96Apprenticeship Alum
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How to Make Brown Paint (3 Common Shades)
What paint mixes make brown? An overview on how to mix brown with acrylic paint using three primary colors or two complementary hues, with examples for dark, reddish, and light brown.
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All You Need to Know About Painting Edges
Everything a painter needs to know to paint edges. How to paint edges to define your subject and to create good transitions between shapes. Edges help to guide the eye of the viewer through the picture plane, use them wisely.
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How to Get Rich by Living Below Your Means
Learn simple strategies that can help you get rich by learning to live within your means and taking control of where your money goes. Financial tips with a positive approach that will change the way you think about money and will make good changes happen.
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How to Mix Green From Cadmium Yellow Medium With Acrylics
Five examples of how to mix green from Cad Yellow Medium Pure combined with Payne’s Gray, Raw Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, and Manganese Blue Hue.
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How to Mix Neutral Colors From Orange and Blue (With Video)
A tutorial on how to mix neutral colors starting from just two colors: one being in the orange family, and the other a blue. A short time-lapse video shows four examples of orange/blue neutral mixes using acrylic paint.
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10 Ways to Improve Your Painting Skills
Excellent advice for beginner artists. The tips included in this guide will provide you with information on the 10 main things you need to learn and practice to continually improve your painting skills. From the beginning of a painting to the end, the 10 things you should focus on.
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How to Paint Trees, Step-by-Step
Learn the 10 steps to painting trees, starting with the most general shapes of the tree and ending with the details. Robie Benve shares her ten secrets to painting trees that are believable and that present character and dimension.
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Why and How to Color-Tone Your Canvas Before Painting
This article teaches you why it's better to paint on toned canvas and what color should you tone your canvas with.
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Learn How to Paint an Acrylic Landscape: Step-by-Step With Examples
Do you want to create a beautiful acrylic landscape painting on a toned canvas? I've laid out step-by-step instructions for the painting process and included a time-lapse video of the sketching that you can reference.
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How to Turn a Pencil Sketch Into a Digital Color Study Using the Procreate App
Create a pencil drawing sketch and a digital color study for an acrylic landscape painting! I've included step-by-step instructions and a time-lapse video to help you visualize what you need to do.
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How to Paint a Still Life Step-by-Step (Wet-on-Wet Oil Painting With a Limited Palette)
Learn the process of completing a still-life oil painting in one session. Watch the video that shows the painting process and delves into how I chose the colors of my limited tetrad palette. Alla prima is a direct painting technique, also known as wet-on-wet.
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How to Light Affects Value and Color in Paintings
A scene in a painting is influenced by the effect of light, the arrangement of dark and light shapes, and the harmony and balance of color. The color, strength, and angle of light influences all of these factors.
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Hue, Value, and Chroma: The Three Dimensions of a Color
The Munsell system describes color using three dimensions: hue, value, and chroma. Knowing the definitions is an essential tool for artists.
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11 Tips for Painting Outdoors With Oils
If you are used to painting in the studio, the first few paintings you do outdoors are going to be very challenging. However, painting en plein air can be a great experience and teach you a lot. Here are 11 tips that can help you make outdoors painting a little easier and more successful.
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En Plein Air Painting: Is It for You?
Pros and cons of plein air painting. A lot of artists think that painting landscapes on location is the best way to go. Learn about the advantages and challenges of painting outdoors. Would you enjoy it? Plus, tips to help you have an easier and more successful outdoor painting experience.
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How Making Value Sketches Improves Your Painting Skills
Learn how making thumbnail sketches and using them as value studies helps you create winning painting compositions. How to sketch the value and tone relationships, create an interesting composition by testing out value and tone of your masses. Tips to plan a good painting.
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Enhance Your Painting Composition by Planning the Value Structure
The way elements are arranged in the picture acts as the armature and supporting structure of a painting. To make a piece successful and interesting for the viewer, plan a composition with a strong value structure. Squinting helps. Seeing simplified shapes, it’s easier to “see” the composition.
