#brazilian granite

[ellanewton]

Raleigh Contemporary Bathroom Inspiration for a large contemporary master white tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile bathroom remodel with an undermount sink, beige cabinets, granite countertops, a one-piece toilet and green walls

[bubzywubzy]

Los Angeles Fireplace Landscape

Inspiration for a large traditional drought-tolerant and full sun backyard landscaping with a fireplace in summer.

[manessha545]

Monumento às Bandeiras, São Paulo, Brazil: Monument to the Bandeiras is a large-scale granite sculpture by the Italian-Brazilian sculptor Victor Brecheret at the entrance of Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo, Brazil. It was commissioned by the government of São Paulo in 1921 and completed in 1954. Wikipedia

[binxysimsfinds]

My Wedding Mod by @caradriel

My Wedding Mod | Patreon

The mod will unlock once your sim is engaged. After the engagement, you will find it by clicking on a Sim you control. Look for the My Wedding menu. From there you can start preparing the wedding.

Part 1- Engagement

In the Wedding planner menu, you will be able to go alone or with a partner (by clicking the partner menu) when it comes to joint decisions on the wedding.

You will also find specific social interactions for the couple only. These interactions change when the Sims are married.

From Legal Documents (Partner menu) you may also: Sign Prenuptial Agreement or Talk About Marriage Contract.

Wedding App

The Wedding Reservation (Wedding App menu on your Sim) can be used for Call and Book reservation. The services are different which Sim you are using.

SimBook Service

You can now Create a SimBook account on a computer (Discuss Menu). With this account you will be able to Create and Publish the Wedding List (when the couple is married you will be able to close the list and receive a random amount of money). You can also consult Simbook groups, pages, and manage your own page.

By clicking on the Sim you control and on the Wedding App menu, go to the SimBook menu. You can take photos and upload them to your personal SimBook page.

⚠️ If you cannot find the SimBook or Honeymoon menus on your computer, try changing to another basegame computer.

Wedding Invitations

From the Wedding Online Shopping menu you can buy decorations, flowers and invitations for the wedding. You can order invitations and send them from your Sims’ inventory.

(This menu will be different once married)

Social Interactions

The Wedding Social menu will be used by your Sims to chat with friends about the future wedding, you can also officially Announce the wedding date.

(Social interactions will be different for the couple)

Other Social Interactions

Some interactions will be available only for NPC Sims or friends, and can be found in the different categories of dialogue (funny, mean, mischief, friendly). Beware don’t cause drama in your relationships, don't say I didn't warn you!

Part 2. After Wedding

Keep in mind that after the wedding the mod menus will change, some features will no longer be available and will be replaced by new ones.

Marriage Certificate

When you click on your Sim, you can now order a Wedding Certificate. This can be hung on a wall if you wish.

Honeymoon

You can go on Honeymoon at any time! For a luxury Honeymon, you must first have a plane ticket, which you can buy from the computer (Web menu), the Budget-friendly is a simple Social Event.

You have the possibility to buy a Wedding Photo Album and Travel Guides by looking for Travel Information on a computer about each place (Selvadorada, Komorebi, Granite falls… etc)

When you buy your plane ticket, a few minutes later the Del Sol Valley Company will call you on your phone to sell a luggage insurance. You can buy it or not, as you wish!

Sulani Rental (optional)

As for the Wedding Party Place Lot, there is a created Rental Lot (No CC) for a Honeymoon in Sulani.

You can download it on the gallery: Caradriels or follow this link.

You can find other Rental Lots from MissyHissy’s here.

🔹 Mod requirement 🔹

-Base game compatible

Language options

Available in English and French- other translations were made (can only link one - apologies for that)

Spanish - Mod: Mi Boda (Creado por Caradriel) | Simlish 4 (Credit to Simlish 4)

Brazilian Portuguese - (Credit to @nathansimss)

Russian - (Credit to DawnWarden)

Dutch - (Credit to Gothique Simmer)

Polish - (Credit to Venedie)

German - (Credit to Never_see_the_stars)

Before downloading

Check the mod status - Index & Mod Status - Caradriel

Read Terms Of Use (T.O.U) Term of Use & License - Caradriel

⚠️I do not claim this mod as my own - all credit goes to @caradriel

Download:

My Wedding Mod | Patreon

[elbiotipo]

Varied worlds of Campoestela:

This time they are outside from the Esteloplatense Confederation (you can call it Space Argentina). Some of them are from the wider 'human space', others not.

Hilav: A pleasant world of blue seas and archipaelagos, at the junction of several trade routes. Initially settled by Alevis from Turkey, their influence can still be seen in the local culture and architecture, but is now probably one of the most cosmopolitan worlds of human space, with bustling universities and markets. The orbital ring around Hilav glitters with the constant docking and undocking of ships, and is a reminder every time you look at the sky of just where you are.

