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Innovative Curtain Hanging Ideas

  Innovative Curtain Hanging Ideas   Draping with curtains is a major part of interior decoration. Even a boring space can be decked up with nothing else but a pair of curtains. The usual mounting a curtain rod and hanging curtains is old fashioned now. Very innovative ideas and suitable hardware are available in the market to hang curtains from the ceiling, to a door with an over-the-door shelf attached to the curtain rod as a showcase or for storage, and using semi-circle rods with appropriate holders to make a new statement. Designers and DIYers across the globe are creating ripples of trends everyday. Here are some pictures from their creations. They also share their suggestions such as 'hang curtains from the ceiling height to make the room look big and wide, instead of fixing the rod just above the door or window. Using a double layer of sheer curtains can provide a good privacy while bringing in light whenever necessary. Black out curtains or layered curtains hung to two separate rods come handy in transforming a room the other way around in any climate. ' This time you shop for curtains, think if you can replace the rod to a higher position and buy longer curtains to give your room a new look Or just replace the finials on the rods to spruce up an old curtain rod. Even your Mom's old yet good conditioned saree or your not so used bright long dupatta can drape your windows if provided with the right curtain fixture. Are you thinking already? ….Prathyusha Talluri

Permanent Marker Fabric Fixes

  Permanent Marker Fabric Fixes Ladies....here is one interesting solution to save your TShirts or your regular PJs....the Permanent marker craft ! Your maid washed it wrong or your Washing machine did it....there is one way to give your dresses a second chance.....get a permanent marker of your color choice and fix the bug. Or if you have a plain light colored T-shirt, dress it up with a new design. I just restored my child's favorite tshirt. It is white and had few odd stains to spoil. This trick made me proud and my child happy !! We need: * Linen of your choice, (old or new, TShirt or a Skirt) * Permanent Markers of your color choice * Rubbing Alcohol ( Isopropyl Alcohol) bottle * Empty and clean Ink Filler ( Or a kid's medicine dispenser) * A baking sheet or a Tray We need a washed fabric that is free of Fabric softeneror Starch. Slide the tray or baking sheet under the top layer of the tshirt or anyother fabric to avoid the color from blotting. If you have a spot to fix or a design to create on an empty tshirt, then using the permanent marker of your choice, draw a design. Fill isopropyl alcohol into an ink dispenser and pour drops of it onto the design. As the liquid spreads on the fabric, it bleeds along the color and design, creating an interesting pattern. Once the fabric is dry, move it to another area and follow the same steps.. Let the fabric dry completely and iron it on the other side, covering it with a wax paper. This step is to seal the ink, otherwise the color will fade on washing. After ironing, wash the fabric gently with hands and let dry. Flaunt your fabric or the dress with your permanent marker handmade design on it !!! Prathyusha Talluri

Home made Sunscreen Lotion

  Home made Sunscreen Lotion   I know summer is over, but skin tanning and sun burns continue until end of October in India and until end of August, mid-september in the Western world. Sunblock is a must have when in sun. Many sun protection products contain harmful chemicals such as oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that can disrupt the hormone system in humans. Considering to use a safe, natural, effective sun protection cream or lotion is the best, one that is made with essential oils. These natural oils like carrot seed oil help maintain liver functions, myrrh oil works as a powerful anti oxidant, helichrysum and lavender oils act as armors protecting the skin from sun damage. Coconut oil contains a natural SPF of 4, zinc oxide has natural SPF of 20+. To make a natural sun block at home: 20 drops each of lavender essential oil, carrot seed oil 10 drops each of myrrh oil, helichrysum essential oil, 1/2 cup virgin organic coconut oil ( at room temperature) 2 tbsp zinc oxide. Combine all ingredients, except zinc oxide, in a large glass jar. Place the jar in a bowl of warm water and stir the ingredients, this melts the coconut oil and helps mix all ingredients well. Add zinc oxide to the melted mixture and stir in well. Pour into a squeeze tube, tin or lotion bottle. Shake a few times after converting the mixture into the container, just to make sure zinc oxide doesnot settle separate. Before applying, shake well. **Caution: Use within 6 months of preparation. Try this once and if you like it, you might make a few batches to prep for the harsh summer next year. This can even be a very nice gift to the other ladies you know. Our homemade sun protection block works pretty well as a scented application too, it has the sweet essences of natural oils...no reactions and no worries !!   ----------- Prathyusha Talluri

