Coping with Carpet: Dining Room Refresh

We have been in our house for 5 years now. Somewhere around year two I promised myself I would have hardwoods in my house by year five. In came year five and still no hardwood floors. Talking it over with boo we decided to make investments in other areas of the houses, new A/C unit, updated mattresses and a new closet, so that placed hardwood floors on the back burner.

Being stuck with carpet hasn't been my favorite thing, but I have learned how to cope with it. If you are dealing with carpet woes here are some things you can do:

GO FOR A BOLD COLOR SCHEME
One way to distract from carpet is to use  bold colors. Painting the walls a bold color will bring the eyes off the carpet and onto the walls. You can also play with boldly colored accents too. In my dining room, I opted for black paint on the walls. The black walls takes the eyes off of the carpet!

CREATE A FOCAL POINT
Creating a focal point will remove the eye from the carpet also. If done correctly, your focal point will distract from your carpet. I created a family gallery wall above my bar area. This area immediately grabs the attention of my visitors as they spend time looking over the pictures

INVEST IN A LARGE AREA RUG
Area rugs are your best friend if you have carpet. The larger the best, is my opinion. They do a great job of covering up the carpet and also adding some color to your space. In my dining room, I opt-ed out of a rug and used the next tip instead.

SKIP THE RUG AND EMBRACE
Sometime coping with carpet is as simple as just accepting it. In my dining room, I choose to just accept it. I've been leaning more toward minimizing some of my decor, so accepting the carpet came more natural than adding a rug.

CLEAN IT REGULARLY
Cleaning your carper regularly is a must...and I don't mean just vacuuming. Investing in a great at home carpet cleaner will be crucial. We have an awesome carpet cleaner that we use every 3 months or so. Deep cleaning your carpet often will keep it looking fresh and clean. There's something about a freshly cleaned carpet that is refreshing and makes having carpet not too bad.

What are some ways that you have coped with having carpet? Do tell!

How to get the Perfect Masculine & Feminine Decor Mix

Finding a balance between masculine and feminine decor can sometimes be hard for couples.  I have some easy tips and things to keep in mind in order to achieve the perfect balance.

First let's figure out the difference between the two:

Feminine

1. Soft Material: Plush fabrics, linen upholstered furniture, furry rugs//pillows
2. Curvy or detailed furniture
3. Metallic: Gold, rose gold, silver
4. Light or pastel colors
5. Small print patterns
6. Layered Decor (Lots of accents, multiple blankets and pillows on bed, rugs)

Masculine:

1. Hard materials: Leather, wood, brick
2. Straight line furniture
3. Dark Colors
4. Large or solid print fabrics
5. Metallic: Chrome
6. Simple (one layer) decor

There is a pretty big contrast between the two general styles. Most shared man/woman spaces I have seen usually tends to heavily lend towards one end of the spectrum. This is especially true in the bedroom.

Now that we know the basics between the two styles, here is the trick to keep in mind:

Choose three basics from each side to achieve the perfect balance

Here's a visual of what I mean:

This is the approach I use when decorating my home, but I must admit, our bedroom is leaning heavily on the masculine side. Don't worry, there is a makeover coming soon for that space. Also, you don't have to pick 3 and 3; it could be 2 and 2 too...and you may even come up with your own mix too.

The main thing to keep in mind is to mix up the basics.

Another thing that is associated with feminine decor are flowers, plants, and framed family photos. You can pepper those into any mix that you choose.

I tend to lean more towards Mix 1. Here's some shots of my house from my Instagram:

Dining Room

Feminine: Upholstered chairs w/ small patterns and gold accents, plant
Masculine: Dark color, solid color chairs, straight line furniture

Living Room

Feminine: Layered Rugs, Small pattern on vase, soft throw blanker
Masculine: Dark colors, straight line furniture, large print on rug

Don't forget to pin the handy cheat sheet here on this post and tell me if you are living in a man/woman space, which mix do you lean more towards?

