You can use just about any wood you like for smoking and making liquid smoke. Some of the most popular woods include apple, cherry, peach, birch, hickory, oak, pecan, maple, and mesquite. Mesquite and hickory woods will have the smokiest taste of all the wood types, while the fruit woods will impart a slightly sweet and fruity aroma. Wood chips are small and can ignite easily, so it’s important to soak them before smoking. Transfer about 2 cups (180 g) of chips to a large bowl and cover the chips with water. Let the chips soak for half an hour. Larger wood chunks don’t have to be soaked prior to smoking. Transfer the chips to a colander. Leave them in the colander for about five minutes to allow excess water to drain out. This will help the wood heat up faster. Transfer the drained chips or chunks into the center of a large piece of aluminum foil, and fold up the sides of the foil to make an open pouch to hold the chips. You can use a wood chip smoker box instead of the foil if you have one. Place the chips in the box and put on the lid. Use a pair of barbecue tongs to pick up the package of wood chips, making sure the foil doesn’t open up. On a charcoal or gas barbecue, place the pack of chips directly on the grill, to the side of the charcoal or flame. In a smoker, place the chips on the grill above the charcoal. In a chimenea, place the foil directly on the hot embers. You can cook meat, vegetables, or other food on the smoker while you're capturing the liquid smoke. Not only will this make the most of the hot smoker, but it will also impart a unique flavor to your liquid smoke.  Cooking and making liquid smoke at the same time works best with a smoker, because you don’t have to disturb the smoke-catching assembly to flip or test the food until the end. You can cook food on a grill when you're making liquid smoke, but you'll have to carefully remove the Bundt pan, mixing bowl, and ice from the chimney to flip or check the food. Protect your hands with oven mitts or silicone gloves before touching the Bundt pan.
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One-sentence summary -- Choose your wood chips. Soak the wood chips for 30 minutes. Drain the wood chips. Wrap the chips in foil. Place the chips on the grill or coals. Cook food on the smoker as you smoke the wood.


This way, you'll know exactly how much fabric you need. Make sure to measure both wide and long. Though the shade will likely not cover the length of the entire window, you'll need to choose how much of the window will be covered. This version of the Roman shade is immobile. Determine how much light you want let in before you begin working. It's best to use fabric scissors for this part.  Cut a section that's 2 inches (5 cm) wider than your window. This extra length is for the hem on each side. Cut a section that's at least 2/3 longer than the length of the window you want covered. If you want 18 inches (46 cm) covered, allot 30 inches (76 cm) -- this accounts for the looping of the Roman shade style. Preventing fraying will increase the longevity of your work and ensure a more uniform look.  Each side should be 1 inch (2.54 cm) -- the extra material allotted from before. Use iron-on, no-sew tape as an alternative to a needle and thread. 2 inches (5 cm) is a sturdy width.  The length of the wood should match the width of your shade. If you don't have a saw (or prefer not to use one), most home improvement stores will cut it for you. This eliminates the need for a curtain rod. Drill holes (left, right, center) matching the size of the screws you have. Raw wood will draw negative attention when seen from the sides. Use whatever medium you have available.  Spare pieces of fabric (secure with glue or colored duct tape) Paint Beads (secure with glue) Use colored duct tape or glue to make it nice and sturdy.  Where the wood meets the fabric will be facing the window, at the bottom. This part will not be visible. Make sure your fabric is facing the right direction! Gather the fabric into pleats, looping and folding back. Each loop should hang lower than the one before. They can be as large or small as you desire. Around 5 inches (12.7 cm) apart is standard.  Place your shade on the floor. To keep it straight, you can refer to a rug or square tiles, if available. Use a ruler if you're feeling meticulous. The loops on the left and right need to be the same size. Make sure to do this from the back of the shade, so the pins aren't visible.   Don't grab too much fabric from the front. This could pucker the fabric and draw attention to the pins. Place three pins in each loop -- left, right, and center. If your loops are different sizes or your pins are uneven, redo them before you get any further. Pin the bottom of the shade. Any hanging material should be the last loop. Lift up the material and screw the wood into the wall, using your three pre-drilled holes.  The fabric should drape over the front, obscuring the screws and wood from view. Make any small alterations once hung. If you are happy with the finished product, you may tack the material and remove the pins. Tacking could produce puckering.
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One-sentence summary -- Measure the window. Cut your fabric. Hem all four sides of the fabric. Cut a piece of scrap wood. Drill three holes in the wood. Cover the ends of the wood. Roll the fabric around the wood. Make your loops. Pin the loops. Hang your shade.


Compliments ease tension between two people and help make their interactions more positive. If you are not very confident, you might find it difficult to take compliments from people. Maybe you become uncomfortable or reject the compliments outright. In order to become more confident, you need to learn how to accept a compliment gracefully. The next time someone pays you a compliment, resist the urge to reject it and just thank them for the kind words.  For example, you can respond to a compliment by simply saying, “Thank you. I appreciate that.” Or even a simple, yet enthusiastic, “Thanks!” will do. Make sure that you learn how to compliment others as well. Complimenting others will help take the attention off of yourself, which may help you to be more confident. Your ability to pay genuine compliments to others will also help to demonstrate your confidence. Sometime people lack confidence because they rely too much on how other people react to them. In order to be more confident, you will have to accept that you cannot change other people and you cannot do anything about their reactions to you. All that you can control is yourself. Work on becoming more accepting of other people as they are. Avoid lecturing others on their faults or trying to get other people to change. Part of being confident is projecting a positive attitude, even if other people try to bring you down. Remember that you are in control of your future, your goals, and your own happiness. If people try to damage your confidence, remind yourself of your accomplishments and admirable traits. Keep the glass half full! Try smiling or laughing, even if you don’t feel like it. Research has shown that even forced smiling and laughing can help you to feel more optimistic and confident. Staying calm in a difficult situation is not always easy, but remaining calm when a problem arises will help you to be more confident and will demonstrate to others that you are a confident person. Try taking a few deep breaths when you become overwhelmed, stressed, angry, or upset. As you breathe, count slowly to ten and then attend to the problem.
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One-sentence summary --
Learn to take a compliment. Accept that you cannot change other people. Learn to stay positive. Remain calm.