Helpful Hank
Hello All Helpful Hank Here, I would like to talk about a few things today. Tool use safety, The Well in the Desert and, Bee Stings.
Well this past weekend my partner and I framed in Mishaps that led to one trip to the Emergency room and thankfully not two trips. Friday night I was making a hat rack. I had finished cutting my pieces turned off the saw and as it slowed down, I moved a piece of scrap off the platform of the table saw. The blade met my thumb as it was slowing down and took a chunk. No stitches but a lot of pain. Then on Monday My partner who is allergic to bees was stung not once but 3 times all at once. Luckily he is not as allergic as he once was (three strikes and you are out heck one strike and you are out.) he ended up with a bad case of hives and feeling like shite.
So here we go. Rule number one: When using power tools such as saws and other cutters. Use the guard. That is what it is there for. Rule number two: Don’t move items away from saw when it is still moving. Rule number three: Don’t rush or be impatient.
Rushing and being impatient is what nearly cost my thumb and got me a trip to the emergency room. It also put my Kitchen Cabinet project back a week or two, as without use of my left opposable thumb I’m stuck in neutral. (That’ll learn me.) It is Ironic as I tend to be the person who always follows these rules whether it is out of fear of accidents happening (case in point) or out of respect for the power of the tool. (A bit off both) T he one time I let my guard down or up as the case was. Bam. So be careful folks and learn from my mistake.
It seems at least at my hose we are having a bit of a problem with aggressive bees. They like to hang around the grape arbor and citrus trees. I often will see to bee’s rolling around on the ground one on top of the other looking like they are fighting. I thought maybe that there is a queen near by and they are fighting to be her mate. As it turns out it is the female workers who sting and leave there stinger behind in the skin after which; they die. Now while my husband didn’t need an epi pen this time (which he should have and we will get) it is a must have Item for those with sever allergic reactions to things like bee stings and nut allergies or any other sever allergies. Sever allergic reactions can send you into anaphylactic shock. This can quickly become game over.
Here is what to do if you are allergic to bee’s and, get stung. If stung, try to look for the barbed stinger in the case of a bee sting and carefully remove it by flicking it or scratching it out of the skin from the stinger sack. Using a business card or credit card works well. You don’t want to pull it out with tweezers if at all possible as it squeezes more bee venom into the blood stream and can make things worse.
Volunteering
I know I harp on getting involved. Especially when it comes to the marriage Equality issue. There are other volunteer opportunities as well. My Husband I participated in one such volunteer opportunity for the first time this last Monday. (and we plan to continue to volunteer) at Well in the Desert here in Palm Springs. It is called “Sandwich Monday’s”. What is “Sandwich Mondays”? well it is making Sandwiches for those who have less than. It is a piece of cake to do and a lot of fun. Bloom In The Desert Ministries (An all-inclusive Ministries.) organizes this. They need volunteers. It is every Monday from about 9:00 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. You will walk away wanting to do it again and feeling good about things. I will provide all the information you need to participate at the bottom of this column.
I am always looking for people to share volunteer opportunities with me as it is a great way for anyone to give a bit back. If you have a roof over your head, food in the refrigerator, a mode of transportation, (We took our bikes.) clothes on your back, you should get involved. There are people with much less, getting involved in volunteering opportunities. Isn’t time you got involved? You’ll be amazed at how good you end up feeling.
The vegetable Garden experiment.
Ever since we moved to the desert, I have been attempting to grow a vegetable garden. My big problem is that the area I am using is a crab grass field. So I built raised planters put down my weed cloth and planted my seed. The problem is this the crab grass grows up through the same hole as the vegetables as they sprout, leaving me to wonder what good is weed cloth. So while some of my plants do o.k. others don’t. I decided to experiment a bit and planted some of those plants that were not doing so hot in the raised planter directly in the ground.
Making sure to pull as much of the crab grass as possible (as best I could roots and all) up and removing from my planting area. I then plant my seeds, in this case sunflowers, corn, beans and, some flowers. So far, they seem to be doing O.K. My corn stocks are getting larger then the ones planted in the raised planter, and my sunflowers and bean plants are looking healthy. We shall see. I will keep everyone posted. I also made sure to put down small bark as mulch after planting my seeds. This not only helps hold the water in but it also helps keep the crab grass as at bay as you can.
My vegetable garden is for the most part full sun. I have some plants in there that like partial sun and some plants that are in wire baskets ( notorious for drying out) What I have done to provide some shade and to keep the baskets from too much direct sun light (which will dry them out quicker) is to use umbrellas to shade them. I have some of the colorful umbrellas that hook on to chairs via clamps and then I picked a few up at thrift shops. Not only does it give a bit of whimsy to your vegetable garden. It shades the plants that need it. They are easily moved around as well.
There are vegetables and fruits that can do well in hanging baskets as long as you keep them watered properly. Vegetables such as peas, beans and, Strawberries. Two key factors to keep in mind are making sure you have a large enough hanging basket and making sure that you’re not losing dirt. It is important that you use a good base for your baskets that will line the basket solidly while allowing enough dirt to plant in. I like to use a good Spanish Moss. Other Mosses work as well. Avoid plastic encased by moss as I find that it doesn’t allow the soil to breathe as it needs and in turn can cause root rot. It is always best to plant hanging baskets in part shade or create part shade like I did with umbrellas. Depending on where you hang them at and the climate they can be watered as little as every two days. Planting them in good soil is key. I start with a good gardening soil, and if I am recycling soil from last year, I always use Miracle Grow. I mix it in with the dirt in a large bucket. I water the soil for two days before I transfer it to my hanging baskets. I feel it helps to work the fertilizer into the soil. (another good all-purpose fertilizer is VF-11.) I then take my conditioned soil add in some vermiculite to it and I’m ready to go.
After my soil is prepped and ready I line my baskets with the moss. I then fill with the dirt and water letting stand for a day. By doing this I get an indication of how long the dirt in the basket stays damp. If it dries out real fast, you might want to find a different place to hang it.
Trees are a great place to hang a hanging basket. They provide filtered sunlight in spring summer and early fall which helps to keep the water in the soil. I also like to fertilize lightly a few weeks after I have planted my seeds as a little boost. Keep your baskets watered properly and soon it could be flowing over with peas, beans and Strawberries.
Other edibles that work well in a basket are herbs of all kind. From Sage to Parsley, Oregano, Basil and, Thyme.
Another option for lining your baskets is to use live moss. You can pick up a flat for under twenty dollars at places like Lowes or Home Depot. Face the plants outward so that the dirt faces in fill with soil and plant seeds. Using live moss makes it easier to plant some seeds in the sides of your basket so that you have them sprout outward from the basket. There are many ways to plant your baskets even incorporating edible flowers such as Nasturtiums. All it takes is just a little imagination.
Dogs and Palm Seeds
This is the time of year that the Palm Seeds tend to drop from the palms. I don’t know if any other pet owners have this problem but my dogs love to eat them. They chew and chew on them like they would a bone then swallow them. (it is not for lack of raw hide and dog bones as they get plenty of them.) I am unable to find anything that says Queen palm tree seeds are poison to dogs but, in my research I did find out that Sego palms are highly toxic not only to dogs but to little children as well. There toxicity is fatal in most cases from what I could ascertain. Good to know as we tried to grow some segos when we first moved down here. They are pretty but to finicky for my taste. They were always turning yellow.
I would like to take a minute to mention my Friend Jonathan Taylor’s newest web site TheDesert411. Get the skinny on all you need to k now at http://www.thedesert411.ning.com join today and ask about his advertising promotions for your business
Well that about sundown on this column
Regards,
HH
Hints and helpful tips; don’t over water plants there is a tendency to feel that because we are in a hotter climate that we have to water more. This isn’t always the case. If your soil seems damp then leave it in most cases. Conversely, as well don’t over water. This can cause root rot.
You can contact Helpful Hank with Questions, Comments, Tips and, Deals at: askhelpfulhank@gmail.com
Bloom In The Desert Ministries Web Site is: www.bloominthedesert.org
Hey all This weekend Joshua Tree is having it’s Gay pride celebration at Studio Godot in the Art Queen Complex 61855 29 Palms Highway 3233565922
Saturday, June 27, 2009 6:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. Phone # 323-356-5922
e-mail jsmsyd@yahoo.com
Also, if you get a chance see the movie Outrage it is well worth it.
Don’t forget to check out nh8wear Express your need for Equality they now have the signature shirt that says I support Marriage Equality. Check it out at http://www.printperfection.com/nh8wear
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Summertime Projects
Summertime Projects
Hello all Helpful Hank here, today I would like to talk about summer projects. We all have them. Some of us will do them before we go on Vacation some after and for some like me. They happen all summer long.
Kitchen, Kitchen
We own a home built in the late 70’s early 80’s. I face a lot of updating repairs and renovation. Sometimes starting one project can lead to another project. Case in point, when we had our Inn in South Lake Tahoe and I was renovating rooms we discover a leek in one of the bathroom shower. This led to us having to replace not only the floor for that unit but the sub floor as well. (Time to call the professionals.)
In any event, we all have our summer projects. My project currently is refinishing our kitchen cabinets. This is a great way to give your kitchen an easy up date.
Use the dust and grim to your advantage.
