The Holidays are a-coming!
It’s already November 10th. You know what that means? The Holiday’s are fast-approaching! I don’t know about you, but this time of year may be my favorite time of year.
To get a kick-start on this year’s holiday decorations, here are some creative and absolutely charming DIY wreath’s to get your home and/or office into the festivities.
-
- 1. Felt Ball Wreath by Pickles
- 2. Bike Wheel Wreath by City Cradle Design
- 3. Paper Doily Lighted Wreath by Dujour Magazine
- 4. Yarn Felt Flower Wreath by Take Heart
- 5. Pom Pom Wreath by Bleubird Vintage
- 6. Coffee Cardboard Recycled Wreath by Cut and Keep
- 7. Owl Wreath by Love People. Like Things.
- 8. Tea Wreath by Kojo Designs
Source and Photo: Apartment Therapy.com
Updating Your Bathroom on a Budget
.
Tired of waking up to the same old bathroom everyday? Well here are some inexpensive tips to remodeling your bathroom:
1. Clean It Out: Remove everything – shower curtain, towels, accessories. Also tidy up your cabinets!
2. Pick A Paint: One of the best ways to give your bathroom a new look is to change the color. Just pick an interior paint from a home improvement store! If you have white walls right now, try a soft blue or a light beige – don’t transition to sometime too extreme.
3. Paint: Apply the paint using a roller or a sponge. Sponging can add a unique texture to your bathroom without the extra cost!
4. Enhance with Wallpaper: Wallpaper borders are a great way to add a little style to your bathroom. Make sure it compliments your paint selection.
5. Clean the Tile and Tub: Bring back some of the sparkle to your bathroom by giving your tile, grout and tub a deep-clean! This will definitely make your bathroom seem fresher and brigher.
6. Allow the Room to Air: Now that’s you’ve painted and cleaned your bathroom, there are a lot of toxic fumes lurking in your bathroom. Make sure to open the windows to let that all out!
7. Install Shower Curtains: Try a new look with new shower curtains. Try to get lighter, soothing colors instead of dark colored curtains.
8. Add a Final Flourish: Put all your towels and accessories back in place!
.
Source: Overstock
.
Rainy Day
.
I don’t know where you live, but for the past week or so, it’s been raining and gloomy in Ontario, California. Rainy days were always fun at school because we got to play indoor games like heads up 7-up! If you’re wondering what you could be doing in this rainy weather, or some eco-friendly rain tips, or if you’re just wondering if there are any random facts about rain…. well you’re looking in the right place!
10 Random Facts About Rain:
1. The umbrella was originally invented to protect people from the sun.
2. Rain drops can fall at speeds of 22 miles per hour.
3. Rain starts off as ice or snow at the cloud level.
4. Light rain is classified as being no more than 0.10 inches of rain/hour.
5. Heavy rain is 0.30 inches or more per hour.
6. Louisiana is the wettest state with about 56 inches of annual rainfall.
7. Raindrops range from 0.02 – 0.031 inches
8. Rain drops are not tear drop shaped, they’re look more like flat ovals.
9. Rain that freezes before it hits the ground is also known as frozen rain.
10. Rain is recycled water that evaporates from the world’s lakes, rivers, oceans and seas.
.
Gorgeous Photos of Rain:
If you want to waste some time, take a look at these beautiful photos of rain from the Digital Photography School: Click Here
.
Eco-Friendly Rain Tips:
1. Collect rain water in a barrel and use this water to water your garden and grass!
2. Buy an eco-friendly rain coat (check out Patagonia).
3. Buy an eco-friendly umbrella for two.
4. Turn off your sprinklers when its raining.
.
Things To Do On A Rainy Day
1. Make paper airplanes
2. Have your own film festival by renting your favorite flicks.
3. Go to a museum or aquarium.
4. Do crossword puzzles.
5. Try a suduko puzzle.
6. Play a board game: Monopoly, Scrabble, Candyland, etc
7. Bake cookies and share with family and friends.
8. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while.
9. Make shadow puppets on the wall.
10. Go to the library and read a book.
11. Watch the Discovery channel and learn something new about a place or species.
12. Read this blog!! I suggest this one.
.
Hope you’re staying dry and safe during this rainy season. Have fun!
.
Sources: Info Barrel, Digital Photography School, Greener Trends, Lifestyle
.
What is autumn?
.
Autumn or fall is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in March (Southern Hemisphere) or September (Northern Hemisphere) when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier.
.
The equinoxes might be expected to be in the middle of their respective seasons, but temperature lag (caused by the thermal latency of the ground and sea) means that seasons appear later than dates calculated from a purely astronomical perspective. The actual lag varies with region, so some cultures regard the autumnal equinox as “mid-autumn” whilst others with a longer lag treat it as the start of autumn. Meteorologists (and most of the temperate countries in the southern hemisphere) use a definition based on months, with autumn being September, October and November in the northern hemisphere, and March, April and May in the southern hemisphere.
