9 Super Easy Tips to Relax This Holiday Season
October is nearing its end and before you know it Thanksgiving will be here and then Christmas. It can certainly feel overwhelming for those of us who delight in preparing for the holiday season. So much to do, so little time to do it all in. So slow down, take a breather and enjoy the moment. I thought I would share the nine things that help me relax when I start feeling the holiday stresses kicking in. You can do one or more, it’s up to you. Actually they are all so nice you may find yourself doing them all 
- Create visual balance with furniture and accessories.
- Use fragrances that please you throughout the house.
- De-cluttering the home environment is important because clutter creates negative or stagnant energy and blocks positive energy from flowing.
- Have at least one water fountain in the home. The sound of gently flowing water soothes frayed nerves.
- Use natural materials such as cottons, silks and linen. They feel wonderful against the skin.
- Clean your home with aromatherapy products and always launder your linens, towels, sleeping clothes and robes with an aromatherapy detergent and softener.
- I recommend Egyptian cotton for linens, spritzed with a lavender linen spray which is conducive to creating a restful, sleep inducing environment. I am biased of course but my favorite lavender linen spray is carried by our sister store Room In A Kit LLC. I’m addicted to it’s soft feathery lavender scent.
- Select soothing colors for paint, furniture, accessories etc. Popular soothing colors are blue-greens (think ocean ), creams and ivories, sages, soft whites with subtle hints of color.
- Sounds such as soft music lightly playing in the background or nature sounds (ocean waves, rustle of leaves, rain etc) should be used.
Decorating Cents on the Chopping Block
One of our very favorite decorating on a budget television shows may be getting the ax. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune the Home and Garden Television company has placed “Decorating Cents” on hiatus for now.
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Editor Note: Re-posted (originally posted on Jan 18, 2007) due to popular demand. We’ve received over 150 emails regarding Decorating Cents being canceled – and the overwhelming sentiment is “Don’t Cancel”. Decorating Cent’s fans have asked us to bump this post so that others are made aware of this issue.
RELATED ARTICLE: Matt and Shari.com (Original HGTV Stars Launch Decorating Website)
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“Decorating Cents” has been one of HGTV’s best design shows over that last few years however the show’s ratings have been down recently compared to other years so that may be the reason that it may be headed to the cancellation bin. Which would be an absolute shame because the show’s host Joan Steffend does provide viewers with great ideas for decorating on a tight budget and best of all are her end of show segments which illustrate the magic of using your imagination to transform trash to treasure.
The Star Tribune does report that enough new “Decorating Cents” shows have been filmed to run through the first quarter of 2008 – hopefully HGTV will still air them for fans of the show. The Star Tribune also reports that the possible cancellation of “Decorating Cents” doesn’t include losing Joan Steffend – she will continue to host HGTV specials including the popular Home and Garden Television Dream Home Give-away.
I hope that HGTV doesn’t cancel “Decorating Cents” it will be sorely missed unlike some other decorating shows that currently air on the Home & Garden network. Some of these new shows are absolutely dreadful and should be canceled; that includes never, ever bringing them back even in the form of re-runs.
Editor Note: Re-posted (originally posted on Jan 18, 2007) due to popular demand. We’ve received over 150 emails regarding Decorating Cents being canceled – and the overwhelming sentiment is “Don’t Cancel”. Decorating Cent’s fans have asked us to bump this post so that others are made aware of this issue.
RELATED ARTICLE: Matt and Shari.com (Original HGTV Stars Launch Decorating Website)
Read More »Style Divas – Best of the Web – October 26th 2007
What Is Style Divas – Best of the Web? It’s about bringing attention to and highlighting the very best and most fabulous design and style blogs/websites that make their home in this large, boundary-less world called cyberspace.
The criteria is simple – We look for value to the reader, engaging content, originality and creativity. Each week we will select the most outstanding posts or articles from sites we find or that are submitted to us for review. You can submit your design and style nominations to styledivasbestoftheweb@thedecoratingdiva.com.
