user: Problem: Article: Practicing what some doctors call "scent therapy" can engage new receptors in your nose, improving your sense of smell over time. Choose several strong smells that are pleasant to you and spend a few minutes every day sniffing each one. After a few weeks, your nose will be able to pick up on these smells more easily. When you start noticing a difference, practice with more smells.   Essential oils are very useful tools when it comes to scent therapy. Chose 3 or 4 oils with smells you like, such as lemongrass, cedar, vanilla and geranium rose. You can also use raw materials to conduct scent therapy. Gather a few small jars and fill each one with a different strong-smelling substance, such as ground coffee, dried basil leaves, a few drops of your favorite floral shampoo, and so on. Keep the lids on the jars when you aren't using them so the smells stay strong. When you conduct scent therapy, you should sniff quickly, rather than deeply inhaling each scent. This way you'll avoid scent fatigue. Another form of therapy you can try is experimenting with identifying different types of smells with your eyes closed. Practicing this over the course of a few months will enhance your ability to distinguish between different smells. Close your eyes and have someone hold different substances under your nose one at a time. See if you can identify the smells.  Start by rotating smells that are quite different, like chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon, or bourbon, orange juice and peppermint tea. As you get better at distinguishing between smells, start working with smells that are more difficult to tell apart, like strawberry, cherry and raspberry, or lemon, lime and grapefruit. When you identify and describe a smell out loud, your ability to perceive it is sharpened. Make a practice of talking about smells as you experience them. Describe them out loud using specific language, the way a wine connoisseur would talk about the characteristics of different wines. Make a point of noticing and talking about everyday smells. For example, describe the nuances of your dinner's scent: "I can smell the earthy ground corn in these tortillas, the sweet and spicy tang of the pork filling, the fresh soapy scent of the cilantro, and the floral citrus burst of the lime." Getting a little exercise can enhance your sense of smell. Go for a walk or jog, then pay attention to the smells around you. It's possible that the extra moisture in your nose that accumulates with exercise helps sharpen your ability to smell Having a zinc deficiency can lead to a dulled sense of smell as well as taste. Take supplements or consume foods high in zinc, like lamb, grass-fed beef, scallops, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and oats. Certain medications have the side effect of dulling the sense of smell. Medication prescribed for Parkinson's disease, antibiotics, and blood pressure medication can affect your sense of smell. If you're on a medication that has this side effect, talk to your doctor to make sure you're receiving the right dosage. A clogged sinus, whether it's caused by a cold or allergies, will prevent you from being able to smell properly. A cold will go away, but if you tend to have allergies throughout the year, you might want to check into getting on medication to free up your sinuses so you can smell properly again. Smoking cigarettes is a huge culprit when it comes to dulling the senses, especially your sense of smell. If you can cut back or quit smoking your sense of smell will greatly improve. Chewing tobacco and other tobacco products have the same effect.
Summary: Inhale strong smells every day. Close your eyes and inhale. Describe smells out loud. Work up a sweat. Eat more zinc. Check your medication. Treat your allergies. Stop smoking.

Problem: Article: Reverse stencils work similar to regular stencils, except that you will be putting paint around the shape instead. Here's a list of what you will need:  Cardstock Craft knife Double-sided tape or repositionable spray adhesive Foam roller or paint sponges Acrylic paint or wall paint Paint pan or paint palette Paper towels You can also use template plastic, or blank stencil sheeting as well.  You can find template plastic in the quilting section of a fabric store. You can find blank stencil sheeting in the stencil section of an arts and crafts store. You can also spray the back of each shape with repositionable spray adhesive. You can create a grid or checkered pattern. You can also use a completely random pattern. If you are using shapes of different sizes, consider arranging them in an asymmetric clump. Keep the larger shapes towards the center, and the smaller shapes towards the edges/ends. Don't pour out a whole lot, or the paint will dry out before you can finish using it. You can always pour more paint out into your paint pan or paint palette. If you are painting a large area, consider using wall paint. If you are painting just a small area, any acrylic paint will do.  If you are using a paint roller to apply the paint, you might find a paint pan easier to use. If you are using a small paint sponge, you might find a paint palette easier to work with. This will prevent you from applying too much paint all at once. If you apply too much paint at one time, the paint may not dry or cure properly. It may also end up with a bubbly texture. Because of this, it is much better to apply many thin coats of paint rather than one thick coat. Simply roll the foam paint roller across the entire wall, including your shapes. If you want a softer look, you can gently tap around your shapes with a paint sponge. Wait for the paint to dry, then apply a second coat. If you are taping the paint on with a sponge, you can even use a slightly lighter or darker color. If you remove the shapes after the paint dries, you will risk accidentally chipping the paint. Gently peel the shapes off using your fingernail. Look over your design, and fill in any gaps using a thin brush and some extra paint. If you got paint where you don't want it to be, wipe it off using a damp Q-tip. Most acrylic paints will dry within 20 minutes to two hours. Latex wall paints have a different composition and may require four to six hours to dry, if not more. Refer to the label on the can or bottle for more specific drying times.
Summary:

assistant: Gather your supplies. Cut shapes or designs from a piece of cardstock. Put some double-sided tape onto the back of each shape. Arrange the shapes in any pattern you want on your wall. Pour some paint out. Dip your paint roller or sponge into the paint and tap off excess paint onto a folded sheet of paper towel. Start painting over your shapes. Apply a second coat, if necessary. Remove the shapes before the paint dries. Make any touchups using extra paint and a thin paintbrush. Allow the paint to dry fully.