Merging the fairy-tale world and the world of reality into one is undoubtedly a very hard task, not to say impossible, for most of us. But, for the talented French designer Sylvie Facon, “impossible” is not an option.
Facon creates amazing, unique gowns using the spines of books. Thanks to her remarkable skills and creative and artistic talents, she creates dresses that are out of this world and that can even serve as storytellers.
The dresses vary from romantic lacework to haute couture dresses made from the spines of books, emphasizing the versatility of the skills of the dress designer.
Let’s take a look at some of the dresses created by Facon below, and, please, feel free to tell us what your opinion is on these exceptional works of art in the comments section.
Living a healthy lifestyle is the key to unlocking a long and happy life.
But with busy lives to lead, finding the time to commit to health-enhancing activities can be challenging.
And too often, committing to a complex and time-consuming wellbeing regime leads to abandoning it after a couple of months because it’s unsustainable, and ending up back at square one – which is a waste of time for anyone.
Don’t worry – here are three simple fixes to boost your health. (1)
Walking
Walking more is the perfect first step in the road towards a healthy lifestyle because it’s so easy to incorporate into your routine. For instance, if you have a job, walking part or all of the way there and taking the stairs instead of the lift will help keep your step count up.
There are some brilliant health benefits too – it reduces the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and strokes, helps you burn calories and build up stamina.
Plus it’s great for your mental health because according to health experts Bupa, a brisk walk triggers the release of endorphins which create a natural high.
Tip: Download a walking tracker app like Active 10 which monitors your steps and gives you helpful hints and tips.
Meditation
When some people think of health, they focus primarily on physical health. However, your mental health is just as important.
Meditation is a means of relaxing your mind by focusing on internal aspects such as sensations, emotions, and thoughts.
By adding just a few mindful minutes to your day, you’ll reap the benefits. According to health specialists Healthline, meditation helps reduce stress, control anxiety and improve sleep.
Tip: Install a meditation app such as Aura and access personalized micro-meditations that will help you find positivity and peace.
Organic food products
Organic foods are grown and produced in line with organic farming standards. These products are grown using natural fertilizers such as manure and compost, and weeds are controlled using natural methods such as crop rotation and hand weeding.
There are many benefits from buying organic products – they contain fewer harmful pesticides, so are better for your health and taste superior, they’re rich in beneficial nutrients such as antioxidants and are often sold near to where they’re produced, so are farm-fresh.
Tip: Check out an online health store like Kijani Living which stocks high-quality organic and natural products that will supercharge your health.
Improving your health doesn’t have to be hard. As technology continues to develop, it’s becoming increasingly easy to access excellent resources which keep you in prime physical, mental and spiritual form.
So start by trying these three fantastic activities and watch your health and wellbeing soar.
What are your favourite ways of improving your health? Share them in the comments section.
When you’re truly in love with someone, you don’t give up on them when things get tough. You don’t leave them after one little argument since you’re not the type of person who likes drama. You don’t give up on them when they first raise their voice at you. You don’t give up on everything you and your significant other have created at the first sign of trouble.
When you’re truly in love with someone, you act like a mature person, you lay your cards on the table, and talk things out with them. You allow them to express their opinions. You allow them to express how they feel. You allow them to tell you the reasons why they’re mad at you.
And when both of you have clearly stated your opinions, you both try to find ways how to face and successfully overcome the problem. Instead of allowing one little fight to destroy your relationship, you allow it to make you a healthier, closer couple.
When you honestly, selflessly, and unconditionally love someone, you don’t give up on them when things get difficult. You don’t let go of them when the first problem appears in your relationship. Instead, you make compromises for them. You sacrifice your own needs, wishes, and even happiness for their own sake and for the sake of the relationship.
When you’re truly in love with someone, you never assume that you and your significant other were never meant to be together when you come across the first challenge in your relationship since both of you are willing to invest significant amounts of time and energy in making the changes that are necessary so as to save and improve your relationship.
