Jane says…..

If you are new to dressage and want to start showing, it is important to learn and follow the dress code. It is pretty specific and, in dressage shows, you don’t get points for being creative and standing out from the crowd. Some judges are very traditional, and they are distracted by anything not following the “Norm”. Use your creative outfits for schooling. The dress code is also detailed in the rules for Dressage from USEF, so if you have questions about this advice, refer to the rules. These suggestions are based on current experience at 3 star shows in Northern California (2003-2006).

The rider should wear a black or blue dressage coat or hunt coat. A dressage coat has four buttons and a single vent in the back. A hunt coat has three buttons and a double vent. Most riders invest in a dressage coat, but it is fine to start off in a hunt coat before spending lots of money on a name-brand dressage coat. Depending on your climate, consider very carefully before investing in a traditional wool coat. There are other man-made blends that can be much cooler in warm weather. At some very warm shows, the judge will wave the coat requirement. This means that you can remove your coat and neck tie, but you must still be in a shirt with a collar and long or short sleeves. Unless you are desperate, wear your coat anyways if you can. The test is only 5-6 minutes and some judges prefer the finished look. By the way, tailcoats are only for riders riding Prix St. George level and above.

The rider should also wear a white show shirt with mock collar, white stock tie, stock tie pin, and white breeches. Your shirt can be long or short sleeves. There are tons of show shirts for sale on the market, so find something you like. Beige breeches are also allowed, but you are better off wearing white. Gloves can be white or black, but you are better off wearing white if you can stand it. Hunt style hard helmet in black velvet is best for the lower levels, if possible. A safety helmet of any style is allowed for your safety. Put your hair in some kind of hair net unless it is very short. No loose hair or flopping pony tails should be seen. Wear tall boots, preferably “dress boots” with no laces. “Field boots” have laces at the ankle and are better for the hunter/jumper ring. Half chaps or leggings are absolutely not allowed in the show ring for dressage. You must have tall boots. You can save money by purchasing imitation leather boots if you don’t want to incur the cost of leather boots. Leather boots can cost $100-$500 easily. Some people invest in custom-made leather boots that cost even more. Spurs are allowed with restrictions on them. Most common blunt-end spurs with straight shanks are fine. One whip no longer than 43.3 inches (110 cm), including lash may be carried in all classes except for annual championship classes.

For the horse, use a white, square saddle pad and an English or Dressage style saddle. The bridle can have a decorative brow band as long as it is leather-based. A beaded string across the brow is not allowed. No boots or leg wraps are allowed in the show ring. The saddle color should match the stirrup leathers, girth, and bridle if possible. Make sure that your bridle and bit are to regulation. Most simple snaffle bits are fine, and most nosebands are allowed. Try to have everything as neat and clean and white as possible before your rides!

See the Dressage Rules at http://www.usef.org/documents/ruleBook/2006/07-DR.pdf Read section DR120 Dress for dress code rules and section DR121 Saddlery and Equipment for tack rules.

Jennifer Allbright writes for http://www.NewtoHorses.com which provides information to new-comers on caring for, riding, and showing horses. The site offers a wide range of information from safety around horses and resources for horse items to specifics about dressage training and showing.

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Uganda has developed its lodges and hotels into world class. Kampala for example has 3star, 4star and five star hotels and the serena group has acquired the Nile hotel and renovated it it a 5 star deluxe facility at a cost of $18M. Lodges will be found in wildlife areas like queen Elizabeth.

Semilik Safari Lodge

The lodge has eight double rooms that allow for total comfort. Guests are also accommodated in large canvas tents with permanent thatched roofs. The tents have en-suite bathrooms with running water and private verandas with a breathtaking view. Sofas are piled with cushions, with ample lounging spaces. The lodge’s resident chef offers a creative mix referred to as the ‘Best food in Uganda’. Everything is homemade, from the fresh bread to the soups. The lodge employees are from the surrounding communities.

Semilik Safari Lodge offers guests interesting activities like chimpanzee trekking, guided walks and hiking, jungle walks fishing, bird-watching, spot lit night drives, game drives and visits to local communities. The lodge is working closely with the Indiana State University of the US in primate research projects. The cost for double rooms for foreign non-residents is US $296 and for East African Nationals US $218.

The mystery of Kabale

Bunyonyi Safari Resort (BSR), located deep in the highlands of Kabale District, southwestern Uganda, is a secret yet to be discovered. Located on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi, this unique tranquil place has spacious, self-contained and spacious cottages right at the waterfront. Guests can tour the numerous islands on the lake by motorboat. ‘Bunyonyi’ means ‘little birds’ and, indeed, at BSR guests are woken up every morning by the chirping of numerous birds. Some of the areas across the lake are famous rare bird species. Lake Bunyonyi is about 900m deep and it winds around numerous hills, creating islands. It has signs of volcanicity and mystery still surrounds its formation. It is a bilharzias-free lake and therefore safe for swimming. The area is also mosquito-free.

BSR have a pad out in the water for guests to sunbathe ands swim in private. Form there or the balcony, one can occasionally view the elusive water birds, the otters, as well as the surrounding hills. Guides will take guests round and give them the historical and cultural backgrounds of some of the islands. Visitors can also meet the pygmy tribes. In the evenings, one can enjoy a barbeque dinner with a campfire by the lakeside.

Lake Bunyonyi is one of the places in Uganda where guests can get clayfish, BSR’s specialty. The cuisine is mostly African but the chef is well versed in all continental dishes. Self-catering is also allowed at a minimal cost for small groups. Bunyonyi Safari Resort extends from the cottages to a small hilltop overlooking the lake. From this vantage point, the view of the Lake Bunyonyi, its surrounding islands against a backdrop of the volcanoes of Muhavura is splendid. The hall on this hilltop is furnished with a bar, a pool table, darts and other games. It is ideal for conferences and parties. The surrounding gardens are well manicured and beautiful.

