Homestyle Gossip

Halloween parties are a brilliant way to get everyone involved and to get everyone to dress up in Halloween costume. This kind of party can be one of the best parties you have ever given providing that you use your imagination and creativity.

If you are planning to have a Halloween party for all ages, then you first need to think about the venue. Think of somewhere unique and creative, such as a spooky cellar or a house designed to be haunted, or even a garden with a marquee, that is covered in spider’s webs and tombstones.

Now you need to think about your Halloween costume and also kids Halloween costumes. There are so many ideas to choose from, but try and think of something a little bit original, as you do not want everybody at the party to be wearing the same thing

Think about who are going to invite and design some invitations that will capture the imaginations of the guests you inviting. Give them an invitation that will inspire them into thinking about their Halloween costumes.

Decorate the venue accordingly to the theme, carved pumpkins and spiders webs and play music that is just that little bit creepy for when your guests start to arrive.

You also need to ensure that your catering fits in with the theme. Plenty of sweets and candy are just the ticket, and maybe get your food to look spooky but tantalising, such as edible eyeballs and spiders. Don’t forget the adults though; a blood red punch will go down a treat.

A garden can be a space for you to relax and indulge your love of nature. You may have just a few garden ornaments dotted around it, or you may have an elaborate display of plants and flowers.

Your garden is an area that can be enjoyed by you on your own quietly and by family and friends for entertaining. Your garden should be thought of as an extension of your cherished home. You can put your mark on it and design it in a way that best suits your personality, giving those extra finishing touches to a garden that you will be proud of.

The plants that you choose to display in your garden should represent your character and your individual style. Garden ornaments are also an extremely great way to add some personality to your outside space. There are so many different garden ornaments and wide varieties of garden statues on the market, that it can make it quite difficult to choose the ones that will suit your garden décor.

Some of the most popular garden ornaments that are purchased are often the ones formed like garden animals, as these garden ornaments tend to bring even the average garden to life. However, if you desire a garden that is that little bit different or bespoke, why not treat yourself to some retro gifts such as a bird bath; it can make your garden into a quaint little haven for you to enjoy. Why not look for the perfect garden ornament and get your garden looking beautiful for the summer.

The “brave new world” of the Art Deco period combined functionality with simplicity, and beauty with elegance. For this reason, retro gifts evoking the Art Deco look of the 1920s and 1930s are eternally popular. Retro clocks, especially, make excellent nostalgic gifts for all age groups. Instantly evocative, but never kitsch, they fit into any interior décor scheme, be it traditional or modern.

Art Deco had a number of influences – a major one being the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb, in 1922. Egyptian design was a direct influence on the towering pyramid spires of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building – which in turn influenced interior decor. “Skyscraper” clocks, which took elements of modernist architecture and recreated them in semi-precious materials such as jade, marble and onyx, are just as popular today.
Jazz age retro gifts are characterised by their recreation of materials like Bakelite and chrome – both considered daring and new in the 1930s. Art Deco Bakelite wall and mantle clocks were found everywhere, from public railway stations to film stars’ homes. They varied from simple, round wall clocks to elaborate “Lady” mantle clocks, which combined geometric designs with beautiful and elaborate statuettes in bronze, spelter and pewter.
Statue clocks are especially evocative of the Art Deco period, and make beautiful and unusual retro gifts. The art inspiration came from many sources, including classic Egyptian art and Greek mythology. Although the majority were female, classic male figures like Hercules were also depicted. Modern influences included Hollywood, Olympic gymnasts and jazz music. Statue clocks are among the most evocative and collectible of all nostalgic gifts.

British taste in style is a somewhat acquired taste, like with the Japanese;

As a matter of fact, London is one of the only places in the world where you can punk, gothic and posh in the same area. Even your grandma could have her hair dyed pink and it wouldn’t shock anyone.
With this said, London is considered one of the trendiest and fashionable cities in the world.
So thumbs up to fashion but how does the British sense of style tally up against other areas of aesthetic appreciation? Home decor for instance? Let’s be honest, not as well. Exhibit A: The Royal Family

So let us paint a picture of the traditional British home decor. Over to the left there is a lovely wall hanging plate
providing a reminder of our biggest loss since Robbie decided to leave Take That. Anybody for a cup of tea in an exclusive Prince Charles mug? Milk, and two sugars please.
Come sit and enjoy your tea here on our well-worn brown sofa and enjoy, whilst taking in the sites of this revolutionary design style. Ooh this is going down a right treat, cushty!
So does British sense of style transcend to the home? In the words of Les Dennis “Our survey said…..YES!”
What you call tacky contributes to that homely cosy feel you can’t get anywhere else. Take for example the union jack printed accessories. All over the house, and you are borderline football hooligan, but in proportion you are subtley displaying patriotism whilst being accommodating to guests. Can’t do more British than that can you?
Just remember, it is all about moderation. You don’t want to go crazy and end up with this;

The union jack is the great British symbol, and we all know we are in England with the bad weather and soppy morning attitude. We don’t need it painted on houses to help confirm our location.
Why not the union jack cushion? When you think about it, it can go with everything and pretty much everywhere (on your couch, on a chair, on your shelves or even on your bed!).
It defies design convention and adds that sense of fun and quirkiness to the home. Plus, it gives you something to grip with nerves during England’s inevitable penalty shoot out in the quarter finals of the World Cup.
All this excitement is too much. Where is my prince Charles mug, I need a cuppa!

