May 19, 2012

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Collecting Vintage Home Decor

January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Collecting vintage home decor can be a fun hobby, or serious business if you want to decorate your entire home in a specific vintage era or designer.  There are several ways to look for vintage home decor, but you have to know where to look.

Garage Sales/Estate Sales:

While searching for interesting vintage home decor finds can be time consuming if you look at garage sales and estate sales, if you know the neighborhoods that you are visiting, you can narrow down the search to the most likely.  Many garage sales and estate sales will list the bigger items that they have in their ad, and you can call them to verify if it is exactly what you are hunting for.

Estate sales will generally have a higher end vintage selection, but you never know what vintage goodies will be at the right garage sale.  It is not a search technique that you should pass by lightly.

Vintage Shops/Second Hand Shops:

In your local area, getting to know the vintage shops and second hand shops well, can tell you what each one specializes in.  Some vintage shops are known to be experts in a certain era like the 1950′s for instance, and will look harder for those types of vintage decor items.  Other shops may specialize in clothing and jewelry, and not be the place to go when you are looking for a chair or table.

Second hand shops usually do not discriminate as to what they will take in and sell, but that means that they can get anything at anytime.  It is best to visit second hand shops on a regular basis if you are an avid collector.

Another way to search for interesting vintage home decor is to make a list of vintage shops when you travel, so that you can stop by and look in person when you are in their locale.  Each vintage shop has its own feel which is created by the owner or manager, and a great vintage shop manager knows their collection well.  If you find a shop that you like to deal with, you can tell the manager what you like to collect and they will call you when they have it in.

Ebay:

There is absolutely no question that Ebay is one of the best places to shop online for vintage items.  However, you need to understand how to search Ebay.  Ebay is a huge unending and ever changing online garage sale, so understanding the site is important.

One of the keys to understanding Ebay is that Ebay doesn’t sell anything themselves.  Their members do, and these members can range from someone’s elderly mom to a professional retailer.  In order to be confident in your purchases, make sure you are clear on what they are selling, and question the seller regarding any concerns that you have.  Sellers are rated by their customers, so you can get a better idea of who has a good track record and who doesn’t.

Online vintage retailers:

The internet has opened up a global community of retailers to vintage hunters.  This is a great opportunity to find sources for your vintage collection.  Just like you get to know your local sellers, it is vital to get to know the online sellers.  When you are trying out a new retailer, check their reputation, and start with something small.  Remember too, that shipping can be costly, and ask for that information up front.

Image credit: spiro_anna

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Collecting Antique Tea Cups Brings Back Memories

December 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There is something about using antique tea cups that brings back memories for me.  I think it is because my own grandmother had a collection of tea cups, each one different than the rest, and I associate collecting antique tea cups with her.

My grandmother was a very big influence on my life.  She was the type of person who thought that it was her job to make sure that everyone in the family was staying in touch with each other, and taking care of each other.  She taught me how to cook, and at the end of each meal, we drank tea together.

For a woman that grew up two generations earlier than I did, my grandmother was a very open minded person.  She had come to the United States as a 9 year old girl.  Life was very different then, as she had several siblings who did not live to adulthood.  We take a lot of things for granted that people did not have in those days.

When I spent time with my grandmother drinking tea, I did not feel like a child.  I always felt like an adult when I was with her.  She was very good at talking directly to me, and speaking to me.  She was adventurous and traveled all over the United States and Canada by herself, or with one other person, and even traveled to Israel with my cousin.

Each tea cup that I collect, not only brings me the history and journey of that particular tea cup, but also another chance to remember my grandmother.  She has been gone now for 17 years, but I still miss her quite often, and think of how she would have felt about a situation.

Her favorite tea cups were the floral designs with matching saucers.  She had an entire set of the cups, and not even one of them matched her dishes.  These tea cups had a place of their own, proudly displayed in her china cabinet.  We only brought these tea cups out for special occasions, after dinner or lunch, to drink our tea.

I wonder now, why tea was what we drank with dinner, while coffee was what we drank in the mornings.  Coffee was never an after dinner drink in my grandmother’s house.

