Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Become a Clothing Entrepreneur in your Free Time



Are you a fashionista with a flair for design, or perhaps a business minded monsieur interested in creating a unique line of clothing? The fashion world is as fluid and dynamic as any other form of art, which means big name companies are always looking for something new and inventive. While it might seem impossible that the average Joe or Jane could become the next leading designer, the chances are more likely than you’d think. Thanks to various craft hosting websites and various organizations dedicated to improving creative skills, even a young adult can have their work noticed and appreciated!


If you don’t have the option of heading to fashion school, there’s no reason to feel left out! A few simple things lie between you and achieving your dream, so don’t give up just yet! The most important aspect is to recognize the drive to achieve something. Is creating interesting and fun clothing your calling? If you can honestly answer yes to this question, then you are already a portion of the way to beginning! The next thing to do is obtain the appropriate equipment. Sewing machines, thread, cloth, and measuring tape are an obvious start, but don’t forget other essentials, such as a mannequin or sketching paper. Once you begin producing garments, buying a retail clothing rack to organize your creations is a great help. Later, the same rack can even be used to display your designs during a show or convention!

If all else fails, you can still benefit from your creativity by producing clothing for yourself. This allows you to own a personalized fashion line without needing to spend big bucks in retail stores. Your friends and family will also appreciate hand crafted gifts, or the occasional sewing job on torn pants and shirts. By investing your time in something you love to do, you can’t possibly end up worse off than you started. Stop putting off your dreams when you could be recognized for them instead!

Have you ever turned a hobby into a way of life? If so, how did you go about doing so?

Organized Minds Start with Organized Rooms



With summer coming to a swift end and autumn fast approaching, many young adults are beginning to turn their sights back to their studies. Although the past few months may have been a time for unscheduled fun, the key to a successful curriculum is organization. While the most common focus is designing a more rigorous schedule for reading or doing homework, an often overlooked aspect that can improve a student’s habits is keeping a neat and orderly room. Straightening up a study area might seem like a daunting chore, especially if it is for a young child, but the reward of a stellar report card is more than worth the investment.

The easiest place to start is to reduce the number of available distractions. If there is a television in the room, perhaps remove it until after homework is completed. The same can be said about video game systems or other entertainment devices. A computer can be difficult, as it is a useful study tool under the right circumstances. Website blockers can be installed on private computers to inhibit unnecessary web browsing while time should be focused on completing school work. Lastly, ensure that all telephones are out of sight and out of mind. Today’s technology has turned the cellular phone into a ceaseless time sink.
Another great way to change your thinking space is to keep things nice and clean. A dirty or disheveled room can be a distraction in and of itself. Keep all clothing, whether clean or dirty, off of the floor or furniture. Invest in enough storage space, such as additional dressers or a hanging clothes rack, to prevent any excuses. Also, taking out the trash and making the bed before sitting down to work can improve the overall feeling of a room and decrease the frequency of lost focus.

Do you find it easier to study or work in a clean room? If so, what habits help you to get your study space ready?

Thursday, July 11, 2013

How to Appropriately Pack a Garment Bag

A garment bag can be an exceptionally useful tool to have if you’re planning on entering the business world, or any occupational field where travel and fine dress are required. There are several different kinds and finding the right one is as simple as knowing what size suit you wear. Most bags are capable of holding several suits, but you must know how to pack one correctly to avoid unfortunate wrinkling accidents. If you’re unaware exactly how to do so, read on below!

Clean the Clothes to be Stored
The very first thing that must be done is washing and ironing the clothing. This will obviously bring the clothes to their optimal appearance and scent. Hand ironing is recommended, as it is the best way to ensure that there are no wrinkles before you store the suit.

Order your Clothes Appropriately
If you’re going to store multiple outfits in your suit bag, be sure you know what order you are going to wear them in. Place them into the bottom of the bag in reverse order – the one you want to wear last should go in first. This will make it so that each day the suit you want will be in the very front.

Clasp all Fasteners
Take the time to make sure all buttons, zippers, and other fasteners have been closed before sealing the bag. This will reduce the chance of wrinkles, and also prevent the loss of small pieces. A missing button can make even the best pressed suit look like a total mess.

