not overlooked any more

The thing about photography is that it makes you notice all the things that you never even gave a second glance to earlier. I've always been an observant person but was really surprised to discover that I was actually not as observant as I could be. Since I've started taking photographs, I'm always looking out for things to photograph and so have started noticing all the little things and details that I missed earlier. It's certainly been quite a fun experience.

summer tribulations

Summer is meant to be a fun time, away from school and sometimes work, but for a lot of teenagers, the problem of acne gets exacerbated due to the weather conditions and probably also due to eating a lot more junk food. There are a variety of acne treatments available in the market and come summer, there is a huge surge in the advertisements surrounding these products. The thing with acne is that there are so many causes, that it's often hard to pinpoint and separate just one cause. Trial and error is one of the most common ways of deciphering what works and what doesn't.

Party planning

Party planning has got a huge boost thanks to all the tools one can find on the Internet. I use Hallmark Smilebox for all my cards since I am able to add photographs to the cards and email them to friends and family. Today, when searching on the Internet, I found a site called MyPunchbowl where you can plan a party, right from selecting the date, creating a menu, offering a potluck list and even being able to send photographs to the party invites as well. I signed up for this site, but have yet to use it as yet. I will probably test it out just to see how it works, especially the look of the party invites and if I will be able to add photos to the invites or not.

Summer's lists

I am so amazed at the amount of money people spend to follow the trends. With the number of celebrity magazines constantly increasing, the trend of looking slim and trim at all times is not going to be going away anytime soon. The list of new kinds of diet foods, diet pills, slimming underwear and so on are always going to be top sellers I think, since we all have a fascination of looking as good as we possibly can at all times. I think that's an unbearable amount of pressure, but no one is caving and instead the trend is only getting bigger, with everyone watching celebrities losing their baby weight faster and faster.

A new passion

The past six months have been an incredible ride thanks to my new hobby of taking photographs! Sometimes I find it quite unbelievable that I am actually spending so much time doing this, but the fact is that it has been such an enjoyable and a thoroughly eye-opening experience, that I can't imagine why I didn't get into it before. I love to explore new areas, a lot of times just for the sake of getting to take photographs, which is quite a change from my normal self.

Here's a shot I took some time back on my morning walk.

Shuffling vacations

We try to take different kinds of vacations each time we travel. Even though I love going to the beach and the mountains, if we were to do that every time, it would get boring really quickly. So, the trick is to alternate between hectic city vacations, historical jaunts, peaceful sojourns and party filled Vegas vacations. It certainly makes life a lot more interesting I feel. A lot of people invest in a cottage by the lake or on the beach and then get tied down to only going there, which I think is a total waste. The whole world is out there waiting to be explored, so don't go to the same place again and again. I agree, there is a certain charm in going for repeat vacations, since one really gets a higher level of comfort with a certain place, but combine those with new spots as well. It'll be totally worth it, I assure you.

early, early

I love heading outdoors early in the morning for some fresh air, a new perspective and some quiet time. It really is a great way to get a head start on the day. One day I left home slightly earlier than normal was was greeted with this sight. The light was incredible, the blue sky unbelievable (especially since we've had so many dust storms lately) and I was so glad I had my camera with me. Every minute the light changes at dawn, so it is really important to capture the moment quickly.

Enjoy!

Getting that xbox 360

Everyone knows that one of the best gifts to give a teenager is an xbox 360! It's just something that everyone wants, regardless of where they live, how good or bad they've been and whether they actually know how to play it. It simply is a must have item for the majority of teenagers and well, many adults as well, across the world. I, however, am not one of them! So, when I needed to buy a super-awesome present for a special teenager, I asked my all knowing neighbor and this is the answer she gave me. So off I went to my computer to find the best prices and the best places to buy it from and it turns out that buy.com is where one gets the most awesome prices. Problem solved!

