Inspiration Photo Friday: Winter Wonderland

28 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday, The Great Outdoors

Tags

caumsett park, cold, long island, nature, new year, new york, path, pathway, photography, seasons, snow, trees, winter, winter wonderland

The holidays may be over but winter is officially here. The cold is making its way into our backyards and snowy days are surely due. It’s time to focus on what the year has taught us and get ourselves ready for what 2013 has to offer.

I took this photo a few winters back while visiting Caumsett Park here on the island. It was a perfect day to go because the snow added a magnificent bonus to the scenery. As I walked down the main path, I was inspired by the beautiful symmetry and natural line work of the trees. Bare as they were, they brought a nice architectural element to the shot. The path made me feel I was on my way to something great, something spectacular. Having always loved the look of pathways, it was no surprise I was drawn to Caumsett’s.

Everyday should feel like this. Looking forward, surrounded by beauty. In this case, a winter wonderland of nature’s frozen tears. Just because its cold and dreary, doesn’t mean this season has to be a sad and boring one. It’s a time to reflect. As the Earth renews itself for another year, we all should do the same. Take the time to reflect upon your accomplishments, your mistakes and the significant moments 2012 has given you.

I hope you all have a happy new year and create a winter wonderland in your heart this season. Remember, everyday can be as beautiful and inspiring as this photo. Just keep in mind that you are amazing and take the path toward positivity and happiness.

Inspiration Photo Friday: Winter Wonderland - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Creative Ways to Decorate a Small Apartment

27 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, The Home

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

benches, bright colors, coffee tables, home, interiors, mirrors, ottomans, painting, small spaces, Storage, Vertical Space

Making a smaller space look great is hard enough if you own it. You have to bend over backwards finding creative ways to get things to fit without making it look cluttered. Now imagine having to do this as a renter since when you’re essentially borrowing someone else’s living area. That can place limits on your ability to express yourself.

Ultimately, you have to remember two things when trying to make your small apartment livable: 1) it’s okay to cheat a little, and 2) as much as possible, everything should serve more than one purpose. Here are several great decorating ideas to make your space shine.

Secret storage
It almost seems like a cruel joke, but the smaller an apartment is, the less storage it tends to have. What those people with huge apartments need with all that extra storage space is a mystery (give some of it to us!) but that’s the way it is, and it means that you have to get clever by finding ways to store things in plain sight.

Fashionable ottomans and benches that open up are great places to put your blankets, books, and even things like board games if you have enough room. Stores like IKEA have fantastic-looking hidden storage options, like a coffee table for the living room with large drawers on each end—perfect for hiding away the two dozen remotes, iPods®, and other portable electronics you have.

Photo Credit: Ballard Designs

Photo Credit: Home Decorators

Photo Credit: Ikea

Reflections of you
A big part of successfully decorating a smaller area is tricking you into feeling like it’s bigger than it really is. One easy way to achieve this effect is through a clever use of mirrors. To give the illusion of an open space, larger mirrors in standard shapes are best because they do a good job of sucking you in. Most renters can probably get away with hanging a large mirror or two and simply patching the holes when they leave, but if that idea scares you, it’s not completely out of the question to find tall mirrors that you can carefully prop against the wall.

Photo Credit: West Elm

Photo Credit: Pottery Barn

When painting, go light and bright.
Lighter, brighter colors tend to make a space feel bigger than it really is, so you should always stick with them over darker hues that can create the feeling of being trapped in a cave. But wait a minute; you’re wondering how can you paint the walls as a renter? Who said anything about the walls? If you don’t own the space, redecorate by painting what you do own—your furniture! You’ll be shocked by how different your room looks when you repaint that black entertainment center an electric blue, or change your bed frame from oak to white. Just make sure you do a little bit of research on the best ways to paint furniture before you jump into the project.

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Think tall
When your square footage is limited, the best way to get the most use out of it is to look up and try to find furnishings that do a good job of taking up the vertical space. Not only will this help you to store more while making your living areas feel more open, designers say that big furniture often serves to create the sense that a room is larger than it really is. Nice!

Photo Credit: What is Home Improvement

Photo Credit: Remodel

Photo Credit: Free Home Decorating Ideas

Robert Mansions writes for Apartments Management Group. When Robert is not writing or reviewing apartment rentals, you can find him at home working on his garden and landscaping.

Guest Post: DIY Wedding Ideas

27 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Guest Posts, Weddings

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coffee favors, decor, diy, DIY napkins, ice cream bar, napkins, party favors, Trisha Jefford, wedding

The days of Pinterest and DIY projects are among us and it seems like every time I log into Facebook another one of my friends has posted a photo of an impossibly cute, DIY based project or craft they’ve made. With this in mind, I’d like to say that employing DIY projects and ideas for a wedding (or other event) does not have to translate into countless hours of gluing, cutting, and assembling. In my time as an event planner and caterer I have come across a few great ideas of my own that I like to suggest to clients who wanted to add a little extra something for their guests to enjoy.