BSR is offering special full board rates this season of US $40 per person per day. Visitors should look out for BSR’s new introductory package of US $110 per person for a two-night weekend that includes accommodation, meals and transport to and from Kampala, and lake tours. The minimum number of this tour is 12 people sharing in doubles. This tour can be combined with gorilla trekking in Bwindi or a visit to Lake Mburo National Park or Queen Elizabeth National Park at an added cost.

Hotel industry comes of age

The Uganda hospitality industry has evolved rapidly into a dynamic institution that places the interest of the client above all else. A visit to Uganda may be marked by stops in the following regions represented by a number of towns: Jinja, Mukono, Kampala, Entebbe, and towns within the refreshing tour circuit of western, north-western and north-eastern Uganda. In all these regions and towns, the hotels meet international standards and offer value for money.

Kampala, Entebbe and Mukono

Central Uganda boasts the country’s top hotels, with Kampala having hosted major international and regional conferences. Kampala has a variety of hotels that cater for different categories of tourists.

Colline Hotel

Colline Hotel is an old establishment in Mukono about 15 kilometres east of Kampala. The three-star hotel boasts a town-countryside tropical setting. It is an hour’s drive from Entebbe International Airport through Kampala along Jinja road. The hotel has more than 100 self-contained rooms, with 24-hour room service, DStv and direct telephone communication. It caters for transit tourists heading to and from Kampala.

Mukono’s unique setting in an area with bird life is reinforced by its high service standards. Colline offers guests unhindered access to all facilities such as the steam bath and health club. With a large garden, swimming pool and well-equipped health centre, Colline Hotel is another home away from home.

The hotel has two restaurants, Maxims and Kob, serving continental, international, oriental and local cuisine. It has three bars fully stocked with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The hotel has a launders residents’ linen. Cultural troupes perform there regularly, keeping the guests fully entertained.

Hotel Africana

Hotel Africana overlooks the beautiful Uganda Golf Club’s par 72 Kitante course. The hotel is 40 minute drive from Entebbe and a mere three-minute drive to the city centre. It has 115 rooms compromising five suites, 23 deluxe rooms and 87 twin-bedrooms. The rooms are elaborately furnished to meet client needs. They are individually air-conditioned, have private baths and showers, telephones, multi-channel TV, radio and fridges. For children under three years, accommodation is free of charge while those between three and 12 pay half the rate of a single room. There are also rooms with connecting doors for families, and there is a large swimming pool.

Hotel Africana has a well-designed purpose-built, air-conditioned conference and banquet rooms, complete with modern audio-visual facilities, to cater for any function. Due to its location, the hotel offers a suitable venue for workshops of 10 to 250 people and outdoor functions of up to 1,000 people. The conference rooms are equipped with a high-speed wireless Internet connection.

Holiday Express Hotel

Located in the heart of Kampala at the junction of Luwum and Dastur Streets, Holiday Express Hotel allows business tourists to access vital services such as foreign exchange, downtown shopping and transport in and out of Kampala. The facilities are designed to meet regional and international standards. All the 42 rooms are soundproofed to allow maximum comfort. This eliminates the CBD-related cacophony. The hotel has a special rate for East African nationals. All the rooms are fitted with TV with more than 10 channels and a spacious study area. Holiday Express has hosted business tourists from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Congo.

Hotel Equatoria

Hotel Equatoria is part of the Imperial Group of Hotels chain - Grand Imperial, Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel, Imperial Resort Beach and Hotel Equatorial. It is located in Kampala’s central business district, about 40 kilometres from Entebbe International Airport. Its strategic location provides an ideal environment for conferences, meetings, workshops, parties, recreation and rest. Hotel Equatoria has features that supplement its quality of service. Recently the hotel added 30 more shops to meet the shopping needs of the guests. Hotel Equatoria has one of the biggest shopping malls in the country and 89 air-conditioned rooms, 24 of which are executive class, with satellite television and in-house movies. Security is guaranteed as an electronic key card system is used. The executive rooms have a sitting area complete with speed special satellite Internet connections, mini-bars and direct dialing telephone services.

Grand Imperial Hotel

The Grand Imperial Hotel is one of the first hotels in Uganda built in the colonial era. It is the only hotel that has been used by every governor of the colonial era. The 103 rooms, including suites, reflect the urban elegance and easy southern charm of the city. The hotel, part of the Imperial Group of Hotels, is centrally located in Kampala, and is just a 30 minute drive from Entebbe International Airport. All the rooms have high-speed Internet connection, electronic safes and mini-bars and direct dialing telephone services. The hotel has a swimming pool, saunas and Jacuzzi, massage rooms, steam and spa baths, a shopping mall and a large secure car park. It also offers free personalized airport service, forex bureau and doctors on call 24 hours.

Imperial Resort Beach Hotel

The five-star Imperial Resort Beach Hotel is situated in Entebbe on 27 acres of landscaped gardens on the shores of Lake Victoria. It is only a seven-minute drive from Entebbe International Airport, and a 30 minute drive to Kampala. The hotel is the finest convention centre in Uganda and a global landmark, offering technologically advanced conference facilities overlooking the lake.

With 191 rooms on six floors, extensive conference and banquet facilities and restaurants and bars, it is an ideal venue for meetings. A modern amphitheatre, 1 km private beach stretch along Lake Victoria, swimming pool and health club are just some of the delights.

Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel

The Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel has hosted a number of key conferences, including a summit of African leaders and former American President, Bill Clinton. It has modern well-equipped conference facilities, high-speed internet connection in all rooms, electronic safes and mini-bars, direct dialing telephone service, swimming pool, saunas and Jacuzzi, large secure car parking, free personalized airport service and a doctor on a 24-hour call.

