Harvesting Tomato Tips - Summer and Fall Harvesting

Do you know when to harvest tomatoes? Tomatoes should be firm and fully colored. They are of highest quality when they ripen on the vine and daily summer temperatures average about 75°F.

Do you know what to do when it gets really hot or when it gets close to a frost? When the temperatures are 90°F or higher, the softening process is begins at a high rate of speed and color development stops, reducing the quality of your fruit. For this reason, you should pick your tomatoes every day or two harvesting the fruits when their color has started to develop and ripen them further indoors between 70 and 75°F.

On the day before a killing freeze is expected, harvest all green mature fruit that is desired for later use in the fall. If you wrap the tomatoes individually in newspaper and store at 60 to 65°F, they will continue to ripen slowly over the next several weeks. Whole plants can be uprooted and hung in sheltered locations, where fruit continues to ripen. You can also place them in a window sill or set them on the counter. I have even made green tomato relish that is to die for.

As a reminder, don't box them and forget them. I have done that before and it isn't a pretty sight. Just don't forget about your tomatoes sitting in a box in another room.

Another thing you can do is to let them quickly ripen inside and then freeze them. Don't wash them or pick off the stems. Just put them in a plastic grocery sack and put them in the freezer. When you have the opportunity, you can use them to can different items or to cook with.

How to Cash in From Scrap Copper Metal

As an important material in the automobiles, electrical devices and mobile phones industry, copper is unarguably one of the most in demand and valuable metals today. Given this, even scrap copper metal is indeed a business with potential especially now that the resources of such metal are scarcer. This is how to make money out of scrap copper metal.

First, you have to have sufficient resources of scrap copper. Create your own scrap yard and collect scrap metals from different sources. As a commonly used metal, copper can be found on myriad of places. It is available on household fittings, pipes and plumbing fixtures.

Also, your own home can be a good source of copper. Relinquish copper from most of your unused or damaged electrical appliances like television, microwave ovens, and air conditioners. Copper is also common in household decorative items like chandelier, and candle holders. You can also recover scrap copper from kettles, pots and automobiles. So, if they are of no use, don't just let this wealth sit at home!

Electrical wirings are the most popular source for copper wires which also can be sold at a good price. Stripping these wires using wire cutters and utility knife can be a boring and time consuming task. However, by incorporating this task in your daily activities like watching television, you are surely adding a little fun to your money-making task.

Roaming around your village can also be a good way to find scrap copper metal. While others consider these items a mess, they are likely to be more than happy for you to haul away these things.

Be friendly to machine shop owners, local contractors, electricians, plumbers and other establishments that deal with metals. Collecting metal scraps from them on a regular basis would help as it would mean a stable metal scrap source. Never forget also to inform the people in your locality by putting up sign boards on different areas. Putting your own bins on different locations is also a nice option to increase your products.

Then, sort these metals according to its type. Prices vary depending on the type and quality of your scrap metals.

Knowing the better price for your scrap copper metal is the most important factor in this business. Doing a research on the internet would help as there are websites providing relevant information with regard to copper prices. You can also call different local junk yards or recycling plants as they are the most accessible dropping centers that pay for these materials. Obtaining knowledge as to the fair price of copper metal scraps would allow you to maximize your income.

Buying a Shredder - What to Ask

Looking for a shredder? Here are some things to keep an eye out for.

1.What is the Shred Pattern? The first thing you will want to take into consideration when you are buying a shredder is the pattern into which it cuts the documents that it is fed. In the world of paper shredding, there are two basic shred patterns: strip cut and cross cut. In almost all cases it is highly recommended that if given the choice, you opt for going with a cross cut shredder. To put it simply, cross cut shredding means that your confidential documents will be reduced to confetti-like shreds, and thus offers you a much higher level of security than a strip cut machine, as documents that have been shred in a strip cut pattern are much easier to piece together.

Cross cut machines are no more expensive than their strip cut brothers, and these days, the difference in overall sheet capacity is less than what it has been in years past, making the choice of a cross cut shredder almost a no brainer.

2.What is the Capacity? This will depend on what you intend to use your shredder for and how often you plan on using it. If you are looking for a shredder for your home or small office, the standard these days seems to be somewhere between six to eight sheets at a time. For larger office use you can find machines that can shred upwards of 25 sheets at a time, and that can be used on a continuous basis. The latter is something important to consider, as the vast majority of shredders are meant to be used intermittently rather than continuously throughout the day. If you overuse a shredder, it may shut down for a time to prevent itself from overheating and damaging the motor. You can find a shredder's run time if you dig into its specs a little bit. A continuous use shredder will almost certainly use that fact as one of its main selling points.

3.What Does it Shred? Paper, of course, but what else? There are a growing number of shredders on the market that shred compact discs (confidential information comes in many forms these days) and credit cards. If you have the need to discard these items on a regular basis, this is definitely something you may want to look into. Also, there is no reason these days to settle for a shredder that doesn't handle staples and paper clips.

4.Is it Safe? Shredders utilize steel cutting heads that are razor sharp and intended to last for a lifetime, so it is always fair to ask what safety precautions a manufacturer has put in place. Most paper slots are far too small for fingers to get caught in, but one of the better brands has a sensor at the feed opening that detects hands that are too close and stops the machine automatically. Others use electronically controlled shields that keep foreign objects like ties and laces free from the cutting heads. There is no real way of determining which safety system is better than another. It is a choice you will have to research and decide for yourself.

Some Essential Supplies For Scrapbooking

With scrapbooking becoming such a craze there is no dearth of scrapbooking supplies and you will be inundated with the various items in the market to facilitate your scrapbooking experience. You should follow some basic rules in the beginning. We bring you some scrapbooking supplies.

Album

As you know albums come in various sizes you should choose the one that is best suited for your purpose. Usually a 12 x 12 inch album is good enough for your pictures and journals and you can choose the smaller sized albums for making mini ones. There are 3 types of albums. The post-bound ones allow your pages to lie flat without any separation between the pages. With the 3 ring albums you can rearrange your pages easily and also add new pages. The strap-bound has a strap hinge that is expandable and can be opened like a notebook.

Pencils and Pens

These are one of the scrapbooking supplies required for writing journals. You should choose pencils which are of archival quality which would not fade and are also waterproof. You can choose pens from among the 50 differing colors including opaque ones. You will get pens that give you the embossing effect or a 3D look.

Kits

Among the scrapbooking supplies available there various tools for your convenience such as the embossing and distressing kits and tag makers and many more such items. These tools help to give a personal look to your scrapbooks.

Use of Stencils and Templates

To draw and cut precise shapes and for alphabet lettering you need the help of stencils and templates which are mandatory scrapbooking supplies. You need to be careful in choosing clear templates for the proper alignment and the colored ones will make your designs stand out as they are different from that of the scrapbook color.

Paper

You need to choose acid free paper so that your documents last longer. The use of paper and cardstock is for adding color to your work, and helping in the setting of the theme and tone of the layout. They emphasize the areas that need to be focused.

Storing

Storing your work is a very vital point as carelessness can lead to damage of your property. You need to protect your supplies from damage caused by water and fading caused due to exposure to the sun.

Punches and Paper Cutters

The punches and paper cutters are an integral part of scrapbooking supplies as they are meant for beautifying your pages by giving round or scalloped edges. The punches help you to cut different shapes also, and these shapes of different colors create a wonderful amalgamation.

Decorations

The decorative items that you can use to make your pages beautiful and unique are buttons, charms, alphabet tiles, paper flowers, ribbons, stamps, eyelets, stickers, tags, sequins and several others. The use of these decorative items adds glamor to your scrapbook.

An Interesting Craft - Stamping

Stamping is a technique in arts and craft wherein an object, mostly a rubber stamp with some pattern on it, is pressed into ink and then pressed onto something like a sheet of paper so that the pattern on the stamp is conveyed to the paper. At first stamping was used mostly in business offices for stamping logos and addresses onto documents but more recently stamping has become an art form to itself and stamps are now made in countless intricate designs and used to decorate things. Stamping can really add another dimension to different crafts when they are placed properly. For example paper flowers made from tissue paper can be made more elegant and classy by stamping patterns onto the tissue paper you will use to make the flowers. You can additionally use the stamps to decorate sections of the flowers after they have been made.

Rubber stamping is moreover a good method of unifying various items. If for instance you are using two different items or two different colors for wedding favors, you can use a rubber stamp to decorate them and unify them so that they don't seem to be disjointed and disconnected. Stamping is additionally a good way of personalizing your wedding invitations, thank you cards, etc.

There are so many things that can be done with stamping to give different effects; other than using various designs you can use dark paper and light ink to do the stamping. The contrast is really outstanding and effective and looks very pleasing.

Stamping is additionally useful for themed events and various seasons; you can use stamps to appropriately decorate different items for Christmas parties, 4th of July, Halloween and various other holiday events. Stamping is additionally useful for baby showers, bridal parties, birthday parties, etc. Regular items and decorations can be made far more appropriate and effective by using a rubber stamp to decorate them.

Using various types and colors of dyes can give a whole new dimension to your craft stamping. Combining the stamping method with other elements can additionally be quite effective. You can use chalk, inks, paints, fibers and a variety of other decorations to enhance your different crafts.