When you genuinely love someone, you don’t keep them around when they feel happy and disappear when they’re going through a rough time in their life. You don’t leave them to deal with their worries, problems, and pains by themselves. You don’t walk away from them when they’re feeling down in the dumps or when they’re sick. No! You don’t leave them since you are together in everything.
When you’re honestly and deeply in love with someone, you accept the fact that your relationship won’t always be a smooth journey. You accept the fact that you and your partner will have to face many challenges, temptations, and trials. You accept the fact that problems may start appearing in your relationship when you expect it the least.
However, you also embrace the fact that if both you and your partner are willing and determined to fight for your relationship and keep the spark between you always alive, there’s no such problem that you won’t be able to overcome.
Because when two people love each other genuinely, deeply, selflessly, and unconditionally, they have the power to surmount any obstacle life puts on their way. They have the power to win every battle life forces them to fight.
While many of us cannot be bothered to even lift a finger and pick up the garbage right in front of us, Australia is light years ahead of us. Why? Well, because the authorities of the Australian city of Kwinana have developed a new and effective solution to water pollution.
They installed a very simple filtration system in the Henley Reserve. The system contains long nets that are placed on the drainage pipes and collect all the garbage that eventually flows through the waters.
Considering that the pipes drain water from residential areas to natural areas, you can only imagine how extremely important was for them to find a way to capture the trash and protect the environment and the local wildlife from further plastic pollution.
They first installed two of these nets, but after they witnessed the remarkable results (800 pounds of garbage collected within a few weeks), they decided to put this garbage traps all over the city.
Even though the installation of these useful garbage traps costs a lot of money ($10,000 each), it turns out that the whole investment was much more profitable and beneficial than they actually expected. By developing this solution, they saved on the costs that they previously had for the people that actually collected that same trash manually.
As for the process of cleaning the garbage traps, every time they get full, they are taken away by special trucks that collect trash and they are transported to a special trash-sorting center that after that divides them into recyclable and non-recyclable material. When all of that is done, the nets are put back on pipes.
While it’s true that every couple is different, i.e. they experience different changes, problems, and trials in their relationships, it’s also true that all healthy, strong, happy, and long-lasting relationships share the same characteristics.
The thing is that regardless of how long you and your partner have been together and regardless of how many challenges, temptations, and problems you have overcome in your relationship, you will continue to be uncertain about the future of your relationship. And this feeling of uncertainty will increase even more whenever you see other couples get engaged or married and decide to spend the rest of their lives together.
So, how do you know that your relationship is built to last?
Well, if the following 8 things sound familiar to you, you can take this as a sure sign that you and your partner have what it takes to stay together for good.
Here they are:
1. You can openly communicate with each other.
Do you feel comfortable to talk to your bae about anything without fearing that they might judge you, criticize you, or look down on you? Well, if so, i.e. if you feel free talking to your significant other about your doubts, worries, and problems, and if they patiently listen to your problems and show that your opinions and ideas matter to them, then you can consider this as a sign that you’ve finally found your forever person.
Feeling free to talk about anything, especially about problems you have in your relationship, will help you find ways to overcome any issue that appears in your relationship.
2. You aren’t only lovers, but best friends too.
Undeniably, passion, physical intimacy, and excitement are important, but every healthy, deep, happy, and committed relationship requires both partners to see and treat each other as true friends. Why?
Because a real, loyal friend is always there for you when you need them. They stick with you through thick and thin. They accept you for who you are. They love you selflessly, wholeheartedly, and unconditionally.
3. They make your life easier and better.
Do you feel comfortable in your own skin when you’re around them? Does your partner make you feel content, peaceful, and fulfilled when you’re in their presence? Do you feel safe and protected because you have your bae in your life?
Have you noticed that you don’t feel hesitant or afraid to face life’s challenges and overcome whatever problem or pain life may throw your way since your partner entered your life? Well, if you answered all of the questions with a yes, you can take this as a sign that you’ve found ‘The One.’
