I heard a quote I liked recently: “You’re not a millionaire until you’ve given a million away.”

I would add: “You’re not a millionaire until you can shop at Whole Foods without a guilt cloud hanging over your head.”  I had a sweet potato emergency so had to stop at Whole Foods on my back from the gym.  The day before, at Jewel, I spent $.28/pound.  At Whole Foods, I spent $1.56/pound.  That is crazy!

A monk in his travels found once a precious stone and kept it. One day he met a traveler, and when he opened his bag to share his provisions with him, the traveler saw the jewel and asked the monk to give it to him. The monk did so readily. The traveler departed overjoyed with the unexpected gift of the precious stone that was enough to give him wealth and security for the rest of his life. However, a few days later he came back in search of the monk, found him, gave him back the stone and entreated him: ‘Now give me something much more precious than this stone, valuable as it is. Give me that which enabled you to give it to me.’

Anthony De Mello – via Liturgy on Twitter

This is the third in a series of posts about some new releases from Blowpop that I’m really loving. In addition to the cute triangle bra & boyshort sets, and the three goddesses set, we’re treated to lots of colorful camis.  The Blue Roses cami made for a great casual top, and I cruised around the grid in this outfit for a couple of days. 

Clicking the images will take you to larger versions.

I’d say that 99.9% of the time, I’m not at all fond of wearing t-shirts in SL that feature a store logo and I know from previous discussions on Plurk that I’m not the only one who feels this way. I’m more than happy to make an exception for these tops from Blowpop, though! The Sailor Jerry styled artwork is beautiful and displays Blowpop’s (slightly naughty sounding!) catchphrase, “Lick, Don’t Bite”.

Also worn is LAQ’s Jewel skin, a fairly recent addition to the Glow Skins collection.  Jewel is quite stunning, and is available in darker skintones (you can see more of the tones and makeups below).  I seem to gravitate toward boots a lot in SL; maybe this is because I never get to wear them in RL?  I live in Hawaii and the only time you ever really need to wear boots here is when you’re doing yardwork or gardening, lol.  But anyway, I was long overdue for some updated cowboy boots and I finally recently splurged on J’s Western Boots.  Finishing off the look is my favorite new hair, a sculpted dreadlocks style from booN.  booN has a whole bunch of dreadlocks that look incredible and I’m hoping that the selection will grow in the future.

As with the three goddesses tops, the Blue Roses camis are available in both long and short lengths as well as on a variety of clothing layers to maximize your mix and match potential.  They’ve been made in a bunch of colors, and they go perfect with the lowrise boyshort undies.  I think it’s the perfect combination for chilling out in your skybox with your closest friends. 

Accompanying the release of the Blue Roses camis are the Rampant camis, which feature a gold lion rampant……. licking a lollipop!  Haha.  I’m curious to see the Blowpop coat of arms.    These, too, are available in a bunch of colors:

Credits…
Camisoles – Blowpop – Blue Roses (1st, 2nd, and 3rd images); Rampant (4th image)
Lowrise boyshorts – Blowpop – from the Cassie underwear set
Skin – LAQ – Jewel + Cleavage Enhancer 2
Hair – booN – LUV205
Shorts – League – Booty Shorts dirty
Boots – J’s – Wester boots

I visited a beautiful bar “Jewel” right opposite one of the exits from Piccadilly Circus…. Fantastic cocktails for only £3.95 between 5-8 pm !

 So why not treat yourself to a pre-drink before your meal out ?

Read more about “Jewel” here

- Jackie -

Whenever I interview a musician, I can hardly wait to get to my favorite part of the interview is asking an artist about the inspiration behind his or her songs.  The inspiration for songs is as imaginative as can be—some stories are silly, some are lovely, others aren’t all that special—but they’re all interesting.  This is why I love the latest Chicken Soup for the Soul Book: The Story Behind the Song.

I know, I know.  I usually stay away from sloppy, emotional stuff, and Chicken Soup books can definitely fit that category, but this book is different.  It offers a look into the minds of contemporary artists from a variety of genres, such as Jewel, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, John Legend, Rick Springfield, Iggy Pop, Tom Higgenson of Plain White T’s, Ann Wilson of Heart, and many, many more!

