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Arts and Crafts

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Rice Art II

Coming back on the edible applications and artistic ideas of serving rice, I found some more expressions of the imagination which were brought to life.

I noticed that the images were all created using foods which were also incorporated either in the dish itself or the side dishes. How clever!

Instead of lumping it all together, why not try taking the rice grain by grain?

Yes, it is a painstaking, time consuming and intricate procedure which also requires a lot of patience, but the result is absolutely worth it.

The rice is uncooked and colored with food coloring. It may come in handy to draw a pattern first on a sturdy piece of cardboard or wood as a guideline. That way you will know where to put what color.

If it was me, I would use double adhesive paper, so that the grains of rice will be held in place. This would also make it easier to frame the work of art, once you are done.

Don't expect to make a lot of progress quickly; you really have to be picky with this hobby!

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Rice Art

Rice is nutritious, rather easy to cook and tastes good with practically anything.

There are several forms of art you can use rice for. Right now, I will linger on the topic of cooking; the picture portraits a very simple, but funny and cute way of serving your cooked rice.

I can imagine though that not everyone would be pleased to have their meal served with paper attached to it and therefore my suggestion would be to make eyes and mouth (or whatever other project you have in mind) from edible items.

This is a very ingenious and a good example of creating a dish which is entirely edible.

I wasn't able to find out what was used for nose, mouth and paws, but I can think of some foods which would lend themselves very well for that; raisins, dried prunes, but even spinach, carrots, green peas, or beans could accomplish the same effect.

There is another option: food coloring. A few drops of the substance will open up a realm of possibilities for creating edible art with rice.

Arts, crafts and hobbies with rice do not limit themselves to just being edible; there are many more projects you can do with it. I suppose you already anticipated and/or suspected that.

I wouldn't post it on my blog if there wasn't. That would go against my grain. Grin.

See also:
Rice Art II
Rice Art III
Rice Art - Materials and Equipment

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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Dangerous Hobbies

It may not cross your mind when you pick up a new hobby, but there are many crafts which could cause mild to severe injuries and if you are not careful, even cost you your life.

Wood carving done with a chainsaw is one of those extremely dangerous hobbies and it may be a good idea to look for a Cheap Life Insurance when you would like to practice this art.

Even though it may not seem like it, but ice sculpting and Epoxy art are a few other hazardous hobbies which should prod you to investigate where you could find the Best Rates Life Insurance.

Working in the cold too long can cause Hypothermia and breathing the toxic fumes of the Epoxy is not going to benefit your health and hence your lifespan either. It is never too late to make inquiries on Insurance Quotes.

I have mentioned it several times before and I will do so again; better safe, then sorry!

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Shoe Art - Materials and Equipment

There is no doubt in my mind you have a pair of shoes which look rather worn out, but are too comfortable to throw out. Maybe there are several pairs in your closet which are totally outdated, but still as good as new. Well, get them out and alter them!

Sneakers and tennis shoes are great for painting or sewing on all kinds of buttons, beads, nuts, bolts, paper clips, and other little trinkets. You can even glue them on if you so desire.

You will need paint, or glue, and a glue gun could come in handy as well.

If you don't have any intention of wearing those old shoes anymore, maybe making a cute little decoration out of them would spark some enthousiasm. There are no limits to the concept and anything and everything can be used to end up with a unique project.

I am quite sure we all got some nice shoes to fill!

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The Art Of Blogging

For those of us who have been going out of their gourd blogging, trying to establish a good page rank rating, it is always a disillusion when finding out the page rank of their site dropped, instead of going up.

I recently was painfully made aware of this fact; this arts, crafts, and hobby site used to have a PR3, but suddenly classified as a PR2. It sure makes me wonder if Google changed their specifications concerning the ratings of a site again.

It could well be that my site ranked higher if I had taken advantage of hostmonster hosting. It is a little late for finding out at present, but is sure couldn't hurt looking in to it, in case I like to switch hosts.

The reason why I say that is because I can't help getting out from under the impression that certain free blog hosts are automatically rated lower then sites which are being set up with their own domain name on different web hosts.

Another possibility is that I lost some links of, who used to be, dedicated followers of my blog. Should that be the culprit then I certainly would like to know why, so I could make changes and get them back.

