home decor

As we enter into the month of November my thoughts turn towards Thanksgiving and everything that this wonderful holiday has to offer.

It is a time for spending time with family and friends and for counting the many blessings the past year has brought to us. Like most people I like to decorate for the holidays, and Thanksgiving is no exception.

Indian corn, pumpkins, gourds, wheat, fruits, nuts, and anything that symbolizes a bountiful harvest are at the top of the list for things I like to include in my decorating scheme. The best way to incorporate all of these items it to design a cornucopia centerpiece for Thanksgiving Day.

What is a cornucopia?

Cornucopia is a Latin term derived from two words, cornu meaning horn and copia meaning plenty. The horn of plenty, as it is also known, is shaped like a horn or cone. It is usually shown overflowing with nuts and fruit.

(Freeman, Morton, S. The Story behind the Words. Philadelphia: Isis Press, 1985)

This everlasting symbol of abundance is easy to create and will become another important tradition you will want to share with your family each year.

Cornucopia Centerpiece:

Materials:

• cone-shaped, store bought cornucopia basket

• assortment of fall fruits and vegetables (small pumpkins, apples, gourds, Indian corn, nuts, and berries)

• dried leaves, wheat, and other natural fillers

• newspaper

• raffia

• thin sheet of plastic or plastic tray (to protect table)

1. Stuff newspaper into cornucopia basket (less harvest items will be needed with the appearance of more!)

2. Cover newspaper with a thin layer of raffia or other natural fillers.

3. Place basket on plastic

4. Place larger fruits and vegetables in basket.

5. Continue adding smaller itemsallow them to spill out on the plastic (Remember, bountiful harvest!)

6. Fill in small places with berries and nuts.

7. Use leaves and other natural items to fill in the spaces; make sure protective plastic is totally covered.

About The Author

Candee Stark

Happy Thanksgiving! Please visit me at http://www.flowers-and-garden.com/ if you would like to see a picture of the cornucopia I created or you would like to read about other decorating or garden ideas.

http://www.flowers-and-garden.com/cornucopia-centerpiece.html

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Before, they were used to simply serve their purpose hang curtains. Today, curtain rods are more than just a tool. They have evolved into a more functional, more sophisticated devices that do not just hang curtains but also compliment and enhance the overall effect of the drapes.

Showing more skin, curtain rods are no longer the typical metal or wooden sticks used to hang curtains. They have evolved into remarkable works of skill or talent, showing every design as an intricate sketch of masterpiece.

Wooden curtain rods are now made more sophisticated and classy. Most of them are handmade and crafted with the most top-rated materials to bring out the beauty of the wooden material.

Various designs were sculptured in the wood, with different glaze materials or varnish as the finishing touches. Hence, you can make either a Victorian or a Western-inspired window with curtain rods that were made from high-quality wooden materials.

On the other hand, the solid and powerful effect of metal curtain rods is no longer confined to the usual plain metal stick. With the growing popularity of metal curtain rods, consumers now have more choices. They can choose from a wide array of metal curtain rods such as solid brass, chrome, graphite with brass, and brushed chrome.

With a wider range of choices, more and more manufacturers tried to develop newer, fresher, and more exquisite designs to compliment, contrast, or enhance the beauty of curtains. They can even modify plain curtains by transforming them into something more elegant.

Installing curtain rods has also evolved into an innovation, bringing ease and convenience in mounting curtain rods on walls, woods, or other types of surfaces. Hence, whether you live in a castle, cabin, or the classic abode, there is certainly a good curtain rod that will suit your taste, your style, and of course, your curtains.

However, curtain rods do not just differ according to their designs or structures. They also differ in sizes and shapes. Hence, it is important to measure your windows first before you go out and buy your curtain rods.

Here are some things you must consider when buying curtain rods:

1. Your windows

Your windows have different sizes, according to your plan when you were just building your house. And even if you have bought a ready-made house, window sizes are not standard for all types of houses. Hence, it is extremely important to measure your windows first before you start buying your curtain rods.

All you have to do is to measure the outside part of your window. This is where you will mount your curtain rods. It is best to have the correct size than to waste time and money by going back to the store just because you have to wrong size.

Keep in mind that as a rule, your curtain rods should always be longer than your window by as much as 5 inches. This ensures total coverage for your windows.

2. Your curtains

Of course, you should never start buying curtain rods without looking first at the curtains that you will use. The types of curtains you will use will determine the type of curtain rod that you have to buy.

For example, if you will be using the typical designs of curtains that flow straight down the wall, you will have to buy a chrome curtain rod, for heavier drapes, you need to buy stronger metals such as graphite with brass or solid brass.

3. Strength of the curtain rod

You would not want your curtains sagged unattractively down your windows, right? Hence, to avoid such dilemma, it is best to choose curtains rods according to their strength and capacity to hold a certain type of drapes or curtains.

For heavier curtains, it is best to choose stronger, more solid curtain rods. Supporting devices should also be considered. These brackets provide end-to-end support for the rod, as well as support for the middle portion of the curtain rod.

4. Your budget

Curtain rods can be very expensive especially if they were made from high-quality materials. Hence, if you cannot afford to buy those expensive kinds, it is best to stick the ordinary.

Keep in mind that decorating your home with good sets of curtain rods can change the way people will look at it. However, it does not necessarily mean that you have to spend more than what you can afford just to decorate your house.

So the next time you buy your curtain rods, consider these factors and you will definitely make a big difference. Even if curtain rods are generally seen as something that holds up your curtains, they can also reflect the kind of personality that you have.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://curtains.home-webzone.com where you can learn more about different curtain rods and choosing the right curtains for your room.

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A sugarolic is just as addicted as an alcoholic. You need the stimulation, your drug is the sugar instead of alcohol or cocaine. When you eat sugar you give your brain extra Serotonin, a hormone in your brain which makes you feel good. When the effect of the sugar is gone you feel worse and you eat more sugar. It`s like a roller coaster, you get high on sugar, down without.

Here are some of the symptoms:

* Sleep deprive
* Mood swings
* Lack of energy
* Pain
* Temperature swings in your body
* Weight gain
* Exhaustion
* Migraine
* Depression
* Trembling

The sugar level in a can of coke or similar is equivalent to 10-12 teaspoons sugar, in just one can! We need approximately 3-4 teaspoons sugar every day.

To make changes and take back your healthy life, you should eat meat, fish, cheese, eggs, beans, vegetables. You should be careful with fruit, since fruit contains sugar. If you are careful with sugar, you can eat a couple of fruits daily. Beware the sugar added in ready made food. Take time to read the ingredient in the food you buy, you will be amazed how much sugar added.

If you`re a sugarolic you need 2-3 weeks to detox your body from sugar. If you stay away from sugar completely in this period, you will experience to get your energy back, your headaches will disappear (may increase the first weeks)and you will lose weight.

Also beware sugar free products, artificial sugar has the same effect as sugar, sometimes even more addictive.

Drink a lot of water while you detox.

Edna Solem is an article writer on a large variety. She also runs House of Edna, a web store with great gifts and home decor. Please visit http://www.houseofedna.no

[tags]Shopping, home decor, dieting, health, interior, inter

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