Hat Magnets: Change the Look of Your Hat in Seconds

     Hat pins used to be all the rage back when women wore dresses to the floor and flower-covered hats. Those hat pins were long straight pins with a decoration on one end and a cover for the sharp pin at the other. Hat pins are still around but are much different now. With a barb on one side, and a design on the other, the pin is worn on the hat by pushing the barb through the hat and securing it with a clamp-type hardware piece.

Hat pins really change the look of a hat but there's one problem: you have to push a metal piece through and actually tear a small hole in the hat! So, you go out and purchase that fifty dollar ball cap, or two hundred dollar cowboy hat, then come home and shove metal hardware through it. That's got to hurt! Forget poking holes in your favorite head wear; use a different technique to decorate hats.

Flat, square or button magnets offer you a solution to ruining your hats. You can change the look of nearly any hat in seconds without ever poking the first hole. Now you can make a single hat look like many! Since there are zillions of things that are magnetic, or can be made magnetic, there are no limits to the different designs you can create.

Craft stores offer a huge selection of things you can use to give your hat a make-over. Flat, wooden shapes can be painted and otherwise decorated. Glue a magnet to the back of the shape and position the shape on the outside of the hat. Now reach inside the hat with a second magnet and align it with the one on the outside. The two magnets work together to place the wooden shape anywhere on the hat.

Hardware stores feature many wrought-iron and other metal pieces that look great on a hat. These pieces can range from drawer pulls to ceiling fan pulls to hardware you screw onto furniture for decorative purposes. Other things you can stick on hats with magnets include artificial flowers, a large button, fake jewels, belt buckles, jewelry and more.

You don't absolutely have to use button or square magnets to change the look of a hat. With something like fake jewels, for example, you can use magnetic sheeting instead. The flat sheet of magnet can be cut into tiny pieces and affixed to the back of the jewels. A button or square magnet can be used on the inside to hold the jewels to the hat. Magnetic sheeting can also be used to make ribbon or cloth bands for the hat. Add the magnet to each end of the ribbon and you can stick the band to the hat in seconds.

It's fun to make your favorite hats look different from time to time and magnets make it a breeze! You can create a hat to go with most any outfit in a matter of seconds and never, ever damage the hat! Emma Salkill. 

Free Toddler Dress Knitting Patterns

Acefast INC Kids Toddlers Girls Princess Party Flower
Solid Lace Formal Dress (100 (2-3 Years), Red)

Knitting Patterns for Toddler Dresses

Knitting items for your loved ones is a great way to give really personalized and cute gifts. There are many things you can knit besides just a scarf. Here are some free toddler dress knitting patterns that you are sure to enjoy making.

Free Toddler Dress Knitting Pattern #1- Abbey Child's Dress

This dress is a simple little dress that is almost smock like. The little pockets on the front and flowers by the neckline really make it adorable. This skill level for this free knitting pattern is intermediate, but if you are a brave beginner you can give it a try. The directions are very detailed and should be pretty easy to follow.

Free Toddler Dress Knitting Pattern #2- Baby/Toddler Sweater Dress

This dress will make you want to walk away from your computer and pick up your needles immediately. The best part is that that pattern looks pretty easy to follow. You could do a few of these in different colors and your little one will want to wear this cute little dress every day.

The pattern is available to be downloaded for free in a PDF file which is an added bonus. There is a cute picture for you to see what this little sweater dress will look like.

Free Toddler Dress Knitting Pattern #3- Bliss Dress

I can already see my little one wearing this cute little dress at Easter. There are great pictures that zoom in on the different parts of the dress so you can really see what it will look like when completed. The directions for this knitting pattern are very detailed and should be pretty easy to follow.

Free Toddler Dress Knitting Pattern #4- Elenka Summer Dress

Summer dresses are really fun for little girls to wear and enjoy and this little knitted dress would be really cute for a photo shoot or for a day at the park. This dress is made by using circular needles so you don't have to worry about too many seams.

The only seams are on the shoulders. It should be pretty easy to adjust the size of this dress since there are so few seams. There are a few lovely pictures for you to see how this dress will look when you are finished with it.

Free Toddler Dress Knitting Pattern #5- Knitted Kid's Dress

I can already see my daughter wearing this dress with some cute little tights under it. The directions say that you can knit this dress in 60 minutes; of course you might want to add some time to that if you will also be chasing your little one around while trying to knit.

The directions for this free knitting pattern are very detailed and explained very well. It does not say what the skill level for this pattern is, but it appears to be intermediate.

