Creative Interiors by Coleen

7 Ways to add years to your life

2009-03-16T11:20:00.011-04:00

Look on the bright side

Optimists live about two years longer than pessimists, reports the Mayo Clinic

Eat Fruit and Vegetables

Studies show that eating brightly colored fruit and vegetables may lower your risk of many diseases

Keep in touch with friends

People in weekly contact with at least five friends were 22% less likely to die in 10 years, says an Australian study. Best reason yet for cell phones, email and facebook!

Get Moving

A short, brisk walk ups energy and can cut tension, says mood experts.

Sleep--but not too much

7 to 8 hours is optimum. Fewer than 6 may put you at risk of heart disease; more than 9 make you likelier to die of diseases such as cancer, says University College London Medical School.

Be Generous

People who give emotional and tangible support to friends and neighbors add years to their lives, according to the University of Michigan.

Worship Regularly

A University of Texas study found those going to religious services more than once a week live about 7 years longer. What a wonderful benefit for being involved at your church!

Blessings,

Coleen Barnes

"Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs"

Psalm 100:2

Chocolate

2009-02-11T09:22:00.023-05:00

Valentine's Day is almost here and one of the best things about the day is chocolate. I love dark chocolate, Dove dark is one of my favorites because it's so smooth. Chocolate has a large amount of cocoa butter which melts at 97 degrees. Perfect mouth melting temperature!
Another of my favorites is Ghirardelli baking chips. They have an intense chocolate taste as they are 60% cacao and come in a resealable bag. Eat a few when you get that chocolate urge and make cookies too.
Here a cool video from Consumer Reports...

One birthday, when I was a little girl, my mother says that I made it clear to everyone that I wanted no chocolate, everything must be pink! Oh, how times change, give me dark chocolate now. Speaking of birthdays---today is my youngest daughter's birthday. Happy birthday, Capri!

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Jesus said, "Let the children come to me.

Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven

belongs to those who are like these children."

And he placed his hands on their heads and

blessed them before he left.

Matthew 20: 14, 15

Blessings,

Coleen

Damask

2009-01-19T10:59:00.027-05:00

DAMASK, the technical term applied to certain distinct types of fabric. The term owes its origin to the ornamental silk fabrics of Damascus, fabrics which were elaborately woven in colours.

I was shopping with friends and everywhere we went there were all sorts of accessories with damask. Lamps with beautiful shades of damask fabric on the outside or on the inside lining.

Luggage, lunch totes and stationary

In bathrooms and on wallpaper.

vases...

Bedding and textiles.

My daughters in vintage-style aprons of damask print fabric.

" We learn as much from sorrow as from joy, as much from illness as from health, from handicap as from advantage and indeed perhaps more. "

--Pearl S. Buck

Blessings,

Coleen

Baking for the Dogs

2009-01-15T15:39:00.012-05:00

Basic Yeast Dog Treats

Mix together : 3 1/2 cup unbleached flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup skim milk powder, 1 tablespoon (or 1 package) dry yeast, 3 1/2 cups lukewarm chicken or meat broth. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm chicken or meat broth. The richer this broth is, the better your dog will like the biscuits. Let yeast broth mixture set 10 min. Then stir in flour mixture. Roll resulting dough out 1/4" thick. Cut dog biscuit shapes from dough. Brush biscuits with egg wash. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 300* for 45 min. Then turn off oven and leave in overnight to finish hardening. Makes 60 medium-sized biscuits.

(I added about 1/3 c. finely shredded white cheddar cheese)

I was amazed that I could have enough treats for all the dogs in our family...12!!

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Ecclesiastes 7:14

Blessings,

Coleen

New Lights

2008-12-08T09:50:00.015-05:00

There's a new chandelier in my dining room and it's all decked out for the holidays! I used greenery around the lights, keeping it well away from the bulbs, with a few red berries and wooden cranberries. Simple and festive. It's fun to decorate your dining room or kitchen chandelier. You can go more elaborate with ornaments and bows or keep it simple with greenery.

My old chandelier was a relic from the 80's and there was no way to decorate it. New lighting is an inexpensive way to update your home. Lighting fixtures start at around $50 and go up from there. If yours has a nice shape and design, but is bright brass, try using spray paint. Take it down and use blue tape to cover what you don't want painted and use a flat bronze spray paint.

The husband is a handy fellow to have around to do the wiring! I'll do the decorating.

There is another 80's relic in the entry foyer that I have a new matching chandelier for... but that will require a tall ladder. While I have the husband on a ladder, the foyer could use a fresh coat of paint!

Some wise men from eastern lands arrived

in Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the

newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star as it rose and have come to

worship him." Matthew 2: 1,2

Blessings,

Coleen

Cosy fire on cold winter morning

2008-12-04T07:58:00.049-05:00

As I sit by the fire on a cold winter morning, drinking my coffee and looking forward to my day as I get ready for Christmas and reflect on what blessings I have. I adore making gifts for the family I love and decorating my home for a season of entertaining much loved friends. Suddenly, something doesn't smell right! The husband asks, "Did we open the flue?" As the smoke detectors sound and off the little yorkie runs yelping, we look at each other as I say," I moved something in there." I debate whether to open the windows to let out the smoke and risk having our neighbors call the fire department! In a few moments, the smoke is clearing and the detectors are sputtering and the yorkie comes out of hiding. We sigh with relief, as we sit back and finish drinking our now cold coffee.

