Photo Courtesy of BillionaireXchange

Help may be on the way for online auction sites such as BillionaireXchange and EBay.

Site traders are hoping for less restrictions on selling luxury goods under EU (European Union) regulators’ plans to knock down barriers to Internet sales.

The European Commission, who is the 27-nation EU’s antitrust regulator, is currently drafting up new guidelines on the extent to which companies can restrict trade through their own authorized dealers.

In a story from Bloomberg News, who obtained the draft plans, it details how how the Brussels-based regulator will apply competition rules to agreements between online producers and sellers.

The draft states that luxury-goods makers would be prevented from imposing any quantity limits on Web-based sales by distributors who are already authorized to sell goods through their “brick and mortar” stores.

This EU move is wonderful news, especially for luxury auction sites such as BillionaireXchange.

Courtesy of: Savoir-Faire.com

Proudly launched in November 2008, Savoir-Faire.com (update, site is no longer online) is a unique luxury gift site founded by HH Princess Kasia Al Thani, who is married to a brother of the Emir of Qatar.

The inspiration behind Savoir-Faire.com was actually based on true love. Princess Kasia Al Thani was unable to locate that perfect birthday online gift for her husband. The result is the elegant site: Savoir-Faire.com

The sophisticated site was inspired by Princess Kasia Al Thani’s desire to create the ultimate in luxury gift sites in one convenient location. She brings together luxurious brands, designers, and experienced craftsmen from all around the world.

A small sample of the stylish brands listed on Savoir-Faire.com include: Marie Chantal kids wear, Anya Hindmarch handbags, Kilian fragrances, and Geoffrey Parker Games.

Princess Kasia Al Thani has surrounded herself with a talented and experienced team of experts. Leading the list is top fashion editor and celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, who picks her favorite gifts in “Rachel’s Favourites”

Rachel Zoe explains the reason for her involvement in Savoir-Faire, “I wanted to become involved in Savoir Faire because there isn’t anything else like it in the market. To me, buying gifts for your friends and loved-ones is such a mammoth task.”

Courtesy of: Savoir-Faire.com

In addition, Loree Rodkin who is the jewelry designer of choice for First Lady Michelle Obama, introduced a beautiful collection that’s unique for the site.

Princess Kasia showcases her personal favorites on the “Kasia’s Picks” link. You can find a wide variety of stunning luxury gifts that will please even the most demanding shopper.

Founder Princess Kasia Al Thani states, “I am really proud of what Savoir-Faire has achieved – we’ve spent months finding the best quality products and most exciting brands, designers and craftsmen. I think we’ll offer something totally unique – a simple service to send beautiful and memorable gifts that any recipient will treasure.”

The thorough selection process for all Savoir-Faire.com products is comprehensive. Each product on the site is handpicked for its uniqueness, design, quality and exquisite presentation.

In addition to offering superior service, you can also build your very own gift box or select one of their pre- arranged gift boxes for different occasions, with premium gift wrapping and packaging services.

So why not treat the one you love with a special gift …… Princess Kasia Al Thani did.

Art lovers and backers of the Las Vegas Art Museum have decided that the museum needs its own permanent spot, instead of the rented space at the All-American Sportpark.

A recent story in the Las Vegas Sun states that donors haven’t decided whether they will purchase an existing building or build a new one. One thing they do know, is to not have an interim rental space.

For the past 10 years the Las Vegas Art Museum has been sharing a building with the Sahara West Library in Summerlin. There is 7,000 square feet of exhibit space and it hosts an education program for about 7,000 students a year.

The initial plans for the new museum call out a much larger facility and an education program for 30,000 students annually. If everything goes as planned, the Las Vegas Art Museum will finally have a permanent spot for the first time in the institution’s 58-year existence.

But more than that, the Las Vegas Valley is a dynamic metropolitan area that needs a thriving arts community, and that means a permanent art museum. It is an important step toward helping Las Vegas grow into a world-class city.

With plans for the Smith Center for the Performing Arts already under way, it gives the Las Vegas Art Museum the permanent home it deserves would be an excellent next step. It’s about time!

As the economy continues to struggle, more and more people are saving money and spending more time at home.

