The Beauty of Art

Extreme Home Makeover

2011-04-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

Contribution by Jonathan Mcmillan

I think that one of the greatest shows on television these days is "Extreme Home Makeover." I truly love this show so much for its emphasis on community service. The host of this show has made it his commitment to make the lives of other people better. This show basically works to better the lives of people and their homes. I watch it all the time on my satellite tv from tvbydirect.com. I love it so much!

I love this show, because it is so cool to see how a team of people can transform an entire home. A team of people can truly make any home look amazing with some simple renovations. Some homes, however, change from unsanitary condit! ions to completely livable conditions. Sometimes, people live in homes that are filled with mold or other harmful sorts of chemicals. It is such a tragedy to see people live like this, but they have no better option or way to change their situation. This is why "Extreme Home Makeover" is so important. This show works to help out people who have to go through this sort of experience on a daily basis. This show works to fix the conditions of homes and make homes more livable for people, rather than allow people to keep living in unsanitary conditions. It is so cool to see people happy after the team on this show helps them!

great local deals

2011-03-23T11:34:00.001-07:00

Creative business

2009-08-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

So my husband and I started a side business a couple of months ago called Captured Memories. We do not have too much extra time right now to get into heavy marketing. We pretty much create them for family and friends and get new clients by word of mouth. We have been accepting cash or checks but I know it is a good idea to look into a merchant account. Merchant fees can be pretty high so I can't really set it up right now but it is worth looking into for the future when I feel I can handle more sales. Paypal is also a cheaper option to accept credit cards through.

New Jersey leaves me uninspired

2009-07-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

Living in NJ is getting ridiculous. The cost of living is rising while the economy is still in a recession. Our homeowners dues just went up again per month and our property taxes went up as well. It is very frustrating to be working just to pay bills especially with a baby on the way. Luckily we are optimistic and tell ourselves everything will work out :) We would love to refinancebut we have only lived in our house for 2 years so it wouldn't be worth it. We are starting to think the best idea is to get of NJ. We always loved PA and would like to live in Bucks County someday. The beauty of PA would definitely be more inspiring.

Silk Screening

2009-03-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

I'm still teaching myself Illustrator..when I find the time..lol :) The tools are similar to photoshop so it has been easy for me to navigate so far. My goal is to make a design to print out on a t-shirt. I have signed up for a silk-screening class. So far it does not seem that too many have signed up so I am getting worried it will be cancelled.

I did find a article on screen printing at home. It got a lot of good reviews and it seems like a cheap process. So if anything I guess I can teach myself this too. I think it would be so great to learn how to print my own designs on t-shirts or hoodies.

Learning Illustrator

2009-02-16T16:56:00.001-08:00

I decided to start teaching myself Illustrator since I have a pretty good knowledge of photoshop at this point. I only have the CS2 version at the moment but I'm sure one day I will get the upgraded version. I ordered the Adobe Illustrator book from Amazon and was happy how cheap it was with the CD included:) I am really ready to learn about vector art and to start creating designs for print. I hope to create my own graphic tee's and hoodies one day. Even if it is just for myself;) I am going to sign up for a silk screening class so I can learn about the process some more and get some actual hands on experience. .

Please share any resources that are great for learning Illustrator. Share your designs as well!

Vegas Trip!

2009-01-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

NY NY Casino

I went to Vegas for the first time for work but still had some time for play :) It was a very exciting town and I found there was no way you can see everything in one trip. We stayed at the Rio which is about five minutes from the new strip and it has a great venue on the roof called the Vodoo Lounge. I was very happy I was able to dance on the roof and get such a great view of the strip. My favorite site has to have been the water show in front of the Bellagio. It was so beautiful. They had one every fifteen minutes. From the street you get a great view of the Bellagio casino and if you watch from the front of the Bellagio casino you have a great view of the casino Paris which includes a mini Effiel tower.

View from the plane

M&M Factory

View of Paris from Bellagio

Create your personalized gift

2009-01-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

My husband and I decided to start a new side business for some extra income. He has made this beautiful priceless personalized creations for family members for a couple of years now and he decided to start marketing it. A lot of people loved the idea and we have already have a couple of jobs lined up! I am so happy that I know the programs now to create them as well. These captured memories are great to give to anyone for any occasion. All you need is to gather a bunch of photos and think of a word that sums up your memory and you have a priceless personalized gift to give. Please check it out and feel free to leave feedback!!

