Learning to choose healthy foods

Today's hectic and demanding lifestyle as well as the emergence of convenient stores is among the major reasons why people skip their healthy meals. After learning how to depend on fast food stores and convenience stores, it is easier for people to just grab a food that contains less nutrition compared to those foods that matter.

With all these drastic changes in the habit of eating, food preparation and food options, people have become more prone to various diseases because their bodies fail to absorb the nutrients it needs. Contrary to common conception, healthy foods need not to be expensive, rare or hard to prepare. In fact, most of these recommended foods for healthy living is cheaper, abundant, and easier to prepare compared to those that can be bought in the nearest convenient store.

Why choose healthy foods?

Most food and nutrition experts say that healthy eating is not about what people cannot eat, it is about what people could eat in order to get the optimum nutrition that their bodies need.

If you are one of those who are on their way of learning to eat healthy foods, the best valuable thing that you can do when buying inside the grocery store or super market is to pick those that are fresh, unprocessed and whole. This is very ideal especially if you plan to buy fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and sprouts.

Considered as live foods, being fresh ensures that the food still contain the greatest amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that provides the body with optimum nutrition. Make sure that you eat fruits that are fresh, dried without sulfur dioxide or frozen without preservatives and avoid eating fruits that are canned and in heavy syrup because these have preservatives, additives, and sweeteners. Also, eat veggies that are fresh or raw, lightly steamed, baked and dried without sulfur and avoid eating veggies that are frozen with preservatives, additives, sweeteners.

Always opt for fresh sprouts and avoid veggies that are fried or overcooked. When it comes to grains, opt for whole grain products that are unprocessed, nonirradiated, non genetically modified, sugar free, no chemical additives, no preservatives and other whole grain & sprouted grain products like bread, muffins, tortillas, cereals, and pasta, crackers. Avoid products with white flour, unbleached flour, enriched flour, sweeteners, chemical additives, refined and processed grains, white rice, quick oats, instant oatmeal, and instant cereals.

When it comes to legumes, choose beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas. Avoid using canned legumes prepared without animal fat, with chemical additives, sweeteners, pork and beans, and soybeans. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, filberts, pine nuts, cashews, raw seeds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, raw nut butters, and tahini should be eaten raw. Avoid eating dry roasted nuts and seeds. Also, make sure that you choose animal foods such as eggs, poultry and other meat that are free range, hormone and antibiotic free as well as grass fed. In fish, opt for those that have the lowest exposure to mercury.

Aside from this, you should always consider eating organic foods over to those commercially-produced ones. Nutritionists say that organic foods are indeed the purest and healthiest foods out there because they are not yet contaminated with pesticides and have higher percentage of nutrition.

Lastly, learning to read and check the label of the food item that you are about to buy is one of the best ways to ensure that you will be eating healthy food. Checking if the item is properly labeled—especially these are pre-packaged—is your main defense and protection against possible adverse effects and unwanted ingredients or contents.

# Learning how to spot an antique piece

Antique collecting is one of those hobbies that can last a lifetime. This is because the "hunt" never ceases to fuel the drive of people to look for and eventually possess the finest things in their lives. This is also the reason why many are eager in learning how to spot the best pieces of antique there are.

Aside from giving people a chance to possess items that are truly works of art, antique collecting can also provide them an enriching learning experience as well as the possibility to meet people with various cultures and backgrounds in life. Collecting antiques can also be a helpful diversion especially to very busy people who don’t have enough time to assuage their personal hobbies.

But, among all the advantages of antique collecting, being a venue for a lucrative financial gain is one of the major reasons why more and more people get into it. No matter what are the reasons behind your antique collecting—whether it is for future investment, for pure appreciation of art, or for satisfying your need to possess beautiful things—you will never go wrong with the hobby as long as you know what your limitations are.

Reasons why you should start antique collecting

Antique collecting is an instinct to many people. This is because all human beings have innate desire to possess things that are valuable to them as well as the things that are beautiful and unique. But, unlike collecting just about anything, antique collecting can give the person deeper pleasure. This is because it can satisfy not only the need to possess beautiful and rare objects but also helps the person to be financially stable.

