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7 Enchantingly Useful Tips on How to Wear a Maxi Dress in Fall …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:40:16 PST

How to wear a maxi dress in fall… in other words, why pack away your cute summer maxis just because summer’s done? I have loads of ideas on cute ways to layer your maxi dresses for cooler weather, so keep reading! Here are 7 tips on how to wear maxi dresses in the fall.

1. With a cardi

I know this sounds obvious, but the easiest way to convert a summer maxi into a fall outfit would be to add a cute cardigan. Choose from cropped, drapey, fitted, or long, depending on which looks best with the particular maxi dress. This is the easiest way to go from chilly to cozy in a maxi dress!

2. With a thermal underneath

I have a super-cute tank-style maxi dress from summer that I love wearing in the fall with a floral-print thermal underneath. Get creative! You don’t have to opt for a thermal that matches the maxi, just one that compliments it!

3. With a blazer

I have an empire-waist maxi with a tiny floral print that looks smashing with my cropped, fitted velvet blazer… I know it sounds odd, but it looks darling! Try your blazers or denim jackets with your maxis… you might be surprised at how cute they look together!

4. With a pair of leggings

Skinny girls like me can tell you that layering is key to dressing in winter, whether you’re wondering how to wear a maxi or not. Add a pair of leggings underneath your maxi dress, and suddenly your favorite summer dress can now be worn all fall long… and maybe into winter, too!

5. With boots

I love the way some of my summer maxi dresses look with boots — ankle boots, riding boots, even hiking boots. Try them together in different combinations until you find the maxi-boot look that works best for you!

6. With patterned tights

I also adore the way maxi dresses look with patterned tights. I know you can only see a tiny bit of tights at the ankle when you’re wearing a maxi, but if the maxi is solid, and the tights are a loud print, this could be such a fun way to wear a maxi dress!

7. With a cropped pull-over sweater

I have a very fitted maxi dress that I love wearing with a cropped pull-over sweater. It’s very chic, and somewhat unexpected — and a lot warmer than wearing a skirt and sweater, for the extra layer of the maxi dress on top.

8. All together now!

Want to have even more fun (and coziness) wearing a maxi dress this fall? Combine these tips and wear a few of these layers together! Try a blazer and boots, or a cropped cardi and patterned tights. The possibilities are endless, stylish and warm! Which of these tips dot you use when wearing your maxi dresses into fall? Please share!

KRISTEN STEWART GETS EDGY FOR VOGUE ITALIA…

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:18:06 PST

Is it just me or is Kristen Stewart everywhere these days?! This time, we’re talking about her photoshoot for Vogue Italia which could not have been better timed considering Breaking Dawn is just around the corner…

Shot by Michelangelo de Battista, Kristen Stewart looks sexier and edgier than her usual self. In fact, if there ever was a high fashion vampire, this is what she would look like. I love the chaotic hair and the dark makeup and don’t even get me started on the fabulous clothes which include the likes of Roberto Cavalli, Alexander McQueen,Giambattista Valli,Giorgio Armani and Chanel. Kristen, you lucky, lucky girl!

Overall, it’s a fantastic transformation but at the same time it’s a look that I can relate Kristen Stewart with, know what I mean? The only thing I wish for is different expressions on her face. Speaking of which, here’s what she had to say about the kind of actress she is: “I’m not one of those actresses that maniacally prepare themselves for a role. On set, I do whatever I need to do, but day after the day. If I have to improvise, I improvise, if I have to learn my lines by heart, I do it. There are certain screenplays which are so beautiful, that they only need to be repeated as they are, without any changes. I live in the moment.”

Well said! So what did you think of Kristen Stewart for Vogue Italia? Amazing or meh?

7 Ways To Be A Good Girlfriend

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:22:10 PST

So many Ways To Be a Good Girlfriend and yet, so many guys are constantly complaining about their better halves and their irrational behaviors… Are we the ones to blame or our man are getting a bit spoiled? Let’s see! Dating experts have given us many tips and mentioned many ways to be a good girlfriend and, surprise, surprise, the guys couldn’t agree more! So take a look at these 7 ways to be a good girlfriend and find out whether your man has any reason to be even a tiniest bit unhappy:

1. Stop Nagging

Most men agree their relationships would me much better if their women suppressed the need to nag once in a while. Okay, yes, they sure deserve it sometimes but, nagging for the sake of nagging won’t really get you anywhere. In fact, continuous nagging most certainly isn’t one of the ways to be a good girlfriend. Cruela Deville or Peggy Bundy, maybe, but a good girlfriend definitely no.

2. Trust Him

Nobody wants to date Sherlock Holmes and if you give it some thought, you will understand that there is no need to turn into a famous detective… at least not BEFORE a crime is committed. Going through his pockets, personal items, calling him just to check if he is really where he said he’d be – that sort of behavior certainly has “insecurity” and “doubt” written all over it and, guess what? Men don’t respond all too well to it. They are like those rubber colorful bouncy balls – if you throw it too hard, it’s going to bounce so fast and you probably won’t be able to catch it! Trust him, forget all your fool proof interrogation methods and you’ll see – he will start talking and you’ll get to know EVERYTHING he did during the day.

3. Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

Men know that our “No” could be a “Hell No”, “Maybe”, “Yes, but I’m playing hard to get” or pretty much anything in between and that’s driving them nuts. And don’t even get me started on that famous “Nothing” and all of its meanings! Men don’t really like to play these games – most of them will be perfectly willing to accept your original answer without further questions and you know that always causes an argument. The solution? Honesty! That’s definitely one of the ways to be a good girlfriend and, believe me, he will appreciate having a girl that CAN speak her mind. In fact, every time his friends start discussing this issue, he’ll just smile and say, “Sorry, pal, don’t know whatcha talking about”.

4. Give Him Some Space

You have your interests, your needs, your friends and so does he, plus you might even have completely different schedules which, logically, means your free time doesn’t necessarily have to be his free time as well. So, if he’s being fair and letting you have an undisturbed chat with your friends/yoga class/whatever, you should do the same. One of the great ways to be a good girlfriend is to find a perfect balance between sharing and getting to know each other much better and sticking your nose into the most private things he’s still not ready to share. Don’t be pushy, take it slow and let him open up in his own pace. It’s actually a much better and a much more interesting strategy for both of you because it makes things fun and gives you something to talk about every time you’re together so, as I see it, there is really no good reason to push things.

5. Don’t Try To Change Him

You can’t take a beast and turn it into a prince, I think we’ve already figured that out. I mean come on, he’s not a science project! In fact, let’s try to observe things from a different perspective – how would you feel if he wanted to change everything about you? Men do change when they finally meet the women they want to spend their life with (just like women change when they meet the right man) but they don’t become entirely different people – it’s just a process of growing up.

6. Be Romantic but Not Pathetic

Knowing how to show how much you care is great but knowing when it’s a good time to stop is even better! And, believe me, I totally agree with that! In fact, I hate it when couples start acting like Siamese twins! If your guy is not very comfortable with this (which is something I could totally understand), you’ll actually achieve more by not calling him every half an hour, being extra lovey-dovey in front of his friends or trying to show him how much you care for him every minute of every single day. Save your words and gestures for times when they will really matter because using them too often will make them lose their charm.

7. Compliment Him

We’re used to getting a lot of compliments and we’ll probably get mad if he forgets to tell us how beautiful we are or fails to notice a new dress. But what about our men? Don’t they deserve to know how highly we think of them? Well, those honest compliments or, let’s call them, rational observations are one of the ways to be a good girlfriend. Yes, I know you wouldn’t be with him if he wasn’t so smart, funny, interesting, charming and, of course, good looking but – does he know all that? I really think men deserve just as many compliments as women and I believe knowing exactly how we feel about them makes them more comfortable, confident and less jealous, of course.
Now, in case you’ve carefully read all these ways to be a good girlfriend only to realize you don’t really need to change anything, congrats, your man is certainly one lucky guy and I really hope he’s doing everything to be a good boyfriend as well. As for the others, who did manage to find things that could use some improvement, tell me – which one of these ways to be a good girlfriend made you understand you

9 Ways to Start Losing Weight at Work …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 06:47:52 PDT

Lose weight at work — doesn’t that sounds like the ultimate in multi-tasking? I think so, and it can really happen, too! If you know what to do, you can kick-start your weight loss journey, or just cut a few extra calories to help out, just by doing a few small things — and none of them involves wearing a sweatband. Here are 9 ways to start losing weight at work. Get ready!

1. Park a little further away, or walk!

If you can possibly swing it, walk to work. If you can’t do that, then at least park a little further away to maximize your calorie-burning, keep your blood flowing and your mind focused, and even keep your metabolism rocking! I used to drive around looking for a close spot, but now I just head straight for the back of the parking lot and walk the quarter-mile in. It’s invigorating!

