January 18th, 2012
Since I live in Utah irrigation is a way of life. As I’ve gotten older and traveled a lot more across the country I found out that this isn’t always the case. I was shocked to find out that some people don’t have built-in lawn sprinklers. For me this would be a perquisite of buying any house. That and air conditioning would be a deal breaker for me at almost any price point. As a kid I grew up with my family constantly moving our one lone sprinkler to different spots on the lawn. It took all day to do the watering. With that type of setup it wasn’t even about having a perfect lawn. It was just about not having a lot of dead grass which is often common here.
This again became noticeable when I moved deeper into Southern Utah. A lot of the landscaping is just rocks. Whenever I see plants or flowers I know that someone has put a lot of thought into their irrigation supplies. It’s literally an oasis in the desert. It always makes me smile. I didn’t know how much I would miss being around live plants and grass until I actually moved down here. While I love the desert; the landscaping really could use some improvement. Do you irrigate where you live?
Uncategorized | 
No Comments »
January 16th, 2012
With a lot of decor magazines I’m just used to seeing the same thing over and over. I was so excited to check out the site for the Real Homes magazine for a couple of reasons. First, it’s based in the United Kingdom so I see a totally different design perspective than what I’m used to in the United States. I’ve found a lot of the color palettes are the same. Some of the wording is different like they say holiday homes when I’d say vacation homes but all of the ideas are still applicable.
The other thing I love is the concept behind the magazine. It’s so simple but I haven’t seen anything like it before. Just like the title says these are real homes. There are stories of real people going through real renovation projects. Usually everything in design magazines is beyond my budget or diy skills. I also found out about some new products and got the answer to”why choose HomeAway?”. If you want a fresh take on design then check out Real Homes.
Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 16th, 2012
I love this show because of the heart felt stories. However, I usually find myself with a sense of anxiety while watching it. The houses are just too extreme. I keep wondering how they will hold up in neighborhoods that aren’t the best. I also wonder how they’ll handle taxes and repair bills. Sometimes a company will donate some money for the extra expenses but it’s going to run out eventually. I always wonder how some of the first families on the show are holding up now that it’s been several years. Does anyone else think that some of these homes are just too extreme?
Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 14th, 2012
Gray is a pretty big color in decorating. People are treating it like a neutral and pairing it with brighter tones such as turquoise. This livens up what would otherwise be a pretty dull color. However, I also find that it’s paired with bright yellow a lot. This makes sense because yellow doesn’t work with a lot of other neutrals. Basic black ends up looking like a bumble bee. However, I would much rather see it placed with other soothing colors like purple. The popular gray and yellow palette is just too jarring for me even though I do own yellow furniture. Do you think that gray meets the neutral definition of being able to match almost anything?
Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 13th, 2012
For me my biggest investment in my home was my mattress. At first I was more tempted to spend money on cute furniture. However, I figured a good night’s sleep would make the biggest difference in my life so I had to get it right.
I usually would rather stay at home and shop online than in a store. It also makes it easier to find a mattress sale. Then I have time to think about my budget without being pressured and I can do proper research. This is where Coast to Coast Mattress comes in. You don’t have to worry about paying extra for shipping because it’s free. If you need advice then you can communicate with a sleep specialist for free. The Mattress Advisor is like an online test where you fill in your mattress needs and then are shown coordinating products.
Another thing that makes shopping so easy at this site is that there is a quality scale next to each mattress. It shows whether it qualifies as good, better, or best. There’s also a customer rating option. To get an idea of all the available options first I like to sort by size and then look for a queen mattress sale. They have all the name brands like Sealy and Serta. If you want a Simmons mattress sale then they have that too.
So if you only have room in your budget for one big expense then make it your mattress. DIY projects can be used for furniture but you just can’t make up for a bad mattress.
Uncategorized | No Comments »
Gilmore is a 27 year old who loves decorating and is a self-proclaimed expert on just about everything. At least she likes to think so. Copyright 2011. Consult a design professional before beginning your project.