The Refresh Orlando Heirs

As the use of cell phones becomes increasingly popular, so does the use of cell phone lanyards to keep them from being misplaced. The cell phone lanyard is also a great way to keep a cell phone readily available without having to physically carry it. The lanyards are typically made of cord, rope or wire. They can be connected to a backpack, belt loop or purse. To keep a cell phone easily accessible it may be most convenient to wear a cell phone lanyard around the neck, keeping the hands free.

When worn around the neck, the typical cell phone lanyard, measures 36 inches long but can be custom designed to any length. To secure the cell phone to the lanyard, simply pull the lanyard through the lanyard hole that can be found on most cell phones. Other cell phone lanyards have a nylon cord attached to the end that can be pulled through the lanyard hole.

Although born of necessity, the cell phone lanyard does not have to be boring. There are many styles, colors and materials to choose from. Custom printing can display a favorite slogan, symbol or saying.

Many talented artists will design you a unique beaded cell phone lanyard to coordinate with a favorite outfit, pair of shoes, as well as your automobile. Choice of beading includes gemstones, pewter beads, Swarovski crystals and even diamonds.

Lanyards Info provides information on printed, custom, beaded, badge, neck, key lanyards, and cell phone accessories and jewelry. Lanyards Info is the sister site of Lapel Pins Web.

Let me say straight away that tracing your family ancestry is a great hobby but very addictive, so unless you want to get well and truly hooked, don’t start.

When I travel around the country to Family History Fairs, I am amazed at the number of people who say quite cheerfully, “family history is so easy, I did mine in half an hour on the internet.” If they are happy with that, then good luck to them, but for me, if I cannot prove it, it doesn’t count.

Family history is not about just collecting a pile of names and then trying to fit them all together like a genealogical jigsaw puzzle. You must start with what you know to be true and that is your birth certificate. On that will be the names of your parents, so, if you do not already have access to it, it shouldn’t be hard to obtain their marriage certificate. From there until 1837, you can travel back fairly safely with hatched, matched and dispatched certificates from the Family Records Centre in London. Pre 1837, you have to be able to access parish registers, and this is where the going can get tough. If you are unsure of the area your forbears are from, census returns can be very helpful.

In case you are planning to have a go at compiling your family tree, be aware that you could be in for a few surprises (shocks). Just because granny always seemed prim and proper to you, doesn’t make it so.

Pam Drake, Parish Chest.
The Premier Online Family History Shop

Why do people kill?

Is it for the thrill?

Or is just the zeal?

Let’s get real!

Are they really that ill?

Why does it appeal?

Can’t they feel?

For the lives they steal?

Are they’re hearts that sealed?

The question still…is

WHY DO PEOPLE KILL?

A LITTLE PISS ANT!
He drove around the neighborhood
Like an enraged bumblebee,
Intimidating neighbors like
A grizzly rampaging through a campsite

He wanted everybody’s attention
On him like men starring at a naked lady
At a girlie show

He wanted everyone to snap to attention
When they saw him coming as if he was
A general reviewing his troops

He wanted to be a big molehill
Among the little molehills,
A big dog among the little dogs,
A big frog among the little frogs

He wanted to be superman
When he was just A LITTLE PISS ANT
About to be crushed by the heels of time!
BUT NOT IN HIS MIND!

THE CLOWN
He fought like a wild animal about to be caged
When they tried to integrate his street!

He was enraged like a kid whose candy had been taken from him
When they moved next door!

He threw bricks, broke windows, and flatten tires like a vandal
Trying to make them leave!

Now looking back through the mirror of time,
That all seems so far away!

And his youthful rage has evaporated like
A vampire caught in the morning sun!

He shakes his graying head in amazement at how
Things once so big now seem so small.

He smiles where he once frowned!
gaziing in the mirror, at the buffoon, THE CLOWN!