These are five free toddler dress knitting patterns that will be fun to make and have your little one dressed in style. You could even knit matching dresses for sisters. Ellen Burford 

Hate to Iron Clothes? Avoid the Iron!

Avanti D1101-1IS Automatic Cloth Dryer OB

Do you hate to iron? Do you iron your clothes? Do you just wear wrinkly clothes? Well, ok, ironing is not fun, it takes time, and it is never finished; just like laundry. You can have neat clothes without the iron. You will need to spend a little time to avoid wrinkles, but, not nearly as much time as ironing. You don't need any special equipment; just your hands and/or a few clothes hangers.

When you wash your clothes, and then dry them in a clothes dryer, make sure that you do not overcrowd the machines. If clothes are crowded in the washing machine, the machine will not function as well as it is intended to. Then, if a very large load of clothes is put into the clothes dryer, the clothes will be more wrinkled than intended . Do follow the guide for using your washer and dryer.

Use the proper setting for your clothes dryer; the fabric indicates the correct setting to choose. Using the wrong dryer setting may cause more wrinkles, and an incomplete or over drying of the clothes, again resulting in excess wrinkles.

Remove the clothes from the clothes dryer immediately after the drying cycle is complete and the dryer turns off. By removing the clothing immediately you may avoid many wrinkles that will form when the clothing remains in the dryer. Hang the apporpriate clothes on clothes hangers; then fold the clothing that will not be hung up. I place the items to be folded over the dryer door as I remove them from the dryer as I continue to hang the other clothes on hangers. Then, after all of the clothes I am removing are hung on hangers, I continue to fold the clothes I have placed over the dryer door.

When you fold clothing from the dryer, do it as soon as you can, while they are still warm. Use a flat surface where you can place the item to be folded. T-shirts are easy to fold on a flat surface; place the shirt on the flat surface, smooth the fabric with your hands, using one shoulder edge and one bottom edge fold the shirt 1/3 towards the center, smooth the fabric, fold the other side in the same fashion toward the center, smooth the fabric; then, fold the shirt from the bottom edge in half towards the top.

Panda Small Compact Portable Washing Machine 

Fully Automatic 11lbs PAN50SW

The shirt should lay flat, be smooth, and not show any wrinkles when unfolded to be worn. For shirts or blouses, follow a similar folding technique, buttoning the shirt or blouse before beginning to fold it. To fold jeans or pants, hold them by the bottom edge, align the seams, and shake them to create a crease, slide your fingers down the crease and fold the item in half. Lay the jeans or pants flat and store flat or place on a hanger.

By hanging, or folding, items as they are removed form the clothes dryer you will avoid most wrinkles and will not need to iron the clothing. If you miss the time that the dryer turns off, and the clothes have been in the dryer long enough to become more wrinkled than you desire, place a damp washcloth or hand towel in with the clothes and turn the dryer back on for at least five minutes. Check to see if the clothes are less wrinkled, and, hopefully you will be able to hang, or fold the clothes, to allow the wrinkles to fall out.You should be able to maintain most clothing in a wrinkle free mode without ironing. 

Happy laundry days! No ironing involved. No wrinkles, clean clothes, neat appearance. Mary Martin 

Steam Iron With Nonstick Soleplate

Top Colors for Bridesmaid Dresses

Bridesmaid Dresses Women Evening 

Cocktail Vintage Dress Chiffon Maxi Dress ($18.99)

Want to Know the Latest? Check This Out! 

Ever wonder how bridesmaid dress manufacturers coordinate their latest offerings so that they are in sync with each other? A quick check of three top bridesmaid dress manufacturers/distributors has led me to conclude that many bridal parties in 2010 will be wearing one of the following top colors:

1. Some variation of pink. Shades range from a soft, delicate petal pink to a pretty rose, to wildly hot fuchsia. No wonder this is a popular choice. Pink shades are feminine and flattering to most complexions.

2. Blues. I loved the various blues that I saw, royal blues, deep ocean blues. soft blues. Another very pretty, girly choice for a bridal party.

3. Purples. Rich and warm looking, the shades I saw seemed very flattering and would coordinate with a wide range of flowers (always an important consideration!)

4. Silver. I wouldn't have guessed this one, but I really liked the look of it. This is a color that may be a very good choice for a sophisticated bridal party, for a very formal evening wedding, perhaps.

5. Black. This is a choice that is gaining in popularity over the years. Once thought of as inappropriate for a bridal party as it was just too gloomy-looking, black is being seen on more and more bridal parties.

