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October 2009 The Design Diva Dishes!
          Design Trends and Lifestyle Tips
Dear ,
 
I hope you are all enjoying the crisp and refreshing autumn weather. I love opening the windows and having a fresh breeze clear out the stale, air conditioned house. I am not looking forward to the massive amount of leaves I'll have to rake, but I'll cross that pile when I come to it.
 
I am excited to share with you that I have been selected for Business Today's 2009 Top Women Business Leaders Award. The Fifth Annual event honors women in business in the Golden Crescent, and there will be a power networking session and champagne reception held Oct. 12 at the Speedway Club in Concord, NC to celebrate. If you would like to attend, please call 704.895.1335 for reservations. The cost is ten dollars.  For more information about Business Today or the award, you can visit their website at businesstodaync.com.
 
This month's Design Diva Dishes is all about color. Since autumn is one of the most colorful seasons, I thought it would be appropriate to show you all how to incorporate color into your home interiors. The Trend Report will give the latest color forecast. The Color of the Month is Brown. Green Design focuses on environmentally friendly paints, and our recipe of the month is Apple Breakfast Bread.
 
Have a fabulous, colorful month!
 
Barbara Green
Decorating with Color

Nothing can transform your home as quickly and easily as color. One afternoon and a can of paint will breath life into the most boring interior. But how do you know what color to choose? If a client has no idea where to begin, I often suggest we take a look in their closets. If you are comfortable wearing a color, you are probably going to be comfortable living in a room that color. 

                            mens' shirts
Another option for choosing color is by using an inspiration piece. Whether it is a piece of art you treasure or a fabric you adore, you will love your room once it is painted with a complimentary color. The vintage poster below served as inspiration for the color palette of the entire room.
 
               Plum and Gold Media Room
Here are some typical room issues that can be solved with color:
 
Is the ceiling too high or does the room feel too cavernous? Paint the ceiling a deeper color to visually lower the height and make it feel more cozy.
 
             Painted celing
 
Do you want the ceiling to appear taller? Paint vertical stripes to give the impression of more height.
                     striped walls
 
Do you have a boring room with no architectural interest? Paint a feature wall to establish a focal point.
 
                     Diamond Paint Office
 
Do you have a tiny room? Don't be afraid to use a deep color out of fear of making the room look too small. The drama derived from a bold color draws focus to the color and away from the size. Just make sure you have ample light from windows, lighting fixtures, and candles.
 
                  Exotic Master Bedroom
Trend Report
 
Pantone is the the global color authority and provider of professional color standards for the design industry. They have the most widely used and recognized color standards system in the world and have released their forecast for Spring 2010. It includes 5 Bold Statement colors:
 
                                            Violet, a Soft Purple
                             Violet Accent Wall
 
                                         Aurora, A Sunny Yellow  
                             Aurora Dining Room
 
                       Turquoise, bold and bright. Great paired with white.
                          Turquoise
 
                      Tomato Puree, a toned down, almost creamy red
                 Tomato Puree
 
            Amparo Blue, brighter than Navy, but not as bright as Royal Blue
                              Amparo Blue
 
and 4 New Neutrals:
                                       Tuscany, a neutral beige
                 Tuscany
 
                                   Pink Champagne, a soft beige-y pink
               Pink Champagne
 
                                 Eucalyptus, gray with a hint of green
                             Eucalyptus
 
                         Dried Herb, Neutral Green with gray undertones
                 Dried Herb
 
Any of these newsworthy colors will update the look of your home. If you aren't ready to commit to an entire room of color, you can always paint one wall as an accent. Still color shy? Pillows in one of the colors will refresh the look of a sofa or bed.
Color of the Month
The color of the month is Brown. It is a great neutral, and has been immensely popular paired with spa blue, grass green, and now pink. Once relegated strictly as an upholstery color, it is now getting more freedom to also cover the walls. It offers a dramatic look to a room for merely the cost of a can of paint. Just look how plain and boring the room below looks:
 
              Brown Before 
Now look at how much better the room looks after painting the walls brown. It is the same furniture, but it looks amazingly better with the rich, chocolate background. Adding touches of red really makes the room pop.
               Brwon After
 
           I love chocolate brown paired with white, as it offers a very strong look.
                    Brown Living Room
 
       If you are still afraid of trying dark brown, try a lighter cafe au lait shade.
              Cafe Au Lait
Green Design
It is the Design Diva's mission in life to banish white walls. Rooms are so much more beautiful when they have color, whether it be pale or dark, or anything in between. I am equally passionate about keeping people healthy while enjoying their beautiful, color-rich homes. According to the EPA, pollution inside your home is ten times higher than what you'll find outside. Headaches, dizziness, fatigue, asthma, cancer, and heart disease are all potential side effects of indoor air pollution.  Although the contamination cannot be attributed to any single source, paint and paint-related chemicals play a significant role inside a typical home. 
 
