Kids Bedding Experts Offer Tips on Decorating Your Child's Room To Last

If your kids outgrow their bedroom d?cor anywhere near as fast as they outgrow their shoes, you?re in trouble. While there?s no way to prolong the length of time their shoes will fit, you can design their bedroom to keep them happy for a long time by following these helpful hints.

#1 Choose a color palette and fabrics instead of a theme.

Children grow so fast, and their interests change so quickly. To decorate your child?s bedroom so it lasts from the crib to kindergarten and beyond, choose a color palette instead of a theme. Try drawing from his or her favorite toys for inspiration! Pulling colors and fabrics from favorite stuffed animals or dolls can be very helpful in determining what your child will like. A foundation like this can be easily updated and refreshed over the years with new kids bedding and affordable accessories that make it seem like a brand new room.

#2 Leave it open enough to let your child?s personality really shine.

In other words, don?t ?finish? everything. Kids like their rooms to be extensions of themselves, so be sure to leave some space for your kid to have ?free reign.? Set up a designated area where they can express themselves, hang pictures, display achievements, artwork, photos of friends and family or whatever they like. You?ll find this freedom will keep them happy a lot longer.

#3 Include your child in the decision-making.

If they?re old enough to help, let them tell you what they like and don?t like?after all it is their room. Shopping online can be an easy way to find really special items that your kids will love! The Domestic Bin carries a wide selection of kids bedding for your child to choose from, with styles for infants, toddlers and teens. Whether you?re looking for cartoon characters, sports prints or delicate nature prints, you?re sure to find a pattern they will love.

#4 Go basic on curtains and bedskirts and update regularly with affordable items.

Since curtains and bedskirts are the last to wear out, be sure to choose subtle colors that tend to go with everything. You can give the room a whole new look as often as necessary by updating the more affordable items in the room, like sheets and throw pillows. Name brand kids bedding and accessories can be found at discount prices online at The Domestic Bin, making it affordable enough to replace as your kids get older.

kids bedding

Portable Home Decorating: 11 Tips for Creating a Comfortable Home Even When You Move Often

If you or your spouse?s work requires frequent moves across the state, country, or perhaps even around the world, you can still create a feeling of home every time you move, and do it in a way that quickly says ?welcome home? in a strange new place.

1. Keep it Simple. Even if your company relocates you, you will incur at least a few extra expenses as each new space always has different dimensions and proportions. Allow for, say, inexpensive new window shades and properly sized curtain rods. A long length of flowing fabric can be easily draped over the rod for an ?immediate? drapery treatment.

2. Consider it an Adventure. Unlike people who live in one home for many years, this is your chance to collect things you love from many wonderful places and showcase them in your home, creating a ?life collage? over time.

3. Keep it Light. Collect only items you absolutely love and that are lightweight. Small paintings or pottery are better than heavy pieces of furniture. Limit yourself to one or two pieces per move, or one piece per family member. Remember, you?ll have to move them next time, and moving companies charge by weight.

4. Keep it Functional. For immediate ?homey-ness? you?ll want a comfortable sofa; two reading chairs with small tables to hold drinks, lamps, and magazines; a coffee table; comfortable beds and side tables with lamps; a bureau for each bedroom or family member, a dining table and chairs; computer desk(s) and chair(s); a piece to hold your TV and stereo equipment; and perhaps a bookcase or two.

5. Functional Favorites. Choose your functional pieces carefully and make sure you absolutely love their style since you?ll be taking them with you wherever you go. The familiarity of them will help make you feel immediately at home the next time you move.

6. Keep it Neutral. Consider purchasing large furniture, like sofas and chairs, in solid neutral upholstery fabric such as cream or tan. This makes it easier to mix and match items and use them in any room with each subsequent move. Pieces seldom fit exactly right in the next location. Neutral upholstery will help it all flow.

