How is Your Outdoor Decor?

A beautiful yard is like a fabulously decorated home: well thought out, purposefully designed and carefully put together. If the impression your yard gives is as important to you as the interior of your home, you’ll want to invest time and thought into this outdoor extension of your living space. You’ll enjoy the rewards of your efforts for many years - and receive many compliments along the way!

Okay, to start: you’re the landscape architect - pull up a chair and let’s get to work! Let’s start by deciding:

Solid Copper Outdoor Fire Pit

What you want to use the space for.

This can be single or multi-purpose. Talk to everyone in the house and brainstorm together. You may want to keep the entire space in thick, green grass just for putting practice (single-purpose). Or you may want to have a space for the kids and another for adults (multi-purpose). Do you cook outdoors? Want a flower bed? How about an area for your pets?

Caramel Finish Steel Hose Bowl

The other thing that goes hand-in-hand with this is considering what you’re working with.

Is your land flat, hilly, rocky or full of trees?

How much sun/shade does each area get at different times of the day - and will it make a difference for that area’s purpose?

Do you have a noisy neighbor? You probably wouldn’t want to put a meditation corner near them.

Red Glass Outdoor Tiki Torch

Safety should be the first consideration for children’s play areas. Place them away from streets and alleys, don’t position the slide to end in the pond (unless that’s what you want) and keep Fido’s pooh-pooh area far away from their little feet!

Now get out a pencil and paper - or landscaping software - and map out the spaces, keeping in mind the “lay of the land” and other pertinent factors. For now just make general circles or squares to mark the space for each purpose.

Copper Planters

What style you want to use.

Is it formal, informal, country, eclectic? And don’t forget to consider what’s already there, like the architecture of the house or the style of existing fencing. Consider the style of existing structures that will stay and how those styles will fit in your plan.

Cobalt Blue Outdoor Hanging Candle Lantern

What color palate you’ll use.

Of course you must consider other existing colors: siding and trim on existing buildings and fences, landscaping colors, maybe even the color of a neighbor’s garage if it’s butted up to your yard.

My house is blue with white trim, and that’s what I chose to use for the outdoor decor: my chair cushions are a great blue floral, the stone deck is colored blue-gray and I just planted one of those gorgeous blue hyacinths next to the neighbor’s white fence. Now, I could have gone with a green palate because there’s so much green in the yard already (grass, trees), but that’s just me.

Aluminum Animal Duck

Now comes the fun - uh, I mean the hard part: shopping for everything you need. And color coordinating it. And making sure the styles coordinate. And having friends over to analyze the work (over food and drinks of course). And somehow, somehow managing to hold up under the enormous amount of praise and compliments you’ll receive for your labors.

It’s a tough job. But someone’s got to do it. Might as well be you!

Curtain Rod Rings: Useful Helpful Delightful Things You Need to Know About

Curtain rod rings… you know, there are many things in life you can go a long time, maybe forever, knowing nothing about. They’re usually the littlest things, the awful-est things, or the most mundane things. But then there are those things you wish you’d known about years ago because they’re so useful-helpful-delightful. And that’s the category for curtain rod rings.

Now, don’t be mistaken - even though some of you will think so, curtain rings really don’t fall into the I-don’t-need-to-know-about-this-ever category. They’re actually amazing, and for more reasons than you can hang a curtain on.

Why, you say, should I be interested in these, uh, ringy-thingys? Because, we say, your life will totally improve in useful-helpful-delightful little ways. Yes, curtain rod rings. Want proof? We’ve compiled a short list of uses for curtain rod rings, just enough to feed your own inspiration.

Gold Curtain Rings

In the kitchen.

Recipe holder. Yes, you read that right. Clip that recipe card or magazine page to the curtain rod ring and hang the ring on a cabinet door knob… Pretty cool, huh?

How about hanging a hand towel the same way? You can have it right where you need it while cooking or baking, and remove it when guests arrive!