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Paint From Photos: Tips for Choosing and Using Reference Photos in Painting
Painting from photos vs. from life: What are the differences and challenges? Learn the nine things artists should be aware of when painting from photos, plus tips and solutions to maximize the use of photo references and make great paintings.
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Color Temperature for Artists: Warm and Cool Hues in Painting
Being in control of color temperature is crucial in painting, especially when creating a mood, the illusion of depth, and form. Learn how to manipulate and change the temperature in color mixing.
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Hiking and Mountain-Bike Trails in Stolvizza in the Italian Alps
Stolvizza offers beautiful natural paths in the Italian Alps, great for hiking and mountain biking. The views are stunning and the paths are full of historic sites including WWII trenches and old limestone artifacts.
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10 Tips for How to Paint Skies and Clouds
10 great technical tips to paint gorgeous skies and clouds. Learn to notice things like atmospheric and linear perspective, how sky colors are less intense in the distance and more intense in the clouds closer to us, and how both sky and clouds have some of the softest edges you can find in nature.
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The 13 Typical Mistakes of the Beginner Painter
Most beginners make the same mistakes, and for some reason they can also be picked up by the non-artist. Here is a list of the most common things to avoid, so that artwork is not seen as mediocre. From failing to simplify, to being stingy with paint, learn what jumps out to the viewer as amateurish.
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Tips on How to Paint Sky Between Tree Branches
How to paint areas where sky and tree meet, making them look natural and believable. Learn how foliage and thin branches change the color of the sky. How to make sky holes believable with careful placement, shapes, color, value, and temperature.
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Elements of a Good Painting: Art Tips
What makes a painting good? Learn what elements to include in your paintings. Focus on technique and technical aspects, personal and emotional involvement, and novelty.
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How to Achieve Color Harmony With the Mother Color Technique
Detailed explanation of the mother color painting technique, a great way to create color harmony. Learn about how to pick the mother color and how to mix paint harmoniously, unifying the color scheme.
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How to Arrange Objects and Lighting in a Still Life Composition
Learn how to find the right objects and the best ways to set up a successful still life composition, including how to plan the lighting. Then learn the steps to get ready to sketch, draw, or maybe even paint it.
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Basic Brushstroke Types With Examples
Many brushstroke techniques can be used for fine art painting, including crosshatching, hatching, dry brush, flat wash, scumbling, stippling, etc. Learn the different brushstrokes and become a more successful painter.
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How to Paint Better Landscapes
A list of eight practical and helpful tips to help you improve your landscape paintings. Great for beginner artists, but also useful to those that have been painting for a while.
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10 Ways to Improve Productivity in the Art Studio
Artist Robie Benve shares wise tips on how to boost creativity and become more productive as an artist, writer, crafter, etc. She includes some time management and motivational advice as well.
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Oil Painting Tools and Materials for Beginners
The eight basic oil painting supplies artists need to get started, plus answers to common questions of beginner painters. Gift ideas for oil painters. What you need to get started with oil painting: paint tubes, brushes, canvas or board, palette, easel, paint thinner, rags, and more.
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15 Great Gift Ideas for Acrylic Painters and Artists
What kind of presents can you get for an artist that paints with acrylics? A list of tools and supplies that would make great gifts for any painter.
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How to Create DIY Greeting Cards With Original Paintings
Here you'll find a step-by-step tutorial on how to make greeting cards using your own original small paintings. You can create unique greeting cards that double as framable artwork and make fantastic gifts for friends and relatives.
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How to Find Pictures to Paint for Beginners
How do you find photos that can be used as a reference for a painting without risking copyright infringement? Make sure that you paint from royalty-free photos, look for photos with a license that allows derivative work and commercial use of the work, if you plan to sell your painting.
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Elements of Painting: Line and Shape
Learn about the elements and vocabulary of art. Lines and shapes are essential elements of painting. How you use them in art strongly affects the composition and overall feeling of the painting.
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How to Mix Brown From a Limited Palette of Red, Yellow, and Blue
Learn how to mix brown using a limited palette of three colors. Any shade of brown can be obtained from some kind of mixture of a red, a yellow, and a blue and the addition of white.
