having to pay special attention to each particular key.
Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 80 )
Absolute equality, that which means a perfect balance of all the struggling forces in all the planes, can never be in this world. Before you attain that state, the world will have become quite unfit for any kind of life, and no one will be there. We find, therefore, that all these ideas of the millennium and of absolute equality are not only impossible but also that, if we try to carry them out, they will lead us surely enough to the day of destruction. What makes the difference between man and man? It is largely the difference in the brain. Nowadays no one but a lunatic will say that we are all born with the same brain power. We come into the world with unequal endowments; we come as greater men or as lesser men, and there is no getting away from that prenatally determined condition.
The American Indians were in this country for thousands of years, and a few handfuls of your ancestors came to their land. What difference they have caused in the appearance of the country! Why did not the Indians make improvements and build cities, if all were equal? With your ancestors a different sort of brain power came into the land,different bundles of past impressions came,and they worked out and manifested themselves. Absolute non - differentiation is death. So long as this world lasts,differentiation there will and must be,and the millennium of perfect equality will come only when a cycle of creation comes to its end. Before that, equality cannot be.
Yet this idea of realizing the millennium is a great motive power. Just as inequality is necessary for creation itself, so the struggle to limit it is also necessary.If there were no struggle to become free and get back to God,there would be no creation either. It is the difference between these two forces that determines the nature of the motives of men. There will always be these motives to work, some tending towards bondage and others towards freedom.
To get more information visit : http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com
The American Indians were in this country for thousands of years, and a few handfuls of your ancestors came to their land. What difference they have caused in the appearance of the country! Why did not the Indians make improvements and build cities, if all were equal? With your ancestors a different sort of brain power came into the land,different bundles of past impressions came,and they worked out and manifested themselves. Absolute non - differentiation is death. So long as this world lasts,differentiation there will and must be,and the millennium of perfect equality will come only when a cycle of creation comes to its end. Before that, equality cannot be.
Yet this idea of realizing the millennium is a great motive power. Just as inequality is necessary for creation itself, so the struggle to limit it is also necessary.If there were no struggle to become free and get back to God,there would be no creation either. It is the difference between these two forces that determines the nature of the motives of men. There will always be these motives to work, some tending towards bondage and others towards freedom.
To get more information visit : http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com
Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 67 )
What does it say? "Work incessantly, but give up all attachment to work." Do not identify yourself with anything. Hold your mind free. All this that you see, the pains and the miseries, are but the necessary conditions of this world; poverty and wealth and happiness are but momentary; they do not belong to our real nature at all. Our nature is far beyond misery and happiness, beyond every object of the senses, beyond the imagination;and yet we must go on working all the time. "Misery comes through attachment, not through work."
As soon as we identify ourselves with the work we do, we feel miserable; but if we do not identify ourselves with it, we do not feel that misery. If a beautiful picture belonging to another is burnt, a man does not generally become miserable; but when his own picture is burnt, how miserable he feels! Why? Both were beautiful pictures, perhaps copies of the same original; but in one case very much more misery is felt than in the other. It is because in one case he identifies himself with the picture, and not in the other. This "I and mine" causes the whole misery. With the sense of possession comes selfishness, and selfishness brings on misery. Every act of selfishness or thought of selfishness makes us attached to something, and immediately we are made slaves.
Each wave in the Chitta that says "I and mine" immediately puts a chain round us and makes us slaves; and the more we say "I and mine", the more slavery grows, the more misery increases. Therefore Karma-Yoga tells us to enjoy the beauty of all the pictures in the world, but not to identify ourselves with any of them. Never say "mine". Whenever we say a thing is "mine", misery will immediately come. Do not even say "my child" in your mind. Possess the child, but do not say "mine". If you do, then will come the misery.Do not say "my house," do not say "my body". The whole difficulty is there.The body is neither yours, nor mine, nor anybody's. These bodies are coming and going by the laws of nature, but we are free,standing as witness. This body is no more free than a picture or a wall. Why should we be attached so much to a body? If somebody paints a picture, he does it and passes on. Do not project that tentacle of selfishness, "I must possess it". As soon as that is projected, misery will begin.
As soon as we identify ourselves with the work we do, we feel miserable; but if we do not identify ourselves with it, we do not feel that misery. If a beautiful picture belonging to another is burnt, a man does not generally become miserable; but when his own picture is burnt, how miserable he feels! Why? Both were beautiful pictures, perhaps copies of the same original; but in one case very much more misery is felt than in the other. It is because in one case he identifies himself with the picture, and not in the other. This "I and mine" causes the whole misery. With the sense of possession comes selfishness, and selfishness brings on misery. Every act of selfishness or thought of selfishness makes us attached to something, and immediately we are made slaves.
