The Unique One Piece FabergÈ Eggs

FabergÈ Eggs have always been special to me.  Iíve been searching them out at art auctions since I was in my early twenties.  I did a term paper on the FabergÈ Company and their history of making eggs for the Russian Tsars between 1885 and 1917.

The first FabergÈ Egg that I ever found at an art auction was actually quite by accident.  The FabergÈ Egg was not one of the advertised items and was actually a bottle topper. Right away I fell in love with it and took it home with me from the art auction for one hundred dollars.

I saw an advertisement for a tropical FabergÈ Egg from a collection St. Petersburg.  It was set to be up for sale at an art auction in New York City.  I knew that I was going to be unable to purchase it, but I wanted to see it in person and at least put in one of the lower bids.

The tropical FabergÈ Egg at that art auction in New York City ended up selling for over 6,000 $.  That is a little out of my price range, but I was happy simply to have been in the same room with the masterpiece.  The eggs themselves are just exciting to be near.

The first FabergÈ Egg was made in 1885 by the FabergÈ Company for Empress Maria Fedorovna.  I know that it will never turn up in an art auction, but hopefully I will see it someday in an exhibit.  The first one was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III and was given to his wife as an Easter present.  The surprise inside the egg was a golden hen in a golden yolk.  The he was wearing a tiny crown with a ruby hanging inside.

The antique Russian FabergÈ Egg that I found at an art auction recently was so detailed.  The silver enamel egg has rubies and eagles and is marked with FabergÈ hallmarks.  I was able to win this egg because I was bidding with someone elseís money.  The best eggs always end up with the richest people - Clearly.

The one that I want in my collection is a genuine "Lillies of the Valley" FabergÈ Egg.  I found one at an art auction I went to A decade ago.  I was unable to buy the one I saw, because I didnít have the money at the time.  Iíve been saving for the time that I find another one.

The Lillies of the Valley FabergÈ Egg is covered with pearls and pale pink enamel.  The egg is on a stand that has legs of matte green-gold leaves with rose dewdrops. The gold-stemmed lilies of the valley have green enamelled leaves and pearl flowers. I will look for this egg at every art auction I ever go to.

This FabergÈ Egg is delightful.  It is surmounted by an Imperial crown of rose crystals.  There is a pearl knob that reveals the surprise of this egg.  The surprise is portrait miniatures of Czar Nicholas II and his two oldest daughters.  The portraits are framed in rose crystals and backed with gold panels.  I have heard a rumor that one will be at an art auction next year in Miami.

The last art auction I attended I bought a FabergÈ Egg called "the Imperial Clover Egg".  It was for my personal collection and I got it for under a thousand dollars.  I felt like it was quite a steal at that low price.

The Imperial Clover FabergÈ Egg was originally made with a four leaf clover inside of it that had portraits of the four daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra.  The portraits went missing during the Russian Revolution.  The egg that I bought at the art auction had a stem of clovers standing upright.  Two clovers in green enamel and the third, a four leaf clover, was done in diamonds.  The diamond four leaf clover is a pin that can be worn.

A College Degree is Nearly a Necessity

Your education is the single perfect gift you can give yourself. While there are educational opportunities all around us, some of them come at a greater cost than others. A college education might require a hefty investment of time and money upfront but the pay off is much better over time than if you used your life experiences in order to achieve the same level of education that you can pack into 2, 4, or 5 years of an undergraduate education on the college level.

In other words, over the course of your lifetime you are likely to pay far less for your college education than you would pay (in earning potential) for not having a college education. At the same time, each level of college education you receive increases your overall earning potential. This means that a one-year degree in a technical field will provide a modest boost from a high school diploma when it comes to earning potential but an associate's degree will provide an even better boost. You will see an even more significant improvement in earning potential when you increase from an associate's degree to a bachelor's degree. The vast majority of students enter to the work force upon completion of a bachelor's degree. Those students, however, who remain in school for graduate studies often, find that a master's degree even further improves their lifetime earning potentials. 

