Tattoo Tales! For July 2016

Colour Stories

With traditional art changing the way it has over the last few centuries and even more so in the last couple of decades, what's to stop body art from following? From simple black lines to realistic designs, it's been a long journey.

The oldest remains of tattooed skin have been traced back to the body of Ötzi the Iceman. Researchers theorize that the first tattoo was probably an accident, wherein someone got branded by a hot stick and the mark stayed on. At first, tattoo inks were limited to black but then eventually, more and more pigments and primary colours were experimented with and new shades were discovered.

The First Pigments:

Tattoo artists believe that the earliest kind of pigment used was created from an oily nut found in a native tree in Samoa. It was produced by skewering these nuts over a hot fire and covering them with half a coconut shell. As the nuts burnt and smouldered, the shell trapped the soot inside it. Once enough soot was collected, the Samoans added seawater to it. The pattern was hammered in using a primitive mallet.

Another technique, mostly used in prison was to grind bricks into dust and mix it with water to make the ink.

The popularity of tattoos has been sporadic in nature, from being limited to only royalty to circus women wearing them provocatively, to being the mark of a criminal. In ancient Japan, tattoos were welcomed as signs of a particular profession and for spiritual and decorative reasons.

Modern Tattoos:

History credits the Japanese with having used the first colour tattoos about 300 years ago. Artists explored using cadmium, ferric oxide and green and blue organic dyes. Now, modern technology is responsible for the creation of every colour in the spectrum. Today, tattooists use solutions containing alcohol, benzoic acid, methyl salicylate, distilled water and other ingredients. The metal mercury is used for red, lead for yellow, green and white, cobalt for blue, copper for blue, green, etc. Apart from these heavy metals, artists also use a variety of organic chemicals.

Tattoos were originally used to signify one's rank, status and symbol. Then as with most things, the tides turned, and from being spurned completely, they came to be associated with the underbelly of society and rebels of an era. It is now, probably millennia after the first tattoo ever, that we're slowly accepting inked skin as a way of conveying a message, a way of seeing oneself and perceiving the world. We've come full circle at last.

Colour Trivia

Colour Facts For July 2016

1. Did you know that there is a condition called Unilateral Dichromacy? It is a type of colour-blindness which means only one eye is afflicted. This occurs when one of the cone pigments is missing, causing colour to be seen in 2D instead of 3D. The other eye can pick up all the colours , but shades appear muted when looked at with both eyes. Colours that seem dissimilar to an ordinary viewer appear the same colour to dichromats. This condition is hereditary and affects more males than females since they carry one less X chromosome.
2. Would you know how to describe cotton candy if the word 'pink' didn't exist? The name pink was decided for this colour in the 17th century, before that 'pink' was used to describe any flower with bright hues while the colour 'pink' was described as "rosy-hued". It was in the High Renaissance that the colour took on the connotation it has now, when it was used by Raphael in his "Madonna of the Pinks." Although Pink is considered to be a tint of red, most of its shades lie between red, magenta and brown.
3. While most humans would give their left arm to be blue-blooded, spiders are naturally born that way! This is because spiders have an open circulatory system, so while they do have blood cells, they are mostly to heal wounds. They have no specific blood cells like red blood cells in humans. In spiders, the blood oxygen is bound to a protein called hemocyanin which is colourless inside the spider but turns dark blue the second it comes into contact with air.

Colour Quotes For July 2016

• Colours must fit together as pieces in a puzzle or cogs in a wheel

  - Hans Hofman

• Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.

  - Wassily Kandinsky

• One can speak poetry just by arranging colours well.

  - Vincent Van Gogh

Colour Tips For July 2016

1. This monsoon season, brighten up your kitchen space with warm, bright colours like red and yellow. These could be in the form of vegetables like red and yellow bell-peppers, or a pop of bright colours in the form of your mugs and ceramics. You could even have a rainbow of colours if you decide to do so!
2. Monsoons are the best time to be your lazy self! Your sofa and blanket become your best friends along with some coffee and your favourite book. Use calming and soothing colours like different shades of lilac, lavender or purple while opting for bed sheets, duvets, sofa-throws and so on. They will only aid in making you sleep like a baby!
3. It's the season to nurture your earthy side. Add earth colours like browns and greens with the help of indoor-plants, doormats, maybe some coffee beans placed in a bowl to bring some good aroma? Feel free to explore!

