Whether you already have a home game room or you’re thinking of adding one to your home there are some “essential things” you’ll need to make your game room “Ultimate”. It’s true you may not need every single one of these items or you may not have the time, space or money to add every single one. But if you do have the time, space and or money and want an “Ultimate” Home Game Room then check out the top 6 items (in order of importance) that you’ll need for your game room to achieve ultimate “game room friendly” status.

#1 Game Table

Since you’re creating a home game room the number one must-have is the game table. Now which game table or tables you have is of course a personal choice. The two best game tables for home game rooms are billiard tables and shuffleboard tables. They’re the best because of multi-player use, the skill of the game and the fun competition each one brings to your home.

If your game room is big enough it’s always fun to have a combination of two different game tables. The best combo idea would be to have a billiard or shuffleboard table plus either an air hockey, foosball or ping-pong table. They say “Variety Is The Spice Of Life” and that is especially true for a home game room.

#2 Three More Great Games

The second must-haves are more great games. Again this is a home game room and to be “Ultimate” you’ll need at least three more great games. These are games that will compliment your table games and add even more variety. The types of games that fit into this category are: arcade games, indoor basketball games, bowling games, crane games, dart games, pinball machines, football games, golf games, pachinko/pachislo games and slot machines.

There are other games you could add but this is a good list to get you started on the right track to creating a fun family game room. These three additional great games are just enough to keep everyone happy. Any less and you could lose that ultimate status, any more and your home game room could become cluttered. A home game room that’s cluttered with games will lose its uniqueness!

#3 – Jukebox

So now that you have the games and everyone is having a blast you’ll want to add some music. The best way to add music is with a jukebox. Stereo systems are good also but they don’t give you that “Ultimate” game room look and feel that a jukebox does.

Don’t worry there is a large assortment of jukeboxes available. Personally I prefer a jukebox from the 1940s. The old songs from the 1920s-1940s are great for all ages and they’re a nice change from the norm. There are some really catchy tunes from those years!

But if you’re not an oldies fan then there are other jukeboxes, like the ones that play 45rpm records. If those are still too old for you then a CD jukebox will do the trick. Some hold a hundred CDs giving you the ability to add a large assortment of music that would be perfect for any occasion. Also the jukeboxes look vintage 1940-ish. Finally if you love technology there are digital jukeboxes. They don’t look so much like a traditional jukebox but you can download music right to them using various methods like from a home computer.

# 4 Game Room TV

The fourth item you’ll need is a Game Room TV. It’s great to have a jukebox and music but when the big game is on New Year’s Day you’ll want your Game Room TV. Whether it’s a 13inch TV attached to your ceiling or wall or a large plasma TV doesn’t matter. It’s having the TV that bumps your game room up to the “Ultimate” level.

Now one of the best TVs to have in a home game room if you have the room is the projector TV with a movie screen. Having one of those is like having your own mini theatre in your home and they’re great for watching sports. It’s probably not a good idea to use one of these TVs for everyday use as the projector bulbs have a limited lifetime. You can however buy a replacement bulb but they can get expensive on some models. The bulbs usually last around 3000 hours and that is plenty for home game room use.

#5 – Refrigerator

The fifth must-have is the refrigerator. The reason being that if you’re creating an ultimate game room then you’re most likely planning on having parties with family and friends. A refrigerator that holds a couple cases of your favorite drink is perfect. You don’t need something large and fancy.

The reason these are good is that you won’t have everyone trouncing into your kitchen all day and night to get a drink. Also it helps keep the party in your game room not to mention your kitchen floors clean. On top of that they’re great for storing extra food for everyday use if your main refrigerator if full.

#6 Game Room Bathroom

The last must-have item on our list is a Game Room Bathroom. Like the refrigerator above it keeps the foot traffic to a minimum throughout the house if you have a bathroom in your game room. Plus adding that additional bathroom to your home is great if you have parties because someone always needs to “go” when your one bathroom is occupied.

Besides the added benefit during parties, adding another bathroom to a home usually increases a homes value. That is always a good thing and it’s just another reason why a bathroom in the game room is the number six must-have item.

There are many more items that can be added to your home game room. For example neon signs, clocks, pictures, posters, pub lights and so on. But this is a list of must-haves to push your game room up to the ultimate level.

