Novelty and Christmas Ties - Perfect Gift Ideas All Year Round

It's the typical gift to give men. Ties. Any color, any style, and almost at any holiday. Men receive neckties for almost every occasion, even on their anniversaries and birthdays. Don't forget the retirement parties or the newly hired parties, new dad, or bachelor party. There is probably a competition between women's shoes and men's neckwear when it comes to sharing a closet.

The tie has been worn for quite some time. Perhaps men who wear them normally have a job that requires some kind of detail oriented work and perhaps the maintenance and tying of a necktie shows just that. Every day, coordinating a suit or fancy shirt along with this accessory requires a certain amount of skill and color coordination. Some men and women wear them as a fashion statement and it's now even reaching a younger generation of teen and young men.

Novelty ties are something that is typically given on the holidays. Valentine's Day has its hearts and kisses and there is the Christmas necktie. Christmas neckwear is normally sporting Christmas trees and Santa Claus.

Christmas Themes

Some Christmas first editions were seen more as a joke or prank. People were given these less often and were seen as something to give a good sport. Novelty or classic Christmas ties can be purchased anywhere. You can find the best variety by shopping online, with almost any style and any color. These accessories are not so much a joke but a small comical relief to the office worker who wears them.

Thanks to simple electronic advances, silly Christmas neckties are now capable of flashing lights and sounds with the occasional glow in the dark. Glow in the dark Christmas neckwear consists of mostly stars and decorative lights, cute reindeers with glowing noses, a Santa Claus that Ho-Ho-Ho's when you squeeze him, and of course Christmas carols looping away attracting or repelling those around the wearer.

One can find holiday ties all about Christmas and then some. They can have snowflakes, pines, snowmen, presents and lovable known cartoon characters of almost every genre, wearing their winter's best. Some of the more wearable ones are not as flashy; they are of simple design, maybe with small mistletoe on the corner or a "Happy Holidays" written across. Some can have appearances by toy shop elves complete with a small jingle bell to finish off the look.

Conclusion

Novelty neckties can now be found just about anywhere in any style and at almost any price. Collectors' edition ties from the days when they first came out to very cheap dollar store ties with silly monograms are affordable enough to give to almost everyone you know. Novelty and Christmas neckwear is nonetheless still the gift that fathers and grandfather will keep receiving from their wives or children to keep the holiday spirit alive and the innocence going one tie at a time.

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Creative Holiday Gift Ideas for the Person Who Has Everything!

Tired of giving the same old-same old? Embarrassed to give out those impersonal department store gift certificates because you're stumped and don't know what to buy for the person who has everything? Well, here are some wonderful ideas for unique gifts; some unusual, some personal; something for everyone on your list!

Group two, three or more items (mix and match) and place in an interesting basket or unusual container to present your gifts, covering the container with colorful cellophane and topping it all off with a fancy ribbon and bow.

Purely Personal

- Scented candles, handmade soaps, bubble bath and a big fluffy bath towel.

- Fancy hair ties, hair clips, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner for the teenage girl

- A movie night basket with a video of DVD of a movie you know they don't have, a box of microwave popcorn, candy and a movie guide book

- An interesting book or magazine (and a gift subscription), a tiny booklight, a cute mug and packets of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, or a small bag of flavored gourmet coffee

- A cozy robe - one pocket containing envelopes of hot chocolate and the other, a small bag of mini-marshmallows.

- A spa day with a pair of comfy slippers and a big fluffy towel or robe

- A set of fancy beeswax candles and a brass candle snuffer

- A towel wrap, terry-cloth slippers, shower soap, shaving lotion and a fancy hair comb (or a special moustache comb for the moustached man!)

- A hot/cold pack (see how to make - www.whimsies-online.com/hotcoldpack.htm) with a box of soothing herbal teas and a whimsical mug

- Buy a variety of medium to large seashells and fill some of the shells with melted red wax and a few drops of cinnamon candle scent; and the rest of the shells with melted green wax and a few drops of pine candle scent; adding a short wick before the wax sets and you have an assortment of bath candles all ready for the holidays.

