If you are a woman, you may have experienced a decrease in your libido and you are looking to find ways to increase it. A decrease in libido can adversely affect your relationship with your husband or partner. However, in order to improve your libido it is important to determine what the cause was for the decrease.

For some women, libido decreases when they are feeling stressed, are depressed, experience anxiety or were victims of rape or other sexual abuse. These are all psychological problems and the way to increase libido if you suffer from any of these issues is to seek psychological counseling. Some women will only need short term counseling while others may need long term counseling in order to achieve the desired results.

Women’s libidos can be affected by the physical ailments such as alcoholism and drug abuse, anemia and diabetes. If you are suffering from any of these diseases, it is best to see your doctor. Your physician knows you and can help you battle any of these illnesses, all of which can decrease your libido.

Women who are unhappy in their relationships with their partners are often not as interested in sex as they once were. Sometimes communication is the answer. If you can talk to your partner about how you feel or about the issues that are troubling you then your libido will increase.

If you see a doctor regarding your decreased libido, he will probably check your hormone levels. Hormones affect female libido and if a woman’s hormones are out of kilt, she will show effects of a decreased libido. If you are not interested in taking hormones, then you can look into increasing your libido by taking some herbs. There are plenty of natural remedies on the market that are specifically designed to increase female libido.

By Richard Hairston,

Have you lost your sex drive? If you have, there is something you can do about it. No longer do you have to suffer from the the lack of interest in sex. Female Libido Enhancer is the answer to you problem. To get more information about these amazing products please visit http://femalesexualenhancementproduct.blogspot.com

Star tattoos are excellent choices for getting inked. There are various options you have for star tattoos. Here are 3 excellent star tattoo ideas.

1. Nautical star.

The nautical star tattoo has a rich tattoo history. Starting with navy men who got this design inked as a symbol for strength, guidance and finding ones way home from safely from battle, the nautical star has continued to be popular throughout the years. Punks, military, mixed martial arts fighters and many other groups have chosen the nautical star as their favorite choice of ink.

2. Modern star.

There are many modern star tattoo ideas that you definitely want to look into if you are looking at star designs. Some of these can really pop out, while other modern designs are great for background or accompanying other designs. While the nautical star is more classic, the modern star is more of a current style with many variations. Online tattoo galleries will have excellent examples of modern star designs.

3. Multiple stars.

Star tattoo ideas do not have to be limited to just one star. Matter of fact many feel that getting multiple stars is the way to go. There are very few tattoos that you can get away with having duplicated within the same tattoo space as you can with stars. Multiple stars can stand on their own, or they can accompany a different image. Some people make sure to leave space for additional star tats to be added in the future. Sometimes each star will represent a person, a situation, or a life changing experience in a persons life.

Want to see the best modern and classic Star Tattoo’s? Definitely check out this online gallery – http://top-tattoo-designs.blogspot.com/

You’ll find hundreds of the best, most high quality tattoos available, which can be printed out and taken to your local tattoo parlor to get inked – http://top-tattoo-designs.blogspot.com/

If you suspect infidelity and you want to find out the truth you need to know how to avoid breaking the law in the process. Here are some key tips to legally find the truth.

Before we provide some tips, we advocate trying to save your relationship if you find your mate has been cheating. This should involve some form of professional counseling or meeting with your church minister to talk things out. Above all, do not attempt to punish the cheating mate by taking matters into your own hands. This will only result in serious ramifications for everyone involved. Do not allow your emotions to overrule your common sense.

You also need to check laws in your State (USA) or country to make sure you are not in violation. An unmasked mate could cause you a great deal of legal trouble so proceed with due diligence. If you spy on your mate with one of the many electronic surveillance devices, you risk breaking the law. You want to avoid using devices such as so-called room “bugs,” and video or telephone recording devices. Many devices actually violate federal law and can only be used by licensed professionals or by court order. You need to employ other methods to get at the truth.

Now that you know some of the legal and personal ramifications, here are some tips to help you catch a cheating mate.

