A good magician should be able to cause inanimate objects to move by themselves. This magic trick will teach you to do this and it looks very spooky when people are watching it.

How It Looks To The Audience

The magician ties a knot in a silk handkerchief and holds the handkerchief by one corner, in front of him. He then wiggles his fingers at the handkerchief. To everyone’s amazement, slowly and spookily, the handkerchief unties itself!

How The Trick is Done

For this trick you will need a thin silk scarf or handkerchief about eighteen inches square. You will also need about five feet of fine, silk thread, which you can get from any sewing shop. Sewing shops also sell a thread called invisible thread, which is also ideal.

Tie one end of the thread to one corner of the handkerchief. If you are wearing dark clothes, this will not be noticeable. The thread will remain invisible as long as it is in front of a dark background and you are not too close to the audience.

Begin the trick by holding one corner of the handkerchief in each hand. Your right hand should hold the corner with the thread attached. Stretch out the handkerchief horizontally and about waist level.

Twirl the handkerchief between your hands a few times to roll it up like a rope. As you are doing this, move your right foot over the free end of the thread.

If you cannot see it, then just put your foot where you think it is and then raise your right hand slightly until you feel tension from the thread. If you have missed it, you can give yourself time to find it by twirling the handkerchief again.

Once you have your right foot on the thread, bring the right end of the handkerchief up and tie a loose single knot in the handkerchief. Then let go the right end of the handkerchief with your right hand.

When you have finished, you should be holding the left end of the handkerchief in your left hand and the end with the thread attached should be hanging freely – pointing towards the floor. The thread now runs through the knot and runs all the way down to your foot.

Now wiggle your right fingers at the handkerchief and at the same time,  slowly raise your left arm. The bottom corner of the handkerchief will start to spookily, rise up and go back through the knot. If you keep up a slow steady pressure on the thread, the handkerchief will untie itself.

If you perform it slowly and correctly no one will notice your left arm slowly rising. Also, by wiggling the fingers of your right hand, you will divert attention away from your arm movement.

After you have finished the trick, you can just roll up the handkerchief (and the thread with it) and place it in your pocket. If you wish to let the audience examine the handkerchief, then you will need to secretly break off the thread and let it fall to the floor. No one will ever notice it.

Women’s leather is making a big impression in 2013. From leather dresses to small leather inserts, there are a variety of ways to wear this timeless fabric. So whether you’re a leather-lover or you’d prefer only to make a brief nod to the trend, there’s plenty to choose from.

What’s New in Leather Clothing

Leather shoes and bags are a mainstay of women’s fashion. But the Autumn/Winter 2012 catwalks indicate that this year, women will be wearing plenty of leather on their bodies too – and in revolutionary ways. Leather skirts, for instance, are making waves in designer boutiques and on the high street. Leather skirts come in a range of shapes, from pencil skirts to maxi-length ones. Choose a leather pencil skirt for a versatile clothing item you can wear to the office or out on the town. At work pair with a white collared shirt with minimal jewellery, or wear with a lace-detailed top on a night out.

Leather dresses too are re-emerging, though this is more of a niche look than leather skirts. If they appeal to you, look for them in mini-length and with a straight line. Wear with ankle boots rather than knee length ones so you don’t overdo the leather look and pair with a softer fabric on top – for instance, a faux-fur scarf or wrap.

Elsewhere, leather trousers have gained favour too, especially with designer houses Gucci and Roberto Cavalli. Fitted leather trousers can look fantastic, when accessorised correctly. Try wearing black leather trousers with black riding boots, a thin white jumper and a twill coat for a look that balances feminine elegance with the dominating lines of leather.

Adding a Touch of Leather to Your Wardrobe

If you love leather but don’t like the idea of wearing leather clothes all day, rest assured that there are plenty of alternatives. Try adding small details to your wardrobe – for instance, gloves in the winter or a belt over a cotton dress. Or look for leather details on clothing, like panels on a shirt, or stitch a pocket on to the back of a pair of jeans for a trendy DIY touch.

