Little Red Riding Hood (a new version)

One day, Little Red Riding Hood's mother said, "Little, Grandma called me on the phone and said she didn't feel so well. Why don't you get your motorbike and bring her some fruit?"

"Oh, poor Grandma... Okay, Mother. I'll go to her house right away," said Little Red Riding Hood.

"Be Careful with the traffic, dear. And don't drive too fast," advised her mother.

"Okay!" answered Little Red Riding Hood.

As soon as she got to her grandma's house, she knocked on the door.

"Knock...Knock...!"

"Come in," said the voice inside, "the door is open."

When Little Red Riding Hood walked into the bedroom, she saw an old lady look so busy listening to rock music.

"Grandma? Wow! This is a surprise! I thought you hate rock music!" said Little Red Riding Hood.

"Oh please, dear. I have always listened to rock music even before your mother was born." said the old lady.

"But Grandma," said Little Red Riding Hood. "I didn't know you like reading comics!"

"Oh yes I do, I read a lot of comics every day," muttered the old woman.

"And Grandma," said Little Red Riding Hood. Are you eating chewing gums?"

"Yes, I am," answered the old woman. "I love chewing gums, but I like little girls like you better."

Suddenly, Little Red Riding Hood quickly took an aerosol out of her pocket and sprayed her until she fainted.

"I knew you were not Grandma."

Later, she found her grandmother trapped in the garage.

"Oh dear, thank God you're here," said Grandma "that burglar wanted to steal all my precious things."

"That's horrible, Grandma," said Little Red Riding Hood, putting the spray back into her pocket. "Let's call the police right away."

(adapted from: Story Telling)

Creole Onion Soup

This is a traditional French dish adapted by the Creoles of New Orleans. It is sometimes known as "Looney Soup" 

Ingredients :  

• 75 gr unsalted butter

• 6 large onions, peeled and sliced

• salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 600 ml beef stock

• 60 gr plain flour

• 2 tsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp Worcester sauce

• 6 slices of French bread

• 6 tbsp grated cheese

Method : 

1. Melt butter slowly.

2. Add sliced onion, a pinch of salt and pepper and the sugar.

3. Cook on a low heat, stirring from time to time, until the onions have browned.

4. Add beef stock and bring to the boil.

5. Sift the flour, stirring hard to avoid lumps.

6. Add chicken stock.

7. Simmer for 3-4 hours.

8. Add sauces.

9. Top each bowl with bread and cheese, and place under grill for two minutes until cheese has melted. The bowls will be hot, so warn your guests. It's a very filling soup so you won't want much else to eat. It should be served for 4 to 6 people.

(taken from English Book grade 9) 

 

a Touch of Gold

King Midas was very wealthy king. His hobby was collecting gold. From the time he got Jup in the morning to the time he went to bed, he would count his gold.

One morning, as he was sitting alone in the garden, Dionysus, the God of Wine, came to him and said, "Midas, I grant you a touch of gold. Whatever you touch, it'll turn into gold. Be careful. What you think will bring you the most happiness might cause you the greatest grief."

Midas was very happy. He didn't heed Dionysus's warning. He touched a tree, and it turned into gold. He touched this palace, and it turned to gold. Midas dance joyfully.

Suddenly, he realized that he couldn't eat because when he touched the food, it turned to gold. He was very hungry and the worst thing happened when his daughter ran to him crying and complained that all the flowers  in the garden had turned to gold. When Midas touched his beloved daughter, she turned to gold. He was extremely unhappy.

Finally , Midas went bach to Dionysus and said, "Please take back your gift. I no longer want the golden touch. I realized that wealth doesn't always bring happiness."

Dionysus laughed, "I see that you have changed. Go and bathe in the river river of poctulus. The spell will be undone and your woe will be gone."

King Midas was relieved and happy. After he took a bath, he rushed into his palace he poured the water to his daughter and she come back to life.

