Feb 29, 2016

Lifelike Sculptures

"You're an artist. This is wonderful. You sculpt."

The single room was nearly as big as the main area of the cottage. And much more cramped. A worktable stood in the center, crowded with tools and hunks of stone, pots of clay. A half dozen sketch pads were tossed around. Shelves and smaller tables were jammed with examples of his work. Mystical, magical creatures that danced and flew.

A blue mermaid combed her hair on a rock. A white dragon breathed fire. Faeries no bigger than her thumb ringed in a circle with faces sly. A sorcerer nearly as tall as she, held his arms high and wept.

"They're all so alive, so vivid." She couldn't help herself, she had to touch, and so she ran her finger down the rippling hair of the mermaid. "I've seen this before," she murmured. "Not quite this, but the same feeling of it, but in bronze. At a gallery in New York."


Ever After

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By Ricardo AndrΓ© Frantz (User:Tetraktys) Background edited, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2923870


Here are some of the most impressive sculptures ever created by masters of the art past and present. Perhaps most people will be unfamiliar with them, but they have the power to astonish with their sheer beauty even at first sight.




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 Conal stepped back from his own work. His hands were smeared with clay to the wrists, and his eyes half blind with concentration.

Allena of the Faeries. She stood tall, slim, her head cocked slyly over one shoulder, her eyes long and her mouth bowed with secrets. She wasn't beautiful, nor was she meant to be. But how could anyone look away? How could he?
Her wings were spread as if she would fly off at any moment. Or fold them again and stay, if you asked her.


Ever After

Feb 28, 2016

"When We Were Young"


"Once I told you I'd thought of you looking around and seeing someone who appealed to you more. I wasn't joking." She gave him a little shake. "You should have been." 

Didn't she realize how lovely she was, how regal? 
Didn't she know how clumsy she could make a man feel with just a smile?


For Now, Forever



__________________





Everybody loves the things you do
From the way you talk
To the way you move...
Everybody here is watching you
'Cause you feel like home
You're like a dream come true



__________________


He took her hand in his. "Last night I dreamed. I dreamed of you. It started on the night we met, that first waltz."
 
"The summer ball," she murmured. She had only to smile to see the moonlight, smell the flowers. Odd, it had been in her dreams as well. "It was a beautiful night."


"You were beautiful," he corrected. "And I wanted you more than I'd ever wanted anything in my life."


"You were arrogant," she remembered, smiling. "And desperately attractive." 

Leaning over, she kissed him softly, lingeringly. The same passion that they'd felt in the beginning hovered over them. "You still are, Daniel."


"I'm old, Anna."


"We're both old."


He pressed her hand to his lips. The ring he'd given her so many years before was cool against his skin. 
"And I still want you more than I've ever wanted anything in my life."


For now, Forever

Feb 27, 2016

How to Ask Someone Out on a Date


“Wait.”
As she stopped and turned, Carter laid a hand on her arm. “Would not misinterpreting include it being okay for me to call you?”
“You could call me. Or you could meet me for a drink after school.”
“Do you know where Coffee Talk is?”
“Vaguely. I can find it.”
“Four thirty?”
“I can make five o'clock.”
“Five. Great. I'll . . . see you there.”


Vision in White



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Por April Killingsworth de Los Angeles, United States (Flickr)
[CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], undefined

 

 

Whether it's in person or online, simpler is better when it comes to asking someone out. "Tell them that you enjoy their company and would like to see more of them," Petra Boynton, a sex and relationships columnist for the Telegraphwrote in her advice column.



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“I’d like to take you out tonight. Dinner, a movie, a drive. Your choice. A date,” he continued when she only studied him with eyes that grew more speculative. “I realize I’ve neglected that particular ritual with you.”

“A date?” She rolled the idea around. “Such as you pick me up, we go somewhere and do some
planned activity, then you bring me home and walk me to the door?”

“That’s more or less what I had in mind.”

“Well, it would be different.” She cocked her head, considering. “I have to be up at five, so we’ll need to make it an early evening. I wouldn’t mind seeing a movie, say a seven o’clock show. Maybe a pizza after.”

Now it was his turn to consider. It wasn’t the sort of evening he’d expected her to choose. Maybe it was about time they learned about each other. “An early movie and a pizza. I’ll pick you up around six.”