Your bedroom should be your sanctuary where you can recharge and refresh.  The ancient method of Feng Shui helps promote well being and inner peace, resulting in happiness and success. It is important to help Chi energy flow by using Feng Shui to layout your bedroom. Follow these tips for bedroom bliss:

1.    Your Beds Position
Your beds position is very important. It should be positioned so you can see the door but also be as far away from the door as possible.  This helps to promote a sense of safety as you sleep.

2.    Clutter
It is important to get rid of clutter under your bed as this can cause negative energy flows and disrupt your sleep.

3.    Bed Quality
The quality of your bed is also important. Your bed is symbolic of your wellbeing so you should invest in a good quality bed and mattress.  Beware of used mattresses as bad energy might have accumulated from a previous owner.

4.    Pointed Corners
You should not have pointed corners aimed at the bed. Items with square corners should be moved away from the bed or another item should be moved in front of them.  These sharp corners are named ‘pointed arrows’ as they direct negative energy towards you as you sleep.

5.    Use Warm and Calming Colours.
Colour can affect your mood and different colours carry a whole host of cultural and spiritual symbology. Feng shui practitioners recommend warm and cosy colours for a soothing atmosphere.

Most of us look for usability, safety and stability in staircases and leave the design last. This is a top ten of some of the most amazing staircases in the world.  These stairs go far beyond the simple designs we usually encounter and constitute real works of art.

Stairs of undulating steel

DNA stairs

Alternating stairs

Slide stairs

The miraculous staircase

Staircase drawers

Bookshelf stairs

Hanging spirals

Stairs as storage space

Floating on a Wall

Source: The Wooden Hill Company.

It’s a fact that people are living longer. Better health care, higher standards of living, healthier eating and a wider awareness of general health issues has meant that we’re an aging population. As such the scope for caring for the nation’s elderly, one that has been sufficient for decades, has to be widened. More care homes are being built and people are forced to work longer before retirement.

The residential care homes of the future will be bigger, will have more residents and will require more elderly nursing care than ever before. Places in care homes are also becoming scarcer, as competition for places becomes stronger.

One of the most difficult aspects of growing old is dealing with dementia and seeing a loved one deteriorate to a point where they’re not certain who you are from one day to the next. When someone suffers with dementia they need the best care and there are many dementia care homes in the UK that can offer this.

Choosing the right elderly nursing care for your loved one is an important decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Be sure to visit each care homes that you’re considering and inspect it thoroughly to make sure that you make the right choice of care homes.

Here’s a few cool images I found online today of unusual sofa designs and even a concept cloud-magnetically-levitating sofa. Enjoy!

Boxes of Eggs

Massaging “Pleasure Pillars” Sofa

Harrods’ Stuffed Animal Sofa

Here’s a quick ‘how to’ guide for anyone looking to paint their walls without a monotone colour. All three of these techniques are great for walls with imperfections, as the contrast in colours will hide them perfectly.

Ragging

Materials needed – Lint-free cloths, Decorator’s brush, Masking tape, Paint roller, 2 contrasting paints, one diluted with 1 part of water to 8 parts paint.

Instructions -

1. Apply a contrasting, base colour to the wall.
2. To prepare the rag:
   Saturate it in the diluted paint solution. ring out the access and form the rag into a cylinder shape between both your hands. Twist it slightly.
3. While rolling the rag across the wall, ensure you use your finger tips and that the rag touches the wall evenly. Practice on a small piece of the wall or a piece of cardboard to ensure accuracy. your technique will improve over time.
4. Experiment with colours – use two or three complimentary colours or different shades of the same colours for different results.

Sponging

Materials needed – Non-synthetic natural sea sponge, Decorator’s brush, Masking tape, Paint roller, 2 contrasting paints, one diluted with 1 part of water to 8 parts paint, bucket of water with clean rags.

Instructions -

1. Apply a contrasting, base colour to the wall.
2. To prepare the sponge:
   Dip it in the clean water and ring it out thoroughly (if you decide to use oil paints, keep the sponge dry). Dip the sponge into the diluted paint solution and dap access paint onto a clear surface of your paint try.
3. Practice dabbing the sponge on a piece of cardboard, ensuring a twist in the sponge with each dab so that the impression left is slightly altered. When you feel satisfied with how it looks, start on the wall.
4. Again, you can experiment with colours – use two or three complimentary colours or different shades of the same colours for different results.

Colour Washing

Materials needed – Specialised colourwashing brush, rounded sponge, paint tray, paint roller, bucket of water, latex paint for base coat, clean rags, dropcloths, masking tape, scrap cardboard, varnish.

Instructions -

1. Colour washing can be done with either a sponge, rag or a colour washing brush – you choose the tool.
2. Apply your basecoat and allow it to dry completely.
3. Mix the glaze in the paint tray but fill to about 1/3 full.
4. Using a circular or washing motion with a sponge or cloth, lightly dip your glazing tool in the glaze, and apply to a small section of the wall. Blend it until your sponge or cloth is dry.
5. If you’re using a brush, you can create a variety of patterns. Just move the brush along the glaze lightly in whatever direction you prefer.

Good luck to you all!

While sifting through photos online for decorating inspiration, I came across the user galleries on UKTV Homes. I for one love seeing what other people have used in their homes and especially appreciate when users share links with me – so I thought I’d return the favour to our esteemed Homestyle Gossip readers!

Amanda on UKTV shared the ‘Keep Calm Gallery’ – prints with cute quotes and images. They’re affordable, vibrant and meaningful – all the qualities I look for in my wallhangings!
Be sure to check out Amanda’s profile on the UKTV Homes site for more great decorating photos and tips. Thanks Amanda!