DIY Napkins
Taken a look at linen costs lately? To buy just a set of four can sometimes set you back $12-$15, not to mention any cleaning costs incurred after your guests use them. To get around this expense, and to give your event a little more personality, I’d suggest an inexpensive and fun alternative to my clients. DIY napkins!

To make napkins you will need:
– A couple of large packs of simple paper napkins in a variety of colors
– A pair of heavy duty scissors
– A stencil of a shape or design of your choosing

To begin, make a simple stencil large enough to be used on the napkin, but interesting and intricate enough to catch your guest’s eye. For mine I’ve chosen to use a simple leaf shape. From here, all you need to do is cut this same shape into the napkins you picked up (make sure not to cross the seam of the napkin). To achieve a layering effect, put two colors together per guest, such as a rustic orange and a mossy green, or whichever color you think will go great with your event’s theme or season.

Some of these next ideas would work great as well:

Photo Credit: Weddingbee

Photo Credit: Intimate Weddings

DIY Party Favors
Giving your guests a meaningful thank you gift doesn’t require you to take a huge gouge out of your bank account. A great party favor that I frequently suggest to brides and grooms to-be is a DIY take home bag of coffee! This project can be accommodated to a wide range of budgets and only takes about an hour to do.

To make DIY coffee you will need:
– A package of small brown paper lunch bags
– A spool of ribbon or twine
– Computer sticker paper or a stencil
– Your favorite coffee beans (ground or whole)

One thing all great coffee has is a name! You can get as creative as you want when naming your coffee, but I’d suggest keeping it in line with your new last name, “The Eagleston Roast”, or “The Jameson Brew”. Whatever name you go with, make a quick stencil or sticker design on your computer and slap it on the bag. Tie some ribbon or twine into bows and place it above or below your name and just like that, you have an easy yet creative party favor for your guests to enjoy. If you have a little more time and money to spare you could order a customized stamp from an internet retailer.

Here are some more great ideas:

Photo Credit: Apropos Roasters

Photo Credit: Wedding Paper Divas

Photo Credit: Green Wedding Shoes

DIY Desserts
A good wedding cake can really hit you in the wallet; and a good vegan wedding cake can often be the price of a small country’s entire GDP (just kidding, but really). If you’ve been following recent wedding trends then you’ve probably noticed the new direction dessert options are taking. Many couples are choosing to completely disregard the traditional wedding cake and instead, electing to take another route entirely. While I still recommend getting at least a small cake for cutting, and picture purposes, there’s really no reason why you can’t go avant-garde and get a little creative in the dessert department.

My personal favorite is setting up your very own DIY ice-cream bar. This option costs quite a bit less than supplying cake for all of those dessert-eaters, this creative post dinner idea is also a lot of fun for guest of all ages.

For DIY ice cream you will need:
– A couple gallons of ice cream (I recommend “Purely Decadent” ice cream in multiple flavors)
– A handful of your favorite toppings
– Serving dishes

By doing this, wedding guests are free to dress up their dessert however they like. I remember one couple that had a sign at their dessert bar instructing their guests to snap a photo of their creations, then hash-tagging it on Instagram or Twitter under the wedding party name. This made for a fun, creative photo album for the guests and wedding party to look back on later.

Here are a few great examples:

Photo Credit: Eat, Drink, Chic

Photo Credit: Katelyn James Photography

Photo Credit: Alli McWhinney Photography

I hope some of these tips and projects can help you or have inspired some ideas of your own for your upcoming wedding. Remember saving money and cutting costs does not have to translate into dowdy or shoddy. Think outside the box and your guests will leave satisfied and maybe even a little jealous of your creativity.

{Trisha Jefford has worked a variety of jobs across the food service industry from waiting tables to being a personal chef. She is a wife and mother of two wonderful girls who put up with all of her whacky taste testing. Trisha currently blogs and writes for EZ Cater, a site that specializes in finding you the perfect corporate caterer.}

Inspiration Photo Friday: Earthy Green

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday, The Home

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CT, earth, green, home, interior design, moss, neutral, plants, trees, vines, vintage

I was in CT when I took this photo. I loved how this area was all green, even the building has vines and moss growing on it. Although it was a little damp and dreary, the Earthiness of the scene inspired me. These neutral colors are some of my favorite of them all.

It made me think of a space I could have in my home one day. Somewhat like a conservatory room, with plants and moss covered urns. Lots of vintage clay pots and a few comfy soft chairs. A perfect place to enjoy being with nature and reading a book. I hope to convert our porch into this Earthy escape one day. Until then, a girl can dream, can’t she?