Either way, I still am a firm believer when it comes to hard work; eventually it will pay off! :-)

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Monday, January 24, 2011

Shoe Art II

You may own a pair of shoes that are several years old, but I sincerely doubt they are as old as the first pair of shoes ever found; the sandals date back as far as 8000 to 7000 BC and were found in Oregon, USA.

It is believed that evidence has been found which indicates wearing shoes began somewhere between 40,000 and 26,000 years ago. There was not much design to them; they were merely a sort of bags to protect the feet. This changed dramatically during the Tudor era, when in Europe fancy desings became status symbols for the rich.

Shoes with the sole sewn on was created around the 17th century, but there still was no difference in a left, or right foot; they were both similar. This changed slowly over time since the 1800s.

A few more historic facts concerning shoes: Turn-shoes was footwear which was common from the Middle-ages until modern shoes were developed in the Tudor era.

Patten was a wooden overshoe, used in Europe to keep the feet dry, and was already worn in the middle ages. The well known Dutch wooden shoe derived from that and is still worn today, mainly by farmers.

BTW, did you know that Espadrilles were already worn around the 14th century? Now you do; I just dropped the shoe! :-)

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The Effort To Loose

I regret having been so gluttonous during the Holidays, but the food is always so delicious and different from what we would normally buy; it is hard to pass up. Hence, I gained a few pounds too many.

I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter to overeat every now and then, until I step on the scales and realize I desperately need to diet and hope to find a free weight loss program.

It is good to know those are available. Therefore, the problem does not lay t so much in finding a good program. Starting a diet and being committed and determined to stick to it, definitely is. Maybe the free weight loss tips can get me going.

I certainly hope so, although I am not looking forward to it. It would be a lot easier if there were more family members who would join me. It could well be if I told them it concerned free weight loss, it might inspire them to participate.

Yeah, gaining weight is so easy, but loosing it takes some effort!

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Shoe Art

I suppose when it comes to shoes and art, most of us think of fashion and design. That is not surprisingly, seeing how the fashion industry almost every season comes up with a new style and new creations, which also call for different and often innovating accessories.

Usually, the womens' shoes are subject to a radical change and even though I find the ones in the picture highly artistic, I am not so sure they about their comfort.

It almost seems like you would have to be an artist being able to keep your balance, but let's face the fact that they are mainly designed to show off and make a fashion statement.

This is the kind of shoe art which I had in mind; altering or sprucing up an existing pair of shoes.

Sneakers can be customized and personalized with some fabric paint and a little bit of imagination.

It certainly is a good way of reusing an old pair of shoes which otherwise would only sit in the closet and eventually will be thrown out.

You can always do that, after I am through with shoe art. You never know what great ideas may spring up in your mind and altering and reusing an old pair of shoes will definitely come in handy in these times of frugality.

If the shoe fits, wear it! Grin.

See also:
Shoe Art II
Shoe Art - Materials and Equipment

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Keeping It In Mind

I can imagine that it could be quite an ordeal traveling all the way down to Florida when you would be looking for a great deal concerning Used Cars in Miami. It may well be worth it though; good, dependable transportation is something we rely on practically every day.

In case you would be interested in used cars Miami certainly is a good place to find them and when you have family or friends living there, or close by, then maybe they could take a look at a car you already previewed on the video on the Miami used cars blog.

I wished we had known about this when we needed to replace our van. We love to looks, lines, and most of all the performance of the Nissan, and wanted to get a good used Nissan Murano, but they were hard to come by and we settled for another brand.

Oh well, we will keep it in mind for the next time!

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Friday, January 21, 2011

Scrimshaw Art - Materials and Equipment

As I already mentioned in my previous post on Scrimshaw art, modern tools are used these days for this hobby and some of them are tools which are used in dentistry.

Of course you can always resort to large needles and/or even knives, but there are toolkits available which are specifically for this hobby.

Those toolkits are easily found and purchased online.

The Internet also offers an enormous amount of patterns, supplies, online instructions, workshops, and books on scrimshaw.

