Creative Garden Art: From Trinkets to Treasures

Did you know that you can give new life to nearly any old object? Not only can these ‘recycled items’ add unique charm to your home, but they also be incorporated into the garden. With just a little bit of imagination and a lot of creativity, an ordinary garden can be given the ultimate makeover—one full of character and history. Objects for this task can be found just about anywhere. You can even make use of your own personal possessions that you may have found difficult to part with in the past.
In the garden there is a place for everything, especially containers. Some of the most commonly reused objects that can easily be transformed into interesting containers include plastic jugs, old pots and pans, baskets, and tires. You can also use an old wash tub, sink, or wheelbarrow. For a more personal touch, consider recycling a pair of outgrown boots that were once yours or perhaps belonged to your children. As long as your object allows for drainage, nearly anything goes. For items without drainage holes, simply poke a few in the side or bottom with a drill or other suitable instrument. Don’t get rid of those aged flowerpots; give them a face lift instead by adding some paint or mosaic tiles. 

Plastic soda bottles can turn into unique ‘piggy’ planters. Simply cut a section out of the side to hold a small pot. On the other side, add some feet; this will also give the planter support. Typically, I use an egg carton for this; you may use whatever is on hand. Choose your favorite color and paint the bottle. Add some eyes and ears; the nose comes from the bottle’s lid. Now place a flowerpot into your ‘piggy’ planter and set it in a location of your choosing.

What is a garden without interesting focal points? Large objects make great eyepieces. Wheelbarrows, tubs, old mowers, and statues are some good choices. Fountains and other water features can easily be made from old objects that have just been lying around. Use pieces of pipe, old sinks and tubs, or different sized pots and pans. Welcome birds into the garden with creative sanctuaries. Turn an old mailbox into a festive bird retreat or feeder. Transform dishes into splashing bird baths. Worn-out tools and other similar items can quickly become treasured garden pets. For instance, post-hole diggers can be changed into magnificent alligators. Flowerpots can magically be transformed into cute puppy dogs. Turn saw blades into artificial flowers with some paint; attach to stems made from pipes or broken tool handles. Maybe you would prefer to create sundials from the blades. It’s totally up to you.

Everyone enjoys the whimsical sounds of wind chimes, and these can easily be made from various scrap metal parts. Wind sounders can also be created from strips of metal and twisted into shape. If you have an excessive supply of glass canning jars, drop some tea light candles into them and line walkways or even a deck to add subtle light for get-togethers. Old coffee, soup, or paint cans may be used as well. Simply punch decorative designs into them, add some paint, place a candle inside, and enjoy. Stones and weathered stumps or logs even have potential in the garden. When uniquely placed, these objects can provide additional interest throughout the garden area. Do you like collecting things? Integrate them into the garden. For instance, a collection of bottles or sea shells can be utilized as edging for beds. Ladders, gates, or bed frames can make an attractive trellis for your plants. Dishes can be used in place of mosaic tiles for decorating a variety of objects.

No matter your level of artistic ability or skill, art is art. With any type of art, there is no right or wrong. Objects of all sorts can hold hidden potential. Whatever you see in an object, you can do. All you need is some creativity; as imaginations are never-ending, so are the possibilities.

Brutal Reality Drowned in Deepa Mehta's Most Talked About Film <em>Water</em>

This is no novel news that at the 30th International Film Festival held in Toronto, Canada, David Hamilton productions came up with the screening of “Water”, Deepa Mehta's brave exploration of India's grim, sordid past in a finely judged tale of a young Hindu girl whose life is suddenly changed by the traditions of her religion. The film is supposed to be the opening feature film of the film festival, starting on September 7. 

What is remarkable to my mind about the theme of the film is that it attempts to delve deep into the Indian society of the thirties, thereby telling an inspirational tale about a girl who refuses to accept her fate and struggles against all powerful religious customs those are at odds with her and those render her a prisoner without a future. Overall, there is a mixed reaction about the film from all quarters of the world, where rejection is reported much more than acceptance. 