The population of antique collecting has grown into large proportions because of the seemingly limitless potentials it offers. If you are new to the hobby, then it is best if you familiarize yourself with the things that you need to know about antiques. These information should include the basic terminologies used in antique trading, types of antiques, ways to determine the authenticity of a specific item, and how to take good care of the antique piece/s. These pieces of information can be researched online or by reading various reference materials such as books, magazines, and the like.  

If you are having doubts about buying a specific antique item, gauge how much you want the item. Many people who are starting with antique collecting tend to get overwhelmed easily. This is the case especially if they have seen authentic pieces for the first time in their lives. To ensure that you are not making hasty and impulsive decisions, know how much you want the item. If you want a specific item that much, throw all your cautions and hesitations and buy it. Just make sure that your financial status will not suffer from it.

Also, check if your budget can handle it. This is very important especially for beginners because it can help them spend on items wisely. Knowing your budget limitations and sticking to it no matter what is very important because it will help you develop the discipline needed when you decide on things in future.

Learning the theme of your collection is also important in spotting an antique piece. This is also very crucial in antique collecting because it will veer you away from buying things you don’t really need. Setting a theme for your collection will somehow limit you in buying antique items that you see in various stores or online auctions.

# Learning how to practice yoga

Today, people believe that yoga is all about experiencing pure ecstasy through the union of the mind, the soul, and the body. But most yoga practitioners and teachers would agree that apart from providing relaxation and peace, learning how to practice yoga is about the seemingly limitless capability of a person to be in control and unite with him or her inner self.  

Many yoga practitioners believe that in one way or another, the ancient discipline makes it possible for the breath, the mind, and the senses to unite in creating balance. As defined, the word “yoga” is a Sanskrit term which means “union or joining.” It is considered as almost an ambiguous term because it encompasses a wide range of purely physical disciplines to purely spiritual.

Because of its benefits, more and more people across the globe are showing interests in learning yoga. Many are planning to learn yoga as a form of exercise while others want to use it as a way to relieve stress. Whatever your reasons behind learning yoga, it shouldn’t be as confusing as it seems because you don’t need to learn all the concepts and philosophies behind it.

Getting started with yoga

Many people practice yoga for so many reasons. Many want to explore its almost limitless possibilities as an ancient philosophy while others want to delve into its depths as a meditative practice or for pure spiritual discipline. And for some, they want to use its philosophies as an exercise for you to be fit and healthy. But, no matter what the reasons of people are, understanding the main objectives and the level of interest is a must to be able to find the right yoga program to suit the needs of a certain individual.

The first thing that you have to bear in mind before you totally indulge in practicing yoga is setting and determining your goals. You can do this by knowing first what are the possible health and fitness benefits you can get from yoga. Most yoga practitioners agree that the potential benefits of yoga may include the increase of strength and flexibility, creation of balance as well as the improvement of breathing and overall posture. On the spiritual aspect, yoga can serve as an exercise that can help you soothe your nerves, calm your mind while increasing your focal and concentration skills.

Next, undergo a general check-up. This is a sort of “SOP” before you begin practicing yoga or any type of exercise program for that matter. A check-up is important for you do discuss with your physician the advantages and disadvantages of yoga in your total health and well being. Since yoga involves physical endurance, you might also want to visit an orthopedic before you undergo a class to avoid possible injuries.

Before you start learning yoga, you must make sure that you have a good yoga instructor who can attend to your needs, you are aware of your physical and emotional limitations, and you know when is the best time suitable for you to practice yoga. It would also be best if you begin with the easy yoga poses before slowly advancing to the difficult positions and that you wear the right kind of clothes and that you have the yoga equipment you need like mats, foam blocks, and yoga pillows.

# Learning how to make a scrapbook

Learning to make a scrapbook is definitely one of the most enjoyable, rewarding and relaxing activities a person can get into. Aside from bringing out the creativity and resourcefulness in every person, it also helps people to organize memories and keepsakes in one place. Through the years, most people collect photos and mementos from their friends, family members, and loved ones. In order to organize these, more and more people are getting into scrapbooking.

The fun with album scrapbooking

One of the most common themes used in scrapbooking is album scrapbooking. This kind of theme usually involves the use of photos just like in several photo albums. In creating album scrapbooks, the first consideration should be the album itself. In the market today, there are two standard sizes of albums—the 8.5”x11” and 12”x12”. If you are planning to create a family scrapbook, most scrappers will suggest that you use a 12”x12” album because you will need larger space to accommodate all the photos and captions of your family members.

