Q: If you can’t remove your wax at home or experience other problems such as severe hearing loss, pain or discharge, talk to your doctor about your different treatment options for wax plugs. This can help ensure that you get the most effective, least invasive, and most painless treatment for your impacted cerumen. Your doctor may recommend professional treatments or options that you can use at home, including drops and irrigation. Your doctor may decide to treat your wax plugs by irrigating your ear canals. This can help to soften wax and clear away any blockages causing your discomfort.  Your doctor will inject water or another medical solution, such as saline, into your ear and let it soften the wax. Once the water is drained, your doctor may check to see if the plug is gone or if it needs to be removed with an instrument such as a curette.  You may experience slight discomfort with irrigation. Unlike commercial suction methods, your doctor may use a more powerful suction method to clear your ear canal. This can help effectively and completely remove wax plugs.  Your doctor will insert the suction device into your ear canal to remove the wax.  She may check if the plug is gone once she’s suctioned and assess if you need a stronger or different method to remove your impaction.  Suction may cause minor discomfort or some bleeding. If your ear wax plug is especially stubborn, your doctor may opt to remove it with different instruments including a cerumen spoon or curette. This treatment directly removes wax plugs and may help quickly and effectively relieve your impaction.  A curette is a small, thin device that your doctor will insert into your ear canal to remove the blockage.  A cerumen spoon is a small device inserted into the ear canal that can scoop out blockages.  Having wax removed with an instrument may cause discomfort and some bleeding. Your doctor may refer you to an ENT (Ears, Nose, and Throat) specialist if she is unable to get all the wax out. The ENT specialist may use a microscope to better see the wax plug in your ear canal. This can help him assess the extent of your impaction and if he’s cleared away the entire blockage.  To look at your ear with a microscope, the ENT specialist will place a metal speculum inside your ear canal and then shine the microscope light inside. The ENT specialist may continue to use the microscope to guide wax removal.
A: Talk to your doctor about professional treatment options. Undergo repeat ear canal irrigation. Have your ear suctioned. Remove wax with an instrument. Examine the ear with a microscope.

Q: Use equal parts water and equal parts school glue to create a watered down mixture. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap or wax paper to protect the surface of the bowl and mix your solution with a disposable utensil. Mix as much solution as you think you'll need depending on the size and amount of sand dollar shells you have. Like a baking sheet or large plate with wax paper and lay your dry shells on it. Place your shells with the rounded side facing up. Make sure to space your shells an inch or so apart. Using wax paper allows for an easy clean up. Use a soft paintbrush to paint the rounded top side of your shells first. Try to avoid touching the shell with your fingers, this can leave smudges in the glue. Allow the glue to completely dry before flipping the shells over and painting the underside.  Painting your shells with this glue mixture will harden the shells, which will help them last longer. Maintain a clean work area to ensure dirt and debris don’t get stuck to the sand dollars. This method will create a dull natural finish for your sand dollars.
A: Prepare your solution. Lay your shells on wax paper. Paint glue on your sand dollar.

Q: No annotation to your artwork would be complete without a reflection on what you have created. Start by writing a brief description of the piece itself, including its medium, basic subject matter, and style. For instance, you might write “My piece title Constellation #3 is an oil painting on masonite board, with embedded nails. It depicts an angel in a night sky. I rendered the work using a rough impasto painting technique and a cool color palette.” For annotations, how you made the work matters as much as what you made. Spend some time describing the process you used, step by step. This can be a simple narrative of the work’s development: ”I started by laying black gesso over the masonite panel. I drove nails through the panel at random intervals to create texture. I then blocked out the subject’s basic form using a light wash of thinned paint. Finally, I built up the subject’s form through successive layers of thick paint.” In creating your work, you might have had other artworks or artists in mind. Or, you might have been responding to something from culture, like a movie, historical event, or performance. Make sure to give a brief statement that explains how you incorporated these points of reference. You can also mention if the piece is related to other artworks you’ve made. For instance, you might have been working on a series of paintings depicting night sky scenes. Annotations are often used as part of art education. Even if you are writing them for yourself, taking a moment to think about what you learned from the piece can help you become more self aware as an artist. For instance, perhaps you learned intricate details about how oil paint of various thicknesses dries at different rates. Being able to honestly and accurately critique your own work is as valuable as evaluating the work of others. When annotating your artwork, you can ask yourself a couple simple questions:  What have I done well in this work? Try to list a few specific points. What could I improve if I did the work over again? Here too, list some specifics. After you've thought about how you developed your work, your sources of inspiration, and what you learned form the piece, devote another couple of paragraphs in your annotation to these reflections. For instance, you can have one paragraph that describes your process and inspiration, and another that evaluates your work and discusses what you learned or how you would create the piece differently if you were to do it over again.  If you are writing about your own work, you can stop here. Make sure to proofread your annotation carefully, correcting any spelling or grammar mistakes, and polishing the style of your sentences to make sure they are clear and flow well.
A: Summarize what you have made. Tell the story of your artistic process. Mention any sources of inspiration. Acknowledge what you learned from making the piece. Evaluate your work. Write it all out.

Q: Commercial grade string lights will have thicker wires and waterproof sockets. These lights can be hung year-round and will survive through all seasons. Check the packaging of the lights to ensure they are safe outside. LED lights won’t cause damage to nearby greenery, unlike incandescent bulbs. These special staple guns have a U-shape that fits around the wire to avoid punctures. Some of the staple guns will have angled tips to fit into hard to reach corners and secure wires more discreetly. Staples are typically galvanized steel, but they can be purchased prepainted to match the colors of either the wood or the cable. Since you’ll be working with wiring and electricity, avoid metal ladders that could conduct electricity. Stay off the top 2 rungs of the ladder to prevent falls. Keep the ladder on flat sturdy ground. If using an extension ladder, have someone hold the bottom of the ladder for added support while you work.
A:
Purchase lights made for outdoor use. Use a staple gun meant for wires and cables. Stand on a sturdy fiberglass ladder.