Each wave in the Chitta that says "I and mine" immediately puts a chain round us and makes us slaves; and the more we say "I and mine", the more slavery grows, the more misery increases. Therefore Karma-Yoga tells us to enjoy the beauty of all the pictures in the world, but not to identify ourselves with any of them. Never say "mine". Whenever we say a thing is "mine", misery will immediately come. Do not even say "my child" in your mind. Possess the child, but do not say "mine". If you do, then will come the misery.Do not say "my house," do not say "my body". The whole difficulty is there.The body is neither yours, nor mine, nor anybody's. These bodies are coming and going by the laws of nature, but we are free,standing as witness. This body is no more free than a picture or a wall. Why should we be attached so much to a body? If somebody paints a picture, he does it and passes on. Do not project that tentacle of selfishness, "I must possess it". As soon as that is projected, misery will begin.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 59 )
Thus the man that has practised control over himself cannot be acted upon by anything outside; there is no more slavery for him. His mind has become free. Such a man alone is fit to live well in the world. We generally find men holding two opinions regarding the world. Some are pessimists and say, "How horrible this world is, how wicked!" Some others are optimists and say, "How beautiful this world is, how wonderful!" To those who have not controlled their own minds, the world is either full of evil or at best a mixture of good and evil. This very world will become to us an optimistic world when we become masters of our own minds. Nothing will then work upon us as good or evil; we shall find everything to be in its proper place, to be harmonious.
Some men, who begin by saying that the world is a hell, often end by saying that it is a heaven when they succeed in the practice of self - control. If we are genuine Karma-Yogis and wish to train ourselves to that attainment of this state, wherever we may begin we are sure to end in perfect self - abnegation; and as soon as this seeming self has gone, the whole world, which at first appears to us to be filled with evil, will appear to be heaven itself and full of blessedness. Its very atmosphere will be blessed; every human face there will be god. Such is the end and aim of Karma - yoga, and such is its perfection in practical life.
Our various Yogas do not conflict with each other; each of them leads us to the same goal and makes us perfect. Only each has to be strenuously practised. The whole secret is in practising. First you have to hear, then think, and then practise. This is true of every Yoga.
Some men, who begin by saying that the world is a hell, often end by saying that it is a heaven when they succeed in the practice of self - control. If we are genuine Karma-Yogis and wish to train ourselves to that attainment of this state, wherever we may begin we are sure to end in perfect self - abnegation; and as soon as this seeming self has gone, the whole world, which at first appears to us to be filled with evil, will appear to be heaven itself and full of blessedness. Its very atmosphere will be blessed; every human face there will be god. Such is the end and aim of Karma - yoga, and such is its perfection in practical life.
Our various Yogas do not conflict with each other; each of them leads us to the same goal and makes us perfect. Only each has to be strenuously practised. The whole secret is in practising. First you have to hear, then think, and then practise. This is true of every Yoga.
Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 58 )
There was a great sage in India called Vyasa. This Vyasa is known as the author of the Vedanta aphorisms,and was a holy man. His father had tried to become a very perfect man and had failed. His grandfather had also tried and failed. His great - grandfather had similarly tried and failed. He himself did not succeed perfectly, but his son, Shuka, was born perfect. Vyasa taught his son wisdom; and after teaching him the knowledge of truth himself, he sent him to the court of King Janaka. He was a great king and was called Janaka Videha.Videha means "without a body". Although a king, he had entirely forgotten that he was a body; he felt that he was a spirit all the time. This boy Shuka was sent to be taught by him. The king knew that Vyasa's son was coming to him to learn wisdom: so he made certain arrangements beforehand. And when the boy presented himself at the gates of the palace, the guards took no notice of him whatsoever. They only gave him a seat,and he sat there for three days and nights, nobody speaking to him,nobody asking him who he was or whence he was. He was the son of a very great sage, his father was honoured by the whole country, and he himself was a most respectable person; yet the low, vulgar guards of the palace would take no notice of him.
