Looking for answers? In need of advice from a Taurus-sun, Virgo-moon, Gemini-rising? Think you can stump me? Email Simone at simone.a.levy@lawrence.edu with your own questions and you just might be featured in next week’s column.
Q: What is the best way to paint something, say a piece of plastic, without the paint peeling off or paintbrush marks showing?
A: First, you should sand whatever you are about to paint. Be sure not to sand with too high-grit sandpaper, as the marks will show through the paint later if the sandpaper is too rough. After sanding, either wash the object in water to remove the dust, or you can also use a can of compressed air to blow away the dust. After de-dusting, you can either prime the object or not, depending on what you have. Now the most important part to eliminating brush strokes on your work is thinning out the acrylic paint with water — the ratio should be about one-to-one. Then, paint on multiple thin layers of paint, being sure to let each layer dry completely before applying another coat. After enough layers, the paint should be opaque and you will be left with no brush strokes. Happy painting!
Q: Who should I root for in the World Series?
A: The Nationals.
Q: I am planning my wedding and need to choose the flowers. Any suggestions?
A: Pale pink peonies.
Q: I need some help sorting out my hobbies. Let me list them out, and you can tell me which ones to give up: needle felting, birding, doll customizing, book binding, calligraphy, watercolors, floral arrangement, stamp collecting, letter-writing, ice cube making, braiding horse manes, cleaning ovens, bleach, cup stacking — and those are only the ones I remember! Any idea of which ones I should get rid of?
A: I think you should definitely get rid of bleach, but other than that, it looks like you are doing great!
Q: Can you rank these ten cities in Los Angeles County? Pasadena, La Puente, El Segundo, Palmdale, El Monte, West Covina, Alhambra, San Gabriel, Marina del Rey and Santa Clarita.
A: In order from best to worst: Alhambra, West Covina, La Puente, Marina del Rey, El Segundo, Santa Clarita, San Gabriel, El Monte, Palmdale, Pasadena.
Q: Which is the best of the “Ocean’s Eleven” series?
A: The order from best to worst is “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Thirteen,” and then “Ocean’s Twelve” is not even on the list. The gap between Eleven and Thirteen is small, and a compelling argument can be made in favor of “Ocean’s Thirteen.” I have a lot of feelings about “Ocean’s 8” and why it is an overwhelming disappointment, but I can save it for another time.
Q: I have an antique Tiffany lampshade. Do you want it?
A: Yes, please.
Q: I am going to give birth some time in the middle of November. However, if my child is a Scorpio, I think I will die! What should I do?
A: This is by far the most difficult question I have ever had to answer. The last thing you want is for your child to be born a Scorpio. I think your best bet is to either convince your doctor to induce you early or try to hold the baby in until after Nov. 22. You could try to bribe the doctor to induce you, perhaps with money or other lucrative objects. Best of luck, and I wish you all the best.