4. You agree with each other on the important things.
Of course, that you and your significant other will have different opinions, ideas, and perspective on life in general and therefore often disagree with each other. But, when it comes to the important things in a relationship, such as faithfulness and trust, it’s essential that both of you share the same values and principles.
For instance, if your bae likes to “explore other options” outside of your relationship, and you’re someone who values sexual fidelity, then your relationship won’t ever work.
5. You have your own life.
What I mean by “your own life” is not that you and your partner keep secrets from each other or that you spend a considerable amount of time separately. Rather, having your own life means that both of you feel free to pursue your goals and dreams, do the things that make you happy, and hang out with your friends and family.
It means that you two have different opinions, interests, likes, dislikes, and passions, but you don’t judge each other for these. Instead, you understand and respect each other’s opinions and interests and you support each other to pursue your goals and dreams. It means that you haven’t given up on the life you had before you started dating.
6. You don’t sweep problems under the carpet.
You don’t let your relationship problems accumulate by ignoring them or laying the blame at each other’s door. Instead, you feel free to complain about each other’s mistakes and bad behavior and openly discuss your relationship issues or whatever is bothering you. Most importantly, you’re willing to search for a solution to your problems together. You’re simply willing to do everything to save your relationship.
7. You can freely and openly talk about your sexual fantasies.
If you are too uncomfortable or shy to tell your partner what you want and don’t want in bed, it means that there’s something wrong with your relationship, and it’ll get even worse if you continue to feel this way.
But, if your bae makes you feel comfortable sharing your wild fantasies and erotic wishes with them, then this is a sign that you two enjoy a healthy, stable, close relationship.
8. You are willing to forgive each other.
Everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves a second chance. Therefore, when your significant other makes a mistake or tells you something hurtful when you argue, you need to be able and willing to forgive them and move on.
Holding grudges against your partner, ignoring them, and feeling resentment will do neither you nor your significant other any good.
If you thought that the category of social media celebrity can only be assigned to most famous singers and Hollywood stars, Wiley, an adorable Dalmatian dog, proves that you are awfully wrong.
The one-year-old, cute puppy shoot to great internet fame for his heart-shaped nose. Wiley’s 149k Instagram followers as well as everyone else who meets him simply can’t get enough of his cuteness.
Lexi Smith, Wiley’s human mother, regularly posts photos of him on their Instagram profiles, and the pictures show that he’s a great fan of hiking and playing with his mom.
When Smith adopted him, she wasn’t sure whether the marking around his little nose was going to stay as the puppy grew, but this pup still has his heart-shaped nose. She describes him as: “54 pounds of goofy, clumsy, sassy, hungry, cuddly, curious, wild, crazy, silly, happy love.”
Let’s take a look at some of Wiley’s photos below. This way, you can see how adorable he is for yourself.
Manipulators, manipulators everywhere. No matter how much you try to avoid these people, somehow, they are always lurking behind the next corner, waiting for their next victim.
If you’ve ever confronted these people, or you were involved in a relationship with them, you already know how hard it is to save yourself from their wicked claws. But for those of you who have never been through this hell, here is some useful information about these toxic manipulators.
I hope you never find out the pain of dealing with them. But just in case you do, make sure to always remember this. Manipulators will do everything to lure you into their trap and take total control over you. These are some of their most common methods:
1. They love pointing out your weaknesses. The more they put you down, the more you doubt yourself. And the more insecure you become, the easier it is for them to bend you to their will. That’s how they take control of your mind and body.
2. Everything is always about them. They don’t care about being there for others or helping a person in need because there is no one more important than themselves. Manipulators love being the center of attention. Being under the spotlight is what feeds their greedy egos.
3. They try hard to isolate you from everyone you love just so they can have you all for themselves. Cutting you off from your loved ones is their way of isolating you from the world. They need you to be broken, fragile, insecure and disappointed in everyone because that is the only way for them to get you to do what they want.
4. They enjoy playing the victim game. But don’t forget. This is their way of luring you into their trap. They are not really the victim. The mask they wear is there to fool you and make you their prisoner.
