Decorating For Real People
I spent a recent weekend curled up with a stack of decorating magazines. I read them cover to cover - usually back to front, but that's the way I read most magazines and newspapers. I studied each photograph and tried to determine the particular design concept that was being presented. I looked at the number and placement of accessories, how and where arrangements of items were hung on the walls, choices of color and texture, and flooring selections. Each photo was scrutinized in the minutest detail.
At some point I started to wonder for whom these absolutely gorgeous rooms were designed. Bedside tables held no alarm clocks or clock radios. While there was usually an abundance of decorative items, there were no tissue boxes or eyeglass cases. Dressers displayed beautifully arranged floral creations and perhaps a cut glass perfume bottle or two, with ornamental stoppers. No jewelry boxes, no lotion bottles, none of the everyday stuff of life.
I don't know about you but I want a telephone at the side of my bed. And someplace handy for the TV remote.And the bathrooms! Don't even get me started on the bathrooms! Do the users of these bathrooms ever need to replace the toilet paper or the hand soap? Do they have their hair done weekly (maybe daily?) at beauty- or barber-shops and thus have no need of shampoo and conditioner bottles? Toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss? The men don't have to shave and the women have no need of makeup? Streamlining and organization can only take you so far. Sooner or later you need a place for feminine supplies, room deodorizers, and the extra cotton balls and swabs that don't fit into the pretty little designer containers. And I can't be the only person who thinks that a plunger should be stored someplace handy to the location of possible need.No cords for the lamps, no tangle of wires for the home office computer system. One photograph featured an elegant "work space" with a large bouquet of flowers drooping fetchingly over the printer.
I could imagine spent blossoms dropping into the works, and I couldn't imagine how to open the paper tray without knocking the vase over. I suppose the person who would work at such a desk would have no need of a mouse pad, paper clips, or a pile of sticky notes. I wish I could work like that.I want to know what the rooms in the photographs look like a week later. Are the same three Granny Smith apples still in perfect position on the glass-topped table? Is the fringe on the cashmere afghan still draped just so over the arm of the rocking chair in the baby's room? Does the kitchen counter look bare without the tureen of soup and the matching soup bowls? I mean, the soup was eaten, wasn't it? Am I losing my perspective here?Show me a playroom after the children have been forced to put away the toys. I'll bet there are no cunning arrangements of stuffed animals having tea, and the blocks aren't stacked into just-right pyramids with one block placed in front and a little to the side.
The pillows are all over the room and the bedspread is trailing onto the floor. That's real.I realize that the decorating magazines present rooms and arrangements that are idealized and stylized. They are intended to give our imaginations a jumping-off point; we are meant to adapt their ideas to our own needs. They do a wonderful job and I will continue to peruse the glossy pages of each publication. Occasionally, however, I'd appreciate a view of a real room, spiffed up for company, perhaps, but real.
I want to be able to imagine waking up to the clock radio, to see myself sitting at the computer and actually getting some work done, to know where I would store the supply of makeup without which I cannot face the world. I want to think that I could actually live in the room. Isn't that the point of the whole exercise? Don't we all want comfortable homes that suit our life styles, organized and better looking, maybe, but still us? Go take a look at the pictures in a decorating magazine. See if you agree with me. I think I'm going to go clean out a couple of drawers and straighten a bookcase shelf or two.
It won't end up picture perfect, but it will be real..
LaJoyce Kerns is the creator of the website: www.decorate-bedrooms-for-less.com. She provides tips, ideas and techniques on decorating bedrooms for real people. LaJoyce believes that you can achieve beautiful results without breaking the budget.10 Great Wine Tasting Tips
1. Try something new and you might be surprised. Let the staff make suggestions. Compare the wines aged in steel to those aged in oak barrels. 2.
Take Notes especially if you are gone all day. Most wineries offer a list that will assist you on keeping track. When you get home to your local wine shop, you will appreciate having a cheat sheet.3. Visit during off season. November through May is an excellent time.
You might be only one of the few guests all day, so the staff can give you some extra time.4. Ask Questions. Winery staff love to be engaged and help educate. They are trained to know a lot about the wines you taste.5. Eat the crackers.
They help you clean your palate and absorb the alcohol.6. Don't just stick with the big-name wineries. Check out some of the smaller ones in the area.7. The nose, knows. Try not to use too much perfume or aftershave.
The aroma of the wine is half the fun of tasting.8. Call ahead for large parties. If you call ahead some...
10 Great Wine Tasting Tips
Perfume > 10 Great Wine Tasting Tips
How to care for pearls
Pearls are delicate and soft gems compared with other gemstones. They need extra gentle care. Here is a guide to pearl care.? Clean - wipe pearls regularly and gently with a soft cloth moistened with water. Pearls can absorb perfume, skin oils and dirt easily. Do not clean pearls with detergents and don't soak pearls in water.
