Elegant Home Accents

 

Do you need an inexpensive way to decorate your home? This book is packed with lovely planters, wall hangings, decorative boxes and even a water fountain, all made of foam! This lady went crazy with foam and discovered so many ways to make affordable and outstanding projects. I tried the project on the lower left hand corner of the cover, a fleur de lis that looks old and rusted. What is wonderful about this book is that all of the patterns are included, so it is fairly easy to cut these patterns out of foam.

This is from the description of the book on amazon.
Foam Decor turns ordinary Plastifoam "RM" into incredible accessories and architectural pieces. This home decor is so elegant that no one will suspect it's made out of foam. Kristy McNeil is a pioneer in the field, and her book teaches crafters how to make everything from an angel wing sculpture to a scrollwork lamp, floor fountain, and birdbath. Projects are broken into three main chapters: Architectural Elegance, Contemporary Comfort, and Outdoor Patio Decor, plus an inspirational photo gallery of completed projects. Techniques, tools, and supplies are also explained in detail.

• Decor projects look substantial, but they can be easily lifted with a finger or two
• Designs look expensive, but are surprisingly economical
• More than 24 projects, including step-by-step photography

I will add photos of my attempt at this foam crafting technique.  Pictures will be uploaded soon. These projects from the book may be beautiful, however, they are not fast projects, much time and hard work goes into each piece.

I am not receiving any money from this company or amazon, I am just sharing with you this technique. You may look at some of the book on amazon, but in no way am I representing or affiliated with them. Get your books any place you'd like!

Short Lesson in Wines

In the households of long ago, not only did the butler select the right wines for the food chosen by the lady of the house and her cook, he was responsible for the actual racking, doctoring and bottling of it, as well as the up keep of the cellar book. These oenological functions were usually performed early in the morning, before the rest of the household was up and about. Prior to the meal, he decanted the sherry, port, and red wine, chilled champagne and white wine, and tasted the wine before it was served to ensure that it was acceptable. From newspaper reports and servants' manuals from the period, it seems that insobriety was a common failing among butlers and probably one of the reasons why masters in the nine-teenth century began to take more of an interest in the contents of their cellars.

Wine is best stored horizontally in a clean, dark, dry place. Ideally it should be kept at approximately fifty-four degrees Fahrenheit, with no substantial changes in temperature or movement. But while it is better to keep wine cooler than the ideal rather than warmer, consistency of temperature is the most important factor in wine storage.

Decanting an older wine, particularly a red wine, may contain sediment. Take the bottle from the cellar the day before serving and stand it upright; most of the sediment will settle to the bottom. To decant, clean clean the bottle with a damp cloth, uncork and then slowly pour contents into a decanter, using a light or candle placed behind the bottle. This allows you to see the sediment approaching the neck. If lack or notice or forethought prevents you from standing the bottle upright for twenty-four hours, the next best thing is to remove the cork as gently as possible while holding the bottle at a 45 degree angle. Double two layers of cheesecloth over the neck of the decanter. Gradually bringing the bottle to a horizontal position, pour the wine very slowly through he cheese cloth, using a candle to forewarn the approach of sediment. Leave the last small portion of the wine in the bottle if the sediment is very heavy. It's better to have ninety percent clear wine than one hundred percent of murky, gritty wine.

 I hope that this has not been completely boring but helpful in some way!

4 Ways to Reverse Sun damage

You're a pro when it comes to protecting against sun damage. You've got sunscreen on your keychain, in your lip balm, and all over your skin. But you could still have plenty of sun damage left over from your youth. (Remember squirming away from your mom as she tried to coat you with sunblock?)
Unfortunately, sun damage isn't only skin-deep. UV radiation alters the actual DNA of your skin cells, causing lines, wrinkles, discoloration, and even cancer. "There's a meter in your skin. Every minute you're out in the sun, your body registers it," says Neal Schultz, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist based in New York City and creator of DermTV.com.
But here's a ray of (UV-free) light: You can reverse the damage. "Whenever you start protecting yourself from the sun, you will stop the process of additional damage and start to reverse, to some extent, what you've already accumulated," Schultz says. Throw in this four-step treatment, and you are well on your way to some serious skin recovery.

Step 1: Exfoliate the right way
You want to smooth your skin to create brightness and luster, and chemical exfoliation is the best way to do just that, Schultz says. Chemical exfoliation dissolves dead skin cells instead of scrubbing them off (usually unevenly) the way buffers and granule cleansers do. When choosing a chemical exfoliant, opt for a product with a 5 percent to 8 percent concentration of glycolic acid, like BeautyRX Daily Exfoliating Therapy Serum ($65, drugstore.com). The active ingredient is vital in removing the extra layers of dead cells that are holding all of the brown pigment that has clumped and accumulated over the years. And whichever exfoliant you choose, follow the directions!
Bonus points If you followed step 1 before jumping to step 2 — exfoliation actually helps the hydroquinone work better by allowing it to better penetrate the skin.