There is a lot of sanding involved when refinishing cabinets. One thing that I found in this process is that if I gave my cabinets a good first sanding then when back and wiped each area with a damp sponge before I went back with my second sanding the sawdust worked for me as an abrasive to help take the top clear coat off. There was also less dust in the air from sanding. For my purposes, it made the sanding portion quicker as I did not have to sand down to bear wood. (I am staining the cabinets darker.)
Enhancing your stains color.
I’m sure that the paint store would not make it as a recommendation but I often add a little latex paint to my stain to enhance its color. Since my partner wanted a strong cherry hue to the cabinets, I added some red paint to my red mahogany stain. Just about a half a cup. I mix it up with my brush lightly as I want the it to sit on the bottom of the can. Using the stain this way it is better to brush it on as you can pick up some of that red in your first coat pulling stain from the bottom of the can then with your second coat just lightly dip your brush in the can so your not pulling the red. I tend to put on four coats of stain alternating the red and the dark stain. Working my brush until I have it just the right shade. You can see some of the project pics here. http://twitpic.com/photos/helpfulhank
Summer time can be a good time to get this type of project done as with the heat comes much faster drying time. The one thing I would note is not to run your swamp cooler while trying to dry the stain on the cabinets it puts to much moisture in the air.
Clean the swamp.
We are coming up on the official start of summer and the temps here in the valley are going to go up. Swamp coolers are an effective way to cool down the house here in the desert. Though humidity is a factor in their use, (No go above 50%.) for the most part it isn’t an issue. Here is what the issue is. Making sure that the filters are clean and or replacing filters that have out lived their usefulness. You can pick up new filters at Lowe’s or Home Depot for around 7 bucks a pieces depending on size and type. Cleaning your filters and replacing them when necessary helps your swamp cooler to run a lot more efficiently.
One of the things I like to do ( because we have three dogs) is take a couple of incense sticks placing the stem in the filter and lighting the incense thus drawing the scent into the home. Make sure, once the incense has completely burned to take the stick end out of the filter.
One-year anniversary
As you may or may not know, June 16th is the one-year anniversary of the passage of marriage equality in California. Though the law didn’t stand long, (We intend to have it passed again.) those who were able to get married are still married. It is important that we press forward to over turn the band on same gender marriage.
To that end on Saturday June 13, 2009 nh8wear and Bad Baby Attitudes wear were launched. http://www.printfection.com/nh8wear . nh8wear Bad Baby Attitudes features message shirts and sweatshirts for Adults and children alike. Right now it’s focus is on marriage equality and 10% of the profits will go to the M.E. campaign.(Such as the CVMEC, and others.) I am the graphic artist for the designs on the shirts so I thought I would give it a little plug. Take a look and I’m sure you’ll find a shirt you can’t live without.
Some may wonder why I do not use the term “same sex marriage”. Marriage isn’t really about sex it’s about two people committing to a life together whether they are of different genders or of the same gender. I hear and read comments all the time equality being gay with nothing more then sex. I read just yesterday a comment by Gene Simmons of Kiss, in which he states that gay couples on average tend to have multiple partners inside their main relationships. Although he says he could careless one way or the other, he clearly making a point.
I find his point not only to be inaccurate but hypocritical. He is inferring that our relationships our beings are just about sex. Our relationships are no different then anyone else’s. As a matter of fact we tend to be, overall more committed then straight couples married or unmarried stone for stone. I myself have known a great many same gender couples that have been together more than 35 years. I cant’s say the same for my straight counter parts. We have been denied the right to marry and still our relationships endure committed and faithful.
Statistics show us that median duration of first marriages that end in divorce: Males: 7.8 years, Females: 7.9 years and, the median duration of second marriages that end in divorce: Males: 7.3 years Females: 6.8 years. Less then half of those who marry make it beyond 15 years. Cleary our heterosexual counter parts do not hold marriage as sacredly as the profess to.
All the time you hear, heterosexual males talk about how many partners they have had with pride. Case in point Wilt Chamberlain. Now if Richard Chamberlain had written a book and bragged about having sex with over 2,000 men he would be called disgusting by a great many people and especially men. On the other hand, Wilt Chamberlain was greeted with an “Atta Boy” and “He is such a Stud.
As I say, it is rather hypocritical and inaccurate to make such statements. Perhaps we should put no ignore what these celebrities have to say. The only problem with doing so is that there are a great many that take words like Gene Simmons as being accurate and turn around and use these inaccuracies against us. Once words are spoken, written, spoken, they are out there whether they are true or not. I know I keep harping on this but we as glbt citizens have to be out, aware, engaged and, involved. Not doing so makes us invisible. Silence = Complacency.
As we celebrate the anniversary of the decision to allow same gender couples to marry. We must keep in mind that it was short lived and we still have a battle ahead of us. We cannot let someone fight this battle for us. Each of us has got to get involved. Whether your glbtq or straight If you believe in equality for all you have to get involved. Whether you were one of those 18,000 who were able to get married, or are part the rest of use who felt we had time to plan the perfect wedding or felt when we found the perfect partner we would get married. I suspect a few of my Same gendered married friends have become even more complacent since the ruling to up hold prop 8 and let those who’s marriage took place before the ban stand. They probably feel it is not their battle anymore. They are wrong! It is their battle and they need to get involved. They are making their marriages invisible, dismissible, forgettable by the majority of the population. After all, it is only 18,000. But, 18,00 is a large number and it shows that we are committed to the sanctity of marriage. Think about it, 18,000 same gender couple were married in a five-month period and more would have been married given the time.
Now is not the time to rest on your laurels, GET INVOLVED! This is the only way to protect your marriage from being dissolved.
As we celebrate this year anniversary, we know we still have a lot of work ahead of us. I for one would like to see next election get us our right to marry back but we all have to become visible. Whether we desire marriage or not we have to fight for those who do. That poem that ends “ and when they came for me there was no one to stand up for me” Starts with not standing for others. Enough said. Get Involved.
Helpful Hank Tips and Hints: Always check to see if there are mistake paints and stains at the paint counter. A dented can of stain still works just as well and can be a fraction of the cost same with mistake paint. Take your doors and drawers off and out before sanding
You can contact Helpful Hank with Questions, Comments, Tips and, Deals at askhelpfulhank@gmail.com
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow
Hello all Helpful Hank here, today I would like to talk about summer projects. We all have them. Some of us will do them before we go on Vacation some after and for some like me. They happen all summer long.
Kitchen, Kitchen
We own a home built in the late 70’s early 80’s. I face a lot of updating repairs and renovation. Sometimes starting one project can lead to another project. Case in point, when we had our Inn in South Lake Tahoe and I was renovating rooms we discover a leek in one of the bathroom shower. This led to us having to replace not only the floor for that unit but the sub floor as well. (Time to call the professionals.)
In any event, we all have our summer projects. My project currently is refinishing our kitchen cabinets. This is a great way to give your kitchen an easy up date.
Use the dust and grim to your advantage.
There is a lot of sanding involved when refinishing cabinets. One thing that I found in this process is that if I gave my cabinets a good first sanding then when back and wiped each area with a damp sponge before I went back with my second sanding the sawdust worked for me as an abrasive to help take the top clear coat off. There was also less dust in the air from sanding. For my purposes, it made the sanding portion quicker as I did not have to sand down to bear wood. (I am staining the cabinets darker.)
Enhancing your stains color.
I’m sure that the paint store would not make it as a recommendation but I often add a little latex paint to my stain to enhance its color. Since my partner wanted a strong cherry hue to the cabinets, I added some red paint to my red mahogany stain. Just about a half a cup. I mix it up with my brush lightly as I want the it to sit on the bottom of the can. Using the stain this way it is better to brush it on as you can pick up some of that red in your first coat pulling stain from the bottom of the can then with your second coat just lightly dip your brush in the can so your not pulling the red. I tend to put on four coats of stain alternating the red and the dark stain. Working my brush until I have it just the right shade. You can see some of the project pics here. http://twitpic.com/photos/helpfulhank
Summer time can be a good time to get this type of project done as with the heat comes much faster drying time. The one thing I would note is not to run your swamp cooler while trying to dry the stain on the cabinets it puts to much moisture in the air.
Clean the swamp.
We are coming up on the official start of summer and the temps here in the valley are going to go up. Swamp coolers are an effective way to cool down the house here in the desert. Though humidity is a factor in their use, (No go above 50%.) for the most part it isn’t an issue. Here is what the issue is. Making sure that the filters are clean and or replacing filters that have out lived their usefulness. You can pick up new filters at Lowe’s or Home Depot for around 7 bucks a pieces depending on size and type. Cleaning your filters and replacing them when necessary helps your swamp cooler to run a lot more efficiently.
One of the things I like to do ( because we have three dogs) is take a couple of incense sticks placing the stem in the filter and lighting the incense thus drawing the scent into the home. Make sure, once the incense has completely burned to take the stick end out of the filter.
One-year anniversary
As you may or may not know, June 16th is the one-year anniversary of the passage of marriage equality in California. Though the law didn’t stand long, (We intend to have it passed again.) those who were able to get married are still married. It is important that we press forward to over turn the band on same gender marriage.
To that end on Saturday June 13, 2009 nh8wear and Bad Baby Attitudes wear were launched. http://www.printfection.com/nh8wear . nh8wear Bad Baby Attitudes features message shirts and sweatshirts for Adults and children alike. Right now it’s focus is on marriage equality and 10% of the profits will go to the M.E. campaign.(Such as the CVMEC, and others.) I am the graphic artist for the designs on the shirts so I thought I would give it a little plug. Take a look and I’m sure you’ll find a shirt you can’t live without.
