Monday 16 December 2013

Christmas Greenery Dress Form Tutorial




Want to make this?





 Here is what you will need. 
1) Some kind of dress form, large or small. I picked this one up at a garage sale for $2. 
2) Fake Greenery. Amount depends on size of dress form. I picked this up at a garage sale for 25¢.
3) Ribbon
4) Hot glue gun


I measured ribbon around the waist of the dress form and pinned my measurements, but left the ribbon long enough to tie.

Save Energy...Save Earth!!

Growing demand of power consumption every year in our country is the national concern and saving or conserving energy should always be in our mind. Here are some tips to save energy.

Conserve Energy
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  • Unplug electronics and chargers as these devices use power even when they are off.
  • Using CFL(Compact Fluorescent Lighting) is always a good option to save electricity as it uses only 2/3 rd of electricity than regular bulbs and tube lights.
  • Put off the fans and lights when you are not around can help cut down electricity bills to large extent.
  • Use electric and electronic items that have high efficiency rating.
  • Seal all the air leaks to stop the wastage of heated air in winters and cooled air in summers. This way you can save energy and lot on your electricity bill.
  • AC with automatic temperature cut off are best to choose. Set temperature at 24 degree C as it doesn't require more electricity and is quiet comfortable temperature. Place AC unit in shade as it consumes less energy. Don't put TV or lamps near AC thermostat as it senses heat and runs longer to cool the place.
  • Lower water heater's temperature from 130 degree F to 120 degree F to save energy to a greater extent.
  • Using solar water heater instead of electrical one is better option to save energy.
  • Washing cloths in top load washing machine with cold water is a good idea to save energy.
  • Prefer natural drying of clothes instead of using dryer. Always wash with full loads.
  • Do not iron wet cloths as it consumes more electricity. Use iron with automatic temperature cutoff.
  • In the kitchen boiling or cooking food in a pan with lid on can save lot of energy. If possible cook food in pressure cooker. Always remember to turn off the regulator of gas cylinder when not in use.
  • If flames have turned red or yellow then check for any blockage in burner, Flame should be blue.
  • Keep refrigerator few inch away from wall so that there is proper circulation of air. Always keep food covered in refrigerator as uncovered food releases moisture and in turn make compressor work harder.
  • Avoid keeping hot and warm food inside fridge rather wait for it to cool down to room temperature.
  • Install exhaust fan at higher level than ceiling fan.
  • Choose microwave oven over conventional or electric oven as it consumes only 50% of energy.
  • Turn off your computer or laptop when not in use as leaving them on stand by mode is a wastage of energy. Keeping CPU on and turning of monitor it self can save 40% energy. Set your electronic devices to sleep mode when they are not in use.


This way you can conserve lot of energy and can do your bit in progress of our country as it's growth depends on success of industries and industries need energy. So now you know how to save energy, lets start conserving energy for our nation's growth.
Make this one of your New Year Resolution!!



Friday 13 December 2013

Our Christmas Bedroom/Better Late than Never Virtual Party

Happy Friday, friends! 

Today, I'm joining a few of my sweet blogging buddies for a "Better Late than Never" virtual holiday party, where I'm sharing our Christmas master bedroom.  


Yup, I'm one of "those" people who loves to add a Christmas tree in our bedroom, too.


If I'm already adding 9 trees, what's ONE more, right? **sheepish grin**


I love decking it with ornaments in blue, gold, silver and white to match our bedroom decor.


And, no surprise that I added another crazy topper!


Leftover garland found its way to our bed (where I have to be extra careful that I don't accidentally whack it with a pillow).  Annnnnd, apparently, it's snowing in here, too!



A Christmas angel blows her horn to wake us up in the morning!



Annnnd, a few leftover ornaments and lit branches dress up a simple arrangement.


This glittery "JOY" sign has reminded me to keep a smile on my face, even when I have to clean in here!



If you ever find yourself with a "leftover" tree, I hope that you'll add one to your bedroom, too!


Thanks so much for stopping by our Christmas bedroom!  I've got so much more of our holiday home to share … hope you stop back by soon!


And, please join the other gals as they share parts of the gorgeous holiday homes as part of our "Better Late than Never" virtual tour!