If your mate uses a computer, you can install Internet tracking software on the computer that will allow you to know where your mate surfs and what they are typing when they are online. This can help you keep track of them and quietly satisfy your curiosity about whether they are actually cheating. Internet tracking software is not expensive and beats the higher cost of hiring a private investigator. This is the best way to know what your mate is doing when he or she is online.

To build an airtight case against the cheater, you need to have abundant proof. Where you find one sign of infidelity, there are usually several other corroborating signs just waiting to be found. Cheaters nearly always display multiple telltale signs. Knowing what to look for is the key.

For example, duplicate gifts are especially suspicious. You should question when two identical gifts, or receipts indicating that two identical items were bought, show up on billing statements. This is a common trick. The cheater will be ready to explain why two pairs of diamond earrings, or two identical gold bracelets show up on a credit card statement. For example, they may claim it is a billing error. However, it is common to find that an affair partner is the recipient of the second gift.

If you suspect workplace infidelity, offer to attend all company parties with your mate. If your mate gives an excuse as to why you cannot attend, this is a warning sign. If you are permitted to go, observe how your mate interacts socially with co-workers. This can reveal the presence or absence of a workplace affair. If the suspected cheater is romantically involved with someone on their job, their body language and behavior around the affair partner will give them away.

A cheating mate will usually communicate with his or her affair partner in some way on Christmas Day. It may be a phone call, an e-mail, a text message, or even a quick visit to drop off a Christmas gift. If you have previously found signs of infidelity, the telltale signs found during the Christmas season could provide the final proof that you are dealing with a cheating mate who is indeed having an affair.

Remember, you might be wrong so gather a significant amount of evidence before confronting your mate! If you accuse them of infidelity without any proof, and they are innocent, you can do serious damage to the relationship. The trust will be broken, both ways and broken trust is almost impossible to restore.

Find out if you have a cheating mate. Jim DeSantis is an award winning broadcast journalist who provides a Free ebook Catch A Cheating Mate – here! No email or signup required. It’s an instant free PDF!

Individual style should be applauded. It takes guts, personality and confidence to pull off certain looks, and anyone who expresses their individual style with gusto should be proud. But there are a few fashion no-no’s that should really be avoided at all costs, because, let’s face it, they just don’t look good on anyone. Be a fashion do by following these fashion don’ts.

1. Socks And Sandals
Just don’t do it, it really doesn’t look good. I understand wanting to be comfortable, but if socks are truly necessary, put on a pair of cute tennies or slip ons. Better yet, find a pair of sandals that are comfortable enough to wear without socks. Oh, and don’t even think about wearing black socks up to your knees with shorts and any type of shoes. I won’t even get into my opinion on Crocs at this point, but let’s just say that unless you’re gardening, I wouldn’t recommend those either.

2. Your Underwear Peeking Out Of Your Pants
Ok, So Brittany Spears did it, and so did various other teen stars and it was cool for a while. Let me give you a hint: unless you actually look like Brittany Spears, you probably can’t pull it off. Even if you can pull it off, there’s a difference between letting your thong hang out on stage in front of thousands of fans an paparazzi, and showing it off at the grocery store or in line at the movie theater. Trust me, no one wants to see it, and people are probably making fun of you as soon as you’re out of earshot.

3. Wearing The Baggiest Clothes You Can Find
No matter what size you are, you are going to look better in clothes that actually fit you, rather than big, baggy clothes meant to hide your figure. Beauty is not size dependent, and most people will tell you that a person of any size who looks fashionable and put together always looks better than someone in baggy clothes that looks like they are wearing a tent. Find a style that works for your body type, and that you like and be proud of it. The more confident you are in your own body and style, the more people will be drawn to you and appreciate you for who you are and your individual style. Sit on a bench at the mall for a couple of hours watching people go by. Who looks great, and who looks like a slob? Find a role model and try to emulate them. If all else fails, watch a few dozen episodes of What Not To Wear, and see resistant fashion disasters morph into beautiful, put together people.

4. Over-accessorizing, or Not Accessorizing at All
Even the best outfit can benefit from a few well placed accessories. A great handbag, and nice necklace and some simple earrings can easily take an outfit from ok to fabulous. They don’t have to match, they just have to be in the same or a complimentary color family. But a word of warning: don’t overdo it. Great big dangly earrings, 4 necklaces, 3 inches of arm bangles and a huge, sparkly handbag is going just a bit overboard. Keep it simple, but interesting, and make sure that your accessories compliment your outfit, not overpower it.

