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Bend the rules. Bend the light --LED Linea tape See all benefits
A light source you can trust. Philips LED lights offer an extremely long-life of at least 20,000 hours (which equals 20 years on basis of an average use of 3 hours / day with an amount of at least of 13,000 on/off switching cycles). It feels so comfortable to think that you won't have to worry about maintenance or lamp replacement while having the perfect light ambiance in your home.


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We're constantly searching the globe to bring you the finest brands at Topman. From cool, on-trend brands like Nicce and Hype, to staple classics like Calvin Klein - we've got it all here. However you like to present yourself, we've got the best brands to kit you out!
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subset: commoncrawl


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Bitmaker General Assembly: Intro to Digital Marketing Workshop
Date(s) - 17/06/2019
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Are you trying to promote a new business or app? Do you manage your company's online marketing accounts? Start learning some strategies in our beginner Digital Marketing workshop.
You'll leave this workshop with an overview of digital marketing, some insights with case studies, and an introduction to Facebook's ad builder.
Workshop topics
- Explaining key terms and concepts
- Finding your audience
- Searching for the right platform
- Case studies: Using Facebook at Shopify & Student success stories
- Demo: Building an ad the right way on Facebook
- 6:30PM – 6:45PM: Sign-in & Networking
- 6:45PM – 8:30PM: Workshop
Getting ready to attend
We recommend bringing a laptop to take notes and some questions you'd like to ask the instructor.
Spots are limited. Get in touch with us on twitter @BitmakerHQ
By registering for this event you agree to join to the Bitmaker community e-mail list.
We respect your inbox and you have full control over your subscription settings.
Accessibility Info:
Accessibility Info:
Entrance is off King Street West, and has a short flight of stairs with railings on each side. Doors are not motorized/automatic.
The building has an elevator with a 34-inch wide doorway. The doorways to each floor are 35 inches wide.
Washrooms are available on each floor and are gendered. There are two narrow stalls in the women's washroom, and one stall and urinal in each of the men's.
Our classroom tables on the third floor are readily moveable, whereas the table arrangement on the second floor is more fixed.
Please let us know how we can accommodate you within the confines of our space.


