Saturday, January 06, 2007

The Himalayan Health Secret

It is said that the Himalayans were the first natural healers, and that they shared the wisdom with the ancient herbalists of China, Tibet, and India. Their prized secret was the fruit of the native goji vine, which had been flourishing in the Himalayan valleys since the beginning of time.

If you have not yet heard of goji, you are not alone. While it has occupied an important place in traditional Asian medicine for countless generations, the secret of its nutritional benefits have remained a mystery to most of the world.

Goji berries contain 19 amino acids - including all eight that are essential for life, 21 trace minerals (The main ones being zinc, iron, copper, calcium, germanium, selenium, and phosphorus), more protein than whole wheat, a complete spectrum of antioxidant caratenoids including beta-carotene (more beta carotene than carrots!) and zeaxanthin. Goji berries are the richest source of carotenoids of all known foods. Goji berries contain vitamin C at higher levels than an orange, B-complex vitamins, vitamim E, beta-sisterol (an anti-inflammatory agent), linoleic acid (a fatty acid), sesquiterpenoids (cyperone,solavetivone), tetraterpenoids (zeaxanthin,physalin), and betaine (0.1%).

Goji berries contain 22 Polysaccarides, with 4 types of polysaccharides which fortify the immune system that are unique to the Goji, they can't be found anywhere else on the planet!

FreeLife is the first company to perfect a difficult and demanding proprietary extraction process and create the only standardized form of this incredible plant available in the world today, Himalayan Goji juice.

Should Gold Mining Investors Consider Kilgore Minerals?

We wrote about Kilgore Minerals this past winter, because it holds prospective U.S. uranium properties. While studying the company, it became evident the company’s uranium would take a backseat to the company’s gold property in southern Idaho. We reviewed Robert Bishop’s commentary in his self-published Gold Mining Stock Report. Mr. Bishop is highly regarded as an astute junior gold stock picker, and his analysis is quite thorough. There is little doubt Bishop holds high esteem for Kilgore Minerals’ Chief Executive Norman Burmeister.

More importantly, the very successful Pinetree Capital (Toronto: PNP) has made a significant investment in Kilgore. Respectively, the Chief Executive and CFO, Sheldon Inwentash and Larry Goldberg, of both Pinetree Capital and heavily touted Mega Uranium (TSX: MGA), have personally invested in Kilgore Minerals. A recent Forbes magazine article took a swipe at both Mega Uranium and Pinetree Capital. Actually, it was more of a head butt. Pinetree Capital is back to trading above C$17/share, up from a year ago when it traded for less than $3/share. So the Forbes article was a non-event for Pinetree Capital. And their holdings in Kilgore Minerals, which reportedly are estimated at between 10 and 20 percent of the company, were passed by without notice.

Property History

Kilgore’s Idaho gold property has been explored since the 1930’s, when a gold discovery was made by the Blue Ledge Co. Nearly 50 claims were staked in 1982 and leased to a Kennecott subsidiary in the mid 1980s. Seven holes were drilled. By 1990, Placer Dome acquired the property and drilled 39 holes, more than 21,000 feet of drilling. A Pegasus joint venture drilled another 23 holes, nearly 10,000 feet of drilling, by 1994. Echo Bay earned majority interest in the property, by 1996, after having spent $3.5 million drilling 122 holes for more than 82,000 feet. In 1997, with the falling price of gold and troubles in the mining sector brought on by the Indonesia stock fraud, Bre-X Minerals, Echo Bay dropped its exploration ambitions on Kilgore – and shelved all of its exploration projects. In 1998, Latitude Minerals continued a modest exploration of a little more than 4,000 feet.

Near the bottom of the gold bear market, Kilgore Gold (a wholly owned subsidiary of Kilgore Minerals) acquired 100 percent ownership of the property. A new round of preliminary exploration identified new gold targets. By 2004, Kilgore Gold expanded the company’s property holdings to 3,000 acres. Has this property been drilled like Swiss cheese or does Norman Burmeister know what he is doing? It’s had nearly 200 diamond and reverse circulation drill holes, totaling more than 126,000 feet of drilling.