For example, did you know that “Jessie’s Girl” was written about a cute girl in Rick Springfield’s stained glass class, the guy’s name wasn’t actually Jessie, and that it was the catalyst for his career?  How about the fact there’s a real Delilah who inspired “Hey Delilah” by the Plain White T’s, but Tom Higgenson never actually dated her?  I have learned all sorts of interesting facts about some of my favorite songs—“Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, “Operator” by Jim Croce (yes, I’m a dork!), “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian, “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett, and “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx.  And I finally know what “Sister Christian” (Night Ranger) is all about!  That in and of itself is worth the price of the book.

The fine folks at Plan A Media and Soul Publishing have given Backseat Writer a FREE COPY to give away to one lucky reader!  To win this amazing book, all you have to do is head to Twitter, tweet this comment, “I want to win STORY BEHIND THE SONG from @backseatwriter, how ‘bout you? http://bit.ly/W5mfk” and you’ll be entered to win. Winner will be notified via Twitter, so make sure you’re following Backseat Writer (@backseatwriter) on Twitter.  The contest ends December 1 at 5 PM EST.

Also, on December 1, Backseat Writer will be posting an excerpt from Chicken Soup: The Story Behind the Song–how Jewel came to write the song “Hands.”  You will definitely want to read that!

*In the interest of full disclosure, I want you, dear reader, to know that Plan A Media did provide me a review copy of this book.  There, now the FTC should be happy!*

librocubiculartist means a person likes to read in bed. It’s a great way to conjure dreams Thanks to jeweljk @ Twitter for todays word.

I recently bought this album and I love it! I’ve always been a fan of Jewel and when I found out she was making a CD full of Lullabies for babies I was thrilled! All the songs are very pretty and reminds me of old Jewel (Foolish Games, ect). I would probably listen to this CD even if I didn’t have my little one. I don’t know how much more my husband can take from Aurora and I listening to it so much, but does his opinion really matter (Jewel hater!)? Give it a listen!

The ECB are worried what effect the 'crown jewel' list will have on grassroots cricket

David Davies has listed all home Ashes cricket series as a ‘crown jewel’ event from 2017, much to the dismay of the ECB.

Davies’ decision to block Sky from showing the matches on its flagship channels means the Ashes will return to free-to-air television for the first time since the famous 2005 series.

The ECB has derided this decision, claiming the decision will “kill” grassroots cricket, as the majority of funding the ECB give to the lower forms of the game comes from the Sky TV deal.

But will the drop in revenue be as great as Giles Clarke, chairman of the ECB, is making out? He says TV revenue will drop from £66m to £25m, according to the Guardian.

It is only the Ashes series that will be placed on the ‘crown jewels’ list. This still means they can sell all the other series as a whole. And if Davies’ plan does work it will increase interest in this package, thus raising its worth.

Budgets

Plus the Ashes series is an attractive event on its own and will surely raise interest from BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV, as well as Sky. Possibly sparking a bidding war amongst them.

As the ECB are worried about grassroots cricket, as they should be, they could reduce the amount of money given to counties. This would stop the counties paying expensive overseas players and give young English talent a chance, as brilliantly illustrated by Scyld Berry in the Sunday Telegraph.

All it would mean for the ECB is that they would have to tighten the purse strings and rearrange their budget.

Just because the Ashes have to be shown on free-to-air channels, Sky can still bid for the games along with the other broadcasters.

This is due to the 2012 compulsory switch over which means all televisions have to be digitally enabled, with no more terrestrial channels being broadcast.

Advantages for Sky

As a result, all televisions across the country will at least have Freeview channels, with Sky already broadcasting Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News on this format.

This would allow Sky to show the series on these channels for free, as they have done with the Free-weekend Pass promotion. There are also other advantages for Sky in using this system.

This is the perfect platform to showcase the excellent coverage they provide on the England cricket team. This could inspire customers to upgrade to their sports channels in order to watch the other cricket series.

Also the money Sky may lose from customers not paying to watch the games can be retrieved through the increase in advertising revenue as more people will watch their channels. Sky may even buy the series at a cheaper rate.

David Davies’ plan will allow more people to watch Ashes cricket and to inspire the next generation of future cricketers. If it works it will do more than any grassroots programme the ECB have in place.