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One of the most famously photographed women in the world has now stepped behind the camera herself, but there's nothing glamorous about the images she captured. "In the Land of Blood and Honey" marks Angelina Jolie's debut as a writer-director, and Jolie – as well-known for her humanitarian efforts as for her acting – takes the opportunity to shed an unflinching eye on the horrific costs of the Bosnian War, set against an unlikely romance. In the first of a two-part interview, Jolie takes PopcornBiz inside her creative process.
Was the film the result, in some way, of the work that you've done with the United Nations over the years?
Yes, I'm sure it was. I wasn't quite conscious of what was happening. You know, as we evolve, you don't really analyze what was happening, but when I first started traveling years ago, when I went to a few countries, of course I was very emotional about it: the change as a person, as a mother. And then I went through a period of really getting angry and trying to understand what was happening and how to start to fight against it. So it's been an evolution for me, and then part of this film was never expected to be a movie – I quietly sat alone and thought 'I've written journals and I'm just going to sit with this format of films, since it what's I've done in my life, and quietly see if I can express, write, a project where I can meditate and study what happens to human beings through war so I can better understand people in post-conflict situations, and better figure out how to help.' And have an excuse, privately – it kind of give myself homework to have to learn things about the conflict that I didn't know anything about. And so this was my private homework and it gave me purpose to watch documentaries and read books and research and watch news footage and visit the region and spend time with people. Never with the thought that this was going to be a film, just something that I was doing for what I felt what I needed to do and learn, and then somehow ended up evolving into a film.
How long did it take you to write it?
I wrote this a year and a half – two years ago I think, maybe. It happened really quick. As I said it didn't intentionally happen, somehow it just happened and there it was. If I would have had 10 years, I probably would have gotten scared. So it happened to quickly for me to think about it.
How much did you follow your creative instincts as a director and how much did you turn to other directors you worked with or people you trusted to figure out how to do something at this ambitious scale for your first project.
U.S. & World
Somehow in my mind, the script was very much inside these rooms, and of course when you start to have to accurately depict war, things have to get bigger and bigger. You know, it's hard for people to even explain what the Balkans are, let alone understand this war, so what I did was I was very, very lucky. First, we sent the script without my name on it to people on all different sides of the conflict. And we decided that if people from all different sides of the conflict would agree on the same story and could participate, including Bosnian-Serb, Arabs, Croatians, Bosnian-Muslims, and even people from Serbia – that if they could agree on this, then we have something, there would be purpose for doing it. But if they could not, then we would burn it. So they came together and they taught me a lot. As we got together started to tell me more and more stories and so we started to expand and expand on the script. I met a woman who told me about being held captive and being used as a human shield and watching older women being forced to dance naked in front of soldiers. So all these things then changed and adjusted as we went.
The scale of it, I never anticipated but I was lucky to have [cinematographer] Dean Semler work with us. I actually called him, never expecting he would agree to work on this. I said "We worked together 10 years ago – can I just ask you a question?' And he said 'Yeah – shoot.' I said 'Can I just send you a script and just tell me what kind of DPs you think I should send it to, because I need help and somebody who would be patient with a first-time director.' And he called back and said 'I'll do it.' And I think I'd asked three times to clarify that he was saying he'd actually do the film. And he took a pay cut – everybody did. Everybody took a pay cut because everybody said 'I want to do something that means something, and I'm jumping in.' So I leaned on everybody. I asked everybody advice. Anybody who was willing to talk to me, I asked them for help.
How did your acting background influence your writing and directing style?
Well, certainly as a writer, I think I was probably able to flip characters in my head, as if I was playing different roles in order to write the different people because you kind of have to be one person, and inhabit him and write from his voice and be her and write her voice, so I think that helped. As a director, I hoped that I was able to help the actors by giving them the space and the respect they need and the trust. I gave them what I always felt I needed when I was working. And I would protect Zana [Marjanovic] in the scenes where she was very vulnerable, or had to deal with scenes with sensuality or nudity. I would be very considerate and only put in the film what was necessary for the story telling. With the big emotional scenes, I would try to protect them from the crew, from the noise. So you're just trying to make these safe spaces and you try to help them.
What was it like being on the other side of the casting process?
That's a really interesting question, I was really sensitive to it because I remember the days of auditioning and being nervous and so I really didn't want to make people have to jump through hoops to do auditions and be nervous and make them more nervous. I kind of wanted to hire everybody [Laughs]. But I was always very conscious of that in making sure people knew and had strong feedback even if they didn't get the part. It was hard, I didn't want to put the actors through much and I actually saw each of their auditions once they got scenes and they all auditioned and I was pretty sure after I saw just a scenes once because after they did scenes, they talked. So I got a sense of them as a person and then I saw their scene work and then I pretty much cast them from that. And the people that I thought were going to be the ones, and I would say to Gail [Stevens, the casting director] 'What were they like when they came in? Were they nice to everybody? Were they humble? Were they gracious?' Because this was very important to me. And she would say 'Especially these people were really, really lovely human beings, because of the subject matter.' So then we sent the script out without my name on it, we just sent it to them and the few who we wanted, we just had our fingers crossed, because we knew how sensitive it was when they read the whole script, would they be comfortable with it. Fortunately they were.
One can only imagine the kind of philosophical discussions that could erupt on a set like this. Many of your actors and crew members has people that they lost in a war. Were there ever moments where you had to play the negotiator to get everybody back on track and not to get into the politics of what happened?
Well, we started on the first day and we had everyone come in from different sides, and I intentionally picked when we would watch their interviews, we also talked to them and I knew how they felt about – I knew they were all very intelligent and very open and thoughtful people as I was casting them. And I kind of instinctually felt they should talk, if they got in the same room and really talked it through. I heard their private conversations, I heard their interview, I knew they wanted the same goal, they worried for the same thing for their countries and they all considered themselves Yugoslavian. Because they deal now with this divide of being divided but they were all born Yugoslavian. So I was a little nervous and on the first day we had one of the hardest scenes, which was the scene where the women were taken off the bus and they're raped. The women in that were Bosnian-Muslim women and the actors in that were mixed Bosnian-Muslim, Bosnian-Serb and Serbian men. So having to recreate this and actually physically do this to each other was going to be such a hard thing, and our first day they all got to know each other. But it was somewhat intentional, because it was either going to spark all these emotions immediately or it was going to do something else. And what happened was as soon as I called cut for the first time, Ermin [Sijamija] who was playing the aggressor, picked Jelena [Jovanova] up and gave her the biggest hug and apologized and hugged her, she hugged him back. And all the men who had ripped the earrings and the jackets off the women, put them back on them and apologized and took care of them and brought them tea and made sure they were okay. And by lunchtime, there was so much kindness because they were confronting with this story of ugliness of this past that they do not want to repeat. So it did quite the opposite.
Are you hooked on this directing gig now? Or would it take a really special project to get you back?
It would take a really special project. I loved this not because I wanted to be a director. I loved this because I'm happy to get this story out into the world. And I had this wonderful experience of basically working on this foreign film with actors from across the world and getting to know them and their culture and the history. So it wasn't just a film for me and I don't know if I can put that much energy – it's a lot of work. [Laughs] It's much more work and a lot easier to be an actor. I did not know that. I really did not realize how much work went into it.
PopcornBiz will have more from Angelina Jolie on the effect that the film and her humanitarian efforts have had on her famous family.