Other specifications of scrapbook albums include the post-bound albums that come with black or white cardstock pages and are covered by sheet protectors. The pages of which are bound into the album using three posts that enables it to be easily taken out so you can add or remove pages. This kind of album makes it easy for the scrapper to move pages around by pulling the cardstock out of the sheet protector or by sliding in a page where patterned papers are used.

Strap-hinge albums, on the other hand, are those albums that have flexible plastic straps in the cover that run through wire loops embedded in each page and expandable while the 3-ring binders or D-ring binders are those albums that are bound using rings that allow you to add or switch around pages quickly and easily. Aside from the album itself, other major considerations in album scrapbooking is the space or room and the supplies you'll be needing such as:

- stickers that come in various themes, designs, colors, and sizes which are great but inexpensive and very fun and easy to use

- tags that can be used as major decorations

- cut-outs and punch-outs which are usually tags, alphabet letters, and laser lace borders that are used to decorate the page

- paper embellishments which are usually perforated so you can use them anywhere in the scrapbook,

- punches which are tools used to punch shapes out of paper that come in shapes of all sizes

- embellishments such as buttons, fibers or fancy yarns and threads, metal accents, beads, craft wire and fabric ribbon roses that are safely be used on any scrapbook page

- chalk or decorative chalks that come in a set with various colors and applicators perfect for  shading and highlighting an album page

- eyelets which are great for attaching vellum to paper, for decorating a photo mat or for making a border and which also come in different sizes, colors and shapes

- rubber stamps that are very versatile and can be used for  different purposes such as in card making

- die-cuts which are paper shapes made from that come in all sorts of colors and themes; embossed paper charms and

- templates which are ideal for unique embellishments that will make your album scrapbook great.

Learning to make a scrapbook using these materials is just a start of you fun and enjoyable journey in the world of scrapbooking!

# Learning how to landscape

Nowadays, learning how to landscape is one of the things that most homeowners are getting busy with. This is because aside from saving money because they don’t have to hire an artist to do it, they themselves could achieve the personal results that they want.

For those who are so much into home improvement, landscaping has become a very practical solution because there are so many options they can choose from. And, because of the availability of landscaping resources in various magazines and online tutorials, more and more people in getting interested to do it on their own.

How landscaping can improve homes

People—especially to homeowners who want improved homes—should bear in mind that landscaping if not done properly can ruin their homes permanently.

The basic thing that people who are planning to do their own landscape is that the house and the landscaping must complement with each other. They should always bear in mind that not all landscaping can look good in any home that is why they should really plan carefully before doing it to avoid wasting time, effort, and money.

As much as possible, all houses should have landscapes because these complement other features of the construction. But, due to lack of money, many homeowners cannot do anything about their homes. But now, since the emergence of "DIY" or "do-it-yourself" landscaping, many people are trying to beautify their homes using these simple knowledge.

In landscaping, harmony and balance are very important because it places everything into a very organized manner. For those you are first-timers when it comes to DIY landscaping, they should really consider, reconsider their plans, limit their choices to avoid being overwhelmed, and confused with so many options. They should also limit the extent of landscaping options to be able to come up with a successful one.

For beginners, there are actually so many aspects in do-it-yourself landscaping to consider. Some of these aspects include the budget allotted, the skills of the person who will do the job, the average climate or weather condition in your location, personal preferences in designs and tastes, and the availability of miscellaneous resources. To make the personal landscaping a success, one must ensure that the landscape has a year-round theme to ensure that it will never be outdated when seasons change. A perfect option would be to create a combination of plant-selection that contains flowering trees or shrubs with fall foliages.

Also, layering the garden’s flower beds when planting to achieve a uniform or standard look in the garden is a must. Planting beds in rows that include those filled with tall plants, those planted with the next tallest plants, and those containing the shortest plants can do layering.

Mixing the use of "annuals" to supplement "perennial" colors of flowers. In landscaping, it is best to use perennial flowers for flowerbeds because these have longer span of life. However, perennials only bloom in a specific period of time, it is best to supplement the bed with annual plants to fill up the empty space when perennial are not in bloom.

Lastly, learning to use "evergreens" for continuity will ensure the success of your very own landscaping. Although landscaping is more on trees and shrubs, this doesn’t mean that one cannot include other plants such as evergreens. This type of plant is perfect for it opens up more space, provide uniform structure, and a view of variety.

