Happy Easter everyone!  I know this is a bit late but when I originally typed it, believe me it was relevant. 

Here in the UK we have just gone over to British Summer Time which means we had to put our clocks forward by one hour giving us one hour less sleep!  On the plus side, however, it does extend evening daylight. 

Sorry this newsletter is late this month but this is due to a problem with the people I normally use to relay these messages.  I went to send the ezine over the weekend only to find that they had withdrawn, without prior notice, the free service to people with over 1000 subscribers.  As their proposed charges were fairly high, especially as the services they offer are not the best in the world, I had to hunt around for another suitable provider.  Once found, this involved transferring the complete list over to the new company and, then it means that everyone on my current list will have to confirm their subscription before receiving any messages.   

That was bad enough but, lo and behold, there were problems with the new site accepting the list, instead of taking 500 names at a time it would only take 2, then after contacting them it improved to 50 but it still took a whole day to reinstate the list.   

Problem solved you may think  – not on your life!  Hundreds of the confirmation messages have bounced due to spam filters and, at this moment in time, I am not sure how I can get over this one as even if I contact each one individually, they will still have to receive the confirmation message in order to be added to the list. 

I tried to send emails to everyone to explain the situation but, after the first ten had been despatched, my server rejected further any further attempt to send to multiple addresses – obviously has a very efficient spam filter. 

It is all a bit annoying really, as it has taken a long time and a lot of hard work to build up the list in question. 

Anyway, enough of my problems - if you are receiving this, I can only thank you for sticking with it and for your continued support. 

Answers to last month’s Music and Business quizzes

Lanarte Cross-stitch kits - news

Ten Creative Headboard Ideas

Trivia Quiz

Choosing Child proof upholstery

Self-Catering Villa in Spain

Book Review – No More Clutter by Sue Kay

Remove stickers from a car

Complete Gardening CD Rom

How to blow out a raw egg – for decoration

Laugh-In

MUSIC QUIZ ANSWERS

 1:  Cilla Black

2:  Mary Martin as Ensign Nellie Forbush (South Pacific)

3:  Mozart’s father, Leopold.

4:  Grane (The Ring)

5:  The Southern States, USA

6:  The didgeridoo

BUSINESS QUIZ ANSWERS

1:  When translated it would become the ‘Doesn’t Go’ car.

2:  Unilever

3:  The (International Brotherhood of) Teamsters

4:  Nautilus

5:  When the spot price exceeds the future price.

One of my hobbies is cross-stitch and, as I know this is also very popular elsewhere, I thought it worth mentioning something which has recently come to my notice.

Here in the UK we can only buy Lanarte designs in kit form;  unless purchased from America on the internet, charts alone are not available.  It now transpires that having bought the complete kit, due to the fact that Lanarte refuse to provide manufacturers’ floss numbers used for the design in question, the chart can only be used once.

I have raised this with Lanarte who responded as follows:-

“In response to your e-mail dated 28 February last, we herewith inform you that the copyright (intellectual ownership), which we have on our patterns means that the pattern may be used only once. To gain a better insight we would like to inform you as follows. 

The development of an embroidery pattern is a very labour-intensive process and very, very expensive. However, selling the embroidery pattern alone is not profitable. The profits have to come from the sales of the complete embroidery kit i.e. the ingredients of the kits such as the fabric and the yarn. 

In case the embroidery pattern is used several times (In practice  it usually means that a friend or relative is embroidering it also, because who is embroidering the same kit twice for own use?), it means that  it is at the expenses of the sales figures of our product, and that is exactly what we do not want to happen. 

In short, our company is dependent on the earnings of the complete embroidery kits. The reuse of our patterns is directly competitive with regard to our product and therefore a threat to the continuation of the company.” 

So be warned and warn your friends.  If they want to use a Lanarte chart more than once, match up the floss colours for the second use, before you begin the first!

Ten Creative Headboard Ideas for Frugal Decorators

by Pamela Cole Harris of www.homeandgardenmakeover.com

Need a new headboard, but don't have a fortune to spend? How about using things you already have or things that others may want to discard to make a custom headboard that is not only stylish and creative, but inexpensive as well!

Here are some ideas to help stir those creative juices (be careful not to spill 'em!)!

1. Use an old door. If you want a classic wood look, sand and stain the door to match existing furniture. Or paint the door and distress for a vintage look. If the door is paneled, the inserts can be painted a contrasting color, stenciled with elegant designs, or decoupaged with fabric or handmade papers.