Of course not everyone has the room or the money to add a bathroom to the game room. Or has the space to add so many different games. That’s ok because game rooms aren’t about having the biggest and best things. They’re about having fun with family and friends. Also creating the “Ultimate Game Room” isn’t done overnight. It takes time and that is part of the fun in bringing your game room to life. Set a budget if you need to and take as much time as you like in adding your favorite game room items. In the meantime have fun using your game room with family and friends as much as possible. And never forget that “Families That Play Together, Stay Together”.

While bed and breakfast means anything from staying in someone’s spare room to a lavish waterfront condo, careful research will help you find just the right bed and breakfast for you.

The truth is bed-and-breakfast inns vary wildly from house to house and from inn to inn, and it makes good sense to do some research on the property you’ll be visiting. We all have our preferences and it’s not hard to find a bed-and-breakfast that will suit your particular tastes. In our case, we’ve always preferred the bed-and-breakfast that is more inn than house, more private than communal. And here are a few of the bed-and-breakfast stays we have enjoyed the most:

Casa Tropicana Inn

If you want to tie in a beautiful Southern California beach with your bed-and-breakfast experience, the Casa Tropicana Inn in San Clemente is the place to go. Situated across the road from a gorgeous beach and San Clemente Pier, Casa Tropicana really couldn’t be in a better location if the main purpose of your getaway is relaxation.

Known as the beach community where former president Richard Nixon had his Western White House, San Clemente is an oceanfront city of red-tile-roof Spanish style homes built with commanding views of the Pacific on land that almost seems like it was created to provide homeowners the best panoramic views on the Southern California coast. Spanish-named streets wind and weave their way down to the waterfront below where one of the most charming areas is the tiny enclave of shops, restaurants and vacation properties next to the San Clemente Pier.

It’s there that you find the Casa Tropicana Inn, a five-story inn that is ideal for couples and fits right in with the Mediterranean motif of this quaint beachfront area. Each of the eight guest rooms is designed with many special attributes that include romantic touches like fireplaces, over-size Jacuzzi tubs, the highest quality linens and bed treatments and cozy robes, as well as more practical amenities such as refrigerators, flat screen televisions, DVD players and high-speed internet. Beyond that, the rooms each have individual amenities such as the ocean views and four-poster bed in the room we enjoyed called the Casita Arena.

We especially enjoyed the second-floor terrace just in front of our room that features tables where you can enjoy a cocktail or chairs where you can read a good book, all with the beach, pier and seemingly endless ocean horizon in full view.

Although the service in general was excellent, the Casa Tropicana is not where you go to have your innkeeper prepare a gourmet breakfast. In fact, the inn’s breakfast is continental style with pastries, yogurt, orange juice and various snacks available for you anytime in the room. Even wine and champagne were available for us anytime and, unlike most mini-bars, these came at no extra charge.

But gourmet food is not very far away: On the first floor of the inn you’ll find the White Horses Restaurant and Bar which boasts numerous dining awards, including being named the best gourmet restaurant in Orange County. Based on our dinner, we completely agree with the judges.

Our time spent in this beautiful beachfront environment was a feast for the senses – unbelievable views, small markets, sidewalk cafes, long beach walks and upscale shopping only minutes away in downtown San Clemente. Friends who joined us on this getaway also pronounced the Casa Tropicana the ideal couples getaway.

For more information on the Casa Tropicana Inn, phone 800-492-1245 or visit www.casatropicana.com.

MacCallum House

When you visit Mendocino for the first time, this Northern California seascape just reaches out and touches your spirit. Perched high on a bluff overlooking the vast Pacific, Mendocino is not a big town – it’s just what you might imagine a New England fishing village to look like. The town has a mixture of Cape Code homes and historic buildings, making it almost look like a theme town. Windswept trees, rolling grassy hills and steep cliffs are footsteps from the Village by way of several miles of coastal trails that are perfect for hiking and photography. Down below are remote beaches and the cragged, rocky shoreline.

In the Village you’ll find a variety of eclectic shops – unusual records, one-of-a-kind musical instruments, vintage toys, you name it — mingled with historic homes, inns and fine restaurants. One of those homes is the popular MacCallum House bed-and-breakfast inn, which has a strong connection with Mendocino history. The house was built in 1882 by Alexander MacCallum, a relative of one of the town’s first settlers. Eventually the house was turned into a bed-and-breakfast inn

Our stay at MacCallum House was quiet and restful, and gave us a great chance to just walk down the block to visit the local merchants or to hike on over to the headlands where the trails offer breathtaking views of the coastline and the town itself. We stayed in the “Upper Barn Suite,” a second-floor unit in a building across the lawn from the main house. This is the largest room on the MacCallum property and enjoys views of the ocean. The unit features a private deck as well as a stone fireplace, wet bar, refrigerator and a large living room in addition to the bed, bath and kitchen areas. Furnishings are generally antique ‘ or approaching antique.

