Weekend of Love...

Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week. ~Joseph Addison

Have any plang for the weekend? I hope you do. You can do anything you want to enjoy the weekend. And for me, sleeping, eating and watching TV are also plans to enjoy the weekend=) Just do what you like and hopefuly the weekend is full of LoVe...LoVe and LoVe..Have a great weekend everyone.

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.

~Bill Watterson

(images from covetier, etsy and justbesplendid)

One dress for two stars

What if two stars wearing the same dress? But thankfully they didn't wear it on the same occasion. Would it make any different considering both are pretty and famous? Well,let's take a look and you'll be the judge. Two stars, one dress...Who wears it better? I personally choose: Jennifer Garner, Lindsay Price, Hilary Swank and Rachel Weisz

Vannesa Hudgens - Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Morrison - Lindsay Price

Hilary Swank - Brooke Shields

Rachel Weisz - Jessica Alba

(from People.com)

The positive power

Have you ever wondered what is exactly the benefit of always being positive? There are many times I think about the question but the answer I've got only a simple one. What I have in mind is that when you always have a positive thinking in your mind, you'll end up to get the benefits of the good thought coming back to you. In other word, it could be some kind of a good karma, in which what goes around will eventually comes around. Therefore, if I say something positive about someone, eventually somebody else will say a positive thing about me. That's what often happen in my life. Barbara Fredrickson (a social psychologist who conducts research in emotions&positive psychology) states that "positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture which helps them identify solutions where as negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems." Therefore, I believe that positive thoughts and emotions can surely counter the negative effects of stress. You will not have those negative thoughts running on your mind about things. And what's more important is that being positive is the key factor of happiness.

As Blessed As You Want to Be - The Power Of Staying Positive

Our thoughts are not simply ethereal pieces of information that enter our minds and then disappear. The words and ideas that we think can shape our lives and drive us toward success and happiness or failure and distress. How you think and feel can have a profound effect on your ability to recognize opportunity, how well you perform, and the outcome of the goals that you’ve set for yourself. When you maintain an optimistic outlook and make an effort to harbor only positive thoughts, you begin to create the circumstances conducive to you achieving what you desire. You feel in control and few of life’s challenges seem truly overwhelming because it is in your nature to expect a positive conclusion. An optimistic mind is also an honest one. Staying positive does not mean that you ignore difficulties or disregard limitations. Instead, it means spending time focusing only on the thoughts that are conducive to your well-being and progress.

Positive thinking dramatically increases your chances of success in any endeavor. When you’re sure that you are worthy and that achievement is within your grasp, you start to relax and look for solutions rather than dwelling on problems. You are more likely to imagine positive situations or outcomes and disregard the thoughts related to giving up, failure, or roadblocks. What the mind expects, it finds. If you anticipate joy, good health, happiness, and accomplishment, then you will experience each one. Thinking positively may sound like a simple shift in attention – and it is – but it is a mind-set that must be developed. Whenever a negative thought enters your mind, try immediately replacing it with a constructive or optimistic one. With persistence, you can condition your mind to judge fleeting, self-defeating thoughts as inconsequential and dismiss them.
It is within your power to become as happy, content, or successful as you make up your mind to be. Staying positive may not have an immediate effect on your situation, but it will likely have a profound and instantaneous effect on your mood and the quality of your experiences. In order for positive thinking to change your life, it must become your predominant mind-set. Once you are committed to embracing positive thinking, you’ll start believing that everything that you want is within your grasp (source from here and images via flickr)

There would be nothing to frighten you if you refused to be afraid. -Gandhi

Wall quotes

Look what I found on Etsy. This one is called wall quote. Isn't a great idea if every time you pass by one wall or one part of your house you'll see a motivating or inspiring quote that can lift up your day?And if the quote is being painted in your kids' bedroom near the bed, they will surely have a really nice dream every time they close their eyes to sleep. I'm sure this one also applies for adults too=) One important thing you have to make sure is to paint really good quotes.

