Fascinating Art Work: Driftwood Horses by Heather Jansch

There is nothing I can write more eloquently, than what the artist herself has written. Someone emailed me with these pictures and the links -- they are gorgeous and fascinating. Visit her site to read how and why she started doing this; it's amazing (plus she does other animals too). Here is a small snippett from HEATHER JANSCH's interview:

Q Where did you get the idea to work with driftwood?

A Entirely by chance and from seeking to find a unique form of creative expression that felt like my own. I was tired of following in other peoples footsteps. I had been working with copper wire and the sculptures were like Da Vinci’s line drawings but lacked the power I wanted. One day I while I was out my son could not find any kindling wood to light the wood-burner and had chopped up a piece of ivy that had grown round a fencing stake, he had left behind a short section that I immediately saw as a horses torso of the right size to fit straight into the copper wire piece I was working on. The next question was where could I find more or similar shapes and the answer was of course driftwood.

From more pic's visit here:

• BRONZE AND DRIFTWOOD SCULPTURE
• Rense.com

Good Desserts... Praline Cake, Pear Cake ... "YUM-O"

I know it's summer. I know you are suppose to watch your weight... but hey, company is coming and you need a great dessert or you can give it as a gift ... I'm sure the recipient will offer you a slice. These are "YUM-O"... and definitely make a statement. Rich, creamy and worth the calories ; )

PRALINE CAKE
European style rendition of praline has hazelnuts, almonds and a hint of smokiness.Three layers of hazelnut butter cake filled with crushed pralines, praline buttercream and chocolate buttercream, finished with praline buttercream and crushed pralines, and decorated on top with a small cluster of pralines.
Ingredients:Butter, Flour, Sugar, Eggs, Hazelnuts, Almonds, Buttermilk, Bittersweet
Chocolate, Vanilla Extract, Baking Soda.

PEAR ALMOND CAKE
Pear and almond...a classic flavor combination. Rich and creamy. Three thin layers of almond cake filled with poached pears and bavarian cream, finished with white buttercream and honey toasted almonds, and
decorated on top with dried pear slices.

Ingredients:Eggs, Heavy Cream, Pears, Butter, Almonds, Flour, Marzipan, Sugar, White
Chocolate, Pear Liqueur, Vanilla Extract, Honey.

Top Pool Pickup Lines .... : )

This is not my post... but I saw it and it made me smile all day... You gotta love the beach when spring break hits.... from the beginning of mankind there has always been a "pick up line" So without further adieu (from "Oh My Apartment") these are classic : )

It’s almost that time of the year again… getting in shape, working on that tan, and dusting off your repertoire of fail safe pick up lines! Here are a few funny pick up lines to refresh your memory if last summer seems just too long ago.

1. Can I see your tan lines?

• Who said tan lines were a bad thing? Strike up a conversation poolside about what kinds of sunscreens give you that golden tropical tan. Maybe your prospective sun bather will invite you to help them reapply.

2. Oh no I’m drowning… I need mouth to mouth quick!

• Who knows, maybe that cute guy over there is a former lifeguard… it can’t hurt to try. The damsel in distress act is a sure fire way to catch the eye of a poolside lounger. He’ll feel like a hero, and you’ll have to take him to dinner in order to repay his favor. Everyone wins!

3.So… did you hear how I saved that little girl from drowning last month? Awww what a guy!

• Women love men with big hearts – and muscles – so letting your poolside crush in on your lifesaving stories is a good way to break the ice. So what if the ‘little girl’ was actually the little girl’s toy doll. It’s the thought that counts, right?

4. Let’s go back to my place and get out of these wet clothes.

• What a thoughtful gesture. No one’s comfortable in a soaking wet bathing suit. You might also mention your recent purchase of luxury spa bath robes… who can resist wrapping up after a refreshing dip in the pool?

5. I must be lost… I thought paradise was further south.

• Regardless of whether your pool really is a luxurious haven, or a trashy college hangout, it’s the clientele that make the place. Let your fellow apartment residents know that their bikini clad bodies are other worldly.

6. Do you know karate? Cause your body’s kickin! Cheesy?

• Yes. But behind this pick up line there’s a guaranteed laugh. Let your prospective hottie know that those hours sweating away at the gym have really paid off.