After that, suddenly, the ministers of the king and all the big officials came there and received him with the greatest honours. They conducted him in and showed him into splendid rooms, gave him the most fragrant baths and wonderful dresses, and for eight days they kept him there in all kinds of luxury. That solemnly serene face of Shuka did not change even to the smallest extent by the change in the treatment accorded to him; he was the same in the midst of this luxury as when waiting at the door. Then he was brought before the king. The king was on his throne, music was playing, and dancing and other amusements were going on. The king then gave him a cup of milk, full to the brim,and asked him to go seven times round the hall without spilling even a drop. The boy took the cup and proceeded in the midst of the music and the attraction of the beautiful faces. As desired by the king,seven times did he go round, and not a drop of the milk was spilt. The boy's mind could not be attracted by anything in the world, unless he allowed it to affect him. And when he brought the cup to the king, the king said to him, "What your father has taught you, and what you have learned yourself, I can only repeat. You have known the Truth; go home."
After that, suddenly, the ministers of the king and all the big officials came there and received him with the greatest honours. They conducted him in and showed him into splendid rooms, gave him the most fragrant baths and wonderful dresses, and for eight days they kept him there in all kinds of luxury. That solemnly serene face of Shuka did not change even to the smallest extent by the change in the treatment accorded to him; he was the same in the midst of this luxury as when waiting at the door. Then he was brought before the king. The king was on his throne, music was playing, and dancing and other amusements were going on. The king then gave him a cup of milk, full to the brim,and asked him to go seven times round the hall without spilling even a drop. The boy took the cup and proceeded in the midst of the music and the attraction of the beautiful faces. As desired by the king,seven times did he go round, and not a drop of the milk was spilt. The boy's mind could not be attracted by anything in the world, unless he allowed it to affect him. And when he brought the cup to the king, the king said to him, "What your father has taught you, and what you have learned yourself, I can only repeat. You have known the Truth; go home."
Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 53 )
Here are two Sanskrit words. The one is Pravritti, which means revolving towards, and the other is Nivritti, which means revolving away. The "revolving towards" is what we call the world, the "I and mine"; it includes all those things which are always enriching that "me" by wealth and money and power, and name and fame, and which are of a grasping nature, always tending to accumulate everything in one centre, that centre being "myself". That is the Pravritti,the natural tendency of every human being; taking everything from everywhere and heaping it around one centre, that centre being man's own sweet self. When this tendency begins to break, when it is Nivritti or "going away from," then begin morality and religion. Both Pravritti and Nivritti are of the nature of work: the former is evil work, and the latter is good work. This Nivritti is the fundamental basis of all morality and all religion, and the very perfection of it is entire self - abnegation, readiness to sacrifice mind and body and everything for another being.
When a man has reached that state, he has attained to the perfection of Karma - yoga. This is the highest result of good works. Although a man has not studied a single system of philosophy, although he does not believe in any God, and never has believed, although he has not prayed even once in his whole life, if the simple power of good actions has brought him to that state where he is ready to give up his life and all else for others, he has arrived at the same point to which the religious man will come through his prayers and the philosopher through his knowledge; and so you may find that the philosopher,the worker, and the devotee, all meet at one point, that one point being self - abnegation.
When a man has reached that state, he has attained to the perfection of Karma - yoga. This is the highest result of good works. Although a man has not studied a single system of philosophy, although he does not believe in any God, and never has believed, although he has not prayed even once in his whole life, if the simple power of good actions has brought him to that state where he is ready to give up his life and all else for others, he has arrived at the same point to which the religious man will come through his prayers and the philosopher through his knowledge; and so you may find that the philosopher,the worker, and the devotee, all meet at one point, that one point being self - abnegation.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
ADD: Society Needs Hunters
At the dawn of time, there were two distinct types of people. Each of them was required and one was not more important than the other. The first group went out and gathered berries, fruits, nuts, and grains. for the tribe. The second group went out and hunted for meat. Both groups were crucial to the survival of society.
Yet, the skills needed to complete each task were different. Using sight and smell, taste, and touch, the gatherers went about searching for food that was there for the taking.
Once these gatherers learned to till the soil, they became farmers. No longer did they have to search for food. Then, they became tenders of the crops, assuring that there would be food for everyone, even when the hunters were unsuccessful.
Hunters were different. They had no patience for tending crops and so went off in search of the animals to kill. They used all their senses, especially those of sight, smell, and hearing. They were alert at all times and ready for action. If they weren't constantly searching and wary, they would lose the meal or maybe be eaten by it.
How does this apply to modern times? Well, we still need hunters and we need farmers. The farmers are the linear folks. They support everything that goes on in our day-to-day life. They're administrators and caretakers. ADD people are different. More like the hunters, we're constantly looking for the next new thing. Though we're quick and smart and are able to think on our feet, we aren't finishers. We're often people who create the systems.
