Posts Tagged ‘a-natural-part’
Tips for Choosing Log Furniture
If you just love that rustic look, and are finally ready to finally buy log furniture for your home, there are a number of “rules of thumb” that can help you in making good choices.
Begin by considering the overall style of your home. Do you have a log home that is overwhelmingly rustic? Or are you seeking to add a rustic touch to one or more rooms of a more conventional home?
Size is Everything
Homes that feature large logs, spacious ceilings or are roomy in general require a different flavor of rustic furniture than their more conventional counterparts. If large logs make up the walls of your room, or you have a fireplace made from monster rocks from Montana, you’ll need a massive log look for your furniture as well. Otherwise, your log furniture will seem dwarfed and insignificant.
Even if the home for your log furniture is a cabin with 8-inch logs, a few large pieces of furniture will look better than many small ones. Larger furniture makes a room feel full without being cluttered.
If your bedroom has a high cathedral ceiling, a log canopy bed can help fill out the dimensions. There is also much you can do with artwork and lighting to make the best use of your space.
Types of wood
A variety of wood types are used to create rustic furniture. Following is an overview of several which are available on our website:
Steam-bent Hickory
Hickory is a very durable, flexible wood. Many a child has climbed to the top of a green hickory sapling to ride it down as it yields to the weight without breaking. When heated with steam for a period of time, Hickory poles can easily be formed into various unique pieces of furniture. The steamed poles are placed in a jig and left to dry. They will become very rigid and retain this shape when dry.
Steam-bent hickory is strong enough to be used for tools such as hammers and axes, and unpeeled hickory accounts for one of the best-selling lines of log furniture. The Amish use steam-bent hickory to make dining room chairs, as the legs for dining room tables, coffee tables, and rockers.
Northern White Cedar
Northern White Cedar grows in Northern Michigan and Canada. It withstands the abuse of seasonal elements without breaking down or rotting like other woods. It is a beautiful light tan color when freshly milled.
It turns silvery-gray with age, but can be treated with a good quality finish to help retain its color. You will notice cracks- some small and some larger in your rustic furniture. This occurs naturally in the drying process and adds to the rustic look of our products. These cracks do not diminish the function or design of our furniture. They are not a manufacturing defect, just a natural part of seasoning, enhancing the beauty of the wood.
Red Cedar
The most surprising thing about Red Cedar (also know as Aromatic Cedar) is that it is not a member of the cedar family at all, instead belonging to the juniper family. Everyone knows the deep aromatic smell of the red cedar. The wood is heavy, and naturally insect and rot resistant.
Clothes stored in a chest made of red cedar will be protected from moths. Red cedar has tight knots that add character and beauty. It is sometimes purple, but most often a brownish red that will in time become browner even when preserved. Furniture built with red cedar will last a long time and can definitely be handed down from generation to generation.
Shopping for Quality
Not all log furniture is created equal-no matter how stylish or comfortable it may be. The quality of the materials used in log furniture, and the craftsmanship employed, vary widely-and this is often reflected in the price. While there are always some bargains to be had, it is quite true that you get what you pay for in log furniture.
With this thought in mind, buy the best furniture you can. It will look better and last longer if you do. In addition, look for all-wood or solid-wood furniture (as opposed to veneered plywood or particle boards). Solid wood furniture tends to show less wear at the joints and fittings, and also reacts better to seasonal moisture changes.
Look for well-fitted, carefully crafted connections. Dove-tailed drawers are especially known for holding together well. If you want your furniture to be finished, look for a long-lasting, tough and evenly applied coating. A word to the wise: unless you are experienced in applying furniture finish, leave the finishing up to the furniture manufacturer.
Choosing a Log Furniture Store
Let the buyer beware-there is a wide variety of customer service between log furniture stores. If you are looking to buy on line, look for a store where quality furniture and customer service are both top priorities. I have seen log furniture manufacturers and stores that always deliver late, and I have seen some who deliver on-time with shoddy quality.