7. Wanna come jump in the pool with me? Cause you just caught me on fire.

• Not only is this a flattering statement, it invites your poolside crush to spend some time with you in the pool. Show off your backstroke, splash around, and flirt like there’s no tomorrow.

8. All those curves, and me with no brakes.

• This line is no longer reserved for guys with slicked back hair and short leather jackets. Just make sure you’re not too serious when you say it. You’re trying to flirt, not frighten. Use with caution.

9. Is it hot out here, or is it just you?

• Well, we all know it really is just hot. But this line is a little more flirty than ‘So… what about this weather?’ Talking about the weather like that is reserved for retirement communities and awkward conversations with your great aunt Gertrude.

10. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave… you’re making the other guys/girls look really bad.

• Hopefully you’re not insulting all of your crush’s friends by dropping this line. But seriously… who doesn’t like to hear that they’re the cutest one in their group?

11. Hey, you were great on Baywatch last night!

• Baywatch, the epitome of beauty on the beach. Therefore, the ultimate complement.

12. Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?

• Confidence is attractive, so go out on a limb and drop this line on the nearest hottie. If you’re turned down, at least you’ll get some exercise from all that walking around.

13. You look like you could use some help rubbing in that tanning oil.

• What’s more sensual then a soothing massage? Perhaps you could mention the fact that they feel a little tense, and ask them up to your apartment for a beer.

14. Is your name Summer? Cause you are hot!

• Alright, alright… this line might be close to exceeding the cheeseball limit. But hey, at least you’ll get some points for humor, right? Let’s just hope her name isn’t really Summer, cause that could be awkward.

15. I’m new at the complex… can I have directions to your apartment?

• Play up that vulnerable, innocent ‘new guy’ persona, and maybe she’ll take you under her wing.

If any of you beach lovers out there here some new ones, please, please, please, leave a comment. A) To help someone out who needs a line, and B) so the rest of us can chuckle!

Running Moonshine On Highway 9

I came across this on DIGG.... great video and great music. Take a moment and enjoy : )

RUNNING MOONSHINE ON HIGHWAY 9

Retro Rockabilly Video! Very cool movie footage from the 1950's. Hot rods,chicken racing, cops chasing juvenile delinquents and even an Atom Bombdrop! A real story of action and drama that you just can't miss!Original soundtrack song "Running Moonshine On Highway 9"

OUCH! Let's Play Musical Sunburns

Oooooouch.com - play musical sunburns.

Gotta play it to belive it!

Great Leapin' Sturgeons! Rare find in the Chesapeake Bay!

Great news for the Chesapaeake Bay! A rare capture of a ripe female sturgeon has biologists hoping they can fertilize her eggs and grow as many as 50,000 young fish for release into the Chesapeake Bay, where it was thought that the sturgeon was nearly extinct.

The 7 1/2-foot-long, 170-pound sturgeon was accidentally caught in a net by a fisherman on April 29 at the mouth of the Choptank River near Tilghman Island.

The fisherman turned the fish over to the state Department of Natural Resources, which offers rewards for sturgeons and other species of interest to its biologists. The biologists hope to fertilize the eggs at the University of Maryland's Horn Point lab, using sperm from male sturgeons they have been keeping in tanks for 11 years while they searched for a mate.

Biologists have been taking egg biopsies every few weeks from the female and are waiting for the eggs to fully mature before removing them surgically, said Brian Richardson, a DNR program manager.

The eggs will then be separated into about a half dozen lots and manually fertilized with sperm from various males, Richardson said.

"We can't really say for sure when, we're monitoring and we're hoping within two or three weeks," Richardson said. "So far, she's tolerating it very well."

If successful, the resulting fry will be the first wild Chesapeake Bay sturgeon bred in captivity, according to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

The slowly reproducing fish, which can live 100 years and weigh hundreds of pounds, were once abundant in the Chesapeake and elsewhere and sought after for their salty eggs. They were driven nearly to extinction by the caviar industry at the end of the 19th century.

Since 1996, the DNR has been offering rewards of $50 or $100 to watermen who turned them in, with most tagged and released back into the wild. The numbers of fish have slowly increased from 13 in 1996 to 450 last year.

