I've Got The Juiciest Lensography Ever

Introduction to the Author: WordCustard 

It's nice to meet you!

Just read on to see what kind of things I've written about.

If you'd like to know more about me and my adventures writing on a whole range of topics for Squidoo, you can learn more (and test your knowledge) here! Friends and strangers all welcome.

50 Squidoo Lenses in 3 Months

What brings people to Squidoo? Maybe there's no single answer, but my guess is for many it is the glint of gold dust... Like tales of old, there is talk of money to be made. Some have even seen those virtual nuggets of gold in the 'payday...

Quiz: How Well Do You Know WordCustard?

Hey, thanks for stopping by. It's good to see you here. I'm WordCustard and I'm quite new to Squidoo but was given a very warm welcome indeed.  I've already got to know many of you through Fresh Wonders and the Giant Squid Chall...

Everything Mountains 

From Alpine flowers to paragliding in the Swiss Alps

I love mountains - walking in them, jumping off them, photographing them... And I sure would love some of those stunning mountain wall murals in my home.

Zermatt, Switzerland - Guide for Visitors

Zermatt (Switzerland) is an alpine resort famous for its stunning mountain scenery. In winter, Zermatt is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. Zermatt in the summer is quieter, giving more room to breathe, but the scenery is just as ma...

Mountain Walking in Zermatt

For me, walking in the mountains around Zermatt was like taking a shortcut to paradise. If you have spent time in the Swiss Alps - or anywhere in the Alps - you know it will be lovely, but you really can't imagine just how breathtaking until you are...

A Tandem Paragliding Experience in Switzerland

For me, my tandem paragliding experience in Switzerland was a dream come true! It really was the most incredible experience and, if it is something you've ever considered doing, I hope you too might give it a go. I first saw paragliders in the Alps...

Alpine Flowers of Switzerland

Swiss Alpine flowers in full bloom are one of the loveliest sights you can see in the Alps mountain range. The best time to see the Alpine flowers of Switzerland is in early and mid-summer, when bright blossoms will surround you in the meadows and hi...

Mountain Wall Murals for your Home

Stunning mountain scenery in your own home, made easy with these beautiful mountain wall murals. If you're anything like me, you may have wished that you had a mountain view from your windows.... Now you can bring some of that mountain drama in...

The Alps Mountain Range, Europe

About the Alps: The Facts The Alps are the mountains that stretch across the center of Europe. Principally concentrated in Switzlerand and Austria, the mountain range also extends into France, Liechtenstein, Germany, Italy and Slovenia. The tallest...

Top 20 Images of Mountains from Around the World

Bring a breath of fresh mountain air into your everyday life with these images of mountains. Putting a mountain poster or print on your wall is the next best thing to seeing a wonderful mountain vista from your window. Beautiful mountain images can...

Top 10 Images of Mountains -- The Alps in Europe

The Alps (Europe) have some of the most spectacular scenery you could wish for, as this mountain poster collection shows. In fact, no matter where you are, a mountain poster can transport you instantly to the Alps mountain range. If you have a bare...

Alps Travel Poster Ideas -- Be Inspired by the Past

An Alps tourism poster from the early part of last century is a great way to bring vintage charm to your walls. Many of these historic travel posters advertise the railways that enabled tourists to visit the previously inaccessible mountain resorts....

Animals in the Alps of Europe

Animals that live in mountains like the Alps in Europe are naturally enough often those that shy away from contact with humans. However, if you do visit the Alps and walk quietly away from the busy paths, you may well see some of these Alpine animals...

Chalet in the Alps -- Decorate Your Home Alpine Chalet Style

It's true, my first home was a chalet in the Alps of Switzerland. It was an old, traditional alpine chalet, made from dark wood weathered by decades of the worst moods of mountain weather. It stood halfway up a steeply sloped street, in a pretty Alps...

All Things Scottish 

A guide to the best of all Scotland offers

I live in Scotland and love sharing the best of this beautiful country: everything from its history and culture, to one of its rarest animals, and one of its handsomest actors!