5. Being Self Conscious About Your Style
Above all, find a style that you love (and of course that follows all of the above mentioned rules). Wear colors that make you happy, and styles that make you feel beautiful. The absolute worst thing you can do is wear clothes that make you feel uncomfortable, or that you don’t love. Clothes and accessories are meant to be fun, that’s why there are so many choices. Don’t buy something just because it’s on sale, all of those meaningless purchases could be traded for one fantastic piece that you adore, and will last a long time. Buy pieces that are classic, as well as a few trendier items that can be mixed and matched. You will never regret spending a little more on a great pair of black pants that will last for years, and you can update them every season with a new top or some jewelry.

Find your inner diva, and express your style for the world to admire by following these simple rules. A Little fashion knowledge can go a long way in allowing you to express yourself to the world in a positive, confident way.

Visit http://www.missy-j.com for fashionable, affordable accessories, and http:http://www.missyjblog.blogspot.com for more fashion advice and ideas.

If you’ve found this article, I have to assume that you either strongly suspect or know for sure that your spouse has had an affair. I know from experience that in all likelihood you’re experiencing a slew of overwhelming feelings (likely none of them positive) like betrayal, shock, severe hurt, and intense pain. You may also blame yourself, wonder how you could have been so naive, or blame your spouse entirely for his or her actions.  Every single one of these questions and responses are perfectly natural and normal.  You’ve been dealt a harsh blow and there is no right or wrong answer. The days following learning about an affair can go by in a daze or the blink of an eye and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or lost.  This article will provide tips and prompts to help you deal with these feelings and sort out / deal with the affair.

Don’t Blame Yourself, Beat Yourself Up Or Second Guess Yourself: Until an affair actually happened to me, I used to wonder how in the world a wife could blame herself for a husband’s affair.  I just did not get that at all.  But then, in the days after my husband’s affair (once my shock and rage at him wore off) I started to wonder where in the world I went wrong. How could I be so stupid? Was I not exciting enough? Pretty enough? Sexy enough? A good enough wife and mother? Did I not meet his needs or give him what he needed to be happy? Did he have to go elsewhere for excitement or satisfaction?

I have a friend who kind of went through this same sort of thing but in the opposite realm. When she found out about her husband’s affair – she completed overcompensated. She wanted this thing fixed immediately so she sucked it up and put all of the blame squarely on her shoulders and made drastic changes to herself and her bedroom.  The “crises mode” of the situation actually created a spark between her and her husband. Then, she hated herself because she felt that she was a “door mat” for just wanting her husband back. She asked herself where was her self respect? How could she allow him to do this? So she felt negatively about herself just as I did and her self esteem was hit as hard as mine was, but for different reasons.

Both of these reactions cause all sorts of internal bad feelings that doesn’t help you heal at all. Although these feelings are so perfectly normal and understandable it’s important to understand that no matter what you did or didn’t do – the affair is not your fault. It just is not.  Your spouse is the one who made the decision to be unfaithful.  Whether he / she is going through a mid life crises or he / she thinks their needs are not being met or he’s / she’s having self esteem issues, how they chose to deal with these problems was a decision that THEY made.

There are many spouses with issues who chose not to cheat but to instead communicate and work with their wives and husbands to work through these issues.

When You Are Ready, Evaluate And Understand Exactly Why The Infidelity Happened And Your Feelings On What You Want To Happen Now: I will always maintain that a spouse who cheats is the guilty party.  However, each marriage has certain factors that can sometimes contribute to infidelity.  This is not always the case. Sometimes it’s a simple self esteem issue or stress manifesting itself, but sometimes there can be issues in a marriage or communication style that contributes to infidelity. 

Whether you want to save the marriage or not, it can be helpful to hear (when you are calm and ready) just exactly why the infidelity happened.  However, you don’t have to take these reasons for face value.  Really listen to what your spouse is saying and honestly evaluate if these issues they’re bringing up have any merit or are valid. 

