That’s why I was thrilled when my parents decided to turn our garage into an Art Studio. The transformation was unbelievable, and in a month, this dark and humid room became a room full of light, where I had everything I needed to make my projects. It was a small space, and my creativity was in bloom, so we had to figure out  how to save space without making the place look crowded: cabinets, hanging some of the tools, and drawers under the tables.

After some years, when I left my parents home, the garage slowly became a storage room again. I gave most of my things away, but some of the art projects  are still in boxes.  And as I’m allergic to dust, whenever I go home, the entrance to my art studio is banned.

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I ran into Lowe’s video on how to turn your garage into an Art studio. It made me want to paint again, and have my own space to do so. A place where my little one won’t be affected by the intense use of white spirit, and a  where I can paint while listening to the  inspiring voice of Zooey Deschanel.

After all, although I have a lot of a Desperate Housewife, I’m more of a Desperate Romantic.

The truth is, I don’t regret not pursuing the architectural career, or at least not where I used to study it. A hippie community that relied on rotting materials, this Architecture school spent far too many hours on poetry and reviving the 60’s.  I was more traditional when it came to studies and if I had to get into the term poetry, it would only be through Aristotle. Also, call me a criminal, but I’m a big fan of ornaments.

And yes, after all these years, some of my friends still think they’re the Rimbaud of Architecture. Others keep on bringing up Gordon Matta-Clark although I’ve never seen them drilling anything. And some of them have pursued fascinating careers, taking sustainability and green (not rotting) materials  into consideration when it comes to creating their projects.

Now, if you want to give Architecture a try, you should start from the very beginning. That is, learn how to write. And remember, it’s like riding a bike. You’ll never forget!

One of my fondest Halloween memories was when in sixth grade, I was given quite a simple chore – to keep an eye out on the kid sister while doing the neighborhood candy-looting rounds with my friends. At some point, we’d decided to take a detour from our carefully mapped route (planned in great detail according to which houses we knew for a fact were inhabited by parents who shelled out the dough for the higher-end candies and treats), and brave a visit to a local haunted house. Pretty tame for us sixth graders, but quite a traumatizing event for tender Kid Sister, who was spooked out of her shell by a well-meaning neighbor dressed up in full-on Egyptian mummy garb. So sure, it was all toilet paper and masking tape, but this brings to mind an important point – it’s the thought that counts!

With an armful of toilet paper, plastic spiders, fake eyeballs, some white sheets and a ton of DIY spirit, you can easily give visitors the willies with your very own haunted house, as demonstrated in this video from Fine Living Network.

In this video P. Allen Smith, the outdoor living expert, takes you to where the giant pumpkins grow:

If you have kids, you’ll probably find that many of your holiday activities revolve around pumpkins: taking a trip to a pumpkin patch, carving some of your finds, turning the others into delicious pumpkin pies and roasting the seeds. Yes, this is probably the biggest holiday for your kids and a great chance to enjoy some quality time with them. In this next video P. Allen Smith shows you how you can safely include even your younger children in the pumpkin carving party:

Thanks to the fabulous Meg Allan Cole and the Threadbanger posse, you can now recreate all the spooky tension so often identified with Hitchcock, right in your own home – and right on time for Halloween! Just remember, you DIY-loving kids – use fake birds only. We mean it!

Unfortunately, every year you can see many girls who seem to see Halloween strictly as an opportunity to be a naughty-something (nurse, nun, cop or cow-girl),  but don’t give their makeup any special thought. In that sense I think we can all learn something from Heidi Klum:  The super-model/Project Runway host throws a glamorous Halloween party every year with her husband Seal. Though you’d have to look hard to find a better looking lady, she usually goes for bold, over the top looks that are not necessarily flattering.

But even if Kali is a bit much for you, don’t be afraid to try something new and creative this Halloween. In this Style Network video you can see the best way to apply glitter – a key part of any Halloween look, or as Heidi would put it, help you get that “Wow Factor”.

However, the fact that everyone can snap pics, doesn’t necessarily mean we’re all good at it. That’s where LBGuides.com steps in – educating the masses on all things photography and digital cameras since 1998, they are bona-fide professionals in a field full of eager hobbyists and amateurs.

So if you’re interested in learning some basic tips, such as how to take a portrait picture, be sure to check out their tips and tutorials:

Or, learn how to improve your picture quality without spending outrageous sums on a new camera:

For more handy photography tips, tricks and ideas, be sure to visit the LBGuides Studio on 5min.

Happy snapping!

The sand Mandala is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition in which a group of monks creates a concentric diagram of colored sand. The Mandala is a microcosm representing various divine powers at work in the universe, and as such usually depicts figures of deities, Buddhist symbolism and structure. The process is in fact a form of meditation, similar to the idea of repeating a mantra. As soon as it’s completed the Mandala is destroyed in a specific order, the sand gets placed in a jar and scattered in a river.

This meditation on impermanence might seem cruel or pointless, but perhaps that just shows how unwilling we are to accept the temporariness of life. The obvious example that comes to mind is the recent financial crisis;  the hardest part to grasp was how billions of dollars just disappeared. People’s life savings, pension plans and charity funds vanished into thin air.

In this video from Vat19.com you can learn how to start making your own sand Mandala.  If you’re not quite ready to destroy your work, don’t worry, just use glue.

Chenrezig Sand Mandala created and exhibited at the House of Commons for the visit of the Dalai Lama on 21 May 2008.

His use of light was so perfect, that we’re still using his compositions, just watch Peter Greenaway’s Zoo or how designers had a tough time recreating Vermeer’s house as a set in order to get the light right in “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. Yes, studying the light and taking the most out of it it’s still in people’s minds.

We might have new tools, new technology, but a classic is a classic. This means that, even when you need to express yourself in less conventional ways, when it comes to a portrait the same old reflective light coming from a window is still your best friend. And since Vermeer isn’t around anymore, Judy Host will show you how.