• Give the Gift of an Original Oil Painting

• A Colder Winter Forces Careful Seasonal Garden Planning
• The Newest Shops at The Emporium Mall

- Give the Gift of an Original Oil Painting -

Copyright 2006 My Picture Painter Oil Paintings All rights reserved.

"dedicated to the revival of the lost art of portrait painting"

It wasn't as if the whole family had to pay for it. No one had offered to, although they would take part of the credit when the 25th anniversary gift was opened and exclaimed over and hung lovingly over the fireplace for all to see. It wasn't as if the wedding portrait, an original oil painting from an old photo, was anyone else's idea, but someone would probably say it had been.

It was an idea I had been forming in the back of my mind since last year when my grandparents had celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, which fell on Christmas day. Twenty five years of marriage does not seem like a lot for grandparents, especially for those who have grandchildren in their forties, like me, but theirs was an amazing love story. Both had been married to other people following the Holocaust and had subsequently lost their spouses tragically - his from cancer, hers in a car accident - and then, love again. Getting married later in life, with families already well-established and fully-grown hadn't been the easiest transition. Different walks of life, beliefs and ways to properly cook a Thanksgiving turkey had been only a few of the many issues that had arisen between the newly blended family members, but now it was time to come together.

Originally it had been a family portrait idea - to have a painting made from a photo taken of the entire family - siblings and step siblings, children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, but the idea had grown bigger than I could manage, so I had decided to simplify with a wedding portrait of my grandmother and their grandfather together on their wedding day, shrunken and wrinkled, old even then, 25 years ago, but happy, deliriously happy.

Since their anniversary fell on Christmas day, I thought the original oil painting would be a unique Christmas gift idea as well as a memorable 25th wedding anniversary gift. They deserved something special to commemorate how far they had come. They knew about all the struggles, even though we, the blended family, always tried to keep the unpleasantness from them. Maybe it was too late to try and teach an old family new tricks, but they didn't think so. Every child and grandchild, niece and nephew was loved by my grandmother and their grandfather as though they were flesh and blood.

They deserved something special. The thought kept circling around in my head. A wedding portrait would not be enough. I would have to revive the family portrait idea. They deserved something special like the whole family - the two they had tried so hard to make into one - coming together on one page, or at least one on piece of canvas, frozen happily in a timeless collection. A sitting would never work, but a painting from a photo would. It wasn't going to be easy, but then again, love, of any kind, never is. After all they had given it was worth the sighs and groans, the unwanted opinions and ideas, the late arrivals to the photography studio and the enormous cost to give my grandmother and their grandfather - my grandparents - the one thing they love the most in the world, their whole family.

Allan Holder - Allan is the founder and owner of My Picture Painter Oil Paintings: which is a site dedicated to the revival of the lost art of portrait painting. In today's fast paced world, sitting for a portrait painting is simply not practical. We allows the user to submit a photo to our network of talented artists who will paint a personal oil painting from your photo.
Website: My Picture Painter Oil Paintings

This article ©Copyright 2006 Allan Holder - Reproduced with permission.

- A Colder Winter Forces Careful Seasonal Garden Planning -

A predicted 8 percent colder winter this year compared to last year according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) means that winterized and/or more seasonal gardens are essential in many regions to keep plants alive and colorful for the upcoming months. According to "Creating a Winter Wonderland" on AllAboutLawns.com, a leading resource for lawn and yard care, carefully choosing the right plants for a yard can create visual interest to home gardens and ensure a colorful garden through the coldest months of the year. This latest trend in garden décor, known as seasonal gardening, allows home gardeners to enjoy their plantings year round.

"Winter is a great time to focus on the more architectural elements of your garden," AllAboutLawns.com's forum moderator Dawn West suggests. "In those few months of bare branches, you can let the truly beautiful underlying structures of trees and bushes take center stage."

The National Gardening Association warns home gardeners to remember that even hardy perennials, trees, and shrubs cannot survive completely frozen roots. Placing cold frames over gardens will hold the sun's warmth in and keep the cold out. Additionally, home gardeners should wrap and stuff the pots of their small trees and shrubs. Bringing potted plants indoors can also be important depending on the plant.

West suggests incorporating shrubs with berries in a garden. "Berries are the jewels of winter gardens. White, crimson, yellow, and purple--they draw the eye and add just the gleam that sparse winter gardens need."

AllAboutLawns - AllAboutLawns.com is a comprehensive lawn and yard care resource. Visitors can ask staff questions in the lawn forum or benefit from hundreds of articles on seasonal lawn care, grass types, weed prevention, mowers, and other lawn maintenance equipment.
Web Site: All About Lawns
Phone: 877-407-7377

This article ©Copyright 2006 PRWEB and AllAboutLawns - Reproduced with permission.