For a classic look, you can’t go wrong with a jacket or coat. Women’s leather jackets might have less pop culture significance than their male counterparts, but they look just as good and they’re equally as versatile. Wear a leather jacket over jeans for effortless casual outerwear or pair over an evening dress to bring a raunchy touch to formalwear.

Choosing the right fireplace design for your homes may be a hard task. While there are many designs you can select from, not all of these can perfectly fit the interior of your home. A wrong design could actually ruin the overall motif of your house. One good thing to do is to ask the advice of a home improvement expert. What’s even better is that some home builders have in-house modelers that can advise you with the right fireplace style for your home at no extra cost. But for those who are into stone or rock fireplace designs, here are some of the sought-after styles.

Rustic Limestone designs are a favorite among house builders. For one, its versatile style fits any type of interior, be it modern or traditional. And since limestone has a smooth surface, cleaning is not a problem-just wipe off all the dust and it is as good as brand new. Even if limestone has a light color, it will blend in with your interior if installed properly. You can even put accessories like a mantel scarf to make it more subtle.

Let’s say you want to have a rock fireplace design for your lodge. This time, rustic limestone just wouldn’t do. What you need is a custom-built fieldstone fireplace. Remember that your lodge is built with only one dominant material, which is wood so it calls for a more rugged fireplace. There are some builders who opt to extend the mantel up to the ceiling of the lodge.

Wood and rock are potent combination. This is the reason why some ski lodges have rock-steady fireplaces. And this comes with good reasons, too. For old lodges, these firesides are attached to the foundation of the lodge, making it much sturdier. Some of these lodges have stone flooring- the same stones that make up the fireplace.

For a more elegant look, you may choose a marble fireplace. This type is build with marble tiles with clean and sharp lines. Depending on your interior, you can choose a light shaded marble tile or the more chic dark shades-the choice is yours. There is the “Deco Marble Fireplace” which is an Art Deco inspired design. The marble tiles are complemented by glass mantel and wooden accents. Some companies put a little twist to these marble tiles. They crushed these marbles and the result is a fine grain marble which, when bonded together to form a mantel, has a high gloss finish.

Did you know that there are rock fireplace designs for the outdoors? It’s called concrete fire pits. You may choose to buy portable fire pits from your home improvement shops but nothing beats the permanent structure. Most of these circular pits are made of concrete, but you can also choose the ones that are made from marble brick or layered rocks.

Some custom designs even include concrete benches where people can sit while savoring the warmth from the fire pit. One good benefit of outdoor fireplaces is that it adds value to your home-the outside landscape in particular-not to mention that it can also be a good hangout place for family bonding.

Knitting for leisure has made an amazing comeback over recent years. It was once thought of as something our grans did and I am sure we can all recount getting knitted gifts at birthdays and Christmas! Now, with new techniques and notions available, and with the advent of the internet, knitting is becoming a very lucrative home business. I am going to share with you 5 Great Tips for flawless knitting that you can use in all your special projects, so that you will save time and money and most of all be proud to be making things like gran used to make!

1. Choose a project that is within your level of experience. A scarf is always good for a beginner to start with, and even as a quick piece for those more advanced in knitting.

2. Set realistic goals, to have the project completed in plenty of time. No point starting a 5 foot long knitting project three days before Christmas to give as a gift to someone.

3. Research your yarn. make sure it will be right for the project you are knitting because there are so many brands and styles of yarn available to us now, it can get confusing.

4. Let your yarn work for YOU. Choose novelty yarns and textured yarns for knitting projects that are quick to knit, just to get the practice in.

5. Choose patterns with simple knitting stitches, so that you will be sure to complete the project with little room for errors and confusion. Garter stitch knitting with a fun novelty knitting yarn looks great, is fun to make and quick to finish, which will encourage your knitting hunger!