Fraternité: A tropical world with low-lying lands and extensive river systems, terraformed with African flora and fauna. The Republic of Fraternité is one of the newest members of the Ubuntu Union, and is located in a privileged new aetheric route leading to Concordia. The cities of Fraternité are booming with cranes and construction robots, even as it tries to retain its traditional forestry genemodding art it is still known for.

Iaotol: Homeworld of the ibis-like Syuted, a dry world with rivers fed by melting glaciers. The canyon cities of Syuted are where you would find the sometimes uncanny displays of traditional Syuted "magic", including sentient gemstones and talking corpses whose secrets are tightly kept. The newer cities in the desert fed by hydroponics are where most of the population lives nowadays.

Ruleta: A million-years old ancient ring-shaped orbital, it has an overall steppe oceanic climate and geography, but it's unclear if that was the original configuration of its builders. Countless cultures have risen and fallen here, many still live in mountain chains or open spaces within the orbital. The current human inmigrants, perhaps because of nominative determinism, are known by their lavish casinos by the seas.

Berekti: A world under an ice age, with karstic caverns sheltering pockets of vegetation from the glaciers. Originally inhabited only by Oriental Orthodox monks from Ethiopia and a small spaceport town with EXCELLENT cafés, in the past few decades it has recieved some attention by extreme sports fans who come to enjoy the rugged geography.

Smaragaid: A carefully terraformed world of forested islands each with their own unique dialects and cultures, it was colonized by Irish culture revivalists who took the rather extreme step of completely banning English and related languages from the planet. Despite the trade opportunities, it remains a rather closed world, only accessible to chosen confidants who have to be vouched as trusted by local councils and families.

Utveh: Homeworld of the snake-like Feisans. While having a variety of climates, Feisans do prefer to live in the many floating 'mangroove' forests that spread over the tropical seas of this world. The basic political unit in Utveh is precisely the Floating Forest, and they have translated this to their expansion into space, preferring to live in independent orbitals. Their orbital constellations are often close to human worlds, coexisting or competing with them.

Saudade: Part of the Brazilian diaspora, this world of beautiful granite formations and flowered valleys experienced such political inestability that it turned into an absolute monarchy. Over the centuries, a constitutional regime emerged, but the dramas and turns of the Realeza are known all over human space, despite the thriving communist movement who's fucking sick of them.

Nueva Valparaíso: A remote, lightly populated world above the galactic plane. Rumors of strange elements on its stormy seas have brought several prospectors, but few settlements besides some remote floating platforms loosely aligned with the Cruzur. It always rains in Nueva Valparaíso, even if it's just a drizzle, hiding the spectacular views of the Campoestela.

Saesfi: A dry world with a thin atmosphere, with lush lowlands with unique ecosystems separated by lifeless mesa-like continents. Homeworld of the Saihisi, a cactus-like species. Saihisi mostly live in connected genets, and one driving factor for their spacebound exploration was to avoid damaging the fragile enviroments of Saesfi. They have settled in all sorts of "gardens" across the stars, but some embrace a more individual existence.

San Marco: Capital of the Serenissima Unione and a major trade center, San Marco is a warm world of low-lying seas, stromatolites and coral reefs, with colorful iridiscent fauna. Because of its beautiful sunsets and islands, it's considered one of the most romantic worlds in human space, at least according to the tourist board. There is a replica of Venezia in one of the atolls, but over time it has adquired a more tropical flair.

Concordia: If there is a true center of Campoestela, it's Concordia. Located in the crossroads of the main three aetheric currents, every space traveller eventually ends up here. A dyson sphere made of swarms of habitats of diamond-like carbon, it has been inhabited over millions of years, in fact, many cultures long extinct are still found here. From the modern city-ports to the ancient palaces and the edenic habitat gardens, Concordia is a sharp contrast of itself: a bustling, modern trade center with a yet not-wholly understood history stretching into the night of time.

Gagarin ("Little Terra"): An O'Neill Cylinder in Concordia, built under the auspices of the Terran Council to represent humanity in the galactic center. Over time, it has become an overbuilt city with people from all over human space and beyond. You can find virtually everything and everybody in the streets of Little Terra with every organization and culture represented somewhere. Many other habitats have been built around it, giving a bit of a ramshackle appearance. However, it retains its political and economic importance.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Coffee top export from Brazil to Syria in 2024

Sugar and mate round off the list of leading products sold by Brazil to the Arab country. Year-to-date exports surpassed the 2023 results by nearly 400%.

