http://feeds.feedburner.com/links2rss/DvIp?format=xml
Let's get personal. That's what many party planners are saying when they make plans to host one-of-a-kind parties such as a bridal shower, baby shower or even a Mother's Day brunch.
Adding a personal touch may be easier than you imagine. Here are some ideas you can use:
• Make your centerpiece stand out. Don't limit yourself to flowers. Centerpieces can consist of anything that fits into the theme of the event. For visual interest, you can use a large glass bowl with goldfish swimming in it. You can cluster candles or float votives in water. For a baby shower, you can build a pyramid of baby blocks.
• Create unique place cards that mean something to the guest of honor. For a bridal shower, attach name tags to a cookie cutter at each place setting. For a baby shower, order custom cookies in the shape of teddy bears with the person's name iced on to them.
• Decorate with a theme. Start by deciding on the colors and the theme. Is your mom a gardener? If you're planning on a brunch for Mother's Day or her birthday, decorate the room with flowers cut out of construction paper. Make a chocolate cake covered in flowers made out of candies.
For a romantic bridal shower, decorate with hearts. Buy a miniature tree. Ask each guest to write something on a paper heart and use these hearts to decorate the tree. Make garlands of hearts.
Make a party that's all one color. For example, if the bride-to-be loves lavender, ask your guests to bring something in that color.
• Party favors should be fun. Keep party favors in the same theme as the rest of the party-such as seed packets for a garden party, candles for a party that relies on them for decoration. Or you can give out lottery tickets at any party celebrating a person's good fortune.
• Don't forget the cookies. Cookies can be very useful in personalizing a party, either as the dessert or as creative place cards.
Good for any special occasion or holiday, you can make a bouquet out of cookies or even give them out as party favors. Do-it-yourself cookie kits, such as those from Cookies by Design, can take a lot of the mess out of this process.
Besides the kits, the company offers fresh-baked hand-decorated cookie bouquets, individual decorated cookies, pan cookies, and other deliciously edible gifts.
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Monday 27 February 2012
http://feeds.feedburner.com/links2rss/txvH?format=xml
When looking for a fine quality gift it is sometimes good to know a little of the history of the company; particularly when you are looking at collectibles.
Collectibles are a wonderful gift especially during the holiday season as many fine collectible companies have gifts that are designed for the season.
One of the oldest and most popular fine collectible companies is M.I. Hummel. Hummel figurines are created in Germany by master artists of W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik and based upon the creative and artistic vision of Sister Marie Innocentia Hummel who lived and worked in Germany during the first half of the 1900’s.
Hummel figurines are world renowned and appreciated for the simple beauty and subtle humor which people have enjoyed for almost a century. I know my mother and my grandmother both have many Hummel figurines, some dating back to the early 1940’s.
Admirers of Hummel figurines refer to them simply as “Hummels”. Each Hummel is painstakingly hand sculpted and then painted by hand to flawless detail. They make a fine gift and can be seen at AffordableQualityGifts.
Another of the older established fine collectible companies is Swarovski Crystal.
Swarovski Crystal has been making the absolute best precision cut crystal for over a hundred years. Swarovski Crystal, family owned company based in Austria is known worldwide for the innovation and sophistication they bring to the art form, as well as the highest standards of artistic expression.
One of the advantages of giving a gift like a Hummel or a piece of fine crystal is that it eliminates the possibility that someone else may give the same gift. There are so many different collectibles available, and in the case of the Hummel even those that are of the same theme will be slightly different because they are hand made.
Hummels and Swarovski Crystal make excellent gifts that will make the recipient feel like you really care.
When looking for a fine quality gift it is sometimes good to know a little of the history of the company; particularly when you are looking at collectibles.
Collectibles are a wonderful gift especially during the holiday season as many fine collectible companies have gifts that are designed for the season.
One of the oldest and most popular fine collectible companies is M.I. Hummel. Hummel figurines are created in Germany by master artists of W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik and based upon the creative and artistic vision of Sister Marie Innocentia Hummel who lived and worked in Germany during the first half of the 1900’s.
Hummel figurines are world renowned and appreciated for the simple beauty and subtle humor which people have enjoyed for almost a century. I know my mother and my grandmother both have many Hummel figurines, some dating back to the early 1940’s.
Admirers of Hummel figurines refer to them simply as “Hummels”. Each Hummel is painstakingly hand sculpted and then painted by hand to flawless detail. They make a fine gift and can be seen at AffordableQualityGifts.
Another of the older established fine collectible companies is Swarovski Crystal.