In an earlier interview with Burmeister, he told us, “I’m very excited about this project. It was a property that was very high on Echo Bay’s list.” Major companies have expended more than $8 million to define a modest, and possibly economic, resource. At least three different entities have established resource estimates on the Kilgore gold property. In 1996, Placer Dome reported 14.1 million tons, grading 0.04 ounces/ton and with a cut-off grade of 0.015, for a deposit of 561,000 ounces of gold. A year later, Echo Bay released a sectional estimate report showing 18.7 million tons, grading 0.029, for a total of 534,959 ounces of gold.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Turning Any Trip Into An Interior Decorating Destination!

Heading out of town for a long weekend, or maybe you have a business trip abroad? Whether it is a roadtrip to Charleston, a romantic getaway to Europe, or even a camping adventure in North Georgia, there are always opportunities to collect treasures and mementos from your travels. Here you will find quick tips and easy ideas for bringing back something memorable from even the most mundane of destinations.

First take a look at your itinerary, any pockets of time at leisure? It doesn’t have to be more than an hour or so to make it worth finding out a local specialty and locating a source. Okay, so you’ve rolled your eyes, groaned and said it is all business, no leisure at all. Believe it or not, you can even get novel items these days in the airport boutiques, and I don’t mean T-shirts or ball caps. (Of course, being a captive consumer at the terminal shops, you will pay more, chalk it up to part of the experience!) Many airports are becoming regular shopping meccas for the traveler short on time. Look for specialty retailers showcasing locally made goods, whether it is a special jam or hot sauce, or a postcard made in copper (a regional mineral of wealth), favorite chocolates (I used to buy See’s, only available on the West Coast and in Hawaii.) For a true collectible try a snow globe specific to that city, or even a refrigerator magnet particular to the same. This can be a fun way to keep track of where you’ve been despite the jet lag and travel snafus.

Now, if you do have a bit of time to yourself or maybe this is a weekend of playing hooky from the rest of the world, you’ll have ample opportunities to seek out local flavor. If staying in a larger hotel, always avail yourself of the concierge, they most often know the places to go, what to buy, what to pay, and other useful tidbits. (I once did an entire 30 day overseas trip with just air and hotel, and relied entirely on the concierge to plan my daily itinerary, it was personal and perfect!)

Better yet, if you are staying in a bed and breakfast or other homestyle accommodation, the owners or managers will be able to provide this information too. In some cases, these places will sell decorative elements from the rooms. Of course, many hotels do offer lines of product with their logo and such, if it has been a truly special stay, this may be all you need or want. I’ve been to some, such as the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina, that offered holiday ornaments featuring their property. I collect these so this was an ideal memento of my visit.

I do know some who collect ashtrays and towels and have been known to rely on “borrowing” these from rooms and bars. Most embarrassing when one is caught, (a fellow traveler was recently!) Stick to items you can buy. Besides where would you display a large collection of ashtrays and hotel towels?? If determined to have it for free, consider limiting yourself to matchbooks, and the wine cork from dinner.

Makeup For Dark Skin

Makeup is essential in women life. It is must for every woman. The breed of women is of many types like short, tall, slim, fat or extra slim. Skin color also varies like white, whitish, toned or black. The variety list may go long but one thing is common and that is every woman needs makeup. So the question arises, do all the woman needs same type of make or something else. While application of makeup is concerned, it widely varies according to skin color and body type. So what type of make suits to a given skin color is a definite requirement to know.

So come on black beauties and know how to do your makeup to be street smart and gorgeous. The secret of you black beauties lies in the selection of shades, so it is best advisable for you to know about undertone found in dark skin. You also will need well – hydrated skin to apply some makeup. Here goes the to make your skin beautiful and healthy.

Any black object is a good absorber of light and radiation and hence the good reflector also. Since your skin is dark it will also behave in the similar manner, that’s why dark skin seems oily, even though it may not. Because of your skin color, you will need to avoid creamy foundations and choose from liquid foundations or water based foundation. You must choose the foundation, the shade of which is lighter than your skin tone. It would be better, if you will find the foundation color closer to the color of your skin. Apply foundation and powder lightly, because dark skin reveal the layers of makeup more than any other type of skin, say fair skin etc.

You should blend the foundation well. To do blending properly add a drop of water to the foundation. Do mixing and then apply. Check for the effect in daytime. After applying the foundation, try on a little baby powder. This will give your skin the necessary luster. Do not use too much powder and always dust of the extra powder.