Coffee was Brazil’s top export to Syria year to date through October, according to data from Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services compiled by the Market Intelligence division of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). This year, Brazil exported USD 34 million worth of coffee to Syria, a significant 221.8% increase compared to the USD 10.5 million grossed during the same period in 2023.

Shipments of sugar, Brazil’s second main export to Syria, grossed USD 21.7 million, occurring exclusively between June and August. In 2023, up to October, Brazil had not exported significant volumes of sugar to the country. Meanwhile, mate exports, carried out between January and June, grossed USD 5.2 million—a remarkable 498.8% growth compared to the same period in 2023. Other products exported to Syria included peanuts, granite, paper, orthopedic articles, and surgical devices.

Year-to-date Brazilian exports to Syria grossed USD 61.3 million, marking a 376% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, imports from Syria have dropped by 86.2%, to USD 415,000. Brazil’s main imports from Syria include anise and fennel seeds, ginger, saffron, and turmeric. Out of the 22 member states of the Arab League, Syria ranks as the 19th destination of Brazilian exports and the 15th largest supplier.

Source.

[bekkathyst]

New Item Sale March 18th, 2023 List

To claim an item, please comment on the individual post. The complete rules can be found here. Please be sure to read the rules before claiming :)

Clear Quartz Icosahedrons - Sold Out!

Smoky Quartz Pyramids

Rainbow Obsidian Bracelets

Sunstone/Moonstone Bracelets

Botswana Agate Bracelets

Garnet in Wollastonite Pendants - Sold Out!

Hypersthene Pendants

Large Tumbled Apricot Agate

Rare Tumbled Thulite from Norway - Sold Out!

Tumbled Baltic Amber - Sold Out!

Large Flower Agate Palm Stones

Tumbled Banded Flint from Poland - Sold Out!

Tumbled Granite in Wollanite

Tumbled Aquamarine

Large Tumbled Rubellite Tourmaline in Feldspar

Mini Natural Brazilian Citrine Points

Amethyst Flower Clusters from Uruguay - Sold Out!

Fuchsite Phantom Quartz Clusters - Sold Out!

Lizardite Spheres from Norway - Sold Out!

Rare Thulite Spheres from Norway - Sold Out!

High Grade Rhodonite Spheres w/ Stands

Kambaba Jasper Spheres w/ Stands - Sold Out!

High Grade Blue Apatite Spheres w/ Stands - Sold Out!

Smoky Quartz Spheres w/ Stands

Included Amethyst & Smoky Quartz Spheres w/ Stands

Nellite (Tiger's Eye & Pietersite) Spheres w/ Stands - Sold Out!

Natural Citrine Points from Brazil (Large)

Amethyst Geode Spheres w/ Stands

Uruguayan Amethyst Clusters (Large)

Fuchsite Phantom Quartz Clusters (Large)

Thank you so much! I will periodically update the list with sold out items.

[xtruss]

10 National Parks To Avoid The Summer Crowds

From rugged hiking trails to pristine beaches, upgrade your summer at these under-the-radar wilderness areas.

— By Elizabeth Kwak-Hefferan | June 2, 2023

Two spelunkers explore Lechuguilla Cave—currently reserved for scientific research—in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, home to some of the deepest, largest, and most ornate caverns in the U.S. Photograph By Robbie Shone, National Geographic Image Collection

The most popular national parks in the U.S. such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon attracted record crowds last summer. For some, it might be worth fighting traffic or walking packed trails to see the towering granite monoliths in Yosemite or fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains. But, there are 63 national parks across the country, many with far fewer visitors—and just as many hikes with epic views, wildlife-spotting opportunities, and kid-friendly excursions.

Here are 10 of the country’s least trafficked parks, plus what to see and do in them.

Best Water Excursions: Channel Islands National Park, California

Hikers and kayakers find ample ways to explore this constellation of five wild islands off the coast of Santa Barbara. Beginner-friendly paddling trips, like the one from Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island, let visitors take in abundant sea caves, kelp forests, and wildlife such as gray whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Strong currents and shifting weather make going with a guide a smart move.

Remote islands like Santa Rosa have hiking trails through rugged mountains with glimpses of wildlife, including tiny, endemic island foxes, at dawn and dusk. Spend the night at Santa Cruz Island’s only lodging option, Scorpion Canyon Campground, a half-mile hike from the beach.

Composed of five tectonically formed islands and surrounded by an extensive marine sanctuary, Channel Islands National Park offers ​dramatic sea views, epic wildlife watching, and scenic hikes. Photograph By Robert Schwemmer/Alamy Stock Photo

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

More than a third of this Northwoods network of boreal forests and rocky islands is covered by water—four huge lakes plus 26 smaller ones. New environmental protections make now an ideal time to experience these waterways via a tour boat, canoe, or kayak. Easy-access shoreline campsites line the park’s major lakes, but the wildest, quietest destinations sit deep in the interior of the Kabetogama Peninsula. Reserve a backcountry campsite along the Chain of Lakes or on the central peninsula’s waters, where your only companions for a spectacular aurora borealis show will be the loons and moose.