To my mind, this is owing to the fact that Mehta tells the story with a stoic sense of outrage that turns into a growing spirit of possibility and potential. It is a pity that the film has to focus mainly on the Foreign market and International Film Festivals all around the globe, as the Indian market that thrives on feel-good commercial flicks is reportedly “appalled” and “shocked to death” by the film depicting the horrendous past of India where baseless beliefs were blindly followed and umpteen lives were painfully wasted by the Indian caste system.

Having watched the two earlier films of Deepa Mehta’s much-hyped trilogy, “Fire” and “Earth-1947” years ago, it was time for me to watch the last one, “Water”, to make my viewing full-circle. No doubt, the whole trilogy, comprising of taboo topics like lesbianism and polygamy, even in this era, is bound to rake up fire as they have challenged established moral concerns through the detailed examination of sexual and familial relationships. 

This time, there was scope of unlimited challenges and controversies for the film-maker, what with the project being shelved in February 2000 due to the ruthless attack of Hindu fundamentalists angered by the sensitive subject matter. The set of the film was burned in the “holy” city of Varanas, causing over $600,000 worth of damage.

In every era, when the veil of darkness is lifted and age-old conventions and superstitions casting an evil spell in human minds are challenged, so-called aficionados of religion, by imposing nonsensical restrictions and by creating treacherously outrageous conditions in the name of power play, still make it a point to prove that they are there for humanity and they will make their presence felt, “taming the shrew” in the process. 

By delaying the project for six long years, by succumbing to the hostility of the fundamentalists with the resulting tensions, and eventually being forced to shoot the film outside India (in Sri Lanka) with an entirely new casting crew, and with a somewhat altered script, even the bold director Deepa Mehta proved that the devils of the yesteryears who suppressed the voices of humanity in the name of religion, are here to stay for long. 

As a result, the film has not only been shrouded in controversies, but has also quite ironically been a by-product of compromises. I pretty much remember Shabana Azmi being in news in 2000 for shaving off her hair after signing this project with Deepa Mehta. Nandita Das, the dusky, unconventional beauty was to do the bit which was later done by Lisa Ray. While both these women are pretty known in the socialite circle for their activist avatars, it is a wonder that they later backed out of the project, giving way to a totally different star-cast.

The story, set on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, depicts the desperate plight of widows forced to live a renounced, abandoned life, which the priest (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) portrays as “the prayashchit” of the ill the widows have committed in their previous karmic lives and also as the door to attain “liberation” after being possessed by God in the realm of death. The enigmatic, resilient widow Shakuntala (played to utmost perfection by Seema Biswas) seems to have been used to the pathetic plight she is forced into after her widowhood, but still she cannot resist the temptation of questioning the basis of all these, only to hear to obscure answers from the priest, in the name of the Hindu scriptures. 

As a corollary to her silent suffering, there are widows of various ages and sizes, all living under the same roof. Though a maximum number of them are widowed in childhood, never remembering the bliss of a conjugal life, all are forced to live impoverished lives devoid of sensual pleasures. Bearing suppression for ages, the amount of pain, frustration, anger, and even a bit of lunacy are elements that make them all the more human. 

It is a psychologically proven fact that suppression of human desires bring about perversion, lunacy and distorted pleasures, all of which, ironically, are shown by the existence of Madhumati (played by vamp of yesteryears, Manorama) and her accomplice, the eunuch Gulabi (played by Raghuvir Yadav). While the widows assort themselves by the ganges to listen to the religious scriptures and sanctify their souls by thinking of renunciation, a vicious game of prostitution continues from behind, as Kalyani (Lisa Ray), the gorgeous “asset” of the widow asram is set free to have her large tresses, dress up and sleep around with the “seth” secretly, prompted by the old hag Madhumati, all these in order to keep the asram “survive”.

The role of the child “Chuiya” in the film: 

In the first scene of the film, the death of the so-called “husband” of Chuiya, an eight year-old kid, brings her idyllic innocence to a jolting halt. Being forced to shave off her hair, wrap her body in a piece of white cloth and left in the widow asram along with its inmates, all of whom are four to five double her age in average, the plot of the film revolves around how her life changes its course during her stay in the asram and how she is able to touch the chords of her heart with her inmates. While with her childish innocence and pranks, she befriends Kalyani, the stunning young widow (some scenes and the rain song being filmed on the two have a lyrical intensity to it), in spite of raking up fire and letting all hell break loose at times in the Asram, she affects the lives of some older widows that have been there for years.

