Red, White, and Beautiful

The 4^th of July is one of those special holidays where you’re feeling patriotic and celebratory, so why not throw in creative as well?  There is still time to pull off a get together before next weekend with flair, pizzazz, and plenty of 4^th of July festiveness. 

This is the one day in which red, white, and blue shines even more brightly than the others.  The tri-color grouping is an easy theme to play off of in what you decorate with and what you eat for an evening party for family and friends.  Party and craft stores have aisles designated just for them this time of year: flags, paper lanterns and fans, banners, streamers, and the like are quick picks.  If you want to add some DIY projects in the mix, take three large mason jars and spray paint the insides in each of the three shades.  Use them to hold your utensils in rolled napkins for your buffet line.  Fill just the bottom of some clear glass vases with Red Hots^® candy or blue rock candy or jellybeans, place a votive candle in each, and use the set as a staggered centerpiece on your table.  Mix sets of red, white, blue, and US flag paper plates, napkins, cups, and striped drinking straws for easy serving and cleanup.    

To go along with your all-American hotdogs, hamburgers, or barbeque, show your true colors with the sweets.  Mix crispy rice cereal, peanuts, and red and blue M&Ms^® with melted and drizzled white chocolate and serve in cute Chinese takeout containers.  For a pretty fruit tray, dip strawberries 2/3 of the way into melted white chocolate, and then immediately dip the lower 1/3 into blue cupcake sprinkles.  Make a layered cake or even cupcakes with batter you tint with food coloring and alternate the three colors, and stick (safe and adult-monitored) sparklers in place of candles you light before serving.  If ice cream is going to be your hot weather go-to, dip the tops of sugar cones in melted white chocolate and then into assorted red and blue sprinkles or decorative sugar and let them dry before scooping.  For a fancy blue punch, mix equal parts Sprite^® and white cranberry juice with packets of blue Kool-Aid^® until you have the shade of blue you want.  Serve in mason jars over ice with paper straws.   

Make your family’s 4^th of July red, white, and beautiful with a little creativity and a lot of patriotic love for the independence we celebrate.  Happy 4^th of July!   

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 30th.

 

 

       

Color Up Your Kitchen

The kitchen is filled with cabinets, counters, and appliances, which are all long-term, high-dollar fixtures in your home.  Changing out any one element would easily rack up quite a bill and work up quite a sweat.  If you wish your kitchen would take on a new look, play with smaller, simpler elements of color to bring pops of shade and a burst of new life.  

In lieu of the extensive project of painting your cabinets, give them an updated look by removing your cabinet hardware and drawer pulls, sticking them into a large sheet of cardboard, and spray painting them in a modern metallic finish like brushed nickel or chrome.  If you have a painted wall surface showing between your upper and lower cabinets, paint just that area an interesting shade as a solid backsplash. 

Play up any open shelving or glass cabinet doors by displaying brightly colored dishes and utensils in that space.  Stack a set of colored plates, ice cream bowls, or nesting bowls where they can be seen.  Store a series of Italian soda bottles here instead of in the pantry.  If you have a few ceramic pitchers or decorative glass pieces in different shades, group them together into an eye-catching collection. 

Bring bright serving bowls out, along with a colorful colander, to hold fruit or vegetables on the countertop.  Take a dated set of canisters and give them a spray paint makeover in a glossy finish.  Fill a displayed utensil holder with spoons, spatulas, whisks, and other silicone kitchen tools in bright shades like pink, yellow, and aqua, or in primary colors like red or green.  If you have a bright solid or striped glass cutting board, rest it against the backsplash between countertop appliances or canisters.

Fill two or three small ceramic pots with a little layer of pea gravel, followed by potting soil, and top them off with some countertop herbs like basil, thyme, and rosemary.  You add greenery to your space that can be plucked and added to dishes while you cook.  If you have open wall space, frame bright prints or attractive food magazine pages in matching frames for easy custom artwork. 

You can spruce up the look and perception of your kitchen as the hoppin’ hub of the household with some vibrant shades in little doses her and there.  You don’t have to go over budget to makeover this popular room with stylish and bright pieces you will use again and again.      

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 23rd.

 

 

          

What Your Dad Taught You

We can see Dad’s influence in a variety of things we still do around the house.  As we honor him on Father’s Day, let’s recount some ways our fathers’ words and actions are still resonating today.

Turn the lights out when you leave a room; why not save a little energy where you can?  •  Put the remote back in its spot when you’re done, because we all hate the hunt next time.  •  Have a stocked toolbox to meet those little around-the-house needs like fixing a squeaky hinge or a leaky faucet.  •  Take pride in a manicured lawn, complete only after mowing, weed eating, trimming, and planting to the best of your hardworking ability.   • Come to the dinner table, appreciative of the plate in front of you.  And sit up straight.  And go back for seconds without persuasion.  •  Secure your daily drop spot for your keys, wallet, glasses, loose change, and the like [hopefully contained in something stylish].  •  Take pride in a neat collection of neck ties or an orderly sock drawer.  •  Sort the mail in the same spot everyday, pulling out the important items right off the bat.  •  Have “your spot,” whether in the recliner or a certain section of the sofa, that is always reserved as your place to kick back and put your feet up.  •  Be known for a signature dish prepared out on the grill or barbeque pit that gets rave reviews and repeat requests.  •  Amid all the go-go-go, slow down to enjoy a hot cup of coffee or a favorite slice of pie.  •  Be on time, which to you could mean always allowing for time to be a few minutes early.  •  You drive like you mean it.  Which could illicit a few gasps or door handle grabs by your passengers on occasion.  •  Offer sound advice, a listening ear, and  an opinion others tend to seek both personally and professionally.   