Swarovski Crystal has been making the absolute best precision cut crystal for over a hundred years. Swarovski Crystal, family owned company based in Austria is known worldwide for the innovation and sophistication they bring to the art form, as well as the highest standards of artistic expression.
One of the advantages of giving a gift like a Hummel or a piece of fine crystal is that it eliminates the possibility that someone else may give the same gift. There are so many different collectibles available, and in the case of the Hummel even those that are of the same theme will be slightly different because they are hand made.
Hummels and Swarovski Crystal make excellent gifts that will make the recipient feel like you really care.
Sunday 26 February 2012
http://feeds.feedburner.com/links2rss/BIDe?format=xml
In regular theater an actor may prepare a monologue that he has spent many hours memorizing, for a part that he will also perform at every audition. He's spent a lot of time on this and has perfected his art and delivery. When going for an audition he is quite comfortable with his prepared lines. However, in a film or commercial audition the actor is expected to perform a script given to him that he has never seen before. This is when the art of cold reading is very important and can be a life saver.
The technical definition of cold reading is the auditioning for a part with a script in hand, one the actor has never seen. The profession says that the actor is supposed to be given the script at least 24 hours before the audition but all too often this just doesn't happen. This is why cold reading is so important to actors who work in film or commercials.
So, how do you learn to cold read? Brute force. Pick up a script, read the first line, commit it to memory and then say the line without looking at the script. You've just done your first cold reading. At first you may only be able to memorize a few words at a time, but with a little practice you'll soon be memorizing several lines at a time. Being an actor is kind of like being an athlete. The more you work at it the better you'll get. After you feel comfortable doing cold reading by yourself try it with another actor. This is when it gets fun.
When you're at your audition it's very tempting to try to sneak a peak at your next line while the other actor is doing his lines. Don't do this. How you listen to your fellow actor is just as important as speaking your lines. Wait until it's time for you to respond and then look at your next line. Memorize as much of your line as you can in a few seconds. Then make eye contact with your partner and say your next line.
If you've got more to memorize than you can with just a glance, repeat the process until you have the line memorized. But keep your face out of your script. Never read your lines while looking at your script. This is a sure way to blow the audition. Make sure you stay in character while reading your lines.
When you're actually at your audition even if you don't get the script until you get there, try to read the script in its entirety at once and remember as much of it as you can. This way you'll at least have some idea what the scene is about, who the characters are and how the conversation should go. If you have more time try to memorize the first and last lines. This will give you a strong start and finish, which is what the person auditioning you will remember the most.
When holding your script, hold with your left hand if right handed and at chest level. Never have your head buried in the script. Don't wave the script around like it is a prop. Make believe it is just a natural extension of your body. The less attention you draw to the script itself the better.
A cold reading goes much slower and feels a lot more awkward than a normal reading. This is normal and there is no need to worry about it. The casting director knows this is the first time you've seen the script. He is more interested in what kind of personality you have as the character.
Sadly, you may be the greatest actor in the world, but without being able to cold read well you aren't going to get many parts as you'll never get past the first audition. So include cold reading in your training. You'll find you'll get more parts because of it.
In regular theater an actor may prepare a monologue that he has spent many hours memorizing, for a part that he will also perform at every audition. He's spent a lot of time on this and has perfected his art and delivery. When going for an audition he is quite comfortable with his prepared lines. However, in a film or commercial audition the actor is expected to perform a script given to him that he has never seen before. This is when the art of cold reading is very important and can be a life saver.
The technical definition of cold reading is the auditioning for a part with a script in hand, one the actor has never seen. The profession says that the actor is supposed to be given the script at least 24 hours before the audition but all too often this just doesn't happen. This is why cold reading is so important to actors who work in film or commercials.
So, how do you learn to cold read? Brute force. Pick up a script, read the first line, commit it to memory and then say the line without looking at the script. You've just done your first cold reading. At first you may only be able to memorize a few words at a time, but with a little practice you'll soon be memorizing several lines at a time. Being an actor is kind of like being an athlete. The more you work at it the better you'll get. After you feel comfortable doing cold reading by yourself try it with another actor. This is when it gets fun.
When you're at your audition it's very tempting to try to sneak a peak at your next line while the other actor is doing his lines. Don't do this. How you listen to your fellow actor is just as important as speaking your lines. Wait until it's time for you to respond and then look at your next line. Memorize as much of your line as you can in a few seconds. Then make eye contact with your partner and say your next line.
If you've got more to memorize than you can with just a glance, repeat the process until you have the line memorized. But keep your face out of your script. Never read your lines while looking at your script. This is a sure way to blow the audition. Make sure you stay in character while reading your lines.