We just aren't tenders. We might set up the systems, but without linear thinking people to maintain them, there would be no society. It's just vital that there are two types of people in the world. While people with attention deficit are labeled as such, it's only because most of today's society is based around jobs that require tending. But our ADD brains aren't built that way!
If you're in a linear job and are unhappy because of it, then find another job that suits your ADD brain. Not all jobs require that you sit still and follow instructions. Try something creative, like writing or artistry. Or become an entrepreneur, like I am. It's perfectly suited to people with ADD. I'm able to create projects and with the help of the linear people on my team, see them through. It works out great!
ADD people are also problem solvers. So, find a job like being an electrician or even a CSI detective. Decide what works with your personality and your ADD. Think about what you're excited about, and when your hyperfocus kicks in, decide what you were doing when that happened. Those are the areas where you should be looking for work.
Just forget the labels that society has place on us because ADD people aren't very good at routines. We're definitely every bit as important to the success of society as are linear-thinking people. If you have a linear job and aren't satisfied, then find another job that works better with your ADD. Life can be sweet, when you find the spot that makes it that way.
Yet, the skills needed to complete each task were different. Using sight and smell, taste, and touch, the gatherers went about searching for food that was there for the taking.
Once these gatherers learned to till the soil, they became farmers. No longer did they have to search for food. Then, they became tenders of the crops, assuring that there would be food for everyone, even when the hunters were unsuccessful.
Hunters were different. They had no patience for tending crops and so went off in search of the animals to kill. They used all their senses, especially those of sight, smell, and hearing. They were alert at all times and ready for action. If they weren't constantly searching and wary, they would lose the meal or maybe be eaten by it.
How does this apply to modern times? Well, we still need hunters and we need farmers. The farmers are the linear folks. They support everything that goes on in our day-to-day life. They're administrators and caretakers. ADD people are different. More like the hunters, we're constantly looking for the next new thing. Though we're quick and smart and are able to think on our feet, we aren't finishers. We're often people who create the systems.
We just aren't tenders. We might set up the systems, but without linear thinking people to maintain them, there would be no society. It's just vital that there are two types of people in the world. While people with attention deficit are labeled as such, it's only because most of today's society is based around jobs that require tending. But our ADD brains aren't built that way!
If you're in a linear job and are unhappy because of it, then find another job that suits your ADD brain. Not all jobs require that you sit still and follow instructions. Try something creative, like writing or artistry. Or become an entrepreneur, like I am. It's perfectly suited to people with ADD. I'm able to create projects and with the help of the linear people on my team, see them through. It works out great!
ADD people are also problem solvers. So, find a job like being an electrician or even a CSI detective. Decide what works with your personality and your ADD. Think about what you're excited about, and when your hyperfocus kicks in, decide what you were doing when that happened. Those are the areas where you should be looking for work.
Just forget the labels that society has place on us because ADD people aren't very good at routines. We're definitely every bit as important to the success of society as are linear-thinking people. If you have a linear job and aren't satisfied, then find another job that works better with your ADD. Life can be sweet, when you find the spot that makes it that way.
Add A Personal Flair With Wedding Favors To Any Wedding
Celebrating the unity of two people for eternity is the foremost purpose of a Wedding Ceremony. It has been this way and will continue to be this way for as long as the tradition lives. Wedding Guests are invited to share not only in the joyous occasion but also to bear witness to the union. There is something spiritual about standing before all those who are special to you and make a lifelong commitment to someone for others to hear, which is what really transforms two people into a married couple.
To show an appreciation for their guests, for the time they have taken out of their busy lives to be part of the Wedding, the bride and groom shower their guests with Wedding Favors. These Wedding Gifts or Wedding Favors have been the tradition to thank the wedding guests for their thoughtfulness, their gifts and help in any way given to the couple in making the wedding a special occasion.
Wedding favors traditionally are given to all of the guests that have been invited to the wedding reception, of course, more expensive wedding favors are available and there are many weddings for which these higher-priced wedding favors are appropriate, but . these are typically inexpensive gifts, averaging in the $1 - $2 price range. Numerous wedding favors are available in just about any category one could imagine, from sterling silver picture frames, to personalized edible chocolates, and even fragrant bath soaps.
