Darker bolder colors may be in vogue, but they are not always the best choices, especially for smaller rooms. Dark colors make a room appear smaller than ever, but this is not the only consideration when painting a smaller room. Besides choosing lighter colors you can try a few simple tips and painting tricks. For the price of paint and the cost of your time, you can make any room appear larger than ever.


White Paint Not Required

Many people think they have to paint a room white to make it look larger, but light colors can accomplish the same goal. To make a small room appear larger, choose crisp clean colors that are very light. A light base with a hint of color is ideal for a small room, and many options should be considered before making a final decision.

It is difficult to judge how colors on a small swatch will appear on walls. What looks great on a one-inch square might look overwhelming on walls, especially in a small room. If possible, purchase a sample container, and apply the sample in an inconspicuous area. This will allow you to judge whether or not the color goes well with flooring and furnishings.

Painting Tips to Add Height to the Room

Small rooms with lower ceilings look exceptionally small, and they feel even smaller. To add height to a small room, consider painting the ceiling white. A white ceiling looks fantastic next to clean crisp colors that make the walls lighter and brighter. The eyes are naturally drawn up toward the ceiling, and as a result it looks and feels higher.


Expanding the Walls with Paint

To make the entire space look larger, paint the ceiling just a shade lighter than the walls. Going progressively lighter from the floors to the ceiling makes the area seem more expansive. It is amazing how colors, or a lack of color, can completely change the entire appearance of a room, and this optical illusion works well to make a small room look larger than it really is.


An Easy Solution for Dark Painted Walls

If you have made the mistake of painting the walls a darker or brighter color than you wanted, it is possible to correct the problem without completely repainting. Sponge painting over a bold color greatly tones it down, and it creates appeal and interest in the room. Sponge or rag painted walls are especially impressive, and it is well worth your time to give it a try.

Choose a lighter color that coordinates well with the base color, and using a rag or a sponge, dab the lighter color over the darker base. If necessary, practice on a sheet of cardboard or a paper bag before sponge or rag painting on the walls to see the resulting pattern. More than likely you will love the way the walls look, and what started out as a mistake will turn into an impressive room you will be proud to show off.

Keep in mind that darker or bolder colors can be used in small rooms, but not on the walls. Choose deeper colors for flooring and accessories. Darker throw pillows, knickknacks, vases, and other room accessories will add more color to the room without making it feel like it is closing in.


Stop by Wall Decor and Home Accents.com for additional articles and decorating ideas provided by author Jessica Ackerman. As an onsite senior staff writer, Jessica provides many more valuable ideas for decorating with color, texture and unique wrought iron wall decor .

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They say money can't buy love – but £1million will get you man's most expensive best friend.

A red Tibetan mastiff has become the priciest dog in the world after being sold for 10 million Chinese yuan, or £945,000.

Big Splash, or Hong Dong in Chinese, was bought by a coal baron from the north of China.

And it's lucky his new master is a multi-millionaire, because the hefty price tag doesn't factor in Big Splash's diet – enough chicken and beef to fill a growing 180lb dog, spiced up with Chinese delicacies such as sea cucumber and abalone.

His owner will need a big house too, as adult Tibetan Mastiffs have been known to weigh as much as 286lb, or more than 20 stone – the same as a sizeable rugby player. However the typical weight for a fully grown Tibetan Mastiff is around 13 stone.

But according to breeder Lu Liang, Big Splash is a 'perfect specimen' and the extravagant price for the 11-month-old is completely justified.

He said: 'We have spent a lot of money raising this dog, and we have the salaries of plenty of staff to pay' – adding that the new owner could charge almost £10,000 a time for Big Splash to breed with a female.

The high price paid for the dog is a sign that the red Tibetan mastiff has become a status symbol in China, replacing jewellery and cars as a way for the super-rich to show off their wealth.

Not only is red considered a lucky colour, but Tibetan mastiffs are thought to be holy animals, blessing their owners' health and security.

Tibetans believe the dogs have the souls of monks and nuns who were not good enough to be reincarnated as humans or into Shambhala, the heavenly realm.

Owners of the breed have included Queen Victoria, King George IV and Genghis Khan – who supposedly took 30,000 of the dogs with his army in his bid to conquer Western Europe.

These days there are only around 300 Tibetan mastiffs in the UK, and puppies sell for a more reasonable £850 to £1,000.

James Pally, a Tibetan mastiff breeder from Pantymwyn near Mold in Flintshire, North Wales, said:

'They are very smart and they think for themselves and can sense danger very acutely.

'Tibetan mastiffs were originally used to guard the livestock and they are very good with other animals and they love children.

'I have six of them and if you don't give them enough attention they sit in front of the TV.'

The title of most expensive dog in the world was previously held by a Tibetan mastiff called Red Lion, who was valued at £915,000 last year.