Sometimes, a spouse will just make excuses or refuse to take responsibility, but sometimes, you will actually get the truth as painful as it may be.  In my own case, my husband was not feeling heard in a highly stressful situation.  At first I thought this was all just a silly excuse, but when I evaluated more honestly and closely, I had to admit there was a few slivers of truth there.

What you chose to do with this information is completely up to you.  If you don’t want to save the marriage, at least it is a learning experience that you may revisit later in a future relationship.  If you do want to save the marriage, this information will be invaluable for you in the future so that you can address these things to make the marriage stronger and ensure the infidelity doesn’t reoccur.

Now, it’s important that you really take some honest time on your own when you can be calm and reflective (this may take time) to determine what you really want.  It may be that your spouse has been a good one up until this point and you still love him or her and ultimately want to save the marriage. Or, it may be that a pattern of betrayal and dishonestly is emerging that is a deal breaker for you.  Either answer is valid and OK.

Define what is your best case scenario that, if you could achieve it, would help you heal. For some, this is to just pick up and move on by yourself, without letting this one event ruin the rest of your life.  For some, it’s to get the marriage back to a loving and trusting place. Whatever your “best case scenario” is, always promise yourself that you will keep this in mind from this point forward.

Because if ultimately you want to save your marriage, then it doesn’t make sense to continue to lash out at your spouse and continue to punish them months and months after they’ve said they’re sorry or allow an unhealthy obsession with everything having to do with the affair (or the other woman) to continue to sabotage your marriage and your happiness. If being happily married and at peace again is really your goal, try your best not to engage in behaviors that are going to keep this from happening (while still being true to yourself.)

Don’t Hesitate To Get Help To Deal With The Infidelity If You Need It: An affair can be heavy burden on the party who was cheated on. Your self esteem is likely going to take a huge hit. Although it may feel weird to do so, take this time to focus on yourself and your extreme self care.  See friends. Pursue those things you love.  Do what makes you happy.  This will make you feel better and will show both you and your spouse that you have enough self respect that this isn’t going to beat you. 

You may ultimately need some to help with your healing and with dealing with the infidelity.  In my own experience, although I wanted to save my marriage and to forgive my husband, I was stuck.  I would feel forgiving toward him one second and rage at him the next.  He was patient with me and I was trying to be patient with him, but we couldn’t move forward. 

It’s normal to have difficulty in the early days after learning about the affair, but if you get stuck and can’t move past it, don’t hesitate to get the help you need. There is no shame in it.  Ultimately, I needed out side resources to get me out of this cycle that was just holding me back.  Once I had this, I was able to slowly move forward and today, although it took some work and effort, I can honestly say it hasn’t beaten me in the least.

Dealing with the infidelity in my marriage was very difficult for a time. With a lot hard work and effort, our marriage and my self esteem recovered. I now know myself, my husband and my marriage much more intimately. I no longer worry that he is going to cheat again. You can read my very personal story on my blog at http://saving-my-marriage-after-the-affair.blogspot.com/

I have heard the word blog thrown around the last few years, but really did not pay much attention to it! I just recently started an internet business and thought I would start blogging to see what it was about! I looked at a few blogs and found out that basically people write about anything. I’ve always enjoyed writing. I wrote essays in high school and college and thought it was fun! Of course I did not tell anyone, because I always heard others saying things like “Oh, yuck, we had to do an essay in that class! I hate essays!” So, I thought I must be kind of weird.

Another thing I did back in high school some twenty something years ago, was take a typing class. I don’t remember why I took the typing class. Computers were not around much. Hardly anybody had there own computer at home back in those days! The typing in this class was done on the old IBM type writers. Funny, I don’t see those around much anymore! Anyway, a decade or so later, I found myself in an office sitting in front of a Dell computer and realized that I could still type. And actually pretty darn fast. Yipee! Now I find myself constantly typing something into the keyboard. I have an eBay business, work in as a firefighter, and do internet marketing. In all three of these careers, I use my typing skills.