All about Scotland - Scottish Places, Culture and Wildlife

This list includes places to see, gift ideas and animals unique to Scotland. There's everything from a visitors guide to St Andrews and to the Kingdom of Fife, to the lowdown on hunky Scottish actor Dougray Scott! Currently, most of these topics are...

Hogmanay - Celebrating New Year's Eve in Scotland

Hogmanay (sometimes seen spelled Hogmany) is a Scots word that refers to New Year's Eve and the subsequent New Year celebrations. Although Hogmanay itself is 31 December, the Scottish in fact celebrate the new year until 2nd January. This day is an...

Visit St Andrews in Fife, Scotland

When visiting St Andrews, you could be suprised at what a small town it is, but this little place on the edge of Fife packs centuries of history into its compact area! Once an important place of pilgrimage with its mighty cathedral, and one of Brita...

Visit Fife in Scotland

Tucked away on the east side of Scotland, just over the water from Edinburgh, is the Kingdom of Fife. This Scottish county is not the best known part of Scotland, but has so much to offer, from genuine Medieval castles to Cold War bunkers, and from g...

Dougray Scott

Dougray Scott - from handsome Prince Henry to Drew Barrymore's Cinderella in Ever After, to Iain Hainsworth in the 3rd season of Desperate Housewives, and from Mission Impossible II with Tom Cruise, to Enigma with Kate Winslet - chances are you will...

The Scottish Wildcat

The Scottish wildcat (felis silvestris) was once a symbol of the Highlands and wild places of Scotland. Sadly, this beautiful animal is now critically endangered. The last of the Scottish wildcats today remain in northern Scotland, where numbers may...

Best of Scotland: Scottish Gift Ideas

If you love Scotland, or know someone who does, these Scottish gift ideas are designed to help you select just the right item for loved ones... or for yourself. This page is designed to showcase quality Scottish souvenirs, by highlighting classic an...

Scottish Jewelry Designs

The jewelry of Scotland has a timeless style that evokes the rich and turbulent history of this northern land. Be inspired by the Scottish scenery with thistle design - an enduring symbol of Scotland. Scotland also celebrates its Celtic past in bea...

Quiz: Are You An Expert on Edinburgh?

Go on... give it a try. You might surprise yourself at how much you know about Edinburgh! And if not, well you might learn a thing or two along the way. The first question is an easy one. They do get a little more challenging - but if you've vi...

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Scotland?

Are you up for a challenge? Then have a go at this quick Scotland quiz to test your knowledge on a mix of Scottish history, culture and tradition. How much do you really know about this land of lochs and castles? Do you know a haggis from a sporran...

Information About Scotland -- A Novelist's Guide to Creating Scottish Characters and Settings

Are you a novelist or writer looking for information about Scotland? Do you need a common-sense guide to sorting Scottish stereotypes from reality? You're in the right place. Whether you are writing a book in a month for Nanowrimo, or are working on...

Trump Golf Scotland -- A Luxury Scottish Golf Vacation

Soon golfers around the world will be lining up to take a Scottish golf vacation to a new luxury golf resort from Donald Trump. The historic Old Course of St Andrews in Fife has long been a mecca to golfers, but the Trump International Golf Links Sco...

All About Online Learning 

Guides to e-learning and being an online learner

I have a Masters of Science (MSc) graduate degree in E-Learning. Appropriately enough, I studied for this online and also graduated online (one of the first in the UK to do so!).

How To Be A Successful Online Learner

Online learning is a convenient and ever more popular way to learn - but to be a successful online learner it's not enough to know how to turn on a computer. A few simple strategies will help you to organise your time and workload effectively, so tha...

Motivate Online Learners With 4 Easy Strategies

Dull e-learning courses don't motivate online learners. Your e-learning courses need not only to be effective, but also to be fun in order to engage your learners. Allow me to guide you through some of the latest ideas and theories on creating e-lear...

My Second Life Learning Experience

The virtual world Second Life might not be something you would associate with education, but for the past 2 years it was a place of learning for me. This is the story of how I got my Second Life education. Well, in Summer 2007 I decided I'd like...

