Quote of the Day - July 24, 2009

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.

- Henry Ford

Quote of the Day - July 23 2009

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

- George S. Patton

Quote of the Day - July 21, 2009

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

- Oprah Winfrey

Feather Boas

So lately, I've had this interest in Feather Boas. They're are just so many options and colors and it is such a glamourous accessory.

A feather boa is a fashion accessory that is usually worn wrapped around the neck like a scarf.

A boa may be made of fur, but it is usually made from various types of feathers: Ostrich, marabou, chandelle and turkey are the most common feathers used although non-feather boas are also available. Feathers used go through bleaching and/or dyeing processes and are glued and stitched into lengths called "ply". Sometimes more natural boas are produced. A lightweight chandelle boa may only weigh 65g while a 24 ply ostrich boa may weigh 200g. The more ply, the fluffier and thicker the boa. Boas are generally measured by weight (grammes), length and ply.




Types of feather boas

Ostrich — Thousands of long thin feather strands woven into ply are used to construct these very fluffy boas. These form the larger, Las Vegas showgirl type boas, as when they are coloured and woven into many ply, they can look very dramatic even at a distance.

Turkey — Many larger flat turkey feathers form these heavier boas which might weigh 120-180g and reach 30 cm in diameter.

Marabou — The fine down from marabou is used to form these very thin, and very fluffy boas.

Chandelle — Smaller feathers or "flats" from the turkey are used to create these lighter boas with smaller diameters.

Quote of the Day - July 15, 2009

I found this quote in honor of my upcoming weekend with the girls:

I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty.

- Imelda Marcos

The Fruitless Mulberry Tree

Last night when I was out with the dogs, I was reminded of a memory that was made in our front yard. First of all I love Summer. I love it for the fact that the weather is warmer and that the days last longer. I love the smells of the BBQ's when the neighbors fire them up to make dinner.

A few years ago, JD aka my husband John, used to have a part time job on Thursdays and would not be home till around 9ish. One of those nights (during the summer)The boys and I decided to have a Picnic dinner in our front yard. We have a HUGE fruitless Mulberry tree in our front yard. Our front yard hasn't changed much in over 10 years. The boys then were quite a bit younger. Michael's voice hadn't even changed yet and Kevin was still dragging around his favorite little "stuffy".

Back then, money was a little tighter for us, so I scrounged around the refrigerator and found some little Smokey sausages and eggs. I chopped up the sausages, scrambled the eggs up and we took our plates out to a blanket under the HUGE fruitless Mulberry tree. It's amazing how much fun a simple summer evening can be with your kids. We sat there, we ate, we laid on our backs and looked at the sky. I don't remember what we talked about, but everything was pretty much perfect. Definitely quality time with my boys. Quality time is defined as all parties have a GREAT time.

I'm not sure is Michael and Kevin remember this, but it's a memory that I will treasure forever. Our picnic in the front yard. And that fruitless Mulberry tree? Loads of memories come from that. Hanging Birdhouses from it, the kids climbing it when it was trimmed back, Michael raking the leaves from under it. And even now, just last week, Kevin and I were under it watching Roxy and Dude run around the yard like maniacs. I even challenged Kevin to try and catch the maniac dogs (since he's supposed to be so fast) We call them the greasy pigs when the dogs get like this. Kevin caught both of them. Me? I failed miserably.

I treasure these times and I can't wait to make new memories. Something about warm summer evenings. They're magical.

Quote of the day, July 13

People think computers will keep them from making mistakes. They're wrong. With computers you make mistakes faster.

- Adam Osborne