7. Color it Beautiful. Dress up that neutral upholstery with some pillows in your favorite colors and possibly a snuggly throw. This is your chance to bring in patterns and textures as well.

8. Bon Appetit. Buy a set of white dishes and cookware. They?ll make the colors of your food stand out and look appetizing, and you can change napkins and placemat colors depending on the occasion or your mood.

9. Spa Day. After a long move, there?s nothing like a hot bath to ease the tension. Buy two complete fluffy towel sets per family member, in their favorite colors, to jazz up the bath.

10. Comfy Kids. Let your children choose their own comforter and pillows in their favorite colors for their beds. Children need a sense of immediate security and comfort in their new space and choosing their own things will help ease the transition.

11. Flower Power. To immediately make a new place feel like your own cozy home, purchase some fresh flowers and put them on your dining table in a favorite vase.

By keeping things simple, functional, and portably colorful, (like the pillows and towels), you?ll quickly create a comforting new home for you and your family each time the moving van pulls into your new driveway.

c2005 Kathryn Bechen. All rights reserved worldwide.

Visit http://www.kathrynbechendesigns.com for more free ideas and tips for decorating your cottage style home on a dollarwise budget and to sign up for Kathryn's free e-newsletter of decorating tips and resources. Kathryn is an interior decorating consultant and author who specializes in Cottage Style, Non-Toxic, and Dollarwise decorating.

How To Add Style To Your Home's Decor With Figurines

When it comes to the overall look and feel of your interior and exterior rooms, the little details DO matter. Add a figurine here and there and watch the transformation.

Although the Asian society is well known for their production of figurines, they are not alone in their quest to display their heritage and culture by way of utilizing the beauty and sense of elegance figurines add to your home's decor.

Figurines come in all shapes and sizes and tell many different stories. African Americans use them to display their heritage. Whimsical figurines are used to add humor and lightheartedness to our lives. Patriotic figurines remind us of our American pride and display a sense of loyalty to our country.

If you've ever seen the sparkle and beauty of a spun glass figurine, then surely you can see how glass speaks volumes for displaying style. Spun glass also gives the impression that you spent a substantial amount of money but, spun glass figurines are not only affordable, but can instantly become the focal point to any room.

No matter what your home's decor is, figurines are not only a great way to add style and pizzazz to your room, but are also unique for gift giving ideas. Figurines will always brighten up a room and they also make wonderful conversation pieces.

Maybe you were thinking about starting a collection but are unsure what would be appropriate. Why not try collecting figurines. Not only have they been tried and tested as a wonderful collectable item, they can be purchased for a little a $1. or as expensive as several hundred dollars. So, as you can see, figurines can be an affordable and have proven to be a collector's delight.

So the next time you're looking for the perfect gift, try giving a unique and beautiful figurine. And when you look around your room and you're wondering how you can add style at an affordable price, try adding a conversational figurine in the appropriate location.

To find out more about figurines visit Shirley's Website: http://www.acedecorating.com and explore the beautiful possibilities of decorating with figurines including Spun Glass Figurines, Animal Figurines, Angel & Cherub Figurines, Asian & African Figurines and more.

Reviving Your Bedroom Furniture

It is a fact of life that things age. Over time, just about everything breaks down, and signs of this breaking down will begin to appear. This is as true with furniture as it is with anything else. Paint chips and cracks, wood becomes scratched or dented, surfaces become dirty. All of these things are the inevitable result of time on furniture.

Beyond the simple cosmetic problems though, time also has another dramatic effect on furniture. In short, it becomes too familiar and boring. This can, at times, be even more problematic than the physical effects of time. After all, aging can be covered up, or altogether ignored, but being bored with your bedroom furniture is something which is much more difficult to just ignore. Luckily, there are a number of ways in which you can solve both of these problems that are easy and quick!

