There’s No Place Like Home: Thread Count/Spring 2006

   If you ever had the pleasure of stating in one of the Leading Hotels of the World such as The New York Palace in midtown Manhattan, your body may be silently longing for those luxurious 300 thread count, all-cotton sheets to engulf it again. Once you have experienced a 300 TC, it’s almost disappointing to come home to your 180 TC sheets. Linens labeled with thread count can provide a useful tool to determine the quality of sheets. Thread count refers to the number of vertical warp threads and horizontal weft threads in one square inch of fabric.

    The higher the thread count, the more luxurious the feel of the fabric. To most people that means softness. Linens with higher thread counts are usually more expensive, but the right sheets can make the difference between feeling restless and extremely relaxed when it comes to tucking in at night. We spend one-third of our life between the sheets, so it’s no wonder some of us have an emotional attachment to our linens. Many women will clean out there closet before they will part with old sheets in the linen cupboard. Sheets can last for 10 to 20 years, depending on the use and care.

    For most people, bedding is a sensuous purchase. Adding to or replacing bed linen, however,can feel like an overwhelming task in the never ending aisles of linen departments. Bed linens come in a staggering variety of fibres,weaves and colors. Selecting linens comes down to personal choice.

There’s No Place Like Home: Window Treatments/Spring 2006

Window treatments play an important role in your decorating plans. They can add mood through color and texture, e privacy and provide a visual anchor to rooms that lack a focal point. If you are confused about selecting a window treatment you are not alone. There are many things to consider when dressing a window such as your budget,the architecture of the room, and how you want the window treatment to look and function.

Moving into a new home or apartment is an exciting time, and you many want to settle in and cocoon as soon as possible. This can be a challenge when every window is exposed and privacy is your number one concern. Instant privacy can be achieved with fabric temporary shades. These are made from white,non-woven polyester and fit any size window. They are easy to install,just trim to fit, peel and stick.
Have you ever visited a cathedral at the perfect time of day when the sun is shining its bright rays through magnificent stained glass windows? The beauty of this celestial art form is breathtaking. A similar effect can be achieved by using decorative window film. This thin, translucent film self adheres to smooth glass and can be illuminated by daylight or room light. The vibrant colors and elaborate stained glass designs will enhance any size window. Window covering film is easy to remove and leaves no residue. This style of window art allows you the flexibility to experience different moods and sensations for a relatively small investment.

If dressing windows with bamboo reminds you predominately of the decorating theme on Gilligan’s Island, let’s groove out of the 1960’s and into the future of decorating with exotic bamboo shades. When you explore this contemporary craft, you will find intricate weaves using natural elements such as reed, jute, grass and bamboo. Oriental shades of green tea, sesame and black pearl will add warmth and sophistication to your interior. Bamboo shades allow you to bring nature indoors, and also provide insulation against summer’s heat and winter’s cold. These interwoven lines of pattern and texture beautifully compliment wood furnishings.

Career Choices : Design your Career in Apparel/Fall 2006

         From the time you were able to use a sewing machine, have you been making your own clothes because retail garments did not reflect your sense of style? A career in Fashion Design will nurture your creativity of the cloth, and expose you to self employment, and manufacturing opportunities. According to Industry Canada, the apparel industry is the 6^th largest manufacturing sector in Canada. On February 27^th, 2004, the Honorable Lucienne Robillard, former Minister of Industry announced $26.7 million over the next three years would be invested into the Canadian apparel industry.

Today’s Healthcare Careers: Radiate in a Career of Caring/ Fall 2006

Today’The National Cancer Institute of Canada estimate there will be 153,100 new cases of cancer in 2006.  Half of all cancer patients will require radiation treatments. Radiation Therapists help thousands of individuals by administering and monitoring ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells and to keep them from multiplying.

            A career in Radiation Therapy will expose you to both therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. There are two types of radiation treatment- external beam and brachytherapy. With external beam, radiation is directed at the tumor from a radiation source outside of the body such as a linear accelerator. These treatments are usually done on an outpatient basis. Brachytherapy requires a radiation implant directly in the tumor.  Part of a therapist professional duty is to provide emotional support and counseling, explain procedures, answer questions, position patients and equipment.  Often a special relation between the patient, family members and therapist develop over the course of the treatments.