Some may wonder why I do not use the term “same sex marriage”. Marriage isn’t really about sex it’s about two people committing to a life together whether they are of different genders or of the same gender. I hear and read comments all the time equality being gay with nothing more then sex. I read just yesterday a comment by Gene Simmons of Kiss, in which he states that gay couples on average tend to have multiple partners inside their main relationships. Although he says he could careless one way or the other, he clearly making a point.
I find his point not only to be inaccurate but hypocritical. He is inferring that our relationships our beings are just about sex. Our relationships are no different then anyone else’s. As a matter of fact we tend to be, overall more committed then straight couples married or unmarried stone for stone. I myself have known a great many same gender couples that have been together more than 35 years. I cant’s say the same for my straight counter parts. We have been denied the right to marry and still our relationships endure committed and faithful.
Statistics show us that median duration of first marriages that end in divorce: Males: 7.8 years, Females: 7.9 years and, the median duration of second marriages that end in divorce: Males: 7.3 years Females: 6.8 years. Less then half of those who marry make it beyond 15 years. Cleary our heterosexual counter parts do not hold marriage as sacredly as the profess to.
All the time you hear, heterosexual males talk about how many partners they have had with pride. Case in point Wilt Chamberlain. Now if Richard Chamberlain had written a book and bragged about having sex with over 2,000 men he would be called disgusting by a great many people and especially men. On the other hand, Wilt Chamberlain was greeted with an “Atta Boy” and “He is such a Stud.
As I say, it is rather hypocritical and inaccurate to make such statements. Perhaps we should put no ignore what these celebrities have to say. The only problem with doing so is that there are a great many that take words like Gene Simmons as being accurate and turn around and use these inaccuracies against us. Once words are spoken, written, spoken, they are out there whether they are true or not. I know I keep harping on this but we as glbt citizens have to be out, aware, engaged and, involved. Not doing so makes us invisible. Silence = Complacency.
As we celebrate the anniversary of the decision to allow same gender couples to marry. We must keep in mind that it was short lived and we still have a battle ahead of us. We cannot let someone fight this battle for us. Each of us has got to get involved. Whether your glbtq or straight If you believe in equality for all you have to get involved. Whether you were one of those 18,000 who were able to get married, or are part the rest of use who felt we had time to plan the perfect wedding or felt when we found the perfect partner we would get married. I suspect a few of my Same gendered married friends have become even more complacent since the ruling to up hold prop 8 and let those who’s marriage took place before the ban stand. They probably feel it is not their battle anymore. They are wrong! It is their battle and they need to get involved. They are making their marriages invisible, dismissible, forgettable by the majority of the population. After all, it is only 18,000. But, 18,00 is a large number and it shows that we are committed to the sanctity of marriage. Think about it, 18,000 same gender couple were married in a five-month period and more would have been married given the time.
Now is not the time to rest on your laurels, GET INVOLVED! This is the only way to protect your marriage from being dissolved.
As we celebrate this year anniversary, we know we still have a lot of work ahead of us. I for one would like to see next election get us our right to marry back but we all have to become visible. Whether we desire marriage or not we have to fight for those who do. That poem that ends “ and when they came for me there was no one to stand up for me” Starts with not standing for others. Enough said. Get Involved.
Helpful Hank Tips and Hints: Always check to see if there are mistake paints and stains at the paint counter. A dented can of stain still works just as well and can be a fraction of the cost same with mistake paint. Take your doors and drawers off and out before sanding
You can contact Helpful Hank with Questions, Comments, Tips and, Deals at askhelpfulhank@gmail.com
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Today I want to talk about two different things, The Day of Decision rally and some fun summer time crafts.
Hello all, Helpful Hank here,
Today I want to talk about two different things, The Day of Decision rally and some fun summer time crafts.
Day of Decision Rally
A week ago Tuesday I went to the day of decision rally. You can catch my video of it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np3C0eGFOHM there were about 200 some people at this rally and it struck me how the continued message was do not give up hope.
Forty years after Stone Wall we as a glbt community still struggle for complete acceptance and equality. While we may never gain total acceptance we can gain total equality. As I listened to the last of the speakers a young woman got up to talk about how she woke up that Tuesday went to school and found out around second period that she would not be allowed to marry the person she loved when one day she found that person because she was a lesbian. I thought about the message that this ruling was sending our youth. Our glbt youth, our straight youth, our questioning youth. We are telling them that some of them are less than. No one should have to grow up feeling less than. We are teaching these kids that they do not matter. Is this the message we want to send our youth?
It doesn’t matter what ones religious view or affiliations are when it comes to civil rights, marriage is a civil matter and whatever religious aspects we bring to a marriage ceremony are our own by choice.
Summer craft fun
I like those vintage t’s that are so popular right now and I got to thinking to my self I could make one of these. So I went over to Michaels Art supply and picked up a Blank template for stenciling (they come in packs of three and run about 3 or 4 bucks) a package of Iron on transfer for transferring images on to cloth.
I bought the blank stencils to create original designs and the iron on transfer pack (They run 8 dollars or more depending how many are in the package.) to find images I could use from the internet.
I headed home with my items and set out to take some old gray t-shirts and give them new life. I washed and dried the t’s. I got on-line, did an image search for vintage tee-shirt slogans, and didn’t find a whole lot. So I did a regular old web search and I found many sites that sell them. Most of these site have pictures of the slogans so I choose the ones I wanted to use, I saved the pictures to a file I then opened the picture up in a picture editing program and reversed the image so it could be viewed correctly once transferred. Then I printed them out on the photo transfer paper. I laid out my t-shirt on my ironing board placed the transfer on top of my t-shirt. I then placed an old towel over that. (This helps prevent you from any burning.) Set your Iron on its highest setting without being on a steam setting. Iron over the transfer pressing down firmly. Once you have ironed over entire stencil let cool. After things have cooled peel one corner slightly back to check and see if the transfer has set, if not then go over it again with the iron. Once your transfer is set starting at one of the corners and peel off the backing and you have a vintage t-shirt and you have saved yourself a bit of money.
Creating a stencil, to stencil a shirt is not as difficult as it sounds. The tools you will need is a blank stencil sheet an exacta knife (Folks, please be careful when using any knife but exacta knifes can cut your fingers real easy so be safe and remember this is not to be used by children.) Spray adhesive a cutting surface and, your image. For my image, I chose an ornate cross I found on line by doing an image search. I save the picture to my files then printed it out. Once I had it printed, (Making sure it is the right size for my blank stencil.) I sprayed my adhesive on the back then placed my image on the blank stencil making sure that there are no bumps bubbles or creases. (It will dry quickly.) Once my image has set on the blank I take my cutting surface place it under the blank and using the exacta knife I cut around my image about a ¼ inch from the lines of the image. I leave four uncut areas at the points of the cross so it is still attached to the stencil sheet. I then go back and cut around the image again still leaving the four uncut areas. This time I cut on the actual out line of the image. Once your image is cut out, you can peel your paper image away from your stencil
Once I have done all my cutting, I simply pop out the pieces that I have cut away and I have my stencil. Now that your stencil is done, you can use it for a variety of applications, whether you want to use it on a wall Muriel or on a piece of clothing. Note that when stenciling less is always more. What I mean by that is to keep your stencil brush on the dry side. Once you have paint on your brush tap it down on a surface to take off the excess paint. Too much paint and it bleeds through. Lightly spray the back of your stencil to adhere it to the surface you want to stencil.
Creating transfers is easier then making a stencil. Stencils can be used for a variety of projects; transfers are a little more limited. You can however use decal paper instead of transfer paper and create your own stickers, which can be fun for the kids.
While make stencils can be fun, adult supervision is needed if kids are going to be making and using them.
Well thank you for reading my column. Any ideas comments or questions can be sent to askhelpfulhank@gmail.com.
One Final not here, incase you haven’t heard, the State of New Hampshire has now passed into law Marriage Equality for same gender couples. That now makes six (6) states. We only have 44 more states to go.
Today’s tips and hints: don’t immediately through out your junk mail. Find the usable coupons and use them. If you have a fire pit or a chimney type burning pit, you can burn the discards. (Avoid burning on windy days as sparks can fly.
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow.
Today I want to talk about two different things, The Day of Decision rally and some fun summer time crafts.
Day of Decision Rally
A week ago Tuesday I went to the day of decision rally. You can catch my video of it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np3C0eGFOHM there were about 200 some people at this rally and it struck me how the continued message was do not give up hope.
Forty years after Stone Wall we as a glbt community still struggle for complete acceptance and equality. While we may never gain total acceptance we can gain total equality. As I listened to the last of the speakers a young woman got up to talk about how she woke up that Tuesday went to school and found out around second period that she would not be allowed to marry the person she loved when one day she found that person because she was a lesbian. I thought about the message that this ruling was sending our youth. Our glbt youth, our straight youth, our questioning youth. We are telling them that some of them are less than. No one should have to grow up feeling less than. We are teaching these kids that they do not matter. Is this the message we want to send our youth?
It doesn’t matter what ones religious view or affiliations are when it comes to civil rights, marriage is a civil matter and whatever religious aspects we bring to a marriage ceremony are our own by choice.