Look for testimonials on the site you are considering. Call and talk to a salesman at the log furniture store. A word to the wise-log furniture websites that merely drop ship log furniture have a lot less control over quality than those who building, finish and/or ship the furniture themselves.
The ideal online log furniture store has many repeat customers who not only purchase again from their store, but recommend them to others. Quality stores are interested in more than a quick sale. They understand the value of delivering top-quality log furniture-furniture that will last a lifetime and add a truly rustic touch to your home.
About The Author
Cari Haus has been successfully selling log furniture on the Internet since 1997. Copyright 2003 by Cari Haus, website http://www.newsletterjournal.com Permission is granted to reprint this article, either online or in written publications, as long as the copyright information, this paragraph, and a link address or a link to the Log Cabin Rustics website is attached at the end of the article.
Courage and Creating
Doing anything creative often brings up fears, anxieties, insecurities. Courage may be defined as going ahead in spite of fear. But many creators not only live with their fears, they welcome them.
Fear is perhaps the most basic emotion we have. As Leonardo da Vinci reportedly said, “Fear arises sooner than anything else.” Writer Julia Cameron has commented that artists are often terrified. Being creative is venturing into the unknown, and it sets off emotional alarms.
Fear can show up, in various forms, at any stage of a creative project, and regardless of our level of talent or experience.
When she was told that Scholastic Press was paying a huge advance to publish her first Harry Potter book, J.K. Rowling said, “Most of me was just frozen in terror.”
Actor Nicole Kidman admits she has tried to get out of almost every film she has done “because of sheer terror. I can always come up with a list of actresses who would do better.”
Meryl Streep said she identified with “Adaptation” screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s insecurities. “You realize that everyone is just eaten up by that feeling,” she said.
Many writers and coaches talk about the destructive and limiting effects of fear, and what to do about it.
Dr. Judith Orloff, author of the book Positive Energy, says we are addicted to fear. and cautions it is “the biggest energy thief there is.” She counsels acknowledging any voice of fear in our head – “Thanks for sharing” – then moving awareness back to our heart.
Sandra Ford Walston, author of the book Courage: The Heart and Spirit of Every Woman, points out the cowardly lion of “The Wizard of Oz” actually had tremendous courage but was unable to perceive that quality in himself. She notes that people often do not recognize their everyday actions as courageous, especially women.
But is it always in our best interest as creators to “fight” fear?
Director Steven Spielberg has said, “I still have pretty much the same fears I had as a kid. I’m not sure I’d want to give them up; a lot of these insecurities fuel the movies I make.”
Many actors and other artists say they are drawn to projects that make them feel scared. Meryl Streep said of insecurity, “Maybe it’s a good thing. I hope it’s some sort of breaking down of whatever is familiar to you. Whatever is complacent, whatever is easy.”
American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron writes in her book The Places That Scare You: “To the extent that we stop struggling against uncertainty and ambiguity, to that extent we dissolve our fear.”
Psychologist Robert Maurer has worked with many successful writers and other creative people, and thinks fear may be an indispensable part of the creative process.
“Fear is good,” he says. “As children, fear is a natural part of our lives, but as adults we view fear as a disease. It’s not a disease.” He points out that a creative achievement, such as publishing your first novel, does not make fear go away.
He adds, “Your skill at being able to nourish yourself and give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them is your single greatest attribute as an artist and as a human being.” Philosopher Mary Daly notes we “learn courage by couraging.”
Doing what scares us can enable us to do more and be more.
Douglas Eby writes about psychological and social aspects of creative expression and achievement. His site has a wide range of articles, interviews, quotes and other material to inform and inspire: Talent Development Resources http://talentdevelop.com/
The Secret to Staying Centered and Happy in a Troubled World
Many of us are probably so used to crisis in the world that it has become a natural part of our mental scenery. We’ve grown accustomed to living in a world where acts of bitter conflict, unrest, and inhumanity are everyday things, and their constant contradiction with our essential values almost seems normal.