It is a wonderful hobby and you don't have to work your fingers to the bone in order to come up with a beautiful piece of art! :-)

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Scrimshaw Art II

Scrimshaw originated on whaling ships, somewhere between the years 1745 and 1759. At first it referred to making tools out of the byproducts of the caught whales by the whalers, but later on it took on the meaning of the hobby the whalers practised, in order to pass the time.

The whalers would use whales teeth and engraved them with sailing needles. The engravings were highlighted by rubbing candle black, soot, or tobacco juice in their artwork.

After commercial whaling was banned, scrimshaw almost vanished around the late 1800s, but it became popular again in the 1960s, when many took it on as a hobby.

Nowadays, in case real ivory is used, it is obtained through legal ways and carved with more refined tools, like those used at the dentist offices. That is something to think about, when you need to have dental work done!

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More Color and Fashion

I can't help it, but I am not keen on spending time in a hospital. It doesn't matter whether it is for me or simply for a visit to someone who is admitted, I just don't like being surrounded by all those white walls and bland uniforms.

A little bit of color would make me feel more at ease, especially when it would be something with a pattern or theme, like some beautiful paintings on the wall. I think it would already help tremendously if the nursing scrubs would be a little more fashionable.

I am aware that it is not about the clothing, but about the healing. Still, I think everyone, including the nurses, would be more comfortable and feel more at home if the scrub clothing would bear more resemblance to leisure clothing.

It sure would make a visit to the hospital a lot more appealing!

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Scrimshaw Art

Scrimshaw is the art of carving figures and scenes in to the teeth of walruses and whales and elephant tusks. That was then, but this is now and we don't like animals being killed for this, or any other kind of art.

There is a solution which works just as fine as the real deal; you can use Micarta which refers to a composite of linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass, carbon fiber, or other fabric in a thermosetting plastic. In other words; it is a polymer product which lends itself very well for this decorative and creative art, but camel bones, and I suppose any other animal bones like cows or pigs for instance, will work too.

People who have taken on this hobby are called scrimshanders. I suspect that this very fine, intricate and delicate form of art takes a lot of patience and you can make it as detailed as you want.

I have seen cufflinks, umbrella handles, lids for small boxes, and lots of jewelry made with and out of scrimshaw.

Don't worry: no animals were harmed or killed during the typing of this post and I like to keep it that way. Therefore, if you like to practise this art, I would advice you to resort to the artificially created polymer 'ivory', or bones and teeth of animals which are not endangered. The bones being left over from the barbecue ribs would do just as well.

Thanks! :-)

See also:
Scrimshaw Art II

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Saving On Printing Art

I have the tendency to save all the posts I publish on my blog in a special folder on my computer. That does eat up quite a bit of space and recently I have been contemplating on printing them out and putting them in a binder.

That will require a lot of printer ink which usually equates in a substantial amount of money and it could save us a bundle investing some time and effort in finding the cheapest place to buy it.

Fortunately, locating that site on the Internet is a piece of cake; Inkgrabber.com has very cheap ink and we can choose from brand, remanufactured, compatible, or refill kits. It is exactly the place to help us stay within the limits of our budget.

Besides having every brand of inkjet cartridges we could possibly be looking for, they also have different specials and discounts which change each week. Therefore, the likelihood we will save even more is great.

It sure is an art being able to save on printing art!

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Cupcake Art - Materials and Equipment

Baking cupcakes is pretty easy; it is a combination of butter, sugar, flour, eggs and milk.

Here is a simple recipe:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/3 cups sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup shortening, 1 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 large eggs.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix it before adding the shortening, vanilla extract and milk to the mixture. Mix it for about one minute on medium speed, then add the eggs and mix it well for another 60 to 90 seconds.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the cupcake pan and fill the liners until they about 2/3. Bake them for about 20 to 25 minutes; you will know they are ready when you prick a fork or toothpick in the center of the cupcake and it comes out clean.

Allow them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing them and placing them on a rack to cool off completely. Once that is done, the fun of decorating can begin.

You will need frosting and maybe some food coloring as well, if that is the way you want to go. Of course there are many more options and depending on your project, you will need different materials. What those would be is rather difficult for me to determine, but you will know, or find out soon enough.

BTW: does anyone have a recipe for low-calorie cupcakes???

