I Made That! - Christmas Edition

This holiday I got an idea to make a Christmas wreath out of hand prints. I thought this would be a great gift from Ava to give her Mommy & Daddy. It would be hand made (get it, HAND made) and it would show how small her hands are at this age.

I came across a kraft paper made Magnolia wreath for Christmas on this blog and thought using Ava's hands would be perfect :)

When I saw Ava for my Birthday, I traced her hands, both left and right, on a piece of white paper.

When I got home, I traced them with a black marker, cut them out, traced the cut outs to get 2 more, and put 2 of each onto a second white piece of paper. I scanned them on my printer and printed them on green paper. Looking back I could have skipped that step by tracing her hands twice on one sheet of paper, tracing all 4 with a marker and scanning that piece of paper to be printed on green paper.

I was kind of bummed that these were the only two shades of green printing paper available, I didn't feel like they were very Christmas-y, but I LOVE the end result. I also had to buy them in a rainbow pack of neon coloured paper, so now we have to think of some more crafts to do :)

Next up I needed to get some cardboard to cut out the wreath back. Luckily we bought our Christmas tree this year and I didn't need to keep the box. I used some large mixing bowls and cut out as many wreath backs as I could get out of the cardboard. You just never know when you are going to need some giant cardboard circles!

This next step is important, you will need to paint the cardboard green so that none of the brown shows through the hand prints. Don't forget the inside and outside of the wreath where the cardboard is corrugated, because this might be seen from the side when the wreath is hanging or reflecting off a mirror.

It will take a few coats to cover the cardboard because it is going to suck up the paint. Just keep coating it until it is covered well. I just used the craft paint from the dollar store and one of those sponge brushes they sell in a 5 pack.

Once all those little hands are cut out (its going to take awhile so ask your boyfriend to help you while you watch the Football game!) you can start gluing them to the painted cardboard wreath, I just used white school glue. I was trying to alternate each colour on the inside and outside but once you add and add and add it isn't going to matter. Let each row dry before you start the next so the hands don't all move around on you.






















Eventually your wreath will look like this. See what I mean about all the hands and the alternating colours? I folded some hands up as well so the wreath wasn't so flat. I bought these string beads to cut and glue randomly around the wreath to look like Holly, but when I was done I needed them to cover where the inside and outside hands met. The string went around two and a half times so I needed to cut it, and of course the beads went flying all over the kitchen floor. I just went around with the glue gun and made sure to put a lot of glue on the end of the string so they wouldn't fall off.

I picked up this ribbon from the Dollar store. I thought its bright colours and graphic pattern went well with the wreath, I also liked how it had circles all over it, similar to a wreath. I just stapled it to the back of the wreath a few times so it wouldn't fall off when hung.

See what I mean about the side view of the wreath and being able to see the unpainted cardboard??

I loved making this wreath for Ava to give to her Mommy & Daddy. I was a little sad I didn't get to keep it for myself because I just LOVE how it turned out. It isn't the typical traditional Christmas style I am used to, but I love its modern look and graphic colour and shape.

I don't know what I am going to come up with next year to top this, but thank goodness I have some time to figure it out!

Come back soon, and I'll share with you what else I've made :)

-AR

I Made That! - Dresser Edition

When my sister told me she was having a baby girl it was time to get some items together and help her with the nursery design. My sister needed a dresser and low and behold I had one that didn't match my furniture.

It was black and that just wasn't right for a new baby girl

So I got Cream Puff paint from Home Depot. I gave it a light sand, I hate this part of refinishing furniture, and a wipe down with a clean damp cloth.

I gave it a few good coats of paint in the cream puff. Try not to paint so much on the slides of the drawers, this will make it difficult to open and close the drawers.

Next up I made some diamonds out of a large sponge and made a pattern on the sides of the dresser. It is important to note that when sponge painting you need to dab off the excess paint on some cardboard or paper before applying to the furniture so that the shapes are light, you can see the base colour behind, and they are all uniform.

I did use a matte clear coat when it was finished to help with wear and tear.

And last but not least, I added so acrylic knobs to give it that girlie look.