You can make your own stamps if you are so inclined, out of the kind of gum used to make erasers, or you can purchase the stamps you need from a variety of stores; be sure to purchase a variety of patterns and sizes so that you can experiment with many different designs. If you want a stamp for one time use and wish to place your own design into it, you can carve the designs you desire into a potato and use it as your stamp.

Stamping is a very good way of keeping children occupied and teaching them a useful new skill that they can use to improve their own artwork and projects. Experiment with different mediums; rather than using just paper for your stamping you can also use cloth, or woodblocks.

Baby Scrapbook Ideas For You and Baby

Everyone knows that a scrapbook is a way for you to document your child's life and show off his many accomplishments but how do you make the scrapbooks appealing and exciting without spending a fortune?

I have spent the last 2 years going through 6 years of pictures and getting them all scrap booked so now I feel a little bit of an expert on the subject. Throughout those 2 years money wasn't always readily available, especially when trying to do 6 years worth so I had to get creative and it turned out great. Some of my favorite pages are ones I didn't spend money on. So what do you use?

You probably have a few pictures of your son in just a diaper or getting change or something of that nature. So I took those pictures and put them on dried out wipes cut the wipes to frame the picture nicely and had an instant hit, total expense: Nothing. Okay maybe just a few pennies for each wipe put I already had plenty of those on had.

After I had my baby shower or bought clothes I would keep any tag that had a cute little picture or world's like "Baby" "fun" or anything I thought I might use. Then I would use them to decorate my pages. I have one page that has on the top a tag that says "Baby's World" and then it has 2 picture of giraffes from tags on it.

I also loads of pictures of my son eating so with those I put a little spoon on the page, and used one of his old bibs to frame a picture. I used band aids and gauze on a page where we had pictures of his first goose bump right on his head. He also tore up a book of his so we used picture from that and cut out some of the words and pasted it on a page of him holding various books.

One last note is to cover a page in pictures. I took all of my favorite faces of him cut them out and then pasted them all to one page. It was really heavy but it looks adorable.

Making a Scrapbook is a Great Way to Treasure Your Memories

Most of us have shoe boxes or plastic bins filled with photos from the years of our lives. If we are lucky, we have managed to sort the boxes into various years or decades, and there is some semblance of order to these memories. Amid the photos may be ticket stubs, greeting cards, and various trinkets that we want to remember but we are not quite shore how to organize. Imagine leaving this legacy to your children. They would spend days sorting through the boxes trying to order the material, piecing together a life they want to understand, but just cannot get a grip on when it is stored in a box. Chances are there are photos of people they will not recognize, curious pictures of events they do not recall, and questions about why certain items were saved and others were not. Maybe you have saved all of your graduation cards but none from birthdays or anniversaries. Maybe you kept the ticket stub from the first baseball game you ever attended but did not save a wedding program. Your kids and grandkids deserve to understand your way of thinking and why you held on to certain things. A scrapbook is a great way to help them understand once you are no longer here to explain it. Compiling one now can be a lot of fun and it organizes your memories before it is too late.

You may want to ask your children or grandchildren for assistance. They may remember stories now they can share that can be included in the scrapbook and they can read about them in years to come. Maybe last Christmas was the best ever for your six year old granddaughter. She can share those memories with you, you can write them down in a scrapbook besides the family Christmas photos, and 20 years from now she will remember the day as told in her own words.

You can also document the time before you had children and grandchildren. Start with your earliest photos and label the people in each picture. You can include stories about your relationship with each person, or include a message directly from them if they are still in your life. Future generations will appreciate the effort you made to inform them and share their heritage with them. There may be stories you forget to share when you are alive, or these stories may not capture the interest of surly teenage grandchildren. However, a few decades into the future they will be fascinated with the time and effort put into chronically their family history. You can create a scrapbook for each member of the family so they can share them and piece together their common history, or you can create all-encompassing books with copied photos. Do not forget to include things other than photos in these books. Scraps of paper, swatches of fabric, important documents, and family recipes all make great additions to traditional scrapbooks. Your relatives will truly appreciate your effort in documenting the family history.

Mother's Day Crafts For Toddlers - Easy Bookmark Mother's Day Craft For Toddlers

Finding an easy mother's day craft for toddlers is not always that easy. I know that most people consider making bookmarks rather boring but, we must keep in mind that the toddlers probably haven't made any yet, so for them, making a bookmark for mom is new. This easy bookmark craft is also a fun way to teach the little ones what happens when different colors are mixed.

Remember, this craft for toddlers needs to be done under adult supervision and the little ones will need help with some of the steps.

This is what you will need for this mother's day craft:

A small piece of white poster paper
A decorative pair of craft scissors (called zigzag scissors by some)
4 Colors of thin watercolors (you can find watercolors powder to make these at any crafts store)
A medicine dropper
Thin ribbon in a color of your choice
A punch to make a hole for the ribbon

Method for this mother's day craft:

With your decorative scissors cut a piece of your poster paper to the required size for a bookmark. (Bookmarks do not always have to be the well known size, I have a very pretty one that my granddaughter made that is quite big and it is beautiful. A bigger bookmark also gives you more space to work with.)
Now you have to splatter a little bit of clean water on your bookmark. (Not too much because we do not want the bookmark to become too soggy!)
Draw one of the colors, of your paint, up into the medicine dropper and drip the paint on different places on the bookmark.
Wash the medicine dropper and repeat the procedure with the other the other three colors.
You will notice that the colors will flow a little and where they mix the colors will change depending on the colors you used. For the little ones it may be a good idea to use the primary colors.
Keep an eye on the kids so that they do not get over exited and use too much water and paint, as the bookmark will then become very soggy and the end result will not be satisfactory.
Let your bookmark dry completely.
Punch a hole in the bottom of the bookmark and thread the ribbon through the hole.
Make a not in the ribbon to keep it in place.

Kids really love doing crafts that can be used in some way. With this mother's day craft for toddlers they make a gift for mom that she will be able to use for many, many years to come. I hope you and your toddler will enjoy this easy mother's day craft for toddlers.

Scrapbook Defintions

Acid-free: Means the product has a pH of 7 or higher. Acid is a chemical used to make paper. This makes the paper break down easily. The higher the pH in the paper, the more durable the paper is. If the paper you are using contains acid, it can discolor, damage, and deteriorate your photos.

Adhesive: Glues or tapes that hold items together. Adhesives come in different forms, including, tabs, glue sticks, double stick tape, and glue dots. Some adhesives are removable to allow you to reposition them.

Archival quality: This term is used to describe the quality of the paper or material. This insures the product you are using will not discolor or disintegrate over time.

Buffering: This process is used in adding calcium carbonate to neutralize acids. Paper that has been buffered contains alkaline filler. This will protect the paper from absorbing acids in the future.

Cropping: To crop a photo, means to cut out the elements you do not wish to display. This will take away any distractions from your subject. There are several ways to crop your photos. The most common way is to use a straight edge. This can be achieved with a paper cutter or scissors.

Die Cuts: Die cuts are paper cut outs used to enhance your scrapbook pages. They come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. You can purchase die cuts in a craft store or other retail stores. You can customize your own die cuts using a die cut machine.

Emboss: A technique used to create a raised image on paper. Heat and powder embossing are the two most popular ways to emboss.

Journaling: This can be used to document your feelings, memories, or tell a story about the photo you are displaying. It can be as simple as writing the names and dates of the event in your scrapbook.

Inking: This is a technique to use to create a different type of image on your scrapbook pages. Inking can also give an antique or weathered look to your page.

Lignin-free: Paper that is lignin-free will not disintegrate or become brittle over time. You should use paper that is acid-free and lignin-free in your scrapbook.

Mat: To frame a photo with paper so there is a layer between the photo and the background. Cardstock is used in this process. You can use printed or plain background paper. Use a color that stands out in your photo.

Mylar: Mylar is a protective covering to use for your scrapbook photos.

Page Protector: A page protector is a plastic cover to insert your pages into. This can be removed to design your scrapbook page and replaced once it is done.

pH: pH is the amount of acid your paper contains. The pH in scrapbook paper should be at least 7. The higher the number is the lower the acid amount.

Photo safe: This label is used on products that are safe for scrapbooks. This term is used to indicate acid-free and lignin-free products.

PVC free: PVC stands for Polyvinyl chloride, a plastic used in sheet protectors. Scrapbooking products should be PVC free.

Templates: Templates come in acrylic or plastic sheets with cut out shapes. They can be used to crop photos or too cut your cardstock into the shape you desire.

Was Chicago Smarter than San Diego?

In 1997, I visited America's First City of Architecture for the first time, to meet my future in-laws before I married their daughter. Visiting Chicago during a warm spring, I felt like Ferris Bueller; in one single day we went to a White Sox game, visited the Art Institute, checked out the modern public art downtown and capped off my own personal Day Off with a nightcap at Buddy Guy's Southside blues club. I was and continue to be amazed at the rich architectural history in Chicago. Following the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, leading architects from the Midwest flocked to Chicago to rebuild and become the "City that Can". From Sullivan and Adler's Auditorium Building (1889) to Sullivan's Carson Pirie Scott and Co. (1904), the modern Monadnock Building (Burham & Root, 1891), some of America's greatest buildings were being built as well as a new and unique residential architecture genre that rose from the flat Prairie landscape - the Prairie School, led by Walter Burley Griffin, George Elmslie, Marion Mahony, William Purcell and of course, arguably one of America's greatest artists, Frank Lloyd Wright. But, there was another type of building being constructed during this time, the humble bungalow - a brick one and one-half story house that became known as the Chicago Bungalow. Between 1900 and 1930, the Chicago Bungalow with their detailed windows, stone work, pitched roofs, sheltered entrances and neat lawns become the dominant style of homes for thousands in the outer neighborhoods. The Chicago Bungalow also addressed issues raised by progressive and social reformers of the time, such as Jane Addams, regarding the unsanitary, threatening and appalling conditions of the late 19th century Victorian housing.