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When a gorgeous slice of cake appears in front of you, tall and gloriously layered, which part is your fork most attracted to?
Much like preferring certain parts of a chicken over others – I'm a thigh girl, in case you're wondering – I've noticed how people like to eat their cake.
Some people avoid extraneous fluff, frosting or filling and zero in on their prize: the cake; while others are happy to precisely scrape away and devour only the layers of icing, leaving naked, golden cake all alone on the plate, like Beyoncè after she's stripped off a pink satin dress at the end of the day.
It must be a trait we carry throughout our lifetime, because it's not only children who seem to have this compulsion. I know a few adults who would gladly mutilate a harmless cake just to get at the neon-colored icing.
I place myself in the democratic camp; I get some of everything when I dig in to dessert; a bite of moist cake, the crush of sweet juicy fruit, and a lashing of vanilla-scented cream.
That's why I think trifle is such a perfect dessert: It's cake deconstructed and put back together.
For this trifle recipe, I baked a sponge cake from pastry chef David Lebovitz's new book Ready for Dessert.
It's super-easy to make and even better made ahead of time – like the day before assembling the trifle. But to keep things extra-simple, a store-bought angel food cake would work just as well.
And – ssshhh – maybe even better, since you can take credit for serving a simply stunning dessert for Mother's Day (or any day) without having to turn on the oven.
Classic Strawberry and Cream Trifle
Classic and traditional sponge cake recipe layered with fresh strawberries and cream!
For sponge cake:
- 5 large eggs, separated
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Grated zest of a lemon or orange
For Trifle:
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 cups crème fraiche
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 vanilla bean, split with sharp knife and seeds scraped
- Juice from one large lemon or orange
- 4 cups mixed hulled and sliced strawberries and raspberries
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter the bottom of a rimmed 12 x 18-inch baking sheet or a 9-inch springform pan with sides at least 2 inches high. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the egg yolks and water on high speed for 1 minute. Decrease speed to medium, add sugar and vanilla then increase speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture forms a ribbon when the whip is lifted, about 5 minutes. Scrape the batter into another bowl, and wash the bowl and beater.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the beaten yolks. Gently fold in the flour until completely incorporated.
- Whip the egg whites and zest in the clean bowl on high speed until they form stiff peaks. Fold one-third of the whites into the yolk batter to lighten, then fold in the remaining whites.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake until the cake is lightly browned and the center springs back when gently pressed, 15 – 18 minutes in a baking sheet or 40 – 45 minutes in a springform cake pan.
- Let cake cool in the pan. Run a knife around the sides of cake to loosen and invert onto a cutting board.
- Whisk ½ cup sugar with the crème fraiche, cream and vanilla bean seeds in a medium bowl until smooth.
- In another bowl, whisk the remaining ¼ cup sugar with lemon or orange juice to dissolve. Gently stir in the berries. Let the berries sit 10 minutes.
- To assemble the trifle, cut the cake into circles to fit into 4 wide, shallow glasses. You can use ramekins, dessert bowls or go all out and use a special trifle bowl if you have one, just cut the cake into pieces to fit.
- Layer cake, berries and cream into whatever serving container you're using, ending with berries on top. Refrigerate 30 minutes to one hour before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1314Total Fat: 68gSaturated Fat: 40gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 412mgSodium: 515mgCarbohydrates: 166gFiber: 7gSugar: 114gProtein: 18g