For fun, use a curtain rod ring to hold cloth napkins for diners – you can clip them to the tablecloth, chair, glass or whatever makes you smile!

In the bath.

Shower: on the curtain rod to hold extras: loofas, wash cloths, sponges, razors, etc.

How about a Don’t-Knock-I’m-Busy sign on the door?

Of course there are always those little affirmation notecards - now you have an easier way to keep them in view: clip one to a curtain rod ring and hang it on anything around the mirror.

Bronze Curtain Rings

In the bedroom.

In the closet: curtain rings are perfect to hold scarves, necklaces - why, you can hang them right next to the outfits you love pairing them with!

In the closet: let’s take that first tip a little farther: some people actually have matching lingerie for outfits - really, we’re not joking - and a curtain ring would be a perfect way to keep them together. Easy to grab and no searching required.

Again in the closet: how about those trouser socks? Since they’re so easy to lose in the sock drawer, why not hang them from a curtain ring in the closet?

Still in the closet (yes, we know it’s not funny…): have an item that you just can’t fit anywhere, like that belt with the gigantic buckle?

Nickel Curtain Rings

In the hallway.

Kids’ mittens, hats, scarves - even the kids if they’re light enough! (Just kidding, of course!)

What about that collection of green save-the-earth shopping bags you’re always forgetting to take along? Need a place to keep them where you’ll actually remember to grab them?

And, of course, those fab designer handbags - now you can hang them in the hallway closet on a curtain ring so they’re at your fingertips when you’re ready to switch bags.

In the car.

The great thing about curtain rod rings is they hang easily on small knobs – and most cars have an abundance of those.

Things you can hang from a curtain rod ring in the car: phone cords, travel tissue boxes, maps (almost things of the past), notes, grocery lists…

Other ideas.

Hang your curtain rings on chairs and clip balloons to them for birthday parties.

Don’t forget the obvious: to hang curtains! 

So now you know all about the double life of curtain rod rings - one of the true useful-helpful-delightful things you need to know about!

Simply Beautiful: Wall Sconces Add Interest and Beauty

Wall sconces are coming back - they’re on the verge of being one of the hottest accessories in today’s home decorating arena. And you don’t have to wait until wall sconces are at their peak of popularity to add them to your home décor.

You also don’t have to hire an electrician to hang a wall sconce in your home - just use sconces made to hold candles instead of light bulbs. The flexibility this non-electric sconce offers is unparalleled: you can hang a candle wall sconce anywhere you have a stable vertical surface!

Wall sconces are popular for several reasons.

They add immediate interest to a wall.

They offer an alternative lighting source.

They can be found in any style to match your decor: traditional, contemporary, Victorian, country, European…

The interesting variety available today gives you the opportunity to create a whole decorating scheme around the great wall sconces you’ll discover!

They’re a safer alternative to candle holders set on tables.

Crystal Glass Wall Sconce

The safety features a candle wall sconce offers are incomparable to a candle holder if you have children or pets. Attached firmly to a wall out of reach, you never have to worry about curious fingers or wagging tails reaching your candles - and that means no spills, no breaks, no worries!

Wall sconces are an easy way to add that final touch, the element of interest to your rooms. One great place for a wall sconce is up the stairway walls. If you have photos and frames hanging in your stairway, that’s even better – mix the wall sconces right in for added depth and interest.

Another great location for a wall sconce is around your bathtub. It’s the perfect alternative to candle holders set on the tub’s edge: no worries about knocking it into the water. Oh-h-h, you can feel the bubbles and smell the fragrances as you begin melting into the soft lighting already!

Candle Wall Sconce

Wall sconces are so easy to use anyone can add them to their home decor with success, and anyone with decorating genius is hanging theirs right now. Go ahead; get in on the excitement of adding interest and beauty to your home today with your own selection of wall sconces!

Wall Sconces - Back in Style!

I once rented an apartment that had electric light wall sconces. It was an ancient building, a real architectural antique. I loved those wall sconces; they were beautiful and really lit the room well. I miss them.