The problem for most when it comes to making the jump between degrees and educational levels is cost. There are times in life when we simply need to get out of school and get to work. The good news is that it is gradually becoming easier for those with careers to further their education without sacrificing either their careers or their family during the process. Of course there will be some sacrifices along the way but it isn't an all at once or nothing endeavor. You can work towards your degree by taking online classes, night classes, and Saturday classes. The information age has made it easier than ever before to achieve the educational goals you need to meet in order to satisfy your dreams for the future.

Your level of education will get your foot in the door when it comes to certain jobs and your lack of education will limit you far more than a lack of experience will limit you in many cases. As time grows on, more and more companies are seeking employees that have degrees rather than those who have experience in the field. If you hope to remain competitive in the business world you need to arm yourself with the proper education. Check with your company to see if they offer any sort of incentives for employees continuing their education. You might be surprised to find that your company offers to match your tuition funds or even completely reimburse them if you are working towards a degree that will assist you in your job functions.

There is no wrong reason to get an education. Even if you are applying for a job that won't use your specific degree, you might find that having a degree at all gives you a boost over other applicants for the same position. A college degree is becoming more and more necessary in today's business climate. You need to take every opportunity that is available to you in order to get your college degree.

Is an Online Education Right for You?

We live in the information age. We have grown so accustomed to information at the speed of light that the prospect of not having immediate access to countless numbers of facts and figures with the mere click of a few buttons for many of us is simply disconcerting. For this reason, it only makes sense that there are many people across the nation and around the world that are embracing the idea of online learning and educational opportunities with every ounce of enthusiasm they can muster.

At the same time there are equal numbers of people around the world who are trying desperately to hold on to traditional methods of dealing with certain things. In fact, some people actually still play solitaire with a deck of playing cards. For people who feel that the information age has left them behind to some degree the chances are quite good that online learning may not be the best option for you.

Below you will find several questions that can help you narrow down whether or not you would truly benefit by taking some of the many online courses that are being offered in today's information age of learning.

1) Are you disciplined? This may seem like such an innocuous question because we would all like to think that we are disciplined to some degree. The problem is that when you are in the driver's seat for your own education you need to have a little more than some small degree of discipline. You need to be able to meet deadlines, take the tests, and hold yourself responsible for actually learning the information that you have to learn in order to pass the course. There is no one to blame but yourself if you do not manage to do well in your online classes and some people simply do not like being in the drivers seat when it comes to motivating and pacing themselves and their learning practices. 

2) How do you learn best? We all have different methods of learning for which we retain information better than others. Online courses are reading intensive. If you have difficulties retaining the information you read you may need to find an alternate learning method or seek solutions with the assistance of the course instructor before moving forward in an online learning environment. 

3) Do you really have a true desire to succeed? The answer to this question is quite important in determining whether or not online learning is in your best interest. There are many paths you can take in order to achieve the education and degree you would like to have in the future. This is not the path of the masses, at least not yet. This type of learning, more than any other is easy to give up on through apathy. If you aren't determined to do the assignments, to study the notes, and to really learn the material that is presented to you then you really do not need to waste your time or the instructor's time by continually making up excuses. Online courses are largely self-paced but you do have a limited amount of time in which to learn the material before you need to move on. The teacher is responsible for providing you the information and material but you are responsible for everything that happens from that moment on. Do you really want that responsibility? 

Whether you are a first time college student or a professional that is returning to school after a long absence online learning can open new doors of opportunity for your learning pleasure. You must be willing to walk through those doors and take the information that is presented to you however in order to be successful. My sincere hope is that everyone reading this will carefully consider whether or not the lack of structure that many online courses provides is going to be conducive to your specific learning and educational needs before taking the plunge.

How to make a traditional Muslim meal

In Islam, a set of dietary regulations determines what you can eat. Hereís how to make a meal according to the basic traditional Muslim rules.

You must: Know the terminology

Learn the correct terms. Halal (allowed) means permissible, lawful, or recommended in Arabic, while haram (strictly forbidden) means illicit. These two words are used often to describe foods that are either allowed or not.

You must: Plan your menu

When you plan your menu, keep in mind that Islamic law has several different schools of interpretation. All agree that fish with scales are Halal (allowed), for example, but there are differing opinions on seafood.

