Erratic Frog – Hopping around the web!

Making Your Own Earrings Is Fun, Expressive, and Affordable

Dawn

Making your own earrings rather than purchasing them is a much more fun to do for a few different reasons. When you build your own earrings, for one thing, you get to choose exactly what they look like and how you want them to appear. You have your choice of not only the colors and the materials, but also the dimensions and the contours. You can also try out a variety of styles and approaches until you find the one that works best for you.

Making your own earrings is a terrific opportunity to exhibit your creativity, which is another another reason why doing so is more enjoyable than buying them already made. If you make your own earrings, you are the one in charge of the design, which means that you can truly let your imagination go wild with the possibilities. After a stressful day, you may try crafting earrings as a method to relax and unwind from the day’s activities.

Lastly, if you want to save money, constructing your own earrings is an excellent option. If you are someone who enjoys wearing earrings but does not always have the financial means to do so, producing your own can be a fantastic answer for you. Your neighborhood craft store likely carries a wide variety of components that can be used to create earrings, and you can frequently get these components for a much lower price than you would pay to buy them.

Here Are Types of Homemade Earrings I’ve Made

Beaded Earrings

When making earrings, you can use whatever color or style you like by just selecting the appropriate beads and stringing them together. Earrings made of crystal beads, glass beads, pearl beads, metal beads, plastic beads, ceramic beads, wood beads, and wooden beads are all examples of this type of jewelry.

Wire Earrings

Earrings made of wire require a little more effort to create, but the finished product can be very distinctive and fashionable. Hoop earrings, dangle earrings, chandelier earrings, drop earrings, stud earrings, crawler earrings, and cluster earrings are some examples of this type of jewelry.

Polymer Clay Earrings

Clay earrings are an enjoyable and creative way to make one-of-a-kind accessories that are completely unique to the wearer.

Beaded Earrings

This style of earring is most likely going to be the simplest one you can make. Once you have mastered it, not only does it look wonderful, but it also serves as a good foundation for you to build upon with one of the other varieties. The fact that you are using beads makes it easier to hide some of the mistakes that you make along the road, despite the fact that it may appear to be more complicated when you first start off. In addition to that, you can get a wide variety of adorable beads.

To get started, you are going to need the appropriate supplies. Because some of them overlap with the other two choices, if you start here, you will already have some of the necessary items for when you choose your final decision. To make earrings with beads, you will need the following materials, so make sure you have them on hand:

Beads in the colors of your choice
Headpins
Jump rings
Earrings hooks
Needle nose pliers
Wire cutters

To begin, select the colors and kinds of beads that you wish to use for your project. After that, string the beads onto the headpins, using as many or as few of them as you choose. As soon as all of the beads have been threaded into the headpins, snip off the excess wire with the wire cutters, leaving about a half an inch.

After that, bend the wire at an angle of ninety degrees with the needle-nose pliers, and then construct a small loop with the wire by looping it around itself. Last but not least, using the needle-nose pliers, open the jump ring, and then attach it to the loop on the earring. It’s the same process for the other earring.

Wire Earrings

When making wire earrings, you will need:

Wire in the color of your choice
Wire cutters
Needle nose pliers
Earrings hooks

To begin, snip off a piece of wire that is approximately 6 inches in length. After that, make a 90-degree bend in the wire using the needle-nose pliers. Next, create a spiral shape by winding the wire around itself in a clockwise direction.

In the final step, you will need to open the earring hook with the needle-nose pliers and then attach it to the very top of the spiral. It’s the same process for the other earring.

Polymer Clay Earrings

Earrings made of polymer clay allow for a great deal of creative expression, which is one of the reasons I adore wearing them.

You may also create a wide variety of designs without using very many specialized tools at all. In addition to that, with the appropriate combination of ingredients, you may imitate stone and other materials. I use a brand called Fimo for the majority of my projects. It offers a wide selection of gorgeous artist colors to choose from, and in my experience, it is the best long-lasting option when it comes to regular application.

