Are you amazed at the exquisite font that you see on a wedding card? Well, most people in the world want to learn calligraphy because they want to learn how to write in such beautiful fonts and scripts, so that they can amaze their friends and family members with it. While on the surface, calligraphy looks like an art that offers style to your writing on a deeper level it is a visual art that needs practice and devotion to master it. Calligraphy usually is about the design and execution of the letters and giving it an expression in the most skillful manner.

Western Calligraphy

There are various forms of calligraphy across the globe and therefore calligraphy is not just about the words, but about giving those words designs that generate from the culture and tradition of that era. When we normally speak of calligraphy today, we speak of Western calligraphy which usually makes use of the Latin alphabet. Even though printing press has been in the Western world, there are many that make use of calligraphy to create new forms and designs from the same words. Western calligraphy evolved during the 10^th century and continues to inspire many people across the world to learn this art of writing. The focus of Western calligraphy is to follow strict rules and geometric patterns that add style and substance to the words and make it much more than decorated script. In the Middle and Early Modern Era Western calligraphy scripts were used for books, manuscripts and literary texts. While today it has diversified into various applications including logo design, graphic design, maps, menus, greeting cards, legal documents, certificates, cut stone inscriptions, business cards and handmade presentations.

East Asian Calligraphy

Calligraphy in the East Asia certainly differ from the Western calligraphy and some of the oldest Chinese characters date back to 200 BC and were mostly used for keeping records or for imposing certain rules and regulations. Japanese and Korean calligraphy are highly influenced by Chinese calligraphy. In Chinese calligraphy, there are various factors that would eventually influence the final results like the shape and size of the hair brush, the color, color and water density, paper’s absorbing speed and surface texture. The speed, turns and the up and down strokes eventually lifts the spirit of the characters influencing the final shapes.

Calligraphy in Indian Subcontinent

Similarly, calligraphy in the Indian subcontinent is slightly different as most of the inscriptions were done on smoke-treated palm leaves. There are various other forms of calligraphy that also focus on their culture and tradition and they include their traditional logos and design like Islamic calligraphy, Mayan calligraphy, Persian calligraphy and other contemporary script.

Understanding Calligraphy

While calligraphy does mean ‘beautiful handwriting’, but the entire purpose of calligraphy is far beyond just writing beautifully. The first and foremost goal of calligraphy is to improve the writing speed and clarity while adding the artistic appeal to it. It also communicates with the viewers on a deeper level as viewers produce an art reaction when they see it. Calligraphy has been often misunderstood as an art where calligraphers create new fonts and historical alphabets, but the ultimate goal of a calligrapher is way higher than that. It is to perfect a skill that involves touch, pressure, and hand movement and adding beauty to the words written on the paper. It is also about learning the structure of the letterforms and converting them to make letters themselves. Calligraphers also understand that this art is about arranging and designing letters to bring them into visual harmony through their vision and artistic skills. Hence, calligraphy is also a personal artistic expression which one can put down on the paper.

Are you frustrated in paying your high electric bill? No need to worry anymore, as every problem has solution this also does. With the advance of science and technology there are numerous ways and techniques had been established by which you can easily made your bill comes down without any trouble. Rather there are also various eco-friendly application invented which are not only cost effective but also are equally responsible to solve your problem.

One of such environment friendly devices is the solar panel. It is the most cost effective and easy to install application still now launched in the market. It bears various advantages mostly in reducing the charge of electric bill. It is readily available and comes in cheaper price, so you won’t have to cross the expense barrier in installing it in your home. Depending on the location and site of installation it ranges from 3-7 kilowatts which cost near around $18,000 to $40,000. In US as per survey records in this year over 20,000 homeowners have switched themselves to solar technology. Now it’s your turn, the cost description is stated below. The main cost of residential solar panels is sub divided into three major heads which are equipment costs (45%), installation and permitting costs (25%) and sales, operational and marketing costs (30%).

Equipment costs

• Power inverter – It converts DC into AC when connected to grid and available at $1,000 to $3,000.
• Solar panels – It is residential photovoltaic cell and comes around $4,500 to $12,000.
• Mounting hardware – It varies from home to home and location to location which includes rails, standoffs, clips etc. which cost from $800 to $2,000.
• Wiring – It includes disconnects, wires, wiring and several other components cost around $1,000-$2,000.
  Installation and permitting
• System installation – It is the installation charge which you have to pay to the installing authority that ranges from $2,000-$4,000.
• Fees and permits – This is the local inspection and permitting fees which can extend up to $2,500.
  Sales, operational and marketing costs
• Monitoring – Services and monitoring equipments charges up to $1000.
• Repairs/maintenance – It is a variable cost and can increase on replacing inverter which you have to do one to two times during the whole span of the system
• Apart from all of this cost there is some additional cost which can range $4,000 to $9,000 on every installation.