5. They convince you they are on your side and just when you start to open up, they show you their real face. This is their favorite game.
6. They know how to twist your words around and make you doubt yourself. Manipulators are masters at making something seem different than it really is. Their favorite activity is making people fools by manipulating their words.
7. They love giving people the silent treatment. They don’t really care what others have to say. That is why they don’t really bother explaining themselves to people. Manipulators simply avoid confrontation and give people the silent treatment.
8. They never take responsibility for their own actions. They don’t own up to their mistakes. They don’t care about being a kind, honest and noble person in the eyes of others. They only care about their needs. If they need to make someone go mad in order to get what they want, they will do it.
9. They take advantage of your emotions. So, beware. If you love a person like this, they won’t hesitate to use your feelings against you whenever they find it convenient. Manipulators don’t stop until they make their dreams come true. Even if that means walking all over someone to get there.
10. They know exactly how to guilt trip you into doing the things that you hate doing. They have many tricks up their sleeve. They will keep reminding you how much they’ve done for you until you actually agree to do that thing that you hate.
11. They enjoy making you feel less important. Whatever you are going through, nothing is more important than their own needs and their own problems. You and your issues just don’t matter that much to them.
12. They tend to use their rage every time they confront others. They cannot control their emotions and so it doesn’t take much for them to go from completely chill to aggressive. If you know someone like this, make sure to get out of their way in time. These people are not the ones that you want to be around.
Being brought up by a narcissistic parent is one of the most difficult forms of child abuse. It can greatly undermine your self-esteem and negatively affect the relationships you form with others in your adulthood.
Narcissists are people who are incapable of genuinely loving and caring about someone. They simply don’t care about other people’s feelings, needs, and opinions. The only person they care about is themselves. As long as they feel better and superior to everyone else, nothing else matters.
Being raised by this kind of parent is very hard to endure and overcome because not only does it leave you with low self-esteem, but also causes you to develop unhealthy behaviors in your adult life.
In what follows, we have listed 10 unhealthy behaviors that narcissistic parents generally display and we’ve also explained how these may affect you in your adulthood.
1. If you get uncomfortable as an adult when good things happen to you, such as when you achieve success, or if you’re unable to relax, be spontaneous, and have fun when you’re hanging out with your friends, the reason for this might be that your parents spoiled good things with their inconsiderate, selfish behavior or gave you gifts and then made you feel like you owed them something.
2. If you happen to have a hard time making decisions as an adult, that’s because you had to endure your parents’ constant, harsh criticism. They treated you like you weren’t smart and good enough to make your own choices and decisions. As a result, you depend on others when you have to make decisions in your adult life.
3. If you often please other people and care about their happiness and well-being more than about your own in your adulthood, the reason for this might be that your parents pressured you to put other people’s needs, desires, and problems before your own. They caused you to feel guilt if you put yourself before others.
4. If arguments make you feel so overwhelmed and upset as an adult that you’re doing your best to avoid confrontations with other people, the reason for this might be that your parents didn’t allow you to complain about their behavior or anything else, have different opinion from them, and get into an argument with them. And when you tried to do any of these things, they punished you for it.
5. If you feel drawn to uncertainty, confusion, and disorder rather than stability in your relationships as an adult, the reason for this might be that you were exposed to constant drama, shouting, scapegoating, tension, and disharmony that your parents created in your childhood.
6. If you find it hard to get close to other people as an adult even when you really want to, the reason for this might be that your parents were never there for you when you needed them. They didn’t bother to build a healthy, meaningful, close, and loving relationship with you. Or they were nice to you one moment and acted cold and distant the next. All this made you feel confused and unsafe.
7. If you find it hard to trust and confide in others even when you truly want to, the reason for this might be that your parents made you believe that you could have faith in them, then broke your trust or used your secrets, insecurities, or fears against you.
