Romansa Kehancuran

Hari itu, aku tertatih. Tidak jelas aku sedang berada di mana. Samar-samar seperti di tengah-tengah antara sorga dan neraka. Tunduk, tengadah, bahkan sesekali kepalaku menengok ke arah kanan, kiri dan belakang. Aku berdiri di tengah-tengah dimensi hidup penuh khayal. Kepalan tanganku gusar dengan urat nadi yang tampak tegang. Dunia itu merogok dalam-dalam tenggorokanku sampai ke hulu hati, nafas sesak, denyutan pompa darah di jantungku keras, lebih keras, dan semakin keras. Aku larut dalam sugesti kecemasan dan rontaan kebingungan.

Waktu itu sebuah tangan menepuk pundakku sebelah kanan. Seketika aku menoleh ke arahnya. Tampak ku lihat sesosok manusia misterius berpakaian putih, hampir mirip kakekku yang telah lama tiada. Tanpa sapa dia berkata.
“Lihatlah hai anak muda, pandanglah sorga di belakangmu, begitu indah, asri, dengan hiasan bunga mawar mengitari pegunungan-pegunungan tinggi di sana. Sumber kehidupan yang bergelimang, rona-rona cahaya bintang berdansa dengan pepohonan.”
“Siapa kau kek? Apa maksud perkataanmu tadi?” sambut tanyaku.
“Apa untungnya kau tahu siapa aku, yang perlu kau tahu hanyalah, di mana tempat itu?” jawabnya tegas.
“Tapi hidupku lebih mewah dari itu kek. Aku
... baca selengkapnya di Romansa Kehancuran Cerita Motivasi dan Inspirasi Nomor 1

Easy Ways To Clean Vintage Clothing

Because vintage clothes have been around for many years, they are more prone to disintegration. One act of negligence and you are likely to jeopardize their condition and value. But how do you actually maintain and clean vintage clothing? Many people end up ruining their vintage clothes because they know little about the fabric, cleaning chemicals and solutions, and procedures. If there’s one thing you have to keep in mind when cleaning vintage items it is to be extra careful.

Some are not naturally good at washing; they cannot even be trusted with their ordinary clothes. If you are one of them, it’s better not to attempt washing your vintage items. It would do you better if you bring them to a cleaning specialist. Washing vintage clothes is unlike washing your ordinary clothes, for one, because they require special effort—you need to handwash them one at a time. Remember that the fabrics have aged and weakened considerably and subjecting them to rigid rotation inside a washing machine may cause damages. Same is true with the dyer, so to be on the safe side, consider air or drip drying your garments. Only make sure to use padded hangers instead of wood and metal, as these kinds may cause stains.

Take note, however, that washing is good only to certain fabrics such as cotton, nylon, and some wools and silks. Others may shrink, lose their body and finish, and get distorted, thus requiring dry cleaning. Examples are rayon and lace. In some cases, though, they only need to be aired. For instance, if the garment is relatively clean but has a persisting odor, hang it outside. But keep in mind that some fabrics, such as white and cream wools and silks, may be prone to discoloration if put under direct sunlight. To preserve their color, hang them in a room with a bowl of vinegar for some days to remove the odor.

For some reasons, stains and undesirable marks manage to settle in vintage clothes, and usually they appear in the most exposed areas. Whether they are caused by storing conditions or constant use, you need to get rid of them. To remove stains, you can either use commercial cleaning solutions or simple household ingredients. Lemon juice and white vinegar, for instance, can work well in removing deodorant, rust, and mildew stains.

For deodorant stains, use pure lemon juice or white vinegar and dab the stained area with a clean white cloth. Rust stains, on the other hand, can be removed with a mixture of salt and lemon juice. For mildew stains, mix lemon juice or white vinegar and water in equal amounts and spray the mixture on the stain. You are likely to kill the mildew this way and therefore prevent it from reappearing.

Check the care label of your garment to see if there are additional or special maintenance procedures. After cleaning your vintage clothes, make sure to store them properly. You can even put moth holes in your closet to prevent moth damages.

Cleaning vintage clothes on your own assures you they receive proper care, but you should also know when it is more appropriate to bring them to a cleaning specialist. It may cost you some amount, yet doing so guarantees you not only clean vintage clothing pieces but also pieces that are in undeniably good shape. In the end, it’s a good investment.