Walmart changes its logo

Walmart announced that it has redone its logo, after a two year customer based transformation has been taking place at its US stores. The company's US stores will be getting the new updated look as it redoes most of its stores by the fall, but customers are already seeing the new logo in the company's new TV ads and print commercials. This is not the first time that Walmart has changed its logo, the company has freshened up its logo several times, with the last one happening in 1992. Besides the new logo, the company is also using its name without the hyphen in between as it earlier did, and has softened the letters and made them more customer friendly, instead of the old ones which were too bold and sharp.

The right way to exercise

For many people who love to be fit, the heat and the cold are not a bother at all. They seem to be oblivious to the sweltering temperatures and the icy winds and carry on regardless. I, however, am not quite built that way and need to be somewhat comfortable to be able to exercise decently. So, I need to have some basic strength equipment in an indoor environment that is temperature controlled so I can focus on the exercise instead of focusing on the crippling heat or the freezing cold. It would certainly be simpler if I were like that, since then I would not need anything, but a pair to good shoes and an open road, but unfortunately, it is the way it is!

Steve & Barry's in trouble

Low cost seller Steve & Barry's might be shutting down over 100 of its stores and is considering a full liquidation if it does not find some emergency financing. The company reportedly requires about $40 million in debtor-in-possession financing so that it can file for bankruptcy protection. According to a report, Weil Gotshal & Manges, a law firm, has been preparing the bankruptcy filing and Harvey Miller will be handling the case. Steve & Barry's has created quite a following among those who loved fashion, but did not want to pay inflated prices.

everyone's crazy for beer pong!

I have a really fun neighbor and she is set on getting one of these beer pong tables for her parties, which she thinks will be a great addition and will shake things up as well. She got the idea from one of her beer pong crazy friends who convinced her that they will be a great addition. I've never played or used one of them, so I was quite curious about them and went online to search for them. It seems that they are a huge craze and there are several very special types of tables. She is planning to get one of the portable ones, which will be really easy to put away once they are used. I'm looking forward to her getting one of these so that I can try it out myself.

No late night stores in Japan?

Round the clock convenience stores have been struggling with decreasing sales and slow growth and might have another hurdle to cross, that of government's decision to close stores that operate late at night. In places such as Saitama, close to Tokyo, stores are urged to close late at night to limit carbon dioxide emissions. Kyoto also is working to convince its 24-hour stores to shut down late at night so as to improve the evening views and reduce energy consumption.

The industry has strongly opposed the closure as it feels it will negatively impact the sector that is already faced with a high tobacco tax that has hit sales. According to Toshiro Yamaguchi, President of Seven-Eleven Japan, "Even if we only operate the stores for 16 hours, we can't stop the refrigerators." Adding that reduction in working hours would reduce their store's profit margin by 20%.

running low on space

While on the topic of photographs, I have to say that they have started to take up a lot of space on my laptop lately, and I've got to do something to supplement my laptop memory so that I can continue taking photographs like I have been doing. I have several stages of deletion, on the camera, while I'm downloading them, once I've had a good look at them and then after a couple of weeks when I get time to do a review. But still the memory is running a bit low, so the solution is to get additional memory, which is quite an easy step I believe. Here's looking forward to unlimited photographs in the future!

Early one morning

I love my morning walks and they are even better when I find fun things to photograph. It really makes it completely worth it to wake up at 5am. I really have started liking the routine of waking up early and having more time to myself while I walk and ruminate. Other wise one is just so busy with work and house that one never has time to just be, to contemplate, to think, to dream. I love my morning walks! Yup, I can't say it enough.

summer plans for most girls: lose weight

Every summer the emphasis on looking good increases exponentially. Getting into that bikini without looking like a sausage is uppermost on most girl's minds and this kind of thinking has fueled the latest diet phenomenon. To be able to lose weight is considered a most enviable task and to do it fast even better. The trick is to get yourself checked by a physician to make sure that you are well enough to take any sort of rigorous exercise routine or for medications. A lot of people ignore this stop and end up with complications and side effects that are a lot worse than being a little overweight. So, do your homework and only then go for the plan that suits you and your body best.