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Tips for Cleaning Acrylic Paint Brushes
Paintbrushes are a precious tool for acrylic painters: it's very important to keep them clean. How to clean art brushes in 10 steps and tips to keep them in good working conditions, just like new, for a long time.
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Easy Acrylic Painting Ideas: Abstract Landscape Tutorial
An example of how to paint a minimalist abstract landscape with acrylics, step-by-step. Easy acrylic landscape painting—great for beginners.
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Abstract Painting Idea With Acrylics, Masking Tape, and Bubble Wrap
A tutorial of how to paint an abstract painting using acrylic paint, masking tape, and bubble wrap on canvas.
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How to Plan a Painting (Tips for Beginner Artists)
What an artist needs to plan before starting to paint with acrylics, oils, watercolors, or any other media. How to decide the subject matter, composition, value masses, cropping of the subject, focal point, color, edges, and more.
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How to Draw and Color Simple Images in Microsoft Paint
How to draw simple subjects in Microsoft Paint. Drawing a daisy step by step.
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How to Draw Still Life
How to draw a still life step-by-step, from setting up a composition of objects to drawing shapes, lines, and shades. With an example drawing of simple shapes and kitchen objects.
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A Day in Rome, What to Do?
A day in Rome, Italy: so much to see, and so little time. Highlights from my 24-hour stay in Rome, the capital of Italy. Sightseeing Rome in One Day: Walking Tour of Italy's Capital
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Garlic Grilled Tomatoes - Juicy and Easy Recipe
Easy and tasty tomatoes on the electric grill, great for appetizers or side dish. Juicy.
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Katniss and Rue: Healing Properties of the Plants of the Hunger Games
In the "Hunger Games" books and movies, Katniss Everdeen and her family share deep knowledge of plants' medicinal and nutritional properties. What are the properties of the katniss and rue plants?
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Light Therapy for Psoriasis
Could light therapy help with your psoriasis? Photo-therapy can be an effective remedy for psoriasis, in many cases.
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Biography of Financial Advisor Suze Orman
Suze Orman is one of the most influential, well respected, and successful financial advisers in the World. Orman's bio is most inspiring. Suze had tough beginnings and struggled with debt.
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Drawing for Beginners in 14 Steps
Tips for beginners that want to learn how to draw, with reference to drawing techniques and step-by-step instruction.
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Advantages of Thinking Positively and Letting Go of Negativity
How do you stay positive when your life gets super hard? Here are some tips for staying positive and being open to good opportunities coming into your life.
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Why Optimists Live a Healthier Life
Focusing on positive and happy thoughts create amazing changes in our chemical balance that reduce stress and positively affect our health and well-being.
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How to Draw a Rose Using a Grid Step-by-Step
How do you draw a rose? Drawing instructions for beginners step-by-step.
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What Happy People Do
How do you find happiness? What characteristics determine if someone lives happily and merrily or sadly? Tips to a happy life. How to avoid being sad and cranky.
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How Laughter Fights Stress & Promotes Healing
A good sense of humor can't heal all ailments, but scientists have proven laughter can do a lot of positive things to you.
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"Cow on Mountain" Landscape Acrylic Painting: Step-by-Step Process
A step-by-step overview of the different stages and decision making involved in a landscape acrylic painting, with an example featuring a cow in an Alpine pasture.
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How to Render Atmospheric Perspective in Painting
How do you represent distance and depth in art? Learn aerial perspective and tips on how to render the illusion of recession in painting.
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Learn Basic Italian Before You Travel To Italy
Learn some basic Italian vocabulary and simple sentences like greetings, conversational words, and numbers. Enough Italian to have a basic conversation with Italians.
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Teaching Children About Money
Tips on teaching children that money is a limited and hard-to-get resource. Ideas on how to explain where money may come from, how to save, and how to spend. Help your kids to learn about money, and they'll grow having a better feeling about bills, saving plans, and financial emergencies.
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La Befana Brings Stockings to Italian Children
Who brings stockings in Italy? Not Santa. Italian Christmas festivities end on the Epiphany day, when La Befana brings gifts to children. Who is La Befana and what are the origins of her tradition?