# Learning to dance ballet

Learning to dance ballet is one of the difficult dances that a person could ever perform because the dance itself requires not only physical strength but also skills and years of practice and discipline. Since the dance is hard to master, ballerinas are trained very early to develop the physique and discipline needed for the dance.

If you are one of those who are planning to learn ballet, you must first assess yourself physically, emotionally, and financially if you can cope up with the demands of the dance. Once you have decided that you can manage in all of these aspects, then the next thing to do is familiarize yourself with everything about it.

Knowing the origin of something is very helpful in making decisions. This is also applicable in ballet. Before you finally decide to get involved with ballet, make sure that you are familiar with its history so you will have general knowledge about everything that has to do with it.

Aside from the history, you should also be knowledgeable in the preparation a ballet dancer must gear up for. Although many people say that passion and dedication will make it possible for you to become a ballet dancer, having innate talent and light body will make it more possible for you to become a great ballet dancer.

Along with training, you must also familiarize yourself with various ballet techniques and styles so you would know what to expect. Usually, these techniques and styles in ballet would require rigorous training and practice for you to be able to perfect the steps needed for the dance.

Tips before taking ballet classes

The most common routine done is a ballet class is the barre exercise. Here, warm ups through stretching and several steps and movements are practiced on wooden sprung floors. To make the training and the practice easier for you, try these ballet tips before your class:

- Stretching. Just like in any other sport or dance, stretching is very crucial because it prepares the body for harder exercises ahead. When you stretch of as long as you can, your muscles will loosen up and your posture will be elongated. Aside from stretching before the class, make sure that you do post class stretching to loosen up tightened muscles during the training. Stretching does not only eases the pain but also makes your body more flexible.

- Familiarizing yourself with the vocabulary used in ballet. This is also important because it will reflect how much knowledge you have about the dance. Although it will not really affect your ballet skills, knowing the terms used in ballet will prevent you from getting overwhelmed during the class. What you can do is to read ballet terminologies from various resources such as dictionary, magazines, books, and online sites.

- Taking time to find the right ballet slippers. The ballet shoes or slippers can greatly affect your overall training because the comfort of the feet is involved. When buying ballet shoes, make sure that they are made by a professional or endorsed by a specific ballet school or famous ballet dancer.

- Learning the five basic positions in barre. This is very important to avoid embarrassment and possible injury. The five basic positions include turning your feet together at the heels, parting your foot apart, placing the your heel at the first knuckle of the big toe, placing the feet apart for at least six inches, and putting the heel on top of the big toe. Once you familiarize yourself with these basic barre positions, training will be easier and less exhausting for you.

# Learning to photograph food beautifully

Leaning to take good photos is one of the most common hobbies of most people today. This is because they would want to preserve whatever memories they have during specific event or gathering. That gathering would not be complete without fond laughter, memories, and of course, food. So, what better way to preserve all these than to learn food photography?

The meeting of food and photography

Photographing food is probably one of the most challenging kinds of photography out there. It is considered difficult by most professional food photographers because there is a time constraint in the whole photo shoot. And since the marketability of the food itself depends primarily on how it is seen in print, food photographers should be well trained and skilled in order to come up with satisfying results.

If you are one of those who are trying their hands on food photography, the first thing that should be paid attention to is the camera well. It is a must that you familiarize yourself with all its features and functions especially the basic operations like focus/auto focus, exposure compensation, white balance, image resolution and size, and flash modes operation. Know when to use these features in order to highlight the best angles of your subject. It would also be best if you familiarize yourself with other equipment such as the proper use of a tripod or stabilizer will help you focus on your subject better and will also avoid camera shake that usually causes blurring.

Next is to learn the basics. In photography, you cannot break a rule if you have not mastered it so make sure that you familiarize yourself with the basics such as filling the gap and the distance. This is a major basic rule in food photography because getting close to the subject as close as possible is most ideal setting since you fill the entire frame of with your subject to create a satisfying image. Distance will give a full view of the food’s texture and ingredients.

Next basic thing is knowing to calculate the focus and depth-of-field (DOF). The use of depth-of-field never fails to create wonders in food photo shoots. With careful adjustment of focus and depth of field, you can bring to life any dish that is your subject. (TIP: Use wider or more open for a shallow DOF and a smaller or more closed one for a deeper shots.)

