Of Birds And Colours! For April 2015

Colour Stories

In birds, the males are endowed with impressive and flashy aesthetics whereas females are mutely coloured and simple creatures!

We have all been to those fancy bird parks and been awestruck at the sight of those magnificently vibrant creatures. From peacocks to pheasants, all of them move about strutting their stuff proudly and drawing gasps of appreciation from onlookers. So, what is it that is so beautiful about these birds? Well, one of the most impressive things about these birds is their bright and vivacious colour scheme.

The readers must be wondering by now, what is new about all of these? Well, we are trying to draw your attention towards the fact that all these bodacious birds that we admire belong to the male species! It so seems that in birds the males are endowed with impressive and flashy aesthetics, whereas females are mutely coloured and simple creatures. Isn't this quite the opposite of how things are in the human world?!

Now, this is what got us curious and digging about why females are relatively less attractive in our neighbouring bird world. It seems, according to Charles Darwin and his theory of sexual selection, the females were the more demanding partners and expected a higher level of attractive partners. This in turn egged the males to greater evolution, in order to arm themselves with rainbow colours and dazzling displays of their beauty.

Female birds, on the other hand, were not always the drab creatures they seem to be now and they used be as attractive as their male counterparts earlier. Evolution, it seems, turned the once flashy females towards a dull plumage. According to new research, males and females started off with being brightly coloured but the females quickly shed their colour while the males moved towards more showy patterns.

The males had to move towards bright and flashy under the pressure of female choice, while the females became dull so that they could blend in with the environment during delicate periods like nesting, where remaining undetected can promote the wellbeing of their offspring. Thus, the colourful evolution of birds was largely dependent on mating and survival preferences. The females shed their flashy plumage because they didn't require it for mating, whereas the males turned into dandies to ensure the sustenance of their lines. A colourful story indeed!

Colour Trivia

Colour Facts For April 2015

1. In many cultures, blue and green are the same colour. Yes, this is true and what's the proof, you ask? Interestingly, the Japanese language has only one word "ao" to describe both blue and green shades. In fact, the world has many languages that don't have words to describe obvious colours, and without a word, it becomes difficult for people to name the various shades of colours there are.
2. In ancient Egypt, "Mummy", was an actual colour. The rich brown colour received its name from the remains of Egyptian mummies, both human and feline. It was among the favourite colours of the 19th century painters. Due to high demand, by the 20th century, the supply of mummy remains was exhausted. Though we don't use the mummified corpses, the colour "Mummy Brown" is still prevalent.
3. Ever wondered why we prefer mocha over brown? This preference is based on the way the word sounds rather than the colour. According to a study, when subjects were asked to evaluate products with different colour names (such as makeup), "fancy" names were preferred. For example, mocha was much popular than brown—however the researchers showed subjects the same colour!

Colour Quotes For April 2015

• "A colour is as strong as the impression it creates."

  - Ivan Albright

• "It's hard to live your life in colour, and tell the truth in black and white."

  - Gregg Allman

• "Drawing is feeling. Colour is an act of reason."

  - Pierre Bonnard

Colour Tips For April 2015

1. Looking for a home makeover but don't have the time and resources? We have a solution for you. Just paint your doors and windows, it's the quickest makeover you can do now. Choose from a range of colours. Go for a statement red if you're drawn to the colour, it's happy, welcoming and bold at the same time; or how about an interesting olive green? The colour has a story to tell and looks fresh at all times.
2. The most common and simple tip we often tend to forget while painting is to move away all the furnishing for easy access. In case it's too difficult to move furniture completely out of the room, simply pile it up. Place the chairs on the sofa. Use the dining table for setting up chairs on top. This ensures easy access to all parts of the room. Cover furniture with plastic sheets to protect it against wet paint and splashes.
3. Trying your hand at painting for the first time? Start small. Pick a smaller space like a bathroom or a single wall to experiment. This helps you get a good idea of how the space will look and also help you finalize a colour. And as it's just an experiment, you can quickly change. The process gives room for possibilities and helps you choose better. Start off by painting a small wall with your favourite colour.