Bolognese Meat Sauce

Sharing this recipe to you as your comfort food for the weekend. Hopefuly can make you feel relax and thus you will be able to enjoy the lovely weekend with the loved ones. It is said that this is a hearty, earthy bolognese meat sauce and it is quite easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 100g (3.5oz or 1 1/4 inch thick slice) prosciutto
• 1 sprig Italian parsley
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 celery stalk, quartered
• 1 carrot, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 150g (1/3 pound) each: ground beef and ground veal
• 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 120g (1/2 cup) dry wine, preferably red
• 42g (3 tablespoons) tomato paste
• 500g (2 cups) chicken broth, homemade or a good quality canned broth, preferably low-sodium

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the prosciutto, parsley, onion, celery, and carrot. Process to a fine consistency (I grated the carrot and celery, and minced the onion and prosciutto).
2. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the prosciutto-vegetable mixture and cook stirring until lightly browned (I took 15 minutes). Add the meat and sage, and cook stirring frequently until brown. Season with pepper and a dash of salt. Add the wine and let evaporate. Blend the tomato paste into the chicken broth and stir it into the pan. Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour. Check the seasoning again, adding salt or pepper if necessary, and stir it in for a minute or so, then remove from the heat (source from here)

New York Street Chic...

I always love seeing street style, where fashion meets different personalities. And this time I got it from Elle.com. The web offers many street style from around the globe..Milan,LA,Denmark etc. The one I've chosen below is form NY streets...the city that never sleeps. And it is also one of those cities of fashionable people always be. I've picked my top 5 styles and here are those styles. As you can see, lately I'm in the mood of monochrome.

Unusual pillows

These are very unusual pillows. The first one called Pop Pillow design and the other one is called iDream pillow designed by Studio Psyho from Ukraine. Would you like to have a nice dream or a bad dream tonight? I guess it depends on which pillow you're gonna use. Do you want to have it? You can buy it here and here.

Fast food fix

Have you ever said this to yourself? "I ate a supersize fast-food meal".

I'm sure every now and then you've said this. So what? once in a while is not such a big deal, you can indulge yourself by eating your fave fast food meal. The problem arises when you're eating fast-food meal waaaay too many times. So, what would you do then? A 15-year study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota showed that people who ate fast food more than twice a week gained 10 more pounds than participants who had it less than once a week and a higher risk of diabetes. Here's what you can do according to one source.

Fast Fix: Savor your indulgence. “Splurges do happen,” says Dr. Harlan. “For some of us, it’s fast food; for others, it’s a big chocolate bar.” The trick is to focus on each and every bite — this is a treat, one you won’t be having tomorrow, so take the time to really enjoy it.
Next Time: Order low-cal. If you must hit the drive-through, choose foods that won’t do major diet damage. At Burger King, for example, choose the Whopper Jr. (290 calories with no mayo) instead of the regular Whopper (670 calories). And always skip the fries: A small bag at McDonald’s clocks in at 250 calories, about half of which is fat. Instead, order the side salad (20 calories) with a packet of Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette (40 calories). “The day after your severe restriction, you’ll be eating everything, including the paint off the walls.”

Marley & Me

Have you watched this movie? I just watched it last night. It's a very good movie. About a couple who then lates becomes a family, learn important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog. They even called Marley the world's worst dog. I can laugh out loud, I can be angry with Marley because he often acts naughty, I can feel the love of him for the couple (John and Jenny Grogan) and at the end...I cried because he died.

This is my fave quote of the movie.

John Grogan: A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his

(images from flickr)

socks

Don't you love wearing socks? I do...it keeps me warm at night. Socks, like underwear, were among the first items of clothing worn, obviously enough, because people needed to protect their feet and keep them warm..

(images via smoke&mirrors)

Being perfect...or not

Are you a perfect human being? Have you ever looked at someone else and thing that it would be nice if you're as perfect as that person? I think it's a very common thing for the most of us to have that thought crossed our mind once in a while. The main point is to be perfect in your own perception. You don't need other people's judgement to be their type of 'perfect'. Just be as you could possibly be. Ba who you are and if people really cares about you...they will accept you no matter what, they will accept you unconditionally. Hey, nobody's completely perfect anyway. And as usual, here I also posted an article that I found really good to read.