Choose the colors like coral, rose, deep orange for your blush. Peachy shades and browns are a complete no – no for you. If you have extremely dark skin tone, rose pink color will make your day, however for nights, choose shades of bronze, plum and wine. To give luster to your skin tone, blend the blusher well over your cheekbones. A touch of golden color will make you dark skinned glamorous and gorgeous on special occasions. You can apply golden at your temples and corners of your eyebrows.

If you want to use eyeshades, prefer soft brown with a darker brick brown. Say no to light colors and whites. For upper eyelids, use light brown. In the tuck of eyelid, use dark brown and drag it slightly outward. This will give depth to your eyes.

If you want to try on more color, choose from dark blue, wine or purple eyeshades to line your eyes, closer to the eyelashes. You also can line the eyelids with dark blue, dark grey, wine or purple color. Do softening of the lines with a soggy brush or with a sponge tipped applicator. Outline the eyes with kaajal using kaajal pencil. Kaajal makes your eyes appealing and cool and this will extremely good on Asians and especially Indian women. You also can do Mascara to thicken the eyelashes. Mascara will give glamorous look to you.

For your lipstick choose colors like copper, bronze, dark red, wine and burgundy. You can use a single color or a blend of two colors according to your skin color. For nighttime use darker colors. Do not use lipstick in excess. It will be good, if your lip color will match to your nail colors. Try to maintain a balance between your eyes and lip color so that one does not look heavy on other.

Proper balance and color blending is important for color makeup. It is as equally important as your clothing.

So that if you are a dark skinned beauty, tries on your makeup as discussed above. After all ‘brown is beautiful’.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Goji Berries

In this modern life we live in, where gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops and other high technology equipments in combination with lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking and stress may subject our body to free radicals. Free radicals oxidation is the reason why apples get rancid. If it can do this to an apple, what do you think it can do to your body?

You, however, do not have to worry much. Life is very beautiful.

Because if experts can recognized what can harm us; science can learn what could save us. Antioxidants are one possible answer. Antioxidants properties may be found overflowing in small berries grown in the pristine valleys of Tibet and Mongolia.

Introducing Goji Berries! Goji berries are miraculous because this small bright red fruit may contain all the nutrients our body needs to keep it healthy and happy.

These small goji berries are packed with nutrients your body needs such as the 8 essential amino acids plus 10 more different kinds of amino acid, which are hard to find in other fruits. Goji berries likewise contain 21 trace minerals including the essential ones such as zinc, iron, copper, calcium, selenium and phosphorous.

Carotenoid such as beta-carotene more potent than that of a carrot are in goji berries. If these facts are not enough to excite you to the beneficial factors found in goji berries, consider this these amazing berries contain 500 times Vitamin C by weight compared to oranges. They also contain Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E.

Where can you find such a small fruit packed with all these beneficial nutrients? Only in goji berries.

Here is a list of few of the many benefits you will get from eating goji berries:

Fight Aging – Because goji berries may save your cells, you might be able to fight aging because aside from eliminating free radicals, goji berries stimulate the growth hormone in your body. It will thus help keep you fresh and young looking.

Energy and Vitality – these berries can help increase your stress tolerance, stamina and endurance.

Blood Sugar Balance – Goji berries has the necessary polysaccharides to regulate blood sugar levels. It also has betaine to support normal liver function and cardiovascular health.

Sleep Well – goji berries can give you normal health balance, you may experience better sleep quality that will prepare your body for the day to come.

Better Immune System – goji berries contain polysaccharides that support and balance the activity of your immune cells such as T-cells, NK cells, lysozyme and the immunoglobins.

In addition to all these, goji berries may also enhance your sexual function. You may also use goji berries as memory tonic. This small but wonderful fruit may also help control your cholesterol levels. Digestion may also not be a problem for those eating this wonderful fruit.

These are only a few of the benefits one can get from goji berries. However, you will agree with me that having none of these problems will help you keep a healthy and long life. As a result, you will be happy and ready for life’s challenges.

You can get all these benefits in various ways:

Eat fresh goji berries. They are very sweet and tasty.

Eat dried goji berries. The taste does not change at all, sweet and tastes like a cranberry and cherry.

Drink goji berry juice. This is another best way to take this sweet and tasty berry.

You can mix goji berries to your food, use your imagination on how you can enjoy this miraculous berry.

So indulge.