2. Start a club

Surely you’re not the only office drone who wants to lose weight at work. Why not start a club, then? Encourage each other, share ideas, track your progress together, maybe even plan healthful, low-cal pot-lucks together.

3. Bring your lunch

Let’s talk about food some more. Did you know that if you bring your own lunch from home, you’re far likelier to make more healthful food choices, spend less, and eat smaller, more healthful portions? Brown-bagging your lunch is one of the best ways to lose weight at work.

4. Lobby for a gym

At-work gyms aren’t just for high-level execs anymore. Why not lobby your superiors for an elliptical or two at work? Here’s the angle: workers with healthier weights are less likely to miss work, which saves the company money in the long run.

5. Be aware

Before you grab a snack out of the vending machine, or indulge in a double-whip mocha latte from the coffee shop in the lobby, think about what you’re doing: adding unnecessary, empty calories to your work-day diet. Be aware of the choices you make at work, just like you do at home, and you’ll lose weight at work, too!

6. Take the stairs

Just like parking further away and walking to your office will help you lose weight at work, so will taking the stairs instead of the elevator. It will also get your heart thumping! Not convinced? I used to work on the 35th floor of my building. Even if I got off the elevator half-way up, I still got in a good cardio mini-workout… whew!

7. Walk around!

Rather than using the printer by your work area, choose another one a little distance away. This will encourage you to get up and walk a little more… again, burning more sneaky little calories away! You also might run into that hottie in the Accounting department a little more often… hmm…

8. Skip the soda

Did you know that just one serving of regular soda contains more than 100 calories? If you drink soda at work, you may want to consider wither skipping it altogether, or at least switching to a low-cal or no-cal version. Those calories add up! If you have two servings (on bottle) of soda every day for a year, that’s 73,000 calories. Holy moly!

9. Ban donuts

If you’re considering skipping the soda, why not ban donuts in the office while you’re at it? Sure, bagels and muffins are just as diet-wrecking, but this one tiny ban may start a trend of healthful pot-lucking that’s sure to help you, and your co-workers, lose weight at work.
See? There are loads of easy ways to lose weight at work, and not one of them involves wearing tennis shoes with your pencil skirt or chasing the IT guys around, asking them to fix your computer. Follow these simple tips, and you’ll be on your way to being… less of you… in no time! Which of these work-place weight loss tips do you like best? Or do you have another tip to share?

Goodbye October, Hello November …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 06:45:42 PDT

So it’s like this. It’s probably no surprise that one of the most popular topics today is Kim Kardashian’s divorce. Most people are not at all surprised that her marriage to Kris Humphries only lasted 72 days, but although I was once willing to hedge bets on how short lived it would be, even I can’t go there right now. That’s sad, and I imagine it’s worse to have the whole thing play out on TV. So instead, let’s focus on an altogether more upbeat, less Mean Girls topic: goodbye October, hello November!October is my favorite month of the whole year, and even though it betrayed me toward the end with a massive horrible storm that knocked down trees and basketball hoops all over my neighborhood, I’m still going to miss it terribly. November promises to bring in lots of great things, too: time with my family and my in-laws, way too much food for any single person to eat, and lots of fun stressing about having enough money for presents, buying presents, and hoping to have enough money left over after buying presents.

There are a lot of special events and activities in November. In addition to Thanksgiving, the month celebrates awareness for such things as COPD, Pancreatic Cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, Diabetes, Homeless Youth, Breast Cancer, and Crohn’s Disease. It’s National Novel Writing Month — NaNoWriMo — and Native American Heritage Month. It’s even classified as International Drum Month! It ushers in the beginning of winter and the true holiday season. It’s a month of celebration for many reasons.
So, let’s celebrate instead of focusing on the bad things, even if they aren’t happening to us. Why was October special for you? What are you looking forward to in November? Will you be participating in any of the aforementioned activities?

7 Top USA Foods …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:48:14 PDT

There are various USA foods that are known around the world – the humble burger and fries with hot wings being a typical American meal in the eyes of many. There are so many foods from the United States that are enjoyed all over the fifty states and beyond into the wider world. For many of them however, no matter how tasty they are, Americans really shouldn’t be proud to claim them as their own. Once you see the list you might well understand why such a huge number of Americans are overweight and obesity a national issue. Read on for my list of the 7 Top USA Foods that only America could have created.

1. Corn Dogs

Although rarely found outside of America, one of the most common USA foods is the corn dog. Having been popularized by a Texas State Fair in 1942, the corn dog has become symbolic of American fast food: on a stick, easy to eat, fried and tasty. Whether you are tucking into a corn dog at your local fair or making them for a kid’s party, you can be comforted knowing that they could only have been invented in the United States.

2. Philly Cheesesteak

Does the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich manage to incorporate everything that is good with the world: steak, cheese, bread and onions? The meat inside a Cheesesteak isn’t always the best (in fact many residents of Philadelphia say that it should be the cheapest cut of steak you can lay your hands on) but it’s certainly a tasty way to enjoy a sandwich.

3. Buffalo Wings

Another of the classic USA foods that has been popularized around the world, some would say Buffalo wings are the only way to truly enjoy chicken. From mild to flaming hot, many people just love to chow down on those feisty little wings invented in, yep, Buffalo.

4. Turducken

Take a turkey. Put a duck inside that. Inside the duck, put a chicken. Simple, tasty, lovely. If you really want to put an American twist on the Turducken, try and add in some melted cheese and bacon – hey, you could even deep fry something and add it in there. Americans may claim the Turducken as a US food but in fact chefs of England’s King Henry VIII were stuffing a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird way back the 16th century –yes you read it right – 8 birds stuffed whole inside each other – starting with a tiny quail and ending with a huge swan,

5. Baked Alaska

There’s nothing like naming foods after the place they are conceived to put a stamp on them, although, having a day named after the food comes a pretty close second. The Baked Alaska was first served in Delmonico’s to celebrate the acquisition of the territory from Russia in 1876 and every February 1st is Baked Alaska Day in the USA.

6. Reuben Sandwich

We all love our meat. We all love bread. That’s what makes the Reuben sandwich so brilliant – pastrami, cheese, Russian dressing, sauerkraut piles high on rye bread. If you are a lover of spiced meat, this is the sandwich for you; you might find more meat in a typical Reuben sandwich than on a table at Thanksgiving! Purists say a Reuben should be served with a large pile and a pile of potato chips.

7. Cookie Dough Ice Cream

If I had to choose one word to describe cookie dough ice cream it would have to be ‘heavenly’. So, Americans may not have invented ice cream but there’s a whole slew of flavors that can be determined to be USA foods. Whether it’s homemade or the good old Ben & Jerry’s, you can’t beat luxurious vanilla ice cream laced with chunks of cookie dough and chocolate. Cookie dough ice cream has to be the ultimate American food, topping off my list of the best USA foods.
If there’s one thing that you will have learnt from reading this list, it’s that there are certain foods that only Americans could have made – they are the ultimate USA foods that are enjoyed all over the world today. And yes, eaten in quantity they won’t do anyone much good but as an occasional treat they can be a guilty pleasure. What’s your favorite from this list of 7 Top USA Foods?

8 Indisputable Signs He’s Not Over Her …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:47:25 PDT

He’s Not Over Her – do you know how to tell? Believe it or not, when I was with my last boyfriend, we played the ‘he’s not over her’ game quite a bit, but I picked up on the signs. If you are thinking that your boyfriend might not be over his ex, you should check out the top 8 signs he’s not over her yet!

1. Constantly Talks about Her

It’s pretty normal for a guy to talk about his ex to his current girlfriend – however, not excessively. It’s not normal for the guy to keep bringing up the girl that got away to the girl that’s still by his side. This is absolutely and totally the first he’s not over her sign that you should watch out for. Just pay attention to how much he talks about her, how much he brings her up in daily conversations – if it’s a ton, you know he’s not over her yet.

2. Keeps Old Pictures

It’s perfectly normal to keep a few pictures of past relationships – I have a few myself, but is it normal to display them everywhere? Is it normal to still have a picture of you two as your Facebook default picture? Sometimes it’s hard to be blunt, but if he has pictures of his ex all over, you’re gonna have to confront him because he’s not over her.

3. Distant During Sex

If you are at the point in your relationship where you are having sex, do you notice a distance? Does he seem to be thinking about someone else? Does he even mumble his ex’s name during sex? These are all warning signs ladies that he ain’t over her and maybe you should either talk to him or move on.

4. Comparisons

Do you constantly feel compared to your boy’s ex-girlfriend? Does he constantly mention all the little things that she used to do … that you don’t? This is definitely a sign that he’s not over her! No one should ever compare their current girlfriend to an ex and vise versa ladies!