? Protect - avoid temperature extremes and chemicals such as vinegar, alcohol and hair spray. They can damage pearl surfaces. ? Wear ? put on pearls after you have applied makeup and hair spray.? Store - pearls can be scratched easily. They should be stored in a soft place such as a velvet box or a satin pouch. Avoid putting pearls next to diamond or gemstones jewelry.
? Restring - for a frequently worn pearl necklace, it is recommended to restring the necklace once every one or two years since silk thread may get weakened over time..
How to care for pearls
Perfume > How to care for pearls
Wild Flowers
Wild flowers are Nature's miracle of miracles. They bring color, perfume, and distinction to the diverse environments in which they grow.
Wildflowers, however, can be as ecologically devastating as they are beautiful. Some wildflowers are native to the countries in which they are found. Others are migratory transplants, introduced either accidentally or purposefully into new landscapes. Wildflowers are often ecological opportunists, capable of proliferating in a wide variety of environments, sometimes at the expense of less-hardy indigenous plant species.
The rate of multiplication of wildflowers is affected by the latitude, soil composition, heat, and moisture of their environments.
Even sunburnt plots and gravelly highways can be home to these rugged species.
There are perennial, biennial, and season wildflower species. They come in shades of green, purple, pink, red, blue, yellow, orange, lavender and white. Always a treat to the eye,...
Perfume > Wild Flowers
Caribbean Cruise: An Enchanting Experience
A Caribbean cruise is the world's most popular cruise. The Caribbean islands are a dream destination and the journey is equally out of the world. The island chains with a delightful combination of modernity and natural resources are a heady mix. If you are a nature lover used to the modern way of life the Caribbean islands and the Caribbean cruise are perfect getaways for you. A Caribbean cruise takes you to a land of lush vegetation, beautiful beaches and dense forests.
Amidst the luxuries of the modern resort, you have the good fortune of experiencing the richness of the immaculate nature reserves. You witness nature in all its glory be it Puerto Rico's dense rain forest or the nesting grounds of flamingos on Bonaire's beaches. The pleasant climate of the Caribbean is just perfect for a swim in the sea, snorkeling or just basking on the beach. It is an ideal location for a nature or outdoor lover. Caribbean cruises have their distinctive charm and characteristic appeal.
Caribbean Cruise: An Enchanting Experience
Perfume > Caribbean Cruise: An Enchanting Experience
Club-Offers.com Announces Gift of the Month Clubs for Valentine’s Day
(ContentDesk) February 6, 2006 -- A number of Valentines gift of the month club suggestions are now available at Club-Offers.com.
Gift of the month clubs are a fool-proof Valentines Day present because they remind the recipient that theyre thought of year-round.
Monthly gift clubs for Valentines Day include traditional favorites such as flower clubs, food clubs, and fruit clubs, and many other intriguing options that are sure to impress.
Club-Offers.com...
Perfume > Club-Offers.com Announces Gift of the Month Clubs for Valentine’s Day
Personalized Bridesmaid Gifts - Hot Trend for Today's Brides
Searching for the perfect bridesmaid gift is just one task on the long list of Wedding To-Do's each bride takes on the minute she says "yes" to popped proposal on bended knee.
But these days the Bridesmaid Gift, a traditional token of thanks and friendship, takes on more meaning as Brides seek out something more unique than the standard silver box or jewelry set. "I wanted something a little different ? something to fit the personality of each of my friends" said recent bride Rachel Dodge, "They have all been in weddings before, so I didn't want something standard or that they would have received as a gift from another bride.
I loved my own custom LILL bag, so I decided to design one-of-a-kind handbags for each one at 1154 LILL."1154 LILL STUDIO, the original custom handbag boutique, is one of many stores offering products that can be customized to fit the style, taste and personality of almost anyone.
Custom blended perfume, Paint-Your-Own-Pottery pieces,...
Perfume > Personalized Bridesmaid Gifts - Hot Trend for Today's Brides
Decorating For Real People
I spent a recent weekend curled up with a stack of decorating magazines. I read them cover to cover - usually back to front, but that's the way I read most magazines and newspapers. I studied each photograph and tried to determine the particular design concept that was being presented. I looked at the number and placement of accessories, how and where arrangements of items were hung on the walls, choices of color and texture, and flooring selections. Each photo was scrutinized in the minutest detail.
At some point I started to wonder for whom these absolutely gorgeous rooms were designed. Bedside tables held no alarm clocks or clock radios. While there was usually an abundance of decorative items, there were no tissue boxes or eyeglass cases. Dressers displayed beautifully arranged floral creations and perhaps a cut glass perfume bottle or two, with ornamental stoppers. No jewelry boxes, no lotion bottles, none of the everyday stuff of life.
I don't know about you but I...
Decorating For Real People
Perfume > Decorating For Real People