This is important for Giles Clarke to understand.

By Jack Atchinson

Thieves steal gold jewellery worth about 6,000 from a charity shop in Ballymoney, County Antrim…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: antique diamond jewelry. The blog is also related to: diamond wedding bands.

I would have thought seeing one of the seven wonders of the world and one of the most famous buildings in the world would be only a once in a lifetime experience. I have just been informed however that for me the Taj Mahal will be a twice in a lifetime experience.

The magnificent Taj Mahal is situated in Agra in the North of India. This sacred site is considered one of those must sees in one’s life and millions of people make the trip to see the great structure every year. It is one of the most recognised and identifiable buildings in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As my second trip to the famous Taj fast approaches, I thought I would reflect upon my first siting in 2005. After a business trip to the amazing Udaipur and a quick stop in Delhi, my father arranged for us to fulfil one of his lifelong dreams of seeing the Taj Mahal in person. It was to be a long day trip from Delhi to Agra, but an unforgettable journey.

We started the day with a 6am ride on one of the famous Indian trains, though we of course took 1st class so I feel I was somewhat robbed of the true experience. Upon arriving in Agra we were met by our guide for the day and taken to the closest car park to the Taj. There are no cars allowed within 1 kilometre of the great structure and so the last leg must be done on foot or as we chose, by horse and cart.

The trip leading up to the Taj Mahal is incredible with the typical indian life of markets, farm animals and busy people bustling about the streets. There are tour guides and souvenirs as with any popular tourist site but it all seems to be more cultural and relevant here.

Once up close you must walk through a series of red buildings and courtyards before you are met by the four gates. You then turn to face the Western gate which leads to the site you have travelled so far to see. My father could barely hold in his excitement but I wasn’t feeling the same way. I know it’s important and it’s so very famous but I had seen so many pictures so I wasn’t expecting to be dazzled or overwhelmed. The lead up and suspense to actually seeing the structure really does help the experience and I would be lying to say that I was anything less than speechless once faced with the Great Taj.

The experience begins as you walk through an enormous gateway with indian styled architecture into a dark middle section where the Taj Mahal is first framed in a natural window.

This is the typical photograph everyone has seen. As you continue forward, the gardens and  the enormity of this site are revealed to you. Once you have walked all the way through the arch and stand directly in front of the Taj with all it’s splendour laid out before you, you can but simply gasp at this amazing spectacle. I didn’t think it would affect me that much but I felt a shiver down my spine and a sense that I was experiencing something spectacular.

We spent a good 2 hours there strolling around the gardens, taking the mandatory 100 photos, viewing the river that runs out the back, seeing the muslim mosque and replicated temple which stand to either side and entering the Taj Mahal itself. Once close to the building you can see the true expense that went into it’s construction and the 17 years for which it took to be constructed. It is made of white marble with semi precious stone inlay both inside and out. The tombs of the great Maharaja who built the temple and his wife lay at the centre as a reminder of what the building was originally for, a final resting place of the kings beloved Queen. I most certainly recommend a guide to walk with you through the site as there is too much wonderful history and questions to be asked for you to miss out on.

My experience at the Taj was further cultured by the wonderful Indian people who were also viewing the site that day. It was Indian Tourist season in June when we went so for a rare time there were actually more Indian tourists then there were foreign tourists. To the delight of many of the Indian tourists that day they not only got to see the great attraction of the Taj Mahal but they were entertained by something else new and intriguing, ME!

As I stood on the main viewing platform at the centre of the site I began to notice a crowd forming near me. But instead of viewing the magnificent structure ahead, all eyes were on me. Slowly one by one, people came up to to shake my hand and speak to the white skinned, blonde haired, blue eyed girl who said “dhanyawaad” and “Namaste”. I didn’t realise until my guide informed me that many of the people may never have seen a white person before as they were coming from villages and towns where tourists would never go. Before I knew it, a busload of tourists were there and I was posing in a photo with 20 odd Indian people all wanting to hold my hand and say hello. This went on for at least 15 minutes before I gave Dad the signal to come and take me away from the madness. For me it was a truly humbling and special experience. To have people be so excited to meet you and interested in you for simply being different was a joy. I’m glad I could share that special moment with them in such a wondrous location.