Brown Sea Vegetation - Not as Bad as You Might Think

Out of the three sea plant categories, the red sea plants, the green sea plants, and the brown sea plants, brown sea plants are the most commonly known around the world.

Brown sea plants are found in the many kelp beds around the world, and are usually the ones we have to deal with when swimming in the coast. Brown sea plants are good for your body because of what all they can do.

They contain alginic acid which combines with the toxins that are in your intestines and it makes it to where they can not be digested, and then it carries them out of your body.

The vitamins and minerals most commonly found in brown sea plants can include iodine, calcium, copper, Vitamin E, zinc, silicon, chlorophyll, and more. All of these vitamins and minerals are needed in your body every day. The food pyramid that you learned back in elementary school, is based on the intake of these vitamins and minerals.

This means that, where as the pyramid calls for eight servings of something per day just to get the right fill, you could replace that with a type of brown sea vegetation instead.

There is one type of brown plant, the Fucus Gardener, which is used for heart burn control. Brown sea vegetation has a high amount of alginic acid in it, which is only found in sea grown plants.

Some scientists even believe that eating some types of brown sea vegetation can help lower the risks for neurological problems such as schizophrenia. Brown sea plants also don’t taste as bad as they may look.

Brown sea vegetation in all is actually one of the few types of plant that can give you more of what you need without the plant having to be put through all different types of processes. There are no factories needed for these plants, and no risky pesticide either.

Green Sea Vegetation

While Green sea vegetation does not offer as much as the other two do, what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for with what It can do. Green sea plants can be found in both salt and fresh water, can be either really small or really large, and has the biggest amount of chlorophyll in the plant world.

Unlike the other sea plant types, green sea plants depend almost entirely on the sun, and are more commonly found in shallow waters. The benefits of eating green sea plants in a diet is that they help boost your immune system, can be used for stomach pains and problems, and can also fight allergic reactions.

Green sea plants can also help make your liver healthier, controls blood clotting, fights free radicals, lowers cholesterol levels, enhances skin, decreases high blood pressure, and stabilizes blood sugar in the body.

The studies that have been done on some green sea plants has come up with some really good findings. The plants showed the ability to reduce fat cells, kill cells that cause diseases, and all together clean the body of toxins.

The things that green sea plants can do are simply amazing, they have been shown to kill some cancerous cells in the human body, have been used for years to stop infections, lower inflammations and help maintain healthy cells in the nerves of our body.

They also have a high number of iron in them, more then that found in an egg yolk. Due to this, green sea plants are also used to help with problems caused by having low iron in the body. Arthritis is also some what cured with these plants and they can be used to help with osteoporosis as well.

With everything that this small group can do, it’s a wonder why we have not been eating and using sea plants in our lives to help with so many of the problems we have. Just this small group can do more for us then what land plants can.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

A Look at Sheet Metal Stamping

Sheet metal stamping is the system wherein metal sheets are used for producing final products. When a metal sheet is inserted into the die or the press, it is molded into the required shape and size. Metal sheets of only a certain thickness can be inserted into metal stamping machines. The maximum limit for most metal stamping machines is ¼ inch. However, machines can be designed to accommodate sheets of greater thickness also. Even the kind of metal sheets that can be processed in metal stamping are also specific. Only certain metals or alloys can be used like aluminum, brass, steel (hot rolled or cold rolled), galvanized steel, stainless steel, copper, zinc and titanium.

Before the metal sheet is inserted into the machine, the customer provides the prototype or at least a diagram of the final product. In case the customer doesn’t have a clear idea of what the final product should look like, most metal stamping producers also offer engineering services for designing the products as well. Even some secondary services such as deburring and plating are provided by the metal stamping companies after the metal sheet is stamped.

There are three main components in sheet metal stamping -- the die, the punch and the binder/blank holder. The sheet is kept between the blank holder and the die and the punch is driven into the die wherein the sheet spreads over the die because of the drawing and stretching. The blank holder provides the restraining force that is required to control the sheet flow into the die. This force prevents wrinkling and tearing of the sheet as the quantity of material going into the machine can be controlled. For some processes where the blank holder force is too high for the material, draw beads are used to create the restraining force.

Sheet metal stampings are also known as thin stampings. Sheet metal stamping is used most primarily in the case-building process. It is also the most important part as each of the panels has to be stamped one by one. First the motherboard tray is stamped, then one-side panels on the right and left from bottom to top and back.