Happy Father’s Day to the men who have taught us, provided for us, protected us, and opened the door to the opportunities before us today!   

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 16th.

 

                               With Dad   

                               Krystal Stenseng • Steve Krenek

 

Congratulations to the 2013 Royal Algodon Court and the Don and Dona named last night!

Vacating for Vacation

To truly vacate the everyday and fully enjoy your vacation time away, prepping beforehand and keeping your real goals in mind during will help set you up to make a clean getaway.

Some might feel a rush from the hurried, night-before-at-midnight packing spree.  I disagree.  Packing as much as you can in advance helps ensure you don’t forget anything and you’re not getting your trip off to a breathless start.  If you’re a list maker, write or type out the number and types of each clothing item you’ll need, plus all the extras.  Before items go in the suitcase (neatly!), lay everything out – shoes, jewelry, accessories, and so forth.  Picturing each outfit fully loaded helps easily forgotten pieces make the trip.  Also, planning in advance for what you want to wear helps eliminate those last-night loads of laundry, for specific pieces were already pulled and not available for you to wear in the days prior to your departure.  Lay all the applicable toiletries out on the bathroom counter the evening before, and add each item to your cosmetic bag or dopp kit after you use it for the last time at home. 

Pack the “extra” bag; whether riding in the car or flying on a plane, prep snacks, reading material, music, and electronics with all the right chords and chargers.  Think about food and magazines while at the grocery store the last time before you leave and avoid the higher prices at convenience stores and airports.  If you will be gone for more than a couple of nights, make all the arrangements to have your home checked on, the mail picked up, and the lawn taken care of if need be.  

Prep for comfort.  Look up the weather patterns – or swings – to expect, and plan your shoes and layers accordingly.  Going to a hot spot but might want a jacket on a chilly plane?  Going to a cold spot but need your flip flops to accompany your swimsuit for the hot tub?  

While you’re away, take photos with purpose.  Will you be running a slideshow for family when you return?  Then perhaps don’t take 15 shots of essentially the same thing.  Will you be putting together a photo book you build online and have printed?  Capture the little things that will help tell your story, like signs that welcome you to a city, state, or resort; a well-crafted food dish; or the attractive room where you stay.

A real key in vacationing is focusing on getting away.  That means phone calls and emails that fill your time at home need to be kept to a minimum, and be confident the world will continue to turn at the office without you in it.  Let your mind get away with the rest of you, and enjoy the sights, the meals, the entertainment, and the deeper rest you truly intend to soak up this summer vacation.  

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 9th.

 

 

 

          

Energize Your Summer

June has arrived, and those sultry weeks of sunshine, barbeques, beach trips, and cold treats are here.  Summer elicits a laidback, low key feel centered on fun, travel, and kicking back.  If you want your home on board, energize your space with simple looks of summer.

A little can go a long way toward adding a seasonal element to your space.  To capitalize on a summer feel, think color.  Give your traditional couch throw pillows a break until September and replace them with brighter colors and vibrant patterns.  Drape a similar throw blanket over the end of the couch or loveseat.  Be willing to stretch past your usual comfort zone and consider combinations of teal, turquoise, grass green, hot pink, coral, and vibrant yellow that are hot this season. 

Sprucing up the table is easy when you incorporate casual placemats like white with a colored print or a bright shade in a repeating pattern.  Forego the cloth napkins and use summer print paper napkins from the party supply aisle.  An inexpensive set of plastic drinking glasses or melamine dinner plates in a new shade are simple ways to serve sodas and floats alongside burgers or hotdogs off the grill, right along with your everyday lunches for the next several weeks.  Put away the ceramic pitcher and keep a colored plastic pitcher handy to keep mixing up batches of lemonade or sweet tea. 

Fill a glass bowl with lemons or limes for the kitchen counter.  Use online references or food magazines to pull together some easy weeknight dinners that use summer produce.  Stock up on popsicles, crackers, dip mix, and summer veggies and fruits for afternoon snacking.  Bring out a pretty melamine tray and stock with bar napkins, stir sticks, and a little plate to hold freshly sliced fruit for drink mix-ins.  Splurge on some new colored mixing bowls or serving utensils for your summer entertaining. 

Change out sheet sets and extra blankets with breathable cotton options, and pop more vibrant pillowcase colors on top of simple white sheets.  Replace raggedy kitchen towels with a new set in bright colors or a summery repeating print.  Lay out a new welcome mat at the front door with a fun print painted on.    

Hit up those aisle end caps in stores that beckon with a slew of seasonal goodies for the homemaker and entertainer.  Little pops of color here and there can take your rooms right into summer fun for a stylish backdrop for your energized summer to come.            

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 2nd.