5. Wants You Two to be Friends

I get that a lot of guys are still friends with their ex girlfriends. Some guys can move past it and be just friends with their ex, but it’s when he wants you and her to become friends. Then it becomes a problem – who knows, maybe she is cool, maybe she is sweet, maybe she is awesome to hang out with – she’s also someone that probably broke your boyfriend’s heart.

6. Keeps an ‘Ex Girlfriend’ Box

If you have ever seen Gilmore Girls, you know exactly what type of ‘box’ I’m talking about. Lorelei had a Max box, Rory had a Dean box – it’s perfectly normal! If your guy has an ex girlfriend box, it’s understandable, but if he was really over her, wouldn’t he have pitched that?

7. Calls You by Her Name

This is a huge sign that he’s really not over her yet. If your name is Jessica and he’s constantly calling you Amy – his ex girlfriend, doesn’t that seem fishy? It’s understandable in the beginning to maybe mix the names up, heck it might not even have been that long since his breakup but if you are getting serious, he needs to stop the name calling.

8. Keeps Mementos

This sort of goes along with the ‘ex box’ theory but on a larger scale. If he’s keeping pictures, trinkets, treasures and gifts that she got him out in the open … that’s kind of strange. It’s definitely a warning sign and you will definitely want to just bring it up to him and talk it out.
As you can see, just as we have a hard time letting go of our old boyfriends, guys having a hard time admitting that he’s not over her. If you are in a relationship with a guy that you think ‘he’s not over her’, talk to him about it! What other signs should we be looking for ladies? Do you have any common warning signs that I might have missed? Share!

10 Disconcertingly Positive Signs Your Ex is Definitely Over You …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:15:32 PDT

Signs Your Ex Is Over You can be hard to accept, especially if you’re still in love with him or her. Sometimes, broken relationships can get healed … but other times you just have to give up the ghost. It can be hard, but that’s why you need to pay attention to all the signs your ex is over you. You don’t want to keep trying if he clearly doesn’t want to get back with you. There are a number of rather disconcertingly positive signs your ex is definitely over you – and here they are.

1. A New Number

One of the surest signs your ex is over you is if he changes his number – and doesn’t say a word about or let you in on the new digits. It may mean that he doesn’t want to be readily available to you any longer. In this case an ex is generally trying to make a new start.

2. A Change of Location

Ditto with this choice. It doesn’t mean your ex is moving, but he or she might start hanging out at different places. For example, if the two of you made a point of hanging out a certain bar or restaurant, he might start looking for a new hangout.

3. Less Texting

It’s not uncommon for you two to keep texting each other when you’ve just broken up. If your ex starts sending fewer messages, it may mean he’s ready to move on. If that’s the case, inundating him with messages is a bad move.

4. No Emails

Similarly, if he used to send cute emails, jokes, forwards, or just chatty notes and they start to taper off, that’s one of the signs your ex is over you. Again, it suggests he’s ready to move on. Keeping in close contact might bring up too many memories, or he might just be trying to phase out of your life – and to phase you out of his.

5. A Social Network Lockdown

Are you two friends on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks? If you find that you can’t see as many of his posts, he’s probably getting over you. He may even un-friend or un-follow you to get the message across.

6. He’s Never Home

When you start getting over someone, it’s typical to start going out a lot. That might mean taking vacations or just spending a lot of time with friends. At any rate, when an ex starts spending time away from home, doing his or her own thing, it’s definitely a sign that the relationship may be done for good.

7. New Hobbies

Another one of the big signs that your ex is over you involves picking up new hobbies. Anyone who’s gone through a breakup knows how important it is to stay distracted and engaged in new activities. This can be a sign that your ex is ready to move on.

8. New Clothes

A new shirt here or there doesn’t necessarily mean anything. I don’t know about you, though, but when I used to go through serious breakups, I had a tendency to get rid of the things that really reminded me of my ex – including clothes. Remember what Rory Gilmore did after breaking up with Dean for the first time? Look for signs like that.

9. The Flirt Is Gone

Even though it’s generally a bad idea, couples who have recently broken up but still talk tend to keep flirting with each other. It’s an awkward kind of “we’re broken up but still know everything about each other” dance. If he or she starts pulling back from that, it’s definitely one of the signs your ex is over you. He or she may not feel comfortable being that flirty anymore.

10. He Starts Dating

Lastly, the biggest sign is when your ex starts dating again. Even casual dating suggests that he or she is really trying to get past the relationship. Your ex may just be trying to forget you, but all the same, all signs point to the fact that the relationship is over.
You may recognize some of these signs your ex is over you, and if so, you have all my sympathy. I know how hard that can be. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be friends, that you still won’t be in each other’s lives, but for now it’s probably best to just walk away. Some of the signs your ex is over you might be up for debate, but most of them are pretty concrete. Don’t make things worse by trying to force something that’s not there. What are some other signs your ex is over you?

Sex Tips: 8 Indisputable Mood-Killing Moves and How To Dramatically Turn Things

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:11:43 PDT

Sex Tips you’re about to read now are going to help you fix some of the burning issues in your bedroom, turn things around and start enjoying all those passionate moments you could only dream about. Yes, we all need a couple of good sex tips once in a while so don’t be shy- take a peak because I’ve moved heaven and earth today only to bring you the most complete list of everything couples find “disturbing” along with many professional as well as quite interesting sex tips on how to turn the downsides of your sex life into a rollercoaster you’ll both enjoy!

1. Foreplay? What Is That?

Some couples can spend hours “playing” before getting down to “business” while others prefer a shorter, wilder version in which foreplay lasts… well… a couple of minutes at most! The rule is that there are no rules, which means your new partner might continue to practice love-making techniques he’s used to and, the best of all sex tips I could give you would be to react and let him/her know that’s not how you like it. Be gentle, keep your voice low and seductive, give him/her your sexiest smirk and your loved one will get it.

2. He’s Being Exhaustingly Frisky

If find yourself dying to ask, “Boy, are we having sex or we’re training for the marathon?” or fighting the urge to explain the wonders of editing and tell him that adult movie actors don’t really change the position every 2 minutes, you can rest assured he’s trying to impress you. Most men tend to demonstrate this type of behavior at some point, younger ones especially but hey, it’s not the end of the world as this is one thing you can easily turn around. Your exhaustingly frisky man is just trying to please you and all you’ll have to do to keep him in one position longer is to show (or say) that you like it.

3. Same Position Over and Over Again

If your man or woman could be described as a very inquisitive person but your sex life involves one and one position only, you might want to use your imagination, arm yourself with plenty of compliments and start working on overcoming that shyness. Men are usually reluctant to try other positions thinking they will fail and embarrass themselves while women are mostly worried about how their bodies will look when placed into a position in question. A lot of compliments, ladies and gents, and you’ll be trying out new positions before you know it!

4. Hung and Careless

LOL, remember that Sex and The City Episode in which Samantha finally manages to find a guy not even she can handle? Well, practicing yoga won’t be one of the sex tips up for discussion today because we’re about to discuss something different – men who like to believe their “extra large” steaks don’t need any of the usual side dishes such as care, skill or, God forbid, emotion! These men can be placed into two subcategories: a) the ones who lack skill because nobody ever bothered to mention it before and b) the ones who lack skill because they believe that with a “package” like that one, demanding skill would be like asking Michelangelo’s David to mow your lawn! The first category is ready to learn, reacts well to compliments and will be rocking your world in no time while this last, a bit unreasonably proud and “touchy” group might prove to be more difficult to work with. If you’re really determined to make it work, try reversed psychology because his over inflated ego won’t be able to live with the fact that you’re not satisfied, if not… let him be, there are plenty of men with enough skill to last you a lifetime!

5. Honey? Are You Awake?

Let’s be honest ladies, guys are not the only ones prone to falling asleep immediately after sex! In fact, there are plenty of girls who do that too and I should know that as I’m one of them! LOL! So, if your man or your woman falls under this category of people as well, you can rest assured it has nothing to do with the lack of emotions. Not a lot of sex tips could be applied in this case but I’d suggest trying to end your lovemaking experience with a missionary position which will allow you to hug each other, gaze into each other’s eyes and share romantically intimate moments before, during and shortly after the “grand finale” and before the draining effect sets in and drags your loved one into the land of dreams.

6. Dirty Talk

Dirty talk can be a turn on or a complete turn off – depending on the timing and your preferences, of course which means your partner’s desire to spice things up by screaming obscenities might come as a bit of a shock and ruin a perfectly romantic moment. So, unless you want spend your every passionate moment worrying and expecting to hear one of these words, make a drastic move! Buy a sexy costume, play a bad girl/boy and enjoy playing a sexy game in which bad language is allowed but, when you agree not to play any games, let your partner know the whole naughty act needs to go too. Why not? You’ll have the best of both worlds!

