INPUT ARTICLE: Article: While you’re a design student, do your best to make and keep in contact with successful people in your field. If you make strong connections with fashion designers, playwrights, and others, you may be able to use them as references later on. Attend any relevant events, including local plays, fashion shows, etc. that you hear about and can network at. One of the very best ways to get a start in costume designing is simply by saying “yes.” Accept any and every small opportunity that comes your way and one of them may eventually lead to a big one. Once you’ve learned all about costume design and have developed a skill set, try selling some of your work.  Do prom dress alterations for students at the local high school.  Consider designing, making, and selling halloween costumes for people on Etsy. It’ll take some work in an entry level position to set you up for costume designer jobs. Use your connections, volunteer work, and personal sales to apply for any of these positions that you hear about. Doing this will give you necessary experience and also give you even more networking opportunities. The Costume Designers Guild was established in 1953 and now has nearly 750 members. The guild prides itself on representing and promoting costume designers, assistant costume designers, and costume illustrators who work at the highest level of expertise. Once you’ve gotten a few assisting and designing jobs under your belt, fill out an application at: http://costumedesignersguild.com/.

SUMMARY: Make connections with important people. Jump at opportunities. Sell your work independently. Start out as a costume assistant or wardrobe trainee. Apply to become a member of the Costume Designers Guild.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: It’s not worth getting upset every time your mother-in-law asks about something personal or gets on your nerves. Try to stay calm and ignore minor grievances. Save your energy for when she oversteps boundaries in more significant ways. For example, if you had her over for dinner and she says, “Well the chicken’s alright, but I would have seasoned it more,” just let it slide. Tell her, “Thanks for the tip!” Stick up for yourself, but don’t be disrespectful or shout. When you need to tell her to back down, try to keep your tone neutral and matter-of-fact. Do your best to keep your cool to avoid escalating the conflict.  Suppose she keeps asking about personal topics, such as why you don’t go to her place of worship or how many exes you have. Tell her, “I’d rather not discuss that topic. Let’s talk about something else.” If she comes over without calling ahead, tell her, “Now isn’t a good time. We’ve talked about calling ahead to make sure it’s convenient, and you’ll have to come over another time.” If she tends to take over whenever she visits your home, ask her to sit and relax. Thank her for wanting to help, but stress that you have everything under control.  For instance, if you invite her over for dinner and she tries to take over in the kitchen, say, “Thanks for offering to help, but I can handle it! Have a seat and relax. I don’t like to put company to work!” If she insists on helping, you could give her a simple task to keep her out of the way, like chopping veggies or making the salad. If she continues to criticize you, pester you about private topics, and invade your personal space, tell her to stop. You still shouldn’t shout or get angry, but make it clear that you won’t tolerate further disrespect. Say, “We’ve discussed this before, and I’m not comfortable with the way you continue to interfere with my household. I’ve tried to be cordial, and I want to keep the peace, but this has to stop.”
Summary: Learn to pick your battles. Enforce your boundaries calmly and firmly when necessary. Assert your authority politely if she tries to run your home. Stand up for yourself if she repeatedly disrespects you.

Study the angling of the shot and what the photographer decided to include. While assessing the photograph's quality, look for any elements that detract from everything else. Point out anything that seems awkward, backgrounds that stand out too much, or technical errors that distract from the subject. When you first look at the photograph, write down where your eyes go first. Compare this with what the most intriguing part of the photo is. If these two areas don't match up, write down ways for the photographer to create intriguing visual weight. Visual weight can be improved by introducing contrast, focusing on eye-catching colors, and changing the picture's angle. Some subjects might look better with warmer tones, while others naturally thrive with a cool tone. Others still could benefit from a black-and-white or sepia filters. Look at the photo's color, and offer suggestions to make the tone look more natural. Advise the photographer to avoid artificial light, take photos without flash, or try out different filters. Backgrounds can either highlight the subject or greatly detract from the overall picture. Ask yourself if the background is too busy, if it makes the subject look dull, or if it is too focused/out-of-focus. Provide suggestions for alternative backgrounds if the current one doesn't work.
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One-sentence summary -- Write about the shot's composition. Observe the photo's visual weight. Study the photo's color. Examine the background.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Dragon fruits, unlike many other fruits, do not ripen as much after harvest and as a result should be harvested when they are almost fully ripe.  Once the color of the fruit has changed from green to yellow or red, then it is ready to harvest. The small leaves on the sides of the fruit (also known as the “wings”) will also start to fade or turn brown as the fruit ripens. You can also determine the ripeness by counting the days after the plant flowers. Typically the fruit is ripe a minimum of 27 to 33 days after the plant flowers. Proper time of harvesting is four days after the color of the fruit changes. For export purpose, however, it is important to harvest slightly sooner, a day after the color changes. You can remove the thorns by using pliers, brushing them off, or with gloves. When the fruit is ripe the needles should begin to shed anyways, and as a result they should not be too difficult to remove. However, you should always wear gloves and be cautious because the needles are very sharp. When a dragon fruit is ripe and ready to be harvested, it will detach from the plant easily by twisting a few times. If you have to pull too hard on the fruit then it is likely not ready to be harvested. Do not wait until the dragon fruit has fallen off the plant. This means that the fruit is overripe.

SUMMARY:
Harvest dragon fruits when they are close to fully ripe. Remove the thorns from the fruit before picking. Detach the dragon fruit from the vine by twisting.