Older family members can be great sources of inspiration for retro clothing. Even if the sizing of their clothing isn't right for you, you can still get a lot of ideas about outfit combinations by looking through their wardrobes. As you go through their items, pay attention to details, like patterns and cuts, that appear often and seem to represent certain eras. This knowledge can be helpful as you search thrift stores and vintage shops for retro clothing. Ask to see old pictures of your parents or grandparents and evaluate the styles you see. Even better, look through their school yearbooks. These will give you accurate examples of what young people of that particular era really wore. Look for archived fashion photography online for additional inspiration. Explore a variety of eras and get a feel for how to capture them accurately. One of the easiest ways to start working retro fashion into your wardrobe is by mixing vintage pieces with modern ones. For example, you could pair a retro 50s top with jeans you already own and a pair of 60s-era ballet flats or vintage sneakers from the 70s. Experiment with different combinations, but try to choose an element that will unify the ensemble in some way. For instance, the repetition of a particular color or pattern can make an outfit look cohesive. Sometimes an outfit that doesn't seem like it would make sense at all can end up looking fantastic once you have it on. Head-to-toe retro or wearing too much of a particular decade can sometimes make you look like you're wearing a costume. Mixing and matching eras can help you avoid that. Find a few items that are timeless and classic for a particular era, then build your outfits on top of them. When choosing staple pieces, pick items that you fit you well and look natural on you. Since you'll be wearing them often, choose quality garments that can withstand a bit of extra wear. Good examples of classic staple pieces are a 50s beaded cardigan, a 60s little black dress, 70s polyester trousers, vintage sneakers from the 80s and so on. Select timeless pieces that reflect your own personal style. Look for retro or retro-inspired jewelry to accent your outfits. As with the clothing, don't be afraid to mix and match accessories. Look for colorful bangles, headbands, pearls, vintage looking necklaces and dangly earrings. Depending on what era you want to reflect, you could also try feather boas, anything with fringe, lace shawls, cat-eye sunglasses, faux fur, gloves, beaded jewelry, large rings, gypsy scarves and a lot more. Thrift shops will offer many options to choose from. Experiment with different combinations and find what suits you. If you're trying to ease your way into the retro style, accessories are a great place to start. Unfortunately, wearing head-to-toe vintage and topping that off with a retro haircut and makeup can sometimes make you look like you're wearing a Halloween costume. If you're concerned about your retro outfits looking too much like costumes, you can prevent this by keeping your hairstyle and makeup modern. Your unique style is also better preserved when you keep these elements up-to-date.

Summary: Raid your parents' and grandparents' closets for outfit ideas. Look at old pictures for fashion inspiration. Mix and match styles and eras. Choose statement pieces. Add flair with retro accessories. Keep your hairstyle and makeup modern.

Purchase several ripe apples, then eat them or cut them until you reach their cores. Carefully remove the seeds from around the cores of the apples, being sure to pick out every seed before disposing of the cores. Be aware that most apple trees grown by farmers and gardeners come from grafted trees, and are not planted directly from the seed. Planting trees from apple seeds produced highly variable fruit, since apple trees are not guaranteed to grow according to their type or variety. The more seeds you plant, the more likely it will be that one of the trees will produce edible apples, as opposed to less edible varieties like crab apples. There is about a one in ten success rates of seeds growing into apple trees that produce fruit good enough to eat. Try to start the process of preparing the seeds during the fall, so that by the beginning of spring, the seeds are ready for planting. After you extract the seeds from the apple or apples, add the seeds to a bowl of water. If they float, throw them away, because they are less likely to grow. Lay the other seeds out on a paper towel and allow them to dry for three to four weeks. Flip the seeds over every two days so that they dry evenly on both sides. After a couple days of drying, purchase some peat moss. Pour a few tablespoons of the peat moss on the paper towel, then sprinkle on a few drops of water. Use your hands to mix up the peat moss and seeds. After you mix up the seeds and peat moss, pour the mixture into a ziplock bag. Write the date on the bag with a marker, then place the bag in the refrigerator for three months. The process of storing the seeds in moist, cold conditions is called stratification. Stratification softens the hard outer coat of the seed and encourages the embryo inside the seed to start germinating. After three months, remove them from the refrigerator, and allow them to warm up so that you can plant them.

Summary: Remove apple seeds from the cores of several apples. Dry the seeds on a paper towel. Mix the seeds with peat moss. Put the seeds and peat moss in a bag and refrigerate.

With a fresh cloth, wipe away the mineral spirits and the shavings created by the steel wool. The stain should be completely gone by now. Proceed with refinishing the piece if needed. If not, protect the finish by waxing or polishing it as soon as possible.

Summary: Clean up the surface.

Not all people react well to something unexpected. so before planning a surprise party consider how your guest of honor will react. If you are unsure, talk to their close friends or family members to feel out the party idea before proceeding. Also consider whether they enjoy parties or like being the center of attention. Lastly, avoid planning a surprise party for someone who likes to be in charge of hosting their own event. Rule out meticulous people who prefer to know details about an event before attending. Avoid throwing surprise parties for people who get really excited about birthdays. In your attempt to surprise them, they may think you have forgotten to plan anything and become upset. Consider whether the guest has health issues that may result in a negative physical reaction to the shock. A trusted confidant is one who will assist you in planning the party and ensuring the element of surprise. They can help to make sure the honoree arrives at the right place at the right time. If you live with the guest of honor, your co-conspirator can help with RSVPs and their house can be used for planning purposes so you do not get caught with evidence. Choose someone close to the guest of honor and someone that you can trust to keep a secret. The most important thing to consider when picking a day and time is the guest of honor's availability. You will have to secretly find out if they are available on the day and time that you have chosen. You can also choose a date before or after the honoree's actual birthday, to avoid arousing suspicion. Make sure your honoree is kept busy for a few hours to ensure the element of surprise. A short errand might not give you enough time, in which case you will have to speed up or rush the process. To ensure a seamless surprise, make sure to organize the party around the honoree's routine. You will be able to retain the element of surprise by organizing the party around the guest's typical schedule. Consider the number of people you would like to invite and then consider with whom the guest of honor would really enjoy celebrating their special day. When contacting guests, phone calls or private Facebook invites work best. This way, information cannot be forwarded to friends who have not been invited, and it cannot be accidentally read by the guest of honor.
Summary: Determine if your honoree will react well to a surprise. Grab a friend to help. Pick the day and time. Invite guests.