DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

 DIY Silhouettes When I was in third grade, I sat for a paper cutting artist who made my silhouette.  My mom still has it.  Sadly, paper cutting artists are no longer widely available around here, but the idea of a silhouette of my children prompted me to find a way to recreate the look.  This tutorial will show you one way to achieve the classic art without the paper cutting skills. What you need: A digital camera Heavy card stock and printer X-acto knife and healing mat or something to protect your cutting surface Black acrylic craft paint (I used Americana) Spray adhesive or glue stick (not liquid glue) Background paper in color or pattern of choice and a frame What to do: If you have a bit of patience, the reward is worth it.  This project can be done in an afternoon (other than the overnight paint drying) with minimal supplies needed.  I bought everything at my local hobby supply store. Tak...

    Chinese New Year  starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the...

     The Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo (International Circus Festival de Monte-Carlo)  was created in 1974 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to promote circus arts....for which he had a lifelong passion.  The first festival was held from December 26th to the 30th, 1974 under the big top of the French circus Bouglione, installed on what was then the  Esplande de Fontvielle .  In the forward he wrote for the program, Prince Rainiers said, " This International Circus Festival was created thinking of the circus community, of this family of underestimated people, so that you, attentive spectators of their efforts and of their work, could know them better, and celebrate them better" .  It was the first true circus festival ever presented in the Western world.    During the Festival, a selection of some of the best circus acts in the business are presented twice to a paying audience and a Jury of circus pro...

    India is a secular nation and houses every community. Christians are a minority here and form nearly 2.3% of the population. But the fact that there are only about 25 million Christians in India, in no way lessens the observance of the festival. Moreover, the occassion is celebrated not only by Christians but by people of other religions as well.     The tradition of  Christmas  observance was introduced here with the colonisation of Europeans. Though the country gained its independence in 1947, many European  customs  and festivals stayed on. The fact that there is the presence of a Christian community in India, helped the maintaining of these traditions in no less a way. Today, Christmas is the biggest and most-loved festival of Indian Christians. The festival is also enthusiastically celebrated by people of other religions residing here.     Like in many other countries, Christmas is observed ...

     Camel wrestling  is a sport in which two male Tulu camels wrestle in response to a female camel in heat being led before them. It is most common in the Aegean region of Turkey, but is also found in the Marmara and Mediterranean regions of that country. There are an estimated 1,200 wrestling camels in Turkey, bred specially for the competitions. The Parade     The day before each Championship is set aside for a parade through the town of Selcuk, with the animals dressed up in all their finery. Not all of the fighting camels will attend the parade however. In 2011 around 30 camels were on show on the Saturday, with around 100 taking part in the fighting. The most beautiful camel in 2011 was "Palavra", a camel with a particularly talented foaming mouth. The Championships     Held in an ancient stadium at Ephesus, 6 kilometers from the town of Selcuk, on the 3rd Sunday of January, the camel wrestli...

   Celebrating New Year's Eve  with a loved one is great. Spending it in a beautiful locale with fireworks and spectacular activities is even better. Here is a list of the top ten places to celebrate New Year's Eve in, and the reasons why you should be here in one of these cities. London, England Celebrate New Year's Eve with splash of history at the London Eye, and enjoy a wonderful 10-minute public fireworks display. This year is organized by the Mayor of London and put on by the renowned pyrotechnical Christophe Berthonneau. It will be a jam-packed event making the entire downtown area busy  with crowds of people. Here you can bring in the New Year along the banks of the Thames. Rome, Italy The Piazza del Popolo is an historic and lovely spot for the festivities. Here you can listen to concerts and view fireworks throughout the evening. There is something magical about bringing in the new year in the twin churches of S...

   Every year on January 17th, the people of  San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain , celebrate  St. Anthony's  by riding their horese, donkeys and mules through piles of burning tree branches.     The unique tradition of leaping over and through flames dates back 500 years, but the men and women of  San Bartolome de Pinares  still celebrate it religiously. They gather all the branches they can find in the days leading up to the festivities, and when dusk falls on the eve of Saint Anthony's, they light the branches into a bonfire. Riders jump and run their mounts through the burning piles of the branches in the middle of the village, accompanied by sound of drums and Spanish bagpipes. Drinking wine during the purification festival     Jumping through the flames is said to bring the animals the protection of St. Anthony Abad, acknowledged as the patron saint of domestic animals, ever since the Mid...

Fueling my neon obsession but still wanting a fun fall accent, Jodi of  One Simple Dream  and I brainstormed this AWESOME plaster dipped leaf garland. And I love the way it turned out! I'll be honest, plaster of paris gives me a little bit of anxiety for some reason but rest assured, this is as easy and manageable as Jodi told me it would be. Sigh. Here's what you need: Plaster of Paris  (DAP, Joann Fabric & Craft Store) Disposable bowl for mixing POP Leaf garland (We found ours at the Dollar Store! Yipee!) Paint - quart size cans for dipping  (Behr, Home Depot) Water Wax Paper Twine (approx. 5 feet long) Scissors First, you will want to cut the leaves from the garland. Make sure the stem is long enough for you to hold onto for dipping and to tie onto for the garland. Mix the plaster of paris according to the directions on the package. (We used 1 cup of plaster to a 1/2 cup of cold water which allowed us to dip 20 leaves.) Mix we...