Source: Dailymail

All New Design is Thinner, Lighter & Faster with 2 Cameras and Big Battery
Apple is rolling out its iPad 2 to stores on Friday, March 11 and lines will be forming soon. The iPad 2 is the next generation of the tablet device and seems destined to become a hit.

Apple is not playing games in this economy by introducing at what is called an “early-adopters” high price, but is bowing it at $499 and up,

He iPad 2 is thin as a rake, 33% slimmer than the old iPad – but don’t whip it out at a lunch or dinner table no matter how much you want to show it off. That is an iEtiquette no-no — even cell phones should be left off tables unless you live in Wisconsin.


It will of course include web browsing, reading and sending email, photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading ebooks and much more. iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for video-conferencing, FaceTime® and Photo Booth®, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad usewantrs for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life* that users have come to expect. iPad 2 is available in black or white, features models that run on AT&T’s and Verizon’s 3G networks, and introduces the innovative iPad 2 Smart Cover in a range of vibrant polyurethane and rich leather colors.

“With more than 15 million iPads sold, iPad has defined an entirely new category of mobile devices,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, we’re launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition and will likely cause them to go back to the drawing boards yet again.”

With the new front and rear cameras, iPad 2 users can now make FaceTime calls to millions of iPhone® 4, iPod touch® and Mac® users so they can see family and friends anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Photo Booth lets you apply fun visual effects, including eight photo special effects like Squeeze, Twirl and Kaleidoscope, to photos captured by either camera.

iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, with new features including faster Safari® mobile browsing performance; iTunes® Home Sharing; enhancements to AirPlay®;** the choice to use the iPad side switch to either lock the screen rotation or mute audio; and Personal Hotspot to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection over Wi-Fi.*** Additional iPad 2 features include a built-in gyro for advanced gaming; HSUPA support for enhanced 3G upload speeds on iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G on AT&T, and HDMI Video Mirroring that lets users mirror their iPad screen on an HDTV using an optional adaptor.

The innovative new iPad 2 Smart Cover provides protection for the iPad screen while maintaining its thin and lightweight profile. Designed with a unique self-aligning magnetic hinge that makes it easy to attach and remove, the new iPad 2 Smart Cover automatically wakes iPad 2 when it’s opened and puts it to sleep when it’s closed, and has a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean. The Smart Cover also folds into a stand for typing or viewing videos and is available in vibrant polyurethane for $39 or rich leather for $69 in a range of colors, including a (PRODUCT) RED one which helps support the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Apple also introduced two new apps: iMovie® and GarageBand® for iPad, both available on the App Store℠ for just $4.99 each. With iMovie, iPad 2 users can shoot and edit videos right on their iPad and post their movies to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and their MobileMe℠ gallery; watch them on their iPod®, iPhone or iPad; as well as view them on their HDTV using AirPlay and Apple TV®. GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of touch instruments and 8-track recording studio, allowing you to perform with onscreen keyboards, guitars, drums and basses using multi-touch gestures–even if you don’t play a musical instrument.

iPad 2 runs almost all of the over 350,000 apps available on the App Store and there are more than 65,000 native iPad apps available from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 14 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 10,000 films including over 3,500 in stunning high definition video. The iBooks® app for iPad includes Apple’s iBookstore℠, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device.

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G compatible with the Verizon network will be available in the US only for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iMovie and GarageBand for iPad apps will be available on March 11 for $4.99 each from the App Store on iPad or www.itunes.com/appstore.

iPad 2 will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25; and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.








Source: Hollywoodtoday

As shaggy dog stories go, the one about Norman the very bright Briard who is a wizz riding his scooter ranks high on the list.

The clever canine, who lives with the Cobb family in Canton, Georgia, competes in many obedience competitions and received his Companion Dog Title at just 15 months of age after four first place finishes.
But it's his razor scooter that has remained the pooch's passion since he was a mere pup when his owner, Karen Cobb, took him out for his first spin.

'He began playing with the kid's scooter in the backyard and we thought it would be fun to give him a ride on it,' says Karen. 'Then we decided to teach him to push it, and now he loves riding his scooter.'


His scooting antics have already made him popular on the Internet, and his Facebook page has quite a following.
Norman, now 20 months old, has even attracted the attention of television show host and comedian David Letterman and last month made an appearance on Stupid Pet Tricks on The Late Show.

Briards originate from France and their recognised talents include search and rescue, police work, military work, herding, watchdogging and guarding, but they also also make excellent companions, finding favour with Napoleon and Thomas Jefferson.







Source: Dailymail

While most of us might wear our hearts on our sleeve, this little chap shows it off in just the right place.

He is an Emperor penguin chick whose change of plumage into adulthood was brrrrrilliantly blessed by Mother Nature.