Steve Minkkinen, a fisheries biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told The (Baltimore) Sun that most have been young, and none have been spawning-age females or newly hatched sturgeon.

However, the large number captured last year suggest they are breeding nearby, perhaps in the Delaware Bay or James River in Virginia, and migrating to the Chesapeake to feed, Minkkinen said.

"It's exciting. This is an indication that there is at least some reproduction going on in the East Coast," Minkkinen said. "And it shows that the Chesapeake Bay's water quality and habitat is still good enough to support these subadult fish." (sources: Houston Chronicle and Washington Post)

On the flip side..... Way down upon the Swannee River ....

A woman was injured in June (2007) by a leaping sturgeon, the latest incident involving the flying fish on the Suwannee River, officials said.

Tara Spears, 32, of Bell, was knocked unconscious by the animal on Sunday while boating on the river north of Rock Bluff, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported.

She was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was expected to recover, the agency reported.

The large, prehistoric-looking sturgeon have hard plates along their backs.
They can grow up to 8 feet long and up to 200 pounds.

In April, a leaping sturgeon severely injured a 50-year-old woman from St. Petersburg who was riding a personal watercraft on the Suwannee River. She suffered a ruptured spleen and had three fingers reattached by surgeons, but she lost her left pinkie finger and a tooth. (Source)

So the next comment is .... is this what we Chesapeake Fanatics can look forward to in a few years?

Fish people ... Seriously! So creative...

Some people are so creative .... and have so much time. This is actually pretty amazing : )

Retro Swimsuits Pin Up Girls One Piece Ruffled Bottom Swimsuit - CUTE!

Cute. Sexy. Whatever. I adore this suit. Great colors ... girly girl pink, green and white and there is an adorable ruffle for the derrier.... this suit is a "keeper"

Available at GetGoRetro.com

Body Type an Eye-Opening Look at Tattoo Artists and Typography

Body Type is an eye-opening look into the amazingly creative ways that tattoo artists are utilizing typography. Whereas the majority of tattoo art uses images to convey messages, here the message actually is the image. Twenty-six alphabetical characters might not seem like much to work with, but a look through these photographs reveals the contrary. Here are truly unique social commentaries, expressions of love, hilarious examples of biting satire, plus
some mottos, intricate logotypes, deeply personal song lyrics, and, of course, those tattoos that exist for one reason only: to shock the hell out of you. The crisp photographs are accompanied by an insightful commentary from renowned
graphic designer and typographer Ina Saltz, plus consistently surprising and heartfelt explanations from the tattooed.

Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh

Hellzapoppin Classic Swing ... Enjoy! It's the start of Memorial Day Weekend!

It's Memorial Day ... Time to celebrate; reflect and smile. From Hellzapoppin a classic and hard to duplicate dance scene : ) Enjoy!

Part 1

Part 2

I want to get something on my chest : ) -- Robbie the Robot!

I admit it ... I love "Robbie the Robot" he is so antiquated -- but oh so cute. Less is more... right? Especially in this high tech age... so it was with great surprise and happiness that I found a t-shirt with Robbie on it : ) Available at
Wet
Seal, which by the way... is very affordable!  (It's only $10.50!)

What a great ad ... "Rich & Skinny" : ) My Goal!

Sandcastle cake topper or table centerpiece for your Beach Wedding

Having a beach wedding? Then every princess needs a sand castle. These are great both for on top of the cake and as table centerpieces. Add some sand around the base, a few shells and voila... beach on the table : ) Click on picture!

Don Ho Died! : ( The King of Hawaiian Song

Legendary crooner Don Ho, who entertained tourists for decades wearing raspberry-tinted sunglasses and singing the catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," has died. He was 76.
He died Saturday morning of heart failure, publicist Donna Jung said.

Ho had suffered with heart problems for the past several years, and had a pacemaker installed last fall. In 2005, he underwent an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart in Thailand.

Don Ho worked right up to the end. Promoter Tom Moffatt said he attended Ho's final show Thursday and Ho received a standing ovation. Afterward, Ho reminisced about his many years in Waikiki and talked about how Judy Garland sang with him one night.