Copyright 2001 El-Veasey Publishing

Floral design is an art and for some it comes easy. If you have tried and failed or never tried at all, take heart, all is not lost. The beauty of learning at home is that if you make mistakes, it does not matter if it looks a bit funny. With some helpful tips and practice you can become proficient at it.

From my years as a designer, I have learned some helpful ideas that will make the journey easier.

1) The first thing I would do is to rent from the library or buy a floral design book. I used books liberally in the beginning to learn about the various floral supplies and get familiar with them. Also you get to see pictures of designs and in most books they will take you step by step on how to do it.

2) Start with the simplest of designs. Follow the step by step instructions and pat yourself on the back for each little step you do that works out. Do not fall in the trap of getting down on your-self if it does not look right.

3) Do the same beginners design over and over again until you really get proficient at it. Then take on a different design and do that over and over until you’ve got it down, and so on.

4) Now that you’ll have practiced several designs and you are feeling comfortable doing it, I’m going to give you an important tip that can take you from becoming a good designer into a great designer. I consider this one of the most important learning tools. This is what changed my floral designs. Take your tips from nature. Once I had some basic skills from doing it over and over, I started to observe flowers, plants and shrubs as they grow in nature. Really, really look at how they grow naturally. If you mimic nature, you will not go wrong in your designs. Most people make the mistake of trying to make flowers perfectly symmetrical. This looks very fake and you will never see them grow that way. Some flowers are sticking out and some are tucked in and may be barely visible but still contribute to the overall look. I have even based some of my designs on how a particular tree grows. The more you observe nature and mimic that, the more successful you will be in your designs.

Some of the most successful designers in the world mimic nature and its that organized haphazard look that makes it beautiful.

If all you want to do is have flowers that make your home beautiful and more inviting, then practicing floral design can be an extremely rewarding activity. If you want to take it a step farther and learn to become a designer and make an income from it, you really can learn at home and it is a very fun activity.

Enjoy!

http://www.artinspires.com/display_motivational.asp?c=Beauty

Willie Jones

Willie is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist. Thanks very much for reading this far. Please come and visit us at: http://www.artinspires.com/for an inspirational poster or two

“Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing. All winners receive a free framed print.”

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a popular gift show in my local area. My purpose in attending this gift show was to scope out my competition and the quality of their soy candles compared to what I offer. I was truly surprised with the results of how many candle exhibitors were present and was more so surprised with the results of how well they didn’t know their product.

Now my results are in no way to badger the company in anyway, but to open the eyes of our consumers, the results are:

Candle Exhibitor #1:

This exhibitor stated that they’re soy candles were handmade. I was told that their soy candles burned great had no soot or mushroom build up and had an awesome scent throw. Well, fortunately the exhibitor had several candles burning and I notice on their candles that the wick that was chosen had a lot of mushrooming and a little bit of soot build up and no scent throw unless your nose was directly above the flame. Speaking of flame, the flame on these candles was high and had a wild burn, which can be a fire hazard.

Candle Exhibitor #2:

This exhibitor informed us that she handmade her candles as well, but honestly the candles appeared to be machine poured because every candle look the same and had no imperfections. When candles are handmade properly, there are imperfections that actually make the candle perfect because it gives it a unique design. With handmade candles no two are alike. My business associate was asking various questions to see if the soy wax was compatible with essential oils. This vendor kind off “skated” around the question and wasn’t too sure. We were offered a sample of the candle where I later tested the candle. This particular votive candle was actually made using palm wax and then burned all the way down in 2 hours. That’s the fastest burning candle I have ever seen. When this vendor found out that I was a candle maker, her eyes had gotten wide and at that point wanted to end the conversation. It’s interesting how one candle maker can be intimidated by another candle maker.