Now, the steps you will need to take depend on a number of different factors. For instance, if your bedroom is full of bright colors and loud accessories, then redoing some of your bedroom furniture in muted tones may not be the best plan to follow. However you can often push the limits of your bedroom?s color schemes a bit without going over the line. The condition of the piece you will be working with also plays a large part in what you will be able to do with it, as well as the materials the piece is made from. These are all things you should keep in mind as you are setting out your course of action.

One of the most interesting changes you can make to a piece of bedroom furniture is to antique or distress it. This term actually refers to any of a vast number of techniques that essentially have one goal: making a piece of furniture appear to be older than it actually is. This is very useful when working with a piece of furniture which has already begun to show signs of wear and tear on its surface, as in many cases those signs will actually work in favor of the effect.

There are many ways to achieve an antiqued appearance. One of the easiest methods is by using a few painting tricks. First, make sure your piece is clean and sand some of the edges a bit to give it a softer look. Then, start off by applying a light colored coat of paint. Usually, you should use a beige color for this, or something similar, but the exact color can vary, depending on the color scheme of your bedroom. Then, once the first coat is dry, go back and apply another coat, using a darker color of paint. Usually a shade of deep brown is best for this, but again the exact color can vary to meet you color scheme. Before the new coat dries, wipe most of it off. What remains will give your bedroom furniture an excellent aged look.

Copyright ? Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

If home design and decor interests you then be sure to stop by Restful Home, a site that discusses everything from home decor to less discussed touches such as copper kitchen accessories.

Herbs: Her Majesty The Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

To me, rosemary is mostly about memories. Its distinctive smell teleports me straight to the ranch-type, yellow painted vacation home with the rosemary hedge around on the beach. All that is far away and far back in the past of my childhood. But without a mistake, this time travel happens to me every time I slide my hand over the rosemary bush in front of my house. The magical smell fills up my nostrils and the pleasure of innocent childhood happiness starts rising in my body?

Not only is the aroma, rosemary?s taste is also distinguishing. That?s a good reason to be conservative whenever using it as a spice. A fresh sprig of rosemary makes a nice decoration with many foods, especially fish. Just don?t try to put it in your mouth and chew on it.

Some sources mention the use of rosemary essential oil as a cure for stomachaches and to stimulate the blood circulation. Other natural healing uses: eyestrain, for shiny dark hair, headache, as cellulite eliminator, as pain relief. Only, I?m not a doctor and can?t prescribe you anything.

For now, plant rosemary in a sunny spot somewhere around your home. It will also grow in a pot. Rosemary plants prefer fertile, well drained soil. Different kinds of rosemary are hardy in different zones. If you?re not sure, bring it in the house before freezing. In case you have several plants, leave one or two established plants outside and see if they survive.

Rosemary twigs look great in vases (see the pictures at: www.TheSunflowerGardens.com) plus, they make the inside of your home smell fresh. Every rosemary bush can be pruned to a desired shape. Another attribute of rosemary?s aroma is - it keeps the rodents away!

As soon as I?m done typing this article, I?m going out. There?s a rosemary bush in front of our house. In less than two years it grew from a tiny plant from the nursery to the size of about a yard across. I?m going to brush the top with my hand, close my eyes and spend a few moments on a beautiful distant beach?

Copyright ? 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Daria enjoys writing and researching. Her purpose is to make life simple without sacrificing the quality. Her findings are published via Simple Living Guide series. The complete guide on shipping internationally can be found on her webpage at: http://www.TheSunflowerGardens.com

Christmas Gifts for Adults

My Christmas gifts wishlist is a very long list. Condensing it to the top ten Christmas gifts that I would like will take some thought, but I will try, I have wanted a keyboard for quite a while. I know some music, but I would just love to be able to play some Mozart or Beethoven to help relax me and destress my day. A keyboard and some sheet music would go a long way to making me happy and my children sad.

Another gift that I would like is some classical music CD's. Nothing obscure, but more in the vein of Mozart, Beethoven, Choplin to help bring some calming influence into my chaotic home. Practical gifts is what I would normally choose, however, so a great pair of black leather boots would be wonderful to wear with my jeans and skirts. They would also help to keep my tootsies warm during the cold winter months.

