Stretching Your Marketing Dollars is not Always Money!

Advertising takes time, planning and money. But how much
time, how much planning and how much money is something
that needs to be investigated. Here are three strategies
that you should be doing.

1.) Time - The time you spend on your business is going to
depend on you and your schedule. Did I say schedule?
Yes, I did. The internet is full of "cool" this and "wow"
that, but the old adage of "time is money," is very true.

Make a list each evening before you shut down your computer
of what you want to accomplish the next time you turn your
computer on. Print it and tape it to your computer.
Do not go off to do other things until that list is checked
off.

2.) Planning - Your daily business should be planned. Sure it is
great to be your own boss. But, if you are not disciplined, you
will soon find yourself aimlessly surfing the net without
any direction and very little money coming in.

3.) Spending - Spending money involves how much you need whatever
it is that you want. There is a vast difference between "need"
and "want."

Before buying anything, ask yourself what exactly you plan
on doing with what you are contemplating on purchasing.
A rule of thumb is to put back at least 20% of your
income into advertising or getting what you need to
improve your business.

Things you might think about:

How much is your time worth?
Would you hire yourself to manage your business? If so, how
much would you pay yourself? If not, what can you do to make
yourself a valuable employee for your own company?

Spending is not always cash. Sometimes, spending is cashing in
on your own time. ie. I have searched the net for hours for the
perfect free thing that I needed. I could have spent $15.00
for what was in front of my face and saved myself time to
advertise. How valuable is your time? How much in all honesty,
would you pay yourself for what you do on your net business?

Start focusing on what your goals are, and do not let a lot of
outside interference keep you from getting your work done.
Interruptions come from all around you. Your family and
friends are important; do make time for them. But make it time
on your terms. When you take control of building your business
time, you will start reaping the fruits of your efforts.
Teresa King (c) 2001
Teresa is the author of "Ezine Marketing Made Easy," and
"Profit on the Net for Beginners." She invites you to stop
by her ebook and marketing site at http://www.tipsfortop.com
 

Stretching That Comfort Zone

Where is your "Comfort Zone"?

Every person on Earth has a comfort zone, whether it be in their personal life and/or their business life. I define this zone as "the place where one feels safe that is devoid of challenges or threatening circumstances".

When in business, this zone can be the determining factor of whether one succeeds or fails. It is very easy to get locked into that which is comfortable to us and just try to work a business within those boundaries. But it doesn't work, it doesn't stretch us to better our business or become the successful, enlightened person most of us want to be.

Again I ask, where is your "Comfort Zone"?

What part of working your business makes you most uncomfortable?

Is it still being done anyway?

For some it, is picking up the phone and making that business contact, or writing their first newsletter or setting short and long term goals and sticking by them or revising them as things change. For others, it might be talking person-to-person trying to network, or writing a vision statement of where they eventually want to end up or even asking someone to be their mentor.

The first step to "stretching that comfort zone" is to replace the negative thought:

I can't...
I will fail...
Who will listen to me... They will just say no... I'm not a writer...
I'll make a fool of myself... and so on and so on......

With just the opposite:

I can...
I will succeed...
They might just listen and if they don't, well I'll move on to the next person... Hey, let's ask, they could say "yes"... I've never written anything before but I can give it a shot...
I will only make a fool of myself if I don't try...

Believe me, there is no quick fix here. It takes constant positive mind talk to get to the place where one's self- confidence and "I can do it" attitude kick in.

The second step after working on the mind, replacing those negative thoughts, is to take ACTION! The only true way to break out of that comfort zone is to do the thing in business that we want to constantly put off - possibly due to fear or lack of self-confidence. To coin the Nike phrase -- "Just Do It!".

Yes, it is easier said than done but how important is it to us to succeed in our businesses?

How important is it to us to make contact with the right kind of people?

How important is it to build a customer base or find the perfect partners?

To most, these things are very important but they will not be possible unless we are willing to do the things that are the most uncomfortable to each of us.

For me personally, the 2 major struggles were writing a newsletter and making phone contacts. With the newsletter, I had never written one and just didn't know where to start. After spending several days reviewing other online newsletters to get a feel for the formats that could be used, I made myself sit down and write one. I told myself I couldn't do anything else until it was done.

Because I did this mind talk and mentally prepared myself for the task, it was done in about 2 hours. I did, later, do some fine tuning but the point it I sat down and got it done.

