jessysblindstyle.com

Adding a topper to your blinds is the natural next step in giving your room the finished appearance you were striving for when you decided to purchase window treatments.  However, it can be difficult to find lightweight yet high quality cornice frames for wrapping with fabric.  When Cathy Brugmann had this problem ten years ago, her husband came to the rescue with a home-made yet professional-looking cornice frame kit.

The product he developed isn't heavy, so it requires no special hanging tools, and yet it is made from real, laminated wood to give it the best possible look and feel.  To personalize it to your tastes and your decor, you can use any fabric -- from a light cotton to a heavier brocade, even a sheet will do.  You can size it just right with two simple cuts, and what's more, the DIY kit comes complete with everything you need for hanging.

To get an idea just how simple it is to use this cornice frame, check out the instructional videos on the main page, or read through the easy-to-follow guides on assembly and covering your cornice.  You just can't go wrong with this flexible, customizable addition to your existing window treatments.

jess @ 13:41 | comments(2) | Permanent link

A couple of months ago, I received an email from a friend about Terra Furnishings, an online furniture shop promising unique and eco-friendly products.  I'm all about having things that no one else has, and all the better if those things are environmentally friendly. 

Today, I finally got around to checking out the store, and now I have a crazy desire to re-furnish my entire home!  The wooden twist stools are some of the neatest things I've ever seen, and I also love the selection of kitchen products.  Best of all, you can use Terra's Spa Essentials to turn your regular old bathroom into a luxurious spa, right there in your own house!

Though the prices are a bit steep, I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for."  Surely, these are some of the most lovely home furnishings you could hope to find -- and they're not hurting our environment!  That's something everyone should consider when shopping for new home products. 

jess @ 10:22 | comments(4) | Permanent link

Of course you are -- being so close to the equator means shade and sun protection are even more important than they are here up north!

This site has a great selection of blinds, roller shades, verticals and more -- all made to order.  They also explain why persianas (known as blinds here in the states) are so important in Panama; namely because of their durability despite hot and humid conditions and the sun protection they provide for furniture, flooring, art, and other decorative items. 

If you're put off by the idea of measuring your own blinds or purchasing shades without seeing them up close and personal, Persiana Mania offers in home service in addition to online ordering.  Installation is also available, though most people today choose to measure for and hang their own blinds in order to save money. 

If you're visiting this site from Panama or another Central American location, check out Persiana Mania then next time you go blind shopping!  You won't be disappointed!    

jess @ 08:05 | comments(1) | Permanent link

My partner totally loves modern furniture.  Dark colors mixed with brights, sharp edges, smooth designs, and anything that looks bold and beautiful at the same time are right up his alley. 

I wasn't that interested in contemporary furniture until we met, but since we started working on our home together, he's introduced me to all kinds of great styles.  Some fancy Italian furniture has even made it's way into our home, although I still love my simplistic Swedish stuff as well.  After all, we don't want to have a bunch of things around that the kids (or I) will ruin.  We're not exactly careful with our things!

As long as we keep the modern look to our furniture and not our artwork, I'll be happy.  Modern art is just a little too much for me! 

jess @ 20:28 | comments(6) | Permanent link

Father's Day is fast approaching, and if you need to send a gift to your dad in a hurry, flowers might just be the way to go.  Even though they are traditionally seen as Mother's Day or Valentine presents for women, lots of men appreciate receiving flowers as well!

Flower baskets always make a room look good -- you can spruce up a single dad's bachelor pad with a basket of ftd flowers or plants that will last even longer.  You can even make Father's Day special for your long distance dad by sending flowers in Canada or elsewhere around the world. 

Whether you want to surprise a special someone or add some delicious decor to your room, flowers are the best, fastest way to achieve your goals.   

jess @ 20:21 | comments(4) | Permanent link

If you're shopping for custom window treatments, make sure you check out Decorating Depot.  They have some great deals on blinds and window shades, and summer is an excellent time to think about changing up your window decor.  For one thing, getting better shades can help to cut cooling costs by reducing the amount of sunlight that warms (or sometimes even bakes) your house or apartment.  For another, those looooong summer days make for bright early mornings and late nights -- hardly ideal for getting little ones to go to bed and stay asleep well into the morning.

Wood blinds have great light-blocking properties, since they're thick and impermeable by the strong light of the summer sun.  They're also very pretty and add a bit of tropical flair to any room -- especially if you select bamboo shades! 

If you don't want your blinds to come from actual trees, faux wood blinds also work nicely.  They make a great alternative to regular wood, and also make a great statement in your home.

If you're thinking summer and sleep, visit the Decorating Depot for some timely shade!     

jess @ 10:42 | comments(5) | Permanent link

We are all set up in our trailer now, and it's been an easy adjustment to life in a small space.  It's so much easier to keep clean and organized, and I really love it! 

One thing I don't have right now is a dishwasher.  I hated the one I had in the house anyway, since pieces of the rack were always breaking off and leaving rusty tips that messed up some of our dishes and containers, but it is definitely strange for me to deal with the dishes without a dishwasher!  I actually have to scrub the pots and plates after all our meals, dry them by hand, and put them away.  So far, it's not bad.

However, I'm sure my next house will have a dishwasher, and I want it to be a good one.  At least I can get a head start by looking into dishwasher reviews now.   It's really important to me to get one that is rated well for saving energy and also nice and sturdy.  I abuse my appliances, I really do.  The dishwasher reviews I've read so far lead me to believe that Whirlpool is the best.  My mom always said that -- she got a dishwasher when she was pregnant with me and it survived well into my twenties, so I think she has a point there.

The dishwasher in my house was pretty basic, both in looks and performance.  It didn't do anything to improve the look of my kitchen, so while I'm looking at dishwasher reviews, I'm also happy to see that newer dishwashers are much prettier.  They all seem to have smooth, streamlined appearances that will enhance a kitchen rather than just taking up space. 

If I can keep Ronin from climbing on the next dishwasher we have, we'll be all set!   

jess @ 10:25 | comments(2) | Permanent link

Our house is cleaned out, and as I type this, our renters are moving in.  In the rush to get all of our furniture out and boxes packed, I almost forgot that I needed to find them a mailbox so that the mail carrier can separate our mail from theirs.

I am really liking the whitehall mailboxes I found online.   Not only are they classy and well-made, but they also have an option for a side-mount double mailbox so that we can have a new box for ourselves as well as our renters.  I stenciled on the last mailbox we had, and while it looked cute for awhile, it's gotten badly damaged by plow trucks.  We could use a new mailbox!

Since we can get personalized mailboxes, I think I will put our names on one, and add the renters' names to the other.  We're all a bunch of unmarried heathens living with our partners, so we'll have to fit a few names on each box, in addition to our house numbers.  I suppose I could break out the stencils again, but professionally-designed custom mailboxes seem like the best idea right now.

I just hope the mail carrier can figure out who's who!  She isn't used to delivering to more than one family at our address.  

jess @ 10:12 | comments(0) | Permanent link