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Thrift stores are perfect when you're trying to put together a costume. If you have a strong idea of the character or items you need, it's a simple matter of diving into one or more thrift stores and finding items that at least approximate what you are looking for.  Costume stores acknowledge the popularity of steampunk. If you're willing to spend a bit more money, you can find steampunk-specific articles as well. Consignment stores are another budget-savvy way of building up a costume quickly. Check your own closet, too. If someone in your family owns an old coat, you can use that as the basis for your costume.  Old, well-worn clothing is great, because it adds to the rustic quality that steampunk aims for. While you can find the majority of your costume at thrift stores, DIY steampunkers may choose to go the extra mile and add onto their costumes. Common steampunk fabrics include leather, brocade, wool, cotton. All of these may be found at fabric outlets. Fabrics should be sewn or taped to embellish your basic costume with a steampunk look. Common steampunk colours include browns, bronzes, dark golds, burnt ambers, dark purples, dark forest greens, and deep burgundies. Also, dark teals, creams and just colors that appear to be greyed, worn, or "rusted" in any way. For men, a vest under an old-fashioned overcoat is a great place to start for a costume. For women, corsets are notably common. Although a corset was traditionally seen as an elegant item for social occasions, you can reconfigure the corset to match a variety of character roles and situations.  Vests and corsets aren't as commonly used in today's fashion. With that said, their archaic appeal ca be combined with a ton of other fashion styles. Sewing on a utility belt to a corset is a good idea if your character assumes a mechanical role. Effective use of fabrics in modifying parts of a costume depends on having a strong idea of what you want to do. Use your character's role as an inspiration. For instance, if your character is an aviator or soldier, you can sew leather strips to the outside of the coat to give the outfit a more protective look. Begin with a regular piece of clothing, and spruce it up in a steampunk style.  Reinvent your costume as you go along. Most DIY costumes end up at least a bit differently than the way they were first imagined. As you go on, don't be afraid to switch it up as you see fit. If you are new to the process of costume making, you'll be able to put new skills to better use. Tweak your plan to suit your improved costume-making skills.  Dye your fabrics for a more authentic look. Fabric dyes are available at any well-stocked arts store. If you want to go with a fully DIY approach, you can dye things at home using a mordant commonplace kitchen supplies like tea bags and onion skins. Hair is an important part of any costume, especially if your character is supposedly of upper stock and class. For women, doing your hair up can give your character an added elegance, even if the costume itself is intentionally ratty. Punk-oriented hairstyles also work great in steampunk costumes for the purpose of contrast.  Pinning your hair up will give your hair an elegance loo if you're playing a woman character. In true steampunk fashion, you can let strands of hair hang loose to add to the costume's industrial feel. If you're playing a male character, combing your hair over to the side and gelling it in place will evoke a high class elegance. Don't underestimate the importance of makeup in a good costume.

summary: Raid a thrift store for your costume. Augment your costume with colourful fabrics. Incorporate a vest or a corset into your outfit. Sew gadgets onto your costume. Style your hair accordingly.


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If your dog has died at home, call your vet for guidance on what to do next. You will probably be very emotional after knowing your dog has passed away, and it will be hard to think clearly. Your vet can help you organize your thoughts and emotions enough to decide what to do next. If your vet has euthanized your dog, they can talk to you at the vet’s office about making final arrangements for your dog’s body. Whether your dog has died at home or was euthanized at your vet’s office, you can decide to bury your dog or have your pet cremated. Professional services are available for both options. If you’d like, ask your vet for recommendations on pet burial and cremation services.  Be aware that home pet burials may not be allowed in your city because of public health concerns. Check your city’s laws on home pet burials before deciding on this option. If home burial is not an option, you can bury your dog at a pet cemetery. Cremation is a way to keep your dog’s remains without creating a public health risk by burying your dog in your yard.  If you do not want cremation or burial services, you could also have a professional animal removal service remove your dog’s body from your home. It is perfectly normal to grieve the loss of a pet. Through your grief, though, you can think about your dog in a way that makes you smile and feel better. You can remember your dog in several ways:  Remember the good times you had with your dog (play time, leisurely walks, quiet quality time). Create a memorial of your dog. Examples of memorials include scrapbooks, planting a tree, or planting some flowers. Make a donation in memory of your dog. Ask your vet or visit http://www.avmf.org/ for more information about making a donation. If your grief becomes too much for you to handle on your own, contact a pet loss hotline. Veterinary schools and various professional organizations sponsor pet loss hotlines to help pet owners cope with the death of their pet. Your veterinarian can provide you with pet loss hotlines in your area that you can contact.

summary: Contact your vet. Decide what you want to do with your dog’s body. Find ways to remember your dog. Contact a pet loss hotline.


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Dress appropriately for your teaching environment. Keep your teaching materials and classroom organized. Spend time preparing for each day of teaching. Show respect when talking with your colleagues and administrators. Think about what it means to be a professional teacher and try to live up to that model. It sometimes helps to think about one of your past teachers who you would describe as a true professional. Try to think about how you could in some ways mimic their behaviors in your own classroom and career. Try to teach your students that learning doesn’t have to be serious 24/7. If you do something that is funny or goofy, then laugh at yourself. Being a bit self-deprecating will make your students more comfortable with you. If you incorporate humor or jokes into your lesson plans, then your students will likely remember the material better as well. Not every teaching day will go perfectly and some might even fall into the category of disaster. However, it’s important to stay positive or your students will pick up and reflect your negative energy. Take a moment to tell yourself, “It’s going to be okay,” or, “Tomorrow is a new day.” Put a smile on your face and keep going.  You might even say out loud, “I love teaching because…” and list off a few reasons. For example, think about a moment when you saw real improvement in a student’s life due to your efforts. If it’s been a bad day for the students, too, then you might even say that you want to do a “re-set.” Tell them that you want to formally start the day over from that point forward. Communication is key when working with parents. Keep in touch with them via in-person conferences as well as written behavioral reports. Let them know that you are interested in their ideas and perspectives on teaching. You can also solicit their help for events and celebrations in your classroom. Make contact with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at your school and ask what you can do to help.
summary: Be a professional at all times. Laugh and keep your sense of humor. Repeat positive mantras on bad days. Create good relationships with the parents of students.