7. Personal Hygiene and Habits

Okay, well, I definitely managed to make it sound gross but, just to make things clear, the next on my list of good to know sex tips won’t be about people with bad habits but people with habits that are different than yours. Some people like to shower both before and after sex, some are a bit more liberal and that clash of habits and feelings between a frequent “showerer” and a recreational “showerer” (I’ve invented this word, by the way, so don’t even bother trying to look it up) can be downright confusing. But, hey, it’s not the end of the world and here’s exactly how to deal with it. So, if you feel that your loved one could spend at least five minutes lying with you before hitting the shower, show him/her that by simply whispering “Don’t go yet, hug me/kiss me more” and if you think your loved one could use a shower before you “get down to business” ask him/her to join you in the shower and turn it into a sexy foreplay.

8. No Round Number Two

The last but not the least of these useful sex tips should help you finally achieve something that has been on your mind for quite some time now – keeping your partner into that sensual mood long enough to start considering round number 2! So, instead of rolling to the side, letting him/her to fall asleep, stand up, take your partner’s hand and lead him/her straight to the shower (wink wink)!
Ah, so many interesting sex tips and so little time! So, what are you waiting for – set the ball in motion tonight! But, before you go – tell me which sex tips did you find the most useful?

If Disney Princesses Were Real …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:02:07 PDT

I am a huge Disney fan and have been ever since I was a little girl. When I say “fan,” I mean that my childhood bedroom spent a lot of time decorated floor to ceiling in The Little Mermaid, I spent a year listening to the soundtrack from Beauty and the Beast, I had all my favorite princesses in Barbie doll form, and I sang Disney theme songs in two separate talent shows — “A Whole New World” from Aladdin and “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas. I know many of you are fans as well, so I hope you’ll be as excited to see some amazing artwork and photo manipulation as I was. Jirka Vinse Jonatan Väätäinen is an artist, design enthusiastic, and graphic arts student from Finland who has done some incredible interpretations of what Disney’s princesses would look like if they were real. Take a look at some of the best!

Speaking of Ariel, here’s a stunning representation of what she would look like as a real girl. I especially love the fact that she does look 16. You can see the innocence in her face, right down to the slight bit of baby fat remaining in her cheeks!

Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty.

Pocahontas is a masterpiece — her cheekbones and jawline are incredible!

Beauty and the Beast is probably my favorite Disney cartoon, and Belle is one of my favorite princesses. The sadness in her eyes here is so poignant — this manip is haunting.

Mulan from Mulan with her signature smile.

Aladdin is another of my favorite cartoons, and I’ve always thought Jasmine was gorgeous. This rendition of her is beautiful as well — but is it just me, or does she look a little bit like Kim Kardashian?
I’ve officially fallen in love with Jirka’s work. He’s got amazing talent — plus he can really tap into the magic inherent in so many Disney characters! Check out his blog for more photography and artwork, and be sure to go see his photo manipulations for some more Disney characters — including a very popular villain! Do you think this is what Disney’s most famous princesses would look like if they were real?

10 Awesome Halloween Party Ideas …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:49:30 PDT

Halloween Party Ideas may involve new, creative ideas every year. As a child, I remember dressing up at Halloween and loving every minute of it. It felt incredible to be someone or something else, even if it were for just one night. Halloween party ideas include more than costumes, though. You need food, treats, decorations, games, and food ideas. Here are some pretty awesome Halloween party ideas to kick off the spookiest season of the year!

1. Fall Festival

Many people do not celebrate Halloween and hosting a fall festival is the perfect replacement. Decorate with fall symbols such as pumpkins, scarecrows and apples. Set the party up like a carnival: dunk for apples, have a ring toss, throw darts at balloons, and other fun carnival games. Don’t for get to serve caramel apples and cotton candy.

2. Creepy Lunches For Halloween Party Ideas

Maybe it will be too gross looking to eat, but kids will get a huge kick out of this creepy lunch. The salad is shredded lettuce, a hard-boiled egg, and black olives. (I’m substituting carrot shreds) Swiss cheese or Provolone cheese makes the ghost shapes, and the fingers are little smokies with red pepper fingernails and BBQ sauce.

3. Cupcakes Galore

Halloween is the perfect holiday for making cupcakes. Stock up on supplies and let the kids help out with the decorating. You can make pumpkins, ghosts, and cute monsters, what ever you want. Or you can simply decorate in Halloween colors such as black, brown, orange, and yellow.

4. Halloween Party Ideas With Banners

If you do not want to go all out on decorations, hang a simple banner. These are very inexpensive and very easy to hang. They are perfect for hanging over doorways and across the tops of windows. The front porch is also decorative looking with a banner.

5. Easy Party Favors

These cuties are easy to make with little matchboxes. They make adorable favors! Use orange construction paper, googlie eyes and thin, black ribbon. Fill with candy instead of beads, or let the kids use it to carry their lunch money to school.

5. Cookies Are Fabulous Halloween Party Ideas

Besides cupcakes, cookies are fun to make and decorate for the holiday. These little pumpkins are so cute and they are fairly easy to decorate. If you are hosting a party, or your children need cookies for a school party, these little fellows will make a smashing hit!

6. Fancy Fingernails

Your friends will want you to paint their nails, too! Fingernail decorations have become popular and Halloween is a great time to show off a little creativity. If painting every nail is not your forte, paint just one nail, like your pinkie nail. Or you may want to paint toenails, especially if you live where it is still warm enough to wear open toe shoes.

7. Halloween Party Ideas For Lights

A wonderful way to set up the ambiance of Halloween is wit lights. Pumpkin lights can be set in the window for a really cute display. Night-lights can sparkle in the bathroom and down the hallway for an extra special feeling of fun. A “spooktacular” way to create some smiles.

8. Costumes Make Halloween

There are two things you think of when the topic of Halloween is brought up: Costumes and Candy! Dressing up was my favorite part of this holiday. My costumes were always based on my favorite story, cartoon character or hero. Seriously. Who doesn’t want to be Batman or Superman, even for one night?

9. Trick Or Treat Halloween Party Ideas

Maybe the first thing a kid wants when you start looking for Halloween costumes is the container to gather all the booty. A new trick or treat basket is just as important as the costume. Does it have to match the costume? Not really. The most important thing is getting the candy home to admire, then eat, all them sweets!

10. The Candy

Oh, yeah! The happiest moment of the year. Well, after Christmas and birthdays, counting the Candy booty after Trick or Treating can’t be beat! What did you get?
Halloween party ideas are easy to come up, but coming up with new and exciting ideas may not be as easy. I hope this article of Halloween party ideas as inspired some excitement and creativity for you. What are your favorite Halloween party ideas?

Obama Bringing Troops Home for the Holidays …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:45:32 PDT

There is one piece of news, and one piece only, going viral today, and with good reason. Families, friends, loved ones, and who knows how many others have been waiting for this news for years – almost a decade, all told. It’s universally important, affecting the lives of people from different countries and cultures all throughout the world.

Today, President Barack Obama announced that by the end of the year, troops will be pulled out of Iraq.

Everyone is likely to take the news differently, given that the war itself has been a hot button for many different groups and factions. However, the announcement is surely a long-awaited joy for those who have family members, friends, and loved ones in the military.

Having family members in Iraq myself, I can unabashedly admit that I teared up when President Obama mainted that the U.S. Troops will be home in time for the holidays. I’m sure many people had the same reaction.
President Obama himself can explain things better than I can, however:

8 Good Halloween Costume Ideas …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:12:57 PDT

Good Halloween Costume Ideas are important if you want to win a prize for your halloween costume! Even if you aren’t trying to win the best costume award, you still need good halloween costume ideas so you can be cute and have fun dressing up, right? Well, you have come to the right place! I have 8 good halloween costume ideas for you to consider! These aren’t your typical run-of-the-mill halloween themed costumes. If you want originality, uniqueness, and a costume that every other person won’t be wearing, then keep on reading because you’re sure to find inspiration from my list of 8 good halloween costume ideas!

1. Rag Doll

A Rag Doll is a fun, easy, unique and inexpensive good halloween costume idea! You can make the costume yourself easily! Fashion a mop style hat and an apron out of some material, and wear them over a flowered dress. Striped stockings and drawn-on freckles would complete the look!

2. Maid Marion

Robin Hood is one of my all time favorite characters and stories of all time. So of course Maid Marion is one of my top choices for a good halloween costume idea! Maybe you could even talk your sweetheart into dressing as Robin Hood so the two of you could arrive at the party as a couple! That would make it a hit for sure!

3. Padme Amidala

Padme Amidala is a good halloween costume idea for you Star Wars fans out there! Padme’s costume will be pretty easy to put together. All you need are some white pants, boots and a white shirt. You can then add a cool belt and carry a light saber to complete the look. Check in the children’s toy sections of most stores to find the light saber.