Janet and I stay with her sister and family in historic Edison Park, at their Northside 1920s Chicago Bungalow with original art glass, woodwork and fireplace, whenever we visit the "Windy City". We always take time to visit "heritage tourism" places during our stay, such as Frank Lloyd Wright's piece de resistance Prairie School, 1908 Frederick C. Robie House; the Wright Home & Studio in Oak Park; Wright's poured concrete Unity Temple (1905) and H.H. Richardson's Glessner House (1887). We love to drive around and view the wonderful homes in Oak Park, Hyde Park, River Forest and Riverside. This past holiday season, we took a three hour bus tour on a beautiful Saturday to Hyde Park, the Gold Coast, Mies van der Rohe's IIT campus and saw many historic districts and toured the interior of the Rookery in the Loop. We also took a self-guided walking tour during an unseasonably warm day to tour the Old Edgebrook Historic District.

Whenever we travel to Chicago, I wonder why they have so many more bungalows than we do here in San Diego. Nearly everywhere you drive you see older buildings and homes. There are over 100,000 bungalows in Chicago or about one-third of their housing stock in the city of Chicago. Contrast this with less than five percent of our housing stock. While San Diego is an older city than Chicago (1769 vs. 1837), we grew at a much slower rate, mostly because Chicago quickly became a center of commerce owing to its strategic location on the great waterways of America. But, what happened to all of our bungalows? San Diego was once home to thousands of bungalows throughout Bankers' Hill, Golden Hill, Hillcrest, Loma Portal, Mission Hills, North Park, Sherman Heights, South Park, University Heights, not to mention Chula Vista, Coronado, Escondido, La Jolla, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside and other older county communities. Who are we to blame for the loss of our bungalows and our cultural history? While housing styles changed after World War Two, bungalows became outdated as returning GIs and their families moved to new communities north of I-8. In the 1960s and 70s poor planning destroyed whole blocks with "Huffman Six-Packs" and other unfortunate housing development in the older parts of San Diego. Developers demolished older homes left and right in the name of making a quick buck or new homeowners moved into town without a sense of history or place. Isn't California a place of starting over, beginning anew?

So, was Chicago smarter than we were after WW2 and during the especially destructive years of the 1960s and 70s? Were San Diego developers more powerful and connected to the good-old-boys running City Hall? A few years ago, I picked up a wonderful book about Richard Nickel titled "They All Fall Down, Richard Nickel's Struggle to Save America's Architecture". Nickel was a photographer and preservationist who in the 1950's and 1960's tried to save Louis Sullivan buildings as Mayor Richard J. Daley was tearing them down in the name of Urban Renewal. Chicago lost a lot of great architectural treasures, from the humble bungalows to important Sullivan and Wright buildings such as the Garrick Theater. The book is a fascinating account of Nickel's attempt to document Sullivan buildings with incredible black and white photography and also documents his struggle to save important Sullivan artifacts while buildings were being demolished. Tragically, Nickel died while salvaging ornament from Sullivan's landmark Chicago Stock Exchange Building in 1972.

Maybe Chicago was no different from San Diego. Chicago also lost a lot of great buildings as well as bungalows because of the failure of planners, developers, real estate agents, politicians and homeowners who didn't want grandma's old bungalow and whose vision didn't include the soul of a city or the history of individual neighborhoods. Simply put, there are more bungalows in Chicago today because they started out with more. However, I do think that Chicago now appreciates their heritage more openly than we do. Their civic leaders came to realize the importance of historic buildings and homes. Chicago has 34 historic districts and they have identified over 17,300 historic properties. San Diego has only seven residential historic districts and most of these (Grant Hill, Pueblo Ribera in La Jolla, Shirley Ann and Talmadge are very small - some with only eight to ten homes in their entire district). It might be argued that Chicago has had more vision than we have. The battles that we are fighting in preservation have largely already been fought and won there. Mayor Richard M. Daley, grew up in a Southside Chicago Bungalow and started the Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative in 2000 to preserve ALL Chicago Bungalows (www.chicagobungalow.org) - a program that includes education, marketing and financing to preserve the thousands of Chicago Bungalows still standing.

Meanwhile, the City of San Diego and Historic Resources Board believes that OUR bungalows can be torn-down because we have too many. Too many?! We don't have enough! Do San Diegans believe that a San Diego bungalow that has deferred maintenance has no redeeming value and can be demolished for something Big and New and Modern? Do San Diegans believe that a San Diego bungalow does not contribute to the vision of the City of Villages - despite the fact that OUR bungalows were built as part of trolley-car suburbs and were the "smart growth" communities that current plans aspire to? Our bungalows are being sacrificed TODAY as they were in years past by our civic leaders and city planners at a time when a lot of people desire living in these simple, yet dignified homes. Bungalows are made out of 200 year old wood; old growth timber (now a rarity) as well as an incredible craftsmanship also gone and we honor the materials and craftsmanship of these talented people by preserving EVERY bungalow today. Yes, it seems that Chicago's politicians; city planners and developers were and ARE smarter than ours!

Every humble bungalow lost strikes our soul, slowly chips away at our past, our history and our legacy. We are losing our collective past, home by home. Someday people will have to travel to historic districts just to view a bungalow. Historic districts will become de facto house museums unless we as a society learn that every bungalow is special we will end up with nothing but generic cookie cutter mass-produced houses that get mowed down every thirty years to make room for the newest model. We must all step up to the plate. For your next home, consider buying a bungalow, research it, have it historically designated, mobilize your community by forming a historic district, educate your real estate agent about the value of older homes, support political candidates who understand preservation. There is too much at stake for you to sit on the sidelines and watch the gradual loss of our history. We must elect leaders who listen and care about the quality of life in the community. We must demand that our mayor appoint leaders who respect the history and character of our communities from the Planning Commission, the Historic Resources Board and Development Services. Until such time, Chicago will continue to be smarter than we are.

Creating Digital Scrapbooking Layouts - Resizing Your Photos

If you are new to creating digital scrapbooking layouts, there are a few skills you will want to master early on. One of these is: How Do I Resize a Digital Photograph to fit the digital template I've chosen?

Let's look at a typical scenario:

A new mom has taken tons of pictures of her child (what new mother doesn't?)
She loves scrapbooking, and wants to create a mini-album with digital layouts featuring several small photos, or just part-photos, on each page.
She plans to use mostly head shots, and the standard 6x4s are too large for use on her page.
She wants to be able to print the multi-photo page(s) as a part of her mini-album.
She already has Photoshop Elements, but you'd follow the same overall process for most photo-editing software.

First, Open a Blank Canvas, then

Define the size and resolution of the page (250-300 dpi should give a good result when printing the page)
Choose RGB color mode, unless you want a monochrome grayscale finish
Set background color to transparent
You now have a canvas and are ready to start scrapbooking

Side Note: I find the checkered background you see (when color is set to transparent) makes it very easy to align photos and embellishments.

In PhotoShop each part of your design will be placed on a separate layer and you can adjust how far forward an item is by moving it up and down the layers.

Next, Open the Photo File to be resized.

There are now several options to resize your photo:

Simply make the whole photo larger or smaller.
Crop to a section of the photograph, thereby removing all that extra sky or foreground, then sizing the cropped image to what you need.
Use a mask which is an easy way to create identically sized photographs in a multi-photo layout.
1. Resize your whole Photograph:

Go to Image, resize, image size
in the 'Document size' section select your units (inches, mm, cm, pixels, etc) and enter the width or height you want
you will want a resolution of 250-300 dpi to get good printing results
2. Crop a Section of the Photo:

Select the crop tool and define the area to be kept
Drag the crop 'window' around your photo to make the best selection
Side Note: if you want several photos exactly the same size in a layout I recommend using one of the fixed options instead of the freehand ones.

3. Use a Mask to Reveal only the Part of your Photos You Want to Display:

This is a technique I wish I'd learned about much earlier in my journey into Digital Scrapbooking...

Create a new layer and select the Marquee Tool

Select the size you want (choose from freehand, fixed ratio, or fixed size options)
if you chose either the fixed ratio or freehand option:

Draw your mask shape on the new layer while holding down the left button on your mouse;
If you chose the fixed size option: (good when you want multiple images the same size)

Click on your new layer, and the fixed size you've chosen will appear in outline with the 'marching ants'
Whichever style you used, the next stage is to

Select the Paint Bucket Tool and fill the shape with color (just so that its easier to see while you are working)
Now you have a photo mask layer ready for use in your current project. You can also duplicate the layer for as many photos as you plan to use.

Place your photo on the layer above the photo mask, and clip the two layers together.

You can still move your photo to select the best part, and you can grab a corner to adjust the size.