Choosing and buying a party favor

If there is anything that would make a Christmas party stand out from the other Christmas parties held all over the world, it would be the party favors being given away on that event. From plastic toys and puzzles in birthday parties, party favors have rapidly evolved. Now, party favors have become a loot bag full of nice and expensive stuff. This is especially true with parties and events for adults. This however brought an image of expensiveness to an otherwise simple gesture of giving souvenirs for a party. And with the high prices of organizing a party, creating a costly swag bag is just not the priority. In fact, many do not give any at all.

But you don’t have to put expensive stuff in your swag bag if you don’t want to. For simple parties, you can give simple gifts that will just help make your guests remember the occasion. For instance, a party favor that consists of freshly picked flowers from your own garden will definitely be a hit in a Sweet Sixteen party. A mask made from paper plates and cans can be part of a children’s party swag bag. A fish in a small bowl can be a nice take away present for guests and entourage in a wedding reception. There are many things that you can give without adding significantly to your costs.

The key is in the budgeting. First, you need to consider what the party is for and what it celebrates. That will give you an idea on what appropriate gifts to buy as your party favor. If you can, you can choose stuff that will either remind the guests of the person who is celebrating an occasion or remind them of the occasion itself. A gift that will symbolize the occasion is also another way to think when looking for ideas for party favors. For instance, with a wedding reception, newlyweds can either give a compilation of their favorite songs together in a cd or potpourri wrapped in white cloth and veil. They can also give a pair of lovebirds or doves as party favors as these animals symbolize togetherness and love.

Another important thing to consider is the function of the piece. Gone are the days when party favors consist of tiny glass sculptures and porcelain figures that will only rot in a box with the rest of the figurines that you got from other parties and reception. Because these are remembrances of occasions, few people will want to throw them however useless they are. Thus, they only serve to clutter houses. If you are going to give a party favor, make sure that it is something that the guest will be able to use in his or her daily life or in the immediate future. That way, your gift has a use besides serving as a souvenir.

Fortunately for those who have one too many figurines with names and dates on them, the trend towards giving these kinds of party favors is slowly fading. Now, people are more practical. Probably because they need to.

Diamond Jewelry And The 4Cs

Diamond jewelry, as some would put it, is the royalty among all gems. As such, assessing the value and quality of this gemstone had been refined to almost an exact science and a very fine art for hundreds of years now.

Today, dealing in diamonds either as an ardent admirer (wearing one) or as an astute trader of the same, one would need to be familiar with the four Cs – color, cut, clarity and carat.

Color

With the naked eye, most diamonds would appear colorless, but they do have subtle shades of colors. Experts use the letter D (colorless) moving through all the letters all the way to Z (light yellow) in identifying them.

A colorless diamond is chemically pure and structurally perfect. It lets through most of the light (perfectly transparent) and produces the most amount of brilliance.

Most natural diamonds, however, are imperfect, and colorless diamonds are very rare.

It is, therefore, the most expensive of all.

The diamond color is produced by chemical impurities or structural defects in the stone’s crystal pattern. It causes a yellowish to brownish tint. However, blue or pink diamonds are also considered more desirable and command some very high prices as well.

Gemologists label diamonds with unusual or intense colors as “fancy” and they have their own rating systems, although it is not commonly used because of the relative rarity of such stones.

Cut

This is the most important of all the four Cs in assessing the stone’s beauty. Cut refers to the precise proportion and dimensions of a finished diamond. This is not to be confused with the stone’s shape (round, princess, marquise, pear, baguette, etc).

A diamond that had been cut properly allows light to enter and refract it, creating what is called brilliance. Cut too shallow or too deep, a stone will not properly refract the light and will look dull and lifeless.

A well-cut stone looks like it has greater carat weight, has more clarity and color. All in all, it appears to be of better grade than it actually is.

Clarity

Diamonds have natural imperfections called inclusions. These are minerals or crystals trapped inside the stone, and they determine the clarity of the stone.

Nearly all stones have characteristic inclusions (“birthmarks”) which make them unique and identifiable. These imperfections are graded accordingly and these also determine their value.

These are noted in the stone’s certificate from IF (internally flawless), VVS (very, very slight inclusions) all the way down to “visible inclusions”(I).