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Chicken With Mushrooms and Onions - Low Carbs Recipe
A good serving size of this yummy chicken with mushrooms and onions will provide only 233 calories and 6 grams of carbohydrates.
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Financial Expert Suze Orman Quotes
Some of Suze Orman's best quotes about creating a life of material and spiritual abundance.
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How to Grow an Herb Garden From Seed
Growing herbs from seeds is much more economical and rewarding than purchasing herb seedlings. Learn how to start an indoor herb garden
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How to Use the Color Wheel to Plan Color Schemes and Color Mixing
Learn how to use the color wheel to help you choose color schemes and color mixing strategies.
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Pasta Puttanesca - Vegan Recipe
A vegetarian and vegan version of the tasty classic Italian puttanesca sauce. A yummy pasta recipe with capers, olives, and anchovies (optional) in juicy tomato sauce.
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Natural Fertilizers
Learn organic fertilizers' advantages over synthetic fertilizers. Compost, Manure, Bone Meal. How to choose the best fertilizer. Roles of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in fertilizers.
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6 Basic Acrylic Painting Techniques for Beginners
Acrylic paints provide the opportunity to experiment both watercolor and oil painting techniques. A review of the most popular acrylic painting techniques.
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Missoni Italian Fashion
Italian Fashion Brand Missoni, founded in 1953 By Ottavio Missoni, has a magical artistic alchemy always at the top of contemporary fashion design. during 60+ years.
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Northern Italian Cuisine
Italian culinary tradition of Northern Italy reflects all the characteristics of this multifaceted part of the country. Recipes reflect the richness in territory, dialects, climate, and history.
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Sardinia, Italy - Great Beaches and Rich History
An island in the Mediterranean Sea, "Sardegna" offers beautiful beach resorts and striking natural sites. A rich history and archeological sites add even more interest to this beautiful destination.
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12 Things to Plan Before Starting a Painting and How to Do It
Learn the 12 things you need to plan before starting a painting. What to paint? How? With what techniques and styles? Learn how to make the most important decisions before and during the painting process.
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Italian Beaches: Lignano Sabbiadoro
Italy has miles and miles of coast, with all kind of different beach options. Lignano Sabbiadoro offers a golden sand shore and a lot of fun opportunities that can please everyone.
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Travel Tips: 5 Great Places to Visit in Northern Italy
5 of the top places to visit when you travel to Northern Italy. What to see in Trieste, Venice, Verona, Lake Garda, and Genoa.
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Step-by-Step Acrylic Painting for Beginners
Acrylic painting tips for beginner artists. Learn the seven supplies you need to paint with acrylics, how to get started, how to plan your painting composition, and how the steps of the painting process.
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How to Ruin Paintbrushes
Some common mistakes quickly ruin paintbrushes. Learn the five most important things you should not do when cleaning and storing paintbrushes if you want to keep them in good shape for a long time. Great tips for beginner artists.
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Easy Spaghetti Recipe: Noodly Hot Dogs
A cheap recipe that kids will love, so easy that kids can make it themselves (with some help). main ingredients: spaghetti and hot dogs.
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Romantic Vacation Venice Things to Do With Your Loved One
Venice is the perfect romantic destination in Italy for both honeymooners and seasoned couples. Prepare to get mesmerized by the magic city on water.
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How to Use the Rule of Thirds in Painting Composition
The rule of thirds helps artists and photographers to plan a winning composition.
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How to Get Kids to Try New and Healthy Foods
Tips on how to get children to try new foods, with examples of dishes that my children would eat at enjoy on a regular basis.
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10 Mom's Tips to Raise a Good Eater
What can you do to raise non-picky eaters? 10 tips on how to raise children that are adventurous eaters and love healthy food, from a mom of two good eaters.
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How Having Children Changes Your Life and Marriage
Marriage after children can be hard but fortunately most couples survive. How children change your life, big times and how we survived. True story! :)
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How to Stay Happily Married After Having Children
A guide to building a loving and happy marriage that survives and thrives as the family grows.
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Color Harmony: Color Schemes Explained
Overview of basic color schemes and theory. A color theory guide to finding harmonious or contrasting color combinations. Description of monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triadic, and tetradic color combinations.