Do this for each photo until you have all you need for your digital scrapbooking layouts.

3 Tips How to Improve Workspace at Home

Beautiful workspace enhances your creativity, helps to find unique ideas without a stress. Thus, design of personal, home workspace is now the issue that interior designers pay attention to. To be beautiful and work enhancing the workspace should be:

1. Unique
One unique element (modern sculpture, lamp, sophisticated plant or designer glass table) can improve the character of the space. Instead of traditional partition screen consider mounting in front of your desk, behind the computer screen, some original, artistic saturated color and futuristic shape item or glass wall illuminated by special lighting with changeable color variants. There are many opportunities. It is proved that visual contact with aesthetically attractive object during the work can enhance your creativity and stimulates you to effort.

2. Comfortable
Comfortable seats or sofa that you can take a break on are essential accessories in your workspace. To be more efficient you need to find a moment for relax and the best way to do it is to refresh the tired mind with a short nap - this is where elegant, eye catching sofa and seats come in. If you invite your clients or partners to your home office, need to ensure the meeting space. It can be part of the interior separated from the rest with some fantastic work of art or mosaic glass wall. The coffee table is the focal point during your meetings. Thus, according to the rule "attractive interior design enhances the efficiency"choose this item carefully to be tailored to whole interior design. For the cabinet in traditional style wooden, decorated coffee table is suitable, in the modern one - glass coffee table work really well.

3. Useful
Usability is crucial and essential feature of home cabinets. The arrangement of your workspace needs to ensure you the order and easy access to all stuff that you need. Limit the number of items in the cabinet to necessary minimum: books, bookmarks, files should be ordered alphabetically and topically (exact directories are great solution if you keep a lot of documents in your home office).

Buying Antiques Online - What You Need to Know to Get Started

Before you buy a treasure online, there are a few basics that you need to know. From eBay to uBid.com to Yahoo! Auctions, their numbers are growing, and are becoming a more common venue for buyers of everything from vinyl collectibles to dining rooms. The good news is that prices on online auctions can often be quite reasonable. But, there are a few things you'll want to consider before buying.

Accuracy

Keep in mind that many online auctions simply post merchandise as described by the seller. They do not verify the accuracy of the item, that the merchandise actually exists or even guarantee that the seller will follow through with the sale.

Good Buys Online

Online auctions are a gold mine for collectible buyers. You can search for the manufacturer, colour and/or style number. Before online auctions, antique hunters would have to scour high and low for their favourite item and often end up paying a high price because the item was rare. Now with online auctions, the scarcity of collectibles is reduced when you can search, for example, a Royal Doulton, Sara figurine and see that there are currently 23 available for auction. It brings the price down of these items - great news for buyers.

Check Seller Feedback

Feedback sections are common feature on online auction. This is the place on the auction website where buyers can check the reputation of the seller. Moreover, previous buyers can post their comments on their experience with a seller. It's a good indicator as to whether the seller is an individual you would feel comfortable doing business with but, even a spotless record for a seller doesn't mean that your experience will go as smoothly.

Get Contact Info

Make sure you have the name, address and phone number for the seller so that you can follow-up by phone or mail if email isn't working as a communication vehicle. You can also use the old-fashioned phone call to help you. Give the seller a call if you have a more complex question; it may also help with your comfort level in completing a transaction once you and the seller have spoken.

Additional Charges

There are no actual fees charged to buyers at online auctions. All fees associated with an online auction are the responsibility of the seller. However, you will incur additional charges: shipping, handling, insurance, customs (if the seller is in another country), and sometimes PST and GST from Canadian sellers.

Know the Return Policy

Before you complete a transaction, read and understand the return policy. If you don't like the return policy, don't bid on it.

Payment methods

Avoid cash payments because if there is a dispute, there is no paper trail to document how much you paid. Credit card payments through PayPal, a secure third party company, are a very common payment method. Credit card payments protect both the buyer and seller if there is a dispute.

Insurance & Escrow

Don't skimp on buying insurance. It protects you up to a preset amount but there are limitations with any insurance. Escrow services are widespread and a good idea for higher ticket purchases.

Unhappy with your Purchase

There are a few avenues of recourse if you are unhappy. First, contact the seller immediately by email and/or phone to clarify the problem. If this doesn't happen or is unsuccessful, you can leave negative feedback, contact the online auction house as they will likely have a dispute resolution process or contact the police if you feel fraud is involved.

10 Great Ideas For How to Use Your Kodak Photo Printers

Kodak photo printers are not only great performers in printing but have also achieved remarkable customer appraisal in photo printing. Kodak photo printers include special features for photo printing larger image displays, memory card readers without PC, 4 inches x 6 inches paper trays, creative effects for colored borders and functions for editing like red eye removal system.

o Kodak Easy Share Photo Printers

* These work with Kodak easy share digital cameras and picture bridge- enables digital cameras

* Print real Kodak pictures with or without your computer

* Give you water proof and stain resistance photographs

o Kodak All-in-one Photo Printers

* Print, copy, scan and fax in some models

* Transfer photos from most memory cards to your PC for viewing or printing

* High resolution (4.1 inches) for photo cropping

* Prints easily from most memory cards

* Automatic document feeder (35 pages) making fax, scan and copy easier.

1. Develop your photographs yourself: in such an advanced age when there are photo printers available in the market it is extremely easy and wise to fulfill your photo developing needs yourself. All you need is a digital camera and a photo printer and what else do you need if you have a Kodak photo printer. Viola!

2. Create scrapbooks or simply maintain your documents: there are so many documents lying around in your home which you want to save and put in order at one place like birth certificates, diplomas, childhood photographs etc. why not scan them and put them in your computer. Also scan older documents like old family photographs, edit them in photo editor and save you memories. Also create scrapbooks of your favorite moments with superb picture quality. You can edit the photographs; add borders, stencils, text or graphics, and simply print.

3. Make your own labels or stickers: thinking of buying labels for you burned CDs or DVDs. Why not create your own with a Kodak photo printer. You only have to get plain label sheets or twill tape and by adding your own graphics and text you can easily design labels and stickers.

4. Make invitation and announcement cards yourself: you can design your own invitation or announcement cards using soft ware like Microsoft publisher or Apple iPhoto and take prints on your Kodak photo printer. You only have to buy superior quality paper for this purpose. Also design envelopes and labels for writing addresses.

5. Design your clothes: you must be thinking that how can one design clothes with a printer. But you can! Just buy iron-on paper. Create designs on your computer and take prints. Iron it onto your t- shirt, cloth bag, cushions tapestry or any other thing. Act trendy!

6. Make your own wrapping sheets: why not start making wrapping sheets for yourself. Create new designs on the computer print on a good quality paper with Kodak photo printer.

7. Make decorative stuff for special events: you can create decorative things and add your own embellishments for events like Halloween, Christmas or your child's birthday. Design paper flowers, cartoon characters or colored paper buntings for the Christmas tree on the computer and print them with Kodak photo printer.

8. Make customized postcards or book marks: create postcards with your own photography of the beautiful scenes that you have captured with Kodak photo printer. You can also design bookmarks with different graphics and give them to your friends and family.

9. Make the childish dreams come true: if your child dreams of being a doctor or an astronaut then make his dreams real by pasting his photograph into an astronaut's costume on the adobe Photoshop.

10. Edit your photographs in a way that you could never imagine: is there someone missing in your family photograph. Make it perfect by editing in the adobe Photoshop and printing with the Kodak photo printer.

Digital Scrapbooking Basics - Setting Up Your Document

From understanding resolution to what color mode to use, this tutorial walks you step-by-step on how to set up a document to start a new digital scrapbook layout.

The most common sizes for a digital scrapbook page are 12" x 12", 8" x 8" or 6" x 6". I like starting with a 12" x 12" page because I can always decrease the document to a smaller size later if I want. Remember that you never want to increase a document size after it's created because it will not look good and you'll be disappointed with the results.

I am using Photoshop Elements to describe the steps in this article but the instructions given here will apply to just about any digital imaging software. So to start, navigate the mouse cursor to select File => New => Blank file to open the dialog box for creating a new digital scrapbooking page.

The first thing we want to do is fairly intuitive and that is giving it a name. So enter whatever you'll remember easily into the name field.

Setting the Resolution

Now let's talk about resolution a bit. To set the resolution correctly, we need to know if we are going to print this digital page. The minimal resolution for good print quality is 200 and most people choose 300 as a standard resolution. A higher resolution contains more color information thus producing a better quality print.

Notice that increasing the resolution also increases the size of the image. So if I set the resolution to 72 pixels per inch, which is sufficient quality for images viewed on display screens, the image size is 2.14 MB. By upping the resolution to 200 PPI, the image size is now 16.5 MB. And taking the resolution up to 300 PPI makes the image size jump to 37.1 MB. (MB stands for megabytes and each megabyte is just over a thousand bytes of information.) And this is still a blank image file! Adding photos, embellishments, textures, backgrounds, brushes and text will swell the image size even more so don't be surprised at how large your document becomes as you add more and more digital scrapbook elements.

Setting the Color Mode

The next thing we want to set is the color mode. The three selections to choose from are Bitmap, Grayscale and RGB Color. Bitmap is not the greatest color mode to select and I never use it. Grayscale describes an image where black, white and all the gray tones in between comprise the entire color palette of the image. You can experiment with these two as you wish, but for now RGB Color is the selection we want to make.

