Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Friday, December 23, 2011
Friday Fun Fact: Happy Festivus!
Happy Festivus to all my readers!
As my Friday Fun Fact, I would like to give you a brief and delightful history of Festivus. As many people know, Festivus became famous for it's celebration on the popular TV show Seinfeld. During Season 9, "The Strike" aired, giving most American's their first glimpse of a holiday called Festivus.
George's father, Frank Costanza, first began celebrating Festivus as an antidote to the commercialization of Christmas. As he explains to Kramer, he was fighting another holiday shopper for the last doll "and as I rained blows upon him, I thought, There's got to be another way!" And Festivus was created.
In reality, Festivus was first documented in a 1966 book about strange holidays. One of the Seinfeld writers' fathers celebrated Festivus with his unadorned aluminum Festivus pole and the Feats of Strength competition. According to Frank Costanza, Festivus isn't over until the head of the household is pinned to the ground.
I am trying to get everyone at work here at Acutech and Creations Studio pumped for Festivus! So far, we are all excited for Christmas and getting settled at the new building. Stop by and check us out if you're driving by!
Happy Festivus everybody!
As my Friday Fun Fact, I would like to give you a brief and delightful history of Festivus. As many people know, Festivus became famous for it's celebration on the popular TV show Seinfeld. During Season 9, "The Strike" aired, giving most American's their first glimpse of a holiday called Festivus.
George's father, Frank Costanza, first began celebrating Festivus as an antidote to the commercialization of Christmas. As he explains to Kramer, he was fighting another holiday shopper for the last doll "and as I rained blows upon him, I thought, There's got to be another way!" And Festivus was created.
In reality, Festivus was first documented in a 1966 book about strange holidays. One of the Seinfeld writers' fathers celebrated Festivus with his unadorned aluminum Festivus pole and the Feats of Strength competition. According to Frank Costanza, Festivus isn't over until the head of the household is pinned to the ground.
Fun Festivus Quotes:
"It's a Festivus miracle!"
"Festivus for the rest of us!"
"The Human Fund: Money For People"
"I got a lotta problems with you people!!!"
I am trying to get everyone at work here at Acutech and Creations Studio pumped for Festivus! So far, we are all excited for Christmas and getting settled at the new building. Stop by and check us out if you're driving by!
Happy Festivus everybody!
Monday, December 12, 2011
12 Days Til Christmas...
...And we have clients picking up Christmas presents as we speak! Actually, the water jet has proven to be a very useful present producer over the past few weeks. Quite a few people have come in to get loved one's names cut out to personalize things. The little elves in the shop have turned out some cool customer designs for wall art and we are even working on a personalized fence! These are just a few of the cool things we have in the works- and we still have people calling in for projects over the next week. It is really fun to see how excited and relieved everyone gets when they pick up the finished project- not only have they gotten rid of the stress of finding someone a gift, they also helped create it and know that it is an awesome gift!
But enough about that- I don't want to give away what any top secret gifts are!
So, since I have neglected to write Friday Fun Facts over the past few weeks, here are a few fun holiday facts to impress your friends at the next get-together:
*Talk about last minute! "A Christmas Carol" was written in under six weeks by Charles Dickens.
*"Jingle Bells" was first written as a Thanksgiving song.
* Poinsettia plants are non-toxic... it is probably still best to keep your pups away from it, though.
* The first state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday in 1836 was Alabama.
* The idea for Santa's elves came from pagan descriptions of "Nature Folk"
*If you count up the total number of gifts in the song "Twelve Days of Christmas," there are 364 total- almost a year's worth!
Have a great week- and don't get too bogged down with holiday stress!
But enough about that- I don't want to give away what any top secret gifts are!
So, since I have neglected to write Friday Fun Facts over the past few weeks, here are a few fun holiday facts to impress your friends at the next get-together:
*Talk about last minute! "A Christmas Carol" was written in under six weeks by Charles Dickens.
*"Jingle Bells" was first written as a Thanksgiving song.
* Poinsettia plants are non-toxic... it is probably still best to keep your pups away from it, though.
* The first state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday in 1836 was Alabama.
* The idea for Santa's elves came from pagan descriptions of "Nature Folk"
*If you count up the total number of gifts in the song "Twelve Days of Christmas," there are 364 total- almost a year's worth!
Have a great week- and don't get too bogged down with holiday stress!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Stained Glass
We just received a beautiful sample set in the mail from Spectrum Glass for our Creations Studio clients to view! I have been holding them up to the window, looking at the rich and vibrant colors- stained glass has got to be one of the most beautiful man-made things that I have ever seen. It got me thinking: what else can stained glass be used for? In the hands of a professional with a the proper tools, stained glass can transform into any number of beautiful things. In my hands? Well, let's just say it wouldn't turn out great. Band-aids would most likely be involved.
So how else can I incorporate such beautiful colors into my life? Candy stained glass!! Yes, that's right, I'm taking it all the way back to 2nd Grade! Courtesy of Simply Recipes, an awesome blog for any kitchen enthusiast, here is the recipe for beautiful Stained Glass Cookies, just in time for the holidays:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
20-40 hard candies (such as Life Savers or Jolly Ranchers), preferably in several colors
Method:
1. Pre-Heat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.
3. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated. Divide dough in half and flatten into 2 discs. Wrap discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.
4. Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color into plastic bags. Use a mallet to crush candies.
5. Place one disc between 2 large sheets of waxed paper and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.
6. Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.
7. If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.
8. Bake 9-10 minutes. The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.
Makes 2-4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.
For step-by-step pictures and more, visit the Simply Recipes Stained Glass Cookies webpage.
So how else can I incorporate such beautiful colors into my life? Candy stained glass!! Yes, that's right, I'm taking it all the way back to 2nd Grade! Courtesy of Simply Recipes, an awesome blog for any kitchen enthusiast, here is the recipe for beautiful Stained Glass Cookies, just in time for the holidays:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
20-40 hard candies (such as Life Savers or Jolly Ranchers), preferably in several colors
Method:
1. Pre-Heat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.
3. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated. Divide dough in half and flatten into 2 discs. Wrap discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.
4. Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color into plastic bags. Use a mallet to crush candies.
5. Place one disc between 2 large sheets of waxed paper and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.
6. Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.
7. If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.
8. Bake 9-10 minutes. The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.
Makes 2-4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.
For step-by-step pictures and more, visit the Simply Recipes Stained Glass Cookies webpage.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Friday Fun Fact: Plasma Cutting
For this week's Friday Fun Fact, here is a little bit to learn about Plasma Cutting, something that I have written for the Acutech website
Plasma cutting is an inexpensive method of metal cutting that came into fashion during the 1980s. Certain materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, and copper, cannot be flame cut, which lead to the invention of Plasma cutters. Early plasma welding machines were paired with computer numerical control (CNC) technology to cut shapes in metal materials based on instructions programmed into the CNC machinery. The technology has had many years to develop and be refined into a method that is very cost-effective. Modernized versions of the plasma cutting machines have more precision than they used to and cost less than other cutting services.
The process is mostly used to cut metal, especially sheet metal and plate, using a plasma torch. These torches are either handheld or attached to a machine with a CNC program that guides the cutting process on a plasma cutting table. A power supply and arc starting circuit connect with as the plasma gas that flows through regulating cables and leads. In this method, a high-voltage spark within the torch body ionizes through the torch head to initiate a plasma arc. A plasma gas including argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen mixtures conducts electricity to transfer energy from the electrical source of power through the torch. The intensely high temperature plasma cutting arc connects with the material being cut at temperatures around 25,000 degrees Celsius. The plasma cutting service slices through the material due to the extremely high temperature of the arc, and unlike traditional metal-against-metal cutting, there are no metal chips produced. This high temperature plasma arc melts metal and the gas flow eradicates the material from the below the cut, otherwise known as the kerf.
The plasma cutting method burns thicker material than laser cutting and water jet cutting. It uses gas and electrical currents to melt and cut the work piece rather than water or laser beams, which makes the cutting edge slightly rougher with a beveled and rounded top edge. Depending on the electrical current capacity and the type of metal, cuts can range from 1/8 inch to up to about 2 inches. Plasma cutters are much less expensive and economically favorable.
Plasma cutting is an inexpensive method of metal cutting that came into fashion during the 1980s. Certain materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, and copper, cannot be flame cut, which lead to the invention of Plasma cutters. Early plasma welding machines were paired with computer numerical control (CNC) technology to cut shapes in metal materials based on instructions programmed into the CNC machinery. The technology has had many years to develop and be refined into a method that is very cost-effective. Modernized versions of the plasma cutting machines have more precision than they used to and cost less than other cutting services.
The process is mostly used to cut metal, especially sheet metal and plate, using a plasma torch. These torches are either handheld or attached to a machine with a CNC program that guides the cutting process on a plasma cutting table. A power supply and arc starting circuit connect with as the plasma gas that flows through regulating cables and leads. In this method, a high-voltage spark within the torch body ionizes through the torch head to initiate a plasma arc. A plasma gas including argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen mixtures conducts electricity to transfer energy from the electrical source of power through the torch. The intensely high temperature plasma cutting arc connects with the material being cut at temperatures around 25,000 degrees Celsius. The plasma cutting service slices through the material due to the extremely high temperature of the arc, and unlike traditional metal-against-metal cutting, there are no metal chips produced. This high temperature plasma arc melts metal and the gas flow eradicates the material from the below the cut, otherwise known as the kerf.The plasma cutting method burns thicker material than laser cutting and water jet cutting. It uses gas and electrical currents to melt and cut the work piece rather than water or laser beams, which makes the cutting edge slightly rougher with a beveled and rounded top edge. Depending on the electrical current capacity and the type of metal, cuts can range from 1/8 inch to up to about 2 inches. Plasma cutters are much less expensive and economically favorable.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween!
In the spirit of Halloween and Weiner Dog Appreciation, here is a silly dachshund in a costume, and here is a link to many more silly dachsunds in costumes:
http://www.dailydachshundanddognews.com/2009/10/halloween.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)