The mantel holds greenery wrapped in wood cranberries. The surface is narrow and painted with high gloss.

These are the stockings, hung on the fireplace. They are miniature and don't hold very many goodies, but are so cute!

The coffee is now warm and the yorkie is snuggled up next to me. I am reflecting on Christmas as the most wonderful season to remember the gift from God of his son, Jesus.

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child!

She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,

which means 'God is with us'."

Matthew 1:23

Blessings,
Coleen

The Tree is up.....

2008-11-24T19:29:00.025-05:00

The tree is up and the mantel is decorated. There is a dusting of snow on the ground and a real chill in the air. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music is playing on the ipod so Christmas will soon be here!

The theme for my decor this year is cream and red. I put 6 sticks of red berries at the top of the tree.
Strings of red wooden cranberries came next.

I sorted through all my ornaments and picked out only those with cream and red.

There are a half dozen silk dark red hydrangeas and 4 cream ones tucked into the branches.

I finished off the tree with a cream and red toile tree skirt. I even found some cream and red toile ornaments.

Blessings,

Coleen

But the angel said to them,

"Do not be afraid, I bring you good news

of great joy

that will be for all the people."

Luke 2:10

Painting with Red

2008-11-20T15:00:00.008-05:00

Have you wanted to paint red and been afraid? Don't be afraid just go for it! But...do some prep work first, use blue tape to tape off the ceiling and baseboards or get a good trim brush if you have a steady hand for cutting in. Be ready to either paint 3 or 4 coats or 1 coat of primer (tinted gray or dark pink) and at least 2 more coats of paint. Either way you are going to paint that room 3 times or more. But it's worth it!

The next step is choosing the right color. Burgundy reds mostly have pink undertones and

lean towards Victorian or formal decor. Brown reds, think really dark rust, lean towards country or traditional decor and clear bright reds are more contemporary.

Burgundy can be very dark and is really cozy in a small room like a powder room or a library. For more of a library feel accent with navy or deep green.

Brown reds often go great with golds and olive greens, either to use in paint on an accent wall or furnishing, furniture and accessories. I suggest you paint your ceiling the lightest shade on the color strip of the accent color. The ceiling is often the forgotten surface and deep colors need a soft color on that surface not stark white.

My daughter, who lives near DC, has painted her living room bright red. It is Glidden paint and the color name is Drumbeat. She loves it so much that she says she will paint that color again if she moves. The color is similar to Valspar Cut Ruby. She has done excellent in keeping her look contemporary and warm by accenting with taupe furniture and black accessories.

It's best to choose eggshell or satin paint finish for red paint. It allows some light to bounce off the surface and doesn't look muddy like flat paint. Flat paint is only for ceilings, in my opinion.

My living room is painted Valspar Persian Dance, an old gold color with an accent wall in Valspar Cooper Molera Fandango Red. Quite a mouthful for a name of a color, but it's one I love and have used in other houses.

Want to have some fun with color? Check out this site: http://www.valspar.com/explore-colors/choose-a-color.html

Finally, find your color inspiration in something in your space or maybe in a favorite item of clothing in your closet and have fun painting!

Blessings,
Coleen

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”- Psalm 95:1-2

All about pumpkins

2008-11-13T21:06:00.002-05:00

Pumpkins and gourds are abundant in fall decorating and I am amazed at the different materials used to make them. I am especially intrigued by white pumpkins that are popping up everywhere. I love getting a great bargain on out of season decor, but timing is very important in buying seasonal. Buy too early and it's not marked down enough. Buy too late and the good stuff is gone. Most of the time, it's just luck and a careful eye.

I have some very cute pumpkins that are made out of a variety of materials. The pumpkin on the right is made of chenille that has been painted with acrylic paint.

This one on the left is made of ceramic and is dark red, not really a pumpkin color.

These two pumpkins are my favorites. They are made of velvet and beads. I found them at a craft fair in Ohio and they are hand-made.

I Peter 5:7 - "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you."

Blessings,
Coleen

2008-11-12T11:47:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Favorite Fall Decor

I love Fall! I'm into spreading the colors of fall throughout your space, but less is more, in my opinion. Just a little, in a tasteful way, is so much better than to have sensory overload. Here are some examples of items that I have changed to highlight the fall colors. I love this old tool caddy. It's so fun to decorate for any season and there are many ways to add color to the table or buffet. I sometimes fill it with apples or lemons or oranges. You just need a plan for the fruit after your event if you use real fruit!

Small baskets down the middle of your table with like items or small glass bowls would also be nice. During a dinner party, be sure to keep things on your table low enough for guests to see over and room enough for all your dinnerware, glasses and food.

"Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay." 1Peter4:8,9

Blessings,

Coleen