Archives for December 2015
The Art of the Window: How to Embrace the Layered Look
December 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Here are 12 ideas for using layered window treatments to add warmth, texture and style to your rooms
If the woven woods and bare shutters that heralded summer’s arrival a few months ago are starting to feel a bit stark, consider how an extra layer of draperies or top treatments will do for your windows what sweaters and blankets do for our bodies this time of year. No, I’m not suggesting you go out and buy new window treatments for each season, but unpacking a “winter layer” of drapes with your flannel sheets and wool blankets can signal the start of a new season as joyfully as white slipcovers and linen bedding welcome summertime. Sometimes grand and over the top, sometimes more tailored and demure, these 12 windowscapes illustrate how layered window treatments can set the tone for an entire space.
How To Organize Your Fridge
December 27, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Does your fridge runneth over? Here are some ideas to help organize! 
Gratitude & Peace
December 25, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Gratitude… I’m filled with it, for my family, my chosen family, my friends, my colleagues and for those whom I serve.
I am an optimistic and reflective person, somewhat introspective and very philosophical. I’m also pretty self-aware. So these are thoughts for this Christmas of 2015.
Being part of a very positive company, as well as,, working with performers for an entertainment company is great. I do my best to put a dent in the universe and I choose to be a positive force for good in the world.
In preparation for our SCT show, at our final choir rehearsal, I quoted a passage from a book by Rob Bell: “We are both large and small, strong and weak, formidable and faint, reflecting the image of the divine, and formed from dust.” For me, it helps put things into perspective. We are all connected. We all need one another. The minute we think we are the center of the universe, that’s the moment we realize we are but a small part of a massive puzzle.
Even though “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”, for many, Christmastime can be a struggle. The reality is many of us are hurting. The circumstances could be great or small. There is fear in the world. Some people even use threats as a business model. There is anxiety caused by a multitude of conditions. Some of my close friends deal with great sadness of loved ones gone.
At the Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree show, I sang a duet with my good friend John Cameron entitled “Peace”. Here are some of the lyrics (written by Michael McDonald):
I have come from so far away / Down the road of my own mistakes / In the hope you could hear me pray / Oh Lord, keep me in Your reach
How I’ve longed through these wasted years / To outrun all the pain and fear / Turned to stone from my uncried tears / And now it’s Your grace I seek
Oh wondrous child of whom the Angels sing / Know my joy, feel my suffering / Shining star make this love you bring / So bright that I may believe
We sang this song for us, and for those whom this season reminds them of pain. It’s too easy to offer platitudes that fall short of comforting the soul. The more we try to be candid with our pain, the harder it is to fake “having it all together”. Maybe we should try to allow for those dark nights, so as, to reach deeper truths. One of those truths I’m trying to live into is; we are all connected…
I’d encourage all of us to take time to look at the one you’re speaking with in the eye. Slow down and listen. Ask questions. Be curious. Be interested, rather than interesting. Use their name with affection in your tone. Make them feel important.
Here’s a worthy motto: Experience God’s love, then give it away. You may be what keeps them sane. Your love and affection could be the difference in their day. How do we love God? By loving others (Matthew 22:35-40).
I am filled with gratitude… for the beauty of connectedness.
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9 Places to Put the Microwave in Your Kitchen
December 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment
See the pros and cons of locating your microwave above, below and beyond the counter
The classic kitchen work triangle organizes foot traffic from the fridge to the sink to the stove, in an attempt to make cooking and preparing meals flow more smoothly. But what about the other major, although sometimes smaller, appliances that many of us use every day? Take the microwave, for example. You can place a microwave high, low, out of sight or within easy reach, and there are pros and cons for every choice. Here’s a look at those advantages and disadvantages, so you can figure out the kitchen configuration that’s right for you.
A Breathtaking Villa In Granite
December 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment
A Luxury Retreat in Thailand, with breathtaking views of the Amandan Sea. Built into a granite rock in Phuket, Thailand. Found this in on omgshots.com.
The world’s most dazzling Christmas lights
December 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment
I have the privilege of being the Artistic Director for The Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree. As I conduct, I have a first row view of almost 300,000 lights. Here are some beautiful displays of Christmas lights from around the world.
12 Ways to Style an Unused Fireplace
December 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment
You’ll hardly miss the flame when your firebox glows with twinkle lights, frames an art object or stores magazines
When the fireplace has become more of a black hole than a focal point, it’s time to get styling with paint, flea market finds, even artificial turf. Whether your fireplace doesn’t work or you just prefer not to use it, pick and choose from these 12 ideas and get ready to gather round the hearth once again.