5 Tips for Mixing and Matching Your Home Decor

by Jane Blanchard

The idea of traditional decor is being challenged every day by homeowners who want a style that goes beyond the basics. Creating your own design is easy and doesn't require anything other than a little imagination, some planning and a willingness to experiment.

via SF Girl By Bay

Decide on a Theme

Designing a themed room gives you a blueprint to work with as you choose furniture and accessories. Think about whether you want a formal look or something relaxed. Do rugged, outdoorsy styles appeal to you or are you a lover of modern minimalism? Your preferred theme will create a unified look for the finished room.

Anchor the Style with Consistency

Start with one colour or pattern that you love and work your way up from there as you decorate. This may be your favourite deep blue or the pattern on an overstuffed sofa that you've loved for years. Repeat this motif in other elements of the room to create a consistent backdrop for your more unusual decor elements.

When introducing wood pieces, choose those made from the same type of wood or stained in similar colours. The idea is to create uniformity that allows different styles to work together. However, try to avoid picking two styles of furniture that noticeably contradict each other such as mixing ornate antiques with do-it-yourself bookshelves from a department store. Keep color choices to a minimum to ensure that the room doesn't wind up looking busy.

Add a Modern Edge

Once you've established a basis for your design, it's time to get creative. Look for accent pieces that complement the look of the room while adding visual interest. Try placing boldly patterned pillows on your sleek modern sofa or hanging café style art in your formal dining room. Introduce a few mismatched furniture pieces that share a colour or texture element with other fixtures of the room for a unique twist.

Go Beyond Traditional Use

A fun way to mix and match styles is to place furniture pieces in rooms they're not traditionally meant for. Nightstands, for example, make fun end tables in the living room. A sideboard can be moved from the dining area to the front hall and used as a unique place to display photos or flower arrangements. You might even want to shake things up in the bathroom by adding a dresser for storing linens or creating a themed display with an open-back bookshelf.

Make it Personal

You're never obligated to stick to a particular style just because it's how your home is "supposed" to look. What works in the houses you see in magazines or online may not work in your home. Don't be afraid to try new designs and mix things up to find a style that's truly yours. Use decorating advice as a general guideline rather than a strict set of rules. Thinking outside the box can lead you to a style that no one has ever tried before and open up new possibilities for decorating other rooms in your home.

The Big Wide Calm Book Review

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First Impressions

The Big Wide Calm first reads like a ‘rags to riches’ story when the reclusive rich multimillionaire John decides to help the talented starving artiste Paige Plant with an arrangement that would see him helping her to record her first album. With this deal, finally Paige would be able to write and create a multigenerational album that will help carve her place in stardom. It seemed overnight Paige would achieve her dream of being famous and rich. The deal John offers Paige almost seems too good to be true and the reader is left wondering when the other shoe might fall.

Peeling Back the Layers

The book progresses and the layers start to peel away. It becomes clear that the story isn't just about a girl (Paige Plant) wanting to become a rich or famous star or a man (John) whose past decisions had made him into a broken shell. In truth, the story is about unconditional love. No, The Big Wide Calm is not your typical love story that you see in a cheap copy of Mills & Boons. It is much deeper than that. It explores love that blooms after pain, rejection and brokenness.  The Big Wide Calm offers no clichés just raw human experiences in the stark reality of the need for human connection.

Writer’s Craft

I admire the writing style of the author Rich Marcello. He craftily creates a world in the novel which is surreal yet believable. This technique is also seen in the presentation of John. John is quite unlike any other character I have met before. He is childlike and complicated at the same time. The character of John leaves you wondering what events in his life might be real or is every event craftily created by his delightfully demented mind. Marcello’s development of John’s character leaves you wondering if a number of events in the novel are carefully orchestrated by John to test Paige.

 I am normally able to size up the flow of a plot within the first four chapters. This was not the case with this novel. In short, Marcello leaves you guessing with each page. In The Big Wide Calm each page, each chapter is an adventure. The novel will leave you wanting more. This is definitely a good buy. You won’t regret your purchase.  

FREE Book Reviews for Self Published Authors

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I have observed that there are a number of very talented writers who have opted to publish their own books instead of going the traditional route of being published through a publishing house. I have also noted that these excellent writers often find it challenging to get their book reviewed for one reason or another.

