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Archive for July 10th, 2009
The Fraternity of the Etched Glass Beer Mug
- Personalized Glassware
- Personalized Shot Glasses
- Personalized Pint Glasses
- Personalized Beer Glasses
- Personalized Beer Mug
- Engraved Shot Glasses
- Engraved Glasses
- Personalized Glass
- Customized Shot Glasses
- Personalized Beer Mugs
Fraternities have been a part of college life for more than a hundred years. Groups of young college men with common goals gather into fraternities to show a collective spirit and to make friends, often for life.
Each fraternity has its own mission, its own logo and its own set of values. Membership in a fraternity is something to be displayed proudly. And, then of course, there are the frat parties.
Fraternities host parties to show off their group and their fraternity house to guests. Frat party hosts often give out gifts to all of the guests, but they also frequently have gifts for each other. These gifts range from the cheap and silly (like matching hats) to the expensive (like a 40 oz bottle of aged Scotch). Deciding what will make an appropriate gift for fraternity members can be frustrating and costly. Trying to get something that will make everyone happy is practically impossible on a limited budget.
One great idea for a fraternity member gift is a personalized etched glass beer mug. Beer mugs will always be in great demand for university students and having one personalized will mean a lot to the recipients. The beer mug can be any shape or size. Pint mugs are popular as are British style “sleeves”. The mug itself should be made of quality glass of substantial thickness to avoid chips and cracks due to less than careful use.
The special part of using etched mugs as fraternity gifts is the personalization. Each mug can be personalized with the member’s name, the name of the fraternity, the logo if there is one, and the date the member joined. This gives each member something personal to remember the fraternity by. The mugs will be used proudly for years, outlasting almost any other gift you could give.
Another idea for giving out personalized etched beer mugs to fraternities is to give one to each new pledge as they pass and join the membership. This gives new members something to treasure as soon as they come on board.
Etched glass mugs are cost effective gifts, only costing between $5 and $10 each. A quality etching business will not charge extra for bringing your own artwork, such as a logo or any set up fees for the job. You will need to choose your font and your layout. Before work begins on your mugs, the etching business should contact you one final time to ensure that you are happy with the layout and that there are no typos. Always also check the final product to ensure that nothing was changed during the process.
Giving etched glass mugs to fraternity members creates lasting bonds and allows each member to remember the moment they became a member of the fraternity. It is a unique gift that will be remembered for a long time.
Everything You ever Wanted to Know about Thermal Paper
Thermal paper is a special kind of paper that can be used in any kind of compatible printer. Thermal printers, the kind of printers that use thermal paper, work by writing on the paper with heat and instead of ink. Thermal paper changes colors when it is heated past a certain temperature. The really cool thing about these printers is that they don’t need any ink. This means as long as the printer has paper, it can print. Think lower maintenance cost, less hassle, and less printer downtime.
This operational efficiency make thermal printers ideal for high volume commercial applications like store receipts and automated gas station pumps. To enhance the efficiency, thermal paper often comes in thermal paper rolls, and in various widths. This allows the customer to pick the size paper that best suits his informational and cost needs. And the rolls make it easy to store a comfortable amount of paper inventory in an easy to install form factor. Specialty paper retailers like BuyRolls.com offer broad selections of thermal paper, in different quantities and for different types of printer.
Thermal paper is also found in office space and home environments waiting to be used by the fax machine. A key feature of fax machines is their low level of required maintenance. Like in the above examples, because the thermal paper doesn’t need any external ink to work, fax machines that use thermal paper are easier and cheaper to maintain. Fax machine paper usually doesn’t come in rolls. Instead it comes in packaged 81/2 x 11” reams of sheets to fit fax document dimensions.
This novel paper doesn’t have to be all work and efficiency, however. Thermal paper is a great way to teach kids about chemical reactions in a visual way. Drawing a chemical equation on the blackboard is fun for some, but for many of us, lacks the excitement of the real world. Thermal paper shows us chemistry in action. The light part of the paper represents the unreacted chemicals awaiting activation. The dark areas show the result of the chemical reaction. By manipulating the paper, applying heat, or even pressure to different areas of the paper, the student can have a much more memorable experience with the topic.
While thermal printers and thermal paper aren’t perfect for all applications, they certainly serve a clear need in some specialty spaces. Their operational efficiency is unparalleled in the printer world, and their reliability is equally valued. And the paper to power the printers is readily available from specialty paper retailers like BuyRolls.com. Keep thermal paper in mind the next time you’re planning your retail site or office space.
Decorating Your Kitchen with a Tuscan Theme
- Personalized Wine Glasses
- Customized Champagne Flutes
- Etched Wine Glasses
- Wine Accessories
- Custom Etched Wine Glasses
- Fun Wine Glasses
- Custom Wine Glasses
- Wine Gifts
- Engraved Wine Glasses
- Personalized Wine Glass
When redecorating a kitchen, one of the most popular decors is a traditional Tuscan kitchen. Kitchens in Tuscany are rustic and focused on what is important- good food and good wine. The rolling hills of Tuscany that can be seen out of most kitchen windows are draped in grapevines that produce some of the finest wine anywhere in the world.
The construction of Tuscan walls is often stone or brick that has been skim coated with plaster or mortar, give them a rough, rural look. Cooking pots and utensils are often stored out in the open for ease of use and ingredients are stored in glass jars and bottles nearby. Tuscan homes often have an open hearth to both heat the kitchen and cook stews and sauces over.
To decorate your kitchen in a Tuscan theme, start with the walls. Your walls are likely to be a smooth and consistent painted drywall but you can paint them to look older and mottled. Start by painting the walls a dark terra cotta and let dry. When completely dry, sponge a lighter camel or buff color over top, allowing the terra cotta to show through in spots. This gives the wall the illusion of uneven and aging plaster.
The overall colors in your Tuscan kitchen should be natural- no electric blues or neon yellows. Terra cotta, sage, mustard, and cream all work well in this environment.
Purchase several Spanish glass or large canning jars and store dry goods in them such as beans, dried pasta, sugar, salt, and vanilla beans. Store the jars on shallow shelves where they are easily seen and are close to the cooking area. Flavored vinegars can also be stored in clear glass bottles and stored on an open shelf or on the windowsill where the light will shine through them. Anything stored in oil like garlic or sun dried tomatoes should be kept refrigerated.
Wine is a huge part of Tuscan life. There are many ways to incorporate a wine theme into your Tuscan kitchen. Bottles of wine can be stored horizontally in an open wine shelf with dividers. Wine glasses can sit out on the counter beside a bottle of wine, ready to open. The vineyard theme can be carried farther with bowls of grapes sitting on the counter, still attached to some leaves if possible to give the presentation a more natural feel.
The table and chairs in a Tuscan kitchen are basic and functional. The table is large and often made from barnboard or other rough hewn wood. The chairs are high-backed and often have colorful seat cushions. You may be able to find similar furniture at antique stores or estate sales. The goal is to be able to comfortably seat many in a relaxed atmosphere.
Decorating your kitchen in a Tuscan theme can add warmth and a sense of place to your home. When decorating, keep good food, good wine, and good friends in mind and you can’t go wrong.