World Of Colours

Colours & Emotion For July 2016

1. Changing rooms help us decide whether to buy that form-fitting LBD or not, but what if these very changing rooms are what's deceiving us? Research proves that the lighting, mirror and decor in changing rooms sometimes change the way we look and our perception of ourselves. Halo lighting gives us a shadow free, smooth complexion while harsh fluorescent bulbs with light absorbing paint highlight all your imperfections. So the next time you decide to pick a dress, be sure to take these factors into consideration!
2. Indian brides traditionally wear a lot of gold jewellery while getting married. Ever wondered why? The colour gold and the metal is said to symbolize wealth and represent good health. Gold, as a hue, also equals brightness and cheerfulness. The new bride is said to have a positive influence on all aspects of the household, bringing success and wealth to the family. Gold is also a great investment and was supposed to save the new couple from any financial crisis. The gold jewellery worn is thus a physical manifestation of these positive thoughts and beliefs!

Colours & Fashion For July 2016

Despite all our quotes and thoughts about living in the present, humans as a race seem to be obsessed with futuristic fashion as evidenced at the MET Gala 2016. Lines were asymmetrical, fabrics were stiff, makeup ranged from outlandish pastels to dark grunge and one failed to spot any predominant style. Kim Kardashian-West along with husband Kanye doffed their hat to tinfoil by wearing costumes that looked like they were entirely crafted from it, while Claire Danes shone in a Cinderella-esque ball gown that lit up in the dark. Though the red carpet missed vibrant pinks and deep blues, it certainly didn't lack any colour!

Colours & Gems For July 2016

1. Musgravite is an incredibly precious and rare stone, discovered as recently as 1967. The name is obtained from the Musgrave area in Australia where it originates. It occurs in a few colours, out of which green and violet are most prominent. It is quite similar in colour and composition to another rare gem, Taaffeite and special tests need to be carried out to distinguish them. Musgravite is very popular amongst gem collectors and in 2005, only 8 established cut stones existed. The stone is nicknamed "Rarest of the Rare" and sells at astounding prices despite the surge in its availability.
2. Sapphires are well known, but have you heard about Star-Sapphires? The gem is called so because when viewed under a bright light and in certain angles, clear star or shaped rays are visible just beneath the surface due to a phenomenon called asterism. They vary in colour from blue, to various shades of pink, orange, green, grey, yellow, lavender or black. The most popular and preferred colour, however, is an intense blue. These beauties are chiefly found in Australia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. They are said to be truly powerful and are regarded as talismans to protect seekers and travellers!

Colours & Nature For July 2016

1. Nature never fails to stun us with its incredibly vast variety of flora and fauna. But if you think you've seen it all, you've got another one coming. Every summer, a tiny village in Turkey called Halfeti, sees the blooming of a deep red rose which eventually turns into black. This is due to the unusual pH levels of the Euphrates, which waters that particular region. Black roses, also known as the Arab Bride or Arab Beauty are stunning and on their way to extinction due to moving the village 10km away where the soil isn't conducive to their growth.
2. Pigeons, sparrows and crows are seen regularly and differentiated between. But do you call every black bird a crow? Crows belong to the Corvidae family which includes Ravens, Jackdaws, Magpies, Chooks, Jays, Rooks and Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. These Oscine Passerine species are very self-aware and intelligent and make up a group of 120 types of birds. Corvids have strong bills and a large wingspan, they are mostly blue or black in colour but there are plenty exceptions, example: the White-throated Magpie. Out of all Corvids, the common crow has the most diverse feeding habits and has adapted the best to human invasion.

Decor

Spruce Up Your Space With Open Shelves!

Open shelves add a vertical element and give a contemporary flair to a room. However, the catch is that if not done right, it can look messy and make your room cluttered. Here’s how you can add a bit of excitement to your home with open shelves…

One thing that can often happen in a room is that it begins to feel too walled and boring. This is when open shelving can be the saving grace of your home by adding instant pizzazz. Some people out there may cringe at the thought of open shelving and rely on opaque cabinets. But then there are the bold ones who would go all out and flaunt what they have in style.

First things first, don't even think of putting anything not beautiful enough on display if you wish to go ahead with open shelves. This is the right time to put those fancy books on display that you bought judging by their fancy covers! You can make it stand out like a decorative accessory on the shelves. You can arrange tall accent pieces and add picture frames of your memories as well. You can keep a few potted plants too to bring some life and add a punch of nature. You can decorate the shelves with some unique vases, sculptures and crystals too.

Since open shelving lets your eyes go all the way to the wall behind it, it's the perfect way to flaunt a wall treatment. For open shelves, you can choose a paint colour a shade deeper than the room colour or put bricks on it. You can also stick fun wallpaper for a quirky touch. Also, remember to colour-coordinate your books and unite your shelf by grouping shapes, textures and colours to create an instant sense of order.

Lighting is another important element to take note of while doing up your shelves. Remember to illuminate your shelves with proper lighting to bring attention to the things on display. You can add track lighting to the ceiling or mount a picture light above a shelf or even a series of lights over the shelves. You can add small lights to the underside of one shelf to highlight the contents of the shelf below or place tiny up-lights behind a decorative piece to highlight the arrangement.

