End of June Music

True stories or tall tales; your decide. Ballots of life & living, nonetheless, and as refreshing as summertime music and songs around the campfires @ End of June Music!

The Total Lawn Experience

The Total Lawn Experience There are many types of signs, but one of the most popular is yard signs. Typically yard signs represent something personal such as an opinion or statement or even at times they may be an advertisement. We see these signs almost everywhere and everyday wherever we go.

The most popular of all of the yard signs are political signs. Many people use political signs to voice opinions about their candidate and their beliefs. It is also a ploy to influence your vote. They do this by just simply placing a sign in their yard so when you drive by you can see their sign. You may not even consciously think about what you are seeing but if you see enough of the same signs they will be imprinted in your subconscious.

Other advertising yard signs are meant more to inform than sway. One example of such is a yard sale sign. For many, going to a yard sale is a lot of fun. The signs for yard sales are primitive but they do not have to be flashy to catch our eyes because almost everyone is looking for a bargain. The mystery alone is enough to keep you hunting.

Other yard signs we see are advertisements for events like birthdays. Birthdays that were typically private now have become a public celebration. One popular way to announce a birthday has become to put a sign in the front yard to let everyone know that someone is having a birthday. A sign like this typically consists of a large cardboard cutout on a stake. It is labeled with a name and decorated with balloons and streamers.

Another yard sign that is commonly seen is the typical for sale sign. There are thousands of signs depicting items for sale. There are a lot of these signs around. Sometimes they are on cars. The most popular in today’s economy is the house for sale sign. Whatever this type of sign may be selling it is typically orange and black and will just sit there with a basic phone number and address. At times they may include asking price. These are the most boring of all signs lacking any personality at all. Unlike these yawn inducing signs, the signs created to represent a birth are full of personality.

We see a huge amount of these signs in yards all over the country. They typically read “It’s a boy” (or girl as the case may be). They are very decorative and usually have a predetermined color scheme. If the baby is a boy, the color scheme consists of blue. And if the baby is a girl, typically the color is pink. Because the traditions that have handed us our colors seem to demand that blue represents males and pink is feminine. I say choose the color you wish, it does not really matter because it is a baby that has not experienced gender bias yet.

There is a very large array of wholesale yard signs to choose from to put in your yard. Mostly these signs express your own opinion or belief. Maybe there is a special event you want to share with the world. No matter what you wish to say, you can say it with a yard sign.

Can a Bad Hair Day Ruin your Career?

Can a Bad Hair Day Ruin your Career?

Having a bad hair day can ruin anyone’s day but this is especially true for professional women. There will always be mornings when your hair doesn’t lay flat after the blow dryer or frizzes uncontrollably regardless of the amount of product worked into it. If it’s going to be a day of working around the house or going to the grocery store, it’s easy enough to plunk a hat on your head or scoop the hair up into a ponytail. But if you have a board meeting in a half hour, there is little you can do to fix the problem.

But a bad hair day can do much more than simply put you in a bad mood. Others will also see what you see in the mirror. If you look disheveled or unkempt, the people you interact with during the business day will also notice. Perception is extremely important in building business relationships and the perception that you are careless with your grooming sends the message that you are careless with other aspects of your professional and personal life.

This is especially true with people you are meeting for the first time. The old adage that there is only one change to make a first impression is true. Potential customers, suppliers, employers, and business partners all take clues from your appearance as to what kind of person you are. While everyone has a bad hair day now and then, this negative first impression is likely to stick and you may have a difficult time overcoming it. It can lead to strained relationships and lost business. First impressions are not always accurate or rational, but they do tend to remain in people’s minds long after they have evidence that the impression was wrong.

Overcoming the inevitable bad hair day is a challenge with limited time in the morning and uncooperative hair. Even going to work with your hair up to mask the problem can lead to an impression of inconsistency. Think about it this way: when you picture in your mind someone in your office- whether it is your boss or your co-worker, you likely have a clear impression of what they look like. This impression fosters familiarity. If they were to change their hairstyle frequently, it sends a non-verbal message that the person is inconsistent, indecisive and unsure of themselves.