Ho entertained Hollywood's biggest stars and thousands of tourists for four decades. For many, no trip to Hawaii was complete without seeing his Waikiki show _ a mix of songs, jokes, double entendres, Hawaii history and audience participation. Shows usually started and ended with the same song, "Tiny Bubbles." Ho mostly hummed the song's swaying melody as the audience enthusiastically took over the familiar lyrics: "Tiny bubbles/in the wine/make me happy/make me feel fine."

"I hate that song," he often joked to the crowd. He said he performed it twice because "people my age can't remember if we did it or not."

Donald Tai Loy Ho, who was Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and German, was born Aug. 13, 1930, in Honolulu and grew up in the then-rural countryside of Kaneohe. In high school, he was a star football player and worked for a brief time in a pineapple cannery. After graduating in 1949, he attended Springfield College in Massachusetts on an athletic scholarship. He grew homesick, returned to the islands and ended up graduating from the University of Hawaii in 1953 with a degree in sociology.

Inspired by the U.S. military planes flying in and out of Hawaii during World War II, Ho joined the Air Force. As the Korean War wound down, he piloted transport planes between Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu and Tokyo.

When he returned home and took over his parents' struggling neighborhood bar, Honey's, he put together a band and started performing at his father's request. "I had no intention of being an entertainer," Ho said. "I just played songs I liked from the radio, and pretty soon that place was jammed. Every weekend there would be lines down the street."

Honey's became a happening place on Oahu, with other Hawaiian musicians stopping in for jam sessions. Ho began to play at various spots in Hawaii, then had a breakout year in 1966, when appearances at the Coconut Grove in Hollywood helped him build a mainland following, and the release of "Tiny Bubbles" gave him his greatest recording success.

Soon he was packing places such as the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Stars such as Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra were known to be in the audience for Ho's shows.
Ho also became a television star, and hosted the "The Don Ho Show" on ABC from 1976-77. One of Ho's most memorable TV appearances was a 1972 cameo on an episode of "The Brady Bunch."

If you want to meet the "man" read this Q&A from "Weekly Hi Hi - Honolulu" and if you want to hear the great "Don Ho" listen to his music: Don Ho - Greatest Hits.

Rest in Peace Don.

Sand art. This is really, really cool!

I actually came across this accidently. It is really, really cool. Takes sand art to a new level. Watch the whole thing. I was glad I didn't click off of it too soon. Wish I had a 1/3 of this woman's talent. Enjoy!

Why You Should Tan Responsibly

Picture found here

Looking at Heaven.... pretty cool art

Something I would buy ... but not put outside .... even though you can use it for that.... it's pretty cool... but again, I would be afraid to ruin in : )

'The Heavens' Cast-Stone Garden Plaque - $ 69.99 Inspired by the love of Mediterrean gardens and classical European imagery, "The Heavens" is an original sculptural work individually reproduced by the artist in cast stone. A patina finish adds a rich luster and "aged" look to the plaque and emphasizes the depth of the relief. Individually cast, sealed and finished in California; ready to hang.

How the Suntan Became Fashionable ...

It’s only in recent times that a permanent suntan has become the symbol of radiant health, jet-set wealth, and fresh-faced beauty. For centuries the suntan was decidedly downmarket - the mark of a manual labourer, toiling in the fields for a pittance.

In Elizabethan England, courtesans would go to ridiculous lengths to preserve their ashen pallor – painting their faces with heavy white make-up made from a deadly cocktail of carbonate hydroxide and lead oxide.

In fact, well into the 20th century, the most uncool thing you could possibly do was expose your flesh to the sun. Until a certain French fashion icon went for the burn.

Coco Chanel starts the style

While cruising aboard an aristocrat’s yacht in 1920, Coco Chanel developed a suntan. The floodgates opened.

By the 1940s, women's magazines encouraged sun tanning and pin-up girls like Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth were pictured in bathing suits, showing off their tanned bodies.

In the 1970s, things had become extreme. Thanks to cheap package holidays to Mediterranean destinations, an entire generation had baked their bodies in the sun. Unfortunately, they were also oblivious to skin cancer which could come back to haunt them 10-30 years later. (article found here)

Intriguing . . . The Saddest Thing I own . . .