2. Use a section of wooden picket or wrought iron fencing. The sections can be painted and fastened with bolts or hooks.

3. Use trellis. Decorate with ivy, silk flowers and ribbons for a Country French look or simply paint.

4. Use old window frames. Leave painted window frames as is for a distressed look. Or paint a garden scene (or use a wallpaper mural) behind the frames to give the illusion of looking outdoors.

5. Use folding screens. An elegant folding screen with fabric or painted panels can be easily attached to the wall or left standing for a simple headboard solution.

6. Use vintage napkins or placemats. The linen can be hung on curtain rod which is attached decorative rod holders just above the bed.

7. Use scrap plywood or MDF covered by cedar siding or paneling. The headboard can have a rustic, lodge look if covered by cedar shakes or a more traditional look if covered by tongue-in-groove paneling.

8. Use shutters. Stain or paint the shutters to create a country or cottage look in your romantic bedroom.

9. Use framed photos. Create an arrangement of photos grouped by size, frame color or theme to give the illusion of a headboard.

10. Use a quilt or tapestry. Mount the fabric over a shower curtain or café curtain rod using curtain hooks with a clip bottom. This looks great in a country or European-style bedroom.

If you use your imagination, tiles, strips of fabric, bookcases, the back of an old sofa, a large poster or wooden shelves can all be used to fashion a headboard. Look around your home! Look in the dumpster! There are hundreds of items which can be used!

Now…what can we make with these margarine tubs? Any ideas?

Home and Garden Makeover is copyrighted 2003 by Pamela Cole Harris

More equally interesting ideas can be found at www.homeandgardenmakeover.com

 1:  Who is believed to have had a vocabulary of 32,000 words?

2:  Who took more than three steps to heaven in 1960?

3:  What is measured on the Gay-Lussac scale?

4:  How did the jeep get its name?

5:  What is the opposite of a bird’s-eye view?

6:  According to Bram Stoker, to which popular holiday resort did Count Dracula float ashore in his coffin?

Five Ways to Choose Upholstery That Will Stand Up to Your Kids!

By Pamela Cole Harris of www.diy-homedecor.com

Is your family room a place where everyone can be comfortable? Or are you constantly worrying about the possibility of stains on sofas or chairs? Is your living room furniture "off limits" to all but adults because you are worried that having children within twenty feet of it will cause it to fray, pill, or wrinkle? Well, my advice is to "Lighten up!" and go shopping for slipcovers! Or if you are buying new furniture, find pieces upholstered in "kid-friendly" fabrics. Here are five easy ways to make certain your new upholstery is suitable for every member of the family! 

1. Fabrics with a higher thread count (the number of threads per square inch) and a tighter weave are more durable that those with looser weaves. They will stand up the hard abuse that your family dishes out!

2. Fabrics made of natural fibers will absorb stains more quickly than man-made fabrics, but they will clean up better. Fabrics made with man-made fibers are soil-resistant but don't clean up as well (those kool-aid stains may be difficult to remove!)

3. Highly-textured fabrics, such as tweeds, can fray easily when they get excessive use. The fabrics which stand up best to fraying are flat weaves such as cottons or jaquards.

4. Light colors show soil, while dark colors show debris and dirt. Why not try a medium color with a pattern? Patterns can hide a multitude of forgotten chocolate chips!

5. Buy washable slipcovers for whatever sofa you chose. It will extend the wear of the sofa and chair and help you relax! If something gets spilled, just throw the slipcover in the washing machine and refit it on the sofa while it is still slightly damp.

After you bring that spiffy new sofa or chair home, remember to rotate the cushions every month and vacuum them regularly. Doing so will prolong the life of the sofa. Maybe it will even last until the kids leave home! 

As Hints and Things has become more popular I have received many requests to place links on site.  This means I come across a lot of sites which may otherwise have slipped through the net.  

Just recently I was approached by someone in the UK offering a Spanish holiday villa for rent.  Their Restored Arab house is on the edge of a quiet village near Cadiar in the beautiful valley of La Alpujarra (Andalucia).  It is in a wonderful location which is great for a self-catering holiday - offering sun, good walks, nearby horse riding and mountain biking (also only 45 minutes from the Costa del Sol!)  

Their site at www.goingtospain.co.uk is full of useful information as well as wonderful pictures not only of the villa but also the surrounding area.  Prices are very reasonable so why not take a look?

