Archive for the family Category

Decorating The Modern Way

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in family | no comment »

A simple design theme is the contemporary or modern style. What better way to go with the current times than to apply it to your own home? Modern design theme is simple, minimal and clean. Decorating with this design in mind then is a breeze.

Looking at modern homes gives an impression of bare, less, minimal, spacious and open. Well, that’s exactly the point. Hence, clutter and mess have no room in a modern-designed home. Make your rooms as spacious and airy as possible. Choose your furnishings wisely. Multi-purpose objects will fit perfectly in this theme. Storage is also a very useful factor in a modern home.

If you are going for the modern look, then using clean, neutral colors will definitely help to get you there. Using a lot of lighter colors will really help you to open up the space. White walls with black picture frames can easily be a striking display in your rooms. Using white walls, cabinets, and countertops in your kitchen will help you to maintain a clean lined, open look to the space. You can add splashes of color through your favorite artwork or in the place settings on your dining room table. This will keep everything very simplistic and help you to not make your use of color too overwhelming. A dramatic art piece, which is very colorful, will help you to put your unique flair into the room without compromising the modern decor.

A great way to add the lines that are so indicative of a modern design is through your area rugs. You can use these to offset spaces in your home and to create certain living areas. For example, it is really fun to use a rug to offset the living space in your living room. It can be used to design a square space in the middle of the room where you center all of the main seating pieces around it. This blocks off this area of the room and leaves the rest of the room open and airy. This is also true for the dining room, where it can be used underneath your dining room table to offset that space and leave the rest of the space open. Area rugs come in a myriad of designs, and this can be the one area you add a lot of color or keep it simple. The area rug can also have a complex design or straight lines or circles. These are available online, which will make your shopping for them much easier and quicker.

Modern design is less but equally attractive as with a classic theme. Despite the minimal furnishings or the rather straightforward shades, modern theme is about style, sophistication and trend. We have to admite, you can never go wrong with these three.

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What Are Gourds?

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in family | no comment »

The pioneer mother, long before Civil War days, did not have aluminum or copper containers for sugar, salt or coffee. The fact is, she did not even have the old fashioned tin clipper! The housewife of her time was trained to make such utensils herself. Yes, she was the original “do-it-yourself woman.” How did she make such things she needed for her large family? Easy and simple… by raising gourds.

If you travel in the south or the west, deep in the white oak timber land of the Ozarks, in California, or even into Old Mexico, you will find many gourds used in those sections. And until you have had a cool drink of water from a spring or deep well on a hot day, drunk out of a dipper gourd, you simply havent enjoyed a drink of water. Gourds have a history dating back to Bible times. You will find gourds mentioned in Jonah, chapter four, verses five to ten, telling about Jonah sitting under a gourd as he awaited the destruction of Nineveh. Some Bible students think it was the castor oil plant with a wild cucumber vine growing over it that shaded Jonah, although the text plainly reads GOURD. I am neutral about that argument, but anyway, gourds do grow wild in that part of the world.

The botanical name for gourds is Cucurbitacea which includes pumpkins, squash, cucumbers and melons. There are two classes of gourds, large fruited and the small, ornamental kinds. Both types are quite useful.

The large fruited type can be made into flower vases, canister sets or hanging baskets for growing ivy or other vines. You can paint or enamel them so they cannot be discerned from pottery and they are just as useful. The dishcloth gourd has a fibrous center that can be removed and used as a cleaning sponge. The dipper type is not only good for dippers; from it you can build a bird house for the wrens by boring a hole the size of a quarter and placing a small perch under it.

The small or ornamental types are quite unique, having odd shapes and warty knobs all over them. Some are natural colored or orange and green combinations. Those not colored can be enameled with any color or design you may wish. Clear white varnish or shellac should be placed over all as a protection and to make them shiny, or you can use a clear wax for the finish.

In Old Mexico and California you will find an ornamental charm string of the small type gourds hanging on the front door or walls of the living room like holly wreaths at Christmas time. The odd shaped and warty gourds fit nicely in a cornucopia arrangement. Brightly painted, they can be used as Christmas tree ornaments. There is another type gourd that would interest the man of the house. It is the calabash type from which wonderful smoking pipes are made. They are not adapted for growing in the northern states as the season is not long enough, but in the south one can grow ones own pipe. You can buy such pipes today in any large tobacco store in most cities.

How to Grow Them

The culture of gourds is quite simple, about the same as melons or pumpkins. In the latitude of Kansas City they must be planted May first to get a long season of growth. Farther north, one must plant a seed or two in a large pot and not transplant outdoors until all danger of frost is past. The soil must be rich. Put almost a bushel of well rotted organic material in a large hole, then fill it over with good earth to make a raised mound so there is ample drainage. Gourds must be where they have sun all day long, and plenty of water during long droughts. If rotted organic material is unavailable, mix balanced fertilizer into the soil for plant food. Cover the seed only 3/4 inch with fine soil. Plant the seed three inches apart, then thin to at least 10 inches or more when the second leaves appear.