Because I had some of the paint left over, I painted Ava's change table to match. It was an unfinished change table from Ikea. I knew this wasn't going to be a lasting piece so I didn't have to give it as much attention as the dresser, but it has held up really well so far.

I know that eventually Ava is going to want to change the style of her room and hopefully we can re paint this dresser together one day. Having a good solid piece of wood furniture is going to last a long time. Although I didn't invest in this particular piece (Thank You Mom & Dad) finding furniture at flea markets, garage sales, or the side of the road can be a plus, especially if it is wood and heavy.

Come back soon and Ill show you what else I made for Miss Ava!

-AR

Lil' Desgn's

When my Sister told me I was going to be an Auntie I instantly had images of me and my lil niece making arts and crafts every time we got together. As a child I was raised that hand made gifts were the best to give and get. I am so glad my family instilled this in me because it is true. I think it is such a great way to teach children to use their imagination. These hand made crafts are great keep sakes for family and friends and a great way to document a child's growth. I especially love looking over the Christmas tree each year and seeing all the ornaments my siblings have made over the years and cant wait until my tree is filled with these sweet gifts! I love making things with my niece any chance I can get. Every time we have a sleep over I try and make something with her for some sort of holiday that is coming up.

Our first ever was a painting for Thanksgiving. I found the idea online and just thought it was so cute and would show her hand prints at such a young age. I wont make this every year with her but every other maybe to show her growth or a different version of this idea.

Next up was Mother's Day. Every Mommy loves hand print flowers, right?

Recently Ava and I made some Christmas gifts to give to her Mommy and Daddy. I painted the Christmas tree and then let her go to town with some Holiday colours and showed her how to use the paint brush. I also added some glitter while the paint was wet to give it a little holiday shimmer.

I have thought a lot about Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter, Canada Day and Father's Day and what Ava and I can do next. Can't wait to see what she comes up with now that she is getting older!

Come back soon and Ill show you just what we got up to!

-AR

Desgn Tip: Pillow Cases

I was having a conversation with a Friend the other day about "wall stickers". I think we have all seen this DIY item that promises to add character to your home. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan. Although some of them are very unique and work with certain spaces I find a lot of them are not used properly, especially the script wall stickers.

Exhibit A -



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Do you really need a daily reminder beside your bed to "Live, Love, Laugh"?

 

I would much rather see a beautiful silver mirror on this table leaning against the wall reflecting light into the space, and a mirror is much more functional.

 

Exhibit B -

 



 

{via}

 

To really make an impact I believe you have to have large scale wall stickers, and these are not inexpensive items to purchase.

 

I think this is a great idea for a children's room or nursery. The added cost can sometimes be too much when expecting a baby though. There are other ways to add impact to your child space through accessories, wallpaper, accent walls and furniture that aren't such large dollar amount items.

 

After talking with my Friend I remembered some images I saw on instagram. Personalizing pillowcase with script. Having your favourite quote stitched into your pillow case is a great idea. You are able to see it when you go to sleep and when you wake up. It can be easily hidden by turning the pillow over or putting accent pillows in front of it. And from a designer perspective it will not interfere with the overall space. I had told my friend to run the script up the side of the pillow case on the open flap, here are some other interesting ways to personalise your pillowcase.

 

 

 

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I saw this one on Kim Kardashian's Instagram. This could be done with fabric paint and a stencil or even iron on lettering.

 

 

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Rhianna's Instagram shows a lot of different embroidered pillow cases, this is just one of them. This could be done with a sewing machine at home if yours has the setting or at a fabric store for a small fee.

 

I think the bedroom is a great place to add some personal touches that not everyone will see but that wont affect the overall design of your space. Remember the bedroom is supposed to be a sanctuary, with minimal clutter and a place where you can escape to. This is a fun way to make it  your own and be playful all at the same time. So remember, have fun.

 

Come back soon, and ill share some more design tips with you

 

-AR



 



 







Wake Me Up, When September Ends...

Now that Summer is officially over, I can blog again....

If any of you follow my good friend Nicki, you will know that she outed me a few weeks back, about why I haven't been keeping up with my blog. I think she's really just upset she didn't come up with the idea first ;)

So what have I been doing this Summer?

