Las Vegas’ Bellagio fountains have company. There’s a new public spectacular near the Strip: The Sphere.
The Sphere, a giant illuminated dome that was recently built next to The Venetian Resort, is the new shining star of Las Vegas, adding a brilliant orb of flashing lights to the colorful skyline of The Strip.
The Sphere (255 Sands Ave.), sometimes simply called Sphere, opened in the summer of 2023 at a reported cost of $2.3 billion and became an instant landmark. Its exterior is covered with 1.2 million multi-color LED lights that are programmed to create ever-changing, awe-inspiring displays. Abstract art, trompe l’oeil, and occasional advertising campaigns swirl across the surface, with the brightest images lighting up around sunset and usually culminating in a recreation of the moon by late night. The effect is both exhilarating and hypnotic, like the world’s most intense screen saver, but one with a sense of humor.
But the interior of the Sphere is a tourist draw of its own: a massive event venue of up to 17,000 seats across nine levels for concerts and movies. It’s being promoted as “the most technologically advanced performance space in the city” based on features including a wraparound LED screen at 16K, the highest resolution in the world at a scale like this, and mechanisms to create “4-D” immersive shows using enhanced sound, wind, and aromas.
It certainly is an enormous space. At 366 feet (111 m) tall, the exterior shell of the Sphere is now the largest dome structure in the world, big enough to fit London’s Big Ben, New York’s Statue of Liberty, and the U.S. Capitol dome inside with room to spare.
Entering the Sphere for an event costs money, but it’s easy to indulge in its outdoor lighting displays in other ways. Some resorts are better situated for views than others, and several spots around town have become famous, or perhaps infamous, among locals for attracting Sphere-gazing crowds.
The McDonald’s on Paradise & Twain east of The Strip serves great views of the Sphere.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts an El Niño weather pattern for the winter 2023-2024 season, which will change things up from the past three years of La Niña.
El Nino weather
What is El Niño?
El Niño is a weather pattern that has to do with the westward-bound tradewinds in the Pacific Ocean weakening and pushing warm water against the western side of the Americas. When the opposite occurs, it’s called La Niña.
Depending on its strength, El Nino can cause a range of impacts, such as increasing the risk of heavy rainfall and droughts in certain locations around the world,” said Michelle L’Heureux, who is a climate scientist at the Climate Prediction Center.
El Niño’s original name was “El Niño de la Navidad,” or “the little boy of Christmas,” because of its affinity to hitting around the Christmas season when winter begins, according to NOAA.
Is 2023 La Niña or El Niño?
While the past three winters were La Niña, according to Severe Weather Europe, the winter of 2023 is forecasted by NOAA to be an El Niño year. The weather pattern is anticipated to last until early spring. An early September update from the Climate Prediction Center put the chance of the weather pattern continuing into March 2024 at 95%.
What does El Niño weather mean?
In the past, previous El Niño patterns have caused more precipitation and colder temperatures than usual in California and along the southern part of the United States, while the north stays drier and warmer than usual, reported CNN.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac describes these colder temperatures for the south as “mild” and “wet.”
NOAA’s 2023 to 2024 seasonal outlook predicts that most of Idaho, Montana and Michigan will be drier than normal, while most of Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Georgia will be wetter.
Upgrade your regular polish with these fall nail art ideas.
This time of year, a manicure in colors reminiscent of fall foliage like deep or muted reds, oranges, browns, and even golds are popular choices and work perfectly as Thanksgiving nails and Halloween nails too. Many of these fall nail art ideas and long-lasting gel nail designs for fall feature plenty of sparkle and shine. If your go-to style includes glitter, you’ll love the designs on this list.
Some of these ideas are simple, but others are seriously intricate. If you’re not up to trying them at home, take picture to your favorite manicurist and let her work her magic. But you might be surprised that there are countless nail wraps, stickers, and tools that can make even complicated designs easy. Whether you DIY it or hire a professional, paint on a fall nail design for a custom stylized look this season.
Speckled Colorful Fall Nail Design
getty
Take a colorful approach to your fall manicure. Pair seasonal fall colors like yellow, orange, turquoise, and burgundy with a fun speckled pattern.
Fresh White Nails
Maryna Terletska
White nails are a classic any time of year, and they will look crisp with your fall wardrobe. Keep the nails short or square.