Open shelving is an easy way to update your living space. We are huge fans of this versatile design and now that you know how to deck up your shelves, why don't you go experiment with it?

Make Space With These Handy Tips!

In today’s day and age, space is harder to come by as we all try to fit our lives in smaller apartments. Here are a few tips to squeeze out precious space in your home!

Homes are a reflection of their owners and the living room is the first place that guests or anyone coming from outside sees. This is why most of us put in a lot of effort to decorate it to the best of our abilities. But sometimes, we lack the space to run free with our imagination. A lot of designs, furniture, and lighting ideas have to be foregone if the room is ill-equipped to display it and in this case, not utilizing every square inch of space in no less than a crime.

Instead of getting a simple centre table, get one with a built in storage space where you can keep remotes, magazines, newspapers, knick-knacks, etc. leaving the top free for your favourite earthenware. If you have French windows in your home, try to extend the grill and utilize that area as a seating arrangement or another flat surface for things to be kept on.

Another factor worth considering is the height of any painting, photo frame, etc. Don't keep every frame at eye-level. If you hang a couple of frames high up on the wall, you can utilize the rest of it by making a few shelves or racks. Mirrors are another great way to liven up small living spaces. They reflect whatever light is in the room, add an aesthetic effect, it can also hide storage spaces behind them, and even a bed; if you're industrious enough!

Shoes have a tendency to cause clutter especially if you change shoes daily. Keep your shoe-cupboard outside or in a hallway to remove all chances of a muddy mess. The shoe-rack not being there is one bulky piece of furniture you don't need to worry about. Just because your furniture is practical, it's no reason for it to be bulky and ungainly. Invest in a good carpenter and get him to follow clean, neat lines and clear cut patterns.

Finally, learn to let go of unnecessary clutter. As smartly as you try to live or as amazing as your designs can be, if you have more things than you will ever need, finding the right storage space will always be a task.

Easy House Hacks For Geeks!

Are you a hopeless geek? Read on to discover easy house hacks that will keep your house neat, tidy and a delight to be in!

Unless you're going for the urban industrial-chic look in your apartment, loose wires in plain sight are a big no-no. But with the number of electronics in every household just increasing, how is one supposed to ensure that none of them are ever seen?

These easy hacks will help you do exactly that and they won't even burn a hole in your pocket!

For the cable unit beneath your television set, get an opaque box, preferably wood or cardboard and cut out holes in the sides for wires. Then decorate it to your liking, or make sure it's at least well-polished and voila! The wires are out of sight and you've got a new aesthetic!

You can also buy pretty individual drawers to keep the smaller things like a wireless router. For gadgets like phones and their chargers, you can purchase cloth or felt pouches and hang them from nails or a hooked shelf. These look adorable and keep the electronic essentials in one place. For plugs, adapters, etc., you can use old take-away boxes wrapped in pretty ribbons or use any old tiffin box and label them to keep them from mixing with one another.

For more bulky gadgets like printers, you can modify one drawer or shelf of a storage unit. All you need to do is remove the front part of the drawer and smoothen the edges before you can keep your printer in it. The coverage on the other sides keeps the device protected too.

Moving on to longer wires, one tip that was extremely prevalent in the nineties and is making a comeback now is false ceilings. False ceilings enable you to go in for heavy chandeliers with minimal damage to the real ceiling and they also let you hide the bulbs or tube-lights just beneath their edges so as to bathe the room in light while hiding the source away.

You can also go in for recessed lighting that makes it look like the wall/piece of furniture is lit from within. These are called architectural lights since they're built into the design of the home and require planning in advance.

So there you have it, use these easy and simple hacks for a house that is high tech as well as sleeker than a James Bond den!

Colours & Ancient Sciences

Feng Shui For July 2016

With a large number of the population living in apartments with small windows, wind-chimes are being neglected. According to the ancient science of Feng-Shui, that is something you should change.

The Feng-Shui Benefits of Wind-chimes!

Keeping the right artefact at the right place in your home makes a world of difference. But with an increasing number of people living in apartments with small windows, wind-chimes are being neglected. According to the ancient science of Feng-Shui, that is a mistake you wouldn't want to make.

Wind-chimes are a very popular Feng-Shui cure because they are believed to get rid of any evil spirit or negative energy in the house. Ideally, they are to be hung in doorways, since the entry of one's house is the mouth of 'chi'. Wind-chimes direct good chi into stagnant areas and control the flow of chi in general. One point to be kept in mind is that the movement of the chime shouldn't be restricted by any kind of door or plant and it must be placed in the way of ample breeze. To make an informed choice about how you can maximize the effects of wind-chimes, here are some points to consider:

Material

Depending on the direction the chime is placed in, the recommended material it is made from differs. If you are hanging it in the north, west or north-west, metal wind-chimes are optimum while wooden or bamboo chimes are preferred for the south, east or south-west. For earth energy sectors like the northeast, southwest and centre, ceramic wind-chimes are your go-to.