4. Era Costume

We all have our own favorite eras and time frames. So here’s a good halloween costume idea that you will be able to work hard honey! Choose your favorite era, be it the fifties, the eighties, the pioneer days or the 16th century and then gather a costume based on your choice. Thrift stores would be a good place to start in order to put together a costume that would go along with your chosen theme. You can often find many vintage or dated items in thrift stores.

5. A Little Girl

Here’s your chance to really work those baby blues-or whatever color your eyes may be! We all wish we could go back to our carefree days as a child right? So put some pigtails in your hair, find a cute little romper to wear and clutch a dolly in your hand. You’re guaranteed to get pinches on your widdle cheekies!

6. A Bad Fairy

I love fairies, but little pink and purple glittery fairies are so last year. The bad fairy is a good halloween costume idea that will get you noticed right away! Find some black wings and a black dress and wear sultry eye makeup. In fact, I plan to be a bad fairy for halloween this year, so I’m giving you my costume idea!

7. A Schoolgirl

A good halloween costume idea that you won’t see on every other girl in the room is a schoolgirl! Teachers are bound to be scattered around the party, but don’t they need pupils? Bust out the stockings, checkered mini skirt and white collared shirt. Top it off with glasses and an inordinate amount of lipgloss and you’re good to go!

8. A Bride Ghost

You knew I had to throw in at least one slightly scary or freaky good halloween costume idea! The bride of Frankenstein is going to be on every corner come halloween, but how about a bride who was left at the altar and now haunts around looking for her forgotten suitor? Steer clear of blood, remember you’re dead, not dying. Use makeup to create “hollows” under your eyes and mascara “tracks” from tears down your face. Rip and dirty your dress and veil and carry black, dried out flowers.
Halloween can be fun for children and adults alike! All you need is a little creativity and a hoppin’ party to go to and you’re all set. With this list of good halloween costume ideas, you already have a few characters to dress up as, so what are you waiting for? Get started on that fab costume! What are some of your Good Halloween Costume Ideas?

7 Fun and Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas…

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:53:27 PDT

Fall is one of my favorite seasons with the changing of the leaves, cooler weather to enjoy, and Halloween decor to have fun with like carving pumpkins and hanging spooky skeletons and witches! Whether you are looking for pumpkins that are for your trick o’ treaters to enjoy, your party guests to be impressed by, or just something fun to do with your kids, you can find many different ideas to suit the theme and look you’re going for. Here are 7 Fun and Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas everyone will love…

1. Adorable Dog Breed Pumpkin Carving Ideas…

Photo Credit: BHG
Your dog will love this pumpkin carving idea just as much as your trick o’ treaters will! Are you dressing up your pet this Halloween in an adorable costume that he will hate but you and everyone else will love? Let your dog take center stage this holiday with a pumpkin that looks just like him! You can find stencils for most dog breeds at BHG…my favorite was this cute little Dachshund.

2. Spooky Haunted House Pumpkin Carving Ideas…

Photo Credit: MarthaStewart
If you are trying to create a spooky house for your Halloween party, these haunted mansion pumpkins are the perfect centerpiece that will invite everyone in for a thrilling adventure! To add to this scary pumpkin carving idea, add some cotton cobwebs, black birdcages, frightening signs, and play some creepy music that will make your guests jump!

3. Mummified Pumpkin Carving Ideas…

Photo Credit: BHG
When we pick our pumpkins each year we’re always looking for new pumpkin carving ideas to share with the kids. As soon as I saw this cool mummy pumpkin guy I knew he could be a face my stepdaughters would love to carve! He has great charcter for Halloween and isn’t too scary that little kids would get spooked. What are some fun pumpkin faces you’ll be carving?

4. The Cat’s Meow Pumpkin Carving Ideas…

Photo Credit: MarthaStewart
Now that the dog lovers are happy, we can’t leave cute little kittens out of our pumpkin carving ideas, especially when black cats are a favorite character in many Halloween tales! I love that this carving idea includes a body, tail, and paws for our little friends. So readers, are you a dog or cat person?

5. She’s got legs Pumpkin Carving Ideas…

Photo Credit: BHG
Maybe you see fun “dancing witch legs” as they are called on the Better Homes and Gardens stencil, but these pair of legs remind me of the wicked witch from Wizard of Oz! If you want to create a scene of the house falling on her legs, paint the shoes red and lay the pumpkins flat right next to your home for a pumpkin carving idea that will take you back to Oz!

6. Wicked Witch Pumpkin Carving Ideas…

Photo Credit: MarthaStewart
Speaking of the wicked witch…here she is for your next pumpkin carving idea! This is not just a creative idea for carving, but also for scraping your pumpkin’s design onto it’s body. I’ve never tried the scraping technique and I would love to give it a try with this evil looking witch!

7. Friendly Zombies Pumpkin Carving Ideas…

Photo Credit: MarthaStewart
These crazy looking zombies are one of the best pumpkin carving ideas I’ve seen and it seems so simple too! When pumpkin carving is easy and the end results are delightful as these characters, that is a crafting task I can handle! I am really in awe of the creative ideas Martha Stewart and her staff come up with. How could you not smile and laugh when you see these fun zombie pumpkins!
Have fun with your kids, friends, and relatives this Halloween with creative pumpkin carving ideas that will impress your trick o’ treaters. As you can see from these pumpkin photos, it doesn’t take much to put a fun character, a spooky house, or a pair of witches legs on your pumpkins. Be original and put your own twist on these pumpkin carving ideas that no one else has ever seen. Don’t forget to come back and share your Halloween stories with us!
What fun and creative pumpkin carving ideas are you using this Halloween?

9 Celebs to Follow on Twitter …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:17:12 PDT

Celebs on Twitter — following them and reading their antics is one of my favorite time wasters! I tend to think Twitter is best for spreading joy, so I like to follow celebs on Twitter who keep it light, and funny, not serious. Example: as much as I adore Eddie Izzard, I don’t follow him on Twitter because he uses it to tweet about his work with UNICEF. Not that I have an issue with UNICEF… I happen to think it’s fantastic that Izzard works with them, I just wish he’d JOKE more, guilt less. So if you feel the same, keep reading! Here are 9 celebs to follow on Twitter.

1. Conan O’Brien

@ConanOBrien
I freely admit I wasn’t much of a Conan fan until I started following him on Twitter. He was the first celeb on Twitter I ever followed, and he’s freaking HILARIOUS. He tweets about once a day, and each little chirp is a gem. A recent favorite — “Just got out of a parking ticket by confessing to a murder I didn’t commit.”

2. Bronx Zoo’s cobra

@BronxZoosCobra
Last year, when a cobra from the Bronx Zoo escaped his enclosure, it became international news. Apparently, this particular cobra isn’t just a clever escape artist, he’s also quite technologically savvy, harnessing the power of the internet to plan his next attempt. He’s clever, charming, and witty — too bad he’s a cobra, and not a single guy… he’d totally be my type…

3. Russell Brand

@rustyrockets
One of m favorite comedic actors of late is Russell Brand. His tweets aren’t as funny as his films (mostly because you can’t see his facial expressions), but they’re still a riot. One of his recent tweets — “I am on the Thames. I came to encourage Walliams. I am now in the hands of pirates between Henley and Hambledon. HELP ME!”

4. Chelsea Handler

@chelseahandler
The writing in my first book has been compared to that of Chelsea Handler, except without all the sex. Because she’s a laugh a minute, I’m inclined to be flattered. She’s one of the few women celebs on Twitter that I follow… though most of her tweets are links to her upcoming shows and stuff, she still comes up with a zinger on occasion.

5. Severus Snape

@_Snape_
Is it wrong that my favorite character from the Harry Potter series is Snape, at least on Twitter? I mean, Ron’s tweets are interesting and often funny, too, but Snape’s take the cake. He’s as wry, wicked, and witty as he is in print in the original books, or as played by the marvelous Alan Rickman. BTW, I do not follow Alan Rickman on Twitter, just Snape.

6. Sarah Silverman

@SarahKSilverman
Here is the second of two female celebs on Twitter that I follow, Sarah Silverman. She’s wicked funny, and so smart! Her tweets have an edge to them, and it seems that she does pay attention to what’s going on with her fans and followers.

7. Jimmy Fallon

@jimmyfallon
I’ve been a fan of Jimmy Fallon and his brand of comedy for a long time. He’s hilarious! I don’t watch his talk show, but I do follow him on Twitter, and his humor translates well in 140 characters — not every celeb on Twitter works in that tight parameter very well.

