For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery. “We saw something,” Wiseman says. “Who knows? It’s unexplainable, it’s unbelievable.” The couple says it was a cold and windy day when they peered out across the loch. It was Wiseman who first spotted something moving in the water below. “We’re looking down and Shannon goes ‘What’s that thing?'” Malm recalls. The family thought perhaps it was a seal or an otter, but when they mentioned their sighting to the captain of a boat tour, they were told later that day that those animals don’t live in the loch. They had taken out books on the Loch Ness Monster from the library to prepare for their vacation and their kids, aged three and five, were convinced they had seen the elusive “Nessie.” Canadians Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman are shown in this undated handout photo. The Canadian couple living in Great Britain have been thrusted into the limelight after capturing images of what could be the famed Loch Ness Monster in Scotland. (HO-Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman / The Canadian Press) When they returned home, Malm says he was “doom scrolling” the internet and stumbled upon the “Official Loch Ness Sightings Register” website and decided to submit their pictures. “The Loch Ness people got in touch with us and now we are enjoying our 15 minutes of fame,” he says. The register calls the photo “compelling new evidence,” and has deemed it the first Nessie sighting of 2024. Since then, their photo and story have appeared all over British papers. The couple says they are enjoying the attention, even if it comes with ribbing from family members. “My brother asked me how my tinfoil hat fits,” Malm laughs. “So I don’t know if he was a good audience.” But the family is choosing to believe that, perhaps, they saw something people have been searching for since 500 AD when the first sighting allegedly took place. The mystery of the Loch Ness Monster took off in the 1930s, and exploded after a famous photo was published showing what appears to be a beast rearing its head out of the water. The picture was later exposed as a hoax, but the intrigue persists despite little evidence to support a large water creature living in the loch. Last summer, hundreds of volunteers flocked to Scotland in one of the largest “hunts” in years. They used state of the art technology including Sonar, but nothing conclusive turned up. Still, people continue to believe there might be something in the water, and Wiseman is one of them. Our children full on believe it’s Nessie, so I believe it’s Nessie.”

VIENNA –

A portrait of a young woman by Gustav Klimt that was long believed to be lost was sold at an auction in Vienna on Wednesday for 30 million euros (US$32 million). The Austrian modernist artist started work on the “Portrait of Fräulein Lieser” in 1917, the year before he died, and it is one of his last works. Bidding started at 28 million euros, and the sale price was at the lower end of an expected range of 30-50 million euros. The buyer wasn’t identified. The Im Kinsky auction house said that “a painting of such rarity, artistic significance, and value has not been available on the art market in Central Europe for decades.” Auctioneer Michael Kovacek declares the sale of the painting ‘Portrait of Fräulein Lieser’ by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt during an auction, in Vienna, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Christian Bruna / AP Photo) The intensely coloured painting was auctioned on behalf of the current owners, Austrian private citizens whose names weren’t released, and the legal heirs of Adolf and Henriette Lieser, one of whom is believed to have commissioned the painting. It’s not entirely clear which member of the Lieser family was the model. Klimt left the painting, with small parts unfinished, in his studio when he died of a stroke in early 1918 and it was given to the family who had commissioned it, according to the auction house. The Jewish family fled Austria after 1930 and lost most of their possessions. It’s unclear exactly what happened to the painting between 1925 and the 1960s, a period that includes the Nazi dictatorship. Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938. The auction house says there is no evidence that the painting was confiscated then, but also no proof that it wasn’t. It ended up with the current owners through three successive inheritances. In view of the uncertainty, the current owners and the Liesers’ heirs drew up an agreement to go forward with the sale under the Washington Principles, which were drafted in 1998 to assist in resolving issues related to returning Nazi-confiscated art.  

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?