Walking out of the garden and looking back over your shoulder at the Taj Mahal for one last time is almost as exciting as the first glimpse. You feel as though you have accomplished something great and you now have this memory to cherish until the end of your days.

I cannot wait to make the acquaintance of the Great Taj Mahal again. They say that you could visit it every day for a year and it would never look the same because in every light it has a new and different beauty. I will also be going with an Indian family as part of a wedding ceremony and a cultural tradition which will add to the experience. I am interested to see how culturally important this site is to Newlyweds and how important this structure has been in the Indian way of life.

For more information on the history of the site and how to get there visit:

http://taj-mahal.net/

http://www.tajmahalindia.net/

Quick history and background:

A beautiful story of love and Tragedy. The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is Mughal Architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic aarchitectural styles. Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen.

Soon after the Taj Mahal’s completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son and put under house arrest. Cruelly locked in a  tower in the nearby Agra fort, where he was forced to look at his beautiful creation everyday. Shah Jahan had previously planned to build a second structure identical to that of the Taj Mahal but in black marble. He wanted to be buried in the tomb which would face his beloved wife’s final resting places so that they could look upon one another for eternity. Sadly, due to his don’t intervention, it wasn’t to be. Upon Shah Jahan’s death his son buried him in the mausoleum next to the centred tomb of his wife, making it the only unaligned or symmetrical part of the entire tomb.

Since 1983 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim Art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”

There’s a new pint sized play going on right now!

Before we go any further let’s check out the catalog

No Secrets In Here

There’s also a new pin

First, Stand on the xs with a group of penguins, at least one should be a bug. Then an entrance will appear

Then when in the secret room stand on the group of xs with at least one a bug. Then collect your prize!

Yes, for things that glitter, there will be a sequel. You’ve seen cool cuffs and shoes that shine, so let’s take a look at the bag and crowning jewels to top it all off.
If I could spend $272 on a clutch, it would probably spend it on this one by Antik Batik.	But I can’t.  So I’m taking a second look at this “Sparkle-licious” eye candy from etsy.com.  This piece by Angee and Vincci is only $90 but still includes special touches like a big, crystal brooch and a bright pop of pink liner on the inside!
This regal Marni piece is made of wool, metal, and Swarovski crystals.  Of course, you have to be royalty to afford a $1,242 piece of bling.	This beauty is called Tangled Royalty, with light pink crystals and delicate charms in one big, sexy bunch!

And here’s one more, just for the heck of it.

This pair of Opulant Edwardian Rose earrings is by mythunderstood on Etsy.  They’re only $27, and they are absolutely elegant. These would  immediately turn your LBD into a breathtaking, feminine ensemble.

So, there’s your second dose of shine and rhinestones of the antique variety.  Happy hunting!

These bikini photos of Jewel shows she was blessed with killer body. Jewel has a body made for a bikini.

Building a website… hahahaha what was I thinking….. but since I decided to go serious with this dream venture of mine… First thing I did is got myself a domain name and started playing with iWeb @ home!!! Well, I am not a great deal of web designer but I came up with v1.0 and guess what…a B&W website with colorful pictures of my jewel collection! Well that very evening I gave another thought and changed the website theme to little bit more colorful and here comes version 2.0… Yet… Nah not really the one I thought of so here we go again… changed the whole look but couldn’t do much because of so many limitation with iWeb and so many workarounds but still I came up with v3.0 and this time back to gray & white with colorful pictures…. Nope.. what was I thinking with gray! once again not really the website of my dream! I spent a quality time and then finally v4.0 !!!

KCJewels.com now looks good and got quiet a few compliments…. The new collection & designs of jewels are loaded on the website and yes… I am still fine tuning the website… although no plans to come up with v5.0

So… why don’y you check out… www.KCJewels.com and let me know what you think ?

happy surfing…

URL : http://www.flashgame-girl.com/Puzzle-board/Jewel-of-Atlantis.html

Game description :

Underwater adventures in long-lost atlantis.

Game controls :

Use mouse to interact.

The latest to make the jump to helpful home builder is Jewel who was joined by husband Ty Murray who helped the Creasley family of North Carolina.