Speke Resort & Country Lodge

Speke Resort and Country Lodge is a luxurious resort on the shores of Lake Victoria in Munyonyo, 12km from Kampala. This resort is spread over 50 acres of pristine land. It hosts leisure travelers, business and executive groups, weddings and other special travellers, business and executive groups, weddings and other special events. It is the epitome of an ultimate resort in the Great Lakes region. The emphasis is on exclusivity and comfort, with the décor incorporating ethnic design elements from various African communities.

The resort extends for over 400 metres along the shores of Lake Victoria. Landscaped gardens with indigenous plants and trees attract colourful birds and butterflies. Wide and well-lit pathways link the cottages, apartments and public areas. It includes 10 self-contained cottages, 20 serviced studio rooms, 11 one-bedroom apartments and 24 two-bedroom apartments with the latest amenities such as telephones, internet access and satellite TV. It has a large swimming pool, a restaurant, grocery, bar and an equestrian centre with 29 thoroughbred horses. There is a jetty where guests can hire speedboats

Mweya Safari Lodge

Mweya safari lodge is located on a peninsula in the heart of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. It offers sumptuous meals and luxurious accommodation and there are amazing views from every room, an abundance of game and birds. Easily accessible by air and road, Mweya Safari Lodge is the perfect place to start a refreshing experienced of Uganda.

Paraa Safari Lodge

Built in the early 1950s, Paraa offers visitors the dramatic Murchison Falls and a large variety of bird and animal species. Winston Churchill walked the 85 kilometres from Masindi to view the falls. Paraa is sandwiched by Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert in north-western Uganda and Murchison National Park. During Uganda’s political turmoil, the lodge collapsed but today the story is different. Guests can access it from Kampala by road or air

24 hours in Kampala

I had decided to venture into the unknown - Uganda. With only a sketchy knowledge of the history of the country, I had covered most of Kenya and my visits to Tanzania were becoming monotonous. Coming all the way from Mombasa, the thought of flying to Nairobi then to Entebbe offered a mixed package. On the one hand, I would arrive fast and embark on my working holiday, but on the other, I would miss invaluable experiences that my grandchildren would love to hear.

I settled for the long journey by road from Mombasa. The Mombasa to Nairobi trip was uneventful and by morning, I was on my way to the Malaba border. Through the Kenyan towns of Nakuru, Eldoret and others, which I knew like the palm of my hand, we reached the border and disembarked, passport in hand. I eyed the surroundings curiously. We completed immigration formalities and set off from Malaba through Tororo to Kampala. The Owen Falls Dam provided a spectacular view of the source of the Nile. And Kampala beckoned.

By 6:30pm, the bus arrived in Kampala. Dusk was swiftly giving way to night and I had not made any accommodation arrangements. I tried to recollect the names of some of the hotels and approached an all too willing taxi driver (here they are called ’special hires’). I addressed him in English and mentioned the names of the various hotels that came to mind, three to be precise, but he immediately ruled out two as being upcountry! So, he took me to the one in town. It was a three-star hotel. I was caught in the horns of a dilemma. I didn’t wish to appear as someone with no clue of what I wanted, yet I had this ominous feeling that the cost would subject my pockets to unwarranted, self-inflicted shock therapy. I decided to bite the bullet and approach the receptionist, who appeared rather busy with some clients. I waited. The wait seemed rather long; I know places in my home city (Mombasa) where the moment you step in you are literally lavished with service.

I boldly confronted the receptionist and politely asked her to attend to me. Turning the look of being offended by my perceived interruption, she promptly read out the room rates. The figures sounded rather odd; USh 100,000 etc. I settled for the cheapest, which was USh 100,000. Someone told me the Kenyan Shilling was quite strong regionally so I need not worry, just spend and be happy. I fished out a wad of notes and counted USh 100,000 for that night. I was shown the self-contained room with a sitting area, a TV with numerous channels, among a host of other things. I settled in the room, took a shower, started counting the money while reconverting the currency mentally to Kenya Shillings, and realized that i had spent a whopping KSh 8,000 even before dinner!

I was however determined that the little shock therapy would not ruin my first evening in Kampala. Furthermore, there was no way I could dine at the same hotel as that would choke any attempts at sampling Uganda’s growing economy. I moved to Steers on Kampala Road around the CBD. There was little difficulty in following the directions to the fast food joint. They seemed more efficient than the three-star hotel.

It was Friday and I began my nocturnal tour at about 8:45pm. The city was teeming with not just vehicles, but human traffic too. I got a ’special hire’ to the ‘happening places’ as the seemingly enlightened driver called them. He quickly noticed two things: that I was new in Uganda and that I was from Kenya!

The driver through the city took me to what he rated as a client-friendly pub in the heart of the city and a couple of other places after which I thought: “well, i now know Kampala!” I decided to go it alone and the next 24 hours were a real rollercoaster ride. I entered what I later was told was a sleazy joint (not my type) and moved on to what surprised me most - a Kenyan nyama choma joint. There was a good number of Kenyans and Tusker flowed like water. It felt good to be ‘home’ again. The joint-hoping craze went on, this time with a group of homeboys who seemed to disappear in what I considered dark alleys, only to re-emerge stone drunk! I was told that they had gone to ‘re-charge the Tusker’ with some potent traditional gin by the name Kasese Kasese.

It was well past midnight. Back home, I would be worried about the police and robbers but here that did not bother the Friday night crowd. I met a young woman who said she was a Ugandan university student and we went to a disco. I do not remember the names of the clubs because we entered no less than three that night. The mood was real carnival with folks partying hard. I learnt a lot from the student on why people seemed so relaxed and at ease with foreigners.

