A spa party might be just the ticket, whether it is for a birthday, graduation, anniversary, bridal or baby shower. The event is virtually universal and basically hands free of worry when putting one together. If you want to earn some dough, or simply enjoy an evening of papering among you and your friends, these gatherings are full of conversation and relaxation.

Some people become apprehensive when they are asked to host parties of this nature and most commonly because they are just frightened of having a house full of people. Maybe they have never thrown a party or maybe they are not the best of house keepers but that is where the misconceptions are. In any event, these sorts of events are really the nicer types of parties to manage due to the salesperson that usually supplies most of the entertainment and arranges for most of the details.

Step one is to arrange the time and place. Step two is to make and deliver the invitations which are sometimes done by the merchants as well. Step three is to arrange for beverages and food. And last but not least, step four is to prepare your home or location of choice for company. You will want to arrange tables appropriately to enable your guests with an easy view of the speaker and give a quick once-over cleaning to the party area.

The wholesaler will generally help you to set a time and place that suits your needs. In hesitant hosts, it is always important to look at the event from an alternate perspective. If you are ashamed that you home may not be in tip-top shape, you can always reserve a room at a local restaurant. This solution would actually serve as a double positive since everyone could also purchase their own meal or you can easily purchase a main appetizer to also eliminate the hassle behind cooking for a crowd. If you don’t mind having the party at your house, your guests might feel more comfortable to be themselves behind closed doors rather than in a public location but either way they will enjoy themselves.

Celia Birtwell is a successful textiles designer and fashion designer (her latest collection sold out at Top Shop in ten minutes), but she has regularly modelled for her friend David Hockney over the years. As a result, his portraits of her hang in art collectors’ homes all over the globe. I often wondered what it would be like to have to patiently sit still for hours while being painted or drawn. In the early Seventies, I found out. Peter Schlesinger, David Hockney's ex-boyfriend used to be a talented painter, but has since switched to being a successful sculptor. I’m the eldest of three girls and initially, he wanted to paint a portrait of us all together. Peter started to draw us all in David Hockney’s studio and at first he was quite excited, especially as my middle sister wore a Herbert Johnson, feathered cloche hat she had bought especially for the occasion. Unfortunately, my sisters began to quarrel during the sitting and refused to sit together, so Peter scrapped the idea of drawing us. But, a few years later, he asked me to pose for him by myself. At the time, my aunt in Beverly Hills had just sent me a knee length green, leopard print Diana von Furstenberg wrap dress, which I consequently wore everywhere. I even once wore it to a charity ball where all the other women were embalmed in designer label ball gowns, and some of them even had tiaras plonked on their heads.

I was thrilled that Peter wanted to draw me, but I found sitting for him was the most deadly job in the world. I sat on an uncomfortable chair in Hockney's studio for what seemed like hours, forbidden to move or talk. He did allow me to have breaks from time to time, so I stood on my head without bothering to remove my Manolo pink skyscraper high heeled shoes. But, the acute boredom was worth it. He did a marvellous painting of me in the green leopard skin frock, and it currently hangs in his New York loft, which he shares with Eric Boman, the photographer, and author of 'Blahnik By Boman'. The late John Kobal, the film historian, who had the largest movie stills collection in the world, visited them in New York once, and admired the painting so much, that Peter offered to sell it to him. Although John was one of my best friends, he didn’t think Peter’s asking price was worth it.

I also religiously wore the green leopard skin when I posed for Adrian George, the illustrator and painter in his Bayswater attic flat. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough space for me to stand on my head there. Adrian once drew me sitting in a deckchair and he captured me perfectly. I was young at the time and I looked pretty vacant in the drawing. Adrian was my Svengali at the time. He even helped me get a job as the gossip columnist on David Bailey's Ritz Newspaper in the late Seventies. Adrian also inspired me to invent a character called Jonti in “Frantic”, my novel about the early Seventies. Jonti got Alice, the book’s heroine a job, which was true to life.

I wasn’t Adrian George's only protégée though. He had an inner circle of his disciples and drew all of them at one time or another. His dealer usually flogged his stuff, but luckily, he gave me the deckchair drawing of myself, which hangs on my office wall today. Adrian also drew Marinka, a professional artist's model a lot. She was chocolate box pretty, and had a voluptuous body which the artists loved to paint. When she wasn't sitting for Adrian, she regularly sat for other painters like Ron Kitaj. I don’t know how she had the patience to pose from nine to five, because I thought that having to sit statue still for hours, while being drawn was definitely the most boring job in the world – even though I tried to console myself when I did it, I was posing for posterity.

