Great tips for looking good in family photos

"Knowing how to take a fabulous photo will be the difference between great memories and memories where you wish you were cropped out of the frame," says image consultant and author Clare Maxfield ( www.claremaxfield.com.au). Put her tips into action this Christmas.

For the face:

• Stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth as you smile. It reduces the double-chin effect.

• Keep your chin down for a flattering line. Tilting your head up in excitement puts you at risk of nostril-cam.

• Say cheese! This is not as silly as it sounds. It opens your mouth into a natural smile. If you don’t want to be in the photo, get out!

There are lots more tips in the full article.
To read more click on the link in the article header.

Enjoy:)

All human pain is caused by words...

....as is all joy according to a Yogic sage.
"We create words to define our experiences and those words bring attendant emotions that jerk us around like dogs on a leash. We get seduced by our own mantras (I'm a failure....I'm lonely...I'm a failure....I'm lonely...) and we become monuments to them. To stop talking for a while , then, is to attempt to strip away the power of words." This is from Eat, Pray,Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

When I read this I thought YES!!! This is so true. but if we stop talking our thoughts take over for us with more words and often these are more compelling as we can hear them more clearly when we aren't talking. This is one of the reasons people try to stay busy as much as possible, they are trying to escape this incessant thoughts or words.

But the only way to stop these incessant thoughts is to listen to them and refute them. Give them your full atttention for a few minutes and then senf them away. They remind me of small children when Mum is talking with friends, they tug on mum's dress going "Mun, mum, mum, mum,..." over and over again until Mum gives them a moment of her undivided attention, addresses what they need and sends them off to play. We need to do this with our thoughts.

1. Stop and listen to them
2. Address them and the issues. ie I'm a failure... Am I really? Is EVERYTHING I do a failure?
3. Say to the thought, NO!~I may fail at some things, but so does everyone, it's part of being human. I am okay!
4. Send them on their way. ie Ok I've heard you now & we know you are exagerating so off you go.

To do this we need to stop every now and then and be quite and still firstly to hear our thoughts and then to deal with them.

If we do this we will find our words start to bring us joy instead of pain.

Often finding time and a place for quite reflection is hard so if you want to set up a healing or quite place look at my "Healing Art" images and add one to your room so that you can sit and contemplate a beautiful nature scene while you give time to your thoughts and dealing with them.

If you want to know more please leave a comment or contact me.

Special Moments

We all have special moments and special occassions in our lives that we like to remember, be they wedding anniversarys, birthdays or something else. We also like to help others celebrate and remember these special times and so I have decided to start a special service whereby I can add writing of your choice to an image.
You choose an image you like or you think the person you are buying for would like and then tell me what you would like written on the image. It can be as simple as "Celebrating the wedding of ..... and..... on the xX/xx/xxxx." Or it can be a poem or words of meaning to you or them. Often people chose one of the sunset images for this but any image can be used. I can still organize this in time for Christmas if you would like it as a gift.
Please email me details of what you would like on image & I will do it at no extra cost.
My email is jules@juliaharwood.com
Looking forward to hearing from you.

What's your word?

I am currently reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert and I found a particular passage got me thinking. In it her Italian friend says we each have a word that describes who we are in our life at the moment.
Let me start with an excerpt from the book.
"Don't you know that the secret to understanding a city and its people is to learn - what is the word of the street." If you could read people's thoughts as they were passing you on the streets of any given place, you would discover that most of them are thinking the same thought. Whatever the majority thought might be - that is the word of the city. And if your personal word doesn't match that of the city, then you really don't belong there.
It went on to say Rome's word is "Sex", The Vatican's word is "Power", New York's "achieve", Los Angeles is "Succeed"
So what is your word?

Card Gnome - Pink roses Wedding card greeting card

Card Gnome - Pink roses Wedding card greeting card

20% off all white tees for Christmas!!

Need a gift for Christmas, 20% off all white apparel. Get in quick to get delivery for Chrissy.

