Creative Garden Art: From Trinkets to Treasures

Did you know that you can give new life to nearly any old object? Not only can these ‘recycled items’ add unique charm to your home, but they also be incorporated into the garden. With just a little bit of imagination and a lot of creativity, an ordinary garden can be given the ultimate makeover—one full of character and history. Objects for this task can be found just about anywhere. You can even make use of your own personal possessions that you may have found difficult to part with in the past.
In the garden there is a place for everything, especially containers. Some of the most commonly reused objects that can easily be transformed into interesting containers include plastic jugs, old pots and pans, baskets, and tires. You can also use an old wash tub, sink, or wheelbarrow. For a more personal touch, consider recycling a pair of outgrown boots that were once yours or perhaps belonged to your children. As long as your object allows for drainage, nearly anything goes. For items without drainage holes, simply poke a few in the side or bottom with a drill or other suitable instrument. Don’t get rid of those aged flowerpots; give them a face lift instead by adding some paint or mosaic tiles. 

Plastic soda bottles can turn into unique ‘piggy’ planters. Simply cut a section out of the side to hold a small pot. On the other side, add some feet; this will also give the planter support. Typically, I use an egg carton for this; you may use whatever is on hand. Choose your favorite color and paint the bottle. Add some eyes and ears; the nose comes from the bottle’s lid. Now place a flowerpot into your ‘piggy’ planter and set it in a location of your choosing.

What is a garden without interesting focal points? Large objects make great eyepieces. Wheelbarrows, tubs, old mowers, and statues are some good choices. Fountains and other water features can easily be made from old objects that have just been lying around. Use pieces of pipe, old sinks and tubs, or different sized pots and pans. Welcome birds into the garden with creative sanctuaries. Turn an old mailbox into a festive bird retreat or feeder. Transform dishes into splashing bird baths. Worn-out tools and other similar items can quickly become treasured garden pets. For instance, post-hole diggers can be changed into magnificent alligators. Flowerpots can magically be transformed into cute puppy dogs. Turn saw blades into artificial flowers with some paint; attach to stems made from pipes or broken tool handles. Maybe you would prefer to create sundials from the blades. It’s totally up to you.

Everyone enjoys the whimsical sounds of wind chimes, and these can easily be made from various scrap metal parts. Wind sounders can also be created from strips of metal and twisted into shape. If you have an excessive supply of glass canning jars, drop some tea light candles into them and line walkways or even a deck to add subtle light for get-togethers. Old coffee, soup, or paint cans may be used as well. Simply punch decorative designs into them, add some paint, place a candle inside, and enjoy. Stones and weathered stumps or logs even have potential in the garden. When uniquely placed, these objects can provide additional interest throughout the garden area. Do you like collecting things? Integrate them into the garden. For instance, a collection of bottles or sea shells can be utilized as edging for beds. Ladders, gates, or bed frames can make an attractive trellis for your plants. Dishes can be used in place of mosaic tiles for decorating a variety of objects.

No matter your level of artistic ability or skill, art is art. With any type of art, there is no right or wrong. Objects of all sorts can hold hidden potential. Whatever you see in an object, you can do. All you need is some creativity; as imaginations are never-ending, so are the possibilities.

Stephanie Harrison Photography - Where You'll Find the Best Photographer in Town

Whether you're looking for that perfect photographer for senior pictures, wedding photos, new baby celebration or special family moments, Stephanie Harrison Photography is the place to go! You'll not only find a professional studio that is conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Depot District in Richmond, Indiana, but you'll meet one of the friendliest, easy going photographers around; not to mention at a great value!

The photographer at Stephanie Harrison Photographer, none other than Stephanie Harrison herself, offers an artistic style that can't be found elsewhere. The results of her work give an eclectic, non-staged, and real feeling. She captures expressions and movements perfectly in her photographs. She's got the perfect personality for children and adults alike. She can accommodate any situation from serious, quiet moments to doing whatever is needed to get an unsure baby to smile, make nervous folks feel comfortable or even catch that wondering gaze of a beloved pet.

Photos aren't always taken inside the studio at Stephanie Harrison Photography. The opportunity is also there to go outdoors and use the resources of the Historic Depot for a more urban look, combining the exposed brick of old buildings with the sweet, fresh face of a new baby, for example. Stephanie is also often available for on-site shoots for weddings, special celebrations and other purposes!

Stephanie Harrison has the experience to make your photo shoot the best it can be! She's been featured in a number of magazines across the world and has won various photography awards. With such skill and recognition one might think her prices would reflect it, but at Stephanie Harrison Photography, the value is unreal!

The session fee is a very reasonable $40.00 for up to four people. Prices for prints obviously vary by size but range anywhere from $8.00 for eight wallets up to $90.00 for a huge 20x30 print! She offers packages for senior pictures starting at a low $99.00 and Wedding Packages that can be had from $550.00. Also available are Gallery Canvas Wraps in various sizes which are, simply put, awesome!