One way that many professional women at all levels of the corporate ladder are overcoming bad hair days is by wearing a high-quality wig. Wigs today are light years better than the wigs you remember your grandmother wearing. The best wigs are made from human hair and can be styled and colored just like your own hair. They are worn by Hollywood celebrities, platinum recording artists and accountants and moms. In fact, many professional women don’t wait to see if they will have a bad hair day. Wearing a wig takes only a few minutes instead of blow drying, straightening or curling, and applying products to your own hair. It is a time saver and gives you a professional and consistent look that you know will look great. It is possible to never have another bad hair day.

Leather Intimate Apparel

Leather Intimate Apparel

Traditionally, leather was a fabric worn for protection. Cowboys wore leather to protect them from injury from horses, thickets and other skin-abrading nastiness. Bikers wore leather to protect their skin from road rash in the case of a tumble.

Leather undergarments have always been worn out of necessity but in the 1970’s, it became a fashionable lingerie fabric for those trying out the “naughty” look. Leather lingerie has always been a staple of exotic dancers and showgirls.

Lately, however, leather intimate apparel has made a mainstream comeback in a big way. There are many different styles and colors to choose from and they are targeted to all women from new brides to singles to married women. Leather bras, panties, bustiers, and thongs are available in much more supple leather than has ever been offered before. The garments are more comfortable to wear and breathe better than vinyl or latex alternatives.

Leather naturally comes in a variety of colors from black to brown to tan to white. Dyeing techniques have made it possible to have leather in every shade under the sun. Red is a popular color choice for undergarments as is bright white.

If you are contemplating adding your first leather lingerie into your wardrobe, start small and get a sense of what you like about leather. Look for a simple leather bra or bustier for a sexy but elegant look. If you want some more support, try out a leather corset which has naturally supportive properties. You can also select one with boning sewn in for further support. Once you know what you and your partner prefer in leather intimatewear, you can branch out and look for more racy lingerie.

Taking proper care of your leather lingerie makes the difference between having it look fantastic for a long time and having it fall apart. All leather lingerie should be hung on a padded clothes hanger without touching any other leather or vinyl garment. Do not cover it with a plastic bag but rather allow it room to breathe in the closet.

Keep in mind when caring for your leather garments that they are made from animal skin, most often from cows or goats. That skin needs to be protected much like your own. When first bringing home your leather undergarment, treat it with a leather protector which usually comes in a spray can. Check with the store first to make sure that they have not already treated the leather before sale. This leather protector keeps it supple and doesn’t let it dry out and crack.

Water is an enemy of leather. Take care to not get your leather undergarment wet, but if it does get wet, hang to dry out of direct sunlight. If it is soaking wet, roll the garment gently in a towel first to soak up the excess moisture, then hang it to dry. Removing stains from leather is very difficult and often impossible so prevention is the best policy. Liquid stains should be gently blotted with a dry paper towel. Do not wipe or you can easily spread the stain across the garment. Dry stains should be blotted with a damp cloth and then allowed to dry.

Defining Character

Defining Character

It’s odd when we think of the little things that trigger our memories of people who were important to us in our youth. The smell of a certain brand of cigar still makes me look around to see if my grandfather is nearby even years after he has passed away. Whenever I think of my grandmother, I think of her large leather handbag slung over her shoulder and gripped in her right hand as she walked through downtown. We don’t often consider that we will be remembered by the fashion accessories that we purchase, but we are. Especially if they are quality products that last for many years, or we regularly buy similar styles over a period of many years.

I don’t know what brand that handbag was or how many similar ones there may have been over the years, but it became an indelible part of my memory of her. I remember that her handbag always had a few pieces of candy inside for her grandchildren, and mints. There were always tissues and just about anything else that one might need on any occasion. She knew everything that was in the handbag, but it often took her a few moments to actually find the particular item that was being sought.

Before I go too far afield and get lost in my memories, let me get back to the point I was originally intending to make. When we get to a certain age and a certain station in life, we know what we like and we don’t bother with the hottest new fad that has all the kids in a tizzy. We get what we like, what we know, and what we are used to. My grandmother must have purchased the same style of handbag over and over again for at least 25 or 30 years.

When you’re making a purchase like that, it behooves you to look for quality. Rather than buying a new handbag every year, shop with a company that uses only traditional, high quality leathers, and assembles their handbags with robust methods that ensure a lasting quality. Along with that lasting quality, though, you’ll want a style that is classic and timeless as well. After all, if the handbag is going to last for years, the style should, too.

