DIY Life

I've been planning my cousin's feminine baby shower for a few months now, and I've been tossing around centerpiece ideas in my head. I stumbled upon this cutesy DIY centerpiece yesterday and am quite sure it will make the perfect girly statement for the event!

The tutorial is pretty self-explanatory and seems easy as baby-shower-pie. Simply thrift an old candelabra, gather a few teacups and purchase plenty of craft glue (my favorite is Elmer's). I think it'd be fun to spray-paint the entire centerpiece a bright teal or yellow lacquer so the look really pops.

If you can't find any candelabras or teacups at the local thrift shops, eBay is always a tremendous resource. Just be sure to bid on inexpensive designs if you plan to spray-paint it.

When you've finished your project, fill the teacups with nuts, chocolate-covered strawberries, mints, or even candles. Your guests will love your ingenuity, and the best part? You've finally found a use for all of your mismatched china!

For those of you who rarely dress up, tie season is upon us. It will kick off with Thanksgiving dinner, then various formal Christmas events and by New Years eve you will have worn more ties in the past month than you will the rest of the year. If you're out of practice, refreshing yourself on how to tie a tie and the best occasions for each knot will help you through the holidays.

You'll want to choose a knot based which shirt you're pairing your tie with. The half-windsor for example is best with straight ties on thin fabrics. Once you know which knot you're going to tackle, you'll need instructions. These instructions offer full step-by-step instructions with accompanying diagrams.

When the festivities are over and you settle back into your jeans and t-shirt uniform, make sure that you clean and store your ties properly for the next occasion. Always untie the knot before hanging it up on a tie rack. Make sure that you store your ties away from color-fading light. If you need to remove wrinkles from a tie, try rolling it up and leaving it for a few days.

Instead of dreading the formal Christmas party, treat yourself to a new tie (remember to check what dress she's wearing first so you complement it) and strut your stuff!

Are you tired of going to the same old events all the time? You are not alone. Many people have a hard time finding fun and interesting things to do, without spending a ton of money. Buying the tickets to get into events can cost a lot of money, and just doesn't seem worth the time.


If you like to travel, then the only cost of these events to you would be traveling expenses, and we all know how the cost of gasoline is these days. If you like to stay closer to home, check your local area chamber of commerce to find out what special upcoming events your community may be hosting. Our local paper always has a list of community events for the new week. Every spring we receive a schedule of events for the entire year. With a little imagination and no strain on the pocketbook, you can have a great and memorable time for next to nothing.

There's a little known strategy for getting into places without paying the cover charge. It worked for people many years ago and I'm guessing that it would still work now. I think the trick to making it work these days is to be certain that you're attempting it at the right event.

What you need to do is to show up at your chosen event in a clown suit. Yep, show up at an outdoor concert dressed as a clown with full face makeup and a couple balloon animals and then go to the rear entrance where they let the vendors in and out. You have a fifty percent chance that you'll be able to walk in through the rear gate completely unmolested. After all, who pays any attention to a clown? If someone stops you, you're in the perfect position to say something about hoping you were scheduled to work and that you're looking for the promotions staff or supervisor. Sell yourself into the event. You're a clown for the day.

The angle is that when you get inside, you had better be walking around making people laugh and smile. When the security people walk by, if they catch you two or three times leaning against a picnic table and sucking a cold draft beer, they might get a little suspicious. Work the crowd, travel the grounds and be a clown. Chances are that you'll have more fun in a clown costume than you would have had otherwise!