Stephanie Harrison Photography can be found at 195 Fort Wayne Avenue in Richmond, Indiana and reached at (765)962-3133. The website, www.stephanieharrisonphotography.com offers numerous examples of Stephanie's work, a price sheet, bio, and contact information for setting up your first session.

Stephanie Harrison Photography; you simply won't find a better photographer around!

<i>1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die</i> a Must-Read for Film Buffs

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Cinema is an art form that's over 100 years old. Hundreds of thousands of films have been produced of all shapes and sizes and of all genres all over the world. As lovers of cinema, we are often confused and dumbfounded as to which films to watch. As an answer, Stephen Jay Schneider and a group of film critics and theorists around the world put together this compilation of 1,001 culturally, technologically, artistically and historically significant films.

Arranged in chronological order and covering over 100 years worth of history in film, from the early 1902 Georges Milies science-fiction film "A Voyage to the Moon" to last year's Oscar Best Picture winner "Million Dollar Baby", the book covers a very wide range of forms and genres of film: From huge Hollywood epic spectacles like "Gone with the Wind" and "Spartacus" to gritty independent pictures like John Cassavetes's "Faces" and Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor"; from famous mainstream blockbuster features like "Titanic" and "Jurassic Park" to obscure, daring short films like "Blonde Cobra" and Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou"; from kid-friendly "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to disturbing, daring films like "Salo" and "In the Realm of the Senses". Significant effort was made by the editors and the contributing writers to represent nearly every genre of film out there. In addition to featuring the well-known, highly regarded classics of horror, drama, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, etc. sub-genres as varied as Chinese kung fu movies ("Shaolin Master Killer"), blaxploitation ("Sweet Sweetbacks Baaadaassssssss Song") and mockumentaries ("This Is Spinal Tap") are also represented. Also impressive in this book is that it took the effort to feature significant films from all over the world even in countries which are not primarily known for their film industry like Senegal, Egypt and Jamaica. All in an apparent effort to cover as wide a range of the art of film as possible.

All the great directors, both of the past and of contemporary times, have several of their films on this book: John Ford, Steven Spielberg, Billy Wilder, Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Luis Bunuel, Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodovar, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman etc. among others. Alfred Hitchcock has the distinction of having the most films with 15 from his oeuvre profiled. Each film is given an essay written by the various contributors detailing the film's significance, it's history and various interesting tidbits of trivia as well as a critique of the film in an intelligent non-pretentious or overly scholarly manner. Though the book is by no means perfect, the questionable inclusion of "Meet the Parents" is one of the more glaring of its flaws and arguments can be made for the inclusion and exclusion of several other movies, this book probably comes the closest to being the most definitive list available that's accessible even to the average film goer. Quite a number of films featured in this book are not currently available on video or DVD. Perhaps their inclusion in this book would help them get released on DVD and thus finding a wider audience.

Whether you are a budding teenage film buff or a veteran film scholar, there is plenty to love about this book which gives a straight-forward, non-snobbish take on film history that would make the art of watching movies truly enjoyable. This is the book all lovers of film should have on their bookshelves.

Making Sure Mom Gets What She Needs at Her Baby Shower

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When throwing a baby shower one of the main concerns of the host is whether or not the mom to be will get what she needs. There are several different ways that you can ensure that she will get everything that she needs. This article will discuss those options. First you could purchase all of the gifts yourself, but that is really being unrealistic, since most people just do not have that type of money. The bet ways is to make sure that the mom to be registers for all of the items she wants or needs. 

There are really dozens of different registries that you can choose from. One of the most popular ones is Babies R Us. What makes there registry so good is that anyone can purchase something for you no matter where they live. Also their staff is very helpful, but in store and online. Once she registers you will want to make sure, that all of the guest know that she is registered and where she is registered at. You can do this by putting it on the invitations. Then once everyone calls to rsvp, you can really stress the fact that she would love to get the items she really needs off of her baby registry. 

Another option is to have everyone go in on a group gift. What you do is have all of the guests make a min contribution of about twenty dollars. This way they can still get their own gift, and they will be included in the group gift as well. This has worked very well for me in the past. We were actually able to get just about everything on the mom to be's list. In addition she will also get a lot of other nice items. You will see how much it really is appreciated when she is able to get just abut everything that she requested. Also make sure that in addition to what she put on her registry, you get something just for her. Most people will get spa kits for mom, or even a spa gift certificate. This way either before or after the baby comes she can get a day of rest and relaxation. What mom does not want and deserve that? 

When it comes to making sure that the mom to be gets everything she needs it really is up to you the hostess to make sure that this happens. It really is not as difficult as it sounds, although it will take a little more work on your part, it definitely is something that can be done.