Although being at home more than in the past, it doesn’t mean they should have to cut out the finer things in life.

People are looking for affordable luxuries. Portraiture, especially portraits of their cherished children is “The New Status Symbol,” according to Boston Home Magazine.

MSN’s Encarta defines Portraiture as a visual representation of individual people, distinguished by references to the subject’s character, social position, wealth, or profession.

In the broadest sense, portraiture can include representations of animals (favored pets or prize-winning livestock, for example) or even representations of dwellings.

Portraiture of people have steadily increased and it looks to stay that way for many years to come.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to every one.  In celebration of this festive Irish day, let’s take a look at Ireland and the famous Blarney Castle and Blarney Stone.

Blarney Castle was originally a timber hunting lodge built in the 10th century, which was replaced by a stone castle in 1210.  The present day castle was completed by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster in 1446.

Following the epic Battle of the Boyne in 1690, all Irish chiefs were stripped of their powers and the McCarthys were again forced to leave Blarney Castle.  The Castle was then sold to Sir James Jefferyes, Governor of Cork in 1703.  The Castle is currently owned and managed by the Trustees of the Blarney Castle Estate.

The famous Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower, in the ancient Irish village of Blarney.  The walls of the castle are 18 feet thick.  The stone is believed to be half of the Stone of Scone which originally belonged to Scotland.

Scottish Kings were crowned over the stone, because it was believed to have special powers.   One of the stories says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning.  Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to talk sweetly.  He was able to talk anyone into doing things.

The stone was given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in return for his support in a battle.  Queen Elizabeth I wanted the Irish chiefs to agree to hold their own lands under title from her.

Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, handled her every Royal wish with clever promises keeping loyalty to the Queen without “giving in”.  Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her “a lot of Blarney.”

This is how the story began that if you kiss the blarney stone you will also be able to make clever promises.

The Barbie doll has been a treasured collectible for decades. What started out as a simple doll for girls by toy maker Mattel, has turned into a massive worldwide, collectible market.

Thought to be the largest single-owner Barbie collection ever auctioned, the Dutch collection was sold in September of 2006 by Christie’s of London. The Barbie collection of over 4,000 dolls was said to include practically every Barbie ever produced. Starting from the 1959 #1 ponytail, to the current dolls of the 2000′s.

Christie’s sold the rare dolls individually and others were in lots of 10 to 12 dolls. The bidding for the lots will started at around $100 to $200. The estimate was at the time, the collection was worth approximately $185,000.

Auction house Christie’s, tells Reuters, “This is a collection of virtually everything — and most of it is in mint condition as it has never been taken out of its boxes, making it particularly highly prized.”

The first ever Barbie, wearing a zebra stripe swimsuit and white sunglasses, sold for over $6,000 to an anonymous collector.

This was a far cry from the pocket-money price of $3 when she first went on sale in 1959. In all more than 4,000 of the dolls went on sale at Christies attracting buyers from all over the world.  Full article

Photo courtesy of: Liberace Foundation-Museum

This is a follow-up to our original Liberace Museum story. It’s a must see for all fans of iconic Liberace.

The life and legacy of pianist and entertainer Liberace will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 15 with the 30 year anniversary of Mr. Showmanship’s best encore performance. The celebration will be held at the glittering Liberace Museum.

The Liberace Foundation is a non-profit organization and is offering a full day celebration at the Liberace Museum. The festivities will run from 9 AM until sundown.

This monumental Liberace event will be hosted by the Honorable Lorraine T. Hunt-Bono and Dennis Bono, who are serving as the event’s Rhinestone Chairs.

Admission to thee museum will only be 30 cents, and includes free performances by past Liberace scholarship recipients and Liberace Piano Competition winners.

Liberace opened his Museum on Easter Sunday, April 15, 1979. It is located close to his Las Vegas home on Shirley Street, as well as the famed Las Vegas Strip where he performed for many years.

So many lives have been positively impacted since Liberace himself created his own Museum and Foundation. Over the years, there are many unique stories to be told through Liberace Scholars from across the U.S. who’ve received monies.

