Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Strange architecture from around the world!

I think these are....I don't know what!  What do you think?

The Device to Root Out Evil in Vancouver



 Hundertwasser Building - Germany

                                                                       The Dancing Building - Prague


                                                                                                  


Upside down house - Poland



The Basket Building - Ohio


UFO house in Sanjhih

                                                                                                 
 Walt Disney Concert Hall - Los Angeles


Stone House - Portugal

Kansas City Public Library - Missouri


Wonderworks-Tennessee


Cube Houses - The Netherlands


  Erwin Wurm: House attack - Vienna                                    
                                                                          
Hotel Marques de Riscal - Spain

                                                                         Banknote (Kaunas, Lithuania)




The mushroom house - Ohio

Stata Center - USA

Container City - London

Bjarke Ingels Group’s Walter project in Prague

Fortress museum quality storage - Boston


Photos via Flickr

Echinacea


I have never tried Echinacea.  Have you?  One of my sisters uses it whenever anyone in her family feels like they are coming down with something.  They think that it is great.  
I am learning that herbalists and physicians have used Echinacea for all kinds of infections.  It is documented that Echinacea is effective as an antiviral agent.    Other studies have shown its ability to specifically stimulate T-cells, which fight virus, bacteria and tumor formation.
Large clinical trials of almost 5,000 people in Germany showed that Echinacea was 85% effective in supporting healthy skin.  Echinacea is also considered to be a lymphatic cleanser and is especially indicated for conditions of the throat, like tonsillitis.  It helps release toxins through the skin.
It is documented that Echinacea decreases the incidence and duration of the common cold.
So what is Echinacea......
Echinacea is also called purple cone flower and it is native to the Mid-western United States.  It grows in wide open spaces and fields.  Echinacea is a beautiful plant and grows to 3 feet tall and is a member of the Compositae or daisy family.
Echinacea is an herb which contains vitamin A, E, B-complex, vitamin C and minerals such as iron, sulphur, zinc and potassium.  It also contains inulin, an immunomodulating starch, which also balances blood sugar.
Echinacea powder can be used as a soothing gum rub.  Echinacea taken orally as a tea, powder or extract, can help eliminate a "run down" feeling and avoid the start of seasonal health issues like the flu.  It should be taken at the onset of symptoms to work its best but if taken when you already are ill it will lessen the duration.
Echinacea has been shown to be nontoxic even in high amount, although some people can get runny eyes and a stuffy nose if they are allergic to the Compositae flower.

 Echinacea........



  • Prophylactic against colds, flu and upper respiratory infections
  • Regulates, strengthens and modulates the immune system
  • Breaks up mucous that accumulates during upper respiratory infections
  • Anti-bacterial
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-allergenic
  • Antibiotic
  • Antiviral




Most of this info was quoted from an article written by Ellen Kamhi, Ph.D. in "New Living" Vol. 22, No. 9, January 2012.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Advice from miss minimalist


100 Ways to Simplify Your Life (and Make Yourself Happier)

"I’ve been striving to simplify my life for many years now, and have recently (through my writing) been advising others how to do the same. In the process, I’ve learned that making little changes in our attitudes, habits, and environment can have a big impact. So today, I thought I’d compile a list of 100 ways to simplify your life – from the practical to the philosophical, and everything in between.
Of course, not every item on the list will work for every person reading it. However, I hope that you’ll find at least a little something that speaks to you, helps you save some time, space, and energy — and perhaps even increases your serenity and happiness!"
AROUND THE HOUSE
1. Ditch the TV (or at least turn if off). If you’re an average viewer, you’ll save over a hundred precious hours each month. An added bonus: less exposure to commercials means less desire to buy stuff, and more money in your pocket.
2. Cancel magazine subscriptions. Read the content online instead, and avoid accumulating a pile of reading material.
3. Read news online, instead of on paper. You’ll save plenty of time, and plenty of trees, by reading only the articles that interest you.
4. Get rid of excessive furniture, so there’s less to walk around, trip over, or move when you have to clean.
5. Opt for multi-functional furniture, so you can satisfy your needs with fewer pieces.
6. Get rid of excessive décor, so you’ll spend less time and effort cleaning around stuff.
7. Digitize your music. You’ll eliminate the clutter of CDs, and have easier access to your music library.
8. Download movies instead of renting DVDs. You’ll avoid the hassle of picking them up, dropping them off, or mailing them back.
9. Put items away immediately after use. It takes a lot less effort than cleaning up piles of stuff later on.
10. Have a place for everything. It makes it much easier to find things, and put them away.
11. Clean as you go. Wipe up spills, and take care of little messes before they become big ones.
12. Devise a cleaning routine. Streamline your chores into an ordered set of tasks for maximum efficiency.
13. Do laundry in large batches, instead of small ones. It’ll save you time, and reduce your energy (and water) consumption.
14. Buy enough socks and underwear to make it through a full laundry cycle, to avoid doing small “emergency” loads.
15. Wash towels less often. They don’t need laundering on a daily basis; you’re clean when you use them, after all!
16. Consolidate hobby items in designated containers. That way, all your supplies will be on hand when you need them.
17. If you start a new hobby, drop an out-of-favor one (along with its equipment and supplies).
18. Adopt the “one in, one out” rule: when you purchase something new, get rid of something old.
19. Don’t start collections. Avoid the clutter, and save your money, by channeling your energy and creativity into something more productive.
20. Get rid of one item every day. At the end of the year, you’ll have 365 less things to worry about!

Cool Stuff.

