A Simple Little Holiday Plan
July 31, 2007
The Thanksgiving leftovers have all been eaten and the gift-buying season has shifted into high gear. Remain calm and prepare yourself for the most jam-packed month in the calendar year. There are a small percentage of you who may actually have completed your to-do list long before everyone else. (If this is you, then kick back and relax.) The rest of you needn’t despair! Just read on for the essential steps in holiday preparation. The key to preparing yourself for all the craziness is a well thought out plan. Believe it or not, the simple act of putting it down on paper can give you some peace. I am not sure why seeing my obligations and tasks in black and white are more calming than letting them race through my mind, but it really works.
During December, the holiday plan that I depend on is divided into four separate sections or categories. They are:
- Cards
- Gifts
- Social/Community Obligations
- Decorating
(Keep an extra copy of your gift list in the car, because you never know where your daily travels will take you.)
Holiday Cards
Coin Collecting ? A Fun Hobby
July 30, 2007
Over the years, collecting coins has grown from being just a hobby to becoming a full-blown enterprise with numerous Internet sites devoted to coins. Over the next several weeks, I will give you a little background about coin collecting to help those who want to pursue this as a hobby and maybe even make some money in the process.
People have been collecting coins for centuries, because of their beauty, their value, and their history. When you hold an old coin in your hand, it allows you to take a step back in history to the time of the coinage. For over 2,500 years, man’s history has been reflected in coins. From the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the British Empire, the California Gold Rush, and US coins, man’s achievements have been depicted in coins.
Coin collecting, called numismatics, has become one of the most rewarding and popular hobbies in the world today. Over a period of time as you begin to add more coins to your collection, you will be pleasantly surprised at the hours of enjoyment your collection will bring. If you have taken time and care with your collection, not only will it be of value to you and those you pass it on to, but could also be an investment for the future.
Christmas Mourning
July 29, 2007
Deecember is a cruel month. Christmas sales, decorations, advertisements -everyone seems so happy and cheerful - it’s easy to feel alone.
It’s precisely at these happy times that the loss of our loved one can be felt the strongest. We remember only too well who is missing.
Whether our loss was recent or whether it occurred many years ago, we are constantly surrounded by sights and sounds that trigger memories of holidays past, and wracked with dreams of what might have been. Holidays involve expectations about getting together with family, about special meals or special gifts, and special traditions. Even when we find a way to cope with everyday life, the holiday season brings a renewed sense of these dreadful feelings of grief.
No matter how much we surround ourselves with the closeness of family and friends, it’s impossible to forget the memories of past holidays when our loved ones were here. And impossible not to wonder what the present holidays would be like if our loved ones had not been taken from us. What can we do?
Plan ahead
My Grannio
July 29, 2007
I never thought I would have to say GOODBYE to my best friend? But that’s what I had to do today I had to let go of her forever ?
There was no other way For me to face reality Or pretend to be okay I had no concept ?
Of how hard it would be To actually let go Of this huge part of me? Not tomorrow or ever ?
Will my life be the same Without my Grannio here Life seems to be a game ? Of chance and questions?
Questions that never end And have no answers That can begin to mend The gaping hole inside of me
Nor come close to healing My heart and soul that Seem to be feeling Lost, numb and empty-
Completely hollow? Like I have nobody left To really follow ? Through life with respect
She was so much more Than my Grandmother I knew that before She left this earth
And I told her so More than once or twice Because she had to know Just how very special ?
And truly blessed I felt to have her as my friend She was the best Without a doubt ?
Simple, and Stylish Wedding Reception Centerpiece: Craft Project
July 28, 2007
This simple, yet elegant table centerpiece is a great way to make a fancy “to do” at each table, without breaking the bank.
This is so easy, even a child can do it! I had my 8 year old son help me. For my own wedding, we picked up stemware at our local thrift stores. The idea wasn’t to have every table look exactly the same, but rather for each table to be a variation on a theme. If you’re looking for a more unified appearance, please make sure your count is accurate and buy everything you need at once, to ensure colors and shapes match.
For each centerpiece, you will need:
1 wine goblet, or other stemware 2 pieces of tulle 9-12″ in width (either square or circle) 2 contrasting curling ribbons approximately 10-14″ long 1-3 tea light candles (the 7-hour floating type)or other floating candles, depending on the width of the glass water
1. Stack the tulle pieces. If you are using square pieces, turn one of the pieces so that you have an 8-point star shape. It will add more visual appeal to the finished project. You might consider using 2 diferent colored pieces of tulle to add a more dramatic appearance.
Take Spectacular Nighttime Photos with your Digital Camera - Part I
July 27, 2007
Night photographs express a special something that cannot be seen in normal daytime photography. Whether it is a photograph of a moon and starlit sky over a windy deserted beach, the excitement of a downtown cityscape when the lights go on, or just a picture of you and some friends in front of a favorite hangout, nighttime photos, when done right, are sure to attract attention.
However, even for experienced photographers, nighttime photography can be a tricky situation. Photos often look unfocused, blurry, or lacking crucial details, and many may not come out at all. There are some tricks, though, to taking spectacular nighttime photos with your digital camera, tricks that can be explained yet only completely learned through practice.