Also linking up with:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

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Thursday 12 December 2013

Awesome Entryway

Hola Readers!! Have you entered the New Year Giveaway for my Facebook fans
If not yet then click here.
Now sharing some useful tips to style your entryway. 
Entrance to your home is the first place to greet and welcome your guests. Your home reflects your personality and foyer is the first place that sets the tone of the rest of your abode. As thy say first impression lasts for long. Make entrance to your home pleasing and inviting. Sharing some tips on how to make foyer welcoming and long lasting impression for your visitor:

1. The first thing to start decorating any place is to make it clutter free and well arranged. Cleaned, arranged & bright place needs no extra effort to make it look welcoming. 
2. Paint wall of foyer in warm and bright color to make it look spacious and inviting. Keep in mind that it's color should blend well with rest of the house. You can choose wallpaper also with stripes or Damask one or any pattern that connects the decor to adjacent areas in home.
3. Put up artwork to add some interest to foyer. You can group the picture frames and can show your collection of artwork here.

Foyer Picture Gallery
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4. If you have a small foyer then putting up a mirror on wall is the best idea as it will make your foyer appear larger. Putting up mirrors in different shapes and sizes in a group is in vogue these days. Make a statement by  displaying them against dark toned wall.

Foyer Mirror
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5. Placing a console table, a bench or a chair in foyer is always a good idea. As you can easily keep your stuff on table and can relax on chair for a moment after coming back home from a busy day. 
6. Display some pleasing accessories on table  may be souvenir from your trips or  anything you are proud of.

Foyer Console Table
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7. Light up space with warm glow of table lamp, hanging lamp or scented candle for that soothing aroma.
8. Best way to greet visitors is placing some fresh flowers or potted plants in your foyer. Place a vase filled with fresh blooms on the console. Planters flanking front door look very inviting.

Foyer Planters
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9. Place a clean area rug or runner to draw your guests into your haven. 
10. Lastly keep your foyer clear of furniture and clutter. It should has feeling of openness.

Hope after going through these tips you will definitely going to transform your entryway to awesome entryway. Happy Decorating!!



Wednesday 11 December 2013

Cute Skate Ornament and More!




As every Christmas draws near, I hand make an ornament for each of my kids and grandkids. Of course Hubby and myself too.

This year, I was reminded of a fun day we had at a local skate and game place.

That brought me to come up with making a felt shoe. The wheels are sewing machine bobbins and each is decorated with felt holly and greenery. I always tag them with the date and name.

I hope

Monday 9 December 2013

Our Christmas Sitting Room

Greetings, friends!

Last year, the colors for our Christmas sitting room were built around a red and white plate I found at HomeGoods … THIS year, I'm blaming it all on the fabric!

Yes, earlier this Fall, I added a pretty brown and white chevron fabric to the back of our bookcase.  And, because I really like it, I decided to keep the fabric around for the holidays and just add colors that would complement it for the season. Soooo, in came varying shades of brown, green, white, silver and gold.


Of course, that meant that I had to bring in new, inexpensive fabric for the window, too! 


A green ombre throw helps the *apple-y* green in the curtains really pop.



Back over on the bookcase, I kept it pretty simple by adding just a few holiday embellishments, such as … 


leftover ornaments "showcased" under a cloche,


a reindeer with a bit of added bling (gotta have bling!), and


a wintery plate from HomeGoods.


Our coffee table became the landing spot for more leftover ornaments, candles and inexpensive greenery,


oh, annnd, a spare faux shed antler!




Another change this year in our Christmas sitting room is the placement of our tree.  Rather than placing it in the back corner (and not visible from this spot), I decided to plop it right by the side entryway so that we're able to enjoy it from the kitchen, breakfast room and great room this year, as well!



You guys know by now how much I love crazy, messy tree toppers!




So, there you have it … a Christmas sitting room dressed in brown, green, white, silver and gold … and, it's all the fabric's fault!


Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Partying with:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

Friday 6 December 2013

A Bit More Of A MacKenzie Childs Christmas




Based on my last post about getting rid of some of my overloaded Christmas decor, it was a split on people that believe that you can't have too much Christmas decor and others like me that want to simplify the huge process of storing so much stuff for 11 months out of the year and then killing themselves with putting it all out in record time to enjoy for...a month!




This year, not only