Well... not much! I did spend a big portion of the summer planning an at times stressful engagement party. I have a weird passion for party planning, I don't know why I do it to myself.

I've also been dreaming big for this little blog of mine. Hopefully you will start to see some changes soon. I will finish my Desgn on a Dime as well as post some new projects I have on the go right now.

Come back soon, and I'll share my desgn ideas with you!

-AR

My First Canvas

I know that I have mentioned in a few posts before about the love of Our first apartment. It is something I will never forget. A first apartment means so much, freedom is the first word that comes to mind for me. Not having to answer to anyone, to come and go as you please. To do what you want when you want and not have to clean up the mess. It is just overall fantastic. I love being a host and having people over, that is why I insisted on a two bedroom apartment, and I wanted to have another space to decorate. Our friend penned it the Penthouse because it was the first apartment at the top of the stairs.

For me, I enjoyed every thing that happened inside those crooked walls. I spent time on every room and found the best pieces. I told a friend once that when it was time to move out I wanted to sublet my apartment fully furnished so I could re do a new place, and kind of pretend I was Carrie from Sex and the City. That did not happen though. Eventually it was time to move on to the next, and although I am enjoying making a new home for us, there is just something about Main St I will never let go of.

So, for now, here are some pictures of our apartment. I took these pictures on the day we moved out. It was kind of bittersweet. My Mom and Sister went to take the last things down to the car, and it was just myself and the camera.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone that helped us on moving day. First off, my Mom, who did such an amazing job packing up everything in my kitchen. Not a single thing broke, and tape over the salt shakers was genius. My Sister, who came to help even though she had a 6 month old baby to take care of. For packing all our clothes, which is a HUGE job, and scrubbing my fridge so well. To my little brothers, who aren't so little anymore. I told them not to lift anything heavy but they surprised me by being such great help that day. To my other brother Kenny who didn't have to help us at all, but did. Todd for waking up at the crack of dawn to take a bus from the city to help us move at 9 am, and then when we go to the new place tiled our floor so we could have our own toilet. Glen for letting us use his truck which was a huge help. We would of had to make 6 trips if we didn't have him there. Paula who could of spent the day at Ryan's soccer tournament but came and helped pack and let us stuff her car full of our crap. And Sarah for entertaining Lil'Miss Ava and helping me put together my new entrance bench, twice :) Couldn't have done it with out you guys!


Come back soon, and I'll share with you what I did with My First Canvas.

-AR

Pinterest

I have heard a lot about Pinterest lately. Everyone seems to have it, and everyone seems to be addicted to it. I have to admit, I LOVE the idea of it. Having everything you like on the Internet in one space that is just your own, genius.

I recently read a job posting that wanted candidates to actually have a Pinterest account. So I signed up, or at least I thought I was signing up. I was actually put on a waiting list, and had to wait to be "invited" via email to join. Well my prayers have been answered because today I was invited. I signed up and my account is www.pinterest.com/AmyRobertsDesgn .

Now, I just need to figure out how to "Pin" and I'm sure it wont be long until I am addicted also.

Come back soon, and Ill share with you my likes on Pinterest!

-AR

I Made That! - Baby Birthday Edition

It was my adorable niece's very first birthday on March 27! I was helping my sister plan her big party which happened on March 31. I was in charge of making the cake,

A "decorate your own cupcake" station for the little kids as well as a "memory book". A memory book is something I kind of made up of course. It is a simple scrap book that we filled with pictures of Miss Ava throughout her first year with various family members and friends. I cut up pieces of paper and set out markers for guests of the party to leave a special birthday message for the birthday girl. It is a simple keepsake and a cuter guest book that everyone will be able to look back on over the years.

For Ava's first birthday I really wanted to get her some TOMS shoes. Preferably the silver tiny glitters, but being so busy, I didn't order off line and was left to scour the malls and call as many shoe companies as I could. No one carries the tiny glitters in such a small size. So I was forced to buy her some hot pink Mary Jane's with a cute bow on the toe. She liked them just the same.