Step 2: Beat brown spot
The next step is to rid yourself of those brown splotches. While the product you need is commonly called "skin bleach," there's nothing bleachy about it. It will have the end effect of lightening the brown areas of your skin, but it will do so by stopping the skin's uneven production of melanin (brown pigment) that your skin churns out when it tries to fight UV radiation. Look for a bleach, like Murad Age Spot & Pigment Gel ($60, sephora.com) with a 2 percent concentration of hydroquinone (the active ingredient), and apply it two to three times a day on the darkened areas. Bonus points If you followed step 1 before jumping to step 2 — exfoliation actually helps the hydroquinone work better by allowing it to better penetrate the skin.

Step 3: Burn no more
To maintain your improvement, use sunscreen every day to prevent additional damage. New FDA recommendations emphasize using sunscreen labeled as broad spectrum (meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays) with SPF values of 15 or higher. While new sunscreen label regulations won't take full effect until summer 2012, some are already broad-spectrum now. Try MDSolarSciences Mineral Screen Gel ($30, mdsolarsciences.com). To maximize the sunscreen's protection, apply it 30 minutes before exposure and reapply at least every two hours. "The amount of sunscreen that you need to use for your entire body, assuming you're at the beach and you're just wearing a bathing suit, is about an ounce in order to get the actual SPF value," Schultz says. Not too good at ounces? It's a shot glass's worth.

Step 4: Arm yourself with antioxidants
Schultz recommends nightly use of antioxidant-rich topical creams. Antioxidants help protect the skin's DNA to prevent cancer while also protecting the collagen and elastic tissue from free radicals that can cause wrinkles and sagging skin. Though eating antioxidant-rich foods is important, you should also apply creams and serums, like BeautyRX Protective Vitamin C Rescue Serum ($85, beautyrx.com), with additional antioxidants that the skin can absorb directly. Vitamin C-based antioxidants are best for reducing uneven brown pigmentation, but you can't go wrong with any type of antioxidant, Schultz says. And since antioxidants won't do dead skin cells any good, follow step 1 and exfoliate. (Sorry —  just had to say it again!)

Gold Animals Buy or DIY???

I was browsing through a magazine the other day and found these wonderful gold animal candles for birthday cakes. They are very cute for a childs birthday, yet you can also make them look sophisticated for a table setting. The gold animals for the table setting are not made up as candles, just gold decor.

Making these are very inexpensive and easy.

 So easy that I think it would be a great DIY project. If you would like to buy something similar, search animal candles in any search engine and many options will come up.

These gilded creatures are cute, quirky, whimsical and give an air of luxe to any tabletop.

 These gold animals are perfect for wedding – to – home decor, you could place them in the center of tables, on stacks of books, or as centerpieces. Guests can then go to their assigned animal table. Then after the wedding use them as mantle piece/bedside table decor or as bookends.

DIY – Spray Painted Animals
It’s amazing what a lick of gold paint can do for tacky, plastic animals bought from your local dollar store!

Supplies -

• plastic animals
• plastic candle holders
• drill with 1/8″ drill bit
• pliers
• gold spray paint

For the plastic animals, you can use any kind you can find. Keep in mind the size of the cake or cupcake you are sticking it on. I used the animals with a flat back, so it is easier to stick in the candle holder.

Hold the animal with the pliers and drill a hole straight down, being careful not to pop out the other side. The hole just has to be deep enough for the holder to fit.

 Spray paint the animals in a few light coats, rotating them to cover all sides. Note: I used gold (w/o primer) and it worked fine for both the nicer plastic animals and the dollar store ones. I wanted a pop of color but some of the animals didn’t take to regular spray paint, be sure to use a plastic spray paint or a primer for plastic and always test one first.

I also painted the candle holders to match. Let dry.

That’s it.

Oh and you might want to put some newspaper down and put on gloves before you end up covering yourself and your floor in gold paint.

Other ideas...

Check out this photo below if you need some ideas on how to use the animal theme decor. The deer on the cake is not a candle holder but a sophisticated looking cake topper. The photo beside it shows some golden deer in a snow scene that comes out at Christmas.  Use golden and natural elements with a purple table setting to add a bit of sparkle and interest.

 

I made jars similar to these for a client and she used  them as party favor containers for a zoo themed birthday party. Another client wanted a set using farm animals for kitchen canisters.

I plan to sell these in my etsy shop, so if DIY is not your thing you can probably find them there. If you need an inexpensive gift,  unique candle holder or animal decor, this may be your answer. Let your creative ideas get flowing!

How You Can Keep Hair Dazzling

Who doesn’t want to have hair that’s healthy and fabulous? A lustrous shine is among the most obvious attributes of hair that’s truly fabulous. You might have a head full of thick, strong hair, but if it’s dry and looks dull, it is not impressive at all. Precisely what can you do in order to keep your hair happy, healthy, and dazzlingly shiny?

The very first thing you need to do is look at the way you clean your hair, including what you use to clean it. While you shampoo or condition your hair, do you do it in a gentle manner? You’ll need to be careful that you don’t pull on your hair when you shampoo or condition it. You should also be carefully massaging your scalp when you wash your hair. This promotes better circulation and stimulates your body to produce natural oils in the scalp.