Let your gourds run on a fence, up a trellis or on a porch and you can also put a garden retaining walls… just so they get plenty of sun. I have seen them grown on a dead tree and they simply covered it. The dipper type gourds have white flowers that bloom in late evening and at night like a moonflower. The small types have a large golden yellow bloom like a squash.

Allow to Harden

A few suggestions are in order and I put them last so you will not forget them. They are quite important: The fruits should be mature and hard to the fingernail before harvesting. Gather before frost with a portion of the stem attached, handling carefully to avoid bruising. Wash the surface, dry thoroughly for a few weeks in a warm room, then wax, shellac, or varnish for best appearance. If you intend to enamel or paint first, add the varnish, wax or shellac afterwards.

If you are lucky enough to have a great grandma, Ill wager she could tell you a lot of things about gourds that I never heard of. She simply had to know her gourds!

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What You Need to Know About Wedding Invitation Etiquette

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in family | no comment »

When preparing for your wedding day, there are lots points to keep in mind regarding proper protocol. There are certain ways to conduct the ceremony, the reception and all of the fine points that are essential for a marriage. There are standards for things such as attire, behavior, processes and announcements. Likewise, there is wedding invitation etiquette.

Wedding invitation etiquette comprises the proper procedures to announce your wedding. Invitations are distributed to friends, relatives and additional acquaintances who you want to attend. When conducting a big church affair, invitations go out to family and friends of both the bride and groom. When inviting individuals connected due to business, it ought to be done out of friendship, not for connections. For intimate weddings at home, the list can be narrowed down to relatives and dear friends. Thought has to be given to how many individuals can easily fit into the gathering area.

Here are some simple rules when it comes to wedding invitation etiquette:

*Wedding invitations are supposed to convey the mood of the occasion, be it formal, contemporary, low-key or intimate.

*Wedding invitations ought to convey the details about the events of the day.

*You must be obvious in both the words and the implication concerning time, location, attire, directions or any further facts necessary for the big day.

*You must mail your invitations far enough in advance of the event to permit your guests to respond and make their plans accordingly.

*When inviting a guest to the ceremony, it is correct protocol to also ask them to the reception.

There are two types of wedding invitations, informal and formal. Formal wedding invitation etiquette, the time-honored style, is most often employed when planning a large elaborate gathering or a big church wedding. Informal etiquette can be for small family weddings where things will be more casual.

Formal wedding invitations usually have the subsequent convention:

*Names are normally written out in full, including middle name

*All words are supposed to be spelled out, including the hour, date, time and year. All street addresses must abide by this guideline also.

*Rather than 3rd, or “the third”, use III (Roman numerals)

*Formal invitations have two envelopes, the main one and the response envelope

*Religious circumstances “request the honor of your presence” while non-religious events “request the pleasure of your company”

Informal invitations usually follow these rules:

*Hand written, email and telephone invitations are acceptable

*Decreased conventional use of tone and vocabulary

*Uncomplicated statements of date, time, place and directions, together with who is to be married.

Formal wedding invitations are the most universal. However, informal invitations give couples more opportunity for originality.

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Some Ideas For A Superhero Boy’s Bedroom

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in family | no comment »

Is your little boy crazy about superheroes? Then why not decorate their bedroom and turn into his favorite superhero. There are lots of ways that you can make a little boy’s bedroom be a cool place for him to sleep in. The superhero themed room is a perfect solution for any young boy. The most popular superheroes are usually spiderman, superman, the hulk or batman allow for greater choices of themed items.

Start by determining which superhero your boy likes among the numerous he knows and probably idolizes too. There are many selections of wallpapers with a superhero theme that you can find in children’s stores. Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Aqua Man and The Hulk are just some the favorites. If wallpapering is not your thing, you can use a border that can be placed around the walls. The image of the superhero will be printed on the border, along the walls. Posters are another alternative.

Using area rugs is another way of adding a superhero look to your son’s bedroom. There are rugs designed with a superhero theme. A rug will also give a splash of color and design to the room. If you can’t find an area rug with your boy’s favorite superhero, then why not choose the action hero’s colors? Superman has red and blue in his costume, The Hulk is green, Spiderman in black and red and Iron Man also in red. Incorporating the colors will certainly complement the posters or whatever wall decors there are in the room.

The same is true with curtains or window blinds. Use the appropriate color if you can’t find one designed with the images or artworks of the superhero.

The beddings can also be in the same color scheme if you can’t find a bed sheet or covers designed with your son’s favorite superhero.

There are also lamp shades in superhero themes that can be purchased. Buy a matching lampshade with a rug, bedcovers and curtains. Transfer stickers can be found with superheroes on them. This will enhance the room further with the child’s favorite superhero and when it is time for another room change all you have to do scrub them off the furniture so you can keep it.

Other accessories include bean bags, collectibles and figurines, decorative boxes or baskets, stuffed toys and school supplies. You can also use an area rug to separate the play area or the ’superhero camp’ from the rest of the room.

If any of you is quite an artist, express your creativity by painting on the walls. It can be the superhero figure, a favorite scene or even the villains that the superhero fights against, all the more making him a heroic figure in your little boy’s eyes.