For polymer clay earrings, you will need:

Polymer clay in the colors of your choice
An acrylic rolling pin
Cookie cutters or shapes
Earrings hooks to embed in the clay
Needle nose pliers to bend the wire
A normal oven to harden the clay

To begin, knead the clay until it becomes pliable till it reaches the desired consistency. Then, using a rolling pin, thin it out to a thickness of about one eightieth of an inch. After that, proceed to cut forms from the clay utilizing the cookie cutters.

In the final step, make a tiny hole at the very top of each form by poking it with a toothpick. Bake the clay in accordance with the directions provided with the package of clay after placing the shapes on a baking sheet. After they have cooled, you will need to use the pliers with the needle nose to open the earring hook, and then you will need to attach it to the top of the shape. It’s the same process for the other earring.

Making your own earrings is a fun and easy way to add a unique touch of personality to your collection of jewelry. In addition to that, it is a fun and creative method of expressing yourself. You just need a little bit of practice to be able to design stunning and one-of-a-kind earrings that are sure to stand out.

Ready to Add a Furry Friend to the Family?

eFrog

When it comes to persuading someone to take in a stray or abandoned animal, I am a strong advocate. However, not everyone is cut out for them, especially when one considers getting a dog through the adoption process. The sister of a friend of mine is currently thinking about adopting an Australian Shepherd, which would be a significant commitment owing to the dog’s high level of energy and its other requirements that are more physical in nature. When it comes to deciding whether or not to get a pet as a companion, what are some of the most important factors to take into account?

Before you have a dog as a pet, there are a few things you need to think about first, including the following:

Are you prepared to manage some additional daily obligations such as feeding, walking, and exercising the dog? Are you prepared to do so?
When you own a dog, you are responsible for its daily care, which includes feeding it, taking it for walks, and giving it other forms of exercise. In addition to this, you will be responsible for giving the dog a place to sleep, which can be a crate or a dog bed, and taking the dog to the veterinarian for checkups on a regular basis to ensure that it remains in good health. Last but not least, you will need to put in some effort to teach and socialize your dog so that it is well-mannered and able to conduct itself appropriately while interacting with other people and animals.
Would a dog be able to fit comfortably in both your house and your yard? *When you have a dog, you are responsible for providing it with a place to sleep and eat in your home, as well as a fenced-in yard or other area outside where it can run around and relieve itself. You will be required to walk the dog on a leash multiple times a day if you live in a residential building such as an apartment or condominium.
Would you mind if there was a little bit of extra noise and activity levels in your home?
Dogs, particularly when they are younger, have a tendency to make a fair amount of noise. They are likely to make noise whenever they are frightened, bored, or enthusiastic. In addition to this, when they are left alone, they could whimper or howl.
Do you suffer from any kind of dog allergies?
If you suffer from a dog allergy, being near dogs may cause you to experience a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, itchy skin, and difficulty breathing.
Do you have any other pets that might not get along with a new dog? Do you have any other pets that might not get along with a new dog?
Cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds are some examples of other animals and pets that do not get along well with dogs.
Are you prepared to handle some additional daily expenses such as food, toys, vet bills, and other miscellaneous costs?
The purchase price of a dog ranges anywhere from $500 to $1,000 on average. Dog ownership comes with a number of recurring costs, including those for their food, toys, veterinary care, grooming, and boarding.

Agatha Christie: An Essay on Her Life, Her Work, and Her Mark on Literature and Stage

Dawn

Agatha Christie is one of the most well-known mystery writers in the world. She is best recognized for her detective novels, but she also published 14 short story collections and worked extensively as a playwright, penning The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in history. Yet she was reserved and only divulged pieces of information about her life and the tragedies she went through due to death and abandonment.

Christie was born in Torquay, Devon, England, in 1890. Her parents were Clara Boehmer and Frederick Alvah Miller. Her mother passed away while she was a child, and her father shortly remarried. Christie began writing stories as a young girl and had her first short story published at age 11.

Prior to her marriage and relocation to Iraq with her husband, she attended high school in Paris and then college in Oxford. Christie ultimately returned to England after their divorce. She created her first detective novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1920.

Christies’s second marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan found her taking numerous journeys to Syria and Iraq, among other places. During one of these journeys, she composed one of her most renowned works, Murder on the Orient Express (1934).

