Monday, January 20, 2014
10 Ways to Add Curb Appeal in a Weekend
People form their first opinions before they step inside a home. Forty-nine percent of buying decisions are made from the street, according to the National Association of Realtors®. But curb appeal matters whether or not your house is for sale. An attractive, well-maintained house and yard welcome friends and family and give you a little lift every time you come home.
Mow the lawn, trim the borders, and edge the driveway and walks. Every line should be straight and every edge crisp. Refresh the mulch. Power wash the siding, and scrub the soffits and eaves. Wash the windows, and polish every reflective surface until it gleams.
Clean and patch the sidewalks, steps and driveway. Clean each surface, then patch small holes and fill any cracks. If you’re feeling creative, define the edges of a sidewalk or driveway with brick.
Combine a variety of sizes, heights, shapes and textures, and add pops of color with blooming plants. Or, stick to muted, neutral tones to produce a serene arrangement. Coordinate the containers with one another and the house’s exterior.
Choose window boxes the same size as the window or 6 to 12 inches wider, in a color that matches or complements the house’s siding and trim. Place the boxes directly below double-hung or sliding windows or 6 to 8 inches below casement windows, which need room to swing out without damaging the plants.
Mature trees in a well-landscaped yard add significant value to a home, but there may be an even better reason to dig this project. Shading a home’s windows and walls can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 50 percent, according to the American Public Power Association. Even small trees provide a little shade, and there’s no time like the present to get them growing.
If the front door is in good shape, remove the hardware, sand it thoroughly, and apply two coats of exterior enamel in a color that contrasts with or complements the siding. Or, replace the whole thing. In “Remodeling” magazine’s “2010-11 Cost vs. Value” report, replacing a steel entry door recouped more money upon resale than any other project – 102.1 percent of the cost.
Few weekend projects change a house faster than adding shutters. Well-placed shutters define windows and add dimension and color. When hanging wood shutters, use shims to create at least a 3/8 inch gap between the shutter and the siding. Without this air space, moisture trapped behind the shutter may damage the wood.
Good lighting warms the night and makes your home sparkle. Try lining a walkway with solar landscape lights, uplighting a tree or spotlighting an architectural feature. Or, swap out a recessed spot or small pendant with an impressive chandelier. Any of these projects can be accomplished safely as long as you turn off the power and test to confirm the power is off before handling circuit wires.
Beauty lies in the details, especially when it comes to your home's hardware. Take a weekend to update items like the front door knocker, knob and address numbers. Try finding hardware that complements your home's architecture and colors. Choose timeless items that will maintain their patina, or at least weather in an elegant way that you like.
Make your mailbox beautiful and move beyond its utility status with a makeover. A fresh coat of paint, new flag and fresh set of numbers to provide a much needed update to an often ignored aspect of your home's curb appeal. Plant flowers at the base of the mailbox stand to provide a bloom of color that will make your home even more inviting to visit.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
How to Customize Windbreakers
Windbreakers can be customized with a variety of embroidered patterns, designs and patches with the use of a few simple tools. Before sewing the patterns, designs or patches to the windbreaker, the supplies must be purchased at any craft store or special online craft retailer. These supplies are typically inexpensive and can be purchased in all different colors, sizes and shapes. Once the materials are at hand, the customization can begin.
1 Locate the area of the windbreaker in which the pattern, design and/or patches will be placed. The front, right-hand side of the windbreaker is a perfect place to put a patch, small design or name. The center back of the windbreaker, which has more room than the front because no zipper is there, can hold a much larger design.
2 Place the pattern, design or patch over the desired area of the windbreaker. Use the ruler to center the item on the jacket by measuring from each side. Mark the design or patch using white chalk. This will make it easier to sew the item in place without having to remeasure the distance from the center.
3 Pull three feet of thread through the eye of the needle. Cut the extra thread from the spool off with the scissors. Use thread that will blend in with the design, patch or jacket to prevent it from standing out. For example, use white thread when sewing a patch to a white windbreaker.