The last disco we entered was playing a floor-closing number. It was 5:30 in morning. I escorted my guide to a special hire, paid for her trip back to campus wherever it was, and I took mine to my USh 100,000 hotel room. Later, some homeboys who promised to show me a ‘more affordable’ place lived up to their promise. I moved to an equally decent hotel within the CBD for less than half the previous cost!

I spent the afternoon visiting the famous Makerere University, Entebbe International Airport and its environs, the National Museum, Ndere Cultural Centre, the palace of the Kabaka of Buganda and the National Parliament. I went to bed early that Saturday evening because of the long journey ahead. In any case, the bus was set to leave at 7:00am on Sunday. I arrived back from Kampala with fond memories, having spent 24 great hours in Kampala. I most likely will go back, particularly to visit my university friend whom I guess must be about to graduate.

Robert Muhoho is a tour consultant in Kenya and has planned business and vacation safaris for over 10,000 tourists in the East African region. He is a tour operation- major and involved in National tourism policy development in Kenya.

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What are comp cards?

In a nutshell, comp cards (short for composite cards) are a form of advertisement and promotion for fashion, glamour and other types of models. They come in many different shapes, layout styles and sizes giving models the benefit of being creative when choosing how their promotional piece will look.

Benefits of comp cards

You’ll find that there are many advantages of having composite cards made to promote yourself as a model. Here are just a few …

Professionalism

There is an old saying in the modeling industry; If you want to be treated as a professional model, look like a professional model. This stands true for the images you show also.

When you present your composite cards with beautiful, well-chosen photos to an agency representative or a potential client, he or she knows that you are serious about your career and will treat you as such.

By no means does this insure that you will get a job with that client or agent but it sure puts you way ahead of many of the other models who are in competition with you.

You will not get a second chance to make a first impression!!!

Don’t be so anxious to start your modeling career that you skip a step which could open (or close) a door for you. Your composite cards are that important. Be a professional and hand them a comp card instead of a snapshot.

Most people don’t throw away pictures

By now you may be thinking; “What if I just have normal business cards made to leave with agents and clients?”.

Yes, you could have business cards made for less trouble and expense and I encourage you to do just that. Business cards are another way of presenting yourself as a professional model.

But, agents and clients sometimes throw out business cards or they put them in their pockets and lose them.

Most people hesitate to throw away pictures which is what your comp cards look like. They are more likely to file your composites along with the other professional models in their files for future reference so you have at least a small chance that they will see your photo again. Which, by the way, leads to …

What do you look like?

One more thought about business cards. Unless there is a photo on the card you leave the client still won’t remember your look when she is ready to choose models to represent. Now it becomes your business card against the other 100 composite cards she has on file. Who will win out? You guessed it!!

In addition to your headshot on the front of the card, the agent can also see 4-5 pictures on the back along with your all-important stats. This is your contact information and other important aspects of what you have to offer as a model.

Give yourself a chance to model

Give yourself a chance to be seen and contacted by always leaving your composite card with all contacts. There is a certain safety in numbers, the comp cards are not that expensive, so don’t be stingy with them.

Composite card layout and design

Below is an outline for basic comp card design to give you an idea of what your card will include. You can see examples of composites at CompCard.Com . Notice how professional these look as compared to just sending a photograph.

The layout is pretty simple for a two-sided card

Front - The front will generally include a photo covering the front of the card (I suggest a good, strong headshot here) along with your name in bold letters.

Back - On the back there is room for about four to six images showing different looks (indoor and outdoor) in a variety of outfits with at least one good full-body shot (swim wear or tight-fitting clothing).

Also, on the back of the composite will be statistical information such as …

Contact information (Who to contact, phone, email, web address, etc.)

- Height
- Weight
- Bust size / Cup size
- Waist size
- Hip size
- Dress size
- Shoe size
- Hair color
- Hair length (short, shoulder length, long)
- Eye color
- Type(s) of modeling jobs preferred (i.e. commercial, fashion shows, runway, glamour, artistic, promotional, etc.)

How and where to get composite cards

It’s really a simple process to have your comp cards designed and printed.

IMPORTANT: The first step is to have photos made by a professional model photographer who can give you usage and reprint rights. I can’t stress enough the importance of starting with great pictures. If you send in a snapshot that your cousin Irma took, you’re going to get a snapshot on a comp card — A disaster!!

With that said, there is no need to feel overwhelmed with the details of getting your comp card ready. There are many companies online such as CompCard.Com who have design styles and templates online which will help you every step of the way.

Remember too that there are many different versions of comp cards so it’s all up to you how your finished composite card will look.

Now you can start your modeling career off right by having professional composite cards you’ll be proud to show. Just do it!!

Bob Pardue is a professional stock and female photographer located in the Southeastern USA. Get a freemodeling mini-course by subscribing today…

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Modern block advent candle holders http://www.maddylane.com/project10.html

“Lighting the way to the Holidays”

Hands-on time: Under two hours to make 4.
Total time: Drying time for the stain (8 hours per coat).
Skill: Moderate, with basic tool skills.
Project cost: Under $25.00.

Materials & tools:

4″ x 4″ wooden fence posts (two 30 cm high, and two 25 cm high)
Newspapers
Saw
Pencil and a ruler
Vise, drill and 1-1/4″ diameter drill bit, spade bit
Electric sander and medium to fine grit sandpaper
Tack cloth
Pre-stain by Minwax and a sponge brush
Minwax PolyShades (one-step stain & finish all in one) in colour of your choice (I used Natural Cherry gloss 390/490)
High-quality natural bristle brush
Tealight candles, 3 purple, 1 pink, 4 white
(Materials for this project are available at hardware stores).

