The statue itself is horribly ugly and cheesy- like a cheap Precious Moments figurine. We don’t really want it in our house. But if we get rid of it or break it, are we wishing some kind of bad luck on our son? It’s not our cultural or religious belief that it holds some sort of special power, but it’s creepy and we don’t know what to do with it.

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Thank you!
Not other collections from the Hamilton Collection, other items in this particular collection. They are not on the Collectibles Today website.

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I used poster paint for the first layer, then covered some parts with lacquer to shine it a bit.

The result? It looks a little sticky. I’d like some advice on how to remove both the lacquer and the poster paint underneath. Oh, and maybe some tips on what paint to use instead.

…yes I was stupid.

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Fortunately for us, narrowing down this topic to what is perceivably easier to answer with some research would be what often looks forward to when receiving a gift. And this should be taken only in the traditional sense of the word.

A gift is described to be any item given freely to another without need of reciprocation. The range of conventional gifts is varied and wide, but when gifting a lover, a spouse or a woman which you hope will end up as one of these two, the long-established tools of the trade in courtly love can be divided into flowers, chocolates/candies and keepsakes.

The gift economy has reaped great rewards with the age of the Internet for it gives customers great ease in searching and purchasing. In lieu of travelling into malls and stores it has now become fashionable and more oftentimes practical. Right in your homes or offices and now also by mobile phone these items can be sorted, arranged and customized by just a point and a click and to the keen user, one can satisfy the basic expectation of women from your gifts.

First they expect quality. Quality need not be expensive; it is simply a state of excellence or the absence of defects. In the world of the web, reputable sites are denoted by trust marks and a long history of success. They contain a lot of supplementary information about their products and practice and are referred to by other sites. Study their products well specially if your gift is perishable.

Cut flower roses for example if grown properly should last for two weeks with proper care. But note that not all varieties are sturdy. If you are sending chocolates make sure that they are not the kind that melts while in transport. Shiny keepsakes should remain shiny for although all that glitters may not be gold but know how long items should keep their sheen.

Google their category and give it some review. Companies that have quality products have great after sales support and have replacement and refund policies.

Secondly women expect a valuable message. With flowers, symbolisms by variety and color choices can take the message of love, adoration or purity of intention. Chocolates are a treat for indulgence, beautifully packaged and assorted ones are interpreted as a sort of pampering by the giver. Keepsakes such as a figurine, a music box or jewelry differ in dollar value but for true intentions it is not merely to impress a social status but is dearly given to impart apiece of oneself to be kept close by the recipient as a personal treasure. Always remember, the medium is the message.

Thirdly, they also expect some emotion, or shall I dare say it, a bit of drama in its delivery. Refer to this as icing on the cake. A gift under 10 dollars packaged and presented properly will feel like a million. Instead of giving a necklace in a box you may want to place on the neck of a stuffed bear. A combination of flowers and a bear might also be more special if the bear can wear a statement on his shirt too.

All being said, it can be generally said that women expect some effort in their gifts. Keep in mind that they are wired differently than men since it has long been said that this better (or bitter) half thinks mostly with her heart and not her head. Keep these tips in mind and mix with a bit of creativity to keep cupid’s arrow straight and true.

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Tour types

***No tour:

You stand in front of the Mona Lisa and say ‘eh’ before moving on to the next Da Vinci ‘eh’ then a Michelangelo ‘looks like the other dude’. I did this the first time I went to the Louvre and followed the ‘quantity not quality’ method. While I did have the time to find the little figurines in the Egyptian area, did I truly appreciate them?
Advantages: takes less time, go where you want, when you want.
Disadvantages: how would you find out how Da Vinci got the lines so fine on such a small painting (Mona Lisa) or that some guy hacked at David’s left toe with a hammer in 1991 (Accademia, Florence)? The story behind the artwork and artist is often the entertainment more than the mere physical presence.
Suited to: people on a budget, people who don’t like other people, lack of time, lone travellers

Price: nothing

***Guidebook:

Walking around with the gallery’s guide or your own book that explains who-what-when-why-how about an exhibit/place.
Advantages: pick out the bits that interest you before you see them. Find out a bit more. Comes from a sole source, approved by relevant people.
Disadvantages: May not discover other things. For instance, if you had never tried smoked herring for breakfast, you wouldn’t know whether you liked it or not. Or you might walk right past some Goya, when he’s the kind of artist that would really appeal to horror movie fans.
Suited to: people who like to study, those who have a specific interest, lone travellers

Price: varies depending on country, usually around AUD10.

***Audio guide:

hire a device to listen to tracks for selected pieces of a gallery or museum. Follow the map/guide and play the track when you get to the piece. For example to look at the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre and clog up the stairwell with other agog tourists.
Advantages: can skip bits that don’t interest you. Provides the highlights. Saves time.
Disadvantages: might miss out on pieces not included in the audio guide because you walk right past it. May be bored by the voice. Last guide I had sounding like he was sucking on a prune without about as much verbal outcome…
Suited to: Studious types who’d rather spend more time looking than reading, independent type or couple (shared earphones).
Price: varies depending on country and level of content, usually around AUD10.

