Notes from Abigail
Once in a great while I will see something on Face Book that really strikes me enough to take the time to comment on as well as saving the image onto my hard drive in order to post it here on my personal blog.
A good friend of mine from our high school days posted this today and it really hit home. I just couldn’t resist posting it here today. It deserves it, she deserves it and last but not least I deserve it!
This is just an amazing picture. I can just imagine walking along and then coming across this. It is totally awesome. The dedication to creating such a piece of work that will only be washed away with the next rain is simply astounding. You can tell that the artist has nothing but pure love for his craft. Street art has become incredible.
When you decide to renovate your home, it is a big decision and there are a lot of ramifications. First you have to decide what part of your home you are going to renovate and measure the dimensions of the rooms, doors and windows. DIY renovations take a bit longer then your typical pro job, so it is usually best to do it in sections if you are doing the entire house. Begin with one end of the house and move through as each project is finished. In this way you are not living with a massive mess and most projects can be finished within a weekend.
Funding your renovation is very important as well. You want to make sure that you have all of the funds you need before you start ordering you supplies. At this point you know what you want, have everything picked out and priced. Allow for a little extra just in case you forgot something. Tools are really important, whether it be hand tools or a good budget calculator online, they are imperative to have. It’s always good to have your credit card to back you up just in case. The best credit cards have rewards for large purchases and you can use those to your advantage.
Everyone knows that places like Home Depot and Lowes are the the place to go for all your DIY needs. They have great programs to teach you how to do the work yourself, with professional results. Any questions you have can be easily answered by the personnel at either location. They are trained well to make sure they have the right answers.
If you are going do a kitchen, a DIY renovation may take a little longer, but don’t get discouraged. If you plan it out right, you can have it done in a short amount of time. You only have to make sure that you have all of your supplies on hand and ready to go. Cabinets, stove, sink, refrigerator etc…all need to be there when you START the job. Having a check list of everything as well as knowing exactly what order you need to do your work is paramount.
Some jobs require permits. If you have the knowledge base and can prove it, you can get the permit yourself, although sometimes a professional is needed. Major electrical, plumbing and additions are a definite permit job. Particularly additions. Because certain electrical and/or plumbing is required for additions, you will need permits. Some you can obtain yourself and some have to be done through a licensed contractor. Your research for whatever job you need done will tell you that. Talk to the local permit office to see what you need.
Enjoy the work. From the designing phase to the actual work. Working with your hands can bring a certain satisfaction unlike no other. When guests come to your home, you can have the added pleasure of telling them that you did the work yourself. Your hard work will pay off.
So you want to build a pond in your garden? There is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. First you have to pick the area in your yard that you want to build it. In order to do that, you have to know where all of the underground utility pipes are located. Whether it is water, electrical or cable, you don’t want to hit any of them when you start digging. You utility companies will be happy to come out and mark the locations to prevent any mishaps.
Next you want to decide how large you want the pond and make sure it is not near a lot of trees. The leaves will clog it up and make a lot of extra work for you. An average pond is two to three feet deep, unless you plan to put Koi in it, then it will need to be three to four feet deep. Even if you decide against the Koi, it is always best to make sure you have running water to keep the mosquito population down. A simple pond pump will help ensure that the water is always moving. A few gold fish wouldn’t hurt either, as they will eat the mosquito larvae.
Now comes the time to go get your supplies. You can buy either a preformed or flexible liner for your pond. A flexible one allows you to determine the shape and size and are relatively easy to work with. You can build your pond with common garden tools, there is really no need to have heavy machinery, unless it is going to be a really large pond. You will also need sand to spread around before you put down your liner. This prevents tears from happening due to rocks and roots. Just spread it evenly and as thick as you can to be safe.
Make sure you get the rocks you need to line around the outside and to build a waterfall should you decide you want one. Most hardware store will deliver them, so you shouldn’t need a truck. Don’t forget your water plants and decorative plants for around the pond either.
Not everyone has a yard or the space to build a pond. However, do not be discouraged, because you can still have a water garden by using a sealed decorative container. Just put rocks on the bottom and choose what water plants you would like to have. Once again, you will have to do something to prevent mosquito’s, even if it is only a small water garden. They will breed in any standing water. Either the water has to move, or you need gold fish or something to kill the larvae.
A pond can bring a lot of joy to you and your family. They are very calming and soothing to sit next to after a hard day at work. Especially those with the gentle sounds of water flowing over rocks. It is amazing how relaxed you will be when you can enjoy it at the end of the day.
