Decorating for a New Year's Eve Party – Part Two

There are plenty of banners available at party stores that you could hang near the entry way of your home or even outside the front door. You can make a banner too, if you are the artistic type. A metallic banner can match a more sophisticated theme. If you are having a party where there will be lots of kids, consider having them make the banner as well as the noise makers. All they will need to make a fun banner is a large piece of construction paper, stencils, and markers.

Centerpieces on the tables are a nice touch that can really make your decorating stand out. There is no need to buy one already put together, because there are plenty of ways you can put together a cheap centerpiece yourself that will look great. Floating candles shaped like flower blossoms in glass bowls can look great, just add some glass rocks to the bottom of the bowl in a color that matches your theme. You could also just use a simple bouquet of flowers as a centerpiece in colors that match your theme. Or, place several pillar candles on a pretty plate and fill the gaps in the plate with small clear Christmas ornaments with the hooks removed. The idea is that the clear ornaments will look like bubbles. You can vary this idea by using champagne bottles in place of the candles, or you can mix the two up.

This blog is brought to you by nursing jobs.

Decorating for a New Year's Eve Party – Part Two

There are plenty of banners available at party stores that you could hang near the entry way of your home or even outside the front door. You can make a banner too, if you are the artistic type. A metallic banner can match a more sophisticated theme. If you are having a party where there will be lots of kids, consider having them make the banner as well as the noise makers. All they will need to make a fun banner is a large piece of construction paper, stencils, and markers.

Centerpieces on the tables are a nice touch that can really make your decorating stand out. There is no need to buy one already put together, because there are plenty of ways you can put together a cheap centerpiece yourself that will look great. Floating candles shaped like flower blossoms in glass bowls can look great, just add some glass rocks to the bottom of the bowl in a color that matches your theme. You could also just use a simple bouquet of flowers as a centerpiece in colors that match your theme. Or, place several pillar candles on a pretty plate and fill the gaps in the plate with small clear Christmas ornaments with the hooks removed. The idea is that the clear ornaments will look like bubbles. You can vary this idea by using champagne bottles in place of the candles, or you can mix the two up.

This blog is brought to you by nursing jobs.

2009 Your Best Year Yet

For those of you wanting to make 2009 Your Best Year Yet, I highly recommend this book - Write It Down, Make It Happen . I am deliciously writing in my new Moleskin notebook with my yellow Lamy fountain pen all the wonderful things I want to happen in my world in the New Year. Make 2009 your "Best Year Yet" by getting clear about what you want to happen. 

Moleskin is the legendary notebook used by Van Gogh, Chatwin, Hemingway, Matisse and Céline.
There is a whole Blog devoted to the "Moleskin. You can check it out here.

 

I received this new video by Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life, for Christmas and we all sat in front of the TV and watched it after Christmas dinner.  A number of luminaries in the fields of self-help and health and spirituality and new thought—including Doreen Virtue, Gregg Braden, Wayne W. Dyer, Gay Hendricks, Esther and Jerry Hicks, Leon Nacson, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Candace B. Pert, Cheryl Richardson, Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz, and many others share their personal stories about Louise’s impact on their lives. The Movie, which is hosted by Louise, offers not only an intimate look into her moving and inspirational life story, but also a special segment devoted to helping you apply Louise’s affirmations and groundbreaking wisdom to heal your own life and the challenges that you face.

Wishing you all a very happy 2009, and may it be a year filled to over flowing with all the good you desire!!!

Postscript Jan 4, 2009 Patricia of PVE Design has recommended this book: The Art of Influence: Persuading Others Begins With You (Hardcover)

                                                                                                                   Thanks Patricia

 

My friend and fellow Blogger MARYAM who lives in Marrakesh, Morocco and  writes the wonderful Blog: My Marrakesh, is a finalist in the 2008 Weblog awards for the category Best Middle East or Africa Blog. Please take a minute and visit her Blog and vote for her here.  The contest closes January 13th, 2009.

 

My friend and fellow Blogger Jen who writes the Travel Blog Folie a Deux,  is a finalist in the 2008 Weblog awards for the category Best Travel Blog. Please take a minute and visit her Blog and vote for her here.  The contest closes January 13th, 2009.

 

 

 

Patricia Gray writes about emerging trends, her inspirations, and "What's HOT" in the world of Design, as well as sneak peaks of her work.. 
While you're here, subscribe to this feed so you don't miss out.

Decorating for a New Year's Eve Party – Part One

Hosting a New Year's Eve party often includes decorating for the night. Decorating doesn't have to be a huge deal, there are several ways you can decorate easily and quickly without having to spend too much money.

First you should pick a theme to go with. Many New Year's Eve parties are adults only, in which case you may want to choose a different theme than if the party is going to be a neighborhood party including children. Fun hats and noisemakers are pretty much a must for either type of party, since kids and adults both get a kick out of these items.

