The Sound of Music is an American Classic.  Who doesn’t love the music, the character of Maria, the Captain, the Baroness, the children and even the funny lady that takes a dozen bows at the end of the performance towards the end of the movie.  The film is rich in color, charm, intrigue, romance, conflict, and resolution.  Everything is resolved and everyone sings his or her way into happily-ever-after.  What more could you ask for?  Nothing, and that is why it is an American classic.
Way before DVD and even VHS, we had to wait for the Sound of Music to come on television.  It was always a Sunday night and something we looked forward to all year.  We popped up the popcorn, gathered as a family and sat memorized hoping each time we watched it that Maria would come back to the children and the Captain.

My favorite scene was when Maria and the Captain went into the location tente and sang that beautiful duet.  That was the climax of the movie.  All was right in the world.  The rain was falling lightly but they were safe inside their location tente without a care in the world.  The soft focus cameras reiterated the sense of closeness, romance, and perfection.

Why don’t they make movies like that anymore?  Would people watch them?  Would they be box office hits?  History has shown that family friendly movies often do better at the box office than slashers and filth but still they pour out dribbly movies after dribbly movies, too bad.  Most of the top 20 grossing movies of all times had ratings less than an R.

We will always have the Sound of Music to remind us of a gentler time, when movies were made to enlighten, uplift, and add beauty and romance to a cynical world.

It is such a sad thing to see old buildings where great, historical events happened fall into disrepair and then into ruin.  It is even more depressing when the community does not care enough or raise enough money to preserve these buildings, but can find the time and funds to demolish places of historical significance. When something like this is about to happen, the community members have an opportunity to step up and protect these wonderful places of beauty and history.

Community members can hold rallies and raise money on their own, independent of the city or state government, and can petition the city to maintain these old buildings, rather than destroy them. It is always more effective if the petitioners also bring funds to back up what they want. But keeping a historic building often starts with restoration. Buildings that fall into disrepair need to have more than just new plumbing and a façade, they need to have the right façade, and plumbing that will preserve the restorations, not damage them. Careful attention to every detail must be a priority to make sure that historical buildings are restored and maintained in all their beauty.

So if you are looking to save a building, or already have a building that needs to be restored and maintained, choose a company with expertise and experience on their side, a company that understands the details and care needed for restoring a historical building. Call Shephard Restoration Engineers for Façade, roofing, storm and earthquake damage investigations, reports and repairs, for Historical comjmission and owners representation, for window replacement design, for structural design, repair and strengthening; Call the engineers with 16 years of experience and specializing in historic and contemporary buildings. Preserve these buildings in all their beauty and majesty with the help of a professional.

“History is written by the victors.” It is an old cliché, but it is a true one. War in particular is something where the side claiming the victory writes and preserves history, where the conquerors point out how heroic they are and what hubris they exploited to weaken their enemy. Something that is rarely preserved is what strengths the enemy possessed that made the war or the battle so great that it is recorded in history books as a victory. However, once one gets out of the textbooks and examines the history in depth, the declassified documents and chain of events, both strengths and weaknesses can be identified, and learned from on both a personal and global level.

History simulations are some of the greatest ways to not only read  but also to somewhat experience and internalize the lessons to be learned from history, such as a simulation from World War I or World War II. Examining documents and news reports, documented reactions of the survivors, even perhaps stepping into the shoes of both an ally and an enemy during a World War I simulation is perhaps more effective way to learn and understand the events, the reasons and the problems during one of these great wars; and walking a mile in the enemies shoes may help explain not just the “what,” but also the “why” of history.

History is not everyone’s favorite subject, and reading it in a dry, date-ridden textbook does not make it any more interesting or appealing; but taking the time to study a war year by year in a concentrated simulation will better impress the experience, the ideas and their consequences on the minds of those participating in the simulation. It is a wonderful opportunity, one many choose not to take, to learn from history, so that those who come now are not doomed to repeat it.