RGB is an acronym for Red, Green and Blue and refers to the method in which these three primary colors are combined to create a broad array of colors. The RGB method is the primary basis on how your digital camera takes photos and it's also the way most of your scanners, televisions, computer monitors and LED screens work. I recommend you work in RGB Color most of the time.

Setting the Background Contents

The last item to select is the Background Contents and the choices are White, Background Color, and Transparent. Some people get confused by what background color is. Looking at your color selection palette, you will see two small colored squares representing the current settings of the foreground and background colors. The background color is the little square that sits slightly behind and slightly overlapped by the square representing the foreground color. If you have already selected the color that you want to be your background color, then you should select Background Color as your background contents. I personally prefer working on a transparent background myself.

Now click okay and your new blank page is ready for you to start adding photos and whatever other elements you choose to design your digital scrapbook page layout.

What Is Involved In Making An Offer On A Home?

A purchase offer is a written document submitted by a prospective home buyer to the seller of a residential property. This legal document is executed once an individual is bent on purchasing the home he or she would like to live in or would like to have as an investment. But the process only begins there as negotiations between the seller and the buyer will still be involved to make sure that every detail is to their liking.

When a homebuyer has set his or her eyes on a certain property, he or she may work with a real estate agent and fill up a purchase offer form or make one themselves that will be based according to their terms and conditions. If a buyer doesn't want to get an agent, he or she should consult with a real estate lawyer on this matter.

In the U.S., real estate laws vary from state to state hence, it is advisable that a buyer check out the standard form in his state. Learning about this legal form beforehand is the right thing to do as it will help one understand the items that need to be specified in the document.

In writing a purchase offer, one of the important things a buyer needs to include are the fixtures that he or she wants to stay or get rid of in his future home. Specifically, the fixtures here refer to the things that are attached permanently to a residential property such as kitchen cabinets as well as heating and cooling systems. A house listed with a multiple listing agency would usually state what items the seller wants to sell with his or her house. If there are decorative items that a potential buyer would like to stay, then it should be noted in the offer. Other items that might be included are the outdoor storage buildings, windows, light fixtures and garage door openers.

A purchase offer must be based on the property's present condition and the items that a buyer expects to be included or rid of. After a seller reviews the offer to purchase, the negotiation between the two parties starts.

Of course, a seller may not totally agree with the buyer's terms and conditions upon receiving the first offer. He or she may just cross out some of the items not amenable to his terms and should put his initial on the changes. Otherwise, if a seller disagrees with the whole offer, he or she may propose a counter offer.

Apart from the fixtures, other items in the offer that may involve some haggling are the purchase price, the party responsible for paying the closing costs, the closing date and delivery of title and the date the seller needs to move out from the property.

Several counter offers can be exchanged during negotiations but the final contract can only be reached once both parties agree to the modifications in the offer and put them in writing. When the document is signed by the seller and the buyer, the purchase offer becomes legal.

Organize Your Warehouse Today

We've all seen it before-the messy, unorganized warehouse with boxes seemingly stacked to the ceiling and all sorts of odds and ends just lying around. It's one of those things that doesn't seem like a big deal until orders start shipping late because you simply can't find the right product. While this may be an extreme case of disorganization, it's also not far from the truth with some businesses out there. The answer may be new metal shelving to hold and organize the inventory your business holds. And because metal shelving is created using roll form equipment, is can be custom built to whatever specification you need. Even if you're not carrying inventory, metal shelving can be put to good use. It can help organize workstations, act as storage space for old documents, or function as a holding area for equipment that needs to be shipped out to branch offices. The flexibility and customization of metal shelving means it's the right answer for all of these situations.

Metal shelves are just one of the products that can be created using metal forming techniques, and it's also one that can be used in a commercial or residential setting. Sure, you're more likely to see metal shelving in the aforementioned warehouse or in a setting like a body shop. But you also may see someone put metal shelving in their garage at home, especially if they like to work on old cars in their spare time, or if they have a lot of heavy items that they need to store seasonally. There are also those that like to have the best of everything, and metal shelves lining the walls of their home's unfinished basement is sure to get some oohs and ahs with the neighbors when they're getting the nickel tour of the house. It might be a bit of overkill in a residential setting, but it's certainly not unheard of.

Most of the time, however, you're likely to see metal shelving in an industrial setting. The combination of durability and scalability is just too much to pass up for many business owners. Since the bending machines that create the shelves can make the same piece over and over, shelves can be produced that can fit side-by-side or on top of each other. The result is shelving space that can grow with your business. If you need more room, simply build up or out on the shelving you already have in place. It's an easy option for those that don't know where their business is going to go in the next few years. And that description fits just about every business owner out there.

Cricut Expression Ideas

Having trouble coming up with your next scrapbooking project idea? Today, there are thousands and thousands of Cricut Expression Ideas to choose from. Whether you are looking for custom made shapes and designs or delicately made crafts and decorations, the Expressions cutting machine can provide you with what you need. Opening the doors to almost any scrapbooking and art making ventures with the latest innovations in as fast as 10 minutes, these die cutting machines are truly a scrappers best friend. You save time and energy while at the same time you get a unique and distinct Cricut idea for you own personal use.

The Cricut Expression machine is made specifically to fulfill the cravings of paper craft fanatics, young and old alike. Whether it is about classic designs or modern day art craft ideas, this machine can cope up with whatever are the needs and preferences of its owner. If you have run out of art and decoration ideas, then the Expressions machine will provide you with the ideas that you need in a flash. All you have to do is to push the create design button and in just seconds you will have your very own project idea exclusively for you own utilization.

With your very own Expression machine, you will have virtually an unlimited amount of different kinds of detailed designs, art crafts and custom made words. Even bigger projects and different kinds of paper stock are available to you with this newer more powerful cutting machine. Whatever your personal tastes and liking are, this amazing little cutting bug will surely be able to give you not just what you need but what you want. Do not stress yourself with thinking of new ideas on what to make on your new arts and crafts helper. Let the Cricut Expression machine with its virtually unlimited potential for amazing scrapbooking ideas do the designing for you.

Tips to Help People and Save the Earth Too

In an ever changing fashion world, people these days are getting rather choosy on what they want from their clothes and accessories. No longer do they want things that are made from animal products that were purloined from dubious sources. Rather, they want to know that the skins or other additives were derived from properly kept animals etc. Handmade bags and leather journals are two such items that are made from sustainable resources so the 'greens' can have the best of both worlds.

For example, with the diary, the skin used is derived from cruelty free sources where the animal is kept in a decent fashion for meat and other such products. The skin is only a by product of this style of farming so should fit into the criteria demanded from those who abhor cruelty to animals. On the other hand, the purses made from these skins also fit into the same criteria making the lady who loves to be in fashion a supporter of animal rights without really knowing it.

Some companies will exploit the native workforce making them work long hours in bad conditions for just a few dollars a week. But other companies have come up with a scheme whereby the artisan gets a decent living wage while producing great fashionable goods which sell at good prices. When the customer purchases these goods they can relax in the knowledge that they did not support a sweat shop style operation. Indeed, their dollars will help to support not only the worker and his family, but also the community in which he lives because these companies have several ways of helping the majority in the village type setting.

They may, through careful consideration, be able to put in boreholes so that the whole village can get access to clean water; sustain farming projects so that there is no longer a shortage of affordable food; or underpin a schooling project for the children of the workers to be able to gain the knowledge that will get them out of poverty once and for all.

Once all of this good work is conveyed to the consumer, they are far more likely to only purchase goods that have come from such great but humble beginnings.

But it is not only purses and diaries that these clever and talented artisans can make. All kinds of goods are produced by people who have been trained for generations to produce high quality, innovative and beautiful pieces of work which the public will adore.

Puzzle boxes made in three D format to fox the mind and confuse the recipient, or beautifully crafted earring stands where the lady of the house can keep her collection of jewelry safe and in a decorative form. Many other kinds of artistic innovations which will brighten any home are also available and for every piece purchased, some artisan or his children will benefit. What better way to support those less well off and have something beautiful to look at all at the same time?

Cutting Back on Expenses? 5 Tips That Will Have Unexpected Results

The economy's tightening and you are cutting back and looking for things to do on the cheap at home. Hey! Maybe some "family value" activities might inspire you now? At a time when we are staying home more, cutting back on expenses and holding our breath about how society is going, here are some ideas to help you get grounded:

o Focus on your family... you'll find putting together your family history very compelling! This can be a free form writing download if your able... or use a genealogy website.
o Scrapbooking will help you focus on something happy and long lasting. This can be frilly and decorative or if you want archival, cheap and quick, try page protectors (they are archival) from your favorite office supply store and a notebook binder of your choice.
o Organizing your family history stuff, memorabilia will give you a huge sense of accomplishment (inexpensive plastic no frills containers can be bought at warehouse stores)
o How about submitting your immediate family's genealogy to an archive? Family Search is a good one.
o Prepare your family for the future. Emergency preparedness, disaster planning will make you feel as good as money in the bank.