8. Bill Cosby

@BillCosby
Have you noticed a theme yet? Because I think Twitter is best used for humor, most of the celebs on Twitter I follow are comedians. I follow Bill Cosby because he actually seems to be tweeting on his own, and because he replies to people who tweet to him, and because he’s funny.

9. Ellen DeGeneres

@TheEllenShow
Here’s the third female celeb I follow on Twitter. She’s so positive, and so open and obviously caring — and funny! I love Ellen!
There are so many celebs on Twitter, hopefully this list will help you decide which of them to follow! Or maybe you already follow some of these celebs as they tweet? Who do you follow, and why? Which celebs on Twitter do you avoid? Do tell!

7 Chillingly Spooky but Outrageously Fabulous Cocktail Recipes …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:31:51 PDT

Cocktail Recipes are a must for any and all parties. This year for Halloween, I know I need to come up with some spooky and chilling cocktail recipes for my Halloween party. That is what inspired this list of cocktail recipes that will make all of your guests scream in fear at the look and instantly ask you for the recipe because it tastes so good!

1. Bleeding Heart Martini
at marthastewart.com

I actually think that this is so ascetically pleasing for Halloween and it tastes so good! It’s a mixture of dry vermouth, gin and ice cubes. Do you know what the ‘heart is made out of? Pickled baby beets! It’s spooky, fabulous and totally ideal for any Halloween party!

2. Bloody Tooth Cocktail
at marthastewart.com

I think that this is one of the few cocktail recipes that anyone would drink. It’s not too sweet, sour or scary! It has a mixture of rye whiskey, pomegranate juice, lemon juice and simple syrup. Add in some pomegranate seeds for the ‘bloody teeth’ and you got yourself a great tasting, spooky little concoction that your man will love!

3. Apple Cider Martini
at marthastewart.com

If your party is more about the treats rather than the scary and spooky, you might want to stick to the basics of fall. What’s one activity that you probably do every single fall? Drink apple cider! This apple cider martini has a splash of vodka, a bit of black sanding sugar around the edges and is shaken, not stirred. It’s fresh, fall-like and totally appropriate for any and all fall parties – not just Halloween ones!

4. Eyeball Martinis
at thenibble.com

This is the ultimate Halloween drink. If you are a Halloween buff like me, this is the martini for you! It features dry vermouth, gin or vodka (your choice) and a radish, green olive or some peeled grapes for the eyeballs. Just throw together an awesome tasting martini, pop some eyeball-looking fruit/veggies in there and you got a great martini for your Halloween party.

5. Black Lagoon Cocktail
at marthastewart.com

I think that on Halloween, the drinks should be as scary as the ghost stories you are probably telling. This is one of the few cocktail recipes out there produces a creepy and ultimate Halloween drink! It’s black, it’s filled with vodka, it’s got licorice ice cubes – what could be better?

6. Black Magic
at marthastewart.com

Why be good when naughty tastes so good? These black magic cocktail recipes taste delicious and would be perfect for any Halloween party you throw! These cocktail recipes feature everything from black vodka with vanilla ice cream to a layered black vodka/OJ screwdriver. What could be better?

7. Bloodthirsty Mary’s
at marthastewart.com

This drink is so good, it might have you running into the bathroom to try and see Bloody Mary yourself! It’s got horseradish, lemon juice, pepper, tomato juice and some vodka. This is one of the few cocktail recipes that is strong, spicy and your guests will love it!
Finding the right cocktail recipes for your Halloween party isn’t easy. I know with all of the different Halloween parties I have coming up this Halloween, I’m gonna have to be careful which cocktail recipes I use at which party! What types of cocktail recipes do you ladies use for your parties? Did I miss any? Come on, share ‘em!

Vendor Spotlight: Jolie Papeterie Boutique…

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:24:39 PDT

Sometimes you meet people in the wedding industry or in any industry and you can feel their passion for what they do and the satisfying feeling they get when their product makes other people happy. It may be by chance that you interact but when you get to know them you can’t wait to share their story with everyone else. That’s how I feel about Nicola and Stephane of Jolie Papeterie Boutique, who specialize in custom handmade wedding, corporate, and special events stationery…

Getting to Know Jolie Papeterie Boutique…

When my husband and I got married in 2007 we didn’t find any stationery that fit the look we were going for, so we ended up designing our own which gave a unique feel for our wedding which had a vintage flare. A year later my sister’s wedding was coming up, and the lady at the bridal store where I got my dress suggested that I start designing invitations as I had a knack for it. She thought I would do well. In March 2010, after many months of planning, my husband and I decided to officially launch Jolie Papeterie Boutique which is French for ‘Pretty Stationery Store.’

Working Together…

Working with my husband who specializes in illustration and graphic design has its own unique challenges. Sometimes we see eye to eye but other times we butt heads and it can be hard to settle on something we both love. On that note however we work well together, and our relationship as a couple has developed stronger over time.
When we launched Jolie Papeterie, our goal was to stray away from traditional invitations and design unique one-of-a-kind stationery. We have found that our vintage carnival invitations and our ‘Minimalista’ invitations which boast a large ampersand and are graphically intriguing are our most popular invitations. We like to use bold colours and we do not use stock imagery which sets us apart from many other designers out there. All of our designs are original and unique.

Creating Something Special…

One of the best parts of our job is working with people. We love working with brides and grooms and creating something special for them to set the tone for their special day. Most couples have an idea of what they want and others look to us for direction which gives us a great chance to be creative. The best part is, we’re married and have been through the process before. We know how stressful planning a wedding can be so we take pride in being efficient and easy to work with.

The Next Step…

Our goal in the future is to own a studio space where we can showcase our work and meet clients. Right now we work out of our home which has its ups and downs. We have two young children which can be a little distracting! What we love about owning our own company is the ability to be as creative as we possibly can when designing our stationery and also to work from home and take care of our children.
Starting Jolie Papeterie was no easy task by any means. We’re a licensed company, we designed our own website and did all of our own advertising. It took us a good six months or so just to get set up. This is by no means a hobby for us but our livelihood. A lot of work goes into each and every piece of stationery we design and we look forward to making your day special.

7 Inspiring Celebrities of 2011 …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:18:41 PDT

Celebrities of 2011… how do I pick just 7 of them that inspire me? There are so many inspiring celebs, it wasn’t easy, but I’ve thought long and hard about it, done loads of research, agonized over making some necessary cuts, but here they are. These are my picks for the top 7 most inspiring celebrities of 2011.

1. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

How can a man who’s been gone so long still be such an inspirational celebrity in 2011? He’s never stopped being a role model, an inspiration, but now his legacy can inspire and inform a new generation of admirers… his memorial in Washington D.C. opened late this summer, and I can’t wait to visit. He was a visionary, and is still such an inspiration, to so many around the world.

2. Hannah and Olivia from “Biggest Loser”

Sisters Olivia Ward and Hannah Curlee were my two favorite contestants on last this year’s Season 11 of “Biggest Loser,” and when Olivia won, I was thrilled. Together, the pair lost an amazing 249 pounds, and they faced their fears over the air, making what is often a personal, private journey into a learning experience, an inspiration for all of us.

3. Jennifer Aniston

If there’s one word that sums up Jennifer Aniston, it would be “grace.” She’s handled the end of her marriage to fellow celeb Brad Pitt with grace. She’s handled an unrelenting stream of unworthy suitors and boyfriends, again with grace. And most recently, she’s even handled sniping, mean-spirited (although possibly “out of context”) statements by Mr. Pitt about their ill-fated marriage, all with (again!) grace.

4. Lady Gaga

I’m not saying she has fashion sense. But like her or not, her message is inspirational: love who you are, and don’t ever try to be anything else. She’s also come out against bullying, for LGBT equal rights, and even designed a bracelet to sell on her website to benefit relief efforts after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

5. Oprah Winfrey

I personally cannot stand Oprah Winfrey. She annoys me, on so many levels, but I have to admit, she’s served as an inspiration for millions of women around the world, literally, for decades. She’s one of the most powerful, influential, and inspirational women in show biz, and now that she’s launched her own channel, she’s about to kick it up a notch.

6. Liz Murray

Maybe you’ve never heard of Liz Murray, currently a motivational speaker; I hadn’t heard of her either until I read about her in the Daily Mail this January. She is truly an inspiration, having overcome every obstacle life can throw at someone, and shining.

7. Justin Bieber

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I am an adult woman who finds young, squeaky-clean Justin Bieber inspiring. Unless you’ve seen the movie about his rise to fame, called “Never Say Never,” released in 2011. You really can’t judge until you see the movie. Truly, I had no idea… I thought he was just another flash in the pan… but I was wrong, and now I’m inspired.
Whether you love them or loathe them, these are the celebs that have inspired me this year. Which of these inspirational celebrities of 2011 are your favorites? Or is there someone, a favorite celeb or public figure, that’s inspired you more? Please share!