World Of Colours

Colours & Emotion For April 2015

1. Need to relax? Just look at anything blue. The colour basically lowers blood pressure and calms you down. For this reason, interior designers usually pick shades of blue for the bedroom. Also, if we look to nature, such as the sky and the ocean, blue stands for serenity. Blue is also associated with trustworthiness and strength, the reason most corporate logos are blue is for this very reason. Pick the hue when attending a job interview and see the results speak. Another fascinating fact about blue - it's an appetite suppressant, so if you're trying to lose those extra pounds, try putting your food on a blue plate. Or better still put a blue light in your refrigerator.

2. Is the dress white and gold or blue and black? This is the debate on social media that had the entire planet divided into two, one that sees the dress as white and gold, another which sees it as blue and black. So, what's this mind sorcery all about?

   It's simply a play of light. Our eyes are able to assign colours to objects under widely different lighting conditions. This ability is called colour constancy. The photograph doesn't give many clues about the light in the room, hence the confusion. Also, different people see a different set of colours which can change how they interpret and see colours.

Colours & Fashion For April 2015

Summers are the perfect time to step up your fashion quotient and get rid of the dark and sexy colours you were sporting for the winters. Summers are always about cool and soft shades, but this particular summer is about soft floral art and magical pastel shades. The reason behind this conscious shift to a light and dreamy look is because of the need to step out and disconnect from technology and unwind.

The whole idea is to connect with nature and opt for a minimalistic theme and keep away from mechanically manipulated fashion items. Pick out all those soft, cool hues and blend them with dreamy florals to create your own soothing escape from the heat this summer.

Colours & Gems For April 2015

1. 'Yu' or the royal gem to the Chinese, 'jade' has captured many a poet's imagination. To the Chinese empire, jade has always had a very special significance, comparable with that of gold and diamonds. It embodies the Confucian virtues of wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty and courage, yet it also symbolizes the female-erotic. The stone is a perfect interplay of toughness with an enchanting range of colours and fine lustre. Jade is most valued for its metaphysical properties. It is the ultimate "Dream Stone," revered in ancient cultures, as well as today, to get in touch with your spiritual side.
2. There comes a time in everyone's life when things don't go as planned. Too many negative vibes bog us down. This is where blue Kyanite and Citrine come to your rescue. These two crystals are known to absorb negative energy. While Kyanite can be used for protection and relaxation/stress relief, Citrine is said to attract wealth. You can also strengthen the healing energy of blue Kyanite by using clear quartz crystal. Similarly, the energy of Citrine is embraced with rich fiery colour stones such as carnelian, red agate, jasper and tiger's eye.

Colours & Nature For April 2015

1. "I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."
   – Emma Goldman

   Flowers are nature's way of telling us that life is beautiful. Try sending red roses to your beloved and see how their dullest day turns into a bright one. That's the kind of magic flowers exude. The colours, the smell and its beauty touch the right chords and bring tenderness to life. From the widely popular flowers to the rarest ones, one thing that remains common is their brilliant colours. Strelitzia, for example, is one of the most attractive multi-coloured flowers in the world. It is native to South Africa and is also commonly known as Crane Flower or Bird of Paradise. The flower embraces three brilliant orange sepals and three purplish-blue petals.

2. The biggest artists, musicians and creators are often inspired by nature's palette of colours. From deserts to mountains to seasons, there is so much to choose from. Famous fashion designer Lindsey Thornburg says, "I'm interested in things that are naturally psychedelic." The great artist, Vincent Van Gogh, too was hugely inspired by nature's palette. His canvas explodes with swirling, thick and vibrant colours. The other works inspired by nature include "Wheatfield Under Clouded Sky" and "Daubigny's Garden." In fact modern architects like Frank Lloyd Wright with their iconic structures, the Fallingwater & the Guggenheim museum in New York, incorporate nature in their designs. The result of these nature inspired creations is breath-taking.

Décor

The New AgeDécor Ideology!

If your decorating mantra is “less is more”, then minimalism is the way to go!

Last month, we touched upon a new age décor ideology – minimalism; with more and more people showing interest, we decided to dedicate this article to 'minimalism'. By definition, it means, design or style in which the simplest and fewest elements are used to create the maximum effect. And if your decorating mantra is "less is more", then minimalism is the way to go!