Best Wildlife Viewing: Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

This coast-meets-mountains reserve takes wildlife watching to the next level. Use the park’s only maintained long trail to the outlook over Harding Icefield for breathtaking panoramic views of this expansive, icy landscape. Along the way, keep an eye out for grizzlies, black bears, wolverines, lynx, wolves, and mountain goats. From a kayak or tour boat, look out for orcas, humpback whales, and dolphins among the waves and Steller sea lions and harbor seals on the beaches

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Brazilian free-tailed bats are a star attraction at this Chihuahuan Desert park. Each year, these flying critters make their way back from their winter grounds in Mexico to roost in the park’s intricate network of limestone caves. August and September bring the best bat watching when the year’s babies take to the skies with their parents. Around sunset, the bats spiral out of the cavern’s Natural Entrance by the hundreds of thousands to eat insects.

Top: The glacial landscapes and coastal waters of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park provide ideal conditions for viewing wildlife, like these Steller sea lions pictured. Photograph By Cagan Sekercioglu. Bottom: Thousands of bats spew out of a cave in Carlsbad Caverns in search of food. Photograph By Michael Nichols — National Geographic Image Collection

Best Hiking Trails: North Cascades National Park, Washington

Known as the “American Alps,” this park holds more than 400 miles of trails that take hikers and horseback riders to wildflower meadows, old-growth forests, glacier viewpoints, and remote lakes. One standout is the Desolation Peak Trail, which leads to a mountaintop lookout cabin where Jack Kerouac spent a summer. North Cascades remains well off the radar: Just over 30,000 people visited last year, a mere 2 percent of the traffic of its southern neighbor, Mount Rainier. The terrain is so remote and wild, the park is considering restoring grizzly bear populations here.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Explore the sunset-colored canyons that ancestral Pueblo people called home in Mesa Verde. Here, skillfully designed cliff dwellings, some with up to 150 rooms and large enough to house one hundred people, remain tucked into protected stone alcoves, just as they’ve been for 800 years. In summer, rangers lead hiking tours inside some of them, including Cliff Palace, the largest such village in North America, and Balcony House, which involves climbing up cliffside ladders and crawling through rock tunnels. After dark, look up. Mesa Verde’s skies are well-protected from light pollution, earning it International Dark Sky Park status in 2021.

Tourists visit the ruins of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park., Colorado.Photograph By Phil Schermeister, National Geographic Image Collection

Best Cultural Experiences: Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Accessible only by boat or seaplane, this park offers pristine beaches, exceptional snorkeling, and the chance to explore the historic Fort Jefferson. Located on Garden Key, the second largest of the park’s seven islands (70 miles from Key West), the military stronghold was the largest masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere during the mid-1800s. During the Civil War, it became one of the nation’s largest prisons.

Visitors who brave the two-plus-hour trip by boat or 40-minute ride by plane to get here can tour the grounds where Union prisoners (like the doctor who set John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg) were imprisoned during the Civil War. After strolling the grounds, explore Dry Tortugas’s other major attraction: superb snorkeling among coral reefs where you might see octopi, nurse sharks, reef squid, and barracudas.

Haleakalā National Park, Maui, Hawaii

More than 30 miles of trails wind over ancient lava flows and through endemic silversword patches before plunging into the summit crater of Haleakalā. Native Hawaiians consider the summit a sacred site, where they held religious ceremonies, studied the stars, and quarried basalt for centuries. On the other side of the park, visitors can still see their village ruins and fishing shrines at tropical Kipahula, an 800-year-old coastal settlement that’s now better known for its crashing waterfalls and the idyllic Seven Sacred Pools of ‘Ohe’o Gulch.

The famed Haleakalā Crater is a vast depression—but it's actually not a volcanic crater. It was formed as erosion ate away a ridgeline, joining two valleys in Haleakalā National Park. Photograph By Pete Ryan, National Geographic Image Collection

Top: To avoid crowds, visit Haleakalā summit after 3 p.m.; its sunsets can be as spectacular as its famous sunrises. Bottom: Erected in 1958, the Haleakalā Observatory is Hawaii’s first astronomical research planetarium. — Photographs By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

Best For Family: Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Kids will find more than just a day at the beach in this welcome pocket of nature amidst the nearby bustle of Chicago, a 45-minute drive away. An impressively diverse number of ecosystems in this compact park let families explore wetlands, oak savannas, pine forests, prairies, and 15 miles of sandy shoreline in a day.