Of course, dining at MacCallum House is a big part of the treat and, fortunately, we elected to have dinner there in addition to the breakfast that normally comes with your room. Both meals were well up to expectations. Breakfast might include a Butternut Squash Omelet or Red Potatoes with Cremini Mushrooms or, the entree we tried, Lupe’s Breakfast Burrito, a delicious combination of apple-turkey sausage, scrambled eggs, white cheddar, onions, peppers and salsa on a fresh tortilla. Most of the dinner menu items highlight entrees that are regional and fresh.

You’ll want to walk off those ample portions and there is no shortage of places in and near Mendocino to get some exercise. In addition to the previously mentioned trails, there are lots of areas where you can walk by rivers and streams and even enjoy Redwood forests.

For more information on MacCallum House, phone 800-609-0492 or visit www.maccallumhouse.com.

Whispering Pines Lodge

Those people raised on TV westerns like Bonanza will feel like they’ve stepped right onto the Ponderosa when they take the one-hour drive northeast from Bakersfield to the town of Kernville. There’s good reason: dozens of TV and movie westerns have been filmed in the immediate vicinity.

We spent a couple of nights in Kernville at a place that we would consider a “find.” While most lodgings in town seem to be rather typical motel units, we stayed at one of three bed-and-breakfasts in town, the Whispering Pines Lodge. The Whispering Pines is a series of wood-frame buildings, each with several separate units. Our room was nicely appointed for a lodge that felt like it was out in the wilderness ‘ modern cedar and oak furniture, a king bed, double vanities in the bathroom, hardwood floors, framed paintings and flowers strategically positioned throughout the over-size room. The curtains opened to reveal a woodsy view of the riverfront, a deck with table and chairs and, of course, a panoramic view of the churning Kern River.

The constant sound of the river reminded us of a riverfront cabin we once owned and this just bolstered the feeling that we had truly escaped from the city. Downtown Kernville was perhaps just a quarter mile away but we felt like we were holed up in our own remote mountain cabin. It was ideal for relaxation — or just reading a good book — and we also loved walking the local trails.

After a restful night’s sleep, we discovered one more reason that the Whispering Pines fills up quickly on weekends for the full breakfast that is served, buffet style, every day of the week. Bed-and-breakfasts seem to run the gamut from those offering a roll and some coffee to those priding themselves on both the quality and quantity of food they present. The Whispering Pines falls into the latter category with its bacon, sausages, eggs, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, quiche, fruit, rolls, juices and coffee all served up tasty and fresh in an atmosphere that encourages you to go back and fill your plate again.

For more information on the Whispering Pines Lodge, phone 877-376-3733 or visit www.kernvalley.com/whisperingpines.

Shop online to pick up some cool, trendy, fun and even some crazy merchandise. If you are a sports-lover and a football addict, get some hot deals on cool football merchandise. Choose a Man Utd shirt or a West Ham shirt, if you’re a huge fan. And with World 2010 approaching, gear up for all the sporting action with t-shirts, sweatshirts, collectibles and other exciting merchandise. However, if rugby is your game of choice, there’s rugby merchandise for you, too. Buy rugby league shirts at amazing prices.

If you are addicted to the silver screen, there are posters, calendars and other merchandise from the latest blockbusters available online. Whether you want the adventurous Indiana Jones look or the angry Incredible Hulk tee, find them all in online merchandising stores. Even better, look out for Star Wars collectibles or limited edition movie accessories. Or go for the eternal romance of Audrey Hepburn with classic merchandise.

For the youngsters and the young at heart, there is a whole load of cartoon merchandise available online. Pick the perfect gift for your little girl. Maybe she would love a Disney Princess toy box or a chic Mickey Mouse Pencil Holder. Or grab some X-Men merchandise or a Spiderman costume for Junior. Surprise your kids. And make sure they call you the best dad in the world!

While you’re at it, look up some cool video games merchandise like Super Mario tees and Zelda accessories for the teenager in your home. Or a guns n roses t-shirt or an usher merchandise. He may just about grunt his approval.