Do not short your hair on conditioning time. If you’re meant to condition your hair for 5 minutes prior to rinsing, be sure you do so. If your hair is dull or dry, you can leave conditioner on your hair a couple minutes more than recommended. Massaging some conditioner into hair just before shampooing can help stop harm to already dry hair. Make sure that you quickly rinse off shampoo; don’t allow it to stay in your hair longer than necessary.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is usually used in a lot of shampoos and conditioners. Beware because this ingredient can get rid of hair’s natural shine. In addition, colorings, additives, and perfumes can harm hair. Products labeled as all-natural are free of most of these bad ingredients, but that doesn’t imply they won’t hurt your hair. Numerous protective compounds and conditioning ingredients utilized to make shampoos milder are inorganic, leaving a lot fewer choices for producers of all natural products. Though more pure, naturals can be worse, stripping hair oil. Look for products tagged mild, non-drying, or non-damaging. Some products are created for improving hair’s shine or for addressing brittle or frizzy hair.

Hair that’s wet could become very easily damaged if brushed. Refrain from blow drying or heat styling your hair if at all possible as excess heat can destroy oils and harm hair, making it weak as well as lifeless. The same thing goes for styling products. Do not use those that have a lot of fragrances, lacquers, starch, or alcohol. All of these ingredients damage the hair’s surface, and even rob your hair’s natural glow.

There are lots of hair care products available designed to promote shiny hair. The majority of these products make hair shiny by improving hair health or by covering hair with a shiny compound. Be wary of the latter; many of these products in fact accelerate the damage they’re hiding. Go with products that promote hair health and create a natural glow on the hair. For example, the natural oils you have lost may be replaced by olive oil or specially formulated conditioning oils. You’ve got many alternatives; you just need to try some and discover which one gives you the best results.
When you’re shopping for hair care products with the aim of having healthy and shiny hair, buy the ones that promote natural hair health and are non-drying.

Handmade Gift Boxes For a Special Touch

We've all been in a pinch before when holidays or birthdays sneak up on us. It happens to me a lot! I need to wrap a gift and don't have an appropriate gift bag, or I have the gift bag but can't find tissue anywhere. Need a box, can't find one the right size, etc.. then I stumbled upon a great idea -- handemade themed gift boxes. So I wanted to show you a quick way to dress up a plain white small box for any small gift. (jewelry, scarves or toys to name a few). The great thing about this is its not just a quick fix, it is a very special keepsake, and it takes very little time to complete.

 

This box was decorated for a child, so the pictures that I use reflect that.  For this project, the items that you need would be any size small box, small piece of ribbon, glue, 3-D plain white square stickers from scrapbooking section,double sided tape and some sort of easter pictures. I keep cards that I recieve throughout the year, so I have plenty of options. When I  can't find just the right one in my card stock, I go to the internet and print what I need.

 

 I use double sided tape to attach the pictures. For two of the pictures I used the 3D stickers to give it depth. I added some ribbon, used super glue to glue it to sides of box. Dries clear, dries fast, perfect. Used just one rhinestone on the box in a light blue color.I had a scrap of easter paper that was thin so I used on the inside of box.

 

A perfect box for niece's Lego People!

 

Below is a more detailed medium size decopage gift box with a dog theme that I did for a client.  Normally decorated inside and outside these detailed boxes take much longer to make. The finished product has a more personalized look.

 

 

 

 

Equestrian Theme

 

 What I really like about the larger decorative boxes is that they are so much more than a gift box-- the recipient can use them for trinkets, odds and ends, or general storage. Some people use the large circle nesting boxes specifically as a decorative element in their home. I can customize them to suit any taste or hobby, or to compliment any decor.   I've got a few boxes listed on etsy if you want to check them out.

CardsAndAntiques.etsy.com

 

I hope this post was helpful, if you have any other quick or unusual ways to wrap a gift feel free to share!

 

Irish Cream Cupcakes for Saint Patricks Day

Irish eyes will be smiling when you serve these yummy cupcakes to mark St. Patrick's Day.
They can easily be prepared ahead of time so after dinner desert is ready to serve.

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

MAKES: 24 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar (Awful lot of sugar, a little too sweet I think, try just one cup.)
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur
• FROSTING:
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Beat in applesauce and vanilla (mixture may appear curdled). Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with liqueur, beating well after each addition.
3. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in liqueur. Add confectioners’ sugar; beat until smooth. Pipe over tops of cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.Yield: 2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts

1 cupcake equals 273 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 38 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Ready for Spring!

I am so tired of winter, bring on Spring now! If your like DIY, crafts, seasonal decor and decorating on a budget then you might like this blog. I get so many questions about the things I make, in person and on etsy, that I decided to start a blog to help answer those questions and to give detailed info on seasonal projects.  Spring is coming so it would be a great time to talk about Easter decor. This blog may cover more than listed above so you never know what you might find here.  Stay tuned, hope to see you back soon!