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Wall Mount Mailbox Art

When talking about mailboxes, we often picture the most commonly encountered house mailboxes; the ones which are mounted on a post and sit along the side of the road.

I suppose we are so used to that sight, we completely forget that something like wall mounted mailboxes exist as well. Maybe you are the proud owner of one, in which case I envy you; at least you don't have to walk all the way up to the road to get your mail.

I sure wished we had a wall mount mailbox. It is no fun gathering our mail in the blistering heat, or when the rain is pouring down. I even find it rather dangerous, because our mailbox is very close to a busy road.

Enough of the griping and complaining; it is what it is and I shouldn't let it sidetrack me. What I wanted you to know is that there is a gorgeous and artistic collection of wall mount mailboxes which will enhance the appearance of your abode tremendously.

With one of those on the wall, collecting your mail will become even more pleasurable!

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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Cupcake Art II

Cupcakes also go by the names fairy cakes and patty cakes. They got their name due to the fact that they were initially baked in heavy, pottery cups.

Although nowadays the cupcakes are baked in special metal pans which resemble a muffin pan, there are still bakers who use small coffee, or large tea cups.

In case you would like to try the latter, then keep in mind that it needs to hold around 4 ounces (110 g) which is standard for a common cupcake, unless you like to make either miniature or jumbo size cupcakes.

Cupcakes usually come in a special cupcake liners; those ensure the pastry comes out of the mold easily, is more hygienic, and it ensures the cakes are moist.

The liners are mostly made out of thin paper, but they can also be bought in a very thin aluminum foil and even in a non-disposable silicon rubber version.

How long cupcakes have been around is not very clear, but in 1796 mention was already made of “a cake to be baked in small cups”. The term 'cupcake' was found for the first time in a cookbook of 1828.

I love those little treats and I don't mind at all having a cup of cake with my cup of coffee!

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Cupcake Art

Here is another one of those edible, but wonderful creative hobbies; cupcakes. Who doesn't like to sink their teeth in one of those tasty, small treats?

It gets even better when they are decorated in a such a unique way that it is almost a shame to eat them. My suggestion would be: admire them, take the time to look at all the intricate details and then close your eyes and take a bite!

Decorating cupcakes does not limit itself to the swirly icing on top; there is a lot more you can do with a cupcake. These Christmas cupcakes are merely a tiny example of all the possibilities.

In case you are a cupcake baker and decorator, please leave me link to your site; I would love to see and admire your work!

Cupcake Art II
Cupcake Art - Materials and Equipment

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Just A Hint

I truly enjoy looking at and searching for all kinds of different arts, crafts, and hobbies. I recently found out that I enjoy it even more when I hear where and when it originated; it makes it so much more interesting.

If you and I share that same interest, then I would like to advice you to watch some of the following TV shows: Auction Kings, Antiques Roadshow, Pawn Stars and there are probably a few more which I don't know off.

The power in these shows lies in the fact that they go deeper in to the origin of the particular item and give a little more information on the where, what, how and when. No, it may not always be about arts and crafts, but let's face it; every item is artfully crafted! :-)

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Saturday, January 15, 2011

An Artistic Solution

I truly enjoy seeing a coin collection and I guess that is due to the fact that my grandfather and several of my uncles had quite an extensive collection.

It is actually a great idea to collect gold coins; the IRA gold bullion can be put towards that and if you wanted to boost your 401k gold coins sold at present would definitely do the trick. I suppose my grandfather counted on the fact that gold would only appreciate in the future.

In case this sound good to you then it would be in your advantage to open a gold IRA account and don't forget checking out the options on the gold IRA transfer. The latter will save you from having to pay taxes and a penalty to the IRS.

Not everyone is aware that the opportunity to open a gold IRA or gold 401k account exists. I find it rather artistic, coming up with good solutions to help everyone to live comfortably at their old age.

Isn’t that what we all want and are working for?

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Friday, January 14, 2011

Garage Door Art - Materials and Equipment

You will need a garage door and since not everyone is the proud owner of one, there are a few options you could consider: ask family, friends, or your neighbors if they will allow you to decorate their garage door.

You could even go to a storage units owner and ask his/her permission to break the monotony of the units' appearance with your creativity.

