Grandchild in the making!!

Is she not the cutest expectant mommy ever?
This is our daughter Tiffany. She is the one who first made us parents and now the first one to make us grandparents. She and her sweet hubby and all of us of course are looking forward to this sweet little blessing to join our family in just a few short weeks.  Just had to share cuz I am so excited I can't help myself!!
Hope your day is blessed!!

Flooring

Good morning and Happy Monday Everyone. I am starting a new mini series. I hope you will join me.
With the increased popularity in "going green" consumers are looking for better options in flooring as well as other building materials. It occurred to me that many of us are unfamiliar with some of the flooring options available. My next several posts will try to explain some of the options out there and the pros and cons associated with them.  

I would like to start with Bamboo flooring.

Technically bamboo is in the grass family but is often called a wood because of how hard and durable it is. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth. Some species have actually been measured to grow over 4 feet in 24 hours. A pole of bamboo can regenerate to its full mass in just six months! Bamboo can be continuously re-harvested every 3 years, without causing damage to the plant system and surrounding environment. During the time it takes to regenerate, the bamboo plant's root system stays intact so erosion is prevented. Continuous harvesting every 3-7 years, actually improves the overall health of the plant. 

Most of the bamboo used today comes from China,although India is the largest grower of bamboo in the world.

To make the flooring, the hallow shoots are sliced into thin strips and boiled to remove the starch. They are then dried and boiled in a solution to remove the natural sugars in the plant. It is then dried and laminated into boards that are milled into floorboards with tongue and groove on all sides for easy installation.

Bamboo flooring is extremely durable, almost as hard as oak and because of it's density, refinishing is not required as often a your traditional wood floor. Bamboo is a preferred "green" choice over hardwood flooring, because it takes from three to six years to reach maturity compared with more than 50 years for oak or maple. Pricing is comparable to other wood flooring products, so the only drawback I can see really is that the design is very specific. It shows the "knot" or the "knuckle" that is so specific to bamboo (note in the picture below) If this doesn't bother you, then this may be an appropriate flooring choice for your home.

Mail box fun!!

Recently I won a giveaway over at  Whimsy by Victoria. She showcased a few collections of her

 very favorite things and then gave packages away to lucky followers. I just love how they arrived in my mailbox.

Is that not just adorable packaging!!? 

Just a small taste of her creative mind!!

And this is what was inside...

If you have never visited her, you need to pop over she is a very creative lady, talented too and I have enjoyed reading her posts

Thank you Victoria you made my day!!

A little touch of Spring

Thought this was the cutest ensemble. A new bedding collection from Horchow.  

 A great blend of texture and color to "springify" a room. 

Love the rosettes on the pillow, the velvet covered headboard, and the cute peacocks on the duvet cover and sham

It just made me smile so I am sharing it with all of you. 

Happy Spring!!

Aging Eyes and Lighting

Do you find yourself squinting to see the fine print or moving the newspaper into better light to see the words? I know I am noticing this more often. Poor lighting in a room, when you are reading, watching the television, or using the computer, can add extra strain to the eye. The eyes have to work harder to convey messages to the brain from the strain of trying to see.
Reaching for the readers or cheaters as some choose to call them is an ok fix, but often  the real cure is just better lighting in your work space or room. Although there are some very very cute readers out there these days!
As we age, we find that we need three to four times as much light than we used to and extra glare is also hard on the eyes.
Knowing that aging eyes need a better kind of light and more of it  to be comfortable is an easy fix at lovethedecor.com
If you are like most of us, you still have the same lamps that you had when you got married. There are so many wonderful choices out there in lighting. From Torchiere lamps to other decorative lamps.  Find lighting that is not only practicle but pretty too. Lighting becomes part of your decor so, you owe it to yourself and your eyesight to invest in better lighting today.

Winners are...

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered my giveaway. I have the best followers!!
The winners are: Jan @bobbypinsboardwalk and Theresa @theycallmeganky  Congratulations to you both Both of these ladies are delightful. I have so enjoyed getting to know them.  Go check them out when you get a chance. Jan and Theresa please email me with your candle choice and your addresses and I will get your prize right out to you.
Because you all helped me get past the 200 follower mark, I have decided to pick a third winner.  Congratulations to Jen at Noting Grace.  I am just getting to know Jen, she is another great woman in blogland. Go pay her a visit too. Jen please email me your candle choice and your address too.
I have a crazy week ahead of me, but I will pop in with another post later in the week.
Thank you again everyone for your participation. I appreciate you all.
Hope you have blessed Monday!

