MASTER LIST #16: The 101 Best Films of the 1950s

Of course, a staggering array of masterworks hail from the 1950s--so much so that putting them in order of preference was like splitting an already split hair. One can really see that this was another monumental era for cinema, with Kurosawa, Bergman, Donen, Hitchcock, Huston, Ford, Kubrick, Welles, Fellini, Nicholas Ray, Anthony Mann, Max Ophuls, and Billy Wilder, among others, delivering many

A Loose History of Fashion Jewelry

Probably the first time fashion jewelry appeared was in the early 1700s. That was the era of glass blowing. Once the method of making different shapes from glass was perfected, it was just a matter of time before someone came up with the idea of using the technique to make jewelry. Starting with earrings (which only real skilled artisans could blow – and they were pretty costly owing to that) and moving on to pendants, glass became the material of choice in the manufacture of fashion jewelry.
Let’s pause here and go further back in time, we all know that the concept of jewelry itself is almost as old as the history of man. All through the early man phase, people have been using items as unique as bones and teeth to decorate their bodies; but we will not consider them as fashion jewelry as it was not intended that way! After gold and diamonds started ruling the roost, jewelers have always been on the lookout for something more economical so that everyone could afford studded jewelry. Thus came the concept of semi precious metals and stones.

Diamond prospectors from across the world were finding uniquely colored stones in the rivers and river beds that were being turned upside down. Since they were not really so rare or anything, they were given the term semi-precious stones – as polishing them and cutting them to shape required a lot of skill. For those who could not afford real diamonds, these semi precious stones became the next best alternative. In fact, these became so popular that jewelers included gemstone jewelry as part of their mainstream selling items and they were studded in precious metals like Gold and Silver. This became real popular in the 1800s and that holds true even today.

In the 1930s, a whole new concept of fashion jewelry came into existence with the usage of Rhinestone in its making. Named thus as they were originally gathered from the Rhine river, Rhinestones became the natural substitute for diamonds and people from all over the world immediately fell in love with these stones. They became so popular that they found their ways into the tiaras of crowns on the heads of queens all over, and even into engagement rings of the time! The prime reason was that you could afford a much bigger rhinestone at the price of a tiny little diamond. You can read more about Rhinestones here.

If there is one person who should have a place of pride in the history of fashion jewelry, it has to be Coco Chanel. This designer-par-excellence made the use of this style of jewelry very famous, and she could be seen more often in fashion jewelry than real diamond stuff. Coco is specially remembered for making pearls fashionable. She has been listed on the Time 100, and you can read that article here.

Coming to the modern times in the history of fashion jewelry, we come into the machine made era. Though the romantics feel that the machine has spoilt the beauty of the hand-made costume jewelry, the truth is that the machine has made fashion jewelry more affordable and has enabled people to produce enough to fuel the interest of millions of ladies from all around the world. Probably the most influential and popular fashion jewelry designer in the modern times would be Kenneth Jay Lane.

Finally, there is one thing that is very interesting and we should mention it here. Fashion jewelry is an extremely collectible item, and also acquires vintage status with time. There are several cases of vintage fashion jewelry auctions going into hundreds of thousands of dollars!

So the next time you are out buying fashion jewelry, feel happy and in fact, proud that you are out to get a product with a colorful history!



By: Martha Miller

Final Four Beauties canvas print for bids

24 x 30 in laser print canvas. LE 3/3, sealed and signed

I am happy to say that my second Four Beauties canvas print did well at Anime Expo 2009, and so the very last canvas print will be on sale at Otakon Art Show 2009 (Baltimore, July 17-19). I have only made three 24 x 30in canvas prints of this artwork, one for my parents, one sold at AX and the last one will be at Otakon. So if you're interested, please come to the event and place a bid :)!

ANN Interview

Please look in Anime News Network's Gallery for an interview of me and my work. I'm afraid I feel very shy as the interview made my minor recent work seem like a big deal. Still, thanks ANN for the feature!

Recently I have been very busy with my internship and miscellaneous freelance work which includes very fun things which I never thought I would do: online dress up dolls, baby doll and animal designs, web design illustration, etc. Definitely not what I'm used to, but it's really good experience and I'm having a blast!

MASTER LIST #15: The 101 Best Films of the 1960s

Whoa! Easily the most challenging decade for films since the silent era, in my opinion. So many of the following 1960s films cited are not for everyone (popular filmmaking, spearheaded by the Americans, on the other hand, was at its lowest ebb, with dunderheaded musicals, epics, and comedies taking the forefront at the box office). Very nearly half of the entries on the list hail from the

All About The Monroe Piercing

Piercing has been an age old tradition. The Queens of the olden times also got their ears pierced. Today, there has been a revolution in piercing. There is piercing of the lips, the nose, the eyebrow etc. This has become the latest trend in the fashion industry. With piercing gaining popularity, many types of piercing have come up. The major one is the Monroe piercing which is also known as the Madonna or Crawford piercing and is named after Marilyn Monroe, Madonna and Cindy Crawford because it is located in the same area as their beauty marks. The Monroe piercing is located above the upper lip. The Monroe piercing is been done with the help of the labret stud. If a black rounded stud is worn at this piercing it would definitely look very unique and extraordinary. If you wear a sparkling gem, then it would just seem that you are having a star on your face.