COPYRIGHT AWARENESS DAY

COPYRIGHT AWARENESS DAY

Nature Makes Us More Caring, Study Says

Want to be a better person? Commune with nature. Paying attention to the natural world not only makes you feel better, it makes you behave better, finds a new study to be published October 1 in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
"Stopping to experience our natural surroundings can have social as well as personal benefits," says Richard Ryan, coauthor and professor of psychology, psychiatry and education at the University of Rochester. While the salubrious effects of nature are well documented, from increasing happiness and physical health to lowering stress, this study shows that the benefits extend to a person's values and actions. Exposure to natural as opposed to man-made environments leads people to value community and close relationships and to be more generous with money, find Ryan and his team of researchers at the University of Rochester.

On a personal level, Weinstein says the take home message from the research is clear: "We are influenced by our environment in ways that we are not aware of," she says. Because of the hidden benefits of connecting with nature, people should take advantage of opportunities to get away from built environments and, when inside, they should surround themselves with plants, natural objects, and images of the natural world. "The more you appreciate nature, the more you can benefit," she says.

*Ladies Only* BREWING up something you’ll like!

Morning all my fellow women,,

Are you ready to give your life a JOLT? Today, you have the opportunity to receive THE ULTIMATE LIFE BOOST! This is one of the most INVIGORATING announcements I’ve ever sent to you, and I definitely think you will want to be part of the BUZZ!
Julie Clark, founder of The Inspirational Coffee Club, is launching her beautiful new book, Inspirational Coffee Breaks for Women: 12 Ground Rules for Pouring Your Heart into Life. This unique guide for life is OVERFLOWING with heartwarming stories, thoughtful reflection questions, and rich wisdom to help you discover creative, new ways to REVITALIZE and RENEW your life. It’s a true DOSE of encouragement for the soul! (And you don’t have to be a coffee lover to enjoy it!) It’s the perfect gift to WARM-UP the Holidays and PERK UP the New Year for you or any woman in your life!

To celebrate the launch of the new book, Julie is hosting the world’s largest ‘INSPIRATIONAL COFFEE BREAK’ TODAY, Tuesday, November 16th, to help women REFILL that part of themselves that gets POURED out in the DAILY GRIND. When you purchase the book TODAY from Amazon.com, you will receive an EXTRA JOLT of BONUS GIFTS from over 90 other INVIGORATING authors and entrepreneurs from across the world. I’ve been invited to be one of those involved in this amazing event and am BRIMMING with excitement to share it with you.
Order your copy TODAY and receive over 90 FREE EXTRA JOLT BONUS GIFTS at:
www.inspirationalcoffeebreaksforwomen.com

Here's what a few who've gotten a 'Sneak Peek' of the new book have to say:

"I have never read a book that I couldn't wait to read again, with highlighter in hand to mark the areas that were especially touching. It made me laugh, it made me cry. A book that truly warmed my heart and inspired my soul."

"This is a MUST read book.... Its unique and will definitely get you jump-started to a new you."
"Whether you are a working woman, a stay at home mom, or a young woman just out of college, this book will touch and motivate you to become a better person. The way that Julie has poured her heart and soul into this book to help and encourage others is truly magical. You will leave this book feeling rejuvenated and inspired."

THE PERFECT BLEND of encouragement, humor, self-reflection and easy-to-apply action steps, Inspirational Coffee Breaks for Women will to inspire you to never stop DREAMING, never stop LOVING, never stop PERSEVERING, and never stop getting EVERY LAST DROP out of each and every day! 
Get your copy of Inspirational Coffee Breaks for Women TODAY and receive over 90 complimentary gifts to help you improve in all areas of your life.
www.inspirationalcoffeebreaksforwomen.com

It’s truly the PERFECT GIFT to WARM-UP the Holiday Season for yourself or any wonderful woman in your life—Moms, Daughters, Friends, Aunts, Grandma’s, or Co-workers! www.inspirationalcoffeebreaksforwomen.com