You should also be familiar with the simple layout of the food you wish to photograph. You can do this by identifying which is the standout ingredient. Before taking any shot, assess the scene closely and look for something that can grab people’s attention right away. You can use this main feature of the food as the subject of your subject. Also, pay attention to your set-up. It is a must to take the time off to setup your food photo shoot. If there are distracting elements in the background, remove them. If you think there’s something missing in the set up, then think of something else that would fill the empty space or gap. Prepare the garnish, the props, and other materials you might need for the shoot.

Learning to control your lights is another surefire success tip in food photography. Like in any photography styles, lighting or available light can make or unmake any photograph. Since food is the major subject in food photography, it is better that the setting is bright and the lights are soft so as to make the food more appetizing. In digital cameras, turning on the White Balance feature of the equipment can solve dark settings in an instant.

# Learning to relax through meditation

Instant everything—including convenience, solutions, and results among so many others—is one of the major causes of stress that eventually lead to serious problems. Because of this stress, more and more people are learning to practice one of the most powerful means of concentration called "meditation."

Described as a state wherein a person is in deep concentration on something, either awareness or some object of thought, meditation can be considered as one of the oldest means of calming the mind and the soul. Usually involving one's attention to be turned into a single point of reference, meditation is practiced by so many people because it can lead a person to a consciousness an inch higher than the ordinary person.

If you are one of those who planning to indulge in practicing meditation or just interested in its seemingly limitless possibilities, then you should start by familiarizing yourself with the various forms of meditation known today. The most common forms of meditation include "Bodhidharma," "Hinduism," "Bahá'í Faith," "Buddhism," "Christian meditation," "Islam Meditation," "Jainism," "Judaism," "Sikhism," and "Taoism." Each and every one of these forms mentioned has their own understanding of meditation and also have different sets of practices that come with it.
 
Another important thing to take note about meditation is that it involves various physical postures to be able to perform the practice well. These postures include standing, sitting, and supine depending on the tradition of that you would want to follow.

Aside from the postures that are used, it is also important to take note about the various types of meditation before finally indulging into it. Experts say that the most common type is the prayer because this is the one of the most practiced types people does. Aside from the simple prayer, other types of meditation also include what is called transcendental meditation (TM), the mindfulness meditation, and some of the forms included in the Eastern tradition including the buddhist, Taoist, and zen meditation.

If you are just starting, the first thing that you need to concentrate on is the elements for involved in a basic traditional meditation. Usually, there are four elements that greatly affect traditional meditation including a place that is quiet, a posture that is comfortable, an object that a person can to focus his or her attention and n attitude that is relatively passive.

Learning meditation techniques

Meditation techniques are known to vary depending on the origin of the practice and the culture in that place. It also varies depending on the personality of the person and where he or she comfortable with.

Meditation techniques can be classified as "concentrative" that involves the means of focusing into a specific object and the other can be termed as "expansive" that involves a person's free flowing thoughts, observation, and reflection. The most common meditation techniques that are being practiced by many people today include the "Mantra Meditation" which involve production of sound or the combination of one or more sounds that are played in a very spontaneous manner, the "trataka" or Steady Gaze where the person meditating is asked to gaze steadily in a certain an object and focus his or her attention to it, and the "Chakra Meditation" which greatly helps in the manifestation of energy and mind control.

Those who are practicing advanced meditation are also learning other effective meditation techniques including Vipassana Meditation, Raja Yoga Meditation, Zazen, and Nada Yoga, which have their own respective practices and postures.

# Learning to save money the easy way

In this day and age when crisis seems to strike anywhere, there's no better way to stay safe and secure than learning how to save money.

Experts agree that no matter how one looks at it, there will be always ways to save money if the person has the will do so. If you are one of those who are trying to come up with ways to save money in this unstable economy, it is best to start with developing a simple lifestyle. When you are able to do this, the rest will follow. But, if you are one of those who are not sure where to start, here are some eight simple ways to save money.

One step at a time

The first thing that you can do to save some money is by learning to manage your grocery or shopping sprees. Although buying groceries is a necessity, this doesn't mean that there's no opportunity for you to save. The best thing that you can do before going to a supermarket is to conduct an inventory on your supplies. This will help you determine how much more you have and can help you estimate the period of time that these supplies will last.