Top Ten Favorite Holiday Songs

2008-12-22T16:48:00.001-08:00

I love holiday music. It brings back many memories of childhood and all of the holiday traditions that brought me so much happiness. Here are my top 10 favorite holiday songs:

I like to play carols on the piano while my husband joins in with his guitar. We don't have to much time to practice these days but we appreciate anytime we do get to play together. We had our holiday party this past weekend and had the pleasure of some friends entertaining us with music. I could never imagine life without music.

Please share your favorite holiday tunes with me.

Rockin out for Charity

2008-12-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

My husband's band The Anger Management Project, along with other local bands In Spite Of, and Artikay to name a few are coming together this Sunday December 14th in Union Beach, NJ at the 7 days bar and grill to raise money for a friend suffering the financial burden of medical bills from a dirt bike accident that has left him paralyzed.

Come by and show your support if you are in the area!

Here is a copy of the article about the event from newstranscript.gmnews.com:

Friends & family rally for Marlboro resident
Ken Majonis, 31, was left a paraplegic after Sept. dirt bike accident
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO — The Majonis family had a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Carol Majonis said the family is extremely thankful for the support and encouragement that has been received from their friends and family members after her adult son was seriously injured in a dirt bike accident in September.

Ken Majonis, 31, suffered spinal injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the dirt bike accident on Sept. 21 in Tinton Falls. Majonis was flown from the scene of the accident to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, where he underwent surgery to stabilize his shattered T-12 vertebrae. Following the surgery, Majonis was transferred to the Kessler Rehabilitation Institute, West Orange.

"We are just so grateful to our friends and family for the tremendous support," Carol Majonis said.

She said the encouragement the family is receiving is the only thing keeping them going during this difficult time.

When he is released from Kessler, Majonis will return to his childhood home in Marlboro. He grew up in the township with his parents, Carol and Eric Majonis, and sisters, Michelle Shashoua and Andrea Majonis.

Majonis is a 1995 graduate of Marlboro High School and is a member of the IBEW Local 400 electrical union. His mother said the family is in the process of working with Marlboro's building inspector to have their home modified and ready for Ken's homecoming. It is not known when he will return home.

Shashoua said her brother was always strong and said watching his progress at Kessler shows just how strong he is. Just months after his accident, Majonis is able to maneuver his body using his arms and abdominal muscles.

"We see rays of hope from his therapy (progress)," Shashoua said.

With the mounting medical bills not covered by insurance, the Majonis family knew something had to be done. Estimated costs for the first year of paraplegia could cost almost $300,000, according to information provided by the National Transplant Assistance Fund and Catastrophic Injury Program (NTAF).

Carol Majonis said with friends and family members offering to help with the

medical costs, the family looked into the possibility of establishing a fund in their son's name. The Majonis family set up a spinal cord injury fund in honor of Ken through NTAF.

NTAF has been serving the transplant community for 25 years; in 2008 the organization expanded its mission to assist patients with spinal cord injuries. NTAF provides tax deductible options and fiscal accountability to contributors. All contributions are administered by NTAF exclusively for injury-related expenses and contributions are earmarked for Majonis's exclusive use and are available to pay for uninsured medical expenses and to assist with his recovery.

Majonis's medical insurance has a cap of $25,000 for the type of injury he sustained. The average lifetime cost is between $697,163 and $1 million depending upon the severity of the injury, according to NTAF. A fundraiser has been organized to help offset some of the medical bills Majonis will face.

On Dec. 14 from noon to 10 p.m., "Rock Out," a battle of the bands, will be held at 7 Days Bar and Grill, Union Beach. The donation to attend is $25. The cover fee can be paid in cash, check or by credit card and is tax deductible for those paying by check or credit card.

Bands expected to appear include Rope Tree, In Spite Of, Rhyme & Reason, I'll Be John Brown, Anger Management Project and Artikay. There will be raffles and prizes including hockey tickets, tickets to a Broadway show, autographed sports memorabilia, an iPod shuffle and a Fendi watch. All of the prizes have been donated by people who have given time to help, Shashoua said.