So, starting July 23, I will be accepting self published books for review. Once a book is accepted for review you will receive and email notification. Once, the book review is written it will be published on the following blogs: Lioness Rebirth, New Day Book Reviews and C.S.E.C. English Made Easy. The review will also be shared on Good reads, Amazon, Face book and twitter.

Additionally, I am open to doing blog tours, author interviews and guest post reviews. For further details please read my review policy.

Review Policy 

I am currently open to receiving Advance Reading Copies and Review Copies of e books  from self published authors. My preferred genres are How to books, D.I.Y. Books, with the occasional Romance novel (Historical, Contemporary). This does not, however, mean that we will not consider books from other genres! I love mysteries, historical fiction, and will consider any book with a great synopsis.

I will not accept any book that is linked to: the occult, erotica, zombies, etc.

I cannot promise to agree to every review request, nor can I guarantee a favourable review of books sent to me. I ,however, promise to be fair and honest in my review.  I will consider all queries and review copies sent my way but I regret that I might not able to respond to all email  queries. If you don’t hear from me in a timely fashion please resend your email.

My review copy preference is for e books, followed by print copies as I am located in Jamaica. As such, digital ARCs/review copies will be given precedence over print copies. My preferred format is PDF.

If you are willing and able to ship to my location I will definitely review your book.

In order to contact me with a review query, please sent an email @ lionbiz25@gmail.com 

Do It Yourself Money Tips- How to Get Paid Blogging

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Although money is paper we all have some need for it. We need it to pay the bills, to buy important items that are needed and the list goes on. In short, money is helpful to function on a day to day basis. However, what do we do when the little money we have is not sufficient? What then?

Some of us would love to live in a mansion with hired help but the reality is our merger salary just cannot support the lifestyle. Do we (A) change and adapt to our situation or (B) create more debt while trying to keep up with the Jones?

 If we examine nature, we realize that the natural environment adjust itself to each season. Animals hibernate, trees lose their leaves and birds migrate to survive winter. They all adapt themselves knowing that a different season must come. That although it is challenging now, tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow will be better if when life changes; we function more effectively in our new environment of change. In adjusting we will develop skills that will ensure our survival like the animals in nature. 

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With all of this in mind, for this summer we at Lioness Rebirth will embark on a new project entitled, Do It Yourself Money Tips. This will be a weekly post that will explain to you how to make money online, how to save money and how to find great deals. All of these will be simply and easy ways in which you can create additional income for yourself, while saving. At the bottom of this post we will give you a brief preview of this weekly post.

Do it Yourself Money Tip # 1-How to Get Paid Blogging

When I first started blogging I did not have any idea that I could get paid to blog. For me blogging was a great hobby that I loved. It was and still is a joy to sit and create for others to enjoy. However, then I discovered that once you have great content and you have honed your skills as a writer you can be paid to do what you love.

Content is KING

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I shared my experience above because I wanted to highlight two things about paid blogging that is important. The first is great content. In blogging content is KING. If you are not a celebrity no one wants to really know the inner details about your life. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to share details about yourself to your core audience to build a rapport but it is better to provide information to your readers that they can use in their daily lives. Great content is what will drive readers to your blog and increase your blog stats. High blog stats is one of the things that will help you to gain paid blogging opportunities. Therefore, think about a niche for yourself and develop great content for the readers in your niche. This way you will be successful.

Honing Your Skills

 The second important thing I want to highlight is honing your skills as a writer. There are a number of excellent bloggers out there who have worked tirelessly to develop their blogs and their skills and in doing so they are reaping the rewards of their hard work (paid opportunities). In honing your skills you can develop an eye for good content by reading other blogs, books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Basically, immerse yourself in the written word; in doing so you can examine various writing styles and develop your own. It is important to note that in writing your posts; you should aim to keep your language simple and to the point. This way your readers will not be confused by highfalutin terms. 

My dictionary is right at my finger tips.