The idea of knitting as a hobby craft, or as a source of income, is to make things that you are proud of and are exciting to make. if you follow these tips, then you are well on your way to producing things that not only look good, but will be a pleasure to give and sell!

Remember, knitting is a craft that requires patience and practice. The more time you give to your project, the more experienced your knitting will become and the more you will want to do. trust me, I was a beginner knitter once!

African fabrics are emblematic of their rich cultural heritage. Everything about them is extraordinary – from exotic colors, motifs to indigenous prints. They appear very close to nature. You can use them in sewing beautiful clothes of your choice, in home décor and other creative pursuits. From local markets, today African textiles have gained a strong foothold in the global market. Among African fabrics, Mudcloth deserves special mention. They are very typical of Africa. Various types of African garments are manufactured with this fabric from regular to formal and fashion wear.

Mud cloths have different designs and each one of them has a story to tell. The color, texture, symbol, design, making – each one has a different meaning. However, meanings might differ depending on the region, ethnic group or individual. In general, mudcloths portray local occupations, plants & animals, events, characters, scripts, proverbs and rituals, but can reveal other important and deeper meanings as well. African people really take pride in wearing garments, both formal and informal made out of Mudcloth. There are endless varieties of this fabric. Not only clothes, various accessories are also manufactured with mudcloth like hats, scarves, bags, purses, table runners, sashes, cushion and quilt covers, paintings & wall hangings among others. Popular African fashion clothing manufactured with mudcloth include long dresses, trousers, kaftans, suit & hat sets, dashikis, unisex top and pant sets, skirts etc. There are also every day wears.

Of late, mud cloth has become extremely popular in the West. Many renowned designers are showcasing their creations made out of mudcloths in international ramps. This hand-spun, hand-woven and hand-dyed luxurious fabric has been embraced by Westerners like never before. They are using it for making clothes as well as decorating homes. Manufacturing mudcloths are a lengthy process. The best thing about them is that they are 100% cotton and hand-made. Normally men weave the cotton thread on a hand-held loom and women paint and design the cloth. Depending on weather conditions, it takes about four days to a whole week to complete the entire piece of mud cloth. Each artist preparing mudcloth learns and studies a specific design over a considerable period of time. The mudcloth is first set by an adhesive solution made out of tea. Then the designs are hand painted with natural dyes and the tea sets on to the fabric. The mud used to make mud cloth is usually mixed with water and kept aside for almost a year. Twigs or metal instruments are used to paint the designs with mud.

Even the color of each mud cloth carries particular meanings. The most common and traditional one is black background with white motifs. There might be particular stories, folklore or popular African proverbs involved. Other colors quite popular and often used are rust, cream, gray, bright reds, purple, yellow, orange etc. There are also mud cloths of various color combinations. Mud cloth at one time was used by the West African warriors and hunters to camouflage themselves or as a badge of status. African weavers keep on inventing interesting colors and patterns throughout the year to attract customers throughout the world. Since mud cloth is close to the soil, the colors also reflect the same earthy look and feel.

Create your own fashion statement with a mud cloth apparel today!

Shopping in Japan is usually a very enjoyable experience as they take the Western motto “The customer is always right” to another level with “Okyakusama wa kamisama”, literally “The customer is God!” And it is no exaggeration to say that you are treated like one. From the second you enter the door (or often meters before you reach it) you are greeted with a bellowing “IRASHAIMASE!” (WELCOME!) by the first staff member to spot you, then echoed by every other available attendant. The next part can get a little tricky if you don’t know a lot of Japanese as they tend to follow you around the store offering intricate details about everything you stop to look at. Although they don’t seem to do this anywhere as much when dealing with foreigners as they understand it is not custom to do so in most countries. But it’s a great opportunity to practice or learn Japanese if you so wish. Either way, here are some of the most common words and useful Japanese phrases that will come in handy when shopping.

*Note: The Japanese language uses a lot of particles when writing that are usually dropped in conversation (unless when speaking extremely formally). Similar to Saying “I’m…” rather than “I am…”. Most text books include these but I have omitted them to help you learn Japanese in a more natural manner.