Nutrition: The Super Foods that keep you Healthy

Get ready to experience a volume of information of the healthiest foods in the world. Here is a list of the top ten super foods that most health experts agree on. You should tell everyone you know about these foods and enjoy them at your next meal. From fruits and vegetables, to whole grains, nuts, beans and legumes, this power-packed nutritional inventory will take you into the best years of your life and beyond.

Fruits

1. Cantaloupe Only a quarter of cantaloupe provides almost all the vitamin A needed in one day. Since the beta-carotene in a cantaloupe converts to vitamin A, you get both nutrients at once. These vision-strengthening nutrients may help reduce the risk of developing cataracts. Like an orange, cantaloupe is also an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps our immune system. It is also is a good source of vitamin B6, dietary fiber, folate, niacin, and potassium, which helps maintain good blood sugar levels and metabolism. This pale orange power fruit may help reduce our risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

2. Blueberries These mildly sweet (and sometimes tangy) berries offer a high capacity to destroy free radicals that can cause cancer. Low in calories, they offer antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins, which enhance the effects of vitamin C. These antioxidants may help prevent cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer.

Vegetables

3: Tomatoes Tomatoes help us fight against heart disease and cancers such as colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and cancer of the pancreas. Tomatoes are also good sources of vitamin C, A, and K. In a 2004 study, it was found that tomato juice alone can help reduce blood clotting.

Fresh, organic tomatoes deliver three times as much of the cancer-fighting carotenoid lycopene. Even organic ketchup is better for you than regular ketchup! Look for tomato pastes and sauces that contain the whole tomato (including peels) because you will absorb 75% more lycopene and almost two times the amount of beta-carotene.

4: Sweet Potatoes As an excellent source of vitamin A, C, and manganese, sweet potatoes are also a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. Those who are smokers or prone to second-hand smoke may benefit greatly from this root vegetable that helps protect us against emphysema.

For a unique dessert, cube a cooked sweet potato and slice a banana. Then lightly pour maple syrup over the top and add a dash or two of cinnamon. Add chopped walnuts for an even healthier kick.

5: Spinach and Kale

A cancer-fighter and cardio-helper, spinach and kale top the list as far as green leafy vegetables are concerned. Much like broccoli, they provide an excellent source of vitamin A and C. Kale is a surprisingly good source of calcium at 25% per cup, boiled. Vitamin K is abundantly found in spinach as well, with almost 200% of the Daily Value available, to help reduce bone loss.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Well Water The Hidden Problem - A Pure Water Alternative in Rural and Suburban America

The traditional rural population within the United States has changed significantly with the emergence of urban centers in the past 50 years. Although this development has provided for other sources of water, there are many areas in the country that still rely on wells and ground water for drinking. Recent EPA estimates assert that over 15% of the population still uses well water for drinking, washing, crop support and other general purposes; close to 45 million Americans depend on well water for their basic necessities in life.

Well water is continually under the threat of contamination from a number of sources however, and the burden of testing the ground water is placed upon individual landowners rather than governmental agencies. As a result, pure drinking water is depleting in rural and suburban America because testing by the individual landowner is not required. This, in turn, will eventually become a considerable problem.

The Problem:

Unlike municipal and bottled water sources, drinking water from wells is not regulated by any governmental bodies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because each well is its own source of water, effective regulation of millions of wells clearly proves beyond the scope and power of governmental regulatory authorities.

In addition, well water is subject to contamination from a number of sources. The risk of significant health problems depends on a number of factors including:

• How the well was constructed • The location of the well on the property • Local environmental factors • The condition of the aquifer that supplies the well • Human, animal and industrial activities in proximity to the well

What Exactly is Well Water?

Well water or ground water is formed as a result of rain and snow seeping into the ground and filling the space between rocks and soil in what is known as an “aquifer.” The bulk of the nation’s drinking water comes from ground water aquifers although the portion that sources municipal water supplies as tap water is subject to quality standards.

Clean drinking water is necessary for a healthy life and contamination of ground water poses a substantial threat to health in rural and suburban America. The actual well drillers and installers are subject to state regulations but the quality of the water output is not regulated and remains the responsibility of the well owner. Well water significantly varies in quality from place to place throughout the country. Depth of the water table and the quality and quantity of replenishment sources are also considerations.