Does it have something to do with the wearability factor? Bridesmaids might actually wear these dresses again. Black certainly does look sophisticated and slenderizing, so if you can get past the gloom factor, you may wish to consider it for your bridal party.

The real news for bridesmaids dresses  is that short dresses are definitely in. This is a departure from the standard long gown that has traditionally been worn by bridal parties. The dresses I saw were mostly sweet and pretty.

Check out bridesmaid dresses on the following websites: dessy.com, davidsbridal.com , alfredangelo.com. After viewing the colors and styles, your only problem will be trying to choose among them. Clara Havens.

Maternity Wedding Dresses

Honeystore Women's A Line Chiffon
Sweetheart with Beading Maternity Dress

Top designers are turning out fabulous maternity wedding dresses. They are as elegant as anything with a style to please just about anyone. Maternity wedding dresses come in long sweeping styles with traditional trains and short styles as well. One hint. When shopping for maternity wedding dresses on the net, go one size higher and have a local seamstress tailor it for you. It is better than getting a size to small and having to return it. Also order your maternity wedding dress as far in advance as possible. Take a look at these examples of maternity wedding dresses and see of you don't find the perfect one. Happy shopping.

       Maternity Bride is an on line and off line source for some of the most beautiful maternity wedding dresses. They have stores maternitybride.com/retailers.html in Indiana, Georgia, California, North Carolina, Ohio, Canada, and the UK. Prices range from under $100 to just over $800. Sizes range from XS to XXXL and colors include white, ivory, champagne and blush. Styles are all modern and just fancy enough. Take a look at.

The Charlotte Maternity Wedding Gown it is made of taffeta and decorated with handmade taffeta flowers or The Stephanie Maternity Wedding Dress  which is made of chiffon with beaded straps and tiered chiffon skirt, but no train.

DressMaternity has a whole line of maternity fashions including maternity wedding dresses and maternity brides maid dresses. Prices start at under $50 and go to $950. All of them are custom made, so they are sure to fit, as long as you provide the right measurements. Maternity wedding dresses under $300 that are made of pure satin and look as lovely and are as figure flattering, are not easy to find or one which sells for $950 and is a combination of chiffon and satin and has beautiful lace sleeves. The rest of the line is just as tempting.

Nichole Michelle Maternity is a wholesaler who also sells retail. They have one very unusual a beautiful dress that would be so comfortable to wear. It is a two piece with beautiful lace. They also have some high end maternity wedding dresses such as the Princess Maternity Wedding Gown which is pure satin with pearls, sequins and beads. Crenolin is extra. It retails for about $799 and sizes go from medium to 3X.

Chiffon Ruffle Flower One Shoulder Floor
Length Pleated Maternity Wedding Dresses

Maternity Clothing Fashions has some very economical yet beautiful maternity wedding dresses. The Maternity Crystal Gown comes in Creamy Ivory and is sized S, M, L, XL wiht XL being 12-14. The skirt comes to just below the knee. Another choice is the Cloe Maternity Wedding Gown. It comes in five different colors, and sizes go from XS to 3 XL, which is 16-18. It is a floor length gown with a very full skirt. Regina Sass.

How to Get Ink Out of Clothes

            There are several situations wherein our clothes get prone to stains. As much as we do not want these to happen, it does at some point of our lives. When you say "stain", you know it is something that would require immediate attention and a lot of hard work with regards to getting it out and restoring the clothing item back to its original state. There are, however, some stains that are more difficult to remove than some. Ink is one of them. Even on hands, ink requires a lot of scrubbing just to get it out. How to get ink out of clothes is even more challenging.

The worst thing about ink is that most fabric types absorb them and it is just terrifying to see how fast they spread, not only on the item itself but also on the other clothes that you wash along with it.

People who have had an experience about getting ink stains on clothes would definitely be eager to find out how to get ink out of clothes. Whether you got the stain from an ink pot or a pen that leaked, it is important to get it out immediately before it makes itself comfortable enough to stay on the fabric's threads forever. There are several ways on how to get ink out of clothes. You may get some tips on the internet, magazines, or even from your mom.

It is, however, strongly recommended to be quite skeptical before trying it out, lest you want your ink stain problem to get worse.

When you see an ink stain on one of your clothes, do not panic and rush to the nearest bottle of bleach you have at home. There are some factors you have to consider first before finding a solution on how to get ink out of clothes. One is the type of fabric. There are ink stain removals that may work on some fabrics but could be damaging for some. Some fabrics may withstand rigorous scrubbing while some have fibers that are too delicate for harsh treatments. How to get ink out of clothes with delicate fabrics may require professional help.