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From the series: Developing Wind Power Systems Using MATLAB and Simulink
Steve Miller, MathWorks
The number and complexity of control systems in wind turbines is expanding rapidly, and their design can be the difference between an immensely profitable system and a dormant or damaged system. Designing a robust control system requires an accurate model of the plant, and tools that enable rapid iteration to find the best design, not simply the first design that works. The control system must be as optimized as possible, while meeting multiple (and sometimes conflicting) system requirements. Pitch and yaw controllers must also interact with supervisory logic controllers in order to operate and protect the turbine under a wide range of operating conditions.
The model of a complete wind turbine (including mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems) will be used to show:
• How to easily apply linear control theory to rapidly design controllers for nonlinear systems, and to verify their performance on the nonlinear system
• How to use optimization algorithms to optimize system performance with respect to multiple design requirements
• How to define supervisory logic using state machines
• How to integrate and test all of these models in a single environment to test for integration issues and test overall system performance
These points will be illustrated with demonstrations using the model and the simulation software. Experience with MATLAB and Simulink is helpful, but not required to learn from this webinar.
You can download the model used in this webinar from MATLAB Central.
Recorded: 19 May 2009


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Whether you measure your data lake by the billions of call detail records or by the peta-byte, eoSight allows you to build a multi-dimensional data driven view of your customers, network, applications and devices. State-of-the-art visualizations are combined with in memory analytics and predictive analysis of key business metrics to give you a view of not only the past, but also of the future.
eoSight enables long term customer experience analysis and trending while keeping costs under control.
Customer Experience Made Simple(PDF)
Multi-Dimensional Assurance Solution video


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5 Factors that Affect the Cost of Replacement Windows in Decatur, IL
At Pella Windows and Doors, we suggest having an in-home consultation so our experts can help you find the right replacement windows to fit your home, your lifestyle and your budget. Because there are a number of factors that affect the cost of replacement windows, we've compiled these five factors for you to consider when you begin your search for replacement windows.
- Project size. As you
could guess, replacing just one window versus
an entire room, or even a whole house plays a significant role
in the total cost. Replacement windows can offer
different benefits for different rooms in your home too, so you may want to prioritize areas that
may see increased exposure.
- Material. No matter if it is vinyl, fiberglass or wood windows, Pella® offers a range
of products that can help meet your home's needs.
Each material has its own benefits, but
also comes with its own cost. Stop by the Decatur showroom to get a closer
look at your options.
- Features and options. If you want to add features to your new replacement
windows, they can affect your project cost, so keep that in
mind as you're perusing the various selections.
- Style. You and your home have your own individual
style, and windows should reflect that. That's why we have
so many different window styles to choose from. Find the best match for your style and your budget.
- Installation. It's easy to assume that installation for your replacement windows is a simple task as a homeowner, but many homeowners quickly realize how important expert installation is when it comes to installing replacement windows. Remember to factor this in to the cost of your replacement windows.
Schedule Now!


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If you saw Angelina Jolie's CIA thriller from last summer, "Salt," you know this was all but certain to happen. And when the film made nearly $300 million globally, well...
Sony has hired Kurt Wimmer, who penned the first installment, to write a sequel to "Salt," reported Deadline. As for director Phillip Noyce, it would appear he has recused himself from consideration.
"If there ever is a sequel, better its directed by someone with a completely fresh take on what I believe could be a totally entertaining and complex series of stories," Noyce told Moviehole in December.
U.S. & World
(And who can blame as he has far bigger, fresher fish to fry--the man is remaking the greatest kickboxing film of all-time, "Bloodsport." More than 20 years later, we still have a hard time believing Forrest Whittaker was in that film.)
Jolie has expressed in interest in doing a sequel if the project is right--here's guessing Sony can think of $20 to $25 millions for her to do it.
As you may recall, "Salt" tore a page out of the Bourne playbook, ending the film with our hero plunging from a perilous height into icy cold waters to face an uncertain fate that was sure to be better than being arrested/interrogated/tortured/killed by the CIA. If Wimmer's smart, he'll tear a page out of the "Lord of the Rings" playbook and open the second film with Jolie in free-fall, ala Ian McKellan at the beginning of "Return of the King."


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Use visualization but be realistic. My string bikini days may be gone but I can still see myself rocking the tankini.
Adjust your lifestyle. For me that meant something as small as taking Mondays off from posting a new recipe & creating Not So Fat Fridays which motivated me to try one new extremely healthy dish each week.