(taken from : Hasil Semiloka UNAKI) 

do you have bad breath ?

here are tips for keeping your breath fresh :

• brush your teeth for at least 3 minutes after each meal and before you sleep . don't forget to brush the roof of your mouth and your tongue as far back as you can get without triggering the gagging reflex. if you can't brush immediately after meals , gargle several times .
• use a breath freshener that has little or no alcohol .
• floss regularly with unscented floss . Flossing rids the teeth of decaying material in the tiny spaces between the teeth that toothbrushes can't reach .
• have a thorough dental check-up at least every six months . 
• eat plenty of vegetables and  and fruits . They contain fibers which can eliminate the layer of mucus at the back of the mouth .
• avoid garlic and onions , or at least don't consume too much of those .
• don't smoke .

Let's start our days with fresh breath . :)

Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin (pronounced loo-boo-teng) (born January 7, 1964) is a footwear designer who launched his line of high-end women's shoes in France in 1991. Since 1992, his designs have incorporated the shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. On March 27, 2007, Christian Louboutin filed an application for U.S. trademark protection of this red sole design.

Shoes

Christian Louboutin helped bring stilettos back into fashion in the 1990s and 2000s, designing dozens of styles with heel heights of 120mm (4.72 inches) and higher. The designer's professed goal is to “make a woman look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as long as [he] can.” While he does offer some lower-heeled styles, Louboutin is generally associated with his dressier eveningwear designs incorporating bejeweled straps, bows, feathers, patent leather and other, similar decorative touches.

In his U.S. trademark application, Louboutin explains the inception of the signature red soles:

"In 1992 I incorporated the red sole into the design of my shoes. This happened by accident as I felt that the shoes lacked energy so I applied red nail polish to the sole of a shoe. This was such a success that it became a permanent fixture."

 Louboutin received inspiration for his lethal-looking stilettos from an incident that occurred in his early 20s. He had visited a museum and noticed that there was a sign forbidding women wearing sharp stilettos from entering for fear of damage to the extensive wood flooring. This image stayed in his mind, and he later used this idea in his designs. "I wanted to defy that," Louboutin has said. "I wanted to create something that broke rules and made women feel confident and empowered."
 

Christian Louboutin has topped The Luxury Institute's annual Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) for three years; the brand's offerings were declared the Most Prestigious Women's Shoes in 2007, 2008, and 2009.  

(adapted from Wikipedia)

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Something Got Lost

by Shawn Olson
Posted on August 5th, 2006

 
They never gave you many lines
So you never had much to say;
Still… something got lost when you left this stage
Something special followed you off the page.

I can’t remember much that you said
But I can’t forget who you were—
The roles you played were always cast
In loving shades of garden light.

My memories work not like movies
So the visions are not so clear
But one thing that I cannot forget
Is your motherly love sincere.

What were your words?
I listen to my heart… but I cannot hear
Your voice is distant… sad…
Too quiet to span receding time.

At least I still have your love;
I can still hear your laugh
And feel the warm smile on your face.
I remember the dreams in your quiet eyes
And the soft happiness you always shared.

Alas… I love you Mom…
Your star still shines long after the curtain fell.
My tears shed only because I know
No encore comes for this sad musical.

 

45 Lessons Life Taught Me

by Regina Brett
http://www.reginabrett.com/about.php

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others.
You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life,
don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.
Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words
'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is,
not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,
we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

the Secret Meaning of Flowers

A hundred years ago flowers had a special power. They could convey secret messages through various floral arrangements. I’m not kidding – the Victorian era was peculiar about a lot of things, and the symbolic meaning of different types of flowers was one of the most interesting developments from the period.

Haven’t you ever wondered if there is something extra special in the single red rose? Is it just romantic or is your boyfriend just too cheap to afford a full dozen? If you were alive at the turn of the century (or a little before or after), you’d already know that the red rose is a symbol of passionate love. The more passionate you are, the more roses you get.

I should add the Victorians were extremely strict about their virtue and morals. A bare ankle was hot stuff and could get a girl in serious trouble if she were reported to have raised her floor length skirts a bit too high. Imagine the trouble a girl your age would be in if some boy started buying her “passionate love” flowers. Oh my!

Roses

The most popular flower has many meanings. Like I said before, the red rose is passionate love. The white rose on the other hand is purity, perhaps why it is used at so many weddings. A pink rose is friendship, and a yellow rose means you are zealous or excited. A rose that is both red and white is a symbol of unity –I wonder why we don’t see more of these at weddings-.