Summer craft fun
I like those vintage t’s that are so popular right now and I got to thinking to my self I could make one of these. So I went over to Michaels Art supply and picked up a Blank template for stenciling (they come in packs of three and run about 3 or 4 bucks) a package of Iron on transfer for transferring images on to cloth.
I bought the blank stencils to create original designs and the iron on transfer pack (They run 8 dollars or more depending how many are in the package.) to find images I could use from the internet.
I headed home with my items and set out to take some old gray t-shirts and give them new life. I washed and dried the t’s. I got on-line, did an image search for vintage tee-shirt slogans, and didn’t find a whole lot. So I did a regular old web search and I found many sites that sell them. Most of these site have pictures of the slogans so I choose the ones I wanted to use, I saved the pictures to a file I then opened the picture up in a picture editing program and reversed the image so it could be viewed correctly once transferred. Then I printed them out on the photo transfer paper. I laid out my t-shirt on my ironing board placed the transfer on top of my t-shirt. I then placed an old towel over that. (This helps prevent you from any burning.) Set your Iron on its highest setting without being on a steam setting. Iron over the transfer pressing down firmly. Once you have ironed over entire stencil let cool. After things have cooled peel one corner slightly back to check and see if the transfer has set, if not then go over it again with the iron. Once your transfer is set starting at one of the corners and peel off the backing and you have a vintage t-shirt and you have saved yourself a bit of money.
Creating a stencil, to stencil a shirt is not as difficult as it sounds. The tools you will need is a blank stencil sheet an exacta knife (Folks, please be careful when using any knife but exacta knifes can cut your fingers real easy so be safe and remember this is not to be used by children.) Spray adhesive a cutting surface and, your image. For my image, I chose an ornate cross I found on line by doing an image search. I save the picture to my files then printed it out. Once I had it printed, (Making sure it is the right size for my blank stencil.) I sprayed my adhesive on the back then placed my image on the blank stencil making sure that there are no bumps bubbles or creases. (It will dry quickly.) Once my image has set on the blank I take my cutting surface place it under the blank and using the exacta knife I cut around my image about a ¼ inch from the lines of the image. I leave four uncut areas at the points of the cross so it is still attached to the stencil sheet. I then go back and cut around the image again still leaving the four uncut areas. This time I cut on the actual out line of the image. Once your image is cut out, you can peel your paper image away from your stencil
Once I have done all my cutting, I simply pop out the pieces that I have cut away and I have my stencil. Now that your stencil is done, you can use it for a variety of applications, whether you want to use it on a wall Muriel or on a piece of clothing. Note that when stenciling less is always more. What I mean by that is to keep your stencil brush on the dry side. Once you have paint on your brush tap it down on a surface to take off the excess paint. Too much paint and it bleeds through. Lightly spray the back of your stencil to adhere it to the surface you want to stencil.
Creating transfers is easier then making a stencil. Stencils can be used for a variety of projects; transfers are a little more limited. You can however use decal paper instead of transfer paper and create your own stickers, which can be fun for the kids.
While make stencils can be fun, adult supervision is needed if kids are going to be making and using them.
Well thank you for reading my column. Any ideas comments or questions can be sent to askhelpfulhank@gmail.com.
One Final not here, incase you haven’t heard, the State of New Hampshire has now passed into law Marriage Equality for same gender couples. That now makes six (6) states. We only have 44 more states to go.
Today’s tips and hints: don’t immediately through out your junk mail. Find the usable coupons and use them. If you have a fire pit or a chimney type burning pit, you can burn the discards. (Avoid burning on windy days as sparks can fly.
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Helpful Hanks Handy Hints Summertime Memorial Day Column 08052209
Honoring our Vets
Hello All Helpful Hank here,
This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. A chance for every citizen to honor our veterans. My father was a vet of the Korean War. (The pre cursor to the Vietnam War.) Though I myself am not an advocate of war, I will always support our troops. People do what they feel they have to do. As a teenager just out of High School I tried to enlist in the Army but my father was having none of it. I was eighteen and I thought that was that what could he do? Plenty…. Because I have some disabilities, he was able to go down to the recruiting office and get me un-recruited. He explained me later what he had seen in Korea. He told me he did not want me to be left with such images. I am grateful to my father. It wasn’t that he was against the war; He just didn’t want his son to have to fight in one if he could avoid it. (Later one of my foster brothers would fight in Desert Storm and my Nephew has served four or for terms in Iraq.)
The men and women join with good intentions; they are fighting for our freedom. For that, they should be commended as their hearts are in the right place. Personally, I believe that there can be justified wars. (WWI WWII) Even though war is tragic it can and the toll can be high, it can prevent a much worse fate. World War II is a prime example of this. I must also say I feel wars are becoming a rather archaic way of settling disputes between nations and countries. This in no means should negate the fact that women and men, our children, sons and daughters are fighting battles for what they believe is the betterment of all people. So this Memorial day Say a prayer or keep a thought of safe return for a solider and a veteran. Remember, until there are no more wars and the last Veteran has passed away there will always be a need to remember what veterans of war fought for Our Freedom is.
Summertime, Summertime
Summertime is just around the corner, kids get out of school, families have reunions, picnics and trips to the park. Here are some fun ways to enjoy your gatherings that are inexpensive or free to do during your summer whether you are a kid or a grown-up.
Some of these activities I remember from when I was a child others I have just discovered.
Suitcase Game
A new game I just learned about (On Good Morning America of all places.) The Object of the game is for each member of the team to put all the clothes in the suitcase on. How it works is you have teams of two. They line up on a field or grass area. (If anyone should fall the won’t get hurt.) Each team has two suitcases. One team member sprints over to where the other team member is, opens the suitcase up that the other team member has puts on the clothes in the suitcase over their own clothes and races back with the suitcase. Once back, the other teammate does the same. The first team, with each team member back in his or her original place wins the race. This can be adapted to a kids version, Adults only version or mixed adults and kids. The beauty of this game is you can make it as difficult or easy as possible. You can also substitute a suitcase for a bag as well.
It’s A Cakewalk
When I was a kid in elementary school, we would have a cakewalk at the annual school fair. How it works is you have your guest bring a one layer or two-layer cake any kind (Ice Cream cakes not recommended.) each cake should be on some sort of dish. Then your participants form a circle. Each participant holds the cake and platter on top of his or her head. They all have a mark that they are on. (If it is not windy paper plates work well for the mark.)As the music starts they walk around the circle. One mark is removed. When the music stops anyone not on a mark or who drops their cake is out. (If someone has dropped their cake their mark is removed as well) The last person standing is the winner. The surviving cakes become dessert for your guest. (Livelier music makes for a better game. You can also substitute bowls of water for cakes, which can be lots of fun watching the water spill and participants getting wet, as well as a nice way to cool down in the summer heat.)
Treasure Hunt
This is an easy thing to set up and again is a good game for all ages. It takes a little more prep time then some other games though. Here’s how it works. You work either as an individual or in teams. Each team or individual is given their first clue and once they find the object in their first clue it leads them to the second clue. They must find all the clues and return them to whom ever you have collecting them. The first person or team to collect all the clues and turn them in wins. (You can also have them collect they objects that their clue is attached to. Who says Easter egg hunts are just for Easter.
If you have any summer time games you would like to suggest drop me an e-mail at askhelpfulhank@gmail.com
Day Of Decision" coming soon
One last thing I would like to mention is the up coming Supreme Court decision on same gender marriage. We are looking at the decision being handed down on Tuesday May 26th. If you would like to participate in the celebration or the re-doubling of our efforts to make same gender marriage a reality in the state of California then here is a site that you can check out to see what is happening in your town. http://dayofdecision.wetpaint.com/page/Locations Any financial support you can give these folks is greatly appreciated. Though financial support is needed what is needed as well are volunteers and people to show up at these rallies.
Well that’s all for now folks. Helpful Hank signing off until next time. And remember we can’t have true equality until we all have true equality. After all isn’t that what our soldier’s fight for and what our veterans fought for Freedom and Equality for all.
Keep cool wear sunscreen and have fun after all that’s what summer time is for having fun.
Helpful Hank.
Helpful Hanks Hints:
Summertime doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun. Hot dogs Hamburgers and corn on the cob are simple fare that are sure to please. I like to put out my Cherry tomatoes that grow in my garden as a snack. Water Mellon is inexpensive and easy to prepare. Instead of Soda How about Ice tea and lemonade mix in a little food coloring with your batch of lemonade to create colorful looking lemonade.
Unusable pieces of fabric can be good for writing your treasure hunt clues on just cut into wide strips and write on the side that your writing is most visible. You can also give your treasure hunt a theme. How about “The Amazing Race" as a theme? If you want to get real elaborate you could set it up so that each team has a decoder (A chart that matches a number symbol or letter to each letter of the alphabet.) and they have to decode the symbols numbers or letters to figure out what clue says.
Helpful Hank can be reached at askhelpfulhank@gmail.com
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Next Stop Iowa
Next Stop Iowa
Hello All Helpful Hank Here,
I would like to talk about a subject that I feel personally connected to. That is the decision just handed down in Iowa and Vermont to allow same gender marriage. The decision to allow same gender marriage in Iowa and Vermont is a victory for all. For me personally it is validating.