At the age of eleven, Agatha Christie’s father died of a heart attack. This sudden loss had a tremendous and long-lasting impact on the young girl, who would later describe how it made her feel empty and alone, a feeling she once described as “rootless and unanchored.”

After her father’s passing, Christie found comfort in penning stories. It was something she could do completely on her own, and it provided her a sense of control in a life that was suddenly extremely unpredictable. She would frequently lose herself for hours in imaginative worlds where she was the protagonist of her own adventures.

This passion for writing would endure throughout Christie’s life and eventually lead to her being one of the most successful mystery writers in the world. In the beginning, though, it was merely a means for her to cope with the loss of her father.

Clara Boehmer, Christie’s Victorian mother, disapproved of her daughter learning to read and write. She feared it would be hazardous to her health and diminish her appeal to future suitors. A Victorian woman was supposed to be well-educated, articulate, and polite. Additionally, she was expected to be devoted to her husband and children. In addition, a lady would have never been seen in public without a chaperone. In public, she was supposed to dress modestly and wear gloves.

However, this did not prevent Christie from continuing to write her stories. She frequently snuck away to write in private, hiding her papers so her mother wouldn’t discover them.

Christie’s passion for writing led her to become one of the most successful authors of all time, notwithstanding Boehmer’s reservations.

And it was a source of stability when Christie’s husband, Archie Christie, abandoned her in 1926 for his lover. Agatha was devastated by the treachery, as the pair had only been married for five years.

Archie added insult to injury by taking all of their financial holdings with him when he left. This rendered Christie absolutely destitute and dependent on the generosity of family and friends. The relationship between Agatha Christie and her daughter from her first marriage was strained. As Rosalind was only five years old when her parents divorced, and she was raised by her father and his new wife. Christie did not spend much time with her daughter during this period, and the two did not reconnect until 1947, following Rosalind’s marriage to Lord Anthony Powell. Their relationship was already tense at the time. Christie once wrote that she felt like she “didn’t really know” her daughter. The two women remained distant until Christie’s death in 1976.

During this trying time, Christie composed some of her most renowned works, including The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and The Hollow (1946). She managed to write stories that charmed audiences despite her suffering.

Christie divorced Archie and afterwards found happiness with Max. They were married for over thirty years and participated in numerous archaeological trips together.

The Mousetrap premiered in 1952 and has been constantly performed ever since. It has been performed more than 25,000 times and viewed by more than 10 million people.

The action of the play takes place in Monkswell Manor, a guesthouse cut off from the outside world by a snowfall. Detective Sergeant Trotter is tasked with identifying the murderer among the guests before anyone else is killed. Trotter is a rational and methodical thinker who constantly follows the evidence. In addition, he is adept at reading people and comprehending their motivations.

She modeled the personality of Trotter after her own husband. Trotter, like Mallowan, is an archaeologist, giving him a distinct viewpoint on murder scenes.

The Mousetrap is a classic Christie mystery and a tribute to Christie’s skill as a writer, as the play remains popular over seventy years after its initial publication.

Christie wrote romantic books and plays in addition to her well-known mystery thrillers. She became fascinated in archaeology in her senior years and traveled to numerous locations with her second husband.

The romance novels of Agatha Christie include A Daughter’s a Daughter (1952), Absent in the Spring (1944), and The Burden (1952). Each one is set in a different era and locale, but each tells the tale of a young woman who falls in love against her better judgment.

Her romance stories are fascinating, passionate, and little suspenseful. They provide a pleasant diversion from her more serious writing and reveal another facet of her writing.

Even today, her writings continue to be widely read and appreciated, having been translated into over 100 languages and selling over two billion copies worldwide. Her 66 detective novels and 14 collections of short stories have sold over two billion copies and been translated into over one hundred languages.

The legacy of Agatha Christie endures to this day. Her works continue to be read and appreciated by followers around the world. Their blend of mystery, suspense, and comedy has fascinated readers for years. And her work has influenced numerous other authors, including as Stephen King and J.K. Rowling. She is a true innovator in the mystery genre, and her impact can still be felt in contemporary novels and films.