Just to give you an idea of how the covert Victorian flower language worked, you and a boy you didn’t really like might be walking in a rose garden with a suitable chaperone about ten feet behind you. You can only talk about the weather and how beautiful the flowers are because you’d be in major trouble if you started talking about emotions or making plans with the guy.

So to tell you how he feels, your boy picks you a single red rose and makes a remark on its beauty. You thank him and keep walking while you think about how to respond. Then you see it – you grab him a pink rose from a nearby bush. He might be passionate about you, but you’ve told him in no uncertain terms that you’re just friends. Isn’t that so much easier than the notes and friendly phone calls we make today?

Carnations
Carnations have different meanings based on different colors as well. Pink carnations show gratitude, red carnations are flashy. Striped carnations are a sign of refusal (perfect for the boy situation above), and white are remembrance. White carnations are one of the most popular funeral flowers to this day. Finally, yellow carnations are cheerful.

Tulips
Another fun flower, especially this time of year, the tulip has a few sorted meanings of its own. Pink tulips are to show caring. Purple tulips are a sign of royalty. Red tulips are a declaring of love (move over roses!). White tulips are a show of forgiveness, and yellow tulips are a sign of being hopelessly in love. (Awwwww….)

Other Flower Messages
Almost every flower of the day had some message attached to it, but here are some of my other personal favorites. 
• A yellow chrysanthemum means you have secret admirer.
• Black-eyed Susans are form of encouragement.
• Hibiscus and Orchids show delicate beauty.
• Holly is domestic comfort.
• Ivy is fidelity (another wedding favorite to this day.)
• Lavender is distrust.
• Lilac is first love.
• Orange blossoms are fertility (yet another wedding favorite of old.)
• Rhododendrons tell you to beware.

Flowers would be sent from one person to another sometimes with a note and sometimes without. The flowers would often tell a different story than the note or they might say everything that needs to be said clearly enough on their own. Girls of the day would also wear flowers pinned in their hair or to their dresses and these flowers as well told a tale at parties and social gatherings. I’d love to see the girl brave enough to wear a red carnation...
 

black-eyed susans

 

 
  

UFOs

It’s one of the most enjoyable mysteries in the world. What’s the story behind the unidentified flying objects that appear in the news and other legitimate reports from time to time? I say legitimate only because there are so many hoaxes and scams out there, that the real UFOs are sometimes lost in the madness. But there are UFOs, and I’m willing to be someone knows the answers to the mysteries. What are those things and who’s in charge of them?

Unidentified Flying Objects
Since the mid twentieth century, there has been a greater fascination with aliens and mysteries than ever before. Science fiction writers became very popular and War of the Worlds scared many citizens out of their minds before they realized it was a radio program – not real life. Area 51 and Roswell gave life to rumors that there were aliens out there and some of their gear – flying saucers, space ships and the like were arriving here on Earth.

Most of the rumors were put down as gossip, make believe or good, clean fun, but that doesn’t make UFOs disappear. There is always an answer to what a UFO probably was when you see one, but does that make it anything less? Nope! It MIGHT be 100 different things, but when fifteen people see odd light patterns over a wide area, something is going on – and it’s not clever camera work.

Secret Aircraft

I, for one, believe the military has all kinds of secret projects. I actually hope they do. I’m positive that the folks out there that like to cause big trouble are keeping secrets from us, so I think creating faster, better airplanes and the like make sense. I’m not saying we should stockpile weapons or anything, but if the military has a great new plane, we should probably keep the design to ourselves, you know what I mean?

So there is a pretty good chance that any secret aircraft that we’re developing for the military have to be flown somewhere to try them out. If they are secret test craft, the military isn’t going to be sending out announcements or scheduling an air show. I think a fair number of UFOs are our own planes – we just don’t know about them yet.

Space Missions
The military is doing their thing and I’m reasonably sure the government is spending big bucks trying to develop all kinds of other projects like time travel or new space equipment. Again, if a new space vehicle is being developed, it’s going to be tested. Maybe we’re making our own flying saucer to take up to Mars or beyond one of these days.

The Unknown

It’s entirely a personal opinion, but as we learn more and more about the universe and what other planets are like, I’m having a hard time believing that there isn’t SOMETHING else out there waiting to hang out with us. If there is someone or something out in the great unknown, I sincerely hope they aren’t nasty. If they can reach us before we can reach them though, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a few alien missions to check us out from time to time. Maybe there really are captured aliens at Roswell…makes a girl wonder!