There are also opportunities for kayaking the coast of Lake Michigan or canoeing the Little Calumet River (the park was upgraded from national lakeshore status in 2019). The in-progress Indigenous Cultural Trail features murals and interpretive signs that teach about the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, two of the area’s original peoples.

Top: Mammoth Cave—Kentucky’s only national park—contains more than 400 miles of caves, making it the longest cave system in the world. Photograph By Phil Schermeister, National Geographic Image Collection Bottom: Park visitors stand up paddle board along the Grand Calumet River on the outskirts of Lake Michigan in Indiana Dunes National Park. Photograph By Keith Ladzinski, National Geographic Image Collection

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Escape the summer heat by exploring a labyrinth of underground caverns that maintain a refreshing temperature of 54°F year-round. To see the caves, you’ll have to take a ranger-guided tour. These vary in difficulty, with options for families with young kids to enjoy the stunning stalagmites, stalactites, and tunnels. Or for the older kids, try the longer, more challenging tours by lantern light.

During the guided tours, park rangers point out remnants of early inhabitants’ mining activity dating back to 1200 B.C. and tell the stories of enslaved Black cave guides from the 1830s and the “Cave Wars” between rival tourism developers in the early 1900s.

[picturesofthearsenal]

Arsenal's Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka kicks the corner flag as Arsenal's Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes celebrates scoring their late winner (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

[manessha545]

Rio de Janeiro

City in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is a huge seaside city in Brazil, famed for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, 38m Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado and for Sugarloaf Mountain, a granite peak with cable cars to its summit. The city is also known for its sprawling favelas (shanty towns). Its raucous Carnaval festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba dancers, is considered the world’s largest.

Neighborhoods: Lapa, Rio das Pedras, MORE

Area code: 21

Founded: 1 March 1565; 458 years ago

Highest elevation: 1,020 m (3,349 ft)

Rio de Janeiro  literally means  'River of January' is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro is designated as a World Heritage Site.

Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, a domain of the Portuguese Empire. In 1763, it became the capital of the State of Brazil, a state of the Portuguese Empire. In 1808, when the Portuguese Royal Court moved to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro became the seat of the court of Queen Maria I of Portugal. She subsequently, under the leadership of her son the prince regent John VI of Portugal, raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom, within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves. Rio remained as the capital of the pluricontinental monarchy until 1822, when the Brazilian War of Independence began. This is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonizing country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies. Rio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the independent monarchy, the Empire of Brazil, until 1889, and then the capital of a republican Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to Brasília.

Rio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal GDP in the country, and 30th-largest in the world in 2008

Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado with Sugarloaf Mountain and Guanabara Bay (background)

Pão de Açucar Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Municipal Theater-Rio de Janeiro

Museum of Tomorrow is a science museum in the city of Rio de Janeiro

Maracanã Stadium is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Barra da Tijuca is an upper-class neighborhood or bairro in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, located in the western portion of the city on the Atlantic Ocean.

Centro (Downtown, lit. "Center") is a neighborhood in the Central Region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Santa Teresa is the name of a neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro.

The Carioca Aqueduct also known as Arcos da Lapa, is an aqueduct in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | shavnore

[lauraandjoelleinbrazil]

Get Ready, Rio.

Well, I do not recommend that flight to anybody. You wouldn’t think that there would be a one hour coffee service with lights on at 0200, or that people would take kids/dogs on that flight, and allow them to stay up the entire time watching TV out loud. You would be wrong. After a cumulative 1h of sleep, we were dead tired in our Uber and I passed out after about 5 minutes.

We knew we wouldn’t be able to check in right away, so we had booked a tour of the samba factories. Each of the 12 major schools has a warehouse where they manufacture floats, costumes, and practice their performance for carnival. carnival is celebrated at the start of Lent, and has the same origins as Mardi Gras. Here, the current culture around samba is attributed to one Black woman, Tia Ciata. At the time (1920s), Black people couldnt gather in groups of more than 3 without having police called, and that made it hard to dance/sing and celebrate. This woman was a healer, and healed the president of some leg illness unsung Condomble m, and he was so grateful, he gave her a house, and celebrated her. She also married a high ranking police officer. This gave her the ability to gather in groups without repercussions from police, and she and several composers would gather in her backyard to create many of the first samba songs.