Selecting wedding favors is not that difficult at all, nor is it necessary to purchase these well in advance of the wedding date. Most are readily available at online and retail outlets that specialize in these kind of wedding accessories. You don't want to wait until the last minute however, as that is a particularly hectic time, and you will need to allow ample time for personalization, or if you select an item that requires special ordering, for example, an unusually large quantity, or an exclusive item. To be on the safe side, two to three months prior to the wedding date is a good time to make your wedding favor selections. Once you have them in your possession, the only other thing you need to worry about is getting them to the reception before the guests arrive and presenting them in a unique and beautiful manner appropriate for the occasion
Online shopping has made finding appropriate wedding favors very easy. Type 'wedding favors' into your search engine and you'll get pages of web sites offering every type of wedding favor you could ever want. So where do you begin? It's definitely a good idea to consult your budget worksheet first so you know the price range to focus on. From there, think about what makes you and your partner unique. Do you both love golf? Are you wine connoisseurs? What about a theme? If your wedding has one, there's sure to be a favor to complement that theme. Do you want the favor to be the place holder? If so, select one that allows you to write the person's name and table number. Creating your own wedding favors is another option and can end up being the most unique wedding favor of all and one that your guests are sure to treasure!
Wedding Favors most suited to the occasion are the ones that reflect your personal style and personality. So select something that you personally enjoy and that your guests will appreciate and remember your wedding and you for a long time to come.
To show an appreciation for their guests, for the time they have taken out of their busy lives to be part of the Wedding, the bride and groom shower their guests with Wedding Favors. These Wedding Gifts or Wedding Favors have been the tradition to thank the wedding guests for their thoughtfulness, their gifts and help in any way given to the couple in making the wedding a special occasion.
Wedding favors traditionally are given to all of the guests that have been invited to the wedding reception, of course, more expensive wedding favors are available and there are many weddings for which these higher-priced wedding favors are appropriate, but . these are typically inexpensive gifts, averaging in the $1 - $2 price range. Numerous wedding favors are available in just about any category one could imagine, from sterling silver picture frames, to personalized edible chocolates, and even fragrant bath soaps.
Selecting wedding favors is not that difficult at all, nor is it necessary to purchase these well in advance of the wedding date. Most are readily available at online and retail outlets that specialize in these kind of wedding accessories. You don't want to wait until the last minute however, as that is a particularly hectic time, and you will need to allow ample time for personalization, or if you select an item that requires special ordering, for example, an unusually large quantity, or an exclusive item. To be on the safe side, two to three months prior to the wedding date is a good time to make your wedding favor selections. Once you have them in your possession, the only other thing you need to worry about is getting them to the reception before the guests arrive and presenting them in a unique and beautiful manner appropriate for the occasion
Online shopping has made finding appropriate wedding favors very easy. Type 'wedding favors' into your search engine and you'll get pages of web sites offering every type of wedding favor you could ever want. So where do you begin? It's definitely a good idea to consult your budget worksheet first so you know the price range to focus on. From there, think about what makes you and your partner unique. Do you both love golf? Are you wine connoisseurs? What about a theme? If your wedding has one, there's sure to be a favor to complement that theme. Do you want the favor to be the place holder? If so, select one that allows you to write the person's name and table number. Creating your own wedding favors is another option and can end up being the most unique wedding favor of all and one that your guests are sure to treasure!
Wedding Favors most suited to the occasion are the ones that reflect your personal style and personality. So select something that you personally enjoy and that your guests will appreciate and remember your wedding and you for a long time to come.
Acquaint Yourself With The Medieval Weapons And Medieval Swords
We all know that medieval weapons belonged to knights who used them to fight their enemies. When going on a battlefield, it is very important for the knights to select the best weapon so that he can fight and triumph over his enemy. Medieval weapons are those weapons that the knight have used during the Middle Ages to fight their enemies. These weapons come in different shapes and designs.
Some of these weapons are stronger while the others are not as strong as some weapons. During the middle ages, the knight using the weapons should have a fair knowledge about them and also about the strength of the weapon so that he can use the weapons in the best possible way.
Medieval weapons were not only found in the European countries but they were found in the different countries of the world. Each country has its own designs of medieval weapons and as such, you will find that the weapons of one country are completely different from the weapons of other countries. For instance, take a look at these different medieval weapons http://www.a2armory.com/medar.html. If you search the Internet, you are bound to find hundreds of medieval weapons that were used during the Middle Ages by the knight. These weapons have their own strength and style.
