The unusual shape of culottes can quickly go from trendy to frumpy if the fit is bulky or too structured. Choose a lighter fabric that has a little swing to it, like jersey, chiffon, silk, or satin. The legs should be loose-fitting and drape naturally. Avoid stiffer heavy materials like tweed, wool, and heavy linen. These may obscure your waist and hips. Black always looks slimming. Avoid details around the waist area, like pleated fronts, tie belts, and other embellishments. Get a pair with a basic vertical zipper in the front to keep the lines smooth. If you're new to culottes, a basic black pair is a great place to start. They're easy to style and wear. The key is getting the right fabric go with something loose and flowy, like silk, jersey, or chiffon. The fluid pleated material creates smooth lines that hang gracefully. These culottes tend to look more like elegant midi skirts instead of pants. For example, wear a cream-colored silk pair of culottes with a conservative white top, like a long-sleeved button-down or silk tank top. Top it off with a fitted blazer for a work-ready look. For an edgier look, wear a cropped and fitted black leather jacket instead of the blazer. Culottes are already a statement garment, but you can play that up even more by choosing an eye-catching print or pattern. Experiment with floral prints, vertical stripes, and polka dot prints. When wearing a print, always choose neutral colors for your other pieces, like your top and shoes. Keep accessories simple, as well, and let the culottes take center stage. For example, wear boldly patterned culottes with a neutral white top. Go for something classic, like a sleeveless button-down. Wear white strappy sandals or nude pumps to complete the look. This all-in-one style is great for warm weather and casual settings. Go for a sleeveless version in a cute, vintage-looking pattern like polka-dots. To jazz it up, opt for a jumpsuit that has interesting details on the back lace, straps, or even cut-outs that show a little skin. The result is polished and cute. It's perfect for a garden party or brunch with friends at a trendy cafe downtown. Play up the retro vibe by wearing a pair of oversized or cat-eye sunglasses and a swipe of matte red lipstick. Complement the casual summer vibe with an oversized tote and nude strappy sandals.

Summary: Pick culottes that are full but not bulky. Go with a black pair with minimal detail for a slim silhouette. Try a pleated pair made of flowing material for an elegant look. Make a statement with a patterned pair. Give a culotte jumpsuit a try for a casual summery look.

the bar or break it into pieces. If the bar of chocolate is too thick to snap into pieces with your hands, put it on a cutting board. Chop the chocolate into pieces that are less than 1 inch (2.5cm) in size. Ensure that your hands, cutting board, and knife are completely dry. If water gets into the chocolate, it will seize and become grainy when you melt it. Try to use a wide bowl so the chocolate melts evenly and quickly. If the bowl is too small, the heat from the top won't be able to reach the chocolate at the bottom. The bowl should also be dry so the chocolate doesn't seize.

Summary: Chop Put the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl.

On any snorkeling adventure you are bound to get some water in your tube at some point, sometimes either due to surf conditions or excessive splashing, or by letting your head dip too low in the water. Learning to clear your snorkel will keep this from being a cumbersome disruption to your experience. You should feel that water is entering the snorkel barrel. Make sure the end of the tube is in the air this time. This blast method of snorkel clearing will remove nearly all the water from your snorkel. By repeating the blast method you should clear any water that enters into the snorkel. Sometimes you will get water in your tube when you have no air in your lungs. If there is only a little water, inhale slowly and carefully without letting water into your mouth until you have enough air for a full blast. If there is too much, you will need to lift your head out of the water and take a breath around the mouthpiece. Once you get adept at clearing your airway, you can consider diving below the surface of the water to get a better look at something nifty. Take a deep breath and swim down. When you need a breath, surface, keeping your face underwater, and clear your flooded snorkel tube like you practiced.

Summary: Breathe cautiously. Hold your breath and place your head below the water, submerging the end of the snorkel. Surface your head without lifting it out of the water. Exhale through your mouth quickly and forcefully into the snorkel. Expel any remaining amount of water with a second forceful blast. Master airway control. Learn to dive.

If you rent your house or apartment, or if you live in a location with a homeowner's association, there may be rules on what color your front door can be. Before painting, check in with any necessary authorities to make sure you aren't breaking any rules. If you paint your front door against your location's policy, you may have to re-paint it the original color. Different colors convey different impressions. While colors like grey and blue can be calming, colors like red and yellow can be energizing. Decide what kind of impression you'd like to make on guests when they arrive and pick a color that conveys the energy you'd like your house to give off. Think about the colors and scenery around you. What colors or shades would look particularly good with your garden, for instance? Or which shade would best compliment your house and fit in with the neighborhood? If you don't have a strong color preference, considering how to match the colors around your door could help narrow down options. If you're trying to choose between a few different paints, you can experiment with them. Paint a small piece of wood with one of your color samples. Then leave it by your front door and look at it at different times of day to see how the color looks in the space in different lights. Do this with multiple colors and choose whichever one you like best.
Summary: Check with your homeowner's association or landlord before painting. Choose the impression you'd like your door to make. Take the other colors around the door into consideration. See how different colors or shades look in the space.