Jackie Blue Home, is a unique and fun design blog intermingled with endearing personal stories written by author Jackie Von Tobel. Jackie sprinkles her interesting and sometimes controversial opinions (see the Gwyneth Paltrow post) into each post that she writes, which we find refreshing, honest and a welcome departure from the many “me-too” lifestyle blogs and websites we encounter. Definitely a site to bookmark or for those techie gals – RSS subscribe.
ClutterBags captured our attention with their cute and useful handbags. Definitely a handbag designer to keep your eyes on. The Chocolate Lace Katie handbag depicted on the left retails for $45 (great price for such a lovely purse!). The bag designer used fabric from one of our favorite textile designers – Amy Butler. This particular material is from the Amy Butler Lotus Collection. Like it and want to buy it? Click on over to the ClutterBags Store on Ebay or Etsy.
Larson-Juhl, creators of custom frames, rounds out our Style Divas Best of the Web picks for this week. We like their Style Notebooks (Jonathan Adler designs for Larson-Juhl shown on left) and believe they will inspire and guide you toward creating beautiful walls at home. Larson-Juhl is also the parent company of Artaissance – an online art shop that we reviewed earlier this month. Read the Artaissance review here and then comment or email us for a chance to win an amazing giclee print by artist Marta Wiley.
Style Divas – Best of the Web – October 19th 2007
What Is Style Divas – Best of the Web? It’s about bringing attention to and highlighting the very best and most fabulous design and style blogs/websites that make their home in this large, boundary-less world called cyberspace.
The criteria is simple – We look for value to the reader, engaging content, originality and creativity. Each week we will select the most outstanding posts or articles from sites we find or that are submitted to us for review. You can submit your design and style nominations to styledivasbestoftheweb@thedecoratingdiva.com.
Fellow Curbly.com member, DIY Maven, tops our list of Style Divas this week. DIY Maven, has great decorating, crafting and cooking advice that is a must read for any style diva. Make sure to bookmark DIY Maven’s Curbly blog for style inspiration and how-to direction.
Divine Caroline is a relatively new women’s interests online magazine which has a very useful home and gardening section. We love the name and the articles – we think you will too.
Just Luxe, is our favorite luxury living site with great in-depth interviews with design gurus, latest luxury trends in home decor and advice filled articles on how you can bring the look of luxury to your home.
Read More »Comment For A Cure – Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The Budget Fashionista has an amazing fund raising project underway to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. For every comment that is posted at The Budget Fashionista, $1.00 will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Fund. The goal is $1000, as of October 14th they are at $331.00.
It’s easy to help, head over to The Budget Fashionista read one of her many great posts and leave a comment. Oh, and don’t forget to bookmark The Budget Fashionista it’s a must read for all divas!
Read More »Halloween Themed Candy
Hershey’s is selling the most adorable “costumed’ chocolate candy. You can only order the holiday themed candy online, so if you plan on having them at your Halloween party – hurry up as these probably will sell out fast.
I think they may be too cute to eat! What do you think?
Read More »Style Divas – Best of the Web – October 12th 2007
What Is Style Divas – Best of the Web? It’s about bringing attention to and highlighting the very best and most fabulous design and style blogs/websites that make their home in this large, boundary-less world called cyberspace.
The criteria is simple – We look for value to the reader, engaging content, originality and creativity. Each week we will select the most outstanding posts or articles from sites we find or that are submitted to us for review. You can submit your design and style nominations to styledivasbestoftheweb@thedecoratingdiva.com.
Textile design diva, Amy Butler, creates delicious gum drop pillows (shown on left) in a myriad of pretty candy colors and funky, fun patterns. Amy shares how to make gum drop pillows if you prefer to DIY it instead of BUY it
Laura Kirar gives the barrel chair an updated modern, pop art influenced face lift. The chair comes out of design surgery looking fresh with its repetitive rattan rings, dark finish and tailored profile. Available at Kohler Interiors.