I have to say I was a bit surprised at the out come. No offense to Iowa but I have never really thought of it as a progressive state. If Americas heartland can come to terms with the separation of church and state creating equality for all then there is hope. Iowa and Vermont clearly see that discrimination is not acceptable on any level.
Marriage Equality transcends just the right to marry whom you want, it legitimized our very being, our families that we have, and our community. Once we have marriage equality across the United States, bans on adoption to Same Gender couples like the one in Arkansas won’t matter. Same gender couple will be able to marry and adopt. Laws like Arkansas’ prop 11 will go by the way side, as they were specifically put into place to stop adoption by same gender couples with the guise of making it seem that they are not discriminating.
Studies show that there are markedly no real differences in the development of children who are raised in a household with same gender parent verses opposite gender parents. The only real difference that was discovered was that children of same gendered parents do not feel as confined to typical gender specific roles when it comes to life and careers. This vastly opens up options for these children, as they become adults. I also think that another benefit is that this children go up to not just tolerate different types of people but rather accept the differences in people and celebrate those difference as well as to see that our differences are one of the things take make us the same.
What was particularly profound for me in the Iowa decision was the passage near the end.
The court said: "that while many oppose marriage for religious reasons, religion cannot justify a law excluding gay people from marriage. State government can have no religious views, the opinion says, either directly or indirectly expressed through its legislation. This proposition, the Court goes on to say, is the essence of the separation of church and state."
Finally two more states that get it. Sure, we have had to push and shove to get equality and we will continue to have to do so. However, we should let this strengthen our resolve; we all need to do what we can to move forward towards total equality. Whether we are stuffing envelopes, participating in local really and marches for marriage equality and adoption rights, or we are able to participate nationally. We all need to be a part of it. We must never forget that when one American looses their rights because of who they are, or who they love, all American’s are at risk of loosing their rights. One final thought. Marriage can only be de-valued by the two people in it.
Note as I was writing this blog post Maine ended up enacting laws granting same Gender couple the right to marry. Another victory for equality. Another state that gets it
Site to find out more about the recent court decisions in Iowa, Vermont and Maine
Vermont: http://www.vermont.gov/portal/search.php?q=Same+Sex+Marriage
Iowa; http://iowa.google.cdc.nicusa.com/search?q=Same+Sex+Marriage&btnG=Search&output=xml_no_dtd&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&ie=UTF-8&client=iowa&oe=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=iowa&site=iowa
Maine at the writing of this had no official information on Same Gender Marriage
Travel Time
We are coming up on that time of year for many, travel time. Summer comes around kids get out of school and as it was with my family growing up; it is time for a vacation. Travel restrictions for the airlines have relaxed a bit but, the alert level seems to stay around Orange. Recently it seem that more and more people are planning vacations and flights through on-line sites such as Travelocity, Price Line and other discount sites. One of my friends used Price line to plan her trip home to Canada with her daughter. She was able to secure her flight and a car through Price Line. Her total cost for airfare and car rental was less $800.00 for the two of them. Now they didn’t have to take a hotel as they are staying with family. Right now, they airlines are trying to get our business so it is the ideal time to plan a getaway. Price Line has a feature that allows you to negotiate your price for everything from flight to car and hotel stays. Travelocity has a site dedicated to gay travel
There are many different sites that you can use for planning a vacation some charge a fee some don’t but overall it they are a good way to book travel. Just remember discount travel will give you more bang for your buck while on vacation as the money you save you can use to make your vacation even better then you thought it could be.
Where ever go on vacation Travel safely and remember to check with the airlines to make sure that your flight is not delayed. You can also go to the Transportation Security Administration site (TSA) at http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm to find out the latest travel restrictions.
Sites to Check Out for travel
Gay Travelocity http://leisure.travelocity.com/Promotions/0,,TRAVELOCITY%7C935%7Cgaytravel,00.html you can also book travel through Travelocity on my site PS Community Networking at http://www.pscnetworking.com/
Price Line http://www.priceline.com/ you can also click on the Price Line link at my site PS Community Networking at http://www.pscnetworking.com/
Fun Maps http://www.funmaps.com/
Gay.com http://www.gay.com/
As always thanks for reading what I have to say. I welcome your letters and questions
Regards and safe travel,
Helpful Hank
Helpful Hanks Tips:
Make a list of what you are taking on your trip so you don’t forget anything
When using Price Lines Negotiator feature give yourself enough time to use it effectively and get your best deal.
Keep your bags with in the weight restrictions going over can cost you over a hundred dollars as it did my younger brother on his recent trip.
If you plan to get married in any of the five states that allow Same Gender marriage find out what if any restrictions or requirements there may be for out of state couples wishing to get married.
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow
Hello All Helpful Hank Here,
I would like to talk about a subject that I feel personally connected to. That is the decision just handed down in Iowa and Vermont to allow same gender marriage. The decision to allow same gender marriage in Iowa and Vermont is a victory for all. For me personally it is validating.
I have to say I was a bit surprised at the out come. No offense to Iowa but I have never really thought of it as a progressive state. If Americas heartland can come to terms with the separation of church and state creating equality for all then there is hope. Iowa and Vermont clearly see that discrimination is not acceptable on any level.
Marriage Equality transcends just the right to marry whom you want, it legitimized our very being, our families that we have, and our community. Once we have marriage equality across the United States, bans on adoption to Same Gender couples like the one in Arkansas won’t matter. Same gender couple will be able to marry and adopt. Laws like Arkansas’ prop 11 will go by the way side, as they were specifically put into place to stop adoption by same gender couples with the guise of making it seem that they are not discriminating.
Studies show that there are markedly no real differences in the development of children who are raised in a household with same gender parent verses opposite gender parents. The only real difference that was discovered was that children of same gendered parents do not feel as confined to typical gender specific roles when it comes to life and careers. This vastly opens up options for these children, as they become adults. I also think that another benefit is that this children go up to not just tolerate different types of people but rather accept the differences in people and celebrate those difference as well as to see that our differences are one of the things take make us the same.
What was particularly profound for me in the Iowa decision was the passage near the end.
The court said: "that while many oppose marriage for religious reasons, religion cannot justify a law excluding gay people from marriage. State government can have no religious views, the opinion says, either directly or indirectly expressed through its legislation. This proposition, the Court goes on to say, is the essence of the separation of church and state."
Finally two more states that get it. Sure, we have had to push and shove to get equality and we will continue to have to do so. However, we should let this strengthen our resolve; we all need to do what we can to move forward towards total equality. Whether we are stuffing envelopes, participating in local really and marches for marriage equality and adoption rights, or we are able to participate nationally. We all need to be a part of it. We must never forget that when one American looses their rights because of who they are, or who they love, all American’s are at risk of loosing their rights. One final thought. Marriage can only be de-valued by the two people in it.
Note as I was writing this blog post Maine ended up enacting laws granting same Gender couple the right to marry. Another victory for equality. Another state that gets it
Site to find out more about the recent court decisions in Iowa, Vermont and Maine
Vermont: http://www.vermont.gov/portal/search.php?q=Same+Sex+Marriage
Iowa; http://iowa.google.cdc.nicusa.com/search?q=Same+Sex+Marriage&btnG=Search&output=xml_no_dtd&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&ie=UTF-8&client=iowa&oe=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=iowa&site=iowa
Maine at the writing of this had no official information on Same Gender Marriage
Travel Time
We are coming up on that time of year for many, travel time. Summer comes around kids get out of school and as it was with my family growing up; it is time for a vacation. Travel restrictions for the airlines have relaxed a bit but, the alert level seems to stay around Orange. Recently it seem that more and more people are planning vacations and flights through on-line sites such as Travelocity, Price Line and other discount sites. One of my friends used Price line to plan her trip home to Canada with her daughter. She was able to secure her flight and a car through Price Line. Her total cost for airfare and car rental was less $800.00 for the two of them. Now they didn’t have to take a hotel as they are staying with family. Right now, they airlines are trying to get our business so it is the ideal time to plan a getaway. Price Line has a feature that allows you to negotiate your price for everything from flight to car and hotel stays. Travelocity has a site dedicated to gay travel
There are many different sites that you can use for planning a vacation some charge a fee some don’t but overall it they are a good way to book travel. Just remember discount travel will give you more bang for your buck while on vacation as the money you save you can use to make your vacation even better then you thought it could be.
Where ever go on vacation Travel safely and remember to check with the airlines to make sure that your flight is not delayed. You can also go to the Transportation Security Administration site (TSA) at http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm to find out the latest travel restrictions.
Sites to Check Out for travel
Gay Travelocity http://leisure.travelocity.com/Promotions/0,,TRAVELOCITY%7C935%7Cgaytravel,00.html you can also book travel through Travelocity on my site PS Community Networking at http://www.pscnetworking.com/
Price Line http://www.priceline.com/ you can also click on the Price Line link at my site PS Community Networking at http://www.pscnetworking.com/
Fun Maps http://www.funmaps.com/
Gay.com http://www.gay.com/
As always thanks for reading what I have to say. I welcome your letters and questions
Regards and safe travel,
Helpful Hank
Helpful Hanks Tips:
Make a list of what you are taking on your trip so you don’t forget anything
When using Price Lines Negotiator feature give yourself enough time to use it effectively and get your best deal.
Keep your bags with in the weight restrictions going over can cost you over a hundred dollars as it did my younger brother on his recent trip.