When entering the store:

*Irasshaimase – Welcome

*Nanika osagashi desuka? – Are you looking for something (in particular)?

*Miteru dake desu – I’m just looking

*Hai, ____arimasuka? – Do you have any ____?

Clothing names: (many are derived from English names as you may pick up!)

*Zubon – Pants

*Denimu – Jeans

*Hanzubon – Shorts

*Shaatsu – Shirt

*Seeta – Sweater

*Boushi – Hat

*Buruzon/ Daun – Jacket

*Wanpiisu – Dress

*Mafura – Scarf

*Kutsu – Shoes

*Kutsushita – Socks

Colors:

*Aka – Red

*Ao – Blue

*Midori – Green

*Kiiro – Yellow

*Kuro – Black

*Shiro – White

*Pinku – Pink

*Orenji – Orange

*Murasaki – Purple

*Chairo – Brown

*____iro arimasuka? – Do you have it in ____(color)?

*Chigau iro arimasuka? – Do you have a different color?

Other phrases:

*Kore wa ikura desuka? – How much is this?

*Chotto takai desu – It’s a little expensive

*Mou sukoshi ____ no arimasuka? – Do you anything ____? (Ookii – Bigger, Chiisai – Smaller, Yasui – Cheaper)

*Chotto kangaemasu – I’ll think about it

*Arigatou gozaimasu – Thank you

Numbers: (Note- Yen is pronounced as ‘en’ at the end of the price)

*1 – ichi, 2 – ni, 3 – san, 4 – shi, 5 – go, 6 – roku, 7 – nana, 8 – hachi, 9 – kyu, 10 – jyu.

*Add a number then jyu (ten) to make twenty, thirty etc. For example nijyu = twenty, gojyu = fifty.

*Hyaku – hundred

*Sen – Thousand

*Man – Ten thousand

*Jyuman – hundred thousand

*Some examples- 2,500 – Ni sen go hyaku, 12,400 – ichiman nisen yon hyaku, 255 – ni hyaku go jyu go

(There are some minor changes made to numbers when grouping together but it will get too complicated to mention them here.

I have focussed on clothing shopping in this article but you can easily insert other words in their place. There are plenty of free Japanese dictionaries on the net where you can find the words for your particular purpose. GANBATTE! (good luck) with learning Japanese and HAPPY SHOPPING!

Many adults have art and craft skills to make their own Halloween or special events costume. Hand or machine stitching, glue, and paste are the basic fasteners. Creativity and imagination are the magic ingredients.

Simple Adult costumes for Halloween celebrations and other costume events need not be expensive to make.

Tap your talents and skills to imagine and make the costume of your choosing.

The most time-consuming step of costume preparation is deciding what to wear. Once decided, completing the rest of the design is easy and fast.

Are you confused or undecided? I recommend looking at books, magazines, and other alternative sources of visual aids to spark your creativity and imagination. Do not copy every detail.

1. Look into closets and bureau draws to select clothing and props.
2. Decide to wear a mask, special makeup, or Halloween facial paints. Your choice depends on cost, comfort, length of time, storage, and cleaning.
3. Head wrappings may comprise a wig, hair extenders, scarf, hat, and temporary hair tints.
4. Head wraps and footwear need to feel comfortable, weather appropriate, and in keeping with the costume theme.
5. We can find most miscellaneous accessories in the home. Create with cardboard, toilet paper rolls, paper, foam cups and plates, and plastic bags.

Traditional ideas:

1. Angel
2. Animals – rabbits and dinosaurs
3. Cartoon characters
4. Cheerleader
5. Clown
6. Cowboy
7. Devil
8. Fairy
9. Gypsy
10. Indian
11. Pirate
12. Simple inanimate objects – a cardboard box, a robot
13. Sport figures
14. Television and movie characters
15. Vampire
16. Work related uniforms – nurses, doctors, police officer, and executive with a brief case
17. Zombie
18. Witch

These traditional costumes continue to be favored, with each generation updating their attire.