When you're actually at your audition even if you don't get the script until you get there, try to read the script in its entirety at once and remember as much of it as you can. This way you'll at least have some idea what the scene is about, who the characters are and how the conversation should go. If you have more time try to memorize the first and last lines. This will give you a strong start and finish, which is what the person auditioning you will remember the most.
When holding your script, hold with your left hand if right handed and at chest level. Never have your head buried in the script. Don't wave the script around like it is a prop. Make believe it is just a natural extension of your body. The less attention you draw to the script itself the better.
A cold reading goes much slower and feels a lot more awkward than a normal reading. This is normal and there is no need to worry about it. The casting director knows this is the first time you've seen the script. He is more interested in what kind of personality you have as the character.
Sadly, you may be the greatest actor in the world, but without being able to cold read well you aren't going to get many parts as you'll never get past the first audition. So include cold reading in your training. You'll find you'll get more parts because of it.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/links2rss/oHwC?format=xml
Assumption: Art becomes more valuable once an artist dies.
Actuality: Prices escalate only when demand is greater than supply. Prices can increase if there was a shortage of the artist's work prior to his or her death and if the demand continues to be significantly greater than supply. Art News (November 2003) presented an article on the ten most wanted artworks. These would sell individually for more than $5 Million IF the present owners would let me them go. However, as the collectors know they could not acquire a replacement painting/sculpture/drawing, they won't be selling these artworks.
Assumption: An artist's proof is more valuable than a print from the regular edition.
Actuality: Artist's proofs are routinely consistent with the regular edition in appearance and value. On rare occasions, a color trial proof be judged to be more valuable than the regular edition or an artist's proof. this happens when the reigning experts determine the color trial proof represents a more handsome product than the regular edition or artist's proof.
Assumption: It's just a print.
Actuality: Some artist's do or do not choose to paint. Their art "translates" more successfully using an original print medium such as lithography, etching, serigraphy, or woodcuts. Some original prints have sold for more than $100,000 when done by prominent artists. The only time an art professional might utter "It's just a print" is when they are referencing a reproductive print. This is usually a photographic rendition of an existing artwork, in other words, a photomechanical copy.
Why can't you value my art from photographs?
• Liability
• As long as I am a professional art appraiser, I am held to a different standard than someone functioning strictly as a dealer.
• PLUS I like to be right!!!
Photographs do NOT reveal all condition issues and the public is not trained to properly describe them. How many of you can recognize light staining, mat burning, foxing, etc? These and other condition flaws significantly impact value.
• A reproduction attached to canvas virtually looks the same as an original oil painting in a photograph. Unless I know which museum is currently hosting the actual painting, I cannot be perfectly sure you are showing me a photographically generated reproduction or an actual painting when viewing a photograph. Now there are gicleé prints printed on canvas and enhanced with paint, a hands-on inspection is a must.
Assumption: Art becomes more valuable once an artist dies.
Actuality: Prices escalate only when demand is greater than supply. Prices can increase if there was a shortage of the artist's work prior to his or her death and if the demand continues to be significantly greater than supply. Art News (November 2003) presented an article on the ten most wanted artworks. These would sell individually for more than $5 Million IF the present owners would let me them go. However, as the collectors know they could not acquire a replacement painting/sculpture/drawing, they won't be selling these artworks.
Assumption: An artist's proof is more valuable than a print from the regular edition.
Actuality: Artist's proofs are routinely consistent with the regular edition in appearance and value. On rare occasions, a color trial proof be judged to be more valuable than the regular edition or an artist's proof. this happens when the reigning experts determine the color trial proof represents a more handsome product than the regular edition or artist's proof.
Assumption: It's just a print.
Actuality: Some artist's do or do not choose to paint. Their art "translates" more successfully using an original print medium such as lithography, etching, serigraphy, or woodcuts. Some original prints have sold for more than $100,000 when done by prominent artists. The only time an art professional might utter "It's just a print" is when they are referencing a reproductive print. This is usually a photographic rendition of an existing artwork, in other words, a photomechanical copy.
Why can't you value my art from photographs?
• Liability
• As long as I am a professional art appraiser, I am held to a different standard than someone functioning strictly as a dealer.
• PLUS I like to be right!!!
Photographs do NOT reveal all condition issues and the public is not trained to properly describe them. How many of you can recognize light staining, mat burning, foxing, etc? These and other condition flaws significantly impact value.
