CUT and DRY: January 2010

Do You Feel Like You Are Too Nice?

Why Men Love Bitches by Sherry Argov.

                                                 I think this book is a must-read. I would recommend this book
   without reservation.
                                                 Every woman knows what it feels like to be taken for granted.
                                                 These problems are common to most women married and single
                                                 alike.
                                                 The author provides compelling answers to the tough questions
                                                 women often ask:
                                                 * Why a strong woman is much more desirable than a
      a "yes woman" who routinely sacrifices herself? (oh, how that
                                                reminds me of my mum).
                                                 * Why are men so romantic in the beginning and why do they
                                                 change?
                                                 * What does a man respect a woman when she stands up
                                                  for herself?
                                                  The author explains.."the bitch I'm talking about is not the
                                                  bitch on wheels or the mean-spirited character that
                                                  Joan Collins played on Dynasty nor is it the classic office
                                                  bitch who is hated by everyone at work.
                                                  Success in love isn't about looks; it's about attitude and
                                                  presence of mind."
                                                  This is the woman who plays by her own rules, who has
a feeling of confidence and empowerment.
I absolutely share author's views.
                                                  Actually, men like it when a woman has a bit of an edge to her.
                                                  So, lovely ladies...
                                                  Don't always say "yes!"
What do you think? I'd love to hear. I am always interested in
your views. xx

Have a Lovely Weekend!

We are currently upgrading CUT AND DRY. We will be "live"

again soon.

Have a lovely, relaxing weekend, my sweets! xx

*Comments Off*

It's Great to Be Able to Giggle! :4

Now, which one do you relate to?

I can relate to just about all of them. That's the truth.

And I wonder... How was life before the computer?

1. Memory was something that you lost with age.

2. An Application was for employment.

3. A Program was a TV show.

4. A Cursor used profanity.

5. A Keyboard was a piano.

6. A Web was spider's home.

7. A Virus was a flu.

8. A CD was a bank account.

9. A Hard Drive was a long trip on the road.

10.A Mouse Pad was where a mouse lived.

11. ..And if you had a 31/2 inch floppy... you just hoped nobody found out.

Hope you all have a great week!

xxx

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Carriage and Cobblestone street.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by

the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore!

Dream!

Discover!

By Mark Twain.

And remember, if you're in a bad situation, don't worry

it'll change.

If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change.

And here's a dreamy pictorial Tour in Bruges, if you'd like to see.

Hope you have a lovely weekend ! xx

Genius!

This is absolutely genius! I'd like to share with you this adorable, funny video that I really love.

Giuseppe Verdi's (1813-1901) La Traviata is one of the most beloved Operas of all time. Although it is a romantic-tragedy, I was amazed at how this cool animation show could so perfectly introduce people to the opera. Kids certainly would love it.
I find this animation idea brilliant and also an excellent way to make all of us love the classical music.
I really liked the fun approach to that opera and needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. xx

Found on YouTube-Boaz Lahav via

P.S. Genious=Latin word.

Artistic Soul

French figures.

A house through the eyes of a little boy.

Do you hear what I hear?

Life is not measurable by the number of breaths

we take but the number of moments that take our
breath away.

(By Anonymous).

Marveling at these superb works of art!

   (By Michael A. #1 - #4).
   (By Fassianos A. #5).
   (By Fourkidis.     #6)
   (By a street artist. #7 - #8).

   I strongly believe that we all have the ability to think
   creatively and that process is quite distinctive.
   Creativity is within us all but it can only be developed
   by your ability to become passionately engaged with
   some aspect of our world.

   It is simply great to be creative!

   Here's a beautiful girl with a pearl earring-speed
   painting- if you'd like to see. xx
   Girl with an earring speed painting

Have a Blissful Weekend!

      While sitting and hearing the crackle of the fire...I thought I'd take a shot.

   What are your plans for the weekend? I have lunch with some
   good friends tomorrow and I'm going to a gallery opening tonight.
      Have a great weekend, and stay warm! xx

How do You Rejuvenate the Spirit?

While I was going window shopping I took this photo a couple of

days ago.

   We each struggle with common issues of stress, physical ailments,
   and psychological burdens of loneliness, isolation,
   and frustration.
   There are different tactics that many of us use to cope a
   and rejuvenate the spirit.
      For me, music, shopping, exercise, are some good tactics for
   rejuvenating the spirit.
   I, personally, need to be creative. Albert Einstein once said, creativity is                                       intelligence having fun. Sometimes
   that is able to hold all levels of my being.
   I'm aware of the importance of using a list of priorities
   to determine where to spend my energy.
   What are the tasks I need to accomplish today and what are
   short-term goals.
   I wouldn't say long-term goals. You just never know where t
   the road will take you.
   Once I have these clearly in focus I'm better able to prioritize the
   demands and expectations coming at me.
   I find that without taking the time in the morning to do this and
   just walking into the day, it's just so damn easy to get lost in
   clutter memory and reaction, and before knowing it the day is gone
   in a vague blur of unconsciousness and unawareness.
   What are the tactics you use to cope and calm yourselves ?
   I 'd love to hear. xx

Memorable Kisses

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, "Spider-Man".

Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in "From Here to Eternity"
film.

Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

The most memorable kiss in the rain.

Fabulous "wet" kisses! Kisses! The romantic, the erotic,

the desperate kiss, the manhandle kiss (before feminism),

the wow kiss, the... a little bit naughty, a little bit nice, kiss!