The wealthy would put on costumes and have friendly competitions during Carnival, and eventually, this tradition made its way to the general public. Today, 28 schools compete over 5 days at the sambadrome. This arena is full of bleachers that watch each school parade through. Each school has over 3000 members and it takes over an hour to cross the stage. The schools are judged on their music (original compositions), costumes, dancing, floats, etc. the winning school gets all of the money that was raised by people purchasing tickets for the sambadrome, which is millions of Real. One tradition is kind of cute. Each school must have a section of 100 Baianas. These are older women, who dress in huge hoop skirts, and cross the stage twirling around. They are not part of the parade that is judged, but they have to be included to qualify. They honour Afro-Brazilian heritage, and the contribution of women like Tia Ciata. Apparently they faint not infrequently from the heat, exertion, and heavy costumes with their age.

After that we wandered around our neighbourhood, Ipanema, and grabbed some lunch and snacks. I finally found Brigadeiros! They are my favourite Brazilian food, and arguably one of my favourite foods ever. They are made from sweetened condensed milk and chocolate and are basically little fudgey caramels. I can’t recommend them enough.

In the afternoon we had a hike planned. Ambitious given our lack of sleep, the steep hill, and the temperature, but totally worth it. The hike, Pedro do Telegrafico , is in Tijuca. This neighbourhood is the south part of the city, and is new, and is fairly affluent. It kind of has a Miami feel to it. The hike was not as bad as I thought it was going to be, honestly. I was hot, but it was mercifully short, and the views of the coast and the beach at the top were amazing. The hills/roads getting up to it were so steep. Our guide was actively coaxing the car and rubbing the dashboard to convince it not to just give up. I think if we had one more person in the car, it may not have made it up the last hill.

The rock at the top is famous for photo ops, and our guide was/is also a micro influencer and made us do a full photo shoot lol. Some poses more successful than others. One of them, you kind of jump up and cling to the underside of the rock. If you angle it right, it looks like you could fall 1000 feet to your death, when in reality the ground is like 1-2m below. However. The “ground” is like a steep, sloped granite rock face. If you fell, you would not “fall” to your death, but you would roll down a mountain and break many bones. Anyways. All’s well that ends well. We stopped at a beach to cool off, and then drove back to the city belting our Britney Spears and 2000s classics with the windows down. The beach was less busy than Rio, and very pretty. The sand was kind of odd. Very soft, but felt kind of like silica or something. It made squeaking sounds when I scuffed my feet (listen to the video). A perfect afternoon, all in all.

We were pretty tired at night, but rallied enough to have dinner and drinks. We went to a Portuguese place that was part supermarket, part wine cellar, part restaurant. The food was pretty good, and the atmosphere was gorgeous! It was like a library of wine. Our cocktail bar had live music that was beautiful, and the people watching was spectacular. There was an older drunk man with no shirt, no shoes, and a dog eating at the same restaurant with people in heels and fancy clothes. It seems anything goes here, and I like that.

[stonefootings]

Porcelain floor tiles

Check out the Natural Stone, Porcelain floor tiles Products such as -sandstone, limestone, granites, circle setts, cobblestone, planks, and many more.

[joyner111]

some of the best living room furniture polishes for wooden furniture

Here are some of the best living room furniture polishes for wooden living room furniture that you can consider:

Howard Products Feed-N-Wax living room furniture Polish

Description: This premium living room furniture polish is based on beeswax and mineral oil. It is designed to restore the luster to faded wood surfaces while providing an additional protective coating. The formulation includes conditioning oils that prevent drying and fading, thereby improving the lifespan of wood living room furniture.

Compatibility: Works well on various pieces including cabinets, tables, and doors. It is also safe for polishing antiques made of wood.

Application: The mix of beeswax and Brazilian carnauba wax creates a potent combination for restoring and enhancing the natural beauty of the wood. It can be used on both finished and unfinished living room furniture.

Frequency: Regular treatment is recommended to maintain the wood in top shape and prevent fading.

Purchase: Available on Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot.

Old English living room furniture Polish

Description: This aerosol living room furniture polish has a pleasant almond scent and a specialized formula to clean and polish wood living room furniture pieces. It is not greasy and won’t leave residues behind.

Compatibility: Universal approach makes it compatible with most wood surfaces. It is recommended for any room in your home as well as the office.

Application: The aerosol style makes this wood polish easier to apply, allowing you to rejuvenate your favorite living room furniture pieces quickly.

Frequency: Suitable for both new and old wood surfaces, providing enhanced long-term protection against wear and tear.

Purchase: Available on Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot.

Pledge Multi-Surface living room furniture Polish Wipes

Description: These inexpensive and easy-to-use wipes offer solid value for the price. They are designed to work on many types of sealed surfaces while leaving behind a fresh lemon scent.

Compatibility: Primarily recommended for wood living room furniture but also delivers brilliant results for granite, quartz, leather, and laminate, among others.

Application: Designed for quick polishing without the need for applying a lot of force. The treated surface remains clean and shiny. They also minimize the number of allergens spread in the air through dusting.