Candle Exhibitor #3:

Lastly, this exhibitor primarily advertised that their soy candles can also be used as body oil and that you can deep your finger in the candle while the candle is burning. Well, Kandle Indulgence highly suggests that you don’t put her finger or anything near and open flame serious injuries can occur. Yet again, my business associate asked the question concerning essential oils and/or what type of essential oils did their company use. She kept saying the fragrances come from flowers, but the question was what type of flowers, are these essential oils? Finally, after the exhibitor couldn’t fully explain the company’s product and was getting caught up in lies she basically said “I don’t know.” My question is “if you make the candles why wouldn’t the candle maker know where the fragrances come from and what type of fragrances is used?”

In the seven years that I’ve been making candles I have received positive and negative feedback always concerning the scent throw of my candles and I took those negative comments and turned into positive feedback by constantly studying and researching my product also doing a lot of testing. Although other research was conducted from other exhibitors the three mentioned above sums up the most important part of a business…know your products, business and to be honest to your consumers because you never know who you may meet.

Jameel Nolan
Kandle Indulgence Co.
Handmade and Custom Designed Gel & Soy Wax Candles

Website: http://www.kandleindulgence.com

“The Creativity is within You”

Most Comic Book Storage Boxes are super strong and come with sturdy well-fitting lids and handle holes that can be left in the closed position for storing or pushed open for carrying. They are properly sized to hold a comic in a bag with a backing board. Comic Book divider cards (used for categorizing) fit in most comic book boxes with the lid on. Comic Book Storage boxes ship flat which takes up less storage room and they fold together when you are ready to use them without glue or tape.

Storing your comics in a properly sized box helps protect your comics from corner and edge damage. Putting your comics in a comic box also protects the comic from being exposed to ultra-violet light and Ultra-violet light causes inks to fade. Most comic book boxes are made form either Corrugated Plastic or Corrugated Cardboard and come in several different lengths for your various storage and display needs.

Comic storage boxes do not need to be acid-free if you have your comics in bags.
For short tern storage the most popular material choice for comic storage boxes is corrugated cardboard. It is sturdy and reasonably priced. Corrugated plastic comic boxes are an excellent choice for long-term comic storage because the material is acid-free, water proof, vermin resistant and extremely strong. They are more expensive than the corrugated comic boxes, but the material properties of the plastic corrugated material make the extra cost worth the investment for long term archival comic storage.

Brought To You Courtesy www.aaa-collectables.com

Origami is a wonderful and elegant art. It has been developed and embraced over the past 2,000 years by young and old alike. Who would have ever thought that you could fold paper in such a way to make creations like:

Tigers

Dragons

Cranes

Swans

Cubes

Flowers (roses, orchids, tulips)

And there are so many more. I could not have possibly included all of the different patterns there are out there, but we included some of the most popular designs that would get you well on your way.

But, more important is the fact that we started at the bare bones basics and we ended up making some great creations. When you know the basics of any art form, the sky is truly the limit in your artistic ability.

Through the course of the book, I hope you found the information you were looking for, and there is still a little bit more to come. Following this is a glossary of origami terms so you always have a reference if you can’t remember some of the origami language that we have discussed in this book.

I have also included a list of many of the websites that I have used in creating this book. A variety of resources await you in your origami journey. Each one of them has something different to offer, whether it is advice or learning origami, a new and dynamic creation, or something else.

I have had a great time bringing you the information in this book on origami. I can only hope that you have learned what you need to know to springboard you to greater origami heights.

Keep on folding, and enjoying this ancient art, and pass it on to others like I have passed it on to you!

Best of luck!

Jeremy Hansen

Jeremy Hansen is a recognized expert on everything Origami and author of the book “Origami Secrets Revealed: Everything You Need To Know And More”. For more great information like this you can check out his website at http://www.m5info.com/origamisecrets.html

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that the stars who shine so brightly on cinematic screens are people just like the rest of us. We often think that their lives are so much more interesting and exciting than our own and that we have little or nothing in common with the Hollywood crowd.

Well, it may surprise you to know that at least some of today’s hottest stars enjoy perfectly normal leisure activities that we might acquaint more readily with something your grandmother enjoys doing.