She said the network of friends and family members who have helped to organize the fundraiser has been amazing. She said the owner of 7 Days Bar and Grill is a friend of Ken's and offered the restaurant for the event. Another of Ken's friends is in a band and used his contacts to compile a list of bands to play. After setting up a cause page in honor of Ken on the Internet social networking site Facebook, Shashoua said more than 300 people have become members of the cause and have offered assistance.

Proceeds from the day's event will go to cover costs such as hospitalization, rehabilitation, durable medical equipment, home modifications and ongoing therapy.

The constant outpouring of support is one factor that Shashoua feels is responsible for the progress her brother has made so far. Shashoua said Ken's face lights up when he receives visitors, especially his nephews, Jacob, 3, and Ari, 9 months.

More fundraisers are likely to be held in the future, Carol Majonis said.

Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the Ken Majonis fund may do so by sending a check to NTAF, 150 N. Radnor Chester Road, Suite F-120, Radnor, PA 19087. Make checks payable to NTAF Mid- Atlantic Spinal Cord Injury Fund, writing "In Honor of Ken Majonis" in the memo section. Credit card contributions may be made by calling 800-642-8399 or by visiting www.catastrophicfund.org.

Contact Rebecca Morton at marlboro@gmnews.com.

Slideshow of NYC Marathon 2008

2008-11-25T15:30:00.003-08:00

I have experimented with Windows Movie Make r at work before to post some testimonials to our website and discovered that is a great program to create movies and slide shows with. I decided to create a mini-movie for my brother after he successfully completed his second marathon. I was able to take the photos of him running in the NYC Marathon along with some video footage and music to create a mini movie. The program also also allows you to add animated titles, credits, and transitions. Kudos to Windows Vista.

Beautiful Weekend

2008-11-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure to stroll through Central Park this past Sunday to cheer on my brother as he ran in the NYC marathon. It was such a perfect day to part take in the event. I haven't been in the park since we walked the marathon last year for Breast Cancer. It is such a great park and so gorgeous in the fall. I was very inspired by my brother running the marathon for the second time because he shows what determination can help you accomplish. He also exemplified what the human body is capable of. Here is a picture of the castle in Central Park. I still have yet to go inside. Maybe next time :)

Enjoying an afternoon walk

2008-10-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures I took while taking a walk in the mid afternoon sun. I love watching the colors of the leaves change during fall. I was hoping the wind would pick up a little so I could get some shots of the leaves twirling in the wind. I am so happy I have a camera that can fit in my purse or even my pocket so I can snap a shot anytime.

I love to try to capture the sun light reflecting off of leaves and tree branches. It radiates such a great sense of warmth.

How to press your flower bouquet

2008-10-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

I was honored to be my sister-in-law's matron of honor along with her sister on September 28th. The wedding was beautiful and I really liked the flowers she chose. I love the cozy warm colors of the fall. I wanted to preserve the flowers from my bouquet so I could eventually add them around a picture of us from the wedding day. I thought it would a nice gift to the new bride and a great memento for me as well.

To press flowers yourself is actually a very easy process. If you do not have time right away you can keep them fresh in your fridge for the time being. I had my bouquet in my fridge almost two weeks before I had time to press them!

To get started, first gather these materials:

Your flowers to press.
A couple of heavy books such as a phone book or dictionary.
Tissues

The first step will be to open up to a page closer to the back of your book. Next, peel away a singly ply from your tissue and lay it on one side of the book. Lay the other ply on the opposite side. This will help you move the delicate flowers off the book once they are pressed.

Now remove all stems from your flowers that have a depth such a the rose. You will need to flatten the flower as gently as possible so you do not break off the petals. Once this is done you can lay them on the tissue. If you have many to press just flip the pages a couple of times towards the front of the book and repeat the process.

When you have finished prepping your flowers to be pressed close the book to flatten them and get rid of the moisture. I have found that it helps to stack a couple of books on top as well. Leave them inside the book for at least three to four days to make sure they are free of moisture.

On the forth day you can open the book and see if they are flattened and totally moisture free. If not, you can leave them in for another day. I was happy with my results because the colors were still prominent. I can not wait to use them.