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Patagonia Women's Quandary Pants - Short
Built for comfort and unconstrained movement, these multifunctional, all-season pants are made of lightweight 95% nylon (65% recycled)/5% elastane with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish and 50+ UPF sun protection.
- Lightweight pants made of stretchy 95% nylon (65% recycled)/5% elastane fabric with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish and 50+ UPF sun protection
- Waistband has belt loops, metal button, hidden drawcord and a zippered fly
- Two front drop-in pockets, two back drop-in pockets (right-rear pocket with reverse-coil zipper closure); secure zippered cargo pocket on right thigh
- Inseam gusset for mobility
- Pants convert to capris; tab, loop and metal snap keep cuffs in place
- Available in 30" and 32" inseams
- 258 g (9.1 oz)
4.2-oz 95% nylon (65% recycled)/5% elastane with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish and 50+ UPF sun protection
UPF Fabric
Lacking fur, feathers or scales, we humans have to think up clever ways to protect ourselves from the sun. Products with the UPF designation provide built-in sun protection that won't wear off.
To achieve sun protection, Patagonia takes a varied approach, depending on the degree of protection desired and the fabric used. Elements of the strategy can range from yarn selection to fabric construction to the use of special finishes (especially for light colors which generally provide less protection).
Water Resistant
DWR (durable water repellent) fabric finish repels light rain and snow and decreases dry times. When DWR is used in conjunction with a waterproof/breathable barrier, the DWR finish keeps the outer fabric from becoming saturated so that the breathable barrier can do its job.
Do you own this product? Let us know what you think. Read Privacy Notice


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Comfort and ruggedness meet in our wide selection of Danner boots. With over 80 years of experience outfitting the hardest working people in the country, they know how to make products that will last. Founded on the belief that superior craftsmanship matters, men and women of the U.S. Military and law enforcement agencies can rely on the hand-crafted precision of this quality footwear company.
Work boots take on new meaning when you are a soldier or law enforcement officer. Regardless of which branch you belong to, Danner boots can carry you through all your toughest job duties. Available in a variety of colors and ankle heights, you can find the right size and fit while still meeting industry compliance guidelines. Providing comfort and reliable protection, you no longer will put yourself at risk while on the job.
Your work can take you to a wide range of terrains and territories that call for the best in durability and quality. Outsoles on these boots are crafted from superior materials so you can pivot, brake and accelerate quickly, giving you traction and control in rough terrains. Weather-resistant and built to keep you on the move, these boots are designed to serve the unique needs of the men and women who wear them. With many of their products made in here in the USA, so you can support the country you serve when you choose a reliable pair of Danner boots.


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jdhf99 precisava de um novo design de logo e criou um concurso na 99designs.
3 vencedores foram selecionados entre 71 designs enviados por 36 designers freelancers.
Need a web 2.0 logo that can be used on our websites.
*Not Required*
Desired Color Scheme:
Light colors preferably. Will consider dark colors if it looks good.
Desired Style:
Looking for a logo that is not just x10hosting with different fonts\gloss. Would like to see some graphics or designs that we can use for branding.
Accepted File Formats:
Vector would be great, expect PSD files from winner.
Looking for a good web 2.0 logo. After I get the logo I will be posting a web design contest for a new design of our main site http://www.x10hosting.com. I know a logo can make or break the design so I wanted this out of the way first.
The logo is for x10Hosting, I would like it if the x10 part of the logo could be used on some of our sub sites like x10gaming. I would like the x10 to be recognizable across our other sites as part of the x10hosting network. If that is not doable, that is okay. Main focus is on a great looking logo.
Logos that are not just x10hosting with different fonts will have a better shot at winning. Logos with symbols, or other graphics that we can use to brand our name will also have a better shot at winning.
We will pay out the prizes using other methods than Paypal if the winners accept any extra costs with their preferred payout method.
Saiba como um concurso de design funciona ou leia mais sobre nossos serviços de design de logo.