I also made her a gift of course. I am really glad my family taught me from an early age that hand made gifts really are the best. Not only are they one of a kind and personalized, they are cheap! I was on a shopping spree with my friend Nicki and she showed me this box on blank cards for less than ten dollars. The cards had cute little pastel coloured owls on the front, four different styles. Of course I bought them. I knew I could use them for something creative. As Ava's birthday approached, I found some simple wood frames unfinished at the dollar store, so I picked up four. I also found a pack of pastel card stock at the dollar store which went perfectly with the pastel colours of the cards. I painted the frames a cream colour,  cut the card stock to fit the frames and placed the owl cards over top. I also left secret messages in all the cards. I thought this would be a fun find for Ava when she was older and maybe replacing the owls with pics of her high school crush. However, my Sister found these messages about 30 minutes after I left her place for dinner.

This is what the final creation looked like,

After Miss Ava's birthday came Baby B's 1st Birthday. Ava was born 2 weeks before Brooklyn who is our cousin. For Brooklyn's baby shower I made her a sign-able frame as one of her gifts. It was Winnie the Pooh themed and had a jade green border. I wanted to make Brooklyn a growth chart. So I made it Winnie the Pooh themed as well and tied in the jade green colour scheme in the numbers and leaves.

This is what the final creation looked like,

I personalized this gift by making the characters appear like they were going to someones 1st Birthday with the cake with one candle, the party hats, and balloon. I like giving these personalized gifts to friends and family because I find that today, we get so much "stuff" we really don't need and we forget about the simple treasures that are so special to us. And keepsakes are something that can last a life time and be passed down the family.

Good tip for giving hand made items as gifts, sometimes guest of the party will approach you to make one for them, Cha-Ching! Might have a special something to show you all in July.

Come back soon, and I'll share some more hand made creations with you!

-AR

Tiny Tip

Visual clutter is something that can be really distracting, for me. If I'm at home and there is something out of place, I can't concentrate. If I go to a store, where there are 500 items for sale on the cash desk alone, I can't concentrate. For me, this is why I love using things like baskets and boxes to "hide" things. I am REALLY good at storing a lot of stuff in small places and not having it interfere with any one's sight lines.

Something that I've always found a pain to display/hide are books, DVD's and CD's. I know I know who has CD's anymore? But, I do.

Case in point, TV display units -

Minus the holiday stockings, and the side shelving units (we will get to those in a later post, but I bet your wondering what is in those boxes and baskets) You can see ALOT of stuff on either side of the television stand at the bottom cupboards. And most units have glass doors as a decorative feature. A rainbow of horizontal lines courtesy of our favourite DVD's, family photo albums, picture frames and even those media boxes and gaming consoles that never go with any decor style.

I had thought about using a decorative window film over the glass doors to disguise the insides of the TV stand, but I never really came across one that I liked. It wasn't until I was cleaning the accessories warehouse at my last job that I came across this punch out decorative sheet metal. I thought there was something I could do with it, but wasn't sure what. They no longer needed it and I got to take it home for free! Bonus, however, now I cant find any more like it, anywhere!!!

This is what I decided to do with it -

TA-Da! (Who else is in love with Modern Family?)

I had the glass carefully taken out in one piece, and sheet metal cut to size, and installed in place of the glass. Before installation I used a brown and hammered bronze spray paint and mixed the two together and with a rag blended together. I was trying to get the sheet metal to look like the door hardware. This is a really simple change that you can do, to any style of cabinet to make it unique, hide your mess, and personalize your furniture.

I was lucky with this cabinet that the glass was being held in the back of the door similar to picture frames. I have a second cabinet that I would like to pop the glass out of but the glass is actually installed between the front and back rails of the door frame. So, if this is something you would like to try just be sure to check out the installation of the glass in your doors before you start breaking it out!

I have yet to find some window film that I like for my second cabinet, but when I do I'll let you all know.

Come back soon and I'll share some more tips!
-AR

6. Accessories

So, I am halfway through my Desgn on Dime segment and it has brought me to Accessories. I hope that you are enjoying these how-to tips.  Now accessories can be a very tricky part of design. I’m sure with all the HGTV shows out there for the DIY-er’s it seems pretty simple when they show you that they are placing perfectly matched accessories in the space they just spent 25 minutes redoing. However, a very common behind the scenes aspect to design is the scouting aspect of the perfect accessory.