Carat

This is the measurement of a diamond’s weight. One carat is 200 milligrams. The point unit (0.01 carat or 2 milligrams) is used on stones lesser than one carat.

Normally, the price per carat increases with carat weight because larger diamonds are rarer and desired. However, carat weights are not the final arbiter of value.

A smaller stone with better color and clarity commands a better price than a bigger one with poor color and clarity. Total carat weight (TCW) is used when referring to the total mass of stones in a piece of jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, earrings, multiple-stoned rings, etc.)

Your choice

Choosing the diamond jewelry of your dreams actually boils down on your attraction to a particular stone, maybe because of its color, brilliance or its shape. Knowing the four Cs is important, whether you are a layman or want to be an expert.

Finding body jewelry online

Since the beginning of civilization, jewelries and accessories were always part of a person's overall wardrobe. Jewelries and accessories —which come in different kinds, styles, sizes and colors—have evolved through the years. Today, more and more people were able to find different means of wearing jewelries and accessories, one of which is body jewelry.

Body jewelry refers to jewelries or accessories that you can wear in a specific part of your body. These include earrings, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, barbells, belly rings, belly waist chains, belts and buckles, bent barbells, rings, navel rings, nipple rings, nose rings, toe rings, tongue rings, lip rings, belly button rings, and body jewelry rings.

If you are into body jewelry or you are looking for body jewelries that you can use for your body piercings, online stores and shops are the best options for you.

Whether you are looking for jewelries to adorn your belly, tongue, nose, ears, fingers, nipples, or anywhere else on your body, body jewelries online can give you a lot of options. In fact, there are so many online stores that offer body jewelry today. Whether these are for body piercing or non-piercing, you have the chance to choose from a wide variety of body jewelry online.

Whatever it is that you prefer—whether these are jewelries that have stones, contains precious metal like gold, silver, platinum or titanium, made from unique materials such organic or wood, gothic, acrylic, or glass—you can find it in so many stores that offer body jewelry online.

BODY JEWELRY FOR BODY PIERCINGS

But, before you shop for body jewelries online, you should decide first if you really want to use these especially if you have piercings. Here are some of the considerations you might want to contemplate on:

1. The cost of body piercings. If you are planning to pierce your navel, eyebrow, or tongue, the cost of this and the cost of the body jewelry should be a very big consideration for you. Online, there are estimated cost of body piercings and body jewelry. On the average, the cost of body piercings range from $25 to $50 depending on the area you have chosen to be pierced, the shop that will do the work and the body jewelry you have chosen.

2. The type of metal the body jewelry you will use. Experts suggest that you choose titanium or blackline body jewelry whenever you purchase body jewelry online because these are made up of pure metal. If you are going to use the body jewelry for your body piercing, it is recommended that you use these so your piercing will heal faster without the risk of having infection.

3. The type of body jewelry for an initial piercing. Most shop owners that sell body jewelry online recommend that you opt for B.C.R.'s, barbells or banana bars when you undergo initial piercing. This is because barbells or banana bars sit flatter against your body thus, lowering the risk of snagging the jewelry to aggravate the piercing. Always make sure that you discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of the body jewelry you wish to use whenever you have body piecing.

4. The timeframe of healing. Make sure that you always opt for body jewelry that can help your pierce to heal faster. Try titanium or blackline which are popular body jewelries available online.

5. Be meticulous about the process of piercing, the place, and the body jewelry to be used. Before you finally indulge into body piercing, make sure that the piercing studio is clean and has an autoclave unit used to sterilize equipment and jewelry to be used.

Choosing Your Tattoo Parlor

Once you have made the decision to get a tattoo you’ll need to find a qualified tattoo parlor. This is a very important decision, as it can easily make or break your tattoo. Before you decide on a tattoo artist or tattoo parlor, you must first see if they are qualified. There are hundreds of thousands of tattoo parlors out there, some better than others. If you go to a less than perfect tattoo parlor, you could very well end up with an infection that can cause you more trouble than you ever thought possible. Finding out how long a parlor has been in business is very important – as this will tell you how much business the parlor receives.

