Yes, Pamela, all the pictures on my blog are from my garden. You can use Google Translator, it works well. I am sure you'll love the video on André Eve's garden even if you don't understand French. There is also one about David Austin. I also love "Les jardins d'Angélique". Well, many videos for wintertime ;) Thank you Juliet. Isabelle Here is a link that might be useful: A Little Bit of Paradise

I love speaking in front of groups-- it is one of the few times I know people are listening to me (or at least pretending to!). It doesn't mean I don't get nervous, though, in anticipating the talk. One thing I find that helps is to continually reconnect to the audience-- when people feel like you are trying to apply what you say to their situation, it holds their interest. If you use notecards, keep what you write on to a minimum. You want to be sure they just trigger your memory, so that you don't get lost trying to read off of them. Most importantly, have fun. Really-- when people see you relaxed, THEY will relax as well. I also agree with the practice, practice, practice. My speeches are a million times better when I have practiced, if, for no other reason, that I know I have done all I can to prepare.

Sometimes when my skids call the house when they are with their mother, they're out of control and ridiculously silly. She is a very loose parent and allows her children to get wild then wonders why they can't calm down or listen when she says it's time for bed. We'll get to the phone and they will make silly noises, scream or just not have a normal conversation. It goes against our opinion on how children should be raised. Etiquette is huge with us. So one day when the skids were here I told them that it bothers Daddy and I that they do that....and it is disrespectful and from now on when it happens, we're just going to hang up. Sure enough when they got back to Bio-Mom's they got on the phone and were a thousand times worse with the behavior....so I hung up. The phone rang back and it was SS. He was mad that we hung up. I explained why I did it....told him it was not very nice and that his actions didn't make me feel like he wanted to talk...so why should I talk? He stayed upset.... When he came back with us, we talked about it so that he would understand it wasn't because we didn't love him or want to talk with him. He got it..... And it never happened again. In this case, my fiance supported me 100%....And any time the kids have ever said anything off color he was on them for it immediately. Your husband is being unfair....however, he probably doesn't know what the hell to do. He's caught in the middle of his woman and his daughter-a tough place to be. And no doubt, he feels guilty...every man does on some level and that makes it hard. I know my fiance dealt with that early on-the feeling of failing his children and not giving them the "life" that children deserve. I know he is over that, but it will never truly be gone. Part of that is normal....but what is abnormal is when the person is so caught up in their own problem with things that they cannot see that someone is being mistreated. The first step is to try and work that out with him. Counseling was a lifesaver for D and I.... The tendency is for each person to protect themselves and their interests...for a divorced man with children, he protects himself and the kids... D couldn't see past himself and listen to me. The therapist was a third party who could agree or disagree which allowed him to be more open-minded hearing it from someone else. Some men are not open to seeing a therapist....some men can't change.... If you love him and truly want to be with him, but know that you cannot change his way of handling things, then you definitely have EVERY right to take matters into your own hands. And you have the right to do it ANY way you would like. If I were in your shoes and I knew it was pointless to have my husband see it my way, when I see the caller ID and it's SD, I would answer...ALWAYS!!!!! Always be the one to answer-she needs to get used to that. If there is silence, say, "SD, I know it is you, I have caller ID, I find what you are doing to be rude and disrespectful, if you are having a problem, I'm here to talk about it and want to have a better relationship with you...however if you cannot show me the respect I deserve when you call by having proper phone manners, I'm going to have to hang up on you...I will not tolerate that." If she says nothing, hang up. If she calls back and does it again, hang up. And if she keeps doing it, hang up. Hang up on her every freakin time...and if her father gives you a hard time about it, hang up on him too.......or walk away if he's at home. If he takes issue with it, tell him, "you haven't supported me, so I had no choice." I'm not sure what your relationship is like with your husband...are you happy??? Do you get along? Do you ever talk about the way his children treat you? Anyway, please realize you have every RIGHT to feel this way and to do something about it. I think you also have to understand how the children feel...but it's a two way street...and they are old enough that respect and consideration should be expected!!!!!!!

One is born with an eye for this, yes; but it can be trained too. (After all I did have an "A" in Algebra lol..even though now I'm back to multiplication table again..)) My tip would be this: think. Take more time if needed. I usually stare at the walls..:) It's similar to starting drawing or writing an essay. You have this blank sheet of paper in front of you. And you stare at it. The sheet of paper is blank all right; but you-you are not. You have lots of thoughts and feelings, they're just not organized yet. Sometimes it comes easy, but it's not just because of the trained eye; that's because this organization is already within you, and you just need to spill it out. You already stared at the blank paper; just inside. Other time, you need to stare at the blank paper first. At some point, you'll feel these thoughts and feelings becoming less vague.. Blank paper(or walls, doesn't matter) does it to you. It provides you a contrast. With yourself. Within some time, you are ready to try, because you not just staring anymore-you're envisioning things. You can hear your art whispering where it'd want to go. Figuratively speaking. Silence does it to you. And blank walls are a form of silence. I'm sorry it's not a practical advice or something. I just believe it doesn't start with anything practical. At least, not in your own house. It starts with you wanting to see certain things in certain places. And only you know their importance to you. And according to that importance they should go. Then, when you know, you try. And try again. Just move it around ..don't install it yet. You'll see where it will be right. Then the practical stuff starts: the balance, the height, the relationship to other things in the room, etc, etc. That's much easier to figure out already. You can post a pic of your room, of your shelves, of your art. If you're comfortable with it of course. You can get tons of practical advice on options how to arrange them. But it comes afterwards.