Thrillers are a great way to get a reluctant reader into literature. It can be hard to get teenagers interested in literature but a thrilling novel with a real hook and a shocking twist can be a gift for discussion, engaging teens and encouraging them to read more and enjoy other titles. There are many different thrillers on the market for teens and here are five which may appeal to many different types of reader.Continue reading →
With Christmas only just passed, Valentine’s Day is just round the corner. These celebrations just keep sneaking up on us quicker every year. You’re probably still feeling the sting in your wallet but with a little pre-planning, there is no need for a lame gift or a late night trip to the petrol station for the last remaining, withered bunch of flowers. Here are some handy tips so you won’t get left out in the cold this February 14th.Continue reading →
Build the perfect relaxation and play space for your baby from the bottom up by choosing the ideal flooring for your little one’s new nursery. Making the right choice can seem quite difficult, however, given all of the different functions that you probably want the flooring to perform.
You may want something that looks warm and cosy but is also easy to clean and not a magnet for dust and dirt. You might also be thinking about the future and the need to cater for an enthusiastic crawler or rambunctious toddler. So, what flooring should you go for and what should you consider when making the right choice for you, your home and your baby?
Comfort and cleanliness
You may want to create a homely room where you will sing lullabies as your toes dig deep into cosy shag pile, but deep and luxurious carpet may not be the best choice if that gloriously relaxing room will eventually become a play den for an excitable – and very messy – toddler. A better option might be easy-to-clean and versatile white laminate flooring. Rugs can then be added to add comfort and protect little knees.
Keeping a clean and dust-free nursery can be especially important if your baby is prone to allergies or if you want to minimise the possibility of snuffles affecting both your child’s sleep and your own. Advice on allergies and new babies can be found on the Allergy UK website at https://www.allergyuk.org/advice-for-parents-with-a-new-baby/advice-for-parents-with-a-new-baby.
Colour and pattern
You don’t need to be restricted to blue for boys and pink for girls but it is a good idea to choose colours and patterns that will withstand the test of time. It is much easier to add a different rug to a quality neutral floor from companies such as http://www.woodfloorwarehouse.co.uk than it is to rip up the whole thing as your baby grows and your tastes change. Go for calming colours that also look both clean and fresh.
Moisture and mess resistance
If you are the cautious type, you may want to consider having some type of moisture resistant flooring in the nursery. This can be particularly beneficial if you are not planning to make changes for several years and the floors are likely to have to cope with water play, potty-related accidents and night-time juice spills.
If you’re faced with more personal debt than you’d like, and your monthly bills are constantly eating into your hard earned wages, it’s time to take a serious look at your finances and begin paying off your debt as fast as possible.Continue reading →
If you own and manage your own business, then you’ll know that in a competitive market place, reducing your business running costs will make all the difference between success and failure, or profit and loss. To remain competitive, energy bills in particular are an area worth looking at, as ever rising energy costs put unnecessary strain on your overheads. So read on for three increasingly popular ways to reduce your business energy costs.Continue reading →
Have you ever had to make a decision about what colour to paint your front door? Knowing that it will be there for many years and be seen by many can make this an agonizing decision. Did you realise that different colours symbolize different meanings? So, what does your front door say about you?
Many cultures have complex interpretations of the colours we choose to decorate our homes with, and in particular, the front door. As the ‘mouth’ of the home, it symbolizes the flow of energy, opportunities and luck that might come knocking. For Dublin Composite Doors, visit http://www.keanewindows.ie/composite-doors.html.
Red doors have huge cultural significance in many faiths and religions. In Feng Shui, a red door is welcoming and it meant the same in early American tradition too. A red door signalled to travellers that here they would find a welcome, warmth and a place to rest for the night. In scotland, a red door means you’ve paid off your mortgage! It is a bright, friendly and vibrant colour for a front door and suggests a passion for life.
White is a very popular for doors and throughout history this colour has represented purity, virtue and peace. Similarly, cream is the colour most associated with having a peaceful home.