In the middle ages, only the rich and famous had the right to buy and make use of these weapons to protect their families because only the rich could afford these weapons. These weapons are divided into two categories depending on their purpose of use. The first category of weapons was used for long-range encounters. It means that if a knight wanted to attack its enemy who is at a distance then he can use these weapons. The second type of weapon is for close encounters like a knife.
After talking about the medieval weapons, let us take a look at some of the examples of medieval weapons:
Blade - It refers to a weapon that has a flat surface and an edge that is sharp and pointed. This weapon is generally made of metal and it is used for the purpose of cutting, striking, thrusting, stabbing, etc.
Dagger - It refers to a knife that has two edges and they are usually used for the purpose of thrusting or stabbing. Most of the time, this weapon was used as a less important weapon for close encounters. Even in the past, these weapons were not regarded as primary weapons. They were also regarded as tertiary weapons.
Sword - It refers to a long weapon that has a lengthy cutting frame. This weapon is used in different forms in different countries of the world.
Some of these weapons are stronger while the others are not as strong as some weapons. During the middle ages, the knight using the weapons should have a fair knowledge about them and also about the strength of the weapon so that he can use the weapons in the best possible way.
Medieval weapons were not only found in the European countries but they were found in the different countries of the world. Each country has its own designs of medieval weapons and as such, you will find that the weapons of one country are completely different from the weapons of other countries. For instance, take a look at these different medieval weapons http://www.a2armory.com/medar.html. If you search the Internet, you are bound to find hundreds of medieval weapons that were used during the Middle Ages by the knight. These weapons have their own strength and style.
In the middle ages, only the rich and famous had the right to buy and make use of these weapons to protect their families because only the rich could afford these weapons. These weapons are divided into two categories depending on their purpose of use. The first category of weapons was used for long-range encounters. It means that if a knight wanted to attack its enemy who is at a distance then he can use these weapons. The second type of weapon is for close encounters like a knife.
After talking about the medieval weapons, let us take a look at some of the examples of medieval weapons:
Blade - It refers to a weapon that has a flat surface and an edge that is sharp and pointed. This weapon is generally made of metal and it is used for the purpose of cutting, striking, thrusting, stabbing, etc.
Dagger - It refers to a knife that has two edges and they are usually used for the purpose of thrusting or stabbing. Most of the time, this weapon was used as a less important weapon for close encounters. Even in the past, these weapons were not regarded as primary weapons. They were also regarded as tertiary weapons.
Sword - It refers to a long weapon that has a lengthy cutting frame. This weapon is used in different forms in different countries of the world.
Friday, March 25, 2011
About Styles Of Wedding Dresses
There are many different styles of wedding dresses, almost as many styles of wedding dresses as there are shapes of women. No two women are shaped the same and that is why it is so important to get wedding dresses tailored to fit the bride. This often costs more money but it is well worth it if you want to look your best as you walk down the aisle. This should be the goal of all wedding dresses, to highlight all of the brides best features and attributes.
The styles of wedding dresses change with the seasons but there are a few classic styles that will never get old or go out of style. The classic A line dress is one of the wedding dresses. Of all the wedding dresses on the market today A line wedding dresses are the best. These wedding dresses look good on any woman, no matter what she looks like and what she weighs. It is the A line wedding dresses that flatter every woman alike. This cannot be said for any other of the wedding dresses out there.
When you first go shopping for wedding dresses you will want to have a sit down with the bridal consultant at the bridal boutique. He or she will be able to give you some helpful advice about which of the wedding dresses will flatter you the most. These consultants are so useful when you are looking at wedding dresses.
You should also try on all kinds of different wedding dresses just to make sure that you choose the perfect one. You need to try all of these wedding dresses to find the one that is the most comfortable and the one that will make you feel the most like a queen. That is what wedding dresses need to do, make you feel like one of a kind because that is what you are and that is why your husband to be loves you so much.
The wedding dresses that you try on can be of any color. White is the most common color of wedding dresses but there is no reason that you have to stick with it. If you want a bright red wedding dress then you should have it that is your right as a bride. If the wedding dresses you are trying on are not what you are looking for you should let your bridal consultant know. This consultant will go through all of the wedding dresses in their boutique in order to try to find the one that you will like. They can also show you some wedding dresses from their catalogs. If you see some that you think you might like your boutique should be able to order in these wedding dresses.
Your bridal boutique should be able to deal with all of your concerns with wedding dresses. If they are not then you might want to think about looking for wedding dresses elsewhere.