You can also gift yourself vintage car collectible or a Harley Davidson model. Will surely look good on your desk, isn’t it? Online is the best place to buy cool merchandise at great prices.

John: Lanny, I know you as one of the founders of Blend Images. Now you are CEO of SuperStock. Can you share with us a little of your background and how you came to be SuperStock’s CEO?

Lanny: Well, it’s sort of a kidnapped-by-aliens story. I picked up my first camera when I was about 8 or 9 and pretty much had one in my hand all the way thru high school. I was the photo editor of my high school yearbook and determined to go to Art Center, but I kept looking at pictures taken by guys like Irving Penn, Richard Avedon and David Bailey. The more I looked, the more I thought my own pictures were total crap and would never get better. So, I sold my enlarger and my Nikon F, gave up all hope of ever meeting Jean Shrimpton, and went to UCLA where I eventually got an MBA.

After B-school I had a bunch jobs of including working at MTV right after it launched. Eventually, I went to work at a TV station in LA as the program director. Here’s the part where the aliens kidnap me and I spend 7 years working at PricewaterhouseCoopers in global consulting projects for energy companies and long distance carriers. Fast forward to 2002: IBM buys the consulting business of PricewaterhouseCoopers. I was either pushed or I jumped (depending on who you believe) and before hitting the ground I decided that I wanted to turn back the clock to the summer I graduated from high school.

I couldn’t do much about all my gray hair but I decided to pursue a career in photography. Looking back, it seems like a totally insane notion. However, something very odd happened. A friend producing short programs for a cable network, Fine Living, hired me to shoot stills and we used Avid editing software to animate the stills in a Ken Burns sort of way. I bought a new Canon D60 and never looked back. It wasn’t long before I met Lawrence Manning, a very talented stock photographer. We partnered on a bunch of stock shoots and pretty soon royalty checks started arriving in the mail.

Long story short, I went with Lawrence and Beautiful Betty (Mallorca) to a little meeting of about 30 stock shooters in Las Vegas. Blend was born at that meeting and Rick Becker-Leckrone asked me to help with the formation of the company. I spent the next four and a half years working with Rick to realize his vision. Then we started to wonder, “What do we do next?” A small group of us started kicking ideas around at the NY PACA meeting and Gustavo Baez tossed out the idea, why not buy Superstock?

Why not, indeed. Alan Bailey (from Rubberball) and I flew down to Jacksonville. We woke up from the dream walking out of Federal bankruptcy court having out bid Steve Pigeon for Superstock. In a bloodless ceremony I was anointed Superstock’s new CEO. It was all a bit unreal. In the finest tradition of the stock business we all went out to dinner that night with Steve, drank a lot of wine, and agreed to distribute each other’s content. Is this a great industry or what?

John:  SuperStock was purchased in Bankruptcy court. Can you fill us in on the ramifications of what SuperStock has been through and how that will affect it’s photographers and clients?

Lanny: Superstock has been through a trauma. The employees are an amazing bunch and, despite what they have been through, they continue to believe in the company. Virtually every photographer, client, image partner and distributor decided to keep doing business with Superstock.

Ownership of the company is back in the hands of photographers and and Morgan Stanley and the financiers are gone. Superstock is once again a place that is about the photographic image and those who create those images and those who use those images to communicate.

John:  What do you think are the strengths of SuperStock?

Lanny: Superstock has three essential strengths. First, hundreds of contributing photographers around the world who supply images to us. This has produced an extraordinary collection of fine art, vintage, travel and scenic, and contemporary imagery. Second, a large base of loyal clients in publishing and advertising. Third, a very talented staff that works every day to bring photographers and clients together.

John:  What are SuperStock’s areas of vulnerability?

Lanny: I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.

John:  What is your vision for where you want to take SuperStock?

Our plan for Superstock is pretty straightforward. We are stabilizing the company so we keep the content, clients and staff that make Superstock a great agency. We’ve pretty much completed this phase. Now we’re optimizing the company’s image assets and relationships.

It’s no secret that the Superstock was not very well led in the last few years and there’s a lot we are doing to get more images to market and make it easier for clients to find the images they need. We’re going to compete by continuing to offer clients a unique collection of fine art, vintage, travel, and contemporary imagery along with a deep understanding of how those images are used.

John:  Do you have any plans to incorporate Micro stock into your mix?