How to Plan a Room Makeover with Polyvore

One of my favorite online tools I use when planning a room is Polyvore. Polyvore is a site that allows you to make 'sets' or collages of things ranging from fashion to home. Today I wanted to share how you can also use this easy tool, giving you my step by step process. There are some great benefits from using this site:

1. It's a super easy to use tool...that can become quite addictive lol 
2. You can get a great visual on how all the pieces and color/patterns will look together....that way you don't waste money buying items that won't really work all together.
3. All products listed on the site gives you the price point and where you can purchase the items from.....this reduces time in needing to browse a million websites

I primarily used Polyvore when planning my dining room. Here is my 'Chic Dining Room' Set I design:

Although I didn't stick strictly to my original idea, I came pretty close: I added a round white table, the zebra print, a fiddle leaf, two upholstered chairs and two metal style chairs to my dining room.

READ: The Two Year Dining Room Makeover

Polyvore was super useful in planning and executing my dining room makeover!

To do this you will need to first make an account on their site. After getting all logged in, select the option to create a set. (You'll find this on the set menu under the 'more' button.) Once doing that you will come to the blank screen where you can create a collage.

The first thing you want to do is use the search box on the right hand side of the screen to look up items you want in your room. I pick my larger items first and then begin to build around it. In my set, I am starting with a bed. 

 

Next I begin to add pillows. Pillows are a great way to add color and texture to the room. I added a pink and white furry pillow. When clicking the image you will see the options to remove, flop, flip, clone, forwards, and backwards. To achieve a layered look you can place some images behind the other. Here you can see I placed the white pillow behind the pink pillow, similar to how it may look if on a bed. Also note the three image buttons that comes up. I'll explain more on that a little later in the post.

As you begin to build your room think about the kind of look you are going for...what colors do you want to pull together or what decor style will you be using. I wanted something that had an unexpected piece, such as this nightstand. As I mentioned above, it's great that you can see everything and get a feel for how it will all look together. I added artwork, a plant, more pillows and a cowhide rug. 

You may notice that I did some re-arranging and moved my pillows to the bed. Some of the images on the site has a write border around the image. The white border can get in the way, so a great way to get rid of this is to crop. When clicking on the image you will see three images examples (that I mentioned above) of the images. One with the white background, one with a transparent background and a custom option. Choose the custom option to get a better crop on the image. On that menu you will have the option to crop yourself or use the provided crops. I used the provided crops.

With everything put together I decided against the dresser. So I instead swapped it out with two side tables. You can easily remove an image by selecting it and selecting the remove button or delete key on your keyboard.

When I had everything completed I named my set as 'Tween Glam Room'. You can add text to your set by choose text from the embellishment menu on the bottom of the right side of the screen. The font and text can be updated using the font menu that appears after selecting your initial font.

Lastly, you will need to publish your set. Give it a name that represents your project so that you can easily remember why you created it.

After everything is completed, you will have your own room on the screen that will help you with planning. I love putting these together. It helps me stay on track when decorating a room and also, give me the opportunity to come up some DIY projects. (I'm thinking of how I can DIY this feather chandy!)

You may have noticed that a lot of the price points are pretty high or you might not find exactly what you need. If you run into this, you can use the clipping tool offered by Polyvore. This allows you to clip items from the web to use within your collage. Find out more about this option: HERE.

Now what do you think of this site? Will you be giving it a try, or do you already have an account? If so, leave your handle in the comments so I can see your great work!

If you would like to follow me you can do so here: http://alayadonetta.polyvore.com/ 

5 Senses Valentine's Day Gift Guides

It's that time of the year, Valentine's Day! Valentine's Day is hands down my favorite holiday! ....or may be a close runner up behind New Year's Day. Either way, I find that finding the perfect gift for your loved one on this day can sometimes be difficult.

A couple of years ago I heard of the 5 Senses Gift idea. The jist of the idea is to give one gift that caters to each sense: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell. You can package these gifts together care package style or buy any one of these individual gifts by itself. Today I've done the heavy lifting for you and have put together some gift guides for Her and Him.