Her role to the film is crucial from at least three perspectives: (i) reviewing the emotional conflicts of the adult widows with her pristine innocence, (ii) providing the characteristic childish innocence to the romantic aspect of the film depicted by the love between Kalyani and the idealist youth Narayan. (iii) The third perspective of the child’s presence is somewhat grim and ironical, that of child sexual abuse being secretly administered beneath the so-called sanctified framework of the existence of the widows. The child, overall, acts as the eye-opener to the hypocritical, perverse social practices being maintained under the so-called banner of religion.

The love aspect of the film:

In spite of the lyrical intensity of the songs (written by Sukhwinder, composed by A.R.Rehman) that depict forbidden love between Narayan and Kalyani, the cinematography (by Giles Nuttgens) capturing the ghats of the ganges, the outstanding background score by Mychael Danna,, the mysterious nights of Vanaras where the lovers meet secretly and profess their affections for each other, the sadistic theme of doomed star-crossed lovers prove at the end, with Kalyani’s suicide, that in a society where hypocrisy and skin-trade in the name of religion and Brahmin existence prevails, Narayan the idealist is living in a fool’s paradise, nurturing dreams of marrying a widow who had all lust for life. While the vices being offered to Kalyani secretly, at the expense of her beauty portrays a brutal truth, her tragic death highlights the fact that patriarchal social norms will have their cunning way in spite of the silent sufferings of thousands of Kalyanis. 

One may question at the end, isn’t there any positive aspect at the end of the brutal truth? Remember the last scene, where the desperate Shakuntala (Seema Biswas) literally begs the fanatics swept over by the idealism and “passive resistance” of Gandhiji to handover the mentally and physically tormented child to Gandhiji? Not one of them is honest enough to listen to her pleas, and to consider the child’s identity as something other than a “doomed widow”, until the broken hearted Narayan takes her into his shelter. This proves that the big talks of shattering customs and prejudices preached by the reformers of society, uttered time and again by so-called intellectuals fall flat when the actual time arises. The writer had to ultimately take recourse to the so-called hero Narayan and rather accidental circumstances to show that there is at least a ray of hope for the shattered child.

In India, where there are around 34,000 widows (according to the 2001 census) still living impoverished, shattered lives, such a film is worth a watch, at least to acknowledge that there is a vicious reality around. However, numerous controversies, the media-hype, the news of lawsuits of plagiarism being filed by a Bengali writer (Sunil Ganguly) against the director will only create enough "masala" to deviate the audiences’ minds from the actual intention of the film and render it yet another hyped product in the film-market!

It is all the more shocking to know that even in Toronto and in some of the US cities, there exists a group of fundamentalists who have dared to offer “friendly advice” to Deepa Mehta, the film maker, suggesting to quit screening the film here because Americans and Canadians do not understand the complexities of Indian traditions! Coupled to it are the “valuable” suggestions coming up from nooks and corners of India as well as the so-called “Worldwide Indian Diaspora” who are alleging the lady about highlighting the dark side of the Indian society. They question her inability to perceive good things in India and show them on big screen. 

However, these pseudo-intellectuals ought to know that mushy, goody goody love tales, sentimental family dramas and Ramgopal Verma horror flicks are not the absolute truths of the country. Having said that, one has to acknowledge that venal corruption, casteism, communal riots, female infanticide as well as exploitation of the female in all forms have become sort of ground realities in the country. It is not all about clinging to a vision of the land that might have existed hundreds of years ago. The truth on the other hand is, even today, if one visits Vanaras or for that matter, any other religious small town of India, such things do exist, though in less severity than before. In the end, all I think is that a society can move forward only when reality of plights and atrocities are accepted and a solution is sought for it. And now, it is really high time that fundamentalists of all hues and faiths, whether in India, or in the US and Canada, realize that!

