Strawberry :)

Strawberry season is upon us. I have posted twice in the past days on my instagram my desserts that included this red and cute berry. My mom joked once that the blackheads I had at that time on my nose made it look like a strawberry. :)) Actually, the tiny bits are the strawberry's seeds!
Yesterday I had them with some white chocolate I will have them soon in some smoothies and definitely need to try my hand again at cheesecakes, where I plan to incorporate them. :3
Today while working out I could just feel then fueling me up with their energy. Yum!! Oh how I love them!

Meditating with crystals

Hi! :) Here are some tips on which crystals to choose for meditating. I started this year, and while I can only do it for around 7-10 minutes, I find using crystals is very beneficial. I also use affirmations to infuse/program them. I sometimes carry my favorite crystals with me. I believe in the power of crystals because they are used in computers too! Let me know in the comments section what are your favorite crystals! Good luck, Yoanna. ♡

Health tips: Apple Cider Vinegar

Today I bought a bottle of unpasteurized, natural apple cider vinegar (ACV). I was walking around my local supermarket, when a bottle caught my eye. I was reticent at first and thought I must research to see if it's a good choice for me. I've seen people recommend it before, but I never really took it seriously. First, I searched if it works for weight loss and then I remembered to search if it's good for my recurrent UTI. Didn't want to take something that made my symptoms worse, as I noticed recently oranges do. Some things I learned:

- take it before or during a meal, preferably 3 times a day;

- "the mother" is what gives it the amber color and it's the sediment that forms at the bottom of the bottle. It's only for the unpasteurized and unfiltered ACV, which makes it a probiotic;

- it contains acetic acid, which is responsible for the taste and smell ACV has. It may help with blood pressure, control blood sugar levels and fat accumulation;

- helps with water retention by replenishing sodium with potassium;

- resets your bladder pH and makes the urine more acidic and also acts as a natural antibiotic. Bacteria causing urinary tract infections makes the urine alkaline and they thrive in it. Citrus fruits,  most vegetables and legumes will keep the urine alkaline. A diet high in meat and cranberry juice will keep it acidic.

Below is a recipe from ToneItUp called the Bombshell Spell. Sounds good. :) xo Yoanna

Information provided from various web searches. I do not own any of the images shown in this blog entry.

#visualporn Styling: texture and colors

Some edits I created using texture/prints and colors I like and I think they really make a statement when used in styling. Enjoy & please let me know what you think! :)

I'll be there someday...

Breathtaking picture from the Nasa archive

Image from NASA's archives

“Drawing has no beginning and no end. This presents a difficulty in learning to draw. As soon as there is one mark on the paper, even an accidental one, all the possibilities of drawing are immediately present. Drawing is no sequential. It is a process which requires seeing whole.” In the first chapter of our class textbook the connection between knowing the techniques to draw, and fastening them down on paper is identified. Perception is the key to success as it is the way we look at the subject matter. As we progress on our perception we can then refine our technical skills and therefore become better illustrators. To draw successfully one must evaluate the way in which they are creating their pieces. There is more to drawing the lines, so learning the correct way to create these lines are very important. Marks are the foundations of drawing. The quality of the marks and their structure with one another allows the viewer to distinguish one subject to another. The context of these structures tells the viewer how to look at the drawing. We may not agree with how the concept is being displayed but if we can understand its context then we can further understand the artist. Materials such as vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, and graphite are discussed and explained in this chapter. Knowing the materials recommended and how to use them will allow the artist to grow in knowledge and experience.

Drawing may be about perception but becoming an artist is all about the connection between your hands, heart, and mind and allowing your eyes to connect to the world around you. What we see defines our artist’s vision, and our abilities to see differently allows for unique works of art. We as artists today create to help later generations understand our time period as well as encourage new forms of artistic expression. We often hear the terms fine art, and applied art and assume that they are the same thing. For an artist who creates solely for themselves, and free expression you could consider themselves fine artists. Applied art on the other hand is a term for creative work that fulfills a function like an assignment, or defined purpose. As an example illustration would be considered an applied art because a drawing needs to tell a specific story usually created by a reference or assigned concept. Just as illustration can be defined as applied it can also be the same for fine art. To some the Renaissance Period was a time in which expression through art took on a new light. Artists could now express their faith, and culture on paper. During the Renaissance, technology became more advanced and more available to the common public. The printing press was invented during this time which made it possible for books to be published, not hand written. Ideas of the Renaissance were spread in some of these books and common people could now own a copy of the bible. When photography was first invented, the cameras ability to “freeze” time fascinated the impressionists. The artists at that time no longer wanted to design the same things, but instead experiment with light and color. The impressionist art movement originated in France in the last quarter of the 19th century as a reaction against traditional art and its strict rules. A group of painters who became known as the Impressionists decided to gain independence from the standards set forth by the French Academy of Fine Arts but instead try new things. Unlike conservative painters who focused on portraying dramatic, often historical scenes with religious meaning, the Impressionists chose ordinary scenes from everyday life as the subject matter of their work.

You become a better artist through the critique of others. To “critique” is the ability to give and receive positive and negative advice on your pieces of work. This process allows the artist to look at their work in a different way, and verbalize their feelings and thoughts about it. The idea of a critique is not to pass judgment on the work of others but accept criticism and learn from your mistakes. Critiques have personally allowed me to view the piece provided in a different way because the artist has had the ability to explain how and why they created what they did. Some things to look out for to critique would be how your eye moves throughout the composition, how the color and tons are used, texture of the surface, and the overall motion that the piece provides. “we are always free to reject the opinions of others if they clash with something we truly believe in, but it is wise to fully understand what they are saying before we decide.”

In chapter three and chapter four the definition of drawing is discussed. Today drawing is considered to be just as equally important as any other artistic expression but that was not always the case. During the Renaissance period, drawing was based on a person’s skill, and was considered the most precious ability that an artist could have. Even with this respect t