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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:23 am
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 10:48 am
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How to Make Your Own Easter Egg Tree
Many people want to decorate their home with symbols of spring and Easter, and an Easter egg tree is an inexpensive yet dramatic way to do so. Using a few essential Easter craft items and a few other things you can find around the house, you can transform a mantle, table top or bare corner into a festive and colorful spot for an Easter egg tree. You can even make two of these Easter decorations, one for indoors and one for the front porch.
What You'll Need: A large broken tree branch, about 2 or 3 feet long; gold or silver spray paint; an empty coffee can or flower pot filled with gravel; 18 plastic Easter eggs; thread; clear tape and ribbon (optional).
Preparing the Branch: Make sure the tree branch is clean and dirt-free. In a well-ventilated spot outside, spray the tree branch with the paint and let dry thoroughly. If you don't have or like paint you can use colored floral tape. When it is dry, place the base of the tree branch into the pot with gravel, and make sure it is secure. You can also use planter styrofome if it is a small branch.
Preparing the Easter Eggs: Open each egg, and tape a 6-inch piece of thread to the inside of the egg. Close the egg, and hot glue a ribbon bow to the place where the thread comes out of the egg. When you've assembled 18 eggs, you can begin decorating the Easter egg tree.
Decorating the Tree: Simply tie the thread to a bare spot of a branch. Vary the lengths of how the Easter eggs hang for a more decorative look. Then, trim any excess threads. For additional decorations, tie small ribbons into bows on the Easter egg tree branches as well.
Variations: Instead of using colored plastic Easter eggs, make blown Easter eggs. This involves making two small holes in each end of a raw egg with a needle. Then, gently blow out the inside until you have a hollow egg shell. Gently decorate the egg shells in the style of your choice, and attach the thread and ribbon with hot glue. Hang your crafted Easter eggs on the Easter egg tree to display the fragile spring décor. Also small beads and plastic insects like ladybugs, dragonflies, and butterflies can be super cute. Another cute touch is to cover the top of the gravel with easter grass and decorate the bottom with eggs and other Easter inspired things, like bunnies and chicks.
For details on April's signature flowers (the sweet pea), visit the Garden Forum
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 6:32 pm
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 7:49 pm
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Tips on how to make yourself stunning for the big day!
Planning for prom is not something you can do at the last minute or within the week of, otherwise you are courting disaster! Now is the time to start getting ready whether it’s picking out your dress or buying make-up.
What To Start Now
Skin - The last thing you want to do is greet your prom date with a face full of acne and dry flakes. If you are not already doing so, be sure to wash your face every night with a cleanser, apply facial cream, and spot treat any acne that does start to show immediately. Avoid foods that generally cause breakouts and drink plenty of water, at least 1.5 liters a day should be good.
Make-up - Don’t wait until the last minute to try out a new look or visit a new stylist. Plan your look out and use this time to practice, practice, practice. Alternate between emphasizing your eyes and lips but never do both at the same time or you’ll look like a hooker clown. Also, just like jewelry, balance your make-up with your dress. If your dress is on the plain side, go ahead and glam up, if your dress is very elaborate with patterns and multiple colors, go for a more natural look.
Hair – Same as the make-up, don’t wait until the last minute to try something new, start planning it out now. The prom staple for hair-styles is usually an elaborate up-do but don’t be afraid to wear your hair down, especially if you normally look awful with your hair tied back.
Leg and Facial Hair – Waxing is the best way to go but if you can’t afford it, shaving can be good to. If you want to use chemicals like Nair, test it on your skin before using to see if you are allergic. Never shave facial hair though, sit down with a mirror and tweezers and pluck, pluck, pluck! To avoid in-grown hairs from shaving, soak your legs in a tub of warm water for five to 10 minutes before shaving, use shaving gel and using a single-blade razor. When you shave, shave from the top of your leg to the bottom of your leg and only use a single stroke over each strip of hair. Use a lotion after shaving to help sooth any irritation and keep legs from getting “ashy”.
Your Weight – Once you buy a dress, try to not alter anything too greatly in your usual diet or exorcize routine. If you're too desperate in trying to look “fit” or thin for prom, you could end up with a dress that looks too baggy on you. Of course gaining weight is bad as well as your dress could either not fit or look too tight.
The Day Before
Waxing – DO NOT wait until the last minute to wax as some girls love to do. Since waxing can be very traumatic to the skin, waiting until the last minute can leave you with red, blotchy, or even puffy skin for your prom. Schedule your waxing for the day or two BEFORE your prom to give your legs plenty of time to heal. Use aloe gel after the waxing to help it heal.
Nails – Nails are also something many girls get the timing of wrong. If you get your nails done too far in advance, they may grow out a bit or get tiny scratches that dull the shine leaving you with a horrible manicure. If you get your nails done the day of, then they may still be a little “wet” or soft and get scratched or ruined very easily. Getting your nails done the day or two before, gives them plenty of time to harden overnight while decreasing the risk of minor bumps and scratches dulling the look and shine. Just like with jewelry and make-up, wear plain nails with elaborate dresses. Solid colors or French-tip styles are best.