After knowing what are the things that you need, make a list to prioritize the items that are of utmost importance. The same thing can be applied when shopping for clothes and other accessories. To save money, the key is to limit expenses on the items that you really need and keep whatever cash you have at hand. Try not to buy something that just tickles your fancy and if possible, limit your trips to the supermarket or boutiques to veer away from the temptation of buying something.

As cheap as it may seem, getting as many coupons as you can help you save some money. These days, coupons are not only applicable to just groceries only. In fact, major establishments such as restaurants, cinemas and even boutiques accept and give out coupons to its customers to offer a discount. If you keep these coupons, you can get a little discount on establishments that you usually go to.

Learning to commute is another major saving for you. With the gas price hike, you can save lots of money if you take advantage of public transportation or even carpools. Aside from saving some money on gas, you can also save some since you wont have to pay for the car's maintenance and parking anymore.

Having enough time to audit your own bills would also help you. Before, people are used to just paying whatever amount the bill states. But since there can be major discrepancies in these, it is best if you audit your charges once in a while. Auditing is best for telephone bills since some charges are being repeated, thus, making you pay for calls you didn't actually make. Auditing can also be applied for your credit card bills since many companies add hidden charges.

Many people do not realize it but one of the best ways to save money is learning how to save energy. It is unfortunate that many people still don't realize that leaving an electric appliance plugged to the electricity outlet means that appliance still consumes almost 20 percent of the electricity it consumes while it is turned on. So, to save money as well as energy through electricity makes it a habit to unplug cables from their outlets when not in use.

# Learning what is the best wedding dress for you

Although the modern times have opened a lot of possibilities to the brides when it comes to wedding dresses, it has also created confusion because of so many choices available. This is basically the reason why many women—at least those who are planning to get married and wear a wedding dress—should be learning which is the most suitable type for them this early to avoid too much confusion when that big day comes.

Things to consider before shopping for wedding dresses

To avoid choosing wrong wedding dresses, there are many considerations brides-to-be must ponder upon. The first thing among these considerations is the body type. Knowing one's body type is very important because it will determine if you would or wouldn’t look good in your dress. Since not all women are created with perfect body figure, it is best to know your body type to avoid highlighting your not-so-pleasant "assets."

For women who possess an hourglass figure, ideal wedding dresses are bodices with corsets or two-piece items such as ball gowns to give emphasis to their curves. Wedding dresses that have something that would highlight the waist of the bride are also ideal. For women who are pear shaped, one of the perfect options is Princess dresses with A-line cut. This is very ideal because the style will hide the full hips and will highlight the torso as well as the bust area of the bride. Petite women should avoid ball gowns that are big as well as wedding dress with mermaid cut because these only overwhelm the natural shape of the body.

Wedding dresses for women who have petite frame should be those that have simple cuts and fabric type to make them look taller and slender. For tall women who can carry majority of the dress styles out there, wedding dresses with A- line cut, princess line cut, ball gowns, mermaid style, and straight dresses are ideal wedding dresses. Although almost all styles can fit tall women, they should avoid empire line dresses because these can overemphasize their tall frame and can be too overwhelming especially when paired with small sizes of wedding accessories.

For women who have full waist, drop waist and princess-line dresses are the best because these flatter the curves of the waist. Women who have broad shoulder should avoid wearing wedding dresses that are off-the-shoulder and halter types because these will only make the broad shoulder "broader." Opt for wedding dresses that don’t have straps or those that have scoop necklines to enhance the shoulder and wear accessories or jewelry that have intricate design. Brides that are that have flat bust should choose wedding dresses that have square or scoop necklines that will emphasize the bust area.

Learning what are the most available dress shapes out there is a must. These shapes include straight wedding dresses that have revealing and daring cuts and highlight to the body's contour, A-line princess wedding dresses that is perfect for women who want to hide something from the bust line down because it practically covers everything from the bust line to the toes, empire wedding dresses which is practically an A-line dress except for the seam that is strategically placed under the bust line to emphasize some body shapes, strapless wedding dresses which are designed to reveal the neck are shoulder areas, mermaid wedding dresses that are designed to fit from the waist area until the knees before it comes with stylish flair down to the feet, and ball gown wedding dresses that are practically two-piece items including a full skit and fitted or corseted bodice.