You will need (spray)paint, brushes, mouth cover, and an airbrush and most likely a tarp to lay down on the ground; you just want the door to be painted, not the entire driveway.

Make sure the weather is cooperating: when it is hot, the paint may dry too quick. Wind and rain may mess up your artwork as well, unless you can work under a cover or shelter of some sorts.

Try to keep kids at a distance; you don't want them to breath in the paint when you are using an airbrush and it saves you a lot of concerns and aggravation.

Another thing to watch out for are pets; dogs and cats are rather curious and may decide to sign your artwork by leaving a few paw prints behind.

I don't know why, but those ready made garage door covers sound better by the minute! Grin.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Art of Recycling E-Waste

I remember having to go through the phonebook to find stores or businesses, working my way through the Dictionary for an explanation or meaning of a word, and having to go to the library in order to come up with information on a specific subject.

Life sure got a lot easier, because of the computer and the Internet and I wouldn't know what to do anymore without them; it is so quick and easy and provides me with anything and everything I need and/or want to know and then some.

It sure does present us with a problem though, because we are being faced with a lot of e waste. Dumping old and broken electronics in the garbage is not doing the environment any good, because of dangerous or possible toxic materials.

There is more to recycling computers, then meets the eye; ROUND2 gives the option to either recycle, refurbish, remarket, recover, or report e-waste and takes care of it quickly and responsibly. They ensure it saves green, in every aspect of the word.

They can handle anything that has to do with electronics recycling. If you don't know what would be best, then you have the option to check out their services by industry and get information on how well the electronics will be recycled without leaving any data behind.

Recycling is an art in itself and making use of a recycling service is the best route to go, or in this case; the best round 2 go!

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Garage Door Art III

My guess is that with the introduction of the car also came the garage; in those days cars often came without a top and the weather had free reign.

I don't think it took long before people came up with a place to park their cars high and dry, so to speak; it must not have been very comfortable, taking your place in the driver's seat after some rain or snow.

In case you were unaware of it; the invention of the upward-lifting garage came in 1921 and was the idea of the creative mind of C. G. Johnson. He didn't stop there; in 1926, he also invented the electric garage door opener.

I don't think Mr. Johnson was aware that with the uplifting garage door, he also provided us with a large, white canvas uplifting art to the next level!

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Tampa Bay Has Got It All

You may already be making plans where to go for your next vacation and a wonderful destination would be Tampa Bay in Florida. Besides all the beautiful beaches, Tampa is quickly turning in to the cultural core of Florida’s Gulf Coast.

It would be a treat visiting all the different museums this top art destination of the State has to offer. At the same time, you can also take the opportunity to find some great used cars in Tampa in case you are looking for good deals, or your car needs replacing.

It is usually an art locating used cars or used trucks, but you wouldn't have a problem; a used car dealer in Tampa will have anything you might be looking for. Picture yourself cruising around in a Chrysler Sebring with the top down, for instance. Yeah, for used cars Tampa is the place to go as well.

In case you rather prefer looking for used trucks in Tampa, then you would be in the right place too. With the 30 second credit approval you can get with the online credit application, you could soon be the proud owner of a Ford Explorer, or any other car for that matter.

As you just got through reading, Tampa has it all; art, culture, beaches, beautiful weather, and a great site which is a good resource for used cars in Tampa. Finding Tampa used cars and/or art has gotten a lot easier due to the Internet these days!

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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Garage Door Art II

You don't have to work up a sweat if you don't want to, or don't have the artistic abilities. It is simple altering the look of your garage door; there are over 200 different designs of ready made garage door covers you can buy.

The costs are between $230 and $450 per design and it is held in place by tension hooks which are attached at the top and bottom of the garage door. The hooks keep the design flat and secure and it will leave your door totally undamaged. Installation takes less than 10 minutes if done by two people.

I find this a wonderful option and it allows for changing out designs whenever you like, or find necessary, like for the Holidays.

Of course you can always take a brush and some paint for sprucing up the door of your car's dwelling. The design doesn't have to be elaborate at all; I saw simple stickmen painted on a garage door and believe it or not, it looked awesome.

It is worth trying! :-)

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Monday, January 10, 2011

Garage Door Art

Every now and then, while driving through a neighborhood, I see a garage door with some artwork on it.