The burden of maintaining safe drinking water from wells is directly placed on the homeowner; the testing is at best a cumbersome process. Simple tests are not adequate to identify all contamination sources and expensive laboratory testing is often required. Repeated testing is also required to ensure that varying conditions do not introduce new contaminants.

Hair Color Trends - The New You

Current hair color trends are defined within the move towards relaxed glamour. Healthy, shiny hair, with lots of movement, yet still well groomed. Color is defined - it's either pastel blondes, in clean, icy tones. Or cool browns, or brilliant reds. The move has definitely been away from red browns, although if that's a personal choice, or suits your skin tone best, don't be a slave to fashion!

Here are some ideas to incorporate the latest hair color trends into your style:

Double sided coloring - underneath, choose a darker color like chocolate, and over the top, and for most of the hair, choose lighter shades like copper and bronze. The darker color will frame your face, and if you go for any flicks or curls when styling, you'll see it contrasted against the lighter colors. But the main colors when hair is straightened will be the lighter ones. It's great for variety.

Try color combinations like coffee, honeycomb and golden syrup for a more subtle, layered effect.

For brunettes who like their chocolate browns, try a few golden highlights to break up the block of chocolate, unless your face and skin color can handle the density of such a rich dark color. It really helps define your hair style, and is much easier to wear.

If you like very dark colors, try a brown black instead of a straight black. Or get your hairdresser to mix in some blue black into the brown black to give it more intensity, but without the harshness of a solid black that is not flattering to all skin tones. Also, try mixing in some caramel and pink-red foils with a violet brown black base. If they're used creatively, and with restraint, you can keep the overall look very dark and mysterious, with a few hints of color showing.

For blondes, try mixing golden blonde with a very light ash. Or for a more subtle but contrasting look, have the ends of a bob colored a pale pastel coral.

If you want to try platinum shades, instead of going for a harsher white white, try a softer platinum white tinted slightly with pink.

For a pretty natural blonde look, try splicing a few clove and light ash foils through a pale, golden base shade.

Redheads: Go for a rich, fiery copper with a darker brown underneath, like clove. This works well on long hair and mid length hair.

For another red combination, try cayenne, nutmeg and paprika.

For really vibrant colors mixed with a darker base, away from the coppers, try a pink red combination of cassis and raspberry coulis.

For something a little more outrageous and individual, go for a brightly colored fringe, say in pink, and a few purple ends.

If you want something quite striking, but not so colorful, just go for a lighter than usual highlight. As long as it's tastefully done, it'll look great. Don't try this at home!!!

When choosing colors, be aware of whether it's a warm shade or a cool shade. And keep in mind how much of each color is going to be on your hair. Which shade, or tone, do you want the dominant one to be? Do you want a subtle effect, or a more striking one? Unless the contrasting color is going to be in small amounts, keep warm tones together, and cool tones together, irrespective of whether they are blond, brown, black or red. For example, chocolate brown highlights look good with warm vanilla, even though the colors themselves are quite distinct.

You can use different tones together. But it depends on both your skin tone, the way the colors are applied, and how much of each are used. If you're going for this approach, think of the contrasting tone as a painter would, and be judicious about it's placing.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Arts and Crafts Revival

The terms Arts and Crafts and Mission Style are often used synonymously today. They refer to a style of home design and furnishings emphasizing natural materials, especially wood, and showcasing a pronounced geometry in the design. Their tremendous revival in popularity stems largely from their association with hand-crafted elements (though many knock-offs are manufactured by machine), a rarity in this technologically advanced age. The pieces offer an heirloom quality and a patina that deepens with age. Arts and Crafts furnishings and interiors are also typically very durable and classic with a timeless appeal. They suit today’s desire to simplify and get back to basics. Arts and Crafts interiors are an ideal marriage of function and aesthetic; spaces are designed to work for those living there. To create your own Arts and Crafts interior, there are several elements to consider, both in materials and design.

The materials of an Arts and Crafts interior, while not limited to nature, emphasize wood, stone, glass (made from sand), ceramic tiles (made from minerals/earth), and textiles (using wool, cotton, or linen fibers, and, of course, leather). Much of the visual pattern comes from the grain of the wood selected. Traditionally oak was used, but currently natural cherry is frequently enjoyed. The oak tends to have a golden brown gleam, while the cherry is redder. Both darken naturally with age, which is to be expected.