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Healthy Meals for Two in a Rival 2-1/2-Quart Crock Pot

November 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Using Rival Crockpots

rival crockpot Healthy Meals for Two in a Rival 2 1/2 Quart Crock PotUsing a crockpot is one of the easiest ways to cook meals for a large crowd.  You can slow cook your meal for hours before the guests arrive, and it is a hot, tasty, and filling meal.  Crockpots or slow cookers have been used for years, and are known for their convenience, and affordability.

What people don’t always remember is that crockpots are also just as good for cooking hearty meals for just two people or even one person.  Crockpots are usually thought of as a family meal cooker, because of their convenience and cheap meals.  Crockpots work just as well for smaller groups of two, and are really great for winter soups and stews.

Rival crockpots are known for their durability and reliability.  But they also have a great inexpensive small 2 1/2 quart crockpot that is perfect for a young couple, a single mom, or a college student who are cooking for one or two people.  The Rival 5025WG 2 1/2 quart crockpot has several features that make it easy to use including a glass lid, 2 heat settings, a rinse-clean stick resistant coating, and a removable stoneware.

This Rival 2 1/2 quart crockpot is the best beginning slow cooker on the market.  I would not recommend it for heavy duty large family usage, but if it is used for what it was intended for, small meals for one or two people, or side dishes, or a beginner student crockpot, this is the crockpot that I would highly recommend.

41MJEQZX7WL. SL75 Healthy Meals for Two in a Rival 2 1/2 Quart Crock PotCrock-Pot 5025WG 2.5-Quart Slow Cooker

Amazon Price: $14.48
List Price: $24.99

Crockpot Cooking Tips

If you are new to cooking with a crockpot or slow cooker, then there are a few tips that you should follow when starting out.  After you get accustomed to your new crockpot you can make adjustments.

  1. Crockpot settings are not all alike, just like ovens.  When following a recipe, you need to watch the cooking levels the first couple of times to see if your crockpot cooks faster or slower than the recipe calls for.
  2. Many pots need to be seasoned the first time you use them.  Read through the directions for your new crockpot before use.
  3. Recipes that cook best in a crockpot have liquid in them.  You need to watch the volume of liquid to not overfill or underfill the pot.  If the pot is underfilled, it will burn.  If it is overfilled, it will overflow.
  4. Crockpot recipes are meant to simmer for long periods of time.  Your food will turn out best if you cook it longer to allow the flavors to blend.

Crockpot Size is Important

When picking recipes to make in your 2 1/2 quart Rival crockpot, make sure that you are following recipe instructions for a small crockpot.  If not, you will have to adjust the cooking times, so that your food cooks properly in your Rival crockpot.

Buy crockpot recipe books made for your size crockpot.  They should have “small crockpot” in the title.

To the right are some small crockpot recipe books that I recommend.

Crockpots are Not Just for Meat Eaters

Crockpots used to be the stew pot of choice for hearty, meat stews made with beef, pork, or chicken, but nowadays just as many vegetarians and vegans use crockpots for making delicious vegetarian meals.  I have included one of the easiest vegetarian crockpot recipes below that is scaled for a small crockpot.

Crockpot Vegetarian Baked Beans

It is easy and inexpensive to make a batch of crockpot baked beans. Vegetarian baked beans are low in fat, cholesterol-free and high in healthy fiber and protein! This vegetarian baked beans recipe is very easy to prepare in your crockpot or slow cooker.

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 pound navy beans or Great Northern beans
  • water
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 3 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp vegetable broth powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash black pepper, or to taste

Preparation:

 

In a large soup or stock pot, cover the beans with water. Bring to a slow simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 30-45 minutes, until beans are just barely soft. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses with the remaining ingredients.

In a crockpot, combine the beans, molasses mixture, and 1 1/2 quarts of fresh water.

Cover, and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours, or until beans are soft.  Check the pot periodically to see if you need to add water.

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Remove Tarnish Quickly with The Museum Precious Metals Cleaning Plate

July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Tarnish Removal in 5 Minutes

tarnish remover plate Remove Tarnish Quickly with The Museum Precious Metals Cleaning PlateI was at my parents’ house last night talking to them about a sterling silver samovar that they own. My father had just finished his yearly polishing of the silver samovar. I figured that it had probably taken him about 2 or 3 hours to polish and remove the tarnish from the silver, but he said that he had a secret way to remove the tarnish from silver that only took 5 minutes. Since I am a jewelry artist, this was quite a surprise to me.