GIVE YOUR LIFE A JOLT TODAY and enjoy this one-of-a-kind ‘INSPIRATIONAL COFFEE BREAK’ event. Let’s face it—you spend so much time POURING your wonderful self out to others. Let TODAY be the day you FILL YOURSELF BACK UP with inspiration and motivation for BREWING more HAPPINESS, SUCCESS and JOY!
With Warmth,
Jules

P.S. As you know, coffee is always best when shared with others. Here’s 2 ways to share this one-of-a-kind JOLT with friends: 1). Forward a copy of this email to friends who could also use a BOOST. 2). Buy multiple copies and give them as Holiday gifts to the women you cherish most! Go to www.inspirationalcoffeebreaksforwomen.com

Spending time in nature..study

Spending time in nature makes people feel more alive, study shows

Feeling sluggish? The solution may require getting outside the box - that big brick-and-mortar box called a building.

If you click on the title of this blog it will take you to the full article, which tells us about a study on how important it is to spend time in nature.
For those of us who don't have the time, the means or the opportunity to do this, the next best thing is to have images of nature all around you so that you can still immerse yourself in nature.
When we are actually out in nature, we not only see, we hear and smell, so art does not give you the full experience but it definitly helps. If you spend time looking at an image of the ocean, then you add the sounds of the ocean you will gain even more benefit. Finally spray the room with an ocean scent and you will be amazed at how realistic it becomes.
If you click on the "Healing Art" tab above, you can get yourself an image and begin the process.
You may not be able to afford a full holiday to the beach, but you can give your body mind and spirit the lift it needs.
Enjoy every day by adding the beauty of nature to your surroundings wherever they may be.

Photography tips Getting your photos from your camera to you computer

Do you take your photos but then have trouble downloading them?
This is a step by step guide that you can print out and follow.
If you get stuck, just email me...I am always happy to help.

We are all Disabled!

We are all disabled in some way, it is part of the human condition.

Please explain?.....

Disability does not have to be a physical thing we can see or a mental illness we can quantify, it can be emotional scars, chronic conditions, and much more.

Lets look at the definition of "disabled"

According to Wikapedia:
"A disability in humans may be physical, cognitive/mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these."

In plain English, a disability is something that affects the way we get along in society.

For example.When we see a blind person we automatically realize they have a disability, they usually have a cane or a guide dog to help them, but are they any more disabled than the person with emotional scars that no-one can see and that continually gets hit by the preverbial bus when it comes to realtionships.

If a person was physically hit by a bus we would see the damage, either as a fatality or serious physical injury, but what about the person hit by an emotional bus, we see them all the time, people constantly making poor choices and then lamenting about how bad things always happen to them. These people are just as disabled as the blind person,  in some cases more so, as they don't see they have a disability and take the necessary measures to compensate for it.

So why write a blog about it?

Because I believe that if we realize that we all have disabilities we will realize that people with obvious disabilities are no different than the rest of us. We are all people, all trying to get along in society the best we can. People with disabilities do not need to be condescended to or treated any different to anyone else, we are all in the same boat.

Also unless we realize we have a problem we can't treat it. How many people have we heard of have a disease but no symptoms until it's too late, but if it had been caught earlier it could have been cured.
The same goes for disabilities, as we recognize them we can take steps to either overcome them or learn to live with them in a productive way.

So the question is, "What disabilities do you have?"
Do you have allergies, a chronic illness, arthritis, chrones, pain, emotional scars from previous relationships, your upbringing, your religion, your nationality, over sensitivity, lack of emotional connection.....the list goes on and on.

Perhaps now is a good time to rethink those with disabilities and realize we are all the same. Next time you see someone with an obvious disability smile at them knowing you to have your disabilities, just not as obvious and may we all work towards a healthier life, physically, spiritually and mentally.

I have many disabilities and have found that nature is a wonderful healing balm and I receive that healing on a daily basis through my photography and immersing myself in nature. I realize many people cannot do this & so I have "Healing Art"  prints that you can have in your home or your office or even a care facility to enable you too, to experience the healing balm of nature.

