QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME-MADE GREETING CARDS

 by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

Sending greetings cards via the post is a traditional and very useful way of communicating with loved ones to convey our feelings. We love to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries etc. as these are such important events in our life’s journey. We used to buy cards in bookstores or in the school-supply section of the shopping mall for that special card.

Nowadays, with the invention of the computer and the ubiquitous availability of the internet we can make our own greeting cards with our own special touch. We are all artists now! Thanks to Bill Gates.

It is easy to personalise a greeting card at home using the internet, a printer and photo paper/special paper: (The following procedure below is mainly for OpenOffice.org Writer.Ink, however it can be applied using the same sequence for Microsoft Office 2007).

1. Go to the web search engine of your Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox and type-in “occasion + picture”. Once you have chosen a picture, just press the right side of your mouse and click the “save image as” that will take you to a destination link i.e. desktop, document, picture etc. and if possible, rename the picture before saving it.
2. Open the OpenOffice.org Writer on your desktop and search for “Format” and click “Page”. The page consists of three columns namely: Paper format, Margins and Layout setting. Go to “Margins”, change all the margin values to “1” (from top-bottom and from left-right) and choose either portrait or landscape orientation for your card(s). And then, go to “Paper format” to change the preferred paper size and don’t forget to write down the measurement of your paper’s width and height. Click “OK” button to save all of the changes.
3. Look for the tab “Insert” located on the top-left portion of your OpenOffice.orgWriter and go to “Picture” and click “From File” to search for the saved picture (refer to step 1). Click “Open” to transfer the picture in your OpenOffice.
4. Using your mouse, point the cursor at the picture and then, do a double press and click, “Wrap”. Go to "Settings" and select “Through” so that you can move the picture from left to right if you select landscape or from top to bottom if you set-up your paper as portrait. There is an instance that the size of the picture is larger than the size of the paper and in this case, adjusts the picture until it fits to the paper. Click “OK” button to save all of the changes.
5. As we are making a folded card we need to find the center of the paper so you know where to place the fold and the picture as well.
6. The “Page” from the Format is a great help in calculating the center of the paper as it contains the “Margins” and the “Paper’s width and height” measurements.
7. If you have calculated the center of the paper, adjust the picture in your Word document until it gets to the boundary of the center. Once it is accurately moved, adjust again the top (crosswise folding) or the left-side (lengthwise folding) for an extra space.
8. To add words and make it a much more personalised card, click "Show Draw Functions" located at the top-left and resembled like a pencil. Once clicked, a bar with choices will appear at the bottom-left of the OpenOffice and choose "Fontwork Gallery". If you have selected your own style just click “OK” button to see the options for "Fontwork".
9. Point the cursor of your mouse to the personalised greetings, then press the right side of your mouse and click “Wrap” that will show 7 choices and just select “Wrap Through”.
10. You can use your mouse or the cursors in your keyboard to move the personalised greetings from one side to another. If the greetings is long enough in your card, adjust it by simply moving the cursor of your mouse to the green-shaded squares. The yellow-shaded dot’s main function is to stretch the text.
11. Turn-on your printer and place your photo paper. Just make sure that the glossy side of the photo paper is towards you.
12. Go to “File” tab again, search and click for “Print”. Once you have the “Print” interface, click “Properties” and select “Photo” as your quality image (under Advanced) and change the paper’s “Type and Size” (under Main) according to your paper. Click “OK” button to save all of the changes.
13. From your “Print” interface, go to “Pages” and type the page number of your greeting card. Click “OK” button to start the printing process of it.
14. If the finish product is printed already don’t touch the image and text to avoid damages or let it dry for 2-3minutes in a safe place.
15. Once it is totally dry, just use a scissors to cut and then, fold your paper into crosswise or like a greeting cards’ folding.

The combined power of computers and internet is not just for one good purpose- communication. It is also a tool to discover and hone the creative side of us.