With the phone calls, I told myself I had to make at least 5 calls before I could move on to other business issues. Right from the start, I found after the first 5, I wanted to make more. I still struggle from time to time pushing my comfort zone to make the first call but after that it gets easier.

What can you do today that would stretch you and be good for your business?

Sit down, make that call, write that newsletter, write down your goals, network your business or whatever it is that makes you uncomfortable (or may even scare you). Push yourself and do it now! Not only will it help you build your business but think how good you will feel afterwards to be able to say, "I did it and it wasn't so bad after all!"

Make a commitment to yourself to either once a day or once a week (depending on your schedule) to do at least one "uncomfortable" act to build your business and put you closer to succeeding.

STRETCH THAT COMFORT ZONE!!

Teri Mitchell is a stay-at-home mom with her own online business. She is committed to helping others succeed personally and in business. Visit her website at http://www.discountbenefits4u.com or email her: "mailto:terimitchell96@earthlink.net". To subscribe to her bi-monthly newsletter: "mailto:WMONews@quicktell.net"

Stretching For Fitness

An ideal fitness routine comprises of exercises to improve cardiovascular efficiency, create muscular strength and endurance along with improved suppleness .Flexibility exercises are those that serve to keep the joints flexible ,especially the vertebral column and its various sections.
Stretching independently or as a part of a fitness routine has many beneficial effects that can be felt even during exercises themselves. In order to understand the benefits of stretching or flexibility exercises, it is essential to understand how the various body tissues are nourished .

What happens when you stretch?

As in case of muscles which recieve their nutrients directly via the vascular system through rapid exchange rhythm ,there is no such active supply system for cartilage tissues covering the ends of bones in joints .Cartilage instead is fed by the migration of particles from the joint fluid surrounding it ,know as the synovial fluid . To be able to absorb the synovial fluid optimally, the cartilage has recourse to an alteration of pressure and suction forces .

It is precisely this regular rhythmic exchange optimizing the supply to the cartilage that is achieved with the flexibility exercises . Indulging in regular stretching exercises leads to enhanced cartilage nutrition and loosening up of all the connective tissues . While performing stretching exercises both outward and inward concentration is necessary .

Remember these stretching tips when doing the following exercises:

Always warm up before stretching. Warming up gives your body a chance to deliver plenty of nutrient rich blood to areas about to be exercised, which warms the muscles and lubricates the joints
Do not bounce or bob when you stretch -- not only is this not effective, but you could injure yourself.
Take each stretch slow to the point where tension can be felt, but not pain.
Never stretch torn or injured muscles unless you have consulted with your doctor.
Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
Always complete each stretch for both sides of your body, when applicable.
Always cool down and relax after a stretching routine. By cooling down, you can help prevent injuries and muscle soreness from your workout.

She is the creator behind WF, has studied in-depth about nutrition, both normal, therapeutic and exercises. President of Women Fitness (WF), she is the author of the "on-line book" on complete fitness. She has designed the customized strength training, cardiovascular training and flexibility training programs and has trained many women in this field. She is a certified Aerobics & Fitness Instructor certified from International Fitness Association (IFA).

How Stretching Can Explode Your Muscle Growth!

When you think about gaining muscle, stretching is probably not the first thing that pops into your head. But did you know that stretching plays a critical role in building muscle?

Every muscle in your body is enclosed in a bag of tough connective tissue known as fascia. Fascia is important for holding your muscles in their proper place in your body.

But your fascia may also be holding back your muscle growth. Think for a moment about your muscles. You train them and feed them properly. They want to grow and will grow but something is holding them back. They have no room to grow!

Because fascia is so tough, it doesnt allow the muscle room to expand. It is like stuffing a large pillow into a small pillowcase. The size of the muscle wont change regardless of how hard you train or how well you eat because the connective tissue around your muscles is constricting the muscles within.

The best example of this is the calf muscle. The lower leg is riddled with fascia because of its tremendous weight-bearing duties in the body. It is because of this fascia that many trainers have great difficulty developing their calves.

The solution: stretching.

Using the pillowcase example from above, imagine you can expand the size of the pillowcase by stretching it. Suddenly, the pillow within has more room and will expand to fill that new space.

By stretching your muscles under specific conditions, you can actually stretch your fascia and give your muscles more room to grow.

