I have a love for art. I’m not an artist per se but I’m definitely one of those creative people who is always attending art gallery openings and going to art museums. And since I’ve seen a lot of art, I’ve also started to see patterns in art that I didn’t notice when I first started frequenting these types of places.

One of the things I’ve noticed is that there are a lot of objects that turn up again and again in mixed media and found art pieces. These are objects that you wouldn’t typically associate with art but which you’ll find in many art displays nonetheless. For example, I’ve recently seen the following objects in more than one art display around town:

• Tins for mints. Perhaps it’s because these are so common or maybe not but for some reason they are constantly turning up in art.
• Traffic safety products. Things like traffic cones must disappear from the roads a lot because they’re often in galleries.
• Chunks of big products. Car parts, pieces of jersey barriers and other bits off of big things are repurposed in sculptural art quite often.

I suppose that part of the reason that these things end up in art is because there are a lot of them waiting around to be used but sometimes it surprises me just how often these odd objects become art pieces.

Technorati Tags: traffic safety products, traffic cones, jersey barriers

The holidays are often so stressful and busy that we don’t really have time to enjoy them. What many people don’t realize is that the holidays are a whole lot more relaxing if you enjoy them at a different time of year than when they normally take place.

For example, spend the summer making personalized gifts and then host a "Christmas in July" party for everyone you know. This brings all of the fun of the holiday season without all of the stress that normally accompanies it.

This can be done with other holidays as well. Pull out the dog halloween costumes, the wizard of oz costumes and the other costumes that were worn last Halloween and throw a big costume party. Or just get out the superman costume for the kids to play Halloween with during a long summer day.

These events aren’t going to take the place of the original holiday. You’re still going to need to meet your family obligations when the real holiday comes around. But these experiences can remind you about the fun that these holidays are supposed to be about.

Pick your favorite holiday and figure out what you can do to have fun with it. You’ll be surprised by the seasonal boost it gives to your life!

Technorati Tags: dog halloween costumes, superman costume, wizard of oz costumes

If you have a pickup truck then you should have a toolbox for that truck. That’s because there are so many times when it is convenient to be able to store items in a secure spot in the bed of your truck.

Here are just a few of the times when you might want to store things in pickup truck toolboxes:

• Taking tools to a job site. Whether you work construction or you just need to help out a friend with some home improvement, you don’t want to leave your tools lying around in the bed of the truck where they can be stolen or ruined by the weather.
• Camping. You’ll have lots of stuff to take with you to a campsite and it’s nice to be able to organize them in the toolbox. Trailer tongue boxes are great if you’re taking a trailer on the trip.
• Hiding gifts. Your spouse is never going to look in the bed of the truck for items that you’re planning to give as a surprise. And it won’t seem suspicious that this box is locked.

Truck toolboxes and tool totes are just really convenient for a whole lot of different times in life. You should consider this if you’re in the market to make a purchase of accessories for your pickup truck.

Technorati Tags: pickup truck toolboxes, Trailer tongue boxes, tool totes

You may find yourself wishing that you could take a vacation this summer but knowing that there’s just no way that you can afford it. Even with the help of your stimulus check, you just can’t cover the high cost of travel right now. While this can certainly be disappointing, it doesn’t have to completely ruin your summer. There are ways to make it feel like you’re on a summer vacation even when you’re really still at home.

For example, you can opt to transform your bedroom into the type of room that you would stay in if you were at a hotel. Purchase some tropical bedding and stick a stack of summer reading books on your bedstand to make it feel a little bit like you’re staying on an island. Or get polka dot bedding and hang some modern art to pretend as though you’ve taken a vacation to a cool art hotel in Europe. Interested in a ranch? Get some horse bedding and daydream a little.

Supplement the change at home with little day trips and activities that take you away from your normal routine. For example, spend a weekend at the library learning about all of the beaches in a particular area. Or make a list of the art museums and galleries in your city and create a plan to visit each of them once this summer. Find a local stable and volunteer to clean out the stalls in exchange for some horseback riding lessons. As long as you’re willing to get creative, you can have a summer vacation right in your own backyard.

Technorati Tags: tropical bedding, polka dot bedding, horse bedding

Moving in to a custom-designed dream home is an exciting experience. In theory, it should bring couples closer together. But the process of choosing house plans can end up causing problems within even the strongest of relationships. Whereas you may have been willing to compromise on the details of the homes you bought together in the past, the creation of a completely custom-designed home can cause you to be a lot more stubborn about the specifics.

The following tips should help you effectively communicate about house plans with your spouse:

• You should each make separate lists of the items you absolutely "must have" in the design of the home. Exchange lists and circle anything on the other list that is an absolute no-no for you. These are going to be the problem areas that you’ll know that you have to discuss.
• Make a list of all of the areas that you don’t care that much about. For example, you may be indifferent to the garage floor plans. Finding areas where one person can shine because the other doesn’t care will help make the home feel more balanced.
• Always discuss the issue calmly, respectfully and as though you really do believe that you’re going to find a solution to the problem. Keep in mind that you’re creating a home for your future and that future should be built on great communication.

Moving in to a custom home can be really stressful. Don’t let that stress come between you and the person you want to share the home with.

Technorati Tags: house plans, garage floor plans