The use of bar coding has been growing dramatically over the last 20 years. With the adoption of UPC as the standard for retail grocery stores in the late 70's, bar codes have become an everyday experience for most people. Bar codes are a fast, easy, and accurate data entry method. The correct use of bar codes can decrease employee time required and increase an organization's efficiency.

There are many bar code label software programs available. There are two main types of bar-code label software. The first generates a unique barcode and prints it on a label that can be attached to your inventory item. The second type of barcode label software lets you determine the exact barcode to print.

Many bar-code label software programs will work with a standard printer, however, some require a special thermal barcode printing device.

There are many benefits to using bar codes in your business. If you carry an inventory of products, using bar codes with a software program will allow you to easily create reports of what you have in stock. Many programs will allow you to set up alerts, so you'll always know when you are running low on a product before you are out of that item completely. Using bar code label software to create barcodes for your products also makes it easy to update an online shopping site, since you can use a database to store your inventory and feed that information directly into your shopping cart on your website. Sales become quick and easy for retail establishments using bar-code label software. A quick scan of the barcode with a code reader, and the point of sale (register) system can give a total price while updating inventory levels at the same time. In some cases, you can even set your program up to automatically order products from suppliers as they are purchased or reach specific levels.

Bar code label software increases the efficiency of a business. Instead of manually counting your products and keeping track of purchases for inventory, you can scan the items with a hand held device and know instantly how many you have, and how many you need. Ringing a customer's order up is as easy as scanning their bar codes into the computer. Tax and a total price is calculated based on the information stored with a barcode.

Price changes become effortless. You can change the price of a product by updating the price information in the database of products your barcode label software contains. Rather than having to manually change the price of each item in your inventory, you can adjust the price of all items with the same barcode one time.

Bar code label software has made it affordable and easy for a small business owner to implement barcodes in their business. Barcodes have increased the efficiency of businesses that carry an inventory of products.

I just simply love going to a Broadway musical. It is just simply one of my favorite things in the whole world to do, without a doubt. Although I live in the middle of New Jersey, I will often take trips to New York City just to watch Broadway shows on the weekend. In fact, if I did not watch so many Broadway musicals, I would probably have some money to spare.

I know that there is always a local theater scene to enjoy, but really, who wants to enjoy that. I love Broadway shows because of the glitz and glamor, the lights and the songs. Local theater just has the same boring old stories, always hung up on things like plot and character development. Honestly, I can not even pay attention to a whole show unless it is one of the Broadway shows. Without all of the songs and such to break it up, who really can care? Not me for one, and that is for sure.

Of course, there are some people who say that musical theater is just a cheap and boring gimmick. They say that Broadway shows, and all musicals for that matter, are made by people who do not have the talent to actually write a script on their own. Instead, they make up for lousy writing by inserting song and dance numbers every few minutes to keep people entertained. But come on, of course theater needs song and dance. I mean, it should at least try to keep up with the times. Give me a break. A broadway show without songs is not done in Broadway, it's done in hollywood, and it is not called a musical, its called a movie. If people don't want their plays to be seen as quaint and antiquated, they should either adapt them for the big screen, or turn them in to Broadway shows.

If you have never been to Broadway shows before, it is important to find something really accessible to go to for your very first time. I recommend something like Les Miserables, or Phantom of the Opera. Above all, Phantom is accessible. With a simple and compelling story line, and a strong theme, played on organ, that will have you riveted to your seat, Phantom of the Opera is one of the best Broadway shows of all time, and that is a fact. You have got to check it out.

Yes many of us have made attempts on sketching that dream car of ours, and more often than not it has made us frustrated that it looks not even close to what we had in our mind. I finally learned to get the right proportions and make the sketches not look like it was a pile of garbage and instead make them look like a Cadillac, Shelby, Corvette, Ferrari or whatever I try to sketch.

What you need to do is to look at the outward lines of the car, try to get a shape by simply trying to sketch a few lines. Then compare that to your reference car and simply fine tune the lines little by little without erasing the old lines.

My best advise is to leave the wheels while you are sketching the lines of the cars. Why you may ask, well simply because the wheels are usually the hardest part of car sketches. Then when you are starting to get satisfied with the general shape of the car-sketch, try adding the wheels. But don’t be surprised if getting the wheels correct takes longer time than the the whole car!