Benefits:

1. Original and self-expressive
2. Individual or theme designs
3. Use your art and crafts skills and talents
4. Memories
5. Creature and weather comfortable
6. Use as everyday attire
7. Recycle for alternative uses
8. Eliminate waste

An original costume is a one-of-a- kind fantasy. The mask disguises the wearer and provides fun for others to guess their identity. The following is a starter list of DIY costume ideas.

Individual Examples:

1. Ghost
2. Famous chef
3. Mermaid
4. Lamp shade
5. A favorite food or product
6. Animal trainer
7. Dismembered human being
8. A super hero
9. A rock
10. An ice cream cone

Couple Examples:

1. The Addams Family
2. A table with cloth and settings
3. Salt and pepper
4. Twin towers
5. Kermit and Miss Piggy
6. Celebrity dance couple
7. Bride and groom
8. Bicycle for 2
9. Artist and model
10. Eskimo and seal

Group Examples:

1. A bouquet of flowers
2. Trees
3. A box of crayons or pencils
4. The Addams Family
5. Hawaiian or other cultural dancers
6. Al Capone and his gangsters
7. Military men
8. Seven dwarfs
9. Elves or leprechaun
10. A group of bears or other animals

Are you an active participant in costume events? Never wait till the last moment to make a costume. Make a list of the dates and types of interested events. Register for the event in a timely manner. Make your costume wearable for several occasions.

If you are a Vera Bradley fan at all, I am sure this has happened to you. You find the perfect pattern at the mall and start buying the many purses and totes that come in that pattern. You even get the accessories as well, like a cell phone holder, scarf, and wallet. But then comes a day when you head down to the store and find that your favorite pattern has been retired and is no longer being made. After throwing a fit in the Vera Bradley retail store and chewing out the lady behind the cash register, you finally settle down and drive home.

This is bound to happen to you if it has not already because for some reason the company loves to retire patterns and handbag styles after a very short period of time. Sometimes even before the year is over a newly designed pattern will be discontinued into oblivion.

Well apparently there is nothing we can do about it unless you happen to be the CEO or favorite cousin of the owner of the company. After they retire a pattern you cannot find it in stores anymore and you have to be more resourceful in your efforts.

You can check out eBay for some Vera Bradley retired patterns but you always have to be careful of several things. One, you want to make sure it is an authentic pattern made by VB and not some knock off that someone has faked. Also, you want to make sure that the handbag or accessory you bid on is new and not worn out. Sometimes you can buy a used purse that is in great condition and it will not matter to you, but make sure that if you want a new purse that the purse you buy is truly never been used. If this does not matter to you then you can get a great deal on a used Vera handbag and make your friends jealous.

This is really the only way to get retired patterns because you are buying them from individuals and not retailers. There are people who sell Vera Bradley retired patterns on eBay that are very reputable and you can trust for them to offer genuine purses and discontinued patterns.

A mysterious snuff video is discovered on a teenager’s phone. At first, the young girl in the video is smiling. All of a sudden the blue scarf around her neck is tightened. Is she dead? Is this some kind of game? Who is the girl?

The young man of interest is the step-grandson of the Governor of Washington. The Governor needs help and asks for assistance from an old high school friend J.P. Beaumont. Beaumont and his partner Mel (both on the job and in life) work for the Special Homicide Investigation Team.

Beaumont and Mel begin an investigation. The teenager denies everything and insists he did not know the girl in the video. He is a young man who has a troubled past. His mother died of a drug overdose and his father was an addict. He is going through a rough time at school.

Are J.P. Beaumont and Mel able to help prove the teenager was not involved in this incident? It will be a difficult task since they find some incriminating evidence in his room. Is someone trying to frame him? What is going on?