But are we really aware of the effect that these daily messages have on our minds and attitudes, on our inner life? How do we deal with our real feelings about the war, terrorism, the elections, the environment, and other issues? Do we even know those feelings are, aside from our general opinion? It’s surprisingly easy to carry silent resentment, fear, and deep anxiety about these things without even realizing it.
Everyone knows it’s important for any individual to stay balanced, but how can one do it when the pressure is on, when one is assaulted by negative messages from all sides?
Get in Touch with yourself.
People are usually much more willing to analyze an external issue and give opinions than to look inside themselves. Take a moment to get in touch with your inner response to a much talked about and urgent current event. Use some adjectives to describe your personal way of relating to the events you are aware of, and write them down on a piece of paper. Do you feel concerned, combative, hopeful, disgusted, despondent or numb? Are the feelings obvious or vague? Allowing your feelings to become clear to you gives you more power to influence them.
Decide what gets inside your head.
Every day, Americans are bombarded by information from advertisements and the media. Maybe in years past, news about world events used to come at a slower pace, often by word of mouth, but nowadays it’s easy to overdose before finishing breakfast, on information about events occurring on the other side of the world.
Just as you make choices about the foods you eat, be judicious about what you allow to enter your mind. What you hear and see affect what you think, and what you think over time determines the quality and substance of your life. How necessary is it to read the entire newspaper every day, or to listen to and share office or family gossip? What other possibilities can you think of for your valuable time?
Train yourself to consistently stay on guard, and watchful of the external messages constantly contending for your precious attention. Make it a point to actively allow or deny them entrance, according to your best judgment. Over time, this kind of work on yourself will help you be freer of the invasion of external messages, and to help you think more clearly and precisely.
Invest in your personal Vitality (Wind your Clock)
Much like a car depends on gas, everything you do in life is made possible by your level of vitality or energy, especially the decision to remain inwardly balanced and happy. Surprisingly, your energy comes from many more sources than just the food you eat.
For example, in Hypsoconsciousness by John Baines, a book of consciousness-developing exercises, the author describes a consciousness building exercise where the individual moves very slowly and carefully, in a relaxed manner, mentally concentrating on the movement. Any physical movement (such as writing or walking) works and is performed at an exaggeratingly slow pace for five to ten minutes, and sometimes more. After practicing this exercise, you should feel an increase in vitality, presence, and greater mental clarity. Try this exercise when you feel fatigued, and see how it makes you feel.
Take life as a Challenge
When life is taken as a healthy challenge, difficulties seem more like an engaging game; it becomes more intense, joyful, and real. To spend most of our lifetime fearfully avoiding problems ultimately doesn’t work, because fear contaminates our every act, and in the end, we have to deal with even more problems. Things take a different color when we accept difficulties as normal, patiently work through them, and don’t assign so much negative emotional weight to them. This takes development of the will.
Try this suggestion: Set one small goal for yourself this week. For example, if you hate washing dishes, set yourself the challenge of washing the dishes with a light, cheery attitude for the entire week. If you tend to be shy around people, go to a party with the specific aim of chatting comfortably with a few strangers. Whether you succeed or not, if you take the right attitude with this exercise, you will see yourself and your possibilities differently. Remember to take small steps – making the challenge too difficult or too easy defeats the purpose.
Seeing the Big Picture
Have you ever been positively influenced by a person who had some quality you admired? Sometimes just one well balanced and positive person can affect a great number of people just by the way he or she “is”. It’s been said: “If you want to change the world, start with yourself.” Though it’s tough to accept at first, each of us who is concerned about the world can make a contribution with our own development, with our own growth. It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of negative events on a global scale, to give up, to contaminate each other with opinions, or to avoid how we feel. These things only make matters worse, on the inside and out. The most potent tool each person has for attaining genuine happiness is his or her potential for self development, and the greater the number of people who work on themselves, the greater the effect on the world.
Junod Etienne is a Seminar Presenter at the Institute for Hermetic Philosophy in New York. The ideas and exercises in this article originate from the Teachings of philosopher and author Dario Salas Sommer, who writes under the pen name John Baines. For more information about the Institute visit http://www.ihpny.org or write to seminars@ihpny.org.