Happy Monday everyone.  I found some cool stuff at playwho.com.  I love the stamps.  I think I would be stamping everything in the office, at home and everywhere!!!

Like and dislike stamps - $12.99

Can of inspiration - $15

Herb garden - $57

Sticky notes - $3.50

Pantone color folding chairs - $66

Sexy Man Woman wall hooks - Two for $4

Suede baseballs - $375

Carton pillows - $45

Paint chip placemats - $36.00

Dozen donut towel - $25



All of the above items you can find at Playwho.com .

                                                                          











Saturday, January 28, 2012

Have a great weekend.

I just finished watching Tony Bennett for PBS television.  He performed duets with numerous singing stars including Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Norah Jones, Lady Gaga and more.  He is so great!  What a treat!  And the duets are amazing.  I'm sure PBS will play it again.  Try to watch if they do.  You will really enjoy it.
Have a great weekend whatever you have planned.
Here is Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.  They make beautiful music together!

Friday, January 27, 2012

"The Art of Clean Up" by Ursus Wehrli

This has been a lifelong dream of mine.  To be able to organize things.  Maybe not to this extent.  Well swiss artist and comedian, Ursus Wehrli can organize just about anything.  In his upcoming book, "The Art of Clean Up" Ursus organizes things that we come across in our everyday lives.   He organizes by size, color, and shape.  A little OCD (who am I to talk)  but so cool!
                                                                            
                                                                             





                                                                          

                                                                              










Love fashion at any age!

There is no such thing as getting old anymore.  It is a state of mind.  And these ladies prove it!  They are between 80 and 100 years young!
Fashion should always be a fun thing.  Be creative and have your own style.  Don't listen to all the
does and don'ts out there.  No one has the right to tell you how to dress except YOU!





137 things to do to make you smile!

by  Katie  Morton


Connect
1.   Smile
2.   Forgive
3.   Email a friend
4.   Phone a friend
5.   Mail a postcard or letter
6.   Host an in-home movie night
7.   Host a cocktail party or a dinner party
8.   Schedule a coffee, lunch or dinner with a close friend to talk and laugh
Aromatherapy
9.   Candles
10.  Perfume
11.  Essential Oils
12.  Baking smells, like vanilla
13.  Flowers: lavender is soothing
14.  Herbal smells: my favorites are basil and mint
15.  Anything that smells good to you

Thursday, January 26, 2012

High School friends

Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst, N.Y.
                                                                    
I just got back from dinner with an old friend.  Actually we are "new" friends.  You see we went to high school together but were not really friends in high school.  I knew who Ann was but we were not friends.  We found out that we had mutual friends back in high school.
 Well, fast forward forty years.  Yes forty years.  This coming  October is my 40th year High School reunion.  I find that very hard to believe especially since I am only 35! (guess I'm lying a little.)  Well to get things going for our reunion a committee was formed and a facebook page was started.  One by one people are joining our school page.  Most names we haven't heard in years.  It's funny, back in high school we were friends in groups.  I guess it is like that even now for high school kids.  There are always clicks of friends.  Now forty years later there are no clicks or groups.  We are all friends.  And it is really nice!
So I've been talking to my classmates and reminiscing. We all have a common bond.  We spent our high school years together.  We were hippies, flower children, Viet Nam War protestors, bra burners and privileged to listen to the best music ever!
Where do you begin to talk after forty years.  We talked about previous high school reunions.  I went to the ten year reunion.  Ann went to the thirty year.  We talked about our old friends.  Who we were friends with in high school.  Who we have spoken to or seen recently.  We talked about all the talk on facebook.  We talked about our children, our families, our jobs. We talked about what nostalgia we could contribute to our upcoming reunion powerpoint for everyone to enjoy.
I brought an album of nostalgia that somehow I had saved over the years through all the moves that I have made.  We looked through the album and reminisced. I had a calendar from 1971-1972 among other things.  I saved my original playbill from "Hair."  I was telling Ann about one of my high school friends that I have been searching for and cannot find.
We weren't friends in high school and forty years have passed but we had so much to talk about.
At the end of dinner we both said what a great time we had and that we would get together again very soon.  And almost at the same time we both said that the older we get the more that we realize how important it is to have girlfriends.  Ladies, it is so important.  We have so much in common and we need each other's friendship and support.  So, call an old friend from high school and go for dinner.  You will be so happy that you did!

p.s. I look forward to being with all of my classmates again!!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The amazing Banana


                                                                                                                               


I eat a banana every day.  I knew it was good for me and then I found this info and now I will never stop eating bananas.  

Bananas consist mainly of sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and fiber, which
makes them ideal for an immediate and slightly prolonged source of energy
Reducing Depression
Bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid that can be converted to serotonin, leading to improved mood
Anemia
Bananas are relatively high in iron, which helps the body’s hemoglobin function

and this is all I have to say......























I found this out in cyberspace and don't know who to give credit to.

Miniature Manhattan storefronts!


Los Angeles artist Randy Hage is trying to preserve New York’s iconic past — one miniature storefront at a time.  He is a model maker for the film and TV industry.

These are absolutely amazing!  It's hard to tell the real storefront from the model that Randy Hage crafted.

“When I first started this series, my work was inspired and driven by the iconic visual elements of the structures and by my desire to document them before they were gone,” he explains. “My reasons for pursuing this project have changed as time has passed. Now it is more about honoring and remembering what was/is behind the façade… the people and the soul of the city.”

Thank you Randy Hage for your creative and thoughtful work.  You have truly captured the flavor of what Manhattan is/was!   These quaint mom and pop stores will be a thing of the past.   I have to quote Joni Mitchell and say  "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."