made out of...

a gorgeous rose made out of tomatoe -peel!-

and  take a look at this monkey made out of flip-flops

New Year Resolutions

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. Whether dropping vice or picking up virtue, a New Year's resolution is a good incentive for a positive change in life. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Did your New Year resolutions make our top ten list?

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends

Spend more time with family and friends this year. Make plans to meet up with them.

2. Fit in Fitness

Does not necessarily involve losing weight. Some do it to gain muscle or improve cardiovascular health. Still, it's funny how soon into the year we forget our resolutions. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.

3. Tame the Bulge

Weight loss is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those who made a New Year's commitment to shed extra pounds. 

4. Quit Smoking

Sometimes a resolution means changing a life. Quitting smoking is a way to make long-term health choices by starting fresh with the new year. However, for many this resolution resurfaces year after year. Even if you've tried to quit before and failed, don't let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life!

5. Enjoy Life More

Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of human beings, it is no wonder that "enjoying life more" has become a popular resolution in recent years. It's an important step to a happier and healthier you!

6. Learn Something New

Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep. Or maybe the arts are more your thing...

7. Help Others

A popular, non-selfish New Year's resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help.  Or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you can at least find it in you to donate the furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need, rather than leaving them out by the curb to fill up our landfills.

8. Get Organized

On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life.

9. Quit a vice. Stop drinking

10. Stop procrastinating

Many of us are guilty of procrastinating, but few are willing to live up to it or do something about it. This makes an excellent resolution.

A few other resolutions that did not make the top 10 list include things like living in a foreign country, going back to school, reconnecting with lost family and friends, finding a soulmate/significant other,

- Stop cursing: This is a subconscious problem for many. In fact, some of the worst offenders will tell you they don't have a problem at all. Know someone like this? 

-  Travel More: Is there anything better than a relaxing holiday? I’m not talking about a three-day weekend, but a real one or two week long vacation spent somewhere far, far away from home. A very popular New Year’s Resolution is to travel more.

- Go Greener. Protect the earth many people are looking for ways to reduce energy consumption, reduce waste and trash, and protect the environment.(see more here)

Let's have a healthy toast for our New Year Resolutions!

who is your celebrity girlfriend choice?

Reader, who is your celebrity girlfriend choice? 

Spill it. 

You can never have too many good girlfriends.

note: "spill it", meaning: "tell me fast, rigt away",

What is a good friend?

What is a good friend?

This is how a number of young people responded when asked "What makes a good friend?"

• someone who will support you no matter what
• someone you can trust and who won't judge you
• someone who won't put you down or deliberately hurt your feelings, but will show kindness and respect
• someone who will love you not because they feel they have to because you're their friend, but because they choose to
• someone whose company you enjoy and whose loyalty you can depend upon
• someone who will be there no matter what your situation is
• someone who is trustworthy and not afraid to tell you the truth, no matter how hard it is sometimes
• someone who can laugh when you laugh
• someone who will stick around when things get rough
• someone who makes you smile
• someone who can accept you for who you are, and just lend you an ear when you need to whine or complain
• someone who will cry when you cry
• someone who will give you room to change.

the brilliant evening star

If you've been outdoors near sunset, then you've probably noticed Venus low in the west as the brilliant evening star. Sometimes mistaken for a tower light near the horizon, Venus is the third brightest celestial beacon, after the Sun and Moon, in planet Earth's sky. That distinction is particularly easy to appreciate in this peaceful scene featuring the crescent Moon, Venus, and sunset colors captured on December 4th near Albany, Missouri, USA. As this season's evening star, Venus will be at its most brilliant tonight, but as December progresses the bright planet will begin to fall out of the western sky. By early next week, December's Moon will have moved on to meet another bright planet overhead -- Mars.

to see The Astronomy Picture of the Day, visit this site:

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/

by a quirk of fate...

- according to the urban dictionary:
Something that happens to you that you didn't expect - but mostly good things. Being quirky isn't bad, it's just DIFFERENT.

e.g.
-It was a quirk of fate that brought you to me.
-Melissa and Tiffany take first major honours this season with title at St Boswells, indeed, they win by a quirk of fate.
-A few years ago, by a quirk of fate, I stumbled across my dream house.