What was his secret? Well, it turned out that about 20 years ago, my father bought a tarnish removal plate that used an electrolytic process to pull the tarnish from the silver. I was fascinated. I decided to see if these tarnish removal plates were still available now. Sure enough, after some searching, I found the Museum Precious Metals Cleaning Plate which can be purchased from Amazon and is distributed by Hammacher Schlemmer.

The fascinating thing about this tarnish removal plate is that it removes tarnish in a low technology way, yet is perfectly safe, and easy for anyone, including my father to use. The process is very simple and the results are fantastic.

Successful at Removing Tarnish for Over 20 Years

Pictured to the right, you can see a Museum Precious Metals Cleaning Plate.  This product uses electrolytic action instead of traditional chemical-polish abrasion.  This tarnish remover bathes away tarnish from oxidized silver without removing any of the underlying metal.  And because it does not use chemicals, the cleaning plate is much safer to use around the house.

How to Use the Tarnish Remover

The tarnish remover is easy to use.  Simply place the cleaning plate in the bottom of your sink. Then add very hot water to fill the sink.  Add the activator or Arm & Hammer Super Wash Soda to the hot water, then immerse your silver.

The tarnish will dissolve, and transfer to the cleaning plate. Once you are finished, rinse the silver and the cleaning plate clean and dry with a soft towel. The cleaning plate will last indefinitely as evidenced by my father’s experience of 20 years.  How many products do you know that last 20 years anymore?

This tarnish removal system is non-toxic, and safe to use for sterling silver, copper, quality brass, bronze, stainless steel, and gold.  The cleaning plate and electrolytic tarnish removal system will not harm precious gems that are in jewelry while cleaning the metal.  And you don’t have to make your back or arm muscles sore from repeated rubbing and polishing of the metal.

Clean All of Your Silver at One Time

If you entertain with your sterling silverware or haven’t used some of your silver in your home because you haven’t had the time to polish it, this tarnish remover is the perfect solution.  You can load an entire sink full of silverware, and silver serving pieces to clean all at one time.

I know that I have some silver ware that really needs to be cleaned.  Sneaky of my father to have had this method to clean silver all this time, and he never shared it with me.  Well, I know it now, and I can’t wait to clean my good silverware with the Museum Precious Metal Cleaning Plate.  Then I think I will have a party.

There are other ways to clean silver.  And if you are worried that your silver jewelry may not make it through this tarnish cleaning system, you can also use an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.  They are not very expensive either, and use a liquid cleaner.  The process is not much different that with the cleaning plate.  To find out more about these tarnish removers, just click on the Amazon links to the right and it will take you to the product page with more specific information.

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How Detergents Work

June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Detergent is any of a large group of substances that have a cleansing action like that of soap. Synthetic detergents, which are described in this article, differ from soap in that they are not made from fats and oils.

The chief advantage of synthetic detergents over soap is that they clean better in hard water, which contains salts of calcium and magnesium. Soap reacts with these salts to produce insoluble compounds that hinder the cleaning process. Synthetic detergents do not form such compounds.

Synthetic detergents also have the advantage that they can be given a wide range of properties. For example, because most people mistakenly believe that suds are needed for cleansing, many household detergents are designed to produce high suds. Special low-sudsing detergents are made for use in washing machines that may be clogged by high suds. In addition, synthetic detergents, like soap, can be made in either liquid or powdered form with no loss of cleansing power.

Structure

A molecule of any detergent consists of two parts, a hydrophilic (“water-loving”) part and a hydrophobic (“water-hating”) part. The hydrophilic end of a detergent molecule is soluble in water. The hydrophobic part tries to remove itself as far as possible from water, and projects into air or oil that may be in contact with the water. As a result of this unusual behavior, detergent molecules in a water solution tend to become concentrated at the surface of the water. If the detergent solution is in contact with oil, the molecules also become concentrated where the water and oil meet. Because of this surface-seeking characteristic, detergents are said to have high “surface activity”.