I know of only one company that fits all those traits, Maxwell Scott Bags. So sure are they of the quality of their products that they offer a lifetime warranty against any defects in materials or workmanship for all their handbags. That kind of guarantee is absolutely unheard of in the industry. They can do that because they insist on only the finest imported Italian leathers, produced with traditional vegetable tanning the way it has been handed down from father to son for generations in the old country. This process preserves and enhances not only the durability of the leather, but also its character. Richer hues and deeper tones bring out the natural beauty of the material.

If you’re going to be defined by the things you choose to keep around you, make sure they are made to last and look good for a lifetime.

Living Next Door to San Diego

Living Next Door to San Diego

San Diego is one of the top tourist destinations in California. It’s many attractions range from Legoland to a thriving theater district, and draw millions of visitors each year. However, real estate prices are quite high and it can be difficult to find an affordable home in San Diego. With the average house in San Diego priced well over half a million dollars, many people are turning to neighboring Temecula to find a house.

Temecula is within commuting distance to San Diego for those who work in the city. It is also within easy visiting distance of such San Diego attractions as Sea World, the world famous San Diego Zoo, or any of the home fields of San Diego’s many professional sports teams. Temecula residents can easily spend a night on the town in San Diego’s theater district and then make the quick drive back home.

Temecula itself boasts a number of championship caliber golf courses, the newest of which is Journey at Pechanga. For those planning families, Temecula has award winning schools and is known for its beautiful parks. Nearby is wine country. Temecula Wine Country hosts not only vineyards, but also horse properties and a number of top tier bed and breakfasts. It is also possible to hop aboard a hot air balloon for a great view of the open landscape.

Temecula area homes have remained affordable as San Diego real estate prices ballooned and remain more affordable today. A qualified local real estate agent can help to find a home in your price range in Temecula even if San Diego homes are out of your reach. It’s also still possible to get a larger yard in the Temecula area. The Wine Country limits lot sizes to two acres or more for most of the area while nearby La Cresta limits lot sizes to five acres and above. That’s the kind of backyard that most San Diego residents can only see when they visit their coworkers who opted for Temecula area homes instead of living in the city.

Of course, the entire Temecula area enjoys the same renowned climate as San Diego. The average daily high temperature never exceeds a comfortable 78 degrees while the average low dips below 50 degrees only in December, and even then it only hits 49 degrees. The summers are dry, and only three months of the year typically see more than 1.5” of rain.

Temecula offers all the benefits of nearby San Diego and quite a few unique benefits of its own.

Your Most Valuable Files

Your Most Valuable Files

One of my fondest childhood memories is sitting with my grandmother and going through an amazing cardboard box filled with hundreds and hundreds of old photographs. I would scan each one for relatives and people I knew and my grandmother would point out the ones I didn’t know and tell me who they were. Her parents, her grandparents, great uncles and aunts, distant cousins, old cars of a style I had never seen, and more filled those photos. We spent hours sitting together this way.

Some of those photos were easily thirty or forty years old when I was a small child. Those pictures are still just as much fun to look at today as they were then. They were, of course, taken the old-fashioned way, with film that had to be developed in a dark room, by a qualified expert. It was a tedious process that wasn’t exactly convenient. Today of course, we have it easier.

We can take pictures with a digital camera and view them on any computer screen instantly. We can email them to distant relatives who receive them hundreds or thousands of miles away in just seconds. We can even print them out, make enlargements or reductions and put them away in a giant cardboard box in a closet. There’s only one problem. They most likely won’t last.

We can buy photo paper for our ink jet printers and print out the photos, but the ink fades over time unless we buy special paper and ink that costs much more and claims to be of archival quality. Few of us do. We can store the photos on our computers, but hard drives fail and then all the pictures can be lost. We can make copies on CD’s, or DVD’s, but these become scratched and unreadable over time, and may even fade until they are unreadable. If disk technology changes, then we won’t even have computer capable of reading the old disks. Does anybody still have a floppy drive that will handle the old Kodak picture discs?

Some say the new technology is better, but I shall always remain a fan of the big old cardboard box filled with chemically developed photographs from a bygone era. Of course, if you do lose your photographs to a hard drive failure or an unreadable disk or CD, you can quite probably recover them by using the services of a data recovery house. Data recovery houses specialize in taking defective media and retrieving files, data, and yes, pictures from the damaged disk and storing them on a new fresh disk.