So, here are five unexpected results you never thought family history projects would help you:

o What's peace of mind worth? Haskins promises you, "If you will do even one of these tips, you'll save yourself much heartache later." Do something for your peace of mind. Be prepared.
o Feel connected to family through genealogy. This can be easy and very satisfying.
o It's funny how some extra long term food storage in the garage or pantry feels like money in the bank. That's a stable, secure feeling.
o If you are prepared and an emergency situation arises, the above preparation could save you $10,000's in damage! This is not an exaggeration.
o Family will come together in ways you've never imagined. You'll open dialogs with your kids and relatives and connect like you haven't in years.

Take CV Writing Help to Create Your Own Professional CV

Nowadays, writing a professional CV includes much more than just listing your experiences. Therefore, in order to get the most desirable job with a successful career, creating a professional CV is essential. Every day, the recruiters go through thousands of job applications and select those CVs that are presented in a more professional way, hence, to get noticed and get the call for interview; a professional resume is the best way.

It is said that a professional employee is the one who acts with integrity, understand the job responsibilities, communicate well with efficiency and are willing to adapt to the organization's work environment. The professional CV is just like the professional employees; the resume has to properly convey all the characteristics that can help you land the job you're looking for.

In order to make a professional CV, you have to do some research work and doing the research work to find the best CV writing service can be a time consuming task. In that case, taking the help of a professional CV writer with many years of experience can give you a professional resume.

Though many people go for cheapest services as they find them appealing but remember one thing that it's not about the cost but the quality of your CV that matters the most. Your CV reflects much about you and your efficiency towards your job. Hence, always go for the best CV writing service irrespective of the cost. But also remember that highest price doesn't always necessarily guarantee quality.

If you want you can also write CV by your own. There are many people who make their resume by their own and give them a professional touch. In order to create a professional CV, you can see resume examples on internet such as sample CV and their CV templates.

For more effective results, see the professional resume format that will give you an idea of creating professional CV. Creating curriculum vitae writing is not a difficult task and anybody with good writing skills can make it effectively.

CV is an important formal document and therefore, in order to make a professional CV there are certain important things that needs to be considered. While creating a professional CV, one should always avoid making it decorative with loud fonts and images.

Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors should be strictly taken care of, as it may put a very bad impression on the interviewer. Always try to write your CV in a easy and readable manner. Depending on the position you are applying for; select the appropriate format for your CV that matches with your skills and experience.

Moreover, having different CV writings for different jobs and positions for which you are applying is another important factor to notice. For this, you can find lots of CV examples and CV templates over internet. CV samples are available online which can help you to create an effective CV that best fit in with your job requirements.

Printed Share Certificates - Are They Required Or A Waste?

This may be a surprise to a lot of people, but those fancy pre-printed share certificates that incorporation services and many legal publishing companies try to sell you are not legally required under modern corporate law.

If you don't believe me, check out what the Florida Corporation Laws have to say:

607.0626 Shares without certificates.--

(1) Unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide otherwise, the board of directors of a corporation may authorize the issue of some or all of the shares of any or all of its classes or series without certificates. The authorization does not affect shares already represented by certificates until they are surrendered to the corporation.

If you want to simplify your incorporation process and save some money on startup, you can resolve in your organizational actions to authorize issuing shares without certificates. You can also issue "paper shares" which are basically printed off your computer to evidence share ownership. The paper shares can include all the same information that is included on the pre-printed share certificates and can be sealed by the signature of the Secretary and President; just like you would seal an official share certificate. If properly authorized, paper shares have the same legal significance as pre-printed shares.

The document package that we offer take this approach. The organizational actions include an authorization for paper shares. The formation documents include paper shares that look very much like an official share certificate but without the printed eagles or whatever other decorative markings that you will find on the pre-printed certificates. This is perfectly legal and has the same significance as the fancier looking certificates.

Substance over form will save you quite a bit of money when you are looking at starting a new business. For other unnecessary items that are often offered by incorporation services and legal publishing companies, see my previous articles on Corporate Seals and Official Corporate Record Books.

A Little History on Bird Watching

The question of when bird watching or birding was officially considered a past time, hobby, or sport is hard to answer. No one really knows the true date that birding was defined, but many believe it to be around 1968. This isn't just a lucky guess; it's believed to have become an actual past time in 1968 due to the first known birding publication was produced in that year. This publication was called The Bird Watcher's Digest and could be describes as more of a newsletter than anything. There were only about 5 pages of literature, but it was the first official document of a bird watching nature. This new literature was founded by the "American Bird Watchers Association" or the ABA as they deemed themselves. With this newly proclaimed association quickly came America's official interest in bird watching.

Once the American Bird Watchers Association was established so was a membership status. You could buy a years' membership for the nominal fee of $3.00. So what did this newly found literature encompass for the sport of bird watching? For the first time in publication, there was a publication not only providing documentation about birds, but also listing the rules for this new found sport. In 1969 the title changed from The Bird Watcher's Digest to simply Birding as became the popular term for bird watching, and is still in print today. The magazine prints and distributes their issues every other month to their readers.

As more issues were published the official guidelines for birding were defined. Also in 1969 it was proposed that the ABA that originally stood for the American Bird Watchers Association be changed to the American Birding Association. By the end of that year there were already 128 members participating in the ABA as well as newly appointed officers in the organization. Between the ABA and the Birding publication, birding was becoming a popular sport. With the rising popularity would also bring a change in both the publication as well as the organization.

In the short period of three years the publication was ready to take on a more professional appearance to the bird watching world. Birding was made into a more journal like publication in 1971 and no longer took on the appearance of the mere newsletter form that it originated from. The new publication gave readers a variety of articles to read. There was a total expansion on pieces that delved into the true art of birding, no more were there just species lists and opinion pieces, but true reporting pieces that brought a new form of excitement.

The July/August edition of Birding in 1973 brought quite a buzz to the birding community. It was the first issue to have pictures printed in the publication. It was also the first issue to report on the first convention held by the ABA in Kenmare, North Dakota. The edition printed in July/August help define many of the new aspects of the ABA such as their checklist report, newly elected leaders of the ABA, and the newly ratified laws of the ABA. This new issue was popular for many reasons and was a wealth of information to the birding community that was quickly growing in number. The ABA's membership had grown from their original 128 members in 1969 to 1,872 in 1974, a difference of 1744 in as little as five years.

The 1970's brought some evident changes to both Birding and the ABA. In 1976 for the first time since the first 5 page publication in 1968, Birding printed a publication that was 400 pages; a vast different from its meager beginnings. Also, the ABA recognized their second president, Arnold Small. In 1977 the cover of Birding began to take on a different appearance, printing beautiful covers that awed many bird enthusiasts. There was also a bit of disturbance in the birding community between east coast versus west coast. It seems that many were annoyed with the Californian birding styles that were constantly being praised.

From its beginnings in 1968 to 1988 Birding had gotten behind schedule in its publications as well as harder to understand. It was up to Editor Paul Lehman to bring the journal back to its origins and back on track. He focused on making the magazine easier to understand for readers and outlined a number of focal points to expand on. In 1989 Lehman made good on his commitment and came out with a very different looking magazine that boasted a completely new layout. Lehman helped take the magazine back to being the true form of communication for the birding community.

In 1992 the ABA focused on the demographics of their member. They soon realized that a majority of its members were over 40, as a whole, they were getting older. Alarmed with the statistics, they focused on gaining a younger demographic by offering reduced membership as well as youth camps. They realized that without some sort of change, the sport of birding could begin to dwindle. Although membership was up to 10,200 active members, the concern of gaining young birders was still an issue for the ABA community.

It being 2007, almost four decades have passed since the first publication of The Bird Watcher's Digest¸ now known as Birding. The hopes of the ABA have been recognized, and the art of birding is rapidly growing among North America and Canada. As many have been taking notice, with growth also comes change. The new birders don't necessarily hold on to the same ideals as the older generations of birders. The new generation is also more focused on the newly emerging technology that many old timers might shrug away from. The Birding magazine is also feeling the impact of the new generation due to their updated staffing crew. Change is in the air both in the ABA community as well as Birding publications, but change is not always a bad thing, with change comes a new opportunity for all of those in the birding community

Fall Maintenance - Timing is Everything

Well, here we are again at the change of another season, and how welcome it is! For me, fall is a time of reflection and thanksgiving, and as Christmas draws near a time for family and friends.

On the Outer Banks, fall is typically a time anticipated by anglers worldwide. For homeowners however, fall is the time to plan your improvements and execute your maintenance program in preparation for the upcoming summer rental season. What? You don't have a maintenance program!

As you may already know, the Outer Banks is an area that may try your patience when it comes to getting required maintenance work done (or any other work for that matter). There seems to be a relaxed work ethic by the standards of many, which translates into unreturned phone calls and eventually frustration on the part of anyone wanting a certain task performed.

This area also has definite cycles in the way construction and maintenance is performed, all of which revolves around the upcoming rental season. Consequently, if you intend to wait until March or April to get estimates on the exterior or repaint that you need to have done it may be too late to have a professional job performed! I mention "professional" only because this area is saturated with unprofessional painters. You may want to review some previous articles for the gaggle of reasons not to use these folks!

Consider using a painting company that offers a maintenance program. Dealing with fewer contractors leaves less room for errors and should provide you with more personalized service.

