History Of The Christmas Wreath

2338441Wreaths are more than just decorations. If you’re driving through town during the Holiday Season, you may see a Christmas wreath on almost every front door. Most people don’t think of the rich history attached to these beautiful Christmas decorations.

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The word wreath comes from the word “writhen” that was an old English word meaning “to writhe” or “to twist.” The art of hanging Christmas wreaths originated from the Romans who hung wreaths on their doors as a sign of victory and of their status in society. Women usually wore them as headdresses as a symbol of pride, and also donned them during special occasions such as weddings. Additionally, the victors of sporting events in ancient Greece were given laurel wreaths; This tradition still being used to this day during the Olympic games in which the medals are engraved with sprigs of laurel.

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Christmas wreaths are made by twisting or bending evergreen branches into a large circle which are then decorated with pinecones and a red bow. The circle shape of the wreath is made to represent Christ’s eternal love, his strength, and the creation of new life. Evergreens are commonly used in the construction of the wreath due to their heartiness throughout harsh winters and that they denote strength as well as immortality. Christmas wreaths in the Catholic tradition had four candles – Three of purple, symbolizing penance, and expectation, and one of pink to represent the coming joy. The four Sundays preceding Christmas day are embodied by the four candles that were lit each Friday of Advent at dinner along with a prayer. Similarly to Catholic customs, traditional Pagan wreaths were also evergreen circles consisting of four candles. These candles represented the elements of Earth, wind, fire, and water. Their wreaths were typically used in rituals that would ensure the continuance of the circle of life.

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Christmas wreaths are a beautiful decoration for your home or office that can really show off your true holiday cheer. Spread that holiday spirit and buy a Christmas wreath for yourself or someone you love!

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-christmas-wreath-image11182426

– Gerry Wilson

Original Story At: http://www.wilsonevergreens.com/christmas-wreath-history/#sthash.LpdyH4E5.dpuf – Written By Gerry Wilson

Do You Make These Simple Mistakes While Selecting Entrance Mats? – By Jason Phillips

Moisture and debris trapped inside homes or buildings can damage flooring surfaces severely. Basically, this mean you’ll have to mop, sweep and vacuum a lot more often. An entrance mat is the only support you have against harmful debris, dirt, and grit. This is a much cheaper solution than replacing floors. Furthermore, it’s a lot safer too; nobody likes to walk on wet floors. Entrance mats are not that expensive and they don’t even require a lot of attention.

Any type of facility, whether home or office buildings, demands entrance matting. They’re an excellent protective layer from falls and slips. Companies and homes should have such a mat at the entrance because they control the amount of dirt that enters that building; on top of that, they’re trendy and are available in all kinds of interesting models and designs. In special circumstances, entrance mats are also warning signs or advertising billboards. Considering they have such a diversified purpose, they do demand care and maintenance to function correctly and effectively. A lot of people don’t know how to purchase mats. They often make the mistake of buying the wrong size or they don’t think that material is important.

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Invest in Adequate Mats

Entrance mats come in a wealth of qualities and types. When it comes to keeping floors protected, there’s no room for compromise. It is important to invest in a powerful entrance matting system. Generally speaking, there are 2 common types of entrance mats used. The first type is a blending mat that removes larger quantities of debris, moisture and dirt from people’s shoes. These have various tufting levels, which basically mean that they scrape the shoe very efficiently, removing dirt and trapping it on the mat.

The 2nd type of commercial matting system has a wiper or finishing at the bottom. It is best during the warm seasons when people’s shoes are mainly filled with dust. As a company, you are advised to opt for a matting system. Placed correctly in areas with intense traffic, these have the capacity to trap as much as 90% of dirt.

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Periodic cleaning of your mats is mandatory

For a space to remain clean the owners must clean their mats periodically. Vacuuming a mat is the easiest way, although if you have anti static mats made of rubber, you can just shake them weekly and wash them every month with warm water. Dirt that gets trapped on a mat doesn’t spread throughout the premises of a home or building. If you make the mistake of buying a cheap mat, you’ll have to mop and vacuum the floor a lot more often to keep the air breathable.