He tipped up her chin, kissed her almost absently.

“Hey, Slater,” she called after him. “Do I get to pick the movie?”

He kept walking but glanced over his shoulder. “No subtitles.”

“On a first date?” She laughed at him.


True Beatrayals

Feb 26, 2016

How to Clean a Messy Room

She followed him, using the time to study the house. It was just neat enough to make her wonder if Cam had been expecting her. 

They passed a den where the dust was layered over tables, the couch was

covered with newspapers, and shoes littered the floor.

Missed that, didn't you? she thought with a smirk. But she found it endearing.



Sea Swept

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How to Clean a Messy Room in Just 30 Minutes

  If your room needs to be cleaned but you cannot bring yourself to do it, 

watch the video below, brought to us by Clean My Space. 

 





Feb 25, 2016

Break a Bad Habit

By Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23722293


This Is How You Break a Bad Habit, According to an Addiction Expert


We start out each year with the best of intentions—to eat better, quit smoking, exercise more, or drink less—but for some reason, many of us eventually give in to temptation, and our focus wanes. The simple truth is that being disciplined takes effort, and that can be challenging when we’re all so easily distracted all the time. But that’s not entirely our fault.


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Quinn Black eased her Mini Cooper off the exit ramp and hit the usual barrage at the interchange. Pancake House, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, KFC.

With great affection, she thought of a Quarter Pounder, with a side of really salty fries, and -
natch - a Diet Coke to ease the guilt. But since that would be breaking her vow to eat fast food no more than once a month, she wasn’t going to indulge.

“There now, don’t you feel righteous?” she asked herself with only one wistful glance in the
rearview at the lovely Golden Arches.

Her love of the quick and the greasy had sent her on an odyssey of fad diets, unsatisfying supplements, and miracle workout tapes through her late teens and early twenties. Until she’d finally slapped herself silly, tossed out all her diet books, her diet articles, her I LOST TWENTY POUNDS IN TWO WEEKS AND YOU CAN, TOO! ads, and put herself on the path to sensible eating and exercising.

Lifestyle change, she reminded herself. She’d made a lifestyle change.


But boy, she missed those Quarter Pounders more than she missed her ex-fiancΓ©.


Blood Brothers

Feb 24, 2016

Garden Sheds

A few miles out of the village, in a kitchen warmed with the heat and scents of baking, Brianna
Concannon looked out of the window as the ice-edged rain attacked her garden.

"I'll lose the columbine, I'm thinking. And the foxglove." It broke her heart to think of it, but she'd dug up what she could and stored the plants in the crowded little cabin out back. The gale had come so quickly.

"You'll plant more in spring." Maggie studied her sister's profile. 

Brie worried about her flowers like a mother over her babes. With a sigh, Maggie rubbed her own bulging belly. It still astonished her that it was she who was married and carrying a child, and not her home-loving sister. "You'll love every minute of it."

"I suppose. What I need is a greenhouse. I've been looking at pictures. I think it could be done."


Born in Ice

_______________________




A Gallery of Garden Shed Ideas

Add storage to your garden with personalized style.




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On a clear day in the middle of May, Brianna watched the workmen dig the foundation for her
greenhouse. A small dream, she thought, flipping the braid she wore from her shoulder to her
back, come true.


Born in Ice



Feb 23, 2016

Sportswear

"Why?" From her prone position, Emma threw up her hands. 
"Who says? Who decided that people all of a sudden have to do miles every damn day, or that twisting themselves into unnatural shapes is good for them? I think it's the people who sell this hideous equipment, and the ones who design all the cute little outfits like the one you're wearing."

Emma narrowed her eyes at Parker's slate-colored cropped pants and perky pink and gray top. 

"How many of those cute little outfits do you own?"

"Thousands," Parker said dryly.

"See? And if they hadn't convinced you to do miles and twist yourself into unnatural shapes—and
look good doing it—you wouldn't have spent all that money on those cute little outfits. You could've donated it to a worthy cause instead."

"But these yoga pants make my ass look great."

"They really do. But nobody's seeing your ass but me, so what's the point?"

"Personal satisfaction."