Creepy Halloween Nails
Dariia Chernenko
This bold look pairs matte black nails with drips of red “blood.” It will steal the show at your Halloween party.
Coffee Brown Nails
Dariia Chernenko
This deep coffee shade will be our go-to for the cooler fall months. The rich color adds a sophisticated touch to any outfit.
Those are just four styles, but finding the perfect fall manicure can be challenging. After the fun and beachy summer nail polish colors, the last thing you want is something drab on your nails. Well, you’re in luck. There are plenty more of on-trend fall nail ideas that will make a stylish impression. To view all 61, click the link below.
Cordyline Hot Pepper Plant, also known as Cordyline fruticosa ‘Hot Pepper,’ is a popular ornamental plant that belongs to the Asparagaceae family. The plant is named for its attractive and vibrant red foliage, which resembles the fiery color of hot peppers.
One of the most amazing Cordyline Hot Pepper Plant landscaping uses is getting a pair of square planters and turning them into cordyline container gardens with beautiful blooms.
Or a little bit of Cordyline and white gravel are all you need for the perfect tropical garden bed to spruce up the landscape.
Tropical Cordyline Landscape
The Cordyline is native to Southeast Asia and thrives in tropical and subtropical climates. It features long, lance-shaped leaves that emerge from a central stem. The leaves are typically deep green with reddish or purplish tones and gradually turn bright red as they mature. The plant can reach around 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 meters), making it popular for ornamental gardening.
Also, adding Cordylines to vibrant green foliage is a wonderful way to change the landscape with minimal effort.
It’s official: The first ever People’s Choice Country Awards, hosted by fan favorite Little Big Town, is this week! With an absolutely iconic list of honorees, performers, and award nominees, this show is not one to be missed. The best part: none of your favorites will get snubbed by shady judges because the winners are decided by fans just like you. “The fan-voted shows are just so much fun because it’s their choice on who they want to see up there,” Little Big Town told Country Living. The People’s Choice Awards have been around since the inaugural 1975 show, but now they’re doubling up with an additional show just for country’s finest.
Of course, there’s no better place to host a country awards show than Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, a venue that is so special for many including Little Big Town. “It made a lot of sense to bring it to Nashville, to bring it to the Grand Ole Opry […] Our first performance as a band was at the Grand Ole Opry 24 years ago […] it’s a very full circle moment,” Little Big Town said.
How to Watch and Stream People’s Choice Country Awards
If you’re set on tuning in for this historic show, you’ll need to know how to watch. On Thursday, September 28, the People’s Choice Country Awards will be broadcasting live on NBC and Peacock. There will also be special live backstage coverage streaming simultaneously on Peacock, PCA X (formerly known as Twitter) and NBC X, Facebook and Youtube, among others. The backstage coverage will include red carpet arrivals, backstage conversations and more. Fans can also attend the event in person at the Grand Ole Opry, with tickets starting at $100.
Viewers can expect performances by Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Kane Brown, Little Big Town, Wynonna Judd, Toby Keith, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Dan + Shay, and Kelsea Ballerini. Blake Shelton will also present the Country Music Icon award to Toby Keith, while Wynonna Judd will receive The Country Champion award “celebrating her decades-long commitment to philanthropy and social advocacy,” a press release revealed.
Source: Country Decor, Craft Ideas, Comfort Food, and Antique Appraisals – Country Living Magazine
You’ll impress all those little trick-or-treaters with one of these charming displays.
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of fall over here. From the cooler weather, to the decadent cinnamon-spiked treats, to all the colors of the season making their way into our seasonal decorations, it just doesn’t get better than the autumn months. And let’s be honest — is there any space more fun to decorate for fall than your front porch? We’re talking way beyond that gorgeous wreath that adorns your front door (though that is a necessity!). Give us all the cozy throw blankets, jack-o-lanterns, and mums, please and thank you.
Whether you have a sprawling wrap-around porch (lucky you!) or a tiny townhome walk-up, there’s always an opportunity to bring a little seasonal style to your front porch and give your guests a warm welcome. After all, it’s only a matter of time before those little trick-or-treaters stop by! Below, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite front porch fall decorating ideas that are suitable for just about any home out there.