Lanny: We’re looking at many options but I don’t think Micro will be the first thing we do.

John:  Do you see potential in expanding stock sales beyond the traditional buyers of stock?

Lanny: Consumers are the Holy Grail, I suppose. Consumers seem to have a never-ending fascination with celebrities, so there will undoubtedly be new ways to download shots of Miley, Madonna, Rihanna, and next week’s it girl. I can also envision consumers who would enjoy looking at images of fine art, distant locations, and historical events. This is where we’ll be well positioned to serve that market.

John:  There is a lot of buzz in the photographic community about the lack of concern large agencies have for the individual photographer. Is the economic viability of the individual photographer important to SuperStock? Should it be important to agencies?

Lanny: I can’t speak for other agencies, but Superstock places great value on the individual photographer. After all, the owners of Superstock are photographers. It’s in our DNA. Blend has certainly proven that an agency can succeed by caring about the success of photographers. We can’t succeed unless our photographers succeed. So we’re creating a very close relationship between our sales people who talk to picture buyers every day and our editors who talk to photographers so they will know the subjects that will sell.

John:  Agencies like Getty are constantly reducing the human interaction with photographers as well as clients. Is that something that is inevitable and necessary, even for SuperStock?

Lanny: We think a lot about how to increase the interaction between our editors and our photographers.

John:  One of SuperStock’s offerings is subscription. Can the subscription model work for photographers as well as agencies?

Lanny: Different clients have different ways they like to buy pictures. Some have no problem paying $20,000 for the perfect image to go on a can of beans and others need to download a hundred images a day to put in a blog for butterfly collectors. Photographers and agencies need to find ways to make money from either type of client.

John:  I am under the impression that the market for stock images is moving away from print and more into the internet as the print world shrinks and the online world increases. Is my impression accurate? If so, does this present a problem in the lower prices charged for internet use?

Lanny: True, there is a shift from paper to pixels. I think it is too early to precisely predict the future shape of the internet market for images. Right now internet audiences are pretty fragmented but as they become more concentrated there may be an opportunity to charge more for compelling images.

On the other hand, the nature of print and the internet are different. A powerful image is probably the key thing to attract a customer to buy a magazine or to stop and look at an ad on a page. But internet browsing is ironically less visual and more text driven than print so images may not have quite the magnetic power (or economic value) they do in print.

John:  Along those lines, do you think the pricing structure of RF stock images, and I suppose Micro, needs to change? Do you think it will change?

Lanny: Pricing is alchemy. Get it right and you turn lead into gold. Get it wrong and you turn gold into lead. Nominal RF prices might look like they are rising, but there’s a lot of evidence that overall RF prices are falling (dare I say the words “Premium Access”?). At the same time prices are rising in the micro space. Macro and micro appear to be converging but prices won’t ever meet. Certainly, the 1 to 100-price ratio of two years ago will continue to shrink.

John:  Does the increasing use of video threaten the market for still Images?

Lanny: Video will grow, that is inevitable. But there is nothing that has the power of a still image. My generation was shaped by TV, but every major event in our lifetime is defined by a still image. When people think of the Vietnam War they think about the image of the man being shot in the head by the guy in the short sleeve shirt or the napalm-scarred girl running down the road.

When we think of the student revolution on Tiananmen Square it’s the image of the guy with the plastic shopping bags in front of the tank. I believe it was actually shot in video but we remember it as a single frame. And the defining image of Barack Obama is that stolen shot used in the “Hope” poster. I don’t think anything will ever replace the way a still image allows us to do what life denies us: stop time.

John:  Do you see SuperStock offering video?

Lanny: Yes.

John:  Some are predicting a radically different world of stock images in as little as five years. Do you see any big changes on the horizon?

Lanny: One thing is for sure: search doesn’t work very well for anybody so look for innovations in how agencies enable clients to search for images. I’d also expect a convergence between stills and footage, perhaps packages for integrated campaigns.

John:  Do you have any advice for the veteran stock shooter?

Lanny: Talk to people who buy pictures, find out what they want, go and shoot it.

John:  Do you have any advice for photographers who are just entering the field of stock photography?

Lanny: As William Goldman said about the movie business, “nobody knows nothing”. Learn everything you can about photography and advertising and journalism and publishing and then let it all go and listen to your instincts.