The Liberace Museum will also debut a new exhibit titled, the 30th Anniversary Exhibit. It will run through May 31 and commemorate three decades of milestones since the museum’s opening in 1979. The event will celebrate musical legend Liberace’s amazing career and his contribution to the Las Vegas and international entertainment scene.

Make this an event you can’t miss and remember, don’t forget your bling.

For more information, please go to: www.Liberace.org

Mary Ann Guarino-Schlau, of Joplin, has two living rooms: one for her and one for her 14 dogs. Guarino-Schlau’s furry “babies” have their own couch, love seat, chair, television set, radio and pillows. They are her life. Each dog has its own collar, identification tag and clothing that fits its personality. Four baskets of dog toys are spread across her house, and Guarino-Schlau said she is willing to sacrifice a large part of her life for their happiness.

“They are most certainly my kids; we call them our babies,” Guarino-Schlau said. “They mean everything to us. We don’t go places because we have to take care of them, and we don’t mind. This is our luxury: to sit and watch them play instead of watching television.”

Guarino-Schlau is part of the growing population of pet owners who look at their animals as friends and family rather than property, and prove it with their checkbooks. The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association estimated that in 2007, people spent more than $40 billion on their pets nationwide. Those costs include boarding, grooming, animal purchases, medical care and food.

And pet ownership is becoming more universal. The association’s survey found that 63 percent of U.S. households, or 71.1 million homes have at least one pet. (Update: According to the latest research and data of 2023-2024, 86.9 Million US Households Owns a Pet, Which Accounts for 66%)

More people own dogs than cats, the second most popular pet, but cat owners tend to have more animals, so the total of pet cats in the U.S. outnumbers dogs 88 million to 75 million.

Bow Wow Business:

New businesses have sprung up to meet the demand, and existing businesses are falling in line to get a piece of the market.

Kendal Kantola, manager of the Bow Wow Boutique in Joplin, said her business grows every year. She has clients who bring their pets in for weekly grooming and others who schedule their pets’ monthly appointments to correspond with their days at the salon.

Even as a pet owner herself, Kantola said she is amazed at how far people will go to pamper their pets. Weekly clients could spend more than $1,000 a year on just bathing one pet. She has puppy parents who celebrate their animals’ birthdays with parties and cake, feed their dogs macaroni and cheese, and buy them more Christmas presents than they buy for their human children.

“Even back when I was a kid, we used to give the dog a bath in the back yard, but it’s not like that anymore,” Kantola said.

The trend is strong enough to gain the attention of national retail chains. Wal-Mart is cashing in on the pet-pampering craze with an expanded stock of dog apparel including rhinestone-studded collars, sequined bows, and puppy T-shirts bearing phrases like “Dog-a-licious,” “Born Fabulous” and “Love at First Bark.”

Why?

So, why are people willing to go so far to ensure their pets’ happiness? Pets do have some benefits when it comes to their owners’ health. Studies from a number of health institutes and universities have shown that owning a pet helps lower blood pressure, reduces stress, helps reduce heart disease, provides greater psychological stability, lowers health-care costs and fights depression.

But the most likely reason that Americans spent $40 billion on their pets last year goes back to the unexplainable connection between people and their pets.

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Art allows a culture to communicate its ideas and values to future generations. Tiling, weaving, border decoration, and other such systems allow cultures to survive and propagate themselves. Dictators and autocrats have attempted to control the creation and display of art since the beginning of history.

People are easier to control if their artistic horizons are narrowed to the rulers’ preferences. Art allows people to express meaning through craft, and potentially lets them share nontrivial insights about the world around them.

So is Art Is Not A Luxury? Art is sometimes thought to include only certain groups of people and to exclude others. Art is frequently held to be a plaything of the wealthy because of the time required to pursue artistic endeavors and the cost of obtaining them.

But art allows anyone to experience emotions and thoughts, because it now includes not only the artist’s ideas but those that the viewer brings to the artistic work. It can be used to educate, propagandize, control, and convert people to new ways of thinking. This is effective because art uses our automatic responses to biological stimulation in novel ways.

Art is something that stimulates an individual’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses. It is also an expression of an idea and it can take many different forms and serve many different purposes. Art is the best way I have of figuring out what the world is trying to show me.