Holiday Bath Salts

2-1/3 cups of epsom salts

1/2 cup of sea salt

5 drops of peppermint scent

3 drops of red food coloring

Pour half of the first three ingredients into a bowl. Pour the other half of the ingredients into another bowl, adding the red food coloring only to the second bowl. Using a tall, clear bottle, layer contents of each bowl until all ingredients are used up (think red and white stripes). Close the bottle and tie with a festive ribbon and a couple of small candy canes.

- The Gift of Time: coupons for one night of baby-sitting, car washing, gardening, cleaning out the garage, walking the dog, re- arranging a closet, etc.

Hobbies and Sports Gifts

- Tickets to their favorite game and a sweatshirt or t-shirt imprinted with their favorite team logo

- Art supplies that they use often - sketch pads, paint in often- used colors, charcoal pencils, etc.

- Scrapbooking supplies, storage boxes to keep supplies in, rubber stamp set, embossing powder and heat gun

- Computer supplies: CDRW's, blank CD cases, a furry Pet Virus novelty or a Virus Survival Kit just for fun (www.petvirus.com)

- For the aspiring writer (or student): folders, pencil case, binders and lined paper, fancy colorful pens, notebooks, personalized notes, a good thesaurus and dictionary, an agenda or diary, colorful post-it notes and a personalized CD coaster to hold their favorite mug of coffee (see how to make one - http://www.whimsies-online.com/cdcoasters.htm)

- For the young artist of craftsperson: a craft box with handle; colorful paper squares, set of scissors with different fancy blades, glue, felt in an assortment of colors, wiggly eyes, lengths of colorful wool, colored pipe cleaners

- For the person who love to bake: a set of cookie cutters in letter and number shapes, a pair of colorful oven mitts, a cute timer, a set of fancy cake tins, mixing bowls, cookbook on baking

- For the BBQ chef: BBQ apron, mitts, a set of large salt and pepper shakers, a BBQ brush, a BBQ recipe book

- A large interesting piece of pottery, kitchen utensils, a cookbook, a set of cute salt and pepper shakers, apron and potholder set

- A fancy flower pot with gardening tools, plant ties, garden gloves, a plant care guide and a kneeling pad.

Fancy Food Gifts

- Chocolate-dipped Spoons: buy heavy clear plastic spoons and dip them in melted chocolate, either all dark or all milk chocolate or let cool and re-dip in melted white chocolate but only halfway up the spoon bowl. Sprinkle with abit of cinnamon before the white chocolate dries for a variation. Let dry on wax paper. Wrap individually in colorful cellophane and tie with a curly ribbon. Add a couple of chocolate-coated spoons in a fancy mug along with packets of gourmet coffee.

You can also add abit of extract or liqueur or even cherry juice to flavor the chocolate before dipping.

For another variation on the chocolate-covered spoons, sprinkle the spoons with finely-crushed candy canes and let dry.

Drizzle melted white chocolate onto your dark chocolate-dipped spoons or drizzle dark chocolate onto your white chocolate-dipped spoons for a different look.

- Here's a different twist to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Make up a batch, let cool and then dip them halfway into melted chocolate. For a variation, add a sprinkle of coconut or candy sprinkles before the chocolate coating dries.

- Here's a way to use up those little plastic coffee creamer containers you've been saving. Check out this yummy recipe: Coffee Creamer Cherry Chocolates - http://www.whimsies-online.com/cherries.htm

- Breakfast Treat Basket: pour a box of pancake mix into a clean glass jar. Add the lid, cover the top of the jar with a square of pretty scrap fabric and tie on a colorful ribbon or raffia. Type the recipe from the pancake box and print it out onto cardstock to hole-punch and add to ribbon before tying the finishing bow.

Add small zip-lock bags of the following: chocolate chips, dried fruit including raisins, walnuts, almonds, pecans, coconut. One or more of these added to the pancake mix makes a unique treat! Include a bottle of pancake syrup and the gift is complete.

- Muffin Magic: add your favorite muffin recipe to a 1 or 2-quart mason jar or clear, fancy container. Decorate the jar with a square scrap of fabric and tie with a ribbon or raffia. Add your recipe to a printed card (make sure you adjust your recipe if you've cut the ingredients by half to fit the jar!). Include a muffin tin, a wooden spoon tied with a pretty bow, a bag of fancy paper muffin cups and a colorful oven mitt or two.