8. If you feel extremely sensitive when you’re in the company of entitled, overbearing, manipulative people as an adult, the reason for this might be that your parents tried to dominate and control most of your conversations and be the center of attention regardless of the situation.
9. If you have difficulty recognizing and accepting your feelings as an adult, the reason for this might be that your parents made you feel like your feelings, needs, ambitions, and desires weren’t important. They might have even ridiculed these.
10. If you often soothe yourself through eating excessively, overspending, smoking, drinking, or engaging in other self-destructive habits in your adult life, the reason for this might be that your parents’ selfish, manipulative, narcissistic behavior left you feeling unappreciated, disrespected, helpless, and unloved.
Should you have any questions regarding this topic or one of your own interest, feel free to email me at[email protected]
Swiss photographer Tiziana Vergari shared a picture on her Instagram profile that left thousands of internet users baffled.
This photo is greatly confusing social media users as they find it hard to determine how many girls there are in the photo. The photo has gone viral in no time, and considering the fact that it gathered over 4,000 comments, it appears that no one can agree on how many girls are posing in it.
What about you? How many girls do you think there are in the picture? 2, 4, 6, more?
Are you impatient to find the answer?
Well, you’re lucky because Vergari decided to put an end to the misery of all social media users out there. And the answer is …
Two. Yep, the photo contains only two girls sitting by some mirrors.
The Disney version of happily-ever-after love has nothing to do with The Love. There’s no such thing as a fantasy land where everyone just gets along nicely, and people actually think before they speak. No, no. There’s no such thing as Wonderland, far away at the edge of the world where no one gets their heart broken or behaves like an immature and inconsiderate jerk.
Love isn’t a fairytale story and as soon as you realize that, the better off you’ll be.
I know that this may sound weird to you, but you don’t need a prince on a white horse to sweep you off your feet. You don’t need a happily-ever-after. Trust me, you don’t.
What you need is a person who understands that life is hard, and love isn’t always a fairytale story. Someone who knows that it will be difficult and you’ll both struggle to make it perfect but is willing to do it anyway. Someone who put his hand in your hand and does everything in his power to survive the heavy shitstorms of life.
Yes, you need that person.
Because let’s face it. No matter how much you love each other and no matter how much you respect one another, no matter how much money you have, and no matter how happy you two are, there will come a time in your life when you’ll experience trouble in paradise.
There will be rocky roads, difficult challenges and many hailstorms that you will need to go through together. There will be moments when you’ll want to disappear and be on your own for a whole week. There will be days when you won’t feel capable enough to prove your love to them. There will even be days when you will feel as though you speak different languages.
But that’s fine. Love isn’t always about having fun.
If you expected pink skies, colorful rainbows, unicorns and hearts flying above you, well you’re in for a big surprise. Life is much greyish and much brutal than that.
You will piss each other off. You will hate each other. You will yell at each other. You will fail to understand each other. You will disrespect each other, and it will take days, and sometimes even months for you to realize what you’ve done. Sometimes you will need more time to see things clearly and understand that your love is the greatest thing that you two have. But if you truly love one another you will do it.
You want to know why?
Because at the end of all that suffering, all those fights, all those long, restless nights will be the strength of your relationship. At the end of that pain, you will find your love. Much greater and much more powerful than before.
There is no running from pain if you love genuinely, with your entire being. You have to know that. The more you give yourself to another person and the more you love them, the more vulnerable and transparent you become to them. And the deeper they go inside that pretty little heart of yours, the more powerful they become to actually break it to pieces.
All you need to know is that each and every one of these experiences is a valuable lesson. That is if you are committed to learning, of course. If you and your loved one believe that every obstacle along the road is just an opportunity to prove to yourself how strong your love is, you will grow as a couple, but more importantly, you will grow as individuals.
So, don’t be afraid of troubles. In fact, be prepared for them.
Love isn’t a fairytale story. Find a person who understands this!
This article is written by Stephanie Reeds. If you have any questions regarding this topic or one of your own interest, feel free to email me at [email protected] and I will be happy to give you my opinion.
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