.
In North America, autumn is usually considered to start with the September equinox. In traditional East Asian solar term, Autumn starts on or around 8 August and ends on about 7 November. In Ireland, the autumn months according to the national meteorological service, Met Éireann, are September, October and November. However, according to the Irish Calendar which is based on ancient Celtic traditions, autumn lasts throughout the months of August, September, and October, or possibly a few days later, depending on tradition. In Australia, autumn officially begins on 1 March and ends 31 May. The vast diversity of the ecological zones of the South American, African and Australian continents renders the rigid European, North Asian and North American seasonal calendar an imposed cultural concept rather than relevant to climactic conditions. The seasonal cycles as named and described by the various indigenous Aboriginal peoples of Australia differ substantially from one another according to their local geographical and ecological environment and are intricately dependent on local environmental events and resources.
.
Source: Wikipedia
Happy Columbus Day!
.
Facts about Columbus Day:
- Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
- Columbus Day first became a state holiday in Colorado in 1906; and a federal holiday in 1937.
- This is also the day of Canada’s Thanksgiving Day!
- Three states do not recognize Columbus Day: Hawaii, South Dakota, and Nevada.
- Other states have renamed Columbus Day to be “Discoverer’s Day,” “Native American Day,” “Indigenous People Day.”
- There is a controversy if Columbus was the first to discover America.
Happy Columbus Day!
.
Source: Wikipedia
.
Green Living: Advantages of Bamboo Flooring
.
Recently my aunt and uncle just remodeled their home with bamboo flooring. They used to have a hardwood floor in the kitchen and carpet in the living area, but now it’s all gone and has been replaced with bamboo. The first time I went to see their new flooring, I was shocked at how bright and clean their rooms looks. Not only does bamboo flooring look great, there’s also a ew green benefits:
1. Renewable Resource: Bamboo is highly renewable and is one of the easiest materials to replenish. Certain types of bamboo can grow more than 1 foot per day! And when you cut down bamboo, it can grow back in the same spot – no replanting hassle! Some hardwoods used for flooring can take 100 years to grow!
2. Less Waste: Another advantage is that manufacturers use much less waste when creating bamboo flooring. With hardwood floors large slabs of wood are used, leaving lots of little loose pieces. Bamboo flooring is made from lots of small pieces of stalk. All of these small pieces are stuck together with glue – making manufacturers able to use the whole bamboo stalk!
3. Chemicals: When you purchase bamboo, you’re most likely getting a floor free of chemical such as formaldehyde.
4. Long Lasting: Bamboo is very durable and will last a long time. If you install bamboo flooring, you won’t have to replace your floor for a very long time, which limits your impact on the environment.
.
Source: Do It Yourself
.
September 30, 2010
.
Do you know what today is? Well, it’s September 30th, of course! Today at Pure Fiber, we’re also celebrating Rimbo’s birthday! Besides being the birthday of one of our dearest coworkers, do you know what other special events occurred on this day?
1868: The novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott was published
1927: Babe Ruth set the baseball home run record at 60 home runs in a single season (his record lasted 34 years!)
1960: Hanna Barbera’s cartoon The Flintstones premiered
1972: In western Texas, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park was established
1982: NBC’s sitcom Cheers premiered (the show lasted 11 years!)
Those are just a few of the events that happened on September 30th and there will be more to come. Happy Birthday Rimbo!
.
Source: Answers.com
.
5 Things to Remember When Online Shopping
.
In this fast-paced consumer world, shoppers have changed their strategies to find the easiest, fastest and cheapest. Many have switched to online shopping – it’s convenient, easy, stress-free and you can often find great bargains. Shopping online is also an amazing way to compare prices, read reviews and do everything from the comfort of your home. I used to be more hesitant about online shopping because you loose the tactility of shopping. I love feeling the clothes I buy and trying them on, but with great return policies and online sales, online shopping is becoming more popular. It may seem like online shopping is hassle-free, but here are 5 things to keep in mind when you’re shopping online:
1. Read the Return Policy: Always read the return policy before buying something online, and you want to keep a close eye out for restrictive time frames for returns. You also want to look for the company’s customer service department to see if their return policies have specific rules for certain items such as media, furniture, clothing and perfumes.
.
2. Check Shipping Fees: When you’re carefully reading through the company’s return policy, keep an eye out for who pays for shipping – you or them; are there any shipping fees; what is the shipping time frame? Sometimes shipping for items can take between 5-15 business days for standard items and up to 6 weeks for oversized items. Faster shipping can be very expensive!
.
3. Check Quality Ratings: If you’re buying something new from a retail store, you can check the quality of the product by reading customer reviews. The online stores you have to be careful of are bidding type of stores like ebay. Be certain you understand the quality wording – “like-new, fair, refurbished.” You want to know the condition of your product. Look for products with photos!
