Americans' wealth growing

Real estate holdings account for 30% of net worth. Individual stocks make up 14% of net worth. Mutual funds make up 8% of net worth. Bank accounts, checking accounts and other savings products make up nearly 14% of net worth. The balance includes retirement accounts, bonds and possesions such as cars and jewelry.

According to estimates by Jack VanDerhei of the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 86% of people with 401(k) retirement savings plans now have more money in their accounts than at the market peak in October 2007.

The Fed said overall household debt dipped to 13.4 trillion in July-September period. That's a 3.5% drop from a peak in early 2008. Debt now accounts for 122% of Americans' disposable income, down from a peak of 135% in late 2007.

CHIC; Cosidered smart without the deadening implication of intelligent.

QUALITY OF LIFE; What an industrialized nation is said to offer when enough of its citizens are suffering from terminal stress.

POSITIVE THINKING; Self-improvement through self-deception.

STATE-OF-THE-ART; Soon-to-be-obsolete

have prosperous and healthy wealthy and wise new year

the bottom line

*American shoppers in 2009 used 27 percent more in-store coupons than they did in 2008, while use of online coupons soared 360 percent. Forty-one percent of Americans now believe that it's acceptable to use a coupon to help pay the tab on the first date. WalletPop.com

* Nearly all companies plan to award employees raises next year, says pay advisor Buck Consultants, with the increases avaeraging around 3 percent. And most employers that eliminated 401(k) matching payments during the recession plan to restore all or part of the match by next summer. CNNmoney.com

*Inappropriate holiday gifts - The Duncan Yo.. Goes down, never comes back. Teaches children about warranties.
5,200 Pick Up . . . a jumbo deck of cards that lets kids play a larger version of their favorite game.
- Chocolated Covered Lead Soldiers. - -
-Cuisin Art , . Turns mommy's food processor into a spinning paint tool

tasting & testing

top ten - 10 - test kitchen discoveries
1. The problem with most measuring cups ? They take up too much space. We like how these new nesting cups from Zyliss stack neatly
2. Joshua Wesson, cofounder of Best Cellars wine shops, tops his ice cream with flaky Maldon salt. He loves how it focuses the flavors. We lve it on Haagen-Dazs Sticky Toffee pudding.
3. Called "Ammo" these hand-tied spice bundles from Art of Tea make a potent after-dinner tea or a stomach-soothing drink.
4. Our list of creative uses of Ashbolt Elderflower Concentrate keeps growing. So far we've used it in Champagne cocktails and to make sorbet. Next. we'll poach pears in it.
5. Branche's black Mission fig preserves are so luscious and figgy that we almost prefer them to fresh fruit.
6. Compass Box founder John Glaser stopped by to share his latest blend: Oak Cross, a pleasantly soft and sweet malt whiskey aged in premium American and French oak.
7. A friend tipped us off to this intensely meaty, slightly spicy beef jerky from Striplings General Store in southwest Georgia
8. Goose farmer, Jim Schiltz sent us a new smoked goose breast which is great served cold or sauteed and layered on a "GLT"
9. Rick's Picks' crunchy, spicy, smoky pickled okra is our favorite new addition to sandwiches, pizza and a scrambled eggs.
10 Screwpull's brand-new Leverpull, makes short work of stubborn corks.

Humanity's dream:

Creating a better tomorrow together--------------------put aside Ridley's overabundance of faith in the free markets, though, and he gets "the big thing" right said -- in fact " the liberating forces of globalization and Googlepization" make it all the more likely that we will be able to overcome todays big challenges, as those forces have vastly multiplied our special capacity for collective innovation--------------------------------------

And for those who have everything ........"All is not as it appears" when it comes to the Fusion Table a high end home furnishing that "melds dining and pool table into one, with the latter hidden by a sliding wooden tabletop.

Be conservative When deciding on a new hue make sure not to choose a shade "more than two or three shades lighter or darker" than your natural color.