Well, over a year ago while we were living in Thailand for a while I studied Silver Jewellery making at Nova Jewellery Collection on Tapae Road in Chiang Mai Thailand.  Partly because I absolutely love silver jewellery, there is something very ancient and seems sacred and somehow tribal….. perhaps all the different cultures who have used silver over the recorded history of art and humans.  The other reason was that I was scared and fearful of failure, intimidated by the use of the torch and red hot heat and the precision of the art of it all.  So, all very good reasons to jump in and just do it!  With my husband Ralph giving me gentle nudges and encouragement off I went to the silver studio at Nova, with much trepidation and excitement a good recipe for creating.

As I enjoy design in so many forms, with my background in Interior Design, and exploration of multimedia art projects… I pulled into play my passion for beauty and my Buddhist meditation techniques on staying in the present moment.  Our approximate three months studying Vipassana Insight Meditation at Wat Ram Poeng and Wat Chom Tong turned out to be some of the most challenging times of my life and the most rewarding life satisfying gifts ever!  Being in Thailand with it’s heart centered people, tropical beauty and Buddhist beliefs was a very special place to challenge my self doubts….. and dive in I did!

I spent thirteen day classes with a silver master, Nugoon and his beautiful assistant Junko, and my knowledge, experience and joy increased by leaps and bounds as I finished each new project I ventured on.  The Nova Silver Studio has the ultimate in silver equipment and is set down one of the enchanting lanes off Tapae Road.  I had a lovely walk exploring lunch options and enjoyed delicious adventures daily, where I regaled Ralph with the current inspiration or ‘uh-oh’ topic.  I decided before I began that I would document this as best as I could so that when I get home to Canada I would be able to set up my own wee studio and begin exploring my newborn passion in silver.  So I took notes and photographed every step along each project, and I’m so happy I did as now I have good refresher information and visual reminders of what I did.

When in doubt as to what to design I resort to my favorite image ‘Grizzly Bear Claw’ which resides in my Ojibway blood.  Bear is also our family animal so bear is always a strong and sacred friend for me.  The Grizzly Bear Pendant I created as my first project turned out quite lovely and I wear it constantly with my pride and joy!  My next project design comes from my love of the Buddhist philosophy and the Lotus Flower, which rise up from the mud everywhere….. so the Lotus Flower feeds my passion for beauty and I played with the texturing techniques and learned so much!  You know you are living your passion when time drops away and only the experience in front of you is beating in your heart.  I was in heaven in paradise!

Let me show you some of the photos of the projects in various stages…. so often I said to myself, ‘well, this is ruined’… only to proceed to the next step and it would magically evolve ….. it really is alchemy!

Grizzly Bear Claw (2 in wide x 2-1/2 in ht) & Lotus Flower (2-1/2 in wide x 2 in ht) Pendants

Lotus Flower Pendant ~ Texturing Explorations

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Today young people are excited about the hobby of sewing now

days. When I say young that really accounts for a large segment

of younger citizens. In this case, sewing has caught on with young

children of all ages including Post-College adults.

Now considered a great hobby, fashion-minded folks are designing

and also making their own clothing on a regular basis.

Driven by famous celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and P. Diddy

and other famous people, young people are willing to dress
themselves as people she admires so much.

Do not stop there though. Many a new step forward
take a stab at designing their own house market
professionals. This may evolve into a profitable career
the fashion industry.

Following this awareness of fashion and creativity,
sewing classes and sewing are very popular nowadays. This allows
Interested persons who enjoy sewing asa hobby, to transform their
embroidery and the creation of models in a profitable business.

The creation of different models and custom bags for hand sewing
are among the elements that are in demand. It is also possible to transform
left on scraps of fabric and unique gifts unique
items for friends, relatives or business associates.

Christmas is the perfect time to make long and memorable
gifts.

Seam can be seen as a hobby or you can dolong
long-term project if you decide to treat it like a business.

A sewing hobby became the focal point for the unrestrained
creativity. Being able to sew and wear clothing to be worn as
art, sewing is a hobby fun and profitable.

See Also : http://astore.amazon.com/china-tw-20 http://staubsauger.fernstudiumde.com/ http://imacgame.blogspot.com/