All these ideas make a fantastic superhero bedroom for any little boy.

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Glass Vessel Sinks Nice Touch Or Pretentious Display

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in family | no comment »

One way to give your house a dramatic make over with spending a huge amount of money is to remodel your bathroom.

They are designed to sit above the counter rather than down inside it, with the faucet standing above and pouring water gently into the basin. It looks nice. It looks creative. It looks a little like something the average homeowner would never really have a use for.

After all, it cant possibly stand up to the regular cleanings and use that a porcelain sink does. Right? Its just for show. Right? Maybe not.

A glass vessel sink is actually quite sturdy. Its not impervious to harm, but with proper maintenance and care, it can certainly last a very long time.

These sinks offer a sleek, modern look that can enhance almost any bathroom setting, and they come in enough varieties that a consumer can very easily find the pattern, shape, and size that best match the existing look, or just fits his or her personality.

Because the vessel sink will come in many different options, people can really make their bathroom vanity an artistic expression of the themselves. They no longer need to settle for the plain, white, rectangle, and flat surface of the traditional bathroom vanity.

There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting the more modern vessel sink. The first item is to think about the main group of people using the bathroom. Because the vessel sink is generally a taller sink and a smaller basin area, this is not ideal for families with small children. Because the sink will sit on top of a vanity, children will generally have a difficult time reaching the sink itself and also the faucet to turn the water on.

The next important item to keep in mind is the type of faucet you will need to purchase. Remember, the vessel sink is generally mounted on top of a vanity, making the sink rather tall. Be sure to purchase the right faucet or your sink will not function properly.

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Build a Chicken Coop – Foolproof Plans!

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in family | no comment »

Introduction:

A chicken coop is a kind of enclosure in which the chickens are kept. The interior of the housing have nest boxes for the chickens to lay eggs, and also has perches for the birds to sleep on.

The interior and the exterior of a chicken coop is typically covered with material such as straw or wood chips. These collect the chicken waste making it easier to clean. A chicken coop would generally have enough ventilation for air circulation that helps out any odors that may occur.

How to build a chicken coop:

There are 6 crucial elements in building a chicken coop -

The appearance:

Before you get on to constructing a chicken coop, sketch out the design of the kind of coop you need. It is not only the construction that you need to chalk out, but also the colors that you are going to use on the roof of your chicken cop and the walls.

The coop should not act as a distraction to your neighborhood if it is clearly visible to your neighbors, or be a defacement of the surroundings where you live. Therefore, your chicken coop should have an aesthetic design and have no complaints from your neighbors.

Use sound judgment:

You should always use your sound judgment when constructing a chicken coop. You would be better off in using building materials which would allow you to clean the coop easily. The door of your coop should always open inwards, and it is always better to have sliding doors so that chickens cannot come out to roost on your windows. You should consider constructing the floor of your chicken coop with material which you can easily hose off, without leaving too many puddles behind.

To find the most suited solution regarding Build a chicken coop review, it takes a little careful planning.

Protection from Hazardous Elements:

Your chicken coop must be built in such a way that it can protect your chickens from hazardous elements such as heavy rain, wind, hale, snow, cold climates, etc, and from being eaten or killed by hungry predators.

The coop should protect the chicken from being stolen as well. The coop should be protected from drafts with windows that open and close, with a proper screening system, for example, a heavy gauge mesh wire.

Your coop must have an adequate drainage system where rain water may flow out keeping the coop and chickens dry. You need to position your chicken coop in an area where it gets the Sun which will keep the chickens warm and dry.

Coop ventilation:

You have already taken care in protecting your chicken coop from drafts. At the same time you need to maintain ventilation in the coop, allowing free air movement inside. The chickens inside the coop are quite safe with cold being kept out, but at the same time they would need air to breathe.

It is very necessary that the carbon dioxide accumulating inside your chicken coop be removed regularly replaced by fresh air in order that the chickens can breathe. There has to be ample movement of fresh air inside with cold drafts being kept away from entering the coop.

Light Source:

You would want your chickens to be kept warm during the cold months and yet have solid source of ventilation during the hot months of the year. Placing your chicken coop facing the South would be a good idea, where the coop may get Sunlight and air through-out the day.

You should also consider an electrical light source which will help the chickens produce great eggs all the year round. This light could easily be installed at the height of the chicken coop’s ceiling, and this would help keep the chickens warm and lay better eggs through-out the year.

Conveniently placed Water and Chicken Feeders:

You should always look into if water and chicken feeders have been placed at right places, and the flock has easy access to those areas. You should also take care in placing the containers knowing that the chickens like to make a mess of everything they eat. Try and place the feeders at the back of the chicken at a height where the chickens have to stretch their necks to eat and would not be able to reach the feeders with their feet.

Summary:

There are definitely ways to build your chicken house inexpensively. When designing your chicken coop, safety of your chickens would be your primary concern. Along with this, you should also look into the design factors which will keep your chickens warm and dry during the winter months, and properly aired during the summer.

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