Rowling has stated that Christie had a significant impact on her work, especially in terms of developing intricate characters and situations. She also noted her admiration of Christie’s use of humor in her stories.

“I think she (Agatha Christie) is unquestionably the most brilliant mystery writer of her generation. She’s certainly been an inspiration to me.” – J.K. Rowling

She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1971 for her literary accomplishments. Christie was also nominated on five separate occasions for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Agatha Christie continued to write until her death at the age of 85 in 1976.

She is the most published author of all time, in any language, and continues to be one of the most popular authors today.

French Cellist Héloïse Luzzati Fights for Recognition of Women Composers

Dawn

Hélose Luzzati, a French cellist, is fighting for the recognition of female composers.

“A book can be read, and a painting looked at, but music, if it is not played or recorded, will cease to exist,” said Founder La Boîte à Pépites, Héloïse Luzzati.

Hélose Luzzati, has spent almost thirty years studying and performing classical music. She had come to the realisation that she was solely ever doing work that had been created by men. Women’s contributions to classical music have received little recognition. Few works by women are published, and thus even fewer are documented.

According to Luzzati, “a book can be read, and a painting can be viewed, but music will cease to exist if it is not played or recorded.” As a result, Luzzati established La Boîte à Pépites, a music label dedicated to rescuing women composers from obscurity.

The first was a three-CD box set of late French composer Charlotte Sohy, who died in 1955 and published music under her grandfather’s name to avoid prejudice. The effort also includes a music festival ‘Elles – Women Composers’ and a YouTube channel dedicated to highlighting the work of lesser-known female composers.

Your Life? Then “Life” It Your Way!

Dawn

I was always an outcast because of the way I looked and dressed growing up. For example, when I was younger I was overweight and that gave my peers a way to attack me. Growing up it felt like I was always the one who was different and didn’t fit in with the crowd. When it came time for somebody to be ridiculed and made fun of yours truly was the target. I always felt like I didn’t belong anywhere and there was a lot of depression and feeling of anxiety in my life. I was always the one who was alone, without friends in a state of unease.

There are points in our life where we have to make choices, they change the direction our lives go in. Right now, I could be writing something from the same point in my life as then. What a sad state it would have left me in, had I not been able to take that chance and change my course.

Today I am happy, and mentally healthier. I eventually learned to embrace who I was, that allowed me to find my own personal style. I realized that I didn’t need to fit in with everyone else or live up to their expectations of who I should be. I was unique and that was okay. In truth we are all unique. No two people are the same, no matter how hard they try to be, they can never achieve that goal. For me it meant that I started to dress how I wanted to dress. There was no need to style myself how everyone else wanted me to dress. I started to feel more confident in myself and empowered. At the same time I found my own voice. What I realized was that I was never really alone, I just hadn’t found my tribe yet. And while I say tribe, what I am really saying is that I found a place where I fit it. A tribe can be a group of two, you don’t need a big one. When I finally found my tribe, I felt like I belonged somewhere because those people I chose to share my time with understood me, they recognized me and my virtues, we allowed one another the freedom to be who they wanted to be and respected them for it. I felt like I had finally found a home to call my own.

This encouraged me to sit down and write out a couple of points that had become clear. I jotted them down in my diary so that I wouldn’t forget them. Those lines have been read so much since then that the page finally came loose one day. No matter, the words had become ingrained in me.

Remember:

If you live someone else’s version of your life, you will never be truly happy.

Living your life like somebody had planned for you is self-destructive and in the end impossible.

If you’re continually striving to be someone else, you’ll never be able to be yourself.

Don’t even attempt to be somebody else than who you are. Chances are good that the person you are trying to be is trying to be somebody else anyways.

You will never realize your greatest potential if you are not honest to yourself.

When you are so hooked up on who you want to be seen as you really can’t focus on what needs to be done.

You’ll never be able to find your own voice if you’re always attempting to sound like someone else.

Just like everything else that makes you who you are, your voice is important. Discover what it is and use it to express yourself.

If you are continuously following someone else’s style, you will never be able to find your own.