Some designers will have their own accessory line, Brain Gluckstein, Debbie Travis, Lynda Reeves, Steven & Chris. And some will spend, spend, spend, when they feel they have found the perfect piece but don’t quite have the perfect space, yet. Often these designers have storage units, sometimes more than one, to house their inventory of finds over years of flea market shopping, estate sales, antique road shows, and liquidated companies. This is something I would LOVE to do! Maybe, one day.

Accessorizing is something I can speak a little bit about because of the experiences I’ve had personally and professionally handling accessories for fun and for work. In school, we didn’t have these “real life” accessories to place in our spaces. Now when I think back to my school projects I don’t even think I put one type of accessory on my presentation boards. When I moved into my very own space, I went a little nutty. I didn’t really know what my personal decor style was, or what sort of themes I wanted to go with in my own home. I scoured department stores, clearance racks and even the dollar store for some good finds. I was watching one of Sarah Richardson’s shows one day, and heard The Great Tommy Smythe say something along the lines of ‘when dealing with accessories, take away 50% of what you have and that is all you need...’ I thought, IMPOSSIBLE! Where am I going to put all this stuff? What if I need it when I have a house instead of a two bedroom apartment? So I carried on, and continued to buy fun finds wherever they popped up.

When I got the opportunity to work as a Showroom Decorator, I distinctively remember being asked “Did you deal with accessories and room settings at your school?” I said, No. I didn’t want to lie in a job interview. But I was determined to try my best and I really was there to learn this aspect of design since it is something I did not learn in my studies. When I got the job, I really didn’t know what I was doing but, it is the kind of job you learn from quickly. You get to see your work displayed in a real life room setting, and then you get to see other’s reactions to this space. You get to walk away from the room and come back the next day with a clear head and start all over again if you need too. I loved this job. After about 4 months my confidence started to really grow and I felt really comfortable using accessories to show off a space. After all I learned at my job, I still did not down size my accessory inventory at home...

When I moved this summer, packing was a nightmare. I didn’t know I had so much stuff accumulate in almost 3 years into my sometimes small apartment. Because I knew the new move was temporary, 2 years max, I decided to not unpack everything. A) Because it would just be too much work to pack it up again in 730 plus 1 days, being a leap year, and B) I really didn’t want to do all that dusting. So I carefully organized my belongings in pretty little totes and stored a good chunk of what I owned. And you know what, that Tommy Smythe was right! Now I am so happy with my living spaces. They aren’t too cluttered; everything matches, and is visually appealing. He better not quit his day job ;)

So after all that, here are some tips I’ve learnt for to start properly accessorizing your space...

1.   Pick a theme – this might be hard for someone who is just getting their own space or even for someone who has their own space but knows it is way over cluttered. Try and find a common theme in the things you like. It could be their purpose, clay pots, or their colour, earth tones, or simply a collection of shot glasses over years of travel, alcohol? Lol. Each theme can branch off into a larger theme, clay pots could be bright colours, flowers and nature. Earth tones could be greens with natural elements of straw and organic shapes. Shot glasses could be showcased in a contemporary space with leather furniture and metal accents.

2.   Keep the themes consistent – Accessories should relate to one another if they are going to be in the same room together. If you chose to go with an Earthy theme, have picture frames that are wood tones, browns, and gold. Have accessories that relate, like animal figurines, different colour glass bottles or grass woven fruit shapes as examples.

3.   Keep the styles consistent – Whether you are a traditional person or modern, country, eclectic, contemporary, rustic, transitional (bet you didn’t think there were so many) find what you like and keep the style consistent for visual impact, at least within the same room. I like to change up styles and themes throughout rooms so it doesn’t become to minuteness for me.