The blogging is fun because a person can express themselves and get their opinions published. If you have an agenda, blog! Maybe someone will read it. Millions of people are on the internet these days and odds are some of them will want to read your blog! My blog is about my life, my job, my faith, my opinions, my businesses… lots of my’s in there huh? Of course, there are blogs about politics, the environment, and just about anything! I saw one today about mobile homes!

What I like about the blogger site I am using is that you can add all kinds of things to your blog site. On mine, I have a poll about Sarah Palin. Drop by my blog before Sept. 12 and take the poll. I’m interested in what people on the internet think. Tell me if you like Sarah Palin or if you think she should go back to Alaska! LOL! Here’s the link: My Blogspot I think tomorrow I will blog about hurricanes!

Richard A. Davis is a full time firefighter, homeschool Dad, Ebayer, and internet marketer. He resides in Texas. Married for 20 years with three children, two dogs, three cats, four birds, one hampster, and a fish!

This cruise began Abecita us with a two day stay in Istanbul minus one suitcase that Delta Airlines lost. We had been in Istanbul for a couple lingerie days at the end of our last cruise, and my wife fell in love with it. We spent the time checking out things lingerie didn’t see on the last trip, and shopping for underwear, pantyhose, shoes, and other things Kathy needed after the lost luggage fiasco. There we were, at the Grand Bazaar, Kathy in a pair of my boxer shorts and a T shirt the ship gave her. But we found some great bargains on knock-offs.

The Millennium set sail for Kusadasi (Ephesus) Turkey in the early afternoon. The next day we arrived in Kusadasi, known for its very extensive ruins at Ephesus. These are the most impressive ruins we have ever seen, be sure not to miss them when you are in Kusadasi. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony were tourists at Ephesus!

We toured a rug factory which was actually a rug store. However, they gave a very interesting presentation on how Turkish rugs are woven and how to determine the quality of rugs. We saw a demonstration of a young girl weaving a rug.

While in Kusadasi we spotted an internet cafe sign and so we went on in. They were quite excited that we had come in; they uncovered their single computer, taped some cardboard to the window to reduce the glare on the screen, and brought us some cokes to drink. After we finished surfing the net we asked how much we owed. They said “nothing!” and they wouldn’t let us pay for anything. Odd but interesting and nice.

The next day was a day at sea with no stops at any ports. We consider days at sea as our lazy kick-back and relax part of our cruises. So we “bagged some rays” by the pool and checked out the drink of the day.

The next day we arrived in Limasol, Cyprus. Originally we were supposed to go to Haifa Israel, but due to some Middle East unrest, the destination was changed to Limasol. There was an interesting castle that we toured, and then we went looking for an internet cafe. We found one and did a little updating of our website while we were there. Internet cafe’s can be found in most cities and it is truly amazing to see the differences. There isn’t really much in Limasol.

Our next port of call was Alexandria Egypt. The port was HUGE! There were quite a few sunken ships poking up out of the water as we entered the port…wonder what that was about? Our ship was greeted with a giant red carpet and a large band playing music.

We took the shore excursion to the Pyramids, about a three hour bus trip. The buses traveled in convoys with police escorts. I presume it’s an anti terrorist thing. The Pyramids were awesome! We got to actually climb up on one of the pyramids. There were also cool tombs that we toured, and of course, shopping for jewelry and papyrus art.

Our next port of call was Athens Greece. Since we had been to Athens recently we opted not to take any of the excursions and just went to the Plaka. We found yet another Internet cafe where we could update our web site. Although it was about 3 flights of stairs to get to the cafe, were given the “Computer with a view” .. Just out the window was a spectacular view of the Acropolis. And we found another fabulous open air cafe.

We arrive next at Naples, Italy. The day was kind of a whirl wind of a day as we took a hydrofoil to the island of Capri where we toured the island, an interesting and beautiful island and playground for the rich. Then on to Sorrento where we had lunch and wandered around the scenic town, and finally we toured the amazing ruins at Pompeii. There are enough ruins at Pompeii to spend weeks there and still not see everything. Thousands of years ago and they had plumbing fixtures…running water in their homes, taverns, saunas, and all sorts of surprising things. A very busy day!