Use Additional Pockets
Most suit bags will have additional pockets on the inside for storage purposes. Generally speaking, this is where you will put your ties, cufflinks, or other accessories. If you want to also store your shoes with the clothing, however, you may need to purchase an additional attachable bag. Trying to place the shoes in with the clothes may just lead to tangling and wrinkling.

Finding Space in the Most Cramped Places!



Have you recently moved out of a larger house and can’t possibly find a way to fit everything you own into a smaller living space? Do you not have the funds to rent out a storage space for all of your excess possessions? If tossing out what you can’t fit just isn’t an option, there may still be hope. Finding enough space in a new living arrangement can often be difficult and frustrating, but it’s never impossible! Whether you’re a newlywed couple moving into your first apartment together, or a college student dueling for space in a new dorm room, there are always methods of freeing up unused area.

Under the Bed
Anything small, flat, or long that you can’t find a better place for can easily be stowed under your bed. As it is typically the largest item in a bedroom, the bed can easily consume a huge portion of your available space. The underside, however, is perfect for those objects you don’t need immediate access to on a daily basis – luggage, alternate pairs of shoes, and other such things can easily be slid in and out of this hiding space. If you’re afraid of clutter, you can also package up a collection of small things into a plastic container and slide the whole box under the bed as a single unit.

Clothing Racks
An unfortunate part of finding a place for everything is managing your floor space. There are many possessions that just can’t sit on the ground, and may need appropriate elevation to be preserved. Clothing, for example, suffers from this sort of problem. While dressers might be a possible option, they can be extremely heavy and cumbersome. Thankfully, clothing racks of different sizes can be purchased to hold up your goods. Not only are these racks light and easy to move, but many can also be disassembled for convenient transportation.

Wall Hooks
Your wall is more than just a place to pin your favorite posters, its perfect room real estate! There are many different sorts of wall hooks, and you should make your decision based on the weight of what you wish to hang. These hooks are great for holding your jackets, bags, wires, cords, and pretty much anything with a wire or strap! Also, hanging things on or near your door is a sure way to help you remember them on your way out.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Help Your Child Save Space in their New College Dorm



Watching your child moving out of your home to attend college can be a terribly emotional experience, but shows they have reached a true milestone in their lives, as well. As a parent, whether your child moves to the other side of the country to attend a specialized university or rents an apartment in the next town over to stay local, knowing that they are out on their own can cause separation anxiety and the dreaded empty nest syndrome. Though your hands may be full with helping them pack or throwing a going away party, keep in mind that your child’s living space may suddenly become much smaller once they move out. Often college-bound students lament the loss of their own room, and become resentful of their roommates for no reason other than needing to share a space with them. The following is a list of suggested parting gifts that will help your scholar away from home get along with his or her new roommates.

Scheduling and Time Management Tools
College is a time for educational advancement, which generally means a good deal of studying. While it is integral that a maturing individual is offered the chance at a heightened sense of liberty, it is also important for them to remain courteous and remember the needs of those with whom they live. Give them the ability to record when their roommates like to study, or need “quiet time” for other reasons. This will help your son or daughter to respect roommates’ habits. While you may think your special little boy or girl deserves to do what they want, whenever they want, the room must be shared equally amongst everyone. Reaching a compromise is the only way to maintain a healthy, happy relationship while sharing a room with a new friend.

Supplies for Household Responsibilities
Very few people actually enjoy doing chores, but even fewer tend to enjoy living in a mess. Unfortunately, no one is going to elect to be the dorm room maid, so it’s best to equip your child with the materials they will need to keep a tidy house. Dish soap, bleach, window cleaner, and a miniature vacuum can go a long way, and will leave no excuse for them not to clean up after themselves. Not only will this show that your child is prepared to help out, it will also help to influence others in the room to pull their weight. If one person shows they care about their environment, others will hopefully follow. The result is an overall organized living area.

Something to Help Reduce Space Usage
For a good number of new students the hardest task to achieve may be reducing the amount of space they are used to using. If they had their own room, it was only natural for them to spread out and fill it up. Now, however, half of that space is going to be taken away – even more if the dorm room is smaller than their room back home. There are many products you can purchase that will help them to make room where there previously wasn’t any. For example, if they only have one closet, garment racks and a hanging garment bag can work as a replacement. Also, space under the bed can be utilized for storage of things infrequently needed.