Framed wall art is where the poster or painting has been put in a nice frame so that it can be hung on the walls. These are a common sight in most homes and offices, the only difference would be the content of the framed wall art. Some might prefer having motivational quotes or pictures, while others would enjoy having a picture of their loved ones or of a personality they admire or look up to. These posters can make a whole lot of difference to the ambiance of the room, adding class and reflecting the personality of the home owners or the office holder. Posters are basically paper based prints of people or objects that are designed so they can be fixed on the wall or any vertical platform. There are some people who display pictures taken with famous celebrities on their walls to show off their accomplishments. This adds value when a prospective client or customer walks into the room.

In case of professionals, they might at times have their degree and other accolades framed and on the wall. In a dentists office for example, we might find wall art of his degree, certificate obtained for extraordinary achievements and others given by prestigious organizations. All this gives the person visiting him a reassurance of his qualifications and ability to treat them. In a home however they are likely to have pictures or portraits of family members or special occasions. Or of people they care about but who have passed away, these are a way of remembering them and keeping them as part of daily lives. Pictures by themselves need a way to be displayed, so people pick up pretty photo frames to put them in and place them in places where they will notice them. Some have bedside tables filled with pictures of their children or parents, or they could have a collection of framed pictures on the mantle.

Children and men who enjoy sports have been known to have pictures and posters of their favorite sports players or of a particular incident that appeared in the papers. And if a member of the family was recognized and given an award or prize, those pictures would also be framed and put up on the walls. An art enthusiast might have wall art of famous paintings, some could be original while others would be replicated versions of the same. Some vintage posters would also find their place amongst the other valuable framed wall art pieces. Similarly, for movie lovers, they are likely to collect classic posters, and to preserve them will frame them and put them up in their room. Framed wall art is a beautiful way of preserving precious moments or displaying photos of loved ones or people who matter the most around the room where one spends most of their time in. so, next time you walk into a house, don’t be surprised to see a framed art of Luciano Pavarotti, the world wide renowned opera singer.

Marilyn Monroe was truly an icon of American pop culture. The actress, singer and model was known for her comedy skills and screen presence; however, her sex appeal became her signature. Monroe’s demeanor was notably controversial for its time. She eventually rose to be one of the most popular movie stars of the 1950s. Revered as a legendary Hollywood star, she is idolized throughout the world as a silver screen sex goddess. Today, celebrity women continue to imitate Monroe’s style, fashion and elegance, but few come close to the uniqueness of her stunning beauty and charming personality.

Madonna

Madonna has often said “to have been inspired” by Marilyn Monroe. Early in her career, she admitted in some interviews that she grew up idolizing the star. Madonna’s music video for “Material Girl” recreated Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”, a number from the 1950s movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”. The pop icon copied Marilyn’s pink gown and mimicked the intricate choreography as homage to her idol’s distinctive look and unique flirtatious attitude. In 1992, Madonna did a parody of Marilyn’s birthday song to President Kennedy during a Saturday Night Live episode.

Christina Aguilera

In her recent “Ain’t no other man” video, Christina Aguilera imitates Marilyn Monroe. The video is set in the 1950s with credits written in a retro font. Aguilera steps out of a car, cleverly labeled Baby Jane (as a reference to Bette Davis), dressed in a sparkling white dress topped off with a vintage hat set over her curly, blonde hair. Her next outfit features fur and a lot of extravagant jewelry, a clear reference to glamorous women in the 1950s, most notably, Marilyn Monroe. Like the video for “Moulin Rouge”, Christina Aguilera continues to commemorate the daring women who paved the road for her own work.

Lindsay Lohan

In an interview, Lindsay Lohan stated her desire to entertain the troops in Iraq. The singer said she was inspired by the late Marilyn Monroe who entertained the troops during the Korean War. “I wanted to do what Marilyn Monroe did, when she went and just set up a stage and did a concert for the troops all by herself. It’s so amazing seeing that one woman just going somewhere.” Lohan’s controversial style of videos has kept media buzzing since her first album release. Along with other singers, she clearly admires the unique style and level of controversy that Monroe thrived on.

A birthday song like no other

Marilyn Monroe famously sang “Happy Birthday” to President Kennedy in 1962. The song and the video of the singer’s performance is a rare one that many generations have come to recognize. In fact, the song is often referenced in popular culture., It was presented at Prince Charles’s 50th birthday celebration in 1998. Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell parodied Monroe’s performance while changing the lyrics to “Happy Birthday Your Royal Highness”.