If you plan to get married in any of the five states that allow Same Gender marriage find out what if any restrictions or requirements there may be for out of state couples wishing to get married.
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow
Monday, April 20, 2009
Helpful Hanks Advice and Handy Hints, Deals and Bargians: Re-thinking our jobs Bolg Post #6
Hello all, Helpful Hank Here, Today I want to talk about Reinventing how we make our income. Here in the valley the unemployment rate has jumped to 10.3%. I understand it’s the highest it has ever been or the highest it has been in years. If you are unemployed it can seem like you will never find another job.
In this economy companies are just not bringing in new staff and are reluctant to fill needed vacant position choosing rather to train and teach employees that they have to be able to handle the jobs of the laid off, filling only positions that are necessary.
Unemployment rates seem to be cyclical. I find they change about every 4 to 8 years based on my experience. We have just come out of an eight year cycle that started us off on top, companies were hiring the economy was good. ( the pervious eight year cycle put us there) As we progressed through this last eight year cycle jobs became more and more scares, The unemployment rate jumped and continued to grow to it’s highest rate ever.
This particular eight year cycle was particularly nasty. Some people ride it out as best as they can others take the reins and decide to chart their own course. Both can be equally difficult.
Riding it out is not easy. Sure our economy is starting to pick up ( slowly) but, what have you done to make your own economic situation improve? Things will get a bit worse before the get better. That old adage that it is always darkest before the clouds lift is true.
What id those clouds could have a silver lining? They can it is up to you. You can do things to improve and make your income better. It won’t happen overnight but they seeds you sew today can grow into something wonderful.
Right now we see an increase of Work from home opportunities and it is difficult to find one that is legit or that you can actually make an income from without 1. laying out a good amount of money to start. 2. Actually make enough money to survive on.
Growing a small business is tough enough. Growing a small business in this economy is even tougher. Here are some thoughts and Ideas on how to get started based on my experiences.
When starting your own business I feel it is best to use all avenues available to you and there are many. Take a look on the internet to see who else is providing the type of services that you are looking at providing. Figure out what you can do to set yourself apart from the heard. Look at what types of social networks might be the best to use. Google search networks (Example graphic design networking.) to see if there is a networking site that pertains to what you want to do. Use all networking sites you can to market yourself.
It is important to look at what your natural abilities are. For instance if you are an office worker who has lost their job think about freelancing your services. If you are a techie do the same, freelance. You can freelance most services. You can buy a domain name for as little as 0.79 cents these days and you can even buy simple software that will allow you to set up a page for your domain name. If you can’t afford such software then use social networking sites to set up a web presence to offer your services. Right now I have a client who is using My space as a starting point. We have set up a business profile for them and they have already had several people check out their page as well as friend them. Doing this yourself will cost you nothing but time. In conjunction with this make sure that you are taking advantage of the many temporary placement agencies to help support your endeavors. Always make sure that any assignment that you choose to go out on will in someway help you to further your own goals. (I have actually turned down assignments because the pay and time involved was such that I would be losing money. I have also taken assignments that even though I might lose a bit of money the company that I performed the services for might be of some benefit to me as far as a reference for my own business. The benefit of working temp jobs is that it can help keep your skill level up. When signing up for a temp agency take every test you can that will show what your skill level is. Use this as a base line for your skill set. If your test scores are high then use that to your advantage by marketing it on the social networking sites. If like me you are in the expert range of excel then say so on these site. Leave a business card with the person(s) on the job site so the remember who you are and the work you did while there.
In this economy we have to look outside the box but, this is nothing new. Great mind have always approached life this way. We have to combine our efforts and open our options.
The one. Key thing in all of this is marketing ourselves. It is not as difficult as it seems. We have many free marketing opportunities that are available to us. Social network marketing is one of the best ways to market yourself. You can get your name out there along with the services you provide at no cost except for time, and it can be time well spent. With sites like Twitter, Face Book and others you can leave short little notes promoting your business, posting them several times a day.
It is going to take time but anything worth working for ( a stable income and career) is worth having. Cross promotion of yourself is important. Why would you color with one color in a crayon box when there are 64 colors? Use all the social networking sites you can to promote yourself. You will not use them all the same way, but use them. Again, Sites like twitter and face Book are good for short blurbs about you, what you are trying to establish and, where you want to go with it. Twitter is especially good for this. Google search the phrase Twitter Getter. This is an online source for generating a following. A bigger following means more people seeing what you have to offer. Sites like My space or The Private Membership are good sites to set up your virtual storefront. Use these sites to set up your business profile. Join or start groups on these sites that are related to what you are doing. If you are a freelance electrician then join some of the groups that are for the electrical contracting community (My Space has a few.)Then, use sites like face Book and twitter to market it and yourself.
Gone are the days of walking up and down Main Street and handing out your resume. Time is more wisely spent marketing yourself on line.
Educate yourself, learn new things. A year ago, I knew nothing about creating web graphics, today I sell my creations on sites set up for exactly that. Again, think outside of the box. Learning new things and be patient with yourself while you do this can vastly increase your potential for making an income. It might take you in a direction you never thought possible. As you learn new skills, you will find the skill that you excel at and in turn offer those services as well.
Do not be afraid to offer your services at no cost to charitable organizations. Not only can you claim the time (and any expense you cover) as a donation on your taxes but word of mouth is powerful. If you do this, ask for a letter of recommendation from the organization or even just a one or two line sentence that you can post on your different social networking profiles or web site for your business if you have one.
They key to moving forward and getting to where you want to be is in how you look at each day. For me I approach each day as if I were working a 9-5. I take time to map out and make a list of what I want to accomplish every day. I check those Items off once the task is completed for that day. My workweek though doesn’t always end at five or stop on the weekends. I know it takes more then that. Starting with a 9-5 base is just that a start. The more you but into it the more you can get from it.
Taking regular breaks helps to keep you focused. After you have been on line, on the phone calling agencies for three, four hours your eyes can get fuzzy so step away and take a break come back with clearer eyes.
Make sure that your day included some exercise even if it is just short walks a few times a day. Sitting behind a computer all day can be hard on your body so Stretching is a great way to help with that.
One Final Thought, I’m a work in progress as are we all. What works for one person may not work for another. Don’t be afraid to try different things. The fact that we keep trying to find a better way on this journey is good. If the Idea excites you, figure out how you can make it work for you
To my readers, any tips you have on this subject that you would like to share send them in I will happily pass them on and try them out myself.
Well that’s all for now
Helpful Hank.
Hank’s Helpful Hint:
Make a list of agencies you are listed with and call them each Monday letting them know you are available for assignments that week this keeps you fresh in their minds. When going to agencies for your first appointment always present yourself as a professional whether you’re a dish washer or accountant dress for success (as you would for a job interview). In addition, when ever you have to stop by the agencies dress in Business casual. (As you would on a job.)
Stretch Stretch, Stretch. At the end of the day your body will thank you.
Some site to market yourself on.
http://twitter.com/
http://offto.net/twittergetter/
http://www.myspace.com/
http://www.facebook.com/
Write Helpful Hank at: askhelpfulhank@gmail.com
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow
In this economy companies are just not bringing in new staff and are reluctant to fill needed vacant position choosing rather to train and teach employees that they have to be able to handle the jobs of the laid off, filling only positions that are necessary.
Unemployment rates seem to be cyclical. I find they change about every 4 to 8 years based on my experience. We have just come out of an eight year cycle that started us off on top, companies were hiring the economy was good. ( the pervious eight year cycle put us there) As we progressed through this last eight year cycle jobs became more and more scares, The unemployment rate jumped and continued to grow to it’s highest rate ever.
This particular eight year cycle was particularly nasty. Some people ride it out as best as they can others take the reins and decide to chart their own course. Both can be equally difficult.
Riding it out is not easy. Sure our economy is starting to pick up ( slowly) but, what have you done to make your own economic situation improve? Things will get a bit worse before the get better. That old adage that it is always darkest before the clouds lift is true.
What id those clouds could have a silver lining? They can it is up to you. You can do things to improve and make your income better. It won’t happen overnight but they seeds you sew today can grow into something wonderful.
Right now we see an increase of Work from home opportunities and it is difficult to find one that is legit or that you can actually make an income from without 1. laying out a good amount of money to start. 2. Actually make enough money to survive on.
Growing a small business is tough enough. Growing a small business in this economy is even tougher. Here are some thoughts and Ideas on how to get started based on my experiences.
When starting your own business I feel it is best to use all avenues available to you and there are many. Take a look on the internet to see who else is providing the type of services that you are looking at providing. Figure out what you can do to set yourself apart from the heard. Look at what types of social networks might be the best to use. Google search networks (Example graphic design networking.) to see if there is a networking site that pertains to what you want to do. Use all networking sites you can to market yourself.
It is important to look at what your natural abilities are. For instance if you are an office worker who has lost their job think about freelancing your services. If you are a techie do the same, freelance. You can freelance most services. You can buy a domain name for as little as 0.79 cents these days and you can even buy simple software that will allow you to set up a page for your domain name. If you can’t afford such software then use social networking sites to set up a web presence to offer your services. Right now I have a client who is using My space as a starting point. We have set up a business profile for them and they have already had several people check out their page as well as friend them. Doing this yourself will cost you nothing but time. In conjunction with this make sure that you are taking advantage of the many temporary placement agencies to help support your endeavors. Always make sure that any assignment that you choose to go out on will in someway help you to further your own goals. (I have actually turned down assignments because the pay and time involved was such that I would be losing money. I have also taken assignments that even though I might lose a bit of money the company that I performed the services for might be of some benefit to me as far as a reference for my own business. The benefit of working temp jobs is that it can help keep your skill level up. When signing up for a temp agency take every test you can that will show what your skill level is. Use this as a base line for your skill set. If your test scores are high then use that to your advantage by marketing it on the social networking sites. If like me you are in the expert range of excel then say so on these site. Leave a business card with the person(s) on the job site so the remember who you are and the work you did while there.