I wish you peace, love and happiness....and remember for ALL of us healing is an ongoing process...be kind to yourself and others.

Signiture Series

I have created a signature series of images that would be great for interior designers or offices. A way to introduce the Healing Art of Nature into the workplace. Check it out and let me know what you think. If you have any special requests for particular images in this format let me know & I will see what I can do.

nudgems.com - Freddo Frog Christmas Card

nudgems.com - Freddo Frog Christmas Card

Get your chrissy cards here!!!

nudgems.com - Missing you...

Send a card to someone you love who can't be with you at the moment.
nudgems.com - Missing you...

I have just joined Nudgems and am doing cards with them.
This is my first one!

The Power of Thoughts

This morning as I was laying in bed, I had a thought....
How would it be if everyone could see and hear our thoughts as we think them.....
I hear the screams...NO WAY....and yet it seems to be happening more & more, we see in the news when someone has been fired for what they said on Facebook or Twitter. We tend to put our thoughts down, without really thinking and then post them for the world to see.
Is this a bad thing or a good thing.
The bad is obvious from what we see in the news and hear ourselves when the wrong person reads those thoughts, but could good come out of this as well?
We are starting to think about our thoughts!
Thoughts have always been said to be powerful and yet so often it is an automatic function that we don't pay much attention to & yet suddenly , if you are like me, you are begining to see your thoughts and think about how others would percieve them if we put them into cyberspace.
This can just cause people to push their thoughts down and live in a pollyanna state, but what if we were to use this as a tool to look at our thoughts and deal with them as we think them.
Let me give you an example. I have just heard that I have to have an operation, my first thoughts are, what if they find something bad, what if I don't survive the op, what if I pick up a bug from the hospital?
Notice they are all negative.
Because I am more aware of them now I can take that one step further and analyse them.
First one, What if they find something bad...if they do then at least we will know what to do to fix it and if they don't we don't have to worry anymore, so this is actually a good thing.
Second one, what if I don't survive the op, this  is a risk for anyone, but a very small risk and if it happens then I won't know about it, none of us know when our time is up, so it gives me a chance to get my affairs in order just in case, another positive.
Third one, what if I pick up a bug. It is again unlikely, but if it happend we'll deal with it.

So if I was to restate my thoughts it would be, "I have to have an exploritory op, but thats good because we will know what we need to do so I don't get sick again"
Suddenly its not a catastrophe, mearly another part of life. So if we can use this caution we need to exercise with social networking and our thoughts we can turn it into a wonderful, positive tool that will help us and those around us.
Give it a try and let me know how you get on.

Healing Art Photograhy

Tropical Sunset

What is healing art photography????
Good question. I beleive that spending time in nature helps heal our bodies, our souls and our minds. So often today life is so fast paste that we get up, go to work, come home, do the chores, go to bed and then start all over again the next day,. Never having time out to destress and it is that that is behind so many of the ailments we suffer today. Spending time immersing yourself in nature is very healing & theraputic.
BUT i hear you say, I don't have time. Thats where healing art photography comes in. I take images of nature and  make them available for you so that if you can't get out in nature, nature can come in to you. Be it in the office or the home. Put a healing art image up on your wall and spend 5 minutes a day, at least, just sitting and looking into it, imaging that you were there and feel the stress dissapaiting out of your body. I am amazed at how even looking at a nature screensaver for a few minutes will lift my mood, give it a try and see for yourself. I have a collection of images at http://juliakharwood.redbubble.com/ that you can also look at.
I hope you will find this helpful and benificial.
Please remember to click on the "Follow" button to follow this blog and I will keep you up to date on new images and specials as well as helpful articles and links.

Take A Break

How often do you want to take a break, but can't afford it, or can't take time off. Why not take a break right where you are & look at this awesome place...and maybe one day you'll get to go there in real life as well.

Spiders

I have a rather strange fear of spiders, so when I see one I try to photograph it to help me conquor this fear. I am okay when I'm taking the picture, when they come up on my screen I still flinch! But here are some of the photos of spiders I have taken.