4.   Most of all, Have Fun – It is VERY important for you to love the space you live in, not the space your in-laws visit once a year when your stuffing a turkey. Your home is yours and you should love it. Don’t be afraid to have fun and experiment with your style from time to time. Switch accessories up move them from room to room for a quick update. If you don’t like it, just move them back. I admitted I didn’t know what I was doing with accessorizing when I first got my home, but no one ever said “ hey, that giant blue apple doesn’t match anything”

Some great places I like to go to for room inspiration is in fact, furniture show rooms. You’ll know very quickly if they have a good decorator or not. One day I spent the afternoon near Vaughn Mills perusing the showrooms there, Leon’s, Lazy Boy, Urban Barn and Bowrings. You can really see all the different styles within these spaces and which demographic they are appealing to. If you can’t get out, just be aware of this next time you’re looking through your favourite magazine or on your favourite website. Tv shows can be a great inspiration too.

Come back soon, and Ill share with you some more Desgn on a Dime tips!

-AR

I Made That! - Baby Growth Chart Edition

Next up on my list of things to do for my sister, that was blessing me with a niece, was to make a growth chart. I 'borrowed' this idea from my cousin, Paula Roberts, who lives in Atlanta and is SUPER talented. If you’re ever in the area, look her up!

At the time, my sister was living with her in-laws and I knew that at some point they would be moving into a place of their own. Now every kid remembers standing up against a wall in their childhood home and having their parent mark their height and date on the wall. Sometimes when I go home I can still see my height marks in the garage. The only problem is, I can’t take that wall with me, and if the house ever sells that memory wall will be gone forever.

When my sister told me she was expecting, my design brain went into over drive. We didn’t know what she was having right away so I came up with two design schemes for a nursery. I found a card in a magazine with a Momma and Baby owl perched on a branch and thought it was so cute, so I convinced her owl theme for a girl. If she was to have a boy, I had a whole pirate ship theme for the lil’guy. When she found out it was 100% a baby girl, owls was the way we went. (I know your thinking 'way over contorl sister' but honestly she liked every idea I had)

My Inspiration:

I got some canvas from the local art store. Cut it to size, sewed the edges so they would be nice and clean. I made a space at the top to slide a dowel through, that I got at the local hardware store. I picked up some acrylic paints from the art store and got to work. I scanned the images separately and blew them up to represent a larger owl for the Dad and a smaller owl for the Mom. Baby I made a bit smaller for the bottom. I even painted the owls with their appropriate coloured eyes to represent each as well as their body colours.

Ta-Da!-

I got some pink vinyl for the leaves and cut them as hearts. I alternated them from front and back to show contrast between the leaves. When it was time to visit my sister and niece at home, I presented my sister with this baby gift.

I think this is a great gift idea for all children because no matter where you live it can go with you. It also is something that can match their room decor and is something that can be kept forever and they can have when they get older.

Come back soon, and Ill share with you some other things I've made.

-AR

I Made That! - Sign-able Frame Edition

I got the idea for this project from a family members baby shower. She got a sign-able frame that I thought was a really cute keepsake. However, it was kind of small, and therefore we were only able to really sign our names and not our wishes for our new little family member.
When it came time for me to throw my sister her baby shower I knew immediately that I wanted to make a sign-able frame. This was such an easy project for me because I was able to grab a few items and make something amazing.

I got a large photo frame from Superstore, unfortunately they no longer have these frames. I then got some pink paper, because I was being blessed with a niece, some scrap book sticker letters and some little flower appliques.

My sister had the wonderful opportunity of doing a pregnancy photo shoot with her friend and I got a copy of the photo for the frame. And with a pink pen for signing, the project was complete.
This is a wonderful idea for any occasion really, and that is why I've made some more for friends and family.

Here is a themed baby shower one. My cousin was going to do her baby's room in Winnie the Pooh so I printed off a picture to put in the frame, so that it wasn't empty when it was opened. And at a later date when the baby arrives, Mommy can put a more personal image in from the shower or of the new bundle of joy!

(Picture coming soon!)

Here is another baby shower sign-able frame. I wasn't sure if the skull and cross bone booties were appropiate for a baby shower, but it worked and the Mommy really enjoyed it!

Ive also made a sign-able frame for my friends birthday party. She was having a black and gold theme so that's what I went with here.

