I need to find a pattern so I can make seat cushions for my patio furniture. I wonder if they make such a thing? Now that its getting nice outside, I want to be able to go out on my deck and enjoy the nice weather, but want a nice comfy chair to sit in.  Plus this will give me some more practice on sewing.  I want to be able to make things so I can get my etsy site filled up with lots of neat things.  Got to make a living some how, why not with crafty items?

I have always wanted silk bedding. But trying to convince my hubby that this is a good thing is proving to be much more of a challenge.  I might just start out with a pillow case for myself, and then slowly transition him into his own, and so on!!  It would be heavenly to slide into a freshly washed set of silk sheets.  

Kids are always climbing, building, exploring, trying out new things. Don’t just photograph them on holidays and birthdays. Make picture-taking a part of your everyday life.

Begin a photo tradition
Take pictures regularly so that you, your family, and friends can see how much your child has changed. Capture your child setting off for the first day of school each year. Or mark your child’s growth against a tree as you watch your child and the tree grow. Or every Father’s Day, surround Granddad with all the grandkids.

Be patient
Don’t expect to get the perfect shot immediately. Sit back and wait for the right moment, then shoot quickly.

Shoot at eye level
Eye-to-eye contact is as engaging in a picture as in real life. So try sitting on the ground and snapping some photos from the child’s perspective. Expressions will look more natural, your flash photos will be more evenly lit from nose to toe, and the background will probably look a lot better, too. This also works great for pets!

Take candid pictures
Ignore the impulse to force your subjects to always pose staring at the camera. Variety is important. Take candid pictures to show them working, playing, leaning against a banister chatting, or relaxing.

Include friends
Don’t forget to include your kids’ friends in some of your pictures. In years to come, these pictures will remind them of happy times and the bonds that were so strong. “Look! That was right after Carrie tried to cut her own hair!” “Whatever happened to Tyler?” “I wonder what we were giggling about.

Get close
Fill the camera’s viewfinder or LCD display with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera’s zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera’s closest focusing distance.

Lock the focus
A picture of several people can come out blurry because most auto-focus cameras focus on the area in the center of the viewfinder. When photographing two people, this can spell disaster—the tree in the background will be in perfect focus, and your subjects blurry. To remedy this, lock the focus on the subject. Usually you do this by centering the subject in the viewfinder and then pressing the shutter button halfway down. Continue holding the button halfway down while you move the camera until your subject is where you want it in the viewfinder. When you are satisfied, press the button all the way down to take the picture.

Let kids record their world
It’s a whole new world when seen through a child’s eyes. One-time-use cameras and digital cameras provide easy ways to let kids take pictures of each other and to capture what’s important to them. You might just be surprised!

Place your subject off-center
Placing your subject to one side of the frame can make the composition more interesting and dynamic. But if your camera is an auto-focus model, the picture may turn out blurry because those cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder. Check your camera manual for how to use the focus lock feature to prefocus on the subject. Usually it is done by pressing the shutter button halfway down and then recomposing the picture while still holding the button halfway down.

1. Get down to their level
2. Use a plain background
3. Capture feelings
4. Move in close
5. Show scale
6. Try different angles
7. Include other people
8. Take some vertical pictures
9. Use natural light
10. Take pictures frequen

What self defense products do you have? I want to get some of the mace to have in my purse, but right now its illegal to have in Michigan. I think its a great safety feature for women, especially for those who work at night, and have to walk out to their cars late a night. I am also thinking of taking a karate class, not only will it help as a safety feature, it just might help me get in shape! I am having a hard time motivating myself to work out.

I want to make lots of afgans to go on baby cribs. I have so much yarn just sitting around, that is waiting for me to whip up into some very pretty afgans!  I just need to make the time to get back into knitting or crocheting.  I am working on a baby afgan for my friends daughter that is due any day now!  I hope I get it finished in time!  I wish I could hand deliver it to her, but my hubby is being stubborn in that department, he doesn't want me to go to California.

Black & Decker (the corporation) is distinct from "Black & Decker" the brand; the latter is used by more than one corporation. In particular, "Black & Decker"-branded household products in the Americas (but outside of Brazil) are marketed by a division of Applica, a Florida-based corporation much smaller than Black & Decker Corporation.

The Black & Decker Corporation markets its name under various brands:

* DeWalt tools
* Porter Cable
* Delta Machinery
* Kwikset
* Baldwin
* Weiser Lock
* Price Pfister
* Emhart Teknologies
* Oldham Blades

You learn something new every day!  I knew that the food companies all used the same things, but packaged them different, just didn’t know this for tools as well. 

My time has come to start looking for the perfect anti wrinkle cream. I have hit my forties and the wrinkles are starting to show.  I need to nip this in the bud, so I can stay young looking.  People still don't believe that I am 40, so whatever I have been doing thus far has been working.  Thankfully!!  So I will keep on doing what I have been doing, but add in some fine tuning to keep them at bay.   I want to be one of those "young looking grandma's" when the time comes that one of my boys say "Mom…"

I have been hearing lots of these microfiber mops and have been thinking about getting one.

* Highest quality microfiber mopping material
* Pad designed to glide across floor with ease while damp.
* Safe for all surfaces.
* Grabs and holds dirt, dust and grease.
* Allows for chemical free cleaning
* Pad attaches to Mop Head with high quality Velcro backing
* Machine Washable - lasts hundreds of washings (wash and dry cold)
* Dimensions: 18" x 5"

I like that the pads are machine washable so there won’t be any need to buy all the refill pads.  It is designed to be used damp with water or another diluted cleaning solution. If using a spray floor cleaning solution you can spray the floor and follow up with the mop. Cleaning solution is not required. Get the pad wet and wring it out so that it is damp.

I have been using my laptop for over a year now, and I think its time I look into getting some more laptop memory. Now that we have to keep the desktop locked down at night, and when we aren't around, I find myself on the laptop more and more, so everything gets saved on here.  Our tax guy showed us this USB kind of memory stick, that I think I am going to look into.