Making block advent candle holders is a clever way to utilize pieces of wood leftover from other projects, such as last summer’s new deck or fence. Wooden posts are cut to size, and holes are drilled for the candles. Minwax PolyShades was applied to add rich colour with a durable protection while enhancing the wood grain - all in a single step. These modern-style candle holders can used year round.

Advent is a term for the period that begins on the Sunday nearest November 30 and lasts until Christmas. The word advent is derived from the Latin word “adventus” meaning “to come”. The four advent candles symbolize the four weeks of advent. Typically, the purple candles symbolize joy, peace and love, and are lit on the first, second and fourth Sunday of advent. The pink candle symbolizes hope and is lit on the third Sunday. At midnight on Christmas Eve, the candles are replaced by white candles. Theses candle are used until the Epiphany. This tradition has long been practiced by several religious faiths. Families set up advent candles arranged in or around a wreath that is either set on a table or suspended from the ceiling. The circle wreath is a symbol of eternity and life, and the candles are the light of the world.

Measure and cut with a saw four wooden blocks in the sizes indicated above, or to any other size, as there are no rules for the height of advent candle holders, just as long as there are four. Traditionally, they are all the same size, but there is no set rule. I just decided to give these wooden holders a modern look.

On the top face of each of the blocks, draw an X (from each corner) with a pencil and a ruler to find and mark the centre.

Secure the wooden block in a vise, then drill a 1-1/4″ diameter hole, as deep as the tealight candle cup, in the centre of it. Stop and check if the tealight fits, then continue drilling if needed to adjust the depth. Repeat steps for each holder.

Sand the wooden blocks until smooth. Start with the medium grit sandpaper and finish with the fine grit sandpaper. Dust off with a tack cloth.

For uniform staining, first apply a coat of pre-stain to each candle holder. Let dry about 10 minutes. Apply a light coat (to avoid drip marks) of the one-step stain in your choice of colour to each of the candle holders. Let each coat dry for eight hours before recoating. Normally, at least two coats are needed for an even and polished finish, but additional coats may be applied for richer colour. I applied four coats, one in the morning and one in the evening over a two-day period. To avoid drip marks, after each coat application, wait five minutes and use upward strokes with the paintbrush around the top edges of the holders.

Once the stain is dry, insert a tealight candle into each of the candle holders.

Adorn with festive beaded wire if desired and let the count down to the holidays begin. The holders will look simply majestic when displayed in a row on a buffet, down the centre of a table or gracing a mantel, or placed inside a large wreath. Light one candle each Sunday, an additional one the next Sunday, and so on until Christmas.

Variations:

To make Hanukkah candle holders, cut eight wooden holders in the same size and height. Cut a ninth (and centre, the Shamas) holder taller. Stain blue, paint silver, or decorate with gold leaf accents, such as Stars of David.

To use tapered candles, simply drill a smaller hole at the other end of the wooden block, then turn them over to use different size candles.

No need to clean your paintbrush between each coat; simply kept it sealed in Glad® Press’n Seal™ wrap.

Minwax PolyShades also allows you to easily change the colour of currently stained or varnished wood items without stripping.

Copyright MaddyLane Designs © 2006
maddy@maddylane.com
http://www.maddylane.com

Madeleine Langlois

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Want to make a Rudolf wellington boot Christmas decoration unlike any other? A smashing festive ornament, who you can help adoring.

To make a welly Rudolf you will need…

4 pairs of kids old wellies. Unless you are best friends with Snowhite and the seven dwarfs, I suggest that you look for wellies at your local car boot. You can pick up kids old wellingtons for around 20p to 75p. Don’t be afraid to haggle. Try to pick wellies that don’t have a raised image on the side, as this will show up on Rudolf later. I used wellies sized 10, 10, 7 and 3 (UK child sizes) Get what you can but try to get wellies of a similar size.

You will also need…

Thick card (the side of a grocery box is ideal) gold spray paint, string, newspaper, 2 glass stones, a red Christmas bauble, and Evo-Stick timebond adhesive or another glue which will stick rubber.

Firstly, give the wellies a good wash. Glue and paint wont stick properly with dirt in the way.

Arrange Rudolf’s legs.

Use the smallest pair of wellingtons for the forelegs. Stand the boots side by side and make two small holes in both boots on the inside leg part. The holes in the boots need to line up. Apply some glue to stick the boots together and thread some string through the holes to tie the boots together for extra support. Keep the threading and ting of string invisible by doing it on the inside of the boots. It is a bit of a fiddle, but is important.

Use a pair of sized 10 boots for the hind legs. Put the heels together and the toes apart, just wide enough to nestle the forelegs in between. Make holes ready for tying the boots together as you did before and glue the hind legs together at the heel and to the forelegs wherever they touch. Tie the boots securely with string invisibly on the inside.

Leave the welly structure to dry for 24 hours before continuing.

To make Rudolf’s back and tuffty tail, take a sized 10 boot and cut it down the back seam in a straight line. If you use a knife for this part, be very careful not to cut yourself. Cut a triangle wedge from the heel of the boot. This is to remove the stiff rubber that shapes the heel because it is too stiff to work with.

Stick Rudolf’s back onto his legs.

Open the split that you cut at the back of the boot and slot over the tops of the legs with the toe of the back boot pointing upwards. Bring the top edge of the back boot round to the front legs. Make small holes in these corner flaps and in the front wellies at the tops and stick the back boot into place and thread string into the holes that you made and tie securely. These knots will be on the outside of the structure but will be covered later.

The neck and lower head.