Beautiful Places in Second Life

Have you visited the virtual world Second Life yet? Would you like to see some of the most beautiful places it has to offer? Well then, what are you waiting for? Join me on a virtual tour some of Second Life's loveliest locations. I first vent...

Family History Research 

Shaking the family tree...

One of my interests is genealogy. I love learning about history and I especially love the way it all comes to life when you are able to see events of bygone eras through the eyes of an ancestor. My most exciting find was a great (x4) grandfather who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was later reduced to theft during a time of great poverty, for which he was transported to Tasmania as a convict. (I also discovered that share this ancestry with a Hollywood actor!)

For learning more about life in the time of our ancestors, I recommend the wonderful book Lark Rise to Candleford which is an account of life in rural England during the end of the Victorian era.

How To Do Your Family History Research For Free

If you want to start or build on your family tree, free research tools are the perfect way to begin. It is amazing what you can find out when you give your family tree a metaphorical shake and start to delve into the past. Le me share with you some w...

Use Convict Records To Trace Your Ancestor Online

The convicts of Australia and Tasmania were sent to the colonies from Britain in the 1800s and late 1700s. Not all were hardened criminals -- a look at the convict records shows up what seem like some very minor offences by today's standards. While...

The Best True-Life Family History Stories

So many of us are discovering the thrill of researching our ancestors. I'm yet to meet anyone who didn't have a fantastic family history story or two to share.Some have even turned their years of genealogical research into published books. He...

Lark Rise To Candleford

Lark Rise to Candleford is an account of life in a rural hamlet, village and market down in Victorian Britain. Written by Flora Thompson, it is based on her own childhood and the lives of those she knew as she grew up, an intelligent and observant ch...

Sweet Things! 

You can't have enough sweetness in life... or can you?

Here's my random selection of cuteness: from sweet hearts to cute fruit and tasty chocolate. But be warned: when it comes to gadgets, I don't do cute!

Making Heart-Shaped Food for Someone You Love

Cookies and other favorite foods lovingly presented in the shape of a heart are such a sweet way to tell someone you care. And it's so easy to do with these fun heart-shape molds and heart-themed presentation ideas. In fact, whether it's you...

Fine Chocolate from Austria

That's right, here you'll find chocolate and nothing but chocolate, from the country of Austria. This country produces some of the finest, most delicious chocolate in Europe, and also some of the most innovative. Join me on this sweet journe...

Cute Fruit: The Green Pear

Whether it's a green pear print for your wall, or a recipe for a green pear salad, this cute fruit is one that no kitchen should be without! There's just something about the shape of a pear that makes it more interesting than the ordinary ro...

Pretty Pincushion Patterns to Make and Give

A pretty pincushion makes a great craft project for adults and children. In fact, pincushions are an ideal beginner sewing project that can be as quick and easy as you like. Or you can challenge your skills by taking on a more demanding project with...

Women Don't Want Pink Gadgets... (Or Do They?)

Women Don't Want Pink Gadgets. Do you agree? OK, so we are starting to see more color in our gadgets, but why is it that many of the cool new tech toys still come in pink versions 'for women'? There seems to be an assumption that women will only buy...

The Best Holidays! 

From Christmas to Valentines...

Everyone loves a holiday and I'm no exception. From the smells of Christmas to the romantic candlelight of Valentines day, here are some of my favorite things about these magical occasions... I even invented a new holiday of my own: Tread Softly Day!

Festive Scents: Our Favorite Christmas Smells!

Nothing evokes memories like a scent. Whether it's Christmas pine, your grandma's fresh-baked gingerbread, or mulled wine, the scents of Christmas are truly special. There are many fun ways to give your home a festive fragrance. Scented cand...

Adorable Christmas Mouse Ornaments

What could be cuter than a Christmas mouse on your Christmas tree? I've found the sweetest mouse-themed Christmas ornaments to decorate your home for the holiday season. There are also some adorable 'first Christmas' mouse tree ornaments...

Christmas Robin Greetings

Here in the UK, few things say Christmas quite as much as the European robin. You'll find this favourite British bird on greetings cards, Christmas cakes, tree ornaments and decorations everywhere. In fact, the Christmas greetings card has its o...