How long does it take to do a good car sketch then? Well it is very different, depending on how the perspective of the car is. Usually getting the right proportions should take between 1-3hours. Then fine tuning it is what take lot of time, I can spend easily 10 hours on a car sketch before starting to shade it! So it all depends on how much patience and time you want to spend on this sketch of you dreamcar!

The kind of pencils I use is different, but try some and you will probably find the one you feels most comfortable with and then go with that. And remember to not be afraid of using the eraser!

Several decades ago, books by insurance salesman Erich von Daniken caused an international sensation as he depicted photographs of large-stone edifices hard to believe built by primitive humans. His dreams of ancient astronauts, however, soon faded into oblivion as archeologists came up with proof that primitive humans could have constructed the pyramids and like structures without alien assistance. Nonetheless, the possibility of other types of evidence for ancient astronauts cannot be discarded.

Overtly a cryptography and deception tactics book, Morten St. George's Incantation of the Law Against Inept Critics: A Guide to Cryptic Thinking takes up the ancient astronaut gauntlet. But there's no stone here. Now, it's not a question of what the ancient astronauts did, but of what they left behind. Deception cryptography leads the way. The only known deployment of this unique form of cryptography is to be found in forty two prophetic stanzas published by Nostradamus in the 16th century. So was Nostradamus an alien? Hardly, but St. George's book asserts he was the last guardian of an alien artifact.

What's the evidence?

First, a breakthrough decoding of the forty two stanzas in which numerous contemporary events are not only accurately recounted but also systematically dated. St. George concludes there is no longer any doubt about whether or not the future was foreseen. It was, and likewise we are witnessing the powers of a super-civilization.

Second, the discovery that the forty two stanzas (perceived as a book of divine revelation) were secretly guarded, known to, and commented upon by a cabalistic sect during medieval times. St. George says these forty-two revelations predate Nostradamus by centuries, and now there is a "book of light" in the picture, not "light" like in "enlightenment" but literally composed of light, black fire on top of white fire. This describes the artifact that survived to reach Nostradamus.

Third, back to the prophecies, which come forth and tell us the name of their author and when they were written. According to St. George, they were written in the sixth century, a thousand years before the time of Nostradamus.

Why is there no record of alien arrival in the sixth century? St. George responded we are referring to creatures with two arm appendages and four fingers at the end of each, but other than that, they landed as helmeted aquatics and didn't remotely look like humans. He says it is a myth that intelligent aliens have to be hominoids, and it is likewise a myth that the only road to technology is the road taken by humans. "In the Dark Ages, these aquatics would have been stoned as demons in most places, and if there were any reference to them, religious censorship would have obliterated it."

Then, how do you know that they had four fingers? St. George replied, "I said they would have been stoned as demons in most places, not in all places. Archaeologists are far from perfect. They have no idea how to distinguish the drawing of an aquatic extraterrestrial from the drawing of a masked witchdoctor. Maybe some of them had suspicions but didn't speak out, fearing for their career or whatever. Extraterrestrial intelligence and civilizations more advanced than ours are terrifying concepts for segments of human society."

There are many unsolved mysteries in world history. Is this another one? St. George emphatically asserts: "No! These extraterrestrials were no fools. Besides who and when, the prophecies also tell us where, that is, where they came from." He says the prophecies provide data for a star arrow rising upwards from southern skies and for a planetary arrow moving outwards from the solar system, and where these arrows collide would be the point of contact.

Beautiful designer scarves are the must have accessory for this winter season. Imagine a soft, silky scarf in a vivid yellow paired against a coarse fur coat or a beautifully soft mink against a cream colored coat. Gorgeous colors and rich textures create a powerful image of beauty and power on a woman.

Tie your orange and white designer scarf around your neck, worn over that tired blue pant suit and suddenly your wardrobe comes to life. You'll turn heads in the office and (maybe) make more sales with this remarkable addition to an outfit that may feel passe over time. That's what makes these great fashion accessories such glorious creations: they are so versatile and can punch up an outfit that's giving you the winter blahs.

Stepping out onto the town for a day of shopping with a big purse, big sunglasses, and a head wrap gives you the retro Jackie'O look that is an incredibly popular and utterly gorgeous fashion trend. It's a fad and it's timeless all at the same time!

Fendi is a major name in designer scarves and you'll have trouble limiting yourself to just a few from their sumptuous fashion collection. There are other names in scarf designers, too, but every woman should proudly have at least one Fendi in their closet (or around their neck). Of course you can get just as beautiful look-a-like designer scarves online on the internet.