Next stop, Rome and the Vatican City including St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Vatican museum. At the Vatican, we visited the Sistine chapel which was mind blowing. Following that we visited the Coliseum. The Coliseum was another amazing place. Kathy was really impressed with the Trevi Fountain in Rome (she threw in the required 3 coins so we could come back to Rome).

Our next port was Nice, France. We visited a famous flower market, had coffee at a little side walk cafe, and we took a shore excursion to Monaco. Monaco isn’t very big! We could stand in one spot and see the whole country. There are lots of shops on the tiny narrow winding streets. We had lunch (at an open air cafe) and Kathy liked the Roquefort cheese so much she asked the waiter where should could get some, and he directed her to a market. We bought some and brought it home with us.

The following morning we disembarked in Barcelona and within hours we were on our way home! Another fantastic cruise ship adventure under our belts!

William Lund is an avid cruiser, and he and his wife Kathy cruise at least once a year. Mr. Lund invites you to visit his cruise reviews website: Cruises R Fun Mr. Lund also has a blog at: Pondering Everything

Anna Nicole Smith is a prime example of a fact: It’s often later than you think. In her case, she probably did not realize that she would not live to the age of 40. She probably did not attach great importance to having an updated will or estate plan.

However, the latter stage of life is simply not the best time to plan. The best time to engage in estate planning is when you are young and healthy. Then as age sets in, or as life circumstances change, the plan should then be updated.

Anna Nicole Smith’s death, and her estate “plan,” provides instructive lessons for all of us concerning our own estate plans:

Lesson 1: You never know when…

This is self-evident. Barring the autopsy report concluding that her death was a result of suicide, it is doubtful that Smith knew that she would never see her 40th birthday.

This highlights the fact that the best time to engage in estate and financial planning is when we are healthy. Yet, it’s very easy to wait — and to simply not think about it until we have to. But we never really know when that crisis will occur.

Remember: Planning for the future does not make it happen any sooner, or later.

Lesson 2: Keep it current.

Smith’s will shows that it was prepared before two major events in her life: Before the death of her son, Daniel, and before the birth of her daughter, Dannielynn. But her 2001 will made no provision for Dannielynn.

In fact, Smith’s will apparently disinherits any future children, arguably including Dannielynn. The first Article of the will provides that “I have intentionally omitted to provide for my spouse and other heirs, including future spouses and children and other descendents now living and those hereafter born or adopted…”

Little did Smith realize in July 2001, when she executed her will

(1) that her son Daniel would predecease her (he died in late 2006),

(2) that she would give birth to a daughter Dannielynn,

(3) that she would not survive her daughter, and

(4) that the United States Supreme Court would ultimately revive her claim to her late husband’s estate, estimated in the amount of $474 million.

Again, the lesson: Keep your estate plan current.

Lesson 3: An outdated estate plan will have unintended consequences.

Given the language in her will, including the clauses specifically omitting gifts to those not named in the will, it is possible that daughter Dannielynn will not receive any part of Smith’s estate. However, on the other hand, it is also possible (but not certain) that Dannielynn’s rights to the estate might be established through California’s “Pretermission Statute” [Probate Code Section 21620].

It is highly unlikely that Smith truly wanted to disinherit her future daughter when she prepared her will. Unfortunately, however, disinheritance is one possible outcome given the wording of her will. If nothing else, the unnecessary ambiguity almost guarantees extended litigation.

Failing to plan your estate in a timely manner almost guarantees unintended consequences.

Lesson 4: How about your child’s guardian?

One major purpose for having a will is to nominate a guardian for your children. Smith nominated a guardian for Daniel, but of course did not nominate a guardian for her daughter Dannielynn.

Given the fact that paternity will probably be established (from a bevy of potential dads, I might add), the lack of a named guardian will probably not be a problem in Dannielynn’s case.

However, even if your estate is not worth $474 million — and few are — it is still worthwhile to have a will. Most of us will still need to identify a guardian for our children.

And who knows what else life has in store for you? Again, keep it current.

You can meet your financial and estate planning goals! A licensed attorney, financial planner and owner of the San Gabriel Valley financial planning firm Stratton Financial and Estate Planning, Larry D. Stratton is in a position to coach and advise you, and to help you plan for your future. He is also the senior associate at the law firm of Hausman & Sosa, LLP, located in Tarzana, California. He also blogs on estate and financial planning issues at Planner’s Thoughts.