Most importantly, the first thing to keep in mind is to create a clean space and do away with clutter. Clutter can be in the form of the paint you use or overcrowding the space with a lot of different furniture pieces, etc. Adopting a minimalist approach will not only bring order to your home, it will give it an organized appeal. For this, you may want to relook the pieces you absolutely need and let go of the ones that you don't use frequently. Another thing to keep in mind is to hide everything behind the cabinets for a cleaner space. You could also opt for decorative boxes or baskets to conceal the stuff. It will be a low stress home setting. Trust us, you will love the results.

Next, opt out for minimalistic colours. Different shades of colours and designs add to the stress. They appear as uncomfortable living spaces. Instead, just choose a single colour or theme to bring in the harmony. For instance, alter textures within the colour for contrasting. If you have more than one colour, try following a common theme. Use this theme consistently across the entire room to give your home an aesthetic look.

Last but not the least, use simple decoration like artwork, wall hangings, etc. Opt for one or two main design pieces and let the focus be on them instead of populating the walls with a whole range of decorations. Decide on the one piece that will define the room. Is it your favourite painting or the lampshade you picked as a souvenir from your trip to the Far East? Make that choice, let the other piece rest and you will be making a style statement like no other. With these handy tips, you are on the right track to create a simple yet stylish home, a space you will cherish for years to come or until you decide to redecorate!

Say Hello To Summer In Style

Summer is upon us! Let’s take charge and have our homes ready for the season. This article helps you with handy tips you can put to execution with ease!!

As the days get longer and nights shorter, we are sure summer is here! So make the most of it by incorporating these home décor ideas inspired by the season itself.

Cotton, cotton and more cotton: It's time for the blankets to hibernate again. Replace them with soft linen sheets in pastel shades. Go for more nature inspired prints, they look amazing and feel good. Take inspiration from the season itself and replace pillow covers with easy breezy bright colours, like yellow and pink. Block prints look great on cotton, so go for the leaf, bird or fish motifs for the duvets.

Curtain up: Beat the heat by picking the right curtains for your home. While light linen curtains are recommended, each home has a unique requirement. If your home has direct sunlight and you want to stay protected from the harsh summer sun, go for thick cotton curtains in darker shades. Or just add interesting layers of fabric and overlay them. You could also opt for shades and blinds for more coverage. And if you love the sun, then go for more light breezy linen curtains in lighter shades.

Fun hues: Take inspiration from the summer season, the flowers, the beach, the sun, the list is endless. The most popular colour that represents nature is green. Whether it's summer grass or deep-shade fern, the hue is fresh, lively and always in style. Another option to choose from is corals. It's less brassy than orange, and less cheesy than the reds. If you plan to use it on your walls, make sure the room gets plenty of natural light. However, if you are not planning to repaint, just add a pop of orange on your pillows or lamps in the shade; it brings the glow of summer to a room. If you love your pastels, then opt for a bold colour combination of lavender, chartreuse and aqua.

The magic of slipcovers: Don't have the budget to repaint your home for summer? Here's an easy way to add a hint of colour. Just change your sofa slipcover to a colourful one. This is a great way to refresh and add temporary colour to a neutral room.

Summer décor is all about creating fun yet liveable interiors. Try these tips for your home and see how much fun the season can be!

The Ultimate Relaxing Bedroom Of Your Dreams!

A bedroom should be relaxing and calming above everything else… the tranquil peace a classy room can provide you with is unbeatable.

A bedroom should be relaxing and calming above everything else! Believe us; the kind of calm a classy room can provide you with is unbeatable. Some may contest this claim but just compare walking into a gaudy, over crowded room and walking into an organized, colour-coordinated and soothing space. We bet you can already feel the difference!

Today's article is meant to help you achieve the ever elusive perfectly done up room, which will be your room of pride. The first step towards creating a relaxing room for you is to make choices that will help you in creating a retreat to relax, recover and unwind. In interior décor circles, the current most favoured colour is spa, a perfect combination of grey, green and blue, which is the ultimate bedroom shade now.

So, once you have chosen spa to be the shade of your choice, add a twist to your bedroom by using a few clean-lined furniture pieces. The furniture can be either in shades of cream or in a weathered wood finish. Having the colours to co-ordinate perfectly can make the space feel polished and serene; the perfect space to relax.

