Sunday 28 June 2009

Still loving demonstrating at Coalport!

Having worked at Coalport China Museum for the past 4 years on a part time basis I can still actually say I still love it. It's the worst paid job I have had but the most fun. I don't do if for the money, I do it because I love it. Sitting there therapeutically making flowers all day while lots of people from around the country and world wonder past is great. Most stop and talk and are amazed at these little flowers I create and give me lots of praise. It is the nicest, relaxing, ego boosting job I have every had. I always enjoy it and come away on top of the world. It is like playschool for me, sitting there playing with clay and showing off - oh and talking!

So roll on the 18th of July when I will be back there to make another couple hundred flowers.

If you have artistic tendencies but don't use it I recommend you find an outlet. I have never been so happy since I "found clay" as it were and use it to get my creative needs met.

Tuesday 23 June 2009

How to find an unusual gift?

What do you buy someone who already has everything? When you ask someone what they want for their birthday they always say “oh I don’t know” or “I have everything”. Buying Christmas or birthday presents can be difficult. We are all guilty of buying the usual bottle of perfume, chocolates or flowers but little thought goes into buying these and they are a bit of a cop out!

There is nothing better than getting a surprise on your birthday. A present that you really love, and which you were surprised to receive. Sadly this rarely happens. I can pretty much guess what my friends, children and family have bought me when it’s my birthday. I don’t mind as I am grateful but sometimes I wish they didn’t waste their money. The presents I love the most and remember from year to year are the ones that are not the usual gifts but something that you know came with a lot of thought behind it. They say you can’t beat a handmade card and it’s true. I would much rather my children make me a unique card that took time and effort rather than a typical card from a card shop.

So how do you go about buy a unique gift for someone? Well you need to think about the person you are buying for. Do they have any hobbies if so what are they? If they love gardening, golf or any other sport you should be able to look for something on theme. Maybe they love music in which case you could find out their favourite artist and look for something unique relating to the musician. Most bands have websites selling items from their tours and so on. If they have no hobbies why not look around their homes and draw some ideas there. You might notice they like antique items or really modern art. With a bit of investigation you should be able to get some clues as to what would make a good gift.

The internet is a great place for finding unusual items as many people set up websites rather than have shops in towns and villages. There are thousands of unusual gift shops online by all sorts of enthusiasts, not just the general retail shops. Many people set up a store as a bit of a hobby and sell items that are of interest to them. So if the person you are buying for loves pigs or are just passionate about a TV program you can guarantee someone else is also keen and has a website dedicated to that subject. Even if they don’t sell items they might well have links to stores that are of interest to them.

There really are no excuses to finding that special gift. With a little bit of time and effort searching the internet you should easily find a great gift that will make your friend smile and make their birthday or Christmas. If you’re lucky the thought might get returned and one day you will receive a really thoughtful unusual present that you will really love.


For French Gifts and French Home Accessories or French Kitchen Accessories try the online gift shop Boutique Provencal.

Furniture to style the modern home

Are you in the process of furnishing your home with some new furniture but can’t quite find the right look? Generally those looking for furniture base their decisions on a number of things. Price, quality, uniqueness or durability are some of the main factors. If the price is the main concern then you will have a budget and look for furniture based within your price bracket. If however you are looking for an exclusive piece of furniture then you will want it to be top quality that will last for years to come. So where do you look?

A type of furniture which you may over look is rattan furniture or cane furniture. When thinking of cane furniture you might have an idea in your mind of some old rocking chair your grandparents have in their conservatory. Well you need to think again as cane furniture has evolved and there are some seriously stylish and unique items available. Cane furniture is made to last for years to come and some pieces are so durable you can leave them outside in all weather and they will still look beautiful year after year. The price for quality rattan furniture may not be cheap but what you get is exclusive furniture that you won’t find in many homes across the country. You will have a very comfortable living suite of dining suite that will really make your room stand out from others.

The colour of cane furniture which is available has also evolved. No longer are you stuck with the antique pine type of colour, you can now get items in black, java brown and red. You can still get the original can colour but there are also different variations like tobacco wash which is a darker version of antique pine. You can also get custom made cushions in any colour and shade of the rainbow. So if you want a black living suite with bright red or blue cushions this is now possible. You may have to wait as designer cane is back in fashion and it is flying of the designers shelves.

You might have noticed on a recent holiday that lot of hotels and restaurants have durable but beautifully stylish furniture and many are made from cane or rattan. They need furniture that outlasts the normal life span of a piece of furniture so they only buy top quality designer furniture. You won’t find furniture like this in any high street shop so where do they buy it from?

Looking for unusual and exclusive furniture can be quite tricky as some of the best furniture makers only sell to a number of outlets and finding these outlets can be the hard part. Some of the best furniture is not available in high street shops because the designers don’t want their furniture to become mainstream. These furniture designers only allow a number of online stores or go around promoting their furniture at furniture and craft fairs.

So if you have been looking for some furniture for your living room or sunroom but are having trouble finding the right style, check out rattan or cane furniture as you may well be surprised. You can use Google to search as there are many online shops dedicated to selling unique furniture. Don’t go with the first shop you come across as you may well miss a bargain elsewhere. Once you have found the furniture you want, do a Google search on that particular name of furniture. If for instance you came across the ‘Sea Breeze’ Furniture suite why not Google search that particular phrase and you will find every page on the internet with that furniture suite on it. You can then check and compare prices and get the best deal.

Carolyn is the webmaster of Sophisti-Cane, top suppliers in Cane furniture and Conservatory Furniture

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Home Extensions

I've just had the builders in and you couldn't fault these guys. Building Solutions Midlands did a great job on my home extension. You won't find nicer or more professional builders. They were actually tidy! I was surprised - they didn't think, "oh she can clear it up" which I have had from builders in the past!

If you live in or around Derbyshire check these guys out - you wont be disappointed.

Home Extensions Derby you won't find better builders than these guys.

New blog

A new blog hot off the press is http://casino-affairs.blogspot.com/ which is a Casino Blog full of lots of useful information about casinos and gambling. So if your addicted to gambling bookmark this blog.

Monday 15 June 2009

Casino Affairs

If you love gambling and Online Casinos then you will love the following site www.casino-affairs.com. It will help you find the right online casino, and the right game and information you are looking for.

If you are looking for a site to promote your gambling website then look no further than www.e-casinodirectory.com, which in an online Casino Directory which allows you submit links and articles all about online gambling casinos.

Great time in Cancun

I had a great time in Cancun and will be returning at some point for sure. For pictures of my holiday please visit.. http://cazamic.jalbum.net/Cancun%202009/