The white heart-shaped patch on his chest is a natural formation due to the moulting of his feathers.

The baby penguin is blissfully aware that not only is he the focus of a heart-warming image, but that he is also literally one in a million too.

Award-winning photographer and wildlife film-maker Sue Flood said that in the 20 years she has been taking pictures in the Arctic and Antarctic, and on more than 30 trips to the frozen plains, she had never picked up such a penguin phenomenon.


She said: 'It's the only one I have ever come across with a bib of this shape.

'I took the picture at a time when Emperor penguin chicks are gaining their adult plumage and are a mix of grey baby down and "penguin suit" colours.

'This one is one in a million and in all my time as a photographer he's the only one I have seen with a bib of this shape - when I saw it, I just couldn't believe it'.

The Emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species.

Its diet consists primarily of fish but can also include crustaceans, such as krill, and squid.

While hunting, it can remain submerged for up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 535m and is able to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions in order to do this.

The Emperor penguin is perhaps best known for the sequence of journeys adults make each year in order to mate and to feed their offspring.

The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, it treks as many as 120 km over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals.

The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed.

Mrs Flood, who has worked on some of the BBC's most successful natural history programmes including Blue Planet and Natural World, has won a clutch of awards for her photography.

Some of her amazing pictures have now been drawn together for her first book, Cold Places, which is published later this month.

It coincides with an exhibition - Cold Places: From Pole To Pole - of 50 of her photographs at London's prestigious Getty Images Gallery.

She said: 'There are times when I question why I'm so drawn to the Poles - for instance, when camping in -40 degree temperatures, enduring the hardships of macho ice-breaker life or when my eyes won't open because my eyelashes have frozen together.

'But there is something magical about the light, the isolation and the stillness, and something inspirational about how resolute animals and people have to be to survive there.

'Yes, the Poles are cold places but they also warm the heart, as I hope my book and images show.'







Source: Dailymail

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

Boy's bedroom features rope ladder to timber pirate ship
Badly behaved shipmates can be locked away in wrought-iron jail
Crew can escape through two-storey spiral slide, or down rope ladder into closet
It looks like every little boy's dream idea of their perfect bedroom.
But this is in fact one extremely lucky six-year-old's very own pirate ship room, complete with rope bridge, crow's nest and a two-storey hidden slide.
This ultimate in cool sleeping quarters was created by designer Steve Kuhl, and also features a wrought-iron jail cell and hidden rope ladder access to the closet.

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

The bedroom was chosen by its owner in Minnesota from a selection of a space ship, racing car, castle and the pirate ship.
Mr Kuhl, who owns Kuhl Design Build, used two large planks to construct the hull of the ship before covering them with layers of plywood as the deck planking.
A mixture of plaster and epoxy resin was then used for the ship's hull.
There is also a spiral slide which is accessed through a hole at the top and comes out in a sports court on the bottom floor of the house.
No doubt the proud owner will not be short of friends.

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

Ultimate Pirate Bedroom for Lucky Six Year Old

Lady Gaga Arrives by Private Plane in Canada Wearing Another of Her Revealing Outfits

Most people look travel-worn by the time they embark off of a long haul flight and would hate nothing more than having their photograph taken.
But not Lady Gaga - she got off of her private jet today in Canada and went straight into a photo shoot on the tarmac.
The camera-ready singer had just arrived in Toronto from Paris where she strutted the catwalk at a Thierry Mugler runway show.



Gaga did not disappoint in her latest ensemble which was a cross between a Flashdance costume and rocker chic ensemble.
The 24-year-old wore her favourite heel-less leather boots which did a great balancing act on.
She wore purple tights which showed off her black thong underwear underneath and matching purple gloves.
A black leather side-less top finished off her look.
Her new hairstyle, which she is forever changing is now a blonde do with a heavy black fringe.
Gaga strutted down the stair of the private plane as photographer Terry Richardson captured her walking from the jet to her tour bus.
She will be performing at the Air Canada Centre tonight as part of her Monster Ball tour.
Gaga had strutted down the catwalk earlier this week for the stylish Nicola Formichetti collection as creative director of Thierry Mugler at Paris Fashion Week.
Gaga had worn a predictably outrageous outfit for her Thierry Mugler show, wearing a sheer black dress and military-inspired hat while making her entrance in a cloud of cigarette smoke.
The Born This Way Star had worn long blonde pigtails to strut like a pro to her forthcoming new single Government Hooker for Formichetti, the man behind her infamous meat dress.
The singer also released the video for her new single Born This Way this week.
In the provocative and risqué new clip, which is set in outer space, Gaga is seen to give birth to an unknown being, strips off to her underwear for a dance routine and gets dressed up as a skeleton in a suit.

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