Wanting to keep up with the trends but unsure about where to start? Pick up designer scarves in fox, mink or rabbit for an ultra-soft, ultra-warm experience during winter. When warmer weather comes, switch to silk and organza during the day and if it cools off at night, opt for a velvet one.

Choose ones in bold, vivid colors and avoid patterns unless most of your clothes are solid one or two piece numbers without any patterns. For example, avoid matching a polka dot with a striped pant suit... instead, match your polka dotted scarf with a plain pant suit or a plain shawl with a striped pant suit.

Bold is the woman who chooses to match shoes, jewelry, purse, and scarf. While that isn't on every woman's must NOT do list it should be on most. This statement isn't necessarily bad but it must be done carefully so as to not look garish. Avoid it if the colors contrast too sharply with the rest of your outfit. If you have a light green outfit and a dark green matching shoes, purse, and scarf, that's okay. A good rule of thumb is to stick with matching items only if the color is darker than the rest of your outfit.

Designer scarves can also be a great choice to really make a fantastic first impression on a date. Your date may not know that it's a Fendi you're wearing but he'll know that you look fabulous in jeans and a blouse with a beauty tied jauntily around your neck...as if you're just about to pull it up and rob a bank!

Introduction

India, since ancient times is known for its unique arts and crafts. Different types of hand printing techniques are used in this country by people of varied customs and culture. One of the most popular form of hand printing is - Hand block printing. This art of printing has been in use since ancient times, but now-a-days it has found place in metropolitan cities of India and also the garments with hand block printing are being exported to different countries worldwide.

The major centers in India were block printing is done on large scale are as follows:-

- Gujarat (Surat, Ahmedabad, Sanganer, Pethapur).
- Rajasthan (Bagru).
- Andhra Pradesh.
- Uttar Pradesh (Farukhabad).
- West Bengal.

There are two types block printing famous in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan namely- Sanganeri and Bagru. These two styles of block printing are almost same, the thing which primarily distinguish them from one another is the color of background on which they are printed. Bagru prints are done on black and red background whereas Sanganeri is done on white background. In western part of India the block prints are typically fine, however in eastern part the prints are bolder and bigger. Lepakshi and Ajarakh prints are also examples of the type of block prints. The unique feature of this printing is the amount of printing variations that can be made in the same type of motifs.

Different Techniques of Hand Block printing

1) Discharge Printing

Firstly the fabric on which printing is to be done is dyed. The dye is removed from the part of fabric on which designs are to be made by use of a chemical. Then those segments printed are treated so that they can be re-colored. . 2) Direct Block Printing

The fabric used here is either cotton or silk. The cloth is first bleached, and then dyed with the desired color. After that block printing is done on borders with carved wooden blocks then inside the borders.

3) Resist Printing

In this technique the part of the cloth which is not to be dyed is covered with the paste of resin and clay. Then the fabric is dyed with the desirable color, at this stage the dye penetrates through the cracks which create wavy effect of colors on the cloth. After this the fabric is finally block printed.

Rich and colorful prints can be created through block printing. In olden times it was done with natural dyes but now it is done with artificial colors and synthetic dyes. The colors commonly used for printing are saffron, yellow, blue and red. The wooden blocks are used for printing. They are of different shapes and have designs carved at the bottom of the block. Teak wood is used for making them on which designs are made by skilled craftsman. These blocks are known as ‘Bunta’. Every block consists of a wooden handle and 2-3 holes which are made for the purpose of free movement of air. The blocks before taken into use are kept in oil for 10-15 days, which provide the them the softness required. Procedure of Hand Block Printing

At the beginning of the block printing process the fabric is first washed then bleached (if required). If the borders are to be made, then the cloth at the border area are tied then dyed. After that the fabric is spread on the printing table and fixed firmly with small pins on the table. The process of block printing is done from left to right. The wooden block is dipped in color tray then applied by pressing it hardly on the cloth. The point on the block facilitate in sequenced repeat printing.

Good printing skill and practice is necessary to get uniform and clear block printing. The time duration and costing for printing depends upon the number of different colors used i.e. single color printing takes less time and is of low cost whereas two or more colors printing requires more time, hard work and colors. Multiple design printing cannot be done by one printer only, so two or more printers are required to (according to the designs) do the job.

In block printing providing color variations is not an easy task. The colors are generally tested for their fastness and effect before applying on the garment. Different types of dyes are use for printing cotton fabric- such as indigo sol, pigment dyes and rapid fast dyes. The rapid dyes once prepared for printing have to be utilized on that day only. Pigment colors are used more as its procedure for usage is simpler compared to other dyes and after mixing them for printing it is not necessary to use them the same day only as they can stored for some time provided they have to be stored in containers having lids to cover it. The pigment colors before the application has to mixed in right proportion with kerosene and binder.