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Growing Herbs Indoor and Outdoor
Learn how to grow your own herbs. Tips on how to grow herbs in a garden, flower bed, or pots, indoors or outdoors. Herbs provide natural flavors, aromas, and medicinal qualities.
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Venice Is Sinking: Struggles of the City Built on Water
Being built on water is one of Venice's charming characteristics, but also the very thing that is threatening its survival. Venice's environmental challenges may ruin it or even sink it forever. Global warming is posing new threats to the beautiful Italian city.
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Main Attractions in St. Mark's Square - Piazza San Marco
Saint Mark's Square is one of the most spectacular and famous destinations for millions of tourists every year. Some of the attractions are the Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, the bell tower, the Clocktower, Museo Correr, Caffè Florian, Caffè Quadri, and Harry's Bar.
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Best 5 Ways to Spend a Lump Sum of Money
What are the best ways to use an unexpected sum of money? Windfalls are hard to come by, and once you've got your hands on a big sum, you should plan carefully how to use it. Tips on how to decide the five most important expenses to tackle first.
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Annual, Biennial, and Perennial Plants and Herbs
What are the differences between annual, biennial, and perennial plants? Why are some annuals tender while others are hardy? Examples of different plants.
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Learn to Say "No" - Choose What Makes You Happy
What makes a person happy? There are many ways to find happiness, but what works for one may be totally ineffective for another. How to Live a Happier Life Finding Your Balance
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How to Visit Venice With Kids
Is Venice child and stroller friendly? Things you need to know when going to Venice with children.
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The Top 9 Non-Touristy Things to Do in Venice, Italy
Why spend your time wading through crowds when you could be visiting Venice's less-famous attractions and beauties instead? In this article, you will find the top nine non-touristy things to do in Venice.
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How to Set SMART Personal Financial Goals
A guide on how to set and achieve SMART financial goals and track your progress. What's keeping you from getting rich? Make sure the way you plan your finances is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
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7 Ways Art Improves Quality of Life
How does art appreciation improve quality of life and makes you feel good? There is science behind it. Admiring artworks stimulates the brain similarly to what happens when we fall in love, it improves our mood, and can be used as therapy during healing.
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Guide to Choosing the Best Paint Brushes for Acrylics and Oils
A guide for fine oil and acrylic painters on how to choose the best paintbrushes to achieve the desired painting effects. Learn how to choose your brushes by size, shape, and material.
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Best Varnishing Techniques for Acrylic Paintings
Varnishing step-by-step. Your acrylic painting is complete. As a final step, apply the best varnishing techniques to protect your artwork, and get it ready to hang or to be sold. Learn how to brush on or spray the varnish, and how to remove it.
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Easy Personal Budget Planning Tips
How to make a successful personal budget plan. All you need to know to start planning your finances and stop worrying about money.
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How to Prepare a Vegetable Garden for Winter
What to do in the fall to prepare a vegetable garden for winter so you find it ready for planting in the spring. Harvest, protect, dig, and fertilize your garden in the fall.
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Light and Tasty Zucchini, Cheese, and Ham Quiche Recipe
Light and delicate recipe for a delicious zucchini, ham, and cheese baked quiche. Ready in 45 minutes.
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Step-by-Step Simple and Easy Family Budget
How to Set up a Family Budget. All you need to know to make a family budget and plan your personal finances. Step-by-Step simple and easy budgeting tips.
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Typical Italian Rice Salad - Great Appetizer or Main Dish
This rice salad is a delicious dish the all family will love. Since it's served cold, the rice salad makes a great summer dish. I love to have it as starter, and it's very convenient to pack for school or work lunches.
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How to Grow an Indoor Vegetable Garden
Indoor gardening: watch seeds grow into edible crop, powerfully satisfying and a delight to all senses. Grow your on healthy food. Plus it's a great conversation starter!
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The Purpose of a Personal Budget and How to Get Started
It's important to have a personal budget and use it as a tool to analyze what happens with your money so you can make the best financial and spending decisions for your situation. Following a budget will benefit your life in remarkable ways by putting you in control of your income and expenses.