Beauty is Everywhere

2008-10-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that you can walk outside you door and find beauty for free. These days everything seems to have a price. For me beauty isn't on tv. Beauty does not have have to be on billboard, not even in a magazine. Beauty is in the eye of the beholde r. To me, beauty is the turning of the leaves in the fall or the blossoming of flowers in the spring. It is the sound of the river and the warmth of the sun.

Beauty is the colors of the sun rise and even more when it sets. It is when a moment that is exchanged where no words or photo can record. It is the sound of music. It is the rhyme of words. Beauty is the exchange of wisdom from the elders to the young. This is the kind of beauty I live for each day. The fact that I can find beauty no matter what will always make my day.

Flower Pics

2008-09-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures that we took on our trip to New Hope. I love capturing the beauty of nature when I can. One of my favorite subjects to take pictures of are flowers. My favorite flower is the sunflower and I was excited to see how many were growing while we went on our strolls through the town. I hope to grow my own someday. They can grow over ten feet. I think they are such a happy flower and they always seem to be reaching more for that extra bit of sun.

I love the texture and the smell of roses. Rose petals are actually known to be very good for your skin. If you feel run down take a bath with rose petals to liven up your skin. Or you can use rose petal toner for your face or tired eyes. Smelling roses can help relieve stress and ease depression.

This flower I believe is a dahlia (please correct me if I'm wrong ;). This beauty of a flower greeted us as we had lunch at one of our favorite places to eat and relax called Wildflowers. I think the colors in this flower are amazing.

The beauty of New Hope, PA

2008-09-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

Tranquil garden at Porches

I was lucky enough to stay at a great B&B in New Hope this past weekend with my hubby to celebrate our three year anniversary. We stayed at a great bed and breakfast called Porches on the Towpath. The innkeepers were very nice and made us feel very comfortable and welcome. Our room was very cozy, clean, and uniquely decorated. We were happy to find that it is located right across one of our fave Mexican restaurants called The Blue Tortilla which of course was our first stop. They have great homemade fresh Mexican food. They even make their own margarita mixes. We also saw a great folk band play at John and Peter's which is a great venue that has been around for thirty six years and has live music every night. Their are a lot of great local artists around this town. Most of the shops in these area displayed gorgeous art of all forms including, paintings, wood carving, jewelry, home made crafts, and clothes.

We loved that we were able to walk through the garden on the grounds to meet the path along the Delaware Canal. We were able to walk to everything and never stepped foot into our car until we had to go home. New Hope is one of my favorite places because the town has great shops, food, and entertainment while maintaining a peaceful atmosphere.

Beautiful Art

2008-09-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

I was blog hopping today and came across at great blog called Beautiful Art. This is a online portfolio of artist Debbie Schramer. The reason I am writing about her is because she creates her own little worlds. I am talking about creating everything from a sky to the ground. If that is not creative enough, she and her husband Mike also produce and film their own movies with the "sets" and characters they make. They have posted their homemade movies on YouTube as well. They have just come out with a DVD called The Enchanted Treehouse.

The world they have created is very detailed and enchanting.

Next project

2008-09-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not been able to post anything new. I have a lot of events keeping me busy right now. Meanwhile, I am constantly thinking of something new to draw. I wish I could sit in the park all day and work on drawing landscapes but unfortunately that will not be happening anytime soon. For now I keep my eye out for pictures that inspire me to sketch. I am also thinking of sketching portraits of each member of my family.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated:)

Above the clouds

2008-08-30T07:41:00.001-07:00

Here is a pic of the beautiful sunset I viewed as I flew above the clouds on the way to California. I was pretty happy that I was able to capture it considering I had the aisle seat and the window was kind of dirty. I always enjoy watching a sunrise or sunset. I think it is an amazing sight to watch. The sky is a canvas and there is always a piece of art being created without the control of man. It is so peaceful to watch how rich each color gets. Then it just fades away only for another shade to take its place.

Back Home

2008-08-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

I have not been able to post lately because I had a business trip in California that took up a lot of time. It was tiring but very fun and a great experience. I meet a lot of new interesting people. Our hotel, The Fairmont, was right across from the San Jose Museum of Art and I never had a chance to go inside! They had an exhibition going on about the art of robots which seemed cool to see. Well next time I'm in San Jose, I will make it a point to actually go in :) Let me know if you have been inside.

