Former model and reality show host Brooke Burke, mother of 4, bounces back into shape within a blink of an eye every time she gets a baby. The 36-year old looks amazing and had always been at her best shape even before appearing on Dancing with the Stars.

Brooke laughs when people ask her about her diet. She admits that she finds it strange that people ask her less about rearing children than they do about her body. She says people would ask: “But Brooke, have you seen yourself on Dancing with the Stars? Those abs! Those legs! Four kids? How is it possible,” and she would respond by saying “I did it naturally.”

To view more on Brookes secret to weight loss click here…
http://www.sevafrica.com/HealthWellness/Brooke-Burke.shtml

I had my date with “Benny” last night – finally meeting him after this game of back and forth phone tag for over a month. He was very interesting: he’s 45, also a native New Yorker, has lived in the same neighborhood as I have for about the same amount of time, and he’s traveled quite a bit and had some cool stories to share. I wasn’t feeling any kind of spark, but as I mentioned before, I’m happy to give almost everyone a second date. Before the date was over, “Benny” asked me if he could take me out to dinner after the holiday weekend. I accepted – why not? We did get along quite well.

What I found most interesting is the way men in their 40s approach dating to the way men in their 30s approach dating. Men in their 40s are a little more respectful, they don’t want to get into your pants on the first date (well, if they do, they hide it pretty well.) In my experience with men in their 40s, the second date has always been a dinner date. There’s a lot more romance involved. So far, men in my own age group are a little quicker to try to kiss you and/or bring you home to fool around, and the second date usually involves more of the same as the first date: drinks. That is, unless I suggest dinner, movie, or a museum date. Hmmm. I like thinking of this as a social experiment!

On another note, I still haven’t heard a yes or no response from “Paul” about his joining me for my friend’s Thanksgiving dinner. Should I bring it up again? Or just let him come to me with an answer?

Urban Original- Free Earrings from Urban Original – Starts 11/24. Must be female, between the ages of 13 and 29.
Promo Code earrings.
http://www.freakyfreddies.com

Beastie Boys – 14th St Break

Sa Ra – I Swear

Raphael Saadiq – Chic Like You

Common x D’Angelo – So Far To Go

What They Talking Bout

Microsoft and News Corp eye web pact (Financial Times)

The (New) Conservative Agenda (GQ)

Top 10: Habits That Improve Your Appearance (AskMen)

Eminem Releasing “Relapse: The Refill” Instead of “Relapse 2 ” in December (RollingStone)

Creating a Résumé That Sells (Wall Street Journal)

Oprah’s New Project: A Sexy Pilot With HBO (Essence)

Tips for Hassle-Free Holiday Travel (Essence)

]]> http://shoppingchronicle.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/women-artists-throw-male-painters-to-the-canvas/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:22:46 +0000 neatnew http://shoppingchronicle.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/women-artists-throw-male-painters-to-the-canvas/

RENOWNED women artists achieved excellent sales at the first two art auctions of this week, while paintings by traditional bluechip male artists such as Brett Whiteley, Charles Blackman, Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker have been passed in or sold for a fraction above their reserve…. From The Australian. Full story

This site may contain information about: shopping square. The blog is also related to: paris shopping.

She’s sleeping and I’m not. I’m wide awake, like it’s the middle of the day. Right now, it’s the middle of the night. Four o’clock ante meridiem.

Damn.

We do this every night. Well, not every night, just every night this week. Fighting like this, sleeping like this. In the same bed, but not at the same time because of mad fights: Mad at each other, mad at ourselves, mad as in, all the time we’re fighting. It gets to both of us, affects our sleeping habits.

Earlier, around 10:30, she wanted to talk about us, argue about us. Earlier, around 10:30, I wanted to go to sleep. Whatever was bothering her wasn’t enough to keep me awake, to keep me from closing my eyes. We can talk about it tomorrow, I said. Wonder what she did while I was asleep. I’m tempted to quietly reach over and grab her phone, see if she called some other dude who probably said dumb things like, “You deserve better than him.”