Of course, this is only needed if you don’t regularly back up your important files. Some people think important files are tax records, financial spreadsheets and the like. Me, I think the most important files any of us have are photographs. In five years or seven, the financial files will be meaningless and discarded, but the photographs will be even more valuable to us than they were when we took them. I know what it meant to me to sit with my grandmother and look through those old photos, I can only imagine how much she must have enjoyed sitting with her rapt young grandson and talking about them.

Staging a House for Sale

Staging a House for Sale

When you’re trying to sell a house, there are some very important and simple things to remember that can help make the difference between getting the price you want and not selling the house at all. Some of these measures will cost you a few dollars, but when you weigh the costs against value you’ll receive when you sell the house, the amounts are negligible.

First, make sure the yard, especially the front yard looks tidy and well kept. Overgrown lawns, bare patches of dirt where the lawn should be, or a tangled thicket of weeds and debris can stop a sale before the buyer ever gets out of their car. Most people like to imagine themselves living in a house with a beautiful yard. That’s hard to do when they’re looking at the messiest place on the street. Clean it up, make sure the plants are doing well, and even consider bringing in new sod to green it up. After all, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

The same advice can be applied inside the house as well. Nobody wants to think of themselves living in a busy, cluttered house. Countertops and tables should be cleared off and clean, don’t leave dozens of photos and knick knacks all over the house, even if they are properly displayed. Your goal is to make the interior décor generic enough that the prospective buyers can imagine the house with their own personality stamped on it. They may not like the things you like, so make sure there is nothing that could give them a negative impression.

Many people rent storage space and ship off many of their belongings to help unclutter the house when they put it on the market. Some will even go another step and empty it completely, using a professional staging company to dress it up just right. Of course, if you pull all of your own belongings out, you may need to find temporary accommodations or a furnished apartment in which to stay while the house is being marketed.

Neat, clean, and functional are the watchwords for dressing up the appearance of the house. Rooms that you have used for unique purposes should be redressed more generically. A billiards room may be great for you, but it’s hard for the buyer to envision that as a guest room, office, or children’s bedroom. Instead take the billiard table out and dress the room with a desk or as a basic sitting area with a sofa and some chairs.

Even spending a few thousand dollars if worthwhile if it helps you sell your house at the price you want, especially in today’s housing climate. Remember to make a good first impression and present a house that let’s the buyers see their own personality reflected instead of yours.

Buying a House without Surprises

Buying a House without Surprises

Buying a new house can be expensive in more ways than one. Not only do you have to worry about getting a good value for your money and the prospects of resale value, but often the cost of making repairs and taking care of general maintenance can add significant unexpected cost to the home purchase after the fact.

Most homebuyers understand the value of having the home inspected by a qualified home inspector. No one wants to be surprised by major defects in the home after they move in. A good home inspector will provide you will detailed evaluations of all the major and minor components of the house. He’ll identify structural defects, and problems with the house’s electrical, heating, plumbing systems. He can detail evidence of insect or rodent infestation, the quality of the roof, and many more potential sources of problems. What he does not do, however, is tell you how much it might cost you to fix any problems that are found.

What usually happens is that we use any issues found, assuming we still want the house, as bargaining chips to lower the purchase price. However, the owner usually comes back with a counter offer, and we end up somewhere in the middle of the two amounts. Often, even our offer is just a guess at what we think it might cost to make the necessary repairs.

Another option is to stipulate that the seller make the necessary repairs before we complete the purchase. Of course, the seller’s goal is to get it done quickly and cheaply. They will likely use the lowest bidder with little regard to the quality of the repair so long as it passes a cursory inspection on the day of the closing. The buyer, on the other hand is interested in permanent solutions and quality work.

One way to make sure that the repairs are properly valued, is to have a licensed contractor visit and inspect the home armed with the inspection report. The contractor can then provide detailed estimates for each necessary repair and provide the buyer with more accurate bargaining information. If you can’t get the seller to reduce their price by the whole amount, then at least you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into. The contractor can also give you a good idea of which repairs can wait and which should be done right away.

Paying a couple hundred dollars for a contractor’s time before purchasing a home can save you thousands of dollars later on and it will certainly eliminate unpleasant surprises when you try to get repairs done after buying a house. In some cases, the contractor’s estimates may change your mind about making the purchase at all. In a buyer’s market, there’s no need to take on a house that’s going to turn in to a money pit.