 

Déjà Vu

Has it ever happened to you? You’re walking through the door and hear a friend talk about a pop quiz and realize you’ve seen and heard this exact situation before. You’re struck by that weird feeling and start to dwell on the experience. If you don’t already know, you’ve just experienced déjà vu. Or, in actuality, you’ve experienced what scientists call déjà vecu, or “already lived.”

Already Lived
The eerie part about déjà vu is how exactly you’ve already lived that particular experience. Have you really lived it, perhaps in a past life, or is it just something like a dream you once had? There are many competing schools of thought on déjà vu, but some facts are known for sure.

• The experience we know as déjà vu occurs most in adolescents age fifteen to twenty-five. Apparently this age group is more sensitive to changes in their environment.
• At least 70% of the population (based on studies) has experienced some form of déjà vu at least once.
• Adults and children of all ages experience déjà vu.
• There have been very few tests run on déjà vu simply because you can’t recreate it making it fun to speculate on why and how it occurs.

Popular Theories
There are many theories about why we have that weird sensation of experiencing something twice.

Scientifically, it is believed that déjà vu is some sort of anomaly in your memory. That means something in your memory goes a bit haywire making you think you’ve experienced something before when you’ve actually only dreamed something similar and not remembered until now.

Another scientific explanation that some are trying to pursue is that vision is the answer. Two eyes might see an event separately. If one is faster than the other, you might feel like you’re seeing something twice. This version can’t explain why you hear the same things twice and why people with only one eye still experience déjà vu.
 

More interestingly, those with beliefs in paranormal feel that déjà vu is a sign of psychic abilities. This theory suggests that the more you experience déjà vu, the more able you are to communicate with those beyond us. Experience déjà vu often? Maybe you’re ready to conduct your first séance!

There is a strong argument that déjà vu is tied to dreams. When you dream you only remember a very small portion, so déjà vu could be you remembering a dream very similar to what you’re actually experiencing now.
 

My Déjà vu
I’ve experienced déjà vu very vividly more than a few times in my life. I know that what I dream is almost identical to what I’m experiencing at a much later date – and sometimes I can remember the original dream even before the actual event takes place. Weird, eh? But theories aside, I know exactly what causes the déjà vu:

It’s a shift in the Matrix, of course.
 

 

is it Love ?

It’s hard to know sometimes whether you have a crush on someone, like them a lot, or really love them. Well, it’s easy to tell most of the time, but love is a word thrown around entirely too much. Do you really know what love is?

You know him well enough to realize his strengths and his weaknesses.
You rear up to his defense when anyone criticizes him – even if you know he’s partially or totally to blame. Of course, you don’t lie for him – just help others understand WHY he did it. (And he’ll hear about it from you, later!)

• You smile when you think about him – most of the time, anyway.

• You obsess about problems when things aren’t going well. Your obsessions center on finding the problem so you can fix it.

• You almost never think about breaking up with him, just fixing whatever is wrong at the moment.

• You’re never bored on the phone when you’re talking or not talking to him. Just listening to him breathe can be great fun.

• You can always find something to say to him about any topic – even if the two of you have never talked about it before.

• You’re willing to compromise on issues that aren’t deal breakers. You might hate ice hockey, but you’ll go if it makes him happy – so long as he takes you to see a sappy romantic comedy this weekend.

• You glow and other people notice and comment on it.

• You have mostly good things to report to your friends when they ask how the two of you are doing. And you can keep on talking about those good things for days.

• You realize that there are always going to be bumpy spots. Nobody is perfect, so no relationship can be perfect.

• You’re willing to work at keeping things going strong. You’re too tuned into the relationship to ignore a problem or not see a subtle change.

• You know his moods. You can spot him brooding and have a good idea why even before he makes it all the way down the hallway.

• You can finish each other’s sentences. You know how his mind works and he knows the rudimentary basics of yours.

• You’re very willing to say, “I’m sorry.” The old line about love meaning you never have to say you’re sorry is a bunch of baloney. If you love him, you’re willing to admit when you’re wrong – and stand up for yourself when you’re right.