The Illusion of Perfection

by Anastasia Netri

When you hear the word "perfect", what do you think of? Most definitions of perfect are something along the lines of "being entirely without fault or defect". So many of us are walking around trying to be perfect in some way. We want the perfect job, the perfect partner, the perfect body, or the perfect child. I think there's nothing wrong with wanting perfection. The trick is to change the definition of a "fault" or "defect.

It's almost amusing how we believe that we have faults or defects. How can a person ever grow without experiencing the range of human emotion? When we are trying something new, isn't there a process we must go through in order to learn it? So, is it a defect inside us when we pick up a violin for the first time and it doesn't sound very good? Of course not. The process is perfect, not just the end result. To say one must practice to be perfect is to say that where you are, learning what you are learning at this moment, is only a means to be perfect somewhere in the future. The more we put perfection out there in the future, the more we tend to stay in a state of dissatisfaction. The perfect future never seems to come.

I've never met anyone who says they have the perfect life. Have you? I know I've looked at somebody else and said they have the perfect life, but when I talk to them I hear another story. Everyone seems to always be chasing after something that will take all of their problems away. For most of us, we think it is more money. Even though people with money tell us over and over that it doesn't make everything perfect, there is still this illusion that many of us carry around with us that life holds a place for us, somewhere, in which we will have no more challenges to overcome.

What if we stopped seeing learning, growing, energetic cycles, feeling emotions, and falling down while we're learning to walk as flawed? What if we held all of it as perfect? Think about it. If we held the entire human experience as perfect, then perfection is already attained! I don't know about you, but I am tired of being afraid to try something new because I think I'm not going to do it perfectly right away. I am also tired of saying "it's okay to not be perfect". That phrase bothers me. I want to start thinking of ALL OF ME as perfect. Then I can joyfully go through life enjoying the perfection of the process, and never seeing myself as having flaws or defects.

I know many of us think that it is the striving toward perfection that causes expansion and growth. I believe that if we expanded for the sake of letting our passions come through us and wanting to contribute to the planet, as well as each other, we would soar in more ways than we could imagine. What if love, desire, and passion fueled our growth and not dissatisfaction? We can expand for the sake of experiencing the world in new ways, and find perfection in the entire process. It is possible.

I invite you in this moment to breathe. Look around you. Notice where you are, what is happening in your body. Take in your life for a moment. You are doing the very best you can do with the tools you have right now. Your life is perfect. Try this on for a few days. Continue to tell yourself that everything you do, say, and feel is perfect. Learning new things and adjusting, even very slowly, is perfect. How could it be any other way?

Human beings are amazing creatures. We are creators, capable of thought and choice. We have such a range of emotion and experience. Each person you see is much more complex and mysterious than you will ever know. If you ever dream of seeing the world as perfect, you must first see yourself that way. It begins here and now. Perfection is achieved by nothing more than accepting that which already is. Simple, isn't it? (source from here)

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. Vince Lombardi

(all images via justbesplendid)

Amazing pic...

Oh My God..Look at this picture. Isn't it an amazing pic?

(image via justbesplendid)

Look-alike

Faye Dunaway - Nicole Kidman

My celebrity look-alike this time are Faye Dunaway and Nicole Kidman. What do you think? Faye Dunaway-an American actress-was born on 14 January 1941. She has starred in a variety of films from blockbusters to the most critically acclaimed including Bonnie and Clyde. She received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her performances in Bonnie and Clyde. Nicole Mary Kidman-born Australian actress- was born on June 20, 1967. In 2006, Kidman was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civilian honor. In 2006, she was also the highest-paid actress in the motion picture industry. (source from Wikipedia)

Dream of your life

The Life Of Your Dreams - Waking Up

Many of us are familiar with the experience of waking up to the fact that our lives are no longer working the way we have set them up. Sometimes this is due to a shift occurring inside ourselves over time, and sometimes it is part of the larger shift that is currently affecting all humanity.