New shades are obtained by combination of basic colors in different proportions. The drawbacks of pigment colors are that, they consists of tiny particles which don’t dissolve completely as a result are left as residue on the fabric. Whereas, indigo sols and rapid dyes gets completely soaked into the cloth. Indigo sols do provide vibrant colors like pinks and greens. After printing the garment is dried in the sun, which fixes the dye to the cloth. Then each layer of cloth is rolled in newspaper and steamed in boilers. This procedure of steaming is done for both silk and cotton fabric. This steaming process is followed by washing, drying of fabric in the sun and at last ironing. This whole procedure fixes the print permanently on the garment.

Various garments like saris, kurtas, shirts, salwar kameez, dupattas, skirts, etc are made from block printed fabrics. In recent times the export of block printed garments have seen a steep increase as its demand has increased especially in western countries because of its durability and distinctive patterns and designs.

In the present era of Internet an Online Art Gallery is the best medium to exploit a talented artist. To be sure, no one aspires to be a

Starving artist so there has to be a medium, which makes positive effort to bring success in an artist's life. It is only Online Art Gallery, which features art of various kinds creating a platform for artists to expose their painting, sculpture etc. to the entire world.

It is of utmost importance for artists to have an online portfolio. This would certainly bring a momentum in an aspiring artist. An Online Art Gallery would enable an artist the threshold of success spreading the fame of his creativity throughout the world. There are certain ways through which one can exhibit his work in Online Art Gallery. The best way for the artists to establish an online presence is to join one of the many online art galleries. They begin with free online galleries providing artists with limited options through premium services charging a recurring fee to display and sell the best works online.

To those who have adopted art to be the only living the online art galleries can be utilised as a marketing tool. Online Art Gallery allow the artists to link to their websites from their gallery profiles. This in turn increases the attraction to have both a website and several online gallery profiles. An Online Art Gallery Takes effective initiatives to bring a rapid momentum in an artist's life. They allows to add paintings, biographical details, artist statement and contact details. For this, they range in price from a few dollars per month up to $200USD yearly or more depending on the service they offer. An Online Art Gallery is thus more beneficial to an artist in comparison to the traditional art galleries and is the best medium to create a momentum in an artist's career.

My idea of luxury in the late Seventies was to spend an evening in, but I was a gossip columnist at the time, so it was my duty to be always Out. I went to so many parties, sometimes several a night, that it became a chore. I could never totally enjoy myself as I was always working, insidiously infiltrating myself into café society. After three months on the job, I was exhausted. A routine of late nights and early starts, for openings, fashion shows or breakfast interviews was not agreeing with me. Once, the actor Terence Stamp requested I interview him at the crack of dawn in the Jermyn Street hotel. I was in a real dilemma the night before. Should I leave the Embassy club early in order to get a good night’s sleep? In the end, I stayed up all night and interviewed him in my evening gear.

I shall always remember interviewing Allan Carr, an obese Hollywood producer (who later produced ‘Grease’) over a steak tartar lunch at the extinct White Elephant restaurant in Mayfair. He was in the middle of telling me about his staple stomach operation while I was trying to eat, when Nigel Dempster, my ‘best friend’ at the time informed me that Ritz Newspaper was being sued for libel. Apparently, I had written something libellous. I was thrilled. This was my way out. Unfortunately for me, the plaintiff settled out of court, and I was unable to get off my column for years. I was trapped, and fervently wished I didn't have to go Out ever again.