Recent Vacant Street Corners

Many streets venders set up their stands on empty street corners. On weekends, for example you can set up a large stuffed toy animal display in front of a gas station or vacant lot at any busy intersection. Pay the property owner for the use of this part of his property, perhaps $25 for four weekends,

To find a good location, look for a spot that is highly visible on a busy thoroughfare, with easy access from and back onto the road. An out of business convenience store or gas station is ideal. Most property owners will be happy to rent you the space for just enough money to cover property tax.

Truly low cost start-up

Park in front of any busy supermarket and sell plastic tablecloths or leather handbags.

Set up a velver-covered tray on any busy street and sell custume jewelry.


.......Anxious to get your life on a more prosperous track, the possibilities are designed to minimize your initial cash investment,

To attract customers, place notices on bulletin boards, put fliers under doors. You can even go door-to-door. After a while, you will have steady clientele, especially of working individuals who don't have time to shop.

Recently

you were considering Humana Insurance Company (Humana One) for your individual health insurance needs. Maybe the plan you looked at wasn't exactly what you wanted. Maybe you wanted to see what else was out there. Or maybe you just got busy and didn't want to think about health insurance. . . . . . .

Truth is, HumanaOne is still one of your best options for individual health insurance. There are a variety of plans to choose from (even some you may not have considered). HumanaOne plans offer the freedom and benefits you want lie:

Your premiums are guaranteed for a full year -as long as you remain in the same area and keep the same benefits.

You choose your doctor. . . and your deductible -you're in charge with HumanaOne.

You get a 10-day FREE look - take the first 10 days to review your policy. If you're not completely happy, either call and cancel or return the policy to us and get a full refund on your premium.

That's just the beginning, too. You can add optional benefits to any plan. So you end up paying for the health insurance plan you really want, instead of settling for stripped-down coverage.

For example, for an additional charge you could add . . . . . .

.Dental coverage

. Supplemental Accident Benefit

. Prescription Copays. . .available on some plans
just one call is all it takes to get started. And if you have any questions about which benefits are
right for you, a licensed HumanaOne representaive will be happy to work with you. Just call toll-free Monday-Thursday, 8 am - 9 pm Friday 8 am - 7 pm Saturday 8 am - 5 pm (eastern Standard Time)

Affordable health insuranxe packed with benefits you want? It's here. All you have to do is call HumanaOne today.

Sincerely,
Vice President, Commercial Segment

P.S. Now is the time to apply for health insurance you really want. Get it done

Getting the flavor of . . . . .

Saratoga Springs' artistic roots
While known for its horse racing and hot springs, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has a third attraction that's always fascinated me, said Cheryl Lu-Lein Tan in The Washington Post. The little city near the picturesques Adirondacks" is also home to the "storied artists' colony" Yaddo, a retreat that's been "fertile ground for thousands of creative spirits" since its 1900 founding. The colony has been a haven for Sylvia Plath, Saul Bellow, Langston Hughes, and Carson McCullers, among other luminaries. In total, Yaddo alumni have won 64 Pulitzer Prizea, 61 National Book Awards, and one Noble Prize. "Many believe that the creative powers of Yaddo lie in the 400 scenic acres of woods and lakes" surrounding it. The "magic of the place" is especially pallable in the Yaddo Gardens, whose "massive beds of pink and yellow roses" are secluded by 100-year-old-pines.
Contact: Yaddo.org

dimension

Now, using all of the colors prevously mixed, go for the final painting in all of the details to your own satisfaction. The orange color spotted here and there is a combination of a little Alizarn Crimson and Cadium Yellow Light. Add some of this orange sparinly to the greens of the trees and grasses. Ripplets on the water are a base of yellow and white we used in the sky. Also, a little Alizarin Crimson and Pthalo Blue were added for the light purple. Keep this scene soft as the colors, even though bright in places, dictate the soft mood. Yellow is the dominant color and purple is the dark accent.