With the other sized 10 boot, cut the back seam of the boot again but this time only cut down to the top of the heal shaping. Turn the boot upside down and open the back split, slot the boot over the top of the front legs, with the shaping of the heel resting on Rudolf’s back. Glue into place and anchor with parcel tape to hold the position until the glue dries. You may find that it helps to leave Rudolf to dry for 24 hours on his size. Remove the tape once the glue is dry.

Rudolf’s head.

With a sized 7 welly cut down the front and back seams of the welly to the top of the heel and foot shaping. Cut ear shapes from the two flaps that you have just created.

Cut out two simple but chunky antlers from thick card. Do not put bends in the cardboard structure as you cut the antlers out. Make the antlers wider at the bottom, this help support the antlers later.

Push the antlers into the ‘head’ boot so that the base of the antler touches the sole of the boot. Scrunch up a sheet of newspaper and push it between the antlers to separate them and to wedge them in.

Make tow small cuts to form an ‘X’ in the toe of the boot and cut the flaps of the X away for make a circle ready to add the nose later.

Stick the top of Rudolf’s head to the rest of the structure and leave to dry.

Spray paint the reindeer gold. Read the back of the paint tin and follow the manufacture’s advice of how to use the spray paint. Give the reindeer a coupe of coats of paint and be sure to cover all the nooks and crannies.

When the paint is completely dry, pull the end off the Christmas bauble and stick it into place with the bauble stork pushed through the hole in Rudolf’s nose. Finally, stick two glass stones in place for Rudolf’s eyes.

Rudolf can be scaled up to make a garden decoration by using adult wellingtons. Put a brick or stones inside each of Rudolf’s feet to prevent him from falling over or blowing away in the wind.

Because the dimensions of adult’s boots are different to children’s boots, a large Rudolf’s back legs can be positioned in a similar fashion to the front legs.

Paint and use a small ball for the nose. Half and paint a Ping-Pong ball for his eyes and fashion antlers from Wire coat hangers and bind with tinsel.

S. Roberts write for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk a free educational resource packed with creative things to do and make including traditional, religious & 21-century activities. Visit http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/christmas-wellington-boot-rudolf.html to see photos. SantasPostbag is in association with www.bigboystoyz.com Together, keeping Christmas magical.

Blog car, care, creative, education, fashion, time

Hopefully you know all the basic methods of what works and what doesn’t. Link farms are bad, reciprocal linking has lost it’s value, and worthless links from non relevant sites do you no good at all. IIf you haven’t heard all that before, go to Google and search for “link building 101″ and read the Search Engine Watch article.

After you know the basics, you’ll realize that you’ll never gain any inbound links in significant numbers unless you have something of value to offer. Do you have articles? Can you educate your consumer? If not, then what else can you put on your website that will attract inbound links? what other “gimmick” or usflul reason is there for someone to point their web visitors your way?

If you’re a contractor, how about assembling a resource center for your potential clients? Where exactly should they file their building permits and how? where should they go to compain about a bad contractor? Got links, phone numbers and addresses for all of the city and state offices they could possibly need? Who has the best prices in town (or shortest waits for service) on lumber and other home supplies? Make a good one, promote it on Craigs list and in forums, and local sites will mention and link to you.

If you’re a real estate or mortgage broker, then mortgage calculators and easy home locators have long been tools that any decent site should have, but what if you’re in a more unique business? It just requires some thought…perhaps a survey of existing customers would help. look at competing websites and see what they’re doing. Don’t steal their ideas… do something better!

What other tools can help your clients more easily find what they’re looking for? Another resource center perhaps, for new home owners? A downloadable change of address kit, or information about all of the utility and service companies for your city or town?

A bookeeper might have developed their own spread sheet for calculating their customers profit and loss for a business. A carpet store might have a square footage calculator that saves to one list for all the different rooms in your home. A plumber might have tips about what drains go where in your home, and pictures of what @#$%! fittings go with what parts . (that’s something I could have used recently).

To become a top search result for any subject, you have to become the foremost authority on that subject. Be creative, give people something of value, and when they like it, you’ll get something in return…inbound links.

Scott Hendison - Editor, SearchCommander.Com

Blog arts, building, car, creative, customer, forum, home, profit, real estate, tips

Because the bathroom vanity is used the most in the daytime, allowing natural sunlight will help in saving money on your energy bills. If your bathroom design is built with an outside wall then chances are you have a small window and have natural light already. To add more light you can add a bathroom skylight or a high cluster window. Another way is to enlarge the small side window. Direct sunlight is generally bluish white and the benefits are that the light reflects off surfaces that are in the bathroom. A bathroom design which has indirect sunlight will pick up the colors of the bathroom tiles or bathroom vanity. Although sunlight is great the problem may arise that on glossy or textured surfaces you will get glare. You can control the sunlight and the surface glare problem by several means. Using fixed or movable diffuse panels like window blinds or window coverings on special window shutters will help in reducing the scatter of the direct sunlight. On the outside you can use the benefits of sunshades or awnings that will cut sunlight altogether.

Artificial bathroom vanity lighting

There are twice other basic artificial bathroom lighting sources that your bathroom vanity can use. First there are the incandescent lights. They are small, bright, and generate heat as well. An example would be recessed lighting, surface mount and suspended types. The other is the fluorescent bathroom light fixtures which emit very little heat but look more cumbersome because of the ballast that is needed to run them. Generally bathroom lighting which ever style you use should provide relatively uniform with no shadows lighting over the entire bathroom decor.

Bathroom vanity Lighting Tips.

· Try avoiding glare with exposed light bulbs especially eye level.

· To make a bathroom decor seem larger, use soft even lighting with light color schemes.

· Low bathroom ceilings will do best with a flat light color or the use of recessed lighting fixtures.

· High ceilings give you the choice of using larger suspended bathroom light fixtures that will enhance the room volume.