They are far and few in between though and often the art is kept simple. I have seen some Disney figures and graffiti which was very creative, but I never saw anything like this.

I don't think it would be a good idea to put scuptures on the garage door, since it wouldn't open well, or at all anymore, but it is very artistic and may prod your imagination.

This is definitely a very real and gorgeous possibility; a beautiful painting on your garage door.

You may not have considered it before; your garage door is literally a blank canvas. So, have at it. If we all put some artwork on our garage doors, the neighborhood would be just a little more unique and colorful.

Yup, it sure would stand out!

Page 1 of 2, 3, 4, 5.

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Kepler-10b

I am constantly amazed by the new discoveries science presents us with. It is probably due to all the new technology and developments in this field which allows us to explore further, in depth, detailed, and more up close and personal, so to speak.

Another planet is discovered and called Kepler-10b. Although it is rocky which bears great resemblance to earth's surface, it is completely outside the realm of having any life; it is far outside of our solar system and orbits around a star other then the sun. Still, it is a very interesting find.

Who knows; maybe some day they will find another planet which does have life. I wonder if aliens would have art as well. What would that look like??

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Beware!

A lot of the art projects are being created outdoors; painters often find beautiful scenery to duplicate on their canvas, many drawings and photos are reflections of extraordinary places, woodcarvings and ice sculptures are done outside, no matter what the temperature is.

Therefore, catching a cold is not uncommon, but when you fall victim to a common cold or the flu, you better watch for COPD symptoms, especially when the coughing does not clear up in a reasonable amount of time.

Whether you are working in or outside, a cold can literally be handed to you in no time. What many people are not aware of is that it can result in COPD; a condition you will have permanently. That is why it is so important to see a doctor as soon as possible when exhibiting COPD symptoms.

You really don't want to end up with this disease; it is very restrictive and debilitating and often means having to take medications and/or even be on oxygen for the rest of your life. So, read up on COPD symptoms and act accordingly. Forewarned is forearmed!

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Cotton Candy Art - Materials and Equipment

For a long time, cotton candy could only be found and bought at fairgrounds or circuses, but nowadays you can find it in bags at the grocery stores as well.

You can spin your own sugary treat by renting a cotton candy machine, which is a great option for a party. You will also need tall, small sticks, sugar and if you like to serve different colors: food coloring.

By adding a few drops of food coloring, you can turn the natural white cotton candy in to any color of the rainbow.

Just be sure to keep the cotton candy away from moisture or out of a damp environment; it will crystalize rather quickly. In my humble opinion, the best thing to do is eat it! Grin.

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Friday, January 07, 2011

Protecting Original and Unique Works of Art

You may be in the possession of some really unique, original, and expensive works of art. If that is the case, then there is no doubt in my mind that the space where you are exhibiting it in is very well protected and secured.

Let's talk about you as a person though, because you too are unique, original, with your own personality and your own life. Have you thought about your own safety and security? Do you have identity theft protection?

Most of us don't and that means we are at great risk of loosing everything. Computers can be hacked, credit cards can be lost or stolen, e-mails or Internet sites can be means to personal information and before you know it, you are the victim of identity theft.

You can prevent and reduce that risk with IdentityHawk; a service that alerts you as soon as your identity could be in danger. It also allows you to detect anything out of the ordinary in a very early stage, so it can be stopped.

No one wants to loose their personality, but keep in mind that nowadays you don't exist without your identity!

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Thursday, January 06, 2011

Cotton Candy Art II

Cotton candy is also known as candyfloss, fairy floss, or simply as spun sugar, because that is actually all that it is made of.

Cotton candy goes way back to the 1400s when Italians melted sugar in a pan, strung it over an upside down bowl with a fork and served it as a dessert.

This form of spun sugar was only affordable for the rich, because it was very labor intensive. It remained that way until 1897, when William Morrison and John C. Wharton invented a machine that spun cotton candy.

It was introduced at the World's Fair of 1904 and was called Fairy Floss, where it became accessible to everyone and even though it sold for 25 cents, which was still rather high at that time, it was a huge success. In the 1920s, the name changed to cotton candy.