Purple is an interesting one and is not seen a huge amount. Some people believe that you can improve your luck and opportunities by painting your front door purple. Apparently this will help if you’re looking for a better career or better health, so what are you waiting for? It symbolizes energy and is thought to attract good things your way. The only exception to this is if you have a northwest facing door which you should be painting white, silver, grey or gold.
Green is a colour that is popular in hospitals and surgeries due to it’s peaceful, calming effects but could this work for a door? A light shade of green is great for representing balance, compassion, harmony and peace so is indeed a good choice for a front door.
If you really want to make an impression then how about yellow? This colour is said to evoke mental clarity, wisdom, humour and confidence so if these are the qualities you want to exude, then paint your door yellow. It will make a lovely, bright statement, especially on an overcast, grey day and people with yellow doors are said to be the happiest and most welcoming hosts.
Dark blue is another colour that evokes peace and calm and is said to attract a great deal of positive energy into your home. Blue represents many things in nature, such as water and the sky. Feng shui incorporates this hue and it is thought that it shows your home to be abundant, prosperous and peaceful.
People with pink doors are the most outgoing and cheeky and grey is meant to represent sincerity and honesty. Black is, apparently, the colour chosen by those who are most mysterious. Maybe this is why No.10 Downing Street is black – we never really know what’s going on in there!
2016 was an interesting year for web design; the minimalism of flat design became a common theme across the web, responsive designs finally became the standard for mobile-friendliness, and progressive web apps that can run offline became the next big thing.
But as we know, the web is a unique environment which is constantly evolving and changing. New design concepts, tools and techniques are being developed all the time. That means as we look forward to 2017, there will be lots of new trends on the horizon, ready to refresh and rejuvenate the web in the year to come.
While we’ve seen a lot of amazing website designs over the past year, we’re excited to see what 2017 has in store. Let’s get a head start by looking at the top 4 website design trends that have already started to crop up, and are expected to dominate the web in 2017.
The end of flat design
It was good while it lasted, but many designers are beginning to feel that flat design has taken the personality and creativity out of website design.
The trend that focuses on stripping away ornamental elements to make way for open space, crisp edges, bright colours and two-dimensional illustrations has been huge over the last couple of years. But due to its widespread popularity and uptake, we’ve reached the stage where new websites are starting to look a bit samey, with not much to differentiate one from another.
In 2017, we think it’s time to start waving goodbye to flat design, and instead make way for layouts and designs that are more imaginative and unique.
Bold typography and imaginative heading styles
Typography is a powerful visual medium, and one of the most important elements in creating personality and evoking emotion.
While we’ve seen lots of basic heading styles (sans serif, all caps etc.) on websites over the last couple of years, we’re starting to move away from those now in favour of something a little bit more inspired. So, be prepared to see an increase in flamboyant and expressive typefaces, and over-sized heading styles over the next 12 months.
Check out this example from Simple who make good use of interesting and engaging typefaces.
Authentic photography
Photography has always been an important aspect of website design and really can make or break any website.
Now more than ever, people are looking for authentic brands to connect and engage with – make it easier for them by ditching any cringe-worthy stock imagery, and instead opt for impressive and professional shots that really highlight your products and services in the way you want them to be seen.
Hand drawn elements and bespoke illustrations
As we may have mentioned, web design in 2017 is all about originality and authenticity – what could be more authentic than hand crafted icons, fonts, buttons and graphics?
A talented illustrator will be able to create artworks that are full of personality, consistent with the tone of your brand, and totally unique to you. Hand-drawn elements add a nice touch to any website, and we predict that you’ll be seeing many more of them in the year to come.
Take a look at this example from Brooks Dry Cider, who uses on-brand illustrations based on its product packaging for the pages icons and imagery.
So, there you have it. If you’re thinking about commissioning a website makeover in 2017, why not get in touch with MA Design, web designers in Cheltenham who can give you further guidance about up and coming design trends, and how to use them in your own website?