- The Newest Shops at The Emporium Mall -

Shopping Online is easier and much more fun because of a very unique and attractive interface provided for all the shops featured at The Emporium Mall. Below are listings of our newest and most favorite shops. Enjoy!

Wow Imports gifts and decor African beaded animal figurines, piggy banks, beaded key chains, beaded Christmas tree ornaments, motorcycle figurines, wire wrapped serving utensils, personalized sterling silver name necklaces, tagua nut animal carvings and tagua nut tree ornaments.

Home Decor Wholesale Wholesale home decor accessories and unique gifts wholesale to the public. Home accents, furnishings, bath and body, candles, garden decor, Christmas gifts and holiday decorations. No minimum. Dropshipping.

The Art of Mexico The Art of Mexico is a superlative gallery of galleries showcasing a distillation of the best-of-the-best -- traditional and contemporary Mexican folk art -- created by some of greatest masters of Mexican folk art at the best prices.

Childs Play Houses Completely customized to your individual specifications, our playhouses are delivered fully built and ready to enjoy. You'll experience both complete satisfaction and amazement when you see the exquisite workmanship.

VNC Designs in Wood Mission Arts and Crafts style hardwood doorbells - door chimes cutting boards - lamps - solid cherry, maple, walnut, oak, mahogany. Country to Contemporary elegance. Since 1994 VNC Designs in wood for you.

The Landscape Market Explore The Landscape Market for very competitive pricing on organic fertilizers, natural pest controls, ponds and waterfalls, bird products, patio accessories, outdoor furniture, gifts and other earth-friendly garden products and supplies.

YourBlinds.com Offering solutions to both the Do-It-YourSelf & Full Service consumer. Hunter Douglas Silhouettes, Luminettes, Alouettes, Vignettes, Trio, Cadence and more are available with our full service measuring & installation. No sales tax outside Texas.

Uptown La-de-da Uptown La-de-da is your premier home decoration ideas store. We offer a unique selection of elegant home accent furnishings, gourmet kitchenware and gift ideas for the pampered child. We are also an exclusive CBK internet retailer.

BLI Lighting Specialists Budget Lighting has a wide variety of products and represents over 250 different manufactures nationwide. We have fixtures for every room, designed to fit every pocketbook, lifestyle and taste.

Alicia Tapp Designs We transfer FINE ART & VINTAGE LABELS onto tumbled marble tiles to create a wall mural or backsplash. Artwork available by Van Gogh, Klimt, Kandinsky, Monet, Waterhouse, Aagard, Tadema, to name a few.

Garden Decor Offering garden and patio products that will enhance the outdoor decor of your home. Shipping is always included!

Design Your Wall Provider of a diverse wallpaper collection: Velvet Flock, Vintage Retro, Natural Grasscloth, Children's Wallcovering, Borders & Traditional. We help create a unique home or business with Custom Mural Wallpaper, Window Films and Vinyl Flooring.

RemCo Home Decor Home Decor & Giftware. We carry comforter sets, table, floor & character lamps as well as kitchen-ware in many styles. Also offered are home accents such as candles, pillows, area rugs, mirrors and much more. We invite you to stop in and look around.

Southern Living at Home Beautiful new line of HOME DECOR from the creators of Southern Living & Sunset Magazines! Order anytime, or host a party and earn FREE products! Reps needed all across the U.S. to showcase our home & garden items through home parties! Visit my site!

Wholesale Gifts Wholesale gifts for all occassions, baby gifts, business gifts, unique chess sets, collectibles, figurines, home decor gifts, spun glass treasures, wedding gifts and specialty gift shop items. No minimum order.

Meditation Reduces Stress Wild Divine is a visionary, -inner-active- computer adventure that you play with your thoughts, feelings, breath and awareness. Using biofeedback technology, the game helps you to attain a state of balance between body, mind, and spirit.

Home Decor Gift Market Your source for elegant and affordable home decor and gifts for every occasion. We offer an awesome collection of home furnishings, garden decor, candles, bath and body, wine decor, water fountains and holiday decor. Get your FREE catalog today!

Custom Frame Art Gallery We offer top quality, custom framed and matted art prints, canvases, photographs, and posters for home decorating and interior design. We offer quality art prints at a discount of 40% to 50%, with free shipping and a money-back guarantee! Shop for pictures to complement your home or office decor.

Theme Kitchen Theme Kitchen offers a wide variety of the most popular kitchen theme products online, including apple, Italian, fat chef, French country, themed martini glasses and more. If you have a theme in mind, Theme Kitchen will help you bring it to life!

Adissons Iron Accents Quality handcrafted drapery hardware for side panels. Adissons curtain rods go beyond the ordinary, yet able to meld beautifully into virtually any well thought out space.