There is no other hidden cost apart from the above stated ones. So what’s there to wait and get frustrated in paying high electric bill? Is this amazing or what?! It’s your time to have good monthly savings. Installing it in your home will also be a greatest step to save earth as it is totally environment friendly device which is based on renewable solar energy. Another great way to save energy is to get home window treatments that are specifically designed to save electricity. For generating electricity there is no other cost effective device other than solar panel. So without wasting your time anymore put your step in this eco-friendly world and generate electricity by own without depending on others.
 

Do you have moles that you would want to remove? If so, you might be wondering how much a mole removal procedure will cost. Well, the first thing you should keep in mind is that there are no set costs for mole removal since it will depend on several factors.

When you make the decision to get rid of an unsightly mole, you need to know about the different costs as well as the methods for removal. There are a number of techniques available for mole removal these days; some involves surgery while others are simple methods that you can use on your own. So, you can choose between doing an invasive surgical procedure, getting it done at a clinic where you have to stay overnight or removing it at home with some simple remedies.

Cost
Since moles are very different in nature, the prices will vary by the technique used and the doctor that you choose. However, you can prepare to spend anywhere between one and five hundred dollars. Just like for a tooth implant, the cost of having a mole taken away can be reduced by your insurance policy.

In general, the price for a mole removal procedure is based on the location, shape and size as well as the difficulty of the procedure. As an example, you would typically pay more to remove a large mole from the cheek area when compare to a removing a small one from your arm. For one, the mole sizes are different so the larger ones will take more time to get rid of and will naturally cost more. The second thing is that the skin on the cheek is cosmetically more sensitive than your arm and might require a procedure that is more complex. Lastly, you should also think about the pathology cost. Most doctors give recommendations for every mole to undergo a pathological study in order to determine if it's cancerous.

Bear in mind that you have to pay a few hundred dollars more if your doctor is getting your mole checked at a laboratory for malignant cells. Furthermore, if the mole grows back after a shaving technique is used then you have to pay more money to get it removed again. The procedures generally involve the use of local anesthesia and surgeries might not be covered by your health insurance plan.

Health insurance policies usually cover the removal of moles which are potentially cancerous, but not the cosmetic procedure. But, it is always a good idea to check with your insurance provider to know what is covered because the policies usually differ. Ensure that you do the necessary research to find the most affordable mole removal cost. You should also carry out checks to determine whether or not you are using a certified mole removing specialist.
 

Are you thinking of getting dental braces as an adult? It could be that you are more aware of the health and cosmetic benefits of straight teeth or that your parents could not pay for you to have braces as a child. Well, in either case, you don’t have to worry as many adults are finally taking the step to have that perfect smile and well-aligned teeth. You can find some useful information in the following guide about braces for adults if you need help to make the right decision.

It is common to see adolescents with dental braces so many adult patients usually get nervous when they think about what others would say. But, you can breathe easy as braces options have evolved significantly in the past fifteen years. There is no need to settle for the metal types, as they are more cosmetically-friendly and lightweight options available today.

Adult Braces
In recent years, many alternative options to the metal braces have been made available. These include the lingual braces, clear fixed braces, ceramic braces, Damon braces and more. There are clear or invisible braces which are not only less visible than the traditional types, but are made of a tight fitting transparent plastic. These newer types can be removed after shorter periods if necessary by the patient. This means that you could remove them for occasions such as a first date or a job interview. To find out how much you'll need to pay for them, see this great resource on the average price of braces.

After making the decision to get braces, the next step is to meet with an orthodontist. In general, an orthodontist will do panoramic X-rays of the mouth and individual teeth. Next, a putty stuff would be used to get molds of the teeth. Once this is done, your orthodontist would review the results from the X-rays as well as the molds to decide on the best treatment plan.

You might have to get metal or rubber spacers if the space is very tight between some teeth. This would be done before adding the braces and could stay in for around a week. Besides that, the orthodontist might recommend that you extract some teeth or get a professional teeth cleaning done before adding the braces.

When it’s time to put on the braces, the whole procedure might take around two hours if you are getting a full set because every row of teeth will take about one hour. You will not feel any pain during this time, but your mouth might be tired after being bolstered open for such a long time. That said, some discomfort should be expected if you want to see results, just like when using other types of braces such as shoulder braces. In the end, you will resolve your dental problems and your crooked smile.