• You’re not scared of him. You should never be afraid of your boyfriend or his temper. You should be comfortable speaking your mind and holding your own in a disagreement.

• You’re his equal. You may not run it the same circle all the time, but you shouldn’t feel he’s better or worse than you.

• You have secrets from the world. The two of you have a secret language, a secret code, a secret smile, a secret meeting place, a secret hiding spot for notes, etc…and that spot, code, language, or smile is also secret from your friends.

• You feel satisfied. You are a whole person by yourself, but there is great satisfaction being with someone you love. You don’t want more and you don’t think about breaking up to try out different boyfriends. Real love is enough to satisfy your romantic inclinations for quite a while.

why Gaming is Good for You

Gaming gets a bad rap at times. Supposedly sitting at the computer or on the couch playing games of wit and strategy means we’re going to be fat, unhealthy and lazy. While this may be true for some, for the gamers in my life, almost the opposite is true. But if your parents complain about the time you spend playing games, you can respond quite diplomatically with some truths about the gaming world.

Strategic Play Stimulates the Brain
When you’re playing something with strategy, your brain is truly reaping the rewards. Just like solving a mystery in a novel, your brain is puzzling away at the twists and turns of your character as your choose the right bride or try to defeat the alliance single-handedly.

If your parents are threatening to ban the Xbox, encourage them to try out some of the more academic games in your mix. Skip the killing machines, but let them experience the kinds of games where you must memorize maps, learn directions and take on quests. Riddles, plans and forming out plans of attack all use parts of the brain that your parent might actually think are lying dormant.

Rapid Play Builds Coordination
Take on one of the Wii sports games and your parents can’t say much about your lack of physical activity or the wasted time in front of the television. Even with a traditional remote, playing something rapidly on screen will help build your hand-eye coordination. Finite movements and tiny adjustments on the screen using remote devices are actually the same techniques heart and brain surgeons are now using, although they work slowly of course.


Catching and throwing items onscreen or flipping and fitting puzzle pieces together helps to build coordination and endurance. Tuning down your gross motor skills into the fine motor skills you need to master most of these games is a physical training of a whole new kind.
 
Active Games Keep You Active
Not surprisingly, if you like to play active games such as the Wii sports games, Dance, Dance Revolution or any of the other myriad of games that make you get up and go, you’re obviously not sitting around anymore. In fact, just five minute of intense electronic dancing is enough to work up a healthy sweat for most people. If Mom and Dad are criticizing your lack of activity, load up the PS3 and let them experience just how lazy you really are with a few rounds of combative dance steps.

Educational Games Can Really Help You Learn
Of course, what is defined as educational can vary, but some games can help you learn things without you actually realizing what’s happening. For example, if you play a game based on famous artwork or set in a historical environment, you’ll learn about those things simply by having a character in that arena. Some game companies are even coming out with trivia and other quiz and learn style programs designed to bring us up to speed on all kinds of topics. Pretty soon your parents might be asking to join you at the controls for a bit of stimulating fun.
 

 

 

The Best Things about Showers

Okay – if you’ve never really thought about taking a shower or a bath, for that matter, you’re moving through life much too quickly. A shower is a special time in the day and it’s actually rather impressive what a nice warm shower can do for you.

A Shower Can Wake You Up
In the mornings, after a night of texting with too little sleep, a hot shower can help you wake up and get ready to face the day. I’ve been known to take a shower in the evening and at night for the same reason when I have a lot of studying to do. It’s funny really that a shower can wake you up so nicely, because my other favorite thing about showers is exactly the opposite.

A Shower Can Relax You
At the end of a long day, I love nothing better than to step into a hot shower and let it wash all of my cares away. I love soaking in a hot bath as well, for the record. The hot shower all of that delicious steam combines with the nice smelly shampoos and soaps to make the ultimate in relaxation. Surely you’ve noticed how much nicer it is to sit and watch television after a hot shower or how you can snuggle down in bed after your shower and just feel as though everything is totally right with the world. It’s delicious.
 