Cost effectiveness is always the goal with planning and with any representative that you choose to manage your property. You'll be surprised how versatile a professional painting contractor can be in the scope of services they may offer! This can be a welcome addition to the services offered by your rental company and in most cases provide you with a much more complete and professional interior and exterior maintenance package.

With any job there is a logical starting point, and with yearly maintenance, exterior cleaning and power washing will provide great "bang for your buck". For instance, you should find that it may be difficult to know what even needs to be painted until some of the ocean gook, mildew, and spider webs have been cleaned from the siding, trim and soffits.

Once these have been cleaned, you can begin prioritizing what needs to be done in order of importance, in accordance with your budget. Often, cleaning is all that is needed to make the outside of your property look fresh and suitable for guests, but certainly this process makes other problems readily evident.

While cleaning the house your professional may notice rotten siding, missing roof shingles, bad caulking, peeling paint, broken windows, and a myriad of other potential problems. This is the best time to have these problems reported to you so that they can be dealt with. They need to be on the top of your "to do" list. While these items may seem minor, they can lead to more costly repairs if ignored.

Because rotten siding is often a problem, a good professional painting contractor should have the ability to replace it before a paint job is performed. Peeling paint is a problem that can be addressed improperly and may become a recurring issue if this happens.

Peeling paint is often an issue that is addressed improperly and can be a recurring issue if this occurs. Peeling paint is very frustrating to homeowners who may spend money year after year only to have this not corrected. Power washing alone is not enough to resolve this issue.

The proper preparation in this case is to chemically treat all affected areas to kill any mildew growing in the bare wood crevices, accompanied with power washing to remove any loose paint. After this dries out, there will be lifting of the adjacent painted surface which you must then mechanically strip or hand scraped to remove any additional peeling. Feather sanding will round out this prep and is needed to reduce the bad appearance of scraped areas.

In the case where cedar shakes are peeling, these shakes must be completely stripped to guarantee that no peeling will occur in the future as shake shingles are much thinner than lap siding and are much more susceptible to thermal shock as the siding expands and contracts with the temperature changes.

Please take a suggestion from someone who knows: when dealing with peeling paint, do not skimp on preparation as you will be disappointed with the results! Peeling paint can however be put off until later if your budget does not allow for the complete and proper repairs. A professional painting contractor can serve you well in the maintenance arena and take some of the hassle out of your exterior chores.

We're not finished yet; we still have to address the interior of your home! The most misunderstood issue that we address each year on the interior of homes is in the area of touch-up versus repainting.

You should understand that unless you know the exact product and color that was used in the painting of your interior, it's not likely that you'll be able to touch-up. With interior touch-up, the end result should be that you cannot see where touch-up was performed. Most people don't know that one paint line will not touch-up another.

For example, if you were to purchase a contractor grade flat paint in basic white (no tinting at all) and tried to touch-up your original top of the line flat white, you will be able to see where you touched up because of the difference in sheen, rather than the difference in color. Most homeowners find this unacceptable but you may be able to live with this.

All is not lost if you don't know what product or color you have in your home. With a bit of work a professional may be able to get you close enough to meet your approval with a bit of work. Your contractor could remove a sample from inside a closet and have the paint store match color and sheen close enough to satisfy you, but very often repainting is the only solution to the most discriminating customer.

Be sure that when repainting the contractor leaves you with some touch-up paint marked to show where each color was used and also includes a document detailing products and colors in case the touch-up paint freezes or is lost.

You may also want to discuss with your contractor which finish best meets your needs and where to use them. There are a variety of finishes to choose from: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss. Each finish has its own unique benefits and draw backs. For example, if you are renting your home during the summer and find that each year or two your walls need to be touched up, you may want to consider using flat paint for all the walls.

While flat paint doesn't offer scrubability, it is easily touched-up, and is the most cost effective solution. I don't recommend using eggshell or satin on walls in a rental property: when you try to scrub a flaw from a wall coated with these finished you will burnish the surface. In other words, you will leave a shiny spot on the wall that most people find unacceptable.

Flat paint is usually the least expensive material in relation to the other finishes, and is the least expensive to apply, requiring two coats for coverage. It offers the ability to hide minor flaws in drywall surfaces and is the easiest to touch-up. All other finishes (eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and gloss) are considered enamels.

A common misunderstanding with homeowners is that eggshell is a paint color; eggshell is actually a sheen level. It is the least glossy of the enamels and is most used as an upgrade from flat paint. Enamels offer varying degrees of resistance to moisture and scuffing, but do not touch-up easily and often cannot be scrubbed without burnishing.

Often, when trying to touch-up enamels, a painter must paint entire walls or paint to breaking points to avoid being able to see differences in sheen. Each successive coat makes the surface shinier than the original and is very obvious when everything is dry. Homeowners usually find this objectionable and unacceptable.

However, if you do not rent your property, these enamels are often a great upgrade considering that homeowners will work a bit harder to prevent scuffing than say, a renter!

Semi-gloss paints are commonly used in bathrooms and kitchens due to their resistance to moisture. Gloss paints are usually reserved for trim work and offer a high degree of resistance to fingerprints and moisture. A consultation with a professional will help you determine which is best for you given your requirements and should be very helpful in determining which method and finish best suits your individual needs.

See how versatile a professional painting contractor can be in regards to your maintenance plan? They can provide you with more personalized service than you might get using several contractors for a number of small jobs. It just makes a good sense to use as few contractors as possible to achieve your goals, and is more cost-efficient. Who knows, you might even get your phone call returned! But remember, timing is everything, so don't wait - call now.

Document and Photo Preservation

Do you have a lot of old pictures or documents? Are you a genealogist? Do you hold photos that no one else has of your family? Taking your precious old documents and storing them folded in a box is not a good way to preserve them for future generations.

Are you the repository, for old information, in your family? If you have been successful in finding old documents and photos you need to go the extra mile now and get them preserved. You can spend a lot of money in this preservation process, or you can do things a little simpler. Either way you will be saving these original documents for future generations. If you are interested in the process keep in mind that you may be the only family member who is.

If you have come across old certificates that have been folded, open them very slowly and lay them down flat on a clean surface. Do not refold them. If any pieces fall off of the paper, do not tape them back on or throw them out, just leave them with the document. Take several pictures of it. If the paper is not so fragile, put it on a scanner and scan it into your computer. Make certain your hands are clean, or wear white cotton gloves when handling old paper. Contact a custom framer who knows how to preserve old documents. Framing is the best way to keep dust off and prevent mold from growing on the paper. You do not need to use expensive framing, it is the preservation that is important. The framer will use archival safe materials and seal the dust out.

Photos can be easy to scan if they are loose. If they are in a frame, once again take them to an archival framer. The photo may be stuck to the glass and removing it may damage the photo. Scan the photo along with the frame, and also take pictures of the photo prior to removing it. If you prefer to not reframe, be sure to keep this original in an archival box and store in a cool dark place.

Like any works of art, it is important to keep them out of direct sunlight. Hanging documents in a hallway is the best way to prevent damage from the sun. Preserving documents and photos may seem expensive, but it isn't going to get any cheaper. If you aren't willing to do it, it may not ever be done.

The Eight Steps to Scrapbooking Nirvana

Late in life, I set out on a quest to discover the secrets of scrapbooking. Many before had tried to convince me of their wisdom and experience, but it all sounded like veiled sales pitches: "Buy kits. Buy stickers. Go digital." But what was the true, pure path to enlightenment?

At last I found her. Wizened with adhesives. Anointed with paper cuts. Peaceful in spirit and rich with memories. I asked; "What is your secret to making scrapbooks filled with the essence of life?" She smiled, flicked some glitter from her nose, and replied: "My child, you must embrace the Eight Steps to Scrapbooking Nirvana..." And she began...

First step: Organize your memories. Start with your photos. It may be just you, but even better with family or friends. Label acid-free sorting boxes for each theme in your life; family, friends, babies, vacations, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, achievements and other precious events. Focus on the moments you want to remember, share and preserve. As you sort, mark the dates and names on the backs of the photos with a photo-safe pen. Abhor the ballpoint. Along with the photos, capture the ephemera of life; the cards and notes, drawings, documents, certificates, awards, newspaper clippings, tickets - even jewelry or locks of hair. Remember - anything you can hold in your hand can be scanned into a computer.

Second step: Organize your space. Find a table where half-finished pages can be left undisturbed. Create a simple, accessible storage system for your tools, your glues and tapes, your paper materials, your embellishments. Categorize your rubber stamps and ink pads. Store markers and blender pens horizontally. Invest in good lighting.

Third Step: Envision a single memory. Jot down your top-of-mind reactions in terms of colors and textures, meaningful items, elements from nature. Think about the sounds and smells and feelings. Examine the photos from that event - who is there? What are they wearing? What is in the background? What happened before and after? How can my page be an extension of not just what the event looked like, but what it meant to be there? Remember: This can be a family activity.

Fourth Step: Journal from your heart. A scrapbook is a diary of life, and your story is told in pictures and words. Journaling is the difference between a scrapbook and a photo album. Think about your great-great-grandchild finding this in the attic someday. What would you want your scrapbook to say? Write the who, what, when, where and why of each memory, narrated in your unique voice. Don't forget the magic of laughter or the power of an evocative heading.