The chemicals released from paint (both wet and dry) fall into a category of pollutants known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - potentially carcinogenic carbon-based chemicals that evaporate easily and contribute to indoor air pollution.  Harmful compounds in the VOC category include formaldehyde, pesticides, and/or cleaning chemicals.  They can be up to ten times more concentrated indoors than outdoors and most paint will continue to emit harmful fumes for years afterwards. 
 
Due to environmental regulations and increasing consumer demand, paint companies have developed new paints that emit little or no VOCs. Most paint manufacturers now produce one or more low- or zero-VOC variety of paint. These new paints are durable, cost-effective and less harmful to human and environmental health. 
 
The benefits of Low-VOC Paint:
Health - Reduced toxins benefit everyone, including those with allergies and chemical sensitivities.
Environment - Reduces landfill, groundwater and ozone depleting contaminants.
Effective - Low-VOC products perform well in terms of coverage, scrubability and hideability (covering flaws on previous coats).
Water-Based - Easy cleanup wtih soap and warm water.
Little or No Hazardous Fumes - Low odor during application; no odor once cured. No off-gassing. Painted areas can be occupied sooner, with no odor complaints.
Not Deemed Hazardous Waste - Cleanup and disposal greatly simplified.
 
My favorite brand of paint is Sherwin William's new HARMONY line of zero-VOC low-odor latex interior paints. It is available in flat, eggshell, semi-gloss and primer. For more information you can go to their website sherwin.com.
 
                                     Harmony Paint
Quote of the Month
The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you! ~ Coco Chanel
Recipe of the Month
One of our treasured family traditions each October is going apple and pumpkin picking. Our first trek was in Avon, Connecticut and we were hooked. When we moved to Virginia we would make a yearly pilgrimmage to Charlottesville. Now that we are in North Carolina we drive two hours out to Hendersonville for our annual tradition. We always come home with far more apples than we could ever need, but we manage to find a way to enjoy the bounty. My daughter Shannon makes the most amazing apple pie you could ever taste. I've been known to stop people in the grocery store to tell them about her light, flaky piecrust. It's every Mom's right, right? She is going to be really embarrassed that I am bragging on her here!
 
This is an easy recipe that uses a lot of apples, and better yet there is no pie crust and no peeling needed.
APPLE BREAKFAST BREAD 
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3 cups unpeeled apples, diced
1 cup walnut, chopped (optional, I never use since my kids don't like nuts)
 
Blend first seven ingredients together in a bowl using medium speed of electric mixer. Add flour and blend until just combined. Fold the apples in with a wooden spoon. Mixture will be VERY THICK. Bake in 1 ungreased tube pan or 2 ungreased loaf pans for 90 minutes at 325 degrees.
 
Community Outreach
Most people say there are only two things guaranteed in life: death and taxes. Well I would like to submit to you a third guarantee: No matter how bad your life is, there is always someone worse off than you. I believe that it is more important to give than to receive. Additionally, it has been my personal experience that when I give generously, whether it be of time or money, the rewards I get are exponentially greater than anything I might have given. In this spirit, I am going to share with you each month opportunities available for us all to give back, for we are all greatly blessed, even in these times of struggle. 
 
Great Wolf Lodge Community Days 
Have you wanted to take your family to check out the Great Wolf Lodge Resort in Concord? Normally, in order to enjoy all the amenities of Great Wolf Lodge (including the water park) you have to be a guest of the resort and stay overnight. Community Days is a charity event and your opportunity to enjoy North America's Largest Family of Indoor Waterparks for the day. Passes for full access from 9am to 9pm are $40 per ticket with children under 2 free. All proceeds go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte. Tickets can be purchased online only at www.bigsplashcharlotte.org and are good any one day through October 31.
 
Susan G. Komen Foundation
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but as a survivor, every month is Breast Cancer Awareness month for me. Susan G. Komen's Annual Race for the Cure is October 3rd, but if you aren't registered or aren't a runner, you can still help. Whether you are a golfer, a bowler, a chef or a runner, you can contribute to the fight against breast cancer 365 days a year. By participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the CureŽ or another Komen event, you become part of a grassroots network that has changed the way the world talks about and treats breast cancer. You can make a difference as you celebrate survivorship, honor those who have lost their battle, and most importantly, raise funds and awareness for the fight against this life-threatening disease. There are many different ways to support Komen's mission. To learn more or to make a donation, go to their website komencharlotte.org
 
15%
 off 
Color Consultation Sale!!!
 
Schedule a Color Consultation this month and save 15%.
Mention code DDD1009. 
Feel free to share this offer with friends, family, or associates.
Not applicable to orders placed before 10/1/09.  
Offer Expires: October 31, 2009 
 

Thanks for reading The Design Diva Dishes. I hope you enjoyed this issue and will forward it to your friends using the link below. All past issues of The Design Diva Dishes are now archived and available though a link at my website: sensiblychic.biz Have a great month, and I'll see you again November 1.

Call me at: 704-987-0277 or   Email me at: sensiblychic4u@aol.com		 Join our mailing list!