Natural Sleep Aids

Natural Sleep Aids

One of the largest areas of concentration for pharmaceuticals is the sleep aid market. Since the dawn of time people have been having trouble getting enough sleep and have been looking for help. The first choice for many people these days is a prescription or over the counter sleep aid. Unfortunately, many of these can be habit forming and can have serious side effects. People wishing to avoid these complications would do better to try a few natural options before resorting to drugs.

Of course, one of the simplest ways to help yourself fall asleep at night is to make sure you are comfortable. A soft, yet supportive mattress like memory foam mattresses help reduce pressure points that can make you toss and turn uncomfortably for hours each night. Human beings are genetically wired to sleep at night, so making sure the room is dark and quiet can help as well. Some people prefer to use a soft masking noise to help block out street sounds and help them fade off to sleep. Ocean surf, rainfall, crickets or other gentle repetitive sounds can reduce other sonic distractions if you live in a neighborhood where outside noises can sometimes keeps you awake.

Those with young children have probably found one of the oldest and most effective natural sleep aids, a glass of warm milk. Milk contains the natural sleep aid tryptophan, and when it is heated the tryptophan is more readily available for quick uptake into the body. Many a young child has been cured of insomnia with a lovingly prepared glass of warm milk. Not many realize, though, that it’ll work for adults too. Don’t overheat the milk, but just cook it enough so that it is warm to the lips. Drink a glass just before bed and get ready for a peaceful rest.

Herbal remedies have been talked about for years. Indeed, modern medicine and research is backing up some of the claims made by those who espouse herbal remedies. Chamomile tea is a natural solution that many find helpful. Chamomile tea is widely available in supermarkets now. These commercial teas are safe and can be helpful in relaxing the body and the mind before bedtime. Even the act of sitting quietly and sipping from a warm cup of tea can be a time to quiet the thoughts of the day and prepare for sleep. The action of the chemicals in the chamomile do the rest.

Whether you choose a memory foam mattress, a soothing herbal tea, or the traditional glass of warm milk, you’ll find you are likely to enjoy the same restful sleep induced by medicinal sleep aids, without the risk of dependency or side effects.

Save Your Receipts for Origami

Save Your Receipts for Origami

The art of paper folding, or origami as is it called, allows one to create three dimensional objects from a flat piece of paper. The intricate folds add depth and texture to the designs even as they create the shape of the object being reproduced. This art form originated in Japan and has both traditional and modern techniques.

In the traditional form, each creation is made of a single sheet of paper, although the paper may be of any size or proportion. Not cutting is allowed in traditional origami, but a variety of folding techniques can create amazing three dimensional shapes. Animals are common subjects of origami as are various paper boxes and baskets, though mostly ornamental in nature.

Modern origami has been adapted to allow multiple sheets and even cuts. If one searches for patterns on the internet, one can even find predrawn origami sheets that contain feather patterns and other features of the finished bird or animal. These are a favorite of children because the preprinted lines show where each fold is to be made and make the process easier.

There is even a modern variation of origami that encompasses designs meant for use on dollar bills. The rectangular form of the dollar lends itself to traditional origami styles although only those designs which can be made from the elongated rectangle. Generally, these are animal forms with similarly elongated bodies such as a stingray, an alligator, or a snake.

The actual folding process of origami can be quite relaxing, it takes a fair amount of concentration so it has the effect of taking one’s mind off of other issues for a while. Many find the practice to be habit forming and find themselves hoarding bits of rectangular paper all day long. When they get gas, they press the button for a receipt and use the length of receipt paper cut off from the little thermal paper roll inside the machine to make miniature cranes or dragons. They use ATM receipt paper for origami horses and so on. Instead of crumpling these pieces of receipt paper, they carefully smooth them and keep them preserved in their wallets alongside their dollar bills, so they will retain their integrity for use as origami paper.

Modern origami artists make not only the traditional Japanese figures, but also such modern constructs as the Eiffel Tower, the Snowman, and Santa Claus. Despite the straight line folds and edges that are used to make these figures, modern origami renders the object with remarkable resemblance to the original subject. This is somewhat in contrast to more traditional forms which seem to capture the character of the animal being sculpted rather than all the detail of its physical being.

Both modern and traditional origami techniques allow remarkable miniature paper sculptures. There are simple and difficult designs available for both novice practitioners and experts in the craft. If you see someone carefully saving their receipt paper, or leaving their dinner tip in the form of tiny alligator shaped dollar bills, you’ll know that they have become yet another origami addict.

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