Flooring, all architectural trim/molding, doors, stair rails and stiles, and exposed structural supports are all typically wood, oak being most prevalent. Waxed or oil finishes prevail. Joints are pegged, or hand-crafted metal hardware is used. Door knobs, cabinet pulls and the like are again hand-crafted wrought iron or bronze in black, umber, or verdigris. Many are square or rectangular shaped and are hand hammered. For a lighter look, some homeowners today are opting for a soft brushed pewter or nickel finish instead. Once you have the guidelines, you can bend them to suit. If an alternative to a wood floor is desired, tile or slate would be appropriate substitutes. The tile should be large and laid in a linear pattern, not on the diagonal.

To balance and complement the visual depth of the wood, walls are often treated with a textured paint or plastered. (The old bungalows have original plaster.) A good bet is the river rock finish that Ralph Lauren paint provides. Paint schemes bear an influence from nature with goldenrod yellows, burnt sienna browns, cimmaron and Indian reds, sage and moss greens, and a neutral palette of earthy tans, toasts, and beiges. The overall feeling has a harmony, continuity, with all elements working together, none upstaging the other. It is about creating an organic home, one that works within its environment and makes the most of its surroundings both outside and inside.

Fireplaces have wood or stone mantels, with stone, ceramic or occasionally brick surrounds. The wood is again oak with a golden stain, usually waxed or rubbed, not polyurethaned. Satin or matte finishes rule. Stone is field stone-- stacked dry or with mortar, it presents a terrific textural visual. River rock may be used instead and the round smooth stones provide a counterpoint to the rectilinear geometry otherwise present. Ceramic tiles will typically have a motif from nature, perhaps a leaf or acorn, or be an iridescent finish. Today glass tiles are also used to great advantage. Brick, when employed, is smooth faced and laid in clean horizontal bands. Again, one of the clear features of an Arts and Crafts interior is the linear quality. The feeling that the house is part of a bigger view, part of the horizon, is all an effort to be from and of the earth.

Woman s health reproductive

When girls grow up and turn into women, they have dual responsibility to take care of their health as well as of the one who shall take birth from their womb. If woman s health reproductive is not given proper attention, it shall end up with results such as poor-pregnancy, infertility, gynecological troubles and many other diseases.

In a recent survey, it has been mentioned that one out of every five pregnancy ends up in miscarriage in the UK. Another case is where one of out every hundred pregnancies, the pregnancy develops outside the womb that has high risk to maternal life. Thus it is clear that there is much threat to a woman’s life due to negligence to women reproductive health.

Why Birth control Methods? As the rate of maternal mortality has increased due to unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases, it has become important to be safe by adopting various birth control methods. One of the permanent methods is creating a block through surgery so as to avoid the contact of women egg with the male sperm.

Other methods include use of birth control pills which are 99% effective in most of the cases. At the same time, these also make the menstrual cycle regular and lighter along with lessening the pain of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining is found outside the uterus causing pain in the pelvic area and infertility.

Other ways include use of Depo-Provera injections consisting of hormone called progestin, small T- shaped device known as Mirena that is being placed under the uterus. Other copper UID is also used for the purpose. Use of birth control patches is also a good way to avoid unintended pregnancies. Some women suffer from excessive menstrual bleeding and heavy pain during sexual intercourse.

What diet should be taken during pregnancy? To avoid these problems, good intake of essential nutrients in diet such as folic acid (essential during pregnancy), vitamins, irons, minerals, vitamin-D, and calcium is important. As such, green vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, other food rich in vitamin-c, low fat milk, eggs, butter should be taken.