The styles of wedding dresses change with the seasons but there are a few classic styles that will never get old or go out of style. The classic A line dress is one of the wedding dresses. Of all the wedding dresses on the market today A line wedding dresses are the best. These wedding dresses look good on any woman, no matter what she looks like and what she weighs. It is the A line wedding dresses that flatter every woman alike. This cannot be said for any other of the wedding dresses out there.
When you first go shopping for wedding dresses you will want to have a sit down with the bridal consultant at the bridal boutique. He or she will be able to give you some helpful advice about which of the wedding dresses will flatter you the most. These consultants are so useful when you are looking at wedding dresses.
You should also try on all kinds of different wedding dresses just to make sure that you choose the perfect one. You need to try all of these wedding dresses to find the one that is the most comfortable and the one that will make you feel the most like a queen. That is what wedding dresses need to do, make you feel like one of a kind because that is what you are and that is why your husband to be loves you so much.
The wedding dresses that you try on can be of any color. White is the most common color of wedding dresses but there is no reason that you have to stick with it. If you want a bright red wedding dress then you should have it that is your right as a bride. If the wedding dresses you are trying on are not what you are looking for you should let your bridal consultant know. This consultant will go through all of the wedding dresses in their boutique in order to try to find the one that you will like. They can also show you some wedding dresses from their catalogs. If you see some that you think you might like your boutique should be able to order in these wedding dresses.
Your bridal boutique should be able to deal with all of your concerns with wedding dresses. If they are not then you might want to think about looking for wedding dresses elsewhere.
About Styles Of Wedding Dresses
There are many different styles of wedding dresses, almost as many styles of wedding dresses as there are shapes of women. No two women are shaped the same and that is why it is so important to get wedding dresses tailored to fit the bride. This often costs more money but it is well worth it if you want to look your best as you walk down the aisle. This should be the goal of all wedding dresses, to highlight all of the brides best features and attributes.
The styles of wedding dresses change with the seasons but there are a few classic styles that will never get old or go out of style. The classic A line dress is one of the wedding dresses. Of all the wedding dresses on the market today A line wedding dresses are the best. These wedding dresses look good on any woman, no matter what she looks like and what she weighs. It is the A line wedding dresses that flatter every woman alike. This cannot be said for any other of the wedding dresses out there.
When you first go shopping for wedding dresses you will want to have a sit down with the bridal consultant at the bridal boutique. He or she will be able to give you some helpful advice about which of the wedding dresses will flatter you the most. These consultants are so useful when you are looking at wedding dresses.
You should also try on all kinds of different wedding dresses just to make sure that you choose the perfect one. You need to try all of these wedding dresses to find the one that is the most comfortable and the one that will make you feel the most like a queen. That is what wedding dresses need to do, make you feel like one of a kind because that is what you are and that is why your husband to be loves you so much.
The wedding dresses that you try on can be of any color. White is the most common color of wedding dresses but there is no reason that you have to stick with it. If you want a bright red wedding dress then you should have it that is your right as a bride. If the wedding dresses you are trying on are not what you are looking for you should let your bridal consultant know. This consultant will go through all of the wedding dresses in their boutique in order to try to find the one that you will like. They can also show you some wedding dresses from their catalogs. If you see some that you think you might like your boutique should be able to order in these wedding dresses.
Your bridal boutique should be able to deal with all of your concerns with wedding dresses. If they are not then you might want to think about looking for wedding dresses elsewhere.
The styles of wedding dresses change with the seasons but there are a few classic styles that will never get old or go out of style. The classic A line dress is one of the wedding dresses. Of all the wedding dresses on the market today A line wedding dresses are the best. These wedding dresses look good on any woman, no matter what she looks like and what she weighs. It is the A line wedding dresses that flatter every woman alike. This cannot be said for any other of the wedding dresses out there.
When you first go shopping for wedding dresses you will want to have a sit down with the bridal consultant at the bridal boutique. He or she will be able to give you some helpful advice about which of the wedding dresses will flatter you the most. These consultants are so useful when you are looking at wedding dresses.
You should also try on all kinds of different wedding dresses just to make sure that you choose the perfect one. You need to try all of these wedding dresses to find the one that is the most comfortable and the one that will make you feel the most like a queen. That is what wedding dresses need to do, make you feel like one of a kind because that is what you are and that is why your husband to be loves you so much.