I find this both sad and intriguing at the same time. Beautiful, Beautiful Ring. I hope he doesn't discard it. I am of the mindset that time does change one's perspective. You never forget the person, the love the memories, but time does have a way of sometimes dulling the emotions or changing your perspective. And not to sound callous or anything, but again . . . what a cool cool ring : )

Engagement Ring · May 4, 06:32 by Daniel Talsky

I was going to marry her, and I was very serious about it. I went to one of the best Jewelry design places in all of the city, and asked them about making a ring that was a fish, because she was my little fish.

I ended up just bringing her in and having her do sketches to help design the ring. We designed it together and picked out a stone together. She loved wearing it and it was a symbol of our love.

When we broke up, two months away from our planned wedding date, of course she gave it back to me. I spent almost two thousand dollars on it, but there’s not much about the materials themselves that are worth that much. The cabuchon sapphire, the small chips, and the little diamond from a ring of my grandmother’s, plus the metal, wouldn’t amount to much. The real value is in the custom time that we and the craftsmen put into carving it and forging it.

Now I still have it and have no idea what to do with it? Sell it for a couple of hundred dollars at most and let it go to some stranger? Give it to her in ten years as a symbol of our enduring friendship? (we are still very close friends) Throw it into the sea? Who knows. Until then it will sit in my closet…easily the saddest object I own.

Suntan Addiction?

This is my civic duty. I saw this and it's only right that I print it. I personally, can't help it. Love the idea of a golden tan. Not that it makes it right. But I guess I am old school. I'm not against sun blocking lotions, not against, tanning booths or even the spray tans. I just like it. At any rate - here is the warning article and it is a good article.

Warning over suntan 'addiction'

The study asked 145 beach-goers Scientists at the University of Texas have found that some people might be addicted to getting a suntan. The research, published in the Archives of Dermatology, suggested up to 53% of beach-goers could be dependent on getting a tan. Cancer experts said it provided "an interesting insight into why people continue to binge-sunbathe". However, an addiction scientist said it was more likely to be an "extreme behaviour", rather than an addiction.

'Aware of risks'

The scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston used recognised criteria for assessing whether patients have drug or alcohol dependency.

They asked 145 beach-goers about their sun-seeking habits, using questions such as "do you try to cut down on the time you spend in the sun but still find yourself sun-tanning?" It does provide some interesting insight into why people continue to binge sunbathe, despite knowing the risk

Dr Kat Arney, Cancer Research UK

Using a questionnaire based on an internationally recognised check for assessing alcohol dependency, 26% of those interviewed were classified as "ultraviolet light (UVL) tanning dependent".

But when questions from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders were adapted for the sunbathers, 53% were classed as dependent.

Professor Richard Wagner, who led the study, said: "It's interesting that slightly modifying tools used to identify substance-related disorders, we can actually see an objective similarity between regular tanning and those disorders."

"Dermatologists often talk about people who are 'addicted to the sun' - people who know it's not good for them to be bronzed all the time, but don't seem to be able to stop tanning."

SUNSMART ADVICE
Stay in the shade 11am-3pm
Make sure you never burn
Always cover up with a T-shirt, wide brimmed hat & sunglasses
Remember to take extra care with children
Then use factor 15+ sunscreen
Source: Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK's SunSmart Campaign is the UK's national skin cancer prevention campaign, and estimates that skin cancer claims around 2000 lives per year in the UK, with 65,000 new cases being reported.

Previous studies have shown many people who regularly expose themselves to UV rays in order to get a tan know they are increasing their risk of developing skin cancer.

Chemical changes

Dr Kat Arney, cancer information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "This is a small study but it does provide some interesting insight into why people continue to binge sunbathe, despite knowing the risks."

However Colin Drummond, professor of addiction psychiatry at St George's Hospital Medical School, London, said: "I have concerns about calling everything in the world an addiction."

"There's a tendency to translate extremes of behaviour into addictions."

Professor Drummond said addictions meant a particular chemical mechanism occurred in the brain which determined a person's behaviour.

Such a mechanism had not yet been established for sunbathing, so the habit could not be labelled an addiction.

He said people tanned because they wanted to conform socially, not because they were addicted to the feeling.


(This article was found here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4153358.stm_)