A Shower Can Make You Smell Better

Sometimes we must be practical, and the real reason we all take showers is to get clean. The best way to finish up a hot, stinky work-out is to hop in the shower to rinse off the sweat and dirt so that you’re clean again and ready for the world. While a regular bar of soap will do, I like my shower to be like a mini spa when possible, so I have a nice collection of smelly bath things. I have an assortment of bath gels and loofahs to fit my mood and then, of course, I have the corresponding lotions. All told, I leave the bath smelling a bit like Bath and Body Works at times, but that is just part of the fun.

A Shower Can Make a Nice Excuse
Just think of it. The phone rings, and it’s that annoying girl from class who keeps trying to be your BFF and wants to talk about every single math problem for hours. You have better things to do, obviously, but you don’t want to be rude. So you can tell her that you have to hop in the shower and have a busy evening, and you’ll have to talk to her tomorrow. The shower also works nicely for getting out of hard labor. Just tell someone you’ve just had a shower and you’ll likely be passed over for sweaty yard work and the like.

A Shower Can Be an Escape
We live in a crazy world, and there is a constant stress hovering around many of us. Time in the shower, however, is like a sanctuary. The water washes all, or at least some, of the stress away and leaves you feeling a bit calmer and more at peace with the world around you. Having a bad day? A nice, warm shower likely sounds extremely appealing. I, for one, have been known to cry in the shower where nobody would see or hear my tears, and that emotional release is always very soothing.

Ready to do something else with your hair? Try a new look this summer – some of which don’t require you to even cut your hair.

Cut-Free Bob

You can create a shorter look for yourself by simply tucking it in a certain way. To create the cut-free bob, you’ll need a pack of bobby pins. Start by pinnig up the top section of your hair – ear to ear to get it out of the way. Then, grab one or two inch sections of your hair and fold it up toward your scalp. Pin each section securely until you have all of the longer hair pinned up. Release the top section of your hair and help arrange it to hide the pinned sections underneath. Pin up long ends by rolling them under as well leaving only your shorter layers loose. Spray the creation with hairspray for a fun and flirty new look.

 

Big Bangs
If you have bangs already cut, you’re in business for the next look. If you don’t have bangs, you might still be able to create a similar look using the shorter front sections of your hair near your face. Apply volumizing mousse to wet hair and then allow it to airdry to help create wave. When your hair is dry, gently tease the hair at the top of your head to create even more volume. Gather the front sections of your hair and pull them gently back in line with your ears. The front of your hair should still be nicely full on your head. Fasten the hair you’ve pulled back with a barrette and then use a curling iron to give the rest of the hair left down extra dimension. Finally, use the curling iron to make your bangs high and smooth by running the iron quickly through them from root to tip as you sweep them over to the side.

Big Hair
A completely fun look to try is big – very big. Start by blow drying your hair haphazardly to help it curl and wave. Then, right before it is completely dry, set the hair on hot rollers for twenty minutes. When your hair is finished drying, remove the curlers carefully and finger through the curls to help break them up and make them larger. Use a large brush to smooth out a three inch section of hair directly over your forehead. Pin the hair back tightly with bobby pins or a barrette and then take sections of your wild curls and spray them for volume and hold all the wild scrunching them for a bit of a wilder look.

Bohemian Braids
For an earthly, romantic look, straighten your hair and then separate two sections on either side of your head about two inches back. Pull the rest of your hair into a low bun and pin it in place at the nape of your neck. Braid the two sections up and over your head to create a headband of sorts. Pin the ends of the braids under the bun and use pomade to smooth things down a bit. Straggling pieces and artfully arranged bangs complete the look.
 

 

 

Nail Problems

There is nothing worse than taking off a fun coat of polish and realizing that you now have yellow fingernails. Your formerly pink and white nails are now yellowed and possibly even cracked thanks to your fingernail polish. But yellow nails are just one of the many problems girls face with their hands. Trying to keep your hands at least presentable can be a challenge if you’re faced with nails that break, chip or refuse to grow. And if you bite your nails, you already know what a mess that can make.

A Bad Paint Job

Painting your nails with a red based paint is fun. You look flashy and sexy or just frivolous and free depending on how you handled the paint. But if you’re removing the paint to find those tell-tale yellow spots, you’re not handling the paint job correctly. When you paint your nails, you need to apply a few layers of polish. The first layer is a protective coating – a base coat. A liberal dose of base coat not only smoothes your nail to prepare for the next coat of polish, but it adds a layer of protection to your nail before you apply the actual polish.