The Decorating Diva reader Carla D. shared with us a great website for Halloween pumpkin stencils – which promises to make pumpkin carving easy – and easy is always
so wonderful! Starry Night Pumpkin Stencil (shown on left) is available for free at Pumpkin Masters. If you’re passionate about protecting wildlife, then you will love the complimentary World Wildlife Fund pumpkin stencils (on right, turtle template/stencil) available at HP.com. Thanks to Jemma for this Halloween pumpkin decorating tip.
Pink Kitchen Appliances – Cooking For A Cure
Stainless steel and chrome kitchen appliances are just fine if you don’t mind being part of the me-too kitchen design crowd. For those of us who prefer to break from the crowd and let our personality drive our kitchen design then you’ll love the color options available from kitchen tool manufacturers like Cuisinart and Kitchen Aid. Both companies offer kitchen appliances in colors that span the rainbow and then some October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we are focusing on Cooking For A Cure.
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KitchenAid Artisan 5-Qt. Stand Mixer, "Cook for the Cure" Edition |
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Cuisinart Pink Collection 4-Cup Coffeemaker |
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Cuisinart Pink Collection Mini Prep Plus Food Processor |
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Cuisinart Pink Collection 2-Slice Compact Toaster |
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Cuisinart Pink Collection PowerSelect 7-Speed Hand Blender |
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Cuisinart 6-Piece Gadget Set |
Artaissance – Online Art Buying Made Easy
Shopping for artwork to decorate the walls of your home can be challenging. Clients often express their frustrations to me with regards to the difficulty they have encountered while shopping for artwork – some of the most common questions are:
- How do I know my art style?
- What colors work with my current decor?
- How do I know what size art I need for a specific area?
Once those questions are answered the next question is: ” Where can I buy affordable art – one that’s high quality (& rather unique) but without the pain inducing prices?” Followed by: “I bought the art pieces I love, now I need to get them framed – who do you recommend?”.
In the past, I would recommend visiting art galleries, local artists’ studios, and home decor shops which meant lots of leg work for both my clients and me. Not to mention the inevitable situation that would arise at the end of the artwork “discovery shopping” expedition – the dreaded “I know we’ve seen nearly two dozen pieces but for the life of me they’ve all sort of blended together in my head…”. Taking digital photos has helped in some situations but not all galleries or shops allow photography.
Personally, I enjoy the ease and convenience of shopping online and I recommend it to my clients. I help them buy everything from picture frames to chandeliers with a click of a mouse from the comfort of their homes. The only product I’ve steered my clients away from purchasing online has been artwork for the following two reasons:
- Poor Quality – what you see isn’t always what you get
- Lack of unique and/or inspiring art
Artaissance, an online art gallery, changed my view of buying art online. Last month, I had the pleasure of reviewing their website artaissance.com.
Artaissance.com is a well-designed and easy to navigate website. You can search for artwork by:
- Artist: Artaissance has over 100 talented up and coming and established artists’ works in their gallery.
- Preferred Color: Makes decorating with artwork a breeze.
- Room Setting: Recommended artwork for every room in your home.
- Your Interests: Contemporary, Americana, Global, and more.
- Art Orientation: Horizontal, Vertical or Square.
- Companion Pieces
Artaissance, in essence has created a website that helps guide you every step of the way – think of artaissance.com as your very own personal art shopper.
The Artaissance “My Art Gallery”, is another useful shopping tool. Using your email address, you can sign up for your own art gallery; a portfolio of sorts where you can add your favorite artwork, refer to it at a later date, and even share your art discoveries with friends and family.
Samples of your favorite art work are also available. You can order 5.5 inch X 8.5 inch paper samples (feels like a high quality water color paper) or canvas samples (high quality also) for $6.00. I love the idea of samples (which depicts the true color something you simply cannot get from a printout) since you can add them to your design portfolio and refer to them when your are shopping for other decor, accessories and furnishings.