When you look for the best parlor you should always watch for those who have the best history with keeping their equipment clean. Clean equipment and a clean studio is without a doubt the most important consideration when dealing with tattoos. If the artist isn’t licensed or not a professional there will be little to no guarantee that the equipment is clean. Health is a big concern with tattoos for most people, and for good reason. If you are looking to get a tattoo you should always make sure that the artists are licensed, the parlor is clean – and the equipment is sanitized and cleaned after each and every tattoo.

The best tattoo parlors will welcome you in with open arms, anticipating your business. When you meet the tattoo artist, he should be friendly and not intimidate you at all, nor should he at any time attempt to push a design on you. Under no circumstances should the artist try and talk you into getting a more expensive tattoo design if all you want is something small and simple.

Pushy sales and unfriendly salesmen are common pitfalls with most businesses. Tattoo parlors should always be friendly and open to what you want. Although the more experienced tattoo artists will offer their opinions, they shouldn’t try to push you around. If a tattoo artists thinks there will be a problem with your design or if he thinks he can do anything to improve it, he will more than likely let you know. If he is able to save you some money, the higher quality tattoo artists won’t think twice about doing so.

Before you decide on a tattoo parlor to do your tattoo, you should always compare what’s available to you and weigh out your options. The higher quality tattoo parlors will cost quite a bit of money, more than the other parlors. This is to be expected, as the higher quality studios cost more to pay their artists and keep their parlor nice and clean. These parlors are among the best in the world, with sparkling floors and a clean interior. The tattoo artists here ensure that their rooms are clean, with most wiping down their equipment and materials every chance they get.

The ideal way to find tattoo parlors in your area or close by is to use the Internet and search or just open a local phone book. If you look for the keyword tattoos, you’ll find several that are relatively close to you. Once you have found some addresses, simply drive out there and take a look around. If you like what you see, you can always come back. You shouldn’t rush your decision – but instead look at what each tattoo parlor has to offer you.

Do-It-Yourself Party Favors

Holding parties for different occasions can be difficult financially. The cost of hosting events and parties are skyrocketing, take weddings for an example. The wedding industry is earning millions of dollars every year from flowers, cakes, catering, and party favors. Yearly occasions like holidays or birthday parties are also affected with continuous rise of prices.

One great way of saving on party expenses are looking for alternatives. So instead of buying ready-made party favors, you could start making your own. Not only are they more inexpensive, you could also give your gifts a personal touch. Party favors are given as a way of saying thank you to people who have celebrated with you and nothing would be better than to give thanks to them in a very personal way.

Party gifts do not have to cost too much. With a little bit of creativeness and enthusiasm, you would surely be able to make something for the party.

In wedding celebrations, you could always have the groom and the bride make or design party give-aways. This would be a great outlet for your creativity and at the same impress your wedding guests with your style and creativity. There are simple party favors that would not require too much of your time. For example, you could give away dream or aromatherapy pillows or mini-glass candy jars. You could put them in stylish boxes with ribbons and labels.

Candies are great party give-aways. With candies, you could buy them in wholesale, which will help you save on costs. You could put them in treat bags. You could personalize these treat bags by using stickers and rubberstamps related to the theme of the party. You could tie them with colourful ribbons. Aside from party hats, you could look for different templates on the internet that can be worn during the party. This is a wonderful idea for children’s party and would even work for some adult parties who would like to have walk back in memory lane.

Another great idea is making photo calendars. Everything is digital nowadays, it is rare to find actual pictures being printed. After the party, you could look for interesting pictures and great shots from everyone in the event. You could ask help from other guests who also brought their camera and took some pictures.

Actually, photo calendars are not that difficult to make. There are software and programs being offered online where you could choose the calendar template that you want. You could just insert the pictures and print them. You could also visit the local printer and have it printed there. You could easily finish it within a week and send it out to your guests. A personal note thanking them for coming to your party would surely make it touching.

Candles and candleholders are also great party favors. You could easily use them in a room to lighten up its atmosphere. You could give away unique and personal made candles, you could put them in wine, champagne or even martini glasses. There are candle making kits which would provide what you need, including wax color and scent. Pick out the best design that will match your party’s theme.

Party favors do not have to be expensive or brought from an exclusive craft store. Party favors are gifts that hosts give to their guests as a sign of saying thank-you. Whether they were bought or handmade, it is the joy of sharing with other people your happiness is what is important.