4 Place the decoration back on the jacket in-between the marked off area. Run the needle and thread back and forth through the perimeter of the pattern, design or patch and the windbreaker until the pattern, design or patch secured in place. Cut the extra thread off with the scissor. Continue this method to customize other areas of the windbreaker.
Stitch a second row of thread around the pattern, design or patch to further increase the durability.
Instructions
1 Locate the area of the windbreaker in which the pattern, design and/or patches will be placed. The front, right-hand side of the windbreaker is a perfect place to put a patch, small design or name. The center back of the windbreaker, which has more room than the front because no zipper is there, can hold a much larger design.
2 Place the pattern, design or patch over the desired area of the windbreaker. Use the ruler to center the item on the jacket by measuring from each side. Mark the design or patch using white chalk. This will make it easier to sew the item in place without having to remeasure the distance from the center.
3 Pull three feet of thread through the eye of the needle. Cut the extra thread from the spool off with the scissors. Use thread that will blend in with the design, patch or jacket to prevent it from standing out. For example, use white thread when sewing a patch to a white windbreaker.
4 Place the decoration back on the jacket in-between the marked off area. Run the needle and thread back and forth through the perimeter of the pattern, design or patch and the windbreaker until the pattern, design or patch secured in place. Cut the extra thread off with the scissor. Continue this method to customize other areas of the windbreaker.
Tips & Warnings
Stitch a second row of thread around the pattern, design or patch to further increase the durability.
Traditional Mexican Indian Clothing
Today, Mexican Indian men attire themselves in modern clothing while women still wear traditional attire. In isolated areas, both men and women dress in traditional clothing throughout the year.
An enredo is worn by women as a skirt. It is a wide piece of cloth without seams. A terno is a dress that is hand-embroidered and most often found in the Yucatan.
In the Yucatan, a guayabera is a short, pleated shirt that fits loosely. Indian women wear huipils, which are sleeveless cotton blouses that are elaborately embroidered.
Men often wear a sleeveless jacket known as a jorongo. In rainy weather, Mexican Indians wear cloaks made from palm frond, called a jaquima. Women wear the poncho-like quexquemitl, which has an opening for the head and two long corners in the front and back.
A cenidor is an Indian sash or belt. A squared-off bag with a shoulder strap is known as a moral. The large, embellished, rectangular cloth that has an opening for the head and is worn draped over the shoulder is called a sarape.
Traditional Mexican Indians do not purchase their clothing in shops, but instead buy from someone within their village who makes the piece of clothing. Sometimes they'll also have a family member make their clothing.
Skirts and Dresses
An enredo is worn by women as a skirt. It is a wide piece of cloth without seams. A terno is a dress that is hand-embroidered and most often found in the Yucatan.
Shirts
In the Yucatan, a guayabera is a short, pleated shirt that fits loosely. Indian women wear huipils, which are sleeveless cotton blouses that are elaborately embroidered.
Jackets
Men often wear a sleeveless jacket known as a jorongo. In rainy weather, Mexican Indians wear cloaks made from palm frond, called a jaquima. Women wear the poncho-like quexquemitl, which has an opening for the head and two long corners in the front and back.
Accessories
A cenidor is an Indian sash or belt. A squared-off bag with a shoulder strap is known as a moral. The large, embellished, rectangular cloth that has an opening for the head and is worn draped over the shoulder is called a sarape.
Purchasing Clothes
Traditional Mexican Indians do not purchase their clothing in shops, but instead buy from someone within their village who makes the piece of clothing. Sometimes they'll also have a family member make their clothing.
How Do I Get Ballpoint Pen Ink Out of a Tiger Jacket?
Typically, tiger jackets are reproductions of the jackets worn by WWII fighter pilots. They are designed to be tough while protecting in even the coldest temperatures. Tiger jackets are usually made from some form of leather. The leather ranges from goatskin to horsehide. Tiger jackets are generally an expensive garment that--if cared for properly--can bring you a lifetime of use. If ballpoint pen ink somehow finds its way onto your tiger jacket do not panic. Instead, work as quickly as possible using a few household items.
