DIY: Baseball Decor and More...

Making a baseball window valance is pretty simple. Embellish the valance with pennants, two baseball bats, and a baseball make this plain window treatment into a spectacular baseball valance.





DIY instructions how-to make baseball window treatments.

Framed baseballs and baseball bats make a creative "flag" - fabulous idea for a baseball themed room.

Baseball themed wall treatments







Concepts Frames, Blue Baseball wall Hook





BASEBALL Red Bedroom Door SIGN, Personalized







Baseball Ball Shaped Ceramic Cabinet Drawer Pull Knob

Black Ferrari 612 Scaglietti.

The 612 Scaglietti is not a very popular member of the Ferrari family. More often than not, the big grand tourer is eclipsed by its prettier, sexier and nimbler sisters. Those shopping for a Ferrari are also likely to already have a �family car�. But famous Ferrari tuner hasn�t forgotten the 612, and has released a tuning package for the successor of the 456.

The 5.8-litre V12 engine gets a horsepower bump to 565 bhp from 530 bhp. Torque has increased to 609 Nm from 588 Nm. These new figures are achieved with the help of a �specially calibrated engine management system� along with Novitec�s high performance exhaust system. This means the Scaglietti�s 0 to 100 km/h time is down to just 3.9 seconds and top speed is 325 km/h.

Other additions include a new taillight design and a new tyre/wheel combination � 275/30 ZR 20 up front and 355/25 R 21 rears. Inside, one can customise the seats to their heart�s content. Leather seats can be custom tailored to body measurements and even the addition of lateral support and lowered seat positions for tall drivers can be done. Customers can go as far as choosing the thickness and material of their steering wheel. Like many supercars today, the steering will be flat-bottomed.

SUN AND STARS

You'll want to click on the above image to enlarge it -- the dark spots at the upper right portion of the solar disk are not sun spots, but rather the International Space Station and the space shuttle Atlantis, transiting the sun. The photo was taken on May 16 during Atlantis' final orbital mission, about 50 minutes prior to the shuttle's docking with the space station. The ISS orbits at an average 185 miles above the earth's surface. The sun is about 93 million miles away, and its diameter is approximately two and a quarter million miles (enough to line up 109 Earths in a row). All of which should give the gentle reader some sense of the vastness of that blazing background, and the relatively puny size of the human objects in sillouette.

Bonus -- here's a link to a time-lapse movie of the night sky over Ecuador's Cotopaxi volcano. Check out the text for a description of the phenomena you'll see as the movie progresses. Enjoy.

FAT COPS / AMNESTY / OIL SECRETS

FAT COPS. We're all familiar with the unfortunate stereotype of police officers frequenting donut shops. Alas, it appears that cops are not immune from our culture's descent into overeating. Fully one third of Americans (including children) are clinically obese, and another third are seriously overweight. Cops are getting fatter too. So much so that many cities are setting standards for diet and exercise. Among them is Mexico City, where three-quarters of the 70,000 police officers are overweight. My own observation in my travels in the US is consistent with this trend among police officers. Not only is it harder to run down an escaping suspect when one is fat, it also increases one's risk for early disease or death. To see where you stand, check out the BMI (Body-Mass Index) chart, broken down by gender and by height. As a rule, the closer you are to the lower end of your ideal weight range, the healthier you are.

AMNESTY. As in Amnesty International, the human rights and social justice organization whose genesis was in an article published in 1961. The group is independent of any state funding or control, thus is free to evaluate and publicize human rights violations by any nation -- and does so effectively and impartially. If you would like to learn more, or would like to become involved in their mission. please check out their website.

OIL SECRETS. Well, secret only if you've had your head in the sand. I've posted frequently on the causes (both physical and corporate) and the effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster which occurred on April 20. The oil spill has become the largest in US history. Even if BP is successful in capping the damaged wellhead today, there are still five and a half weeks' worth of oil slicks making their way toward the Louisiana coast, with another newly-discovered subsurface oil plume moving toward Florida.

Here, for those who take a serious interest in the environment and in responsible business, is a list of ten things you need (but don't want) to know about the BP oil spill. These facts are an offense to any rational, concerned person, and yet they are not anomalies. They are the norm.

Tangentially, here is a link to a photo essay by Gerald Herbert, documenting the effect of oil on wildlife large and small. His photography is excellent, the images heart-rending. Be sure to click on the "View Essay" cue to see all his images. Their disburbing subject matter is not a reason to avoid seeing these photos. I've long been an adherent to the Quaker belief in bearing witness, i.e. not turning away from an unjust or abusive event that is unfolding before one's eyes, merely because it is distressing Rather, if one cannot intervene directly, then remaining present and mindful is the most effective way to respect and honor the victims -- especially when coupled with sharing the event with others, through telling the story or by sharing images like these. It is the only way to bring home the full reality of tragedies like the Gulf spill.

Baby Girl's Happy Room!

This whimsical, Asian-inspired nursery exudes happiness. Little Crown Interiors is a Southern-California design firm that specializes in nurseries and children's rooms. Little Crown Interiors describes this adorable room, "The bright aqua blue walls to the colorful stretched canvas artwork, it' s a perfect room for a baby girl to grow up in. The largest wall features a swirly tree wall decal with added butterflies and dragonflies for 3D effect.

Custom textiles are featured throughout the room: there's a custom crib bedding set (which was made to be beautiful and eye-catching, even without a bumper) a custom glider pillow, custom changing pad covers, and a custom toy box cushion and throw pillows. The bright pink nursery rug is ultra soft, and a custom finished wall hook ties in with the beautiful custom painted birdcages which hang from the ceiling."

Oopsy Daisy Cherry Blossom Birdies Canvas Wall Art (shown above the crib).

Thank you for sharing!