Perch Pumpkins on Crocks
This simple porch display just screams fall! Decorate the front steps or stoop with a menagerie of flat, wide pumpkins and mums perched on crocks.
Add Pretty Plaids
Even though this is actually a back porch, we love every one of these ideas for fall front porch decor: cozy plaid blankets and pillows, lanterns with glowing candles, an oversize grapevine wreath, fall flower arrangements, and of course, pumpkins!
Switch It Up with a Neutral Palette
Crisp whites with pops of bright blue and muted oranges is a fresh, sophisticated color scheme for this time of year. Paper oak leaves glued to leafless branches create a dramatic window swag. Display white mums in bushel baskets and stack heirloom pumpkins on an array of colorful shaker boxes.
(OK, That’s three! So thirty-seven more to view. Click the link below to continue. Thanks.)
When to cut back your ornamental grass is governed by the type of grass and your personal preference. You can do the job in the fall after the foliage dies, or leave it in place through the winter and cut it back in the spring.
Some ornamental grasses will remain attractive through the better part of the winter.
And at a time when the rest of the landscape is rather dreary, long grasses swaying in the breeze can add some visual interest. Plus, their seed heads can provide food for wildlife.
Before Getting Started
Ornamental grasses are grouped into three categories: warm season, cool season, and evergreen. Some evergreen “grasses,” including seges and carex, aren’t really in the grass family, and these don’t need pruning (though they can be divided if they get unruly). But how do you know which type of ornamental grass you have, and when to prune it?
Cool season grasses grow primarily in spring before the temperatures exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and in fall when temperatures cool. These grasses keep their color throughout the heat of summer without much growth. Cool season grasses should be cut back in very early spring. As soon as the snow clears, cut the grass back by two-thirds, leaving one-third in place. Pruning too drastically can harm the plant. Some examples of cool season grasses include fescues, blue oat grass (Helictotrichon), tufted air grass (Deschampsia), and autumn moor grass (Sesleria).
Warm-season grasses begin growing in mid to late spring, or even early summer. They thrive when the temperatures rise, with major growth and flowering occurring during summer’s heat. Warm-season grasses turn brown in winter. If you prefer a tidy garden, or if your ornamental grass is a variety that doesn’t look great dormant, cut back these grasses in fall. However, many grasses add terrific winter interest in the landscape, adding movement and texture when much of the garden is asleep. If you want to keep some interest in your garden throughout the winter, cut back these grasses in mid to late spring.
When you prune these warm-season grasses, cut them severely, right down to the ground. Some common warm-season grasses include northern sea oats (Chasmanthium), Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sp.), hardy pampas grass (Erianthus), perennial fountain grass (Pennisetum), switchgrass (Panicum), and prairie cordgrass (Spartina).
For the tools you’ll need and how to do it, copy and paste the link below.
How and When to Cut Back Ornamental Grasses (thespruce.com)
WARNING
If you live in a region where wildfires are endemic, use ornamental grasses with caution. Rather than allowing the dead grasses to remain for their ornamental appeal, it’s best to remove the foliage promptly at the end of the growing season. Few plants burn more fiercely than a large clump of dried grasses. When planting ornamental grasses, keep them well away from your home and other structures. In some regions, authorities now caution against planting ornamental grasses at all—as well as any other plants likely to burn easily.
We’re lucky to have so many reasons to say “thanks” every day. But sometimes we need some new words and expressions to adequately express the gratitude we feel. If you’re stuck in a rut of “thank you so much” and “thanks a lot,” here are some alternatives that are perfect for sharing your thanks and appreciation in every kind of setting.
More ways:
1. I’m so grateful.
Thanks, is an expression of gratitude, so cut to the chase. Tell someone you’re grateful for whatever way in which they’ve helped you and go into detail about exactly what they did to personalize your message.
2. I appreciate it.
It’s always nice to feel appreciated. When someone does something to help you out or make your life easier, be sure to say how much it means to you that they went out of their way to help.
3. Thanks for your hard work on this.
Don’t just offer colleagues and collaborators a run-of-the-mill thanks. Letting them know how much you appreciate the specific efforts they’ve made will help them feel seen and create a positive working relationship.
4. I couldn’t have done it without you.
If you couldn’t have made something happen without another person’s help, then they should definitely know that! Don’t hold back in telling them how vital they are.
