Posts Tagged “Easy”

You’re dreaming about the beautiful room makeovers you’ve seen on TV. The one’s where a talented designer comes in and transforms the room into a stunning show piece complete with painted walls and well placed accessories. Remembering the wonderful tears of joy shed by the happy home owners, you go strait the paint store and look at all the color samples.

 

Then you become totally overwhelmed. You recall an episode of ‘Trading Spaces’ were the neighbors painted each others rooms in some sickening color and the friendship was destroyed forever. Suddenly images of horrified tearful homeowners come flooding in. They would do anything to get their boring white walls back! You’re not a designer. You panic. You back away from the paint swatches and decide instead to go shoe shopping for that adorable little dress you bought last week.

 

You feel better already.  Thinking of your new dress brings a smile to your face. You recall how good it felt when you tried it on in the dressing room. It’s so cute. And you love the color! You can hardly wait for an excuse to wear it. Now for the perfect shoes to finish the look…

 

Hold on there fashion girl. What if you could capture that same happy feeling you have about your new dress and apply it to your room? What if you could be that excited about your house? You can! I’m here to tell you that if you can put an outfit together, you can put a room together. You know more about color than you give yourself credit for.

 

You don’t have any trouble choosing just the right shoes to go with an outfit. You easily mix and match tops and bottoms to create great new looks. You barely even think about it when you grab a box of hair color knowing that it will perfectly offset your eyes and skin tone. A peak in your makeup bag shows all the luscious shades of eye shadows and lip sticks that you have happily experimented with. Not to mention your undeniably great taste in jewelry. You’re no stranger to color or style!

 

So let’s start with what you know. Go to your closet and pull out 4 or 5 of your very favorite outfits. Lay them all out; complete with shoes, hand bag, accessories…everything. Now step back and take a look at what you’ve done. Notice the easy mix of color, texture and bling. Why do you like these outfits so much? What kind of colors are you drawn to?  Are they warm or cool colors?

 

Notice the purpose of each outfit, be it work, play or evening wear. Rooms are like that. What is the purpose of your room? Do you want to create a sultry (evening gown) master bed room, a hard wearing (blue jeans) easy care family room or a fun playroom (sundress)? Ask yourself a few key questions. Are you going to use your existing furniture or get new? Either way, what are the dominant fabric colors of the furniture (bottoms)? Are the wood tones dark or light (leather shoes and belts)? What color are your curtains and throw pillows (tops)? Is there any brushed metal or sparkly glass in the room (jewelry)?  Do you have wall to wall carpet (sweater or pea coat), hard wood (sleek leather jacket), or linoleum (rain coat) floors?

 

Try putting an outfit together using the dominate colors that you intend to have in your room. Don’t forget to match the outfit to the occasion. Is it a formal affair or backyard BBQ? What kind of fabrics, textures and colors are you using?

 

Walls are simply a back drop for everything else that goes in your space. Just like the foundation makeup you put on before you apply eye shadow. Now go back to the paint store and get those free color swatches. Grab every color from dark to light that you are even remotely interested in. Take them home and compare them to the ‘room’ outfit you have created. Think of them like foundation makeup or skin tones, just a back drop to your favorite outfit. Now you’re in familiar territory!

 

Hold them up to your ‘room’ outfit and you can confidently tell if it fits well or not. Would you wear it? Could you imagine it on a super model? Could you build an outfit around it? Do you get excited? Does it make you happy? You’re on the right track. You know what goes together and what doesn’t. Choose your color with confidence. Paint your walls. Put your look together, invite your friends over and show it off. It’s the perfect excuse to wear that new dress!