Larry Stratton is a member of the Financial Planning Association, and speaks on estate and financial planning topics in Southern California.

Let’s face it, when applying for a web design job, you always want to give to show your best foot forward. It is that simple. Show the best of your skills by showing the best of you works. I have once experienced being turned down by not having an online portfolio. I have a portfolio on my flash drive that I brought in the interview but lacking of an online portfolio won’t cut it.

Freelance Web Design

If you want to be a freelance web designer, it should be you’re number one goal to set up a rock solid web design portfolio. No one’s gonna gamble their money to know how good (or bad) you are at web design. They WANT PROOF. So before you win a client, they already did their research and most of the time, the quality of your work reflected from your portfolio is the best way to win a client.

How To Build Up A Web Portfolio

Now that we know the importance of web design portfolio in this business, lets talk about how we can build your own portfolio.

By all means, join contests – This is by far the best way to build your portfolio. You earn while you learn and build up your sample works. Web design and Webmaster forums conduct such competitions, take the time to participate.

Do Free Web Design For Friends – If you have friends that needs a web site design, even if its free, do it. But only take a handful, you can always expect friends to abuse free stuff from you, decide only a number of web design works that you will accept and keep in mind your true goal – to build a portfolio.

Free Themes – Learn to design blogs and submit it to free wordpress blog themes sites. Wordpress.org lets you upload your own theme and be used by many people. The more people using your theme, the more you know that you have a great design. And a great design is always a great addition to your portfolio.

Setting Up A Site

Now that you have a portfolio, there are two things you can do with it. Either showcase it and host it in a free hosting. Or paid hosting, your own site and domain. My personal suggestion would be buying your own hosting and domain. Why? This is business, so treat it like one. Invest on a domain and hosting, it is the most professional way to go and brand your site.

The author’s web site Snoob’s Web Design Blog aims to teach people about web design and building an online web design portfolio.

One of the most important tasks your Web site must accomplish is communicating your message to site visitors. Be sure the time, energy and funds you’re spending produce design that assists in that communication.

Can Your Site Be Read Easily by All Visitors?

Readability is a fairly big topic and covers typefaces, capitalization, thickness of letters, colors and more. It is an important topic to keep in mind when designing your Web site. And it’s not just about visually impaired visitors. The decisions you make regarding any of these factors can affect how readable your site is to anyone.

Don’t make it difficult for visitors to read text on pages by adding dark colors or busy illustrations in the background. Patterned and even solid color backgrounds can reduce readability and obscure content on your Web site because they can reduce the contrast needed for our eyes to discern letter forms.

Stressing the Reader

Normally, when we read, we do so by recognizing words through the shapes made by letter combinations. When you reduce readability, you make readers work harder. They can’t read as fast because they have to look at each letter. It can get quite frustrating to attempt to read long passages of text through busy backgrounds or low contrast. Just try reading dark green type on a red background or yellow type on a light blue background. Or any words set against a background image that has words in it.

When backgrounds and the type on them are in colors that are close in value, not only does the contrast go away, but you can inadvertently introduce a visual effect that makes the type look like it’s vibrating.

Give Your Site Visitors a Break

Years ago, I participated in a university study of computer screen readability and the results were clear:

• Black type on a white background was the easiest to read.
• Dark type on a light background was more readable than light type on dark backgrounds.
• Sufficient contrast between type and background was required for readability.
• Background images reduced readability. The more complex and darker the background, the more difficult it became to read the text in the foreground.

So, take a look at your site. Do you have backgrounds set to colors that reduce readability? Do you have images placed behind important text? Do you have type set in colors that don’t show up well?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, what can you change that might improve the readability and, therefore, usability of your Web site.

• Can you lighten backgrounds or darken text, or both, to increase contrast?
• Can you remove images from behind text?
• If you must have a patterned background, can you make it very light like a watermark and arrange it so that large unpatterned sections are behind the blocks of text?

If something is hard to use it doesn’t get used very much.

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