7 Great Blogs on Etsy Finds

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:38:54 PDT

Blogs on Etsy Finds are your portals to the many amazing items handmade with love by equally amazing artists. If you love to browse Etsy products, you will absolutely enjoy these great blogs on Etsy finds. They cover all sorts of products, from handmade to vintage to supplies. Some of these great blogs on Etsy finds will even introduce you to the artists themselves!

1. Indie Fixx

Indie Fixx is mainly a craft blog but I consider this one of the great blogs on Etsy finds today, too. If you are interested only in gorgeous and fun Etsy products, I suggest that you go directly to the Galleria. But really, there is no reason why you should not browse the whole blog; posts on interviews with independent artists are a delight to read.

2. Everything Etsy

No doubt, this is one of the great blogs on Etsy finds we have today. Aside from the wonderful items curated by the family who runs this blog, Everything Etsy is also a great resource for people who want to go into the handmade business. Read up to know more about how to sell on Etsy and to check out your future co-sellers.

3 . Etsy Stalker

Etsy Stalker is an “online museum of Etsy arts and crafts.” It is curated by Beatrice and Violet (how freakin’ adorable and perfect are their names?). They are beautiful ladies who “want to promote and help professional artists in their life’s passions.” From this great blog on Etsy finds, you will find great posts on fun handmade products and other vintage items. Whether you are looking for a particular item or you only want to check out cute items, Etsy Stalker is the blog for you.

4. Poppytalk Handmade

Poppytalk Handmade is an extension of Poppytalk, a fantastic craft blog. From the website: Poppytalk Handmade is a monthly online street market curated by Poppytalk to showcase, buy and sell handmade goods of emerging design talent from around the world. Not only is Poppytalk Handmade a visually pleasing website, they also feature artists that are truly inspiring.

Trending Today: What Makes #AReal Boyfriend?

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:34:50 PDT

I think a lot of you will be able to identify with today’s trending topic. The subject of what a real boyfriend is and how he should act is surging all over the interwebs, especially on Twitter. What’s nice is that both guys and girls are tweeting about it, and there have been some really profound insights (yes, from Twitter!) into what girls want – and there’s plenty of proof that there are some really good guys out there! Let’s have a look at how people describe #ARealBoyfriend.

Here’s what some of the guys are saying:

LawCannon: “#ARealBoyfriend Makes his girlfriend realize she the only one who matters, meaning that side hoes don’t exist, and his past is irrelevant.”
AustinKeller: “#ARealBoyfriend knows how to make his girl feel SO special, even when the rough times come. ALSO, he stays loyal with his girl FOREVER.”
MrRelationships: “#ARealBoyfriend learns about his lady; her interests, wants, desires, everything. Both big and small.”
No1FlyBoy: “Sadly, #arealboyfriend is like a unicorn.”
VINNYGUADAGNINO: “#arealboyfriend is made of flesh blood bones and guts as opposed to #ablowupdollboyfriend.”

Well, you can’t please everyone! And can I just say, I do love Vinny; always keepin’ it real. Here are some insightful responses from the ladies:

maayarax0: “#arealboyfriend isn’t afraid to be silly with his girlfriend!”
_KrystalBall: “#arealboyfriend will do what he has to in order to become #arealhusband!”
SmileyFaceeee_: “#arealboyfriend loves you unconditionally. flaws and all.”
itsSUMMn_boutER: “#arealboyfriend is something I have yet to come by!”
anniemirza_: “#arealboyfriend doesn’t make you change, he’ll appreciate you for who you are.”

So this begs the question – what do you think describes #ARealBoyfriend? And since, given the lovely Better Half, I’m always equal opportunity, if boyfriends ain’t your thang, how would you describe #ARealGirlfriend? Sound off, y’all, give us your dream characteristics!

8 Ideas on How to Celebrate Halloween …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:56:20 PDT

How to Celebrate Halloween in your own and unique way is special. I love Halloween, it is my favorite time of year, my favorite holiday and I can’t wait for it to be here! Some of the tips and tricks that I learned on how to celebrate Halloween actually come from Salem – the town to be in when Halloween rolls around! Below, I’m going to detail out exactly how to celebrate Halloween the Salem way!

1. Create a Haunted House

Do you love Halloween too? Why not choose to celebrate Halloween by transforming your house into a haunted house? Make things jump out, bring in a coffin and dress up scary. Trust me, it’ll be a huge hit for the kids and you will have a blast doing it!

2. Tell Ghost Stories

Not only do I love Halloween, but I love ghost stories! They go hand-in-hand right? There are tons of different ways on how to celebrate Halloween but I swear that ghost stories are the best way to do it!

3. Dress up

I love, love, love costumes and dressing up. I been everything from a gothic angel all the way a bumblebee and I loved every minute of it! So drag out your costumes from the attic, basement or wherever else you might have them hiding and dress up this year. It’ll be worth it!

4. Watch Your Favorite Scary Movie

What are some of your favorite scary movies? I love all of the Saw movies and the classic Scream movies. When Halloween rolls around, all I do is turn the lights off, pop in one of those movies and I am all set for Halloween!

5. Carve/Painting Pumpkins

This is a super traditional way to how to celebrate Halloween and it’s fun for the whole family! You can actually either carve or paint your pumpkin – I like to carve. What do you think is best? Do you guys carve or paint?

6. Plan a Halloween Party

While I have only planned one Halloween party, it was a great way that I used on how to celebrate Halloween! I had friends over, had scary music, dressed up and turned my entire house into a haunted house. Planning a Halloween-themed party is super fun and a great way to get all your friends over for a little scary fun!

7. Go to a Haunted House

If you can’t make your house into a haunted house, why not take all of your friends to a haunted house? I can’t go to these, I freak out and run away when something scares me – however, it is still fun to go. In Salem, there are a ton of these and the scary part is that they truly are haunted – because they are so filled with witch history. Creepy right?

8. Bake a Halloween-Themed Cake

When Halloween rolls around, my baking gloves come on and I constantly bring in all kinds of Halloween-themed treats for my co-workers. Cupcakes, cakes, breads – everything! This is definitely one of the best ways on how to celebrate Halloween easily.
Even if you aren’t the Halloween type, there are many ways on how to celebrate Halloween. Whether you are throwing a party, dressing up or just passing out candy, Halloween it supposed to be scary and fun – so this year make it that way! What do you think ladies, what are some other ways on how to celebrate Halloween? What are some of your favorite costumes?

7 Websites Where You Can Watch Movies Online …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:52:14 PDT

There are many reasons why you’d want to watch movies online. You might have misplaced that DVD you’ve been saving for a quiet night in and so disrupts your plans, or you might need to show some friends a film you’ve been talking about for ages. The answer is to watch movies online. Sometimes you just want to watch a film instantly, but then get online and discover it takes you ages to find a website that lets you stream or download movies quickly. Here is a list of 7 easy to access Websites Where You Can Watch Movies Online at your convenience.

1. Amazon Instant Video

Here you can instantly watch popular movies and TV shows, and at no extra cost with Amazon Prime. You have unlimited streaming and watch movies online on your computer or on your TV with a connecting streaming device. It costs $3.99 for a 48 hour rental, or is at no additional cost if you have an Amazon Prime account (at $79 a year).

2. Apple TV

The Apple TV device enables you to stream thousands of movies and TV shows straight to your TV. You can watch movies online as soon as they are released on DVD and there’s a great choice. All you need is the device, iTunes and a computer with recent operating systems, such as Mac OS X or Windows 7 to Windows XP Home. The device costs $99, then its 99c for TV rentals and $2.99 for movies.

3. Blockbuster

You can choose from more than a whopping 100,000 titles, and Blockbuster can deliver your movie choices to your door. It costs $4.99 for a 7-day rental. But, if you want to watch movies online, you can go to Blockbuster On Demand and get movies that range in price between FREE and $3.99, depending on the movie.

4. Hulu

Hulu is usually known for being able to stream hundreds of TV shows online. But you can also stream and hundreds movies online for free. Be warned though, their database of movies is rather limited. However, you can purchase Hulu Plus membership for $7.99 a month and access even more movies.

5. MoviesDataCenter

This is a large online movie community which enables you to watch movies online instantly and for free. It has over 35,000 titles, including the latest blockbusters. You are recommended to register for a free account to start watching. As the films are streamed online at no cost, use the website at your own risk.

6. Vudu

With Vudu you can rent a movie for $2 for 2 nights. There is no monthly subscription as you just pay as you go. They have HD movies on demand so you can watch movies in high quality instantly. New films are available the day they are released on DVD, and you can stream them to your HD TVs, Blu-ray players, computer, iPad or even PlayStation 3. This is one of the cheapest options available, and the most flexible.