5. I owe you one.
Sometimes the only way to truly appreciate a favor is by returning it. This “thank you” alternative lets them know you plan to do just that.
Create a fall planter with a New York aster showpiece for a beautiful late-season look.
Even in the fall, garden centers have lots of great plants to fill a late-season container. And if you are bored with the classic garden mum in a fall planting (or don’t know how to work one of those big beauties into an arrangement), try a New York aster. This plant has the same mounding habit as a garden mum, but looser branching so it’s easier to mix into a container with other plants. It also comes in shades of purple and lavender, a lovely cool complement to warm fall colors.
English is a world-wide language that people use to communicate with one another. In fact, 96 countries use English in varying degrees.
What can I do to be more fluent in English
Many who want to learn to speak fluent English have asked this question. It is certainly possible to work towards improving the ability to communicate effortlessly. Learning a language is a process of exploration loaded with fun.
Top tips to make your language richer
1. Find friends who want to speak in English:
If you are surrounded by English speaking people day after day, will it improve your spoken English? The answer is yes! That’s what an environment of English does. The more your exposure to the language, the more you will be able to absorb. If you find friends who want to learn English too, you will learn from each other. Soon, you will be looking for new sentence structures and vocabulary to convey your ideas. Say, for example, if you and a friend decide to work together on how to ask for directions, both of you will learn new vocabulary on how to ask for directions in English. More importantly, both of you will practice the language together and listen to each other speaking. This will be helpful as communication is a two-way process. You have to listen to the language and speak it. It will always be useful to practice both the parts together.
2. Read aloud to yourself:
In order to tell yourself that you can speak the language well, you have to hear yourself speak first! A very good way of doing this is by reading aloud. Read English from books, magazines and newspapers to yourself. This might sound like something primary school children would do, but it works. You can pick up the day’s newspaper and read the news articles that catch your attention. Sports lovers can go straight to the sports pages and start reading an article on their favorite sport. It will definitely retain interest while keeping you updated on the latest happenings in the world of your favorites.
Reading loudly to yourself for ten minutes every day will convince you that you can speak fluent English! This feeling will continue even when you try to speak with another person. When you read out the language, you will also be exposed to the new structures and vocabulary that you read. These will gently make way into your own language.
3. Listen to the language:
Listening and comprehending is key to developing your ability in English. Subscribe to podcasts and audio books to practice the receptive skill of listening. Listening is an effective method of exposing yourself to correct pronunciation. It also helps you understand the stress and intonation in words and sentences. Audio books are available for most of the content available in the market. The best part about listening to an audio book or podcast is that you only need your cell phone for it. You can download the book on your cell phone and listen to it anytime you want. This can be especially useful when you are travelling to and from work. Since communication is a two-way process, one needs to listen and understand before one speaks.
Many available podcasts are not only informative but also educative. You can choose from a wide variety available today on every topic under the Sun. The basis of your choice can be topics which interest you. Ask a sports fan to speak on sports, and he will be able to speak for hours on the topic! If you pick topics which interest you, you will stay interested.
4. Maintain a vocabulary book:
How do you increase your vocabulary and retain new words learned? You can do this by maintaining a record of any new words you come across. Enter them into a vocabulary book. Note down the word, its meaning and its use in a sentence. Flip through this book often, and you will find yourself using those words while speaking. Look for new words that you can use to express yourself. Target using a few of those words every day and watch your vocabulary expand.
Unquestionably, there are many words we use every day whose meaning we are unsure of. It will benefit you to look up some of these words in the dictionary. Then, note down these words in the vocabulary book as well. This book will serve as your own, personal dictionary. Use it to help find a place to save a word you come across. A hand-written vocabulary book will always mean much more to you. Because you will have slowly filled it in word-by-word with words that you had a need to use or understand.
5. Practice the skill of summarizing:
Stating the main ideas of a given passage or paragraph is known as summarising. What has been read is a great way of producing original and creative language. After reading a chapter of a book or listening to a podcast, note down the main ideas from the piece. Summarize it in a pre-decided number of sentences. Challenge yourself by increasing or decreasing the number of sentences you can use for the summary. Then, speak out these sentences by elaborating upon the main ideas. When you try to talk about what you have read in your own words, you will be making your own sentences. This will also get you to look for new ways to express a certain idea, which will go a long way in helping build your ability to express yourself.