In “Frantic”, my novel about the early Seventies, a character called Julian Croney was the ultimate party giver. ‘Good old Julian Croney had excelled himself by littering the Tower's vast interior with a clashing mix of Aztec daubed tombs, phosphorescent sphinxes, moss covered pyramids and revolving wishing wells. His decor might have been judged ingenious, but he looked personally ridiculous in his transparent kilt with water wings smugly glued onto his cheek bones.” In the late Seventies, the most prolific party giver was a social interior decorator called Nicky Haslam. At the time he gossiped under the pseudo-name of Paul Parsons, and usually hosted his star-studded shindigs in restaurants like Eleven Park Walk or The Casserole in Kings Road. Once he threw a fancy dress bash in his National trust house. He wore waders, some of his guests were dressed in Gestapo uniforms, and Lady Diana Cooper (fictionalised as Mrs Stitch in Evelyn Waugh's ‘Scoop’) wore a lampshade hat and rested in an upstairs bedroom. Nicky’s parties were always successful, because he always managed to invite an interesting mix of people, even though they were the same old faces. But, even he surpassed himself when he persuaded Viscountess Rothermere, commonly known as ‘Bubbles’ to host a party for Andy Warhol in the Rothermeres’ spacious apartment on the 'right' side of Eaton Square. Nicky invited his regular guest list, which included members of the British aristocracy, international socialites, art, fashion and Hollywood. The most memorable thing about Nicky’s party for Andy was Jack Nicholson’s date for the evening. Not one of the countless beautiful girls who would have happily lain down on a puddle, for him to walk over them, but a geriatric: the fashion legend, Diana Vreeland, ex-editor of American Vogue who must have been well over seventy then. Jack was glued to her side all night long.

Nicky didn’t organise the balls in Berkeley Square though. The first one I went to, I was forced to change into an evening gown behind a tree, as I hadn’t managed to get home beforehand in order to change out of my day drag. The guest of honour was Princess Margaret, but her detective wouldn’t let anyone near her. ‘It’s like the French Revolution, off with our heads and all that,’ a wealthy wit said, viewing the curious onlookers on the other side of the square’s railings. ‘It’s a blast from the past and it’s still disgusting,’ Leonard the hairdresser proclaimed at the time.

WALKING IN PERU’S HIGHLANDS alone without a passport or money can itself be a forbidden adventure. And if you know little or no Spanish it could be the worst situation you can get yourself in. But such is the bond of trekking that when things begin to fall apart, the backpackers’ begin to bind together.

I had just lost my jacket with my passport, money, credit cards and last bar of chocolate when I met up with Caroline from Wales who was trying to polish her Spanish by travelling through remote villages. We discussed subjects of mutual interest and soon decided to move on together to the plains of Huanuco.

THE WIDE ‘PLAINS OF HUANUCO’ are filled with cattle. Resting against a mud-house along the ancient road, a mid-aged lady arrives on horseback to deliver milk. The man in the mud-house transfers it into a plastic container. “Improvised refrigeration” he says, as he lowers it into a running stream that runs alongside. Then he offers sweet yoghurt, which I drink to run down the last crumbs of bread that I found at the bottom of my rucksack.

Across the road where we sit, are the ruins of what was once the Hunuco Pampa citidal, a city built for festivals. It lies on the major Inca thoroughfare that connected Cusco with Cajamarca. In those days, says the caretaker, different ethnic groups who were incorporated into the Inca Empire populated the area but why was it known as the ‘city of festivals’ is yet unknown. Perhaps it has to do with the abundant produce in the region or the sublime beauty, or perhaps because it has traces of the most ancient human occupation in Peru, the Lauricocha people, dating back some 10,000 years.

HUARAZ – TREKKERS MECCA. Most adventurers, who come to this region as I did, start their journey from Huaraz, capital of Ancash and trekkers Mecca in Peru. Walking down the main street, I see trekkers stocking up on vegetables, eggs, tinned meat, soup packets, marmite and local ‘pan’ (bread) that happily lasts for over four days. Chavín is three days from Huaraz by llama trek or three hours by bus. I chose the later (and lost my jacket on it) to explore the ruins of Chavín de Huántar, the temple that existed around 1000–200 B.C. a period called the Early Horizon.

CHAVÍN DE HUÁNTAR is located in the north-central sierra of Peru, sandwiched between the desert coast - one of the driest deserts of the world - and the humid tropical Amazonian lowlands to the east. The famed Andean prehistoric states, culminating with the expansive Inca Empire, were primarily situated in coastal and sierra environments.

What surprised me were the animals and plants typical of the lowlands in Chavín art. Most observers agree that Chavín de Huántar would not have been natural home to the animals like caiman (alligator), monkey, and plants represented in their art. But the Mosna River, along which Chavín lies, eventually leads to the Amazon where these exist, albeit through a tortuous route.

Looking at the site's structures, a simple sequence of construction can be postulated. An Old Temple, built in a U-shaped form around a circular plaza. And a new temple on a larger scale extending south and east.

EL LANZON. Built underground, its maze of tunnels and air ducts produce a profound confusing image in my mind. I am struck by one single stone that stands at the centre; beautifully carved with snakelike, human and feline features. It is called “El Lanzon” and looking at it closely one can note that it has the form of the eye and tooth of a jaguar, an orang-utan or a tiger. It is the art that impresses me most. But I am not alone in coming to this conclusion. Even Pablo Picasso said "Of all of the ancient cultures I admire that of Chavín amazes me the most. Actually, it has been the inspiration behind most of my art."