I’m talking about crafts. More specifically, knitting and crocheting. These two activities are especially hot in recent years and Hollywood stars and other celebrities are certainly not immune to the lure of a relaxing evening spent with a crochet hook or knitting needles and a skein of yarn or two.

Indeed, some stars seem to be particularly captivated - some might even say addicted –by these old-time traditional activities. Julia Roberts, for example, is now well-known as a knitting enthusiast who loves to knit sweaters and was once photographed knitting on the set of a movie she was working on.

Other well-known knitters include Madonna, Sandra Bullock, Sarah Jessica Parker and Hilary Swank. Not to be left out, some well known celebrity men have decided that knitting is not just an activity for women. Tough-guy actor Russell Crowe and former NFL player Rosie Grier have made no secret of the fact that they enjoy it as well.

And who didn’t see the TV footage of Martha Stewart and her now-famous “Coming Home” poncho that she was wearing during her trip home to Connecticut after completion of her sentence at Alderson Federal Prison in West Virginia?

The poncho was reportedly crocheted especially for Martha by one of her fellow inmates and after it appeared on TV, it seemed every knit and crochet addict in the country had to have the pattern. There was so much demand for the pattern that it crashed the server that hosts Lion Brand’s web site soon after they posted a version of the pattern there.

And it’s not just celebrities that are knitting and crocheting in record numbers. Manufacturers of yarn and other craft supplies report that sales are way up in recent years. One of the best-known yarn manufacturers, Lion Brand, reports that their sales have doubled in the last year alone. Granted, celebrities have a lot of money, but still, I don’t believe they are solely responsible for Lion Brand’s recent success!

It’s hard to know just what may have triggered all the recent interest in these activities that have been around for so many years. Some believe that the terrible events on 9/11 have influenced people to focus more on home life and simple, more traditional activities. Others suggest that these activities are a nice contrast and welcome respite from lives that have become far too hectic in the wake of the new millennium.

Enthusiasts report that knitting or crocheting can be a very relaxing activity that also provides a nice sense of accomplishment upon the completion of a project. It’s also a great way to create gifts for friends of loves ones that have that personal touch - so much more so than something purchased at the shopping mall.

Some also cherish the traditional aspect of these activities and still harbor fond memories of a beloved relative that took the time to pass along a skill that has endured through countless generations. A skill that they intend to pass down to their children as well.

Whatever the motivation, there’s no question that these traditional activities are experiencing a revival of sorts. There are many possible explanations, however I suspect that speculation and statistics don’t interest these enthusiasts as keenly as their plan for the next project they intend to tackle just as soon as the finishing touches have been applied to the current project.

Randae Radford is webmaster for Learn Crochet Now, a producer of quality instructional videos that teach crochet.

Another important writing implement for scrapbooking is a wax pencil. Wax pencils are soft pencils designed to write on glass, plastic and photographs. These pencils are easy to draw with and can be used to color in portions of lettering, in borders, or to create accents.

The unique thing about wax pencils is that if they are used on the front of a photograph, the ink will rub off. However, when used on the back of a photograph, the ink will become permanent. Wax pencil ink is acid free and available in a variety of colors.

Stickers are fun and easy to stick to scrapbook pages. Stickers can be used for captions, thought bubbles, to hide mistakes, or as embellishments. Stickers of your child’s favorite cartoon or television program can add a personal accent to your scrapbook page.

However, not all stickers are suitable for scrapbooking. Check to see if the stickers are lignin free and acid free. Furthermore, be careful that the sticker adhesive does not dry out or seep around the edges. Never place a sticker on a photograph as the adhesive may cause irreversible damage to the photograph.

Rubber stamps dipped in acid free ink can be used to create various embellishments. Rubber stamps can be used to create cute images for children’s and grandparents scrapbooks. They can also be simple flowers or leaves to create elegant looks for gift scrapbooks.

Furthermore, these embellishments can be used to focus on a certain photograph or memento. Alternately, these embellishments can be used to soften the look of a busy or sharp image.