The Best Valentines Day Light Decorations

Love is definitely in the air with these pretty Valentine light decorations! Whether you need to add a cute love-heart theme to a Valentines party or want to create a romantic atmosphere for a special meal, the right choice of lights can add the fini...

Tread Softly Day

Yes, I've invented a new holiday - Tread Softly Day - for the Fresh Wonders contest 'Make Your Own Holiday'. How could I resist such an opportunity? Of course, it is no mean feat deciding what to choose. There is so much we ought to cele...

Two Italian Singers 

Great talent from beautiful Italy

Each of these men is a star in Italy and in many countries around the world, although known for quite different styles of music. Together, they prove that Italy really is the home of music!

The Best of Opera Singer Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli is a much-loved Italian singer with a voice that is adored by millions. Best known for opera singing in his enchanting tenor voice, Andrea Bocelli has most recently produced a beautiful Christmas CD album called My Christmas. Although...

Tiziano Ferro: Songs, News, Videos and More

From the first time I saw Tiziano Ferro on Italian music TV, I have loved this Italian star's amazing voice. I immediately ordered myself a copy of his album 111 Centoundici which I listened to over and over. I've since added to this with his subsequ...

It's Tango Time! 

Tango... the dance of passion

Is there a more passionate dance than the Tango? I don't think so! I love the drama and emotion of this dance. How about you? Whether you are interested in striking Tango posters and prints, or want to look like a Tango dancer yourself, I've got a treat in store for you here!

Best Collection of Gifts for Tango Lovers

Here you will find a unique and hand-picked selection of gift ideas for a tango enthusiast, from Tango movies and instructional DVDs to the best Tango music! If you love the Tango, you already know that it is a dance like no other. Steamy, sensual,...

The Art of Dance: Tango Art Gifts

The tango is a dance of deep desires and heightened passions. As such, it has captivated artists and photographers. The art of tango is the art of love and of betrayal. Tango paintings and photos alike aim to capture the fire and the intimacy of th...

Tango Dancer Dress and Makeup Guide

The Tango is a dramatic dance that needs a dramatic look! With the right Tango dancewear and make-up, and tips from professional Tango dancers, you can transform yourself into a Tango sensation on the dancefloor! In this guide I'll share ideas fo...

Beautiful Colored Glass Gifts 

Glass gifts for your home and garden

Buy at AllPosters.com

I love colored glass and hand-picked a selection of the most beautiful glass gifts: find everything from colored glass vases to delicate glass jewelry, glassware in striking shades for your table, and the prettiest hummingbird feeders.

Green Glass Gifts for the Home and Garden

Green glass gift ideas (i.e. glass gifts that are the color green, rather than eco-friendly, although they can be both!) make a wonderful choice for the home or garden. All colored glass is beautiful - green glass just happens to be my own particula...

Blue Glass Gifts for the Home and Garden

Beautiful glass gift ideas in blue glass capture all the colors of sea and sky - from delicate pale blue to ultramarine and cobalt. Once seen on the shelves of apothecaries, blue glass has vintage charm that will fit in with your decor. With an up-to...

Amber Glass Gifts for the Home and Garden

If you are looking for elegant glass gift ideas, amber glass is a perfect choice - it is rich and as luxurious as liquid gold... yet at the same time comforting with its warm glow. Can you tell that it's a real favorite of mine? Amber glassware is p...

Red Glass Gifts for your Home and Garden

For beautiful glass gift ideas, red glass is a perfect choice for celebrations. It has a warmth about it, but also can add a touch of luxury. Red glass is reminiscent of Medieval feasts of old and of beautiful stained glass. Many of us choose red gl...

Purple Glass Gifts for your Home and Garden

Unique glass gift ideas in purple glass are a great choice for female friends and relatives. Purple is the color of luxury and royalty, which gives purple glass gifts the appearance of precious treasures. In shades from delicate lilac through to gorg...

Be Inspired 

A large dose of inspiration

These are my favorite kind of pages to write, on topics that inspire me and, I hope, will inspire others too. I believe that it's not too late to live your dreams, that solitude is a gift, and that happiness is found in the small moments of everyday life. I also find inspiration on Squidoo itself.