7. Wow-mov.com

Here you can download movies straight to your computer after payment. It is recommended to download software, such as FlashGet, to speed up your downloading time. The website has over 10,000 titles available, old and new. Pricing is stated on the website’s updated catalogue.
So there are plenty of options available to you if you want to watch movies online. They are cheap and some extremely useful with their instant service. With the internet becoming faster and more readily available, there are always more options to choose from. Those are just 7 Websites Where You Can Watch Movies Online – perhaps you know of more? Which do you think is the best?

9 Craziest Lady Gaga Hairstyles…

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:55:06 PDT

Now we all know that Lady Gaga, more fondly known as Mother Monster goes all out to stand out and that almost always guarantees a bizarre ensemble. She defines OTT and it’s not just in the clothes (if you can call them that) but also her kooky shoes, her larger than life accessories and her Crazy Hairstyles. In the spirit of Halloween, I thought why not pay homage to some of the Craziest Lady Gaga Hairstyles over the years. Best keep an open mind and mouth while checking out my picks for the Craziest Lady Gaga Hairstyles.

1. The Bow

Let’s start with the hairstyle that went viral shall we? Of course I’m talking about THE bow that was first seen in her Poker Face video that eventually went on to fascinate people far and wide for a very long time. I can definitely see the appeal though. What’s not to love about bows? They’re cute and the top of your head is as good a place as any to sport one. You Tube is full of how-to videos but if you are lazy like me, you can just buy one of these at Amazon.com.

2. Variations of the bow

I guess at some point the regular oversized bow on the top of your head just gets boring and you need variations,especially when you are Lady Gaga. So we saw the poodle-puff with lavender bows and then there were the two dual colored Mickey Mouse variations and that ladies is the story of how the bow went from cute to crazy.

3. Benjamin Button

This is by far one of the craziest Lady Gaga hairstyles I have ever seen! T’was June 2009 and Lady Gaga had just arrived at the Manchester Academy in England to show her support for those affected with HIV with what appeared to be a giant button sown to her head. Well, who needs sunglasses when you have a button of hair to keep the sun away…

4. Gaga mixes it up

The occasion: The Brit Awards, 2010. The hair: Lady Antoinette meets cotton candy. Of course when the hair is this dramatic, the outfit’s got to be sheer lace. She looks like an alien creature with evil powers et al and I love it!

5. Gaga goes Teal

I promised myself that I wouldn’t make any “green with envy” references but look how fantastic she looks in that teal bob. I could never pull that off! Okay, maybe that Marge Simpson-esque beehive makes me feel a wee bit better about my normal self. Just a little bit.

6. Lady in Red

That sheer red lace outfit is definitely something but the hair is just the perfect cherry on the cake. I honestly believe that although this is one of the craziest Lady Gaga Hairstyles ever, it looks pretty fantastic on her because of the regal, almost sun goddess like look to it. Warning: Do not imitate. No, seriously, don’t!

7. The Telephone Looks

Remember the video of her song, Telephone? I could do a whole new post on the craziest Lady Gaga Hairstyles (and outfits) based on that video alone but for now I will pick my two favorites. Soda can curls, anyone? That’s pretty innovative recycling I have to say. Also, what better hairstyle for a song named telephone than to have an actual telephone of hair stuck to your head. Oh Gaga.

8. Crazy Hat Lady

Sometimes it’s the hat that maketh the hair. Remember the very “architectural” hat at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards? And if that is not unique enough for you, how about this very unusual silver lobster hat that she wore to dinner? It does NOT get any more kitsch. Let’s just hope she did not go to a seafood restaurant that night.

9. Hairy Scary Monster

And last but not any less crazy are Lady Gaga’s hairy scary ensembles. Is it still called a “hairstyle” if the entire outfit is made of hair and isn’t it just a little bit creepy to be wearing all that hair?! Oh wait, we’re talking about the woman who wears raw meat.
After all the Craziest Lady Gaga Hairstyles we’ve just seen, I just have one question: Isn’t that too much weight for the top of someone’s head? I would imagine it would be hard to walk or even sit but I guess that’s what makes Lady Gaga special in her own weird way. I hope you enjoyed gaping and sniggering at the Craziest Lady Gaga Hairstyles. Don’t forget to add your own finds to the list and until next time, put your paws up little monsters…

10 Tips on How to Become a Writer …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:25:13 PDT

How to become a writer… it’s actually not as difficult as you may think! Granted, not everyone can write, but if you can, and you want to, I can help! I’ve been a professional writer for many more years than I care to admit, and I have lots of helpful tips to share. Here are 10 tips on how to become a writer.

1. Read!

To be a better writer, you first have to read, and read a LOT! Read everything you can get your hands on so you can figure out what you like, what you don’t like, and if you like, take notes. Don’t like a literary device? Love another? Enjoy a particular writer’s style? Then read everything else they’ve ever written.

2. Read “The Elements of Style”

Add this to the very top of your reading list. It’s called “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White (E.B. White, the same guy who wrote “Charlotte’s Web). You can find a used copy for a few cents, and it will be worth every single penny. It’s marvelous, a perfect primer for anyone who wants to write anything, from a one-paragraph biopic to an epic novel.

3. Read “On Writing”

Next on your reading list should be Stephen King’s “On Writing.” Whether you’re a fan of his novels or not, his book is insightful and compelling and rich with details on how to write, when to write, and what to write.

4. Write!

Now that you’ve read, it’s time to write! Grab a notebook, or a laptop, or a rickety old typewriter. Write! Even if it’s only ten minutes a day, write. Write in small bursts when your Muse whispers and beckons. Write even when you don’t feel like it. Keep a notebook in the bathroom and by your bed, so you can write down those brilliant ideas that come to you while you’re shampooing your hair or dozing off.

5. But don’t edit

I did just tell you to write, but I have to be clear on this counter-point: do NOT edit while you write! Save that for later. For now, just write your little heart out!

6. Be aware of plagiarism

Remember when I told you to make note to literary devices you enjoyed in other people’s writing? That’s quite different than using someone else’s work or inspiration and calling it your own. That’s plagiarism, and it’s naughty. Don’t do it.

7. Have a mentor

I have a writing mentor named Richard who, without fail, will always point me in the right direction when I get a little lost. If you can, find a mentor to help you along. And once you’re a successful, established writer in your own right, you can mentor someone else. Pay it forward!

9. Write about what you know

This bit of advice is about your style of writing. It’s important! Don’t write about what you don’t know. Otherwise, not only will the details be wrong, the writing will also be awkward. If you write about what you know, the writing will be plainer, clearer, and it will flow better.

10. Look into self-publishing

Once you’ve finished your masterpiece, if you’re worried about shopping it out to publishers, you can relax a little. It’s now easier, and more profitable than ever, to self-publish. I highly recommend Amazon’s self-publishing tool set called CreateSpace. Look into it! You’ll be just as impressed as I am.
Now that you’ve read my ideas, grab a pen and notebook (or your laptop) and get to writing! Remember, the key is to actually WRITE… so get to it! Which of these tips do you think you’ll find most helpful, and why? Or, if you’re a fellow writer, what advice can you share?

Trending Today: Childhood Memories …

doctruyentranhonline@gmail.com — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:09:08 PDT

I think a lot of you are going to like today’s hot trend, especially judging by your overwhelming response to all those awesome ’90s things! Cruising (twittering? fluttering?) around Twitter, I discovered that one of the biggest trending topics today was none other than #ChildhoodMemories! Knowing that miss Heather called up a lot of nostalgic memories of the 1990s for me, and a lot of you as well, I thought to myself, what better than to take it a little further? So, come on, y’all, take a walk down memory lane with me!

My childhood memories mostly take place in West Virginia, because that’s where I grew up; I didn’t move away until I was 13. You’d think, then, that my nostalgia trips would be redolent with walks in the woods, hayrides, four-wheeling, and things like that, right? Yeah, not so much. I mean, I did plenty of those things, but since I lived surrounded by that stuff all the time, I took it for granted. Neither milking nor tipping cows was ever a fund pastime for me.
My childhood memories involve:

hilarious Skip-It tournaments (because I really was a school yard champ!);
long and drawn out, dramatic soap opera stories acted out with my myriad Barbies (I had something like 50+);
reading any dramatic book I could get my hands on during grade school book fairs (titles like Missing: Carrie Phillips, Age 15 and I Won’t Let Them Hurt You stand out);
and rocking out in my room to singers and bands like Paula Abdul, The Real McCoy, and Crash Test Dummies.

For those of you who shared my childhood, this is for you:

Whether you grew up in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or the early 2000s, I want to know about your childhood memories. What did you read? What did you play with? What music did you listen to? What was your favorite song when you were 13 and felt incredibly grown up because you were finally a teen? Sound off, share, and let’s compare notes!