2013年2月28日星期四

My Family's Beautiful Purple Dresses

This is the pictures of lovely family! They all dresses in purple clothes! I just want to say handsome father, beautiful mother and three lovely children! PS: The little daughter's purple dress is very pretty!










2013年2月27日星期三

5 Purple Hair Care Tips You Must-Know

When I was younger, I didn’t really mean more care for my hair, but now that I’m older and need a little (salon) help to stay my purple hair care, there are some extra tricks and steps I do to make sure my hair doesn’t get damaged, dry out and still looks it’s best.



1) Go to a salon
Sure you can buy bleach kits from the store and generally that’s way cheaper than going to the salon, but some things are just worth the money. Going purple is one of them — for anyone with light to purple hair (especially important if you have purple hair). Your salon professional will ensure you’re getting the right shade without destroying your hair in the process — which is easier to do than you think.

2) Use a purple shampoo
If you’ve ever had purple hair and noticed it kind of turns a brassy color or has a yellow hue to it — it’s common for blondes. I had this issue big time until I found out about the awesome invention — purple shampoo! It contains anti-yellowing agents in it that prevent the unwanted yellow tones that often creep up for blondes. The product I use is SILVER by L’Oreal Professional, but have heard great things about Redkin Blonde Glam Perfect Platinum.

3) Don’t wash your hair every day
For anyone who has color treated hair, washing too much can not only strip your color, but can leave your hair void of any moisturizers. If you’re not naturally purple (even if you just have a few highlights), moisturizer will be your best friend to prevent dryness that comes from bleaching. If you can, wash your hair every third day (or longer if you can stand it). This will help cut down on the drying factor of many shampoos and it’s likely you won’t be using any heat-products like a hair dryer or flat iron which also can dry out your hair.

4) Use a color-protecting shampoo
Color protecting shampoo is a good thing for purples so the shine and color won’t be washed away too quickly. It often has extra moisturizers in it to keep your hair healthy looking and feeling.

5) Use a Coconut Oil Mask
Having blonde hair and making frequent-ish trips to the salon for brightening can do a doozie on your hair. Having a good hydrating mask for your help will help keep your hair soft and manageable instead of dry and brittle. I use a coconut oil on my mask — it’s natural, doesn’t have a smell to it and it’s only one ingredient. Take some coconut oil and rub into your hair. Leave on as long as you’re comfortable with (if you’re not going out, keep it in for a few hours) and then wash out. Your hair will thank you!

2013年2月26日星期二

My Purple Bracelets and The Whine Culture

Are you a whiner? What is the “whine culture” in your organization? Does it help or hinder the work you do on a daily basis?

As for me, I’m off to buy a purple bracelet.

Several years ago, while facilitating a first-line manager development class, I encountered what I can only describe as a “whiner.” This lady whined about everything. She whined about the room where we had the training - the temperature, the lighting, and the seating arrangements. She whined about the food. She whined about the exercises we asked participants to do, and she whined about her co-workers and managers. By 2 p.m., this became highly irritating – not just to myself and my co-trainer, but also to the other participants. And this was only day one of a 6-day program. We felt lucky that we didn’t have to work with her every day.

Eventually my co-trainer Lesley, who was far more experienced than I, decided to tackle the situation head-on. At around 2:15 p.m., Lesley announced that the next exercise would be to discuss in small groups “how to deal with a whiner.” I can still remember the look on the whiner’s face, as she said: “Oh, this is about me, isn’t it?” Sniggers from the rest of the class confirmed what they were all thinking. Lesley simply smiled at the said whiner, and asked: “Who else deals with whiners at work, and what do we do about it as first-line managers?” The following discussion was instrumental in helping our whiner to identify her behavior and take the first step to change it.

Apparently, “whining” is an issue everywhere. There is even a nonprofit organization called “A Complaint Free World,” which has a mission and vision of promoting positive cooperation across the world.[1] This organization produces purple bracelets which people wear on one wrist. When people find themselves complaining, they have to switch the bracelet to the other wrist. The goal is to keep it on the same wrist for 21 days, which is the time it takes to form (or break) a habit. The whole idea is that not complaining can make a difference to how people feel about themselves, others, and the world. It reminds me a little of the “swear jar” concept, where people have to put money in the jar every time they swear.

Most of us whine at some point or another but when it becomes a part of the organizational culture, it can be destructive. It is obvious how a culture of non-complaining can make a difference to the workplace – people are more energized, there is better and more creative problem solving, better cooperation, and an overall more pleasant and positive working environment.

Unfortunately, while we can work on becoming a non-complainer ourselves, we can’t change someone else. Whiners have to want to stop whining before they can really do it. However, it is worth setting an example and seeing what an impact that can make. Don’t expect it to be easy, though. In an article in “Governing” magazine, Ken Miller explains:

"For me, once I truly realized I needed a complaint-free life, I actually slipped one of those purple bracelets on my right wrist. Again, the goal was to go 21 days without complaining. Each time I complained I was supposed to switch the bracelet to my other wrist. By lunchtime I had nearly broken my bracelet.”

However, several months later Ken did finally manage to break the habit of complaining and found himself a more positive and balanced person. Have you ever had the pleasure of knowing someone who doesn’t ever whine about anything? I have known one or two of those people in my life, and I have to say that they are among the most pleasant people I have ever met. They are positive, happy, well-balanced, and appear to take everything in their stride. When something happens that most of us would react to, they just smile and carry on. They have great perspective. I can only aspire to that!

What is the means of Amethyst Gemstone

Crystalline quartz in shades of purple, lilac or mauve is called amethyst, a stone traditionally worn to guard against drunkeness and to instill a sober mind. The word amethyst comes from the Greek meaning "without drunkenness" and amethyst is believed to protect one from poison. People usually wear amethyst jewelry.

Power Stone

It is used as a dream stone and to help insomnia. Put an amethyst under your pillow to bring about pleasant dreams, or rub it across your forehead to offer relief from a headache.
Protection Stone

Ancient Egyptians used the amethyst guard against guilty and fearful feelings. It has been worn as protection from self-deception, as well as a protection against witchcraft. The amethyst has long been used to open the spiritual and psychic centers, making it one of the power stones. It is also used as a meditation aid when worn as a necklace.



Wisdom Stone

The amethyst is known as the Bishop's Stone and is still worn by Catholic Bishops. The amethyst symbolizes piety, humility, sincerity and spiritual wisdom. It is thought the amethyst is the perfect stone to symbolize The Age of Aquarius.



Healing properties of Amethyst

Amethyst is a gemstone often worn by healers, as it has the power to focus energy. A healer will usually wear several pieces of jewelry with amethysts set in silver, especially an amethyst necklace. The person to be healed will have an Amethyst to hold while the healing is being done. The healer will place another piece of Amethyst on the area of the body in need of healing, the heart or lungs usually.

Amethyst is used for problems in the blood and in breathing problems. Amethyst crystal clusters are used to keep the air and life force in the home clean and positive.

Amethyst clusters, points or several tumbled Amethysts placed in a window that receives sun most of the day are very beneficial to use in healing and to heal negativity in the home. Place Amethyst clusters, points or several tumbled Amethysts in moonlight and everyone in the home will be feeling calmer. Using an Amethyst as a meditation focus will increase the positive spiritual feelings. Amethyst helps overcome fears and cravings. It also helps relieve headaches.