But let me not do that. Be cool, Jozen.

Look at her; asleep, still, back turned to me, mad at me with her eyes closed. She took all the blankets too. Damn her.

This makes me think of the time when I was 5-years-old. I think that was the first time I saw my mom and Dad fight. They had a fight one night, the next morning they woke up, and everything was fine. We were supposed to go to my Grandparents that day but right before we were about to leave, my mom said we weren’t going.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Grandma and grandpa got into an argument,” my mom explained. “We’ll go another day.”

“They should go to sleep,” I said.

My mom chuckled and said, “Why’s that?”

“You and dad got into a fight, then when you two went to sleep and woke up, you two were all better.”

My mom laughed a little harder this time, shook her head, and as she was taking off my jacket said, “It doesn’t always work like that.”

She was right. It certainly doesn’t always work like that, and it hasn’t been working like that at all lately, no matter how hard we try. If I can just stay up a little bit longer, things might be better. Or, if she can just wake up a little bit earlier.

If we can just get on the same clock, I wouldn’t be awake and she wouldn’t have all the blankets and sheets. One day, when I have kids, I’m going to tell them, “Whatever you do, find someone who has the same sleeping pattern as you. You’ll thank me later.”

Because that’s the real problem.

Forget anything we’re arguing about;the issues aren’t important. What’s important is when the arguments take place. We can agree to disagree or disagree on what we agree on like all couples do. But when two people are on different clocks — one person goes to bed at an ungodly hour, while the other wakes up at ungodly hour — that right there stokes the flames.

I told her when we first got together, how I like to go to bed early, how after 11 o’clock, I’m rarely any good for anything. Don’t even think of going to a midnight showing of a movie or even a showing starting after 9:30 p.m. Instead, catch me at 6:30 in the morning. I’m up early, with the garbage men. She told me it was fine, even though she was wired differently. She stayed up all night, sometimes even as late as when the garbage men would begin their shift. And mornings? What mornings? If it was up to her, she would sleep right through them, and say “Good afternoon.”

When things were all good, this was never an issue between us. She’d let me go to bed. When I woke up, I let her sleep. Unless we had a good reason to wake each other up (in the beginning, we always seemed to have plenty of those), our different clocks were respected.

Now things are all bad, now we got issues, this being one of them. I am so pissed because right now, she’s sleeping and I’m not.

Oh well. We will talk about it tomorrow.

“I kiss people with my soul. I don’t kiss them with my mouth.”

This hunk has definitely brought Sexy Back…

We children of the eighties will remember growing up and oogling over the hot and happening band *NSYNC (while for today’s kids it’s all about these tween startlets who are so lame er I mean who have rose to fame)…

To view more on Justin Timberlake click here
http://www.sevafrica.com/Sneak-Peek/JustinTimberlake.shtml

Do you have a hunk in mind?
Suggest a hunk and we will feature it!

When I was in an abusive relationship I felt oddly alone and unable to tell anyone about it. I was saved by a friend who snapped me to my senses and ugly, humiliating, shameful, and embarasing as it was, I  have never looked back. And so, it was the most natural thing in the world to share that strength with Anne when I found out she was also a victim of domestic violence, I could see she needed it. She is grateful now, but she wont  be able to appreciate it for years to come if at all. She keeps thanking me – as if I did something generous. I did not, I did what had to be done, it is right for women to help each other. There is no generosity in it, we need each other and should be ready to accept help from each other. But it can be hard sometimes.

After I discovered that tomorrow is White Ribbon Day for action on Violence Against Women, and after discovering just how prevalent violence against women is I decided to make some public personal commitments.