Another somewhat practical gift is a few cashmere sweaters. Bright colored, warm, soft sweaters are just the best during the cold, drab winter months. A great warm, soft throw blanket is wonderful, too. You also can't go wrong with some books. The newest bestseller or a great cookbook would give me something to do when it is too cold to be outside. Perfume would be great, too, I have expensive tastes, however, so it will have to be something French.

Food is the way to this person's heart. Hot chocolate, milk chocolate, and anything chocolate is a good choice for me. A good wine would be nice, too. You know it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be to narrow my list down. I am really not that picky about what I like, as long as you give it with love and keep the receipt!

I enjoy giving presents much more than I enjoy receiving. I enjoy finding the thing that will make the gift receiver's eyes light up. Yes, my family gives me a Christmas gifts list, but I always buy a surprise or two that I know that they will love. I might buy tickets to a show that they have been wanting to see or a membership to a museum that they love to visit. I don't really like to buy gift certificates. It just seems that you just don't make the effort to determine what they would like, but I have had to give them when I just cannot come up with something special. The top Christmas gifts for children and teenagers usually includes the latest computer games, music, or technology gadget, but you can't go wrong with classic board games, a train set, or a doll's house either. Choosing Christmas gifts does not have to be difficult. Just do it with love and you are sure to find a gift that they will love and enjoy!

Andrew Caxton writes about Christmas decorating at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com/magazine/christmas-decorating.html , where you can find also tips and advice about ornaments and the best ideas for Christmas gifts

Decor for Bedrooms: Find Your Perfect Design

Some people like to design their bedrooms specifically to fit the season. Winter colors are very popular in the winter, autumn colors make beautiful bedroom d?cor, springtime colors can certainly brighten up your bedroom, and summertime colors can also add a beautiful touch to your bedroom d?cor.

If you cannot afford to or simply do not want to have two to four bedroom sets of different colors to fit the seasons, you can still have wonderful bedroom d?cor. When you stick with one bedspread, set of curtains, window seat covers etc. just be sure to choose wisely. Neutral colors are my first suggestion. Using colors such as blacks, browns, beiges, off-whites and whites can all be used as a sort of universal bedroom d?cor.

However, if you do not want to have two to four bedroom sets in your home to change the colors in your bedroom as the seasons change outside, you may very well prefer to pick the colors you like best. That is the next best thing. If you prefer burgundy, and you already have a wooden bedroom set that is stained a burgundy color, you can just go with that theme or motif for the rest of your bedroom design. It is very important to keep in mind that your bedroom d?cor will not reflect your personal taste unless you do not let anything get in the way of your personal style when you decorate. Your bedroom d?cor will not reflect your decorative ideas unless it is something you enjoy, no matter if it is snowing outside or swimming pool weather.

Bedroom sets:
Many bedroom sets come in four and up to eight pieces, which include items like nightstands, bed frames, dressers, vanities, armoires etc. Your bedroom set is the base of your bedroom d?cor, because it will often accentuate the rest of the design.

Curtains:
The curtains in your bedroom will play an essential part in the overall look of the room itself. There are many kinds of curtains to choose from when choosing your bedroom d?cor. Some styles of bedroom d?cor are more subtle, with a plain color or simple design and versatile enough to last year round. Other kinds of curtains for the bedroom bring out an especially elegant touch to the room. These are curtains such as silks, velvets etc., the velvet often bearing some sort of design and or texture.

Bedspreads:
Of course the bedspread is one of the most essential parts of bedroom d?cor. The bedspread, pillows and sheets that you use can add a beautiful or stylish touch to your bedroom. Therefore you should be sure to choose the very best bedspread for your personal taste, especially if you will be using a long lasting bedspread year-round.