When we were heading back home our flight got delayed three hours so we had plenty of time to kill. I chose to take the opportunity to sketch something since I have not had the time recently. I managed to find a store in the airport that sold regular pencils and I had a notebook that was given to me at the conference so I was set. I needed a subject so my immediate thought was to draw the airplane I was watching in the window. Nevertheless, the plane started to move and was out of site within a minute. I then tried to sketch a skateboarder I shot on my digital camera while I was sitting in the park across from a couple days before, but I could not get the camera to sit properly and it kept turning off as well. It finally hit me to flip through the magazine that was sitting next to me to get some ideas. I wanted to practice faces anyway. I choose Maroon 5's Adam Levine and went to work. I started in the airport of San Francisco and finished it on the plane. Despite the poor light and very tired eyes I was determined to finish it.

The Decline of Local Venues

2008-08-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

I saw my friend's band, Leaving Sideways play this past weekend. This band is fairly new and some of the members also make up the band In.Spite.Of who have been around over ten years. They played at a local joint called Chubby's in Red Bank, NJ. They sounded great and had a new song called Believe that I really enjoyed the guitar and vocals on. We also learned that night that this local establishment who is pretty much the only venue where you can see a rock band in Red Bank is now getting shut down. What will it turn into you ask? Well yet another restaurant of course.

I could not believe my ears when Davin the lead singer of the band told me this! I was so shocked because that town already has plenty of restaurants to enjoy. This bar was the only place were you could see a band on a stage without feeling suffocated by other night club goers in Red Bank. Most of the places do not even have enough room for a whole band if they even bring in the bands. Most of the places like Red just have DJ's who do not even show any original style.

Back To School

2008-08-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited because they finally posted up classes for the fall that I can choose from. I am very happy because I am able to take three courses without any of them interfering with each other. Even better, they all actually relate to eachother :) One of the classes is even offered on a Saturday! I have been waiting so long to learn these design programs. I have a little knowledge of Photoshop but I never had an official class. I am also going to be taking Illustrator, and Web Design which includes Dreamweaver, HTML, and Flash.

My goal is to one day be able to make beautiful designs on the computer and make them into prints for clothes or canvas. I would also would like to be able to create my own website or my own blog ;) It would be so fabulous to be able to set up a site one day to sell whatever I create at home. I hope to one day have a store to sell my creations as well. Now I just need the time to actually create ;) All in good time.

They also have an oil painting class I would enjoy taking but I know that would be too much at once for me since I also work full time. Maybe the following semester I can take up the painting course.

My Garden Lily

2008-07-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

After all of the rain that mother nature gave us to rid the air of all its humidity, I awoke to see two lilies that bloomed in my backyard! I was waiting for them to bloom for quite awhile now. I actually thought they might have been sunflowers because the stalk was growing so high. I planted some sunflower seeds in May so I just figured that is was going to be a sunflower plant. What a lovely surprise! They are so pretty and vibrant in color, I decided to capture them on camera and hopefully turn the image into a water color piece.

I tried to research to see what type of lily I am growing but I kept finding a variety of different answers. The closest match I have found to my lily image was it being classified as an Orienpet, Oriental Day Lily, and a Stargazer. If you happen to know what kind of lily mine is please let me know!!

Degas piece in charcoal and white chalk

2008-07-21T16:37:00.001-07:00

Degas

Along with my passion for visual art comes my passion for the performing arts. I used to dance a lot. I even studied dance in college at one point before switching my major (again). My favorite style was modern but I always appreciated ballet and studied it the longest out of all the dance styles I have learned. I think it is a great accomplishment to study ballet because it does take a lot of commitment. It gives you the strength, flexibility, and form you can carry over into any style of dance.

Edgar Degas, an impressionist, had a fascination for dancers as well. He like to study their movement and capture it on canvas. I tried to duplicate one of his works using charcoal and white chalk.

Contest

2008-07-17T16:20:00.001-07:00

I still consider myself a newbie to the blogging world. I found that I learn a lot just by visiting other blogs and asking for advise. It seems that all bloggers love to receive more traffic to gain readership. Today I came across a beautiful blog about a women who pretty much gets paid to shop. She is hosting a contest on her blog to gain readership. I never saw this before and it seems like a fabulous idea. Who would not want to be a winner. Check out her prizes!