Although many people might not be too keen on getting braces for adults, you are sure to end up with a great smile that can make a huge difference in personal and professional life. The cost for the braces and the temporary inconvenience of wearing them will be well-worth it in the long run.
 

It has become the common tendency to avoid food with gluten and sugar. Gluten for many reasons is not good for our health. Foods with gluten are known to contribute to migraine pain and chronic back pain. It is also known to cause tummy troubles. Glucose is one of the key ingredient that every doctor advises to avoid in case you are diabetic patient. Thus it is necessary to go for a sugar free and gluten free diet if you are willing to have a healthy body. The cookies are some of the yummy foods that few of us can resist. These are among those staple foods we have grown up with. Thus it becomes difficult to kick them out of our diet chart. Thus this molasses cookies recipe can be your best solution if you are looking forward for a gluten and sugar free recipe. You can use the gluten free flours of Bob Red Mill to create the base of your recipe.

If you are planning to give a classic touch to your recipe then you can add pure molasses and some spices. This way you can give a unique taste to your recipe. Apart from being a mouth watering dish diabetic friendly cookies is a healthy recipe. These make a great addition to any sweet sixteen, especially when there are diabetics in attendance.

In order to prepare the dish you will be requiring the following ingredients. Make sure to use the exact proportion as mentioned below:
Butter – 1/2 cup (softened)
Vanilla essence or liquid cinnamon – 2 teaspoon
1 egg
Vanilla extract – 1/2 teaspoon
Gluten free flour – 1 1/4 cup
Salt – 1/8 spoon
Tartar - 1 teaspoon.
Baking soda (gluten free) – 1/2 tea spoon.
Ground cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
Ground Nutmeg – 1/2 teaspoon
Ground ginger – 1/2 teaspoon
Molasses – 2 Tbsp
Chocolate chips – 1/2 cup (optional).
Coating: ground cinnamon – 1 1/2 tea spoonSucanat – 2 tbsp.

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degree Celsius.
• Use a standard mixture to beat the vanilla extract, egg, butter. You can continue in medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Add tartar cream, flour, salt and baking soda to the mixture and continue blending
• Next add the ginger, molasses, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Stir the entire mixture till they blend well and give a fine texture.
• Finally add the chocolate chips.
• Now place the mixture in a refrigerator for half an hour.
• After 30 minutes you can make small balls out of the mixture and place them on the baking sheet.
• In case you are planning to add some coating then mix them in a bowl and roll the balls over them.
• You must grease the baking tray prior keeping the balls.
• Place the tray into the oven and bake it for 10 minutes.

While remodeling your kitchen, the most difficult decision to make would be selecting the material for the countertop. This is not just because it has to look beautiful, but because it needs to be sturdy and durable as well as the most functional space in your kitchen. Therefore, always make sure that you get the right stone for this area. Most of the times, the homeowners get quite confused between quartz and granite stones as both have all the qualities that a countertop needs. It can be a better of personal preferences on a number of occasions. However, if you don’t have any opinion about both, let us frame an opinion about the right countertop stone for you.

Granite countertops are generally more natural as compared to Quartz, which is crushed and engineered with resins that bind the whole chunk together. However, there are engineered granite varieties in the market available as well. But when it comes to the kitchen, we use the natural slab granite. The biggest advantage of using quartz is that it is not porous because of which it always has a shiny surface and you can clean it with only some mild cleaning detergent and a wipe. Granite needs something extra here as you would have to go on annual sealing drives. Moreover, quartz is available in many different colors but granite sticks to only the lighter earthy tones.

Granite, though a hard stone, does not provide as much durability as the quartz stone slab. You have to keep in mind that quartz contains 93% of crushed quartz and 7% of polymer resin and pigments of various colors. Therefore, they are not only easy to clean but also last longer with lesser maintenance. Granite is now also available in engineered varieties that are as durable and low maintenance as the quartz slabs. Moreover, there is always the light earthy tone in granite that home owners have loved ever since. Both of them add significant value to your home, just as installing vinyl siding does.

The overall verdict goes in favor of quartz. It is because the crystalline granite can also become a hub for germs as it has tiny spaces in its structure. Quartz doesn’t even leave space for germs or pathogens to develop on the surface because of which it is a better choice. Though the price of both the materials keeps changing with time, you will find Quartz to be a better investment. Moreover, as there is a huge variety to choose from and the durability is also good, Quartz comes out as a clean winner.