- Pasta Perfect: an assortment of clear glass jars filled with fancy pastas, a wooden spoon tied with a festive ribbon, a shaker of mixed Italian spices and another of grated parmesan or romano cheese

- Your Fortune: mix up a batch of Chinese fortune cookies (see recipe at www.whimsies-online.com/weddinggallery.htm) that you add your own printed fortunes or silly sayings to (think Confucious Say!). Place them in a colorful tin from the dollar store.

- Caffeine-fix: a set of small tins filled with an assortment of special hot cocoa mixes and/or flavored coffee using the following recipes. Create tags for each to describe each mix and the directions. (All cocoa recipes: add 1/3 cup of mix to 6 oz. hot water. All coffee recipes: add 1 heaping teaspoon, or more, to 6 oz. of hot water)

Basic Hot Cocoa Mix

1-1/4 cup dry milk

3/4 cup powdered coffee creamer

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

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Mexican Cocoa

Add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to above mixture and a cinnamon stick to the tin when you tie on the recipe card.

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Cocoa-Malt

1/2 cup malted milk mix

1 cup instant cocoa mix

1/3 cup powdered coffee creamer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Very Berry Cocoa

Mix one package of unsweetened Koolaide in a berry flavor to 3 cups of instant cocoa mix

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coffee 'n Spice

1 cup instant coffee

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice or apple pie spice mix

1 cup sugar

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Mocha Magic

1 cup instant coffee

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered coffee creamer

1/4 cup dry milk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toffee Coffee

Mix equal amounts of brown sugar, instant coffee and powdered coffee creamer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Personalized Gifts

- An arrangement of family photos in a large frame - use nice gift wrap or other fancy paper as a background, or a collage of handmade papers from your art store.

- Any item personalized with the person's name: a t-shirt with an interesting graphic along with their name; a personalized coffee mug; a picture of their favorite hobby or occupation in cartoon form with their name; a silly caricature made from their photo; a personalized BBQ apron.

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You'll find a unique assortment of personalized cartoon pictures for any hobby, occupation or occasion and fun computer novelties including the Pet Computer Virus at:

http://www.whimsies-online.com. Be sure to pick up your free gift just for stopping by!

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What Does a Wart Look Like?

Learning About Warts

Whether you have always wondered what does a wart look like or you were just wondering what they actually are, you will find that there is actually a lot of misinformation out there about warts. When you are looking to figure out what you can do about a wart, whether it is on yourself or your child, you will find that the more information that you have about warts, the better off you are going to be. Take a look at some of these basic questions that people ask about warts and make sure that you know the answers.

What is a wart?

People often confuse warts with things like blisters or pimples, but the truth is that warts rise from a completely difference source. Warts can actually be defined as benign skin tumors that are caused by a virus. The virus lives in the skin and it will cause your body to replicate skin that is not very different from your normal skin. Warts are caused by some strain of the human papillomavirus, and different strains can result in different appearances from the wart in question.

What does a wart look like?

Warts typically appear on your skin in a cauliflower-like growth, or you will find that it can have the same appearance as a smooth hard blister. On thinner skin, like that of the face, you will find that the wart tends to grown in a very small, narrow column, while on thicker skin, these growths will fuse early on. Sometimes warts will have black specks seemingly embedded in them; these are actually just blood vessels that have grown into the wart and then clotted off.

Is there a root?

There is a common belief that as a wart grows up out of your skin it also grows down and into it, putting out a root-like system. The truth of the matter is that a wart does not grow down past the dermis, which is the second layer of your skin. The bottom of a wart is smooth, not rooted.

Are warts contagious?

Because warts are caused by a virus, there is a chance that someone touching a wart can get one themselves. Warts can go "dormant" for years on end, some people will never evidence them at all. Some strains are more virulent than others, and some strains will cause cervical cancer and other, more rare forms of cancer.

How do I make them go away?

When you are looking for wart treatments, you will find that there is a chance that your wart might disappear on its own. It is worth noting that in many ways, warts will come and go, stay or disappearing for years on end. To get rid of a wart, you can try over the counter treatments like salicylic or silver nitrate, or you can try treatments that are performed by your doctor, like cryotherapy or surgical removal.

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Tips For Planting Window Boxes For Year Round Beauty

Window boxes and other plant containers can be enjoyable year round.