The key to effective fascial stretching is the pump. The best time to stretch to expand the bags that are holding in your muscles is when your muscles are pumped up full of blood.

When your muscles are fully pumped up, they are pressing against the fascia. By stretching hard at that time, you increase that pressure on the fascia greatly, which can lead to expansion of the fascia.

One of the major reasons Arnold Schwarzenegger had such incredible chest development was that he finished his chest workouts with dumbell flyes, an exercise that emphasizes the stretched position of the pectoral muscles. He would pump his chest up full of blood during the workout then do flyes, holding the stretch at the bottom of the flye. This gave his chest room to grow to amazing proportions.

Fascial stretching is more rigorous than regular stretching but the results can be amazing. When you stretch hard enough to cause the fascia to expand, you will really feel it! When you are stretching the fascia, you should feel a powerful pulling sensation and pressure as the muscle works against the fascia to expand it.

Be sure you do not stretch so hard that you cause the muscle to tear or cause injury to yourself. You will rapidly learn to distinguish the difference between a good stretch and a bad stretch. You should not feel any sharp pain, just a steady pull.

Hold each stretch for at least 20 to 30 seconds as you must give your fascia time to be affected by the stretch. Stretch hard like this only when you have a fully pumped muscle as you must give your fascia a reason to expand. If your muscles arent pumped, just stretch normally.

You can find instructions for stretching at:

http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Info/Stretching1.htm

One set of hard stretching after each set you do for a muscle group, besides the obvious benefits of increased flexibility, can have an incredible effect on the size of your muscles and their further ability to grow.

Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" at http://www.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com.K#

Stretching, Part 1: Why & When

A martial artist friend came to me a few weeks ago, a little confused about stretching. Hed heard a lot of conflicting information about why, when and how to stretch for maximum benefit, and he wanted to some clear guidance. Ive since had two other subscribers ask me exactly the same question which suggests that its an excellent topic for a feature article.

WHY STRETCH?
If you try to stretch a rubber band to its limits when its cold, one of two things will happen. Either it wont stretch very far or it will simply snap. If, however, you roll it around in your hands and give it a few less intense practice stretches, stretching it to its full extent becomes easy, and the likelihood of snapping it is minimal.

Your muscles work very similarly. Doing any kind of exercise involving a range of movement your body isnt used to is just like stretching the rubber band. If you try to do it cold, youll either get a very small range of movement or you move too far and snap (or tear) the muscle tissue. Warm up first however do a few practice stretches and your full range of motion is easy to achieve safely.

Its not only during your workout that this flexibility is important. Your body works on a use it or lose it basis which means that, unless you stretch regularly, your joints grow less flexible over time. Less flexibility means less range of movement in your daily life so if you have to reach or twist to pick something up, youre more likely to injure yourself. And if you take part in a sport or training programme that involves regularly contracting your muscles (without including some kind of stretching), youll find your general flexibility decreases even faster.

Theres a third reason that many of us have been taught to stretch and thats to avoid sore muscles the next day. Unfortunately, theres not a lot of evidence that it will actually help. DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is the aching you feel when youve pushed your muscles hard the day before. It happens because the exercise has stressed your muscles to the point theyve developed microscopic tears in the fibres. And although stretching may feel good after a long workout, there isnt a lot it can do to heal this microtrauma, so it wont have much effect on your level of soreness the next day.

WHEN SHOULD YOU STRETCH?
Many of us were taught to stretch before we do any kind of exercise. In fact, the best time to stretch depends on the kind of exercise well be doing. For simplicitys sake, were going to separate exercise into three categories: strength training that involves slow, controlled movements; training that involves quick, uncontrolled movements, and anything else.

For strength training, theres evidence that stretching before a workout is counter-productive. Strength training requires muscles to contract tightly against a heavy weight, and loosening the muscle fibres by stretching them first reduces their ability to do this. This doesnt mean you shouldnt warm your muscles up before strength training just avoid stretching them first. If you want to include stretching in the same workout as strength training, its better to wait until after youve finished your weights work.

For anything involving uncontrolled dynamic movements, however (and this would include most sports, dance methods and martial arts), stretching beforehand is important to avoid injury. Just think back to the rubber band metaphor.

For anything that doesnt fit into either of these categories, you can probably include your stretching whenever you want to. For example, if your exercise is walking (and you do a lot of walking, so its within your usual range of motion), you could stretch before, after, during or any combination of the three.

