Problem: Article: You can find colorful butcher paper online, in teacher supply stores, and in certain university/college art stores. Regular arts and crafts stores may not sell butcher paper. You can also use fabric instead, but you may want to hem the edges so that they do not fray. White butcher paper may seem plain, but it will give you a nice canvas to work on. Draw lightly with the pencil so that you can erase the marks easier later on. This will help ensure that your words are straight and not crooked. You don't have to get the font right at this pointjust try to get the rough shape and size. This will help you position the stencils later on. Again, remember to draw lightly so that the pencil does not show through the paint. Some stencils will have a sticky back and will stay put while you paint. If your stencil moves around too much, tape the edges down using painter's tape. You can use a foam brush or a stencil brush to apply the paint. Apply the paint using a light, tapping motion. Try not to apply too much paint at once; you can always apply another coat or two. If you apply too much paint at once, the paint may leak under the stencil and create puddles. If you are painting on fabric, use fabric paint instead. You may want to start out by painting every other letter first, then going back and painting the missing letters. This will give the paint time to dry, and you won't have to worry about accidentally touching and smearing wet paint. Depending on what type of paint you used, this can take anywhere between 20 minutes to 2 hours. Hang your banner up by either taping or tacking it to the wall.
Summary: Buy enough butcher paper to fit your message. Draw some guidelines on the paper using a pencil and ruler. Lightly sketch out your message using a pencil. Place your stencil where you want it. Paint over the stencil using acrylic paint. Move the stencil over to the next letter. Let the paint dry before you hang the banner.

Problem: Article: Heat helps leather stretch by opening up the pores and making it soft. Turn on a hairdryer and aim it at the leather you'd like to stretch, heating the leather evenly. Wait until the leather is warm and soft before turning the hairdryer off. If you're trying to stretch out your shoes, put on thick socks before using a hairdryer. Once your socks and shoes are on, use the hairdryer to heat up your shoes. Move your feet around in the shoes to stretch them out effectively. Make sure to wear your shoes as they cool off to ensure that they hold the stretch. Use a hairdryer to heat up an article of clothing you'd like to stretch. This can be a leather shirt, jacket, pants, or belt. Once it's warm and soft, put on the article of clothing. Move around in it to stretch the leather out, and keep the article of clothing on until the leather is cool.
Summary: Use a hairdryer to heat up the leather. Wear thick socks if heating shoes. Put on clothing you'd like to stretch out after heating it.

Problem: Article: This medication is an antidepressant that can also control symptoms that you experience when you have PTSD. Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), meaning it works by blocking the re-uptake of serotonin, effectively increasing levels of serotonin in certain parts of the brain. Studies have shown that Paxil (which is more formally referred to as paroxetine) can help to improve symptoms of PTSD. Paxil can help treat symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as difficulties with sleep and concentration. Zoloft is also an SSRI, which means that it is an antidepressant that may work for people suffering from symptoms of PTSD. Zoloft and Paxil are the only two drugs FDA-approved to treat PTSD. Zoloft (which is also referred to as sertraline) can help to improve symptoms of PTSD including: Depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. While these medications can be very effective in improving your symptoms of PTSD, they can also create other side effects that you should be aware of. The side effects include: Nausea. This symptom often goes away in two to five days. Headaches. Headaches are a common complaint of SSRI users. Generally, you will stop feeling headaches in a few days. Anxiety. In other words, feeling jittery or agitated. Drowsiness. Drowsiness is often a sign that the dose that was originally prescribed by the doctor is too much. Sometimes a simple change in the time of administering the drug can be enough to address this issue. Insomnia. Insomnia can also be a problem with SSRI. Reducing the dose can often fix this problem. Reduced sexual drive. SSRI's are known to cause sexual problems like reduced pleasure in lovemaking and reduced sex drive.
Summary: Talk to your doctor about taking Paxil. Consider getting a prescription for Zoloft. Be aware of the side effects of taking SSRIs.

Problem: Article: Instead of providing a person who can talk about your skills and abilities, provide a copy of your actual work which will show your skills and abilities. For job seekers just entering the job market, consider using school work to demonstrate your abilities. Reports, presentations, papers, essays, journal articles, analyses, etc. can all demonstrate your skills and abilities. Be sure to redact any confidential or proprietary information in the documents. Most jobs include an evaluation at some point. And most evaluations are shared with you, so you can keep a copy. Share these evaluations to a potential employer if you aren't able to provide a professional reference. This is especially helpful if your former employer isn't allowed to provide you with a professional reference. Be sure to redact any confidential or proprietary information in the documents. In addition to evaluations, you can also try: letters of recognition, thank you letters from clients, testimonials from clients or fellow employees, and awards you've won. Corporate references are those written by an employee on behalf of an employer. The reference is then officially from the employer. Instead of asking for a corporate reference (on company letterhead), ask for a personal professional reference from a former supervisor or co-worker. Corporate references are becoming harder to obtain, even if you left your former employer for legitimate reasons. Many employers are concerned about lawsuits from providing either positive or negative references for former employees. Personal professional references are references directly from another person, and not connected to the employer. However, the person can be someone you previously worked for or with, as long as they're providing the reference from themselves and not from their employer. Personal professional references need to ensure that they are speaking from their own personal experience working with you, and are not speaking as a representative of their employer. References do not always have to be verbal (e.g. phone call or email), they can also be in writing. Written references can include either an employment confirmation or information about your skills and abilities, or both. If you are being terminated from an employer for valid reasons (e.g. layoffs, cut backs, etc.) you should ask for a written reference letter as part of your severance agreement. This is especially helpful if the company is being reorganized or sold and contacting them will be difficult in the future. Potential employers will sometimes ask for references, not to ask questions about your skills and abilities, but to confirm you were actually employed at the companies listed on your resume. References of this type can come from a former supervisor (especially if the organization is small) or from the Human Resources (HR) department. Since your potential employer is not asking personal questions about you, the person confirming your employment doesn't have to know you. They simply need to be able to confirm you used to work there for a specific period of time. Potential employers are most likely also frustrated with the lack of professional references they're able to get from potential employees. You will not be the only applicant who is unable to provide a reference. When a potential employer asks for your references, negotiate what type and the number of references you provide. If you do not have any professional references, offer to provide twice as many personal references if you can. A personal reference can be from someone who knows you, but has never worked with you in a professional environment. For example, they could be a friend, a classmate, a teammate, a coach, a teacher, etc.
Summary:
Provide previous work you've produced as a reference source. Show a potential employee your previous evaluations. Use personal professional references instead of a corporate reference. Provide reference letters instead of contact information. Know what types of references are being requested. Negotiate your references with a potential employer.