In continuation to the post on Monday.

Is your “behind” like a triangle?  If so, heavy weight denim with only a little stretch is the way to go.  It will help round out your backside.  Pockets that are set high toward the waist will help keep a balance in your rear appearance.

If you have a “low behind”, you will find that you might need a little lift.  Avoid jeans without back pockets.  Those jeans will make your backside look lower and thereby bigger than it actually is.  Slim fit jeans give the illusion of a higher backside because they make legs look longer and sleeker. 

If you find that your “behind” is a bit wide, you should avoid wide-leg jeans which cling to your widest point and no place else.  You should buy straight-leg or boot-cut shapes that have pockets that are closely set.  You don’t want too much fabric on the jeans.

According to About.com…. “In 1853, the California gold rush was in full swing, and everyday items were in short supply. Levi Strauss, a 24-year-old German immigrant, left New York for San Francisco with a small supply of dry goods with the intention of opening a branch of his brother’s New York dry goods business. Shortly after his arrival, a prospector wanted to know what Mr. Strauss was selling. When Strauss told him he had rough canvas to use for tents and wagon covers, the prospector said, “You should have brought pants!” saying he couldn’t find a pair of pants strong enough to last.  The rest folks…is history!

Jeans should highlight your fine points and hide your faults.  Now everyone….get out there and shop!

This post is mostly intended for the female readership, but perhaps some of the guys have experienced some of the same problems that the gals have.  If not, I hope that you enjoy the comic relief!

Ladies….who among you has not tried to wiggle into jeans that are a bit to tight?  Have you ever had to lie down to button your jeans and then walk around like a stick figure until your jeans loosened up?  Do you ever try jeans on and go “Yikes, these don’t fit either!”?

Jeans have been around for since 1853.  Only now do we all have choices that make buying jeans fun.  A recent study on jeans was done.  Here are some helpful hints on picking out the perfect pair of jeans…..

If you have a “bubble behind” jeans that have a high waist and/or a contoured seam above the back pockets are most likely to look the best on you.  Jeans that have some stretch in them are recommended.

If your “behind” is non-existent, you should wear jeans with eye catching posterior details.  Pockets with buttons, flaps or designer stitching will help give the illusion of having more backside than there actually is.

If you find that you have a “flat behind”, you will find that jeans with some spandex or Lycra will give the lift you need.  Wide set pockets and embellished stitching will help keep things round looking.  Don’t wear stiff denim as it will flatten you like a pancake!

Please check back Tuesday for the conclusion to this post.

The Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its Spring Mixer and Business Expo from 5-7 pm, this Thursday (April 3). This is a great opportunity to meet and greet local business owners and chat with your neighbors. If you feel like you should network more, but cannot find the time, this is the event for you. This is your chance to make connections with a host of your neighbors, all at once. It will be time worth spent.

Although it is a good time to network, you don’t have to be a business owner to attend. It is always good to know who you might do business with, whose shop you might want to frequent or who has products that might improve your life.

Businesses will have booths for you to visit as well as freebies to introduce you to their goods and services. There will also be raffles too and you have to be there to win. Drawings start at 6:45pm.

For more information, contact the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce at 683-7766. You can also send an e-mail to chamber@oakhurstchamber.com.

The ways in which people recycle things these days is amazing. Some items, like paper, are re-purposed into something much like what they once were, while other items take on a whole new life in recycled form

At Nature’s Leaf Jewelry, beautiful and decorative products are made from nature’s own decorations—leaves, acorns, seashells and pinecones. The pieces remain as ornamental as they are in nature, but they take on new functions as jewelry, bookmarks, napkin rings, barrettes, wine glass charms and magnets.

After looking for pieces that will make the most exquisite works of art, keepsakes are made using electroplating. You can choose pieces crafted with 18-karat gold, Rhodium Silver and multicolored copper. These pieces will not tarnish and they are also hypoallergenic.

These original creations are available in the store or you can have them shipped to you in about 10 days. If you are looking for a unique gift for yourself or someone else, consider going au naturel.

Nature’s Leaf Jewelry
1066 Saratoga Avenue
Suite 200
San Jose, CA 95129
888-838-7544
408-244-5326

Good things really do come in small packages.

The North Fork Women’s club will have their yearly Valentine mini sale on February 14 from 10 am to 2 pm. The sale will be right in front of the North Fork Post Office. This year the emphasis will be on a certain color. Can you guess what it is? That’s right, it’s red. Although they are known as the ladies in purple, they are going to be offering up all sorts of good things in the color of amour.

The ladies will be on hand to offer a variety of red edibles and collectibles. On the edible side there will be cookies, cakes, pies, fudge and breads (all miniature of course). Turning the collectible side of things there will be pot holders, doilies, scarves and other handmade crafts, along with plants.

Does your sweetheart like to read? They will also be selling bags of books—for the low, low price of $1 each.  You can’t beat that.

While you’re there shopping for your family and friends, you can enter a raffle for a $100 bill. Nothing says love like a crisp, green bill in your pocket. Of course, no one can tell you who or what to spend it on…maybe a fancy dinner with your sweetheart…or maybe you can get something fancy for yourself.

The holidays aren’t quite here, but it never hurts to plan ahead. If you find that every year you are scrambling and searching for your favorite holiday ornaments and baubles, why not do something different this year? Then next year, you’ll be all set.
-Label and box your ornaments, lights, and tinsel so you know where they are next year.