Frequency: Use as needed for quick touch-ups and maintenance.

Purchase: Available on Amazon and Walmart.

Rejuvenate Cabinet & living room furniture Polish

Description: This living room furniture polish is designed to restore the luster of your living room furniture. It has a special formulation that can also fill in scratches and provide additional protective coatings.

Compatibility: Best for cabinets and other types of wood living room furniture.

Application: The polymer-based formula brings back the original shine of the cabinet or wall paneling. It also has anti-UV properties to protect against sun damage. A microfiber mitt applicator can be used for more effective application, though simple rags will work just fine.

Frequency: Regular use is recommended to maintain the shine and protect the living room furniture.

Purchase: Available on Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot.

The Original Bee’s Wax living room furniture Polish

Description: Based on a proven old formula, this versatile product works as expected. It cleans and polishes all kinds of surfaces without creating wax buildup or leaving other residues.

Compatibility: Effective for many different kinds of surfaces, not just living room furniture. Use it with confidence on leather, glass, marble, or metal items.

Application: As long as it’s used according to the provided instructions, you can safely polish a wide range of surfaces. It makes so many surfaces shiny and clean, effectively removing the need for separate cleaning products.

Frequency: Use as needed to maintain the shine and cleanliness of various surfaces.

Purchase: Available on Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot.

Weiman Wood Cleaner and Polish Wipes

Description: This living room furniture polish is specialized in cleaning wood and restoring its beautiful shine. The formula is applied with individual wipes, so there’s no need for extra rags.

Compatibility: Optimized for tables, cabinets, and chairs, but any wood living room furniture should benefit from a polishing treatment.

Application: Relying on plant-based ingredients without toxic chemicals, this is a safer wood polish to consider in your home. It includes UVX-15, which is a reliable anti-UV protector. The micro-filling technology contributes to filling in scratches in the wood.

Frequency: Use as needed to refresh the appearance of wood living room furniture.

Purchase: Available on Amazon and Walmart.

Guardsman Silicone Free living room furniture Polish

Description: This silicone-free formula cleans the wood and restores its natural shine without providing an artificial gloss.

Compatibility: Suitable for a wide range of wood surfaces.

Application: Emphasizes the natural luster of the wood surface. It’s recommended to be used regularly for proper maintenance and protection of the living room furniture.

Frequency: Regular use is recommended to maintain the natural shine of the wood.

Purchase: Available on Amazon and Walmart.

Choosing the Right Polish When selecting a living room furniture polish, consider the type of wood, its finish (e.g., lacquer, varnish, shellac), and your desired level of shine. A highly polished finish might require a different approach than a more matte or rustic look. Furthermore, the frequency of application will also depend on these factors and your individual cleaning habits. Researching and comparing different options, considering reviews and recommendations, is paramount to finding the best wood polishes for living room furniture suited to your specific needs.

By choosing the right living room furniture polish and maintaining a regular cleaning and polishing schedule, you can keep your wooden living room furniture looking beautiful and well-maintained for years to come.

[monsterkong]

Luxury Meets Artistry in Laguna Beach’s Premier Ocean-View Estate

🌴🌅 Discover the epitome of luxury living at 111 South La Senda Drive in Laguna Beach, CA, where art and nature converge to create a one-of-a-kind coastal retreat. Located in the exclusive Three Arch Bay neighborhood, this custom ocean-view estate is more than just a home—it's an experience. With sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island, and Dana Point, this property offers a tranquil escape that combines the finest in luxury living with the beauty of the Laguna Beach coastline. 🌊✨

A Truly Unique Property

This custom estate is perched atop a bluff, offering 2.15 acres of privacy, beauty, and unparalleled views. From the moment you arrive, the craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident. The hand-carved mahogany garage doors and matching entry gate set the tone for what’s to come. As you step through the courtyard, you're greeted by Inca Gold natural stone, leading to a pool area with massaging jets and a calming water feature—a perfect setting to unwind after a long day. 🏊‍♂️💆‍♀️

For those who love outdoor entertaining, this estate offers an impressive array of amenities. A built-in Twin Eagles BBQ bar, Salamangrill, retractable Sunbrella awning, and two fire pits create an ideal space for hosting guests or simply relaxing under the stars. Plus, the full outdoor bath, outdoor shower, and Bromic heater ensure comfort no matter the season. 🔥🍴🛁

A Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Connection

One of the defining features of this home is the seamless connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. The custom NanaWall glass doors open up to reveal expansive ocean views, making every room feel like a part of the surrounding landscape. The living area features a walk-in wet bar, handmade African movingui cabinetry, and a see-through fireplace that creates a warm, inviting atmosphere. 🏠🔥