The Day Of
Make-up – After planning and practicing your look, leave make-up application as close as possible to the last minute before you meet your date so it will look it’s freshest on your first appearance. Conditioner buying a fixer and hydrating spray to help keep you make-up from flaking or melting as the night wears on. If you can’t afford these, use a quick spritz of hairspray on your face and keep a small spray bottle of water with you to mist yourself throughout the night. Don’t forget to carry make-up remover and swabs with your make-up in your purse in case sweat and facial oils from dancing ruin your look and it needs to be fixed or touched-up.
Hair – just like make-up, after planning and practicing wait until the last minute, especially if your hair doesn’t like to hold curls for long. This way your hair can look crisp and neat as long as possible before the heat and humidity of the dance floor completely ruins it.
The Photographer
The second you enter the prom, your hair and make-up will be under stress from the heat, humidity, and motions. If you want to look your absolute best for the prom photos, get them out of the way first or as soon as possible. If you want to look a little leaner in your photos, stand turned slightly to the side with one leg out and arms up. Your purse can also be held in front of you to hide any belly bumps you may have.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 12:44 pm
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Prom Themed Scholarship Contests Prom isn’t just a night to live your fantasy of being a prince or princess, a right of passage, or even a time to dress up and cut loose. It’s also an opportunity to win some scholarship money for college. College is expensive and getting more so each year and the cost of books is rising as well, so I have hunted up two scholarship ‘contests’ that are tailor made for my fellow sparkles and that all important prom. The first is called Stuck at Prom brought to you by Duck brand duct tape. The premise is simple, you create your own fashion ensemble using duct tape and only duct tape, from the clothes to the purse and everything in between. Duck tape isn’t just gray anymore, it comes in colors and patterns, on rolls and sheets. Now it has to be creative, colorful, and you have to use Duck brand duct tape only, but hey, how hard is that. I mean, if duct tape can make a boat that floats just think what you can do with it for fashion. Go to http://www.duckbrand.com/Promotions/stuck-at-prom.aspx for all the details and to see past winners. The second is called The FIDM Prom Advise Scholarship Contest. The FIDM college hosts a scholarship contest through fashionclub.com. FIDM is the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. This contest is for a full year scholarship to FIDM. This years theme is Glee. To enter just Sketch a prom line inspired by Glee, including dresses and menswear, or Design a prom fashion boutique. For all the details, rules and regulations go to http://www.fashionclub.com/contest/prom-advice-2012/ .
Now there are plenty more scholarships and contests out there, but these are just my top two picks for my fellow sparkles. So good luck, party safe, and sparkle on.
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:37 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:38 pm
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SparkleMotionTreasurer Crew
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:50 pm
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cat_lol ~Sparkle Motion's Critter Moment~ cat_lol Now with giggling Kitties. Welcome to the second installment of Sparkle Motion's Critter Moment. Where we take a look at one of our many cute and cuddly animal friends. But first a warning.WARNING! Critter Moment contains images of cute animals doing cute things and pretty much images of general cuteness. Sparkle Motion does not take responsibility for any moment's of AWWW! you may endure while reading Critter Moment. Enjoy. emotion_kirakira Well with Easter coming in a few days its only proper for Critter moment to showcase a critter symbolic to the holiday even though some just consider it nothing more than a commercial mascot. I am of course talking about Rabbits or Bunnies as they can be called.
And now a few facts about the Bunny.Bunnies or Rabbits are small mammals that are found in many parts of the world. With more than half the world's rabbit population being found in North America Rabbits can also be found in southwestern Europe, southeast Asia, and on some islands in Japan.
The ears of a Rabbit which could be even more than 4 inches long, are mainly used to detect predators. Rabbits also have large powerful hind legs but interestingly while their hind legs have 4 toes, their front paws have 5 with the extra one being called the dewclaw.
Ever hear the phrase "Breeding like rabbits?" Its probably because of their rapid reproductive rate. The breeding season for rabbits is nine months with an average litter varying around 4-12 babies, and with baby rabbits being able to weaned at around 4-5 weeks of age and a doe being able to breed at 6 months old, if you think about it in one season one female rabbit could possibly produced around 800 children, grand children, and great-grand children. eek thats alot of fuzzy.Naturally rabbits are plant eaters that feed on grass and leafy weeds. Problem is though that their diets are heavy in celluose which is hard to digest, luckily they've found a way around it by passing two different types of droppings: Hard droppings and soft black pellets which are re-eaten immediately which means yes in a way rabbits eat their own poop, but by re-eating and re- digesting they end up getting all their nutrients. That's it for this edition of Sparkle Motion's Critter moment. Before I go, although this article was about the rabbit, one of the writer's asked if I could add some cute chicks to this seeing as its Easter and all so with that, this is for Witchy and my peeps!!Want to see a specific critter featured on the Sparkle Motion Critter Moment? Leave a comment and who knows you may just see it in a future installment.
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:33 pm
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 7:44 pm
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