.
4. Getting What You Want: Read the product description carefully to make sure this is exactly what you were looking for. Look at the product dimensions! Photos online can often appear inaccurately sized. Does the product come pre-assembled, will is fit through your door? What is the product made out of? For example, if you’re looking for quality furniture, make sure it’s not made with plywood, which the product weight can help you figure out.
.
5. Know What You’re Getting: Before completing your order, always double-check to make sure everything is correct. Is it the correct color, the correct model, correct size? It’s a lot easier to double-check your online form than it is to return your item.
.
So the next time you’re shopping online, just remember these 5 things to make your experience that much better! Happy shopping!
.
Source: Overstock
.
Common Bed Sheet Questions
.
Dear Readers,
Thank you for all your positive feedback and comments! Many of you liked our Towel Buying Guide posting, so I thought I would write one similar. Here’s a few tips to keep in mind when you’re buying bed sheets. Enjoy!
- Kristina
- Pure Fiber
If you’re looking to buy new bed sheets, you probably have a lot of questions from size, to maintenance, quality, material, etc. Here are a few common questions that are asked about bed sheets:
1. My new mattress is thicker than my old one. Which sheets will fit it?
Most new mattresses are between 12 and 20 inches in depth. And luckily, most new bed sheets are manufactured with deep pockets to accommodate these variations. Since most fitted sheets have elastic corners, sheets with deeper sides will fit almost any mattress snugly, whether its and old mattress or new one.
.
2. What does “EAG” mean?
The designation “EAG” means “Extend A Grip,” which is a feature pertaining to the adaptation of skirting and other mattress coverings over the ends, sides, corners and top.
.
3. Are designer sheets more durable than other sheets?
Before looking at brand name, you should base your purchase on thread count. Bed sheets with a higher thread count are softer, more comfortable, and last longer. Look for sheets with at least 250 thread count. Some designer sheets can cost thousands of dollars, so if you’re looking for quality sheets, look for thread count!
.
4. How can I keep my sheets from pilling?
“Pilling” is a characteristic of all man-made fibers, such as polyesters and acrylic fabrics, which tend to unravel with wear, and the loose threads collect on the surface. Natural fibers, such as linen and cotton, also pill, but the loose fibers are removed during washing. To minimize pilling, select a shorter wash time, and dont’ over-stuff your washer to minimize friction and use fabric softener.
.
5. How do I remove wrinkles from my sheets?
If you don’t have enough time to iron your sheets, make sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions when you select new sheets. In the 1990′s, manufacturers started putting certain finishing agents on their fabrics to decrease wrinkling. You can also try straightening and fluffing your sheets as soon as they’re out of the dryer. \
.
6. Is it difficult to take care of silk sheets?
No, not really. As a general rule, its best to wash silk sheets on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent. Rinse the sheets in cool water and tumble dry on a low setting. Silk sheets and clothing resist wrinkling and also hang-dry beautifully. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and you’re good to go!
.
Well, I hope that helped with any bed sheet questions you have been pondering about. Keep an eye out for more helpful buying tips! And thanks again.
.
Source: Overstock
.
A new leaf
.
Inspired by our new Streetlight Leaves embroidered bamboo towels, I thought I would give you a few leafy crafts you can do at home:
1. Leaf-Covered Candles: Lemon, mountain laurel, and rhododendron leave delightful impressions on homemade wax candles.
2. Leaf Alphabet: Lovely leaf collages help smooth the transition from lazy summer days to life among the ABCs.
3. Leaf Decoupage Picture Mats: One perfect leaf framed with a mat of leaves of the same type evokes the whole tree.
4. Leaf Masks: Inspired by autumn, these leafy masks are perfect for a Halloween party or a masquerade.
5. Leaf Print Tablecloth: Fallen autumn leaves can be used a stamps to decorate a tablecloth.
6. Leafy Sunroom Pillows: Different sized leaves can add a bright, outdoorsy, touch to a basic sunroom pillow.
7. Leaf Print Tote Bag: Undamaged leaves, when covered in a coat of fabric paint, will make unusual and varied imprints on absorbent textiles.
8. Plant Calendar: Turn ephemeral elements of the outdoors into a long-lasting — and useful — decoration.
9. Leaf-Printed Linens: Use our leaf template and an artist’s carving block to create unique, nature-inspired linen designs.
10. Autumn Wreath: Create this beautiful fall wreath to give your front door and extra special touch.
11. Leafy Moth: Moths formed from filmy natural-color skeleton leaves are elegant, ghostly decorations for an autumn dinner table.
12. Presssed Leaf Butterflies: These lovely winged creatures can be made from autumn leaves.
13. Leaf-Motif Screen: Capture silhouettes from the garden for a decorate-it-yourself wooden screen.
.
Read Full Descriptions of the Crafts: Martha Stewart
.