Tin and Sand Candle Holder

Tin and Sand Candle Holder   Memories come a long way...the summer vacation with the kids, little girl's first beach trip,...and the souvenirs we bring along are so precious...son's first collection of sea shells when he was 4, sand from the family reunion at the beach, put them all in a Tin Can and why not make it a memorable gift to grandparents or Daddy !! We need: * A clean washed and dry Tin Can *  Decorative Paper or Printed Self Adhesive Sheet *  Modge Podge *  Hot Glue Gun *  Foam brush or Wide painting brush to apply glue *  Decorative twine or Satin Ribbon * Small candle that fits in the Tin *  Sand, enough to fill 3/4 of the Tin Tin cans are easy finds at the grocery store, even the famous Delicious Milkmaid, Condensed Milk comes in a Tin. Take an empty, washed clean and fully dried Tin, measure the dimensions of the paper you would like to cover the Tin with. Cut the paper correctly. Apply Modge Podge partly to the exterior of the Tin and start sticking the decorative paper you like. If you like Self Adhesive sheets, then Modge Podge is not necessary, just stick the adhesive sheet directly. Using the hot glue gun, attach decorative twine or Sarin ribbon to both the rims of the Tin or wherever you want to dress it up. Fill the Tin 3/4s with sand. Now place the candle on the sand...wallah...your surprising candle holder is ready...you can plce some seashells if you collected any around the candle for more decoration. Caution: just make sure you let others know the Tin might get hot when the candle is burning inside, and so place it on a coaster for safety. Memories go a long way !! - Prathyusha Talluri

Mini Hot Air Balloon Crafts

Mini Hot Air Balloon Crafts To decorate spaces is a very creative hobby...specially childrens bedroom or nurseries are fun...they are the most colorful and dramatic with murals and borders of cartoons,fairies, flowers and such. Choose your theme and do your best! Creativity is at its sharpest when decorating kids' rooms. Today its the hot air balloon's turn. Think of painting a big hot air balloon on the wall, match it with similar curtains and bedspread...then for the statement art piece, design a realistic Mini hot air balloon. All you need are: * some colorful balloons, * bright colored Spherical Paper lanterns, Or Make paper mache Balloons with the real ones as moulds. * Some tiny, suitable sized cardboard boxes or Chinese take-out boxes, * Wire to hang the balloons, thread to hang the boxes under * Glue * Pair of scissors * Colored card stockpaper Keep the take - out boxes or similar small boxes brightly colored and decorated as needed. If you have paper lanterns ready, then just attach these take- out boxes using thread and glue. Now attach wire to the lanterns, hang them to the ceiling with a hook. If you want the paper mache balloons, then soak colored paper stripsin water until very wet. Blow a real balloon and start pasting the soaked strips using coats of glue. Let dry and blow off the real balloon once the paper mache is fully dry. Your hot air balloon is ready for dressup..follow the same steps for attaching the box and hang it up. Or using hard card stock, cut up and glue pieces of cards as shown in the picture and hang it up as in above steps. Those cute hot air balloons look so realistic that you will not want to remove them ever!! - Prathyusha Talluri

Decorating Spaces with Floor Pillows

 Decorating Spaces with Floor Pillows   Wow, those Floor pillows!! For someone who loves decorating spaces, floor pillows are favorites! Indian tradition of Deewans and the Floor seating arrangement nothing different to decorating with Floor pillows....and hence we reign in innovative pillow decor too. Floor pillows have become a craze with many interior designers and lifestyle-furniture stores, across the world. The fabrics used create a mark of the region they showcase. These floor pillows come in various sizes and shapes....the widest for twosome,to the wierdest shape of a stone pebble...made of leather, cowhide, silk, wool, woven fabrics, jute, knitted materials etc.....they are also for someone who doesnot want to spend much for furniture or who lives a nomadic life of relocating often, just carry and move, no need to dismantle or assemble, these are even ready for a clean wash in the machine sometimes, or just a sun bath for sanity. Child-friendly, comfortable for sleep, ready to carry for a long drive in the car, simple and innovative as house-warming gifts,easy to make your own at home.....we can go on and on about the features of these floor pillows. Mom's saree your sentiment, then use it to drape your favorite floor pillow, match it with similar curtains and make it a fav.corner in the room for reading a book or sip a cup of coffee on a rainy day....give me a chance and i will make a living room full of floor pillows ONLY!! - Prathyusha Tallari

Life is Not Easy!!