Many individuals buy art supplies in Orlando, FL. Artists, teachers, and hobbyists are always in need of paints, brushes, craft paper, colored pencils and other items necessary to complete their projects. They need lots, which can add up. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce expenses. They include:

1. Look for discounts – Many on- and offline craft stores hold sales events. Those are the places to shop. Search the Internet for information on companies that offer, for instance, 20 percent off on non-sale store items for students. Teachers often get discounts as well. If you are not going to school, contact shops in Orlando offering art supplies to find out which other sales they currently offer. Every little bit helps.
2. Purchase large quantities – When you know that you are going to create e.g. a large amount of paintings in the near future, buy in bulk. Many shop owners give decent shoppers a price break. Establish yourself as a repeat customer and the manager may be inclined to give you even more savings.
3. Online comparison sites – There are many websites that specialize in evaluating arts and crafts supplies. They list everything from recycled papers to crayons. Check their reviews. Before long, you will know exactly where to buy your Orlando art supplies.
4. Buy locally – While it is convenient to shop online, you will not find the best deals on the Web. Only neighborhood merchants have tables set up throughout the entire year with price-reduced items. They also have in-house sales. These deals are not advertised online. You are also supporting the local economy by picking up your materials in your area.
5. Yard sales – Do not underestimate the items you can pick up at a garage sale or flea market. People often think that they are artists. They buy lots of art supplies in Orlando, and then sell them once they realize that they lack the necessary talent to make them famous. These men and women will sell their goods cheap to make room in their closet for another hobby.

Throughout time, the key to success as an artist is to have those in governing positions appreciates your craft.  If you wanted to be the cave dweller that scrawls on the wall, you have to be notices by the village leader.  Michelangelo was able to produce masterpieces because he was commissioned by the Medici family and by the pope.

If you lived in Korea in ancient times and were a potter, the only means available to get out of debilitating poverty was to capture the eye of the master potter and become a royal potter.  The kingdom, power and authority, usually have money to spend when the authority appreciates the arts.  Not just art for decorating but art for functional purposes also.  Pottery is a perfect example of this.  Pottery was used for bathroom facilities, for carrying water, for cooking, cleaning, storing and canning.  If the village didn’t have a potter, the village didn’t have anything to cook or carry with.

If your art form was mail suits or armor, the king was sure to choose the most refined for his own.  The best artists have always made their wealth pleasing nobility.  In the times of King Edward VII of England, the Doulton Figure Company was busy making stoneware, ceramics, vases, and decorative pieces.  Their wares came to the attention of the royal family and were granted “Royal” to add to their company’s title, henceforth known as the Royal Doulton Company.  They have gained in popularity though the years.

Whether you were a fledging painter, sculpture, potter, woodcrafter, black smith, or work with fabrics and dyes, if you caught the eye of the Nobility, the Aristocrats and could procure a name for yourself, you would be able to support  your family in style.  From Michelangelo, or a humble potter in Korea, or the Royal Doulton Figurine Company in London, or countless others who have made their mark in history, the secret is the king, queen or pope.

Wedding invitations usually give a first impression about your wedding day. And if you are looking for a unique way of inviting people to your wedding then there’s nothing perfect than going for. If you can’t afford to go for ready made wedding invitations then you can think of creating your own hand made wedding invitations at home. On the contrary there may be some people who still want to go for wedding invitations personalised despite having lots of money as it gives a unique and personalized touch. Anyway it’s a great idea! Choosing for wedding invitations personalized will give you lots of ideas in terms of style, design and color than the printed readymade wedding invitations.

You can take the help of your computer, printer and a few other things from crafts stores and wedding invitation kit. The wedding invitation kit will provide you with blank pages, envelopes and beautiful stickers. It comes in various colors, so you have to choose such a color that will match with the decorative ideas of your wedding. If you are not sure about the wordings, inscriptions and the format of the invitation then you can rely on online sites for wonderful ideas.

Another way to personalize your wedding invites, can be embossing. It adds a wonderful effect to wedding invites. Embossing creates a raised, 3-D image or design into the invitation paper. If ready made embossed wedding invitation is a rare possibility for you due to tight budget then you can make your own cheap embossed wedding invitations . Embossed wedding invitations have been quite popular for many years. You can use silver and gold foils, embossing ink embossing powder for creating cheap embossed wedding invitations. Another wonderful idea for making cheap embossed wedding invitations can be using monograms as motifs for your designs.

You can be very creative in your wedding invitation design. In fact, you can definitely get your wedding theme across to your guest but lack the words to really say it. You might over think how you are going to go about your design in the invitation. You should also look into what you are going to say. Creative wedding invitation wording can really help your wedding invitation to reach out how you want your wedding perceived by your guests. You do not have to be entirely poetic. Just make sure that as when your invitation is read by your guests, they will hear you and your partner’s voice asking them to join you in your magical day.

If you are not as articulate as you hoped you are, there are other ways. You can still create your own invitation. There are do-it-yourself kits out there that you can use. You may also want to consider butterfly wedding invitations. They are quite subtle and use a pre-constructed invitation so that you only enter the important details of the wedding. Make sure that you choose something that would really relate what you intend to. There are different levels of do-it-yourself kits. Depending on how much control you would want over the design. You can choose something that would just let you fill in the details of the wedding. There are also some kits that would still allow you to put it the wording of the invitation.