The dining room, with its grand space and access to the pool, is perfect for both formal dinners and casual gatherings. Whether you're hosting an intimate family dinner or a large social event, the stunning views and stylish setting provide the perfect backdrop for any occasion. 🍷🎉

A Dream Kitchen and Primary Suite

The kitchen is truly a chef's dream. Equipped with high-end appliances from Gaggenau and Miele, along with custom cabinetry by Bulthaup, this space is as functional as it is beautiful. The Brazilian granite island and Blue Bahia granite in the primary suite add an extra touch of luxury, while the suite's stunning ocean views ensure that every morning feels like a vacation. 🌞👨‍🍳

The luxurious primary bathroom, featuring Keuco vanities and mirrors, offers a spa-like experience, allowing you to relax in style while enjoying views of the ocean beyond. 🌊🛀

Cutting-Edge Technology and Practical Features

In addition to its stunning design and impeccable craftsmanship, this estate also boasts state-of-the-art technology and practical features that enhance everyday living. With a 500-gallon reverse-osmosis system, Kohler gas backup generator, and Lutron lighting system, no detail has been overlooked. The lower-level theater room, accessible via a Garaventa lift, is equipped with the latest A/V equipment for an immersive movie experience. 🍿🎥

A Legacy of Excellence

Tim Smith Real Estate Group brings more than $5 billion in sales experience to the table, ensuring that every detail of your luxury home buying or selling experience is handled with care and expertise. With the most innovative marketing tools and an unmatched commitment to client service, we make luxury real estate dreams come true. 🌟

Whether you’re looking for your next dream home or considering selling a property of your own, we invite you to contact Tim Smith Real Estate Group to learn more about 111 South La Senda Drive. Let us show you how luxury living in Laguna Beach can become a reality. 🏡💫

Listing Details: Explore More Here

Discover Tim Smith Real Estate Group: Visit Our Website

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 10.7 (before 1960)

3761 BC – The epoch reference date (start) of the modern Hebrew calendar. 1403 – Venetian–Genoese wars: The Genoese fleet under a French admiral is defeated by a Venetian fleet at the Battle of Modon. 1477 – Uppsala University is inaugurated after receiving its corporate rights from Pope Sixtus IV in February the same year. 1513 – War of the League of Cambrai: Spain defeats Venice. 1571 – The Battle of Lepanto is fought, and the Ottoman Navy suffers its first defeat. 1691 – The charter for the Province of Massachusetts Bay is issued. 1763 – King George III issues the Royal Proclamation of 1763, closing Indigenous lands in North America north and west of the Alleghenies to white settlements. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: The Americans defeat British forces under general John Burgoyne in the Second Battle of Saratoga, also known as the Battle of Bemis Heights, compelling Burgoyne's eventual surrender. 1780 – American Revolutionary War: American militia defeat royalist irregulars led by British major Patrick Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina, often regarded as the turning point in the war's Southern theater. 1800 – French corsair Robert Surcouf, commander of the 18-gun ship La Confiance, captures the British 38-gun Kent. 1826 – The Granite Railway begins operations as the first chartered railway in the U.S. 1828 – Morea expedition: The city of Patras, Greece, is liberated by the French expeditionary force. 1840 – Willem II becomes King of the Netherlands. 1864 – American Civil War: A US Navy ship captures a Confederate raider in a Brazilian seaport. 1868 – Cornell University holds opening day ceremonies; initial student enrollment is 412, the highest at any American university to that date. 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: Léon Gambetta escapes the siege of Paris in a hot-air balloon. 1879 – Germany and Austria-Hungary sign the "Twofold Covenant" and create the Dual Alliance. 1912 – The Helsinki Stock Exchange sees its first transaction. 1913 – Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving vehicle assembly line. 1916 – Georgia Tech defeats Cumberland University 222–0 in the most lopsided college football game in American history. 1919 – KLM, the flag carrier of the Netherlands, is founded. It is the oldest airline still operating under its original name. 1924 – Andreas Michalakopoulos becomes prime minister of Greece for a short period of time. 1929 – Photius II becomes Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. 1940 – World War II: The McCollum memo proposes bringing the United States into the war in Europe by provoking the Japanese to attack the United States. 1944 – World War II: During an uprising at Birkenau concentration camp, Jewish prisoners burn down Crematorium IV. 1949 – The communist German Democratic Republic (East Germany) is formed. 1950 – Mother Teresa establishes the Missionaries of Charity. 1958 – The 1958 Pakistani coup d'état inaugurates a prolonged period of military rule. 1958 – The U.S. crewed space-flight project is renamed to Project Mercury. 1959 – The Soviet probe Luna 3 transmits the first-ever photographs of the far s