Sunday, December 31, 2006

The Florist’s Secrets Discover how to care for your Flowers

Flowers immediately brighten up a room, adding a sense of spring and joy. As flowers are a living and a relatively costly decoration, it pays to keep them alive and healthy looking for as long as possible.Knowing some of a florist's secrets for flower care are the best means of ensuring a prolonged life for a healthy bouquet of flowers. The first thing to know about floral care is immediate care. You can compare a florist to a doctor in a maternity ward, checking that the newly arrived bundle is in good health and will stay that way. As soon as a floral shipment arrives, the florist gets to work, as immediate care is necessary for living plants. As our world is becoming considerably more ecologically conscious, many florists use natural methods of prolonging the life of plants, which often turn out to be less expensive methods. If you are ecologically conscious, you may prefer knowing some natural tips for floral care. There are some secrets not widely known which offer great protection and life extension to your flowers, as well as some widely known old-wives tale type of tips, which often do have merit to them. Uncovering these secrets of the trade will simplify floral care and leave your flowers looking better for longer. From the moment cut flowers are in your possession, you must take measures to care for them. Time is of the essence in these moments of primary care. Immediately place the flowers to soak in a bowl while you get yourself ready: find the appropriate vase, have the plant food at hand, find a strong pair of shears or a sharp knife, and room temperature water (on the cooler, rather than warmer, side). Fill the vase, and add whatever plant food/anti-bacterial product you plan to use. Turn on the tap, and placing each stem under the running water, cut about an inch and a half off of each flower. It is important to keep the flower under a constant stream of water, as this will avoid air bubbles from forming, which temporarily cut off the water supply to the flower. Use either a knife or very sharp shears to cut the stems, as a terrible mistake is to cut with scissors that end up flattening the stem without cutting it. This will also damage the water supply from stem to flower. When cutting, cut at an angle, as that makes greater surface area for the water to enter the stem. Cut off any leaves that will be under water, as left on the stems, they will begin to rot and promote bacterial growth. Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight and heat, and change the water often. These initial steps will ensure a healthy bouquet.

For those seeking natural means of protecting and caring for flowers, the only thing to avoid from the above-mentioned description of flower care will be the plant food and anti-bacterial preservative to keep the plants healthy. There are many natural formulas for those preferring to avoid the chemicals found in plant food. Water is the essential element for all of life to survive. So, ensuring that your plant gets the best water for it will ensure a longer life. Soft, acidic water is best for flowers, as it optimizes the flowers' veins bringing up water to the rest of the plant. When you change the water daily, trim off a bit more of the stem to cut off any bacteria that may be living at the stem entrance, as well as reopen the stem's vein. Use a vase that allows room for the flowers. When flowers are packed together tightly, they have less air, and more chances of rotting. White sugar is really all that plants need for food, and can substitute plant food. Old wives' tales often turn out to be valuable natural care methods, so read on to learn about these.

Choosing a Lapel Pin Manufacturer

There are hundreds of lapel pin companies to choose from. A simple search on the Internet yields multiple hits. It’s important to have an idea of what you want before you begin working with a lapel pin manufacturer. There are several types of pins, but the base of all lapel pins is metal. You can order very inexpensive pins made out of iron with plating, but lapel pins made out of copper are the most durable. A lapel pin manufacturer can plate a pin with gold, silver, bronze or even an antique finish. Once you decide on the basic metal of the pin, then you can move on to the fun part – the colorful design of the lapel pin!

There are different types of pins to choose from, but the most popular type is the “hard enamel” lapel pin. This type of pin allows for an almost unlimited selection of colors. Some lapel pin manufacturers call this cloisonné, but it is not true cloisonné. If your design requires bright colors, consider the hard enamel pin. The true cloisonné pin is limited to only about 100 colors, but these are often the most collectible type of lapel pins. You may also choose lapel pins that are embossed, die struck or etched – careful selection of the design will ultimately make your custom lapel pin unique.

While the company you deal with may be located in the US, most lapel pin manufacturers deal with factories overseas. Be sure to check with the manufacturer to find out how long your order will take and what kind of shipping charges are involved. Always get a quote, and make sure to let the lapel pin manufacturers know what your budget is – they almost certainly have made something similar to what you need. For complex designs, find out if a prototype lapel pin can be created.

If you don’t need a special design, and are looking for something a little simpler you can also order stock lapel pins. These are pins with recognized symbols like flags, smiley faces, states, animals and other designs. Stock lapel pins are usually immediately available and can be purchased in affordable bulk quantities. Stock lapel pins will not incur any set-up or art fees, as the custom lapel pins will. You may also be able to find stock lapel pins at low clearance prices.

Another affordable option is to order wholesale lapel pins. To place a wholesale order, you must have a business license and usually you have to buy a certain amount of lapel pins to qualify for wholesale pricing. Schools and charitable organizations may also qualify, so be sure to ask! The upside of wholesale lapel pins is that you will often receive free artwork, free shipping and other incentives. If you are a business looking to purchase at least 50 units, buying wholesale lapel pins may be the best option for you.