Notice that the warm richness of the yellows and oranges against the purple blackness of the background give a velvety feeling to the trunk. This is a good example of the use of a color which appears to be black to the eye and yet very harmonious to the overall painting. Work up to the brightest colors and try to make the brush strokes give a rough appearance to the bark.

Complimentary

olors. . . . Here we find many uses of the color wheel as a mixing guide and also for selecting our color schemes or palettes. The following examples of complements are presented to illustrate the placement of the various colors on the color wheel and the reasoning behind the selection of the different plans.

A double compliment is made up of two sets of the complements with a dividing color in between. Notice the closeness of the blue and green. There s only one color between them and that is blue green. The same applies to the red and orange. The seperating color between them is red orange.

with this knowledge

we can create any mood we desire in our painting.

A few simple examples of emotional responses to color are as follows;
.Yellow - sunlight, warming, happiness, comfort
.Orange - light, warming, happiness, comfort
.Red - fire, heat, excitement, danger
.Red purple - darkness, intrigue, night, uneasiness
.Purple - darkness, intrigue, night
.Blue purple - darkness, uneasiness, intrigue, night
.Blue - water, ice, coolness, calmness, moonlight, sky, distance
.Blue greem - water, cool, serenity,airiness, distance
.Green - foliage, nature, calming, quietness, coolness
.Yellow green - sunlight, richness, happiness

Perspective

is the principle by which an object recedin from the position of the viewer appears, to the viewer, smaller than its true size, and conversely, an object approaching the viewer's position seems more and more to approximate its true size. The knowledge of perspective is an indispensable aid to the artist, who must represent on a flat surface subjects which, in actuality, exist in three dimensionl space. As a test, take a ruler and measure a person forty feet away. As he approaches, see how much larger he seems to become. The test shows the apparent variation in size of an object, depending on its remoteness from or nearness to the viewer.
The vanishing point is that point on the horizon where parallel lines (perspective lines) seemingly converge and terminate. The vanishing point is always on the horizon. Any object within a picture will have perspective lines, though these lines are not visible in the finished drawing.
The horizon line is always on a level with the eyes of the observer, and it changes with the observer's changing positions, as shown in the drawings that follow.
The drawings in this book have been chosen to illustrate the variety of problems which the artist encounters when creating a picture. Study them carefully and then apply the principles which they present when next you make a sketch.

Perspective by Victor Perard - Pitman Publishing Corporation

This appealing assortment

designed to impress is now available with free shippiong !

Show your appresiation with the generous sampling of gourmet fare. This gift basket contains many traditional WineCompany favorites. Bella Campagna butcher wrapped garlic summer sausage, Sierra Nevada porter spicy brown mustard, Sonoma Jacks pepper jack cheese spread, Godiva dark chocolate truffles filled with creamy chocolate ganache, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory dark chocolate covered Bavarian pretzel, Napa Valley Mustard Company honey mustard pretzel nuggets, walnut shortbread cookies, Ahmad English tea, Contucci D'Abruzzio Italian almomd cookies, Mama Mellace's sea salt almonds, Lily O'Brien's double chocolate chip cookies, Sofiato mocha crepe bites and rosemary olive oil crackers complete this appetizing collection. Gift Size 16"x7"x10" 514 $39.95 free shipping


Now more than ever, everyone wants to be sure that they're getting the best deal. We understand Wine Country Gift Baskets has been setting the standard for quality and value
for over 25 years.
Our best Value and Unconditional Guarantees make shopping for the perfect gift easy and enjoyable. You will make a grand impression at a reasonable price.

I want to thank all our customers - we enjoy making you look good! And I'd like to invite those who haven't shopped with us yet to come experience all the little details, found everywhere from our unique gift designs to our world class customer service, that make Wine Country Gift Baskets a truly exceptional gift giving experience!
Happy Holidays Tim Dean President and Founder