The important thing about stretching is that it should never be done on cold muscles. If youre stretching at the end of a workout, this isnt usually a problem, as your muscles will be well and truly warmed up. If youre stretching before your workout, however, experts recommend warming up (doing some kind of light exercise that gets your heart beating faster, and blood flowing to your muscles) for at least 5-10 minutes before you begin to stretch.

In Part 2 of this article, well look at different types of stretching and the right and wrong ways to go about stretching safely and effectively. Until then, if you have any specific questions about how the information in this article applies to you, and would like to go through it with a personal trainer, please contact me.
Optimum Life's Tanja Gardner is a Personal Trainer and Stress Management Coach whose articles on holistic health and relaxation have appeared in various media since 1999. Optimum Life is dedicated to providing fitness and stress management services to help clients all over the world achieve their optimum lives. To find out more about how you could benefit from online personal training, please visit http://www.trainerforce.com/optimumlife/. To find out more about holistic fitness and stress management please visit http://optimumlife.co.nz,or contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz.

PNF Stretching for Improved Flexibility and Improved Sports Performance

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a more advanced form of flexibility training that involves both the stretching and contraction of the muscle group being targeted. PNF stretching was originally developed as a form of rehabilitation, and to that effect it is very effective. It is also excellent for targeting specific muscle groups, and as well as increasing flexibility, (and range of movement) it also improves muscular strength.

Warning! Certain precautions need to be taken when performing PNF stretches as they can put added stress on the targeted muscle group, which can increase the risk of soft tissue injury. To help reduce this risk, it is important to include a conditioning phase before a maximum, or intense effort is used.

Also, before undertaking any form of stretching it is vitally important that a thorough warm up be completed. Warming up prior to stretching does a number of beneficial things, but primarily its purpose is to prepare the body and mind for more strenuous activity. One of the ways it achieves this is by helping to increase the bodys core temperature while also increasing the bodys muscle temperature. This is essential to ensure the maximum benefit is gained from your stretching. For a more detailed article on warming up properly, refer to the following link. http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/warm-up.htm

How to perform a PNF stretch

The process of performing a PNF stretch involves the following. The muscle group to be stretched is positioned so that the muscles are stretched and under tension. The individual then contracts the stretched muscle group for 5 - 6 seconds while a partner, or immovable object, applies sufficient resistance to inhibit movement. Please note; the effort of contraction should be relevant to the level of conditioning.

The contracted muscle group is then relaxed and a controlled stretch is applied for about 30 seconds. The muscle group is then allowed 30 seconds to recover and the process is repeated 2 - 4 times.

Information differs slightly about timing recommendations for PNF stretching depending on who you are talking to. Although there are conflicting responses to the question of how long should I contract the muscle group for and how long should I rest for between each stretch, I believe (through a study of research literature and personal experience) that the above timing recommendations provide the maximum benefits from PNF stretching.

Article by Brad Walker. Brad is a leading stretching and sports injury consultant with over 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry. For more articles on the prevention & treatment of sports injury, subscribe to The Stretching & Sports Injury Newsletter by visiting http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/.

Stretching Your Grocery Dollars

 Shopping for groceries is an inevitable fact of our ever busy lives. We may imagine that we are saving time by dashing in, roaming the aisles and throwing whatever looks good into the cart. Most often, what we end up with is repetitive, nutritionally unbalanced meals and ballooning grocery bills. Or worse, frequent fast-food stops and pizza calls. Brighten your meals and save time and money by planning ahead an added bonus you may even save a few calories.

Some money saving tips:

Before you visit the grocery store each week, check out the Sunday circulars. Clip coupons while you watch television or get your children to lend a hand. Organization is the key to the coupon game, so invest in an accordion coupon file. Trust me, it's infinitely easier than rifling through small slips of paper or finding yourself without the coupon you need when you get to the store. You can find some very user friendly organizers for around $10.00 at sites such as www.galison.com.

Look through the food section of your local newspaper. You'll get some great ideas about bargains to look for as well as what produce, seafood, etc. is in season. The circulars and the food section are two places to begin building a weekly menu, that isn't boring, on a budget. It's also a good idea to comb the Internet. There are a wealth of sites offering ideas for budget menus.