1. Tell 100 friends (or more) about White Ribbon day -  on 25th November. Share through email, facebook, twitter
2. Research facts and write at least 5 blog posts about it the issue – give gender violence a face
3. Share resources on my blog and get at least 5 friends to write blogs about their personal stories
4. Promote my friends stories on gender violence on my blog, facebook and twitter
5. Help at least one friend/victim of gender violence – see blog post about Anne and Charlie
6. Recognize amazing men and ask them to be role models to other men
7. Support a local women’s rescue center

Just think if I can just save one person it will have been worth it

Help me magnify this impact, join me, tell your story on your blog, share mine on twitter or your blog,  advise me which womens rescue center to support. …………….

Before I sign off I want to recognize and thank Linda @meowtree who narrates her amazing work through blog and photos on educating youth in Mozambique. In her latest post on gender issues Linda chillingly narrates  ” I even heard one teenage girl in one of the nearby communities say “if it’s just one man, it’s not really a rape…. it has to be 3 or 4.”

Guys, we can stop this cycle of violence.

I was helping my mum, doing  early Chinese New Year cleanings. She asked me to load some of the rubbish we had collected into the unser and send it to the main dumping area. I tried to locate the switch to fold the back chair of the Unser but couldn’t find it so i asked her where it was. She replied, it’s a man’s job. I said, it’s just a switch, why is it a man’s job, not that it requires extreme strength. She replied, anything to do with a car is a man’s job. haha.

I thought for a while and replied, ” it’s funny how u women always win”. For certain situations, such as replacing the tyres, working under the sun, fixing the car, etc, women say, it’s a man’s job. Then for salaries, taking care of the children, they insist men should do it also and use equality. Women say ” I don’t wanna work in the sun, I don’t wanna do heavy work but i want the same salary. Or else I am gonna sue you for being a sexist”. haha. I was born into the losing side i guess. My mum’s the boss XD.

This is my theory of how the word women came about. I just totally thought about it one day. “Woe to man” slowly slowly becomes “Woeman” then finally ta da!!! Woman! ok lame…

In conclusion after saying so much, i still love woman not man =).

Oh ya, watched Braveheart by Mel Gibson again yesterday night. Towards the end of the story, he said something very meaningful. One day everyone dies, but not everyone really lives. This just made me realise how short life is and how unmeaningful a lot of us live it. I have burnt about a third of my life candle. About two third more to go. Gonna try to live life =).

Cheers!

DENNIS & THE GANG honored me on Sunday with this great award! I was so happy, I just smiled all day long! If you like adventure, suspense, drama, laughter, and soooo much more, please go visit my blogging friend
DENNIS & THE GANG. I am always amazed what linds of situations they manage to get into over at their place! Oh, I should mention that over at DENNIS & THE GANG..they are not of the human kind! Go see what I mean! You will love it! So, thank you…from the bottom of my heart….. to DENNIS & THE GANG. Love you guys!

Now, The recipient of this award must take on the responsibility of honoring 15 other bloggers. That is NOT easy, cause I know A LOT of great bloggers! So, what I will do is send this award out to some of my newer blogging friends to encourage them all to keep having fun and make their blog EVEN better!
If your name is listed….don”t forget to pass this honor on to bloggers you select!

I am proud to pass this award to:

1. Scented Summer
2. Bill
3. Alina
4. Blissbait
5. Azfree
6. Jaymie
7. Tasneem
8. Soul Dose
9. Unemployed Dad
10. Kseverny
11. Because It’s Nice
12. Sandy
13.Asian Butterfly
14. The girl from the Ghetto
15. Cocorue

CONGRATS TO YOU ALL!

/”>DORAZ SAYS

Ingredients

• 8 large strawberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1 organic orange …

To read more and view our smoothies click on
http://www.sevafrica.com/HealthWellness/SummerRedSmoothieRecipe.shtml

These two sets of poses are hidden in disco balls around the welcome area of the sim, plus one near the lake, and are completely free as a fun little hunt to open the sim! There are also disco balls with prizes hidden at Laciecakes and House of Hucci! Get Them at Glitterati

Teacher: What is the full form of maths?
Student: Mentally affected teachers harassing students

Teacher: How old is ur father.
Sunny: As old as I am.
Teacher: How is it possible?
Sunny: He became father only after I was born. (1st Rank)

Teacher: There is a frog, Ship is sinking, potatoes cost Rs3/kg…Then, what is my age?
Student: 32 yrs.
Teacher: How do you know?
Student: Well, my sister is 16 yrs old and she is half mad.