Bed of Roses



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By Kennguru - Own work, CC BY 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25222217


Sportswear  to get you moving




Feb 22, 2016

Dogs dream just like us

Lucy was sprawled beside the bed in a deep sleep that he envied. 
Every now and then her legs would twitch as she chased dream gulls 
or swam in her dream inlet.


Dance Upon the Air


________________

In the photo: Budha (our dog napping)



Have you ever looked at a sleepy pup and wondered just what was going on inside that fuzzy noggin? New research suggests they dream just like humans do.





________________



On the floor beside them, Moe twitched and made excited sounds.
"What did you do to Moe?"
"I gave him a dream, a harmless, happy dream. He chases rabbits on a sunny spring day. 
It will keep him safe and occupied, as we have much to talk about, you and I."


Key of Knowledge 

Feb 21, 2016

Memorable Swimsuits

A friend had persuaded her to accept the loan of a swimsuit, and Laine studied the two tiny pieces. She slipped on what had been described as a modified bikini. The silvery blue was flattering, highlighting her subtle curves, but no amount of adjustment could result in a more substantial coverage. There was definitely too much of her and too little suit.
“Silly,” Laine muttered and adjusted the halter strings a last time.
“Women wear these things all the time, and I’ve hardly the shape for drawing attention.”
Skinny. With a grimace, she recalled Miri’s judgment. 
Laine gave the top a last, hopeless tug. 
I don’t think all the fish in the Pacific are going to change this inadequacy.


Island of flowers



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The Most Memorable Swimsuits Ever





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 "What?" Distracted, he pulled himself back. 
She was wearing two thin strips as an excuse for a bathing suit. 
The water, and perhaps a trick of the light, made them glimmer against her skin. A great deal of skin.


Loving Jack

Feb 20, 2016

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

"Mia, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that, but—"
"You want to do it yourself, and blah, blah, blah." With a flick of the wrist, Mia swatted Nell's protest aside. "Please, let's behave like grown-ups."
"Are you trying to irritate or intimidate me into accepting a loan?"
"I don't generally try to irritate or intimidate, though I've been told I'm good at both. And I didn't say anything about a loan. We're discussing an investment."


Dance Upon the Air



________________






A 32-year-old CEO who sold her startup for more than $250 million reveals her one piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs


Alexa von Tobel is a startup founder, a New York Times best-selling author, and a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship.
And her advice to other young entrepreneurs is simple: "Get mentors."




________________



"I don't need ten thousand," Nell said, giving the bottle cap an annoyed twist. "And twelve percent is ridiculous."
"A bank would charge less, but I'm not a bank and I wouldn't ask those pesky questions."
Mia's lips curved, red and shapely over the mouth of the bottle. "But I prefer an investment. I'm a
businesswoman who likes profit. You have a skill, a marketable one, which has already proven itself of interest on the island. With working capital, you can establish a viable business, which, I feel, will enhance rather than compete with my own. I've some ideas on that, actually, but we can get into that later. I make a ten K investment, become your silent partner, for a reasonable compensation of, say, eight percent of gross profits."
"I don't need ten." It had been a very long time, Nell thought as she tapped her fingers on the desk, since she'd negotiated fees, contracts. Amazing how quickly it came back.


Dance Upon the Air

Feb 19, 2016

Make a MacramΓ© Wall Hanging

Amused. Reece finished stuffing the mushrooms. "What does she do?"

"She's a psychiatrist. Private practice."

Trying to ignore the automatic bump in her belly. Reece concentrated on the mushroom caps. "Oh."

"And she macrames."

"She what?"

"Makes things by tying rope into knots. I think she once macramed a small studio apartment. Furnished. It's an obsession."


Angels Fall



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 Modern macramΓ© artist, Emily Katz, teaches how to make her signature bohemian wall hanging.





Feb 18, 2016

What your Sleep Position Says About Your Relationship

An elbow in the ribs brought Brianna groggily out of sleep. Her first view of the morning after a
night of love was floor. If Gray took up another inch of the bed, she'd be on it.

It took her only seconds, and a shiver in the chilly morning air, to realize she hadn't even the
stingiest corner of sheet or blanket covering her.

Gray, on the other hand, was cozily wrapped beside her, like a contented moth in a cocoon.