Consider joining a shopping club such as Sam's or Costco. If you don't have the storage space, but would like to benefit from the savings and convenience of buying in bulk share the bounty with a friend. You can each take a turn shopping from a list once a month or so.

Keep your receipts for a month or so and notice the high, low and average prices on the items you buy most. When the price hits its low, buy a few so that you can skip it when it slides into the high range.

Experiment with 5 ingredient meals. There are a number of books, videos and web sites that help you make great meals with only a few ingredients even on weeknights.

Check out sites like www.cutouthunger.org/get_coupons!.htm; www.refundsweepers.com; www.refundcents.com; and www.aplusfreestuff.com for information on rebates, refunds, freebies and other savings. If you do take advantage of rebates, complete forms meticulously and keep copies of receipts, UPC, proof of purchase documentation and contact information for the vendor.

Include your local grocer's weekly circular in your savings plan. When store sales are coupled with the savings cards now offered by many grocer's you can save hundreds of dollars each year.

Pay attention to promotionals. Some grocer's offer reward if you spend the target amount within a specified period. Rewards generally include a percentage off of your grocery bill at a later date or cash back.

Curb impulse buying. Grocer's have developed their floor plans with your dollars in mind; the object, get as many as possible with proper product placement. Learn the layout of your store and make a beeline to your destination. Temptation is especially tough in the check out aisles. Fight the urge to succumb to these powerful marketing practices by making, and sticking to, a list.

Try not to shop when you are starved. It makes sense that you are more vulnerable to impulse buying when you are hungry.

Make a budget and take a calculator to the store.

Compare prices. Store brands are not necessarily least expensive. Take just a moment to scan the shelves for best prices on the items you buy. When comparison shopping, make sure to take note of per unit costs.

Look below eye level. Bargain priced items are often shelved below eye level and out of your immediate view.

Grocery shopping can take a big chunk out of your budget if you are not careful. With just a small investment of time you will realize savings that you can take to the credit union. http://www.CreditUnionRate.com

Nicole Soltau is the President and Founder of http://CreditUnionRate.com -
The Leading Credit Union Directory
Search, Find ,Join.
- http://CreditUnionRate.com
 

A Guide to Choosing the Right Engraving Fonts for Your Personalized Gifts

A personalized gift is such a great way to show someone that they are special to you and that you cared enough about them to add a personal touch to their present. When you add a name or initials or a significant date to an item, it becomes a keepsake and a memento of an occasion. Often, it is passed down from generation to generation.

There are different type of personalization, depending on the material. There is embroidering for fabrics. This is basically when lettering is sewn into something like a shirt or a hat. Being a child of the 80?s, my favorite examples of this are the initials that Laverne and Shirley wore on every article of clothing that they owned. A script font often works terrifically well with embroidery. As with all personalization methods, the type of lettering that you are employing really helps determine the font you?ll choose.

Embossing or debossing is another personalization method that uses an imprint of lettering to convey a message. An example of embossing would be a raised seal into a piece of paper. This really won?t apply to gift too often so we?ll continued onto debossing. We?re more interested in debossing, particularly on leather, because debossed leather goods make for great gifts. When you deboss a leather gift like a wallet or a briefcase, you imprint a hot stamp directly into it. This creates an impression into the leather with the lettering of your choice. This is an elegant way to personalize a high end gift. Debossing is almost exclusively done in a block font, like new times roman or century block. Due to the nature of leather goods being high end gifts, you?ll tend to keep the personalization short and to the point. Initials or a name work great for these type of goods.

Engraving is by far the most popular way to personalize gifts. It lends itself to a variety of items and materials. Due to the sheer volume of items that can be engraved, we?ll instead focus on the engraving methods themselves. If you are getting initials done, you?ll usually want to stick with a block or old English style font. A script style font doesn?t lend itself particularly well to initials because the spacing often gets out of line. If you?re looking for a name or message like ?Happy Birthday?, a script font is great. Script letters are made to connect, which is another reason to avoid using them when having initials done. You can?t go wrong with block lettering for words as well. You?ll usually want to avoid an Old English font for words as it is very intricate and is often tough to decipher. Old English works best for initials. So basically, you can?t go wrong with block style fonts for any type of personalization, stick with initials for Old English style fonts and stick with words for a script style font.