This adds up to your own personal style, your way of seeing, handling, and overcoming the world and the different things that it throws at you in your life.

If you’re continually trying to fit in with someone else’s tribe, you’ll never be able to find your own.

Are the cool kids keeping you out of their circle? Then why do you want admittance so badly? Find people who accept you for who you are.

You will never be truly happy if you do not become who you were born to be.

Everyone has a need to be who they are meant to be. Sometimes the person that stands in the way the most is one in the same. Stop standing in your way.

All of this allowed me to flourish both in my personal life and professionally. It finally allowed me to be true self and I was finally able to reach my full potential. Today I have no trouble finding my own voice and find pleasure in my own personal style.

For me, the first time I realized that I was free to make my own choices, I felt liberated in a way that is hard to put into words. And trust me, it has been years since that first epiphany and I have trued numerous times to take it down in words. The anxiety was gone and it felt like I could finally breathe. There is nothing like the feeling that you can be yourself without caring what anyone might think. I didn’t have to conform to anyone else’s standards or expectations of who or what I was. No. It isn’t an easy process getting there. But the reward is too great to avoid trying. The reward? Being able to dress how you want to dress, act how you want to act, and be who you want to be. Today that means I am finally free to be me. And just me. And you know what? I like being me!

Currently Reading: Agatha Christie’s “The A.B.C. Murders”

Dawn

Agatha Christie’s mystery novel The A.B.C. Murders was first published in the United Kingdom in 1936. The A.B.C. Murders is a novel about a murderer who targets people whose names begin with the letter A. Agatha Christie’s novel is a classic mystery.

Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective, and Captain Arthur Hastings, his English friend and companion, appear in the novel.

The story is takes place in the fictional town of Kings Abbot, where a series of killings have been committed. Poirot must utilize his powers of deduction in order to crack the case because each of the victims’ initials are the same as the initials of their murderer. Poirot is being taunted by a killer who signs their correspondence “A.B.C.”, and the letters contain information about when and where the murderer plans to commit their next crime. Each victim is slain in alphabetical order, with the name correlating to the appropriate location: Alice Asher, Betty Barnard, and Charles Copeland are killed in Andover, Bexhill, and Churston respectively. The murders take place in Andover, Bexhill-on-Sea, and Churston.

David Suchet stars as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the best adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery.

The A.B.C. Murders is a well-written mystery novel with intriguing characters and plot. Christie’s use of the alphabet as a pattern adds another layer of complexity to the story. The novel is filled with suspense and plot twists that will keep the reader wondering until the very end.

Currently Reading: Agatha Christie’s “Death on the Nile”

Dawn

Agatha Christie’s novel “Death on the Nile” was published in 1937. The story takes place on a Nile river cruise and follows detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates a murder on board.

“Death on the Nile” by Agatha Christie is a suspenseful tale of murder and mystery. Hercule Poirot is summoned to examine the death of Linnet Ridgeway, a stunning young woman who was shot in the head. Poirot must use all of his skill and intelligence to solve the case as the suspects mount up.

The story is fast-paced and exciting, with lots of unexpected developments to keep the reader wondering. Christie is a suspense master whose writing style is both fascinating and amusing. “Death on the Nile” is a classic mystery novel that will keep readers engrossed from start to finish.

“Death on the Nile” was a fantastic film. The mystery was well-written, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. This is a novel I would recommend to anyone who appreciates a good whodunit.

“Death on the Nile” On film

The film adaptation of “Death on the Nile” from 1978 is regarded as one of the most authentic to the book. The cast of the film includes Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, and Jack Warden. Richard Zanuck and David Brown produced the picture, which was directed by John Guillermin.

The opening sequence of the film differs from that in the novel. Poirot is on a train in the book when he meets Linnet Ridgeway, who is also a passenger. Poirot is already aboard a boat when he meets Linnet in the film. The murder scene is also relocated from the boat to a temple in the film.

The finale of the narrative is changed in the 2006 film adaptation, which happens to be my favorite film adaptation, with David Suchet as Poirot. Poirot lets Ridgeway go free in the book, but captures her in the film. The characters of Simon Doyle and Penelope Cruz are also altered in the film.