Some people come halfway in the case of seasonal bedroom d?cor when it comes to their bedspreads and throw pillows. Although they change no other part of the room, they will have two different bedspreads and bedspread accessories to change the bedroom d?cor slightly as the weather changes. This may be a practical move, too if you choose to use a heavier, warmer bedspread in the wintertime and change over to a lighter bedspread when the seasons change and the nights seem to be getting warmer, making it less comfortable to sleep.

Carpeting:
The carpet you choose for your bedroom is also a very important part of the overall look of your bedroom d?cor. If you change your bedroom d?cor often, you will prefer a more neutral color carpet. Always try to buy stain resistant carpeting for your bedroom and any other room of the house, especially if you choose a light colored carpet.

Throw Rugs:
Another good idea for bedroom d?cor is to have a throw rug. Throw rugs can be great bedroom d?cor because they can protect certain parts of the carpet not covered by the bed. However, throw rugs can also add a beautiful, even luxurious touch to your bedroom. Fine oriental rugs and more expensive designer throw rugs are very popular among those wealthier persons who really take their bedroom d?cor very seriously.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on home decor visit Bedroom Decor.

Rock Gardens A Different Kind of Garden

Planting a Rock Garden is a great alternative to the normal flower and vegetable garden.

Where Should This Garden Go:

Typically an ideal spot for a rock garden is on a slope or naturally terraced area with rock formations already in place.

However nature has not blessed every home with this perfect set up which means you will need to create an area from scratch using topsoil and rocks. This can be done most anywhere you choose against a wall or fence, along the house or back of a garage ? this is where I had one of my rock gardens ? having one within an existing garden would also look quite nice.

How Big Should It Be:

This decision of course is going to be entirely up to you taking into consideration how much time you have and how much space you have to work with.

You may have seen pictures in magazines of very elaborate looking rock gardens with waterfalls or streams running through them and paths made up of large flat rock for walking.

However, small, simply designed gardens look just as good and in the long run for many of use will work out better.

This is especially true if you are making one from scratch, you need to consider the amount of time needed to build it and the cost factor as you?ll be needing topsoil, rocks and plants. Remember the old saying we all head growing up ?Your eyes are bigger than your stomach? well it applies here as well, start small and build up over time.

I?ve had rock gardens at two different homes both had to be started from scratch and both started out small. The first started small mainly because I?d never done one before, in fact it didn?t start out to be a rock garden at all. It started as a flower garden right behind the garage, but the discovery of some Hens & Chicks at a local nursery changed everything. Which now leads to the next section, plants.

What Plants To Use

This type of garden is a little different from what you may normally be accustomed to ? large plants with brightly colored blooms. Here you want plants that are relatively small, there are many low growing perennials available. And don?t get to caught up in whether the plants has flowers or not, what your looking for is something to enhance and complement the rock clusters you?ve put together.

Also don?t limit your choices to just plants, small dwarf evergreen shrubs can also be used and will add another texture to the garden. In fact is space permits add a few larger shrubs to the back of the garden, which works as a backdrop to really put the rock garden in the spot light.

Examples of Plants & Shrubs:

Perennials

?Creeping Myrtle ? green leaves with violet blue spring flowers
?Hens & Chicks ? many varieties of color and texture
?Sedum ? creeping in gold or red
?Phlox ? creeping in pink, red, blue and white

Shrubs

?Juniper
?Dwarf Mugho Pine
?Birds Nest Spruce

Maintaining A Rock Garden:

Routine care like with any garden is needed. Cutting back leggy plants, dead heading any flowering plants, removal of any dead stems and dividing any plants that have become to big. Also like with all gardens water when necessary and feed occasionally. Putting down a thick layer of mulch will help during the hot summer to keep moisture where it belongs around the plants roots; this is also beneficial if you live in an area where winters are harsh.