One final area that people often get fouled up over is whether or not to make their engraving of initials a traditional monogram or a contemporary monogram. For those not aware, a traditional monogram features the initial of the person?s last name in the middle and enlarged. An example for the name Mary Ann Smith would be: MSA. A contemporary monogram for the same name would be MAS. Both are appropriate these days. The important thing to make sure is that everyone is aware of what is being done. If you want a traditional monogram, make sure you let whoever is doing it know so that they do it appropriately. With everything being done online these days, you don?t want to assume that a traditional monogram is being done, enter the last initial in the middle and have all the letters in the monogram be done the same size.

Simon Brady is a freelance writer and the head of content for Executive Gift Shoppe. They specialize in personalized gifts including money clips, engraved men's cufflinks, pocket watches and business card holders. They offer a variety of personalization options for today?s consumer.

Engraving Your Diamond Wedding And Engagement Ring

 

A diamond ring is forever.

It is perhaps the most romantic symbol of love for most couples and has actually become an essential in engagements and weddings. Nothing can be more romantic? except of course a diamond ring with an engraving inside.

Engraving your diamond wedding rings is one of the ways that would make your rings special and personalized. Putting messages for your spouse in the ring will ensure that your message of love will always be with him or her.

Most jewelers offer this additional service of engraving wedding and engagement rings. Often this service is only offered with plain wedding bands with no stone but some jewelry shops can engrave diamond engagement and wedding rings.

Here are some of the ways that jewelers do this.

One of the ways is by hand engraving where an expert will use a hand tool to engrave the words in the metal. Because this is done by hand, the process is not perfect and the letters are not as precise as one would like. Still, because it is handmade, the effect is more natural and far more unique than when done by machines. In choosing this process, make sure that the expert, often called the artisan, is skilled and experienced in doing the craft.

Another process is of course through the use of the engraving machine. Unlike the hand-made engraving process, this is much faster and more precise. Mistakes are minimized and the letters appear crisp. One disadvantage of using the engraving machine is the fact that one can only put up to 20 characters only. Although this is more than enough for the space provided by the ring, some prefer to put longer verses in smaller fonts.

One of the most modern processes is the use of the laser technology in engraving. The discovery and later use of laser has opened a whole lot of possibilities for jewelry engraving. Unlike the old engraving machine, couples can now put up to 225 characters in the metal. This is quite long and will be more than enough for one ring to take.

What is more, the engraver can be customized. One can choose the size of the font, the slant and sometimes even the kind of font that is used. That is why this process is not only used in engraving wedding and engagement rings but also bracelets and necklaces. Some are even able to put vows and verses from the bible with this kind of machine.This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on Diamond Rings & other useful information, please visit http://diamond-ring.articlekeep.com

Door Knocker Engraving

 

An engraved door knocker makes a wonderful personalized gift or addition to your home. With a little forethought it can become a treasured family heirloom.

Over the years I have engraved scores of door knockers. Many of which were similar in style but each unique in its own way due to the message it carries.

It seems that there are a lot of choices to consider. As an engraver all I can do is offer advice and information.

First of all, think about what you would like to accomplish before you purchase your door knocker. They come in different shapes and sizes all offering differing engraving opportunities. Some are not engraveable at all. Be sure of what you are purchasing. It may be safest to purchase from the same place that is doing the engraving if possible.

When it comes to the engraving itself, there are quite a few choices to be made, for example:

Names, addresses, greetings, a combination of all of these.

Lets address the most common question, the engraving of a name.

Is it proper the engrave just the last name, the last name with an s making it plural, or the last name with an apostrophe s making it a possessive?

Any one of these would be correct given the message you want to convey.

Name only: This is always nice and is easily understood as the name of the family living behind in this home.

Names plural: Also nice as it states that more than one family member lives in this home.

Name's possessive: This method states that this residence belongs to this family.

Just to throw another cog into the wheel, How about putting the work "The" in front of the name?

The Shaylers -or- The Shayler's -or even- The Shayler Family if room allows.

I'll bet you did not think that there was so much to consider just getting a door knocker engraved. Well, there is more.

A name does not need to be used at all. You may want the street address or simply "Welcome". How about "Howdy"? Maybe "Bless This House"

Perhaps you are engraving a door knocker as a wedding or anniversary gift. Typically the engraving includes the new last name and a line with "Est. 2006" Est. being short for established.

All of these choices are very nice and are correct given the situation they are to be used in.