"CHAVÍN" Comes from a Quechua Word Meaning "CENTRE OF CENTRES", the centre of the universe as a magic and sacred place. Weather Chavín de Huántar was a temple or a fort at the centre of the Inca universe or weather Lanzon was the stone of power or sacrifice is not known. One archaeologist says that, it was a ceremonial centre with a twist on its architecture – drains where water could be pushed through and the roar of the water could be heard through vents and chambers within the centre itself. When this was done, the centre literally "roared," and you can imagine how awestruck the worshippers would have been!

Chavín had proven links with a religious grouping located on the north coast and in the sierra of Peru. Recent excavations have clearly proved these links by unearthing Chavín ceramics in the surroundings of Puemape, in Cajamarca.

MACHU PICCHU. There are so many of us who have been to Machu Picchu and there are so many more of us who know the famous Inca citadel, than those of us who have walked through the temple of Chavín. Archaeologist John Rick of Stanford University is trying to turn this renowned archaeological site into a tourist interest destination that is of equal importance as Machu Picchu. Rick, who has been digging in for over 10 years, believes that this is not only feasible but also possible. The future of Chavín de Huántar looks promising thanks to the support and the Global Heritage Fund.

Caroline had by now decided to study Chavín art and to stay back in Peru longer than she had planned. But I had to turn back and return to Lima to get my new passport and return home. Sitting in the aircraft I kept weighing the importance of Machu Picchu against Chavín de Huántar. Just as Machu Picchu is grand, Chavín to is mysterious and the more I think of it, the more impressive it becomes. May be one day, we may know the secrets of the stone of power but till then, it will remain shrouded in mist and mystery and inspire us with its art.

Every party needs lots of good party decorations so that the party area looks and feels like its chosen party theme. You’ll find that there are lots of party decorations for your party theme, no matter what kind of party theme you’ve chosen to have at your celebration. Party themes are easily interchangeable with different kinds of celebrations so that means that there are literally thousands of different kinds of party decorations out there for you to use for your chosen party theme.

Some of the different kinds of party decorations are: door curtains, dangles, tablecloths, paper goods, inflatables, centerpieces, loot bags, scene setters, and wall murals. An autumn party theme would make full use of these different kinds of party decorations. Perhaps there would be a fall foliage scene setter mural; the centerpiece on the buffet table would host an expandable honeycomb turkey and pumpkins, while there would be metallic orange and red dangles hanging from the ceiling. A paper fall themed tablecloth is a must since there’s definitely a danger of food spillage.

You’ll see that it’s easy to plan out your party and pick out the party decorations for it once you get started on your project. A good seventies disco party can have lots of beaded door curtains in all of the party entryways. Guests will get a kick out of walking through them as if the were walking in to the past. Bright multicolored dangles hanging from the ceiling will proudly declare the number seventy on them, while the guests get food off a buffet table covered with a rainbow tablecloth and strewn with multicolored beads.

Even inflatables once you get them blown up provide fun relief to the party atmosphere. There’s a large five foot turkey tom for thanksgiving and for those birthday parties you can blow up a large birthday cake inflatable.

If you have a mind for trivia and remember the movie, Flashdance, you may recall the catchy main theme song called, What A Feeling.” In my head I can still hear Irene Cara belting out the words, “Take your passion and make it happen.” When I first met artist, Keith Zimmerman, I knew I had met a person that had taken his passion and had made it happen. Our meeting was at a recent local Art & Wine Festival where I noticed how his work stood out above all the other artwork being displayed. I couldn’t get over the quality and meticulous detail in his pieces.

So how does one get to the level of being able to match his creative spirit with the marketability of one’s labor? It often starts in childhood, as it did with Keith, with an appreciation and devoted interest in things that permeate through a person’s entire life. After retiring from a non-art related career, Keith was finally able to realize his dreams through his creations that had their roots in the basement of his parents’ home in Youngwood, Pennsylvania.

During his childhood carousels and merry-go-rounds fascinated Keith. He also had a love of animals. This would later result in his carvings of carousel animals and his extensive study of the different kinds of carousels and the various animals on them. Yet, Keith didn’t have just one passion. At an early age he developed a love of transportation. His interest in airplanes called for a lot of research, and gradually he became an expert on the planes used in World War I and World War II.