***Small group (1-5 people):

Your guide knows you by name, tailors the tour to suit your timings and interests, information is more two-way rather than purely transmit. For example, I went to Auckland in July 2006 and booked in for a day of mountain biking. Yep, it was cold, windy, rainy. I was the only person, but the tour went ahead anyway. I had Bee-Bee all to myself and while we waited for the rain to ease, she did a palm reading and predicted my future as a great writer. Lucky she was also a good guide, as the palm-reading bit is yet to reveal itself!
Advantages: Get a more personal service; guide may suggest something relevant to you specially, eg for tea lovers going through caffeine withdrawal in Paris ‘you simply must go to the Mariage Frères teashop then!’ or they may suggest a restaurant near your hotel and places to avoid.
Disadvantages: usually the most pricy kind of tour and a tip is also expected. If there’s a personality clash then the day could be a drag. Also, they may be in cahoots with other businesses to try and rope you into going to restaurants, for which they receive a commission.
Advice:
—-Basically, take anything they suggest with a skeptical mind, but still be polite. The nicer you are, then the nicer they are.
—-Make sure you go with an agency, rather than some guy off the street who offers to take you around. They may be genuine, but even so, there is no administrative control/insurance etc.
Suited to: Those who are after the genuine experience, ie the custom-made Spanish omelette rather than a McDonalds siesta burger; those who have a bit more money
Price: Depends on the country. In Western Europe = around $AUD90 per person (then a tip)

***Big group:

Usually about 10-20 people wearing earphones to pick up on the guide’s voice as they lead you around, stopping you at exhibits/interests to give their spiel eg ‘ This 18th century china bowl has the utmost significance, for it was used to….’
Advantages: Makes what would be boring in a book, come to life— assuming you get a good guide. In Florence, we had Christina, an art student who truly enjoyed what she did and made sense of the iron rings hanging off centuries-old walls so forever after, I know what they mean.
If you enjoy people, sometimes the tour groups have lunch together so you can meet fellow travelers and exchange stories about dodgy restaurants.
Disadvantages:
—-inconsistent information. For example in Florence, Mum and I had three tours with the same company and three different sets of information as to a what happened to the head of Primavera, a statue on the Ponte Santa Trinita. While it’s not so important to know the facts (you can get that from books) it does detract from the experience, no matter how entertaining the description of how Giuliano Medici was dramatically assassinated during High Mass in the Duomo Cathedral in the middle of a service. And the gore that followed as his brother Lorenzo tracked down the assassins and conspirators.
—-The Chic or Geek factor. For the style conscious and teenagers, you may cringe at looking like a dick walking around with stickers and earplugs. Unless you’re one of the retired Americans with Hawaiian shirts who don’t seem to care.
—-Hearing Voices. Having to hear more than one language rattled off by bi-lingual tour: by the end of a day trip to Versailles, I felt I knew Spanish. Well, I knew enough that it would be hard to understand. So fast!!!
Suited to: Safe-seekers (ie non-adventurous), medium to high budget, couples and families
Price: Depends on the country. In Western Europe = around $AUD90 per person for a half-day tour. More money if lunch and transport are required.

Basically,
if you’re on a budget…use your own guide book or share an audio guide
if you like people….go the small group or big group option
if you’re time poor: no guidebook. Just wander around. At least though try to read up beforehand to see which bits you need to visit.

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Enjoy

These cat figurines are seen all around Hawaii and now are showing up on the mainland as well. Find out what they mean, why they’re so popular and what they can do for you. Segment from Try Stay, cable TV series shot, produced and aired exclusively in Hawaii principally for local residents.

Easter

Easter, while gaining popularity as a secular holiday with the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs, is primarily an important Christian holiday. Easter is connected to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which happened over a three day period according to Christian faith. The day Jesus was crucified is called Good Friday, and Easter Sunday itself takes place on the day he came back to life.

Unlike the other big Christian holiday Christmas, Easter does not have a fixed date. Instead, according to Wikipedia, it falls on or after the winter equinox, March 21. From there it is calculated following the cycle of the moon. Because of this volitality, sometimes different types of Christians celebrate Easter on difference days, depending on if they are Orthodox, Catholic, or something else.

The Easter Bunny

The legend of the Easter Bunny says a rabbit brings gifts to children the night before Easter Sunday. Specifically he brings colorful eggs and candy. As for where this idea originated, that is unknown. One theory, according to Wikipedia, is that the bunny originated with a spring children’s game in the 1700’s where a being named the Oschter Haws would leave colorful eggs for good children in a nest they had built out of garments. Supposedly, over the years this idea has evolved into the more famous egg hunt.

You may have noticed that Easter decorations overwhelmingly involve the bunny rabbit, with stuffed bunnies, bunny figurines, and tons of other bunny-related items. As for why a rabbit was chosen to represent Easter, this is because few animals symbolize the season of spring better. The bunny is known for its extraordinary fertility, and spring is a time of new life, as everything begins to bloom again. This is why the Easter Bunny seems so appropriate for this spring holiday.

The Easter Eggs

Fertility really is one of the main themes of spring, which is why eggs are also an icon of the Easter holiday. The new life theme is so important that people didn’t stop with just eggs, many decorations also include little chicks and plush ducks too.

Though fertility seems to be something of a pagan idea, the egg tradition also has its roots in Christianity. The blood of Jesus was said to have spread over some eggs that were placed at the bottom of the cross he was on, where it painted the eggs red. So that’s where the idea of painting the eggs came from. In fact, further in to the tradition, once the eggs have been painted red, Christians were supposed to tap them and say an Easter incantation praising Jesus’ resurrection.

Obviously, the color choices for the eggs have evolved from the original red to multi-colored, and often pastel, but you can see where the tradition originally came from. In fact, the egg tapping itself has transformed into a different game where you tap until you find the hardest egg. In this game, the egg that survives the most taps without breaking wins.

So there you have it! The holiday of Easter has a long and interesting tradition that has evolved greatly overtime. Now that you are armed with the knowledge, you’ll be able to answer any questions those curious children you know may have. This will also help you find the most appropriate stuffed bunnies and bunny figurines to mimic the Easter Bunny. Have a happy holiday!

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Thank you!

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