Symbols

While wind-chimes bought in general stores have ordinary patters or designs on them, Feng Shui chimes are engraved with or have painted symbols with positive significance. For instance, the Mystic Knot stands for plentiful energy and the Chi Lin symbolizes positive energy and protection.

Numbers

Lastly, the number of rods and bells also makes a difference in the effect it has. 6 or 8 rods are considered the best in order to attract positive vibes and great energy. To repress any bad luck or ward it away, make sure your wind-chime has no more than 5 rods.

Finally, you must not place wind-chimes in an area where people will sit directly below it. So avoid hanging them over the sofa-sets or in the dining area since this can lead to illnesses or accidents.

Reiki For July 2016

For the migraine sufferer, life is constantly on hold. One never knows when a migraine will strike, how fast it will hit or how severe the symptoms will be. Know how you can relieve it in just a few minutes using Reiki if you get an attack…

Heal Migraines Using Reiki

A migraine is a throbbing and pulsating type of pain that usually occurs on a particular side of the head. It can last for a few hours to several days. You may experience nausea and extreme sensitivity to light and sound that can disrupt your life even before the pain starts. Symptoms can be sensory, visual or motor in nature and several people experience more than just one. The severity can increase to an extent that the patient may only seem to find solace in a quiet, dark place. There are, however, ways to sooth a migraine with the help of Reiki healing so read on.

Migraines can be cured by balancing and opening up the blocked chakras using Reiki energy. Reiki is a natural healing method and does not have any adverse side effects. You can implement it at any stage of your migraine treatment. You can also blend it with other migraine therapies and reduce its symptoms.

There are seven chakras (energy centres) altogether, each controlling the physiological properties of different parts of your body. Out of the seven, there are two chakras responsible for migraines that are located in the head. If you feel a migraine coming on, place your palms over your temples and send Reiki energy there. For less severe headaches, you can devote 5-20 minutes of Reiki and see the results. You can also place your hands over areas of the head that feel tight or tense.

There are several different reasons for people to get migraines. If you believe that the cause of your migraine was owing to overstimulation of the eyes, the next step is to place the right hand over the eyes and the left hand over the occipital lobe at the back of the head. If you feel the migraine moving down the rest of your body, lay your hands at the back of the heart chakra.

Lastly, send Reiki into the feet by laying hands on them. Bringing all the energy that has pooled in the head down towards the earth for release can help in distributing the flow, reducing the effects of the migraine. At the most basic and simplest level, Reiki helps lessen the impact of stress, releasing the tension from the entire system to the outside. Depending on the level of physical health when you start Reiki, the body's own healing mechanisms often begin to function more effectively.

As a recipient, you have total control of the healing power of Reiki. Turn to Reiki today to bring a holistic balance to your life.

Vaastu For July 2016

The rainy season is here! We’ve put together a few Vaastu tips on how you can brighten up your home and living spaces this monsoon…

Vaastu Tips for the Monsoons!

It's that time of the year, when the rain God has finally heard the prayers of all the farmers and blessed the fields, lakes, dams and ponds with much needed water. Some people love the monsoons for the greenery everywhere and the wonderfully refreshing climate after the scorching summers, while others tend to dislike it because of the gloominess and darkness casted by the clouds, the thunderstorms and the troubles faced in the daily commute.

Here are a few Vaastu tips on how you can brighten up your home and living spaces this monsoon season:

• Bright light at the main entrance
  • It's always good to keep the main door or entrance well-lit with some bright lights, preferably yellow lights. It will attract positive energy and after being out in the gloomy dull climate, you will feel warm and homely the minute you enter your home.
• Bright décor for the living room
  • One should avoid having any negative paintings like angry people, battle scenes, etc. Vaastu recommends placing a picture of a bright sun or sunrise on the southern wall of your living room.
• Keep the corners bright
  • Get rid of the dark corners in your house by adding some floor lamps or wall lamps, preferably in yellow again to add good vibes and brightness. Plus, yellow makes everything look prettier!
• Place herbs and plants around
  • Grow some medicinal plants like Tulsi or Aloe Vera in your verandah. Not only are they good for your home's harmony, they also help treat common ailments like the flu or skin problems that come along with the change of the weather.
• Furniture in your child's room
  • All the furniture in the kids' room should be placed 3 inches away from the wall, so that the positive energy's flow is not obstructed. It also saves the furniture from damage caused by leakage in the walls, which is common during the monsoon season.

With the help of these easy tips, you will make your living space brighter and full of positive energy to combat the monsoon blues. In-fact not just monsoons, these small but meaningful changes are beneficial in any season, all through the year.