· Small light sources create a sharp shadow where as the large light sources give more of the diffused shadows.

· The color of the bathroom lighting should flow with the bathroom décor colors and not clash against them.

· Bright lights will stimulate the bathroom whereas soft ones will have a calming effect.

· Using light warm colors will create a cheerful feel whereas the light cool colors are restless.

· Light levels that are low and the use of somber colors will make the bathroom depressing.

Daryl plaza is the owner of http://creativebathroom.com a website that is designed with resources and reviews that will help you with ideas for your bathrooms décor

Blog creative, design, review, time, tips

In order to understand how alpha meditation can help improve your creativity, it is important to start by understanding what binaural beats and brainwave entrainment are.

Brainwave entrainment is the use of some external stimulus, usually different sounds that a person will hear with stereo headphones, to induce a certain level of brain wave activity. When a person’s brainwave activity is artificially altered by these means, it will subtly shift their awareness and perception.

Using binaural beats is a common and effective method of brainwave entrainment. In order for the binaural beats to be effective, a person must be using stereo headphones so that they can hear a different sound in each ear.

Most of the time, the binaural beats will be embedded underneath the layers of tracks on a song, usually soothing ambient music or soundscapes, so that the person listening can focus on the music and not on the frequencies they are hearing. If you either find or create effective binaural beat audios to listen to in stereo heaphones, the frequencies should blend perfectly into the background, and you should not be able to consciously notice them unless you really try to isolate them.

Binaural beats are the most effective this way, when they are loud enough to still have an effect on your brainwave activity but quiet enough that you do not notice them. Depending on the difference between the two frequencies you decide to use, you can entrain any desired brainwave state and state of mind.

The ideal brainwave frequency for alpha meditation is about 9-10hz, so if we wanted to create a set of binaural beats that could be used to artificially induce this specific frequency, we could play 110hz in the left ear and 120hz in the right ear.

To any person who is hearing these different frequencies in each ear, their brain will act like a tuning fork and it will lock on to the difference between the two frequencies, which in this case would be 10hz.

‘Alpha’ is the name that we use for the range of brainwave frequencies from around 8hz-13hz. We go through the alpha brainwave state many times during a 24-hour period, and it is usually we are in a light sleep and are dreaming. You can also reach this state by listening to soothing soundscapes or chill-out music, preferably music with alpha binaural beat already embedded in the layers, and simply lying down and resting. When a person reaches this alpha state while they are still conscious, their imagination will be highly active and they can see very vivid imagery, like an intense dream.

After practicing this daily for a short while, even just a week or two, a person’s intuitive creativity will naturally be higher and coming up with new ideas will seem easier.

Remaining in the intuitive alpha state for extended periods is the key to increasing your creativity, because this frequency stimulates the right-side creative portion of the human brain. After doing daily alpha meditation and staying in the alpha state for 30 minutes or more per day, your creative visualization capabilities will markedly increase, and it is this creative visualization that can help you achieve any outcome you desire.

If you are interested in pursuing alpha meditation, you can do a number of things. While it does not require music with alpha binaural beats, this is highly recommended because your brain will automatically lock on to the alpha frequency.

You can go to your local music store and look for CDs on ‘alpha mediation’ or ‘alpha relaxation,’ or you can also look online at places like iTunes. Or if you would like to have full control over your alpha meditation experience, you can embed any song of your choosing with binaural beats using special audio software.

Creating your own binaural beat audios will give you full control over your meditation experience, and you can experiment with different frequencies around the 7-10 hz area to see which ones give you the biggest boost in intuition and creativity.

Richard Weber

Blog audio, creative, human, meditation, music, software, song, time

It’s good to possess great cold calling skills, but it’s great not to have to use them.

Tip # 1

Discipline Yourself to a Routine of ‘Asking’

Here’s something profound. The reason most of us do not get referrals on a routine basis is because we do not ask for them on a routine basis. Well, it’s almost that simple. What would be the upside on your year-end W-2 if you asked for 2 referrals from each of your new customers? Let’s say you average 6 sales per month. That would be 12 referrals per month or 144 per year. Conservatively, you close half of those warm leads. Multiply 72 by your average revenue per sale. Then calculate your commission percentage off the total revenue sold. Now ask yourself if you can afford not to ask for referrals on a routine basis.

Tip # 2

Develop a process to ‘Set the Stage’

Asking for a referral is one thing, but how many times do you actually get one? Execute a Powerful Routine after you sign up a new customer, and request permission for 3 additional minutes to get their professional feedback. Ask a series of questions soliciting their opinion on ways you can be more effective with your sales process, from initial contact to point of sale, with individuals in the same industry and parallel titles. You are now setting the stage for your future success. Over time, your contacts will give you a free ‘Masters Degree.’

Remember to ‘Pack your bags, but set the stage.’

Tip # 3

Communicate to a “Win-Win” Agreement

Be honest and sincere in reference to the importance of referrals for running your business effectively. Tell your story. If you have a high referral ratio let them know that and why it is high. Customers respect a good businessperson more than a good salesperson. Try to pick a time when the contact would feel comfortable giving a referral to help your business. That may not be at the point of sale, but upon service implementation or some time in the future when you have proved you delivered what you promised. The important point is you must define with the contact when it can happen or what criteria need to be met for it to happen.

Tip # 4

Follow through in order to receive a consistently high ratio of referrals.

You may not ask for a referral until (a) the service has been implemented and (b) the customer is satisfied. But as described in Tip #3, you want to minimally set a referral foundation at the point of sale and receive a commitment to when you’ll receive one. Now, this is very important. Always write in your day timer in front of the contact when the expectation is set, and let them know you are making note of it. Treat it like an appointment for your future success. It’s found business and will afford you a higher closing ratio, shorter sales cycle and most importantly, more referrals! So, follow-up and get it!