    Yesterday, I couldn’t finish this post.  I got so tired early that I had to save it.

  I’m off work today, officially on leave and tying up loose ends for going to Michigan tommorrow.  I won’t lie if I say I’m not still a little nervous, but things are way better than they were. 

  Yesterday, was also Darla’s birthday at work.  We always do a cake and take the birthday person out for lunch, so that was a welcome distraction to everything going on.

   So, don’t ask me why, but when I got home from work yesterday,  I just slept and slept and slept.  4 hours again. Poo.

 I can’t figure out why one month I can go to the gym after work and run 2 miles and pump iron, and another month,  sleep like a baby every day.

  I will try to fit in a long walk today if the weather will let me, it rained big last night, and we even heard occasional thunder!  November.  wow. 

 As usual the whole rain falling on the roof overhead, lulled me into peace.  I think if I had to be thankful for something, I would be thankful for that.  Just burying my face into the comforter at night, all warm, while inclement weather doesn’t touch me…

Yeah.  the man thing: 

He’s been extremely friendly lately.  It will always happen like that, after conflict like this. 

 On the outside looking in, someone might say, “well crap, what do you WANT from him?”  you get pissed when he’s mean, and you’re pissed when he’s friendly”  

 but then, that wouldn’t be an accurate picture of what’s going on. 

the whole picture is really a road map to this cross roads right here.  A timeline if you will.

  Last weekend, I told him I saw a lawyer. 

 He answered by asking:  “how much did they want?” 

  Eventually we talked some more, but I think he senses that things aren’t just going to go back to what they were. 

Yesterday, we rode to work together in the morning. 

 He’s touching my now bare ring finger, “when you going to put this back on?  I want it back on.”

  Me: when I feel like it, when you get your stuff together, Iwill know when it’s time to put it back on”  (or words to that effect)

  Him:  “well can I have the ring back then?  I’ll pawn it for money” 

(and yes, he was serious)

 Me:  “what!? you gave this ring to me, it is MINE”

Him: oh. well, can I take my ring off then?

ME: whatever.

Icon is…

…Something or someone charismatic, influential, inspiring and, therefore, powerful. I picked the late Princess Diana as my icon. She was a mother, a philanthropist, a trendsetter, a true fairytale princess, an ICON. – Historie Girl, United Kingdom.

Icon is…

…The easiest one for me to define as I know exactly what it means. Today I’m very far from being an Orthodox. But there were moments in my life when I was standing in front of these adorned images waiting for some answers… – BellaDonna, Russia.

Icon:

…For this challenge I asked my 8th graders, What is an Icon? Here are the responses:

“Describes something to click on the computer”, Girl, 14
“A role model”, Girl, 13
“Someone important”. Boy, 14
“A symbol to represent a company”. Boy, 14
“Someone who’s known by everyone”. Girl, 15
“An idol”. Girl, 13
” A secret message.” Boy, 14
“Someone who is associated with a certain subject, for example, Neil Pearl is a drumming icon.” Boy, 14
“Someone who sets the standard.” Boy, 14
“Someone people follow, who sets trends and actions.” Girl, 13
“A religious image painted on a wall.” Boy, 14
“IDK.” Lots of them!!!

I hope you enjoy!!! I did a teenager outfit to compliment and Jay Z seems to be the biggest Icon they are ALWAYS talking about – HarperLeo, United States.

Icon is…

…Something unforgettable and one-of-a-kind, like Annie Hall. – Dame B.

Icon is…

…Something/someone you look up to, something/someone you hold in the highest esteem. For some they are religious icons and for others they are modern/pop icons. In this case the iconographer becomes the saint and goes from making icons to becoming one. The ultimate icon Andrei Rublev. – Prima Dona, United States.