1 Lay your tiger jacket out on a flat surface with the ink stain facing up.
2 Pour rubbing alcohol in a small dish. Saturate a cotton swab into the rubbing alcohol and then rub the ballpoint pen ink with the cotton swab until the stain is gone.
3 Set a hairdryer on the lowest setting. Apply heat to the tiger jacket to dry the leather, moving the hairdryer in a steady back-and-forth motion.
4 Spray hairspray directly onto the ink stain, if the ink stain is still visible. Allow to sit for a few minutes but do not let it dry. Wipe the hairspray off the tiger jacket with a paper towel. If the ball point pen ink is still present, continue to step 5.
5 Apply a small amount of acetone-free nail polish remover to a soft cloth. Rub the ink with the cloth in a circular motion. Rub gently until the ink is no longer visible.
6 Apply an approved leather cleaner to a soft cloth and wipe the tiger jacket until cleaned.
7 Use a leather conditioner to add moisture back into the tiger jacket. During the ink removal process, moisture is lost so applying a leather conditioner will keep the jacket from drying out and cracking.
Instructions
1 Lay your tiger jacket out on a flat surface with the ink stain facing up.
2 Pour rubbing alcohol in a small dish. Saturate a cotton swab into the rubbing alcohol and then rub the ballpoint pen ink with the cotton swab until the stain is gone.
3 Set a hairdryer on the lowest setting. Apply heat to the tiger jacket to dry the leather, moving the hairdryer in a steady back-and-forth motion.
4 Spray hairspray directly onto the ink stain, if the ink stain is still visible. Allow to sit for a few minutes but do not let it dry. Wipe the hairspray off the tiger jacket with a paper towel. If the ball point pen ink is still present, continue to step 5.
5 Apply a small amount of acetone-free nail polish remover to a soft cloth. Rub the ink with the cloth in a circular motion. Rub gently until the ink is no longer visible.
6 Apply an approved leather cleaner to a soft cloth and wipe the tiger jacket until cleaned.
7 Use a leather conditioner to add moisture back into the tiger jacket. During the ink removal process, moisture is lost so applying a leather conditioner will keep the jacket from drying out and cracking.
How Do I Pick a Sport Coat?
A sport coat is a type of men's jacket that looks similar to a suit jacket. A sport coat, however, is made of heavier material and is single-breasted. It is a more casual version of a suit jacket. Though the general style of a sport coat is very basic, different brands will fit differently. Therefore, choosing the right sport coat for you will mean trying on several different kinds before you find the one that works.
1 Decide on a budget. Sport coats can range in price. They can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The brand name and type of material used are the biggest factor in how much a sport coat costs.
2 Decide on a type of material. Tweed, cotton, wool, silk and corduroy are the most common materials used when making sport coats. Wool and corduroy will keep you warmer than tweed, cotton or silk.
3 Have a tailor take your measurements. Getting a good fit is essential. For you to get a good fit, you have to know your measurements. A tailor will measure your overarm, your arm and your chest. This will help you find the best-fitting sport coat.
4 Decide on the colors that will coordinate with the colors you wear most often. Classic colors like navy blue or black add a more formal appearance to your outfit. Colors like tan and white make your outfit more casual. You can buy more than one sport coat if you want both formal and casual options.
5 Look for features you like. The number of buttons, the pocket placement and other features may be deciding factors for you. Wearing a stylish but practical sport coat is helpful when you need a pocket for a handkerchief, for example. These features add both style and convenience to your life. If you're over six feet tall, look for a longer sport coat for a better proportion; likewise, if you are five feet eight inches or under, look for a shorter length.
6 Visit several stores and look for a style that appeals to you. Look at the tags to find measurements. There may be an associate available to help you. He can tell you the measurements if they aren't marked on the tag. Try on several sport coats until you find the one that suits you best.