Tip # 5

Develop a Referral Program

Be creative. Give up some money. Maybe it’s a gift certificate to a local restaurant (hopefully a customer) or a graduated percent off of their next invoice. An entrepreneurial mind will come up with a few flexible programs that fit your level of buyer. After all, you’re not putting anything out until the referral is sold. The old saying, “money makes money” is still true. Beside the tax right off (check with your accountant), contacts absolutely enjoy getting a little something. Measure the ROI and the benefit will be evident.

Tip # 6

Become the Messenger

Be sure to give the referral gifts out promptly on sold referrals. Deliver it in person, since it also serves as an excellent time to prime the pump for additional referrals. Don’t underestimate the power of this simple discipline. I have experienced ‘millionaires’ who reopened their black books after receiving $20 dollar gift certificates. After all, it’s not the amount but the gesture. And because you are spending your valuable time being the messenger, you will without a doubt focus on receiving one or two more warm leads.

Tip # 7

Promote a Grass Roots Chamber Program

Offer local Chambers a deal they can not refuse. Chambers want to offer their membership a better deal, one that their members can not receive from regular street pricing. They are open to donations to help their chamber and are also motivated to grow their membership. Instead of offering a residual based off of sales, offer to bring them in a certain number of new members each month.

After all, a certain percentage of businesses you call on will not be members, and if you can show them a return on their investment, they will certainly join the Chamber to receive it. By helping others you will see your referral ratio reach the sky!

Tip # 8

Identify Potential ‘Bird Dogs’

‘Bird dogs’ are used by hunters to point and fetch game birds for their owners. In sales, a ‘bird dog’ is someone who has multiple relationships with your potential customers and they are motivated to routinely feed you contacts for your marketing efforts. Research potential business people that may fit into this profile, and take them out to lunch. Explain your referral program and how it could supplement their core business revenue stream. For potential ‘Big Hitters’ be prepared to customize your referral program to align with their motivations. Treat them like gold and they will open up their Rolodex.

Tip #9

‘Get Married’ to a Collaboration Partner

There are companies that provide products or services in your ‘value chain’ but do not compete directly with your product or service. Those companies and the professional individuals that sell for them should be a point of concentration for you to identify and contact for strategies of collaboration. I refer to this relationship as “Natural Marriages.” Contact 3 sales professionals that seem to indicate a ‘natural marriage’ for you and them. Outline what’s in it for them. Then ask them what you could reasonably expect over time.

Tip # 10

Join or Start a Lead Group

You have to eat lunch, right? So why not join or consider developing a Lead Group of entrepreneurial individuals who are motivated to get together twice a month to share leads. Find individuals who are accountable to bringing in the minimum amount of leads each meeting as outlined in your group’s business rules. Make sure every member is covered by the 80-20 rule, getting 80% of their leads from 20% of the members. And don’t be shy about charging a quarterly membership fee. That way, members have some ’skin’ in the game.

Jeff Hardesty is a National sales speaker, Sales performance improvement consultant and the Developer of the X2 Sales System®, a blended sales prospecting training system that teaches sales professionals the competency of setting targeted C-level business appointments.

Blog creative, customer, entrepreneur, improvement, invest, marketing, marriage, relationship, running, sales, skin, success, tax, time, tips

The procedure requires a creative approach as well. The idea of the web site must be promptly thought over: not so much, but with zest! Not to overdo with the ideas - is key, because when a person enters the site, he needs to find first of all, what he is interested in.

Nowadays, Web design is of a great request over the Internet. Web design lies not only in the creation of web pages but also all the content and management is included.

This process includes an entire complex of tasks and objectives set before the team, consisting of a web designer, programmer, maker-up, optimizer and other specialists, and depends on the complexity and the specificity of the site. The development of a web site starts from the detail studying of the client’s involvement, his scope of ability, improvement of his goals.

But it doesn’t mean that a consumer’s role is “petty” here. No, in no way! A client, in his turn, must plainly decide for himself what he wants people to see on his future site, in order, to have solid and authoritative web page and capture the visitors’ attention.

If the customer does in such a way - it will be in a great help for the web designer and the rest of the team. Cooperation and joining forces together are very important elements here, with an eye to avoid misunderstanding.

Then the conception and technical tasks of the site are worked out on the basis of the received information from the client.

People create web sites on different purposes: for big businesses, to sell or buy something, to advertise, for entertainment and chat, or just for themselves. The clients can host their sites on the free or paid servers as well. The difference between them, of course exists, while paid servers are more reliable and require fee (per month or year). But if a person is just a beginner in the sphere of web design and wants to have his own site - he can make an attempt to allocate it on the free server. Though, here again, mostly, depends on the tasks and involvement of the client.

Having a web site is not so much the question of prestige as one more possibility to announce and advertise the business today. Many companies develop themselves with the help of web design: earn money, upgrade their image; it is a great advantage to find new partners and to draw the clients’ attention and develop the business.

Web sites are not only for the big businesses. Everybody, who has some ideas and wants to share them with others, in order to approve himself or something like that, can get a place on a free server.

Web site is a “small miracle” in the Internet, which is targeted presentation of various information.

More interesting info about web design and web hosting you may get here:
http://www.webdesigners.cheap-web-hosting-directory.com/ and http://www.cheap-web-hosting-directory.com/ .

Anna Ryaskova is a copywriter of http://www.webdesigners.cheap-web-hosting-directory.com/ - Web Design Directory and http://www.cheap-web-hosting-directory.com/ - Cheap Web Hosting Directory.

Blog arts, creative, customer, design, entertainment, hosting, improvement, internet, management