I miss them because they were my “first”. Today I have sconces on my walls - but in a twist of fate I decided to go non-electric! It started out innocently enough…

Crystal Glass Wall Sconce

I’d decided to go all-out for an anniversary with my Significant Other, and wanted to try my hand at romance. Now, romance isn’t something that comes naturally to me so I did a little research and turned first to candles.

Obvious and easy choice, but I was concerned about the safety factor. After all, I planned to have those candles burning at a time I wouldn’t be paying any attention to them. And you guessed it: that’s when I discovered wall sconces for candles! Not only are they a safe alternative to candles sitting on flat surfaces but they’re also permanent - you can be romantic any time. (Did you know you can get silk rose petals to scatter for those special anniversaries?)

So that’s what started it. The next set of sconces was premeditated: when I was looking for sconces to match our bedroom décor I found these really crazy, really cool sconces and couldn’t forget them. I started looking around the house for a place they’d look great - so of course they’re hanging right there in the downstairs bath. (Did you know burning candles eliminates unpleasant bathroom odors?)

Then we had this great Mystery Party - you know, everyone comes in costume, plays out a mystery and guests have to guess who the villain is. We wanted “mysterious” candle lighting at the front entry, but without the danger of lighting a guest’s costume on fire. Enter more wall candle sconces! We love the lighting so much we use them all the time when we’re expecting guests.

Multi Colored Candle Wall Sconce

Of course the dogs were responsible for the next wall sconce purchase. They love spending evenings with us on the deck, but those tails are dangerous! We were having so much fun with our other new wall sconces we decided to put them on the deck too, and now enjoy lit candles well out of the reach of those wagging tails.

Our neighbors caught the wall sconce craze and they’ve even attached some to trees in their yard - well below any branches of course!

We’re not sure where the next wall sconce location will be, but we’re keeping our options open. I just saw some candle sconces done in a mosaic that would look great somewhere…

Copper Sink Buying Tips

Copper sinks are popular right now, and for good reason: they’re beautiful, durable and low maintenance. But like other products on the market, you can find inexpensive sinks and you can find sinks that cost more than all your kitchen appliances together.

Most buyers aren’t looking to spend a small fortune on a copper sink, so how do you get a high quality sink at a reasonable price? Here are some tips to consider as you look around.

Antique Copper Sink

GAUGE OR THICKNESS

The first tip for buying a copper sink: look for thick copper. You’ll find copper sinks between 14 and 20 gauge – and be careful: 20 gauge isn’t  the thickest, it’s the thinnest. For sinks you’ll want a 14-16 gauge copper. Of course the thicker the copper the high the price, so decide early how much you’re willing to spend and what gauge you want for your new sink.

Why a heavy gauge copper for your sink? The two biggest reasons:

1. You don’t want to hear a tinny sound when you run water in your copper sink.
2. Thin copper can actually dent, which would damage the beautiful looks of your sink.

100% COPPER

Another tip: make sure the sink is made of 100% copper, with no lead. Aha! Yes, some sinks are manufactured from copper mixed with lead. There can be two reasons for this. First, the copper isn’t purified so it still contains other natural byproducts like lead. Second, the copper is from recycled materials which also haven’t been cleaned up completely and contain lead. How can you assure your new sink is 100% copper? This is one of those basic know-who-you’re-buying-from answers: know who you’re buying from!

Also, check the manufacturing country of the sinks. India, Mexico and the US are the primary producers of copper sink and many manufacturers in these countries have excellent reputations.

WELDED SEAMS

Tip three: if there are seams on the unit make sure they’re welded, not soldered, for the greatest strength. And be sure they’re copper welds because other welding metals could change color over time, which could ruin the look of your sink.

Hammrd Copper Sink

The difference between welding and soldering? Welding actually melts the two metals together, and soldering just joins them by forming a seam. Makes sense that a welded seam is the stronger seam.

Okay, you’re ready to shop – take this information with you and start looking for your new, beautiful, low maintenance copper sink!