-Get one of those tree disposal bags that you can use to bag up the tree for an easy cleanup. (Of course the key to using these bags is that you have to place one in the tree stand before you put the tree up. If you forget this year, there is always next year…)

-When you finish making cookies, wash and gather up the cookie cutters, cookie press, etc. and place all of these things in a box or large Tupperware container so they are together and ready for next year.

-If you are one of those people who buys gifts all throughout the year with the thought of giving them away at Christmastime, put them in a memorable spot.
Or send yourself and e-mail with a reminder of where you put what. There is nothing worse than knowing you bought someone the perfect gift and not being able to find it.

If you missed your opportunity last weekend, you have yet another chance to enjoy some great fun in Madera County.  Come celebrate Christmas in the Mountains on its final weekend!

Local crafters, shop keepers and artisans welcome you to join their Christmas celebrations.  The festivities began last weekend and will continue December 7th through December 9th.

Patrons will enjoy experiencing the simplicity of Christmas past in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  There is something planned for everyone in the family in the communities of North Fork, Oakhurst and Coarsegold.

Come and enjoy the fresh mountain air with local artisans, candy makers, storytellers, and music makers.  You will also encounter roving carolers throughout your travels.  Whether you visit for one day or the entire weekend, your family is sure to have a wonderful time!

Motorists will be greeted by paintings of woodland critters. Your children will be able to enjoy Breakfast with Santa, photos with Father Christmas and Santa, and storytelling hours.  There will be a shuttle service available to Yosemite National Park as well. 

Visitors will be able to purchase their “passport” (a holiday bracelet) for $5.00 which will open the doors to special gifts from restaurants, shops and hotels during their visit.  These bracelets will be available at stores displaying a pine cone decal in their window.

The Vision Academy of the Arts is sponsoring this event.  They are a non-profit organization.  Their main purpose is to promote art in the mountain area.

If you are interested in attending any or all of the fun events scheduled, visit (http://www.visionacademy.org/CITMschedule.htm) for more information.

It is once again time for “Christmas in the Mountains.” The Vision Academy of the Arts sponsors this annual event and a good time is had by all. Oakhurst, Coarsegold, and North Fork are filled with holiday joy for the first two weekends on December, and you don’t want to miss it.

Activities include: a tree lighting ceremony, breakfast and photo ops with Santa, storytelling, theatrical performances, traveling musicians, and local artisans will have their creations on display so you can start your Christmas shopping early. There’ll even be a window display contest, so if you come early you can pick your favorite and see if that store wins.

All of this fun is set in the breathtaking Sierra Nevada mountains. You can enjoy the best of nature and the best of neighborly hospitality at the same time. Stop by any store with a pine cone decal in the window to purchase your holiday bracelet ($5). This bracelet gives you access to special treats and services at local businesses.
You may have already seen this year’s guide in participating restaurants, hotels, and shops. “Christmas in the Mountains” begins on November 30. If you haven’t been able to pick up a guide you can visit the Vision Academy website to see the complete schedule.

If you’ve always wondered what a Scotsman wears under his kilt, there will be plenty of people to ask this weekend at the 30th Annual Fresno Highland Gathering & Games. Madera County Scotsmen will be wearing the plaid this Saturday, September 15, when the games kick off at 8 a.m. at Fresno Roeding Regional Park. The park is located at 890 W. Belmont (Highway 99 and Belmont, just east of SR99) in Fresno, California. General admission is $12, seniors and military $10, children 6-12 $6, under 6 free; parking is $3. For more information and a map, visit the Scottish Society of Central California website.

If you’ve never been to a highlands games, you’ll find them fascinating. This is your chance to witness unusual sports like the hammer throw and caber toss, which looks like a telephone pole being hurled. Scottish athletics are not for the faint of heart. The tradition of the highlands games dates back to the Roman invasions in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Ancient chieftains and kings used the games to test the agility, cunning and physical strength of their clansmen. To the victors went the spoils: leadership in the clan and on the battlefield.

But highland games are not only about brawn. There are wonderful high-stepping dance competitions, a living history stage where Scottish stories are be told in the old oral tradition, great food, fabulous celtic music, plenty of celtic merchandise and special tents for clans and societies. And don’t forget the pipe and drum competitions. There is no sound in the world quite so spine-tingling as the sound of bagpipes played en masse.

This weekend, September 15-16, Madera County residents can explore their mountain heritage at the 11th annual Mountain Heritage Days celebration in Oakhurst, California. A parade, Country Fair, contests and Sluice Box Derby are among the events planned. The celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. this Saturday with a parade along School Road (Road 427) and Crane Valley Road (Road 426) in Oakhurst, California.

Before the parade, stoke up on flapjacks at the Sierra Oakhurst Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast. Eggs, ham, sausage, steaming, golden stacks of pancakes, juice and coffee are on the menu. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Oakhurst Community Center Pavilion located at 39800 Road 425B. Adults meals are $5; children 12 and under, $2; and children under 5 are free.

After the parade, don’t miss the exciting Sluice Box Derby. It starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday and features three divisions for derby racers aged 4-14.

You can spend a delightful day at Mountain Heritage Days. Watch pioneer demonstrations in candle dipping and blacksmithing. Check out award-winning displays of wood carving and needlework. Shop the many arts and crafts booths at the Country Fair. Sample some good old down-home country cooking. Return to the 1850s when Fresno Flats was a booming mountain town.

The festival will be held on the grounds of the Fresno Flats Historic Park. The park is located near Oak Creek Intermediate School and Yosemite High School on School Road (Road 427). Click here for a map and driving directions. For more information, call 559-683-6570.