BOOK REVIEW – “NO MORE CLUTTER” BY Sue Kay

The problem of clutter appears to be getting worse, whether this is due to our “throw-away” society (or should this be the “won’t throw away society”?); owning more material things, smaller homes etc., who knows, but it is certainly a growing problem for a great many people. 

Sue Kay is a psychologist, director of the No More Clutter organisation (www.nomoreclutter.co.uk) and founder member of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers UK – bet you didn’t even know there was such a thing!  She is the leading UK decluttering expert regularly appearing in the media. 

Decluttering and organisation is not exactly an exciting subject on which to write a book but Sue has managed to produce one which is easy and entertaining to read yet extremely useful in the advice it gives.

I must stress I cannot guarantee results; any remedy is undertaken at your own risk.

The first thing to try is WD40 (lubricating oil) – spray the sticker, then try to peel off the offending sticker.

If this doesn’t work, wipe away any remaining oil with absorbent paper or old cloth then use a hair dryer to soften the adhesive.  Keeping the hair dryer aimed onto the sticker, start peeling it back from one corner.  Stubborn or very old stickers may need scraping with a plastic or rubber spatula – do not use razor blades or anything metal as this will very likely damage the bumper.

Any remaining adhesive can be removed by a soft cloth dampened with surgical spirit or even vinegar should work.

Polish up the bumper with your usual cleaner.

Gardening appears to be a subject with worldwide appeal and one on which I receive many questions. 

I have recently come across a really good, quick and easy plant information  resource which has been highly acclaimed in the UK national press as well as by the Royal Horticultural Society.

This nifty CD-Rom finds plants for your specific garden conditions.  It is interactive which means you can find plants by name, colour, month, soil type and aspect.

It also contains expert plant care and pruning advice for each plant.

You can add plants to your own calendar list to plan and view your plants and be reminded when to prune as well as adding your own notes. 

This is an ideal visual plant database for both novice and keen gardener alike accompanied by 6,400 stunning photographs.

OK I know this is a little late for Easter this year but you never know when it may come in handy as lots of projects need an empty egg shell.

First carefully wash and dry the raw egg.  Then carefully insert a long needle, twisting as you go, push gently into the larger end of the egg to make a small hole.  Push the needle as far into the egg as you can.  This may take some practice.

Now use the needle in the same manner and make a slightly larger hole in the narrower end of the egg.  Carefully push the needle around inside the egg to break up with yolk inside.

Hold the egg over a bowl with the narrower end facing down;  place your mouth over the hold in the larger end and blow firmly forcing the egg out through the hole in the smaller end.  Be very careful not to swallow any of the raw egg as these can carry bacteria.

When you have removed as much of the raw egg as possible, rinse out by trickling water into the larger of the two holes.  Blow out this water in the same way as used for removing the egg.

To dry the egg, prop it up somewhere safe, with large end facing down.  Place in an old egg box to keep safely until use.

Don’t waste the raw egg as this can be used to make an omelette or scrambled egg.

This week the comedy has been provided by my sister, courtesy of her friends in America.

WOMEN AND MEN......  

1. NAMES

If Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara go out for lunch, they will call each other Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara. 

If Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy.

2. EATING OUT

When the bill arrives, Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back. 

When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

3. MONEY

A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. 

A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

4. BATHROOMS

A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from the Marriott. 

The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

5. ARGUMENTS

A woman has the last word in any argument. 

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument. 

6 CATS

Women love cats. 

Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.

7. FUTURE

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. 

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife. 

8. SUCCESS

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. 

A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

9. MARRIAGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. 

A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.

10. DRESSING UP

A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail. 

A man will dress up for weddings and funerals. 

11. NATURAL

Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. 

Women somehow deteriorate during the night. 

12. OFFSPRING 

Ah, children. 

A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. 

A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house. 

13. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Any married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

On that somewhat controversial note I will take my leave until next month. 

Oh, just before I go, don’t forget to enter our photo competition – all you have to do is send in your FUNNIEST or most EYE-CATCHING photo for a chance to win a 60cm x 40cm canvas print featuring your favourite photo.  Closing date 30th April, 2005.

Hopefully all the mailing problems will have been eradicated by the time next month's newsletter is due but if you are still experiencing difficulties or are not receiving the newsletter just email me at june@hintsandthings.com and I will send it to you direct.  The newsletter goes out the last week-end of each month. 

Regards.

June

www.hintsandthings.com

www.askjune.com