I really love this dailogue below when the woman takes charge;

in "To Have or To Have Not" movie.

She (Lauren Bacall) lands on Bogart's lap and kisses him .

He: (Smiling): What was that for?

She: Been wondering whether I'd like it.

He: What's the decision?

She: I don't know yet.

At which point she goes in for another; this time he kisses

her back.

Finally she stands, gives him a sidelong glance and says.

"It's even better when you help!".

Now that's cool!

But I really wasn't aware of articles which teach a guy how

to kiss a girl at movies!

I got this off a website as I was browsing. I find this article

way too funny and it keeps making me laugh;
whenever I read it.

STEPS:

   1. Take your girl to the movies, not a horror movie,
   or anything like that, possibly an action or comedy movie.
   ( If you know she wants to go see something, suggest it

yourself, dude!)

   2.Wait for a romantic scene.
   ( You may have to wait a while because they usually
   come around the middle to the end.
   You can always continue the kissing in the car) (!).

3. Put your arm behind your girlfriend during the romantic
scene. (Don't laugh awkwardly. She will be creeped out) (!).

4. Wait about 15 seconds to a minute(!) (!).

5. Look her in the eye.

6. Continue to slowly get closer to her and remember to tilt
your head (!).

7. Kiss her gently for no more than three seconds(!) (!) (!)

And then pull away.

8. See what the reaction is.

9. Always make sure that your lips are smooth and kissable. (!)

10. Here's...you have to add the last step!! Come on!

Poor me! I just thought kisses were spontaneous!?

TIPS:

. She doesn't need to be your girlfriend. (!)

   but a girl you have a crash on.
   . Try not to have bad breath, bring mints, try not to eat (!)
   until after the kiss or when you know not going to kiss
   any time soon.(!)

   .Take it one step at a time.
   . If she puts her hand on your body that's a dead give away.
   . Never ask her to kiss you, unless you already have.

   THINGS YOU 'LL NEED:
   . Mints, chap-stick, breath spray.
   . A movie that you know will have a good scene (!)
   to set the mood. (Maybe this means you 'll have
   to watch a movie you have already seen). (!)
   but, hey! it's more than worth it!

   What a brilliant strategy! xx

   (Photos courtesy of Google images)

Graceful Roe Deer

Nature in all its enchanting beauty! Colorado, USA.

I do love Deer. They are so charming, innocent and graceful! These beautiful creatures are active during the twilight. Ah, I've always been a sucker for winter scenes.

In the dawn-dirty light, in the biggest snow of the year two blue-dark deer stood in the road alerted. They planted their two or three years of secret deer-hood.
Clear on my snow-screen vision of the abnormal and hesitated in the all-way disintegration and stared at me.
And for some lasting seconds I could think the deer were waiting for me.
...............................................................................................
The deer had come for me. They ducked through the hedge, and upright they rode their legs away downhill over a snow-lonely field.

By Ted Hughes

(Photos courtesy of Google images)

It's Great To Be Able To Giggle!

                                    I'd like to share this little joke-story with you. Laughter is the best medicine
                                    and therapy!
                                    In today's stressful world we need to laugh much more. Have a good laugh!

                                   A married couple were in a terrible accident where the man's face was severely
   burned. The doctor told the husband that they couldn't graft any skin from his
   body, because he was too skinny.
   So, the wife offered to donate some of her own skin. However, the only skin
                                   on her body that the doctor felt was suitable would have to come from her
                                   buttocks.
                                   The husband and wife agreed that they would tell no one about where the skin
                                   came from, and they requested that the doctor also honor their secret.
                                   After all, this was a very delicate matter.
                                   After the surgery was completed everyone was astounded at the man's new
                                   face. He looked more handsome that he ever had before!
   A quite youthful beauty!
                                   All his friends and relatives just went on overcome with emotion at her sacrifice.
   One day, he was alone with his wife, and he was....".You for everything you
                                   did for me. How can I possibly repay you?"
                                   "My darling, she replied, I get all the thanks I need every time I see
                                  your mother kiss you! xx

Listen To Your Children

"...and after some work with a coloured pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One. It looked like this. (Photo above). I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them weather the drawing frightened them. But they answered: " Frightened? Why should anyone be frightened by a hat? "My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant.

But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly.They always need to have things explained. My Drawing Number Two looked like this. (Photo above). The grown-ups' response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar. That is why, at the edge of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter. I had been disheartened by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two.

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them. Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted, I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I had always kept. I would try to find out, so, if this was a person of true understanding. But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say:

"That is a hat. " Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars. I would talk to him about bridge, and golf, and politics, and neckties.

And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man."

This is the beginning of the gorgeous book The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupe'ry.

This is such a strange and wonderful parable for all ages, a MUST-read.

The author asks the indulgence of the children who may read this book for dedicating it to a grown-up, Leon Werth, who understands everything even books about children.

All grown-ups were once children- although few of them remember it.

Actually, I so believe in encouraging child's self-esteem and confidence. I remember my dad would always encourage and help me get involved in activities that could raise my self-confidence; such as music or art.

What is your opinion, dear readers? How can we develop child's social skills, or boost ch self-confidence?

When you were children did you get any support by your parents?

I'd like to dedicate this post to all grown-ups who still remember they were once children. xx

(Top photo by B.M.)