Vacuuming mats properly – how to avoid mistakes

Many people don’t vacuum their entrance mats. They usually change them when they notice they are filled with dirt. This is a huge mistake because by the time you’ll notice the dirt, a large portion has already managed to lie on the floor of that building. Opt for vacuuming using a backpack or canister, or direct suction because the brush on upright vacuum cleaners has the capacity to stir up dust in various levels on mats with different styles and materials. Vacuums with direct suction provide deep cleaning; they use a carpet extractor when it’s impossible to wash them with pressure or hose them out. Avoid using soap during the process, or use in very small quantities. In wintertime, vinegar or a neutralizer are excellent; they remove salt residue thus keeping floors (and mats) protected. After you’ve cleaned them, make sure to leave them to dry. Don’t make the mistake of placing them back on the floor while they’re wet. Leave them on a fence to dry for a few hours.

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Don’t postpone the replacement of a mat

Extending the life or a doormat is a mistake. At some point, you will be compelled to replace a current mat with a new one. Sadly, very few people know when to do that and most of them do it too late. When mats don’t get replaced on time, cleaning a whole building become a nightmare. You risk spending over $1000 in equipment and maintenance, and you certainly don’t want that to happen.

 

DIY – Save Money by Making Your Own Furnishings

There are plenty of creative ways in which you can use DIY in the home to ensure that you are not splashing out on expensive furnishings. If you are a student, or you just want to do things a little more cheaply, it can make very little sense to be spending hundreds of pounds on things, when you could be ‘upcycling’ old furniture or making new stuff! Many people now go in for a certain style that is called ‘Shabby Chic’ which uses lots of reclaimed wood, battered antiques and repainted items, to make a feeling of carefully curated casualness throughout the home, a sort of run down affair that has been painstakingly achieved in many cases! Of course this style comes from seeing houses where people have decked out their rooms in a way that showed them to be indifferent to trends and luxury brands, but rather more interested in how things go together, and showing their own personality through it. Much of this style comes from doing things cheaply and for yourself, and if you are creative and think carefully about such things, then you too can achieve this.
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Have a think about what you need for your room. Say you need a coffee table, what kind of material would suit the room, and what size do you need? Many styles now use discreetly modern surfaces, shiny, and dark colored, rather than expensive wood veneers. You should have a look around local car boot sales, and on gum tree to see if anyone is giving away a nice old desk, or an interesting looking door, that you could make a table surface from. For instance, a dilapidated old desk could have the surface removed, sanded, and re varnished to look like a beautifully conditioned table top. You could then place it on a railway sleeper or two and make a perfect coffee table. Think about the juxtaposition of materials – painting a railway sleeper a deep lacquered black, or even a bright color could make it sit strangely but stylishly with the table top, giving you the kind of intriguing coffee table that prompts people to ask of the designer’s name! Of course the main fun in all of this is telling them that you made it!
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Try finding old scaffold boards for various uses. You can use them as is for interesting shelves, or cut them to size and nail them to wooden palettes to make an interesting looking platform bed! Again, if you wanted something a little less shabby, then you can sand and paint them any color you want. Try a glossy white for that beautiful french look, or matte black for a more modern, tactile feel. The most important thing is that you match it with the room. If your room is a fully carpeted living room with white walls, then you want something simple that won’t clash. If your room is old fashioned, then why not think about going a little more modern to offset the antique furnishings? Modern houses look great with a couple of antique bits in there, but perhaps try getting them cheaply and refinishing them in a new color to fit your home, and make them you own, as otherwise it may end up looking like a museum of design, rather than a harmonious living space! You can do absolutely anything you want to, but be sure to research all the methods beforehand, and be safe when you are carrying out all of the processes.

Find more helpful information by visiting: http://www.hiremanandvan.org/W4-movers-chiswick/removal-van-mover-chiswick.html

Baby Shower Diaper Wreath

IMG_5744What a great decoration/gift for a baby shower/Mom-To-Be. Start with a wire wreath frame from your local craft store. Use festive colored ribbons and tie diapers on so the opening is on the outside and tie bow. Add large festive ribbon bow to the top and make a hanger loop at the back top. Would make a great inexpensive decoration for a babies room also.

Ice Cream Door Stop

392838_316372798489211_1634554435_nThis is such a great item – would be such a laugh to look down to see this in someones home. This is just one of those little things I like that i wanted to share.