By a quirk of fate -> por uno de esos caprichos del destino.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Ipswich, Massachusetts, 2009

By a quirk of fate, the settling ground has gradually caused these gravestones to lean towards each other in a gesture of companionship. They mark the graves of a married couple, Abner and Sarah Brown. They died less than a year apart in 1818 and nearly 200 years later, their tombstones are tilting towards each other as if reaching for an embrace. I converted the image to black and white to complement the background, which speaks of eternity.

  source

This is Halloween, by Tim Burton

Performed by the Citizens of Halloween
SHADOW
Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
SIAMESE SHADOW
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween
PUMPKIN PATCH CHORUS
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
GHOSTS
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbours gonna die of
fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween
CREATURE UNDER BED
I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
MAN UNDER THE STA[RS
I am the one hiding under your stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair
CORPSE CHORUS
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
VAMPIRES
In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
MAYOR
In this town, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise
CORPSE CHORUS
Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can
Something's waiting now to pounce, and how
you'll scream
HARLEOUIN DEMON, WEREWOLF,
AND MELTING MAN
Scream! This is Halloween
Red 'n' black, slimy green
WEREWOLF
Aren't you scared?
WITCHES
Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice
Take the chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night
HANGING TREE
Everybody scream, everybody scream
HANGED MEN
In our town of Halloween
CLOWN
I am the clown with the tear-away face
Here in a flash and gone without a trace
SECOND GHOUL
I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"
I am the wind blowing through your hair
OOGIE BOOGIE SHADOW
I am the shadow on the moon at night
Filling your dreams to the brim with fright
CORPSE CHORUS
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Halloween! Halloween!
CHILD CORPSE TRIO
Tender lumplings everywhere
Life's no fun without a good scare
PARENT CORPSES
That's our job, but we're not mean
in our town of Halloween
CORPSE CHORUS
In this town
MAYOR
Don't we love it now?
MAYOR WITH CORPSE CHORUS
Everyone's waiting for the next surprise
CORPSECHORUS
Skeleton jack might catch you in the back
And scream like a banshee
Make you jump out of your skin
This is Halloween, everyone scream
Won't ya please make way for a very special
guy
Our man jack is king of the pumpkin patch
Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now
EVERYONE
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
CORPSE CHILD TRIO
In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
EVERYONE
La la-la la, Halloween! Halloween! (etc.)
source for the lyrics

Change from summer time to winter time

winter timetable change

Change from summer time to winter time: Su: 31. October 2010, 3:00 -> 2:00

that's means one more hour

What would you do with that hour?
 
image from here

What Does the Word “Snob” Mean and Where Did the Term For a Pretentious Person Come From?

A snob is someone who pretends wealth and demands respect he doesn’t deserve.
Universities only educated children of the nobility until Cambridge opened its doors to commoners in the seventeenth century.
These new students were required to register in Latin as Sine Nobilitate, which means “without nobility.”
Abbreviated, this Latin phrase is S.Nob, pronounced “snob,” and it took on the meaning of anyone above his station.

 

source

a tongue twister

Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said "this butter's bitter! But a bit of better butter will but make my butter better" So she bought some better butter, better than the bitter butter, and it made her butter better so 't was better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter!     

I've just discovered a pretty good blog!

It's this one:

http://www.elizadomestica.com/

it's plenty of delightful recipes, ideas and so on...

go en enjoy!

(note: pictures are really wonderful)

what type of cheese are you?

Cheese Test: What type of cheese are you?

click in the link above to know what type of cheese are you...

good night, sleep tight

Good night, sleep tight,
Wake up bright
In the morning light
To do what's right
With all your might.

Variation: Line added between first and second "Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite"

You're invited to...

our forum in four languages...

http://chez-ouam.foroactivo.com/

the plowghman's lunch

the ploughman's lunch:
almuerzo frío servido en un bar inglés que típicamente incluye:
pan, queso y cebollas curtidas.

(ploughman: labrador)

about years...

a gap year- taking a gap-year, year out or career break
A gap year (also known as "year out", "year off", "deferred year", "bridging year", "overseas experience", "time off" and "time out") is a term that refers to a prolonged period (often, but not always, a year) between a life stage. The most popular gap years are taken pre or during matriculation in a university or college, between college and graduate school and a profession, during a career change, pre or post marriage or having a first child and pre or post retirement. It is generally a practice undertaken by those from developed countries.
a year off
a sabbatical year- un año sabático
leap year- un año bisiesto

freshman year (university, school)

nm

primer año (de estudios, universidad)

solar year

nm

año solar

lunar year

nm

año solar

seven-year itch

sensación de monotonía y aburrimiento tras estar siete años con la misma pareja

Alien says to man walking dog:
"I'm not an ambassador from my planet, I'm on my gap year."