Fifth Step: Map it out. It may be a single page. It may be an entire album. Sketch your visual ideas, always considering the focus of each page; the connections between the photos and your journaling; leading the reader's eye; creating emphasis through size, color or technique; headlines; embellishments. Trust your design preferences. Like white space? Use it. Wild colors excite you? Get wild. Be influenced by what others have done, the techniques and products you want to try, but don't lose sight of the story you want to tell. Use copies of photos and scraps of actual materials if it helps you. Always remember: Coloring, resizing, cropping and silhouetting can be the ultimate makeovers for the average photo.

Sixth Step: Gather ye stuff. Make copies of your photos and protect your originals - mistakes happen. Select your papers, adhesives (archival, of course), cutting implements, and decorative elements. If you must, put what you have in a zip-lock bag and hasten to the craft store to choose the right details. Have everything close at hand. Do not run with scissors.

Seventh Step: Bring your page together. Cut your papers and materials. Lay out your elements according to your sketch. Leave space for hand-writing your journaling, or print or rubber-stamp your words. Keep your hands off the glue until you have staged your page, closed your eyes for 10 seconds while repeating "I've never seen this before," and then viewing it again with new eyes. You'll probably move some things around.

Eigth Step: Finishing touches. If your project was a single page, add the final embellishments: embossing; antiquing; buttons, bows, grommets, lace, stitching or anything that adds a touch of whimsy or nostalgia. Always ask: Is everything here a part of my story? and, Just how heavy and busy should this page be? Your final reckoning will come with your cover binding, so keep your ambitions practical as well as meaningful.

With those words, this wise, wise woman picked up a photo of a tiny, newborn baby. With a glistening eye and a tremble in her hand she said, "Someday he will be a man and begin to contemplate his past and how he came to be. Let him find his answers in a scrapbooked story lovingly told and masterfully presented, and he too may choose to follow the Eight Steps to Scrapbooking Nirvana for his child." She closed her eyes. Her voice became a murmur. "Unless, of course... acid..." And she began to snore.

Bible Story Crafts For Kids - Light of the World Kids Craft

Children will enjoy the connection made in this craft between the loving glow of candlelight and the Light that it symbolizes. This is one of the really popular Bible Story Crafts for Kids because it is about God's light and it is reminding the children that they too have this light and to let it shine. Candles aren't always among the easy kids crafts, but this one is an easy to make candle holder. And children will be so proud of making their own lights to shine.

The memory verse from the Sermon on the Mount can be added to the candle as well: "Ye are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

The "salt of the Earth" from the scripture lesson may also be tied into this craft with the glitter symbolizing the salt. Scripture: Matthew 5

Supplies for each Candle

Small to medium, wide mouthed jar such as a baby food or salsa jar

White glitter

Gift-wrap, tissue paper (assorted colors)

White craft glue

Small piece of sponge (around 1/2 to 1 inch square)

Clothespin

Tea candle or votive candle (depending on size of jar)

Ribbon

Prep

Cut ribbons for each of the children's candles. Write the memory verse, or the beginning of it "Ye are the Light of the World," on the ribbon where it can be read after tied around the neck of the jar. Set aside, so children can add them after their candles are completed.

Instructions

Tear or cut small pieces of the tissue paper.

Since the glue will be used with a decoupage sort of technique, thin it first by mixing in a plastic cup (such as a yogurt container) with a little water.

Clip the piece of sponge with a clothespin.

Using the "sponge brush," cover the outside of the jar with the thinned glue.

Before glue dries, cover this with bits of colored tissue paper. Keep the tissue paper layering thin so that the light shines through well.

While the tissue paper is still wet with the glue, roll the jar in a plate of glitter.
Salt could be used instead, but in areas of high humidity it may eventually dissolve.

Add the candle, light and enjoy. Or send the children home to light the candles with their families.

Get more exiting Bible Story Crafts For Kids at Bible Crafts For Kids

How to Make Meetings Not Suck

Have you ever noticed that most meetings are a waste of time? Not just the idle chatter, or the time spent waiting for attendees who are late, but the fact that they take longer than 20 minutes and fill your day with more noise, little of it relevant to your focus?

Here's a handy guide for how to cure the Boardroom Blues, especially if you're the one leading the meeting!

The Assumptions:

Meetings shouldn't be planned for more than 20 minutes.

Meetings should be used for conversations that advance results, for decision-making, and for relationship-building.

They should not be used for disseminating information that can easily be disseminated in another medium.

They should not be used for report-outs of information that is not relevant to all parties in the room.

The only people invited to a meeting should be those who have some value to add or something to contribute to the agenda and purpose of the meeting.

What to do before, during and after a meeting

Before the meeting, make sure the topics on the agenda are going to be relevant to everyone in the room. Determine the agenda ahead of time and send it to everyone. Invite them to add or clarify something to the agenda so that the attendees have some say in what is going to be talked about. They should be part of the decision making.

During the meeting, engage your audience and stay away from "death by PowerPoint." I don't think it's effectively used the way most use it. It needs to engage the right side of the brain to be more effective. You don't just want to put up visual data. Maybe add an image with it to back up what you are saying. The key is balancing the left and right side of the brain to keep your audience intrigued.

To make sure there is order in your meeting you can use a Native American tradition which is a "talking stick." This is a decorative stick and whoever has the stick gets to talk. Sometimes, the introverts get drowned out by the extroverts, so a stick helps balance this out. Some of the best ideas come from the quietest person because they're integrating everyone's ideas and making it all come together. Remember the basic rule is to respect everyone in a meeting.

After the meeting there should be action items and timelines of who's going to do what by when that will help determine the bigger picture. When a meeting is done really well you don't have to allocate positions. People will start volunteering for jobs as the energy of the room is moved in the direction of what the goal is. It's a matter of knowing who is going to do what when.

Following up is key after jobs are allocated. If someone signs up to do something it's up to them to follow through with their assignment and if they haven't completed their task, what's their counteroffer?

90 percent of meetings don't have to happen. But, engaging your audience is easy of they have a compelling reason for being there and have had the opportunity to contribute to the agenda ahead of time. It all goes back to respecting their time and making sure everyone understands the focus of the meeting. Your attendees only check out if they're accustomed to hour-long meetings and they've trained themselves to only listen to what applies to them. Keep the meetings short and to the point to be most effective.

DO'S

1. Stick to the agenda, especially if other people have contributed to your agenda

2. Listen to your people, be more of a listener than a speaker

3. Look for ways to eliminate unnecessary meetings

4. Check to see that you can be respectful of other peoples time

5. Be clear in your communication

6. Be purposeful and thoughtful

7. Acknowledge and recognize people who are doing a good job

8. Honor the time of the meeting if you come plan a 1 hour meeting and you're finished in 30 minutes, don't try to fill up time. End the meeting. Don't expect people to stay late if the meeting is planned for 20 minutes and runs over, honor their time as important.

DON'T'S

1. Don't hog all the airtime yourself

2. Don't reprimand anyone in front of the group

3. Don't use your blackberry or get on twitter

4. Don't plan a useless meeting, use an e-mail to get the information to everyone instead

5. Don't do the opposite of any of the do's listed above

Signet Rings Have Significance Today

The word "signet" is derived from the Latin word "signum," meaning "sign." Since the beginning of writing, personal seals, or signs, have been placed on documents to identify the writer and assure authenticity. Worn by nobility, a signet ring was carved into a semiprecious stone such as agate, or engraved into metal using the intaglio method to create a reverse image of the desired picture. Some signet rings were cast in metal, but they were inferior and not as detailed.

The noble would press his ring into a drop of wax to seal shut a document, or even press his ring into the paper to create embossing, like a notary public does today. Generally, the image on the ring was a coat of arms, a zodiac sign, or an image to match the personality of the wearer, like a lion.

In Europe the rings were commissioned by nobility and created by artists. Therefore, they were works of art, often made of gold and very much valued for their beauty as well as for their material value. Sometimes they were even embellished with designs and calligraphy on the side to add to the appearance. The rings were guarded and treasured by the owner, and passed on to successive generations in much the same way that a crown would be passed on to a prince or princess. They were a symbol of authority and power, indicating that the owner had the right to bear arms (the crest or shield) in medieval Europe. The Pope's ring was kissed to honor the supreme authority of the position, and when a Pope died, his ring was destroyed to symbolize the clearing of the way for a new Pope.

Even today, much tradition surrounds the signet ring. Depending on the country, the ring is worn as a symbolic gesture by nobles on a certain finger and a certain hand. French, German, and some Spanish nobles wear it on the ring finger of their left hands. The Swiss wear signets on the right hand, and nobles of the United Kingdom wear them on the little finger of the left hand. Of course, it is worn with the impressing outward to enable the wearer to turn his hand over and press it into the wax.

In olden times, a signet ring was a way of doing daily business, and was necessary to authenticate and protect documents when the only way of transferring them was through couriers. Although many noble European families still have rings, they are not used much today except for very formal traditional occasions.

Signet rings have led to the tradition of school rings, often with the symbols or crest of the school placed on top of a stone set in a gold ring. The year of graduation is often incorporated into side decoration, and although not used as a sealing device, it indicates a membership in the school or as a souvenir.

Signet or class rings continue to be a popular item to commemorate graduation from high school. Each fall when the ring vendor appears at school to take orders, there is much excitement among the students as they choose their customized piece of jewelry to keep memories of this important time of their lives.