Instructions
1 Decide on a budget. Sport coats can range in price. They can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The brand name and type of material used are the biggest factor in how much a sport coat costs.
2 Decide on a type of material. Tweed, cotton, wool, silk and corduroy are the most common materials used when making sport coats. Wool and corduroy will keep you warmer than tweed, cotton or silk.
3 Have a tailor take your measurements. Getting a good fit is essential. For you to get a good fit, you have to know your measurements. A tailor will measure your overarm, your arm and your chest. This will help you find the best-fitting sport coat.
4 Decide on the colors that will coordinate with the colors you wear most often. Classic colors like navy blue or black add a more formal appearance to your outfit. Colors like tan and white make your outfit more casual. You can buy more than one sport coat if you want both formal and casual options.
5 Look for features you like. The number of buttons, the pocket placement and other features may be deciding factors for you. Wearing a stylish but practical sport coat is helpful when you need a pocket for a handkerchief, for example. These features add both style and convenience to your life. If you're over six feet tall, look for a longer sport coat for a better proportion; likewise, if you are five feet eight inches or under, look for a shorter length.
6 Visit several stores and look for a style that appeals to you. Look at the tags to find measurements. There may be an associate available to help you. He can tell you the measurements if they aren't marked on the tag. Try on several sport coats until you find the one that suits you best.
How Do I Tie the Belt on a Ralph Lauren Chaps Topcoat?
Trench coats for men were first used in the early 1900s when Thomas Burberry submitted his design to the United Kingdom War Office. Soldiers used them as an alternative to the heavy coats worn in the First World War. When veterans returned home they continued to wear their newly designed trench coats, which caught the attention of civilians. The coats soon became a major fashion piece that is still popular worldwide today. High-fashion brands, such as Ralph Lauren's Chaps label, offer a new style of trench coat, or top coat, each year. Traditionally, trench coats are made with belts, which allows for a variety of ways to secure your coat in a stylish manner.
1 Buckle it in front. Most Ralph Lauren topcoats have a buckle at one end of the belt. Take the other end of the belt and thread it through the buckled end after wrapping it around your body. On most coats this will leave excess length coming through the buckled end. With that end of the belt make a half hitch knot around the body of the belt.
2 Tuck it in. If the belt is bothersome to you, but you would still like to keep a neat appearance, tuck it in. Take each end of the belt and tuck it into your pockets. This will keep it from getting in the way without having to be tied.
3 Tie it in a knot. Though most belts are made with buckles, they are not necessarily meant to be buckled. Instead, tie a square or half-hitch knot to secure it around your waist. Tie it tight enough so it stays in place, but not so tight that it feels restricting.
4 Tie or buckle it behind you. A common way to keep a belt from dragging on the ground and getting in the way, without tying it around your waist, is to keep it behind your back. Take each end of the belt and loosely tie or buckle it behind your back. The belt will create the shape of a triangle. Make sure to tie it tight enough that the knot will not fall out, but loose enough that it will not cause the fabric of the coat to bunch when buttoned up.
Instructions
1 Buckle it in front. Most Ralph Lauren topcoats have a buckle at one end of the belt. Take the other end of the belt and thread it through the buckled end after wrapping it around your body. On most coats this will leave excess length coming through the buckled end. With that end of the belt make a half hitch knot around the body of the belt.
2 Tuck it in. If the belt is bothersome to you, but you would still like to keep a neat appearance, tuck it in. Take each end of the belt and tuck it into your pockets. This will keep it from getting in the way without having to be tied.
3 Tie it in a knot. Though most belts are made with buckles, they are not necessarily meant to be buckled. Instead, tie a square or half-hitch knot to secure it around your waist. Tie it tight enough so it stays in place, but not so tight that it feels restricting.
4 Tie or buckle it behind you. A common way to keep a belt from dragging on the ground and getting in the way, without tying it around your waist, is to keep it behind your back. Take each end of the belt and loosely tie or buckle it behind your back. The belt will create the shape of a triangle. Make sure to tie it tight enough that the knot will not fall out, but loose enough that it will not cause the fabric of the coat to bunch when buttoned up.