Beach Day

2008-07-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

We finally got to go the beach yesterday! It was so nice and relaxing. We had some obstacles to overcome such as loosing a flip-flop to the street that was scorching hot, finding an ATM for some cash to pay to get onto the beach, and then a parking spot among the sea of cars. We overcame the beach madness and made it to the sand and had a lovely day at the Jersey Shore. Here are some pictures I took while we were there:

This is what we saw above our heads while lying on the beach. Too bad they can't send down some samples ;)

Sky Art

Seagull

Waves Crashing onto the Jetty

Seagulls on a stroll

Guitarist Pencil Sketch

2008-07-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

My husband Shane is an amazing guitar player. He has been playing for about twenty years now. He loves to play metal but he can pretty much play anything after hearing it a couple of times. He has such a great ear. He also writes his own music and writes songs for his band The Anger Management Project. Here is a sketch I did of him based off a photo I took when he was playing with his band at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ.

Exploring Art Mediums

2008-07-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

I took a freehand drawing class because I want to learn Graphic Design. I haven't had a formal art class in awhile and I was worried at first how good my perspective was. After the first class, I found I was doing better than I thought I was going to be. Our teacher had us explore different mediums we can use in creating art including pencil, charcoal, ink wash, pointillism, crosshatching, and watercolor.

Here are examples of my work based on a photograph of butterfly. I duplicated the photograph in four different mediums.

Ink Wash

Pencil

Pointillism

Watercolor

4th of July

2008-07-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July. The rain decided to hold off until later on a night. We had a great day visiting my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins who we have not seen in awhile. They live in Staten Island,NY and we didn't get stuck in any kind of holiday traffic at all! We even went down to the shore later on to a friends BBQ and there was still no holiday traffic. I guess the gas prices are keeping more people home or more local this year.

We saw the "Kaboom" fireworks show in Red Bank, NJ on the 3rd. The fireworks were pretty spectacular and so beautiful to watch. There must have been over 100,000 people there! Yesterday my friends set off a couple of little ones at their BBQ. I'm sure we will see some more in the sky for the rest on the weekend.

How did you spend your 4th of July!

Camping in Roscoe, NY

2008-07-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend camping with my husband's Aunts, Uncles and cousin in Roscoe, NY. It was so beautiful and peaceful and it only took three hours to get there!
We were able to step up our tent right next to the river! It was so relaxing to here the water all day and all night.

We went for a hike up the river and found a friend:

We also hiked to find a beautiful waterfall:

Ahhh the beauty of nature!

Earn money. Raise money for a charity.

2008-06-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a beautiful way to earn money or to raise money for a charity.

Top 10 Beautiful Things

2008-06-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

Love
Family
Sun
Moon
Ocean
Trees
Mountains
Sky
Water
Flowers

What do you find the most beautiful?

101.9 RXP My new favorite radio station

2008-06-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

I love music. I can not imagine life without it. Music is like a soundtrack to your life! I am so happy I came across a new radio station New York 101.9 RXP. They play classic rock but also more recent alternative rock favorites that you usually do not get to here on other radio stations. Instead of playing an artist's most played out song they offer exposure on their other songs on their albums.

RXP also will play local artists from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. You can hear artists you might not have not even known who were right in your own town!

Who are your favorite radio stations?

Turbo Jam

2008-06-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

I hate to waste money on Gym memberships so I do my workouts at home. I used to dance a lot and was even a dance major at one point at Montclair University in NJ. Because of this, I need to do workouts that have me move around a lot and have me use all different muscle groups.

I was watching one of those infomercials one day about Turbo Jam and it looked like so much fun so I went to Amazon to check out some reviews and it seems that a lot of people liked it so I was able to purchase one of the DVD's from the Turbo Jam Series for only eleven dollars!

I tried it for the first time and I really liked it because most of the movement targets your abs which is really important. The workout was mostly kick boxing and she mixes in some Capoeira movements too. The music is not cheesy and really gets you into it. Charlene Johnson does a great job keeping up the pace while explaining what comes next.

What Your Music Taste Says About You

2008-06-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

What Your Taste in Music Says About You

Your musical tastes are intense and rebellious.

You are intelligent... but in a very unconventional way.

You are curious about the world. You love doing something new.

In fact, you enjoy taking risks and doing things most people would shy away from.

You are very physical. It's likely that you're athletic, but not into team sports.