Sprawled over the mattress, he slept like the dead. She wished she could have said his snuggled
position, and the elbow lodged near her kidney, was lover-like, but it smacked plainly of greed. Her
tentative pushes and tugs didn't budge him.

So that was the way of it, she thought. The man was obviously unaccustomed to sharing.

Born in Ice

___________________


Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


Because your subconscious mind controls the way you sleep with your partner, sleep body language can be an amazingly accurate way to assess what's going on in your relationship -
even if you can't or don't articulate those things while you're awake.



___________________


She awoke with the winter sun slanted over her face.
She awoke warm.
Sometime in the night he’d spooned her, and now she lay snugged back up against him, wrapped close. Cozy, she thought, rested and relaxed.
He’d wanted her to sleep, so she’d slept. 
Wasn’t it funny how he managed to get his way without demanding, without pushing?


Vision in White

Feb 17, 2016

Γ‰irinn go BrΓ‘ch

"I…" Brenna felt the color rush hot to her cheeks—the curse of a redhead. "Well, that's not…" 
Lies trembled on her tongue and simply refused to fall. "Oh, hell." She rubbed her uninjured hand over her face, then stopped abruptly, fingers spread around eyes that went suddenly wide and appalled. 
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, it shows?"

Tears of the Moon


__________________





__________________



She had time to squeal, barely, and to swerve into the hedgerows as a car barreled around the curve.

Brakes screamed, the car veered, and Maggie ended up bottom first in the blackthorn.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what kind of a blind, ignorant fool is it who tries to run down innocent people?"



Born in Fire

Feb 16, 2016

Born in Fire




The Amazing Birth Of A Hand Blown Glass Pitcher






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She set her mouth to the pipe and blew.
He watched the bubble form, fascinated despite himself. 
Such a simple procedure, he thought, only breath and molten glass. 
Her fingers worked on the pipe, turning it and turning it, fighting gravity, using it, 
until she was satisfied with the shape.


Born in Fire

Feb 14, 2016

Happy Valentine's



 Cal sent a dozen Pink Roses to his Mother.
She liked the traditional flower for Valentine’s Day, and he knew his father always went for the red. 

If he hadn’t known, Amy Yost in the flower shop would have reminded him, as she did every blessed year.



 “Your dad ordered a dozen red last week, for delivery today, potted geranium to his grandma,and he sent the Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Special to your sisters.”



 “That suck-up,” Cal said, knowing it would make Amy gasp and giggle. “How about a dozen yellow for my gran. In a vase, Amy. I don’t want her to have to fool with them.”



 “Aw, that’s sweet. I’ve got Essie’s address on file, you just fill out the card.”



 He picked one out of the slot, gave it a minute’s thought before writing:Hearts are red, these roses are yellow. Happy Valentine’s Day from your best fellow.



 Corny, sure, he decided, but Gran would love it.


Blood Brothers



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Romance That Doesn't Break the Bank: How to Save on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and Cupid has his bow pointed right at you— or rather, right at your wallet.
According to a recent study by the National Retail Federation, 54.8 percent of consumers are expected to celebrate the lovers' holiday, and spend a total of $19.7 billion.
Here are some tips on getting the biggest bang for your V-day buck. 

NBC

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“You sent me flowers on Valentine’s Day.”



 “I hear my mother calling,” Layla announced. “Coming, Mom!” She made a fast exit.



 “You sent me tulips that look like blooming candy canes on Valentine’s Day.”



 “They looked like fun.”



 “That’s what you wrote on the card. ‘These look like fun.’ Wow.” She scooped a hand through her hair. “I have to say that I’m a sensible woman, who knows very well Valentine’s Day is a commercially generated holiday designed to sell greeting cards, flowers, and candy.”



 “Yeah, well.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “Works.”



 “And I’m not the type of woman who goes all mushy and gooey over flowers, or sees them as an apology for an argument, a prelude to sex, or any of the other oft-perceived uses.”



 “I just saw them, thought you’d get a kick out of them. Period. I’ve got to get to work.”



 “But,” she continued and moved toward him, “strangely, I find none of that applies in the least in this particular case. They are fun.” She rose up on her toes, kissed his cheek. “And they’re beautiful.” Then his other cheek. “And thoughtful.” Now his lips. “Thank you.”



 “You’re welcome.”

Blood Brothers