Types of Seersucker Fabric
Seersucker fabric, with its characteristic crinkled weave of tightened threads with puckered white stripes alternating with slack-tensioned colored threads, is common in summer wear as it does not wrinkle. Seersucker is featured in striped, gingham-plaid, checked, plain and printed designs. The naturally occurring wrinkles keep the fabric from touching the skin, which allows air circulation and dissipates heat.
Linen, a fabric derived from a coarse plant called flax then spun into thread and woven into cloth) is the world's oldest natural textile. It has been fashioned into different styles of seersucker linen garments that have been around for centuries. In ancient Persia, men wore long striped linen garments called "shiroshakar," meaning milk and honey. These were the original seersucker linen garments. First recorded in 1722 as Sea Sucker, linen seersucker was worn by the British in India's hot climate during England's occupation of India back in the 1800's. This type of seersucker material spread to other European countries before arriving in the United States as proper summer-suit attire for Southern gentlemen.
Cotton, the second oldest natural fiber worn by man, lends itself to the light, thin, airiness of seersucker. On her Stitch'n Save website, Sara Glen says that cotton seersucker is light yet durable and comes in different weights (medium to heavy). Today this fabric is used in making summer suits for men and women, coats, nightwear, dresses, children's wear, bedspreads, blouses, dresses and curtains. Some cotton seersucker comes in prints and is embroidered. This material, as with linen and polyesters, requires no ironing.
In 1910 the first man-made fiber, rayon, was invented from wood pulp. Some manufacturers began producing seersucker fabric in this new material and continue to produce rayon seersucker today.
Polyester was invented in 1953, and according to Trail End.org is the most used man-made fiber in the world. Polyester became an inexpensive alternative to be used for seersucker and is still used today.
Cotton/polyester blends and woven cotton/polyester blends offer seersucker both the soft absorbency of cotton with the wash-and-wear capabilities and crispness of polyester. Cotton/ polyester/ spandex (the stretchy material invented in 1959) blends offer a more fitted look to seersucker outfits, especially to women's blouses and skirts.
Linen
Linen, a fabric derived from a coarse plant called flax then spun into thread and woven into cloth) is the world's oldest natural textile. It has been fashioned into different styles of seersucker linen garments that have been around for centuries. In ancient Persia, men wore long striped linen garments called "shiroshakar," meaning milk and honey. These were the original seersucker linen garments. First recorded in 1722 as Sea Sucker, linen seersucker was worn by the British in India's hot climate during England's occupation of India back in the 1800's. This type of seersucker material spread to other European countries before arriving in the United States as proper summer-suit attire for Southern gentlemen.
Cotton
Cotton, the second oldest natural fiber worn by man, lends itself to the light, thin, airiness of seersucker. On her Stitch'n Save website, Sara Glen says that cotton seersucker is light yet durable and comes in different weights (medium to heavy). Today this fabric is used in making summer suits for men and women, coats, nightwear, dresses, children's wear, bedspreads, blouses, dresses and curtains. Some cotton seersucker comes in prints and is embroidered. This material, as with linen and polyesters, requires no ironing.
Rayon
In 1910 the first man-made fiber, rayon, was invented from wood pulp. Some manufacturers began producing seersucker fabric in this new material and continue to produce rayon seersucker today.
Polyester
Polyester was invented in 1953, and according to Trail End.org is the most used man-made fiber in the world. Polyester became an inexpensive alternative to be used for seersucker and is still used today.
Cotton Blends
Cotton/polyester blends and woven cotton/polyester blends offer seersucker both the soft absorbency of cotton with the wash-and-wear capabilities and crispness of polyester. Cotton/ polyester/ spandex (the stretchy material invented in 1959) blends offer a more fitted look to seersucker outfits, especially to women's blouses and skirts.
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