Pass Go And Collect Nag Champa

I have been working on some plans and looking for the perfect shades of blue for my next DIY project. I have been attempting to mimic these colors, the blue from the box of Nag Champa and the background on this Monopoly board game from my childhood.

NAG CHAMPA has been a staple of mine since I started taking the street car to Kensington Market at the age of thirteen. I used to pick up several boxes at a time and still do. I enjoy having it in any room of the house and especially love having it burning right beside me while I am working on a creative project. Although this particular blend of incense is Indian, I use it for Feng Shui purposes when I am working on changing the flow and energy in specific areas. Incense sticks are made by adhering a blended paste of different scents onto bamboo sticks. Incense has been used for religious purposes and on alters since before recorded history. I find it calming and that it helps maintain harmony and balance around the home.

Kōdō, The ‘Way of Incense’, is the Japanese art of appreciating incense and follows these Ten Virtues of kō which are said to have been written by an anonymous monk in the 16th century. The website where I got the image below from is very interesting and has a great explanation of the history, method, raw materials employed and the use of incense in ceremonies. I strongly recommend perusing it if you are interested in learning more about the culture of Japanese incense.

SOURCE
Click this to see the Nap Champa I use.

Sh*t My Dad Says-

I don’t know if you have ever noticed my twitter space over on the right hand side- its right under Articles I Would Recommend- So really I don’t tweet- I just post articles that I enjoyed and think you might too. I never really followed people on twitter, until a few months ago, when a friend on Facebook posted a link to: ShitMyDadSays.
Started by Justin Halpern after moving back home with his parents, it is a collection of sage advice and insights by his 74 year old father.

"Waking up when you got a baby, you feel like you drank a bottle of whiskey the night before, except the shit's in someone else's pants."

“Calm down. You don’t just grab a ruler and tell everyone to whip their dicks out. You stuff your crotch and keep your pants on.”

“We’re banned from the dog park. Well, I guess it’s okay to hump, and it’s okay to bark, but both at the same time freaks people out."

After his twitter page gained popularity and followers, publishers approached him to write a book. The book Sh*t My Dad Says came out in May 2010 and quickly made it to the number one spot on the NYT bestseller list. I anxiously awaited the copy I ordered and was not disappointed- it is hilariously funny.
For two nights in a row I read in bed and laughed out loud while Dr. J read his Sports Illustrated and wished he was laughing. Then he read it for two nights in a row while I read books about wool felting and asked ‘what part was that?’-as he laughed out loud.
Justin’s BLOG is hilariously funny too.
To order a copy of his book read reviews and see photographs of Justin and his dad click here.

Bird Decal Giveaway- Contest- Follower Appreciation

I purchased these bird decals a few weeks ago and wrote a post about them HERE.
I am so happy with the final results.
Everyone who’s seen them has complimented them and said the words I love to hear- 'they really look as if they are flying out the window'- I have also been told that they make more of an impact in real life than in the photos I took.
After almost a month they are still sticking perfectly. As I mentioned my wall is textured and something that I didn’t mention is that they receive direct sunlight for several hours a day- I mean serious desert sunlight.
Walldecors makes hundreds of wonderful designs in many colors made to order.
I am so pleased to host a giveaway by Walldecors for these black bird decals.
To enter to win you must be a follower of Lady Of The Arts and post a comment here for this post.
For additional entries:
Please let me know what posts of mine you like best and why (leave a separate comment for each one).
I encourage you to visit Walldecors and peruse their lovely designs- Remember not all wall decals are created equal and I, Ren- Lady Of The Arts-stand by these.
Thank you so much to Walldecors- I really appreciate your support.
This giveaway is open to everyone everywhere- and subject to my discretion at all times. 
I will have my fabulous monkeys pick a name out of a hat on July 22nd 2010- this contest is open until then- Good luck!

Jeff Koons- Yesterday I Liked You And Today I Love You

Jeff Koons is one of the highest paid, present day, artists.
His foray into the commercial aspects of design have produced, among others, the BMW design, a yacht named Guilty and Kiehl’s skin care products, which together with David LaChapelle, made this ad campaign.

His outdoor sculptures include live art in the gardens of Château de Versailles
and Puppy at The Guggenheim in Bilbao. His 'christmas ornament' or 'balloon' art work includes: Tulips in Bilbao and Balloon Dog (Yellow) and Sacred Heart on the roof top of the Met.

Today it was announced that in correlation with RxArt a non-profit dedicated to making hospitals an aesthetically more pleasing, therefore more healing, environment- Jeff Koons unveiled his latest project.

These images of The Advocate Hope Children's hospital in Chicago will make every parents heart tighten and I would like to commend Mr. Koons for waving the artist fee for this project.

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Troubled Water

This Norwegian film with English subtitles is a Film Movement  selection.
It is dark, spiritual and cleansing.  It is about truth, forgiveness and going on. 
I am impressed with not only the story line but the ease with which the director masters flash backs within the storyline.  I highly recommend Troubled Water.  Here is a great review about the film.

Mao (Zedong or Tse Tung)

Red China Blues is written by Jan Wong a Canadian writer. During the peak of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution in China, Ms. Wong left Canada as a young woman, in pursuit of what she believed to be a worthy revolution.
Ms. Wong writes about her journey through an idealistic fog, told in a candid and directly honest account, of her years as a Maoist revolutionary in China.
She recounts things that she believed, spoke and did. It is incredibly hard to accept her past and although certainly unapologetic in nature, the biography resonates a cleansing and self accepting woman.

Andy Warhol's Mao

To read a full review of Red China Blues or to order a copy click here .

Thanks to The Zhush  for reminding me how much I love this Warhol!