You have the soul of an artist. Beauty and harmony are important to you.

What Does Your Taste in Music Say About You?

Going to India

2008-06-21T00:53:00.000-07:00

One of our close friends is leaving tomorrow to go to India to teach English to students in India. This is an inspirational move I feel my friend Kiran has made. His profession is an English teacher in South Jersey. I think it shows how committed to his profession he is by taking on a summer job all the way in India while other teachers take the summer off. After all of the ten year bull you hear now it is good to know my friend is staying to true to his profession and is passionate about it.

Do you know anyone one close to you that inspires you? Please leave your comments.

Solar Panels

2008-06-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

At work today I needed to research all about Solar Panels and I found that they are starting to creep more and more into the mainstream. This means that they are becoming more affordable and the government helps by giving those who invest in renewable energy products for their home a tax rebate. Each state has it's own set of qualifications and amounts of rebates you are entitled to. You can find out about the tax rebate for solar products you use for your home here.

Sea Grass Restaurant,Ocean Grove, NJ

2008-06-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

Our friend Sean is leaving to go fight in Iraq for a year so a bunch me my husband and a bunch of close friends met at the Sea Grass Restaurant in Ocean Grove, NJ for dinner. We have never been there before but the atmosphere was very relaxing and spacious. We felt like we were having our own private party instead of being crammed in.

They specialize in seafood dishes and the food was excellent. I only ordered the calamari because I wasn't that hungry but the dipping sauce was so delicious. Everyone else's dishes looked really good and I know we are going to go back there for dinner. I did have a taste of my friend's dessert which was really rich of chocolate and peanut butter. I highly recommend the Sea Grass Restaurant.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Concert Review

2008-06-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

I got to see Robert Plant and Alison Krauss last night at the Wamu Theatre in Madison Square Garden, NYC. I was so excited to see Robert Plant because I love the music he made with Led Zeppelin. Although this is a more calmed down blues grass style, I found them captivating together. Their vocals were flawless. Robert Plant's voice was very soothing and full of emotion and Alison Krauss's voice resembles a string instrument. She also plays the violin which explains her vocal style. They also covered some Led Zeppelin songs like Blackdog in their own style.
Here are Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing "Your Long Journey" live from their album, "Raising Sand":

Why you should not eat beef

2008-06-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

So it seems that there is yet another reason why should stay away from beef. Now there are studies that show the production of beef for mass consumption contributes to global warming. I learned about this while surfing some blogs and came across this interesting post.
I don't know about the production of beef and it is effects on warming the earth. I personally believe that that the earth is just going through its natural cycles. History shows us how the earth has warmed and then iced over without the presence of cars, factories, and pollution. I do feel that these factors do harm your health.

I never liked red meat much anyway. I got really sick from it when I was younger and I only have a hamburger when there is absolutely nothing else to eat at someone else's BBQ or something. It makes me feel so full. Too much red meat contributes to heart disease.

What are your thoughts on beef production contributing to global warming?

90 degree heat wave

2008-06-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

So it has been over 90 degrees the last couple days here in NJ. It hasn't stopped me from going outside though. I went to New Hope, PA with some girlfriends to relax and to escape all of the chain stores in NJ. I also went on a photo trip with my husband to make photo collages of our father's towns they have been living in for over 20 years for Father's Day.

I did get sunburn while cruising around Hightstown and Colts Neck. Nothing feels better than aloe vera on sunburn skin! So now it is the work week and it is still over 90 degrees. Thank god we got our air conditioner fixed last week! We would be dying in our sleep! The air conditioner isn't working at work though and I was getting nauseous from the heat once the building got to 80 degrees inside. Thank god I am able to finish my work at home. It is supposed to start raining tonight so hopefully the rain comes down to cool the earth and get rid of this nasty humidity.

Photography Sites Who Pay

2008-06-09T15:43:00.002-07:00

During my last digital photography class, my teacher told us there are a couple of sites in the internet where you could submit your photos and be able to collect royalties if they are used. These sites are also a great way to store your photos so you don't have to use your own memory. Always keep a hard copy though. These are some great sites that will pay you for your images. Always check their agreements so you do not get ripped off. One site is clickimage who offers you unlimited storage and some business advice. The other is printroom. Printroom is a great site to join if you are into photography professionally because they will help you promote yourself. You can set up your own website to showcase your portfolio.

