Tag Archives: CertaPro

A Very Hipster Christmas

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You may have noticed an interesting trend in our younger generation: maybe their style of clothing, their taste in music, or their jaw-dropping collection of vinyl and other vintage goods. This is no accident. Basically, imagine taking some of the best parts of the  60s, 70s, and 90s; wrapping them in a box, and letting an entire generation go to town on them. For those of you who are just hearing about this, it has been a lot of fun to watch.

There is no doubt that you have a real life hipster somewhere in your family. Just look for thick rimmed glasses, that may or may not have lenses. This person could possibly be carrying profound literature of some sort. In men, look for a beard, and/or a fedora; in women, a short baby doll skirt or dress, and either heavy bangs, or one of the many fancy braids you’ve seen on Pinterest. The ages range anywhere from high school to mid-thirties. However, you can never openly ask a person you suspect if they are in fact a hipster – it tends to be offensive, and they will not admit to it anyway. Use the tools I am giving you here, Google “hipster”, and make your best judgement.

Now, the holiday season is here, so what do you gift these vintage souls? Lucky for you, Louisville has The Highlands, and Urban Outfitters. So, take the following list of items and do your best.

Let them DIY

Hipsters love to Pinterest, do crafts, cook food, paint old furniture, etc. A book on how to do crafts may be nice, or a beginners painting set. The ladies also love frilly aprons, or the ones you can put designs on yourself.

Gift Card Version: Hobby Lobby

Vinyl

Step one: do they have a record player? If no, there you go. If yes: ask someone they know what kind of music they like, and rather than doing a cd or an iTunes card, buy the vinyl.

Gift Card Version: Urban Outfitters, Please & Thank You

Something Vintage

Something to do with fashion or photography are your best bets here. Cameras that allow a lot of manual creativity, over digital is a great gift, though rather pricy – so you could go the Fuji Instax route, which is similar to an old Polaroid. Fashion wise, men prefer hats of some sort, and for the ladies just think Twiggy meets Karen Carpenter. Jackets and blazers are a good bet for either sex.

Gift Card Version: Urban Outfitters, local boutiques

Hopefully, some of these ideas will help you to really surprise this generation. A few final notes about this demographic: They tend to prefer Apple products, but would rather type on an old typewriter. They enjoy taking pictures of themselves and making them look dated. Very rarely do they have strong religious beliefs, though they know a lot about many different religions. They live to live, not to work, and for this reason: they are very politically aware. Happy shopping!

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New Ideas for Your All-American Cookout

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Independence day is a time when the American people celebrate the good ole red, white and blue – so decorate accordingly, but don’t go overboard. Of course, two very popular fourth of July traditions are cooking out and fireworks, and luckily everyone is looking for something to do on this fun-filled summer day. So rather than having your average cookout, spice it up a little bit, and give your friends and family something to remember. (Image)

Go Beyond the Picnic Table

Just because your party is outside doesn’t mean your seating has to be shabby. Try adding a white cloth, a floral arrangement, and lighting. If you’re unable to hang white lights consider tiki torches, or tea lights for the table.

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Decorative Fans

Most areas of the country are enjoying the nice hot sun on the fourth of July, so as your party favor have assorted decorative fans at each person’s place setting or at the end of the buffet.

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Mason Jars

Mason jars are nostalgic and useful. To give your party more of a summer feel, and be a little greener: set a jar out for each guest to use throughout the duration of the party. You may even consider adding chalkboard paint to the front as a name-tag. Set out a few pieces of chalk and let your guests decorate their mason jar.

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Food for Everyone

We know what a traditional cookout consists of, but these days we are so much more aware of food allergies, and many of us are taking advantage of more healthy options, so be aware of this. A good host always asks about food preferences either on the RSVP or personally. If you have a vegetarian in the bunch, don’t make that person eat pasta salad and beans, buy some veggie burgers. If a person doesn’t eat pork or red meat, make sure you have chicken breast or fish available, you may even consider chicken salad sandwiches.

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Let Them Eat Cake

This is a fourth of July bash, so you’re going to have some kind of theme here, instead of doing the traditional white sheet cake decorated to look like a flag, consider using something other than red, white and blue icing, and try to make it more pleasing to the eye.

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The Big Finale

Ah yes, the fireworks, the moment we have all been waiting for. Nine times out of ten, there is someone close to you who would love to help out with the fireworks – picking them, setting them off, and watching the magic. Be sure to get this person on board early on. Another great addition is sparklers – sparklers on the cake, sparklers while the big fireworks are going off, sparkler wars, just pure fun.

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Louisville Artist Profile: Jeff Gaither

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In Louisville, KY, art stretches beyond the normal bounds of artistic expression. For Jeff Gaither, these bounds are completely removed.

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Horror/Rock artist, Jeff Gather, has been expressing himself through art for over 30 years. From cd covers, posters, t-shirts and paintings, Gaither has done it all, working with many renowned national music acts such as Guns-N-Roses, Van Halen, The Misfits, and many others. You may have seen his art on t-shirts or posters for an array of horror festivals. Locally, Jeff has done work on the cover of the LEO, Velocity, Louisville Music News, as well as posters for the Forecastle FestivaL, St. James Art Show Festival and many more.

Here are just a few of Gaither’s coolest pieces. Check them out!

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Painters On Stilts (Video)

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When we found out we were running low on time and we still had to paint the warehouse ceiling it was time to get creative. The scaffold simply wasn’t doing the trick so we broke out the stilts. With quick thinking and a little balance, we were done in no time. The following is a video we put together of one of our painters on the stilts compared to the painter on the scaffold.


 

CertaPro Attending Home Garden & Remodeling Show

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CertaPro will be attending this year’s Home Garden & Remodeling Show. The event is being hosted by the KY expo Center and it will take place March 11-13. For over 60 years, the show has brought the newest home and garden products to the minds and hands of the consumer, preparing you for home projects, big or small. Tickets are only $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens, and children 15 and under get in for free. Come check out our booth and see our previous projects and maybe sign your home up for one of our future projects. Our professionals are dedicated and talented and we want to make your home improvements easy. We hope to see you there!

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Storm Drain Street Graffiti

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Street art/graffiti is known for being  appealing and bold. Gangs use to mark their territory with graffiti years back. Creative designers and artists across the globe use this form of art to deliver their message and showcase their work. According to artist 6emeia there is more than one way to look at a storm drain. He is most famous for making sewer drains, manhole covers and other urban street objects into funny faces.

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How Can I Paint The Exterior Of My House In Winter?

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Winter Painting Tips:

Painting the exterior of a home in the winter time is difficult when the snow is falling and the temperature outside is below freezing. There are some new paints that can be applied at lower temperatures.  These paints allow painters to extend the painting season. Oil-based exterior paints can also be used in winter temperatures, but will take a long time to dry if it doesn’t warm up.

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8 Uniquely Painted Houses

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Have you ever wondered how your neighbors would react if you painted your home or apartment in any of these eight different ways? Being unique is a great way to begin 2011! Will you paint your home after a movie like 101 Dalmations, will  your friends paint it when you are out of town, or will you paint it to just brighten up your street?

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The Meaning of Each Color – Color Therapy

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The use of color therapy has been around for a very long time, with the earliest recording dated 2500 years ago, when, color halls were established for healing purposes all over ancient Egypt and China.

Color therapy, also known as chromotherapy, is often facilitated in the healing rooms of alternative health practitioners. Color therapy is classified as a vibrational healing modality. Color is simply a form of visible light, of electromagnetic energy. All the primary colors reflected in the rainbow carry their own unique healing properties. The sun alone is a wonderful healer! Just imagine what life would be like without sunshine.

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