Gift Guide for HER:

TASTE:
2-Piece Pink Foil Stemless Glass Set - $10 | Ferrer Rocher Chocolates
TOUCH:
In Home or Professional Massage | Massage Oil & Goodnight Spray - $30
HEAR:
Earbuds w/ Mic and Carrying Case - $16 | Beats Pill Portable Speaker - $229
SIGHT:
Nars Duo Eyeshadow - $35 | Spitfit Round Sunglasses - $31
SMELL:
Dozen Roses | Bath & Body Works Candle - $14.50

Gift Guide for HIM:

TASTE:

Libbey Craft Beer Set - $25 | Starbucks Gift Card

TOUCH:

Long Sleeved Buffalo Plaid Shirt - $25 | Travel Grooming Kit - $33

SMELL:

Cologne

SIGHT:

Sporting Event Tickets

HEAR:

Black Watch - $139 | Skullcandy Earbuds - $8

The main thing with doing the 5 Senses Gifts is the presentation. Be sure to explain to your loved one the meaning and to relate the senses with each gift. You can package these gifts in multiple boxes stacked together and secured with a ribbon or in one big box.

READ: Simple Chic Gift Wrapping Ideas

Need more Valentine's Day gift ideas? Check out my other post!

EASY VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT IDEAS | DIY PERSONALIZED MUGS | DIY COASTER SET

How to Take Bright & Beautiful iPhone Photos

One of the most common questions I have received since becoming a blogger is, "What type of camera do you use?" ...the truth is that I do not own a camera. About 98% of my photography is taken from my trusty iPhone. B recently purchased a camera for himself which I have used a little, but I feel more comfortable with my iPhone. Over the years I have learned what works and doesn't work when taking iPhone pics.

This is an exhaustive list of my process and I hope it helps you!

STEP 1: CLEAN YOUR LENS
That's right, clean your iPhone lens. Think about all the dust, grit and grime that can get on your lens from tossing your phone in your purse or pockets. If you notice your photos are grainy and cloudy BEFORE snapping your shot a dirty lens is more than likely the culprit

STEP 2: FIND THE LIGHT
Lighting is super important when taking iPhone pics. I cannot stress how important this is.. it's super important! If at home and you want to take a flatlay picture find a window to take your pics nearby. Look at the difference in the pictures below. The first was taken in my kitchen that doesn't get much natural light.

On the second picture I moved the tray over to a window and snapped a photo. It made a huge difference in the colors

Now you don't want that bright harsh mid-day light...that light isn't great for pictures. You should take your pictures in the beginning or end of the day. If you like cool-toned photos (blueish-tinted) snap your pics in the morning and for warm-toned (yellow and orange tinted) photos take your pics close to sunset.

The main thing to remember is that natural light is king. Incandescent light is the enemy.

STEP 3: ADOPT PHOTOGRAPHER'S TECHNIQUES
RULE OF THIRDS
When taking photos on an iPhone you will notice the grid with 9 squares. I like to use this grid when deciding where I want the object to be in the photo. I like to playing around with putting my focus object on one of the points where the bottom horizontal and vertical lines cross. This is known as the rule of thirds. I'm not an expert on this so I'll let Wikipedia teach you the full on course.

Even if you don't initially take your photo like this, you can always crop your pictures to give this effect. I edited this photo I took of my friend at sunset.

Look at the before:

After cropping this photo to meet the rule of thirds techniques the picture looks way more interesting.

Do note, even with this tip, I do love a centered focused picture. This is just something to try when wanting to add some interest to your photos.

LEADING LINES
This is a technique where lines are used to draw the viewer's eye to the main focus of a photo. I find this is easier to do when out and about as oppose to doing interior photography. In this photo, that my friend took of me from her iPhone, we are using the lines of the side walk to draw your eye up to where I am standing.

Leading lines composition really make for beautiful and interesting pictures. Try this the next time you are out and about.