Help the people in Haiti this Saturday and Sunday

Colleen over at ddna( desiging DNA) is having a round up of sorts to help the victims in Haiti. It begins on Saturday and runs through Sunday. She will be highlighting different vendors all weekend who are willing to donate a portion of their sales from their fabulous shops to Samaritans Purse disaster relief rebuild program. Go check it out here and then go shop the vendors to help with this very worthy cause  I will be donating 20% of all the sales over at lovethedecor.com Friday, Saturday and Sunday so please go shop till you drop. If you prefer not to shop and just want to donate, there is a first giving button on my side bar that allows you to donate directly to Samaritans Purse. 



Have a great weekend everyone!

Food for thought

Do you find yourself saying "If I just get through this one thing" (whatever it may be), then life will slow down?
Do you rush from one event to the next just to get through it so you can get on to the next thing. 
I found myself thinking about this yesterday. I was going through my list of all that had to be done in the next week and realized that in so much of our lives, this is the attitude for many of us. We are so busy "getting on to the next thing" that we forget to savor and enjoy what we are in the midst of at the moment. Life is so very precious and we never really know if we get to have a "next thing". So, I had to tell myself...slow down, enjoy the moment, and don't miss the blessing that each day holds because I am too busy looking forward to the next thing.
Enjoy your day!


Don't forget to enter my giveaway here . It ends Sunday

Time For A Giveaway! Giveaway is now Closed

  

It is almost Spring and because I can hardly wait for it, I thought I would help pass the time by having a giveaway.  I am giving away (1) 4x6  imageglow candle to not one but 2 lucky winners.

imageglow® candles are the perfect hybrid of home accessory + candle. lantern candles with modern patterns embedded in the wax of the candle that glow when illuminated.

signature imageglow® lantern candles are a hurricane lantern shade surrounding a long burning candle. the lantern style is a safe candle as there is no exposed flame - it is deeply recessed inside the wax shade. the imageglow® lantern candle is reusable – 
after the initial candle has been consumed a tealight can be used.

Our lantern style candle has wax walls which enclose a 35 hour candle. The lantern is reusable by inserting a tealight within the wax walls of the candle.
The lantern walls help shield the flame from breezes when used outdoors. This style of candle is safer as there is no exposed flame. Great for event venues and other public areas.

You can find image glow candles at Love the Decor.com as well as other fine home decor items.

Now for the contest rules:

1. Be a follower for 1 entry If you are already a follower you are automatically entered

2.  Leave a comment 1 entry

3. Please go to Love the Decor.com and tell me your favorite item for 2 entries

4. Blog or tweet about the giveaway for 2  entries ( be sure to let me know)


5. Make  purchase from Love the Decor.com and get a whopping 5 extra entries

Giveaway ends  Sunday March 21st and winners will be announced
Monday March 22nd

Winner will get to choose from the following candle selections

        French paper                         

                   

More on the subject of color...

Have you ever thought about getting your room color inspiration from your closet? Think about it. You already have the perfect pairing of color and combinations. If you wear it, chances are you may love how it looks in your room. Look at the prints and fabrics you are drawn to while clothes shopping and try visualizing some of those same colors for your paint, fabrics, pillows and rug choices.  Other areas to get inspired by could be the colors of the seasons, for example, with all of the spring things in bloom right now, What are you drawn to? Are you drawn to a specific group of colors? Does the yellow of daffodils make you smile? Choose it for a paint or accent color in a room. How about a picture or a piece of art you can't resist. Look at all of the colors in those things and find a few to use in your room. I do this often when asked to choose paint for clients. I wander their room grabbing pictures or pillows and sometimes even an area rug and then pull out the paint samples or fabrics to begin the selections. This is very effective in finding the right combination of colors for that perspective client because they already like the piece we are using as the inspiration.
You can be inspired to find just the right colors for your home in so many different ways. These are a few that have been tried and true for me and my hope is these ideas will inspire you help get you started surrounding yourself with the color and the things you love.

 Just popping in to wish you all a wonderful Day!                  

