Create the Writing Life You Want
December 31, 2006
Ah, writing. For those of us who love to play with words, it’s like standing in front of a smorgasbord, agonising over which delicacies to try. You can potter about with your writing as a thoroughly delightful hobby - writing wedding speeches, penning dreadful doggerel for people’s birthdays, or writing stories to entertain your children. Or you can work at it, hour after hour, determined that your book is going to be the next bestseller. You can choose the writing life that’s perfect for you now, then change direction later, as your circumstances change and your experience grows.
HOBBY OR CAREER?
I’m going to work on an assumption here - that you actually like writing. (I can’t imagine any other reason you’d be reading this article. If you don’t like to write, why are you being such a masochist? There are thousands of other jobs out there that will suit you better. Stop reading this and go find one.) So, given that you like to write, you should now ask yourself: ‘Do I like writing enough to do it full time, or do I want to keep it as a hobby?’
Embroidery Designs Sewing
December 31, 2006
Denim is a twill weave and runs diagonally and any diagonal weave is difficult to control, whether you are attempting construction sewing or machine embroidery. Twills are designed to give the wearer ultimate wearing comfort by the natural “give” it has. That’s why we all love our chinos & jeans! However, this comfort quality presents a real problem for machine embroidery enthusiasts.
It is essential to keep fabric “blocked” while cutting, assembling, and stitching either regular seaming or machine embroidery. From cutting out pattern pieces to hooping denim for embroidery, you will experience a challenge of keeping the fabric “blocked” squarely. If you’re a quilter, you know exactly what blocking is. If you’re not a quilter it simply means keeping the grain of the weave, in both cross & straight directions, straight or square.
Denim is difficult to block because of the diagonal weave and, generally, denim is a heavier weight than most other fabrics are. I recently stitched an ankle length, heavy, denim duster coat using a very large design down the front edge of the coat opening, near the hemline. This meant I had to keep the design running straight in 2 directions at once. The outcome could have been quite unsightly if I hadn’t taken extra precautions to make sure the design was placed squarely and that the stabilizing was adequate to prevent the puckers and warping that result from the pull of a machine embroidery design while it is stitching.
How To Stop Your Cat Scratching Your Furniture - Forever!
December 31, 2006
Your cat scratching at your furniture can not only leave you out of pocket but also very frustrated and annoyed at your cat for being such a bad little kitty. Cats need to scratch, it is something that cats instinctively do, not as you may think, in order to sharpen their claws, but to remove the old layers of their nails.
Do not punish your cat for scratching, or for anything you see as bad cat behavior. Punishment is unlikely to have any beneficial effect whatsoever. Your cat simply will not understand if you try to punish her in any way for something she has done, cats do not relate punishment to the “crime”, they are far more likely to relate the punishment to you!
Even cats that are allowed outdoors will sometimes scratch your furniture, although not as often as indoor only cats. Trees are the natural scratching surface for cats, and to a cat that is kept inside the arms and legs of chairs, and other furniture, sure seems like a suitable alternative!
Top 7 Donts for Successful Improvisation
December 31, 2006
1. Don’t try and make something happen. Trying blocks the creative flow and will result in blocks.
2. Don’t expect to create something good. Expectations will always come with judgements and, consequently, you’ll end up feeling let down.
3. Don’t worry about what is “coming out.” Improvisation is about play and freedom to explore. Abandon unrealistic expectations and experience the joy of improvisation.
4. Don’t try and please others. The first person you must please is yourself. This may seem obvious but don’t underestimate the strong need to please - ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ARTS!
5. Don’t try and accumulate a “lot of knowledge.” All it takes to improvise is a few chords and the proper attitude.
6. Don’t think. Improvisation is about FEELING. It’s about being in the moment and experiencing the moment through the music. Thinking will take you away from your intuition, which will guide you if you listen to it. Intuition will lead you places thinking never could!
7. Don’t quit. Practice is what makes intuition stronger. The more you practice or play, the stronger your intuition will grow and the more you will trust it. Your unique voice will emerge and will grow stronger each time you sit down to play.
Dig Deeper to Reveal Character
December 30, 2006
He ran up the steps and knocked on the door. After a few moments, it was opened by a woman with dark curly hair and a strained expression. What you’ve just read are two simple sentences showing a common situation. So common that the author very probably has not given a thought as to whether her words reflect what really happened.
She wants her character to pay a visit to someone; she wants him to knock on the door; she wants someone to open the door. So that’s what she writes.
Sometimes, this is exactly what you need - a fast, simple transition to get you from one scene to the next. But sometimes, by not thinking about what other options you have to show the scene, you lose an opportunity to slip in some revealing information about your characters. Before you go on auto-pilot and write down a few clichéd lines, stop and think. Ask yourself:
- What do I want the reader to know about these people?
- How can I use this action to reveal aspects of character?
To develop the scenario we started with: consider how people reveal character by
Six-Star Cruising on Luxury Cruise Lines
December 30, 2006
A luxury cruise is just what the name implies, a cruise at the upper end of the spectrum, not just five stars but a six-star cruise. There are six cruise lines that are in the luxury class: Crystal Cruise Line, Cunard Cruise Line, Radisson Seven Seas, The Yachts of Seabourn, Silversea Cruise Line, and Windstar Cruises.