In this economy we have to look outside the box but, this is nothing new. Great mind have always approached life this way. We have to combine our efforts and open our options.
The one. Key thing in all of this is marketing ourselves. It is not as difficult as it seems. We have many free marketing opportunities that are available to us. Social network marketing is one of the best ways to market yourself. You can get your name out there along with the services you provide at no cost except for time, and it can be time well spent. With sites like Twitter, Face Book and others you can leave short little notes promoting your business, posting them several times a day.
It is going to take time but anything worth working for ( a stable income and career) is worth having. Cross promotion of yourself is important. Why would you color with one color in a crayon box when there are 64 colors? Use all the social networking sites you can to promote yourself. You will not use them all the same way, but use them. Again, Sites like twitter and face Book are good for short blurbs about you, what you are trying to establish and, where you want to go with it. Twitter is especially good for this. Google search the phrase Twitter Getter. This is an online source for generating a following. A bigger following means more people seeing what you have to offer. Sites like My space or The Private Membership are good sites to set up your virtual storefront. Use these sites to set up your business profile. Join or start groups on these sites that are related to what you are doing. If you are a freelance electrician then join some of the groups that are for the electrical contracting community (My Space has a few.)Then, use sites like face Book and twitter to market it and yourself.
Gone are the days of walking up and down Main Street and handing out your resume. Time is more wisely spent marketing yourself on line.
Educate yourself, learn new things. A year ago, I knew nothing about creating web graphics, today I sell my creations on sites set up for exactly that. Again, think outside of the box. Learning new things and be patient with yourself while you do this can vastly increase your potential for making an income. It might take you in a direction you never thought possible. As you learn new skills, you will find the skill that you excel at and in turn offer those services as well.
Do not be afraid to offer your services at no cost to charitable organizations. Not only can you claim the time (and any expense you cover) as a donation on your taxes but word of mouth is powerful. If you do this, ask for a letter of recommendation from the organization or even just a one or two line sentence that you can post on your different social networking profiles or web site for your business if you have one.
They key to moving forward and getting to where you want to be is in how you look at each day. For me I approach each day as if I were working a 9-5. I take time to map out and make a list of what I want to accomplish every day. I check those Items off once the task is completed for that day. My workweek though doesn’t always end at five or stop on the weekends. I know it takes more then that. Starting with a 9-5 base is just that a start. The more you but into it the more you can get from it.
Taking regular breaks helps to keep you focused. After you have been on line, on the phone calling agencies for three, four hours your eyes can get fuzzy so step away and take a break come back with clearer eyes.
Make sure that your day included some exercise even if it is just short walks a few times a day. Sitting behind a computer all day can be hard on your body so Stretching is a great way to help with that.
One Final Thought, I’m a work in progress as are we all. What works for one person may not work for another. Don’t be afraid to try different things. The fact that we keep trying to find a better way on this journey is good. If the Idea excites you, figure out how you can make it work for you
To my readers, any tips you have on this subject that you would like to share send them in I will happily pass them on and try them out myself.
Well that’s all for now
Helpful Hank.
Hank’s Helpful Hint:
Make a list of agencies you are listed with and call them each Monday letting them know you are available for assignments that week this keeps you fresh in their minds. When going to agencies for your first appointment always present yourself as a professional whether you’re a dish washer or accountant dress for success (as you would for a job interview). In addition, when ever you have to stop by the agencies dress in Business casual. (As you would on a job.)
Stretch Stretch, Stretch. At the end of the day your body will thank you.
Some site to market yourself on.
http://twitter.com/
http://offto.net/twittergetter/
http://www.myspace.com/
http://www.facebook.com/
Write Helpful Hank at: askhelpfulhank@gmail.com
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow
Friday, April 10, 2009
Some simple and inexpensive ways we can spruce up our home
Hi All Helpful Hank Here. Today I would like to share with you some simple things you can do to spruce up some of your living spaces that won’t cost you a fortune.
My husband comes home once a month for seven to ten days , then it’s back to the airport and back to work for him. While he is Home though we try to get as many projects done as possible. There are projects we work on together and others we work on separately. As I have mentioned in earlier blogs we like to haunt the thrift shops and even go dumpster diving behind hi end resale shops (after they are closed for the day they frown on you looking through their dumpsters when they are open.) I thought I would share with you some of the simple fixes that we worked on the week he was home as well as some other easy projects.
I have a love hate relationship with Wall Mart or as many call it Sprawl Mart. I don’t like crowds or rude people and Sprawl Mart seems to have plenty in spades most of the time. Those poor clerks. How they stay so friendly is a wonder. Anywho I digress as I say I have a love Hate relationship with the place as I am sure many do. They do have great prices which is great for the budget and a wide selection. Now I like to head straight to the fabric department and there 1.50 table ( was a 1.00 but with this economy things change) I am fortunate enough just to have a Wall Mart that still has a fabric department.
We decided to spruce up our patio area a bit so we decide on what simply changes we could make to achieve this. And sense we have a lot of Patio furniture ( our patio is very long and has four distinct areas that are covered.) I thought sprucing up the cushions and pillows would be one thing to give it a fresher look. Pillows we use outside can fad and get dingy after a time so this is an easy fix even if you don’t sew. For this project you will need small to medium size pillows, about 2 to 2 ½ yards of fabric(covers four pillows), No Sew or fusible webbing I prefer the fusible webbing as you just iron your seems shut with it easy squeezy) and stick backed Velcro (it can be had for a few dollars at a craft store or fabric store.), and scissors.
I tend to by fabric I like or feel I can use at Wall Marts 1.50 table when I see it. I may not use it for sometime but eventually I will. I went to my fabric trunk (another dumpster dive find. It is an old steamer trunk. In excellent condition even had the hangers and the key to the top drawer. Someone put it curbside years ago and I snagged it.) I started looking through what I had. I wanted to see if I had anything that would go well with the bright Blue and Green cushion we have on our wicker couches. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything that would work well. Off to Sprawl Mart. I found fabric that was perfect so I bought two yards of bright blue and two yards of bright green. I took four pillows I had on a day bed outside that were looking rather shabby (and not in a chic way either)
I unfolded my fabric and lay it out placing the pillows on the fabric then I cut the fabric to size leaving enough space on all sides of the fabric to close it up. Depending on they fabric you by you may want to embellish it. The fabric I bought was a solid color. I had decided I wanted to use fabric paint on it.
What you will need to do first is to wash your fabric. I wash mine in the sink with detergent and hot water (this is mostly for shrinkage and putting it in the washer can sometimes make the fabric fray.) then I run it through the dryer or, in this case, since the weather has been so warm, I hung it out to dry. Once I have painted the design I want on my pillows and they are dry, (leave enough boarder to fold sides of fabric under) I fold one side over running a length of fusible webbing underneath it (the fabric should be folded inward so the edge of the fabric is on the inside of the pillow.). and the run the Iron over it thus bonding the fabric together. I do this on all four sides. This creates a seamed edge all the way around. Then on opposite ends (top and bottom of pillow cover) I place the Velcro. (This will allow me to take the new pillow cover off for washing) Then I fold the fabric in half again running a piece of the fusible webbing now between the folded fabric sides and Iron. Give the fusible webbing a chance to cool and run your Iron on high no steam. Once you have done this slip, your pillow inside through the end that has the Velcro closure and you have a new pillow. Keep your lines as straight and as even as possible when using the fusible webbing as it will show if you don’t. I made four pillow covers in no time and just put existing pillows in them.
While my husband was home, he went over to one of our local thrift shops and found a medium size chandelier that just needed some TLC. As he put it to me, I only paid ten dollars for it I couldn’t pass it up.
We decided to hang it above the board table on the patio.
The tools we used for this project were wire strippers, spray paint (both primer and topcoat of color) and wire nuts.
I used a combination of black primer spray paint hammered bronze spray paint and, green spray paint. I gave it a couple of primer coats let it dry. I gave it a third coat of black primer and while it was still wet, gave it a coat of hammered bronze. After that had dried, I took the green spray paint and applied it lightly to different spots to create a patina. I then went over it lightly again, with the hammered bronze while it was still a bit tacky, softening the edges of the green so that it blended better.
Once the lamp was dry it was time to fix the cord, it wasn’t long enough for the chain we had. I took an old extension cord cut the female end off and using wire stripers, I stripped the plastic coating away from both sets of wires. I did the same on the light fixture end. I twisted the wires from each side of the cut extension cord to the wires from the light fixture. I capped the wires with wire nuts then used black electrical tape wrapping it around each of the wire nuts to seal them off, using more electrical tape I taped the wire nuts together. I wove the cord through the chain and since we were replacing an existing hanging lamp, we hung it in the same spot.
In warm weather the spray paint dries fast. You can have this project done in about an hour to two hours depending on drying time.