The most recent cinematic adaptation, featuring Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, is the most true to the book. The cast of the film includes Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, and Letitia Wright. Simon Kinberg produced the film, which was directed by Kenneth Branagh.

The opening sequence of the film differs from that in the novel. Poirot is on a train in the book when he meets Linnet Ridgeway, who happens to be a passenger. Poirot is already aboard a boat when he meets Linnet in the film. The murder scene is also relocated from the boat to a temple in the film.

The film’s ending differs from the book’s as well. Poirot lets Ridgeway go free in the book, but captures her in the film.

I Gave Up My Car, Here’s Why

eFrog

Car ownership is prohibitively expensive. The typical new car costs approximately $36,000, whereas the average secondhand car costs roughly $20,000. Aside from the initial price, there are continuing fees such as gas, insurance, and maintenance. Not to mention parking. Depending on where you live, parking can also be difficult and expensive.

Public transit is both inexpensive and dependable. In Los Angeles, a monthly train pass costs only $100, and the trains are quite reliable. Furthermore, taking public transportation is far more environmentally friendly than owning a car.

We can make improvements to our cities to shorten commute times. One method is to establish additional dedicated transit lanes so that buses and trains can go faster. Another option to cut down on travel times is to build more mixed-use communities where residents can live, work, and play all in the same place. Furthermore, walking or biking is generally more practical than driving in cities, and it is more beneficial to the environment and your health.

My list of reasons looked like this:

Cars are a major source of pollution and global warming.
Cars and trucks are a major source of traffic congestion and accidents.
Cars are a major cause of noise pollution.
Automobiles are a major contributor to sprawl and urban growth.
Cars demand a significant amount of resources to construct and maintain.
Automobiles are expensive to purchase and operate.
Cars are neither efficient nor sustainable.

Don’t agree? Then give me a list of counter arguments.

Currently Reading: Agatha Christie’s “The Hollow”

Dawn

Agatha Christie’s novel titled “The Hollow” was released in 1946. This is one of Agatha Christie’s most famous novels. The plot centers on a group of people who have been invited to spend the weekend in a mansion in the English countryside. One of the weekend’s visitors is found dead, however, and events quickly spiral out of control. The novel’s plot is full of surprises and twists that will keep readers wondering right up until the final page. One of Christie’s finest works, “The Hollow” demonstrates her skill at building suspense. Read “The Hollow” if you want a page-turner that will have you on the edge of your seat.

It is easy to see why Agatha Christie is considered to be one of the greatest mystery authors of all time after reading The Hollow. The storyline is intricate and packed with unexpected turns, and each of the characters has been thoughtfully crafted and is engaging. The conclusion is extremely gratifying because all of the unresolved issues are resolved in a clear and concise manner. I believe that The Hollow is an excellent selection for a reader interested in reading a mystery novel or getting to know Christie.

Currently Reading: Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”

Dawn

The Mousetrap is Agatha Christie’s most well-known and critically acclaimed stage drama. The theatrical production of “The Mousetrap” debuted in London’s West End on 6 October 1952 and continued to play there without interruption until March 16, 2020, when it was necessary to briefly suspend the performances due to the COVID-19 epidemic. After that, it reopened on May 17th, 2021.

The mystery play “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie was debuted in 1952. It has been performed over 25,000 times and seen by over 10 million people.

The story unfolds inside Monkswell Manor, a hotel that is cut off from the rest of the world due to a snowstorm. Detective Sergeant Trotter is tasked with identifying the murderer among the guests in order to prevent anyone else from being killed. The culprit is a member of the party. Christie drew inspiration from her own spouse to create the character of Trotter. In 1954, Samuel French Ltd. released the play in paperback format under the title French’s Acting Edition No. 153, and it is still available for purchase today. In 1978, it was initially released by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in the form of a hardcover book titled The Mousetrap and Other Plays.

The play is nicely written and suspenseful, and it will keep the reader guessing up to the end. Christie excels at developing complex characters and plots, and “The Mousetrap” is no exception. This is one of the best examples of her skill and is great for the mystery fan who wants a story that will keep them guessing from beginning to end.