 



In the Summer, a friend of mine was having a baby shower and I wanted to send a lil gift for her new addition. Of course I decided to make one of my sign-able frames, duh! But this was a different type of frame, because this was the first one I made that was for a baby boy! I thought this would be SO easy, but when I got to Michael's and walked all the aisles in the scrap booking section I was stumped. I could not find the right size letters, I could not add my usual flowers and I needed to find something that wasn't teddy bears and rattles. I was told it was a "Rock Star" theme, so I tried my best to find the right pieces to make this frame complete. Overall I think my first boy frame turned out great and hopefully the next boy frame I make has as cute a theme as this :)



Some tips for making your own Sign-able Frames -

1. Make it personal by adding elements that match the theme or the person receiving the frame.
2. You can find many "pre made" sign-able frames at craft stores now. They often come with a thick black marker for signing. Purchase some coloured thin pens to use on the matt board as that thick black marker can be too much.
3. I usually give a coloured and black marker/pen. This helps give the matt board some depth and is also good incase one of your markers runs out of ink (this happened at my sisters baby shower)
4. Give the frame with a theme related image or photo already in place, but remind the one receiving the frame that they are welcome to take it out and replace it with whatever they like. Sometimes Mom's have pregnancy shoots to add, or a group photo from the shower or a photo of the baby are all great options.
5. Sign your name before you give the gift. This gives you a chance to use a colour no one else will :)

These are a great gift idea and are so easy to personalize for any occasion.

Come back soon, and Ill show you what else Ive made!

-AR

7. Lighting

Lighting is a very important part of design. I think it is something that is also over looked and people tend to go with just the “basic” lighting elements for their space. I mean, you spend all this time and money on renovating a space and then you put one little light fixture in the middle of the room and it hardly does the job of showcasing what you’ve just accomplished. To quote Rihanna “All of the lights in here, baby. Extra bright, I want ya’ll to see this”. Well I’m not saying put some extra bright lights, but maybe understanding the types of different lighting you will put the right lights in your space.

The number one type of lighting would be overall lighting. This is the light in the space you would use the most and would illuminate the entire room. This type of lighting is usually recessed down lighting, also known as “pot lights”. This type of lighting is placed throughout the entire ceiling and depending on the size of room will determine the amount of appropriate down lighting. It is recommended to put this lighting on dimmer switches. Depending on the time of day, and the task happening in the space will determine the brightness needed at that time. This is why dimmer switches are a great idea for overall lighting and can save energy which in the end will save you money.

The second type of lighting would be task lighting. Directional lighting could also be in this category. Task lighting would be lighting used in a space, other than overall lighting, to illuminate tasking. The main example of task lighting would be under cabinet lighting in a kitchen.

Task lighting would also be table lamps used for reading or desk lamps for working. Although side table lamps in a bedroom could also be considered accent lighting, they are also used for tasking at times. Table lamps are good for accent and task lighting in front hallways, dining rooms, bedrooms, or anywhere else you may need to task.

A new design aspect of task lighting is illuminating your stairways. This is something that can be done indoors or outdoors. Lighting up pathways is not only a safe thing to do it can be a great design aspect to any space.

The main type of directional lighting that comes to mind for me would be track lighting. Although some use track lighting as overall lighting, I tend to find it not such a great overall lighting technique. Track lighting works well in a space where you want to accent something on the wall or in the space. Think art galleries and museums. If you want to showcase some great art in your space, or show the three dimensional aspects of an accent wall (brick wall, plaster, and modular wall) then this is a great form of lighting.

The third main type of lighting would be accent lighting. Accent lighting could also be considered task lighting; they definitely cross over on to each other. Accent lighting can also be a really fun way to bring additional lighting into your space. With funky table lamps, hanging paper lights, delicate chandeliers, or wall sconces, the possibilities are endless. The great thing about accent lighting is that it can be a part of the design aspect that you have a little fun with because it will not affect the overall lighting that you already have in the space. And with the overall lighting on dimmers, you have the opportunity to let your accent lighting shine, no pun intended.

Whatever lighting you chose to have in your space, just remember to have fun and get the job done!

Come back soon, and Ill share some more design tips with you!

-AR