Marilyn Monroe set a trend that had never been seen before. She used her artistic talent and sex appeal to seduce the world. She initiated a craze that has revolutionized the music and acting industries. Modern entertainers of today continue to imitate Marilyn Monroe’s style because it worked then and it works now. Monroe once said that her great ambition was “to have people comment on my fine dramatic performances”. As she continues to be remembered and impersonated, her legend lives on. It is clear that her wish has come true.

Theda Bara. Dorothy Lamour. Betty Grable. Jean Harlow. Vivien Leigh. Greta Garbo. Elizabeth Taylor. Jayne Mansfield. Twiggy. Farrah Fawcett. And, of course, the magnificent Marilyn Monroe.

They came from different eras, from 1910 until the 1960’s. They were beautiful, alluring, and represented the “ultimate woman.” Pin-up girls were posters that represented every man’s dream of the perfect woman! These pin-ups graced the lockers of high school boys, calendars, and the American soldiers of World War II’s bunk rooms. Far from home, the G.I.’s treasured pin-up girl posters; they gave the soldiers something beautiful and sexy to see instead of their all-male comrades, not to mention the misery and graphic violence of war. Army Air Corps pilots, who risked their lives every day, developed “nose art” that was beautifully painted upon the outside cockpit of their fighter, bomber or cargo airlift planes. In addition to stunning depictions of fierce, snarling animals like tigers, eagles and sharks, pin-up girls frequently graced the noses of U.S. aircraft. And in 1941, test pilot Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in a jet he decorated with a gorgeous pin-up of his wife, naming the plane “Glamorous Glynnis.”

In 1947, the Army Air Corps officially became the United States Air Force. Nose art, especially that of vintage pin-up girls, continued to grace the outside cock pits of the best and fastest aircraft in the world. But times change, as does “political correctness.” Thirty years later, in the beginnings of awareness of the sexual harassment and exploitation of women, nose art was officially banned by the USAF, and this pin-up art vanished forever. It’s only seen now in museums depicting the lives of servicemen in ages gone by.

Several sources cite the top three pin-up girls as Betty Grable posing provocatively in a one-piece bathing suit, Marilyn Monroe’s revealing skirt “blow up” from The Seven Year Itch, and Farrah Fawcett as she appeared in TV’s “Charlie’s Angels.” But it doesn’t end with the beautiful and sensual pin-up girls; the past decade has given us pin-up men as well! Handsome heartthrobs Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Fabio adorn the walls of many a teenage girl’s bedroom. Also popular in modern pin-up art are rock singers Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Steven Tyler, and the enormously popular cross-over group, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Pin-up art reached its heyday during World War II, and art experts say that it will never quite be the same again. During this time, every female star in Hollywood had aspirations of becoming a popular pin-up art subject; this was part of their formula to successful movie careers. Today you can find vintage pin-ups on the Internet that are of fine quality and evoke memories of days long gone.

If you’re planning a party for someone who is approaching a milestone birthday year, like 40, 50, 60 or beyond, you want it to be fun and memorable.  Forget the “over the hill” theme.  That can be funny when you turn 30, but loses it’s humor when you get closer to the top of that hill.  Instead, commemorate the year the guest of honor was born with a stylish party he’ll remember for years to come.  Here’s how:

Party Invitations

Set the tone with party invitations that highlight events, prices, movies and songs from the year the guest of honor was born.  You can buy ready-made invitations by birth year or order custom birthday invitations online.  Some will even feature a photo or two, including a baby picture and a current one of the birthday guy or gal. Or you could use your computer greeting card program and a little internet research to create your own original invitations that you print at home.

Party Decorations

Hang old movie and music posters from the guest of honor’s decade.  For example, if someone was born in the 1950’s, posters of Elvis, Buddy Holly and movies like South Pacific and Rebel Without A Cause would be appropriate.  You could also download pictures from the internet depicting that year’s President of the US, World Series winning team, fashion trends and news photos.  These can be glued to poster board and displayed with the movie posters.  Add some enlargements of baby photos of the birthday man or woman to complete the decor.

Party Centerpieces

Make copies of a whole bunch of old photos.  You can go with just baby photos or photos from every stage of the guest of honor’s life.  Cut away the background, so you all you have left is your subject.  Glue a toothpick on the back and stick each photo into individual cupcakes.