The wedding dresses that you try on can be of any color. White is the most common color of wedding dresses but there is no reason that you have to stick with it. If you want a bright red wedding dress then you should have it that is your right as a bride. If the wedding dresses you are trying on are not what you are looking for you should let your bridal consultant know. This consultant will go through all of the wedding dresses in their boutique in order to try to find the one that you will like. They can also show you some wedding dresses from their catalogs. If you see some that you think you might like your boutique should be able to order in these wedding dresses.
Your bridal boutique should be able to deal with all of your concerns with wedding dresses. If they are not then you might want to think about looking for wedding dresses elsewhere.
9 Ways To Cope With Wedding Speech Nerves
If you’re not used to public speaking, then making a wedding speech can be very daunting. With this in mind, I have prepared a few important tips to help you overcome your nerves and deliver a great wedding speech.
1. Remember these people are on your side. They aren’t secretly hoping you’ll mess things up. The reason you’re there giving a speech is because you are connected with the people there, and so are the audience. Bearing this in mind, you can rest assured that anything you say in your wedding speech will be listened to and respected fully.
Also, people listening to speeches at weddings are wanting to laugh as this breaks the tension. So any vague attempt of a joke will get you a response.
2. Practice your wedding speech thoroughly. The more your practice, the less nervous you’ll feel on the actual day. Remember to practice the intonation of your voice and the pauses. By showing you’ve put effort into your preparation, any mistakes you may make on the day will be easily forgiven.
3. Learn your speech by heart. Whenever you have some spare time, in the car on the way to work, in the shower or wherever…practice your speech. Repeat it over and over again as many times as you can before the big day. You will feel much calmer on the big day as you’ll know the whole speech inside out.
4. Remember to breathe. As simple as this sounds, it is often overlooked. Practice where you’ll take a breath in the speech, and learn to breathe correctly. Diaphragmatic breathing, as used by singers and public speakers, will help you here. If you’re unfamiliar with this, a quick search on Google will show you.
5. Think of a funny story before you stand up. Nothing so funny that you loose you focus, but something mildly titillating that will bring a smile to your face. This will loosen you up, and give a nice energy to your wedding speech that will improve the delivery immensely.
6. Have a banana 20 minutes before you make your speech. This tip is often used by professional public speakers, and helps the nerves of many people. It also gives a nice energy boost which helps reduce your nerves.
7. Speak slowly and clearly. If you are nervous, you will feel the urge to speed up and your speech will become unclear. So try to consciously slow yourself down and speak clear so people can hear what you say.
8. Make eye contact with people in the audience so it feels like your just chatting with everyone who is there.
9. Lastly, remember to simply enjoy yourself! Your life isn’t going to end if you make a few mistakes…and it will be over in just a few minutes. Have fun!
1. Remember these people are on your side. They aren’t secretly hoping you’ll mess things up. The reason you’re there giving a speech is because you are connected with the people there, and so are the audience. Bearing this in mind, you can rest assured that anything you say in your wedding speech will be listened to and respected fully.
Also, people listening to speeches at weddings are wanting to laugh as this breaks the tension. So any vague attempt of a joke will get you a response.
2. Practice your wedding speech thoroughly. The more your practice, the less nervous you’ll feel on the actual day. Remember to practice the intonation of your voice and the pauses. By showing you’ve put effort into your preparation, any mistakes you may make on the day will be easily forgiven.
3. Learn your speech by heart. Whenever you have some spare time, in the car on the way to work, in the shower or wherever…practice your speech. Repeat it over and over again as many times as you can before the big day. You will feel much calmer on the big day as you’ll know the whole speech inside out.
4. Remember to breathe. As simple as this sounds, it is often overlooked. Practice where you’ll take a breath in the speech, and learn to breathe correctly. Diaphragmatic breathing, as used by singers and public speakers, will help you here. If you’re unfamiliar with this, a quick search on Google will show you.
5. Think of a funny story before you stand up. Nothing so funny that you loose you focus, but something mildly titillating that will bring a smile to your face. This will loosen you up, and give a nice energy to your wedding speech that will improve the delivery immensely.
6. Have a banana 20 minutes before you make your speech. This tip is often used by professional public speakers, and helps the nerves of many people. It also gives a nice energy boost which helps reduce your nerves.
7. Speak slowly and clearly. If you are nervous, you will feel the urge to speed up and your speech will become unclear. So try to consciously slow yourself down and speak clear so people can hear what you say.
8. Make eye contact with people in the audience so it feels like your just chatting with everyone who is there.
9. Lastly, remember to simply enjoy yourself! Your life isn’t going to end if you make a few mistakes…and it will be over in just a few minutes. Have fun!
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