Art is a learning and a teaching process, said Beuys. Its not an elite activity reserved solely for experts ” its a part of everyday life, and its human nature to be creative. the question remains … Art Is Not A Luxury.

Artist holds freedom of expression, and the viewers the liberty of interpretation. Contemporary art longs for the communication between spectators and artists. Artists like Nara and Aya Takano use children as a subject in almost all of their art. While Nara creates scenes of anger or rebellion through children, Takano communicates the innocence of children by portraying nude girls.

Artists like Frida Kahlo and Damien Hirst are considered to be artists by the artworld under Dickies definition, but they are classified under different subsystems of art. Dickies art theory makes it possible the works of two very different artists to exist under the same heading of art, as well as much of what surrounds us in our everyday life.

Therapists, psychotherapists, and clinical psychologists have found that art can help a person deal with situations during therapy sessions. The goal of art therapy is to heal through creativity.

Art is not a luxury but an essential part of life and human experience. Art is a method of representing man’s interpretation of his environment and communicating that interpretation to others. As such, all art has to be intelligible. Art is a vital component of the human experience.  Author: The Art Fanatic

Take an inside look at Harry Winston, jeweler to the stars, and the dazzling looks for Hollywood’s Biggest Night – The Oscars.

Among the silver screen and all its stars, when it comes to true Hollywood glamour and scintillating style – nothing sparkles like a Harry Winston diamond. Harry Winston, the legendary Jeweler to the Stars, unveils its Red Carpet Trends for the 81st annual Academy Awards.

When the red carpet is laid out and the flashbulbs flutter, look for this year’s accessories trends to be inspired by the exotic beauty of India, bold colored gemstones, and statement diamonds that echo pure Hollywood glamour.

Capturing the iconic style that has defined Harry Winston for nearly a century, each exquisite piece of jewelry celebrates the beauty of the diamonds, as well as the beauty of the accomplished actresses who wear them.

Harry Winston has a long tradition of outfitting Oscar-nominated actresses, beginning in the 1940’s with actress Jennifer Jones.

Celebrating six decades of celebrity style, The House of Harry Winston remains an integral part of Hollywood’s glamorous history, dressing leading ladies such as Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Halle Barry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Renee Zellweger, Diane Lane, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Hudson, and Salma Hayek.

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Pinhole photography has been around for a long time. In the most simplest terms, pinhole photography is lensless photography. A very small hole replaces the camera lens. As light passes through the tiny hole, an image is formed inside the camera.

Pinhole cameras come in sizes both small or large, and are designed with great care. Cameras have been made of a wide variety of things, including sea shells, oatmeal boxes, coke cans or cookie containers.  People have even used station wagons as a pinhole camera, as well as rooms in large buildings.

Simply stated, a pinhole camera is a box, with a tiny hole at one end and film or photographic paper at the other.

The pinhole camera is a type of Camera Obscura, the first camera invented in the 1850’s.  Before it was used as a camera with film, it was a tool to help artists learn to paint and draw with more detail, a tool devised to help tell time and a tool used by scientists for observing a solar eclipse.

Sheila Bocchine is an international pinhole portrait photographer. She has traveled the world doing pinhole portraits and weddings. Sheila’s style of portraiture is a unique luxury, is the only photographer doing it commercially.

What makes Sheila Bocchine’s photos so special is the unique process she uses. Her pinhole camera is lensless, uses medium format (120) film, is made from teak wood and produces square images. The exposures are longer to compensate for the pinhole, which is why you will see subtle blur and motion in all of her images.

Since the world rarely stands still, my pinhole camera captures all the beautiful motion and energy onto the negative, thus resulting with dreamscape-like qualities. Sheila Bocchine feels like each pinhole photograph is a marvelous dream… a surreal and whimsical moment in time that has swirled around her daydreams before coming out as the perfect pinhole photograph.

Sheila’s pinhole portraits are romantic, surreal, whimsical, beautiful, and unique. Pinhole photography is a photographic experience, a fanciful interpretation of life. The energy of your soul dances onto film through sunbursts, subtle motion and interesting angles.

To see more pinhole portraits, as well as learn more about Sheila Bocchine and her amazing pinhole photography, please view her website at: www.sheilabocchine.com