Change is happening at such an increased rate that it is difficult to predict what the future holds. As a result, many of the old ways of planning out a life are no longer applicable, and if we cling to them we feel strangely out of tune with reality. If we are in tune with the energies around us, we will begin to question ideas that just a few years ago seemed sensible. In the simplest terms, the shift we are undergoing right now has to do with recognizing ourselves as being more than human, remembering that our earthly aspects are a very small part of who we are. In truth, we are multidimensional beings. When we begin to realize this, the life we planned for a limited conception of ourselves no longer fits. We must meet the needs and qualifications not only of our bodies but also of our souls. This realization dawns slowly for some and with the suddenness of a bolt of lightning for others, and we all must find the way that works for us to integrate this new and larger sense of self into our life plan.

Sometimes a drastic change feels totally right, and overnight we might decide to sell our home and move to another country or quit our job and begin a second career. Other times, we allow the changes to proceed slowly, beginning perhaps with allowing ourselves to dream of a new life or just to ask the deeper questions that encourage us to discover our true purpose in life. Either way, know that this process is a natural sign of the growth we are all going through, and trust it to guide you to the life of your dreams.(source from here)

(image source: flickr, dailyreminder, justbesplendid)

Molten Lava Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 T real butter
• 1/3 C sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 C flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
• Additional Ingredients:conf. sugar for dusting, sweetened whipped cream for serving (vanilla ice cream recommend) and butter and sugar for preparing pans
• You can either bake these in a muffin tin, in ramekins, or even a oven-proof mug. If you use a muffin tin you'll get 6 cakes and depending on the size of the ramekins you'll get 4-6.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. To prepare pans, use your fingers (or the butter wrapper) to rub butter in the muffin tins or ramekins. Sprinkle in some granulated sugar to coat the entire inner surface and tap out any extra and discard.
3. In a bowl with a mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and salt and slowly add it into the butter mixture just until combined. Stir in melted chocolate by hand, just until combined. Don't over mix.
4. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups or ramekins and then place them on a baking sheet.
5. Bake just until tops of cakes no longer jiggle when pan is lightly shaken, about 8-10 min for a muffin pan, and 10-12 for ramekins. Remove from oven and let stand 10 min.
6. If using muffin tins, invert the tin and place an individual cake on each serving plate. You can do the same with the ramekins, or just serve them as is. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream (or I prefer a good scoop of vanilla ice cream). (source from here)

Playful Home

Another home tour by Living etc. This time they call it "Playful Eighties house". It is said that fun is the main theme of the house. The decor is full of relaxed mix with glamour. The owner is an art director, Harvey Bertram-Brown, who moved in about two years ago. He stated that:

'I searched for months, then this just jumped out at me, it had a lovely atmosphere, despite gaudy decor and odd-shaped little rooms. I wanted a new start.'

10 Quirky facts about kissing

This is the list of 10 facts about kissing..I love kisses...So I thought it might be fun to share it with you who also loves to kiss and be kissed=)

(images via justbesplendid and allposter.com)

1. Two out of every three couples turn their heads to the right when they kiss.
2. A simple peck uses two muscles; a passionate kiss, on the other hand, uses all 34 muscles in your face. Now that's a rigorous workout!
3. Like fingerprints or snowflakes, no two lip impressions are alike.
4. Kissing is good for what ails you. Research shows that the act of smooching improves our skin, helps circulation, prevents tooth decay, and can even relieve headaches.
5. The average person spends 336 hours of his or her life kissing.
6. Ever wonder how an "X" came to represent a kiss? Starting in the Middle Ages, people who could not read used an X as a signature. They would kiss this mark as a sign of sincerity. Eventually, the X came to represent the kiss itself.
7. Talk about a rush! Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters in our brains as parachuting, bungee jumping, and running.
8. The average woman kisses 29 men before she gets married.
9. Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don't.
10. The longest kiss in movie history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, You're in the Army Now. It lasted 3 minutes and 5 seconds. So if you've beaten that record, it's time to celebrate! (source from here)

1+1 = LOVE

When one plus one equals LoVe...One completes the other one=)

(images via perfect bound and justbesplendid)