STEP 4: BE AWARE OF THE BACKGROUND
There's nothing worst than seeing a potentially pretty photo that only failed because of the background. Remove all items from your lens' view that clash with your photo. If there is something that you cannot remove, consider using a blur for the background.

STEP 5: USE THE FOCUS FEATURE
Your iPhone will auto focus for you on the image it thinks you are trying to capture. However, there may be times where you want to focus on a background image. To change the focus simply tap on the screen where you want the camera to focus. Here you can see I am taking the same picture but the focus is different based on me tapping the screen in different areas.

Here I tapped on the sky

and here I tapped on my knee

Holding my phone in the same location but tapping on different focus areas created two totally different pictures.

STEP 6: USE THE BURST
The burst feature is great to use when you have a moving object such as a kid or when taking pictures outside on a windy day. Simply hold down the shutter button when taking your pictures. Keep in mind this option takes about 10 pictures a second, so the longer your hold the button the more pictures will have. Afterwards go back through your photos and find your best shot.

On this burst shot, you can see our best photo is the last one, bottom right corner.

STEP 6: HOLD STEADY

Shaky hands will produce terrible pictures. Even if you move a little when taking a picture on an iPhone the photo will come out blurry. When taking your pictures hold still, even after you have snapped your photo hold still for another 2-3 seconds. I noticed when I move right after taking a photo it isn't as clear as when I remain steady for a few seconds.

STEP 7: EDIT YOUR PHOTO
I listed editting last because the goal is to take a good picture BEFORE needing to edit.

BRIGHTEN & CONTRAST
If you follow the 6 steps above your photo will need minimal editing. The main editing functions I use on every photo is brightening and contrast. The amount of contrast and brightening that I use depends on the look I am going for, but I always make sure that my contrast is greater than my brightening.

If you want a photo full of color, turn up the contrast higher. I mostly post my photos to Instagram and can do all the editing in the app, but I wanted to kick it up a notch so I downloaded VSCO. I prefer their contrast better than Instagram.

STRAIGHTEN
Most of the photos I take require some straightening. Using the grid function I mentioned earlier I find a straight edge in my photo to line up with the grid. Also, sometimes my images will look slightly curved or leaning to the left..not sure if it's because I'm a lefty or not.

I will use the horizontal or vertical straightening (available in Instagram or most photo editing apps) to straighten out my photo. As you can see here I had to use quite a bit of horizontal adjusting.

Notice on the picture on the top, the edge of the fireplace is crooked (slanting downwards) and also the fireplace on the left side looks distorted. I correct this by adjusting the horizontal aspect and straightened the edge of the fireplace with the grid. I layer these updates on top of the brightening and contrast.

CROP
The crop feature is your friend. I snapped some pictures while B did our daughter's birthday photoshoot. She wanted to wear her favorite boots which were pretty scuffed up. It was her birthday so we figured we would just let her wear them. That's where the handy crop comes in. I cropped out the toes of her boots.

of course I did my brightening/contrast and straightening and the picutre was perfect.

Read: 8 Ways to Make your Child's Photo Shoot a Success

STEP 8: POST AND ENJOY
The last thing to do is post your photo!

Check out the total transformation of one iPhone photo that I shared on my Instgram. Here I wanted the focus of my photo to be this flowers while still showing a little background. Also I wanted to hide the damage to my dining room table as much as I could.

I started by placing my floral arrangement in an area that had tons of natural light.

Next I boosted the contrast to bring out the pretty pink color of the roses.

Then I adjusted the horizontal perspective and straaightened up the photo.

Then to get rid of the paper I didnt want to show in the background I cropped my photo on the left side and on the bottom a bit.

Using the tilt shift function I blurred the background so the flowers in the foreground would pop.

..and lastly I brightened my photo.

Take a look at the before and after

I hope these tips have helped you. Share with me on Instagram, FB, or Twitter the photos you have taken using my suggestions through the hashtag. #BBGDTipsWork