This is your first impression for your wedding. Make it count. Make sure that you reach out to your guests the way you intended to. Make sure that creative wedding invitation wording says what is in your heart. Make sure you are putting a piece of yourself in the wordings. Personalize it as much as you can. This is your imprint, this is your wedding.

If you have a new baby, or are looking for a gift for someone who does, the variety of baby items to purchase is vast.

Obviously lots of diapers are needed. Babies also require a lot of clothing, as they need to be changed regularly. Then there are the burp cloths, blankets, pacifiers, creams, lotions etc.

As a parent you have a lot of necessities to acquire for your baby, and as a gift giver you have an almost endless choice.

When it comes to a mom taking her baby out somewhere, all these items must be taken with. So a diaper bag is an absolute necessity. One diaper bag used to be all that most mothers would have, but the choices then were simple: plain and boring or plain and boring!

Designer diaper bags have increased the choices dramatically, and most mothers will now have a selection of diaper bags. This is simply because the option to match her outfit, her mood, her personality and her destination makes owning a number of diaper bags not only feasible but almost a requirement too.

When giving a gift it makes a designer diaper bag a great choice, as most mothers will be overjoyed to have a selection. The gift is sure to be very much appreciated.

Making any baby gift special is easy with monogrammed baby gifts. It costs very little and does not take much time or effort, as most baby goods stores offer the facility in-store.

There are many items suitable for a monogram, from clothing, to burp cloths; from blankets to bottles. The monogram may consist of the baby’s name, or only initials. It is a nice idea to include the date of birth if this is known at the time of purchase.

Even the diaper bag may be monogrammed. Whatever item you choose to monogram will be considered special, and items such as clothing are often retained once the baby has outgrown them. Monogrammed clothing makes a great memento of that stage of the baby’s life.

I love a good romance novel but I don’t necessarily like to read graphic bed scenes. Most romance novels nowadays however slip in some raunchy and detailed lovemaking that it takes away from the pureness of the love story. I know they do this to make stories more “realistic”. However, personally I just like to read clean romance without the graphic details. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this. I would rather focus on the plot of clean romance novels rather than the love scenes.
Clean romance novels may not be as popular as mainstream romance books but they can be just as entertaining and engaging. So what do I look for in clean romance books? Firstly, the book has to be well written and captivating. It has to catch my attention in just the first few sentences. Sometimes I go straight to the end to see if it has a good ending. If I find the opening and the ending interesting, then I read the book. If it does not capture my curiosity, I put it back on the shelf and move on.
Secondly, the characters have to be real. They have to be easily relatable. They can’t be perfect but have to have human flaws like the rest of us. Their love must be real and not just mere physical attraction. But most of all, they have to be inspiring.
What I like about clean novels is they more often than not impart an important lesson to the readers without coming across as preachy. I don’t like books that impose their beliefs and values on the readers. I just want a clean romance novel that I can read and find comfort in. A romance novel that will inspire and teach me some important life lessons that I can hopefully apply in my everyday life.
I love any clean romance especially clean mystery romance novels. They are not only thrilling and exciting but are also full of humor and wit. If you have not tried any of the clean romance novels, why not pick one up. You might just find yourself laughing and crying with it.

If you have used the Internet only in recent years, you probably think of smileys only as cute, often yellow graphics that you can insert into your emails, chats and messages.  On the other hand, if you have been around for a longer time, you may recall a period when smileys or emoticons were text only.  Many different kinds of smileys evolved during that time from the basic smiling face used to signal jokes and humorous comments.  Essentially two styles emerged: western and eastern.

Western smileys

The first and most familiar-looking smileys originated in the western part of the world.  These emoticons are read sideways and are written from left to write, as in the classic smiling emoticon and frown .  An exception is the heart emoticon <3. These emoticons persist to this day, though usually they are converted into the appropriate pictures when used in forums and chat. For instance, to enter smileys on Facebook, you must type out the keyboard shortcut for the smiley you want to use.

Eastern smileys

Eastern smileys originated in East Asia, particularly in Japan and South Korea.  These smileys are written so that you can see the faces upright. Often the eyes are changed to show different feelings. Examples are  (^_^;) which shows one is troubled (note the sweat) and ゜◇゜） for surprised. Later these upright emoticons were adopted in the west in English-speaking anime discussion boards.  Ever since, eastern smileys have been known as anime-style smileys.