 

Cathy Robertson is an Artist and writer for Fine Art Castle. Have fun, informative decorating & design articles delivered to you! Sign up for our monthly Newsletter today at http://www.fineartcastle.com/decoratingtipsanddesign.aspx . Or stop by and take a peek at our Fine Art Prints for your Canvas Art decorating needs at http://www.fineartcastle.com

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Weddings are joyful occasions. It is a time when two people bond together in marriage to form a lasting relationship. Wedding anniversaries are yearly celebrations in remembrance of that special occasion. We celebrate wedding anniversaries in various ways. Renewal of wedding vows, candle light dinners and gift giving are just some of the ways we celebrate our wedding anniversaries.

But what is an appropriate gift to give for an anniversary? In 1922, Emily Post suggested traditional gifts for the first 15 yearly wedding anniversaries and gifts for every 5 year anniversaries thereafter. Gifts for the early wedding anniversaries tend to be inexpensive and rather practical while gifts for the later wedding anniversaries tend to be more elaborate and expensive.

Below is a list of the traditional yearly wedding anniversaries with gift ideas and suggestions for each.

First Wedding Anniversary: Paper

Suggested gifts: stationary in a favorite color, a personal journal, first edition of a favorite book, a framed invitation

Second Wedding Anniversary: Cotton

Suggested gifts: high thread count sheet set, personalized quilt or throw blanket, tapestry wall hanging, towels

Third Wedding Anniversary: Leather

Suggested gifts: watches, jackets, luggage, wallets, belts

Fourth Wedding Anniversary: Fruit or Flowers

Suggested gifts: fruit basket, floral arrangement, flowering plant or shrub

Fifth Wedding Anniversary: Wood

Suggested gifts: furniture, jewelry boxes, a framed photograph

Sixth Wedding Anniversary: Candy or Iron

Suggested gifts: cookie bouquet, box of chocolates, wrought iron picture frame or wall hanging, home décor items

Seventh Wedding Anniversary: Wool or Copper

Suggested gifts: warm coat, scarf and gloves, yard décor such as wind chimes, copper birdbaths, pottery or fire pit

Eighth Wedding Anniversary: Bronze or Pottery

Suggested gifts: bronze sculptures, yard items such as a bird bath or sundial

Ninth Wedding Anniversary: Pottery

Suggested gifts: ceramic pots, wall hangings, sculptures, tableware

Tenth Wedding Anniversary: Tin or Aluminum

Suggested gifts: tea and coffee tins, decorative boxes, aluminum watches, tableware, home décor items

Eleventh Wedding Anniversary: Steel

Suggested gifts: jewelry, kitchenware, sculpture, home décor items

Twelfth Wedding Anniversary: Silk or Linen

Suggested gifts: tablecloth, handkerchief, robe, silk blouse or shirt, silk sheets

Thirteenth Wedding Anniversary: Lace

Suggested gifts: sleepwear, handkerchiefs, table runners or placemats, a framed invitation

Fourteenth Wedding Anniversary: Ivory

Suggested gifts: jewelry, figurines, roses

Fifteenth Wedding Anniversary: Crystal

Suggested gifts: glassware, jewelry, wind chimes, lamps, candlesticks

Twentieth Wedding Anniversary: China

Suggested gifts: dishware, dinner at a Chinese restaurant

Twenty-fifth Wedding Anniversary: Silver

Suggested gifts: jewelry, kitchenware, tea or coffee service, watch

Thirtieth Wedding Anniversary: Pearl

Suggested gifts: jewelry, game boards, rosary beads

Thirty-fifth Wedding Anniversary: Coral (Jade)

Suggested gifts: figurines, jewelry, vases, candle holders, chess set

Fortieth Wedding Anniversary: Ruby

Suggested gifts: gemstone jewelry, ruby heart photo frame

Forty-fifth Wedding Anniversary: Sapphire

Suggested gifts: gemstone jewelry

Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary: Gold

Suggested gifts: jewelry, watches, collectible coins, picture frames

Wedding anniversaries can be celebrated in many different ways. Giving a traditional wedding gift is just one way to celebrate. The most important thing is to remember to celebrate in a way that is special to you.

For the perfect must have keepsake visit
Keepsake Frames and Flowers

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