Homemade "Vicks Vapor shower disks" Have you seen the commercials for the Vicks Vapor shower disk thingies? You put one of these disks in your shower, and voila thanks to the vapors in it, you're magically healed, your cold is gone, and your face is shockingly free of snot. I always used to watch the "Noxema girl" splashing water on her face and wondered how she was able to wash her face without being completely overrun with boogers. I'm the only one? Regardless, Vicks makes these things and I'm sure they're super expensive for something that is just going to wash down your drain. You know where I'm going with this, right? Yep. I made them myself. The idea started a few weeks ago when my sweet little nephew Parker came down with Croup for like the 1,438th time. And they couldn't be any simpler. Sarah's Homemade Vicks Shower Disk Thingies -Baking soda -Water -Essential oils: eucalyptus, rosemary, and lavender. 1) Add baking soda to a mixing bowl. 2) Slowly add water until you've made a thick paste.
How to Choose a Fountain Pen Peter Twydle Choosing A Fountain Pen by Peter Twydle Many years ago, in the days when we owned a chain of specialist pen shops, our policy was to let the customer try as many different styles of pen and nib sizes they needed, in order to find just the right pen for them. A fountain pen is, after all, a very personal thing, being an extension of our own personality. If you are looking for a fountain pen to use, either occasionally or on a regular basis, then the purpose of this article is to point out the criteria you should consider in order to make a more informed choice. First - price. With a fountain pen, the main difference in price is a reflection of the quality of the nib. So, as a general rule of thumb - up to £50 for a steel-nib pen. £100 - £300 for a gold-nib pen, and anything upwards from there for precious metals, Special and Limited Editions, and other rarity value, as in vintage pens. Second - size. I suppose it is a subjective matter as to how large you want your pen to be.
Fountain Pen Guide Series, Session 3: How to Maintain Your Pens | Pentorium Welcome to the third entry in my fountain pen guide. In this session, I’ll be guiding you through how to take a pen that’s writing poorly and fix it up, making it write like new! Don’t worry if you’re an absolute beginner, I’ll explain everything as clearly as possible, with step by step guides to help you along. Remember that as with all these guides, any unusual word will be highlighted in red and defined at the bottom of this page! Do note that this is not the be all and end all of maintenance guides, and I can’t cover every possible scenario. Also note that this is not a restoration guide. DISCLAIMER: I will not hold any responsibility for pens possibly broken or ruined by you or anyone else after following these instructions. Preparation Before we start, you’ll want to get a few things together: A jewellers loupe, check eBay or a hobby shop for one. Getting Started Fixing fountain pens often involves tinkering with small parts, and that’s why you have the loupe! Alright! – Flow – Other
19 Ways to Slash Your Utility Bill Where George Scott sees red, his clients are bleeding green. Scanning the outside of a ranch home in Longmont, Colo., recently, the energy auditor's infrared camera registered blue and aqua in spots where heated air stayed put. That's what the homeowner expected. "He thought he'd done everything right," Scott says, because he had tackled obvious stuff like adding insulation. "But he was baffled by his high gas bills." When the camera scanned the attic, the viewfinder found orange and red blobs where air gushed by the chimney, 20 recessed lights and two uninsulated hatches. But you don't need an infrared camera to reveal utility-bill busters that are left after the obvious stuff is done. That old clunker of a refrigerator in the basement could be costing the equivalent of 10 cases of Bud in wasted energy each year. + Plug the Power Drain As much as 75 percent of electricity use by electronics occurs while the devices are off. + Seal HVAC Ducts Put away the duct tape. + Block the Stairs
handwriting tips The cover on this penmanship book from the late 1800s is as ornate as the instructions contained inside it. Note the upper right hand corner -- it specifies that this version is intended for boys, indicating that boys learned a different handwriting style from the one girls were taught. Handwriting in America: A Cultural History isn't a new book by any means. Published in hardback in 1996, it's been around for a bit; you can get it in paperback or at used-book stores. Handwriting in America: A Cultural History is a fascinating look at how penmanship reached the state it’s in today. If you read this book (which reads much like and may be a thesis, with numerous quotes from a huge range of sources), prepare to have just about everything you ever believed about handwriting turned upside down. The ribbon around this hand is actually a penmanship tool, intended to train muscles to the proper position and range of motion. This is what hooked me on the book. But writing? Later came A. Top
Best Pens — The Gentleman Stationer All pen bloggers are regularly asked their opinion on the "best pens" for various purposes. Building on my own responses to these questions and several blog posts I've written over the past couple of years, I created the following reference guide. Your mileage may vary with these recommendations: there's no substitute for your own personal preference and experience. Buying and trying lots of pens is the fun part of this hobby! Where possible, I've linked to both my review of the recommended pen and a purchasing option (some of which are affiliate links). Best Fountain Pens for Beginners Good fountain pens don't have to be expensive. Pilot Metropolitan. Best Fountain Pens Under $100 If you're willing to shop around, you can find excellent fountain pens for under $100 that aren't for "beginners," but still don't break the bank. TWSBI 580. Note: You may ask why the gold-nibbed offerings such as the Pilot Custom 74 and the Platinum 3776 aren't at the top of the list. Faber-Castell Ambition.
Hand-Drawing Style In Modern Web Design | Design Showcase The most valuable and innovative ideas had all been first. That’s no big news, since designers tend to produce first sketches as paper prototypes anyway; still it’s important, because web design is different from “usual” design. Of course, it also has a personal note and it is hand-made, however users can’t see that. As CSS is “boxy but good”, designs tend to have a rather limited appearance — they are too boxy and too right-angled. If designers want to achieve a different design, they have to draw their sites by themselves — or at least some parts of it. And in fact, this is done quite often: whether a blog, a shop, an ad, a private page, or some collaborative project — doesn’t matter whether with Flash or (X)HTML. Sometimes designers create whole pages with paper, pencil and/or a tablet PC. How impressive can the results be? 1. The interesting thing is that the hand-drawn style is often which is used by designers to present their work on their site. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 6.
Zen and the Art of Fountain Pen Maintenance — The Pen Addict (Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.) Some fountain pen owners are fastidious about cleaning their fountain pens. I am not one of those people. I just spent an entire morning cleaning my fountain pen collection of about 70 pens. 25 Excellent Handwritten Fonts Get the FlatPix UI Kit for only $7 - Learn More or Buy Now The use of certain fonts is an easy way to give a design a hand-drawn effect. Fortunately, there are a number of fonts in this style that are freely available. In this post we’ll showcase 25 of the best. As always when you are dealing with freebies, be sure to check the usage restrictions from the designer. Whiteboard Modern Demo Harrison FFF Tusj Sketch Rockwell The Quiet Scream Grutch Shaded Mia’s Scribblings Karabine Christopher Hand Brook 23 Later On Kraboudja Estrya’s Handwriting Note This Caityln HandVetica Aguzlo Tire Shop Demo WC Roughtrad Tiza Hand of Sean Alliewriting GoodDog Rabiohead Angelina To see examples of inspirational design using hand-drawn type, see TypeInspire’s hand-drawn tag. For more design resources please see: About Steven Snell Stephen Snell is the owner and editor of Vandelay Design.