However, especially if you are going to have a lot of kids at your party, you might not want to hand out the noise makers until a few minutes before midnight unless you don't mind all of the racket kids will make with them. Another option if there are going to be lots of children at your party is to recruit them to make the noisemakers as a craft. Have them fill coffee cans with uncooked rice or change. Then they can cover the coffee cans with construction paper with designs drawn on. Hats you should hand out right away. Masks can add a sophisticated air to your party.

Balloons are a cheap way to add some color to your decorating. You can always find balloons in colors that will match your theme. Silver balloons will look classier, colorful balloons will look good for a neighborhood party.

Check back tomorrow for part two of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by rehab jobs.

Decorating for a New Year's Eve Party – Part One

Hosting a New Year's Eve party often includes decorating for the night. Decorating doesn't have to be a huge deal, there are several ways you can decorate easily and quickly without having to spend too much money.

First you should pick a theme to go with. Many New Year's Eve parties are adults only, in which case you may want to choose a different theme than if the party is going to be a neighborhood party including children. Fun hats and noisemakers are pretty much a must for either type of party, since kids and adults both get a kick out of these items.

However, especially if you are going to have a lot of kids at your party, you might not want to hand out the noise makers until a few minutes before midnight unless you don't mind all of the racket kids will make with them. Another option if there are going to be lots of children at your party is to recruit them to make the noisemakers as a craft. Have them fill coffee cans with uncooked rice or change. Then they can cover the coffee cans with construction paper with designs drawn on. Hats you should hand out right away. Masks can add a sophisticated air to your party.

Balloons are a cheap way to add some color to your decorating. You can always find balloons in colors that will match your theme. Silver balloons will look classier, colorful balloons will look good for a neighborhood party.

Check back tomorrow for part two of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by rehab jobs.

Lucketts Design House

So I wanted to take you on a little virtual tour of one of my favorite places to shop, the Lucketts Design House:

It's this old house with some outbuildings full of an ever-changing array of awesome furnishings & home accents. They change it seasonally & it's only open on weekends so it's always a treat. It's run as a specialty shop of Lucketts Antiques (the salvage yard/ antiques store I always rave about) which I'll be posting about soon. Here's the bridgeway into the Design House:

They have crazy things like this bird house just set up everywhere:

And this griffin guarding the entry:

This is the back entry into the house:

The colors are always changing. I took these pics right after Chrismas so it's all holiday stuff:

I love their kitchen (below). Howmuch fun are the stools?!

Cute b&w checkerboard floor:

This back entrance porch is one of my favorite rooms. I love the floors & pale blue paneling:

Here's a huge hutch in the kitchen that stands in the exact spot where I got my hutch! (I always have to check out what's there instead! :)

Here's the front entryway (below):

View in from another room:

Here are some of the rooms on the first floor:

Fun lamp:

Check out what they've done with this salvaged mantle"

Big, fun lantern:

Ok, this table is on my dream table list. It's reclaimed elm & is so rough & natural. LOVE IT. (Actually I'm very into the drum shade too)

I always love this room & want to buy the down-filled sofas.

Loving this bench & hide rug: (should I feel guilty??)

Quirky lion print= fun

The pretty Christmas mantle & flocked tree:

Such gorgeous old doors:

A console version (below) of my dining room table ;) ;)

I guess I'm into the cow hide right now because this is great to me: (More cowbell anyone??)

And you know I love decorative balls of all shapes & sizes! (These were some type of wood composite I think? Really light & hollow)

Cute snowmen:

Woven coffee table:

Here's an upstairs room. They've got it set up as this crazy dining room right now:

There are so many rooms!!

Here's another upstairs dining room:

How fun is the armoire in the background below? (Would be a great project to try!)

Here's one of the bedrooms. This one is usually full of darker colors:

These shell pieces below are AMAZING. (They always carry a few of these) The carvings are just so beautiful. I think if you had a room with simpler lines this could be a really beautiful contrast:

This bedroom is so light & airy:

They really do a great job squeezing in a ton of merchandise without it feeling too terribly cluttered:
Some great inspiration for older pieces:

Pretty bed. I'm really into the wall colors. Just so fresh & happy:

And you know how I feel about raw wood. I need one of these mirrors:

Or this mirror (below)... & the chair is great upholstered in a rough burlap-like linen:

More mirros & that lamp is really tall! It's just a great place to find pieces with some real character for a bargain:

Haha, yes, I definitely loved the feeling in this bedroom so here's one last picture:

Here's the bathroom where they have lots of great little gifts:

Here's the upstairs hallway with the ever-changing art wall:

More fun balls:

These tables (below) are great! (Haha when I was designing a line of furniture a couple of years ago I SO thought I made up this concept until I walked into a store & saw it! :) But I really do love it when designers takes a furniture piece that is traditionally wood & switches it to metal or vice versa.

Below, a little too curvey for me peronsally, but they still do such a beautiful job of displaying & there's really something for everyone:

Such unique pieces:

Here's this really cool bar. If my basement didn't need to be my living room, I'd totally go for this baby: (One day! ;)

And now back downstairs to one last room:

There's not much more I can say, but that if you are ever in the area, you have to stop by!!!! (And they also always have treats in the kitchen!! Good stuff too- like hot spinach & artichoke dip!!)