Wednesday, June 18, 2008
How to Sponge Paint Any Room
I was cleaning house one day Bedding Sets few years ago, Ann Gish Embroidery Hotel Bedskirt thought, gee. this old wallpaper is out of date, beginning Pine Cone Quilted Sham peel itself off the walls, and really, Egyptian Cotton Sateen Luxury Duvet was ugly. My yearly vacation was coming up and so I decided to use that time to redecorate the bedroom. (My husband rolled his eyeballs and said " yea right. Do you know what you are doing?"
Apparently he had not noticed what I did Ann Gish Embroidery Pillow Case the front Egyptian Cotton Sateen Luxury Duvet previously with the rock beds. That will be another article later on. So, monday morning I sent him away, laughing I might add, since some men just do not think us women are capable of these things. I cleared out the room and began the task of tearing off the old ugly wallpaper, which went well enough, as the walls are plaster and there really was not anything holding the paper to the walls at this point. I thought great, that was easy, until I looked at the now bare walls and decided just paint was not going to be the answer.
First I thought of what I wanted to achieve with this room and went with a "theme". We Egyptian Cotton Sheet Set an animal print comforter and so I decided this room would be a jungle theme.
I had heard of sponge painting and so i decided I would give it a Pine Cone Quilted Sham I got my paint, three different colors in shades of green, and using the darkest color as the base, went from there. next, using a sea sponge loaded some paint and dabbed it on newspaper to get the excess off then randomly went about the walls dabbing here and there until the walls were fairly covered. I then took my third and lightest color and grabbed another tool, which was a bath poof I had laying around and experimented with that. The effect was awsome.
The trick to sponging is never to overload with paint Charmeuse Silk Coverlet you will wind up with globs, and using at least three different colors in the same spectrum gives it a look of depth. I went with a jungle theme and bought some ivy vines which I tacked up around the ceiling after applying Egyptian Cotton Sateen Luxury Duvet tree border, and found some animal print material which used to make valances for the windows. Viola! My own jungle. My husband was impressed and it neither looks too feminine or masculine.
I little imagination can work wonders, and if you have a small budget, all the better. I loved the bedroom so much when I was done, I went on to the bathroom, living room and kitchen after that!
The bath is a fish theme and the kitchen is old world cafe' Grab a sponge and have some fun!
You can find lots of jungle theme decorating ideas at http://www.thepatronsplace.com
Camping - Get Those Tents Up!
Have you ever thought you might like to try a totally different vacation? Is the cost of your vacation this year a problem? Did you know that a week long Camping Vacation for a family of four can work out to under a $1000.
That sounds pretty good eh! Can you smell that fresh air go on fill your lungs with it and oh! what's that lovely smell, somebody's cooking up a treat... it always smells better outdoors don't you think?
Then you have the glorious sunset and after that why not get together with your neighboring campers for a story telling session and singsong round the campfire. If you thought a Camping Vacation would be 'roughing it' and 'hard work' then think again, yes it will take some planning but that's half the fun and it won't be that much work.
First things first though - location. There are excellent locations in the State Parks for camping e.g. Ocean View Resort Ocean View NJ and many more, check them out on the Internet. Most of the parks have lakes for fishing boating and swimming and also hiking trails. If the kids are really lucky they might come across a deer or a raccoon.
Some have playgrounds and basketball courts so tell the kids to bring their toys etc. Also to be found in these parks are bathrooms and showers, drinking water, ice, trash containers and somewhere to do the dishes. The kids without realizing it can learn a bit of history as there are annual celebrations, events and festivals covering our outdoor heritage. Park Rangers provide security and some parks have outside movies at weekends.
So now you have found your destination the next step is your Camping Gear.
Now don't worry this does not have to be a daunting task, it can be made easy using the Internet. Obviously you will need a tent. You are probably best to pick a tent a bit larger than you need then you will have some available space. Make sure your tent is appropriate for the terrain and weather and use tent stakes that will secure your tent from blowing away in the wind. A Rain Fly is recommended, not only for rain protection, but also as a sun shield.
A tarp is a further means of protecting your gear, by using it under, in, or over your tent.
You probably won't be camping in cold weather, so consider a 3-season sleeping bag. These are ideal should the weather be colder at night and if they get too warm just unzip the zipper. Mom and Dad might like the sleeping bags that zip together, also consider a Sleeping Pad - as insulation from the cold ground. Pillows - the inflatable pillows are convenient, or your own from home but a rolled up towel or shirt will work too, a cot in case somebody needs to sleep off the ground. On mild summer nights you may prefer to sleep on top of your sleeping bag with a cozy comforter.
Now back to those lovely cooking smells. What to cook? Basically anything you eat at home. You can get 100's of Camping recipes off the Internet or why not make up your own. The kids will need proper sticks for hot dogs and marshmallows. A Dutch Oven is useful for baking anything that you would bake at home in a conventional oven. Bottled water is probably best for cooking and drinking, and don't forget the Cooler.
You will also need your basic pots and pans, and also include for each camper a plate, bowl, cup, knife, fork, and spoon and don't forget the can opener. A lot of these items you will already have at home.
It is always best to be prepared so include a first aid kit with the following items - personal medication, bandages, aspirin, Tylenol, medical tape, sterile gauze, elastic wrap, antibiotic wipes, antiseptic cream, burn ointment, sunburn lotion, hydrogen peroxide, scissors, tweezers, eye wash and snake bite kit.
Don't forget your toothbrush, toilet paper etc., but avoid using hair sprays, perfumes etc., as the odor will attract bugs.
So tuck yourself into that sleeping bag, pleasant dreams under the stars and Happy Camping!
Guy Dacceo is the owner of camping camping which is the premier resource for camping information.
For more information go to: http://www.fjcamping.com