J.A. Jance is a skilled writer and really knows how to tell a story. The two main characters really keep the story moving. Mel is so well organized when it comes to an investigation that she even amazes Beau. Beau adds a great deal of humor throughout the story. This book really held my interest and had no dull moments. The author does a wonderful job of building the suspense from the very beginning. As a result, the reader will be kept guessing. The reader will feel like a partner to Mel and Beau as they glide along during the very interesting investigation. The reader will learn many interesting things about a police investigation because the author gives detailed descriptions as to what is being done by Mel and Beau. J.A. Jance also brings to light a subject that has been in the news more and more recently. I have read several J.A. Jance books and each one keeps getting better. Betrayal of Trust is my favorite of them all and leaves no doubt that J.A. Jance is a master storyteller! Betrayal of Trust is one of the best books I have read in years. J.A. Jance has done an excellent job in writing this book.

Men, as husbands and boyfriends, are familiar with the feeling of having someone else fix – even choose – their tie or take the lint off their jacket. Women just love to take that extra step to ensure that their partner looks well dressed and squeaky clean before they head out the door. Why are women so concerned over their partner’s sartorial choices and appearance?

Stripes of success

First, an impeccably dressed gentleman exudes an aura of distinction around him. He gives off an impression of great success. And women are attracted to success in a man as bees are to nectar-filled flowers. Polished shoes, a stylish watch, and a genteel striped necktie are the perfect accessories to a well-tailored suit. Put together, they say, “I’ve got it made.” They also say, “I can afford to treat you to a really good restaurant with good, expensive wine.”

Fashion-wise eyes

There’s one subtle advantage of being with a well-dressed man: the man who knows good clothes is more likely to appreciate the woman’s clothes as well. Do you have any idea how much time the female species takes to choose their outfit for a date? Some of them even go shopping for the occasion, and we all know how long and leg-wearying women’s shopping trips are. It must be frustrating for them when, after all that effort, they end up with a date who doesn’t notice anything about their dress except its length and color.

And how about this classic scene: woman asks her husband, “How do these pants look?” and the husband’s eyes get all glassy because he can’t distinguish one pair from another? Certainly, there are benefits to being with somebody who could at least say if one pair of jeans makes their legs look short. Even better if that somebody could also tell them which jeans will make them look slimmer.

Flaunt-worthy male

But perhaps the biggest reason why women are fond of men with impeccable taste in fashion is the fact that it gives them bragging rights. Honestly, who wouldn’t fancy a boyfriend or husband who makes it a daily habit to dress like a model? Females blessed with such companions are bound to flaunt their dapper mates to colleagues, relatives and even neighbors! Let’s face it: Women have this need to look their best. And they can’t look their best without an equally good-looking and dashing mate by their side.

That’s why physical appearance matters. If you want to date good-looking, well-dressed, presentable women-and who doesn’t?-you need to be aware that such women are highly unlikely to work that charm on someone whose fashion sense is totally amiss. As the saying goes, birds of the same feather flock together. It is the man who likes to preen himself on a regular basis that’s more likely to captivate the type of woman who has a fashion sense of her own.

A bit of advice

Men who want to invest in fail-safe wardrobe pieces can rely on a striped tie with subtle patterns. Striped ties command attention and respect. They comes in various colors and patterns, suitable for any type of occasion and every season. You can never go wrong with a striped tie. One of the most popular designer labels for men’s accessories is Paul Smith. His exquisite silk ties are a hit among men who know how to flaunt their masculinity and style with very little effort.

Fendi has a sophisticated range of neckties with striped designs, one of which is the traditional signature line with a diagonal stripe pattern and the designer’s logo all over it. Another classic accessory is the pinstripe tie, possessing the same exquisite handiwork of the Italian label.

Today’s trends in fashion not only allow women to look their best. Men also have the right to be as stylish as they can be. And with the right suit ensemble, the fashionable man can move with great confidence and make the world his catwalk as well as his pedestal.

And of course, the eager female partner would be all too happy to escort him in his walk to fame.

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