The basic advantage of the Monroe piercing is that it heals faster than the other piercings. As there are a number of enzymes in your mouth that can easily kill the bacteria so the chances of getting infection are really very less. It is believed that after getting the Monroe piercing you can get some swelling. You can lessen your pain by putting some ice inside your mouth or by even eating an ice-cream, frozen yoghourt etc. For the more severe pain you can even take some Ibuprofen.

Your pierced area may secrete a yellowish fluid consisting of dead cells and blood plasma. Don’t worry it is a common symptom after any sort of wound or piercing that the body suffers. After this fluid has dried, it will leave a crusty substance on the surface of the area that was pierced. Make sure you brush it off using a soft bristle toothbrush. If there is an occurrence of the same layer on the skin above your upper lip then it can be washed off with warm water or ant anti-bacterial soap.

The Monroe piercing can actually act wonders for you if you are careful throughout your healing process. Don’t forget to visit the dentist after getting the Monroe piercing.




By: Shipra kaul

TAKE CARE OF YOUR INNER BEAUTY

Let us talk about beauty from a different angle! We have our own criteria for judging the beauty of a woman. We look the beauty of a lady from a certain angle and then pass the remarks whether she is beautiful or not. It’s not fair. Let me tell every woman that she is unique and beautiful.

"The business of beauty" is thriving everywhere.Women are spending much of their time and money on buying beauty products. Even in the third world countries,women living below the poverty line, buy cheap and substandard beauty products, which give more harm to their skin than good. It’s the fundamental right of every woman to look beautiful. Every woman wants to listen the sweet words “you are beautiful”. But the beauty of a woman is far from her looks or figure. Physical beauty is only one aspect while a beautiful charming personality is a complete blend of many fine characteristics such as good manners, etiquette, behavior, smile, intelligence, sense of humor, social and family values etc., all make a woman look beautiful and attractive. Didn’t you know that there is a marked difference between a carefully hand woven expensive Persian carpet and a cheap machine made carpet. Both of these cannot be equated. A beautiful woman is like an elegant hand-knotted Persian carpet. Each and every silky, colorful thread of her character, nicely woven into her personality, gives a woman an everlasting beauty and attraction. Looks are very important indeed but the characteristics of a person are much more important. Besides taking care of your physical beauty, why not think of improving your inner beauty. The beauty which everyone admires is becoming a rare commodity these days. While on your way to a beauty parlor keep on thinking ways of improving your inner beauty. Take care of yourself and take care of your inner beauty. No doubt you are a beautiful person!



by: Hifzur Rehman

Latin Dating - Beauty and Romance

Like any other society, Latin culture is one that is embedded with traditions, values and celebrations. Of all the different attributes that are associated with Latino's, there is no question that passion and romance are considered to be two of the most intriguing.

If you are of "Latin descent" and are interested in seeking a relationship with another Latin man or woman, there are many ways you can go about creating the perfect romantic dating experience, that both you and your date should be able to enjoy with no strings attached.

The following are a few ideas of how you can create romance on your dates:

Dinner - Dinner is always a perfect dating choice, because you can make it as casual or romantic as you would like it to be. It all depends on where you go, and the way you act during the meal. If you are interested in being romantic at dinner, listen intently to what your date has to say, take his or her hand from across the table, look them in the eyes and be honest when you express yourself. However, you should keep in mind that romance can be interpreted as an "invitation to sex", or even make the other person feel uncomfortable if they are interested in taking it slow. Therefore, be a tasteful romantic and know when to draw the line. For although you want to capture your date's interest, you don't want to make them feel uncomfortable in the process.

Dancing - Dancing is a great way for you to have fun, while still getting to know and remaining close to your date. Going to a club, or attending Latin dancing is how you can keep the romance freely escalating without having any further expectations hanging in the air.

Walking - You would be surprised to discover the power behind a nice leisurely walk. There is something truly magical about making nature apart of your date. Although not everyone is fortunate enough to have a beach close to them, there is sure to be parks, waterfronts and old fashioned neighbourhoods awaiting your footsteps. Holding hands and talking on an evening stroll, watching the sunset in silence, and gazing up at the stars, are just some of the ways you can use simple beauty to add to the romantic atmosphere of your date.

Due to the fact that traditions are an important part of Latin culture, dating someone of your same ethnic background is usually a plus when it comes to family relations, especially if you are interested in perusing a serious relationship with your dating partner.

Nevertheless, despite your dating intentions, there are many ways you can make your dating experience a beautiful time that you can truly enjoy who knows where a little romance can take you.



by: Frank Duru

MASTER LIST #14: The 101 Best Films of the 1980s

Having followed the stellar 1970s, and heavily steeped with former movie star Ronald Reagan's culture-changing presidential agenda (at least in its latter half), the 1980s may seem at first glance as a nadir for cinema (especially since the decade itself was, in my opinion, the beginning of the end for serious movies). But I find nothing worthy of burial in this list. All titles cited that