Life is Not Easy!! Everyone talks about Life....how to live it, how to deal with its difficulties, how to mend it etc....but "how to face it?" is not an easy thing to talk about....with serious illnesses, accidents, thefts, physical abuses and many other serious issues being heard, Life has become a nightmare for many. Until one faces things or sees them happening closely, it is impossible to understand what follows after these incidents.....people sympathize the families that faced a loss, but how deep the hurt is, thats not easy to express...it is scary, yes the only word, Scary! If a wife asks her husband to tell her about his bank account details, he might quickly ask 'why do you need it?', but how can she say that she is preparing for the worst, then he might reply, 'are you dreaming of my death?' .... Who can teach him to prepare for the worst? Isn't it being smart by writing somewhere or keeping the spouse informed of the bank details, insurance information etc., so that she and the kids or even the parents don't suffer due to financial helplessness? Just by mentioning the wife's name or parents' names as nominees doesnot give one a title of 'Mr. Most Responsible and Well prepared'...in these times, preparing for a famine is being smart, and not pessimistic anymore. How difficult it is for the loved ones to run behind the authorities and banks after a loss in the family when they themselves are grieving bitterly. With technology came issues too, passwords, PINs, Scanned copies of some lost certificates etc, they are too vulnerable and sensitive. Sometimes, the old methods of printed hardcopy documentation is so necessary...they are the most useful to the family than a high value insurance claim that is sitting locked with a password in a broken laptop....helps no one!! As a civilian, i am proud of some insurance companies that are advertising their encouragement in this matter, their ads show Elderly parents investing to cover their funeral costs and medical bills as a relief to their children...it doesnot mean their children are careless, its just a kind gesture and a loving thought to help their own family even after leaving. Whoever is reading this piece of heartfelt thought, kindly encourage yourself, friends and relatives to be smart and prepared to face Life!! - Prathyusha Talluri

Brilliant lies

  Brilliant lies Hello rishi, good morning! is your mom there at home? No aunty; she is busy and told me to tell you that she went out.. I remember reading so many such jokes and cartoons which demonstrate parents encouraging children to convey false messages/ information. But we can not take it, when kids come out with a lie. However, latests research done at one of the universities in north Florida concludes in a different way; they found that, kids who lie often for very simple and silly things are far ahead in their IQ levels comparating to other kids. They picked up closed 120 children from different schools, with in the age group of 6-7years to do this research. kids who lie a lot exhibited extraordinary memory power and have done so well in many tests, whereas kids with no habit of lying, remained behind. When kids lie for every reason, their brain works even more fast just to pick up the right alternative information, and simultaneously they practice to increase their memory power just to make sure to redeliver the same details. "when kids lie often, this process helps them undoubtedly, as their verbal power, mental ability and of course their creative skills increase drastically" say this research. So parents, next time when you find your kid lying, need not get panic and don't be worried ; instead, stay relaxed as they are going to be brilliant in other areas of life. Nevertheless, as parents we definitely not be so comfortable or can't watch this show even though the studies and explorations say this. According to psychologists, kids just take some time and will come out of this habit on their own, on the other hand, parents need to monitor and make a note of the things which are picked up by their kid when lie. Its a proven fact that parents are the best scientists and psychologists and mentors as far their child is concerned. So, keep an eye on your child's behavior and can take call accordingly. - Bhavana

Rubbing Alcohol and Household Care

 Rubbing Alcohol and Household Care Rubbing Alcohol, also known as Isopropyl Alcohol is not only useful as a sterile cleanser before and after medical injections, it has various other not-so-famous yet household uses. It is so helpful, that ladies will adopt it soon after reading this. * To clean mirrors: Use a small spray bottle and fill with rubbing alcohol, spritze the mirror with it when cleaning for a streak-free look. * To clean windows: Mix 1 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar to make your own glass and windowcleaner. * To remove permanent marker stains,To clean granite surfaces: Mix 2 cups water, few drops of dish detergent and 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol. * To sparkle stainless steel vessels,faucets and sinks,To remove hair color and hair spray marks on sinks topsand faucets. * To wipe car mirrors and glass and make them frost-free: Mix 1 cup alcohol and 8 cups water to wipe the car windows and glass to turn them frost-free. It works temporarily, so follow the process whenever you wash the car. * To treat plants bug-free: Make a solution of 1 part alcohol and 10 parts water, spray the mixture to do a sample test on one leaf of a bug infested plant, after 24hrs, if no reactions, spray well and treat to cast away plant bugs. This is a generic usage, please do more research on this before following. Rubbing alcohol is a simple item available over the counter, without any prescriptions, if used with caution, away from children, it helps serve many household needs. - Prathyusha Talluri