To Add Decorative Accents or Not ? Here?s a Good Question:

Many articles and experienced gardeners will more than likely tell you that the addition of decorative accents is not necessary as the simple lines of plants and rocks is the decorative element. I on the other hand disagree, to me adding a little something like a small figurine, a mini birdbath or a tiny wind chime hanging from a miniature Shepard?s hook only add to the beauty of the garden.

However as with indoor decorating, a garden whether it is rock, flower or vegetable should express and represent the creative side to each individual gardener, so if you like the way something looks go ahead and use it.

Give Rock Gardening a try. Happy Gardening

This is a share ware article. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice. Copyright ? 2005 bonnie carrier.

Bonnie P. Carrier is the creator of Savvy Home Decorating & Savvy Outdoor Decorating. She is the mother to two grown daughters and a very spoiled 4yr old Blue Merle Sheltie named Toby. Stop by for information and ideas for both inside and outside your home.

http://www.savvy-home-decorating.com
http://www.savvyoutdoordecorating.com

A Brief History Of Reverse Painting On Glass

Reverse painting on glass has been a form of art?expression since extremely ancient times. It is difficult to precisely date a number of much more ancient?artworks.

Art history has revealed that painting on glass became quite? fashionable in Italy during the Renaissance. Italian paintings on glass during the 14th and 15th centuries were associated with Venice and with the Island of Murano. These paintings were primarily?miniatures?which later? began to be utilised as alters and reliquaries in churches. Gradually a more artisanal? approach began to develop in which artists copied well-liked landscapes or painted portraits and biblical representations.

By the 17th century painting on glass had spread to Austria and the characteristics of this work now began to be influenced by a more popular form of art which also led to the development of small family industries of painters on glass.

In Europe the reverse painting technique had by this time reached as far north as Poland.In those times glass-making was carried out by methods that gave glass a very characteristic appearance due to the glass being blown and not poured.There existed certain?problems in creating high enough temperatures which allowed for the successful fusion of chemicals that were used, and which consequently permitted identification of paintings on glass from a much earlier era.

The knowledge for painting on glass began to spread through Europe when glass makers were forced to?migrate due to diminishing supplies of quartz sand, or when wood supplies were lacking which prevented them from? creating the fires they needed to make glass. With transportation becoming more efficient frontier taxes began to increase and the necessary? chemical additives became more expensive.This led to a constant movement and migration of glassmakers all through Europe.

The technique of painting on glass has created its own cultural art history not only in Europe but also in India, China and The Far East, North America, South America, The Middle East and Africa.

Extract from A guide to reverse painting on glass at http://www.artpostermania.com (English and French website)

Copyright Mayanne Mackay 2005

Creating the Perfect Bedroom with Wrought Iron

Wrought iron home d?cor products are available for every room in a house, including bedrooms. Bedroom d?cor items should evoke a feeling of comfort and peacefulness, to help create a relaxing atmosphere for rest and sleep. Wrought iron products can provide this feeling while at the same time bringing a sense of style to the room.

Wrought iron is a great choice for decorating a bedroom because of the versatile nature of the material. Wrought iron goes with just about any decorating style you can imagine. In a bedroom, it is important to feel relaxed. Wrought iron is a very strong and durable material, but the thin and delicate look of wrought iron can make a bedroom have a more cozy feel since the wall behind it shows through.

There are many wrought iron d?cor items available for a bedroom, from large main pieces to accent accessories. Large items available include wrought iron beds, dresser mirrors, and clothes hampers. These items are nice to buy if you are in need of new furniture. However, you can still add wrought iron to a bedroom without making these large purchases; smaller wrought iron accessories can be added to your existing furniture. Wrought iron bedroom accent accessories can include candle holders, clocks, wall art, sconces, plant stands, and knobs and handles for existing furniture.

Visit the ultimate online guide for learning about wrought iron. Find free information and articles all about wrought iron including furniture, gates, railings, spindles, and more. Get all the facts and info today at http://www.wrought-iron-depot.com.