For this review, I selected and ordered a 16 inch X 22 3/16 inch beautiful print (Shown on left) called “Swirl of Color” by artist Marta Wiley.
Artaissance.com., provides you with the option to have the print delivered to your home or to one of their many art dealer/partners. I chose to have the print shipped to an authorized Artaissance partner: House of Frames in Merritt Island, Florida. I wanted to explore the entire process of shopping, finding the perfect art piece, buying it online and then having it framed.
Within two weeks I received a call from Dionne Casey, the proprietor of House of Frames. My print was ready for pickup.
At the frame shop, Dionne rolled out the print and I was pleasantly surprised. The color pigment was intense, vibrant and rich. Touching the paper I immediately thought of water color paper – it felt expensive. This was no ordinary giclee – this piece looked like a true water color. Dionne, explained to me that Artaissance “captures the look and essence of the original artwork by using a printing process that provides better color accuracy and pigmentation.” For a visual comparison, Dionne showed me a “regular” giclee which when laid next to the Artaissance print looked like an inexpensive print with dull color and lack of depth.
The entire online art buying process via Artaissance was simple, convenient and one that I would definitely recommend. I would also suggest working with your local Artaissance dealer as I did – they provide additional insight and experience. Dionne for example, creates master art plans for her clients. Using a master art plan, her clients are better equipped to purchase the correct style, size, and color mix. She then works closely with her clients to determine where each piece will reside and how it will be lit.
WANT TO WIN THIS PRINT? I decided not to have the print framed to keep for myself. Trust me, I would love to hang this beauty in my library but I’ve decided to give it away to one very lucky reader. Just tell me how and where you would use this print (in the comments section or via email at artaissancePrint@thedecoratingdiva.com). The winner will be picked on November 16th, 2007. THE DETAILS: The print is valued at $150.00 and provided courtesy of Artaissance. Contest limited to USA residents in the contiguous 48 States. Shipping fees will be paid by The Decorating Diva LLC. All taxes on print are responsibility of winner. One entry per household.
Online Resources: Artaissance.com , House of Frames
Read More »Style Divas – Best of the Web – October 5th 2007
What Is Style Divas – Best of the Web? It’s about bringing attention to and highlighting the very best and most fabulous design and style blogs/websites that make their home in this large, boundary-less world called cyberspace.
The criteria is simple – We look for value to the reader, engaging content, originality and creativity. Each week we will select the most outstanding posts or articles from sites we find or that are submitted to us for review. You can submit your design and style nominations to styledivasbestoftheweb@thedecoratingdiva.com.
Pure Contemporary highlight’s modern mirrored kitchen cabinets from the award winning Italian design firm, Arclinea. The cabinets are striking and unique. They offer a refreshing departure from the tried and true wood look or painted enamel cabinets one is accustomed to seeing.
Belle Vivir explores beautiful, eco-friendly lighting from Stuart Haygarth.
Surprise your family and friends this Halloween by transforming pumpkins into spooky, glowing black cats to decorate your front porch. Want to add a bit more ghoulish fun? Sunset Living also has a most tricky Halloween decorating tip – a carved pumpkin that says one thing and projects another.
We’ve saved the most intriguing design link for last. A Designer’s Eye shares with us bookshelves that are unlike any we’ve seen before. Wavy, bee-hive shaped, and oval bookshelves-no straight lines just amazing fluid motion.
Editor’s note: Thank you all, for the recent Style Divas nominations. In the last week we’ve received over 60 submittals for the Style Divas – Best of the Web. A few of those submitted have been picked and will be highlighted over the next several weeks. Thanks again for the great nominations and keep them coming. Oh, one other thing we’ve been receiving lots of emails asking if self-nomination is okay. The answer is yes! Toot your own horn. Send all nominations to: styledivasbestoftheweb@thedecoratingdiva.com.