Ladies Retreat

I had the privelege last weekend of attending our church's annual women's retreat on Lake Couer D'Alene.
It was a wonderful time of fellowship, fun, great spiritual enrichment, too much food, and lots of laughter. The theme for the weekend was Pass the Salt, based on the passage in Matthew 5:13. You are the salt of the earth. In biblical times, salt was a precious resource and was a very valuable commodity.  Isn't it amazing that Jesus, the Lord of the universe thinks of us as a valuable resource, a precious commodity.
I came away from the weekend wondering... Am I doing enough to further the kingdom of heaven. Do I make those around me feel like they are valuable? Do I treat others as if they too are precious in the sight of the Lord? I profess to be a Christian woman. Do others know that about me, do they see Christ in me? Am I different than the rest of the world?  If my answer to any of these things is no, then what do I need to do to change? These are the things mulling around in my head this past few days.  Just wanted to share that with you.
Praying that your week is blessed and that you realize how precious you all are.

My Cabin group

Color is a language all it's own

Once color meets our eyes, it enters through our brain and speaks to us. The way we interpet it is as unique as the individual looking at it. For example, a pale blue room may feel cold to some and relaxing and restful to another. Red may seem angry to some and represent boldness to others. Pink may mean baby or little girl while to another it symbolizes romance.
Color is very often tied to our emotions. We say we are blue when sad, we see red when mad, yellow means cheerful, and some, are green with envy. Color can evoke a physical response also. Studies have shown that red for example, actually triggers increases in heartbeat and blood pressure. Here are a few general perceptions that we have regarding some of the primary and secondary colors.
Red.................      Exciting, Energetic, Dynamic, Confidence
Orange...........       Spicy, Festive, Zesty, Stimulating
Yellow............       Cheerful, Friendly, Vivacious, Playful, Happy
Blue................       Serene, Dependable, Freshness, Cool, restful
Green..............       Refreshing, Clean,  Restful, Responsible
Purple.............        Royalty, Passion, Artistic, Elegant   

I am sure you can think of many other emotions tied to color. I would love to have everyone share their favorite colors and the emotion that comes to mind when you think of that color.    

Staging Series finale

When most people hear the phrase staging a home they immediately think of preparing the home's interior — painting, arranging furniture etc. While the interior is important, the home's exterior is an equally important (but often overlooked) home staging hot-spot.

Curb appeal is exactly what it sounds like. When potential buyers pull up to the curb in front of your home. It must create in them a feeling of "wow" I want to see what is onthe inside.
How do we do that?
Start by creating a list of items needing attention. Go out to the curb in front of your house wand jot down anything that needs attention.
Do the weeds need pulled? DO you need to mow the lawn or trim the shrubs.
If the home's paint is chipped or faded, give it a fresh coat.
If the door and shutters are different colors, you may want to make them the same color. Choose the color that's the more neutral of the two and standardize the color scheme.
Consider adding bark or rock to the flowerbeds.
Weather and season permitting, plant or pot some fresh flowers outside the front door. For simplicity, you might want to stick to potted plants. This will allow you to place them wherever you need them, and with less effort. Bright plants or flowers do a lot to enhance the entry.
Think "yellow" when adding plants to your home's entry. Yellow is Cheerful and very welcoming.
While there are so many more things I could add, I hope this has given you some food for thought and helped create a home that buyers would love. In addition, as many of you have mentioned, there is great info here for your home weather you are selling or not.

Staging series part 4

Now that you have cleaned things up and organized closets and drawers, it's time to think about color. If you are still living with builder white walls, you may consider a fresh coat of a warm neutral color to enhace the coziness of the home. On the other hand if your walls are filled with bright loud color or so many colors that if feels like a patchwork quilt, then it is a good idea to paint. Remember that while you may love how it all looks, You need to create the environment that will appeal to the majority of potential buyers. Next start at your entry and wander through your home as if you were a potential buyer. Do you notice the room or just the "stuff"? Is there too much furniture?
Are the pathways too narrow?
Are the walls full of way too many groupings?
Are the kitchen counters cluttered with too many appliances?
What about the bathrooms. Are they clean and tidy?
Be honest with yourself as you go throughout your home and try to decide what could be placed in storage to help make the areas feel cleaner and larger.
Again, remember that if you don't feel you can do this, bring in a stager to do it for you.
The money spent on hiring a stager will be the best money spent on helping you get top dollar for your home.
Please join me Wednesday, we will talk about the outside or your home and how to stage it to sell.