The third project we worked on, were new curtain rods. We had priced them and they were expensive for new ones. The ones we had were bowing and sagging from the weight of the curtains we had on them. To replace them with sturdier rod was going to cost a lot. We found a cheaper alternative. What we bought was 1 inch metal conduit pipe ( the come in 8 to 10 foot lengths) it was only $6.49 per ten foot pipe as opposed to a curtain rod at $23.00 to $43.00 We got some primer spray paint and a top color coat. We chose hammered bronze. (You will need a surface long enough and big enough to spray paint them.) Wash your poles with soapy warm water removing all labels. Let dry then give it two coats of your primer letting thoroughly dry between coats. Then to coats of your top color coat. (I like using a satin sheen for the op coat) Once it is all dry, you just replace your existing rods with the new ones.
If you want to add, fancy end caps to your curtain rod just get the end caps you want. Get a wooden dowel that fits snug in your conduit ends. Cut off about two inches of dowel for each end screw your end caps in to dowel and put your end in the conduit so that only the decorative end caps show. (You may need to pre drill the end of the dowel but not much because you just want to start the hole this way the end cap stay firmly in place. You can also put a little wood glue down the pre-drilled hole. This will secure the end cap to the dowel even better and you’ll be less likely to have it come undone.
Small home improvement projects don’t have to be daunting. They can unleash your creative side and if you have kids there are small home improvement projects (Pillow covers) that the can participate in and feel as if they made a difference in make the place you call home just a bit brighter and better.
Well that’s all for today Have a super Easter Weekend. Keep an eye out for my next blog spot column and you can send any hints tips or deals you have and I’ll be happy to post them.
Happy Easter,
Hank
Helpful Hanks Handy Hints: Using a Stencil to create your designs on your pillow covers easy an easy way to create fabulous designs, you can use a stencil brush or even cut up an old dish sponge (wash it first then dry it for about a minute or so in your microwave and it is good to go) Remember not to get to much paint on your sponge or brush, you’ll want it rather dry, this way you end up with a more uniform design. You can also use this same technique on old lampshades as well. You can also incorporate ribbons and beads on lampshades by tacking them down with a glue. (Remember the tip of a glue gun is very hot so don’t touch it with your hands.)
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow.
My husband comes home once a month for seven to ten days , then it’s back to the airport and back to work for him. While he is Home though we try to get as many projects done as possible. There are projects we work on together and others we work on separately. As I have mentioned in earlier blogs we like to haunt the thrift shops and even go dumpster diving behind hi end resale shops (after they are closed for the day they frown on you looking through their dumpsters when they are open.) I thought I would share with you some of the simple fixes that we worked on the week he was home as well as some other easy projects.
I have a love hate relationship with Wall Mart or as many call it Sprawl Mart. I don’t like crowds or rude people and Sprawl Mart seems to have plenty in spades most of the time. Those poor clerks. How they stay so friendly is a wonder. Anywho I digress as I say I have a love Hate relationship with the place as I am sure many do. They do have great prices which is great for the budget and a wide selection. Now I like to head straight to the fabric department and there 1.50 table ( was a 1.00 but with this economy things change) I am fortunate enough just to have a Wall Mart that still has a fabric department.
We decided to spruce up our patio area a bit so we decide on what simply changes we could make to achieve this. And sense we have a lot of Patio furniture ( our patio is very long and has four distinct areas that are covered.) I thought sprucing up the cushions and pillows would be one thing to give it a fresher look. Pillows we use outside can fad and get dingy after a time so this is an easy fix even if you don’t sew. For this project you will need small to medium size pillows, about 2 to 2 ½ yards of fabric(covers four pillows), No Sew or fusible webbing I prefer the fusible webbing as you just iron your seems shut with it easy squeezy) and stick backed Velcro (it can be had for a few dollars at a craft store or fabric store.), and scissors.
I tend to by fabric I like or feel I can use at Wall Marts 1.50 table when I see it. I may not use it for sometime but eventually I will. I went to my fabric trunk (another dumpster dive find. It is an old steamer trunk. In excellent condition even had the hangers and the key to the top drawer. Someone put it curbside years ago and I snagged it.) I started looking through what I had. I wanted to see if I had anything that would go well with the bright Blue and Green cushion we have on our wicker couches. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything that would work well. Off to Sprawl Mart. I found fabric that was perfect so I bought two yards of bright blue and two yards of bright green. I took four pillows I had on a day bed outside that were looking rather shabby (and not in a chic way either)
I unfolded my fabric and lay it out placing the pillows on the fabric then I cut the fabric to size leaving enough space on all sides of the fabric to close it up. Depending on they fabric you by you may want to embellish it. The fabric I bought was a solid color. I had decided I wanted to use fabric paint on it.
What you will need to do first is to wash your fabric. I wash mine in the sink with detergent and hot water (this is mostly for shrinkage and putting it in the washer can sometimes make the fabric fray.) then I run it through the dryer or, in this case, since the weather has been so warm, I hung it out to dry. Once I have painted the design I want on my pillows and they are dry, (leave enough boarder to fold sides of fabric under) I fold one side over running a length of fusible webbing underneath it (the fabric should be folded inward so the edge of the fabric is on the inside of the pillow.). and the run the Iron over it thus bonding the fabric together. I do this on all four sides. This creates a seamed edge all the way around. Then on opposite ends (top and bottom of pillow cover) I place the Velcro. (This will allow me to take the new pillow cover off for washing) Then I fold the fabric in half again running a piece of the fusible webbing now between the folded fabric sides and Iron. Give the fusible webbing a chance to cool and run your Iron on high no steam. Once you have done this slip, your pillow inside through the end that has the Velcro closure and you have a new pillow. Keep your lines as straight and as even as possible when using the fusible webbing as it will show if you don’t. I made four pillow covers in no time and just put existing pillows in them.
While my husband was home, he went over to one of our local thrift shops and found a medium size chandelier that just needed some TLC. As he put it to me, I only paid ten dollars for it I couldn’t pass it up.
We decided to hang it above the board table on the patio.
The tools we used for this project were wire strippers, spray paint (both primer and topcoat of color) and wire nuts.
I used a combination of black primer spray paint hammered bronze spray paint and, green spray paint. I gave it a couple of primer coats let it dry. I gave it a third coat of black primer and while it was still wet, gave it a coat of hammered bronze. After that had dried, I took the green spray paint and applied it lightly to different spots to create a patina. I then went over it lightly again, with the hammered bronze while it was still a bit tacky, softening the edges of the green so that it blended better.
Once the lamp was dry it was time to fix the cord, it wasn’t long enough for the chain we had. I took an old extension cord cut the female end off and using wire stripers, I stripped the plastic coating away from both sets of wires. I did the same on the light fixture end. I twisted the wires from each side of the cut extension cord to the wires from the light fixture. I capped the wires with wire nuts then used black electrical tape wrapping it around each of the wire nuts to seal them off, using more electrical tape I taped the wire nuts together. I wove the cord through the chain and since we were replacing an existing hanging lamp, we hung it in the same spot.
In warm weather the spray paint dries fast. You can have this project done in about an hour to two hours depending on drying time.
The third project we worked on, were new curtain rods. We had priced them and they were expensive for new ones. The ones we had were bowing and sagging from the weight of the curtains we had on them. To replace them with sturdier rod was going to cost a lot. We found a cheaper alternative. What we bought was 1 inch metal conduit pipe ( the come in 8 to 10 foot lengths) it was only $6.49 per ten foot pipe as opposed to a curtain rod at $23.00 to $43.00 We got some primer spray paint and a top color coat. We chose hammered bronze. (You will need a surface long enough and big enough to spray paint them.) Wash your poles with soapy warm water removing all labels. Let dry then give it two coats of your primer letting thoroughly dry between coats. Then to coats of your top color coat. (I like using a satin sheen for the op coat) Once it is all dry, you just replace your existing rods with the new ones.
If you want to add, fancy end caps to your curtain rod just get the end caps you want. Get a wooden dowel that fits snug in your conduit ends. Cut off about two inches of dowel for each end screw your end caps in to dowel and put your end in the conduit so that only the decorative end caps show. (You may need to pre drill the end of the dowel but not much because you just want to start the hole this way the end cap stay firmly in place. You can also put a little wood glue down the pre-drilled hole. This will secure the end cap to the dowel even better and you’ll be less likely to have it come undone.
Small home improvement projects don’t have to be daunting. They can unleash your creative side and if you have kids there are small home improvement projects (Pillow covers) that the can participate in and feel as if they made a difference in make the place you call home just a bit brighter and better.
Well that’s all for today Have a super Easter Weekend. Keep an eye out for my next blog spot column and you can send any hints tips or deals you have and I’ll be happy to post them.
Happy Easter,
Hank
Helpful Hanks Handy Hints: Using a Stencil to create your designs on your pillow covers easy an easy way to create fabulous designs, you can use a stencil brush or even cut up an old dish sponge (wash it first then dry it for about a minute or so in your microwave and it is good to go) Remember not to get to much paint on your sponge or brush, you’ll want it rather dry, this way you end up with a more uniform design. You can also use this same technique on old lampshades as well. You can also incorporate ribbons and beads on lampshades by tacking them down with a glue. (Remember the tip of a glue gun is very hot so don’t touch it with your hands.)
Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow.
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