• A reproduction attached to canvas virtually looks the same as an original oil painting in a photograph. Unless I know which museum is currently hosting the actual painting, I cannot be perfectly sure you are showing me a photographically generated reproduction or an actual painting when viewing a photograph. Now there are gicleé prints printed on canvas and enhanced with paint, a hands-on inspection is a must.
Friday 24 February 2012
http://feeds.feedburner.com/WebDirectories?format=xml
With the popularity of Internet shopping, classic toys that were hard to find, have now started to find a whole new audience. These classics, which sold very well after they were introduced, never seem to go out of style and can still bring a smile to any child’s face.
Let’s step into the past and take a look into the history of one of these classic toys.
In 1943, a Naval engineer accidentally knocked some springs off of a shelf while he was working on a meter designed to monitor horsepower on battleships. He marveled at the way they “walked” instead of falling and the odd movement of these springs gave Richard James an idea and an instant toy was born. That toy: The Slinky.
Richard James then spent the next two years testing and refining the best steel gauge and coil to utilize for his new toy. His wife, Betty appropriately found the perfect name for this new toy- a Slinky; which is the Swedish word meaning traespiral or sleek.
The couple borrowed five hundred dollars and James designed a machine to coil eighty feet of wire into a two-inch spiral and manufacture their new toy. Sales were slow at first, but soared after the Slinky was demonstrated at Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia for the Christmas season in 1945. The first 400 sold within the ninety-minute demonstration and a new fad had begun.
Around 1960, Richard James suffered what some called a mid-life crisis and left his wife, their six children and joined a Bolivian religious cult. He also deserted the Slinky toy he worked so hard to produce and left the company in debt and ruin. Betty James took over as CEO of James Industries and introduced other toys for the “Slinky line-up” including: Slinky pets, crazy eyes Slinky (glasses with Slinky-extended fake eyeballs), neon Slinky, and also replaced the original black-blue Swedish steel with American steel. Additionally she moved the company headquarters from Philadelphia to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania and began an aggressive advertising campaign, complete with the now famous Slinky jingle:
“What walks down stairs, alone in pairs, And makes a Slinkity sound?
A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing, Everyone knows it’s Slinky…
It’s Slinky, it’s Slinky, for fun it’s a wonderful toy
It’s Slinky, it’s Slinky, it’s fun for a girl or a boy”
However, the Slinky is not just an entertaining toy for children. It is used in schools in physics classes to demonstrate wave properties, forces, and energy states. The Slinky still continues to sell (250 million have been sold to date) and are still manufactured in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania using the original equipment designed by Richard James.
With the popularity of Internet shopping, classic toys that were hard to find, have now started to find a whole new audience. These classics, which sold very well after they were introduced, never seem to go out of style and can still bring a smile to any child’s face.
Let’s step into the past and take a look into the history of one of these classic toys.
In 1943, a Naval engineer accidentally knocked some springs off of a shelf while he was working on a meter designed to monitor horsepower on battleships. He marveled at the way they “walked” instead of falling and the odd movement of these springs gave Richard James an idea and an instant toy was born. That toy: The Slinky.
Richard James then spent the next two years testing and refining the best steel gauge and coil to utilize for his new toy. His wife, Betty appropriately found the perfect name for this new toy- a Slinky; which is the Swedish word meaning traespiral or sleek.
The couple borrowed five hundred dollars and James designed a machine to coil eighty feet of wire into a two-inch spiral and manufacture their new toy. Sales were slow at first, but soared after the Slinky was demonstrated at Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia for the Christmas season in 1945. The first 400 sold within the ninety-minute demonstration and a new fad had begun.
Around 1960, Richard James suffered what some called a mid-life crisis and left his wife, their six children and joined a Bolivian religious cult. He also deserted the Slinky toy he worked so hard to produce and left the company in debt and ruin. Betty James took over as CEO of James Industries and introduced other toys for the “Slinky line-up” including: Slinky pets, crazy eyes Slinky (glasses with Slinky-extended fake eyeballs), neon Slinky, and also replaced the original black-blue Swedish steel with American steel. Additionally she moved the company headquarters from Philadelphia to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania and began an aggressive advertising campaign, complete with the now famous Slinky jingle:
“What walks down stairs, alone in pairs, And makes a Slinkity sound?
A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing, Everyone knows it’s Slinky…
It’s Slinky, it’s Slinky, for fun it’s a wonderful toy
It’s Slinky, it’s Slinky, it’s fun for a girl or a boy”
However, the Slinky is not just an entertaining toy for children. It is used in schools in physics classes to demonstrate wave properties, forces, and energy states. The Slinky still continues to sell (250 million have been sold to date) and are still manufactured in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania using the original equipment designed by Richard James.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)