If you don’t want to use cupcakes, then here’s another option.  Glue heavy gauge wires of different lengths on the back of those photos.  Spray paint a medium size flower pot to match your color scheme.  Fill the flower pot with styrofoam, insert the wires and randomly arrange the photos in varying heights.

Party Food

If you really want to go all out with this theme, make his or her favorite foods from their childhood.  This may require a little research and gathering of family recipes.  You can end up with an unusual party menu.  But it’s something that guests will not soon forget.

Party Favors

For party favors, you can order all kinds of items that feature events from the year your birthday guy or girl was born.  Everything from magnets to notebooks are imprinted with these fun facts.  You can even get custom year you were born bookmarks and other things that are personalized with his or her name, birth date and a photo.

Another great favor idea is to order candy that was popular in that era.  Run a search under vintage, nostalgic or retro candy to find companies that specialize in these treats.

Party Music

Here’s where you should depart slightly from the year you were born theme.  The birthday guy or girl won’t really remember the songs from their birth year. Instead play music from the guest of honor’s teenage or college years. If you are putting the music together yourself, your public library is a good source for all kinds of music, including music from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.  They have CD’s and tapes they will lend you at no cost, as long as you have a library card.

Party Games

If you want to have any activities, try a timeline history quiz.  Once again, this takes a little research, but the internet makes it easy!  An example of a question would be: Bob asked Jeannie to marry him: a)the year the Beatles broke up, b)the year Woodstock took place or c)the year the Viet Nam war ended.  Make a list of questions highlighting significant events in your guest of honor’s personal history.  Then print one for each guest attending the party.  The person who gets the most right could win a door prize.

A year you were born birthday party celebrates the history of a person’s age, without making fun of it.  It’s a great way to honor a milestone birthday man or woman.  And it will be an unforgettable event that will be a big hit with everyone.

As a child I loved going to the movies. It was not just the movie or the popcorn that created an atmosphere for me it was also the decor, like the theater seats in rows and the red drapes that parted when the movie started.

Now that I have gotten older I have noticed that many of the new movie houses have changed. They no longer have drapes covering the screen and the whole building does not smell of fresh popcorn like it did when I was a kid.

If I wanted to recreate that feel I realized that I was going to have to do it in my own home. With all of the available options in home theater décor I learned that designing my own home theater was not going to be that hard.

Obviously I started with my projector and all the other things that come with it, like the screen and sound system. Once I got all those things it was time to make the room feel like the movie houses of my youth.

The next thing I got was traditional theater seats; you know, the ones that fold up when someone is not sitting in them. This time I can ensure that there is no gum stuck to the bottom of them and they are not stained with gallons of soda that were spilled on them.

The one thing that really ties the room together though is the art work I got. I bought a special frame with spot lights to display the movie poster for the movies I enjoyed as a kid. I also got several lobby cards to put in to corners of the room.

I thought I was done until I found a vintage looking popcorn machine. I love that I can sit back and enjoy some of my favorite movies and if I close my eye it feels just like it did when I was young.

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It’s been truly said that old fashion repeats itself after certain period of time. Sunglasses with huge lens and frame were very famous during the hippie culture. No one ever thought that these sunglasses would come to this present world again. But such vintage sunglasses are already in the market and people are are wearing them to protect their eyes from the ultra-violet sun rays. Well, people just don’t wear them for protecting their eyes but it has got many implications.

Vintage sunglasses stand for their fashionable look. Look out for your famous celebrities, don’t you find them in big sunglasses. These big sunglasses worn by several heroes and heroines in the Hollywood are the perfect samples of vintage sunglasses. Get a couple of them to your home and thus, try them. You would be definitely looking elegant and stylish. Watch out the most popular movies of Tom Cruise and certainly, you will discover this heart winning hero in some great vintage sunglasses.

It’s not that only celebrities can afford the vintage sunglasses, now any common people can afford these sunglasses. There are many websites which sell exclusive vintage sunglasses. Take your time to search for the favorite ones. Do not forget to go through the various colors and brands. Before buying them try these on your facial look and then, finally set to get it.

Be a brand favor and wear branded vintage sunglasses. It would give you the kind of look that you cannot expect from any other sunglasses. What is the use of wearing ordinary sunglasses if it doesn’t give the look that you have been willing to have. Visit the websites that exclusively provide the kind of vintage posters. All you need to do is to search in an ideal way. In the end, you will discover your hidden inner look with the amazing sunglasses.