One of my favorite books about real estate is the above titled book by Harvard University Professor Marjorie Garber that begins: "What do college students talk about with their roommates? Sex. Twenty years later, what do they talk about with their friends? Real estate. And with the same gleam in their eyes."

Kirsten Kemp's book "Flipping: Confidential" says: "Houses are like bodies: They tend to look better dressed. Without furnishings and decor, even the loveliest home is nothing but some walls flanked by a floor and ceiling."

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Located on Frederiksted's Estate Mt. Washington Nature Preserve surrounded by the labyrinth and the rainforest, my Art and Yoga Studio offers you a truly unique opportunity for "VIUnscripted" time and space. Mesh your mind, body, and heart with the beauty of this tranquil valley, while discovering more about your personal creative potential through Kundalini yoga and art. This yoga takes you through a series of postures that opens your chakras, guides your creative energy, keeps your body strong and supple, enhances mental focus, promotes relaxation, and encourages patience. The art classes will further de-stress you with gentle challenges for finding that part of SELF which empowers the ability to make new, regenerate, and put all things into a fresh perspective.

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Excerpts from Divers Information on "The Romantic History of St. Croix" by Florence Lewison, 1963. St. Croix Landmarks Society.

THE ST. CROIX LANDMARKS SOCIETY is an island organization with many long-range plans for restoration and preservation projects. It is a non-profit organization dependent upon membership fees, donations,and such money-raising projects as its annual House Tours.

The Society's headquarters are outside of Frederiksted at Estate Whim Plantation Museum, one of the island's most beautiful showplaces. Its restored eighteenth century greathouse re recreates the opulent life of the sugar cane planters when the island was at the peak of its agrarian prosperity.

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Link: The St. Croix Landmarks Society

According to Wikipedia, Stand up paddle surfing (SUP), or in the Hawaiian language Hoe he'e nalu, is an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage. The sport is an ancient form of surfing, and reemerged as a way for surfing instructors to manage their large groups of students, as standing on the board gave them a higher viewpoint. This increased visibility of what was going on around them such as incoming swell.

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We are all familiar with the adage "The customer is always right." In my opinion, it should continue on to say "...when the chosen service provider is an ideal match." When hiring wedding vendors (florists, officiates, photographers, etc.) keep in mind that they are interviewing you as much as you, the client, are interviewing them. The client has somewhat of an advantage, in this case, as they usually have the opportunity to feel, taste, and preview what a perspective vendor has to offer in advance. However, the vendor has no idea what to expect when they take on a client.

How do you go about finding your ideal match? Begin with rapport building. If you want A+ vendors, become an A+ client! We all know how it feels to be disappointed in a person or product, therefore it is important to exhibit the qualities you want to see reflected back. Vendors usually aim to please their clients, but keep in mind satisfaction is a two way street. Understand that the popular service provider may or may not mesh well with you or your vision. The goal should be to enjoy the experience with your vendors as much as you love their product.

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On third Thursdays (except for April 12), from November through June, the doors of galleries, jewelry studios, and fine retail stores stay open till 8pm to celebrate historic Christiansted's Art Thursdays!

Wind through the streets of town to find paintings, photography, handmade jewelry, fine furniture, handcrafted woodwork, and ceramics from Company Street to Strand Street. This popular series started fifteen years ago as an idea to merge the town's art galleries into a monthly event. Soon jewelry stores (St. Croix has amazing hand made jewelry), and other retailers came on board.

For a relatively small 'island' community, St. Croix has a rich, diverse, and vibrant art scene. Enjoy it all, along with dinner, at one of the many fine restaurants in town. Make a night of it!

See you soon at Art Walks on February 16 and March 15 -- Art @Top Hat, aka Gallery, Bassin Fine Art, Crucian Gold, Designworks, D&D Studio Fine Art Photography, The Goldworker, ib designs, Maria Henle Studio, Maufe Gallery, Mitchell Larsen Studio, The Sanctuary Studio and Gallery, Watch your Step Art Studio and Yellow House Gallery.

Link: Walk This Way - Christiansted's Art Thursdays

"As far back as I can remember, I have been creating in some form or another. Being from an artistically-inclined family, there were always art supplies around but, whenever I felt like trying something new (and if the materials I wanted weren't readily available), I went about obtaining them by any means necessary in quite a determined way."

"Even though my high school art teacher seemed bazaar at the time, by giving us projects for the year with absolutely no explanation and no instructions, only in retrospect can I now appreciate his less-than-conventional approach to teaching art. So, with no questions asked, we were forced to research topics, and create them to his expectations. To this day, terms like 'chiaroscuro,' 'analogous,' and 'monochromatic' are forever ingrained in my brain, thanks to Mr. Reichart."

Continue reading "Meet Cover Artist Leslie Cramer" »

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Toni Lance has been busy preparing for two solo art shows this season. In February, she will be showing new watercolors and oils at the Walsh Metal Works Gallery in Peter's Rest and in March, the Maria Henle Studio in Christiansted will host a show of bird photography from Lance's St. Croix Avian Sanctuary where she cares for injured and orphaned birds.

"One Moment" will be a new body of Lance's paintings from the past two years. There are watercolors of birds captured preening, exploring and resting, with the light falling gently on the feathers. Lance's controlled and detailed use of watercolor takes us deep into one moment with the bird. In a total contrast, she has also painted a number of bold and colorful oil paintings of West Indian figures. Again, 'one moment' is captured with a simple clean composition and sense of light.

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The Galleon Restaurant at Green Cay Marina will be handing over its famous cuisine to a chef who's been specializing in fine dining.

Hailing from Cumberland, Maine, Kenneth Biggs is committed to quality products, perfect cooking techniques, and flavors that are exactly right. He has maintained extremely high standards at Star Boggs in Westhampton Beach, L. I., as Chef de Cuisine, at the French bistro Amelia's on Nantucket, and at the Regatta of Falmouth on Cape Cod.

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What is Larimar anyway? Its a rare blue variety of pectolite found in the Dominican Republic but sold throughout the Caribbean. Its coloration varies from white, light-blue, green-blue to deep blue.

For a little history, The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Mining records show that in 1916 Father Miguel Domingo Fuertes Loren requested permission to explore and exploit the mine of a certain blue rock he had discovered. Pectolites were not yet known in the Dominican Republic and the request was rejected.

In 1974, Miguel Mendez and Peace Corps volunteer Norman Rilling rediscover Larimar on a beach. Miguel took his young daughter's name Larissa and the Spanish word for sea (mar) and formed Larimar, by the colors of the water of the Caribbean Sea, where it was found.

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