Crystal Cruise Line has received numerous awards for excellence. For the last nine years, Conde Nast Traveler has named Crystal "Best Large-Ship Cruise Line". Also for the last nine years, Travel + Leisure magazine has given Crystal the status of "World’s Best Large-Ship Cruise Line". And for service, a Travel + Leisure reader’s poll voted Crystal "World’s Best". Crystal Cruise Line operates only three ships: Crystal Harmony, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. These ships carry approximately 1,000 passengers each and Crystal Cruise Line boasts the greatest passenger space per guest of any cruise line.
Do you recognize the ship names Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth? These great ships come from Cunard, a name long synonymous with luxury and elegance in cruises. "With Cunard, the journey may be even more magnificent than the destination" states their promotional literature. Cunard operates just two award-winning luxury ships. The Queen Mary 2, launched in January, 2004, is known as the longest, tallest and largest ocean liner and carries 2,620 passengers. It is replacing the Queen Elizabeth 2 for transatlantic crossings but the QE2 will still be available for cruises.
How To Prevent Damping Off
December 30, 2006
Damping off is the single term used to describe underground, soil line, or crown rots of seedlings due to unknown causes. The term actually covers several soil borne diseases of plants and seed borne fungi. The fungi which cause root rot are species of Phyium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium.
There are two types of damping off: pre-emergence and post- emergence. In pre-emergence damping-off, seeds may rot and seedlings may decay before they emerge. In post-emergence damping off the seedlings emerge then may pale, curl, wilt, and collapse from a rot at the soil line and below. The base of the stem is generally water-soaked at first then turns gray to brown or black then rots.
Vegetable seedlings often do not grow well under humid conditions, particularly if the soil is cold and wet. Damping off fungi flourish in moist, unhygienic conditions. The disease often starts at one end of a seed tray, and quickly spreads to the other end. A fluffy fungal growth may also appear on the soil surface as well as on the dead seedlings.
Do You Know What You Are REALLY Feeding Your Pet?
December 30, 2006
When looking for the best dog food - consider Life’s Abundance. The “best food for dogs” are not all created equal.
STOP
Check your pet food label
Does your pet food contain the following ingredients:
Corn or Wheat - If 2 or more cereals like corn and wheat are among the first 7 ingredients on your label, your pet may not be getting the animal protein it needs to thrive.
By-Products - Animal necks, feet, underveloped eggs, intestines and beaks.
Chemical Preservatives - BHA, BHT or ethoxquin are considered by many professionals to be harmful to animals.
Life’s Abundance Premium Health Foods are formulated by a Holistic Veterinarian
Quality Food + Daily Supplementation = Optimal Nutrition
It took me four brands of Dog Food before I finally found this company.
About The Author
I am Lori Matthews from New Jersey. I have done much research on pet food and the ingredients. I know that it so important what our pets eat. Nutrition affects their everyday life. For more information please visit www.Premium4Pets.com.
The Prologue - When to Use One, How to Write One
December 29, 2006
What is a prologue? When should you use one? Should you forget about a prologue and simply start at Chapter 1?
All too often we pick up a published book and read the prologue, then wonder why it was there at all. It doesn’t seem to do anything that Chapter One couldn’t have done - or that couldn’t have been worked in during the story itself. Or the prologue is a scene taken directly from the book - a few paragraphs inserted only to make us keep reading. I feel cheated if I get to a point halfway through the book - or near the end - and find that the prologue is nothing more than a word-for-word excerpt from the book. (Seems like ‘entrapment’ or something!)
Some writing tutors maintain that a prologue should never be there just to provide atmosphere and to ‘hook’ the reader. I don’t agree; it depends on how it is handled. I think there is a place for a prologue to act as a drawcard for the rest of the story - but please, don’t be obvious about it. Don’t ‘cheat’ by just copying a short scene from a ‘cliffhanger moment’ near the end, pasting it in before Chapter 1 and calling it a prologue.
How to Make Your Civil War Uniform Shirt
December 29, 2006
Your own shirt designed and made by you for your own Civil War Uniform Impression is easy and economical. Follow these simple directions, and your Civil War uniform shirt will be exactly how you want it.
Take all of your girth measurements.
Using a tape measure, measure your chest, stomach and note the bigger of the two measurements. Write it all down in inches. Do not suck your stomach or chest in. Be sure you are in a comfortable position, so your shirt will fit properly.
Next, measure from top of shoulder to mid-thigh, so you can tell how long you want the shirt to be. Next, measure then from shoulder tip to wrist with arm bent at a 90 degree angle, so the sleeve will have enough room in it for you to move freely and comfortably.
Measure your bicep and wrist.
Measure your neck.
Start looking for material but don’t buy anything until measurements are completed
Look at original photographs and decide which type of shirt you like and would be comfortable wearing on the march. Look at the collars and variations on how the neck is done. The collar is an easy part of the shirt to change also. A standard placard front with a slit for the head is desirable and very accurate.
