| November 2008 |
The Design Diva Dishes!
Design Trends and Lifestyle Tips |
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Dear (Contact First Name),
I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of my friends, family members, and business associates for allowing me to be a part of your life. Turn on the TV, open a newspaper, or read a magazine and find news of doom and gloom. I, for one, am not going to fall into the trap of negativity because I have so much to be thankful for. Please join me this month in focusing on the many blessings we Americans enjoy, and live our lives with gratitude.
This issue will give you tips on family friendly decorating, a trend report about ethnic design, the color of the month, green lighting tips, and finally a great recipe for a delicious Thanksgiving dessert. Please drop me a line at sensiblychic4u@aol.com to let me know if this information was helpful, or to let me know if there is a particular topic you have an interest in for future issues.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Barbara | |
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Family Friendly Decorating |
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We love our families, but they don't always make it easy to have beautiful homes. When you are thinking about decorating with family in mind, you want to consider three things: comfort, low maintenance, and lots of storage.
Comfort is the easy part. Make sure sofa cushions are soft, but still give support, chairs are at the right height, and there are ample tables and lighting for eating, homework, reading, crafts, games, or whatever other activities your family enjoys.
Low maintenance can be accomplished with the fabrics and finishes you choose. Slipcovers work well because you can zip them off and wash them whenever they get soiled. Leather and microfiber are also good options because they are very durable and can be cleaned with a damp cloth. For tables, think of distressed finishes (no one will know where the distressing ends and the wear and tear begins!) or stone tabletops.
Finally, storage is probably the most important area to focus on. Families have SO MUCH STUFF these days, it is often hard to control. Be sure there are storage options in every zone. Entries should be fitted with hooks for keys, bookbags, and outerwear, along with bins or baskets to contain the shoes and sneakers as kids kick them off. Another good idea for the entry is a recycling bin for junk mail and a basket for bills. Preventing excess paper from migrating into your house is a sure way to avoid clutter. For the family room, think about a leather storage ottomon for extra blankets to keep you comfy when you curl up with a good book or enjoy your favorite program on TV. Coffee tables and end tables with drawers are ideal for storing the remotes, cds, and dvds that seem to accumulate. Don't forget the bookshelves and magazine bins for reading materials. Bedrooms and playrooms should have closet organizers, bins, and baskets to organize clothes and toys.
My mom always said "a place for everything and everything in its place." I never really liked hearing it as a child, but as an adult I see there was a method to her madness! |
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Trend Report |
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Ethnic design was a noticeable trend in the 2008-2009 Market.
Moroccan style featured prominently with its paisleys, stars, and grillwork patterns.
African style included the use of horns, stone, and animal prints. Leopard and zebra prints never go out of style, but they were freshened up with the use of unnatural colors.
Tapestries continued to make a strong showing, and are ideal for all those huge expanses of wall space in our two-story family rooms and foyers.
Mexican designs featured rough hewn wood and brightly striped upholstery, certainly not for the faint of heart!
Asian influences gave those who prefer clean lines and simple design the ability to have a calming, zen-like atmosphere in their home.
We have a global economy and now our interior design reflects that, too! |
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Color of the Month |
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I think the color most associated with November is orange. Think of the waning colors of the leaves, the mums brightly blooming, and the pumpkins on doorsteps or tumbling out of our Thanksgiving Cornucopia. If you want to incorporate this color into your home, but are fearful of four walls of orange, think about adding small touches of orange sprinkled evenly throughout your room. How about some orange pillows for the sofa, some scented pumpkin spice orange candles for the table, or some new terracotta pots for your houseplants? Of course, the orange you use can be a bright pumpkin, a pale peach, or a deep cinnabar, as seen below. 
Make your newsletter a valuable source of information and advice and you will
Psychologically, orange helps bring clarity to your life, makes positive change easier for you, and gives you the power to implement those changes. | |
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Green Design |
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This month's green decorating tip will focus on lighting. There are 5 lighting improvements you can make today to make your lighting environmentally friendly:
1. CFLs - Changing your bulbs to Compact Flourescnt Bulbs will use one-fourth the amount of energy as a standard incandescent bulb and will last 10,000 hours.
2. LEDs - Changing to Light Emitting Diodes will reduce energy consumption
80 - 90% and last 100,000 hours.
3. Lighting Fixtures - Use light fixtures made from natural, recycled, or reused materials. The lamp below may look like it is ceramic, but it is actually made from bamboo, a very quickly renewable resource!
4. Turn off fixtures - The rule of thumb for energy conservation is if you have a fixture with an incandescent bulb, turn it off even if leaving the room for mere seconds. If you have one with a CFL, turn it off if you are leaving for more than 3 minutes. If you have an LED fixture, turn it off when will be gone for more than 15 minutes.
5. Dimmers and Motion Sensors - Motion sensors make it easy to save electricity because they automatically turn the lights off when you are not in the room. Dimmers give you the ability to use just the right amount of light. |
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Quote of the Month |
| by Article Author |
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As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy |
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Recipe of the Month |
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Cheesecake has always been my favorite dessert, but Thanksgiving usually calls for pumpkin pie. In an attempt to reduce the gluttony and not have 2 desserts, I have come up with an easy and delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe that combines cheesecake with the traditional flavor of pumpkin pie.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
serves 12
Crust:
2 cups finely ground, toasted pecans
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
3 T unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 T unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/2 cup sour cream
3 T all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly butter springform pan.
Make the crust:
In a bowl, combine all crust ingredients adn stir until combined. Press crust onto the bottom and sides of pan. Bake 15 minutes.
Make the filling:
Beat cream cheese and both sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Add pumkin puree and sour cream and beat until smooth. Pour filling into prebaked crust. Put a 2 quart baking pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and bake the cake on middle rack for 1 hour. Lower the temperature to 275 degrees and bake for 1 more hour. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in with the door closed for 1 more hour. Remove the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cover the cake with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. o buyers. | |
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Thank you for reading "The Design Diva Dishes." See you next month!
Sensibly Chic Interior Design
Phone: (704) 987-0277
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