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How to Clean Up Acrylic Paints
Tips on how to clean up acrylic paint from brushes, painting palettes, or clothes whether they are still wet or after they are dry.
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Save Your Hippocampus: Use Your Spatial Memory
How relying on technology to remember things and find directions shrinks your hippocampus. Importance of exercising spatial memory.
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How to Prepare a Canvas for Painting: A Step-by-Step Guide
Before you can paint on raw canvas, the fabric should be primed. How do you prep a canvas for acrylic or oil paint? Step-by-step instructions on how to prime a canvas with acrylic gesso.
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Cheapest Time to Travel to Italy
Planning to visit Italy during less expensive periods can save you a lot of money. Tips on how to save money during a trip to Italy and what periods of the year are best to visit each region.
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25 Easy Ideas for Living Green
25 free or low-cost ways to go green - Save money by creatively reducing, reusing, and recycling. Fight your carbon footprint.
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Simple Family Budgeting and Financial Planning
Investing some time planning your family budget can save you lots of money. Things you need to do to gain personal financial stability.
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Advantages of Wind Energy
Anyplace where wind blows steadily and strong, wind-power systems could be installed. Wind farms and turbines have many advantages, but some disadvantages too...
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Energy Saving Tips - Save Resources, Spend Less and Help The Environment
Cutting down on energy usage saves money and helps the environment.
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Properties and Health Benefits
All about extra virgin olive oil - characteristics and benefits of olive oils. Understanding olive oil labels, how to purchase the best olive oil, health properties, and alternative uses of olive oil.
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Vinegar: A Safe and Efficient Green Cleaner
Make your home a healthier place for you and your family by cleaning with white distilled vinegar.
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How to Live Below Your Means and Be Happy
Tips on how live happy on a tight budget - based on my personal experience. How to save the most by understanding needs vs. wants.
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How Solar Energy Becomes Electricity
How does solar energy work? Photovoltaic systems explained in a simple way. An insight on the technical characteristics and efficiency of solar power.
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Yummy Bolognese Sauce with Hidden Veggies - Step-by-Step Recipe
Recipe for a delicious Bolognese meat sauce, delicious on pasta, gnocchi, and lasagna with minced carrots, celery, onions, and garlic.
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Why Painting Value/Tone Is More Important Than Color
The value of a visual element measures how light or dark it is. Value is an essential element in drawings and paintings. Learn how value is the key to a successful painting, not color. This article explains how to understand and see values in art.
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How to Be Frugal and Environmental Friendly
Ready to save money and help the environment? Get your brain and heart ready to change habits and you can save money while reducing pollution and resource consumption.
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How to Start Saving For Your Emergency Fund
We all need an emergency fund to financially protect ourselves and our family. How much do you need to save for emergencies? What are financial emergencies? Tips to save money.
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How to Boost Romance With Your Husband
Tips for women struggling to keep the romance in a relationship. Nurture a healthy and loving relationship and keep the passion alive with daily acts of love .
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8 Creative Acrylic Painting Techniques
Painting tips for beginners. A guide to acrylic paint techniques you can use to get creative effects: splattering, pouring, masking, collage, and more.
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Easy Game You Can Play Anywhere
A free family game that you can play anytime and anywhere. It’s totally free and you don’t need any supplies. You can play it with family or friends. Children love this game!
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Pasta Carbonara: A Quick and Easy Recipe With Eggs and Bacon
A delicious pasta recipe that's very easy to prepare. It uses eggs, bacon, and Parmesan cheese as the main ingredients. Yum! Good with spaghetti, linguine, penne, or your favorite noodles.
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10 Tips to Find Artistic Inspiration and Creative Ideas
How to find artistic inspiration. 10 ways to overcome lack of inspiration, and get back at creating art. Tips and ideas to shake off the creativity burnout.
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Acrylic Painting for Beginners: Getting Started in 10 Easy Steps
Acrylic painting for beginners: all you need to get started. Great info about art supplies and materials needed to start painting with acrylics for beginners. Tips on what paint, brushes, canvas, and easel to buy.