The next step is to polish your nail. Use two careful coats of thin polish. Let them dry for a bit and then apply the final top coat. Allow it to dry completely. Leave the polish on for only a week or two before removing it. Allow your nails time to “breathe” between polish jobs, to keep them healthy.

Chipped, Cracked and Broken Nails

Some nails grow long and luxurious without much help. Others seem destined for problems. Working with fragile fingernails can be tricky. One solution is to simply cover them with acrylic nails. Wearing these false nails will look sharp, but can cause additional harm to your fingernails over time. You can help strengthen your fingernails using special sorts of polishes designed to protect the nails. Apply it once every day or two and you’ll be working from the outside to build healthy nails. A diet rich in calcium will help to build your nails from the inside.

Biting Fingernails

If you’re a biter, you already know you need to get the habit under control. There are plenty of tricks people try to stop biting their fingernails. One of the most effective is to brush on a foul tasting (but harmless) special polish. This way, when you put your finger in your mouth, you get a rather nasty surprise taste. If nothing else, it reminds you to pull those fingers out of your mouth immediately.

Other solutions to biting fingernails can include simple fixes such as wearing surgical gloves for a few days, or preferably cotton gloves to let your hands breathe. The gloves will certainly wake you up to what you’re putting in your mouth. Another option is to put something else in your mouth instead. Make it your personal mission for three days to constantly chew gun or chew small coffee straws. Biting fingernails is a fixation and habit – you’re not doing it for taste or flavor. If you have something else you can nibble on, you’re less likely to chew on your nails solving the problem once and for all.

 

6 Reasons to Be Glad You’re Single on Valentine’s Day

If you’re worried about having a guy on Valentine’s Day, I’d advise you to get over it. Sure it’s fun to be a couple and do things that are seemingly romantic, but there are plenty of great reasons to enjoy the month of February single – six of them come easily to mind.

You don’t have to pretend to be romantic. 
Okay, you don’t have to pretend with us, we know you’re not very romantic. Sure, he wants to be your very own Don Juan, and it’s very sweet, but really? You’d just rather chill out at home or listen to music or something. If you have a guy for Valentine’s Day you risk having to play that role or hurting young Romeo’s feelings. If you’re single, you can just do whatever you want.

You can cry and not feel silly.
If you love a great sappy movie, and who doesn’t, you don’t have to be stoic if you’re watching it with your girlfriends or by yourself. Sit down, pull up a box of tissues and blow your heart out at your favorite, most gut-wrenching scenes without a male audience.

You can make fun of lovey-dovey stuff. 
If you’re even a bit like me, it’s much more fun to poke fun at the overly cheesy world of real-world romance than it is to be a part of it. I’d never make fun of another person, but the theory as a whole is fun to mock and destroy.

There are fun parties for Valentine’s Day. 
If you’re single on the big romantic day, all you have to do is find one of the many anti-romance parties around town and have a blast with all of the other single people. If your town isn’t getting into the single mood that night, by all means, take on the role of party organizer and throw a bash yourself.

You don’t have to worry about breaking up and getting together timing.
Why is it that Valentine’s Day seems to be the same time I feel ready to move on from a particular relationship? No matter how much I like a guy, major holidays we celebrate as a couple seem to be the defining moment for me and then I spend weeks miserable if I should break up before the big day or wait until after the big romantic thing he has planned.

You can be truly comfortably romantic. 
If you have to put on a full face of make up and do your hair to watch a pretty movie together, you’re missing out on the true comfort of romance. The best parts of romance are wearing the comfy, if ugly, pajamas, shoving ice cream or popcorn in your face and sighing heavily over how adorable couples in the movies happen to be. The experience certainly loses some of its flair if you’re watching over make-up and trying to take lady-like bites. 

3 Fashion Risks for Short Girls

We all come in different sizes, and even if we wish we could change the size we were handed at the gate, we can’t. I might not be petite in my own right, but I have a short mother and a short sister (not really sure how that happened, actually) and all of my life I’ve heard and experienced the fashion risks that short girls take. If you’re petite, be careful not to take these fashion risks too far.