Keith displayed early artistic talent. By age 10 he had already started whittling and carving. However, over the years he has worked with oils and has done sculptures. Keith has even done some Dilbert-like cartoons.

With winters being quite severe and frigid in Pennsylvania, Keith could not play outside during the colder months when he was growing up. He prepared himself for the long winter by collecting materials during the summer months that would keep him busy in the basement workshop. He collected different kinds of wood, including orange crates, 5 pound cheese boxes, and an occasional cigar box.

With his supply of materials, he would spend hours creating model airplanes. In his hometown at the age of 14, he became known as “The Airplane Guy.” He also drew planes, and studied them in detail. Keith continues to make planes that are historically accurate and done to scale. It helps to have a penchant for detail.

Keith’s career in industry brought him to California where he worked in Long Beach for 34 years before retiring. When he retired, he began carving carousel animals. At first he did pieces that were to be wall mounted. Later on he began doing free-standing animals along with airplanes that are also free-standing. For each of his pieces he designed a special stand to hold the perfectly balanced work of art.

In his studio you will find Fokker planes like the one the Red Baron flew in World War I right next to the Sopwith Camel. If you think about the scenes of Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip, you will remember the tri wing Fokker and the smaller brown plane that Snoopy would fly.

If you saw the movie, Flyboys, you will also remember the bi-wing airplane that the French used against the German planes. You would see those in his studio along with Steerman Trainers used extensively by the U.S. armed forces before World War II. All in all he has more than a dozen different planes that he has researched, carved, and painted.

How long do these labors of love take from beginning to end? Keith works in 2 to 3 hours intervals and estimates a total of 24 hours in each piece. He said, “Each one takes 2 football games and 4 baseball games.”

This prolific artist has also expanded his repertoire by including the pony express and a larger piece that is the Wells Fargo Stage. All animals, people and the coach are hand carved and painted. Again, the detail is amazing and the colors are brilliant. Keith has received many awards and accolades for his work, including Best of Show Awards.

Few people are fortunate enough to turn their passions and interests in to something so meaningful and enjoyable to make and sell. Keith has been given a natural talent that he has developed and shared with his fans through the years. Thankfully, this artist took his passion and made it happen.

Up on the stage again I've got the butterflies in my stomach. The stage is dark, the audience waiting and I'm giving myself my last pep talk on what a great show I'm going to have.

It's been nearly a full year since I've been on stage. Sure I've done it loads of times but for some reason after a lengthy break it all seems very new again. The only thing that's different now is that it doesn't take me as long to get over it.

My first time on stage was sure to be terrifying. I can still remember the days leading up to it. We had a gig at a seedy little bar in a town not too far from my house. I was stressing about this show for days. I knew we were good but I had never played in front of anybody before. I was terribly shy and although I knew what we could do, I was still worried that I might screw up and be laughed at or something. And I wasn't even a singer yet!

Conditions in this particular band forced me into singing while we were out on the road. Sure I had been up on stage alot by now and was used to people watching me play and sing backups. Singing lead was another story altogether. Now everyone was watching me for sure and I had never sang lead! Scary stuff. It gave me a knot in the pit of my stomach that probably took most of the night to get over.

So now I'm up on stage again. It's been a long break but I know what's on the other side of the fence for me, the chance to put on a killer show for several hundred people. It's like a drug for me, being able to get up and do it and receiving the applause and cheers. The DJ announces us and at just the right time our guitar player starts the opening riff. With a super tight "BANG" the rest of us join in and the show begins.

I'm mulling over the words in my head as I approach the opening line of the song, focusing on having the right amount of air being right in front of my microphone and ready to listen to what comes out of my monitors.

I'm happy with what I hear coming out of them. The rehearsal has paid off for sure. I have a good stage volume and I can hear properly. Judging by the tapping feet I see in the audience they like what they are hearing as well.

It's only now that the show has begun that I realize that the principles I apply to my singing technique, breathing, stage volume, etc is really working the way I think it does. I mean I'm always aware of it, but right now I can prove it. And I also realize that if I can, then anyone can! I'm not especially talented or anything like that. I just look at my singing in a simple, sensible way that helps me do the job I want to do.

It must be working. I've had tons of people come up to me at my shows saying how "awesome" it was. I've been recognized on the street by people for shows I've played. I've even received a free meal at my favorite restaurant because the manager recognized me. That's pretty cool.

It's not that I think I'm great or anything like that, anyone can do a good job at singing. I realize most don't pursue it to the point of performing on stage but it's nice to know that with the right mindset anybody could do it.