A Brief History of the Sundance Film Festival

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Every January droves of people and Hollywood stars descend upon Park City, Utah to attend the Sundance Film Festival. As odd as it seems to have such a well-respected affair in out-of-the-way Utah, the Sundance Film Festival is one of the world's top five film festivals. It shares company with Cannes, Toronto, Venice, and Berlin. But its origins may surprise you.

Everyone knows that Robert Redford founded the festival, right? Wrong. Despite the myth that makes Redford the instigator of the festival, it was actually started by a film graduate from BYU, Sterling Van Wagenen, and Utah's Film Commissioner, John Earle. Van Wagenen and Earle created the festival for three reasons:

1.to entice more film makers to Utah
2.to provide a showcase for American films (although the festival has since developed international categories)
3.to recognize films not made in Hollywood.

The festival's first year was 1978. Redford was there from the beginning, but as a member of the board of directors. Redford has lived in Utah since the 1960s, and it was only natural that he should be invited to participate. Part of the reason that Sundance has garnered so much attention is doubtless due to its association with Redford. And because he was (and is) such a big name, the story that he founded the festival has never been strenuously denied.

Rather than being held in Park City, the first two festivals were held 45 minutes to the west in Salt Lake City. And not during the winter. The change came for the third festival. Sydney Pollack (yes, THAT Sydney Pollack), who was also on the board of directors, insightfully suggested that holding the festival at a ski resort during the winter would set it apart. However, back then the festival was known as the Utah/US Film Festival. The name didn't change until 1991, when the name was changed to reflect the fact that Redford's Sundance Institute has sponsored the event since 1985.

The combination of famous patrons, a unique setting, and a growing reputation for high quality independent films has made Sundance a major event. It lasts for ten days, has expanded to include 10 individual sections, and has spawned a variety of activities around it. People even come to screen movies out of the backs of their cars on the streets of Park City, hoping to get noticed - or to just have a good time.

Some of the most revered independent filmmakers of our time have received their big breaks while showing movies at Sundance. Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, James Wan, Jim Jarmusch, and Kevin Smith all got their entrance into mainstream culture at Sundance. Additionally, movies like Clerks, The Blair Witch Project, and Napoleon Dynamite were all propelled into the mainstream and pop culture by their exposure at Sundance.

Making Sure Mom Gets What She Needs at Her Baby Shower

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When throwing a baby shower one of the main concerns of the host is whether or not the mom to be will get what she needs. There are several different ways that you can ensure that she will get everything that she needs. This article will discuss those options. First you could purchase all of the gifts yourself, but that is really being unrealistic, since most people just do not have that type of money. The bet ways is to make sure that the mom to be registers for all of the items she wants or needs. 

There are really dozens of different registries that you can choose from. One of the most popular ones is Babies R Us. What makes there registry so good is that anyone can purchase something for you no matter where they live. Also their staff is very helpful, but in store and online. Once she registers you will want to make sure, that all of the guest know that she is registered and where she is registered at. You can do this by putting it on the invitations. Then once everyone calls to rsvp, you can really stress the fact that she would love to get the items she really needs off of her baby registry. 

Another option is to have everyone go in on a group gift. What you do is have all of the guests make a min contribution of about twenty dollars. This way they can still get their own gift, and they will be included in the group gift as well. This has worked very well for me in the past. We were actually able to get just about everything on the mom to be's list. In addition she will also get a lot of other nice items. You will see how much it really is appreciated when she is able to get just abut everything that she requested. Also make sure that in addition to what she put on her registry, you get something just for her. Most people will get spa kits for mom, or even a spa gift certificate. This way either before or after the baby comes she can get a day of rest and relaxation. What mom does not want and deserve that? 

When it comes to making sure that the mom to be gets everything she needs it really is up to you the hostess to make sure that this happens. It really is not as difficult as it sounds, although it will take a little more work on your part, it definitely is something that can be done.

DIY Wedding Photography: Shot List for the Traditional Couple

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How can you save money on photography for your wedding? Do it yourself! DIY wedding photos won't sacrifice your precious wedding memories. Just make sure you are doing the wedding justice by creating a shot list before the ceremony.