You complete me
by ~*FLAMEZ*~

I never really knew what love was till I found you. Until I met you the sky had never been so blue. No one has ever been as perfect as you. You are my one and only this is so true. You have given me a feeling I never knew. You are in my thoughts in everything I do. Because I know without a doubt the one I love is you. You have got me doing things I have never wanted to do. You give me a whole new outlook on life. I without a doubt want to make you my wife. You are the one that made me put away the knife. And begin to fill the empty places in my life. You have without a doubt made me complete. When I think about you I can't even eat. My love for you is set in concrete. Loving you is easy and so sweet. Our love for each other is just a seed. Just keep watering it is all we need.

courage

Don't let you fear stands in your way. Don't let your fear guides your life. You have an important thing called courage. And where can you find it? It's within you. If you have been searching for it but you don't seem to find it, it means that fear is still haunting you. Serch for more courage. I know you will find it even though it will take time but trust me...the good things always come along, and courage is a good thing.

Emerging Courageous - Walking Through Your Fear

The situations, activities, and individuals that frighten us remain static. Their relative intensity does not change. Fear, on the other hand, self-magnifies. It is when you are afraid and envisioning all that might go wrong that the energy underlying your fear grows. A tiny flicker of anxiety can easily develop into a terror that manifests itself physically and eventually paralyzes you into inaction. Though frequently, in walking through that fear, we discover that the strength of our fright was out of synch with reality. And we learn that doing what frightens us can lead to great blessings. Confronting your trepidation head-on will help you accept that few frightening scenarios will ever live up to the negative disasters that we sometimes play out in our minds.

Though fear is literally an evolutionary gift meant to sharpen your senses and energize you during times of great stress, it can nonetheless become a barrier that prevents you from fulfilling your potential by causing you to miss out on rewarding, life-changing experiences. During the period before you face your fear, you may have to deal with a barrage of negative thoughts and emotions. Walking through it, whether your fear is public speaking, taking part in an activity that makes you nervous, or asserting yourself when the odds are against you, may be equally as difficult. But once you have emerged unscathed on the other side, which you will, you will likely wonder why you assumed the worst in the first place. As you spend time worrying about what might happen, it's good to know that your fear probably won't happen at all. It may feel like a great weight has been lifted from your shoulders, and you will likely feel a sense of passionate pride. Walking through your fear can mean taking risks and can require both practice and patience. Since it is challenging to act when you are gripped with fear, start small.

Each step you take into fear will strengthen you and help you confront future fears with poise, courage, and confidence. You will also find that when you are willing to stare your fear in the face, the universe will always offer you some form of aid or support. When you see the heights of accomplishment and personal evolution you can attain when you walk through your fears, your faith in yourself will grow, allowing your next step to be easier.(source from here)

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Blue theme

Another wedding party collage from Snippet&Ink. They call this theme "Blue Christmas". For sure the blue refers to the color not the mood=) Looking at this collage, I can feel the warmth of the wedding party. Look at the blue color...really can sooth the mood of the guests and also the bride and groom. I don't know why but the color blue (which is my favourite) can suits both to woman and man.

So..what does an expert says about the color blue? Adapted from “The Healing Power of Color” by Betty Wood (source from here), below is the explanation of 'blue'...

Blue: Soft, soothing, compassionate and caring, Blue is the color of deliberation and introspection, conservatism and duty. Patient, persevering, conscientious, sensitive and self-controlled, Blues like to be admired for their steady character and wisdom. They are faithful, but are often worriers with somewhat inflexible beliefs and can be too cautious, and suspicious of flamboyant behavior.

“May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade you every step along the way. May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.”
Irish Blessings quotes

Neuron Galaxy

I just found out from this website that the structure of a human brain is the same as the galaxy of the entire universe. Isn't it amazing how God created all of these things in the universe...
It has been said many times that one of the most remarkable aspects of the adult nervous system is the human brain. The brain works is said to be similar to a combination of a computer and a chemical factory. It controls memory, vision, learning, thought, consciousness and other activities. So, if this the case..we might have to take a really good care of our brain as we also take a good care of our whole universe.