Do this activity with an equally interested learner and give each other feedback on it later. When you give feedback to each other, you will be able to observe and learn from the errors of the other person. This will work towards improving your own power of expression. You can do this by speaking aloud to yourself as well.
6. Explore language-learning apps:
Language-learning apps are a great way to practice English when you are on the move. Download an app from a reliable source and use it while travelling. You will make good use of your time to learn language while building your skills. Many of these apps explain the use of certain words and phrases and then ask you to make sentences around them. They also give real-time situations where you would need to know the language in certain role-plays or activities. Use them to build your accuracy while working on your power of expression to convey ideas. These apps also have interactive video and audio clips which help to build interest. The colorful interface makes it eye-catching which makes the user come back for more.
7. Record your voice:
Listening to yourself speak is a fabulous way of correcting your pronunciation and reviewing your language. Give yourself a topic and speak extempore for two minutes. Record yourself when you speak and play it back to yourself. You will be able to identify pronunciation errors and evaluate your language. Hence, which can go a long way in figuring out your areas of strength. You will also be able to understand the areas you need to work on more. Start this by first reading out articles from newspapers or books and recording them. When you get comfortable with listening to your own voice, you can start speaking on a topic you choose. Pick a variety of topics for this activity- ranging from the exciting to the boring. Sometimes, it is fun to pick up a topic which does not interest you at all. When you record your speech on such a topic, you will observe changes in intonation and speed of speech based on your interest in the topic!
8. Read a book:
What kind of stories do you prefer? Do you like adventure or suspense? Comedy or horror? There are books available on every genre. If you pick up a book that interests you, you will find that you are able to learn the language and engage yourself in an area of significance. Books can be very interesting if you like what you are reading. While reading, you will come across some new words which you can make a note of in your vocabulary book. The good part about learning new words while reading is that you can see the word being used in a sentence, which helps you understand the usage of that word. While reading, one tends to learn English without consciously trying. Take, for example, a suspense novel. When you are deeply involved in the plot of a story, the only thing that will interest you is what happens next. This is the most natural way to learn a language, so start reading a book and watch your vocabulary grow.
9. Watch television shows in English:
Watching shows will not only make you listen to the correct pronunciation of words but also will make you aware of the ways each word in a sentence is pronounced in a natural setting. Language is the most useful when its usage is understood in the correct context. The advantage of watching a show is that you also get a video that you can watch, and this helps to retain interest. The only challenge in watching a show in English is, people often select watching the sub-titles of the part. If a person is reading the subtitles while watching a video, he is not practicing the skill of listening anymore. He is practicing the skill of reading. In a nutshell, it is important to keep the subtitles off while watching your favorite show in English as this will not help you in developing your skills of listening. Try to watch English shows which have more neutral accents so that you don’t have to struggle too much to understand the accent. If you struggle, turn sub-titles back on.
10. Keep a time to study English:
Keeping a regular time every day for English studies will help you in ensuring that you are working every day towards your language goal. Consistency is a very important factor in making sure that you are working on a regular basis to improve your language. You can fix days on which you will work on different elements of the language, like adding more words to your vocabulary book or learning to use a new tense. When you make a schedule for such activities, you will make sure that all parts of English are developing at the same time. This will help you in developing all the skills of the language together. Doing this will also build your confidence in using the language as you will keep learning new concepts and vocabulary which you can then use in your language. When you use a new tense you have learned, it will also make you want to learn of the other tenses and the times that you can use them. There are so many different concepts in a language that you will always be left with a curiosity to learn more. That will keep you motivated enough to keep looking for new ways to develop your English-speaking skills.
Learning English is a journey
It gets more interesting with each passing milestone. There are always different concepts to master, new vocabulary to learn, expressive sentence structures to be used and creative ways to express yourself. Today, there are so many innovative ways to learn the language. These new ways ensure that you are always using your imagination and developing innovative ways to learn. Make the path in this journey an experience you enjoy. When you look forward to finding different ways to express yourself, you will be filled with a sense of achievement. This sense will motivate you in moving forward. Also, it will help you in looking for new heights which you can reach in your language goals. Explore different ways of acquiring English and the different methods to expose yourself to correct language!