It's Not Too Late To Start Living Your Dreams

Do you agree that it's never too late to learn? Or are there certain doors that you feel are now closed to you? OK, be honest with me - how many times have you stopped yourself from doing something because you thought it was too late? Let's...

Finding Authentic Happiness in Everyday Things

Happiness is different for every one of us. But as I've grown a little older and - I hope - wiser, I've discovered that happiness is something that is found in small things. And I've learned to cherish the happiness of moments, rather tha...

The Gift of Solitude: Soothing Ideas for Introverts and Solitude Seekers

A place for introverts and lovers of solitude to find a moment's peace and soothe their souls... Everyone needs a little solitude sometimes. Some of us need more than most. We are the introverts, the quiet people. Some people might think, on me...

What Makes Squidoo Great?

Yes, the thing that makes Squidoo special is the people who spend their time here crafting quality lenses, and then generously sharing that knowledge and experience with all the new lensmasters. I have been a member of Squidoo for a little less than...

Angels of Squidoo, Thank You!

The Angels of Squidoo work tremendously hard to keep Squidoo the amazing place that it is. I didn't know what a Squid Angel was when I first stopped by here, but before long some of my lenses were blessed by these kindly powers who keep a careful wat...

A Novel I Love 

I Capture The Castle

"I write this sitting in the kitchen sink." Surely one of the most intriguing first lines... and one of the most charming books I've ever read. Find out why I love this Young Adult novel and recommend it for any age!

I Capture The Castle - Novel and Movie

If I had to name my favorite novel of all time, my answer would have to be 'I Capture The Castle' by Dodie Smith. This charming story was written by an author better known for '101 Dalmations', but don't let that deceive you. 'I Capture The Castle' i...

And a Movie 

The Visitor Moview Review

If you love a film that draws you in and makes you think, I can't recommend a better one than The Visitor, which stars Richard Jenkins and was written and directed by Tom McCarthy.

The Visitor: Movie Review

The Visitor (2008) is an intelligent and beautifully-acted movie from director and screenwriter Tom McCarthy, and for which Richard Jenkins was nominated for an Oscar (Academy Award) for his performance as Walter Vale. The film blends universal theme...

Animal Crossing 

The cutest game ever!

While we are talking about cute things, don't miss my Animal Crossing Wild World guide or the Animal Crossing characters guide that I've put together. I love this game, and wanted to share some of the things I've learned while playing it to help you get the most out of your own Animal Crossing Wild World game.

Animal Crossing Wild World Tips

This Animal Crossing Wild World guide will give you some fun and easy ways to begin establishing your town, make money (bells) and make friends with the various quirky villagers you will encounter. With these Animal Crossing Wild World tips, I provi...

Animal Crossing Wild World Characters

Get to know the Animal Crossing Wild World characters here, plus learn the ways to quickly build friendships with the villagers you encounter in your Animal Crossing town andhow to get pictures of animals. There are some simple strategies to boosting...

How-To Guides 

Snowboarding, photography, healthy eating

Here I share some top tips on a range of subjects, based on my own personal experience. I've got 10 tips for female snowboard beginners, a guide to taking a great photo of yourself with your camera, and even a page on cooking delicious brown basmati rice!

Top 10 Snowboarding Tips For Female Beginners

Female and over 30? Here I share the top ten secrets that will get women snowboard beginners up and running. Snowboarding is a wonderful sport for women, as many of the female snowboard pros are demonstrating. Yes, they are awesome, I hear you agre...

Taking A Great Self Portrait With Your Camera

Self portrait photography is a lot of fun and can be easy when you know how. This guide is all about getting a great photograph of yourself - when you are the one taking the picture! Want to surprise a loved on with a photo of yourself, without the...

Brown Basmati Rice - Healthy, Quick, Delicious!

Did you know that brown basmati rice is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It's also very tasty and extremely easy to cook. Oh and it is relatively inexpensive too and makes a filling meal that all the family can enjoy, or can be a satisfy...