Just because it might not be summer any longer does not mean those pots have lost their use until next year. Create some texture and color for winter box use. Below are a few ideas on what I mean. Remember: You are only limited by your imagination. I like the idea of finishing a window box off with moss for a more professional look, but is not necessary. Most all of these items can be picked up at your local market, greenhouse, garden center, or ordered from Greenwood Nursery.

Keep it simple and use what is available. For point of reference, I have used a 30 inch window box liner.

In spring, swap out the box liner with another liner filled with spring/summer blooming annuals or perennials. Your winter collection can be kept as is for several years. After a year some of the larger growing plant varieties may need to be relocated to your landscape so their root systems can expand.

Example 1: 2 rosemary trees in gallon containers (one on each end), 2 blue rug junipers in center, and sprays of evergreens, boxwood and bittersweet from walking in the woods.

Example 2: 3 heuchera plum puddings centered in gallon containers, and 4 sedum Angelina on the ends to provide wonderful contrast. These colors would look gorgeous against a house with white or other lighter color siding.

Ornamental grasses are so versatile to work with. The smaller sizes are just perfect for containers.

Example 3: 2 hameln grasses in gallon containers in the center, one blue glow fescue grass in a gallon container on each end, with 4 pachysandra green sheens planted between the grasses.

Sweet and simple is this look. On each end plant one gallon size emerald green arborvitaes, in the center plant two of the one gallon size acorus ogon grass adding 3 wooly thymes draping over the front.

Although the growth on most plants will have slowed during winter, without any regular rainfall, you may need to water every few weeks to keep all of the plants from drying out. Make certain that your planting container has several drainage holes. A few rocks, piece of tile or foam peanuts are good for placing over the drainage holes to keep them from getting blocked. Top the container off with moss or excelsior for a wonderful finished look.

Below is a listing of a few plants that in their young state, gallon containers and smaller, that work perfectly in window boxes and other containers. Don't limit yourself to just these varieties. Use what is available in your area.

Junipers-Ornamental Cabbage-Rosemary-Arborvitae-Creeping Thymes

Pines-Boxwoods-Pachysandra-Holly-Cool Season Ornamental Grasses

Small mum's-Evergreen Ferns-Heucheras-Ivy-Minature Roses

Hens & Chicks-Winter Heather

Remember to have fun with gardening projects and be creative. Bring out some of those old decorations from the attic or basement and put them into use again outside in the containers, such as a tiny artificial tree or those wooden spirally trees. They would look very festive and give them a new purpose.

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How To Decorate Your Bedroom For That Rustic Look

Today decorating a rustic bedroom is a mixture of designs borrowed from the French, English and some Swedish country looks as well. It is often defined as being coarse, charmingly simple, unfussy, unfinished but yet still have some endearing qualities about it. When decorating a rustic bedroom you need to include natural woods, aged surfaces, rough finishes as well as simple lines in your design.

The floor in a rustic bedroom should ideally be made from wood and they should be bare and then simply waxed and hand polished. Sometime you may wish to paint your bare boards in a light colour and then add oriental rugs or throws to provide visual warmth and colour to the floor.

The type of furniture that you should include in your rustic design should preferably be made from pine and you perhaps painted with hand painted designs on it such as flowers, birds, animals, country scenes or leaves (it really is like trying to bring the outdoors inside). If you can use either a ladder back chair, rocking chair, benches, wicker furniture or a Windsor chair as seating in the room. A good idea for use as a dressing table in such a room is to get a good pine kitchen or dining room table.

If you want to give any of your furniture a more rustic look then brush with a coat of paint then rub most of it off. Once the pain has dried then apply a wood stain unevenly over the furniture in order to give it that weathered look.

To add an even more rustic look to your bedroom include some baskets around where you can place wood, pine cones, flowers, plants or even needlework into. As for the lighting then use brass candle holders, oil or kerosene lamps, hurricane lamps and tin lanterns all of which can be easily converted to be used as an electrical lamp instead. Also use recessed ceiling fixtures or vintage wrought iron or metal chandeliers to provide you with the right sort of lighting to achieve the rustic look.

When choosing colours for decorating a rustic bedroom you should include neutral tones ranging from white to bone, earth tones such as red barn, blues or greens.

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