The reason why cotton candy is normally rather large, is because it is so full of air. In case you are watching your weight and wonder about the amount of calories you would be consuming: one ounce (normal serving size) contains about 100 to 115 calories.

Did you know there is a National Cotton Candy Day in the United States? I didn't, but I found out it is celebrated each year on December 7. I will keep that in mind for next year!

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A Great Christmas, Indeed

Guest post written by Barb Lisa

My husband Jim and I can't get over the fact that Christmas has already passed us by. It always seems to go by in one cheery blip, and then it's back to business as usual. Just a few days before Christmas we were downtown taking a http://www.hearingaidsbymiracleear.com/hearing_test.html for Jim, and we couldn't help but point out all the decorations and Christmas ads that we saw along the way. We couldn't believe all the time and effort that went into preparing for the big day. In all the stores we visited and all the television programs we watched, Christmas was everywhere. We also spent all this time shopping, preparing and coordinating for a Christmas dinner with the family, and we can't get over how fast it all went by.

It's always exciting to get caught up in the pomp and sad when it ends. However, we had a great day with our family, and did have that warm feeling throughout the month while preparing for it all. Christmas will always be associated with cheer and family, and even though it's brief, it's always worth it.

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Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Cotton Candy Art

Fluffy, colorful, sweet and sticky cotton candy; who doesn't love it?! That large, sugary cloud on a stick brings back so many childhood memories, but it can also be used for art.

This is one way creating some sort of art with it. Don't expect the project to last long though, unless there is some way to treat it when done. I haven't come across the latter yet, but when I do, I will let you know.

I always love to pluck a handful of cotton candy out of the sweet treat, smush it together a little and then eat it. Yeah, it is like consuming a spoonful of sugar; not really good for our health, huh?

I sure would love to take a bite out of this artistically crafted cotton candy cake. I am not sure how they did it, but they sure gave a nice spin to it!

See also:
Cotton Candy Art II
Cotton Candy Art - Materials and Equipment

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Tuesday, January 04, 2011

An Artistic Design

I don't know if you have ever taken a real good look at all the different designs of the websites you visit. Some are rather plain, but to the point, while others are extremely colorful, animated, and even appetizing, like this site where they sell cheese and offer all kinds of mouthwatering recipes.

I sincerely doubt this is something you could do yourself, unless you are an excellent web designer. Therefore, it is no wonder why a business would resort to the services of ECommerce Partners; a web design company which applies user interface design to all their clients' sites, making it an easy and pleasant experience for any visitor.

It certainly would lead to increased sales and more profits for any business. No matter whether you sell a product like cheese, want to promote your laser hair removal services, or sell floorcare equipment; ECommerce Partners will come up with a custom solution and a unique, personalized website design.

You don't need to look far; an artistic and creative website design is right at your fingertips!

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Trailer Art - Materials and Equipment

You would have to be in the possession of a trailer of some sort, if you want to display your artwork on it.

Maybe you can buy one; there are many for sale and it is not difficult to find one that strikes your fancy. You could even lend your services to those who are interested in sprucing up their trailer.

You will need paint, brushes, an airbrush, tape, scissors and/or craft knives, and some inspiration.

The tape is needed to cover up areas you either want to paint a different color, or not be painted another color. The scissors/knives come in handy for cutting the tape in any size, shape or form you like or need.

If you are using an airbrush, be sure to cover your airways and if possible, do it either outside, or in a well ventilated area.

Lack of inspiration should be solved in no time; just look around and I have no doubt you will soon be able to paint a pretty picture! :-)

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Arts, Crafts, and A Picnic

My guess is that a lot of companies will have a New Year's celebration of some sorts which may include their workers' families. In case the weather would permit, why not consider having one of those fully catered company picnics outdoors?

It would be one of those events where both children and grown ups would enjoy themselves at their hearts' content; good food, great entertainment, and nothing to worry about, because everything is well taken care off. Even a picnic catering ny area would be organized outdoors in a nice park.

There are many other occasions for which a catered picnic would be a wonderful option and it can be held in other areas as well. There are artistic and creative possibilities for a picnic catering nj businesses could take advantage of.

You may not always be able to depend on the weather, but in every other way success is guaranteed!

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