The words themselves are not the only choice to be made. You must also choose a font. Depending on the font used you may want all upper-case letters or mixed case letters.

A general rule of thumb is, if you are using a script or ornamental font always use mixed case (upper and lower case letters). Most just do not look right in all upper case.

Roman and block fonts look very nice in either case, all upper or mixed. The Roman and block fonts may not be the most attractive but they are definitely the easiest to read.

The shape and style of the door knocker may dictate the font and case used. A small engraving area may prefer all upper case to prevent a descender ( letters like y or g that go below the base line ) from making the words to small to read easily. All upper case has no descenders and may fill the area more uniformly.

Most engravers can advise you as to what the limitations are but again the final decision lies with the customer. I have engraved some ornamental fonts in all upper case (ugh!) because this is what was wanted.

Be sure to use a bold font that stands out well. Door knockers as a rule do not offer a lot of contrast for the engraving so thin fine letters really do not show up well at all. Here again the engraver is a great source of advice.

All in all a little planning before the purchase will make the experience a brighter one.

Bill Shayler is a professional engraver and thEe owner of Shayler Engraving. For more information or to contact Bill, please visit: www.your-door-knocker.com a web site owned and operated by Shayler ngraving.

Plaque Engraving

Plaque engraving is a popular process of engraving and is widely used to create printing plates and presentation plaques. Plaque engraving is the craft or technique of engraving on plaque. There are several companies that utilize the latest plaque engraving techniques to create award and memorial plaques in wood, acrylic or glass. These manufacturers offer a variety of styles and shapes for their customers to choose from. Most of these companies use large machinery to produce plaque engravings because this ensures more speed and consistency for the products.

For the business world, engraving companies create customized door and wall plaques and presentation labels with the desired company logo and information. This gives a professional touch to the business and helps to promote specific corporate brands at award ceremonies and other corporate events. The plaques are usually brushed and lacquered to safeguard them from natural elements. There are also options to select from various fonts and font styles to make these plaques stand out from the rest. Awards and memorial plaques in acrylic, wood or glass are also available.

With the advent of the Internet, one can also purchase plaque engravings from the home or office. There are several websites that offer this option and the sites also allow customers to choose from various designs and styles, providing plaques catering to individual taste. Online payment facilities provided by these companies enable easy payment, either through credit card or any other online money transfer method. The price range of plaque engravings vary according to the intricacy and exquisite nature of the engraving.



Engraving provides detailed information on Engraving, Photo Engraving, Laser Engraving, Plaque Engraving and more. Engraving is affliated with Moissanite Jewelry

Engraving Your Wedding Bands

For many engaged couples, one of the most exciting experiences is the purchase of the wedding bands. The rings are a symbol of permanence and undying love, a sign of a groom's love for his bride and vice-versa. Some couples like to make the moment when the rings are exchanged even more personal by having the wedding bands engraved.

Why Engrave?

There are many good reasons to engrave your wedding bands. For example, it's a wonderful way to show your solidarity with your new spouse. For another, it can be a means of expressing special sentiments, such as words of affection that have been exchanged between you and your beloved. Finally, it can truly personalize your ring, making it a treasured keepsake for your family.

Popular Engraving Options

Of course, when it comes to engraving, there are a number of options that you can choose from. For instance, many couples prefer something simple, such as engraving their initials with a plus sign between them. Others like including their first names, while still others prefer a phrase that is particularly special to them. Or, to remember your destination wedding place and date.

History Behind the Tradition

You should be aware of the fact that there is a significant history behind the tradition of engraved rings. According to long-standing custom, the wedding ring is the last in a series of gifts, preceded by the engagement ring, which celebrates betrothal, and the promise ring, which symbolizes courting. The practice of engraving may have begun in Europe, where the name of one's spouse and the date of the impending wedding served as a symbol of family. Over the years, some couples have taken the tradition in a humorous direction, engraving their rings with funny phrases. Others strike a religious tone with their engravings.

A Lasting Memory

You'll Treasure In the end, an engraved wedding ring represents a lasting memory-a memory of the moment that two hearts joined together in a union of body, mind, and soul. It's the type of fashion accessory that never goes out of style-that is appropriate for every outfit, for every mood. For a lasting memory for your guests, leave them with personalized wedding favors to remember your special day by.

By Michelle O'Connor, Wedding Keepsake Albums