This first part of a three-part series on nighttime photography will cover tricks not necessarily related to digital camera settings, but tricks nonetheless that can result in better photographs or a more pleasing photo-taking experience.
* Although more expensive digital cameras do not necessarily result in better photos, realize that the cheapest cameras may not be capable of taking great photographs at night. It requires more work, both on your’s and the camera’s part, to take spectacular shots in very low-light situations. Though you don’t have to spend over a thousand dollars for night photography, don’t expect too much out of a sub-two hundred-dollar camera, either.
Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue: Unity Candle Craft Project
July 26, 2007
Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. There are plenty of crafty brides out there looking for a unique design for their unity candle. They want something that is as special and unique as their wedding day. Many artists are ready and willing to custom make a Unity candle for an eager bride - and charge anywhere from $30 to $200 - and that’s not with any gold-plating or diamonds set into it!
As an alternative, take some of the “momentos” from your upcoming wedding - perhaps a copy of your invitation, some ribbon or tulle to match the gown and do it yourself! This project is as simple or as complex as you make it out to be, and you’re only restricted by your imagination. The best part about this candle is that it will never burn away! We will embed a tealight in the top of the pillar so that you only have to replace the tealight when it burns out. Ultimately you will have a lasting momento of your special day that you’ve made.
You will need:
7-9″ pillar candle 2 clear-cup tealight candles 1 pencil 1 teaspoon 1 tape measure 1 hot glue gun as many items to decorate your candle as you see fit.
Legends of the Christmas Tree
July 25, 2007
The Christmas tree is a much loved symbol iinstantly calling up images of gifts and family jollity. There are many beautiful connections to ancient traditions. Egyptian and Roman customs, early Christian practices and Victorian nostalgia are all combined in our modern Christmas tree.
The Greek Fir is commonly used as a Christmas tree. Ancient Greeks called the tree “Pitys” and, together with the pine-tree, it was sacred to Pan. Legend tells us Pan was once in love with a nymph called Pity, as was the god of the North wind. Pity chose Pan and the wind god, insulted and humiliated, blew her over a gorge to her death. Pan found her lifeless body and turned her into his sacred Fir-tree. Ever since, whenever the North wind blows, you can Pity crying and her tears are the droplets of pitch that leak from the fir-cones every autumn.
Since ancient times, evergreen trees have been revered as a representation of sexual potency and fertility, and played an important role in Winter Celebrations. Perhaps the Christmas tree is a watered-down version of the Scandinavian Yggdrasil, the Great Tree of Life. In Northern Europe the evergreen was a reminder that the long dark nights of Winter would end and the green of Spring would return. For Saturnalia, Romans would decorate their trees with suns, candles and small pieces of metal and today we still carry trees into our homes and adorn them.
Embroidery Designs Testing for Machine Embroidery
July 24, 2007
We have found a “new” way to see how well the stabilizers and methods you are using are working with so that your designs look GREAT without any off outlines, puckering, cupping or warping. This is a TEST - Only a Test - but if You and your stabilizers pass - You will have great looking designs. And if your methods and stabilizers don’t pass - you can just try again - Till you get it right.
I think and recommend that we should test stitch all designs every time that we stitch-out any new design for the first time. With testing we get to see how the colors work out and whether we have used the right stabilizers and methods. After the test stitching - we can easily see if the outlines are off and if all the parts line-up - BUT - we don’t know if the fault is in the design itself or in the stabilizing. This is where our New “stabilizing test” is really useful. It can show us if we have used the right stabilizers and methods. It’s real easy - just baste a “picture frame” around the design. And when you are finished stitching - you can easily see if the basting stitch is still straight or if the design stitching has pulled it in - in some places and made the straight basting picture frame no longer straight. If it is not straight - then the conclusion has to be that either you used the wrong stabilizer for this fabric and design or that you didn’t use enough or in the right way (method).
Magical Plants of Christmas
July 24, 2007
Most of the plants we associate with the holiday season are from Europe or the Mediterranean. We know the holly, ivy, mistletoe, christmas rose, rosemary, hawthorn, bay and of course, evergreens while the New World is represented in Christmas legend by the poinsettia. What are the legends and lore surrounding these common plants ?
Hawthorn.
The Glastonbury thorn is connected with Christ’s death as well as his birth. Legend has it that soon after the death of Christ, Joseph of Arimathea came to Britain to spread the message of Christianity. As he lay down to rest from his weary journey, he pushed his staff into the ground beside him. When he awoke, he found that the staff had taken root and begun to grow and blossom. From that day onwards - every Christmas Eve the white thorn buds and blooms.
There is a tradition in England that a branch of the Glastonbury Thorn is taken and displayed each year in Buckingham Palace.
Rosemary is another plant with extensive holiday traditions, symbolism, and legends and associated with remembrance, friendship, and fidelity. Floors of churches and homes were strewn with the herb and the traditional boar’s head for the Christmas feast was decorated with rosemary.