CafePress is also a great site for your photography and any other artwork you would like to sell. You set the price and you gain commission on any product your art sells on!

He also recommended getting our photos copyrighted because you are able to send a CD/DVD of as may photo thumbnails you can fit for one fee instead of paying for them individually.

Stock Photography

2008-06-09T15:43:00.001-07:00

Stone Temple Pilots

2008-06-04T17:25:00.001-07:00

My friend saw the Stone Temple Pilots last Saturday at PNC in Holmdel, NJ. I wasn't able to go but I was shocked with the story I heard about Scott Weiland. She told me that the band came out an hour later than they were supposed to and Scott Weiland was trashed. I couldn't believe he would choose to make an appearance like that after all this time! She told me that he kept messing up the lyrics and the crowd was pretty much singing for him! I wouldn't be surprised if his ticket sales for the rest of their tours go down based on that performance.

Movie Review: The Orphange

2008-06-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

I watched the movie "The Orphange" or "Orfanato, El," directed by Juan Antonio Bayona. It was a great thriller. It is all in Spanish and has sub-titles. You become so engrossed with the movie that you don't even notice that it is in a different language anymore!
The movie is about a woman who grows up in an orphange and ends up adopting a son of her own when she is older and owning the orphange to help handicapped children. His son goes missing during a party they are throwing. She is convinced that his imaginary playmates have taken him. She uses her motherly instincts and follows the clues to find her child Simon.
Check out the preview at YouTube.

Teak Resturant

2008-06-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

I went to Teak Resturant in Red Bank, NJ to celebrate my friends birthday and the food was so good! The have a great menu of Thai cuisine. I was very inspired to try cooking my own Thai food at home. So far the only other place I could compare them with is the Bamboo Leaf in Belmar, NJ.
The drinks were also very good. They had interesting drink ingredients which included lychee and passion fruit. They make them pretty strong too at $10 a pop. Red Bank is such a great place to be on a summer night. Great resturants, stores, and bars to enjoy within walking distance. I can't wait till the 4th of July. They have the best fireworks show besides NY. Plus we can ride the train free.

Iron Man

2008-05-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

I saw Iron Man last night and have to say it was the best action movie I have seen in a while. I usually think action hero movies are a bit corny. Not Iron Man! Robert Downey Jr. did a great job playing the role of Iron Man. I was so happy for him that he did so well after all he has been through in real life and with the media in the past.

iPod Central

2008-05-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

The iPod has given us a variety of ways to store our music in a compact way that lets us enjoy our music from anywhere. ShopWiki.com opens up the world of the iPod by offering numerous styles such as the iPod nano, the iPod classic,the iPod touch,the iPod touch,and the iPod shuffle. They have great colors including red such as the Ipod 8GB Nano Red which if purchased, Apple will proceed $10.00 to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

There are a variety of sizes offered to suit a variety of media needs. The amount of storage capacity ranges from 1GB to 160GB. This amount of storage allows iPod lovers to store not only music but their favorite videos and pictures. The new iPhone offers a new feature of combining a cellphone to the iPod and using bluetooth technology with it.

Other great accessories ShopWiki offers for iPod users are the iPod sports arm band which gives you the freedom to exercise while listening to music with your iPod securely attached to your arm. There are a wide selection of speakers available for iPods so you can dock and share your music with everyone. If you are looking to stylize or protect your ipod even more there are many cases to choose from.

iPod has revolutionized the way we can store, carry, and listen to media. I can't wait to see what they come out with next.

Music download sites. Quality sound for your money.

2008-05-12T06:06:00.000-07:00

With the convenience of walking to the next room to purchase new music instead of getting in your car and driving twenty minutes away presents a wave of numerous websites that offer music with high quality sound for less money per album or song than purchasing the album in a store.

Websites that give the best value I have found are http://www.itunes.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/ where both offer an entire album for $9.99 or a single song for $0.99. The downloads are high quality and the websites are very easy to navigate through. The music players on both websites lets you preview the songs before purchase.

There are also free music download sites which allows users to share their music through websites such as http://www.limewire.com/ and http://www.mykazaagold.com/. These are free music downloads but the quality may not be as high and there is the danger of downloading viruses.