Don’t Wear Loose Capri Pants
 
Tailored capris can be cute on anyone regardless of height, but the loose fitting linen or cargo style capri pants or even long loose shorts are off limits for my short girlfriends. I’m sorry, but if you picture the shorter pants on, they make two rectangles over your legs because they are loosely fitted. Two rectangles extend down to a narrow ankle. It’s not pretty, unfortunately.


You would do far better to opt for tailored capri pants that follow the shape of your leg. If you wear capri pants, however, be sure to wear a small heel – not flip flops. Capri pants will always shorten your legs, and you want to regain that height as much as possible.

Don’t Wear Big Shoes
 
Little people shouldn’t wear big shoes – especially if you are wearing them with a short skirt or tight jeans. When you’re trying to look your best, you want your legs to look long and slim. To put a giant clunky shoe at the end of your foot doesn’t make your leg look long and thin, it makes it look like a hammer – thin handle, big weight at the bottom. When you’re small, think of graceful items to wear. You can absolutely wear any sort of style shoe you want, but opt away from thick soles and blocky styles. Make your shoes an extension of your leg – not the dead weight at the end.

Avoid Tunics and Long Shirts

If you’re short, you don’t have as much room to play with when it comes to covering up your legs. Long shirts in general will cover up more than half of your body and make you look rather lopsided. If you want to wear a long shirt, look for one that is the same color as your pants and one that has a cinching of some kind around the waist. This will protect your figure at least while the solid colors will let the line of your body continue without a huge break around your thighs leaving only a couple feet of leg sticking out the bottom.

Fashion for Petite Women
 
If you’re petite, which is usually those girls and women under 5 feet 5 inches tall or so, you can find plenty of adorable things in regular stores. But when it’s time to find tailored items or jeans, you would do well to consider the petite sections in the larger department stores. You’ll have to dig past things your mom might wear, but when you realize how much better the pants and dresses fit, you’ll be thrilled to find items that fit comfortably and look great at your exact height.

Why We Forward Jokes

This explains why we forward jokes:

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was
enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that
he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him
had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was
leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along
one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a
long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in
the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that
led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked
toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a
desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me,
where are we?"

"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought
right up."

The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?"
the traveler asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the
road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at! the top of another long hill,
he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked
as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning
against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an
old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself,
then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the
man who was standing by the tree.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," he answered.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the
road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and
pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would
leave their best friends behind."

Soooo...

Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to
us without writing a word.

Maybe this will explain.

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch,
guess what you do? You forward jokes.

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact,
you forward jokes.

When you have something to say, but don't know what, and
don't know how, you forward jokes.

Also to let you know that you are still remembered,
you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for,
guess what you get?

A forwarded joke.

So, next time if you get a joke, don't think that you've been
sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought
of today and your friend on the other end of your computer
wanted to send you a smile.

You are welcome @ my water bowl anytime

F A M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too; I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told, How we treat our loved ones,
young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down. "Move out of the way," I
said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and
said,

"While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of
days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of
their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more
into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed,
don't you think?
So what is behind the story?
Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

Two Tough Questions

Question 1

If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already,
three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded,
and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion?


Read the next question before scrolling down to the answer of
this one.


Question 2

It is time to elect a new world leader, and your vote counts.
Here are the facts about the three leading candidates.

Candidate A
Associates with crooked politicians and consults with
astrologists. He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes
and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B
He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used
opium in college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.

Candidate C
He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke,
drinks an occasional beer and hasn't had any extramarital
affairs.


Which of these candidates would be your choice?

Decide first, no peeking, and then scroll down for the answer.














Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Candidate B is Winston Churchill.
Candidate C is Adolph Hitler.

And, by the way, the answer to the abortion question:
If you said yes, you just killed Beethoven .

Pretty interesting isn't it?
Makes a person think before judging someone.

an E-mail from God

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you.
I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.

I love you.

P.S.

And, remember...

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle,
do Not attempt to resolve it yourself !! Kindly put it in the SFGTD
(something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME.
All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by
worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that
are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in
this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has
been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person
who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the
woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a
week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance;
Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer
patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about,
asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't
live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness,
ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be
worse. You could be one of them!

Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have
touched their life in ways you will never know!

Now, you have a nice day,
God