One low cost alternative to the rubber stamp is a cotton ball. This creates a shadowy effect.

Another alternative is to buy the pads and attach them to furniture castors. The thick caster allows you to position the stamp in exactly the right place. Moreover, attaching the stamp to a wider base allows you to press more evenly on the stamp. This creates a complete and evenly balanced stamp every time.

Mia LaCron is the founder of 101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - http://www.101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - devoted to helping individuals record, store, and preserve their most cherished memories via the art of scrapbooking.

According legend, first nested doll prototype appeared in Russia in the late 19th century (believed to be year 1890), it was figurine of bold headed old man, Buddhist sage by the name of Fukuruma, on the island of Honshu, Japan.

According Hakone Town Office, Japan, products such as “Shichifukujin” and “Irokawaridaruma” have been created from Junitamago. “Shichifukujin” was shipped to Russia at the end of the 19th century, becoming a folkcraft called Matryoshika, or a doll having children. It is thought that Russian missionaries from the Russian church which used to be in Tohnosawa visited Hakone for the summer and took “Junitamago” back to Russia as souvenirs. Let us explain what Shichifukujin mean.

According Japan sources -

Japan`s Shichifukujin–usually identified as Ebisu, Daikokuten, Bishamonten, Benzaiten, Fukurokuju, Jurojin, and Hotei–are traditionally believed to bring good fortune and happiness to people. The seven have long been depicted in painting, sculpture, song, and dance and began to be worshiped as a group several hundred years ago. The practice of making a meguri, or pilgrimage, to shrines and temples of all the Shichifukujin during the New Year season became popular during the Edo period (1603-1868). Shichifukujin Meguri are still popular everywhere in Japan–including the Fukagawa and Kameido districts of Tokyo`s Koto-ku.
But Russian nesting doll got another name and had a different meaning from the very beginning.

At the end of 19th century at Russia Children`s Education Workshop at Abramtzevo village near Moscow was established. Abramtzevo workshop started to produce dolls in traditional ethnic dress. That workshop collected dolls from all over the country and from countries abroad. Dolls series was designed to entertain childs and to give them knowledge of other ethnicities.

It is believed that Fukuruma doll inspired Russian artist S.V. Malyutin to produce first “Matrioshka” (nesting doll in Russian) doll.
But Russian doll was different from original Japanese one.
At Russia it became toy, game for childs, it depicted the chain of life, and got woman name.

It is the diminutive form of Matrona or Matriona. Therefore, Matroska, should be a feminine noun. “Matrona” is Bysantee and ancient Rome originated name, which means “well respected woman”.

Matrioshka appeared as synthesis of Buddhist sculpture, pre-Christian toys of Russia and Christian beliefs of 19th century.

Original, ancient Russian dolls was produced from solid piece of wood and depicted ancient - pre-Christian gods. That dolls was in fact, miniature ancient Indo-Iranian pagans, they depicted Horses, Cows, Birds, Humans.
Once Bysantee Empire style Christianity appeared in Russia at VIII-IX century, that type of dolls was transformed into wooden figures of animals and Heroes of fairy tales, cause ” pagan toys ” was not Ok to use anymore.
Russian Matrioshka produced from solid piece of wood too, but became nested, and depicts people, fairy tales heroes or animals - same as many centuries ago, but now - with Buddhist sence, nested.

Nested doll was very popular toy for childs cause it helps to develop motility of fingers, imagination, representation about the sizes and colors.

“Matrioshka” nested doll spelled differently outside Russia.
Exactly, According to the spelling mat + ros (as in albatross OR as in metros) + ka (as in Alaska) [m̀trɔ́skə, m̀tróuskə] According to the original Russian word ma as in machine; tro as in tr in try + Yo in New York, but shorter and narrower; ska as in sh in ship + ka in Alaska [mətrʲóʃkə] —-

Article provided by Russian nesting dolls internet shop: http://www.rus-sell.com