Smileys today

Nowadays there is no need to use either a western or eastern type of smileys.  Usually you can pick the emoticons you need from a formatting toolbar such as in email programs like Windows Live Mail, IM software like Yahoo! Messenger and Web mail such as Gmail.  Neither are you limited in your choices.  Smileys exist for all kinds of human emotions and even animals and inanimate objects, such as musical symbols, flags, flowers and stars.  One exception are Facebook chat emoticons.  The social networking site leaves it up to users to discover smileys by typing out keyboard combinations while chatting.

The French language is one of the most well-known languages around the world. Although more people speak Mandarin and Spanish than French, they still don’t beat it for being one of the two most widely sought after languages to be learned in the world, with the other being English. Being able to speak French makes you twice as hireable and competent in the search for the perfect job. That’s why learning French can take you to places and opportunities you might not think you could ever reach. And with the power of the Internet at your fingertips, you can make learning French faster and easier than ever before.

French phrase books and two-way dictionaries are very helpful, especially when you get to France while still studying the language. But to stay updated on the more modern French sayings and colloquialisms and to memorize all those tricky French words faster, try electronic versions of books that you can keep on your computer, all ready to for you to study and skim whenever you can. A learn French ebook like those on the Rocket French program will make the hassle of carrying around thick French paperbacks and bulky pocketbooks unnecessary, so keep a file or two of a French ebook on your computer’s hard drive.

Reading French over and over again will make you memorize the words and phrases, but to hasten the process, try listening to how the words are properly spoken. Visit free French language websites like bonjour, French assistant, and BBC Languages where you can listen to common French greetings, phrases and words for free. And as you get better, take part in interactive audio lessons, where you can participate in discussions and conversations with French speakers. This is good practice for when you get to meet face to face with a real French-speaking person.

For as long as man has stared at the sea, he has wondered about the secrets beneath the waves. For centuries, brave men and and women have wondered about the fabulous creatures that might play beneath the waters. While today’s sailors are a bit less superstitious than those of the past, the legendary imagination of brave mariners has left an indelible mark on the human imagination. One of the most captivating myths of the sea is that of the mermaid, the fantastic half-human, half-fish creature that has permeated the world’s cultures and stories for centuries.

In today’s world, mermaids surround us. In children’s cartoons, historical art and architecture, and even modern scholarly journals, these creatures are discussed and admired. Perhaps it is because of the beauty that they represent, or perhaps it is because of the freedom they were believed to have enjoyed under the sea, but it is hard for society to let go of these beautiful images. At parties and road-side attractions across the United States, many individuals go to great lengths to portray these beautiful creatures with as much accuracy as possible.

For those that want to get a bit closer to mermaids, checking out Mermania is a must. This blog is a great way to stay connected to the myth and to learn a bit more about the art behind portraying the creatures. For those that are willing to take the plunge themselves, there are great products available at www.aquatails.com, particularly the famous mermaid tail. These lovingly made, individually designed mermaid tails are great for parties or major attractions, and can help underwater performers to truly embody the spirit of the ancient and mysterious mermaid. Whether you are a fan or performer or just want to swim like a real mermaid or merman, anyone with an interest in these fabulous creatures of the sea owes the website a visit.

Framed maps are popular in creating a sense of travel and adventure in almost any rooms. There have been a lot of materials and designs available in the market, making it easier to choose the best for every need. When using an old world map to decorate a vacant wall in homes, offices and commercial establishments, there are few things to consider.

Maps come in different materials to choose from. Most antique maps are usually made of animal skin or paper. Animal skins are rarely encountered but paper maps have been abundant in antique shops and auction stores. These maps should be carefully framed to preserve their quality and maintain its antique charm. These are quite expensive and may need extra care when having one displayed.

Old world map replicas are also printed in paper which can then be framed to match the existing interiors of the room. They are cheaper and are not as delicate as real antique maps. Most of these are neutrally colored and are ideal for most traditional homes. There are also contemporary maps made with bold graphics and vibrant colors suited for modern spaces.

Size should also be considered when choosing framed maps. Large maps are ideal for vacant wall spaces and can become an interesting focal point of the room. They are also great conversation pieces to entertain guests in living rooms. Smaller maps are ideal when displayed with other framed artworks and photos, especially those of the same theme.

Aside from framed maps, a world map tapestry is equally charming when used to decorate walls. It can undeniably add value to homes and office spaces with its intricate details and attractive designs. However, just like all other wall hangings, a world map tapestry should be carefully chosen to match the existing interiors to become an effective display.