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Proms Diary: Britten and George Lloyd performed by the BBC Singers
Daniel Jaffé heads to a late-night Prom bringing together music of birth and death
Tuesday evening was an opportunity to compare choral works by two English composers whose centenaries fall this year, though it was a curious combination: A Boy was Born, an a cappella work written by a prodigiously gifted 19-year-old, against a Requiem, the final work by an 85-year-old composer who never quite got the fame he felt he deserved.
It seems too neat a coincidence that Britten's A Boy was Born was premiered on the very day that England's great Edwardian composer, Edward Elgar, died. 'The King of English music has died! Long live the King of English music!' one might almost have said. Indeed, Britten's a cappella choral variations deeply impressed Vaughan Williams, who supported Britten's career even in the face of derision of the orchestral players who later had to premiere the distinctly weird Our Hunting Fathers. And even Gustav Holst's daughter, Imogen, became a true believer, dedicating to Britten a book on her father's music in which she disavowed Gustav's alleged compositional shortcomings ('a British Empire brand of descending bass in a fat, self-satisfied three-in-a-bar, while a più mosso guiltily tries to cover up the poverty of musical thought') implicitly in the wake of Britten's genius.
Still, one can't blame Britten for such over-zealous championship. A Boy was Born remains a stunningly impressive and moving achievement even before one considers Britten was only 19 when he composed it.
Assured in its mixture of economy (the haunting treble solo, sung by Luke McWatters, rising above the adult choir in 'Jesu, as Thou art Our Saviour') and boldly daring effects in the Finale 'Noel!', it was revealed in nearly full glory by the BBC Singers with the Temple Church Choir directed by David Hill. Passages which demanded and received gutsy singing revealed their kinship with much later choral works by Giles Swayne (for instance, the Magnificat of 1982), while others – such as the piercing dissonances of 'In the Bleak Mid-Winter' – suggested Maxwell Davies. I only wished that both choirs (perhaps particularly the Temple Church Choir) could have relished the music more, given a bit more warmth, perhaps, to balance the bite of the choral virtuosity. Still, the final recollection of themes from the preceding variations and the choral apotheosis was uplifting and warmly applauded.
Given the technical challenges of A Boy was Born, it is not surprising (though it is a pity) that it is not so well-known and celebrated as A Ceremony of Carols. Even less often performed is George Lloyd's Requiem, dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales who had died in the year he started composing it.
For the choir it contained none of the challenges offered by the Britten, offering instead mostly plainchant-derived melodies or chromatically distorted 'big tunes'. There were also occasional excursions into barber-shop harmonies in, for instance, 'Dies irae (2)', and a rather tedious cod-blues style 'Ingemisco' sung by countertenor Iestyn Davies. Quite why George Lloyd requested a countertenor is not clear, since the tessitura of that part was often well within the range of a baritone: the programme note suggested that Lloyd, by choosing countertenor rather than a contralto, was rejecting 'fullness and vibrato in favour of still and more focused delivery' – a perhaps rather Freudian rejection since Lloyd's stake as a composer was made in opera (Iernin, anyone?), a genre in which Britten triumphed in 1945. This evening, once again, Lloyd was hopelessly overshadowed – by half-way through the Requiem, one could see people quietly leaving their seats for the exit, a process which continued even minutes before the work reached its end.
- Article Type: | Blog |


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Happy 2013, MNN readers!
So, while we still have a few weeks left until the Lunar New Year officially kicks off (Feb. 10), some of you Chinese Zodiac-minded decorators may already be conjuring up ways to incorporate this year's elemental sign into your interior décor schemes. 2011, the Year of the Rabbit, was rather easy peasy when it came time to wrangle up cutesy accents for the home and garden while 2012, the Year of the Dragon, was a bit more tricky. I'm going to go out and a limb and say this coming Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake, was tougher than the previous years combined.
Why? Ophidiophobia is rampant — and possibly genetic — so it's safe to assume that many folks out there will want nothing to do with bringing slithering, carnivorous reptiles into their homes in any shape or form, Chinese Zodiac-themed throw pillows be damned (my advance apologies to Indiana Jones and Margaret Roach). Still, for those who won't cringe at the sight of inanimate serpents and who are proud to be born under the sign (common traits include intelligence, astuteness, and intensity), there are a few snake-centric home décor options out there that are both decidedly non-terrifying and tasteful (unlike this gem).
Below, you'll find a few of my picks geared toward snake sign-ers — all are handmade and/or made from recycled materials. Plus, in addition to decorative accents, I've included a handy-dandy serpent-shaped garden tool. And while we're on the topic of handmade home decor and reptiles, there's never been a better time to craft your own or invest in a store-bought draft snake to help curb air leakage and save on energy bills in the new year.
2013 Snake Useful Calendar by ArtyDidact @ Etsy ($12)
Recycled Magazine Snake Sculpture by AMSkrafts @ Etsy ($14)
Snake Charmer Metal Art Bookends by KnobCreekMetalArts @ Etsy ($39.99)
Beaded Linen Snake Pillow @ Jonathan Adler ($165)
"Mexica Rattlesnake"by Angel Ceron @ Novica ($54.95)
John Derian Faience Snake Decorative Plate @ John Derian ($105)
Recycled Metal Rattlesnake Garden Accent @ Wind & Weather ($24.99)
Curly Snake Valet Try by Why Girls Go Astray @ Etsy ($20)
Mr. Snake Pillow by Ferm Living @ fawn & forest ($146)
Cobrahead Weeder @ UncommonGoods ($23)