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I don’t know about you but I love art in many fashions and forms. My personal favorite is photography and what I like to call contemporary art. Of course, I have my own definition of what contemporary art is and I am sure it is quite unlike what the artists could consider. I also find myself leaning a lot towards women artists who are creating quite an impact in the art world in recent years.

Case in point. In an upcoming auction in Stockholm, women artists are dominating the offerings by the Auction House, Bukowski. On May 23, 2012 there will be an auction of significant importance and many of the items up for auction are crafted by women. The Women Artists in Bukowski Auction are mainly Swedish born women with a knack for amazing pieces of art. From contemporary to narrative expressionist, the works being sold at auction are rarely seen in auction because they are held in such high regard. Those that buy these amazing works of art rarely part with them.

The pieces being offered at the Bukowski auction are from important women artists such as Mamma Andersson (born in Sweden in 1962) is currently Sweden’s most highly-priced living artist. Her work sells out at record speed when she has a piece offered. Then there is Maria Friberg (born in Sweden in 1966). She became famous overnight, when her film “No Time to Fall” was shown at a Gallery in New York. This film features the breathing spaces of George W. Bush. Her “Still Lives # 3” caused a stir at the 2004 Armory Show and this piece is being sold at Bukowskis Contemporary in this auction.

This only represents two of the amazing women artists that are finally being recognized for their exemplary vision and works of art in Sweden and throughout the rest of the art world. If you are a collector and enjoy fine art, take a look at the rest of the offerings at the Bukowski Auction May 23, 2012. Support the fine art of female artists today.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and I was compensated by the advertiser to write this post. I was provided with the subject matter to write about but our thoughts, opinions and words are 100% mine. All information contained on this blog is copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved.

My brother-in-law lost his job at the local steel mill about 2 1/2 years ago and after not finding any steady employment, he decided to go back to school to learn how to drive semi-trucks. It took him 9 months to complete his courses but now that he is done, he is ready to roll!

The first thing on Stanley’s list is to look for semi trucks for sale as he doesn’t want to rent one. He was telling us that you get more job offers for hauling if you personally own your truck, so Stanley has been browsing the web looking for the perfect one.

Yesterday he emailed my husband some photos and some web links to ask him for his opinion on some trucks that he found that he liked. I was nosey and decided to take a look at them too and wow…I didn’t realize that you can get trucks with semi-living quarters in them!

I saw semi-trucks with small beds, toilets, changing area, 2 burner stoves, mini refrigerators, televisions, stereo systems and even dvd players in them! They kind of remind me of a RV or camper, but everything is crammed in a much smaller space. I guess if you are going to be a long-distance trucker, you my as well have as many comforts of home that you can!

As of this blog post, Stanley has it narrowed down to two different trucks and will be making appointments this week to go and see them. I think his wife Marge is pretty excited about this, because she plans on traveling with him from time to time too.

Do any of you drive truck or have family members who drive trucks? Any tips or suggestions you have for me to pass on to my brother-in-law Stanley?

Disclaimer: I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was
compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

As many of you know, we purchased a 60 year old home two years ago and have been steadily remodeling it. I try to update our readers here on our blog every week with how our home improvement projects are coming along, so today I thought I would update you all again.

Last weekend hubby started remodeling the attic. The previous owners started it about 15 years ago and never completed it. Even though it’s an attic now, it will be turned into 2 large rooms (guest rooms) and a full bathroom. We are very fortunate that the attic is large and has plenty of ceiling space for us to work with.

We took a trip to the hardware store as hubby needed to pick up some tension bolts, drill bits, socket wrenches, 3 new ceiling fans, wire rope and some wire cutters. Wow, I never realized how expensive things are at the hardware store but I did save 25% with a coupon on our total purchase.

Once we got back home I was pleasantly surprised to see my daughter there and she had brought us some yummy Mexican takeout as an early Mother’s Day surprise. No wonder my hubby pestered me to go along with him to the hardware store! Geesh, I should of realized that something was up!

After we ate our lunch he got busy ripping up the attic and let me tell you, he worked his butt off for 6 hours! He is going to start hanging up the drywall this coming weekend and I am really excited about that. He is pretty happy with himself because now he has the duct work done and has central air running up there whereas before…he roasted his butt off.

I am looking forward to it all getting done that way I can head to the mall and to our local department stores and purchase some items for decorating. I am thinking of sticking with my coastal home decor theme for all 3 of the rooms.

Anyway, that is our weekly home remodeling update. I will try to share some photos with all of you next week.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and I was compensated by the advertiser to write this post. I was provided with the subject matter to write about but our thoughts, opinions and words are 100% mine. All information contained on this blog is copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved.

For the past 25 years I have lived with chronic back pain and on some days, I find the back pain to be almost unbearable. With that said, I have found some ways to help ease my pain and today, I thought I would share some of those ways with all of you.

One of the things that has really helped me with my chronic back pain has been Yoga. I have been practicing Yoga for the past 11 years and I absolutely love it. It’s a great way to stretch out your muscles and to get a little bit of a cardo-vascular workout. In addition, it is a great way to relieve some stress.

On days when I need some “extra” help in dealing with the pain, I turn to some natural pain relief creams that are specifically made for back pain. These are topical creams that you rub onto your skin and let them absorb. I am not fond of those creams that heat up and smell like mint, so I tend to stick with ones that are soothing and have no fragrance.

I have found that a moist heating pad and nice long hot bubble baths also help to relieve some of my back pain. A dry heating pad doesn’t give me much relief, so if you are trying heat therapy, make sure you try a moist heating pad instead of a dry one. When it comes to soaking in the bath tub, you want your water warm but not overly hot. Try soaking for 15-20 minutes at a time. I am fortunate that my husband can help me get in and out of the tub on severe back pain days.

I do admit that there are times when I have to go to the “heavy guns” and use prescription medication, but I do try to avoid that as much as possible.

Do any of you suffer with chronic back pain? If so, what do you do to help alleviate some of the pain? I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions too!

Disclaimer: I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was
compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.