Have you ever imagined how can you identify a haunted cemetery? Check out the video above and discover the signs that may indicate the presence of ghosts!

~Ally

     Although sometimes we embrace and cherish the few times we can be trully left alone, loneliness can be a real pain when it is not desired or needed. This past night I kept feeling it over and over, wondering how could I best act to come up with a "ritual" to get rid of it quickly. Feeling it to the deepest, despairing a little bit (five minutes are more than enough), taking a deep breath, analyzing it rationally and then stop thinking about it usually do the trick, but in the video above are other ideas which can be very helpfull next time you face it.
     And, let's be honest, it'll be sooner than you think.

~Ally

     Ever wished to quit your life for a bit and then starting it fresh? Here's a way to do it! Enjoy and have a nice rebooting!

~Ally

     Back when I was in fourth grade, there was a day when the teacher asked us to read about and learn Morse Code. As all the other kids in class, I quicly read it, memorized some of the signals and soon forgot everything. But, since you never know when aliens could suddenly attack Earth and cut out our communications ("Independence Day", anyone?), I thought it would be useful to remember how the hell to use it. So there you have it. o  - o  o - - -  - - -  -o - - !

~ o- o-oo o-oo -o--

     Do you know your life's purpose? Well, I still haven't quite figured out mine, but with 5 minutes and the help of this TEDx talk by Adam Leipzig, maybe you and I will discover it. Tell me later what is yours in the comments section!

~Ally

     Fountain pens are great if you're a sucker for calligraphy like me. However, if you leave your pen without use for a long time, the ink can clog the tip, and it won't work. And I did that. So here's a wuick tutorial on how to unclog your ink pen!
     First, take off the ink cartridge. Next, immerse the pen tip in water and leave it there resting for 24 hours, so the ink that is clogging the tip will wash off. You can also clean the tip in running water, but remember that it has always to be cold - hot water can damage other parts of the pen that aren't made of metal. And never, NEVER use other liquids to clean your pen!

~Ally

      And all you need to do this is some OOMOO 30, a special type of silicone, liquid plastic and a cool record! I'm not sure I'd do this with a rare vinyl or one that I liked very much, but it's nice to know there's a way to do it. Check out the tutorial here (in Portuguese).

~Ally

     Wow, one hundred days already! Ok, actually it took kind of long to get to this hundredth day. If you're still checking this blog everyday (and I know a few of you are ^^), I thank you very much! Hope we have even more fun in the next 265 days!
     As a way of celebrating this date, I decided to finally learn how to make a Tsuru (Crane) Origami. I know how to make little airplanes and boats with paper, but it's the first time I tried to make something different. I used this great tutorial here and it was very easy! I admit it looks a little bit crooked and, as a matter of fact, it is far from perfect, but it's my first trial and I intend to practice more in the future - that is, if I can remember all the folding steps!
     I recall hearing something about Tsurus once, and it basically said that if a person made a thousand of these Origami, he/she would be lucky for the rest of his/her days or would be granted a wish from the gods. Good huh? But it turns out that this story got famous with the occurrences of Sadako Sasaki's life.
     Sadako was born in Hiroshima and was only two years old when the Americans launched the atomic bomb on the city . She lived far from the epicenter of the bomb and together with her mother and brother,they fled and were unharmed. But, during the flight, they were drenched by the black radioactive rain that fell on Hiroshima during that fateful day.
    Resuming their lives after the war, Sadako and her family lived normally and she was a girl apparently healthy until completing twelve years of age . In January 1955 , during a physical education class, Sadako, who loved racing, felt sick and dizzy. The days passed and again the malaise caused her to fall to the ground, unconscious . Rescued and taken to a hospital, after a few days dark marks appeared on her body and she was diagnosed with leukemia, a disease that was killing other children that were als exposed to the pump. At the time leukemia was even called "atomic bomb disease". She was admitted in February 1955 , receiving predicting survival of only one year.
     In August of that same year , her best friend Chizuko Hamamoto came to visit her in the hospital. Chizuko made ​​a folding tsuru and presented Sadako , telling her the legend of the thousand origami tsurus . Sadako decided to make the thousand tsurus, wishing for her recovery. But the disease progressed rapidly and Sadako increasingly weakened, proceeded slowly folding the birds, without showing up angry and without surrendering.
     At one point Sadako realized that his illness was the result of the war and more than wanting just her own healing , she wanted peace for all humanity, so that no child should suffer more wars. She said about tsurus : "I will write Peace on your wings and you will fly the whole world".
     Finally, on the morning of 25 October 1955, Sadako made her last tsuru and died, supported by her family. She failed to complete the thousand origami, only making ​​644. But her example touched deeply her classmates and they bowed the tsurus missing to be buried with her. Sad and aware , colleagues decided to do something for Sadako and the many other children. They formed an association and began a campaign to build a memorial to Sadako and all the children killed and injured by the war. With donations from students around 3100 Japanese schools and nine more countries in 1958, was erected in Hiroshima the Monument of Children to Peace, also known as Tower of Tsurus in the Peace Park. The granite monument symbolizes Mount Horai, mythological site where Orientals believe that spirits live. At the top of the hill is the young Sadako holding a tsuru in her outstretched arms. At the base of the monument are engraved the words:

"This is our cry,
This is our prayer,
PEACE IN THE WORLD "

     Every year, thousands and thousands of colorful paper tsurus are sent from all over Japan and the world, in a gesture of affection that also demonstrates the concern of children and their power to work for a just cause .

~Ally

     I'm a big fan of wand written letters and vintage things, and can't imagine a better couple than letters with was seals! I'm still working on the design of my signet, so I won't be able to show it here (and I don't want any busters copying my design! ;) ), but I'll teach you how to get the wax in a few simple steps.
     A couple of websites I consulted suggested the mix of shellac, Venice turpentine and pigments to make the wax, but you can actually buy some ready-to-use seal wax in specialized stores. Some of them even sell wax with wicks, so you don't make a big mess lighting the wax stick. If you're old school, though, go for the mix and tell me how it was! If you think about it, the possibility of creating a personal wax collor is also pretty cool.
    After getting you wax ready, you just burn it on top of the envelope or paper you wish to decorate and, before the wax gets cold, press your signet on top of it and remove it gently. A couple of attempts might be necessary to get everything right, but practice makes the master!

~Ally