Both professional furniture restorers and people who do it for a hobby, have the desire to see an unwanted piece of damaged or old furniture restored to its former glory. There is a buzz when you save something from becoming waste and turn into something to be loved and used again. Where others see rubbish, they see potential.
The idea of restoration is to return the item, as close as possible, to its original state. Often it can be quite a big task and needs more than just cosmetic improvements but requires detailed fixing to make the item usable. If you’ve spotted an item that looks ideal for a project then make sure you know you have the time to devote to it. Often the project will take longer than you think and can turn into a bit of a chore if you don’t have the time for it. Some tasks will be complex and the time it takes will also depend on your skills. If you’re a beginner then it is best to start small and see how you get on. If you have to remove rust then that job in itself can take days so bear this in mind before you take something on.
Another important thing to remember is before you start stripping and sanding an item, make sure you know what it is you have. Inspect your item for marks or labels that might reveal it as a valuable and a real vintage piece. Removing any markings could leave it worthless so make sure you do a little research. Look at the screws and take a look for dovetail joints as these are a sign of age and normally an indication that something is well-made.
Can you make money from restoring old furniture? You could easily set up a business once you’ve established your skills and have a few restored pieces to show in your portfolio. You would need to make a decision about how much you can invest in restoring each piece and how much you can expect to sell it for. If a piece isn’t valuable, it might be an exciting challenge but is not likely to sell for very much. Some items might just require a quick fix but others will become money pits. Popular items to restore include Cast Iron Baths.
Keeping safe should be your top priority as nobody wants to get a splinter in the eye. Wear long sleeved clothing to protect your skin from chemicals which can be found in wood strippers and varnish. Safety glasses are a must to protect your eyes. A mask will also protect you from strong vapours that are produced when stripping or varnishing. Working in a well ventilated room is also a must.
Before starting any work, give the item a good clean as if it’s old then it’s likely to be covered in a layer of grime and dirt. A good scrub could reveal a lovely finish underneath meaning less hard work for you to do! Vegetable based oil soap and warm water is advised and a toothbrush is useful for all the nooks and crannnies.
If you love your wine then what could be better than taking a trip to spend time at some the most beautiful vineyards in the world sampling the fine vintages. So, pack your bags and head off to one of these top wine making destinations and then you can recreate the joy when you return by ordering from an Online wine merchants in Northern Ireland. For more information, visit http://thewinecompanyni.com/.Continue reading →
Whether you bowl competitively or just enjoy it as a social activity, it is important that you choose the right ball. For those who take the game seriously this means making sure you purchase the right one for you, while for others, it is important to make the right choice at the bowling alley. Here we offer some tips on choosing the right ball for you.
Ten pin bowling is having a resurgence in popularity, demonstrated by the fact that according to Sky News, the company Tenpin who run 30 bowling sites in the UK are planning a stock market flotation in 2017. This means that for competitive bowlers at least, there will be more competition, making the choice of bowling ball even more important.
Look at the Lanes
If you are purchasing a ball then where you are bowling is important, as not all bowling lanes are the same. It makes sense to think about where you will bowl most often. If necessary and if you can afford it, then you might need to invest in more than one ball to suit different lanes.
Best Weight for You and Your Style
This applies whether you are bowling for a team or playing socially. Make sure that the ball fits your technique. It is also important to get the weight right – choosing the heaviest ball is not always the right choice and could be dangerous. Try repeatedly swinging the sort of weight of ball that you want to use. Your arm should not feel too tired at the end, or it is too heavy for you.
Get Advice From Other People
It is worth seeing if you can try a ball belonging to someone with a similar bowling style, and getting advice from other people on the benefits and problems they have faced is always a good idea.
If you are choosing to purchase bowling balls then use a pro shop. Pro shops are able to offer advice about choosing a ball and are often manned by staff who have plenty of experience, while online pro shops such as http://www.petesproshop.co.uk/acatalog/bowling-balls.htm will be able to offer reviews from other users as well as allowing you to compare prices.
So whether you are purchasing a ball or choosing one in a bowling alley, there are lots of things to consider.