As a traditional couple, you will want "classic" wedding portraits. Make sure you get the following shots for your do it yourself wedding album.

DIY Wedding Photo Shot List - Pictures of the Bride and Groom

Have the bride and groom stand in front of the church. Stand back from the couple so you can get their entire bodies into frame. Make sure to get the entire wedding gown in the picture.

Take a few steps forward, use your zoom, and take a close-up portrait of the bride and groom facing forward.

Have the bride and groom turn their heads and look into one another's eyes. Take a close-up.

Snap a photo of the bride and groom standing in front of the church on their wedding day.

DIY Wedding Photo Shot List - Photos of the Wedding Party

Every wedding album needs a picture that includes the entire wedding party. Line up the bridesmaids and groomsmen with the bride and groom in the center. The flower girl and ring bearer can stand in front of the attendants, but do not place them directly in front of the bride and groom. Doing so would block the bride's wedding gown.

Take some wedding photos of the bride with her bridesmaids. Then take some pictures of the groom with his groomsmen.

Make sure you get a picture of just the flower girl and ring bearer. These cute wedding photos will turn out great!

DIY Wedding Photo Shot List - Pictures of Family Members

Family plays an important role in any wedding. Make sure to include them in the wedding photographs.

Shoot the bride with her family and the groom with his family. Marriage unites these two families, so get a shot of them all together as well.

Make sure to get a picture with the grandparents as well.

DIY Wedding Photo Shot List - Photographs of The Ceremony

The ceremony is the most sacred part of the wedding. Don't be too intrusive while getting your shots. Here are some wedding photos you must get:

Each bridesmaid and groomsmen as they walk toward the altar

The flower girl and ring bearer as they walk down the aisle

The bride walking down the aisle and being given away

Close-up of the groom when he sees his bride

The bride and groom standing at the altar (from behind and from in front if you can manage)

The entire wedding party during the ceremony

Bride and groom's first kiss as a married couple

The couple lighting the unity candle

Bride and groom exchanging rings

Bride, groom, and attendants as they walk back down the aisle

DIY Wedding Photo Shot List - Reception Photos

The reception offers many opportunities to capture the spirit of celebration. Take a lot of journalistic style photographs during the reception of guests dancing, eating, and laughing.

In addition to these spontaneous photos, remember to snap the following pictures:

The bride, groom, and attendants in the receiving line

Groom removing and tossing the bride's garter

Bride tossing her bouquet

The wedding cake being cut and fed to the bride and groom (protect your camera from flying cake!)

The couple's first dance and dancing with their parents

The Most Important Tip for DIY Wedding Photography - Be Creative

This wedding photography shot list will get you started. It is not intended to limit your creativity. These are only the basic poses and wedding pictures a traditional couple would like to have in their wedding photo album. Take these basics and add your own ideas to create a unique wedding gift -- the gift of memories.

Sources

DFM Photography, Wedding Shotlist Helper, http://www.dfmphotography.com/wedding_shotlist.shtml

Personal Experience

DIY Wedding Photography on a Budget

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So, your wedding is fast approaching and you want memories that will last a lifetime. However, you are on a budget and don't have a lot of money to spend for a professional wedding photographer. You can still get professional-looking, creative, memorable pictures with DIY wedding photography.

The first thing to do is to find someone who takes great pictures. This doesn't have to do be a professional photographer. Many people have a "great eye" and instinctively know how to take great pictures. Think of friends or family members who you've complimented on their photography from vacations, for example. Another way to find a cheap wedding photographer is to look on local college bulletin boards, or post on them yourself in the art department or photography department. Many students have amazing talent, but since they are still a bit inexperienced, will be your wedding photographer for a fraction of the price of a professional wedding photographer. Some may even photograph your wedding for free, for no more than a free meal and use of your wedding pictures for their portfolio. You can also consider putting an ad on Craigslist for a hobbyist who is not a professional wedding photographer, but has an artistic eye and loves to take pictures. Get samples of work and negotiate a price you are both pleased with.