Cleansing Action

Detergents are good wetting agents. For this reason, they enable water to make close contact with dirt particles. The wetting ability of detergent solutions is due to the surface activity of detergents, which lowers the surface tension of water. In addition to increasing the wetting ability of water, detergents emulsify oil and grease; that is, they hold oil and grease particles in suspension in water.

When dirty clothes are soaked in water containing a detergent, the wetting action of the detergent brings the water into close contact with the dirt particles on the clothes. Detergent molecules group themselves around the oil droplets contained in much hard-to-clean dirt. The hydrophobic parts of the molecules project into the oil droplets, and the hydrophilic parts of the molecules remain in the water. The oil and solid particles of dirt are then washed off into the water, where the oil is held in suspension by the emulsifying action of the detergent. Because the oil is held in suspension, it is not deposited on the clothes, and it is carried away with the dirty water.

Kinds of Detergents

Detergents are divided into two general types, according to the electrical charge on the hydrophilic parts of their molecules. Anionic detergents carry a negative charge on the hydrophilic parts of their molecules. Most household detergents are of this type. Cationic detergents are positively charged, and are used mostly for industrial purposes.

Additives

Most packaged detergents contain other substances in addition to the synthetic detergent itself. They usually contain large amounts of substances that prevent hard-water salts from reacting with the dirt on articles being washed. Such substances tend to corrode metals, so corrosion-inhibiting chemicals are also added. Since the long-lasting suds produced by many synthetic detergents are a nuisance and may be a source of water pollution, foam-suppressing agents are usually added also. Other substances that are often added in small amounts are bleaches, disinfectants, coloring agents, and perfumes.

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Finding the Best Director Chairs for Art Craft Shows

April 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

directors chair metal frame tall 183x300 Finding the Best Director Chairs for Art Craft ShowsFor anyone who does outdoor art shows, craft shows, car shows, or any kind of outdoor show in all kinds of weather for long, long hours on end, it is extremely important to find the right director chairs to take with you.  The best choices of directors chairs Finding the Best Director Chairs for Art Craft Shows should pack quite small, yet be comfortable for sitting in.  If you only do a few shows a year, then the less expensive models are fine, but if you do a show every weekend, then you need a sturdy, well built chair that will not break mid way through the summer.

I do not do as many art shows as I did a few years ago, but I can tell you that one summer my husband and I managed to break three director chair frames within a couple of weeks period.  Very, very inconvenient.

As I get older, comfort becomes much more important to me.  That is because I get aches and pains from sitting too long, standing too long, and being in an uncomfortable position too long.  When you add that to the need to be friendly and pleasant to customers, and the possibility of bad weather, you need every ounce of comfort you can get out of your director chair.

The sturdiest directors chairs, and the best for doing both indoor and outdoor shows are the chairs with metal aluminum frames.  The wood chair frames are prettier, and work well for indoor occasional use, but for outdoor shows, the metal frames are definitely better.  They are stronger, and they do not wear down from too much moisture.  Metal frame director chairs are also more light in weight, which makes them easier to transport.

Directors chairs made with a metal frame are built on a rectangular or square frame pattern, so that the frame is much more supportive of weight.  That means it is not delicate for packing or for sitting.  You don’t have to weigh people before they sit in your chair.

You can buy these metal frame directors chairs in a tall or short version, and some even come in a wider version.  Check the measurements on the site you are shopping.  Many chairs also have accessories like pockets to keep you water bottle or novel that you are reading between customers.

Chairs of this construction usually run between $50 to $100, but they are worth the money because they last a long time.

For a great selection of outdoor metal frame directors chairs, and excellent service, visit Directorschairs.comRUBGSktJQ0BER0ZDQ0BER0tFRA?sid=freelance&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directorschairs.com%2Ftable height%2Foutdoor directors chairs%2F213%2B215%2B4295036749 Finding the Best Director Chairs for Art Craft Shows, a subsidiary of Hayneedle. That is the best place I have found for this type of chair. You can get the wooden kind from stores in your area, but remember that they will not last nearly as long as the metal frame type.

 

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