Pick out a few lamps in sculptural shapes with muted lighting which co-ordinate beautifully with your bedroom. For those of you with big enough bedrooms, you have the luxury to opt for a chandelier, possibly in an antique finish to keep up with the vintage look of your room. And last but not the least, scatter around a few throw pillows with pretty lace covers for the final touch.

Colours & Ancient Sciences

Feng Shui For April 2015

The ancient techniques of Feng Shui can be used to garner more clients for your business and build a successful foundation for your business.

Being an entrepreneur is a great liberating feeling, you get to call the shots and reap the benefits directly, but this independence comes with a price. If you are the one making all the decisions, then the responsibility of these choices also rests upon your shoulder. Now, we completely trust your business skills but it doesn't hurt to try the ancient techniques of Feng Shui to garner more clients for your business and build a successful foundation for your business.

First and the foremost, you will need to ensure that you are surrounded by financial energy and in Feng Shui, water is the element of financial energy. So, keep a running fountain of clear water in your office to help you relax and increase business opportunities. Feng Shui also stresses on the need to having a vision and for this it suggests that you find a symbol that is meaningful for your business and keep that symbol at a place where you can see it all the time.

The next step to Feng Shui proofing your business is to avoid using conflicting colours for your website and stick to colours that are compatible, according to Feng Shui. A few compatible colour schemes according to Feng Shui are blue, black and white; yellow, purple and red and green, black and blue. It will also help your business to keep your client files in red folders, which will act as an energizer for the client and encourage them to keep in touch with you.

Finally, it is also important to have objects of beauty at your workplace as being surrounded by beauty and inspiring views inspires you, thus helping you think creatively. This in turn helps you come up with different ideas and approaches, making you more productive at your work.

Reiki For April 2015

Reiki energy is considered to be an intelligent energy which has an intuition of its own and knows where to go to be of benefit.

Reiki is mostly, if not always, usually thought of as a healing art for the body but very few know that Reiki can also be used for building and strengthening your business! When we think of Reiki, the image that usually comes to the mind is of a Reiki practitioner working over a client. It is even common practice for Reiki practitioners to heal over the phone and this is possible because Reiki is essentially a channel of energy.

Reiki is an ancient healing art from Japan where the practitioners are attuned to receive the universal energy, which they then transfer to their clients. Reiki energy is considered to be an intelligent energy that has an intuition of its own and knows where to go to be of benefit. One may also argue as to how energy can help businesses but it is important to note that everything is energy and can be affected at an energetic level.

One of the most effective ways through which Reiki can affect your business positively is to understand and attract your ideal client. The first step is to identify your client and then focus your energy onto them, which will help you draw them to you. After you have identified your client, start meditating and raise a vibration of gratitude and love, and transfer this energy to attract your ideal client.

You can also magnetise your business cards or any other ads you are running because magnetizing advertisements will help you attract clients. Having a positive and healing energy can help any business situation and help you gain positive results in your business.

Vaastu For April 2015

Vaastu can not only help you during problems at work, it can also help you overcome a slow career growth.

Work is not only worship but also the source of our livelihood and it is only natural that any problem at work directly affects our lives deeply. Under such circumstances, it is the science of Vaastu that can come to your aid, if applied properly. Vaastu can not only help you during problems at work, it can also help you overcome a slow career growth.

There are a few simple Vaastu tips which can be applied at work in order to brighten up your prospects at work and make sure that you are doing everything to welcome wealth and success. It is not very common to spot aquariums at offices but it is a very good source for wealth creation. Especially, if you have fish that are strong swimmers, their constant movement will ensure that wealth energy will flow into your life. It is also said that an attractive aquarium can calm and sooth the boss and make him/her favourably disposed towards you. No harm in trying, we say!

Vaastu also stresses on the need to have clear windows because according to Vaastu, a dirty window glass pane restricts money flow. Thus, choose a window which receives direct sunlight and make sure to keep it clean and clear. You also need to make sure that you do not sit directly under the beam of light and if the need arises, shift your work desk but be sure to not sit under a beam of light.

While it is good to have sunlight at your window, you also need to ensure that there shouldn't be too much sunlight in the office room. Vaastu frowns upon too much sunlight because along with light it also brings plenty of heat and other harmful energies. These energies, in turn, can make one feel lazy and have a detrimental effect on your work. Follow these simple Vaastu guidelines to combat any professional hurdles, overcome financial problems and be successful in your chosen field of work.