Whether you use a talented stranger or an artistically-inclined friend or family member as your wedding photographer, make sure they have a good camera. You may even consider purchasing a good quality, digital camera that you can give them as their "payment". If you need to purchase a camera for your DIY wedding photography, make sure you give it to the wedding photographer in plenty of time for them to learn the ins and outs of the camera, so they can adjust the settings. Digital cameras also allow for easy editing, so you or your DIY wedding photographer can edit your wedding pictures. Also, digital cameras have a large capacity to store many pictures, with a memory card they can hold hundreds of pictures, so you will have plenty of wedding photos to choose from to preserve your special day.

Another idea is to meet with your DIY wedding photographer to develop a plan of what you want photographed. Remember, since you will be saving a lot of money by not hiring a professional wedding photographer, you will have to do some of the work yourself. This includes providing the DIY wedding photographer with a list of what you want photographed. This may include photographs of the wedding rings, the wedding invitations, the bridal party, the groomsmen, the family of the bride, the family of the groom, the bride and groom's first kiss, the wedding service, etc. This will help you and your DIY wedding photographer be on the same page and know each other's expectations beforehand, so you get exactly what you want on your special day.

Also, encourage others to take pictures of your wedding. Some of the best wedding photography are those wonderfully candid moments caught by some of the guests. Some wedding couples choose to put disposable cameras on tables for guests to take photographs of, then ask that they leave the cameras when they leave the wedding reception. Some give the cameras out as wedding favors and ask that any great wedding photographs be sent to the married couple.

Lastly, consider the best of both worlds. You can hire a professional wedding photographer for a short period of time to take a few very specific pictures, then rely on your DIY photographer and wedding guests to take the rest of the photographs. This will eliminate a lot of cost for a professional wedding photographer. You can also opt to don your wedding attire a few days after the event and go to a studio to have a few professional pictures taken.

Remember, it doesn't take a professional photographer to take some amazing, creative, professional-looking wedding photography. Have a great day!

Stephanie Harrison Photography - Where You'll Find the Best Photographer in Town

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Whether you're looking for that perfect photographer for senior pictures, wedding photos, new baby celebration or special family moments, Stephanie Harrison Photography is the place to go! You'll not only find a professional studio that is conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Depot District in Richmond, Indiana, but you'll meet one of the friendliest, easy going photographers around; not to mention at a great value!

The photographer at Stephanie Harrison Photographer, none other than Stephanie Harrison herself, offers an artistic style that can't be found elsewhere. The results of her work give an eclectic, non-staged, and real feeling. She captures expressions and movements perfectly in her photographs. She's got the perfect personality for children and adults alike. She can accommodate any situation from serious, quiet moments to doing whatever is needed to get an unsure baby to smile, make nervous folks feel comfortable or even catch that wondering gaze of a beloved pet.

Photos aren't always taken inside the studio at Stephanie Harrison Photography. The opportunity is also there to go outdoors and use the resources of the Historic Depot for a more urban look, combining the exposed brick of old buildings with the sweet, fresh face of a new baby, for example. Stephanie is also often available for on-site shoots for weddings, special celebrations and other purposes!

Stephanie Harrison has the experience to make your photo shoot the best it can be! She's been featured in a number of magazines across the world and has won various photography awards. With such skill and recognition one might think her prices would reflect it, but at Stephanie Harrison Photography, the value is unreal!

The session fee is a very reasonable $40.00 for up to four people. Prices for prints obviously vary by size but range anywhere from $8.00 for eight wallets up to $90.00 for a huge 20x30 print! She offers packages for senior pictures starting at a low $99.00 and Wedding Packages that can be had from $550.00. Also available are Gallery Canvas Wraps in various sizes which are, simply put, awesome!

Stephanie Harrison Photography can be found at 195 Fort Wayne Avenue in Richmond, Indiana and reached at (765)962-3133. The website, www.stephanieharrisonphotography.com offers numerous examples of Stephanie's work, a price sheet, bio, and contact information for setting up your first session.

Stephanie Harrison Photography; you simply won't find a better photographer around!