The type of ink that is involved in the stain problem is also an important factor to consider. Different types of inks have their own different compositions. Water-based ink is the easiest to remove. Because they are water-based, water would effectively dissolve it if treated immediately. Ink used for ballpoint pens are harder to remove than the water-based type. Anything with alcohol content would usually work with this type of ink stain but you would still have to consider the type of fabric before choosing a way on how to get ink out of clothes.

Permanent ink, as the name suggests, is permanent, thus, making it the most difficult to remove. This may require a process that involves a lot of steps or a chemical that is strong enough to beat the ink's permanence.

There are several myths on how to get ink out of clothes so you have to be extra careful about getting too gullible due to desperation. The safest thing you could do is to put the fabric stained with ink under running water to see if it bleeds off. If not, then leave the fabric alone for the meantime while you research on ways to get it out of your clothes making sure you keep the type of fabric and ink in mind.

Do not hang the fabric to dry but do not soak it in water. Just leave it wet in a basin. Do not rely on the first information you get on how to get ink out of clothes. Keep looking and study each one until you find one that is proven and one that would work on your clothes based on fabric and ink stain type. How to get ink out of clothes may require tremendous patience and effort but if you really want to save your piece of clothing from being thrown out, then the patience and effort is all worth it. If all else fails, then you might need to find a professional at ink stain removal or you and your treasured clothing item might just have to part ways. Gladys Laciste.

Mini-Guide for Girls: How to Buy an Used Laptop

Looking to pick up a new laptop? Not wanting to spend a small fortune on said laptop? If this is the case, you may consider picking up a pre-owned laptop instead of plunking down a ton of cash for a brand new one. Not unlike automobiles, laptop computers depreciate quickly after being purchased. If you're willing to accept a little risk in buying used and don't need the very latest in performance, buying a used laptop can be a great way to grab a fantastic deal. Interested? Here are some tips to help you snag that spectacular deal!

For what will you be using the laptop?

This is very important. Knowing what you'll be using the laptop for can help you determine how much you'll need to spend. If you don't know what you'll be needing the laptop for, you won't be able to save any money in the purchase. Try to be honest with yourself about what you'll be doing with this computer. If you just need something to check your e-mail, write and browse the internet, then obviously you won't be needing the most powerful machine available. However, if you'll be needing to use the laptop for more high end graphics rendering and development, then it'd be wise to spring for something more powerful.

Learn the prices.

Now that you've determined what you'll be doing with this laptop, it's time to learn about the pricing. Start by looking at particular models. Take note of what features are generally available at the various price points. After studying the prices for a bit, you'll get a more informed idea of what to expect, and thus be able to more readily recognize a bargain. By putting in some time and a little work, you'll end up saving in the end.

Use the internet to your advantage.

To many this may seem an obvious point. Make sure to exploit every resource available to you online. Ebay, craigslist and countless other wholesale and used electronics outlets are available to explore on the internet. The more of these you check out, the better your chances of finding that great money saving deal.

Consider upgrading.

Let's say you've found what looks like an incredible deal on a laptop, but there's one key component missing. In such a case, you should consider the cost of upgrading that component into the final cost. Oftentimes, even with this upgrade, the deal remains a steal, and you still save alot of money. You'll find that often an upgrade isn't nearly as expensive as you might have expected.

Quality, quality, quality.

Buying a quality item is important in many purchasing decisions you'll make, and it remains equally important when buying a used laptop. Quality laptops last longer, encounter fewer problems throughout their useful lifespan, and generally cause less hassles than bargain basement junk. Spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a laptop can be risky, used or new, so making sure you're purchasing a quality piece of equipment helps to mitigate this risk. Research the brands and models you're considering by reading customer reviews and reviews written by professionals in the field. The time you take to make sure you're purchasing quality will pay off big dividends in the end.

Good luck in your pursuit of a deal on a used laptop. With these hints and tips in hand, and a little time and legwork, you'll come out with a quality laptop to meet your needs and will have saved a bit of hard earned money in the process. Johnny Eye.

Closet with surprises and fashion goodies: Vintage Dresses for Your Wardrobe

Closet with surprises and fashion goodies: Vintage Dresses for Your Wardrobe: V intage style clothing is making its comeback. Whether you fancy the '50s or 6'0s, there is no shortage on what you can find to a...