Most importantly, always proofread and edit your blog. If your spelling is poor make your dictionary your friend. If you don’t have a dictionary get one. No one wants to read a post that is loaded with grammatical errors. What I find helps me is that I type my posts in Microsoft Word and then paste them in Blogger. This helps me to edit my posts better. After I have published my posts, I also read my posts to see if I missed any errors while I was editing. Even if you only have one reader always try to produce the best final product.

Paid Opportunities

Once you have done the above you can start looking for paid blogging opportunities. One website that I found that is simple and easy to get paid blogging jobs is Bloggingpro.com. Bloggingpro.com is a website that helps bloggers by providing help tips on how to improve your blog. What I absolutely love about the site is its online job board. Their job board is designed in a way where you the blogger, writer, editor can apply for various blogging jobs from real companies. In doing so you don’t necessarily have to go through a middle man like with a company like SocialSpark.

For additional information on How to Get Paid Blogging you can also read this post: Five Websites You can Use to Monetize Your Blog 

10 Reasons Why Men Should Respect Women

Men's and women's natural tendencies complement one another nicely, creating solid incentives for pairing-up to tackle life's challenges. Of course everyone is different and couples create countless scenarios, but common threads weave their ways through most relationships shared by men and women.

While each gender brings something to the table, men are the biggest benefactors in most pairings; trading sensitivity and understanding for manly traits like stoicism and brute strength.  Whether mothers, wives or daughters; there are plenty of reasons for men to respect women, including the following:

Women See Things in ways Men Can't - Women carry a unique perspective that's hard to put a finger on, at times. Perhaps explained by the fabled "women's intuition", they just have a knack for getting to the heart of the matter, without requiring a logical progression of ideas or actions to arrive there. Not that they don't lean on perception and observation like men do, but women somehow seem as though they'd be fine with or without a great deal of forethought.

Men do Better with Women's Support - The old adage holds true for a reason: Behind every great man, there really is a great woman. More often than not, men reach greater levels of fulfillment in their lives, when partnered with strong and understanding women. Whether career ambitions or child-rearing duties, men with female support embark more confidently toward success - perhaps explaining the phenomenon.

They are Mothers - Men share close bonds with their mothers, in much the same way "daddy's little girls" hold special places with fathers. You don't need to be a "mama's boy" to appreciate women on a maternal level, though. The experiences you've shared with mom are enough to carve out an everlasting bond. And you are ever-indebted for her efforts - not the least of which is bringing you into the world.

Mirror Image of Men - In many ways, men and women occupy opposite ends of the spectrum. Physically, emotionally and motivationally; men and women are like night and day. Men's respect for women acknowledges it, and salutes women for filling in the blanks where men fail to see the light.

Women are Smarter - More than just lyrics to an old folk song, women carry unique understanding that eludes men. While it is hard to quantify smarts, it is safe to say women bring insight to the table, which might otherwise escape male audiences.

Compassionate Beings - Empathy and compassion are much-admired traits held by women; especially by men who sometimes need sensitivity training. Women seem to care about others more than men do, at times, so men respect them for getting in-touch with their feelings.

Born Nurturers - In addition to abstract commitments to others, women actually do something about it.  Tapping maternal instincts and kind dispositions, women start nurturing others at young ages.  Girls help siblings and parents, and then grow up to nurture their own children. Men respect women's ability to take-on nurturing roles without hesitation.

Women are Strong Negotiators - Men are called on to bargain with car dealers and make sure no one gets ripped off by the furnace repair man, but it is actually women who shine brightest during negotiations.  Stopping short of manipulation, good-hearted women influence others to see things as they do, yielding compromise and progress faster than men who draw lines in the sand.

Spiritual Strength - Men admire women for strong spiritual connections they develop over the course of their lives. Women earn additional respect for applying their strength of spirit in meaningful ways; through charity and outreach.

Unselfish Actions - Women prove worthy of respect time and time again, engaging in unselfish acts of kindness, at the drop of a hat. As daughters, mothers and mates; women contribute immeasurable positive influences to the lives of those around them.

Men love and respect women for countless personal reasons, but universal adoration stems from some of women's most endearing traits. Men need not look far for worthy reasons to respect their female counterparts.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Sarah Brooks from free people search. She is a Houston based freelance writer and blogger. Questions and comments can be sent to brooks.sarah23 @ gmail.com.