Everyone loves a water garden. Whether it is a small one in a pot, or a large one in your yard, people are just fascinated by the ecosystem you can create with water and plants. Not only are they beautiful but they add a serenity to your garden that you will appreciate.
Making your own water garden in a pot is relatively easy and inexpensive. You have to find the proper container or pot first. It must be sturdy enough to hold a lot of water without collapsing or leaking. Glass, copper or galvanized metal are usually the best. Ceramic will work as well, but you want to stay away from terracotta. Terracotta will leak or just plain give out as it is not strong enough.
Next you will need to choose where you want it (making sure it has plenty of sun) and buy your plants and water garden soil and gravel. Make sure to buy a blooming plant as well, because it will make your water garden really look nice. The water in the garden needs to move to keep mosquito’s from breeding as well. You can click here to see water pumps that are available for just that.
If you are doing a large water garden, there are several things you must take into account. First figure out where in your yard it is safe to dig (ie no underground utility pipes) and then decide how large you want the garden to be. Some can actually be built above ground with wood and flexible liners, these are relatively easy to put together.
You can also make a floating garden, within your water garden, by building floating “decks” to plant your regular garden on. Of course you have to make sure they are wired to stay in one place so they wont damage your water plants, but it makes for a two in one garden and is very beautiful and takes up less space in your yard. That is a bonus for those who have small yards. If you build one of those above ground, it can be drained and moved later one, if you ever change residences as well. Double bonus, because after all that hard work in building and maintaining your garden, you really wouldn’t want to leave it behind if you don’t have to.
Choosing the plants in your water garden is very important. You don’t want to over crowd it and it will need “weeding” or “thinning” from time to time. Make sure to remove any dead leave or flowers as well on a regular basis. If you don’t you will get too much “compost” at the bottom of the water and it will get choked and can clog the pump.
Most of all, enjoy the work as you do it and the rewards will be well worth it. If you plan everything ahead of time and have all of your supplies handy, you will be finished in no time at all. Good Luck !
This is one of the most beautiful colts I have ever seen. I absolutely love his markings. They are so unique.
I will bet that he will sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. I hope to one day see pictures of him after he has grown up. I am sure that I will. He is like living art to look at. I just love horses.
Do you have a small child that wants to learn or use your computer? Well I found a great program for them to learn to do art on the computer. It’s called Tux paint.
My youngest child loves it! He makes all kinds of pictures and such with it. It is absolutely free and is malware and virus free. So it is safe for your computer. Give it a try and see how much your child likes it as well.
I have always had an affinity for dolphins, whales and sea turtles. I was originally born in Miami Florida and being so close to the ocean, I spent a lot of time at the beach. I went to Sea World and the Miami Seaquarium growing up and for a while, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I wanted to work with those beautiful creatures I saw at those places. They always seemed so happy and peaceful.
There is a place in the Florida Keys where you can pay to swim with the dolphins. The money goes towards research and rescue facility. They have a family of Atlantic bottle nosed dolphins and a family of California sea lions. Dolphins are very sociable mammals and love to interact with humans, both in captivity and in the wild. They have been known to save sailors and other people from drowning throughout the ages and even today. One day I hope to take my kids to the Keys to swim with the dolphins. It will be a fun and educational trip for them that they will remember forever. Perhaps this coming summer I will make a trip down there for just that. I know that they will love it.
I found some really Unique wedding favors for my friends wedding. There were little candy jar shaped salt and pepper shakers, little bird cages, a Cinderella carriage candle and so many more that it has become really difficult to choose. Some of them are practical things that can be used over and over. This is really cool because it gives the wedding guest a permanent memory that they can see almost daily. Whether it is a wine bottle stopper, stone coasters, salt and pepper shakers or something else. Every time the guest uses it, they recall the wedding and how much fun they had attending.
A lot of the favors are decorative. There are elegant, whimsical, silly, or just plain cute favors that will always bring a smile to the person who takes this favor home with them. I am really in awe at the genius of some of the favors that I have found. Anything that holds candy, is always a good choice. Everyone likes a sweet, and if you fill them with sugarless sweets, even those who are diabetic can enjoy them. You should always show consideration for people who have diabetes when choosing this particular favor. That way, no one feels left out. It is a good practice anyway.
I have always loved fantasy artwork. Pictures like this one are amazing to see, and I only wish I had the talent to create them. I play games with characters like this one. They are all fantasy based massive multi player games.
I have a lot of fun with them and they really help me wind down in the evening after the kids go to sleep.