Icon is…

…Someone who sets, invents and inspires instead of following; a symbol of creativity, originality and talent who stands out of the crowd and make their own statement. – Badrouchka, Morocco.

For me, an icon is…

…Someone that has a certain ‘je ne se quoi’, that indescribable something that makes them not only talented, but also relatable. It’s what they do and how they make you feel when they do it (be it singing, acting, etc). – Jen1987, United States.

Icon:

“I do not truly consider myself an icon, but the Cube has been quite successful.” ~Erno Rubik (Quoted by Miss Bea Heyvin, United States)

Icon is…

…Something or someone who is always in the spotlight. – Aribar2.

Icon is…

…Leading by being daring, being unique. Adding value and meaning to others life by making a difference! – Gabinsky, The Netherlands.

To me, an icon is…

…Pretty close to fame, even though it represents so much more, an icon can really be anything. i decided to represent its more literal sense with this outfit, something outgoing and fun and expensive looking, something that someone with a following would pull off effortlessly! like a grown up Eloise… – Dolores Haze, United States.

I think of an icon as…

…An image used to symbolize an idea. I see Andy Warhol’s Marilyn image as an icon of celebrity and fame, which links icons to people and people to fashion. Fashionable icons can be stars or celebrities which are very commonly seen in media. I think it’s interesting to think about the power, influence, and influx of icons in modern society. – AshleyAshley, United States.

The definition of an icon is…

…Someone who has not only withstood the test of time, but has influenced everyone that has come after. When you can with one glance recognize their influence- whether it be a song, a piece of clothing, or a haircut. – Ameerah26, United States.

Icon:

…Jane Birkin has been my number one style icon for as long as I can remember. While I do like to experiment with fashion and trends, I always find myself going back to the refined, neat, simple aesthetic that Jane Birkin epitomized. In my opinion, anyone who has an Hermes handbag named after them deserves the “Icon” title. Seriously. – Crimine, United States.

Icon is…

…Iman. I think she is so regal, stunning and she doesn’t age!!!She’s 54, a mother of three, was a supermodel, is a cosmetics entrepreneur, married to David Bowie, active supporter of charitable organizations such as Keep a Child Alive and maintains a positive public image.

I think she would look so hot in this outfit and since she’s a rocker’s wife I had to throw in some rocker’s boots to show she still can get her sexy on..LOL!! – Marsoline, United States.

Icon is…

Someone who inspires emulation and admiration that is so powerful, the person almost becomes mythical.
To me Grace embodied impeccable sophistication,with a hint of smolder beneath those beautiful blue eyes.
She carried herself with the comportment of a true Princess. and was an ambassador for the arts during her short life. – Powder Puff, United Kingdom.

Special thanks to all the fabulous ladies who have participated in this challenge.

This cartoon comes at a time when no less than 10 migrant domestic workers have died (mostly by suicide) in Lebanon in recent weeks because of oppressive work conditions or isolation. If you wish to complain to the Gulf Times write to editor@gulf-times.com. You can also contact the cartoonist at mo7md@raya.com
Thanks to Migrant Rights for pointing this out.

If the smell of beets makes you gag but you simply can’t get enough sour crème and chive potato chips, your Mom may be to blame — and not because of what she fed you growing up. Several studies show that food preferences may be set even before you’re born, as early as 13 weeks after gestation. And those preferences derive from what your Mom ate while you were in the womb. 

Read more at Jon Barron’s Natural Health Blog

View in large here

• Skin: League Kate YinYang – DeepTan
• Hair: MiraiStyle Maki – Brown
• Shirt: Ce Cubic Effect Halterneck – Black
• Short: Ce Cubic Effect Waist Scroll – Black
• Shoes: J’s FlipFlap & Barefoot (real toes) – Black
• Jewerlery: Barerose Wood Plate
• Pose: by me (Want this Pose? let me know on comments and I’ll send you in-world as little gift )

Have a good shopping!

Source : http://freeaafia.org/