THE QUAK

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

 

QQQQQQQQUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKK... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the distinguishable and noisy sound of a duck that alarms and awakes people at home especially when sleeping. A fleshy bird that has the ability to float and dip-in in the water without the worry of getting drown and also, their strong wings covered in thick feathers are spread and use in the air to fly in flock. Apart from floating in the water, their pad feet (web feet) with toes joint by a web are also use to walk on soil. This bird possesses and adapts to the three powerful elements that makes it versatile and proficient.

When I was about 12 years old, my father cultured and raised this type of bird in our back garden. He turned the barren garden into a wide big cage using pieces of wood. He nailed each piece into wood frames until he completely surrounded the back of our house and also provided an entrance door.

I really admire my Tatay (Father) for being so constructive and innovative in turning that part of our land into a spacious and cosy habitat for our tamed ducks and ducklings.

Ducks were raised and bred. 

There youngs were separated from their mothers/hens as young as 3 week old and placed in a cage that generates warm. Their mothers/hens were released and joint the rest to breed and produce more eggs that we also used in cooking and in supplying bakery's demands.

I don't act like a 12 year old child any more but my childhood memories will remain fresh and youthful!

MY HOMEMADE LEFTOVER FACE AND BODY SCRUB

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

I love drinking filtered coffee because its yumyumyumyumyum...

The ground coffee beans have a rich full-flavour which brings out the intense secret aroma. However, the addition of steamed and frothy milk smooths its distinctive strong taste. Shall I say, it’s simply delicious every time I sip it from my mug. This mighty hot shot drink always gives me a delightful morning and more importantly, keeping me vigorous the whole day! 

Many years ago, I would just throw the leftover brewed coffee granules in the sink before washing up my handy cafetiere and the rest of the utensils. Why would I save the leftover granules? Was it worth re-using them like I do with the traditional tea bags? I don't think so, as there would be very little strength in the used granules and would be innocuously bland for my palate. In those years once brewed and drank, the coffee granules would just be thrown and washed away. 

I visited a close friend who was just fresh from his Latin America Road Trip and he was very eager to show me his captured photos. While we were happily scanning all of his collected images onto his desktop, he also showed me the souvenirs he bought from one state to another. Surprisingly, one souvenir really caught my eyes and it's a personalised ceramic container with my engraved nickname in it. Weird to have read it but it was indeed my nickname! Aside from my engraved nickname, it contained clay mud mask with coffee granules ideal for the face and body. Actually, it was meant for me as a special gift for being a trustworthy and loving friend. It was a very touching idea of his and didn't know I was that special. He handed over it to me but with a very amusing reminder in his deep tonal voice, "You have to use the content, Vicky!". 

The clay mud mask lasted roughly for a month and after that, I was unable to find one of the same quality. That is why, I experimented and came up of the idea of utilising the leftover granules from my brewed coffee. I spooned the leftover out of the cafetiere and placed them in a shot glass with the additional nourishing ingredients, 2 tsps. of table salt and a tbsp. of honey. I mixed them using a teaspoon first before using a milk frother in order to coalesce the 3 ingredients into one. 

 

This homemade face and body scrub of mine acts like an exfoliation when you rub it into your skin. During the application, you are getting rid off the dead skin through a process called microdermabrasion. The coffee granules, as a major ingredient, has a natural chemical that achieves a gradual brown skin tone or for myself, it maintains my glowing brown skin without the need of a tanning salon. Moreover, the other two ingredients have benefits too. Such as honey which has antibacterial properties and hefty serving of skin-saving antioxidants while salt can reduce inflammation and flush out toxins- removes bacteria from the skin and unclog pores. 

Apply it all over your body and on your face too either with your hair down or pulled up. Leave it for 12-15 minutes but within that time, abrasive action is essential as it invigorates the skin and helps to improve circulation. If I were you, play your list of favourite music before you apply this regenerating face and body scrub. Music will help you become excitedly suffuse and makes the time run fast while enjoying the healing application all over you. 

Nowadays, my coffee granules are no longer wasted as the leftovers are very effective for maintaining the radiance in my face and the smoothness of my body. It is indeed a mighty hot shot drink in the morning which is both very practical and efficient!