If youíre in doubt about whether a certain food is Halal (allowed), check with an imam at your mosque.

You must: stay away from pork

Islamic law completely forbids the consumption of pork. Look carefully at ingredient labelsómeatballs, hot dogs, and even marshmallows can contain pork or pork products.

You must: Eat correctly slaughtered meat

Other meats are not automatically Halal (allowed). Animals must be ritually slaughtered in the name of Allah with one slit to the throat, and then drained of all blood. This slaughtering method is called zabihah.

You must: Steer clear of carnivores and carrion

Carnivorous animals, birds of prey, and animals killed by accident or by another animal are all haram (strictly forbidden).

You must: Avoid alcohol

Islamic law forbids alcohol consumption, which includes cooking with alcohol. In recipes calling for wine, beer, or liquor, substitute mixtures of vegetable stock, fruit juice, and vinegar.

Check with an authority before using vinegar. Some Islamic schools of thought consider it haram (strictly forbidden) because of its alcohol content.

You must: Eat your veggies

Eat as many vegetables and legumes as you want. Theyíre all Halal (allowed).

You must: Beware of vanilla

When you are making dessert, beware of vanilla, a common ingredient in sweets and desserts. Vanilla extractís alcohol content makes it haram (strictly forbidden), but pure vanilla beans are Halal (allowed). Synthetic vanilla flavor may be permitted if the manufacturer used no alcohol in order to process it.

You must: Hit the stores

Once youíve chosen your menu, itís time to buy the ingredients. Many cities offer Halal (allowed) butchers, and your local market may offer Halal (allowed) packaged foods.

Different countries have different certification authorities and symbols. Find out which label is used in your area. Also look for the word Halal (allowed) written on packaging in English or Arabic.

You must: Cook your meal

Cook your meal. Once you know your ingredients are Halal (allowed), there are no more restrictions, and you can adapt any cuisine to these rules.

You must: Give thanks and eat

Before eating, remember to give thanks to Allah for the food before you. During the meal, always pass to the right.

You must: Share your meal

Invite others to your table. When the prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was asked what his favorite food was, he replied, The one I am sharing.

Muslim celebrate holidays:

Muslims have two major religious observances each year, Ramadan and Hajj, and corresponding holidays connected with each one. All Islamic holidays are observed according to the lunar-based Islamic calendar.

Here is a list of Islam holidays:

*Ramadan - Ramadan is the month in which Muslims must fast from dawn to sunset. This is meant to feel how the poor people are without food or water. In addition, Muslims close their bodies off from earthly demands by denying themselves food and drink. This in turn allows for the nourishment of the soul.

Fasting is more than just the mere denial of food and drink. While they are fasting Muslims must also abstain from smoking and sexual contact. In addition, there are culture-specific beliefs regarding the watching of television, listening to music, and the perusal of any secular vice that does not in some way enhance spirituality.

*Laylat al-Qadr is Arabic for ìThe Night of Powerî. It falls on one of the last ten days of Ramadan usually on an odd numbered day. It is considered the holiest night of the year, since it is the night in which the Qur'an was first revealed. It is also considered better than a thousand months [Qur'an 97:1ñ3]. It is said that if a person performs voluntary worship on this night, that worship is equal to a thousand months or approximately 80 years

*Eid al-Fitr - At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate "The Festival of Fast-Breaking."

*Hajj - Each year during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, millions of Muslims make an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia called Hajj.

*Day of Arafat - During one day of the Hajj, pilgrims gather at the Plain of Arafat to seek God's mercy, and Muslims elsewhere fast for the day.

*Eid al-Adha - At the end of the annual pilgrimage, Muslims celebrate "The Festival of Sacrifice."

Other than these two major observances and their corresponding celebrations, there are no other universally-observed Islamic holidays. Some Muslims acknowledge other events from Islamic history, which are considered holidays by some but not all Muslims:

• Islamic New Year: 1 Muharram
• Ashura: 10 Muharram
• Mawlid an-Nabi: 12 Rabia' Awal
• Isra' & Mi'raj: 27 Rajab